Bistro Chic

Even Small Changes Can Improve Your Life

jennifer — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:58:27 +0000

Like many of us, I have so many things I want to do – travel more, exercise more, eat better, read more….the list goes on and on. However, all of the things we want to do combined with all of the things we need to do can make us so overwhelmed that we become paralyzed and, as a result, fail to accomplish anything.

But who says we have to do everything? What if we just commit ourselves to doing one thing? One thing a month, one thing a week, or one thing a day – something that may make us feel better, look better, even live better.

A few months ago, I would regularly treat myself to Starbucks 4-5 times a week, spending at least $4 on each coffee drink. Not only was I consuming hundreds of empty calories, but I was spending way too much on coffee – and not out of pleasure, but out of mere habit.

After coming to this realization, I made a a conscious decision to limit my Starbucks spending (and rely on my lovely Nespresso!) to once a week. In return, I have been treating myself to beautiful flowers a la Trader Joe’s each week, spending no more than $10 on two bouquets.

Now, instead of consuming empty calories with no added pleasure, my house is full of wonderfully scented roses and brightly colored sunflowers that I enjoy while sipping my morning Nespresso.

What one thing will you change to make your life better?

Decorating with French Toile

jennifer — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:58:24 +0000

(Photo source)

I’ve written about French decorating and French country style in the past. However, one element I’ve neglected to mention was how much I adore toile – a trés classic French country design.

About French Toile

Most often scene on cloth or fabric, toile actually means cloth in French. Toile is short for Toile de Jouy, which comes from Jouy-en-Josas, the location in north central France where the toile pattern was first made in the 18th and 19th centuries. The toile pattern is characterized by a repeating pattern – most often country scenes, but can also be street scenes, churches, people, and more. Toile is traditionally made in a single color – most often green or red – on a cream or white background; however, I’ve seen modern toile in a variety of colors including brown, burgundy, black, and blue.

Decorating with Toile

Although toile can bring an elegant and sophisticated look to any room, the repetitive pattern can be quite overwhelming en masse. In other words, with toile, less is more. I recommend using toile in accent pieces, including:

Throw pillows
Shams, sheets, or quilts
Pottery or decorative serving ware
Select draperies and valencies
One wall in a small or large room

By limiting the use of toile, it truly becomes the most eye-catching design or piece in the room. Discover more ways to decorate with toile by clicking here.

Ciao!

PS. Thank you to my cousin David for inspiring this post!

Flavors of Disney World

jennifer — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:28:53 +0000

Bonjour! I recently returned from a trip to the happiest place on Earth…Disney World! You may wonder why I seem to make Disney an annual trip. Well, I like Disney for many reasons…including that it is quite a nostalgic place for me. I worked at Disney World over 10 years ago, in the Magic Kingdom, and it was at Disney where I met my husband. Sappy, I know.

Having traveled to Disney nearly every year since I worked there, I can honestly say that Disney World food is not high on my list, especially when this Bistro Chic girl lives near many, many fantastic Chicagoland restaurants. However on this trip, I was able to sample the culinary delights of Disney’s event/catering for a meeting I was attending. Not only was the food superb but the delivery of the food and drinks was exceptional….ie. a dreamy French macaron carefully embedded in a dainty teacup of green tea rice pudding. Oui Oui, Disney!

And, for the first time, I was fortunate enough to eat at the California Grill in the Contemporary, which delivered awesome views and amazing food, a la a cheese plate that was definitely worth a photo and writing home about.

Although most Disney cuisine is still less than stellar, compared to Chicago restaurants, it is still possible to find a few hidden and tasty gems in the World.

And on my next trip, I plan to find a few more

Ciao!

French Connection in Chicago

jennifer — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:44:17 +0000

Not only did I have a very Nespresso birthday, but I also had a very French birthday! And you all know how I adore all things French.

Aside from tasting a very steamy Nespresso latte – which could be considered French, Italian, or European in general, I loved perusing the vintage-looking French-themed plates at Bloomingdale’s…

I also happened upon a quaint shop on State St – POSH – that sells eclectic housewares, including many finds from France, England, and across Europe (see first photo above). I was so overwhelmed by the selections that I couldn’t decide what to buy. I will surely be back and won’t be leaving empty-handed next time!

