Hello Lovely

You: What's with the Swedish
vibe on Hello Lovely? You swedish?

Me:
My heritage remains a mystery.
But quite frankly,
I feel Swedish in my bones,
and I can't get enough of the stuff.

On with the Swede show...

april and may

Let's all take a moment to
savor this scandi-serenity, shall we?


marie elisabeth

*whispering*
Swede or not, if you are a painter and don't
feel compelled immediately to grab
your brush after seeing
the photo above,
indeed, I must check
to see if you have
a pulse,
mina kattungar
(my kittens).






Kittens?
I only buy what I cannot live without.
Hence, I snagged the Lynx pillow...on SALE!

Swedish blogsista Monika
(classic and edgy royal highness she is)
has expanded the selection at her shop
Splendid Avenue,
where there are great steals
to be scored right now.



Another sweet steal on sale...this cardigan and


 a quality-made foxy wolf.

Did you know my last name
is fox in French?

and what a foxy gotland sheepskin in the shop!





Go find your bargains!
Should you find treasures at Splendid Avenue,
make sure to leave my name
 when cued at the end of
the order process...the shop has
a killer referral credit!

Peace to you right where you are.



p.s.
Nothing too Swedish about this pic
from Christmas day, but rather SUEDE-ISH.
I wanted to show you
these suede heart headbands I made
for me and family
at our feast and festival of rock.
The suede was taken from a
departed friend's jacket,
and these were a tribute
to him.

me, Bon, and Jo

Tryyyyyyying to pace myself with
all these Paris posts...ya know?

I hope you have room in your
Frenchyfrench Chi-chi-chi hearts
for a lil more Paris.
Today is about feeding our faces.

Reminder:
I love food, but mine is a frugal soul.



Les Orchidees


Yummy Find #1
A Chic Splurge-licious Brunch.

Fancy dinners in Paris can cost a mortgage payment.

Alternatively, get your fancy on at
Les Orchidees within the
Park Hyatt Vendome for brunch.

Of note:
Beautiful glass ceiling.
Posh hotel.
Warm and attentive service.
Movers and shakers everywhere ordering eggs.*

*I spotted tycoons and a French pop star.
Studio execs next to us discussed what
scented candle to leave in JLo's hotel suite
(while she was not checked into the Park Hyatt,
she was in town to give a concert).



Les Orchidees
Hours:
Breakfast 6:30 am to 11:00 am
Lunch 12:15 am to 3:00 pm
Brunch on Weekend 12:15 am to 3:00 pm
Reservations: + 33 (0)1 58 71 10 60

Attire: Casual
Chef: Jean-François Rouquette



Yummy find #2
Divine Crepes and Macarons.

I could eat crepes for every meal.
We sampled the savory buckwheat variety
filled with ham, eggs, and cheese, as well as
sweet ones (sucre) from the lively and
farily priced Breizh Cafe in the heart of the Marais.



I have heard Parisians don't
consume too many macarons,
and that is fine by me...
more for visitors!



Laduree remains my favorite...
vanilla, please!


BTW.
Have you discovered the book
Laduree: Entertaining: Recipes, Ideas & Inspiration (Cuisine Et Vin)
by
Vincent Lemains, Michel Lerouet
and Marie-Pierre Morel yet?????

A must own if you love
menu and table decor advice!



Bonus yum:

Should you have the privilege to sample a
macaron or four at the Park Hyatt, you may note its
flavor is miraculously enhanced with
the hotel's signature scent by Blaise Mautin!



Yummy find #3
3-Courses Without Bankruptcy.

While I am not a meat and potatoes mama,
I knew my husband required his fix
so we tried L'AOC near the apartment.
From their fresh menu of the day, we
sampled duck hearts, roasted pork
and beef dishes, fresh
artisan bread, buttery mashed potatoes,
and apple tarts for 29 Euros each.
Will be dreaming of those mashed potatoes
for awhile.



Yummy find #4
Friendly-Priced Italian Yum.

As a Chicago girl, I need my pizza.
Even in Paris. 
Pasta Papa in the 2nd arrondissement
(6 Rue Danou, Paris 75002)
was perfect for our budget and palates.



Think trattoria style cooking; clean and simply
prepared delish. We dined here
three times, sampling pizza, calzone, pasta,
salad, and wine, and it was all fabulous...
about 15 euros per person.



Yummy find #5
Grocery Store Goodness.

The French grocery store Franprix was just steps
from our front door so we took advantage by
stocking up on the best salad ingredients, yogurt,
meats, cheese, and wine.



