Soie Belle

Happy (belated) New Year!

2009-01-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

It has been months since I last wrote a post.
Just a quick note to wish you all a great new year 2009!

A new journey

2008-08-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

It looks like the IVF journey is over for us. On August, 2nd, I had the 2 frozen embryos transferred. The first blood results were fine but then the pregnancy test came negative on Monday. I'm not giving up..!

L'etape FIV s'acheve pour nous. Nous avons effectue l'implantation de 2 embryons le 2aout. Tout semblait aller a la premiere prise de sang malheureusement la deuxieme prise de sang n'a pas eu le resultat escompte. Je n'abandonne pas et garde espoir!

2 years already!

2008-07-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been 2 years since I started this blog! It has been wonderful to make friends all over the world. I can't thank you enough, my friends, for you emails, for the great swaps, and all the support you have given me during difficult times! So thank you again!

Also a special day for my hubby who is doing his first shift at his new job today! Good luck sweetie!

Voila deja 2 ans que je tiens ce blog! Un grand merci a vous les filles, pour vos emails et vos messages de soutien. Ce blog m'a permis de rencontrer de supers keupines :)

Une petite pensee pour mon mari qui commence un nouveau poste aujourd'hui!

Ouch!

2008-07-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

It seems all I do on this blog lately is rant about my infertility issues! I thought it couldn't get worse. Think twice! I did more blood tests to check natural killer cells levels and boy they are high.. way over the normal range. So that could be THE explanation to the 5 failed pregnancies. I have antibodies that kill the embryos.

We're getting referred to an immunology specialist. Fine.. Well not really.. There are sides of medicine that are such a RACKET! To be told that we have to repeat a whole range of tests (that were just performed 2 weeks ago by a different lab) is outrageous! Tests that are to be paid cash and that cost thousands of dollars. Do you hear me scream? To be told that I possibly need a treatment that is not quite recognized and proven yet that costs a minimum of $3000 per shot, requiring 3 shots per month, for 6 months. let me do the maths.. $3000 x 3 x 6 = $54,000 cash minimum. This is extortion. This is taking advantage of women who are desperate to conceive.
This was an outburst coming from myself and a physician, my husband, who trained over a decade to get where he is and works his a** off!
I needed to vent!
Needless to say that we are NOT going to (be taken for a ride) repeat the tests and pay over $50k for unproven treatments..

A big fat negative!

2008-06-11T22:41:00.001-07:00

I had the dreaded biopsy last Friday. My husband was so patient with me and answered gazillions questions I asked before I went to my appointment. That was a huge help! Also having many friends telling me everything would be fine was a huge help. So thank you guys! The result came back negative today. I'm going back in 6 months to ensure it was not a false negative.

I guess I'm going back to 90210 for more hormone shots ;)

♥ Happy 3 year Anniversary! ♥

2008-05-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

To my lovely hubby, Happy Anniversary! Always there for me. You are the best! ♥

Thank you

2008-05-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your birthday wishes! I had a lovely birthday celebration at Melisse. The food was just exquisite and the service impeccable!

A little less joyous note.. It looks like we are gonna need to postpone the embryo transfer. Following a mammogram and an ultrasound, I have to go back for a biopsy for a category 4 suspicious. The appointment is in 2 weeks. I guess we will know in 3!

Last day of my 30's!

2008-05-07T11:08:00.001-07:00

First I would like to thank all of you who sent me warm messages. I am doing relatively fine. I am taking 2 months off and then will give it a try with my last 2 embryos. We are also looking at adoption in China. Mom in law offered to go with us. She speaks both Chinese and Cantonese so that will be a huge help. Bless her.

I was waiting for a panic attack on the last day of my 30's...! so far, nothing.
I made an appointment for my first mammo, following a friendly reminder of my husband/radiologist... One of those things that you have to do I guess!

I will be back in a few days! see you my friends!

G5P0A5

2008-04-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

These are the last days of my 30s. This is how I am gonna remember my thirties.
5 pregnancies, 5 miscarriages. The 5th one is only days away. I found out today.
It all seemed to go so well until today. No heartbeat, levels slowing down. Our odds were supposed to be very good this time. To make things worse, we were told today that only 2 embryos got frozen, and not 6. WTF? I cannot believe I'm gonna celebrate my 40th with a miscarriage.

G5P0A5 = 5 pregnancies, 0 live birth, 5 miscarriages

3rd blood work today

2008-04-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Today I had my 3rd blood work and it is still going great! On Monday I will have my first ultrasound. I am so excited!!

No longer counting!

2008-04-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your good thoughts guys!!
I should know fairly soon.

::EDIT:: The results came back positive!!! I am very happy yet feel I have to be cautious. I have another blood test on Friday and then later the first ultrasound to check the fetal pole. That's the next milestone!

24

2008-03-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

Is the number of hours left to wait to know if it worked!
So far, the waiting has been fine. To be honest, I think I already know. Well, we shall see!

Long wait

2008-03-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

So for the first time, we made it to transfer. It was probably the easiest part of the treatment actually! Well, the valium helped I guess.. So now we sit and wait until April Fool! No, I am serious, this is the day I take the test.

Again, thank you so much for your messages of best wishes!

This is the day...

