Jennie Goutet's Blog: A Lady in France, page 18

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Et je vous souhaite un Joyeux Petit Noël

Let your heart be light

Laissez votre coeur s’éclairer

From now on your troubles will be out of sight

Dorénavant vos ennuis seront hors de la vue

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Et je vous souhaite un Joyeux Petit Noël

Make the Yuletide gay

Rendez cette période de fête joyeuse

From now on your troubles will be miles away

Dorénavant vos ennuis disparaîtrons loin

Here we are as in olden days

Nous voici comme aux premiers jours

Happy golden days of yore

Joyeux jours dorés d’antin

Faithful friends who are dear to us

Les amis fidèles qui nous sont chers

Gather near to us, once more

Un grand rassemblement, une fois de plus

Through the years we all will be together

Tout au long des années nous resterons tous ensemble

If the fates allow

Si nos destins nous le permettent

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough

Accrochez une étoile brillante sur la branche la plus élevée

And have yourself a merry little Christmas now

Et je vous souhaite un Joyeux Petit Noël

Faithful friends who are dear to us

Les amis fidèles qui nous sont chers

Gather near to us, once more

Un grand rassemblement, une fois de plus

Through the years we all will be together

Tout au long des années nous resterons tous ensemble

If the fates allow

Si nos destins nous le permettent

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough

Accrochez une étoile brillante sur la branche la plus élevée

And have yourself a merry little Christmas now

Et je vous souhaite un Joyeux Petit Noël

Hey friends! We spent yesterday decorating with neighbors, friends, and family. I hope your holiday preparations are going beautifully, and that your hearts are light. Hugs, from our family to yours.

Songwriters

Martin, Hugh / Blane, Ralph

Published by

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Traduction réalisée par ce site

PS. I know this isn’t the first time I’ve used the lyrics to this song, but it is my very favourite.

The post Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas appeared first on A Lady In France.

11 Ways to Keep from Going Overboard This Season

I’ve been focusing on staying sane this season – not going overboard by spending too much, doing too much, eating too much. You know.

If you read my Boundary post, you’ll also know that I’m working on keeping my own boundaries intact, and this effort gets stretched during the holiday season. (If you didn’t, it’s here, and there’s a free PDF you can download to fill in and mark boundaries).

So here are some tips that have helped me to stay sane this season, gathered all in one place … for you!

TIPS FOR THE BODY

1. Have a battle plan

Sarah, from Must Have Mom gives a few tips for staying on track with diet and fitness goals during the holiday. My favorite is having a plan for snack portion sizes (with a link to a Weight Watchers guide for that), and also bringing your own healthy substitute to share at holiday gatherings.  (She has a link to a healthy version of Jalapeño Poppers that looks amazing).

By the way, you also have a chance to win a Garmint Vivofit by clicking over. And no – nothing in this post is sponsored. Just stuff I find helpful.

2. Take a nap

I used to take naps regularly, long after my children needed them. I’m thankful to have enough energy these days that I don’t often need a nap. But there are times when I can see that it’s the thing that will give me the pick-up I need later on to care for my kids and tackle my responsibilities. If you feel like you’ve reached your limit, fluff up your pillow and kick back!

3. Take iron or magnesium I’m no doctor. You know that. So don’t follow this advice without using your own common sense (or asking for a doctor’s opinion). But sometimes I’m so drained I forget that my iron levels are generally low and it’s been awhile since I’ve taken an iron supplement. I usually figure it out when I’m like a snowman in June and can barely pick up one foot to put it in front of the other. It doesn’t take much for me to see a difference when I start taking supplements again.

Last week I didn’t go to the gym at all. Once I drove all the way there, and at the roundabout turned around and came back home. I was just so tired. However, after only a couple days of iron, and I feel ready to go back to the gym and do damage control with the holiday eating.

