Sleeping Beauty

So, don't you want to look like that? I'm going to tell you my secret. Come closer, it's not like I can yell it on all blogland...

Est-ce que ça vous dirait de ressembler à la Belle-au-Bois-Dormant? Approchez un peu, je vais vous livrer mon secret. Mais avant cela, vous devriez écouter cette divine musique que Tchaïkovski a composé sur ce conte. Cela vous mettra dans l'ambiance.

Maybe you should first listen to this. Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty is one of my favourite ballet music. I say that a lot, but seriously there are some ballet music I could be listening to all day long - my neighbours are complaining in the summer.

So I can't guarantee you to become as beautiful as Aurélie Dupont... Today is about a secret, not a miracle.

But if you want to keep a smooth skin during the cold months of winter, I'm going to share my recipe.

It was inspired by a famous French brand that made great skin softener, as you can see on their former catalogue.

Bon, j'ai plus ou moins piqué la recette à une célèbre marque de produits de beauté. Malheureusement, ils ont arrêté de commercialiser leurs mélanges d'huile pour le visage. Alors, cet hiver, j'ai décidé de refaire ma préférée.

And then, they stopped selling them. Last winter, I tried different kinds of natural oils, but they didn't work as well.

So this year, I made my own, inspired by their recipe.

 

For this recipe, I use some of the tiny bottles on the bottom shelf of this cabinet, that you might have notice in the previous post.

Pour réaliser cette recette, j'ai utilisé les petites bouteilles que je garde dans l'encoignure que vous avez peut-être vue dans l'article précédent.

In a small bottle, mix: Dans la bouteille, mélangez:

• 15 mL (one tablespoon) of sunflower oil / 15 mL d'huile de tournesol;
•  15 mL (one tablespoon) of grapeseed oil / 15 mL d'huile de pépins de raisin;
•  15 mL (one tablespoon) of pumpkin seed oil / 15 mL d'huile de pépins de courge;
• 12 drops of lemon essential oil / 12 gouttes d'huile essentielle de citron;
• 6 drops of pelargonium graveolens essential oil / 6 gouttes d'huile essentielle de géranium rosat;
• 6 drops of petitgrain bigarade (a kind of bitter orange) essential oil/ 6 gouttes d'huile essentielle de petitgrain bigarade;
• 6 drops of ylang-ylang (cananga odorata) essential oil/ 6 gouttes d'huile essentielle d'ylang-ylang.

 Shake well! Secouez bien!

Apply every evening on your face.

It smells evenly good.

I'm not a specialist in essential oils, but I've read a few books. As a rule, I always use less drops than what is advised as I know it's powerful stuff. The recipe above is the one I personally use.

Appliquez sur votre visage chaque soir. Attention, ne l'utilisez pas le matin car les huiles essentielles d'agrumes sont photo-sensibilisantes. Remarquez que les parfumeurs en utilise de plus en plus sans mettre de mises en garde.

Don't use it in the morning though as all citrus essential oils are not to be used on the skin if you go in the sun. I already noticed that some famous brand use them without any warning on their packaging...

I can promise you'll go to bed with a nice smell surrounding you  and you'll wake up without the dryness and cardboard feeling on your sheeks that is usual in winter (its' not just me, is it?).

Je vous assure que vous vous coucherez enveloppée d'une délicieuse odeur et que vous vous réveillerez sans avoir les joues qui tirent. N'hésitez pas à partager vos petits trucs beauté pour l'hiver dans les commentaires.

Thanks for visiting and let me know if you try the recipe or if you have any good natural winter tips.

I'm sharing this tip at the following parties:

 

 

Into The Blue

You know how when a TV show is very successful but comes to an end, there's a movie made out of it and you're completely disappointed by the movie even if you loved the series? This is what's happening on this blog today.

Quand une série télé a beaucoup de succès, on en tire un film qui immanquablement vous déçoit, même si vous étiez un fan de la première heure de la série... C'est plus ou moins ce qui se passe aujourd'hui sur ce blog.

I'm really not good at selling myself, am I?

Je ne suis vraiment pas douée pour me faire mousser, hein?

The series on how to use blue in your home was a completely unexpected success for me. So I decided to write one more post about it. I really wished I had my own wondeful blue dining-room to show you... But, no! Still, there are a couple of blue items in the Little White House, that crept in without me even noticing. What I mean is: I wasn't looking for blue items, they just seduced me. I hope you won't be too disappointed by them and will fall in love with them as well.

