Originally born and raised in France, I grew up with a passion for color and unique fashion.
After moving to California Bay Area with my husband and children in 1997, I soon felt the need to explore my creative side and started to experiment with fabrics to create scarves and handbags. Over the years I broadened my designs to home goods and other accessories and developed my own brand, AV Creation.
I craft one of a kind pieces that feature distinctive designs and fabrics collected from my bi-annual trips to France or any place I visit. My designs vary season by season, but my love for patterns and colors always shine through. Some of my favorites textiles to work with are polka dots, plaids and bold graphics in purple, red and pink tone. To contrast these vibrant colors and patterns, I like to incorporate softer materials like grey fabrics, jean and monochromatic patterns.
I typically showcase my designs once every season with other designers.
" Inspiration comes from everywhere, often not predictable "

Anne-Marie Martens and Marjorie Joys are the mother/daughter team behind Avenue Petit Lou, a collection of organic and natural children’s boutiques that offer clothing, home décor, toys, and baby products. The pair is also the co-authors of the bilingual children’s book.

Anne-Marie Martens is a mother of four, grandmother of three; her background is in the education of kindergarten and elementary age students. Anne-Marie’s daughter Marjorie Joys is herself the mother of a 4-year-old and has worked extensively as a childcare provider for young children. Together, they have a strong background in design, early childhood education, and fashion.

Anne-Marie and Marjorie both believe in natural and organic materials for toys, clothing and home décor as the healthiest option for children – and the environment. As strong supporters of small businesses, the pair looks for companies that offer eco-friendly practices and an earth-conscious philosophy.

They carefully curate brands that use only the highest quality fabrics and manufacturing methods, as well as fair trade practices. From bamboo baby hats to mini-oatmeal bags for bath time, Avenue Petit Lou offers everything you need to make your child’s world safer, more natural, comfortable, and beautiful.

And, the Avenue Petit Lou also creates their own collections, including Et Voila!, Joli Décor, Bisou Dolls, and Keepsake Teddy Bears, all made in the U.S., which continue the company’s commitment to environmentally friendly practices.

Elisabeth Michel-Meyrueix’s unique jewelry showcases antique or vintage pieces mixed with semi-precious stones and precious metals. She studied in Paris and she started to design jewelry after moving to the United States. Designing jewelry allows her to combine her background of studies in art, history and geology with the creating process. For her a necklace is like a painting, colors and texture have to flow and blend together. All her necklaces and bracelets are signed with her unique tag. She has been designing jewelry and participating in Open Studios, juried shows and fairs since 2003.

Catherine arrived in the Bay Area in 2003 with her family as her husband was offered the possibility to work in California by the American company he was working for in France.

Elisabeth came to California in 1989, following her husband who was transferred for his work, and although at the time she was greeted by the 1989 earthquake, she loves California and decided to stay.

Elisabeth and Catherine founded in 2008 the French Fair so their adopted community would learn more about France. In 2015, they decided to open this online shop to share with you their last discoveries and the French products they are fond of. From food to decoration items, books for children, clothing and accessories, vintage pieces, whatever catches our fancy!! Come visit our shop frequently as new products will be uploaded regularly.

She likes her designs to be original, unique, sophisticated, but also comfortable and durable.

Françoise loves to learn new technics, and often incorporate appliques, hand painting/printing, embroideries, etc .... in her designs. This results into unique textiles and designs that you won’t find in stores.

Besides her passion, Françoise loves to cook. She used to hike a lot before her kids were born then stopped all physical activities. She started running and biking at the age of 49 and did her 1st triathlon with her younger son who was 12 at the time, after her husband challenged her to do 1 triathlon before she turns 50. Well she finished not just 1 but 4! Françoise ran her 1st half marathon at 51. She thinks she now has the bug! :)

Thank you for your visit !

Owner and entrepreneur Chef Alexandre Trouan presents L'Artisan Gourmet Parisian Macarons.

At age fifteen Chef Alex began his apprenticeship at Master Chef Michel Belin's Pastry Shop in Albi, France. By the time he was eighteen years old, he earned his Certification of professional Proficiency by the French Ministry years of National Education Academy in Toulouse, France, where he graduated with honors. This is a long sentence to say he has a first class education in the art of all things sweet and graduated top of his class.

Chef Alex's professional training continued in Paris, France under Chef Pierre Hermé, Here he studied the art of pâtisserie. From St Tropez, to Paris to Avignon, France, Chef Alexandre worked with the world’s top pâtissiers in his quest for the most exquisite pastries.

