Gearing Up for Marie Week ~ Recipe Français

It arrived today and I'm so excited!

Can't wait to take a look...
I'm so busy trying to get my items together

I thought I'd post a french recipe
that I love very much.

Here you go:

Moules à la Mariniére
(If you love mussels, you'll love this
Mediterranean favorite!)

3 Tbsp unsalted butter
5 shallots - minced
4 garlic cloves - minced
2 celery stalks - thinly sliced
5 sprigs of thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp white pepper
4 Tbsp créme fraiche (you can use sour cream if need be ;)
2 lbs mussels (Prince Edward Island if you're lucky... I'm still looking!)
sprigs flat leaf parsley (to taste) roughly chopped

Melt butter in large pot over low heat
Add shallots, garlic, celery & thyme and saute for 10 minutes
Add wine, pepper and créme fraiche and raise the heat to med/high
Once liquid comes to boil, add mussels and stir very gently
Cover, cook for approx. 3 minutes or until mussels open

Add parsley and stir gently
Serve in large bowls with crusty french bread
(please remember to discard any mussels that do not open
after cooking)

Enjoy!

Au Revoir for Now...

Joyeux Anniversaire...

A Birthday celebration for someone very special

From early morning Tuesday...

AND

Mid-Afternoon through our petite gate
stopping at Patisserie Costeaux ...

and making a special dinner for vous!

Until we gaze at the stars together
and look at the evening clouds
billowing by our little place
in this world...
(Until we Tony & Michelle it...)

(If you watch 24 you may have an idea...
well, in my life of denial, they do run off
and do so, so many things in this world! ;)

With our best friend at our sides
in that old theatre by the sea in France

Happy Birthday Shayne
~*~
Joyeux anniversaire à mon mari!

Festivités ~ Have you Heard?

Oui! It's almost here...

click to pre-order your copy

And there's a wonderful event
in the works that I'm thrilled
to be participating in with fellow
Marie Antoinette bloggers

Merci Joy of Cupid's Charm!

I'm getting ready this week for the event
and I am so excited about the festivités

Happy week and Au Revoir for now!

Running Out of Time

There's not enough time in my day
to get everything done (or close to done!)

Now with Daylight Savings Time,
I've lost another hour!

I found myself running around in a tizzy today
where's that extra hour? I feel like the White Rabbit
in Alice in Wonderland... I'm late, I'm late!

I've got so many projects to finish ~
No, so many projects to start.

I did manage to get more Vintage Marie
photographed...

~Will get them uploaded this week~

How do you get things done and not stress out
about getting projects completed from start
to finish when you've lost an hour?

Any suggestions are appreciated

Au revoir for now~

Spring Fever's Coming On...

Yes, it's coming on... Spring Fever,

Even though
It's a dark and stormy night here (really!)

Bringing blossoms in from the yard
(yes, it's early because of the strange weather
we've had in California)

I've always loved to collect antique & vintage items
(I know, no surprise there ;)

Garden goods are high on my list of collectibles.

Vintage goods that have touched my heart
and people before me...

Vintage frogs (a few have been added to the shoppe
and more later this week)
I have tons of them!

Vintage petite pots from France
I love the patina on these beauties

I daydream of a french woman planting
for hours using these pots and what her garden
looked like so green and full of fleurs.

I think the pots would
be perfect for petit herbes...

Maybe I'll plant my own Herbes de Provence!

Do you collect antique/vintage gardening items?

...AND~

Do you feel Spring fever coming on
(even though the weather's cold)?

Happy Week to All

Au revoir for now~