battling the elements
bonjour dear friends! it’s my last day in paris although i fought and lamented the bitter cold, eventually i fell under the spell of the snow that dusted the city.
i spent the day visiting my favorite museum, musee carnavalet which is just down the street from the apartment. it draws me in every single time i’m in town.
it’s one of those places that’s pure soul food, full of inspiration. i must have shot 600 pics!
but what stood out in the edits today were not the interiors (i’ll share them tomorrow) but instead, the snowy shots. it seems to be a rare and disarming occurrence according to taxi drivers, locals, weather reports and airports.
and once i got into it, saw that it did cast a magical spell on just about everyone and everything.
looking through the paintings it’s obvious that a little snowfall never stopped this city from celebrating grandeur even on the bleakest and most overcast and snowy days.
painters were inspired to capture the elements and capture the moments of silent, white winter streets
i march through the city slush and sometimes take for granted what it took to build and protect it
before photography the painters were the historians, giving us a glimpse into a difficult but marvelous time
somehow without heat, running water and electricity the women were still able to look chic
and even bundled up were the essence of sophistication
i honestly don’t know how they did it, i couldn’t have made it without my uggs
i guess that’s why paris has always been the benchmark for elegance despite the weather
now it’s all about the right gear; duck boots, down jackets, hoodies and hand warmers
but the eternal beauty of the city will never fade and that’s the magic of paris i guess! well, see you on the other side, sweet dreams and stay warm!
the sun also rises
good morning guys! how’s life in your world? i hope all is well and fall is in full swing with all the crisp freshness it brings. it feels like forever since i’ve had a chance to sit down in front of the computer for pleasure not performance. i got a chance to catch the sun rise and it feels like a brand new world was born this morning.
it’s been deadlines and boxes and utter mayhem in my apartment for about a month but as of this morning, everything is different. boxes are unpacked, orders shipped, and what’s here is organized and ready to be shot for tomorrow’s shoot.
although my shipment from paris with the big stuff didn’t make it and some boxes are MIA, we’re pushing ahead with what is here instead of worrying about what’s not.
the best part is really getting a chance to study the petit objets a little at a time. they’re scattered around my desk, each one a story in itself.
i threw everything up on the wall that could hang just to get it off tabletops but it has turned into a fun display wall even if it is all cockeyed. there are things i hadn’t noticed before and that’s my little guilty pleasure. wondering who was who, what she fought for or believed in. maybe this grand dame was a suffragette?
well it’s about time to head out for a very early morning rendezvous.
there’s still lots of prep to be done and i can play with my do dads tomorrow.
there always seems to be some old-new thing that turns up and it’s easy to get lost in a book or a letter. this little calling card was used as bookmark.
madame’s little revisions reveal so much from her move to paris to her meticulousness. i have business cards on my to do list but think i’ll skip those today and just practice my penmanship instead. how did they get those P’s in paris so perfect? well have a great day, more soon!
between the covers
good morning and happy friday gang! it’s 7:42 which means i have 3 minutes to get this up before the doorbell rings and quickbooks takes over the day. i had a chance to crack this mag , nos loisirs (our leisure) from 1927. it’s another time capsule, pages filled with articles, little ads and all the things we think about today. i thought you’d enjoy it~
it was a time of new ideas…and branding!
this is a cutex ad!
so many great designs, so many ways to tie a long scarf!
it was a new era, what was chic was being rethought for the moderne gal
and having bebe look good is always in style
eyelash ad
the ads were so sweet. fonts were always a big deal!
and you could have all this for 3150 francs, not sure how much that was but maybe about $350? dad?
ok she’s here, gotta dash, have a wonderful weekend!
a moveable feast
good morning all, happy wednesday! it’s great to be back stateside and i’m readjusting to my little world. the time change woke me good and early to catch a sunrise and spend some time on the beach playing around and reconnecting with home.
fortunately lots of the stash was waiting when i arrived but my apartment looks like a warehouse of boxes and bubble that’s been transplanted from our paris apartment to miami. truth is the french post office was a great way to ship and i recommend it if you’re sending boxes back when you go. they just can’t be over 50 kilos (whatever that is, it’s a lot) or over 2 meters in size over all). you can get boxes and bubble at bhv in paris. anyway the phone is already chirping and ringing and the inbox is downright mad but i wanted to say hello and thank you for being there throughout the trip. i didn’t get a chance to comment back but it was so much fun to have you with me! needless to say i brought stuff for you so send out as tokens, and i have NOT forgotten about the last batch i was supposed to ship either! it was just that things got crazy. so if you sent me your addy a couple months back and didn’t receive anything yet, you will!
