Bright Lights, Big Cities

john candy

2012-02-06T09:05:00.002+01:00

when i was little, 'who's harry crumb?' was one of my favorite movies thus making john candy one of my favorite actors. when i watch the trailer now, the movie just looks so boring! haha

it was a sad day in my house when john candy died...
anyway, it completely made my day when i saw {this blog post} one of my favorite blogs, nerdboyfriend.

PS. annie potts is an alumni of my college... just had to put that out there.

2012-01-24T19:57:00.000+01:00

i've been kickin' it stateside for 2 weeks and now i must say goodbye.

the hardest part.

my secret. i hope to live stateside again someday.

a year in retrospect, 2011

2012-01-01T22:54:00.000+01:00

january

february

april

don't worry, i didn't have a photo for march!

may

june

july

august

september

october

november

december

new year celebration 2012 was by far the best new year i've had since leaving columbia, missouri in 2009. the rain we had this year developed rainbows and allowed the roots to take ground and strengthen in this city of paris. i have made some really great friends in which i can relate to and let loose with. i look to the new year with more positive force than the {year before}.

'love what is ahead by loving what has come before' -yogi tea

{happy new year, 2012}

monday afternoon..

2011-12-20T23:16:00.000+01:00

i could take lunch chez moi with my homemade chicken soup and vanity fair. it was a good peaceful moment in the holiday rush of work...

i'm a lazy bum.

2011-12-05T23:08:00.000+01:00

i've been finding awfully difficult to update the blog lately.

i've just been so very lazy!!

but the holidays are most definitely upon us and i'm very excited to look for a christmas tree and start buying gifts!

(lets not forget about holiday crafts!!)

one thing i have not been lazy doing is creating a new holiday ringtone. i just wasted about 45 mins creating the most fabulous christmas ringtone to annoy all those grinches out there. i can't wait for it to ring in the metro!!

one of my favs! what's your favorite holiday song??

i could name a lot more, but this one is the one song that always puts a smile on my face.

a little personal trivia:

mariah carey's {fantasy} was the first cd i bought myself.

does any one hear a little {talking heads} in that melody??

3 day weekend.

2011-11-15T00:35:00.000+01:00

like any good parisian, i went to normandy for the three day weekend. of course.

at least we were all lucky with the awesome weather. i definitely couldn't complain.

check out {smallest things} breath taking photos of her 3 day weekend!

JCREW VIA FRANCE.

2011-11-10T18:37:00.000+01:00

my mom will be so happy. she will never have to send me another j.crew order again....

my life in france IS getting easier.

2011-10-16T17:06:00.000+02:00

great vid...

think they used a {steadicam} for this?!

(via)

mother mother

2011-10-13T23:14:00.000+02:00

last saturday i had the opportunity to see my favorite band, mother mother, play live for the second time. only this time it seems they are getting a bit more popular (after 3 cds, i guess thats what happens) so i wasn't able to get a photo with them.

(like i did last time)

...and just incase you weren't there to share the experience, i found some youtube videos of the concert.

all and all it was a great night, {here} is a link to the other photos i took (the other bands put on great sets too).
ps. i want the base players bangs!

2011-10-08T12:14:00.000+02:00

when i remember apple computers, i think an old computer my grandfather gave me... also back to 4th grade and learning about floppy disk and things.... and i always had problems with that insert button!

but then i also remember when this commercial came out years later and loved it. not only was this one of my favorite rolling stones song, that computer just looked so different and exciting.

who would have know years later apple would be just that, different and exciting?

rest in peace, steve, you will be missed.

nuit blanche

2011-10-02T23:36:00.000+02:00

spent all night at the 'nuit blanche'. it really was a 'white night' for me, i didn't get home until six in the morning... took the first metro home.

(could not find a velib, and taxis were not stopping)

for those of you questioning what i spent all night doing, it is when the paris is turned into a city wide art gallery. art installations are everywhere, including film, performance, dance, and installations.

music with images projected on the buildings, a lot cooler than it sounds… p.s., i'm glad i don't live in that apartment building...

lamps of barbed wire covered from crystalized salt from the dead sea. i don't think i'm going to go into all of the representation of this one....

a view from sacre coeur at montmartre, candles burning representing the constellation of the stars.

this installation was by far my favorite (and i think everyone else's too). this court yard tucked in between some buildings was a homage to {purple rain the movie and song written by prince}.

this is what you would see when you walked by, crowds and crowds of people clambering to see and get photos (the line was really really long).

it was literally raining in that courtyard and a lot harder that i thought it would be because i left a bit wet.

go {here} for more info and videos of the evening.

touching eiffel

2011-09-29T22:26:00.000+02:00

evening walks with the hubs is probably the best part about being married.

ps, i don't look this creepy all the time!

he forgot something...

