Friday, April 30, 2010

Fr. Girl's Apartment

Yesterday Bethany said...I love your blog.
Its absolutely sensational and the highlight of my days!!
(Thank you, Thank you dear Bethany)
I was wondering if you could do a post on the typical French girls apartment. In the movies it always looks very thrown together, simple and chic. I know you must have insight on this!!!!

That would be fantastic...
At first I thought no.
But after careful reconsideration, I decided yes! I should show you that French girls are not so "thrown together" or casual. In fact quite the opposite. Especially now that you've seen what a hopeless slob I am. The contrast is riveting. This is the entry way where I was to drop my bag immediately upon arrival.
My bag from the MTA by the way, with its NYC subway map always gets positive attention in Paris. Including from the staff at Pierre Herme(!), who like all Parisiens adore New York madly.

Back to Fr Girls apart - I'll be discrete and show only a few select areas. The cuisine is always immaculate. There is a place for everything and everything is bla bla bla.

An adorable welcome sign was awaiting me - these chalkboard decorative wall thingies... Not a single pomme is out of place.

I become chef dishwasher while staying with Fr girl. She does not like to faire la vaisselle...ahem. Of course I can only do the dishes when she is out of the house. Otherwise the noise is annoying. Oui c'est vrai.

Very important coin de cuisine - Fr girl adores her apero in the evening.

Fr girl is a terrific cook and can whip together something fab in no time.*Note all the cookbooks.

*Note stacked on another shelf - Fr girls chocolate bars.
Could you do this?
I could not.
NO WAY.
6-7 choco bars in the house at one time - are you kidding me?
Fr girls petit dej' - a ton of Normandie butter with a little toast and tea on the side. This was always a shocker for me.

Of course Fr girl was shocked at my concoctions - this soup, a staple of mine when I'm away. I make a big pot of it and wolf down it for a quick lunch or dinner, preferably while standing up in the kitchen.
Fr girl renamed it,

"American Soup"
No decent French person would go near such a conglomoration of ingredients. It's simply not done!
I hoped against hope that some of Fr girls orderliness would rub off on me. No such luck :(

I really coveted Fr girls macaron tablier...
And it's in RED too!
BONJOUR FR APPARTS!
appart' is slang for apartment or at least I think it is.
 

51 comments:

  1. love the looks of fr. girl's apartment!

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  2. Carol, there are probably messy French girls, too! But you were lucky to be with one that is clean and organized. Do you always stay at her place or this is the first time?

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  3. Justine8:49 AM

    tres chic indeed!
    that is one orderly "apart"
    Thanks for the discret peek inside!
    Love it!!

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  4. Anonymous9:27 AM

    Carol: I read PB every morning, and most of the time I'm drooling over the macarons! But I need to unsubscribe for the moment, and your directions do not work. Please clue me in on how to do that. Thanks, and I may be back in a few months.

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  5. you have to be neat when the apts are so small...otherwise..it's chaos....not sure I could deal with a kitchen that tiny though..

    have a good weekend Carol

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  6. Please email me ANONYMOUS
    I have to unsubscribe you, blogger has a glitch I have yet to figure out.
    merci
    carolg

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  7. Bethany9:54 AM

    O Carol, Thank you!!
    I read the blog today and was very excited! Thank you I have so many ideas now what I can do...as with you I must learn to be orderly I suppose!!

    I love your work and one day soon will invest in a picture!!

    Thanks Carol!
    Bethany

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  8. Ahhh new idea...chocolate does stack just like books!....i just throw mine in the cupboard....need to stack and display those bars.....

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  9. Does she really eat all that butter for lunch?? Ayyyyyyyyye. Cute post!

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  10. Very interesting Carol. About those chocolate bars stacked like books - I can't keep one bar at a time around, it's husually half gone by the time I get home! Hope all is going well with your exhinit today!

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  11. Miam maim - Normandie butter!

    Pop over to Chez Moi. I have a present for you.

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  12. PS - I think those chocolate bars are for cooking with.

