Family and friends | Beauté Simple

Posted by myla on Aug 16, 2017 in Family and friends, Travel | 0 comments

Bohemian Formentera

We recently spent a week in Formentera, Spain. Not as popular as its flashy island sister, Ibiza, the island of Formentera has been some sort of creative haven since the sixties and seventies. The island had been refuge for Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell at different points in their artistic lives and architect Philippe Starck has a house near Cap de Barbaria.

The thing that I love most about Formentera is its rugged beauty that refuses over commercialization. You won’t see hotel or retail chains on the island. Most of the shops and restaurants that we went to have that artisanal feel that’s rare in most summer beach destinations.

Here are some highlights of our vacation….

Platja Migjorn

Hippie Market at El Pilar de Mola

View from the Blue Bar

Lighthouse from Cap de Barbaria, southernmost part of island where Africa isn’t too far away

Church in Sant Francesc, one of the main towns

Illa Espalmador

Some of the things we did that I recommend doing while in Formentera…

Seeing sunset at Sa Sequi restaurant, one of the best views on the island
Eating at the hippie chic Blue Bar where the food is yummy and the view is amazing
Renting a boat and going to Illa Espalmador, only accessible by boat and has the clearest water I’ve ever seen
Going to Platja Migjorn for the beach and Illetes for the scene
Seeing the lighthouse in Cap de Barbaria and hippie market in El Pilar de la Mola
Shopping in Sant Francesc’s town center

Posted by myla on Aug 2, 2017 in Art, Family and friends, France, Travel | 0 comments

Le Havre, 500 Years

We’re slowly settling back to our house in Normandy. It’s funny how things have gotten easier over the years as we develop our habits and ways in going about our time here. After 14 years, we now know where to go for mundane things we take for granted at home in the US like where to get the best produce, bread, pastries and even simple things (think nails and paint) to mend the house. The good thing about settling in fast is the we’re also able to enjoy all the great things that Normandy offers.

One of the first things we did when we got here is visit the city of Le Havre, which is celebrating its 500th year. Imagine that…500 years! Much has happened in the city’s history but one of the most critical ones is the devastation Le Havre encountered during World War II. There’s much hype about the movie Dunkirk right now and its role during the war but Le Havre is also another French town that played a major role during that period. It took architect Auguste Perret’s great modernist vision post-war to develop what the city is today. Le Havre indeed feels like no other French city with all its modern buildings and architecture. I used to hate its utilitarian sort of feel but it’s only through learning Perret’s vision vis-a-vis the city’s history that I learned to appreciate this place.

Most of the art installations below were created for the city’s milestone anniversary…

MuMa Le Havre

Street Art by Vincent Ganivet

Le Volcan designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1982

Art at St. Joseph church designed by Chiharu Shihota that symbolizes spiritual awakening

Work by Lang/Baumann to resemble doors that open to the sea

Posted by myla on Jul 19, 2017 in Family and friends, France | 0 comments

Bastille Day, Brooklyn Edition

This past weekend, we were invited by our friend, Jean-Jacques from the restaurant Provence en Boîte, to our old neighborhood in Brooklyn to celebrate Bastille Day. For the past 11 years, Jean-Jacques has been hosting a block party in Carroll Gardens to celebrate Bastille Day, or what the French calls le 14 juillet. The afternoon was a blast as we listened to live music, danced and ate classic French picnic food. It was fun for everyone, including Brady our dog who ventured into Brooklyn for the first time.

The nice thing about staying in the US for the month of July is that we’re able to catch up with friends whom we usually do not get to see during the school year. Almost every single summer weekend has been spent with friends and family, a pleasure without a doubt yet definitely exhausting. Now I’m almost ready for vacation…

Posted by myla on Jul 13, 2017 in Art, Family and friends, Travel | 0 comments

Quick Visit in Philly

Last weekend, we visited Philadelphia, my old hometown where I spent critical years that still play a huge role in who I am today. I love sharing memories of the city with the girls even though I’m sure most of my comments went to deaf ears. I feel that I have a renewed appreciation for the city. Though much has changed in the areas I visited in Center City and Rittenhouse Square, I always love the fact that Philly is so much more manageable and less intimidating than cities like New York, Paris or Chicago.

We spent the afternoon visiting the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, which currently has an exhibit on my favorite artist of the moment, Robert Motherwell. PAFA is the oldest art museum and art school in the United States.

Posted by myla on Jul 5, 2017 in Family and friends, Lifestyle, Travel | 0 comments

Fourth of July Weekend

I can’t tell you the last time we were in the US for July Fourth weekend since the girls were born. We usually pack up and leave for France as soon as school wraps up. But times are changing and the girls wanted to do a few summer camps here in July so we postponed our vacation a bit later till the end of the month.

