Emily's French Life

2009-12-17T06:23:00.000-08:00

Crossed a couple things off of my list.....

Catherinette Hats

2009-12-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

A Unique Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T06:59:00.000-08:00

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Husband & I were supposed to spend a long weekend in Dublin, Ireland but an unexpected work issue is keeping us here. However, instead of participating in an ex-pat Thanksgiving dinner I'll be attending my work's "Catherinette party." What is a Catherinette, you ask? According to Wikipedia: Catherinette is a traditional French label for girls of twenty-five years old who are still unmarried by the Feast of Saint Catherine (November 25th). A special celebration was offered to them on this day, while everyone wished them a fast end to their singlehood.

Although the tradition no longer exists in modern-day France, French couture houses still honor this fête by creating hats for all Catherinettes, presenting them with a gift and allowing them to leave work early to attend a parade at City Hall. The hats must be green which symbolizes youth and the hope to find a husband, and yellow which symoblizes faith and passing time. They are often decorated with symbols of the fashion house, for example overlapping C's for Chanel. The house I work in throws a large soirée to honor all the Catherinettes and they even give us work off the next day! Although a Thanksgiving meal would have been lovely I couldn't pass up an open bar and the chance to experience this exceptional French custom.

2009-11-17T08:42:00.000-08:00

It took me a few days to get myself together and write this post.... as I finally have to admit that I only have about 6 weeks left in Paris.

Husband and I have been planning to move back to the States since last year and although we originally thought we might leave this past September, school combined with the economic crisis have kept us here. As I'll be finishing up my internship at the end of December and will have fulfilled all the credits to receive my masters degree, we took this as an opportunity to make the big move. I'll be leaving at the end of the year and husband will join me in March when he's finished with school and has *fingers crossed* received his immigrant visa. We're hoping that the end of the US recession means a boost in the job market and a new job for me in 2010. During the past month I've applied for several positions and haven't had any luck yet -but I'm trying to stay optimistic. It's going to be a rough two months without J, especially if I haven't landed a job. And although we've done the long distance thing before it never gets any easier. Luckily I'll have my amazing family to support me. The plan, for now, is to move back in with my parents until I've found employment. I know this isn't very "cool" but it makes the most sense considering J and I will no longer have any furniture or even a car. Regardless, I've been pretty blessed in the parents department and I can't wait to spend some time with my family (it's been a year).

For now I'm going to make the best out of the time I have left here. Even though Paris will no longer be considered home I know my 3 1/2 year love affair with this city is far from over.

I've been trying to compile a list of things I must do before leaving, so feel free to give me any ideas! This is what I've come up with so far:

To Do List

1) Take a spin around La Grande Roue

2) One last visit to a Marché aux Puces

3) Have a cocktail at the Bar Hemmingway

4) Climb up la Tour Eiffel (still have never done it!) and have a drink at the bar à champagne

5) Take part in one of the many marchés de Noël and enjoy tummy-warming vin chaud

(Are you sensing a theme here?)

6) Visit le Musée d'Orsay (for the 20th time but it never gets old)

Le Ticket Restaurant

2009-11-13T01:19:00.000-08:00

One of the many social benefits of working for a large French company is le ticket restaurant, a pre-paid meal voucher you receive for every day you work. Now don't get too excited - it's not free by any means. However, the company does pay over half and in return they receive tax benefits. When looking at my bulletin de paie I notice that 3 euros are taken out of my paycheck for every day I work. This goes towards my booklet of vouchers. The amount of the voucher depends on the company and the location of where you work. Usually this would mean more money if you work on, let's say Avenue Montaigne in Paris. However when I was working in Levallois (Paris suburb) I had tickets worth 8,50€ and now that I'm on rue du Faubourg St. Honoré I only get 7,80€. (Now what's up with that?).

Although in concept I think these vouchers are a great idea, I often find myself either spending extra money on lunch or buying more food than I originally planned just to use the entire ticket (because the majority of places don't give change back). Where I work, there aren't many low-priced lunch options that will allow me to eat a good and healthy meal under 8 euros. It's either the local boulangerie where I find myself purchasing le menu (sandwich + drink + dessert) to get my full voucher value or a nearby café where I end up having to spend around 5 or so euros extra just to eat a salad.

In an effort to spend less money and eat more balanced meals, I've recently begun bringing my lunch to work. So what do I do when I've acquired 4 or more unused tickets? I take my husband out for dinner. Problem solved.

Switcharoo

2009-11-04T09:17:00.001-08:00

For Halloween this year, Husband and I decided to trade "places" for the evening. And for some reason, J just couldn't keep a straight face. I kinda think he looks like Hulk Hogan. What do you think?

A Weekend in Roma

2009-10-27T04:23:00.001-07:00

J and I spent a fantastic weekend in Rome! We got very lucky with the weather; it only rained Friday afternoon while we were busy exploring the Vatican Museum. We visited all the sites (the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, etc) and visited as many piazza's as possible. I ate my body weight in gelato but didn't care because a) it was dee-licious and b) we walked EVERYWHERE! We didn't use public transportation once and it was wonderful.

We stayed in a French woman's sweet little apartment in the Trastevere quarter on the west bank of the Tiber River, south of Vatican City. The area is picturesque Italian and I would highly recommend staying here or at least spending a day walking through it's winding medieval cobblestone streets, admiring old terracotta buildings covered in ivy, and having a strong italian espresso in one of it's many outdoor cafés. We spent most of our weekend exploring this unique and charming Roman neighborhood.

I have to say, though, I was a bit dissapointed by all of the tourist traps found around Rome serving reheated pizzas and what I'm sure was canned ravioli. Unfortunately J and I had a few bad meals (which I thought was impossible) and we'll definitely ask for restaurant advice from the locals the next time around. However, we did have some amazing food including one of my favorite Italian dishes - pasta con fiori di zucca (pasta with zucchini blossoms), so I'm not going to complain too much!

I really love everything about Italy (the language, the food, the friendly people...) and although I've been several times I always find myself longing to go back. I still have some more European cities I'd like to visit (Dublin, Copenhagen, Berlin, Stockholm, Budapest) but I'll hopefully be able to get back to Italia next summer. Vedremo!

Ciao!

2009-10-22T04:49:00.000-07:00

Husband and I are off to Rome for a long weekend.

We can't wait to ride bikes around the city, wander old cobblestone streets, eat lots of gelato and make wishes at the Trevi Fountain (even if the weather forecasts do say rain).

While visiting Rome about 5 years ago I made a wish that I would get to come back with someone special; looks like it came true!

Fall

2009-10-19T01:58:00.000-07:00

The weekend could not have come any faster. With a sore throat and never-ending cold, all I could think about was curling up on the coach in my pajamas with a cup of hot tea and a good movie. And that's exactly what I did - for two days straight. Only leaving the apartment for a quick trip to the supermarché, the cold nipping at my fingertips - I knew I would not be venturing out again. Growing up in sunny Georgia, autumn was once one of my favorite times of year. The changing colors, light breezes, falling leaves, football games, pumpkin-carving & apple-picking, tasty comfort foods, hot cocoa and cozy fires- everything about the season seemed so wonderful.

In Paris, it's cold but too cold. In the morning when my alarm sounds I wake up to the sound of raindrops trickling down my window and all I want is to go back to sleep. More freezing rain, I think. Another day where I regret not wearing more layers, and then cursing myself in the metro when I do. My office has yet to turn on the heat and if you take a look around you'll see people in coats and scarves in front of their computer screens holding their hands tightly around steaming coffee mugs. The once sun kissed and smiling faces of Parisians newly returned from les grandes vacances are officially gone. Paris has gone from summer to winter in a flash and I miss my Georgia fall.

Update

2009-10-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

Ok so I do have some pretty good excuses for not blogging for the past month! We moved from our lovely apartment in the 9th arrondisement to an even lovelier place off of rue de Commerce in the 15th. Paris fashion week began and so did my work overload. I worked my first runway show, sat front row and saw many people I've only seen in blogs or read about in magazines. I was taking photos of the show while trying not to elbow this guy's camera (and praying he didn't think I totally stunk as an amateur photographer!). I then continued to work through the weekend at the showroom and by the time it was all over I had been going non-stop for two weeks straight! Now I'm paying the price of being on my feet for so long and living on café and patisseries. I paid my first visit to the doctor in France yesterday moring and finally tested out my carte vitale. It's not as magical as they say. I guess I went to a luxury doctor (that's what I get for going somewhere close to my office in the 8ème) and paid 40 euros for a consult. I'll have to wait and see how much I get reimbursed. See?! This is why I never go!

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks adventures. Enjoy :)

2009-09-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blogger. I guess not having changed scenery in a while could be contributing to that. As J and I ended up staying in Paris for les grandes vacances (I had to finish my thesis, he had to work), I've felt very uninspired. Luckily we have 3 upcoming trips: Rome, Dublin, and a château somewhere in France. J got me a smartbox for our anniversary and he chose an "invitation gastronomique au château" because a) I LOVE food and b) I love castles. I basically get to pick any château listed in the catalog and we will spend a weekend (eating) there. Can't wait!

Paris fashion week is also coming up so work has been picking up. I guess that's a good thing though considering I spent most of August catching up on my favorite American tv shows.....

