bree walk's tiny art

one of my favorite artistic portland citizens is bree walk.  she takes amazing photographs (I have a huge flickr crush on this gal), is a momma, artist and apparently ridiculously clever....look what she does with the polaroids that don't come out just right....

she makes them into the most wonderful pieces of "tiny art" I have ever seen....I want to take B by the hand in jump into all of them...the most wonderfully whimsical way to start out the weekend...don't you think?  xo mrs. french

habitat shoe boutique and a blissful shoe sale

A few weeks ago my friend nicolle introduced me to my new shoe shop soul mate...yes it can happen.  habitat shoe boutique makes my heart beat fast and my head all cloudy.  Anyway, John of habitat contacted me and has graciously offered blissful readers a discount off of regularly priced items.  Just enter BLISS25 as the discount code...hurry this will only last until Sunday...if you are as wonderful of a person as you think you are you may want to tell your friends...

so I have been browsing, and narrowing it down...this is what I have so far...

not bad eh?  xo mrs. french

seaplane window shopping

I don't know how to explain it...for some reason everytime I am lucky enough to sneak away to seaplane (one of the prettiest shops in Portland) it's closed.  I guess smarter gals would take note of the hours and come back at the appropriate time....

however, then I would miss out on the window shopping.  Actually it is probably much safer this way...

kate towers is magical...this little shop, and her perfect dresses are 2 reasons I love this city so much...proud to share...xo mrs. french

blissful inspiration...

~danske

pink peonies...sounds perfect...blissful inspiration today at victoria's...

xo mrs. french

dear birthday

I can honestly say I have never dedicated a post solely to undies...

these are just too pretty....

feminine and just plain lovely.  Thank you dear birthday for inspiring my very first....xo mrs. french

p.s. stay tuned for a spanking new blissful inspiration post...

kenna foster

kenna foster sees things so much differently than I do.  One of the most wonderful/magical thing about photography is the perspective of the person behind the lens...

kenna takes photographs like I would love to one day...so real, so perfect just as they are.  Her surroundings are some of the most beautiful I have seen, she manages to capture them perfectly...

always leaving me with the urge to travel.  I want to pack up my camera and head out...somehow I do not believe I could find them the way she has...

I can't imagine my blues this blue or my greens as green...I just know her air is cleaner and her skies more vast...at least that is how I feel when I gaze upon what kenna does.

I absolutely love the fact that she is a bliss sponsor...her perspective makes me weak in the knees...and I like how that feels...

xo

mrs. french

date night.

Date night for the Frenches usually consists of heading to one of Portland's amazing restaurants, followed by heading to another yummy establishment for dessert...needless to say we have really perfected filling our faces.  Lately, we have decided to change things up a bit...last night was my favorite date of all dates...

we of course, had dinner then we started driving around...there was a beautiful park with lush green grass.  We pulled over spread a blanket on the ground, laid in the grass, listened to Pandora, and talked...perfect.  After almost 12 years with this man (we were babies when we got married...not quite, but so young)...he still makes me giddy and I never run out of things to say...xo mrs. french

I heart Tuesday.

a short week....yay!  hope your long weekend was everything you wanted it to be...

I heart this "nature."

I heart this pretty dress (thank you rebecca for the introduction).

I heart this clever jar.

I heart this "cape dress."

I heart this sandal...actually I heart all kork ease sandals...so comfortable (joslyn, thank you for introducing me to my latest fave).

I heart this "thank you."

I heart this tea towel.

I still heart this photograph.

I heart this tiny dress.

I heart these sandals so much (I first fell in love here and then roberta jane tracked them down).

I heart this tunic.

I heart this "dashboard clock."

I heart these "pussywillows."

I heart this perfect journal.

I heart this dress too.

xo mrs. french

I hope you are having a lovely holiday....I am too.  See you in the morning with an "I heart Tuesday...." post...xxoo mrs. french

something beautiful about a pile of wood....