I mention magnesium too because French pharmacies stock up in the fall in preparation for the holidays (and reduced sunlight?). If you’re feeling stressed, magnesium can sometimes do wonders to restore an equilibrium. I’ve seen that firsthand in my own life.

4. Take fiber If you decide to take iron supplements, you’re probably going to need it.

Gluten-Free Fried Calamari Rings

I saw calamari at the grocery store and suddenly needed to have fried calamari without delay(!) … of the gluten-free variety, of course.

I soaked a pound of thawed calamari in milk (enough to cover it) – plus the juice of 1/2 lemon – to tenderise the rings.

Then I made a simplified marinara sauce by puréeing a cup of my favourite spaghetti sauce (Basilica), along with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1/2 t oregano, 1/2 t garlic powder, plus 1/4 teaspoon each of white pepper and cayenne pepper.

I put that in the refrigerator.

After a half-hour of soaking the calamari in milk-lemon*, I heat up peanut oil (because it does well with deep-fried and we have no allergies in the family) in a skillet. Then I prepared a plate with two eggs, beaten, plus another plate with the breading mixture.

*I soaked the rest of the calamari longer – soak it for a couple hours if you can.

For the breading mix, I used 1 1/3 cups corn flour (not corn starch) plus 2/3 cup chick pea flour. To that I added 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/4 t paprika, 1/2 t garlic powder, 1/2 t oregano, 1/4 t white pepper. (I made this in two separate batches).

I dipped the calamari in egg

then in the breading. I pinched the calamari rings together in the flour mix so the breading would also coat the inside as well.

I did have egg and flour left over when the calamari was gone, but not so much that I would reduce the amounts. It was just enough to properly coat everything.

When I thought the oil was hot enough, I tested it by putting one ring in to make sure it floated.

It did. After that I put the rest of the first batch in

and drained them when they were brown –

on paper towels to soak the excess oil.

And then I happily dipped the calamari in the marina sauce for a taste test

and went to town.

I mean … I waited for dinner hour and set the table with cloth napkins and crystal water glasses.

Yeah … that.

Gluten-Free Fried Calamari Rings   Print Prep time 1 hour Cook time 30 mins Total time 1 hour 30 mins   Serves: 6-8 Ingredients 1 lb calamari rings peanut oil 2 eggs Breading Mixture: ⅔ cup chick pea flour 1⅓ cup corn flour ½ Tablespoon salt ½ teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ white pepper Marinara Sauce 1 cup basil spaghetti sauce ½ t garlic powder ½ t oregano ¼ cayenne pepper ¼ t white pepper 2 teaspoons olive oil Instructions Tenderise the thawed calamari rings in the milk/lemon mix. Purée the ingredients for the marina sauce, then refrigerate. Beat two eggs in one bowl. Mix the breading ingredients in a separate bowl. Heat the oil until it starts to bubble a bit. Test by putting one ring in and if it floats, it's ready. Put the rings in one batch at a time and drain them on paper towels when they're brown. Let the oil reheat before you put in the second batch. Serve immediately. 3.5.3208

 Epilogue:

My husband thought they tasted just like restaurant calamari rings, and we ate them accompanied with the alcohol-free, gluten-free British cider I found online. (Not sure if there’s the equivalent in the US). It would have tasted great with the alcohol-free, gluten-free beer too … in case you’re looking for ideas.

But we didn’t eat to our heart’s content. The kids devoured them before we had a chance.

The post Gluten-Free Fried Calamari Rings appeared first on A Lady In France.

Gluten-Free Pecan Sandies

Pecan sandies are also called pecan butter balls and Mexican wedding cakes, and making a gluten-free version of the traditional recipe is a breeze. More on that in just a sec.

Before we get down to business, I wanted to share a post I wrote for BonBonBreak on the theme of giving. The post is called Paris Now and it touches on refugees, and it touches on terrorism – and woven through is the idea of giving.

