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At this point, it's no surprise that I'm a self-professed (and slightly obsessed) francophile! Everything about them – their clothes, their shoes, there je ne sais quoi – it's all perfect! As most of you know, I'm a huge advocate for clear skin and it's something that has always been incredibly important to me. I wanted to marry my love for skincare and that effortless french look – the barely there, perfect skin, messy hair look. It's so quintessentially french. As a result, I've spent the last few months experimenting with a number of French skin and beauty products that I wanted to share with you all. One thing they all have in common? They are rich in texture, active in ingredients that are easy on the skin, and most importantly: effective.
Beauty Edit
8 Beauty Products to Make You Feel Like a ParisianLOCATION: Paris, France
Get The Look:
Sisley Radiant Glow Express Mask
Cleansing Mask
Utilizing the effective red clay formula, this cleansing mask removes impurities and leaves the skin with a visible radiant glow. It's gentle texture and non-drying formula works well on all skin tones. Plant extracts and essential oils work together to remove bacteria and impurities from the skin that make it feel and look dull.
Caudalíe Gentle Buffing Cream
Cleansing Scrub
This high end scrub is absolutely incredible. It's gentle scrub acts as a cleanser to remove any excess dirt or dead skin cells and leaves skin feel revived and renewed. If you're looking for an ultra-soft, smooth surface, use this cleanser 1-2 times per week for immediate results!
NUXE Crème Fraîche Hydrating Mask
Detoxifying Night Treatment
For dehydrated skin, this mask will be your saving grace! This mask works to restore moisture to your tired skin and is as relaxing as a personal spa day. It leaves the skin feeling soft and glowy.
Sisley Botanical D-Tox
Detoxifying Night Treatment
This active "d-tox" formula helps to eliminate toxins from cells on the surface of the skin as well as way down deep in clogged pores, which results in revitalized and revived skin. Rice extract helps to detoxify while wheat helps mimic cell's antioxidant activity. This formula also has incredible moisturizing properties and uses a variety of different herbs and shea butter to soothe the skin a la your very best facial moisturizer!
Caudalíe Instant Foaming Cleanser
This instant foaming cleanser works to remove dirt, oil and other bacteria from deep insider your skin leaving you with a refreshed and revived complexion. It's soft and airy to the touch and is suitable for ALL skin types – a HUGE plus. It's use of chamomile and grape extracts work to calm any preexisting skin irritation.
Avene RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream
Anti-Aging Cream
With its active ingredient retinaldehyde, this intensive cream prevents and reduces anti-aging without the irritation. The use of retinol is incredibly effective and is paired with a healthy dose of Vitamin E to keep the skin feeling healthy and comfortable.
Caudalíe Premier Cru The Cream
Anti-Aging Cream
This incredibly luxurious, high performance cream features incredible ingredients that help fight anti-aging. It's super soft texture melts into skin, leaving it softer than when you started. It works simultaneously to revive the skin and protect against any free radicals and other properties. For best use, apply nightly before bed!
Sisley Botanical Lip and Eye Contour Complex
Anti-Aging Moisturizer
Intended to be used at night, this anti-aging formula is specifically designed for use around the lips and eyes. Using botanical and herbal extracts and oils, this cream helps restore firmness to the skin in the most sensitive of areas. Cucumber, Chamomile and Rosemary work together to provide a soft, fresh cream with the properties of your greatest moisturizer.
Leave a comment, darling!
2 Comments
oh these are such amazing products. thanks for sharing jenny! now if only i could be transformed into a french girl right now. 😉 xo
what are eye cream and SPF moisturizers you use during the day?


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We're celebrating a Christmas with a difference this year. A memorable one I might say. A few days ago, it seemed our Christmas wasn't going to be merry at all, but in the end everything turned out alright. Well, sort of.
Let me recapture the events of the past three days. I kept a journal.
DAY 1 (Sunday, December 22nd)
I don't know which is worse … no A/C in summer or no hydro in winter.
I always thought that being cold is preferable over being hot, but now I'm not so sure anymore.
