Counting them....

On this Thanksgiving eve, I am counting my blessings.
I have so much to be thankful for
and
that includes each of you.

When I started blogging, I had no idea that so many of you
would become friends.
While we have never met, you are all in my heart.

You have enriched my life and brought much joy and for that I am thankful.

Enjoy your time spent with friends and family.
Happy Thanksgiving and remember to count your blessings.

XOXO

The November winner from The French Elements giveaway

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is in a few days.
I know you all can relate to this.
The year has just flown by.

I thought I would do The French Elements November giveaway
a little bit early as this is such a busy time.

My son thought the number 53 sounded lucky to him.
So Leigh from Tales from Bloggeritaville is the winner.

The giveaway for November includes a flour sack towel
with a forest green tree embroidered on it.

The embroidered pillow says JOY.
Leigh, I hope you enjoy these goodies.

December is right around the corner so there is always
another chance to win.

Big hugs to everyone,
Barb

Have a dream filled weekend

May your weekend be filled

with beautiful dreams.

Big hugs,

Barb

Thank you Miss Maggie

I received these wonderful awards from the very
generous Maggie at Normandy Life.
Thank you so much.
Both are really appreciated.

If you haven't visited Maggie, you are in for a treat.
She has a beyond French blog which I know you will love.
She has a generous spirit too.
She and her hubby live in a 16thc/18c Presbytere
that they have totally renovated.
It is amazing and can I just say I would like to move in with them!
Seriously.....

NOW
I get to share with you 7 things you might not know about me.

• I can eat like a football player and not gain weight
• I always sing in the car
• My favorite show is TOP GEAR and I am not a car girl
• I sing to Tommy (the dog) and he sings back
• I am very good at keeping secrets that friends/family share
• I am an animal freak
• I was a hippie in my younger days

I am supposed to pass this onto 7 other bloggers but the hippie in me has taken over.
I pass these awards to each and every lovely person
that comes upon this post.
Please accept these from my heart.

Viva la hippie!
Just a little older now.

In a place far way

Many years ago, (1971) I had the opportunity to
be an exchange student in the Netherlands.

The family I lived with had a family member that was part of the Dutch
resistance during the war.
He shared remarkable stories of hardship, bravery beyond belief,
and what it was like when the Americans arrived.
They felt it was very important for me to see where
many of those brave men were buried.
It was a very moving experience.

My father was a veteran of WW2.
He didn't really talk about his experiences.
I think they must have been too painful.
I know the sacrifices that generation made changed the world as we see it.

And now, I have my own soldier son.
I am so grateful for the sacrifices that these young men and women
are making on our behalf.
If I were younger, I don't know if I could step up to the plate the way they have.
I am so proud of our military.
While I adore all things French, I am very proud to be an
American and an Army mom.

God Bless our military

We know it is Fall when Pierre arrives

Let me introduce you to Pierre.
Of course he has a French name.

We moved into our home in July of 2005.
A week after moving in, my dad became very ill and passed away.
A very sad time.

My dad's birthday is in September. A few days after his birthday, Pierre showed up.
I was standing outside and he flew right up on the fence.
I gave him some nibbles (sorry Tommy), he ate them and then flew away.

But, he kept coming back.
He doesn't like bird seed, he prefers other goodies.
Every Fall, he shows up.

I will be in the kitchen or living room and there he is, staring in the window at me.
He visits throughout the day during the fall and winter.

When the serious heat arrives, he leaves.
This bird is a lot smarter than we are-hehe.
I like to think he flies to northern AZ for the summer.

I look forward to his visits. May four years become five.

Have a fantastic weekend.
I know part of mine will be spent visiting Pierre.

I know it is over but.....

I have some pictures of the ladies from Halloween to share with you.

Hailey is on the left (Juliette)
Annika is in the middle (fairy)
Jayde is a vampire.

Their new neighbor and friend on base, did the hair and makeup.
Cash was left as is-hehe.

Boy, do I miss them!

A whole lot of Frenchness going on

I spend quite a bit of time sitting in waiting rooms with my son.
I'm not complaining, just stating the facts.

Recently, I was sitting there and picked up this magazine.
I was hungry and the burger on the cover had my name all over it.

When I started looking through it, I was shocked to find that one of the best new valley restaurants was in my neighborhood and it is FRENCH.
Seriously- WE COULD WALK to it.

When I told Hubby, he was just as excited as I was.
We put a visit on our "short list".
We had lunch (both of us had the Cabernet Burger that was featured on the cover)
and it was a fantastic experience.
Kiersten and Snir Mor are the chefs/owners.
They actually met in Paris at Culinary school.
So romantic.
They created a little bit of France right in our neighborhood.
YAY, double yay!
I could make this a daily walk.

When we were leaving, hubby asked Snir "why here"?
Well, it turns out that they have a little one and the grandparents live close by.
Viva la grandparents.
I am so glad they all left France-our gain.

