A big resolution for a slimmer me.

Maria Callas, before her weight loss. Via.

Maria Callas, after her weight loss. Via.

Deborah Voigt before her weight loss. Via.

Deborah Voigt after her weight loss. Via.

Me, before my weight gain, eight years ago (I was twelve, but still.)

Let me start this post by a disclaimer that I do not whatsoever encourage eating disorders and this blog isn't and will never be pro-ana. This said, I do believe that slim is more beautiful than big, and no one, including myself, should feel guilty for wanting to get in better shape.

To be honest, I haven't been feeling happy with the way I looked for a long time. It is easy not to see problematic areas in the winter, when clothes hide and tone your skin. But in a summer dress, everything is much more visible and you get out of your denial. Following a recent incident where an article of clothing I hadn't worn for a long time did not fit, despite someone else pulling the zipper for me while I held my breath (a little bit like this scene from Desperate Housewives, except that in real life, as it happened to me, it was far less hilarious), I decided to seriously take my weight in charge. This time, I will be posting a food and exercise diary on this blog, for everyone to see, which will make me think twice about procrastinating or pigging out. 

In the meanwhile, I've been giving myself a little motivational talk on why it would be good to lose some extra weight. Here's a few points:

- You don't have to worry about something not fitting.
- You can wear any style.
- One word: vintage. The tiny sizes of the fifties and before will fit you!
- A man, lifting you in his arms like a feather if your feet hurt, or just because.
- Oh, well, if you're having a gallant rendez-vous, you'll feel more confident about your appearance. And girl-on-top won't send the gentleman to the emergency room for a broken back.
- Less painful joints, legs, etc. More easiness to exercise. In fact, to stay in shape, you're motivated to exercise, which any health specialist in the world would agree is essential to remain in good health and live longer. 

Also, after gathering a lot of information, whether from books, magazines, online, word-to-mouth or simply common sense, I've come up with a few rules I want to apply to make my weight-loss easier and healthier:

- Eat whole (grains, sugar) as much as possible.
- Avoid or eliminate soft drinks (this is going to be difficult as I am quite the Diet Coke addict). 
- Replace sweeteners with raw sugar. 
- When about to stray from my plan, drink a large cup of water.
- Drink sparkling water with lemon or lime juice to flavor.
- Drink unsweetened tea. 
- Exercise 1 hour a day. 
- Stick with the plan. 

Well, do wish me good luck. As I go through this "journey" (now I'm making myself sound dramatic...), I will be sharing some tips and insights that hopefully some of you may find hopeful.

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Turning French on you - Part II - Wardrobe basics

Question: how does one spot a French tourist/expat? (And there are many in the DC area, if anyone's interested in practising.)
Possible answers:
1) The Hollister/Abercrombie shopping bags and Starbucks mugs. 
2) Zi accent (which is only #2 on my list of #adorable things after Persian kittens)
3) Their effortless chic style and radiant appearance (for most!). 

Although the correct answer would be a nonexistent 4) All of the above (and this is why I should never work at preparing tests for the College Board ...), for the second installment of my series on French style, I will be talking to you about some of the basic pieces every fashionable French woman has in her wardrobe, and how to emulate the impression of beauty and elegance they give. 

Without any further ado, let's get to the list!
- A pea coat. Preferably black, double-breasted, and in a classic cut. If I should add a fifth option to the question above, that would be it, as the black pea coat is the unofficial uniform of French girls. Nevertheless, it is one of the items you do not want to snob despite its large popularity.
- A scarf. French girls LOVE their scarves, from the small silk carré to the large, chunky hand-knitted variety. And since Anglomania is quite a French characteristic these days, the famous Alexander McQueen skull scarf seems ideal However, you can opt for a more colourful design or a vintage silk scarf.
- A tote bag. In leather, preferably, and in dark brown or black. It is no secret that women carry practically everything in their purses and France is no exception to the rule, especially in big cities where people drive less and walk or use public transport more. I'm in love with this Hermès design, which I guess will be a treat to myself for my very first big professional accomplishment.
- Skinny jeans. Let me start this with a disclaimer that although I DO NOT encourage anorexia, this isn't the official blog of Teletubbies Land, so I am free to say that I find slim, fit women more attractive than full-sized figures. And after that, you do whatever you want with your body and your health. But back to the subject of French fashion: French women are slim, and skinnier than the average American. How they accomplish this is subject to speculation (Lots of walking? Dukan diet? Smoking too much? Eating less junk?...), but the point remains that they are often seen in skinny jeans. I personally find them to be greatly motivating to eat better and to exercise more to still fit in them. Selection criteria? Something that fits like a second skin, in a dark wash preferably. 
- Ballet flats. Preferably black (again!) and very simple, in a natural material (leather, etc). Repetto is the classic brand that all French fashionistas swear by. Well, they walk a lot, bless them, so they can't constantly wear high heels. 

