The sky is white on this very quiet Sunday. It looks like it could snow—although I don’t really think its cold enough for anything more than flurries.
The house has pretty much been decorated. And this year I’m keeping it simple and understated. Actually, I’ve never gone overboard but I’m cutting back a bit this year.
Come on in! Don’t be a stranger! Come see how the house looks!
Are you a fan of the rustic look? This year I’m sticking to a rustic and casual theme!
The tree is lit up..
The stairways are lit up too..and festooned with the burlap ribbon and greens. Simple but nice.
I would have made more big bows, but I can’t find my Bowdabra. I may go out and buy another one! I friggin’ love my Bowdabra and fear that a certain someone threw it out! I need it for wrapping the gifts!
Selfish me–but I miss my kids terribly this time of year. I pick Oona up at the airport on the 21st. I’m counting the minutes. Oh. We’ll most likely get into an argument within the first half hour of driving back home.And after arguing, we’ll make up and cuddle with tea and a Hallmark Christmas Movie! My new favorite is Family For Christmas! And the boys arrive on Christmas Eve. I’m excited!!!!!!!
FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS – An investigative journalist finds herself wondering what would have been had she stayed with the love of her life instead of pursuing a career. With some Christmas magic, she wakes up one morning as a wife to her former love, and mother of two girls. Though initially baffled by her new stay-at-home mom life, she navigates the comical day-to-day challenges of the suburbs and discovers all the love, family and Christmas spirit that she had been missing. Faced with the question of what “having it all” really means, she realizes that being part of a family may be even more fulfilling than her glamorous career. Photo: Tyron Leitso, Lacey Chabert. Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Cate Cameron
Read the synopsis under the photo. I’m telling you, this movie is Oscar-worthy in my book!
But back to the decor. I’ve been told to stop with the pillows. I can’t…
My favorite corner of the house. The sunroom. It’s not too sunny today but my pillows make me happy!
Dressing this OVERPRICED Ethan Allen sofa isn’t helping the looks of it. After Christmas we are having it re-stuffed.
This is what all those throw blankets are for. Chippy is a sofa dog. He will be in this position all afternoon. Oh. He’ll get up every so often to look out the window, then he’ll go right back into this position.
See how this rustic pillow ties into the casual theme? This pillow was a great find last year at Home Goods!
See the two green pillows? They were five bucks each at Primark. I snuck them into the house a few weeks ago!
Our little club chair in the downstairs family room does not go ignored by the pillow decor–or throw!
Even the downstairs guest room gets a touch of Christmas..
Poinsettias are the greatest and most inexpensive way to decorate. Four dollars each at Walmart. YES. Walmart!
..and the smaller ones are $2.22 each! I made Salted Caramel Nuts yesterday and another batch earlier this morning. Four jars full are now up on shelves that I can’t reach. The temptation is too much for me and I haven’t given up on my weight loss!
This is about as “over-the-top” as the decorating gets. Two Irish Santas, a little Irish Banshee from Madame Alexander, two snow globes, some evergreens and more poinsettias. Looks like Chippy got off the sofa for a minute!
More greens and more poinsettias on the top of the cupboard!
I also like little touches throughout the house. Like this red platter..
..and a cute bowl for the remotes!
Christmas mitts and a pot holder..
…more stuff…
..and my little red hen sitting on a wreath!
Seriously-Bonaparte doesn’t get into it. At all. And I’m left to my own devices to decorate the tree. It was different when I had the kids to help me. And even when they would get bored after ten minutes, there was always hot cocoa and cookies, Christmas music and their favorite Christmas movies to keep them entertained while I took over adorning the tree.
This time I got bored after twenty minutes and left a great number of ornaments back in the plastic bin.
I did manage, though to put some wonderfully memorable ornaments on the tree.
I do not care how old and damaged these hand made decorations are or get. They will always hang on my tree! The kids made them with love!
I can always travel back to Paris whenever I see this ornament..
And this ornament always brings me back to Roman’s guitar lessons..
This year’s Starbucks ornament. I’ve amassed quite the collection over the years..
I’m amazed at the condition of this stuffed reindeer ornament dating back to 2003. Three…no–four dogs later and still on one piece!
This Fisher Price Tick Tock clock is one of my favorites. I still remember the cute little tune that played. It just reminds me so much of when the kids were young.
And whenever I look at my beloved Barbie ornament, I am transformed to the Spring of 1960. I was five years old. It was a few months after the introduction of the original Barbie doll. I was five years old and this doll was the start of my love of all things Barbie! I remember getting the doll at Green Acres shopping center and taking her out of the box in the car on the ride home. My eyes are misting up as I read this but these ornaments bring back memories. And memories are what we are left with when the time is no longer in the present. I’ve got such happy memories with these ornaments!
..and then there’s the Moravian Star! Do you remember my adventure from LAST Christmas with the Moravian Star ornament? Let me refresh your memory (Click:) Moravian Star Post From Last Year!
And yesterday I did manage to get a bit of Christmas shopping done. Oh. And when I went to Sally Beauty to purchase my hair dye, a woman in the store stopped me to tell me that I had beautiful hair. I told her most of it was fake!
The photo is overexposed to get a better look at my bio hair blending into this wig. I just plopped the Brie wig by Vivica Fox, on top of my bio hair. I sprayed dry shampoo to get the shine out of it. Looks like the hair I was born with. A Christmas miracle!
We ended talking for a half hour. She was telling me all about her sister who lost a ton of hair due to menopause and I gave her a ton of information. I’ll tell ya, when I left that store, I was in such great holiday spirits. It’s fun when you can give helpful information to others!
Ok. I’m starting to get my Christmas Spirit back now!
Anyway, I decided to make a couple of loaves of Brioche—and since it’s been awhile that I’ve baked this delicious bread, I thought it a good thing to make a couple of practice loaves before Christmas Eve.
Hard to believe that with these eggs and the ton of butter, I’m still watching what I eat. But I am!
In the oven..
Good thing that I did! Normally I make a loaf in my Pullman pan and another one in a much smaller loaf pan. This time I used a larger pan and the loaf turned out a bit on the flatter side. Now I know for the future to use a much smaller pan when making two loaves.
The Pullman pan loaf is on the right. Perfectly risen. Perfect shape for toasting. The other loaf is on the left. I should have used a much smaller loaf pan–or better yet, I should have used my round fluted brioche pan! Duh!!!!! Oh well, it’ll make great bread pudding!
The good news is that the loaf tastes great. So, I’ll cut the bread into large cubes and make bread pudding. Never a fail!
I also made some salted caramel nuts. I figure these will be a good amuse bouche when we are having aperitifs.
This year, I’m not overdoing the food either. Next weekend I’ll bake biscotti and our dessert will be the usual Buche de Noel. But I won’t go cook crazy because there’s always a ton of stuff left over!
I’m being pragmatic! But—I’m also starting to really get my Christmas on now! And in reflecting upon what my daughter Oona suggested for Christmas 2017, I’m very touched by the suggestion she had. She suggested that next year, instead of exchanging gifts with each other, we adopt a family in need and only get them gifts. I think that is a stellar idea!
Overall, it has been a great weekend. And normally I add a song at the end of my posts. But today I’m adding something different. It’s the monologue from Friday night’s Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. At the end of the monologue, Jimmy mentions a revival of the cartoon “DuckTails” and at 3:18 of the video, DuckTails starts. MY SON ROMAN IS DOING THE SINGING!!! Proud Mom Moment! Not only is Roman a stellar Cue Card guy but he can sing!!!!!
I was really really good this week upon our return from the gluttonous three days in Paris. My only regret on the trip was that I never treated myself to chocolat chaud—and it was because I actually forgot to stop and have a cup. I was too enamored with the café crèmes!
How could I have possibly FORGOTTEN about chocolate chaud. Last year’s visit to Paris had me drinking multiples! I really have changed my eating and drinking habits!
I’m happy that I dropped another pound. Not necessarily because of the numbers, but because I’ve managed to stick to something. Will power and determination are still my motivation.
I made a promise to my feet that next weekend I will give them a proper pedicure! Almost 20 pounds lost without deprivation!
And during this Holiday Season, I shall not deprive myself but I will make small changes. One of the changes is that for the first time in many years, I will break tradition and not serve the beloved Martha Stewart Eggnog. Between the whipped cream, the heavy cream, the sugar, the eggs and the booze, it’s just too heavy.
Instead, we will have cocktail hour—or rather cocktail hours. I will be reading through my “Schiller’s Liquor Bar” series of cocktail recipes and keep everyone’s spirits bright. Yeah—empty calories will still be consumed but won’t be laden with fat!
My volume of cocktails that I will be studying. Schillers Liquor Bar series is quite the treasure chest of spirits! Notice how protective Bonaparte is of the Creme de Cassis!
I’m also cutting down on the amount of baking. But that’s another post.
With this weight loss of almost 20 pounds over the course of almost four months, it is a great feeling to be able to fit into clothing that I haven’t been able to wear in a long time. It’s fun to fit my calves into a pair of boots that I broke trying to pull the zipper up.
Three months ago, I broke the zipper pull on these overpriced Tory Burch boots. The reason being was the I could not zipper my calves into them. I cannot believe that I have a bit of room between boots and jeans now. I stopped hating these boots!
But—the article of clothing that I’ve failed to pay attention to is pretty underwear! Yeah. Sexy underwear. Feminine underwear. Pretty, lacy bras that push you up and almost defy gravity.
And the panties. Yes. The panties! Truth be told. And you know I’m going to be completely honest with you as I have no boundaries. Some of my panties have got to be, like—ten years old! I swear, I’m not kidding! They are models that I don’t even think are made anymore. Somewhere in between granny pants, high-waisted and high-cut thigh bathing suit bottoms that were popular back in the 1980’s—that’s what I have. They suck the tummy in, but they also give intense panty line. And why do I even walk around with panties that have exhibit such severe panty line that it looks like I have a four-cheeked ass!
See what I mean? Look how ill-fitting and disgusting these old, year-of-the-flood panties make my ass look. I’m a four-cheeked wonder….
