The Countdown Begins to Sunday, September 27th

Come wander through the Guest House

and grounds, hunting for that special

something that makes your

heart sing

I've collected antiques, found objects,

art, and treasures from my travels

perfect for your home and garden

at every price point

One day only, many one-of-a-kind pieces

don't miss out

Sunday, September 27th

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1200 Saint Charles Street

Alameda

Credit Cards, Checks and Cash accepted

All sales final

Bring a friend or two or more! Always

some surprises

Watch for 2010 Sale Event Dates

The Next Thrill of the Hunt Is Coming!!!!

Mark your calendars ~ Sunday, September 27th,11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

is my next Thrill of the Hunt. The Alameda Historical Home Tour 

is the same day, so be sure to stop in and check out my latest finds 

while you are touring all the beautiful homes on this year's tour.

We will be happy to hold your purchases while you continue the 

tour until 5 p.m.  

NEW THIS EVENT:  I am now accepting credit cards!  Local 

personal checks and cash, of course, are always welcome.

Suzanne Etienne will be joining me again this event, bringing 

with her from Ashland, Oregon, her newest creations in 

impressionistic painting.   This will be Suzanne's only Bay Area 

showing this Fall.

Don't miss this one-day event.  Treasures from my recent visit 

to Paris will be available, along with all the goodies you have 

come to expect and look forward to.  You never know what you'll 

find, since I get them as I see 'em.

See you Sunday, September 27th  11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 

1200 Saint Charles, Alameda.

Laurie

Definitely The Best Day Yet

I'm feeling very verklempt (sp?) as I start this journal entry.  It's 

almost  6 p.m. on my last day in Paris.  I'm meeting the 

Silverman-Wilson clan and Maddie shortly for a farewell dinner 

near their apartment in the 17e.  Today had to be my favorite 

(might mention that every day has been)!

I went to two areas I had not been to, on the opposite ends of 

the City.  Since time was of the essence, I did take the Metro to 

the St Germain-Latin Quarter area.  Still don't like it.  The buses 

do it for me, since I get to ride AND see the beautiful sights.  Must 

be a kick-back from the thousands of endless miles I rode in the car 

as a child on our family vacations.  Car rides are still my favorite 

way to travel.  

Each area was completely different from the other and the 7e 

where I'm staying.  I think I love the Saint Germain/Serves'-Babylone 

area the best.  May be that it is much less touristy, more like its own 

little city.  The stores I wanted to go to were worth the trip.  I'm 

bringing home wonderful treasures and many are so unique.  

Today was all about going with the flow.  After accomplishing the 

last few things on my list of 'to dos', I just let my feet take me where 

it looked interesting (6 miles worth).  They did not fail me!  I had a 

ball shopping for both my girls, me (yes, I did get Richard something) 

and "Thrill".  Along the way I saw more fabulous entry doors, sweet 

neighborhood parks and charming streets, all unique and welcoming.

I did make a stop into Monoprix ~ France's TARGET.  It wasn't 

'all that'. I didn't spend more than 30 minutes looking around.  

Anyone who really knows me can tell you I have NEVER gotten 

in and out of a TARGET in less than an hour.  I love that place.  

Anyway, Le Bon Marche' is another story.  Magnificent!  Such a 

beautiful, serene place you hardly remember you are in a huge 

department store.  Seems more like a gallery.  Funny too since 

the prices are comparable to our Bloomingdale's/Nordstrom's.

But what an experience to wander around.  Obviously the French 

know how to shop.

After that I just walked and walked, stopping in where it looked 

appealing.  I've been most impressed with what Parisian shop-

keepers can do with limited space.  I think my cozy Guest House

is small when cramming in all my goodies for each "Thrill" ~ but 

it is gigantic by Paris standards.  I will have a fresh eye when 

staging for September's event and be more grateful!

I'm back from dinner. A delicious meal, great friends and special 

time with Maddie and her Southampton girlfriends.  They will be 

staying on in Paris until mid-August.  Jealous!   What a gift this trip 

has been for Maddie. Her adventure here has been completely 

different from mine, with days spent at museums and monuments, 

visiting Versailles and living in a 4-bedroom apartment.  Of course, 

she's my kid, so shopping was involved too.

Driving back to the apartment tonight in the taxi (love that they are 

green cars) I had those last few glimpses of the City.  It is especially 

lovely at night with all the lights and people everywhere.  I have loved 

this time abroad ~ more than any I can remember before.  I realized it 

is good to get out of your comfort zone, regularly, and do something 

unexpected.  Just because.  I also realized that Richard is extremely 

capable of handling things at home without me (even if it wasn't done

"right"!!!).  A good thing for both of us.   All in all, a perfect trip.

