Je ne parle pas Francais

Warm this winter!!!

2009-10-22T12:41:00.003+01:00

Long time no see, you guys! There have been some changes in my life and I've got a job in Gibraltar so I'm moving to Spain! Isn't that exciting?!

I'm going to have to take a break from writing on this blog, and maybe start another blog. I'll keep you posted! I'm also freezing Pumpkin Peach while I get everything sorted.

Thank you very much for your support!

We're gonna live it up, I promise, just hold on a little more!

2009-06-29T11:34:00.003+01:00

This title is a lyric from Friendly Fires' great song about my favourite city- Paris!

I've been up and down lately, fighting the bank to make a payment so I can get Pumpkin Peach stock (I'm moving my account as soon as this payment is processed as to take a month to make a CHAPS payment is disgusting!) and was very close to getting a good job, which I eventually didn't get.

I'm not sad, even though it's been a tough time for us in general. Instead of focusing on the bad things, I choose to focus on the positive things. I'm getting a pair of new glasses and planning our holiday for this year. We're still undecided, however I'd prefer Skiathos, a Greek island.

I'll revamp my CV and enjoy the company of my friends, whom I don't see as often as I'd like as they're all scattered around the world!

Wishing you a great week ahead, I leave you with my new fad (apart fromVictorian Lemonade, of course LOL):

If life gives you lemons...

2009-06-04T13:42:00.022+01:00

Trade them in for some of that nice Fentimans' Victorian Lemonade I've been going on about :)

My best friend from childhood has posted on her blog a series of oracle style questions and I'm going to oblige:

If I were a month of the year, I'd be.... July, because it's so nice and warm! I'm always complaining that I'm cold. Somebody said I should live in Brazil!

If I were a day of the week, I'd be.... Saturday! It's great when I wake up on a Saturday morning and know I've got two days all to myself!

If I were a part of the day, I'd be... Mid-Morning! That's when I feel most alert.

If I were a marine creature, I'd be... one of those fish that clean sharks' teeth without being eaten!

If I were a direction, I'd be... Right. I'm right handed, so it seems natural.

If I were a virtue, I'd be.... Friendliness. I love to have friends and I'm a very loyal friend.

If I were a historical character, I'd be... Josephine Bonaparte. I like the good life!

If I were a planet, I'd be... a planet not from this solar system, but somewhere faaaaaar away.

If I were a liquid, I'd be.... pomegranate juice! All nice and sweet but good for your health!

If I were a type of rock, I'd be... Uluru in Australia! It sure stands out.

If I were a bird, I'd be... a Dodo, just so I can say they're not extinct!

If I were a plant, I'd be... a David Austin Rose! Pretentious but ravishing!

If I were a type of weather, I'd be... sunny and scorching hot! See above.

If I were a musical instrument, I'd be... quite clearly an electric guitar! I've missed my vocation!

If I were an emotion, I'd be... gurgling with delight!

If I were a sound, I'd be... the sound of wind thorough a willow tree.

If I were an element, I'd be... air. Just because it might be warmer!

If I were a song, I'd be... "Atmosphere" by Joy Division.

If I were a film, I'd be... "Amelie". God, I love that film! It's about my favourite things in life: Paris, love and doing good!

If I were a TV Series, I'd be... Little Britain! I find it very funny.

If I were a book, I'd be... "Words in a French Life" by fellow blogger Kristin Espinasse.

If I were a fictional character, I'd be... Felix Krull from " Confessions of Felix Krull", an unfinished novel by Thomas Mann. We're both ruthless LOL

If I were a type of food, I'd be... a fancy main course from a Michelin starred restaurant.

If I were a taste, I'd be... the taste of Morelli ice cream! All creamy texture, no matter what flavour!

If I were an aroma, I'd be... sandalwood!

If I were a colour, I'd be...turquoise. It's my favourite colour!

If I were a fabric, I'd be... fairtrade cotton.

If I were a word, I'd be... Now.

If I were a body part, I'd be... the hands. You can't do anything without your hands.

If I were a facial expression, I'd be... a smile.

If I were a school subject, I'd be... Literature.

If I were a cartoon character, I'd be... Licia, from "Kiss me, Licia" or "Aishite Knight"

If I were a shape, I'd be... the hourglass! :)

If I were a number, I'd be... 25. That's how old I'll be this year!

If I were a car, I'd be... an old Fiat 500! Those things are tiiiiiiiny!

