A French Inspired Christmas

i've mentioned that we have no 

christmas decorations.

that includes stockings.

i came across these

simple, yet beautiful

french inspired stockings

on Heather Bullard's blog.

i don't have a sewing machine

here..and even if i did bring it

i wouldn't know how to use it.

i wonder if i can sew them by hand.

i bought some french linens

at the flea market recently.

or use fabric glue?

i wonder if they even

sell fabric glue here.

i can't get these

stockings out of my head!

A Thankful Weekend

we had a great weekend.

friday night we had our thanksgiving dinner

we have so much to be thankful for.

the rest of the weekend was spent

eating more of our 19lb turkey..

i made a big batch of stock

and a turkey and rice soup.

and of course turkey, cranberry

and stuffing sandwiches 

on our favorite baguettes.

saturday evening we went to

a dinner party.

another thanksgiving dinner

but with french influences.

the kids were invited

and they had fun

with the other kids there.

we met people from poland,

scotland, ireland and morocco.

what a wonderful time we had!

sunday i was able to get out by myself.

i walked around the city and started

some shopping.

i met up with steve and the kids

for our annual christmas card photo

shoot. 

thanks to a colleague of 

steve's. 

it was nothing like

last years!

i'm pretty happy with how

it came out.

now that the card is done..

i need to find a tree.

and ornaments.

and some stockings.

and decorations.

but right now..

griffy and i are cuddling

up to watch 

the polar express.

here comes christmas!!

American Food Found

the eiffel tower yesterday.

isn't she pretty?

yesterday griff and i walked

to a store i had heard about.

the Real McCoy.

it sells american food.

it's comforting to know

that i can buy a box of cake mix

and a jar of frosting.

even though the two would

cost me about 20 bucks.

i was so happy to find crisco sticks!

for years i've made homemade apple pie

and used the sticks for the crust.

and the kids were excited about the oatmeal

for breakfast this morning!

i'll be cooking our thanksgiving

dinner today.

bon weekend mes amis!

A Nostalgic Thanksgiving Day

although it's thanksgiving,

the kids went to school..

steve went to work.

just another day here in paris.

i was looking at pictures from last years

thanksgiving.

and it made me yearn for 

my grandmothers china

and my pretty decorations

and our families.

but i am thankful for so many things today.

like the fact that my 19lb american sized turkey

fits in my european sized fridge!

and in my tiny oven!

although, that is sans pan.

happy thanksgiving 

to all of our friends and family!

Paris Marches de Noel

paris is getting ready 

for the holidays.

the christmas markets,

window displays

and lights

are beautiful!

yesterday griffy and i walked

down the champs elysees.

i'm looking forward to walking

it at night to see the lights.

we stopped in Laduree.

i snuck a few photos..

and bought a few macaroons.

i'll take everything here.

the colorful luggage.

the shoes, the hat

and most definitely the coat.

while the window displays 

are still being put up,

the christmas market is in

full swing.

i'm betting this is gorgeous an night.

i think being in paris

at christmas will be wonderful!

August Rap Up

i never posted about our crazy

few weeks back in boston

and on the cape and the vineyard.

we spent the first week in boston.

 faneuil hall is a favorite of ours.

the shopping

the food

the history

and the balloon guy.

we also visited the museum of fine arts.

after a week in boston

we spent a night on the cape

with steve's dad

and then headed to 

the vineyard.

we stayed at the winnetu on south beach.

it's a great place for families.

the kids love the giant chess set

ag fair with the cousins 

is a tradition

we packed and unpacked our car

too many times to count.

will is squished in the way back.

no doubt, very unhappy.

dinner at baxters boat house

on the cape.

it was a very stressful, crazy couple of 

weeks but it was great to spend time 

in boston 

and on the cape and the vineyard

with our families.

we are blessed to call it home.

Meet Olive

today is market day.

and i brought home an olive tree.

and i named her olive.

:)

it was a good day at the market.

saturdays are really crowded

but it makes it fun.

fresh dinde.

turkey.

joel thibeault's stand

is probably the most popular.

i stood in line for a half hour 

waiting for fresh bay leaves,

sage and beets.

joel is a well known farmer here

and a descendant of one of the oldest families

of farmers around paris.

they call him the king of vegetables.

his aren't the prettiest vegetables 

at the market

but you can bet they are the most

fresh.

he is always there with a smile on his face

chatting with the customers.

i love market day.

and thank you.

to all of you that left comments and

sent me emails after yesterdays post.

i do appreciate them so much!

today is a better day.

:)

My Trip to the Boucherie

yesterday was a really bad day.

like..i want to go home (to the states) bad day.

like..i called steve and then my mom crying bad day.

after bribing griffin with hot cocoa at starbucks,

i finally got him out of the house.

after starbucks

we went to the boucherie 

for pork,veal and beef to make meatballs.

the cashier rings me up..