I just finished packing (sob) and ready to jump into bed.  Wondering 

if I will be able to sleep back in Alameda without the clip clop of the 

horses at night carrying tourists back and forth.  

Feeling very grateful for this time, its lessons, friendships and 

memories made.  I found a little bit of me that had been tucked away 

and I like that I'm back!

Biding you all adieu and bon nuit!  

Laurie

P.S.  Checkout the last photos from the Wednesday and Thursday.

Finally got them uploaded.

Day 6 and I've Mastered the Bus System!

Where to begin.  Today was an exceptional day.  Weather was 

overcast and a tad bit humid.  Still lovely with a nice breeze on my 

face as I walked and walked.  Logged in 4.70 miles today.  Since I 

was determined to 'win' in finding my way across the city and back, 

more bus riding happened.  So many beautiful sights and fabulous

finds came my way.

Oh if only I could take everything home with me!  Walking into a 

maison (home) store today was excuriating.  Item after item calling 

my name and just perfect for several clients and "Thrill".  BUT getting 

them home, not in the budget.  Hard to justify a purchase when the 

shipping was almost twice their value!  I did set-up several 

connections with shopkeepers interested in doing business in

the U.S.  Hopefully we will be able to purchase and ship direct from

them in the future.  Lovely people at every stop, all very helpful and 

trying so hard to communicate.  One of them even gave me a gift 

when I left.

Sure that I'll be a whiz at Pictionary after this trip!  Between hand 

signals and drawings, I've pretty much gotten my needs across. I 

certainly could go to the big department stores, where most sales 

clerks speak English, but what's the fun in that?  

The day started off with a lovely ride on the Botabus to the Louvre.  I

was there when it opened and had no wait.  It was a short visit this

time, my 3rd, but inspiring none the less.  I left with lists of ideas, on 

a mission to see if I could make any of them happen.  Several did, 

with so many still floating around in my head.  Must get those

thoughts down before they fly away!  Seriously thinking about taking 

up painting.  Talent may not be there, but my fingers are just dying to try.  

Must say, one of my favorite things to do here is go to the grocery

store.  They are tiny and jammed packed, but the packaging is just 

extraordinary.  I get the same feeling at the Open Markets here and

Farmers Market at home.

Tonight I found a tiny little street cafe that served pasta.  I settled in

to soak up the people-watching duties and enjoyed a delicious

linguine with olive oil and red pepper.  Light, refreshing and very

tasty.  As usual, I came away with some more observations that

I noticed yesterday as well.  

Elderly French women are so stylish and full of life.  I want to grow

up and be like them.  I observed 3 different pairs of 80+ ladies

having a meal together, shopping or just walking down the street.  

They often hold hands as they navigate their way.  Two such women 

sat next to me yesterday at lunch for several hours.  They were 

drinking wine, giggling and having a grand time.  No botox 

or plastic surgery needed for these happy gals. They earned

their laugh lines and are darn proud of them.  I love that!  Makes

me recall a favorite thing my dearest Aunt Ruby (now passed) 

said to me.  She told me, even at 99, she felt like such a girl.  

Keep that one and remember it.

Think I've rambled on long enough for today.  I'm excited for tomorrow,

though sad it is my last day here.  I have the day crammed with those

last few things I must do and have left plenty of time for "flexibility".

That's when the really good stuff happens.

Au revoir and bon nuit.

Laurie

Two Days, One Sitting

The days are going by so quickly here and yesterday was a non-stop

adventure.  I"ll try to recap yesterday and today in the same post, as

I dropped into bed last night exhausted and didn't journal.

To start off, it is good to note that I actually did not realize until I got

here, by myself, without speaking French, that I might be out of my

comfort zone!  Being an independent soul and having a fairly good

sense of direction, I did not give it much thought.  Clearly the past 

few years being so focused on my business, the girls and keeping 

the family running, I really haven't had an adventure nor traveled 

alone.  Carmel does not count as no passport is needed or nail- 

biting plane ride!

So...each morning I get up and head out into the unknown after a

little pep talk that "I can do this".  Well, I can.  Each night I make a

list of shops I want to visit and go from there.  But as I always tell

my kids, "Be flexible".

My plan yesterday was to catch the bus to Le Bon Marche', which

has just been renovated and browse the surrounding area.  Well,

the first bus that pulled up to my stop was going to the Galleries

Lafayette, a huge shopping area much like Union Square, in the

Right Bank.  Change of plans!  Getting there was the easy part.

