SPRING WARDROBE

I have been trying to get thru my closets/drawers etc. Le printemps en Cleveland
is a wild affair. Wind, rain, sleet and possibly snow followed rapidement by sun and 80 odd degrees. It is not condusive to the seasonal switchover.
I am a layering non seasonal devotee of the silhouette. Which means I have attempted
to amass clothing that can be worn year round, even in a place with seasons. It does not absolve me of a seasonal look see, weeding out and setting up.

I prefer sleeveless or 3/4 length sleeve. Tunic length over a fitted leotard style top. Ankle length pant or knee length denim pencil skirt. Jeans, except white ones, go away till fall. A wonderful Lilly shift. Long scarf. Flat/mid sandal. Earrings, perhaps a necklace.
Short/mid natural looking nails (note that is looking, it requires time!), tousled mid length hair (layered to my chin). My silhouette is long and lean, never waist conscious!

In the winter it's dark boot cut jeans and boots and black/layers on top. Less color than my summer palate.

Now it is time to plow thru and choose only the best of the best from my closets!

This is frugal and wonderfully smart right now. I have ample reason to look for a few items and I have been dreadfully strict about any additions to my wardrobe, but am going to make it thru this spring and summer on what I have. At the most a pair of sandals if I can find the best. I saw Seiberling (?) sandals at Nordstrom and they look like what I want, but I looked at them intensely last spring and did not go for them, so they just aren't perfect and has that changed?
I don't want to add things just to add them. I want to distill my essence into about 20 great things that I can wear over and over, so retail therapy is wrong. I need a couturier. The chic and ease of a french inspired minimal/maximal wardrobe. So for now I will be as discerning with the offerings of my boudoir as I would could I choose from only the best! It is about quality afterall.
I am looking for classic summer pairings: white on white, nautical etc. And the best
outer layers - big shirts - for the transition and evenings/air conditioning. I have a great summer scarf for that job too. I may have to take a pair of ankle pants to the tailor, but they are worth it I think....

Good luck going thru your stuff too!

Taking Your Home With You - NYTIMES

I love the idea of this:
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/taking-your-home-with-you/?hpw
I really like the idea of having my own bed while traveling.
xo,
La

It May Be Cheap - From the NY Times

Just quickly perused this article from the New York Times about inexpensive
butchery.

http://tinyurl.com/dgbare
or try:
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html?8dpc

There are some interesting cuts of meat in this article that I may try
on our new grill! We inherited a one yr old, non functioning beauty of a gas
grill. Up until now we've been strictly charcoal but gas would be so nice in the
winter....So perhaps Jake can fix it up, he's handy.


Anyone familiar with these cuts? I have a vegetarian at home still and we don't
generally eat much meat!
La

The Farmer's Market/Gray House Pie

Hello Local Chics -

I've received the North Union Farmer's Market(.org) flyer. Their Shaker Square Market
runs Saturdays 8 - noon. Open now thru Dec 12. Crocker Park runs Saturdays 9-1pm thru Nov 21, 2009. I love the markets but Crocker can get too crazy in the Trader Joe's parking lot. We are fortunate to have many farms just beyond Crocker Park and I'll generally hit those and the roadside stands thru out the summer/fall.
Also will stop for brown eggs, sold usually on the honor system. What is your favorite farmers market/stop/stand?

Its very French to buy certain delicacies to accentute your cooking style and strengths and augment your deficiencies. Consider Gray House Pies at 22560 Lorain Rd Fairview Park OH 44126 (440)777-4pie for fruit, nut, cream and savory pies and quiches. Made from free range eggs, pure butter,organic milk and the best (local if possible) cheeses, fruits snd vegetables.
Scrumptious.

Quite cool today after a very summery weekend with temps in the 80's. Mick reminded me I haven't yet made Chicken Paprikash Soup, which really should be a cold weather
meal. I couldn't do that one, but in the pantry had everything for:

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP tonight with tostadas from Aldi which *made* the dish:

Heat and simmer a big pot of:

Chicken broth, smooth tomato sauce and lots of chopped garlic.

Assemble various "fillings" - consisting of whatever you desire! Including, but
not limited to:

Rice
Corn
Cubed Avacado
Chilis
Chopped Tomatoes
Sour Cream
Hot Sauce
Shredded Mexican cheeses
Shredded Chicken

Refried or baked beans

Tostados from Aldi (quick this is a seasonal item!)
or crispy tortilla chips (hopefully fried by you).

