What I've been doing. . .

2 Baby Bib o'love, 2 4-hr bias baby afghans & 1 (50% done) feather & fan scarf.

Now, I need your input. The pinkish 4 hr baby afghan is giving me fits. I'm using LB homespun & of course, am running out of 1 color way before the other 3.

Do I:

a) Frog back to a point where I can start my decreases (before the point the pattern says to do so) & then finish

OR

b) just buy more yarn & finish it as normal.

On a sad note, our AC Moore is closing & we will be getting JoAnn's. I loved AC Moore--box store yarn & all. When I started knitting again in Nov. 04 I bought my needles & yarn (baby teri) there. I had found the cutest baby hat pattern in a baby magazine (or pregnancy, I cant remember) & copied it. My plan was to have MIL or my Mom (from whom I learned how to knit!) make the hat. The more I read it the more I realized that I could make that hat myself. It was a striped hat in pinke & green & absolutely adorable. It came out less than perfect but cute enough that a couple girls in the MOMS club asked me to make hats for their wee ones!

So AC Moore, I shall miss you!

Oh how girls love princesses!

The Wee One with 2 of the princesses at her character lunch at Epcot. We met Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel (little mermaid), Jasmine, & the highlight of lunch was Cinderella.

Afterwards we ran into Mulan & Snow White & the princess count was complete!

The happiest place on earth

Greetings from Disney World!! Not only are we having a wonderful family vacation but my knitting mojo is back! Back, baby!! On the way here I got another baby bib o'love done & CO another feather & fan scarf. Before we left I worked on a couple 4 hr bias baby afghan. One is completed (boy colors) & the girl one was 90% finished only to discover one of my colors was running out. Yeah, so much for yardage being accurate on the label. Grrrr.

Today we went to Disney Hollywood Studios & saw JoJo & Goliath (here's the Wee One w/ them) & Leo & June from the Little Einsteins. We had lunch w/ them at Hollywood & Vine. I've got a great pic of her leading the dance w/ June!

Around 3 we came back to the house, swam & recollected ourselves & then went to Epcot. MIL/FIL took the Wee One on Nemo's ride while Hunter & I went the Magic Kingdom to have dinner & then go on the Haunted Mansion ride as well as Thunder Mountain Railroad. We got to Epcot justas the Illuminations show was starting.

Tomorrow is Magic Kingdom all day. I will take one for the parental team as I ride on the Teacup ride & It's a Small World.

And hopefully get a few rows done on my scarf!

Day 6

Monday the 9th.

Our last day in Paris. *sniff*

We slept in & went out for breakfast around 1030. Let's review French food culture, shall we? They dont eat dinner until 7 or 8 at the earliest. Lunch isn't until 3 or so but you cant get breakfast at 1030 am! Seriously! Our waiter took pity on us & brought us 1/2 a baguette w/ some butter w/ our coffee because we looked so pathetic!

We wandered around by the Louvre & along the Seine (top pic), bought another painting & then had lunch near the Hotel des Invalides (military hospital built by Napoleon). The museum in the HdI is very cool---coats of armor, guns, etc. It also houses Napoleon's tomb.



We went back to the Opera & had a drink at a cafe. For weeks before the trip I had been babbling about getting a new purse. Coach didn't have it when I was in ATL. Kate Spade told me I could order from their website b/c the store didn't have the bag I wanted in stock. So poor Hunter has heard me run my mouth about a new bag. While we're sitting in the cafe he says that I should go back to the Galleries Lafayette to buy a bag. So off I went & came back about an hour later (I also visited the store Printemps only to discover they didn't have the bag I wanted) with a beautiful red Lancel Elsa Sellier & coordinating wallet.

We had dinner at the Bistro Melrose in the Place du Clichy area (not far from our hotel). We also ate there on Friday night & loved it. You guessed it! Foie gras & duck! And a lovely pinot grigio.

The next day we flew home & said au revoir to la belle France.