Between July 3 and July 18, 2008 the chiller in our condo building malfunctioned. It couldn't have happened at a worse time. Toronto was in the grip of a heat wave and we were sweltering in our units with a temperature of 44 degrees C (111.2 degrees F).
Now the opposite is true. It's December 22nd and we have no hydro. That means no electricity, no water and worst of all, no heat.
It started last night around midnight. The power went off and came back after a few minutes. The power went off again and came back and went off and on again. The fourth time it went off it didn't come back. We sat in the dark for a while, waiting, until we eventually went to bed.
I woke up a few times during the night and checked if my alarm clock screen was lit up … it wasn't.
When I woke up in the morning I listened for sounds … the humming of the refrigerator, the bubbling of the aquarium … I heard nothing.
As there was no water, I couldn't shower, wash my face or brush my teeth.
I couldn't have coffee either.
After dressing, and while Dieter went to the mall to buy bottled water, I looked for something to do, something to keep me busy and warm. Short of making the beds and sweeping the floor there was nothing I could do.
I had a plan though. We could go to the bowling alley. We would be relatively warm, having running water to wash and have coffee, order something to eat and in due time entertainment with a couple of games.
I could take my laptop with me to do some work, charge my phone and my electronic cigarettes.
If the power was still out on Monday, I would do the same. Take my equipment with me and spent the day there.
It didn't work out that way though as the bowling alley was also affected by the black-out and was closed. Now what?
We were stuck at home no nothing to do. No WiFi, no computer, and a cellphone and electronic smokes on low battery power.
When Dieter came back from the mall with 24 bottles of water, I was able to wash my face and teeth and felt a bit better.
In the afternoon we slept to pass the time and to stay warm. By the time we woke up it was 5:00 p.m. and completely dark. A long evening stretched out in front of us with nothing to do.
I lit five candles and although they spread some light around the living room, it wasn't enough to read or do anything.
Dieter made a second trip to the mall to get dinner. He came back with Bourbon and two large coffees from Tim Hortons. Coffee never tasted so good and its warmth was more than welcome.
After dinner we took two chairs and in fold in table outside in the corridor and played cards.
Nobody knows how long this black-out is going to last. Some say 72 hours, others say we might not get power until Saturday. That would mean we're spending Christmas in the dark with no special dinner.
DAY 2 (Monday, December 23rd)
It's only been 48 hours but it feels like forever.
Now that the electricity outlets in the corridor our working, we're more or less organized. I can make coffee and goulash is bubbling on a hotplate Dieter bought. He also bought two camping lanterns so we see more than with candles.
What we still don't have is water and that is a major inconvenience. I miss showering, washing my hair, brushing my teeth and doing the dishes. The sink is piled up with cups, glasses, plates and cutlery.
I miss my computer too of course, but thanks to my phone I can read my emails and stay in touch with my Facebook friends.
The cold is getting to me too. I'm dressed in a t-shirt, long sleeved shirt and fleece jacket. My feet are warm with winter socks and fleece slippers. But my hands, nose and ears are freezing cold.
Living like this makes me wonder how people in the olden days managed. No electricity, no running water … how on earth did they do it?
Just when things were looking up, they're going down again.
We lost power in the outlets in the corridor. Fortunately the goulash was ready, but nothing else. Do Dieter make a quick trip to the mall to get fries. They were half cold by the time he got home, but they were okay to eat.
When my curiosity got the better of me, I went and checked other floors in the building to see if the outlets there had power.
Floors 10, 9 and 8 didn't, but floors 7, 6, 5 etc. did. So I came back upstairs, prepared the percolator with water and coffee and took the machine down to the 7th floor.
With my hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee, I could feel myself defrosting so to speak.
Earlier in the day I took Holly to the vet for her final set of inoculations.
When the vet heard that Holly had been feeling sick from her second set of inoculations and that our home currently has no heat due to the black-out, she recommended waiting with the final shots. The little one has enough to deal with without having to feel sick in a stone cold condo.
While I had been waiting my turn, a man come in with his dog. The man looked like a hobo … poorly dressed and long grey straggly hair. His dog looked just as scruffy.
From what I overheard of the conversation, the dog was old and sick and would probably be euthanized.