If I were a garment, I'd be... a pair of indigo skinny jeans! You don't see me out of them.

I hope you've enjoyed this long set of questions and answers and are more than welcome to do it yourselves!!!

Back from home!

2009-05-26T12:35:00.003+01:00

I don't know about you, but to me Paris is just like home! We've been back since yesterday and I'm already thinking about our next trip. We got some lovely One of a Kind items for Pumpkin Peach, French brocante goodies so I'll keep you posted about that.

It was lovely! Not even rain, strikes, manifestations or vandalism could ruin the memory for us. We' ve been very well looked after by the greatest hostess ever ( Thank you a billion times!) and can't wait to return the favour!

While I gather all my thoughts, here's a taster of Paris:

Cartoon Thursday!

2009-05-21T11:56:00.002+01:00

I woke up this morning with a great appetite for Disney cartoon music!!! I've started packing out bags for tomorrow evening (We're going to Paris!!! Yikes!). What best music to pack to than this song:

or this one:

The unbearable Victorian Lemonade addiction!

2009-05-15T13:08:00.004+01:00

Yesterday The Blonde took a break from all that hard studying (yawn!) and we decided to go shopping for some presents for our friends in Paris.

There's this lovely deli emporium about 60 miles from where we live- I know- 60 miles, but it's worth it! We got some lovely goodies for our friends and couldn't resist getting some delicious refreshing Victorian Lemonade for myself! I absolutely adore it. I'm sorry I don't have pictures of the actual bottle as I drank the lemonade like there was no tomorrow!

We've also been to a Fired Earth showroom and drooled over their Bastide Kitchen range and their AGA cooker:

Hope everybody has a great weekend!

Le crayon...

2009-05-09T14:48:00.006+01:00

This Saturday The Blonde is studying for his accountancy qualification exam, being held on the 19th this month. He's 35 and still studying, but you're never too old to study! Hell, even I might do a Masters in a couple of years' time. I thought about an MA in French Studies. Most of my friends are either full Doctors or studying for a Doctorate. I feel left behind LOOOOOL.

Back to The Blonde. He absolutely hates it! He just sits there chewing on his pencil and has sneak peeks at the end of the book (where the solutions are). From time to time he moans "I'll never need this *&%~".

In order to escape this, I went shopping and got the most humongous piece of ribbon. Because I love ribbons so much, I've decided to start collecting them. Below you can see the picture of the ribbon roll next to my hand, for size:

J'ai deux amours...

2009-05-05T13:23:00.002+01:00

We've set the date for our Paris sourcing trip. We're going on the night between 22nd and 23rd of May and getting there in the morning, fresh for the brocante. A kind friend is putting us up for the weekend and we're coming back on the 25th. I don't know where I'd be in this world without friends. :)

I have managed to get over my job interview disappointments and I'm strating afresh, with a revamped CV and a brand new winning attitude!

I've had to postpone the Big Launch for Pumpkin Peach, because I want to have everything ready and not run around like a headless chicken LOL

Here's something for the Parisians at heart, from the greatest Parisian at heart, Josephine Baker:

Fight enemies with love!

2009-04-23T15:38:00.002+01:00

I've been today through a horrific experience, a job interview from straight from hell! They belittled me and acted generally nasty towards me. I'm not even going to type their name as it might get them higher up in Google LOL

I'll put it down to experiences and thank my lucky stars it was just an interview. If they were like that at interview stage, what would they be like to work for?!

In the words of Planet Perfecto: "Fight fire with fire, fight enemies with love".

Second Easter!

2009-04-17T14:05:00.002+01:00

Yep, this weekend's my second Easter, the Orthodox one. If you think I haven't prepared for the 1st one, last weekend, you should hear about this one! I haven't done anything, zero, zilch, nada, rien! I'm just not in the mood, you know.

I'm going for 2 interviews next week, so wish me luck!

I'm expecting some Pumpkin Peach products so watch this space.

Lately I've been listening to Fleet Foxes:

Hunting high and low...

2009-04-14T12:34:00.002+01:00

After being here, there and everywhere at Easter, it's time for me to start hunting high and low! For a job that is. I've got my finger in plenty of pies, however none of them pay very well :) It's time for me to go back to working in an office!

Here's good ol' Dolly for you:

Two Easters!!!

2009-04-07T15:10:00.002+01:00

Anybody preparing for Easter yet?! I'm one of the lucky ones. Because I'm Orthodox, I celebrate two Easters (greedy!): my husband's, this weekend and mine, next weekend! Double the Chocolate Easter Egg allowance!

