A Big Announcement! Hint: It's Holiday-Related and It's Not Depressing
It's the La Flâneuse Holiday Pop-Up Shop! Plus My List of Other Great Gift Ideas to Inspire Your Shopping
Hi hi and ho-ho-ho there tout le monde (everyone),
Tout d’abord (first of all), merci d’être venu(es). I appreciate you so very much and it makes me happy to join you here to laugh and tell stories and share recipes.
Since now more than ever we need a little bonheur (happiness) in our lives, and since a bunch of you said you’d like to see some holiday gift ideas with French style—voilà !
The Big Announcement
Just for fun, and probably just this once, I’ve created La Flâneuse: The Holiday Pop-Up Shop.
It’s online, it’s trop mignon (too cute), and it features about two dozen items I’ve hand-selected from my life and travels in France. Most things are vintage, but there are a couple of new items as well.
You’ll find French tabletop and décor items, vintage French embroidered serviettes (napkins), and even a stunning black jet glass collier (necklace), circa 1900.
Et de bonnes nouvelles (And good news): Shipping is GRATUIT (FREE) to the US, UK, Canada and Europe. Order now as items are limited. We’ll ship them out to you right away with a handwritten note from moi.
Bon, You Say You Want More Frenchified Gift Inspiration? C’est Parti (Let’s Go) !
Décor and Tabletop: Madame de la Maison. I just love her style and she shares my joie in setting pretty tables. In her online shop you’ll find all sorts of charming things—candles, silver accents, caftans (of which I own two) and soft linen nappes (tablecloths), entre autres (among others). She ships internationally. She also has a new book out that celebrates joy in our lives, and couldn’t we all use a little bit more of that?
Insider Bubbly Wine Subscription: Le Deux Champagne. I first came across this bubbly guy (and accomplished sommelier) on Instagram, where he singlehandedly and tout d’un trait (all at once) drinks, then reviews a bottle of interesting Champagne, often small grower bottlings that you’d have trouble finding in a shop.
The company he runs in the States with his wife, Le Deux Champagne, offers subscriptions to receive a changing selection of lesser-known but very tasty Champagnes on a regular basis. Tchin-tchin ! (Cheers!)
Pretty Wine Decanter. Elegant on the table, helpful to your wines that need aeration! I found two from Wine Enthusiast’s online shop. This one is from Riedel (always a good choice) and has a simpler form, while this one is a bit more voluptuous. Both are a good value.
Stocking-Stuffer Sweets. Get a pouch of Chestnut Cream from Clément Faugier for everyone on your list (unless they’re allergic to nuts). This stuff is addictive and you can cook with it!
Un petit soin. A soin is like a treatment. It comes from the verb soigner, to care for or to cure, as in prends soin de toi — take care of yourself. A little tube of this luxurious French pharmacy favorite from Nuxe is the perfect way to pamper someone you love.
For Francophile Readers
On va déguster la France (Let’s Eat France). The most beautiful French food encyclopedia you’ll ever see. Funny, fabulous and full of great info. Available in French or in this English version.
Drinking French, by David Lebovitz. If you love l’apéro, you need this book, with 160 recipes for drinks and snacks.
My Life in France, by Julia Child. Documenting her years in France just after WWII.
The French Ingredient, by Jane Bertch. Fantastic memoir about an American woman whose dream is to open a cooking school in Paris.
This Easy French Phrase Book would be a great gift for someone getting started or brushing up for a trip to France.
For Delivery in France
Adopt a French Vine—and get the wine to prove it. For your favorite French wine lover, Cuvée Privée, a clever women-owned company partners with vineyards all over France to offer des coffrets (gift boxes) of wines on a subscription basis, as well as the option to adopt a vine. Monsieur B gave me this as a gift and I was even able to custom-label one of the bottles we get each quarter with whatever name I invented. For the moment, I think they only deliver within France, but I know I have a lot of readers who do live here in France, so…je vous en prie. (Full disclosure: Monsieur B and I are fans—and investors—in this business.)
Christmas Ornaments from Merci. Who doesn’t love this Parisian concept store, just next to the uber-cool Oberkampf neighborhood? The store features a library-style tearoom, and a luxurious curation of clothing and homewares. If you live in France (or are sending a gift to someone in France), check out their online store, which right now features decorations for des sapins de Noël (Christmas ornaments). I love the tin of sardines!
Send flowers to a friend in Paris. As a former fleuriste myself, I have a soft spot for little shops that make beautiful bouquets. One of my favorites in Paris is called Fragrance. I wrote about them here, but you can also order a bouquet to be delivered in the City of Lights, to yourself or whomever you adore!
Next Week in La Flâneuse…
I’ll be sharing what it’s like to be an American living in France with a French family at Thanksgiving, which happens to be my favorite holiday. Not for it’s historical context but for the gatherings it inspires, the gratitude in its name and oh yeah, the food.
Celebrating Thanksgiving in a country other than the US when you’re the only American in the family is very different than, say, being an American living in France with your American family. And you know what? It’s not always easy. That being said, I never let the turkeys—ni des chapons ni des pintades (nor the capons nor the guinea fowl) get me down.
I’ll also be posting links to a bunch of holiday side dish recipes, some from me, and more from great cooks I admire. If you’re already meal planning, here’s one for you right now—my crispy, juicy Maple-glazed Cornish Hens!
The Wine You Might Want to Try for Thanksgiving This Year
I just wrote an article for My French Life™ about one of my favorite under-appreciated wine regions — Beaujolais, but not the Beaujolais Nouveau, non non. The best wines of this region (the 10 Crus Beaujolais) are perfect for the holidays, with a range of lighter-styled offerings that would be great for an apéro with friends, some medium-range wines that are a perfect pairing for roasted birds and all kinds of vegetables, and some big blowsy options that might just surprise you.
If you like that, and you want to learn how to pronounce the names of the 10 Crus Beaujolais (it’s a great party trick!), check out the audio guide I made for you here, which also has other wine words to expand your French wine tasting vocab.
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Bon week-end et bon shopping les ami(e)s !
Karen
Housekeeping Note: I only recommend products I love and regardless of whether or not I receive a small commission. In the rare cases where I do, it all goes to help keep me here, happily wandering along with you. Merci merci !
Lovely to read Karen and some great and enterprising ideas for holiday gifts