At Home with Kim Vallee

DINING, TABLEWARE | November 12, 2009

French Pantry Appetizer Plates

Except for the William-Sonama printed signature (I would prefer something like Bon Appétit!), I really like the look of this white porcelain plates that are perfect to serve a sandwich, a single serving cheese plate or a small tray of antipasto. The plates can also act as a message board. A customer commented on the W-S [...]

HOME + GARDEN, HOME decor | November 4, 2009

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Sophie Conran Wallpaper Range for Arthouse

After making delicious pies and designing a popular dinnerware line, Sophie Conran created a line of wallpaper for Arthouse. Except for Spectra, which is part of a special line exclusively available from B&Q, all her patterns are traditional. Her main collection should be available through many retailers. Main Collection For her main collection, Sophie Conran was inspired [...]

ALL occasions, DINING, GIFT IDEAS, TABLEWARE | August 2, 2008

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Shopping at Madame de Pompadour in Westmount

After my radio interview, I went for a shopping trip. Since I wanted to visit Zone, I headed to Westmount. Luckily, I discovered an adorable new store filled with an eclectic mix inspired by French style. I talked to Danielle, one of the co-owners. The store is the labor of love of two girl friends. [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks, HOSTESS gifts | July 27, 2008

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Elixia Hand-Crafted Lemonade

Ever since my friend Nathalie brought a bottle of this delicious lemonade at a party to make mojitos, I am craving for more. This French lemonade tastes amazing. Her mojito was memorable too. I felt sad last weekend since I failed to find any at the European and specialty shops in my neighborhood. I invited [...]

ALL occasions, DINING, ENTERTAINING, GIFT IDEAS, HOSTESS gifts, LINENS, PARTY supplies | July 13, 2008

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Tea Towels and Serving Trays by Atelier LZC

The French designers master the art of creating fun yet stylish textile patterns. And Atelier LZC continues to prove it. We all need a few extraordinary sets to supplement our everyday tea towels. When placed on the right display, tea towels add visual interest to a simple room design. Tea towels often replace placemats and [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | June 5, 2008

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Apéritif à la française around the World on June 5, 2008

Four years ago, the first edition of Apéritif à la française was held in 13 countries and 17 cities. Since then, more cities and countries participate in this culinary experience. Montreal and Toronto in Canada plus New York City are the three North American participating cities. The event always happens on the first Thursday of [...]

HOME + GARDEN, HOME decor, OFF topics | January 9, 2008

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January Sale at Arthur Quentin and Bleu Nuit | Shopping Alert

The sales start January 10th, 2008. Exceptionally both stores will be open on this Sunday, January 13. Since 1975, Arthur Quentin sells European tableware, kitchenware and home decor items to those practicing the art of gracious living. They mostly carry high end French Country style and Italian pieces. Bleu Nuit shares the [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | January 1, 2008

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Starting the Year with Seasonal Delights

One of my New Year traditions is to hang the new calendars around the house. For my kitchen, I went for a culinary calendar from Éditions du Désastre. The recipes and pictures should inspire me to try new recipes and food presentations all over the year. Amongst the French cooking recipes on my calendar, [...]