Everyone has that friend: the one that is obsessed with everything French. It's not a bad thing, and being an expat living in France, I often fall into that category myself. It can be difficult to pick quintessential "french" things for a francophile, because they probably know exactly what quintessential French they are currently coveting. Don't fall into the trap of "oh this says something in French! I don't care what it says, it's in French!" and "oh this says Paris on it, let's get it for them!" Below you will find a whole slew of goodies that are unique for your Francophile to love.
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Stripes from St. James are a French staple...
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Wooden macarons for the little Francophile love in your life. Or grab some real ones from Laduree...
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Bistro chairs such as this one just scream Parisian cafe...
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French rain boots for the whole family, since 1853.
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Your French is showing boys...and how cute it is! Marinieres all around!
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A little Tour Eiffel to hold all of their bijoux...
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A great French rain coat, which comes in both kid and adult sizes...just saying.
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A beautiful leather carrier and opener for pedaling with a fancy bottle of Bordeaux to all of their chic dinner parties...
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...or some fancy French crystal wine glasses to sip it in.
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Or how about a nice french pot to prepare their own dinner parties? (Because once you go cast iron it can be very difficult to go back...)
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Rotating wall mounted soaps are very common here in France...
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Le Parfait is to France what Ball Jars are to the US. Whether you friend annually cans all their preserves in these jars, or uses them to hold dry goods or leftovers (like we do!), these jars will be a hit for the Francophile in your life.
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For the babe of a Francophile..and it happens to be one of Oswin's favorite books.
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Matchy matchy pom pom hats for babes and adults...or just for you. Whatever.
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This coat is so adorably French to me, and not just because it's called the Colette Coat...
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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day...and a french breakfast tends to be pretty tasty. Prep that little one for their eventual study abroad with some playtime petit dejeuner toys...
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Whether they're heading to a Farmer's Market in Omaha or an outdoor market under the Metro in Paris, this carry all will help them shop as the French do...
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Why buy french butter cookies when they can make their own with this rolling pin and cookie cutter?
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Sure, sure, you could get that Francophile loved one in your life a nice bottle of French champagne, but why stop there: I offer up to you, the champagne saber. Yes, this is a real thing. Yes, it is used to snap the neck off of a bottle of champagne, as in let's break some glass, but cleanly. Here's a great video to give you a better idea. Napoleon's armies made this manner of celebration, called Sabrage, popular in France after some of their victories by choosing to open bottles of champagne with their weapon of choice, their sabers. Champagne sabers are still sold today, and OH MY GOD DO I EVER WANT ONE. (Not to actually use of course, I enjoy my champagne sans chards of glass, but just to have it. I am obviously a very responsible adult.)
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Oooorrr, if the champagne saber isn't quite their style, how about a little more of a low key present from French Knife Company Laguiole: a cheese knife and board set that happens to be in the shape of France...
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And how cute are these tea cups? These couples sets were very popular in France in the 50s and 60s. I have nothing else to say about them except that they're cute and would make most any Francophile smile on a Saturday morning.
There has been a lot of talk around the interwebs this year on non-present-presents: i.e. nothing new to clutter up the home or put more emphasis on material goods. In the spirit of non-present-presents, how could we relate that back to the Francophile? Well, how about signing up to take an introductory French course together? Or a wine tasting class? Or tickets to their favorite french artist's exhibit at a local museum? Or find a theater where a French movie is playing, and go see it (all while sneaking in a little bottle of wine and some cheese). Get creative!
And what about stocking stuffers, you ask?
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I will never ever ever get comfortable with quadrille paper, no matter how long I remain obsessed with all things French. But hey, when in France, am I right?
You could also stick a copy of French Vogue (often found in bookstores like Barnes and Noble), a nice bottle of French wine (which can you find at your local wine and spirits store), or hey, two tickets to Paris if you're feeling spendy...because after all, sometimes the best things do come in small packages.
A la prochaine friends...
Honey
I'd like to add David Lebovitz's new cookbook, "My Paris Kitchen". It's on my list for myself and a few friends this year. Fantastic "faux" duck confit recipe, plus seemingly simple things like that ubiquitous grated carrot salad. The madelines I made from the book were perfect. A cookbook for those of us who don't live in France any more (boo hoo!)
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check that out Mary Pat! You know if you ever need anything from SwitzerFrance we'd be happy to send it to you! :)
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