2009-09-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it's already been a year since we tied the knot!

Happy anniversary to my love!

xoxo

Troc Photos

2009-09-07T01:44:00.000-07:00

La Troc Party

2009-09-02T01:24:00.001-07:00

Recently my girlfriend had the idea of having a party that would allow us all to make more room in our closets while enjoying cocktails and conversation with good friends. The concept of la troc party, as they call it in French, is for everyone to bring any unwanted clothes, purses, jewelry, or shoes with the goal of exchanging them for new (at least new to you) things. We decided that whatever items were left we would donate to charity. After picking a place to meet (the person with the largest apartment-more room for impromptu changing rooms), we set a date and time as well as who would bring what food and alcohol -wise.

Everyone arrived with boxes full of their no-longer-desired goodies; some even brought rolling suitcases. We started the night off fairly calm, snacking on home-made treats and sipping sangria. After an hour or so the impatience finally got to us and we could no longer wait to dig in. Before long, shirts were coming off and clothes were flying everywhere! If someone had seen us from the window they probably would have thought it was some type of nudist soirée. Everyone found something they liked. Even I, quite the picky shopper, came home with something - a nice grey wool Gerard Darel blazer. Pas mal.

I've heard it's recommended to do a number system where each person picks a # and takes their turn choosing one item at a time. Luckily for us there wasn't any conflict but hey, girls can get pretty wild over clothes! You never know.

Perfect in the time of an economic crisis, a clothing swap is even better than les soldes! Who could say no to a free wardrobe upgrade? Like they say "one person's trash is another person's treasure."

2009-08-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share what it's like being stuck at work in Paris in August. As you can see, my office is COMPLETELY empty. Looking down at the street from the window behind my desk Paris is a ghost town.

And isn't my office a mess? I hardly realized until I took a look at these photos. beurk.

Zut!

2009-08-18T06:07:00.001-07:00

Love the name of this little antique shop in Montmartre!

2009-08-17T02:32:00.000-07:00

I often get asked how I met my Frenchman. Although I would love to share some romantic love story I have to admit we met just like any young couple: in a bar. while drinking. heavily. No love at first sight or first kiss on the beautiful Pont Neuf or even a late night ride through Paris on the back of a scooter. It was simply another drunken night en boite with my girlfriends.

After becoming close with a group of Erasmus students from all over Europe, I made a habit of going out with them every Tuesday and Thursday night to take advantage of special student soirées where entry was free and the drinks were cheap. Tuesdays were spent at Duplex, an underground discothèque found on Avenue Foch just a few minutes from the Arc de Triomph. As the majority of clubs charge around 20€ just to get inside plus 15€ per drink, student nights were very enticing. This particular evening my Scottish girlsfriends and I decided to go all out and purchase a bottle of alcohol for €100 (usually 150 - 200€) thus allowing us to have our own table and even (gasp!) sit down. We had already been drinking beforehand so you could say we were already enjoying ourselves before even taking our seats. It wasn't long before we decided to hit the dancefloor. After a few vodka citrons I could feel the electro music pulsing throughout my entire body and decided I needed to ask someone to dance. Normally I wouldn't be so daring but with a little (ok a lot) of liquid courage I felt more than up to the task. I saw a group of good looking French guys near the bar and one particularly caught my eye. I grabbed his hand and pulled him up from his seat and enticed (forced) him to dance with me. Unimpressed by his moves but still very much impressed by his good looks we sat down to talk. Before long it was nearing 2AM and trying to be a responsible young adult with a job I decided it was time to go. I asked him for his phone, put my number in and said to call he if would like. I never expected to hear from him again. Low and behold the next afternoon I received a text in very bad English from him asking if he could see me again. Who knew this frog would end up being my husband! And the rest is history.....

Août

2009-07-29T03:06:00.000-07:00

I'm officially starting to feel the effects of August in Paris....the Parisians have left and the tourists have taken over. My office is starting to empty out as everyone takes a month off for les grandes vacances as the French normally get around 6 weeks paid vacation per year. Working as an intern I only have 1 week but I have to admit it's pretty nice being able to roll into work around 10:30 and leave before 6.

Passing by several family-owned shops on my way to work I find similar signs in the store windows "en Vacances...Retour en Septembre, etc." Many restaurants have stacked their chairs and put down the blinds. Although it can be slightly annoying to find your local boulangerie closed, I enjoy an empty, less congested Paris. The metro is less crowded, there are parking spots, and I can actually find a velib bicycle (because whenever i don't want one, they're everywhere! How ironic.). People don't seem to be in such a hurry and I actually catch some smiles here and there. Probably because they're not Parisian, but hey - it's still pleasant.

This is how Paris should be: nice and slow. Sitting in cafés, wandering cobblestone streets, and strolling along the banks of the Seine.

A Day in La Campagne

2009-07-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

Spending so much time cramped up in a tiny city (yes, Paris is actually very small) leaves one yearning for space, greenery and fresh air. That's what friends with country houses are for. This past weekend my lovely Spanish friend Vir invited J and I to her copain's country house in Verneuil sur Avre, a charming little town in la Haute Normandie about 1 hr and 1/2 from Paris. We played tennis, had bbq (French style of course with saucisses), went 4-wheeling, visited an old chateau and fed swans in a nearby lake. Ahhhh. I'm breathing better just thinking about it. Sometimes all it takes to feel better is a little campagne. Here's to hoping we get another invitation soon and that we actually get a taste of real summer weather.

Rain, rain, go away.....

2009-07-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hmmm..I guess you could say I'm starting to build somewhat of a collection.

14 Juillet

2009-07-16T03:06:00.000-07:00

This year we went all out for Bastille Day. We actually woke up early enough to go to the parade on the Champs-Elysées (J's friend was marching so we had a good reason to be there), and we decided watch the fireworks from the Champs de Mars instead of Place du Trocadero like we did last year. We camped out on the grass at around 5 PM and listened to two free concerts: Christophe Mae and Johnny Hallyday, then stuck around for the light show/fireworks display on the Eiffel Tower. It did not dissapoint! To celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower, they changed the lighting and music according to past years. For example they flashed 1968 on the tower and then colorful flower power lights while playing hippie music. So cool!

Moi et Mes Soeurs

2009-07-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

The two weeks I spent with my sisters were lovely and I was so lucky to have them here. K, the older of the two, will soon be returning to NYC after a year spent working in Paris as an au pair. It's been great having family support here and I will be really sad to see her go. M, the youngest, had an amazing time. She celebrated La Fête de la Musique (where we saw James Morrison, Flo Rida, Jason Mraz, Sean Paul, etc), went on a hot air balloon ride, and even saw her first fashion show thanks to moi and my current internship (video to come)! We ate and shopped our hearts out and for our last night shared a delicious meal at Publicis Drugstore with a marvelous view of the Arc de Triomphe.

Busy Bee

2009-06-27T01:42:00.001-07:00

Works been crazy and on top of that, my baby sister is visiting Paris! She, my other sister K (who lives and works in Paris as an au pair) and I have been taking over the city! Trips have been made to the Marais, the Champs de Mars, Bastille, and of course les grands magasins to take advantage of les soldes....

I think I have found my calling...

2009-06-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

So it's really busy at work right now as we prepare for the NYC/Milan/Paris showrooms where we present next years collections to clients. Last friday I spent the entire night at work helping my team pack everything to send to New York. Thursday and Friday the collections were photographed on models and when the shoot was finally over Friday evening we were able to begin. Walking into the room was like walking into my dream closet: beautiful jewelry, handbags, dresses, tops and shoes galore! Alber (the artistic director) was there checking out the photos and afterwards we all sang happy birthday to him and ate delicious cakes from Ladurée. Weird.

And then the real work began...I spent about 9 hours wrapping, boxing, sealing and sending. I didn't mind though... working with beautiful things makes it all the more easier (and much more fun)!

2009-06-11T11:25:00.001-07:00

While interning isn't the best way to get your rent paid at the end of the month, it does have other benefits...some people would just rather have beautiful shoes than eat!

2009-06-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

I know I had a week off from school but I started a new job (internship) last Monday and didn't want to jinx anything until I got through my first week. I absolutely love the position and the people that work there and the beautiful things we sell and even more- where the offices are located: above the company's boutiques on rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. I feel so lucky to have been given this opportunity and hope it will lead to bigger and better things once J and I decide to move back to the USA next year. I'm gonna try to take some pictures this week at the office + my purchases at the company's private sale taking place this week. excited!!!

2009-05-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Love this video! Can't believe these girls had the couilles to walk down rue Montergeuil naked!

Les Fripes

2009-05-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is go thrifting. Although Paris isn't in the same league as London for vintage, there are several good shops in the Marais with lots of clothes to dig through and plenty of deals to be had. Today I spent the afternoon there with my sister, scavenging through old dresses and leather bags. I came out with a long-sleeved sweater dress that I'll have to get shortened, a polkadot button down dress, a black leather over the shoulder bag, and 4 silk scarves...all for €43! You won't find any designer names in these friperies but you will find some great no-name bargains! Afterwards we walked down the street to Myberry, France's own version of Pinkberry. Definitely lovely on a sunny afternoon :)

FREEP "S" Star

8 rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie & 61 rue de la Verrerie

75004

Mamz’Elle Swing

35 bis rue du Roi de Sicile

75004

All at Metro Hôtel de Ville or St. Paul

J'ai fini!

