CHEZ FIFI

I LOVE NEW YORK.......................................

..............feels like I have been gone for a long time.......but here I am again. New York was FABULOUS! So much better than when I was there in February! The weather was just perfect and work was fun. Everything was in bloom and people were actually friendly!

This is the front of the building where Harris Publications is located. Right on Broadway......

................it overlooks MADISON SQUARE PARK....................................................

...................lots of pretty flowers....the kind we can't grow in Florida..............

.................tulips, hostas, snowballs and gorgeous trees..................

............people jogging....walking their doggies.......................

and, of course, spectacular buildings..........................................................like these at night (right across from the office)..........................and then...........................

...............walking along 5th Avenue.......................................................................

...you see that building on the left? The one with a cupola-like top? Well, it's under construction but they draped it with a canvas painted like the finished building will look. How clever!...........................

...........so much better than having to look at a construction mess!..................

Of course, there is plenty of shopping for those who can afford great stuff......................

                  

..........................well...............dream on......................................

As much as I enjoyed being able to walk after work I still didn't feel comfortable enough to venture out at night in the streets by myself.....too many weird people...............so I came back to the hotel as soon as it got dark.....................

               

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Sure was nice to come home and find my fat kitties waiting for me..................on my bed....which they happily messed up.................

                      

Lucy was ready to call me..............

                      

Daisy was yawning away ............

                      

and Lily was snoring......................................

                      

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PIE ANYONE? I got home late and there was nothing to eat in my house....only a frozen pie crust. I defrosted it a little in the microwave then stuffed chunks of dough in muffin tins, topped them with a little butter and Splenda and baked them until golden. They turned out nice and crispy and I ate the whole thing with a cup of tea...............as the saying goes "if there is a will there is a way...) Yum!!

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The weather has been lovely in Florida. Comfortable enough to brave the outdoors and plant a few more things. I added a border of mostly blue flowers in front of my fence.

..........to go with the morning glories on the arbor...............

                  

........also has a bit of pink to recall the oleanders and mandevilla vine........................

........Lucy enjoys the view from the window (when she is not sleeping...)

                     

In the back, I added some Papyrus grass and more bougainvilleas ................. 

...............and homes for the birds....and bees.............................

...moonflowers seeds are sprouting......and the almost dead impatients have come back

 

That's it for now. I am going to catch up with emails and comments. See you soon!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox fifi

                      

By the way, the above bottle is from HOME GOODS..... in the sale corner ($7)..............

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QUICK & EASY............................................

I am in a hurry because I am leaving for New York early in the morning. Didn't want to go without saying "hi" and "thank you again" for all the very sweet comments. So, to express my gratitude, here is a VERY easy little project I would like to share.

"QUICK & EASY GLASS-LACE TABLETOP"

All you need is a glass top, whatever shape you want. I happened to have a square piece leftover from something......Some lacy fabric and white (or any color you want) spray paint. I had a can of enamel paint but it works better with an acryclic type. The enamel tends to be shiny and, personally, I like a "flat" finish better. But I used what I had on hand............

Set the glass top over a big clay pot (must do this outdoors). Overlay the glass with an old piece of "lacy" fabric..................

Spray the paint through the fabric's cutouts (the fabric will be pretty well ruined because the paint won't wash off so make sure it's not a piece that you can't part with.....)

                     

Let the paint dry (it dries very quickly, well at least it does in Florida......) then, gently, remove the fabric.........................and VOILA! You have a romantic tabletop!

     

I set the finished top on an old urn in the little cabana. Of course, I decided to do this at the last minute tonight.....it was getting dark so the photos are bit dark too...........but, the great thing is that it took ONLY about 10 minutes to do from start to finish..........really QUICK & EASY!

This can be done on wood just as well..........maybe to embellish the top of an old dresser or the drawers, even a side or coffee table..............

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I promised I would post photos of the "Dr. Seuss tree." Here they are.........................

My cuttings seem to have survived....................................time will tell. But I did get myself a magnolia.................................................................................

                  

It's a good size tree and has plenty of buds and gorgeous blossoms...............LOVE IT!

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Lastly, I was trying to figure a way to hide my garbage can and recycling bins. I used the frame of a wood screen  to which I attached some (cheap) bamboo blinds--had to double them because they are very thin andone wasn't enough to hide the cans-- from BIG LOT ($8 each) with large drapery rings I had. It did the trick..............................

