travelogue: los angeles

echo-park-lake-lilies

 

Please pardon the blog + social media silence…we are still in the midst of moving but I’m back with a recap of our time in LA! I’ve never actually done a typical “travelogue” before – I usually prefer to break up our explorations into individual posts. However I feel this approach works best for our CA trip, so here goes nothing. Pardon the length, as I’m covering Los Angeles all in one. Upon arrival (and after a stop at In-N-Out Burger), we checked into our airbnb rental….a modern craftsman in Echo Park. I wasn’t familiar with the neighborhood, but was pleasantly surprised at how family-friendly and welcoming it was – I could totally imagine us living there. Our first outing was to the nearby Echo Park Lake, which enticed us with it’s beautifully groomed landscape, playground, and paddle boats. The kids especially loved the paddling part, of course. Despite the heat, the lack of humidity + predictable sunshine made for a real treat for our entire visit.

 

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we’re back!

henry-et-marie

 

Hello friends! We just returned from California…currently recovering from jetlag (the struggle is real). I just wanted to say a quick hello – sorry for the silence here…traveling with toddlers is both exhilarating and exhausting! I brought my laptop, planning to blog during our trip…what was I thinking?! Well, I did manage one post at least – sharing our adventures on social media ate up any extra time I had. Hopefully you enjoyed following along on instagram (#fleurishinginca) and elsewhere (so much media, so little time). I’ll be sharing our LA + SF travelogues soon, stay tuned. Happy August!

paper + plans

paperandplans

 

So…we’re selling our house. Writing those words for public consumption makes it real, and I need that acceptance. It’s an idea my husband and I have debated for about two years now, but we’ve finally put the wheels into motion. The decision to move wasn’t an easy one, but it makes the most sense for where we are in our life right now, and where we want to be. Ultimately, it’s about freedom. Freedom from (too many) possessions, a mortgage, and a property that needs maintenance and care (as with any home). Freedom to say yes and pack our things if/when we get the chance to move abroad. Freedom to roam, to travel – to make more priceless memories with the kids. We’ve had a taste of it, and we’re hungry for more.

As you can imagine, I’ve been a bit stressed and emotional lately – even though I’m excited for what lies ahead, I’m emotionally attached to this house. We’ll be leaving the only home our kids have known. This house was the first one Parker and I chose together, and poured our heart and souls into. It’s the last place I heard the pitter patter of Billy’s feet. We’ve lived a lot of life here, and have filled these walls with love and laughter. But you know what? We’re going to do that wherever we are. Change as huge as this can be intimidating (and let’s be honest – scary, at times), but this is where growth happens. Our new space will be smaller, but our life will be so much bigger. Adventure lies beyond the paper.

we’re going to paris!!!

french-books-for-kids

 

Our children’s French + Francophile book collection came in handy for the exciting news we shared with Henry and Marie this week (and are now sharing with you)!! While these shelves usually have an interesting mix of subjects, I gathered and arranged these especially for our announcement. We invited them in (mommy poised with camera in hand), let them peruse the familiar books, and then posed the magic question after they had a chance to study them.

 

marieandbooks

henryandbooks

 

“We’re going to be taking a very special trip soon – can you guess where we’re going?!” To which they simultaneously replied “France!” + “Paris!”!!! I just had to animate these photos for full effect. I think it’s safe to say they’re excited.

 

goingtoparis

 

WE’RE GOING TO PARIS!!!!!!!!!

alsace france

colmar-france

 

It’s been a few years since I’ve visited the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, but it is always with me. My maternal great-grandparents were born in Strasbourg, so the area has always felt comfortable and familiar. With only the Rhine River separating it from Germany, it looks (and sounds) German, but is, at it’s core, passionately French. The architecture, culture, food and people inspire me – it’s an amazing place. I recently revisited my time there on Steller…take a look!