By the time I was finished with the vet, the man was back in the waiting room, minus his dog.
As I left, I called a goodbye to the three receptionists, but they were all busy. And then the man turned to me and said very sincere "Merry Christmas". I wished him a Merry Christmas too, although under the circumstances how merry could his Christmas be?
It was a profound moment though and one that will remind me never to judge people by their appearance.
DAY 3 (Tuesday, December 24th)
It's -14 degrees C (6.8 degrees F) but the sun is shining. Behind the glass of the windows we all feel a little warmer.
The cats feel it too and are curled up in sunny patches here and there.
While they don't want to be covered with anything, they seek out blankets, duvets and pillows for warmth from underneath.
When I woke up this morning I briefly considered staying in bed. After all, what was there to get up for? Eventually I did thought and since we now have running water, washed at the sink.
As task not to be underestimated as brushing my teeth and washing my face with ice cold water was no joke.
Once again I dressed in a t-shirt, long sleeved shirt and fleece jacket.
The power in the electrical outlets in the corridor is back on, so I ran an extension cable to make coffee and to plug in the aquarium. Without hear the tropical fish were hovering near to surface of the water, a clear sign of distress.
Dieter finishes work at 12:00 today and we're heading to the mall to shop for groceries. The local shops are closed due to lack of power and we're hoping that Wal-mart has what we need. With Christmas and Boxing Day around the corner everything will be closed.
Around 12:45 the A/C suddenly switched on and although it gave no heat, it was a clear sign that the power was back. I checked the lights and yep, everything was working. The fridge was humming, the aquarium was bubbling … we were back in business.
I was so happy I called Dieter to give him the good news.
Relief was short lived though. Suddenly the fire alarm came on and I smelled something burning. Within minutes the fire brigade arrived and we were told that there was a fire on the 7th floor and to stay in our units until further notice.
Even on the 11th floor I could smell the fire and see faint traces of smoke. Not for long though, about ten minutes later the fire brigade gave the all clear.
When I went down to go to the mall, there was pandemonium in the lobby. More than a hundred people were standing around, waiting to use the elevators, while fire brigade men and police were trying to keep everyone calm.
Just how cold it was I saw when I came outside. Mother Nature was dressed more beautiful than I've ever seen her.
Trees, shrubs and grass were covered thick with ice. When the sun hit the ice, it looked like everything was covered in sparkling diamonds.
Unfortunately, the weight of the ice took its toll on the branches of the trees. They were either hanging low or had snapped already.
In the mall thousands of people were doing some last minute Christmas shopping and those affected by the black-out (about 300,000) bought everything they could get their hands on. Bottled water was sold out, so were candles, lanterns, bread, cold meat, cheese, etc.
Our Christmas dinner was unlike any other years. Usually we have pot roast with carrots and peas and croquettes or roast potatoes. Tonight we dined on deepfreeze fries, peas and beer battered fish.
Still, I'm not complaining. I'm glad the power is back on or we had to make do with sandwiches.
I also managed to do the dishes. Three days worth of dishes that took me close to an hour to wash, dry and put away.
Still no hot water to shower and no A/C, but we're confident this will be up and running tomorrow.
This was a Christmas Eve with a difference and one to remember.
It wasn't all bad though. In times of need the people of the building were united and helped each other. We got to know our neighbors a little better and a woman I've never met before offered me coffee.
Merry Christmas

subset: commoncrawl


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Temperature takes a bit of a tumble on the Prairies today, as Southern Alberta continues to play the 'what weather warning can we get next' game. The Winter Storm warning will continue there today. It will be Rainy and Cold in Ontario, and Rainy and Warmerish in the Maritimes! We may see a Long John Index for cities from coast to coast tomorrow! Knock on wood! Or it's Ikea equivalent!
Vancouver, Kamlooped - NA
Prince George, Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray NLFD, Banff, Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Regina, Jaw of Moose, Winterpeg, Thunder(Danger) Bay, Sudbury - 1
Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Truro, Fredericton, Halifax, Charelottetown, Green Gables, St John's - NA
Whitehorse - NA
Iqaluit - 1
Yellowknife - 3
Inuvik - 4
Alert, Top of Canada - 4


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Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 44, Ed. 1, Thursday, November 4, 1847
Description: Weekly newspaper from Houston, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.
