Finding the Frenchness in myself was not a motive in reading all the book about French women lately, or in watching all the subtitled French movies...but as an added perk in my research, I'm kinda finding the French woman in myself!
My heroine, although born in Oklahoma, lived in France between the ages of twelve and thirty, so, yeah, a lot of French Culture has rubbed off on her. I've never been to France and some readers commented that I had her acting in ways a French girl wouldn't act, so I had to go back to the drawing board and find out just exactly who she was inside. It's been a fascinating journey!
As a result of the books and movies that have educated me in the ways of French women, I now take better care of my skin, wear less makeup, let my hair flow more naturally (although I've never really been a hairspray person) and I'm working on flirting with my eyes. Letting my eyes do more of my smiling. Maybe that's scary in a woman in her fifties, but I'm having fun.
I have always been able to non-verbally "flirt" with babies. Love getting in line behind a baby over its mom or dad's shoulder. I can "talk" to it with my eyes for quite a while, and I'm trying to use that technique more with people too. Is that weird?
The one thing I know that the French would look down their long noses about me is my weight, but that's OK because I really, really need to do more about that anyway. I am now buying gourmet greens at Whole foods and bringing ziplocs full to snack on at work. I hope it works.
Looking forward to a new book about French women that was supposed to arrive today. No telling what it will teach me! (And yes, I am a little bit French in my DNA, but not much!)
My heroine, although born in Oklahoma, lived in France between the ages of twelve and thirty, so, yeah, a lot of French Culture has rubbed off on her. I've never been to France and some readers commented that I had her acting in ways a French girl wouldn't act, so I had to go back to the drawing board and find out just exactly who she was inside. It's been a fascinating journey!As a result of the books and movies that have educated me in the ways of French women, I now take better care of my skin, wear less makeup, let my hair flow more naturally (although I've never really been a hairspray person) and I'm working on flirting with my eyes. Letting my eyes do more of my smiling. Maybe that's scary in a woman in her fifties, but I'm having fun.
I have always been able to non-verbally "flirt" with babies. Love getting in line behind a baby over its mom or dad's shoulder. I can "talk" to it with my eyes for quite a while, and I'm trying to use that technique more with people too. Is that weird?
The one thing I know that the French would look down their long noses about me is my weight, but that's OK because I really, really need to do more about that anyway. I am now buying gourmet greens at Whole foods and bringing ziplocs full to snack on at work. I hope it works.
Looking forward to a new book about French women that was supposed to arrive today. No telling what it will teach me! (And yes, I am a little bit French in my DNA, but not much!)
This is the book that I hope is waiting for me tonight.
