So I love nothing more than the winter doldrum sales right after Christmas when the stores are prepping for cruise collections and other such events that do not (as yet, sniff) occupy my budget. For example, check out this adorable skirt I found at Aerie. Is this store geared to my students’ demographic? Yes. BUT I think if you go in with an open mind and envision more adult rather than, er, teen accessories, you can find some great inspiration.

I paired this little guy (girl?) with a wine colored turtle neck and tights and the scrumptious Frye boots D gave me for Christmas. No, those were not a steal, but as I explained to D, they are an investment. I made a solemn vow that I will still be wearing them when I’m forty and beyond.

Also I adore Madewell but don’t buy the bulk of my shreds there, unfortunately. Imagine my delight at fishing this great dress off the sale rack (perfect for dinner with friends or work depending on accessory choice) for only $20!

 I also picked up a checked tunic similar to this one for $10. The one I got is cute belted or not. 

I finished off my get-me-through the winter spurt with a new pair of of severely on sale skinny cords from J Crew. My final bit of inspiration for my new Clarks actually came from a super-hip student of mine. Just like Hip Student, I plan to lace them through with transparent, feminine ribbon rather than the traditional laces pictured here. Hers looked great and I can’t wait to copy!

It’s amazing to see the deals you can get if you wait till the right moment. The most pleasant surprise for me this year was the plethora of sizes available in the middle. Let me know if you find any other last minute winter deals and I’ll keep you posted, too. Ciao, les filles !

In the meantime, DPE and I are planning, woohoo, a cross-country trip. And although “drive across the country” does not figure on my To do before i die official list, it will allow me to accomplish #18, visit the Grand Canyon.

When I read back over the list just now, I had to chuckle since numbers 5 (take a cooking class in Tuscany) and 9 (ride a gondola in Venice) were totally attainable last summer during our two weeks of La dolce vita in Rome, Naples, Florence and the Cinque terre. Alas, one (should I say two?) can only do so much in two weeks and so DPE and I eliminated Venice from the itinerary, idea being that our travel weeks were the highest of high tourist season (teacher summer vacay is great, except everyone is traveling then), and we didn’t want our first glimpses of the canals, gondolas and St Mark’s to be marred by crushing crowds and unpleasant summer temperatures.

No big deal, we made that decision intentionally and I’m sure we’ll return to Italy some day and visit Venice. Number 5, however, I’m more perturbed about since we were in Florence, conveniently located in Tuscany. Have you ever been to Florence? Beautiful, awe-inspiring, magical, none of these adjectives approaches describing the feelings that surge through you as you dazedly wander this incredible city. So instead of trying to describe it, here are a couple of my favorite pictures from those magical (and hysterical, more on that in a moment) days in Renaissance heaven.

At first, we were content to stroll through the city and marvel at its perfection. The markets – perfection! Cafes – divine! Our accommodations – a 14th century Medici tower! What more could one ask for? Well, we decided that one could ask for a private Vespa tour through the Tuscan country side. (Private meaning we rent and ride said scooter, which ownership constitutes #7 on my To do before i die list.) I envisioned holding on as DPE cruised us through the beautiful rolling hills one imagines of “real” Italy. Very Under the Tuscan Sun.

During one of our two days of strolls, we happened onto a Vespa rental outlet and so excitedly hurried back the next morning on the dot, ready to take our Vespa to the pavement. Nope. They were an hour late opening, then had to leave us for another hour to deliver something? Honestly, we really didn’t know what was going on. We waited patiently as a brash South African couple chose bikes over Vespas then chatted up a cute British couple as one of the owners copied our passports to ensure our arrest should we decide to disappear into the Italian countryside.

The Brit and I waited patiently as our significant others and the other owner headed off on a quick driving lesson. The girlfriend casually mentioned she was glad her boyfriend had a Vespa at home because of crazy Italian drivers. Point taken. I shared with her that neither of us had ever actually driven or operated a motorcycle or scooter.  She looked at me a bit mystified. “Maybe he’ll pick it up quick!”, she replied with clearly fake optimism.

