Category Archives: proust q + a

proust q & a…bright bazaar

will-taylor

 

Will Taylor is the dashing gent behind the blog Bright Bazaar, based in the UK. I discovered his talents recently via our virtual friend Kayla, and his blog gives me mucho color inspiration! In addition to his cheerful blogging, he is a columnist for Rue Magazine and Sweet Paul, a stylist, and seems to be involved in all things fabulous. He just returned from a jaunt to Paris (where he took amazing photos), and I can’t wait to see what Mr. Bazaar is involved in next!

 

Your chief characteristic.

Vivacious.

Your favourite colour and flower.

Yellow is my favorite color and as for blooms, I love Craspedias (or Billy Balls as my friend Justina from Compai tells me they are called in the States!) 

Your idea of happiness.

Good health, and a lifetime spent with my dearest chap (with plenty of colorful surroundings, tasty olives and creative crafting)! 

Your favourite food & drink.

Pasta, pasta, pasta. Any form, anytime, anyplace! As for drink, I do love fresh black coffee in the mornings and you can’t beat a cold glass of vino on a hot day!

Your biggest flaw.

Being super duper moody when I am hungry!

For what fault do you have the most toleration?

People who are moody when hungry. I mean, I’d be a bit naughty if I didn’t!

Your favourite qualities in friends.

Loyalty, honesty and the ability to make me howl with laughter. Basically, if I’m out of line, I’d like a friend to feel comfortable enough to tell me, and you can’t beat those moments when you are crying with laughter.

Where would you like to live?

Whilst I love living in the UK, with it’s inspiring history and divine countryside, I’d be lying if I didn’t say how much I dream of spending some time living in New York City.

Your favourite occupation.

Right now I am over the moon to be writing and styling for interiors titles-the opportunity to be creative in a field I love is something I remind myself to be thankful for even when I’m really snowed under with work.

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

My delightful partner-he is such a joy. 

 

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

proust q & a…exquisite banana

kayla-poole

 

Kayla is one of those people that you feel as if you’ve known forever, she is so darn charming and sweet! We “met” via her blog, Exquisite Banana, which is full of beautiful sentiments, fun personal tidbits, and inspiring finds covering many topics. We have become “virtual besties”, and sometimes I get freaked out by how much we have in common! Hopefully next time I’m in NYC we will be able to finally meet in person. Check out her blog, and find her on twitter too! 

 

If not yourself, who would you be?

Myself. Always. I believe it is important to love one’s self, wholly, truly and authentically. There’s only one of you in this world…how special that is!

What is your present state of mind?

Cheerful, relaxed, contemplative.

Your favourite colour and flower.

I do not discriminate on this one. I love the entire glorious spectrum of the rainbow and every single stem in earth’s soil. But, if I have to choose, my favorite color is yellow and my favorite flower is the peony. 

Your idea of happiness.

Good people, good conversation, good food. Lots and lots of laughter. Since I tend towards verbosity, let’s throw in birds singing, the first days of a new season, round Buddha bellies on young children, creative pursuits, and getting lost in a fat book.

Your favourite food & drink.

Freshly baked bread with sweet créme butter, all cheese, good wine, chocolate, seasonal fruit, messy tacos, homestyle mac ‘n cheese, thanksgiving dinner…I’m a glutton and proud of it!

Where would you like to live?

I am happy where I am (the NYC metro area) but am really attracted to the historic cities of the south (Charleston, Savannah), certain areas of California (San Fransisco, San Diego), and the glamorous allure of Europe (anywhere!). NYC feels like home, though. Oh, and of course New England, where I was born and raised (Boston/Cape Cod).

Your favourite poet.

e. e. cummings. I own his complete works and it is one of my most treasured possessions.

Your favourite occupation.

I love what I do (teach). I hope to continue to teach at the early childhood level and eventually, supplement my income through writing (children’s books). If I had many lives, I would also love to own my own flower shop/bookstore/outdoor café/bakery. Or, travel the world and get paid to do it (Food critic? Travel writer? Photographer?). The list goes on and on…

What gift from nature would you like to have?

Flight. From butterflies to wonder woman to hummingbirds to honey bees, I envy all living things blessed with the ability to soar (literally).

Your favourite motto.

I keep a whole book of beloved words & quotations and consult it regularly for inspiration. The latest addition:

“Wake up at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of living.”–Kahlil Gibran.

Two additional favorites:

“A light heart lives longest.” –Irish Proverb

“Let the beauty you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth.” -Rumi

proust q & a…a white picket fence

a-white-picket-fence

 

Twitter has introduced me to so many great people, and Cailin is one of them. I feel like I know her, even though we’ve never met. She is always supportive and sweet, and can brighten your day with a tweet or blog post. We share a love for our furry children, and my Billy has a bit of a crush on her Minnie! Her blog, A White Picket Fence, is a collection of recipes, photographs & stories from a twenty-something suburbanite. Cheery + upbeat, it is sure to make you smile.

 

Your favourite virtue.

Goodness. I believe that each and every one of us is born with innate goodness. It’s up to us as we grow older to foster this through generosity and kindness to others.

