Great Advent calendar

Let's have a great Monday link party! How was your week? Mine was yucky with a sick baby and now a sick teenager. We managed to have my son's birthday Saturday. Nothing fancy since I spend a week with a very sick baby. Fail! Anyways, let's have a great week guys! And a great Thanksgiving!

Last week I really enjoyed this advent calendar idea from Wesens art. Great craft and I have never seen this idea before. Very sweet!

I am starting a new party. It will be up for one month and you get tones of views!

Please link back to Le chateau des fleurs
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Happy linking!! By Isabelle Thornton

Friday date night after a hard and boring week

I got a pretty yummy Pho date night at the Taste of thai in West Jordan Utah last night.

We wanted to see catching fire but it was sold out. We will see it later. I had a very long and boring week. Soleil was sick coughing and then had diarrhea. Even at night. Little sleep for me and really sick of changing diapers. I got her some medicine and she is better but still a little bit sick.

I have been dressing up a little bit these past 2 days with nowhere to go. Pretty much every Mom's problem with small kids, especially sick kids. Hubby took me out tonight and I felt "normal". This week has been cooler in Utah too. Although I don't like being cold that much I really like snow at Christmas time.

Have a super weekend!

Pumpkin pie and candied pecans topping

Delicious Pumpkin pie with candied pecan topping

I am sharing with you a little secret. I have made this pie many times for Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is my favorite. I love pecan pie but the crunchy candy pecan topping just brings the pumpkin pie to a higher level. The pie dough is the best I have find so far.

Pumpkin pie recipe

I use the recipe on the Libby's pumpkin can for the pumpkin pie recipe:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
  
  Pour into pie shell. I use this recipe from BHG. This is the best pie dough recipe in the world. It makes dough for 2 pumpkin pies.
  Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
• Candied pecan topping:
• 1 cup whole pecans or chopped,
• 1 cup brown sugar,
• 1/4 cup butter.

Melt the butter in the microwave. In small bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar. Add your pecans.

Pour the mixture on the cooled pumpkin pie until  it covers the whole top. You might have a little extra.

Arrange the pecans to look pretty if whole pecans.

Place your pie under the broiler until the sugar is bubbling and the pecans are darker brown but not burned.

Let cool

You will get a very yummy and hard shell. Great addition to the smooth texture of the pumpkin pie.

Add whip cream and your favorite vanilla ice cream. Heaven!

By Isabelle Thornton

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Beautiful Pink Christmas wrapping present idea

I really like beautiful gifts and gift wraps. These are very easy and fast. 
I always love a mini ornament with my wrapping and I usually attach it at the base of the bow. I used brown paper and I draw the "From Isabelle" with white chalk. You can recycle brown paper from the store grocery bags or buy a roll of brown paper.  I used simple and bright ribbons. I am going for a pink Christmas theme this year.Chalk is all up in fashion this year and I really love it.

What colors are you going for Christmas?
By Isabelle Thornton

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette Giveaway!

I am doing another giveaway of the ultra popular the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette a $52 value. Enjoy from LeChateauDesFleurs:

Description:
The follow up to the original bestselling Naked palette, this stunning second edition proves that neutral is anything but boring. Showcasing a dozen completely different shades than the first bronze-based collection, it includes a stunning range from pale and deep, to matte and sparkly. You'll achieve a host of new neutral looks, smoky dramatic eyes, and everything in between. The palette also includes a travel-size Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked and a double-ended, cruelty-free Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush (available only in this palette).

Available for both USA and International Entrants

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jean on jean fashion and giggle

I put this little outfit together for this weekend. I really like jean on jean. The trick is to have 2 different colors of jeans. The shirt is a little rock style.

Baby wants to pose too. lol 

Rock revival Jeans / Faded glory jean shirt / Agenda black shirt / Lower east side  boots /  Target 2 thin black bracelets /  Romwe Big black bracelet / Handmade blue bracelet by Cindy Atkins / Handmade art. i. cake giggle necklace by me

I made this giggle necklace with a art.i.cake pendant. My absolute favorite jewelry craft line.

Christmas crafts and signs

Welcome to the Monday party! How was your week? I had a tough one but tomorrow is another day. This week I have a birthday to get ready for. So busy. Show us what you have been doing. You can link anything you want. My favorites will be featured. XO

Denise from a whim shared her beautiful crafted Christmas burlap and old window frame quote. I am in love with this!!! I want to make one!

This beautiful Christmas banner at Cottage charm creations caught my eye.

The hazzardous housewife made this Joy to the world picture. So nice! 

I am starting a new party. It will be up for one month and you get tones of views!

Please link back to Le chateau des fleurs
Grab my button:

If you need a button with HTML Here:

Frenchy buttons

Happy linking!! By Isabelle Thornton

Keep calm Christmas joy chalkboard quote

I am starting up some Christmas cheer. I think I need more than 6 weeks for it. I started getting decorations and getting inspiration.I think this is a cute quote and printable! I am going to frame it. This would also be a cute tag. Christmas really makes me happy. I never spoil myself over the season. I just love the spirit, joy. and happy feelings.

