Are you a Branché girl?

Branché means trendy in French. Branché is also the name of my jewelry collection. There are a lot of trendy girls out there strutting their Branché jewelry. If you are one of them, I'd love to hear all about how you wear your jewelry, where you wear it and compliments you've received from wearing it. You can also include comments and suggestions for new styles and pieces you'd like to see. Click on the link marked "comments".


Visit http://www.parlene.etsy.com/ to see more of my jewelry collection and you too can say "Oui, I am a Branché girl!" Naming necklaces after people is one of my favorite things to do. And who knows, maybe the next Branché neckalce will be named after you!

Lake Arrowhead, California

There are times when a weekend get-a-way is all you need to get a little R&R. We decided to head for the mountains and enjoy nature. Lake Arrowhead is about an hour and a half from Los Angeles and about half hour from Big Bear Lake.

We selected a Bed & Breakfast in Lake Arrowhead called the Storybook Inn. This small B&B has 10 rooms all themed after storybooks. One highlight is their spectacular views because of their location on "the rim of the world". The house was built in the 1940's and later was converted into a B&B. While the house could use a little TLC, we found our room to be quite comfortable. Breakfast in the morning includes eggs, sausage, toast, fruit and other breakfast items. The Storybook Inn generously offers evening hospitality with your choice of complimentary wine or soft drinks. You may also choose to have your complimentary beverage at dinner in their restaurant.

Of particular interest is the restaurant located on the premises called Eligio's. Open Wednesday-Sunday, Eligio's offers Italian cuisine and an Italian chef from the north of Italy. We ate dinner there each night during our stay and were not disappointed. Prices range from $14-$25 per plate and all entrees come with soup or salad. We received above expected friendly service offered by the chef's wife and daughter. The restaurant is popular among locals not only for the fantastic cuisine but also for the view of "the rim of the world". Be sure to make reservations and request a table with a view.

The B&B along with great food and an amazing view make for a romantic weekend without putting much thought into it. Whether you are going skiing for a day or staying the weekend, be sure to stop by Eligio's for a wonderful dinning experience. Maybe it's not the Swiss Alps but with a delicious Italian dinner, it's just another day in a Euro style life.

Toscana Soup Recipe

Nothing can bring comfort to the soul like a great bowl of soup on a cold rainy day or to ease symptoms of the flu. Try this simple recipe for a healthy and comforting dinner. If you try the soup recipe, I'd enjoy hearing your comments. Please post them for all to enjoy!

Toscana Soup

1lb uncooked Hot Italian sausage links (note: the spicier the sausage, the better the soup. You can also use turkey sausage.)

1/2 chopped onion

8 strips of bacon diced

2 garlic cloves minced

4 c water (or replace with all chicken stock)

2 cans (14.5 oz) chicken broth

3 cups potatoes

3 cups sliced spinach or kale

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

Remove sausage casing. Cook sausages fully. Drain. Cut into bite-size pieces. Saute onion and bacon until onion is tender. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute so that garlic doesn't get bitter.-add water, broth, and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 min or until potatoes are tender. Add sausage, spinach (or kale), and cream to soup; heat through but do not boil. Yield: 3 quarts

Colmar, France

France has much to offer to the experienced tourist. While the city of Paris remains one of my favorite places in France to visit, I hope to introduce my readers to various parts of France that are not so commonly known. Or if they are known, they are rarely visited because they are away from the major cities.

One city takes the cake on European charm, Colmar, France. About 30 minutes from Strasbourg is this little city referred to as Petite Venise because of it's narrow canals resembling Venice. It is also the capital of Alsatian wine.

Colmar became an imperial town in the 1200's. During the Thirty Years' War, the city was taken by Sweden in 1632 and had possession of it until 1634. The city was conquered by France under Louis XIV in 1697.

Colmar seems just the place to escape the busy city life or hectic schedule of the tourist traveling from one city to the next. One can take in the sights, go wine tasting and take a boat ride down a canal. You can also purchase handcrafted goods from the local artisans of this region.

