The Shop Girl in Paris 2010

My customer Tracy & I at Dom Perignon on The Avenue de Champagne in Épernay,
the Champagne capital of the world.

Wow.  When I stop and think about it, I've been here in Paris for 15 or 16 days and we leave next week on Wednesday or Thursday to come back (I don't remember the exact date and I refuse to look at the tickets).  How unfair that this whole vacay is going by far too quickly. 

Far too grand to capture in one image, this is the front of the Château de Versailles.
See  http://en.chateauversailles.fr/the-palace- for details about its brilliant history.



Inside view of Château de Versailles.
I wish the people would've moved. LOL.



Marie-Antoinette slept here.

Every day that I've been here, I've told myself "You need to write to your customers" and every day I didn't.  Instead, I wrote and posted pictures on my Facebook page, because it was quick and easy...and to be honest...I didn't know what to say to all of you.  Remember last year?  I gave you all a blow by blow and I thought it would probably bore you if I did the same.  So until I could figure out what I should say, I said nothing.  But that's my usual M.O.  I don't say anything until I'm sure I should.  I think that can be both good and bad. 

One of the magnificent store windows at Printemps Department Store.



Another window at Printemps.

Anyway.  I'm not really ready to come back to Oakland.  But then again I am.  (Oooo, I'm so contrary.)  You see, I bought some really cutesie stuff and tomorrow I'm going to pick up the rest of it.  The exchange rate is horrible (same as last year), so I wasn't able to get as much as I would have liked, but I at least bought as much as I did last year, so it's all good.  I want to come back and show it to you...but I want to stay and "be French" too.  LOL.  Clearly, I have issues. 

A really cool sculpture that uses negative space brilliantly.

The truth is...I'm coming back in July for a family wedding, so I really should stop whining like a big baby.  But blogging is a good way to vent...and I don't mind sharing my feelings with you.  =)  I'll just save the details of the trip for when I get back.  (Wanda and Tracy, my two customers from Oakland, are having a blast, by the way.  Hope you can make it next year.)

The magnificent Riems Cathedral which is 800 years old.  Wow.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Reims
(not to be mistaken with Notre Dame in Paris).



An inside view.

Guess I'll sign off now.  It's after midnight and I should at least lie down so I can be energerized for tomorrow's shopping.  I really do sorta kinda miss you all.  LOL.  See you on the 30th!

Tracey ;-)

Your Oakland Shop Girl



At Aunt Astrid's...acting silly.  LOL.



My horse encounter (today!) of the magnificent kind...



OMG, I Missed You!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted here.  You know how it is when you keep thinking (and thinking) about doing something and then something else gets in the way?  Well, that's my story.  But I'm pretty much over myself and woke up early just to write.  I love my store and I love my customers, so here's What's What in oo la la Land.  =)

Paris.  As you (hopefully) know by now, the store is going to be closed (I know, I know) for the month of November.  I'm going on a nice little vacay in France, where it will be chilly (who cares?) and fabulous in spite of the protests and al Qaeda threats (gulp).  (France has never bored me and I guess it never will.)  And while there is some really cute new (!) stuff in the store right now, I'm going to be shipping back some French fabulosity that I'm hoping will knock your socks off!  I'll be back in the store on November 30, so be sure to mark your calendars and tell a friend!  In the meantime, I just got in the MOST BEAUTIFUL scarves eh-ver...

This year, two of my customers - Wanda and Tracy - will be joining me in Paris for 10 days of oo la la!  I am truly looking forward to setting them up in their Paris apartment, orienting them to the city, and stopping by their apartment to swap stories and drink champagne.  If you're a Facebook person, feel free to join me on the One Brown Girl In Paris Facebook page so you can get a blow by blow and decide if you want to come along on my annual November jaunt next year.  Everyone is welcome!  I'll be posting updates here as well, but not as often.  (Facebook has really taken over the world, haven't they?)

Other than Paris, I've been doing a lot (!) of writing and traveling and thinking about What's Next...and overall life is good. 

My last day in the store is October 29 and I plan to work from Noon-6pm Monday-Friday between now and then, so please...if you have a little gift you need to give (to yourself or someone else), come on down.  Even if you don't, come on down and say hello (maybe good-bye is more appropriate...LOL).  And if you happen to see lights on while I'm away, it's just a friend checking on things and keeping the space occupied.  She will not, however, answer the door....so kindly keep that in mind.

Time for me to scoot!  We have some overzealous raccoons here at my house (do you believe one actually used its paws to slide open our bedroom window?!?!?), so I need to do some cleanup and raccoon prevention.  Any tips?

Your Oakland Shop Girl,

Tracey =)