Pennsylvania French

Here's another submission from the NEPA Blogs mailbag!

Pamela lives in Mount Bethel, not too far from Stroudsburg, just south of where route 611 intersects with interstate 80, right on the border of NEPA and Lehigh Valley. But that's fine - we've expanded the definition of NEPA before, and we can do it again for Pamela!

In her first blog post, dated January 21, 2012, Pamela announced herself to the world:

My name is Pamela.

I am 50, and starting over.  I've lost pretty much everything in the past 7 years.  A long-term relationship, a career, financial security, 152 pounds, most of my self-esteem and not too much less of my confidence.  I lost my mind years ago (ask anyone who knows me)  :) 

What I do have is a dog (the world's least scary German Shepherd) and a small cozy rental cottage in the general vicinity of the Delaware Water Gap.  It's tranquil and peaceful and I truly love coming home to it every night (I'd also welcome coming home to one of the inner rings of Hell after my daily 100-mile commute, but I digress).

While it's perfectly comfortable as it is, I'm planning on making a change.  Having made a conscious decision to withdraw from society (I like how that sounds - kinda like a Tennessee Williams heroine, except without the brutish brother-in-law), I'm going to direct my attention to my home.

I've always been a fan of the "shabby" realm of decorating.  However, I find it to be very "twee" sometimes - too sugary and princess-y for my tastes.  I've found that the "French country" style is something I am drawn to.  Pale colors (cream, pale grey, white) with accents of sepia or ebony to cut the sweetness.  So, that's my goal - to transform by hand (and very limited cash) my Eisenhower-era bungalow into a Parisian oasis.

I'll be posting my challenges, attempts, successes and failures (hopefully the former outnumber the latter) and maybe by the time I'm done, I'll be ready to attempt something of a life again.

Nearly two years later, she's still going strong! Her blog, Pennsylvania French, features lots of photos and detailed instructions on how she's bringing her vision to life, as well as links to other sites that have provided her with guidance and inspiration.

Pamela's style may not be exactly your thing, but that's OK. The process that she goes through applies to anyone who is interested in making changes in the things around them to bring their own stylistic vision to life. You definitely should check out Pamela's blog!

Pennsylvania French
http://pennsylvaniafrench.blogspot.com/