[ happy weekend! ]

TODAY I'M so happy - my guy is flying back from Dublin for the holidays and so I'm off to pick him up from the airport. I've been counting down the days and feeling like I'm 3, asking "how much longer?" Not long now! Hope your weekend is just as happy!

lisa

[ someone's having a birthday! ]

HAPPY birthday to my guy today! Still as cute as ever ;)

lisa

[ paris ]

I'VE BEEN sorting through my pics and thought I'd start off by showing you around the neighbourhood we stayed in. We chose the Latin Quarter in the 5th arrondissement, on the left bank of the Seine. It's a great neighbourhood with lots of cafés and little shops.

Our little boutique hotel was Hotel Henri IV on rue Saint Jacques...

the welcoming lobby had lovely rustic features and was beautifully decorated...

and while the rooms were a little small {like all Paris hotels}, it had everything we needed, including a super comfy bed, well sound-proofed rooms and a charming view out to the street...

Once we checked in, we started off with a sip of wine on a terrace around the corner. I didn't think anyone would be sitting on terraces in November, but they all had heat lamps to keep you toasty...

Here's a sample of what we saw around our neighbourhood...

As you can see from this small sample, it's a lovely area of Paris with plenty to see. My favourite thing was the Pont de L'Archeveche with all the love locks...

Couples come to Paris and put a love lock on the bridge and throw the key into the Seine as a symbol of their undying love...

And so of course we went searching for a lock and inscribed our names and the date on the back...

Now we'll have to come back to Paris to visit our lock!

Stay tuned for the next instalment ~ a peek at the big Paris flea market ~ Les Puces de Saint-Ouen.

lisa

[ a sigh of relief ]

JUST OVER a week ago we woke up to an email telling us that everything back home wasn't ok. Nothing can compare to that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you are overseas, worried and you just want to be with your family. After about 24 hours of travelling, we were finally back in our hometown and after a fairly stressful week, I'm so relieved to say that thanks to medical miracles and lots of prayers, it looks like everything is going to be ok.

Thanks so much for all of your loving comments and emails - your thoughts and prayers have meant so much to me and I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful friends like you.... And if you have parents living nearby, give them a big hug today.

lisa

[ the unexpected ]

I'LL BE TAKING a little break while we attend to a family matter. It's times like these when it's hard to be so far from home. See you soon.

lisa

[ sending love ]

THIS WEEKEND I just want to send out some love...

To all of you...
for taking the time to stop by and leaving such sweet comments ~ I love you!


To my guy...
for celebrating the anniversary of our first date in high school ~ I love you!


To my sister and her lovely family...
for their loss and grief ~ I love you so much and wish I could be there with you.

lisa

[ i love paul ]

PAUL AND I first met back in 2001 in Lyon, France. After a day of touring Lyon and trying to find which tiny street the car was parked on, Paul appeared around the corner. It was love at first sight.

Paul smelled so good and ahhh... those buns! I knew this was a love affair that would last a lifetime. We met again in Paris years later and I was still feeling the love. Little did I know that I would find Paul again in Dubai.

Not only does Paul still have the buns I love, in Dubai, Paul locations include a restaurant with a great menu of salads, sandwiches, hot gratins and amazing desserts. A stop at Paul is like an afternoon in France, minus the airfare.

Paul has become my favourite lunch spot and I'm anxious for Ramadan to be over so that it will open up again during the day.

a basket of crusty buns and breads...

paired with a lovely salad...

finished off with a delicious latté or cappuccino...

But the best part? Choosing what to bring home to continue the love well into the night...

perhaps a tart or pastry...

some little biscuit cakes for coffee...

or some french bread...

So what normally comes home with me?

a tarte aux framboises of course!

Mmmm....
So have you fallen in love with Paul yet?

lisa

[ big sights, big sounds ]

NO TRIP to NY would be complete without taking in a show on Broadway but choosing is the hardest part! For our first night we decided on Promises Promises with Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes and it was a great choice - so funny and the music and dancing were amazing!

But the highlight of our trip was seeing Harry Connick Jr. in concert which my sweetie had arranged as part of our anniversary celebrations. It was an amazing show being right up front and while he's a great romantic crooner, the second half of the show was like being at a big New Orleans party with lots of big jazz sound and plenty of bootie shaking! Definitely worth every penny for such great seats!

And it was great to see him after the show and have him sign my Playbill as an extra special memento of our trip! Definitely a night to remember! I heart NY!

lisa