2008-03-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

"Sakura" Ueno Park, Tokyo - April 2007

Un beau jour de Printemps

2008-03-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

What a better way to start Spring! The transfer will be at 9.30am PST tomorrow.
We have been debating how many embryos we will transfer for days! This is tough decision...

Looking good....

2008-03-18T11:33:00.001-07:00

Thanks so much for your support! It means a lot to us.
Things are looking very good. Today was D3. We have 8 embryos looking great! We had never reached that stage in the previous 2 treatments so we are so very excited! Transfer is scheduled on Thursday morning. I'm gathering lots of books and magazines for my 3 days of bedrest!

This week-end :: Edit - Saturday 9:00AM Pacific Time! ::

2008-03-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is certainly gonna be one of the most important week ends of my life.
After days of shots of Lupron and Follistim, retrieval will be this week-end. So far everything has been going really well. We have more follicles than round 1 and 2 and are hoping that we will get embryos this time. This is particularly important because this is our last try at IVF. Also because exactly 3 years ago, I had my first miscarriage. 3 years later, we need and deserve a happy ending.

Saint Valentin

2008-02-14T14:57:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine to my wonderful husband!

Joyeuse fete Valentin! I have seen my nephew for the first time on the webcam this morning. He is just adorable!

Valentin!

2008-02-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

Valentin, my nephew has made an early arrival. He was not due for another 2 weeks but decided otherwise this morning!
He is a healthy 49cm, 3kg little boy! I am so pleased for both my sister-in-law and my brother for whom it has been a very long journey too!

Valentin, mon neveu a fait son entree plus tot que prevu. En effet, nous l'attendions a la fin du mois cependant il en a decide autrement ce matin!
C'est un beau bebe qui mesure 49cm et pese 3kg. Je suis tellement heureuse pour ma belle-soeur et mon petit frere. Cela a ete aussi pour eux une longue et difficile route.

Insolite?

2008-02-07T10:37:00.001-08:00

Maryse de Rock Papier Ciseaux vient de me taguer et m'invite a partager 7 faits insolites. Je ne sais pas si ce que je vais vous raconter est franchement insolites..?

Voici donc le jeu:
1. Faire un lien vers la personne qui nous a tagués, et publier les règles sur notre blog. 2. Partager 7 faits insolites à propos de soi. 3. Taguer 7 autres personnes à la fin du billet et faire un lien vers leur blog.

1. J'ai vecu 21 ans en France, 11 ans en Angleterre, 3 ans en Slovaquie, plusieurs mois en Irelande et Italie. J'habite aux Etats-Unis depuis 4 ans.

2. De ce fait, je parle plusieurs langues. Il m'a fallu 1 an pour apprendre le slovaque, a raison de quelques mots/phrases par jour!

3. Je suis une pro du demenagement: j'ai demenage 18 fois dans ma vie.

4. J'ai ete enceinte 4 fois en 3 ans mais toujours pas de bebe.. :(

5. Je collectionne beaucoup de choses: les tissus, les dentelles, les galons, les boutons, les papiers, les livres japonais, la laine, les livres d'enfants anciens, les magazines de mode anciens, les miniatures de parfum. Je suis sure d'en avoir oublie quelques unes!

6. J'ai peur de voyager en avion et pourtant j'ai passe beaucoup d'heures dans les avions.

7. Je suis tata depuis quelques heures! Valentin, mon neveu, est ne a 17h38 aujourd'hui. Il mesure 49 cm et pese 3 kg. Je ne l'ai pas encore vu mais je suis sure que c'est le plus beau bebe ;)

Je ne vais pas respecter la regle du jeu et taguer 7 personnes. Celles qui voudront participer a ce jeu, be my guest!

IN ENGLISH NOW:

Maryse from Rock Papier Ciseaux invited me to play this game. I have to tell 7 unusual things about myself. I don't know if any of this is unusual..

The game:
1. Put a link of the person who tagged you and publish the rules of the game. 2. Tell 7 weirds things about yourself. 3. Tag 7 people and add a link of their blog.

1. I have lived 21 yrs in France, 11 years in England, 3 years in Slovakia, a few months in Ireland and Italy. I've been living in the US for 4 years.

2. I speak several languages. It took me a year to learn Slovak. A few words/sentences a day!

3. I am the queen of packing/moving: I have moved 18 times in my life.

4. I have been pregnant 4 times in the past 3 years but still no baby :(

5. I am a collector: fabrics, lace, trims, buttons, papers, Japanese books, yarn, vintage children books, vintage fashion magazines, miniature perfume bottles. I'm sure I have missed some.

6. I am scared of flying although I spent a lot of time in planes!

7. I am officially an auntie for the first time! Valentin was born a few hours ago. He's 49cm and 3kg. I have not seen him yet but I am sure he is the cutest ;)

I'm not gonna follow the rules and tag 7 people. Whoever wants to share 7 unusual facts about themselves, please!

Good start!

2008-01-30T22:56:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how fast January went! I do hope that this year has started as well for you as it did for me. I believe that the wheel has turned and that 08 will be our year!

I'm about to start again the daily trips to the clinic for the third round of IVF. Hubby and I both holding our breath. This has gotta work!

Je n'ai pas vu le mois de janvier passer. J'espere que l'annee a aussi bien commence pour vous que pour moi. La roue semble avoir tourne. 2008 va etre "notre annee"!

