Candy Froggie's Lair

That's one small step for a man, ...

2008-07-08T09:08:00.001+02:00

...one giant leap for mama Candles!

And I dedicate this post to Dr Caso who will thank me forever and ever to associate her name to what will follow.
(my pleasure, missssh !)

So, Loup is clean. Not that he never pees in his pants (or much MUCH worse), but he's clean. At least I've decided that 10 days ago.
For Lola it did not work that way ((Dr Caso, you're still around?), she had to decide it by herself.
But Loup is lazy, he let me do the hard job.
I can see a pattern here ... but I prefer to forget it instantly!

Anyway, I'm proud of my lil devil as much as of meself! huhu

Summer diet (chapter #348) ...

2008-07-08T09:02:00.002+02:00

...is a real pain in the bum (nothing new here)

Yet, there are some happy times in the life of a dieter. Like..hmm...well...lemme think!... shhhh I can't concentrate!

Oh yes, like when the diet actually works a bit! hehe..

It's just that I don't belong anymore to the (French) size 42 gang (a gang I still love, beauDiful sexy curves!). Now I'm a newbie in the size 40 gang. It feels pretty good! Ok, as I'm as small as a smoked mushroom, that does not change a lot!
hehe
But I'm proud, I make efforts, take care of meself and it works.
When I am a regular size 38er (next year maybe? I'm a slow worker!), I will have reached what I want. And the point is really not to fit to what magazines say, just to feel good in my own body. That's all what matters.

My *carrot* is a tattoo. When I close this chapter, I'll get that huge tattoo of my dreams on my back. Probably a beauDiful dragon. Good company for the lil ones, they need a mama there! :P

I told that to my mom the other day ... she looked devastated (lol, sowwy mama!) and it felt good you know (?), just like when I was 15 and wanting some piercing or whatever! lol

Her reaction really made me laugh, probably because I'm a mama now too (if that makes any sense)... and by the way I will never let my daughter do anything a bit painful like that to her body. Oh nenene!

(little) Tragedy with a happy ending

2008-07-08T08:53:00.004+02:00

When Martin cooked on Friday evening, he forgot to turn off the "fire" (we have gas).
So the pot spent the whole night getting hotter and hotter.

In the early morning, Martin was there (yeah I know how to keep my man in the kitchen!). He just took the pot to clean it.

But then, it was hot. VERY EXXXXxxxtremly hot!
OUCH!!!!!
He burnt 3 fingers, and couldn't do anything for the rest of the weekend (what a devil's plan, btw!)
(psshhhht...Martin, next time you can make it more simple and less painful when you want me to cook :P)

Anyway Martin is ok, probably because at the end he could enjoy my own mini Spring rolls (with meat inside and Asian fresh herbs, onion, etc). Very light (no fat there) and absolutely delicious!
I was pretty proud
(and I realize I talk AGAIN about food on the same day I talk about diet on here! lol)

It was fantasticodelicious!

Doomed

2008-07-05T08:32:00.002+02:00

I've just finished the painting that took me a whole week (with the first *failure*)
Anyway, I'm haaaappy with it, phewwww!

I felt strange though when I made it (and I'm curious if the other painters around feel the same when they create)... creating this lil fairy buDerfly felt like giving life to her. Wunnerful! But then I decided she was not to live long, and even added painful bits. I felt a bit like the one who pulled out the delicate wings. Ouch!!!
Very strange feeling!

click here

Frustrationus maximus

2008-07-03T06:46:00.003+02:00

It's not even 7.00am and I'm blogging!

Too much daylight too early for me to sleep well. Oh and I could not stay in bed, my pencil and brushes were already waiting for me..

Yesterday in a second I really spoiled a beauDiful painting, a big one (36x48) that took me much time. It was really completly done. I was happy and relieved, I'll spend a relaxing evening!

(before I started with the fatal painting)

For a final touch I decided to add some Chinese ink (something that you can't work as watercolours, once it's on the paper, it's for ever and ever and ever). That was fatal: I fucked up.

That was a big HUGE frustration. Just like when you spend hours and hours cooking and burn everything.