Date: November 4, 1847
Creator: Moore, Francis, Jr.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper
Partner: The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History


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West Virginia Senate Bill SB270 - Logging (or, silvicultural management) of WV State Parks (Updated)
This has been updated with a response from the Kanawha Forest Coalition.
I received an urgent email from a friend regarding WV Senate Bill SB270. I suspect that this same message, and its related Youtube video, are making their way around various social networks. In situations like this, I tend to wear a skeptic's hat. So, I decided to check out the full text of the bill.
Here is the relevant section, 7A (as highlighted in the image as well).
7a. Sound Silvicultural Management of State Park Lands. (a) The director is hereby authorized to implement a sound silvicultural management plan for state park lands under his or her control. The director may select and sell timber located on state park lands only as part of a sound silvicultural management plan implemented pursuant to this section. (b) The director, the state park superintendent of the property being analyzed, and the Director of the Division of Forestry shall determine the most effective management plan and write necessary prescriptions to ensure the successful implementation of the sound silvicultural management plan. (c) Any prescriptions written relating to timber harvesting shall not exceed the average of four trees per acre per tract nor more than one half of the merchantable timber volume of the acre. Only trees with a circumference of at least sixteen inches based on the diameter at breast height, may be harvested. (d) Any harvesting of timber from state park lands shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of § 21 - 1 - 7(13) of this code : Provided, That the proceeds arising from a sale of timber located on state park lands shall be paid to the State Treasurer, credited to the division, and used exclusively for the purposes of maintaining, improving, and operating state parks. (e) The division may promulgate emergency rules pursuant to § 29A - 3 - 15 of this code in order to carry out the intent of this section, prevent additional harm to state lands, and protect the public interests.
I had no idea what silvicultural management was so, I looked it up. From Wikipedia:
"Silviculture is the practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values… Generally, silviculture is the science and art of growing and tending forest crops, based on a knowledge of silvics, i.e., the study of the life history and general characteristics of forest trees and stands, with particular reference to locality factors.[2] More particularly, silviculture is the theory and practice of controlling the establishment, composition, constitution, and growth of forests."
Based on the definition provided and the details of the bill as written, this seems like a reasonable approach to managing our State Parks. Essentially, the bill is authorizing the director, or park superintendent, to implement a management plan for the park that they are in charge of. Additionally, the proceeds arising from the sale of timber will be credited to the division and used exclusively for the purposes of maintaining, improving, and operating state parks.
So, a qualified person who has been put in charge of state parks will develop a plan for properly maintaining the forests that they were hired to manage. Am I wrong? Have I missed something?
Back to the urgent email. Here is the full text of the email that I received. This is also the text that is attached to the YouTube video I mentioned above.
Please email or call the governor's office as well as at least the chairperson of each committee listed below. Also please forward to anyone you believe would have an interest in stopping this bill before it gets a second of consideration.
URGENT ACTION ALERT: Yesterday, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice introduced a bill (SB270) to open up ALL of WV's State Parks to commercial logging.
The most important thing you can do TODAY to protect our State Parks is to contact Governor Justice at (304) 558-2000 or 1(888)438-2731 tell him that you oppose SB270 and you do NOT want logging in our State Parks. You can also email the Governor here: http://bit.ly/2mFmkAy
Then, please take a moment to contact the legislators on the Senate Natural Resources Committee and the Finance Committee, where this bill currently sits. Their phone numbers and email addresses are down below.
Our State Parks represent only one half of one percent (0.5%) of WV. These treasures have been protected from logging for over 80 years (after the widespread destruction wrought by clear-cuts and subsequent floods and slash fires in the early 20th century) and in that time have grown into beautiful mature forests as well as key drivers of our growing tourism economy. In 2016, West Virginia State Parks and Forests attracted 7.1 million visitors who spent $226.5 million throughout the state during these trips. Approximately 46 percent [$103.6 million] of this spending was by out-of-state visitors (WVDNR Annual Report, page 44)
Bulldozing logging roads, fouling streams with silt and mud, disturbing the peace with the whine of chainsaws and machinery, and cutting down the very forests that make our state parks so special IS NO WAY TO ENTICE VISITORS TO RETURN.
