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!
This gift guide is for the Francophiles in your life (hopefully there are many). May this list inspire your holiday shopping and perhaps even a little something for yourself! For a list of favorite French-inspired books (there are simply too many to narrow down), look no further than this dedicated bookshop.org page. Their site helps support authors and independent bookstores, which is more important than ever. Happy shopping and merci mille fois for supporting @thefrancophiles!
1. this set of puzzles by French artist Nathalie Lété for Vilac is perfect for les enfants.
I must say I do enjoy curating these gift guides every year, and I almost always discover something new for my own wish list (which is both a good and a bad thing, lol). While this is dedicated to les mamans, it can of course can serve as inspiration for any special 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 14k gold “maman” necklace is the result of a cool collaboration between friends Maya Brenner + Clare V.
It’s become a yearly tradition to create a gift guide for fellow Francophiles, and I must say I truly enjoy pulling it together! This year I am focused on supporting small business owners and makers, as well as keeping costs reasonable (with a few exceptions). This holiday season is certainly more challenging, but I hope this list will inspire, or perhaps even introduce you to a new creative! I purposely left books off this year, only because I have a dedicated bookshop.org page setup for all of my French-inspired favorites. I highly encourage you to buy your books from them, as it is the best way to support indie bookshops and authors. Should you desire more gifting inspiration, you can see my past gift guides here, and be sure to follow @thefrancophiles community for all things French, all the time. Joyeuses fêtes et happy shopping mes amis!
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1. this luxe new holiday candle features firewood + spicy notes…their matches also make a lovely (less expensive) gesture.
Bon week-end and happy Francophile Friday mes amis! Le Dîner en Blanc is on the horizon (in Philadelphia and many other cities), and I’ve rounded up some info and my archived posts on the subject. The dinner with friends that began in Paris over 30 years ago has become an international sensation, and is a highlight of summer for me. Sadly, we’ll be missing this years festivities due to coinciding vacation dates, but we hope to be back in 2019. You can read about our experiences below, and learn more about the dîner en blanc inspired tablescape you see above (styled by moi). Wherever you are in the world, if you attend the magical evening, I do hope you’ll tag #thefrancophiles and share your experience!