2011-09-26T22:42:00.000+02:00

my lovely husband put together a wonderful birthday surprise party for me this weekend. it went very smoothly and brought me to tears when all my friends came through the door.

....the only thing he forgot was the camera. here is the aftermath the next morning...

thank you to my husband all my friends that celebrated my bday twice this weekend!

it was a very very good weekend!

homemade.

2011-09-15T22:26:00.000+02:00

the {traditional wedding gift} for the second year of marriage is cotton. i had such a wonderful time sewing these up and can't wait until hanukkah because themed boxers will now be a stable for holidays!

i'm sure my husband feels very lucky... haha

desserts i've had and liked.

2011-09-13T22:15:00.000+02:00

for some reason i've been eating a lot of desserts lately.

these are from last week.

tiramisu wrapped in a crepe

crème brûlée

(this was my first time having crème brûlée, definitely a good idea because this particular night i had it for dinner....)

this was a caramel ice cream macaroon...

guess that means this week i've gotta take it easy.

just the two of us

2011-09-13T00:40:00.000+02:00

as our anniversary fell on a monday this year, my husband and i celebrated our 2 years marriage over the weekend. its always nice to splurge and go to the restaurant. i always use this marker to think back and reflect about what i love and can improve about our relationship, but i will save that personal stuff for us.

currently, {this} is our jam, so rock it!

amsterdam weekend

2011-09-06T00:17:00.000+02:00

i went to amsterdam the last weekend in august...

and i'm so behind with my posting!

either way i had such a good time with my companion cruisin' the streets on our sexy red 'imma tourist' bikes.

(even in all that rain!)

ps.

i was THAT tourist.

....and my husband still claimed me...

NOW that is love!

also, all the above photos are from the ol' telephone.

you can check out my real weekend trip photos {here}

post-it paris.

2011-08-31T21:45:00.000+02:00

OKAY, so now i know i'm not crazy because i've been seeing post-it designs everywhere!!

check it out at {post'it war}

paris friends, have you?

2011-08-23T22:50:00.000+02:00

{follow the red balloon}

august 19, 2011

paris metro, ligne 9, franklin d. roosevelt

j.crew, europe.

2011-08-19T18:24:00.000+02:00

I THINK MY LIFE IN FRANCE JUST GOT BETTER.

now if i can find a store here, then my life will be complete...

i'm just nervous that the shipping costs will be so outrageous it won't be worth it.

either way, happy friday for me!!!

always raining in normandy

2011-08-16T21:48:00.000+02:00

for the 3 day weekend in france, my husband and i went to the country...

its become a joke with my friends because i'm always leaving anytime i can to normandy!

i'm always passing summers at the beach with my family in new york so this year i thought i would have sometime at the beach with my family here in normandy.

although i was dead set on going to the beach, it didn't seem to stop raining. so even though the beach was still in the plans it was just my husband and i under cloudy skies and raindrops.

don't let these beach umbrellas fool you. i think these were the only ones i found open that day.

my husband says this is proof he loves me. i said it was proof he needed his own rain boots.

living in france? how did you spend your 3 day weekend?

my jewish MIL asked why i wasn't going to church. haha.

(for those of you not living in france, the public holiday is assumption)

i have so many more photos to share. more to come soon.

exactly!

2011-08-10T22:52:00.000+02:00

how i feel about babies....

sorry!

(not everything he says is true to me, but...)

sunday at sunset

2011-07-31T23:46:00.000+02:00

on bikes!

did i ever mention that i found my bike in the trash!?

(its that cutie white one on the right)

ça, c'est la classe!!

2011-07-30T00:40:00.000+02:00

the video below is probably the worst quality, but this fruit salesman never ceases to make my day. he is located (to what i think each thursday), in the montparnasse station for the entrance of line 4.

he seems to be very successful, but i've actually never bought any fruit from him...

also, did you see the guy in black taking at the beginning eating the samples? classic.

have a great weekend everyone!

hopefully us parisians will have some sunshine soon!

2011-07-27T08:06:00.000+02:00

'its a big love letter... i've got a big heart.'

definitely a must see movie. when it comes out on dvd, i'll be watching it again. it isn't the best trailer and the only reason we decided to go was because the other english movies rated so poorly.

the humor was wonder and reminded me of being with friends back home!

weekend. success.

2011-07-27T00:40:00.000+02:00

blessed to live my dream for the weekend. one large room with an old bathtub complete with lights {marie claire maison} style touches.

{pétanque}, like a real old french man...

... complete with {shweppes} and {pastis}...

my husband and i were lucky to pass the weekend at a friends country home close to poitiers. the weather was perfect and the new friends wonderful...

rainy country weekend

2011-07-21T22:53:00.000+02:00

it didn't stop raining last weekend in normandy!
but we still had a blast...

flowers for the ride home.

a rainbow saying goodbye.

july 14, 2011

2011-07-19T22:57:00.000+02:00

bastille day, paris france.

