Saturday, June 30, 2012

Julia’s Picks: Mirror Mirror

With this year’s multiple retellings of Snow White, it only seems natural to draw a little inspiration. Rather than duplicate Disney’s classic red, blue, and yellow palette, the makers of Mirror Mirror created ornate sets and lavish costumes that pay homage to the 1937 classic, but have something all their own. As I watched this adorable movie, I couldn’t help but think that Lily Collins was born to be a Disney princess, even though this film was not made by Disney (gasp)! Yes, shocking. Here are some of my picks for your home inspired by the film Mirror Mirror…

Friday, June 29, 2012

No More Katniss Braid…


It’s been over a week since I sat down in the chair and told Matt, my hair stylist, to cut it all off. Now, when I say “all” I’m being slightly dramatic. It’s not like I got a pixie cut or anything, but for those of us who have had a long wall of hair to hide behind, losing 12 inches seems unfathomable. I made the decision months ago that I needed a change. I’ve had essentially the same long hair since elementary school. Aside from an ill-fated attempt at bangs a couple of years ago, I’ve never wanted to change it. My long, flowing tresses have always been one of the few physical attributes I actually take pride in. A coworker once commented that I had “Disney princess” hair…a thought that still makes me smile. With all the changes in my life over the last year, it only seemed natural to do something drastic.
Here’s how the process went:
Step 1: Tell everyone that I was going to donate it. There’s no going back once you’ve made people think you’re so selfless…
Step 2: Freak out about the details. I went online to read about the donation process: 10 inch minimum??? Send it in yourself??? Does that mean I have to carry my hair around in my purse while I look for a mailbox? Ok, I’m having second thoughts now.
Step 3: Have someone else drive me to the salon. I can’t be trusted to make it there on my own.
Step 3 1/2: Start to have a panic attack in the car. Being on the verge of tears over something that grows back might seem silly to some people, but nevertheless, that’s how I was feeling.
Step 4: Cut it off! After assuring me that I wouldn’t have to tote my hair around all day in my purse, Matt made the first cut. Instead of crying, I actually felt ok seeing the copious amounts of hair falling to the floor.
Step 5: Embrace the change. It’s taking some getting used to, but letting go of my safety blanket of hair has felt good…and so did donating it.  
Even though I feel a little bit braver, I must lament the fact that I can’t braid my hair anymore! I guess that means I can’t be Katniss for Halloween this year…  

(photo source)

Friday, June 8, 2012

WFT?! Why French Toast?

No, that’s not a typo. And no, it doesn’t stand for some salacious acronym. From time to time, I get asked why I named may shop French Toast. I suppose it’s an odd name for a children’s store. Perhaps some generic name like “Baby Boutique” or “A Child’s enter generic item here,” or even “Once Upon a Time” would sit better with everyone. Why don’t I like names like this? Because they are a dime a dozen! Completely forgettable.
Right around the time I started thinking I could open my own shop, I was introduced to an amazing toy company called Moulin Roty. Based in France, this company makes charming toys and décor for young children. There’s a quality in their products that I can only describe as magical. So magical in fact, that it helped spark the idea of the “French” theme for my own store. I started running through all sorts of French words/phrases on Google translator. Finally, someone asked me what is my favorite thing that is French? The first thing that popped into my head was French Toast!  
While I was madly researching all of my favorite children’s products, and obsessing over the name French Toast (which I kept secret for MONTHS!), I attended a production of Cinderella with one of my closest friends, Emily and her lovely parents. As we were watching the production (which I like to call the Brandy and Whitney Houston version), I couldn’t help but think about the opening lines. The opening dialogue explains that the story of Cinderella has been told throughout time in every kingdom and country in the world. While that may be true, the most popular version we know was written by Charles Perrault. Perrault (who is a French literary icon) practically invented fairy tales. This got me thinking, all of my favorite fairy tales are rooted in French culture. Perrault not only penned Cinderella, but also Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, and Puss in Boots. Thanks to Disney, we all know that Beauty and the Beast originated in France. Some of my favorite contemporary children’s stories are set in France: Madeline, Anatole, Le Petit Prince, Babar. Even Eloise took a break from the Plaza to go to Paris!
So, now that you’ve made it to the end of this verbose blog post, you now know a little more about the French Toast story. For more French inspiration, check out my upcoming series French Toast, where I’ll post some of my favorite things inspired by my favorite stories!