Sunday, September 30, 2012

THEY HAVE DRAGONS

France Day 1 Part I: Blois



Well, bon jour.


Pulling these pictures together, I can't believe how much we squeezed into the first full day of our trip to France! Zow. The pace felt a bit frantic, being as we were a half-day behind due to a flight cancellation (Mais non, tu rigoles!!!) and a Kafka-esque four hours at Charles de Gaulle Airport trying to get the Europcar employees to come out from behind their desks and solve our car seat problem! (They never did come out from behind the desk -- c'est impossible, Monsieur -- but we managed to solve it in spite of them.)

In any case, rather than a leisurely day of driving toward the Loire Valley with a stop at Chambord, we made straight for the town of Blois, some 130ish miles, with the aid of road stop espresso.


first coffee in France


And thus began our love affair with French coffee and also French highway stops. Ohh! The espresso vending machines! The coffee was ridiculously good. Oh, France. Your coffee made up for your rental car agents.


Blois by night:








Can you see those floating figures above? They are illuminated wire sculptures. Here is the church and garden by day:




Blois was lovely, and I recommend our hotel, the Anne de Bretagne ...



... but there was really a particular reason I chose this town to stay in. 

It has dragons.

You guys. 

IT HAS DRAGONS.



Do you see this stately and staid manor across the square from the chateau at the top of town?

It may not seem so at a glance, but it is special.




Have a seat at the cafe opposite and wait. 




Have a cafe au lait, and watch.


Second coffee in France :-)

Periodically, the windows will open, and the residents will emerge ...




... to have a look around.







Clementine loved it,






The place is La Maison de la Magie, and there is more to it than the dragons, but we didn't have time to tarry in Blois, not even for the chateau ...




Ah. Next time! It was really the most perfect beginning to a holiday in France. Dragons! There should be more dragons peering from windows in general, don't you think? How about this window?

 


Gargoyles will do in a pinch.













P.S. Here's where the Loire Valley is located in relation to Paris:






More of Day 1 to come ...



Friday, September 28, 2012

Home from France



Hi all! Jim and Clementine and I have been away in France and Amsterdam for 2-1/2 weeks -- hence the blog standstill -- and we are home! Both glad and sad to be back, as home is home, but Europe is just ... Europe. The beauty in everyday life is so addictive. The buildings, the pastries, the luscious glossy magazines, sigh. I hadn't been to France since the summer/fall after high school, which was a realllly long time ago, and now I cannot think why not. I am pretty certain there will not be a long gap before the next visit. *crave crave*

Much more on the trip upcoming. I, ahem, filled a 32GB photo card and then some. Ha! 

But right now it's nap time! Lights out :-)


Monday, September 17, 2012

Make Things



[Note: NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE BY ME.]

Now that we've begun earnestly doing crafts around here (Clementine having developed enough patients for multi-step projects), there are so many things I want to make! Here is a sampling of *gasp* cuties that aren't too technically challenging, to perhaps try in the nearish future. That mouse above with the little sleeping bag? Oh my. Look, slumber party:




More sleepy mousies, these in Altoid tins:




Gourd village! Love. 




Popsicle stick girls




Tube girl:




Favorite tube craft:




These paper doll chains fascinated me as a kid:




Hi.




Come sailing?




Nap. I love doll beds.




Box theater! So making this.



Box HEADS. Because why wouldn't you do this? In your wacky pajamas.




Tiny villages: 






Look! Alice in Wonderland spool dolls! 



Shadow puppets! 




Construction paper bird. This could be GREAT.




Have done this one. Fun! Mine says: hello my dear




Love love love mix-n-match! Are these on cheap cork coasters? Brilliant!




I cold make weird dolls forever.
(Mind you, anyone who fears I am making dolls instead of writing, I do not. 
I mostly just pin them on Pinterest :-)




Like any of these?









Thursday, September 13, 2012

Eye Candy Breakfast: Paint Rocks?

Why not paint some rocks? Of the zillion possibilities, here are a few ...






Love these little mix-n-match people!


Some seriously gorgeous artwork:








Easy, cute, funny: strawberries! 




So simple, so cool:




These beauties by Gennine:






Stamps:




And, couldn't be simpler: Sharpie drawing!




Lastly, this one is so funny :-)




But don't stop with rocks. How about sticks?




Have brought back driftwood last several trips to the beach, and intend to paint on them someday.
... Someday ...
*wistful sigh*




Cross-sections! Graphic impact!



Adorable cuteness! People are SO CLEVER.




And if sticks and rocks are too common for you ... ANTLERS!




That is all. Go get your paints :-)




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