 

La série sur l'utilisation du bleu en décoration a eu un succès que je n'attendais pas. J'ai donc décidé de la prolonger d'un article en vous montrant quelques éléments bleus qui agrémentent la Petite Maison. J'aimerais avoir une pièce finie à vous montrer, mais pour cela il me faut un peu plus de temps. En attendant, voici quelques objets qui m'ont séduite.

It might have begun with this tea cup.

Cette tasse a été trouvée dans un vide-grenier à Etables-sur-Mer.

I found it in an attic sale last summer.

I also found this covered whatever-it-is in an attic sale. I love its shape.

C'est dans un autre vide-grenier que j'ai trouvé cette bonbonnière dont j'adore la forme.

Last summer was definitely my blue summer as I used some blue when I painted that bed-side table.

Cet été, j'avais aussi utilisé un bleu très clair (Borrowed Light de Farrow & Ball) pour la niche de cette table de nuit, dans laquelle se trouve une petite boite que j'adore et un mug que j'aime encore plus.

You have to trust me here, the inside is painted a soft blue, "borrowed light" by Farrow and Ball... But my cheap camera doesn't do it justice.

On it are two of my favourite things (and, yes, I have many "favourite things").

The Wedgwood box and...

 

the Wedgwood mug that was in it.

It was a gift from a dear friend: she went to London last year and when she walked past the Wedgwood shop, she thought "isn't that the shop Magali is fond of?". I have no idea how she remembered that, given that she doesn't care at all for china...

C'est une amie qui me l'a ramené de Londres où en passant devant la boutique, elle a pensé à moi. 

Blue also saved a corner cabinet I was repainting last summer. I first painted it all white... And it was just "blah". I then painted the inside blue and since it's just "wow". You're going to take my word on the "wow" though as it is impossible to take a good picture of it now that it's back in place in my tiny bathroom. I apologize for the wonkiness of the picture.

I was trying to keep my balance, one foot on the edge of the bath-tub, an other on the sink while taking this picture... Oh, and I have the fluette, which doesn't help.

In case I lost you, the fluette is like the flu: sore throat, headache and sore body, so you don't feel your best, but you're not sick enough to stay in bed and not go to work...

Le bleu a aussi sauvé ce projet de meuble de coin: tout blanc, je le trouvais extrêmement "plat", mais un peu de bleu à l'intérieur lui a donné la profondeur voulue et permet de faire un écrin pour les vieilles bouteilles de pharmacie en verre épais ou pour mon pot à thé rose.

Enough with my health, I love how the blue is the perfect background for my old pharmacy bottles and pink tea caddy (it is a tea caddy, isn't it? - I'm really not sure how it's called in English).

Each of this items were thrifted for a few euros in attic sales... Thanks God for people who have no idea what they are selling!

Chacun de ces petits objets a été trouvé dans des vide-greniers pour quelques euros.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

PS: You can always found the "original" series here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Vous pouvez toujours retrouver la série originale ici: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Please, join me to the following parties:

I'll Have A Blue Birthday

The Sea Colour File - part 6

The Little White House needs major renovation before decoration can even begin, so there's no painting of any wall blue for now, nor any sewing of any blue curtains that would be doomed to be dusty in a few days...

La Petite Maison a besoin de beaucoup de gros travaux de rénovation avant que la décoration proprement dite puisse commencer. Du coup, nul coup de peinture, bleue ou autre, ne peut être passé sur les murs, ce qui est parfois un peu frustrant.

But as January is my birth month, I thought I could show some blue items that are on my wishlist, just in case someone who is supposed to be looking for a gift is reading my blog (you never know!).

Mais comme janvier est mon mois anniversaire, j'ai pensé que je pouvais mettre ici quelques objets bleus qui m'ont attiré l'oeil pour cloturer cette série... Si jamais quelqu'un censé m'offrir un cadeau passait par là.... Ben, quoi, on peut bien rêver!

I love Le Creuset. I already have a red casserole, but since I accidently burnt something in it, it's in a pitiful state... I was planning on buying a black one... But preparing the blue file, look what I found!

Speaking of Le Creuset, I love those mugs!

Le Creuset, j'adore! Mais je déteste que pour une raison que j'ignore les coloris disponibles en France soient limités. Regardez ce qu'ils proposent aux Anglais. Allez, cette envie de traverser la Manche me reprend.

Since we're in the kitchen, kitchen appliances could be a nice way to add colour!

