Visual Diary: Brassai Exhibition, Éclair de Genie, and Fleux

I started my Monday off right with a trip into Paris. Being low on money, I needed an activity that required little to no spending, and the free Brassai photography exhibition, Pour L'Amour de Paris, was what I decided on. I was under the impression that I was being clever by coming on a Monday, that perhaps the line would be shorter, but I was sorely mistaken. I waited in the cold wind for about an hour and a half. -___- If I had a snack, more comfortable shoes, warmer clothes, and a friend to keep me company, it wouldn't have been half bad, but by the time 45 minutes had passed, I was pretty irritable.

Was the show worth the wait? Yes and no. In my situation, no. However, bring necessary entertainment and supplies, and you'll be golden. Come well before closing time so you're not kicked out of the line... I witnessed the last 20 people in line getting turned away by a tough looking security guard as I was leaving :(

The show itself was interesting, Brassai had taken some of the most iconic images of Belle Epoque Paris, and there was quite a funny little film of zoo animals being projected in the back. There were many pictures of the streets at night, as well as people and performers in their habitat. It's always interesting to try and imagine the narrative and relationships that are being played out in a still photograph. My favourite image, the one I bought a postcard of, wasn't the famous Montmartre stairway, but a super dark picture of a black cat. All you can see are the decorative floor tiles, illuminated by some dim light source,and the eerily glowing eyes, floating in a black, empty space.



The sun had begun to set by the time I started walking back to the train station. I admired the golden light on the buildings and stopped to listen to the bells of Notre Dame ringing 6 o'clock.






The following day, my friend Ellen and I had boba tea on our minds, but what we ended up doing is another story. We did eventually find the boba place, tucked away into a tiny, hidden corner near Centre Pompidou, but before that, we discovered Éclair de Génie. Rumoured to be some of the best éclairs in Paris, and at 5-7 euros apiece, we decided to split a Rouge Baiser; a raspberry-chocolate flavoured baton of richness that looked like a work of glass art. The red colour was so vibrant, it was actually a bit startling at first glance.

We weren't sure where this boba tea place was, so we wandered around the area for a while, never a bad thing in Paris, until we came across a wonderland of novelty items, fancy iPhone cases, art books, and gorgeous Scandinavian design objects and furniture. The heavenly place was called Fleux, kinda like Flux, but with a French pronunciation.

The store was spread among 3 or 4 buildings, and just browsing though it all was like roaming through a super fun museum, a museum in which you can touch things, speak at a normal level, and if you have money enough, buy things. Most of it was waaaaaay out of my price range, but simply experiencing the visual feast was reward enough.










I want that bookshelf. Can I have that bookshelf? please? One day, when I'm filthy rich, I'll have it. :p


Places Mentioned:
Brassai, Pour L'Amour de Paris at l'Hotel de Ville
Fleux - 39 & 52 rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie75004 PARIS
Bubbolitas - 17 Rue Quincampoix, 75004


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The Paris Memoirs: Marché Aux Puces de Saint-Ouen

Flea Markets - where else can you find such a wide array of STUFF? When you go to flea markets, you find things you never knew you wanted. For instance, I don't typically sit at home making shopping lists that consist of "fabric scraps," "miscellaneous beads," "gilt frames," "amateur oil paintings," "skeleton keys," and "kitschy teacups," and yet, the minute I set foot within a flea market, I just want ALL of the things!

The Flea Market of Saint-Ouen in northern Paris is perhaps the most famous in the city, I've heard there are plenty more that are more reasonably priced, but this one sure is charming, only once you get past the two blocks of seedy-looking pop-up shops selling the lowest quality clothing, phone cases, and, pardon my language, other random shit.

Once you get out of the metro, keep your eyes fixed straight ahead and make a beeline for the REAL flea market, don't be fooled by the tourist trap that comes first. This blogpost gives really good directions, complete with map and all!

Now - enjoy these photos! I only took pics of the little alleys that contained mostly "junk" or knick knacks. The market also boasts a large collection of fine antiques, which you should check out if you have the money or the desire.






















I bought the postcards in this post from this little market stall. I tried speaking French to the little lady there and she gave me a small discount :)



I plan on visiting other Paris flea markets in the future, and when I do I'll be sure to let you know how they compare.

For clear directions to the market, see:
This blogpost
The official website

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The Last Bookstore + Outfit + Abbot Kinney Road

The Last Bookstore:


I've lived within Los Angeles County for the entirety of my life, and this week marked my THIRD visit to downtown… and the other two were so brief that they hardly count. I don't give this city enough credit. I complain about how warm it is everyday, wanting to have that cozy winter holiday feeling that never seems to come, but really? Who can complain about year-round sunshine?

Michelle and I decided to go to The Last Bookstore, which is probably one of the coolest places I've been in a while. It doubles as artist studio space, performance venue, and even offers knitting classes. They had some awesome art installations with deconstructed pianos and sculptural sheet music! The ground level looked like a pretty standard bookstore, but upstairs is where the magic happens. Not only were the artist studios upstairs, but also "The Labyrinth above The Last Bookstore."




The Labyrinth was row after row of diagonally-plced shelves, so that you get a bit disoriented. It smelled like grandmother's house and that dusty smell of old paper.

Highlight of the Labyrinth was this tunnel of books… I'm not quite sure how they stay up, if they're glued or just rely on physics.

I thought the Vault of Horror was pretty neat too, even though it's my least favorite genre.




Double OOTD:
Here's a little outfit of the day for both of us:


The lipstick is Mac in Cyber, and the bowler hat and houndstooth trousers are both from Forever 21.

Michelle paired a maxi skirt with a sweater and light scarf, which I thought was a great way to make a maxi skirt more appropriate for autumn weather.





Abbot Kinney Road, Venice:
After perusing the bookstore for an hour or so, we headed down the freeway to Venice's uber hip Abbot Kinney road. It's full of expensive boutiques, art galleries, nordic home design shops, wine-tasting dens, a couple antique stores, and the TOM's shoes flagship store/coffee shop, all with the eco-hip vibe of Los Angeles. We even found some candles that were "hand poured by monks in the forest." …I kid you not.


I didn't purchase anything, as most stores were out of my budget, but it was still fantastic place to visit. Many of the stores are held within converted single-family homes, and the visual displays are awesome.




{This was a pillow, with an eskimo man (?) on it. haha.}




It seems very appropriate that I at least explored a tiny bit of LA, right before I leave it. I highly recommend both The Last Bookstore and Abbot Kinney road if you're traveling to LA anytime soon!

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