To get rid of this frustration, I've started it all again, and that's why I woke up with the early birds :)

Gotta work, I hope my hands and brushes will behave!!!

Nan mais oh!

2008-07-02T23:08:00.005+02:00

A couple of weeks ago, I made my books' harvest on Amazon. I chose books of high value (your books!), not just cheap ones you know. Books with "a meaning" (memo to self: don't try pretending you can write about books)!

Well I got my books....... GREAT.
And as I've been a perfect customer it seems, Mr Amazon decided to spoil me!

But then, I got their lil present...

huhu

What? a girlie book? How did they know?.......... ;-)
...
.....
Ok, I'm kind of *girlie* but not the Sex & the city type at aaaaaaall!

I read Voici every week and I guess it's just what I need regarding gossips. Unless you get new ones to share!?!

It's a kind of magic

2008-07-02T22:58:00.003+02:00

After the purfect lunch on Saturday, I had some kind of other blogger's rendez-vous on Monday!

Bluelulie and I spent 2 hours together giggling and enjoying each other's company!

After gently smiling at every long-haired girl coming out from the metro (not that embarrassing, yet funny!), I saw Bluelulie (I had never seen her before): her beauDiful smile was telling everything!

I drank (too) many coffees with a really beautiful French *expat'*, with a great sense of humour (=close to mine! hehe), a determined, independent and sensitive woman. Lucky me!

We laughed a loooot sharing views about......... men!
Americans vs Europeans
Brown haired ones vs Blond ones
Northen vs southern ones
etc etc
hehe

(and miss Bluelulie has great tastes = ermm close to mines again :P hehe)

Ok ok, we did not only talked about men, but it was a funny girlie part! :P

Well.. I spent a great moment and I hope our roads will cross again!

I can't believe how much the Internet can be intense on a *relationship* level. The few people I've met via the internet are so precious to me. There's magic there (and I don't say that because Bluelulie could physically be the sister of Piper Halliwell!), I can't explain it really.

~~Now if you're very lucky I'll add a picture here. Who knows!~~

edit: and here is the photo! I keep it quite anonymous, to avoid paparazzi fever you know :P

Another treat! ...and it gets Bluecolours :P

2008-06-30T14:39:00.002+02:00

I have spent a very VERY good weekend.
Great memories from that bloggers'lunch, finally much time to cuddle my lil family, oh and a very funny time yesterday at friends to try their PS3 (I had a big sword, screamed a lot and saved the world! -which feels pretty good!- lol)

And tomorrow morning I go to see my publishing house to get more books (yeepee) and and.....

..........at 9.15am I meet another star of the blogsphere, named Bluelulie! We talked on the phone and we already had fun, huhu! :) I just could not miss her, she's in Paris for a couple of days and then woooosh, back at the other side of the planet!

I hope you're all jealous of that fine plan!

The collector

2008-06-30T14:17:00.003+02:00

I will answer Samantdi's request today = to participate to the chain thingie and answer this:
"tell us what do you collect or have collected in the past"

So here we go!

I've always had admiration for people patient enough to create their collection of whatever. I'm much more a *keeper* than a collector. I'm not a *hunter* looking for what I do not have.

Yet if I could collect one thing, that would be tattoos. Not like body covered (eeeeck), but definitely more of them. A great kind of collection, a bit expensive but easy to store and at least you're sure to keep it forever and ever! :P

Well, I reckon I actually collect one thing: kitsh postcards. That's a lil game Esox and I started a couple of years ago (I've foten talked of that here). The one who sends the most kitsh postcard wins (and I have an ally on my side now, J�r�me! haha!)
Anyway, it's more for the game than the collection itself!

But yeah, like many of us, I'm much more a *keeper*.
I just can't get rid of a letter or postcard, I keep them all. And as you get less and less of them, they're getting even more precious.

I also keep my concerts' tickets, concerts are so intense, each ticket brings me back in a different place, with an atmosphere and the heart beating faster or slower. Faster usually :P

Same for cinema tickets (for a movie I really loved). It's like this lil piece of paper could keep forever all the emotions I got, all the pleasure.

Well, thinking of it, I'm also a diet collector, but nene that does not count, no pleasure there!

