June 2013 Life's Lessons for Women: Audrey Hepburn

There are very few women in the entertainment industry (relatively speaking) who garner the respect and admiration of everyone the world over.  One such woman, however, was Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey was an amazing woman in more ways than one.  We'll be exploring her life and learning from her this month.  To give you a "taste" of her elegance, beauty, and wit, I've created the following Printable just for you:

 

This is my gift to you so you can start thinking about this extraordinary woman, and seeing what attributes you share with her, because mes amies, I know that you probably share many.  Please respect that this is for personal use only ... however please feel free to share this link with others so that they can participate with us as we learn from women, past and present, throughout the year who created lives of beauty.  Who were able to see what true beauty was and who exemplified it in their deeds and actions.

I have to thank Karen at www.thegraphicsfairy.com for sharing the lovely pink background that I used for this graphic.  However, the quote is pure Audrey.  I adore this picture, which was taken at the time that Sabrina (the original movie) was being promoted

So ... look forward to a month of goodies, wisdom, paper craft tutorials, laughter, maybe a few introspections as well ... while we learn from one of the most gracious women who was a style icon as well as an advocate for the beauty and strength of women!

Have a wonderful week mes amies!!

Creating our Lives

Well, mes amies ... how did your weekend go? Did you have time to take a look at your wardrobe and see if comfort still equaled elegance? I hope you did. I have to admit that this is something that I have been working on for the past several months. I happily hauled several bags of clothes off to either the battered women's shelter, the homeless shelter, or to women in my Church who needed the clothes more than I did. In return, I "had" to get some new clothes. LOL! I then proceeded to only purchase clothes that either:

1) I could foresee myself wearing 5 years from now (unless a miracle happened and I lost weight ... and then, Quelle Horreur!!! I'd have to go shopping again!!).
2) They were good quality clothing. They would actually last 5 years. With that being said, I refuse to not get a bargain, so this didn't mean that I've been spending all my money on clothes either. More about that later ... I have some great tips for you clothes horses, but that's another day.
3) They were truly "me." They accented my body type to its best advantage and they were colors that looked best on me.
and lastly,
4) They passed the "Do I LOVE it, not "just like it" test.

So ... if you're like me, you probably didn't finish the challenge I gave you over the weekend. That's okay. I still have drawers I haven't gone through. So, let's keep going, shall we? Only, now, let's add the four (4) new challenges I've just given you to the mix.

If you did try my challenge and looked for comfort and elegance (you can even change that out to excellence if you can't perceive yourself as elegant yet, but we're going to work on that, I promise!), then I congratulate you, and I also hope that you'll share your experiences. Please, when you have a moment, share your triumphs, challenges, and stories. We can all learn from and help each other!

In the meantime, I'm giving you another Coco's Pearl. It's a graphic I created for the Graphic's Fairy's Brag Monday party that I always participate in. I used her "freely given" label at the bottom of the graphic to highlight Coco's pearl (you can find her link to the right). I hope that you'll really take her wisdom to heart. Let's go forth and create our lives!!

Bonjour mes amies, and have a wonderful week!!!



P.S. As always, please feel free to click on the picture and then right-click to save to your computer. No mass production, please. However, please feel free to share via Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus so that others can get their own copy and join us in our quest.

Life's Lessons for Women April 2013: Coco Chanel

Well, mes amies, it's taken me a little longer than I had hoped but I am confident that you'll feel it was as worth it as I do. I'm so excited to announce our new journey to feeling beautiful by learning from successful women who have already forged the path ahead of us. And, as my loves of vintage fashion and all things french are so strong, I had to start of with Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, herself. What an amazing woman. What a path she blazed at a time when women had very few rights and very few comforts ... especially in the way of dressing. I don't know about you, but the thought of being trussed up like a Christmas turkey every day in order to wear my clothes, and then to try to get in and out of my vehicle with said clothes, while still breathing, is absolutely mind-boggling. I created the above graphic to get us started. Please feel free to download and print it out or save to your computer as a wallpaper. Many thanks to Karen at the Graphics Fairy for the beautiful french frame that I used in the background.

I know you all have a very busy life, so today's post will just be an introduction. But, if you do have time, please following this link HERE to a great, but not long, bio of her. It's in written or video form, and really quite lovely!

