What you must do in Paris .......with Carla Coulson

Are you visiting Paris soon or in the distant future?

If so, this must be on your list. 

Carla Coulson knows I adore her new venture. When she mentioned this concept 2 years ago over a huge plate of frites in Paris, I immediately said "you have to do this". And then I annoyingly kept bringing it up.............because what I was really thinking was this is such a good idea, can I pose right now? I would love a once-in-a-lifetime portrait in Paris! There is something in the Paris air that women breathe in when they land in Paris, we feel more feminine, more something and Carla has figured out a way to photographically capture that delicious something with Paris Muse. Now close your eyes...................

and picture this....................

Pick the perfect city Paris. The most luxurious setting Hotel Lancaster. Bring just yourself, or your best friends, your sister, your mother, or your hubby it can be an individual or group shot. Meet the talented make up and hair team. Let them do their fashionable thing while you sip some French bubbly and relax............you are in the best hands in the business. Picture yourself at your most glamorous and natural, all relaxed with that Paris glow wearing a gorgeous frock, sounding good isn't it? Now picture the experienced and enormously talented lens of Carla Coulson pointed directly at you. 

Actually it might sound a tad intimidating. But this is the part I really want you to really understand if you are feeling a bit shy about this idea. Carla Coulson is as wonderful as you would imagine if you have read her books and admired her photographic talent. I had the enormous pleasure of spending a few evenings with Carla and her handsome Italian husband in Paris a few years ago and I have to tell you..........you will feel immediately comfortable with her and likely have more than a few laughs. She is warm, sincere, unpretentious, down-to-earth, and full of genuine smiles and laughter. You are in the most talented of hands for this most special Paris treat. 

Go take a peek at Carla's new website and blog and browse the before and after transformations here. The tone of the photo-shoot is yours to determine, something feminine think boudoir-like, a more professional pose for publicity, or as a special keepsake for that special couple an anniversary, a Paris honeymoon. After the four-hour booking, you will have the option of purchasing the final images as printed fine art photos or a luxe book. Either way, you are bringing home a most incredible keepsake. The package details and booking dates are available by emailing Carla here. 

Carla is having a fabulous Paris Muse giveaway to introduce her new service and website so click here to enter by Tuesday. I am headed there right now.........I am so going to do this on my next trip to Paris. And so should you. This is such a good idea.

All photos are the exclusive property of Carla Coulson. 

Gift Wrap Inspiration...........on a Sunday evening

Gift Wrap inspiration........started in the morning with these colours and mood.

By evening I was happy with this. 

Where do you find inspiration?

Photo 1/Photo 2 and 3 by Sande Chase/Background image from the book Woman In The Mirror/Richard Avedon

Healey & Grisham............dog lovers extraordinaire

~ Poncho Jesse ~

By now you know how I love dogs. Everything about them. How they curl up in your lap while you blog. How they burst with excitement when you take them for a walk. How they quietly wait for you to wake up even if you are sleeping in and they are wide awake. How they sit patiently while you straighten their pink bow each morning even if they find it kind of annoying and silly. What is not to love about a dog? What is not to love about a talented duo that photographs animals so beautifully? I fell in love with the website Healey & Grisham and their animal photography, but I fell really fell in love with Janet Healey and Joe Grisham when I read their story and found they are much more than that.  

~ Priscilla With Blue Feather ~ 

Along with running a boutique commercial photography/styling business in Dallas with high-profile clients such as Neiman Marcus, JC Penney, and Pet Smart, the stylist/photographer couple created a e-commerce site named Hooray For The Underdog where you can purchase their stunning images of rescued dogs. Their work has been featured on Oprah and this just serves as a gift source reminder, the exceptional Healey & Grisham animal photography is available for purchase on prints,  notecards, journals, folders, and other stationery products which is a wonderful gift for any pet lover on your list. Regally posed Priscilla above is available on a thank you card titled Merci. If you are in the Dallas area, you can visit their boutique where they display more of their work or you can arrange your own pet photo sitting. But I do have to say, I just love this concept of talented photographers styling shelter pets so that abandoned animals find a loving home. Because the sad truth is..........not every pet has someone to put pink bows in their hair.










Photos by Healey & Grisham

Balloons and Bouguets

~  Make the weekend unique ~

Photo 1 found here/ Photo 2 via Style Me Pretty

the way you move your hips.........ready to dance?

isn't it just plain wonderful when the sun is shining and you start moving more? movin those hips? outside where we are meant to be? seeing the grass turn greener by the day? the trees bud? and the days get longer? it makes me feel all sparkly and new. full of sugar and spice and all things nice. it makes me feel like dancing. ready?

top photo by Emma Freemantle via Sarah Kaye/Bottom photo via Hip In Paris/Video-You Tube/Mayor Hawthorne

The race begins............goodbye carbs

We are supposed to reach a temp of 75ish today so finally...........out comes the bike and the intense cycling schedule I have mapped out for this spring and summer. Going for another 20lbs. to top off what I lost last year. Wish me luck. 

