Apartment Decor: Inspired by Versailles

Tuesday, I was able to visit the Chateau of Versailles, the ostentatious palace built by Louis XIV. It was massive, the outside austere but the inside lavishly decorated. Rich reds characterized some rooms, while others were accented by a cool blue. Most of the rooms had large chandeliers and dark wood furniture. But one theme screamed at the mobs of tourists making their way through the salons: gold. Every piece, including the walls and ceiling, was adorned by gold. The doors had intricate gold carvings, and the fabrics were embroidered with gold thread. It really gave the place the feel that I'm sure King Louie intended: I have money, and I have style.

Photos from my visit to Versailles.

While most of us apartment dwellers and owners of four-bedroom houses (as opposed to Versailles 700 rooms) can't afford to coat our homes in gold leaf and burgundy silks, we can draw inspiration from this castle to add a royal, elegant touch to our abodes.

Gold pieces to bring the vision of Louis XIV to your home

For an even more budget-friendly Versailles makeover, use gold spray paint to transform a lamp, bookends, or even a small piece of furniture. Inspiration below.

Besides Louis XIV, Versailles had another resident obsessed with style: Marie Antoinette. The queen incorporated soft pastels into Versailles' gold-and-white palette, bringing a feminine touch to the chateau perfect for a bachelorette apartment.

Pieces inspired by Marie Antoinette at Versailles.

If you ever get a chance to visit this fabulous chateau, don't hesitate to go! And take tons of pictures, because you're definitely want to give your home a taste of French elegance.

My Grocery List: Eating for One

Eating and shopping for one person is so difficult. I always end up buying too much or too little, and I feel like I throw out so much food. This year, I'm committing to making grocery lists and meal plans for my weeks so I don't waste anything, and so I try new foods. My plan is to only buy 2-3 types of fruit and 2-3 types of veggies at a time, and switch it up week by week. I also plan to make a lot of cold salads to eat throughout the week when I'm being lazy.

Be sure to buy in-season produce in small quantities.

I try to keep on hand most of the time:

Grains

• Whole wheat bread (as small of units as I can buy)
• Whole wheat English muffins or bagel thins (alternating between them so they don't go bad)
• Whole wheat pasta
• Rice

Dairy

• Skim milk
• Laughing cow cheese or cottage cheese (low fat, alternating)
• Low fat cheese sticks
• Feta (occasionally)

Protein

• Turkey burgers
• Tilapia/Salmon
• Occasionally chicken breast for grilling
• Eggs

Legumes/Nuts

• Black eyed peas or chickpeas
• Black beans
• Peanut butter

Veggies

• Pick 2-3 of: broccoli, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, bell peppers, peas, corn, etc.
• Baby carrots and/or cucumbers
• Olives

Fruits

• One or two "whole" fruits: plums, grapefruit, clementines, bananas, etc.
• Grapes, pineapple or cherries
• Apples or cantaloupe

Other

• Olive oil
• Healthy dressings
• Mustard
• BBQ sauce
• Healthy crackers
• Dark chocolate
• Tea

I buy a good bit of the stuff that doesn't go bad (sauces, pastas, canned beans, etc.) and hit up the store about once a week for fresh produce, grains and proteins. Everything on this list can be found for relatively cheap if you pick veggies and fruit that are in season and don't buy too many. For me, the most important thing is keeping junk food out of the house. If I buy it, it'll be gone instantly and I won't eat my healthy food. If I just keep good food in the house, and let myself splurge when I'm out occasionally, I do so much better.

Post-Europe Cleanse: No More Cheese!

Okay, maybe I can have a little cheese.

After six weeks in Europe munching endlessly on white bread, fromage and all kinds of dessert, my body feels pretty terrible. I'm also quite dehydrated due to the lack of water refills with meals and water fountains around Paris, so I need to get back in shape. Since this is my first weekend back in America, I'm giving myself a few days to enjoy my favorite foods such as BBQ, Mexican and fried chicken that I haven't had in several months. But once my taste for North American cuisine is satiated, I'm going on a meal plan and getting back to running. I've started to outline my meal plan and grocery list that I'm hoping to stick to for a month before cheating.

I love packing lunches to eat between classes.

Breakfast:

• Option 1: whole wheat english muffin, peanut butter, plum/clementine
• Option 2: hard boiled egg, grapes, cheese stick/cottage cheese
• Option 3: whole wheat bagel thin with Weight Watchers cream cheese, apple

Snack:

• Option 1: Greek yogurt
• Option 2: healthy crackers and laughing cow
• Option 3: carrot sticks

Lunch:

• Option 1: cucumber salad
• Option 2: pasta/quinoa salad
• Option 3: turkey on whole wheat
• with cucumber and laughing cow
• with mustard
• with apple and brie

Snack: 

• Option 1: Luna bar
• Option 2: apples and peanut butter
• Option 3: green smoothie

Dinner:

• Option 1: turkey burger, bbq sauce, broccoli
• Option 2: tilapia, rice, green beans
• Option 3: rice and beans dish

On my busier days when I don't go home for hours, I'll be combining some snacks and meals (i.e. turkey sandwich and carrot sticks) and alternating which veggies and fruits I use, but this is the basic plan! No white bread, limited cheese, and no nasty, processed food. Since it's summer in the South, I want to use my oven as little as possible so everything but dinner is fresh and cold. 

Once I get started with this plan I'll let you know how it's going!

Paris, je t'aime: My Don't-Miss List

Yesterday, I arrived back in Atlanta after spending most of the summer in Paris, France! Obviously, it was an incredible, life-changing experience. I fell in love with a city and a culture, as well as the lovely group of people on the trip with me. There will probably be many, many more posts about my summer in Paris but I just wanted to touch on it while the memories are still fresh.

