2020 So Far ...

 Dear readers,

I know, I know. I haven't written in a while.

Let me explain why, with where I last left off: the first 2,5 months of this year I was crazy busy, next to my full-time job, planning our wedding. You can imagine that takes some time.

Mid-way March, the corona-virus was getting closer and closer to home (the Netherlands). It had already spread to Europe, and Italy was in complete lock-down. At the time I thought we were lucky it did not reach us. But it did...

As it reached you.

Three weeks before our wedding (our wedding was planned on April 11th), we made the heartbreaking decision to postpone our wedding because my American relatives couldn't travel from the U.S. to the Netherlands. At that time, they were still allowed to travel, but my dad is an emergency room doctor in New York and couldn't possibly leave as the virus had reached NY in full swing.

One week after postponing the wedding and informing all of our guests, the Netherlands went in complete lockdown. Thankfully, we both have jobs where we can't work from home, so for us the coming few months seemed somewhat normal.

We postponed our wedding to September, thinking (back in March), that was more than enough time for everything to turn back to normal and give us some time to start planning again. Also, we love the month September because we got engaged on September 5th.

Who would have thought this would drag on still today? (obviously people who study infectious diseases)

I hope you all are well. That you are safe, healthy, with an income, and that your loved ones are still well. Things we took for granted a year ago.

As for me, of course I have endured the effects of the pandemic with friends, family members, and co-workers falling ill. But I am well.

And we did get married.

On September 5th 2020, exactly 2 years after our engagement, we said "I do" in Maastricht.

Unfortunately, a lot of our family and friends weren't able to make it. My dad can't travel from the U.S.. Nor my brothers who live there. But we had a lovely day. An intimate, small ceremony and a dinner afterwards. We are looking to celebrate it again once all of this is over.

The last few weeks, my hands have been itching to start blogging again. I have missed it immensely. The baking, the writing, connecting with people all over the world online. I wish I had more time to do it. But I will start again, slowly. Fall is such a wonderful season to bake.

So stay tuned for the upcoming recipes and news! To view my baking creations (and sometimes failures), head over to my main blog Paris Pastry.

Much love,

Daniëlle

What I Would Like 2015 To Be Like...

If you have been following my travel posts this year, you might have
noticed some of the destinations were listed as one of my wishes for 2014.

I am a firm believer in asking, envisioning and you will receive.
Let positivity run through you, dream about it, and it manifests.

So, I'm curious which of the following *wishes* will come true in 2015 :)

Let's start, and please join in on making a wish list for the coming year!
You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.


First up, a travel destination. Because, things are just things, travelling
makes you richer.
I am planning on visiting the United States in 2015.
Probably a west-coast tour; Las Vegas, LA, San Francisco, etc.





Then, I've asked for a Lady Dior bag for many years, but I'm sure it
will come to me one day very soon.




Then, as long as we're talking about accessories...
A Cartier 'Ballon Blue' watch.




Then, I've got a few Louboutins, but what I really really really
would love are Christian Louboutin BOOTS!




But then again, a bouquet of beautiful flowers makes me just as happy.




Now this wish might seem a bit odd, but it is truly my deepest wish for the future.
Because I think that, we people as human race, will be judged upon how we
treat those less fortunate and can't speak for themselves.

I saw the documentary Blackfish many months ago, and it has changed my life.
I've become passionate about the rights of killer whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures.




















If any of you still have any tips or helpful information about this subject,
please leave me a message.
Or if you have seen Blackfish and you want to share your thoughts, please do so.

I still need to watch The Cove documentary.

I know I'm asking for a huge favour of you to sign this petition:
"Enact the Orca Welfare and Safety Act to make it illegal to hold orcas in captivity for performance or entertainment purposes."

It will propose lawmakers to ban whales in captivity.
Over 1,3 million people have signed it already!

I will update on this subject later on and explore a bit more in detail.
For now, thank you for taking the time to signing the petition.

French Madame's 5th Blogoversary!

And from my 27th birthday, to this blog's 5th birthday,
5 years ago from today I wrote the very first post for this blog (see here).

I had written my other blog's Paris Pastry for a while, but needed a creative outlet
for my passion for furniture, clothes, and the French lifestyle.

