Fall Beauty Essentials

Hello Lovelies!

Autumn Mood by Rachel Whiting via the 79 Ideas blog (source)

Today is the last of September - where oh where did that beautiful month go so fast? - and I realized that at 7AM the sun was not up yet, anymore. So it's time to go back to my Fall Essentials pinboard for inspiration & comfort.

I didn't buy any of the items on my wishlist - they were here more as a reminder than an actual prompt to buy. I will show you Lovelies what I did buy in a minute. But back to Fall Essentials first.

The beautiful "Autumn Leaves" lipstick (source)

That pinboard is all about simple living, simplicity in the everyday, what you really need, the bare essentials & joyful simplicities the Breathbach way.

"Grand Amour" butterfly perfume bottle (source)

Part of my Fall Essentials is a daily dose of serendipity. Take the Grand Amour perfume - it has my name written all over it. The behind-the-scenes story about this scent, the way it smells - divine!, even the butterfly on top of its bottle: all these elements give me the impression that perfume was somehow meant for me.

autumn leaf (source)

This perfume is devoted to love, the most powerful force which can move the worlds: love of beauty, love of perfume, love of music (Annick Goutal's husband a lifetime love was a cellist) and simply put; love of life.

I will tell you later this week about my Fall Style Essentials. Stay  tuned!

Alix of TeaButterfly.

Amateur of Design: An Ongoing Personal Journey (update part 3).

Hello Lovelies,

Shown above: my FAVORITE apartment therapy house tour, ever! Liz Fabry's Well-Edited Half of a Durham Duplex House Tour

Remember my personal journey through the world of design as an amateur? (You might to read here for a quick reminder).

So I wanted to tell you lovelies that I am doing this month's Style Cure, as hosted by the Apartement Therapy blog. One of the first assignmernts of the Cure is to fill out our personal style form (see link here). Actually,  using pinboards for the last few years helped me determine my own personal style quite easily. As i have stated on this blog before, here is what I am personally drawn to:

"My inspiration is mostly gathered here.  This main pinboard helps me define my style, a little "industriel", a little "wunderkammer" with a "masculine flair" twist, thogh none of these decor style pinboards are really realistic nor affordable. It's about dreaming (which is a necessary function, too).

Image above: In a petite living room, pairing a sofa boasting a sleek design and a low profile with a large artwork and a statement-making light fixture will give the room a bold sense of personality. Image source: here.

My general home decor pinboard presentation goes like this, and this sums it all up:

"

#10: Home Decor - general inspiration

my personal style tends to: Wunderkammer, Masculine Flair, Warm Industrial, Belgian Greys. I also love to use Botanical Charts and insect drawings as home decor.

And of course, I amdrawn to simple clean lines as shoiwn in Japanese and Scandinavian or Shakers' interiors.

To sum it up, i guess i really like it bold & dramtic, with a strong sense of personal style. (image below is from this post on the sfgirlbybay popular design blog).

Before actually starting to decorate, decluttering is in order. How timely! This month's ZenHabits simplicty challenge is all about decluttering your life!

Here is the ZH plan: zenhabits.net/declutter

"Decluttering" could mean a lot of different things to me, from getting rid of too many belongings, not-useful-to-me material things but also getting rid of unnecessary assignments that burden my day or even better yet, toxic relationships that simply bring me down.

what about you lovelies? What does "decluttering" mean to you?

-Alix.


Oh! and I almost forgot to mention I am also back on instagram with this August 2013 photo-a-day challenge,vie the ideas room blog:

I guess I am alive and well and bursting with new projects! Right? Right-O!

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"

Maybe It's Spring? Don't Wait For Things To Happen

Hello Lovelies!

Don't wait by This Rocket Ain't Mine via the resolve project website

Spring is coming soon and it gets me excited and inspired! Right now, I am just itching to start something new, exciting and fun.

So I jumped on this photo challenge and boy! Am I having fun! It really got my creative juices flowing (try it, too!) and now I want more. So, what's next?

I believe in serendipity. Just as I was feeling finally ready, I stumbled upon the right tools online. Call it "New Year's Resolutions" for the late bloomer, if you will... ;-)

First, I found visual inspiration (and I love me some visual inspiration) in these awesome contemporary artists' resolutions, compiled online on the "Resolve project" website. Another great and funny read is this article about how famous people make their resolutions.

Then I found Rachel's food blog, with a small and inspiring blogpost about how to pamper yourself. It led me to this insightful article, that I interpreted as a sure sign that i was ready to move on, to give up on the past in order to move forward.

We can all have one or many goals for this year in our lives. Here are powerful tools for increased productivity, everyday creativity and a fave of mine, weight loss through a healthy lifestyle.

So, what am I doing right now in order to have a better life?

I'm reading Susannah Conway's story on her blog, ordering her book, This I Know.

I am reading and practising the "Joyful simplicities for March" detailed in the classic book, "Simple Abundance: a daybook of comfort and joy".

I am pinning inspiring images on my Spring Essentials pinboard, not necessarily intending to buy anything, but rather using what I already have in order to "Bring on the Spring" in my wardrobe, cleaning routine, kitchen, home decor...

