the end of the road
bonsoir toute le monde! reporting from paris in my final hours. it’s already midnight and there’s some toe tapping going on since we have an uber early plane to catch. now i’m wishing we booked a night flight. it would mean another full day which you always seem to need here!
i love staying in apartments because they really make you feel like you’re a part of the neighborhood and you fall into little rituals right away. no matter which way you walk out of this apartment it’s a completely different experience. i wanted to cover a lot of ground but even just a block circumference is full of goodies. if i don’t record them now i never will!
our favorite place was just around the corner, affectionately known as ‘comptoir’. we would rendezvous there at the end of the day to grab a snack at the counter that was the epitome of gourmet. and they make nutella crepes too.
the hood could not be more picturesque, and the shops are not just tourist places, they’re real longtime establishments who set the tone for this petit pocket of perfection.
it’s one of those places where everything calls to you…
i can’t resist the lure of the bookstores and there are SO many!
not to mention tea salons
and chocolate shops
sorry i don’t have the addresses but all bursts out from the odeon metro station.
next time i’ll go out another block further. i’d love to see a map of paris like that…from the center and radiating out.
i’m more furniture than food but even i was called by the feast of a show that’s laid out before us each day.
and les fleurs, don’t get me going!
we had dinner at atlas our first night and had the BEST mussels in creme
across the street was our best french breakfast (we tried a bunch), at cafe paris. (11 rue de Buci)
the shopping of course was outrageous with everything from innovative home furnishings like the fireplace above
and the vintage treasures tucked in among the hi end boutiques.
but as it always does, the night must come and the days wind down. it’s officially time to sign off. i hope you enjoyed your little tour. maybe it will be my new thing, the one block radius overview! for now it’s off to bed. see you on the home front. have a bon nuit!
out the window
allo all! it’s been a couple days under the radar getting things together but i finally came up for air and wanted to say hi.
i’m writing from paris on an impromptu trip with a my guy, his partner and his wife, my good friend.
the boys go to a food show every other year in the same exhibition hall as the maison objet. but this one is called sial. it’s a gourmet trade show and showcases some of the best food products from around the world. he imports artisanal stuff so it’s a foodie playground for them.
anyway he asked me for a recommendation for an apartment to stay in so i steered him to my girl erica at haven in paris. when one of my favorite apartments was available, i couldn’t help but want to go! he surprised me with a ticket so here i am.
i stayed here a couple years ago wanted to share this place and its neighborhood. things got busy and i never really got to do it so over the next couple days i’m gonna try hard to post a bit about it cause every street is packed with deliciousness.
for the record i swiped all the pics above from the haven site. it’s home sweet home already and no longer picture perfect but oh it is very cozy!
just outside is paris on a silver platter.
directly across the street is procope, the city’s oldest restaurant.
just past that are a million incredible art galleries like kleinmann above.
and i can almost reach out and touch it from the window! well it’s getting dark and it is saturday night. everyone else is out waiting for me so i’d better get going. have a great weekend, more soon!
all change is not growth, as all movement is not forward – e. glasgow
allo all! it’s very late and my last post from paris this time around. it’s been a fantastic trip with lots of great memories and pretty things coming home. but for the first time, it’s a little different for me. as you know i adore the flea markets and all the stories they tell. lately though, i feel a little bittersweetness about it because the subtle ‘progressive’ changes in the city are becoming more apparent and i’m not sure they’re for the best.
ok maybe at times paris can be a bit of a gilded lily, and i can understand wanting to mix the old with the new. but paris is the worlds’ muse and we come for her beauty and inspiration.
le train-bleu, in paris’ gare de lyon
and as someone who loves interior and exterior architecture, i can’t for the life of me figure out why the french allow their beautiful city to be ravaged by renovators.
