The "Amazing" story of Hope!

Bon jour~

In a previous post I told you about Romeo and Juliet~two mallard ducks that loved spending time in our pond!

Now I want to share the story of "Hope" with you. 
Last night when I was doing some organizing......I found these very old pictures of "Hope".  They aren't the best, but you will still be able to see how "amazing" "Hope" turned out to be.

Around 10 years ago I spotted a beautiful dove that decided to make one of the trees by our pond his home.  Every time I would go outside to garden or take a stroll around our pond, the dove would appear and then fly down next to me. 

I named the bird "Hope", it seemed like a perfect name for this little guy.  I guess he was "hopeful" that I might feed him someday.  One day as I was sitting on a large rock by our pond, "Hope" flew right over to me.  This time I had birdseed in my hand and sure enough he ate the birdseed right out of my hand.  It was so..........precious. 

That was the start of what became a daily routine.  Hope would be up in his tree, see me and come flying down for his lunch.  I just "luved " that wild bird.  His personality was adorable. 

Then one terrible night our home was involved in a fire that started in a neighbor's home.  You can imagine the commotion that ensued........We ended up having to live in a hotel for months while our home was being restored.  When we moved back home, "Hope" was gone.  I guess he decided to move on to another "safer" place to call home. 

I sure enjoyed the~beauty of nature~that Hope showed to me for months.  The "trust" and "friendship" that developed between us was awesome!  I feel honored he decided to call me "friend"!

I can't wait to watch the Royal Wedding!  I've always been "intrigued by the Royal Family!  Which leads to my "beauty" ~ tip for today ~

Today is a perfect day for trying Votre Vu's "Your Highness"!  Give yourself a lift. Give "the girls" the respect they deserve with the intensive, firming skin care formula.  Rich plant and mineral extracts help reinforce the bust's natural support by creating an "invisible" under "bra" that enhances curves and promotes lift.  www.votrevu.com/kathyluvsparis

ta....ta....Kathy Renee

I'll be 57 & Fabulous in "four" days........

Bon jour~

I hope all of my blogging friends are enjoying the start of Spring.  Our bulbs are starting to bloom and the gloomy weather is gone in Orange County. 

I'm so.......excited.  My Birthday is fast approaching so now I will officially be 57 & fabulous!  My hubby has some fun plans for us up in Big Bear this weekend!  I am so.........looking forward to spending time with friends!  We are also going to be working on our "garden".  I can finally clean it up after a long........winter.  Can't wait to see the state of my garden, as we haven't been up to the cabin in a while.  I hope some of my bulbs are blooming.  They were so.......pretty last year!  My columbine were already starting to sprout the last time we were there so they are probably getting pretty big by now.

Today I wanted to share some beautiful "french inspired" toilette "pretties" with you!

One of my "all time" favorite items is an art nouveau "rouge" pot I bought a number of years ago.  It's teeny-tiny, only 1 1/2 inches long, but it is beautiful and very detailed.  Once you open it up~the pot holds the most adorable puff,  along with a mirror.  There is still a tad of the fairest pink blush in the bottom of the pot.  Wouldn't it be fun to know a little about the original owner of this "rouge" pot and what special occasions she wore it for?

I also "luv" anything to do with the roaring 20's.  These fancy "powder puff" wands adorned the vanity tables of old.  Aren't they darling?  I've always been a fan of vintage ribbon art~one of these days I'm going to make some vintage style powder puff wands!

I recently purchased some amazing vintage papier items to share with you....but I'm going to keep you guessing for the time being.  I'll give you a little hint......they are from Paris~France and date back to 1901.  You won't believe how beautiful they are.  I'll be sharing with you soon!

Which leads me to my...
~tip~ for today......

If you want to keep something a secret~ try using Votre Vu's Royal Masquerade set! 

The set includes our Royal Treatment scrub and our Cool, Calm & Collected Masque.  When you purchase the set.....you save up to $27!  I guess I shouldn't keep the "Price" a secret from anyone and neither should you!

ta....ta......Kathy Renee

My.....how times have changed...............

Bon jour~my friends!