Je reprends le chemin de la clinique pour faire une 3eme FIV. Alors nous croisons les doigts. Cette fois sera la bonne je l'espere!

Joyeux Noel!

2007-12-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

2007 has been a long and difficult year. The start was rather painful so was the end. What can I say? My life is pretty much revolving around motherhood desire and failed pregnancies. 2 failed cycles of in-vitro fertilization in September and November. Accepting the possibility that I may never be able to have my own children. Very difficult.

I will however keep some good memories of 2007. Particularly a wonderful trip to Tokyo my husband offered me. It was a wonderful experience and cannot wait to go back one day! Also some of my friends have had babies, my sister in law is finally expecting her first baby. I'm so happy for them.

Thank your for your emails and kind messages. I wish you a wonderful holiday and a great year 2008! I have lots of catching up to do. New year, new start for my blog ;)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Long time no write

2007-03-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank you all for your messages, emails. It means a lot to me to have support! It's been a long few weeks, waiting for the lab results, wondering what would be next. Working as much as possible not to think about it!
Anyways, I'm back and will be more present online from now on.
Again, thank you so much!

Barely coping

2007-01-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

The trip in Europe seemed to go very well until last week when I got really sick. Coughing like crazy and loosing my voice. Since I'm no longer registered with a GP, I was unable to see one. Things got worse after an 11hr flight back to LA. As it wasnt bad enough, I was told 2 days ago that I was gonna miscarry. When I took a test on Christmas day, I was over the moon, to read the positive result! 4th pregnancy in 2 years. Sadly it's ending in a 4th miscarriage. There are no words to describe the emotions. I'm empty and broken hearted.
I probably wont be around much in the next few weeks. I need time to recover.

Away in London

2007-01-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

First, a very happy new year to all of you! Une très belle et heureuse année à vous!

I have left sunny California for a 3 week break in not so sunny London! It is freezing actually! Despite living here for 10 years, I must say that I am not used to the rain anymore.
I'm waiting for the sun to be out to take a few shots. So bear with me!

Treats

2006-12-29T08:07:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a marvelous Christmas. It seemed it went so fast this year!
Now I'm preparing my suitcase for my trip to London in a few days. I'm gonna be away for over 3 weeks living my hubbie behind as he cannot escape the hospital for such a long time :(

Before I go, here are a few pictures of things that "Santa" brought this year.
A Christmas swap with Ryoko who generously sent me some lovely wool yarns in my favourite colours, knitting and crochet books, beautiful handmade card, cute buttons, stickers, cookies and a tracing thingie (dont know the name!) Thanks so much Ryoko! it is all so beautiful.

From me, she received a scrapbooking book and magazine, a novel on Provence, Hawaiian candies and some French soaps:

The French DMC 2007 Diary was a present to myself. It has some really cute patterns about cooking:

I also got a selection of Japanese books from my DH. I will post pictures later.

I guess, it's time to put the Christmas ornaments back in their box!

Have a great week end!

2006-12-23T05:54:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all and Happy New Year!

Meilleurs Voeux pour 2007!

Sapin de noël

2006-12-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hubbie and I had a lovely day in Pasadena on Sunday. First a trip to the Rose Bowl Flea market where I picked up some lovely vintage Christmas ornaments and then a champagne brunch at a Japanese/French restaurant. On the way back home, we picked up a Christmas tree. Counting down the days...!

The beginning of pair #2

2006-12-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I haven't been very present lately. With Christmas approaching, things have been really hectic! I still find time to knit my second pair. I'm trying a new style this time. I'm going from the toe up and doing a gusset style heel.

Have a great week end!

First pair finished

2006-11-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't been able to blog much recently as I have been busy with new job. I finished my first pair of short socks a couple of weeks ago and I must say I'm quite pleased with the Vesper yarn.

I'm starting a new pair today and this will be for a special occasion. A xmas present for my mother actually (hoping that her English is still basic and that she will not get what I have just written!). The Grignasco cashmere is exquisite!

Moore goodies in the box

2006-11-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

Another swap with Ryoko, my favourite swap pal! It took a while to cross the ocean but it finally arrived to Japan!

As always, she was very generous with her swap! I received the 3 copies of my favourite Japanese magazines: Cotton Time, Cotton Friend and Cotton Paint. Amazing! I will post more pics later. Ryoko also sent me some cute fabrics, writing paper and greeting card! Thanks so much Ryoko, I love it all ♥ !

I sent Ryoko things I brought back from my trip to Hawaii 2 months ago. She wanted some traditional Hawaiian prints, Hawaiian newspaper, vintage postcards and some handmade lavender wands. I also sent her separately a copy of Gourmet magazine, special Christmas issue!

The Christmas swap left a few weeks ago and should reach Japan fairly soon!

From France ♥

2006-11-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

♥ These beauties came in my letter box a few days ago. Vintage silk floss :o
The colours are so vibrant. I think I will use them to embroider bridal pillows and silk brooches.
Ces petites merveilles sont arrivées de France il y a quelques jours. Des échevaux de fil de soie anciens que j'utiliserai peut-être pour des coussins d'alliance ou broches en soie.

