Janice MacLeod's Blog, page 13

Note cards, Nurturing and 96 Paris Letters

If you’ve been hanging around this blog for a few years, you likely remember that I post about my annual Nurture Project. With this project I pick one person who could use a little extra love and secretly make it happen for the year. Sometimes this is extra letters in the mail. Sometimes it’s responding in a timely manner to texts. Sometimes it’s dinner. It can be as simple as leaving comments on a social media post.

We all like virtual high fives.

But early this year I discovered I had cancer and all external lovey dovey kindness was reeled in. I had to concentrate on doctor’s appointments, treatments, and sleep. I had this crazy thought in the middle of it all:

I wish I only had cancer.

Not cancer AND looking after a toddler AND managing my shop. Wow it would be so great to only have to deal with cancer.

That’s some interesting perspective.

That said, the toddler did make days more amusing. Only now when I’m nearly in the clear can I even give it a voice. And even then, if you ask me about it, I’m not likely to want to talk about it. It’s going to take time.

So while I was in my panic, I think the Nurture Project energy turned toward me. I received prayers, mail, gas cards (so useful), Amazon gift cards (for books), comfy lounge clothes, wigs, hats, and even surprisingly flexible schedules for my care givers so they could cart me here and there, or look after Amélie or make food, or send me nice emails.

Thank you for this!

I even had someone ask for ALL the Paris Letters I’ve done, which it turns out, is 96 this December. I didn’t even know I was so close to 100. I sent them off with an open heart and wrapped in a bow. Now she’s putting them in clear plastic envelopes and placing them in a binder, which is also my preferred storage method for basically ALL THE PAPER THINGS. If you’re curious, here’s the listing which made my year. I hadn’t whipped up the December 2018 letter until she asked for the order. So kind! The package retails for over $800 bucks, but I couldn’t… I just couldn’t… I… it’s too much. So we agreed on $500 USD and a massive box of letters went her way.

Now that I’m on the tail end of treatments, I have slightly more energy. I whipped up a new set of note cards to send thank you notes to friends.

Watercolour fun good times! And a chance to include images of all my vintage French postage. I’m coo-coo-for-coco-puffs in love with French stamps.

This one has a ship sailing the Seine and an airplane flying over Pont Saint-Michel in Paris.

I can’t forget my beloved Jardin du Luxembourg and a hot air balloon stamp. By the way, there is so much Paris art out there with hot air balloons overhead. Never, not once, have I spotted a hot air balloon. When asking a pilot about this he told me that Paris is a no-fly zone and there are helicopters in the sky patrolling that WILL shoot you out of the sky if you try it. Quoi!?!?!?

So if you try it, I suggest you have a parachute like the guy in the stamp above.

Maybe it’s best to keep your feet firmly on the ground, and why not. In Paris, the view from the ground is lovely. This is one of the Haussman buildings we see all over Paris. Baron Haussman was the architect behind these apartments. The name Haussman literally translates to House Man in German. A perfect name for an architect.

Here we have the Sorbonne, the university for so many great thinkers, such as…

Marie Curie who is featured on the stamp on this note card.

Ahhh so satisfying. With these new note cards in my shop I feel like I’m back baby. I’m back.

Marie Curie, Armistice Day, a Paris Letter, and if books could talk

As we approach the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, I’ve got Marie Curie on my mind. I love this little book that writes her story so beautifully.

 

Her discoveries made it possible to take X-rays on the battlefields. I bet there are a lot of soldiers who are all, “Hey Marie, thanks for saving my limbs. Limbs are very cool. We like limbs.” No one likes turning into an amputee. Amputee day is a bummer.

Since she couldn’t study in Poland, because girls couldn’t do such things back then, she high-tailed it to France, and basically, rocked science for the rest of her life. They were all, “Merci Marie, here’s a stamp.”

And the First Day Cover…

Little known fact. Marie Curie discovered radium and polonium, two highly radioactive elements. Her remains are so radioactive that she is interred in inch-thick lead in the Pantheon in Paris to prevent the radiation from harming those who come to visit her.

You learn so many interesting medical facts while you’re in a medical crisis. For instance, we have CT scanners thanks to… the Beatles.

