Monday, January 13, 2014

A Little House tour and a Book


my view last night!
this will never
ever
get old!


so we've been in this 
new apartment for about
a month and a half now.
we are so happy here!
i love our new neighborhood.
i've made friends with 
my butcher
and baker
and 
candlestick maker..
i mean my produce guy.
our new bi-weekly open air
market is incredible.
we've been trying out new cafe's
and the kids have been 
skateboarding
scootering
and pennyboarding
all over the champs de mars.

i've been having fun
making our new place home.
this apartment is much smaller
and completely furnished.
just enough room for our desk and 
a few bookshelves we bought at ikea.

here are some pics!


the family room is split
in two.
we moved one of the couches and
one of the coffee tables
from the other side over here.
it's a comfortable room
and space for all of us to watch movies
and read and play games.
the couches aren't really my style
but they're clean and new and comfortable.
i need to add some color and i'm on the hunt
for some architectural pieces..vintage ladders,
shutters, mantles, columns, etc.


i do love a coffee table
stacked with books!


this is the other side
of the family room.
we call it the eiffel tower room!
we moved the two club chairs
in front of the window and steve 
and i love to sit at night with a 
glass of wine and watch the 
tower sparkle.
i bought the desk and chair here at 
the flea market.
over christmas steve and i
made a few trips to ikea..
we bought these two metal/glass 
bookshelves.


again,
not normally my style
but i like how they look 
in this room and 
they're functional.
i get my wine crates
at my local wine shop..
for free!
they are great for 
storage and they warm
up the space i think.



our dining room..
oh how i wish i 
could bring in my 
beautiful 10 foot french
farmers table i bought 
before we moved here!
it'll sit in storage until we move again
:(



i do love my sweet LITTLE
kitchen.
storage is a challenge
but i'm learning to live 
with less.
i'm also learning that
in a small kitchen,
cleaning as i cook is a must.



it took some getting 
used to having my 
washer/dryer in the kitchen..
but i like it!


another ikea bookshelf!
it fits perfectly!
and adds some much 
needed storage.
(and they're inexpensive!)



our apartment is a duplex.
there are 3 bedrooms and 
a bathroom upstairs for the kids.
the master bedroom/bath is on
the first floor..

this is the master bedroom before..



and the after..




yes..
more ikea shelves!
i found this idea on pinterest.
i love our shelves behind our bed!
they give us plenty of storage
(with room to add more books :)



steve and i share a closet
and we quickly ran out of room..
so i put some of my shoes/bags
on display
:)
i do love our new home!




just finished this book last night.
i picked it up as i love
reading about other families that live 
internationally and move around a lot.
when i looked at the picture of 
melissa bradford, the author,
on the back cover i thought she
looked familiar.
after reading a bit more,
i realized that we sat next to she and 
her husband last year at stephen's high school
graduation.
i remember looking at her and wondering
which graduates' mom she was.
later in the ceremony an award was given
to one of the students..
the Parker Bradford award.
parker is her son.
he graduated from ASP in 2007.
that summer he lost his life
saving another boys'.

melissa and her husband
rasied 4 children in eight different
countries and
her book is all about their 
experiences.
it's beautifully written and inspiring
and heartbreaking to read.
i encourage you to read it.

























15 comments:

  1. Thank you for the tour, Pam! I still pinch myself on your behalf. What an amazing journey you're on. And the people you encounter just add to the awesomeness of the adventure. The book sounds intriguing - think I'll check it out. xo

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  2. great post pam. your unique touches make anywhere you are a beautiful, warm home for your family.

    anne (aka...fanci)

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  3. Your living quarters look lovely and inviting. It is easy to see how little by little you ware warming up the modern vibe it seemed to have without all your other knick-knacks. I can't wait to see your ladders, shutters. columns, once you find them- LOVE! If you aren't in love with your couches maybe you'll score some vintage French quilts to throw over the arm of one or two. :-) Thanks for the tour, it was a great way to spend part of my morning!

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  4. I love your adventurous spirit, Pam...and while I imagine there are days when you would do anything to be somewhere where you could have your beautiful table and all your stuff...I'm so inspired on how you are living with what you have and making it work for you now. I love all your posts from Paris and especially your IG photos! Thanks so much for taking us along for the the ride!

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  5. Very nice place. I like the house overlooking the nice view of the city. A small place but very clean.

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  6. Pam! You give me such inspiration! ...none contrived and eclectic! You state your truest style! I love what you have done with this space! The Chanel and shoes atop the shelves! Brilliant!
    w/L

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  7. Your apartment is so beautiful!! Thank you for sharing it with us!! The book looks great too...I am off to see if they have it at my library. Have a fabulous week (and keep these gorgeous photos coming!) xoxo

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  8. you have the perfect apartment!!

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  9. I love your posts. I feel like I am hearing from a good friend. I love your new home, too. I am glad to hear you all are content with your choice. I will be on the lookout for Global Mom. I don't think Amazon has any copies right now. That is odd, or I wasn't doing something right! Have a beautiful day and thank you for the tour!

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  10. Thank you so much for the peeks into your beautiful Parisian home. I love it! My very favorite .....besides your amazing view of the tower is the tower statues on your bookcases......lovely.

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  11. It looks like "HOME" Pam! Enjoy every minute you are there. xo
    PS...Has anyone told you not to use Le Cruesit type cookware on your glass cooktop? Only stainless is recommended. FYI :)

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  12. Oh that desk in the Eiffel tower room! Oh and you have an EIFFEL TOWER ROOM! Sigh. what's not to love? I love what you've done with the place. I also love those amazing floors.

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  13. I enjoy your posts. We lived overseas for 12 years, having returned to the US 1.5 years ago. I enjoy this posting about making a life in a new place, even though things are not your style and your adjustment to the kitchen etc. Oddly enough these are the types of things I miss being back in the US. When we were living in Asia for 8 years and were visiting Monterey, California, with the prospects of living there for a year, our then 8 year old daughter said "I don't want to live here (Monterey, California), I want to live somewhere complicated." What perfects words. I took that to mean she enjoyed living the many different layers of being an expat and living in another culture and country. That is one of the things I miss about being back in the U. S. - living somewhere complicated. The warrior like qualities/skills that we develop by living in a different culture and country. The need for those skills are gone once we are back in our home country and I am grieving the loss of those skills and need for the skills. I enjoy your blog. Thanks for the time involved and thanks for sharing.

    Ann

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  14. Pam. Just found your blog through Lynne's, "Dreams on 34th Street". What a wonderful adventure in a beautiful place. To live in Paris, I'm so jealous! To be able and look out your kitchen window and see that view, Spectacular!! Thanks for sharing all your photos of your new Parisian apartment. I love the name of your blog too!! New Follower.
    Hugs,
    Jody

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  15. You have a lovely home!!! It reminds me of the apartment my daughter had when she lived in Scotland for a year. We visited her the whole month of Decemeber! I popped over from Lynn's blog.......She is so 'international' and I just love her!!

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