{my partner in crime} for yet another paris celebration.

but you know what is different about this celebration?

we found these on the street.

i fell in love and needed to take them with me...

but got REALLY tired carrying them 1/2 way through the crowed streets of paris to watch the fireworks!

i called my husband to see what he thought. he said don't leave them if i love them.

that is when rafael took over the situation and carried them through the crowed streets of a paris celebration.

we got funny looks, but it was completely worth it!

{THANK YOU RAFAEL! LOVE YOU!}

and after that we watched fireworks!

one of the best nights ever.

...more info to come of my paris trash find later...

reason 1,937,820,739....

2011-07-14T16:06:00.000+02:00

...why i love my husband.

see all that stuff on that self?! it used to be piled on top of the washing machine!

(and was the first thing you saw when you walked into the bathroom) which then made me feel a bit stressed.

i am so lucky to have some closet space in my apartment (as many old apartments don't), but in the bathroom i wasn't that lucky. i looked to find a reasonably priced quality option to hide away all the mess that was on top of my washing machine, but with no luck.

until we found this metal shelf in the style of {tomado}.

while i was away all day i was surprised to find this nicely organized shelf (and medicine cabinet) when i got home!

les soldes

2011-07-13T21:39:00.001+02:00

i know this is a bit late, but j'ai vraiment profité les soldes à paris!

but it was the strangest thing, i bought on sale a couple of sets of matching bras and panties from {etam}

my new loved place for undergarments.

(i'm not a huge fan of their regular clothes).

isn't this video wonderful? so blissful!
and don't you feel so cute knowing your undergarments are matching!?
(ps. this is exactly what happens at a women's college dormitory during free time...haha... i hope my stephens ladies caught that joke!)

weekend plans?

2011-07-01T02:05:00.000+02:00

i would say at least a month ago, i walked right around the corner of my apartment and finally took the time to see the wonderful madame grès exhibit at the mussée bourdelle.

to my surprise, it was a very moving exhibit. the placement of the dresses among the sculptor artist bourdelle's own atelier, living area, and work was exceptional!

as i want everyone to go who can, i don't want to post too many photos because i don't want to spoil it!

below are some of my favorite moments.

i am in love with that bow over the shoulder...

one of my friends that went with me fell in love with the exhibit too and for a going away gift, i bought her the book... who wouldn't want that package?!

only a couple weeks left as it ends july 24!

here is the {nytime article} and {more information}

poor birdy!

2011-07-01T01:33:00.000+02:00

i don't know if you can see the fuzzy lump in the background of this photo but its what i'm going to call the 'neighborhood cat'. it's been hanging out on what i call our 'roof/deck' for a couple weeks now.

(i.e. our windows are in level with a roof, which kinda turns it into a deck...)

one afternoon this bird came flying right to my window and perched itself on the little balcony. i was a bit surprised and was happy that the window wasn't open (as it mostly is during this time of year) because i was sure this bird would have came on in as it was tapping on the window.

i stupidly just thought 'oh a cute birdy' and went on my business for the rest of the day not even thinking about it.

later in the evening my while my husband and i were watching some movie we heard a pretty hard hit on the window... and to our surprise it was 'neighborhood cat' hunting the bird.

i couldn't just let the cat kill the bird. (i know this is nature, but i couldn't handle hearing it happen outside my bedroom window). i knew the bird was going to die (as you might see the brain is exposed in the photo). so i thought i would let it die on it's own; put it in a shoe box and took it outside on the other side of the building where the cat most likely wouldn't find it.

what would you have done?

paris pride 2011

2011-06-27T11:17:00.000+02:00

i am so lucky that where i live in paris, many parades (and protests) start right down the block from me. husband and i got up a bit early to head to a {vide grenier} and that is when i noticed the beginning of the parade lining up. of course right after lunch, i ran out the street to take pictures and join in on the fun!

when i saw the super heros, i got excited and asked to take their picture... just as they started posing, the guy in the white pushed them out and told them they had to get somewhere. 'batman' surprised, laughed and gave me this sweet 'sorry but can't help it' smile.

different ways to wear the flag.

throughout the whole parade, everyone just joined in on floats they liked. after it was over, the crowd just disappeared down the street. so this was left. so much colorful trash. the paris street cleaners followed close behind and it was clean within a half hour. almost like the parade was never there. wow.

please check out more photos {here}

i haven't screamed that much before....

