"Coco's Place and Le Big Bag of....MAIL!!"

  "Coco's Place"

8 x 8in original oil on museum quality panel

(Painted in France/Sold in France)

I love mail.
I got a few pieces while I was in France.
So did Eddie.

Like 500 or so:))

We were ALL excited---France is so inspiring!!
I decided to share some mail hi-lights here---so it could bring some smiles to your face as it did mine:))

I have kept the names anonymous, for most part, except for those who YELLED at me (Corrine;) and Teri...who actually sent me a singing telegram for her entry into the Carte Postale giveaway:)) and Bill who accused me of being a spy:)) and Gloria who made me get a lump in my throat and...well, I did name a few of them, but not all:)))

I read every letter, savored them all and will answer some of the questions (like what watercolor set I was using and what paper did I use for the postcards, etc) here on the blog.

If you have sent me a question that I miss answering here, then please resend it.  It's just possible I might have missed it in that stack of 537 pieces of mail:))

If you sent a letter to Eddie, don't expect a response.  He's too busy lounging on his new couch purchased on my credit card while I  was out of town. (See photo below....)

If video doesn't appear, just click here to view:))

Dreama,

be careful with the French food!  You traveled there as a passenger you could come home as cargo!  ~Marilyn

How strange..? I got all teary while reading your goodbye note to France. Thank you for a beautiful trip without all the travel hassle.  ~Gloria

OK DREAMA, I'M NOW OFFICIALLY SCREAMING SO AS TO BE NOTICED AND THROWN INTO THE 'JAUNTY BERET'!!!  I'M NOT ONE TO MAKE A SCENE (yeah sure!!!), BUT SINCE I CANNOT GET AHOLD OF EDDIE ~ OR  HIS PEOPLE.....I AM LEFT TO MY OWN DEVICES AND SINCE YOU'RE WAAAAY OVER THERE, AND I'M WAAAAY OVER HERE, SCREAMING IS ALL I COULD THINK TO DO!!!!!!  ~Corrine

I have gone out two days in a row and painted in plein air inspired by you.  You are right! it is all in our own back yard.  Put my name in the tattered beret!   ~ Judy


Dear Mr. Eddie,

I hope all is well and you are enjoying your morning sunny spot as much as I am enjoying mine. I'm writing on behalf of my owner/mom regarding a postcard from France. She says they are beautiful. Happy napping, Eddie.

Sincerely,

Theo the Dog

ATTN: Eddie Dear Eddie, I'm sure you are extremely lonely and heartbroken with Dreama away, and I thought it might help lift your spirits if I sent you a gift. I've made arrangements for you to receive a one-pound shipment of KING SALMON, shipped fresh from ALASKA. It's totally up to you if you want to share any of it with the new pipsqueek that Dreama brought home. I'm sure she told you that she "had to go away" on this "business trip", and that she is absolutely miserable without you. Who's to doubt her? I would feel the same way, I'm sure. Anyway, if you talk to her, please ask her (BEG her) to draw my name for one of her original postcards. (Use the old guilt trip routine on her, that is usually very effective). Thanks, Eddie! Hope you enjoy the salmon! :-) Tania


Dreama  enjoy the  Funfessional Artist that you are!
Best regards to Ron and Eddie.....
Tuchy


please, oh please, oh please, oh please and as my boyfriend Jake would say, "unh-huh".  I would love a Dreama postcard and I promise not to let Jake read (eat) it.

I will give you a comment! This trip has nothing to do with painting. You are now a secret agent and are just using your art
as a cover. Let me say this young lady... all that drinking and eating and having fun over there is not fooling those of us stuck in the heat over here.
You just have a great time and keep up those fake e-blasts and such... wait 'til I tell Eddie!
Now that I think about it he looks a little cagey, TOo.
Have a big time,

Bill
p.s. and yes I want to be included in the smuggling of your art out of France on Postcards!

My Jelly-ousness is tempered only by my belief I will be packing my bags for  that trip to France.  You know.  The one for Dreama's workshop abroad?  

This conviction will allow my Happy Face muscles to remain "fixed".  

I cannot predict my reaction if my Dream(a) does not come true.   I may exercise heroic restraint.  Or..........

Wait! Wait!  Stop the music!!!!  

