And the Winner Is...

Galliano

A Big Congratulations to.....

Dior

Anita from Castles Crowns and Cottages!!!!

I am very excited to announce Anita as the winner of my second giveaway! She is one of the sweetest and nicest bloggers out there! It is an honor to send her this little gift.

Lacroix

She has a lovely blog and her images and her fun positive energy is contagious! I love her posts on crowns and all things French. Her love of music and life are uplifting and each visit to her site enriches my soul! Thank you Anita, I am so happy that you won!!!

A big Thank you to all of you who entered, who read my posts, and to all of you who have shown me so much support!
XOXO

Judith~

Getting It All Done...

I believe these images are from Harpers

Hi Everybody!

I sat with some friends this morning at "The Corner Bakery" and had a wonderful discussion over oatmeal and tea. The topic was...

How do we do it all!?!

All of us sitting there with our children in their various "stages"... Terrible Two's, teething, Teen, colicky, & newborn (they sound like 5 of Snow White's dwarfs). We all had the same question...How do we do it all?

My answer was simple, I don't!

Life can be a balancing act. There is so much on our shoulders. For me it is Husband, child, family, home, work, friends, Etsy, blog, errands, cooking, cleaning, bills, etc, etc. I won't lie, sometimes I just can't do it all. It was strange but everybody looked at me as though I was crazy when I said this. Did I utter the most taboo words in the English language? I felt like an animal at the zoo the way they were looking at me! Am I the only one who doesn't get it all done all of the time!?!

I used to pretend that I was perfect. My perfect home, my perfect never messy baby, my perfectly precision cut hair and always manicured perfect nails, my perfectly pressed fresh from the dry cleaners business attire, my perfectly detailed Mercedes, my perfect everything. I was insane! Nobody is perfect all of the time.

Well, friends, times have changed and while I still try to get it all done, I know now that realistically about 70-80% of my list gets checked off daily, and I'm okay with that.

Now at the end of the day when I've spent good solid quality time with my son and husband, I've achieved perfection :)

Here's to you! Getting it all done...

Missing Paris...

Bonjour Friends! It's been a busy, hectic, great week and it feels great to get back on the blog. It's an even better feeling to get out there and read some of the posts by all of you that I have been missing :)

It is no secret that I love Paris and miss it everyday. I have been missing one very strange thing the most lately, a baguette!

I know, I know, I can go to the store and just buy one, but for some reason it is just not the same for me.

I miss that scrumptious smell as you walk by, the inviting bread all stacked up calling you to come inside, I even miss waiting in line to buy my bread! It's true! :)

I miss the taste of those delicious, mouthwatering, croissants. I miss breaking bread with good friends over a bottle of wine and fantastic conversation. I miss the whole ritual of it.

It all just tastes better in Paris, yes... even the bread.

Okay, the above picture is not an actual Boulangerie but it is very pretty.

All of these beautiful images are via Flickr

So incredibly worth a trip to Paris! I can't wait to get back.

Have a fabulous weekend and thank you all for all of your support and friendship!!!

XOXO

Judith~

A Thank You, A Winner, and Another Chance!

Bonjour Friends! Today is the day to announce the winner of Paris Atelier's first give away to celebrate the opening of my new Etsy shop!

First, I would like to give a special Thank you to Mandy at A La Parisienne

She gave me the beautiful button for my new Etsy shop that you see above. It's so perfect and so pretty! I knew she was talented but I had no idea! A visit to her blog is sheer joy! Her images are remarkable and she is such a talented, warm, and genuine person. Thank you Mandy!!!!

I would also like to say a big Congratulations to.....

Janet at FrenchBlue

Janet is the winner of the first give away! Congratulation!

Janet has the most beautiful blog over at FrenchBlue
If you have not yet stopped in please take a moment to sit back and take a peek. She has an incredible eye for style and her taste is flawless! Janet has been a huge source of support and friendship and I can't thank her enough! She also has the most remarkable store

FrenchBlue&Co

which carries some of the most heavenly items, take a look but make sure you have some time set aside, you might get lost in there, it is too pretty to leave!

I am just about to list some pretty Satin Vintage Drapery and the most delicious Satin Bedspread in the Etsy store. They are all one set and they are from the 40's. I almost can't stomach parting with them :( They have just been sitting for years not being appreciated. I can't bring myself to put them out to brave the elements. I have had them wrapped in acid free paper and sealed for almost a decade. What a shame, they should be looked at and often! :) If they are not up tonight they will be tomorrow so be sure to check in.

And now....My second giveaway (pictured above and below)!

To enter just pop into the new Paris Atelier Etsy shop and then come back here to leave a comment, that's it :)

Good Luck!

XOXO

Judith~

The Rose Bowl

Hello! I am so excited that you are all enjoying the new Etsy shop! Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and support!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway by leaving a comment here. I will be drawing a winner on Monday and doing one more giveaway starting Friday. Don't forget to check back in for more details :)

I just thought I would share one of my guilty pleasures with you. I'm gearing up for the Pasadena Rose Bowl on Sunday! I love, love, love spending the morning there and I can't believe that it is already time to go again! It happens every 2nd Sunday if each month and the last one happened to fall on Mother's Day. It seems like it was last weekend! Where did May go!?!

