Something Like a Fairy Tale.

It went a little something like this...

January 5th ish.

Him: I think we should get married... we have been together for almost 5 years and I'm not allowed back in the USA.
Me: Ok, but I don't want a ring or a wedding.
Him: Should we look at rings
Me: Of course!!

1 Day Later...

Me: Rule of thumb, the ring is supposed to cost between 1-2 months of your salary. I googled it.
Him: .........

Him: speechless in the store. ...... and then... I should have known that you would like the grandma rings.
Me: OH MY GOD!! I LOVE IT!!

1 Hour Later... somewhere in the middle of all  this... Wedding???

Me: No wedding dress. Just a white suit and nice shoes. Ya know, Carrie Bradshaw style!
Him: We HAVE to have a party. (If you know Adrien, you know that the party is important)

The BIG question is... when do we do it? Most people plan for a year! Ummm... Let's do it next month... That way my mom will be here! Not the 11th because that's Eva's Birthday weekend so how about the next??  6 weeks away... Lets do it!

Let the Wedding Count Down Begin!!!


A few days later I went with my Mother in law to look at wedding dresses. This day was a disaster!
Typical girl... dreaming of the most beautiful, perfect, fairy tail wedding and here I am set out looking for a suit and seeing all of these beautiful dresses. Yeahhhh this isn't gonna work. F

In my broken French, I called every wedding dress shop that would take me on such short notice and sell me a dress for a wedding that was a month away. Finally, a week later I was on my way to my appointment with my heart in stomach and Shelly (who btw has never drove b4 in her life) navigating me into the city!

After about 5 dresses, I had made my decision. It was the usual princess dress but fit me so perfectly and it was, I suppose, what I had imagined in my head even if the thought of looking like a cup cake makes me cringe! So to be sure, I asked to come back the next week with more friends.

In the meantime, we had to find a venue. This. Yes this. This was what I thought was going to be the topping to worst wedding night mare I could ever dream up! The first place we looked at had dark wooden chairs, dark wooden beams across the ceiling and yellow curtains. I was sick. All I could do was cry laugh! The chairs just kept flashing in my head! Ok, ok, one last stop and then we'll call it a day.

Chateau La Pioline. Ahhh... now this is what I'm talking about!! Look at those perfect chairs and white ceiling!! This. This is perfect!! We'll take it!!

So my little entourage and I went back for the dress. Of course I changed my mind about the dress... But I found the most perfect one, ever! The only problem was that I was getting married in less than 4 weeks and they needed to order a new dress (from Spain)  as this one was way too big! Not to mention they didn't know if the designer would have another one!

5 days before the wedding my dress was here!! Eva's dress was here! My mom was here! Cass was here! AND I had the best bridesmaids who worked so hard in keeping me calm and organized with all of the planning and calling.

Did I hear someone say "BACHELORETTE PARTY"??? Well you know, what happens at the Bachelorette party, stays at the bachelortte party ;)

This is yours truly 2 hours before the wedding.

In tears. Bleeding from at least 7 different cuts because even though the day before I went to have my legs waxed, I felt that a quick shave would only improve the smoothness.

No band aids.

A nurse patching me up with shoe insoles and my mom saying to find super glue and glue the cuts.

"More champagne, please!!"

After looking at the clock which caused me to have a little bridezilla break down and a few fixes... I was ready to go!!

                               Maybe one day I''ll regret this pic but I'm sure every bride has one!

We stuffed me into the car, and off we drove to the town hall with my sleeping beauty on my lap and my crying mom in the front.... and yes, a little too much to drink bride making international calls to the USA to announce to my BF and family that this was it, I was about to be married!

Every thing happened so fast that I never had time to even think about walking in front of a crowd! ekkk!!! When I got to the top of the stairs and I looked in the room filled with people, my heart hit the floor!!

"What do we do?? Do we kiss now?!!"

It's a bit tricky be to married in a different language! I feel like I needed a wedding manual!