Your favourite colour and flower. 

My favorite color has to be pink. You cannot wear or even look at the colour pink and not be happy. Gerber daisies are my favorite flower, they come in so many different colors!

Your favourite food & drink.

This is such a hard question! I love all kinds of food! I would have to say any french food, particularly coq au vin and macaroons. My favorite drink (is it bad to say?) is red wine, particularly with a good aged cheese and great company (not necessarily aged!)

Your idea of happiness.

I’m very fortunate to be living my idea of happiness every single day. I have a wonderful, loving husband & family. I am constantly surrounded by a great group of friends, even though my best friend lives halfway across the world. I get to travel, bake and cook what I want, whenever I want. It also helps that my career has allowed me to do the things that I love.

Your idea of misery.

To live in a world where there is no creativity, happiness or love. As corny as it sounds, what would a world without love be like? A pretty miserable place I can imagine.

Your biggest flaw.

Perfectionism. And that’s all I’ll say! 

Where would you like to live?

I have been thinking about this question quite often lately. After our last trip to London we decided that it was a city we could see ourselves living in. It’s close to Europe, and we have friends there. I’ve also thought about Paris, but that city holds so many magical memories for me that I think it will always be a vacation destination-a place to go and unwind. Recently I’ve been toying with the romantic idea of living in a small, sleepy town in the Southeast US (particularly South Carolina). For now, I am very happy right where I am.

Your favourite qualities in friends.

Kindness. You can’t help but love friends who show you kindness through everyday things such as a letter, email, call, (or tweet!). Friends who are always there for you no matter what.

Your favourite hero (or heroine). 

Julia Child. She conducted herself always with class and a true passion for life.

Your favourite motto.

“Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” -Julia Child

 

 

proust q & a…lost in cheeseland

lindsey-tramuta

 

She fell in love with (and married) a Frenchman and moved to Paris. She is originally from Philadelphia (my new hometown!). She writes about her life experiences, which include musings on love, life, and food in the city of light. She is extremely sweet, one of my favorite reads, and I’m so excited to meet her soon! She is…Lost in Cheeseland. 

image courtesy of ashley ludaescher

 

Where would you like to live?

In another arrondissement in Paris, in a bigger apartment with a balcony or small terrace. Is that too much to ask?

 

If not yourself, who would you be?

My husband. I’d like to see what it’s like to put up with me!

 

Your favourite food & drink.

Hershey’s chocolate milk (that I make myself) and peanut butter. Ideally, served together.

 

Your idea of happiness.

This is quite multi-faceted for me. It’s financial independence and stability, a healthy marriage, a strong group of friends, time with my kitty and the ability to discover new people and places. Ideally, all of these would be possible simultaneously!

 

Your idea of misery.

Losing my family or my husband, losing my sight/hearing, or watching someone I care about suffer.

 

Your biggest flaw.

Envy.

 

 

Your favourite poets.

It used to be e.e. cummings but after studying Alfred de Musset’s work in depth, he moved to the top of the list.

 

Your favourite hero (or heroine) in fiction.

Josèphine Cortès from Les Yeux Jaunes des Crocodiles and the sequel La Valse Lente des Tortues. Her character goes from being a homely, self-conscious, wife of a man who leaves her and mother to children who don’t respect her, to a self-assured, independent, and talented writer who found strength in pain. I see bits of myself in her character and see her as an inspiration.

 

What is your present state of mind?

Anxious, exhausted and hopeful.

 

Your favourite motto.

The best things in life aren’t things.

 

 

 

proust q & a…claremont road

brooke-forry

b

Brooke Forry of Claremont Road is a bright + bubbly, lighthearted lady, and her blog reflects that. I discovered her talents via Twitter and later learned about her “day job” as a designer and co-owner of Curious + Co. Creative, whom I chose to work with for my business design. Since then we have gotten to know each other well, and have discovered we have quite a bit in common! I can always count on her writing to brighten my day, and she is a super storyteller. She never hesitates to share personal stories, which I have found both hilarious + inspiring. Here are some fun + random facts about Brooke!

i

If not yourself, who would you be?

An entertainer. I have always loved the thrill of being onstage, though if you’ve ever heard me sing, you’d know that showbiz was clearly never my calling.

What is your present state of mind?

Determined.

Your favourite colour and flower.

The color teal makes me blissfully happy, as do ranunculuses (ranunculi?), which my husband bought for me when we first started dating. If I ever find a teal ranunculus, I will die happy.

Your idea of happiness.

72 degrees and sunny with no humidity and no plans to tie me down, people-watching and sharing laughs with my husband over cold beers.

Your idea of misery.

Not being able to find humor in everyday life.

Where would you like to live?

Boston. That city speaks to me.

Your favourite qualities in friends.

Those who realize how important it is to be there for the special moments in a friend’s life, even when it may not be completely convenient for them. And those who can make me laugh so hard that I don’t need to do ab workouts.

Your favourite motto.

Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but doens’t get you anywhere. (Erma Bombeck)

Your biggest flaw.

I’m a worrier.

What gift from nature would you like to have?

The ability to sing beautifully (see first answer).

 

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