Fabulous idea

{image from UK Country Living Magazinne Dec 2010}

When I saw these jars with the Paris glitter cards inside in the Dec 2010 edition of the UK Country Living Magazine, I thought I wish that I had thought of this first.

The cards are fabulous and our supply has been selling well but we still have a few in stock should you wish to try this for yourself.

A demain mes amies,

Leeann x

Would the person placing an order that had a problem yesterday..

Bonjour,

Would the person that tried to place an order yesterday on fabulously french for the French monogrammed napkins, monogrammed table cloth and silk tea napkin, please contact me as the shipping would not calculate as the order was heavier than what was set up for France.

Merci beaucoup et bon dimanche a tous,

Leeann

p.s. it is very cold here with snow being forecast for this week....cannot wait!

vendredi fleurs

{image from here}

It has been a sad week and I think that the recent tragedy in New Zealand has taught us all a lesson in that, life is precious and we should make the best of every day and not take forgranted those that are precious to us.

Wishing you all a fabulous Friday

************************

Je vous souhaite à tous un fabuleux vendredi

Leeann x

A nation in mourning

This morning, we awoke to the news that there has been a second blast in the mine in which the 29 miners were trapped, which was considerably worse than the 1st blast.

Based on the size of the explosion, there is now no hope that the miners survived.

Today as a Kiwi living abroad, I join NZ as a nation in mourning and my thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the missing miners. I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through at present and would ask that you all do the same.

Leeann x

Difference between English & French

{image from here}

Yesterday my fabulous French teacher came to my house for our weekly lesson. She commented on how beautiful the roses that Mr FF had bought me and then asked if I knew the saying about love and the daisy. Why, of course, I said, it goes like this....

he loves me,
he loves me not,
he loves me..

and you just pray that you have enough petals to make it to he loves me.

She told me that in French it is not quite the same as the saying goes like this.....

Il/Elle m'aime un peu,
Il/Elle m'aime beaucoup,
Il/Elle m'aime passionnément,
Il/Elle m'aime à la folie,
Il/Elle m'aime pas du tout

which translates to "He/She loves me a little, a lot, passionately, madly, not at all").

What more can I say except an example of the difference in the way in which we think.

If I was to use the French saying, I think that I should start looking for a large daisy just to be on the safe side....

A demain,

Leeann x

p.s. I am still hoping and praying that the missing miners in New Zealand will be found fit and well and ask that you would please do the same.

NZ on my mind

{notre dame, Paris}

Today I am hoping and praying that the 29 missing miners in New Zealand, will all be found fit and well. Kia Kaha ......

Leeann x

If Time Is All I Have

If time is all I have

I'll waste it all on you

Each day I'll turn it back

It's what the broken-hearted do

I'm tired of talking to an empty space

Of silences keeping me awake



When you marry

And you look around

I'll be somewhere in that crowd

Torn up, that it isn't me



When we're older

And the memories fade

I know I'll still feel the same

Yeah

For as long as I live



And if time is all I have

I'll waste it all on you




Each day I'll turn it back

It's what the broken-hearted do

I'm tired of talking to an empty space

Of silences keeping me awake



Won't you say my name, one time

Please just say my name



And if time is all I have

I'll waste it all on you

Each day I'll turn it back

It's what the broken-hearted do

I'm tired of talking to an empty space

Of silences keeping me awake



If time is all I have

I'll waste it all on you

Each day I'll turn it back

It's what the broken-hearted do

I'm tired of talking to an empty space

Of silences keeping me awake



Won't you say my name

When the song is over


These words are taken from a song called "If time is all I have" by James Blunt and this post is dedicated to Mr FF.


Lee x

vendredi fleurs...

{photo - moi}

It is that time of the week and I hope that you have all had a good one. Mine has been a mixed and busy week.

This weeks flowers are courtesy of Mr FF, who surprised me with this lovely bunch of roses after returning from 2 hours root canal treatment.........Merci beaucoup mon cher, je t'aime!

Merveilleuse fin de semaine a tous,

Leeann x

I love these..

There is something about La Tour Eiffel that I simply cannot resist. These diaries have just arrived in the Fabulously French online shop and I have a feeling that one of these will be offered a new home in my hand bag.

