Arts & Culture
Is it a midlife crisis or is it just 2025?
I currently have 13 tabs open in my browser with different French chateaus for sale. Well, I did until I needed to close them to get my iPad to run faster. Modest ones in small villages, big sprawling ones with stables, ones that look over the ocean in Brittany, and ones that have lavender fields in Provence.
All of them cheaper than a house in Vancouver.
Most of them cheaper than a condo.
I love Canada, I love being Canadian, but a little part of me fantasizes about winning the lottery and running away to France. Taking on a historic chateau and turning it into a writers retreat. Alas finances and French immigration requirements don’t really care about one’s desire to have a Beauty and the Beast style library and an endless supply of baguettes.
~Katherine
Books
I am not having a midlife crisis. I’m simply unemployed, have no idea what I’m doing with my life, and about to turn 43.
If I were having a midlife crisis though I’d definitely be reading Debbie Travis’ book Design Your Next Chapter. Yes, Debbie Travis of the stencilled walls and faux marble of the 1990s. The book was written back in 2018 when we had no idea what the world would turn into. I will say it’s geared more towards upper middle class women who have become empty nesters. Not so much the elder millennials who have lived through two recessions, have no retirement fund, and are neither married nor mothers.
Nonetheless if you are stuck and looking for a positive “you can do it!” boost, this is the book for you. Especially if you’re really struggling with your next career move. The book does a good job of trying to help you figure out the thing you want to contribute to the world and match it with something you can turn into a career.
Sadly I do not have “buy a villa in Tuscany” money for my next chapter as Debbie and her husband did. But I might spring for some nice olives the next time I’m at the store.
Movies
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Written: Frances Mayes (US)
Directed: Audrey Wells (US)
Starring: Diane Lane (US), Sandra Oh (Nepean, Ontario), Lindsay Duncan (Scotland)
Filming: Italy
Speaking of buying a villa in Tuscany… when was the last time you saw Under the Tuscan Sun? It’s one of a small handful of movies that I pull out when I’m absolutely definitely not having a midlife crisis. It’s my “oh my god I’m changing jobs again?” movie. I watched it again today and discovered a small detail I’d never thought about before.
I always thought of the film as an older woman changing her life. Probably because it came out when I was 21. Today is when I found out that Frances Mayes (the character, who is based on the life of the writer) is 35 in the movie. Diane Lane was 38 when it came out. I’m 42.
It’s not a midlife crisis. I’m fine. Is that another grey hair or just the light? Anyway, if you haven’t seen the movie in a while or you’ve never seen it at all, it’s the perfect lazy Saturday afternoon treat to escape the real world and dream about renovating a villa in Italy.
TV
Maybe you’re not interested in going to Europe. Maybe you want to stay right here in Canada and dream about our historic properties. And maybe you want to brush up on your French. Allow me to introduce you to the new TV series Karine et la Maison Jaune.
It’s a home renovation show like no other I’ve seen before. It doesn’t have the hokey jokes, the tacky product placement, or overly performative hosts. The show is about Quebecois actress Karine Vanasse and the historic home she purchased in the Eastern Townships on a whim. Her goal isn’t to flip it or tear out the soul, she wants to work with artisans to restore the home and keep as much of the old school craftwork as possible.
The most notable thing with this show was the vibe. It is very low-fi. Chill music, a real appreciation for art and design, and embracing nature. You know how people in Montreal are just slightly cooler than the rest of Canada? They’re fashionable and artistic in their own way? That’s this show.
It’s available on Crave, but be warned it is entirely in French so be prepared to test your skills or read subtitles.
Art & Design
I love an Architectural Digest Open Door episode. This one stood out to me immediately as it’s not a home but instead Margot Robbie’s production offices for Lucky Chap. I had seen the previous office and really liked it but this one? If James Bond and Mad Men had a baby girl it would be this office. I love it. I want to move in. Also I need that coffee maker.
This week’s CanCon Quota: 50%
Karine Vanasse, why isnt she a huge star outside Canada, after Pan Am and Revenge?