I'm In Love...

With a handbag. Oh my am I ever. Thanks to a lovely post at http://www.unefemme.net/ I was introduced to Gerard Darel. I had never heard of him (please forgive me, I am just now finding out about less well known designers) so I went in search to find out what his designs were like. I went to the official site, and at the opening there was a women walking in the street with 2 different purses. That was the moment I knew I had found The One.

My friends will tell you I love handbags. I figure handbags and shoes are the two things that will always fit me, and due to my love of the classics, never really go out of style. But in the previous years I would have gone for the cheaper version. It's the way I was raised. Why buy that one when you can buy 5 others for the same cost? But as I am cleaning out my closet, so many purses are getting donated to charity because I simply don't love them anymore. In fact, it was probably only like to begin with. Now, however, I have to have one of those bags. Knowing that waiting will make it that much sweeter when I finally get it. I'll be putting away a little bit of money every payday and I am planning on getting the bag after Christmas.

For many, waiting 2-3 months for something seems like a kind of hell. But imagine with me the wonder of having wanted something for so long, working for it, and earning it. Rather than simply wanting something, buying it, and then eventually forgetting about it, because it was so quick. I truly think that quality is better than quantity, and waiting makes the end results so much more satisflying. I am planning on getting the dark brown version of the bag.....but who knows, maybe next Spring I will get another one!

A Chic Privilege

VOTE.


I usually stay quiet. I will debate with politics if you want, but I won't tell you your views are wrong. This is an important election year. So much is riding on this Presidential election. I know everyone is tired of political campaign commercials. But whatever your views, you have a wonderful privilege that many in this world do not. You get to vote in elections for officials. So don't throw that right in the faces of everyone else. Don't say your vote doesn't count. I understand the reasons, I argue most of them myself. But what if we're wrong? What if our vote does count? Wouldn't you rather to have been right and have tried, then to have been wrong and have your views be ignored because you couldn't bother?


VOTE


Love, Kate

I vote because I have hope that my one voice will help raise up the future.

Closet Chic

I am in the process of cleaning out my closet. It's long overdue, as I desperately need some new clothing that fits my body better, and there is no real room in our closet. So this week I am slowly trying everything on, checking to see what fits, and if it fits whether I even still like it. I have quite a few things I can think of just off the top of my head that I am getting rid of because I know I don't like them. It's frustrating, but I have items in my closet that either because of fit or style I have never really liked them, and avoided wearing them.

So why do I have them? I feel it's because like most young adults I have gone through periods where perhaps I tried to conform and go with the trends. Some worked for me, and some obviously didn't. But there is also that other group. The group of trendy clothes that look good on you, but you really don't feel that comfortable in them. But while shopping with a friend they tell you how great you look, and you buy the item, later shoving it to the back of the closet.

I have a particular style lately that works very well for me. I no longer wear the t-shirts I acquired in college (although I keep a few for sentimental reasons). I prefer dresses, and have taken up part of my husband's side of the closet with my little collection. But even in jeans I prefer something a little polished with a whimsical or ladylike twist. I love the color black. Not only is it slimming, but I have pale skin, dark brown hair, and eyes that are commented on frequently, so I like accentuating these assets of myself. I don't wear all black, but I do wear grey's and creams. I adore purples on myself, since I love a good girly color, but pink brings out the wrong tones of my skin. A deep purple or lavender do the trick. Shades of turquoise and teal tend to look good as well. I also like a good maroon or navy. Which reminds me that I wanted to share a photo of a ring my husband bought for me while we were out this weekend. It's made of a thick wool felt, and I am thinking of getting a couple more in different colors. It seemed to add just the right touch of whimsy to a more polished outfit.

I think it's extremely chic to purge your closet, allowing only what really suits you and fits well to stay. It insures you can get up, choose an outfit, and not have to try things on to see if they look good on you. And if done correctly it means you will walk out of the house looking chic and even possibly elegant every time. Not because of what you are wearing, oh no! I believe the looking chic and elegant comes from the way you feel when you know you look good in your clothes. When I am in an outfit I love, that I know looks good on me, suddenly I find myself walking with my head held up rather than looking at the ground. I keep a good posture, and I know I come off as feeling comfortable in my skin. And what ever could be more chic than that?

