Darlene

I was thinking of going to a French restaurant. Any other ideas???

xx

wear a beret all day

Jimbo

Smell? of Garlic?

Ronda

Where do you live? Close to San Francisco? Las Vegas?

Pareee

Let the hair in your armpits grow.<BR>Take a stroll in the park with a baguette under your arm.<BR>Eat the baguette with camembert and a glass of wine to top the day.

outside the box

Presume you were hoping to land in Paris, France??? There are "other Parises" --- how about a birthday in Paris, Texas?<BR>

Pareee

yesssss

oui oui

Go to Montreal!

Darlene

Thank you for all your cute ideas. Ronda: I live in Los Angeles. <BR>Any ideas for the evening? Because I work all day. But the beret will definitely be worn, in the office or not. All of your suggestions for travel sounds great but I can't travel this year because my mother is ill and I need to be close by.

xxx

Wear an Hermes scarf..very French<BR>Happy Birthday!

frenchie

Listen to an Edith Piaf or Georges Brassens CD and have a Kir, or even better a Kir Royal!<BR>

Alice

Wear your beret, as mentioned, maybe a long black skirt and lacy top. Watch French movies, or at least movies with Paris as the setting ( I even like corny ones like the one with the twins whose grandfather is the ambassador, or the Natl Lampoon Europe one). Play some old French music in the background, dine with white tablecloth and small bouquet on the table, red wine, candles. Decorate with some posters or enlargements of your own Paris photos, peruse your photo albums. Greet everyone in your office with "Bonjour!" and "Ca va?", and leave with "au revoir!".

Lesli

Avec champagne, bien sur! Or perhaps with a kir or kir royale instead. Definitely French food and wine, maybe even some cognac or calvados after your dessert....<BR><BR>You could rent some French films for entertainment after dinner, if you're able to stay awake to watch them. Listen to some French music while getting ready to go out, and/or in your car? <BR><BR>Wear a silk scarf tied around your neck, or on your handbag. Suggest that someone give you a new one from Hermes (or at least a knock-off.) Buy a book about Paris so that you can start dreaming about the trip you'll take when you're able (Paris to the Moon is a sweet memoir, if you haven't read it yet.)<BR><BR>Happy Birthday!

Lori

I don't know where you live, but if you are anyplace near Las Vegas go to the Paris Hotel and go up the Eiffel Tower, there is a restaurant there too. The whole place will put you in the mood for Paris (sort of, if you can really feel like Paris in 'Vegas!).

Darlene

Oh Merci for the wonderful ideas! I am really getting a kick out of them. I will certainly use your ideas and I am sure I will have a memorable and very Bon Anniversaire!! Merci.

AGM/Cape Cod

Other than croissants and cafe au lait for breakfast and French onion soup for lunch how about only speaking French all day? At least an attempt might be fun. Bon Anniversaire!!

Faina

Paris, Las Vegas?<BR><BR>French Canada - Quebec city, Montreal?

Ronda

Darlene, I once read a suggestion to purchase a perfume when you arrive in Paris and only wear it during your trip. Once home and you wish to remember your trip, open and wear the perfume. Have you any perfume you purchased in Paris you could wear? Have any particular scents you associate with Paris? Many like lavendar. I'm sure there are lavendar candles, lavendar bath soaps, etc.<BR><BR>There are many small bistro style French restaurants in San Francisco. Doesn't LA have any? If you can't leave home (because of Mom), put on French music, light your candles, sip a French wine, splurge and buy some good French cheese, make a nice salad:<BR><BR>Salad:<BR>Butter lettuce, washed, separated<BR>sliced, peeled pear apples or pears<BR>crumbled goat cheese with herbs (Safeway)<BR>optional: red onion, croutons<BR>drizzle with a mild oil such as safflower (not olive oil)<BR>drizzle with champagne pear vinegar or your favorite vinegar (balsamic works), toss, sprinkle with black pepper<BR><BR>OK, next course?<BR>

sightseer

Since you're in LA, I'd suggest dinner at Brasserie des Artistes in Beverly Hills for a French celebration. And then maybe stop and rent Amelie on the way home and share the sights of Paris with your mom. Happy Birthday!

Lesli

Speaking of perfume; how about a trip to Sephora and/or a L'Occitane shop? You could stock up on lovely French cosmetics, soaps, fragrances or whatever else strikes your fancy, and use them all on your b-day!<BR><BR>Ooh la la....