~A change of plans~

Our plans changed drastically Friday evening.  We had planned to ‘party-hop’, starting off at our friend’s house for ‘Boys night out’ I’m hell bent on becoming the queen of  darts. Then we were heading off to our neighbors and good friends for an 80’s themed birthday party.

We had fun costumes planned, I was watching what I ate and working out like a crazy person and was able to squeeze and I mean BARELY squeeze into a gold sequin dress I wore in my mid 20’s before I had kids..its one of my husband’s favorite dresses ( I have no idea why) and I was so psyched to wear it again.  It was perfectly tacky, fun, 80’s, club-hopping, big hair Jersey girl rockin dress.( where we live is the absolute opposite of the ‘Jersey Girl/housewives of New Jersey” stereotype that many people identify NJ with.  This part of NJ is very refined beautiful horse country, with mountains and farmland and old markets and antique shops..it is very lovely.  When I was a young girl  living in  upstate NY/Vermont area I had always thought of Bon Jovi and big hair when I thought of Jersey, of course there is plenty of that to be found in parts of Jersey and that can be interesting too.  Then the Sopranos came around and really started to damage the reputation of our beautiful Garden State even more.  Anyway I am getting off the subject here.   My mother in law was on her way up to babysit my younger sons but as I arrived at Oliver’s nursery school the teacher said he was complaining of low pain on the right hand side ( before I go any further, He is Fine!!) . This had been going on for three days but his doctor said he was fine and it did not appear to be his appendix.  He was screaming in pain and crying, I was not able to even buckle him in his car seat because it hurt so bad.  Our pediatrician is 30 minutes away as is the hospital where they work.  I went to the small hospital about 10-15 minutes form our home and Ollie’s school where we spent the next 5 hours doing tests, blood work, X Rays and plenty of waiting.  The drive there was hell, I flew but as safely as possible with my hazards on, my husband left work and picked the other boys up, there is not a bus available for them and they would have been stuck there for hours.  The Dr’s don’t feel it is his appendix, They told me he had “A lot of gas and a lot of crap, that he is full of s***” .  I kid you not, that’s what the Dr. said to me!!!  The Doctor/surgeon was so nice and he could see how scared I was and he truly was trying to make me laugh and to reassure me my son was fine.  Gas pains in a little boy can be every bit as painful as appendicitis  and because it was on his right side we were all worried.   Thankfully he did not need surgery,  if it were his appendix he would have  to been taken to another hospital because he has Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome, which is a malfunction in the way some wires are connected to his heart, this was discovered at birth.  It is typically never ever picked up until the child is often a teen so we are very fortunate that they found this out the day he was born.  It has never been an issue, I worry but Oliver does not need medication and has no physical limits in school or home.  At this time there is no evidence of this  in any way shape or form…Knock on wood!!.  But if he ever needs surgery he must be at a hospital with a team of cardiatric pediatricians and we have to avoid all stimulate medications etc.  We returned home thanking God up and down that Oliver was feeling better and was hungry for pizza and donuts!!!  After 5 hours of testing I told him he could have anything he wanted

He is happy as can be now and I managed to make it through the ordeal without a full-blown panic attack as hospitals bring back a lot of horrific memories for me and the last thing any mother wants is to have her child in one.

I didn’t spend the evening in my crazy hot Jersey Girl dress but I will be spending the weekend at home with my family in a warm loving environment.

I’ll use this time to play games with him ( as I write this is he sleeping like a baby) and get out my Christmas binder and folders and then work on my Thanksgiving menu and plans a little more.  We are having Thanksgiving here at The Paris House and I am so excited, it is one of my favorite meals to prepare each year and we have some wonderful guests and family joining us.

{ All images are from The Paris House Designs.  The Red Maple Tree is in our garden and was actually glowing against the Jet black evening sky last week.  The old broom and hat belonged to my grandfather Sabatine, I can still picture him wearing that hat and sweeping his back porch.  My grandfather was such a sweet and wonderful man.  I miss my grandparents everyday of my life. }

~How to Create Comfort and Joy~

I love making anything Gingerbread..from cookies, to cakes and the annual Gingerbread House we make.  We plan to start it tomorrow.  Each year I insist I’m not making it and then my kids seem so disappointed that I do it anyway, its time consuming but if all goes well, relaxing, well its relaxing when its over LOL!!!.  I have been making it prior to Thanksgiving each year now,  I have more time then and feel less stressed and rushed..I’m thinking this weekend will be a lovely time to do this together with my family. We will fill our home with delicioussness. The boys love eating all the leftover scraps.

About ten years ago when my son Teddy was 3 years old I had made the gingerbread house, it took about three days to complete, I only had time to work on it a little bit each day.   We were having the Historical Society bring about 1,000 people through our home, it had just won an award and I wanted everything just so…after all I own a design business!! My husband and I went out to dinner and when we got back there was the cutest little hole in the back of the house where Teddy took a little piece. The next day the entire house fell down.  We still laugh about that, he is so much like me…very mishevious!!  When he was little he always had chocolate covered hands and a chocolate covered face all the time and he would put chocolate handprints all the way up the walls on our staircase. It took me years to let someone paint over them, every time I passed by them it warmed my heart, I just took company up another staircase and no one saw it but us…I know it may not sound too adorable but it was.