This is where you will want to
buy fleur de sel, Maille mustard, and other
food souvenirs.


I'll share part 2 later, sweethearts.
* * * * *
Anyone else exhausted from
post-holiday syndrome
and angsty
from post-holiday waistline?

I am sluggish, grouchy, and
relapsing with my bronchitis/pnemonia
thing...wake me when it's spring, please!

Peace to you right where you are.

Keep reading to get to the recipe.*




Enjoy some wine and cheese
as you prepare the dough
the night before you'll bake them.

*Do lick the bowl.*

The next day: roll out the dough
(or be super lazylike and just
do the cut and bake thang),
cut out shapes, and bake em off.
The frosting is unbelievably sweet-baby-Jesus-delish...you'll see.




Here is the lovely crew we're lucky
enough to call family...we're hosting
Christmas Eve, then, we'll head
to their place for a continuation
of Christmas shenanigans.

Let's bake cookies and
get our merry on, peeps!

Peace to you right where you are.

Because you have not been naughty,
Santa and I are whisking you away
to Paris...to Le Spa
in the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.

You'll like it here.



I know I did.
Bet you will crush on the Blaise Mautin
products you will
exclusively find at Le Spa and
this chic hotel.


Dans mon hoodie le plus confortable!
(Translation: In my coziest hoodie!)

You deserve some pampering and peace
in Paris, doggone it.



Santa will make sure it's just us blogfolk in le spa
in case we feel less than bikini-ready
due to muffintop factors triggered
by buttercream, cocktails,
and allergies to
treadmills.

(Even zee locker room features fabulous
Rosaline Granet bronze sculpted sconces
I introduced to you here.)



The lighting is dim,
and dammit, Rudolph, we like it.



Relaxing yet?
Go sip Evian in a chaise
and peruse a Paris fashion
magazine if that
tingles
your
jingles.



Think Paris stone, mahogany, and onyx waterfall, kittycats.



The whirlpool is love-to-the-ly,
and you will thoroughly enjoy
melting in the sauna
or
inhaling magical eucalyptic
vapors in le steam room.

Is eucalyptic a word?
Girl please.
We are too relaxed for googling.
Plus we don't care.


Reception area to schedule the treatment of your dreams.

Le Spa was such a sweet secret tucked away
in the basement of this delicious hotel...
merci for allowing me to give you
a nutty tour!

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome

Peace to you right where you are.





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with companies I  love and think may interest you.

How are you, my friends?

The holidays...
the best of times
and the worst of times.



I'm crazy 'bout these images from Mokkasin

So often during this busy season,
it's tricky to step away from the trappings,
take a cleansing breath of clarity, and
simply reflect on the the season's
personal meaning, right?




I get weepy this time of year.
I not only feel beautiful things deeply,
I sense
the grief of love lost,
of economic hardship,
and of physical suffering.




The worst of times.
My second beloved dad, Big Jim, is not with us.
My mother is battling breast cancer.
Violence in the world seems
out of control.




The best of times.
I sense the wonder of Christmas
almost as if I am a young child.




We hosted a holiday party Wednesday
(12/12/12 was a fun date to schedule it!),
and though the adult me covered the cooking,
baking, cleaning, and fluffing, it's hard to
imagine anyone enjoyed the evening
as much as the child who is me.



I loved connecting with positive people
from every denomination who
gathered with smiles
and without judgment.




I felt fully engaged and energized by
friendship, love, laughter, good will,
and the sweet spirit of the season.



I used to get overstimulated by Christmas as a child.
I can't lie.
Sometimes I was bitchyspice unwrapping
the EasyBake oven.
In my defense, booze was not an option for
taking the edge off.


artist: unknown

You already know I'm a Jesus lovin freak,
so maybe comprehending the layers
of love and meaning
within His birth
while also contemplating
a nice plump man who
would be navigating our chimney
(but maybe not everyone's chimney),
weirded me out.



The best of times. The worst of times.


All four of us under one roof for the holidays.
My heart may burst.

We hosted another dinner party
for close friends tonight,
and I danced under our
disco ball with a
7-year old to
"I'm Sexy and I Know it/Gangham Style."
The best of times.




I am so grateful for the rich moments
the holidays compel us to seize.



I am grateful for you.
For the time you take to read me.
For a wonderful year of blogging
and connection.


I wish you joy during these holy days.



I wish you warmth and tenderness.



And I wish you peace. Right where you are.