♥ Also came in the post, my favourite French craft magazine: Broderie et Couture. I was a bit surprised by the lack of Christmas projects. They will probably be featured in the next issue due in December. On the other hand, Marie Claire Idées is full of Christmas projects! I also got some vintage sewing patterns. That will hopefully motivate me to loose a few inches around my waist as there's no way I would fit in one of these..lol..!
M'est aussi parvenu mon magazine préféré: Idées Broderie et Couture. J'ai été surprise de ne pas voir de projets de Noël, d'autant plus que la prochaine édition ne sortira pas avant décembre. Je me rattraperai avec le Marie Claire Idées qui lui ne manquent pas de projets! 2 patrons de robes des années 50. Pour le printemps prochain.. ca dépendra de ma taille de guêpe.. mdr! un gros bisou à ma maman pour les envois!

♥ An article featuring handmade baubles caught my eyes. Every year, I try to add a few more handmade baubles to my collection. Vintage ones are hard to come by. I found these 3 large one at the Rose Bowl Flea market a while go. They are extremely fragile. Unfortunately, one of them got smashed. I did my best to put the pieces back together. I just couldn't get myself to throw it away!

Here is a sample of the projects featured on the Marie Claire Idées that I liked:

Beautiful Christmas wrapping ideas.

I like the organic feel of the fabric
ornaments.. and the cute bunnies!

Better go now and get the tea ready for the Knitting Party!
Je vous laisse car j'ai mon Tricot Thé dans une heure!

Size matters?

2006-11-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

Oh yes! Look at the size of this brioche*. We discovered a French patisserie on Wilshire blvd yesterday. Being so far away from my home country, I'm always searching for a tasty reminder. This time a croissant and a brioche. They were very good indeed. The croissant was very buttery but not greasy. I'm sure French expats or any expats will understand this ;)

* Husband tells me that it is not a one person brioche. What is he talking about?!

On a different note. The progress of the first sock. Going very well thanks to my knitting friend Yuliya! I love the Vesper yarn. For months, I was intrigued by people knitting socks. I think I understand now. It is a fun project!

Joyeux Anniversaire mon lapin!

2006-11-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hubby might spank me for posting a picture of him wearing diapers! ;)
I thought he was the cutest baby. Today he still has the same big smile!

Happy birthday darling! I cannot believe that we both have entered the "late 30s" category. We enjoyed the day out at Topanga Canyons and had a fine meal at Roy's.

Mini hubby at 8 months

In the mail

2006-11-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

A post dedicated to things that arrived in the post in the past few weeks:

A wonderful package from the lovely Tania from Portugal: gorgeous printed linen and cotton fabrics, trims, vintage lace, buttons and postcards. And look at the embroidered love birds pouch! it makes me smile every time I look at it! Thanks so much Tania. I am a spoiled gal :)

This is what I sent to Tania. Some vintage Russian polka dot linen, vintage trims, winter issue of Knits magazine, assorted teas and sweets.

We have another swap on the way... just in time for Chritmas :)

Another great arrival!

I had spotted this beautiful calendar on Diana's website. She designed the cutest calendar for 2007 with a different design for each month. This is a sample:

Soon to be on my office wall..!

2006-11-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for your comments and emails!

Happy Anniversary sunshine

2006-11-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

Today is the 2 year anniversary of our civil wedding! I remember this cold day in Manhattan. It was freezing and windy but we were happy! We walked hand in hand to Town Hall. What an experience! If you have got married at Town Hall in Manhattan, you will understand! It was a fast moment.. The ceremony lasted 4 minutes!! We like to celebrate this important moment of our lives however we prefer to celebrate the anniversary of our religious wedding in May.

2006-11-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

At yesterday's knitting tea party, we tried to dye some yarn using Kool Aid. We used some undyed Peruvian wool. We followed the Knitty tutorial and it was pretty simple!
We will probably be more adventurous next week and try to make variegated yarn.

I also learned something new, thanks to knitting expert, Yuliya. I am knitting my first pair of socks! Never touched circular needles before and it did feel very awkward at the beginning. I'm using some lovely Vesper yarn.

Vesper Meteor

THE WAY TO A MAN'S HEART.... This certainly applies to my husband who loves this pizza. You can do the dough either the night before or in the morning.

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups of warm water
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 packet of Dry Yeat (7g)
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
4 cups unbleached flour

Instructions:

Pour the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and the yeast. Stir gently for a minute until the yeast and sugar start dissolving. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Add the salt and olive oil and stir. Add 1 cup of flour and whisk until it is smooth. Add a second cup of floor and stir. Add 3r cup of flour. The dough should getting quite thick at this point. Add the last cup of flour and mix your your hand. I add flour until the dough is not longer sticky.

Remove the dough from the ball and start kneading on a table top/board. Some recipe say you have to knead for 8 to 10 minutes.. I don't. I do it for about 2 minutes at most!

Coat the dough with a bit of olive oil and place it back in the bowl (with a bit of olive oil at the bottom). Cover the top with a piece of kitchen film and let it sit at room temperature for 75 minutes. The put in the fridge for a further 5 hours or overnight. The dough should grow to 3 times its original size.

Take the dough out of the bowl and cut in half.
Pre warm oven to 475F
Press the doughball flat to desired thickness and then put your ingredients!