It's amazing to me how times have changed.  Back in the Victorian age, it became a past time to collect trading cards.  These cards first began in the 1700's when businesses used them to advertise their products.  The cards were beautiful!  This one is about 4" x 6" and was used to advertise Anchor Coffee.  You received a free card if bought their coffee!  Now-a-days....we advertise so differently!  But.....I still think it's important to make a connection with other's.

The two bird cards were used by the Woolson Spice Company to send out Easter Greetings to their customers.

These "give'a'ways" remind me of when I was a little girl.  Back then, you got small gifts from the gas station, market, etc.  People seemed to take a lot of "pride" in their work and everything was much more personal than it is "these days".  I miss that!

I "luv" these vintage treasures so I decided to share them with you today.  I hope you enjoy seeing a "taste of yesterday" every once in a while~as much as I do!

Some things "do change" and I made a change to my Votre Vu blog.......it's still a work in progress but let me know what you think about it so far.....

www.kathyluvsparis.blogspot.com

Which leads me to my ~tip for today~

Don't be afraid to embrace your past...

you just might find a hidden treasure

in your attic!

ta...ta..for now!  Kathy Renee

I ate way............too much Easter Candy!

Bon jour~ 

Today's blog post is going to be short and "sweet".  Can you tell what I've been eating today?????

My hubby gave me his Easter candy to eat too!!!  I've been a bad..........girl!  That's what I get for always having such a sweet tooth. 

We had such a wonderful time yesterday with my family for Easter.  Church was wonderful and then off we all went for a yummy dinner.  Next we headed for my Mom and Dad's house to hunt for eggs.

Don't my parents look adorable together.  Can you believe they have been married for 59 years.  My handsome Daddy-Boy is 86 and my beautiful Mom is 81! Opps.....this pic came out a little blurry for some reason.

Mom hid a load of eggs and we all went a-hunting.  I'll be 57 on May 1st, but I still "luv" doing childish things.   I guess I'll never grow up!

After that we played games and then had a 2nd dessert before leaving for home.

My hard-boiled eggs turned out pretty with a marble effect.  But I love the Votre Vu egg I made the best!  I've always "luved" creating things........ever since I was a little girl.

Which brings me to

my ~tip~ for today....

If you ate too.....much Easter candy, yesterday, like I did, try using Votre Vu's C'est la Vie Slimming System.

www.votrevu.com/kathyluvsparis

ta....ta... Kathy Renee

He is Risen, yes indeed!

Bon jour!

I am so.........thrilled that I have a Savior who died for my sins.  Not because I deserve to be saved......but because He loved me so much.

I'm sure, most of you have pets of some kind.  I love cats................They show me a small example of God's unconditional love.  They love me just the same, whether I'm "dressed to kill" or just "jumped out of bed" looking terrible.  It doesn't matter what we look like, pets never seem to judge us on our looks, social status, what we own, or ANY of the things us "humans" tend to judge other's on. 

Wouldn't this be a wonderful world if we didn't have to spend so much time on what "others" may think of us and just "lived our lives" in peace & harmony. 

So........my challenge for today is this......... Try to love others as you would like to be loved.  Look past the flaws you used to notice........and see others as the wonderful creations our God made.  It might help you to understand your friends, neighbors or strangers a little better.  After all, we don't know what everyone has gone thru in their lives to bring them to where they are today.  Also, during this Easter season, don't forget to forgive other's as we have been forgiven.  Isn't this Angel stocking beautiful?  I bought it for $1.00 at a thrift store up in Big Bear......it just reminds me of "heaven"!

Roger and I had such a fun "stay at home" night last night.  We phoned in for dinner and watched TV movies.  I have ALWAYS loved any thing to do with the Royal Family.  So we watched the William and Kate movie on Lifetime that we taped a few days ago and the special Barbara Walter's did on the upcoming wedding.  What a love story!  I can't wait for the Royal Wedding next week. 

Next we watched Thursday night's episode of EXTRA, and sure enough, Pam, Andra and I were on the show a lot during the segment on Michael Clarke Duncan.  Opps....I had my eyes closed in this pic!  I'll post better "pics" later.

