DANCING SHOES

 Hi everyone!

 I'm wondering ... do you have spring fever too?

I think maybe it's the fact that I've been
decorating my living room with beach house details
and it's pushing me a bit over the edge.
It has me thinking about spring and color
and the water out back that's covered by ice now
 and how I can't wait to sit in the sun and gaze at the lily pads
with a glass of iced tea and a good book ...
you with me?

And how much do we look forward to
kicking off the socks and boots and
slipping sleek bare feet into some cute flats!
So ...  let's put on our spring dancing shoes
and click our heels and make a wish ...
maybe spring will come even sooner!

Spring always makes me happy, of course,
but do you know what else does?
Kate Spade.
I love a little Kate Spade whimsy.
I mean ... living colorfully is a really good thing, no?
So what better dancing shoes could we slip into
than these Kate Spade dancing darlings?

The chic leopard flats with the
hot pink patent toe and black patent heel is the
Terry
The pretty mint flat with the silver toe is the
Ginny Too Flat
The black and white stripe flat
with the gold glitter toe is the
Trixie

So, what do you say ...
dance away, my darlings, and let's bring on the tulips!



On a closing note ...
 if you missed Monday's post,
elegant personalized
"Whippet Blank Notes," featuring
a new illustration of a chic whippet dog
are available for purchase
for a limited time
on the Grand Entrance post!


See you Friday, lovelies!


OOH LA FROU FROU
is the blog of illustrator
SANDY M

For custom illustration
contact Sandy here.

Kate Spade Shoe Illustrations
by SANDY M

Photo of tulips via

Aimee's Grande Paris Adventure Part III ... "Pink Champagne Bubbles"

If you're new or would like to read the two previous episodes of

Aimee's Grande Paris Adventure,

click here for Part I and Part II

where you'll see Paris-loving illustrated Ooh La Frou Frou girl Aimee

and three of her Ooh La Frou Frou girlfriends

arrive in Paris and suddenly feel like

~ real Paris girls ~

This week on Ooh La Frou Frou, we'll look in on

the girls' last day of their Paris adventure ...

so grab onto a cloud and let's float off to Paris for a peek ...

The girls have been having a très fabulous week in Paris ...

they've sipped the most delightful

hot chocolate with whipped cream at Angelina ...

... they've spent leisurely mornings and afternoons

 at different sidewalk cafes every day ...

... they've dreamt their way through

street after lovely Parisian street,

insisting that those streets would have been

more appropriately named

~ Rue de Fabulous and Rue de Charming ~

... and they've ended each day dressed in frothy skirts,

taking misty walks at sunset.

Now, they're ready to celebrate the stunning success of their

~ Grande Paris Adventure ~

~ Their Last Day In Paris ~

As they wake on this sunny last day of their

~ Grande Paris Adventure ~

it feels to Aimee, Hope, Belle and Alex

as if their beautiful apartment is filled

with champagne bubbles ...

... and as they plan an ooh-so-glamorous

~ Pink Champagne Party ~

to take place this very evening,

those sparkling champagne bubbles follow them

throughout their entire day ...

During their morning walk at

~ Jardin du Luxembourg ~

the girls see the beautiful

fountains, statues and tiny sailboats

through sparkling champagne bubbles ...

... even as they shop for delicious treats for their

evening party at fabulous food markets such as

~ La Grande Epicerie de Paris ~

the champagne bubbles follow ...

Paris girlfriend Milla of Not Just Another Milla

has provided lots of tips of places to see during the girls'

~ Grande Adventure ~

and now she has shared two of her favorite french recipes

for the girls to make for their

~ Pink Champagne Party ~

... So ...

... while Alex shops for ingredients for Milla's French Onion Soup ...

... Aimee shops for items to make Milla's Mousse au Chocolat ...

... and Hope picks up everything needed to make little triangles of

Croque Monsieur

{those delicious french crunchy ham and gruyere cheese sandwiches}

... and while the other girls are food shopping ...

Belle searches for

the prettiest flowers and

most delicious bottles of pink champagne ...

~ Once Back At The Apartment ~

The girls throw open the apartment french doors

and turn up the french music!

And as the lights begin to come on

all over Paris ...

the girls dance and sing as they cook

and prepare for the party,

while music drifts out onto the Paris street ...

Ooh La Frou Frou girl Alex

{who just lives to entertain}

 adorned the table with tiny Eiffel Towers ...

... and soon they were ready for

the party to begin!

~ A Paris Pink Champagne Party ~

As the music plays

and the girls start arriving,

pink champagne is poured!