“The terrorists try to steal so much from us, don’t they? They are the shadows and darkness that want to engulf the world. But our light slices darkness. They can’t steal our forgiveness. They can’t steal our peace. They can’t steal our acts of goodness. They can’t steal our love. They can’t take any of those things unless we give it to them.”

My post was generously sponsored by WaterAid. You can click on the link and find all the ways to make a difference in the world by donating funds to help provide clean water. I have seen death first-hand, resulting from the lack of clean water. I have held a baby who – only minutes before, fixed his eyes on my face – and who suddenly no longer had life in his small frame, all because of an infection related to lack of clean water. It makes a difference. Clean water makes a difference.

I know I’m asking a lot – for you to read my post on BonBonBreak, and also for you to visit WaterAid and contribute to their mission (even by doing something as simple as sharing it). But I hope you will.

And now … on the theme of giving, I give you Gluten-Free Pecan Sandies!

Chop a cup’s worth of pecans and spread them over a baking sheet. Bake them until toasty (about 8-10 minutes in a pre-heated oven set to 350°). When they’re done, put them in a Cuisinart and give them a few whirls – they should be ground, but not overly so. There should be some larger pieces mixed in as well.

I used a little more than half of the butter the original recipe calls for. I got away with it by adding xanthan gum to help it stick. The original recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter, and I used 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon. I’ll include both amounts in the recipe box below and you can decide which you prefer. This totally works as a lower-fat option, but you’ll be squeezing the dough more tightly to form a ball than if you had used the full amount of butter.

Combine the softened butter with 1/2 cup confectioner sugar, plus 1/4 salt and 2 teaspoons vanilla. To make things even more interesting, I used a teaspoon of vanilla and the insides of one vanilla bean. You can use 2 teaspoons vanilla.

When that’s mixed, add 2 cups of flour. I used a gluten-free fiber variety, which has beet fiber. I also added a teaspoon of xanthan gum. Honestly, even if you end up using the full amount of butter, I would still add it because when I’ve made the normal recipe it tends to crumble because there is no egg to hold it together.

This is what yours will look like if you use less butter. It will be less crumbly if you use the full amount.

Bake in a pre-heated oven to 325° for about 12 minutes, turning the baking sheet half-way through to avoid over-browning on one side.

When they’ve cooled, roll them in confectioner sugar.

And there you have it!

Gluten-free, higher-fibre, lower-fat pecan sandies.

Merry  Christmas!

(And please don’t forget to read my post at BonBonBreak).

Gluten-Free Pecan Sandies   Print Prep time 30 mins Cook time 24 mins Total time 54 mins   From: Jennie Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 2.5 doz Ingredients 1 cup chopped pecans Butter, either 1 stick and 1 tablespoon (125 grams) or 2 sticks (240 grams) ½ cup confectioner sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla ¼ t salt 2 cups GF flour 1 t xanthan gum Extra confectioner sugar for rolling Instructions Toast pecans for 8-10 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 350°F (175° C) Grind pecans, but not too much. Leave a few chunks. Mix butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and ground pecans. When that's formed a mixture, add flour and xanthan gum. Bake for 12 minutes at 325°F or 160°C. When cool, roll in confectioner sugar. Because of their "sandy" nature, they taste amazing with tea or coffee. 3.5.3208

 (I can’t resist a random picture of my chocolate-peppermint cupcakes, made on the same day, because they turned out so pretty).

The post Gluten-Free Pecan Sandies appeared first on A Lady In France.

Boundary Lines in Pleasant Places

There is a refrain in my head that comes from Psalm 16: “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.”

I remember these words time and again because boundaries are not easy for me. I struggle against them. I kick at them. I forget them. I trample over them.

There are periods in life where this weakness is more evident than others, and Christmas is probably one of those times. I eat more than is good for me, I spend more than I should. I plan a zillion events because I want to throw love and service far and wide.

And suddenly I am spent. My boundaries are in pieces, and  so am I.

Then I remember that the boundaries are supposed to be pleasant! PLEASANT. They are not something to kick against or to trample. They should not be forgotten.

