I had a great dream last night, probably because i've spent a cool week-end with friends including a b-day party on saturday and a dinner in the garden yesterday with Margaux clamoring for Tata Chouchou ;-)

In my dream, Tibi and I were going to a flea market and she'd found a rare Japanese doll with perfect hair and wanted to give her to me. Then she found the big headed paperdolls I loved as a kid and we also bought a vintage Licca dollhouse in a case... We were totally excited and couldn't wait to go home and play with our new treasures...

It's strange because I haven't been able to muster such excitment for dolls for ages, yet this morning, I woke up and felt like hugging my plastic girls.

So Tibi, if you read this, you'll have to take me to a flea market soon so my dream can come true. BTW, your dolly find was amazing !

Blythou out.

Things are so fleeting. Change is always coming and never for the best.

My work situation isn't that bright again. I'm fed up of the whole freelance situation sometimes, fed up of DEMANDING the money they owe me.

Years ago, I thought I should be more open, form more bonds, more friendships... But it just hurts in the long run. I no longer want to be attached to people. I should get back to my old, cold ways. Thinking one of my oldest, closest friend will probably move out to thousands of miles away is just dispiriting. I'm just selfish here, but eh, it's my fucking life and I've got the right to say it's just not fun to be in my place right now.

Because being me seriously sucks.

blythou out.

Yesterday, the most amazing thing happened.

It was around 11:30 am and someone rang my doorbell. I answered the door... And it was Anne-Sophie, my best friend when I was a student ! We hadn't seen each other for a looong time, because she's moved out in the South of France and I'm always more or less stuck in Paris. Her son, Raphael, is my godson and last time I saw him, he was, well, err, 4 years old, maybe... Now, he's a teenager with spiky hair who loves metal and punk music !

I had to meet my publisher for lunch but we caught up all afternoon. It was so great... because we still had a lot in common, despite leading completely different lives.

Raphael wants to meet me real bad. I want to, too, of course ! I've promised to take him to a festival to make it up for all the time we lost.

I love surprises. And this was a very nice surprise indeed...

blythou out.

My birthday loot deserves to be photographed... My friends really know what I love or what ?

Today, i've received a Hello Kitty top and an Emily The Strange top plus a lovely stripey scarf from Stephanie and a wonderful sexy pair of Jean-Claude Jitrois leather pants from Ginger !

I feel like a hot chick, all of a sudden !

Blythou out.

Me me me me !!!!

Yesterday, Isaline/pimpampoum and her bf Fred gave me my birthday present : It's an actual cooking lesson from a Japanese chef ! I'm thrilled ! The class includes recipes with tofu, shitake mushrooms, omeshu, etc.

Expect loads of photos. If I can, I might even sneak in Blythou or another Cooking Mama's little helper...

Blythou out.

My friend Ginger gave me my dream leather coat yesterday... It's a dark red leather coat that belonged to her late mother. It fits perfectly well, the leather is just used the way I like it and well, it belonged to her mom, so it means a whole lot to me. I wore it today and I felt great in it, even though I'm used to wearing black and not red.
She also gave me a black leather sheath dress which makes me look totally skinny and lean. I love it.

I never buy leather clothing because I'm a vegetarian and I have second thoughts about leather... But deep down, I love that stuff !

I sometimes wish I wasn't so obsessed with clothes, fashion, image, make-up... But I can't help it. I'm vain. And I'm old enough to admit it now.

Blythou out.

I wish I were with you to celebrate it properly but we'll have a paaaaarty next time we meet !

Blythou out.

Except it's a Tuesday.

The day started poopily with an Internet shortage while I was trying to browse my favorite websites while sipping my post-breakfast cup of green tea. Nothing upsets me more than a break in my comforting morning routine. I'm not a morning person at all, so I need little habits like those to make the whole "getting-out-of-bed-rise-and-shine" grind bearable.

My new doll has supposedly arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport and has left for delivery, but she hasn't made it yet. I need to buy fruit and vegs, it's beautiful outside, but there's no way I can go outside right now... If only the cats were trained to open the door to the mailman...

On a happier note, Pauline/dollishrubbish  (who brought me from Tokyo the Fall Whisper outfit just texted me to tell me she had a little something for me. I sometimes have faith in humanity for a few fleeting seconds ;-)

Here's a pic of Eleanor (previously known as Violet) wearing her new outfit :




Next on my list, take photos of the new Funny Bunny tees and the House Of Pinku dresses I bought for the girls.

Blythou out.

Over the last week, I've baked or made...

- a batch of honey & cinnamon muffins
- a batch of dark chocolate truffles
- three batches of almond macaroons
- an apple crumble
- a chocolate fondant
- and finally, 35 cream puffs.

To my defense, Anita/spazzygirl19 was visiting and I spoilt her a little. And yesterday, Isaline & Fred came for a drink. And today, Ginger's invited us...

Oh, but the good thing is I've tasted none of those :-)))


Blythou out.