2011-06-20T23:10:00.000+02:00

...or held rafael so tight.

my dear friend rafael took me to {le manoir de paris}.

which is basically a 'haunted house'

everything was well put together, although i would recommend going in a large group.

we had started out just us 2, but luckily caught up with the group that went before us (that way it wasn't as scary)!

also, the french girls in front of us were super cute.

below are some videos to give you an idea of the ambiance while we waited in line.

it was fun to almost feel like a kid again. i think the last time i went through a haunted house i was 7 or 8 (and it think it was a church haunted house, but it still scared me)!

paris exhibition, stanley kubrick

2011-06-15T13:31:00.000+02:00

Stanley Kubrick - L'exposition par lacinematheque

in march, i took the time to go to this exposition.

the amount of archive they had for each movie was great. real props and costumes. even for movies that were never made.

i'm telling you, it's worth it! we got our tickets ahead of time at fnac and skipped the enormous line.

but if worse comes to worse, you can always go to the real photo booth in the lobby!

i begged my husband to do this with me, promising him to catch us kissing. the pictures went by fast and we ended up with this awkward series. with no more spare change, we settled. but will have some good memories.

(ps don't you just love the hicks print in the back?! if you remember from the shining, {bobby rides his big wheels over it} btw, i've been seeing this print everywhere lately!)

getting to know you

2011-06-07T17:39:00.000+02:00

i know what you're thinking.
'great, now i'll have that song stuck in my head for the rest of the day'
but i do have a favor to ask my dear readers!
cool thing is i'm starting a new product!
i have so many ideas, but i'm starting to do some research first to get to know who my customers might be and where i will have to advertise and exactly what my packaging will look like, etc, etc.
so it would be really awesome if you could take the next 5 minutes to take {this survey}
none of the questions are a 'must answer' basis, but the last 3 would be the most helpful.
have fun!
kthanxbye!

fontainebleau

2011-06-04T01:46:00.004+02:00

thursday and friday i passed some time with a friend in {fontainebleau}.

my friend offered so many times to take my photo. it is nice to have photos of myself after returning from a little trip. in this one, my hair happened to be down. it's getting long, isn't it!

we went to the chateau, as this was my first time, i was really interested in everything!

my poor friend, her fourth. she really sat through me taking way too many pictures and listening to everything on the audio guide... {cringe}

marie-antoinette's private quarter, one of my favorite rooms. it's not represented here too well, but the whole room was painted with a background of silver. lovely...

i really fell in love with this room too, but i think it was more because those gold 'spots' on the red velvet is actually bees!

although this might be a foolish discovery, i'm happy to learn it...

you can read more about this napoleon fact {here}&{here}

ahh, and the lake behind the chateau. these swans came swimming right to me... i'm so sorry i didn't have any bread, which i'm sure they were expecting.

after, a home cooked authentic peruvian meal! yum!

my little 'vacation' is over, but i hope all those living in france continue to enjoy the rest of their four day weekend!

paris after midnight is magic.

2011-05-30T23:23:00.001+02:00

my aunt took a over night layover in paris...

we picked her up and drove here all around the city by night to see all the sights

don't worry though, i bought her some macarons that afternoon.

(can't come to paris without getting macarons!!)

i don't care what anyone says, {carette} is so much better than ladurée

{for some reason the website isn't working, but i'm sure it will be up and working soon}

first stop was montmartre...

too bad our trip wasn't as magical as gil's in the new 'midnight in paris' but it was definitely as beautiful!

{go see that movie, what i like to call a 'beautiful cliché', but completely worth your time...}

yum, yum!

2011-05-27T12:54:00.000+02:00

i just don't know what this new season has done to me... the warm weather has revolutionized my desire for food and among other things (new clothes, dresses, shoes.... true... and jewelry?? strange)

anyway, my husband showed me somethin' cool last week and we've had it at least 2 times since:

port au melon

i am now sure this is a french thing, as i've seen on the menu on a couple of restos here.

step 1: cut melon in half, spoon out seeds.

step 2: open port

sorry ladies, he's taken! haha

step 3: pour port into melon

step 4: eat and enjoy (spoon out melon with a bit of port)...

perfect for sunday brunch... enjoy your friday!

can't get enough of....

2011-05-24T22:22:00.000+02:00

iced coffee. since the weather turned warm here in paris, i've been takin' advantage of my nespresso and ice cubes.

so make your coffee the way you like it and pour it over ice... you can thank me later.

exchangin'

2011-05-23T22:52:00.000+02:00

i happily signed up for the {mixtape swap} in the beginning of the month and i was super excited to put a design together for one lucky person out there.

here is what i came up with....

i'm not going to lie though.

i sent my cd a bit late. sorry!

but i'm sure they'll be happily surprised!

today, i received my mix.

getting mail is the best!

back in my day

2011-05-23T01:02:00.000+02:00

sunday at the vide grenier

...kids, when i was your age, we didn't have those fancy glasses. i had to stare at pictures to make them 3d...

faces

2011-05-23T00:41:00.000+02:00

night spent with friends. always interesting twists.

vienna

2011-05-20T11:46:00.000+02:00

hey, i went to vienna! it was a busy busy weekend, but i saw so. much. art. and had so. much. fun.

it got a bit rainy the last day, but it didn't spoil our fun. although this picture may say otherwise.

see the collection of photos here.

italian cream twist

2011-05-10T18:28:00.000+02:00

contrary to america, in france we drink a lot of 'fuzzy waters'.