Throughout my photographic journey, favorites come and go...usually with the season.  However, one of my photographs has been and continues to be a favorite...this particular photo of a regular, old pile of wood.  There is something timeless about it...the texture, colors and warmth.  I have actually decided to put this little number in my shop.  One day I hope to blow it up and mount it on plywerk, which is a big commitment for me...

Anyway, I was reminded of this photo the other day while visiting the design sponge.  Grace posted about an amazing furniture company specializing in hand built, wooden pieces...with perfect upholstery thrown in here and there.  Shimna furniture is both breathtaking and timeless...

(this beautiful sofa is a personal favorite of mine)

if I do decide to blow up that photograph of mine it seems only fitting that I add some wooden masterpieces from shimna to go with it...xo mrs. french

farmhouse wares

maybe I have been so much love into mondays that and not enough in the other days of the week...I have having a thursday-monday.  I honestly find myself longing for the country on hectic days such as this...breezes, sheets on the line, rustling grass...you get the picture.  

I know I have mentioned this shop before, but today it seems more than appropriate to share a few images...since it is not possible to pack up and head to my country house (in my dreams!), the images from farmhouse wares come in handy...I love it all....

betsy (the name just fits, don't you think?), the lovely gal behind farmhouse wares, has created something so divine...her little online shop is a perfect snapshot of how I want to live my life...just simpler, cleaner, with a whole lot more wide open skies...can you feel it?  thought so...

thank you betsy, for making my thursday-monday and my bliss a bit lovelier...xo mrs. french

Twig Spring Sale

Yay!!!  Twig is having a big spring sale!  I am beyond smitten with everything Elizabeth has in her shop...a generous sale only makes it harder to say "no."

kristensen du nor, chie miharas, orla kiely and more of my favorites...

also anything you covet that is not marked down is 20% off with the discount code MEMORIAL until monday...hurry before I make it all my own...hehe...xo mrs. french

blissful inspiration...

~meredith ensell

loving holga photography...so much more over at sfgirlbybay today!  see you there!

xo mrs. french

copenhagen cycle chic

ok, I realize that at the moment I am the tiniest bit bicycle obsessed...actually a huge bit.  I think the pretty Portland spring scenery may have something to do with that or maybe it's the impending arrival of my very own, brand spanking new, dutch bike...I have turned to straight up bicycle porn to help contain that obsession...thank goodness for the prettiest bicycle porn around, copenhagen cycle chic.  My goodness, beautiful people on beautiful bicycles...has me wondering if I have a pretty enough wardrobe to ride my bike?

couple that with the fact that I am so excited to take photographs of my bike and I start to wonder if physical fitness plays a part in this at all...until its arrival, here is a photo of the new addition to our garage (or my pillow, if mr. french agrees to sleep in the guest room)...

giddy I tell you!  xo mrs. french

glasses please...

She makes me want to wear glasses...xo mrs. french

via Garance Doré

lake jane and a slice of heaven

trolling blissfully through one of my new favorites, the lovely lake jane....I bumped into "heaven"....

personally I do not believe "quaint" and "idyllic" begin to explain this little slice of perfection... "magical" may work.  this is what happens when a fashion model turned pastry chef and a photographer/barista come together and open a bakery in a breathtaking, tiny town in the catskills.  It's too bad that things like this don't happen more often...sigh...

oh and if that weren't enough, the gorgeous photography on their site blew me out of the water..

yet another reason to head east for a visit...xo mrs. french

****

I am visiting a dear friend this morning...and you are invited...xo mrs. french

I heart Monday.

summer has found my Portland and I couldn't be happier...tralalalala...

I heart this blouse so much.

I heart this bag.

I heart this light.

I heart this wreath.

I heart these "dragonfly wings."

I heart these shoe (nicolle, thank you for the link to my new favorite shoe store)

I heart these dishes.

I heart this lovely print.

oh my!  do I ever heart this dress.

I heart this pretty, pretty notepad.

I heart these shoes too.

I heart this simple tee.

I heart this laundry bag.

