a work in progress

"be patient, be patient, don't be in such a hurry..."
-my mother, singing in her own special way with a smile on her face

We moved into our apartment a little less than two weeks ago, and it's coming together slowly but surely. Now I know how spoiled we are to have had our stuff shipped from the States, delivered to our front door, carried up to our flat, and unpacked for us, BUT (ok, I sound really salty here) it has been a tad bit frustrating trying to find ways of furnishing our flat, organizing our stuff, and fitting an "American sized" life into a European sized flat (you know what I mean, Americans). Our IKEA adventure/catastrophe alone had me almost in tears--we rented a car for the night, ended up back at IKEA three times due to mis-communication (YOU TRY asking for a certain size, color, and model in a different language--yes I tried just pointing, it didn't work), then we missed the train home, waited in sub-zero temperatures for a little under an hour (poor Sophie had no coat!), and when we awoke the next day, we found that our bed was the wrong color, the slats were the wrong size, and some of the light fixtures were the wrong kind--uuuuuugh! Our good friend Kevin ended up loaning us his car so we could make the trek to IKEA for the fourth time in less than 24 hours. All in all, things are starting to come together--Nathan's meticulous side now has an outlet as he puts up light fixtures, measures walls for pictures, and assembles chairs and tables. I'm going to include some pictures of where we are so far (if only I had before BEFORE pictures--this place was filled with boxes, paper trash, BOXES, and more boxes). Anyway, here's where we are now:

Sophie and I cooking the local favorite, Rösti:


Nathan trying to keep Sophie warm when we missed our train from IKEA:


The front of our flat, facing the main road and square (our apartment in on the top floor):


The street our apartment faces (to the left is the main square in Chailly, to the right, keep heading down that road and you'll get to St. Francois square).


Sophie welcoming you.


Our new IKEA bed (our duvet cover was a KING instead of a FULL...of course it was!)


Probably the most "put-together" part of our apartment right now. Why? Because books are my favorite and most valuable possession (English teacher, holla!) This is
in our living room, the windows face the Alps and Lake Geneva.


Love this feather print on fabric. Made with love by the one and only, Eva Christensen (tip for the ladies--marry into a family with artists, this saves money and furnishes your flat with one-of-a-kind pieces that you can brag about to all of your friends).


Our little bar/extra counterspace in the kitchen. In a few weeks, I predict that both of these racks underneath will be full of wine (we are living in wine country people!). Nathan has discovered a store that has several varieties of the local wine under ten francs!


Our fridge with all of our dearest friends and family members:


Our stovetop:



Our bathroom:


Our hallway:


The end! What YOU can expect in the next few weeks--pictures of our dining room/guest room/balcony. Aren't you excited? I'm so excited I could eat Sophie's face off!