La Princesse de Paris

I realize I've left you hanging without sharing any details about our time in Paris. We returned home to such a flurry of events that it hasn't been until now that I've had a chance to reflect on and write about Paris.

I will start off by saying that four days in Paris doesn't even begin to do it justice (especially when it rains for at least one of those days and you don't leave the hotel room before noon any day).

Alex and I had both been to Paris before (and Ava's too young to really appreciate the sites anyway) but I was still tinged with regret when we left that I didn't have a chance to revisit all my favorite old haunts, and more importantly, share them with Alex. (I had romanticized this trip in my head thousands of times and, for me at least, that's never a good idea.)

But here are some of the treasures we did have the chance to appreciate (clockwise from top left):

1. Ava looked the part of a true Parisian in the adorable tops her Babcia bought her at Zara.
2. We couldn't very well escape a photo shoot at La Tour Eiffel.
3. Ava took advantage of the beautiful vanity in our bathroom at the hotel.
4. Here she is looking cute as ever our first morning in Paris. The waiters at the hotel brunch buffet called her La Princesse de Paris and even gave her a sweet stuffed teddy bear. 
5. We did get the room with the cheerful yellow damask wallpaper, marble fireplace, and glass chandelier and we loved every second we spent there.
6. One of the many upscale flower shops in the 16ème.
7. The most professional crèpe-maker ever!
8. I was so in love with the cherry blossoms in the gardens behind Notre Dame.
9. Look at all these padlocks people have been leaving on Pont de l'Archevêché, the bridge behind Notre Dame.
10. A trip to Angelina is not complete without Le Mont Blanc.
11. Although I'm still not completely convinced we made it all the way into Les Puces, I do know that we at least tipped the iceberg. (I've always wanted one of these old vintage dressmaking models.)
12. Walking the streets outside Les Puces.

Orange Espadrilles

There's a traumatic experience story behind the shoes I'm wearing here that I wanted to share.

We left for Rome early the morning after we arrived in Italy so jet lag was in full swing for Ava especially. Her sleep schedule was completely off so she happened to be asleep by the time the rest of the family was ready for dinner. This meant Alex and I were stuck in the hotel room with her, left to fend for ourselves. We were planning to order room service but it wasn't available so I went out to find some type of food I could bring back (even though outside food was strictly not allowed... shhh).

I went all over looking for any kind of takeout option (which is apparently practically unheard of there). Wandering alone through the dark streets of a foreign city gave me flashbacks of my crazy escapades almost ten years earlier. I even came across an underground bakery that very well could have been the same one where I befriended the baker at 5am and ended up with a lifetime supply of the most delectable cookies in existence which granted me celebrity status in the eyes of a plump Belgian kid who became my sidekick for the rest of the night early morning. (I knew he only wanted me for my cookies but having a groupie was much more fun than binging alone.) My former self would have gone in to find out (those cookies would have been well worth the risk; I have yet to taste anything even remotely comparable) but being a wife and mother kept me focused on my task at hand -- hunting for food to bring back to my pack. So I kept going and finally found a restaurant that agreed to let me take a couple pizzas to go.

On the way back, I realized that in my daydreaming of my past life in Rome I had completely lost track of where I was. I headed in the direction I felt made the most sense (I usually have a strong sense of direction) when all of a sudden I took a step and the strap on my sandal snapped. So I limped along the dark streets, not completely sure I was on the right track, my sandal flapping under each careful step, awkwardly balancing two pizza boxes, and avoiding eye contact with strange shadows lurking in the alleys. Thankfully I was only a few blocks away and made it back to the hotel. I was hoping to discreetly slip back up to the hotel room with my prohibited cargo, but that was no longer an option. The desk clerk must have felt bad for me being such a spectacle so he didn't say anything.

A few hours later Ava was wide awake and screaming at a pitch we'd never heard from her before to the point that her whole body was literally shaking. We were so concerned that we decided to take her to the emergency room. By the time we were on our way out the door (me in my slippers since I didn't bring any other shoes to Rome) she started to calm down. (We can only assume the poor little angel was having a rough time adjusting to the new sleep schedule and the milk that must not have agreed with her stomach.)

I borrowed my MIL's shoes the rest of the weekend (it really is a miracle we wear the same size) and splurged (for eight whole Euros!) on these hot orange espadrilles at the marketplace in Florence in desperation just before we boarded the train for our trip to the beach. They're pretty much the perfect walking shoes. I ended up wearing them almost every day in Europe after.

To the Nines

Portland has to be the most underrated city! I've been here a couple times before but I have been loving this little mini-retreat more than I expected. (Of course I'm still homesick but making the best of it as I promised myself I would.)

The sites around Portland:

One of the many warehouse lofts/storefronts I admired on my walk to the office in the awesome Pearl district.