For the ingredients: I used a tomato base (1/2 tin)- pan-fried sliced cured salt pork (you can use parm ham or any meat you want) - sun-dried tomato and basil mozarella cheese (Trader's Joe) - I normally use fresh buffalo mozarella but didnt have any yesterday - a sprinkly of dried oregano - any spices your like.
Place on a pizza stone if you have one. I used a metallic tray and baked for about 20 minutes. Add the fresh basil and serve! The recipe above will make 2 pizzas like the one on the picture. Voilà! or should I say "eccola!"

Apples and Pears!

2006-11-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

This is a very special event for me! After over 2 years, I'm going back "home" for 3 weeks in January. Although I am not British, I do consider London as my (former) home as I lived there for 10 years. I haven't been back since I left for the USA in September 2004 so I am really excited! This will also be the occasion to visit my folks in France.
Unfortunately, hubby won't be able to come with me as his schedule doesn't let him. I feel a bit guilty to leave hime for such a long time.. :-o

Chelsea

ps. if you wonder about the title: Apples and pears is a Cockney expression (London slang). Nuff said!

More cables!

2006-11-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

I am really enjoying knitting again especially knitting cables. This was another project for a friend's birthday. A twisted cable scarf. I used the same yarn as the cable purse, Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky in Aubergine color.

Regarding my previous post on the cashmere sweater unraveling :

NOT every sweater can be unraveled! There is a great tutorial which explains the difference between good and a bad seams. So before you start unraveling, you want to make sure the sweater has good seams!

Another Tea Party!

2006-10-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

We had another tea party last week. Spent more time chatting and eating coconut cookies than knitting but this is what has been achieved:

I have blocked my knitted bag-to-be. For the lining, I will use a vintage kimono fabric that I have. I will use a walnut dowel for the handle and that should do it!

I have also started unravelling my latest thrift find.. a cashmere sweater! It was in perfect condition however the shape and the short sleeves werent appealing to me. I dont know what i will use it for yet, maybe some socks and a scarf? Anyway, thanks to Yuliya who helped me with the unravelling. It was a bit scary at first!!

For this week's Tea Party, we've decided to try dyeing some yarn. That should be fun too!

Needles reconciliation... a very long journey

2006-10-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

Knitting was one of the things I was taught as a child. I used to knit on and off until I left France for good in my early 20s. When I became pregnant for the first time last year, I was so ecstatic that I bought a knitting book and needles. I wanted to knit all the booties in the book! Very sadly, the pregnancy ended. So did pregnancy #2 and #3. I buried my needles in a box, in the darkest corner of my closet. It took me months to erase the memory of knitting and miscarriages.

Last week, I finally reconciled with the needles when I met for real a new knitter friend I had met on a knitting forum! We met at our local yarn store in Santa Monica. It was like being in a candy store (and I have a very sweet tooth!) It all came back to me. I remembered how much I used to enjoy knitting. Yesterday, I hosted a "knitting tea party" at home. Well, that was real fun! More English tea and cookies next week..!

On a totally different note, a happy birthday to my dad who turned 60 today! Sorry I can't be home for the forthcoming celebration. I'm sure you will all have a very happy celebration on Sunday! Joyeux Anniversaire!

Merci!

2006-10-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for your lovely comments about the pictures! I love the bright colors particularly the dragon fruits taken at the Chinese quarter of Honolulu.

Merci beaucoup pour vos compliments concernant les photos! J'adore la photo des fruits du dragon (aussi appeles pitayas) prise dans le quartier chinois d'Honolulu.

Pictures worth a thousand words...!

2006-09-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

This was not the first time I went to Oahu but I was as enchanted as the first time! This is truly a beautiful and colorful island where you can find empty beaches. Below are some shots I have taken in various parts of Oahu.. Enjoy!

Ce n'était pas mes premières vacances à Oahu mais j'en reste autant enchantée que lors de ma première visite. Oahu est une très belle ile où l'on trouve de nombreuses plages désertes. Voici quelques photos pour vous faire découvrir cette ile!

Oahu vue du ciel!

Views of Diamond Head

Wonderful colors!

These pictures were taken at the North part of Oahu, known as the North Shore. This is where surfers go in winter to catch 30 feet waves!

Aloha part 2!

2006-09-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

Aloha!

2006-09-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

We're finally back from our lovely holiday in Hawaii! It was great to catch up with the family and spend some time touring the island. I will be posting more pictures of our holiday shortly.

Orchid Lei

Off to Honolulu baby!

2006-09-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm off to see my in-laws in Oahu. We haven't been there since our engagement party 2 years ago so we're really looking forward to this holiday. Back in a week with some amazing pictures :)

Je pars en vacances chez ma belle-famille à Oahu. Je serai de retour dans une semaine avec de superbes photos!

Flea Market

2006-09-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my friend and I went to the monthly Rose Bowl flea market. This time, I went well equipped with sun lotion, hat and water! We spent a few hours there. Found some trims and prints. Lovely day out.

Catching up

2006-09-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

I have been doing lots of catching up with my friend Lisa who came all the way from London. Lots to talk about as I hadn't seen her since my wedding in May 2005.
She treated me with a very special present from London... some Liberty fabric! Beautiful "floribunda" pattern.

2006-09-06T11:52:00.001-07:00

I came across Dawn's blog via the lovely Tania. Dawn makes the cutest paper collages. You can see her work here and her Portfolio. I can't decide which ones I like most as I like them all!! Thanks for sharing Tania and congrats Dawn, your work is very beautiful!