A Dreama Tolle Perry Fan Club!!!  Website.  FaceBook. Twitter. 

Yes!!!  I can do that!   

Will that secure a place for me??!!!

Okay.  I don't know now to do Twitter.  Need help with a website too.  FaceBook?  I think I can handle.

Seriously - I KNOW you are in Heaven!  Never, ever, EVER has anyone enjoyed "LeVieux Couvent" as has Dreama. 

So steeped in joy are you - I feel it here in Alabama!  ~Carol

 Heck with the art card,IWANT ONE OF THOSE LITTLE PINK, ROUND MINI CAKES WITH A STRAWBERRY ON TOP!  

YOU'RE POSTINGS ARE AWESOME……ANNIE

Every day your France adventures open my heart in a new way.    You have no idea how much you are inspiring me. I put down my brushes, paints, and adventurous spirit years ago due to illness. This weekend at least the brushes and paints are coming back out. That in itself will be an adventure! 

Here's my entry for the post card contest! A s you might be able to see from my attached photo ---

we have one unhappy cat waiting for HER postcard (and her name is Angel?!)

And to conclude this post...a photo of one smug Eddie and answers to a few of your questions:))

How to Stop Credit Card Theft in the Home?

Steer clear of tuxedo wearing cats with expensive taste.

How to leave a comment on my blog? (This one came up a lot so I thought it was high time I let you in on the secret:)) Just click here to learn how:)!

What kind of watercolor kit did I use to do the Carte Postale watercolors?

It's called a Winsor and Newton Field box.   It comes with a standard set of colors to which I have added a few like Cobalt Turquoise, Opera, Magenta, and Purple.  The pen I use is waterproof.  You can read more about the box by clicking here:) (it's in my Amazon Art Supply Store)

What kind of paper did I use for the Carte Postale (postcards)?  I used watercolor paper that comes packaged for use as postcards!  You can see them by clicking here:)

How did they suspend the roses from the sky?

Haven't a clue!!

What was the name of the art store you visited and where was it?

What towns did you visit?

Are you going to paint again next year in France and take some folks with you?

These and more questions to be answered in an upcoming post:)))

Along with Paintings from France

Studio Makeover Part II

And JuNK dRAweR FriDaY (returning next week:))))!!

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"Postcards from France- No.6 and No.7"

"Courtyard Corner, France"

Carte Postale No. 6

"Cabrerets, France"

Carte Postale # 7

What an amazing week this has been.  

Your letters, comments and pure joy in the beauty that is France has been part of the inspiring journey:)))

I am blessed to have you in my life!!

No sorrow today on leaving the Le Vieux Couvent----it is comforting to know that this beauty that has been here for centuries will continue to flourish in my absence:))

The flowers will continue to put on their best show for those who follow in our footsteps:))

I did feel certain that Cocoa either didn't want me to leave OR wanted to come to the Paris for a visit---he spent an inordinate amount of time hanging out with my suitcase....possibly plotting with Eddie on an exchange program:)

No matter how long things have been hanging around, new beauty is born again each day.  This was the parting shot of the bell tower that chimed every hour while overlooking the village.  I love that bell--it had a way of bringing me to the present moment each time it chimed:))

The road back home begins here...:)  

All in all, a very sacred week...thanks for sharing it with me!

Spending the night in Toulouse to catch my flight out in the morning, I decided to celebrate and finish up on a high note....espresso and chocolate:)))  

I may not sleep for a couple of days, but hey....a girl eats what a girl's gotta eat;)))

I will enjoy going through all the funny emails, those singing telegrams, and more when I arrive home.  I have hundreds of letters in my inbox--so please know that I have/or will read each and every one of them:))

I will post some oil paintings this week that were done while in France and try to cover all the things that have come up from you in the form of questions on my visit to France.

I will rest, catch up with Eddie, Phyllis, and Pierre and think of you and the good times we had this week:)))!!

I honestly wish I had postcards to send to each of you...doing them this week reminded me of all that is important... 

 Loving people, shared experiences and celebrating the beauty that is this thing called Life.

Wonderfully squeezable hugs from France!!!

P.S.  The winner for Carte Postale No. 6 is Pat Alto.

The winner for Carte Postale No. 7 is  Joanne Kilduff.

