Tag Archives: Women

Come on boys!

June 11, 2019 Virginie the Frenchie 1 Comment

Am I turning into a footy fan or just becoming more and more Australian?! The question needs to be asked 😉

Not so long ago, I had the pleasure to attend to my very first footy game at the Adelaide Oval on the Sunday March 31 and it was fantastic. Not only it was a bit special as it was a first time for me BUT on top of that I was lucky enough to see The Crows girls team winning on that day: what an epic match with those amazing players but also for Adelaide feminine footy history as the Oval was packed and super excited and proud to support our girls team !!!

If you are a Adelaide footy supporter, at least do it right with the Crows cap 😉

Funnily, call it luck or faith, shortly after this game, I won a footy ticket via my work to see Adelaide Crows versus West Coast Eagles on Saturday 25th May. So this time I was supporting the boys team (I m all about equality lol) and what made it special this time is that I was invited to sit in the open boxes in the VIP suite zone with some other lucky colleagues of mine who also won the tickets! And it was pretty awesome!

It was indeed a fun experience, I must say (despite the cold) to enjoy the match while drinking champagne and enjoying some good food! We really had a good time and felt spoiled.

As for the game…. do I understand the rules better? Well… as mentionned in a previous article , Aussie Footy is very different from Frenchie Soccer and if you add in the equation on top of that a couple of glasses of champagne and wine, it becomes more and more difficult to get the essence of the game, please don’t blame the frenchie, it is too easy 😉

Enjoying a macaron at a aussie footy game or when the French culture embraces the Australian one ❤

But sadly, despite all those good vibes, Adelaide Crows were defeated by West Coast Eagles and the fans were a bit disappointed. Come on boys!!!! Well I guess the boys footy team were not at their best on that night and the The Eagles came from 33 points down in the third quarter to prevail 13.7 (85) to 10.13 (73). With scores level with three minutes to go, 12-gamer Oscar Allen and Jack Darling booted late goals for the Eagles to consolidate their top-four slot.

It was still a pretty cool experience and I encourage all my foreigner friends and followers living abroad to at least once in their life, even if you are not a massive sport fan, it does not matter, please trust me on that, you will not regret it: pick the national sports of your country of adoption and go to a match in a stadium to feel the atmosphere and embrace the spirit with the locals, you will have the best time even if you don’t get all the rules, the main point being experiencing the real thing and having a good time!

Me in California, a while ago, having the best time at my first Hockey Game supporting the Sharks from Sand José (I still have the jersey and the cap) ❤

australia, lifestyle

Mamma Mia! Here we go again…

March 31, 2019 Virginie the Frenchie 2 Comments

“Who doesn’t want a world where everyone bursts into song and dance?!”

What goes well with a rainy and cold day?! Warm socks, comfie pullover, turmeric tea, music and hair in a bun! That’s my comforting routine when it is cold outside and all I want to do is either writing, drawing, reading or watching TV and no that does not make me a nerdy!!! So for those who are in the mood for a “lift me up” movie session, may I suggest something a bit different like a musical 🙂

I just love musicals! Probably because it combines 2 arts I really enjoy: Music and Dance to tell a story in an emotional way!

I saw a few on TV: West Side Story, Grease, My Fair Lady… but of course it is not the same as seeing a real performance on stage with the orchestra, the dancers, the crowd, the magic in the air! So it all really started a year before I moved to Australia. At that time, I was living in London. I would not compare London to Broadway but when it comes to musicals, I must say this is the place to be, at least in Europe! So I had the luck and pleasure to see on stage: The phantom of the opera, Les misérables and Mamma Mia and I absolutely adored each genres and that’s how it all started!

Dressed like my mum when she was a hippie dancing on Abba’s songs

I must confess I have a sweet spot for Mamma Mia, probably because somehow it makes me think of my mother’s youth: the music (Abba group), the clothes (flares jeans, high boots, belly out and colourful tops) and the hippie style. So I could not resist going to the movies and watch the film ! What I liked about it: It’s the story of a passionate, strong and independent young woman who after graduating, starts to travel first to Paris and then follows her heart and her desires freely despite the obstacles, and successfully realises her life plan in Greece! It is a story about different sorts of love ❤ , friendship, starting over and discovering your true self. It is a recurrent theme that many foreigners can relate to when starting a new life abroad!

