My husband Pierre and I try to divide our holidays between Pittsburgh and Paris. This year we are spending them in Paris . We opted to spend Thanksgiving here as well, even though it’s not a holiday here. I made stuffed turkey cutlets and a few autumn inspired side dishes that would be found at a Thanksgiving dinner, since it was just the 2 of us. I was cozy. Dinner was tasty.
Christmas will be a much bigger deal. My daughter will be here with our 2 granddaughters. This will be their second Christmas in Paris. Everyone involved is excited.
Christmas decorations in Paris run the gamut. There’s no set color or patterns or materials. Christmas trees and garlands are usually bought from the florist with rare exception.

 My husband Pierre and I try to divide our holidays between Pittsburgh and Paris. This year we are spending them in Paris . We opted to spend Thanksgiving here as well, even though it’s not a holiday here. I made stuffed turkey cutlets and a few autumn inspired side dishes that would be found at a Thanksgiving dinner, since it was just the 2 of us. It was cozy and dinner was tasty.
Christmas will be a much bigger deal. My daughter will be here with our 2 granddaughters. This will be their second Christmas in Paris. Everyone involved is excited.
Christmas decorations in Paris run the gamut. There’s no set color or patterns or materials. Christmas trees and garlands are usually bought from the florist with rare exception. French Christmas is all about the food! That of course is perfect for me. I love to cook but moreover love to eat!

My thought is celebrate the traditions of France combined with my best childhood memories and the traditions that my family have created over the years.
I’m excited to drag out our well-used decorations, always adding in some new, to decorate our apartment. When we are in Pittsburgh it is a much bigger production!
We spend more time outdoors in France. The restaurants and terraces are made for year round outdoor life. In Pittsburgh we entertain at home more often. The biggest reason is that we have the space. We don’t have that in Paris.
I love the dichotomy of the 2 places. Pittsburgh is often referred to as the Paris of Appalachia! That’s so true in many ways. Perhaps that’s what drew me to Paris in the first place… it already felt like home.

 Pittsburgh2Paris