Now I have easy access (one side of the screen is open) to the garbage can and recycle bins and the "bamboo screen" blends in nicely with the surroundings. Sometime the solution to a problem area is simple but not always readily evident. I took me forever to figure that one out!!!!!

OK. Tha's it for now. Hope you enjoy the little table project.

I won't be posting until I get back from New York...........see you then. Have a great week!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Fifi

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LITTLE DID I KNOW....................................

...................the kind of response I would get to A SIMPLE QUESTION!

How can I ever thank each and everyone of you for taking the time to leave all these heart- warming-doubt-effacing and caring comments??? I had NO idea this little blog was the source of such pleasure and inspiration for so many of you. I am like everybody else: I tend to second guess myself a lot. But now that I know how you all feel, I have a sense of purpose. I wouldn't dream of letting you down. So sorry I created such a commotion. I am just a big whiny-baby!

Not only did all your loving comments made me realize the meaning of Chez Fifi but if I needed yet more affirmation this email from SANDRA (I asked for her permission to post it) would have erased any doubt, if I had any left. It's charming because of her English. It's touching because it's sincere. It's lovely because it shows how a little thing like a blog can bring a little bit of relief in difficult times.

Dear fifi i hope you read this email i know you have so much to do but please read it.my espelling is not so good i am self tought inglish.my name is sandra dias and from may 2007 i fin you and i will take a pick every nigth to see what beuty you have post.i am so sorry for what someone thid to you copy your art there is no words to descrive that action you are so generos with us you share alld the beuty that you have inside  your beutifull hart.letme tell you about me i am 51 years old i dont have a blog but god givme a talent for beuty my grand mother was from spain and i she create the most beutifull weeding dresses and i yusto sit next to her and ovserve the beutifull details that she create andshe also have a rose garden i think i got my talent from her i love white and ligth pink old fassion rosessomethimes i dream of gosefine bounaparte the beuty that she created her rose garden same has madame pompndeur.please dont stop posting rigth 2 days before christmas i foud that i have breast cancer on april 28 i star my kimo i have been thrue alot surgerys  some times you desapir  i know that you have a lots a work i have alld the magassines of romantic country i live 3 hours awy from the beutifull rose story farm and 1 hour from san fransisco ca.you are my window to beuty in this hard times for me  CAND YOU SEND IN THE CLOWNS FOR ME.love and blessigs sincerly sandra dias

I think it says it all. It also makes me feel ashamed to have created such a stir when I should have kept my mouth shut and, instead, focused on "doing the right thing."

So, Chez Fifi lives on.......................................................................................

THANK YOU TO ALL. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

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Back a few days: As you may remember from a few posts back, I had hung 2 big beautiful baskets in the front of the house. One was hanging from the arbor over the front gate, the other from a tree branch by the picket fence. Well, about 2 weeks ago someone stole the one from the arbor so I moved the remaining one from the tree (to close to the street) onto a bracket attached to the post where the blue hammock is fastened. Can you believe that yesterday morning that one was gone as well!? That means somebody actually walked through the gate and right to the middle of the garden to take it.

So, this evening I decided to drive around my neighborhood to see if my baskets were hanging in someone else's garden. Needless to say they were nowhere to be found, Whoever took them must be smart enough to hang them in their backyard..............BUT, something lovely came out of it. I saw the most amazing tree in front of a little cottage. I rang the door bell and this very nice lady told me she didn't know the name of the tree but I was welcome to take home some cuttings. Like with angel trumpets, you can plant the cuttings directly in the ground with some root starter, which I did right away. Tomorrow I will bring her some angel trumpet cuttings in return for her gift.

This is what the cuttings look like.....long branches, with huge buds...............

             

............that open into these "pompoms-like" blooms..............whatever the real name of the tree is, and I will find out, I am going to call it "Dr Seuss tree" because it looks like it comes straight from his books............very strange and whimsical...............just look at these "flowers!"

 

                     

They are like pink fireworks or maybe like feather dusters or again like a fancy bird's feathers.................anyway, when I go over there tomorrow I am going to take a picture of the whole tree (it's a BIG tree) covered with these blooms. You'll see: it's like something out of a fairytale. AMAZING! I can't wait for my little cuttings to grow into big trees. So, out of my stolen baskets saga something very good happened! If not for it I may have never seen that tree!!

