More Mag Talk -- Pre-Order The NEXT Issue (#4) Of Jeanne d'Arc Living

Possibly the prettiest Jeanne d'Arc Living cover art YET!
LOVE IT!

If it seems to you that we talk a great deal of magazines around here, well then....
I have to agree with you!

But since adding periodicals to our inventory, it has become
apparent that it's very important to keep you as informed as possible
about when the next issue(s) are due out and able to be
pre-ordered.

I get scolded by my blog sisters (customers) if they feel they've
been out of the loop and are worried they will miss out on an issue!!  ;)

I love some of the phone calls and emails I get from you ladies ----
it's so cute when it sounds on the other end of the phone like there is a
crisis and it turns out you were just afraid we'd sold out of an issue
without letting you know it was available.

Me?  Let you down?  NEVAH!!!   ;)

So even though it seems like we've only just finished mailing out the last of
our pre-orders of issue #3, we are now taking pre-orders of
issue #4 -- due to arrive by the end of the month!
WOW!

Where DOES the time go??

Oh.. I'm sorry, did you say you wanted to see some pics from the
coming issue???

Well let's see....

I have ALWAYS wanted a dutch door like this...

something about them just seems like something 

from a storybook...

And will you LOOK at those gleaming white floors... wow...

This entry hall makes me swoon...
I LOVE THOSE FLOORS!!
How could you NOT smile to yourself as you walk
into this house each day?

Have I whet your appetite?

Want to make sure you get yours?

Simply go to our PRE-ORDER PAGE and you will
have your very own copy of issue #4 on it's way to you
as soon as our supply arrives.

You lucky thing, you.

:)

~Ruth~

Shoe Love....

The latest target of my "site stalkng" is 

THE OUTNET

Can you see why??

Just look at these beauties!! 

The site is like one giant online clearance rack from Beverly Hills!

Now....

"clearance" is a subjective term...

Most of the shoes shown here are still well into

the "hundreds" even after being 

slashed in price for "outlet" pricing.

But still...

A gal can dream....

The next Jeanne d'Arc Living magazine (issue #4)

has been ordered and I'll be putting up a 

pre-order page later today.

But just wanted to pop in and show you some

pictures of what swirls around in my pretty little head

when I lay my pretty little head down to sleep....

:)

~Ruth~

You Love The Swedish/Nordic-French Look, Right? Have We Got (ANOTHER) Magazine For You!

Do you SEE this BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS cover???

(By the way, this is the cover of the very latest issue just being released).

If you haven't yet become acquainted with VAKRE HJEM & INTERIØR

magazine, you are in for a Nordic-French TREAT!

I have followed and gotten this magazine for several months now

(I think my first issue was the Christmas issue, below)

I am IN LOVE with this magazine!

By way of "review", let's just first have a little visual tour of the last

couple of issues ....  I've devoured them all and let me show you just some of the 

Nordic-licious beauty there has been:

This was issue #1 for 2010 -- just the cover image alone is enough...

This was issue #2 for 2010 and has been the "current" issue until now (well, technically tomorrow is the formal release date of issue #3)...

The two covers shown below are from 2009 issues, 

but I included them just for fun -- and to show you how exceptional each & every issue is:

  

Some pages from various back issues....

    

AND... pages from the coming issue #3 

that WE will be stocking at The Beautiful Life!!!

   

We expect to have our copies of the magazine (AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF #1 and #2 

FROM 2010, TOO) very shortly ...

and a 

PRE-ORDER PAGE ON THE SITE  

is already in place for you 

so you can be among the first to get your pretty little hands on this thing of beauty!

Questions I'm anticipating from you:

1.)  How does VAKRE HJEM & INTERIØR compare Jeanne d'Arc Living magazine?

Well, if you love Jeanne d'Arc Living, I can pretty much guarantee that you cannot go wrong with Vakre Hjem.   

The two magazines are about the same size (inch-for-inch) but the inner pages are not as 

almost cardstock-thick as Jeanne d'Arc Living, so you are getting almost twice as many 

pages per issue.  There is more content per issue, too, and the best way to

explain that is to compare Vakre Hjem to a typical magazine like Elle Decor 

or Country Living wherein there is maybe a bit more editorial content to

take in.  

There are ads in Vakre Hjem (as there are ads in any magazine)

and they are distributed throughout the mag like most others do whereas

Jeanne d'Arc Living places ALL their ad content at the back.

The feel of the cover is very thick and strong (almost like there is more than

just paper in the fiber content) and the inner pages are more like a traditional magazine

than those of the JDL mags.  

There is a slightly different "vibe" about Vakre Hjem -- it has a bit more of a 

"funky" if not youthful appeal -- perhaps only because of the difference in 

layout/presentation of the issues.

