isabelle + david

Morning Coffee, Mine.

2012-01-30T10:24:00.002-05:00

Morning, friends.

My mother requested a Paris Morning Coffee, but my phone ran out of space again (ARG) so I had to delete them all and they are nowhere near me at the moment! Instead - here is a coffee from this weekend. David and I spent the entire Saturday together. Something that has not happened in a very, very, very long time. It was sooo nice and sooo needed. I manged to make my coffee cup look crazy, per usual. Anyway, we walked around the neighborhood - ran into a friend from Winchester very randomly - ate brunch, hence the coffee - played some Settlers of Cataan - watched too many episodes of Battlestar Galactica - and lots of other lovely things.

This weekend will supposedly be the last weekend before David leaves me for LA so here's hoping for many more hours together!

Wrap Up: Paris Edition

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

After all those pretty pictures with the big camera, here are a few from my always-handy iPhone. Hey, now I get the German handy/mobile thing. OhhHHhh.

The cast of characters from the week. Ebbie, Amanda and moi. Also, it should be noted that I made many friends in the lobby when I was in my slippers. You could only get wifi in the lobby so I spent some time there uploading to Instagram and talking to the bartender and/or concierge. Oh, the addiction.

It goes without saying that Paris has some incredible architecture and I've included our hotel in this little clip... because it was cute.

Another fun thing we did was ride the Ferris Wheel near the Louvre. We got some chaud vin and enjoyed some spectacular views of the city. Cheers!

If you want to eat and drink well find your nearest Linaburg. Trust me.

The Louvre! Again!

More Eiffel Tower and a real person ice skating! That's Amanda, by the way.

And just for fun some of my failed attempts at self-portraiture. Interestingly enough, while we were at the Centre Pompidou we saw a Munch exhibit and I got to see a lot of his experimentations with film and self-portraiture. Good exhibit. He is much classier than me:

Au revoir! Until next time!

Paris, troisième jour.

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

On the third day of Christmas.. I mean Paris.. we went to the Eiffel Tower. It was a gray, cold day - the usual - and we were once again reminded that despite the dreary weather January is, indeed, a wonderful time to visit Paris. The lines are almost non-existent! Ok, they exist and maybe we waited 15 minutes to get to the elevator, but I'd say that's pretty good. Paris, you treated us well.

Once we got to the very top we searched for the Champagne Bar, which was sadly closed. However, Amanda, always the resourceful one, still managed to score us some bubbly in the Eiffel Tower restaurant. It was delicious.

Most of the photos of me are on either Ebbie or Amanda's cameras so for now I'll give you this.

Oh, and this one. Probably my favorite of the trip! What the heck am I doing??

Ok, one iPhone photo for you since I did mention ice skating on the Eiffel Tower. It wasn't a lie! And it was included with admission.. so kind of free which made it even better.

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Tomorrow stay tuned for:

iPHONE PHOTO MADNESS!

Centre de Pompidou

All of the Above

Paris, deuxième jour.

2012-01-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

These are my Paris buddies (below) and on day 2 we all went to the Louvre!

I've been to Paris twice before but never have I ever been inside the Louvre. It was very, very exciting. Now, let me overwhelm you with photos.

If you didn't already know. The Louvre is huge and the map is slightly complicated. Lots of stairs everywhere.

Also, I recommend that you have someone with you who can give captions to the various statues and paintings you see. It makes the trip even better!

These two (above) are great examples of caption-worthy paintings.

This is Amanda and I having a discussion at lunch. She is probably telling me more hilarious captions.

Those are my highlights of the Louvre! Until next time, friends.

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Tomorrow we will have:

The Eiffel Tower!

Tour Eiffel!

Holy Cow! I ice skated on the Eiffel Tower!

Paris, premier jour.

2012-01-23T22:47:00.001-05:00

Our first day in the little big city we traveled to the wonderful Notre Dame. Every time I see it I'm amazed at all the work that went into it. It's quite simply, stunning.