An adorable Asian-inspired storefront with really cool wooden fencing. 

The Pioneer Courthouse facing Pioneer Square, with this really cool chaotic street sign.

The square across the street.

A food truck foodie's haven with blocks full of all different types of food stands.

Window shopping: Did you know that Portland is the greatest place to shop? I didn't, but now I do. Here's why:

• No sales tax.
• Crazy sales going on right now (and I was just in the same shops at home where half the store was not marked 60% off already reduced prices).
• Amazing cute boutiques and vintage/thrift shops where you can find stuff you can't at home.

I just have one little piece of advice if you would like to take advantage of these attributes of Portland on your next visit and you have only one evening to fit in all of your tax-free purchases: Go to the small boutique shops first (they close at 6pm), then the larger chain stores at the Pioneer Place mall (which close at 8). Do not make the same fatal mistake I did and go to what's closest first. (Then, like me, you may be reduced to peering longingly through the windows of the smaller boutique shops and make the homeless man, who is so clean cut and high class for a homeless man he looks like a regular guy eating a sandwich on the sidewalk, move out of the way so you can take a picture of all the treasures that will not be yours.) Portland is wonderfully condensed and walkable as it is so if you have to make a few loops and then circle back to get to the shops you like best in the order they close, so be it.

Checking into the Nines... I had the choice between two hotels the company I'm traveling for has a corporate rate with, and I am SO happy this one was listed first even though the other is closer to the office because it is fantastic! I am loving every single detail of the decor; it is so my style, and perfect for my self-indulgent little overnight away from home. (Oh yeah, did I mention I'm actually here for work? So I guess it's not that self-indulgent, but again, making the most of it after hours.)

The hotel is in an old department store building so it's right downtown, close to everything.

Outside the elevators on the 12th floor.

The Club Lounge with a balcony overlooking the center of the building with skylight.

Pretty chandelier and rounded corner just outside the suites.

The hallway just outside my room. Beautiful shimmery "dressing room" wallpaper and coordinating carpet.

Full-length mirror in the hallway in my room.

My mini bar.

My beautiful bathroom and vanity.

My upgraded king size bed!

My view to the left.

My view to the right.

Of course I had to finish off the evening with room service... Who wants to eat out alone?

Back Onboard

I feel like such a jet-setter back at the airport again so soon after getting back from Europe.

This is just a quick overnight for work and the plane hasn't even taken off yet but I'm missing Ava and Alex so much. As hard as traveling with a toddler can be, I would always so much rather have my little fam with me. It feels kind of empty without them. But I'll do my best to make the best of this break and return home refreshed and better for it.

But here's what I'll miss most:

Ava started playing this amazing game on Sunday night when the three of us were sitting together on the sofa (after an awesome weekend by the way; she must have been in an especially good mood from that too). She gave me one of her yummy little signature kisses, then one for Alex, then me, back and forth like 20 times. Then she gave me three quick kisses in a row, then repeated the pattern for Alex, back and forth, etc. I'm telling you, this girl has so much rhythm and swagger I can't even stand it. She did the same thing again last night and I wouldn't mind if it became a nightly bedtime ritual.

A couple times in Paris she accidentally left her mouth open a little while she came in for the kiss and I joked with Alex, "When in France..." Then I had to tell him to laugh because that was hilarious. He complied.

Alex and I aren't the only lucky recipients of these amazing kisses, however. It's the funniest thing when she kisses complete strangers if they happen to get within range, like the woman in church in Pisa who let her play with her keys or the waitress at the Paris bistro.

Nothing makes you feel more loved than Ava's kisses. She really puts her heart and soul into each one. But she has several uses for her sweet little smackers:

• To initiate friendship or accept someone new as a friend (you're foe by default with her; sorry but she's a cautious girl and you have to win her love)
• In exchange for something you have that she wants (the barter kiss, her most prized possession)
• To send you off on good terms (the farewell kiss, sometimes accompanied with tears, or used to rush you away when she wants to move on to other things)

Gros bisous Ava! Mommy misses you!

Portrait of an Italian Mother

We spent a night in Viareggio, a small beach town next to Pisa where walking the boardwalk is the thing to do (especially since all the stores and restaurants are closed for several hours during the day).

Old friends stop to comment on the day's news. Strangers share a cigarette. Lovers embrace. Mothers push their babes in strollers while gazing adoringly at their chubby cheeks. Fathers hold their daughters' hands, playfully swinging their arms while lecturing about life.

All of this happens on this pedestrian street next to the ocean.

(Actually, I'm totally romanticizing it, but being there really does give you this feeling and the people genuinely seem to be appreciating life.)

Ava is a social butterfly and wanted to introduce herself to every single small person we came into contact with ("Baby!") and show them just what an international sensation she really is. She met a few friends during our strolls, including this girl of the same name whose mother is from there.