Problem was, I did not know where to get off the bus and no one

on the bus understood my question.  I accidentally rode the

bus to the bus station/end of the line.  Just as the bus pulled

into a parking space all the bus doors opened and an 'army of

black suited men and women, holding some sort of tazer-looking

device' got on yelling in French (of course, I had no idea what they

were saying but they would not let anyone off the bus).  At this point

I was a little freaked out!  Apparently there is a big problem with

people riding the bus without tickets  Uh huh, so, this is their idea

of making sure you aren't stealing rides. 

Thank god I could find my ticket.  But then, I am at the end of the line 

and don't know where to go.  After a lot of talking to each other (I'm

talking about the black-suited people) about what bus I should get

on, none of which I understood,  I board another bus heading to

where I thought I wanted to go.  Wrong again.  Geez.  

Hence my 6-mile walk home.  Often in a downpour.  My little red rolly 

bag and I were undaunted going from main streets to side alleys on 

the hunt for those little gems I had on my list of "must sees".  OK, so 

realistically, some of them were a waste of time; others were closed 

for the day (big challenge here is to figure out when things are open) 

and a couple were magic.  As anyone who loves the hunt knows, the

magic ones are the only ones we remember!

I did make it back to the apartment, just in time to shower and get

ready for a nice dinner out with our friends from Southampton who

are hosting Maddie's Paris visit.  Since I had not seen them since

the holidays and I had not seen Maddie in a week, it was a great

to get together and catch up over a lovely meal.  Dinner was divine 

and our host and waiter were gems.

After dinner, ending at 11:15 p.m. (way past my jammie time), we

headed to the Eiffel Tower!  The place was hopping and the gang

decided to head up to the top.  An hour later, after seeing the

light show, everyone was down and ready to head home.  As our 

waiter so sweetly said upon our leaving dinner, "happy memories".

Here we are at today's recap.  The weather remains almost perfect.

No rain today, though it doesn't stop anyone.  Lots of blue sky,

billowy clouds, cool breezes and fun people to watch!  Since it's

Tuesday and most everything (except the museums) are open, I

headed to the Saint Germain area to check out a few places on my

list.  Also made a point of going back to several spots right near the

apartment that have been closed Sun/Mon, to sneak a peek.  Several

were still closed, so I'll try again tomorrow.  Even when my plans

are squashed, I am so enjoying the architecture and feel of each

neighborhood/area.  Seeing fabulous doors, door knobs, iron work 

and more makes the walk all the more fun.

Today was at a much slower pace (with less heart-pounding), which I

was ready for.  I sat for two hours over lunch at an outside cafe,

people-watching and feeling very, very lucky to be here.  More than a 

few observations about the passerbys, but most better left unsaid!  

Needless to say I can share a couple:

•  For all my single girlfriends:  Come to Paris.  The men are beautiful!

Sharp dressers (which usually means they are coming from a job!), 

trim (sadly, probably due to the fact they all smoke) and so handsome.

They are everywhere.  Really.

• I think we should all ask ourselves, honestly, are our bras doing their

jobs?  Realistically, I fear they are not for 90% of the women out there.

I honestly was not focused on any such thing, but it became such a

regular sight, that I had to comment.  Ew.

To wrap up, after a great day I usually head back to the apartment

to rest a bit, talk with Richard before he heads to the office and read.

Then about 8-8:30 p.m., I head back out into the neighborhood to 

pick up a magazine, stop at the supermarket for bottled water or just 

walk to find more things I want photos of.  I wonder why I don't do this 

more at home?  

Tomorrow is off to Le Bon Marche' (hopefully), then a visit to the 

Louvre tomorrow night.  The museum is open on Wed/Fri nights and 

the crowds are long gone by 8.  I love to go for the inspiration and 

always come away with my head full of ideas of color combinations; 

themes and that pure creative rush.  Can't wait!

Au revoir 'til tomorrow.  Checkout the new photos below!

Laurie

Crazy Day at Marchee aux Puces De Saint-Ouen

Today was my trip to The Puces (flea market).  An experience I won't 

soon forget.  Guess that the weakness of the US dollar has greatly 

affect their sales, as vendors were pulling on me to enter their stalls!  

Also a culture shock to leave the 7e and its upscale lifestyle to enter 

the 'burbs. Coming out of the Metro you moved along with the throng 

of people walking toward the underpass to rue des Rosier. Gypsy-like 

stalls are set up everywhere, along with fully set-up stores and alleys 

off the main area are full of treats.  Soooo many WONDERFUL finds, 

I had to start writing down where I had seen things I loved so I could 

go back after taking a 'flyover' of the area first.  Sadly, so much of 

what I loved was too large or too expensive.  Worse feeling ever for 

us diehard shoppers.  The perfect place to furnish an empty Parisian 

apt!  Definitely lots of brocanteurs (junk) but also stunning pieces.  