On Setting Boundaries: Then I remember that the boundaries are supposed to be pleasant. PLEASANT! @aladyinfrancePowered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This

And I think the reason God made boundaries to be pleasant is found in Proverbs 25:28

Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

Why Are Boundaries Good?

When you have no boundaries, you’re a city with no walls. The enemy can come in and destroy. You’re vulnerable. Helpless. At the mercy of anyone stronger than you. (i.e. Satan). And with no walls, everyone is stronger than you. God knows this, and wants to protect you against it.

I apologize in advance for the example I’m about to use, but having no boundaries reminds me of the term “leaky gut.” I have definitely suffered from my share of stomach ailments with an intolerance to gluten. For someone intolerant, eating gluten destroys the walls of your intestines. And without those walls, you have no armour. The nutrients cannot reach the rest of your body, and any parasite or toxin can come in and make his home.

Walls are a good thing! So are boundaries.

I’ve long wished to view my boundaries as pleasant, and not restrictive. But it’s hard. And it’s subtle because there are many factors – plus an entire past – that come into play when trying to set and keep boundaries.

Let me give you a visual.

The red circle is to enclose everything that falls within the pleasant places. I think of Galatians 5, which talks about freedom of Christ. It warns against a litany of sins. But then it lists the fruits of the Spirit. And it says that against such things there is no law.

For years I wondered what that meant. “Against such things there is no law.” And one day I finally understood. There is no law against love. No one is ever going to tell you it’s wrong to love, or you need to set a limit on how much you love. In the same way, there is no law against joy – or peace, or forbearance … you get my drift? There is no need to limit those things.

The red circle is like that. In my red circle, I put things that are not under law – like rest, eating vegetables, writing, cleaning, family time, prayer, Bible study, and more. I don’t need to limit those things. They will not harm me, even in excess. (Trust me, I will never go overboard on the vegetables).

The blue line is yet another boundary. Because there are some things, which are not harmful in themselves – and are within the pleasant places God establishes – but they are harmful in excess. (This is such a personal exercise because what is harmful to me will not be harmful to you, and vice verse). Take a look:

Okay – outside the solid boundaries that God has set for me are things like impurity, consumer debt, laziness, excess, gluten (because I’m intolerant), and alcohol (because I have a past).

But there are things that fall between the two circles – they are within my pleasant boundary lines, but only if they do not clash with the pleasant filters –  things like health, time, budget, or self-control.

Let me give you an example. I just discovered a company in the UK that makes gluten-free AND alcohol-free beer. I’m so excited. I feel like God has given me a gift that falls within the pleasant boundary lines He established for my life.

But … the beer is expensive to ship and you have to order it by cases. So this purchase can’t be a regular thing or it clashes with a different filter – budget – and goes beyond the boundary lines into excess. (The same holds true for my gluten-free and organic special purchases).

Here’s another example. Facebook. I’m a blogger and writer and I moderate 3 private groups on Facebook. In a sense it’s intricately related to my work and is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. But I can use Facebook for work, pleasure, and for encouraging others (within the boundaries). I can also use it to escape because I don’t feel like vacuuming the floor or editing a chapter in my book (outside the boundaries).

I didn’t include the example of “acts of service,” but I think that falls outside the red circle and inside the blue. Because although loving others is always good and within the boundaries, loving others doesn’t always mean saying ‘yes’ to them.

It’s outside God’s will for my life if saying ‘yes’ clashes with health (because I’m going to fall into depression from stretching myself too thin). Or self control (because I’m going to eat a plate of cookies to make myself feel better over the fact that I’m doing something I really don’t have the energy or joy or time to do).

Image to pin for later:

Why Are Boundaries Hard?

Why are boundary lines so hard to embrace? I think it comes from deep-rooted patterns of behaviour and thought. Now here, I’m going to use one of my own problems to illustrate my stumbling block. It might not be an issue for you, but perhaps you’ll be able to relate it to something in your own life?