What is even more amazing about this woman, is that she was born in 1883 and lived until 1971, yet she still inspires fashion to this very day. Over the course of this next month, I'll be sharing little snippets of what made this woman so memorable. And, I hope it will inspire you to believe and know that you are memorable. You carry within you, all that she had. We're going to learn from her success, her mistakes, and her witty words of wisdom. It's going to Coco Heaven!! So hop on board, girls ... let's take this crazy ride!!

Before I close ... I have what I've been asked for, and promised, for quite some time to share with you ... a TUTORIAL!!!!! I know many of you think that you are not crafty. Many women think that you either have "it" whatever "it" is, that can magically make you creative, or you don't. Well, I don't believe that for a minute. I have found the most wonderful crafter who has hopped on board and will be taking this trip with us ... all the way. Her name is Tevis, and she will be offering 2 tutorials every month.

For those of you who are intimidated by crafts, there is Paper Crafting 101, which will be offered the first (1) week of every month. For those of you who are crafty, but want to learn something new, different, and maybe a little challenging, we will be offering Paper Crafting 2.0 (offered the 3rd week of every month). Each month the craft will correspond with the icon from whom we will be learning from. So, this month's craft is inspired by Coco.



This picture was taken when she was younger, but if you notice the bracelet she has on ... it could be just as popular today. So, you can click HERE to go to our tutorial page and meet Tevis. Or, you can click on the Paper Crafting 101 button at the top of the page.

Also, be sure and join either my facebook page, or my twitter as I will be sharing little bits of wisdom over the next month regarding Coco. If you're not a huge Facebook fan, but love Twitter, that's the way to go. If you don't tweet, but like to check in on Facebook, then that's best. Of course, you can join all of my buttons and just have a complete Chanel fest if you'd like. Anyway you want to ... come join us as we learn from one of the top 30 women listed as Women Who Changed the World!!

Bonjour Mes Amies ... I hope you enjoy draping yourselves with Coco's pearls this month.

Lorraine

Inspired by the Inspiring

I am back from Washington, D.C. and am so excited to share with you every little minute of the 3 days I was there. Alas, I know you don't have that kind of time, so for the next several days I'll share a little bit at a time.

As I mentioned before, Google so generously honored me with the opportunity to represent the state of Indiana as an Ambassador of "Get Your Business Online." If you'd like to see what all that entails, click HERE. So, in Washington D.C., I was able to meet with 42 other Ambassadors around the country. It was so inspiring to meet people from all different backgrounds, all types of businesses, and to hear their story of how they are changing their lives, simply by following their dream and making it happen.

One of the things I love about the internet, is that NO ONE can tell you no!! How many people have tried to find a new job in this economic slump, and been told:

No ... we don't have any openings
No ... you aren't qualified enough
No ... you are competing against 500 other people, and you're just not what we're looking for.
No, No, No!!

However, if you do have a dream, you can make it happen on the internet. I hope you take the time to read some of the stories of the people I met. I promise, you will come away inspired!! If you type in www.gybo.com/[insert the state of your choice], you'll read some really inspiring stories.

So ... as always, I had to come up with a free printable for you to share the inspiration that is bursting in me! The background is a Victorian postcard. I have embellished it, cleaned it up, and created a printable that I hope you enjoy and that it inspires YOU to follow your dreams!!



**As always, this is for personal use only. You may click on the picture and then right-click to save to your computer. You may print it out for personal use, use as a desktop wallpaper, but you may not mass-produce. Please do, however, feel free to share my site with others so that they may get their own copy. Also, if you click on my Zazzle store (located to the right), you will find a whole slew of products that I designed using this

As always, mes amies ... have a wonderful week and I'll keep you updated, a little at a time, about my wonderful trip! Now go out, and inspire others!!

Bisou Bisou,

Lorraine

And ... We're Back!!!

Well, mes amies ... it has been absolutely too long. I have missed you dearly, and am so grateful to be able to get back in the saddle and blog again. I have so much news to share, but will do so over the next few days. One thing I know is that none of us have a lot of time, what with life being so fast-paced. So, sit back, put your feet up for a few seconds, and I'll share some juicy news.

First of all, I hope your winter has not been too harsh for you. I've thought of many of you who went through the blizzard out east and hope you are well.

Secondly, I have to tell you that there are many changes coming for the life, tone, and feel of my blog. I'm so excited about this year and the direction I will be taking. Thank you, again, for taking this ride with me.

