Must Drink More Water....

Day 10, and I’m not keeping up with the amount of water I should be drinking daily. It does feel like a chore but it shouldn’t really, and its so annoying because I do see all the benefits I feel better & look better for it. But because it’s still snowing all I want is hot drinks..

Today has been a let down and I have only myself to blame, there is someone out there that really doesnt like me ( everyone isnt going to like everyone I understand that & that’s the way things are) but when I do see them ( we associate with the same groups) They are completely rude they completely ignore me. Please bare in mind I’m not expecting a massive conversation or curtseys when I walk past. But surely I don’t desearve them rolling there eyes when i say goodbye and say the same back like it’s the worlds biggest effort all at the same time.

My it made me so angry but I was angry because I allowed it to effect me. Now how do the French deal with these issues I am at a loss???

The worst is I ignored them today and was upset because that isn’t who I am so I felt false to myself.

Just a simple nod or smile would suffice, every human desires humanity and civility surely you readers agree?? or am I expecting something I shouldn’t. My intuition tells me though I do desearve a simple nod. And as long as I know that I think I should leave it there & leave them to be who they strive to be ??

It’s complicated as only this past 18mths I have been working on self worth & self esteem and it’s hard to get the balance as I never realized how I allowed to let people walk on me over & over and then blame myself. So when these things arise I get upset because I’m still learning.

I do apologize for ranting but somehow I feel a little better and I’m sure even French women feel that way sometimes as no ones life is perfect.

Meanwhile the positives for today is I’m still dressing French & loving it ( I’m sat here in slim jeans striped blue & white jumper with crisp white shirt underneath.) And I have a tall glass of water. I am going to have an early night & hopefully I may feel better tomorrow. Goodnight readers sleep well & I hope tomorrow brings you a smile..

Love FRENCHECLAIR xxxx

Does anyone else feel the same sometimes.??

Very Coco Mademoiselle.....

Every girls dream a Chanel
makeup table.....

The makeover at Chanel, I love the fact my friend had her black & white top on it looked so French very Coco..

An Evening At Chanel.....

I have been waiting to down load these photos for a while. But I have turned into a makeup snob. And it’s perfect to fit in with my new French lifestyle. But before I started to wear Chanel makeup ( only been wearing it for 2 months) I can say I have never looked back. Even the bottle of foundation in it’s self is a little touch of class on anyones dressing table.

I used ( shameful ) to buy what ever foundation was on offer at the time, so I had the caked look or orange look etc. Plus because I had been so ill I had bad skin and it was painful as my skin would outbreak in painful lumps, and bad acne.

I booked a Makeup evening at Harvey Nichols & I was resolved not to offer myself for any makeovers because I was ashamed of my skin. ( it was bad I’m not being a drama queen over a couple of pimples). But I wanted to buy a primer that models use.

Off we went me & my friend and welcomed with a champagne reception, and the store opened only through tickets only. We started to snoop around the YSL beauty & makeup counter and I had already eyed up my primer. Then we went to the Chanel counter and I became a fan, the sleekness and simple class as we touched the products. A make up artist asked if my friend would like a makeover & she jumped at the chance. I will load photos after todays journal. The Chanel makeup artist was amazing (8 yrs experience with Chanel) and my friend is naturally beautiful with lashes that go into the yr 2011 looked radiant after the makeover.

And for the first time I purchased Chanel and when they put it into the little chanel bag & when i wore the foundation everyone complimented my skin. The spots were still there but my skin looked glowing. Iv’e been to the doctors & I’m on tablets to clear it up & its working.

And since then I’ve never looked back my skin looks fresher more natural & not caked, I’m a Chanel makeup snob. Yes It costs alot more but you will gain a more fresher confident look. And to me thats worth the extra pennies wouldn’t you agree???

This advert was a mini film in a
minute.......

This is the first ever Chanel advert I ever saw. I fell in love with Vanessa because she looked amazing

"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different" - Coco Chanel

Now christmas is over all the Chanel adverts have stopped, and this only occured to me when I was thinking about what could be my next French blog.

They are so magical I can’t understand why they Don’t run them on television often. But I suppose they won’t seem as magical if they did do that.

