my stylish - and almost - french girlfriends - Dana

You are getting to know quite a few of my friends!  Today I continue the series that gives you a behind the scenes glimpse of French country life;  I would like to introduce you to Dana, one of my "almost" French girlfriends.  Beautiful, stylish, generous and a good friend.

Dana is mother to four and works in her own upholstery and interior design store in a little market  town in the valley.

Her job keeps her busy, but she still manages to keep a relaxed, happy and colour-coordinated look to her home.  I dropped by to ask her the questions I thought you may like to hear.

Thank you Dana for letting us peek inside your home and store.   I know you are not originally French, but could you explain a little about where you were born and how you came to live in France?


I was born in Poland , I lived in a little village near Cracow, a very beautiful place, I didn't choose to come to France; it happened by chance.  I came here for a holiday 23 years ago, met a tall handsome French boy, fell in love ... and the rest is history!

Did you already speak French when you first arrived here?

I didn't speak any French and my English was very very bad!  First I learnt to speak in English, because my husband and I spoke in English together and French came afterwards.  Today my children have grown up bilingually and   I love to speak in French.

Does that mean you feel totally at home here, or do you think you may opt for a change one day?

Yes, my home is in France now.  I love living here and I love France, but it doesn't mean that I won't  move one day.  Maybe to a country with a language I don't know yet!  I love a challenge!!

You have four children,  all lively and sociable.  I know that you love to entertain their friends and yours in your home; would you say you have a French living style or have you kept some Polish influences?

The way of living in France is completely different to Poland.  But both of them are charming in their own ways, I love to entertain at home, and to see my house dressed up for a party!   Often we have parties where friends arrive with their children too, so the house fills up quickly!

Over the past seven years, we hold big summer parties, often with a lot of people through the whole night.  It is our way to catch up with friends from all over the world, many of whom fly into France just for our evening!

Good wine, good food, fireworks, dancing and the party finishes as the sun rises.

How old is your house, and have you done a lot to renovate it?

It's exactly100 years old, built in 1913.  We have renovated a lot; taken walls down, added the kitchen, made it lighter and more in tune with modern family living.

How would you describe your interior style?

In my own home I change things around a lot, and it always reflects my mood.  At the moment my house is light and colourful, happy and calm!

How do you balance your time between work, family and home?

Everything is important, but family and the children always take priority!

I remember when you first opened your store, and how exciting that was.  What is the atmosphere like,  being one of the shops in a small French country town?

Yes it was really exciting because it was a dream for me, to have my own little store, and be able to help clients make their homes more beautiful.

The advantage of of being in a small town is the quality of life, I walk through the town from my home to the shop, I know everyone on the way, the children always walked to school and we all came home together for lunch each day.

Could you describe your daily routine in  a few words?  

I run around a lot! 

Your store is very feminine, with a mix of colours and a happy atmosphere.  How important is that for you?

As for my home, colour is important.  Beautiful surroundings are important for a tranquil life, and I do my best to  create that in my store, to make my clients feel comfortable and welcome.

Thank you Dana for making us feel so welcome.

Voila!  So dear readers, you may like to know that Dana's house is available on a home exchange site.  She is looking for a house swap for next summer!   Anyone interested?!

 If you are tempted by the idea of exchanging houses with Dana, just drop me a line and I'll put you in touch.

ami crapaud     - the website

ami crapaud boutique

ami crapaud      - le blog

my stylish and - almost - french girlfriend - Marjorie

I am fortunate to meet and to know many talented, creative  and determined women.   Today I am happy to bring you the second in my series about women who have come to France from far away and created a new life for themselves. 

They don't always speak French before coming, they rarely  know which way their lives will turn, but they all come here with a passion and a will to fit in and thrive.

Today you will learn about Marjorie, who arrived from America and made herself a new life and a new living in the wine producing region of Burgundy.

My stylish and - really almost - French girlfriends!

 Hi Marjorie, thank you for letting MFCH come visit with you! We’d love to know more about how you came to live in France, and about the life you have created for yourself here.  What brought you to France, and when?

I moved to France in September of 2008. My daughter, Kendall,  is the real Francophile. She has been living in France for 11 years. I had the opportunity in 2006 to work with Anne Willan at her château in Burgundy and I fell in love with the region. I knew that if I was ever going to make the jump across the pond for good, that was the time. 

 The light-bulb went off that my daughter was never going to return to the states and that my future grandchildren would be French. Even though she had not yet found her very own Frenchman,  her heart and soul were French.

 I went back to the states, sold everything and moved to Burgundy. Being very close as  mother/daughter, we decided to work together and combined our passions to create The Cook's Atelier.