There are more pics on my flickr page----check out the 'gargoyle face' one!

Day 5

Sunday 8 June

Let me start off by saying, I prefer Sacre Coeur to Notre Dame. Judge all you want. Sunday morning my wonderful husband (who has been waking up at 6am our entire vacation) brought me breakfast in bed from the hotel's buffet. Yum!

We went to Notre Dame which is beautiful. I was mistaken for a local! Me! Oui, mes amies! How funny is that?! Once I told the woman I was a tourist she shot me a look & turned away. Fine!

So we go inside ND & there is a mass going on. But you can STILL take pictures & mill about. What the??? And THAT is why I prefer Sacre Coeur over ND.

The treasures of ND are beautiful--chalices, relics etc. And the interior is so beautiful. Stained glass, paintings etc.
Again, more of Hunter's handiwork.

We're wandering around (during mass!) & Hunter tells me that the camera's acting weird & we have to go back to the room to charge the battery. I may or may not have thought naughty words & immediately apologized to God. But come on! Charge the battery overnight! Sheesh!

We go back to the room & grab lunch at the hotel. Back to ND, more pics & we decide to not climb the 300 something stairs to the top. Fine. my thighs & calves declare a truce.


My wonderful hubby. 7 years ago when we were dating he told me he'd take me to Paris one day.

We walk around some more & go back to Monmartre for dinner. I have to say, it's my favorite part of Paris.

And more perfume from Annick Goutal (Mandragore this time). I have a new best friend--she works for AG at the GL & we carried on a conversation in French! Yay Me!!!

Day 4

Saturday the 7th. We find out (through our craptastic guidebook) that there is a cool flea market in Paris so off we go. As we're making our way from the metro stop I realize we're not in the greatest neighborhood. As we make our way through the fleamarket we realize that being sold into white slavery could be an option if we weren't 40. We decide to walk a little further only to discover that we're not in Kansas anymore Toto. Suddenly we're in this really nice antique mart. By nice I mean 150,000 euro for a table nice. I'm envisoning my living room in a classic French style. But how will I get these things home? And what will we live on once we've drained all accounts & possibly those of family & friends to buy these things? We accept our limits & make our way to the Monmarte region & Sacre Coeur.

That first pic? Those are the steps we climb to get up the mountain. Again, my thighs aren't pleased. And now they've got my calves involved. Nothing good can come of this!
This is the view of Paris from the steps of Sacre Coeur. Say it with me----incredible!









And in all it's limestone glory--Sacre Coeur. There are no pics of inside as you aren't allowed to use cameras or video cams. It is beautiful & I'll admit to being moved to tears whilst inside. I was raised Catholic & the beauty of this church is truly amazing.

The Monmarte region is beautiful & what you expect from Paris. We bought a painting from an artist on the rue de Tertre. Pics to follow.

We went to dinner on the Champs Elysees & had what was referred to as our best meal in Paris. The couple seated next to us had a little 2 yr old girl who was adorable. The father was American & the mom, French. We enjoyed their company & sadly, forgot our camera!

I may or may not have licked the window of the giant Louis Vuitton store that night. It depends on who you ask. *wink*

Paris Days 3

Day 3--Friday the 6th. We wander down to the Opera area for breakfast & to go to the Galleries Lafayette (think saks, neimans, nordstom & bloomies all rolled into one). I lust over purses & perfume. Finally purchase some Annick Goutal Grand Amour & hop on the metro for Pere Lachaise. We find Jim Morrison's grave & once the crowd thins (seriously) we snap a pic of me. I loved the Doors in high school & college & wandered around PL listening to their music. Finally Peace Frog came on & there we were. I was going to jump the fence but Hunter said no.

Then it was off to the Eiffel Tower & some lunch. The French do the nicest things to a simple ham sandwich. Throw it on a baguette & BAM, instant coolness! A ham & cheese baguette & a diet coke later & I was a happy woman.