2009-05-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday was probably one of the longest days in my exam-taking history: 5 exams within 8 hours! I just kept telling myself, this is it! This is the last time you have to do this and afterwards all will be ok! As shitty as it would be to have to retake a couple exams in September (les rattrapages), it wouldn't be the end of the world. I feel pretty good overall so I'm hoping I don't have any retakes but we'll see. For now the stress is gone and even though summer vacation is non-existant I'm so happy just to be able to have a drink with friends during the week and of course have my saturdays back! I start a new internship next Monday and I took this week off to relax, clean the apartment and visit Paris. I don't take advantage of living in this amazing city nearly as much as I should so I'm going to make an effort to go out, visit expos and museums and of course take lots of pictures. My sister will only be here a few more months so il faut en profiter!

2009-05-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

You could say this is about how I feel right now: exhausted and so sick of studying. It's finals week and I have only 3 of 10 exams finished. I just need to get through the next two days and then I'm free!! (Well I guess "free" as long as I pass everything and get my thesis turned in by September). I'll be starting a new internship soon and can't wait to have my weekends back! No more group projects or papers or last-minute revisions, woohoo!

Blog posting should pick back up starting next week :)

2009-05-12T01:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much blogging inspiration lately. The days seem to pass by rather slowly as I continue my internship and finish up the remaining weeks of classes for my masters program. As friends meet up for picnics in the park and day trips to Giverny I've been either stuck at a desk or in a classrom or even preparing for presentations and papers to hand in. Blah. I just need to get through the next two weeks and then I will finally be able to enjoy normal 2-day weekends! J and I haven't made any summer plans yet as we're unsure what our job situations will be like but we hope to make a few weekend trips to the beach or maybe even the Champagne region of France. Tout est à voir....

{Why I Love My Sister}

2009-05-10T13:10:00.001-07:00

Because when she makes trips home to the states

she brings back wonderful things.

(Peanut butter + marshmallow fluff, fun shoes from Target, brownie mix and candy!)

Anniversaire

2009-04-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that last Friday J and I celebrated our (first of two) one-year wedding anniversaries. Last April we were legally hitched at the mairie in the 16th arrondisement where we used to live. It wasn't anything like the grandiose fête we had this past September but I was very lucky because my mom flew all the way to Paris to surprise me, my belle-mère bought me a beautiful bouquet of white roses, and after we celebrated with friends at one of my favorite restaurants of the quarter, La Gare. In honor of this J and I headed back over to the 16th where we we wined and dined. Champagne, foie Gras, tomato mozzarella, rolled salmon filet with herbs, filet de boeuf, and to top it all off, a moelleux au chocolat...there was no holding back! With both of us being students, we don't dine out like we used to so this was a real treat.

La Gare, as it's name implies, is actually a former train station. The restaraunt is a wide open space with atypical decorations and the prices are great. (entrée+plat+ dessert = 22€ for lunch, 33€ for dinner). There is also a lovely terrace, perfect for sipping chilled brouilly on sunny afternoon.

Restaurant La Gare

19, Chaussée de la Muette

75016 Paris

A Field Trip au Louvre

2009-04-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

For one of my MBA classes the professor brought us all to the Louvre where we were given free entry into the museum and a sort of scavenger hunt à la Divinci Code. We had 4 hours to answer all of the questions on the list which had us running all over like chickens with our heads cut off. This wasn't my first time at the museum but I never before realized how big it is! I'm just glad I brought comfortable shoes...

In a castle far far away.....

2009-04-20T01:31:00.000-07:00

Not really but almost. J and I decided we really needed to get out of Paris to breathe some fresh country air and thought the Loire Valley would be perfect. Easter weekend couldn't come sooner! Although I had class saturday afternoon we did have Monday off so it gaves us a good 2 days away. I had been googling "chambre d'hôtes" like crazy and was excited to find that many were in old renovated castles! I guess everyone had the same idea as I did because everything was booked! I almost gave up until one of the castle owners gave me the number of Château de Nanteuil located in Huisseau sur Cosson, not far from Blois. The owner was extremely friendly and even invited us to eat at the "Table d'Hôtes" where everyone staying in the castle dines together.

Saturday afternoon after having wine marketing class in the Musée du Vin in the 16th arrondisement, I set off to J's parents house so that we could borrow their car for the weekend: a white Smart! Belle-mère had packed us some food as well as two giant chocolate bunnies for Easter (just what I needed). The GPS was ready and we were on our way. And so was the rest of Paris. What should have taken an hour and 1/2 took a good 3 hours! We arrived at the castle tired and hungry but the owner, Frédéric, was more than welcoming. He let us pick our room: a modest, antique French country-style bedroom with large windows and a view of the river. We got settled and then made our way downstairs to the dining room for an apératif with the other guests: a French girl and her Argentinian boyfriend who currently live in London, a couple from Brussels and a couple from Romania: an interesting mix! Frédéric served us all champagne and toasts with foie gras and then we sat down for dinner: salmon and chèvre rouleaux, fresh bass with grilled zucchini and sautéed mushrooms, local cheeses, and homemade apricot sorbet. He then taught us how to take down a strong digestif: Armagnac. I'm not really a brandy-kind-of-girl but I didn't want to be the only one not willing to try! He said a real dégustation takes 20 minutes: you must first put a small amount on the tongue and swirl it around. Then wait a few minutes and swallow some..and so on. It basically prepares your body for the alcohol. After such a long delicious meal we were more than ready for bed.

The next day visited Château de Chambord, the largest castle in the Loire constructed in the 16th century by Francois Ier. I regret not having done a guided visit - because of the size of the castle you get too lazy after a while to read all the information! We then headed over to Chaverny for lunch and a quick wine tasting. La Maison des vins de l’AOC Cheverny et Cour-Cheverny (located right next to the castle) offers an automated wine tasting where you pay for a kit including a glass with a microchip allowing 7 tastes, a notebook and a pen. 100 different wines are available and you simply pick a wine, place it on a little plateau where your microchip is recognized and wine pours out of a spout. It was really fun and afterwards we picked a bottle we enjoyed to bring home with us. We then spent the afternoon visiting the old city of Blois but didn't have enough time to visit the castle.

On Monday we decided to get one more castle in before making our way back to Paris and returned to Cheverny. Apparently the castle was lived in until 1985 so the rooms are rather well-preserved with all original furniture and decorations. It's hard to believe people actually lived in a place so grandiose and with such history!

Overall the weekend was a success and I would recommend a weekend trip to anyone coming to Paris. The people are friendly, the food and wine delicious, and if you enjoy history then there is so much to see. I just wish we had had more time there!

A Metro No-No

2009-04-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday night on my way out to meet a friend for her birthday dinner, I was jammin' out to God knows what on my iPhone while changing metro lines when I suddenly found myself at the bottom of a long set of concrete stairs. I must have missed a step or something and tumbled down head first, purse flying through the air. Somehow the front of both of my ankles were gouged and it was so painful I just sat down at the bottom of the dirty escaliers in shock. I didn't even care that I was wearing my new Comptoir des Cotonniers dress or that my purse had flown 10 ft in front of me. Some sweet woman was nice enough to bring it over to me and ask if I was OK. I finally got the courage to pick myself up and get into the metro only to discover that I had taken it in the wrong direction by mistake.

I quickly forgot how much my leg was throbbing upon arrival at the restaurant - GR5, known for having all-you-can-eat raclette. Yes, I let unhealthy amounts of cheese and wine soothe the pain (and the embarrassment) away.

GR5

14, rue Saussier-Leroy

75017 Paris

Metro: Ternes (2)

01.47.66.15.11

Note to self: 4-inch heels + music + stairs don't mix well.

Le Marché du livre ancien et d'occasion

2009-04-05T05:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend J and I spent a quiet afternoon having lunch with his grandmother at her flowery little apartment in the 15ème arrondisment. She's a great cook and always puts second and third helpings onto my plate even when I insist I'm no longer hungry. I always leave her place feeling stuffed. This time, after having a salad, way too much lasagna and at least 5 homemade choux à la crème, I told J we needed to get a little exercise. There is an open-air used book market right by her apartment that we passed by several times but had never gotten the chance to visit. J said he used to go often during his childhood and that we should check it out. It's located under old metal horse stalls- apparently it was formerly used as a horse slaughterhouse. yum. Today, between 60-80 bouquinistes (book dealers) set up shop every weekend.

I particularly enjoyed looking at the old French children's books. There were several "Caroline" books and J said his mom used to love them as a child. I found an old fashion history book that I really wanted but when I opened up the cover I was shocked: €30! J said we said we should try and negotiate but when we offered only €10 the seller laughed and said we had to be kidding! I put the book down, grabbed J's hand and decided it was time to leave. I was a little disappointed by the prices but I'm sure if you are someone that knows how to cut a deal, you might find yourself a bargain. There's also a nice little park next store so I would definitely recommend checking out the marché on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Le Marché George Brassens
104, rue Brancion - 75015
Métro: Convention (12) ou Porte de Vanves (13)

2009-03-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't recommend going to see the Sonia Rykiel exhibition unless you're a true fan of this French couturière, famous for her colorful stripes and for making knitwear fashionable. I've never found her designs particularly interesting so I wasn't surprised when I found myself a bit bored during the exposition. Luckily we had some overachiever museum guide to explain the history behind each piece otherwise I would have gotten out of there in under 15 minutes.