I would like to thank to those who started reading (at the time) French Mademoiselle,
and are still following French Madame from time to time.
Or those who simply just stop by because you stumbled upon it.
Merci Beaucoup!
I couldn't imagine giving up my two blogs.
Even with life being very busy and time-consuming at times.


As a celebration, I am inviting you to the 5th blogoversary party I'm hosting,
right here on this web space. Everyone is welcome!


To the party I am wearing this Lela Rose off-the-shoulder cocktail dress.




I am serving nothing but the finest champagne to my guests...




Along with these chocolate from Louis Vuitton.




And as centerpiece, this doughnut cake with mocha whipped cream! Delicious!




And now let us take a look back at the most popular posts from the past year:

* The first 'Paris Photo of the Day'-post from 2014 was one of the most viewed ones.
The ever-so-sexy Moulin Rouge in the 18th arrondissement is still one of Paris' most visited attractions.



[View here]


* One of the most popular, yet controversial posts I wrote this year was about the Instagram-famous,
Birkin-loving 'Blondie Luxe' profile.
Following the infamous 'Up Close and Stylish' post, I googled Blondie Luxe and was pleased to find out
she too, once wrote a blog. Not anymore unfortunately.
I adore her pictures on Instagram, not just the goodies she shows, but the photography in itself is worth
taking a look.



[View here]


* My Marie-Antoinette costume for Dutch carnaval.
Excuse the not-so-flattering photos of myself, but you get the point of the costume.



[View here]


* I never get tired of looking at Ladurée macarons, and seemingly so do you.
Ladurée at Rue Bonaparte.



[View here]


* The vivid Mykonos in Greece was a favorite vacation destination for me in 2014.



[View here]


* And sadly, the tribute to my favorite designer Oscar de la Renta.
Departed way too soon.



[View here]


That's all folks! Hope to see you with me in 2015!

Much Love,

Merry Christmas Giveaway!

In honour of our 500 Facebook followers for French Madame &
our 4 year blogoversary, Santa Claus is coming to town!

And blessing us with the chance to win these two one-of-a-kind
statement necklaces, perfect for every fashionista!
If you would like a chance of winning, all you have to do is
LIKE us on Facebook and SHARE the photo!

Go to French Madame's Facebook page.



If you LIKE us, you will be updated about the blog regarly and
get a daily dose of all-around pretty photographs for your inspiration.

Good Luck!

French Madame 2012: A Look Back!

Bonjour francophiles & fashionistas!

As 2013 rapidly approaches, I find it always fun to look back at the year.

2012 has been a very significant year for me in many ways.
I moved out and am now supporting myself. Decorating my own space.
Getting more and more involved in neuropsychology. Attending a
psychology congress in Denmark. Revisiting Denmark. Two weeks at the
côte d'Azur with my family. Spending time with friends.


As far as this blog goes, let's take a look at my most popular posts!

♥ The MOST popular post, that generates around 2,000 views each week thanks
to Pinterest, was a tag-game. I answered 11 questions about my favorite things
and featured myself in a red Jane Norman dress, that someone pinned and was
re-pinned over 500+ times.


My favorite red dress by Jane Norman.

Jeez! I liked the dress as well but it was interesting to see it
pop up on so many 'style' boards on Pinterest :D!
Click here to read the entire post.


According to Stat.com, the other most viewed posts are:
2. Military in Style
3. 8 French Interiors We Love [guest post]
4. Maisons du Monde
5. Facebook Timeline Covers


♥ As for my own personal favorite posts, I always love blogging from vacation.
I spend a lot of time in Denmark this year, which I fell in love with.

French Madame in Copenhagen: Day 3




♥ And then of course there was the paradise-vacation in Provence.

Provence: More Than Lavender Fields




♥ A special peek into my closet. Looks mighty fabulous, if I do say so myself!

My Closet




♥ I started doing 'What I Wear' posts, which were a lot of work to shoot
but beautiful to see the end result.

What I Wear: Coral & Colorful



♥ I did a lot of 'quote'-posts this year. My favorite quote is this one by Oprah Winfrey.

Vendetta




And now a bit of an anouncement:

If you're following this blog regularly, you've noticed within the last month the quantity of posts went down a bit. That's because, beside school & work, I bake a lot, have a social life, blog for Paris Pastry, update two Facebook pages for my blogs, I tweet, I pin on Pinterest and now I post pictures on Instagram.