I always light a candle for my grandma.

Then we climbed to the very, tippy top to spy on gargoyles.

...and shouted "Bonjour" to the people far below. Yes, we climbed 400 stairs for this!

Amanda and Ebbie... behind bars? Whatever is happening the gargoyles don't look very happy about it.

Hi mom. Yes, you get one picture of big-toothed me.

And down the stairs we went!

Tomorrow: the Lourve!

I love the Louvre!

I want to go back to the Louvre!

Bonjour!

2012-01-23T10:40:00.003-05:00

Bonjour, mes amis! I am back from jolly old Paris and have much to share. In fact, I am going to devote a week to Paris so stay tuned. It was beautiful, magical and I am currently craving a croissant from Angelina.

Book Review: Underside of Joy

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

2012 is already turning into the year of reading for me. I'm on a roll and I've already found my top pick, thus far. I recently read The Underside of Joy by Sere Prince Halverson and, my friends, it moved me.

It's the story of love and loss and more loss and finding one's self and so many other popular themes, but I would encourage you to not let this one pass you by. The story centers around Ella Beene and her struggle to move on after her husband's untimely death... partnered with a bitter custody battle with the birth mother of her husband's children. Ella is the narrator that you want in all of your books. She's easily accessible, kind-hearted and is always trying to do the right thing even if it means losing someone she loves. She's not perfect and she doesn't give up easily, but she's also in a position that most of us couldn't even imagine ourselves in.

Not to mention it takes place in the Pacific Northwest and I can find a reason to love ANY novel that takes place there. Ok, even Twilight.. I half-heartedly admit. Although I would like to bring up the Williamson girls scale which rate from Twilight to Harry Potter with Twilight as a 1, Hunger Games as a 7 and Harry Potter as a 10. Am I off topic again? Oh, bother.

Bottom line is this. It's a subject matter that I might not immediately run toward, but it had me at hello. A real page turner that should be placed at the top of your Summer Reading list.

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This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own, as usual.

Christmastimes 3: 3 of 3

2012-01-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

And last and most relaxing of all... there was Winchester. A city/town/whatisit that holds a special spot in my heart. We never stay there long enough, but we treasure every minute that we have there. We watch movies, tell stories, drink wine and eat delicious food. It's the perfect ending to a wonderful Christmas season and we're thankful for the wonderful families that we get to share it with.

'Til next year!

I was so relaxed that I didn't even take a picture of a single person. That is so weird for me. Instead I took pictures of Christmas decorations and plastic things that made my smile... aka cow watches and gingerbread men that dance on command.

Christmastimes 3: 2 of 3

2012-01-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

Um, yes. I'm still doing these. I promised you 3 and you are getting 3!

Part 1 can be found here.

Part 2 was in New York with my family! All of them! Even the long lost German schwester. Claire and I even got some alone time in together before the rest of the famdamily showed up.

My brother is tres Williamsburg hipster with his moustache/beard and flannel. And me and that hat, well.

Claire and I got in a lot of food/drink time before everyone landed in the Big Apple. We love Chinese food with Diet Coke!...and puffy coats that eat us.

And then there are my parents. Sweetums that they are.

And a family portrait in the huge mirror at RENT.

We miss you all! Especially loudmouth Charlie!

Memory Lane

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Way back in 2008.... haha...

this handsome man proposed to me!

I love his face before he asked me. He was probably wondering why I was taking so many photos.

Book Review: Why Women Need Fat

2012-01-12T20:37:00.000-05:00

Good evening, book lovers!

I have another review for you and this time a book that falls into the highly-unlikely-for-Isabelle-to-pick-up- category! However, that being said... I enjoyed this book. I read Why Women Need Fat by William D. Lassek MD (former assistant surgeon general) and Steven J.C. Gaulin Ph.D. (anthropology professor).