the changes are everywhere, from the windows coming down and satellite dishes going up
to small details like the books being pilfered for engraving and endpapers sold as scraps
glass fronts on traditional boulangeries and boucheries are tossed aside and the storefronts are cemented over
handpainted panels are removed and separated from the grand walls they once adorned
and apparently stained glass is considered passé
why someone would want to dismantle a marble fireplace and mirror is beyond me
and why would the city allow such destruction?
i mean, i’m not complaining, it gets circulated all over the world i suppose
but it just seems that in this day and age we should preserve what we have and take care of it as stewards
these apartments will be here long after us and what will be left?
where is the love?
and why is it being replaced with ‘sanitization’of the city’ as the french are calling it?
ok maybe i am complaining just a little. it’s happening throughout the city. these beautiful old tile frames in the metro are all coming down
and the old bouquinistes kisoks are being replaced with one of the prototypes below
maybe like joni mitchell sings, paris, is old and cold and settled in its ways. but isn’t that why we love her so? if the powers that be want to make changes, i humbly suggest adding a few more escalators in the metros, make it easier to catch a cab and run a design contest for a pretty something to cover the hanging clear plastic garbage bags on the streets. of course outlawing satellite dishes and making it a crime to dismantle apartments and store facades over 100 years old wouldn’t hurt either! but some say it’s progress. i say it’s heartbreaking. what do you think?
that was then
good morning dear friends! i have to apologize for going mia for the past week or so but it’s been a whirlwind as usual once we touched down in paris. after provence we all took the tgv to the city and arrived at the glorious apartment my sister in law chose for our family. since we were traveling with their family of five and my parents it was important to have lots of room and this place really delivered! it had more bedrooms than i could count and was in the most magnificent neighborhood (the 8e) with all original details and fantastic state of the art modern conveniences.
as the kids ran around we looked at all the details that were still intact like the stain glass windows, wood floors and original hardware. this apartment must have been like this for a century with all the mouldings and trims you’d dream about in a paris apartment.
it may be the one of the prettiest apartments i’ve ever had the good fortune to stay in and we enjoyed every minute of it wondering who had been here before us and what life had been like when this was built with such love and attention to detail. it’s kind of amazing to think that the gorgeousness of the ceilings and walls and floors and doors were so important in a time when there was probably no electricity, plumbing or heating. funny how priorities change over time…
the french are mixing the old and new in fresh ways and it was a perfect example of how yesterday and today can merge so well.
i thought you may enjoy a tour of the place and if you’re interested in staying or have a large group or family it’s a dream come true for a stint in the city.
the halls were bigger than most places i’ve ever stayed!
anyway that was sadly last week and my family has come and gone, and so has this wonderful dream but the memories will last forever. claudia ii is now in town and we have moved into our new place on the isle st. louis. we’re in a small but cozy duplex and are running around, tired but happy.
this is our new little abode that has now become headquarters for preparing the next leg of the trip. we’ve got clients coming in, the maison objet, the markets, photographing and editing for the book and a trip this weekend to lille for the festival in the streets a couple hours outside paris. i’ve finally caught up as of today and hope to make it here a bit more often with news and shots of what’s going on. till then, we’re off to find some comfy walking shoes and get our gear together for the weekend. more soon, this time i really mean it! i hope all is well in your world and that you have a tres bon jour!
it will never the same
hi guys, greetings from gay paree! it’s chilly and dreary but that didn’t stop us from trudging a good many hours yesterday. no matter how many times i visit paris it’s always a brand new experience.
these first two shots were taken by my sis in law. thanks, jean!
our apartment has everything a couple of gals could want but the link isn’t working and we’re about to head out.
so i’ll leave you with a couple shots of the view. it’s kind of surreal and the first time i’ve had the tour right outside the window. we’ve been taking pics to try to capture it and i’m not sure we did but this will have to suffice for le moment. we’ve got to get to those croissants! more soon!