Which ones do you remember???

Which one was your favorite??

The first one I remember was Vanessa Paradis swinging & whistling like a bird in a cage, I think it would have been in the 1990s.

And who could forget the Moulin Rouge star Nicole Kidman, that advert was a movie in it’s self. The advert worked so well I think everyone wanted a bottle of Chanel.

And then we had Kiera Knightly the perfect English Rose, being cheeky & I simply adored the bowler hat she wore and can I find one like that. I have looked high & low and still can not find one.

And the latest one with Audrey Tatou the classic French lady. So simply dressed but she looks a million dollars.

So with these adverts we can escape into a another world even if it’s for 30 seconds and live in the world of make believe of Chanel…….

Day 7 As A French Lady.

2. Well today even though it snowed I was determined when i met my friends to dress in my heels. Yes I nearly broke my skinny little neck with my first step out the door, from that though I went well and walked with poise.

   I did my hair in a tight pony tail & wrapped black ribbon round the pony criss crossing it. I had seen something similier in a cat walk show. And i wore a nice black skirt with a fitted black & white waistcoat & finished underneath with a crisp white shirt & black tie. And clasped in my hand a black hat box bag. I recieved lots of looks & complements, all i said was ” I was going with the French Coco Chanel look” And secretly smiling if only they knew I am living a year as a French Woman but I will keep that secret between me & you reader :-).

   Its funny but like most women I go through phases with say Interiors, fashion, fitness, makeup, haircare, healthy eating. So I’m feeling that adding these altogether with all the French chicness will change the way I view life & respond much more calmly with ease.

   And hopfully by day 365 of living the way the French do that the rest of my life will change for the better or at least improve my self awareness & self esteem. And maybe introduce a side I will have never have met.

   I have got to admit I am so excited as already my moods have changed, I am feeling so creative, Im feeling really passionately about ideas, & my confidence is really soaring.

   Its been 6 months since someone who I had allowed to bully me for years has moved away. WOW my heart is rapidly beating as i wrote that sentence but she is gone & she can no longer posion my life. Im starting to feel like the women I used to be & sometimes get upset because I’m not healing from the mental scars that was inflicted as fast as I would like them to heal. It took alot for me to write that but hopefully that is all apart of the process.

   I’m looking forward now to what Tomorrow will bring……………….

   
   
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This is the look I want for the Spring & Summer months ahead. It is perfect & natural who can fault it?.........

Day 6.....And Its Still Snowing

Its late but I have to write todays events & thoughts, I do wonder though is this daily habit going to turn into a little obbesession. I suppose it can not be to bad as i’ve been really happy doing this and it’s filled me with a sense of inspiration.

Apart from landing on my rear bottom when misjudging when the pavement begins & ends because the snow is so deep, I remember my main objection for each day is to walk 20mins each day as Mireille Guiliano points out in her book French Women Don’t Get Fat, that French women walk everywhere. So on my sturdy walking boots went and off to the village i walked. What a lovely time i had and plus i didnt fall on my bottom eithier. I could hear the children laughing & squealing in the background. All in all i really enjoyed the crisp winter air, glad i took the plunge and did that.

Mean while I succumbed to spending more money tut tut. I can hear my inner voice telling me that I am supposed to not be spending any money. But how can any girl resist buying a subscription of ELLE for £12 for a year & Vogue £19.99 for a year plus a free may I add free free free Molton Brown gift set. Any French chic lady in my mind would jump at an opportunity at those fantastic offers.

I decided also to take lots of photos of the homewares that I have purchased from France so hopefully i will put them on my site soon.

And whilst doing my brisk walk I came up with lots of things i can do this coming year to live like a French lady, Ive started to eat the French way. And trust me a self satisfied grin appeared when my husband remarked on my tummy( thank you Mireille again)and i have only been eating like this less than a week. Also I can arrange different French themed parties through the coming months.

I also can not wait to start booking tickets for all the fashion shows over the summer months. And I also have been putting together my clothes for when the spring arrives to wear with ultra chicness. Im going to put some outfits together and takes pictures I hope you like them. I’m going for the Coco Chanel stripes as nautical is going to be big this season. I have also invested in a blue & white blazer from Victoria’s Secret collection and it looks fantastic with everything from smart to casual. I do have my eye on a Sailor jumper also from the Topshop collection.

