How to be Parisian (wherever you are)

I know that I mentioned the books that I'm reading this fall, but my discovery of How To Be Parisian Wherever You Are, by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas, somehow trumped that list (I'll get back on track soon!). I couldn't help but wonder what these four accomplished ladies had to say about what it really means to be a Parisienne, including how to dress, entertain, go on dates, and have fun. Plus, the book had a promise: it's funny! So far, I love it, and find many parts that are worth repeating to friends, family, coworkers, boyfriends. :) For example, the book's guide to the city's signature colors, all defined by it's culture. I'll explain...

This bright orangey red is reminiscent of seats in a movie theater in Paris (and if you ask me some of the pretty café tables that brighten up a rainy day).

Going to Ladurée? You'll definitely spot this subtle, yet eye-catching hue. According to les femmes parisiennes (aka, the authors of this book), it's the color of a rose-flavored macaron. :)

But of course, this rich and decadent shade defines French color at it's best. It's the shade of a tall glass of Bordeaux, n'est-ce pas?

There are tons more cheeky color definitions where these came from, but what a brilliant idea to create a palette to describe such a unique place. In fact, the reds and greens and blues and yellows and pinks are one of the first things I think of when reminiscing about my travels there.

What are you reading right now?

PS: Another French book I read and loved.

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Jars dinnerware

When Matt and I were in Paris, we splurged on a fancy night out at Le Chateaubriand. The food was unreal (in case you're wondering, the top image is their cheese plate; the bottom image is part of the dessert course, strawberries served with a mix of Indian spices that tasted like anise)—but I couldn't leave without asking about their dinnerware. Every course came out on a different color plate! The waiter explained: They use Jars, a brand founded in 1857 in the South of France. The plates and bowls are all hand-crafted—and beautiful. It was such a cool part of the dining experience to curiously wait to see which plate color would be next. Can you imagine being the person in the kitchen coordinating that part of the meal?

The good news: I thought it would be impossible to find Jars back in the U.S., but the brand is sold at Williams Sonoma. 

Do you pay attention to restaurant details like this? Or is all about the food? :)

Train Travel Survival Guide

As I continue to chronicle my travels in Sweden, Paris (here and here) and Italy, I wanted to share something important: how to survive all those hours on the train! We took a flight from Sweden to Paris, but after that, we traveled on high speed and commuter trains from Paris all the way to Venice. The toughest parts? Juggling our luggage and knowing a few key differences between US and European train travel (for example, you usually have an assigned seat/cabin number; also, in Italy, you have to validate your ticket before you get on board). The best parts? Entertaining ourselves and watching the gorgeous(!) scenery whiz by. Here's how we passed the time:

• Matt taught me how to play poker—and I cleaned up. We played for real money, and I kept winning! First, he taught me Texas Hold 'Em, then he taught me the original game. It was such a fun way to relax and kick back. People around us in other seats kept tuning in to see who was ahead. 

• I used Day One, an awesome app that allows you to record details about your travels in real time. It's like a digital journal, but it also records the weather and location for you, and allows you to plug in pics, too. Since we had 3-4 hours on the train every 3-4 days during our trip, I used this time to jot down all the things I wanted to remember about the cities we were in.

• I carried "The Vacationers" by Emma Straub. It's a fun read about a family that travels together for a two-week vacation on the coast of Spain. It was nice and relaxing to read about someone else's vacation while I was on vacation myself. :)

The rest of the time, I listened to a lot of Carla Bruni and took in the pretty views.

Do you have any tips for surviving lots of train travel? What do you pack to pass the time? 

Travel Page: Paris, Day Two

I mentioned yesterday that even though we only spent the weekend in Paris, I had to spread it out over two blog posts. There's just too much to say about that city! Matt always laughs at me: I've been to Paris twice now in the last two years , but it still tops my list of places I want to visit next. There's something about it that always makes me feel at home. Plus, it was great to go back after refreshing my French conversation skills in Brooklyn last fall. I felt so much more comfortable chatting and making my way around this time. 

On Sunday, we woke up to sunshine, so decided it would be the perfect day to visit Montmartre, a place we missed on our last trip. We grabbed croissants at the boulangerie across from our apartment, and made our way to the metro...