True fact. “Partial credit for the development of the CT scanner is due the Beatles, according to British radiologist Ben Timmis. That’s because the band’s recording label, EMI, heavily funded the research of the CT’s inventor, Sir Godfrey Hounsfield. Because the Beatles sold so many records and made so much money for EMI, Hounsfield was able to devote four years of full-time work to the development of a commercial CT machine, which was called the EMI-Scanner. ” Source: The Writer’s Almanac

All these fun facts have melded together in my noggin’ and inspired this month’s Paris Letter, which is about the close relationship you have with your local pharmacist in Paris.

All my updates with friends these days start with medical stuff, then end in fun stuff. So now that the medical stuff is over, a quick fun story. A lovely reader was wanting a personalized bookplate from my shop so she could add it into her book. Fair enough.

However she sent the request for a personalized message for the bookplate to the bookseller instead. The bookseller responded to this confusing request with this spark of genius:

“Hello Leah,

(Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note – it seemed unusual, but who are we to say no?)

Holy canasta! It’s me… it’s me! I can’t believe it is actually me! You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me! I’ve got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need a dust jacket? I can’t believe I’m leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already – the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge – so many memories. I don’t have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but it’s time to see the world!

I can’t wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person. Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months sandwiched between Jane Eyre (drama queen) and Fundamentals of Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Jane was an upgrade from that stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol’ brewmaster have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am?

I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but after the close calls I’ve had, I’m ready for anything (besides, some of my best friends are suspense novels). Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping, I’ve found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana.

But hey, enough about me, I’ve been asked to brief you on a few things:

We sent your order to the following address: “

How fun is THAT?!?!

Pumpkin Pie Paris

One thing Parisians are not… they are not cinnamon people. They veer toward almond. They are a marzipan people. For this reason alone, I can never ever really pull off being French. My shrieks of glee at cinnamon-infused treats will give me away every time.

Parisians also don’t take photos of a million little things they see around Paris. They do, however, look at me taking a photo, then look at what I’m taking a photo of, then shrug and keep on walking.

No Parisian will admit to taking a photo of a pigeon.

But I can’t help myself. All these photo bits are ingredients for my letters.

This…

Becomes that…

Which you can find at my shop, along with a slew of others.

But sometimes, a photo cannot lead to anything else. A photo is the final product… especially if you’re like me and go ballistic at the sight of autumnal goings-on around town.

I love how blue and orange dance together so nicely in Paris.

Some might say this is more yellow than orange. Let’s call it School Bus Orange.

And this does venture into the purple hues.

This is one of a hundred photos I took of Le Mirabel. The day I bought a new camera, I stood outside Le Mirabel and proceeded to learn how to use it, adjusting levels as the sun went down and the neon lights took over. In the end, the Auto feature took better photos than I did. C’est comme ça when one is learning something new. Self must be gentle with self. Or self must try all the features, then use the Auto feature as insurance. To this day I use the Auto feature.

And some post-production digital jiggery pokery.

You know I sang that Adele song all along here. Never mind I’ll find someone like you… I wish nothing but the best for you…

I’ve always liked this shot but never knew what to do with it:

That upper window is haunting. All I really remember about this day was going to the Picasso Museum after years of waiting to open. I have seen a LOT of Picasso art in my time. All over the world there seems to be a Picasso exhibit. And that’s why I think this museum is a letdown. All the good stuff is on tour. The only thing I found interesting or lovely or inspiring was this:

That’s a decent envelope. And it’s addressed TO HIM, not BY HIM.

If you would like a decent envelope addressed to you, visit my Paris Letters shop. All kinds of Paris fun will be delivered to your door. Except marzipan. No marzipan. Ever.

Paris in Autumn: 50 Shades of Yellow

Why are autumn people so very obsessed with autumn?   They start wearing corduroys and big orange scarves, they waxing poetic about chai tea, they display a cornucopia of gourds on their front porch, and generally look drunk with glee as the temperature drops.

I’ll tell you why. Autumn brings out the introvert. Even if you swing toward Extrovert on the Introvert-Extrovert scale, the cold winds quiet the mind… and I think the cold weather makes hot beverages taste better.

Extroverts clap with glee when summer arrives. Hot weather brings out their inner Kenny Chesney. It’s all sunhats and cold drinks. But autumn? Ahhh, that’s all tea and cinnamon.

It’s fun to step outside (in your pants for the first time in months) and take photos of autumn.

Glamorous lady in yellow.