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  13. Actually, I am one of those rare gals that could indeed have 6-7 chocolate bars in the house at one time. In fact, I have much more than that in a large baggie in my crisper in the fridge ~ bite-sized Reese's cups, Hershey's, Almond Joys, Kisses, and some larger dark chocolate bars ~ I like choices when I wish to indulge :-)). I love chocolate, but a little bit at time is all I need. Weird, I know. However, I should say that potato chips are completely banned from my home.

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  14. I should conduct a study in our house of 5. 6-7 chocolate bars stacked to the side, casually on the shelf with the cookbooks, within reach and within sight. Are you kidding me!!! It must be the American sense of consumption but it would be as if there was a sign saying, "I MUST BE ENJOYED AND DEVOURED NOW" Thanks to your dear reader for the awesome suggestion of seeing the neat glimpses of Fr. Girl's fab apartment. I can appreciate neatness, but I am not an "everything in its place" girl as much as I try.

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  15. Did you see all her pretty cups and saucers?! I can't keep my eyes off them...to think, to wake up every morning and instead of grabbing my plain white coffee cup to be able to sip tea and toast from one of those!

    ooooh, lala, the french....and the macaron apron? coveting...

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  16. Love your blog and would like to know where I can get an apron with the macaroons? I found a couple of bakeries in town that sell them for $1.25 and thought of you right away!!!!!

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  17. i love how she painted her tangerine crates pink! only a french woman would think of doing something like that!

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  18. Oh, that tablier - I would love to cook in it!

    I read Armchair Parisians "chocolate in the crisper" tale.
    So lucky for both of us that I do not know where she lives! ;-)

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  19. Carol, reading your comments section is a story by itself. Herm found the aprons, for 1.25!!!! Why don't I live in Paris????

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  20. Have I told you lately how much J'ADORE your blog? This post was just another example of why I love it so much. Catching glimpses of la vie Parisienne keeps me coming here every day! Merci! :)

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  21. I love the apartment. I think that I would be very happy there :)
    (Is the opening shot the building that French girl lives in?)

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  22. I am now inspired to trim down the stuff in my kitchen. I LOVE cute and eclectic clutter, but the more space you have the more you stuff into it, and that isn't good.
    Great post, and a great way to start off my Saturday. Thanks Carol and love from Kiwiland.

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  23. looks like many of the fr. appartmnets I've been in. So perfect!

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  24. Did you make that apron? I love it!

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  25. Carol! Love! I am so jealous, seriously, the apartment is adorable, and lol, Astoria is totally up and coming, right? Thanks for the peek, I would LOVE to be here right now! Have a fabulous weekend! Double cheek kiss to you!

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  26. Hello, Carol

    I really love your blog and it's so nice to enter and see your apart.
    I read paris breakfasts everyday and it makes me feel very happy 'cause we can learn a lot of French style of life and get new ideas.
    You're responsable for giving us a chance to follow you.
    Love,
    Vanete Arrigoni

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  27. Hello, Carol

    I really love your blog and it's so nice to enter and see your apart.
    I read paris breakfasts everyday and it makes me feel very happy 'cause we can learn a lot of French style of life and get new ideas.
    You're responsable for giving us a chance to follow you.
    Love,
    Vanete Arrigoni

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  28. cozinharegionalnoroestees6:34 PM

    Sorry! I sent the comments twice, but I really love PB.
    Vanete

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  29. MON DIEU!
    I had no idea you all would get so excited about this? Admittedly I found it pretty interesting-that's why I took pictures for posterity.

    The FIRST photo is the view out the window NIKON but all the residential buildings look the same on that street-rather posh and "sober" as the Fr like to say.

    More importantly, I want to emphasize that those chocolate bars are NOT ALL used in cooking and I see there are actually 8 bars.
    There WERE 9 but I gobbled up the one filled with caramel :(

    I feel like an idiot that I never noticed the PINK painted madarine boxes! Shocking!

    As for the TABLIER, MERISI, no way will you find it for $1.25 sorry. I did find it in a giftie shoppe on rue Jacob near rue Bonaparte and couldn't bring myself to part with 30 euros.
    Naturally I regret it.

