And I can post a sickening number of headshots if I want to. And I do. We were looking through old photos last night (sipping on a tidy, piccolo of Henkell) and we found so many pictures of us that we haven’t seen in ages. Do other people like to sit at the kitchen table and watch flickr slideshows of their trips? Is that normal?

Oh Paris! I am busty in this shot! Thanks for the lift, Ash!

And, of course, my other true love. My eternal sidekick, Whiskey, who perfectly balances me in more ways than I can say. As excited as I am for Mexico, I already miss her. She loves her new dad.

And finally, my favourite shot from the summer:

Who doesn’t love a man who can appreciate a nice baguette?

Jen xo

I think Canada would be comfortable up there in parentheses, don’t you? Shielded on either side from the lunacy of American Politics, hob-nobbing with the French and such.

This photo with the baguette made me laugh in a really pleasant way. I found it here – and then followed the trail to a solemn New York Times piece here. The article outlined the advice of a popular French Philosopher to Obama. Here’s a snippet of what he had to say:

“I would beg [Obama] to speak directly, solemnly, to the women of this country, asking them if they are prepared to see themselves in this caricature of a free woman who plans to deny her peers one of their most cherished and hard-won rights, the right to an abortion. I would underline the cynicism, the absence of feeling one must have to exhibit in front of the world’s television cameras that which a mother should hold most dear, most private, and painfully precious: a child with Down syndrome. I would advise him to assign this task to Hillary. “

For all my fascination with US politics lately, I have to say, the Canadian Leaders debate hit me somewhere much closer to the gut. Ok, not Harper so much, but Layton, May, Dion and Duceppe, all of whom spoke “directly, solemnly, to the [people] of this country.”

Our issues are our issues and I wear the weight and joy of them proudly.  

Make a point to vote. And have yourself a warm and cozy weekend.

Oh Paris, how I miss you. It helps to go to places like Jules. It also helps to listen to her. And it helps to linger too long and drink too many samples of Andre Vinet Muscadet (FRA, $23) here.

But nothing really helps that much. Except going.

Jen

Eye Candy, that is.

since I started blogging. Taking the time to admire a package…

before ripping it open. Taking long sips of cold champagne…

and photos so I can keep tasting it.

This is the bottle of champagne that was waiting for me behind the concierge desk of the Hotel Vancouver. Part of my champagne-infused race around town before I found Ash, crystal flutes in hand, in the middle of a UBC field (talk about flavour-infused).

Champagne, real champagne, has a lightness that makes even the best sparkling wine taste cloudy. And after last week’s rendezvous with Veuve Cliqout, and this week’s affair with Pol Roger, I am really starting to think I should get engaged every month.

This particular French champagne is the Pol Roger Extra Cuvee de Reserve. Right away, you’ll take on an air of elegance, which is only proper since it comes in its own silver box (doesn’t champagne feel like a gift anyway?) and has one of those irresitable “by appointment of the Queen” stamps. I think it’s what you’d call “dry.” Definitely not sweet, teetering on the verge of tart, but overall resting on crisp and airy and a royal pain when you find the bottle is done all too quickly.

For us, it will always be special though. The cork went into my drawer full of other special corks. Looking back, I wish I’d thought to save labels instead.

PS: the package is from my current focus of crafting-envy , Lovely Design. I saw her address files on Apartment Therapy and then in the one-and-only Martha Stewart Wedding magazine. I seized the moment to indulge in my e-commerce addiction, and found these card packs to be one of her only items in stock. Can you believe my surprise (and smile) when I got the package and the return address was Surrey, BC??? I was so excited for her! Let me introduce you…

Alright, off to work!

Jen

This pretty much captures how I plan to spend my day today.

It’s a painting by the talented Liza Hirst of Dordogne, France as mentioned here in one of my favourite design blogs by Anna Spiro. I share her love of paperweights, flowers and anything French.

I bought my very first paperweight at Les Puces (the fleas) in Paris and I so wish I had bought one or 2 more. Right now, it sits on my desk at work, but as soon I find the perfect old table for a desk in our second bedroom, I plan to grow my collection. And, since a trip to Paris is not in my immediate future, I’ve been spending my time at an equally enchanting flea market – etsy.

Here are some paperweights I have my eye on. I just can’t decide which one to buy…

Etsy Finds: 1) Bacio2003 $33; 2) Chini $20; 3) Botanicraft $24; 4) PaperFlowers $10