Some highlights: the awesome black and white sweater that Carrie in SATC wore when she moved to Paris (I was so surprised to see this and had no idea it was Rykiel! It's actually vintage from the 60's), and all of the designs created for Sonia's 40th fashion anniversary as well as the actual models. I loved Martin Margiela's fur chubby made to represent Rykiels's notorious frizzy red mane. So funny!

Sorry for the crappy photos...we weren't actually allowed to take photos so I had to use the old camera phone :(

2009-03-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Paris has been so beautiful this week! I don't remember the last time we had weather like this...not even last summer, which didn't feel like summer at all. Of course I'm now cursing having a job! The sun is out and all I can do is look through the window.

I don't have class this weekend so I'm hoping the sun stays out and I can go and lay by the pool at J's dad's house. I am in desperate need of a little skin color! Tomorrow I have the Sonia Rykiel expo so pictures are to come.........

2009-03-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

Someone was nice enough to tag me for a "kreative blogger" award. I think my blog is pretty boring so I was quite surprised! Anyhow, the award rules are as follows:

List 7 things that you love, and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you love! Be sure to tag them and let them know that they have won. You can copy the picture of the award and paste it on your sideboard letting the whole world know...you are Kreativ!

Alors....

1. My little family: my husband J and our mini-cat Nala

2. Traveling and trying new foods! I loveeee to eat (too much actually)!

3. Sleeping in on Sundays and eating brunch (again, food)

4. Reading about French or English history and royal families

5. Shopping: I can't go a week without at least looking which usually turns into buying..very bad habit!

6. Reading fashion magazines while riding the metro (I've even missed my stop several times...)

7. Hanging out with my 13 year old sister whom I miss dearly!

7 Bloggers I love (I'm too lazy to go ahead and "nominate" people):

Just have a look at the column on the left :)

Thanks Katherine!

Spring!

2009-03-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I'm not speaking to soon but it seems Spring is finally here in Paris! The sun was out today and it was actually warm enough to go out with a sweater and scarf, sans jacket! J and I woke up and made some pains au chocolat (our new Sunday morning ritual) and then rented bikes from the Velib' station right outside are apartment. We biked down Avenue de l'Opéra all the way to the Louvre where we set down our bikes to lay down and catch some rays. There was a nice cool breeze and it felt so good to be outside breathing fresh air (well I guess Parisian polluted air but at least I wasn't holed up in my apartment). There were so many people out! It's funny, as soon as the weather warms up and the sun comes out, so do the Parisians. I even spotted some smiles, a rarity in this city. J and I then rode over to Place de la Concorde, up towards La Madeleine, Gare Saint-Lazare and then home. I need to do this more often.

Mes News

2009-03-13T06:40:00.001-07:00

Because of what happened with my last internship I didn't want to speak too soon - but now that it's been a week and I feel pretty good it about it, I can share: I was accepted for a new internship! I'm doing event planning for a communications agency that specializes in luxury brands. I'll be helping with all the logistics of setting up events. Everyone is fairly young and there's a good atmosphere in the office. Even more, it's located on the beautiful rue de la Paix (where you can find all the prestigious jewelers - Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany, Boucheron...), and I can walk to work! Each morning I pass by the Trinity Church, the grand magasins (Galleries Lafayettes, Printemps), the famous Opéra Garnier, and then walk down the street towards the historical Place Vendôme. It's a nice little promenade if I do say so myself. I may be busy once again with working 4 days a week and having school 2 days, but things are looking up!

Why I could never lose weight while living in France

2009-03-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

Because even the frozen food is good. In France they have this magical frozen foods store called Picard. It's fairly inexpensive and they have everything...from crêpes and baguettes to mixed mushrooms, lasagna, fried rice, seafood, and even mini-desserts and finger foods, perfect for parties. J and I are addicted to their pains au chocolat. They come in a bag of 5 for about 3.50 euros. You simply heat up the oven, place them on the pan, cook for 20 minutes and then voilà: flakey, chocolatey, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Honestly I think they taste better than any of the local boulangeries!

Living the Luxury Lifestyle (or at least learning about it)

2009-03-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

My masters program has a lot of advantages in that we often have planned activities outside the classroom such as our previous trip to Versailles. This past Friday we had a half day of class and were then split into three groups for three different visits: Gucci, Ralph Lauren, and Hotel Plaza Athenée. I was very excited to be in the group visiting the hotel, one of the most prestigious in Paris and located on Avenue Montaigne, home to many high fashion stores such as Chanel, Dior, Valentino, and Louis Vuitton. Although I've been there once for dinner and a few times to the bar, I'd never been inside the actual hotel (and could probably never afford it!). In the final season of Sex & the City, this is the beautiful Parisian Palace that Carrie stays in when moving to Paris with her Russian Lover Alexander Petrovsky.

Upon arrival half of us were sent home for wearing jeans and the rest of us were ushered into the service entrance, past the pressing and upstairs where we were welcomed with fresh squeezed fruit juices, coffee & tea, and freshly made mini-desserts. We were given a short history of the hotel (opened in 1911) and then led up to the top floor to visit one of the many luxurious suites: a decent-sized hotel bedroom, decorated art deco style in purple and taupe. I wasn't that impressed until they opened a door that led to a gorgeous salon larger than my apartment and with a direct view of la tour eiffel. How much we asked? Oh, only 15,000 euros per night! We also visited another beautiful suite decorated in Louis XVI style, as well as the kitchens of the famous three star restaurant Alain Ducasse where we met the head chef and were shown the hand-painted, platinum-rimmed fine china and then visited the actual restaurant with eye-catching chandeliers surrounded by strung-up baccarat crystals. We then took a look at the very chic and trendy Plaza Athenée bar, the wine cellar, and the newly built Dior Institute. In total we spent nearly 3 hours visiting all parts of the hotel and learning about different careers within the hotel industry. Very enlightening. This week we'll be taking a trip over to Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs to see the Sonia Rykiel exhibition, and coming up we'll visit the Louvre and have a wine tasting. I could get used to this.....

2009-02-25T07:29:00.001-08:00

The time off from scool has been quite lovely: waking up at noon, cooking big lunches, taking walks in the quartier and going to the cinéma...it has all been a nice relaxing change to the weeks surrounding my final exams. I've never spent this much time at home before. I've even gotten used to the church bells that chime ever half hour from the beautiful Eglise de la Trinité as well as the sounds of scooters whizzing by and the honking that comes from living next to a fairly large Parisian intersection.

I finally welcomed some of my friends and fellow bloggers into my new crib. Although we're not fully settled in (I still have yet to hang up shelves or even get pictures printed to put in the 20 or so frames I bought for 50% off during les soldes at Casa), I cleaned up the place pretty well, set out some wine and apéritifs as well as some overcooked moelleux aux chocolat and we were good to go. My amazing little sister even trekked over to the Thanksgiving store to purchase cheddar and refried beans for seven layer dip. I would say the dip, her bag-o-margarita mix, and the ranch dip I had whipped together were the hits of the night. We chatted until nearly 2AM until I could barely keep my eyes open (J and my sister were already passed out by this point), and Miss Juliet was able to peel herself away from my bathroom floor. All in all, a success!

I also forgot to mention that not only was I called back for one interview but THREE! They all seemed to go pretty well and I hope that I have at least one positive response by the end of the week. You see, as much as I enjoy sleeping in, eating and taking naps, I do hope to have a more demanding schedule. School starts back this Friday and from now on I will only have class two days per week. I now have no excuse not to be back in the marché du travail! Fingers crossed once again.....

Wedding Recap

2009-02-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

When I started planning my wedding from Paris I was totally lost. My mom and my bridesmaids were thousands of miles across the ocean and my future in-laws were totally clueless as to why I thought it was so important to choose matching ties for the groomsmen, having wedding programs or even flowers that went along with my wedding color theme. That's why I started using the internet for inspiration and luckily stumbled upon wedding bee. Seriously, this site was my savior and even 5 months post-wedding I still find myself checking out other girls wedding details! My husband thinks I'm nuts! When I went on the site today I was excited to see myself featured in Mrs. Onion's post on short dress brides. She had asked wedding bee readers to send in any pictures of themselves in their short wedding gowns. What's funny is that the whole reason why I found wedding bee is because I googled "short dress brides," found her blog and thus wedding bee! It was just fate I guess!

I thought I would do a quick wedding re-cap just in case any bee readers buzz over to my little blog. (Pictures below).