I am adopting healthy lifestyle habits (and losing weight) by subscribing to SparkCoach.

I am taking photographs and doodling everyday.

Finally, i am enjoying life's little pleasures (this list is a gem!).

I now hope that all these links will inspire YOU in turn... Enjoy!

Naomi of TeaButterfly.

Simplify The Holidays

Hello Lovelies!

How about more joy and less stuff this coming holiday season? The "Center for a new American dream" has written a nice booklet full of ideas to bring back simplicity and joy into your holidays. Check it out.

For an eco-friendly, Japanese inspired wrapping, check out http://furoshiki.com/

furoshiki, the eco-friendly gift wrap.

Enjoy!

Naomi of TeaButterfly.

French Beauty Tips for The Lazy Gal

Hello Lovelies,

Before I publish an e-book full of organic beauty tips with a French twist, here are my FREE beauty tips, all affordable and simple for you to enjoy.

 

Am I a French beauty or what?! image, my own.

French Beauty tips for the Lazy Gal -  read it here.

French Summer Beauty Tips - read it here.

French Fall Beauty Tips - read it here.

French Winter Beauty Tips - read it here.

Spring Tips read them here.

essential oils, image my own.

Enjoy!

Naomi of TeaButterfly.

 

 

French Beauty Tips for The Lazy Gal

Hello Lovelies!

Caudalie's Self-Foaming Cleanser

After reading these lazy beauty tips ( I really enjoyed the writer's sense of humor), I decided to share my own 'lazy' tips with you today.

Here is my comment on the 'lazy beauty' post: 

"Oh! I love the laziness idea here! In France, it has been turned into a series of fun books, called "les Paresseuses" (paresseuse is the French for lazy), and that way you can have beauty tips, wardrobe tips, fitness tips, cooking tips etc... for the lazy gals!
I love all-in-one products. Especially if they're organic or eco-friendly.

I use a self-foaming device for producing a soft soap for my face (try Caudalie's, if has such an incredible Fleur de Vigne scent). I just press the pump, get a tangerine size of foam ready to use. I put it gently on my face without rubbing, the soap gently washes my oils off the face. I simply rinse it while under the shower in the morning. Simple!


For my nails, I'm glad Essie finally arrived in France. I use the all-in-one base. 'nuff said.

To replace the eight hour cream you don't like, why not use organic jojoba oil, great for face/hair/body? or try Melvita's "Karité soft", which is a ready-to-use blend of shea butter (karité in French) and other moisturizing oils that faintly smells of orange peel. I use it on my lips, cuticles, nails, feet and other dehydrated places that need extra-care."

-Naomi the Frenchy.

Beauty Secrets of A French Gal - Summertime

Hello Lovelies!

 this is me sporting my braided paper hat, yes, a hat made of paper! very light-weight and perfect for that light summer luggage. photo (c) Lipson 2012.

I have been taking some rest at the hospital lately and so had time to think and come up with a new idea! how about an e-book? a small pdf that will allow me to share with you my best kept beauty secrets, season after season?

I'm a French gal, so i might know a thing or two about beauty. I love to look at it from an organic, simple and lovely point of view. I'm also close to nature and will organize my beauty tips by season, so you'll find beauty essential tips for summer, fall, winter & spring.

 instagram me with Jackie O style sunglasses. photo, my own. (c) Lipson 2012.

Here's an excerpt of a perfect vanity for a simple, happy and beautiful summer 5i WILL explain more about the products I recommend, why, how-tos etc...).

some of my organic beauty products for summer. photo, my own (c) Lipson 2012.

For summer you'll need in your luggage:

• 100ml shea butter (I recommend Melvita's karité soft)
•  
• mosquito repellent (mix HE citronnelle et HE géranium)
•  
• paper hat (see image above) or a beekeeper's folding white canvas hat
•  
• sunglasses I like the Jackie O look (img)
•  
• sun protection on-the-go Avène
•  
• footcare HE palmarosa vetyver
•  
• 10ml tea tree essential oil
•  
• arnica montana 5cH - homeopathy remedy against pain after a chock or bruise.
•  
• after-sun moisture masque hydratant weleda à l'iris 
•  
• citrus-scented cologne or have your fave perfume in its summer, lighter version
•  
• liquid organic soap that's good for skin, face body and hair (centifoliabio.fr base lavante neutre img
•  
• muji's travel kits and accessories.

-Vic from TeaButterfly

Happy Holidays!

Hello Lovelies!

I wish you a heartfelt Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

And most of all:

PEACE, LOVE & JOY!

Above is a picture found on the "mochatini" blog via the decorology blog depicting quite well my ideal Christmas morning: lovely silver, simple & handmade decorations, white linens and lots of tea, of course!

Again, here's to this season to be merry!

-Vic from TeaButterfly.

Simple Inspiration: Have a nice week-end!

Hello Lovelies!

Have a nice week-end!

And remember...

enjoy the simple pleasures of life!
Simple is best. Simple is beautiful.

-TeaButterfly.

Note: photo above was found somewhere... that I can't remember. So sorry!
If this mood board is yours, please contact me! Thanks!