Movie Night (maybe with a box of tissues)

Midnight in Paris: romantic comedy set in Paris and directed by Woody Allen...



I'm already planning to rent it just to see the sights of Paris and reminisce (and probably cry)...I can't believe my year here is almost up. 2 months left. it's ridiculous.

Paris Pastries- 18eme

Berko
31, rue lepic, 75018, 18th Arrondissement, Paris, France
www.berko.fr

This adorable cupcake shop is in one of my favorite areas of Paris, Montmartre. As the highest point in Paris, Montmartre has beautiful views of the city and is known for the famous artists who painted here such as Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh. The steep and narrow cobblestone streets, artists, musicians, and gardens give it so much character and village-like charm!

Besides how ridiculously cute these mini cupcakes were, they were even more ridiculously delicious! The cake was so unbelievably moist and the buttercream frosting was another example of how serious France is about butter!

With over 35 flavors...it was so hard to choose!

Praliné coeur de Nutella

Red Velvet and Cream Cheese frosting

Pistachio

Banofee
(Banana, Toffee, and nuts)

Banana in the center...mmmmm

I can't wait till next week! Good thing I got some Reese's peanut butter eggs for Easter from my dear friend Sarah from the States to hold me over until then :)

home sweet home

Lyon was wonderful...such a lovely place! But I must say, I'm exhausted and so happy to be back in Paris. I really never thought this crazy city would feel so familiar and be a place I call "home".
So...in honor of the great city of lights, watch this amazing video--composed completely of photographs!...and also with music from one of my new favorite bands, The XX

Le Flâneur (music by The XX) from Luke Shepard on Vimeo.

Paris Pastries- 17eme

Boulangerie Patisserie Alsacienne R Maeder
158 Boulevard Berthier
17th Arrondissement

The patisserie we had planned on going to wasn't open, but my disappointment didn't last long when we picked our pastries, sat in a cute little park in the middle of Place du Maréchal Juin, and bit into these sweet treats...

Macaron Framboise
(Lauren's choice)
man, do the french know how to master these cookies or what?!
It's amazing how exact they can get the flavoring...I wanted the creamy raspberry taste to stay in my mouth all day!

I forget the name for this one (Jen's choice),
but it was a Café Caramel mound of creaminess with a crumbly crust.
D-LISH!

Millefeuille Framboise

(My choice)
Can you see why it's called a"thousand-leaf" pastry??
crispy, buttery layers of puff pastry
sweet raspberry jam
fluffy, sweet cream
fresh, tart raspberries
*magnifique!!*
Even with the many layers, this was a pretty light pastry (which means it doesn't have as many calories, right?)

Unfortunately, we have to put our "pastries by arrondissement tour" on pause for two weeks while we're out of town...but check back because I'm sure I'll have some fun photos from Lyon and Budapest!! (I hear the pastries in Budapest are fabulous...can't wait!)



p.s. anyone know what that cafe/caramel pastry is called??

Paris Pastries- 16eme

Pastries are without a doubt one of my favorite things about living in Paris. You can't walk anywhere without being tempted by the smell of fresh french bread baking, or the beautiful window displays of pastries that look like art...it's wonderful!

Window after window they all scream “treat yourself!”...and so, I do! However, since I haven't found the secret to how french people stay so skinny...my roommates and I have come up with a brilliant plan to treat ourselves once a week.

In efforts to kill two birds (or 3 in this case) with one stone, we've planned out a way to incorporate visiting every arrondissement (20 of them), walking, and pastries! Each Wednesday afternoon we meet up and visit a recommended Patisserie, split the recommended pastry (and a few others, of course), and walk to a nearby park or fun street to explore.

I look forward to it every week! Here's where we went today:

Lenôtre in the 16th arrondissment
this is a pretty fancy-shmancy area near the Arc de Triomphe. Walking into this patisserie was like walking into a jewelry store with perfectly displayed pieces of merchandise.
There was even a party platter of chocolate for € 853...that's $1,204...oh lala!

Macaron: Caramel au beurre salee
this little piece of heaven was gratuit thanks to Jen, the best woo-er I know.
It's amazing how you can taste caramel, butter, and salt individually and so powerfully in one bite! These things are magic!

Brioche de Menton
this was the recommended pastry
The top tasted like it had powdered sugar melted on top that formed a kind of sticky, but crispy texture which was the best part.
It was filled with grapefruit, lemon zest, orange, and almond.

Bun à l'orange
this was like a sweet roll with bits of orange.
a delicious, light treat!

Brostock aux Amandes
*This was our favorite. It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside but not too heavy.
mmmm!
The almond taste was so fresh!

Check back next week to see what we find in the 17th!

Whiter than Snow

This book is like the awful tasting medicine you had to swallow as a child when you had a fever...but as we know, it helped us get better...so end the end we were thankful for it. Or maybe you were stubborn (like me) and it took many years for you to realize that the awful taste was worth it.

Anyway, enough with the analogy...

My roommate introduced this devotional book to me a few months ago and I found myself hooked. I basically stole it for a few weeks before I eventually bought my own.

It's a series of meditations on sin and mercy as the author goes verse by verse through Psalm 51 when David confesses his sin to the Lord and pleads for mercy.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Each time I open this book I'm reminded and deeply convicted by my sin (awful taste), but also reminded and deeply moved by the mercy, love, and hope that God faithfully gives me (thankfulness). Because I am freely given what I'm in desperate need for, I'm compelled to repent of my sin and put God back on the thrown of my life.

Here's a quote from the first devotional:

“...when I come to the Lord after I've blown it, I've only one argument to make. It's not the argument of the difficulty of the environment that I am in. It's not the argument of the difficult people that I'm near. It's not the argument of the good intentions that were thwarted in some way. No, I have only one argument. It's right there in the first verse of Psalm 51, as David confesses his sin with Bathsheba. I come to the Lord with only one appeal, his mercy.”

a splash of color

Paris is quite a paradoxical city...with all the gray everywhere in this city, there are so many fun pops of color. The flowers, the doors, the random paintings on sides of buildings...it's what brings me joy as I walk the streets of Paris...























for more colors of Paris...check out this fun site: Little Brown Pen
I read this woman's blog and I love how she captures the simple beauty of Paris in her pictures, and she's pretty funny too!

ciao mes amis