Monday, February 13, 2012

Ooh La Frou Frou Novelette: Pink Valentine

Happy Valentine's Week,
Ooh La Frou Frou Girls!
We're celebrating City Girl "Favorite Things"
with these Valentine Hearts .... what "Favorite Thing"
would you add to the candy dish?


Here in the oh-so-posh world of Ooh La Frou Frou,
 we occasionally get a peek through a very
~ Glamorous Window ~
into the imaginary lives of the illustrated
 
Ooh La Frou Frou City Girls ...
I call these little trips into this fantasyland
"Ooh La Frou Frou Novelettes."

The illustrated City Girl dressed in
 pink coat & beret in the header
is Aimee
 and in this Novelette,
we're heading to Aimee's side of town ...
East 64th Street boasts
 luxurious "drool-worthy" places like
 the lovely Plaza Athenee New York
and oh-so-luxe townhouses ...

So, let's flag this virtual taxi
 and ask the driver to turn the cab around and head to the
Upper East Side!


Ooh La Frou Frou City Girl Aimee
not only loves pink.
Aimee adores pink.
Almost as much as she loves Paris.
In fact, when she dreams,
she dreams soft pink dreams ...
 

... she fills her pretty townhouse with pale pink roses ...


... she dresses her Yorkie, Paree, in stylish pink cashmere sweaters ...

 (c) The Sassy Pup

In fact, she simply can't explain it, but
 when she is surrounded by pink,
 life seems to be simply a little
~ rosier ~










Across town from Aimee's pink chic world,
a handsome someone sits reading the Wall Street Journal
 at a Starbucks and as he sips his coffee, his thoughts wander to a
certain very lovely someone that he met at Starbucks a few weeks ago
 {and had subsequently shared two lattes with}
and whether she'd received a little pink invitation yet ...

Meanwhile, back on 64th Street,
 Aimee sits in her kitchen
 sipping fresh-squeezed juice from a stemmed glass,
leafing through a stack of mail
she had left on the counter ...
a new issue of Vogue ...
a handful of bills ...
fashion catalogues ...
wait, what was this?
A pink envelope ...

She carefully slips her monogrammed knife into the
corner and slices open the pretty pink paper
 to reveal a heart-shaped
Pink Valentine.


So exciting to receive an "official first date" invitation
from a handsome new suitor ...
and to La Grenouille!
Visions of a candlelit dinner at the beautiful
East 52nd Street French restaurant
that is often frequented by celebrities
filled her mind ...



... but her dream is interrupted with the familiar panic she always feels
in anticipation of an exciting event ... what would she wear?
She needed to find something and soon ...
something not too sweet ... and not too sexy.
Something just sweet enough, just sexy enough ..
very chic and sophisticated ...
 
... and with that thought, Aimee dressed quickly and stepped out the door
of her townhouse and onto the city streets ...

... all day long she ran all over the city
looking for the perfect magic ...
... and she found it all!
But since it's fun to leave a little to the imagination,
rather than reveal Aimee's La Grenouille date ensemble right now,
I would love to hear your suggestions if you have some ...
and who knows?
Your suggestions may appear here soon on the blog!

A Valentine Gift For You!
As Aimee was running around the city,
she glanced up into a gallery window
and what did she see but one of my illustrations
of her and three other Ooh La Frou Frou city girls
along with several chic Paris girlfriends celebrating in a
grande French apartment on their last Paris getaway ...
 

This 11" x 17" limited edition
signed and numbered unframed print will soon be available
in the Ooh La Frou Frou Boutique ...
BUT BEFORE IT'S AVAILABLE TO ALL,
I am going to GIFT one print this week to one of my fabulous readers ...
as a little Valentine's Day sweetness from
Ooh La Frou Frou!
To enter the giveaway, ...
you need only leave me a comment here on the blog!
The giveaway will be held open all week until
this coming Saturday February 18 at 9 pm.
The winner will be chosen via random generator
and announced February 20
on the next Monday post!
Good luck, everyone! 

If you are a fan of Ooh La Frou Frou and haven't yet followed
with Google Connect or Bloglovin' yet, I'd
so appreciate the love, everyone!
And Happy Valentine's Day,
Ooh La Frou Frou Girls!





Illustration by Sandy M
{Sandra Shelton Markwalder}
artist, illustrator and founder of Ooh La Frou Frou.
To order Ooh La Frou Frou cards, go here.
For custom illustration, drop me a line here.