Champagne Chic

As I have mentioned before, I love champagne. Something about how it always seems like an occasion whenever you hear that "pop"! The tingling sensation as you sip your drink. It doesn't matter if you are celebrating a wedding, a new job, or just having time to just the two of you, it makes the occasion that much more special.

Growing up, the closest thing I had to champagne was sparkling wine, and not the good kind. I was not impressed and could not figure out exactly what the big deal was. It wasn't until I was in the process of getting married that I began to really love champagne. Every bridal show my mother and I went to it seemed I had champagne in some way. Either as an accompaniment to cake, as a mimosa, or from a vendor trying to be the liquor provider at a reception. Mmmm. It could be my love of champagne began simply because I was so excited about getting married, but whatever the cause, I did indeed fall in love.

And a whirlwind began. Champagne at the tasting to choose food for the reception. Champagne at my bachelorette party, beginning the night with a bang. I had mimosas while getting my hair done, then champagne at the wedding, the wedding night, the honeymoon, and even the plane ride home from the honeymoon. At my parents house exhausted from our flight (an ordeal that still makes me shudder) we still had to open presents. So at somewhere around midnight, having been up all day, my new husband and I popped another bottle, and sipped the bubbly as we opened the things that would help start our home.

Then my husband flew back to England and I waited a very long 2 months to join him. I was not the most pleasant person to live with. But when I finally joined him in our new home, we unpacked the house, and with no real kitchen or living room furniture to speak of, popped a bottle a friend had given to me at my bachelorette, and sat on the stairs to toast the beginning of our new life.

Now, up until this point I was not really particular as to what type of champagne or sparkling wine I was drinking, as long as it tasted good. But then came New Year's. We were joining some friends for a party, and so Garret and I bought a couple bottles. One was an $18 Mumm Napa sparkling wine, and I have to say that for the price, it has now become our go to short notice sparkler. The other was a bottle of Moet and Chandon. We ended up so sleepy that all we got through that night was the Mumm Napa, so we decided to save the Moet for Valentine's Day---our first together. I made a nice meal, we popped the champagne, and sipped our way to heaven. We didn't drink much that night, instead put a champagne stopper in it (the best piece of equipment to own if you love champagne), and made mimosas the next morning, then had the last of it that night. For our first anniversary we bought a bottle of 1999 Dom Perignon, popped the cork, and had a small glass with a sliver of our wedding cake before heading out for a nice dinner at a local French restaurant. And while we are still looking for a 1990 Dom, which has received wonderful reviews, I have to say overall I was not extremely impressed. It was good. But to me, the Moet and Chandon, while a lesser champagne (though made by the same company) has become my favorite. And at less than $60 a bottle, a much more affordable treat.

So, as Christmas is upon us, we headed out to see what type of champagne they would get in. I was thrilled when I saw that Moet and Chandon as a gift package came with an insulated carrier, in cream and black, which I consider a very chic combination.


My husband and I are interested in trying different champagnes, so suggestions and opinions are always welcome! We have access to Laurent Perrier's pink champagne, Veuve Clicquot, and several others. Any recommendations?



Champagne might seem very frivolous in these more difficult economic times. But I think keeping a little bubbly on hand is like a good luck charm. There will be better times ahead, and when they get here, I am going to be ready to celebrate!

.

I Suppose It Really Is All About The Food

So today has been an interesting day. Let me start off by explaining that my husband switches shifts, so currently we are on nights, with us staying up until early afternoon and then sleeping until about 7 or 8. So my food schedule is always quite different than other peoples. Basically, we eat items at times of day that are not considered "normal". Like today for instance, when for one meal at 6 a.m. we had a glass of wine to accompany. Most people here would consider that a bit early to be opening a bottle of wine.

