Good Gracious! We are not kidding with this fair-weather blogging mentality, are we!? Wedding planning has officially taken over any free time we have….well, that and Friday Night Lights (currently on season 2…holy cow, it’s good!). We also had all four parents come for a quick visit, and we're hurrying to make our new place feel like home before wedding festivities begin. Four Months!! AAHHH!


Meanwhile, I took a little trip here...

to meet...

and hug his amazing (3 pushes and he’s out, WHAT?!?!) mama...

and meet this lil' bundle of cute...

And see these lovelies...

and this one...

 
I miss Seattle so very much. I'm glad I have such great reasons to visit!
 
Happy Weekend, Everyone!
xo esme
 
okay...one more pic 'cause Archie Coltrane's just the cutest!

Paris, Part I

a HUGE THANKS to our friend, Natalie, for contributing to the blog while I'm in Europe... AND being our first ever T.A.T contributor! I only hope I can see all the sites Natalie recommends while I'm in Paris. Enjoy! xo e


Hello dutiful readers of T.A.T!

I am p&e's friend, Natalie. You can usually find me over on The Haute Housewife, blogging about recipes, wine, travel and of course my darling pup, Figaro. But this week, the lovely Esme has asked me to guest blog while she is on her European adventure! Esme will be spending some time in Paris and, you see, I have a bit of a love affair going on with Paris myself.

My Hub works for a company headquartered in Paris so we get to visit quite a bit. And I must tell you, dear readers, I am smitten. I think Esme will be too! Paris is such a beautiful, magical place that when I'm there, I don't want to spend my time in museums. I want to be walking around outside or sitting in cafés sipping espresso, soaking in the culture and pretending like I'm a native Parisian. Regretfully, I think my walking shoes and the fact that I don't speak French are dead giveaways that I'm just another tourist falling hopelessly in love with the City of Light.

Today I'd like to share with you how I see Paris and the places I like to go. This post will focus on some of my favorite ways to experience what the city has to offer, beyond the standard tourist attractions. Notre Dame, The Louvre, and The Eiffel Tower are all sites that you can't really go without at least seeing on the outside. I have never been inside any of these landmarks because, honestly, it's just not how I wanted to spend my time in Paris. I made sure to visit the site, read up on the history in my guidebook, take some pictures of the outside, and appreciate it for what it is. But then I was on my merry way to explore other, lesser known attractions.

Paris is divided into numbered neighborhoods called arrondissmentes. The arrondissmentes that I find most appealing are #3 & 4 (Le Marais) and #11 (Bastille). I am also fond of #19 (Parc des Buttes Chaumont) and #20 (Belleville) which are considered "up and coming" and thus quickly becoming yuppified. If you are interested in experiencing Paris by walking around and simply taking it all in, here are a few of the places that I recommend:

Bastille Farmers Market - located in Bastille Square on Sundays, this is the largest Farmers Market in Paris. It is brimming with fruits, vegetables, cheese, meats, flowers, wine, garments and knickknacks. I had a wonderful time walking around, sampling the items, and picking up some cheese, baguette and wine for an afternoon snack.

Jardin du Luxembourg - located in the 6th arrondissmente, Jardin du Luxembourg is the second oldest park in Paris. It is just outside the Palais du Luxembourg. Henri IV's wife ordered the palais to be built in 1612 after she was widowed and now it is the chamber of French senators. The gardens are absolutely gorgeous and very well manicured.

Place des Vosges - This picturesque park in the middle of the Marais is the oldest square in Paris. Back in the 1600s cavaliers used to duel at this spot, but today it's more of a haven for sunbathers and picnickers, kind of like a small Dolores Park.

Carnavalet Museum - Near the Place des Vosges, the Carnavalet Museum is dedicated to the history of Paris. But the real reason you should come here is to see the magnificent ivy in their small gardens.

Père-Lachaise Cimitiere - Are you sick of parks yet? Then head over to the 20th and explore the most beautiful cemetery I've ever encountered. It sounds creepy to just walk around a cemetery, but I felt such an overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility wandering through what almost seemed to be ancient ruins. It's the resting place of the rich and famous, being home to the likes of Honoré de Balzac, Oscar Wilde, Molière, Chopin, and, of course, Jim Morrison. Make absolutely sure you bring the map of the gravesites. This place is like a maze and if you don't know where you're going, you are sure to get lost.

Montmartre - My latest trip last October found me exploring the 18th arrondissmente, Montmartre, via Rick Steve's Walking Tour, which I highly recommend. This neighborhood, high up on a hill, was once an artist's enclave for some of the world's most well known artists like Matisse, Picasso, and Van Gogh. On this walking tour you will also see the Moulin Rouge and the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, which is worth the trip.