All in all I’m enjoying living as a French woman, I realize it is only day 6 of my journal but I am so excited and full of ideas it surely can not be unhealthy or negative so I will stop worrying about it becoming an obsession and throughly start to enjoy it for what it is bringing, which is a sense of contentment……….

DAY 5..Today Was An Improvement To Say The Least....

Jan 5

Today I have a confession, its not a bad one. But after spending so much over the holidays on bedding & other bargains to be had in the sales. I had promised no more treats but after writing my last blog last night i succumbed to ordering 2 books online written about French women by one of my favorite authors. How was i to know she had more books ((Mireille Guiliano). As i write they are on the way and i justify that they will help me to keep me inspired the way the French live……

When we look around our homes , gardens, wardrobes,food cupboards,dressing tables, dvd collection, music & even your makeup bag. You will eithier posses something that is French or resembles something French. In all things i Feel the French have a certain class of chicness that us English desire from time to time. Yes we have our own primness of tweeds but the French have a certain way of presenting things that create a simple awe. Take for example my home, its is very sweet home we have log fires in the main sitting room & 2 bedrooms. We have a lovely cream wooden country kitchen ( we are in thr middle of purchasing an aga or something similier. It is a cozy home and we get many people impressed in how we have made it so cozy. But people always notice the chic little objects that i have bought on my two journeys to the south of France for example, sugars for the coffee crystalized into sugar hearts, large coffee mugs, cake stands, glass ware in metal holders, and i cannot forget the large shopping baskets that i have through out my home that hold an array of things like magazines & towels etc etc.

But visitors always point something out and say ” Oh where is that from? ” And for me to get on my French high horse and say ” When I went over to France ” And then relay the story of the purchase which lets me escape for a while back to my French holiday.

My sister hated it because she loved everything I brought back ( I used to work for Laura Ashley in the Home dept so that helped with looking for interesting buys). She said she used to groan when she saw something lovely in my home and get depressed when i would state it was from France.

Enough was enough as i booked a surprise trip to Nimes for both me & my sister curtesy of my husband( he is wonderful ). I won’t go into detail about the trip as i will discuss more in my years journal but we did buy 2 extra bags crammed full with French homeware. We got charged riduculously but we were determined that it was worth it as we wanted that little bit of France in our homes.

So at Christmas time when my sister is sat around the table which is adorned simply but chic, she has a naughty glint in her eye when someone asks ” Oh that’s lovely where is that from?” To which my sister pleasantly told me she really enjoys saying “Oh i bought that on a trip to France.” She says its a wonderful feeling being on her very own French high horse.

A Must Read For Anyone Wanting To LIve The French Way

Don't Yo Yo Diet. Eat Like The French Do.....

Please don’t diet. I promise that if you read Mireille’s book your way of thinking about food will change forever. Do the healthy approch as the French do, enjoy your meals and take pleasure in the way you eat. I have tried it & I do not look at food the same way anymore.

Plus its helps when people say your glowing & looking healthy, which is so much better than just looking thin. Read & enjoy i know i always do.

First Day To Live As The French Do....

Well first day back today and it wasnt crazy as i had expected, there wasnt the endless queues of grumpy people. I even had time to have a cup of tea.

Well i have decided for a less stressful year that im going to embrace this year and live my life as the French do. Firstly i have uncovered a book that i try and read twice a year to give me the inspiration to change my eating habits. I cant stress enough that i cringe when i hear the word DIET. Argggh.

So out my little treasured book came ” French Women Don’t Get FAT.” By Mireille Guiliano, it starts of as a funny story of how she became lost in her ways of eating and alass put on unhealthy weight.

I am half way through it and as from today as the holidays are now over i start to live breath & copy the French. So i started my day with a bowl of hot porridge, a ham & salad wrap for lunch. I succumed to a chocolate flap jack by Three O’Clock. But by tea time i cooked potatoes, garden peas & chicken with peppers. I decided to do as Mirelle describes on page 39 ” Eat only at the table, only sitting down. Use real plates & decent napkins. Do not watch television or read.”