And a few words in French, because Samantdi asked me and no way I'll resist her :)

Or donc... olala bloguer en Fran�ais c'est comme manger du couscous avec des baguettes pour moi, �a le fait pas du tout!
hehe

Donc je ne suis pas une collectionneuse, je suis une keepeuse (d�sol�e mais je vois pas de chouette traduc, l�)
Je garde pr�cieusement mes tickets de concert surtout, chacun d'eux sont des tr�sors de plaisir et de souvenirs.
Pareil pour les billets de cinoche, enfin quand le film m'a vraiment plu. Impossible de les jeter, c'est comme si je mettais des �motions tr�s fortes � la poub. Ha non!

Je collectionne quand m�me 2 trucs, j'avoue
1) les cartes postales kitsch, mais c'est plus un jeu qu'un besoin de collectionner
2) et les r�gimes bien s�r, ha oui je les collectionne, mais bizarrement ils n'ont pas pris beaucoup de valeur! grrmppphhh

Who's a collector around? Stamps, perfumes, ermmm dildos maybe (I bet some do! lol), anything?

Fed up with all the diets you get in the magazines ?

2008-06-30T14:03:00.004+02:00

(the *diet* season will be over in a couple of months, be patient!)

Anyway, you know, we know, oh I know (booo ooooo), that diets suck.

So, don't bother with the magazines and just buy my book! Well, the one I've illustrated ;-)
No diet there, but the story of a lonely lil boy a bit sad because of his heavy weight.

I might imagine the topic is not inspiring for you, but weight, I mean wait! (I'm sooooo funny on Mondays!)

...maybe you would be very proud to get a book made by someone (very nice, friendly and modest) that you know (pointing finger towards own self))...NOoooOOO???
Yesss! In that case you can find the book here.

(all that to say, the book is available, blablabla, and that I'm definitely not a good seller!!! :P)

My little moment

2008-06-27T21:48:00.010+02:00

...is planned for tomorrow... A FREE DAY!

I have rendez-vous there, in this most charming lil restaurant with blogger friends, some I know since ages, some I don't. Well I don't know if the meeting is secret or not (lol) so I won't give names!

A big, a HUGE thank you to my other half for taking care of the lil devils while I'll just relax!!! :)

Yeeeepeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

PS: And since the restaurant is located in a fine area for shopping (close to les Halles), other treats (my fav word of the day) should follow ;-)

(edit): Loup's really sick.... got a bad bad cold or something like that! ... ok, I'll make the shopping part really short!

(edit #2): Loup just wanted to stress his mama (grmppph!)... he slept the whole morning and now feels a bit better... pheww.

We had a great great lunch!

It was such a pleasure to get our Queenette back in Paris! (happy sigh)
And spending time with JvH, who looked happy and beauDiful (have you read her last post? I hadn't! And got really surprised :P), and sharing good laughs with Mel', J�r�me (stop tempting me with your chocolate! grrmpph), Lune and her adorable princess!
And then I had the pleasure to see Jenny again (but you were far we couldn't really talk! next time!), and it was a great honour to meet Dorian (who's said to be a star in the blogsphere! yup yup!), the talented Krysalia (Don't tell me you have not updated your bloggie since April! -faint- ;-), and the famous Samantdi who's my official copine d'ap�ro now! :P

Well, I can't wait for next year, sooner than later anyway!

(the pic is floutched on purpose, to preserve my buddies' privacy :P)

Major treat for the ears !!!

2008-06-27T21:24:00.004+02:00

okok, before getting over-excited, maybe you already know The website.

I used to listen music on some web radios, on yahoo too, blogradio, etc... but I have just found the most exciting website! ... do you know it already?!!!

If not, and if you enjoy music, then you must absobloodilutely register there! (and if you do so, don't forget to tell me so I can find your profile there)

Jango is a kind of *social* network dedicated to music. No don't run, the "social" side of it is wunnerful, to share stuff you like with your friends!

There you have a profile and all the kind of music you enjoy. You use it as a radio. You select your artists, then the song you "love" (played very often), "enjoy" (played regularly) and do not like (never played again).

