I’ve been meaning to post on an amazing celebratory trip to Paris, where several of the most lovely ladies and I celebrated our big upcoming birthdays.  Then immediately upon return, my family made the decision to move to the East Coast…so, I’ve been a little bogged down in moving logistics, and this post has been in progress for much too long.

But there’s no better time than the present (and keeping ones mindset Parisian), right?  Plus, I refuse to let this trip be a vague memory, it was far too special.

So here we go!

It began on a direct flight from Seattle to Charles De Gaulle, a few failed Ambien attempts to fend off jet lag (turns out sleeping aides and  adrenaline aren’t a good mix), but there’s unlimited wine on international flights, soooo,’ it’s all good.’   We “checked in” to our apartment (charming, functional and very French) booked through Pad-A-Terre on St. Honore and immediately began to explore Parisian life in the 1st arrondissement.

Our group was tipped off to enjoy a delicious lunch at Gladines, where we tried to blend in with French hipsters who casually donned bandanas and scarfed cheese in a way so effortlessly cool, we couldn’t possibly replicate, no matter we were all still positively giddy. Following lunch we immediately set out to explore the City of Light as it is primarily meant to be traveled, by foot.

Of course the Seine beckons travelers and locals alike.

The love locks were so densely attached to Pont des Arts, apparently you’re not allowed to add any more as they are literally weighing down the bridge, though they are still actively being sold by many of the touristy (though charming) stalls along the Left Bank.

Then it was off to Palais du Louvre, because you simply must and a pit stop in The Tuileries–

Feeling like the world is at our fingertips.  We admired the super comfortable reclining green chairs,

but couldn’t possibly sit/lay in them as by this point we had all been up over 24 hours.

There was the tiniest of ‘disco naps’ at our place on St. Honore before heading out for our first nights meal at heavily recommended (and also located in the 1st) Verjus. Ever notice how some of the coolest spots are kinda a hard to find?

But we were determined and hungry and some of us had enabled international data plans, thank the lord.

The multi-course meal (or meals as it felt like, since the food kept on coming, along with the vin) was prix fixe, didn’t disappoint and felt distinctly comfortable as is coincidentally run by ex-pats, a Seattle couple, if you can believe it.

Next morning bright and early, errr 11:00 a.m. we headed out for the Fat Tire Bike Tour, which we almost missed because it started at noon.  We rushed over to explore the City on a little faster tilt, by bike.  First, we had to learn some of the French “rules of the road” like sticking together like a large mass of salmon (which was easy for us being from the Pacific Northwest and all) when taking on big intersections (a.k.a. acting like you own it), and also yelling “dominate!” while flocking together, along with some choice hand gestures, and soon we were off.

and it felt so free,  no one even wore helmets and though I wouldn’t admit this to my kids, it was kinda nice, or at least laissez faire.  I loved exploring the city in this manner.  So much to take in.  (and actually kind of good for jet lag and the too-much-wine haze)

We learned all kinds of fascinating tid-bits from our guide Patrick (who we later  randomly ran into late night in St. Germain, I guess Paris isn’t that big of a City after all), including how royals (not to be confused with the team, by the way Go Royals!) were measured on status according to the size of their calves.

Quick pic. to show we were listening to the royal calf tales.

We lunched at a Cafe in the Tuileries where French life looks like a movie set, like this man pushing his cart of boats by.

And the tour ends in front of the Eiffel Tower, which let’s face it, never gets old.  But our time here is precious, so we move on.

One of the aspects of this trip that frankly made is so successful and special, is that each of the six ladies picked one or two things that were really important to them to do on the trip.  And we each tried to respect those things so each of us felt satisfied in some of personal objectives.  Of such, one of the gals “missions” was to check out an antique market that her mother, who is an interior designer, and travels to Paris frequently, recommended called Marche Vernaison.

When we asked the folks from the bike tour how to get there, they provided the Metro instructions along with a little snicker and also mentioned that we should tuck our purses into our pants for the journey.  They explained it’s a highly pick pocketed area, but again we were determined, intrigued and prepared with our purses in our pants, and low and behold we found it.   And you know what?  It was actually a delight.  The surrounding areas were a tad sketch, but the actual market was quite lovely.

there were soooo many treasures to be found…I will definitely be returning to adorn our new East Coast house with some of them at some point. 

I could’ve spent days, and lots of Euro shipping things,

but even just the experience of being there was something.  And the antique dealers didn’t even sneer at us too much for our fragmented french speaking attempts.  I was dying to stop at this cute and super festive bar/restaurant located right in the market, but too many good food options/not enough meals or time to eat them all.  The group made our way back to our apartment (after a few funny experiences in the tres crowded Metro) to do a quick wardrobe adjustment from biking and antiquing to head out for a night on the town.

We headed over the bridge to Saint-Germain-des-Pres, where we seemed to end up quite a lot on this trip.  Each meal in Paris needs to be strategic so every caloric bite is maximized, so I had a big list of places I hoped to go.  L’Avant Comptoir, was one such place I pretty had to check out.  This spot is a nice hotel, and restaurant, but what we were looking for is the wine/hors d’oeuvres bar located sneakily behind a crepe bar next door.  Again, all of the coolest are a little hard to find, no?

step behind the curtain of swine…

is where you will find…

Voila! A menu on the ceiling!  Need I say more?