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I hung an old bird feeder outside my kitchen window and, of course, the squirrels discover it right away and are feasting on sunflower seeds..............but the cardinals and the blue jays are coming too................................................................................

 

...I got this lovely bush called "the butterfly bush" because its numerous blue flowers are shaped like little butterflies.....the beautiful little "baby" was given to me by a very lovely friend who is very sick and wanted me to look after his favorite little statue.......truth be told, I think he felt I needed the tiny angel to watch over me............what a kind thing to do......

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After planting my new tree cuttings I also planted more moonflower and blue and pink morning glories seeds......................................................

                     

Tomorrow I will plant giant sunflower seeds and hope the squirrels won't dig them out.......

                     

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Lastly, one of the perks of being an editor is getting new books from publishers before the books come out. Look for these due in rhe book stores in May.......................

      

      

Each offers some great ideas, whatever your style...............................

I will try to post again before going to the New York office to do the the final editing for ROMANTIC COUNTRY...................................so, if I am "absent" for a few days don't think I have given up..........I promise................like Arnold would say "I'll be back!"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO Fifi-the-Pest.....................................

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A SIMPLE ANSWER..................................

Lately I have been questioning the purpose of doing this blog, beside sharing ideas and projects....I mean, does it really matters? Does anyone get something of value out of my ramblings? You know, that kind of ruminating......Then, BINGO! The answer comes through a multitude of comments that validate my initial concept in spades. Thanks so much for giving me the simple answer I needed.

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When you are a house cat life is so EASY! You play, you eat, you sleep.....................

in baskets................................... on the furniture

......................or on the floor...............................basically, anywhere you want! Hmmm.....Just noticed how fat my kitties are getting....must be all that good tuna and catnip treats......

               

...............sometime we watch the lizards go by......................and wonder what it's like out there............but we are not allowed outside.........too many bad snakes, raccoons and.....alligators...............after all, this is Florida........................

            

I am in the last few days of editing Romantic Country so I have not done much of anything else. Except taking a trip to the garden center to see what new plants I can add to the garden. I always wanted a magnolia tree. I saw quite a few (in bloom) but they were all way too big for me to plant. Fortunately the nursery will be getting more next week and they will be a size I can manage. My biggest problem is to be able to dig a big enough hole since the sunny spot where I want to plant it has more tightly packed gravel than soil. In the meantime, the nice fellow at the garden center gave me a lovely bloom to take home..............it smells so lemony-sweet.... and it's so soft and gorgeous...........

            

On the way home I stopped at the grocery store and ended up getting cigarettes (no lecture please.....I know.... if the rattle snake won't get me the cigies will....or maybe I'll get hit by a car! Who knows?), coffee and......white tulips.................I won't get fat on that diet!

          

......if you look closely you will see how the edge of the petals look like lace...........I had never seen these before............very delicate and romantic...........................

Speaking of romantic, I received these 3 stunning French crystals from ROBERTA

 

............they hang from the kitchen chandelier........Thank you Roberta!

                    

Of course that prompted me to take a look around the house and take a few photos of some of my favorite things.............................like anything made from wire.....................

    

..from a funny looking 3 level "thing" found in California. little houses and a cage from Florida..

 

......an old frame with chicken wire from France, a little metal mannequin perfect for hanging necklaces......

.....and a wire one also very useful for some of may baubles......and plenty of little and big baskets...........................................

............................a decorative tea pot........................................

 

................and cloches......................................................... 

                  

.....and, of course, the Eiffel tower!

So, this is it for today...........................................................................

......................Here is to all you princesses out there.........................

                           

Thinking of you...................xoxoxoxo Fifi

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PLAYING HOUSE...& GARDEN

I finally took the time to clean my house from top to bottom. I mean scrubbing the floors, washing the walls and every single curtain, dusting, polishing, ironing....you know...but, as the saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words." In this case several thousands................

About 3 motnhs ago, I found 4 cane chairs at a yard sale ($5 each!) perfect conditon but wrong color. I painted them on Friday morning. They are now in my DR.