In the illustration below:

~ Alex is the girl in the fluffy hot pink dress and hat on the RIGHT ~

~ to Alex's left with her hair up and in a black dress is Aimee ~

~ to Aimee's left, in a light pink dress and pink hat is Hope ~

~ and to Hope's left in a sleek sparkly black dress and hat is Belle ~

Milla is included in this illustration too ...

in a ponytail and gold gown on the right, standing in front of Alex.

The other girls are all a variety of fancy french friends

the girls have met during their

~ Grande Paris Adventure ~

~ Later ~

The girls' last night in Paris is complete

as they all leave the party in their gowns

and take a trip to the top of the Paris skyscraper:

~ Tour Montparnasse ~

for one more fabulous view

of the City of Light ...

And very soon they will be back

in their very own sparkling world  ...

Thank you for joining us for Parts I, II and III

of Aimee's Grande Paris Adventure!

If you, too, love Paris AND New York,

I'm including in today's post a new trailer for a glamorous read by

Isabelle Lafleche ... "J'Adore New York"

now available in the states!

Isabelle is currently working on "J'Adore Paris."

Au revoir darlings!

The illustrated characters created for the

Ooh La Frou Frou blog and card line:

Belle, Hope, Aimee, Alex, Sunny, Violet, Cherie, Tiffany

 are fictional and are the work of

the artist and creator of Ooh La Frou Frou,

Sandra Shelton Markwalder.

(c) Sandra Markwalder - All Rights Reserved.

You may purchase

Ooh La Frou Frou Collection cards here.

Credits and Sources:

Illustration Credit:

All illustration on this blog and on the

Ooh La Frou Frou Collection card line

is the work of Sandra Shelton Markwalder.

Photo Sources:

(Many of the photos were edited by Ooh La Frou Frou)

1. Pink and blue clouds

2. Blue clouds

3. Hot air balloons over Paris

4. Dreamy Paris

5. Paris Streetlight

6. Champaign bottle Moet & Chandon

7. Champaign bottles in bucket

8. Champaign Lanson

9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Jardin du Luxembourg photos (placed in bubbles by me)

15. Moet bottle pouring champaign

16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. Poilane and La Grande Epicerie

(placed in bubbles by me)

22. Gold bottle Moet & Chandon champaign

23. 24. 25. Flowers (placed in bubbles by me)

26. Pink bottle of Moet and Chandon

27. Paris apartment with door open

28. Paris apartments with lights and Eiffel Tower

29. First party picture girl serving champaign to another

30. Second party picture pink dress pouring champaign

31. Paris at night

32. New York at night

33. Isabelle Lafleche Pink Lemonade Blogspot

Additional: La Grande Epicerie photo used

in the background of illustration of girl shopping is from here -

Illustration by artist Sandra Markwalder.

A Post by Violet ... We've Been Tagged!

Hello Darlings!

Violet here!
The last time you saw me,
I introduced the "Glamour Ghoul" Halloween card
showing me sitting on the stoop of my city apartment
with my cat ears on.
We Ooh La Frou Frou girls do have a lot of fun!



For my post this week, I get to play!
Play at what, you ask?
Well, let me tell you!
 I always thought it would be so much fun
to be the person that gets to hold a microphone
and interview the stars as they walk down the red carpet.
No.  I don't get to do that.  Yet.
But I get to practice!!!

We were tagged this week
by TWO fabulous blogs:

Paris in Pink and Moi Decor
with a few
"I LOVE YOUR BLOG"
Questions.

Thank you, lovelies,
for loving our blog and
for inviting us to participate in all the fun!

So, after being tagged,
the artist called all eight of the
Ooh La Frou Frou girls together
and asked which would like to act as
interviewer on this post
so that she could answer the questions!
Well, we all just about
fell over each other to volunteer!

(I think we all have the same red carpet fantasy)
Guess who was chosen?
Me --- Violet!

And since my interviewer dreams were coming true,
I thought I might as well go all the way and
I asked the artist if I could choose a little

designer dress to wear for the interview.
(one of the perks of being an Ooh La Frou Frou girl!)
And voila!
The dress above is Oscar de la Renta's embroidered Dance Dress!

********************
WELCOME TO THE INTERVIEW:

VIOLET:
Okay!  Artist Sandy, are you ready?
 I've got my microphone!
(Little side note: This is where I imagine cameras flashing
as I step in front of television cameras.)
QUESTION NUMBER ONE

WHY DID YOU CREATE THIS BLOG?"

