the week before

I turn 39 in about a week and it is at this time of year that I take some major inventory.

What am I doing with my life?

What would I rather be doing with my life?

What do I need to do to make that happen?

But I also spend some time being grateful.

Because I may not have my dream life, but this one ain't so bad.

cannes I make a clafoutis?

My lament over not being able to eat pain au chocolat (otherwise known as a chocolate croissant) at chabichou, lead me to thinking about the delicious delights I can no longer enjoy at yet another delightful French cafe: Clafouti.

And then it occurred to me that while a wheat-free croissant is probably not worth having even if it exists, a wheat-free clafoutis might be something I could actually make.

Et voila! Pattycake has a recipe for a wheat-free blueberry & fig clafoutis - what could be better?

The recipe seemed so easy ...

eggs, (almond) milk, honey, vanilla, corn flower ...

add lots of figs and blueberries and it should come out looking like the photo above.

Well, except when it doesn't.

 

So, yes I can make a clafoutis - but not a good one. My custard would not gel and in the end the entire thing was seriously overcooked. Not sure what the deal is with this, but if I've learned anything about baking it's that the second time I make something it usually comes out better ...

At least my hat still looks good and I'm planning to do some other French things with the fine fellow on the boat this lovely long-weekend ;) Joyeux May 24!!

the best chocolate croissant

I may no longer be able to eat wheat, but let me tell you before I made that discovery I was a serious croissant connoisseur. Chabichou has the best chocolate croissant in town and I don't just know this because it is literally up the street.

But I did love getting up late on a Saturday morning and knowing that they would still have some of their delectable, perfectly buttery & flaky, soft chocolate in the middle pastries because they open at the very civilized hour of 10 am.

Now I know it simply as a temple to all things I can no longer enjoy because in addition to their perfect pastries it is primarily a cheese shop.

Although I'm pretty sure I'm not allergic to French boys ...

Ah yes, but back to how I know that those three little darlings on the right are the best thing in town? Well chabichou is a fairly new addition to the world of croissants and I have been eating these anywhere and everywhere they make them in this town for many a year now.

Sometimes they are overdone, frequently they are soggy, often the chocolate is hard in the middle. These are none of those things - they are perfect. But all I can do is smell them and remember the bliss ...

So to cheer myself up I'm pretending to be in a Monet painting (since I'm still pretending to be in France) ... Bonne journee!

French lilacs

Are they really french?

Je ne sait pas.
But my walk home smells like heaven right now.

And since Marcel did ask for them ...

and I am still pretending ...

to be in Cannes ... pourquois pas?

can I go to Cannes please?

Perhaps I wouldn't really like to go during the festival, but these people sure do make it look like fun.

J'adore the south of France and would really like to practice my french, carry Marcel around in a cute panier,

and play boules while wearing an adorable hat.

I can pretend right?

Ten dollars at Forever21 says I can ... et je peut parler francais avec Marcel, non?

I'm a winner

I had to fight quite a few other interested parties for these lovlies. I am super stoked to have won them for $43!!

I was really wanting a "carmel" coloured pair to kinda go with my hair and I love butterflies. They really do follow me around. I even had a pet butterfly when I spent the summer in France when I was 16. I would sun myself in the back yard in my frilly little pink bikini and for 3 days in a row the same butterfly would come and perch on my knee for about ten minutes. So I guess these boots were meant for me.

They were previously owned by a girl named Amber from Covington, Georgia. Here's what she has to say about them: "This is a pair of Dingo Leather Cowboy Boots that I bought from our local Horse Town Store. I live the boots but have only worn them maybe about five times and you know how men are, they think that we always have way to many shoes. So the ones that I didn't where that much I am getting rid of. These Boots are in excellent condition with ABSOLUTELY NO SCUFFS. Only the bottoms have the worn look but the picture does it no justice because I literally only wore them about 5 times. I paid $189.00 + tax for these."

I often wonder why people are getting rid of things and I also wonder how many stories people invent on ebay to explain themselves. But I really hope she isn't getting rid of these because a man guilted her into paring down her closet. That just isn't right! Now this dear girl is trying to figure out how to ship to Canada so that I can clap my hands and jump up and down when I get them. I really don't want to have to send them to my sister in LA, because we wear the same size and that could be dangerous!

I also won these Frye's for $60! Did you know that Frye is the oldest shoe company under continuous operation in the United States and that both Union and Confederate soldiers wore their boots in the Civil War? I sure didn't, but I love the shape and the heel on these darlings and I can't wait to wear them with little summer dresses as soon as they arrive from Dallas. I think it's pretty fun that my cowboy boots are both coming from real cowboy country.

Now I'm guessing a cowboy hat might be overkill ...

buttons and boots

I really have got to find some time to get to my sewing projects. Find some time, make some time - what is that? I guess weekends I just love to laze around and be dozy or get outside and enjoy some nature since I don't do much of either during the week.

I did finally get over to the button shop yesteday and picked out some buttons for a couple of jackets that are looking cheaper than they need to with their crappy buttons. I love these kinds of places and can spend hours looking at every little thing, thinking about what to put them on.

But I went on a break from work and I was in a hurry, so I only had time to do the job at hand. Then when I'd picked out my finds and went to pay I realized I had left my wallet in the office - no! So I gotta race back there today.

On my way back, I happened to get lured into a shoe store (can't imagine how that happened) and became quite enamoured by the Frye cowboy boots.

I've been seriously digging this flirty dress with cowboy boots look for a while now. Probably stems from watching all those seasons of Friday Night Lights over the winter and spending far too much time thinking about Tim Riggins ...

(these should not be worn like this but I think they would be hot with a short skirt)

But these Frye boots, they are not cheap. Ebay to the rescue as usual. I guess ebay and I are seeing each other again ...

cause I wanna win me these boots!

spring in little italy

Marcel would like to show you all the pretty things he sees when he gets up off the table and goes for a walk.

He loves flowers, like the magnificent 3-story magnolia around the corner,

and the apple tree up the street.

He likes forget-me-nots too,

and of course, the last of the cherry blossoms.

He's reminded me that I need to take photos of all the lilacs blooming right now and he'd like me to bring some home too.

Also, he would like a spring hat.

Something like this - very Chariots of Fire.