Fill your bowl with items from above and ladle hot broth over top.
Sigh in contentment as you smell the scent and feel the heat on
your face. Enjoy.

Mealtime - Purse Palate and Portion

J'adore the concept of regular mealtimes. Three daily opportunities to sample whatever bits of succulance you desire. Truly eat whatever you want - notwithstanding the limits of purse and palate. And of course, portion. You know that small portions are the French woman's ultimate secret of slim.

Meals are meant to be eaten with people. Hopefully those in whose company you thrive. Persons you want to know more about. People who know all about you. Running down the duties of the day over coffee and toast. Perhaps a solitary(hey you're a person), but perfect, grilled cheese and tomato soup lunch. Eating in the company of good conversation - hard to beat. Long evenings over the tablecloth, opening more wine and wishing the wonderful comraderie was a permanent state. Debriefing and then refueling with those you love over a daily family dinner......

Regular mealtime, the romantic notion versus regular mealtime in a busy, modern household.

Breakfast, um sometimes I'm sleeping thru this during the school year, but I can and do hang out in the kitchen when my 3 teens are being somewhat supervised by Jake (Dad) as he makes
lunches (have I done a good thing? my kids refuse school lunch, categorically). And Jake runs the morning show chez nous.

Lunch: I'm generally alone.

Dinner is the real problem. Jake and I are self scheduled. When the kids were younger (up until the last yr and a half or so) we ate dinner en famille most nights. Now the teens activities make a "one -and- for- all" dinner really hard most days. Just having 3 kids with one extra curricular each makes it rough, or it has for me. So I'm trying to figure out the best solution for us.

The 'formula' of 6 hrs between breakfast and lunch, 6 hrs between lunch and dinner and 12 hrs between dinner and breakfast is one on which the Lepitin 'diet' works. I am not really familiar with anything else about Lepitin but this formula has really stuck with me. I feel ready to eat, with at least a mild hunger, when aware of this timing. No snacking! You most certainly can wait for your next meal - isn't it going to be a lovely selection of fresh, top quality foods that pique your appetite? Food and company worth waiting for?

If we eat dinner at 7pm then breakfast is right on time at 7am (during the school year at least) and that leaves lunch at 1pm. With a pause gourmand after school/work.....So with a renewed vigor, we shall dine at 7pm and take it from there. We'll still have to juggle and not everyone will be seated, together, at 7 every single night, but I think it's important to attempt to reinstitutionalize it.

I love dining al fresco and soon we'll be able to do so regularly. We do eat just about every meal on the deck when weather permits. I move my office out there too....
Can't wait for the roses.
La

Carry On

I love my french market baskets, pictured above.The larger one was a gift from my sister in law at least 8 years ago. Kathy had a shop in the Chicago area and rented the back room to 'Pamela de Provence'. Knowing my love for all things French Kath got it for me for Christmas. It has been used daily and still looks great. I use it for grocery shopping, carrying my essentials to work, for the beach and pool, traveling....endless uses and constant comments from admirers. The small one I bought on sale about 5 yrs ago when shopping on the east side (of the Cuyahoga, bien sur!) and it has been just as wonderful. Snag one if you can find one. Truly these bags are terrific investments.

Two other bags that I use, if not daily, are my panniers. One is pictured above - I am not having much luck in putting the photo where I want it.They hook onto my bicycle in an instant and then travel into the store, library, park, pool etc. very easily having a shoulder strap. I think a bike basket is very cool, but these are pretty great too. Here is a picture of one of my panniers on my bike - okay this photo is not where I want it either - but you can tell which one I'm talking about. I love my bike and when I have both panniers with me I can do quite a bit of

grocery shopping....it's exhilarating flying down the street (home from the market is downhill - the universe conspiring here) with a gallon of milk and 2 bottles of wine and bread and cheese and all my other goodies packed safely in the panniers, feeling free and healthy and eco-concious and just plain good.