Odd feeling was the further down the alleys I went, the more I felt like 

I had fallen down the rabbit hole.  The fear of never finding my way 

back to my apartment came up more than a couple of times.  

Thankfully, I picked up a few cherished treasures small enough 

(and at the right price) to bring back with me. I did find my way back 

to my neighborhood and a huge bottle of water.  Then a nap ;-)  

This evening I walked back down to the Metro at  Ecole Militairie

to explore a bit more and window shop (most closed on Sundays 

and Mondays) several ceramic shops I had seen earlier.  Will

go back on Tuesday.

I'm loving the bus system here.  So different from Alameda. They 

show up, they are many and they are on time.  The Metro and bus 

lines use the same tickets, so easy to get around.  I'm trying to walk 

as much as possible, but a ride now and then is heaven.  

Just when I thought I had charged my camera before heading to the

Flea Market today, I did not.  New photos of the Eiffel Tower lit up.  

A really beautiful sight.  More amazing doors and buildings.  

Camera is charged for tomorrow.

The weather:  Could not be better!  It has been cool, sunny with a 

lovely breeze each day.   It is now 10:15 p.m. and I have the floor

to ceiling windows open to my balcony, as I sit at my little dining 

table and write.  Heaven.  Hmmm.  Just noticed that there is no 

clip clopping tonight.  The horses must have Sundays off.

Tomorrow I head to Bon Marche ~ just completely renovated,

then meeting Maddie and our Southampton friends, who are here

for a month, for a tour of the Eiffel Tower and dinner.  Would love

to take in the Batobus if time allows.  These boat buses go up

and down the Seine to the most important monuments, Eiffel

Tower, the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, 

Hotel de Ville and more.  

So far I have held back and not had any of the amazing pastries.

Must have at least one before I leave.  The more I explore, the

more patisseries and chocolatiers I find.  They look like jewels

in the window.   

Au revoir!

Laurie

Bonjour from Paris

I'm here!  My little "Kir" apartment, in the 7e right across from 

the Eiffel Tower, is tiny but oh so efficient.  I love it!  Spent 

yesterday after arriving exploring my neighborhood, checking 

out the best places to buy my daily baguette and latte.  Every 

building here looks like a monument and the balconies and 

iron work are magnificent.  I have so many photos of the intricate 

doors and fabulous door knobs, sure people around me think I'm 

nuts.  The flower boxes overflowing with geraniums and ferns are 

lovely and a wonderful contrast to all the iron and stone.

The streets are cobble and while lying in bed last night (early as I 

had no sleep on the flights over) I heard the clip clop of the horses 

hooves as the carriages carried visitors down my street.  Only 

problem I've encounted so far is telling the difference between my 

apartment phone ringing and the doorbell!  

Today I walked for miles in the surrounding neighborhood and 

made my way to the Open Markets on Rue Cler.  Picked up some 

wonderful honey, brie, olives, raspberries and a quiche for dinner.  

I like going out early in the day and coming back to the apartment  

mid-day to rest, write, and plot out tonight's adventure.  

I did make note of 5 wonderful shops that I will stop into again before 

leaving.  I'm "hunting" now and making notes so I will go back to those

things that I've not seen better elsewhere.  Few little shops ship to the

U.S., so I have to really love it to use the space in my spare suitcase

to bring it home.  

Accessories here are fabulous.  The scarves I love alone could fill 

my suitcases!  Gratefully the apartment had a little rolly bag for

shopping, which I have already employed. The French are not

big on bags or wrappings (very eco-friendly), so everything you buy

you carry out in your own bag.  Love it!  

I've noticed that most French women here (those that speak French

that sounds like their native language!) wear dresses or skirts and

flats.  I've been able to pick out visitors without them even speaking.

The denim gives them away!  That and many of the women have

their dogs with them.  Tiny, tiny ones ~ probably fit better in their 

tiny apartments!  Makes me miss my pups at home.  They would 

be small horses here and they are only 20 lbs!

I've yet to find the flower stalls I want to purchase some nice fresh

flowers for the apartment.  Hopefully tomorrow.  Only florists in the

neighborhood with arrangements already made up.  

Tomorrow is Puces ~ the Flea Market.  Since my apartment fills with 

sunshine in the a.m., waking up early is easy.  I hope to find 

linens, dishes, old enamel address signs, and small pieces of art.

More to come.  Au revoir!

Laurie