Wonderful Books to Read

Grace of Monaco

As I have said before, I love classic movies. Although, this is not a classic movie, not yet. It is a recent release that I discovered in Netflix. I wasn’t sure about watching it but now I am very happy that I did. I loved it!!! It was such a great movie and I thought Nicole Kidman did such a wonderful job playing Grace Kelly! I truly enjoyed it. If you have the time please watch this movie. The setting in France was wonderful, the costumes, the acting, just everything!!! It was just chic…..




(video via Youtube)

My Life in France

I love reading. I also love classic movies. I was going through Netflix and came across Julie & Julia. I watched it and loved it! I ended up purchasing the movie and I have watched it a million times already!!



I love the scenes, the clothes and the food. Meryl Streep is a fantastic actress! I then “googled” Julia Child’s books and saw My Life in France. This is a wonderful book! I downloaded it onto my Kindle and I just can’t get enough of it. Julia Child tells the story of how she and her husband Paul lived in France. 


Her husband Paul wrote letters to his twin brother and Julia wrote letters also. No one threw anything away so you have all of this beautiful information that has been put into the book. She gives such vivid details into their lives and the food! This is such a delicious book! Here is a passage from the book that I read recently….


“It was near lunchtime, and though we were hardly used to such elegance, we looked at each other and said, “Why not?’ There weren’t many patrons yet and we were seated in a gorgeous semicircular banquette. The headwaiter laid menus before us, and then the sommelier, an imposing but kindly Bordeaux specialist in his fifties, arrived. He introduced himself with a nod: “Monsieur Henocq.” The restaurant began to fill up, and over the course of the next two hours, we had a leisurely and nearly perfect luncheon. The meal began with little shells filled with sea scallops and mushrooms robed in a classically beautiful winy cream sauce. Then we had a wonderful duck dish, and cheeses, and a rich dessert, followed by coffee”. 


Just wonderful and so is the video of the movie below. Enjoy!

photo by Annie Spratt





(video via Youtube)

Barefoot Contessa

I am a huge fan of Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa. I recently watched a short video about her life and how she started the Barefoot Contessa. I enjoy her cooking show! I love her simple delicious recipes and her simple but gorgeous table settings!! Watch the video and see why she is just a classic!

To watch this video on your mobile click here.

Life: Beautiful ~ A Faith Based Magazine

I must admit that I am a christian. I know that is not popular but it is the truth. That has been my faith all my life. I usually keep it to myself and just try to let my life speak for itself.



I am always trying to find wholesome books or magazines to read. I discovered Life Beautiful Magazine sometime last year. My family and I went to visit Barnes & Nobles one evening after dinner. I scanned the magazine shelves for beautiful reads and stumbled on this magazine.


I picked it up and opened it. I was pleasantly surprised at the layout and the articles. In every issue, there is an article from Joyce MeyerDave Ramsey, & Marriage 911. There are always recipes, articles about decorating & parenting. You name it the magazine has it. 


One of the greatest assets about the magazine is their mission statement. Below is a list of what the company believes in:

Belief Statement:
Life:Beautiful is published on a foundation of the following beliefs:
1.      We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
2.      We believe in one God, the Creator who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, and that He was and remains both God and man.
3.      We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His own divine image; that they sinned and incurred physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God; and, as a result of Adam’s sin, all humans are now born with a sinful nature and stand guilty before God.
4.      We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that all who believe in Him and receive Him as personal Lord and Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit and become children of God.
5.      We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate.
6.      We believe in the blessed hope of the personal and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells and gives spiritual life to all believers, enables them to understand biblical truth, empowers them to live godly lives, and equips them for service and witness.
7.      We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the unsaved.

I think this is a wonderful magazine to purchase. I believe they only send out publications four times a year. I have purchased a few and they have been a joy to read. So check out their website and add Life Beautiful Magazine to your choice of reading!






Book Review: Tips on Posing for Pictures

As some of you may have read from my recent blog entries, I am reading a book called A Guide to Elegance. I only have a few chapters left and I am very disappointed. I have really enjoyed reading this book.

It will be a book that I will revisit over and over. A few weeks ago I read the chapter called” Photography” and in this chapter Genevieve discussed how to pose for pictures and to always look your best. Here are some of her tips for great photos. I found them very interesting:

– You should stand straight with your toes turned outward, with one leg placed a little ahead of the other, and with your body turned slightly sideways, so that the camera will capture a three-quarters view.

– Unless you are very young, you should always smile at the photographer; otherwise, the expression lines around the mouth are apt to make you look disagreeable and tired.

– You should always remove your dark glasses for an outdoor snapshot, but never look directly into the sun.

– If you are being photographed stretched out on a beach or the deck of a boat, it is more flattering to prop yourself up on one hip and an elbow and present your body in profile, instead of lying spread out flat like a fried egg.

– The most frequently recommended position for the hands- lightly crossed on your lap- always seems terrible stiff; if you don’t know what to do with them, you can place them behind your back, but never on your hips.

– Lastly, it is better for the camera to be angled at you from a low position rather than from above; which always has a foreshortening effect.

Also, just in case you missed it, please take a look at my post called 100 Ways to be Elegant. I simply love reading this list. It is so much fun! Enjoy!

(all photos are from of Pinterest)

A Guide to Elegance- Book Review- Girlfriends

I purchased this book sometime last year and I tell you what I have really enjoyed it!! The tips and suggestions about elegance for the average woman are just fantastic! This book was written by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux in the 60’s.

Some of the suggestions about fashion are a little off but the overall premise of the book is great! I love all the chapters. She discusses from A to Z all of the elements a woman would need in order to have elegance in her life. I will have to admit that I do have a few chapters that have just stayed with me. The chapter called “Girlfriends” will make you think. Below is a little snippet of the chapter:

GIRLFRIENDS

It is a good rule never to go shopping with a girlfriend. Since she is often an unwitting rival as well, she will unconsciously demolish everything that suits you best. Even if she is the most loyal friend in the world, if she simply adores you, and if her only desire is for you to be the most beautiful, I remain just as firm in my opinion; shop alone, and turn only to specialists for guidance.

Besides, as well-intentioned as she may, your girlfriend seldom has exactly the same figure, the same kind of life, the same social condition, the same tastes as you. And so she sees things quite differently, and she can only see them in relation to her own taste, her own budget, her own needs. What you might choose for yourself, she sees on herself, considers that it doesn’t suit her- or, on the contrary, that it suits her better than it does you- and by her comments undermines the little self-confidence you have managed to retain….

You must buy the book it is priced very well and is easy to find. I have not finished the book yet but I will continue to post book reviews from it. A Guide to Elegance, simply elegant!!!