Vive La France: Traveling in Paris Day 1

Waking up in Paris and opening the window in our Airbnb to have a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower was truly breathtaking. It's exactly how I imagined it would be. Isn't that the best thing in life? When you imagine something and then it's better than you expected it? 

After a full 24-hours of traveling, we all got up slowly, showered, and got ready to go explore Paris! If you know me, then you know I get ... what's the nicest word for this?... HANGRY. So we left the Airbnb, headed towards the Eiffel, and we're all in agreement that we needed to get food and espresso. Now, I'm not a coffee person, I don't like the taste, but Rich got a little addicted to espresso during our trip and is now wanting to buy a French press. 

Our first cafe stop was at a place called, Le Pierro Bistrot. I thought it was cute that Rich's espresso cup said, "Cafe Richard' ... though this seems to just be a brand of mugs because it wasn't as unique that I thought it would be. Rich had many more Cafe Richards. 

Now, I'm sure plenty of you are thinking, "What an American looking lunch in France, Maegan. Way to get out of your comfort zone." And you're right. The menu wasn't in English, it was our first day in France, I do not speak a word of French, so this was basically a guessing game. However, this was the best French Club Sandwich I ever had. So there. 

Also, FRENCH FRIES. So, my meal was very French. 

The group was fed, espresso'd, and ready for the start of the day! 

Our first afternoon was spent at the Eiffel Tower. I honestly still can't believe how pretty and big it is in person. I know I sound like a fan girl, but I had been waiting 23 years for this moment so I was going to soak up every bit that I could! 

We hung out and chilled on the grass for a bit before deciding to explore some more. We decided to walk the Seine River to head to Notre Dame. As soon as we took off walking we realized that it was going to take a while because Notre Dame is pretty far on foot from the Eiffel, so instead, we grabbed some of the city bikes to ride. It was SO. MUCH. FUN! I wish I had more photos, but it's hard to bike and snap. 

Riding a bike along the Seine River was probably one of the most fun things that we did! I really wish I had more photos of it or photos but I was living in the moment. 

We rode the bikes close to Notre Dame Cathedral and then parked them. The ride was a lot of fun for me, but Rich took us down a one-way road the wrong way and Amy almost got ran over by a truck because people wouldn't move off the bike lane on the side walk. 

Needless to say, we were ready to be at Notre Dame in once piece. 

Here's what we didn't know about the day we decided to go visit, it was a Catholic holiday! So when we got there, I heard a lot of singing, there was a ton of security and lots and lots of people. Though I am not Catholic, it was beautiful to hear the singing even if I had no idea what they were saying. 

I love symmetry in architecture, and this building is beautiful! The details, the sculptures, just everything was exquisite. After gawking around and watching a choir leave Notre Dame Cathedral while singing it was time for a break. 

It was starting to get a bit rainy, so we left to find a snack ... and some wine. 

Say, "Bonjour!" to our first cheese plate! I can't even tell you what all these cheeses are because I've realized I am a cheese novice, but the only thing left on this plate when we were done was the piece of lettuce on the board. 

We left our cute bar/restaurant and walked a bit more around the Seine River.

 

We actually came out on the backside of the Notre Dame Cathedral. We walked, and walked, and walked some more until it was time for dinner. We already knew that we were going to go to an Italian restaurant called, "Trattoria Di Sapri" that one of our friends had talked and talked about to us before we left. 

I know. A club sandwich for lunch, and Italian for dinner. 

HOWEVER, it was DELISH. I don't even have any pictures except for one because it was sooo good, and I was sooo hungry! 

After dinner, we *tried* to go to Moulin Rouge, but because the guys were wearing shorts we couldn't get tickets. Lesson learned for different places in France, shorts can mean no entry. 

Since we couldn't go see Moulin Rouge, we went to a bar close by instead for a night cap. 

Then, we went back to our AirBNB to sit outside on the patio and look at the Eiffel Tower sparkle. It is the MOST magical thing to watch at night! 

Next! On to day two of Paris which means visiting the Catacombs and a (really hard) French cooking class! 

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Traveling From Little Rock to Paris

It FINALLY happened in life, I finally made it to Paris!  If you remember, a few months ago I announced that I was headed to France for the first time with a group of friends and asked for a few recommendations. After lots of researching, reading and recommendations we had the best time! 

I'm going to be recapping a lot of the trip on the blog, so let's start out with the beginning! 

Packing has never been a strong suit of mine because I always over pack. But, my friend Amy told me about packing cubes and how they helped keep things organized. I found this really cute set on Amazon for around $23 and I love them. I was able to put tops in one, pants in one, and dresses in another. It also came with a bathroom toiletry bag that is a perfect size for the trip. (These are NOT affiliate links, I just LOVE these cubes!!) 

