I'm Susan — devout Francophile, mother of twins, writer, creative director, and aspiring author. I've been sharing my life here since 2010...thanks for reading!
Hello et bonjour! I’m so glad you’ve discovered my little corner of the internet. I’m Susan, a forty-something writer, creator, queer femme, and mother (of twins). My life is “flourishing”, hence the name…with a French twist. I’ve been sharing my life here since 2010, with more to be found @fleurishing. I also founded @thefrancophiles community in 2016 with a goal to inspire, inform and unite Francophiles around the world and it continues to grow. In addition to the wealth of information I’ve shared here over the years, I’m getting even more personal on Substack…I hope you’ll join me there!
As a devout Francophile and mother, I can honestly say that I would be thrilled to receive any of the items on this list! I always enjoy curating French-inspired gift guides, and this one is dedicated to les mamans, but of course can serve as inspiration for any special female or friend in your life. Mother’s Day is upon us in the states and fête des mères falls at the end of the month in France. This guide does contain some affiliate links which help support the work that goes on behind the scenes here and @thefrancophiles. Thank you et merci for your community love and happy shopping mes amis!
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1. this luxe candle is the scent of luck + happiness, made in the iconic Trudon wax factory!
2. meaning grandmother, this soap is made in Marseille with organic shea butter.
3. handcrafted in Paris, this keychain is a useful, daily reminder of love and affection.
4. perfect for “mom”ogramming, this coin clutch is a practical French-inspired gift!
Tis’ the season for gifting, and this gift guide is for all of my fellow Francophiles! If you’re a regular reader, then you know that I have a deep love for all things French. I always enjoy creating these guides – and while I always include brands that I know and love, I often discover something completely new to me! I’ve created quite a few frenchy gift guides over the years…you can see them all here. For those of you that are signed up for @thefrancophiles newsletter, you received a special one in your inbox today. In the event you’re not subscribed, you can see it here (a gift from me to you). xo, Susan
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1. Clare V. and Sugar Paper teamed up to create this 2020 planner, with French phrases + words plus a snazzy look.
2. designed by a father/daughter duo, this necklace is a great way for your little one to show their love for the city.
3. ooh la la, little ones will love this sweet rattle beautifully crafted from soft organic knitted cotton.
4.this gift set brings together five iconic diptyque scents in miniature form, long-lasting and made in France.
5. a brilliant quote by French novelist Marcel Proust adorns this ceramic mug by Obvious State.
6. this heavyweight linen pillow featuring les trois couleurs is hand silk-screened in Brooklyn.
7. this French cookbook glass ornament would be a cute gift for a foodie…Julia Child would approve, no doubt.
8. a play on the relationship between two French words makes this Clare V. sweatshirt both cheeky + chic.
image c/o The Hive Studio (a letter she beautifully calligraphed for me)
I blinked and it’s February, yikes! January was all about holiday recovery and personal health (both physical and mental). I did a deep dive into some of my favorite podcasts, newsletters and Instagram accounts, and found quite a bit of inspiration. Narrowing your focus is imperative, as there is so much goodness to be found these days – it’s overwhelming! I’m sharing a of them few here in the hopes you might also enjoy them…each of these people have impacted me with their words. In addition, I stumbled upon this truth bomb the other day, and it was just what I needed to hear. I would love to know what you’re reading/listening to/inspired by these days…please enlighten me in the comments!
These two are officially six…can you believe it?! We kept things simple this year and had a lovely French-inspired birthday picnic at a favorite local park. We got lucky with the weather and managed to avoid the crazy hot temperatures. We tend to shy away from outdoor activity when it gets to be over 80 degrees, if I’m being honest. Why did we have July babies?! I’m kidding – Cancers are the best (both my parents are that sign as well) and the fact that they were born late on the 13th means that they were technically born on le 14 juillet, aka Bastille Day to us (the French don’t call it that). It was a Francophiles dream come true to have my babies born on such a significant French holiday – it was an unplanned emergency c-section, and it was fate. You can read their birth story here, should you be interested. Back to the picnic…