The other day I received an order for a Paris Letter in my shop from a Jeanne. It was for her mother, also named Jeanne. At the same time I was fulfilling the order, another Jeanne made an order. Jeanne is also my grandmother’s name. Since my latest health scare, I’ve had a loss of faith about whether or not there is anything beyond this world. Going under during surgery was such a blank space that I wondered if, when we die, it’s all Lights Out Tits Up. But, when I received those orders, I did have an inkling… a little renewed spark… that possibly something else is out there helping us along.

The days are also getting shorter, but you don’t even mind because you’re inside sipping tea and making pompoms for your hats.

Hey nature, nice framing.

You start sitting on benches that you ignored before, just to listen to… nothing. Autumn is quieter than that loud extrovert Summer.

You actually start craving warm foods and being open to eating things that you despised in Spring.

And huddling together just makes evening more fun.

You dig out your yellow bag to match the trees.

And boots are back!

I’m so obsessed with walking to Buci News that I included a sketch and photo in A PARIS YEAR.

Speaking of books (and obsession), Outlander placed #2 in The Great American Read. Clap clap clap!

“It is now the fall of my second year in Paris. I was sent here for a reason I have not yet been able to fathom. I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive. A year ago, six months ago, I thought I was an artist. I no longer think about it. I am.”

-Henry Miller

Six Paris Letters, a health update, and the latest French postage stamps

The ol’ critical illness mentioned in the last post garnered so many kind comments. Thanks Reader. You’re the best. I feel I’m nearly in the clear… just a slew of hospital appointments until Christmas, six months of nasty but effective meds, and boom! Back to normal.

Hopefully.

So thanks for all the kind wishes. Keep sending those good vibes. They work!

Today is my first day back to my desk. My first official day when Amélie is at daycare, Christophe is at work, and I’m not being monitored by Team Caregivers… AND I have high speed internet.

Life is dreamy.

So it’s been six months since I shared Paris Letters. I have actually been sending them. I just haven’t had the strength to tell you all about it. These are all finally listed in the shop… and they are bigger there, for more detailed perusing.

May is about trying to get a package delivered to your apartment in Paris. Nearly impossible.

June is about hanging out at Le Select café to try conjuring ghosts. Also nearly impossible.

July is about picnics in Paris. The easiest thing in the world. Unless you plan for it.

August is about the quiet serene of Paris when everyone else has left. Dreamy. And you get all the treats to yourself.

September features Jardin des Plantes and is about the great return of all those who left in August.

October features the fever of taking photos of Medici Fountain in October.

The best photo I’ve taken of said fountain…

But that doesn’t keep me from taking a gazillion photos whenever autumn rolls around.

The October letter also features the new French postage stamps. Each new president gets to decide on the new postage stamp, which sticks around until another president comes around. And these lovely stamps are in prancing about France in all their autumnal splendor.

More fun Paris Letters are over at my shop. Happy autumn!

 

French Cookbooks, Cherry Trees and Miracles

This beautiful cookbook by friend Mardi Michels is so worth it. You do not need to justify this purchase by actually having kids. There were a few recipes in here where I thought, I can’t do THAT! But then I saw photos of these little hands rolling and chopping. I thought, Geesh, if they can do it, I can do it.

Sometimes we get all adult and assume we can cook like an adult. This is not often the case, especially in my case. Recently I made some sort of hot and sour concoction that was so vinegary that every time Christophe brought his forkful to his mouth he started wheezing. And I was following a recipe.

How do you cope with bad recipes? It’s not enough to leave a one-star review. A one-star review is just not satisfying.

I can tell you that In the French Kitchen with Kids gets all five stars. (And it comes out today, July 29th, so if you want a copy, it helps the author tremendously to buy it on launch day). It uses ingredients that are easy to find, and tools that one probably has in the kitchen… except for me. I don’t have anything in my kitchen yet.

Remember that time when I moved to Paris with just a suitcase? Then I moved to a fully furnished home in Calgary with just a suitcase? Well I moved again. This time to Ontario, Canada, where we bought a house in a little beach town. It’s all super sugary cute. Cute house, cute town, near cute cousins, cute cute cute. We purchased in spring, just after all that snow finally decided to melt. After we bought this house, I decided that I wanted two cherry trees. I imagined many-a-pie being made in my super cute kitchen. I mentioned this to my new neighbour who pointed out the trees in my backyard and informed me that they WERE cherry trees.

Wild.

An unexpected delight. I’m currently in the middle of the gathering process. I feel like I’ve reverted to my Los Angeles days where I was listing items on Craigslist to get my life down to that one suitcase. Now I’m on the other end of that, buying back what I sold in the first place and Kijiji is the place to be. But each item that enters the house must be managed, dealt with, updated, maintained, paid for, etc. It makes this minimalist mind spin.