Pretty much all day I have been cooking. I took a quick nap early in the morning and then got up and began preparing our morning meal. I heated up a pan on the stove for salmon filets with lemon and salt, pulled out a dish to roast asparagus, all while half asleep. The meal turned our wonderfully, my husband opened a bottle of white wine (a rarity in our red wine household) and we sat and talked over our small meal for a good 30-40 minutes. Then we went out running errands, including going to the grocery store. I had planned on our mid-day meal to be something simple, maybe sandwiches, but in the meat section they had some beautiful turkey breasts that were less than $2.50 a piece. My husband was quite confused as to why the turkey was cheaper than the chicken breasts, even at full price. To which I explained that turkey really isn't as big in France, where the poultry at our store comes from. So now, having the turkey breast, I decided that I would fix a simple meal of roasted turkey breast (I put sea salt, freshly ground pepper, a little butter rubbed in, and a squeeze of lemon--which came out as a hint of lemon, yum!), mashed potatoes (adding the broth from the turkey breast gave it nice flavor), and more roasted asparagus. My husband ended up helping out by making the potatoes, which was nice. We always enjoy cooking together. I also put together a salad of tomatoes, buffalo mozzerella, and marinated garlic cloves. Add in another small glass of wine, and it was a lovely way to enjoy the beautiful afternoon we were having.

The best part was that while preparing that meal I was also prepping for the next meal, which had been planned a couple days ago, and we already had bought the ingredients for. I love quiche. I can admit it, it's a popular meal in this household. I actually made one last month when a friend was visiting, and was horrified when she asked for ketchup! Apparantly she always puts ketchup on her quiche, even her own. But I asked that she at least try it without, and she agreed. Turns out she ate 2 pieces of it without a drop of ketchup, declaring it the best quiche she had ever eaten (high praise indeed from her). So while the turkey was roasting I was cutting butter into flour for my crust and chopping up onions. After the midday meal my husband and I went out to buy a book for me (more on that later) and then headed to bed. I got up several hours later and began frying bacon, mixing up the egg custard, and grating the Gruyere. All in all, it made the house smell delicious, and provided a lovely meal for us before my husband headed to work.

I should mention that I love food. My husband calls our cookbooks and any food blog I read "Kate porn" as I become enthralled with the beautiful pictures and reading off the ingredients. I could go on, but think I should probably save it for another post. Needless to say, I enjoyed my day of cooking, and the only thing that would have made it better would have been to make my French chocolate cake from scratch (always a good way to kill time, as it has so many steps).

Hopefully I will be able to post more regularly now. We had nearly a week of dealing with car issues, so I was a little off in my chic-ness. But today re-established our routine, and I am happy to say, this blog has been very helpful for me. The comments have been supportive, and it's becoming a place where I feel I can be open and honest about this crazy life my husband and I lead. Over the midday meal today we were discussing that while I love our lifestyle I find it hard sometimes to be open about the way we do things with other people our age. Both of us at 24 seem to be interested in the way of living most don't experience until much later. We sit and sip our wine, enjoy conversations over long meals, love walking through the markets figuring out which stalls we prefer, or sitting and enjoying tea and a good book. This blog has become a place to share all that with readers who are interested in the same things, and often have lovely things to share themselves. So feel free to leave comments, to suggest things to me, and of course mention your own blog, as the ones I have read have been delightful to read!

To Market I Go!

Well today is slightly grey and overcast. But that will not stop me from going to the market. Come rain or come shine I simply cannot keep away from the market in Bury St.Edmunds. All the fruit and vegetable stands. The guy with the free range eggs. The seafood stall with fresh mussels, salmon, even lobster lately. The people selling flowers. All of them a cacophony of voices, some shouting out their wares, others chattering with friends. And all on the square and side streets with bakeries, butchers, and even a place with locally made ice cream....yum!

My husband Garret and I love going. We went a couple of weeks ago and picked up such a variety and quantity of produce all for around 10 pounds, so less than 20 dollars. Part of that was 3 pounds each of tomatoes and pears, over 25 plums, 5 avocados (that were perfectly ripe), some cauliflower, little carrots with their greens, and two loaves of bread (one an onion ciabatta and one a campagne loaf---both organic). It's amazing. We went on Wednesday this week but the produce wasn't quite right, however the atmosphere in the middle of the week was great. A bunch of older couples leisurely strolling. We usually also take the time to go to a local restaurant and have coffee and sometimes a light lunch with a glass of wine. These days are always so therapeutic, so relaxing that no matter how your week went, you can't help but smile.