Also new in are these fabulous tins containing glittery Paris postcards - I have put a few in my showroom and it is hard to tell which are new and which are the antique cards.

Speaking of tins, also new in are these sets of French rubber stamps, what a fabulous gift these would make.

Or for the sometimes forgetful, how about these Paris inspired sticky notes?

Will be back soon to show you some of the new candles that have been made especially for Fabulously French and of course include some "recyclage" of fabulous items found in France.

........a la prochaine....

Leeann x

Mille mercis Vicki....

What a fabulous surprise I got, when I went to read my favourite blogs, yesterday morning.

I clicked on Vicki Archer's fabulous blog and what did I see but the words "Fabulously French" .

Lucky moi has won a copy of Vicki's latest book "French Essence" along with some other very lucky readers.

I cannot wait to get it, Pere Noel has come early! I also had a delivery of fabulous hand made in France candles, some of which are made in fabulous French glasses - will show you a photo or 2 tomorrow.

Also my lovely lady that makes the candles is also a qualified reulphosterer which means that next Spring, we will be offering classes.

A fabulous end to what started off as not a very nice day....

A demain mes amies,

Leeann x

I have a feeling.....

{photo taken by moi in Provence}

......that we will not be needing one of these for a while as there is definitely a chill in the air, here in the Dordogne, SW France.

Bonne semaine a tous,

Leeann x

Bon dimanche....

{image from here}

I just had to share this image, I adore it.

I hope that you are all having a bon dimanche.

Leeann x

vendredi fleurs

Yesterday was a cold and wet day here and the forecast is for more days like this to come. I was not too worried as I was snug in my wee shop playing Edith Piaf and burning lovely fragrant Christmas candles which I have almost run out of already and am not sure whether to get more. I even had a Christmas fruit mince pie with my mid-morning cup of coffee - very yummy.


A customer came into the shop who is a retired florist from London and it got me thinking, yes I know thinking is dangerous.

I would love to have a shop with antiques/homeware on one side and flowers on the other so all I need to do is find some premises and convince my customer that she needs to work and not retire......

je vous souhaite à tous un fabuleux vendredi,

Leeann x

Bohemian chic....

As mentioned earlier in the week, I am adopting an "eco-deco" approach to a lot of my projects and everyday life at present.

This includes recycling vintage finds, shopping at the local Croix Rouge (red Cross) and in general reusing as many items as we are able.

This approach is not new to people that live in this part of France and for many it is a neccessity of life. Many of the locals are not cash rich but are rich with skills and items that they make or grow, which they then swap with others, for items that they require.

Today I would like to introduce you to a lovely local called Anaka who makes the most beautiful objects, using old vintage fabrics.

All her items are made on an old singer sewing machine. Note the sewing machine that you see in the photo is mine and was used for a prop in the photo hence there is no cotton threaded in the machine.

Anaka makes many beautiful items including bags such as those you see the photos above and below.

I love the wee demi lune purses shown above and think that they make a practical gift.

She also makes fabric covered note pads, usefl for jotting ideas down when on the move and also fabulous and unusual hats.

She also makes lovely glasses cases and is happy to custom make an item for you with your fabric.

One of things that I particularly love about Anaka's work is that no tow items are the same which means that yo are never going to see another person with the same item - a rarity now days when many itesm are machine produced in their thousands.

Here is a shot of the lovely lady herself, apologies for the bad photo and I now know that I should have taken a few more but was pushed for time when I took this one.

Love her fabulous business cards and her gorgeous website....

Fabulously French is now stocking a lot of Anaka's beautiful items and I will be updating the online shop early next week.

I had better fly as it is my "shop" day and I have yet to get dressed and also arrange a lot of lovely "Paris" stationery items which arrived late yesterday.

A tres bientot,

Leeann x

How to make croissants....

{image from here}

As soon as I saw this post about making croissants, I just knew that I had to share it.

So for those of you that want to learn how to make croissants, please click here.

Bonne journée a tous,

Leeann x

Look who has arrived at Fab French....

{Image - fabulously french Boutique}

It is a rainy day here in SW France so I decided to stay in doors today and as a result have been updating the Fabulously French online shop and thought that I would share some photos of my wee shop with you.

I adore this banner made from vintage playing cards and have ordered a couple more including one with the words "Joyeux Noel" which I plan to use on our Christmas tree.

