ANOTHER BUCKET LIST DREAM

I am just about to check off 

another dream from my bucket list.

For over 15 years, 

I have dreamed of having white floors.  

Last week, I finally drove myself down to the 

flooring company and ordered them.  

My heart was skipping beats ... partly excitement of

finally making this decision and partly fear of finally

making this decision.

I have collected pictures from magazines and 

blogs to inspire me and to make sure this is exactly 

what I wanted to do.  Not only would this be

a big change in my home but a pricey one as well.  

But then I remember how quickly my heart 

races when I look at a photo of a 

house with white floors.

The space looks brighter.  The space looks larger 

and in a narrow city home with less light, 

isn't that a good thing?  My new home

has white floors on the second floor and they 

were the deciding factor when I bought this home. 

 It had me at the white floors.  

I have now lived a year in my new home with my second

story white floors and I love them.  Waking up 

every morning to a happy bright room has been 

a wonderful treat.

My first floor has dark, dark wood floors and 

although they are nice,

they are the first thing you see when 

you walk in my home .....  

dark floors with white cat hairs.  

I thought about painting them but that's a huge, 

huge hassle with moving furniture out, sanding, 

painting, sealing, etc and for a 

bit more in price, in a couple of days I will have 

a brand new floor ... 

white, sealed and ready to enjoy.

On Tuesday, the wood will be delivered and 

then will acclimatize to my home's 

environment for three-four days before the men 

come in to lay the flooring.  In less than two days 

after they start, my first floor will match my top floor. 

 I will finally be able to cross a really

big dream off my bucket list.

I will have my long awaited white floors.

Photos: tumblr.com; 3.bp.blogspot.com; lorilangile.blogspot.com; 

annaleenashem.blogspot.com; lucyellworthy.com; H&M Home

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SOUP TROOP

I've told you all before what a great street I live on in Toronto and what makes it 

so terrific are the friendly people who are my neighbors.   They have made me 

feel so welcome and what a treat it has been.

We have a Soup Troop on our street that was organized a couple of months ago 

and has been a great success.  There are five of us in the troop and each week, 

one of us makes a quart jar of homemade soup that is delivered to the 

other four people.  What that means is that on Monday night, each of us 

receives a soup gift for us to enjoy that week.  Once a month, I have to come up 

with an interesting new soup to give back to my group.

What fun it is to see what kind of soup will be delivered to your door each week.  

This was one of Sharon's great soups ... Italian Wedding Soup with it's yummy 

tiny meatballs, spinach and pasta.  It was so good.  I have also had artichoke & 

pistachio soup, French onion soup, fish chowder, pumpkin and sweet potato 

soup and African peanut soup.  

My first soup that I delivered was Lentil Sausage Soup.  

It's definitely a meal in a bowl.

I love reading cook books for new and interesting menu ideas.  One of my 

favorite chefs is Ina Garten and I have each and everyone of her good books.  

The food always tastes great and her recipes are so easy to cook from.  My favorite of all her books is the Barefoot in Paris Cookbook.  Ina use to have an apartment in the  6eme arrondissement  close to where I stay in Paris and I would go to the markets 

hoping I might see her there shopping.  Never happened but it was fun looking.

This is the page from Barefoot in Paris Cookbook with the Lentil Sausage Soup.

I always write something in the margin of each recipe to remind me of my 

impression of the dish and if I made any changes to the recipe.  I substituted  

hot sausage for the keilbasa sausage to give it a bit of a kick 

and I liked it better.  It's a very hearty soup but sometimes I

get a little tired of lentils.  I sometimes throw in some pesto half way through

a pot of soup just to change the taste a bit.

This is a bowl of my Mom's beef vegetable soup that I just love.  The

tomato and beef broth is so good with all the very fresh veggies.

So, you might want to try a Soup Troop in your own neighborhood or among

your friends.  It's a great way to get to know the people on your street

 and for one day each week, someone else cooks a meal for you.  

Now, that's souper!!!

A FAMOUS RESTAURANT OF COTE D'AZUR

I fulfilled a long term dream on my trip to the south of France ...

 I dined at La Columbe d'Or.

Unlike the rich and famous before me, we had to make a reservation 

several days ahead of our anticipated lunch in order to get a 

table on the famous terrace.  As I entered the gates,

 I felt the ghosts of artists and literary greats of times past.