French country Shabby chic shop in Normandie : Paris trip

 A very pretty shabby chic shop in the village of Pond - Audemer in Normandie. Great source of inspiration. I really enjoy the small shops in villages.

Beautiful bedroom

Mimi and her cousins in the toy  area. My Aunt got a stuff animal here for Soleil when she was born.
By Isabelle Thornton

Poop in the bath kind of day

This morning I was on the phone with my friend when I decided it was time to get clean. Some days I can take a 2 minute shower and the baby let's me do it. Not this morning, I had to take a bath with her and it really sounded good because it was kind of a chilly day and my muscles felt sore. A lot of lavender baby bath, bubbles and little bath toys and I was relaxing when I looked down and saw something brown under the water. Poop. I asked Soleil: "Did you poop in the bath"? She replies with "yeah" in her high pitch voice.  Oh great! So I drain the water and clean her up. Dress her and jump back in the shower while she is going around with a pencil she found somewhere. Drawing on all the wall. Oh boy. That is really a "poop in the bath kind of day" Roll of eyes.

By Isabelle Thornton

Positive thoughts, Thanksgiving printable

I have been trying to be thankful this month and there is few things that help me. Every day before going to sleep I think about all the things that happened that day and I fall asleep with good thoughts and a grateful heart. It can be little things like chocolate I had that day, a text from a friend, a kiss from hubby. I have noticed that even though I don't see my problems necessarily going away because really for some I have no control over them, I notice the positive more and I do want to be like that. I want to be a positive person and a happier person. It's all about how you see your life. Not what is in it. Positive thoughts attract positive in your life. I made a printable for you. I think it would be cute framed or used for a card for a friend.

Do you have tips to be happy? Or more positive?

Have you tried a gratitude journal?

Hope you enjoy! For personal use only please!

By Isabelle Thornton

Growing Amaryllis from bulbs

I really love bulbs to decorate and also to give as gifts. Growing Amaryllis bulbs is super easy and fool proof. You just need to keep water in the pot. Nature is such a miracle! I decided to have a pink Christmas this year and pink amaryllis were such a good idea. 

I always have flowers in my house and this idea is very cheap. So you can enjoy flowers for a little price.

You will need a kit or you can buy bulbs and plant them in miracle grow.

The kit includes the pot, bulb and dirt but I usually use my own pretty pots.

I used 3 pots in a wire basket that I got from Tai Pan this summer. I love wire baskets so much and even though I had no idea what to use it with, I got it anyway. Now it is going to look amazing with the Amaryllis plants. I first covered the bottom of the pots with kitchen plastic wrap so the water would not go through the terracotta pots and cause the wire basket to rust.

I planted the bulbs in the pots with dirt making sure the top of the bulb is sticking out. I will weight the pots with river rocks when the plants are bigger and heavier. Keep the soil always moist. It will bloom in 8 to 12 weeks. So the time to plant them is now.

I am so exited for this Christmas! I am planning lots of fun handmade ornaments and decorative idea post!
What colors are you going to use this Christmas? Would you give Amaryllis bulbs kits to your friends? Have you done it before?

By Isabelle Thornton

The best healthy chicken recipe

The Monday party is still going strong and we are getting a lot of views! I had a great week and I am getting ready for Christmas and super exited this year and it feels great. How was your week? Link anything you want and welcome to the party!!

Cranberry morning share a great chicken recipe. So yummy and tasty. I am making it this week because also it is healthy and it is a perfect Fall and Christmas season recipe!

Featuring her on Facebook and pinterest!
I am starting a new party. It will be up for one month and you get tones of views!

Please link back to Le chateau des fleurs
Grab my button:

If you need a button with HTML Here:

Frenchy buttons

Happy linking!! By Isabelle Thornton

Week 20: Weight loss journey

Week 17: I did super good with 2 hours of boxing and 2 hours of kickboxing.
Week 18: I was so sore last week that I only did 2 hours of boxing.
Week 19: I was helping for a church activity and I had to cook a lot of treats and I was super busy, no work out and I ate way too many desserts. Not good.
Week 20: No working out and I really thought I would have gained a lot of weight after last week but no I haven't. I am pretty happy.
By Isabelle Thornton

Mabey's pumpkin trip in South Jordan

2 years ago we went to this really cute Pumpkin patch in South Jordan. We thought we would go back this year. They added a corn field and old truck to the patch. It is really beautiful. You have the mountains on one side and the LDS Temple on the other. Great background for pictures and the kids had a blast running around and dragging the wagon provided. Soso was sleeping most of the time but she got to play too.

Check out the address and opening hours!

By Isabelle Thornton

Pond - Audemer in Normandie - Paris trip

Beautiful Pond - Audemer village and river

On our 3rd day we took the train and traveled to Normandy to see my Uncle and Aunt. We stayed at their house and the first day we went grocery shopping at the village. You go to each store for your fresh produce. As you can see this village is a dream country village. So beautiful. I'll let you enjoy all the pics.

 My uncle and aunt. I love them and miss them so much!

Mimi and her cute cousin.

My Aunt bought the most wonderful rich and yummy flavored Macarons de Paris for us. I still dream about it!

By Isabelle Thornton