We'll Always Have Paris

Even though I have no plans for a trip to Paris at the moment (although a trip to the west coast, friends, and Disneyland may be in my future), I do crave this book.

It is a fabulous tour book, based on movies filmed in Paris! So you can eat at the cafe in Sabrina, stroll past buildings seen in The Bourne Identity, Charade, and The Devil Wears Prada, and explore little known areas in the City of Lights. I'm enchanted, and I may pick this up just to see the city through the lenses of famous directors.

And another fun project - for when I'm NOT working 7 days a week...

Making your own flower brooch

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources...

...but I can't help sharing!

I've fallen in love with Design Sponge, a blog that helps alleviate my boredom and inspires me to put a little more color and creativity into my apartment. And if I ever find free time (...what's that?) I may actually attempt some of these projects.

The first is a fun project to turn old botanical prints into more modern prints.

The second turns antique keys into art. I've seen this in a lot of design stores, blogs, etc. I admit, I've never collected old keys, although they are somehow inherently fascinating. What does this open? What does it lead to? A physical manifestation of Aladdin's "open sesame," if you will.

Adventures in Wonderland (aka DC)

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat
How I wonder what you’re at!
Up above the world you fly
Like a tea-tray in the sky.

I realized that I have neglected to include the teensy-weensy, itty-bitty detail that I have moved to DC!

How could this be, you might wonder? Probably because I've been so busy running around like a chicken with its head...well you know. Needless to say, I have settled into my life as a DC-er quite nicely, finding (two!) jobs, and lots-o-friends. I always thought I would never move here, or become a city girl (and I still don't think anyone really considers me a city girl, even though I commute into DC, have memorized parts of the bus and metro systems, and was once even asked for directions to Metro Center), but I find that I like being able to see the National Monuments as I go to work each morning. Its little details like that that make you realize you live in a city unlike any other.

So here are a few highlights of my sojourn in DC:

Made friends with a red panda at the National Zoo -


Witnessed the Battle of Cedar Creek -


And marveled at a cloud in the Corcoran Gallery of Art -



Here's hoping for many more exciting episodes of Lilly's Adventures in DC Wonderland!