It was fun to actually watch the segment after it was edited.....then we watched "Bones", one of our favorite shows, which featured Michael Clarke Duncan this week.  I'm so........lucky to have the man I married.  We love the same TV shows, so we never fight about what to watch.  Thanks, honey!!

You all know that I love to collect dolls.  This is my favorite "bisque" kewpie doll in my collection.  Can you imagine sitting at a table and having this doll for your place setting, filled with yummy candy.  They made such adorable Easter treats back in the 1900's, didn't they???  People were not afraid to say "Happy Easter" and "Merry Christmas" like they seem to be today......

Which leads me to my verse for today:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life~  John 3:16

My beauty ~tip for today~

Do you want to be treated like "Royalty"????

Just use Votre Vu's "Royal Treatment Gentle Pearls Scrub".  Honestly, I have never luved a product that I do this one.  Banish dull and dry skin with the ORGANIC formula of refining pearls.  Hydro-regulating active plant extracts soothe and balance as this gentle exfoliant minimizes pores and crowns skin in moisturizing radiance. 

Hold Court!  When you join me as a Brand Ambassador or Personal Shopper this "jewel" of a product can be yours for only $23.80.  Save yourself a "trip" to Paris and go to my website to order.  Nothing beats skin care direct from Paris~France!!  www.votrevu.com/kathyluvsparis

ta....ta....till next time!  Kathy Renee

Dancing with the Stars, EXTRA and more.....

Bon jour ~

Tuesday was my bi-annual trip to see the taping of Dancing with the Stars!  This time my cousin, Andra and her longtime friend, Pam, went with me to the taping. 

As we were driving home, we remembered we forgot to take a picture of the three of us in front of the studio like we usually do.....I guess we were having so much fun, taking pictures of us in line was the last thing on our minds....... so this pic is from the last time we went.  

From the moment we drove up to Beverly Blvd..........we started having a BLAST!!   We met some wonderful people in line, secured spots #'s 15, 16 and  17, then we went to the "The Grove"  for a wonderful lunch at The Cheesecake Factory.

As we were entering "The Grove" we were asked by the television show, EXTRA, to be in their audience for the taping of one of their upcoming segments.  They started taping within a couple of minutes of our arrival.  Mario Lopez was interviewing, Michael Clarke Duncan.......from the movie~ The Green Mile~with Tom Hanks.  Mario's interview was great and I loved getting to know a little more about Michael Clarke Duncan.
Michael seemed like a great guy, all around.  I can't wait to watch him on "Bones", one of my favorite TV shows a little later this season.  During the interview, he introduced us to his girlfriend, Omarosa.  Most everyone will remember her as the "mean" girl from Donald Trump's Apprentice show.  But, I thought she was very nice and we got our pictures taken together.  I think the segment for EXTRA will air on April 21st so you keep your eyes peeled for it.

When the interview was over, Andra, Pam and I headed to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch.  And who shows up at the restaurant right behind us~ Michael and Omarosa~I guess we have the same taste in food.

Lunch was delicious.........I had their signature mushroom soup, my favorite dish, and a small salad.  Just the perfect amount to eat before heading back to the studio for the taping.

We ALWAYS have such a great time in line waiting for the show to begin.  We met some wonderful new friends, had fun chatting about the show and more.

I took out my new "bebe" duette from my purse and everyone around me loved it.  I was able to share Votre Vu with my new friends and since I always carry samples in my purse~I was happy to share with them as well.

We decided the next time we go to Dancing with the Stars we're going to book a night at the hotel across the street from the studio.  That way, we won't have to leave Orange County so early or drive home so late at night.

After a long............... wait we were ushered into the studio and got wonderful seats~about 4 rows from the front of the stage!  Perfect seats to see the beautiful ballet, Swan Lake, being pre-taped.

Swan Lake was fabulous!!  After the pre-tape they took some time to break down the set and get ready for the live show.  Cory Almeda, warms up the audience, he is the best.  We had such a good time at the "Tuesday Night Dance Party". 

