Dear Hydrangea

Dear Hydrangea,
I covet your beauty in my garden and pray for your elegant blooms. My dear Hydrangea how have I offended thee? Do I not do everything you ask of me? Why do you reward my efforts and love with dead twigs and burnt leaves? Does my heartache amuse you? Oh how cruel you are Hydrangea. Oh Hydrangea if you don't straighten up soon I'm afraid Mr.Shovel is gonna dig your @$$ out and you'll find your cruel self riding in the back of the garbage truck so you better find a way to FREAKING BLOOM!!!!

Sincerely,
The Keeper of the Garden

SALUT

I've become obsessed with blogging again and it feels fabulous. I need to write, it is a huge part of who I am and it is what I discovered years ago defined me and set me apart from my peers. Recently I have been scouring google for new blogs to follow and added some to my list. Of course they all have some sort of reference or connection to a french theme.

Whether it be in design, baking, living, or fashion, they are all french related.I was not surprisingly captivated and enamored by the blogs that were focused on design. I was both jealous and inspired by these bloggers eye for french design. So much so that I started to feel inadequate and sheepish about my recent posts of my shabby chic inspiration living room creation.

Some of the rooms showcased on these blogs are just simply gorgeous. Then I thought my post pictures probably looked awful to me because I took them on my IPhone, but that wasn't it either. So I have come to the conclusion that the hubby and I need to start going to estate sales,garage sales, and the dreaded Home Goods Store!!! The hubby hates that store because I want EVERYTHING!!

So clean out the trunk honey cause we are going shopping!!! Oh and today's french word of the day was... goodbye [informal] *salut* I will use it in a sentence... My hubby began to cry as he said *salut* to all his hard earned money. *Salut*

BONSOIR

Bonsoir mon amie!! You know those IPhone commercials that boast "We have an app for that" well guess who found an app for Basic French For Dummies?!?! That's right moi!! They really do have an app for just about everything so now thanks to my Apple IPhone I am learning how to speak french. My goal is to try and learn one new french word a day.

I wanted to share with you my finished shabby chic inspired formal~informal living room. I know I had spoke about it a lot in the past but I finally think I'm finished and wanted to share it with my blog world amie(that means friend in french).

My Table


Couch with new throw pillows and wall painted in French Silver


Display of coffee table


I tried to recreate true french style by incorporating nature into the design of the room by adding seashells, birds, bird cage, flowers, and decorative twigs to the comfortable elegance of the room.

What Did You Do This Summer?

Nothing...I did nothing, nothing from my To~Do project list!! No awesome do it yourself for cheap shabby chic project!! With 3 young boys on summer vacation, 1 in preschool and a "let's go do something" hubby it was hard to do anything but have fun. Also we added a new member to our family and his name is Scout. He is the sweetest, cutest, fluffiest little Golden Retriever that God has ever put on this earth. The little boys love him and even Walter our 5 year old Chihuahua likes him!! Scout was my birthday gift from my hubby this year. I wanted to name him Atticus but Scout won in the popular vote.



I also experienced a *Super Awesome for Super Cheap Decorative Find*. I found on Craigslist for $45.00 an antique foot pedal operated *SINGER* sewing machine!!! Which I now proudly display in our family room and make everyone who sets foot in my house Ooooooooo and Aaaaahhhhhhhh over it. Man, woman, or child, no matter, you are going to look at my oh so beautiful antique foot pedal operated *SINGER* sewing machine, listen to my incredibly fascinating story of awesomeness and wish YOU had an antique foot pedal operated *SINGER* sewing machine just like it. You are going to want to run home to your computer to scour the postings on Craigslist for one of your very OWN!!!!! MUAH HA HA HA HA



Oh wow, I went on a little trip there didn't I?!?! It's okay I'm back, I'm focused, *whispering under my breath* on your jealousy of my *SINGER sewing machine. All kidding aside I do clearly love my new piece and am on the hunt for another one.I have wanted one of my very own for about 4 years now. My mother~in~law had promised me that I was to receive hers, which she used as a bedside table once she found a chair to replace it with. Well she found a chair and decided instead of giving me the *SINGER sewing machine like she PROMISED, that she liked the way it looked in her front living room as an end table. Now I'm not sure but I don't think my mother~in~law wants to give me the sewing machine.



Anyway I got tired of waiting and looked on Craigslist one evening and there it was. Now I'm not going to tell my mother~in~law I bought one because well she might actually give me hers one day and I don't want her to think I don't want hers!! Hers is in WAY better condition than mine and to tell you the truth it reminds me of her. It is strong, elegant, and they just don't make them like they used to.

Inspiration

Today my Cali Girl in Washington inspired me to create my own *copied* french shabby chic design accessories. I was introduced to a gorgeous shabby chic store in my hometown by my hubby. He himself happened to stumble across it as he was heading to an appointment in town. He said I would love it and that I HAD to go and see this store. * Hubs is a catch I know* Before he could put the car in park I was already calling out things I had to have and gasping and pointing in every direction, I was in heaven!! I wanted everything in the store and swore to him I had a perfect spot in our home to put everything I wanted.



As my excitement settled and my husband hid his wallet, I really started to examine all the expensive and very expensive little furnishings. In my head I kept thinking, I can recreate this, I know how they made this, they want how much?!?! I mean I really loved the items they were selling but thought perhaps there are other shabby chic design lovers on a budget out there. Other people who like me want the look but can't take the price tag. Which got me thinking maybe actually I could recreate the look and blog about how I did it for less and how you can too!! I explained this brilliant idea to my Cali Girl in Washington, Kristie and she encouraged me to do it and so I am.



So Staples, Michael's, and Target here I come!!! I'm going to go back to the shabby chic store in my hometown to take pictures of the accessories I am going to try and duplicate. Candles, bottles, tags etc. and you can decide if I accomplished the task of recreating these items or not.



I ask that at this point in the blog you wish me luck because I will be using a hot glue gun and if a hot glue gun in my possession doesn't make you spontaneously erupt in laughter, well then I'm sure the pictures will!!

GO TO SLEEP!!!!

I am seething with anger and frustration!!!! I went to bed around 9:30p.m. fell asleep around 10:30p.m. and was awaken at 1a.m. by the littlest boo boo. I have been awake with him ever since because for some reason he can't sleep tonight. So if he can't sleep well that means I can't sleep and I know every mommy out there knows what I'm talking about!!

I am so angry at my husband right now because he is sound asleep at 5 o'clock in the morning and I have yet to be. We have a family gathering to go to this afternoon and I just know both I and the littlest boo boo are going to be cranky and an absolute joy to be around. Hmmm well that last sentence is just dripping with sarcasm. I have a headache, I want to cry but most of all I want my boo boo to GO TO SLEEP!!!!

Oh look here comes the sun coffee anyone?

Ol' Friend

Look who finally made his way home from Darkest Peru, my dear ol' friend Paddington Bear. After a nail biting auction and weeks of waiting my darling friend made it to our home where he greets my guest from his little black rocking chair.He doesn't look exactly like the one I had so long ago but he fills my heart with joy just the same. Welcome Home Paddington Bear, oh how I've missed you.