Gaultier the Great

What I love about the French is their ability to remain quirky and approachable, despite their success. Jean Paul Gaultier is a great example, as he appears in this article from the New York Times on his favorite Paris haunts. I love that his eyes twinkle, and he's delighted in some of the simple or even gaudy things about his home city. As our country continues through this crazy financial crisis, I think this article is a great reminder to revel in the simple and beautiful things that surround us every day.

Get Out and Vote

No, not for the presidential election silly, for the name of my Chateau. I need your help figuring out what to call the Chateau - although I'm in marketing, it's super hard to come up with the name of my own thing. Here are a few ideas I have as food for thought/fodder if you will:

Chateau Papier (Paper Chateau - looks good on paper, not so much in reality, right?)
Chateau du Gens (Chateau of the people)
Chateau du Monde (Chateau of the world)

The name doesn't have to say Chateau anywhere, I've honestly lost my creativity here. How about Krug-ville? :) Help! Post your answers here on the blog for all to see.

Webbed Bliss

Today my prayers were answered - in the form of a new web designer for my beloved Chateau site. Reggie Bliss of The Bliss Factor is my go-to man, and cousin of long-time supporter Mary Kay Schultz (both of whom will be getting free Chateau stays, of course). Expect lots more news soon - momentum is gaining and I'm totally blissed out!

The Big Letdown

Well, I've officially been let down on one of my most important forays -- that of the web variety. So, it's off to find another web designer who can deliver. Meanwhile, I'm staying very optimistic about my prospects -- a big thanks to my fabulous colleague Renee who gave me $10 today! And, I was connected to a few inspirational people over the past few days who I feel are destined to help me make this thing happen.

In thinking more about how I fashion the Chateau for maximum usability and fun, I'm really interested to see how I can take a potentially 200-year old building and make it sustainable. A new client (and one of the sources of inspiration noted above) had me over to their house to see how they've retrofitted a Grant Park bungalow to reuse grey water, planted a garden in the side yard, installed a wind turbine. Cool stuff! I'm not much of a dirt digger, but the garden really had me thinking - and once I ate the stuff they gave me, it made me realize how crummy most grocery store produce truly is. How tres chic would it be to have a green Chateau!?

Cheese Glorious Cheese

According to a book I just purchased "101 Beautiful Towns in France" the region around the Allier River (Auvergne) where the chateau is, is known for its cheeses. Anyone who knows me knows that cheese is my "be all end all" of food - what a perfect fit. Not that France has bad cheese anywhere, but this just solidifies why I'm meant to be in Allier. Guess I need to start practicing my cheese-making techniques along with my French language lessons!

Mon Dieu

The world's most famous Chateau is in the news for controversial reasons again this week, with the installation of Jeff Koons' exhibit in the hallowed halls of Versailles. The inspiration for my work here, Versailles does seem a strange place for this exhibit, but I have to say the inspiration is right on - Marie and Louis were cutting edge and so is the exhibit. Wish I could skip across the pond to see it before it goes away in December.

Le Slacker

I've been slacking off long enough - how on earth will this dream become a reality if I don't believe it myself. I have been working behind the scenes to pull together a scrapbook of ideas and inspiration, and been doing research on the Allier region - which according to one book I read is one of the original homes of cheese (it's all making sense now, isn't it?)!

I got $11 toward my dream at book club tonight - thanks Candace and T. Shell!! It's onward and upward - and a revitalized commitment to telling my story. Thanks to my friends for keeping me on course!