Happy Birthday to ME...

Today is my birthday, I have just turned... are you kidding?  think I would tell you??

Its been a stunning day all around and I feel tired from the heat and just getting out and about. Of course there was a bit of French flavour on my special day - firstly a trip to Yvonne Sanders Antiques in Auckland at 474 Manukau Road. I checked out the French tiles, chandeliers and furniture - nice, nice, nice but nothing really grabbed my fancy.

Then we made our way along to Newmarket where we checked out some shops we dont normally browse - book shops (oh my god, so many nice books on you know where), kitchenwear shops (French knives...) and ended up along in Parnell at Corsa De Flori (hope I  have spelt it correctly) and Cavit Interiors. A $46,000 dining table reduced to a mere $27,000 on special - I kid you not. Didnt buy that!!

Home now to relax for a bit and maybe read some of my new autobiography about an Aussie woman and her French boyfriend... bliss.

Enjoy your day - I certainly have

Christchurch in our thoughts today

Christchurch is in all New Zealanders minds today - you think about it abit and try to imagine how people are feeling and coping, you go and make a cup of tea and get distracted for a bit and then suddenly, you remember it again.

Thinking about you Christchurch and all the people who are scared, grieving, shocked and trying to get through another hour


xxx

NZ Herald " A French Affair".....oh la la!!

In todays NZ Herald is an article about Amanda Taylor-Ace, originally from Devonport in Auckland who, 12 years ago or so upped sticks and made her way to live in Provence. What a life - she has developed a neat old traditional style farm house into a kind of B&B and markets her rooms and tours (cooking, walking etc).

The article has a great line in it - "In the short time I have spent with her, she has me privately questioning the choices I am making in my life"- don't we all know that feeling!! Here is a lady who is living her life and living her own dreams in technicolour and you have to respect that.

http://www.joiedevivre-unlimited.com/

I had heard about Amanda - she is talked about regularly in books by an Aussie woman who has written a couple of really funny travel books about France. Check out Anne Rickards book "Ooh La La! A French Romp"...

Their paying you to go to France!!

Ok that got your attention but seriously - if your young, doing advanced Uni study, interested in beautiful old France and care to apply check out the "New Zealand-France Friendship Fund Excellence Scholarship"on http://www.nzvcc.ac.nz/scholarships/nzfff

Why can't I find a fund or scholarship prepared to pay me to travel to France (I'll need First Class Travel of course plus a bit of accommodation and money for sightseeing...) and do 'research' myself - I am sure I could be EXCELLENT at it!!

Cheers

Dahlia "French Doll"

How beautiful Dahlias are - they are a recent discovery for me, only really in the last year but what a selection, what colours, what beauty.

But, I confess, I did not love the Dahlia "French Doll"- sad but true - she (are Dahlias female?) was so subtle beside the vibrant colours of her sister Dahlias - enjoy the photo of the very chic white French Doll.

Check out the options at Dahlia Haven in Auckland - http://www.dahliahaven.co.nz/