Governor Justice has made growing our tourism economy a primary goal of his administration, yet this proposal flies in the face of everything he claims to be working for. Gov. Justice and our state legislators need to hear loud and clear from West Virginians and those of you who live elsewhere but love WV that logging our State Parks is unacceptable.
Here are a few questions that I have about this urgent email.
- Do they not believe that silvicultural management is something that needs to be undertaken in WV State Parks?
- Is the issue that we are profiting from the sale of the timber?
- Assuming that you do believe in forest management, would it be better if we paid a company to come and manage it?
- Do you not trust the Director or State Park Superintendent to properly manage the companies that will be chosen to harvest the timber?
- Are we just assuming that anything that comes from the desk of the governor must be detrimental to the state and the environment?
I have some assumptions about those that are pushing against this bill but I'd really like to know what the impetus is for this campaign.
Update, 1/16 @ 10:21PM
I posted my thoughts in the comments of the YouTube video and received a response from the Kanawha Forest Coalition. It should be noted that the Kanawha Forest Coalition is but one organization that is concerned about this bill and does not speak for all.
Here are their responses to my questions about this email:
- Do they not believe that silvicultural management is something that needs to be undertaken in WV State Parks?: That is mostly correct. Forests do not need to be "managed" by humans. Can they be, and is that management sometimes beneficial in achieving specific wildlife or ecosystems goals? Yes, but our State Parks are not in need of such management. The mature forest ecosystems found in our state parks are relatively rare and are critical for the many species that depend on mature forest habitat for their survival. The vast majority of WV is available for logging and indeed is regularly logged, creating early successional ecosystems for the many other species, including many game animals, that prefer it. All but two of the state park superintendents, the people who literally live in these parks and know them inside and out are opposed to this bill, according to DNR director Steve McDaniel, who we met with last week.
- Is the issue that we are profiting from the sale of the timber?: That's part of it. This bill isn't about forest health or "sound silvicultural management", unfortunately, it's about the state looking for a quick and dirty way to finance a $50 million/ 20 year bond. It's about the dollar bills, not the forests. The most dangerous part is that the state would be locked into this for 20 years. If the lumber market tanks? Too bad, we've got to keep cutting, even more, to pay the debt even if cutting doesn't make sense ecologically or in the broader context of our tourism economy. It's a dangerous position to get stuck in.
- Assuming that you do believe in forest management, would it be better if we paid a company to come and manage it?: No, it would be better to leave the forest in our state parks alone to manage itself, just as it did for eons before humans came along. If we have specific management goals that need to be addressed, such as a slowing the spread of a forest pest, then maybe there's a place for limited management. But that's a very different thing from commercial logging operations that target large, high-value veneer trees, which is what this plan is about, according to DOF director, Barry Cook (who we also met with last week), and according to the bill, which limits cutting to those trees greater than 16" dbh.
- Do you not trust the Director or State Park Superintendent to properly manage the companies that will be chosen to harvest the timber?: They will, as always, be under intense political and financial pressure in their decision-making process. It's not that they're necessarily bad people, but no, we do not trust them to properly manage a timber harvest program on state parks, especially one that REQUIRES a certain level of annual revenue. We have ample experience dealing with the DOF and DNR on projects at other state lands (state forests, wildlife management areas) to know that what happens on the ground is inevitably more destructive than what was planned on paper.
- Are we just assuming that anything that comes from the desk of the governor must be detrimental to the state and the environment?: No, in fact, we agree with the governor that our state parks are in need of adequate funding, and are willing to work with the agencies involved to make that happen in a way that makes sense economically and ecologically.


text: 100% genuine leather case / pouch in steel blue Italian leather with red leather lining. Measures approximately 4 1/2" wide x 3" deep when closed and opens to a height of approximately 5 1/2". It easily fits credit cards, bank cards and business cards. Try a couple in different colors to organize and separate your frequently used cards from those that you need only occasionally.