But, before I forget ... I need to share my Valentine with you. It's a Valentine I created using some of the Graphics Fairy's images. I hope that you enjoy it and that you have a wonderful Valentine's Day. Even if you may not have a "Mr. Darcy" in your life ... I hope you'll take the time to think of all of those who are important in your life and who you love. I love Valentine's Day. I have my Mr. Darcy, so that makes it special ... but I also have a lot of other people who are special in my life and I love to think of them and what a joy they are to me as well.

So, without further ado ... please accept my Valentine. You may click on it, right-click, and save to your computer for personal use only. Of course, please feel free to send anyone to my blog to get their own Valentine!!

And now ... I'm off to Washington D.C. I have had the honor of being selected as Google's GYBO (Get Your Business Online) Ambassador for the state of Indiana. And so all 50 state representatives were invited to attend a summit in Washington D.C. I promise, I'll take pictures, and I'll update you as soon as I get back about all of the details!!

Wish me luck!!

Bonjour Mes Amies ... it's so good to be back!

Lorraine

(Bisou Bisou)

And Now ... I can Handle Christmas!!

After listening to Christmas music and looking at Christmas products since before Halloween ... I am now officially embracing the Holiday season!

* Do I have my home decorated? No
* Do I have my lights up? No
* Do I have my music out and on? No
* Have I bought all of my presents? No, but some of them.
* Do I want to do it all now? YES!!

However, I have my son's wedding to go to (Dec. 1st) and so I'm chomping at the bit to get him married, so I can ...

* relax over the wedding and start stressing out about Christmas
* Decorate til the cows come home - my favorite part of Christmas.
* Buy my "Christmas Vacation" sized Christmas tree (has to be real or it's not Christmas) my husband so graciously puts up with every year.
* And stress over all of my last minute orders in my shops.
* Stress over the perfect holiday menu and then cook until I can hardly stand, barely eating the food because I'm not hungry over smelling the food all day.

Sounds like fun, huh?! LOL!

Seriously, I love the holiday season. I love finding just the perfect gifts for people, and then going all OCD over the wrapping of the gifts. I love decorating my tree so that it's beautiful enough to be on the front of BHG magazine. I love the smells of spices in the air. I love the generosity of people, and the goodwill that you just don't see at other times of the year. I may even like my neighbor (who is a very crabby man, and very hard to like ... but you never know!).

So, in the spirit of Christmas, my Brag Monday entry for the Graphics Fairy are more Christmas gift tags. Hopefully you have taken advantage of some of the sales going on and you have presents that they will work perfectly for!

Bonjour mes amies, and have a wonderful week! Mine will be filled with last minute wedding preparations, and the excitement of seeing family members I haven't seen in over a year.

Au Revoir!!

Lorraine

*As always, these are for personal use only. No mass production allowed, however you may send any and everyone to my site to download their own personal copy.

To Toile or not to Toile ... that is the Question!

I love Toile. I love every color, texture, etc. of Toile. It is so fascinating how a piece of Toile can tell so many stories. I have Toile covering my storage boxes in my craft room/office. I have Toile on pillows ... I have a gorgeous Toile quilt that I need to finish and hang. Although I love Toile, my husband has more of a contemporary aesthetic, and so I judiciously disperse it throughout my house in a constant effort to merge our two styles so that both of us feel like our home speaks to us. But, I will always have Toile in one form or another, somewhere in my house.

I have spent the last several months collecting vintage and discontinued Toile patterns to use in my store Lorraine's Graphiques ... a digital image store that I created. So, when it was time for Brag Monday, I decided it was time to pull out some Toile and share it with you. So, I've made a free printable of Toile labels or tags. My gift to you for all of your support. I couldn't have the success that I'm having with my Etsy stores, this quickly, without my facebook and blog friends. I truly hope you enjoy ... and that these Toile tags bring a smile to your face, as they do mine. Many of them are from the 1700s-1900. The one in the middle is gratis from the Graphics Fairy ... many thanks to her!

As always, you may not mass produce, but feel free to click on the picture and then right click to save. You may refer others to my blog, however. You may also print them out and use them to your heart's content for personal projects, not commercial.

Au revoir, mes amies ... have a wonderful week!

Delicious Autumn

Today's Brag Monday is a free printable that I created to celebrate the beautiful, gorgeous leaves that are all around me. I love the upper midwest during Fall because of the brilliant Maple and Elm trees. I found a quote by George Elliot that I also loved, and thought I'd share it with you. The faint leaf with acorn behind the quote is a free graphic from the Graphics Fairy (see her button to the left).

