I'm so grateful it's Friday! We've had painters working at our home all week, painting the trim, the doors, the hall, and the entry. (We used to do our own painting, but it's quite the challenge once you have preschoolers about.) We slept elsewhere for a night, and had to sleep with fumes and restless cats the other nights (the interior doors were removed for painting), so we're intensely grateful that our home is once again a place of peace--now with a few fresh coats of paint. Another joy was learning a few Russian phrases from one of the painters, who picked up on my love for languages.

*Vintage French postcard via Multicollection.fr*

How was your week? Did you encounter any April Fools' gags? (I enjoyed reading about April Fools' Day Traditions Around the World on a recent post from Maria at Trilingual Mama).

Here are more links for your weekend enjoyment and enlightenment:

Appetizer Links (Lighter fare):

In France, April 1st is called Poisson d'Avril. Vintage postcards from this day are quite entertaining:

Main Course Links (heavier food for thought):

5 Surprising Things About Paris' First Female Mayor, Anne Hidalgo via Time.com. I find it intriguing that Madame le Maire wasn't born in France. I don't necessarily share her political leanings, but I love that she's linked to Vélib, a citywide bike sharing program that my hometown (Portland, Oregon) wants to imitate.
Fellow mama Angela Nazworth has drawn wisdom from her daughter's near-drowning: When Guilt Pulls You Down on (In)Courage.
My dad, a county commissioner, is reading the book Planet of Cities and I am fascinated by its photos and graphics such as this one featuring Bangkok's growth since 1850 (and especially over the past forty years):

Image via WorldBank from Planet of Cities — *Image via WorldBank from Planet of Cities*

Dessert Link (sweetness):

The stellar photos of Paris in the spring, from the HiP Paris Blog, will make your heart melt.
In the same spring spirit, I visited Woodburn, Oregon's Tulip Farm this past week. Quelle beauté:

Woodburn tulip fest 2014 Intentional Mama

Bon weekend, mes amis! And if you enjoyed this post, please like Intentional Mama on Facebook. Merci!

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