On Setting Boundaries: Why are boundary lines so hard to embrace? @aladyinfrance Powered By the Tweet This PluginTweet This

I have trouble not overeating, and sometimes I try to conquer the bad habits by creating my own boundaries, like deciding to eat low-carb. I created the boundary by saying (for instance) that carbs are outside my pleasant boundary lines. But that’s just something I made up! And because it’s my own creation and not God’s, I have no power to carry it out.

Colossians 2:21-23 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Trying to set an artificial boundary – one that’s not clearly created by God – sets yourself up for failure. Because (to continue with my personal example), an artificial boundary of eating low carb as a way of controlling amounts doesn’t deal with the root of the problem. And it doesn’t take into account some other integral parts of my personality:

I love to entertain, and I consider it an act of love to set out a wide variety of food that tastes good.

I love to blog about French foods, and the types of recipes I want to feature don’t really allow for a restrictive diet.

I have a history of trying to restrict foods and have failed. I know there will come a time when I won’t want to accept the self-imposed limits, so why bother even beginning to set them? I don’t want to fail again.

I’ve noticed that when I create artificial boundaries – ones that God didn’t set for me – I only want to break them, and it muddles the true boundaries that God has lovingly encircled me with.

That’s why I felt I needed two circles in my boundary visual. I needed the red circle which contained things that God gave me to enjoy without limit. And then He gave me other things to enjoy within the filters of love, self-control, health, etc.

So man-made boundaries don’t work in restraining sensual indulgence. God takes into account our pasts and propensities when he gives us boundaries. That’s why His work and ours don’t. However, we need to pray for wisdom to know what the boundaries are. And we need to pray for joy to view them as pleasant. And we need to pray for grace that we will have the strength to respect them.

How I Used the Boundary Worksheet

I was out today and I got my rare cup of Starbucks coffee. In this instance, I was not abusing caffeine (so was within the boundary of self control). We had the money for this small pleasure (so was within the boundary of budget). And knowing that I was within my boundaries allowed me to fully enjoy it. The coffee I wanted was a Christmas special with caramel and hazelnut and had little crunchy bits on top, that I knew without asking were gluten.

In the past I wouldn’t ask them to leave it off. I knock over boundaries like cardboard, both because I’m rebellious, and because I care so little about doing what is good for me. But I remembered the visual I had created, and in my mind, saw gluten well outside the boundary God had set for me. So I told them to leave it off. It made me feel free.

Later, I was speeding and remembered my own little boundary image where breaking the law is clearly outside of my pleasant places (duh), so I slowed down. And I felt free. Each time I feel free, I get one step closer to loving the pleasant boundaries.

(I have to confess that later I ran a red light near my home out of a plethora of reasons, springing mainly from stubbornness. I tell you this only to say that finding and revelling in boundaries does not equate perfection).

The Free Downloads

I want to offer two PDFs to download for free. The first is the one at the very top, which is completely blank, apart from the verse and the coloured circles. You can get that here.

The other one has some of the words filled in – the “boundary lines in pleasant places” on the red circle, and some suggested boundary filters that were helpful for me. It looks like this.

You can download that for free here.

So tell me – how are you with boundaries? If this is not one of your strong points, do you think the visual will help? What other techniques do you use to create boundaries, and what are some of the filters you think should be added, other than the four I’ve included?

Finally, if you found this to be helpful, I would be grateful for any shares on Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter. Hugs!

The post Boundary Lines in Pleasant Places appeared first on A Lady In France.

Tiramisu Hot Chocolate

Tiramisu hot chocolate tastes a bit like hot, chocolatey eggnog – which either has you closing your browser and running for the hills, or reading on in salivatory anticipation.

I got the idea for the recipe from the Van Houten cocoa box and made a few tweaks to fit my idea of what a proper tiramisu hot chocolate should taste like.

Not that I’ve ever tasted one.

