French Secret #110

French Women adore scarves!

First of all, they dress up any style, and their so feminine.  If you chose a simple palette, a scarf can add a delicious splash of color.  And they're sexy!  You should always unwrap, untie, unfurl your scarf--slowly--for maximum impact.  And finally, they're warm and they protect our necks.  A scarf is the perfect fashion accessory and can be worn over your hair, around your neck, around your waist as a belt or even a colorful accent to your pocketbook.  Trés beau.
Oh, and if you want to learn more secrets to playing with scarves, you must check out Anne Touraine's fabulous blog, "Playing with Scarves."  She's a real French Women, living here in America and sharing the joie de vivre and l'art de vivre.  Oh, and how to play with scarves.  Trés magnifique!

Bonjour, Lennox, Stockbridge and Great Barrington!

On the road again!

Here's a view from the passenger seat on our way from Cape Cod to Stockbridge to share the secrets to joie de vivre and all things French.  

My husband and I are staying at beautiful Bed and Breakfast.  

The Inn at Stockbridge.  

Here's a picture.  It was built in 1910 and is so elegant!

Last night I gave a joie de vivre talk at the Body and Soul Spa in Great Barrington.

This is the owner, Doone Marshall.  Isn't she gorgeous?  And so French.  Actually, she's from Australia, but French in spirit!  We both believe that spa weekends, massages, facials and skincare are not luxuries, but something women should bring into their lives on a regular basis!

There was a lovely spread and a little cocktail hour before the talk.

Oh, and I should mention that the evenings's proceeds from the event went to Construct's 

"Priscilla's Room" a shelter for women.  

It's a wonderful local organization that helps women in need in the Berkshires.

Oh, and there were lots of fabulous women who came out last night.  Writers, artists, business women.  We talked about joie de vivre, my books, "French Women Don't Sleep Alone" and "Bonjour, Happiness!"  There were raffles and goodie bags and champagne, bien sur!

At the end of the evening, the fabulous Kelly Kynion from Dr. Hauschka Skincare did beautiful makeovers for us.  She is so generous and sweet!  I love my Dr. Hauschka body lotion with rose and sandalwood.  Yum!  Made from fragrant, all-natural ingredients.  And the feeling?  Pure luxury!

We all left feeling very beautiful and very pampered...and very French!
Merci beaucoup, Doone and Kelly!!!!

Before the Accident

Before the accident...
(yes, I was in a very bad car accident and am home now with a broken kneecap and broken wrist)...
I took zumba and even tap dancing classes.
I was learning the concertina.  And there were my French lessons with the elegant Madame M.
I write about her  in Bonjour, Happiness!
She is my fabulous French tutor.
She prefers to remain mysterious (that's because she is completely French) and so I cannot post a photo of her, but trust me--she's beautiful, gentle, brilliant and very, very kind.  Oh, and she always serves me tea or mineral water when I come for my lessons.
Here is a photo from my last meeting with her before my accident.  Look at these gorgeous flowers!

It'll be a couple of months before I can return to my French lessons and so for now, I enjoy looking at photos and spying on the spring buds beginning to bloom outside my bedroom window.
Soon it will be warm and soon I will be walking again and I will say "Bonjour, Springtime!"

Oh, and  I will be at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble on Warren Street on Monday, May  1 6th at 7 p.m.
(this is rescheduled from April 26).  Hope to see you there!

Bonjour, Hôpital! Part Deux

Bonjour, French Nurses!
Yes, it's true--the French health care system is wonderful--but I would like to talk about the wonderful nurses.  These femmes (and a handful of gentlemen) took such good care of me!  Merci beaucoup!

Here is Anne Laure and Fanny.  They were so good to me!  And so much fun.  We enjoyed switching back and forth from French to English.  One day, Anne Laure arrived with a little circular saw to "ouvrez la fenêtre."  Or open the window--on my cast, that is. 

She was very professional.  Truly, gentle and very calm.  And this is just what I needed considering the fact that a whirring little circular saw was cutting into my cast--mighty close to where my stitches where holding the incision together.  Very tricky! 

But, Anne Laure was very professional!  And very nice!  She told me that she is hoping to visit America in the not to far distant future.  She told me, with a little sparkle in her eyes that her husband's company has an office in "Weesheeeta!"  I didn't have the heart to tell her that it's pronounced "Wichita" as in Wichita, Kansas, because "Weesheeeta" sounds so much more romantic.


Another very pretty nurse, attended to my stitches (after the fenetra was opened).  She removed the dressing with little plastic pinchers, cleaned the area and then covered it with little squares of delicate white gauze--one at a time, layer after layer after layer.  This took quite a while, but she was very precise and very patient.  It really felt as if she was creating a French pastry!   A mille feuille.  To give you an idea, here's a mille feuille Betsy Johnson dress.

And here's the pretty nurse dressing my wound in mille feuille.  You can see, in France, everything is elevated to an art form!

And here are all the lovely medical accessories, our "pastry chef" nurse employs to make her art:

Here's my cast.  Don't you adore the lovely fishnet netting that keeps it looking pretty and fresh?  And don't you love the seam running up the back of the leg?  Très Français!

I felt very elegant and ready for my visitors--Beatrice and Jean-Pierre.

I was staying with Beatrice and Jean-Pierre in Toulouse when I slipped and fell.  They were so incredibly nice to me!  I am so lucky they were with me and got me to the hospital.  After my surgery, Beatrice had to go to Paris on business and when she came back she brought me back a lovely gift--macarons from the famous Ladurée.  

From right to left, we have almond, raspberry, pistachio and rose water.  
Yes, A ROSEWATER MACARON!!!  That was my favorite.  So delicate.  So perfumed.  So lady-like.  Honestly, I was over the moon for rosewater macarons!  Note to self:  next time in Paris, must buy an entire box of rosewater macarons!
I adore Beatrice!  I wrote about her in my book "French Women Don't Sleep Alone" because she gave me the strawberry recipe and she has such a romance with Jean-Pierre.  He's in the French military and most recently went to Haiti to help the earthquake victims.  He's such a calm and caring man.  He rode with me in the ambulance to the hospital while Beatrice followed along in her car.  Honestly, he's the kind of man you want around in an emergency!  
Oh, and look what Beatrice brought me the next day--home made meringues!  Yum!

Honestly, with all this delicious attention and sweet treats, staying in a French hospital felt like more like spa vacation! 

Merci Toulouse!  
Merci French nurses!  
Merci Beatrice and Jean-Pierre!