~setting the scene~

After I make the gingerbread house we can have our weekly Sunday Supper in our 200 year old dining room. Last week it was a lemon and herb butter stuffed organic chicken, corn pudding drizzled with Vermont maple syrup, wine gravy,  roasted sweet potatoes and an apple tart with homemade lavender ice cream. This week my husband asked me to make a chorizo mussel saffron dish.  It is easy to prepare and only takes minutes to cook but tastes like it was much more invloved.  Perfect on a day when I’ll be busy making a gingerbread house!!  For me its all about the planning! I can’t do it all at once so I have  to plan. Our dining room is filled with French antique tapestry window treatments, antique furniture and chandeliers we found in a Parisian manor house and some glamourous modern pieces that blend in beautifully.   

{ I named my company The Paris House about 20 years ago because I always wanted to live in a stone house on the outskirts of Paris and when we bought our home many people who came in have said it reminded them of a Quaint Parisian Manor home, so the name is very fitting.  I actually wanted to name it La Maison Parisienne but thought it would be confusing to non French speaking clients of mine???}

After I finish dinner and dishes maybe I’ll grab my book, I’m re reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” for the 4th time, and a delicious glass of champagne and take a nice bath in our antique copper tub, oh that sounds so lovely, but doubtful, its Oliver who will take the nice relaxing bath not me!!

~nesting on a lovely Autumn weekend~

Maybe I’ll straighten some of my dishes and arrange them in pretty ways…or maybe I’ll just grab a glass of wine and check out Anthropology’s website.

{the wine is ‘Menage a trois’,   Dorkalicious gave it to me, whats with guys, why are they so _ _ _ _ _ … you fill in the word!!}

~The only way I know how to really relax is in the garden~

I also plan to spend a lot of time caring for my plants in our indoor Garden Room.  It is impossible to have cabin fever with this room in my home.  It is filled with fruit trees (you can see the Meyer Lemons that are just begging me to make a pie with them) We have herbs, flowers, tropicals, ivy climbing up windows, bulbs that are being forced and should be ready by Christmas, there is a water fountain , a chirping bird and Jasmine and a variety of scented Geraniums that constantly perfume the air. The tiles up at the top are in a series of four that depict the seasons in Italy.  My husband bought them for us when we were in Tuscany and they are in a flower arranging room on the other side of our garden room. I don’t care if it takes me a hundred years to complete my home as long as everything in it means something to me.  And is unique, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune but I want it to be original and reflect me. Every home should tell your story and only your story, never worry about what others are doing…be Original thats a great way to be unforgettable!!!

This room is heavenly.

Well that is our weekend maybe next Friday I’ll break out the Jersey Girl Party Dress and wear it to Boys night for some beer drinking dart playing good old Jersey Fun. That would be a hoot if I showed up in that dress!!  The guys will think I’m taking this boys night out very seriously.

I hope all of you  had a lovely weekend and are keeping well.  

PS.  We all had the H1N1 vaccine on Thursday and are doing well with it (oliver was having stomach pains prior to it and it is unrelated to the vaccine). I debated on this but was urged by our Dr’s to do it. We shall see how it goes this year, we also had the regular seasonal vaccine last month. I was very sad to see a large number of children in the emergency room with high fevers who according to the Doctors had the H1N1 Virus.  They were in bad shape and I pray they are doing well now.

I am continuing to drink tons of green tea, pomegrenate juice, eating lots of fresh ginger, garlic, fruits, veggies, tons of Greek yogurts, , fresh organic chicken and fish and lots and lots of exercise.  The one thing I don’t do is sleep, I’m lucky if I get 4 hours a night but I don’t seem to need it?????? Well thats what I keep telling myself.  I really don’t like to sleep I find it the biggest waste of time.  I have a lot to get done in this lifetime.  My mother (Jojo) keeps telling me if I don’t sleep and get sick, then I’ll see, I won’t get a G. D. thing done!!!

Stay Well Everyone

{ My computer is going into the Doctors,  I’m not allowed near my sons Macs and my hubby takes his laptop to work with him so I will try and visit all your lovely blogs via my Blackberry.  The only problem I can’t seem to post comments from my Blackberry but I will try!!!}

~The Giveaway drawing will be next Friday at midnight~

Stay tuned this week for another French business luncheon with lots of new goodies from France that are going in our boutique

and I’ll try and post our Thanksgiving menu and any quick tips I may have that can help save time and money!!!

I’m also planning an adorable tea party in Manhattan for a little girl’s Birthday party so I will try and post some cute party planning tips.

Coming soon from Saint Tropez