Parisian Charm School: French Secrets for Cultivating Love, Joy, and That Certain je ne sais quoi

Parisian Charm School: French Secrets for Cultivating Love, Joy, and That Certain je ne sais quoi

As seen in The New York Times -- discover what French women know about embracing that irresistible joie de vivre We all know that French women don't get fat. But their famous je ne sais quoi comes from more than just body type--something anyone can master: the old-fashioned art cultivating our inner beauty, confidence, and unique personal style, at any age. From savoring the everyday beauty around you to engaging in captivating conversations, playing dress-up, hosting impromptu dinner parties under the stars, and of course mastering the art of French flirting, the lively and inspiring lessons in this “syllabus” will help you rediscover your beautiful, fierce, romantic, engaging best self—to attract the best of everything into your life.   Ready to embark on the adventure of your life? Parisian Charm School is in session…. "We can’t all live in Paris, but Jamie Cat Callan has shown us in her effervescent new book how to bring a little Paris into our own lives. Enchanting, wise, full of esprit —and delectable as a Laduree macaron."   --Karen Karbo, author of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel “In this lively and upbeat book, Jamie Cat Callan inspires the reader to grasp the true meaning of charm – often described as ‘giving delight.’ A related concept, etiquette , also brings forth delight by focusing on respect and consideration. Charm and etiquette: two powerful and necessary foundations for building positive relationships in today’s hectic world.”    --Peggy Post, The Emily Post Institute "A book full of grace, charm, and that truest of feminine virtues, intelligence. The subtitle for this book should be: 'Smart girls get more!'" --Elizabeth Bard, author of Lunch in Paris , Picnic in Provence , and Chez Moi Jamie Cat Callan  is the author of the bestselling books  French Women Don't Sleep Alone ,  Bonjour, Happiness!  and  Ooh La La! French Women's Secrets to Feeling Beautiful Every Day . Her books have been published in twenty-one countries and have been featured in major magazines, including  The New York Times ,  Vanity Fair , and  Time . Jamie makes her home in New York's Hudson Valley at La Belle Farm, where she and her husband have created a little bit of France and grow lavender, sunflowers and produce their own brand of French sparkling apple cider. Chapter One La RentrŽe (Back to School) The only real elegance is in the mind; if you've got that, the rest really comes from it. -Diana Vreeland It is September in Paris, and we are in the middle of La RentrŽe. This is the time of year we might describe as "back to school," but in France, the season has a bigger narrative because it's when most French people come back from their six-week holiday, tanned, rested, and ready to begin anew. It also signals big events around Paris, including Fashion Week, the Salon du Vintage, F?te des Jardins, and Paris Design Week. There's a lot of excitement over the new museum exhibits, concerts, ballet, and all the cultural happenings the City of Light has to offer her devoted citizens. It's also the time of year when France's top writers see their creations filling the bookstore shelves. I am here in Paris in search of a deeper understanding to the meaning of Parisian charm. After months and months of preparatory e-mails and phone calls, I have created a kind of course syllabus for myself-a semester's worth of research, reading, and conversation-my own do-it-yourself charm school. And so, I arrive on this sunny day for my first meeting at CafŽ de Flore on Boulevard Saint-Germain and I immediately see Edith de Belleville. You can't miss her. She stands in front of the cafŽ, looking very pretty, wearing her signature ensemble-a kerchief in her hair, a dress with a pattern of tiny red and white polka dots, red bangles to match, high heels, and a string of beads in the style of Coco Chanel. Edith and I give a bisou (a kiss) on each cheek and agree that the day is glorious and, ah, isn't Paris simply the most wonderful city in the world? Edith hosts the rather famous Edith's Paris, tours specializing in literary Paris, as well as the great Parisian women in history. Her tours are informed by her insatiable interest in French social and literary history. She was educated at the Sorbonne and she's incredibly well-read. Edith was married to a Canadian, and while she has visited Toronto, she did not want to live in Canada because, as she tells it, It is too cold and impossible to wear high-heel shoes in the snow! I realize that this is a French woman's particular gift-to be articulate and well traveled, but to take the conversation and effortlessly throw in a silly aside that makes you laugh and completely disarms you. And then, once disarmed, Edith will switch gears and give you a little lecture on the importance of Stendhal, the Chambre Bleue, and the great literary salons of seventeenth-century Paris life. She has a talent for presenting all this French social and literary history in a