Read my latest Articles below

We are In Country Living Magazine so lets Have a Giveaway!!

March 10th, 2010

Paris House Boutique6

We are back in beautiful New Jersey, (yes believe it or not parts of NJ are absolutely drop~ dead ~gorgeous), and before we leave for the second part of our vacation I want to post again, I miss blogging and I miss all of you so much!!

~Country Living April Magazine~

We are so thrilled to have our sweet toile cake server featured in The April issue of Country Living Magazine.  April is on the stands now, pick up a copy to find lovely ideas for entertaining and Easter celebrations.  You can also visit on line here.

We are offering 10% off all our toile pieces now through April. Find them HERE enter Country Living when you check out to receive the discount.

And you know how we love to celebrate all of life’s good things so we are giving away one of our green toile petite cake stands to one of our lucky readers.

Simply leave a comment.  The winner will be announced April 30th.

This giveaway is for both our Domestic and International Readers.

September Baby

We use our toile cake stands at many of our parties year~round

Entertaining for St. Patrick’s Day

We are almost never home on St. Patrick’s Day as we travel that time of the year.  However If we are at the condo in Florida we often cooked and celebrated down there, if we are someplace else in the World then we just make a fun meal as soon as we return home.  The photos below are just horrid in their quality, so I apologize in advance, however if you can just use your wonderfully creative imaginations I am sure you will be able to imagine that the table was lovely in person.  That party was 7 years ago and the photos were scanned and taken using very poor methods, meaning I didn’t know what the heck I was doing!!

Scans1

I just adore the mix of greens and violets together.  I am dreaming of the first Pansies that will be coming up in my English Garden soon!

Scans

Everyone went home with a lovely potted Violet and of course lots of Whiskey that we brought back from Ireland as gifts for all our guests.  The Belleek statue is one of my favorite pieces.  I purchased it after climbing the Cliffs of Moor in Ireland on a lovely day.

blog_0003

We used antique/vintage Limoge plates that are a gift from my parents.

blog_0025


IMG_0094

A lucky guest got to take this spectacular gift basket home.  I am the Queen of the Basket raffle, I absolutely love to give gifts.

blurred_version


We printed this up to let all know the contents in the basket.

IMG_8598

They say Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.  My husband is Jewish and I am Italian and English but we always celebrate this fun day !

Homemade Bailey Irish Whiskey Espresso Coffee Ice Cream, topped with hot Espresso and whipped Cream.

This is a delicious after dinner drink, after dinner espresso and dessert all in one.  It is perfect for St Patrick’s Day served fireside after dinner while enjoying one of the season’s last cozy fires before Spring arrives.  It is very easy to prepare and looks elegant served in cut crystal Irish coffee mugs with a long spoon so you don’t miss one delicious drop.  I found the beautiful Waterford crystal mugs at Blarney Castle in Ireland a few years ago and had them shipped home.  They take this lovely drink to the next level by making it every bit as beautiful as it is delicious. When I drink this I can close my eyes and dream of the charming thatched cottages in the Irish countryside, smell the fresh green grass that goes on forever, hear the lovely accents and kindness in the voices of all the people I met in Ireland.  This is truly a time of the year when everyone is a wee bit Irish.

BAILEYS IRISH ESPRESSO COFFEE ICE CREAM

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream

1 cup of brewed espresso coffee, chilled- I used Medaglia D’oro

2 Tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream

2 Tablespoons of Irish Whiskey- I used Kilbeggan that I found in Ireland and still have sent to me.  can find online  www.kilbeggan.com

1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon of sugar

pinch of salt

mix the first 6 (wet) ingredients together in a bowl.

add the sugar and salt together in a separate bowl, mix and then add to bowl with milk and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Cover and refrigerate for a few hours and then pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the maker’s instructions.  This took me about one hour in the machine.  Then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze over night or until firm, at least 3 hours.

serve a few scoops of ice cream in a glass coffee mug, top with hot espresso and some whipped cream and serve with a spoon.

