This Week...

What have I been up to this week? For starters, I got a new pair of shoes at Printemps, which I am very pleased with. I also met up with some friends, did some exploring, and some more "settling in."


Last Friday I met up with a friend from California and her roommate, who are both studying abroad for the semester. We did a little vintage shopping, and I found myself a perfect-fitting tartan mini skirt at Espace Kiliwatch. I love this store. Yes, it's wildly overpriced, BUT it has the best stock, and really is très cool. Rue Tiquetonne has a handful of really unique shops, all with an urban vibe - plus, it's narrow and extremely charming.


After spending far too much time digging through dense racks of vintage goods, we took a (very cold) stroll down Rue Montorgeuil, which is apparently known for it's great food. We decided on a small restaurant, which I don't remember the name of, and I ordered my French favorite: Confit de Canard. It's essentially duck meat marinated in it's own fat, accompanied by garlic potatoes. mmmmmm.


After catching a metro to the Marais, and adding a fourth member to our party, I decided to take us to the only bar I knew of in the area - the bar where Erik and I first met <3. I drank a small Guinness, played a round of pool, then parted ways with my new buddies. I decided to walk about a mile to the train station I needed, so that I could see Notre Dame over the Seine in the night. For me, Notre Dame is one of the few places in the city that won't ever loose its magic.


I've had many lazy days this week. staying in, cleaning, organizing, brainstorming. I made an extremely exhausting trip to ikea, mistakenly thinking that buying about 50 pounds worth of crap without having the convenience of a car to haul it with was a good idea.

While walking around Versailles a bit aimlessly, I came upon a museum I was previously unaware of: Musée Lambinet. It had a nice mix of paintings, decorative objects, and history. Also, most importantly, there was a painting of a wonderfully fluffy white cat.





During my ambles I also happened upon an antique market. However, it's only open on weekends, so I peered into the dark windows around a deserted courtyard. Maybe on Sunday I'll have a real gander at the market, when it's open.



YEsterday, I had a great American-stye breakfast with a French friend and did some shopping at the opulent Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, on Boulevard Haussmann. It was quite overwhelming, all the mirrors and multifaceted architecture, displays, and garments. Most of the things were designer, and far, far, far out of my price range, but I managed to find some shiny black, heeled dress shoes.


Coming this weekend is yet another trip to Montmartre, a visit to Rose Bakery with a new blogger acquaintance, and a birthday party to attend!

I've been taking all my pictures in France so far with my iPod, which is very convenient, but I feel the itch to start using my DSLR again.

All in all, I feel much more relaxed and happy, more settled, and more optimistic. :)


Places Mentioned:
Espace Kiliwatch: 64 Rue Tiquetonne, 75002 Paris
Musée Lambinet: 54 Boulevard de la Reine, 78000 Versailles
Versailles Antique Market: alley/courtyards near 5 Rue du Bailliage
78000 Versailles


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The Paris Memoirs: Magical Moments

The memories that remain with you the longest aren't the landmarks you saw or the things you bought - they're the experiences you have with people and the feelings you get. I could go on for hours about all the amazing meals, nights out, nights in, and inside jokes I had during my five months in Paris, but no amount of storytelling skill would convey the reality of each personal experience.

So instead, in order to make this way more accessible, I've decided to share my top four memories of Paris, that is, the images I get in my head when I think of this city. These were the magical moments.


Autumn Leaves and Springtime Gardens


One reason, among millions, why Paris is so charming, is because of its green spaces. There are so many parks and trees that provide a nice relief from the gray stone color of the buildings.

And the floral design in the major parks are so beautiful! Whoever the landscape designer is should be applauded, because the wild bunches of flowers bring such life to the parks! These were both taken at the Tuileries, you just HAVE to come here during spring or summer.



Le Musée D'Orsay


My absolute favorite time period in Art History resides here, at this magical palace of beauty. The museum is housed in a renovated train station - a fancy one, bedecked in gold, with a massive, arched, coffered ceiling.

You're not allowed to take pictures of the art, but they have one of the largest collections of Impressionist paintings, as well as lesser known artwork from the time period, including a small room dedicated to the Nabis. There's also some Van Goghs and a fantastic miniature cut-away model of Opera Garnier.




