I absolutely love the traditional French onion soup. Who can resist the caramelized onion soup topped with croutons and melted cheese? When it is well done, the taste is divine. Ronda of All the Best shared a twist on the classic recipe that I want to try. Her recipe adds Portobello mushrooms and use goat cheese instead of the classic grated Swiss, Gruyere or Emmental cheese.

+ photo: Caramelized Onion Mushroom Soup recipe by All the Best

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I am pretty excited by my day so far. My husband and I went skiing. The weather was wonderful. And the ski conditions were great, considering the lack of snowfalls that we experienced lately.

But the reason my day was amazing is that I started to ski like I used to. I gained back my speed when I tackled steeper groomed slopes. The high of the day came when I did moguls. I am still very careful so I do them at a slower pace and without attacking the moguls but I did it. It felt great! You see, moguls are my favorite activity when I ski. After my ski accident in 2007, there were many times when I believe that I could not do that again. My surgeon and my sport doctor were both cautious and told me to not count of that. But I told them that I would do it again. I am so happy!

My husband filmed me going down the Exil glade at Mont Sutton. It is short. It gives you a feel of what I am talking about.

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Bring the cottage feel to your dinner table with a winter centerpiece.  I imagine this look for a romantic dinner this Valentine if you plan a weekend near ski cottage.

To reproduce this look, cut all the branches the same height. Then, plant the cut branches on floral foam bricks for fresh flowers.  You can place the floral foam inside aluminum pans, if your decorative container is not waterproof. The every day aluminum pans work well since you can adjust them to fit inside your container. Plus, they are easy to cut if you need to reduce their height. Do you worry about the inside look since the branches will hide any imperfections.

Make sure to use a tall votive candle holder for safety. I captured these at the Interior Design Show this weekend. Sadly, I can not recall at which booth.

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Chelsea Fuss of {frolic!} is making a series of holiday tables. Her latest is a tartan holiday tabletop that would be fashionable for a holiday brunch in the countryside.

+ photo: Altura Studio for {frolic!}

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In case you missed it, the November 2009 issue of Wallpaper showcased forty of the best things from ten of their favorite global destinations. You will find the best from USA, Canada, UK, Scandinavia, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Brazil and Japan.

From Canada, I discover a few names that I did not know. On the architecture front, I love the work by Süperkul in Toronto. I am fond of the cottage they designed on an island in Georgian Bay. This is my type of cottage by the lake.

The best of the SHIFT cottage by Süperkul?

The SHIFT cottage has a must have feature for a summer place. It is a bridge to link the private and public areas. One volume contains the living spaces while a second section is dedicated to sleeping and washing areas. This allows you to have friends over for the weekend but keep your privacy when you feel like it.

Another good luxury is the wood deck terraces that fold into the island on three sides. Who would not want to read a book in this living room?

I am sure that I will present you more fabulous designers from their listing over the next few weeks.

MORE:
+ SHIFT cottage by süperkul architect
+ Fab 40: Canada on Wallpaper

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Fall officially arrived. In a few weeks, the cottage on the lake season will close for many of us that live North. Wood slice trays are nothing new but I still like them. Plus, using handcrafted organic elements to contrast modern pieces is one of the 4 trends for Christmas 2009 (more on that later).

Wood slices are beloved because they are versatile. Tree slices fit in from a shack style to the modern rustic. You can use them to serve savory pies, or as a natural cheese board.  They can also support your floral centerpieces as you can see on this charming table by the crafty Anna of Rifle Design. Anna took that picture as part of her DIY menu wheel craft project.

Rustic Tree Cake Stands

What I like the most is how you can transform a tree slice and a short thick branch into your own cake stands. Make a least three stands. Ideally, you wish to vary their heights and surface size. They are not complicated to make. See the instructions of Laurie Cinotto. Remember to put a paper between the food and the tree slice, unless you applied a food-safe wood sealer.

If crafting is not your thing, go to Hens in Daisies’ Etsy shop to find large and extra large cake stands. They are ready to use. Simply wipe clean with damp cloth these food-safe sealed cake plates.

MORE:
+ DIY Tree Pedestal Cake Stand by Laurie Cinotto on Once Wed
+ DIY Wedding Menu Wheel on Design*Sponge
+ Large Rustic Cake Stand by Hens in Daisies $45 USD on Etsy
+ Extra Large Rustic Cake Stand by Hens in Daisies $75 USD on Etsy

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This menu is so quick to make that you still have time to serve this meal tonight to your family. To get the full effect of the charming sight created by this old table, you can postpone it for the closing party at the cottage.  When I saw this delightful scene, it reminded me of the South of France.

Because the temperature is colder and let’s face it, closing the cottage requires time, planning a simpler menu seem to be in order. I selected dishes that required minimum cooking and preparation.

Anyone can cook an assortment of sausages on the barbecue. Devise a meal on a theme by assembling a platter of cured meats and salami for appetizers. Pay attention to the condiments to make it more special. Get several types of mustard. To play on textures, it is important to add crush with salads and pickled vegetables. Drinks are straight-forward since this menu called for European beers and red wines. Also provide one non alcoholic drink besides water.

You can made little bouquet with an assortment of fresh herbs from your own garden or wild flowers from your land. Tie each bouquet in with a simple string. Insert the end in a small plastic bag filled with a little bit of water and tie at the top. Then, you put the bouquet is a tall Mason jar with a gift tag. Voilà!