*Brief interruption to our program. What do you mean, all of this is too expensive? Well, do forgive me, my dears, but while making today's collage, I am in quite an expensive mood (Even if I can't exactly afford  what I am featuring... Yet. Yeah, this redhead's bound to reach the stars.) But well, I'll leave it to you to find less expensive yet still high-quality alternatives. WHAT? It wouldn't nearly be as much fun if I did all the work for you! Not to mention, linking's a pain in the arse. 
And now, we return to our program.*

- A top with an androgynous touch. Androgynous has been around since the sixties, but the fun part is to insert little details (like the tie on the Sonia Rykiel top featured above) while keeping the rest feminine.
- A flirty top. Featuring nearly-transparent organza and a delicate cut. Ideal for a date night or just because you want to feel feminine and sexy; et voilà!
- The classic cardigan. The Agnes-b like cardigan is a wardrobe staple. I recommend having a few in black, gray, white and one or two colours that flatter your skin tone and hair colour.
- Sexy bra and panties. Although I've covered the lingerie aspect in the previous French Style article, I couldn't resist but feature this charming ensemble by Fifi Chachnil, an amazing French lingerie designer that - gasp - I prefer to the cliché Agent Provocateur. Not that I mind AP, but I prefer Fifi.
- Opaque tights. Remember, French girl, hot body? Les Françaises love to highlight their long legs by wearing short skirts, tunics or shorts. As this can be borderline inappropriate for some situations (or maybe it's too cold, or maybe you're too lazy to shave your legs), black opaque tights are an essential.
- A chic party dress. Now this has nothing to do with the stuff you find in the formal section at Macy's. No trashy cocktail dress is allowed. The rule is the following: simple, elegant and tasteful. 
- The perfect high heels. I've got nothing more to add, this Givenchy pair says it all.



Here's a few pointers to summarize French style:
- Invest in quality pieces. And take good care of them.
- Be parsimonious with colours, logos, sequins and other flashy embellishments.
- Find the delicate balance between minimalistic, feminine and grungy.

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Turning French on you, Part I - Frisky foundations

To celebrate Fête de la Bastille, the French national holiday, I have decided to make a series of posts on how to recreate French women's effortless élégance. Whether they're celebrities or just anonymous beauties you run into, French women have this way of looking permanently chic and beautiful, making others envious to craziness. Having lived in Paris and being French at heart after all, I know myself some of those secrets that I am more than delighted to share with you. 
For this very first post, I will start with a selection of lingerie. I believe in wearing beautiful, sexy underwear at all times as opposed to having one or two beautiful sets that you keep for special occasions, and wearing difform, discoloured underwear the rest of the time. After all, the foundation matters, no matter what you wear. Even if I'm wearing jeans and a tee-shirt to run errands, I feel confidant and feminine if I'm wearing beautiful lingerie below.
And for those worrying about the cost of lingerie: you don't have to invest a fortune for that. I lived in Paris on a student budget, so I made it a point to hunt down beautiful, high-quality, yet affordable lingerie.

From left to right, top to bottom:
- Leopard, a basic. Bra,8$; thong, 4$, Forever21.
- Peach lace, soft and romantic. Bra, 8$; boxers, 4$, Forever21.
- Black and white lace. Bra, 8$, thong; 4$, Forever21.
- The retro temptress set. Corset, 11$; high-waist panties, 5$; Forever21.
- Retro lace panties. Don't they look so deliciously vintage? 37$; Modcloth.
- Black lace-trimmed set. Bra, 10$; panties, 5$; Forever21.
- Black ribbon-trimmed bra, 8$; Forever21.
- Black lace push-up bra, 20$; H&M (A personal favourite, the push-up effect is... perfect.)
- Rose and lavender lace push-up bra, 8$, Forever21.
- Mauve lace push-up bra, 20$, H&M.


