The Weekend . . .

With the end of a week of vacation coming to a close, I feel fortunate to have had the time to make my own schedule, sleep as much as I needed and get caught up in areas that felt a bit unattended to. My dogs too seems to have enjoyed the company, although I’m sure they were a bit perplexed as to why I wasn’t walking out the door each morning.

If you have a vacation coming up or are just returning from one, I hope it has done or is able to do exactly what you hope it will. The grandness of life is that it is not a guarantee, so that leaves us all with the responsibility to seize each moment, not letting opportunities pass and spending time doing things we love, as well as spending time with those we hold dear.

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A Fresh Start & the Giveaway Winner Announced!

Sunday. Sweet Sundays. For those who are celebrating Easter, this can be seen as a very symbolic time of rebirth. For those who are simply savoring the signs of spring as all of its beauty is beginning to reveal what has been hidden for so long, it too can been seen as a time of renewal and a fresh start.

With all of that said, my mind has been rolling ideas around of renewal, rebirth and a fresh start and trying to figure out just how to apply it to my own life. So here is hopefully a bit of inspiration to help us all step forward into the last week of April and soon the beginning of May with a confident direction, radiant optimism and humble determination.

And before I forget, I want to thank all of my readers who took the time to enter this past week’s Seductively French giveaway.  So many of you entered and also visited Seductively French’s new blog and Facebook page, and I know they too appreciate your support. While all of us deserve to pamper ourselves, the lucky winner of the Jardin de France products is Eva of DEva Weddings!  Congratulations! And thank you again to everyone who entered.

Here’s a bit of inspiration as the weekend winds down.

  

-adapted from a Swedish Proverb

Images: (1) Sebastian (2) Vogue and Coffee (3) Heartbeatoz (4)  We Heart It (5) Sebastian (6) Vogue and Coffee (7) Oh Fashion Model

Cups of Tea (3/28-4/3)

For those of you celebrating Easter, Happy Easter, and for those who are simply enjoying their Sunday – here’s to a beautiful day which is hopefully filled with leisure, pleasure and time.

This week’s favorites evoke two themes involving French wisdom and the beautiful bounty of that spring provides.  Enjoy picking and choosing your way through all of them. 

As promised, the winner of the delicious Brandini Bites, Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics cookbook and Rachel Zoe’s Style A to Zoe guide is Caitlin of Pour L’Amour de Fashion.  Congratulations!  And to everyone who entered, thank you for stopping by, and be assured, another giveaway will be coming up soon.

 

1. Everything Lavender

Slim Paley’s blog is one I thoroughly enjoy due to her honest voice and fantastic eye for beauty, and with lavender being my color of choice lately, I immediately was drawn to this post.  A collection of images that display lavender in their own way, as well as lovely photos of Spanish & French lavender from her very own garden. 

 

2. Delicious Spring Salad   

Mixing it up a bit when it comes to salad is something I am always trying to do, and when I came across Lauren of  Healthy Delicious’ beautiful Herb Salad with Lemon Poppy Vinaigrette and Warm Goat Cheese Croutons I knew I had to save the recipe.  Warm goat cheese croutons?  I’m sold!  Click on the heading above or the image below to get your hands on the recipe.

 

3. A Bit of Wisdom   

How do you approach the concept of aging?  Are you comfortable with leaving your twenties behind, or do you ache to relive them?  Marjorie of My Inner French Girl shares a thought provoking, beautifully written post, that shares the beauty of each added year to your life.  Please have a look.

 

4.  Sinfully Delicious

As soon as I came across Janelle’s recipe for her Tuscan Chocolate Cake on Talk of Tomatoes, I was craving chocolate.  Her recipe involves only a few ingredients, but is most certain to delight.  Click on the image below or the header above to pick up the recipe for yourself.  

 

5. Have A Voice 

Paloma of La Dolce Vita began the week by sharing a very frank quote by the timeless Miss Coco Chanel herself.  The photo she chose to accompany it speaks volumes by itself.  With that said, how are we ever to be heard if we never use the voice we are given?