Above, are two books I picked up recently.
I adore Mireille Guiliano and have her other books (French Women Don't get Fat- see, I really must be French-hehe and French Women for all Seasons).

While I haven't started reading it yet, I know I will love it.
I'll let you know.

Any book about Coco Chanel has to be a winner.
The Gospel According To Coco Chanel- Life Lessons From The World's
Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo and illustrated by Chesley McLaren,
looks tres chic.
Can't wait to start reading.



I have been adding many French, Dutch, Italian, inspired items to The French Elements.
I can't believe that Christmas is next month. Yikes!

Last but certainly not least

is this sweet award that came from Marie.
She is one talented lady and has a beautiful blog.
If you haven't visited her, you really need to.
Thank you my friend.

I am passing this along to everyone that visits my blog.
It doesn't matter whether you leave a comment or not.
You are all the icing on my cake.
You know I love my icing.

Happy Monday.

Boo to you!

Wishing everyone a safe, fun, and boo-ti-ful
Halloween.

Doesn't he look French with his beret?

It's an anniversary - a very special one

A little of this and that

Wow, it has been a week since my last post.
It has been a little crazy around here.
My son was hospitalized briefly but is back home and doing much better.
Bless his heart!

I thought I would share some vintage postcards, etc. with you.
Feel free to snatch them up and use them in your projects.

The invitation above is from 1899.
A Social Hop- sounds like it was fun.

I bet Frieda was a lovely Jenny Lind.

You know I love Nice.
Enough said-hehe.

Can you see the ladies looking out of the windows?

Aren't these wonderful?
These are a few of my favorite little treasures.


This is a little preview of a new Holiday pillow.
This is my therapy. Quiet time.
I haven't had much time to work on anything but when I do, I consider it a Blessing.

I can't wait to catch up on my blog visits. You miss a day.......
you miss so much.

Hugs to everyone.

The gift winds have blown in change......

On September 12th, I did a post regarding a monthly giveaway
from The French Elements.

Well, it is not the end of the month, and a granddaughter did not pick the number but
today is the day.

My youngest son wanted to pick the number and wanted it to be posted today.
His health situation is not so good right now and I have learned over the years to listen.
The lucky number is 57.
The winner is Theresa.
He wanted to count backwards from 63 and that is what we did.

Theresa, you have won an embroidered French Holiday pillow and the most fabulous cleanser from Chanel.
Something French for your home and something French for you.

Enjoy!

November will be here before we know it so if you are interested in winning, you know what to do.

Have a wonderful rest of the week.

Irving Penn- The passing of a legend

Last week, The photographer of all photographers passed away at 92.
While most people will probably remember Irving Penn for his amazing fashion photography,
I will remember him for his work with Clinique.
In particular, the twice a day ad.

I was very fortunate to begin my career with Clinique when it was still a baby.
I was a baby back then too! So young.
It was a very exciting time.
Clinique always believed the product was the star and as a result, you didn't see a face associated with the line.
When the twice a day ad was created, the company (just about everyone back then was female)
decided there was only one photographer.
Irving Penn.

This ad really made an impact.
When the book PASSAGE came out, It was featured in his book.
In the cosmetic industry, it was beyond cutting edge.

Way back then, the company was so tiny. There were only a handful of Education Mangers to take care of the entire country.
At that time, it was only found in the U.S.
Many people had not heard of it.
Hard to imagine now.

The picture above is a window display in Paris.
Even if you don't speak French, the message is clear.

Holiday store postcard from Switzerland.
Clinique grew and all of us grew along with it.

But, the one person that really helped it grow via his fantastic photography
was Irving Penn.

10/10****Six amazing years****

On 10/10, It will be six years since Hubby and I got married.
I know six years doesn't really seem like a long time but I have to tell you that it is.
In a good way.

I never really thought I would be married a second time, especially having a disabled adult child that requires time, energy and a lot of work.
Men usually run from that (or so I've seen).

Hubby actually met my family before he met me. He was J and D's neighbor and my youngest son was over at their place often to visit.
I heard about "this guy" but was too busy to meet him.
Actually, I was pretty ill at the time and was focusing on LIFE.
This did not include dating. Who wants to date a woman that has serious health problems?
Most would be running out the door as fast as they could.

Well, Jeff thought we would be a good match and introduced us.
This man was different.
He treated my youngest son like he treated my oldest son. With respect and lots of joking.
My illness, not actually fun but not a problem.
He was there and remained there.

We have been through the good, bad, and downright ugly. Or thin, thinner, thinnest-hehe.
I am so grateful that God via Jeff, brought him into my life.
I am truly blessed.

The wedding date was determined by what would be easy to remember- 10/10.
I am so thankful for the six years we have had together and God willing, we will grow older together.


The picture above is our little wedding photo.

The picture below is what we might have looked like if 10/31 had been our wedding day.

Have a fantastic weekend and count your blessings.