Magic wands

2006-09-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

It's been another lovely sunny week end. I went to my local farmer's market on Saturday morning and picked up some fresh lavender to make lavender wands (known as quenouilles in French!). These will be great for the closet or drawers.

More good things!

2006-09-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

As my friend Ryoko and I enjoyed our first swap so much, we decided to have a monthly swap! For our August swap, this is what I just received: some lovely printed linen and cotton fabrics, another craft book, some very cute letter papers and a pretty pink purse. Thanks so much Ryoko!

This is what I sent Ryoko:

Izakaya style restaurant

2006-08-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Hubby and I had dinner at Musha, our local Japanese restaurant. It is a tapas restaurant. The food is delicious, the ambiance informal and the staff friendly. What more can you ask?!

We had our favorite fried prawns with a spicy sauce, the tuna cakes and this time we tried one of their specialties: the musha risotto. It was rich and creamy... just look at this:

For dessert, I had a very tasty chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream. Hubby had a delicious green tea ice cream. One of my favorite place to dine!

いただきます! Bon appétit!

My little corner

2006-08-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

I had mentioned some diy projects here 2 weeks ago. It's taken me a few days to complete these as I injured my back in the process of re-organizing the room.

Project "Revamping boring shelves" was very easy to complete. Some sanding, 2 coats of sage paint and 4 coats of clear varnish. As you can see on the picture below, it makes a difference!

J'ai enfin terminé les 2 projets de déco que j'avais prévus de faire il y a 15 jours.
Le premier projet: peindre une étagère Ikea que je trouvais trop tristounette. 2 couches de peinture et 4 couches de vernis. Projet facile et rapide à réaliser!
Le 2ème projet était un peu plus fastidieux! Réalisation d'un pêle-mêle.

Project "Large Fabric Mood Board" was a little more tedious to complete! It will be the perfect place to put pictures, fabric samples, small items that get lost easily. It is made of a heavy duty cotton and a pretty ric rac.

TUTORIAL :

Materials

Masonite board (cut to size) 60"x36" (153x92cm) 1/4 inch thick (7mm)

Heavy duty cotton 40"x64" (102x163cm)

Quilt batting: 2 layers of 40"x64"

Ric rac (or ribbon) 12 yards (11m)

13 cut tacks (at most diy stores)

A hot glue gun, a hammer and a small staple gun

Directions

Cut the batting and fabric to size. I allowed 2" of overhang on each side). Press the fabric.

Place the board on a flat surface and with a glue gun, glue the 2 layers of batting onto the board. Miter the corners to avoid "bulk". Turn the board and glue the overhang batting.

Place your fabric on a flat surface and put the board (batting side down)on top of it. With a staple gun, first staple in the middle of each side, ensuring the fabric is stretched well. Then gradually staple towards the corners and finally the corners. You can trim some of the excess fabric at the corners if you wish.

Turn the board to the right side (front). Now it's time to decide which criss cross pattern you want on your board. I used a piece of string to play with different patterns. I chose a 10 lines design which required approx 12 yards (11m) of ric rac. A design with 14 lines would have required approx 16 yards (15m)

Start with the longer lines and place the first tack where the 2 lines cross (center of the board). As you add more lines and tacks, make sure the ric rac/ribbon is really well stretched. Once you've put all the tacks on the front, turn the board and with the staple gun, staple the extremities of the ric rac/ribbon.

There are different ways of fixing the board to the wall, depending on how heavy your board is and what type of wall you have. I have chosen an easy route... Carefully drill 2 holes at the back of the board (be careful not to drill onto the fabric). Drill to holes on the walls and put 2 long nails and just hung the board like this! Thanks to hubby for his help with the drilling :)

Fournitures

Panneau de particules de 153x92cm et 7mm d'épaisseur

Tissu en cotton 102x163cm

2 rectangles de molleton de 102x163cm

Croquet (ou ruban) 11m

13 broquettes (clous très courts)

Pistolet à colle, marteau et agrafeuse electrique.

Réalisation

Découper un rectangle de 102x92cm dans le tissu et 2 rectangles de 102x92 cm dans le molleton.Bien repasser le tissu.

Poser le panneau de particules sur une surface plane. A l'aide du pistolet à colle, coller les 2 rectangles de molleton au panneau. Tourner le panneau à l'envers et coller les rabats.

Mettre le tissu à plat et poser le panneau dessus (côté molletoné sur le tissu). Agrafer le tissu sur l'envers du panneau en prenant soin de bien le tendre. Couper le tissu au niveau des coins si nécessaire.

Tourner le panneau sur l'endroit. Pour choisir le motif du croquet/ruban, prendre de la ficelle et faire des essais. Il faut compter 11m de croquet/ruban pour réaliser les 10 lignes de mon panneau. Pour 14 lignes, il faut compter 15m de croquet.

Commencer par 2 lignes diagonales. Clouer une broquette à l'intersection des 2 diagonales. Ajouter une longueur de croquet et clouer à l'intersection de 2 longueurs. Continuer le processus pour les autres lignes. Lorsque toutes les lignes de croquet/ruban sont fixées, tourner le panneau et fixer les extrémités au dos du panneau avec une agrafeuse electrique.

