appropriate attire

original photo via

Since I talked about sick days, it's only fitting to mention the comfy uniform of the unwell. With our chilly, tile floors, I stick with my uggs. Clover, however, goes for the french classic, collégien slippers.   A couple weeks ago, I had chosen a boyish, blue-striped option online and added it to mon panier  but before I ever got around to finishing shopping, my friend stopped by with a bunch of hand-me-downs for the winter months. (Thanks, T!)  Clover has been proudly sporting his cousin's pink, collégien slippers ever since. The boy can definitely rock the fuschia.

these passing days

We have had a lot of  want-to-stay-at-home-in-our-pajamas kind of sick days recently. Not much fun to be under the weather, but we've been doing our best at keeping entertained at home.  Although, not feeling well has led me into a heavy, heavy addiction to the Good Wife. Do you watch it? I can't get enough. I think it's going to take a little more than cough syrup to cure me of this illness.

a time of thanks

After yet  another rough night, my big plans for time in the kitchen were replaced with lots of cuddling and book-reading with the tiniest member of our family. In years past, I have made traditional Thanksgiving dinners with lots of  friends, let the day pass completely by without the slightest fanfare and everything in between. Yesterday was nice, no expectations and the feeling that whatever effort I put into this holiday would be just enough.  I'm thankful for the seasons in life, accepting the time to slow down, rolling with the punches, and even, reveling in their beauty. I'm thankful for family, near and far, for a loving, intelligent husband,  our adorable son, for health and happiness, both, ours and that of those around us.  Sending out lots of  love for the holiday! I hope you found this Thanksgiving (or if you didn't celebrate, just this regular old Thursday) to be perfectly joyful.

moving along

With the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA tomorrow, it seems like it is time to slowly say goodbye to autumn and start to embrace the arrival of winter. Here's to hoping the snow will cooperate!  I am so thankful to have had such a beautiful fall, that we could do so many fun day trips as a family and spend so much time outdoors.

a cuter scooter

Can this get any more adorable?  A pink, vespa-inspired rocker? I just wish it came in more colors.

rough waters and good movies

The other week, Félix and I watched a great documentary, Paddle to Seattle. It was one that he had proposed we watch at least 10 times before I finally agreed to it. I don't know why I put him off for so long; it was awesome. He has such good taste in films. I should have known better. It's the story of two buddies who decide they need a new challenge after having already done the Appalachian trail and a 1330-mile bicycle ride from Seward, Alaska to the Artic sea. The duo decides to kayak the Inside Passage from Skagway, Alaska to Seattle, Washington. a hilarious film and a great adventure! can't recommend it enough!

bundle up

Thinking about the upcoming ski season, I came across this tongue-in-cheek collection of tees and sweatshirts pefectly suited to a ski holiday by the designer Ashish for TopShop.

the early light

I love the morning hours. the calm. the clarity. the potential. the endless possibilities of how a day may turn out.  the choice to open the door to new adventure or to welcome the easy comfort of regular routine.  the limitlessness of a fresh start. a clean slate. each new sunrise offering the sweetness of the unknown, the not yet created, budding with intention.

lo-fi lately : Beirut

I am the type that falls in love with a song and listens to it on repeat, over and over and over again. But I sometimes change things up by listening to one album on repeat over and over and over again. I know, WILD, right?  lo-fi lately  posts are what's playing on our orange stereo or what I wish was...

photo credit Kristianna Smith

Whenever I am in the car on my own these days, I listen to either France Inter (kind of like french NPR) or Beirut on repeat.  Specifically, the song East Harlem. It's completely addictive.  I keep turning up the volume, just a little bit more, just a little bit more like a total junkie.

playtime

In a moment of weakness while grocery shopping last week, I picked up a new toy for Clover.  I needed a ball that he could hold in his hand, wouldn't fit in his mouth and couldn't too easily destroy. Oddly enough, enter the ping pong ball. Clover spends ages putting them in his red bucket, dumping them out and starting all over again.  My husband had the great fortune of picking them up one night while I was putting Clover to bed.  Still super happy with my ingenious purchase, I asked him afterwards don't you think the ping pong balls are fun? He said, they are great but did you really need to get 18 of them? Ha, ha.  No, no I didn't, but everytime Clover pours them tumbling out of his bucket I am reminded of the sound of hundreds of ping pong balls falling onto the stage on the Captain Kangaroo show from when I was little. Do you remember that show? 

lock it up

images via

Over my morning coffee, I was thumbing through a regional magazine when I came across an article on a talented, swiss-italian designer, Luciano Dell'Orefice.  How perfect is his bike lock? It's a glorious marriage of form and function and so beautifully fulfills the needs of a cyclist.  It appears only to be a prototype for the moment.   I hope it goes into production!

jam and jelly

image via

We're big time Bonne Maman consumers over here.  I always reach for the apricot jam and my husband has a weak spot for the strawberry. I came across this adorable painting by Laura Manfre on the always inspiring Miss Moss.  Wouldn't it be perfect framed and hanging in a kitchen?

fever pitch

It seems like we are at the peak moment where the colors are so vibrant.  Little dots of fire are speckled across the hillsides. We took a stroll to Chamonix and had an amazing lunch on the Brasserie de l'M terrace. Even the vulgar service couldn't detract from the deliciousness of our meal, the Salade de l'M essentially a salade de gésiers, served with the biggest slab of foie gras and a sprinkling of rose salt. The presentation was beautiful.  And for dessert, since Clover was a little to antsy to stay on the terrace, we walked around Cham and stopped in for macarons.  A caramel au beurre salé marcaron was a perfect ending to a divine meal.  I love days like this - blissful family time, amazing food and ideal fall weather.

La fête de Toussaint

Yesterday, November 1st, was la fête de Toussaint, a Roman Catholic holiday, celebrating all the saints, known and unknown. People are encouraged to place flowers on tombs and spend time thinking and praying of all those that are deceased.

Coincidentally, this weekend we visited  la chartreuse du Reposoir, an abbey founded in 1151 by the order of the Carmel,  celebrating the Sainte Thèrese d'Avila and Saint Jean de la Croix. It's still a working monastary with about 20 nuns residing in the immense and immaculate grounds.  The Carmelites take an oath of silence that they will spend many hours each day in silent prayer. It certainly is a calm and peaceful place  surrounded by mountains, trees and alpine lakes.

It was a lovely adventure for a beautiful, fall day but in the sepia photo, a little spooky... kind of fitting with the Halloween holiday so close.