cuteness + confetti

confetti-heart-toothpicks

In an effort to do something fun yet budget friendly with the kids for Valentine’s Day, we kept this craft very simple. The kids loved it – a colorful confetti mess combined with cupcakes – what’s not to love?! Using all of the empty Bonne Maman jars that we’ve been saving, I divided all the colors of confetti, and let Marie + Henry each make their own custom blend. They loved exploring the different textures, and making a mess – it was very beautiful though, so I didn’t mind.

mariecrafting

confetti-craft

Crafting is so enjoyable at this age (two and a half) – they are hungry for it, everyday. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, but I earn bonus points for anything messy. After applying glue to heart toothpicks, the kids dipped and stirred them into their jars of confetti, creating fun cupcake toppers. Click through to see more cuteness!

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nørr film + yé yé

norr-film

 

Today I’m sharing a recent discovery – one that I’m so excited about, I almost want to keep to myself. I’ve admired the work of filmmaker Jenner Brown for a few years, and he recently announced his new venture, along with Eva + Kirk Jorgensen and Meta Coleman. An independent film company, Nørr Film is dedicated to beautiful aesthetics + strong storytelling. Their focus is on historical period features, with many fascinating films already in the works. One of them happens to be about the yé yé movement, referring to the French pop music of the 1960’s. It encompasses many of my all-time favorite French songs and artists, including the likes of Françoise Hardy (shown above), Jane Birkin, Sylvie Vartan, Birgitte Bardot, and France Gall. A few men were included in the movement, including Serge Gainsbourg (a fav of mine). The music had a very innocent sound, yet the lyrics were often riddled with innuendo and impassive humor. Many modern artists have been inspired by the music, and if you’re a Mad Men fan, you have the song Zou Bisous Bisous as a reference, which garnered so much attention that a single was released, proving the power of the yé yé sound is still very much appreciated. I cannot wait to see how the creative minds at Nørr interpret all of it – no doubt it will be amazing.

image courtesy of nørr film

bon weekend

valentines-day-links

 

Can you believe Valentine’s Day is next weekend?! I feel like this year is already moving at warp speed. To get you in the spirit, I’m sharing some fun links for the “holiday of love”. It gets a bad wrap, but despite the commercialism, it’s an opportunity to express love, and I’m sure we can all agree the world could use more of it.  Of course, when you have kids, all of the holidays get more exciting + the crafting possibilities are endless! On that note –  I’ll be sharing a fun craft I did with the kids next week (this photo is a hint)…so be sure to check back for all kinds of cuteness + confetti. We’re expecting more snow here in Pennsylvania…perfect snuggling weather, so I’m not complaining. I hope it’s cozy where you are!

BON WEEKEND!

paris in love

“kiss me” cookies

for the love of books

put your heart to paper + videos!

gift ideas based on the five love languages

date nights

movie-date-night

 

I’m sure this looks familiar, especially if you’re a parent. We have been terribly guilty of not making time for date nights in the past two years, and we’re making it a priority this year (and all years going forward, for that matter). We’ve been married for five, together for seven…and ok, maybe “the itch” is a real thing. As parents of twins, each year gets a bit easier as far as making time for ourselves and our marriage, but it’s still very difficult. It is a topic I’ve avoided discussing here, until now. The health + wellness of my relationship is of utmost importance to me, and I feel that journaling it here (as transparently as possible), will be cathartic + nurturing. Our goal is (at least) one date night a month, even if it’s a creative at-home date, like this one. We’ll be documenting them here in an effort to stay on track, and (hopefully) inspire others. Keeping romance alive in any long-term relationship takes work – what have you done to cultivate yours? Please share!

french is beautiful

cement-and-gold

 

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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One of my biggest hurdles in my French-speaking journey has been my perfectionism. In my mind, if I can’t say something perfectly, then I shouldn’t say it all. Thankfully, one of the very first things Carrie Anne James addresses in her lessons is our fear dialogue, and how it affects our fluency. We have to let go of the fear of judgement, and just speak. Focus on the words, and lean into it. The proper accent will come when you’re ready for it. Not to mention, the French find American accents adorable (think Jean Seberg in Breathless). Consistency is key – find ways to surround yourself with the language. Whether it’s film, music, literature, or the most adorable French child telling a captivating story, do what you enjoy most. The more exposure you have to the language, the more time your brain has to absorb the rhythm and syntax, allowing you to imitate the sound. Your imitation won’t be perfect at first…but fake it until you make it! While many would argue there is no such thing as perfection…my endless hunger for it helps propel me forward (in all aspects of my life). I’m just so thankful to have a teacher that keeps me grounded in reality.

** french is beautiful is a regular series – browse the archives here **