{definitely what i call it, but the true name would be: l'eau gazeuse}

while my mom was here, she mentioned how easy it would be to make italian cream soda with it.

ever since she said that, i've been craving italian cream soda in vanilla.

when the weather finally got really warm i finally decided to look for some vanilla syrup for the mix...

but i didn't have any luck. it's really easy to find the flavoring syrups here, but they seem only to have those fake fruity flavors {which i can't stand the taste of}.

....well easy enough to make!

this weekend, i found a vanilla simple syrup recipe. i used this recipe, but cut it in half because i didn't think i would need THAT much simple syrup (plus, thats a lot of sugar!)...

so a true italian cream, you add cream or half & half, but i've just been mixing {to taste} the vanilla syrup, ice, and the fizzy.

so i guess that really makes it a flavored drink...

either way,

give it a try, i think you'll enjoy!

hi mom.

2011-05-08T15:23:00.001+02:00

i'm running out of photos....

i look strangely uncomfortable in all these photos, good thing the post is about you!

anyway,

have a happy mother's day!

love you!

lazy.

2011-05-06T10:52:00.000+02:00

inspired on the metro.

her first time to see 'la joconde'

mother and daughter.

i've been so lazy lately and am having the hardest time keeping up with my blog. i have plans, but then i completely put it off. so i'm just jumping in, in an attempt to get blog posts up regularly again.

see you more soon!

better late than never

2011-04-28T13:58:00.000+02:00

{an unexpected twist}

first you'll want to check out this hilarious, but latest podcast of 'the moth'. you won't be disappointed! click the link below the photo.

....and as most of my readers know, i've been absent from the blog world for about 2 months. something i wanted to share though was a project another blogger friend has been doing for the month of april. i know this post is bit late, but i do hope my good intensions aren't overlooked!

ashley, from the blog 'a hasty life' has been raising awareness for digestive diseases. while she suffered from crones disease herself, when it comes to talking about symptoms of this among other things, it's not a subject people find easy to talk about. she had a purple dress designed and has been wearing for a month straight, raising money, and having some awesome giveaways.

if you would like to donate to her cause, go here.

please go check out her blog and see this cool dress and all the neat whys she's been wearing it! below is by far my favorite outfit, but you should look at all of them. she has been getting really creative!

passover

2011-04-26T12:29:00.000+02:00

thank goodness for my husband, passover is finished. starting tonight, he can eat bread again.

goodbye matzo 'bread'!

i'm back.

2011-04-25T01:46:00.000+02:00

so many things, so little time.

it's hard to start up again, but spring has started, the weather has turned beautiful,

and i'm ready to share happenings, activities, and goals of the new season.

i took a break for the lenten season, but now that easter has past i'm training myself to blog again.

and the most resent news is {for now} i'm staying in paris for the summer.

i'm sure i'll roll my eyes many times the hot metro and thousands of tourists this summer,

but it will be give and take all the picnics and summer activities to enjoy.

so heres to more blogging! hopefully you'll see me around more often!

bright spots.

2011-02-22T23:44:00.000+01:00

sometimes living in the city we can forget about the big picture and why we ended up there in the first place.

i have a slight feeling these artists haven't forgotten and want to remind us.

this is my thank you.

vacation overload

2011-02-21T21:48:00.000+01:00

{alright, this should be the last post about my recent normandy adventure}

there is nothing more exhilarating than to 'look up' and notice how small we all really are...

check out the ol' flickr here. most of those photos of that guy i'm sometimes seen with and refer to as my husband were taken by my mother.

{gotta to give her credit!}

haha, funny

2011-02-20T09:00:00.000+01:00

these super professional bird watchers were all over le mont st. michel....

we later overheard they were working for a zoo, looking for an escaped flamingo.

*please take note of his jacket!

'omg, the camera... no, it's fine!'

it was then i realized, i was walking around, looking like this. a knight, right before i put on armor.

grrreaaattt.

at least i was warm!

on the way home, we stopped at a junk shop and found a whole section of army surplus.

the lady was trying to get rid of it all, because there were only small sizes left {all the army guys and monks bought the large sizes}. buy one, get one free!

no mirrors, so we took pictures instead.

why does my husband look like a mannequin?

awkward...

even more awkward:

we now have matching jackets.

BUT maybe we can look like super professional bird watchers...??

vacation

2011-02-20T08:28:00.000+01:00

LONDON!

kidding. traveled normandy, like always.

why are these phone booths in normandy?

