Chocolat

We're officially on holiday!  This last week was crazy, Jason was working non-stop and the snow came in full force.  Everything is so much harder with snow outside.  Just trying to get everyone dressed is a workout.   Layer, layer and then layer little Harlow some more, force those dang boots on over three pairs of socks meanwhile I'm starting to sweat because I mistakenly put all my layers on first.   Oh and pushing a stroller in the snow takes all the muscle I've got in these chicken arms!   Finally when we get somewhere you have to rip it all off again.  By the time we get anywhere and settled I seriously can't move because I'm so tired.

But really every thing looks prettier with a little white powdery snow.  These photos are of Harlow's first encounter.

"Snow mama, snow!"  She actually said "Mama it's a snow"  

 The view from our little home.

Friday was Jason's last day of work!!  Harlow is beyond happy that she has her Daddy back to jump on.

I took a couple pictures outside our house last night, they're blurry of course but I'm just in love with all the beauty in this city so I can't help but pull out the old iphone and show you what we see when we're walking home.

That last one was taken earlier in the evening.

This morning we walked to Old Town Lipscani to have breakfast at Chocolat.  This place was a dream, with all freshly baked breads and desserts.  Every table had big brown cozy blankets on the chairs so you could bundle up drink hot tea and dine on luxurious sweets by the fire.

Check out their treats.

I'll be back to try a chocolate or maple eclair and some creme brulee, my favorite.

They served my tea in a cute little painted clay tea set with a basket of fresh baked toasted bread and a tray with homemade strawberry, apricot and cherry jam.  Divine!!!

I wish we found this place sooner or maybe for my belly's sake it's better we didn't.

Now that we're all back together for two weeks life is that much sweeter.

xoxo

Snow!!

With a post title like that you'd think I'd have tons of photos with little Harlow galloping in the white fluffy, fresh powder snow but some one, uh um, Jason dropped the camera and now it's broken.  My iphone was dead when it really started coming down so we missed all the pictures of her snowflake covered eyelashes yesterday.  She kept saying snow, snow all day and ho ho ho, I've got to get that one on video it's my favorite right now.

Yesterday we had to get up crazy early and a car took us to the Bucharest police station.  Long story short someone on the production end didn't work out the whole visa thing so everyone on this show had to go down get their pictures taken and apply for one.  Little Harlow got her first visa at 21 months old.

After that we spent the rest of the day on set with Jason.  Harlow really loved being in the makeup trailer, I don't know why but she was loving all the actors coming in and getting all made up.  She was the life of the party.  I took her to the stage and she was walking around set saying "wow mama WOW!" The set was lit up like night with fake trees a car scene and something was on fire. I can't show you pictures of that, but here's a couple photos of Jason's home away from home about 14 hours a day.

Harlow getting cozy with her baby in the make up trailer

 She's developed a money obsession she likes sorting the bills and credit cards and putting it in a wallet or purse.  Oh ya she's all about carrying a purse everywhere she goes now. I didn't even bring a purse to Romania because everyone said the gypsies were going to get me.  So I have no clue where she's getting all this girly behavior from.  She even pretends to put lipstick on, but I think Alison taught her that one.  Oh and half the people here are carrying around Chanel, Gucci and LV bags so I'm pretty sure I would have been okay with a my cheap old purse :)

Harlow carrying her purse on her elbow...just makes it super girly, seriously it's not from me.

Things are moving along over here, we're making plans to travel to the castle this Saturday which should be incredible in the snow and I can finally get my mom a Transylvania t-shirt.  Everyone is done filming today but poor Jason and Kerin are working on makeup tests so they won't be done till Friday.  Then it's all about Christmas can't wait!!!

In other news I'm really sad about the Nic Cage video on TMZ and I think it was on the news here the other night too it paints him out to be a lunatic.  It was all a misunderstanding and people only see one side of things, damn you camera phones.  Nic is a very sensitive sweet natured guy who just had a little too much to drink and was provoked.  Could have happened to everyone I know, only no one cares enough to record us.
Sorry Nic, that sucks!!

Snow and Farm Animals

We woke up to the most beautiful fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky!  It reminded me of the soap machines they use in Disneyland during Christmas time to make the fake stuff.  We all rushed to put on our warmest coats, hats, boots, gloves and scarves only to get outside and the snow was gone.  It wasn't cold enough on the ground yet for it to stick so we missed it.  I was bummed because I can't wait for Harlow to experience it, I just want to see her face when she steps in snow.  The temperature is super low so it's only a matter of time till it comes and stays.