I think The Blonde might whisk me away this weekend to somewhere special, though I don't know where that might be.

ps: Don't you just love these painted eggs?! The work that goes into them, it's amazing!

Paris in the spring...

2009-04-07T14:59:00.002+01:00

I've always wanted to go to Paris in the Spring and it seems like this year my wish will come true!

I'm going on a Pumpkin Peach sourcing trip in May and expect loads of One of a Kind goodies!!!

Till then, Pumpkin Peach's official opening is neigh!!! I can't wait, I'm so excited. Keep you posted!

ps: Sorry for being so scarce lately, however I've been to some job interviews and have another one coming.

I leave you with my fave song at the moment from Bat for Lashes - "Daniel".

Just my imagination!

2009-03-24T12:49:00.004Z

Me and The Blonde wanted one particular house so badly I think in our minds we were already living there! In his mind, he'd already bought a new fancy drill and painted the garage door and I'd already sent my daughter to the girls only school in the vicinity! We' d ripped out the carpets to expose the beautiful floors, replaced the kitchen cupboard doors and built a mini paddock to house our Miniature Shetland Pony LOL

We went to have a look a couple of days ago and climbed on the fence to have a better look at the garden :)

Phoned up the other day to talk to the estate agent and guess what?! It's under offer! Both of us are really shattered however it serves us right because we hadn't even contacted the agent before moving there already in our minds!

This song always cheers me up:

Craving Paris...

2009-03-16T11:21:00.002Z

I think at least 4 people have told me I've made them crave Paris! They all want to go as soon as possible. To add to that, The Blonde told me the other day: "Next week start planning for our Paris sourcing trip".

Hold your horses everybody! Just to make do before you/ we go, this is Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning:

Coming Soon to Pumpkin Peach!

2009-03-13T15:33:00.021Z

Just to tickle your tastebuds with some of the goodies arriving soon at Pumpkin Peach from Lisbeth Dahl:

a beautiful satin scarf, so ethereal and vintage looking, it wouldn't look out of place on a Victorian Lady!

a gorgeous ornate cake stand with 3 colourful bowls, with the Lisbeth Dahl logo.

a cracked glass effect lantern, perfect for tealights or to be used as a vase!

a girly Teddy Bear in a pink sequinned tutu with pink booties! Great present for any little girl!

a beautiful vintage looking bowl with a lid!

a heavilly bejewelled purse which wouldn't have looked out of place on Marilyn' vanity unit!

an ornamental birdcage! I absolutely adore birdcages. They look amazing with flowers in them.

These are only a taster of the items coming soon to Pumpkin Peach. Enjoy!

Doggie Delight!

2009-03-10T14:33:00.011Z

Friday we’ve been to Crufts, the British Dog Show and by God we’ve enjoyed it! I mostly, of course! Below there are two pictures of me with a Pomeranian and a Chihuahua.

I’ve also had a look at pet carriers and this one grabbed my attention. It’s a Juicy Couture Scottie in Lemon. I thought it looked unisex.

We’ve seen some amazing bakery goodies from the Canine Cookie Company and a lovely Sailor Collar from PetLondon. Now the only things missing are the dogs to go with everything!

Paris on my mind...

2009-03-01T12:21:00.005Z

Sorry to be so scarce lately, it's just that I've been working on one of my other projects. I'm writing copy for a Travel Portal. I've just started a London series, soon to be followed by a Paris series.

I've been with The Blonde to a Kaiser Chiefs (indie music) concert. I love indie! The Blonde is a bit more country :) .

Besides that, I've been working on my baby, Pumpkin Peach. The site is ready however the products for it are not! :( It seems the bank has lost some paperwork and can't go ahead with the account just yet. Banks!

While I'm working on that, I'm daydreaming about Paris... We're going on a sourcing trip in late April- beginning of May. I simply can't wait! I haven't been since 2007 and that's ages for me!

As holidays, we're also planning a long weekend to Barcelona this summer and a mini-tour of France in September probably. I feel I haven't seen France properly.

I was telling The Blonde the other day I'm having a quarter-life crisis LOL I want to move to the South of France to write a book! He said "What about Pumpkin Peach?!"...

For the moment I'm just basking in daydreaming about Paris...

PS: I forgot to add The Blonde can't believe this little girl singing Joe le Taxi is Vanessa Paradis, Johnny Depp's partner LOL

Petit Bebe!