And now–with the magic of the ONE pair of those panties that don’t give panty line, and a pose that would make Kim Kardashian jealous, I have a normal derriere! I give photo credit to Bonaparte-even if he tried to talk me out of taking these pics!
Why do we stop paying attention to what we are wearing under our clothing when we get older? Look—I have some nice matching sets, but they are relegated to airline flights. I figured if I wear a nice matching set and something happens to the plane and my body is sliced in two, the rescue workers can put me back together by matching my bra with my panties. Can we talk about this?
I wish I could talk to a therapist about why we stop wearing pretty underwear when we reach a certain age? Why?
I had heard many times and had read that French and other European women are really into their pretty underwear. I had proof of that last week as I decided to treat myself by purchasing a couple of bras from Princesse tam tam at Galeries Lafayette.
Buying French bras was actually quite a lovely experience..
Yes. This IS the best bra I’ve ever worn in my life. Comfortable. Great fit and just enough lift. And the color is awesome! I think I could wear this as a bathing suit top!
Still, the sales girl was perplexed when I told her I didn’t want the matching panties. I just wanted the bras. I figured I could just make do with the old and raggy panties I have at home.
And when I arrived home I spotted a pop up for the site Adore Me and went in. It was from “Adore Me’. Have you ever seen this site? It’s a site for lingerie, swimwear, active wear—and most of all, pretty, lacy, feminine, girly and womanly underwear. And the prices are very purse-friendly! At $24.95 with free shipping on the first “set”, I’m intrigued.
I’ve perused this site for over an hour last night looking at the many sets and realized that I need to treat myself more often to decent undergarments. I felt like such a voyeur—looking at young women in their underwear! Shame on me! The site wasn’t enough—I ended up following Adore me on Instagram! But the sets are so beautiful.
I felt like a voyeur–just looking at all the pretty underwear that I didn’t have made me feel so shameful. I need to do something about this right now! I need to get me more pretty underwear!
I even made a wish list—of which I will be shoving in Bonaparte’s face as a reminder of what Santa needs to bring me!
Readers. Meet Noreh. Isn’t she adorable? Oh..and the sets have exotic names too!
This is Evetta–and resembles more of what I’m used to–in a bra! I do love this set because the bra is a perfect one to wear under a t-shirt!
Elexis –I think I will make you mine because of my love for the color red! I could have used these panties before I reached the age of menopause because they would remain stain free if you know what I mean!
Surprise!! This is Paris! Can you believe it? Actually the bra looks a lot like one of the bras I purchased from Princesse tam.tam. I LOVE this set.
And completely out-of-the box for me is this corset. I would actually wear this corset as a top with skinny jeans and a black blazer. I love this. Meet Bernice–the name may not sexy but the look sure is!
And this pajama set is right up my alley. Plaid shorts.
I do have to give some major kudos to the Adore Me for including women of all sizes. It’s about time that curvy and voluptuous women get the the same beautiful undergarments and lingerie that their leaner counterparts have always had access to! It is a pleasure to see inclusion rather than exclusion….but…..
..The one thing that is lacking is photos of older women on the site. Women of all sizes and ages wear bras. And panties. And swimwear. So please don’t dismiss us. We’ve come a long way—curvy women used to be ignored and now they are celebrated. Let’s come into the home stretch by celebrating women over 50 plus! Lots of older women have bangin’ bodies! Hey—give me another ten pounds and I would pose in the sets. My only demand would be a bit of airbrushing, a stellar bikini wax, spray tan and a good makeup artist! I can supply my own wardrobe of hair!
That’s right. 60 is the new 20! And SOME of us don’t have fillers or botox (yet)…
Seriously. Older women—unite! Get the girls into some sexy underwear. And be sexy for yourself! You don’t have to impress anyone anymore! Do it for you! And while I decide which sets will make my short list, I just may treat myself to the cute 5-pair for twenty dollars panties! My derriere could use some lovin’ in the form of no panty lines!
Am I right?
Back to normal and work and here’s a sampling of what I wore this week!
Monday’s look was my favorite! Mostly because I had clean hair and only needed a smaller topper! But I’m loving these plaid skimmer pants that I ordered from J. Crew Factory. I wore them with shoes from Nine West that have been in my closet, unworn, for years. And the sweater is an old Tippi sweater from J. Crew. I love these pants–and they are lined too!
Tuesday’s look was one that I thought was fun. J. Crew Factory had a huge 40% sale and so I ordered this cute tweed skirt. I love it and it is adorable for Holiday Season. I wore a buffalo plaid shirt under another old Tippi sweater. Black and white and read. The combo is great.
Lately, I’m into pointy-toed heels with ankle pants and jeans. I wish I knew the “name” of these pants that I got years ago from J. Crew because now that they fit, I love them! A striped sweater keeps me warm in the office. My red Longchamp bag is getting lots of love from me this week!
I over slept today and threw on old J. Crew pixie pants, a plaid shirt from J. Crew Factory (BTW, I wore the unlined lace bra from Princess tam.tam today–it was perfect under this shirt because the buttons stayed put around the bust line!) A cardigan and the boots that didn’t fit for years!!! I wore my fake hair back today for a casual look–but mostly because I didn’t have time to fool around with it!
And that was my week in clothing! If you notice, I wear a lot of old clothes. I think if you stick to simple cuts and clothing that isn’t trendy, you can get many years of use from them!
Well, whadaya think? Are you in with me to start wearing more womanly underwear? I think I’ll go clean out my underwear drawer now and get rid of the really raggy stuff!!
Since I’m on a girly roll this week, how could I not play this song by Jane Birkin “Apocolypstick”? What a title! What a singer! What a girly!!
I’m not going to lie. The last day in Paris—no matter how long or short the visit, can be daunting and angst-ridden. Actually, I can be pretty cranky on those last days of trips– only because I don’t want to leave. And I was pretty cranky at one point today.
But read on and we’ll get to my royal crankiness later—which was well-deserved.
On this last day, we woke up early. We decided to pack at this moment because it would be better than rushing either during the evening or tomorrow morning. Luckily, I literally lived in the same clothes for the past three days, so packing was a non-issue for me. Bonaparte carefully cut the canvasses from the paintings he claimed from his family and even more carefully, packed them away.
We enjoyed our last breakfast—or rather, our last petit déjeuner at Café Buci. We didn’t go far from the neighborhood.
Not too much time spent in the cold–the cafe is just around the corner from the hotel!
I’m a sucker for a tiled floor like this. Cafe Buci has a ton of character..
Isn’t the interior inviting? It was a great place to wind up our last morning..
And there’s plenty of reading material to chose from while drinking your coffee. I wanted to deface the magazine cover of Mailorderbride but Bonaparte put a stop to it! I’m a revolutionary!
Our plan for the day was to head over to the 5th arrondissement and over to Rue du Cardinal Lemoine. There is a small passage named after Bonaparte’s grandfather, Jacques-Henri Lartigue and he wanted to get a few photos. What actually prompted this was one of my blogging friends who happened to be in Paris, took a photo of the plaque and refreshed Bonaparte’s memory! I thought it was cool, too, because Hemingway lived at 45 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine—just a few feet away from the passage.
It was cool to see this plaque honoring Bonaparte’s grandfather in real life!
..a closer view. I think we’ll get this blown up and framed. It’ll be cool!
The weather was still cold and so we headed out despite the wintry blast. And it was so cold for Bonaparte that he decided we should cab it over to the passage.
Also in the day’s plan was a visit to Bonaparte’s nephew’s office. There were a few paintings that had been stored at the gallery; and he was given a chance to look through the works of art to see which ones he would want to bring home. This was a well thought process.
The two men corresponded with each other and were to meet at 11:30 in the morning.
I’ll get back to this in a moment.
The office was pretty far away from where we were. And so, I had my very first experience on the Paris Metro. Strange as it may seem, and in the more than 14 times I’ve been to Paris, I had never, ever been on the metro. We always had the use of a car. Or we walked.
Look! My very first Metro tickets. And yes, I saved them!!
A certain someone did not like the metro. Whereas I loved traveling underground in the NYC Subway system for years and years—underground is the quickest way to get where you are going.
Lookit this!! What’s not to love? The lighting is so much better than in the NYC subway! Oh..and yet, another puffy coat!
More Metro! And more puffy attire!
What I found fascinating about the metro was that it was pretty darn clean! And—the maps were very easy to read. Maybe I was spoiled with the ease and comfort of the Subway when I lived in Manhattan, but I wish we had taken the Metro years ago. This was a great discovery for me!
Ok. Back to the “meeting”. We showed up at Nephew’s office at 11:30 AM. We rang the doorbell. No answer. We waited a while. And then Bonaparte rang the doorbell. Again. No answer. I could feel my blood boiling.
Bonaparte used my phone to call his nephew. No answer. He left a message.
We left the office.
Bonaparte was incredibly disappointed and a bid sad. I was a cranky, angry, pissed off madwoman!
And I would not keep quiet about it.
How friggin’ selfish and self-centered can one person be—and I’m not talking about me this time. I’m talking about the Nephew. Plans are made for a relative to fly from the USA all the way to Paris, France. Time is of the essence because Uncle B. has only three days to squeeze in family business and pleasure. Uncle B. doesn’t get to even see his family except for the times when he comes to Paris. AND HIS SPOILED, ENTITLED OVERGROWN NEPHEW CAN’T EVEN MAKE THE TIME TO VISIT WITH HIS OWN BLOOD—HIS UNCLE—AFTER THIS MEETING WAS SET IN STONE??
NOTE: I am NOT speaking of his cousin who directed the movie. This is another relative. I want to set the record straight!
I had a meltdown in the streets of Paris. Many versions of the “eff” word came rolling off my tongue. My head spun around like Linda Blair’s in The Exorcist. My crossed-eyes straightened out then crossed again! Livid doesn’t even describe the true way I felt.
Oh..and I was validated because later on Nephew called and made up some sorry-ass excuse that he was at the radio station at an interview. Which proves that he could care less about his uncle who flew over the Atlantic to meet with him.