I spent the morning of the wedding getting ready with my mother and bridesmaids. While I was getting my hair and makeup fixed my girls were busy putting together martha stewart pom-poms that we would hang on the church pews. When everyone was finally ready to go my sister and I hopped into the ex-calibur J and I had rented for the day while the girls got into a taxi behind us. We made it to the church just in time...everyone was on the steps waiting for us! The ceremony went by very quickly and before we knew it everyone was waving goodbye as we jumped into the car and raced off to Place de la Concorde for some unique Parisian wedding photos. It was quite windy and the fountain kept blowing water onto us...freezing! We got back into the car and headed over to the reception in the Bois de Boulogne, a park that sits on the western edge of the 16th arrondisement in Paris. It was so neat to see all the wedding details together: the simple green and white flower arrangements, the chair covers with brown tulle ribbons, the wedding programs and favors that we had put together with our monogram, and even our polaroid picture guestbook station which everyone seemed to love. Everything looked gorgeous! J and I danced to Frank Sinatra's "I Love Paris," and then my father glided me across the dancefloor to Nat King Cole's "You are My Sunshine," a song he often sang to me during my childhood. The cake was cut, the toasts were made, and we ate, drank, and danced the night away until it sadly came to an end at nearly 2AM. J and I took a cab back to our hotel suite where we couldn't stop replaying the entire days events in our minds. My friends who had come all the way to Paris to share our special day still tell us how much fun they had! We wish we could go back and do it all over. Vow renewal anyone?

Dress: Legends by Romona Kaveza, purchased at Bridal's by Lori in Atlanta, Georgia

Veil and Flower Clip: My very talented mother :)

Shoes (I had dyed myself): My Glass Slipper

Hair and Makeup: Elisabeth Coiffure

Bridesmaids Dresses: J Crew

Reception Location: Le Pré Catalan

Photography: Halard Photographie

Wedding in Pictures

2009-02-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T06:51:00.001-08:00

I'm so relieved to be finished with my exams! Luckily we're given a week and 1/2 of vacation so I'm going to use the extra free time to finish decorating and cleaning the apartment, look for jobs and hopefully line up an interview. And of course there's the pendaison cremaillère this following Thursday so I'm looking forward to giving everyone a tour of the place.

J and I aren't doing anything special for Valentines Day....we're just going to take a walk and maybe have a drink in a café in the new quartier. Finally some relaxation!

Joyeuse Saint Valentin to everyone, even you singles out there. I spent 5 valentine's alone before meeting my chéri so keep your heads up! It's just a silly made-up holiday anyhow :) Make sure you tell the important people in your life that you love and care about them (even though this should be done every day).

2009-02-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

This post is gonna be short as I'm just passing by J's father's house to use internet as we still have no tv/phone/internet in the new apartment. Hooray for France Telecom taking 2 weeks just to change an address and for having to be put on hold for 15 minutes and paying I don't even know how many centimes per minute only to speak with some connard who doesn't even know how to do his job! Vive la France!

I have exams starting Saturday and I can't even access my courses online. gah!!!

OK, breathe.

We still have several more trips to make to Ikea, bien sur, but the apartment is coming together nicely. I can't wait for this semester to be over so I can do all the fun decorating stuff and invite everyone over!!!

2009-01-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

I was just going through some of the wedding photos and couldn't help but drool over all the delicious food we had that I didn't even get to try! I was too busy mingling, taking photos, and saying merci! I wish I could go back, do it all over again and just take my time and enjoy the evening. Why didn't anyone tell me to take it easy?!

All food provided by Lenôtre at Le Pré Catalan, where we had our reception.

Déménagement

2009-01-24T09:56:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share some of my photos from the last bit of renovations happening before the big move next Tuesday. For the first time (after living 2 1/2 years in Paris) I will have an oven, a dishwasher (gasp!) and a closet! I've had to store over half of my wardrobe in suitcases for way too long and I can't wait to actually see all my clothes hung up in one place! I love the old black and white tiles we have in the kitchen and the fact that we even have enough space to add a little table and chairs to eat dinner like normal people (normal people in the USA I suppose). We'll also have a living room with several large windows that actually let in sunlight, plus the space is big enough to hold a couch and chairs, coffee table and desk! We will indeed have a bedroom (yes, a real bedroom, with a bed!). It's amazing how sharing 30m2 with someone for over a year gets you excited about the small stuff.

The whole moving thing will be a lot of work but it's gonna be so worth it! Get ready for our pendaison crémaillère*!

*housewarming party

Seriously?

2009-01-21T14:08:00.002-08:00

After popping by the new apartment to see how the renovations are coming along, I walk quietly down the rue Saint-Lazare towards the metro station. A man makes his way towards me and when his mouth starts to move I take out my earphones assuming he needs directions. "Bonjour mademoiselle, vous avez perdu....."* I look behind me, thinking I've dropped something. When I turn back around he looks me in the eyes and says "votre sourire."** I wave my hand towards him as if to brush him away, and then continue on my way.

Just another day in France, another Frenchman workin' his charm.

* "Hello miss, you seem to have lost..."

** "your smile."

2009-01-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to keep up my morale but it's been tough. Paris and my apartment have been absolutely glacial and although we're planning the big move soon it all seems very stressful as we face problems with J's father (who has a history of mental illness), the job search, the never-ending bills, really long days at school (10+ hours) and trying to get everything packed while we should be studying for our partiels (final exams). The weight of everything has hit J hard and he constantly threatens he won't have his diploma by the end of the year, that he just wants to pack up and move to the US, ultimately leaving all his problems behind him. I try to explain that this isn't the solution and that everything will be fine if we just stick it out together.

On a happier note, yesterday J and I took a break from all the stress and had lunch at Breakfast in America. I wouldn't recommend going on Sundays as you will more than likely wait in line for over an hour, but I do approve of the food! If you like authentic American breakfast (pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs) or even the classic hamburger or hot dog, you should definitely check this place out if you're ever yearning for a taste from home. yum!

Back in FREEZING Paris/ Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

J and I just spent two wonderful weeks with my family and friends in the US. We ate, drank, and shopped ourselves into oblivion and it was marvelous! I got to meet up with friends I hadn't seen since last Christmas, brought J to his first American basketball game and even tried over 60 flavors of Coca-Cola beverages at Atlanta's new World of Coke museum. I watched movies with my baby sister (she's 13), sang karaoke with my Dad, celebrated my 25th birthday with my family and rang in the new year with my parents, friends, and neighbors by my side. Everything felt so natural: cooking and eating with the fam while listening to the sounds of football blaring on the tv, running over to Target or Walmart for some last minute thing, grabbing chips and cheese dip at the local Mexican joint, paying only $30 to fill up the gas tank. It's amazing how I can just jump back into the routine of my old life, even with J by my side. Of course I wasn't looking forward to leaving but I was still excited about starting the year fresh: continuing school, my new internship and moving into our apartment.

After traveling almost 14 hours I arrived in Paris yesterday morning, dropped my bags off and showered at my apartment and went straight to work. I wanted to show that I was motivated and willing to be there even after missing a night's sleep. Staying until 7PM, I grabbed my coat to leave and the boss pulled me aside and asked to speak with me. He told me it just wouldn't work out; that they really need someone full time, someone that doesn't have school during the week. All this came as a complete shock. I had only worked about a week and 1/2 before leaving for the US. I just think they shouldn't have taken me on as an intern if they were going to change their minds so quickly.

I spent last night tossing and turning because of the jetlag and because I had too many thoughts running through my head. Back to square one: sending out CV's and setting up interviews. I guess this just isn't where I thought I'd be at 25 and I'm a bit disappointed. But as I look back on 2008 I can't say I didn't have a great year: I moved back to Paris, married the love of my life, traveled to Holland, Tunisia, Italy, and England and got into French grad school. Of course I'd like to find another internship ASAP but my newfound free time will allow me to study more for my upcoming finals, go to the gym, spend more time with friends and move in and decorate the new apartment (crossing my fingers for the end of the month). I'm trying not to let this little setback get me down.

Here's to hoping for a meaningful and successful 2009!

Joyeux Nöel!

2008-12-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

The past week and 1/2 have been busy busy! I started my new job last week, had class, and then continued with the internship all this week. There was no time to for a break, no time to stop and think about all the change that has occured in my life in the past month or so. I basically just jumped into everything headfirst and went at it full force. I've been extremely tired and haven't allowed myself a lot of time for fun but luckily Christmas vacation has finally come and J and I are headed to my parents home in the US for two glorious weeks!

Paris has had one chilly winter and I've been sick of the wind and the snow that turns to icey rain. Atlanta might not be that much warmer but at least I can enjoy the holidays sitting by the fireplace, drinking "real" hot cocoa with mini marshmallows and listening to my father belt out Christmas songs while playing the piano. This will be J's second nöel with my family and he is more excited than ever! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!! See you in two weeks!

*picture taken December 9th while freezing our a**es off at Trocadéro!

2008-12-08T02:56:00.001-08:00

After a week of waiting anxiously for a decision on my candidature, I was finally called back on Friday afternoon with some amazing news: I was accepted as an intern! Never have I been so excited about a job before; the company is seriously amazing I can't wait to start.

I really wanted to begin today but of course my current job told me I had to respect a preavis of 48 hours, and as they wouldn't count the weekend I'd be stuck here until Tuesday. Yes, stuck. I tried to explain to them that it was pointless, that I wouldn't get much work done in two days. Of course they didn't care and just wanted to show the other employees that we can't just do whatever we want.