Congrats to both of you!!  And so much thanks to each of you who took the time to comment and drop me an email--it added to the excitement of the week:)))

And winner Candice Brancik --somehow I either didn't get your snail mail or it has become lost in my inbox!  Please resend:))

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"Postcards from France No. 4 and No.5"

"Le French Window"

Carte Postale #4

"Courtyard at Le Vieux Couvent"

Carte Postale #5

Twice the fun!!  

Winner of the #4 Original Watercolor Post Card is Roseanne Campagna!!

Winner of the #5 Original Watercolor Post Card is Vicki Morgan!!

Congrats all around!!  Please email me your snail mail address ASAP so I can post your carte postales before leaving France:)))

If you are unhappy with the results, see Eddie.  He has been drawing the names out of the beret with his bare claws.  Probably will not be wearing that hat again.....

Real beauty is often in our own backyards.  

 Of course, those whose backyards are in France may not have to look as hard;))  With all the lush roses growing in the back of Le Vieux Couvent, one might almost miss the poppies!  Today's lesson is how to make a dancing lady:))

Push the petals down

Remove a portion of the "hair" on the center portion

Snap a piece of the stem and insert crosswise for the arms

Take one blade of thin grass and wrap for the belt

And finish off her dancing legs by inserting two snips of the stem up into the skirt

Voila!

Behold the Dancing Lady:)!!

so paper thin and brightly colored!

All this beauty, just outside in the garden at Le Vieux Couvent!

Real beauty can be in a simple table handed down from one generation to the next topped with purple petunias and grounded with...Hey...Who is that under the table????

Someone seems to have a hidden agenda....

And is obviously laboring under the assumption that if he can't see us, then we can't see him:)))

Oh well, back to what we were talking about...real beauty in simple things like clay pots and old watering cans (it also can't hurt if pots are place on  steps of 400 year old building....just sayin')

Natural, real beauty served up in a thousand different ways.

I know, they look good enough to eat....and I did:))
One of those juicy peaches somehow fell into my yogurt this morning;))

Tomorrow, I am gonna do it again---going to give away  two more original watercolor postcards --gotta get them in the  mail  before I leave Le Vieux Couvent:))!!

So as our time here winds down, let's consider it a celebration of all things beautiful and real!
Just leave a comment, have your people contact Eddie's people, shoot up some fireworks--whatever you gotta  do to let me know you want your name tossed in the jaunty beret in hopes of having a wee piece of "France" mailed to you:)))

This has been such a great shared adventure, I have certainly carried you in my heart, trying to capture the things I thought would add some joy to your day.

 Please feel free to share this post with your very best friend---anybody who's a friend of yours is automatically a friend of mine:))))



If you'd like to paint with me you can check out my workshop schedule by clicking here:))
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"Carte Postale #3"

"Window View, France"

Carte Postale #3

A little bit of paint, a postcard size piece of watercolor paper and what do you know....a girl can have even more fun while in France:)!!  

Tomorrow, I am giving away two original watercolor postcards to be mailed from France:))  

Two winners:))))--all you gotta do is leave a comment on the newest blog post, have your people call Eddie's people, email me, or send a singing telegram announcing your desire to have your name in the beret for the drawing:))  Two winners will be selected Friday night at midnight in France (or thereabouts:))

The winner of Carte Postale #3 is

......Candace Brancik!

Yeah Candice!!   Just send me you snail mail address ASAP so I can drop your original watercolor postcard in the mail while I am here in France:)))

Real French countryside is so pretty and full of quaint things

like a cow head dinner bell that makes you smile:))

And abandoned houses that can still take your breath away:))

Even the signs are pretty in France:))  I consider it a "sign" of good things to come:)))

I did look at another house for us today.  It seemed to have an inordinate amount of pots that would have to be watered.  What say you??

I thought perhaps we should just meet at the restaurant below--for a light lunch and discuss our options.

Over something pink and sweet of course:))

Pink seems to show up everywhere...even in the litter!!

If you have a friend that needs a little trip to France right now---then share this with them:))  

They won't even have to get a passport;))

Tomorrow is gonna be TWICE THE FUN:))  

Just sayin'!