As always, feel free to click on the graphic and then right-click to save. This is for personal use and may not be used for commercial use or mass produced for any reason. Feel free to point anyone my way, however, to download their own copy to either print and display or save as wallpaper.

I hope you are enjoying the autumn weather where you are. I'm getting so excited as I will be attending a bead retreat this next weekend up in Michigan near the lake. I will definitely be getting my "bead" on with the super talented Heather Powers with Humblebeads. To see her work, feel free to go HERE

I promise, you won't be disappointed it's worth a "look-see." Hopefully I'll have something to show and tell next week!

Have a wonderful week mes amies!!

Au revoir,

Lorraine

House Decorating: Small and Large Scale

Have I mentioned before that I absolutely adore fall? I know it's probably overkill, but I truly do. I love Halloween as well. Nothing is more fun than opening your door and seeing little ones in the cutest outfits and looking so hopeful. So, I always make something new to decorate my home for Halloween.

So, for today's Brag Monday (see the Graphic's Fairy button to the left) I decided that since I'm in the process of really amping up my home decor, I could do an overhaul to a smaller home, a la Halloween. Here is my final Halloween House:

At the risk of sounding a tad bit OCD (okay maybe a lot), the orange roof is actually hundreds of little circles of paper so that I could have a spanish tile roof. Need I say more. I apparently LOVE tedious work. Would this be the project for everyone? No, However, anyone can do it. Truly.

I purchased a card board house from Hobby Lobby (with my 40% off coupon, so it was around 4.99), but Michael's and JoAnn's have them as well. I then found scrapbook paper that fit the Halloween theme, covered the major parts, and then made X's in each of the holes so that I could push the paper back inside and glue it inside of the house (resulting in nicely finished doors and windows. I used scrapbook borders for the window shutters.

I then looked the the Graphic's Fairies halloween images to find the skeletons and cats so that I could have them peeking out of the window.

I love my little house. It looks perfect in my entry hall. I will turn on a flameless candle at night so that it will flicker through the windows (I used vellum for the window pictures) and light up the house within.

I hope you enjoy!

Lining Your Nest

I have been busy the last several weeks working on decorating and updating my home. I have been having a wonderful time, and I have to say that when I walk into my house now, it truly feels like coming home. I know that probably sounds cliche, but let me elaborate.

Years ago, I decorated my bedroom based upon some fabric that I really loved. I'm a red girl, but very much aware that red is not the color choice for when you want to relax and go to sleep. So, I chose one of the other colors in the fabric ... a smoky dark blue to paint my walls. In theory, it was absolutely beautiful. I had two very large windows that brought plenty of light into the room, so I knew I could pull it off without feeling like I was entering a cave.

Well, folks ... it didn't work. It was beautiful. It was coordinated. It worked with the fabric I had used on the drapes and the red cornice boards. But, I realized after several months, that I NEVER spent time in my bedroom. I'd leave it as soon as the day started and never return until the end of the day. It really wasn't "Me!"

At the time, however, I was younger (around 28) and didn't really know yet exactly what was me. So, I started reading the "Simple Abundance" book by Sarah Ban Breathnach that was so popular at the time. One of the prompts in the book was to start a scrapbook and whenever something "spoke" to you, you put a picture of that in your scrapbook. So, that is what I did, and "Voila!" Over time, I realized what truly was me. So, I painted over those blue walls, they became a soft creamy ivory and then I sponged a soft sage green very delicately on the walls. I kept the red cornice boards, and then changed my bedding to a creamy ivory background with red and yellow toile style flowers and, you guessed it probably ... sage green leaves. At the time I don't think anyone knew the phrase "Shabby Chic" but that is what my bedroom became.

Afterwards, I couldn't stay out of that room! I wanted to be in my room all day long, every day ... but alas my children and husband needed me to function outside of my bedroom.

So, here I am, once again, making my house uniquely mine. I'm having a ball, and ... when I come into my home, I once again have that feeling of "Aaaahhhhhhhh," I'm really home now. This space is "ME!"

So, my brag Monday entry is actually some placemats that I've designed to use on my new dining table (I'll post picks after I finish a few things so that you can see). And they are ... you guessed it ... red!! But, I promise ... there is no dark steel blue, as pretty as that color may be, on the walls of my home!