I use some add blockers so I'm not bothered with any kind of publicity.

Here is how it looks like...

the profile box:

and here is how you select your songs, so easy, so pleasant!

click here

I really hope the access to the site won't be stopped someday (like Radioblog)
It is so so soooo good! (sowwwy but I got addicted to it!)

Oh, and while your own radio is on, the site proposes stuff close to what you like, great way to discover new bands or songs... for me anyway ;-)

This happens once a century

2008-06-27T21:20:00.001+02:00

...no screams, no battles, no fights, no blood, no tears, no cries... ;-)

(happy sigh)

Oh noooo !

2008-06-27T21:10:00.004+02:00

I've checked the tv program, and chock and horror, it seems they won't show the rugger match (Frawnch vs Wallabies) tomorrow... (Anyone gets any other info?)

So so unfair for us Rugger's lovers! :P

A Summer movie

2008-06-24T00:03:00.003+02:00

...but of course (!) :

(it's online since ages, you probably already know this one!)

now the most terrifying one (a lil thought for Esox here :P)

A Summer picture

2008-06-23T23:57:00.001+02:00

School's over next week, for 2 endless months.

.........wish me luck!

A summer drink

2008-06-23T23:41:00.002+02:00

(drooling)

A summer wish

2008-06-23T23:29:00.004+02:00

Let's have hundreds of ravishing twilights ...

Gawd, I love dem twilight blues!

photo from here

A Summer song

2008-06-23T23:23:00.003+02:00

Only video crap here, too bad there were no real video at the time (the song's so inspiring!)

and as it's summer, I could add this one, but promise me you will just close your eyes, the video kinda kills the whole atmosphere of the song! (at least for me who only think about Clint here :P)

Christopher Columbus and popping pectorals

2008-06-20T23:33:00.003+02:00

My diet does not work really. And I think I'm just eating normally which is fine :P
But I can see a lil tiny difference since I've started with........ my Pilates exercices. I do them usually 3 times a week, and -oh MIRACLE- I can see improvements!

I'm being a Christopher Columbus of my own body, discovering new body lands: lil muscles I did not know! (like on the chest, just above the boobs I have popping muscles when I work! lol that's really funny!)

It's not the toutouyoutou gymnastics (aerobics), no, it's much calmer...!

antenne 2 gym tonic gymtonic 1984
envoy� par Maxtv80

(this is a collector, I know some will love it! hehe)

Calmer, but not easier! Pilates's not easy, unlike what it seems!

But then... I have a great coach, and for free! The best thing is that she keeps telling me I'm making a goooood job, so satisfying!
I call her mrs Faith Flexible.
Faith because I trust her! Flexible because, well, you will quickly understand :P

Really that's the only sport I can stand. Biking, swimming (if not for fun), running, nooooo I'm not patient enough and too lazy too.

But Pilates, yeah that's made for me!
Ever tried it? Are you into any sport by the way???

I exchange 2 sunny hours against 2 dark ones (fair deal!)

2008-06-20T23:08:00.003+02:00

...it's just that I need longer nights.

I don't know why really... but I've got a very busy week! Exhausting type.
I've fallen asleep each time we've started watching Prison Break's last season... pfff! That's a sign!

Anyway, I must say Loup has been very demanding, so active and ready to do exactly what's forbidden! The opposite of Lola who's calm, concentrated and careful.
Perfect balance ;-)

But, busy as I was, I managed to start a new book, the "Saragosse" one which is so far really good (I must confess here... that I put Post-it notes wherever I stop to remember instantly who's talking! lol)

And I've also found time to start with a new painting, which already required hours of work

and with a Summer series of candle-holders :)
(the problem with them is that I can only work on them with day light... complicate)

I just hope the weekend will be ermmm more relaxing... with more time for meself!

And there I stand alone, in the Purgatory...

2008-06-20T21:49:00.004+02:00

...with the Eagles playing endlessly !

My sin belongs to the "think twice before doing anything" category.

You know, well maybe you don't but you should ;-), that Hotel California is a song I love. The vibes, everything, I love it (memo to self: gotta blog about songs and vibes some day)

Well I don't have anything from the Eagles, but I remember this album, Hotel California, from my dad. He had the LP (you know this big round thingie, black and flat). And I think it was great on hot summer days.