If you'd like to paint with me in 2013--just check my workshop schedule by clicking here:))

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"Carte Postale #2"

"Window at Le Vieux Couvent, France"

Carte Postale #2

I am having so much fun doing the post cards--today's trip into a nearby town yielded an art supply store with a few new cubes of watercolor to add to my travel box:))  

My intentions are to mail out a week's worth of postcards, with a drawing each day from comments that day.  If I have time to squeeze in a few more then I will do so...but no promises--I have a lot to eat er I mean do before I leave:))

Today I found some beautiful lavender envelopes  to tuck the postcards inside for mailing.  I am announcing the winners each day here on my blog---so if you see your name, email me ASAP with your snail mail address so I can get your postcard out to you! 

The winner for Carte Postale #2 is......

Bruce Bingham!  Big smiles for you Bruce:)!!  And thanks to each of you for hanging out with me in France:))  


I have another postcard to love ready to post on the morrow:))))  Just leave a comment, send an email, have your people call Eddie's people, etc to get your name in the beret:))))!

Small priorities

Sometimes the smallest thing becomes the biggest priority. 

Today I noticed my petite bedside bouquet was faded and decided that the most important thing to do at the moment was to go in search of new flowers.  The "big" pink flowers are JASMINE!  The other flowers are smaller than my pinkie nail... funny how the smallest things can often times give the greatest pleasure:)!  

Today was market day.

What's not to love about an open air market...in France!  (I saw you over there, hiding and snorkeling down all those fresh olives stuffed with garlic;))  

Fresh flowers!!

Look how cute--- all the herbs lined up in their own little baskets with hand written signs:))

Just when you think your heart is going to burst from so much sunshine, flowers and good stuff--you look up and see roses going to the heavens!

These hand made roses were suspended in a courtyard outside just outside the art store (the same one where I  purchased the lavender envelopes:)))

Aren't they beautiful!!!!

Just so you don't get too confused....here are the REAL ROSES:)))

And it wouldn't be me if I hadn't tried out one new food today.  Check out the fruit flavored macaroons (meringue cookies)  Just enough for me 'n' you:))

I won't tell if you won't.   

What happens in France stays in France.

If you are having some fun on the trip--you can bring along a friend....I am not saying I will share the macaroons with them, but they can get their name in the drawing for the postcard and look at the pictures;))  

Just forward this post along to your very best friend today:))

Big Hugs from France!!

Wanna Paint with Me in 2013??  You can view my workshop schedule by clicking here:)

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"Carte Postale #1"

"Cafe 1883, Rocamadour, France"

Carte Postale #1

And the winner is.....

It has added an extra layer of glow to know that I can spread the joy that is France by mailing a few of my original watercolor postcards (carte postale in French)!!

 I will be selecting a winner each day while I am here in France:)))  If you'd like to have your name in the beret. so to speak---just let me know by way of leaving a comment on my blog, sending an email to Eddie or me, or dropping by the Le Vieux Couvent on your way to Toulouse;))--- carrier pigeon will work also:))  A new name will be drawn each day from that day's comments/replies:))

The winner of the Carte Postale #1 

is Betsy Duncan---Yeah Betsy!!!

(Betsy, email me your snail mail address ASAP so I can get your original watercolor postcard in the mail.)

Now it's time to let your mind carry you away to France....

Beauty is strewn about everywhere in France

Even spent petals and a rainy day conspire to make one smile:)))

I think Eddie and Pierre must have blonde cousins in France....

The carte postale scene was painted in the cafe shown below (it's the one with the red awning) .  Something tells me that stairmasters and treadmills are not big sellers in Rocamadour.  Just sayin':))

I am still on the house hunt for all of us and checked this one out today.  

What do you think?

Would you be up for helping  keep the roses watered??

And just in case you thought I forgot about food for one day.....I am proud to report that I now know what purple tastes like.

A perfectly purple parfait:)))

And I figured after hoofing it up to Rocamadour that I should reward myself with ..... ahem.....CREME CARAMEL.

P.S.  I am thinking that perhaps I should save the last day in France for clothes shopping.  Just in case.  You know....like if the washing machines here  were to cause my clothes to unexpectedly shrink two sizes or something and I couldn't fit into anything to wear back home on the plane.  Just thinkin' ahead.

P.S.S.  If you want to invite a friend along on our French excursion, just forward this email.  They can sign up to follow by clicking here:)))

Paint with me in 2013:))  Click here to view my workshop schedule
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