On the jetty at Semaphore beach when we went crabbing: definitely something very new for all of us!!!

One of my favorite moment and song in the movie is “I have a dream” when she finds this old house in Greece and she can see the potential it holds and decides to purchase it and renovate it to transform it successfuly in a hotel. I like those moments in life when you feel passionate about a project of yours and nothing can stop you, you have a vision, you know it has the potential to work, you just go with your heart and you put all your efforts into it, when you know you know!

In love with this picture from Greece I found in a Op shop shortly after I watched Mamma Mia 🙂

I also like the fact that this musical takes place in Greece, I have never been in this country but it is definitely on my list. I m particularly keen on the Greek islands and their glorious beauty of deep blue waters and white and blue houses. I want to get lost into the beauty of Santorini ant its whitewashed houses perched on the cliff of the volcano. I want to wander around and visit its historical sites, gazing at Athen’s necropolis and its stunning landscapes and architecture. And as the enthusisatic foodie I am, I want to taste a flavorful Moussaka (eggplant, minced lamb, tomatoes and Béchamel), enjoy a Greek salad with some delicious feta and some scrumptious skewered meat served in a pita bread with tzatziki: that is exactly what I intend to do!

In the meantime, if I can’t go to Greece, Greece will come to me… luckily I know a nice Greek café in Adelaide with withe walls and a blue door, just like in Mamma Mia, and maybe my next blog mission will be to find a Greek restaurant as well, because on a cold and rainy day, a delicious Moussaka would be the perfect comforting Autumn dish 😉

australia, England, lifestyle

“Baby you can drive my (vintage) car…”

December 29, 2017 Virginie the Frenchie 4 Comments

Some would call it a funny coincidence, some would think that the universe is trying to tell me something… I will let you the judge of the little story that is about to follow. First I must confess something important : I don’t drive, I never had a car, it is not my thing I guess… I prefer riding my lovely green bike Zoé or walking, especially here in Adelaide. But it seems that for some reasons life has other plans for me… and keep sending me beautiful classic cars over the years in different countries where I go. So I am really wondering if that it is really just a simple coincidence or much more than that…

1. PORTSMOUTH, UK

Sir John’s mythical yellow E Type Jaguar

It all started in England. At that time I was still a student doing a 6 weeks internship at a local newspaper: The Portsmouth News. My lovely british family of adoption : Sir John and Lady Sandie happened to own a superb yellow E type Jaguar so I had the pleasure to enjoy beautiful rides. Sir John (as I like to call him) bought a red E-Type jaguar soon after qualifying as a doctor! It was a left hand drive 3.8 series 1 e-type made in 1961 and was the 219th ever made. Today it would be worth a fortune! He kept it for 20 years and then eventually sold it but a couple of years later, he was missing riding a Jaguar so that’s when he bought the yellow one in which we went altogether to the Prescott Hill Climb. This is really a great car, with a vibrant colour and the noise it produces is so unique. It is totally orignal but has had some touch of paintwork. It is a series 111 E-Type Jaguar, drop head, with 5.3 litre V12 engine and has now convered only 68000 miles despite being made in 1972!!! I played also the “Portsmouth Model” next to the Jaguar: private joke with my British family as I ended up posing for an ad related to France in the Portsmouth Newspaper) so this nickname kinda stayed as somehow I often end up in the local Newspaper/Magazines or brochures abroad (so far Uk, Germany and Australia)! But back to my story, there are some beautiful pics of me sitting on the long bonnet of this Jaguar and you will have to take my word for it that there were some glamorous and glorious moments. This E type Jaguar even traveled to France and even spent a night in my family’s garden as Sir John and Lady Sandie came to visit me and get to know my parents ! As I am writing this article I regret, I don’t have the pics in my laptop to share with you, but this was a little while ago… but still a wonderful first experience with collectible cars.

