Day in the Country...

Charming Country Cottage...

Outdoor Retreat... ssssh!

Aaaah... the fresh air!

Lunch time…

Photo via Southern Living

Some flowers from the garden complete the table...

All Photos via Country Living Magazine except as noted

Such great outdoor spaces! perfect for painting all that inspiration... all paintings below are available as bookmarks or small prints... email me

Painting in the countryside... Relaxing in the Countryside ... Boating at the Lake in the Countryside ... Cake in the Countryside ... Almost the weekend... I'm going to plan my fantasy countryside holiday... warm, dry weather... sunshine... lovely floral fragrances... something cold to drink and a good FUN book... sounds good to me... Are you making plans for the weekend? If not, play along with me... what is your fantasy countryside holiday?

Just Riding Along...

On bikes from different blogs... via Flowers Brazil

via Shorehouse Chic... she liked one of my bicycle paintings and I liked one of her bicycle photos... PAINTING IS SOLD to Laura of Shorehouse Chic!

via My Notting Hill from the streets of Paris

This is my own bike... Santa brought it to me in 2002... it resides in my garage... I never ride it... and it has the cutest basket and bell on it (this is the original photo of it sans accessories)... Do you have an adorable bicycle sitting sadly waiting to be riden? Remember learning to ride your first two-wheeler bicycle?

All Paintings are Available... email me

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE UPDATE...

I just mention yesterday that I would rather have an earthquake than a tornado... BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY!
There has not been any major damage reported as I sit here typing... our house shook like crazy... chandeliers swaying wildly and items did fall off of shelves... paintings all sideways... but we are all okay.
It was the most violent one I have ever felt... I yelled for my kids to get to our earthquake wall... YES... we have a few earthquake walls... when we did new construction we retro-fitted our home and earthquake walls were required to be built... we are still standing so I guess they work!
BTW... we are located approximately 12-15 miles from the center of the earthquake.

Online Decorating Service...

Wonderful People, and so many Opportunities since I joined the world of blogging... Wow... Besides painting requests... I have been asked for advice on lighting, rugs, fabric, etc. I have also received emails saying, "I would have you decorate my house if you were closer to me." Well... I can decorate via email, phone and snail mail, if needed... Here is an example of a job I completed via mail...

Kitchen and Nook are brightened with Decor and Colour!
Photos of some of the Kitchen Decor Products used on this job below... Paint and Fabric Samples, not shown, were also provided...

LOVED the ideas... moved on to other rooms of the house...

Two views of the Family Room... use of existing furniture and furnishes from other parts of the home...
Adding Home Decor items too brighten and warm the Family Room!
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS...
Send photos of the room or rooms you would like to decorate, along with your budget... I will work up colour renderings for your NEW LOOK... I will do product research including paint samples, furnishes, etc based on your budget... photos of these items and where they are available for purchase, colour renderings, amd floor plans will be emailed to you!

Reasonable Rates... EMAIL ME for more information.

P.S. If you desire a custom painting for your NEW ROOM... like this rooster that is perfect for the kitchen above... I can do that too!

BTW... this Parisian Morning Rooster is available... 7 x 10 acrylic on archival paper $50 + $10 or framed and matted $100 + $15 shipping... Email Me

Carnival Giveaway...

This week is the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival, and I'm joining in on the FUN! I will be giving away a GIFT CERTIFICATE for a FRAMED ORIGINAL FIFI FLOWERS PAINTING (value 150.00)... a 6 x 6 acrylic painting on archival paper in a frame. You can see more of my works of art in MY ETSY STORE.

The painting will be of one of YOUR FAVORITE photographs! Simply leave me a comment... no photograph links yet. Once the giveaway is closed and the winner is revealed... I will send an email to the WINNER asking for a link or attachment of your favorite photograph. Once the painting is completed... this should take a few days... I will ship YOUR ORIGINAL FIFI FLOWERS painting to you at my cost!

For your chance to win, leave any comment below (be sure you provide a valid e-mail address)... I welcome comments from all over the world... until Thursday, July 31 - 10:00AM PST... and then I will draw a random winner! Winner will be announced August 1st!

This is a FUN week of giveaways... there are many participants... so pop over to the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival ... who knows you just might win a FABULOUS prize from moi or someone else! Hurry up... leave a comment... and Good Luck!!!

Swim Update...

Posting some quick photos... now off to a party to celebrate with the swim team...


