the word on 34th street is ...

to hug!

to kiss!

to give!

to take on!

to embark on!

e m b r a s s e r :  e m b r a c e!

twenty ~ thirteen!

i'll be at an orientation and training all day. a big change at work is
happening soon.  it's been in the works for several months. i just haven't
been able to speak about it.  i keep telling myself...change is good!

have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve!


i will  be catching up with all of your posts on New Year's morn'!

oh! ... and ... THIS is December's PINK  post!

:: there is a link to more pink here ::

(don't forget to check on the girls before you have that glass of  champagne!)

withLove

la maison d' Victor Hugo ... a castle on a cloud ... it started with a loaf of French bread !

when Chrislyn was seven years old

she stood on the stage at the school talent show

 in the auditorium 

of Northeast Tacoma Elementary and sang

 Castle On A Cloud from Les Miserables.

 most of the little girls were singing Madonna and Paula Abdul.

not Chrislyn.

she wanted to play little Cosette, dressed in rags. 

we have it on video tape. it's a cherished memory.

when she was twelve years old we visited Paris. the first place she wished
to visit was not the Eiffel Tower. she wanted to find...

... La Maison d' Victor Hugo. we found it. she loved seeing Hugo's
actual handwriting,  some of original illustrations for his books, and
a beautiful bronze statue of his beloved Cosette.

it was a most amazing day. when we walked out of the museum,
they were doing a photo shoot for a French fashion magazine.

after Paris we saw the Musical in London. it was my second
time viewing it. (my youngest brother Jay took me to see it in Seattle
 six years earlier...he also hosted this night's performance.)

it was pure magic. 

faith and love at it's best.

FIGHT.  DREAM.  HOPE.  LOVE.

it's a mother and father's mantra when you also add FAITH.

Castle On A Cloud has been playing in my head since
the sad Friday in Connecticut. (i don't mean for this to be a sad post
i mean for it to be beautiful.)

the performance below is from the 25th anniversary of
the musical.

now a mother of two, Chrislyn sings about the castle to her
babies as a lullaby.

if you know the story, you know it's about French bread and family.

...withLove

the "family" of French Bread & Family ... Season's Blessings!

before flying home...

Jay covered the Boise State Broncos win over The University of
 Washington Huskies at the Las Vegas Bowl.

he has loved getting acquainted with his new nephew, Ben.

he brought Ben his first pair of Nike's!
Jay also brought Jason a pair in "Daddy size".
very "on trend"... the latest Nike Free's!
"like father, like son!"

he continued his little gift giving idea for Chrislyn and Holland with
a little coziness from "down under"!
"like mother, like daughter!"

there was lot's of play time on the floor with Holland.

there was a baptism and

 the celebration of the sweetest birth for all mankind!

 Welcome Baby Jesus!

there were arm loads comfort and joy!

Santa came to Holland's house!

she LOVED her first place setting of fine melamine a la Elmo!

i also think that she was pretty charmed with her first pair of Oshkosh's!

the GRANDS with Ben!

we had so many blessings to count. Mom was home from the hospital
and dressed in style for Christmas Day!

with Mom's rigorous PT schedule, they had not yet taken their picture for
their Christmas Cards.  Dad asked that i take it in front of our tree!
talk about a picture that's worth a thousand words!

 this image has been supported by thousands of blog land prayers!
you helped her heal from her bad fall  in September, and  through her stroke on
Thanksgiving Day. 

is it possible to love people that you have never met!

i believe it is!

...and then there is me and Mr D!  we just keep movin' and groovin' on this
crazy ~ beautiful path that is paved...

...withLove!

Season's Blessings!

a missing post, it's a wrap, a little random stuff and a confession!

dear google blogger,

what happened ?

when i pushed publish, and then... view blog...

...parts of my post were missing.

so...i had to delete.

 i apologize for leading you to nothingness on the previous post!

~ * ~ * ~

Christmas Day came and went in a flash!

in the Pacific Northwest, it's a unwritten rule that you do not wrap a gift that has already wrapped at Nordstrom.
(it's good for a little under the tree taunting.)
however, in this house...embellishment is required!

Bennett and Holland each had a present topped with a
Southern Proper Monogram.  i left them natural. they looked awesome
on the brown paper packages!

i won a beautiful mercury glass Christmas tree from Gina at
Random Thoughts... sadly, the tree did not survive the journey from
New York state to Washington state...but the beautiful angel did.
She was the heard on the highest place on our Christmas chandie
in the heart of our home.  i love you, Gina!

this year, the cupboard holds a perfect mix of  Pacific Northwest 

 charm and French zinc bread kisses and hugs!

now  for my confession...
last night, after the family left and the last dish was dried, i grabbed my laptop
and plopped into Mr D's chair.  i woke up at 4:30 am in my Christmas clothes.
my son Jay rescued the laptop and covered me with my favorite quilt.

i am spending  today with Jay at the Nordstrom half yearly men's sale.
my sports guy needs to update his on air wardrobe.