PS we’re having another giveaway! this time it’s a beautiful handmade piece from leslie andrews who created tarnished lace. she made this beautiful necklace just for us. it’s full of gems, pearls and an antique key. if you’d like to win it, please go to her facebook page and ‘like’it. then leave a comment below and it could be yours! bon chance!
head in the clouds
hi guys, ca va?
tomorrow’s my dernier jour en paris. one last chance to hit the fleas and a couple brocantes. it’s been all work when i’m not here blogging and i’ve been patiently waiting to flea once more encore!
we live for the hours we have to leave our laptops and stroll for a snack. every outing is an adventure. you’d think after all these years it would get a little tired. but i guess that’s how paris is; endless inspiration from every angle. going through today’s pics i noticed a recurring theme of green spaces and shooting upward. i’ve been trying to capture a paris without a time. and without all the chaos that’s going on at street level making you realize exactly what year this is!
with my head in the clouds it was heavenly
the colors were vibrant, the sky so bright.
but with feet on the ground you’re bound to find beauty too.
my petit ami took us the long way home through parc du temple.
where i’d never been. loved their green wall
eVeRyOnE was blissed out.
we passed this book in shop window on the way home. the photo is timeless and catches a perfect moment. in the park, at that instant, all was well. that’s how it felt today watching everyone enjoy life at once.
well i have an early am so i’m out. bonne rêves!
behind the scenes
i took the other day to rendezvous for coffee with friends. the first was richard from eye prefer paris who has a colorful blog where he interviews locals, showcases off the beaten path streets in popular neighborhoods, and highlights the character and joie de vivre de paris. he also gives tours and showed me one secret up his sleeve with a quick look into a courtyard right next to the cafe. if you want a quick, virtual jaunt through the city, head over to his blog where you can tour this petit palais. check it out some more here: nytimes.com
the day of play left a lot to catch up on so bonne soirée~ more soon!
let’s eat cake
hi guys, what’s happening? for the past couple days i’ve been kind of whiny about working on you know what but thankfully it’s all over today and i’m finally free!
but my new lease on life is going to have to start tomorrow. three hours in hnr block wore me just about out!
dressdesigndecor.blogspot.com via fromme-toyou.tumblr.com
so tonite i’m not getting creative, just taking the top search term which was ’18th century decorated walls.’
since i’m personally obsessed with gorgeous french paneling on walls, i had to take the opportunity to toss out some pics to whoever it is that’s searching. to me these rooms are life sized cakes with creamy of frosting!
i love to share my passion for it
it can just be a door or frame
a panel
tone on tone
color
curves
abutterflyinyourhouse.blogspot.com
it’s a great form of expression that’s ever evolving and totally personal.
well, enjoy your night, i’m off to dreamlamd. see you there!
back to back
hi all! hope you had a marvelous weekend. it’s winding down now, almost midnight and i’m about to cut out. before i go i just wanted to post some more of the shots from yesterday’s search since i really did love what it turned up.
flickr.com/photos/christinanelson
flickr.com/photos/xenorzehnuhr
flickr.com/photos/vagabondvixen
so many talented people! so much to do and see! but for tonight, i bid adieu!
it’s all going out the window
bonjour à tous! i hope you’re having a divine weekend! it’s really late so i only have a minute but just wanted take that sec to say hi and post a couple images i came across today. i guess it’s safe to say and i better admit it even to myself! i committed to doing the architectural digest show again as of today. it’s happening march 17-21. i was on the fence but that’s the main reason i went to paris, to meet with vendors and suppliers and bring some of their greatness back for the show.
anyway i’m going to create a bedroom, (bien sur), my theme is going to be ‘white on white’ or ‘shades of gray’, not sure exactly, but it will evolve. aside from my furniture i have to dress the walls and floors. i love windows on either side of a bed so started surfing today for good shots. all my wishes were answered and i only went though 100 pages. and there were more. flickr is a goldmine we know that, but when they led me from ‘paris out a window’ to ‘people in windows’, i was in heaven. that’s technology that works for me!
ok well, enjoy, gotta run, happy saturday nuit!
flickr.com/photos/tetedanslesnuages
flickr.com/photos/30493441@N02