Colmar is the place where tourists go to experience old Europe. It is a very unique city in the sense that it is greatly German influenced. One of the best times to visit Colmar is during December during their Light Festival. The entire town is lit up with twinkle lights. This adds to a nostalgic feel and to the village's storybook charm.

Whether it's your first time to Europe or yet another stamp in your passport, take the time to visit this storybook romantic city of lights and tiny canals. Who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to write the next folk tale to last centuries.

Marie Antoinette

There is something to be said for a historical figure's love of fashion to be remembered centuries later. Marie Antoinette is such a person.

Kirsten Dunst playing Marie Antoinette in the movie directed by Sophia Coppola based on the book written by Antonia Fraser. While this article is more about the movie than the book, I've read all 458 glorious pages of this book. And I still haven't had my fill of this captivating historical figure. I highly recommend the book, you won't be able to put it down, and when you do it will be because you are in flight on your way to France to visit Versailles!

The more I've read about Marie Antoinette, the more I feel that she is France's most misunderstood monarch. However tragic her life was and how it ended, she was the Queen who rocked-out Versailles in her fashion forward wardrobe. Maybe it is the worst case of "retail therapy" ever recorded, but to us fashion lovers, we can appreciate her passion for fashion. While we enjoy this modern rendition of the life story of the doomed Queen of France by the talented Sophia Coppola, let us enjoy the variety of senses that Sophia uses to lure us to this movie, namely, sight and sound.

Filmed on location in Versailles, the costumes match the historical surroundings and also mix into the modern music Sophia chose to use. The soundtrack is nothing short of genius. I listened to the CD daily for 10 months straight. I encourage you to sample listen to it and then purchase it on itunes. One of my favorite songs on the CD is "The Melody Of A Fallen Tree" by Windsor For The Derby. Which I am listening to as I write this article.

The movie received harsh criticism from some critics, but how often do we listen to them anyway? Sophia Coppola used her wildest imagination to form a masterpiece of a historically accurate film that would appeal to a younger generation. Using modern music to tell her story of the clueless Queen worked magically. At the perfect moment, Sophia switches to classical or period music, it's hardly noticeable and adds much to the feel of the movie. I can't imagine this movie without each song that is seemingly hand picked by Sophia.

The costumes leave nothing to be desired. Beautiful use of color, fabric and texture makes this movie a feast for your eyes. Each costume is walking you through the changes the Queen is going through. As the years pass in Versailles, you see the Queen's style change and you understand her fashion choices. At times flamboyant and at other times meek an natural.

Marie Antoinette was criticized among her friends and family and most frequently by her mother, hundred of miles away in Austria. She longed to please her husband and her mother. It seemed near impossible as the political movement was heading straight for a then unseen revolution.

She was home sick and in a foreign country much different from the royal court where she was raised. She gave of herself to charities and to her children, always wanting to be a supportive wife. Marie Antoinette regarded the last 5 years of her life spent in prison, as her happiest. In prison is where she found what she was always searching for, time alone with her husband and children.

Read the book, watch the movie and listen to the soundtrack. Each will leave you wanting more of the opulent French court during the reign of Marie Antoinette. In the end of it all, you too will feel empathy for the young Queen who fell into the French Revolution. You will be astounded by the courage and brave actions of the infamous Marie Antoinette.

Our Roman Holiday

After returning home from vacationing in Italy, my husband Freddie and I made a decision. We decided to look at ways of life that most Europeans have in common. One thing we noticed in Italy and France is how commonplace if not prevalent scooters are. Since we live in Southern California where the weather is agreeable most of the time, we contemplated purchasing a scooter. But not just any scooter. Our theme is a European life. So naturally we decided to purchase a Vespa.

We came to this decision because Vespas are made in Italy and they have a vintage look like the kind you see in the movie 'Roman Holiday' with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. 