A few tips:
- Don't shy away from affordable brands. I think that H&M and Forever21 have quite decent lingerie. But forget about thrift stores or sketchy boutique. A rule of thumb: if it looks and feels cheap, then it is cheap.
- Try as much as you can to wash your lingerie (and tights) by hand (with lukewarm water and baby shampoo) and let it air dry. If you don't have time for that, machine-wash them in a fillet with the delicate setting, and dry them on the lowest heat.

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A curious thing, luck.

Arriving in Ottawa. Photo credits to my friend Jessica. 

I do not appreciate man-created fear. There's already enough reasons to stress/worry without having to generate more that are unfounded. This is why I have decided a long time ago that 13 is my lucky number, making it my trademark. So I declare today is going to be a lucky day. Maybe nothing much is going to happen (I'm in lazy mode, just want to lay in bed and play Sims...), but I'm going to fill in on luck and carry it with me for the days to come. Okay, this sounds ridiculously naive, but well.

I would have used such a day to tell you about my various superstitions/beliefs and the lucky objects I carry with me to protect myself from bad luck - for example, in the Mediterranean tradition, I always wear turquoise to protect myself from the Bad Eye. But I am 1) In Ottawa, meeting yet another former high school friend, 2) in lazy mode, as in, veeery lazy mode. So I guess we'll have to wait until Friday, September 13th, 2013. Or not!

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Welcome back, old friend

A while ago, Father's Day was celebrated. For years, I have felt terribly uneasy on this holiday or whenever anyone asked me about my own father, because him and I had been estranged for years. During these years, a part of me wished I could have him back in my life. As my search for substitute fathers went disastrously wrong, I realized there was only one man who could fill this role, and that was the one who was there in the first place. 

A little over a year ago, my father and I reconciled. We have not yet seen each other, since he lives thousands of miles away, but we are more than definitely back in each other's lives. I am hoping he will be at my graduation from NYU, to walk me down the altar on my wedding day, to accompany me through those other precious moments in life and make up for all those he has missed. 

It's a funny thing, reconciliation. In February 2011, a few months before I wrote to my father after finding his profile on Facebook, I had a fight with someone I care about more than anyone could possibly imagine. Losing this person's friendship and trust was devastating, and for months, I wished so much for her to forgive me, for us to be reconciled. Eventually, we did. Still, I aged, as if I had gained decades in only months. I took life and the meaning of things more seriously, and decided to become a better person; to do everything I can to prevent people from being hurt; to avoid accidentally hurting anyone; to think before I speak or act and weigh my actions. 

Years before, this very woman had once asked me where my father was. I had told her we were estranged, and that I thought it was going to be forever. Her words to me were that one day, with distance, I'll be able to get past my then-current feelings and welcome him back in my life. Dear, dear lady, how right she was. In May 2011, a few weeks before I left Paris, I wrote to my father asking for us to be reconciled. I finally found the strength in me to reach out for him and I was quite glad I did. 

It's a funny thing, reconciliation. You think you've ruled out people from your life. But then, as this dear lady said, once you get some distance and can think over the situation with a clearer head and less anger, you realize that the good things counterbalance what got you in a fight in the first place. 

But then, there are instances when no matter how much you try to fix relationships, people are toxic and nothing you can do can change that. In this case... run for your life. 

And start sending tons of doughnuts to the police department; someday you might need a restraining order, so you'll want to be very friendly with those guys. 

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This week

I left for Montréal last Sunday, after a day and a half without power due to the storm that caused some pretty serious damage in the DC area. As many of you know, my fondness for anything remotely French has absolutely no limits, and what I love about Montréal is that I got to see some very dear friends from high school. It is a bit of an inner joke to anyone who has been to the French International School (like me!) that most of us end up at McGill or Concordia. Well, not me, I go to NYU.

By all means, here's a little photo recap of my last week: (Left to right, top to bottom)

1) Ancient Greek art at the front entrance of the place where I'm staying.

2) Interesting flip-flop art and studs. Well, lifeless studs but still.