'i'm not kissing you, you smell like cigarettes!'

viewed the bayeux tapestry

after years of waiting, i finally got to visit le mont st. michel.

during my summer 2005 visit to france, my friend and i missed our train due to oversleeping.

st. malo, to my surprise, was way better than le mont st. michel.

technically in the brittany region, my first time in the area.

we also tried to visit the childhood home of dior, but it was closing right as we got there.

the view is wonderful, bathrooms clean!

video of the week.

2011-02-16T21:41:00.000+01:00

worth the 3 minutes.

found.

2011-02-15T02:00:00.000+01:00

while getting rid of old files and unneeded things from the computer yesterday, i found a nice surprise.

my husband and i circa '08.

we weren't married then.

& his hair isn't so crazy anymore...

i love this video, because for some reason, it really catches our personalities in those 4 seconds.

us today. we've done this since the beginning. it never gets old.

thank you mac photo booth.

happy valentine's day to everyone.

ps. isn't this the cutest. i think so!

daily grind.

2011-02-08T23:46:00.000+01:00

my weekend.

& looks like my week too...

1 more day until mom gets here and the relaxation {kind of} begins!

when fashion meets cinema.

2011-02-04T09:45:00.000+01:00

although i did go to school and studied fashion, i've never been that girl to know my designers or really know anything about the industry until after i started studying the world of fashion.

i never really understood why i was attracted to it either. but i don't think people realize the world of fashion is more than just models, designers, and lust of material goods.

i started my studies because i had a love for sewing, but then another door opened up.

the influence and history of fashion. it is a continued cycle and we are all apart of it.

a good example is below.

when i saw this:

i thought, hum, maybe this?

and then i saw this:

and knew it was true.

i'm so glad one of my favs, j.crew, has good taste in movies.

ps, the funny thing is, i thought of jcrew while watching the movie. if you look back at the trailer at marker 1.15, you'll see cleo walking with a yellow backpack and a striped tee. that backpack is sold via crewcuts with the 'in good company' line.

in many years to come, maybe we will look at this fashion spread and think nothing of it OR the movie will continue to have an impact on our design lives. either way, i still get a little bit of a high when i spot the influences in real time.

{or maybe i should say reel time, hardy har har}

if you haven't seen somewhere, check it out. i really loved it.

until then don't think i'm a nerd & enjoy the strokes song brought back into popularity because of the movie...

about time!

2011-01-31T22:22:00.000+01:00

for a long time, i've really wanted to start back into my yoga routine {okay, it's been a long time since i actually was going to a class}

i know i can do yoga at home, but it just isn't the same sometimes.

my husband and i looked into doing it here in france, but i got so busy, it looks like i won't be able to start a class until summer.

however, i did get a chance to go to the chiropractor on friday and want to keep my back feeling good and straight. last time a week after the appointment i was in pain again.

{the life of a seamstress i guess...}

tonight i started doing some of these poses and hope to make up a small routine of my own to do when i get home from a long day.

small goal: make a doable 15-20 routine to do every other night and to keep my back feeling good.

i think i can, i think i can, i think i can.....

gosh, i can't believe i'm in my mid 20's and already have back problems....haha

have any pointers?

weekend.

2011-01-30T19:02:00.000+01:00

in a weekend filled with nonstop work, there was some joyful moments.

found a dress form through craigslists, a much needed tool.

cookies made at midnight.

out with the old...

in with the new. makes me think of lancel...

so, do you think i could do this?

house almost every night

good messages in the metro.

1 skirt down, 3 dresses to go...

also, check out this blog giveaway!

current soundtrack

2011-01-25T23:26:00.000+01:00

bill withers.

enough said.

baking therapy

2011-01-25T22:54:00.000+01:00

years ago my friend was having a bad day, so i invited her over to bake some zucchini bread.

now, every time i think about zucchini bread i'm taken back to that wonderful afternoon baking with a good friend.

it's been really busy and stressful for me these past weeks and i decided to make some zucchini bread on my own (husband wasn't too interested in the whole process besides eating).

the twist? i added some lavender and dark chocolate.

so. good.

i would happily give you the recipe, however, i didn't follow the one i had. it had too much sugar and oil and called for things i didn't have or add.

i might have to remake this recipe and write down my own measurements. then i might share it with you.

en français, s'il te plait.

2011-01-22T13:25:00.000+01:00

i've been meaning to post both of these videos for a while.

they are in french, but with subtitles. the french does give it a bit more of a cute factor. i love listening to children speak french because then i feel i can actually understand them completely.

{yes, haha, i guess i'm on their level, great.}

i saw the first video about 2 weeks ago and it made me feel old!

this little girl is the cutest thing! such an imagination! when i showed my husband he was impressed with your use of french and the verbs at a such a young age. yes, she is much better at french than me! i'll be there soon. i hope!

too many blogs so little time.