Travel Page: Paris, Day One

It's hard to write about our weekend in Paris with just one post, so I broke it up into two separate entries so I had room to cover it all. :) It's just a two hour flight from Stockholm—so quick! Last time, we rented an apartment in St. Germain des Pres, so we decided to mix it up and stay in the 13th arrondissement this trip. There's nothing more fun than combing through the apartment listings on Airbnb to choose a place. We found an adorable 1-bedroom right next to Place D'Italie and knew in an instant, it was perfect for us.

Paris in Hollywood

When I was in college, one of my closest friends was (and still is!) from Istanbul, Turkey. I remember having a conversation with her one night after watching When Harry Met Sally about how magical it is to see places like New York after seeing them on-screen from afar. She's right—and her perspective on New York is exactly how I feel about Paris. I love to savor old and new French films and just take in the scenery and stunning locations where they shoot.

So, to get in the mood for our trip, Matt and I decided to watch Midnight in Paris, and I whipped up (!) a few French dishes from "The French Market Cookbook" by Clotilde Dusoulier (like this recipe for avocado and radish mini-tartines, which is delicious). That movie is probably one of my favorite examples of how beautiful and captivating Paris can be. I especially love the film's opening sequence. As I watched, I made a mental list of all the places I want to see in two weeks!

Is there a film that makes you daydream about travel? Where does it take place?

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Say it in French

What do you think of all the French (and foreign language) t-shirts that are popping up just in time for spring? The two options above are both from Madewell. I think they're pretty—and chic, too. It makes for a fun pop of culture with your look, don't you think?

PS—A dog sweater!

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Photography how-to

Now that my trip to France and Italy is coming up soon, I've been starting to make mini-lists to prepare. Top priority right now: Master my SLR camera so that I can come back with lots of gorgeous pics. It's harder than you think! 

Luckily, there's Skillshare, a company with classes that teach almost any skill you could ever imagine wanting to learn. I signed up for a photography course, and I love it! It's really simple, too: It's all online, with videos that teach you each step. Then, there are projects at the end of every lesson so you can practice what you just learned and share it with your virtual classmates. Really cool, right?

So, I'm brushing up on my photo skills and getting ready for my trip. Do you have any photo tips or advice?

PS—My first attempt with the SLR.

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Crepes, Brooklyn-style

When I was in Paris, I had a nutella crepe every. single. night. We stayed in St. Germain des Pres, and there was a creperie that stayed open past midnight located right beneath the apartment we rented on Airbnb. It became my late night fix, and the sweetest way to end each day. 

Fast forward to now—in Brooklyn—where a creperie just opened on my block. I'm talking footsteps from my apartment. The only thing they serve? Crepes. Judging from my time in Paris, I'm doomed. ;)

What's your favorite way to eat a crepe? I love nutella and strawberries. Yum.

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Apartment hunting in Paris

Now that it's 2014, I'm getting so excited for my trip to France and Italy this spring—it's only five months away! Since we're bopping around to several cities this time, there's quite a bit of hotel research to do. To make it easy on ourselves, we've decided to use Airbnb again in Paris since it worked out so well the last time. The fun part: perusing all the gorgeous apartments there. Browsing through the listings, it's hard not to fantasize about living in Paris. There are so many charming little studios and 1-bedroom apartments with sweeping views of the city rooftops and the Eiffel Tower and the Seine.

Here are three apartments that are catching my eye:

- This artful spot in Saint Michel

- This cozy studio in Place D'Italie

- This beautiful home near the Champs Élysees.

What's your favorite neighborhood in Paris?

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2 days in Paris

So, I have some big news to share! Matt and I booked a trip to Paris for the spring. I'm so excited! We'll actually only be in the city of light for two days—we're squeezing in a weekend en route to Marseille, Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Cinque Terra, and Venice—but I'm so thrilled that we are going back. I loved our trip there last year, and am already feeling overwhelmed at all that I want to do and see that we didn't see before.

I'm also taking French classes at a lovely little language bookstore in Brooklyn to prepare. Even though I studied French for 10 years in high school and college, I'm amazed at how quickly I've forgotten it! It's been so fun to meet once a week and practice conversation with a teacher, and 15 other students.