I heart this dress.

xo mrs. french

shopflick and mr. larkin

I am a crazy fan of mr. larkin...so when the lovely kristin of shopflik contacted me to tell me that they would be carrying mr. larkin pieces I was thrilled....for some reason purchasing beautiful clothing that is enviromentally friendly and sustainable just seems so, so...innocent!...combine that with pure colors made from natural dyes and it's practically silly not to buy something...

once again, my bank account does not fully agree...for now I will continue to admire from afar and imagine what "milk fiber" feels like...xo mrs. french

my internet is down and my phone is a terrible way to post...hoping to post later today...xo mrs. french

a lovely way to spend the afternoon...

I am not sure if you remember this or this...well she combined the two and created this...

...makes me smile from ear to ear.

xo mrs. french

p.s.

oh jane, you know I am so happy for the introduction and nicolle thank you so much for helping me find it...

blissful inspiration...

~alex chui

a polaroid tour of london on sfgirlbybay today....xo mrs. french

random polaroid post

This is a completely random post.  Last night I took some time to "sort" my polaroid drawer...

It's funny...each time I do this I am surprised by how my opinions and views change.  Photographs I had tossed to the side at first glance, suddenly become pretty or special in some way.  I think this may be why I like Polaroid photography so much....always a surprise, a bit more precious...I had intended to throw some out, but then started to think, "I could be tossing out tomorrow's pleasant surprise"...xo mrs. french

p.s.

come back later this morning for some not-so-random polaroids...blissful inspiration post over at sfgirlbybay...

sivan lewin

you may already know the lovely and talented sivan lewin....if not, I am so happy to introduce you.  Take the time to get aquainted.  You will be so happy you did...xo mrs. french

plain kitchen

I am sure most of you have spent some serious time on remodelista...if not, you really should.  Since the departure of our beloved Domino, I have found that remodelista fills the void quite nicely.  

Yesterday, during my daily visit, I spent a little more time than usual...I was completely taken with the post on Plain Kitchen out of the UK...back to basics, light on gadgets, airy simplicity...perfect.  

the only thing I am not so thrilled about is the fact that they do not have a location in the US...on second thought, maybe that's a good thing...

xo mrs. french

pve design

as I sat down to write this sponsor post, one thing kept running through my head..."patricia creates magic"....and you know what?  she does...

Patricia Van Essche of pve design creates the most magnificent custom illustrations and patterns.  Which are both sophisticated and whimsical...appear effortless, yet remain so, so intricate....

The funny thing is that this is exactly how I think of the artist...a beautiful contradiction.  I have known her for quite sometime and literally hold my breath each time she writes a comment on my bliss...her words are always thoughtful...poetic. 

I must say, it is a bit intimidating putting what she does into words...I feel as if I could never say enough and capture so perfectly exactly what she does, in the magical way that she could say it...

perhaps her words say it best: 

"Each illustration I draw captures the soul of the moment.  As I work, my curiosity takes over and I begin to wonder about what's going on inside a house or which emotion has brought forth the soft smile on a new bride's face."

...I told you so.

xo mrs. french

p.s.

patricia thank you so, so much for bringing your effortless elegance to my bliss...

I heart Tuesday.

good morning dears...so nice to be back.  bicycles and stripes...that about sums it up....

I heart these brogues so much...they are perfect.

I heart this little wren.

I heart this little dress.

I heart this clock.

I heart this pretty pillowcase (via dear, dearest melis).

I heart this wallpaper.

I heart these sandals.

I heart this shiny, new bicycle.

I heart this pillow (thank you katy).

I heart my grandma's s&p collection (and the fact that she wanted me to have them).

I heart this pin (thank you melis...again).

I heart this striped shirt, this one, and this one too.

I heart these gift tags.

I heart this rusty, old bicycle.

I heart this hat.

I heart this sandal.

I heart this lovely dress.

I heart this MADSEN Cargo Bikes (so much so, that I want to win one...you can too!  just click the link thank you chelsea!).

xo mrs. french

a day.