Il y a différentes façons d'accrocher le panneau au mur selon le poids du panneau, le mur etc.. j'ai choisi la solution la plus rapide. J'ai percé 2 trous au dos du panneau en faisant attention de ne pas transpercer le molleton et le tissu. 2 clous (grosse taille) dans le mur et le tour est joué! Je rajouterais qu'une paire de mains supplémentaire facilite certaines étapes du projet! Notamment lorsqu'il faut clouer le croquet et le tendre en même temps.

More swap!

2006-08-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I mentioned that I had discovered this great website, Gimme Your Stuff and that I had a swap with Anjali underway.

Well, the swap is complete!

I could hardly contain myself when I saw the pink package!! The lovely Anjali picked the cutest fabrics for me! She also sent me my favorite Japanese magazine: Cotton Friend. Lots of great cotton projects! And a wonderful sewing book: Cotton Chic. I love those simple designs.. très chic indeed!

What can I say? Thank you so much Anjali! You made my day!

ISBN 4-579-10961-9 Machiko Kayaki

This is what I sent to Anjali:

Change of plans!

2006-08-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

Despite my good intentions of doing some decorating at the weekend, I changed plans as the weather was just too beautiful to stay indoors!

Had a lovely time at Point Dume beach near Malibu. It was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday morning.

Sunday morning was spent at the amazing Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena. Huge flea market! Great for antics, 70s furniture, toys, vintage trims, jewelry, lots of bric à brac...I would probably have spent all my day if it hadnt been so hot. Mental note to self: next time bring hat and sun lotion!

To cool down, hubby and I went to Pasadena Old Town where we found a lovely French cafe/bakery.

Changement de programme ce week-end!
Malgré mes bonnes intentions de faire de la déco ce week-end, il faisait trop chaud pour s'enfermer! Nous sommes allés à la plage samedi matin. Très belle plage à côté de Malibu.

Hier, direction Pasadena où il y avait une brocante. Une des plus grandes brocantes des Etats Unis à mon avis.On y trouve de tout: des meubles, des frippes, du linge ancien, des bijoux anciens.. bref le paradis! Je n'y suis pas restée aussi longtemps que prévu car méga coup de soleil sur les épaules! prochaine fois: chapeau + crème solaire!

Decorating project for the weekend.

2006-08-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Too much procrastination... I bought some plain wooden shelves 2 months ago.. Didnt really want to paint them at the time although it's been bugging for a while. They are so plain and boring, I should really add some color to them! I got a can of Sage paint last weekend so hopefully they will turn out ok. I'm also gonna make a larger padded mood board to hang over my desk.

Un petit projet déco pour le week end. J'ai décidé de peindre les étagères en bois que j'ai achetées il y a 2 mois. Voilà qui m'occupera une partie du week end! Je vais aussi faire un "mood board" (désolée, je ne me rappelle plus du nom en français!) pour mettre au dessus de mon bureau.

Rodeo Drive

2006-08-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

After a dreaded doctor's appointment, my friend Michelle and I went to Beverly Hills for some window shopping yesterday.
These are some pictures of unusual windows on Rodeo Drive. If you wonder, what's with the honeycomb window... a fabulous Harry Winston diamond ring in the middle! Honey...?!

Vintage Button Swap

2006-08-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Whohoo, that swap thing is getting addictive!

I signed up for the Vintage Button Swap organized by the amazing Sally from Shim and Sons 2 weeks ago. I was rather excited as it was my first swap in the US!

Moki was my swap partner. She sent me those cute buttons. Thanks very much Moki.

This is what I sent to Moki

Tite traduc pour les keupines françaises!

Il y a 15 jours , je me suis inscrite au swap "boutons anciens" organisé par Sally de Shim and Sons. J'ai fait mon échange avec Moki.
Les boutons sur la première photo sont les boutons qu'elle m'a envoyés.
Sur la deuxième photo, ce sont les boutons que je lui ai envoyés.

A little help.../ Un petit coup de pouce...

2006-08-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I wrote a post about Liberty prints and Liberty Addict, A French blog entirely dedicated to those beautiful prints. Following that, Silo, who jointly manages the Liberty Addicts blog, contacted me. Today, she wrote a paragraph called "les nouvelles de l'été" (the new bloggers of the summer), and mentioned my blog. Rightly she says it's not easy to start a new blog and have traffic. Couldn't agree more, it is hard! There are so many other blogs there, so many talented people! So I wanted to thank Silo for mentioning my blog!

Il y une semaine, j'ai écrit un billet sur les tissus Liberty et Liberty Addict, un blog français consacré aux très belles étoffes Liberty. Silo m'a contactée par la suite. Elle co-gère le blog Liberty Addicts. Dans son billet du jour, Silo a écrit un paragraphe intitulé "les nouvelles de l'été" consacré aux nouvelles bloggeuses et a fait mention de mon blog. A juste titre, elle dit qu'il est difficile de faire ses débuts dans la bloggosphère. Je suis entièrement d'accord avec sa remarque, c'est pas évident de se faire une petite place parmi tous ces blogs et toutes ces filles pleines de talent! Je tenais à remercier Silo de son petit coup de pouce!

Des fleurs..

2006-08-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Peonies are one of my favourite flowers. I love their delicate texture. The petals look like feathers.