All in all, there does seem to be more of EVERYTHING in Vakre Hjem -- it keeps you

"interested" from page to page to page...

Give it a try once -- then you decide.  

I bet you'll be back for more.   ;)

2.)  How much will all this new Nordic-French beauty, inspiration, decor/craft project ideas, and absolutely stunning  eye-candy cost me?

The price per issue will be $21.50 -- less than even the "old" price of Jeanne d'Arc Living (before the 2010 price increase).  As always, SHIPPING IS FREE.

I think you are going to find this magazine to be a "bargain" and very

well worth it's price, comparatively.  

3.) Is the magazine in English?

The magazine is printed in Norway and is therefore in that language...

however, as we all found out with the original issues of Jeanne d'Arc Living before 

they were ever printed in English... when you have THAT much to look at that takes 

your breath away, the words and language really don't matter.

4.)  Will you still be carrying Jeanne d'Arc Living magazine?

Yes!  Yes!  

I suppose that there may be those who, after trying a copy of 

Vakre Hjem, want to stay only with Jeanne d'Arc Living -- will feel that

that magazine really "fits" them best.  

There will be those who may find that

Vakre Hjem is THE magazine for them - period.  

And there will

DEFINITELY be those who will want BOTH from now on.

So for this reason, we will continue to offer BOTH, as well as others as we find them and feel they're worthy of offering.

And Vakre Hjem is WAY worthy.    ;)

Let me know if you have questions other than what I thought to

cover here -- otherwise, may I encourage you to give this new

read a try?  

Would I steer you wrong??   ;)

~Ruth~

Fun Little "6th Ever Photo" Game... Want To Play?

Sweet Mel from the
The Musing Magpie

tagged me to play in the blog game where

you go back in your blog post archives

and find the 6th photo you ever uploaded on your blog 

and show it, link back to the post it was part of

and then sort of speak to that photo in a new

way -- a way that perhaps it was not used in the 

original post...

My 6th picture is the colorful bird eggs in the pretty 

cast iron urn...

It originally appeared as part of

THIS POST

back in 

March of 2008, and I had been to visit the daughter of a friend

who was in Moffitt Cancer Center being treated for leukemia -- 

and it did not look very promising for her.

I was contrasting her life to the lives most of us live -- and how she would have

given anything to be back in what we might easily call the "drudgery of life"

(daily chores, chauffeuring kids around, etc.).

I'd included just some various pretty photos from around the house

in that particular post, and the 6th image was of the fragile eggs in the urn.

As I see that picture now, it is timely, I suppose, because it is Spring and new life has 

already begun to burst forth -- and the eggs make me think of that.

Perhaps I could also rekindle thoughts of that photo in saying that 

I'm hopeful for a renewed sense of life and "zest for living" 

as I forge my way on now through the balance of this wonderful year.

There is the promise of much that is new and fun and lovely --

much like the promise of new life inside those beautifully colored eggs.

Yet -- like those eggs, life is fragile.  

Beautiful.  But fragile, none the less.

So with that, I've shown you my

6th-ever-blog photo

and now I'll challenge a

handful of other bloggers to 

do the same:

Pansy Cottage

Girl Meets Paris

Mahogany Madison

 Pennies From Heaven

BUT DON'T BE SHY!

You feel free to join in the fun and do a post like this on 

YOUR BLOG, too!!   

No invitation required!

Be back maybe tonight or tomorrow with some

REALLY FUN NEWS 

about 

YET ANOTHER 

FABULOUS magazine I'm going to carry!!!

WOO HOO!!

~Ruth~

One Of My Favorite Movies About Following Your Dreams Is On Tonight!

I'm so excited about tonight!  

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is on ABC Family channel at 8PM and I plan to cozy up on the couch and watch it.

When I started blogging two years ago, my 8th post on this blog was about that movie.  

Click HERE to read it.

I'd just watched it for the first time and was CAPTIVATED!

For me, it was a real dreamer's movie.

Perfect for me then, and I suspect it will be just what the doctor ordered as I watch it again tonight.

If your dream(s) are feeling a little "stalled out" or even grounded right now,

I beg of you,

WATCH THE MOVIE!

It just might re-infuse you with that sense of wonderment and belief again that you

really 

CAN

do it.

I cried -- but what's new?

I cry in almost all "kid's" movies.  

Sometimes those kinds of movies speak

loudest to me.

Hmmm... not sure what that says about my maturity level... 

Anyways....

So don't be put off by thinking "What can THAT movie say to ME?  Isn't that a kid's movie?"

Watch it with different eyes and let it's message speak to the "kid" in you that 

still really, really wants to believe you can still be that person you wanted to be

when you grew up.

If you don't have much going on tonight, you just might want to join me watching it.

Wouldn't it be so fun if we could all crowd in on my couch and all around on the floor,

one of us could go make a Dairy Queen run and bring back Blizzards for all of us....