Incidentally, my hunch paid off. She did find her very own Frenchman and I have one grandson, Luc who will be two in June and another little girl, Manon Clair who has just arrived in April.

 Did you already speak French before moving here?

No. I always like to say, "I speak food". My personality is very open and I love to talk.  I find that people are happy to see I am trying.... we work things out. Let's just say, it's a work in progress.

Where did you learn to cook?

I originally trained as pastry chef in the States.  I  had my own restaurant, and when I wanted to come to France and learn some more, I was thrilled to have the chance to work with Anne Willan who founded the Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne .

 Can you tell us what do you love the most about your everyday life here, and give us an idea of your typical day?

A typical working day for me at The Cook's Atelier might begin with a cup of tea as I sit down with my daughter and we work out the logistics for an upcoming cooking class or workshop. We might be hosting clients for a cooking class or preparing for a wine dinner at our atelier.

I may visit a favourite artisan food producer or take our 1983 2CV car (aka Madeleine) for a ride to visit a local brocante or market. Every day is different, but the focus is always on food and creating the life that I have always dreamed of.

How easy is it for an American to set up a cookery school in France?!

Not easy at all. I think that if it wasn't for the fact that the core of our business was to create something together on the same side of the pond. It would have been overwhelming. As they say, tons of red tape, but well worth the challenge.

To begin with I just had  a small flat in centre of Beaune; I needed to make a living, and I decided to completely root myself in Burgundy.  So I said to myself - and my daughter - "all I need to work is a small space, a kitchen, a good stove and hey!  ... an atelier!"

I remember how nervous I was  for our very first clients!  Ten  French men, together for a  birthday celebration!   But we served them good food in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and they loved it!

Today I love my life here. I have friends, I have got to know all our producers;  and of course  I now have two French grandchildren  ... life is perfect!

What do you like about your region of France?

The thing I love the most about this region of France, besides the wine! ,  is that to me, it feels like it is still authentic and although Beaune is small, it is very international.  We receive clients from all over the world.   

  

What words of advice would you have for someone wondering about moving to France?

The process of moving to France can certainly be difficult. Forge ahead. It will be worth the aggravation.  Do what you love every day and people will find you;  we created our life here and the business came  after.   In fact  we had no business plan; we  just started to do what was obvious and our passion became contagious!

It is easy to get hung up on the scary bits, but because we are doing what we really love,  people gravitate ... they come into our lives a little, family is very important.  We have put family first, built our life here as a priority and the rest has just fallen into place.

There is a wonderful film on your website about the man who you buy your cheese from, can you tell us a little bit about that?

  Ah!  This is all about the appreciation of the people behind the food we eat - a vital part of our lives.

It has taken years to get to know our suppliers, but gradually from a simple bonjour as we buy from vendors at the market, friendships have developed.   They know we are passionate about food and about what they are doing, so  they opened up to us.

Today our cooking school is at the forefront of an international movement to support local farmers and sustainable food . 

In celebration of that simple idea, we have created a film series honouring our favourite artisan food producers.  This film about Yan, the shepherd and cheese maker, is the first of the series.  And we were among his first clients when he started his production a few years ago!

Finally Marjorie, the readers at MFCH just love a good recipe - would you be kind enough to share one with us?

Yes of course!   This is one of our favourite spring recipes, when the local farmers market has stands full of fresh asparagus

White asparagus with prosciutto and herbs

Serves 4 to 6

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 pound fresh, fat white asparagus (about 16 spears)

6 slices prosciutto, preferably San Daniele

1 lemon, thinly sliced

a small handful of fresh herbs such as flat leaf parsley, chervil or chives

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, a pinch of sea salt, a couple grinds of freshly ground black pepper and stir briskly into an emulsion.  Taste for seasoning.  Stir well again just before dressing the asparagus.

Peel each asparagus spear to within a couple inches from the tip, then break off the woody end.  Steam just until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.  While the asparagus are still warm, dress with the vinaigrette. Wrap each asparagus with a slice of prosciutto.

To serve, arrange the asparagus on a platter.  Tuck the lemon slices in and around the asparagus and scatter the herbs.  This dish is best served at room temperature with a drizzle of lemon juice.

                                                                    Merci Marjorie !!

  And thank you all for reading.  If you would like to take a cooking lesson with Marjorie in her Atelier in beautiful Burgundy, then just pop over to her site    and say hello!

 The Cook's Atelier

Beaune, Burgundy

marjorie@thecooksatelier.com

photos 1 & 2 http://emilyjohnstonanderson.virb.com/
all other pics The Cooks Atelier

my stylish and - almost - french girlfriend ... Betsy

Today is the start of a new series of posts on MFCH.   You have told me that you liked to hear about my stylish French girlfriends, but there are many other friends I'd like to tell you about who live here but who weren't born in France.