As we're waiting in line to purchase our tickets to ride to the top I realize that there should be 2 lines. 1 for impatient Americans & the other for everyone else. Yes, I belonged in the 1st line. There was a group of Italian tourists in front of us who are lucky that their boy Nico didn't get hit in the head by my bag!
So anyway, it was up to the top & more breathtaking views. Did I mention that it was cold in Paris. Did I mention that we packed mostly summer clothes? Did you know it was REALLY windy on top of the Tower? I think you probably have guessed by now.

I love this picture!

Paris Days 1 & 2

Okay, here's the day by day! Get a glass of wine, light up a Gauloises & grab some bread.

Day 1--June 4th. We arrive in Paris around 2pm after leaving Washington Dulles at 7 the night before. I slept *maybe* for an hour on the plane & am exhausted. I'm feeling grubby & exhausted but I'm in Paris.

So we get to the hotel (Elysees Opera in the 8th Arondissment---awesome neighborhood! Not too touristy which is nice but close to the metro, shopping, restaurants etc) & shower & decide to find something to eat. Btw, Paris traffic is insane. INSANE. I've mentioned that I'm a Boston driver before. I was white knuckling in the taxi from the Opera (where the airport bus left us) to the hotel.

We hop on the metro (we were near the Europe, Rome & Place du Clichy stops) & go to the Arch du Triomphe. Very cool. We walk down the Champs Elysees & decide to try to find a place to eat dinner. I was so tired that I have no clue where we finally ate. Suffice to say the wine was good, the food was incredible (foie gras & duck) & the people watching at the bistro was fabulous. Parisian women have this sense of style that is awe inspiring.

We go back to the hotel & I sleep for 13 hours.

Day 2-June 5th. We make our way back to the Champs Elysees for breakfast & then walk back up to the Arch de Triomphe. These stairs? We climbed them to the top. There are something like 287 or some crazy number. My thighs were screaming about 1/2 way up & I was glad that I opted to dress in "tourist chic" & wore sneakers.
The view from the top is incredible. *please note, the words 'incredible' & 'amazing' will be used a lot from here on in!

After the Arch we walked to the Place de Concorde which is where Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI lost their heads. We wandered over to the Touleries (the gardens near the Louvre) & worked our way to the Louvre. SO impressive. And this is just from the outside! The attention to fine detail on the buildings is so unlike anything we have here in the US.

Yes, we saw the Mona Lisa (or La Jaconda as it's known) & honestly---overrated. Granted, I havent' studied all the "secrets" of it (the land in the back on the left is different than the right side etc etc) but there are so many other paintings that are truly awe inspiring. The coronation of Josephine (heaven forbid I remember the artist) was truly breathtaking & I fell in love w/ one of Raphael's paintings (the Virgin Mary , Baby Jesus & St. John). We toured the "basement" which is where the medevial portion of the castle is located.

After lunch in the cafe we went to the Eiffel Tower. At this point I am so tired that all I want to do is sit on the stairs along the Seine. We decide the crowds to get to the top of the tower are too big & we're too hungry so back up to the Trocadero where we finally find a place to eat.

You have to love a country where the cafe/bistro will bring you olives as a little munchy while you wait. OLIVES people! I am in heaven. Wine & olives. Oh, and bread! Simple pleasures are truly the best.

More foie gras & duck & back to the hotel. Our only English channels were BBC America news & CNN International so we go to sleep.

one more pic

My handsome hubby & I at the top of the Arch de Triumphe.

We got home today & are exhausted. What is it about a Georgia rainstorm that comes out of nowhere, is blinding & then is gone?

Back in the USA!

Bonjour mes amies!! We're back from Paris & still visiting the ILS in VA (the wee one stayed with them while we were on our trip!)

Suffice to say, Paris is INCREDIBLE. So lovely. So elegant & so expensive! The Euro is so much stronger than the dollar.

I still shopped! Don't worry! I even found a yarn store but didn't buy anything. Now you can worry!

Will update when we get back but for now, enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower from the top of the Arch de Triumphe.