Bliss

another amala giveaway...you are too lucky!

2009-12-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

you have to know how i feel about amala products. i love them. they have made my skin happier and i wholeheartedly stand behind them. i guess you could say they are officially bliss endorsed (sounds so serious). amala products are organic and ingredients come straight from global fair trade farmers. i think my favorite amala quote would have to be: "Our challenge is getting it from the soil to the skin without compromising the benefits of the earth." simply put, it's perfect.

onto the good stuff...i am happy to announce our second amala giveaway!

leave a comment on this post before this coming Monday and you could win the loveliest of gift sets: the rejuvenate spa valise...rejuvenating cleansing milk, rejuvenating toner, and rejuvenating face cream all tucked in an organic hemp and woven straw travel bag: "the rejuvenate collection firms, smooths and renews elasticity with peruvian cocoa bean, known for its unique ability to stimulate cell renewal, promote microcirculation and help repair skin's natural moisture barrier." and it's pretty.

just think how nice it would be to give this to a lucky someone this holiday season, or if you are like me, keep it as a gift for little old you (you are rough on your skin, it deserves a gift too). don't feel guilty, you could pick up a few more to share because i have an all-too-generous promo code just for you...just enter "bliss" at checkout and you get 20% off your order! yippeeee!

xo mrs. french

blissful inspiration...

2009-12-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

*kygp

you know where to find me dear friends...sfgirlbybay...xo mrs.french

granted

2009-12-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

raise your hands if you love granted hand-knit, wool wares as much as i do...

forget it. impossible! maybe you could just love them almost as much as me. i can't decide which piece i want more...at this very second the deer sweater has my vote. xo mrs. french

via spool no.72 blog

hello victory!

2009-12-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

i remember growing up and noticing the little things. i have vivid memories of treasures my grandparents had or that my mother inherited. i remember my grandmother's needle work and treasures my dad brought home to my grandparents from his time overseas in the service. i knew, even when i was small, that these things were special. i often wonder where all of these priceless trinkets went and wonder if b is forming memories around my little collections.

then i see kate's sweet shop. i know it is impossible but i feel as if these treasures found their way to her shop hello victory (maybe not so impossible because she resides in Minnesota...my former neck of the woods). if not the cherished trinkets from my childhood then perhaps someone else's, i just know it.

on top of having the eye and thoughtfulness to choose just the right pieces, kate seems really cool. her style is impeccable and effortless, and dare i say, cooler than mine...hehe. she's like that hip younger sister you secretly (ok not so secretly) wish you were more like (wait a minute, i have one of those!).

simply put, shop at hello victory and you can be cool like kate :) actually, stop by kate's shop and maybe you can find a few things that stir up some really wonderful memories...thank you miss kate for your attention to detail and for making bliss a bit more stylish...xo mrs. french

my happy place: the work of tim evan-cook

2009-12-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

i love photographer tim evan-cook's work so much that i had to make it my afternoon happy place...

aren't you glad i did? tim's work is endlessly unique...his range astounds me. xo mrs. french

via sarah kaye representation

my happy place: a manzanita garage

2009-12-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

happy december friends! i am now starting to feel the pressure of the holiday season. i am going to do my best to turn the stress into happy excitement....b does his part to help with this.

you never know exactly what you are going to end up with when you book a vacation home online. i had gotten a late start this year, so finding a place was particularly difficult. i am not sure how i found our little manzanita cottage...it was an accident. i know that i didn't find it through my typical routes and there really wasn't many photographs...i just had a feeling.

mr. french, b, and i pulled up to the little red house and loved it from the outside. red shakes, firewood on the step, i knew it was going to be cosy. cosy is a bit of an understatement. the sweet little house was small and we were hosting thanksgiving for mr. french's parents too. i was thinking we could make it work...but then it became quite obvious that this home was missing a diningroom and a table big enough to seat the whole french clan. mr. french and b were out back, while i sat inside trying to find a nice spot on the floor to set up a thanksgiving meal, when mr. french came in and said he had found the missing dining room. it was in the garage...

