Things That Make Me Smile: Colorful, Splendid Life.

1) Purple Shoes.
They add the perfect *POP* of color. I love my new Chloes from Paris, and I love these suede loafers featured on The Sartorialist.

2) New Shades-of-Purple Vespas.
If you know me, you'll know that I've always dreamed of having a red canoe and a lavender Vespa. You might also know that I have a fish at my office named Aubergine. I passed this Vespa yesterday and it seemed like fate.

3) Subconsciously dwelling on Paris.
In the last few weeks I've randomly happened to watch a number of movies with French connections:

• Julie & Julia. A truly EXCELLENT and utterly CHARMING film. As she lives and loves in Paris, Julia learns and eventually masters the art of French cooking.
• Taken. A gory action film. Set in Paris.
• La Vie En Rose. Another BRILLIANT film. Set in Paris and New York. It was lovely to watch Marion Cotillard walk through Montmartre then Central Park and think about how I've taken those same steps in the past few days.
  
• Revolutionary Road. I watched this on the plane en route to Paris. Despite its dark tone, the movie sets Paris as the ideal place to be--where one discovers the answers to life's questions and really learns how to live.
  

4) Exploring Brooklyn.
My friend CLB is my best excuse for exploring Brooklyn. This week we had dinner at Clover Club, a nouveau-speakeasy she selected for us.

We sat in the back room, which had a lovely library-feel and a fireplace filled with candles.
And the cocktails aren't bad either!

5) Spending time with friends, particularly friends from far away!

Dinner with CMM, in town for the summer, at Westville East // Sassy new New Yorker RFS post-(a separate) dinner at Westville East.

Kayaking on the Hudson with MVG: We didn't fall in!


Cupcakes at Two Little Red Hens with TAG // Post-Dinner at Kefi with visiting Londoner HP!

Model as Muse exhibit at the Met with TMS, in town from L.A.!

Pool Party on Long Island with my Princeton Gals: CHW, MVG, A(K)K, CJM, LAT, EJS
---
I have a great weekend planned and I hope you do too!
Enjoy one of the final weekends of summer!
Cxx.

Paris Recap #5: Faire du Shopping!

A few photos from window shopping, and then a bit about what I bought (I'm much more well-behaved than you might imagine!).

So Punny! Since I never wear pants I am tempted to say that I do, indeed, live "la vie en robes"!

---

Everyone deserves their "place in the sun."
---

I think you know how I feel about Crocs. The fact that they've now invaded Paris is very grave news indeed...
---

Hermes designed several limited-edition Smart Cars.
The top left photo of this poster displays the umbrella holder in the trunk.
The bottom left photo showcases the built-in portfolio behind the driver's seat.
It's the perfect weird marriage of practicality to excessive luxury and I LOVE it!

---

Didier Ludot's shop in the Colonnade of the Palais Royal is always one of my favorite stops. They curate an excellent, albeit expensive, collection of vintage haute couture.
This dress is a 1938 Schiaparelli. During my last trip to Paris I fell in love with a 1950s white Balmain gown. Candy for grown girls!

---
There are so many shopping districts in Paris that you could probably be very content in just about any arrondissement. The Rue-St-Honore has the best selection of shops, akin to 5th or Madison Avenues in NYC.

Fragonard, one of my very favorite French shops, has a location here. I bought some delightful Fragonard perfume the last time I was in Paris. They sell really cute items like pillowcases with French words like "Cherie" but unfortunately these products aren't available for e-commerce.

Colette, larger than a boutique but smaller than a department store, is also located on this street. The items here are showcased as if in a museum: carefully curated ensembles are created from the clever brands they carry.
Rows of mannequins display outfits like a Gareth Pugh jacket over a Lanvin dress with a Sonia Rykiel belt and Martin Margiela shoes.
Outrageous prices and loads of fun.
Everything is black, black, black and I ADORE it.
After all, women who wear black lead colorful lives...
---
Jutting off of Rue-St-Honore is the Rue Cambon. Located at number 31 is Chanel.

The quotidien fashions of Paris don't set my heart aflutter, but Chanel does.
Even though Chanel is available worldwide, there's something magical about stepping into the Paris flagship, opened in 1910 by Mme. Coco herself.
I read an article in the NYTimes last year which claimed that people prefer brands whose initials match their own. Let's see: Chloe, Cartier, Calypso, Cynthia Rowley, Coach...and, oh, yes, Chanel.
But I don't love the company out of sheer vanity, I love it because it's EXCELLENT.
In a world of dreck, Chanel restores my faith in the notion that fashion is a high art form.
Merci, Coco and Karl!
Qui serait le monde sans eux?
---

My favorite area in which to shop is St-Germain-des-Pres, located within the 6th arrondissement. There's no shortage of ritzy shops (Dior, Louis Vuitton, etc.) but it is full of small, wonderful shops akin to what you might discover in NoLIta.

Nobilis is one such place.
Since 1928 this furniture, fabric and wallpaper house has created the best designs. Just check out their website to get a sense for how creative they are; be sure to scroll your mouse around on the page for little surprises! Here are a few of the Nobilis window displays that caught my eye:

Pearls, Hearts, Giraffe (!)

