Monday, September 30, 2013

Books, Tea and Friends


bonjour!
boy the weekends
sure do fly.
friday steve came home
from work early to take
me to pick up my carte de sejour...
i had to replace mine when my wallet
was stolen last spring.
you just wouldn't believe the process
to get a new one.
wtf.
(welcome to france)
later we went out to dinner as a family
to our favorite chinese food restaurant.

saturday hannah volunteered at the school
with the romania club that she belongs to.
steve took will to baseball out in the suburbs..
he helps coach.
 sunday was lazy day
and a visit to a college fair with stephen.
knee deep in college applications over here.

i was in the kitchen making soups
and ratatouille..
and here it is monday again.

i've added to my persephone book
collection recently and can't wait to 
start it!
They Were Sisters
by Dorothy Whipple.
oh how i love these persephone books!


i just finished this book.
thank you jeanne at collage of life
for recommending it! 
this is a book i will re-read.
 jeanne is a fellow ex-pat 
currently living in vietnam.
please go read her blog if you don't already.
and link up to her new
bowerbirds creative network of friends!
i did!


griffy's favorite book right now.
like griffin,
grendel loves his chocolate.


books and tea.
two of my favorite things.
is kusmi tea available in the states?
i can't recall.
it's my go to tea now.
i'll try anything that comes in a 
tin that pretty.

and if you don't read 
vicki archer's blog
do yourself a favor and go..
i found vicki last year
when we first moved to paris.
i immediately bought both of
her books that now grace my
coffee table.
today vicki is hosting the most 
amazing giveaway on her blog.
a weeks stay in her beautiful
le petit bijou
in st. remy de provence.
i die!!!


happy monday friends!











Thursday, September 26, 2013

Marche' President Wilson


market day.
i love this market
and i am lucky enough to
live within walking distance to it.
it's open on wednesdays and saturdays.
not only do i come home with the freshest produce,
meats, cheeses, fish and so much more..
but it's also an amazing parisian experience to shop
this market.

here is what i brought home yesterday..
a rosemary plant
kale
basil
beets
thyme
carrots
hydrangeas
zuchinni
tomatoes
roses
baguette
eggplant
tomatoes butter
pears
and we tried
the fish fritters (acras)
with the lemon ginger rice.

and here are some photos 






love her market basket




that is one big hydrangea!


last night i roasted those beautiful carrots
with thyme.
today i'm making 
ratatouille
and kale soup.

love the paris markets!









Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Fontainbleau


on sunday we decided to get
out of the city for the day.
we drove out to fontainebleau
to visit the chateau.

before we even got to the chateau,
we (ok me) got distracted by
the brocante that was being held
right in the village center.




the kids rode the carousel
twice while i shopped.






oh i wanted those HEAVY urns.
but a few of the kids would
have had to walk home.
the wooden box with the leather
handles..
that came home with me. :)


and maybe one of those
wire egg baskets.



the village streets were lined
with these fabulously decorated
street lamps.


after a delicious lunch
of croque monsieur's,
cote's de provence 
and hot dogs and frites for 
the kids..
we finally made it over to the chateau.





it was a lovely way to spend
our sunday.


i love my new egg basket..


and my wine crate..
(although i just might take
a bit of sandpaper to the 
lettering.)


dinner last night.
chicken tarragon.
i will post the recipe
on my other blog
SO GOOD!
and easy.


neighbors across the street..
paris rooftops at dusk.
a year later and i'm still
in awe.

















Sunday, September 22, 2013

Le Marais


friday
 griffy and i walked 
around le marais.
we usually go for 
falafel on sundays
in the marais but 
i wanted to see more.

here is what i wore 
because hey..
this is paris and fashion
is important.

black oxfords..clarks in london!
black skirt...gap body
black sweater..j.crew
scarf/jean jacket...h&m
camera bag...jeanne oliver


griff and i took the metro to bastille.



