Beautiful 2012 Calendars for Francophiles

If you love France as much as I do,

then think of getting one of these

beautiful calendars from Georgianna Lane on Etsy.

I know one of them will be hanging from my

soon-to-be-painted kitchen wall sometime next month.

Look at the beautiful pics inside!

or how about Monet-inspired photographs....?

Isn't that a great way to start the New Year?

Thank you for stopping by during 2011!

May all your wishes come true in 2012.

Stay healthy, active, hopeful, and relax and enjoy life, my friends.

To another wonderful year to live, live, live!!!

Besos,

Christmas Countdown

Only 6 days to go.

I haven't bought any presents for Mr. A yet.

We've only bought gifts for the little ones.

This has been a different year.

It seems that all I do lately is work, work, work.

Projects and more projects seem to be coming my way.

I had to decide to get the Christmas tree out and decorate it or to keep my sanity.

I like my sanity. I respect it.

I am okay with only having some beautiful antique silver balls and snowflakes out,

and a couple of yellow and red poinsettias around the house.

I'm okay with recognizing that I am not superwoman
and that I can only do so much.
This year, Christmas will be simple,
spent with the people that mean everything in the world to me.

So...my decor is very different this year. 

For some reason I went for smaller decorations, 

like the ones below from Cox & Cox

and very few of them.

The Christmas spirit...is in my heart.

May your week be as wonderful as you wish it to be.

Besos,

Shimmer

Illuminate the shortest days of the year...

Go ahead, sparkle...

May your December days be brilliant.

Kisses,

All images from: Pinterest

Fabulous Etsy Store: Obee Designs

One of the first things I ever won when I started blogging 

was a beautiful set of French inspired coasters:
 

 I like them so much that I decided to display them.
I glued hooks to their backs to make wall decorations.
They now hang on a freshly painted wall in my bedroom.

These pretty items came from Gail at Obee Designs.

Gail describes herself as a "Jersey Girl, Interior Designer, Lover of Anything French". 

So of course, I love visiting her store and her blog and reading her posts.

I sent Gail a few questions which she kindly answered.
So here's a little info about this upbeat and fun blogger and shop owner:

1. If I had to describe my Etsy shop in three words, they would be: Feminine, French, Fun

2. I opened by Etsy shop because I always dreamed of having my own shop

2. My favorite book is ANY Interior Design book

3. My favorite movie is Working Girl with Melanie Griffith. It is old at this point, but I love that her character was smart and had spunk. Despite her adversities, she found a way to make her career dreams come true...and get her guy (Harrison Ford). It is totally a chick flick, but I love those kinds of movies. Pretty Woman is another favorite movie of mine for the same reason...and Richard Gere wasn't too hard to look at either :)

4. My favorite food is CHOCOLATE

5. My most favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because It's like Christmas without the commercialization and the gifts. Being together with family and friends on this holiday or any day is all that really matters.

6. On a rainy day, I love to stay home and curl up with a great blanket and movie...or work in my craft room!

7. If I could interview a famous person, it would be Lucille Ball because I would want to know everything about her... and laugh with her. I really loved her...even as a small girl. I would and could watch her all the time.

8. The one thing I'd love to do but that I know I'll probably never will is travel the world because I hate to fly!

9. My favorite place in the world is my home....OTHER than Paris or New York!

10. My friends would say that I am funny...or goofy, depending on how you want to interpret that!!

11. I blog because it is so wonderful to have an outlet to express my creativity and meet people who also love to do the same!

12. If I were queen of the world I would make chocolate calorie free! :)

13. I want my bloggers and clients to know that I love the make beautiful things for them. Whether it is a tangible product from my shop or a dreamy digital diversion on my blog, I love to use my God given talent to give everyone who comes to visit me a little beauty for their home or a smile for the day from the images and ideas I bring to them on my blog.

14. I love my life because I am able to use each and every day to make and create beautiful things, which is something that feeds my soul.

So...if you have a French lover on your Christmas list (or you are one yourself),

head on over to Gail's Etsy shop to find little treasures, like these:

or visit her blog.

Have a fantastic week! Happy Monday, loves!
Stay joyful and inspired,