(of course i was way too scatterbrained to get a picture of the whole spread, the photographs were taken in between running back and forth to the main house and really couldn't do this space justice)

it was magical. there was an old record player, twinkly lights and a wood stove. i could have never imagined anything so wonderful. b thought it was his own little hideaway. we ate too much and danced just enough...i want to go back. xo mrs. french

inklore

2009-11-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

do you know sam? i am sure most of you do. if not, you are in for such a special treat. sam is the lovely gal behind the most wonderful block-printed housewares and accessories, inklore. i stumble into sam everywhere and even before i read the words to go with the pictures i know each and every perfect item sam made. she stands out in the best way...

she stands out quietly.

i honestly love it all. i could never pick one, but if i had to choose i would base it on practicality...i need the simplicity apron in canvas. i finally realized why all of my pretty tees were coming up with wee holes in the mid-section...i think sarah may have figured it out. the friction from my icky tile countertops is to blame(typical mrs. french tangent)...this apron is just what i need and so pretty i won't mind wearing it all the time. inklore is pretty and practical...isn't it too wonderful when that happens...

you can see the time, heart, thoughfulness sam puts into each and everyone of her inklore pieces. i can't think of a better reason to put them on your gift list...actually, i can't think of a better gift to give.

thank you sam. you make everthing a bit nicer...xo mrs. french

i heart monday.

2009-11-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

i have missed all of you. i hope my readers here in the states had a lovely thanksgiving...and the rest of you had a beautiful weekend. i have to say there was a bit of magic surrounding the frenches...more later. until then, i hope you enjoy today's list.

i heart this chair.

i heart these green boots.

i heart this tunic.

i heart this stationary.

i heart this faux sheepskin.

I heart these cozy pants.

i heart this dishtowel.

i heart this tote.

i heart this blanket.

i heart this postcard.

i heart this "cashmere tunic."

i heart this tea cosie.

i heart this inspiration board.

i heart this doormat.

i heart these trousers.

i heart this teak tray.

i heart these shoes.

i heart these hairpins.

i heart this cake stand.

i heart this chandelier.

xo mrs. french

we are at the coast without the internet...i am typing this on my phone. happy thanksgiving to you and yours. xo mrs. french

2009-11-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

hansel from basel

2009-11-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

i suddenly have the urge to ditch all of my boring jeans for pretty tights and thigh highs...

hansel from basel is to blame. xo mrs. french

sadie olive

2009-11-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

the charm in vintage pieces are the stories they hold within them. i can't help but think that the stories in sara's shop are more romantic and unforgettable than most. sadie olive is one of my all-time favorites. i think the first things i fell in love with were the pretty french clocks. the clocks drew me in and i kept going back again and again because each piece seems more special than the next and the photography makes my heart beat fast...

i could write a book...if i had the time and needed an idea i could go to sadie olive and i know i could find a story in there somewhere.

even as i write this post, continue to scroll up and down to take it all in.

sara also has a beautiful photography shop, warm whispers...

i am not pretty sure you know how i feel about that. etsy is a prettier place because of ms. sara duckett and her shops. she has also prettied up my bliss and i have to thank her for that too...xo mrs. french

fun.

2009-11-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

{find these lovely deer in bree's shop}

my friend bree made me blush and i liked it...she asked me a few questions for her sweet blog. i am so honored she wanted to ask...

oh and i am in complete awe of her work...a huge photography crush.

xo mrs. french

my happy place: my windowsill

2009-11-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

i am not sure which happened first...my love of whites, grays and browns or b's love of collecting. somehow we merged.

i started putting the bits and baubles b collected on the windowsill above my kitchen sink and something wonderful happened (wonderful to me at least)...

***

i would love to design my surroundings strictly around b's sweet collections. i knew that becoming a mother would inspire me, i just no idea how much. life is nice...xo mrs. french

my happy place: norm arkitekter

2009-11-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

my happy place images this moring come from danish architects norm arkitekter. i was so drawn to the stark white (shocker) combined with warm woods and industrial grays...

many times i feel as if my heart will always lie within traditional interiors...then I see work like this. modern but warm...it's nice to have options...xo mrs. french

via my scandinavian retreat

i heart monday in the afternoon.