I've got tons of candy and pop corn already, 

so you wanna?  

Okay -- it starts at 8PM eastern time tonight!

Grab your jammies and c'mon!

From one dreamer to another,

~Ruth~

And The Winner Of The Stash Of Books Is...

Congratulations to one sweet lady!!

CATHY!

Cathy, from Breathless Expectation, has won the

six decorating books that I'm giving away this time

(I say "this time" because there will be a lot

more to come in more giveaways!).

Research Randomizer Results 1 Set of 1 Unique Numbers Per Set Range: From 1 to 59 -- Unsorted Job Status:

Set #1: 17

I am so, so happy to be sending Cathy

her books on Monday!

Cathy, enjoy them with your feet propped up and

a cup of tea or coffee in hand (or iced, as it gets warmer outside).

YAY Cathy!!

And, as I said, I already have many other fabulous coffee-table-style

decorating books set aside for "round 2" of the book giveaways,

so chances are if ya didn't win this one, you'll have loads more tries at it!   

Once again, congrats to Cathy!!

~RUTH~

Seriously? TWO "Industrial-Chic" Metal Bar Stools For $99.00!

Overstock.com --- what's not to love????

Check out these splendiferous barstools!!!!!!

They have that fresh, almost vintage, almost industrial, almost Swedish look that

so many of us are loving now -- what a wonderfully, relatively inexpensive

"facelift" for your kitchen!

They are $99.00 for the set and I think shipping is less than

$3.00 for regular ground shipping 

(WAY, WAY more if you want them expedited).

If you do an online search for Overstock.com coupon codes,

I'll bet you can turn up something to even waive the shipping cost!

These TWO metal bar stools (30" tall) are available through

Overstock.com by clicking HERE!

Just thought you'd like to know about 
this "steal". 

You know,

one gal watching out for her

blog pals and all. 

Happy Wednesday!!

~Ruth~

:)

Are You Ready For Some Beach Time??

TIP:
YOU'LL WANT TO BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER
ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN BEFORE
PLAYING THIS CUTE VIDEO.

Do You LOVE Decorating Books? Well, I'm Back & It's GIVEAWAY TIME!

Ohhhh, decorating books...

fabulous, big, shiny, wonderful decorating books.

They are my downfall.

Well those -- and SHOES.  ;)

I can't even count how many 

such books I have around the house -- mostly French-style and of that,

mostly the Provencal French style (country French).

Of late, though, the books I've been ordering have been of the

Swedish decorating ilk.

And I have stocked up quite nicely on them.   

SO, I wanted to play nice and share some of them with you.

Now...let me say this right up front...

I AM A DIE-HARD PRE-OWNED BOOK BUYER.

I mean, come on, how bad could a pre-owned decorating book be?

The original owner obviously has good taste and style (wink-wink) and isn't

likely to trash her books by reading them with one hand while she

knocks back a peanut butter and jam sandwich in the other.

And if she did, she'd SURELY do so with a dainty napkin, right?

(wink-wink, again).

So, I only choose "pre-loved" books that are rated as being

in at least "good" condition but I do buy just about all of my books from AMAZON 
and  I buy them from the re-sellers.

And in all my years of doing this, I've never been disappointed -- and hey,

the more money I save that way, the more I have to spend at

SEPHORA!

(Where they don't sell anything pre-owned -- thank goodness).

So, having said all this, 

below is a listing of all the books I'm parting with this time around

There are SIX fabulous decorating books in this giveaway

and they will ALL GO TO ONE WINNER.

With the exception of just one, they are all good-sized

HARDBACK books and I think you will just LOVE THEM!

Talk about inspiration!

Your pretty little head will be SWIMMING WITH INSPIRATION 

if you are the winner of these books!

And if they inspire you to totally re-do your house,

WE WANNA SEE PICS!!!

And If you're anything like me, when you get a few new books

to look at, you just HAVE to carry them with you where ever you go so

you can look at them while you're waiting somewhere, etc...

SO...

I'll throw in one of our fabulous JUTE TOTEBAGS, too!

I'll close my eyes and choose one for you!  :)

You may find it fun to go on AMAZON in your spare time

and have a look at each of these books to see what's up for grabs.  

I think you'll be happy!

 

(Sweden Style is a paperback book)

I will draw the winner this coming Saturday, April 24th.

Bonne chance!

It is GREAT to be back in the saddle.

I was blown away by your comments - never in my life have I felt so

undergirded, so supported, so loved and cared for....so genuinely.

We bloggers have each other's backs, ya know?

I love that.

I love YOU.

Have fun and be sure to leave a comment to enter!!

And if you don't have a blog profile (aka, if you comment

anonymously, PLEASE, PLEASE email me separately so I can have your email

address in case you win! )  

Hugs,

Ruth