2009-02-17T15:34:00.008Z

Last week 3 people close to me have announced they're pregnant! Wow! All at once! I'm planning to have a little Coco of my own in a couple of years, so I started looking on poshtots.com. Lordy, Lordy! There are some amaaaaaazing things on that site for babies and children.

Take a look at this Inglesina pram in baby blue!!! Isn't it to die for?!

This nappy bag wouldn't look out of place at the Paris, Milan and New York Fashion Weeks!!!

If you think practically, this cot-to-bed system is the perfect solution for making Chic baby furniture last!

However, if you've got Cash to splurge, this wonderful Cinderella carriage style cot with a bespoke mural is the way to go! I wish!

Valentine Francais style!

2009-02-12T16:20:00.003Z

Oh, no! Don't worry, we're not going to Paris for Valentine's. I wish! The closest we'll get is probably Cafe Rouge or some macaroons from Maison Blanc!

I'm kind of scarce these days, trying to get the site up and running.

A big thank you to everybody's support!

For this French themed Valentine's, I leave you with " Je ne parle pas Francais"!!!

Rechargeable batteries...

2009-02-03T11:12:00.003Z

Some of you might have wondered why I haven’t put many pictures on this blog yet. There is a perfectly good explanation for this: my camera “sucks” batteries like lollipops! There are of course advantages to a camera that works with AA batteries and the biggest one of all is that AA batteries are everywhere, from petrol stations to supermarkets to corner shops. They were selling AA batteries in Piazza San Marco in Venice!! You are never more than 20m away from an AA battery, I am told. It’s probably from the same source that says you are never further than 3m from a rat in London. I smell a rat! :)

However, having stated the ubiquity of AA batteries, I must also state their biggest drawback. The cheapest ones (like Kodak!) last as long as you can say “POP”. And that’s not long at all!
You might say, “Why not use rechargeables instead?”... And here comes the short but funny story of rechargeable batteries in our house.

When I and The Blonde first moved in together, I wanted to impress with my homemaking skills. I scrubbed the oven, polished the floors and started tidying and unpacking all the boxes. For some reason, I wanted some batteries and I found a box full to the brim of batteries. I tried all of them and neither was working. Then, all proud of myself that I’m a great homemaker, I binned the box full of batteries... Skip forward a few hours. The Blonde comes home from work and I start telling him what I’ve done during the day and I tell him about the batteries, how they weren’t working so I’ve binned them all! He stares at me in disbelief with his beautiful green eyes and starts laughing hysterically! They were rechargeable batteries, he said.

The end.

Ps: So you can see I’m not just good at binning rechargeable batteries, I want to give you a Pumpkin Peach update. Everything is going along nicely and by the end of February- beginning of March we’re expecting to be open!

Pps: For all you busy bees out there:

Friendship never ends

2009-01-29T11:34:00.002Z

This was supposed to be a post about lack of inspiration, about how difficult it is sometimes to put pen to paper, note to musical instrument, crayon to pad. Instead, due to amazing friends, it’s become a post about what friendship means.

Friendships appear in the most awkward circumstances pairing up very different people with something in common. From then onwards they bloom, and soon enough you find yourself with great people you can rely on.

This is one day for gushing. It’s a month for gushing actually, as on Sunday we’re attending our first ginormous trade show and I and The Blonde feel like chicks on a highway!

On this note, I leave you with the fab and stylish Dimitri from Paris- Sacre Francais!!!

Heels gliding on Parquet

2009-01-23T16:22:00.002Z

I’ve always had this thing for parquet and wooden floors in general. My mom and dad have parquet in the rooms. Don’t imagine it’s a castle- it’s only an apartment but hence I spent my childhood on parquet, I seem to crave it now! However, the other day I was looking at lovely Fifi’s home and was besotted with her white carpets. I showed The Blonde when he came home from work and he, with all his accountant-like practicality, belted out: “Aren’t they difficult to clean?” At that moment I remembered something from my childhood:

My mom is a clean-freak, so anybody coming to visit has to take their shoes off. Once they took me to see some of their friends who lived not far from us, a short 5 minute walk. When we got to their flat, the host greeted us and told us to keep our shoes on! That was a shock to me, being used to my mom’s ways. Their parquet was shining and the host wore high heels, and seemed to glide on the smooth surface like in a ballroom dance! My eyes were sparkling and I knew that from that moment...