The new job is a located right by the beautiful Musée du Louvre, which is a lot closer to where I currently live and where I'll be living (no, still haven't moved yet). Everyone is young and funky and I think it will make for a cool work atmosphere.

This is also my last week of school before winter vacation and I'm happy that I'll finally be able to take it easy; it's been hard with only one free day per week! Overall, I have a lot of things to be excited for...

School and Field Trips....

2008-12-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

Classes (seem) to be going well. I haven't gotten my exam grades yet but apparently if I don't pass a test I can still redo it during les rattrapages. This is basically a week where you can retake exams, allowing you to "catch up" to la moyenne (12/20). Of course I'm hoping I don't have to go through an extra set of testing but at least I know I'm not completely in la merde.

Although I find my courses way too long (3-5 hours each), I really like my professors and the class sizes. My masters program of 75 people is split into two sections and we have class with the same group of people each time. It's helped us get to know one another better and feel more comfortable speaking up in class. I've made an effort to meet everyone from my group but it's obvious that the foreigners (mostly Asian) and Frenchies tend to stick to their own kind. I am, however, the only Anglophone so I don't really belong in either group. Some of the French girls seem very catty and tend to exclude me, which kind of sucks. It just confirms my belief that it is nearly impossible to make French friends unless they have already had a study abroad or an international experience!

Last week we had a sort-of field trip to Versailles for class. Apparently my professor is a historian because he knew the history behind each room, painting, sculpture, chandelier, etc within the chateau! It was really insightful...we were actually there to learn about the history of luxury and how it began with Versailles so I got to see the castle from a very different point of view. Did you know that as a way to show his elite status (and to draw attention to himself while dancing), Louis XIV used to have the soles of his shoes painted red, influencing this very well known designer? Hey, I was impressed!

I will finish my job (for good!) in a couple weeks and I'm still on the lookout for a cool internship. Cross your fingers for me! I've had some cool interviews so I'm hopeful :)

2008-11-24T02:33:00.000-08:00

With my new acquired student status I was able to apply for the Carte Imagine R, the heavily discounted metro pass available to Île-de-France students. Not only does it allow a reduction on transportation but simply flashing the card will get me discounts at the cinema, McDonalds, FNAC, Jean Louis David, and several other French stores. I decided to test the card out last night and see The Duchess with my sister at one of the many movie theaters on the Champs-Elysées. I'm a huge lover of English and French history and especially, period films. The lavish fashion and architectual details that are so heavily accented within these types of movies seem to make history come to life. The Duchess was no exception as it's main character, Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, played by Keira Knightley, was a fashion icon during the late 18th century. The costumes are quite elaborate: ornate dresses with metallic brocades, tiny corsets, extravagant wigs and feathered hats, even a menswear influence that includes rows of gold buttons and sharply tailored jackets.

Of course the costumes weren't the only thing I adored about the film. The story is about an intelligent beauty, socialite, and politico stuck in a loveless marriage at a time where women had little rights and often had to tolerate marital rape and life with a live-in mistress. I am no Keira Knightley fan but I believe she gave a great performance; I definitely recommend you give it a go!

Liberté!!

2008-11-22T06:52:00.000-08:00

So I got through my first set of French exams....I won't know for a week or so if I've had la moyenne on each exam (12/20 at my école), but for the time being I'm just glad they're over! I had one class this morning and afterwards caught the metro to La Muette so I could take a relaxing stroll down the Rue de Passy. For once the sun was out in Paris and I was able to take advantage of a lovely fall day. While browsing all the cute winter clothes in Zara, I decided to check out the little girls section. I'm super short so sometimes I can fit into little girls sizes and the clothes cost around 30-50% less than they would in the women's department. I walked out with a winter coat, dress, belt and purse for under 100 Euros!

I am still working part-time when I'm not in school and will continue until J and I leave for the states over Christmas holiday. Afterwards I plan on finding an internship that corresponds with my MBA program. There's really no point in continuing my current job except for the money--I absolutely hate it (and my boss and her ridiculous requests) and it's not what I plan to do for a career. The search is on again for a new boulot and this time I plan on being more picky. I won't just accept anything just because they are willing to hire me! No, not this time!

2008-11-19T08:41:00.001-08:00

Bare with me, people. I have 5 exams between tomorrow and Thursday and they are all in French. This is the first time I have taken classes in French as opposed to French classes, and subjects include : Comptabilité Analytique, Comptabilité Générale, Marchés et Produits de Luxe, Marketing Fondamental, and Droit Commercial. I think there's a tie between Accounting and Business Law for my least favorite but we'll see after the exam which one takes the cake.

I have been spending way too much time on the internet and have been eating far too many gateaux. First exam, tomorrow at 11:30AM! Dear lord, pray for me!!

2008-11-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my recent absence; not only have I lacked the motivation to write anything but I've also had no time! I didn't mention anything because I didn't want to jinx myself, but I decided to apply to an MBA program at the last minute. I was told there might be an extra spot in the program and was asked back for an interview. I felt it went very poorly...the woman didn't seem impressed by anything I said and then told me not to take it as a failure if I didn't get in. If that doesn't say "rejected," I don't know what does!

Then, a week or so ago, I get a phone called saying I had been admise. The poor woman had to repeat herself 3 times because I didn't think I had heard correctly! So, in a span of three days I got into a university program, told my employer I could not longer work full time, and became a student again! I'm now working Mon-Wed and am in school Thurs-Sat. It's quite intense and I'm wondering if keeping my job is such a good idea. With 25+ hours of class per week plus work I don't know when I'll have the time to study, go to the gym, or even see my husband. I'm still trying to get used to the new schedule but already feel my body cursing me for not giving it enough rest.

I had class last week until Saturday evening then came home and immediately went to sleep. Sunday I woke up early to pack for a business trip to London and only came back this morning...and went immediately to work from the train station. It's like I'm swimming and can't even come up for air! What to do??!!

Welcome back, America!

2008-11-05T07:13:00.000-08:00

Watching his victory speech for the third time today, I feel chills run up and down my body. The American people's ability to unite in the desire for progress has given me great hope and has filled me with a level of pride in my country that I have not felt in a very long time. The record turnout, the crowds, the crying, the dancing in the street.......we, as a a nation have acheived history.

Obama may have inherited a terrible legacy but I believe he is what this country needs to begin the healing process. I hope that McCain's supporters take his concession speech to heart and set aside their hate, anger and fear. Obama can not lead our country without the support of all Americans.

Yes we can, yes we did, and yes we will. Congratulations to the new leader of the United States, President Barack Hussein Obama!

La Crème de la Crème

2008-10-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been dreaming of cupcakes (fairy cakes for all you Brits). Moist mini cakes topped with creamy frosting and sprinkles (or jimmies). Just saying those words makes my mouth water. I mean who doesn't love cupcakes? For me it brings back childhood memories of birthday parties and classroom goodies. After almost a year of tartes, macarons, and meringues, I long for that sugary goodness that can only come from what I believe is a real gâteau. What can I say I truly am gourmande (and American).

I've been imagining cupcake combinations...strawberry with buttercream, , blueberry cheesecake cupcakes, chocolate-peanut butter, even red velvet with vanilla cream cheese frosting. I know one thing I plan on buying when I'm in the U.S. over Christmas holidays....a cupcake tin! When we move into our new apartment I will finally have my first oven while living in France and I can't wait to christen it with these itty-bitty treats!

2008-10-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

God I don't want to go to work tomorrow! Have I mentioned that I hate my job? I'm not gonna get into details but let's just say I'm already on the lookout for something new. Yes, it's only been a month and no, I don't care. It's amazing how you can talk your self into thinking something is a lot better than it is and then reality sets in and you're miserable.

On another note, I'm obsessed with this new application called Poladroid that lets you turn any digital photograph into a polaroid-like picture. You drag and drop your photos into the mini polaroid camera application then wait for them to pop out and develop (you can even shake the picture to make it develop faster!). Then look at or print your new Polaroid picture. I love this thing; it's so fun (and a great distraction from my employment woes)!

Emily - 1, France - 0

2008-10-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

Or at least that's how I felt today when I finally got my hands on a Carte de Séjour Vie Privée et Familiale! After a long process of trying to change my "statut étudiant" to a "statut conjointe de francais" (which didn't work out and I actually ended up having to return aux USA), I was finally given my récépissé for a CDS application this past June. I was summoned again to the préfecture in September and they gave me a second récépissé as well as a date for a sort of "integration day." That was today.

It included a collective meeting to "welcome" (ha) newcomers. This took place at the ANAEM office in the 11th arrondisement of Paris and included a short video called "Vivez Ensemble en France," which basically said how important it is to learn French and understand the organization and functions of l'Etat as well as the fundamental principles of the French Republic: la Liberté, l'Egalité, etc. I honestly laughed out loud when I walked into the room and saw a big French flag, a buste de Marianne, as well as a photo of President Sarkozy in all his glory. It made me want to break out in song to the Marseillaise. Seriously.

After the video I was called for a short interview to assess my French language skills and sign the "Contrat d'accueil et d'intégration." I was then off to the visite medicale where they measured my height and weight, checked my eyesight, and of course gave me the infamous topless x-ray. Trust me folks, it isn't any more comfortable the second time around! Gah! At least I now have a souvenir (they allow you to keep the radiograph). I then had to purchase 275 euros worth of ANAEM stamps and was presented with my CDS. Finally! It only took 6 1/2 months, a round-trip to Atlanta and 7 visits to the préfecture, and *I can't wait to do it all again next year!