Nestled on a hilltop in St. Paul de Vence, the views from the terrace are breathtaking. 

 And the gorgeous flowers and plants give the feeling of the Garden of Eden.

La Columbe d'Or was opened in the 1920's as an open air terrace and then 

expanded into an inn of just three rooms.  The owners loved art and soon the walls 

were covered with paintings, often in exchange for a stay or a few meals.

In the 1940's, when the Cote d'Azur became a "free zone," many avant-garde thinkers

and artists moved to this area and the Columbe d'Or became a place to gather. 

 Looking at this terrace, could you blame them?

 

At the end of the War, an international clientele arrived with the likes of

Yves Montand, Miro, Braque, Chagall, Calder Picasso and then in 1951, 

La Columbe d'Or became the place where Yves Montand 

and Simone Signoret were married.

It seemed that every table had it's own waiter.  The service was incredible. 

 And the food ...delicious.  

This is the basket of fresh vegetables that is presented to you as you 

peruse the menu trying to make a selection.

After a long lingering lunch, we went to the bar for an after lunch drink 

so that we could continue this wonderful afternoon.  

Look at the lushness outside the window in the bar.

See the art over the bar?  And the wonderful French men discussing 

the politics of the day?  And all the waiters that fuss over you 

to make your meal memorable at this spectacular jewel?

The restaurant inside La Columbe d'Or was not open and that is where 

many of the priceless art is hanging. Now I have a new item to add to my wish list.  

Go visit La Columbe d'Or in the winter so that I can have 

another wonderful meal inside the restaurant.

That's me, totally smitten with an afternoon at La Columbe d'Or.  

Let me warn you .... 

it's an expensive place to eat but once in a while, you just

have to treat yourself to a memorable experience.  The food, 

the service, and the ambiance of this place was so worth it.  

And who knows?  

I was probably having lunch with Yves and Simone and 

probably Calder and Chagall at another table.

MORE PRISCILLA MAE PILLOWS

Bonjour ISABELLA.  She is another of my Parisian women from the series

Les Femmes de Paris.  I created her when I was sitting in a café along

St. Germain des Pres.  

The quote on the back of the Isabella pillow is a snippet from an

Oscar Hammerstein song ..

"The last time I saw Paris, her heart was warm and gay ...

I heard the laughter in her heart in every street café."

This OLIVIA and she is from the series, The Midlife Madonnas.

This is a series that celebrates women of a certain age and her 

quote is so appropriate.

"Youth is a gift .....

Age is an art."

Here's MANON again but this time is a Marc Jacobs suit with pearls and

a black button pearl earring.  She's oh so French and stylish.

Manon's quote ...

"I love Paris every moment, every moment of the year.

I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris

Because my love is near."

And finally ... CELESTE.  This art deco styled lady comes

from the series "Women With A Past."  They have the fun

approach to life like Mae West.

Celeste's quote is a famous Mae West saying ...

"Let's get out of these wet clothes

and into a dry martini."

Have a great weekend everyone and please stop by my ETSY shop to 

see these ladies at the Special Price for a limited time.

Thank you.

PRISCILLA MAE WOMEN PILLOWS

MANON from Les Femmes des Paris series.    

This is one of my favorite hand painted ladies I create.

Here she is in soft French Country colors.

The quote on the back of the pillow is a verse from a famous Cole Porter song.

"I love Paris every moment,

Every moment of the year.

I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris?

Because my love is near."

ZELDA from The Muses of Amour series.  She too is a hand painted pillow

in a deep teal color.  Zelda is from the Art Deco period.

The quote on the back of this pillow says ...

"Coffee, chocolate, men ....

Some things are just better rich."

EDITH is another pillow from Les Femmes des Paris series.  Edith is based on

the famous Edith Piaf.  

The quote on the back of the pillow is a line from a

well known French song.

"Give your heart and soul to me...

And life will always be La Vie En Rose."

Meet TULLULAH.  Don't you love that name?  She is a real city woman

and was based on the character of Mae West.

The quote on the back of this pillow is a famous Mae West saying ...

"I only like two kinds of men .....

domestic and imported."

Please hop on over to my Etsy store to meet a few of the other girls.  These last

pillows are being sold at a special price because I want to make room for

some new fun ladies in the Spring.

ARTY ST PAUL DE VENCE, FRANCE

In my previous post on lovely  St Paul de Vence, I talked about the beauty of this lovely hill town in Provence.  Tourists not only visit St Paul to see the incredible views but also to appreciate all the wonderful art this small town has to offer.

