Inspo: Films Francais Préférés

French movies often seem bizarre to an American like myself - gritty, thought-provoking, often introducing latent homosexuality, a strong bicuriosity or at least a healthy threesome. I've seen classics (Belle de Jour, Le Mépris, A Bout de Souffle) and classroom movies (Entre les Murs, L'Auberge Espagnol, Jean de Fleurette). The movies below are my favorites among them all. They are in no particular order. 

Le Hérisson 
Based on the novel The Elegance of the Hedgehog

La Haine 
The French equivalent of Boyz n the Hood

Les Petits Mouchoirs 

La Vie En Rose 
The life of Edith Piaf

Coco Avant Chanel 
The early life of Coco Chanel

Rust and Bone

Séraphine 
As satisfying as a trip to a museum

Paris
Especially the dancing scenes

Les Choristes

They feature some of my favorite actors - not just Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, and Brigitte Bardot, but also Audrey Tautou, Vincent Cassel, Mélanie Laurent, Romain Duris, and the best of all (in my opinion): Marion Cotillard. Enjoy, mes amis!

Cooper & Grace

It's springtime in Vail, and with time off this week for spring break and Easter families have travelled from all over the country and the world to this little resort town - including my aunt, uncle, and fabulous cousins. Grace and Cooper live in Florida most of the time and I don't see them as often as I'd like, but I was thrilled to have them in Colorado this week! I love you Grace Face and Coop!

 Two words for you: photo - genic. You know we are.

The Dos and Don'ts of a Vail Vacation

DO drink plenty of water.

DON'T bring a big city attitude to a small town. The locals won't thank you for it.

DO ask for recommendations/talk to locals. I was speaking to a couple the other day who told me that they couldn't get reservations at a certain restaurant in town until they asked their concierge to make the reservation for them. The concierge got on the phone and voila! You've just gotta find somebody that knows somebody, and you're in.

DON'T bring work with you. You're on vacation!

DO get plenty of exercise before coming, especially if you want to ski or snowboard.

DON'T forget to look at the stars at night.

DO rent a car if you plan to stay for more than a few days.

DON'T underestimate the cost of your trip.

DO participate in apres-ski. It's the shit and we love it.

DON'T ask for a "locals discount." It's for locals.

DO come in the summer.

DON'T litter. Vail is located in a national park. It's astoundingly beautiful (and we want to keep it that way).

DO sample fireball and rumplemintz. But be careful.

And the biggest DO of all: Have fun!

Bella Tuscany

If only I could afford to vacation in Tuscany this June {Firenze! Venezia! Roma!} this is what I would wear: 10 Crosby Derek Lam pleated silk dress in fiesta (what a color), Jerome Dreyfuss Momo Caviar leather crossbody bag, Delfina Delettrez Two-in-One bee ring (hand made in Italy), David Yurman chevron sunglasses, Chanel lipstick, and a glass of wine in hand at all times.

Pink Vail

Today isn't just my Mom's birthday (Happy Birthday Mom!) - it is also Pink Vail, a "pink-ified" fundraiser for our regional cancer center. Do-gooders in pink wigs, tutus, feather boas, and, of course, ski gear, swarm the mountain to raise money for the "Spirit of Survival" program for cancer patients and survivors at Shaw.

Though many of us have known and loved (continue to love) someone that has succumbed to cancer (we miss and love you, Aunt Karen), Pink Vail is a day for those in the midst of their battle, and the strong survivors.

A message to the beneficiaries of Pink Vail: Keep fighting, use the strength of your resolve to defeat cancer. There is grace in all of us, if we only access it, and that grace will shine in times of trial, and we are all in awe of you because of it.

Inspo: Liz Clark Aboard the Swell

This woman is phenomenal. Liz Clark has been living aboard her boat, the Swell, since 2006. She travels the world, living and sharing a message of lower environmental impact, appreciation for nature, and and an acceptance of the risks and rewards that are inherent in great adventure.

She has a great quote section on her blog, here are some of my favorites: 

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." Mother Teresa

"The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future." Herbert Spencer

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt

"The greatest achievements were at first and for a time dreams. The oak sleeps in the acorn." James Allen

"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Eden Phillpotts

"Remember if you need a helping hand you will find one at the end of your arms." Audrey Hepburn

And my favorite: "We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time." T. S. Eliot

Follow the journey of the Swell on Liz's blog.

Daily Vail

Just another day in the neighborhood.

Local artist Andrea Roth-Moore sets up shop in front of Yeti's Grind, my favorite cafe. 

It's really something to look over your shoulder on a gorgeous day and see a talented artist rendering the scene through the lens of their highly colorful imagination. 

When I looked around, I saw a tarp covering the skating rink, melting snow, bare trees... but not Andrea! She put the magnificent day to use creating art in the sunshine, and I'm grateful that I got to watch her work.

Most of her work is portraiture, if you're interested you can find Andrea at the website of Dazzle Creek Studio.