So, a few reasons why I wouldn't generally pick this up.

a. It's written by 2 male academics on the subject of women. Maybe it's just me, but... I only go to women gynecologists. Plus, these two met doing a study on the "attractiveness of women."
b. I opened it and saw graphs.
c. It isn't a fiction mini series. (I joke.. no, I don't)

A few reasons why I would pick it up.

a. I like to eat fat.
b. I am a woman.

So a little about it and what I liked and disliked. I'll get to the point. First, despite my philosophy of only going to female gynecologists I fully understand that both men and women doctors can and are equally skilled in regards to the other. It's a personal preference and I just like that we have the same type of body. Am I still doing a book review? How do I get SO off topic? AHEM! I mean to say that these two authors did an extremely good job of presenting their research that women do need fat. Not only did they present all the facts with valid research, but they did it in a human voice. I really appreciate that. Once I start reading science books my eyes start closing and I yawn off into a deep sleep. This book did not do that to me. Not even once. Instead it had me nodding along and then yelling across the room to David..

"DID YOU KNOW THAT A TYPICAL YOUNG WOMAN HAS A LAYER OF FAT MORE THAN AN INCH THICK.."

"Why are you yelling again?"

"Umm.. did you know that a typical young woman has a layer of fat more than an inch thick over her hips, buttocks and legs and that men have less than a third of an inch?"

"No."

(see page 46 for that nifty quote)

The thing is... I did a lot of yelling across the room with this book. The stories are interesting and full of history (Did you know that Eisenhower having a heart attack is very related to our high obesity rate?) and after I finished I felt that I had actually learned something. Me, the skeptic. The fact that we, women, are bigger than are grandparents and great-grandparents is something I had always known to be true, but had no idea for the real reason why we were so different. Our diets have changed significantly from our ancestors' days and in most part because we were simply trying to eat healthier. Go figure.

Isabelle recommends to: health nuts, historical junkies, women, women who like to eat fat, women who stopped using butter, diet fad fanatics and anthropologists.

Why Women Need Fat: How "Healthy" Food Makes Us Gain Excess Weight and the Surprising Solution to Losing It Forever
William D. Lassek MD and Steven Gaulin Ph.D.
Hudson Street Press

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and on a totally related/unrelated topic - David said that he is going to join the gym with me!

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This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Book Lovers!

2012-01-10T10:55:00.003-05:00

Fellow book lovers, check out this amazing (and time consuming) video!

It's quite stunning, but at the same time my head hurts imagining how much tweaking went into this. Do you like it?

Looking Your Best

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

With all the New Year's resolutions flying around the web, I'm interested in one in particular. What are your fashion resolutions? Do you want to organize your closet, dress up more often or try to find new uses for old clothes? I, for one, am on a mission to clean out my closet and work with what I have. I'm not cutting off all clothing-spending, but I'm definitely going to bring it down a notch. The verdict is still out on shoes.

If you want to share join me over at the new BlogHer Life Well Lived post and while you're over there don't forget to enter the Life Well Lived sweepstakes. A Kindle Fire and Amazon gift card are on the line! In fact, I'm heading over there now...

mom and i in twin dresses :)

and david ready for the new year with the "williamsburg" look

Paris, Let's go.

2012-01-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

The last time I was in Paris was in 2006, which didn't seem like that long ago until I just typed that. 6 years ago? Really? I was there with Robyn for a few days and after that we went on a crazy journey through Europeland until we split ways in Venice. It was a trip that I will always think back on fondly and I'm glad we had the chance to do some exploring together. My brother was there too... but he didn't make it to Paris for some reason.

I'll be back in Paris next week and it's going to be a much different trip. For one, I'll be with my mother in law and sister in law. For two, I am 26 now. A real grown up. Or not. In any case, I'm excited to spend some time with Ebbie and Amanda and I'm ready to see Paris from a new perspective. A slightly more mature (or not) perspective with a little worse knowledge of French and a few more euros in my pocket.

Bonjour, Paris. I've missed you.