Chef Trouan's experience has encompassed every facet of the production of individual pastries, cakes, ice creams and chocolates. Later, as a pastry chef Alex traveled to Istanbul, Turkey where he was responsible for the entire confection operation for the, Five Star Hyatt Regency Hotel.

In 1993, Chef Alex came to United Sates beginning his next culinary chapter in Pittsburgh, PA. His travels brought him to the beautiful state of California Chef Alex Had a vision about four years ago that the Macarons will become the America s treat.

We are proud to say that L'Artisan use only the best products available on the market. We are doing everything from scratch, juice and zest from lemons and oranges included fruit puree using ripped fruits, roast pistachio and paste. We are making as well the food color from different spices herbs and vegetable.

We are proud to say that we are the only Macaron company which does all products naturally. Which means, no preservative or chemicals color allowed.

The French Macaron is unequaled to any pastry and although it consists of less than a handful of ingredients it is all about skill and above all else, love. And that is in a word, what Chef Alex and L'Artisan is all about Love

Mikimoiselle

Discover a well-edited collection of indie, artisan-quality French designers exclusive to this virtual boutique.

Borne out of a love for Paris, fashion and travel, Mikimoiselle has been bringing high-quality women's apparel, handmade jewelry and handbags to the discerning shopper since 2010. The boutique focuses primarily on exclusive artisans and small designers from France and founder Miki Carlton scours Paris to bring collections of delightfully chic products all of which are in limited quantities, many cut to order, and exclusively available in the U.S. at Mikimoiselle.

Miki, who now calls the Bay Area home, grew up in Tokyo where she still frequently visits family, friends and to continue getting inspiration for the boutique. Mikimoiselle is a twist on “mademoiselle,” the French word for “miss” or “lady,” using the founder's first name Miki, a popular Japanese girl’s name to represent French-Japanese fusion.

2011: while on a boat trip on the Leman lake, 
Caloune, Benou and Nico decided it was time
Nico had just showed them his latest video
About the unique lidless mug he’d been working on.
No more doubts for the future, 
It was time for them to start the new adventure.

An invention! Designing and manufacturing a new product
It had been a lifelong dream for this little boy
Who knew that as soon as the occasion would rise
He would attempt and not look back.

neolid became real in January 2012

As everyone knows, neo means new
And lid seemed like the obvious ending
Once the concept ready, it was now time to create the product from scratch.

18 months were necessary to finalize the project.
It’s on July 14^th 2013 that the first TWIZZ was purchased
It has since been sold past our borders 
In over 20 countries and in less than 2 years, more than 100 000 have been sold.

In 2015 we decided to expand our range of products and our presence worldwide
We created the BOX: lidless container now available in our offices in California and France.
We are ready to grow, and just like the little boy, continue to dream!

« Give your life a twist »

Rebecca Osgood was born and grew up in Denver and had an interest and talent in art from an early age. She received a BA in Philosophy from Scripps College and an MA in Political Science from Boston College. In the Boston area she maintained her activity as an artist and taught drawing classes at Dunster House at Harvard. Since moving to California in 1985 she has been active in the art scene on the Peninsula, first working on cover illustrations, ads and graphic layout for the Palo Alto Weekly, then taking classes and teaching figure drawing at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. The faculty at this school has been a constant inspiration. She has been lucky enough to spend two separate years in Paris. Her work has been displayed at a number of community shows, and has been purchased by families here and in France. If you like to receive more information about a painting, please contact us at: info@flavorsoffrance.com

As she says: "Painting is for me the love of light—the way it communicates different messages at different times, depending on natural conditions and the condition of the artist’s mind. In painting people, I try to see something of the general human condition—something that may resonate with others!"

Fabienne Slama, a French-American artist puts femininity into three dimensions, capturing the power, glamor, beauty and vulnerability of the female form in bold yet sensuous bronze and cast stone sculptures. A biochemist by training, an artist by heart, influenced by great Bay Area instructors, Fabienne’s love for the human body evolved from a molecular level to an emotional one when she decided to pursue her passion as a sculptor full-time in 2001.

More recently her work has evolved to represent the powerful and fierce women. Those who could be seen in fashion magazines as well as in daily life: entrepreneurs, businesswomen, mothers and spouses who need to fit in so many different roles that they sometime forget their own self to become object of desire and admiration.

Esthetic, tenderness, attitude, translated in colorful, emotional bronzes sculptures have allowed FaB’s award-winning artwork to be represented in collections worldwide and to be been shown in galleries in California, Arizona and France.