Happy Birthday Zinnie, another trip to Paris

Beautiful Paris

Zinnie turned 12 on February 7. She had a sleep over with her 9 best friends the weekend before and a family gathering last weekend.

I told Emily that Zinnie had a much cooler mother than she did and she scoffed, but it is true. I was not at all thrilled by sleep over parties when Emily was a kid, although it must be said that she (thankfully) didn't care much for them either. The mother of one of her friends told me that she would never again be invited to a sleep over at their house since before midnight Emily was asking the mother when they would be able to go to sleep! The idea of nine twelve year old girls eating pizza in the living room, watching a movie and then spreading out on the floor for the night, not to mention the pancake breakfast the next morning, makes me tired just to contemplate. But Emily really is a generous parent and Zinnie (and all her many friends) had a blast. I did not participate, but I got the photos afterwards, which was the way I liked it.

10 girls together to celebrate.

Rick and I came into Paris again last Friday afternoon. It is now winter break for the kids, and Quinn was due to leave on his week long skiing vacation Saturday morning early, so our family dinner had to be before that.

Zinnie showed me the present her parents gave her, which consisted of a total re-do/clean up of her room, the addition of a book corner and some plants, lights and other decorative elements. All the dolls and Legos are gone. Her environment is just right for transition into teenagerhood. It looks so nice and she looks nice in it. She happens to be a voracious reader, finishing three or more books a week at least, especially during the vacation, so having a couple of options for where to do that is nice for her.

Book corner.

Once both of the kids were back from school, which wasn't until dark, we began our birthday celebration.

Quinn got a haircut. Zinnie opens our present, a collection of art supplies.

Before going out to dinner Zinnie gave us a brief concert on her saxophone. She has been studying for over a year and is getting to be quite good. I think the girl has soul!

Practicing the saxophone.

We had dinner at the canal in a very nice Thai restaurant. This had been Zinnie's third birthday party so there was no cake and it was all over far too soon, but we had a real feast.

Saturday morning Quinn and Emily left the house at 8:30 to get to the train station that would take Quinn to the high alps with a group of kids he had never met. The city sponsors vacation and summer programs that are very reasonably priced, nicely organized and managed, to great locations. Quinn signed up for the snowboarding option.

Waiting for the food to arrive.

Rick and I had to be back home Saturday evening but we decided to stop by and visit our friend Nelly in her very beautiful new atelier in the center of Paris on our way out of town.

Nelly has a beautiful apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods of Paris but even if it is rather big by Paris standards, it isn't really spacious enough for her to spread out and do her artwork, which is collage based. She has a huge collection of old papers, and other ephemera, which she has very generously shared with me throughout the years. She puts these bits and pieces together to create books, stand alone images, junk journals and family albums. She is one of the best designers I know. She is in the process of selling her country home and in the meantime has purchased a remarkable space in another fashionable Paris neighborhood. The building itself is divided into various apartments, of which she bought a ground floor one that opens out onto the beautiful terrace at the front of the house. The building is an historical landmark and is colored a most delicious and atypical shade of ochre.

Nelly at her wonderful new artistic space, named "the playground."

If you have watched any episodes of the popular Emily in Paris series, then you will be familiar with her new neighborhood. So attractive! So full of life and fun!

The fictional Emily's apartment building, a block and a half from Nelly's new atelier.

Nelly also has a lovely view of the Pantheon from her front walkway.

Rick and I very much enjoyed driving into Paris, which is easy enough on Saturday mornings and were able to find a parking space right in front of her building. Paris really is just about the most beautiful and accessible city I know. I fall in love with it all over again every time we visit, which isn't often enough.

The Pantheon is two blocks from the new atelier.

Nelly has just begun to move in and has yet to entirely furnish the place, but she does not let that get in the way of enjoying her new playground. Every surface is covered with projects started but not yet finished, projects being imagined but not yet begun, projects finished but being reviewed. Everything is very nicely organized and categorized. Nelly spends most every day working here and creating her lovely books and collages. I think she just doesn't have the energy to concentrate on furnishing her space as she is too much engaged in enjoying it!

Photos of Nelly's new studio, taken by Nelly.

I particularly noticed one little project which was created from a large drawing, creased, cut in a couple of places and then folded together to create a 16 page square book which can be leafed through page by page. I was particularly attracted to the little houses, so I unfolded it and took a photo telling Nelly that I intended to copy her design idea. She gave me a piece of paper, a ruler and a felt tip pen, cleared a place at her table and put me to work at it on the spot. I had the most pleasant afternoon doodling away.

Nelly's very charming drawing.

I had my own take on it, which Nelly said reminded her of Polish folk art. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. We hope to return again soon.

My house doodles.

Quinn and his tour group have been sending along photos of their adventures near Mont Blanc in the far east of France's Alps. What a glorious location!

Quinn and some of his new friends, with their obviously cool supervisor.