Vivre ma France new blog
Serendipity, L’art de l’accident
Serendipity is the “occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way”. As in I had a fortunate stroke of serendipity. This mysterious word was first coined in the 18th century by English writer Horace Walpol, in a personal letter to friends. Walpole was inspired by a fairy tale called The…
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The Beautiful Art of Découpage
Decoupage is the process of layering paper to make art and can be done on any surface: wood, metallic, cardboard, mirrors, anything almost. Mostly it is a small item like a box or a piece of furniture covered by cutouts from magazines, from wallpaper or from printed images. Each layer is sealed with varnishes (often…
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What to do when Quarantined at Home
In these times of being in quarantine, it is important to do things that bring you joy and calm. Everyone can have added joy in their lives right now, you just need to create it. Many of us have been in quarantine for a month, and for sure we’re all a bit Netflix-ed out by…
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The Colour Orange
Love it or hate, this flamboyant colour can lift your spirits and make you instantly feel happy and alive, something many of us need right now in the time of the Covid-19 virus. Orange is definitively powerful, which is why people have such clear reactions to it. I personally adore the colour orange. I love…
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French Cuisine
French cuisine is considered to be the backbone of cooking for many in the Western Hemisphere. The French eat seasonal, locally sourced food and rely heavily on the terroir (the land) as I’ve talked about in my previous blogs on charcuteries, cheese and wine. French food has also developed extensively over the past 500 years,…
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Leo’s List of Restaurants for 2020
As an event planner and foodie, I have spent over three decades planning cocktails, dinners and parties and I know there are four basic elements that need to be in unison to have a great dinner in a restaurant. Space, Ambience, Service and of course Food and Drink. Let’s break that down: The space needs to…
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Le Louvre
The Louvre Palace is a former royal palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, in the 1st arrondissement. Le Louvre is the world’s largest and renown museum, welcoming over 10 million visitors a year, or 15000 per day. An interesting point is that seventy percent of those visitors travelled from another country to see it.…
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The Gift of Giving
Giving gifts is a complex and key part of human socializing. It helps to define our relationships and strengthen bonds with family and friends. We are social creatures, living in groups, sharing and taking care of each other. To many, the most pleasurable thing you can do is to give a gift to someone you…
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Holiday Baking Treats
I love baking cookies, squares and pies and so for me, many Holiday Season desserts have a no-guilt feel as you devour them. And one needs to be prepared for this guilt free season and you can be with just a few little suggestions on how to make all of those delicious bites of heaven.…
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Red Wine Saves Lives
While the title of my blog is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the reality is that red wine is healthy because it is made from grapes, which are filled with natural resveratrol and antioxidants. Both are great for your body and skin, but also encourage cell growth, improvement of your heart health and may help prevent coronary artery…
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