So, my challenge to you is ... how do you feel in each space of your home? Is there a room that you love, and why? Is there a room that you don't spend any time in? I know why! It isn't you. And, if it isn't you, and you don't know what is ... I promise that if you start making a scrapbook (you could even update that by using a Pinterest board) of anything that "speaks" to you, you'll start to see some patterns, and you'll realize what you need to do to make your living spaces create that feeling of "AAaaaaaHhhhhhhh" I'm finally home.

So, here is my brag Monday entry (Many thanks to the Graphic Fairy for her generous use of the nest graphic). Let me know what you think!!

If you click on the picture, it will take you to my Zazzle store, where you'll see some of my other designs. Maybe it will give you food for thought for your journaling to find out what is "YOU!"

Have a wonderful week Mes Amies!!

Lorraine

What a Man!!

Today, I have to say thank you to my husband, for trying to help me dig out of the wreck of last week. I've almost thrown him back in a couple of times, but decided he was a keeper! And, I'm glad I did.

The sweetie brought me a big bouquet of flowers to put on the table where the tile disaster happened, to try and put a smile back on my face. He fixed the dishwasher, fixed the fridge, scraped off the tiles so that I could redo them, and this on only a couple of hours sleep. So, in homage to his kindness, I created a free printable for my Brag Monday entry. The print is from the Graphics Fairy (see her button to the left) and the quote from Barbra Streisand, of all people. I hope you enjoy and have a chuckle to start off your Monday!

As always, this is for personal use only. Feel free to click and then right click to save to your computer or print for non-commercial use.

Au revoir mes amies!!

Lorraine

What about Marie and Money?

So, today is Brag Monday, once again on the Graphics Fairy's blog (see her button to the left), and I wanted to do something a little different this time. Most often I tend to post a piece of jewelry, or one of my coaster designs. This time, I decided to create something that "I" needed, rather than something that would eventually end up in one of my stores.

So, what to make ... what to make? Well, I have this little problem ... or rather a little bit of a big one. I have paper clutter like no one's business. It seems as though just as soon as I get my papers under control, I get a whole bunch more in the mail or create a whole bunch more that need to be filed. And, as I now am self-employed, it is absolutely crucial that I keep my financial papers in order. You wouldn't necessarily guess that I have a problem, because I'm really good at hiding them in beautiful storage boxes. But, "I" know that they are just thrown in there until I can't put it off any longer.

So, I decided to psychologically trick myself. Who better than Marie Antoinette to put a smile on my face as I file my store receipts? I mean, the irony is absolutely perfect!! I love all things french. I even sympathize with Marie, and love that her style "Iconishness" (is that a word?) is still just as prevalent today as it was when she was alive. But, let's face it ... she wasn't known for her thriftiness or her attention to financial details.

So, I've created a financial journal and proceeded to design and create the cover for it. Now, I don't think it will be as difficult to file those business receipts away. I'll look at Marie and think ... "Wow" I'm really on the ball. No one is going to chop off my head now that I have this receipt put away in the proper place. LOL!!

So, here are some pictures of my brag entry (many thanks to the Graphics Fairy for her beautiul graphic of Marie). I hope you enjoy. It isn't necessarily overly embellished, I tend to prefer complexity in design, not in a lot of doodads. But, I'm rather proud of her, if I say so myself.

and here's another angle:

So, I must ask ... What tricks do you do to motivate yourself into doing those things that you don't want to do? Oh, do tell!!

Au Revoir, mes amies. A bientot (until next time).

Bisou Bisou,

Lorraine

Brag Monday Entry

It's a rainy, cloudy, Monday morning (whoops it may actually be after noon now) and I'm still in my jammies, trying to be "inspired" for the day. But, it's not really working. I got enough rest, I should be raring to go, but it's just one of those days when you want to stay in bed, eat chocolate and watch "Sleepless in Seattle" or something else where you get to cry!

But, a promise is a promise, and I've made a commitment to myself that I would get my Brag Monday entry in every single week to the Graphics Fairy, so here I am ... following through (but still in my jammies - isn't the internet wonderful!!).

So, here is a picture of my entry:

I chose a graphic from the Graphics Fairy (thank you Karen) that is from an old birthday card, probably from the Victorian era. During that time, giving flowers meant more than just a flower, each flower had a meaning. I almost wish we lived in that time, where a bouquet not only meant that we were loved or admired, but that each flower in the bouquet had a hidden message for us.