 

 

Moved a few things around. That little round table used to be in the corner, near the fireplace, where the old wood chair is now...........change is good .............

   

The kitties LOVE a clean floor (I bet they can't wait to get their little flur all over it, again...)

 

When everything is clean you get really inspired to create lovely vignettes.......

   

The roses above are from my garden, the ones on the right are from the grocery store..

 

Above, ginger and rose from the garden and tulips from the grocery store......................

Above: left, on the little white table. Right: on the coffee table

Miss Lucy sunggles between books and magazines.....pretty hard to find a spot without either!

Every time I clean I fall in love with my house all over again...it looks so inviting and it smells so good!................After working day after day on the computer I don't see what's around me and when I get a chance to refresh and reorganize I see it with new eyes and realize how lucky I am!.............................................................

I love this basket (got it in Virginia) and the heart- shaped "blackboard" my sister brought me from France. She also gave me the heart mirror/candle sconce from which it's hanging.....

I got this beautiful pillow from LESLIE. It's on the guest bed......................also moved the gorgeous Chez Fifi sign from Heather & Denise into the guest room..................... and the

"OUI" & "NON" pillows my sister Sylvie made are on my bed....where they belong...........

My neighbor, Blair- she is the one who looks after my kitties when I go on shoots- mentioned she had seen some colorful umbrellas at Big Lot. I got a pink and a green because the colors are perfect for my garden...............................

the pink one is in the front garden, the green one on the back deck off the kitchen............they are cute but pretty flimsy........one little hurricane and...bye bye....

                        

                           Above: cabana bed before

Today I   had to clean up the cabana. I used to have a day bed in it but the raccoons "nested" in it and also took all my pillows apart.....go figure! I threw the bed away, actually I put in at the curb and somebody picked it up within 10 minutes....matress, box spring and frame! Yikes!

After I removed the bed, I picked all the day leaves that had collected underneath. Then I bleach the wood to get rid of the mildew. Then the fun began..........fixing up the place that is......The idea was to use what I have instead of buying new stuff...........

That little sideboard was in the guest house but it's pretty beat up so it won't matter if gets worse..........in the meantime it's great for storing garden things....................

The lanterns were already there...............I brought the heart back from France last year...the Adirondak was part of a set I bought 9 years ago but the table and bench rotted away...in fact, the chair is on its last leg....so to speak......will have to replace it soon but I got my money's worth..................

So, here it is. Now you can see how the cabana relates to the entrance of the kitchen and the back deck.......

                     

Well, that's it. I have stayed away from the computer long enough but I neede that. After doing all this cleaning and "makeover" I feel in control of my life again. All this paid off. Now my mind is clear and I am ready to tackle the work at hand without being obsessed with having to clean. Better yet, I can step out any time and breathe in the fragrance of the jasmine and the roses. it doesn't get any better! LOVE IT! Hope you do to!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoFifi

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THIS SIDE OF PARADISE....................................

WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A WHOLE DAY OFF AND LINGER IN THE GARDEN? FOR MOST OF US IT IS BUT A DREAM, ESPECIALLY FOR YOU, POOR BABIES, STILL SNOWBOUND. I WENT OUT EARLY THIS MORNING TO SNAP A FEW PHOTOS TO SEND YOU A "LITTLE GARDEN FOR YOUR MIND" TO HELP YOU WAIT FOR YOUR OWN TO BLOOM AGAIN.

IN VIEW OF THE STILL UNRESOLVED "RATTLE SNAKE ISSUE", I HAD TO FIRST PUT ON MY BOOTS...HMMM...AQUA OR PINK??? DECIDED ON THE PINK PAIR ...................

                        

.......THE TICOMANTHE VINE IS WRAPPING ITSELF AROUND ANYHTING IT CAN FIND INCLUDING UNDER THE CABANA OVERHANG...................................

.........................AND THE JASMINE KEEPS SPREADING.................................

....THE SIDE DOOR AND THE FRONT FENCE ARE ALSO COMING INTO THEIR OWN.....

THIS HUGE ROSE BUSH, IN THE BACKYARD, IS BURSTING WITH CLUSTERS OF TINY ROSES THAT LOOK LIKE CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND ARE HIGHLY FRAGRANT................