All Illustration by Sandy M ~ Ooh La Frou Frou:
In this post:
a) Valentine Heart Candy created by Sandy M
b) Pink Flowered Chair Illustration w/Paris Pillow by Sandy M
c) Stack of Mail illustration by Sandy M
d) pink heart valentine created by Sandy M
e) Chanel perfume, pink purse, sparkly shoe, lipstick by Sandy M
f) Aimee's townhouse by Sandy M
g) Ballet flats running all around city by Sandy M
h) "Paris Party" illustration by Sandy M
i) Ballet flats in sign-off by Sandy M

All photographs used in this post found via:
{some images edited by Ooh La Frou Frou}
1. Plaza Athenee NY
2. Taxis by Flatiron Bldg NYC
3. Pink Balloons
4. Pink Roses
5. Dog Sweater
6. Girl in Hat
7. Macarons
8. Booties
9. Cans of Champagne
10. Book with Ribbon
11. Flowered lingeree
12. The Wall Street Journal and Coffee
13. La Grenouille 1, 2, 3

45 comments:

Kori said...

Wow what an amazing post Sandy honey! Such gorgeous photos and makes me want to get back to NYC right away! I'm hosting a linkup on Valentine's Day and hope you can participate! Post on anything you love, who you love, who loves you, or what love means to you! Kori xoxo

www.blondeepisodes.com

Ivana said...

Oh Sandy, your posts are always so beautiful and glamorous! Exactly what I need on Monday morning :) You always cheer me up :) And I can totally relate to Aimée´s think pink attitude :)

Have a wonderful week!

xx Ivana

Stop by sometimes :)
Macarons and Pearls

Julie Walton - Handmade Beaded Jewellery said...

Wonderful post, Sandy. Really enjoyed reading it and looking at all the fab illustrations and photos, thanks. You are an amazing illustrator!

soniadaigle said...

It's 5 am here in Canada, can't sleep
but I can daydream...your fairy tale story, is just so perfect!
Aimée loves PINK like I love pink... Your giveaway Illustration is absolutely FABULOUS!
Wishing you a happy and lovely
St-Valentine
Sonia xo

Mrs. Kindergarten...aka...Madame Spoiled said...

I adore your blog. This lovely, Aimee has a pink~itude just as I do!! It is hands down the best color in the world!!

Love and Hugs,
Mrs. Kindergarten

kim @ parisianparty said...

Sandy, this print is SO cute and SO girlie- I LOVE it! Plus, the name of my blog is "parisian party" and I would LOVE to have this hanging over my desk. I will "like", "add", "follow", "plus" or do whatever else you'd like me to do in order to win this print. I love it, and I love your designs!


Bizous!

Kim

miss b said...

Wow what a wonderful post - I enjoyed every part of it especially reading all the city Girl favourites (I'm sure you haven't missed any of mine!) and your chic illustrations. This was the perfect start to my week - a Monday treat.

http://missbbobochic.blogspot.com/

nycstylelittlecannoli said...

Wonderful as usual....hoping to work on that item for my blog in the coming months. Needed to add to my photo equipment at the moment. Have a great week and please enter me in the contest.

Anastasia Schembri said...

Love this post! I can never get enough of your gorgeous illustrations and your stories. You can always be trusted to lead me along through a daydream!
xo

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Dear Wonderfuls ~

Keep those comments coming everyone! The giveaway will be held open through Saturday at 9 p.m. and the winner will be announced on next Monday's blog post! Thanks so much for being a part of Ooh La Frou Frou ~ this is my thank you! ~xoSM

Sandy M

Rowena @ rolala loves said...

Ooh La Frou Frou City Girl Aimee is a girl after my own heart! I'm loving her chic, pink and fabulous world! I'm imagining her in an LPD instead of an LBD punctuated by some sparkly accessories for her La Grenouille date. That print is gorgeous!

nattylady said...

It takes all I have not to scroll down and look at all the illustrations/photos first, before reading! Thank-you for all the pink loveliness this Valentines week!

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Ah Sandy, you so know how to make me swoon! And especially on a day like today. The eve before my favorite holiday! I wish I were going to La Grenouille tomorrow night but we're opting for a quiet romantic night in. Perhaps I can get J to take me another night soon.

And I would love to win that gorgeous print! I would dream of fabulous fetes in Paris on a daily basis! :)

Happy Valentine's Day, Sandy! xoxo

Dee said...