---

Repetto.
I used to wear their leotards when I was a dancer. They've expanded their product range beyond studio-specific pieces and sell some really adorable ballet flats. Though their products are now available at many boutiques and at chains like Anthropologie, there aren't any flagship stores in the U.S. Entering the Repetto shop was like entering a fairytale.

---

Alaia Stock.
I LOVE the designs of Azzedine Alaia ("An A-whatta?" / "An Alaia! It's like a WAY important designer!"). I couldn't believe my fortune when I discovered that there was a secret outlet, open only 4 hours each day, tucked away in an enclosed courtyard. Sadly, the exchange rate means Alaia's outlet prices are still prohibitive for a young girl like me. That didn't stop another New Yorker from flying to Paris, hiring a personal shopper and buying everything in sight; she was in the store while I was there and I was quite disgusted by her conspicuous consumption during a time when many people are losing their homes. Alors, to each his own.

---

Manoush.

I had to share this fun store with you. If Betsey Johnson and Anthropologie had a love child, Manoush would be it. Everything was whimsical, well-made, quite expensive, and a little too outrageous to wear on any given day. But the ideas are fun and it's certainly worth a perusal if you're in Paris. They have several locations and are fairly easy to find.

---

Confession: I'm not a fan of the offerings at Galeries Lafayette or Au Printemps (La Samaritaine is now closed!), and don't enjoy large department stores as a general rule. Paris being what it is, however, many of these revered shops offer an architectural feast for the eyes. Take a peek at Galeries Lafayette's domed ceiling and tiers; feels a bit more like an opera house than a department store:

---

What I Bought:
In addition to my Mariage Freres, some treats at Le Grande Epicerie, and little gifts here and there, I bought:

• A tiny red Longchamp tote. Sometimes I need a small bag that can handle a good beating, and this petit Longchamp is up to the challenge.
• A ring from Metal Pointu's.

Shortly before my trip I stopped into the Metal Pointu's location in SoHo. The shop owner, a Parisian woman, told me I would find a better selection and better prices (even with the exchange rate) at the shops in Paris and she was right! I love their jewelry and hope to slowly build a collection of their pieces. The hard-edge of the jewelry helps balance the sugary sweetness of girly dresses I love to wear.

I've been receiving so many compliments on my ring!

• Chloe shoes.

The single advantage for CJM of shopping in Paris is that petite French women leave size 39.5 shoes untouched! That means there's an EXCELLENT number of sale shoes in my size. I wavered primarily between the Chloes I eventually purchased, a pair of Sonia Rykiels (which I admittedly regret not buying; they were sexy and comfortable), and some incredible Pierre Hardy's. I assumed I would be doing more aggressive shopping later on, so I tried to budget and restrain myself at that particular juncture; I never carried through on the shopping spree so I'm a little sad to have left Paris with only one pair of great shoes.

Nevertheless, the Chloes are the PERFECT CJM shoe.

And now that I have extra money left over and I'm back in the US where the dollar reigns I may be able to justify some domestic shoe purchases...

Part of the secret of my amazing shoe finds is the fact that I was shopping at Paris' BEST department store: Franck et Fils. F&F reminds me of Jeffrey New York or a mini-Barney's.
I miss it already!

---
Mark my words: Next time, I'll do more damage.

Cxx.

Next Up: Final Paris recap--How to Pack a Perfect Parisian Pique-Nique!

Paris Recap #4: The Food! Oh, the Food!

It goes without saying that French food is one of the best incentives for traveling to France.
In general, produce in Europe is SO MUCH BETTER than its counterpart in the U.S: Fruit is succulent, vegetables are crisp, and the hormone-free chickens are a normal size.
Doesn't that colorful fruit stand just make your mouth water?

I ate a LOT while in France and sadly didn't record all of it, but here are some of the highlights...

THE SWEET and THE SAVORY.






Lenotre.








Lenotre is a pastry franchaise. In the US when something is a "chain" that often means quantity over quality but since food is so important in French culture, Lenotre offers only the best. (Seriously, there are legal requirements regarding the proper diameter of a baguette: 5-6cm.) Their window display of macaroon trees is delightful. Their office-breakfast trunk is so civilized; certainly beats a cardboard carafe from Starbucks!

---

Some things are famous for a reason, and Laduree is one of them.
The birthplace of the macaroon, this 147 year old house presents many tasty offerings in its three Paris locations. Each spot is beautiful and opulent and there's always a long line in the pastry shop for purchasing macaroons to go.

When I arrived in Paris, MLPR presented me with an enormous box of Laduree macaroons. Aren't I a lucky girl?

Fun fact: If you ever saw Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" you may recall party scenes that showcased tiers of macaroons; they were specially comissioned from Laduree!

The Bunny was incredibly generous during our trip to Paris, so I decided to spoil him a bit with lunch at Laduree.

This isn't a great photo, but the Champs-Elysee location is lovely (as are the others), and has a sprawling and sumptuous upstairs. Grand in precisely the way an American in Paris expects the city to be!