Anita arrived this morning at Roissy safe and sound and loaded with gifts. I came pick her up at the airport and of course, some nitwit had left a suitcase unattended and the special terrorist brigade had to be called and cordonned off the whole area for 40 minutes or so...

I was awfully late and of course, Anita's flight was on time and the customs had been fast for a change.

Now she's crashing at her place near Montmartre and we'll meet at Rude Manor in a hour or so. I'm baking muffins in the meantime.

Blythou out.

It's hot as hell today... We're going to have major storms tonight, I can feel it.

Nikki's w-e visit flew by so quickly... But we had time to go to Pere Lachaise, we had diner with dolly friend Pauline, chatted non-stop, did a bit of shopping (we each bought shoes, how surprising !) and decided to see each other again soon.

Tomorrow, Anita's arriving from L.A. to spend 10 days in Paris. I've never met her in real life, so this is very exciting !

Yes, this isn't a fascinating update, I know... But it's a miracle I'm able to type in that heat. No, it's a miracle I'm able to use a couple of brain cells in that heat...

Blythou out.

... aren't always my friends.

Yesterday evening, we had dinner at a friend's with 3 others friends and this girl, who's not part of the inner circle ;-) We were all willing to include her in our discussions, but she was doing her best to resist, so she could look at us with a smirk everytime there was a bad pun (and there were bad puns a-plenty).

Then came the food. We'd made oven toasted goat cheese with herbs on multigrain bread and we were grilling mushrooms, bell peppers and eggplants. I'd made a tofu and low fat goat cheese dip for starters with plenty of crudites, there was a good old fashionned sausage for those who like meat, so really, there was plenty to eat.

Then, Miss Bitch asked : "is that all there is ? I mean veggies ?"
Us : yes. But there's also a cheese platter and a giant fruit salad.
Miss Bitch : "Those veggies are slow to come... Maybe if you had cut them smaller, they'd grill faster."
Me and my friend Marion-I in the kitchen : "should we slap her ? If it's too slow, maybe she could lift her butt from her chair and *help* ?"

Then, she found out we hadn't picked the *right* goat cheese brand according to her and the bread was also a lousy choice so she gave her share to others...

Then, she commented loudly on my drinking habits and the fact that I was eating pickles...

And then, I had to really bite my tongue to shut the fuck up. But at some point, I nearly lost it and got really snappy and *she* shut up. Which was good.

On the way back, we collectively decided we had to say something about us not wanting to see her. I'll tell our friend that maybe, it's not a good idea to invite her when we're all here because she probably feels left out from our conversations... I hope she gets the hint. Otherwise, next time, Miss Bitch will end up grilled and stuffed with goat cheese.


Blythou out

Just because she's a cutie...

She's growing up really fast. Soon, she'll speak fluently, but right now, she's in full babytalk mode, which is extra-cute. She called me Tata (French for Auntie) the other day and whether it was a coincidence or not, I don't care, it was adorable.

She had great fun with her uncle Thierry as well, who gave her plenty of piggyback rides...

Right now, her favorite activites include : doing whatever's dangerous, hazardous, forbidden, watching us play with the wii console and putting obstacles in our paths when we exercise with the wii-fit, splashing in the pool, making all kinds of cute noises, watching the washing machine in action, moving around her little plastic chair, messing with her food.

She also adores when you hide behind something and emerge while saying "Coucou !". We played it a LOT. And I mean, a lot. I just melt when I make her laugh.

Blythou out.

We're back from a short vacation in the South of France with four friends plus the ever sweet and lovely Baby Margaux.

Let's see what we did... Well, err, not a lot. Which is an accomplishment for me. The big question everyday was : where do you want to have a drink ? on the upstairs or downstair terrace ?

I cooked for everyone, which I enjoyed a lot, reorganized the fridge because my inner Bree from Desperate Housewives told me so, played with Baby Margaux, played with the wii, drank a little more than usual, had fun with friends, etc.

I also tried paragliding for the first time and loved the experience to bits, despite being terrified of heights. I drove a truck, too on the same day which was fun as well because I love doing things that nobody thinks I'm capable of.

And there were sales at Longchamp and my friend Ginger *totally* made me buy two bags. But I had my revenge : I made her buy her first Longchamp and she seems to be hooked *insert evil laughter here*.

I'll post my pics soon. We had a tremendous time there. I had no idea that relaxing with friends could be so good.

Blythou out.

Yesterday morning, our friend Wally (thank you, you're a hero) drove us to the land of the Swedish furniture with the magical keys.

We came back with a packed car... We found :

- The two black chairs
- Another red chest of drawers (this one in shiny metal, yum !)
- A lamp
- Plain red cotton curtains

And some plugs, plastic tubes to hide the 'puter cables, black wire mail organisers, etc.

I've resisted the lure of the boxes. Because I have a serious box addiction. I love boxes. I love organising.

