kansas city // paris of the plains

(image found here)

nothing could be truer than my complete and admittedly silly infatuation with paris.  everyone that knows me, even in the slightest degree, is aware that i am a sucker for anything remotely reflective of the city of lights.  whether it be oversized scarves, the little sparrow that is edith piaf, pastel macarons, or le creuset cookwear, i adore it all and simply cannot get enough.  "paris-obsessed" comes close to capturing my adoration, which explains why i got exceptionally giddy when opening up a present from andrew over christmas break.  ever so gently, i folded back the corners of the paper brown package, only to discover the silhouette of my (like i have some ownership over it or something) eiffel towel emblazoned on the cover.  it was a new book, and alas, a new paris book!  

thank you husband! 

despite the obvious cliché, each time i see the iconic tour d'effiel i cannot help but melt into one big i-miss-paris-like-crazy mess.  so this past sunday came and went, and with it, another book read cover to cover, with figurative drool making its home on each page and many dogeared corners.  for a few hours i got lost with my thoughts in the corner of our velvet couch as my francophile aspirations soared by the second.  the window was open just a smudge, and i felt as though, if only for a fleeting moment, i was transported to a black iron balcony over looking the sacre cœur off in the distance.  i read, no devoured, paris my sweet: a year in the city of light (and dark chocolate) by amy thomas, who, as i quickly found out, is a gal quite similar to myself in her love for paris.  

i reveled in her countless adventures, in both nyc and paris, and dreamed up my own parisian fantasies as my eyes scanned the pages.  my new friend took me on a tour of the city and seduced me with dozens of sugary treasures from hole-in-the-wall delights that only a local knows about.  i just may have had a few of my own chocolaty bites to combat the serious sweet tooth that started whispering “darkkkk chhhhhocolate” in my ear as i contunied to read. 

and as for the entirety of the book, well it was pretty great.  if you like light-hearted memoirs that go back and forth about travel and food, well it’s for you.  think eat, pray, love but not as philosophical and a bit more sex and the city-ish.  now onto what i really enjoyed about this book: the constant sprinkling of reminders dispersed throughout the mentioning of chocolaty sweets and parisian landmarks that i need to appreciate where i am, and that where i am, has a whole lotta paris in it, too.  

think optimistically, people.  

optimistically. 

my little family may not live in the heart of the chic oohh la la pahreeeee (with beret and all), but we do live in one amazing city.  kansas city, to be precise.  i remember when andrew and i got back from our trip abroad, and the seemilngly simple parisian lifestyle seemed so doable for us.  like an instant fit.  we had such a "go gettem sport" attitude when trying to weave what we appreciated wholeheartedly from our aboard into our own lifestyle in the states. we felt so drawn to the ease of paris' self-sufficient citizens who seems to be perfect examples of lovers of life, exuding passion and pleasure with animated gesticulations. we wanted needed to emulate the zest for life we experienced on the lawns near the dôme des invalides and on the banks of the glittery siene.  so why couldn't we?  who was there to stop us?

luckily for us, kasnas city has most of the very same things that attracted and ensnared us while in paris (and most of eurpoe in general).  there is, of course, lots of wonderful cafes in which to savor long and luxurious meals, fountains trickling water on every street corner, stinky cheese shops (that let you sample!), knowledgabe wine merchants, gorgeous (and free) museums, live music, open-air markets, and on and on and on and on.  see a list of our favorite parisian-inspired spots around the city below, if you'd like.

in getting back on track, if you choose to look at your city through rose colored glasses, then you too will find paris there, too.  it all boils down to choice and attitude.  with paris in our hearts and minds, andrew and i choose to live in an area that celebrates walkability, and where families flock to the city park across the street, rather than sit glued to their tv screens.  we choose to make dinner each night, and to visit our local library to soak up the culture, literature, and meet other young parents like ourselves looking for a cheap night our with the littles.  

sure, we do not live in paris, but that does not mean we can’t pretend that we do as we slather locally made butter on a freshly made baguette in the tree house that is our cracker box sized haven?  nor does that mean we cannot explore our own city and revel in the beautify that is all around us, while skipping to joe dassin's champs-elysées down our neighborhood streets?  

i mean, who says that paris has to only exisit in france, right?  so, salut I say to you my dear friends, and may you let a little bit of paris blossom wherever your feet are planted!

if you love paris and live in kansas city, 
check out some of our favorite european-inspired spots around the city!

bistro:  westport cafe & bar // http://westportcafeandbar.com/WCB.html

bistro: le fou frog // http://www.lefoufrog.com/

pastries: natasha's mulberry and mott // http://www.natashasmulberryandmott.com/

bakery: bloom bakery // http://www.yelp.com/biz/bloom-baking-company-kansas-city

cheese: the better cheddar // http://www.thebettercheddar.com/

wine: gomers // http://www.gomers.com/ 

if you are from the kansas city area and have more ideas to contribute, list them below!