Au revoir, Mon cher Coco... Bonjour, Christine Rochet-Jacob!

L'Embarquement pour Cythère (détail), par Antoine Watteau.

Dear reader,

My involvement with Mon cher Coco has now come to an end! I have decided to focus my writing on one blog only.

Therefore, if you have enjoyed Mon cher Coco's correspondence, you can keep on following my quest for inspiration on my other blog: Christine Rochet-Jacob.

Yes, the adventure continues on : Christine Rochet-Jacob!

Thank you for your interest and faithful readership.

Christine ***

What a houselife! Maison à Bordeaux by Rem Koolhaas, 1998.

Maison à Bordeaux by Rem Koolhaas, 1998. Hope you enjoyed the elevation ;o)

Now here is another video that tells us the story of that very unique house in Bordeaux, France. Follow the guide, you won't regret the tour!

An Introduction to Scrapbooking...

End of March, my husband and I decided to start a scrapbook. So we went through piles of magazines* that we had previously discarded for recycling. Here are images from my scrapbook so far...

I am so grateful to Marco for having introduced me to scrap-booking. I've always enjoyed collage and montage, so laying images out in a book is like a revelation to me- an epiphany, really !

What about you?
Do you like scrap-blooking?

*Mainly Vogue (Paris, UK, US), Colors, W, Harper's Bazaar, The Face, and I.D

Easter Revival!

~ Easter is this weekend, yes! Let's get ready to celebrate.
Lamb is the traditional centerpiece for an Easter meal, so if you're looking for recipe inspiration I recommend you go to my compatriot Clotilde Dusoulier, her blog is a constant source of inspiration. You can either consider this braised lamb with flageolet beans (the traditional Easter meal in my family) or this slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary, anchovy and lemon zest.

Photo from Chocolate and Zucchini

The traditional gift in France is a hollow chocolate shell, shaped like an egg, hen, duck, rabbit or bell, and filled with other confections : small pieces of chocolate shaped like fish and called friture (friture literally means something fried, but it is also the name of the tiny fried fish they serve in the South of France and which those little chocolates are meant to represent), praline-filled eggs, tiny eggs filled with liquor, chocolate-covered pieces of nougatine...

This all comes in a characteristic cardboard box with a handle, decorated with Easter-themed illustrations, and which a little girl can recycle in a thousand ways.

Either all religious or partly religious or not religious at all, I wish you all a very happy Easter - Joyeuses Pâques!

Mad Hatter's Anniversary Party at the Red Tea Box!

Yesterday, we invited Tess & Daniel to have tea at the Red Tea Box (it was Tess's birthday!), we ordered 2 bento boxes - the Mad Hatter's (left) and the Indian-flavoured one (right)- to share the joy. It was sheer delight! It tasted like a "happy non-anniversary" party, as those thrown by the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland...The difference being, of course, that we were celebrating Tess's real anniversary.

I was happy to discover, at long last, this legendary place that my husband had described to me so many times. One part restaurant, one part bakery, and one part gift shop, The Red Tea Box is a tranquil little place to spend a memorable afternoon, solo or with friends. It felt like a cosy home! Purr-fect.

696 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J1E7
(416) 203-8882