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I have a question for you, dear readers. I want to take better photos this time (see this batch from 2006... hmmmm) and I'm debating taking my monster camera, my film camera, both, neither, one or the other. What do you think? I'm leaning towards film camera only since I'm a wimp when it comes to carrying heavy things all day and I love the quality of film, but I love my monster as well. Help?

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Scary, Isabelle.

On the Bridge

2012-01-05T09:42:00.003-05:00

I thought I might share a few New Year's photos since it was such a blast... and, incidentally, very illegal.

Yep, we cheers'd on the Williamsburg bridge at midnight as fireworks thundered on in the background and Claire might have done some sharpie graffiti on the bridge. Bad Bear, Claire.

2012! 2012!

New Year, New Year

2012-01-04T14:28:00.003-05:00

After the most glorious Christmas vacation we could ever wish for David and I are back in the throes of daily work. We somehow thought we could escape it forever and wake up at our parents' houses, but alas....

After our Charleston break my family visited for a few days and then we drove back down to Virginia for another Christmas celebration with the Linaburgs. We got in a few days of maximum relaxation time and debated moving in. Seriously.

When it was time to go a mini snowstorm came down on us and I tested out my new moccasins in the snow! Side note: Most comfortable shoes EVER!

Don't feel too sorry for us for going back to work though (HA HA)... I'm off to Paris in a few weeks and David is moving to LA for a month. Happy 2012, indeed!

Year in Review

2011-12-31T17:00:00.000-05:00

Oh 2011 you have been fickle. You have been sad, too. You have had moments of joy and you have had moments of strangeness. I think we'll be ok moving on from you. Hello, 2012! Nice to meet you. Please be kind. Merci!

January

The month in which I went back to Hoboken for a Cake Boss photo shoot, while David lounged around in Jamaica.

February

I went to Las Vegas for the first time in my life with Lauren Slusher. We had a great time and I saw lions!

March

Probably the worst month of 2011. My grandma left us for better things in heaven and we're still thinking about her everyday.

April

Off to Germany to visit my sister during her brief stint in Mannheim PLUS David and I celebrate 2 years of marriage.

May

David is in the New York Times and we discover a cat that fell from above.

June

Cousin Caroline gets engaged to Joey.

July

David goes to South Africa on a whirlwind trip. I stay in Brooklyn and miss him.

August

D + I go to Greenwich to visit with the Richardsons PLUS hurricane Irene doesn't really hit our neighborhood...

September

I shot a billion weddings this month and David turned a year older.

October

Rose and Morgan came to visit us in Brooklyn and we took the East River ferry to DUMBO to ride the carousel. The Linaburg/Richardsons also came up and we had a wonderful family reunion!

November

Thanksgiving, marathon and another year older.

December

I met Steve Martin and we celebrated Christmas with some football on the beach.

...and BAM 2012! Cheers to a happy new year!

love is in the air

2011-12-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Steamy post alert!

Well.. not really... but, I do have a little project to share. Cousins L+B, C+J, and D+I. We had so much fun on our little Christmas break. I want to go back to there.

Christmastimes 3: 1 of 3

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Going from the bitter cold NYC weather to the shorts-wearing climate of Charleston is a bit exciting for us, even though I think David still thinks it's weird.

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Gus is a good dog.

left to right: olives with cream cheese and carrots create a perfect penguin, D+I on Christmas morning, it's snowing in Charleston (not!!)

Gus and his beautiful nose, John getting ready for some beach football, me and my most awesome Papa

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Stay tuned for Christmas in New York and Christmas in the Shenandoah!

Books! A Magic Room

2011-12-29T10:10:00.002-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of getting a copy of The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow for the BlogHer Book Club and despite what you might think... it is not a sci-fi! Although, recently I have been loving me some Hunger Games. Is that even considered sci-fi? Fiddlesticks. The subtitle pretty much sums it up (as it should!): A Story About the Love We Wish For Our Daughters.

