We are moving from blue to rose… ٠⭒˚.⋆ ✴︎˚ ٠࣪⭑

Some weeks ago, in search of a birthday present for a 3-years-old little girl, I found my way into a nostalgic toy shop that’s over a 100 years old. They sell precious, vintage-style toys, and a little music box playing “La vie en rose” smiled at me. I just had to buy it! It touches my heart every time I play it and reminds me of how simple and small a daily dose of magic can be…

I was curious to learn more about this timeless song that I guess we all know, and I found out that it’s widely believed that “La vie en rose” emerged from a moment of romantic joy and longing for hope after the harsh years of World War II. In 1945, when the war had just ended, there was a collective need for beauty, comfort and love — and “La vie en rose” offered just that. It was a song of tenderness and emotional refuge, expressing the feeling of being transformed by love into a state where even the ordinary becomes radiant.

It quickly became one of Édith Piaf’s signature songs and remains one of the most iconic French chansons of all time. The lyrics were written by Édith Piaf herself in 1945. She didn’t compose the original melody, though.

Interestingly, when Piaf first presented the lyrics, her collaborators and even her publishing company weren’t convinced — it was considered too sentimental or even naïve. But she believed in it deeply and insisted on recording it.

Literally, “la vie en rose” translates to “life in rose”, but it’s better understood idiomatically as:

“Seeing life through rose-colored glasses”
“A world bathed in tender, glowing light”
“A heart that finds sweetness even in the ordinary”

It expresses the feeling of being so in love or so touched by something beautiful that the whole world takes on a warm, glowing hue — like a pink filter softening all the harsh edges.

Here‘s another precious interpretation of this masterpiece, composed by John Williams for the movie “Sabrina” in 1954. It’s so delicate and tender that I recommend to listen to it after midnight, when the world around you has become silent.


“The night lovers tend to be the seekers, the dreamers, the writers, the lovers and the progressive thinkers. Things tend to make more sense inside the quieter hours.”

I find every single word written by Victoria Erickson is true. Maybe you’d like to use this late night magic to dive into your very own rose-colored realms… It’s a good time to do so. It’s easier to slip out of ordinary life for some instants when everyone around you is sleeping and, hopefully, dreaming sweetly.

Take your journal and write intuitively about your life in rose — or let me inspire you with my questions and thoughts:

What does “La vie en rose” mean to you personally? I don’t mean the song itself, even if I’m happy to hear any of your associated memories to it. I mean… What is it that helps you see life with more tenderness, beauty and warmth?

If ever, can you remember a time when you have experienced life in rose? If we’d just sit together right now with a good sip of late night Whisky, a glass of velvety red wine or a truly exquisite cup of tea, a few candles gently burning, a soft summer breeze dancing around us while the moon is peering into the room — what would you tell me?

Was there a moment when you felt that life finally took off your rose-colored glasses? Even if I truly wish there wasn’t, being alive sometimes means going through grey and even darker phases… Expressing your feelings in a diary can help on the path of making peace with them. Be gentle with yourself. We all go through less colorful phases in life, and I truly wish your next wave of rose is waiting just around the corner. ♥