I have always admired the style of women in Europe. They always seem so effortlessly pulled together and chic.

(I wanted to do a post on how local Italian women dress, but then I wouldn't know because we came into contact with so few who weren't wearing a uniform. I'm only exaggerating a little; it did seem like everyone was either a tourist or working in the tourism industry.)

This mom (on the right) is dressed very classic with big sunglasses, a cotton scarf, dark skinny jeans, and ballet flats -- pretty much the standard for a typical mom at home. I feel like the lines between how European and American  women dress are not as thick as they were when I was in Europe almost ten years ago. (Globalization or just shifting fashion trends?)

But look at this lady's sleek Gucci shoulder bag hanging from the stroller... and then look at the enormous bag around my shoulder. In all fairness, we were on our way to the train station to head back to Florence, but I always have a huge purse or diaper bag on my shoulder. Do we really need all that stuff or can we live a little more simply? I might have to pick up one of those Gucci shoulder bags to test this cultural hypothesis. ;)

Stomp It Out

Whenever you have a toddler outdoors in a public place, it's not uncommon for him or her to pick strange objects up off the ground. So to prevent Ava from swallowing any number of cigarette butts and other unidentified foreign (literally, we were in Italy) objects (UFOs) at the Boboli Gardens in Florence, I taught her to "stomp it out" instead.

Incorporating the little one's exciting discoveries into a game allows her to acknowledge and interact with the object without coming into direct contact with the contaminants.

(Now when your kid wants to chew the bottom of his shoes that have been stomping gross things out all over town, don't ask me for advice. If you have a trick for this one, I would love to be informed.)

The End of our European Adventure Phase I

We survived the family vacation with the in-laws. I am very fortunate to have such loving, caring, and generous in-laws who did so much to show us a wonderful time in Italy.

Traveling with a toddler is not ideal but it was well worth the experience.

Ava was a dream for most of the trip. The whole family has seen her grow and develop so much this past week and a half.

She is the friendliest little greeter wherever we go, saying "hi" or "hello" to everyone she sees and staring at each one in anticipation of their reaction to her stunning cuteness. Where did she learn to be such a ham?

And she is also an international dancing sensation! She sidesteps across the room and twirls and dances whenever she hears any kind of beat.

The sleeping situation was really the only issue. We chose not to bring a bassinet since the hotels provide them and we figured she could sleep in her stroller if necessary for the days we spent at the Florence apartment. I'm willing to sacrifice my sleep (on vacation anyway) as she kicks and sticks her feet and behind in my face all night because she also gives the most affectionate little kisses and cuddles in the dark, back and forth between Alex and me, until she drifts off to to dreamland.

Now off to Paris!

When In Rome

Reporting in from our European adventure...

I spent this past weekend in Roma. I can't get enough of the architecture and decor in Rome. The popes just kept building onto the existing ancient remains, which creates an exciting juxtaposition between old and newer (but still super old) so you can now find up to five layers of architectural styles from all different time periods. This is great inspiration for incorporating some of the traditional Italian details into a modern American home. I would love to see a pair of Baroque pillars in a large cement loft. I'm also a huge fan of travertine in all shapes and forms. But it's a very fine line between a well-balanced use of these details to evoke a sense of a past time period and looking gaudy and out of place.

Firenze Frenzy

Ava is adjusting pretty well to life in Italy.

We're finally almost over the time difference. Ava's now sleeping through the night without getting up for playtime halfway through.

The apartment my mother-in-law is renting here in Florence is a bit more, ahem, rustic than we're used to. I can't say we don't miss all the modern conveniences from home (like the microwave, dryer, etc.). But the trade-off with this place is that it is an enormous, historical apartment right in the center of Florence.

Plus the food more than makes up for anything as far as I'm concerned. I'll take fresh pesto, parma ham, and asiago cheese from the nearby grocery over full water pressure any day.

As far as Ava is concerned, she had a rough time with the milk here and refused to drink it for the first few days. The parzialmente scremato (part skim) is the equivalent to whole milk; otherwise you're basically drinking cream. And they don't keep it refrigerated, which can be a little unnerving to us paranoid Americans who are used to tossing any milk left out for more than two hours. And there's really no way of heating the milk outside of the gas range in the apartment, which means the poor little angel usually takes it cold.

But we're getting used to the routine and the fuchsia single-serving Italian press (caffettiera a stantuffo) has been my saving grace.

Baby on Board

We arrived here in Italy safe and sound, but I just have to vent for a moment about international air travel with a little person.

A 10 1/2 hour flight with a lap baby just doesn't work.

United airlines claims to accommodate families; however, the only remotely baby/kid-friendly gesture they extended (and they really played it up too) was giving us the cheap plastic wing pin (thanks, but I don't think that's safe for a one year old to have access to on a plane).