*only kidding.

Crunch Time!

2008-10-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

It's only 13 days until election day in the USA so that means everyone needs to get out there and exercise their right to vote!! I've never been so excited about a presidential race before, nor have I been so passionate about a candidate. The US is in such a rut right now.... the economic crisis, the never-ending war in Iraq, the insanely high cost of healthcare premiums, dependency on foreign oil...all this and a $10 Trillion debt! We really need someone who will turn the country around and get people back up on their feet. Someone who is ready to make fundamental policy changes and reverse this unsustainable course. Of course I've chosen my favorite player and I expect others to respect my choice, just like I respect theirs. But why do people feel the need to write me snide comments, telling me I'm wrong, that I shouldn't even vote as I'm less of an American for living abroad? I mean, WTF? Are people that ignorant? I don't go around trolling people's blogs or facebook pages so I can disagree with their voting preferences! I constantly receive little messages telling me I'm misguided, that I need to do my research, that my choice makes them sick. Will things like this sway my decision, hell no! It's called tolerance, people! And when I see these inconsiderate, insulting and uncivilized remarks it just gives me even more cause to stick with my candidate. Come on- why would I want to join a group of supporters that don't even know how to have a clean debate?!

Ok well that was my rant of the day...but the purpose of this message can be summed up by something a wise old friend of mine recently said: "Who cares who you're voting for, just as long as we can all agree that Peach Cobbler is delicious." A very wise friend, indeed!

"Paris, why oh why do I love Paris?"

2008-10-15T01:31:00.001-07:00

It's uncertain how long J and I will stay in Paris. Although it's been my dream to come and live in this magnificent city since I began studying French in collège, J has strong aspirations of starting a life together in the states. Nothing is planned for the moment...J still has to finish school and we definitely need to save money but it's something we talk about quite often. A plan is in the works.

I guess this is why I really wanted my Parisian wedding; I wanted to share my amazing home with friends and family while I'm still living here. To me the idea of being married in Paris was (and is!) utterly romantic....I know it's so cliché and you'd think I'd be over it after two years here- but I'm not. I wanted a classic American wedding (with bridesmaids and even a color theme) and a reception that was typically French. Overall, I wanted Paris as a beautiful backdrop and this is exactly what I got.

I spent my wedding day in a hotel suite getting ready with my mother, two sisters and best friends. When we were all beautified and had enough champagne running through our veins to finally relax and have a laugh, we were called downstairs to be transported to the church. My sister and I hopped into the old convertible excalibur J had rented for us; the rest of the group took a taxi. We all drove down the Champs-Elysées to the Quai d'Orsay in disbelief; what a gorgeous day for a wedding! Everyone was waiting on the steps of the old stone church to catch a glimpse of the bride. The ceremony then went by effortlessly; my sister and J's best friend read a short excerpt from "Le Petit Prince;" my father and baby sister sang. There was the kiss, the hugs between friends and family, the exit with bubbles. And then J and I were off to capture the Paris that I wanted to remember in photos......

2008-10-13T01:38:00.000-07:00

Another weekend has come and gone too quickly in Paris. I spent Friday night babysitting my two favorite little French girls; it seems I still get to see them after all! Saturday was such a gorgeous day. I spent it lunching with my belle-mere, meeting a friend who is now teaching English in Amiens for an overpriced café at Trocadero, and window shopping on the Rue de Passy. Later on when the noise from excited soccer fans became too much for me in my tiny Parisian apartment, I decided to meet up with some other American ex-pats for some girl talk and delicious, homemade mexican grub. There is a huge blogging community in Paris and I've been so lucky to meet these women who I would have never gotten to know if it weren't for the internet! J likes to call them my "weird internet friends" but whatever. We chatted about jobs, strange things our significant others do (Is it just a French thing or...), missing Target, the works. Although I think I can hold my own pretty well in French conversation, it's always nice to be able to gab with the girls en Anglais. It's like a breath of fresh air after being stuck in a French bubble.

We also had a meeting with the ouvriers at our new aparment. They should start renovations beginning in November and we should be able (fingers crossed) to move in mid-December. I'm seriously counting down the days until I can stop living out of suitcases (not enough room in our armoire) and can get rid of all the piles that seem to find their way into every corner of our petit studio. Just 9 weeks. I have to keep telling myself that. 9 weeks.

You know you've been living in France too long when...

2008-10-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

-You're at a restaraunt with friends and instead of freaking out when you see a mouse run across the floor you just put your feet up for the rest of the night.

In the US, I would have called the manager, asked for my food to be comped, and left immediately. Here we just informed the serveuse, to which she shrugged her shoulders and said "What, you want me to catch it with my bare hands?" and walked away. We (my sister, Sam, Sarah, and I) just laughed it off. Anyone else have a similar experience? (not necessarily with a mouse but an "Only in France" experience?

Back to Reality....

2008-10-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

So here I am, my second week at my new job. It's been quite an adjustment to get back into this routine: metro, boulot (9H-18H), metro, gym, dodo. I can't complain -this is what I wanted after all. Of course I never appreciated all the free time I had before and now I long for it! Luckily I enjoy where I'm working, I like my co-workers and I really like the special coffee machine key we have that allows us up to 5 espressos (or capuccinos or mochas, etc) per day. Actually, I think that's my favorite part. Working in France, I'll have the standard 5 weeks vacation plus one RTT (reduction de temps de travail) per month. I also have 50% of my transport paid for, a very good mutuelle, and tickets- restaraunts that cover my lunch every day. I'll have to get past my 3 month periode d'essai, but once that's up I'm pretty much set. You see, in France, once you get a job it's pretty much yours for life. This is why it's so difficult to find a job in the first place, why employers are so reluctant to hire jeunes diplômés.

It's hard to believe that a week and a half ago I was holding J tightly on a scooter as we drove along the Italian coast from Positano to Praiano to Amalfi. Or that we were drinking 3€ Peroni and eating fresh mozzarella and proschiutto paninis at the local fisherman's bar just a few minutes from our hotel. Sigh.

Wow.

2008-09-30T04:25:00.001-07:00

So the past two weeks have been a crazy whirlwind of events....from two job interviews, my friends and family arriving in Paris, babysitting the girls for the last time, a crazy night with my girlfriends at Le Refuge de Fondues, the rehearsal dinner, setting up decorations at our reception site on the big day, getting my hair and make up done while surrounded by my mom and bridesmaids, to finally stepping into my wedding dress, hopping into an old-fashioned car and driving along the Champs-Elysées to the church and then walking down the aisle with my Daddy, then boogying the night away with all my loved ones by my side. It all went by in a flash and before I knew it I was enjoying a romantic Italian honeymoon with J. I can't help but continuously replay all the events in my mind. After all my hard work the wedding went off without a hitch (well, despite a few minor incidents!). Everything was amazing- the bilingual ceremony with two officiants, the flowers, the music, the food, the dancing- it was so great to finally see everything put together and everyone enjoying themselves.

I have to admit, the first day or two of the honeymoon I felt a bit depressed that it was all over. Months and months of preparations for a night that went by way too quickly. I wish I had gotten more time to just relax and enjoy everyone's company! Luckily we plan on going back to the states over winter holiday and I also have some exciting things to keep me busy- moving into the new apartment as well as starting a new job (more to come). All in all, I just had two of the best weeks of my life and I feel very blessed.

Dummmm dum dah-dum....

2008-09-17T02:36:00.000-07:00

Planning this wedding has been extremely time-consuming and at times very trying on J and I as a couple. Sometimes it's easy to forget what the whole point of a wedding is (to get married!). I know the next couple days will be some of the most stressful of my life, yet some of the most exciting- and as soon as I walk down that aisle and see J's face I'll know it's all been worth it - all 9 months of booking caterers, finding hotels, picking the wedding colors , the cake and the flowers, bridesmaids dresses, everything (and in a foreign country)! Of course I want it all to be perfect but I'm sure all the little details won't even matter on the big day.

Anyhow, please pardon my absence over the next week and a half as I have a very good excuse- I'll be getting married and then spending 8 amazing days in the delicious Italian sunshine. Ciao!

Fout la Merde!

2008-09-13T11:19:00.001-07:00

This morning J and I were woken up by 10 French boys screaming "fout la merde!!!" I happened to already be au courant of what was going on, but suddenly hearing shouts at 7AM isn't quite the way I envision the start of my morning. You see, J's friends planned an all-day, overnight "enterrement de jeune garcon," what Americans like to call a bachelor party. They had called me last week to inform me of their plan to kidnap J and bring him to Maastricht, the Netherlands. I went to bed early the night before mais quand même; hearing there loud voices didn't exactly put me in the best of moods. However, when I saw the huge grin on J's face any resentment I was feeling just melted away. He looked so darn excited I couldn't help but smile. On the contrary, I spent the day visiting the florist, buying CD's to burn our playlists, and cleaning the apartment. Perhaps a normal girl would be angry that her significant other was getting défoncé with his pals while she was busy organizing their wedding- but I'm just glad J's has such great friends that were willing to plan something fun for him.