SOURCING:
+ Salami Sampler at Dean & DeLuca $40 USD
+ Grilling Sausage Set $25 for 12
+ Dean and DeLuca Chile Dijon Mustard $6 USD
+ Dean and DeLuca Sweet Cucumber Pickles $9 USD
+ Walnut Harvest dinner scene by Cooking Light – photo by Becky Luigart-Stayner

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I wish to talk about this restaurant not for his cooking, since I have never ate there but for its decor. Les Enfants Terribles is a pub located in Outremont, Quebec. What strikes me is how the architect Louis-Joseph Papineau play with depths on the reclaimed walls to create storage and decorating shelving. Naturally, he used the same technique to keep the bar bottles.

The food is a mix between typical French bistro and pub food. I am curious to try their fish and chips. If you want to get an idea of the food, watch this 30-second video. I would skip the calamari dish.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ wall: photographed by Dominic Gauthier for Voir
+ bar: 30 seconds review
+ small : sweetmama.ca

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Two classic looks to celebrate the end of summer. Get inspired by these tables dressed by Lexington for the last weekends by the lake at the summer cottage. The fall living table is a mix and match of formal and casual tableware. It is OK to bend the rules to create something unexpected. For an outdoor dinner, do like the French people do all the time and ignore the bread plate, even on a formal dinner table.

If you cannot go of the summer,  you can still use items from the summer catalog. I like the thermal vacuum bottle but I do not know where to find it. Beware that, as far as I know, many of the items are props used by the stylist.

MORE:
+ Lexington

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Seeing this old Coca-Cola cooler last week at Finnegan’s market brought back childhood memories.  My parents owned a lot on a small lake 45 minutes from my home. Every nice Sunday during the summer, my parents, friends and family members used to meet there. We crossed the lake by swimming, played games of horseshoe and sat at night at the fire pit. It was fun!

A visit at the flea market can be the occasion to design a party decor. Think about ho you can integrate old items in an unexpected way. Here, the stylist at Pottery Barn decorate a pole with vintage buoys. I remembered seeing a few vintage wood soda crates stacked in a corner of my father’s business when I was young. I wish he had kept them. These crates can be used to bring the dishes in and out of the house or to gather bottles and glasses next to your buffet. This look calls for dishtowel napkins.

Other items to look for our farm stand signs and seeds storage. Transform seed metal boxes into the vase for a centerpieces or to distribute the cutlery wrapped in cotton napkins.

SOURCING:
+ Found Soda Crate $15 USD
+ Dishtowel Stripe Napkins, Set of 6 on sale at $27 USD
+ Amish Farm Produce Roadside Stand Signs $65 USD
+ Seeds Metal Boxes – available at Comme on Aime in France

The vintage buoys are not anymore available online; maybe you may get lucky at a store near you but I would not count on it.

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Two years ago, I told you about Domaine des Ormes, an hotel in Brittany, France where you can rent a perched cabin for your family vacation.

Now, I am presenting you a hut concept developed by a French company called BubbleTree. A wooden platform is build around a big tree. The idea is to get the feeling to live in nature. The spherical canopy (bubble) is meant to be deployed only to shelter you for rain and wind. The rest of the time, you live without walls.

This hut can be very sophisticated. BubbleTree sells hammocks, nets, long chair convertible, lighting system, solar shower, picnic basket and a lifting system to fit their construction. By adding hammocks or sleeping bags, you can transform, at will, the space into a summer guest house for 2 people.

As far as I can tell, BubbleTree’s products are only available in France. This is not inexpensive either. According to the article I read on Born Rich, you must budget EUR 11,000 (approx. $15,300) for the platform alone with the ladder. If you wish to add the bubble (canopy), the price starts at EUR 18,000 (approx. $25,000).

Still, you can still build your little oasis at your cottage. After you adapted and designed your own version, invite a few friends to build it this summer. It does not have to be perched into a tree. It can be a simple platform on a raised piece of land with a canopy system.

MORE:
+ BubbleTree – Web site has an english version
+ Via Born Rich

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I have to warn you. If you do this, you are better to clear your agenda because all your friends will line up to stay over on weekends. This is one of the most adorable weekend decoration project I have seen lately.

The idea is to convert a small garage or a big shed into a tropical guest room. And you will not break the bank to impress your friends. This design was accomplished with mostly inexpensive items found at IKEA and in Chinatown. The sources are in the July 2009 issue of Canadian House and Home.

The best deal was the daybed. Imagine reading a book or having a nice conversation there. The base is made by stacking several shipping crates that they painted. Ask your  local hardware stores, garden centers or lumberyards for similar unpainted crates – most stores give it for free. A sheet hanged on tree branches. They use a sheet but you could check out the dollar bin for fabrics to cover a foam cushion or a single bed mattress.

This setting calls for quick and simple cocktails. Serve gravlax canapes paired with a white wine or a refreshing Tom Collins for the apero. Lynda Reeves shares her Gravlax Recipe With Mustard Dill Sauce. This is one more recipes to try besides the two gravlax recipes I gave you this week. You could rotate them each weekend and see which one you prefer.

CREDITS:
+ Canadian House and Home July 2009 – Photography by Stacey Brandford

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