Back to School
Who doesn’t love a brand new box of crayons? Unfortunately I have loved too many boxes of crayons at the beginning of each school year and recently found I had amassed a regrettable amount. The start of a new school year stirs up memories of shopping trips with my mom. Plaid seems to be the […]
Venice and Our Winners
I looked like a drowned rat, sloshing through the wet streets of Venice in squeaky shoes. I started the day feeling chic and ready for shopping, but the thunder that had threatened during the morning finally gave way to a steady rain that accompanied us all day long as we played dueling umbrellas with other […]
Loving the Tuscan Sun
Tuscany, you have captivated me, and I don’t wish to be free. The tears started flowing standing beneath Frances Mayes’ house, Bramasole. I hoped she’d spy me from her window, invite me in and ask me to be her bosom friend. Frances Mayes She was the sole reason my family was sitting in a van, […]
Holiday Dessert Giveaway
Intensely chocolate, this classic French dessert hints at why Paris is called the city of Love. Who doesn’t love Mousse au Chocolate, or any other food produced by the French. Although the French didn’t know about chocolate until the 17th century when Spain shared its guilty little pleasure, they’ve taken chocolate to new heights of […]
WIN a European Prize!
It’s Time to Confess Dear readers, I have a confession to make. I’ve fallen in love. Believe me, I didn’t expect it. I had my guard up. I knew what I needed to avoid, and so I traveled to Europe with a suitcase filled with vegan protein bars. Yes, I’m gluten and dairy intolerant but […]
Colors that Put Crayons to Shame
As much as I love the summer, I get a bit giddy when the leaves begin to change. Autumn here in the Midwest is a mix of skies so blue they almost make you cry, and leaves that put crayons to shame. Around mid-September I forget all about summer and long for cool autumn days […]
A Moment in Provence
Just like a child eagerly anticipating Christmas with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, we drove to Provence and I was giddy with anticipation. How could I not be? Provence was the object of my daydreams, the European promised land, the ultimate destination that inspired my love for France. It’s My Mom’s Fault It […]
Once Upon a Time, She had New Eyes
Once upon a time, a French man took a quill in hand and became the father of the fairy tale. Charles Perrault, inspired by the magical towers and pinnacles of Chateau de Usse wrote, La Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty) in 1697. While visiting the Loire valley, home to endless chateau, I was stunned […]
Paris is Always a Good Idea
Bon Jour from France! After years of being a long-distance, hard-core Francophile, I’m discovering if my love affair was valid. My family and I are on a journey that I’ve been dreaming of for years. Five weeks, ten stops, and four countries will awaken new desires, form new loves and broaden our thoughts and minds. […]
“We’ll Always have Paris”
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Proust As this article posts, I’ll be boarding a plane and beginning my European adventure. The story of how it was on, then canceled, then back on again can be found in my previous post. Join me on a […]