Madame à Paris

Yes, Madame est à Paris once again, as our stay in London wound down to an end. Just a quick train trip over on the Eurostar, and we're in central Paris, ready to stroll. 

Thought I'd just share a few postcards from our visit....

Strolling through Montmartre watching the artists in the shadows of Sacré Coeur

Taking a sniff of the beautiful flowers displayed so beautifully on the pavement

Shopping at Galéries Lafayette for Guerlain

and Chanel

Red tables set up for lunch

Warm weather luring travelers and locals alike to eat outdoors

Finding little out of the way restaurants

and boutique hotels

Enjoying the gardens of the Louvre

Remembering to look up while standing in line for a lemon tart at the bakery Au Petit Versailles du Marais 

Checking out the love locks on the Pont de L'Archevêché behind Notre Dame cathedral

Making a detour to Ladurée

known for their delicious macarons

and whimsy

This time being allowed (shock!) to take a photo

of the interior. So much beauty!

Stopping by our "favorite apartment" on the Left Bank, where we dream of having a "pied-à-terre" someday

Cuteness all wrapped up in a little French dog

Sunset on the Place de la Concorde

where the sun and the water sprays

danced in harmony

Making this trip even more special was spending the day with a friend, as we each head separate ways from London. 

A Parisian "au-revoir" to a special friend.

Postcards from Paris--being sent your way!

A LIttle Bit of Paradise

Just because I have friends and family both headed to the white beaches of Panama City, Florida soon, I thought I would share my trip with you today. In May, I met up with 2 very special gals,

one who owns a condo on the beach for a girls' getaway.

The beach was beckoning,

the weather delightful,

and the white sands with crystal blue waters in perfect form.

We cherished our beach time,

enjoyed some regional cooking at Great Southern cafe in Seaside: crab cakes and fried green tomatoes,

with cheese grits shared between friends,

while a crab martini and collard greens were the choice of my healthy-eating companion.

Shopping along the seaside towns is a must for any girls' trip, so we enjoyed the little towns and their individualities: Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Watercolor and many more,

where we found beautiful clothing,

a touch of Paris,

and bright accessories along the way.

Did I mention we ate a lot on this trip--sharing along the way, of course, so we could try more things. We found several food trucks on the main drag of Seaside,

and tried the recommended Melt Down on 30 A,

where the Three Cheese grilled cheese hit the spot!

Dinner was a little further down the road at the ever popular and crowded (i.e go early) Stinky's Fish Camp where we enjoyed Unka Duke's BBQ shrimp

and Blue Crab Stuffed Squash Gratin,

but the real reason for dining there was the Key Lime pie which has been voted the best in the area and was definitely worth the drive.

Shopping, eating, beach time....

I think this chair is calling my name!

What are some of your favorite places along the panhandle of the Florida/Alabama coast?

Happy Birthday America!

Our neighborhood had its Fourth of July parade early this morning, and Little Miss Sunshine came over

to wave to the crowds in her Poppy's '56 T Bird.

The dogs came out for the fun

as so did the kids,

when they heard there was a promise of ice cream at the end of the parade.

Back home at the house, there were watermelon treats,

red and juicy,

putting smiles on faces.

Of course, there was some grillin'

by father and son.

Cousin time was fun,

and we're counting down the days until the new baby cousin Aiden makes his appearance!

This little fellow was a firecracker,

until we tried to take a cousins' photo,

and then his little heart was broken over it all.

He pondered it a bit,

thought about a backwards shot,

and then smiled his little grin to show who was in charge.

He's head over heels in love with 

his mama,

and thinks his daddy is pretty special too.

And there's no little girl who adores her daddy more than this sweet one.

Hope your Fourth of July was full of celebration!