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!