And it was done. Dreaming of this day since I was a child. Wanting this day since I met him. 20 minutes in a room full of people, a speach that I couldn't understand and a hand holding each of mine, was over,  just like that.

Boots For Every Need

My very well purchased boots that are a must have!I love, love, love them!! Totally cute and easily dressed up or down! Can find them at ZARA!

NOTE: When walking through Paris ALL day, the wedge boots are not such a good idea. So, when in pain, buy more shoes! Also found at ZARA! Chic, fun and great for walking!

Happy Shopping!

Eye Liner From Heaven

My new found LOVE! M*A*C Fluidline gel eye liner!

If you know me, I'm a "Makeup Junkie" and love to try new "Make Me Beautiful" products. Well, thanks to my new fab friend from Iceland, Arna, I now have the most wonderful eye liner I have EVER used!

Comes in a little glass jar. Applied with a brush. Looks like a liquid when worn. Doesn't smudge or fade. PERFECT!

Boobies

So, you always hear, "Oh,Kids! They say the darndest things!"

The other day I had just came out of the shower to Eva sitting on the potty. I continued to do my daily preperation routine and then I hear her little voice ask, "Mommy, where's my boobies?" Ummmm.... Not so ready to have this conversation with my 2 1/2 year old, I respond quickly, "You have boobies, Eva.." She then lifts up her pyjama top to have a look and see if I what I was saying was true.
I then hear, "Yeah, but these little boobies, Mommy!" This kid is not giving up! So I say in a sweet little Mommy voice, "Eva, your boobies are little now BUT, one day you will have big boobies." Responce - "Like Papa?!"

This is insulting for Mommy and Papa!!

Sleeping on the job.

. I'm sure that all Mothers, Fathers, Mammies, Pappies and anyone else who has had children could write a book on all the funny, embarrassing, horrific and down right dirty things that their children has done. Well, I've decided to share my most recent story because it's too good to keep to my self!

To start off with, I never nap when Eva does. Better yet, I never nap. So it's nap time for Eva and Adrien and I fall asleep watching a movie down stairs on the couch. GASP!! "EVA!!" I jump up and head for the stairs to find my little Princess sitting on a pile of books. That would be the books from the library so you can imagine how many books I'm talking about. Coloring her blocks with a marker which she had previously used to color her arms (left and right), legs (left and right) face and books....

I can't be mad at her even though she knows that markers are to stay on paper because I feel in the wrong for being asleep.. Calmly I remove the marker from her multi colored hand and start picking up the mountain of books. Looking up into my bed room I see that all the cleaning I had done earlier had been "undone". Pillows, sheets, clothes and shoes all on the floor! Twitch. Twitch.

"Eva, you did lots of playing while Mommy was asleep. What else did you play with?" Off to Eva's room we go only to find 100 bobby pins, a million hair bows and every single one of her furry friends on the floor. I keep telling my self that this is what I deserve for sleeping on the job so I put a smile back on my face and get to work. "Mommy, I gotta use the potty..." To the bath room she goes while I'm still hard at work...

Now, I have to take you back to this morning before nap time. I had just bought some Veet wax strips and had decided to try them out before getting in the shower. So if your not familiar with this product (which worked quite well BTW), it's 2 strips held together with wax and you pull them apart to make 2 wax strips which then can be used in your desired area...

"EHHHH!! Mommy, it hurts!! " I look up to find Eva walking back into her room like a duck, where I still am picking up bobby pins, with one strip on her va-jay-jay and one completely wrapped around each hand.

The "Big Girl Bed"

So, Eva is 29 months old now and we felt that it was time to get her the "Big Girl Bed". After trying all the beds in IKEA for about an hour, we finally left with one and then some..
The bed is up and sooo cute! Beautiful white wooden bed, bright pink little bed set covered in multi colored hearts, big fluffy pillows and ten of Eva's favorite furry friends. She just loved it!!! So whats the problem?? THE KID WON'T STAY IN IT!!!!