So i actually put a table cloth on ( a gingham one for that french feel) lit candles & used our posh vintage knives & forks. And of course the main healthy bit which consisted of a glass of water each.

I will include quite a few features from Mirelle’s fantastic book which i swear will change anyones ways of eating. But overall our meal was ate slowly & consisted of both me & my husband to actually talk about our day. So a big Thankyou to Mirelle not only have a ate well but its also creating a healthy marriage.

Lazy Sunday Morning...

Well its Sunday afternoon actually. And as the days now pass im hearing more & more people went to Paris to celebrate the new year of 2010. And a family member proposed to his girlfriend over looking Paris. As i am simply happy for everyone and share the excitment for them i cant help but twinge at the fact they have been to a city that i have always longed to go so hence the little green eyed monster in me surfaces for a while.

I remember when i was only 16yr old, i had left school but had been very ill which had made me weak. As i was recovering i would for hours read of places i wanted to visit. France being the main one. Even though ill i was very stuborn and determined young girl, & one day i passed a local travel agent that arranged coach trips to all places. I saw an advert for a coach trip to France i walked in & booked it. I walked out feeling very independant & eager to enbark on my journey.

I didnt get the same positive view from my mother who sat there gobsmacked with her best friend as i announced my new epic journey. After tears & tantrums the trip was cancelled as they related horror stories of what might happen. One dilemma mentioned was everyone would get drunk on the ferry coming back and me being a young shelter girl wouldnt be able to cope with it.

I laugh now as I had allowed them to put there fears on to me. The real reason wasnt too much of my welfare it was the fact that they wouldnt have been able to cope with worrying whilst i had travelled. The not knowing of what was happening whilst i was out of sight. The trip was cancelled.

So one day even though i have been to France a couple of times i look forward at seeing Paris in its full glory. When is the best season to visit as i want it to be special and create some memories that i can carry with me.

So readers when is the best time to visit & where to stay to get the best out of my first trip to PARIS………..

Happy New Year 2010.

Ive awoke to the snow descending into the garden. Brrrr its cold, no windows open today Im afraid.

Friends & family grouped togther to watch the fire works last night over looking the valley.

Now back to my blog, i lay here thinking where do i start regarding my passion for France? Firstly though i want my readers to be aware that I am fully born & bred English. And i love the English charm & culture and our history. Our countryside is why we moved house as i had always dreamed of living near the hills. So if your reading this it would be a shame if you were to think i hate the English as I don’t i just really envy the way and lifestyles of the French.

We were flying towards France when the idea of this blog came upon me. Much to the surprise of my husband i just started scribbling ideas & thoughts i wouldn’t let him view what i was writing which isn’t like me as we do have a very open way of expressing all thoughts with each other wether they be positive or negative.I just merely said i have an idea & he left it at that.

I want you bloggers to share any information regarding anything to do with France over the next coming year. I am going to share my passion of France mixed in with a diary of my life which i don’t normally share as i am very English and tend to shy away with being open to strangers. But im going to chance it now.

Enjoy reading & may the year 2010 is a new fresh start to all your dreams.

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Hmmmm where do i begin. I shall begin at the very beginning.

Where did it all began……………..

I was born 2 weeks late so my mother tells me. But had to go into the premature baby unit as my mother tells me i was tiny but perfect( all mothers are biased). Once i arrived into this big wide world a nurse asked my mother what my name was to be. My mother answered tiredly with the effects of hours of labour never mind the medications they bestowed upon her. Her answer was “Eclair”. To this the nurse answered ” Eclair???”. And my mum said “Sorry i mean Clare”

Maybe it was the fact that this was one of the first conversations i ever heard that has propelled me to write this Blog page. Who knows, what i do know is my mum had cravings throughout her 9 months of carrying me which consisted of a diet of Chocolate Eclairs, which happen to be also my favorite comforting pastry.

As this blog continues you will not only discover my dreams & private thinking. But your life will change as i share the less complicated lives of the French. Au Revoir for now.