2011-01-22T13:02:00.000+01:00

goodness. my life has been nuts lately. if i didn't have to do a blog crawl last week, my lovely viewers wouldn't have had any news of me.

as you can see from this photo, my home looks like it has been turned upside down! it's a mess!

today, i'm taking time for myself to clean up my home life and to get organized.

when i'm not spending time posting, i spend too much time blog reading.

here are some links to keep you busy.

'apple pie' anyone?

feel like a teenager again, take a quiz.

i think i might have to start something like this with my husband!

definitely going to do a home montage for my blog, but it probably won't be as cool.

so funny {and i love, love, love the polka dots!}

it's in the bag blog crawl

2011-01-14T13:36:00.000+01:00

as i have mentioned before, i decided to participate in a blog crawl began by a friend's blog, 'a hasty life' to celebrate her 100 followers (and still growing)!i'm continuing the crawl from 'chasing davies'
the crawl centers around the purse, what is in it, and what it says about the owner.

here is a picture of my current purse although, this basket is filled with many different styles to choose from. however, once i started using my longchamp this summer, i haven't changed since. i'm going to buy another in black soon. its just the perfect size to fit everything and the nylon finish is easy to care for.

currently, this is everything in my purse. sometimes i also carry an umbrella during the rainy looking days.

i try to only have things in my purse i feel are necessary. i walk around the city a lot, so carrying around a heavy bag is not practical! some of these things will change with the weather, for example, if it was summer, i wouldn't have those mittens or tissues.

i will always have with me, my wallet, a bottle of water, a snack, and aspirin. it is my survival to have these things with me at all times. i get sick very easily if i don't eat or drink enough water during the day.

other things i would be lost without is my paris map, my moleskine city, and my planner. i do a lot of personal appointments throughout the city for alterations etc. every time i make an appointment with a client, i jot down any names, phone numbers, addresses, and door codes i might need in my moleskine {i also jot down business and addresses i like so i can find them again}. i have left my house without it once and was late for an appointment because i had to go all the way back home to pick it up for the door code and phone number. not. fun.

because i'm a seamstress, i always seem to find sewing supplies in my purse without realizing it. that little multi-colored bag is filled with straight pins, safety pins, and other supplies i need. ah, and what do you know, a tape measurer. i didn't even know that was in there. they always seemed to be attached at my hip!

the things in my purse are very personal as well as very practical. although, many of these things are things i will need with me always, there is an element to these items that is close to my heart.

lets take a closer look:

-that gold wallet was given to me a couple years ago when i worked at my college costume collection. we were getting rid of it, so i was told i could have it. working there was a huge part of my college career, now i have a piece of it with me.

-the yellow change purse is from a dear friend of mine i met here in paris. she bought that for me after i turned down buying one i loved for myself even though i needed it {us women always do that, but luckily, we have friend to step up to the plate!}

-the silver pill box is an antique in style art nouveau. it was a birthday gift from my husband. we really love antiques and hope to work with them when we retire {haha, many, many years from now, of course}!

-my mother has a small, but successful wool business. she owns sheep and sells their wool with homespun wool and products. those mittens are from her business.

-that little multi-colored bag was actually made for me by my first college sewing teacher and her coworker. i worked under both of these wonderful ladies for two summers. it was a great time and i learned so much from them. i'm lucky to carry my sewing supplies in something so personal such as this.

-that tape measurer was actually owned by my best friend. some how i ended up with it and got to keep it. it's a wonderful reminder of her when we are living in completely different counties.

... so with, i think, my longest post ever, you can see that if my purse was stolen, many of these things can be replaced, but the personal value is worth so much more.

even though i try to stay practical in my daily life, i keep things around me from people i love. it gives me happiness even on the worse days.

i hope you enjoyed this post and be sure to check out the coming post january 17th at exPress-0, linked below.

late gifts, new toy

2011-01-07T01:16:00.000+01:00

since i live in europe and a long way from my family back in the states, my mother sends many packages for the holidays.

we have some stragglers that haven't made it yet, but one finally made it today and it was a wonderful surprise...

...an attachment fisheye lens for my camera. yay!

{along with some other goodies that included homemade chocolate chip cookies from nanny}

the above photo was the first photo i took with the lovely gadget.

hubby opening his gift

thanks mom! we love you!

anyway, i'm thinking about maybe changing the size of the photos to the 'xlarge'.

what do ya think? should i stick to large?

movement

2011-01-04T22:51:00.000+01:00

i decided to leave the christmas lights on our metal window ledge.

in the summer, they will begin working on our facade, so i will have to take them down.

in the mean time, me, my husband, and friends will enjoy our 'roof top garden' without the scaffolding and with christmas lights.

influence

2011-01-03T01:46:00.000+01:00

one of my favorite books is travels with charlie by john steinbeck.

this was on my "how to of the day" on my home page and it reminded me exactly what inspired the book itself.

one day, i hope to take it to the open road and discover all the faults and the joys.

what's your favorite book and how has it inspired you?

a year in retrospect, 2010

2011-01-01T22:48:00.000+01:00

january

february

march

april

may

june

july

august

september

october

november

december

i can't complain, it's been a good one...