*Update* J just called and said they're already on their way back to Paris. Apparently they'll be drinking the night away at a friend's house and will go paint balling tomorrow. Boys will be boys-- no matter what country they're from.

2008-09-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

I woke up early this morning to help my sister get a French phone and pack her suitcases. Her au-pair apartment was finally ready to be moved into so her new employer was coming to pick up her up. I thought I could help her pile luggage into the car and get an early start on preparing for my interview. I shuffled a suitcase or two outside and then I heard "clack." SHIT! I had just closed the door to the apartment sans my keys. I quickly called J to see if he could come home and open the door for me but-surprise! He had left his keys in the apartment as well. His brilliant idea- just go to the interview unprepared in what I was already wearing, which just so happened to be sweaty gym clothes. Hmmm....brilliant idea! I'm sure I'll be hired on the spot!

After a small breakdown I decided I would either try to get in through a window (if open) or call the locksmith. Our apartment is on the rez-de-chaussée (the bottom floor) and is enclosed by a little fence so people from the street aren't able to look in. The fence actually has a door that opens up to a little garden, but only my neighbor has access. She, of course, wasn't home. I buzzed everyone in the building to see if they could help me and finally, a very friendly Monsieur Brun came downstairs with a ladder. He held it steady while I climbed a very pointy fence, and kept saying "doucement" as [I'm sure] he was imagining the possibility of puncture wounds. I made it safely over and no, the window was not open. So I broke it. I figure it's cheaper to replace a small window than to pay a locksmith. I guess we'll see.

On a happy note, I did make it to my interview on time and I think it went rather well. Here's to hoping I get the job and that I was right about the price of the window......

2008-09-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today was spent walking partout in the Marais with my sister and two fellow bloggers. We decided to have lunch at THE fallafel destination in Paris, L'As du Fallafel, located on rue des Rosiers in the Jewish quartier of Paris. It definitely didn't disappoint, and I wouldn't mind making their delicious shwarma sandwich a weekly, ok-monthly ritual. Afterwards we decided to head over to Place des Vosges, one of the oldest squares in Paris and also the former home of many famous residents (Hugo, Sully, Richelieu, just to name a few). If the weather permits it's a great place to relax with a book or even peruse the several boutiques and art galleries that enclose the park. I had to leave to go pick up the girls from school but would have loved to stay longer.

Tomorrow I have my first of two interviews and I'm trying not to set myself up for disappointment. If they don't go well, or aren't for me, there are more jobs out there. And I'm not going to let any letdowns get in the way of the next 2 weeks-my friends and family will soon be here for our big Franco-American wedding and then J and I will be off to Sorrento, Italia! What could be better than that?

5 Septembre 2008

2008-09-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

A. and R. watching a spectacle

Yay! My sister is here! J and I picked her up from the airport this morning and to help her get on Paris time, I had her tag along with me as I ran errands for the wedding and baby-sat the girls. She's pretty much morte but I told her she's gotta stick it out! When I come back to Paris after spending time aux States I always end up taking naps and then find myself awake during all hours of the night. Naps are never a good idea when trying to get over jet lag!

The family I sit for finally found someone to replace me and although I'm excited to continue a new chapter in my life, I'll be sad to say goodbye! I guess it's because I know in my mind that it's probably final this time. I'm 24, almost 25, and it's time to start a real career. Next week I have two interviews, and I'm crossing my fingers that they both go well. After having so many disappointments job-wise I've been a bit discouraged but I'm hoping something good comes my way. I want to be another expat success-story in France, and je croise les doigts pour Sarah too!

Back in Action

2008-09-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

After a very relaxing week spent laying by the sea, eating way too much couscous and drinking delicious mint tea from silver-plated teapots, I'm back in Paris. Although still sans-emploi, I am lucky that I'm able to babysit for the two little French girls I used to watch after school while working as an assistante d'Anglais. After finishing up an internship in June, the family asked me if I was free to watch the girls during the summer. Summer has now come and gone and I'm still babysitting. With my recent vacation in Tunisia and the wedding coming up, it would have been very difficult to start (or even find) a new job and then take time off. I have applied for several bilangue positions and hope to find something for the beginning of October. I'm also preparing my dossiers for several French universities as I would like to begin a masters in 2009.

I really can't complain- my nounou position is just after school and all day on Wednesdays so I have the time to send out my CV, interview, and meet with wedding vendors (ugh). Today being la rentrée, I had to go meet with the girl's mother so that she could present me to their new maîtresses. This way, it isn't a surprise when a stranger comes to pick the girls up from school.

My younger sister will be arriving in Paris Friday morning. She will spend the year working as a jeune fille au pair and I'm really looking forward to showing her around this beautiful city. It's hard when you live with someone who's been here his whole life; J doesn't get excited about seeing the lights on la tour eiffel or walking down old cobblestone streets in le Marais. Even after two years here, Paris still gives me goosebumps.

The Big Day

2008-08-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Coming September 1st I know I'll be in major stress mode. You see, although legally hitched, J and I will be getting married at the American Church in Paris surrounded by our family and friends. Although I'm no longer pratiquante, I was raised in the Catholic church and have always dreamed of being married in a white dress, being walked down the aisle by my father, and saying my vows to the one I love before God. I feel like our September 20th ceremony will finally make the marriage official and I am so excited that my friends and family will be able to share in this special occasion. Our 10 minute cérémonie at the Mairie just didn't do it for me!

So with the big day looming ahead, I have a lot of final planning left. Hmm.....there's the meeting with the florist to pick out the flowers for the bouquets and boutonnieres, the finalization of the menu and flower arrangements at our amazing reception site, a meeting with the DJ so we can share our mixed French/American music selection, and the meeting with our French and American officiants so we can finalize the ceremony program. I've also got to pick up our wedding favors, go to my final dress fitting, pay the deposit on the apartment I've rented for my girlfriends, finish my DIY guestbook, and decide on our final headcount so that I can make table numbers and escort cards! Ugh! I never realized a wedding could be so much work! I guess that's why so many people hire wedding planners.

Lucky for me, I get to relax a little before turning into a panicky bridezilla. J and I will be spending the next 7 days in Djerba, Tunisia, with the beaux-parents so excuse-moi if you don't hear from me until September!

A nice change

2008-08-22T08:25:00.001-07:00

Today we found out some great news...the offer we made on an apartment was accepted!! It's in the 9ème arrondisement about 3 minutes from Printemps and Les Galleries Lafayette (which might not be the best idea for this shopping addict). However, the quartier is very lively and will be a nice change from the quiet 16ème where we have resided the past 14 months. There is a lot of work to be done in the place but as it was well under our original budget we'll have the funds to renovate the kitchen and the bathroom. My favorite part of the apartment is the séjour: it's shaped like a triangle, allowing lots of light from 7 large windows and a view of the beautiful Église de la Trinité, a church built in the late 17th century as "part of the beautification and reorganization of Paris under Baron Haussman."

If all goes well we should be able to negotiate when we can start les travaux, and hopefully we'll able to move in by December. I can't wait to start fresh and really set up house! Now if I could only find a job.....

Une Journée Chargée

2008-08-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today was extremely productive. I got my butt to the gym, checked out several apartments, and tested out a restaurant where we might have our wedding rehearsal dinner. I never thought being unemployed could be a blessing but on days like this I feel lucky to have so much free time.

Speaking of apartment hunting, I don't know how many shitty apartments you're obligated to look at until you find "the one," but I think I could possibly win a contest. Today, J and I looked at not one, not two, but SEVEN apartments! The first three were awful, the 4th à réfléchir, and numbers 5-7, definite yeses. After looking for 2 months I finally feel somewhat hopeful. I've already accepted the fact that the perfect apartment in Paris (or anywhere for that matter) doesn't exist, that I'll always find at least one défaut. J and I are very fortunate in the fact that we will be purchasing an apartment and if there are things we don't particularly like we can always do des travaux. Tomorrow we will be returning to the 9ème arrondisement to revisit and get an opinion from our parents, and hopefully afterwards we'll make a decision and thus an offer. I don't want to get my hopes up but I'm already imagining the housewarming party we could have! After more than a year of sharing 30m2 with my significant other, I'm ready for a change. I think Nala,our cat, is feeling my pain!

About the Blog

2008-08-19T03:35:00.000-07:00

So after several years of stalking other people's blogs I've finally decided to write my own. When I came home from studying abroad in France in 2005, I couldn't get the country out of my head. I read French books, watched French movies, and found a way to experience the French "life" while still residing in the USA...by reading ex-pat blogs. Seeing France through the eyes of others gave me an even stronger desire to come back and like many Francophiles, I decided to return to France to work as an English language assistant. In 2006 I moved to Paris to teach English in two French primary schools and it wasn't long after that I met my (now) French husband. So here I am, still living in Paris and (still) an ex-pat blog addict. Only this time I read because I can relate to the challenges of living in a foreign country: getting my Carte de Séjour, the infamous topless medical visit, attempting to find a job that doesn't involve teaching English, trying to find a Paris apartment, etc. I find comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one, that there are others in similar situations, that we can rant together! Voilà.