Bonjour and happy Wednesday! I leave for France in less than two weeks and I’m here to share a few things I’ve planned for my fifth trip there. This trip will be unique in that I’m going with a friend; no tour group, no husbands, no kids. Aix-en-Provence. We’re taking the train from the CDG airport and will be spending two nights and one-and-a-half days. I’ve never been to Provence and I’m hoping this will kick off planning for a…
An American in Provence is a special book. It combines almost all of my most favorite things: France, cooking, motherhood, photography, seasonal living (I mean what am I missing from this list… cats and books? That’s a pretty good ratio). The book is divided by season and each season has essays, photography tutorials, and recipes. On every page are the beautiful photographs you know to expect with Jamie’s work. Each page is such a delight and a treasure. The first…
Happy Wednesday! I’m here to share a few French-related items that have been keeping me going through a very cold New England winter. An American in Provence by Jamie Beck has been inspiring me in every possible way. I enjoyed reading the physical book the first time around, savoring the essays and getting lost in the photographs. I also got the audiobook version and have been re-listening to my current favorite sections, finding something new each time. I will have…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday. I feel like I’m still recovering from a heat wave we had in Seattle on Sunday and Monday of this week. As most homes and apartments here don’t have AC, everyone feels it when it does get really hot. We ended up buying a portable AC unit when we realized I’d be finishing up the pregnancy during the hottest part of summer and on hot days I just camp out in there with my cross-stitch, audiobooks,…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday. Another long, sad break between Wednesday Whimsy posts. I’ve been half-heartedly trying to find French-themed content but most things have been a bust. I’ve tried watching a few French movies on Netflix or Kanopy but haven’t been enjoying them so stop watching. I have been continuing with French lessons though so at least my language skills are (hopefully) evolving. BookParis on Air by Oliver GeeOverall, this is a great Paris memoir read that is funny and…
Bonjour, happy April and happy Wednesday! I haven’t published a Wednesday Whimsy in over three months and things sure are looking different these days. Many people are only two-three weeks into home quarantine for the COVID-19 outbreak but I’ve been staying at home for well over a month now. I’ve gone to the store once or twice a week but other than that I’ve been embracing the stay-at-home lifestyle (which is hardly different from normal for me). Some days are…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday. It’s been really quiet around here lately because in November I had a cold for about a week and a half, went out of town, then picked up a second cold while traveling. The first one was so bad that all I could handle was sitting on the couch watching Outlander and Call the Midwife (have you seen the latter? SO GOOD!). I haven’t done much reading in the past month and a half but am…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday. We went on a trip to New England this month (New Hampshire, mostly Manchester, southern Maine, and Boston) and I went to as many French things as I could, just like I said. Manchester has a surprising French influence and as a result a had crepes for breakfast twice, happily. I also stumbled upon this perfect French/Halloween (perhaps an oxymoron?) set up at a cafe in Kennebunkport, Maine. I’d love to redo the house to be…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday. I’ve been researching French things to do for an upcoming trip to New England. If you have any recommendations, please send them my way. We’ll be in Boston, New Hampshire, and parts of Maine up to Portland. We were recently in the mood for a cottage pie-type dish so I used recipes from Instantly French! (probably my favorite cookbook) and A Kitchen in France to make a Brisket Parmentier. Once I tweak the recipe a bit…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday. I’ve been jumping head first into the Halloween holiday season, which for me starts September 1 since one month just isn’t enough. Pleasantly, surprisingly I have a few non-fiction French books that fit into spooky-themed reading so keep an eye out for those reviews if you’re interested. Or you can follow me on Goodreads to see what I’m up to. BookI recently finished the second book in the Cassidy Blake series by Victoria Schwab. I cannot…