Tiens, tant qu'on est dans la cuisine, quelques appareils ménagers peuvent être une façon d'apporter une touche de couleur... Encore une fois tous les coloris KicthenAid ne sont pas disponibles en France... Mais ils nous en veulent ou quoi?

Via Eva Designs

Since lots of people are complaining about my phone whose sound isn't really good, I think this one would look perfect in the dining-room.

J'imagine parfaitement ce téléphone sur la sellette de la salle-à-manger.

I have an obsession lately for opaline. What do you think of this one?

Je suis un peu accro à l'opaline et à sa façon de capter la lumière en ce moment. Que dites-vous de celle-là?

Via Brocanplus

I like everything Royal Albert and I adore their "100 Years" series, especially the Polka Rose tea set.

J'adore la vaisselle Royal Albert et je suis folle de leur nouvelle série de rééditions, surtout ce motif-là, ré-interprétation d'un modèle des années 30.

Ok, ok, this might be a little too much. Maybe the mug would be enough.

 

How nice would it be to sip my English coffee (translate my very weak coffee) I usually have when I mark papers from this mug?

Did you notice how the colour seem to change from one picture to an other? If any one has a piece of this series, would you be so kind as to tell me what the colour looks like in reality?

Those blue items that could be used to add a pop of blue in any home were the finale from this series. It was so much fun to research, to write and then to read your comments about it!
You can find the previous parts here: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5.

Je me suis bien amusée à faire des recherches pour écrire cette série et j'ai adoré lire vos idées dans les commentaires.
Vous pouvez retrouver les épisodes précédents ici: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

I heard through the grapevine that there might be a post idea about the blue items that are in The Little White House, patiently waiting for the decoration to begin... But we've had mostly gloomy days lately, with sun only when I was at work, so pictures are not ready!

Mon petit doigt m'a dit qu'il y avait un article en préparation sur les objets bleus de la Petite Maison, mais le manque de luminosité rend impossible les photos ces derniers jours.

Thanks for stopping by. Did you see any item that will join your wishlist? Do you have one you think I should add to mine?

Joining:

Blue in Good Company

The Sea Colour File - Part 5

Hi! I'm glad you're back!

So, I've established that I love pale blues that have a hint of green in them (want to know which blue is your favourite? Read part 2), that I'm considering this colour for my dining-room (want to see inspiring blue rooms? Click on part 3) and that I'd rather add touches of blue in the room (see how much blue you like in a room by reading part 4). Now my problem is if (emphasis on the "if") I go blue, what can I associate it with?

J'ai une préférence pour les bleus très clairs qui possèdent une pointe de vert (si vous voulez savoir vers quelle teinte va votre préférence, lisez la partie 2). J'y pense pour ma salle-à-manger (vous vous demandez dans quelle pièce mettre du bleu? Retournez à la partie 3). Je songe plutôt rajouter de petites touches (si vous ne savez pas quelle quantité de bleu vous semble la plus judicieuse, étudiez la partie 4). Mais avec quoi associer ce bleu?

1. With blue!

Via Southern Living

2. With orange!

Via Benjamin Moore.com

3. With yellow!

Via Blushink

4. With brown!

Via Home Design Ideas

5. With black!

Via Houzz

 I'm surprised at how much I love that colour combination, since I would never have thought of it.

6. With red!

Via My Blessed Life

7. With pink!

Via Farrow & Ball

I have pink items that I love and want to keep, so I need a shade of blue that can be associated with pink.

8. With white!

Via an unknown facebook account, but I really like it...

If you have blue in your houses, what do you marry it with?
Athena, I remember you wrote you had  teal and yellow accents in your home. What about my other readers?

Si vous avez du bleu dans vos maisons, avec quoi l'associez-vous?

Because my house is undergoing major renovations and decoration is not on my to-do list for a while, I really had fun writing these posts that were not about plumbing or electricity! Thank you to all of you, from all over the world apparently (I love checking on the map where you come from), who read the series and joined in the comments!

Parce que ma maison est en rénovation et que l'on est encore loin de la phase décoration, j'ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à écrire ces articles sur les couleurs, cela change des placo et de la plomberie! Merci à tous ceux qui m'ont rejoint dans ce délire bleu, oui, oui, je vois sur la petite carte des provenances qu'il y a des lecteurs français, et merci à tous ceux qui ont ajouté leur avis dans les commentaires. 

See you soon for the last part!

A bientôt, pour la dernière partie!

You can find me at: