Sports and Sunshine

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Hi! It’s been quite some time—I know! I’ve been such a blogging failure. We recently returned from an extremely fun trip to California, so there were lots of opportunities for photos! Hopefully, you don’t mind getting snapshots of our favorite moments over the next few days. We left after work and went as far as Vegas (our normal pitstop). Although we’ve driven all the way to California in one day, we definitely prefer stopping for a bit of pool time and of course, Grimaldi’s! It makes the arrival in California substantially more exciting when you’re not fighting to stay awake or recovering from stiff legs and tired eyes.

As usual, when our delicious pepperoni and mushroom pizza arrived, the conversation ceased immediately and we got down to business. We definitely didn’t even realize that we stop speaking for about five solid minutes as we get through our first pieces! We sure to love Grimaldi’s! We wanted to get a good night’s sleep in order to leave early the next morning, so we were kind of Vegas losers. We fell asleep around 10. I’m pretty sure that makes us official adults.

We stopped in Baker at The Mad Greek, which is such a fun sight in the middle of the desert. I was completely taken with the colors of the building. So simple and clean (love). It was a marvelous photo subject. The next hour or so of driving was filled with impersonations, karaoke and travel anecdotes. If you want a good laugh, find my husband and request an impersonation of anyone. The man is hilarious.

Our arrival in Orange County couldn’t have come sooner for little B. We drove directly to the nearest dog beach and just let her run! She was such a champ in the car and she deserved the hour of splashing and digging (don’t worry – we refilled the holes as we were leaving!). We were pretty worried about how she’d handle the ocean and sand—her first encounter at 2 months old was filled with whining and diving into my purse. We were so proud! She definitely loved it. Her happy disposition was just a preview of all the fun that was to come! We can’t wait to share. Stay tuned!

If you want to see what we did, check it out on Instagram: @rachealjade.

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Paris: The Very Best Patisseries

Equally as important as Parisian fashion, art and architecture are the impeccable patisseries. I feel like the perfect trip would include a day devoted to bouncing through the city on a severe sugar high. So…in an effort to enhance any Parisian holiday, I present my favorite patisseries! This list is obviously not complete–I haven’t met a patisserie I haven’t enjoyed, but these are certainly not to be missed.

Hugo & Victor
40 Boulevard Raspail 75007 Paris
7 rue Gomboust 75001 Paris

La Patisserie des Réves
93 Rue du Bac, 75007, Paris
111 Rue du Longchamp, 75016, Paris

Ladurée
75 Avenue des Champs Élysées, 75008, Paris
16 Rue Royale, 75008, Paris (Favorite location!)

Lenôtre
48 avenue Victor Hugo, 75116, Paris
36 avenue de la Motte Picquet, 75007, Paris

Buy the jam. Love it. Devote lots of suitcase space to take it home.

Angelina
226 rue de Rivoli, 75001, Paris

Try the hot chocolate–it’s a life changing experience!

(Images from HipParis)

Happy Travels! Or perhaps Bon voyage is more appropriate?

Rome: That’s Amore

Pasta photos courtesy of thats-amore.it

The Rome portion of our trip was actually quite quick–we were only there for two whole days. Our lunches were usually dictated by our location in the city, but dinners were special. We loved this little find because of its location and of course, the menu. It’s literally steps away from the Trevi Fountain and was truly a pleasant dining experience. It was the perfect end to very busy days. Fun fact: the chef offers “Fabiolous Cooking Days,” which even include visiting local markets to purchase ingredients!