You’ve all been so patient: not one of you complained after I said I would post soundscapes from Paris last week but gave you none. So I cannot help but give you one of my favourites straight up. Come with me, my (d)ear friends, as i take you with me, picking up where we left off last week – on our way by bike to the esplanade in front of the pompidou, avec le son, where we happen upon a rather cool dude – a busker playing the oud. Please press the play button below and enjoy…

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yep, my favourite vegetable is back to being a part of the weekly menu chez nous because 1. the price is normal (99c per ‘stuk’ instead of 3.99€ each!) and 2. they are in their prime and packed with deliciousness! They featured in last night’s meal as the obligatory entrée followed by baked salmon fillets glazed with a mustardy dressing, pan-fried asparagus and steamed rice. And since our dining table is covered with my papers and props these days, our meals are devoured from the comfort of the sofa. So the photograph above is my exact view of our meal as it arrived on the coffee table. Can you tell I’m slumped from exhaustion? What better way to relax and spend a summer’s evening than chilling back with a glass of wine and an artichoke? I have no idea. Nothing, in my opinion. Did I cook this meal, you might ask? No, but I did ‘design’ it, if that counts for anything. French Boy does all the cooking lately as my workload has grown to ‘barely manageable’. He assures me he loves to cook after his long day at work. And since he can’t lie to save his life, I believe him, his eyes do tell all. It does seem I’ve found the ideal man, n’est-ce pas.

This is the song I am loving right now, and perfectly accompanies the image above. Thank you Itsasne.

and way back in march, sweet pamela jane tagged me asking for 7 random style facts about myself. I didn’t fulfill the tag back then as I had just done a similar tag and thought I should leave it a while. Well, it’s been a while, and no doubt Pamela has lost complete interest in me for not playing along back then, sorry Pamela! But here are my 7 random facts and since you mentioned the word ‘style’, i thought i would use that to share 7 style traits that i work and live by:

1. stay real.

2. love raw.

3. be refined.

4. think ‘sophistication’.

5. work in layers.

6. play loose.

7. work genuinely.

The photograph above is from a card I made for a new born a year or so ago. I cut a tiny dress from left over fabric, handstitched it with pink thread, made a tiny coat hanger from soft wire, hung it on a string attached to the card and created two little printed tags, one that said, “c’est une fille” and the other with the girl’s name. Do you like? I am bummed I gave it away actually as I know it wasn’t appreciated. But I can always make more! One fine day when I have the time again, I shall endeavor to make more. Perhaps when I have my own little bubs…one fine day.

My new blog pal Cindy from Quaint Handmade tagged me a number of weeks ago. And to be honest, when i read the tag i thought: great balls of belching fire these are some pretty heavy questions! I have had a rather intense life, and i am a rather intense person (“apparently”), so for me, the following questions are pretty full on and difficult to fulfill without giving you a painfully long post. But here is my attempt, in brief, and I hope you can stick with me to the end…

I was 20. In my last year of Uni, working on my final film piece. I would have been in the midst of casting, and would have just met my female main, actress Felicity Hay. Back then Felicity was on lots of tv ads, played as an extra in Water Rats and other aussie dramas like that. I selected her out of 20 other actresses that were keen to play the role. She was so passionate about my film and gave me all her time, even when it was a non-paying part. Felicity was only 25 or so at the time. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 21 or so, and was well on her way of recovery. All her hair had grown back from the chemo, and i remember she had the most beautiful thick, dusty blonde hair. She was friends with Belinda Emmett at the time. I lost contact with Felicity some years after I finished my degree, and when I heard the sad news of Belinda passing away from her battle with breast cancer, it got me thinking about Felicity again, I’d love to get back in contact.

I was also going through a very traumatic break up with my first true love. The film was definitely a way of expressing the anguish and confusion I was going through.

and I was also about to meet my second true love (time went quick back then!!) who was to become the editor of my film (god bless his cotton pickin’ heart), my business partner, and a friend for the years to come.

My daily to-do lists are always longer than my arm but in brief, since I am working on a book right now my main goal is to finish it! Today I also have a meeting with a client at noon at my agency to discuss an upcoming job, and I am hoping to have a cuppa with my friend Riley at around 5. In between all of that I hope to find time to eat, organise a courier for a pick up from another shoot, and still get everything else done including prepping for shoots for the week and emailing clients new work. and blogging! washing the dishes and making dinner are not on my list today.

I am a snack-a-holic! So this list is long. But among my favourites are choc-chip cookies, muesli bars, bitterballen, cheese croquettes, wedges with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream, French Boy’s sardine butter on little toasts, apple with cheese and sultanas, a slice of my carrot and date loaf, a glass of ice cold milo. oh and did I mention chocolate? but you already knew that.

pass.

The list goes a little something like this:

Sydney, Australia
Montreal, Canada
West Chester, PA, USA
Rovereto, Italy
Paris, France
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

oh just six, this is the hardest question of them all as I want to know everything about all of you! But here is six, and ladies, if you don’t want to play I will not be offended I promise, just know that I think you’re great and enjoy your blogging company.

Esti from píntame el día.
Yoli from Musings.
Jo from Red Aprons.
Corine from Hidden in France.
Nadia from La Porte Rouge.
Leah from Hyena in Petticoats.

Thanks for being interested in my life Cindy, it’s nice to get to know you, and everyone thanks for listening! and girls if you do choose to play along, please feel free to use and link my tag pic and heading pics too. i put time into them so they might as well get a work out!