Sipping my tea.

We enjoyed sandwiches for lunch and rounded out our meal with dessert.
The Bunny ordered a rich Viennese hot chocolate with cream, and I had tea and a tart citron.


Window Displays at Laduree: "Vive les Vacances!" Cute white and pink stripes, kites, and cartoon animals (the cat is "Mademoiselle Fifi") are oh-so-inviting!

---

2nd arr.: STOHRER'S.

The original Stohrer was the pastry chef of Princess Marie of Poland who married Louis XV and moved to Versailles. When Marie came to France, Stohrer came with her and founded his patisserie in 1730 in the very location where it stands today.

The opulence from 279 years ago is apparent in the shop's paneling, pantings, and chandelier.

The pastries are also beautiful to behold.


A whole-roasted pig that is slowly carved away.



The carry-away box is so tidy and tote-able and opens to reveal, of course, perfect French pastries like this citron meringue tart.
---
6th arr.: POILANE.
This is Paris' most famous bakery. Their high-quality, delicious and absolutely BEAUTIFUL bread is served at the best restaurants in the city.


The apple tartelette (below) is something I literally dream about. I had my first one in 2005 and then ate 2 during this trip; I wish I'd eaten many, many more.

Their magnificent bread really is a sight to behold.
They'll even put your name on it!
This window display just happened to have a "Christine" loaf; I was thrilled!
(The "C" in "CJM" stands for Christine.) I'm in good company with "Brigitte" and "Jacques".

---
6th arr.: BERKO.
The first cupcake shop opened in Paris in November. Since then the trend has grown. Berko is a bakery that's been around for awhile and it was only natural that they would expand their offerings to include cupcakes.

They have an excellent range of flavors that are very typically French:

e.g. I purchased a miniature "Violette"; that's right, a violet flower-flavored cupcake:

Lightly sweet, floral and delicious.
---
MARIAGE FRERES.


My years-long love for this company cannot be underestimated. They have the best teas I've ever tasted. Since they offer over 200 flavors, I have many more to sample and I look forward to the task. They also sell tea-flavored candles and, if I was a candle person, I would have snatched up every scent available.
---
Only in Paris: Jean Paul Gaultier water at Le Grande Epicerie.

---

The Restos.

1st arr.: Angelina.


The ambience is elegant. In her later life, Coco Chanel used to eat at a table in the back room everyday.

This is la vie en rose, mes amis.

---
2nd arr.: Au Trois Petits Cochons.

This charming restaurant on the tiny Rue Tiquetonne is delightful; we enjoyed it so much we dined there twice.
Founded by 3 very thin French men, the "three little pigs" offers up classic French fare done in flavorful, artful presentations in a lovely setting.
On both visits, we ate outside. But, as you can see, the interior of the resto is lovely, decorated with white hydrangeas on every table and interesting portraits of celebrities on the walls.



Gorgeous mussels. Mon Dieu, these were delicious!

The Bunny's foie gras pate and toast.

My veal.

The Bunny's guinea hen. Isn't it such a glorious presentation in that copper pan?

As should be clear from my Giveaway, Mariage Freres is my absolute favorite tea house. It's difficult to find in the U.S. but postively abundant in Paris. I took advantage of every opportunity to drink it when it was available.

Post-dinner cherry liqueur, courtesy of the restaurant.
---
Second meal there:

I ordered the veal again, but it had a different treatment this time. So flavorful.
For dessert I had brioche (basically french toast), and The Bunny had molten chocolate cake with mint jelly. Delicious.

---
18th arr.: Le Crepe Lepic.

In 2004 I ate my first Parisian crepe in Montmartre and wanted to make a tradition of it on this trip. We discovered a petit, intimate restaurant that would fit perfectly into the East/West Village in NYC. The portrait of the bulldog charmed me and we sat down to the most delicious galettes! (FYI, galettes are simply savory crepes.)


The little details are always attended to in Europe. These sugar cubes were wrapped in beautiful origami paper.

And, of course, I had Mariage Freres apres-diner.

Toward the end of our meal we met a special friend: Simon, the bulldog from the portrait! We didn't know he was real, but we got to know him very quickly. He's a bit of a diva and wouldn't pose for the camera despite my best efforts. If I saw a dog inside a resto in the U.S. I would have called the Health Board, but in France I was completely charmed by this adorable chien.
---
7th arr.: LA FONTAINE DE MARS.
En route to a Christian Constant restaurant (CC is Paris' celebrity chef), the Bunny and I stumbled upon this charming restaurant and decided to eat here instead.
Only later, after we were charmed by the outstanding food and excellent service, did we learn that Obama and Michelle had a dinner date here during a recent trip to Paris.



This filet de boeuf was the best in my life. Juicy, tender, flavorful. Served with a top-notch bearnaise sauce.

The Bunny ordered a "floating island" dessert, which made him a very happy lapin, indeed.
---
It's hard to really enjoy your food without excellent company.
Thanks to The Bunny, MLPR, FV and CR for making many meals very memorable.





Bon appetit!
Cxx.

Next Up: CJM shops!