Colour Show Off

There is a time, a day, a moment, to keep your outfits simple and let your surroundings do the show. 

That time might be around just now and I went for dark blue denim, black and white. When the trees of Paris take on their autumn hues, ranging from green, to yellow, orange and maroon, walking around and taking it all in seems like and evidence. Sadly, there are not many red trees (no maples?) and the colours are not that spectacular, but hey, that's the only kind of autumn we get here, so I decided to be happy with it as it is. We can't all live in New England, it's as simple as that.

Outfit photos copyright Vincent

Jardin des Tuileries, packed as always, but still so beautiful. There is a modern art exhibit going on as well. If you're in Paris, go check out the trees (and the art, of course). If you get cold, or hungry, or have a sweet tooth, there is always Angelina - the best hot chocolate in Paris, just around the corner.

Outfit

Jacket - a very very old inherited piece

Shirt - Mango

Jeans - and old (and sadly torn) Levi's

Bag - gift, beautiful leather

Shoes - Agnes b., gift too

Autumn Love

The other day, someone told me they hate autumn. Ever since that day, I've been thinking about a my favourite season (positive attitude, right!). And the answer definitely is, I love them all. I like the never ending cycle of winter-spring-summer-autumn-winter-spring-summer-autumn-winter-spring and so on. I guess I need change. By the end of each season, I am really looking forward to the next one and there is something I love about each season. And thinking of it, there are no things I hate in a season. 

English Rose

Here you go with my favourite things about AUTUMN

• Air gets crispy and when the sun comes out, it's still warm and lovely.
• Rain falls often. Soft, misty, hard... it has so many different faces. I probably mentioned this alreadym but I love walking in the rain. All I need is a nice umbrella, a warm coat, shoes that don't get wet in 5minutes and I am ready to set off. 
• Warm socks, soft plaid and a hot cup of tea with a book on the sofa. (Can I get a fireplace, for Chrismas this year, please?)
• Foliage. For several years now, I've been dreaming of going to see fall season in New England. Not on the agenda this year, though. Thank you Pinterest for all the beautiful foliage pictures you provide.
• Walking around the city in the dark, when the sun starts to set earlier.
• Autumn is a great excuse for sitting around in warm cafes.
• Fruits - pears and plums and all these yums.
• It also means the festive season is one step closer. 

Fontainebleau Forest

Do you like autumn?

Welcome to the Queen's Table

2013 is an important year for heritage in France. 100 years of the 1913 "Monuments" law and the 30th edition of the Heritage days. Created in France 30 years ago, with an endorsement from the Council of Europe and the EU, they are now a tradition all around our continent. A weekend when monuments and sites are open to the public for free and when many places you can't normally visit open their doors. The exact weekend may differ from one country to the other, but always is a weekend in September. 

The British Ambassador kindly opened his Residence to the public for a day. Nice of him. He was even there in person to welcome the visitors. Very nice of him. He had set the big dining room table for 60 people. There was a short video showing the meticulous procedure of assembling and setting the table (two layers of one-piece tablecloths being ironed directly on the 26 pieces table, then the central pieces, the silverware, the cutlery, the bouquets, the name tags, the chandeliers...). The menu and name tags dated back to 1972, to a dinner hosted by the Queen herself. Among the invited - Mr and Mrs President George's Pompidou, Mr and Mrs Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Mr and Mrs Edouard Balladur, a few other ministers, counts and earls... The Embassy's butler was there in person to answer all our weird questions about protocol, food, plates and flowers. Thank you for making us feel welcome in your home, Your Excellency!

My favourite parts - the conservatory, the bouquets, the dining room, the garden and the chandeliers. 

It was a very British visit, we queued in heavy rainfall to get in then we all got bags for our soaked umbrellas upon the arrival and walked out through the garden in heavy rainfall again.

Are You Photoshopped, Mr Cloud?

 

Paris has a special sky. It knows very well, how to be gray and heavy with rain, there is no doubt about it. But it also has moments when the light is so surreal and the clouds so spectacular, that you would think they are either photoshopped or painted by Michelangelo, Rubens or maybe Turner. It might be that the sky here got inspired by what it sees in the Louvre...

Most of the time, this kind of sky spectacle happens when I am walking from work (or basically at any given moment when I don't have my camera with me). Last weekend though, I decided it was a beautiful day and that taking my camera for a walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg might be a good idea. I am not saying more, you can see the result for yourselves...

Can I go and play, too??

Here Comes the Sun

According to what I see on Facebook, road tripping in the USA has become a very popular summer holiday among my friends. Seeing all those beautiful pictures reminds me of that beautiful honeymoon we went on three years ago. I would go again. Anytime. Even though I am on honeymoon every day...

I don't know about you, but for me the greatest souvenirs I can bring home from a trip are things I can wear. It works a bit like my husband's scarf. If I wear them, I get to spend my day a bit where I bought them. Unfortunatelly, my amazing jeans from San Francisco are long dead, maybe because I wore them every other day... (where can I find great jeans again??). My earrings, a souvenir from Grand Teton National Park, a wonderful place in Wyoming, are still going strong. They made their way into my closet all the way from Grand Teton's Indian Arts Museum. That summer (and I hope this tradition continues), every week for several months, a different Indian know how and art was presented at the museum. I watched the lovely lady work her beads and loved it. I am ashamed to say I don't remeber if she was Hopi or Navajo, but I knew immediately, this was a souvenir that would have a special place in my heart. I had hard time choosing the right pair, they were all so beautiful.

