Red, Rouge

My name is: Lauren
My age is: 26
I live in: the suburbs of Southeastern PA
I can’t live without: T-Fal nonstick skillet, Cuisinart food processor, fresh lemon juice, John Frieda blonde products, my book collection, public libraries, hot tea, discount travel websites, The Office, whiskey sours, Dijon mustard, my $20 blush-colored Anthropologie cardigan, my hubby
Favorite thing to cook: Wine stews with crusty bread
Current food obsessions: gratins, vegetarian entrees, apples with cottage cheese, reinventing pork dinners, the many uses of squash
Next trip: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, January 2014
What I do: Freelance writer and copyeditor, fulltime graduate student on my way to a Masters in English and a Masters Certificate in Communication
How I met Little/Petite/Kaitlin: High school French class; my favorite bonding moments were when we literally cooked duck in a microwave for our French Christmas party, and when we snuck onto private property in Paris to taste sweet, French honeysuckles off the vine.

Little, Petite

My name is: Kaitlin
I am: 27
I live in: Southwest Virginia
On DIY: I can’t sit still– my hands always need to be moving. For me, there’s really not much that compares to the feeling of having made something for yourself (especially if you’re figuring out how to do it as you go)!
Things I love to death: Fall weather and all that implies (scarves, boots, apple butter, hot drinks, changing leaves), lists, local food, good music, my friends and family, my husband, our two cats, excellent coffee, breakfast, farmer’s markets, a good book, change.
Cooking (and eating) things: I love food. All kinds of food. You’ll see everything from Paleo recipes to old family desserts from me. I try to eat a lot of meat and vegetables, with grains, dairy, legumes, and alcohol once in a while. It doesn’t always work out, but hey– live while you live.
Earning a Living: I am currently a Lab Manager/ Research Specialist in an academic immunology lab. I also occasionally sell handmade scarves and jewelry at Readlikeabook (currently on hiatus).

How Petite (Little) and Rouge (Red) came to be:
Stemming from a love of the French language and cuisine (especially microwaved duck, see above), Lauren started calling me “Petite” early on. It was only after our fateful trip to France and a terrible sunburn that “Rouge” came about. Sneaking around Montmartre and being yelled at by a priest for laughing in a Rocamadour chapel were easily some of our best moments.