    WHIT, the pretty cups and saucers are from Cacherel and I went out and bought my own cup to avoid breaking any in my slovenly clumsiness...ahem

    If you have any other bright ideas or requests pls. let me know.
    And thanks for all the adoration!
    Keep it coming!!
    Carolg

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  30. PB is the highlight of my day as well, Carol!

    Love the stacked chocolate bars! And the Mouton Cadet.
    And ton of butter on bread at breakfast ... a must in my book too.
    Enjoy,

    Christine

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  31. How wonderful, thank you!
    Hugs,
    CB

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  32. There is nothing wrong with eating cooking chocolate in my book if one is desperate enough.
    Don't forget it's FRENCH!
    Better than eating wallpaper Clare...

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  33. elizabeth7:24 PM

    oui...
    as far as I know is short for "appartment."


    Elizabeth

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  34. Karinka in Tallahassee4:22 AM

    Love your blog....
    in yesterday's you mentioned attending a meeting of Francophile bloggers. Is there a list or a link to people who have blogs about France? I subscribe to French word a day; tongue in chic; paris breakfasts and now because of you, Lunch in Paris but would like to know of others if you have a list. Merci beaucoup, Karinka

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  35. Very interesting post! Could you let us know what the apero is that French girl drinks? Was it wine or something else? It is fun trying esoteric aperitifs. I tried (and loved) Suze.

    I would love to know what her cookbooks are, too. I'm in Paris at the moment (dans mon petit appart)...it would be so much fun to buy them and check out the recipes. I don't care if they are in French with metric measures. N'importe!

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  36. Excellent post! The apart' is très mignon and inspiring to clean up mine a little! LOL!
    http://pretemoiparis.blogspot.com/

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  37. As always I just love your posts!
    So clever and get photos. I love
    the fr. girl's apt.

    Jane
    Flora Doora

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  38. I love your blog, you speriencies...!! is soo interesting

    My blog is http://aboutmyfashionlife.blogspot.com/ if you like it fall pleaS!!!

    Andrea

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  39. Sorry, I meant $1.25 for the macaroons, not the apron!!!!!
    I would love to find an apron like that, maybe I have to paint one.

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  40. Johanna in Salvador4:04 PM

    Hello Carol,

    I really enjoy Reading your blog and i love your enthusiasm and love for Paris.

    You have a really good eye for things. Today´s “French girl´s apartment “ was just great!!!

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  41. I really enjoyed this apartment tour dear Carol...loved every little detail /especially the choco bars and the apron with those delicious macarons :-)/ Yay macarons...I have to try them!

    Hope you're having a wonderful weekend my dear friend.

    Cheers: Evi

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  42. 6-7 choco bars
    in the house at one time...



    why,


    i am STILL over here laughing over this idea....


    :-)

    a one time!





    as if....

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  43. It's always a real pleasure to look your blog.
    It has been a long time since I wasn't in blogs and I am very happy to be back here.

    Sorry for my english, it is so bad.

    See you soon, Lucie

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  44. Misha in Paris6:47 AM

    Your website, just the word : appartement with 2 T -
    "un appart"...
    sympathetic photographies !


    A+C++++

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  45. I found this post quite inspirational. It made me want to instantly start going through all my possessions and sifting them!

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  46. I really enjoyed and was inspired looking at the appartment photos! Thank you for sharing these :-)

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  47. Nathalie near Paris6:47 PM

    Your blog is really nice!! I live in Paris, actually not far (northern suburb). I like the french girl appartment!

    thank you for this blog!

    Here is a book I love!
    do you know it?
    Paris: Wish You Were Here!

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  48. Carol,
    I must confess, your soup looks too healthy even for me. ;-) Who ate the green tomatoes in the basket, btw?

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  49. I like the soup you are making for breakfast! Very Chic! lol But why not??
    I have fun visiting your blog and it reminds me of my working years in Paris...

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  50. Anonymous12:03 AM

    hah! I love all the chocolate bars - thats the way to do it!

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  51. oh what a cool idea for a post

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