I love many things French, but not all things French. This is a topic we will explore in Flunch, but it all started in childhood. I blame Belle. She sought more than her Provencial life, and I wanted a one way ticket into it. The idea that there was a baker with his "cakes like always" was a novel concept to me. I grew up in Texas, and we moved often. I lived in 26 houses before I turned 18. There was nothing that was "like always" in my early childhood.

My mom introduced me to beignets and Cafe du Monde, which she discovered during her college years in New Orleans. The memory of her making those on Saturday mornings and her sharing stories about the French quarter likely contributed to my fascination.

This coupled with my love of things that smell nice and have pretty packaging led me to fall in love with French perfume.
 
I chose French class not Spanish, which was an unusual choice for the region. I wanted my French name to be Brigitte (as in Bardot), but my best friend at the time said it sounded like I was chubby. At that time, your identity was largely defined by the scale, so I took her advice and picked Nathalie.