cassis

I went to Cassis yesterday and it was beeeeautiful! omg. If you come to Marseille ever, you must take the 20-25 min drive over to Cassis. Its just this lil town on the coast. Its very busy during tourist season. I didn't do much but walk around, so this is just a taste of how cute it is. I promise.

holiday cards

A friend of mine asked me to help her design the front of her Christmas cards. Here's some cute ideas I've found from Martha.

button snowman cards :: how-to here

ornament cards

photo cards

paper airplane cards (I thought I could apply the same idea to make a tree or snowman)

more later. i know there are a TON of even cuter cards I can make.

where are the all cranberries?!

Okay. So despite that the actual band, the cranberries, is coming to marseille in march, I need some real cranberries to make all my thanksgiving recipes! Marseille, where can I find them?!

So far, I have been invited to like 5 different thanks dinners here. Isn't that crazy?! For those few Americans here, it is a top of line holiday to share. I have picked about 2 or 3 dinners to attend, so I'm in the midst of choosing what I'm going to make.

And I have in mind this dish or garnish or whatever I saw Sookie make on Gilmore Girls (the one show I have watched here, its a comfort thing) and it looked like stuffed oranges with cranberries. More or less, just a orange bowl of sorts, and I'm guessing the actual orange was mixed in with the cranberries. But I can't for the life of me find a recipe for this!

So this is the closest I've found::

cranberry-orange relish (recipe here) of which I will stuff inside an half an orange peel (though I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all those oranges I probably won't use)

or cranberry pear chutney via martha. though I won't get that image of stuffed oranges! it was so pretty. but making something with "chutney" in the title sounds so gourmet like! Maybe.

cute blog find

here

ode to zooey

Zooey Deschanel's wardrobe is ADORBALE in 500 days of summer. I think its coming out on DVD in a couple of weeks? Anyway, here's a reminder of all her cute ensembles in the film as well as other inspirational outfits. love.

beirut + paris

I know this is a bit old (from the summer), but I just love the video work on this and I just love Beirut! Let me know your thoughts. (The video is a bit lengthy, but grab a cup of coffee or tea and watch a bit, its very nice, I promise.)

For those of you who have not been introduced to the fabulous sounds of Beirut...you must engage. If you love eastern european music, mixed with a little american folk/pop sound, you will LOVE it. I...am slightly obsessed. plus the lead singer, Zach Condon, loves France and used a lot of French influences on his last album, the Flying Club Cup.

Here's their video for Postcards from Italy. It basically includes a series of 35mm film footage of various people living their lives. I want a 35mm camera!

I don't know what it is about their music, it just brings a smile to my face.

Leah

identity crisis...fixed

so everyone has it one time or another...an identity crisis.

and though I'm in france, I still struggle with wanting an identity.

like she's a doctor, she's an english teacher, she's a writer, she's a...whatever. well, I've switched identities many times. Mostly coming into use when someone asks you, "what do you do? what did you get your degree in? etc."

well, I've said I'm a writer. and have a degree in theatre...specifically theatre marketing and PR. which is really hard to explain.

bottom line, I have figured it out. I began taking an art class here last week and it became blatantly obvious who I am. in just one class. I am an artist. I come from a family of artists. And I have never claimed this identity, always thinking I was under-qualified to do so, and because I never really engaged in visual art. Though I have dabbled in all other forms of art.

So, hello world. I am an artist. I like to make all forms of art. Though I have no idea how I will use that to pay the bills when I move back to the States, for now, I am very content living in France, studying language and art. Not a bad place to be. ;)

french film night!

Headed over to a friend's for a french film and chili night. Not sure which film to choose.

There are so many avant-garde type films here, so I think we're just gonna swing by the local video rental shop and choose.

But here's a few I've been wanting to check out...

trailer here (with english subtitles!)

trailer here (yes, its in french...but c'est tres cute!)

the trailer (no subtitles needed actually)

trailer here (with subtitles)

trailer here (& w/subtitles)

Leah

i heart sondre lerche

you guys.

doesn't sondre lerche just send you into a trance? (SL is the guy who wrote the music for Dan in Real Life...trust me, you probably would like him)

he looks sort of scrawny, but once he's playing...man, i'm gone. into a world of happiness, glee and contentment (kind of low on the adjectives at the moment...guess its per my lack of reading books in English...okay so i'm not reading any books right now. but after i post this i'm going pick up The Magician's Nephew and finish it this week!).

but he does.

just watch.

and meredith/jessica, i guess he qualifies as a singer/songwriter. but this isn't going to be a trend! so don't get used to it.

Hitting up IKEA tomorrow (eeek, today actually)...woot. And hosting my first dinner party! (school holiday! seems like every other week there is a holiday here. not complaining)

Ok, for my off time here, two goals: 1) read a book a month (per my lack of adjectives predicament, and it also you know, gives you more brain cells or something); 2) travel to one city outside of Marseille a month (there are a TON of cool places to visit for a day trip around here); 3) work on one art project a week (I'm taking an art class from an Italian lady here...she's amazing!). oh i guess that's three.

Anyway, love from France,

Leah

what i'm going to do with my life after france

so...i often get the question, "et apres France?" (and after France?)

"Je ne sais pas" (I don't know)

However, I don't like answering with that response. Ya know? I mean, 1) that is completely uninteresting, & 2) isn't really true.

But basically, after a weekend in the mountains (without a TV or computer--had to MISS the Bama/LSU game!)....I had some time to ponder my life.

So here's what I have narrowed down. I want a job where I can create things for people. That's all I've got. But I can't have one without the other.

Maybe....an event planner for a cool organization or a children's hospital or PR firm? Or, i guess an art teacher, but I don't know if I'm good enough at art to do that. But I do know that under no circumstance can I ever go back to working in front of a computer in a windowless office with little interaction with people for 8 hours a day. that is well....its hell. okay? I said hell on my blog, but I need you to know how awful that type of job is.

i mean i'd rather get a tattoo on my lower back and then have surgery to remove it so it leaves that ugly scar than ever, EVER go back to that type of job. (though i would work there before I'd ever let myself where Mom-jeans when I have kids. that, you can forget about, because it aint happenin'!)

so...i need suggestions on this type of job. got any? and where to find it?

Leah

french eye candy

my mecca

avignon

On my day off last Friday, I took a day trip to Avignon with my friend Charis. By train of course. Only took an hour.

Avignon recently sparked my interest when I discovered that the composer of the score for Where the Wild Things Are (props to my sister for the recommendation, since the film won't get here til December), Carter Burwell, wrote music for a performance that premiered at the Festival d'Avignon in 1984.

The Festival D'Avignon? Isn't that near here? I had to look into it. And what do you know...an hour away and the festival (held for 3 weeks july) happens to be one of the greatest performing arts festivals in the world! With almost 950 performances of dance, theatre, symphonies, guitar concerts, you name it!

Anyway, Avignon's Palais des Papes used to be the residence of the papacy in the 14th century. Thus, a big palace and cathedral is its most well known tourist stop. And probably for locals who like to relax in the palace gardens. Casual, yet beautiful.

We only had about 6 hours in the actual town. Spent mostly at the palace and walking around on its ancient streets. Anyway, can't wait to go back for the festival!

a little courtyard we found by accident

I was addicted to taking pictures of the leaves! I LOVEEEEE autum.

the town