Or even thought of it before reading the Van Houten box …

I put the beaters in the freezer so that the cream would whip properly, but it still didn’t quite whip to my satisfaction. Heavy cream in France seems sort of hit or miss on whether it will become a proper crème fouettée. That’s alright though.

I added lemon zest to the 1/4 c cream, and you’ll need to decide whether or not you want to add it. The zest puts tiny chewy pieces in your otherwise creamy drink (downside), but each chew brings tiny bursts of lemon (upside). So I’ll leave that for you to decide.

I heated up 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla with a cup of milk and added a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of rich cocoa powder.

We’re an alcohol-free household, but you also have the option of adding a teaspoon of rum to make it even more tiramisu-like.

A teaspoon of rum. Or two. Or three. Or four …

(this is why we’re an alcohol-free household).

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie from Scratch

Some of us are forced to make gluten-free pumpkin pie from scratch for the simple reason that there’s no pie filling available for purchase, and no ready-made gluten-free crust to be had. But that doesn’t mean pumpkin pie lovers need go without, right? Here is your guide to GF pumpkin pie from scratch! (I know it’s after Thanksgiving – shh).

The History of Haussmann’s Paris

On Thanksgiving Day I met a fellow blogger at Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. I thought I would share some photos with you, as well as tell you a little bit of history about Haussmann, and how he changed the face of Paris.

I’ve actually wanted to share with you, for awhile now, what the Parisian building called a “haussmannien” is all about. But I never managed to get a good collection of haussmannien buildings to illustrate the point. I’ve been collecting them one by one over the years. No shortage on Boulevard Haussmann, however!

Boulevard Haussmann is where you’ll find the Opera.

And the Printemps (with its windows decked out for the holidays).

And Galéries Lafayette.

Sorry, but I need to do a MINI FOOD DETOUR

(feel free to skip right down to the history part)

I can’t resist sharing a few photos from the Galéries Lafayette Gourmet store, which is now located kitty corner from the main store.

The marquise was so pretty I took a closeup.

This is a great place to stop and have lunch. Or pastries.

There are places to sit, and lots of different types of food to choose from (including sushi, American cookies, charcuterie, gelato and more). Holidays items have started to make their appearance.

And don’t forget the little market downstairs, which has everything from regular ole sliced bread to fancy things like sugar spoons.

And since we’re taking this little culinary detour, let me just mention that Elaine and I ate at Le Bon Georges nearby. A cute little bistro that has a good reputation.

I’m sorry to say that my tarragon-stuffed chicken was dry, but I tasted Elaine’s fish and it was divine. And mine came with those delicious fries.

The steak (which they are famous for) looked scrumptious and I’ll know what to get next time. The wait-staff and chef, Benoit, are personable and absolutely lovely. They took our coats, found a place for me to put my sac and let me know which items had gluten. Such customer service in France is practically unheard of!

Photography Q&A – Tips from Tamara

I can’t tell you how honoured I am to have Tamara share her fount of wisdom by giving us photography tips, and answering her most often-asked questions here. You’ll see what I mean when you glimpse her pictures. There is genius there. Every one of her posts is filled with beautiful words and breathtaking images. I’ll share all her social media contacts below so you know how to find her – you will become a fan, I promise.

But first, without further ado, let me present: Tamara.

“I Hope I Have An Answer For You”

by Tamara

First, I feel like I need to introduce my own post, by saying that Jennie is someone in my heart. I have realized that many times over, through her Facebook posts and her lovely comments on my blog, and her gorgeous words on her own blog. We are kindred spirits, even in different countries with different families and different lives and different tastes in food, although she makes foods I don’t even eat look magical.

Also, Des was supposed to be a Juliet, like Jennie’s daughter. When we saw on the ultrasound that our “Juliet” was actually a boy, I was pretty shocked. Anyone who names his or her daughter Juliet, like I intended, is a friend of mine!

