April Food Day!

This is a post from Things That Inspire about April food Day...

Did you know that...

One in eight Americans are at risk for hunger?

Four million Americans receive assistance from Feeding America each week?

Children who are hungry have slower emotional, social and educational development?

Millions of elderly Americans go to bed hungry every night?

So many people who never thought they would need food assistance are now asking for help from their local food bank. They have lost their jobs through the massive down-sizings and layoffs. They have exhausted all of their resources. Elderly people on fixed incomes are finding that costs are out-pacing their incomes.

It has never been more important to support causes like these; so many people are pulling back from charitable contributions at a time when the need has never been more acute. Please consider making a donation to your local food bank today.

You can find a local food bank through the Feeding America website.

Another option is to make a direct contribution to Feeding America through their secure website. Any amount would be sincerely appeciated. Even a $1 contribution will provide 10 pounds of food and grocery items to men, women, and children facing hunger in the United States.

Thank you to Meg from Pigtown Design and Chris from Easy and Elegant Life for coordinating April Food Day.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”
– John Wesley

These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

I am loving the whole Vintage Circus thing right now. The colors and the whole feel of this glam circus theme!

Bonjour My Friends. I just had a beautiful Sunday with my boys. I love Sunday's the best I think! My husband took the little prince this morning and let me sleep in a bit. A luxury I don't get to indulge in very often :) and then we spent the day together. What more could a girl ask for?

I noticed a lot of times today that instead of saying "I want" this or that, I instead found myself saying "I am so grateful" for... I realized that I have everything I could possibly need or want and so much more. I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

With that being said, I just wanted to post a few things that I am interested in at the moment. A chance to show you something else about me. Enjoy! Just a hodgepodge of random things I like.






Carol Lombard is one of my favorites! Married to Clark Gable, an incredible comedienne, and so glam. She died in a terrible plane accident and has an interesting life story.






Photographer Robert Polidori. He has some of the most incredible images taken of Versailles. I highly encourage you to take a peek at the Houk Gallery website and see them. Some of my faves!
Silhouettes! I'm loving all things in silhouette. From chairs to dogs everything looks great in silhouette! I'm going to take my prince to get one done asap. The one above is from Wren Eleven.

Alice in Wonderland themed parties! Okay, I have to admit, I love a theme. We often have fantastically themed parties where we can dress up. It's so much more fun than a plain old pot luck! We recently had a Rat Pack party and a pin up party, maybe a Mad Hatter Tea Party is order for my upcoming birthday! :)

Lisotchka's Photo Stream on Flickr I love every single image and want to become their friend! let's make some costumes and join in on the fun! Doesn't this look beautiful?

Millinery. I have a love of vintage hats and millinery materials. I love the hat stands and forms, and the silk~velvet flowers, the netting, and the different shapes. It's all so pretty. I always wonder why we don't wear hats and gloves anymore or dress to go to the bank or on a flight like my Mom used to. I guess times change. That's a good thing but I wish we were a little more glam while this change goes on :) This hat is from Boudoir Queen on Etsy. They have some incredible hats and some ankle cuffs. Yet another place to adorn your body with feathers and such!

Midday tea with the girls. I just love getting together and exchanging girl talk while taking tea with my girlfriends. This image is from Rachel Ashwell and I'm in love with the color palette and the feathers! I love anything with feathers!

Speaking of feathers. I love vintage fans especially the ones made of ostrich feathers. I'm a sucker for the downy feel, the wispy strands, the showgirl type feeling you get when you see them! I love it. I even had ostrich feathers in my flower arrangements and bouquets at my wedding. This site has some amazing vintage finds. Yellow fan

I love old movies. Fred Astaire, Vivien Leigh, Greta Garbo, the list would go on for days. I love them all. My favorites include: Gone With the Wind, Imitation of Life, How to Marry a Millionaire, An Affair to Remember, Casablanca...okay, this list could go on forever as well.

I know this is racy but I love the Burlesque costumes and I love Dita von Teese. The feathers, the crystals, the hats, the corsets, it's all too much :) I love her style too. She should keep her clothes on, she has such a pretty wardrobe!

I just purchased these Miniature Birdcages from Etsy and they are charming. I love them. oh, I love Etsy too. They came super fast and they are super cute! These are faux rusty cages, I also purchased some hot Pink and Baby Blue. They have a ton of colors and really cute things all in miniature (umbrellas, mirrors, etc.)

Pin~ups! I love these vintage in~ups. Especially the artist Gil Elvgreen. I have a book of all of his work and each one is prettier than the last. PS, they always have such pretty shoes on!

These Vintage Keys I love. I have some sitting in a Mercury serving platter laying around my study and it is so simple and makes such an impact. The old skeleton keys are so interesting to me. I wonder what kind of a door they opened. Did they belong in a palace or a farmhouse? I love the mystery of them!