I can't wait to have the floor installed so we can start emptying our dining room. We had to cancel dinner with JM & Ginger tonight because we freaked out when we realised our mess was definitely NOT Margaux-friendly. Better safe than sorry.

Blythou out.

The new black vinyl floor has just been delivered.

I've made a chocolate pudding for tonight's informal get-together.

Going to Ikea with a friend at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I hope they have those swanky black chairs I really, really want. I don't care if they're comfy, they're gorgeous, that's what matters.
Yes, it's *that* kind of mindset which makes me buy a crappy digital camera or a lousy phone.

I know, I know. Only inner beauty should matter (or my butt's comfort when it comes to a chair), but I tend to use my brain a lot during a normal day of work, so by the time I switch it off, I turn into Silly Superficial Blythou, a critter who swears by design over everything.

With a bit of luck, those chairs are beautiful AND comfy. And if they're not, well, too bad. I'll suffer in silence until the cats have destroyed said-chairs and it's time to buy new ones.

Oh, and I need to find a place where I can make "Loser Candy" badges. It sounds like something out of Seinfeld and it'll leave people puzzled which is always a great thing.

Blythou out.

Today we...

- bought the paint and brushes
- sandpapered the walls and repaired all the minor damages and cracks
- painted the ceiling (well, Thierry did)
- painted 3 of the walls (I did)

I also did the weekly grocery shopping, invited a few friends here and there to relax in between hard work, inspected some summer sales but found nothing and arranged an Ikea date with a friend to buy our new chairs...

I'm currently on the couch, enjoying a glass of red wine while Thierry plays Mario Kart next to me.

Oh, and a friend sent me a fantastic t-shirt, totally unexpectedly, which is very, very sweet.

Exhausted but satisfied.

blythou out.

- moved all the stuff (mountains of records, books, furniture) out
- washed the walls
- called charities to give them our old furniture and computers
- drank margaritas with my friend Renan yesterday evening. Yes that has nothing to do with redecorating our office, but it was a wonderful moment...


Our dining room currently looks like a storage unit, with boxes piled high, bookcases stuffed with more boxes, etc. There's dust everywhere.

Don't ask me why I still took time to slice fresh pinapple and make a fresh veggie casserole (zucchini, eggplant and bell pepper cooked in chopped tomatoes with loads of hot sauce). I'm either a masochist, a perfectionnist or, err, I don't want to lose my title of Real Life Cooking Mama.

I'm just beat and exhausted right now.

Blythou out.

I did my best to have a great time at my friend Adeline's b-day party on Friday, despite a very, very crappy afternoon. She had booked a bus that took us on a 2-hour tour of Paris and suggested we all brought champagne to drink during the trip.

I brought gin and tonic since Thierry and I don't like champagne (it either gives me stomach cramps or makes me really, really sick).

Well, 5 or 6 people commented on my gin bottle, saying I was a heavy drinker or something, joking about "my habit", etc. Ok, it was done on a friendly tone but it was a little annoying.

Especially since after 45 minutes or so, everyone was inebriated. And after an hour or so, they were singing, yelling, laughing out loud. I wasn't. And when we arrived at the bar to pursue the celebrations, I had another stiff drink and could have had a couple more without fearing for my dignity.

I don't drink that much... It's just that I love the heavy stuff. I don't care for beer, cider, champagne, white wine, ladies' liquors, sugary cocktails. I only drink vodka, gin and tequila. Or strong red wine.

I know I should take a break for my liver's sake as I used to do in the past. I'll do it in august, maybe, because everyone's away on vacation and I don't have much of a social life and don't feel like drinking because of the heat.

But I have to take that break for myself, not because of others suggesting I have a problem. I'm not fucking Sue Ellen. Not yet.

Blythou out.

*borrowed from Bowie's "Five Years" lyrics

Today was my friend's memorial service. I headed to the Paris morgue early. Except that once in the metro, the train stopped midway and we were informed there was a bomb scare at the next stop, so all traffic was suspended for an indefinite time.

I had to wait another ten minutes to exit the train (it was stuck between two stops). It had started to rain, I tried to hail a taxi for 15 minutes at least, by which time I was already late for the ceremony. The metro traffic hadn't resumed either. And if I walked to the morgue, I'd have been way, way too late anyway.

So I did what I didn't want to do : I walked back home.

I can't explain how I feel right now.

I won't be able to say good bye.

I don't like empty phrases like rest in peace... even though I use it sometimes when words fail me. Nikola, rest in noise, it's the only fitting way for a rocker. I won't forget the laughs, the good music, the bitching. The fact you had that little crush on me (he's the second guy with a crush on me to die before his time, I can't help but feel a little worried...). Your sense of style. Your talent for writing. Your twisted sense of humor. I hope you hang out with Elvis, your hero and Joe Strummer, you real life buddy.

I'm starting to feel there are too many friends and loved ones living on the other side of the world where I can't see them again.

Blythou out.