Christmas Post with an Adventskranz!

Bonjour and Joyeux Noel!

Hope everyone is staying all bundled up and warm this holiday season. We have had very cold rainy weather here. But, I am happy to report we will be staying very warm on Christmas day, as we will be in sunny Mexico! Since we are not going to be around, I decided to put a little artificial tree up this year. Not ultra chic, but it certainly works! The past few days I have been thinking about what to use for my Christmas post. Then this morning, I received an email from my youngest daughter Bre, and she sent the perfect material! She has recently moved to Germany and this will be her first Christmas living abroad. I was delighted by her email and the photos she sent of her first handcrafted Adventskrantz! This is her sweet description: "So in Germany they have a tradition that five Sundays before Christmas you make an Adventskranz (a wreath with four candles). You light one candle the first Sunday, then two the next Sunday and so on until all the candles have been lit. You can light them during the week too, but only the ones previously lit. So anyway, I decorated ours and wanted to share it with you!" I learned something new today about another Christmas tradition, and thought it would make the perfect Christmas post to share with all of you! Below is Bre's beautiful Adventskranz.

Fabulous! Thanks for sharing with us Bre. Merry Christmas!

And Merry Christmas to all of you! Hope to see you in the New Year! Cheers and Warm Blessings, R.

Our Sunrise

Happy Sunday! We had the most beautiful sunrise today. Try as I may, I could not capture the full extent of such beauty in my camera lens. This is my best shot. Thought I should share it with you anyway. This truly is a magnificent Universe! Blessings ~ R.

Tis the Season!

Aah, tis the season! We have been very busy selling Townhouses out here in the west. We are incredibly blessed to have gone mostly untouched by this slow economic time. And thank goodness, things seem to be turning around for the better in this great Country of ours! However, there are still a lot of folks down and out of work this winter. It is pretty cold out here where we live, and I was just thinking about going through the closets to find our extra coats. When my girls were young & still at home, they would get new coats each year. Because I was sooo strict (just ask them!) their previous years coat would still be in really good condition. We would take the coats and give them to folks that could really use them. I still do this every year and I hope my girls do too! So, if you happen to have an extra jacket or coat, I am sure someone out there would really appreciate receiving it. Tis the Season! ~ Merci! R.

To Santa's Helpers ...

Hey, if any of Santa's helpers are out there in blog land and just happen to stop by here ... I have something on my wish list! It is this gorgeous Bustled Shower Curtain by Anthropologie. It is sooo dreamy soft and feminine ~ I can already see it hanging in my French themed bathroom! It is a bit pricey, but I assure all of you little helpers that I have been nice (mostly) this year! Just putting it out there ... Smooches ~ R.

Available at: www.anthropologie.com Retails for $ 118.00

12 Days of Christmas Shop Hop Begins Soon!

Glitter Crown Ornament available soon in our shop!




We are so excited about this event! The Grand Prize in this Shop Hop is valued at $1000.00!!!

Mark your calendars as this event begins Nov. 27th. Just click on the 12 Days of Christmas Shop Hop Banner (on the right) to get all the information you need for a chance at winning the FABULOUS Grand Prize! And thank you Make Mine Pink for allowing us to participate! Sweet Dreams & Happy Thanksgiving! ~ R.

Another BLOG GIVEAWAY !!

It's another BLOG GIVEAWAY at Shabby Cottage Shops ~ A $100.00 Shopping Spree to the Lucky Winner to shop at our "Pink Holiday Magic Sale"! Please click on the button in the top right corner to enter for your chance to WIN and Hurry, this giveaway ends Wednesday the 25th at Midnight! While you are there, be sure to enter the "Pink Present Giveaway" too! The value for this one is over $400.00! Please hurry as this Contest ends Nov. 30th! Good Luck & Happy Shopping! Merci ~ Rochele P.S. We will be having a 30% off SALE at http://www.frenchcharmed.com/ to coincide with this $100.00 Giveaway! Visit our website for details!