It’s great to be in the US this holiday. I must say it was a little sad and felt a bit disloyal to celebrate Independence Day in Europe when this holiday calls for all things American. So I was glad to have spent the weekend a bit in the Catskills/Woodstock/Hudson/Phoenicia/Saugerties area and be home in time to see my sister’s new house and go to a friend’s barbecue party.

Posted by myla on Jun 21, 2017 in Family and friends | 0 comments

It’s the Little Things

Another school year in the books and we’re a year away from being completely done with grade school! As I look at the photos I’ve taken over the last few weeks, I can’t help but just smile and be thankful. I’m happy to still have my parents around, grateful that they’ve stayed together the last 50 years of their marriage despite many ups and downs. I’m thankful that my girls are healthy and growing up to be caring and thoughtful human beings (when they want to be, anyway). I’m happy that summer is here and that I feel vital and strong despite turning another year older and creeping closer to a major birthday milestone. Lastly, I’m grateful to have friends who have enriched my life. No matter how close or far they live from me, their essence and being continue to nourish me.

Posted by myla on May 31, 2017 in Family and friends | 0 comments

Rainy Weekend

Can someone promise me that the weather will get warmer in the next few days and it will stay that way until October? I think we’ve had the coldest and wettest May in recent history. Even Memorial Day weekend, often the turning point in terms of warmer temps, yielded only to partly sunny days with rainstorms and drizzle interrupting what was supposed to be an idyllic weekend.

Nevertheless, we did our usual thing, our tradition of spending Memorial Day weekend in Cape May to be by the ocean and be with dear friends. Even if we didn’t get to spend much time at the beach, the kids strolled daily along the boardwalk as they try to make the most of the outdoor situation. We also played board games, did a little shopping and visited a Beach Plum Farm (more on that on the next post).

How was your weekend?

They stole our beer

Posted by myla on May 24, 2017 in Family and friends | 0 comments

Run, Girl, Run

This time of the year feels like most parents are on a high-speed train. We are all rushing from one thing to the next to meet school year-end obligations like recitals and championship games. Personally, I feel like I’m just holding my breath as I try to juggle as many things as possible, doing the best that I can and making sure I don’t mess up anything.

Then, something like the Manchester bombing happens and suddenly we’re awaken to what is crucial. It’s not the running around and achievement-making that are important, right? At the end of the day, what matters is how much we love our kids and how we live our lives. Do we live everyday to fight for those things we cherish and value the most? Do we take the time to look at our loved ones in the eyes and tell them how much we value them?

I’m about to take my younger daughter to her first concert in two weeks and the Manchester incident made me reflect on things a bit more. Seeing the number of children killed (mostly girls, I believe) makes me angry, scared and sad. I keep thinking of how I’d feel if I were one of those parents whose child was hurt at the concert. Would I feel eternal remorse and guilt? I’m sure I would. Yet at same time, I believe that there’s a Higher Being who guides me through life and that I have got to have faith that things will work out. Furthermore, I simply cannot let radicals dictate how I live and rob me of basic pleasures in life. For if I were to always live in constant fear, I may as well cease to exist.

Photos from last week’s track meet…

Posted by myla on May 17, 2017 in Family and friends | 1 comment

Reset Button

Nothing like a minor fender-bender accident during Friday rush hour to make you want to reset things a bit in life. So the rest of the weekend was spent idly as I tried to enjoy my mother who flew in from out of town as well dear friends who hosted a lovely Saturday night dinner.

Hope you had a wonderful time with the mothers in your life…

Posted by myla on May 3, 2017 in Family and friends | 0 comments

Relaxation Station

A couple of weeks ago, Ines and her friend, Miya, participated in the TREPs Program in their school. I love this entrepreneurial program for 4th and 5th graders where they get introduced into the nuts and bolts of starting a business. The girls came up with their own business venture called Relaxation Station where they sold candles and lotions and provided two-minute massage sessions.

I love how both girls really took ownership of their business idea and seriously prepared for the big TREPs day. There were a few after-school meetings to discuss their venture and finalize details like product design and sales pitch. I was quite satisfied that both girls stayed at their booths to talk to potential customers about their products and service, despite the numerous distractions like stopping by other friends/vendors’ booths. I think the most remarkable lesson from that day was that both girls learned how to handle their finances and ensure that expenses are at minimum so they can yield a higher profit. Never too early to learn some life lessons go along the way, don’t you think?