I have so many more things I would love to list but this would be entirely too long of a post! I would love to hear what some of your "loves" are (of course after choosing family, friends, and the like). Have a wonderful Monday and great week.

xoxo

Judith~

Earth Hour

Goodnight Everybody! I'm turning off the computer and lighting some candles for Earth Hour. 8:30~9:30 Here's some more info http://www.earthhour.org/home/

Have a great and electricity free night! :) Maybe I'll just turn in :)

A Wild Day!

Le Boudoir et sa Philosophie

Bonjour My Friends! Comment ca va? I have just had the most wonderful day with my little Prince (who is back to his gentlemanly way, thank goodness) and my two best friends. We went to the Zoo and had too much fun for one day. So, I am posting a quick post, a random bit of info, and some pics from the desktop to remind me of my beloved Paris. Enjoy!

The first image is from Le boudoir et sa Philosophie in Paris. It is a beautiful little shop at 18, rue Charlot and I fall in love a little bit more every time I step inside for a visit. Carla Vizzi is the mastermind behind this fabulous shop. She strives to make it a place that rediscovers the Art of the 18th-century Boudoir. Carla works with craftsmen who recreate 18th century art and she also sells antiques, she looks for elements that may have been found in Marie Antoinette's boudoir. Most of you have probably heard of Carla and her site but I am loving silhouettes right now and had to use this image :)

These decals for the wall are so fun. Nice for those of us with commitment issues when it comes to decorating! A pretty pair of shoes and a stack of books...what more could a girl ask for!?!

I have no idea where this image came from but I love it. Makes me want to throw a lavish Tea party and invite all of you!

A gown from the Met. This is one of my favorites. A modern day Marie~Antoinette.

Ah, Les puces , this was one of my very favorite posts. I have many fond memories in these stalls. I am determined to go back soon. I was trying to go on the next trip with Claudia from The Paris Apartment (if you have not already been to visit her incredible site, please take a peek, you will be astounded by the beauty you will see). The Pink chair in the back haunts me!

Stunning! The dress is pretty too but I was looking at the walls and ceiling! :) I need professional help!

A forgotten corner in the halls of Versailles. Simple and enchanting.
That's all for today my friends, I should get some sleep now.
Bon nuit!

Le Procope

The Menu

Bonjour My Dear Friends!

I have to first thank everybody for their kind words of support and reassurance as well as every body's valuable advice on dealing with my little Prince! Thank you so much! He seems to be feeling a bit better and is doing well. We've had some rough days here but the storm is over and it's Blue skies ahead. I used some advice from my dear blogger friends and he is so much more comfortable. It seems that when they act their worst is when more love and affection is the answer.

The two images above are from the cafe website

I was just reminiscing of my days in Paris (I miss it so) and remembering my old friends that I had to leave there. The hours we would spend in the cafes talking, debating, eating, laughing, and enjoying life! Oh, what I would give to be there for just one day. My favorite place to pick a cafe....St~Germain~Des~Pres. Les Deux Magots, Cafe de Flore, Brasserie Lipp, and of course the beautiful Le Procope.

Absinthe at the Cafe Procope via Flickr

Le Procope opened in 1686 and is believed to be the world's first coffee house and Paris' oldest restaurant. It is an amazing place to visit and enjoy some great food.

The writing on the wall

This gem is steeped in history and it is closely linked to the revolution as well. After its opening it quickly became a very fashionable place to be seen. The city's literary and political elite as well as the actors from the famous Comedie~Francaise would meet here.

I feel more intellectual just stepping over the threshold!

Napoleons hat, he must have forgotten this one!

It is here that such famous and influential men such as Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, Rousseau, Beaumarchais, Molière, Diderot, Balzac, Verlaine and Hugo would gather to debate and exchange philosophies. It is here within these walls that revolutionary ideas were born as Robespierre, Danton, and Marat would have meetings here.

Ah, Poor Marie... via Flickr

In this famous restaurant, a young and poor lieutenant named Napoleon Bonaparte would be made to leave his hat as security as he went out searching for money to pay his bill!

The next photos are all cafe website photos

Voltaire's table is still here among the books and paintings reminding us of the 40 cups of chocolate and coffee mixture he drank every day. There is portrait of a woman hanging above a table with a bayonet tear through it, the cut crystal chandeliers everywhere, the rich colors, and mirrors throughout. it all transports you to another time and place. Oh, if these walls could talk!

The area around this fabulous restaurant is just beautiful as well. It sits on the Rue de l'Ancienne~Comedie where the former home of the Comedie~Francaise, the Theatre de l'Odeon is located. It is the first street in Paris to have pavements with gutters and houses some incredible and beautiful homes and shops dating from the 18th century. Not far from here at No 9 is the place that Dr. Guillotin and Dr. Louis perfected their decapitating machine. When it first came to be it was known as a Louisette after Dr Louis and later known as the guillotine after the man who first had the idea.