All his nephew had to do was call and cancel the meeting. But to shrug the meeting off with no word is so rude and disrespectful that I. Can’t. Even.
Bonaparte, being the much better person than I am, pulled me to the side of the street where I was now speaking in tongues. He gently and calmly said ” Cassee. Eez ahr lass day ‘ere”. “Ou nid to let ziz go.” “Are you gon’ to be ma’d awl day?”
Still crazed, eyes half shut, I looked up and uttered “oui.”
After I saw the look in his eyes, I came back down to earth. His eyes looked sad. He was deeply upset that his nephew wrote him off. I was not going to make matters worse.
And with that, I grabbed his arm and we went back into the Metro! We were on our way to see the decorations and do some shopping at Galeries Lafayette!
We were entertained while we rode the train—first, by an accordionist playing old-school French songs and then by a jazz musician playing his trumpet. I can get to really enjoy this French version of the subway very quickly!
Before we arrived at Galeries Lafayette, we stopped off at La Vaissellerie.
I’ve been to other locations of this fun store. It’s a great place to get dishes and mugs and just tons of fun stuff!
THIS is the place to bring back little souvenirs for your friends. Check out the mugs..
Look at the piles of plates on the floor. This is a very dangerous place for me to be in–but it is one of those stores that you can roam around in for a long time!
Bonaparte’s daughter had asked if we could pick up a small gift for his granddaughter’s French teacher. La Vaissellerie is a mix of kitchen stuff, cookware, and kitch. Its great! We picked up a cheese holder and were on our way. Due to my clumsy ability and my gift of bumping into things, Bonaparte wanted me out of that store as quickly as possible. The longer we stayed, the better my chances were of breaking something!
Galeries Lafayette is an incredibly cool and unique store. The departments are actually smaller galleries divided up within larger departments.
I gasped at the price of the beautiful leather belts at this galerie, Faufe Le Page. I’ll have to stick to J. Crew for now!
It’s very pragmatic if you ask me.
From one of the upper tiers. You can’t pass up a view like this!
This year’s Christmas Tree under the domed roof!
See the little tram? It kept going from side to side. It was so much fun to watch!
..and then there is the ferris wheel!
A closer view. Any closer and I would have fallen through the Chanel counter!
The decorations were incredibly elaborate but yet a bit simple in that everything was done in white. It made the lighting beautiful.
White paper ornaments hanging from the ceiling..
Change color with the lighting..
..and go on and on and on..
It was decided that since it was so cold, I would forego my shopping on Rue de Rennes and just bask in the warm toastiness of this magnificent store!
On the top floor, we were able to take a photo overlooking the Sacre Coeur..
..I’m so happy that the camera’s zoom did not let me down. Can you believe this photo was taken from a department store window?
A bit of Christmas shopping and a treat for me.
I’ll be placing MY tam tams into..
These beauties. Surprisingly, the cream colored lacy number isn’t padded but it is constructed so well that nothing sags!
I stopped at the Princesse Tam.Tam galerie and picked up a couple of bras. I’ve heard how great French lingerie is but never bothered with any purchases. I can honestly tell you, these bras are great. The fit is fantastic and my girls are appreciating these laced wonders!
We left the store (And look at that–more puffy coats!)…but not without taking…
Photos of the outside window displays..all white and..
…stunning and..
..beautiful!
By the time we left Galeries Lafayette, it was late afternoon—and since the days are significantly shorter, the sun was starting to set on this last day.
We cabbed it back to the hotel for a little rest and to get ready for our last dinner!
But wait! Before we rested, we managed to browse around Gibert Jeune and pick up a few books..
I laughed a bit too loud while looking at this book–it’s hysterically funny. But the illustrations are what makes it! Any woman who has ever had a fail will love this book!
We also stopped at a used CD and DVD store that we frequent. I picked up an inexpensive Juliette Greco CD. I’ve been listening to it in my car instead of Christmas music!
I needed pens and another journal so we made a stop here at Buci News..
Had I not been so hungry, I could have spent all night here. Look at all these ornaments..
But this–THIS-was by far, the greatest Christmas decoration I’ve ever seen. A certain Frenchman would not allow the purchase. He said he would never allow such a thing in the house. I’m currently searching for this online!
Yohan was picking us up at 8AM the next morning and we figured an early dinner would be best for us. Reservations were at 7:30 PM. And we had a nice little walk across Pont Neuf and onto Place Dauphine.
One of our favorite restaurants in Paris. Going to Paris? Save the number and address and enjoy a great meal!
Restaurant Paul never fails to please. We’ve had many dinners there over the years. In summer enjoying our meals outdoors and watching the activity on Place Dauphine. In the winter, nestled in a banquette or table in the warmth of the dining area.
Yum. Yum. Carbs were my friend at this dinner. The bread was great..
But first were our Kir Royals!
My artsy dinner collage. From top left. Potatoes that I’ve duplicated at home. Oh..they are so gooood. Escargot. Next–quite possibly THE best appetizer of all time. Fricassee of escargot with a mushroom cream sauce topped with a foam. It’s the second time I’ve had this and was thrilled it was still on the menu. Dessert was french toast with baked apple slices and a caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. I had the lamb with polenta and Bonaparte had steak topped with foie gras. Yeah. It was a great meal!
The food here is always consistently good. And better than good. The menu is small and there aren’t a lot of choices. The menu pretty much stays the same. And trust me, that is a great thing.
I am a member of the clean plate club. And I am not ashamed!
The staff is always so professional and pleasant and it is nice to see the same faces welcoming you year after year, time after time.
We toasted our trip and enjoyed our meal!
Bonaparte was so excited about the food that he couldn’t even focus the camera to take a photo of me. Um..WHO’S YOUR GRANDDADDY????
And afterwards, we took a slow walk back to the hotel!
Night time along the Pont Neuf..
I sure hope that boat was heated!
Yohan—the best cab driver in Paris, showed up promptly at a few minutes before eight in the morning to drive us to the airport.
We left Paris just as the city was about to wake up. The sun was rising and greeting us as we bid Au Revoir Paris once again.
So long for now!! See you next time!
This was a great visit. We had closure. Bonaparte was able to move on. We enjoyed each other as we did a bit of everything and absolutely nothing! We enjoyed seeing Hugo’s film “Demain tout Commence” and are thrilled with the success the film will bring to him! We enjoyed our little adventures. And—I learned that tantrums just aren’t worth the energy!
Some more shopping at the airport and we were on our way back home. And imagining our next trip back!
..more Christmas Shopping and…
I DID take a photo of the Eiffel Tower!!
The menu for economy. Air France may strike quite often but they know how to service the travelers!
I went vegan with cous cous and veg. Note to American Airlines–are you looking at this???
Regardless of what you may read in magazines or books. Or what you will see in fancy advertisements, Paris is just a non-pretentious city. Her inhabitants are not all chic and elegant. They wear puffy coats and jackets. They love tacky Christmas Markets. They eat fattening street food. They have an open mind about cemeteries!
So seriously, if you have never been to Paris, don’t be intimidated by the smoke and mirrors and the perfection of those you read about during fashion week. Those things are just a tiny part. The big picture is a wonderful, historic, beautiful, lovely, charming, art-filled visual. It is glittery and gritty at the same time. Paris welcomes all. And you don’t have to have a plan to enjoy it! Let the City guide you. Wander. Discover. You are bound to find something fun and memorable!
And thank you for reading about our three-day in Paris. Sometimes I get long-winded but there’s always something to write about. You CAN have a great time without cramming every museum and sight in.
On this last day, I’m ending the post with one of the most beautiful songs ever! From “Notre Dame de Paris”. The three men from the original cast: Garou, Daniel Lavoie, and Patrick Fiori singing “Belle”. You’ll get chills up your spine! (Momcat—you’ll love this again!)
We slept like two little babies on our first night. Perhaps it was due to the fact we were awake for over 24 hours. Or more likely it was due to the fact that we are both extremely lazy people and all that walking tired our bodies out. Doesn’t matter though because we woke up refreshed and full of energy.
At 7:30 in the morning, the sky was still a bit dark and the sun hadn’t fully risen. The days really are shorter in Paris!
Today’s agenda was light. A visit to Montparnasse Cimetière to see Danièle, and without the Porto I wanted to share with her. We would be meeting Jean Denis and Marie at the cemetery. I guess Bonaparte didn’t want them to know how truly twisted I am! He also most likely did not want me drinking Porto early in the day! Also on our agenda was to stop by Zazi Films to pick up some family paintings and the invite to the Avant Premiere of “Demain Tout Commence”. And lastly, attending the film’s premiere later in the evening.
However, the most important and biggest must, was a morning trip to my mecca of skincare and beauty. My girly heaven. My favorite shop in Paris—CityPharma!
Armed with well-rested feet, two small cameras and a cell phone, we hit the pavement in search of….basically whatever came before us!
And today, armed with a trench coat over my blazer. This was my three-day uniform!
Our first stop was up the street to Rue Bonaparte and the corner of Rue Jacob. After all, we did need to fuel our bodies the way we load up our cars with gas or petrol! Funny thing, this walking around. For years—and I mean years, we passed by the bistrot on this corner of Rues Bonaparte and Jacob and never entered. We were always driving.
Elegant and discreetly decorated trees stood where customers would normally be seated during warmer months at Le Pré aux Clercs.
This morning would prove different and have us wondering just why we never stopped before. Le Pré aux Clercs is a charming place to stop and have a quick breakfast. We had café crème at the counter, and Bonaparte had his usual croissant. The service was great. The café crèmes were strong and the price was incredibly cheap. 3€ per cup. We were fully loaded and ready to take off.
Better than my beloved Starbucks, the cafe creme at Le Pre aux Clercs was delicious, strong and dirt cheap. Look how pretty the cup is. Look how lovely my morning beverage is served!
A sign of the cold weather –tables and chairs stacked indoors..
Lonely for now, but come summer these chairs will long to be back inside.
….and the cafe is beautifully embellished for Christmas!
The walk to City Pharma was easy and casual; and along the way we found some entertaining photo ops!
