A Nation in Shock Paris march 2015 Photo: 20 minutes Read Time: 10 minutes Hello. Today's post is a social commentary on the Charlie Hebdo attacks. It was January 7th, a Wednesday, just after lunchtime, when I first learned of the attacks. I was in shock, being a former journalist, my heart sank for my fellow field mates. I have friends and known aquaintances, who have reported from the fields, so I/we understand the risk involved. Yet, for it to happen in broad daylight, inside their news bureau, where they (I shant name them) proceeded to seperate the employees, then specifically call their victims forward was pure and simple, evil. This attack was allegedly to avenge an insult to the prophet Mohammed. Charlie Hebdo is a satirical weekly newspaper, that pokes fun at politics, religion, people, in fact, any of those hot button issues that causes people to react. And react, the nation of France did. French people believe that this deadly attack, was in fact, an attack on the freedom of speech. Yes, absolutely, I understand their point of view, however the journalist in me keeps asking the deeper questions. I know and believe that terrorism does not have to make sense, yet there seems to be more questions than answers and I am curious and waiting to know the consquences (political platforms, laws, another war, etc.) of this event. This attack has also created a dialogue among the masses who marched against terrorism in every major city across the country last Sunday. In Paris, you inevidentablely saw a photo op of world leaders standing together, cropped out of the photo was the heavily armed military surrounding them (understandable, of course) meanwhile France's people took to the streets and stood unified while holding signs that read, "Je suis Charlie" and "Not afraid."  Seperate, but equal? World leaders in Paris. Photo: The Independent In Bordeaux, my city, more than 120,000 people came together in solidarity to stand-up for freedom and unity. It was a beautiful display of a true and great nation.  The march in Bordeaux. Photo: Libération That said, no, I did not attend because I chose not to. Obviously, I do not support terrorism, not one iota. What was more shocking to me was the two-thousand people killed in Nigeria, the "deadliest massacre," says Amnesty International carried out by a replusive terrorist group. Nobody seemed interested in that. How can I, standing in a huddled mass, like a sheep being herded, truly make a difference against something I or 'world leaders' can not control? That is what I am attempting to answer. At times, everything seems pointless and irrelevant, yet despite of this, I am full of hope. Therefore, like my fellow countrymen and women, I shall symbolically march proudly forward and not be afraid. Yet, I am trepidacious of the consquences of this unspeakable act and I wonder how it will impact my everyday life. Here are a couple of things that I have already experienced: I have seen armed military forces and police on stand-by, near popular places throughout my city. They are poised, arm in hand, waiting for something that may or may not happen. This I find odd and honestly, I do not feel safe, even though they are positioned for our safety. Personally, I find it jarring. They are hidden in plain view, so when I am walking around, focused solely on my destination and I see them, I am immediately snapped into a 'everyone is out to get me' mental state. It is a horrible feeling, although nothing compared to those innocent habitants situated in war torn/terrorist run villages, towns, and cities. On the public transportation intercom system, an announcement asks citizens to report any stand-alone suspect briefcases or packages. There have been a few incidents reported, yet no serious threats. And, most interesting, French people are going out of their way to be kind. Just yesterday, I asked someone for directions, she placed her two grocery sacks on the sidewalk to give me her full attention and proceeded to give me several options as to where I could find what I was looking for. I stood there stunned and just gawked at her. I thank her kindly and before leaving she said, "Je suis Charlie." I replied, "Jennifer." When I realized what she actually meant and why she was being kind, I responded, "Je suis vous," meaning I am You, which probably left her just as confused as she left me.  “I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.” - Socrates