Well, the Iris is the national flower of France, and is, in fact what the Fleur de Lys was taken from. I feel silly that as much as I love all things French, I didn't know that the Fleur de Lys was an Iris!! Hopefully I'm not the only one out there my age that didn't know that. The Fleur de Lys was traditionally named after King Louis, because as royalty he represented perfection, light, or life. Joan of Arc carried a flag showing a Fleur de Lys being blessed by God to inspire troups as they marched to victory.

So, that is why I've chosen the word "Inspire" to put on this graphic. I hope that it inspires you to learn a little more about flowers. I had a wonderful time learning about their names, the history behind them, etc.

I love flowers, particularly since I was able to live in Holland for a year when I took a year break from college. It is traditional there, that if you go to anyone's house that you bring a bouquet of flowers. Everyone has flowers in their home, and it is amazing what that one little touch can do to brighten and beautify a home.

Later, I read one of Alexandra Stoddard's books about decorating (she is an amazing author if you haven't read her works yet, you should) and one of the suggestions she had to beautify your space, was to have real flowers in your house. I have never forgotten that, because I knew exactly what she meant after having lived in Holland. So, my challenge to you this week is to go out and get some flowers (even if it means getting them out of your yard (not your neighbor's, unless you ask) and bring some into your home. I promise you, your spirits will lift from that one little touch in your home.

Which reminds me ... I think I'm going to go out and pick some of my hydrangeas and take some of my own medicine!

Bonjour mes amies,

Go out and inspire!!

Brag Monday Entry

I thought I'd share my Brag Monday entry with you. I'm pretty proud of this Tile Coaster set, and have to admit that I was really having some difficulty with this particular tile. But, the Graphics Fairy came through for me!! I was able to find just the right Marie to put on this tile. Here's a picture of what I ended up with:

You know when you have something "just so" in mind, but you can't find the reality of what you have envisioned? That's where I was. But, I was finally able to find the right Marie, and it all came together.

I've been having a lot of fun designing digital designs, because I have to admit that my hands are a little tired from the 200+ marathon of jewelry making that I did to get ready for my Italian festival. But, I'm really having a ball now designing digital art and then translating that onto tiles. I have some ideas of other projects, but I'll keep that secret to myself.

Oh, and just so you can see, here is the entire set of my 1st French series:

See what I mean ... it needed just the right Marie! Thanks again Graphics Fairy for coming to my rescue.

And, if you'd like to see the whole set in more detail, head on over to my store and you'll see more photos.

A Bientot!!

Lorraine

In the Leafy Treetops

Growing up, one of my favorite songs in church was called "In the Leafy Treetops." the first line was: "In the leafy treetops the birds sing good morning." We had hand motions and it was a wonderful way to get the children involved and to say hello to everyone. I had to title this blog by that name, because I thought it was a great way to start the week and also wanted to share my Brag Monday entries with you.

Those who know me will understand that, bien sur, I had to do something with a bird theme!!

I created a coaster tile set using Victorian ephemera scraps from the Graphics Fairy (her link is to the left in my blog list). My second love is music, so of course I had to include musical quotes. I think they speak for themselves. I used a new type of lacquer varnish, which is extremely thick, and I'm very pleased with the results. If you have any questions about how I made them, please feel free to ask, and I'll share my dark and dirty secrets!! Here are my pictures:

What type of music do you have in your life? I ask this, because my husband tried an experiment this past couple of weeks. He is an ER physician and works in a highly stressful environment and encounters all types of people in his interactions. Needless to say, many of them are not at their best on any given day, much less in an emergency. He had been bringing music to work to get him "pumped up" (in his words) and to try to stay energetic. It did work at first, but then his attitude would slowly deteriorate as the day or night went on. So, he went 2 weeks without music at all, to (in his words) detox. He then only played uplifting and soul-speaking music in preparation for work. He was amazed at the difference in his ability to keep a positive attitude.

It is amazing how powerful music is. It can create beauty in our lives and help us maintain a beautiful attitude. What type of music do you listen to? Is it contributing to the beauty in your life? I challenge you to experiment with the types of music you listen to and see if it is pulling your attitude up, or down.

Au Revoir Mes Amies ... have a wonderful week!

Lorraine

One Happy La La

Well, mes amies ...

I'm a happy girl, but a tired one. The Italian Festival went very well. For my very first jewelry event, I have to say that I'm so pleased with the results. I was almost as happy about the ambience of my booth that was commented on as I was in the amount of jewelry that I sold.

