Wishes, dreams, hopes, aspirations….real or imagined…possible or impossible… To write about dreams and wishes that we harbour seems simple….but is it? There is something so intangible about our inner most desires that it almost seems bad luck or a strike against fate to think them out loud. Those vague, semi-consious and most delicious thoughts that we … Continued
The best thing about chatting the tips and tricks of beauty and make-up is new recommendations….Below are some of your fabulous suggestions… Kare said….’The Oil of Olay advanced cleansing system works just as well as the Clairisonic. It makes a huge difference in just a couple of days.’ The Enchanted Home had some brilliant suggestions … Continued
It’s the weekend….well almost….Friday is always a day of preparation for me…getting it all ready so that the days can be a wind down…I wish you two days of heaven…of switch off, relaxation, fine food and wine…If you do feel the need or can’t resist the power up.. then you might like to amuse yourself … Continued
From where I am sitting there are only 58 days left until Christmas…exciting, if not a scary thought….I feel certain that… unlike me… you have already started your preparations…figured out your holiday schemes, thought about the menu and started shopping….Not me….I am still trying to decide on what colours I want to go with this … Continued
I have news… I am excited to tell you that there is an extra element to French Essence….a new page called SHOP FRENCH ESSENCE…You can find it on my blog site on the top right hand side underneath the FRENCH ESSENCE header… Writing these beauty tid bits…and reading your emails and wonderfully informative comments got … Continued
An old farmhouse is not without it’s challenges when it comes to renovation. I wanted a bathroom that was simple, that somehow remained true to the French aesthetic and yet was practical and comfortable at the same time. Bathrooms are my place… they are where I love to relax, to ponder, to find solace….A strange … Continued
Remember when there were so many do’s and do nots when it came to fashion? Unbreakable rules and regulations when it came to wearing this with that or what not to wear or what was age appropriate….The fashion police were alive and strong back in the day and if memory serves me well, we took … Continued
I want to, I really, really want to run gushing with enthusiasm to my local gym…my heart full of desire for another push-up, my mind determined to make a million press-ups and my stomach burning and churning with the the thought of another crunch….but it’s just not happening…I aspire to be one of those women … Continued
A little tulle, a little sparkle and a converse or two… Enjoy your weekend…and a big, big thank you for being here….xv image exclusively for living4media – photographed by carla coulson, styling vicki archer
“courage is fire, and bullying is smoke” benjamin disraeli Today as I browsed my online favourites…searching for a link of interest or two to tweet…I found myself reading an article from the Huffington Post that not only intrigued me but at the same time shocked me….It would appear that more and more teenagers are resorting … Continued
A little white loveliness from the inside and the outside. The top image is one of a fan that I found at a brocante some weeks back…Made of parchment type paper with a wooden frame, the face of the fan is handwritten with a mix of Italian and French language…I think the fan is … Continued
Sometimes ordinary, everyday people manage to do great things…Steve Jobs was such a person. He changed my life …in a way that I didn’t think about until he was gone. The Joni Mitchell lyric, ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’ is never truer. Did I ever think about the humanity behind the … Continued
Caring about the detail makes all the difference. It doesn’t matter whether it is something so simple that we can do it with our eyes shut or whether the task is a complex and challenging one…attention to detail is everything. It shows that you have taken time, that you care and that you are serious….Paying … Continued
Jane Eyre, the latest movie version, directed by Cary Fukanaga and starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Dame Judi Dench is a two hour visual treat. English countryside from the bleak to the beautiful, period costumes and interiors that are severe but evocative make this favourite Charlotte Bronte tale of love, betrayal and compassion come … Continued
