Be ready for our most important national holiday – July 4th! Here’s several adorable graphic tees, cool mugs and a glitzy flag bag for the big day! Order now in order to get it all before the 4th of July!
My favorite good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie recipe is from Neiman Marcus. It’s basically Nestle Toll House Cookie recipe but add espresso powder!
FRENCHY BY THOMAS DUTRONC WILL BE RELEASED ON MARCH 20, 2020
When Thomas Dutronc posted the teaser for this single on Instagram, I was psyched! “C’est Si Bon,” by Dutronc with Iggy Pop and Diana Krall sounded like the best of all worlds. And it hits all the right nerves and notes. It’s sophisticated and hip and so easy to love. Each lending their signature sound makes this my favorite version ever. I just hope that they’ll do more together in the future. The Thomas Dutronc album, “Frenchy,” will be released on March 20, 2020 and will feature “La Vie En Rose,” “La Mer” and several other French classics that are familiar to most Americans. Dutronc never disappoints. Pour yourself a martini and listen to both of the following and find yourself a new favorite “Frenchy!”
“C’EST SI BON” BY THOMAS DUTRONC WITH IGGY POP & DIANA KRALL
THOMAS DUTRONC “DEMAIN”
IGGY’S DUET WITH THOMAS DUTRONC’S MOM FRANCOISE HARDY FEATURING OLD PICS OF FRANCOISE HARDY & JACQUES DUTRONC, THOMAS DUTRONC’S PARENTS.
For sure you know his name from the famous torso shaped perfume bottles, but Jean Paul Gaultier has had an effect on you even if you are not aware of it. He was the “enfant terrible” that brought the corset-look, or bustier, into mainstream fashion. He was the first to send men down the runway in skirts and models covered in tattoos appeared in his haute couture shows. JPG used plus size models too. His silver haired models sparked the “Granny Gray Hair” trend of the last few years. Gaultier often appeared in his signature sailor stripe t-shirt and it has become a mainstay of many brands.
Jean Paul Gaultier surprised the fashion world when he announced that he was about to present his final collection last week. He is only 67 but is celebrating 50 years in the fashion business. He said that Gaultier Paris will go on and that he has a new concept which will be revealed later. It’s the “tease” that keeps us interested in Gaultier!
Our favorite Gaultier moment was perhaps his foray into music:
His farewell show featured all the usual supermodels of 2020 and also included Paris Jackson, Boy George and Mylene Farmer!
Jean Paul Gaultier always presented a combination of very dramatic looks which translated into huge perfume sales. His runway shows are always interesting to watch and aspects of his collections have always found their way into mainstream fashion. Now we look forward to the next venture!
Geraldine Chaplintotally rocked the fluffy feathery and furry look in Dr. Zhivago!
The 1965 classic film Dr. Zhivago conjures up so many things. “Lara’s Theme,” tragedy, revolution, endless winter and most especially Geraldine Chaplin’s glamorously fluffy wardrobe. Each year, we stock up on all sorts of faux fur items. Scarves, gloves, wraps, ponchos, capes, vests and coats. So many of these looks are so reminiscent of the pieces worn by all three of the films stars.
Even Omar Sharif’s wardrobe was furry!
Most recently, haute couture designers have introduced faux fur into their collections! Stella McCartney & Burberry were among the first to do it! Right now, our’s are on sale and we are in for quite a few more cold and blustery days! So c’mon in and try some on! Or to buy online, go to monalisaandcompany.com Take a look:
The above and most of our capes and ponchos are “One Size Fits Most.” They should also be titled, “This item looks fabulous on all sizes!”
While the Farmer’s Almanac predicts a snowy period from now through late March, it is also calling for above normal temps! Yay! That means you could replace your quilted down coat, the one that makes you look like the Michelin Man, with one of these glamorous faux fur sweater coats, capes and ponchos!
We are always looking forward to seeing you at Mona Lisa Boutique in Orland Park Crossing. But should you not be able to visit us in person, please visit us online at
“Back in the day,” magazines were coming to our house daily! We all had subscriptions to something. My Dad had medical journals, my bro – rock music mags, my sisters – Vogue, Glamour and Elle. I had Majesty – the homage to England’s royal family. But my Mom had Gourmet and Bon Appetit. Those mags […]
Two friends who visited the Christkindl markets in Vienna and assorted ones in Austria and Germany this year gushed so much that I kicked myself for not heading downtown to the Chicago Christkindl Market which is always “wunderbar!” And a very good friend, a native of Vienna, related to me that he visits the Vienna market each year for warm Gluhwein and Gebrannte Mandeln or “burnt nuts.” So I couldn’t stop thinking about the Gebrannte Mandeln in their cute little red and white stripe cones. I tried several recipes until I think I found one that could be made at home and still tastes almost exactly like the ones made at the markets. The best part is that it is so simple and I was able to avoid the high price of the nuts and the crowds.
Our father has roots in Alsace, France and after eating these, he told me that his Mom who was 100% French, always made these for him. He said that these taste exactly like the ones that she would make for him. So I think we’re on to something genuine here.
