Will i love Paris in the springtime?

Friends, my annual vacation is coming up and we are not far off from leaving on a jet plane for France.  More specifically, to Paris for a week and then renting a car and exploring Normandy and down to Mont Saint-Michel for another week. I hope to sample random wines (and ciders, Normandy is known for hard ciders) and cheese, and lose ourselves both walking along the Paris streets and driving on the coast. 

As much as i try and refrain from shopping before vacation-who am i kidding-in my head i'm refraining, but the rest of me is flicking through the (clearance) racks looking for the perfect clothes to bring (and that the boyfriend won't notice as new).  For Alaska, there were new boots.  For Hawaii or Aruba, how can one not get sun dress happy?  And for France, it's stripes and neutrals.

 

 Everything was on sale or clearance, and have a lot of mix and match potential.  Any Tom's fans out there?  I got these for this trip-do you think they will be comfy enough for all day sightseeing? Also, there will be pants.  There were just none newly purchased to show you.  But rest assured there will be pants.

I'm trying to get a little dressier with my every day clothes, especially for this trip, so i'm jumping on the blazer bandwagon and pairing them with a more casual shirt.  Blazer to me always meant interview, or stuffy, or constricting.  Happily this one is in sweatshirt material.  Hello little polka dot lining, could you be any cuter?

Also, this.  France made of cheese and bread. 

Now please excuse me while i re-watch Amelie and Midnight in Paris in hopes of absorbing the language by osmosis!

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Because there's a spring vignette party

and i want to go.  Therefore, my flat surfaces got photographed.  And blogged about. 

The itching for the greens, that's what spring does to me.

 It does not escape me that any and all vignettes really are just piles of books topped with objects d'art or plants.  Or plants and art.

And that said piles of books are pretty much about travel.

You may consider that photo a sneak peak of a project that i am super stoked about. Can you tell what it is/where it is?

Greens.  Check.

 Close up of the airplant-this guy is the original, his little friend has already been replaced once.  Apparently even though they aren't rooting to anything, one can't simply snip them back for aesthetic purposes.  Whoopsy.

I mean, of corks the dining room got some succulents, why ever not?  You see what i did there?  Of corks.

Mmmkay...

And you can consider this sneak peak number 2, also of which i am majorly stoked.  So yeah, there's been some stuff happening in the ol' cape. 

Also happening...France.  I am in panic/anxiety mode instead of excited mode, as per usual when i travel.  There will be a fashion post (natch, it's Paris, oui?) but any and all tips pertaining to anything are welcomed.  Rick Steve's (travel guru) has this nugget of wisdom-"Try to nasalize the n sound."  First i need to figure out how one nasalizes anything.  If you need me, i will be trying to make an n come out of my nose....

sharing is caring:swing into spring @ worthing court,  Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, power of paint @ domestically speaking,  Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama ,Craftomaniac,  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  give me the goods @ rain on a tin roof, home stories a-z, the makers @ persia lou, the scoop @ worthing court,  nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee,  whimsy wednesday, under 100 @ beyond the picket fence,  wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts,  charm of home, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple, open house @ no minimalist here, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, tickled pink @ 504 main,  Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,creative connection @ making home base,  inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, thrifty things fri @ the thrifty groove,  overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper, twirl and take a bow @ house on the way, catch as catch can @ my repurposed life

Such a little thing, such a little thing

But the difference it made was grave. 

You may remember my kitchen is a dark, dark place that has had few updates. Those updates were meant to brighten and sleekify. Sleekify meaning to modernize and generally improve the space until we actually "do" the kitchen, and even then it isn't going to be a complete overhaul. This means to me, then, that even the slightest improvement will have a big impact.

So for about two years we've been sitting on this kick ass faucet that we got at a tiny kitchen and bath store that was going out of business. And if you've ever gone to a sale like that, you know people aren't messing around and needless to say most pieces were gone.  But i spied a faucet i had only ever dreamed of owning since these things cost a pretty penny.  Problem was this piece was a display piece, not for sale-do you know that means it's not a usable piece?  The faucet was only the pretty parts, not the parts that one needs for use, like tubing and connectory...things.  And usually they are not for sale for this reason. 

I'm sure you know where this is going.  We bought the faucet and were told we could contact the company who would send us parts, which we might have to pay for.  Only we didn't have to pay for them, they sent them for nothing.

Kitchen Faucets by Other Metro elkayusa.com

It's the Elkay Arezzo faucet, priced at 375, on sale from 578, also on houzz for same price of 578.

Now here's the part where i get giddy over the fact that this gorgeousness now lives in my home for only sixty dollars.  Yes, sixty.  60. 6, and then a 0.  And then a...nothing. 

 Let's actually change this from "lives in my home" (as it was for 2 years, wrapped up in towels and waiting to be installed) and actually say "installed and ready for use".

Little things exciting me in this picture-Filtrete water system, push button garbage disposal...

 












 happy little rug.

Speaking of little kitchen contents, i can't stop buying have enhanced the milk glass open shelving by a few pieces.

And that is all.  

What little thing is making a big impact for you these days?  Faucet?  Decor? Infant child?

sharing is caring: Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, power of paint @ domestically speaking,  Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama Craftomaniac,  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  give me the goods @ rain on a tin roof, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts,  charm of home,  open house @ no minimalist here, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,creative connection @ making home base,  inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, thrifty things fri @ the thrifty groove,  overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper,   a round tuit,

Dos Kitties

This cat is hilarious. She reminds of those Dos Equis commercials, so this seemed only fitting. Enjoy.

I call her my little snow tiger, not only because she's striped and grey, but because she is a wild maniac.  A full on stalker, slinker, and predator in the guise of a tiny headed innocent looking kitten.  She bites, she hisses, she attacks my poor other cat, Sunday.  She doesn't jump, like most cats.  Instead she attaches and scratches.  Pity the fool who is oh, i don't know, innocently washing dishes, and this little beast attaches itself to you from behind.  Let me tell you, it is 1) startling and 2) painful.  She'll start at the legs, and walk her way up your back, digging her nails in, then detach as quickly as she attached, leaving you perplexed and in pain. 

But, you know, look how cute she is. 

Just an aside-that wool carpet isn't dirty, it's just leaving its wool business everywhere. And there's also many parts where Sunday has unlooped the looped weaves....love that she's so interested in scratching it, and not this device here for that purpose....and that disgusting tea bag toy is Sunday's favorite thing.  So as gross as it looks, i can't throw it out.  You know how it is.

What would these captions say if these were your pets?