2. LOS ANGELES, USA

It is me waving at Teresa, while sitting next to John – The car is a 1952 MGTD Midget

I met John and Teresa (my californian friends) when I was living in Paris. They are both great people and we naturally became very good friends. So when they returned to California, I made the wish to pay a visit to them someday…which eventually happened and this is when I took the real measure of John’s true passion for vintage cars as he owned at that time: a 1972 Lamborghini Espada Serise II, a 1968 Maserati Ghibli S, a 1957 TR-3 and a 1952 MGTD Midget. It was winter when I visited, just after Christmas, it was freezing but I was overjoyed to enjoy a beautiful ride in Los Angeles with this superb 1952 MGTD Midget, I payed the hard price since after this, I caught a really bad sore throat that Teresa tried to cure with natural medicines but it was soooo worth it! John just likes cars, none of the cars he owns were collectible at the time he bought them, they were just old cars but he had a crush on them and they became popular as the years passed. To quote John ” You should not buy anything just because other people like it. You should buy things that you like. Popularity is fleeting but your taste will probably be more consistent and last”. I absolutely agree!

3. ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA

Sybilla (black dress) and I (white dress) posing on Hana (Warren’s Porsche)

I met Sybilla (Germany) this year at work and we became instantly friends. She is the most “Frenchic” German girl you could think of! She is married to Warren (Australia) who is adorable and together, they are a fantastic couple! Warren has a passion: he is an enthusiastic collectable cars lover and owns a beautiful vintage Porsche called (H)ana (Warren likes to make fun on my French accent as I can’t pronounce the “H”). One weekend we went altogether for a ride with “Hana” in the Adelaide Hills and then to the beach sides. It was a wonderful day. This car is absolutely beautiful, it is impossible not to fall for it at first sight: the colours, the shapes, the noise… And to quote this song “Isn’t she lovelyyyy”… I mean how can you not possibly love a ride in this beautiful car when the weather is so beautiful (hello summer), feeling the wind in your hair, hearing the birds singing. It is impossible not to feel so lucky and grateful for experiencing such a wonderful moment with such lovely company.

Like I said above, I am not crazy about cars, or should I say fancy/modern cars… I don’t drive, I am way happier riding my bike actually! But… yes BUT when it comes to vintage cars, it is another story… I find it funny that over the years, in different countries such as UK, USA and Australia, I had the chance to become friends with wonderful people and experience riding those beautiful collectable cars. To me, they are not just cars, they are so much more! I have a sweet spot for them because they have all a story to tell. They have a soul and that makes all the difference. I like the way also these cars are treated by their owners but also by other people on the road : with love and respect! And you too, as a passenger you want to acknowledge this beauty, you even want to dress up with a beautiful dress to honour this special moment. It is not just going on a ride, it is going on an adventure ❤

australia, England, lifestyle

Yoga at the beach

April 20, 2017 Virginie the Frenchie 3 Comments

A Mexican girl and a French girl, both focus and enjoying yoga at Semaphore beach in Australia

When I was living in Paris, many people would talk to me about the benefits of practising yoga. Life in a big city can be stressful between your job, the commute, busy people and so little time to enjoy life. I was curious about it and I thought maybe I should try and see by myself how it feels. So I enrolled to a class and it was good but I did not connect with it and I stopped after a few sessions. Some of my friends were surprised as they really believed that it would fit with my personality but sometimes all it takes is to meet the right person.

I want to hug the sun with all my heart ❤

And it happened… with patience… many years after in another country actually. Life, work and opportunities took me to London (UK) for a year and this is where I met the most amazing yoga teacher you can imagine. And have you also noticed that often the best things that happen to you in life, are very often the ones that you were not looking for. It is like sometimes, life has little gifts for you. And this is what happened to me with Mieke 🙂 at that time I was really not thinking about yoga or anything and I found a card in my letter box and I was about to throw it directly in the bin, but some words caught my attention because I could relate to them. And this is how I started yoga sessions, 5 times a week with the adorable Mieke. And you can’t imagine how much it helped me at a time I needed it the most in my life. At the beginning I remember it was challenging because it was in English and I did not know the names of the postures etc… but then I got used to (watching her mainly and associating images with words) and now I can’t imagine yoga in another language than English, funny isn’t it?

