Stephanie , aka La Belle in France, is living the dream of many, including moi! She has lived in France previously, Paris and Provence, and is returning next week to further her studies. We had the opportunity to meet before she heads back, and had an amazing dinner at La Minette, a quaint french bistro in the city (more on that later). It is so great to finally meet someone you’ve been communicating with online, and even better when you click in person as well. She is such a sweetheart, and I encourage you to follow her travels and adventures via her blog. Bon voyage Stephanie!
What gift from nature would you like to have?
Harmony. Complete and utter harmony.
Your favourite colour and flower.
Favorite color is turquoise and for my flower, Lily of the Valley. They are the most adorable, decliate bells and look great in a vase as a single stem or as a voluptuous bundle.
Your favourite names.
Dresden and Josephine. I love strong names and have never liked shortening them or nicknames. Josephine would never be Jo or Josie. I will never go by Steph.
Your favourite qualities in friends.
I love surrounding myself with interesting people from a variety of different backgrounds and fields. I once met a doctor staying in a hostel in Paris and we had so much fun going to the opera or just talking about our own drive for success, even though she was focused on mediciine while I was (am) trying to make it in the art world. It was a wonderful meeting someone from a completely different world as interested in my world as I was her’s-our time in Paris only overlapped for a week but we’re still close friends today. So to sum it all up-loyalty and interest.
Your favourite virtue.
Sincerity-I think people would feel much more open to getting to know one another if we all acted on our sincerity. What I mean is, if you think someone is a really neat person, then try to get to know them. Too often we keep ourselves from reaching out beyond our established social cricles and I think we are denying ourselves many wonderful connections in doing so. Of course, I’m guilty of this as well.
Your biggest flaw.
Independence.
Your idea of misery.
Not having anyone you can ask for a hug when you need one the most.
Your idea of happiness.
Finding little ways to lift others up- a simple smile, a sincere compliment, a phone call, a half hour connecting over coffee during a lonely week.
Your favourite food & drink.
Mexican food is my comfort food-fried pinto and black beans as well as the proper spices are already on the list of things I must pack for my upcoming move to Paris. My favorite drink, honestly, is water. And coffee.
Where would you like to live?
In a quaint home with natural lighting, hardwood floors and wispy curtains blowing in a soft breeze. And a light, airy, and colorful kitchen. Also a chaise lounge next to my bookcases-a place to sit with my favorite book and coffee in the morning. The only extravagance would be in it’s simplicity.
**the proust q & a is a regular feature..check out the archives here**