SANDY:
"When I started the Ooh La Frou Frou Collection card line,
I chose eight darling girls to star in them.
I wanted the girls to be fun
feel like best girlfriends to us all.
After the first cards in this new line were created,
I thought it might be really fun to have a special place
to see what the girls might be up to in their daily lives in the city.
A little fantasy world.
Sort of a grown-up girl play date!
And that's what our blog feels like to me.

And I am hoping that the fun we have on the blog
will be remembered and make you smile when you see
an Ooh La Frou Frou card in card stores.
I'm hoping to have the line in card stores
(my wish is for Papyrus)
sometime in 2011."

*****************

VIOLET:
"So glad I'm one of the eight girls!
I can't wait to be on the stands in the card stores!

Well, here's
QUESTION NUMBER TWO
WHAT KINDS OF BLOGS DO YOU FOLLOW?"

SANDY:
"I'm drawn to visually beautiful images.
They're so inspiring.
Often, these images are of glamorous fashion photoshoots,
so I love fashion blogs
and blogs that take me to faraway places
(like Paris!).
I also love design and entertaining blogs,
as well as lifestyle blogs.
I also love wedding blogs for ideas that can translate into
entertaining ideas for use at home.
You can see by the size of my blog roll
that I enjoy a variety of fabulous blogs.
Too many fabulous blogs to list at one time,
but here are just a sampling of some of my favorites!
Brown Eyed Belle, Absolutely Ladylike,
The Simply Luxurious Life, The Alternative Wife,
Haute Design, Simply Seductive,
EventTrender and Eddie Ross."
 

******************** 

 VIOLET:
"We love looking over your shoulder
when you visit all of the blogs!
Here's
QUESTION NUMBER THREE
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MAKE-UP BRAND? "

SANDY:
"For my moisturizer and make-up base,
I use Clinique.



As far as the rest, I never limit myself to one brand
and sample a little of everything.
Being in Sephora is like a toy store!"

********************

VIOLET:
"LOVE make-up!
Okay, here's
QUESTION NUMBER FOUR
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?|

SANDY:
My heart melts at Dior on the runway.
And Chanel.  And Valentino.
So much beauty, how does anyone decide
on a favorite designer?
I love it all and I get almost teary-eyed during fashion week,
it's all sooooo beautiful.
And all of the details are there in mind when I head out to shop.
Was it the ruffle I loved?  Was it the faux fur?
The softness of Miu Miu?  The cuteness of Stella McCartney?
I remember all of the details ...
little details like the fact that animal prints are going to show up
in pretty pastels in the spring.
Who would have thought?
When it comes to buying,
I shop in a variety of places and not by designer only.
Anywhere from Anthropologie to vintage.
From White House Black Market to H and M.
I just have this criteria:

Do I feel beautiful in it?
If the answer is yes ...
you know the rest."

*********************

VIOLET:
"I can't choose a favorite either ...
how does anyone decide? 
A different designer for each of my different moods, I'd say!
Okay,
QUESTION NUMBER FIVE
WHAT IS YOUR INDEPSENSABLE MAKE-UP?"

SANDY:
"I never put on eyeshadow or blush or mascara
without first starting with a sheer make-up base,
so since that's such an important beginning,
I'd have to choose that!"

********************

VIOLET:
"I'd say lipstick!
That and mascara.  Okay ...
QUESTION NUMBER SIX
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?

SANDY:
I love so many colors for many reasons.
Love hot pink.  Love spring green.
Love tangerine.  Love chocolate. 
Love creamy buttery yellow.
Love the sophistication of black.
The freshness of white.
I don't know why, but in the last year
I felt the need to pin one color down until it squirmed
and name it my favorite.

I thought back to my childhood.
I ALWAYS ordered Blue Moon ice cream
even though it wasn't my favorite flavor


Image via

And a couple of years ago, I painted my kitchen walls
(my kitchen has all-white cabinetry and white carrera marble counters)
the prettiest shade of pale pale tiffany blue.
It was called Icing on the Cake by Benjamin Moore.
I discovered that every time I walked into my kitchen,
I suddenly felt so happy.

I've often thought I'd love to find a beautiful
English painted wood garden bench ...
maybe Chippendale ...
and paint it a pretty, milky shade of pale blue green.
How pretty would that be sitting amongst a green formal garden?

So, yes, I'd say my favorite color
is the palest blue green.

I recently came upon a drink someone made
called Blue Moon.
Don't know how it tastes,
but I loooove the color!

Image via

********************

VIOLET:
"Oooh, gorgeous!
Okay, are you ready for another?

QUESTION NUMBER SEVEN
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PERFUME?"