The Eiffel Tower on our last night.

Things I Learned

• French designer brands are cheaper in Paris. American designer brands are more expensive in Paris, so get those back home and splurge on a Longchamp or Louis.
• In fact, everything is expensive in Paris. Be prepared to wince when you get your credit card statement.
• Getting drunk in Paris is either going to cost you $5 or $50. A great bottle of wine at Carrefour or Franprix is as cheap as water, but going to bar is going to run you about $10/drink, even for beer.
• Get out of the tourist areas (Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, etc.) and experience real Paris. I fell in love with la Ville Lumière when strolling through Saint-Germain-des-Pres, reading at the Jardin du Luxembourg and picnicking by Pont Neuf, far away from the pickpockets and Americans in running shorts.
• Who said French people were rude? I met some incredibly wonderful, helpful French people and were able to learn so much from them.
• The Metro is great. It's cheap, convenient  fast and relatively clean (until a drunk college students vomits on the platform). I'm really going to miss it. That being said, the RER (the train that takes you to the 'burbs) is awful. Avoid it if at all possible, and if you really want to see Versailles go early!
• Instead of paying to eat at a brasserie, go to one of the outdoor markets (I recommend the Bastille) or one of the huge grocery stories at the Galeries Lafayette or Bon Marche and pick up food to cook or eat outside.
• Don't spend all of your time at museums - they're tourist traps. Sure, make sure you hit up Rodin and the Musee d'Orsay, but you'll experience Paris better if you pick other spots. I love the parks, cemeteries and boulevards of Paris much more than any hall of paintings full of obnoxious tour groups.
• Traveling around Europe is so easy! If you have time, book a Megabus or Ryanair for a weekend trip to the UK or somewhere else in western or central Europe. Very cheap and low stress.
• If you want to see the churches like Notre Dame and Sacre-Coeur, go during worship. It's a much more authentic experience, especially on Sundays with everywhere else in Paris is closed.
• Seriously, Paris shuts down on Sundays. Go to a church (even if you aren't Catholic, it's something to see and they're used to visitors), then spend your afternoon in one of the jardins or le Marais (the Jewish quarter is wide open on Sunday).
• Most importantly, don't worry about seeing and doing everything. Just experience the city the way you end up experiencing the city. If you get lost and miss something, so what? Relax, buy a street crepe and stroll around. You're guaranteed to find something great.

My Don't-Miss List

• The Latin Quarter. It's full of universities and bookstores, but go to one of the pedestrian streets and buy a crepe, panini or gyro before you explore! The street food there is great.
• Saint-Germain-des-Pres is a great place to shop without worrying about pickpockets. Visit famous Cafe de Flore or Les Deux Magots to dine like Satre, Picasso and Hemingway.
• Montmartre is as gimmicky as it gets, but the sunset views of the city are worth it. Walk up from the Moulin Rouge to really experience the quartier, and try to go in the Sacre-Coeur during mass.
• The Jardin du Luxembourg is my favorite place to go in Paris. Get a book and a picnic (or a to-go meal from the neighboring McDo) and spend an afternoon there.
• Le Marais - the gay, jewish quarter - is full of interesting stores both cheap and designer, and has a lovely park (Place des Vosges) in the middle. It's also a great place to people-watch or spend a Sunday après-midi. 
• Walk the Champs-Elysees. If you have on your walking shoes, start at the Louvre, go through the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde and all the way to the Arc du Triomphe to see it all. If you're less mobile, start at the Grand Palais. It's a gorgeously glamorous street - but expensive!
• Get a bottle of cheap wine and watch the sunset by the Seine. The best, most Parisian spots to do this are the park below Pont Neuf on the Ile-de-la-Cite or the Jardin Tino Rossi. But beware - no bathrooms.
• Obviously go the Eiffel Tower sparkle. My favorite way to do this is on the Champ de Mars with - no surprise here - a bottle of vin.
• Go to a French bar and meet French people. Rue de Cannettes and Rue Princesse were our regular spot, but any neighborhood will have a nightlife area.
• Do some museums, but don't occupy yourselves too much with it. My favorites are the Musee Rodin, the Musee d'Orsay, les Invalides, l'Orangerie, and obviously the Louvre. Just watch for pickpockets and overzealous tourists with cameras.
• Get off the Metro at the Opera station, and walk past the famous Opera Garnier to the Galeries Lafayette. Check out the Tiffany glass dome, then take the escalators up to the gorgeous terrace. Drink a peach smoothie and take in the views.
• Got to Notre Dame, and then progress to the center of the island to the flower market.

There will be much more about the city I love so much in the future, but you can always email me if you have questions!

My Grown-Up Blog

This is not my first time creating and operating a blog. From a juvenile Tumblr dedicated to a certain British boy band, to a failed attempt at becoming a fashion guru, to a Blogspot about my study abroad in Paris that was quickly abandoned because I simply didn't have time, I'm an experience blogger.
Since I turn twenty in about two months, I decided it was time for a grown-up blogs. I know my twenties are going to be a time I want to remember, plus I take an unhealthy amount of iPhone pictures of my daily attempts and adventures.
Living on my own for the first time, I've learned a lot about myself and the world around me. I learned that I'm not a very good cook, DIY is the way to go, I can't be trusted with a credit card, and that I want to see every inch of this planet. Some days I want to pack my bags and move to Paris, and others I want a four bedroom home by the coast and a corgi. I'm an International Affairs and Romance Languages major - a fitting field of study for my admiration for the world and its people - and, as much as I love my Southern roots, you better believe I won't be staying in one place long.

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