May 11, 2012




most of us have seen this in movies : neighbors in the night & on the street barefeet in their pjs watching the firemen trying to stop the fire raging in their house...  as a consequence of this real life nightmare our family of 3 has grown to 7 since last sunday. time to heal, time to remember the memories & past we have in common as long time neighbors. my neighbor & friend C lost her last battle against blood cancer a few years ago, but she has raised good kids. love you, C x

our yard has become a stranger. the rainiest april in 50 years. may is here, the weather doesn't say it, but the may flowers don't lie, they're here waiting to be noticed...


there will be one more candle on the cake for me this weekend, and to celebrate this new year of my life, one of you can win one of the necklaces called "balançoire" (biggest bead is approx 2,5 centimeters) made of wood & ceramic on a leather cord. soon to be seen in my etsy shop. just post a comment if you like, saying what flower is your favorite and L. will draw a name on may 15, 9pm Paris GMT.

42 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about your neighbors, but also... happy birthday to you in advance :)

    .. gorgeous photos!

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  2. en pensée avec toi ...

    moi aussi je souffle 1 bougie de plus ce mois-ci (le jour du tirage ;o) )- le grand saut, le changement de dizaine... et comme mai est notre mois j'espère que tu aimes tout comme moi le Muguet ;o)

    plein de bisous Valerie - je penserai a toi ce WE (j'ai toujours des minis boutons a coudre pour L. ....)

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  3. Happy, happy birthday! Your photos are beautiful and very inspiring! My thoughts are with your neighbours too! Oh, almost forgot..my favourite flower is either the cornflower or another similar bloom called 'love-in-the-mist"!

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  4. So sorry to hear about your neighbor :(

    Despite this, I hope you have a very happy birthday!!

    I have a hard time picking a favorite flower, but I would have to say Gardenias.

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  5. So chocking news about your neighbors! :(

    I wish you a wonderful birthday Valérie, and the forecast here in Saint-Nazaire is promising sun!!! Inbelievable! Yes, I was watching my garden and thought the same, flowers know their time, birds too :D

    Ma fleur préférée.... ah, bonne question! J'aime beaucoup les Nigelles de Damas, blanches ou bleue qui adorent mon jardin!!

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  6. Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your neighbours and the rainy weather but it must help that they have good people aorund like you to help them out. Hope things get better soon. In spite of the rainy weather you still take the loveliest photos and these spring flowers ar a real joy to see through your eyes. Wishing you a wonderful birthday and a great year to come. My favourite flowers are peonies, I think.

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  8. what wonderful neighbours you guys are. hope the sun will be shining for your birthday. but wait! shouldn't you be receiving goodies for your special day, instead of giving away? :-) my favourite flowers have always been white tulips. bises x

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  9. AnonymousMay 11, 2012

    Sorry to hear abour your neighbor. Good for them you can be around.

    Wishing you a very happy birthday, Valérie ! They say the sun will shine on Saturday and Sunday : great !
    A flower I like is the lily of the valley, really like its name too !

    Marilou

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  10. Sad news about your neighbours.
    Despite the rain I love your green lush garden.
    Lavender is my absolute favorite.
    And i wish you a happy birthday this weekend.
    Hugs, Pauline

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  11. AnonymousMay 11, 2012

    Happy Birthday ...
    hope your neighbors' house was not totally destroyed.
    I have many favorite flowers, right now I really like orange blossom because of their fragrance :)

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  12. What a nightmare it must be to stand there and have to watch your house in flames!
    But Happy Birthday to you, and keep delighting us with your photos and blog posts. To answer your question, one of my favorite flowers are magnolias.

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  13. Quelle peur tes voisins ont dû avoir! C'est dans les coups durs qu'on voit que nos voisins sont parfois bien plus que de "simples voisins"...
    Ici aussi le jardin semble en attente, c'est bizarre.
    Et puis joyeux anniversaire alors! :oD

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  14. I wish you a happy, happy birthday!

    Picking one flower is difficult for me, I love all flowers from the bottom of my heart, I'm amazed by the delicate beauty of flowers every day. But right now I'm going to say lavender, for its blue-ness.

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  15. AnonymousMay 11, 2012

    A very happy birthday to you! Your garden looks magical, despite the chill. We also have saxifrage blooming, and I do love how it raises those delicate flags. Although we do not have wisteria, and of this I am deeply jealous.

    Many good thoughts and wishes sent your way!

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  16. Happy Happy Birthday dear Valerie...hope the sun shines on you...even for a little while.
    I wish the neighbours all the best as well, hope they find a new home soon and that things go well for them.
    I don't have a favourite flower...so please don't add me to the list...I have many necklaces I never wear!!! :) :) :) :)
    xxxxx

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  17. ♥Happy Birthday to you♥
    I have same kind of flowers in my garden too but your garden is more beautiful!I wish you could come to mine and have a cup of coffee with me here.
    x
    maria

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  18. dear Valerie,
    many happy, gentle returns of the day to you!

    such a difficult time for your neighbours, but your home must be a haven for them.

    beautiful flowers, beautiful necklace . . .
    in summer, i find a few jasmine flowers on my pillow every night. my grandfather used to make necklaces for me in the afternoons when the buds were still closed. i loved how by evening they'd all bloom on me, the scent of summer everywhere.