till then it will be unpacking like crazy, i’m sure the it will look like an episode of hoarders in here soon, but it’s my french feast
the phone is relentless so i have about 30 seconds and wanted to pass along something that has been a fascinating new change. i came home to a boyfriend who cut his long hair, dropped 17 pounds and went from eating a despicable diet to fresh juicing. it’s not the kind we do at home, it would be impossible to have this array of ingredients and combinations, not to mention it’s cold pressed. (apparently the shiz)! i fell right into the cult and in two days we’re having these delicious drinks whenever we’re hungry. it’s a thrill to see such a transformation and joie de vivre in him that i couldn’t help but jump on board. we can’t get enough of them, and when we do eat it’s no longer about heavy meals and desserts. so refreshing and an incredible shift for both of us! check out the menu on the link. they ship anywhere in the us.
ok, well duty calls, have a beautiful day!
les affairs to remember
bonsoir guys, ca va? it’s one of our last nights in paris and hard to believe it’s been 6 weeks already. the days have flown by and the nights are mainly work but claudia II is our social director and if it weren’t for her we may have missed a lot of great soirees.
last night we were invited to a grande fête at the one and only clignancourt marche aux puces. the paul bert and serpette markets were the hosts and the tapis rouge was rolled out along the alleys both indoor and out. seeing the market by night is such a different experience than in the lazy afternoons. the vendors really let their hair down and put on a night to remember with trimmings to rival a ball at versailles.
it was both intimate and inviting
with furniture you wouldn’t even touch by day being enjoyed by all
the tables were beautifully dressed
and the scent of flowers was everywhere
and bien sur, the champagne was flowing
and the petit fours were plentiful
a good time was had by all, even the kids
this little one below curled up on a chair and took it all in.
so now i bid you adieu, it’s getting late and we have an early morning for our last market day. there are brocantes, fairs and shows going on and we can’t do it all, but you know we’re gonna try!
and last but certainly not least, i wanted to introduce you to claudia’s friend who we saw perform the other night. he’s a funny, charismatic homme francais. we all fell for him, maybe you will too! click the pic above for one of my favorite seductive video of his. there are more on youtube including this live performance. he plays in cosy, clubby spots (we saw him on a houseboat) and just has a real joie de vivre. ok c’est tout pour c’est soir. bon nuit mes cheries, a demain!
the women who started it all
hey guys, how’s your day going? we’re in full swing chez nous. tomorrow we’re heading out to the maison objet for opening day. our client has arrived and will be shopping for her store so it will be fun with miles and miles of eye candy. i got a press pass so i’ll take lots of pics and hope to share them, at least a little each day. till then i’m trying to keep up with packing and before these goodies got bubbled and boxed i thought you’d enjoy a sneak peek of some of the stuff for the OKL sale coming up in november. claudia’s finds are a great addition and made me see think about the women who really started the trends we still follow today! anyway it’s back to le bubble! have a great nuit!
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!
an ocean away
thepursuitaesthetic.tumblr.com
good morning guys! how’s the week going? i’m wrapping it up over here and getting ready for a long weekend in paris with clients. (i’ve always wanted to say that and it’s finally reality :)
we’ll be shopping the markets and i’ll be hunting for gems for the ‘event’ that cannot be mentioned yet happening in early 2012. my sister in law suggested shopping early so the container would arrive way before so i invited her along and she accepted! we’ll be staying with my peeps at paris perfect and i’m looking forward that!
carlalovesphotography.blogspot.com
i’ve been trying to slim down so i can get back to my diet of cafe and croissants on the go…
liz helped me pack this time, determined to make me a fashionista. uh huh! i promised to try even if it is sans le birkin. well, better get to tying up those loose ends. i really wish they’d bring the Concorde back so the trip could be just 3 hours over the atlantic. how can we get that great technology up and running again and why did we have to scrap it altogether?
let me know if i can bring you something back for you. more from the other side!
so ready for bed
The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret. ~Charles Caleb Colton
hi guys, another full day at the show and it still seems like i just skimmed the surface. the last thing i want to do is go back tomorrow, especially with the flea markets on but i just didn’t get it all done. today i focused on finding the perfect bed for the AD show, something that will be a crown jewel in the booth. these were a couple of contenders.
this show weird, the more you see, the more there is to see. hall after hall, mega booths galore, no wonder my clients burn out and start to hate my guts after a few hours! i’m starting to crash myself but will carry on.
the books are always my favorite part of the show, maybe tomorrow after the twice-over i’ll get a chance to go through some of them. maybe even leave early and hit the fleas, that would be the perfect day. ok well, i’m definitely at my limit today. good night!
and now the end is near
whew! hey everyone, thanks for coming along on the trip. it’s always more fun when you’re here.
there were a lot of highs and lows but we all made it through, friends, colleagues and clients. i wasn’t sure there would be a happy ending but have to say it was a great trip. i learned a lot, paris is a great teacher. if i take nothing else from the trip it’s that you can’t please everyone no matter how hard you try, so just enjoy life and let the little things go. for me the most important things in life are so very small; that i enjoy my food, have a soft spot to sleep and a hot shower when needed. oh and of course the love of my dear friends and family whether in person or in blogland. you give me more strength and inspiration than you could ever know. see you on the continent!