Is this not the most beautiful window display of all time? Proof that despite the tackiness of yesterdays Christmas Marche, true elegance is created in Paris! I am having this photo that I took blown up and framed!
A more creative window display at a gallery. When you have nothing to wear in Paris you go with the flow. I though the sculpture on the far left was a real person. I was willing to give her my coat!
I was moved to tears of joy when we spotted this on an exterior wall of a building off of Rue Bonaparte. Yet another reason to love the French! #jamaistrump
Laduree all dressed up in Christmas greenery!
A bustling scene…
A hotel named after guess who!
I love the way the shops are so elegantly decorated!
I also found two more Wallace Fountains! One was directly in front of the school that Bonaparte attended when growing up. When I asked him why he never mentioned there was a Wallace Fountain in front of the building he just shrugged and said “Eh. I nev-ahr no-ee-zt eet“.
I find it amazing that Bonaparte went to school at the site of this Wallace Fountain. But then again, Bonaparte doesn’t like water–he drinks only wine!
So much for the French being nonchalant!
This really IS “old school” in every way!
The second Wallace Fountain of the day was at Place Saint-Sulpice..
Attention to detail. Saint-Sulpice is being cleaned. Check out how clean the left-hand side of the church is compared to the middle.
More decorated trees on the street…
..and more. And I remain fascinated that nobody vandalizes them!
And as we made our way up Rue Bonaparte it came into view. My one and only important shopping venture. CityPharma!
Ladies. It is virtually impossible to NOT be able to find CityPharma. As all roads lead to Rome, in Paris–all roads lead to CityPharma!
Be still my heart. When I arrive at the corner of Rue Bonaparte and Rue du Four I become overwhelmed!
Those sly devils at CityPharna have little display bins at ever corner–temptation abound!
Aisles upon aisles of the best prices on all items skin care!
Look at this intelligent packaging. Open the box and instructions how to properly apply this cream! I want to marry this.
Some of my CityPharma haul. Bonaparte needed Advil because he had a headache from the throngs of women in CityPharma..
Look! Hot Toddy makings in a jar. I love this place!
At 4 euros, I’ve never seen Patchouli oil this inexpensive. At home, the cheapest I’ve seen it is ten bucks or more. You know I bought this–I love the scent of patchouli oil!
On the way out, I mentioned to Bonaparte that if I lived in Paris, I would be at CityPharma every day. The woman, who was on the line behind me, was also behind me when I said this. She nudged me, winked, smiled and was on her way. We understood each other!
We passed by Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Pres, last time we were here was for Daniele’s funeral. Looks like the church has started to be cleaned, the tower is nice and bright!
Our walk to Montparnasse was brisk—mostly because it was still rather cold. And I thanked the Lord that I wore a thick fake hair because it kept my head warm!
Say bonjour to my little French friend. I asked him his name and he looked at me, shrugged his little shoulders and said “Le Woof”.
We were to meet Jean Denis and Marie at the cimetiere at noon. And we arrived three minutes to so we sat on a sun-drenched bench while our French counterparts arrived exactly on time.
Resting my feet. Again. I would have died without these boots. They were both warm AND comfortable.
Off to see Danièle, and her husband, Yves Robert, the four of us walked merrily up the path that led to the graves. Oh..and I do mean merrily. We were laughing and remembering funny things about Daniéle rather than going to visit her in a somber and depressing way!
Jean Denis gave us buttons to place on his dad’s side of the grave. In remembrance of the film “La Guerre des Boutons” one of Yves Robert’s most famous movies.
This was also a chance for Bonaparte to visit with his favorite cousin, Zazi.
I need to say something here. You don’t know what fun is until you’ve gone to a French cimetière. Seriously. I am fully aware of those who seek intellectual stimulation by visiting the graves of really, really smart people like Jean-Paul Sartre. But after our visit with Danièle, we took on a more “joie de vivre” outlook at the resting place of the dead.
We went on a little tour of the headstone sculptures!
This is definitely museum quality sculpture. They just don’t make headstones like this anymore! (SMH)
I was a bit disappointed that the family of Andre Citroen didn’t have a headstone of a Citroen car to watch over their spirits!
“If there is paradise, paradise will exist only if I am welcomed there by my dogs and cats”. Proof that the Sigre family not only loved their pets, but they had a sense of humor as well!
I have no idea what this means….
..but I can tell you, hands down, THIS is the best cemetery sculpture of all time. All. Time.
I was so enamored and fascinated by Charles Pigeon’s family grave that I wanted to get in between Mr. and Mrs. P and cuddle with them. Oh if I lived in Paris, I would show up with some strong cleanser and make this grave spankin’ clean and sparkling! This deserves an award!
Living people come here to sit on a bench and enjoy a good book—or a bagged lunch to dine al fresco—or just to sit and reflect and even to enjoy the museum-quality sculptures that date back to 1824. In Paris and want to perfect your skill as a flaneur or flaneuse? Visit either Montparnasse or Père Lachaise cemetaries. They are pretty lively places and you won’t find any deadbeats—except those who’ve passed on—and most of them are pretty entertaining!
We spent many late afternoons at this gallery…
..the walls filled with various works of art and now it was our final closure–and that was a good thing!
After a couple of hours perusing the many artful headstones and family graves, we headed over to the Galerie Andre Girard. After Danièle’s death, it was decided to close the gallery. And seeing it empty was our last sign of closure. We came to terms that our future visits to Paris would be completely different with her passing. She gave us subtle signs that we really needed to move on.
Although not a Michelin star restaurant, this bistrot was a perfect place to enjoy lunch.
And move on we did! To a light lunch at “le Lithographe Bistrot” on Blvd . Raspail. Because we drank an enormous amount of wine the night before at Jean Denis’ and Marie’s, we passed on the red and went for regular tap water—which was fine. Bonaparte and I both had Croque Monsieurs. Marie had a quiche and salad, and Jean Denis ate ultra-light with a bit of cheese topped with honey—he was having a colonoscopy the next day! (Which was very successful—he’s in fine health!)
I happened to enjoy this Croque Monsieur because it wasn’t greasy. I’ll worry about my weight when I get home…
The quiche and salad looked very appetizing!
Even though I’m not a condiment person–and I cannot stand ketsup, I thought this was a much better presentation of the red stuff than a basic Heinz bottle.
More jolt fuel after lunch and we were ready to bust a move!
We discussed life in Paris vs. life in America, real estate and Hugo’s films. I don’t know what it is but whenever we are with Jean Denis and Marie we just have a really great time! If Bonaparte and I lived in Paris, I know we would be spending a lot of fun times with them!
Bonaparte’s feet were really cold at this point and he decided to cab it to the office of Zazi Films. A chance stroke of luck was found in the form of Yohan—the owner of the G-7 cab!! Young and very French looking with glasses and that hipster stubble, Bob Marley tunes were giving me a feeling of summertime! Bonaparte asked Yohan if he would mind waiting for us as we would not be long—we would be carrying paintings with us that would prove nearly impossible to walk with. Our cab waited and drove us back.
..made a stop at Zazi films to pick up paintings and an invite while our cab driver waited!
We asked Yohan if we could reserve him to take us to the Rex theatre later that evening and he did. We also made arrangements with Yohan to take us to the airport on Wednesday morning. We now have his number and we have a cabbie that is completely dependable!
If you are ever in Paris and need the number of a reputable cab driver, let me know and I’ll give you Yohan’s number!
I was still too wound up to rest so I decided to go over to Rue Dauphine and do a little shopping…
What a discovery! A new shop on Rue Dauphine named after my daughter! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything that I thought she would like.
And after a bit of unsuccessful shopping, I headed back for a bit of a rest with Bonaparte.
Time for a half-hour rest in the comfy hotel bed!
Time to get ready for the Avant Premiere. I had originally planned on wearing a killer pair of red heels. But because of all the walking we did, my feet were kind of sore—and I kept my now old faithful suede thigh high boots.
Yohan was on time to pick us up and we headed over to The Rex theatre for what would be my first experience at a French film premiere!
This old theatre is massive. Massive!
It’s hard for me to describe the emotions of being at this Avant Premiere without my sounding like a self-centered connasse. But—I am self-centered. I am the center of my universe and I love and enjoy being the center of attention at all times. When I am not the center of attention, I am forlorn, and saddened. This is why Bonaparte is just so perfect for me. He brings me back to earth and keeps me grounded!
My ability to stalk seek stars is unfounded. This is why my son Roman doesn’t want me at tapings of Fallon or Saturday Night Live. This is why my son Jake does not want me anywhere near his job at 30 Rock for NBC news. This is why both boys are thankful that the security at 30 Rock keeps people like their loving mother away from them at all costs during the work day.
I can’t for the life of my understand why BestImage or PurePeople didn’t ask ME to pose on the red carpet. I feel so persona-non-great-ah! Bonaparte’s cousin, Hugo, is on the far right. I think this movie is going to keep him busy as a director for a long, long time!
My delusions had moi thinking that I would be walking the red carpet for this film. Oh yes! I envisioned me posing in front of the “Demain tout Commence” backdrop. Maybe with my ass squeezed into tight jeans I was wearing facing the many photographers and looking back over my shoulders blowing a kiss to them while tousling my fake hair toward the fans of those who have absolutely no idea who I am.
I was shoved into the theatre with the masses. They, in their puffy coats and me in my j. crew trench. As I showed our invitation to the usher, I was certain that we would be seated next to the actor Pierre Ninney (who in real life is a lot smaller than he appears on screen). But rather, we were relegated to seats in the side rows. I was crushed.
I will say this–the seats in the Rex were the most comfortable I’ve ever sat in!
When I explained my emotional distress to Bonaparte, he seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief and comfort—as though he was actually happy that we were sent to the bowels of the theatre! He seemed even more at ease when I was upset at him for not pointing out my favorite actress Mathilde Seigner to me. He knew very well that I had a mental script planned for my delusional first meeting with her. I would tap her on the shoulder and say “Ms. Seigner. I love you. You are my favorite actress. Can you tell your brother-in-law Roman Polanski that MY son Roman is named after him?” “Ms. Seigner!” “Wait!” “Please don’t run away from me like that!!!” “We could be best friends!!” “Mathilde!”
