paris: 2012

Tag, You're All It!

Tagged by the lovely Helen of Living Boldly:

1. If you could own any automobile, which one would you choose?
An Audi A6.

2. Do you have a favorite curse word?
"Son of a biscuit!"

3. If you could meet a world leader, living or dead, who would it be?
Bill Clinton.

4. Does 'the one that got away' apply to anyone in your past?
Thankfully, no! I am so happy with GP :)

5. Are you genuinely afraid of anything?
Aging.

6. What do you feel most proud of?
My blog, of course!

7. What do you consider your worst flaw?
I can be impulsive.

8. What makes you happy?
The beach!

9. What makes you sad?
Losing a cherished pet (our cat, Oscar, is 15... hope he lives forever!)

10. Any guilty pleasures?
Dark chocolate, vodka martinis, online shopping, and brie.

11. If you could be anyone in history, who would it be?
Jane Austen. Love the era and her novels!
CC is tagging all of her Fellow Fashionistas!
xoxox,
CC

A bean bag chair is a contemporary home decorating item that adds a unique tone to any room it’s put into. There are lots of ways to implement one into an interior design which include the obvious use of an extra soft lounging chair in front of an entertainment unit. However, if we’d stopped there we’d be promulgating the notion that bean bag chairs are a one trick cliché, when actually they can be a tried and true element of anyone’s home décor and work in almost any room or situation. There are of course the round bean bag chairs that everyone is familiar with, but what you may not be aware of is the different sizes and shapes that bean bag chairs can come in.

A flat square is versatile because they can be molded into a variety of shapes for different purposes. First of all, they can be used as a large pillow to lay supine in, and the concept of a coffee table ringed with these is particularly decadent. They can also be laid on their end seams to create a few different kinds of armchairs or even as a kind of saddle to sit in as a stool when posture and poise come into play. There are also bean bag sofas and ottomans to consider, and of course arraying all of these in combination is where the fun starts to begin.

Some people seem to think that bean bag chairs are appropriate for a child’s room, but while they’re definitely less serious than a straight backed chair, they can be make part of a room that is every bit as sophisticated, productive, or sexy ;). The correct positioning, fabric choice, and colour coding need to be taken into consideration to achieve the effect you desire.

xoxox,

Basic French Training

Yesterday's post on 'Stripe Training' got me thinking about Basic French Training in general. Most French cultural ways are instilled in infancy if not sooner IMHO. Like the essential wearing of trench coats for example.

The bow too is a key to unlock the secrets of French je ne sait quoi

The fine tuning of the famous French taste buds begins with a vast variety of penny candy. Wearing it on your T-shirt doesn't hurt a bit in developing one's connoisseurship from the get-go. It's never too early to start. Haribo here I come!

The fine arts of pastry indoctrination begins as soon as little hands can grasp a crayon.

As explained in Bringing Up Bebe, French children bake every weekend. I tried this in hopes of a bit of regression therapy, but my cake was a mess and I did NOT wait to eat it at 'gouter'/snack time (4:30 PM). So both the arte of waiting and baking were completely lost on moi. 'You can't go home again' as Thomas Wolfe said, especially if France wasn't your home to begin with.

Lecon learned - no more weekend baking for me.

I've invited author, Vivian Swift of Le Road Trip, over for tea today. Let's hope I do a better job of it and can catch up to this savvy kidlets.

On to more serious training like the wearing of the French scarf. You can pick up a lot about what makes the French tick if you just lower your eyes to 3-foot level in my opinion.

Since everyone desperately wants to be French (or at least 95% of us) consider looking down at the French kiddies instead of running off to Ave. Montagne and Dior.

Why Don't French Women get fat?
They start wearing those horizontal stripes early.

VERY early.

Even French dogs get stripe training.

If you want your kiddie painted in stripes instead of a floral pattern just ask straight away - pas de problem.

Developing the senses early is de rigueur.

At a recent book fair an editor told me she'd just spent 6 months in Paris and French moms did NOT participate in sandbox activities at all. Instead they were off on a bench chatting. Clearly she had not read Bringing Up Bebe nor had her child had 'sand training' to develope the sense of touch and taste.

Clearly I won't be getting any review copies from her in the near future either, ahem.

May I suggest a visit to Il Etait Une Fois..5, rue Casette 75006 or any other any other kid's toy or clothing store. Rue Vavin is another good place to get your Basic French Training.

Bear, being French, agrees completely!

Lovely Lingerie and Sexy Stockings

Darlings, CC is so excited to introduce you to Secrets in Lace, a fabulous shop stocking gorgeous retro-inspired lingerie and hosiery. Here's a bit about the company from their press release: "Secrets In Lace has been selling authentic nylon stockings and coordinating bra - garter belt - panty sets since 1984 and is the largest retailer in the world of 100% nylon stockings. Designed for everyday wear (just like in the 1960's and 1970's), Secrets in Lace carries classic styles for every possible occasion and are the exclusive designers of the Bettie Page Collection, Dita Von Teese Stocking Collection and most recently the Pamela Anderson Couture Stocking Collection. Secrets in Lace got its start in storefront operations and today operates a mail-order catalog and an online store (www.secretsinlace.com) providing easy consumer access to exclusive retro chic designs. With their extensive private label nylon stocking collections plus slips, foundations, sleepwear, shape wear girdles and gloves, they have been Keeping the Romance Alive for over two decades. Since we are the largest retailer in the World of Authentic Nylon Stockings we always have several garter belt (and girdle) choices to coordinate with our bras – we sell lots of sets. Our theme is Retro Chic and to that end we are the leader in this niche. Some say that girdles, garterbelts and stockings are passé – not so – picture Jackie Kennedy in her pill box hat and suit coming out of the White House; she was wearing a girdle, stockings and probably a bullet bra – we try to recreate that look. So, to that end, we also offer blouses that can show off lacy undergarments like camisoles and slips or pretty bras. If you put the whole outfit together it can be fun slip back to the 1960’s!"

All items at secretsinlace.com.