\\Home according to my instagram...\\

Christmas Crowns

Being festive on Christmas dinner.!

 But what did we eat? 

The Nordstrom women really out did themselves this time...

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Well, night before Christmas Eve. I am absolutely reveling being at home with family and friends. And enjoying our beautiful and spacious house that my Bethie has so immaculately decorated for Christmas.

 Hand-knitted stockings hung on the fireplace.

 A merry little ornament that was one of my favorites when I was little.

Oh Christmas tree!

ps - I am so excited to have my real camera back.!

Minnehaha Falls

It feels so good to be home -

 (and with my Mr. M!)

Orgami Sushi with Mr. M

 There is another thing that I am quite enjoying about being back in my home state..

And that is being able to spend time with my wonderful Mr. M! He wined me and dined me the other night with the delicious, delicious sushi at Orgami (mmmm Sari and Nine and a Half Weeks roll).

Pretty happy about it.!

A White Christmas? Perhaps?

A few little snowflakes are coming down! I was so surprised to come home to a Minnesota in December without snow! I hope it comes by Christmas!

Because She is Irresistible

And wants to wish everyone Happy Holidays!

Reunited with HB

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

Weirdly addicting.?

The Bean

Happy to be in Chicago to try to take care of my visa woes. I had felt so nervous but spending time with my amazing grandparents really reassured me and I was calm during my appointment at the Consulate and afterwards walked around Millennium Park in kind of a self-reflective daze. 

**Being super cool in front of the Bean**

The Devil, Miss Prym and Some Hot Chocolate

In my visa-related stress, I somehow arrived at Bougival a half an hour early today. It is small, there aren't many places to go, but it was too rainy to stand outside and wait. So I ventured into a the local tabac and had a little cup of really delicious hot chocolate and read some pages from The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho. I quite like this quote from the introduction concerning the premise of the book.
“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” 
I felt much more calm afterwards. 

Laduree on Blvd. Haussmann

Laduree on Boulevard Haussmann was bustling and looking quite, quite festive this afternoon!

Naturally - macarons are the perfect little gift.!

Cendrillon

As it is the holiday season, we have felt compelled to attend  a play or a show of some sort. 

Chloe was able to get tickets to Cendrillon (Cinderella, originally a French story) through her work.

((at least we got to get dressed up))

I think the anticipation was much more enjoyable than the actual play. They over sold the theatre so although we had tickets, we had to sit on the steps. For the whole two hours. Of a dark, depressive, dimly lit, intrepretive, music and set free, skewed and weird story of Cinderella. We probably just should have left.

Lesson: French theater can be a lot darker than you would expect!

Shakespeare and Company

On the gift search for a very special person in my life,

 I decided to finally go to the renown Shakespeare and Company bookstore.. 

Louis Vuitton

On the Avenue des Champs-Élysées

((It perpetually has a line stretching around the exterior to go see some monogrammed things.))

\\Paris is so beautiful//

The Ferris wheel on Place de Concorde, which we must go on.!

Champs-Élysées Marche de Noel

More Christmas markets! 

Lots more cute little things ----->

Taxi

Unsentimental, driving around..

The Amazing Steins

//just saw an incredible exhibit about the amazing Stein family at the Grand Palais// 

 The Picasso, Renior, the Mattisse. Oh, the Mattise!

Femme Nue Allongee

Le Cahier du Carmen

It was Saturday night in Paris.
 We were three girls that wanted to get dressed up and go out. 
Sophie told us about Carmen, a nightclub in a bar in the north of Paris. 

Cheers to Laduree

With Christina, Rachel and of course my dear Chlosephine cheering Laduree macarons and drinking champagne atop the Eiffel Tower at 11:00am on a Saturday. Perfect.

Windy Eiffel Tower

Up the Eiffel Tower again...!

Irises

Christina and I lost Chloe the other Saturday morning when we were wondering around in Montmarte after the best brunch ever.

She had become distracted by some irises.

((purple can be quite captivating))

American Church in Paris

In the spirit of Advent and Christmas, Chloe and I went to the American Church in Paris this Sunday...

There is a chill in the air

-Notre Dame through the falling leaves of the trees lining the Seine-
As winter strips the leaves from around us, so that we may see the distant regions they formerly concealed, so age takes away our enjoyments only to enlarge the prospect of the coming eternity. - Jean Paul
I think about my own mortality too much.

La Marche de Noel at La Defense

Okay, I have something to admit - I am obsessed with Christmas. 

Christmas in Bougival

The Christmas decorations have been appearing all over, even in Bougival.

This is part of the center by where I park to go pick up Andrea and Matteo from Saint Therese, and then walk back to holding there little hands to go get four other little munchkins from Claude Monet. 

Ruby Studded Heels

Fell in love with a shoe this morning.
 Why can I never just walk by Zara?

But seriously. Black suede platforms with simple straps and then a ruby studded heel. I swoon, I swoon!

