Andi Fisher is the type of person you can connect with immediately, she is so fun and bubbly in her writings. I relate to her in many ways, but the largest one would be our shared francophilia, of course! Married to a French man, and living in Berkeley, CA, she writes about her travels, and anything and everything she is passionate about. She will be back in France next month, so stay tuned for more “misadventures”! Thank you so much for sharing Andi!

Your favourite virtue.

Kindness. There is that expression, “love makes the world go round,” and in my mind kindness is a degree of love. Simple acts of kindness and care can be applied to every situation out there and makes life so much more enjoyable.

What is your present state of mind?

Restless. I am anxious for my upcoming trip to France. There are also a lot of things I want to do for my blog: projects, updates, series, and it sometimes becomes overwhelming, as I have to juggle it with a full career and my husband. I am able to balance, but I am obsessed with my blog as it is such a creative release for me, something I never had in my life before.

Your favourite colour and flower.

Red. Red. Red. I adore red. Unfortunately it is not a color I can actually wear! Instead I have three pairs of red glasses and any accessory (phone cover, laptop case, etc.) that I can get in red I will. Funnily enough my favorite flower is a carnation but as it is the flower for funerals in France it is one my husband refuses to give me!

Your favourite food & drink.

I have spent my adult life trying to answer this question! In fact I am working on a post right now that describes what my last meal would be (look for it soon). The drink part is fairly easy-I love champagne. But the food, ah that is so hard.  I think if I answered this as one of those proverbial “stranded on a deserted island” questions I would say sushi and how handy that is when I am in the middle of the ocean!

Your chief characteristic.

Generosity. To a fault. I would probably have a lot more money in life if I wasn’t always giving it away in the form of gifts or free services. I tried to run my own business two years ago and there are many reasons why it did not work out so well, but one of them was that I would basically give away the knowledge I was selling for free. I felt guilty charging for it…not the genes of a ruthless businesswoman!

Your favourite qualities in friends.

Patience and persistence. I am an introvert (not shy, but like to spend a lot of time alone). Any true friend of mine must understand that they will not see me very often but that does not diminish how I feel about them. My best friend has been my best friend for more than twenty years because she completely gets that!

Where would you like to live?

Paris and the San Juan Islands. When I got tired of being in the city I would take some time off to be in the woods surrounded by the sea.

Your favourite motto.

“It is what it is.” I am not a fighter, I am very accepting by nature and try to make the absolute best out of any situation. I am the classic “let’s try to make lemonade out of lemons” kind of girl, which annoys the hell out of my husband!

Your favourite names.

Alexandra, Emmanuelle and Jessica. As I chose not to have children, my cat got the name Jessica.

Your idea of happiness.

Simplicity. In all it’s many forms. I can’t stand too many choices or too much information. I like simply sitting and reading a book for hours in the sun and the rain. I like food that is made of simple ingredients in which it’s natural complexity comes out in adept and simple preparation. I read a quote recently, “you don’t have to have luxury to feel luxurious.” I think simplicity is a luxury.

**the proust q & a is a regular feature..check out the archives here**  

As the owner and founder of Haven in Paris, Erica Berman is a busy woman, dividing her time between Massachusetts, Italy and France. I discovered her company via the HIP Paris blog, which is always filled with parisian inspiration and fabulous travel tips! I find myself referencing both of her sites often for my francophile fix, and in the meantime have enjoyed corresponding with Erica. I hope to stay in one of her fabulous Paris rentals on our next trip…the hard part is choosing which one! That will be a good problem. Merci bien Erica!

Your favourite virtue.

Honesty and the ability to admit when you are wrong. 

If not yourself, who would you be?

I think I would be a cat for oh, so many reasons.

Your favourite colour and flower.

I love the Haven in Paris green, and lilacs for the scent.

Your idea of happiness.

I would love to have more free time and good health to enjoy it with. 

Your idea of misery.

How we are destroying our planet and what is going on in Japan right now.

Your biggest flaw.

I am very critical of myself and often of others as well. I am a workaholic and don’t know when or how to stop sometimes. 

Your favourite qualities in friends.

A sense of humor, faithfulness, honesty.

Your favourite food & drink.

Penne Arrabiata, homemade pizza, mint chocolate chip ice cream with sprinkles, a hot fudge sunday with homemade whipped cream, passion fruit, pesto genovese, blueberry pancakes, toll house cookies, caesar salad, vegetarian burritos, and all things local and organic. 

Where would you like to live?

Paris, France, somewhere on the coast of Maine, Brooklyn, Genova, Italy…

Your favourite occupation.

I love to read, walk in the woods, travel, go to farmer’s markets, cook, sleep, take photos, snuggle with my kitty and travel!

 **the proust q & a is a regular feature..check out the archives here** 

Jane Flanagan of Ill Seen, Ill Said is constantly inspiring. Blogging since 2007, she has a great following and readership-I’m always discovering new blogs and artists! With many regular features such as Where We Blog From & Sunday Best, there is never a lack of new material and you can easily become lost for hours…I love it when that happens. I also happen to be a Samuel Beckett enthusiast, so naturally I was smitten from the start. Thank you Jane!

What is your present state of mind?

Pensive, which is my default setting.

Your favourite colour and flower.

I love chalky grey-blue colour. Sweet pea is my favourite flower.

Your favorite qualities in friends.

Kindness, intelligence and a mischievous streak.

The reform that you appreciate.

The admission of women to Trinity College Dublin (where I did my undergrad) in 1904, which was progressive at the time (Oxford & Cambridge didn’t permit women until 1920/1). 

Your favourite motto.

“Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” -Samuel Beckett, Murphy.

Your biggest flaw.

Without question, self-doubt, which sometimes borders on self-loathing.

What gift from nature would you like to have?

To breathe underwater. I am a complete waterbaby and love the idea of being a selkie and taking to the sea.

Your favourite poets.

Philip Larkin, Aram Saroyan, Anna Akhmatova, David Berman.

Your favourite hero (or heroine) in fiction.

Sabine & Teresa from Unbearable Lightness of Being. I think most women have pieces of both characters in them. I like that they’re kind to each other too, when it is least expected.

Your favourite hero (or heroine) in real-life.

Samuel Beckett.

**the proust q & a is a regular feature..check out the archives here**