happy valentine’s day from www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com

2010 in a nutshell and happy new years

With a blink of an eye, 2010 comes to an end. This year was the most eventful for me because I celebrated a milestone birthday, lost a job, sold a house, lost a family member, rekindled relations with extended family as well  as travelled to some interesting destinations and some not so interesting. I admit I experienced too much and from it learned alot in the course of  365 days.

One thing I must say, thanks to maturity and an unexplainable sense of self-control (which I think is associated with maturity),  I was able to cope with the “personal” events which unfolded during  the course of the year  and in a way survived the outcome(s) with minimal damage to my mental health .

As I result of 2010,  I have decided to pass up on making New Years  resolutions altogether so that I am not too disappointed in myself, should I not be able to uphold the commitment.  Instead,  I have set some flexible goals for myself, which I am going to do everything in my power to reach throughout 2011, no matter what destiny has in store for me.

So, with that said, Happy New Year everyone!!! Have a safe and wonderful celebration no matter how you plan on ringing in the New year. Remember the basics, don’t drink and drive, take a moment to remember all our troops abroad and if there is room in your life, adopt a pet  from a shelter and if not, consider  planting a tree in memory of someone very special to you.

Merry Christmas Everyone From Rawsilkandsaffron.com

Merry Christmas to all my friends, acquaintances and loyal followers of rawsilkandsaffron.com, who celebrate Christmas on December 25th.  I wish you all a wonderful holiday and a joyous celebration with family and friends.

 

a few of my favorite holiday decor

I love the fact holiday decor or decorating ideas  have come a long way throughout the years. The suggestion to use  shades of blue and silver or whites throughout the home is most amazing and in a way  esthetically pleasing to the eyes.

Seriously, in my opinion, there is nothing better than to come home from the craziness of the outdoors to a lighthearted and airy Christmas decor throughout a home.

So, although I may be too late in the month for this entry, nonetheless, I have included a few photos of my favorite holiday decor, which I plan to incorporate throughout my temporary housing  this year . Let me know what you think?

holiday 2010 gift wrap ideas

I do admire a beautifully designed  gift wrap paper, as much as I appreciate  a well  crafted greeting card. I can honestly say, I will  spend some days, the entire day, shopping for them at specialty stores, craft stores, art supply stores  and paper design centers most anywhere in the world.

I admit I am an avid collector of fine gift wrap paper and as a result have containers full of unusual, vintage and extraordinary  paper in hopes of one day mustering up enough courage to start my own production of them.

But in the meantime, I want to share some of my favorite photos of holiday gift wrap papers and let you know that, from what I have seen,  this year  there seems to be an abundance of creatively  designed gift wrap papers to choose from.

Just a few places that come to mind for now: Papyrus Card Store, Pottery Barn, Pier 1 Imports, Cost Plus, Target, Crate and Barrel and all Fine Paper Stationary Stores.  So, if you happen to stumble upon a local retailer which you highly recommend for that unique gift wrap paper, please feel free to drop us a line.

french women manifesto – who knew

I know, I know you are probably getting sick of my French this and that, but if you are then please turn the page, otherwise sit tight and share with me cause there is plenty to write about.

According to the book French Women Don’t Get Fat (website) there is a manifesto to follow. I actually laughed when I read the list because most of the items listed are a clear description of what I stand for and believe in. So I suppose I am truly French at heart. . So here are some of my favorites

French women eat for pleasure.
French women eat with all five senses, allowing less to seem like more.
French women enjoy going to market.
French women do enjoy wine regularly, but with meals and only a glass (or maybe two).
French women eschew extreme temperatures in what they consume, and enjoy fruits and vegetables bursting with flavor at room temperature, at which they prefer their water, too.
French women get a kick from Champagne, as an aperitif or with food, and don’t need a special occasion to open a bottle.
French women typically think about good things to eat.  American women typically worry about bad things to eat.
French women know one can go far with a great haircut, a bottle of Champagne and a divine perfume.
French women honor mealtime rituals and never eat standing up or on the run.  Or in front of the TV.
French women love to sit at a café and do nothing but enjoy the moment.

how much would you pay for a greeting card?

I am a greeting card fanatic  and a collector and a true appreciator of the evolution of the greeting cards. Get the point?  So with that said, I spend about thirty to forty minutes at the greeting card section in bookstores and visit every Specialty greeting card store in any and all malls.

What I have noticed, unfortunately, is the price of the cards ranging from $3.95 all the way to $10.95, making it a challenge to consider purchasing a good one no matter how we appreciate the person we want to give the card to.  I know gourmet cards is a new strategy used by the card companies (kind of like labeling restaurant cooking as Gourmet) in order  to stay in business since MOST ANYONE can make a card now on their computers or from products purchased at an ART store to create a card from scratch. The problem the distributors and designers don’t understand is that how could any (middle now referred to as poor class)  consumer consider purchasing a card well over $4.00? From the make believe middle class point of view, it’s almost as bad as looking at an Audi and then settling for a Daewoo instead.

I know the cards are exquisite and meant to be given from the heart and kept by the receiver in a special memory box, but at what price should all this happen?  Maybe I am wrong, but would you buy a greeting card at $10.95?