Out with the winter carbs..................gone, gone. 

Those tempting bites of sweetness........gone too.

Only good things are are coming in the door and on our plates.

And this is why. 

Photos via Tumbr

the home stretch.............and a surprise blog

Photo by Jessica Nichols 

The week simply got away from me over here. Our son has been home for a few weeks and off he goes tomorrow to Florida for his final home stretch. In four more months, after a few more exams and a few more hospital rotations, he will be at the finish line. I find I am holding my breath for him right now as mothers tend to do. Somehow I thought older children would be easier, the worry eased, I find it is not. Someday, when he lets me, I will tell you our son's story, why we are so remarkably proud of what he has accomplished. It is not my story to tell, but it is one of facing huge odds and I do want him to know..............you inspire me. xo

photo by Rodney Smith

I just finished reading The End, the fascinating blog written by photographer Rodney Smith. Yes, that Rodney Smith, the very famous and talented photographer has a blog and it was a delightful and surprising discovery. Over the past weekend, I read each and every post he has written since he started it back on July 13th, 2009. He is one of the most talented photographers of our time............and his writing, his stories, his honest and human writing style had me wanting more, the feeling of reading a wonderful novel which I didn't want to end. I am in awe of both his talents. Rodney Smith posts every Monday, from home in New York or from location anywhere in the world..............next Monday can't come fast enough for me. 


Photo 1 from Jessica Nichols / photo 2 and 3 by Rodney Smith

An Etsy Favorite

Got a little over-aggressive in trying to get up to last fall's 10-14 km on the outdoor cycling over the past few days. You may remember my Blogger Butt post a few months back {click here to read}. As I said then "it works like crazy" in slimming down your hips and weight like no other exercise I ever did. I keep trying to email Oprah and tell her that but so far she hasn't responded! So as the intense try-out day evolved yesterday my jelly legs have progressed to bit of a sore hip so I will be taking it easy, along with taking care of my son and father, both who are not feeling well. You know how this all happens at once. So I'm leaving you a lovely series of photographs from Jacqleen Bleu at Etsy. The 4"x 6" or 7" x 9" prints are all mounted on a 8"x 10" so suitable for framing and are $21.50 each. Exceptional value and I like her eye.

I hope to have the fabric linen gift and it's wrapped variations by Wednesday, but it may be Thursday. And yes, it's back on the bike today, just a bit shorter and slower.

Glam Mondays - Simple Summer

Photo by Lisa Cohen Photography

There's my biggest weakness, right there in her hands.

I love, crave, and sneak way too much ice cream.

Just a bit now and then, nobody knows this but you.

This Missoni scarf worn with white or natural linen..... just so beautiful, don't you agree?

Photo by Chris Everard

Summer is coming and a relaxed mood is ahead. Is there a better time to take a gorgeous outdoor bath? Of course this isn't going to happen, that's why we need wonderful stylists and talented photographers to make these visual fantasies so captivating. We would like to think we could. And those silk damask drapes!

No one does summer better than Kate Spade. This Hulu Ida purse makes

me want to do the Hulu Hoop just one more time.

A simple black sheath. Matching lipstick. Hair pulled back into a chignon. And maybe just a hint of a tan? These earrings from Jose & Maria Barrera are summer sexy.

Two beach colours in one, how clever of Kate Spade. How good would this look with
my coral lipstick?

I know who got me diving into summer a bit ahead of schedule. It was Judith at Paris Atelier with her fun sun umbrella post last week. It is a short season, might as well start enjoying it now. Photo from My Vintage Vogue via Paris Atelier.

Something about this filmy top just speaks to me and I'm not one for loud pattern. It looks like it would be cool and comfy. I would love this Emillio Pucci top with narrow black pants, a great pair of metallic shoes (and a great coral lipstick) this summer. Truthfully, it would also cover all the right places. Polyvore.

Summer rides to the county are a given in our area, it's where we have the best produce markets along the roads. I can't get over how much this model looks like my mom way back when. I will have to show this to my dad. Photo image from Vogue ~ Karen Radkai.

The tomato capital of Canada is Leamington, Ontario. A beautiful small town along Lake Erie where the Heinz head office is located and only about 30 minutes away. We are located in the most southern point of Canada so the region has a well-established wine region as well. The southern climate is perfect for producing delicious tomatoes and vino. They now have miles and miles of greenhouses, but many regional farmers still grow tomatoes the old way too. I love toasted tomato sandwiches all summer long. I just use Weight Watcher bread and low-cal mayonnaise. It's still delicious. Photo from Cooking Light via Southern Accents.

