Back to Paris

Hello Lovelies,

 Paris view at dusk - source unknown.

And so... I've moved back. To Paris, I mean.

I've left Paris, France exactly 20 years ago. Yes, I've decided for some time ago that I wanted to leave the small town in the South of France I was living in, simply because I've outgrown it and it no longer fitted the size of my (big) dreams.

 a jar full of dreams - image source unknownFirst, I thought of Avignon, a bigger city in the same Southern French area. But then I stumbled upon an unexpected job opportunity that was too good to decline. The only condition was to move back to Paris - and so I did.

The lesson learned in this is the one stated on this poster:

a better dream poster - source unknown

And here I am, strolling down the Parisian streets again, between now and then - which is the FMS photo-a-day challenge theme for October the 21st, btw -  sometimes feeling down memory lane but very often enjoying the beauty of the moment.

We're having a really warm Fall 'round here, and the weather was glorious yesterday on the Opera house (image coming soon).

I'm still settling down, but this is what home looks like now (image coming soon). Life's good when this is what you see from your window:

Image, my own. 

The picture above was taken a few years back, I'll upload a more recent version of it real soon. So, this is what my new room in Paris looks like, for the time being:

Image, my own.

...not bad, hey?!

Now, just my heroine Josephine Baker, I can sing out loud: "Me revoilà, Paris !" (Here I Am Back, Paris!).

Enjoy & wish me luck with making my dreams come true!

Alix of TeaButterfly

Midsummer Dreams

Hello Lovelies!

Part II of my part in the August 2013 Style Cure with Apartment Therapy is coming up soon. so why don't we relax in the meantime and enjoy the pictures I snapped during my midsummer dreams?

Enjoy!

More pictures (all by me) here.

-Alix of TeaButterfly.

I Want a Simpler Life but... Where Do I Start?

Hello Lovelies,

original image via - text added by me.

This blogpost is a bit of a note-to-self kind, but i am publishing it here so it might be useful to others, too.

Well, do you want, just like me, a simpler, slower, more filfilling, zen-like & do-what-you-love kind of life? Do you want to actually live your dream life? OK, me too! ;-)

...But the task of simplifying may seem daunting and well... not so simple! We're often at a loss as to where do we even begin!

That is why I did a little research online and found out 3 must-read simplicity resources.

First, I highly recommend ypu read a short, simple personal story, so you can get the picture. This is simply because, if you know what your dream is, you can start & achieve it! Or, as Jennifer and Aby put it: "Living Your Dream Life Begins with Knowing What You Want."

a beautiful reminder to just "stop & smell the roses", via

You can then have a look at a very thorough zen guide to simple living that answers simply the difficult question of "where do I start?". I suggest you pick a maximum of 5 points (out of this list) - simply choose the ones that are particularly appealing to you, and start working on them... now!
I, for instance, love points #9 #13 #14 #15 of the ZenHabits guide mentioned above.

So, in a nutshell, determine what is your biggest dream/goal and read/act accordingly.

Roughly the same thing as the ZenHabits guide, but in French, the "Par où commencer ?" guide to personal development.

In closing, my motto, beautifully calligraphed:

image via

Enjoy!

 -Naomi of TeaButterfly.

PS: if you're willing to dig deeper, there are literally tons of reading material on and offline including these pinterest boards of mine:

* visual candy to help you get organized at home
* articles (less visual) to read about "getting things done"
* visual inspiration : what a simple life looks like

And, finally, the Brain Pickings site has a whole range of articles on the subject of "do what you love" for a living. You can start by this one: "How to Find Your Purpose and Do What You Love"

A Small Blog Update

Hello Lovelies,

 dreams - via pinterest

I haven't published anything here in a while, wasn't feeling so well, but wanted to keep you lovelies posted.

Today, I have finally joined the google+ communtity, making it easier for you to share and like my content. Come join in the fun! All the google+ gadgets are on the far right column of this blog.

selfportrait, me smiling at last!

I also added a new profile picture of me, smiling at last! see above.

I also intend to share with you very soon my fall & winter essentials (from my French beauty tips series), the process of me drawing  and some new drawing and paintings. Stay tuned!

image by Stuart Wilson, check out his design blog!

And by the way, Hello December!

Naomi of TeaButterfly

My Mighty Life List - Part II

Hello Lovelies!

Let's daydream! Here's another quarter of my life big wishlist:


26 go night swimmin
27 own an original painting by an artist I admire : Peter Hammar (see my fave AT house tour)
28 Go swimming in a lake
29 Seriously edit my stuff
30 have an art studio of my own (separate from home), a place shared with other artists at first
31 while in the States, attend a TED lecture
32 thrive as an artist
33 have a lemon tree in my backyard
34 write thank you note to my Latin, Greek and French teacher, Mrs C.
35 complete a « whoisamy.com » mission - http://www.whoisamy.com/
36 Do one of Miranda July's projects
37 properly classify family photos in albums – so the memories last

image from decor8 

38 make my own perfume
39 have tea and cake at the legendary « le loir dans la théière » teahouse in Paris

photo by chocoladdict

40 visit Lisbon, Portugal, hometown of the famous poet, Fernando Pessoa

 

image via flickr

41 learn ceramics basics from a Japanese master in rural Japan, maybe in Shigaraki (www.e-shigaraki.org/e/shop/play-e/)
42 have a heavy silk dress made to measure especially for me
43 see Emma Kirkby perform live
44 learn to play the cello
45 visit the Calanques, Marseilles, France
46 have a clean and organized closet
47 make homemade preserves regularly (esp. Pickles)
48 visit Fire Island
49 find that dream St-Germain-des-Prés apartment (no need to buy it)
50 visit New England in the fall – and say hello to my friend C. B.

What about you?

-Vic from TeaButterfly

My Mighty Life List - Part I

Hello Lovelies!

image source : decor8 blog by holly Becker

I wish you a happy Monday, and I hope you had a swell weekend. I spent mine by the sea, it was just great swimming and sailing again!

photo found on jjjjound.com - I wish I knew who the photographer is!

Now, I've first heard of a project callled, "My Mighty Life List: 100 things to do before I go" through the French novelist Geroges Perec (who wrote his 50 items' list in form of a poem) But who knows who had the original idea? It is such a great idea it sounds universal.

I just stumbled upon it again via sfgirlbybay and mightygirl.

Here's what I jotted down so far:

1 read my entire 'ABC Challenge' list by sept 2012
2 continue with my regular yoga practice
3 write/finish my novel

drawing found on a Japanese website. Muji.com, I think.

4 meet Keri Smith
5 help others by recording audio-books for the blind
6 go on an air balloon ride (montgolfière) with R

balloon by Fornassetti

7 regain energy for good
8 go back to my own thin self (and keep the extra weight off) before i'm forty
9 find a job I really like
10 visit Barcelona, Spain again
11 never look back and have no regrets
12 Dance in a flash mob
13 own a small house by the sea
14 age gracefully
15 take photos of self in photo booth
16 have my portrait made by Studio Harcourt
17 finally learn to speak Arabic and pre-war German
18 learn to organize finances and save
19 go sailing on my own again
20 visit San Francisco (and the States for that matter) for the first time
21 tend properly to my 'all white flowers' mountain garden
22 listen to the radio more often
23 find proper storage for my Cds so i actually listen to them
24 make a short movie
25 learn simple sewing skills

What about you? Do you crave a mighty life, too?

-Vic from TeaButterfly