Planning... sitting outdoors...

Let me say AGAIN... this is a VIRTUAL trip... Fifi is DREAMING this trip up for herself and taking all of YOU along... and here is where she sits VIRTUALLY planning what she will show you from A to Z in Paris... here I am down the street from the Arc de Triomphe... starting with the letter "A" this is the perfect place to plan, non? and yet at another café in Paris... this location I do not know... Fifi is lost in Paris... can someone tell me where this is (theses paintings... above and below are available as a set)...

and here at the last café of the day... the FAMOUS Café de Flore still planning...

and painting (painting is available) Café de Flore...

anddddddd hoping some of YOU will help Fifi out... play along... if you are in Paris email me of some place not so well known... if you love Paris and would like me to tell of YOUR favorite place or if you have never been and would like to know about some place... EMAIL ME... Let's have some FUN on this April in Paris A to Z Adventure!!!

Now... be sure to visit Outdoor Wednesday participants via A Southern Dreamer... À demain... the beginning of our "A"dventure... the A to Z Challenge!!!

Getting Ready for a VIRTUAL Voyage

Oui... it is time once again to ENJOY a month... not just a "month" but April in Paris... and this year I am going to be taking a CHALLENGE via "tossing it out" blog... yessss... I must show you interesting things about Paris from A to Z... soooo I am packaging my VIRTUAL bags (image via here)... and setting out on a voyage... finding a virtual apartment (painting available)...I do hope YOU will come visit moi!!! Who can resist April in Paris?

Wednesday... outdoors... perhaps a cafe table where I can plan out my adventure!

Thursday... speaking of "tables" I will have a kick off party with an "A"!!!

Friday... perhaps a fashionable "B" and "C" with PINK of course!!!

PERHAPS... some of YOU would like to PLAY along... contact moi for details... oooh la la... we will have FUN... See YOU all in VIRTUAL PARIS!!!

Sunday was the Macaron Day...

Oui... Fifi experienced making Parisian Macarons with FAB friends... here are the ingredients mixed together and put into pastry bag (forgot to snap photos while seperating egg whites and blending in ingredients... désolé) via the Ladrée recipe... these were to be PINK vanilla macarons...
by the way... the recipe called for almond meal... friends attempted to make it themselves... never could get it fine enough... soooo they ran out to Whole Foods for almond meal finely ground and packaged for EASY use... and there go the macarons into the oven...out to cool and SADLY... no "feet"... ATTENTION pastry experts... what went wrong?ooooh la la the filling was FABULOUS...
and though there were no "feet" or "dome shells" ... these were quite tasty...
soooo... we decide to try another batch using the homemade almond meal... anddddd this time TEAL BLUE...here we go on to the parchment paper...
ooooh and sooooo NOT right...we gave up and ate these... Sooooo... once again... I ask... what went wrong? Has anyone else tried to make Parisian Macaraon... if so, what was YOUR experience? Is there a step by step video? Tartelette... I soooo wish we could've attended your class... will you be making anymore trips to Los Angeles? Anyone else giving classes in Los Angeles? We would LOVE to get it RIGHT!!! If not, I guess we will all have to fly to Paris for the REAL Parisian macaron!!!

Now don't forget to visit Metamorphosis Monday posts over at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch... and BLUE posts via Smiling Sal's!

ENJOY your week... and come back and visit... I have a lot of paintings sure to BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE!!!! And remember you can OWN a Fifi Flowers painting too!

Pink by the Poolside

It's that time of year... time to get into shape... swimsuit season on its way... Newport News has some FAB affordable swimsuits and cover ups...Hope you ENJOY your weekend... I will be POOLSIDE today and tomorrow watching teen compete in swim invitational... CLOTHED!!! If you get a chance... pop over and see Beverly and all her PINK participants.

UPDATE ON SWIM MEET... Our High School competed in a Swim Invitational in Orange County and they took FIRST PLACE!!!

Time for Sparkles...

Yessss... I think this place and this tablescape...oooh and a FAB dress...Table + Dress = Veuve Clicquot champagne to celebrate... don't you agree?
Oooooh and this song...