Hi Sandy! What a lovely blog post! The pictures are always so beautiful, along with the very chic "City Girls". So nice of you to have a giveaway. Your so city girls have so many fans! That's so wonderful! Happy Valentines Day to you!

Dee xoxo

Milla said...

Pink isn't usually my thing but Sandy, I'm sold! Wrap me up in candy floss as I strut down the UES.

Danielle said...

You have truly made my Valentine's Day, with pink in all its beautiful tones. I haven't been this love with my favorite color in a long time. These photos are all beautiful, as well as the illustrations. I plan to look at this all week to make my days so much more prettier! I love being a girl! Xoxo

Gorgeous Glam said...

Happy Valentine's Day dear! Hope your week is lovely! I loved the card and hope to have a little shout out tomm for it on the blog ;) xx

Fashion-isha said...

Sandy! This is a giveaway I want to win!! I LOVE your drawings so this would be a dream for me! And I'm in love with that french chair as well!! It's just so fun coming here for a visit every Monday! Wishing you a fabulous week and the happiest Valentines Day!!
xo
Sharon

LisaTEA said...

Love, love, love today's post! Those pink boots, pink & white bangles...Oh so fab with my pink Kate Spade bag for Spring! Sending you wishes for a fabulous Valentines Day... if you're going to dream, dream big, and dream in pink! ♥

Unknown said...

Sandy, I love your posts! It's like gossip girl for grownups {without the drama}. I've had my eye on those McQueen booties forever it seems! I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day and do something super romantic!

xo Mary Jo

BELs Style said...

BELs here on this chilly London Valentines Day , feeling tickled pink that she is living in the moment following Ooh La Frou Frou .

How perfectly feminine and oh so girlie !

BELs xx

Unknown said...

Sandy,
This post had me wanting to live out that dreamy scenario!!! I was just in the city and only had time to pop into Barneys. But, come Spring, I will weaving my way along Aimee's path.

I think she should wear a one shoulder down with a jewel brooch at the waist. The highest strappy heels she can muster and her long hair in gorgeous waves. Of course, I think a pair of Marie Helene de Taillec earrings would be the crowning touch.

I would LOVE to win this signed illustration. I adore them all!

xoxo Elizabeth

Unknown said...

I think your blog should be Ooh La Frou Frou in 3D! Your images are so captivating and lively. Hope you have an amazing Valentine's day darling. Sending you many hugs and smooches on the day of love!

http://onestyleatatime.blogspot.com/

Margarita Bloom said...

Oh, to live the glamorous life of Aimee!! What a doll! I adore all the pinks...I just want to stick my face in those pale pretty pink roses...le sigh... I really love your fun illustration of the Vogue mag...darling. And secretly, I want those gold glittery strappy shoes just like you drew with the pretty pink flower...so moi! What a fabulous daydream...

A Very Sweet Blog said...

Sandy,

This post had me in tears. It is so beautiful. You definitely took my mind on a trip to fantasyland. I don't ever want to come back to reality. HaHa I could just visualize everything. You should write novels for these characters. They would be fabulous reads.

Devon better be a winner because Aimee through my eyes has just maxed out her American Express Platinum Card (if that's possible) HAHAHA. I picture Aimee in a light carnation pink, Carmen Marc Valvo Plunge Neck Chiffon Gown from Bergdorf Goodman ($3,410); Pierre Hardy Rhinestone sandal (regular $695, but now on sale for $279.00) from Barney's; Camelia earrings in 18K white gold and diamonds from Chanel; she steps into the Soho Boutique 'A Second Chance Couture' and picks up a Chanel 02A Pearl White Camellia belt necklace ($2,599) that will go perfectly with the plunging front and back neckline of her dress; at Miu Miu she picks up a Cloquet Nappa Leather Stage clutch with Swarovski crystals ($1495); for later that evening because hopefully there will be MORE ROMANCE after dinner she bought some sexy and fun Christian Louboution Bollywood HIGH heels in hot pink and some Peony candles from Henri Bendel to top off the evening.

I was so excited Sandy, I literally went shopping for your character through all the stores you listed. HAHAHA Everything can be found online.

That 11x17 of the girls in Paris is beyond exquisite!!! I would frame it!!! It is so beautiful. I would LOVE to win it!
Good luck everybody! Sandy, you are so kind and truly gifted. ((HUG))

classiq said...

Happy Valentine's Day, Sandy! I don't celebrate this day, but you know how much I enjoy your romantic posts. Wishing you a fabulous week! xo
Ada

Christel @ Captivated by image said...