We have wonderful asparagus farms in our area, everyone waits for the fresh asparagus which we are enjoying right now. I like them oven-roasted best with shaved Parmesan as soon as they come out of the oven. Photo by Alison Harris.

A Pile of Blueberries by Broomhill Pictures at Etsy.

Berry pies to make all summer long. What's the treat on your list?
Remember, I told you mine! Photo by Donna Griffith.

Summer entertaining can be effortless and simple. So can the little produce treats you send home with your guests. Image from Martha Stewart.

All the fresh flavours of summer in a Mango & Radicchio Caprese Salad with a Basil Vinaigrette. Looks so colourful and yummy. I found it at Epicirious, click here to download the recipe.

Photo copyright by Aran Goyoaga ~ Cannelle et Vanille

The best treats for last! Gourmet Ice Creams Treats for everybody. I am in love with the desserts and photography at food blog Cannelle et Vanille. It's a new blog (for me anyways, she is quite popular) that I finally browsed on the weekend and you will adore her well-balanced palette. Click here for the recipe for Sweet Plums and Savory Tarragon Ice Cream. Sweet and Savory, how luscious. The recipes and the blog.

Copyright Image of Aran Goyoaga ~ Cannelle et Vanille

Click here for Aran's recipe for Triple Chocolate Fudge Cookie & Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches. This is food styling at it's best, love how she wraps up these cool sandwiches.

Photo by Daniel Farmer


The perfect ending to a simple summer day.

Gorgeous File- Turquoise on Monday

Vogue photographer Arthur Elgort captured the vintage mood right down to the well-manicured canine companion with his highly-civilized owner. Taken in 1999 at the Patisserie Cadorin in Paris. Image via Conde Nast.

Just a glimpse of a silk strap..... The Strap ~ an image by Jane Heller at Etsy. She loves to photograph the small, unnoticed details of life with a dreamy quality and grainy blur. Not so unnoticed at all.

I love the look of a chunky necklace with an open shirt collar, when it sparkles even better. And I love the delicate hint of colour in this JANIS necklace by Janis Savitt, it would go with everything.

Of course I can't wear it category, but isn't this Tulip Dress dreamy with these funky coloured eyeglasses. Silk Fabric Petals layer in a dreamy Robin's Egg Blue by Sarah Seven at Etsy.

Look how these patterns work together, who would have quessed? And keeping that shameless look of well-worn upholstery on the head and footboard, it's so glamorously shabby chic. Photo by Polly Wreford.

Dogwood photograph by Kristy Bee at Etsy

This Carmen Marc dress and that Janis Savitt necklace shown above?

Perfectly glamorous.

Jay Strongwater designs always capture my attention and this Krya compact is one of the loveliest I've seen. I'd be checking the lipstick every chance I got, yes.... in public! A perfect and personal gift for a wedding attendant or the bride. Much better than a cakeplate.

Ghost Story photo by Jacqleen Bleu at Etsy.

More petals, this time by Valentino. Wouldn't this Petal Dome Bag look great with

the pool-lounging outfit below? It even looks wet.

This photo makes me smile and want to buy pool toys, great big fun ones.

And I don't even have a pool. Photo by Emily McGregor (no source found).

Working beads from Amy Butler Studios.

If someone gave me this aqua leather Symthson sewing kit, I would learn to stitch properly once and for all. I borrowed this sewing kit from Stylecourt who had it on her blog last week. So tidy and gorgeous, I just couldn't resist.

I love it when dogs turn their head and look at you like this way.

This bulldog looks positively glam sitting in this well-appointed entry

from Domino Mag Files at Flickr.

I was never too fond of verdigras as I thought the faux application got so overdone way too quickly and in all the wrong places, but I would change my tune pretty fast if I got my hands on these gorgeous sconces. And look at that stone tub (comfy?) so gorgeous and perfect in this distressed setting by New Orleans designer Ann Dupuy of Holden & Dupuy (via Southern Accents). I take my verdigras-bias back but only because this talented designer has done it perfectly.

Everybody can have a piece of John Derian these days, a limited collection of his tray designs are available

in melamine at Target. The Paris Crystal Dome paperweight is the real thing that collectors covet. $60.oo on his website.

Though there is obviously a photographic colour adjustment here, I love my hostas even if they aren't this turquoise colour. It also reminds me they are well-overdue for a splitting as they got too big last year. When this road construction is over I plan to add other hosta varieties and get my garden splendor back. Photo by Lisa Cohen.