Packing with these cubes also made it easier while on the trip. Nothing got lost like it usually does and I was able to rearrange and pack when I souvenirs to bring back (and just wait, I brought back a doozy of one). 

Five of us traveled from Little Rock to New Orleans to fly on Condor to head to France. Amy and Bobby (the married couple), Rich and me (the dating couple) and our friend Marcus. 

The drive to New Orleans can take around 7 hours or so, give or take how many times we have to stop for snacks. (My favorite car snack are pickle chips. Also, the smelliest snack.)

After we got to New Orleans, we settled into our hotel room and then headed out for dinner. Rich and I had visited New Orleans about a year and a half ago and eaten at a restaurant called, Cochon. They also have a more casual restaurant called Cochon Butcher that doesn't require any reservation and is a little friendlier on the wallet when you're about to take a 10-day trip to Europe.  

I LOVED Cochon, and I LOVED Cochon Butcher. I had the pork belly with lima beans and then split the Mc and Cheese with Rich. Everything was INCREDIBLE. I can't wait to go back to New Orleans just to eat at one of these restaurants again. 

Because it was Saturday night and we weren't leaving til late Sunday night, we did what any group of friends would do in New Orleans, we went to visit Bourbon Street. 

It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends on Bourbon and just watch people. I'm pretty sure we counted like 20 bachelorette/bachelor parties, a lot of people in red dresses, and a few men carrying around snakes. There were also a few other things that we saw that I'll just keep off the blog. ;) 

After a delicious dinner, a fun night but a long day of driving, I was ready to call it a night. Sunday morning we all got up late, took showers before the long 24-hour journey, and had a casual afternoon. We went to a fun arcade bar for some snacks then headed to Cafe Du Monde for some beignets! I love a good beignet, but I will say, in 100-degree weather eating a hot donut makes you sweat more. 

What's the best bar to go to in New Orleans to have fun and stay cool? The carousel bar! 

Rich first brought me here on our trip and it was one of my favorite places that we visited. I'd like to make The Carousel Bar and Cochon a regular on any visit I have to New Orleans now. 

Look at these sweet, five faces ready for France! 

Our flight to France didn't leave until around 11 p.m. Sunday night because there was a bit of a delay. So, the five of us each bought a bottle of wine in the airport, a bunch of snacks, and just sat around waiting for takeoff. 

We were all flying Condor for the first time because they had such great deals flying from New Orleans to Paris. I mean, REALLY good deals! I had actually never heard of this airline before this trip. Rich's dad had told us that they had been around for a long time. We paid less than $500 roundtrip flight per person from New Orleans to Paris! 

My first time flying Condor was actually fun. Who says that about an airline? I watched the movie Gone Girl because I like to call it a romantic comedy. 

I basically felt like I was at home but with MUCH better and fancier snacks. 

This was the food... this is better than I eat on a daily basis. The starter on the left was sliced Char Siu duck, honey poached mushrooms, scallop and shrimp, and a fresh salad. The main course (if you think there wasn't more) was beef tenderloin with a red wine jus and grilled vegetables. And then, of course, dessert was a dark chocolate mousse with fresh strawberries. 

Honestly, this meal was DELICIOUS. I have never had such good airplane food but it really made me forget that I was traveling across the world over an ocean. Would I fly Condor again? Absolutely. 

When we arrived in Paris it was pretty late so we took an Uber from the airport to our Airbnb. We went around the corner to find a small market store still open and grabbed a couple dozen frozen pizzas. After a little confusion on how to actually start the oven, we had a little midnight dinner and then went to bed... the Airbnb was PERFECT and we woke up to this view: 

Next, our first day in Paris! 

To be continued... 

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Weekend Update

It is MONDAY and I am not even sure where the weekend went because it was jam packed with SO MANY THINGS.

After work on Friday, I went to my parent's house in Northeast Arkansas. It's not a terrible drive from Little Rock, so it goes by pretty quickly. I still get my hair highlighted by the same woman since I moved back from Atlanta 8 years ago. My parent's cooked dinner Friday night and then my mom and I went shopping at the local Dollar General.

Saturday morning I sat in a chair for almost three hours getting highlights, no photos because that's not that interesting. By Saturday afternoon I was back in Little Rock because we were doing a Facebook live event at 3 pm with bees.

This is right after we did a 20-minute Facebook live about bees.

Here's a fun fact: If you have a swarm of bees at your house that just means that they are looking for a new home. If you do not want your home to be their next home, call your local county cooperative and they will come retrieve the hive for you and take them to someone who has a home for them.

The only reason I am not freaking out about holding these bees is: 

1. The protective jacket and hood. 

2. They have been given sugar water so they are HAPPY. 

Saturday night I had free tickets to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers and it was SUCH a good show! I always liked their song, but honestly didn't consider myself a huge fan, but after this show, I appreciate them so much more. We also had AMAZING free seats!