MONTMARTRE - all day, err'day


If you asked me the place I visited most, it would be Montmartre, by far. I can't even remember how many times I spent an afternoon ambling about there. Although I lived in the south of Paris, and Montmartre was at the very opposite end, I still made the trek out there because it's just THAT good. I was lucky enough to live on Metro line 12, which had stops at both the Musée D'Orsay and the base of the Montmartre hill, so it wasn't too much of a hassle to get there.

My favorite route up to the butte was from Metro Abbesses. Less tourists, and zero obnoxious salesmen forcing you to look at their eiffel tower keychains or string bracelets (don't even get me started on how damn annoying they are). Using this route, there are a number of small boutiques and cute restaurants to check out. I particularly enjoyed the vintage shop Vintage Desir for it's cheap prices, and Chîne Machine for its higher end inventory. Be sure to head downstairs into the stone basement at Chine Machine! Lots of amusing things to try on, including giant fur coats, wacky 80s prom dresses, and the like.

One of my favorite sections of Montmartre was near the vineyard, near La Maison Rose and, further down the hill, Au Lapin Agile. That Bohemian charm still remains here, even if it is usually swarmed with tourists. Just avoid the sales men that lurk at the bottom of the hill near the carousel… they are bad news. And another piece of advice, if you see a stand selling sausages on baguettes with grilled onion, buy one. You won't regret it.

{Basement of Chîne Machine}


Île-de-la-Cité and Île-Saint-Louis


Saving the best for last! The two islands that sit in the middle of the Seine river are perhaps the most quintessentially Parisian. You have Notre Dame here, St. Chapelle there, a famous ice cream shop over yonder, little booksellers lining the river banks, a charming park, Shakespeare and Co. across the river (technically not on the islands, but close enough!), AND MORE.

My preferred plan of attack: visit St Chappel with it's amazing stained glass windows, pop into Notre Dame, then make your way down side streets, over a bridge to the quieter Île-Saint-Louis, stop at any vendor to get a fix of Berthillon ice cream (my favorite flavor is caramel beurre salé, aka salted caramel), then amble across another bridge and down to the river bank as you savor the ice cream snack. You could even be ambitious and bring bottle of wine to drink by the water's edge. CAN YOU GET ANY MORE CHARMING?!

I find the back of Notre Dame much more beautiful than the front. Theres even a little garden in the back with plenty of benches.


There's still so much to share about my Paris study abroad experience! I have a few more planned before I depart for a new new life in Versailles in one month! On the planner - "Le Musée," "Marché aux Puces," and "Restaurants." After that, I'll be able to share my new experiences settling into French life. <3




*Top image made with A Beautiful Mess app

*Places Mentioned:

Vintage Desir - 28 rue Yvonne le Tac, Metro Abbesses (also one in the Marais)

Chîne Machine - 100 Rue des Martyrs, Metro Abbesses

Berthillon Ice Cream - 31 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, Metro Cité + walk

Shakespeare & Co - 37 Rue de la Bucherie, Metro Saint Michel



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Flea Market Ephemera

I uncovered these three postcards at the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen in Paris last year, and just now remembered that I had them! They were hiding away in a nondescript white envelope under my bed in a box of memorabilia. (Is it just me who keeps boxes of random sentimental crap under the bed??)

I remember rifling through rows and rows of old postcards, and something about the design or handwritten letters on the back caught my eye. I think what really takes it up a notch is the presence of an actual stamp and a somewhat legible message. I can only read one of these, but isn't vintage cursive handwriting beautiful? It makes me a little bit sad that cursive is on its way out of public school education. Imagine, in 500 years, people might not be able to decipher cursive at all!

Postcards, or even old photographs, are such a budget-friendly souvenir to take home from a flea market. They take up virtually no space in suitcases and the experience of searching for the most beautiful is really satisfying.

{rough translation: "My dear Papa, I am late in writing but it has been beautiful and ... I am happy to see you Saturday at 4 o'clock at Printemps."}




P.S.: I'm going to be writing a post on the Marché at Saint-Ouen sometime soon, complete with photos, directions, and advice.

