Merry Christmas to all my Readers!

Hello Loyal Readers (and newbies!),

I am back from Maternity Leave!  Baby Girl C is doing well and she is almost 1 month ;-)  I will be posting pictures soon and do a post on the birth story as well as what it was like to have a baby in France (healthcare system).  But I needed to re-open my Etsy Store first...since the Holiday Season is right around the corner ;-0


I am offering 10% off my Etsy Listing from now until January 7th (when I go on vacation again!)...So hurry up and order you treasures today!

Please use MERRYCHRISTMASPHTN at checkout

Below is the website again...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ParisHandmadebyTN

Etsy Coupon Code to all my Readers

Hello Loyal Readers (and newbies!),

I have started my Etsy Store and am actively selling things!  I have officially sold one item via Etsy and one on the side...2 sales in less than 1 week I say is pretty good ;-)

BUT more would be better so to all you readers out there I am offering 10% off my Etsy Listing from now until October10th...So hurry up and order you treasure today!

Please use BLOGREADERPHTN at checkout

Below is the website again...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tnave

Etsy.com Shop NOW OPENED!

Hello blog followers!

I have recently opened up an Etsy.com Shop please check it out and buy my first listing ;-)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82206206/round-pendant-with-a-vintage-feel?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

I will be adding more listings shortly!

Day 2 of the 3 week vacation - Chateau de Chenonceau

For our first official touristy day in the Loire Valley we decided to go to Chateau de Chenonceau.  It is a lovely fairy tale type castle which was Francois I wife built for herself.  It is built over the Cher River.  It's pretty amazing how underneath this castle is a flowing river!

Their son Henry II became king and the castle became his mistress's castle (Diane de Poitiers).  And after his death his widow Catherine de Medici's kicked out the mistress and occupied the castle while in the Loire Valley.  This is why they call the castle "Chateau des dames" - The women's castle.  

There are 2 large gardens on the property - Diane's Garden and Catherine's Garden.  I preferred Diane's because of all the colors (pinks and purples) vs. Catherine's Garden.  We didn't even take a photo of Catherine's because it lacked color or interest.  I guess the Mistress won on the gardening haha!

Also on the property is a Maze or Labyrinth M just adored running through it (as well as all of the other kids visiting)!

All in all we had a great day seeing our first of many castle on our 3 week trip...here are some photos of M and I enjoying the sights for the first time ;-)

Day 1 of the 3 week vacation

The drive out of Paris was not too bad at all...we navigated our way past all of the other Parisian Families heading for their Grandes Vacances and made it to our first stop in the Loire Valley.

M did great on the road...we departed at 10am and he was promptly asleep by 11am (and drowsy in between). He woke up just in time for our stop for lunch/gas and bathrooms. The French "Interstate" or Autoroute system are privately owned there for there are tolls and expensive ones for that matter (2.5 hours SW of Paris = just shy of 30 euros!). Therefore if you leave the interstate you pay...and most villages are not right next to an on ramp like in the States. So the picnic/gas stops are privately owned and expensive (for gas not sure about food as we just bought sandwiches).

After lunch we hopped back in the car and finished our 2.5 hours to our relatives house. M did wonderfully no car sickness or crying. We kept him occupied with a bunch of small toys (cars, small books, crayons, legos etc...much like the goodie bags I make for plane rides). Once arrived we spent the rest of the day sitting outside, taking photos of M and chatting.

trying to fix picasa/blogger photos

Sorry I have not posted a new blog post as promised... I was all set when I realized my picasa account (which manages blogger photos) was at capacity. I guess I have been uploading the photos wrong (or too large). I have gone through my account and deleted duplicates but this only saved me about 15%. I need to go back and resize the photos I have already posted (400+ photos). I am hoping that it will not take too long...I will research and see if there are some tricks to do this quickly and automatically. So stay tuned! Either way I do have some free space so I can at least get one or 2 posts up soon. TN

3 weeks of vacation

Sorry it's been so long...we've been busy and are currently on our 3 week vacation with limited internet access. I should have some GREAT photos to share 2 regions of France with everyone (Loire Valley and Dordogne). They are amazing places and I think our photos will be spectacular. I am also almost 8 months pregnant. I haven't announced this yet on my blog...but here it is! I plan to do a blog post comparing Pregnancy in the US vs. France and that includes the Assurance Maladie that we have here in France. I have learned a lot and plan to divulge my wisdom on other would be expat mothers in France. Or for people who are just interested in how things are the same or different here. I'm sure a lot of you are very interested in the healthcare system we have here. I will also update everyone on M and his growth and learning. I plan to post on his language skills since they have really started to take off recently. I have been keeping a list of learned words etc...since he started to speak. So this should be an in depth post. We are getting him a big boy bed, potty training and trying to prepare him for the transition of being a big brother (good luck right?!?). So it sounds like I have a few good posts ahead of me. But for now...we are here in Dordogne restin' and relaxin' and soaking up the SUN ;-) Talk to you all in a week and a half or so! TN

Friend's Visit - THE FOOD!

Here are pictures of all the food my friends and I enjoyed while they were visiting me in Paris and one day in London ENJOY!

friend's visit day seven...

The last day...Le Marais

We just stuck close to home on the last day of their trip...

Enjoyed a great Falafel which is a traditional Jewish sandwich and super popular here!

Then we were off for a bit of shopping on Rue des Francs Bourgeois/Rue des Rosiers and then to Place des Vosges for some wine ;-)

The Invader is a street artist who has tagged many buildings in Paris and all over the world

Place des Vosges a famous square near my Apartment and where Victor Hugo lived

friend's visit day six...

London Calling...


We spent 12 hours in London! Yes we took the first train to London and the last train back to Paris (via Eurostar). It is very doable btw if you want a quick visit in while on vacation in Paris. Not ideal if it is your first trip (2 of us had been there previously). But luckily most of the really touristy sights are close together (Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abby, Parliament, London Eye and Trafalgar Square). The Tube is easy to figure out especially if you are used to the Paris Metro. They have a convenient day passes that are only about 8 pounds for unlimited rides.

Train Ride to London

Best Fish n Chips!

Harrod's even the Elevator is decorated!