Simple Pleasures: Cloth Napkins

I love sitting down to a perfectly dressed table. It makes eating so much more pleasurable. As a single woman, however, I very rarely set the table for myself. I just grab what I need from the kitchen on my way to the table or (horror of horrors) the sofa. Today, at lunch, I decided to go ahead and set myself a place at my table. It wasn't very fancy: fork, knife and napkin. I didn't use a paper napkin though, I opened up my linen drawer and pulled out a cloth napkin.

There is something very civilized about using a cloth napkin. I am not sure why we don't use these more often. I guess most people (myself included) seem to think it is easier to just use paper and throw them away. I wash sheets, towels and other linens every week so it really doesn't add any more work if I use the cloth napkin. I don't even have to iron them because no one is here but me.

My lunch today was just pasta with parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes but using the cloth napkins made it feel like I was dining in a fine restaurant.

Do you ever use cloth napkins?

La Mer

No, this is not a post about skin cream. It is partially about the sea. I love the sea, I love the smell, the sound, the feel. I live near the water now. It is one of the reasons I decided to move from Atlanta.To me the sea represents freedom and adventure, two things I would like to have more of in my life.

As I have been researching France I have discovered that all of the towns and villages I am attracted to are near the sea. One of my favorites is Villefranche-sur-mer. This litle town is located about five miles east of Nice on the Cote d'Azur. Despite being a heavily touristed area, most of the large cruise ships anchor here for visits to Nice and Monaco, it feels like a quaint and quiet fishing village. Small sailing boats dot the harbor. It is not as big as Nice or as fancy as Cannes and St. Tropez and that is what appeals to me. I have been lucky enough to have visited twice, both times I wanted to stay forever. In addition, I have recommended the village to a few friends all of whom thanked me for the suggestion.

Villefranche-sur-mer has everything I need to live a nice life: parks, museums, beaches, shops, markets, cafes, trains, and lovely architecture. There is also an excellent French language school, the Institut de Francais, that offers a French language immersion course. In addition, being so close to Nice, it has easy access to high speed rail for travel throughout Europe and an international airport should I need to get home in a hurry.

I found this video on YouTube and thought I would add it so that you can get an idea of the beauty of the village.

Julie & Julia

I love Julia Child, she is one of my heroes. She is proof to me that good things can happen after forty, (she was 50 when her first cookbook was published.) Her memoir, My Life in France, is another of my favorite books and my copy of her cookbook is one of my prized possessions.

There is a new movie coming out next month partially based on My Life in France. Meryl Streep is playing Julia and I can't wait to see it. Here's the trailer.

Wardrobe Please

Today's post on Already Pretty is about Movies and TV with great style. I loved this post, I think movie wardrobes are really important. Bad clothes can ruin a movie for me, shallow I know, but its part of the fun of the movie. My favorite movie wardrobes are:

1. Grace Kelly/ Rear Window

This is not my favorite of the Kelly/Hitchcock movies (To Catch a Thief takes that honor) but I think her wardrobe in this movie is the best of the three. Cool, classic, sophisticated beauty.

2. Audrey Hepburn/ Breakfast at Tiffany's


Holly's clothes are fabulous and classic. I would love to have every piece hanging in my closet. My favorites: the Trench coat and her Wayfarer sunglasses.

3. Catherine Deneuve/ The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Another fabulous trench coat. I need to get one. And I need a fabulous blue scarf to go with it. I love the pastel colors of her wardrobe in this film. And she has the perfect flat black shoes. Catherine is perfection.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow/ A Perfect Murder

This was a terrible movie but her clothes are worth at least one viewing. Clean lines, dark colors, pearls, hermes scarves and a Kelly. Hmm, could be my wardrobe. I love her hair in this movie too, I wish I could wear mine that short.

5. Julia Ormond/ Sabrina
Again, terrible remake but her fabulous wardrobe and the Paris scenes keep me watching.

6. Marion Cotillard/ A Good Year

A little more casual but lovely just the same. That purple dress she wears is beautiful. My favorite outfit though is the knit top and skirt she wears when she finds Max in the pool. I wish I looked that good.

What are your favorites?

My French Life

I have a lot of books by women who have changed their lives and moved to France. There are a ton available, it seems moving to France is a dream shared by many. Of all of these books my favorite is My French Life by Vicki Archer.

My sister and I were shopping in Anthropologie when she pointed the book out to me. (I am always surprised at the good books Anthropologie carries. I love that store, I wish we had one here.) As soon as I picked it up I knew it had to have it. The book is about Ms Archer's family's decision to leave Australia and relocate to London and France after buying some abandoned land with a farmhouse in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. In the book she describes refurbishing the home (which is absolutely gorgeous) and revitalizing the property. She also writes about her efforts to learn the French language. In addition, there are chapters about French Women, Weekends, Style and Food. Ms Archer is a gifted writer and her descriptions of France and French life, language and customs are beautiful. The book is also full of really beautiful photos of France.

This is a great book that is worthy of display on a coffee table but mine stays by my bed. I look through it almost every night before I go to sleep. While my situation is very different from hers, it still serves as inspiration and a guide for my eventual move to France.

One day I will have my own French life, until then I can live vicariously through Ms. Archer’s life.

Vanity for Humanity

A few days ago Stephanie over at Bonjour Madame posted this. I am fascinated by this book that Claudia at The Paris Apartment is putting together. I just sent her a photo of my vanity and I thought I would share it with you.

I inherited this piece when my grandmother passed away. I have been fascinated by the vanity since I was a child and would sit at it and play dress up when I was a little girl. It was part of a set of furniture that was given to my grandparents as a wedding present. It is 67 years old and is starting to show its age. I can't seem to make myself refinish it though because all the little marks and scratches are part of the vanity's history. The lace handkerchief is from Venice, I brought it back to my grandmother when I visited the city. When she passed I got it back. There is also a small sample size Shalimar perfume bottle on the silver tray. I think I already mentioned in a previous post that it was my grandmother's signature scent. She will have been gone ten years next week. I have been thinking about her a lot lately so this is a rather timely post.

The photo in the wooden frame is my favorite photo of my grandparents. They are on a boat getting ready to go fishing. The two little paintings I found in antique shops, I like Madonna and Child art and have many pieces. I have my little Eiffel Tower collection too in addition to my makeup and skin care.

Paris Breakfasts

I know many of you already know this blog. For those who don't, Paris Breakfasts is the blog of Carol Gillott, a very talented artist. She creates really wonderful watercolors of Paris. My favorites are her Laduree watercolors.

A few weeks ago I was visiting her blog and noticed that she was painting portraits of pets in front of Laduree. I had to have one so I emailed her this picture of Winston


and she created this lovely piece for me.

I love this watercolor, it is my new favorite piece of art. I can't wait to frame it and hang it up in my room.