Montmartre-top 3

So it's been quite a while since my trip to France, and there's still a lot to share.

You may remember i had a top three for Paris. Number 1 was seeing the Eiffel Tower in its full glory, and waiting til nighttime to see it shimmer. Number 2 was climbing to the top of Notre Dame and taking awesome pictures amongst the gargoyles. Number 3 is Montmarte, a hilltop district accessible via a funicular ride which drops you at the base of Sacre Coeur. If you've ever watched Amelie, this is where the movie takes place.



Rick Steve's recommended restaurant, and my own personal fondue. French fondue people!

The artist square, with people selling art work of the city and caricatures. I almost bought one that showed 2 cats gazing at the Eiffel Tower, but i was holding off for something else.

Is this not the sweetest street? This is the very reason i loved it here, it was very quaint and authentic, once you ventured past the souvenir shops on the way up and actually walked around past Sacre Coeur, which you can see peeking out above the homes.

The restaurant where so many scenes from Amelie take place.


The tiniest little creperie, just that little stall.

 

 

Montmartre's roots in art still linger, like this neat sculpture that shows a man emerging from a wall.

Ah, the Moulin Rouge. At the base of the district, after returning down from the hilltop, it gets a little seedy. And this is where the Moulin Rouge is.

This picture taken from Notre Dame shows how much higher Montmartre is from the rest of Paris, and location relative to the city center. Even though it seemed far out, this also proved to me how large and how small Paris is.

Have you ever been to Montmartre? On a side note, i visited a fashion blog thru a link party b/c the blogger was standing in the middle of a curved street, and i thought i bet that's Montmartre. It was! Am i good or what?!

You can find me all sorts of here: Molly, Coastal Charm, BNOTP, Keeping it Simple, DIY Showoff, Elizabeth & Co. , Stories A-Z, Sugar Bee Crafts, A Stroll Thru Life, Kim Six, Stone Gable, Domestically Speaking, Shanna, Blissful Bee, Savvy Southern Style, Handy Man, Houseologie, Charm of Home, No Minimalist Here, My Romantic Home, Somewhat Simple, Mustard Seed, Just us 4, Wetherills Say i Do, Shabby Nest, My Repurposed Life, Craftberry Bush, French Country Cottage, Chic on Shoestring, LollyJane, Overflowing, House by Hoff, shaken together, Garay Treasures  Thrifty Decor Chick

Recycled brick patio

The patio project is completed!  Weekends have gone by where i didn't have to help the boyfriend move the table and chairs in order to mow the lawn!  Dinner has been enjoyed outside without swatting bugs away from my face or my food!  Legs and feet, no longer in the grass, remained bug and itch free! 

Patios are the shit, yo.
 

 Like most things in my household, the project isn't yet 100% complete.  The yard needs to be graded, adding dirt around the sides of the brick so there isn't a step down, i clearly want to style this and can't wait to add the rug i bought, bring in more plants, put the swing out on the frame, etc.  But-it's totally at the stage where one can enjoy it!

 
My plan was always to add a rug, because truly i didn't want more brick.  The house itself is brick, and i thought it would be overload.  But it really isn't, since the sunroom is stucco and takes up most of the back of the house.  And since the brick was given to us for free, it didn't make sense to use another material. 



My darling and i did this nice border, the herringbone inside, these fancy little corners...and now i'm going to lay a rug over all this hard work.  I feel guilty, but he knew that going into this project and a rug will modernize this space. 

So now you might be wondering how we keep this tent structure from blowing away in the wind. When it was on grass, we didn't use the yard stakes that came with it, we came up with a more secure idea.  And while the structure stays up year round, the canvas is always put away.

And this is how.  This is 10 inch long galvanized steel piping that is sheathed by the poles of the tent structure, making it sturdier and more secure. We cut it in half, to make 2 pipes, each 5 feet long.  They are bolted to the ground with a stainless steel bolt and stainless steel locknut. So my darling tells me.

We drilled the holes in the patio (crossing our fingers it wouldn't shatter the brick)...
 

We then used the mallet to pound the steel pipe two feet into the ground/brick to solidify the structure so it isn't at the whim of the wind.  The remaining 3 feet is above ground and comes to about halfway up the gazebo once it's fully built.

It is imperative that the pipe go into the ground straight in order for it all to fit properly and for the structure to come together.  These magnetic mini levels are perfect for the job (and so cute, too.  Seriously, i was amazed at how smart this is allowing you to be hands free).

Then you just put your structure over the piping, and lift the top part of the gazebo up and attach it to the bottom which is securely in the ground with the interior piping.  The two pieces then clip together about halfway up. S tells me this thing isn't going anyway.  He likes to demonstrate this by taking hold of it and vigorously shaking it, making his own severe weather pattern.

Voila.

The white caps at the base of each pole secure the canvas so the pieces aren't flapping about, and the caps themselves are attached to the brick by being between the sleeved pipe and the pole. Then there's a clip to the canvas and a clip to rod.

So to recap, the bricks that have lived on the other side of the garage have now been replaced with the grass we dug up to make room for the patio.  Green space is always much nicer, and i'm sure our neighbors enjoy this more than a pile of brick.

The garage wall herb garden is out of hand in a good way.

And we got a fabulous new patio to enjoy.

Go forth and enjoy your outdoor space!  Is anyone else not getting as bitten up this year by mosquitoes? We enjoyed the patio yesterday without the netting, and it was totally fine.

sharing is caring:  living savvy outdoor extravaganza, thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery, places i've been @ the tablescaper,  travel photo thursdays@ budget travelers sandbox , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House , inspire me mondays and power of paint @ domestically speaking, Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,   home stories a-z, show and sharev@ Coastal Charm, be inspired & garden party @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable, the makers @ persia lou,  inspire me tues, 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, 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, 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,  lump it or link it @ delineate your dwelling,pinterest party @ just us four, homecoming.