I have loved her even before knowing her. That statement sums up my feelings for France. For me, it is a priviledge to live in such a beautiful land, however I am more than what it states on my birth certificate and green card. As Socrates said so eloquently, I am a citizen of the world, I must strive to be the best human possible, for me and for you, for this is my highest calling. When I say, I am You, I mean that there is no seperation between us. I shall exhibit empathy, I shall be conscientious, I shall always attempt to do my best, because Je suis Vous. Je suis Nigeria. Je suis France. Je suis Américaine. Je suis tous le monde. Je suis la terre. Thank you for reading. -- Jennifer Scarlett To the cauldron!  Read Time: 15 minutes, video included! Hello Ladies and Gentlemen and Happy New Year! It's 2015 and let us start off the New Year by saving a little money and looking good! Yay!! Today's post is about two of my beauty secrets. I will show you how to make your own beauty body treatment AND share with you my number one beauty potion! In the past, I have shared with you a facial toner beauty potion that costs less than 5 cents PER MONTH. Just click here, it will be worth your while. (If I do say so myself!) As you know, the array of beauty products on the market is staggering, it is a multi-billion dollar business after all, and sadly I have contributed to that industry...with gusto! I have spent tons of funds on lotions and potions with ingredients I couldn't even pronounce, much less tell you what they are, plus most of them were tossed out after going bad. That's when I started doing some digging and remembering some old school beauty techniques I grew up with. My formable years were spent in Texas and every summer I would go to the Texas coast and enjoy the beach, get my hair done, eat Whataburger, and not have a care in the world. My Yaya (aunt) owned and operated a beauty salon there and just recently, due to health complications, she decided to shut down her salon after more than 55 years of going strong. Hats off to her! Enjoy retirement Yaya, you've earned it! As a young teenager, I would spend hours playing with all the goodies the beauty parlor supplied me. It was simply grand! I learned colors, updos, braids, architecture - meaning what corresponded well with a person's facial and body features - curling techniques, make-up, conditioning treatments, and I would watch my Yaya tease and whip up hair like the devil!! (Think BIG Texas hair!) I developed 'an eye' for what worked and what did not. These techniques are still relevant to me today as they were 27 (Ohh la la!) years ago! I even launched my own Las Vegas business, The Complete Package, as a stylist for the busy business(gentle)man! It was so much fun, it was like dressing my own Ken dolls! But I digress... Without further ado, here is the recipe to my personal beauty potion mask/body scrub/hair treatment -- it really is a FULL BODY beauty treatment! Note: As it is written on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Know Thyself! Please use common sense. Obviously, we do not have the same skin, so if you allergic to any of these ingredients, do not use.
BENEFITS Coffee grounds -- exfoliates and sloshes off dead skin, reduces the appearance of lines, also helps combat cellulite and leaves your skin silky smooth to the touch! Coconut milk -- rich in vitamins and minerals, there is nothing coconut milk cannot do! It has anti-aging, moisturizing and promotes healthy and glowing skin and shiny hair! Honey -- The ancient Egyptians used honey in their mummifications, plus it is the ONLY food that does not spoil, in fact it is an anti-bacterial and is suitable for all skin types. It balances oily skin and moisturizes dry skin. It has anti-aging properties, can help combat acne, unclogs pores and leaves you looking radiant! Egg - I used the whole egg. Nature's Botox! Egg whites is commonly used for skin tightening and can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, it is also anti-aging and helps with acne!  I instantly smelled like my morning coffee - Delicious! The coffee face mask felt really refreshing and cool and tight and a little stingy (but in a good way, like it was doing a really deep cleaning) and I didn't worry about accidently swallowing it or about getting salmonella, because I just don't. I allowed the mask to set for about 2 hours, you can leave it on for as long and as little as you wish, but I passed the time watching old episodes of one of my favorite TV series, Good Christian Bitches, (GCB) sipped cinnamon tea (3 cinnamon sticks and water - so goooooood!) and sat back, relaxed, and indulged (and even polished my fingernails!) in my Sunday beauty ritual and tried not to break my face mold from laughing out loud. After watching a couple of episodes, I decided to use the leftover paste on my body. Since coffee grounds improve circulation and helps reduce the appearance of cellulite, I again slattered it on like a dog rollin' in mud! (said with a Texas twang!) Again, it was refreshing and I felt an instant tightening of my skin. After a 10 minutes or so, I rinsed off and immediately felt lighter and sparkly and tingly! My skin was shiny and ohhhh so very soft and smooth! I couldn't stop touching myself! ha!
You stay classy and beautiful out there!