Fashion


Spring 09

Fashion Fun

It has been gorgeous here and it was amazing on our Spring Skiing vacation.  We are home briefly and then we are off for another week of travel. It was so gorgeous today that I put on a pair of sky high red sandals and met friends for a business lunch while I am back in NJ.

dress~Missoni ( I got it for a steal)

Shoes~ are part of the new Jimmy Choo 24/7 collection, Saks Fifth Avenue

Handbag~ Marc Jacobs, I have had it for several years

Necklaces ~ Coach and The Paris House Boutique

Toile Cake Stand ~ The Paris House Boutique

Flowers~ from our garden last Spring

Twig Planter~ We found ours a couple years ago at Vivre, they may be on sale now???


Spring 2010

A quick spritz of Dior’s Sweet Sun and this outfit and I was out the door for a fabulous lunch with friends.

The Missoni dress came above the knee so paired with these red shoes it was far from boring, yet it was still tailored and classic.

~background Daffodils were from our Spring Gardens Last year~

I am off to visit all of you over the next couple days before we leave on Vacation!

Don’t forget to visit Tablescape Thursdays, Foodie Fridays and Pink Saturday for lovely recipes and table setting ideas and of course pretty pink finds.

We will announce the winner of our Giveaway, April 30th

tablescape thursdays

foodie friday

pink saturday


Dinner at La Maison Parisienne

March 3rd, 2010

DSCN2234

~ The Cupcake Flower Tower~

find it in our Boutique Here

Happy March everyone!  Today was mild and sunny, a lovely way to go into March but does that mean we will be going out like a lion?? Goodness I hope not.  Last week the boys were home for days as we were blanketed with nearly 2 feet of white powdery snow.  I must admit I loved it, the snow twinkled like Fairy Lights when my gardens were lit up at night and during the daytime it provided hours of outdoor entertainment for me and my boys. However I am greatly anticipating Spring and getting back in my gardens.

Winter 201022

{ The old fireplace in the woods on the way down to our little flowing stream, It must be over 200 years old }

We took a walk down to our stream with the dogs.  That is our Sweet Rufus, he is the dog we rescued a month ago.  He is so sweet and wonderful, it is as if we have had him forever.  Ruffie comes everywhere with me. Mr. Bunny is in love, even Dorkalicious, (how horrid is D’s nickname, poor dear ) is smitten, he was with him for hours the other night, everyone who meets this sweet little boy falls in love.

We also entertained  Friends and Family Saturday night.  Our home is always filled with children, family, friends and pets.  I love having a house full of people. I don’t like quiet, I’m no longer accustomed to it and it makes me sad. Even though there is always so much commotion going on here it still somehow remains tranquil.  I’m telling you I laughed so hard Saturday night that my abdominal muscles hurt Sunday morning.  Dorkalicious and I had created this ridiculously funny story/scenario/plot , its a long story, you know the kind where you have to be there to find the humor in it, and having a few glasses of Champagne in you doesn’t hurt.  Never~the~less I laughed, ate and drank for hours.

{Thanks W,K,L,J,T,J,C,S,T,O,&F for coming I had a great time!!!}

DSCN2138

menu

More of those Pepperoni Pinwheels, Homemade dips, Shrimp Cocktail, French Baguette and Honey Brie with Mesclun salad and pistachios, Swedish meatballs,

Julie Child’s Beef Bourguignon recipe , Gratin De  Pommes De Terre Aux Anchois, Broccoli cheese Casserole,

Magic Bars, More  Marie Antoinette Strawberry glazed petite cupcakes,  Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes topped with Violets

recipe for Chocolate Ganache HERE

Winter 201022

Wine, Champagne, Mixed Drinks, Seltzers, Coffees

DSCN2149

~ All I had to do is open the French Doors that lead to our Wrap Around Porch to find creative inspiration for our dinner table~

The Table Setting

I had absolutely no idea how I was going to set my table, but I knew I wanted it to be very elegant.  Even though I was cooking a French dish that could certainly be considered  rustic, I knew I didn’t want a French Country Theme.  I like French Country, but this dish was being made with Beef Tenderloin and we were entertaining on a Saturday Evening. I wanted more elegant and formal. I will say no matter how formal the setting is, my husband and I are very laid back and our home always feels warm and welcoming.