My family name is related to nature and more specifically to trees… so this posture was made for me 😉 even if I am a very tiny and not very flexible tree lol I can bend but I won’t break!

Now that I am living in Australia, I still practise sometimes yoga on my own thanks to internet and when I find the time to do so. It is a very calming and grounding activity that I highly recommend. Besides I must say that with this beautiful weather I had the opportunity to go and practise yoga at the beach and it was a great experience with all these beautiful colours, the sound of the waves rolling on the beach and this beautiful sun in this vibrant blue sky. It was like a dream and practising yoga in such a beautiful setting made me feel very grateful. Besides I had the opportunity to teach some postures to some of my friends (Jessica from Mexico and Liliana from Venezuela) and they really enjoyed it! It is a good way to feel connected with earth and feel your stress leaving you as you are embracing yoga with all of your heart, letting go, no where to go, no where to be, just in the present moment!

Namaste! ❤

lifestyle

Twinsters

November 17, 2016 Virginie the Frenchie Leave a comment

I don’t watch TV very often but I do have a Netflix account where I can watch on demand films and TV shows (speaking of the latter, did you hear about the Gilmore Girls being back?!!! I don’t want to gossip but I bet Rory is pregnant and Lorealai is freaking out.. as for Luke I am sure he is going to propose to L). I like to think of my life here in Adelaide like a good “old” GG show, by the way still haven’t found Luke’s Café but I am still looking and opened to any recomandation 😉

This is the kind of food, Luke would definitely serve! You can enjoy this breakfast at the Royal Oak in North Adelaide.

Lately, as I was browsing on Netflix, I decided to have a look at the documentary section and one called “Twinsters” (fusion of the word Twins and Sisters) caught my eye and I decided to go for it. So basically, the story line is that in 2013 Samantha Futerman, a 25 years old American Asian girl living in Los Angeles and using youtube to post funny videos received a life changing message via Facebook from Anaïs Bordier, a French Asian fashion design student living in London. Actually Anaïs friends watched a video on youtube featuring Samantha and they were so surprised by the identical appearance of the 2 girls that they encouraged her to contact her copycat! After a few Skype sessions, the girls discovered that they shared much more than just the same face: it turned out that they were both born the same day and both were adopted in Korea shortly after they were born!!! Could it be possible, could they by any chance be twin sisters?! This documentary is about the journey of Samantha (American) and Anaïs (French) discovering about their past, their history and the bond that they may share together through social medias.

I believe it is a real sweet story and I really enjoyed watching it, witnessing the different emotions these two amazing girls (and their respective French + American families) explored. What stroke me the most while watching this documentary is how life found a way to reunite these two girls that shared different lifestyles, cultures and mother tongues. It is like no matter what, it was meant to be. How perfect it is that Samantha Futerman (the American) was making cool and fun videos on Youtube that will be seen overseas (and obviously in UK) and what were the chances that Anaïs Bordier (the French) would decide to study fashion design in London and become fluent in English. Even if the two girls were raised in different countries and not sharing the same mother tongue, they were able to communicate straight away in English together which made the relationship between the 2 way easier. They both chose artistic careers, one being an actress and the other being a fashion designer, they are so similar and so different at the same time… so interesting to hear about their journey.

But beyond that, it makes you reflect on your own story, your family, the bond you share with them, your relationships. It makes you appreciate even more the luck to have grown with your siblings. What it feels like to have a sister, a brother (maybe both). What they mean to you and by extent what life would have been like without them. It is a special and strong bond and nobody can deny that.

I have a sister and a brother (I am the eldest), we spent all of our childhood together but our adults’ life separated us geographically. My sister lives in France, my brother is an air pilot in Canada (yes girls don’t get too excited 😉 ) and I live in Australia. As you can imagine, it is not so easy to see each other and to give you an example I have not seen my brother since 2013! 😦 I know it sucks… I miss my sister (and her kids a LOT) and my brother too of course. I am hopeful that in the future, as our respective lives settle down we will live closer from each other.