Another thing making my mind spin is my current critical illness, which decided to turn up the week I left Calgary. I’m not going to name it. I’m sure, dear reader, that you will not regale me with So-and-so who had it and lived, but another dear reader might. And I know that with every story about every person who lived, there is another story of a person who did not.

Turns out I was pretty close to that line between Living a Long Life and Dying Sooner Rather Than Later.

This illness has stripped me of all the outward aspects of myself that made me feel pretty. Some gone permanently. Some will return. A few things I’ve learned about critical illness:

*Best to assemble of team of friends who know about it so you can lean on them during difficult moments.

*People instantly look at your ill bits instead of in the eye.

*Finances take a hit because you can’t work.

*Sleep is the best medicine.

*People do not know what to say and you can’t expect them to either.

*Making jokes about it doesn’t cheer people up.

*Prayers turn into meals made.

*Processing feelings is an indulgence and there is no time for it when you’re sick.

*You cry a lot in the bathroom.

*Miracles occur, whether you believe in miracles or not.

*Your toddler doesn’t care. She just wants to play.

A quick random story about this critical illness. Ages ago, my friend Betsy made me a little lapel pin. It was a pink plastic crown with a heart on it. I wore it, then misplaced it, then moved to Paris, then Calgary, and now Ontario. The day I arrived in Ontario, I was at my mom’s house, before I knew if I had a CRITICAL illness or a FATAL illness. I found the pin in a drawer. I have no idea how it got there but there it was. The funny thing is, a few years ago my friend Betsy died of ALS and opted for assisted suicide (Read her amazing story here). When I found the pin, I wondered if I would have to be Betsy Brave. Now that months have gone by and I’m not required to be Betsy Brave, I received another pin in the mail from my friend Sharon. She had no idea about Betsy’s pin. Sharon’s gift was a pin of a beautiful girl with long flowing hair. All the things I feel I’m not right now. When that pin arrived I felt I had turned a corner. I felt I was in the clear.

At least I think I’m in the clear. The doctors agree. The medicines are working as they should. Another miracle.

This is also why I haven’t been blogging or sharing about my Paris Letters, which are still happening in between doctor visits. I still pull myself out of a drug-induced nap to write and paint about beloved Paris. It’s a great joy during this nightmare. I have one customer who must have bought one for every person she’s ever met. I’ve never met her but I’m so grateful because her purchases kept my spirits up and gave me reasons to keep doing what I love. She’s like my cherry trees. An unexpected delight.

I wish you, dear reader, an unexpected delight today, whether it be a cherry pie, a cookbook with a beautiful font, or an unexpected gift in the mail.

Top 5 Paris Books for Spring

When I first started thinking of writing travel books, I perused the travel section of the bookstore. So many books on France. I thought to self, well, that’s covered. Best to do something else.

Then I went ahead and wrote two books on Paris. More to come. Can’t get enough.

France is definitely my beat, and the world beyond the Paris prériphérique is piquing my curiosity. I just need Amélie to grow a little so she’s old enough to be bribed with snacks for good behavior on long train and car rides. 

In the meantime, I’m loving these books that are slaking my cravings for exploring la vie en France. I’m not going to tell you too much about the books. I’m so sensitive to spoilers. Just trust me when I tell you these books are a delight.

PARIS EVER AFTER

K.R.S Burns

Once you begin reading, it’s difficult to stop. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading into the night. (This book also launches today. Buying on launch day helps the author tremendously. Clicking on the titles will get you to Amazon, but feel free to order at your preferred bookstore.)

WAKING UP IN PARIS

Sonia Choquette

Never before have I come across a memoir with Paris as a spiritual teacher. Choquette expertly illustrates how when you heal internally, the external beauty is revealed. I’ve been a fan of Choquette since I read You’re Heart’s Desire. And years later she was next to me on the New York Times bestseller list for her book Walking Home. Sweet!

L’APPART

David Lebovitz

If Choquette was my gateway drug to spiritual books, Lebovitz was my gateway drug to Paris memoirs. This book is about buying an apartment in Paris. Who would have thought buying an apartment would be such an entertaining read. I feel when reading this book that it’s one long email to me. His books sit next to mine at the bookstore. I like to think they are tee-heeing the whole time. Fun and funny!