The cloth that you see on the fireplace was a gift from my friend, so it is extra special to me.

On the mantle I originally had red metal houses but these have sold out so I have replaced them with these larger rusty style houses which look gorgeous when the candle inside is lit.

Here we have lots of lovely stockings, which have been selling well. The stockings that you can see on the right of the photo have been selling like hot cakes as they are not too large therefore do not take a lot of filling so are the perfect size for giving to friends.

I love mulled wine or vin chaud as it is called here in France and have been using these jars when making up gift baskets.

It is so easy to make as all you need to do is mix 10 teaspoons of the spices wih a bottle of red wine and 400 mls of orange juice. Add a few slices of fresh orange and heat until hot.

Strain and serve. So very yummy and I love the spiced aroma, so very Christmasy....

These fabric hearts have also been selling well and we have some others on the way, which are made with gorgeous striped fabric and also have "noel" on the front of them.

My new Mathilde M stand, which contains lots of lovely perfumed objects including parfum d'ambiance and lots of beautiful smelling soaps.We are currently offering one of these as a gift to anyone that spends over 50 euros (exclud. postage).

Newly arrived are these gorgeous Marie Antoinette bags which I have filled to the brim with lots of lavender buds from Provence.

And some fabulous bags as seen on my mannequin, made from antique material on an antique sewing machine, but wil be telling you more about these and their fabulous creator later in the week...

........…à la prochaine!..

Leeann x

Eco-deco - my favourite new words...

Photo Crédit : ©Francis van de Walle

When I saw an article in a French magazine with the words "eco-deco" in the heading I thought this is me.

Don't get me wrong, I adore going shopping and buying new things but I also get great satisfaction from recycling and breathing life into an old piece of furniture or linen. There is something special about old items, they have history and behold secrets, untold stories........and we by carefully restoring these precious objects extend that life even further.

Love these words "eco- deco" and plan to do a lot of "eco-deco" in the coming months. I will also be introducing a new friend who is eco-deco in every sense of the word, this week and I promise that you will love her and the fabulous items that she creates.

What about you? Are you "eco-deco"? Dites-moi....

A très bientôt j'espère,

Leeann x

vendredi fleurs...

{my latest tresor}

Sorry for the lack of posts this week but it has been a busy week with lots going on.

Yesterday I bought the fabulous light fitting that you see above, from my friend who owns a brocante in the village.

As soon as I saw it, it was love at first sight and I had to have it.

It is perfect for our new bedroom as I am using a lot of white and this fabulous object has the right amount of colour.

I have a thing about roses at present and love them in any form whether it be parfum d'ambiance, dried rose buds scattered in the bottom of a hurricane lamp or in a bouquet.

We even have a rose scented candle in the bedroom which smells divine.

Do you have a favourite flower at present? Vous me dites. J'aimerais savoir.....

Je te souhaite une bonne fin de semaine.....

Leeann x

p.s. Mr FF cannot believe the weight of my new "tresor" and is now thinking about re-enforcing the ceiling of the bedroom, and has told me not to bring any more chandeliers home.

Inspiration on a foggy Tuesday

{fabulous photo from here}

This morning it is foggy in SW France and I can think of nothing nicer than looking at this gorgeous Ralph Lauren photo for inspiration.

I adore everything in it but most of all WANT those wall lights or appliques as they are called in French. The lampshades are gorgeous and are becoming harder and harder to find in France in good condition.

So beautiful and inspiring.......

…à la prochaine!..

Leeann x

Fab French gift with purchase..

I cannot believe that today is the 1st November which means that Christmas is not that far away.


So we are offering all Fabulously French customers who spend over 50 euros (excluding shipping) a gorgeous Mathilde M soap which smells and looks tres belle.

{this gorgeous French soap smells and also looks divine}

We have had a lot of Christmas stock arrive and we are expecting lots more this week, all of which has a French theme.

Last week saw the arrival of lots of bouquets of lovely French Lavender which is grown in Provence.

These beautiful burlap and toile de jouy Christmas stockings also arrived last week.

I think that the "Joyeux Noel" label makes them that extra bit special.

This gorgeous set of 6 antique monogrammed damask napkins also arrived last week......

For details on all the products shown above and many, many more lovely items please click here.

............a tres bientot,

Leeann x