Here’s my “Juliet”:

And that brings me to my next and main point. I’m not just a blogger; I’m a professional photographer. I have been a writer and a photographer in spirit for most of my life, but I’ve only gone professional with both within the last three years. It’s both exciting and terrifying. I started writing down a list about a year ago, of common photography questions, problems and obstacles that my loved ones have asked me about. While some are probably not serious, I thought it would be fun to put many of them here on Jennie’s blog. I hope I have answers for everyone.

Feel free to ask me your own!

This is a real question from a relative. “If I get the same exact camera as you, and the same lens, will my pictures look exactly like yours?”

Well. In a short answer, NO. Do you have the same exact equipment as me and the same exact software and the same exact computer? Have you studied photography by yourself, in classes and as an apprentice for over a decade? Do you live inside my head and see the world exactly as I see it? If you answered yes to those questions, then yes, our photography may look the same, or similar. But do you use the same settings as me?

And that brings me to my next common question…

“What exact settings would you use for a dog running? I tried the exact settings you used for your dog running, and my photos came out too dark.”

Well. That’s probably because it’s more about available light than it is about settings. Settings are what you do with the light you already have. You took those dog photos when you were in California, and I was in New England, but even if we had been down the street from each other – or possibly even in the same yard – it might have been different! Angles and shadows and natural light and non-natural light and all. That said, I DO favor a minimum shutter speed of 1/250 with running dogs. However, you do still have to work on ISO, aperture, focus points and more!

“My kid won’t sit still! Help!”

Wait. Is that your question? Have you tried TV? Just kidding. If your kid won’t sit still for your photos, well, that happens. Have fun. Get new angles. Go above and below. Follow them. Get them running. Get them happy. Get blurry photos too, if you want. If you don’t want that, which I fully understand, try the fast shutter speed thing like the dog running above. I’d narrow your aperture (high number) and make your shutter speed faster. Both tasks will limit available light, so you may have to crank the ISO, find more light, or use an external flash or other such fun item. Another thing I like to do is give the kids a few minutes to just run and yell and get their sillies out, and then take photos directly after. And before. And during. Just always.

“What kind of camera should I get?”

I get this a lot. I have to tell you what I meant to tell you with question #1. I have seen plenty of people make absolute magic with iPhone cameras and point-and-shoot cameras. I have also seen people buy $5,000 cameras and still not be able to take a compelling photo. The magic is in YOU. That said, I personally love Canon, although I think Nikon is probably just as good or better. A good starter dSLR is a Canon Rebel. I actually started my business with that and a Canon 60D:

“What are your best tips for a low light situation?”

Ah, it’s all about light, isn’t it? Some people will tell you they only use natural light, or it’s a no go. Other people will tell you they always use some sort of assistance because they have shaky hands and the weather is unpredictable or they’re in the studio or they just like the look. There are a million reasons. I’m going to tell you that I use both, but vastly prefer natural light because.. it’s easy and more pleasing to the eye. I have a camera that can handle very high ISO but sometimes even that isn’t enough. Like during a wedding reception at night. I do have umbrella lights and an external flash. Both can be expensive, so you can also consider a Lightscoop if your camera is compatible. Their website should tell you. There is a way you can Google how to diffuse your pop-up flash with just a business card. I’ve never tried it, but I’ve never needed to, so give it a shot if you feel compelled.

“How do you find inspiration? I’m not inspired lately!”

You have to remember that sometimes I get inspiration in the form of MONEY, but of course it’s more than that and always has been. Look for the light. I knew I wanted to become a photographer because when I was in 2nd grade or so, I was watching the way the sunlight streamed in through the school bus window and lit the eyelashes of a classmate. It was breathtaking. Since then, inspiration has been a part of my life. It helps me to go for a walk in nature or talk to other photographers and maybe arrange a meet up. It also helps to have your husband dress up like a 7-foot tree.

“How do I get those cool-looking lights in my subject’s eyes?”