This is her first nap in her new bed so after putting her back in the bed 10 times I decided to stay in the room until she fell asleep. Well it worked but I'm not doing this every day! I did a little research and from what I read, the best thing to do is to be repetitive and without much talking but the child back in the bed. Do this as many times as it takes because if the child knows that it's playing with your emotions they will continue to get out of the bed. SOOO tonight I will see how this goes.

Back home isn't my home anymore..

Took a little 2 month trip back to the good ole' mountains of sweet Tennessee. It's really never the same once you leave and come back... The people changed, my little mini me sister no longer thought I was the coolest thing in the world.. the weather changed, tornados one day and 98 the next, I changed, put on 5 pounds due to McDonalds and Mamas good cookin and Eva grew! Being away for so long and then coming back I realized that Tennessee just isn't who I am anymore.... for the places that I've went has changed me a bit..

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

by Dr. Seuss


Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

I guess change isn't so bad but just not what we're always used to.

New Beginning.

Long time, no blog!

So, I went to the USA, for what was to be a month turned into 3! With that, I got a whole new perspective on life and learned a few things...

1. I'm one super lucky gal and have no reason at all to complain as much as I do!
2. I'm one hott Mama whether it be at 110 lbs or 150! (Ok so I'm still working on this part)
3. I have the best man in the entire world!
4. It's best to take one day at a time...

And so, here I am back in France with my new outlook on life and I'm happier than ever!

Life

Ever feel like you just don't know what is really going on in your life?? Little lost? Little hopeless? Little like this just isn't really what you had seen when you were growing up and you have it all "planned out"?? Ok, so thats me now!!

I never knew that having the love of my life being French would come with a long list of "Just To Make Your Life A Little More Complicated Encase It Wasn't Already" of things.

First. Only can be in his country for 90 days at a time (as we're not hitched).
Second. The French Chamber of Commerce wants proof of health insurance to apply for a visa (which allows you to be in a country for longer than that legally and so on).
Third. Well, I don't have health insurance!!
Fourth. The soones appointment they can see me is 4 days before I am supposed to return to France and it takes 3 weeks to get the visa!!!!
Fifth. I'm not really sure that my $1000 plane ticket is so "date flexable friendly".

And the list just goes on and on and on.... So what do you do when your stuck in this position?? Sure, getting married would solve 90% of the problems but who gets married just to make things easier? Most people and most people also end of divorced!

What to do?? What to do?? Any suggestions???

J'tame Paris

We decided to take a little Bon le Petit Voyage Romantique to Paris <3
Eva would stay with her Mammie and Pappie in the south of France and Adrien and I would go stay a full 3 days 2 nights in the city of love! As for Eva, when I returned she was still alive... as for "City of Love", lets just say we spent a lot of time on the tube, also known as the subway...
I've been to Paris before so we didn't have to do all the too touristy things... But of course, its not going to Paris if you don't see the Eiffel Tower and take a stroll down the Chaumps-Elysees to dream about shopping in all of the so expensive with one item purchase it would drain the average persons bank account, stores! Unfourtunaetly for me, I only get to look at those stores... as for my Pretty little French Boyfriend... we won't go there! Sometimes life is just not fair!

Shall we move on???

The Ice Kube!! Nearly as far as the tube will take you without being out of Paris, located in the Indian district middle of-looks like no where. Down a little Chemin that you would never notice in the day light more less never find in the night, is a super posh metro style hotel known as, The Ice Kube. And ice is excalitly what it is! For 40 Euros you can go in, get 4 Grey Goose cocktails and spend 30 minutes of your life in a bar of nothing but ice! Fun? Yes! Expensive? Yes! Cocktails? Yuck! Fun? Oh yes! Will I do it again? Probably not! But for sure, it was lots of fun and my dear little French friend, Ju came along :)

Some girls say diamonds are a way to the heart but for me, I prefer CHOCOLATE!!! Well, thats probably because I've never got a huge diamond before... When I do, I may reconsider..
Salon Du Chocolat!!!! The largest chocolate convention in the world! You better beleive I was there!! It was everywhere!!! I was in heaven! The thought of it now just makes my mouth water! Fountains, sculptures, chocolate butter, jams, clothing, wine, liquor, cups, soaps, truffels, dumplings.... the list goes on and on!! Everything chocolate!!! From every part of the world and every flavor you could ever dream of! Chocolate cheese for crying out loud!!