Alas my friends, I am here and not there but maybe one day we can meet up for coq au vin ivre de Juliénas, Absinthe, and a cafe creme. We can sit and philosophise, debate, and share stories just like the old Masters! Until then...Good night.

~J'ai décidé d'être heureux, c'est excellent pour la santé~ Voltaire

Bonjour Friends! It has been an absolutely aggravating and frustrating week at Chez Paris Atelier. My little one year old, who is otherwise a perfect angel and a very good little child, has me at my wits end! I'm so frustrated and so sleep deprived. I am craving 30 minutes of uninterrupted "me time" like a caged animal! If you told me I could take a shower and read a good book, I may react as though you told me I won the lottery! Hopefully it is just something temporary, I think it may be his little molars coming in (poor thing) in any case, I just want some sense of normalcy to enter back into our home! He's not only not sleeping well (which he always has) but he's been a terror all day for the last week. Whining, crying, throwing petite tantrums! Oh Lord! If any of you have any advice on how to get my little Gentleman back (last week he had beautiful manners, this week, not~so~much), I would love to hear it! If you have felt this frustration before, please share! I need some words of encouragement :( What am I doing wrong?

Okay, Now that I have vented and shared with you a little bit about the chaos over here, on to my regular post.

I am dying to do another post on some fabulous photos I found in Paris but I could not wait to share with you some wonderful blogs that I have recently discovered. Hopefully some will be new to you as well, I just know that I am smitten! Enjoy...

The first three photos are from an amazing new blogger that I recently found and am now addicted to. It is A Gift Wrapped Life and it is heavenly. Sande, writes about choosing the perfect gifts, where to find them, and best of all how to wrap them beautifully. I swear the wrapping alone would be gift enough for me, so pretty! She shares things from her life, design, of course the wrapping aspect, and best of all her inspiration. She is so warm hearted and kind. She also has a web site called Oooh La La Cadeau which is a fantastic site, I loved looking at everything, her talent and style are flawless. I have to say, my Mom always wrapped her gifts so elegantly and perfectly, she took special care in always choosing the perfect gift for the recipient, reading Sande's posts always reminds me of my special Mom! :)

The next fabu gal is from Baby Cherie Sweets a warning though, what you about to see will make you hungry and derail your diet! She and I seem to have so much in common and her site is just fantastic. She is a baker and loves all things French, that is great and dangerous combination!

Her blog is very retro in feeling and you can find the history of the Macaron (my favorite post). She also shares with us some sweet little recipes. These two images are from her blog. Truly a delicious place to visit!

My next new friend is the lovely A La Parisienne who I also feel like I have a lot in common with. She used to be a French teacher and her creativity blows me away!

Her images are breathtaking and her talent is enviable. I just loved reading her profile page and she is so imaginative and real. I am a HUGE fan of this blog!

Oh, there is also some fabulous French music to take you away on a dream to Paris. The three images above are from A La Parisienne

My final new obsession right now is Simply Seductive. This site is incredible, I feel glamorous just clicking onto her new posts! I had such a hard time choosing images from her site (I ended up with these three, I just love the one with Dita Von Teese) because they are all glorious and stunning.

She has a ton of fashion and decor, models and photography. It is a beautiful escape going to her blog. I'm in awe of all of the fabulous shoes I see!

The above image says it all! What else do you need?

That's all I have today my friends, thanks for letting me rant and rave and also share some beautiful things with you! I swear this blogging is better than therapy for me. I feel a little better already. Hopefully, I will have more patience and a better day tomorrow! Bon Nuit! (My French has become so poor lately, I need to practice more, I can't believe how fast I forget)!

So Excited!

All images from Sandy's Creations

Bonjour my friends! I am very excited today, I just received my new banner for my blog from Sandy at Sandy's Creations :)

She is amazing! Check out her fabulous blog here. And her Etsy shop for banners here. She also has another Etsy shop Distressrelief with the most fabulous creations! I'm in love. Every single image is hers and showcases her amazing talent! I am in awe of such creativity. Even if your not on the market for a banner her blog is so fun!

This fabulous little beauty is for sale on Sandy's Etsy store Distressrelief

Yipee! I have been wanting to update and refresh my page as well as get moving on my E~boutique. However, I have been stumped as to what feeling I wanted, I had a vision in my mind but after shopping around different graphic artists and web designers, I just couldn't find anything that appealed to me.

Well, last night, by accident, I found this incredible artist on Etsy. I immediately fell in love with her banners and just took a leap and purchased a custom banner. I swear in one day (was it even a whole day?)she had designed exactly what I've been searching for all of this time! I am beyond happy! You know when you picture something in your head and nothing will do until you find that exact idea?

I hope you all like the banner as much as I do and I just wanted to give out a huge Thank you to Sandy! I have never had better customer service or satisfaction.

xoxo

~Judith~