Window shopping was not my only “French” activity. I also enjoyed strolling along the city streets, taking in the very lovely views of Chicago’s Spring tulips….

…not to mention savoring a delicious French lunch and Mon Ami Gabi…

What a truly amazing birthday weekend! Next stop in the Bistro Chic itinerary…Disney World!

Ciao

A Very Nespresso Birthday

jennifer — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:35:39 +0000

Last weekend, my husband treated me to an overnight in city for my birthday. After checking into the Hotel Palomar (a fantastic boutique hotel in Chicago), we headed to Bloomingdale’s Home Store to view its Nespresso products.

As I walked through the doors, I was completely surprised and nearly overwhelmed to see that Bloomie’s had a whole area dedicated to Nespresso, complete with a Nespresso Bar. Sidebar – If you are a Nespresso fan (or even an espresso fan) you will understand why I am dedicating a whole post to this subject. If you are not, this post will make no sense to you.

The store – which seems to be operated separately from Bloomingdale’s – is stocked with all of the Nespresso essentials – cups, saucers, espresso holders, chocolate, and oh yes – a wall of capsules! The store sold all of the typical capsule flavors available on the Nespresso website, and a few of the limited editions.

Hmmm, decisions, decisions (yes, that is the back of my head, having a lovely hair day). With soooo many capsule flavors to choose from, it was very hard to decide which flavor I would sample at the fully-stocked Nespresso bar. After making my way to the front of the line (which, not surprisingly, had quite a few Europeans), I captured the barista’s attention. She mentioned a new limited edition flavor – Naora, which has hints of blackcurrant and blueberry. Sold! After savoring the delicious new flavor as a latte, I ended up buying two sleeves of the little black raspberry colored capsules. Oh, and not to mention a very stylish and handy Nespresso capsule holder….

Happy Birthday to Me!

Ciao

Le Chocolat

jennifer — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 03:32:41 +0000

Although the Lenten season may be over, it’s never too late to watch the movie Chocolat. The movie is set in a small fictional and very Catholic town in France during Lent in what appears to be the late 1950′s. Staying true to its title, the movie centers around chocolate, its mysterious and magical qualities, and the amazing self-discipline it takes to not be captivated by the dark treat. During the movie, the leading female owns the new and forbidden chocolate shop that is as decadent in imagery as it is scent. Not only does the shop owner make all her own chocolate (an ancient Mayan recipe) but she spins a Mayan wheel that is said to stop on the image that reveals her customers’ favorite kind of chocolate.

I mention this movie and the synopsis now because two weeks ago I had the pleasure of eating at a little chocolate shop – Le Chocolat – in Naperville, IL. Le Chocolat shared many elements from the chocolate shop in the movie. Aside from the name, the quaint shop also has a huge variety of homemade chocolates, an old fashioned counter with hightop chairs, and it even has an “ancient Mayan wheel”, which sadly is just for decoration.

When I walked into the little shop, I knew instantly that I wanted to buy something…eat something…anything, everything…because it all looked and smelled wonderful. Although I did not have the opportunity to spin the wheel, it didn’t matter – I already knew my favorite – hot chocolate and mini cupcakes! The cupcakes were delicious and the hot chocolate (triple chocolate to be exact) was some of the best, if not THE best, hot chocolate I’ve ever had in the US (Barcelona, you are still #1!).

Despite having consumed nearly 1,000 calories (I’m being somewhat dramatic) and being full to the brim with chocolate, I could not leave the shop without buying something to take home. I settled on white chocolate covered lemon shortbread balls with blueberries inside. Now if that doesn’t sound heavenly (and slightly Willy Wonka-esque), I don’t know what does.

Chocolate lemon balls in hand, I left Le Chocolat in slight sugar shock, but happy as can be. Although I intended to wait until I regained my appetite to try my new purchase, something compelled me to try them. Maybe it was because they were so pretty, or maybe it was sheer curiosity (lemon and chocolate?), or maybe because, no matter how full I am, there’s always room for Le Chocolat.