I don’t know if I can ever forgive Bonaparte from keeping me from bothering, annoying, introducing myself to the great Mathilde Segnier!
Despite my delusions, we had a terrific evening and it was a great experience. Before the film, Bonaparte’s cousin, Hugo Gelin ran up onstage with the cast and was entertaining and endearing as he spoke. I’ll admit, I would have loved to be on that stage, but the cast was adorable and Omar Sy—I am so in love with him and his mega-watt smile!
Scenes like this were just so …HAPPY!! I really want to see this film again–and again–and again!
The film was great. Completely feel-good. It was mostly French language with parts spoken in English and for the most part, the movie was easy to follow without the use of subtitles.
Have a look at the trailer..and Omar Sy’s mega-watt smile!
In a nutshell, Clemence Poesy (remember her as Eva, Chuck Bass’s girlfriend on Gossip Girl?) gifts wild boy Omar Sy with their baby daughter, of whom he has no knowledge of. She abandons the baby with him. And Sy and adorable daughter embark on a new life in London!
This movie is so family-friendly and adorable without being saccharine. Hugo did a wonderful job directing this great little comedy-drama. “Demain tout Commence” opens in theatres throughout France on December 7th. It is supposed to open world-wide—which means coming stateside. And I hope it does because everyone with a heart needs to see this. I know that the title in English is “Two is a Family” but I’m fond of “Demain tout Commence” because it was Danièle’s favorite saying “Tomorrow it Begins”.
I am so in love with Omar Sy..and this movie. Go see it. You will thank me! Don’t forget to bring tissues!
When the film ended, we were able to congratulate Hugo. OMG, he was in his element and beaming with happiness. It was so wonderful to see someone so happy. Bonaparte was extremely proud of him.
By this time it was midnight. And we were hungry. And cold. It was Bonaparte’s idea to walk up a few blocks to get a cab because the area of the theatre was still drawing a huge crowd. We should have called Yohan!
So we get a cab and out of nowhere, two men come up to us screaming that we “took” their cab. Since I’m not very nice and sweet when I’m incredibly hungry, I got my New Yawk on and loudly shouted at them to “get the (insert “eff” word here) outta my way!” The cab driver must have understood New York English because he had quite the laugh. Bonaparte had nothing to say. I’m sure he was mortified at my behavior. But, hey, he was nice and toasty in that cab!
OK so here is where there is a difference between New York City and Paris–despite being a late city during the summer months, Paris closes a bit earlier during the hibernation of late fall throughout winter. We gave up on finding a place to eat and had the cab driver drop us off at Place Saint-Michel. Our dinner would be take-away from one of the snack stands at the entrance of Rue Saint-André-des-Arts.
But lo and behold, as we made our way from Place Saint-Michel, a vision stood before me at Place Saint-André des Arts. Another Wallace Fountain! I was thrilled and immediately took a photo.
Three Wallace Fountains in one day! How great is this???
When Bonaparte asked me how could I have passed through Place Saint-André-des-Arts for years and not have noticed this fountain, I shrugged and said ” Eh” “I never noticed it”.
Oh the nonchalant ways of those who think they are French but are not. That would be me!
Our dinner this evening was a kind of French version of street food. Au Pt’it Snack. The greatest cheap eats on Rue Saint-André-des-Arts. I had the lamb sandwich. Bonaparte had the Gyro—extra sauce. And yes—we’ve enjoyed food from this place in the past!
If you want cheap eats–this is the place. It’s great for anyone on a budget or who isn’t a foodie to grab a filling meal!
Monsieur Pt’it Snack was happy to feed me and make me not so pt’it!
I’ll just have one of everything please!
A full stomach. A fun premiere. A great film. Hanging at the cemetery with the dearly departed. Overall another great day of nuthin’ and everything!
To be continued….
An appropriate song for Day Number Two could only be Edith Piaf’s tribute to Paris—Padam, Padam!
Bonaparte and I have returned from a three-day in Paris. Why only three days? Well, I’m working now and getting time off from work isn’t easy. In addition, due to the change of flight plans last summer because of one of many Air France strikes, we had a credit that had to be used by December 28th. It all worked out because we were able to see the premiere of “Demain tout Commence”, a film that Bonaparte’s cousin directed. Bonaparte was also able to take care of some family business and I was able to hone in on my skills as a flaneuse.
Our personal invite to the Avant Premiere at the Rex theatre. It was fun! But this film was so damned great! You’ll read more about it on “Day Two”! I will say that I am in love with Omar Sy!
So grab a café crème. Or a cuppa tea. Or a nice stiff drink and come along with me on my latest visit to my favorite city—Paris! (I’ll be adding some tips for you too!)
The weather was nice and sunny as we made our way from Philadelphia to JFK airport in New York. We gave ourselves a ton of time because it was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. And while children may have visions of sugarplums this time of year, I had visions of backed-up traffic on the PA Turnpike, the NJ Turnpike and the Belt Parkway.
Oh yay. We were quite lucky as we exited the Verrazano Bridge to the Belt. No traffic. At all!
TIP: If you live in the tri-state area and are traveling to France or any other country in Europe, think about flying from JFK. The flights are cheaper and the long-term parking is a steal at less than twenty bucks a day!
Luckily, we hit no traffic whatsoever and made it to JFK in record time. This gave us plenty of time to find a great parking spot just feet from the Howard Beach Station for the AirTrain.
Travel tip! Wanna remember where you parked? Take pictures!!! I took a photo of the station where we parked our car for long-term parking. I also took a photo of the row we were in. Makes life just a little bit easier!
The airport was empty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any airport this desolate during the daytime! Checking in was a cinch and stress-free.
I honestly do not know where all the passengers on our booked flight came from because this is basically what JFK’s terminal looked like. Nobody there!
And then there was the plane. We were on an Airbus……. And the plane was packed. I know why. This was the smoothest and quietest plane ride I’ve ever been on. And the service was incredible. But more about that on my return home.
We were on the top section of the plane and it was, hands down, the smoothest flight I’ve ever been on!
We arrived at CDG after a restful and comfortable flight. We both slept. And that meant a full day of walking around the City. Sunday morning at the airport was quiet and reality slapped us in the face as we approached the customs line. It was long and still not as bad as the lines in the summer. Besides, after exiting and heading to the baggage claim area, Bonaparte’s massive suitcase was waiting for us!
The cab ride into City Centre was great. No traffic. I swear we need to land in Paris on Sunday morning from now on.
It’s so weird. I’m not jaded when I write this but that “butterflies-in-your-stomach” feeling of excitement no longer hits me when I arrive in Paris. Instead, I get that slightly “anxious” feeling. More akin to the feeling you get when going home after a long stretch of time—you just want to get there.
Paris is so sleepy on Sunday morning! Those who celebrated and enjoyed life the night before are now indoors taking it slow and easy.
We got to the Hotel Prince de Conti, which is now our go-to for small visits. Any visit a week or longer and it’s time to rent an apartment. Anyway, the room wasn’t ready –obviously since it was early in the morning. But we dropped our stuff off and headed out for breakfast.
You can’t get a better deal on a hotel than at the Prince de Conti. The location is fabulous..and…
the lobby is incredibly comfy and charming. The staff is great!!!
Our room, although small was comfortable, immaculate and perfect for our needs!
We decided our first morning adventure would be to check out the courtyard at Danièle’s old apartment building for old time’s sake. Bonaparte entered the code and much to our dismay, the code had been changed. It was more like an omen of sorts. It was like Danièle’s spirit was telling us that we needed to move on.
And so we did. My blogger friend Elizabeth, of The Vintage Contessa, asked if I would snap a photo of the Wallace Fountain on the corner of Pont Neuf. And so I did!!
Photobombed by a thirsty Frenchman enjoying his water from this Wallace Fountain on Pont Neuf and Rue Des Grands-Augustins. I’m looking a bit tired here. Perhaps it is due to lack of sleep and just getting off a plane!
A better view of the fountain!
And at that moment, things began to brighten up! We walked up Rue Dauphine to head over to Rue de Buci to fuel our bodies. The streets were becoming lively and we were entertained by an older man who was zooming down the street on his motor bike singing an aria, allegro, at the top of his lungs. I couldn’t get my camera out quick enough and he was gone in a second—his booming voice and flash of long white hair behind him.
We had another surprise as we entered Café Buci; the florist that was across the street was no longer there. Replacing it was a modern, slick, trendy restaurant. We always stopped at that florist to get flowers for Danièle—it was another sign telling us a part of our lives was over.
Le Yum. Le Yum! Breakfast at Cafe Buci! Cafe Creme and croissant! What could be better?
We walked and walked and walked some more!
We passed our old neighborhood hangout, Bistrot Saint Andre. The place where everyone knows your name–kind of like a French Cheers!
We walked along the Seine near Daniele’s old apartment and took photos of Pont Neuf..
Enjoying the quiet Sunday morning…
…while freezing!
My skills as a flaneuse were improving by the minute. So was my skill to be able to walk in the bitter cold without a winter coat and be able to enjoy myself!
Look how beautiful the color of the building just plays so well against the daylight!
It was cold! Now mind you, I’ve been to Paris in the middle of winter and it wasn’t as cold as this late November day was. Luckily I had gloves and a hat in my bag!
We headed over to Place Dauphine, which, during the summer months is always lively and full of activity….
On this Sunday morning–and late morning, Place Dauphine was quiet!
Since it was Sunday. And cold, we headed over to Notre Dame. I had visions of entering into the Cathedral for some warmth. Just like Mary in the stable on Christmas Eve! Any thought of entering was erased when we spotted the line to get into the church.
The sun was shining, but didn’t warm things up. We walked over to Notre Dame..
..wait. Why do people tell me they are afraid to visit Paris because it is dangerous? Excuse me–these guys, aka, military eye candy are at all heavily-populated areas. You do not want to mess with these guys. Paris is safer than the gun-crazed USA!
I was thinking about going to Mass but when I saw THIS line, I figured it was easier to be a sinner!