Harlow and I have been missing our dogs at home so we ventured to a little children's farm just outside of Bucharest.  On the drive out we saw so many stray dogs running by, way more then in the city, and these ones looked more like sheep dogs.  Down one of the alley ways I saw a small puppy sitting there all big and fluffy, he was calling to me I just know it.  It's so hard not to ask the driver to pull over, but honestly what would I really do?  Carry Harlow in one arm and be the crazy lady trying to chase the puppy in this little village?  Then what if I actually got him?  I'll figure a way before I leave, just don't tell Jason.

This place we went to was more like a zoo with farm animals.  They were all fenced in different areas and you could walk by and put your hand in to pet them, well actually I'm not sure if you were allowed to pet them but I did.

It was freezing and the sun went down quickly so my iphone took some pretty crappy pictures.  There were donkeys, mini ponies, chickens, goats, bunnies, pigs and baby cows.  When was the last time you saw a baby cow?  They have such amazing innocent eyes, big old eyelashes, reminded me of the cow on blue bell ice cream or was it blue bonnet something...oh well they were precious.

This picture is so blurry but those big baby cow doe eyes just kill me.

Dan the driver pushing Harlow on a little tractor, I couldn't get her off.

Harlow chasing a chicken around.  They had those chicken that look like they have white furry boots on, man I'd love to raise one or any chick for that matter.

I took so many more pictures but all of them are terrible, really need to get the camera from Jason or just learn how to carry the big one around.  I don't trust myself with the big one though, not miss oh let's just rest expensive electronic right on top of the stroller and then forget and start pushing, oops.

I'm slowly learning how to dress Harlow for the winter weather properly, the colder it get the more I pile on her, poor thing is beginning to look like the kid who couldn't put his arms down in The Christmas Story.

All is well here, a little over two more months to go and we'll be home.  Time is flying by!!
Love to everyone

When in Rome....

I can't stop eating the bad stuff or the oh so good stuff!  I know I've mentioned the bread, cheese and meat that is plentiful in this country, but I've been hiding or rather hoarding the sweet stuff.


I mean honestly who buys two different types of cookies in one day after they've already eaten chocolate filled croissants for breakfast?  Me that's who meeeeeeee!!!  Unfortunately the markets don't carry many or really any healthy options and our kitchen in the apartment is basically for boiling water.  So I've started stocking the fridge with junk, chocolate flavored junk, uh oh.

Wanna see what I've got in there this week??

Let's start with these babies I came across them at the checkout stand when I realized Harlow had added them to the cart herself, good job bug!  Mika Chocominis and they are delightful, they come in little rolls so I can put them in my purse and continue to eat terrible junk food all day :(
They are little butter cookies with fudge centers and when you bite into them there's vanilla filling like an Oreo, not milk pouring out as it implys in the photo, well because then the cookie would just be soggy I guess.

Then there are these heavenly cups of joy!  I have never tasted pudding like this, it must be absolutely awful for you, but since I can't read the labels on anything or understand their calorie system I guess it's better not to know.  By the way I discovered these when Harlow pointed them out too, looks like somebody is a bad influence on mommy.

I discovered these treats a couple days ago when I was starving and in a mini market, it was between these and a bag of chips and I always choose sugar over salt.

Singoalla's are shortbread biscuits with cream and raspberry filling.  Sinfully good.

Last but not least, these chocolate bars by Poiana have been my saving grace, my best friends night after night when Harlow has finally gone down and I'm all alone.  They are milk chocolate, and the best milk chocolate I've ever tasted, filled with gooey caramel.  AMAZING!!!  I can't stop myself from slipping one in the cart every dang time!

I've already talked about the 7days Croissants that are filled with pudding, and not to mention the amazing gelato on every corner I've been enjoying. Wow what's happening to me?  Anyone who knows me knows that I eat pretty well, brown rice veggies fresh stuff.  I've been trying to at least feed Harlow brown rice and frozen peas since I can cook that in the apartment and she doesn't mind if she eats the same thing every night. 

Jason would have a heart attack if he saw all this chocolate, sorry Jay I guess I just miss you... maybe I'm becoming an emotional eater, uh oh!!!  Hurry back baby!!!  This is the longest we have ever been apart and we still have the rest of the week to go.  Good thing summer/bathing suit weather isn't for a while, because I just can't help myself to all these delicious treats, maybe, hopefully it will lose it's luster?!?

A little over 13 more weeks to go!

PS speaking of Jason check out this castle they're filming in, incredible.  I wish I'd seen it in person.

PPS Any ideas where we should go for Christmas?  We've been told Berlin, Prague,Italy and Spain??

We've Been Discovered!!

It looks like someone from a news site in Sibiu discovered my blog and did a little piece on it, you can check it out here http://www.turnulsfatului.ro/5658/o-californianca-la-sibiu-cu-filmul-lui-cage-venita-rezumate.html although it's all in Romanian a rough translation of it just sounds like the writer was  repeating things I've said in past blogs about my experience here and refers to me as the Blonde Blogger, hmmm.