And The Winner Is ...

The Winner in the "French Pillow" Holiday Decorating Ideas Photo Contest is ... posted in the Vignettes Category on www.FrenchCharmed.com ! As soon as we hear from the Winner, we will post pictures here too! Once again, we want to offer our warmest thanks for all of the great photos we received. Your hard work is very much appreciated!
Merci!

Holiday Photo Contest Ended

Pink Glitter Fleur de Lis

Our 'French Pillow Contest' has come to a close. The beautiful Pillow will be wrapped up and sent to its new home this Friday! We offer our warmest thanks to everyone that took the time to participate. You sent in some very beautiful vignettes! We will post the Winner and the Holiday Decorating Ideas Photos, in the Vignettes Section, on our website http://www.frenchcharmed.com/ on Friday Nov. 20th. Please stop by to see some gorgeous ideas from our winner! Thanks again and have a lovely evening ~ R.

Just a Reminder - Holiday Photo Contest Deadline ...

Just a quick reminder - The Holiday Decorating Photo Contest will be closing soon! Get your photos to us by Nov. 15th, for your chance to win the French Pillow pictured below. We have received some adorable photos and look forward to seeing yours! Merci and Good Luck!

Details for "French Pillow" Holiday Photo Contest

WIN ME!

Morning Bloggers!


Here is today's post ~ "French Pillow" Holiday Photo Contest at French Charmed! We are hunting for Holiday Decorating Ideas for our Vignettes Category. All you need to do for a chance to win this fabulous "French Pillow", an Aimee Boschet design, is listed below. Contest is open to all Continental USA and Canada Residents. Contest ends 11/15/09.



1. FOLLOW this blog.



2. Go to http://www.frenchcharmed.com/ and leave a comment on our contact us page, stating that you are interested
in submitting your Holiday Decorating Photos to be considered for our Vignettes Category.



3. Beginning Nov. 1st 2009, you will be contacted by email with a request for three (3) to
five (5) photos. Please allow us a day or two to respond.



4. Photo submissions MUST be turned in to us no later than 11/15/09, to be included in this
contest.



5. The winner of this contest will have their photos placed in the Vignettes Category on the
French Charmed Website on November 20th, 2009. And, of course, be the new owner of
this fabulous "French Pillow"!



6. Notify us that you saw your Holiday Decorating photos posted in our Vignettes Category.
And Voila! Your new "French Pillow" will be wrapped up and sent on its way!





*Please remember, this contest ends 11/15/09* We look forward to your submission of gorgeous Holiday Decorating Ideas ~ Good Luck!!!





Merci, R.

NYC Out and About & bits of Shopping

5th Avenue, Times Square, Soho, etc ...

My very Favorite Window Display ~ It's all Bling!

Shopping in Soho. Yes, I am at an age when breaks are necessary ;)



5th Avenue!

This Church is so Beautiful!

Somewhere in New York City.

Empire State Building

Leave it to me to find France in NYC

Times Square!

Me, after asking "Where is the Ice Rink?" Duh ... it's summer momma.


Well, we certainly got around that City. I have a blister for every monument! I have just one more Post left from my big trip to NYC. I will Post it in a few days, as soon as I am back from Idaho. Have a great weekend & thanks for stopping by!

NYC fun in Central Park

So ... Central Park is such a treat! I was surprised at how truly beautiful it is. I remember scenes from movies, but I really didn't pay attention. That is until today, when I a caught a sweet movie called 'Enchanted'. I recognized so many places in the scenes! Apologies for the photo clarity, I am still trying to figure out how to run my equipment. Thanks for your patience!

Goofing off with my new son, Adam

Descending into the masses.

Kam & Me (practicing for our upcoming Hollywood stint) LOL!

This place is right in the middle of the hustle & bustle of NYC. It is so beautiful!

Just goofing!

City Scape from Central Park

I thought the building in the background was beautiful. The name of it escapes me.