Cory had everyone come down to the dance floor and we danced the night away with Cory teaching us lots of fun dance moves.  I took my shoes off and put them in front of the judges booth........to make it a easier to dance.  Cory took this picture of us and put it on his twitter page...  corylive@twitter.com

The 2 minute warning was announced before the show went live so we all went back to our seats......  All of a sudden I hear Cory, over the loud speaker asking, "who left their shoes in front of the judges booth?"  Everyone got a laugh at my expense.......and if you know Cory, he kept it going for a while, but he finally brought me my shoes!

The Live Show was fabulous!  We got to see two numbers by Jennifer Hudson.  She looked great by the way................ I luved all of the gold confetti that came floating down from the ceiling at the end of her first number.  From where we were sitting we noticed she made some strange faces after she finished singing.  When I watched the show after I got home, I found out why.  A few of the large confetti pieces stuck to her lips, so that explained everything.

Kim and Karina's dresses from the performance show were amazing to see in person.  I just love the costuming on this show!  As usual, it was fun to watch and interact with the judges during the show, Bruno is such a crack-up.  I have to say that everyone who is associated with this show is so nice and friendly.  You can tell they all love their jobs and it's like they are one big happy family.

I only made it on the show a "tad" bit this time, compared to my interview in previous seasons.......but, my cousin, Andra, was on a lot!!!  The only thing that disappointed me about the results show was I didn't want to see Sugar Ray leave the show just yet.  I was hoping it would have been Kendra instead.

After the taping we stopped at the security desk to pick up our cell phones and ipads (as they don't allow them in the studio) and then off we went to our favorite place to eat dinner, Maggiano's.  The food and dessert was delicious, as usual. 

After finishing off our yummy desserts, we headed home, happy to once again be able to get tickets to our favorite show.  Which leads me to my.......

~ beauty secret~ for today.......

When you have a fancy event to attend, and you carry a small bag.....take along your "bebe" duette!  It's the perfect size to fit into your purse and it will keep your hands smooth as silk.  The raspberry lip gloss with keep your lips "kissable, too"!  I "luv" the little attached mirror, it makes it so easy to do quick touch-ups during the night, as well.

ta....ta...Kathy Renee

They're back....................

Bon jour ~ 

I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing, Sunday!  The Lord blessed us with a beautiful day, didn't He?  Opps.....I got a little delayed in posting my Sunday blog......I have some good news to share.  About 18 years ago, we were blessed with 2 ducks who decided to make our pond "home". 

We named them Romeo and Juliet.  Every year they would fly to our pond and we were able to see the "miracle" of Juliet have her yearly "ducklings".  She would raise & protect them until she could teach them all to fly.  Once she had this "task" completed they would all fly off until next year......then Mom and Dad would fly back "home" and Juliet would repeat the same process every spring.

Here's a picture of Juliet and her "teenager's as I liked to call them when they reached this stage in their development.  It's almost time for them to fly away................and find a new home to live in.

Juliet was a creature of habit.......she had a favorite bush she would set up her nest in every year.  And what a good Mom she was.  She rarely left her nest~only to take an occasional dip in the pond and quick fly around the neighborhood with her Romeo.  Then back to the bush she went until it was time for her babies to hatch. 

Sometimes we were lucky enough to catch her in action.....just when her babies were hatching!  Juliet would coach her darling new born babies to take a long leap from their cosy nest into the pond.  The good mom that she was, she would wait patiently until every last baby~made their leap of faith into the pond~and then she would take them on a tour of their new home.  They were so............cute, everywhere she went, they followed. At other times, we would "wake" up to a pond full of darling ducklings.........

Every night aound dusk "mama" would jump up onto a large rock we have in the middle of the pond and her babies would follow.  Sometimes it was all they could do to climb up this huge rock to reach their "mama" but they always made it.  Then Juliet would ever so gently lift up her wings and body and every baby would "tuck" themselves under her for the night. 

I felt privileged to be able to see this darling feat of hers every year.  As her babies grew, it became harder for "mama" to fit them all in, but she did the best she could.

Then sadly, a couple of years ago, we heard a terrible sound outside.  It was Romeo and he was mourning the death of his loyal and beautiful Juliet.  She passed........it was so pitiful listening to him.  And with that, getting to see the yearly miracle of birth, ceased.........until now.

