There are not enough worlds

to describe Paris. Beautiful, gorgeous, decadent, historic all pale when attempting to distill the essence that is Paris.

Did I love it? Yes, there wasn't enough time. At the same time, I am so glad to be back home with my children, my comfy bed and my friendly potty (and I'm not embarrassed to admit that one).

One small portion of our trip was touring the Opera Garnier. Designed to show the patrons to their best effect rather than the performers; it was a place to see and be seen. It is also where the legend of the Phantom of the Opera began.

Box 5 has been his box for well over a hundred years. You can knock on his door, but you cannot go in. Here is a view of his box from below: The stage of the Opera Garnier is built on a slant, so that your view of the dancer's feet would not be obstructed. Because of this, the training halls were also slanted and dancers from the Opera Garnier were almost unable to dance on a flat surface. A new opera house was built for opera, but the ballets remain here.

Walking through the opera house with its guilded ornamentation, murals, frescoes and statues, I brought that 'feeling' home (certainly not the richness) to create an Opera Garnier inspired Christmas Globe.... Like the Opera Garnier, the globe is a bit careworn, but has not lost its glamour. I applied alcohol inks and metallic mixatives to the back of the globe to give it a hazy, aged appearance and also applied some metallic rubons. The base is a 4 inch tin that could contain a small gift or hold a circular album. The silver present came from Wallyworld and the tiny ornament is vintage. The tin is covered in Basic Grey and vintage lace. The ballerina began life with a blue dress. That was quickly changed with a silver Krylon paint pen. The floor upon which the ballerina stands is cotton batting covered in mica and vintage glitter. Altogether, I hope that come Christmas, I can gaze at the tiny ballerina frozen in her timeless world and remember the Opera Garnier.