3) Architecture in downtown Montréal. It is so reminiscent of Toulouse, I couldn't possibly love it more. Unless it actually was Toulouse.

4) Outdoors dinner party at a very dear friend's, Marie, where we roasted marshmallows over tea lights and joked on how much it looked like the end of Wagner's Die Walküre. (Must be a crazy opera fan to understand...)

5) My friend Jessica's laptop. She's a crazy Johnny Depp fan.

6) A street by the Old Port, an area that looks incredibly like Paris.

7) An alley with modern art sculptures.

8) More modern art by the Old Port.

9) The Notre-Dame basilica. It simply looks too much like Notre-Dame de Paris. And the street at the intersection, Saint-Sulpice, reminds me of my favorite scene of Massenet's opera Manon. 

10) A little boutique where Christmas lasts all year long. Of course, it's my favourite holiday, so the fondness level is at about, a hundred. (And you may have noticed I am extremely fond of the word fondness).

11) Reddish bricks that are, again, very reminiscent of my beloved Toulouse. And yes, I've been driving my friends crazy by constantly exclaiming of how much everything reminded me of France.

12) We've enjoyed the amazing nightlife to celebrate the end of my friend's exams (she's taking summer courses), and also the fact that I can legally consume alcohol here. Ah, the joys of being young...!

13) The metro was closed by the end of our wild night, so we walked back home. Even after quite a few drinks and euphoria from the club's atmosphere (okay, mainly from the drinking... haha), I couldn't help being my usual fashionista and notice the lovely cut of this dress, very 60s-inspired, and it's colour, which would certainly flatter my red hair.

14) A lovely chocolaterie. Now that's the kind of store I see myself opening in Bethesda in a few years. Not to mention, I love the name.

15) The pedestrian part of Rue du Prince-Arthur at sunlight. A wonderful place to walk, with tons of nice restaurants, street artists, coffee shops, etc.

16) Espresso allongé and a chocolate cookie at Second Cup, the coffee shop where I spend most of my time working on my blog or my novel (...), or simply slacking on Facebook. It's open 24hours, like many places in the area. Now that's something we could really use in Bethesda!

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Retrospective

Photos via Style.com

I am surprisingly satisfied with the Chanel Fall 2012 Haute Couture collection. The past few (along with so many other designers) left me a little disappointed, but I LOVE the obvious retro touch on the outfits that finally bring back the spirit of Coco Chanel. And then of course, there were a few silhouettes that left me horrified, since there was no meaning, no unity, no shape in the outfit, but well, at least it wasn't all of them. At least now I'm not lusting over photograph of vintage Alix Grès and Balanciaga and wishing today's designers would finally stop producing, well, crap, and learn from the Masters of old times. 

I am a little appalled at the fact that in the comment sections on popular fashion websites, people are saying stuff like "Karl, my grandmother called, she wants her outfits back." I think it's a blatant lack of culture and spirit to scorn at the past: our grandmothers at least knew how to dress elegantly.
In my opinion (and it is a very strong one), today's designers, who are revered and worshiped, can't create a fraction of the beauty that you find in what today is vintage. I wish they could get off their self-appointed pedestals and look behind for a moment, learn from the past.

And now, I'm going to lust over some Alix Grès, Elsa Schiaparelli and Balanciaga... They're all over my Pinterest boards.


Talking about retro, I am currently in Montréal visiting a dear friend from high school. I left on Sunday morning after I realized I wouldn't be able to withstand another moment in DC without power and heat after Friday's storm. I must say I absolutely love this city, which has this incredible French feel to it. It reminds me sometimes of Paris, sometimes of Toulouse, where everything is old, everything has a long history. 
And obviously, you know me, I'm fond of anything that reminds me of France. I'll tell you more about Montréal as I explore it (in my favorite way of exploring a city: getting lost and going in circles to find my way back), and definitely upload pictures by the end of the week! In the meanwhile, tune in on my Facebook page for snippets! 


And finally, Happy 4th of July to all my fellow Americans!

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Macarons

One day, about two weeks ago, I managed to bake perfect macarons. And when I did, I baked some more!   So here's my recipe and success tips to make those little guys. I just have to warn you, they can be quite tricky you might have to throw away dozens of batches before one succeeds.