MY TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN PROVENCE

Peter Mayle

On the other side of my books at the bookstore are those of the wonderful Peter Mayle. I admit, this book hasn’t been released yet, but I’m just assuming it’s as wonderful as his others. You’ll remember him from A Year in Provence fame. He also passed away recently, which makes this final title all the sweeter to read when it comes out June 26, 2018… Pre-order here.

 

I LOVED YOU TOO MUCH

Alicia Drake

Drake presents a portrait of Paris in exquisite detail. Not often do you come across a protagonist that you want to hug and shield from the world. Drake creates a character that is sure to bring out the maternal instinct in every reader. This is a sweet, tender book. And if you’ve lived in Paris, you recognize a few of the more unsavory character traits of the French.

By the way, my own book, PARIS LETTERS, has been selected to be a Kindle Monthly Deal, which means the price of the ebook will be lowered to $2.99 across all platforms (not just Amazon) for the month of May. Happy May 1st dear reader!

Review: Paperless Post

Now we all know I’m into sending letters via snail mail. One might think this old school medium means I’m a girl that is likely to have an antique typewriter on display, a girl that buys vintage, someone who owns a sewing machine.

Oddly not one of these things apply, but they sound so ME, even to me.

When Paperless Post asked me to review their ecard service, I thought, well, maybe I should embrace the modern age. Let’s do this thing. Paperless Post designs customizable online and printed stationery. They’ve definitely improved the ecard world by having funky designs by the likes of Vera Wang, Kate Spade, and Jonathan Adler.

Full disclosure: They did offer me some digital coins to try out their online service and write about the experience. These should not be confused with crypto currency. They will not go up in value… that said, they won’t go down either. But these coins don’t work with their print partner Paper Source, unless they do and I haven’t figured it out (which makes it just like crypto currency). Paper Source also doesn’t carry the full line of cards, but they still print a big bunch.

For me? Paperless Post ecards is all about Jonathan Adler. He’s a great example of how Paperless Post has made ecards cool again.

Don’t forget, Mother’s Day is coming up…

So I’ve been fooling with the ecards, trying to evolve and be open to this e-world. We’ll see how it goes. You can check out the full line at Paperless Post.

Copycats, my underwear drawer and digital printables

Copycats: There was a time when there wasn’t even a category for “Letter Subscriptions” on Etsy. Now there are a slew of people selling illustrated letters about their travels, gardens, book reading, and home life. And every one of them has blatantly copied from my Etsy shop. Incredible. Sometimes I get miffed, but then I see that soon, most of their letter subscriptions die a quiet death. And then I get to feel gladness, even smugness, at their demise.

There are a few people that even call their product a letters when it’s really a sketch and not a letter at all. It’s just sent in an envelope, which I suppose justifies calling it a letter. I stay silent. I roll my eyes. And then I grin at the SEO boost I get over at Paris Letters Press whenever they blog about their “Paris Letters”. Bwah-ha-ha! Cha-ching.

 

Underwear drawer: I’ve been cleaning out my underwear drawer… again, which, for any seasoned reader of my work, knows this means a big move is coming. Come along with the next adventure… I’m sure the copycats will be following.

While I’ve been cleaning out, wiping up, picking up, and not blogging, I’ve been continuing with the Paris Letters. Here’s the rundown of the last four months:

All now in the shop. And in anticipation of being on the road and offline, I created another digital shop for your printable pleasure (take note copycats). So you can print out all your Paris Letter stationery as often as you like for a mere fiver (or so, depending on conversion rates). It’s great fun to print out cute stationery at will.  A wee example of the art you can print out on your own printer, thereby saving yourself time and a stamp…

I’m adding to it all the time. Joy of joys to create and curate Etsy shops. It’s odd but strangely satisfying. Try it. You’ll see.

The 2017 Paris Letters Collection

Nothing like the end of the year to make one all reflective and wistful. Makes one want to buy new calendars and gaze at the blankness ahead. What will happen? What will this look like in December 2018? But before that happens, let’s walk down memory lane and view the 2017 Paris Letters collection. All (finally) listed in the shop.

 

 

As I mentioned, all these are now in the shop, so if you’re looking to redecorate your walls in 2018 with Paris-laden letters, voilà!

Happy holidays you crazy cats. Thanks for all the support this year with the letters, the new book A PARIS YEAR, the old book PARIS LETTERS, and of course, for reading this here blog. High five!