Even Small Changes Can Improve Your Life

Like many of us, I have so many things I want to do – travel more, exercise more, eat better, read more….the list goes on and on. However, all of the things we want to do combined with all of the things we need to do can make us so overwhelmed that we become paralyzed and, as a result, fail to accomplish anything.

But who says we have to do everything? What if we just commit ourselves to doing one thing? One thing a month, one thing a week, or one thing a day – something that may make us feel better, look better, even live better.

A few months ago, I would regularly treat myself to Starbucks 4-5 times a week, spending at least $4 on each coffee drink. Not only was I consuming hundreds of empty calories, but I was spending way too much on coffee – and not out of pleasure, but out of mere habit.

After coming to this realization, I made a a conscious decision to limit my Starbucks spending (and rely on my lovely Nespresso!) to once a week. In return, I have been treating myself to beautiful flowers a la Trader Joe’s each week, spending no more than $10 on two bouquets.

Now, instead of consuming empty calories with no added pleasure, my house is full of wonderfully scented roses and brightly colored sunflowers that I enjoy while sipping my morning Nespresso.

What one thing will you change to make your life better?

Decorating with French Toile

(Photo source)

I’ve written about French decorating and French country style in the past. However, one element I’ve neglected to mention was how much I adore toile – a trés classic French country design.

About French Toile

Most often scene on cloth or fabric, toile actually means cloth in French. Toile is short for Toile de Jouy, which comes from Jouy-en-Josas, the location in north central France where the toile pattern was first made in the 18th and 19th centuries. The toile pattern is characterized by a repeating pattern – most often country scenes, but can also be street scenes, churches, people, and more. Toile is traditionally made in a single color – most often green or red –  on a cream or white background; however, I’ve seen modern toile in a variety of colors including brown, burgundy, black, and blue.

Decorating with Toile

Although toile can bring an elegant and sophisticated look to any room, the repetitive pattern can be quite overwhelming en masse. In other words, with toile, less is more. I recommend using toile in accent pieces, including:

  • Throw pillows
  • Shams, sheets, or quilts
  • Pottery or decorative serving ware
  • Select draperies and valencies
  • One wall in a small or large room

By limiting the use of toile, it truly becomes the most eye-catching design or piece in the room. Discover more ways to decorate with toile by clicking here.

Ciao!

PS. Thank you to my cousin David for inspiring this post!

Flavors of Disney World

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Bonjour! I recently returned from a trip to the happiest place on Earth…Disney World! You may wonder why I seem to make Disney an annual trip. Well, I like Disney for many reasons…including that it is quite a nostalgic place for me. I worked at Disney World over 10 years ago, in the Magic Kingdom, and it was at Disney where I met my husband. Sappy, I know.

Having traveled to Disney nearly every year since I worked there, I can honestly say that Disney World food is not high on my list, especially when this Bistro Chic girl lives near many, many fantastic Chicagoland restaurants. However on this trip, I was able to sample the culinary delights of Disney’s event/catering for a meeting I was attending. Not only was the food superb but the delivery of the food and drinks was exceptional….ie. a dreamy French macaron carefully embedded in a dainty teacup of green tea rice pudding. Oui Oui, Disney!

And, for the first time, I was fortunate enough to eat at the California Grill in the Contemporary, which delivered awesome views and amazing food, a la a cheese plate that was definitely worth a photo and writing home about.

Although most Disney cuisine is still less than stellar, compared to Chicago restaurants, it is still possible to find a few hidden and tasty gems in the World.

And on my next trip, I plan to find a few more :-)

Ciao!