And on the way, food was calling me. I wanted to stop and grab a little snack..
The signs were making me hungry…
This guy tried to make my thighs wider by inviting me in for pizza–as a paying customer!
As an aside–Paris has some great cheap eats. Little side streets and passages are chock-full of inexpensive–and good places to fill your tummy!
We arrived at the beautiful and centuries-old Saint-Severin
The ancient church is beautiful and Bonaparte was happy snapping pictures. The scent of the church alone sent me into a swoon. Incense—actually Frankincense wafted through and brought me back to my school days of having to sit through Benediction on Friday afternoons during lent. It’s one of the smells that I truly love and adore—and I wish a perfume maker would create a scent that smelled like it. It could simply be called “Church”. I’d make it my signature scent! I’m rambling.
Before Mass. The church filled up quickly…
The lighting and stained glass really added to the beauty of this Church. The detail was so beautiful…
A nice place to just sit and reflect..
Perhaps light a candle at one of the many altars…
..or collect thoughts or pray….
..or just admire the stained glass. And ignore the “date” stamp that I couldn’t seem to get rid of on my camera!
Anyway, Mass was about to start and no way was I leaving! I think the weather got colder because with Bonaparte at Mass, Hell must’ve frozen over! The Mass in French was beautiful. The cantor, who was blind, was following in Braille and he had a voice that could make angels faint from being overcome with emotion. The acoustics of the centuries-old house of worship were fantastic. His voice was beautiful—and with the accompanying organ, I felt as though I was at a very classy concert.
It wasn’t hard to follow the Mass either. Many familiar words and phrases appeared and disappeared. And receiving Communion was very old-school with the priest resting the host on my tongue. It really was a fulfilling experience.
We made our way back to the hotel…
..while snapping photos on the desolate streets!
We slowly made our way back to the hotel and by the time we arrived there, the room was ready. So we quickly dropped our stuff off in the room, changed and headed out walking along the seine to…
Boats along the Seine. Hey. I hope they are heated!
We spotted a dog on a skateboard. Surprisingly, skateboarding was pretty popular with the mid-twenty crowd!
We walked over to the Louvre..and this is where Bonaparte had enough of the cold so we snagged a cab over to …
The Christmas Markets!!
Yeah. The cab ride took about a minute. We could have hoofed it!
The Christmas Markets! Quite possibly, the most incredible Parisian experience of all time!
I simply cannot contain my joyful glee when writing about this long stretch of kiosks and makeshift chalets along the Champs-Élysées. Forget about anything chic or elegant. Oh no. This is Paris at its most tacky. This is Paris without the smoke and mirrors. This is normal people Paris. And it was epic, epic greatness. It was total. Just. Total!!
I saw Uncle Sam. He told me he would return to the USA after Trump is no longer President. I’m with Sam!
In the City of Lights–and elegance and style, THIS sight made me realize that even chic gets thrown out the window..
Check out the kid in the bungee thingy over the trampoline! I laughed for ten minutes at this sight!
They aren’t real Bison. This was part of a very unusual Christmas zoo with pretend animals…
..such as this fabric Moose and stuffed tiger..
..and what child wouldn’t be filled with Christmas magic at the sight of these happy-go-lucky dinosaurs!
Those bloggers and writers who insist upon Parisian chic as a constant? Non! This is the real Paris. These are the real Parisians. They are freezing their derrieres off. They are not thinking of elegance nor are they thinking of French chic. They are thinking of hot wine and heavy socks!
One of the more classier Christmas chalets..
I have absolutely no idea why this bear was randomly displayed nor do I understand why grown men had their photo with this display.
At least the snow people were dressed for the occasion!
My favorite chalet had all sorts of stack dolls!
This–and nothing but cheese–is heaven on earth!
I was in my glories. Bonaparte was not. It wasn’t until we entered into a little chalet where the cute young Frenchmen were adorned with medieval style aprons that Bonaparte brightened up. He was given a sample of foie gras and truffled fromage. Bonaparte also lit up because he was, once again, in the comfort of animated conversation in his native language. Things became more entertaining as I sampled the foie gras because I excitedly said a bit loud, and in my New Yawk accent, “Oh my gawd, this is so friggin’ great!!” Some more French was exchanged between Bonaparte and the musketeers and Bonaparte laughed as he later told me that the young men were surprised to find out I was American because I was so well-dressed! I’m gonna take that as a compliment. Especially since I was freezing my ass off in a blazer, jeans, boots, a turtleneck and a scarf while the rest of Paris was warm and toasty in their puffy coats and jackets!
The foie gras guy! Bonaparte had a good time in this place. I’m loving the deer head and the apron. This was fun!!!!
I found another Wallace Fountain in the bowels of the market. And I decided that I would try to find as many of these watering holes as I could during our short stay.
I felt bad that this Wallace Fountain was relegated to the bowels of the Christmas Market! But I felt good that I discovered another Wallace Fountain!
We also took this opportunity to scout out the Fnac location on this broad Avenue. Just as Bonaparte was about to give up the search, I spotted a man with a Fnac bag. I gently tapped him on the shoulder and in my best French asked him where the store was.
I have no idea how, but one of the passages literally had a window to the Louvre. There’s so much more to “Louvre” when you wander around aimlessly!
Two minutes later Bonaparte and I were in the warmth of the store. We picked up a couple of things and were off again!
Two CD’s I picked up. Jane Birkin has the greatest whisper-singing voice of all time. And the soundtrack of Notre-Dame de Paris is incredible. Garou is Quasimodo. If you get the chance to see this, by all means do–the music is moving.
Bonaparte picked up two movies. Les Tricheurs–one of his favorites from his teen years and Rabbi Jacob–his cousin Zazi played the doomed groom. Rabbi Jacob is one of the funniest movies thanks to Louis de Funes
We walked back to the hotel and I thanked God that I had warm socks on my feet to keep my little toes warm.
We made our exit and walked back to the hotel.
The Eiffel Tower was in the distance and looked gray against the darkening sky. It was too early for the lights and too late for the sun to shine on the symbol of Paris. And no. I did not bother to snap a photo. I have hundreds. I just wanted to get back to the heated hotel room!
The sun was starting to set. And let me tell you–the days in Paris are a lot shorter than here. But the good thing is that you get to take cool photos like this!
Back at the hotel we rested a bit before heading out to dinner at Vincent’s cousin, Jean Denis and his wife Marie’s apartment.
The courtyard at Jean Denis and Marie’s apartment. That’s one of the crazy-great things about Paris apartments–they all have these magnificent courtyards!
Jean Denis and Marie are the two people we always have a great time with. Dinner was fun and animated as we all had lively conversation of our times with Daniele and books and just about every topic under the sun!
My diet was thrown aside as we enjoyed saucisson wrapped in brioche, wine, poulet, wine, salade, and more wine.
A late night cab ride back to the hotel and it was lights out for the two of us! We had an ambitious day of doing nothing!
When we arrived back at the hotel, slumber came easy. Our first day in Paris was spent doing nothing—and everything!!
To be continued tomorrow….Demain tout commence!
Here’s a sampling of my Jane Birkin CD. “Ex Fan des Sixties”–this song is greatness. I’ve been listening to it for years on French radio. I love this because it is slightly campy and at the same time great! And she mentions Jimi Hendrix–what’s not to love??
Hi everyone! It’s week 13 and I’m back from Paris.
I’ve gained a pound.
I honestly thought I would have gained more considering all the food and drink that went into my body….
I literally ate a ton of food. I drank so much red wine that I was afraid if I was in an accident, I would have bled Medoc or Bordeaux.
And presently I am working on TRYING TO FIX AN ISSUE WITH MY IPHONE!! For some reason I can’t upload pictures and I”m pissed off. I’ve got lots to write about and had a blast.
So as soon as I figure this #$)#$)*# ing stuff out. I’ll be writing posts about the trip.
We leave tomorrow for Paris. It’s definitely not an extended stay. We fly home on Wednesday. Basically, this is three full days and three full nights.
This isn’t a trip for visiting the museums or the many sights. It isn’t a foodie trip either. And it isn’t a somber one like our last short trip to Paris for Danièle’s funeral.
Memories on the wall of Daniele’s office at Zazi Films. I miss her so much!
Thank you Air France for giving us a credit that cost us more money!
Well, we ended up with a “credit” from Air France. However, we had to use our “credit” from Air France before December 28 or we would lose it. We were unable to use the “credit” (and I use that term loosely—hence the quotes) for next summer. And with this “credit” comes a booking charge of $300 per person. Ultimately this “credit” is costing us six hundred bucks just to fly!
The good thing is that we were able to make our visit coincide with the Avant-premiere of Bonaparte’s cousin’s film “Demain tout Commence”. The film stars the wonderful Omar Sy, remember him as the assistant from the film “The Intouchables”? Bonaparte’s cousin, Hugo Gelin directed the film and we are excited to see him and the film!
I’m secretly hoping that Omar Sy is at the Avant-premiere and I get to take a selfie with him. I’m sure Bonaparte is secretly hoping I don’t embarrass him in front of his family!
I’m excited that we’ll be returning to the Hotel Prince de Conti. The location is perfect—in the 6th arrondissement. And the hotel is a charming as all get out!
Bonaparte also has to tend to a bit of family business and I need to take care of some business of my own. I need to hit CityPharma for all things skincare.
Best prices on all things skincare–and you never know what else you will find!
I need to visit the Christmas Markets on the Champs-Élysées for some Christmas shopping and I need to get to Fnac to buy some music. I need more Michel Polnareff and Christmas music.
I can’t wait to get to the Christmas markets!! Bonaparte is hoping my friend The Olive Man isn’t one of the vendors!
And I also want to visit Danièle. I plan on sharing a little bit of Porto at her grave. Just like we did when she was alive. I also want to bring her some white roses because we always got them for her!
I’m sure all these flowers have been cleared to make way for the ones Bonaparte and I will bring to her. And Daniele and I will have a little toast of Porto. Let’s hope I don’t get arrested for sitting on her grave and drinking with her!
