french is beautiful

frenchisbeautifuliggrid

 

I thought a little change of pace might be nice…I’m sharing a few of my favorite Instagram accounts to follow if you’re learning, or want to improve, your French. While there’s a plethora of beautiful French + Francophile accounts (of which I’ll share my favorites soon), the ones that provide language learning opportunities are more rare. I actually discovered my tutor Carrie Anne James via Instagram…I fell hard for her cinematic french word/ phrase pronuncation videos. Speaking of which, she will be doing that exact thing via a daily email, beginning in August – I highly recommend signing up for it here! Her and I both find inspiration in these accounts – some are for beginners, others more advanced…but they are all lovely and informative. I realize that I subconsciously ended up with a summery theme when curating this grid…it must be my vacation brain, ha. Give them a follow and let me know what your favorites (for learning) are!

(listed in order, from top to bottom, left to right)

@zoemacaron | @frenchwords | @deedeeparis | @frenchwords  | @mylittleparis | @malinzillen | @frenchwordsjournal | @theparisdarling | @sophiefontanel | @malinzillen | @deedeeparis | @frenchisbeautiful

cali bound!

toddlers-at-airport

 

The fleurishing family is headed to California! I haven’t had any time to share our plans here, as I’m just now starting to get us packed (#helpme). Things have been just a tad chaotic for us lately, so we’re looking forward to a bit of breather. Of course, traveling with kids (especially toddlers) can only be so much of a breather, but we couldn’t be more excited to take another trip with Henry + Marie. We caught “the bug” bad after our amazing trip to France, which is why we’ve made (and are making) big changes to make more family travel possible. We will be spending time in both LA + SF…and maybe even (ahem), Anaheim! I’ve never been to San Francisco – I’m so thrilled, and can’t wait to share my first Golden Gate sighting + cable car experience with my children. As always, you can follow our adventures via snapchat (@hutchsusan), vine + instagram, and we’re still (and always) accepting family-friendly recommendations for both cities!

a cardboard box birthday!

cardboard-box-birthday-invites

 

What do you do when your children’s birthdays fall in the midst of a move? You throw a cardboard box birthday of course! My wheels started turning once we put our house on the market, and after some pinning + googling, I had a plan. Then – I found this amazing invitation and there was no going back…it had to be done. The timing actually worked out perfectly, as our new space would still be empty and provided the perfect blank canvas (and awesome light) for an event. We already possessed most of the materials, and for the sake of our sanity, I promised myself (and my husband) I would keep it simple (not an easy feat for me). The end result was a convenient, eco-friendly, and most importantly – FUN party!

 

donut-croquembouche

bowl-of-oreos

kids-party-snacks

kids-party-drinks

kids-party-tablescape

 

Aren’t you just SO shocked that I included a French element? I’ve had this donut croquembouche pinned on my party board for so long now…I was just ready + waiting for the right time to execute it. Not to toot my own horn, but I assembled it the morning of the party with fresh donuts, and think it looks pretty amazing. TOOT. As always, I enjoyed planning the table scape, featuring a minimalist snack time spread. Personalized cups helped everyone keep track of their drinks and cut down on waste – a simple detail that made a world of difference. But enough about the food – the main attraction was the incredible wonderland of cardboard, as promised on the invite! Mr. Fleurishing painstakingly and lovingly handcrafted each one. Seriously – he exceeded all expectations + reached a new level of rockstar daddy status.

 

cardboard-box-birthday

marieinberet

cardboard-rocket

peekaboo

 

With a castle, a rocket ship, and a train, there were ample opportunities for imaginative play. Henry + Marie (briefly) had first dibs before the guests arrived – they ran from one box creation to another, giggling and squealing with delight. On a random note, I’d like to point out that the beret (from our costume drawer) was all Marie’s idea! Not only does it make my Francophile heart smile with pride, it also matched the decor. She’s my mini-me in every way! Our friends arrived, and the party got underway…coloring, dragon play, tattoos, and games of hide and seek. The children’s delight was palpable, and their collective imaginations knew no bounds. Prime example – the train morphed into a…wait for it…rocket train.

 

coloring-cardboard

rockettrain

friends

cardboard-train

tattly-arrows

daddyincastle

 

As the party came to a close, we handed out our favor – a creative, modern book about the fact that a box is not just a box. I just couldn’t resist, it was too perfect. Some little partygoers started reading it right then and there (ahem, Sawyer…such a cutie). I’m so thankful for our amazing + supportive friends, and am glad we made the effort to throw a party this year, despite the current chaos of our life. I think the kids will be talking about this one for a while…EXHALE.

 

favorsonledge

sawyerwithbook

cardboard-box-birthday-favors

 

invitations c/o minted | party supplies by jo-ann fabric + craft stores | tattoos by tattly

happy bastille day

eiffel-tower-at-night

 

 

Bastille Day holds a special place in my heart for so many reasons. My French heritage, my Francophilia, and now, most importantly – the birth of my children! To avoid any confusion, let me explain – they were born after 6 PM on the 13th, meaning it was already Bastille Day in France. I literally asked the doctor if she could wait to start my c-section so that (hopefully) they’d be officially born on the French holiday. Yes, my love for France is that crazy deep and true.

bonne fête nationale

three!

henryetmariethree

 

Three. Our babies are three. As you can imagine, I’m feeling very emotional about it…they are growing up way too fast. With our lives still very much a beautiful chaos, it was important for me to make time to capture this milestone on camera. Before the cake, before the birthday festivities (next weekend)…just some time together, along with my lens.

 

marieatthree

henrysmiling

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