At that precise moment (I do not exaggerate), we whirled around at the clattering sound of a something hitting the pavement. There DPE lay on the cobblestones, the owner picking up the bike and DPE soon picking up himself. I giggled (not being the type to fret over the small things – of course I knew DPE was fine since he was walking), but my new British friend looked more worried for us than I thought necessary. Several minutes later, the 3 men puttered back into the garage together. With a wave and a Cheerio, the two Brits promptly melted away into the Florentine traffic, and us, well…

We were gently advised against our Tuscan galavant. Instead of taking in the rolling Tuscan countryside and, who knows?, maybe even an impromptu cooking class, we spent our last several hours in Renaissance heaven getting 100 euros of cash to compensate for the nicks inflicted to the lovely white Vespa, as well as listening to the owner tell us we could still take it if we wanted but that he wasn’t sure we would return unharmed.

D claims to this day he just needed a little more time to become one with the Vespa. As for me? I never miss an opportunity to point out a Vespa to D. You’d be amazed, they are everywhere! Tshirts, magnets, mugs, calendars. It’s too funny. That last day in Florence was certainly not what we had envisioned, but is the stuff that travel is made of, friends. We could have gotten upset, into an argument, worse yet forced to pay for a new Vespa. Instead, we laughed and were glad no one was hurt, teased each other relentlessly and just payed a little for the repairs. We ended up finishing our time in Florence as all travelers should – eating proscuitto, drinking Chianti and polishing it off with gelato. A fine evening, indeed. Who knows what misadventures await us this coming summer?

What is it about everything Wes Anderson does? The colors, the music, the costumes, the intricately intense characters – everything seems just the way I imagined life and aventures when I was buried in books as a child. Which reminds me of the fabulous Fantastic Mr. Fox which film should have played a central role in my New year movie marathon post. I know it’s a few years old, but I didn’t get around to watching it until winter vacation:

Mr. Fox, played by George Clooney, reluctantly eschews his chicken-chasing ways for the white picket fence (house in a tree?) fox fantasy. It works for awhile, but he has to confront his adventure-lust and other tough questions during one last chicken-nap. My other Anderson favorites include of course:

Oh, and embarrassingly enough I have never seen Rushmore. DPE has decided that needs to change this evening.

On one final note, I have to admit I am the nerdy type of person that loves nothing more than seeing “famous people” in public. I never say anything (except when DPE and I were in a taxi line behind Glen Hansard of the Oscar winning movie-musical Once), but I definitely gawked one evening when Wes Anderson sat next to myself and a group of friends at one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, Le fish, in the 6th just near Odeon. Le fish has wonderfully simple you guessed it, fish, entrees in a fun wine bar-esque atmosphere. The next time you’re in Paree, I recommend you try it. Take the Line 4 to Odeon and hoof it to 69 rue de seine just around the corner. Get there early because it crowds early!

Happy weekend, les amis !

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette

Do I believe in democracy, freedom and republican government? Of course. However, it’s impossible to have studied French history as much as I have and not feel at least some sympathy for the famille Capet that happened to be on the throne during that bloodiest of revolutions. I believe that Marie Antoinette was a mix of many qualities, just like all people. Frivolity, a light heart and ostentation may have characterized her, yes. However,  she was also known for her kindness, compassion and respect as well as being a doting a loving mother.

When she arrived in France, she was  barely a teenager, stuck in a foreign country. Worse yet, she was unable to produce an heir for many years, which was of course the principal reason she had been married off and sent away. She was the target of malicious gossip from hundreds, if not thousands, of jealous French noblewomen at the Versailles court. Of course, I understand that Antoinette had it pretty darn good, but it makes me sad that so many understand her as a villain that said “Let them eat cake!”, when in reality she campaigned to feed the poverty-stricken.

Common misconceptions about her character aside, I wholely admit that I am absolutely seduced by the utter beauty which surrounds everything “Marie Antoinette.” The France I love the most is one I will never see because it was revolutionary France. (Yes, that’s easy to say in the twenty-first century, far removed as I am from being either a noble woman controlled by arranged marriages or, conversely, the perils of true hand-to-mouth peasant existence.) No, I’m quite content to sit on my modern perch and dream about France’s fabulously beautiful and checkered past. Here are a couple of photos, paintings, and musings that especially evoke France’s soon-to-disappear late XVIII century monarchy for me.

Marie Antoinette's oasis at Versailles, the Petit Trianon

Some of Antoinette's more casual gowns she made popular later in her reign

A portrait of the young queen

Of course I loved Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of my favorite queen in Sofia Coppola's imagining of the queen's life at Versailles

The queen's royal monogram

As a fanatic Francophile, this kids’ film was just what I needed. Scorcese captured exactly how I imagine Paris to be in the 1920s. The music, the sets, the costumes, were all perfect. Scorcese succeeded perfectly re-creating Orsay when it was still a train station prior to becoming home to so many modern art treasures.