More updates to come soon on this trip, but I'm happy to cross two of my goals off the list for 2013. :)

PS—A peek back at my trip to Paris last year here and here. 

Finding the calm

What do you do to add peaceful moments for yourself into your day, your week, or your month? After reading this thoughtful post by Megan Gilger over at The Fresh Exchange, I realized: Finding the calm is something I need to start prioritizing...now.

I actually used to be very good at squeezing in time that was just for me. In fact, I cherished it, and put it at the top on my list of things to do. Now, I'm on a mission to get back to this ideal—even if it is only for 22 minutes a day (the length of an episode of Friends, my favorite TV show) or 90 minutes a weekend (the length of time necessary to get a manicure/pedicure and maybe a 10-minute massage if I splurge!) or eight hours a month (the length of time to take a break—from speaking English, at least—and brush up on my French).

Anyways, the point is that it all starts with finding the calm—and doing the things you need to do to "repair yourself", as Megan describes. Good advice, don't you think?

(Image via Pinterest)

Fete Paradiso

On Friday, I mentioned Fete Paradiso, a giant Parisian festival brought to Governor's Island to celebrate Bastille Day. A quick five-minute ferry ride over, and we were there—transported to a small (and shockingly un-crowded) outdoor party, straight out of Midnight in Paris. The coolest part was the old-school carnival rides that were set up for party-goers to ride. The mini-roller coaster (pictured above) was from the 1950s, while the bicycle-propelled carousel was from 1892.

After sundown, the night carried on—with live bands, dancing, food, champagne and more. The most amazing part was being on Governor's Island after dark. I had no idea, but fireflies do exist in New York. In fact, venture out to Governor's Island at night and you'll spot thousands.

Did you celebrate Bastille Day? Would love to hear what you did!

Paris postcards

Je t'aime Paris—that's how I feel anytime I see anything to do with this gorgeous city across the pond. I've always been a fan of Nichole Robertson's work (have you read Paris in Color?), but was thrilled to recently discover her Etsy store. The images above are beautiful. I can totally picture them framed and on the wall in my new place in BK. :)

(Images via TheParisPrintShop) 

Paris rooftops

A couple of months ago, I discovered this gorgeous photograph of Paris at the Affordable Art Fair in New York. Ever since, I can't get it out of my head! The image was shot by photographer Irene Suchocki as part of her Rooftop Soliloquy series. It's stunning, right? I'm considering buying it as an early Christmas splurge—just looking at it instantly takes me back to my trip and reminds me at a glance of how wonderfully moody and beautiful Paris can be. :)
 
Do you have a piece of art in your home that you love? What inspired you to buy it?

(Images via Art Star) 

Paris in the Rain

I know I just recently blogged about Paris, but these photos from Little Brown Pen caught my eye. Nichole's series about Paris in the rain is lovely, and perfectly captures the energy of a city where the moody weather changes on a dime. In fact, the rain came to be one of my favorite parts of my trip—I loved waking up to a downpour, or ducking into a cozy coffee shop when a short-lived storm passed by.

I'm actually missing Paris a lot, and already itching to go back. In the interim, I decided to join the French Library in New York to keep French culture top of mind. I'm going to my first event tonight. :)

One more: Have you listened to this Regina Spektor song? It talks about Paris in the rain. It's amazing!

(Images via Little Brown Pen)

The weekend is here!

The weekend, my darling readers! After a week spent blogging about my travels to Ireland and Paris, I have to admit: one of the best things about vacation is coming home, especially to a city as amazing as New York. This weekend is filled with lots of only-in-New York things. Broadway, the ballet, and given the sunny forecast, hopefully some time spent in Central Park, too. What do you have planned? Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Ode to the little things.

I wish my bookshelves looked like this.

Reasons to love October.

Can someone buy me these lovely purple shoes? :)

How to be a tourist in Notting Hill.

Sunny vases.

I think I want a puppy. 

Oui, je t'aime Paris! (Plus: the city in Autumn.)

Fall salads I can't wait to try.

Run away.