La Tulip Rose

oui oui... dans le jardin... I captured the only tulip that arrived... and it is pink... it inspired moi to paint it on a small 5" x 7" wrapped canvas... oui... I am still painting on canvas... j'adore it too...
soooo much... I painted another small yet slightly larger 6" x 8" wrapped canvas of MY beloved red vélo and what it might look like if I had MORE pink tulips in le jardin...
Oui! Both paintings are available for purchase... oooh... and if you are wondering... they are acrylic paintings. Sooooo NOW here is my question before you run off to see more outdoor Wednesday posts... Do YOU have tulips in your garden? Do you adore them?

Open the Shutters... let's travel...

Yesterday we determined we liked blue... teal... turquoise in a room... I say we travel around and look at blue shutters in France... maybe we will see some BEAUTIFUL flowers as we fling open a few shutters too...look... Candace Rose captured this gorgeous flower on film (visit her to see more!)... love the plants in the window and on the balconies...oooh sooo quaint...behind these shutters... inside these French countryside maisons or Paris appartements... my French Sofas would gladly hang... The South of France or the City of Lights? Orrrrrr maybe YOUR home... (paintings are available)
Thinking about TULIPS... come along outside tomorrow!

Photos via Google Image Search for French blue shutters!

Can a FAB room bring happiness...

first photo via here
second photo via herelast photo via here
J'adore all these BLUE sofas! How do they make you feel? Do you have a favorite?

Fashionable Flowers... Music... Views...

mon chats adore my NEW framed painting... hanging in my music room... I have been working on this painting for 15 years... and voilà... I finished it yesterday... now one of my favorite French songs... Sous le Ciel de Paris by Yves Montand and Edith Piaf...

and for a panaromic view via La Tour Eiffel... and don't forget to visit the PINK Saturday participants via Beverly's How Sweet the Sound... ENJOY and have a FAB week-end... I will be off celebrating my son's birthday!!!

Out French Doors...

sits a table with my adored café crème (painting is available in my BARGAIN GALLERY and was inspired by Paris Perfect)...It's sooooo nice to have the PERFECT VIRTUAL table for café... how do you like your coffee? Here are some ways you would order in Paris (info via here) ...

• Café (kuh-fay) is plain coffee with nothing added, but is strong as it is brewed like espresso.
  
• Café au lait (kuh-fay oh-lay) is a popular French coffee style that has been popularized in America, as it's served in tres francais New Orleans at Café du Monde. In France, this is simply coffee with steamed milk, and it's almost always wonderful. You will sometimes get the coffee served in one pot or in the cup, and then a pitcher of steamed milk to pour in as you please.
  
• Café crème (kuh-fay khremm) is, as it sounds, coffee served in a large cup with hot cream.
  
• Café Décafféiné (kuh-fay day-kah-fay-uhn-ay) is decaffeinated coffee. You will still need to tell them you want milk (lait) or cream (crème) with your coffee.
  
• Café Noisette (kuh-fay nwah-zett) is espresso with a dash of cream in it. It is called "noisette," French for hazelnut, because of the rich, dark color of the coffee.
  
• Café Americain (kuh-fay uh-meyhr-uh-kan) is filtered coffee, similar to traditional American coffee.
  
• Café Léger (kuh-fay lay-zjay) is espresso with double the water.
  

ENJOY a cup of café or if not café... maybe chocolat chaud and take a peek at these other Tablescapes via Between Naps on the Porch!

New Arrivals in My Bargain Gallery!!!

Glorious weather... oooh la la

Perfect for wine and reading in le jardin (painting is available in a print, as frameable notecards and of course there is this original 6" x 8.5" painting available... email moi)... I have the wine and chairs... bring your book... kick off your shoes... put your feet up on a pillow and RELAX for a few VIRTUAL moments at least!

What is everyone else up to outdoors today? You can see via A Southern Dreamer!

Aah... teacups...

J'adore these garden delights... ooooh and these elegant ones...
oooh and these FUN ones...
HOWEVER... these are pretty... but alas... I do NOT like to ride them via Europa Disney in Germany...
even with their pretty colours via Disneyland in CA...
and NOT even if they are in Disneyland Paris...What about you do you like to ride the teacups? Or so you simply enjoy a cup of tea? If you would like to see more TEA posts... pop over to Tea Time Tuesday via Lady Katherine Tea Parlor!

See you tomorrow outdoors... I found a lovely spot to paint and share!

Teacups via Google image search