Yesterday, we proceeded to watch three more films at home. We started off with the Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The plot provoked thought questioning free will vs fate, but for me the highlight of the film was certainly the modern dance scenes.

Next up was a long-time favorite of mine, Moulin Rouge:

DPE was somewhat dubious at Baz Luhrman’s over-the-top effects and music-video like editing, but I enjoyed every minute of this crazy musical-film. Speaking of Baz, have you heard he’s currently working on a film adaptation of the Great Gatsby?

We finished off with a touching comedy, the Trip, starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.

This one is not for people craving fast plot and action packed scenes, but has some really hilarious exchanges between the two middle-aged friends as they embark on a food critic’s tour of Northern England.

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is back to reality, but I feel refreshed and ready to see my students and colleagues. Meilleurs voeux pour le nouvel an !

1. I found a cute sparkly skirt from that store Aerie. No worries their marketing target is about half my age. See Exhibit A:

I’m also super excited to wear those fabulous Frye boots for the third day in a row (Christmas gift courtesy of DPE.)

2. We’ll be eating well this evening starting off with the below meat and cheese plate:

Meat and cheese appetizer

For tonight, we chose a simple mozzarella, a tangy goat cheese, a creamy St. Albray and some nice salty prosciutto.

3. We’ll spend the majority of our evening at Brewer’s Art, a restaurant and bar that has the most gorgeous chandelier in the dining room. No pictures on the website, but will post tomorrow!

I hope you and yours have some nice plans that fit you just right for tonight! Have fun, be safe and see you all in 2012! Meilleurs voeux, les amis.

As I held the drink up to my lips, I winced and grimaced in fear in what tastes awaited me. After tasting, I found myself entirely shocked at the pleasant, cinnamon-y taste that overtook my senses. As claims the label, it was yummily reminiscent of those fireballs we all used to eat when we were tikes. No matter your feelings for whiskey, try this! I promise it will be enjoyable. Stay tuned for a list of our favorite holiday (or any time) wines and party drinks. Sante, les amis !

Incredible snow shot

All I can say about this week is that I am glad it is over. Overly antsy students looking forward to winter break make for unhappy and exasperated teachers. Here’s to our four day week next week going smoothly and off without a hitch. I did nothing this week except sleep some restless winks, huff about my day to poor DPE (whilst he was sick thanks to me) and complete my work duties. I have never been so happy to come home, admire the Christmas tree and (out of the ordinary for me) watch Dr Phil. Not overly interested in Dr. Phil, I found myself perusing Pinterest and then moved on to my fave blogs. Let me tell you, I could not believe these incredible images I found on the Anthology Magazine blog. They are truly amazing – real-life snow flakes that, when magnified who knows how many thousands (millions?) of times look just like those we used to make in grade school. Hope you enjoy as much as I did. TGIF, friends. And, as Ellen reminds me daily: Be kind to each other!

As we entered Watson’s nursery on York Road (for an extra guirlande of Christmas lights), I noticed an oddly out of place outdoorsy smell (even for a nursery, friends). As we turned the corner, we happened upon these sweet alpacas, calmly chewing their straw whilst observing Mary and Joseph doting on the Baby Jesus at  the Nativity. Amusing and unexpected. The perfect artsdevivre moment!

Old-fashioned wooden blocks

My mother suggested them months ago as the perfect gift for my favorite (and only ) niece. As you can see, they are colorful, easy to hold and a great way to begin letter recognition. As you cannot see, they are affordable and have French vocabulary on them. I can’t wait for FRH to start using them and share some artsdevivre moments.

The rest of the shopping day cannot be revealed; however, DPE and I had fun browsing through shops like aMuse, where I could hardly resist these keys-for-babies:

Baby friendly keys

. We also wandered through 10,000 Villages and Su Casa, holder of some fabulous Paris wall art that I have not yet managed to hunt down online. I left Fells Point feeling a bit accomplished and knew I was really meant to be productive when I pulled up to the area generic mall and proceeded directly into a parking spot front row, adjacent to the Nordstrom entrance. As I finish this entry, I’m about half way done with my shopping, and looking forward to hunting down the rest of my treasures to share with family, friends and others.