The macarons shown in the pictures are lavender-dark chocolate, so far my favourite flavor. But you can do many others, like raspberry (the easiest, you only put a few drops of red food colouring in the meringue and then fill them with jam), orange/lemon/lime (you can use extract or better, powder flavouring, widely available at grocery stores (I bought mine from Giant) or online).

Material:

Baking sheets (preferably thick to prevent the macarons from getting too brown).

Parchment paper (important, to prevent the macarons from sticking. Foil just doesn’t do it).

Pastry bag (1/2 inch or 1 centimeter opening)

Hand mixer with whisk attachment

Food processor

Sieve

Spatula

Bowl 

Ingredients:

¾ cup ground almonds

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

¼ cup fine sugar

2 egg whites

Gel food colouring (important: do not use liquid because it alters the texture).

Flavorings (essential oils, extracts, powder flavorings, etc).

Prep work:

- If you are using whole dried almonds, blanch (boil in hot water) them for a few minutes to make the skins easier to peel. After that leave them in the oven for about 5 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit to remove as much of the moisture as possible. Then grind them to a fine powder in a food processor.

- Up to a day before: separate the egg whites from the yolks, keep in a container with paper towel loosely tied on top in a cold place or in the refrigerator. It’s important to age the egg whites so they lose some of their moisture. An hour before you begin making the macarons, take the egg whites out to let them get at room temperature. If you’re in a hurry, put them for a few seconds in the microwave.

- Put the bowl and the whisk mixer attachments in the freezer for at least half an hour. This is a very important step to get a firm, glossy meringue, because you need to shock the room temperature egg whites.

- Process the ground almonds and the confectioner’s sugar together. Sift in a bowl. Mix in any powder flavoring (cocoa, instant coffee, etc.)

The delicate procedure:

1)      Beat the egg whites into stiff foam. Once they become opaque, start adding the fine sugar little by little. Keep beating them until they become firm and glossy like shaving cream. If you turn the bowl upside down and they don’t fall, they’re ready. Be careful not to over-beat them at this point because they could become runny again.

2)      Add a third of the almond-sugar powder and fold it carefully. This is where you add gel food colouring and liquid flavorings (be careful with those because they can alter the texture). Once the powder is well mixed in, add another third and repeat. Add the final third and mix it in, observing the consistency. This step is crucial because if the mixture becomes too runny, macarons won’t hold their shape once piped and might stick together, and if it’s too stiff, they will have a peak and not look like macarons. It should form a thick ribbon on your spatula.

3)      Put the mixture in a piping bag. An easy way to do this is to put the bag in a large cup, which makes it much less tricky to fill it.

4)      Pipe down the mixture on the parchment-lined baking sheets in small, evenly sized and spaced circles. This is where you sprinkle them with something if you want to (lavender buds, fleur de sel, etc.)

5)      Tap the baking sheets on a surface to release the air bubbles trapped in the mixture. This step is crucial because it will prevent cracking in the oven.

6)      Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes to an hour. This step is also crucial because this is how they will form a little foot on the bottom. They are ready when you touch them and they don’t stick to your finger.

7)      Preheat your oven to 310 degrees Fahrenheit.

8)      Bake the macarons for 7 to 10 minutes. This can vary and depends of many things, including the size of your macarons and the heat/humidity of your kitchen. It is better to bake them to a minimum time of 7 minutes and progressively add minute by minute until they’re ready. Baking them too much might result in cracked tops and browned bottoms.

9)      Let the macarons cool for fifteen minutes. DO NOT attempt to take them off the baking sheet during that time: the insides can be still runny and the macaron will fall apart. 

10)  Assemble the macarons: add a little bit of filling on one shell then put the other shell on top.

Some filling ideas:

- For fruit-flavored macarons raspberry jam, orange marmalade, blueberry jam, etc.

- For caramel macarons: store-bought caramel sauce with fleur de sel

- For more refined flavors such as ginger or lavender: chocolate ganache (2/3 chocolate to 1/3 heavy whipping cream, microwaved for 20 to 30 seconds and stirred together.)
-For tiramisu: cream cheese OR Greek yoghurt, ½ cup confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon of instant coffee, two tablespoons of whisky OR cognac.

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