Thanksgiving in Paris

On Thanksgiving this last Thursday... 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I cannot believe it is already Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving! And I have been living in Paris for three months! The experience has been so many things so far. Amazing because I am living in this remarkable city that is truly like nowhere else. Everywhere I turn there is another gilded building or museum to be explored or a gem of shop to browse or an alluring bakery full of delicious pastries to sample. There are flower shops bursting with colorful blooms on every block, dogs and puppehs everywhere, and chic people bustling around with purpose and energy. All things that give me so much joy. Humbling because as an American needing a visa, I cannot be choosy about my employment situation and most of the time I feel as if the term indentured servitude wouldn't be an exaggeration. A lot of times, I don't even know how I make it through the week. Thought-inducing because, while I know I'm somewhat predisposed to this, something about wandering around art museums or walking aimlessly by the river or through unknown streets makes one so... introspective. I dwell on questions I perpetually cannot answer, I frequently become completely lost in observation, I feel like I am learning more about this world than I can even realize right now. Awful because of the stresses of being in a foreign country without knowing the language or having much money at all but mostly the unfortunately numerous occasions that I have been victimized by people with malintent. Exciting because I cannot possibly be bored here. I honestly have not had the chance to be bored once arriving, there is not an idle second and if there were, I definitely have something I would want to fill it with. I wish I had more free time because I know I will never be done exploring all this city has to offer, I'm worried I am not going to be ready to leave! Something about this combination of things, both good and bad, has made me feel so incredibly thankful to be alive. I am so happy to be alive and I am so happy I feel so alive. I often feel overwhelmed with emotion when I think about it! I am so thankful for every single person I have in my life that I love so much, I feel so blessed. My whole family, each one of you are so amazing. My friends, my Mr. M, you are all so wonderful. I feel so filled with thanks thinking about how lucky I am to have everyone in my life.I think, without even being able to celebrate properly, this is my most thankful Thanksgiving yet.! 

Ladurée: Macaron Fantasy Land

My macaroon obsession guided us to Ladurée today. 

Founded in 1862, it is historic and commonly regarded as producers of the most delicious of those amazing little light cookies called macaroons. Not to mention, their marketing is genius, and one feels like they are in fantasy land the moment they enter the shop. After a rather chilly picnic at the Eiffel Tower, Christina, Chloe and I wanted to go be part of macaroon fantasy land in Ladurée's famous tea room in their shop on the Champs Elyseé.

I've got a little something...

A little sweet something, that I am very excited about...

An Autumn Picnic at the Eiffel Tower

The Kooples Couples

It is hard to miss the ubiquitous The Kooples advertisements living in Paris. And I must admit, I am drawn in, so much so that I, admittedly, have watched all the videos. But there is something I like so much about them! Watch and see the hipster love appeal.

but wait! there is more ----->

Chanel at Printemps

Holiday excitement prematurely continues. (Save me from myself.) Printemps in an amazing, amazing, amazing (so amazing its worthy of the adjective not once, or twice, but three times) department store in Paris. It is close to Saint Lazare so I get to pass it with its gilded windows and sparkly lights wistfully on my bus ride to take the train to Bougival. They always have over-the-top, wonderful window displays but Sophie told me I had to go admire these ones, they had really outdone themselves, they were really fantastic...

because they were alllllllll filled with Chanel. Blocks of windows decorated in themes of Chanel. From the brain of Karl himself, which seems to me one of the most peculiarly interesting. You can discover all of Karl's Christmas universe here. Some really ridiculous ones, my favorite was definitely all the little Karl's photographing.

And that is why it is so amazing (word of the day) living in Paris. Excited about it.

Escargot

Delicious or not delicious? 

That is the question.

A Few Happy Moments to get Through the Week

Mondays seem to always arrive with perpetual gloom - the weekend is over and the gauntlet of public transportation! metro strikes! crazy work days! naughty children! no time to eat! no time to sleep! begins. Sometimes I just need to take a deep breath and think of all the happy moments to get through it.

 Bundled and toasty cheering on the U.S.A. at the US vs France game. 

 Laughing in front of the Institut Monde du Arab waiting for the 67 bus to go work on our nesting.

Feeling magically enchanted at the Tea Room at Musee d'Orsay. 

Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air

Despite the swarms of buses, multitude of metro lines and constant taxis, I find myself walking everywhere I can in Paris. It gives you the best opportunity to explore and stumble upon the things you did not even know surrounded you. Because here, it is impossible to know everything - there are gems tucked away everywhere - or sometimes, right in front of your nose. Such would be the case with the Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air. . 

Rhymesayes are La Machine Moulin Rouge

Such an amazing show.

Almost surreal to see them not only outside of First Ave, where I have literally seen them all countless times, but in Paris.!? 

Pere Lachaise

 more spooky ----->

Christmas is Coming!

All of you that know me are well aware that my enthusiasm for the holidays is not lacking in the least. I enjoy them with such fervor that I am still filled with child-like glee at the thought of them approaching. Well, since Parisians do not have Thanksgiving as a benchmark to wait to begin the holiday season - it is already beginning! Look at the lights on Dior that popped up over the weekend! 

It nestled along side Chanel, Gucci, A.P.C. and all the other amazing shops that line Boulevard Haussmann that I pass taking the 24 bus to Saint Lazare on my way to work.

Yay Christmas!

The Wonder of Sushi Delivery

There is something completely amazing here, something that I cannot believe we do not have in the States, something that is so convenient and enjoyable that I can't imagine it not existing - delivery sushi. 

Sushi at home, a wonderful little delight.

Marché aux Puces de Clignancourt

Today was a Sunday very well spent. Chloe, Christina and I decided to explore one of the largest and well-regarded flea markets in Paris - Marché aux Puces de Clignancourt. Located in northern part of the city, we took the metro line 13 to Garibaldi, not exactly your nicest part of Paris, and walked around in search of the markets. Tucked in amongst the side streets, hey are not exactly easy to find but once you stumble open the open rows and lanes brimming with antique treasures, gilded mirrors and amazing old furniture, it is so entirely worth the effort.

Within the Marché aux Puces de Clignancourt, there are several markets. We began at the Marché Paul Bert, which had a lot of the original and unique art and furniture eye candy I was dying to see. 

SO much more after the jump, come with me.! ----->

A very beautiful Parisian Apartment

 Sunday afternoon, we stopped by Christina aunt and uncle's house in Paris. She had told us it was amazing but we really didn't know just how amazing she meant.