A Perfect night in Paris

How do you end a 40 day celebration in a way that sums up your life? With a girls weekend to Paris, of course. Paris, Texas that is. Many people ask why Paris? The reason is simple. When I was diagnosed with cancer I remember thinking what if I never get to see the Eiffel Tower. Matt told me that for my 40th birthday he would take me there. When I turned 39 I looked at him and told him there was NO WAY I was leaving the country until my babies were old enough to take care of themselves. After that thought is when my fascination with Paris, Texas began.

Several months ago a few girl friends and I started planning "the" trip. It soon turned into well, a celebration to end all celebrations, but what would you expect from a party planner. I have to admit I was worried no one would come, that they would think I had lost my mind, or just be over the birthday thing by this point. I am sure they were thinking all of those things but Saturday night right in the middle of Paris, Texas in front of the fountain were 15 of my friends. 

Saturday was packed full of everything Paris had to offer. We started at The Paris Bakery, located in downtown, where we had lunch and all the group met for the first time. That is where everyone got matching birthday shirts and the ladies were divided up in teams to do a scavenger hunt. What would a scavenger hunt be without a Flat Kay (think Flat Stanley but with my beautiful face) so of course each team had a Flat Kay as one of their group member's. The scavenger hunt was a great way to allow the girls to shop in the downtown area and of course working at our Chamber in Jewett I knew it was a good way for my friends to go in businesses they wouldn't normally go in which helps boost tourism.

Entering a business I wouldn't normally go to brings me to the  Olive Paris Store. I fell in love with this store. They let customers try all different kinds of olive oil and had the cutest bottles. There was a store in Paris  called Kay's Alterations, Bridal and Consignment. There may have been a few of us that tried on dresses and maybe one or two climbed in the display window to take pictures with a mannequin. This shop made us feel so welcome and never batted a eye at our craziness. There were so many amazing shops in the community of approximately 25,000 but by this time we were hot and thirsty so we stopped in at Jaxx Burgers for a refreshing drink. The wait staff didn't disappoint and the drinks and appetizers were so good. I have a friend Jennifer Heuberger that lives in Paris and was a lot of help planning the girls weekend. I was sad she couldn't attend all the craziness but it was Prom weekend for Paris High and her daughter Alyssa Lucas was going to the prom with a handsome date. I was so glad she stopped by to say Hi and wish me a Happy Birthday.

Next we headed to the Paris Winery. They had birthday balloons, the table's were all decorated and we enjoyed appetizers while sampling wine from their vineyards. I did learn my friends are not wine drinkers but even so we had a lot of fun and plenty of laughs.

Leaving the winery meant it was time to the next stop on my birthday weekend and that was The Holiday Inn Express. We were greeted by a six foot tall cut out of myself and as we checked in the front desk staff gave everyone a gift pack with a Paris hand towel, a rubber duck and Paris lotion from Bath and Body Works. In our rooms were welcome baskets filled with brochures from the Lamar County Camber Commerce, snacks, bottled water and my favorite a Christmas ornament for each person staying in the room. The rooms were amazing and the staff was beyond fabulous.  I would give this hotel 100 stars. The suites provided a perfect place to relax and get ready for the evening.

The Paris Trolley picked us up at 7 pm. Our driver, Randy, was very professional and fun and was very knowledgeable about all things Paris. Winter had made a cooler and custom made koozies for our tour ride. We went to the Eiffel Tower and then the cemetery where we saw Jesus in cowboy boots. The cemetery was by far my favorite thing we did in Paris. It was so peaceful and beautiful.  Maybe I'm a little morbid but it was like a glimpse of my friends at my funeral all dressed in black standing around my tombstone. It was kind of  cool to see my funeral before I die. (Someone please make sure you use my fabulous obit photo!)  As we got back on the trolley Randy gave us the night tour of Paris. I love people that love their town as much as I love Jewett and Marquez.

He dropped us off at our next stop and that was....

A restaurant called Perry's Off The Square. The theme of the dinner party was masquerade. Everyone was asked to wear black and the birthday girl, me, was all in red. To say my friends knocked it out of the park would be an understatement. They were truly beautiful and the decorations were over the top amazing. To be surrounded by 15 people that love you all sitting around one table in Paris, Texas, well life doesn't get any better. My friend Angie made a beautiful toast that highlighted my life. I had forgotten she and I were Hay Hauling champs back in the day. She still has the plaque to prove it. Dinner was great and the atmosphere in the restaurant was very cozy. As we left the restaurant I couldn't help but fight back tears thinking that I didn't want this night to end. Not many people can have a huge bunch of their friends in one place at the same time from all over Texas.

The local bar in town is called Time Flies. I thought that was a perfect ending to the night because time sure flies by. Think about this, I was surrounded by some of the same people on my 18th birthday as I was my 40th. Crazy, right?   I have sang karaoke twice in my lifetime and that night was the second time. Now here is where I need your help. There was a lady in the Bakery and she was also at the bar. I would love to become Facebook friends with her. She made the night a lot of fun too. I was her back up dancer when she sang karaoke. If you know her please message me.

We finally made it back to the hotel where we talked till 4 am. The morning came early as we all headed down to a hot continental breakfast at 9. That is where everyone parted ways and headed home. Some people drove over 5 hours to celebrate the weekend with me. It is crazy to think people took time out of their lives to make such a huge difference in mine.

I would like to thank the town of Paris, Texas for showing my friends an amazing time. It is a true Texas town full of genuine hospitality. It was truly the perfect ending to my 40 days to 40 years.

A big thanks all my friends that took the time to make the weekend perfect and that includes my dear friend Jofran that stayed home to make sure Payce was surrounded with a village for her First Communion.