When creating, and then putting your work out there for someone else to look at, judge, and then comment on, it is almost like birthing a child and then having someone else judge them. You feel protective, vulnerable, and at the same time so proud of each item.

I hope that each of you has a way to create and experience that type of feeling. And in light of that, I wanted to share the following quote:

"My mission in life is merely not to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." -Maya Angelou

For me, thriving means creating. Thriving means having a passion for life and all it offers. Thriving means having compassion for others. Thriving means using humor to get through the good and the bad. But of course, (mais oui) one must always thrive with style! Maya Angelou must have been channeling some Oo La La when she wrote this.

So, mes amies, I must apologize for the lateness (once again) for my Freebie Friday, but I hope you'll forgive me as I used my time to thrive at the Italian Festival.

My prayer is that you will thrive with style, just as Maya Angelou would have you thrive! But I also challenge you to find a creative outlet, whatever that may be. Having an outlet for creativity will light you up inside and your internal beauty will light up and spill over to your outer beauty!

Once again, please do not mass distribute this printable in any way and you may not use it for commercial gain. But, by all means, please feel free to send people to my blog to download their own copy. Or, if you'd like to feature it on your blog or website, all I ask is that you link to my blog.

This particular freebie is a little smaller than usual. I didn't want to compromise the beauty of this particular piece. I think it would make a beautiful card to send to someone or to put on your desk. Please click on the picture and then right click to save.

Bonjour Mes Amies! Now go out and Thrive!!

Lorraine

**Many thanks to the Graphics Fairy for the beautiful French illustration. To check out her website, you'll find her link to the left in my blog list.

A New Week a New Brag - in Living Color

I thought I'd share my Brag Monday entry with you, mes amies. Please feel free to check out The Graphics Fairy (her site is to my left in my blog list). She has the most amazing free vintage graphics. If you like creating with graphics, then she is your woman!! The tile pendant you see, is a vintage french graphic I found on her site. I don't know about you, but I'm loving this summer's color: Coral! Coral and watermelon pink are probably two of my best colors to wear, so I'm having a ball. So, with that in mind, I created this tile pendant. Now the hard part ... parting with it! It is, after all, listed in my Etsy store. But, at least I can always make a new one.

What are your best colors to wear? Do you even know? Henry Ford would tell you that you could wear any color if it was black. But then, he designed cars, not clothing. Although I must say, most women should have that one little black dress.

When I worked at a quilt shop, I was called on all of the time to help women pick the fabrics for their quilts. It was amazing to me how many women were petrified of picking out colors. As though it was a matter of national security and if they got it "wrong," then all was lost.

I'm a firm believer that everyone can learn to pick out what looks best on them (unless you're color blind, and then you might need some real help).

What makes your eyes stand out? What makes your skin look great and not sallow or dull? What brings out the colors and highlights in your hair? A great place to figure out those types of questions, is to take a friend with you to a quilt shop and play around with the colors there. You might be surprised at what you'll find. It might be a color that you had never thought of before. If so ... be fearless, get a swatch and keep it in your wallet. The next time you go shopping, pull out your swatch and forge ahead. I promise, wearing the right colors can make you look younger, more vitalic, and even more so, feel great!

Have a wonderful week mes amies!!

Love,

Lorraine

Perfectly Imperfect

Well, Mes Amies,

It's time to face the fire and make a big confession:

I AM NOT PERFECT.

There, I've said it. Now, I can rest easy knowing that you know I am not perfect, nor will I ever be.

I just wish the small person inside my head would get the drift.

I had every intention of getting all of my jewelry listed in my Etsy store oh, say, last Friday. However, as much as you want to do some things, sometimes the reality is just not, well, realistic. And that's another theme that runs through my life ... setting unrealistic expectations of myself. I have to admit, I do this in every arena of my life. Unrealistic expectations of where my weight should be, what my fitness level should be, what my home should look like, what I should look like, what I should get done in a day ... the list goes on and on.

So, What does this have to do with beauty? A lot I think. How can we ever see the beauty around us, inside us, and even our own external beauty if we are constantly having unrealistic expectations? It just isn't possible.