2009-11-23T14:20:00.000-08:00

as promised...

I heart this sweater.

I heart this shaker.

I heart this handbag.

I heart this original.

I heart this blouse.

I heart this saint.

I heart this pedestal.

I heart this raincoat.

I heart this creamer.

I heart this poster.

I heart this lamp.

I heart these rugs.

I heart these boots.

I heart this beauty bag.

I heart this agate.

I heart this sweater.

I heart this horse.

I heart this tank.

I heart this hat.

I heart this tin.

I heart these cords.

I heart these boots too.

I heart this case.

I heart this platter.

it's fun to fill my afternoon with hearts...xo mrs. french

little polaroid collections

2009-11-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

finally! monday morning is here! and i have everything in my shop. i say it over and over again...i love polaroid photographs. i love digital as well, but i feel as if polaroid is where my heart resides. i have been trying to come up with a way to display my polaroids that is special and i think i have! presenting....little polaroid collections, now in my shop! each collection is themed and consists of 4 polaroids i love the most mounted on plywerk. each photographic print is mounted on maple plywerk and ready to display however you see fit...i so hope you love them as much as i do. here are the collections that i am so darn proud of:

each collection can be hung or propped...i find the best way to hang them is with velcro, although each piece of plywerk is also ready to hang easily on a nail or picture hanger...

there. it feels real now...i will be back later today with an "i heart" i am also pretty thrilled about...xo mrs. french

pssst...and you can by each polaroid plywerk separately as well...stocking stuffer?

i can't keep it quiet much longer...

2009-11-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

as some of you may know i have taken a liking to polaroid photography. i can't think of many things i like to do more than to point my polaroid at the everyday. i have a drawer full of photographs i have taken with my beloved sx70 or my newest addition the 680. up until now i haven't really added my newest love to my little etsy shop because i was trying to come up with just there right way to put them out there. guess what? i have figured it out and i am so excited and i am so looking forward to sharing....tomorrow morning! monday is going to be so good...xo mrs. french

WristieLove

2009-11-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know how sana of wristielove found me...I am so glad she did because it helped me find her and all the perfection she creates. Throughout the crazy handmade blogging world I am always amazed by the beauty and creativity, and often times run into things that are similar or at the very least in the same category. This has not happened with wristielove...

I have not come across anything like sana's beautiful creations. organic fabrics combined with sana's metal and leather handywork make these bags beautifully unique. Sana also has a pretty blog and tweets a bit...I know this because I have followed her there. I have gotten a glimpse into the lovely person behind wristielove and i can tell you that i really like her...she's really nice (a huge compliment in my book) and a self-proclaimed "sap" like me.

and she has a wedding shop on etsy!

with sweet wedding accessories: corsages, necklaces and bags...all perfectly lovely and not too frilly...

thank you sana for finding me. xo mrs. french

i want a girl.

2009-11-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

if you ask him, anytime during any day, mr. french will tell you that he "willed" b to be a boy. I have to admit that during my pregnancy with b I wanted a boy too. i now have one and it is all that i knew it would be and so much more. as b grows older his boyishness grows and grows...combine that with a very boyish husband and i am up to my eyeballs in boy (beautifully submerged thank you very much).

well guess what? i want a girl. i don't know if a wee french is in our future but if it is i want a girl. some of my very favorites have me thinking of girls all the time (like this one, this one, this one, this one, this one and this one too)...combine that with the feeling of being a bit outnumbered and the urge only grows and grows. now mr. french, he swears that he is only able to make boys and that we are destined to be happy with the one we have or maybe another boyish boy one day...well to that i have to think that i will a girl to be so...pink thoughts, and fingers crossed!

which brings me to these most precious of little girls....

lou and jo have stolen my heart. seriously, i tear up a bit looking at these beautiful photos taken by miss barbara b...the essence of being a girl with a ribbon on top. the rest of barbara's blog is just as perfect (boyish boys included)...and don't get me start on zig zig zig zig...you see what lou and jo are wearing? you can get these pretty clothes at the loveliest of french shops for little ones....