Rue Cler - This small street has been traffic free since 1984 and is full of tiny shops and cafes to explore. There is a delicious Fromagerie that we popped into and stocked up on some delicious Camembert.

Versailles - It took me and The Hub several trips to Paris before we ventured on the commuter rail to Versailles to see where Louis XIV, XV and XVI ruled France before the French revolution. Versailles was once a small hunting lodge where Louis XIV spent his childhood. When he became ruler, he wanted a place to escape the residents of Paris. He added onto his childhood home to create a massive Chateau and some unbelievable gardens that are truly breathtaking. The grounds were created during the height of France's political power and were meant to represent the decadence and wealth of the nation. Meanwhile, the residents of Paris were living in poverty. When Louis XVI was in power, his wife, Marie-Antoinette created another estate within Versailles, the Domaine du Marie-Antoinette, which was meant to be her escape from the escape. I'm no history buff, but I still found Versailles to be a remarkable experience. Make sure to leave the whole day open to explore the grounds and also, buy ticket in advance on their website. I can't stress that enough! We made the mistake of buying tickets at the gate and had to wait in line for over an hour.

So there you have it! My view of Paris. Make sure to check back later this week when I'll be telling you about my favorite restaurants and places to shop.

 

Au revoir!

xx, The Haute Housewife

 

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It’s almost Christmas & we’re very excited to get out of the city & journey to the Central Valley once again. We had quite a full weekend, leaving Pete with a cold :( & we hope he gets better before Santa comes!


Some highlights: Pete helped Tia sell Vaya Bags at the GIGANTIC Renegade Craft Fair, Esme braved her first (and last) bridal sample sale, we ate yummy pizza with Esme’s SDSU friend, Xela, and her hubby, Michael. We saw dear Rebecca off to England (we'll miss you, tbex), we donned ugly sweaters & fought over white elephant gifts & Esme & a few friends had a cookie exchange at our pals Mary & Karson’s new home. Take a look at all this goodness!

+ Aster, the Mary & Karson's newly-adopted pup! CUTEST.DOG.EVER!

We’re so happy we got to see so many lovely friends before everyone begins their holiday travels.


In lieu of 2010 Christmas cards, we’ll be sending ‘Save the Date’ announcements in early 2011. SO we’ll take this opportunity to say...

Happy Holidays, Everyone!


xo,
the Tiger Attack Twins

Weekend Stuffs, Diwali Edition

On Saturday, our good friend Anisha invited a big crew of friends to her mom's house in Los Gatos (near San Jose) for a Diwali celebration, a Hindu holiday that you can read more about here. Mama Kumra served all 20+ of us an amazing, gigantic feast of Indian food.

Prior to eating, we turned on all the lights in the home & shared a prayer, asking Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesh, the God of auspicious beginnings, to bring prosperity and well-being. After our feast, we all went outside to light candles & sparklers.Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos of the epic pool party that went down after our food settled.

What a way to mark the start of the holiday season - with good friends & a festival of lights! Thank you, Kumras, for a wonderful celebration!

Korka + Tyler listening to the puja

Rebecca with her candle

The Diwali Feast

Jesse likes

Fun with Sparklers!

Indeed :)

Weekend Stuffs Part II: Elliot's 2nd Birthday!

Dear Elliot,

It's become a tradition that I write to you on your birthday, telling you a bit about your year as we saw it. I can't believe this is already my second letter to you! How times flies!

I remember the day you were born. You looked like a little peanut! As a baby, you constantly made this little squeaking, grunty sound and had to be moving. And now, you can talk instead of squeak! And it's so much fun to hear what you have to say!

You are still a little ball of energy. You run everywhere. You always have a toy or a crayon in your hand. You repeat everything you hear. You know your colors. You love to paint. You crack up watching videos of yourself on Mommy's phone. You love trains. So much, in fact, that Mommy & Daddy had the greatest idea to take you to the San Francisco Zoo so you could ride a REAL train!

But you didn't like that so much...so we went to see the penguins instead. Maybe next year. But you'll probably like something else by then.

The zoo was so much fun! We saw so many animals -- a tiger (like Auntie Esme's blog name), a lion, who roared at us when we showed our tiger masks, and even baby monkeys! We're pretty sure you enjoyed your birthday zoo day.

Pete and I are so glad we got to spend your birthday with you, & we can't wait to see what life as a two-year-old has in store for you.

Love you, Blueberry!

Korka + Tyler

If you can't tell, this couple is really something.

& their belated wedding celebration was really something, too

{Korka & Tyler snuck off to Hawaii & quietly got hitched a while back}.
We're so happy to have been a part of their very special day.

Congratulations to the two of you!