When I see them (especially after a long time apart), it is AMAZING! I ❤ family reunions and to catch up with everything I missed since last time. Luckily, I come from a big family and I have also many cousins around my age or my brother’s age. It is hard to feel lonely or depressed when you are around your family! Each year, during summer time, a “cousinade” is organised (we made up this word in French) but basically it is a “cousins party” where all cousins (on my mother side) are invited for a barbecue and drinks at my aunts place and it is really fun! Christmas are also pretty fantastics and are celebrated several times in the same week since the family is huge! Each year my family (on my father side) organise an unusual christmas dinner to spice up the routine and so far we had a Mexican, a Texas, a Caribbean and I believe last year it was an Australian theme christmas : AWESOME and so refreshing!!!

“Family is not an important thing. It is EVERYTHING!” – Michael J. Fox

I really can’t wait to come to France and pay a visit to my loved ones ❤ and I wish all the best to Smantha and Anaïs!

australia, lifestyle

When Swan Lake meets the Torrens river

June 3, 2016 Virginie the Frenchie 2 Comments

“Dancing is an art. The floor is my canvas and I am the brush and whatever I create comes from the heart”.

To me, ballet is like a day dream, where the music takes you to a sweet escape and for one moment you belong to the story and everything falls in its right place. There is no need to speak, to explain, you just feel it and your imagination does the rest.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend to one of the most famous ballet : Swan Lake! Luckily a friend of mine managed to get me a ticket to the dress rehearsal at the Adelaide festival centre by the Torrens river and I really enjoyed this moment.

I swear I could see the swans on the stage, the way they move, they were so real. The main ballerina was so gracious and really into her character : sweet and fragile as a white swan and her doppelgänger charming and confident as a black swan. The music was so touching, melancholic… and the end so sad… but we all already knew that, didn’t we ?!

As it was a dress rehearsal, it was also interesting because I could see how they improve the settings, adjust the lights, how the dancers adapt and sometimes request to repeat a particular moment. When you see a ballet, the dancers make it so easy that it feels so natural that sometimes you forget all the work, commitment, dedication and hard training to complete the perfect choreography.

What can be said about a classic like Swan Lake that hasn’t already been said! Some critics would say that the storyline lacks of originality but to me, if I should say in just one sentence how I felt about it, I would say:

Sweet and Bitter as Love can be sometimes…

australia, lifestyle

Girls on films

February 4, 2016 Virginie the Frenchie Leave a comment

What was the last time you were excited by a party?

Something you were really looking forward to discover, something that made you feel like a teenager going to her first prom, that made your heart jumped in your chest because you could not wait. Do you remember this feeling?!

Friday, I was invited to the most original girls’ night ever! Once a month, my friends and myself host a party in our houses (we take turns, yes, we are very organized haha). We generally pick a theme to spice up things and make it even more enjoyable. But I must say, last Friday, Nasim (my friend from Iran) took it to the next level! She rocked it!

Artist in progress… Nasim so focus and me being so curious!

She had this amazing idea to re-create a photo-shooting session in a studio and it was so much fun. She asked my friend Jessica (from Mexico) to come with dresses and some make up and I was told to bring my favourite dress and all accessories I could think of (such as : hairbands, hair jewels, masks etc… as I have many of them). I was so excited when I packed my bag on the night before, it was like I was going on a magic trip. And during the night I could hardly sleep because my eyes were full of shining stars ❤

So when the day came, I was all prepared and ready to give my best pose to the camera. Nasim had all it figured and had managed to turn the first floor of her house into a photo-studio, with changing rooms, beauty salon and photo-shooting area. The atmosphere was perfect, the music selection was good and loud, beauty products had been placed on a table. It was just perfect!

Smile, it’s selfie time! Jessica, thanks for having my back!

We changed clothes and helped each other to get prepared. Nasim did my make-up and my hair. She took care of Jessica afterwards. Yes, this night Nasim was at the same time a make-up artist, a hair stylist and a professional photographer! She is a very versatile girl as you can easily imagine! She put the music on and the show began!