Oh this is fun! I immediately remembered a red Valentino cocktail dress with bows over the shoulders: http://pinterest.com/pin/48343395969780442/ or this timeless classic and sexy Lanvin red dress: http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod72780053&parentId=cat285304&masterId=cat363103&index=137&cmCat=cat000000cat000002cat000009cat80001cat363103cat285304&isEditorial=false

It seems like Aimee turns to red instead of pink for Valentines;) Ah well, there's always pink lingerie right? As always I love your illustrations, they couldn't be any cuter. Have a beautiful Valentines day!

Georgianna said...

Oh, goodie! It's Monday and another adventure here. Sooo much fun and so glamorous. Just delightful!

Thank you so much for your sweet comment and for letting me know you saw the Artful Blogging article.

Until next time, Happy Valentine's Day!


Sam said...

Hi sweetheart, thanks so much for your cute comment. I adore this post! Its all in my favourite colour and I love all the pretty pink inspiration. Your illustrations are amazing as always.

Susan said...

I would add a "5 star hotel" to the ooh la frou frou candy dish! I absolutely love your illustrations and this blog always makes my heart smile!
Happy Valentine's Day!
"Bonne Saint Valentin"
Susan

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Keep the comments coming, everyone! The giveaway will be held open throughout the week until 9 pm Saturday, when a winner will be chosen by random generator! Best of luck to everybody and thanks so much for being a part of Ooh La Frou Frou! ~xoSM

Angelica Ng said...

Wow, so much pink for this post! Makes sense though haha. Especially love the Macarons and ankle boots. And the words "Upper East Side". Feels like I only hear those words in movies and TV shows! As for the surprise ensemble, I'd love to see what the other readers come up with. ;)

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Keep the comments coming everyone! The giveaway is open until Saturday evening at 9 pm EST (February 18)! Good luck! ~xoSM

Gorgeous Glam said...

Hi doll, just wanted to let you know that I wasn't able to post yesterday my little feature on your pretty card, I woke up sicker than a dog and on valentines day no less! I guess I'll just have to buy another card from you soon! xo

Anonymous said...

I am a new reader of your blog and I love it. Please pick me as your winner!!

Kathy
Kuhlhiggins@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I am a new reader of your blog and I love it. Please pick me as your winner!!

Kathy
Kuhlhiggins@aol.com

Vannessa@Luxuria said...

Oooh! fabulous, please enter me.
I love all your images but especially the gorgeous chair and cushion you drew,and the lovely ballet flats at the end; sublimely gorgeous!

Marianna said...

hello dear i found your blog through some of your comments on Kim's very sweet blog, where i see that you oftenly comment and i guess that you two are blogger buddies.
i was intrigued by the fact that you are an illustrator and i decided to check out your blog. i was always fascinated by illustrators and always considered them as true artists.
i am happy for finding out your blog and i'll definetely keep checking it out.
p.s may i ask u a simple thing that may sound silly but i am not an internet suave :
everytime i move my "mouse" little pink stars fly all around my screen. how do you do that??? i would be so grateful if you explained it to me.
by the way i am marianne of http://lureofthedarkside.blogspot.com
and i would be super grateful if you could stop by my blog to check it out and in case you find it interesting to read follow. this is not a spam message, you decide if you want to follow or not.
xx
marianne

Marianna said...

hello dear thank you so much for finding time to stop by my blog, i appreciate your comment and of course that you follow me.
have a nice day.

Shop N' Chomp said...

Oh my gosh, I hope it's me b/c I adore that print! :D

Anonymous said...

love love love ur blog...u bring romance to my boring day !! haha Thank you xoxooxxo

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Thanks for letting me know that "Anonymous" is you, Teri, or better known on twitter as @pinkandpainmom ... you are now in the giveaway!

Unknown said...

Oh I love pink too! "Soft pink dreams" ... I love that so much! I had a wonderful Valentines Day that was a lovely pink dream of a day...hope you had a wonderful one as well!

xoxo
The French Mouse

Glitterista said...

Oh wow, Sandy, I can't wait for the boutique to open with fun new prints! A fun black little dress with lace, ruffles, or in cashmere with fabulous sparkly shoes and a few classy jewels would be perfect for Aimee's Valentine night out. ;)

SoapyMermaid said...

I totally share Aimee's love of the pale pink colour. all these pink inspired photos and drawings are a delight to look at.