(Image via Note to Self) 

Travel Page: Paris [Part Two]

 

Whew, this post is a big one: Paris! Honestly, it was a challenge to select just a handful of pics to share. As I mentioned yesterday, this city was everything I hoped it would be and more. I had the most incredible time, filled with more pinch-me-this-is-out-of-a-movie moments than I can possible recount. The most important things about my trip:

Where to Eat
*Septime was the first meal I ate in Paris, and one of the best. A recommendation that came from Rachel Khoo, Matt and I snagged a reservation for lunch where we were blown away by the inventiveness of each dish. Septime is also the place that I learned about the quality of vegetables in France—our waiter explained it is the soil and the way they are harvested that makes the veggies much more flavorful than the States.
*Le Verre Volé near Canal Saint-Martin is where we spent our Saturday night, drinking plenty of red wine, and eating fresh, delicious fish. For those of you that know me, fish typically isn't my thing, but when in Paris... I decided to leave everything I ordered up to the chef.
*Philou was hands down my favorite meal of our trip. This bistro—also by Canal Saint-Martin—was relaxed, romantic, and one-of-a-kind. If I lived in Paris, I would definitely make this a regular spot. Between the food and the service, it was absolutely lovely. Plus, check out the décor!

Where to Stay
*For this trip, we decided to rent an apartment through Airbnb. We stayed in Saint Germain des Pres, a gorgeous and picturesque neighborhood, with a great nightlife, too. It didn't hurt that there were a few creperies on our block that stayed open late. I'd happily swap a late-night slice of pizza for a nutella crepe any day!

What to Do
*From the moment we arrived in Paris, Matt and I were on the go. We went to the Centre Pompideau and the Louvre, Ladurée for macarons, Luxembourg Gardens, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles and more. The best recommendation I can give is something we did the Sunday night before we left: a bike tour of Paris at night. We signed up through Fat Tire Bike Tours, which was a brilliant idea (way to go, Matt!). Riding through the streets of Paris for hours, it was breathtaking to see the city all lit up. After three hours, the tour ended with a river cruise on the Seine until midnight, ending in front of the Eiffel Tower as it sparkled against the night sky. It started pouring while we were on the water, but it only added to the experience. It was definitely a memorable night!

There you have it: Paris. Truthfully, there's so much more to share. But this is a start—and hopefully the beginning of many regular trips back. :)

Have you been to Paris before? Check out details of my Ireland vacation here and here.

Travel Page: Paris [Part One]

In a nutshell, Paris—to me—is the most magical place I've ever been. Before I delve deep into what we did on our 5-day vacation there, I figured I'd start with the most quintessential part of our trip: the Eiffel Tower. We took the metro there, and as we rounded the corner past the subway exit, we looked up and there it was. As many times as I've seen the Eiffel Tower in movies and photos, and talked about it throughout eight years of studying French, nothing could have prepared me for how magnificent it looks up close. 

Per the advice of a friend, we watched the forecast to pick the sunniest day and waited in line to take the elevator to the top. I loved the rickety feel of the elevator as it slowly made the climb up. Then, in minutes, we were stepping through the doors and out onto a platform to take in unlimited views of Paris—the rooftops, the gardens, the Seine. Like I said, nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of that sight. 

After an hour or so, we decided to skip the elevator and slowly make the climb down. Matt managed to snap the somewhat awkward, somewhat cool photo of me above. I mean, who wouldn't want a shot of themselves inside a leg of the Eiffel Tower? It's a pic I'm happy to have, and a memory I'm happy to share.

Have you been to the Eiffel Tower? What did you think? More Paris tomorrow!

The weekend is here!

Whew! The weekend has arrived — and so has my vacation! I'm off to Boston, Ireland, then Paris, a wonderful vacation marked by two fabulous celebrations: two of my best friends' weddings. Looking forward to sharing details of my trip when I get back. In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful weekend ahead. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Wrap yourself in this.

Blogger inspiration.

Airport style.

Instagram love (and 10 ways to have a good day).

Words of advice for a wedding.

Watch us carefully.

How to dress for a rainstorm.

A lovely goodbye to summer.

Reminder for the weekend.

A love song.

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