Imported directly from Italy, our Vespa (which we nicknamed "Scootie") added much to our European life in Los Angeles. Besides the obvious great things about owning a Vespa is the fact that you will save a lot of money on gas.  A Vespa gets a little over 60 miles to the gallon. The gas tank holds 2 gallons. So the cost to fill up the tank is anywhere between $6.00-$6.75.  It makes absolute sense why most Europeans use scooters for transportation. Their price of gas is at least double what we are paying in the US.

When we first purchased the Vespa, which is now my husband's main mode of transportation, he worked 10 minutes away from home. He was filling up the gas tank once or twice a month. Now he works in Santa Monica, CA (about a 1 hour commute, 5o miles roundtrip each day). He now spends about $48 per month on gasoline. Not a bad deal when you compare it to the price of putting gas into a car or SUV. It's great for quick trips around town or going to busy places around LA where it's difficult to find parking.

Enough with the logical reasoning. We adore our Vespa. I generally will put on a skirt when riding with my husband. Hey, if the European girls can do it, why can't I? That's one of things I admired when I saw people on their scooters in Europe. Especially in Italy, everybody was so nicely dressed, girls wearing their stilettos and skirts or dresses and the men were wearing their suits and ties on their way to work. Can you imagine it?! 

Well, now my husband is that guy on a Vespa wearing his suit and tie on his way to work. Mama Mia! And from time to time I am that girl on the back of a Vespa holding on with excitement. Just another way to continue living a European life. 

How To Be European in the US

Here is my fun list of ways to immerse European lifestyle into your daily routine in the United States. I'd like to hear your ideas of how to live Euro style. Post a comment if you so feel inclined.

1.Act nonchalant about things you really enjoy.
2.Go for a short walk in the afternoon.
3. Say “ooh la la” instead of “wow”.
4. Watch American movies with French subtitles.
5. Say “ah-hah” when someone says something interesting.
6. Pucker your lips, raise your shoulders and shake your head slightly when someone asks you a question you don’t know the answer to.
7. Own a scooter.
8. Own a copy of the soundtrack from “Amelie”.
9. Drink wine with lunch and dinner.
10. Greet your friends with a kiss on each cheek.
11. Answer your phone by saying “salut”.
12. Eat fresh fruit as a snack.
13. Sit at a restaurant for 3 hours during dinner and always order coffee at the end.
14. Walk to a nearby store and buy a baguette and fresh flowers.
15. Use regular sugar in your coffee and not Equal or Sweet N Low
16. Set the table even if you are only having cereal and toast.
17. Ride your bicycle in a cute outfit, preferably a skirt or a dress if you’re a girl.
18. Eat your fries using a fork with mayonnaise instead of ketchup.
19. Always wear high heels with your jeans if you are a girl.
20. Go to museums and botanical gardens on Saturdays and Sundays dressed as if you were going out to a nice dinner.
21. Drink water out of a wine glass.
22. Do not use ice in your drinks (even in the summer).
23. Do not use deodorant.
24. Eat and enjoy stinky cheese.
25. Ask for “Coke Light” instead of “Diet Coke”.
26. When ordering at a restaurant start your order by saying “I’ll take….”
27. Do not talk loudly on your cell phone.
28. Love soccer.
29. Hate Lance Armstrong.
30. Listen to French music instead of American.
31. You’ve visited Versailles but have never been to the White House.
32. Ride the metro, ride your bike or walk more than you use your car.
33. Have multiple hats and scarves in your closet.
34. Know the words to “La Vie En Rose”.
35. Always have at least one Paris metro ticket or coin in your wallet at all times.
36. Have an ample supply of Nutella in the cupboard.
37. Use the phrase “C’est la vie” liberally.
38. Name your dog “Fi Fi”.
39. Have friends that live in France and other parts of Europe.
40. Call your friends by their would be names in French.
41. Check the weather in Paris frequently.
42. Know more about the French Revolution than you do about the American Revolution.
43. Have at least two Eiffel Towers in your house.

44. Visit a Farmer's Market at least once a month, if not every week.