tales of an american wedding planner in paris
Be sure to check out Laduree’s Christmas Gift Selection 2008 for beautiful holiday gifts from Paris. One of my favorites is their “Charms” gift box, which includes an assortment of macarons, chocolates and caramels, chicly presented in their signature pastel pink or green box.
And speaking of the holidays, don’t forget that you have until the end of the day tomorrow, Sunday December 14th, to enter the Parisian Party Holiday Giveaway. I’ll pick 2 winners on Monday.
You might recall that a few weeks ago I made a big deal about how it “never snows in Paris” (as a segue into some fabulous French Winter Wedding ideas…) Well, guess what happened yesterday? Yup! I had just come out of Bert’s at Alma Marceau and was sort of sleep-walking towards the metro, when big, fat snowflakes started drifting out of the sky, right in front of this amazing picture-postcard view of the Eiffel Tower. It was like I was standing inside of a snow globe! I tried to take a picture with my new-fangled euro-phone, but I still can’t figure out how to make the camera work. The moment was so magical, and so typical of living in Paris. Just when you’re convinced that you can’t take another second of the gray skies, the smog, the ca-ca, the crazy traffic or the grumpy faces, you stumble upon an “ordinary” scene that is so extraordinary (to a girl from Illinois/Iowa/Minnesota, etc.,) that it makes all the rest worth it. I guess I’ll stay… 
Finally seeing snow in Paris completely put me in a Christmas mood. I spent too many euros at the Grand Magasins today buying ornaments- I really couldn’t help myself! So in celebration of the holiday season, I’ve decided to have a Parisian Party Holiday Giveaway. I found a couple of these adorable “Paris Party Girl” Christmas tree ornaments and I couldn’t pass them up. They’re all decked out in fancy black and silver catsuits, sitting on sparkly silver globes that say, “I Love Paris“. Perfect, right?? They are ready to bring a bit of Paris bling to your Fête de Noël- all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog about your favorite Winter in Paris memory. Was it that time you went ice skating at Hotel de Ville? Or the first time that you saw the lights on the Champs Elysees? Share your stories by the end of the day this Sunday, December 14th. I will pick 2 winners randomly from all submissions and announce them on Monday, (Dec 15th), which should give these girls just enough time to arrive chez toi for the holiday festivities.
After nearly 8 years in Paris, I’m still not very clear on the whole metrics thing, but I’m fairly certain that 2°C means cold. No, it’s not Chicago cold, but it’s cold enough. Now, I learned very early on that the best cure for cold Parisian winters is to snuggle under the couverture with a hot French boy. In time, I’ve come to learn that the second best cure for cold Parisian winters is a warm mug of vin chaud. Vin Chaud (hot mulled wine) is quick and easy to make, tastes delicious and makes your house smell all Christmas-y while you’re preparing it. Plus, offering your guests a glass of vin chaud seems so much more chic than handing them another glass of eggnogg, don’t you think? Here is a simple recipe for your next holiday get-together:
Vin Chaud
Ingredients
Directions