I also got to spend an evening with some of my most favorite French Amis!! I missed my Nat and Anne-C but next time :)

Do like the French & STRIKE

A few weeks ago my father inlaw says, "Be really careful with the gas, there is a scheduled strike so gas may be low...." Not really knowing the extent of this until my mother inlaw says, "Jean-Mark (father inlaw) is working from home this week to save gas and to monitor our usage.... " Considering he is a very careful man, I still didn't thing too much about it....
Next day, watching the news. It looks like a crazy zombie movie where the army is spraying the people in the streets with water to keep them back because they are going completely mad!! I mean, burning fire in the streets, jumping on random cars and smashing in the windows! MAD!!! And its not even like old people, its mostly young! For what you ask??? Social Security!!

Apparently the government here is trying to raise the retirement age to 65. So far they are standing their ground but I was told that the people will stay on strike until they get what they want!
href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69E43320101021">

22nd Birthday

When I was 20, I couldn't wait to be 21... When I was 21, I thought it would be cool to be 22... until I turned 22! Now I am realizing that I am just getting old!!!

Luckly, I have amazing frineds here in France who celebrated my day with me and it turned out to be one of the best birthdays I have had yet!

We went to a fondue restarunt, which was as good as it was fun! Then off to a little bar where I was forced to wear a confetti blonde bob wig and then attacked with confetti! This was followed by several glasses of champagne, cake and presents :)
Next, night club!! This is where I realized just how old 22 actually feels!

Entering the night club, I was feeling pretty good! One drink in the night club... It's all good! Mama can handle this! Um.. did anyone see Isa? Oh yea! We lost her!
I think I need another drink.... two down... I'm down!! Literally! Sleeping on the sidewalk!! How I made it back to the taxi stop is beond me! According to the pictures, I must have been sleep walking because my eyes were closed the entire time!!

And then... my brand new iphone4.... gone! Just like that! Left it in the taxi :(

Potty Time!!

My sweet little Princess is only 19 months old and is already telling me when she wants to go potty!!!!!!!!!!

She is growing up way too fast!! I am so proud of her but I'm scared to see whats next!

I would give you fellow Mommies some tips... but really, it's all her!
I leave the potty where she can see it and just started asking her when I would change her dippar if she needed to potty and sure enough... now she's telling me!!

She tried to kill me.... again!

My mommy in law has an International Hiking Group here in France... I had went on a few hikes last year and well... I hated it!! So feeling a little more adventerous, I thought I would give it another try!

I loved it!! I mean sure, it was more like rock climbing than hiking... steep, sharp rocks, knowing that one wrong step and down the cliff you go into the sea!!! Yeah, it was amazing! Finally reaching the top and seeing just how beautiful something could be! I vote to add this very spot to be a new wonder of the world!
And... good excerise as well!!

Take a look at the hike today :) And then... be jealous !

Easily distracted when driving

So here I am, in a hurry as usual... on my way to work on one of these darn country France roads which is barly big enough for two cars! I know that after this huge curve there is a bridge only big enough for one car (you can only see the other car when you get to the bridge)... So here I am, coming around the curve... here I go... and I see a huge white van on the side of the road next to the bridge... At first, distracted by the size of the van (every car here is so small) but then even more distracted by the man peeing behind the van into the creek (which happens to be the natural water supply for the village)! So of course I am not looking at the bridge! I am in shock that this man would not only be peeing in the open but into the creek!!

BEEEEEPPP!!!!!!

Oh NOOO!!! A CAR!!! CRASH!!!!

Lucky for me, I crashed into the guard rail and not the little black car with a too cute for his own good, little guy driving!

He stops. I reverse. He steps out of his car. I jump out of mine totally embarrassed . I'm unsure if he speaks english so the only thing I can do is say, "That stupid man was peeing" along with hand gestures of well, a man peeing!

