Attn. Jeff Claassen:

Please take me back to Paris.

That's all. ♡

And P.S.

Oh my gosh, my life is complete!

Please excuse me while I geek out on you for a minute...

After seeing Before Sunrise, I was left feeling so spurned.  I needed closure!  I needed answers!  I needed a sequel!  Happily, a whole decade later, Before Sunset came along and neatly tied all of those loose ends into a big, gorgeous, glowing bow.  That was that, and with that *squeeeeeeeal* GREAT ending, I was totally satisfied.  I never imagined that the Delpy/Hawke/Linklater trio would once again revisit the Celine and Jesse relationship - so THIS... this is such a cool, unexpected bonus of a film.  They've finally released the trailer for Before Midnight, and I am SO excited.  Can you tell?  Are you?!

I've carried this ongoing love story with me since I was a teenager, and its appeal hasn't diminished a bit.  My mom had "As The World Turns", I have Celine + Jesse...  I even dragged Jeff into the ridiculously crowded Shakespeare & Co. in Paris (Footnote: Literary history aside- it was also a prominently featured shooting location in the second film) to buy the 2 in 1 screenplay of the first two films.  AND onto a super fun, but cheesy boat ride along the Seine (yes, another scene from the sequel).  But you know what... I'm not even ashamed to admit it, these movies are a total obsession for me and I feel like singing and doing dramatic pirouettes all over the house in anticipation of seeing this one.  

YAY, LOVE!

Oh my gosh, you guys- this is for real...

It's no secret that Paris left a gaping hole in my heart that can only be filled with, uhhh... more Paris.

But this is a little ridiculous.  A Czech photographer has rustled up a nice little side business on etsy (duh) selling cans of exotic air for $10 a pop.  Er... sniff.  Breath?  

1. Yes, it's crazy.

2. The packaging is surprisingly brilliant.

3. Did I mention that it's crazy?

Ok, he might have sold me on the "homesickness" thing.  On a particularly bad day, I might just be inclined to crack open a can of Kauai air.  Here's hoping he never offers it, because I'm kind of serious - and Jeff might never speak to me again if I start buying canned air online.  

Paris not your canned air locale of choice?  No problemo.  

He's got the good stuff from New York, Singapore, Riga, Berlin, and Prague.  

What's your air of choice?

An ode to awesome...

Look what I've found to tide me over until our next trip to Paris:

Dear, Fentiman's Rose Lemonade...  You've been around since 1905, I'm a jerk for not noticing you until two weeks ago.  You taste EXACTLY like every Parisian memory I have.  You are a dream vacation that lasts around 10 minutes.  You have stolen my heart, and I will love you forever and ever.   

$250 shopping spree... YOU CAN WIN THIS!

Hey you guys, have you entered the AMBIANCE shopping spree contest yet? 

  DO IT!  The contest ends today!  I'm a big believer in contests, and I've won two in the past two years.  That might not seem like a lot... but what if I told you that I've only entered 4 in the past two years?  Seriously!  Anyway... AMBIANCE is giving away a $250 Free People shopping spree 

and it takes about 30 seconds to enter.  30 SECONDS!  

The odds of winning are worth 30 seconds.  

CLICK HERE TO ENTER NOW!

What would you get at AMBIANCE with $250?

I'd snag this pair of wildflower print Current Elliott stilettos - in a heartbeat!

GOOD LUCK!  

I'm not allowed to enter, so I genuinely hope YOU win.

{Jeans photo via Colette Paris}

J'adore le door...

(source: ThisIsNotNew, TheRedDoor)

Home Inspiration... Le Shack!

Magical.  I'm sitting here, wracking my brain to think of a better word- and there just isn't one; to describe Isabel Marant's darling little shack, at the end of a nameless road, along the Loire river in Fontainebleau.  Can you imagine a more charming existence?  Cult-status fashion designer in Paris, 5 days a week... no phones, no electricity, no city, on weekends.  It looks like Neverland!  Now, this is my kind of camping.  

The New York Times ran a beautiful story on "Le Shack", the rustic weekend retreat of Marant, her husband/accessories designer-extraordinaire, Jérôme Dreyfuss, and their little boy.

I've been living vicariously through these photos ever since.

Bringing Up Bébé...

How sick are you of hearing about this book?

It's been reviewed, revered, and reviled everywhere from the New York Times, and Forbes, to the Wall Street Journal, and the Huffington Post - not to mention every mommy blog in-between...

I bought it last week.  