I really enjoy getting up early, leaving the Baby and Husband sleeping soundly, grabbing a cup of tea from the Coffee Bean and heading out to Pasadena. I usually meet up with some of my close girlfriends for a day of treasure hunting, good conversation, and a petite break from Mommy duties.

Paris it is not, however, still a fun and relaxing day! It is incredible how different our wares are here in America from the fleas in Europe.

Images from Rose Bowl via Flickr

So, it's off to the Rose Bowl this Sunday and I can't wait! I am meeting up with my best friend and kindred spirit! I have in mind some little treasures I would like to find to complete my newly redecorated office at home. Will any of you be there!?! Let's meet up! I'll bring the tea and we can browse the chandies!

Don't forget to enter for the giveaway here.

The BIG reveal, My 100th Post, and a Giveaway!

Bonjour!!!

I am So excited to write this post today! It is a day filled with news.

Today is my 100th post and to celebrate I am going to reveal my surprise! I cannot keep my secret any longer...I'm afraid, I might have built the news up a bit much...

Today is the Grand Opening of my new Etsy shop!

Paris Atelier

As you might know I have been setting up an online E~boutique and while I am in the process of doing this, I thought I would open an Etsy shop with a small preview of what I will be featuring in my online boutique. You have all inspired me so much over the last months that I just couldn't wait to share with you.

The shop consists of vintage treasures, object d'art, and Estate finds from around the world. Many of the items were found in Paris and abroad. I love the glitz and glamour of these special items and now I want to share them with you!

I am afraid that I have not yet listed some of the juiciest items that I have, so I have decided to do 2 giveaways. The first today and the second at the end of the week when I have added more items to the shop.

The first giveaway starts today! Just pop over to the new Etsy store then come back here to this post and leave a comment and you will automatically be entered to win, if you would like, you can post about the new shop and you will be entered twice more.

The first giveaway includes this gorgeous vintage Marcus Brothers ~Miami basket. You can't tell in the photo (Tim Walker, I am not) but the basket has a pale Pink satin lining with a corded drawstring that is beautiful! The front of the basket is covered in stunning vintage flowers.



To fill this pretty vessel, I have placed a very petite vintage miniature Louis XVI style chair, a pair of vintage Italian Bernard White leather gloves, a vintage French petit point handbag, two gorgeous vintage ladies handkerchiefs,
and I've tucked in a for more surprises for the lucky recipient.




Here are some pics from the new Etsy shop which you can view here. I love Marghab linens.

Of course I had to add a little Marie Antoinette flavor in there! ;)

Just some beautiful and fun stuff to add to your maison and your collections. I have SO much more to list, and quite frankly, I think I am saving the best. I have amazing textiles (glamorous Pink Satin and Silk textiles from the 40's *sigh*), Estate jewelry that is gorgeous, fine Silver pieces, tons of vintage accessories and linens...so much! I hope you enjoy!

Thank you so much to everybody! This community and circle of friends in this blog world is amazing and I am so grateful to have met you and been inspired by you. This has been an amazing journey for me and boy... What a fabulous adventure! I can't even express in words how much you enrich my life! Thank you!!!!

A HUGE thank you to Catherine at A Thousand Clapping Hands. She gifted me with the beautiful picture that greeted this blog post! She customized it and everything just for me! Thank you Catherine not only for the beautiful gift I received in my inbox this week but for your friendship and support, always.

Don't forget to watch out for giveaway #2 at the end of the week! Check out the new

Paris Atelier

Etsy shop here!

Thank you!!!

xoxo

Judith~

Lovin' Lanvin

Today was a bit of rough day so I thought I would put a dash of something pretty in today's post. Just for fun.

The oldest couture house in France was born when 22 year old designer Jeanne Lanvin opened a boutique on Paris' prestigious rue du Faubourg Saint Honore.

In 1909, an induction into the country's Syndicat de la Couture confirmed its place as a highly respected fashion house. Since 2001, under Israeli designer Alber Elbaz's creative direction, the much desired Lanvin has been revitalized, it is now the epitome of exquisite elegance and the accessories reflect this perfectly: expect breathtakingly beautiful pearl and ribbon necklaces and stylish wooden heels set to transform your look.

The window displays in the iconic store are always extremely creative and mind jarring.

When I was there last this little cart was painted Hot Pink to match the display. Adorable and oh so picturesque!

If you have been reading my rants for some time now...then you know my HUGE love of shoes. These are amazing! Even the First Lady has been stepping out in some Lanvin shoes. Maybe not that appropriate for this harsh and bleak economy.

This was the introduction ad for Lanvin's signature fragrance Arpege in 1927.
The ad was inspired by her young daughter practicing her scales on the piano.





I just love Lanvin accessories. Very Modern Marie!

Good night all! Here's to a much better day tomorrow :)

My next post is my 100th post and the BIG reveal!!!

Images via flickr and Neiman Marcus