When I am not sure of my design theme I often open the door and look outside to be inspired.I looked out onto our wrap around porch and looked at the colors outdoors.  Then I went into my ‘Bag of Tricks” and pulled out gorgeous napkin rings that I purchased at S.F.K. in San Francsico. They reflected the look of the Blue Spruce and Evergreen trees.  Then I pulled out the elegant white dinner plates to tie in the white snow, next, sparkling crystal glasses to show off the way the snow was sparkling in the evening. As for napkins, the sky was a faint bluish grey so I pulled in the perfect shade with gorgeous over sized linen  napkins.  I went with very chic  gold modern flatware to keep the table from becoming to busy. We placed beautiful votives around the table, simple elegant Lilies and gorgeous French topiaries that are potted in very very old antique urns found in England.

Winter 201024

All the appetizers were set on our antique gate-leg table in the kitchen and the bar was in the room directly off the kitchen keeping a nice flow.

My favorite part was the ‘Cupcake and Flower Tower’ as Oliver called it.  We used our three tiered wooden round tray from the paris house boutique, and filled it with mini cupcakes, elegant linen wrapped votive candles and glasses filled with a variety of simple grocery store flowers that Mr. Bunny picked up for us.  I found it enchanting especially when lit up at night.

Winter 201021

{ Images of Flowers and Cupcakes, by my son Samuel }

Fashion:

For me living Creatively encompasses more than just one aspect of design. I love designing the rooms that beautiful living takes place in.  I love designing the tables that beautiful conversation takes place at.  Of course I love creating the delicious food that makes people happy and creating the most delicious cocktails that make people giddy.   Creating gardens enables us to bring beautiful arrangements indoors to enhance our homes year round.  Even my little sketches that I put in my scrapbooks delights my creative senses.  Fashion is no different to me, I enjoy using my body as a blank canvas to put together  something pretty, just as a table is my blank canvas.  I love everything about fashion and how it tells the story of my mood that day.

Recently Updated

My sweet husband spoils me,  part of my Valentine’s Day gift from him are these fabulous Badgley Mischka shoes . They were perfect at my dinner party.  When it comes to fragrance  I like to layer lotion with a couple different perfumes, varying my scents almost daily.  This Lemony luscious fragrance is one that I used in the mix Saturday evening.  Annick Goutal’s fragrance fill me with joy, especially, L’ Eau d’ Hadrien in this hand painted limited edition bottle. Find it here. It is incredible.

I’m not a huge fan of any strong perfume, I like to smell pretty and edible like a delicious piece of fruit and a lovely bouquet of flowers, throw in a little almonds and coconut and it is bliss.

I hope you enjoyed the little tour of our party and weekend fun. Now I am off to rest.  I had a root canal last night and didn’t get home from it until 9pm! . I am still having pain in this blasted tooth of mine and migraine headaches on the same side.  So I am going to take it easy for awhile, I’m not sure when I will be posting again.  Most likely in 1 to 2 weeks.  The boys start their Spring Break soon and are on Vacation for 2 & 1/2 weeks, I’m so excited!! We have a few fun trips planned now and over the next 3 months, which we are fitting in around Mr. Bunny’s work schedule which has been extremely hectic lately.  Things should calm down once these deals are finalized and signed off on soon. My son Teddy picked The Bahamas and Disney as his 13th birthday present and a little ski trip up in Vermont, just as I assumed he would.  It should be fun.  We are also working on a barge trip in France when time permits, but I am getting psyched planning for it. I’m excited to buy lovely items for my boutique and home!

I will do my best to visit you and please feel free to email me anytime if you feel like talking!!  I may not have a chance to blog but I always have time to send a quick email out to you!

and thank you for your patience with my loooooooong Post

Please stop by Tablescape Thursdays, Foodie Fridays and Pink Saturday to find hundreds of gorgeous table settings, yummy recipes and beaucoup de pink loveliness.