(had the zoom lens and was too 
lazy to switch)



being the new england girl that i am,
i'm loving paris in the fall.
cool temps and the foliage
make me feel right at home.


like so many..
i have a thing for paris rooftops.




she's fixing her lipstick



we walked through 
the 17th century place des Vosges..
one of the city's loveliest squares.
galleries, cafe's, high end shops 
and the home of victor hugo.





quick ice cream break...




bookstore at hotel sully.
we bought this one..
similar to "where's waldo"
but instead..
where's theo in paris!



a pretty little hidden square,
place du marche' st. catherine.
outdoor cafe's galore..


old sign
new shop
love this about paris..


i'll end with 
a perfect paris door.
color and texture..
love.
and love le marais.






















Thursday, September 19, 2013

Tartiflette with Cod


dinner last night.
tartiflette with cod.
traditional tartiflette is made
with potatoes, bacon, onion and
reblochon..a cheese from savoie france..
will just came back from an outward bound
week there and the kids were able 
to try it!


i got the recipe from 
Home Made Winter.
the author,
yvette van boven..born in ireland,
now spends her time between paris 
and amsterdam. i'm thinking i need 
her first book, Home Made as well
as Home Made Summer to add 
to my cookbook collection.

tartiflette with cod...
try it.
it's simply delicious.

here is the recipe...

8 firm potatoes..peeled.
3 white onions..peeled.
butter for greasing
salt and pepper
2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
9 oz (250 grams) Comte' grated
9 oz (250 grams) cod fillets, cut in squares
about 1 3/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
(i used creme fraiche)
pinch of paprika
( i didn't)

preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
slice the potatoes as thinly as possible
preferably with a mandoline. (i need!)
do the same with the onions.

butter an oven dish.

make layers: start with the potatoes,
then onions, salt and pepper, thyme, some cheese
some fish;
continue until you've used all
(trying to end with potato and reserving some cheese
and thyme for the top.

cover the dish with aluminum foil and place
on baking sheet (in case of dripping)

bake the tartiflette for 20 min.
remove the foil and bake for another
15 min. unti golden brown and bubbly.
(i also put mine under the broiler
for a few minutes)


seriously try this.
you'll sound all french
when your family asks what's for 
dinner
:)

bon appetite! 





Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Corners of my home


bonjour!
well,
we've had stomach bugs
and colds
and water leaks
and no hot water.
we are back to our
school routines
and steve's hectic work
schedule.
griffin and i spend our days
at cafe's
playing games
practicing our 
123's
and our
abc's.
i'm making soups
and breaking out the scarves.
summer is a total blur.

i know i've talked about
jeanne  before.
i've taken some of her online courses..
bought one of her awesome camera bags..
and now she's doing a fall house tour.
i'm in love with her decorating.
she's inspired me to get going 
on my flat here in paris.
i've mentioned that we didn't bring our
furniture with us here.
i miss my things..
but i'm also leaning towards
french country decorating.
in our old homes i used lots of color..
reds, black, teal..
and lots of pattern.
here in paris
i'm drawn to 
whites, french blues and greys
and of course anything linen.



i'm trying to incorporate
my new love of french linens
with my existing decor.


i love my new french linen pillows!
and so glad you're feeling better buddy. 
:)


i've always had lots of color 
in my kitchens.
and now i have an obsession
with vintage french ironstone.
maybe i need two kitchens?


i love my vintage french mustard jars.

here is a little peek into my flat..


i love a stocked bar.
and i'm loving my new linen napkins too!


my bedside table.


hannah's 
"the dancer"
hanging in my bedroom.


some of my favorite shoes
and books in the fireplace.


hannah's room..
"cape cod girls they have no combs,
they brush their hair with codfish bones"
love that.


more of hannah's art work
and cutout designs.


griff's growing eiffel tower collection


lovely hole in our ceiling.


fading flowers in vintage mustard jars
on my desk.


paris books and more 
mustard jars on my desk.


have a great day!


p.s..
BETH..who won the yogurt cups!
can you email me your address again??
it was deleted by accident!
merci!