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Yesterday the sun was shining again. We walked the dog, and then I felt all inspired to do homey things. I started by sweeping leaves and then planted some new lettuces. That was enough outdoorsy stuff for me! I retreated to the kitchen to find something delicious to make for dinner.
Tag Archives: Vegan MoFo
Quick dinner for MOFO Madness!
Things have got a little bit crazy here over the last few days. With B (my husband) working his usual crazy long hours, me working longer hours than usual, and the kids having exams this week, we've kind of 'let ourselves go'.
Don't drop in! The place is a mess, and you'll only find me hunched over a screen writing MOFO posts or drooling over the fantastic food all you other bloggers seem to be eating. Last night it got to 7.30pm and I hadn't even thought about dinner.
Continue reading
Grumpy despite the sunshine
Winter went out with a bang in Melbourne, with bright blue skies and warm sunny days of up to 22 degrees (71.6º Fahrenheit)!
For some reason, yesterday's warm sunshine didn't make me feel overjoyed. Looking at the forecast, I could see we'd be back to 12º Celsius by the end of this first week of spring. As a result, the beautiful weather only made me feel edgy and restless and slightly panicked at the thought that I might not make the most of a glorious day, so I was itching to get out and about!
Meat Free Monday at Pearl Oyster
As I write this, it's almost 2pm on the final day of Vegan MoFo. Only 10 hours to go (in Australia, at least)! I planned to go out with a bang, but I've been busy and haven't had a chance to cook anything interesting for the last few days, and couldn't think what to write about today—but an unplanned brunch has saved me.
Two healthy dinners
After drooling over all the fantastic MoFo blog posts, I thought I'd better lift my game and start making some healthier dinners. I trawled through a whole lot of fantastic vegan blogs and found some fantastic meals to try. Here are the first two…
My red lentils have no nose…
How do they smell? Terrible!*
Today I thought I'd take the opportunity to have another go at the perfect lentil burger. Sadly, things didn't quite go as planned.
Vegan products in mainstream shops
When I first stopped eating meat, in the early 90s, the range of 'vegie' foods in my supermarket was VERY limited. I had to make a special trip to a 'health food' shop to get some of the foods we ate. Over the years, the range has increased, but it's great to see that over the last few months, there has been a HUGE expansion of vegie choices in my regular supermarket. It's a good sign!


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Survey finds increased usage of alternative heating sources during winterPosted On Fri, January 29, 2010
A new survey from Nationwide Insurance has found that many consumers looking for any means possible to stay warm during the winter are putting both their houses and themselves in danger by using alternative techniques that are quite risky.
According to the study, 41 percent of Americans don't inspect their chimney every year for any blockages that could be flammable, while 25 percent inspect it less than once every four years.
Additionally, 29 percent of Americans reported having a space heater that they did not turn off before going to bed, while 11 percent said they had attached extension cords to the heaters to gain mobility while sacrificing safety.
"While fireplaces and space heaters help keep home heating costs down, the recent jump in fire claims caused by these devices highlight how costly they can be if installed incorrectly or not used properly," said Bill Windsor, Nationwide's Safety Officer. "Each of these claims represents a significant and often life-changing event that in most cases could have been prevented."
The survey was commissioned by Nationwide after a review of their insurance claims in recent years showed an uptick in the amount of fires caused by "alternative heating sources."
For those who do not have conventional heating systems in their homes and depend on additional heating sources, there comes an increased fire hazard. In order to ensure that one's bases are covered, make sure that your home insurance coverage covers any damage that may be caused by an alternative heating source.
Feedback or questions? Email the editor here.


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Was it not already?! The nozzle work alone is worth consideration not to mention the rest!! We'll get that problem solved.
Sho' right when I get my first 35 kit it's going to be a blast...and... and ordeal; but to the chagrin of many here I plan to make it real-world. But that's just the first one.... Doing the same to my Raptor. I'm going to make it OOB real-world, too.... all that grey and everything that goes with it..
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