Vive la France!

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY!

A few of my favorite French things:

Giverny
The word "pamplemousse"
Melanie Laurent
Berthillon ice cream
Gaspard Ulliel
The Seine
Eva Green
La Belle Epoque
Marie Antoinette
Warm, buttery pastries
Degas' ballerinas
"The Red Balloon"
Sacre Coeur
French kissing :)
Edith Piaf

Art History With Allie: The Death of Marat

I thought I would share another work of art that I admire. This is "The Death of Marat" by David. I know, I know, you're probably rolling your eyes because I'm posting yet another grisly and morbid painting. Either that, or you're dialing some help line for people who are koo-koo crazy. But let me explain:

Don't you find this painting so striking? The romantic draping of all that fabric! The figure's pose, slumped back angelically, with such a face of martyrish (that's a word, I looked it up) serenity. And his body is quite idyllic; which is funny to me. David and Marat were friends. So obviously David wanted to paint Marat's death scene in an attractive way. But the truth is, Marat was not an attractive guy. He was actually super gross. He had this nasty skin condition that he'd contracted years earlier, when he was forced to hide from his enemies in the Paris sewers. GRODY. So that's why he was in the bath, to ease the violent itchings he was experiencing. Kind of sad.

But whatever, he was crazy. He was a key radical figure in the French Revolution (also known as the REIGN OF TERROR). Hey, I'm not saying that French democracy and freedom are bad, but things got a little out of hand, what with all the chopping off of heads. Anywho, Marat was BFFs with Robespierre, the guy who ended up being the poster child of the French Rev (Reign of Terror).

So who killed Marat? I'll tell you who: her name was Charlotte Corday. She believed that by killing Marat she would save many lives. And maybe she was right. Because again, a lot of people were being wrongfully executed at the hands of the revolutionary supporters. Corday blamed Marat for a huge massacre that took place in Paris (read about it, because it's pretty shocking).

Obviously, I'm Team Charlotte. I even wrote a poem about her for my senior year creative writing project! She's a fascinating person. And the above painting is a fascinating sign of that volatile and complicated time in history, in that part of the world. Fascinating... get a new adjective, Fraley!

Starstruck, I tell you

D'accord, I must tell you that I woke up to quite a surprise this morning: The author of the book I'm currently reading, Lunch in Paris, commented on this very blog! My blog! Extraordinaire!

I was already planning on doing a post about the book, because I've been so thoroughly enjoying it, so I might as well tell you about it now... Elizabeth Bard (shecommentedonmyblog!!!) wrote a memoir about meeting the love of her life, who just happens to be a handsome French man. Along with the story of their relationship, she weaves in treasured recipes from the experience of moving to Paris and learning all about the culture. C'est tre bon!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who (a) is a francophile, (b) enjoys a good love story, (c) lives for galette and gruyere, or (d) all of the above (which is moi).

Also, check out Madame Bard's own blog, for more recipes and insights on life in France (she's relocated to Provence, lucky duck).

Style Icon: Jane Birkin

"My mother was right: When you've got nothing left, all you can do is get into silk underwear and start reading Proust."

-Jane Birkin

Operation: Party Dress

Joe has his annual post-holiday work party tomorrow, and I would kinda loooove to wear a new party dress to it... Like the ones from the Frenchie below??

Nothin' like a new party dress to make you feel like a million Euros.

via the cherry blossom girl

French Lessons

I'm learning French this summer from my dear friend, Laura.

Here's the phrase of the week:

Je blesse le dent sur la chaise.

Translation: I hurt my tooth on the chair. (I really did. I'm an odd klutz.)