Vote for Look

I began growing my hair last year for Locks of Love. Now, that I am planning a trip to Paris, I thought it would be the perfect place to get a "New Do".

I created the looks below on iVillage and need your Votes! Which look will best suit me and give me a Parisian flare? I promise the winning look will be the one I hand the hairdresser.......

Hope you had as much fun choosing, as I did making these :)

My French "Stuff"

Meet my Paris Princess!

She is the key to my future...the one that holds all the coins to my adventures. I have a goal of raising $20,000.00 to go on my dream trip to Paris and other parts of France. Don't forget that includes plane tickets for my three children and husband too. I need to make sure I feed my Paris Princess daily. She is much more sophisticated than me and has a shiny disposition.

Thus far, she has ingested $60, which is a long way from the ultimate goal. But she will take what she can get for now, as long as she isn't forgotten.

I also have upgraded my grocery bags.....well, not I......my friend rather. She purchased this marvelous montage of Parisian scenery (The Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and its pyramid) for me. Isn't it magnificent? The cashiers also enjoy the view as they fill it up with legumes. It's so much more grand than the Supermarket Logo bags. The fuchsia outline adds a touch of elegance too. Tres chic!

And lastly, we must not forget the most important reason to go to Paris, the food. Wether it's to experience the nouvelle cuisine inspired by liberated French chefs or a rustic French dish in Burgundy cooked by a more traditional chef. I enjoy both. The closest I have come to the perfect meal is at the French Laundry in California. I obsessed over reserving a table to experience the genius of Thomas Keller.

French Feasts by Stephane Reynaud is unique, practical, comforting, humorous, educational, simply sensational. My husband and I drooled on every page.....except for the one below.

I am open to a lot of daring foods, except for snails. I have tried, really I have, but as with darling bunny rabbits, I cannot ingest something I was so fond of as a little girl. I will leave that up to the frog (which I have eaten).

10 Year Anniversary

My husband and I are celebrating our 10 Year Anniversary tomorrow. We plan on spending the next decade in Europe, beginning with France.

Isn't this the perfect card? The inside reads, "I am still hog wild over you." If only we were those oinkers at this very moment.

I was however shocked to read in a book called When in France, Do As The French Do, that France has the lowest per capita marriage rate in Europe. How is that possible? Isn't France where love blossoms in public? Where you are lost in time making out at the outdoor cafes? Is that where it all ends? No one ever makes it to the altar?

Well Paris........I still adore your art, your food, your fashion, but it seems like I will have some lessons for you when it comes to tying the knot.

French Doodle

Today, I was daydreaming! Daydreaming about the day I arrive in Paris and go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Wearing a cute dress, with a cute purse, and cute pumps, and my new French do. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I sat around doodling all day. Not productive, I know. It was a great escape from the whaling children in the background. I just realized that my family is not in my doodles. Ooooops! Pardon......you too are there, I promise, just not today. Today it's just me.

Can you tell where I got the inspiration for my Eiffel Tower photo? I was so thrilled to get the chance to read this to my 16 month old daughter. She ran off after the first sentence, but as for me, I was right there with Madeline, in Paris.

Poor Madeline, she had to have her appendix removed. So sad! Don't worry Madeline, you live in France, everything will be just fine. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh......


After Madeline recovered, of course, I moved on to my next project....more French doodle. I drew a map of France (my apologies), and fantasized where else we could drive our Peugeot rental once we were satisfied with all that Paris had to offer.


Normandy, Strasbourg, the entire Alsace region, and move our way through Switzerland, Italy, ...............I think I need a personal sponsor. Any offers? I promise to use your money wisely and come back with none.

I scored this book at the library for 50 cents. Can you believe it? This book is going with me to Paris. It has everything you need to know about traveling wisely. How to reserve a room in French, taxi cab numbers, the monthly weather, maps, hotels, hostels, vacation rentals, spas, bike tours, the list goes on and on. It's written by Sandra Gustafson. A must for Americans like us.

I am continuing my education, with a new book called French: Learn In 4 Simple Steps (about 420 pgs. of simple steps). It covers the basics, words, phrases, sentences, and conversations. I am up to the Introduction: The Alphabet. One step at a time. I have two years to practice.

Lastly, I also checked this book out by Deidre Kelly, who writes about her eight visits to Paris. I will post more on this book once I actually begin reading it. As for now, I need to get back to my artistic ways.

Au revoir......'Til next time!

French Dinner Deux

Is it possible to cook French on a budget? The answer is: Oui!

I did not want to go out shopping for too many groceries for French Night. At the end of the month, it's usually the end of our finances too. I rummaged through my fridge to see what I had and planned a simple, but still tasty French menu.

I marinated the chicken legs with rosemary, oregano, thyme, minced garlic & olive oil for two hours in the fridge. Baked it in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hr. 20 mins. I love the smell and taste of fresh herbs. The French are known for utilizing their local herbs to enhance the food.

For the side dish, I baked a Vegetable Tian (recipe by Barefoot Contessa). I served dinner with real French Baguette not the one from Sams.......... and what would dinner be without French wine?

I bought a bottle of French Press simply because....well.....the Eiffel Tower! To my surprise I quite enjoyed this wine. Smooth and easy to drink. I might just keep the label.

To finish off all the goodness last evening, I served Ile Flottante (floating island) also by the Barefoot Contessa. Rich, sweet, frothy, creamy, crunchy floating island that I wouldn't mind diving into daily. But I am watching my mid-drift.......

Every time we dine on French food, the anticipation of going to Paris to experience the authentic cuisine increases. We are in the process of finding the largest Piggy Bank online to start saving for our trip, which we estimated would cost at least $10K to got to Europe with 3 kids and stay for 3 weeks. Estimated time of departure, 2 years. Paris in the Fall!

Paris, Here I Come....Kids And All

I started this blog to document my attempts at becoming "French" before going to Paris. I cannot afford to go at this very moment, but I fantasize about the day that I can.

Paris had everything that I love. Food, pastries, fashion, the Eiffel Tower, and a romance language that I will attempt to speak myself. I am planning on doing an Eliza Doolittle transformation. Remember My Fair Lady? That's me. A girl from the mountains who will strive to speak French, dress French, eat French, and live French, to see if I can fool the French when I go to Paris.

I have all of my French cassetts in place, books, fashion catalogues, cookbooks, home decor books, etc. I will do all the research necessary to immerse myself in the French culture here in the United States. I am so excited! Maybe a bit of a mid-life crisis or being a stay-at-home mom for 7 years, not quite sure. I just wanted to take on a new challenge.

Au revoir! VKU5F8D3G63E 'Til next time...........