Life Between the Pages
My blog posts are free to access, and articles are categorized like a bookstore! From architecture and art, to food and history, travel and video tours, you’ll find a treasure trove to connect you with me, Paris, and my travels in France.
Autumn 2025
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Paris as literary muse for exploring how conscious daily choices compound into artful life
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Christmas in Paris 2025 Dates & Locations
Celebrate Christmas in Paris with curated itineraries for Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette. Indulge in festive shopping, gourmet treats, iconic window displays, concerts, and winter strolls through the City of Light, all while experiencing the magic and elegance of a Parisian holiday.
Part Four, Best Strasbourg Hotels: Elegant Stays & Seasonal Tips for Alsace
Strasbourg offers refined stays for every season, from modern pop-art retreats to riverside five-star elegance. With thoughtful tips for spring rains, summer heat, autumn nights, and winter’s chill, this guide helps you choose the perfect base for exploring Alsace with comfort and quiet sophistication.
Part Three, Colmar Day Trip Guide: A Refined Alsace Itinerary from Strasbourg
A Colmar day trip offers a gentle escape into Alsace’s storybook charm. With an easy train ride, elegant dining, and nearby villages like Kaysersberg and Riquewihr, the region invites slow exploration. Whether in summer’s warmth or winter’s sparkling markets, Colmar remains a timeless French retreat.
Part Two, Best Strasbourg Restaurants: An Elegant Guide to Alsatian Cuisine
Strasbourg’s culinary scene blends Alsatian heritage with refined French artistry. From rustic winstubs to celebrated pâtisseries, each stop offers a taste of the region’s soul. This curated guide reveals the city’s finest restaurants, unforgettable cheeses, and beloved bakeries worth crossing town for.
Part One, Colmar & Strasbourg: A Winter Guide to Alsace’s Christmas Markets
Colmar’s winding festival streets and Strasbourg’s storied Christkindelsmärik offer an unforgettable winter pilgrimage. From half-timbered charm to historic squares aglow with light, Alsace reveals its magic at every turn. A serene, snow-kissed guide to France’s most enchanting Christmas towns.
Christmas in Strasbourg & Colmar: A Winter Journey Through Alsace
Strasbourg and Colmar offered a rare, quiet enchantment during a winter shaped by calculated risks. From glowing Christmas markets to timeless Alsatian streets, this journey revealed the tender magic of the season soft, present, and full of wonder. A poetic escape into France’s holiday spirit.
One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Blood Orange & Dijon Sauce
This one-pan roasted chicken brings together the brightness of blood orange, the warmth of thyme, and the silkiness of a Dijon-kissed sauce. Crisp-skinned, aromatic, and effortlessly elegant, it’s a modern French classic perfect for intimate dinners and cozy evenings at home.
Salted Butter Apple Cake: A $2 French Baking Secret!
Discover the quiet elegance of salted butter apple cake, a rustic French dessert that turns simple ingredients into something tender, fragrant, and deeply comforting. With its buttery crumb, soft apples, and optional caramelized twist, this recipe offers a taste of effortless French baking at its most charming.
Let’s Make This Cozy $2 Chicken Stew Together!
Discover the quiet elegance of poulet blanquette, a creamy French chicken stew that turns simple ingredients into soulful comfort. With tender vegetables, fragrant herbs, and a velvety finish, this recipe invites slow, nourishing cooking and brings a touch of timeless French coziness to your table.
The French Autumn Companion: Your Guide to Hosting a Cozy, French-Inspired Dinner Party, Part TWO
Bring the warmth of a French autumn table into your home with timeless dishes that elevate any gathering. From silken gratin dauphinois to rustic ratatouille, caramel-rich tarte tatin, and the elegance of crème brûlée, this guide offers a sumptuous roadmap for hosting with grace.
The French Autumn Companion: Your Guide to Hosting a Cozy, French-Inspired Dinner Party, Part ONE
Celebrate the beauty of autumn with a French-inspired dinner party that blends culinary art with timeless charm. From pumpkin soup to Boeuf Bourguignon and Tarte Tatin, discover how to create a cozy, Parisian-style evening filled with seasonal flavors, candlelight, and graceful ambiance.
Autumn in Brittany: Beach Dogs, Endless Gardens, and the Truth About French Countryside Living
Discover the truth about autumn in Brittany, France — from dog-friendly beaches and nonstop garden projects to the real cost of living outside Paris. Shannon Pratuch shares an honest look at rural French life, seasonal beauty, and the realities of balancing two homes in France.
Hello Autumn in Paris: Your 5-Day Magical Journey - Day Five
Day Five of the Free Five-Day Paris Autumn Itinerary leads you through Montmartre its hillside charm, ivy-clad streets, art-filled corners, and feline-inhabited cemetery. From Moulin Rouge to Sacré-Cœur, experience a day where Paris’s creative soul and autumn light meet in timeless beauty.
Hello Autumn in Paris: Your 5-Day Magical Journey - Day Four
Day Four of the Free Five-Day Paris Autumn Itinerary invites you to explore the Latin Quarter, Ile Saint Louis, and the Louvre gardens. Sip chai at Café Kitsune, wander through golden leaves, and lose yourself in bookshops like Shakespeare & Co and Abbey Bookstore a perfect literary Parisian day.
Hello Autumn in Paris: Your 5-Day Magical Journey - Day Three
Venture beyond Paris on Day Three of the Free Five-Day Autumn Itinerary. In just 26 minutes by train, discover Château de Chantilly a fairytale escape of art, equestrian shows, forest walks, and antique treasures. Experience a day rich in French history, elegance, and seasonal beauty.
Hello Autumn in Paris: Your 5-Day Magical Journey - Day Two
Spend a golden autumn day exploring the soul of Paris. Begin with brunch near the Musée d’Orsay, wander through Van Gogh’s luminous works, and stroll Saint-Germain’s poetic streets. End at Jardin du Luxembourg, where the fading light and falling leaves turn Paris into a living watercolor.
Hello Autumn in Paris : Your 5-Day Magical Journey - Day One
Step into autumn’s golden light with a five-day Paris itinerary designed for literary dreamers and lovers of cozy beauty. Wander through the Marais, shop for vintage sweaters, sip coffee beneath falling leaves, and rediscover Parisian charm through every thoughtful stop and story.
The Paris Exhibition That's Captivating Locals, PLUS Four Afternoon Itineraries
John Singer Sargent in Paris: The Exhibition Captivating Locals + Four Afternoon Itineraries Inspired by His Art
Chasing La Tour's Saint Peter Obsession Through Paris
Chasing La Tour's Saint Peter Through Paris: A Quiet Pilgrimage
Following Georges de La Tour's Light Through Paris: From Royal Chambers to Room 912
Following Georges de La Tour in Paris: Louvre Room 912 & Hidden Traces
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