Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Another New Start


we move friday.

in the 20 years that
steve and i have been married..
this is our 10th move.
yes, it's stressful.
but it's also so exciting to move
to a new place..
a new town,
state or country.
a new start!
a new view!
and wow do we have a view.

there are many things i'll
miss about this apartment.
it was our first apartment here in paris.
it's a fabulous location..
i'll miss my local markets
and the familiarity of 
them.
i'll miss this 
 very parisian apartment itself.
the gorgeous herringbone floors..
the high ceilings..
the fireplaces in every room..
the moldings and details throughout.

i won't miss the noise.
we live on a noisy street..
with noisy neighbors.
i won't miss the 3 am shouting
matches upstairs.
the stiletto heels stomping
on the marble floors.
i won't miss the glares 
she and i give each other 
when we run into each other
in the elevator.

who knows..
we could end up 
with similar neighbors in 
the new apartment..
(although we're on the top floor
and maybe we'll be the ones 
getting the complaints!)

so..
here's to another new start
in paris!

and..
happy thanksgiving to 
our american friends and family!

****
blogging seems to be taking
a back seat these days to instagram..
instagram is just so darn quick and easy!
follow my
#dailyparis
posts for a daily peek of paris!





Wednesday, November 13, 2013

This is What I Saw...


...when i walked around my neighborhood at
5:00 tonight.

the kids get home from school around 4:30..
sometimes if it's not too crazy 
i sneak out for a walk alone.
this time of year..the sun is just 
getting ready to set.
the light against the paris
buildings is just beautiful.
look at the moon up there!
i am truly blessed to live here.

i love this time of night..
rush hour.
there are so many people walking 
the streets.
coming home from work..
going out to pick up dinner.
it's when i feel my most
parisian. :)


parisians waiting in line
for their nightly baguette.


parisians waiting in line
for their poulet and pommes de terre..
(chicken and potatoes..
so good!)


parisians sitting at a cafe'..


parisians walking.


and an american taking a 
selfie in her elevator.









Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Our Own House Hunters International



last week steve and i
(and griffin)
went and looked at 
11 
ELEVEN
paris apartments.
i really felt like i was on
house hunters international.


and i think i could do that 
every day.
ok,
maybe not 11 in one day.
but, wow.
how fun to be driven
around paris
to view 11 amazing
flats.

so..update.
the last apartment
with the amazing view didn't work out.
so our transition company here
found these flats for us to view.
i took 300 pictures that day.
i promise not to share them all.

the one on top
with that awesome view..
crossing fingers.



we saw some furnished
and some unfurnished.
the difference here in france
is that unfurnished generally means
NO kitchen.
like..
no stove,
refrigerator
oven
dishwasher.


a part of me would love
the idea of furnishing a kitchen.
this one had nothing.
not even counter tops.
i kept thinking of the 
amazing furniture i could buy!
 it was a great building..
great location and 
a view of the tower 
from some of the rooms.


this flat (#2)  was actually
in a private mansion
right on trocadero..
straight ahead in this photo
is the arc d'triomphe.


it was still being 
refurbished.
it was so charming!


oh i die over these french details!


this next flat
(#3) 
i just fell in love with.
the location.
the building
the details..
and from two of the rooms
there is a view of the tower.


i mean, hello?
stained glass windows..
AND
trompe l'oiel ?
it was hard for me to leave.


and then we saw the 
dining room.
i just kept imagining 
the dinner parties.
i was honestly
ready to move in.
but again..
the kitchen needed
everything.
we kept coming back
to buying all of these 
appliances and then having 
to sell them in a few years.
AND
furnishing the flat!
we have some things here...
a few beds..
a desk..chair..
but we'd have to furnish the 
entire flat.
(which between you and me..
i would not mind :)


ok 
totally switching gears here.
(#4)
modern
kind of cold
but kind of cool.
especially when we were 
brought upstairs
to the terrace!


wow.
this was a duplex flat.
the master bedroom
was upstairs and this
amazing terrace off of it.
and if you peered around 
the back of the terrace
there was a view of the tower.


just look at those paris rooftops.


the next few flats we saw
were furnished.
this one had great details..


and others had great views of paris.


loved this master bedroom


this flat was HUGE.
it was on the first floor
and had a bit of a view
of the seine.
i actually said that i 
thought it was too big.
can you imagine?



yes..
there was a fountain 
in the foyer.


in the end..
this is the one we've been
back to see 3 times.
steve will think i'm jinxing
it by talking about it..
but just look at that view!
this is the view from the living room.


looking out that same window towards
les invalides..
you can also see sacre coeur
but i didn't get it in this shot.
the view over the champs de mars
and the foliage was breathtaking.

this flat is completely furnished.
and when we walked through it
i kept thinking it would be like 
living in a hotel.
it's very different from 
the flat we live in now.
it certainly doesn't scream
PARIS APARTMENT
like most of the others..
however..
the view
and the location are 
what's going on here.


if we get this flat
we'll have to put 
most of the furnishings that we have 
here into storage.



hello sparkly eiffel tower.
please be my new view.
hoping to hear soon!!

































Thursday, November 7, 2013

Paris in the Rain



just like in the movie
midnight in paris..
i think paris is the most
beautiful in the rain.




Monday, November 4, 2013

Collections



hello monday!
we had a 3 day weekend..
which is a treat.
and after staying up until 5:00 am
wednesday night to watch the 
red sox win the world series..
i needed some sleeping in.

yesterday i went with a friend 
to the paul bert flea market 
at porte de clignacourt.
i've never been to this one..
what a fun day we had!
starting with lunch at cafe paul bert..
we indulged in wine and entrecote.







now, we didn't find many
bargains here..but,
shopping this market made me 
think about collections.
can one have too many collections?
since moving to paris
i've started collecting cafe au lait bowls,
vintage linens, and little moutard (mustard) jars.
i also want to collect these gorgeous vintage 
seltzer jars! just look at the colors!


i did start my collection of 
vintage french bread boards yesterday.
love them!



and french ironstone.
need. to. collect.


these old pharmacy jars
were  HUGE.
i wanted them all.
but at 200 euro a piece..
i refrained.
but aren't they lovely??


and what about these 
vintage wine bottles?
a beautiful collection.




what do you collect?