Paris in the Air

It all began with a t-shirt....

I find it impossible to part with my high school t-shirt that I received in French class with the gigantic word Francais labeled below the Arc de Triomphe. Now pretty much every room in my house displays something related to Paris. Right now I'm staring at my dog Frankie while thinking of French related items that I could purchase for him. Eiffel Tower collar?! Crazy, nutty-call me what you want, but I can't contain my excitement for the "newest member" to join my collection.

How adorable is this for my next girly gathering??!!

Vasavi purchased a set of these dishes as my early birthday gift. She knows me so well and we have that friendship where we can talk for hours, yet I still manage to think of things I forgot to mention after our conversation has ended. She has always been one to steer me in the right direction and there to provide honest, helpful advice since our high school years. I'm thankful that even though at times we have conflicting schedules-we still meet up at places such as Bistrot Margot to gossip/catch up! :)

On a side note, despite the fact I am not in Paris-I can still dine at a cute outdoor French restaurant and imagine.......

PS: The outdoor patio had charming flower boxes attached to the metal railings which in turn left me feeling inspired to create a replica for my deck. Pics of the backyard coming soon!

Je t'aime

08' Navy Pier engagement shot-resolution is off because I took a picture of the picture :)

Not all anniversaries have to be extravagant. I can be happy being anywhere-twiddling my thumbs with my husband Tom. I believe in saving the fancy celebrations for the first decade and beyond marks.

Our first year anniversary was spent at Sundara and for the past two years we have gone to restaurants rated as a must try by family members or friends. Last year was the restaurant Mercadito, then a drink on the rooftop at the Wit. This year was Frontera Grill which (btw thanks to the ever so popular chef Rick Bayless) takes an insane amount of time for a weekend reservation. (So be prepared!)

Given it is my three year anniversary today, I thought it would be fitting to share three reasons why I love him.

Warning: may be a bit sappy....

(In no particular order of course.)

1. Age is just a number to us. We love acting immature and making each other laugh. Whether it is me doing one of my silly dances or Tom singing a hilarious song he made up...we laugh nearly every single day.

2. He is the heart of my support system and knows me better than anyone else and that pushes him to best friend status.

3. He takes really good care of me and my family adores him.

Thanks babe for understanding why I write Paris Cafe and for your encouraging words.

Hopefully this one struck a chord and is extra special to hear and thank you for always letting me be able to be my true self. Love you!

Yes Indeed!

Inspired is exactly how I feel at this moment.

As I navigated through my mail in the most expeditious manner possible, I came across this flyer from a retail store. Before snapping this photo in my backyard, I realized exactly what I want to change. My updates will be more frequent and consist of small journeys/thoughts with photography.

Stay tuned..

Writing with a View

This is my workstation where I need to accomplish more entries over the summer. Thank you Pottery Barn for making writing so much more stylish with my lovely Calais Chair and Porter Desk.

PS: Learned something new today....click on the items in purple. This is impressive for a girl that relies on her hubby for anything that is related to technology!

Time to edit my Puerto Rico links....

Kickoff to Summer 2011

With only one week left of work my mind is racing thinking of my "summer resolutions." I pondered the question, do resolutions ALWAYS have to be at the beginning of every year?! Well I'm breaking the rule, collecting my thoughts and brainstorming all that I wish to fulfill.

With so many obligations during the school year, I am constantly on the go. Yearbook, the literacy program, my ESL endorsement courses...all just add more duties/responsibilities on to my already nonstop career. I love to be busy and I have been like that for a VERY long time. I have a hard time envisioning a lifestyle that is tame even though I have been singing the I need to slow down song for as long as I can remember. (I clearly recall writing about this topic in a previous entry.) I can't be too mad at myself, come on be honest...how many resolutions have you made that unfortunately never happened?! This summer is and will be my time to dwindle down.

So what are my plans for the summer? Lots of walks, reading, pool time, writing, photography class, and on to the dreadful word exercise. ( No longer will it be my part time gig, I have to kick it up a notch!) Grrrr...probably my least favorite thing to muster up the energy to do. However, after I work out I feel rejuvenated and I guess the saying about endorphins being released after exercise is true!

I recently ran a Brookfield Zoo 5K (not much to you runners I know) and it was amazing hearing people cheering on the sidelines and I felt proud when I approached the finish line. I'm not a runner, but I'm slowly trying to conquer my next step which is to work out more. This summer is my transition period so hopefully by fall I will be renewed!

I am already visualizing my plans for the fall....