Last month, my husband and I went to Las Vegas for a little R&R (rest and relaxation). I was pretty apprehensive about getting out of my swimsuit cover-up and getting into the pool. I felt like the largest person there. Especially when I saw all of these very scantily clad women sauntering around, as though they had all the confidence in the world, because their bodies were "perfect." And when I say perfect, I can honestly say that most of the perfect ones were artificially created!

I shared my hesitation with my husband, and he stated, with his wisdom "don't you think that every person here is probably self-conscious about their bodies? Even the women who look "perfect" are comparing themselves to someone else and finding something lacking." That was an aha moment for me. Why should I allow others to determine if I bake in the Las Vegas sun, or enjoy a swim.

So, I gathered my courage up, took off my cover-up and went into the pool. And there, I saw a bunch of women who were much larger than me, and, to be quite honest, too large to be in bikinis, but they had the guts to do it, so I have to give them kudos for that.

In other words, my fears were real, but not reality.

So, with this in mind. I will be continuing my give-away until this Friday (July 6th, 2012) at 12:00 midnight, U.S. Eastern time. This will allow me plenty of time to continue to upload my jewelry, and plenty of time for you to decide which one you would like as your freebie. And, since I didn't hand out my Freebie Friday printable, I'm sharing one with you today as an apology for my not being perfect.

The printable I've created will also be posted to the Monday Brag submission over at the Graphics Fairy (her link is over to the left in my blog list). I've used one of her free vintage backgrounds as a starting point for my printable. And, in light of this post, I found a wonderful quote by Salma Hayek, who I think is pretty much considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. I hope you enjoy her insight as much as I do.

So, here is my Printable. Feel free to click on it to get the full Size (8 1/2 X 11). You are welcome to use it for personal use, but not to make multiple copies for distribution or profit in any way. Of course, you may certainly direct anyone to my blog to download their own copy.

Once again, here are the parameters of the Giveaway:

1) Subscribe to my blog, so you can participate in the fun of discussing beauty, fashion, all things French, and also have the Freebie Friday Printables to decorate your life.
2) Go to my Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LorrainesOoLaLa

3) Heart your favorite item (no sets please, just a single item).
4) Come back and post a comment telling what you like about it and how you create beauty in your life. I'd also welcome any other comments you might have about sharing beauty as well. Also, tell me if you have "social networked" (is that a verb?) the item.
5) For each social networking method you also use, you receive one additional entry. For example, if you tweet, pin, like on facebook, or Stumble,Tumble, LOL, etc., you receive an entry for each social network. You just need to let me know how you have done so, in order for me to give you credit.

I will be using Random Picker to choose the winners:

First place will receive the jewelry piece of their choice.
Second place will receive a $10 gift certificate to my store.
Third place will receive free shipping from my store.

In order to guarantee fairness on my part, I will be using RandomPicker.com to import all of the entries so that we truly have a random drawing. Closing of the drawing will be Friday at midnight, U.S. eastern time. I will then announce the winners on Saturday morning.

Good luck to you all!! And, as a little taste of a piece of my jewelry, here is one of my favorite items:

Bon chance every one!!

Singing Our Own Song

I absolutely adore birds. Not necessarily in my house, but I love watching them outside and appreciating all of the beautiful colors, plumage, and songs that they sing. I grew up in Oklahoma in a large city, and really didn't realize there were so many birds (other than sparrows, cardinals, bluejays, and scissortail flycatchers) until my husband and I moved out into the country. I was immediately amazed at the amazing array of birds. Suddenly I was exposed to nuthatches (they walk upside down a tree!), chickadees, meadowlarks, hummingbirds, whipporwills (louder than all get out!!), and a myriad of other wonderful and beautiful birds.

As I thought of our journey to find beauty, I was reminded of birds. Each has it's own beauty, whether it is their song, their grace, their antics, their actual plumage, etc. So, when I did my new weekly challenge over at The Graphics Fairy (which you should definitely check out if you like free vintage prints and printables - the picture above is from her website), I decided to make a bird bracelet and earrings. Did I mention before that I LOVE to make jewelry?

Anyway, you can check out my entry at: http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/, my entry is number 50. (and if you like, please press the like button, *wink*wink*).

Here's a larger picture for you to see:




When I wear this bracelet and earrings, I'm going to remind myself of my own personal song, my beautiful plumage, my antics or things about me that might be funny or charming to someone else, and the joy that I can bring to others.

What makes you sing? What special antics do you have or do? What beautiful, or subtle plumage do you wear? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Bonsoir Mes amies. Until Next time ... a bien tot.