“Who cares if they’re difficult to clean? We’ll buy a professional carpet cleaner!”

Ever since I saw that woman in high heels on parquet I’ve decided I am going to enjoy to the full everything I’ve got, be it taking the garbage out in Manolos, walking with muddy shoes on my white carpet or eat everyday with silverware!

Here’s to a glass of champagne in the afternoon!

One day we’re gonna live in Paris...

2009-01-21T12:43:00.005Z

One day we're gonna live in Paris
I promise, I'm on it
When I'm bringing in the money
I promise, I'm on it
I'm gonna take you out to a club showcase
We're gonna live it up
I promise
Just hold on a little more

And every night we'll watch the stars
They'll be out for us
And every night, the city lights
They'll be out for us

So go and pack your bags
For the long haul
We're gonna lose ourselves
I promise
This time next year will be forevermore...

Friendly Fires - "Paris"

What to expect from rainy Mondays...

2009-01-19T12:37:00.005Z

It’s not raining, it’s pouring with rain! The sky is a dirty white colour and even the dog wants to snooze indoors. That’s when you can tell it’s a rainy Monday. Rainy Mondays aren’t anything like rainy Tuesdays or even like rainy Saturdays! They’ve got that melancholy attached to them, that longing for the weekend!

This weekend me and The Blonde (my husband- he’s fair haired and I’m dark haired) went to look for a new mattress. He got the one we’ve got at the moment before we moved in together so I didn’t have any input in buying it... Which means it’s a very very very hard mattress! So hard we have to have a featherbed on top to spare our aching bones! The featherbed is becoming flatter and flatter so I suggested that instead of buying featherbeds constantly, we should invest in a better mattress, so we wouldn’t need a featherbed at all! Easier said than done. We went into a furniture shop, laid on some mattresses and realised the one I liked best cost £3000!!! We’re saving up for that, I think. The Blonde suggested we should try another shop, so that’s going to be next weekend.

Pumpkin Peach is coming along nicely and you should expect some lovely whimsical items in February. Me and The Blonde are planning a sourcing trip to Paris at Les Puces, so in March/April watch out for some one of a kind French finds.

On this rainy Monday, I leave you with New Order:

Food for the Soul

2009-01-16T16:15:00.004Z

Aaah, the finer things in life!

Friday. That’s one good day, especially when it gets into the afternoon, and the anticipation for what’s coming up in the weekend rides on waves of joy!

Orange Juice. Tropicana Smooth for me. Smooth and punchy at the same time and one of your 5 a day. How could you go wrong with that?!

Gotan Project. Nuevo Electro Tango straight from Paris. So exciting, so intoxicating, so... PARIS!

Alexander McCall Smith book titles. This man is a genius at finding enthralling book titles. Listen to this: The Right Attitude to Rain, The Comfort of Saturdays, The Unbearable Lightness of Scones, The Careful Use of Compliments, The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs etc. I have never heard or read such whimsical titles in all my life!

Cafe Rouge. French home cooking in a restaurant chain environment. Their Boeuf Bourguignon and traditional Cidre Breton deserve a special mention.

The Loved One. You can share with them all these finer things in life.

Je ne parle pas Francais (so let the music do the talking!)

2009-01-15T14:12:00.012Z

Not an entirely accurate description, but a great way to introduce you to my baby – Pumpkin Peach. It started in 2007, as a wild idea, that I could work for myself and it grew around my passion for everything French, shabby chic items and objet d’art. The name itself just came to me one night, as all good ideas usually do- when you’re just not thinking about the task at hand! Don’t you just love the bountifulness of a good ol’ pumpkin, with its fleshy and comforting sweet taste?! It makes me think about everything good in life- grandma’s baking, Indian summer evenings and a fine compliment just when I’m feeling down! Peaches are also fleshy but full of softness, just like a luxurious cashmere pashmina or a freshly shaven lover’s cheek! There you have it- Pumpkin Peach, the haven for indulgence!

You will be able to find little treasures such as antique one of a kind finds in Les Puces of Paris and deliciously girly treats for the home and soul from Lisbeth Dahl and many more secret gems you will be proud to showcase!

Speaking of freshly shaven lovers, I would like to thank my husband for giving me the wings to fly with this project and keeping my train on the tracks when things get tough! I would also like to thank Sara at SadieOlive, an amazing designer, for my lovely logo! And all of you, you know who you are!!!

Let the carousel ride begin!!!