....AND THE DOUBLE IMPATIENCES LOOK LIKE ROSES

                  

I KNOW IT'S WAS A QUICK TOUR BUT IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO GET BACK IN THE HOUSE AND GET TO WORK......................................BUT I WILL DO IT AGAIN, SOON.

                   

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I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I FOUND A SET OF 4 GLASSES AT ROSS. OF COURSE I HAD TO HAVE THEM.................LOOK AT THE CROWN ................AND THE SET WAS ONLY $7.99....

            

............pretty and practical. Perfect for indulging your "inner queen" .................

Lastly, a friend gave me this sweet little lamb............................................

                    

...........the kitties have adopted him (her?).............................................

I still have a lot of emails to answer....just be patient.....I will get around to them, soon.....RIGHT NOW I AM SWAMPED!

                        

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO FIFI

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QUICK UPDATE...................

Just stopping by to say a quick 'hello" because I am on serious deadlines.
I will not get a chance to respond to your lovely comments for at least another week but I will try to do my best.

I did, however, wanted to thank BROCANTE GIRL for having taken the necessary steps to remove my photos from her flicker site and also for having added a link to the images of other bloggers featured on her blog and flicker. All is well that ends well. THANK YOU.

Until next time.
xo
fifi

WHAT'S IN A NAME....................

...................... I have received a lot of emails asking for the name of the "Mystery Vine" on the photo below............................

                   

.................today, I (FINALLY) remembered to call the nursery where I bought it. Here you go: it's called TICOMANTHE. Voila!

.........................SWEET DREAMS...................................

                  

XOXO FIFI**************************************************************

NATURAL HIGH

The above copyright logo (which was sent to me by my sweet friend MONIQUE) applies to all the contents (past, present and future) of Chez Fifi. I will  be more than happy to let anyone who wishes to use my materials (photos and/or editorial) do so as long as they kindly ask me first.

The other issue hasn't be resolved as of right now but I will give it a bit more time since one never knows what might be happening in someone's life (such as the death of a loved one, an illness or some other life changing event.)  I expect Kathlene will do the honorable thing and delete all my photos from her Flicker site very shortly.

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And now for something much more enjoyable.................................and a breath of fresh air.........The jasmine and roses (there is a lot of luscious buds ready to burst open) are taking over the entrance to the kitchen.....their heady fragrance is simply delicious..........................

I do wear the boots when I go in the garden because there is a rattle snake living under my house.....in fact, I am pretty sure he now has a mate......we met "face to rattle" several times in the last few years and he scares me a lot...............I called a trapper to remove it but the guy didn't want to do it.......can't really blame him! Maybe he will get eaten by a bobcat....(no, not the trapper, the snake.) Though I live in the city, it's pretty much "The Wild Kingdom" around here..........they just found a 10 foot alligator in the pond at the dog park!!!...........Yikes!

               

The "Please Remove your Shoes" sign is only there because I like it but it's not meant to be observed. The chandelier on the curtain was made from a large stencil. My sister made the little fabric shoe. As it happened, it's a perfect fit (no pun intended) for that spot.

The front of the house is looking better everyday. Soon all the roses will be blooming along the fence.................................................

the morning glory vine drapes istelf lovingly over the arbor and is starting to bloom.....

Not much is happening inside the house. I have a back log of things I want to do but no time right now. On the other hand, while shopping for props for the last photo shoots I found this pink vase for only $3 in a second hand shop. The other comes from Home Goods (also inexpensive, I think around $6) they carry them in various sizes and shapes. You will notice my attempt at incorporating a copyright thingy. I am going to see if there is a way to get it on several photos at the same time because I don't have time to do them individually since I have over 10,000.

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The mystery vine (left below) keeps on blooming. I will have to call the nursery where I bought it and find out its name................ The garden is the perfect spot for a little brunch..

................and the kitties take turns enjoying the window sills........................

        Lucy                                   Daisy

               

                         Lily & Lucy

...........even BABY, the neighbor's cat, comes visit by way of the guest house roof........

..........other kitties prefer a little luxury....like lovely kittie below. Her name is Peaches and she belongs to my friend Sunday Hendrickson, the Divine-Art-Director (who styled the photo.) The gorgeous pillow covers were graciously loaned to us by JANET for a photo shoot. ......................... 

                Photo by Mark Lhoman

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This past Friday I had