Autumn Palette: From Nature to Wardrobe

Fall has a way of convincing a person to love warm colors. Normally, I am a lover of cool and neutral colors-grays, blushes, lilacs, aquas, but when the crisp fall winds arrive,

I am hypnotized by her seasonal hues: burnt oranges, mustard yellows, mossy chartreuse greens, teal, bare branch grays, and browns the color of acorn shells.

I am invigorated as I survey my fall sweaters and scarves and always enjoy dabbling on the warm side of the color spectrum. My fall wardrobe reflects that part of me that loves warmth, that part of me that loves texture, that part of me that enjoys trying new things...

_{images and design by à la parisienne}

Glorious Shades of Autumn

Honey, Spice, Pumpkin, Caramel, Nutmeg, Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Sienna, Burnt Orange...these are the glorious shades of autumn as summer goes backstage and allows automn's chilly winds, rain showers (here in Texas), and cloudy skies to debut.

I couldn't help but gravitate toward the assundry shades of orange while in Quebec provided that these beautiful colors are not common in Texas during the fall.

This rock building and sweetly painted butterscotch window pane reminds me of a walled city in the south of France.

I kept telling my husband, "If I could preserve one of these golden maple leaves exactly as it is with it's gorgeous color, I would safely wrap it up and tuck it into my pocket..."

Throughout our last day in Quebec, we witnessed the quebecois bringing out pumpkins for their outdoor fall decorations.

I captured this close up in front of the Aux anciennes canadiennes restaurant. I just loved the saturated color of these dried (pods?)
If anyone knows the name of these orange pods, please share. I do feel quite ignorant for not knowing....

Oh, and I had the best creamy pumkin soup here....Absolument délicieuse!

As my husband and I were strolling along the Terrasse Dufferin in front of the grand Chateau Frontenac, I noticed this sweet couple enjoying the view of the St. Lawrence river.

It appears that they also enjoy hues of autumn!

I felt that if I included pictures of absolute stangers, I might as well include a picture of myself.

Hope your weekend is lovely~

A la prochaine!

_{All photos in this post are by a la parisienne}

Une promenade romantique in Québec

Throughout our busy days of caring for our families, working, paying the bills, etc. I would like to invite you to faire une promenade with me through Quebec City. Each day, I will share with you a glimpse of Quebec's beauty during our blissful stroll.

No walking shoes necessary.

A demain - See you tomorrow.

Happy Return from an Autumn Reverie

Bonjour, mes amis. We have finally settled back in at home from our autumn getaway in Quebec City.

With over 1,000 photos of our trip, I am going to do my best to sift and select the very best pictures and share them with you soon.

I am in the very center of a creative endeavor, so I will do my best to keep an even balance between taking care of my family, running my Etsy store, blogging, visiting your blogs,...

the list keeps getting longer!

It's great to be back home. I look forward to catching up with you.

Destination: Quebec City...In Search of Tips, Advice, Suggestions

I have been interested in the province of Québec since I learned about it in my highschool French classes. In about a week my husband and I will be boarding a plane destined to Quebec City. I have been planning for this trip for a total of maybe five weeks; thus, this trip is really spontaneous for me. I like to plan ahead for any kind of vacation for at least six months in advance so that I can do plenty of research before departing. The best part of planning ahead is having something to look forward to-to dream about...

So with less than a week left for researching and dreaming, I am looking to you for suggestions, tips, and advice. Perhaps you know first-hand or you have second-hand information that would be helpful.

Photo via DjeepMtl on Flickr

Photo via Julio on Flickr

Things I would like to know about Quebec City:

**Are there any great restaurants, cafés, bistros, etc that you would recommend?

**I have heard that there are great biking trails in Quebec. Which ones are the best?

***Besides Vieux Quebec, are there any other great streets that offer beautiful architecture or European atmosphere?

***I love antiques/flea markets. Are there any great shops that I must see?

**What attractions would you recommend? or not recommend?

***Of course, I'd like to do some shopping. What boutiques/stores are your favorites?

**I am hoping to take gorgeous photos of the fall foliage (if I am not arriving too late.) Where are the most picturesque places??

Photo via DavidPaulOhmer on Flickr

More than anything, I look forward to using my French again. It has been over a year since I quit teaching highschool French, and I feel that my proficiency is lagging.

In a short conversation with a québecois on the phone (for bed and breakfast reservations) I noticed a distinct difference in the French dialect from that of Parisian French (which is to be expected). Are there any differences in French vocabulary/connotations from the French language in Quebec and the French language in France?

It seems like I remember seeing a few differences in Canadian French phrases in a college French grammar book years ago...I should remember these...

Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated! It will be a couple of weeks before I am back to blogging and visiting you all again!

_{image #1 via http://www.canadatravelsolution.com/ image #2 via Flickr Michael McDonough}