xo mrs. french

grey via etsy

2009-11-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhh....it's taken over! help! I knew that once I started bringing grey on my blog I wouldn't know how to stop. I love it that much! Thank goodness for the abundance lovely greyness out there. I figure the best way to put my beloved grey to rest is with some lovely etsy picks...

there. I feel so much better...complete. There will always be grey on bliss...just not so concentrated for a bit...perhaps the reason for all the grey around here is my Portland surroundings? I suppose it's nice to find the pretty in a grey Portland winter...xo mrs. french

blissful inspiration

2009-11-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

***

apparently, I am not done with this gray obsession...I am thinking a dash of pink would be nice...blissful inspiration ...sfgirbybay ...

xo mrs. french

gray.

2009-11-18T16:00:00.001-08:00

who am i kidding? i constantly feature pretty clothes on bliss...clothes of every color and variety, when in reality my fall/winter wardrobe consists of 90% of one thing...gray sweaters. I do mix it up a bit and have different styles and shapes of gray knits, but I am afraid that they all blend together after awhile. I have found a little collection of grays that do not blend...

net-a-porter*james perse

toast*gap

j.crew*anthropologie

stewart + brown*la garconne

my mind is picturing these all folded up neatly to my current gray collection...I have a feeling jealousy may be an issue...xo mrs. french

p.s. I just found this one:

calypso

it maybe my favorite.

my lack of talent is your gain...a not-so-typical book sale

2009-11-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

I am not at all crafty. It took me awhile to realize it, but I am not. I started to realize that I was purchasing books based on the pretty pictures and besides that I didn't touch them or construct the genius projects inside them. I have decided to put them in the hands of folks that would appreciate them and use them and love them for the crafts inside...oh and there are a couple design books thrown in...I loved them so much I bought them twice (don't ask)...

so...if you feel as if you can give them a proper home contact me by leaving a comment with your email address...let me know which book or books you would be interested in and I will shoot you an email with pricing information. If the price is agreed upon I can invoice you through paypal (which is how I would like to be paid as well) and that's it! easy! first come, first serve...due to high shipping costs, I can only ship in the US. I hope you love them like I never could...

book list:

handmade modern~todd oldham

lotta prints~lotta jansdotter

in stitches~amy butler

simple sewing~lotta jansdotter

doodle stitching~aimee ray

last-minute fabric gifts~cynthia treen

last-minute patchwork gifts~joelle hoverson

the family at home: love. life. style.~anita kaushal

the complete book of retro crafts~suzie millions

sweet needle felts~jenn docherty

bend-the-rules-sewing~amy karol

simple style~julia bird (softcover)

craft inc.~meg mateo ilasco

lovely gifts courtesy of the best sponsors in the world...

2009-11-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

good morning dears...it is my first sponsor gift list of the season! I absolutely loved compiling this! the more I perused the prouder I became....when I started bliss, I had no idea where it would lead. I had no idea I would ever be lucky enough to acquire sponsors and such perfect ones?...a magical surprise...

1. cupcakes to your door~saint cupcake, 2. sqirrel lamp~farmhouse wares, 3. round travel case~sadie olive, 4. sphere holder~fey handmade, 5. prairie en forest bonbon~bonbon oiseau, 6. lucia candle~shoestring home, 7. fine art metallic print~roadside photographs, 8. notecard set~two brunettes, 9. confetti~twig, 10. lavender room and linen spray~amala, 11. natural linen silhouette pillow, le papier studio, 12. personal illustration (I want one of the french abode)~pve design

there will be more gift lists to come! so nice to shop from the comforts of my bliss...xo mrs. french

my happy place: the beautiful work of joanna henderson

2009-11-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

I am moving into joanna henderson's portfolio. I realize that joanna did not take all of these photographs in the same home, but this is my blog and I am going to pretend she did. Forget flow....I want it all....

and of course the ribbons strewn on big trees with a wooden dress structure are a must for the backyard...I love having a blog. xo mrs. french

~via joanna henderson and sarah kay representation