We had an exciting night, doing different pose : “give me wild, give me sexy, give me sad, give me angry…”. Jessica is a natural, I mean she was amazing, I swear this girl could be an actress! She had the perfect expressions and she knew how to play with the camera. Also it was very fun because when Jessica was modeling, I was in charge of the lighting and directing the wind in her hair (I was using a hairdryer : I told you, Nasim had it all figured). When my turn came, I was petrified (I guess due to overwhelming feelings of joy haha) and I was not that natural… Actually the picture I enjoyed the most are the ones where I am not posing or the ones where I am acting like a crazy person.

It was a great night and what makes it so great is the joy to be with friends. What makes it special is the desire to share new experiences. What makes it memorable is the pleasure to have so much fun together. The love for English language is the key that has united us, our different cultures and background are the foundation of our friendship and our friendly personalities did the rest. We are different but we complete each others so well, we are the 3 sisters (not those from Sydney), we are the world!

Now I can’t wait to see the results, since Nasim is still editing/working on the pictures. I haven’t seen them yet but I am sure it is going to be AWESOME!!!

australia, lifestyle

Panic in the laundry room!

October 17, 2015 Virginie the Frenchie Leave a comment

You would think that using a washing machine is pretty basic and pretty similar everywhere. If you can take care of your clothes in your home country, logically you can handle this kind of chores in any countries. Well let me tell you something, you would think wrong! You see in Europe we only have washing machines with horiozontal-axis ! They can be top or front loader depending on the size of your place, if you want to put it under a counter etc… So far I only used them and never had any issues! They are pretty simple and straightforward to use.

But that is the beauty about living in another country because all the things you took for granted or you thought you knew can be challenged even when it comes to laundry! Actually I moved to a new house a couple of days ago and I realised that the house was equipped with an American style top loader (with vertical axis)… very popular in US and Canada… and considered as evil in France (I am not even sure you can find those in my country)!

Why evil? First, they are said to ruin your clothes! Maybe it is just a legend because I have some American and Australian friends here and their clothes look perfectly fine to me 😉 But still… it is strange for me, I mean take a closer look at it, there is a big plastic pipe with rigid tails (called agitator) right in the middle where you are going to put your clothes…weird… I strongly advise to use a filet for your underwears if you don’t want to see your favourite panties dancing around on this plastic agitator thingie like a striper on a poll stick! Second thing, it does not heat the water (contrary to Europe) the hot water comes directly from the tap so good luck if you need to wash cotton sheets at 60-90C, I assume it is impossible. I have heard that they are not ecologic because they use so much water and the spin cycle is so slow which can be an issue during winter time where you can’t put your clothes to dry outside…. But one of their assets seems to be that you can wash bigger amounts of clothes at the same time (I am not convinced so far) but maybe I did it wrong…

My first attempt using it was not very successful because I was given the wrong informations OR I got it wrong (it happens to me a lot, remember English is not my mother tongue so sometimes I think I understand and obviously I don’t). Anyway I thought that the detergent had to be poured in the cup on the top of the plastic pipe. At the beginning everything looked ok and the cool thing is that you can open the washing machine when it is working and it does not stop (contrary to Europeans ones) and it is funny (or weird) because it is like the washing machine is literally peeing water on your clothes… I know… not glamorous!

The image speaks for itself… a little cascade!

Well I learnt the hard way that the cup was obviously not dedicated to detergent since bubbles started to come from the evacuation hole on the floor. I panicked a little bit because I did not know what was going wrong exactly. I switched it of, I mopped and did some researches on the internet to discover that the cup is NOT for the detergent but for the softener! In this kind of machine, you have to remove the top of the agitator and pour the detergent inside it and then replace the cup on the top and pour softener into it if you wish to! During the cycle, at a specific time, the vibration of the machine will “force” the cup to release the softener… I swear it is easier than it looks like! Thank god, thanks to internet now, it is easy to find videos of people using their washing machine and see how it works exactly, so if you are curious to see what does an American style top loader look like and how it works, have a look at this educative video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT5la5GdNZA

“Laundry day” is never fun, especially when it turns into a bubbles circus and you end up mopping and praying it does not expand! I hope this post will be educative and help foreigners to use their top loader washing machine! Good luck and don’t worry for me, now I am an expert at it haha!

lifestyle

More than a jeans!