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  19. Happy birthday, Valerie. I am sorry to hear of your neighbor's loss... it's so tough. Hope that your weather improves (ours is much the same!). xo

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  20. valerie, dear

    i just read your message,
    thank you and i`m glad birds
    have home now at your place.

    hope you`ll have nice time visiting c. islands
    and lavender will be all blooming, smelling wonderful to
    make your day ok. wishing you happy happy birthday and
    let these times you`ve had just fade,
    it is good have you here.

    crocus, the first one
    on the bare ground, this is the one i like,

    sending all good thoughts
    to you and your neighbours


    good night to you,

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  21. Happy birthday may girl :) have a lovely birthday. A house fire is a worst nightmare. If only everyone had neighbours like you. Xxx

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  22. Happy Birthday, Valerie! Wishing you a beautiful day, a beautiful year. So very sorry to hear about your neighbor's loss...so heartbreaking. It's been very chilly & rainy here too--not much of a spring at all so for. In a few days we'll be going to the USA, where it is sizzling with summer already. LOVE the beaded necklace--very elegant, minimal design, so stylish. And thank you for the giveaway fun. My favorite flower is the rose, a scented one. :o) ((HUGS))

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  23. AnonymousMay 12, 2012

    Mon anglais n'est vraiment pas fameux pour écrire en profondeur. La perte de ceux que nous aimons est aussi une petite remise en question. On grandit un peu, davantage interieurement. Mai est si beau et quelle façon si douce de la fêter. Joyeux anniversaire!
    J'aime toutes les fleurs, surtout les champêtres. Mais comme je dois certainement en designer une je vais alors écrire son nom. Bougainvillier. Elle rampe les murs au Maroc, donne de la couleur sur les murs chauler au sud du Portugal. Ce serait si difficile de ne pas la mention pour te donner les couleurs de notre printemps!

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  24. Happy birthday Valerie! We also had a very wet spring (after a very cold winter), and was so surprised to see yesterday (green) cherries on the trees! Is it really May?! I like all flowers, but I have a soft spot for pink peonies!

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  25. dear valerie,

    – happy birthday!

    i have several flowers i love.
    today it is the dog rose that i picked in the park and brought home.

    sending you good wishes for the family of your neighbour and you.

    hello from berlin, uta

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  26. AnonymousMay 12, 2012

    Happy birthday Valerie! We have had the wettest greyest summer ever but strangely we had the first sunny Christmas Day I can remember. My favourite flower is Daphne - it smells SO good and when the plant flowers it means Spring is coming!

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  27. Would be a wonderful world if everyone has a neighbour like yourself....have a blessed birthday Valerie. I keep falling in love with tulips each time..perhaps because they are not available in my part of the world. From when I was a child I would draw them over and over again on any blank pieces of paper :-) I did however get to enjoy them in spring when I was in the UK.

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  28. You were there for both neighbors (C & houseguests) when they needed someone the most. A good neighbor and friend you are. I'm sorry on all the loses.

    Happy Birthday!! May your day and the coming year be blessed and filled with happiness and good memories. xo

    PS don't worry about the connection on other social networks. I too sometimes relate only to blog and when I see a name it takes me a bit to connect. :)

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  29. joyeux anniversaire en retard Valérie! la photo de ton chat est magnifique! et j'aime beaucoup to collier. Le printemps a finalement décidé de s'installer ici. Je t'en souhaite autant!

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  30. My earlier comment just disappeared... :(

    Sorry to hear about you neighbors... they're lucky to have caring people around!!!

    My favorite flower is tulip... I also love violets!!! And there are also so many other beautiful ones... it's too hard to pick just one!

    Happy belated birthday... you've been in my thoughts!!! Hugs!

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  31. i hope everything is well with your neighbours. they are blessed to have you near!
    well, happy birthday Valerie! i enjoy your way of sharing bits of your life so beautifully.
    my favourite flowers are wild flowers... many different kinds, but i do love daisies. always have. for their simplicity. that neklace is just so beautiful!

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  32. AnonymousMay 14, 2012

    Happy Birthday Valerie.
    My favourite flowers are the wild flowers.

    Love
    Katerina FF
    Greece

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  33. Happy Birthday!!! a nice month to celebrate the birthday!! ;)

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  34. Joyeux anniversaire!

    i love these photos.

    my favourite flowers are cornflowers or daffodils.

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  35. Coucou. Joyeux anniversaire !
    ma fleur préférée, c'est le myosotis ...

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    Replies
    1. tricheuse ! tu es ma fille et celle qui va tirer au sort, donc tu ne peux pas jouer !!! ;)

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  36. Happy Birthday to you Valérie! J'ai oublié le jour exact...j'en suis désolée. J'espère que tes voisins vont du mieux possible. Je t'embrasse.

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  37. thank you so so much for sharing your favorite flowers, it was wonderful to read all this back from my BD weekend -- and thank you for your birthday wishes too ! lots of xo to you all & congratulations to Mirva

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  38. Happy birthday!! I hope it was a wonderful weekend away! What a fantastic yard you have!! I can see why you eat/nap and play outside so much!

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  39. The first time that I met our new neighbours back home, was dressed in a nightie, while firemen battled the flames at our house. We were very lucky, though, in that, apart from smoke damage throughout and a melted kitchen, we could still live at home. The place stank, mind! It made for a different Christmas.

    I'm so sorry to hear about your neighbours - it certainly sounds as if they have had more than their fair share to deal with. It must help having you as a neighbour, though. I hope that you had a very happy birthday.

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  40. un petit mot en passant pour te souhaiter un beau printemps de plus et surtout te dire que c'est toujours autant de plaisir à te rendre visite même en silence...

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  41. Hi Valerie, lovely to see your pretty blog! Your pictures are so calm and clear, I love your style. I'm so happy we got the chance to meet through IG!

    love
    Maaike (creJJtion)

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