We have a new set of ducks who decided to make our pond their home this year.  I can't help but think it is one of Romeo and Juliet's babies.  They "nap" in the same exact spot along the outside of our pond that Juliet used to take them to.  We have a huge pond so I don't think it's a coincidence.  Our new "mama" is gone for long stretches of time so I wonder if she is sitting on her own nest somewhere.  Time will tell.........................

Susan Doggett, our local bird rescuer, told me she was amazed our ducklings did so good........ I guess normally, it's rare for so many baby ducks to make it to adulthood, there's just too many predator's around.

Which brings me to my verse for today...But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without the Father knowing it.  Matthew 10:29

My ~tip~ for today is......give yourself a rest!  Take some time every day to find your own "miracle" of nature!  You will find it when you least expect it, just keep your eyes peeled.

ta....ta....for now!
Kathy Renee

The Adventures of Chloe................

Bon jour ~

I hear Big Bear got more.............snow, enough already!!  I am ready for spring.  I had to share the cutest snowgal my neighbor Pat & I built. We named her Chloe and next weekend if we get more snow, I plan to make her husband....Joey!

Soon after we made Chloe, it started to warm up and she had to have a little plastic surgery to keep up her good looks. If we don't get more snow soon, Chloe may just "Melt" into depression waiting for Joey to arrive! 

Honestly, as much as I do "luv" snow........I "luv" springtime and flowers even more.  We planted columbine last year and can't wait for it to spring up again this year along with all of the other flowers.  When we left Big Bear a week ago, our plum trees were getting their blossoms.  I hope the recent snow didn't hurt my trees.  You never know when the last snow of the season will hit our beautiful "mountain" community.  Some say we are safe after Mother's day.....I hope that's true this year.

Winter's not all bad, I had the priveledge of running into Adam Sandler 2 years ago.  I was so........impressed with him.  Great guy~in every way.  Beautiful wife and family, as well!!  This isn't the best picture of us as the sun was really bright that day and IN OUR EYES, but fun nonetheless!!!

Which brings me to my:

~tip for today~

Unfortunately, Chloe did "melt" but you won't if you use Les Sorbet, Votre Vu's Iced anti-aging serum for your face. This award winning innovative wand is full of wonderful anti-aging superstars: marine elastin and collagen, organic muscle-relaxing vegetable peptides and hydrolyzed collagen. It ships to you on dry ice, direct from Pais France!
 www.votrevu.com/kathyluvsparis

ta......ta.....until next time!!! Kathy Renee

My "Luv Affair" with the color pink.....................

Bon jour ~  My "luv affair" with the color pink started at an early age..........I "luved" every shade of the color.  I remember when I was a little girl, my Mom used to wear "RED" lipstick.  The kind she used came in a small white plastic case with a little brush to apply it with........ I just "luved" that lipstick, it was "pure" bliss to me!  Isn't it funny the things we remember from our childhood! 

This vintage picture, from my collection of antique magazines, reminds me of days gone by....... and how much the ladies in the early 20's loved to pamper themselves! Even when I was a little girl, I loved to pamper myself, playing dress up, wearing plastic high heel shoes, etc.

I remember one day, my Daddy~Boy, (the name I started calling my Dad when I was 2), brought me home a special gift he made for me at work.   It was a tiny metal perfume bottle necklace, that he plated just for me.  It had a stopper that unscrewed with a little  metal dabber that I used to put the perfume on with.  Oh.....how I wish I still had that gold perfume bottle hanging from that little tiny chain.

My Dad went on to "bigger projects"~I'm talking about plating parts for the Moon missions!!  Fun to know that my Father's hands touched some of the parts that are still on the Moon today.

A little over a month ago, I decided to take some time for me........life gets so busy that we sometimes forget to do the simple things we once "luved" to do.  I took out a book I bought at a quilt shop in Big Bear and made this darling felt heart for my Valentine tree.  We leave a tree up year round in our cabin and I love to decorate it  for every holiday!

I know it's well past Valentine's Day, but I still wanted to share these pictures with you!! 