The airline information line I called before our departure assured me that if we arrive at check-in 2 1/2 to 3 hours before the flight we would almost certainly be able to retain a bassinet which would also allow for more leg room and space to function. (Sounds lovely, doesn't it?) There is no way to reserve those seats in advance, but they would put a note on our reservation. (Not sure what good that would do if it doesn't help our chances of getting a bassinet, but sure, note the request, why not?)

Unfortunately, when we arrived at the check-in desk no one had a clue about what to do about a baby like it was everyone's first day on the job and they couldn't care less. I won't go through all their excuses (actually, yes I will: we were supposed to request the bassinet in advance -- which we did; we were supposed to reserve the seats with the bassinet when we checked in online -- there's no possible way of knowing what seats those are, they were already reserved anyway, and none of that matters because we weren't able to check in online since we haven't traveled on United since their computer system was recently updated so our information wasn't in the system -- what!?). The argument (yes, it went there) ultimately resulted in no bassinet. No one was helpful. No one was friendly. We told them so. It didn't help. They didn't care.

The three of us were so cramped in coach that Alex handed the baby life vest right back to them saying we didn't have space for it. He said if the plane went down we'd all be gone anyway. Somehow they were okay with that.

Disclaimer: Ava is the best, most adaptable baby in the world and only had a couple meltdowns during the flight (which for her means she cried for more than 30 seconds and she stopped as soon as I got up and walked around with her). Of course that was too much for the woman sitting next to us in her acid wash mom jeans and pullover sweater trying to impress her tall dopey travel companion. Did we have to sit next to the only person on the flight who hates babies? She literally rolled her eyes every time Ava said a thing and muttered complaints under her breath about Ava squirming and fussing and blowing her nose.

But thanks United for making traveling with a toddler such an enlightening experience.

What I Never Leave Home (For Long) Without

I'm a list person. I've been writing lists since I was old enough to write. And I'm not going to lie, when I had the idea to post a list of some travel-musts, I did get a little excited. Plus, this exercise will help me actually remember to pack these things myself. But I do hope you'll also find it useful as you pack for your own adventures.

As promised here, below are a few of those oft left-behind items worth the real estate in your carry-on:

• Tide stain stick: Be sure not to get the Clorox look-alike, which contains bleach that will surely stain anything that is not supposed to be white.
• Band-aids: Doubly important if you plan to do any significant walking during the trip. 
• Electronic gadget accessories: Headphones, phone charger, camera battery charger, extra memory card or way to upload.
• A belt pack: I had seen a Louis Vuitton one that I loved, and then my mother-in-law made this for me and I can't tell you how nice it is to be hands-free especially when you have to have an ID on hand for easy navigation through airport security and yours are full of baby and baby gear.

We only have one short trip under our belts as a family with a small child, so it's possible I'll report back after the voyage with a revised edition.

Our Paris Hotel

We booked our hotel in Paris!

(Remember the apartment rental option we explored here?) 

I'm looking forward to the entire Europe trip -- a week in Florence to visit my mother-in-law while she's teaching abroad this semester, along with my father-in-law and sister-in-law, plus a weekend all together in Rome. This will be my first vacation with my in-laws (and Ava's too, obviously). 

But there is something extra special about the week our little family will spend alone together in Paris.

Paris has claimed a piece of my heart since I inexplicably decided I wanted French to be the foreign language I took in eighth grade rather than the more popular and practical option of Spanish (it's practically a prerequisite in California). I can't explain why, but I was drawn to the classic charm of the French culture. 

(And the food, of course, particularly the pastries.)

So we were looking for a place to stay in Paris that reflected that traditional French charm while still keeping within our budget. And we found it!

I love this traditional yellow suite.

Our room will overlook the courtyard rather than the busy street in front.

Packing Tip No. 1

I'm sure I'll be posting a number of helpful packing and travel tips as I'm starting to get things organized for our Europe trip coming up in just a few weeks! So here's the first installment:

I like to gather up all the sample size products I've accumulated (like the ones you get from Sephora when you accumulate so many points) so that I don't have to purchase travel sized products (or to supplement those I've purchased) or pour my full-size products into travel bottles. This also gives me a great excuse to try the new products if I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Just be sure to pack them in a clear container if you'll be taking them on the plane with you.

Clear Zippered Cubes from The Container Store

Of course, there are those daily products we just can't spend a day without, so The Container Store has you covered for those with travel bottles in all shapes and sizes.

I love these aluminum misters that would be great filled with a refreshing water and lemon combination to help you freshen up in the throes of transport.

Aluminum Mister Bottles from The Container Store

Some hotels also provide mouthwash, mending kits, even a shoe mitten that I've stashed away to keep in my travel bag for future trips. You never know when you may need such items while away from home and they hardly take up any space.

Stay tuned for a later post on some of the items I never travel without.

Happy Friday!