SANDY:
"I love spicy orientals or citrusy scents
more than florals usually.
I started wearing Opium many years ago
and have tried many others but always
end up coming back.
I think it's my signature scent.

I recently saw that Opium as come up
with a new one I'd like to try
on my next shopping trip!"

********************

VIOLET:
"QUESTION NUMBER EIGHT

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FILM?"

SANDY:
"I am a romantic. 
My favorite all-time movie
was a movie made in my home state of Michigan
at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
back in the 80's.
Somewhere In Time.
Starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.
Love the romance.  The soundtrack.
I've even gone to the Grand Hotel
for one of their Somewhere In Time weekends.


Another Older Favorite:
Other Favorites:

********************

VIOLET:

"QUESTION NUMBER NINE

WHAT COUNTRY WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY?"

SANDY:
"Where you ask?

First Paris
Second Italy
Third Greece
Why?
Have never been."

********************

VIOLET:
"QUESTION NUMBER TEN
WHEN DID YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE
WHEN YOU GREW UP?"

SANDY:

"I've always known.
Deep down inside.
Didn't always listen,
but I've always known.

********************

Violet and I now pass along these questions
to the following lovelies
should they wish to enlighten us with their answers:

Simply Luxurious
Cafe Bellini
Brunch at Saks
The Alternative Wife
EventTrender

Glamorous Plan B Fantasy Frou Frou Party

 Hello Darlings!

This is Sandy, the artist and creator

of The Ooh La Frou Frou Collection.

Sometimes we girls need a Glamorous Plan B

don't you agree?
I needed one this week!

My illustration time was cut drastically short

because of my schedule

AND
I had unexpected out-of-town guests

for the weekend.

As wonderful as all of that is ...

it left little time to do the illustrations necessary

for the planned third "Recap of the Girls" post

(otherwise known as Plan A!)

so ...

We'll continue with the third

"Recap of the Girls" post

next Monday.

If you haven't seen the first two Recap posts ...

don't miss them!

We started with a Recap of Ooh La Frou Frou Girl Hope

and continued with Ooh La Frou Frou Girl Tiffany

where we found out what the apartment
of each of these girls looks like!

Next Monday, we'll feature Ooh La Frou Frou Girl Cherie!

As for this week ...

Enter Glamorous Plan B!

It's always a good rule to have a Glamorous Plan B

at the ready to pull out of our jeweled clutch

at a moment's notice, no?

via (edited by Ooh La Frou Frou)

And at Ooh La Frou Frou ...

that Glamorous Plan B

is an invitation to you

to join us here right now for an impromptu

Fantasy Frou Frou Party

in honor of wonderful YOU,

our Glamorous Girlfriends!

Ooh La Frou Frou

positively delights
when we hear of the
success and happiness

of you, our Girlfriends,

and we've chosen one of you to be our

"Special Guest of Honor"

at our Fantasy Frou Frou party!
A Pink Toast to Kori Donahue!

Lovely Kori of a charming blog called Blonde Episodes

has written her first novel (I know, right?)
and it has just been released

in e-book form on Amazon!

(paperback version to be released in about a week!)

Book Description:

Our Congratulations to You, Kori!

Shall we party now, girls?

Come with me and step into

Ooh La Frou Frou's private dressing room and

let's get gorgeous ...

via

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slipping into something glamorous is so divine ...
what would slip into if you could slip into anything?

via

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Hurry, girls,
alas, our carriage awaits!

Is there really anything more fun than a girl party?

via

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When you open the door
to a glamorous Fantasy Frou Frou party,
of course, there will be lots of sparkle ..

via

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via

Ooh La Frou Frou
toasts all of you, our Glamorous Girlfriends ...

Bubbles and Sweets for the Sweet ...

via

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And what would a Frou Frou Party be
without kicking off our heels
to dance the night away!

via

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via

Hope you had fun at our
Glamorous Plan B
Fantasy Frou Frou Party!
And best wishes to Kori
for a fabulous new writing career!

Be sure to come back next Monday,
when we'll continue with our "Recap of the Girls"
and find out where
Ooh La Frou Frou girl Cherie lives,
as well as the introduce the second notecard
to be included in our soon-to-be-released
City Girl Boxed Notecards!
Till then ...
we'll send you into this new week
with a little more Audrey
that speaks Ooh La Frou Frou's sentiments
so very well ...

via



Illustrations of
settee, wine bottle, Ooh La Frou Frou girl Violet
are by artist Sandra Shelton Markwalder,
creator of Ooh La Frou Frou.

Note:
None of the photographs above belong to me.
(See "via" link below each image for source.)