Above – My homemade German Roasted Candied Pecans. So easy.
The best tasting, most authentic recipe for homemade “burnt nuts” or German Roasted Candied Pecans that I found was from Southern Fatty:
Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (preferred) or parchment paper.
In a large sauté pan (with taller, straight sides), combine sugars, water, cinnamon, salt.
Heat over medium heat until it boils.
Add pecans and vanilla.
Stir vigorously and continuously. Don’t stop stirring!
Keep stirring (good arm workout) until you see the liquid all evaporates and the pecans are left with a dry-looking coating (see blog pictures for an example).
Reduce heat slightly.
Continue stirring (constantly) until you see the sugar coating start to melt. This may take a few minutes.
Add the final glaze ingredients (sugar and syrup) once the sugar coating has started to melt on the nuts.
Stir in well until glossy and coated.
Turn out pecans onto prepared pan in a single layer.
Bake for 10 minutes to roast the nuts. This step is critical to preventing softened pecans.
Remove and cool completely.
Enjoy! – More recipes on SouthernFATTY.com
I also found genuine Christkindl Gluhwein at Aldi. It’s delicious too! I think we have two new Christmas traditions! Try the Gebrannte Mandeln and warm up some Gluhwein and relive the charming Christkindl markets from the “old country.” Cheers!
This year is the 35th anniversary of the release of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” In 1984 when it was recorded, we were importing records, books, magazines and vhs tapes from England. We sold them thru a mail order catalog company which we ran out of our house. The morning after it was recorded, we received a frantic call from Steve, our supplier in London. He told us about Band Aid and that he had a stash of 12″‘s reserved for us. Steve had them delivered to us in two days and our phone was ringing like crazy as the flip side of the 12” record made in England was different than the US release. We sold out before we ever advertised it. The most popular flavors of the day sang on it. Those were the ones that made us the most money for many years: Duran Duran, Culture Club, Bananarama, George Michael and U2. We still love to watch the video and interestingly, most of these pop stars are still touring and creating new music.
There have been several versions released over 35 years but we still love the original. However, we truly enjoy this French version from 2014 titled “Noel est la.”. This version was reworked and rewritten by the lovely supermodel/songwriter Carla Bruni. You may recognize the famous French tennis champion/pop star Yannick Noah, known more stateside for being Joachim Noah’s father. Yannick is quite a great singer/songwriter too. Hope you like this refreshing rendition! Salut!
“Noel Est La” French Band Aid 30, 2014
Here’s a few versions that you may not have heard. They are all worth a listen and are really good and always raised money for good causes.
Here’s 1988 – the only repeats on this one was Bananarama.
And Band Aid 20 from 2004. Bono rounded out this one with original Band Aid creators Midge Ure and Bob Geldof. Video became unavailable. Sorry.
Band Aid 30 – 30 years from the original recording included… Bono again.
We haven’t forgotten the original reason that this phenomenon was created and we hope that the goodness that came from these recordings continues with the next generation of pop stars!
One of our favorite Christmas songs is “When A Child Is Born.” There are so many beautiful versions of this song. But the most famous is the Johnny Mathis version.
The origins of the song are a bit bizarre. It was originally an instrumental written by Ciro Damicco for the Brazilian film from 1974 titled, “The Love of the Wolf.” The plot revolved around a cursed young man who turns into a wolf after he defies the devil who promises to release the curse if he gives up the love of his life. The song was originally called “Soleado” and it had nothing to do with Christmas. In fact, words were put to the music in several languages and most were not about Christmas. The English lyrics are not exactly about the birth of Jesus but it is strongly implied.
Johnny Mathis performed a lovely version with Gladys Knight and as a solo but this version with Susan Boyle is our favorite. Take a listen.
A very stirring version by Il Divo:
And we just found this incredible one by Sarah Brightman:
It’s December 1, 2019 and this will our 28th Christmas at Mona Lisa. At this time of year, some customers are very stressed and we do what we can to create a calm but upbeat atmosphere in the boutique and we pay special attention to the music that we play. We try to stay away from Christmas music that is overplayed and we enjoy searching out unusual selections. All through December, we will recommend some very special ones that you may not have heard.
The first one that we would like to recommend is Kenny Chesney’s “All I Want For Christmas Is A Real Good Tan.” The title tune is one of our favorites. Actually, the song is original and catchy and we too want a real good tan at Christmas and all throughout the year actually! But this song and most of the cd will transport you to the islands. Swaying palms, white sand and the ocean blue at Christmas. What could be better? This cd was released in 2003 but you never hear much of any of it anywhere. We don’t really know a lot of country music but this cd captivated us. Great versions of several Christmas classics plus two other songs that we hadn’t heard before, “Just A Kid,” and “Thank God For Kids” round out what has become a Christmas classic at our boutique. Sample some here.
May we also suggest the following country music Christmas CD for more great original Christmas music. This is still our favorite and the lyrics are what this season is all about. Alan Jackson’s “Let It Be Christmas.”
Star Evans formerly Mona Lisa Boutique 