Paris on the Cuyahoga

Cleveland is a city divided by a river, the Cuyahoga. Divided just like Paris - which is of course split in two by the Seine. Like Paris each side of the Cuyahoga has it's own flavor. The East side is older and houses the world famous Cleveland Museum of Art and Severance Hall, home to the world famous Cleveland Orchestra. The West side is considered nouveau when considering it's riches which include the West Side Market, one of the few truly European food markets in the U.S. I'd have to say the East side is thought of as more sophisticated and the West side as lower class. Like most generalizations that is not entirely true, but for the purposes of this blog it capsulizes the differences. Cleveland is located at 41 degrees latitude and Paris at 48. So we enjoy similar weather. Otherwise we do not have much in common. Cleveland has a decidely unglamorous image. Living here can be bleak. When I started this blog I decided to change that, for myself at least. I decided to to live a fabulous, chic life here on the banks of the Cuyahoga. Now that I've gone public with this blog, I am going to promote this eurostyle life because I believe it is healthy, enjoyable and more fun than the typical lifestyle 'enjoyed' by my compatriots. I am not an American basher, but I don't think we have the joy of living sussed out the way the Europeans do. I believe in good food and good wine for everyone! Lots of mandatory vacation time! Family time! Walking! Gardening! Time not spent in front of the tv! Exclamation points! (insert grin here).....and more....which I hope to explore and share here. If you are a local, please join me and share your secret/not so secret places and things to do. If you are not from around here I'd still love your input and ideas and to have you join me on this ever evolving journey. Bisous, La

Coco Chanel

New movie about icon Coco Chanel, starring Audrey Tautou of Amelie fame.
http://tinyurl.com/c93535. Review from the New York Times.
I love everything Chanel and can't wait to see it.

Austure Times - from the NYTIMES

Fitting right in with my recent post on thrift here's a link to an article from the April 10, 2009 edition of the New York Times: http://tinyurl.com/dff8br
I, too, believe in looking at the current economic conditions as a gift, not a struggle.
Hope you enjoy it!

Discriminating facial care

In my last post about frugality, which will from now on be referred to as discrimination (although that may have to change as it sounds weird!), I mentioned the expensive facial cleanser, toner and moisturizer I bought from Mme Jane Seybroyen. Her products were lovely, but it cost over $100 for a supply that lasted just a few months. Some have raved about how Mme's stuff cleared up problems they were having, but I have been blessed with normal skin and didn't see any amazing changes. One of the best things about her program was just that - it was a program. She detailed how to apply the creams and how to remove them. How to tap your skin lightly to increase absorption and circulation. And having an expert tell you to do this, this exact way, daily....well it made me do it! The bottom line is that any program - from skin care to finances and everything in between - must be done with some regularity in order to promote results. I have dabbled in the oil cleansing method and it seems that it would be very inexpensive. Some use olive oil and report amazing results. As soon as I finish up my current bottle of (generic) cetaphil I am going to experiment with more oils (I tried coconut and olive once or twice but not with any regularity, so I can't report any results!). I found this website that explains the process:http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/. If you use this method or a variation thereof, I'd love to hear about it. I highly recommend Thayer's Rose Witch Hazel, available at health food stores, as a toner http://www.thayers.com/store/?main_page=index&cPath=3

Frugal French

When I started on the French Chic journey I almost singlehandedly plunged us into debt. I thought I had to have all the books, beauty treatments and accoutrements (La Bonne Cuisine de Mme E. Saint-Ange, check, at $40.00/expensive cream from Jane Seybroyen to cleanse my face, check, at $100/Lampe Berger, check, at $120. etc). What I know now is that the French, while epitomizing chic, are among the most thrifty people in the world. And that is another thing I love about them - they don't make economizing look painful and cheap - they elevate it to the height that they are seen as being super discriminating about EVERYTHING they bring into their lives. Not cheap, not thrifty, not flintskints, not tightwads - but discriminating consumers seeking only the best. As a result of war and scarcity, they use every part of an animal for cooking. Many of us would run screaming from pig knuckles and tongue, snails and tripe. The French make them into sought after delicacies. They might buy one terrific skirt and wear it forever - maintaining a stable weight (bien sur) so they always fit into it properly - perhaps having it tailored to fit perfectly, or altered slightly to better express their fashion personality. Maybe she'll change the buttons on a sweater to alter the look rather than buy a new one. Take her beloved shoes to the cobbler for an overhaul.
Now that I am focused on eliminating our debt I took La Bonne Cuisine to Half Price Books (it's such a big cookbook that I think shipping via Amazon would be counterproductive) and they offered me fifty cents!! Needless to say I brought it back home and began to really think about what I've learned from the French concerning thrift and I'm going to make it a point to economize a la Francaise. Not a penny pincher will I be, but a discriminating consumer in every thought, word and action.