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Decorating with French Toile

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

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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!

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The Boat Race: Oxford and Cambridge Rivalry

April 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

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A few years ago, my husband and I traveled to London, but did a quick stop in Oxford. I had always wanted to see the university and had heard about the famous “Oxford/Cambridge” Boat Race. While in Oxford, we heard mumblings about the race. We knew race day was getting close and were disappointed to learn that it was taking place the following day – after we’d already left the Oxford.

We returned to London that evening and made plans to tour the city the next day. Thinking the Boat Race was being televised from Oxford later that afternoon, we made our way back to our Inn to watch it on television. Much to our surprise, we quickly learned (after seen many London sites in the background) that the Boat Race was actually taking place in London on the Thames River - a place that we were near just hours before!

The history of the race and how it was started is quite interesting – a bit of a challenge between two friends who were attending rival schools in 1829. Oxford won the first race, and, decades later, the winner still claims bragging rights for the year.

This year will mark the 158th Boat Race between the two schools. The Boat Race will take place on Saturday, April 7, at 2:15PM London time. If you are not one of lucky ones attending the race in person, you can still cheer for your favorite team virtually. The BBC will be airing the race live online and many other TV/radio stations will be televising the event in real time.

You know I’ll be watching!

Ciao!

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Kissing the Blarney Stone

March 12, 2012 By 1 Comment

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When I travel abroad, I try to limit the number of predictable tourist sites I visit. However, sometimes, tourist sites can give us some of the best experiences – and possibly a few tall tales to tell. A few years ago when I was in Ireland, I opted for a “touristy” side trip to Blarney Castle, in Cork. Yes, that Blarney Castle, home of the famous Blarney Stone – the one you kiss to gain the gift of gab, ie. the ability to talk your way out of anything or get people to believe anything you say.

But kissing the stone is not just about the kiss itself. It is an entire Blarney-kissing process where you are actually helped by a much older man into a supported backbend, as you hold onto two posts and lower yourself down the side of a wall, where you ultimately kiss the shiny castle rock, previously kissed by hundreds of thousands of people. Whew, I’m a little shaky just thinking about it.

After swearing I would never kiss the Blarney Stone (and yes, you have to pay to kiss it), I found myself in the short line of wide-eyed grinning tourists ready to pucker up. No, I’m not going to do it. Yes, it would be fun. Damn, is it my turn already? Finally, I gave in to the jabs from my fellow tourists and got into position, which is much harder than it looks, especially when you’re already tense and all of the blood is rushing to your head. Thankfully, I witnessed the castle keeper wipe down the stone after each kiss, which made the experience more enjoyable (and sanitary). The whole process took about 30 seconds – and before I knew it I was being helped back into a sitting, then standing position. After the light-headed feeling passed, I began to wonder if kissing the Blarney Stone really would give me the gift of gab. I didn’t feel any chattier. In fact, I didn’t feel like talking at all.

The stone and powers it possesses is likely folklore, but sometimes I wonder. After all, I did end up working in public relations.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

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French Government Says “Qui Madame”

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

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The French government has taken a small, but very significant step, in recognizing women’s equality to men. A new decree bans the use of the term “mademoiselle” (similar to “Miss” in the US) from all official documents as a way to identify a woman’s title as well as marital status. With the new ruling, official documents will now only have the option of “Madame” for women (or at least this will start when their paper stock runs out!).

Why is this a major victory for French women? Traditionally, French women who are married are referred to as “Madame”, while unmarried women are called “Mademoiselle”. For years, women were given both options on official documents - there was no mysterious term like “Ms” that kept everyone guessing whether or not a woman was married. Instead, French women had to declare that they were either a. married, or b. single. On the contrary, men have been exempt from indicating their marital status, given only once choice for a title – Monsieur.

Although one might think it a compliment to call a young woman mademoiselle, many French women feel it is not flattering to announce to the world a la Bridesmaids that you are “eligible” for dating.

Which do you prefer in the US – Miss, Ms., or Mrs?

Ciao Madame!

 

 

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Mardis Gras Around the World

February 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

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Whether it’s colorful beads, King Cake, or overindulgence – there are signs of Mardi Gras everywhere. Although in the US, Mardi Gras is synonymous with New Orleans, countries all over the world celebrate this pre-Lenten festival, only by a different name. Other notable Mardi Gras or Carnival celebrations include:

Happy Mardi Gras Everyone!

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