The Boat Race: Oxford and Cambridge Rivalry

jennifer — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:18:28 +0000

(photo source)

A few years ago, my husband and I traveled to London, but did a quick stop in Oxford. I had always wanted to see the university and had heard about the famous “Oxford/Cambridge” Boat Race. While in Oxford, we heard mumblings about the race. We knew race day was getting close and were disappointed to learn that it was taking place the following day – after we’d already left the Oxford.

We returned to London that evening and made plans to tour the city the next day. Thinking the Boat Race was being televised from Oxford later that afternoon, we made our way back to our Inn to watch it on television. Much to our surprise, we quickly learned (after seen many London sites in the background) that the Boat Race was actually taking place in London on the Thames River - a place that we were near just hours before!

The history of the race and how it was started is quite interesting – a bit of a challenge between two friends who were attending rival schools in 1829. Oxford won the first race, and, decades later, the winner still claims bragging rights for the year.

This year will mark the 158th Boat Race between the two schools. The Boat Race will take place on Saturday, April 7, at 2:15PM London time. If you are not one of lucky ones attending the race in person, you can still cheer for your favorite team virtually. The BBC will be airing the race live online and many other TV/radio stations will be televising the event in real time.

You know I’ll be watching!

Ciao!

I Love Paris in the Springtime….

jennifer — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 03:20:56 +0000

(photo source)

….and you will too when you read these 21 Things to Do Outside in Paris in the Spring!

Enjoy!

The ABC’s of French Art

jennifer — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:50:57 +0000

It may come to no surprise that I love…no adore ….decor with French sayings on them. Whether it’s bistro style art framed for a restaurant wall or little soaps that say bonjour, I’m a pushover for just about anything with scripted French writing.

So, as you can imagine, I was completely enamored with the poster of the ABC’s in French (portion of the poster shown above) by French illustrator Limoon. Frame it with a soft color and it would be perfect for a baby’s or young child’s room. Love it not only for the French writing, but also for the darling characters that are matched with each letter.

Unfortunately, Limoon’s online shop is now closed. However, her whimsical artwork is still being sold via online galleries in limited formats. If you are fortunate enough to obtain one of the precious gems, enjoy!

Kissing the Blarney Stone

jennifer — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:00:26 +0000

(photo source)

When I travel abroad, I try to limit the number of predictable tourist sites I visit. However, sometimes, tourist sites can give us some of the best experiences – and possibly a few tall tales to tell. A few years ago when I was in Ireland, I opted for a “touristy” side trip to Blarney Castle, in Cork. Yes, that Blarney Castle, home of the famous Blarney Stone – the one you kiss to gain the gift of gab, ie. the ability to talk your way out of anything or get people to believe anything you say.

But kissing the stone is not just about the kiss itself. It is an entire Blarney-kissing process where you are actually helped by a much older man into a supported backbend, as you hold onto two posts and lower yourself down the side of a wall, where you ultimately kiss the shiny castle rock, previously kissed by hundreds of thousands of people. Whew, I’m a little shaky just thinking about it.

After swearing I would never kiss the Blarney Stone (and yes, you have to pay to kiss it), I found myself in the short line of wide-eyed grinning tourists ready to pucker up. No, I’m not going to do it. Yes, it would be fun. Damn, is it my turn already? Finally, I gave in to the jabs from my fellow tourists and got into position, which is much harder than it looks, especially when you’re already tense and all of the blood is rushing to your head. Thankfully, I witnessed the castle keeper wipe down the stone after each kiss, which made the experience more enjoyable (and sanitary). The whole process took about 30 seconds – and before I knew it I was being helped back into a sitting, then standing position. After the light-headed feeling passed, I began to wonder if kissing the Blarney Stone really would give me the gift of gab. I didn’t feel any chattier. In fact, I didn’t feel like talking at all.

The stone and powers it possesses is likely folklore, but sometimes I wonder. After all, I did end up working in public relations.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!