Totally embarrassed! He was totally laughing and the look on the man peeings face was priceless! I hope he learned a lesson!!

France Fall Trend

In all of the stores here in France, the fall collection consists of bluejean shorts, blazers, boots that all the Ag girls wore in the greenhouse, tights and swade!

I thought it was a little crazy at first but now, I think I like it!

Little Job

So, I got a little part time job... if thats what you wanna call it... for this culinary school thats here in Aix for 2 weeks doing tours and cooking. Mostly older, wealthy women living the dream, but anyway! My job that would usually be so simple actually was quite difficult at times due to.. how should i put it?? Oh yes! I dont speak French!!!! GRR!! I was to go to the supermarket everyday and purchase the items that would be cooked for dinner that night...

One, I don't know how to cook anything except pasta (which I mess up from time to time) and cookies that come in a tube(which i usually mess up as well)! Two, did you know that zucchani comes round as well as long?? Crazy, huh?! Three, there is still that language barrier where I cant read French either! So you can only immagine how I was in the supermarket searching for irrigular items! My work hours were around 4 hours a day minus 20 minutes of drving... yea the rest was in the supermarket!

One day I shorted the mushrooms by 2 kilos (2.2 pounds) and the next I had to find a poissonieer (fish market) and buy 80 euros worth of "la grande crevette crue" , also known as big raw shrimp!

Dukan Diet

Diet! Diet! Diet! Excerise! Excerise! Excerise!! I spent nearly an entire year doing this. Sure, it worked but I was at the gym 5 times a week! Every week!! I finally got to a hump that was impossible to get over.... Until I arrived in France :)

I arrive and my mother in law (who is 50) is skin and bones!! Knowing that she does not do much excerise (other than hiking on Tuesdays) I was in shock! I had to know the secret! Since last summer she had lost nearly 30 pounds! When the words "high protein diet" came out of her mouth, I just couldn't beleive it! I had been doing everything except that!

Are you ready for it?? Its called the Dukan Diet. I didn't need to lose much more weight, just enough to get me over my hump. In nearly two days, it was done! I swear! Two pounds in two days! It was super easy!

I didn't read the book and I didn't do the full diet. I just simply did what Isabelle (my mother in law) is doing now (not that she needs to diet anymore but she is on phase 3). One protein day a week. I did it, its done, I lost the weight, I'm finished!

http://www.dukandiet.co.uk/

Here is the link for the diet and if you have any questions just ask and I'll find out for ya!!

My little Push-GO!

Beep! Beep!! It's official. I am now driving my very own car around the streets of France! If I want to go, I go. If I want to stay, I stay! I love it! It may be as old as I am a little rough around the edges and not have power steering but what can I say.... I just love it!!
Although putting gas in the little thing was a little more difficult than I expected... One, you have to use a key to open the tank. Two, the gas pumps here don't come with very clear directions. When I say clear, I mean in a language I do not speak. Luckly my first time at the gas station (which took around 15 minutes) a lady felt sorry for me and after watching me struggle for 10 minutes decided to come lend me a few words of advice... I didn't understand one thing she said but something must have registered because suddenly the pump worked!
I have pictures on my Facebook if you would like to see how I'm Rollin in France :)

Such a beautiful country! Great wine, bread of every shape and size, shopping that will make you cry be because you cant afford any of it, expresso, living with your in laws, perfect weather, beaches, in laws and the cute little cars! Its just simply perfect! Yep, per...per...pe... Lot harder then I thought it would be!!!! But it's totally cool... I have my .10 seconds a day to pull my self back together, take in all the beauty and remind my self how lucky I actually am....then, I'm fine!

I found a little job and a car! Job- small cleaning for a rental home and going to the bakery. Car- I'm buying it for 1 euro and all I know is it's as old as me and red!
I don't really have either one at the moment but hopefully I will soon!

Otherwise, could someone just pray for me!! I could use a little help sometimes!