Sunflower Wedding

Earlier this fall, my family and I were happy to attend the wedding of two very sweet friends.  We needed to come back to the States to apply for a new visa and were glad to hear they would be getting married while we were in the country.  Their wedding also gave us another reason, among many, to visit the Boston area- our home for 6 years before we moved to Paris.


Coffee in Paris: Numéro 220


Apparently the coffee culture in Paris has radically changed in the last 10 years.  Before moving here I read David Lebovitz's book, "The Sweet Life in Paris", and when I came across the chapter on coffee (my favorite chapter--duh), I was shocked to hear that the coffee in France is horrible.  Living in Boston for 6 years had spoiled me with the very best coffees, but at least now I was prepared.  "Ok. I'll just have to switch to tea," I thought.


Coffee in Paris: Café FouFou

Foufou- I'm thinking: pink! sparkly! fluffy! Surely not good coffee, but actually yes!

Falafel

ohmygoodness.  It's so cold today, and I'm already yearning for those endlessly sunny summer days...it's going to be a long winter for me.

Parc Monceau



This past Saturday was a very slow day for us. We stayed in our pajamas through the afternoon and finally decided we should get out of the house around 3pm.  Our kids need to eat dinner and go to bed early, so there wasn't time left in the day for us to do much. In the end, we decided to go to Parc Monceau.

Birthday at the Park

A couple of days ago we spent the afternoon celebrating my husband's birthday at our favorite park. We saw a wild chicken (not pictured), ate some of our favorite food- fresh baguette, white truffle saucisson, various marks and spencer goodies, and enjoyed breathing in some fresh air.  THIS park is the best because there are times you feel like it's your own, private garden.

Ice Cream in Paris

Let me tell you about the best ice cream I've had in Paris.  But before that let me tell you that I'm trying to act like a "real blogger" by watermarking my photos.  You have no idea how old and inept doing such a simple task made me feel.  I searched youtube for "how to turn text into a photoshop brush," and was taught by a boy who sounded no older than 8 how to accomplish said searched thing. So here they are!  My horribly watermarked pictures! haha!


The Best Butter Croissant in Paris

Today I went out with my kiddos and my camera in search of the bakery that supposedly has the best butter croissants in Paris.

Madeleine & Render

Nothing prompts a blogger to go back and finally make a post about those beloved Boston coffee shops like running out of space on her external hard drive.  Out with the old and in with the new!

French Beauty: An Interview with Renee Loiz

I can’t believe it, but I’ve been living in {and around} Paris for about 10 months.  While living here and observing Parisian women, I’ve found myself wondering how I can adopt their sense of beauty & style. I also turned 31 this year {what!?} and have started to think about how I can tap into that fountain of youth. Luckily, I have a friend who is a professional makeup artist that has been working in the industry for about 20 years. I contacted Renee to talk about these things, and she has so many helpful hints and reccomendations.  

First Trip to Paris

Since we arrived in September, my husband and I have entertained a number of visitors.  I feel like we’re still tourists in the city we’ve been living in for almost 10 months- having kids makes it difficult to get out and discover things, who knew? But we’ve come up with a Parisian tour, and if it’s your first time coming to Paris, I highly recommend you hit up these spots- even if they are basic.


The Secret {French} Garden


One day my husband was talking to a man from Oregon who has been living in Paris for many years now. They started talking about gardens in and around Paris, and he told my husband about a special place that few people seem to know about. 

Coffee in Paris: La Compagnie du Café

I never make it to Montmartre, but I'm so glad that my husband and I ventured there a few mornings ago. Not only can you get a good coffee, but you can get an education in interior design and parisian style.

Flea Market



Market Days

Coffee in Paris: Café Kitsuné


Palais Royale

Palais Royale is a less visited garden compared to the Tuileries or Luxembourg and is apparently the place where you're more likely to find locals hanging out.

i don't wanna grow up

I know this is hecka old news, but did anyone else tear up a little when they watched these videos??...no!? Am I that sleep-deprived? Or maybe I've been eating too much sugar for the last year.  hmm. Anyway. RIP Toys R Us. I'll occasionally sing your jingle in my head into my old age...except for those few lines that I don't understand. hmm hmm hmm hmmm....I wanna be a toys R us kid.


joyeux anniversaire


Yesterday was my birthday. My 31st birthday, actually. This is usually my "happy new year"--meaning, this is the time of the year when I reflect on the previous year's growth as well as the downfalls, and I look forward to the year ahead with the exciting potential it holds. I also try to make a list of things I would like to accomplish- big or small: drink x cups of water, read x number of books, call my parents more often, etc...

Last year went by so blindingly fast I hardly had the time to think about making or accomplishing goals. The only goal I've had from day-to-day is making it to the next one. Is that terrible?  Sometimes I think so, but on the other hand I'm ok with it.  30 was a crazy year. A great year.  But man, oh, man. I'm ready to slow down the pace and breathe.  So that's what my hopes are for year 31.  Taking it slow. Breathing in each moment. Enjoying my babies while they're babies. Loving the life my husband and I have. Not striving for vanities. Just living & enjoying.

Coffee in Paris: Café Mericourt


Café Mericourt serves good specialty coffee, including filtered coffee {pour over} which is apparently a sign that experts are serving your cup a joe.  It's a fairly roomy cafe with plenty of greenery to satisfy the bohemian heart, but their main draw is their groovy brunch menu.

Coffee in Paris: Hexagone Café


Hexagone Café is a specialty coffee shop and a torréfacteur (coffee roaster). I walked to Hexagone by myself (a super special treat) on a Sunday.  The coffee was good, but honestly my favorite thing about the experience was that it was open!  Most of Paris seems to shut down on Sundays.

Crêpe Complet

We have a great little crepe stand across the street from our apartment, but seeing as how crepes have become a weekly craving for us, I decided it was time to learn how to make them.  And they're so easy! Our favorite crepe is the "crêpe complet"- it has ham, cheese, mushrooms and an egg. My husband closely observed the crepe man's technique, brought home what he learned, and is now a pro crepe maker (I love it when he adds something to his arsenal of things he can cook)!

Coffee in Paris: Le Peloton Café

Le Peloton Café is located close to the Seine with plenty of shopping around.  The most distinctive aspect of this shop is their English-ness. The menu is in English and everyone (employees and customers alike) seem to speak English.  If you're tired of racking your brain to put together a simple French sentence then this is your haven, my friend.

They serve coutume coffee (as seen HERE) and pull their shots on a Marzocco (if that matters to you). The coffee is so good. I haven't tried them yet, but their waffles are well touted on instagram. Make sure you bring cash.

Sticky Situation

I can't believe it's already been a year since I was enjoying home made sticky buns and waiting for my little bun in the oven to arrive (#bonjourbebedeux). About a month (or two) before she was born, I went through a crazy (like crazy!) baking phase. It didn't help that I had checked out both of Joanne Chang's cookbooks- FLOUR and FLOUR TOO.  Amazing.  I literally wanted to bake everything.

Snow Covered Paris

You can't tell anymore, but last week Paris was covered in beautiful white, fluffy snow. My New England heart (that's right, I'm claiming to be a New Englander now) was leaping for joy. I took close to ...I don't know. Like a ba-jillion photos.  I finally got around to editing some of them.  And now I'm posting them for you. and! writing this blog post. yay! (go me)!

French Class

I really enjoyed an exercise we did today in my French class.  We watched this adorable video and then had to name the family members as well as describe what they were doing.  Elementary level stuff, but it was challenging for us- and fun too.




Enjoy!

Katrina

Coffee in Paris: Boot Café