Holiday Fun!

I am so hyped up right now I may just start running sans winter coat (it really could qualify as a tent)  down the slippery winter streets of Montréal. Then again I may not because last time this biddie tried that her lungs just about cracked from shock of the icy air. I was also wearing leather boots, very cute bien sûr, but most likely not meant for scampering up hills.  

Anyways, we are in the midst of exams here. I am obviously not studying, but it's all relative, you know? Well, actually I myself do not know what that expression really means but it works excellently when you have nothing else to write. Alas, I am not studying because it's all relative and also because I recently went to an awesome event! I went to a Global Impact benefit concert to support Educare centers in South Africa, specifically one located in Cape Town called Sikhula Sonke. Their mission at Sikhula Sonke is to take young children off the streets and into a school daycare center to educate them, feed them, entertain them and just love them! A video was played and it was really amazing to see the women who work there day to day with the kids, so passionate and determined about protecting those little ones.  

The delightful little event itself was held at the church I attend called Riversedge, and artists from around the community and greater Montréal played these funky, soulful beats and made littlebiddie want to get up and dance soo bad! There was an African food/goodies/treats section, (I personally made sure that this area was well tended), a troupe of African drummers, artists lingering, playing, and singing, and people from the community chilling, enjoying and talking (in my case, munching on the delish biddie snacks). It was an awesome cause and an awesome funky night. I felt quite the soul diva. 

Also, I recently went to a super fun Christmas partayy where we had to get all dressed up! The night was pretty hil-ARIOUS as my mama would say, not in the least because there was a 20 year old college guy made to read Christmas stories with a biddie red elf hat atop his head. I do believe there was a little bell on top of the hat, as well. But what I really hope to do is bring some joy into your life by showing you a picture of my dessert. Don't ask me what it was, I have no idea. What I do know, however, is that it was déliceux. Very, déliceux.

La fête de Noël: 

This is biddie-bling (but on biddie's friend)

                                      

These are what biddie would be if she were a pair of shoes

                                

                                                                   

and la pièce de résistance...

                                                                           

:)

And of course le biddie benefit concert. Vraiment, truly, an awesome cause and event.

           

   

         

Have a biddielicious week. Bonne semaine!

p.s.- sorry the pictures are all crazy and placed on the page oddly..I don't know how to fix it!!

Biddie is blessed

Littlebiddie feels warm and fuzzy inside. No it is not from the alarmingly adorable black sweater that I am presently wearing. It is not even because of my suede, très chic Montréal boots, that I am feeling elated. Nope. It has nothing to do with me or my clothing (though I do soo love getting dressed up! And let me tell you, this mama will become protective of over her little baby chaussures, her shoes.)

No, it is that I've had one of those moments where you realize how fortunate you are. Really, though. I am! Sitting on my cozy little bed, in my cozy little dorm room, surrounded by the sweetest flickering Christmas lights you ever did see. Never mind the fact that they are from Dollar-ama. They are are doing their sweet little thing strung along the walls casting long, lovely colors across the room.  My roommate and I have been permanently in the Christmas spirit since Canadian Thanksgiving. It is in October.

Watching these bright little bulbs makes this biddie happyy! So blessssssed to be here!!! And I have a feeling the streets of this city are singing a silent little song of their own.

Look at these kids! Thinkin they are too cute! A sassy little sculpture downtown

      Also, went an awesome little pâtisserie, place of pastry goodiness, the other day with my friends. Dozens of luscious, soft, silky, smooth cheesecakes were lined up on the other side of a long glittery glass case. I stared at them for quite a bit. But I soon saw something that made my soul sing even more! Sitting above the big grown up cheesecakes, were the babies. They were sitting right in a row, a deliciously cute little sight to me. Little cakes small enough to sit right in the palm of your hand. Parfait. I ordered the Tiramasù (An Italian word I must admit, but I do not discriminate) and oh it was just as luxuriously lip smacking-ly sweet as only a cheesecake can be. He was a cute lil one too.