More goofing!

With Alice in Wonderland. The little guys were having a blast.
What a fun time! I will be back soon with more NYC & Kids. Thanks for stopping by!

I am getting to those NYC photos ...

Geez, where does the time fly to? Seems I am stuck in work mode ~ fun work I might add! I have been busy getting Holiday Treasures ready for the shop. I stopped to take photos & my camera beeped at me 'No Memory'. So, I am now taking some time out to Post a few NYC pics. My purpose there was twofold. My daughter, Kami Jo, lives in Manhattan. She is an Editor for ABC Soaps in Depth Magazine. Her job is to hang out with the cast & then write about them! She called me a few weeks back and told me that if I was ever coming to see her in NYC, I had better make it fast. She is being transfered to Los Angeles at the end of October! So, there is reason #1. The second reason, of course what ELSE do you do in Manhattan, was shopping. We went straight to 'Hells Kitchen Flea Market'. Wow! There is just so many vendors. My feeties gave out way before we finished looking! I managed to get a few photos here, but sadly most places have signs posted 'NO PHOTOS'. Oh well, over the course of the next few days, I will just Post some fun pictures from just hanging with the kids. Oh, my daughter also just married! Her new husband Adam, is an Asst. Producer on Broadway. Still sorting through all those pictures as well!

Textiles & Hats ~ I am always on the look out for great vintage fabrics.

I purchased many antique and vintage papers. I use them in my paper crafts.

Ooh, I just LOVE wild cat prints!

These antique shops are just across the street from 'Hells Kitchen Flea Market'. All of these are posted 'NO PHOTOS'. Some of these shops are filled with amazing pieces & they all have gorgeous displays. New York Vintage is very upscale. It's worth stopping by if you get the chance!

The kids are nearby, I hear "Are we done yet?" and "I'm starving!" Brings back old memories from vacations past. "OK" I said. "Lets do lunch!" Family fun & more NYC photos to follow ...

Alaska Adventure 2009 ~ Part Three

Yesterday netted zero fish. Luckily, Neptune smiled upon us and sent a few our way today!

Due to some high winds, our early morning ocean adventure was postponed until 10:00 a.m. A little extra R & R was much appreciated. This is how our day went ...

Here she is! Our ocean cruiser for the day.


Heading out. Leaving the nasty weather behind.

11:00 a.m. ~ Tom waiting for Captain Bob to find some fish.

11:30 a.m. ~ Joe is ready to go.

12:00 p.m. ~ Tom is worn out from waiting for the fish.

12:40 p.m. ~ Yippee! First catch of the day! Way to go Joe! This Halibut was only 16 pounds. In my opinion, 15 to 40 pounds is the perfect size for the best flavor.

A not so pretty Rock Fish. But mild tasting and good to eat.

This is B.D. (Bad Dog) Captain Bob's 1st - Mate

1:30 p.m. Me taking a break from casting & reeling. It really makes your arms tired.

2:10 p.m. ~ Joe strikes again! This time with a Yellow Eye Rock Fish.

2:15 p.m. ~ Tom's turn. Another Yellow Eye.

3:00 p.m. ~ One awesome fish! A striped Rock Fish. The most colorful one I've ever seen brought in.

Wow ~ Tom caught a Starfish. We kept him long enough for this photo, then set him free.

4:00 p.m. ~ The fishing was real slow, but we came upon this great photo opportunity!

These seals allowed us to get pretty close for our photo shoot.

They are just so cute!

Seems that they enjoyed posing for us!

5:00 p.m. ~ Called it a day & headed back to camp. Ended up with 2 Halibut and 4 Rock Fish. Early to bed and early to rise. Had to get back and pick up Sadie Rose from the dog sitter.

She doesn't like it much, but Sadie is becoming a frequent flyer!

Well, as I mentioned earlier, the fishing was not that spectacular. But we were very grateful for the opportunity to visit Alaska and get some really great photos! Hope you enjoyed your visit too!