So the other day, I thought I'd treat myself with the CD.
huhu

Such a beauDiful sleeve. And Summer's being just around the corner. Yeah I would get it !!!
(Martin laughed when I told him! grmpph!)

Well Martin was right. A memory and a fine sleeve are not enough to make a good album.
Such a bad surprise.
I love *my* song but I can tell I am not a fan at all of the band!

I have also bought a shitty CD (by Arno) which is for re-sale already.

Anyway, to finish with a happy ending ... *the* song:

Gawd, it rocks, really!

Stress and adrenalin part 2

2008-06-16T21:56:00.005+02:00

(warning: don't click on the links below if you're sensitive! I don't want to provoke any heart attack... specially with Barnaby :P!)

Sooo... after a pretty busy Saturday, in the late evening I felt a bit stressed, for no real reason though...
I asked Martin to watch something that would change my mind. Like... tada.... Midsomers Murders, of course!

Well, Martin suggested (with much diplomacy! hehe) that we could watch one of our "christmas" dvds (those still under plastic, huh). And why not the one my sister offered us "28 weeks later".

Hm, oh well, ok why not indeed, that will change my mind.
I remembered 28 days later, wasn't it a bit hmm bloody?
Ok, well we'll see.

After ten minutes I was screaming under the cover! More stressed than I had been in ages!!!! My heartbeats were not under control anymore!
OMG OMG

The thing is that ok, the movie is absobloodilutely violent. Usually with a zombie movie I laugh, every 5 minutes. With this one, it happened (yeah it happened!), but twice only!

I could not sleep after. My adrenalin had reached a "coffee overdose" kind of level.
But the movie was fantastic, terrifying on many levels. What a surprise!
I LOVED it. Please, someone around must have watched it, no? I totally recommend it, when you're in the mood huh, and if you enjoy the genre just a lil bit ;-)

28 Semaines Plus Tard (Bande annonce VOST FR)
envoyé par Terminator2006

PS: if someone knows where I can find the soundtrack...just lemme know and you'll get a big hug from ol' Candy :P

Oui, Chef!

2008-06-16T20:48:00.002+02:00

Ok, lemme see.. I don't like cooking, I'm on an endless diet, yet I keep talking about food!!! arggg!

Voil�, my lil game of the week is called "Supa lazy, Supa yummy!"
The rules are extremely simple:

1) You chose 1 or 2 ingredients maximum

2) No more than 5 minutes of preparation

So what do you propose? (just grabbing an apple and biting it does not count, you lazy bum!)

Here's my "Supa lazy, supa yummy!" :

no it's not burnt, just slightly coloured!

1)4 yellow/orange peppers
2) you take off the lil seeds and cut them in thin slices. In the oven for 20 minutes (I have never checked), salt and pepper, and there you go! yummmmmm!
Sweet, delicious, perfect with a light wine!

Bon appetit, les amis!

Stress and adrenalin part 1

2008-06-16T20:27:00.004+02:00

I had some kind of busy weekend. Pretty stressing one because I ran everywhere... and also spent a lot of time thinking about next year, the fact that I don't have a "normal" job (that pays well enough), etc.
Stressing weekend but in a kind of positive way (phewww!)
As long as I can *work* from home, we'll do it this way, which makes of our lil family the priority.

Anyway, the weekend started with this meeting in Lola's new school... Her next school year in two words: much more serious and demanding.
Ok it will be fantastic too, learning how to read, count, etc. But for me, as a mama, it feels so much as another lil step towards independence. Sometimes I wish I could just keep my babes under my wings, making their life sweet and easy forever. (sigh)

Anyway, here's the typical week Lola will get:

click here

EPS=gymnastics
Lecture=reading
Fran�ais = French
Ecriture = writing
D�couverte du monde = world discovery (time, space, sciences, etc)

What do you think? Not bad for a 5 years-old lil one, no?
No way she will get bored huh! :-)

Everyday she'll get some homework. hm.
Ok, I actually think we'll have fun! :)