Until next time... Big Bisous -- Jenny! Très à la mode -- So Stylish! To the Cauldron!Beauty and Youth in a bottle! Read Time: 15 minutes, video included! Hello Ladies and Gentlemen and Happy New Year! It's 2015 and let us start off the New Year by saving a little money and looking good! Yay!! Today's post is about two of my beauty secrets. I will show you how to make your own beauty body treatment AND share with you my number one beauty potion! In the past, I have shared with you a facial toner beauty potion that costs less than 5 cents PER MONTH. In case you missed that post, just click on So Stylish and scroll down, it will be worth your while. (If I do say so myself!) As you know, the array of beauty products on the market is staggering, it is a multi-billion dollar business after all, and sadly I have contributed to that industry...with gusto! I have spent tons of funds on lotions and potions with ingredients I couldn't even pronounce, much less tell you what they are, plus most of them were tossed out after going bad. That's when I started doing some digging and remembering some old school beauty techniques I grew up with. My formable years were spent in Texas and every summer I would go to the Texas coast and enjoy the beach, get my hair done, eat Whataburger, and not have a care in the world. My Yaya (aunt) owned and operated a beauty salon there and just recently, due to health complications, she decided to shut down her salon after more than 55 years of going strong. Hats off to her! Enjoy retirement Yaya, you've earned it! As a young teenager, I would spend hours playing with all the goodies the beauty parlor supplied me. It was simply grand! I learned colors, updos, braids, architecture - meaning what corresponded well with a person's facial and body features - curling techniques, make-up, conditioning treatments, and I would watch my Yaya tease and whip up hair like the devil!! (Think BIG Texas hair!) I developed 'an eye' for what worked and what did not. These techniques are still relevant to me today as they were 27 (Ohh la la!) years ago! I even launched my own Las Vegas business, The Complete Package, as a stylist for the busy business(gentle)man! It was so much fun, it was like dressing my own Ken dolls! But I digress... Without further ado, here is the recipe to my personal beauty potion mask/body scrub/hair treatment -- it really is a FULL BODY beauty treatment! Note: As it is written on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Know Thyself! Please use common sense. Obviously, we do not have the same skin, so if you allergic to any of these ingredients, do not use. Ingredients: Used coffee grounds, coconut milk, honey, one egg Directions: I mixed the above ingredients until it was paste-like, then slattered it on (in a circular motion) to my face and neck.   Coffee Face! BENEFITS Coffee grounds -- exfoliates and sloshes off dead skin, reduces the appearance of lines, also helps combat cellulite and leaves your skin silky smooth to the touch! Coconut milk -- rich in vitamins and minerals, there is nothing coconut milk cannot do! It has anti-aging, moisturizing and promotes healthy and glowing skin and shiny hair! Honey -- The ancient Egyptians used honey in their mummifications, plus it is the ONLY food that does not spoil, in fact it is an anti-bacterial and is suitable for all skin types. It balances oily skin and moisturizes dry skin. It has anti-aging properties, can help combat acne, unclogs pores and leaves you looking radiant! Egg - I used the whole egg. Nature's Botox! Egg whites is commonly used for skin tightening and can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, it is also anti-aging and helps with acne!  I instantly smelled like my morning coffee - Delicious! The coffee face mask felt really refreshing and cool and tight and a little stingy (but in a good way, like it was doing a really deep cleaning) and I didn't worry about accidently swallowing it or about getting salmonella, because I just don't. I allowed the mask to set for about 2 hours, you can leave it on for as long and as little as you wish, but I passed the time watching old episodes of one of my favorite TV series, Good Christian Bitches, (GCB) sipped cinnamon tea (3 cinnamon sticks and water - so goooooood!) and sat back, relaxed, and indulged (and even polished my fingernails!) in my Sunday beauty ritual and tried not to break my face mold from laughing out loud. After watching a couple of episodes, I decided to use the leftover paste on my body. Since coffee grounds improve circulation and helps reduce the appearance of cellulite, I again slattered it on like a dog rollin' in mud! (said with a Texas twang!) Again, it was refreshing and I felt an instant tightening of my skin. After a 10 minutes or so, I rinsed off and immediately felt lighter and sparkly and tingly! My skin was shiny and ohhhh so very soft and smooth! I couldn't stop touching myself! ha! I LOVE this beauty potion, and I hope you will too! You should do it (Do it, Do it!) and let me know what you think! Please note that is it messy, but it is Worth it. Sundays are my beauty ritual days. Which can be time consuming, but I consider it an investment in myself. Besides, if I don't take care of myself, who will? I'm also saving money - this little beauty mask cost me maybe less than 1€ - which is, AWWWWESOME!! Now for my favorite beauty product of all time. You stay classy and beautiful out there!
Until next time... Big Bisous -- Jenny! |
Bonjour et Bienvenue!
I'm Jennifer...
Thank you for stopping by for a spell! I am a 40-something year old American woman. Born in Texas, raised in Las Vegas! 
Frenchified for Lifeis a fabulous little lifestyle blog about truly embracing French life!
My intent is to simply inspire you to create something unique and beautiful in your everyday life. The French have this wonderful and annoying habit of seeing the world through rose colored glasses, might as well learn something from them!
That said, I lift my glass to you! 
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By the way, I mention the name Cachou (or The Cash) a lot, I'm referring to her...
Bonjour! Je suis Cachou!
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