I'll spare you another in-depth review, but I'll give you my brief opinion of it.  First, you should know that I had pretty low expectations.  I read all of the above, and about 300 reader comments about the book, many of whom came from French mother's themselves, who really couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.  Many were offended by the notion that even their parenting could be reduced to a fad by an American author.  Most of them couldn't grasp the idea that these common sense ideals could be a revelation in motherhood.  In the first chapter Druckerman addresses this, by stating outright that the French mothers she interviewed insisted that they weren't doing anything special.  I realized in reading this that one mother's/country's/culture's common sense is another's  epiphany!  As an American, living and raising children in France, Druckerman found herself in a unique perspective- with the opportunity to observe both her American and French friends with their children and she found remarkable disparities in their parenting styles and focus, and these are the observations she shares with us in Bringing Up Bébé.  

   

You guys, I LOVE THIS BOOK!  

I had every intention of flipping through it, reading a chapter or two over a cup of cocoa in the Barnes & Noble Cafe, and promptly returning it to the shelf.  I was prepared to dismiss it with a super ambivalent "Yeah, I started to read it- it was crap".  But it's fantastic!  I found it really informative and objective; more anthropological than instructional.  Take what you want from it, but this is what she learned.  What works for one mother may not work for another, but I fully appreciate the idea of a woman sharing something that worked well for her, and spreading the word.  Plus, this all plays out in Paris!  The exact same parenting methods might be happening in Japan, Africa, Argentina...  but oh, Paris.  Paris just makes it all that much more intriguing, doesn't it?  

Tonight I fed my baby braised leeks for dinner- because of this book.  He loved them! Braised leeks for my 8 month old boy wouldn't even have occurred to me last week. Voila!

Merci, Ms. Druckerman.

custom portraits...

Oh my gosh, how cute are these?!

I love them so much! Patricia at Memi The Rainbow, is a very talented artist from Italy- currently living and studying in Paris. She did these super sweet drawings of Pascal and I together for the blog. The best part is that she illustrated both Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer versions! She's amazing.

Visit her blog for wonderful Paris insights, great DIY's, and lovely artist profiles. Then promptly head over to her etsy shop for adorable hand-cut stamps and other teensy accoutrements that you simply cannot live without. ♥

New books!

How much do you love new books? Am I a nerd for asking that? I love love looove new books. Mmmm... SO much. I treated myself to some great new picks, and loved them, so I thought I'd share. These are the books currently in heavy rotation on my lap, on my counter, in my tub, and on my nightstand...

Shhh... don't tell, but I'm giving these two to Evelyn for Valentine's day.

"Just being Audrey" is the very sweet story of Audrey Hepburn and her journey from gangly ballerina, to war survivor, to Broadway star, movie star, mom, and humanitarian. It's just a very lovely, very Audrey, little book.

"Different Like Coco" is such a great, inspiring little bio on Coco Chanel- and beautifully simplified for children. Both of these books highlight the advantages of being different and how to embrace your quirks. Also they're both illustrated so well, and perfectly intriguing and informative for little readers- but I've honestly enjoyed reading them too.

"Chicken & Egg" is one woman's journey from food stylist and egg lover, to backyard chicken keeper. The story follows the relationship she develops with her three hens, and includes tips, recipes, and great facts- all chicken related. While there's nothing in your face about this book, it still tells a great story of food provenance. Having raised chickens myself, I harbor no secret wishes to raise backyard birds again anytime soon- but I've loved reading and re-reading this book, and pausing to think deeper about our relationships with food and the animals providing it. Beautiful book.

"My Lady Scandalous- The Amazing Life & Outrageous Times of Grace Dalrymple Elliott" Phew! Huge title... If you know me, you know that I have an unhealthy preoccupation with the French Revolution, and all things relative. There's just something about the monarchy, the poverty and excess, the uprising, the insanity, and the recovery... I can't think of a more intriguing subject. Anyway, this book is the story of a royal courtesan who survived the revolution (just barely), and her unique perspective on the period. Very unique, as the list of people with any monarchial involvement in France during the revolution, whom managed to escape the guillotine with their head intact- is nearly non-existant. Her first-hand account of the royal family, the prisons, the river of blood through the streets... wow. Major page-turner.

"Murakami Versaille" Yes, this is just another extension of my crazy French Revolution obsession... but in a really amazing/modern art sort of way. This book is particularly special to me because Jeff and I actually saw this exhibit in person. Seeing Takashi Murakami's work in person, at Versaille, was without question, one of the most incredible and monumental experiences of my life. Seriously. I've been a huge Murakami fan for so long, and only seen his work in person twice before. And this was my very first visit to the Versaille Palace. Needless to say, it felt like this installation was tailor-made for me. Anyway, the book... This book is a stunning, and comprehensive feature of the entire collection. I really hate all that composition/juxtaposition/duality art speak mumbo-jumbo that goes along with major exhibitions like this, but I can't think of a more appropriate way to explain Murakami's work in the Palace, the fountains, and gardens of Versailles. Japanese Pop Sculpture craziness-meets 16th Century opulence. Plastic and glossy-meets historic and distressed. It was mind-blowing. So yeah... special book.

Super special. ♥