29 euro (37$)

for 1/2 pound of pork

1/2 pound of veal

1 pound of beef

this is not what i was crying about..

although i should have been.

i didn't have euro

and the credit card machine was down.

i told them (in the worst french possible)

i'd walk back to the atm

and be back with cash.

now, griffin was riding his trike.

i was apprehensive about letting him ride it

as the last time he did,

this  happened.

well..it happened again.

almost exactly in the same spot as last.

right in the middle of a busy paris street

his bike broke apart in 3 pieces.

as i'm picking up the pieces

the light turns

and cars are beeping at me

and again..

not ONE person stopped to help.

i don't get it.

i guess it's time

for a new bike.

p.s...

visit tiggy&grace today!

kimberly just opened her online shop!

i may have treated myself to an apron

you all know how i love an apron

:)

In My Autumn Kitchen...and My LIfe Now

in my kitchen lately...roasting and more roasting.

tomatoes and all kinds of root vegetables.

the oven seems to be constantly on.

the farmers markets here are bursting 

with beautiful fruits and vegetables...some i've never even seen before.

while we were in tuscany..

we ate dinner..twice..

at Restaurant Di Lamole

we had such a great experience the first night

we went back again.

The food was delicious and 

the service was amazing.

We were treated like family and when

i think of tuscany..specifically the chianti region..

i think of the meals we had there.

our waiter brought us some olive oil

that had been pressed just 4 days earlier.

it was so good..

i brought some home with me.

i don't think there is anything as good

as freshly pressed olive oil.

griffin is having a hard time here.

he still asks daily to go "home to the other house"

he refuses to even talk about potty training.

he is still sleeping in our bed.

and he doesn't EVER want to leave the house.

EVER.

it is a battle getting him out every day.

i know this won't last.

someday this will be home to him.

he will be out of diapers. (please)

he will sleep in his own bed.

and he will want to go out

and maybe even go to school.

and then i'll have hours to myself

to see paris

and sit in cafe's

and visit museums

and learn french

and take a cooking/painting/photography/writing class

and shop.

but right now..

my little 3 year old needs me.

paris will have to wait.

My Life List

 Kimberly is living my other life. Believe me, I LOVE my life but if and when we're ever done living in  europe (i hope not)..i would love to settle down on a farm not unlike hers. although, my farmhouse would have to be on the east coast..and with an ocean view or maybe in tuscany :)
i love that kim names her cameras and her airstream (mabel)...i just might have to start naming some of my favorite things...starting with my grandmother's sugar bowl. i'm going to start calling it hazel. even though my nana didn't like her name..i loved her and her name.
kim's blog is one of those blogs that you find that you have to go back and start reading from the beginning...and i spent a few afternoons doing just that. she had me at "i got to meet ina".
recently kim posted about her top 50 things to do on her life list. and of course, it got me thinking.





1. finally learn to knit
2. take my mom to tuscany
3. take my dad to ireland
4. take a painting class
5. plan and host a big old fashioned family reunion
6. learn french
7. finally learn to sew
8. take my children to africa to volunteer
9. see Le Miserables in London with steve and kids
10. own a small cottage on the vineyard
11. learn italian
12. grow a BIG garden
13. visit thailand
14. own a tuscan farmhouse and grow olives
15. attend a show during fashion week in paris
16. take a family trip to all the homes we've ever lived in
17. see oprah...check!
18. raise chickens
19. go back to villa vignamaggio with just steve.
20. meet all my tp sisters
21. learn to play piano..specifically, pachelbels canon
22. have a dog...and not give him away
23. finally print and organize our photos in albums
24. take more videos of the kids
25. see U2 with steve
26. take a photography class
27. visit montana
28. dine in as many restaurants in paris as possible with steve
29.  make a movie out of all of our old videos
30. visit provence...although i'm scared i'll love it more than tuscany!
31. have a working fireplace in my kitchen
32. rent a cottage in maine with our family for one week.. with no electricity and no cellphones
33. have more girls weekends away
34. get over my fear of flying
35. rent a sailboat in the caribbean and sail around BVI..with steve and kids.
36. go to the french open and/or wimbledon
37. take a literary walking tour around paris
38. read more history books
39.  achieve the best health, mind and body, i possibly can
40. take a cooking class in paris
41. host a girls weekend at our flat in paris
42. go away by myself for a week
43. live in london
44. buy lots of beautiful antiques at the flea markets in france
45. have a professional do my hair and makeup
46. visit more museums and learn more about art
47. continue my book collection and build a beautiful library
48. do something creative every day
49. play tennis again
50. rent a cottage in the cotswalds


this was fun!
at first i thought..how will i come up with 50...and now i could think of 50 more!

a bientot mes amis!

Flea Marketing in Paris

steve and i stole away for a few hours

sunday morning.

i've been wanting to visit the 

porte de vanves flea market.

it did not disappoint.

the markets..both flea and farmers

are one of my favorite things about

living here in paris.

and here are a few of our purchases..

i loved this urn..

my foo dog book ends

and some vintage books.

old kitchen scale..and it's teal!

fleur de lys iron grates

bowls and embroidered linen towels..

love the flea markets in france!