My Little French Girl

Shelby wearing her new beret.

Shelby is obsessed with Paris. Super obsessed with Paris and all things French. 

So obsessed, she’s saving her allowance for a breakfast at a French Café in Paris. And she made me promise I’d take her to Paris when she’s ten. 

I recently found her a vintage red beret while perusing Etsy.

The listing read: “A lovely bright red beret simple to pull on for a true Parisian look. This hat belonged to my mother-in-law, Dorothy, who bought it when she lived in Paris in the 1950s. My father-in-law worked as a diplomat for the US State Department. They threw lavish diplomatic parties in their historic apartment overlooking the Place De Concorde. She gave me this hat many years ago, but my head is pretty big so it was never comfortable. After all these years, it's probably time for this wonderful little French beret to find a new owner who can really wear it.” 

Of course, Shelby had to be a little silly. She always is!

I immediately bought the beret and waited (impatiently) for it to arrive. I couldn’t wait, so I told Shelby what I had bought her. If you though I was impatient, my impatience was nothing compared to Shelby’s. She diligently checked the mail every day last week, looking for her package. It arrived on Saturday and Shelby wasted no time donning her beret and fashioning the perfect outfit to go with it. As she was dressing herself, she said “I’m definitely wearing this to school on Monday.” The beret was an instant hit.  

To celebrate its arrival, I took Shelby to a French bakery in town. We shared a baguette, some soup and the tastiest macaroons in all of Arizona.   Real French macaroons … baked by a real French maker. Nearly everyone in the bakery told Shelby how adorable and chic she looked in her beret, “like a real French girl” one little old man told her. She beamed. It was the most fun I’ve had in a very long time. Shelby loved the attention and she loved wearing her beret. 

The lemon were my favorite and chocolate for Shelby.

The world through Shelby’s eyes is so bright and exciting. It’s hard not to get caught up in her enthusiasm. As she ate her macaroon, she closed her eyes and savored every, single bite. That’s how she is, she savors every, single bit of life. I can’t wait to hold her hand as we ascend the Eiffel Tower. She will no doubt be delighted.