paris, je t'aime

two of our dear friends are headed to france today for mission work at a children's camp. they will be gone for a total of eight weeks, a tradition that has become a near annual one for them as they take on more responsibility and fall more in love with what God is doing in these kids' lives. their third year wedding anniversary falls during the trip and they are jaunting to paris to celebrate with macaroons and hand holding on the streets of paris.

that, combined with the fact that francis and i saw midnight in paris on our last date night, has made my heart ache for the romance that only paris has to offer. (ps. the movie was not at all what i was expecting, but wonderful; it was an escape to another city and another era -- highly recommend it.)

i have dreamed of the city-the fashion, the sights, the smells of boulangeries in the morning, the cobblestone streets, the tantalizing windows of patisseries and being swept up in it all since i was a just a bambino. while living in london two years ago, i globe trotted to my little heart's delight, chunneling to paris for a long weekend with my mom when she came to visit. 

i was in awe of the eiffel tower. as much as it is overplayed as a staple of all things parisian, the real thing absolutely took my breath away. it was massive and so exquisitely constructed. we took an elevator to the very top (i don't think i took a breath the entire time we were INSIDE the tower, so surreal) and climbed the stairs down (all 180,000 of them, approximate, but that's sure what it felt like).

i took this photo from inside the louvre museum, when i was hanging out with miss mona (lisa, that is). 

i need to preface this with the fact that its really awful of me to highlight this next place on account of the fact that it's an ocean away. it may be my most favorite place in all of paris. if your wander lust hasn't already set it, you will almost positively dream of sipping a cup of this cocoa. a favorite hangout of audrey hepburn and voted as the best hot chocolate in the universe (source: me).

with it's dollhouse interior, they could serve cardboard and it'd be charming, but au contraire monsieur, they serve hot chocolate nirvana. served in a demitasse cup with mascarpone meets whipped cream on the side for dollop upon dollop of happiness. the thick chocolate, delectable as it may be, is as rich as bill gates so sharing is encouraged.

oh, paris, my heart aches for you. 

and, here i sit, daydreaming, in a st. paul coffee shop -- applying for jobs, like it's my job (oh, the irony), with francis as my job coach and personal secretary (he rocks my socks).

what far away places make your heart beat faster or pleasures of home keep you content right where you are? please do tell.

cheers, lovelies. xo

{all photographs my own}

absurdly random (just my style)

here's the thing about not posting for eight years (slight exaggeration), i have no idea where to start.

do i highlight the latter end of my florida vacation?

{clearwater beach}

{dunedin and my daddy}

or do i post photos of all the yummy food i've eaten lately? because yes, i am one of those people that likes to document the prettiness of food before i eat it, be it donuts or fancy pants foie gras.

or do i write about the dates that francis (boyfriend) and i have gone on recently?

like to sea salt for fish tacos and cole slaw (oh baby) and a walk around the falls.

or our walk along the mississippi where we were misted by st. anthony falls?

or our first twins game of the season and how i'm convinced we had something to do with their current winning streak?

or our summer cook out and how this photo is totally posed (because let's be honest folks, my job consisted of holding the plate and posing for photos)? francis is a grill master.

or the  incredible french toast my friend chelsea made topped with nutella, syrup, whipped cream, strawberries and banana and how it somehow managed to stay totally calorie and sugar free? (okay, slight exaggeration again.)

or how my usual distaste for sugary beverages (exception: hot chocolate and milkshakes) was thrown out the window with the coconut creme frappaccino? (danggggit...so delicious.)

or introduce my loyal readers (all six of you) to my absolute adoration of absurdly large bows? (pardon the myspace-ish mirror photo.)

or about when my roommate (kate) and i baked cranberry orange scones with white chocolate chips that were rather spectacular?

or about the time i hugged will smith? (not kidding)

or about my absolute and utter obsession with coffee? (i can't imagine this would be a very interesting post, if i actually did choose to blog about it, but it's the truth all the same.)

or do i just ramble and choose all sorts of nonsensical photographs to go along with the ramblings and then hit "publish post"? i think i'll choose the latter.