June 4, 2015 Virginie the Frenchie 3 Comments

Do you know what is the most common fear for people living abroad? No matter the origin, colour, religion… it is always the same obsession! You would think: the language to master? the new culture to adapt? missing your family so much that you can’t breath? I won’t deny that these are part of the concerns too but the most common fear is actually and surprisingly: gaining weight!

When you think about it, it does make sense! Afterall when you move overseas, you have a lot of free time when you arrive, meaning a lot of opportunities to taste local dishes, an enormous curiosity to satisfy and the desire to discover everything about your new culture and food is definitely part of the plan! But all these little culinary experiences have a price and soon before you realise you have gained 1 or 2 size and it can be more if you have abused of comforting food!

I have a little trick in order to avoid this unfortunate experience! I have the perfect weapon that I always have in my wardrobe! Please I hope you are not thinking of Bridget Jones’slim panties! Please… No! My secret weapon is actually a pair of jeans that I used to wear in my early twenties! It has even a name: it is called the “Sienna Miller”! Why this name? because when I bought it, there was a big black and white poster in the shop featuring the beautiful Sienna Miller wearing this exact same jeans! She was absolutely gorgeous ❤ with her beautiful curves sublimated in this mythical denim pants!

Wherever I am going, I always bring my “Sienna Miller jeans” with me! I can’t really wear it anymore because it is 15 years old, very used and full of holes but I can assure you it works better than a scale. Whenever I am in doubt about my figures, I just have to fit the SM jean: if it fits it means I can still enjoy cakes and candies, if it does not then it leads automatically to more walking and less treats! It is as simple as that and so far it has worked for me wherever I lived and despite my love for St Viateur bagels in Canada, my obsession for scones with marmalade and cream in England and my sweet spot for Lamington in Australia!

In conclusion, a scale can lie to you because these are just numbers… it can be water retention, hormonal etc… but the Sienna Miller jean will always be true to you showing no mercy to extra kilos!

australia, food

On the rocky road again

May 21, 2015 Virginie the Frenchie Leave a comment

Easter time is all about chocolate and you would think that now you can wait until christmas for your next chockie shot… but can you really get enough of those little treats?! I really doubt it!

Luckily for me, I live in Adelaide: Haigh’s chocolates paradise! Forget about Willy Wonka’s factory because here it’s not just a story, it is the real thing! They have just celebrated their 100 years anniversary and it is too bad they did not organise a chocolate lottery for this special occasion 😦 Anyway, I am in love with their chocolates but the one that drives me literally crazy is: Milk Rocky Road! I could eat it all day and then probably cry a river because my jeans don’t fit anymore. What can I say, it is my secret weakness, I must say they are absolutely delicious! Imagine cubes of light vanilla marshmallow mixed with cherries, sultanas and almonds, tossed in chocolate. The first time I tried them was in September 2014, only a couple of days after my arrival to Australia and I still remember the flavour on my palate ❤ what a delightful surprise when you think that I am not a big fan of marshmallows! I am not sure you can find “Rocky Road” in France, well I have never heard about them before. On the contrary, it seems to be easy to find those little treats in Australia, Great Britain or America (with slightly different variations).

So if like me you are a chocolate lover and you want to know what Rocky Roads taste like, then here is an easy recipe from the famous Chef Jamie Oliver himself! In this recipe, he uses dark chocolate (healthier option) but I prefer the non diet friendly version with milk chocolate 😉

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/rocky-road-kill/#owepoyEMDyxbMiaw.97

My tip: should this not be easy for you to find golden syrup in your country, I think it is ok to use substitutes such as Agave syrup, Maple syrup or molasse. Careful with the dosage since you don’t want the result to be too sweet. Please feel free to let me feedbacks in the comments section as I am curious to know how it went, if you liked it and if you have any tips to share.