best. giveaway. ever!

unfortunately it's not from me! ha. but check out oh happy day for your chance to enter as well as overall blog awesome-ness ...

{french kissed} la vie en rose

oh sweet pomplamoose ... thank you for being my background music while i am stiiiiiiiillll working on our wedding book. xo.

angry birds addicted? not me. but definitely my sweet husband, wade. check out their latest.

{blog}share: design*sponge

leave it to design*sponge to post an absolutely perfect feature - "living in: coco before channel". don't miss it!

{click above}

haven't seen the movie? watch the official trailer, then redbox it!

french kissed: alexandre desplat

did you watch the oscars?!?

we watched a bit. remember how we don't have cable - just digital tv and a broken pair of bunny ears? well - we could only get clear reception if i had my hand raised high above my head. i gave it a go (even raised my feet for a while) ... and finally we settled on 28.1 (ion) to watch "good fellas" for the umpteenth time this month.

obviously - we need to see the king's speech! that movie is sweeping the floors this year. which brings me to today's french kissed: alexandre desplat

{source: the associated press}

you probably haven't heard of him ... but i guarantee you've heard his work. the french movie composer has scored several successful films including syriana, fantastic mr. fox, the curious case of benjamin button, the king's speech and my personal favorite coco avant chanel.

it's a rainy awful day outside today in perfect need of a soundtrack. sit back, relax ... and enjoy this tiny sampling of alexandre desplat:

1) dreamcatcher: the twilight saga: new moon
2) the engagement: birth
3) children's games: the curious case of benjamin button
4) sunrise on lake ponchartrain: the curious case of benjamin button
5) the meadow: the twilight sage: new moon
6) river waltz: the painted veil
7) lovegood: harry potter and the deathly hallows

french kissed: the pouf

okay okay - not really french related ... other than the name of this little lovely ... but i am in love with this "french pouf" from ban.do. in fact, i'm in love with about everything on the site! cute cute cute.

{click an item to visit the shop!}

yes - especially the heart shoe clips just in time for valentine's day!
idea! visit ban.do and then leave a comment here letting me know your favorite(s)!

french kissed: carla bruni

wade and i have dedicated each tuesday and thursday evening to a french lesson. loving rosetta stone! we're 3 chapters into unit 1 of disc 1 - and already feel like we've learned quite a bit. super exciting.

so today's "french kissed" dives further into my obsession w/ french music. introducing carla bruni. {okay okay - i'm definitely behind on the times!}

italian-born french singer/songwriter and former supermodel who is married to the president of the france, ring any bells?

{isn't she gorgeous!?!}

carla bruni was born in turin, italy on december 23rd, 1968. when she was 7, her family moved to paris (reportedly to escape the threat of kidnapping!) and she attended boarding school in switzerland.

her mother marisa borini was a celebrated concert pianist. and she was raised by alberto bruni tedeschi a classical composer. (in a 2008 interview w/ vanity fair, bruni revealed that her biological father was an italian classical guitarist, maurizio remmert, who had a six-year affair w/ her mother.) she was influenced by chopin, schubert and mahler under the guidance of her parents. yet also influenced by the music of the 70s, she fell in love with french pop icon serfe gainsbourg, british legends such as the beatles and the rolling stones and american idol bob dylan.

she became one of the most sought after fashion models and was featured in business age's list of 20 most highest-paid models. she worked for chanel, christian dior, givenchy and prada. and was romantically linked with rockstars mick jagger, eric clapton, business mogul donald trump, and actor kevin costner among others. (she was quoted to be "bored with monogamy" and to believe that "love lasts a long time, but burning desire - two to three weeks".)

bruni said goodbye to the world of fashion in 1998. and in 2002, her debut album quelqu'un m'a dit released. in 2007, her second album no promises released containing poems by william butler yeats, emily dickinson, w. h. auden, dorothy parker, walter de la mare, and christina rosetti set to music. and in 2008, she married french president nicolas sarkozy.

so since this is "french kissed" let's focus on her debut album. an intimate acoustic album produced by french guitarist louis bertignac (another former lover!). the album was a huge success - selling over 2 million copies worldwide.

{bio references: all music guide & wikipedia, photos courtesy: www.france24.com}

enjoy.

french kissed: playlist

remember how i had secretly deep down wanted "rosetta stone: french" though it was ridiculously out of our christmas price range? well - wade surprised me with it!!! {i can't believe i'm just getting around to blogging about this now!}

we've just begun to dive into lessons - and i have just begun to dive further into my french obsession. "french kissed" my french inspired posts.

for your listening pleasure ...

and perfect timing - while you listen, check out the guide to paris via freepeople:

{click the image or here}