Do you write in cursive still? and also, let me know if you keep boxes of nostalgia under your bed or in your closet :)


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Burgundy Blazer at La Maison Rose

Two days ago, my best friend arrived in Paris to spend an entire two weeks with me! It's finally the Christmas vacation, so we've been hitting the metros and streets HARD. But more on that later.

Today I have an outfit of the day for you, set against a delightfully pink wall in Montmartre. I've been wearing black far more than I used to in California, and I am embracing this ever-so-slightly edgier side of me wholeheartedly. And speaking of embracing things, I let my hair go wild today. It's slept-on, tangled, wavy, and a bit frizzy, but that's French! and I love it.

It's been raining on and off for the past week, so I wore my vintage boots to keep water out of my socks and brought my floral umbrella along. To keep my legs warm, I layered two pairs of leggings and tall wool socks. The temperature has been slightly warmer lately, and as long as I kept moving I didn't feel cold.



Dress: F21
Blazer: Vintage
Socks/Leggings: H&M
Umbrella: H&M
Boots: Vintage Dèsir
Scarf: TJ Maxx
Bag: F21
Nails: OPI Got the Blues for Red



And here's a random image I found on Pinterest for your enjoyment:

Source: designcollector.net via Free People on Pinterest

Redo: Red Pants and Vintage Top

Okay guys - I feel like I wear these red pants CONSTANTLY, but the more I wear them, the more they mold to my body, and the more comfortably they fit! Plus, who knows how long (or short) this colored pants trend will last? I want to take full advantage of the trend before it's considered to be old news.

I featured this same outfit a couple months ago, but I feel this time around I've improved. Plus, I've gained many new followers since then, who may not have seen the original post anyway. So, why is this outfit better, you ask? I'll tell ya:

{ONE}
I caved, and bought some heels, despite the fact that for as long as I can remember, I've held an unspoken vow to never wear heels, except at formal events. This is partially because they can be painful, and partially because I feel self-conscious and conspicuous when I wear them. This self-consciousness is merely a result of my overactive imagination convincing me that everyone is staring at my feet thinking how ridiculous they look, when really they don't give a crap. Sometimes I just don't understand my brain.

In fact, I look about 10 pounds lighter when I put on these heels. WHO KNEW?! Combine that with really good posture, and I'll never have to go to the gym again. I take that back... exercising is healthy, and I gotta be healthy!

{TWO}
Better photography. I changed my normal physical location, which changed the direction of the light, which actually makes a world of difference. Light is paramount to photography. Crappy light = crappy photo. If you're a frugal person like me, use cheap white poster boards as light reflectors.


{THREE}
More liberated posing. The more I take pictures of myself, the more comfortable I become, and I'm starting to learn what angles and poses are the most flattering, or at least more fun.


Pants: F21
Top: BearCat Vintage
Shoes: TJ Maxx
Shades: Aldo
Belt: Target

Cute as a Button

Every time I drive to work, I pass this little antique shop, with sparkling lights in its large windows, through which I see glimpses of the cutest. shop. ever.

FINALLY, after months of driving past, I scavenged a parking space and paid a visit to the store. Boy, had I been missing out on something special. Not only does she have a great selection, but her prices are fantastically affordable. The one thing I like (yet mostly dislike) about antique/vintage stores is the tendency to overstock every square inch of space with stuff, but her shop was refreshingly well-visually displayed. She also runs an Etsy! Rustic and Refined

While there, I bought some milk-glass vases, some decorative glass candle holders that look like curvy test tubes, a beautiful frame that looks like gold lace, some wee little doilies, and a myriad of buttons. All of these things I bought as photo props, to better experiment with Still-Lives (Lifes?), you see.

As of yet, I have only explored the buttons, placed upon the doilies and a few of my favorite dresses with their colorful prints.









These aren't buttons, although they would make any blouse proud, they are in fact earrings, which I bought from Francescas!

Mint & Rose Treasury

Hello! I was inspired by valentine's day and the color mint in this Treasury. Click here to check out all the amazing and really cute handmade & vintage items!