France

My friend Shannon is currently in Paris. So I have been thinking about Paris and French things lately, and there are lots of wonderful french things to covet. Like these amazing animals by Frederique Morrel. I want one above my mantle. The artists find antique tapestries throughout France and then apply them to the taxidermed-like animal figures. Aren't they amazing? I think I have a special appreciation for them right now because I am reading Beatrice and Virgil: A Novel by Yann Martel, which prominently features a taxidermist and devotes much to explaining and really defining the art behind taxidermy. I am also loving this chair, called the Corvo chair and designed by French woodworker and artist Noé Duchaufour Lawrance. Each chair is handmade and completely unique. It looks so feminine and comfortable, doesn't it? And could easily fit in a room with a more modern aesthetic or a more traditional one. And when it comes to baby and kids clothes- oh my! I have already shared my love of Catimini (which, as an aside, brings me to a funny story. I had asked Zach to dress Tate in one of his Catimini outfits for Ben and Andrea's housewarming party, and when he arrived, it was on backward. Zach claimed that this was a natural mistake since the buttons (which are supposed to snap up the back) should snap up the front. After all, he claims, these are baby clothes we are talking about. Once he had identified this, we realized that all our Catimini outfits only snap up the back, a potentially annoying trait as any parent who changes a dozen or so diapers a day can tell you. Zach's response to this realization? "Don't French babies poop?" We laughed and laughed and ultimately decided that French babies must be so chic and sophisticated that they either a) don't actually poop, or b) politely babble "maman, les poope es dans ma butt" while coyly looking over their shoulder as they wait for aforementioned maman to unsnap their cute french catimini outfit from the back. Whereas American babies like Tate just wail).

Ok, where was I?

Oh yes, french children's clothes. Obviously, the old standby Le Petit Bateau is classic for a reason. I absolutely love the few Petit Bateau outfits we got for Tate, and they will be among those I save for posterity (since, believe it or not, he is officially growing out of some of the first outfits we bought him). Aren't their items so darling? And they are incredibly well-made. So cozy. I can imagine cuddling Melissa's little girl Annie in this.

So Parisian, isn't it? All Tate needs is a pint-sized beret and a little red bike.

I mean, could this Picasso-esque t-shirt be any cuter? (And, in case you're like Zach and would want to know, Le Petit Bateau onesies do button up the front).

And last but not least, I wanted to leave you with a recipe for my some of my favorite french snacks, chouquettes, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. I could eat these airy, crispy, crunchy, eggy, custardy little puffballs all day. Truly. I could. But they need a special sugar, which I could order online but would probably be much more special if purchased from the specialty bakeshop in Paris mentioned in the recipe... (hmmm...if only I knew someone in Paris who might read this...)