Which brings me to my....... "tip" for today..... 

life sometimes gets so.....busy we don't take care of our skin like we should.  If you want to look like the "beautiful ladies" of long ago.......try using

Votre Vu's "In the Pink" Botanical Masque Pour Le Visage.  This botanical masque draws out impurities and absorbs excess sebum which could clog pores.  Moisturizing ceramides, nourishing helianthus oil, regenerating wheat cereals and toning essential oils soften features and erase signs of fine lines.  GLOW BIG!!!!!

ta.....ta.....for now!  Kathy Renee
www.votrevu.com/kathyluvsparis

How to lose 10 pounds without dieting....

I "luv" this picture of my parents, who would guess my Dad is 86 and my Mom is 81???  Don't they look wonderful for their age!  I am so.............glad the month of March is behind us!  Early in March, I called my Daddy to chat.  We had a great time talking and all was well with the world.  Boy, would everything change, by the very next day.  In the morning, I stopped by to share Votre Vu with one of my clients.  We had  a wonderful meeting and I could not wait to drop off more VU flyers to their office the next day.  Votre Vu is hiring.....something not too many businesses are doing these days!

I had a few more stops to make and then headed home with dinner. When I got home, everything changed.  My Mom called and told me my Dad was in the emergency room.  Roger and I were in the middle of eating dinner, so we dropped everything and rushed to the hospital.  I could not believe how sick my Dad was.  He had a horrible time breathing and thought it was 1959.  He could not answer the simple questions they asked him.  It was so...........scary to see my Dad fine one day and in this condition the very next day.  My Daddy-Boy, as I've called him since I was 2, was admitted to the stroke/heart unit of the hospital late in the evening.

All my family gathered in the hospital to be with Dad......we were so.........concerned for our father.  My Mom and I spent the night with him and thank goodness, we did.  About 2:30 in the morning he had a terrible spell.  The nurses called for the critical care nurse and doctor.  My prayers went into overdrive at that time and thank the Lord, they were able to stabilize my Dad after running some procedures on him.

They found out my Dad had the flu and it was shutting down his entire system, something my Dad's doctor later told him only happens about 1% of the time.  My Mom slept through most of this, thank goodness, as she was getting sicker by the minute.  By morning Mom was in the emergency room herself.  It turns out, she had the same flu, just not as bad as my Dad.  My sister and I picked up meds for her and took her home, while my Dad was going through extensive testing during the day. 

I ended up spending 3 days and 2 nights with my Dad in the hospital, while my sister took care of my Mom.  My Dad had just about every test you could think of run on him during this time.  He passed them all and was able to come home on Friday, with the help of home nursing care for a few weeks.  What a thrill it was for us to see someone so.............sick, start to finally bounce back. 

The next day, I started feeling sick..........and by Saturday/Sunday I started running fevers of almost 103.  Normally I run very low temps and rarely ever run a fever, but this flu took everything out of me.  I went through a course of antibiotics, which didn't seem to help at all.  By the following weekend, it was my turn to spend time in the emergency room, seems my flu had the nerve to go into pneumonia.  So before I left they gave me 2 breathing treatments and sent me home with really strong antibiotics.  When I got home, I continued with the breathing treatments and meds and weeks later I finally started feeling a little better.

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the Philly International Flower Show, Springtime in Paris!  I was so..........looking forward to sharing my "luv" of Votre Vu and growing my team in Philly.  But, as they say, life happens.  I'm just so thrilled that the Lord blessed all of us, and we are all on the mend.

One great side affect of the flu............I was down 14 pounds since January!!!

I thought you would enjoy seeing this picture of Mynx, my exotic Persian kitty.  He's just the most adorable cat and goes to sleep on command in my hands.  I am going to try and post a video of him.  It's amazing....Anyways, I've been organizing my office and I found him in one of the storage boxes.  What a doll!!  

And.............check out this darling picture of CoCo and Davidson.  I know it's way...............past Christmas, but I had to share this picture with you.  Don't they look like stuffed dolls, too????

My thought for today:  the Lord is very faithful.....he gives us EVERYTHING we need.

My "tip" for today:  When you've had a hard day, relax and take a nice bath with Votre Vu's  "On Holiday" line of spa products.  Nothing makes you feel so....................good! 

ta...ta...for now!

Kathy Renee