Foodie Friday Logo 2

tablescape thursdays

DSCN2303

{ Le Jardin Hiver at The Paris House}

This week for Pink Saturday I decided to keep it short and sweet and share my favorite watering can with you. ( I am posting this picture now because I won’t have time over the weekend )  This beauty is from England and of all my watering cans in my collection this hands down is my favorite.  It makes me happy every time I use it.

pink saturday

Live Life Beautifully and I will see you soon

Making Cupcakes for Marie Antoinette

February 24th, 2010

Paris Class2

Join us for a happy little get together with Marie Antoinette as our muse. Inspired by one of my favorite Vintage postcards that I brought back from Paris when I was studying there as a carefree teenage girl many years ago.

I sent this card to my beloved Grandparents while I was in Paris and they saved it for years. After they passed away I brought it back to my home to cherish forever.

I studied on a full scholarship and It changed my life.

I teach workshops from our farmhouse on occasion when time permits. My Paris class is my most requested, I even pack up all my party supplies and give my classes at local libraries and organizations. Each time I say it too much work and I will not do it again. But I never say no and end up going and enjoying every minute of it. My 16 year old son Sam handles a lot of our videos, movies and photography and the bonus is I get to spend valuable time with my oldest son.

Paris Class

People go ‘crazy’ when they realize Marie Antoinette’s head pops-off!! You just press a button and off flies her head! I place one doll at each place~setting.

The doll was purchased in San Francisco on our travels, The Laduree tea was brought back from Paris. The ceramic fruit arrangement came back with me from London and the lovely tableclothth was purchased in Giverny with my family. The French antique plate underneath the doll was found while traveling way up north in Vermont with my Grandmother Margaret. I can still picture her looking out the window with a big smile on her face and I can hear her say while I was driving ” Michele Honey this is one of the best days ever” It sure was Grandma!

Paris Class1

“The World Is My Playground Workshops” here http://www.theparishouse.com/workshops- for more Paris pictures and travel.

The Paris House Classes are a fun and informative gathering with a travel slideshow on our place of interest, a talk with questions and answers, recipe and menu planning ideas, how to make a cocktail segment, Chic and comfortable fashion ideas for travel, ( we believe you should look gorgeous but be comfortable when you travel)  party planning, shortcut and budgets for planning theme parties, special craft ideas, shopping/shipping home on your travels and much more.

I can’t remember If I ever posted the recipe for these delicious and super easy cupcakes, they have a very light glaze not an icing, they are yummy.

Strawberry Glazed Cupcake Recipe

Don’t forget to pop over and visit the talented blogger’s at Tablescape Thursdays for hundreds of ideas on setting gorgeous tables. Then Friday head on over to ‘Foodie Friday’s‘ to find recipes to some of the most delicious food around. Then Saturday it is off to ‘Pink Saturday’ my favorite color if you haven’t noticed.

tablescape thursdays

Foodie Friday Logo 2

pink saturday

~Enjoy~

*** I also want to wish a very Happy 13th birthday to my son TEDDY, he is a sweet sweet boy and I love him so much. I barely made it to the hospital and he was born!! My sweet OBGYN questioned where I was and why I got to the hospital in full labor about to give birth any second. My answer: I was hungry and at a party!! Teddy requested a week of fun, starting with his favorite chicken dish, espresso glazed brownies and then a day at the movies with his friends. As a birthday present when our kids turn 13 we let them chose our family vacation, anyplace they want to travel to. My oldest son Sam chose Paris a few years ago when he turned 13, he has been going since he was a baby and loves it. I have a feeling Teddy will not be picking Paris, he is more of a snow boarder/skier.. we shall see???? Is more snow in my future????? Why can’t he pick Morocco???

100_1032

~Santorini Greece~

What are all of you up to this weekend? We are having a party Saturday night and I will be very busy getting ready for it the next couple days. We are also expecting a ton of snow..again!! At least I will be snowed in and have plenty of time to cook, bake, put together my playlist on the iPod and prepare for our party. It is going to be a French theme…Ooh La La.