Well great, it never occurred to me that anyone from Romania would read or even be able to find my blog in the first place.  I really hope I didn't say anything that would be considered offensive, I have nothing but love for this country and it's people.

 Lubesc Romania si este oameni!!! (I love Romania and it's people)

The past couple of days I've received a ton of traffic on my blog from this article so to all those reading in Romania.

Pentru cei care citesc in Romania, va multumesc pentru amabillitatea ati aratat fiica mea si am.  Tara dumneavoastra este frumos si mai mult americanii ar trebui sa viziteze.

I said something along the lines of thank you for your kindness and your country is beautiful, more americans should visit.

Well now that we're famous I better start writing some interesting blogs, but to be honest we haven't been doing anything very exciting.  I took a couple pictures around town yesterday when we went for a walk, for some reason with every walk we always end up at the mall, I'm like a magnet and it's the steel.

Check out Harlow carrying the purse her Daddy brought home for her, it's Hello Kitty.  Someone is becoming a big girl.

While hunting for dinner I found this tiny little cafe next to the bank where they had fresh homemade spinach and feta pie, it was freakishly good.

 When I asked for a glass of lemonade I watched the lady go behind the counter and literally squeeze me out a glass with her hands and then added water and sugar.  I actually felt guilty drinking it after seeing how much work she put into it.

 Harlow started doing her I'm going to get fussy routine so I ordered a piece of some amazing looking cherry coffee cake/pie/I don't know maybe it was a tart?  And the woman that brought it to the table broke off a piece with her hands and feed it to Harlow.  Seriously that would NEVER happen at home, someone in a restaurant touching you food, feeding your baby, without asking?!  But I loved it, every time we go out I feel like I'm with family, like I'm at my grandmother's house.  Europeans have managed to keep that old school traditional feel, and I really embrace it.  I wish our culture was more like that.

Outside of that cafe was this bank, you can't tell from the picture but that roof is glass and steel.  It's a beautiful massive structure.

 Here in this photo is a bike path we were walking on that somehow lead us straight to the mall, told you magnet and steel.

 

So those where just me trying to capture the dreary beauty thats happening now, I believe it's the onset of winter occurring.  These photos were taking in the early afternoon and the sky was so gray and it's frosty out.  Man I can't wait for the snow!

It's 12pm here so I'm going to crash, but let me leave you with some pretty photos from our day on the set last week taken by the film photographer.

Miss you xoxoxoxoxo

Fall into Winter

Growing up in California has it's pros and cons and one of them is the absence of seasons.  Just walking around the park here and seeing all the trees in that beautiful burnt orange and golden leaves makes you want to sip hot chocolate and go ice skating.

This week I've noticed more and more bare trees I guess the snow is on it's way, Fall really feels like Fall when you're crunching through piles of leaves on your way home, I love it!!

Today was gloomy and rainy so we spent most of the afternoon painting, drawing and reading books but Harlow is starting to run out of ways to be entertained inside. Even brought the old cardboard box out.

I bought her a couple handmade wooden toys from an art festival at the park last week that she's been in love with, but lately she's been into feeding and putting blankets around her dolls a little mommy in training.

The art festival was pretty fun, they had a bunch of little kid rides and booths set up with art, jewelry etc. It was so packed I could barely fit down the paths where the booths were and people will just run you right over if you're in the way.  Personal space is very different, I can't even count on hand how many times people cut in front of me in line because I wasn't standing close enough to the person in front of me, I guess I'm just supposed to wrap my arms around the guy in front of me or stand with my chin on his shoulder or at least be close enough for him to smell my breath  :)  

I apologize that my photos are so fuzzy, the only camera I have is my iphone, Jason has the good cameras.  Maybe I need to go buy a cheap digital one for the trip anyone know of a good one?  I guess it's time to start researching, that will give me something to do, ohhhhh speaking of something to do.  Did you know that you can take piano lessons on the Ipad?!?!?  Yep just learned to play Silent Night, the Ipad turns into a piano with highlighted keys with this incredible app http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/master-piano/id364897373?mt=8

Now all I need is a real piano to try it out on, pretty proud of myself I always wanted to learn to play.  The Ipad has been our best friend here, books, movies, games and now piano lessons!!

Well off to go find some dinner and relax, I gave up on potty training after I wiped up about a dozen puddles of pee, mom needs a break.  There's only so many times I can ask the kid if she has to go potty, now she just runs and say No,No No.

There's always tomorrow I guess.

I'll leave you with a video of a mozart in the making you should see how well she can use the Ipad, she's so smart, even figured out how to turn up the volume.  Let's just hope she doesn't figure out my passcode.