Life Between the Pages
My blog posts are free to access, and articles are categorized like a bookstore! From architecture and art, to food and history, travel and video tours, you’ll find a treasure trove to connect you with me, Paris, and my travels in France.
Autumn 2025
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Paris as literary muse for exploring how conscious daily choices compound into artful life
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Part Four, Best Strasbourg Hotels: Elegant Stays & Seasonal Tips for Alsace
Strasbourg offers refined stays for every season, from modern pop-art retreats to riverside five-star elegance. With thoughtful tips for spring rains, summer heat, autumn nights, and winter’s chill, this guide helps you choose the perfect base for exploring Alsace with comfort and quiet sophistication.
One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Blood Orange & Dijon Sauce
This one-pan roasted chicken brings together the brightness of blood orange, the warmth of thyme, and the silkiness of a Dijon-kissed sauce. Crisp-skinned, aromatic, and effortlessly elegant, it’s a modern French classic perfect for intimate dinners and cozy evenings at home.
Salted Butter Apple Cake: A $2 French Baking Secret!
Discover the quiet elegance of salted butter apple cake, a rustic French dessert that turns simple ingredients into something tender, fragrant, and deeply comforting. With its buttery crumb, soft apples, and optional caramelized twist, this recipe offers a taste of effortless French baking at its most charming.
Let’s Make This Cozy $2 Chicken Stew Together!
Discover the quiet elegance of poulet blanquette, a creamy French chicken stew that turns simple ingredients into soulful comfort. With tender vegetables, fragrant herbs, and a velvety finish, this recipe invites slow, nourishing cooking and brings a touch of timeless French coziness to your table.
The French Autumn Companion: Your Guide to Hosting a Cozy, French-Inspired Dinner Party, Part TWO
Bring the warmth of a French autumn table into your home with timeless dishes that elevate any gathering. From silken gratin dauphinois to rustic ratatouille, caramel-rich tarte tatin, and the elegance of crème brûlée, this guide offers a sumptuous roadmap for hosting with grace.
The French Autumn Companion: Your Guide to Hosting a Cozy, French-Inspired Dinner Party, Part ONE
Celebrate the beauty of autumn with a French-inspired dinner party that blends culinary art with timeless charm. From pumpkin soup to Boeuf Bourguignon and Tarte Tatin, discover how to create a cozy, Parisian-style evening filled with seasonal flavors, candlelight, and graceful ambiance.
Autumn in Brittany: Beach Dogs, Endless Gardens, and the Truth About French Countryside Living
Discover the truth about autumn in Brittany, France — from dog-friendly beaches and nonstop garden projects to the real cost of living outside Paris. Shannon Pratuch shares an honest look at rural French life, seasonal beauty, and the realities of balancing two homes in France.
French Pear Cuisine: Recipes, Varieties, And Culinary Elegance
Pears embody French gastronomic elegance, from Renaissance royal tables to today’s refined cuisine. Discover their storied past, explore varietals like Bartlett and Comice, and enjoy recipes such as pear and blue cheese salad or a golden pear tart an ode to France’s timeless love of this delicate fruit.
Mushrooms in French Cuisine: Recipes, Foraging, And Culinary Traditions
Mushrooms hold a cherished place in French cuisine, from rustic countryside foraging to refined classics like Coq au Vin. Explore their history, learn storage and preparation secrets, and savor the comfort of creamy mushroom risotto—an artful taste of France’s enduring love affair with nature’s bounty.
Chestnuts In France: Recipes, Tips, And Timeless Culinary Traditions
Discover the rich tradition of chestnuts in France, from Roman origins to modern harvests in Ardèche. Learn selection, roasting, and peeling tips, and enjoy a classic Coq au Vin with chestnuts. Celebrate seasonal French cuisine with this timeless culinary treasure.
French Fig Recipes And History: Seasonal Salads And Pizza
Journey into France’s love affair with figs, from ancient Marseille to modern Provençal markets. Learn how to select, store, and prepare this seasonal treasure, then savor two elegant recipes: a fresh fig and goat cheese salad, and a roasted fig and prosciutto pizza, perfect for autumn gatherings.
French Autumn Recipes And Market Tips For Seasonal Living
Discover the flavors of a French autumn with recipes inspired by the markets of Paris. From pumpkin soup and leek tarts to figs, chestnuts, and mirabelles, this guide brings cozy seasonal cooking to life. Explore market tips, meal planning, and Parisian wisdom to enrich your autumn kitchen.
Best Family Hotels in Paris and Forest Retreats in France
From Parisian elegance to tranquil countryside escapes, discover the best family hotels and forest retreats in France. Whether staying near the Louvre, at Disneyland, or in a château by the woods, these stays combine comfort, history, and charm for memorable journeys filled with beauty and ease.
Spring rains in Paris
Since 1884, Maison Piganiol has crafted umbrellas blending tradition with innovation, while Marais Béret reimagines Parisian headwear. From the elegance of the Fantasmagoria parasol to chic berets in silk, denim, and wool, discover the timeless artistry of French accessories for spring.
Fleurs-Flowers
Studio Maison Ciero in Paris brings timeless French artistry to floral design. Founded by Romain Pilato, the studio creates fresh and dried arrangements using local blooms, including roses from top French producers. Each creation, from bouquets to the innovative Cube, celebrates beauty and creative renewal.
Fleurie : Bouquets & Varietals
From Provence’s fragrant fields to the symbolic Rosa Canina, French roses embody centuries of culture, perfume, and poetry. Explore the history, varietals, and enduring allure of these blooms-from Verlaine’s verses to rose hip remedies-where beauty, fragrance, and heritage intertwine.
Living History : Roseraie DUCHER
Discover Roseraie Ducher, Lyon’s iconic rose garden, where six generations of the Ducher family cultivated rare and historic roses. From hybrid tea creations to the famed ‘Never Forget’ rose, explore a floral legacy that intertwines history, artistry, and global admiration.
THE IDEAS : memories & DESIRES of childhood& TRAVEL
Nestled in Haute-Savoie, Les Jardins Secrets is a hidden French gem where nature, art, and family passion converge. With lush gardens, fountains, and poetic spaces inspired by global traditions, it invites visitors into a timeless escape filled with beauty, biodiversity, and quiet wonder.
A Rose TO REMEMBER
Follow the story of Rosemary "Rose" Wines, whose love for gardens, the ocean, and cherished family shaped a French journey of home, memories, and artful living. From California to Bretagne, explore her influence, Sunday rituals, and an itinerary inspired by her elegant spirit.
Finding Home in Brittany
From pandemic house hunting to finding a storybook cottage in Brittany, follow a journey of country living, gardens in bloom, welcoming neighbors, and creating a French home full of charm and history. Perfect for lovers of literature, travel, and garden inspiration.
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