It’ll also be fun to just hone in on my skills as a flâneuse—a wanderer. Paris is the greatest city to just walk around and do nothing. You never know what discoveries will await. That’s basically it!
And speaking of basic. I’ve packed my wardrobe for three days neatly into my Longchamp carry-on. These winter clothes are much heavier than summer ones—and in the summer I can pack a lot more. But here’s how I did it.
Thankfully my Longchamp leather bag is a bit on the large size. I can carry the overflow! Thankfully Bonaparte is traveling with a large suitcase so I can load my goodies into it!
First, I tried on a couple of looks to decide which I liked…
I nixed this look because the sweater was too bulky with the blazer. It’s a good look for running out and about at home though!
Look number two. This is a packer! I love the light weight of the striped sweater. The light chambray shirt is a great base for layering and both fit really nicely with my schoolboy blazer. Over-the-knee boots and AG jeans complete the look. Too bad I have no hair in the back or I could have gone natural in my bio hair…I feel very…
..very
Fanny Ardant today with my hair curly! She’s one of my favorite actors! Maybe I’ll run into her and she will ask me to be her American sister!
Another casual look that lends itself well to layering. A black sweater under a camel blazer, scarf, same boots and jeans for day…
And for the movie premiere, a change of jeans to more dressier ones, red heels, same blazer, same sweater and a different scarf.
For traveling, I’m going with black pixie pants from J. Crew, a black turtleneck, a blanket scarf and a trench coat…..
I decided that I’ll wear loafers instead of ballet flats. These are better a better choice for running around the airport. The blanket scarf will be a multi-tasker. Bonaparte always takes my blanket that the airline supplies because he gets very cold. I’ll just use the scarf as a throw.
I’m really want to keep things simple. A trench is a better choice for me because I can layer with the sweater and blazer. If it ends up being warmer, I can either wear just the trench or just a blazer. At least I have a choice!
And here is what ultimately went into the carry on:
My essentials (other than makeup). Magnifying mirror so when I apply lipstick, I won’t look like Bette Davis in “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane”, an umbrella because you just never know when it’ll rain in Paris. A satin pillowcase to protect what little hair I have left, and my favorite tote. This Wythe Hotel tote goes wherever I travel. Paris isn’t like the USA in that you get bags at the grocery store. I can fit wine bottles, cheese, tons of stuff into this tote. I love it!!
Two pair of jeans. My AG jeans for day and for evenings skinny legging jeans from Loft.
Two sweaters. On the left is the J. Crew Factory version of the Tippi Sweater. I actually like it better than the J. Crew version because the length is a bit longer. On the right is the J. Crew Holly Sweater. It is so soft and cozy. Had I wanted to wear this on it’s own without a shirt underneath, I would have sized down.
Two shirts. I know which one Chippy likes! The only reason I am bringing two is that I’m a total slob and I know something is going to spill. I need backup!
Two blazers. I kept to solids because the choice was just more basic.
I followed on-line directions on folding a blazer for travel. The instructions are from Black Label and are step-by-step photographs. It took me almost an hour to figure it out. I ended up putting the blazers into plastic garbage bags after folding for added protection.
Boots can be a daunting item to pack, but these suede boots from Charles David are a dream. They are so pliable–like suede socks and were easy to stuff into the luggage. I have my heels for evening and thankfully I’ll be able to hold onto Bonaparte and not fall in the middle of the street!
If my head is warm, the rest of me is comfy!
I also packed a knit cap, gloves, one bra and three pair of panties. My cosmetics and toiletries are the last items to get packed. OH..and I packed hair too!!!!! I need my topper!
That’s it. A basic pragmatic way to pack for a short stay in the City of Lights. Nobody needs to be a fashion plate when visiting Paris. There’s too much to see as you wander around–and wander around you will! But it is a good thing to look presentable and jeans are a perfect choice! No skirts this time around because I was too lazy to get spray tanned and I refuse to walk around with my fish-belly, white/blue legs on display!
Today’s music is another import from Canada–Garou! He’s great! Anyway, this is from Julien Clerc’s Le Grand Show from 2014. If this doesn’t put you in the mood for Christmas–nothing will!!! XOXOXOXOXOXO!
This has been one crazy week. Work is busy—the days continue to fly by. And our plans for Thanksgiving have been altered slightly. Instead of traveling out to Long Island, Bonaparte and I made the decision to stay home and enjoy a quiet dinner in preparation of our trip to Paris on Saturday.
Yeah. I have a couple of items like my hair and jeans in my carry on. But I need to focus on three days’ worth of clothing. It’s more of a challenge to pack less than to pack more!
The extent of my packing. I need to focus. I need to pack more than heels, deodorant and hair!
We were very lucky to have Jake visit us last weekend.
He cut his hair. And mommy loves the Hipster Jesus look but I think the clean cut look fits Jake just fine! It was great to have him home one-on-one!
His schedule with work in NYC keeps him busy so it was nice to let him eat well and enjoy Texas football and relax!
Unfortunately, the wrong team had more touchdowns. Texas lost–against Kansas no less!!!
The weight loss continues, but now the loss is really slowing down. My body is getting to a comfortable weight. From seven to ten more pounds and the job of maintaining the lower weight may prove to be difficult. But—I’ll be like Scarlett O’Hara and worry about it tomorrow. Or maybe when I reach that goal!
I kind of reached my goal for Thanksgiving. So I’m hoping that by Christmas I’m at least two or three pounds down more. As long as the scale doesn’t go up I’m happy!
This is the first Thanksgiving where I haven’t baked anything. At all. And I’m really not upset about it. Sometimes it is just good to have a break.
And that break will be good because when we return from Paris, I’ll be going through recipes for cookies to have on hand for Christmas. Have you ever heard of Chatelaine Magazine? It’s a Canadian publication but their site offers the best holiday cookies of all time! (you HAVE to click for the recipes. They are EPIC!! I made many last year and plan on doing a binge biscotti bake next weekend!
I wish Canada would offer subscriptions to us in the States. I swear I would move to Canada just to subscribe!!!!
But now I want to give you a couple of reviews. It started with my search for a plain black leather belt. I went to Nordstrom Rack thinking I could find a simple black belt. No such luck. The store opened less than three weeks ago and not one woman’s belt could be found. Even the sales staff was perplexed.
And since Ulta was next door, I decided to take a walk over there to ease my frustration. I spotted mascara by Tarte cosmetics. I’m a big fan of Tarte’s Lights Camera Lashes mascara; and so I thought this “Best in Faux” fiber mascara might be worth a shot.
This is FALSE advertising by Tarte. The purple mascara tube is more like a trial size IRL…see for yourself!
Honestly, I’ve had sample sized mascaras that were bigger. I’m still annoyed about this one!
What really pissed me off were the ads. The mascara and fiber tubes are photographed the same size. They aren’t IRL. The mascara tube is small and stingy. Shame on you Tarte for doing this.
The lashes looked fine after applying but the fact that the mascara tube was so small is such a future no-buy for me. You NEED the mascara/gel to apply before and after applying the fibers. Therefore you need more of the mascara/gel and less of the fibers! Not worth the twenty bucks.
Tarte’s “Best in Faux” did give some thickening to my lashes but did not extend the length. The Bella Rose does a better job for less money!
I’ll stick to my Bella Rose fiber mascara that I purchased on Amazon. $14.95 plus shipping. I try to purchase this with other items to get the free shipping. But even with the price of shipping it is worth it. As we age our lashes aren’t what they used to be and that’s one reason I’m a fan of the fiber mascara. The Bella Rose is the best I’ve tried.
The Bella Rose 3-D Fiber Mascara has a larger mascara/gel tube–they got it right. I’m on my second order of this–and will soon be ordering a third. I use it every day! Every day!
My gift of the week was a lip liner from the sales associate at Ulta. She was so nice to give this to me! I’m not one for lip liners but I thought I would give it a try. I love it! The spice color is a neutral that works! I think I’ll be lining my lips a bit more in the future!
I think my only challenge with the Laura Geller lip liner will be finding the right sharpener. I’ve zero luck with sharpeners for my pencils!!
I know. I KNOW. The photo is a bit distorted but I am diggin’ this lip pencil. It kept the rest of my lip color in place without bleeding!
It was a short week. And so, I give you a bit of the offerings that I wore this week on my weight loss journey.
OK. I know it was a short week, but I wore this outfit last Friday for Jeans Friday at the office. The blazer. THE BLAZER!!!! J. Crew Factory has their own version of my beloved Schoolboy blazer. IN PLAID!! I love this so much that I can’t stand it! The construction is excellent! The weight is just perfect and I want to marry it! Yes. I want to marry this jacket but the republicans probably have laws against grown women marrying schoolboy blazers! This will be worn a lot during the Christmas Season!
Saturday I wore this to run errands before Jake arrived. Let me tell you this–the scarf came off quickly because it hit an all time high of 76 degrees here in the Philly ‘Burbs!
No. I didn’t wear this but Sunday after Jake left us, we went to the mall. And as soon as I saw that American Girl opened a store, I HAD to get my nostalgia on and visit. It brought back memories of Oona and her American Girl Dolls. I still have them packed away! Oh–and Oona thought it was very disturbing that I did this! I don’t!
Monday’s look was “Blassic”. Black and classic! I wore Old Navy Pixie Pants, a sweater set from J. Crew and J. Crew Gemma flats. Oh..my fake hair is a bit crooked!
Tuesday’s OOTD is one of my favorites. The blazer is from a few years back –Banana Republic. I never wore it much but shopping in my closet and the desire to wear a bright top brought it out of hibernation. I love the way everything blends in. Trust me, I’m not overly big on brights but I loved the way this worked. I also loved that my hair wasn’t crooked too!
I also love the brown suede patches on the blazer’s sleeve because the color matches my Longchamp leather bag!
I was too busy putting my fake hair into a messy updo yesterday and forgot to photograph what I wore. I stuck to a simply textured turtleneck and black pixie pants. Very basic!
Wait. There’s more randomness..