Women who have crossed continents and oceans, sometimes alone, sometimes with their families, to create a new life for themselves in France.  Women who live exciting and creative lives, and who are fully integrated into French life  ... for many people they are living a dream.

Let's see what you think!

Betsy is American, I met her in Normandy, where she has a weekend country home.  I was immediately charmed by her sense of style and her friendly, open approach.  Even more so when I met the whole family and found out about the business that she and her husband have created in Paris.

I tried to ask her the questions that you would like to hear ....

Hi Betsy, thank you for letting MFCH take a peek into your everyday life.  First of all I have to ask you:     What made you move to Paris?

We were already living in London with our young children. I was working in public relations, and my husband in banking.  We started coming to Paris for weekends, we made new friends here, and quickly found ourselves spending more time in Paris than in London.

We bought a little 'pied à terre' apartment in the 7th arrondissement, our favourite part of Paris. We had a lot of good ideas for improving the flat, and that was really what gave us the idea of moving here and starting our own business.  

We packed in our London life, moved here full time and opened our office buying small apartments in need of renovation, doing them up and selling them on to foreigners like ourselves who wanted a base in Paris ... loaded with charm but with decent plumbing and a great kitchen! 

 That can't have been easy!  Where did you start?

Well we knew that we only wanted to work in this part of Paris, so we found an office on the rue de l'Université, and started looking for apartments to rework.   To begin with we couldn't take on very many projects because we didn't know enough people in the building industry to work on site.

Today we work with about 30 really reliable craftsmen, specialising in antique wooden flooring; kitchens; or intricate plaster work, who have their teams at work on our renovations.  This means we can take on several projects at once, and because they are all in the Latin quarter, near our office, we can get round to every site each day on foot!

Did you already speak French when you came here Betsy?

No, I really only had high school French, although my husband could get by already.  But you know, people are friendly here; they could see that we were trying hard, and they were patient, so I have learnt as I've gone along.  Today we have been here full time for nine years, and I still can't pass myself off as French, but I can get by in most situations.

I can tell you really love this part of Paris; would you share a couple of your favourite addresses?

Oh sure!  wow! there are so many places I love to go here, but I guess that for food shopping, my favourite address has to be La Grande Epicerie in Le Bon Marché.  When I want to buy myself something special to wear then I head to Irié, rue du Pre aux Clercs,    and at the moment my favourite place to eat is the restaurant Cinq Mars, rue de Verneuil 

The idea of renovating old property in Paris sounds like many people's dream!  What do you enjoy the most?

Well I love the fact that we have access to 18th and 19th century buildings, and that with some careful planning and attention to detail, we manage to make them into stylish, comfortable and modern flats that stay in keeping with the original architecture and style of this part of Paris.

And of course there is always the unexpected, like in this first floor apartment we are currently working on:  behind the bright yellow walls in the living room, we have found stunning original oak wood panelling on the walls. This is going to be the most beautiful room when we have finished, but when I first saw it with yellow walls and old blue carpeting.... well let's just say that its appeal was well hidden!

Betsy showed me around several of her current projects.  

We only purchase and renovate flats that we could see ourselves living in.  There has to be a real 'coup de cœur'.  The layout of an apartment is often altered, but the bones have to be good.  I love the surprises in my job like when we discover beautiful beams behind a patched up wall 

There must be a lot of people offering pied-à-terres in Paris, why do your clients come to you?

People tell us that they love our streamlined and well-finished approach to our renovations.  All our apartments are delivered  with the original charming window frames and hardware, but with double glazing to keep out any dust and noise.  We also install air conditioning which is unusual in Paris and we soundproof ceilings, floors and walls.

And what about your own homes, in Paris and in Normandy?

Well, we have applied the same principals there as to the properties that we sell. We like light, airy interiors that respect the character of the old buildings, but that are practical and comfortable to live in.

Sometimes a renovation requires some serious lateral thinking, like the kitchen in our Paris flat, when we first visited, it was a very messy pink bathroom, today it is a sleek and practical kitchen!

The house in Normandy is a different style but still designed to be welcoming for family and friends, and to be bright and restful to give us the space and time to relax.

Thank you Betsy!

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed meeting up with Betsy in Paris last week, and visiting her home and the properties she is working on.

If you are dreaming of finding your own pied à terre in Paris, then I highly recommend taking a look at Betsy's website or her blog  and giving her a call.  You'll find the welcome friendly and the portfolio just stunning!