I have been incognito dear reader for the last 4 months due to a radical but welcome job change. That is no excuse really as I am still a digital producer so first resolution for the year is to post at least twice a week (ok so I am 4 posts down but it’s the intention that counts).
Now the new job led me to have my fortune told for the very first time at a work Christmas party. This was a useful diversion away from stuffing my face with canapes. The first words out of Madame Antoine’s mouth were “So, when are you planning to return to Paris?”. The hook worked and I sat enthralled for half an hour. My home my be Sydney but my heart belongs in France.
Vive La France!
It was an amusing end to 2010 and a great beginning to 2011 as this month I take my cue from everything French and Chic:
Fashion—–> She’s not French but she is chic… Vogue Japan Editor At Large and avid fashion blogger Anna Dello Russo is my fantasy fashion muse. If only I had the funds and the legs to wear her wardrobe. Conceptual outfits worn as daywear, fruit inspired milinary, I imagine that having a watermelon on your head takes confidence (Sarah Jessica Parker should take note). As does being a non-conformist in the fashion industry. Dello Russo, I salute you, your blog and and your great legs!
Literature—–> Last year, a dear friend insisted that I read ‘The Elegance of the Hedgehog’ by Muriel Barbery. Having read the synopsis, it sounded thoroughly depressing. The novel focuses on the interwoven daily lives of a 12 year old girl who has decided to commit suicide and an older, grumpy concierge who happens to be an autodidact. They both reside at no 7 rue de Grenelle, a hotel particulier in Paris with intriguing residents. While rummaging through a book barn I came upon it again, read the first three pages and had to buy it. I am enjoying it so much so that I am purposely reading the last couple of chapters very slowly to prolong having to end it and I keep rereading chapters because it is without a doubt beautifully written. A classic example of not judging the book by it’s cover!
Food—–> Larousse Gastronomique weighs about 3 kilos, the version I have was lovingly transported from the UK as part of my grandad’s luggage. It was a journey with a purpose. There is an excellent recipe for a Tarte Tatin which is my second favourite dessert (after poached peaches) that I made for New Years eve and went down a treat with Vanilla icecream and champagne. It also has a potted biography of Toulouse Lautrec on page 1,091.
C’est Magnifique!