Views from Notre Dame-top 3

It's impossible to answer with just one thing when people ask what was my favorite part of our Paris vacation. And so, like any list maker, i have settled on a top 3. My previous post on the Eiffel Tower and its gorgeous night views from a small park below is definitely number 1. Number 2 of my favorite things and something not to be missed was climbing the 400 spiral stairs to the top of Notre Dame on a clear day. The views were amazing, the gargoyles were a real treat to see up close, and you came away with the feeling of how accessible Paris is. It's a big city that felt small-to be able to point out Sacre Couer in Montmartre, and see the relation to where the Eiffel Tower was-I can see how this is a walkable city. Also, you didn't really think there'd only be one post about France, did you?  No no no, my friends. No no no.

So going into the church itself is free (get there early, there will be a line), but to climb the towers there is a fee and also a line. Because there isn't a lot of room at the lookout areas, and you're going up small winding steps, they limit the amount of people going in at one time which creates the line.  First you climb to the level with the gargoyles, which is underneath the very tall arched windows at the top.  Then you climb to the towers at the very very top, that you can barely make out from this angle and didn't know were up there until we came out of them.

At an art show, i bought a photo taken at this exact spot, with that exact gargoyle looking out onto the Eiffel tower.  You have no idea how badly i have wanted to recreate that shot myself and this is why one schlepps a DSLR around, even a basic one.

 On the bottom right, at the tip, is the Deportation Memorial honoring and remembering the 200,000 French citizens who were sent to concentration camps during WWII.  As a Jewish person, i seek out my culture in our travels, so in addition to the Deportation Memorial we also went to the Jewish Quarter and the Holocaust Museum in Paris, where they have files of all the Jews who were living in France during that time. This is huge, because for many years the French refuted that those files even existed.

The Sacre Couer basilica, in Montmartre (which was such an adorable place, it rounds out the top 3).

Paris rooftops and the Eiffel Tower. 

Once we were back at street level, we walked around behind it to see the spires and the flying buttresses, those pieces that fan out.  To me those were more impressive than the front and even more impressive from above.


And at sunset.

And the blue hour.


I know many of you shared with me that you went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe or the Eiffel Tower, but has anyone gone to the top of Notre Dame? It is definitely a do not miss.

sharing is caring:  living savvy outdoor extravaganza, thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery, places i've been @ the tablescaper,  travel photo thursdays@ budget travelers sandbox , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, inspire me mondays and power of paint @ domestically speaking, Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama  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, 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, 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,   sunday soiree @ craftomaniac

Go Big or Go Home garage wall

Usually the thought of how much flowers actually cost every year aggravates me. And so usually i get the cheapies, and then impatiently wait for them to grow in, and get mad at myself for having gone the cheap route.  This year, i told the boyfriend it was Go Big or Go Home for the pots on the wall, and i loooove the instant gratification of these zinnias all colorful and large, like they've been growing there for some time. 

I never liked the wrought iron scrolls that were on either side of the window, (remember when we de-scrolled the railings?) but needed something that took up a lot of space and helped with the whole "i'm staring at a cinder block wall of ugliness" since the boyfriend refuses to paint it and yet we do nothing about stucco except lament the cost.  These herb planters were a clearance find at the end of last summer, take up a lot of visual space, and modernize the wall as only geometrics can.

 And i'm excited about my basil.  Yeah, i got a lot of basil.  I got confused-i couldn't find lettuce, which i wanted for the window box, and i was in a rush.  So i got 2 different kinds of basil. Times two.  I am leaving the top 2 boxes empty because i can't reach to water them, so they're for decorative purposes only.  #shortgirlproblems.

I'm never sure what colors to go with for my annuals-do they all need to be the same color? Does that look too monochromatic or nicely cohesive? Is that boring or pleasing? My neurotic nature of second guessing loved the colorful blooms all in one plant.  Since i knew i was using the big black wall squares, i repainted the terracotta pots from lively spring green to the darkest free sample i could find, which is Valspar's English Tea Party. 

Here's the ol' cape from the font.  Nothing is in bloom yet, so right now it's lush and green.

 Except this.  What is this, and how did it get here?  Is it hydrangea?  Lilac?

It's pretty, but we'll have to move it to a less crowded spot.

We started work on the patio, since we have tons of free brick and figure we should put them to good use.  I don't really want more brick, but i'd rather not have to move the table and chairs to mow the lawn like we've been doing for years.  Plus, i can finally get a pretty outdoor rug.  The only problem is my neighbor's fence.  It's wonky. 

Perhaps this helps you understand.  For us to make the patio straight, it creates a weird triangle that is not ours, but is not being claimed by then.  We have looked at the property lines and have no idea why they made their fence like this. You can see the white stakes, marking the straight line.

You can sorta make out the string line which marks where the patio will go, and you can see how the fence narrows where our trash cans are.  This stressed my perfectionist darling out and he had a tough time figuring out how to make the patio look right for us and work somehow with the fence.

It took him 1.5 hours to dig out that grass on his own, but when i "helped" last night we got the rest of that half done in a half hour.  Which is interesting, as my "help" was handing him different shovels and loading the lighter pieces of sod into the wheelbarrow, but it clearly made a difference.

Mostly, though, i just took pictures.

What are you all planting this year?  Do you do a color scheme?  Did you know you were reading the blog of a neurotic person?  I think you actually might have known that already.

sharing is caring:  living savvy outdoor extravaganza, thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery, places i've been @ the tablescaper,  travel photo thursdays@ budget travelers sandbox , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, inspire me mondays and power of paint @ domestically speaking, Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama  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, 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, 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,   sunday soiree @ craftomaniac