Bonne soirée :)

La Papeterie

Bonjour mes amis! I have just gotten back from looking at a bunch of old paper! Yes, crinkly, wrinkly, crumbley and old! I am beside myself with old paper delight. I know you must be getting excited just hearing about it so I will explain.

One of my classes has just had a field trip to the Osler History of Medicine Library. Now I already know that you think that sounds fascinating, but, if I may be so bold, you may not have known that this is where hundreds upon hundreds of Ancient, Medieval, Victorian, and all kinds of other oldie-ish type texts are held! Awesome to stare straight into the pages of an ancient, hand-written, hand-bound book! I could even see little teeny tiny ink smudges and scribble-outs. I said to that little book, hey I make my scribbles like that too! Someone's actual hand had been dancing, writing across the very page where my (quite alarmingly un-manicured) hand was!


 Mama, at least I know you are getting excited about this.


Anyways. Yesterday, right here in the 21st century, I visited the cutest little paper shop on my street, Avenue du Parc. Beautifully decorated with a kaleidoscope of pencils, papers, erasers, notebooks, clips and accessories of all kinds! The stationary was très élégant imported from Paris, London, Milan, Tokyo! Smitten. I was smitten. It was like walking into a smile. A big beautiful buck-tooth smile. Or maybe that's just what I look(ed) like, but either way I was delighted. I was so happy when I went up to the cash register that I do believe that shop owner thought I was a bit off in the head. But biddie let me tell you, I was! Regardez: 

The calendars were biddielicious! And I may have been sat myself down on the floor just to get a picture of the amazingly ornate, oldie-esque radiator. Again, Mama at least you will understand the littlebiddie excitement over this.

    

This yummy lil shop sits right at the end of Ave. du Parc near the intersection of du Parc and Sherbrooke. It is called Nota Bene. It is a papeterie. A little paper shop.

            

And a little biddie.

La Neige et Les Biscuits

Quick word from littlebiddie today as I have yet to do the multitude of things I should be doing. Take note: blogging is an extraordinary way to put off one's studies. ANYWAY! Today I woke up and pulled back my wonderfully off-white curtain to reveal an enchanting, soul-singing sight. A beautiful little blanket of snow dusted the rooftops and sidewalks of downtown Montréal and light snowflakes fluttered and danced down down and around like happy little papillions, little butterflies. I couldn't help the biddie smile that spread itself wide across my face. I danced my way over to the shower where I assuredly spent much too long a time singing to myself. I wouldn't dare to miss this occasion, though, as I know my dear neighbors love to hear my (quite high pitched) singing in the morning.


In response to the winter weather that is setting in, my friend Maxine and I decided to do one of mes   passe-temps préférés, one of my favorite things. Baking, bien sûr! Cookies! Now, I have always enjoyed eating healthy things and have recently, I will admit, become a part of the organic fresh food revolution thing that has gripped er, the world I guess. I purchased this organic cocoa powder from a shop on my street awhile ago and had never used it. Alors, Maxine and I resolved that we must find some way to use it in the cookies! Also, we had no money buy real chocolate.

                                      Here is le cocoa powder. Biologique, thank you very much:

                                                                      le progress: 

And alas! We made a beautiful discovery! Maxine found le chocolat! A bit old perhaps, but delicious all the same! Straight into the batter it went! We also took care to blast a bit of Brian McKnight Christmas music in the process. Brian, je t'aime.

                                                               avant the baking...

and well. I do not have après, after, the baking. Because well. Maxine and I, being the ladies that we are, have sweet tooths/teeth. (sweet teeth?) and so yes. No cookies were there to see or spare. But Maxine's friends did create for her these terrific little clothespins to clip her food nice and tight. So you can adore those like I did if you'd like:

Cookies were a delicious success! Studying not so much! But hey now, it is the Christmas season! Eat, bake and be merry! Embrace the darn snow. It is pretty biddie cute. The world becomes so much brighter when you love on the little things I think! Bonne semaine!