A day at Universal Studios/City Walk

2006-07-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, having moved to LA recently, I still have the "tourist status"!

Great finds of the week-end

2006-07-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I went to the Textile, Costume and Clothing Show in Burbank. The venue was rather small however packed with vintage wonders! Racks of vintage clothes, vintage trims, fabrics, jewelry. I was little a little kid in a toy store!!

Here is what I got from there:

Swap - Part 2

2006-07-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

What a better way to start the week-end than receiving a little package from Ryoko, my swap partner from Japan?!!

Another 2 cute craft books for my collection! The First Book, Interior Hand Made Book, shows various diy projects for the home. The second book is about crochet projects. I have never really tried crochet so this is a first for me! Thanks so much Ryoko!It was so thoughful of you.

ISBN4-05-602958-X
ISBN4-277-43066-X

Some swaps!

2006-07-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was lucky to meet online 2 great people in Japan willing to do some swaps with me. Yay!

I came by Anjali's blog via Gimme Your Stuff. I was drooling looking at Anjali's swaps. I contacted her and we agreed on doing a swap. The swap has started already. Anjali received my package a few days ago and has written a lovely post on her blog! Thanks Anjali! I am yet to receive hers.. oh boy, the excitment is building up!

And there's also my new friend Ryoko from Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. I was a very lucky girl. This is what I received from her:

The cutest Cotton Time book and some lovely stickers. Wait! there's more to come in the post! Thanks so much Ryoko! You got it spot on!

ISBN 4-391-62050-2 for the Japanese craft book addicts!

This is what I sent to Ryoko:

Fabrics, vintage trims, hankie, postards from NY, French craft magazine, some sweets and some Laura Ashley stationery.

Ryoko and I decided to carry on and treat ourselves to monthly swaps!

Don't you just love the internet?!!

☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼

Il y a quelques semaines, j'ai eu la chance de rencontrer sur internet 2 correspondantes au Japon prêtes à faire un échange!

Tout d'abord, Anjali que j'ai rencontrée par l'intermédiare du blog Gimme Your Stuff. Je l'ai contactée et nous avons décidé de faire un échange! Elle a reçu mon paquet il y a quelques jours. Elle a d'ailleurs écrit un billet très sympa sur son blog et je l'en remercie! Je n'ai pas encore reçu son colis mais l'attend avec impatience!!

J'ai aussi rencontré Ryoko qui habite a Hokkaido, un des iles au nord du Japon. J'ai recu un adorable livre japonais ainsi que des auto-collants. Ce n'est pas fini, il parait qu'autre chose va arriver! Merci Ryoko, c'est vraiment très gentil à toi!

Ryoko et moi avons décidé de nous faire plaisir et de continuer nos envois!

About me..

2006-07-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

I think an introduction is in order! I've made this montage with pictures taken from my wedding last year, pictures of New York (in February during the blizzard, outside central park in May and an amazing view of Manhattan from New Jersey) and finally pictures of Santa Monica, CA where I live now.

Il est temps me presenter! J'ai realisé ce montage à partir de photos de mon mariage prise l'an dernier, des photos de New York (en février lors du blizzard, en mai à Central Park et une superbe vue de Manhattan prise du New Jersey) ainsi que des photos de Santa Monica en Californie, ou j'habite maintenant.

New Banner

2006-07-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

I changed my banner to something more personal. I've used items that I've been collecting for years. I'm quite pleased with myself considering I am new to html!

Liberty Prints

2006-07-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Liberty prints have been in fashion for decades. Very distinctive (often) flowery patterns and bright colors. On this French blog, Liberty Addict, you will find Liberty prints and some amazing handmade creations! Bravo les filles, vos creations sont magnifiques!

Here is a sample of very cute prints:

Precious find

2006-07-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

This antique trunk is one of my best finds. I found it in an antique store in a small village while on vacation in France a few years ago. It has small gorgeous flowery wallpaper inside. It's followed me to London, New York and now Los Angeles!

Cette vieille malle est une de mes plus belles trouvailles. Je l'ai dégotée chez un antiquaire lors de vacances en France. Elle est tapissée d'un très joli papier a fleurs. Elle m'a suivie dans tous mes déménagements, de Londres à New York, jusqu'à Los Angeles!

Gimme Your Stuff!

2006-07-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

I discovered this blog Gimme Your Stuff a few weeks ago. It is a great place to find people from all over the world willing to swap any kinds of products.

I have already started a swap with Anjali.. It was so fun to put a package together. Pictures to follow...!

I am a French expat living in California so I can get pretty much get anything from here as well as in France.

Things I can offer:

Fabrics
Buttons
Trims
French, US magazines
Sweets
Ask me!

Things I'd love to get:

Japanese craft books/magazines
Trims from Japan, Portugal, Spain or France
Cute fabrics

Great finds of the week-end

2006-07-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Despite the brutal heat at the week-end, hubby and I went out shopping. I had seen a garage sale ad from an Interior Designer a few days ago and couldnt resist to check it out!

Here is what I got for a few bucks: some gorgeous silk fabric in blue, ivory and champagne color, a vintage plate (for my mum's collection), and an assortment of buttons.

Happy birthday blog!

2006-07-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Being a true French, I thought that creating my own blog would be a nice way of celebrating July, 14th!

Ca y est, je me lance dans la blogsphère!