I'm taking the day friends...working on photographs, taking in bits of sun and loving up my boys...see you with a lovely "I heart" post in the morning...muwah!  mrs. french

not yet...

headed back to Portland friends...so not ready to leave.  xxoo mrs. french

p.s.

on the up side, I will be a much better blogger...

blissful inspiration...

~jaime m

who doesn't love a pretty clothes line?  come see me over at ms. victoria's blog...

xo mrs. french

a cape town family home

This perfect home in Cape Town makes my heart beat fast.  I am also quite proud of myself...I have managed to choose an abode with some colors on the walls...still plenty of white, but color too.  I love the way this home incorporates grown-up style with just enough playfulness....

I am especially fond of the blue-gray tones throughout the home...from the walls to the island in the kitchen and stylish chairs in the living area...

also to be tucked neatly in my "new home" file.  In my head I have such a pretty home...one day dear ones, one day.  xo mrs. french

~via living etc.

beeeeeeeeach!

my parents are in town and we are off to my beach...yay!!!  I plan on posting while away...maybe just not as frequently...xxoo mrs. french

lovely, lovely vanessa bruno

I believe I am meant to be draped in vannessa bruno....I look at each and every piece and feel as if it were made just for me....

I so wish mr. french and my bank account agreed.  Each of these pieces can be found at the always impeccable La Garçonne...xo mrs. french

I heart Monday.

monday, monday, monday!!!

I heart these shoes (and if you are a size 36 you are so lucky).

I heart this "trio."

I heart this blouse (I heart bee and her feather for sharing).

I heart these dotted dishes.

I heart this headband (thank you ms. tiffany).

I heart these earrings.

I heart this "trapeze" tee.

I heart this pouch.

I heart this denim.

I heart these sandals.

I heart this bag.

I heart these "baby poms."

I heart these lovely caftans (thank you sweet suzanne).

I heart victoria's diptych.

I heart this dress.

I heart this cushion.

xo mrs. french

mother's day bonbon...

pssst...deb of one of my favorites, bonbon oiseau, is having a mother's day sale on all of her earrings, necklaces and bracelets...25% off!  just put 25% MDAY in your email....

yippeee!!! happy mother's day to me!!!

xo mrs. french

p.s. hurry..sale ends May 5 at midnight...

kenna's mother's day sale....

the lovely and talented kenna foster has graciously decided to run a mother's day sale in her pretty little shop...

choose anyone of her 8x10s or 8x12s for an amazing discounted rate ($20) and get a fine art photo greeting card for free...hurry, in order to get it by mother's day orders must be placed today or tomorrow....thank you ms. kenna!  xxoo mrs. french

red otter winner!

congratulations ms. meghan of mustart & sage...you won the gift certificate from the red otter shop (is it ok that I am a wee-bit jealous?).  thank you jewels for the generous giveaway and happy, happy birthday to one of the loveliest bloggers/artists in this pretty world of ours...xxoo

momma has never been so lucky...

mother's day pretties brought to you by my lovely sponsors...

*little brown pen*

*inleaf*

*blue moss*

*perideau designs*

*a moment's notice*

*red otter shop*

*bonbon oiseau*

*noun*

*le papier studio*

*pve design*

*munted kowhai*

*farmhouse wares*

*jill bent: a small collection*

*de jarnette*

*twig*

*periwinkle bloom*

*saint cupcake*

*ink on my fingers*

ok...if my boys still don't get the hint, I give up....hehe...xo mrs. french

p.s.

check out my shop updates below! 

shop udates...

b is under the weather...I am simply running behind.  I just wanted to share my shop updates with you...

"flutter" and "dogwood up close" over in my blissful images too shop...and...

"these make my heart beat fast." and "dogwood pretties" in my etsy shop!

and guess what...plywerk pieces in both shops.  I cannot properly share how much I love what the plywerk team puts together.  Choose any of my photos from either shop, and I can turn them into pretty, pretty ready-to-hang works of art.  There are listings for 8x8s, 8x10s, 8x12s and 16x24s....thank you, thank you....

xxoo

mrs. french