La Pluie

Littlebiddie is not too pleased at the moment.

I happened to be spending a lovely afternoon visiting les magasins, the stores, (purely educational purposes) when I looked out the wee window and beheld a torrential downpour. I did not have my umbrella, bien sûr, so I was granted the opportunity to walk through the little typhoon with nothing but my little black coat and its petite hood. I kindly asked la pluie, the rain, several times to please stop. But alas, we are in Montréal, and I do think the language barrier impeded our conversation. Or maybe French rain is just a bit dismissive? Either way, it did not stop. There was also a kindly gentleman who, filled with holiday cheer most likely, sped through a beautifully deep puddle situated right next to me, plastering me with gutter water! I was thrilled! :) !

But that was not was I was going to write about. Aujourd'hui, today, I started to take pictures of the little stores that surround where I live. The first place I would like to introduce is called Asiatique, and they specialize in beautiful teapots, cups, mirrors, fans, furniture and a myriad of other pieces from all around Asia. The tea pots were the most beautiful things you ever did see! I also sampled a vanilla-green tea (if i remember correctly) in this tiny circular glass cup that made me feel like quite a royal biddie. The sales man was super polite and put up with all mes questions, and explained everything to me. At this point I am most likely a tea connaisseuse. 

Currently working on how to subtly take good pictures in a store haha these are not that good but still just so you can see!

There was a pretty wide range of tea at Asiatique and they give out free samples. Biddielicious.

Oh and this little one was found on the side of the road a couple of weeks ago. I guess la pluie did not listen to him either.

Bonne soirée! À la prochaine!

Beautiful Sunday

Today I had the immense biddie pleasure of doing my favorite thing in the whole wide world. I ambled through the streets of Montréal and sat my little self down in the bookstore on Rue St. Catherine and read books. For four hours straight. Ouais. Four hours.

I love the smell of books, the look of them, the feel of turning the pages. Books are a true biddie in my heart. They bring beauty into everyday life. Excitement, adventure, joy, grief, confusion, hilarity. It's beautiful. All of it.

In the summer, before I began university, I would walk downtown to the bookstore, for the sole purpose of paging through dozens of books, anything that caught my eye.


Sometimes, I would buy myself something to eat for the walk towards St. Catherine. A sinful little cone of Bilboquet, peut- être? Or a macaron au caramel et fleur de sel? How about a perfectly tiny piece of chocolate with écorces d'oranges? 

       

Walking (well rather floating if it was the Bilboquet I was eating) down the street in my own little world, savoring every silky ribbon of taste in my mouth, I would soon get to the store. Smiling widely and very likely alarming the employees with my slightly over enthused Bonjour! I would make my way to the books and begin to dream through their words.

Since school has started, I haven't had as much time to go to my favorite place, but today was special. I finished my paper for class early so I was able to have a lazy, beautiful, biddie Sunday. I could smell the special holiday treats and hot drinks being made in the café as I sat with my pile of books. The aroma of the warm goodies and the stories of all my treasured books made me smile for quite a while. Four hours to be exact.

I cannot wait to taste and smell and watch and read and delight and laugh and cook and love this season! Winter is coming to Montréal!

Introduction

Salut! Hello fellow internet bloggers. How are you all? Today is the day I start my blog called Littlebiddie! I'm a uni student in Montréal and will be writing about my adventures in food, fun, fashion and funkyness! Can't wait to show you this crazy city, its people, its places, its language and its culture!


I love pictures but I love cooking and baking even more so expect a lot of delish looking things to grace these pages. The word "biddie"is a word one of my best friends made up that can be applied to anything that warms your heart! I hope my blog can be one of your little biddies!


Bye for now! Bonne journée! À plus!

Caitlin! :)