This was one of my favorite paintings.  Such fun, such beautiful color.

It seemed on many of the cobblestone streets,

every doorway led to another gallery.

The colors of all the art were bright and fun and just attracted all the sunlight. 

 I love the frames on these paintings.  

I am a painter and collector of painting of women ... 

especially women in red with magnificent hats.  

More colorful paintings.  

Or three dimensional art like these fun figures.  When I think back to the art

of St Paul de Vence,  color and fun are the major elements 

that just pop to mind.

If you are planning a trip to southern France, make sure you find

some time to visit this art mecca.  It's a lovely one day trip.

FURRY FELINES OF ITALY

Cats seem to be everywhere in Italy. 

Where do you find a cat?  Anywhere there's sun.  

I caught this little furry friend sleeping in a black bag 

at one of the little inns 

where we stayed in Tuscany.

And look at this little fellow.  He was sunning himself in

a round window in a medieval home in Sienna.  

Actually,

sitting in the warm sun sounds very appealing right now.

I'm a little sick of winter.

This was another of our favorite felines that lived in a gorgeous little

inn in Tuscany.  I shared my seat in the sun with him.  I was so

attached to this furry friend that I was contemplating how I might

be able to sneak him into my luggage.

Very typical in the hill towns of Tuscany to see cats roaming around their village.

I don't remember seeing many dogs.  Even in Rome, we would see feral cats in

among the ruins.  I guess cats are to Italy what dogs are to France.

There was a little black cat sitting on this bench before I sat down 

to rest my head on the shoulder of this bronze statue in a 

beautiful hilltop park in Florence. 

 I guess two's company, three's a crowd.

So, are you a cat person or a dog person?

Have a happy weekend.

LOVELY ST PAUL DE VENCE

 Twenty minutes north of Nice, France is a most lovely medieval hill town ... 

St. Paul de Vence.  

I first visited this unique place about 21 years ago but at that time,

I was pushing a stroller holding my 2 year old son.  The operative word here 

is "hill town" ... a very large hill town with cobblestones.  I didn't notice 

the views back then because I was doubled up trying to get my breathe

 so I could continue pushing the stroller to the top.

Last October, I saw the wonders of this perfect little French town.

 Incredible views from any spot in the town.

 Little restaurants clinging to the side of the mountain allowed us to sit on a terrace 

and enjoy a most lovely view and a delicious meal.  This little cafe was the

 first place we tried in St. Paul de Vence and we just sat here 

and drank in the views and lots of wine.

 The sight I love about traveling through France are the tables that are set up 

under the large plane trees so patrons can enjoy a good meal in the cool shade.  

 Because St. Paul de Vence is an art centre, there are incredible sculptures 

in the most unlikely places but the most perfect setting.

The little streets twist and turn throughout this lovely little town and if you just

 peek around the corner, there's another spectacular view.  

As we walked through the winding hilly lanes, we wondered what it might

 be like to live in this beautiful little place.

When you are visiting new places, 

do you imagine what it might be like to live there?

DREAMY ROOMS IN BLOGLAND

It's the weekend again ... thank goodness.  It's my time to enjoy re-reading

some of my favorite blogs and choosing some interesting

 decor ideas to share with you.  

Painted clouds on the wall beautifully accented with toile curtains.

Would I do this?  Probably not but I wish I could.

I love the idea of a blackboard wall in a kitchen.  This is one idea

I would try and am now re-visiting my kitchen to find a great

space to do this.  Would probably hang a large painting

in the middle of a blackboard wall just to try something different.

Love this wooden screen and the beautiful patterns it creates with

the sunlight pouring through. SF Girl By  Bay is one of my go-to
blogs I read each day.  Love this lady's style.

Farrow and Ball has luscious color palettes.  As I've been reading 

lots of blogs lately, it seems there is a trend of painting doors for a

hit of color.  I am thinking of trying this on the other side of my entry door.

I think a pop of color in the entry would be welcoming.

Love this little nook.  The Moroccan influence has certainly

made a big impact on my latest new decor wants.

This is just a lovely setting for a fun lunch with girl pals.

Have a good week my friends.

Photo credits:

James Merrel photographer, Poppytalk; The Selby; SFGB blog;

Farrow and Ball; UKTV; unknown