Those cool-looking lights are called catch lights, and they’re a photographer’s dream. They can help your subjects’ eyes look full of life. It’s really simple how to get them – simply have your subject look towards the light! You may need to experiment.

“Is it better to crank the ISO or underexpose the photo?”

A properly exposed photo will always have less noise/grain than an underexposed one, so crank it if need be!

“The pictures look ok on the LCD screen and even after uploading to the big computer, but look blurry through the viewfinder! Help!”

Ok, that was my own question and that happened to me! It sounds like the diopter. It may seem like your camera is broken but luckily it’s a quick fix. My diopter is located near the top of my camera. It has a + and – symbol. As you dial in either way, you’ll start to see the focusing points become either blurrier or sharper. When they are at their sharpest, you have successfully calibrated your diopter! Congrats!

“My photos are always blurry! Help!”

Honestly, you’re not alone but something has to give. It could potentially be a problem with the camera and/or lens. More likely, it’s your settings or focal points. Try a narrower aperture (at least 2.8, maybe) and try a faster shutter speed. Use a tripod if need be. Drink less caffeine? Have an expert look at what you’re doing! Sometimes your subjects are just always moving, and that’s ok, but a good camera and the right settings should be able to take non-blurry photos. My example is a bit blurry, actually, but I just wanted to show you that it happens to all of us:

Do you have any of your own questions for Tamara? Leave them below! If this post is more than a week old, use the comment box instead of Facebook so I can be notified of your comment.

Tamara is a professional photographer at http://tamaracamera.com/, a mama of two, a writer/blogger at http://tamaracamerablog.com and a nearly professional cookie taster. She has been known to be all four of those things at all hours of the day and night. She is a very proud contributor to the books, The Mother Of All Meltdowns, Stigma Fighters Anthology and an upcoming HerStores Project. After two cross country moves, due to her intense Bi-Coastal Disorder, she lives with her husband, daughter and son in glorious western Massachusetts.

Blog: http://tamaracamerablog.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tamaracameraphotography
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tamaracamphoto
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tamaracameraphoto
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tamarabowman

The post Photography Q&A – Tips from Tamara appeared first on A Lady In France.

Christmas Hits the Malls in France

When I arrived at the mall this morning, everything was alight with Christmas decorations. We don’t have Thanksgiving to official mark the season, so it’s sort slinks in at its own pace.

Before I entered the automatic doors, I needed to bypass the soldier with a machine gun, and  the security guard asked to search my purse before I entered the store. But otherwise, it was Christmas as usual.

There is now a chocolate stand strategically placed.

And lights and santa chairs fill the corridors.

(The santa will be very skinny as usual).

They were filming something in the boulangerie section – not sure what it will be.

The legs of cured ham are proudly displayed.

There is an abundance of tiny pumpkins. In the absence of canned pumpkin, which is oh-so easy, I might get up the courage to make something pumpkin-y with these little guys. In any case, I bought one.

Otherwise, it’s all about the chocolate.

There are rows

and rows

and rows

of chocolate.

On the kitsch-end of the decorations there are these guys. Shiny dogs that you do – oh, I don’t know what with.

The larger decoration that needs to stay in the store.

And the rows of lights, trees and decorations. Not even to mention the toys.

Oh, the toys. I’m not even going there yet.

This display always catches my eye with its colourful artisanal jewellery.

But why would I need that when my sons have got things covered? Gabriel (almost 10) was so excited to give me this ring that he bought with his own money for my birthday. And William was so excited to give me this bracelet which he (almost) bought with his own money. (Juliet replaced the umbrella which made me laugh).

At church yesterday, Gabriel checked to make sure I was wearing my jewellery, then turned to my friend to watch her reaction as she admired it.

“You know when you said you wanted diamonds mom? Well …”

proudly, with a flourish of his hand

“Now you have them!”

Oh, my Gabriel. I have even better.

The post Christmas Hits the Malls in France appeared first on A Lady In France.