So we gorged ourselves on ham croquettes, duck confit sausage hotdogs, fried Parmesan pesto cheese puffs croquettes, and more and well a lot of rose, we joked about the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cupcake…and related, “If you give a Mom, a glass of rose….”  That night went on with some other shenanigans I shouldn’t disclose…but come back for my next installment and I’ll continue to tell the tales of Parisian adventure

Still a tad jet-lagged from returning from a week in Paris, but inspired on so many levels. Senses heightened and aesthetics elevated.  May we just start with the fashion…oh the fashion!

Sneakers were everywhere

hosiery under shorts (and lest we forget that French pout!)

Mottos

Even the kids are crazy chic, casually donning a Burburry trench and blue aviators

tennis shoes and top knots

more Burburry and Doc Martens

  cross body bags

Tea length skirts and New Balance sneaks

More to come…

Most people who read this blog know that our once enclosed dining room–(you can read more about the remodel here)

has now become a dually purposed dining room and front entrance.  We formerly had a large oversized drum chandelier in place and hanging down over a table for basically mood lighting.

After having the French doors installed, we have slowly worked on the aesthetics and functionality of this new space. The main objective has been opening the room up to create a welcoming feel.

I’m embarrassed to admit that drum light remained in its original position a little too long, in fact, a chip clip (ha!) had been holding it up for clearance (6 ft.4 husband!) underneath until finding a more suitable option.

My goals were to draw the eye up, add a touch of glamor while also providing a lot more light.

Mission accomplished?  Better late than never, we finally got around to switching to a crystal flushmount fixture (on a dimmer of course, a lighting must).

Small change—big difference?  Next up, dinette a la french bistro style and whole main floor interior painting.

Each beginning of August, I panic a little…as thoughts go to “I can’t believe summer will be over soon.”  Therefore I start formulating the “summer bucket list” of things to do/see before summer ends.  This past weekend, it was a trip (our first) to Whidbey Island.

So we pack up the car, head to Mukilteo to que up for the ferry line, for a short crossing to Whidbey Island, our state’s largest island, and the third largest in the country to be exact.

The day begins the slightest bit overcast,

but was already beginning to burn off as we made our first island excursion to the quaint town of Langley.

Langley is full of charm

and offers a deep respect for the water and all things “sea life.”  Note here how one is to ring the bell upon spying a whale.

Gorgeous views

and a few watering holes choc full of character, and characters.

Oh and did I mention gorgeous understated elegance displayed in fabulous gardens like those at the Inn at Langley?

Moving along, because if you can believe, this bucket list item was actually only a day trip and we have oh so much to explore on this first visit to Whidbey.  We made a stop by Double Bluff Beach.

A sandy (many northwesterm beaches can be rocky) beach full of sweeping views.

a moment like this, when my older daughter is carrying our younger over tide pools so as not to get her shoes wet, makes me want to freeze time.

This is just the perfect spot for play, in all forms.  Especially for dogs who are allowed on this beach and we will definitely be bringing our four-legged friend with us next time.

But again time was a wastin’ and we have an itinerary, next stop Coupeville.  Set on Penn Cove.

Yup, you got that right, home of the famous “Penn Cove” mussels.  And when visiting this old town, you need to order some up.

and so we did.  Steamed in white wine and garlic to be exact.  And one last final stop, on our way off the island, Deception Pass, Whidbey’s Pièce de résistance

Simply put, northwestern splendor.  Check.

These are the days that folks in Seattle live for. The temps are warm, the light is long and all is prime for some outdoor dining. It’s our favorite way to eat/entertain and put some of those cookbook dog-earred corner aspirations into reality.

After a lot of deliberation between my husband and I, a menu is determined:  We landed on “gourmet mexican”… carne asada, fresh guacamole, tequila-spiked shrimp, watermelon feta salad with charred peppers, grilled spicy and salty seasoned corn on the cob and a few other can’t miss sides with an emphasis on summer fresh ingredients.

Half the fun for me, is the flowers.  A couple days prior I come up with a floral concept and start pulling out vases and vessels.

Blue and white with a side of sunflower pop.  I usually go a little crazy in this department, thank goodness there is a garden to pull from too.

Then we start making sauces and some of the advance prep

We made verde and rojo sauce as well as a hand chopped pico de gallo that was choc. full of garlic.  We also got a lot of juicy grapefruits for the hand squeezed Poloma Cocktails (tequila with grapefruit juice) that were served.

Set a simple bar, mostly of Dos Equis, a couple crisp wines,

and various tequilas for the Polomas I mentioned above.

Flowers scattered around the yard

Table set (I was a little proud of my table cloths as they were recycled/re- purposed drapery panels from IKEA)

I think they laid perfectly.

A few little simple snacks, what could be easier (and more yummy if you ask me?) than a bowl of radishes?

Buffet style, cuz let’s face it, who doesn’t like their own making their own plate?

Hope you’re enjoying some yummy patio dinners and summertime goodness as well!