Some linkin’ love
I would like to give a shout out to some new blogging friends that I have made recently. Whether just starting out or old timers, they are new friends to me and folks that deserve a little love. (Don’t we all).
Angie, who is a loyal reader of mine and shares my passion for Paris, wrote to me and told me that I had inspired her to start her own blog. I can’t even begin to tell you how that made me feel. Words can’t even describe it. It is so nice to be told you are inspiring. You can check out her latest trip on her new blog, My life Today.
Smokeybones, (I love that name) is a retired Navy man and he started a blog full of world cultural do’s and dont’s. Great tips for traveling somewhere unfamiliar.
Janie over at Panini Girl, shares my passion for Italy, cooking and all things Italian. Visit her for pictures, stories and lots of Italian cookin’.
And last but not least, Geggie. Her blog is called So… what else, what else, what else? How clever. She kinda talks about everything, and she is funny. She is currently running a contest (you know how I love contests) over at her blog. A nice little pay it forward ditty, with Burt’s Bees products and a $25 donation to the charity of your choice. How cool is that? Head on over and check it out. And if you do, please tell her I sent you!
Happy Reading!
Online Hotel Reservations
CHEAP HOTELS IN ITALY & FRANCE
Friends & Supporters
It’s Official….
I have the Winter Blues. I am a sad sack. Ho-Hum-Hum-Drum. It usually happens around this time. The Holidays are over. The crappy weather has set in. No Spring in sight. The realization that the next Holiday isn’t until Memorial Day, in May, a long 5 months away. Nary a flea market to be found. You know it’s bad when even the fleas pack it in. No trips to Europe on the horizon because we are recovering from Holiday spending….and the dollar remains lower than Barry White’s voice. And my creative juices have escaped, took a long vacation, set sail to the Caribbean, without me I might add. Inspiration, a dirty word. Passion-shmashen. Like Austin Powers, I feel like I lost my Mojo, baby.
So what is a girl to do? How is one supposed to survive? How do you make it through to Spring, sane and smiling?
Some of the things I try to keep me going…
Scour Ebay for flea market deals
Drink more wine
Watch reruns of Frasier
Redecorate
Depending on how massive the redecorating
Drink more wine
Enjoy a nightly hot chocolate, with a little nip perhaps
Try new recipes…and then eat them
Drink good wine
Work on a new blog design
Go skiing (just kidding, and you thought you really knew me)
Dine out with my girlfriends
Wine more drink, hiccup, I mean Drink more wine
Oh yeah, almost forgot, I also ogle over Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd. There is nothing that man can’t do. Maybe he’d like to join me for a glass of good wine?
So, do you get the Winter Blues? How do you cope? Share some of your secrets…you may be able to help me from pulling my hair out. And from becoming an alcoholic. Seems like alot of wine drinking going on.
Angels Watching Over
Angels
Standing alone or adorning a larger piece, they always pull at my heartstrings.
My spirit renews when my gold Italian putti
Their plump little tummies and round bottoms make me smile a mile wide.
Their poses make my heart sing.
Blush colored puckered lips and wings draw my mind to romance.
Don’t you just want to kiss her?
Graceful, innocent and magical. I delve with them into their fantasy land.
Fluttering, floating and flitting about.
I imagine them hovering over me in pairs, when I need them. When I am
sleeping, or when I need some music to enhance a romantic dinner.
My cherubs, my romantic guardian angels
my home with them.
Photos: a collection of cherubs throughout my house
Holiday Card Swap Winner
I know, I was expecting to pull the winner earlier, but we had some cards that were drifting in from far away, so I wanted to give snail mail a chance to get them all here safe and sound. You know how slow the Post Office is around the Holidays.
Well, I am happy to report that I think most of them have arrived. And if not, I am so sorry, really I am, but I couldn’t keep you (or me) in suspense any longer.
First, let me share a few of them with you.
Angie sent the Frenchie-est card.
Stephanie send the most creative card. I do believe it was handmade.
Chouzy sent one from Israel, which says *Thanks* in 15 different languages. The greeting is in Hebrew and it opens the other way. How cool is that!
Laume remembered that I love snowmen.
And Anne sent Penguins from England! My other favorite.
And the winner (name picked out of a Santa Hat of course) is…..
Kathy (her card was musical-and played the Charlie Brown Christmas song)
Congratulations! Your little care package will be on its way. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks to all who participated! All of your cards meant so much. I *heart* you all! I am so lucky to have met you this year. I think I will put this card swap on the list again for 2008. It was great fun!
A slice of the Big Apple
As we left Lord and Taylor, I glanced behind me to see the Chrysler Building.
Then we headed to Bryant Park. During the Holidays lovely gifts, many handmade, are sold at a European Style Market which surrounds the park. And of course, I bought a scarf. A lovely tree greeted us at the entrance of the park.
Ice skaters on the pond were out enjoying the warm day.
I can find just about anything to remind me of Paris, everywhere I go. Like these…
Or how about the carousel. Remind you of Montmartre perhaps?
Just look at the Frenchiness of this sign.
From Bryant Park, you can sneak a peak of the Empire State Building.
Rockefeller Center was our next stop. I usually like to spend time here watching the skaters, but since the crowds were about 20 people deep and the military was out in full force, complete with machine guns, we just took a few shots of the tree…and moved on. Isn’t she a beauty?
During our travels we came to another shop window. This one was of a hip-shakin’ Santa. Unfortunately you can’t appreciate this unless we took video. But you get the idea.
No trip (of mine) to the city would be complete without a trip to Little Italy. This was a wonderful sight as we came walking upon the area on foot.
I guess those little teases of Europe in NYC will have to hold me until me next trip across the pond.
Window Shopping in NYC
We went to New York City on Chris’s Birthday. Even though Christmas was over, the store windows did not disappoint. We headed on over to Lord and Taylor, and they were still all decked out…
They had some window displays depicting scenes from around the world. This one was Paris, France..
I love the cakes, poodles and the cute little cafe tables with fresh flowers and china cups.
Further down was Venice, Italy.
The gondola, the bridge and the buildings in the background all looked so real and inviting. They did such a great job with this one!
Around the corner, we are invited to a very French looking, elegant dinner party.
Check out the gowns in the living room..and those lovely cane chairs.
That settee is divine. I just love the French colors and the wallpaper.
And the chandelier. Oh my.
How about this as a table top display?
Even the little love birds look happy to be invited.
And the Pug looks like he is dressed for the party. Or is it a she? Maybe that lovely collar says *she*.
More shots of NYC around the Holidays to come.
Happy New Year!
No, I am not in Paris, but this shot sums up where I would like to be. But instead, among all the craziness of the Holiday Season, after all the running around the last 2 weeks, we are taking a breather tonight for New Years Eve. We are curled up on the sofa, all 3 of us (Maddie makes 3), snug as a bug in a rug. I wouldn’t have it any other way. We are enjoying some appetizers, drinking some bubbly, listening to Michael Buble, counting down with the ball in NYC and are looking forward to watching the Honeymooners marathon starting at midnight. I guess that is what you do when you are both 40. *grin*
From the bottom of my heart, I wish all of you a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
How did you celebrate the New Year? Do you have any resolutions you would like to share?