Isn't he adorable... 3 shiny medals! See you tomorrow... Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Swimming Away... Returning Monday...

I leave you with my DAYDREAM LOFT ROOFTOP GARDEN...

Inspiration (I'm sorry... but I misplaced the photo)via BHG ... I found this garden... painted it with new colours and added my own touches... removed it from its neighborhood and put it on top of MY DREAM LOFT ROOFTOP... no parties up there without me... I have cameras watching all of you... I will find out!

I will be away... My son has swim FINALS this weekend... so I will be sitting around an Olympic size pool all weekend... cheering my darling on! Thinking of MEDALS around his adorable neck! I shall return Monday with delightful news and PAINTINGS of course and another GIVEAWAY! ENJOY your weekend!
A bientot... Fifi

Friday Daydream...

Being featured in the "end notes" of Domino Magazine... Thanks to my graphic design background... I can do my own magazine layout... if you can't get the real thing... make your own... so here are the 10 things that make me happy... picture this in a Summer issue... note the colours... bright and summery... HELLO DOMINO MAGAZINE... I can pick 10 more things for FALL, WINTER, or SPRING... I'm available to be in PRINT!

What magazine would you like to be featured in? What are 10 items that make you happy?

Afternoon Awards...

Lately, I have been given the "Brilliant Weblog" award by four fellow bloggers... A Minha Casas Em Minatura, Donna's Art, Rina's Blog, The French Nest and asked to choose 7 blogs to pass the award on to... well, that is not an easy task... there are so many blogs I love to visit... not to mention, I think you can only accept the award once, not sure... so I decided to make up my own award like Rue did a while back... Here is mine...Like Rue said... there are no rules... if you see your name in my sidebar... take this award and place it on your blog or not... and feel free to pass it on to other blogs... also if you don't see your name in my sidebar and you leave regular comments on my blog and I leave them on your blog... it's for you too! (I have not had time to add everyone to my sidebar)

This award is to let you ALL know I appreciate all the work and love you put into your blog... My award is an invitation to a BIG virtual BLOG LOVE celebration along the Seine! Hope you can ALL make it... it commences NOW and never ends! ENJOY!

Bathroom Designing...

What I've really been doing this week... besides daydreaming... I'm actually working like everyone else... Here are my sketches of my Spa Bathroom Design project...

Colour palette based on these fabrics in the Master Bedroom...

Inspirational Photos for Project... from top to bottom... via Domino mag and fellow bloggers... I'm sorry, but I can't remember where I found them... please forgive me and THANK YOU!

I will show before and after photo when the project is complete and some photos as the project moves along... meeting with contractor and clients today.

My bathroom is one of my favorite rooms... I love to soak in the tub... definitely a tub girl! What are you a shower or tub person?

What to do today...

Lounge...

Play some music...
Read a book...
Shopping...
Ooh La La Shopping...
Maybe a Chapeau...

Meet a friend at the local cafe...

What do you have planned for today?

Lazy Tuesday Morning...

I'm sleeping in... OR am I... Love this crazy, colourful mix of bedding... it would be perfect in my downtown L.A. dream loft! See you in the afternoon... I will splash some paint around after I open my eyes and drink some cafe creme ... and post it later...

I TRIED TO SLEEP IN... BUT APPARENTLY... IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS... Emails and Phone calls suggest that I get HOLIDAY cards ready... I'm still thinking BEACH and they are thinking CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY/WINTER... So here is my state at the moment...

I'm awake.. I'm awake... coffee and off to paint! I'll daydream later about that wonderful loft... here is my DAYDREAM LOFT LIVING ROOM PAINTING... what are you DAYDREAMING about today?

Looking back on Sunday...

Fun on the beach...

Water tower beach house...
Painting of...Houses on Surfside Beach...
Painting of...Shoreline Village...
Painting of...
Shoreline Marina and Downtown Long Beach...

Lighthouse...
Queen Mary seen from our dinner table in the restaurant...
My Family...
View of Los Angeles skyline driving home from the beach...

All Paintings are available... purchase information on each one... $40 + $10 shipping or matted & framed $80 + $15 shipping EMAIL ME

GREAT SUNDAY... How was your weekend? Did you go to the beach? No... then where did you go? Home relaxing? Whatever you did... I hope it was ENJOYABLE! Ok... back to work... awwwwwwww... do I have to???