Welcome to my blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I believe that everyone can have a beautiful home without spending a fortune! One of my favorite things to do is find creative ways to re-purpose things I already have on hand, or have picked up at yard sales and thrift stores. Join me as I share with you some of my favorite ideas for crafting and decorating, as well as travel adventures, and fun things that I pick up on my treasure hunts! Much of my work is influenced by my love all things French, nature, and of course shabby chic! I have gotten so many creative ideas from you very talented bloggers out there, and I hope that I can be an inspiration to you as well!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

6 Days in Paris!

Bon Jour Mon Amis!

Hubby & I just got back last night from Paris, and we had a tres magnifique time!  I really, really missed blogging while we were away!  Thought I would share some pictures of our trip with you.  First of all, I don't want to give the impression that we are independently wealthy or anything (but hey, that sure would be nice!).  Thanks to hubby's many years working at Northwest Airlines, we get really great travel benefits, and we make good use of them, too!  This means flying stand by, and I am getting better about it (not getting too stressed out...well, usually not!).  We had no trouble getting out of Detroit, or Paris on the return, though we didn't make it on a connecting flight coming back.  Got the last two seats on the next flight though.  Whew!  At any rate, it is more than worth it!  I love to travel, but it feels so good to be home! It is amazing what little things you miss when gone away!  the above picture of us is at Notre Dame.  It's our favorite area in Paris, and just a few blocks from our hotel!

I think I need to go on a detox program after all of the rich food we ate on our trip! thankfully we did lots and lots of walking!  But I am taking eating cheese morning, noon and night, croissants for breakfast, baguettes and beurre (butter) at lunch and dinner......you get the picture!  Not to mention all of that great French wine!  Wine is actually cheaper than pop, so deciding what to drink was a no brainer for me! I really did miss American Diet Coke, though!  European coke ("coca cola light") is alot different than ours!
One night we had the most amazing cheese fondue at a cute little restaurant we'd been to several times before.  We'd never had fondue before, and this was incredible!  And rich! They served it with chunks of bread, thinly sliced ham ("jambon"), and roasted potatoes ("pomme de terre").  It was just too good!

Hubby had a really good salad of fresh mozzarella cheese and tomatoes,with a pesto dressing for lunch one day. I had  a warm goat cheese salad.  Yum!
Ok, in case you think all we did was eat........We climbed the Arc de Triump one day.  That's alot of climbing!  The view from the top is amazing!  This is what the traffic looks like down around the Arc!  How crazy is that?!  There are no marked lane lines, so it is basically a free for all.  And they drive fast.  Very fast!  Here's another view from the top.

We lucked out with beautiful weather the entire time.  It was really sunny & warm each day!  This was at a cute little flower shop across the rue from our hotel.  Love the galvanized buckets!

I love taking pictures of all the neat signs, even if I don't always know what they say!!  And I love how every cafe and bistro has their menu posted on a chalk board!

One day we took a train about 1/2 hour outside of Paris to Chateau de Chantilly.  Can you imagine living in this??!! 


More pretty flowers at a market.

Ok, hubby would kill me if he knew that I posted this picture!! He saw this apron in a shop and just had to try it on!!

Thanks for letting me share some of our pictures!  I will share more with you later this week, including some of the goodies that I bought.  Our suitcases were really full! We had a wonderful time, and have lots of great memories, but it feels so good to be back home to enjoy some of the things I missed:  curling up on the couch at night with our cute little dog, cream in my coffee this morning (they never serve cream, only milk!), seeing all my flowers in bloom, our quiet back yard & birds, our comfy bed, and hubbies anti-snore pillow (enough said about the last one!!).
I am linking this to:
le chateau des fleurs French Obsession Party  
and No. 504 Main for a Tickled Pink party!

11 comments:

Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal said...

Wow, beautiful pictures. Looks like a fabulous trip. I'd love to go some time. The food looks so good! Now I'm hungry.
Anti snore pillow? Doesn't help that much? I have one of those too, snorers that is!

Olga Poltava said...

Thank you for sharing your experience in Paris with us. Wonderful pictures. And all that food! I'm so jealous of your trip. I'm looking forward to see more pictures and goodies you got in Paris.

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

My dream is to go to Paris and I am always thrilled when someone else gets to experience Paris. You and your husband look so happy, love the photo of him in the apron. LOL!

Thanks for showing us your photos, can't wait to see more.

hugs
Sissie

Herbgirl said...

Oh my....PARIS! How wonderful of an opportunity. I got to go last summer for the first time and it is still sinking in that I was in Paris, France! Merci for your visit on my lavender post. I am in zone 5 also. My favorite variety is Royal Velvet Lavender. I get it at a local herb farm that has so many varites to choose from. Royal velvet is a very rich, darker purple color and dries so pretty. In the Fall, I prune it like the video shows then in the Spring I cut it back a little more and them it grows in a nice mounded shape. I never cover it for the winter. Lavender will last several years but usually not more than 6-7 years or so. Good Luck with yours!
Hugs N Herbal Blessings, Mandy

Karen said...

Great pictures! Looks like you had a wonderful time. I look forward to seeing more of your trip to Paris.
Muy bueno... oops! Wrong language.
Karen
Ladybug Creek

Jeannie B. said...

It looks like you had a dream of a good time. It would be a dream for me to go!

Tracie~MyPetiteMaison said...

What fun you had and the food is delicious in France for certain, as well as the wine! I love Coke Light, it's like Pepsi Light back in the old days to me. Thank you for sharing the photos, it's so nice you can travel abroad easily because of your hubby's job. Au revoir
~Tracie

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful trip...I went to Florence and Rome last year at about this time. Long flight from the midwest, but so worth it! A once in a lifetime trip. The history is incredible, isn't it?

Unknown said...

HAHAHA You are funny!
The food looks amazing!!!. I love how you describe it....I just drooled LOL. Awesome post. I love your trip...So much fun!
Thank you for linking to French Obsession :)
XOXO
Frenchy

Lorrie said...

Oh, Paris. I've been three times and could go every year. There's such a wonderful atmosphere in that beautiful city!

Holly Lefevre said...

You make me want to go back to Paris...I did not truly appreciate it when I was there (I have an unpublished post about the trip...I am a bad traveler). You climbed the Arc de Triomphe...I am impressed...we did not do that...we climb the first part of the Eiffel Tower and then wised up. Sounds like a lovely time...thanks for sharing and linking up with Tickled Pink last week.