Now. If you remember back a few weeks ago where I got a $1,200 estimate to clean up my backyard I got another quote a week later for $125. So, obviously, I went with that one. The guys came on Sunday and you can see the difference.

Here are a few before photos...









AND THE AFTER: 







There is still a bit of work to do to make it pretty, but we are slowly getting there! 

How was your weekend?

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Starting Off To A SPARKLING 2017

Happy Tuesday morning 

AKA: The day I go back to the real world after a long holiday break. 

As I'm getting ready for work and doing my usual routine of watching Good Morning America, checking email in bed and mentally prepping myself for wearing real pants today, I thought I'd do a quick recap post of the weekend. 

BECAUSE IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. 

After a fun Christmas, we came back to Little Rock from my parent's house where I had one productive day then immediately got sick. Thinking it was a sinus infection I thought I could self-medicate but when I woke up Thursday morning and my entire body hurt, the first thing I did was call the doctor to get some meds. After sleeping Wednesday, Thursday, and half of Friday, I was well rested up for NYE night. 

The year is looking so bright Rich just can't wait to look forward to it. 

Anyone else's boyfriend like to 'make the photo funny' when you JUST WANT A CUTE PIC?

We went to a dive bar for NYE and it was the literal best. There was no judgment about what to wear or anything. It was so laid back and chill that it's probably one of my favorite NYE nights out. 

My friend Maggie and I planned out NYE out together with all of our separate friends to make one big super-friend group.

The candles were sparkles!

New Year's Day we slept it, had some fast food and then got ready for our New Year's Friend Dinner. Everyone brought something for New Year's good luck ... pork loin, black-eyed peas, long noodles and I made a chocolate cake. After we all ate we played Cards Against Humanity. 

It was a GREAT start to the new year. (Although I didn't, or haven't made any resolutions yet ... did anyone else??)

Wish me luck heading back into the real world today .... my pants are too tight and there's no afternoon nap planned.   

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Looking Back On 2016!

There's something about a new year that makes me very ... cheesy. It actually feels like a new start and a new beginning. Now, I know that 2016 is getting a REALLY bad rap from a lot of people, but life is what you make it ... and I believe I made my 2016 a really good year.

Here are just a few highlights of my favorite parts...

JANUARY

In January we went to New Orleans for a few days and had a GREAT time. It's one of my favorite trips that we've been on. I'm actually really ready to go back soon!

You can check out our trip and all the DELICIOUS FOOD details here.

FEBRUARY 

I thoroughly enjoyed a simple dinner of cocoa puffs. It's really the simplest things in life that I really appreciate the most. 

MARCH

In March I was able to mark something off my bucket list of legends... Billy Joel! It was an incredible show and we had great tickets. It was perfect! 

APRIL

In April we went to the Arkansas Derby and it was a blast. It was cold, and I wore the wrong dress to be warm, but it was worth it because I WON THE DERBY RACE! Read about it here. 

MAY

In May we had an impromptu date night that started out with wine on a patio on a gorgeous May night. Again, sometimes it's the smallest things that can lead to the best memories. 

JUNE

We went to St. Martin! You can read about the trip here.

I also turned 30 on the beach in St. Martin! It could't have been a more gorgeous day!

JULY

In July I got to see one of my FAVORITE bands again... Alabama Shakes! It was an incredible show. 

AUGUST

In August I got to see another legend that I have been obsessed with... DOLLY PARTON. It was really the year of music for me and seeing some incredible singers and performers. 

I mean. She wears a dress full of sequins. Goals. 

SEPTEMBER 

August and September were a bit stressful after bidding on houses, losing them, and the emotions that I felt with the ups and downs. I went to happy hour one afternoon and the bartender felt for my sorrows and gave me the HAPPIEST glass (the one on the right!!).  

Just a few days later I got the house I wanted back!! 

OCTOBER 

In October I bought my very first house! Of course, it was dramatic ... because I'm either simple or dramatic about things. There's not really a middle ground with me. And yes, there have been some dramatic issues since moving into the house ... the AC going out the weekend we moved in. The water heater going out RIGHT when it was freezing outside. But overall it's been great to live here! 

You can read about the related house drama here. 

NOVEMBER 

November was the month of settling into the new house, and hosting Thanksgiving with my family. It was probably one of my most favorite Thanksgivings. 

DECEMBER

December was a fun and busy month! With decorating for Christmas in the new house, hanging with friends, being incredibly stressed at work, it was nice to have a fun and easy Christmas with my family and with Rich's family. 

Cheers to 2016! You were exactly what I made it - easy, fun, difficult, dramatic, and memorable! 

Looking forward to 2017! 

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