Thursday, June 30, 2011

Eiffel Tower Birdfeeder

I spotted a wooden Eiffel Tower birdfeeder at Michaels a couple of months ago, but only recently purchased it.  After painting it, here is what I came up with:


I gave it to my mom to put at the cottage.  I admit I am not the best painter in the world, but I think it turned out pretty well!  It was on sale for $4.99 at Michaels if you are interested in purchasing one for yourself.  Send me a picture if you do and I'll post it on my blog!

xo Ceilidh

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Eiffel Tea-wer

I've already shown you one teaset that I love, but I've found another! Don't you love it?!


Photo courtesy of modcloth.com


Photo courtesy of modcloth.com

The base is the teapot and the "torso" of the tower is a mug in which you can enjoy your tea.  So fabulous!

xo Ceilidh

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Julian Beever

Have you ever heard of Julian Beever? He is a chalk-artist who creates trompe-l'oeil (French for "deceive the eye") creations on the pavement.

Photo courtesey of blowthescene.com

Here is one he did of the Eiffel Tower.  See Julian? He's perched on top!

xo Ceilidh

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Croque Monsieur

A Croque-Monsieur is a hot ham and cheese sandwich.  I saw it all over the menus in Paris, but never new what it was until I decided to order one at a restaurant just below the famed Sacré-Cœur Basilica.  I had my first attempt at making a "Croque" at home the other day, and I thought I would share it with you.

I decided to use a recipe from the Martha Stewart website as I find her recipes are usually quite good.  The recipe yields 4 sandwiches.  I only made 2 sandwiches, so I just cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheet
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated, plus 8 ounces, thinly sliced
  • Coarse salt
  • Freshly ground white pepper
  • Freshly ground nutmeg
  • 8 slices brioche, cut 1/2-inch thick, toasted
  • 6 ounces baked ham, thinly sliced

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a baking sheet; set aside.
  2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour, and cook until foaming, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes.

3.  In another medium saucepan, heat milk over medium heat. Slowly add milk to butter-flour mixture, whisking to prevent lumps from forming. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup grated cheese, and season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and set aside to cool.


4.  Place 4 pieces of toast on a work surface and spread each piece with a 1/4 cup of sauce. Cover sauce with a slice of cheese, a slice of ham, and another slice of cheese. Top each sandwich with remaining 4 slices of toast. Spread each sandwich with 1/4 cup sauce and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese.


5.  Place sandwiches on prepared baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 5 minutes. Preheat broiler; transfer baking sheet to broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.


I couldn't find any brioche bread, so I just ended up using another French bread and it turned out fine. 

I prefer my ham a little thicker than thinner which is why I sliced it a little wider than normal. 

I had never bought gruyère cheese before, but it is actually quite tasty.  I found it to have a more strong taste than the average cheese, but quite good nonetheless. 


A croque-monsieur with a pouched or fried egg on top is known as a croque-madame.  Have you ever tried one of these sandwiches??

xo Ceilidh

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Chanel Eyewear: Icons

I still have yet to find the perfect pair of Chanel sunglasses, but in the mean time I will continue to watch these great videos put out by Chanel.



My search continues!

xo Ceilidh

Friday, June 24, 2011

Fashion Friday: Lanvin

Lanvin is the oldest French house of fashion still creating collections. Founded by Jeanne Lanvin as a millinery on Faubourg Saint-Honore in 1889 Paris, the company earned a following among French socialites. Today, critically acclaimed designer Alber Elbaz upholds the Lanvin tradition of supremely well-made clothes, adding shoes, handbags, jewelry and accessories to the collection.


Photos courtesy of neimanmarcus.com

I love, love, love the bag pictured above!




Photos courtesy of lanvin.com

These shirts are super cute.  I'll take one of each ;)

Photo courtesy of lanvin.com

How French-looking! The fascinator pairs perfectly with the dress.

The Lanvin gifts section is so fun too!

xo Ceilidh

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of my Prêt-à-PorTea giveaway is Melissa of detail{ish}.

Congratulations Melissa :) Please contact me at ceilidhsmith@gmail.com for your prize!

xo Ceilidh

Eiffel Tower CHAIR


This is just what I need ;)

Last chance to enter my giveaway which will end at 8pm AST tonight.  Enter here!

xo Ceilidh

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Hôtel Secret de Paris

If you've ever dreamt of spending a night snoozing in one of Paris' most famous monuments, perhaps you're dreams aren't as unrealistic as you once imagined.

The Hôtel Secret de Paris, located in the 9e arrondissement, gives guests at their hotel the experience of spending the night in some of Paris' best known attractions.

Eiffel Room





Musée d'Orsay Room



Trocadéro Room




Moulin Rouge Room




Opéra Garnier Room


Atelier d'Artiste Room


I can definitely see myself spending a night in the Eiffel Room.  For 199€/night, the prices aren't completely ridiculous either.  Click here to see the TripAdvisor reviews on this hotel.

Remember to enter by giveaway which ends tomorrow here!

xo Ceilidh

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Gorgeous Cake via Party Cat Pastries

I just found the most gorgeous cake on Party Cat Pastries.  Look!





Featuring several European landmarks: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Big Ben.  I just can't get enough of it!

xo Ceilidh

Monday, June 20, 2011

Eiffel Tower Teaset

Look at this teaset from Sur la Table!  Unfortunately, it is no longer on sale.  I remember trying to buy it when it was available, but shipping to Canada cost more than the actual teaset itself -- I couldn't bring myself to do it.  How cute is it though?!


Be sure to enter my giveaway here!
xo Ceilidh

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Colleen Karis Designs

I had a minor heart attack while at HomeSense.  I love shopping there, but I HATE it at the same time...I can't resist myself.  They have so much merchandise that I just want to take home with me!

The reason why I had an abrupt myocardial infarction is because I saw these pictures:




The third one here was definitely my favorite.  It is kind of hard to see because these pictures were taken off of my iPhone and the painting itself has plastic wrap around it, but there was glitter shimmering all over it *sigh*.  If I had my own little office I would definitely put this in it!  All of the above designs are by Colleen Karis Designs.  I had never heard of them before, but I will certainly be keeping my eyes open from now on!


I also found this memory board that I would have bought on the spot (only $19.99!), but the Eiffel Tower's had a green tinge to them which I didn't find overly appealing.  It was probably for the best that I didn't purchase it.  My wallet always takes a hard hit at HomeSense!

Be sure to enter my giveaway here!

xo Ceilidh