Pretty French prints

Back in the day when the dollar was KING, this was my favorite hotel in Paris.
Still love it!
One of the things I most love about Hotel du Louve Concorde is a little shop that was right around the corner.
I loved to browse through the prints, cards and paintings.
It became a tradition.
For the life of me I can't remember the name of the shop.
Perhaps someone can help me out-having a "senior moment".

I always picked up little prints that caught my eye. Very easy to pack.
When we got back home, I would mat and frame them.
They always made me smile.

The first time Dorothy came over, Jeff said "my mom has this thing about France".
Lots of prints.

I thought I'd share some with you. Talk about inexpensive decorating....

This sits on the base of a little table.
I love these books! The print sits on 2 auction catalogs- The Duke and Duchess of Windsor Auction and The Duchess of Windsor jewelryAuction.
The smaller book is from The Hermitage Museum.
The crown holds old letters.

This sits on a shelf.

Along with this print.

I didn't try to get the full mats or frames in the photo's.

This is just a sampling.
You know I love my France.

I am using blogger options since this is kind of a crazy week.
Hope to see you all soon.

Merci for your visit.

A fan-tab-ulous way to end the week.

A scrumptious sugar free pumpkin pie

This photo has absolutely nothing to do with this post but I just love it.
It is going to be around 105 today so it really doesn't feel like Fall.
This photo makes me feel like Fall is already here.

Many years ago when my son was just a pup, he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
At that time I realized that every Holiday really is associated with food, lots of food.
I knew things would be different but I still wanted to be able to make desserts that he could enjoy.
This pumpkin pie is one of our favorite desserts.
No picture however, but I know you can all visualize-hehe.

***Amazing pumpkin pie recipe***

16- ounce can of pumpkin

2 large eggs

Dry brown sugar substitute (1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

12- ounce can of evaporated skim milk

1/2 cup buttermilk biscuit mix


Combine all the ingredients and mix at medium speed until smooth.
Pour into a 9" pie pan (glass, stone, or ceramic works best) that has been greased.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the pie.
Remove to a wire rack.

Let cool and serve.

Food exchanges per serving : 1 bread and 1/2 fat.
Calories: 117

I have been making this pie for 17 years and we all love it.
O.K, hubby prefers the real deal but he came to this party much later than the rest of us.

Hubby comes home from Co. today and I can't wait to pick him up.
I guess I still am a newlywed after almost 6 years.

Have a beautiful weekend.

A little update

I wanted to thank you for your comments and emails regarding my MIL and SIL.
What a week this has been- emotions all over the place.
There are many decisions that have to be made.
I was hoping to join hubby in CO. but this was not to be the case.
Have you ever noticed how one simple appointment, leads to another?
Of course the dates are never negotiable.

Now moving onto the identity theft......
I'm thinking it is the guy above.
He has been very busy.
We know he can't keep a job but has had many.
He has purchased a car, and opened up credit cards.
He can run but he can't hide forever.
Well, it is out of our hands and I trust he will be found.

I thought I would show you some of the little projects I have been working on as well.

A girl has to keep busy-hehe.

Do you realize that 3 months from today is Christmas Eve?
Where has the time gone?

I'm off to my son's place but hope to visit everyone soon.
I miss all of my favorite blogs.

hugs and more hugs to each of you.

P.S. I just realized I am coming up on my 200th post.
A true milestone for me.
If you haven't signed up for my monthly giveaway, you might want to take a moment and do so.
October is just around the corner.

Keeping the faith

What a week this has been.
Blessings and complications.

I dropped hubby off at the airport this morning for CO.
Many of you know that his mother has been fighting ovarian cancer for some time.
We try to get up there as often as possible to visit.
He took some vacation time and this visit had been planned for a while.

His younger sister has had some health problems for a while as well.
She fell and broke her wrist and ended up in the hospital.
The broken wrist was a blessing in disguise!
She has been seeing doctors for several years and they really could not find out what the problem was.
Well, they discovered she has progressive MS.
Talk about a shock!

I am holding down the fort (my son has appointments that could not be rescheduled).
I hope to fly up later this week. Time will tell.

The moral of my post......if you think there is something wrong, and a Dr can't figure it out,
Keep going, if you can. Keep going until you find the one Doctor that can put it all together.

Have a blessed Sunday.
I love you all!

Who has your identity?

Could it be this guy?

Or someone here?

Arizona (so I've heard) has the highest rate of identity theft.
It is one of those things you hear about all the time but never think it will happen to you or a loved one.

Last week, we found out that my son has been a victim of identity theft and it has gone on for years.
We're not sure how or where it happened. Might have been during his many hospitalizations, just don't know.
What is interesting is the fact that social security didn't discover it (he has been disabled his entire life).

What a nightmare but one day at a time. I just think it is so sad that someone is so desperate
that they feel the need to use another persons identity. Our identity is the one thing that truly belongs to us (I think).

I was told yesterday that occasionally they will find someone with a long work history, actually using a child's social security number.

I really never thought the need to check on my sons info since he has never worked.
I'm here to tell you that you need to check.
You may be surprised at what you find!