Jake wanted steak for dinner–ok? So I made a bearnaise sauce. I decided to go with champagne vinegar and purchased THIS at Wegmans. Fifteen minutes of TRYING IN VAIN to open the bottle and two cuts on my fingers later, I had Bonaparte return it and get my money back. I was livid! Maitre Jacques should be ashamed of himself! I used red wine vinegar instead.
I made cranberry sauce. It’s so easy. A bag of cranberries into boiling water. Let boil until the berries pop–about ten minutes. Add a cup of sugar and let it get thick. Take it off the burner and chill in the fridge.
And I made the cranberry sauce because I cooked a small turkey breast. And I made a bit of stuffing because…….
Since we would not be together for Thanksgiving, I wanted to send Jake home with a Thanksgiving Sandwich! I sliced a baguette, spread mayo on one side, and cranberry sauce on the other. I made the stuffing in a loaf pan so that I could slice it thinly to put on the sandwich. I layered stuffing and turkey and more cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving on a baguette!!
Oh–and I almost forgot. Saturday’s dessert was the frozen nougatine I made with a salted caramel sauce that I also made. Turned out great–which is why I probably only lost a half pound this week!
Onward and upward. I have to start packing and getting our dinner ready!!
I did a lot this week. Man! I feel like a very busy woman.
It’s true. Sometimes I take things for granted and never truly express my thanks.
Yes way! I should express my thanks rather than keep silent about it!
Bonaparte tells me that I’m more French than he is because of my never-ending talent for complaining about everything. And I guess he’s right—but I am a very thankful person. I just don’t express it constantly.
Why do people take so long to move their cars when the light turns green? Why do people talk on their cell phones on the grocery store line? I don’t want to hear their private conversations. How come people spend five freakin’ minutes to LEAVE a parking spot? Why do I complain?
And today, on this day of Thanksgiving I am thankful for
Good health!
I am thankful that…
My three children will not be spending Thanksgiving alone. Both boys will be working at 30 Rock—and afterward they are having Thanksgiving dinner with each other at a restaurant. I am so thankful that my sons love each other and truly enjoy spending time with each other. I feel I did such a great job instilling the fact that the kids will always have each other.
My daughter will be spending Thanksgiving with friends in her new city.
My three little kiddles! My purpose in life. My gems! I am thankful for them–every day, every minute, every second!And they will all be home for Christmas.
I have a job!
After almost two years of unemployment and emotional distress over worrying that I would never again be employed, I found a position at a stable and enjoyable business.
Need a lease on a truck or equipment? Give us a call and our great sales team will take good care of you! I’ve never been so thankful or happy to be handing this out!!
I have the willpower to take control of my body in the form of losing weight.
For the creation of toppers and wigs and hair extensions to disguise my self-inflicted hair loss
My newest addition from Uni-wigs. Well worth the money. I’m thankful!
That I have the privilege to vote—and that I voted for a woman. I am thankful that my vote counted to give her the popular win over the most vile human who is now other people’s president elect because #heisnotmypresident.
I am thankful that I was able to, as a woman, voice my opinion and vote for a woman for president #imstillwithher
I have freedom of speech. I prove it all the time with my written words.
I am once again, a home owner. I had my home taken away from me during my divorce. I am so thankful and grateful for Chateau Bonaparte!!
I am able to travel. Trust me—each time I fly to France, I arrive bruised because of the constant pinching I do to myself!! I never take my travels for granted.
For Main Line Animal Rescue because they allowed us to adopt Chippy—or is it the other way around?
Chippy has zero respect for me. THIS is the look I receive when I tell him to get off my white sofa. I am thankful for him.
I am thankful for my children. They are my gems, my jewels and my purpose in life.
I have a wonderful man who believes in me and is my rock. I am thankful for Bonaparte!
For Bazooka Bubblegum. It sates my cravings for food and it makes the best bubbles ever!
And sometimes I’ll stuff three pieces into my big mouth just to get jumbo bubbles!
I am also incredibly thankful that I have my circle of friends who read and enjoy this blog—it’s a smallish circle—and we all get along very well. We agree. We disagree. We laugh with each other and we cry with each other. We feel each other and we relate to each other. And I thank you so very much!
Bonaparte and I will have a quiet dinner together. Neither of us likes turkey, so it’s already planned to have a small roast chicken. And rather than spend the day cooking, I need to do my roots. So I’ll be working on making my hair look nice.
The table is set for two. Lemon Roast Chicken, Brussels Sprouts, and home made Cranberry Sauce. ….and…
Yes! Wine time–not WHINE time! Today I’m grateful and thankful!
The house is pretty-much decorated for Christmas with the exception of the Poinsettias, the wreaths and the tree. All of which will be gotten when we arrive back to the States.
I started the bannisters. The lights are now on and so’s the ribbon!
Hey. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!!!! Enjoy your families and friends and football and the great meals that you will be gathered for!
XOXOXOXOXO!
Here’s a beautiful song by The Kinks. “Days”..because the song thanks! Ray Davies looks so hot in this video!!
I can’t believe it’s been 12 weeks of a weight loss journey. I’m down another pound. Truth be told, my personal goal for the week before Thanksgiving was 147 but I’ll take the 148! I’m hoping to be 145 by Christmas. As long as I don’t gain weight over the holidays I’ll be fine!
148.2–I’ll take it. It will be hard transitioning into the holiday food mode but after last night’s baking experience, I’ll be good!
Remember when I was groaning and moaning about being unemployed and not being able to find a job? Remember how I had so much time on my hands?
Well. These days I’m actually wondering just where the time goes! Thanksgiving is next week. Next week! Bonaparte and I were invited to my sister’s house out on Long Island. Oona is spending Thanksgiving with friends in Cincinnati because it’s more important to be home for Christmas. Jake has to work at the evening news and Roman is working for NBC at the parade.
And because we leave for Paris two days after Thanksgiving, we decided to stay home and have a quiet Thanksgiving—just the three of us. Bonaparte, Chippy and me. It’ll give me time to get packing and just get the house ready for the holidays.
This Thanksgiving I’ll most likely fall asleep while watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel!
It’s weird because I actually enjoy being in a mad rush. Jake is coming over this weekend so I’ll be doing lots of cooking. And I started last night. I made brownies—for Jake and for the girls at work. Have you ever had Barefoot Contessa’s “Outrageous Brownies”? They are, hands down, the best brownies on earth!!!
An entire sheet pan of these dense brownies. I didn’t add nuts though. The girls at work were very happy!
I also made one of Jake’s favorite desserts. The Barefoot Contessa Frozen Nougatine! It’s always a hit and the most requested dessert and there’s no baking!
The Nougatine isn’t much to look at now, but when sliced and presented with a side of either salted caramel or chocolate sauce–it’s a beauty! And this is the easiest dessert to make! All the ingredients are folded in (top left photo) then placed in a loaf pan, topped with home made pistachio brittle, covered and frozen. Easy Peasey!
While preparing the brownies, I was a bit naughty. I started to help myself to brownie batter. Not a lot of it, but a good amount. And you know what? I felt like crap all day. Being without sweets has really had a positive effect on my body because I’m so used to not having all that sugar; and when I did, it just made me feel sluggish and “ugh”.
It’s true all that dense, uncooked chocolate and also the pistachio brittle AND licking the nougatine did have a brutal effect on me. I felt sluggish and sleepy all day!
But out of the bad naughtiness came a very good ephiphany! I’ll be able to carry out all the holiday baking without pigging out. So it was actually a good thing that I helped myself to the decadence of the best brownies in the world!
How was your week? Did you stick to your healthy or different habits? Anything to share?
I’m keeping it somewhat short tonight because I have a turkey breast in the oven. I also have stuffing in the oven and will be making cranberry sauce too. Why? Because when Jake is here he’ll be watching Longhorn Football on Saturday afternoon and I’ll make one of those Turkey-Stuffing-Cranberry sauce sandwiches. Personally, I like those sandwiches better than the entire Thanksgiving dinner!
Hook ’em Horns! I’ll be feeding my son while he watches his alma mater’s football team!
The clothing continues to fit better, but I gotta get new bras. I think the girls went down a size. Here’s a bit of what I wore this week!
Last Friday’s “jeans day” outfit. I call this my bipartisan look because I wore Ivanka Trump shoes. ( I know–I should’t be wearing them but I’m trying to be bipartisian in my own special way!)
I wore this on Tuesday. I know I forgot what I wore Monday because I forgot to take pics. This skirt is quite a few years old. It’s a ruched knit skirt from Banana Republic. I couldn’t wear it last year because I got so heavy that the knit stretched out and actually made the skirt shorter. I’m wearing a black turtleneck with a scarf, gray tights and over-the-knee boots. First and last time wearing gray tights. I don’t like them. I should have worn black to give a better flow to the outfit. Hey–you learn through your mistakes! Right??
Here’s what I wore yesterday. Basic Navy and White cotton turtleneck from J. Crew and to ensure that turkey neck was hidden I wore the polka dotted scarf. I love the combo. I also wore navy pants from J. Crew and gold Tory Burch Reva flats from the year of the flood. Any way, it’s a pretty basic outfit. BUT. I decided to……
Add this bright red-orange schoolboy blazer from J. Crew. HOLY SCHNICKIES!! You would not believe the amount of compliments I ended up getting on this outfit. A random woman stopped me in the parking lot at work to tell me she loved what I was wearing. And all the girls at work complimented me too! It is amazing what a bright colored item of clothing can do to transform an outfit!
HOLD ON! NOW I remember what I wore on Monday! I wore this shirt with black pixie pants and black ballet flats. I had my mammogram and this shirt was mammogram friendly! Hey. I dress for the occasion!
Are you familiar with Zulily? I ordered this tunic from their site. At $29.99 I thought it was a pretty shirt. Let me tell you something. It’s even better than photographed. The green and blue are very vibrant. The shirt drapes beautifully and the neck is high enough to cover the turkey neck. I’m very happy with this purchase. Let’s see how it wears over time!
And that’s it for tonight! I’ve got to keep an eye on that Turkey breast and make some cranberry sauce! I wanna hear how your week went!
Oh..and because of time, here’s the ever-beautiful Judy Collins with “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”!
