Blog posts that inspire

The French Woman Inspires

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I love learning about French women. What they eat, how the shop, decorate, and what they wear. Well, Sharon Santoni’s book My Stylish French Girlfriends has exposed what it is like to live like the French.

I can not tell you how much I adore this book. It goes into detail about each woman and what they do for work, how they live, and how they accomplished their dreams. Each woman had a goal or dream and each one was able to make it come true. It is truly inspiring.

Here is a passage from one of the stories~


Who would have thought it possible to experience village life in the heart of Paris? To set your watch by the chimes of the church bells; to chat with the local baker as you buy your daily bread; to watch your children go to school on foot each morning and to shop at the farmers market a few minutes from your home?

Photo by Matt Briney on Unsplash
Here is another passage from the book ~

“They wanted to stay in the region and first visited the Chateau de la Marine, but it was beyond their budget. At one point this chateau belonged to the French Navy, from where it got its name. It has a beautiful view of the sea, and Catherine and Guy both loved it, but they stuck to their figures and regretfully continued looking.

Months of fruitless searching ensued until, disheartened, they went off sailing for three months, When they came back, they heard that the Chateau de la Marine remained unsold and decided to make an offer. It was meant to be; their offer was accepted and Catherine’s dream suddenly became a reality.”


Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I am truly inspired by the French. I love the thought of buying my food every day. Walking to the beautiful bakeries. Only having the freshest ingredients every day. It truly does inspire you. I will take some ideas and living habits from each one of these women and create my own life that will inspire. 

Photo by Larisa Birta on Unsplash






Elegance…..

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“Elegance is a glowing inner peace. Grace is an ability to give as well as to receive and be thankful. Mystery is a hidden laugh always ready to surface! Glamour only radiates if there is a sublime courage & bravery within: glamour is like the moon; it only shines because the sun is there.” 

― C. JoyBell C.

photo credit: AHFE

Elegance is Mystery

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I saw an interview recently with fashion icon Carolina Herrera and in that interview, she discussed the importance of mystery. She said, “that mystery is very important in life”. I found that quote to be very profound but honestly I should have not been surprised.

Carolina is known for being one of the most elegant women in the world and I don’t see her personal life smeared all over the news or magazines.

I love her new bridal collection but then again who doesn’t. Even the commercials are captivating. Here is a video from her new bridal collection and one of the chicest bridal commercials I have ever seen.

Photo by Charisse Kenion on Unsplash
(video via Youtube)

Favorite Artist ~Claire Basler

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I have never really been interested in art but lately, I have been paying more attention to it. I don’t know why but I have been drawn to artwork lately. Maybe I am getting older or maybe my sense of style is changing. One of my good friends told me that every 10 years your personal style begins to change.

Well, it has been 10 years so maybe that is the reason why art has been on my brain. As some of you know I follow quite a few bloggers. One blog that I follow is This is Glamorous. The author Roseline, wrote an article about an artist named Claire Basler. 


I could not believe how beautiful her art was. The paintings just capture you. Claire is also one of the “stylish girlfriends” in Sharon Santoni’s new book My Stylish Girlfriends. Just look at her work below. My soul just sighs every time I look at it……

photo credit:  Dominique Bouteiller

photo credit: Mads Mogensen

To read the original article see here.

The French Way of Eating

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I always wondered how the French manage to keep their gorgeous figures and still enjoy life. I know here in America overeating is a severe problem. I have to constantly tell myself, “Listen, you don’t have to eat all this food that they are putting on your plate”. The restaurant portion sizes are just out of control! And I have heard some people say that they think they are too small!!!

Well, I refuse to let food conquer me! I want to enjoy beautiful meals but I am not going to let food control me. I was reading French Essence and Vicki wrote about The French Way.


She talked about how she went to her aesthetician and discussed how the French eat.  Her aesthetician had some excellent advise….

Nothing changed in that she stressed the word moderation over and over. Her way is not about denial but the timing, quantities and combinations of how we eat. 


If we feel the desire to consume less than the ideal, eat it early and not too often. Depriving ourselves can make a diet difficult to maintain. Eating in a healthy way, maintaining our weight and setting up eating practices for the future are the way this French woman thinks. 

You must finish reading the article. It is an absolute eye opener.


What the French Envy about the Americans

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As I mentioned a few weeks ago I am devouring the new book called The French Beauty Solution. I said that I would continue to share some of the information in the chapters that the author Mathilde Thomas discussed.



She wrote a section called, “What the French Envy about the Americans“. I found this list very fascinating….



* Your sparkling white, straight teeth, thanks to years of fluoride-rich water and good dentistry and orthodontia. 


* Your strong muscles and bones. Perhaps it’s the milk and meat and corn, you tend to eat as part of your regular diet when growing, but American women tend to look so much more fit and healthy than the French. Super- sporty cheerleaders and runners and gym-goers are always a source of awe.

* Your discipline when it comes to bad habits. Frenchwomen tend to smoke way too much. They know it’s a terrible, life threatening habit, and they don’t beat themselves up about it- when they should. Americans can go to the other extreme of “Oh my god, I’m going to get cancer if I have one cigarette”, or “I’m an alcoholic if I have one glass of wine”. That attitude will automatically make us want to light up and then order a bottle of Champagne.

* Your boundless energy. We just love America, and especially New York. Even though the city has been cleaned up in recent years, forcing out many of the artists and creative talent that gave New York its edge, there is still a special vibe and it is full of creative and ambitious people doing things to change the world. And, of course, Americans all over the country continually impress me with their innovation, ambition, gumption, and smarts, too.

These are just a few of the items on the list. I would encourage any one to buy this book. It has been a wonderful read.













Things that Make You Age

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This past July a wonderful book was released called The French Beauty Solution by Mathilde Thomas. I went to my local bookstore to take a peek at it too see if it was worth my purchasing. And I have had it a few weeks now and all I can say is Wow!

I have really enjoyed this book! For the next few weeks I will share some parts from some of the chapters. One section in the book that I just recently read was called, ” What makes you look old”. Here author Mathilde lists a few things that Frenchwomen try to avoid:


1. Foundation that’s too thick, too obvious or that isn’t blended well. Having your face be a different tone from your neck or the rest of your body is a definite non. 

2. A super-matte, powdered face.

3. Eyebrows that are too thin or the wrong shape for your face.

4. Neon or super- bright colors. Soften your palette as you get older.

5. Lip liner that is obvious, especially if it’s darker than your lipstick.

6. Yellow teeth

7. Not eating well. When you starve yourself into thinness, it shows on your face. Or when you deprive yourself of delicious food, it makes you feel and look pinched.

8. Not getting enough sleep.

9. Too much stress

10. Not being dynamic. Being out of shape is an instant ager.

These are just a few from the list. I will share more from the book as I continue to read it. It is a wonderful book and I would encourage anyone to buy it!

Photo by Rikonavt on Unsplash