(recently i was given a Nordy gift certificate that's burning a hole in
my pocket! )

later, we will be heading
to Cabela's...where my other sports guy has a couple items on his list!

enjoy the season!

each and every day is a gift of extra special wonderful!

withLove!

it's Christmas!

after midnight...

...the magic begins!

Merry Christmas, from the heart of

our little place on 34th street!

withLove

the ultimate "elf on the shelf" !

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/30/1963282/new-years-pledge-free-elves-swim.html#storylink=cpy

"try as we might to ignore the holiday phenomenon known as 

"TACOMA SELF STORAGE",

it comes back to us every year like Aunt Smellinda's fruitcake!

people giggle and point at the Holgate Street building while driving on I-5.

they take funny pictures for family Christmas cards. They write and call

the daily fishwrap - regularly, breathlessly - saying: "Did you see the burned-out

letter on that sign downtown?  Can you believe it?" "

                                               ~ The Tacoma New Tribune

this has been facebooked, instagrammed, and pinned

by almost everyone who has passes by

 on the weeks leading to Christmas!

from the home of  the ultimate

ELF ON THE SHELF...

...only TWO more sleeps!

{a little old fashioned marketing brilliance...to say the least.}

withmoreMerryChristmasLove!

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/30/1963282/new-years-pledge-free-elves-swim.html#storylink=cpy

French bread on Friday! Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

this year, our Christmas card features...

...The Chocolate Gousse!

Gousse is pronounced Goose. she is Mr D's hunting dog.
(shhh...she is also my morning coffee and blogging snuggle pup...shhh) 

when we purchased her seven years ago, he wanted to

name her "Goose" because she would be his wingman wingpup.

(Goose is a loved character in a well known movie about 
US Navy fliers.)

he allowed me to add a little culinary French romance to her name

by calling her the The Chocolate Mousse Gousse on her official papers!

...and for the record...she could be called  The Chocolate Moose Mousse,
 because she is a tall Labrador Retriever that weighs over 100 lbs!

i caught the image of her snoozing before i left for work one morning

last winter. as you can see, she makes herself very
comfortable in her favorite spot here on 34th Street!

 yes, she sleeps on her own Matelasse'!

this is could be my last post before Christmas! 
like me, i know most of you will be busy with the last minute details.
it's time for hugging and smooching and baking and prepping for the precious days ahead!

yesterday,  a parcel arrived  from Mantova, Italy!  it was wrapped with such charm!

it's the last piece of  French labeled laundry to be placed on the tree!

:: found here ::

the best of the season's blessings to you and all of your sweet "loves"!

Merry Christmas!

withLove.

something old, something new, a little French laundry tutorial for you!

 our Christmas tree holds some family history.

a handmade bridal shower gift from Mr. D's Mom.

there are ornaments that have been placed onto
our tree for 39 years.

i made six little elephants for our first tree using scraps
of  felt and yarn . 

handmade by my mother to celebrate our first born.

handmade by our daughter to celebrate their first born.

the kids would add their own touch to the tree each year.

 grade "A" papers tied with ribbons, signed baseballs and

and favorite beanie babies were among the contributions

when they were in grade school.

Go Cougs!

each year, i enhance the history with a fresh touch.

it could be as simple a color statement of bows, or collecting

all of the brown Teddy Bears around the house.  one year,

there was a sport's tribute,  ( i added roses and footballs when the 

Cougars played at the Rose Bowl in 2003.)

 last year... it was burlap!

this year, as i hinted in an earlier post,
 our Christmas tree holds a touch of  French laundry.

 Marseilles ~ Matelasse'

about two years ago, i was perusing an end of the month
clearance table at Fred Meyer and found this lovely piece
of Matelasse'.  (i payed 4.99 for the piece.) it was a bit soiled
and shop worn...nothing a little OxyClean couldn't handle

i didn't feel too bad when taking the shears to it!

the small hoops were a dollar and twenty nine.



the little bit larger hoops were a dollar and forty nine.

it was fun, playing with the various patterns.

i love how they turned out!

the linear designs called for some vintage French laundry labels.

i found Mr D and my initials at French Larkspur.
you can also find vintage labels here.

(the letters could translate to Christmas Love. )

 i attached the single labels with French knots.

the simple and sweet French stitched hoops

were tied onto the branches with natural tiny twine.

a perfect addition of white light!

s i x    m o r e    s l e e p s!

withLove.

:: here ::

:: "What's It Wednesday" ::