This doesn't need to be added, but I will add anyway: I also want to start singing that John Mayer song "Daughters" whenever I pick it up. Strange?

Back to the point. My aunt was reading the book at the same time and she texted me when she got it with a message that she was already weepy. Since I hadn't opened up the book yet I was intrigued. TV shows, movies and plays don't usually get me weepy, but books. Please. I will admit to this small audience that I do sometime cry in the comfort of my own home when moved by a good book. However, no tears were shed on this one. If I had a daughter I might find myself in Auntie's shoes, but instead of tears I would just hug my husband a little harder or pat my sister on her head. They were both thoroughly confused by my sudden affection. This doesn't sound like a book review, does it? What I mean to say is that Zaslow is telling a beautiful story about the relationship between parents/grandparents and their daughters that made me appreciate the relationships I have in my own life.

Zaslow mentions in the beginning that he was looking for a platform to explore the relationships we have with our daughters and states that:

From the time our daughters are born, we can't help but think about the men they might marry. We all have our laundry list of qualities for potential son-in-laws-- that they respect our daughters and provide for them, that they will deeply love our daughters and the children they raise together. (Introduction, XV)

What better place to do his research on America's relationship with daughters than at a bridal boutique? Zaslow spends what I imagine to be months at Becker's Bridal store in Fowler, Michigan. He tells the stories of the brides and their families who come to the store with them. He explores the relationship between the stores owners and its rich family history going back to Becker Bridal's first owner - Grandma Eva. He chronicles how buying a dress has changed from Grandma Eva's days to current day where we are bombarded by TV shows like Say Yes to the Dress and bridezillas are the norm. The institution of marriage has changed and along with it the bridal gown industry must follow quickly.

All in all, The Magic Room was much more than I imagined it to be. Whether or not you made dress buying a big part of your path to marriage I think most would enjoy the stories that Zaslow narrates. There is pain and heartache, there is commitment and mystery, but most of all there is love.

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That's my dress at the top. My mom and I went dress shopping together when I was home one weekend and picked it up at White on Daniel Island. We had a really good time together and the owner even gave us some champagne!

Also...This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my definitely my own. That's just the way I roll. You can join our discussion if you want to!

Christmas Acts

2011-12-28T11:20:00.003-05:00

You better believe that I have a million photos to share about our little holiday, but guess what!? It's only just begun! My family will all be in NYC together tonight (about time!) and next week David and I are heading off for Christmas, part 2 with the Linaburgs. I just love this time of year...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T04:30:00.000-05:00

To those of you decking the halls, singing the carols, leaving out the cookies (watch out for David!), and celebrating the season, to you I say:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Charlie would also appreciate it if you popped some bubbly. She wants to play with the cork.

A Very Festive Occasion

2011-12-19T10:39:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend Christina and I hosted our 2nd Annual Holiday Party. David says that it was a hit because it ended around 10:30 and that was his goal since he had an early church gig the next morning (that last 3 hours!) and I think it was a hit because everyone looked real happy and the food all turned out A-OK! Although, I do not take credit for the food turning out ok... Christina deserves all that praise.

Also, we had a photo booth! I'll have to post some of those photos... Charlie even made it into a few (and it was at our neighbors!!!).

We prepared a few days in advance, made lots of shopping trips, ordered people to bring things and in the end we had cake pops, mulled apple cider, tasty punch, chocolate babka (David's special request), chocolate chip cookies, homemade raspberry marshmallows, baked brie, tons of cheese and spiced nuts! The only thing missing was a wild boar...

I'm still dreaming about the boar since Amanda's Christmas party...

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Side Note: I'm going to go on blog holiday for the week. See you later and happy holidays to each and every one of you!

South Pole

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

As we all getting excited about the man from the North Pole paying a visit our way, I found this interesting piece from Time.com featuring photos from the South Pole!

A great article and I think Mere would especially enjoy it since she's read the book.

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images found here.

Dog Days

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Have an adorable Friday, my friends.