~I love parties~

Have a lovely weekend

Gadget Goddess in a Pretty Dress

February 20th, 2010

GIRLS  OF ALL AGES LOVE THEIR TOYS:

GADGET # 1

about_themakeupplayer

I am a huge fan of Stila products, I fake a lot of my ‘Glow’ by using Stila! When I saw this on the Today Show one morning and in just about every magazine I looked at I knew I had to get it.

beautytube_logo_side

This sleek black makeup case comes with 5 Beauty Products, a CD to give you custom makeup lessons and you can easily plug-in your MP3 player, iPod, or any Smart Phone and listen to your favorite music while you get gorgeous!!

You get to chose the makeup according to your skin color, fair, light, medium or dark.  Stila’s Grapefruit Lip Gloss is a staple in my makeup bag and it is one of the products that you get in the Stila makeup case along with an trio of eyeshadow, a makeup brush, their new all in one foundation, a blush.  You get a makeup lesson CD that you can download and then watch on your mp3 player while you apply your makeup.

banda_more

Even better is the price $69.00 on line at www.stila.com ( $250.00 value!)

Its hard to buy 5 cosmetics for that price, not to mention makeup lessons, and a sound dock for your music.

I used a BlackBerry and it worked great, I also hooked up our iPod and that worked well, the sound isn’t as great as my iPod’s sound dock but it was pretty darn good.  I am really into gadgets and this one doesn’t disappoint and anytime I can find further use for my BlackBerry I’m thrilled.

I would give this high marks, for fun, usefullness, originality, great products, and a great price.

When my Girlfriends were over the other night we turned up the music, poured cocktails and put on makeup just like in high school. And We still talk about boys!!

GADGET #2

The HP Photosmart Premium Printer

cd734a_angle_right

This little number is the World’s first printer with apps and it is more fun they you can ever imagine a printer could be.  First of all I am a huge fan of ‘Snapfish’ I use it all the time.  My HP Printer has an app for Snapfish so I can wirelessly print photos and create away without my computer anywhere in sight.  There are coupon, recipe, game, gossip, and news apps.  Not to mention Disney, Pixar, Nick, Fandango, HP, puzzles, crafts, maps and more.  Of course it prints, faxes, scans and copies in seconds.  Oliver loves the Disney and kids apps, he prints and then plays and creates.  He also makes note and greeting cards effortlessly. This printer rocks!!


GADGET #3

The Nikon Camera

coolpix fina

Mr. Bunny gave me this because I thought I had broken my little Canon ( see below).  It is easy to use, takes great pictures and its a breeze to upload videos and pictures to my computer.

GADGET #4

Cannon Camera

canon

Here is my little ‘Cannon’ the one that I told Mr. Bunny I broke and then managed to get a new Nikon.  I wasn’t lying it really didn’t work, but it fixed itself, it always does somehow.

This camera has been around the World, fallen in water, dropped at least a thousand times and still works!

It is a great little backup camera when I don’t want to bring my Nikon.

GADGET # 5

BlackBerry Storm

bb_phone_storm29550

I can’t function without my BlackBerry, it is like having a 24 hour a day personal assistant. It runs my life for me.

I’m addicted to it.

GADGET #6

MacBook

product-white-hero

Dare I say my Mac has changed my life!?  It does it all and it does it effortlessly.  Lets just say ‘Once you go Mac you never go Back” Hey I should get paid for that slogan!!!

GADGET #7

THE iPod

ipodtouch-hero-8gb

I have hundreds and hundreds of songs on my iPod and a sound dock that rocks the party all night long. It was also a breeze to sink all of my music onto my Mac.

WISH LIST GADGET:

Mac iPad

iPad

I can’t wait to get this one! When I do, I’ll let you know what I think!!

5 years ago my New Year’s Resolution was to ‘Become a Gadget Goddess’ and I did.  Now there is no stopping me!!! Learn something new today, its a lot of fun!!