Currently I am trying to decide if a market bag is worth buying. It's from surlatable.com, and looks so quaint and traditional, that I of course want it for my market adventures. To me, as I once quoted to my Grandmama while gardening, the best part of doing anything is the accessories(in that instance I was justifying my large brimmed hat and beautiful gloves). What do the readers think?

I think the bag would come in handy, but it's hard to justify when I have re-usable totes. But it looks so chic, and almost invites you to fill it with produce, loaves of bread and a bunch of flowers.

I think the markets will be the one thing I will miss when we move back to the U.S. in a year. They are my little weekly revival, a time in which I can relax, sip on a citron presse, and really enjoy this life.

My name is Kate, and I have an addiction...

To bookstores. Old. New. It doesn't matter. I love the smell of old books, the mustiness of them. But I also like the smell of new books, the clean start before delving into the thoughts of another and getting lost. I can be strong, I can pass by a bookstore and not get sucked in if I am in a hurry. It does not affect my daily life too much. My husband and I do have enough books to fill an entire small room of bookshelves though.

I have been reading since I was 4, when my father would patiently help me sound out all the words in Snow White and Cinderella. Then in kindergarten I went off to a French magnet school where everything we read was French, so I read children's books like Spot and Madeleine and Babar in French. It wasn't until highschool reading to little kids that I ever read them in English. The language does not matter to me, I am a true bookworm.

If you ask either my husband or myself what we would first buy were we to suddenly have a million dollars, and for both of us it is books. My husband has an affinity for science fiction, so his would be his all time favorite The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein, a first edition signed. The author rarely signed books, so boy was I shocked when I went searching for one as a possible gift for him and found out it is the same price as a car! I, however have more traditional tastes in that I want first editions of Little Women and several books by Jane Austen. I think I have 3 copies of Little Women alone in our little library, and it ranks as my all time childhood favorite.

Reading has remained a passion of mine my entire life. I can very easily read 2-3 books a day when I have a free day. And when it is a particularly long awaited book (such as the 7th Harry Potter) even my husband isn't allowed to speak to me unless he is on fire.......in which case to tell me so that my book doesn't catch flame! In college, amidst pomping the sorority float for Homecoming and studying for classes, I could oftentimes be found in bed or lying on the couch curled up with a good book. I am an equal opportunity reader, I will read anything at least once if it is recommended to me. When my husband and I first got engaged he immediately had to leave for England the next day, and in keeping closer to one another I sent him with The Da Vinci Code that I loved, and he left me with The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. Since then, thanks to some recommendations on his part I have fallen in love with books I might not have heard of.

I think for me, the opportunity to lose myself in a story is what I have always loved. The world fades, it is just you and the story, and for a little bit you can immerse yourself in this completely different life. You can laugh and cry with the characters, sometimes feeling for them, and sometimes relating. You can learn a plethora of new words. Soignee, for instance, is one of my favorites: showing elegance and sophistication. The word just rolls off of your tongue, and sounds as elegant as what it is describing.

So here is another list of some of my favorite books, I will try not to make it too long!

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (or any other of her works)
3. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
4. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
5. French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano ( I read this like a novel, along with the second one)
6. Jemima J by Jane Green
7. Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (for those of you who are not extremely artistic I highly recommend this one, as a friend once said to me that after reading it she finally understood the way I saw things when I was painting)
8. The entire Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
9. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (this I actually got for my husband as a wedding gift since I call him my bunny)
10. Chic Shopping Paris by Rebecca Perry Magniant
11. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
12. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (these are my favorites that belong to my husband)
13. Any Paul Coelho book---The Alchemist, The Witch of Portebello, The Devil and Miss Prym
14. Books by Joanne Harris, including Chocolat, Holy Fools, and even her divine cookbooks The French Kitchen and The French Market, highly recommended for those who like French food.
15. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
16. Celebrations by Maya Angelou ( I particularly love the poem Prayer)
17. The InStyle book, Style 101, What Every Stylish Woman Should Know (some of it you will already know, and some was very nice to learn)
18. The Devil Wear Prada by Lauren Weisberger
19. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
20. Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden

I kept it to 20, but as I said earlier I am always open to recommendations, so if you have any you think are wonderful, let me know! I promise to try and read anything recommended to me.