In 2013, I'm taking French Madame more on the social media platform (Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram). I find it very hard and difficult to find time to write quality post for French Madame at the moment, but I couldn't possibly stop blogging for French Madame.com all together.

There are so many lovely images I share on Pinterest, click here to view. I post all of my vacation pics on Flickr, click here to view. I'll keep on updating Facebook weekly, click here to view.
And I take pictures of everyday life on Instagram, username DanielleTdd.

I want to make Paris Pastry my priority blog. Don't fret that you'll never see another post on here... I'll definitely keep on blogging, but just a bit less. Hope you're not too dissappointed. I just marked my third year aniversary for French Madame, so it's been a good ride! I love re-reading old posts and I'm very proud of this blog.

Always yours,

My 11 Favorite Things

♥ Favorite music for ambience:
I love Adele, Marvin Gaye, Beyonce, Jessie J & Lenny Kravitz,
and right now I’m listening to Lana Del Rey.




♥ Favorite things to read on blogs:
I love personal stories from bloggers, shared with personal things,
photos, what they’re wearing, what they’re eating, travel journals, etc.

♥ Favorite hotels or holiday destination:
I’ve never been, but one the things on my bucket list (yes, I made one)
is to stay at the Plaza Athenée in Paris. The Ritz will do as well.
As for destinations, I’m super excited for Copenhagen next week.
USA, France, South-Africa, Canada are next on my list!


Prestige suite at the Plaza Athenée.

♥ Favorite weekend pasttime:
Sleeping in, baking, blogging, meeting up with friends & drinking wine.

♥ Favorite color and how used:
I love the color red. I think every woman should own a red dress.
It’s one of the most fabulous feelings in the worlds to walk around
in a red dress. It immediately gives you confidence.


My favorite red dress by Jane Norman.



♥ Favorite must-have items for the home:
Anything from Zara Home will do for the home. I personally love their
bath ensembles and duvet covers.

♥ Favorite style of furniture:
Classic French style with a feminine touch.
Click here to see my favourite interiors.

♥ Favorite things you collect:
I collect Vogue magazine covers to put under my glass desktop.

My Ikea desktop.

♥ Favorite designers or influences:
Garavani Valentino, Christian Lacroix and Karl Lagerfeld.

♥ Favorite shop and why:
Zara Home, Maisons du Monde, Bed Bath and Beyond and Zara: all four great quality, low-cost stores that I can always find something I’m looking for.

♥ Favorite room in your house:
My bedroom. My private space, ‘me’-time and sanctuary all in one room.


My bed: headboard by Maisons du Monde, bed linens by Zara Home.


I've been tagged by the lovely Chateau de Lille for my 11 favorite things!

Rules:
♫ Answer the 11 questions the tagger posted for you and create
11 new questions for the people you tag.
♫ Tag 11 people and let the people you tag know they've been tagged.

These are the blogs I'm tagging:
♣ Becoming Lola
♣ Blonde Episodes
♣ Butter Hearts Sugar
♣ Champagne & Macarons
♣ Chocolate Teapot
♣ Cookie Jar Treats
♣ High Heeled Life
♣ The Extraordinary Art of Cake
♣ Tip Top Shape
♣ NYC, Style & a little Cannoli
♣ VM Creation Atelier

The next 11 questions will be:
1. Favorite 3 songs.
2. Favorite song from last year.
3. Favorite dessert.
4. Favorite vacation spot.
5. Favorite social media website.
6. Favorite pair of shoes.
7. Favorite dress.
8. Favorite hunky tv personality.
9. Favorite magazine.
10. Favorite alcoholic drink.
11. Favorite piece of jewelry.

Would be fun in you participate along! And for those of you who haven't been
tagged or don't a have a blog, I'd love to read your answers; leave a comment!

French Madame on Facebook!

The post title says it all:
we're now on Facebook!

I would love it if you paid a visit and Like French Madame on Facebook!




Speaking of Facebook, I make my own timeline covers.
Here are a few of them that you might enjoy :)!


(Click here to download the timeline cover for your Facebook)



(Download: click here)



(Download: click here)


♥ Facebook
♥ Twitter
♥ Pinterest