I guess I picked the right one, for the moment and even though the golden colour is a bit faded, these are still one of the statement earrings I wear the most. 

They bring back memories of a warm summer day, of a skilled kraftswoman, of a long hike around the lake, of a huge ospray sitting on a tree, of a thundering waterfall and of sweet corn grilled on our campsite fire. 

Here came the sun, all the way from the lovely Indian lady, to make my day brighter.

Something Borrowed

I don't know about you, but I love borrowing little things to wear from my husband. Mostly t-shirts to sleep in (I am not showing you these) and scarves. We actually even have two scarves that we bought in Yorkshire and that were meant to be "scarves to be shared" from the very start. 

These are nice, but I really like the feeling of spending my day with something borrowed from my other half. It makes my sentimental and romantic self feel like we are a bit together all day even if we're each at our respective works on different sides of Paris. 

Scarves keep me warm, they keep me stylish and the borrowed ones make me feel loved and glad for my marriage. They are my secret weapons that give me self-confidence and all kinds of warmth and kindness I might need at any given moment. 

Everyone shall sometimes borrow something, to feel you have somebody with you wherever you go. It works the other way, too. Borrow and lend, lend and borrow. A scarf, a t-shirt, trousers... No limits.

PS.: My favourite jeans shorts used to be my husband's jeans (not shorts, obviously).

Starry Nights

There is something refreshing about the end of August, about late summer. The nights and mornings get cooler, in a very pleasant way and the days are still warm and very sunny. This weather reminds me of my childhood / early teenage summer camps when we'd melt like ice creams running around during the hot days then freeze our little butts off during the cold nights. 

How we loved the roaring fire and the warmth of our sleeping bags and hated to walk around in the silent and cold camp when it was our turn to be "on guard". Even though I am still scared as hell when I think about it, these were the moments I learned to appreciate the pure beauty of a sparkling, star dusted sky. So many stars it was impossible to take them all in. Everytime now, when I see a really beautiful starry sky, when the night is so black you can even see the Milky Way, those childhood memories get back to me and I stand again on the cold damp soil, surrounded by nothing but deep forests and a canopy so beautiful it takes my breath away.

I might have replaced the stars by flowers in today's outfit, but it made my day anyway. Oh, and the stars landed in millions on my shoes.

 

 

In my early teenage years, I watched those starry canopies from forests my grandparents and parents couldn't set their feet in for over 40 years, just because they were too close to "the capitalist West". I am so glad we can go there, and further around for over 20 years now. Don't forget history, don't forget that 45 years ago Czechoslovakia was invaded by Soviet tanks, but look forward and enjoy every day, that's what our ancestors asked for but couldn't really do. Let's enjoy starry nights and the immensity of the universe, let's dream every day!

8 Tips for a Summer in Paris

Whether you're just visiting (or planning to visit) or living in Paris, here are my TOP 8 things to do in the city during the hot summer months:

1. Eat Ice Cream - the best one is at Berthillon, on the Ile Saint-Louis. Do you prefer your classics like vanilla, chocolate or pistachio or would you go for the amazing forest strawberries or salty caramel? Not your cup of tea? Go for the Earl Grey flavour, then. There are cocktail and summer inspired ice creams, too - Pina Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri (with real rhum).
2. Make your Own Ice Cream - you can also make it (if you have a freezer and a blender). Ice cream is great, everybody agrees on that. But eating too much ice cream might be not as great for your bikini body. Here we have to thank Rosie from The Londoner, again, for her amazingly simple, healthy and delicious recipe for a dairy free (means no cream) gelato. I did it twice in a week when I discovered it. Yum. Eat as much as you like!
3. Have an Apéro - Parisians "stuck" in Paris (= those who are at work and envy those who are on holidays at the moment) tend to make the evenings as holidayish as possible. Going out for an apéro right out of work is a nice way to do it. Sit in a bar or café, in the evening sun (or hiding from it when it's too hot), sip a rosé, a beer, a summer cocktail or an ice tea (made from real tea and ice), chat with you friends or your other half and order some apéro food (tapas or a planche).
4. Les Berges - I already wrote about the new Berges here. An ideal spot for an apéro. En attendant Rosa might be the place to go to.
5. Picnics - if you can, grab your picnic basket and your plaid, your dinner (probably a refreshing cucumber salad you just made) and your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/friends/book/iPad (pick the one you want, you can combine them, no worries) and head out to a park or on the quays. Sit there, eat, chat and marvel at the beauty of Paris when the sun sets above the Seine.
6. Play tennis - there are few cheaper and easier spo(r)ts than tennis (courts) in Paris. The city owns numerous courts around Paris, you can book most of them online and it will cost you only 7€50 per hour (4€50 if you are under 26). If you're lucky, you might even get a spot in Jardin du Luxembourg... You can also do Swedish Gym, Zumba, Yoga etc. outside and for free. Just put your request in the good old Google.
7. Paris Plage - stick your feet in hot sand, take a dance class, play pétanque, go buy yourself a drink or an ice cream wearing just your swimwear in the heart of a big city, take three friends and have yourself a merry beach volleyball match, chill out. It's Paris Plage again!
8. Festival Cinéma Clair de Lune - 9:30 PM, in a park somewhere in Paris, fancy watching a movie? Just sit and watch, its for free. Programme here.

Or combine all of the above.

Oh, and RELAX, take it easy...

Any other tips?