That one time I made a Turkey.

Let me set the scene: Thanksgiving in Paris. Thursdays during school were loooooong, with a 6 hour structures class and prep for studio reviews that happened every Friday morning at 9 AM. Yikes! So anyways, our actual Thanksgiving was a bit... anticlimactic.  My Thanksgiving dinner was a turkey sub from Subway (JUDGE ME IT'S FINE. But it's the best cheap late night option, and I was celebrating 'Merica).

Due to our schedule, we decided to postpone our Thanksgiving until the following Saturday. We are such responsible students. 

3 things before we get going:

1. We = everyone in my program. Shout out to my people - love you guys!

2. You are about to see too many pictures of me for one post. I apologize in advance.

3. I realize this is several months late. December got crazy (hence the hiatus), then January got crazy (hence the extended hiatus). This post is one I promised for my family, and I need to keep my promises!

I'm Back!

Okay. That was RIDICULOUS. Sorry about the extended hiatus. I think it's safe to say I am a horrible blogger-slash-student. We are now moving on to the next phase in our program - internships!! - this week. I am very excited. :)

HIATUS. (sorry)

**** UPDATE **** I'm going to extend this hiatus until the beginning of February - a constant stream of final projects has kept me a little more than just slightly busy :) I will shout from the rooftops once I get back to blogging. Sorry! All is well, we just have a few more things left on our plates... but the light at the end of the tunnel is visible! Small, but visible. :) If you're reading this, I hope you're doing well!

Okay, it's time I'm honest with you. Obviously my absence from the "blogosphere" (embarrassing that I actually used that word...) has been a little excessive, so I have decided to put this guy on official hiatus until Christmas break. However my Christmas gift to you will be a barrage of posts, as I literally have half a dozen started with more on the way. Unfortunately it takes work to be this witty, and my sassiness significantly plummets when I'm in the midst of madness.

1er Arrondissement: Shopping

A huge part of the 1st arrondissement is dedicated to shopping. Here, you will find a variety of shops ranging from the hautest of haute couture (that doesn't work but let's pretend it does) to crowd favorites such as Zara, Sephora, and H&M. 

One of the most famous squares in Paris is Place Vendôme. Located just north of the Tuileries gardens, the square plays host to the plush Hôtel Ritz (currently closed for a 2 year renovation - set to open in 2014), the Hôtel de Vendôme, the Ministry of Justice, several enterprises, lavish designer boutiques, and a few charmed (and extremely wealthy) residents.

Salon du Chocolat.

Chocolate: 1  Lauren: 3942398. This might not seem like a huge deal, but this is the first time I can officially say that chocolate beat me. It's a little upsetting, but the defeat was sooooo worth it. Paris hosted their annual Salon du Chocolat last weekend, and I literally had to pinch myself to remind myself that I wasn't in Heaven. Okay, that's an exaggeration. But if I schedule any trips to Paris in the future around this Salon, don't be surprised.

Pastries. Everywhere.

1er Arrondissement: Gardens

Here are some gardens to get you through your weekly case of the Mondays. If you are on the east coast, enjoy these not-as-ominous-looking skies and stay safe!

There are 2 gardens in the 1st - the Palais Royal gardens + the Tuileries gardens. As you gaze through these beauuuuutiful images, take note of the garden design. The French are known for displaying order/control over nature in their gardens (much different than English. DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT THIS? To my mom and aunts, this is for you/you already know this I've seen your coffee table books....)

1er Arrondissement: Sights

Okay guys, blog slacker party of one over here. I know I KNOW. School is in full swing now, so I am playing my famous disappearing act from society. Seriously though, I've been getting home from studio and I'm just too tired to be witty and put together blog posts.

Good news: You will not be able to get rid of this blog and its constat updates (and meeeeeeeeeee!) starting at the end of January.
Bad news: I'll be in and out of here sporadically for the next 3 1/2 months. Sorry, but this girl's gotta graduate!

So, we left off last time with the arrondissement thing. That starts now!

The 1st arrondissement is one of the oldest arrondissements (weird right?!) in Paris. It's also one of the smallest, with a significant portion containing the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens. Aside from that, it's main functions are dedicated to business/administration and things like tourism, dining, shopping, etc. Even though it's small, the 1st is packed with things to do/see, so I've broken it down into a few different sections. Today I'll show you some of the sights (built ones - AKA gardens are another day).