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French Guest Soaps for the Holidays

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(Pottery Barn Photo)

Attending a holiday party this year? Keep in mind that, more often than not, it is polite to bring a small hostess gift. Although a nice bottle of chardonnay is always classy, it is not always the ideal gift for someone who is very particular about his/her wines; someone who does not drink wine at all; or, in my case, a themed wine-tasting party where the wine is provided by the host.

In these cases, opting for a simple, classic gift can prove the better choice, ie fresh flowers, a decorative pillar candle, or festive cocktail napkins (cloth, please!). And, if you’re feeling rather saucy, you can even try to match your gift to the theme of the party (with the exception of wine!) and/or the interests of your host(s). For instance, I will be attending an International Wine Tasting Holiday Party in December, where guests are asked to bring a photo of a destination they’ve been or one they’d like to go (so many choices!). As you might have guessed, the party hosts are not only wine lovers, but they are also world travelers who, in fact, just visited France this Spring. So what does one fellow world traveler and wine lover get for another of the same breed?

Why French guest soaps from Pottery Barn! To be more specific, the triple-milled soaps are part of the collection by Gianna Rose Atelier Bonne Nuit and resemble small pillows imprinted with Bonjour on one side and Bonne Nuit on the other. How’s that for a little pillow talk?

Very classic, very charming, and, of course, very (French) chic. Voila!

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Pinterest: Daily Inspiration from France

September 26, 2011 By 2 Comments

If you’re ever in need of some quick inspiration or just something to make you smile, check out Pinterest, a virtual pinboard where people “pin up” amazing photos of any from gourmet food, fashion, pets, and kids. You can search for just about anything too – and when you do, expect to see a fantastic array of photos and graphics that you can “repin”, ie. show your support/liking for.

I could seriously spend ALL day on this site! Check out what I’m searching for today…..

Quite an assortment of French folly, wouldn’t you agree? What are you searching for today?
Ciao!
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Why the French Grocery Shop Every Day

September 15, 2011 By 3 Comments

(photo source)

One thing I admire about French women (and there are many things) is their ability to shop for their meals every day. No stocking up for a month, or even a few weeks, for these girls. They don’t want to be tied down to food they have in the house, but rather eat whatever they fancy on any given day. Really, fresh meats, bread, cheese, and vegetables every day – what’s not to admire about that?

Unfortunately, most cities, suburbs, villages, etc. in the United States are not set up for you to quickly run to the store each day. Due to the time consuming drive and the endless selections everywhere we look, a quick trip to the market – or worse, Costco – can easily turn into an hour – so long that you’ve forgotten why you went there in the first place.

I am not advocating wasting food that you currently have in the house. But what would happen if we were to grocery shop like the French – changing our whole outlook on food and shopping – buying only what we need for that day or maybe the next? Would we enjoy our food more? Waste less? Would we be healthier?

If you’ve found a way to grocery shop like the French – even with a busy lifestyle; or if you’ve experienced positive results from shopping this way (ie becoming healthier, etc.) please share your secret du jour!

Ciao!

Filed Under: Food & Wine Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Embrace Autumn Like a French Girl

September 8, 2011 By 2 Comments
(Vancouver Harbor Area)
This week was the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of my favorite season – Autumn! While many are holding on to every last bit of summer, I am welcoming Fall with open arms, pumpkin spice candles, and my best French girl attitude!
Here are just a few ways to embrace the new season with a French twist:
  1. Shhh, We’re Hunting Mushrooms – While most Americans are hunting deer from a tree fort, the French are hunting something else, much lower to the ground – mushrooms. Foraging for mushrooms in the Fall is second nature to most French nationals, although it can be tricky and a bit dangerous. If you’re not an expert mushroom hunter or going hunting with an expert, stick to woodsy mushrooms from your local market – you can still make a mean mushroom marsala!
  2. A Pot ‘O Honey – Although honey can be found all year round, it is often harvested in late fall, after those little bees have been busy all summer. Many French girls learn the benefits of honey, and how to gather it, at a very young age. In fact, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, remembers gathering honey as a girl growing up in France. Even if you can’t gather honey yourself, buy a quality brand from the store and add a spot of nature’s natural sweetener to your hot tea, a cup of plain yogurt, or a bowl of hot oatmeal.
  3. Start a New Routine – French girls know that change is inevitable and can even be refreshing. So with the days getting shorter and darkness coming all too soon, change up your routine to accommodate. This could mean taking an indoor exercise class to compensate for darker hours or going to bed 30 minutes earlier to help your body acclimate.
  4. Go Back to School – The always culturally-savvy French girl knows you never stop learning, even after you grow up. You may not be inclined to enter graduate school, but you can take a language or dance class at the local college, attend a lecture at the library or community center, or take an amature wine tasting class through a wine shop.
  5. Cook with the Seasons – Just as Guiliano points out in ther book French Women for All Seasons, a true French girl takes full advantage of the flavors of the Fall, indulging in creamy butternut squash soup, apple cobbler, and hearty potatoes au gratin. It’s Autumn – get cookin’!
  6. Head Outdoors – A little wind and chilly air won’t stop a French girl from getting outside – quite the opposite. A French girl takes advantage of the cooler temps by engaging in some of her favorite pasttimes –  working in her garden, raking leaves into a huge pile, walking or riding her bike to work sans sweat, and sitting by the fire with her amor.
  7. Bring the Outdoors In – When the Autumn air turns too cold for even a French girl – she doesn’t fret, but rather brings those natural things she loves inside! Take a tip from the French and decorate with dried leaves, pinecones, acorns, etc adding a bit of pumpkin spice or cinnamon to enhance the Fall experience.
  8. Wardrobe Change – While American women may cringe at the change of seasons, for it means possibly not fitting into last year’s denim, the French welcome the cool weather by sporting their chic trenchcoats, flowing scarves, and fisherman sweaters.
Ciao!
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Paris on a Post-it Note

September 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(photo source)

The French may be a bit proper, even aloof, at times; however, for Parisians, it only takes a little competition – and a few thousand Post-it notes – to bring out their humor and creativity.

This summer, companies in Paris have started a war – a friendly competition really – of Post-it Notes. Across the capital, colleagues have banded together to outsmart, out-create, and out-stick, their market competitors, or just the office building next door. For months, office workers have been devoting hours upon hours of sticking thousands of multicolored Post-it notes on windows to recreate such clever pixelated images as Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, and the Mona Lisa.

According to the Guardian, gaming giant Ubisoft is the champion: its latest effort extended over three floors and used more than 3,000 Post-it notes to create a a design so complex it had to be worked out on a computer.

And there you have it….the French are ever classy and clever – even with Post-its.

 

 

Filed Under: Joie de Vivre Tagged With: , , ,