THE DRESS:

This dress isn’t exactly a ‘Gadget’ but I love it.  Just purchased it at Anthropologie.  It is so comfortable, affordable and comes in a few colors.  It can be worn alone or with a cardigan over it.  A perfect casual transition dress!

~tights Wolford, shoes Cole Haan, handbag Prada, although the handbag is MIA~

BTW, it was my most complimented outfit I wore last week.  It runs big, this is a 2 and it is very loose, size 2’s Do Not run big on me. ( I pulled the tie very tightly in the back ) so keep that in mind if you order it.

~Just a note, I do not work  for or have any affiliation with these companies, I just love their products and highly recommend them~

I hope your week is Marvelous.  I will see you soon with Fashion, Recipes, Table Settings and More.

DSCN1812

An Elegant Dinner

February 17th, 2010

Winter 201016

How are all my sweet friends doing today?  We are busy here as usual but I wanted to participate in Tablescape Thursdays so I got my act together and decided to set a table fast but still elegantly.  Sometimes I give myself ‘the 5 minute challenge’ where the idea must come to me quickly, everything I need must be already in my home and it needs to have a simple delicious meal accompany it.

My inspiration here is the antique table you see in the pictures.  We were in the city on Monday and stopped by the Apartment to visit our Aunt and Uncle.  They surprised us with this table and another gorgeous European Marble Topped side table that you will see below.  We filled the SUV with the two gorgeous antique tables and two modern chairs that I just love. And you know how much I love mixing my modern and antiques…I was in designer heaven!

Josh’s Aunt and Uncle are two of the kindest people you can ever meet.  They may not know it but they are our role models, Seriously they are dream parents and grandparents.  These lovely antiques are even more special because they are from them.

DSCN1786

I set the table close by the fireplace and polished the mahogany wood until it sparkled in the candlelight.  Can you tell how much I love this table.  In the Spring I plan to put old painted white chairs around, for now I just used some of our extra gold chairs.

All the dishes are antique fish plates that I have collected.  I must be dreaming of Spring and trout fishing season in Vermont. I served a delicious fish dish that took about 5 minutes to prepare.

DSCN1775

If you haven’t figured this out yet, I love to make it easy but make it look like it took hours!  Then Mr. Bunny worships me and thinks I must be exhausted…shhhh please don’t tell him.

Winter 201019

White Chocolate Cheesecake with a Passion Fruit Sauce

DSCN1705

I found this in the Lilly Pulitzer Seasons Cookbook.  My husband and Oliver loved it.  I loved the Basil Grande Cocktails AKA  lenorenevermore as I now call it.  Thanks to the fabulous Lenore, who sent me this link, I now have a new favorite cocktail….trust me it is delicious.

Collages2

This was the easiest Sole Meuniere recipe I have ever made and it is delicious.

Winter 201018

This is the other antique table that I mentioned above.  It is so gorgeous.  It is in my still unfinished studio/craftroom/business meeting-all purpose room.  We need to take walls out to remove a huge antique copper tub, until that takes place I really can’t do anything else.  Oh well I have no time anyway.

My cute bunny is from Amy’s shoppe at Bunnyrosecottage.  I have a thing for Bunnies.

Winter 201017

Now onto some casual fashion.  This is my Townie t shirt that the wonderful southern belle Shellbelle at Shellbelle’s Tiki Hut made for me in my signature hot pink.

I was on a mission to have a townie t shirt, aren’t we all???

The fuchsia scarf thingy around my neck is from Calypso.

I also want to thank Susu of Susu Paris Chic for the award.  Thank you it means a lot to me.  I also want to thank Red lipstick style for the great skincare book I won in the giveaway!!

Stop by and visit these ladies when you have time. They are so stylish and sweet.

Oliver asked me to pass the award onto him.

International_Bloggers_Community_Award

Also stop by Tablescape Thursdays, Foodie Friday’s and Pink Saturday this week where you will find amazing recipes and table setting ideas.

Have a great day

tablescape thursdays

foodie friday

pink saturday

Blog Widget by LinkWithin