...let the new year begin!

merry christmas at the palmer apartment.

2010-12-26T15:49:00.000+01:00

this holiday i think i got over (a little) that i wasn't with my immediate family and enjoyed the holidays with new close friends and family....

after a holiday meal, my husband and i spent some time taking holiday photos next to the christmas tree and having some fun.

me as stepford wife.

he as stepford wife.

i hope all of you enjoyed the traditions with your family.

i will be traveling for the next couple days, so until next time!

holiday cards are in!!

2010-12-21T21:45:00.000+01:00

as some of you may know i decided to do a holiday card swap and this weekend my mailbox was full!

i don't even know which one is my favorite!

3 down 2 to go.

rockin' around the christmas tree

2010-12-20T00:12:00.000+01:00

it's been a crazy couple of weeks. i've had hardly anytime for real life.

recently, i've received an internship that has been taking lots of my time. i'm still sewing on my off time to make some money and taking french class, so there isn't much time for taking pictures, blogging, or anything else for that matter.

this weekend, i got to let loose and enjoy a small dance party saturday night. dancing to lights of the christmas tree with champagne and j.t make for some jolly good times.

i have some much to share and hopefully i have some time this week to blog about it.

until then, enjoy the last week before christmas. i know i will!

good news.

2010-12-06T21:37:00.000+01:00

remember this?

...well, the good news is i got my cards done! i was so worried i would be the spoiler, but they envelops are sealed and ready to be mailed.

i didn't want to give away anything, just in case my holiday card swappers came and looked at my blog,

but the above picture can give you a small idea of what direction i went...

i am hoping that they will post pictures of their deliveries as i will with mine.

but once i put those cards in the mailbox all i can do is wait. sometimes that's the hardest part!

these last days

2010-12-05T03:11:00.000+01:00

happy hanukkah!

my husband and i have been celebrating hanukkah. it was so early this year.

but thursday night it gave us an excuse to get the nice dishes out.

i can't wait to share the awesome gift i received last night from my grandmother in law.

it called for rain in the forecast, but i guess because it's so cold it snowed instead.

it force me to go outside this morning and take some photos of my neighborhood.

thanksgiving wrap-up

2010-12-04T17:38:00.000+01:00

although thanksgiving was a week ago, i thought i would share some photos.

a friend and i baked all day.

i had so much fun, but didn't eat enough pie.

so i think i might bake another for the next holiday party.

above is a video from pictures i took. some pictures were so bad because i forgot the flash, but please for give me.

blog crawl

2010-11-28T22:51:00.002+01:00

during the month january (january 10 - 14 & 17 - 21) i'm doin' a blog crawl! doesn't that sound exciting?it's in honor of ashlie's blog 'a hasty life' to celebrate 100 followers...and to top it off she is gathering a group of 100 bloggers to participate."it's in the bag" is a series focusing on your purse.below are the guidelines:

1. post your “it’s in the bag” post on your assigned day during the month of january

2. Include the “it’s in the bag” button at the beginning of your post

3. include a photograph of your purse

4. include a photograph (or several photographs) of the contents of your purse

5. tell us a little bit about what your purse and its contents say about you

6. link to the blog who posted the day before you and continue the crawl by linking to the blog that will follow you

pretty cool, huh?! well, the other really cool thing is, you can do it too!if this is something you would like to participate in, please email ashley at ashley {dot} hasty {at} gmail {dot} com!
so that means i should start designing myself a blog button... how fun!

hey y'all

2010-11-25T11:01:00.000+01:00

have a happy & healthy thanksgiving!!

i have a crush.

2010-11-25T00:06:00.000+01:00

a huge one.

it's gone on for too long. about 2 years now.

problem?

i'm torn with my other love.

the fur lining looks so warm and cozy!

why can't you come in blue and be the same price as 'other huge crush'!?

i can see both of us, exploring the country side together, getting dirty, spending time on a normandy beach, discovering city streets in the rain. possibilities are endless...

let me take you out sometime.

i won't be the spoiler this year

2010-11-24T12:36:00.000+01:00

remember this trip?

well, i finally sent off the post cards!

....and then on the very day that i was 'better late then never'...

i signed up to participate in this!

but don't worry, i have some ideas ready. i just have to pick up supplies.

i'll keep everyone updated on my progress!

bright day in gloomy weather

2010-11-22T22:27:00.000+01:00

no joke, paris as been this gloomy for about 3 weeks!

but i took the velib' to an appointment anyway. the air was cold, but i liked it and it's always so much fun on those bikes. the trip to my destination, my seat wouldn't stay up. then when i got it to stay, it ended up crooked. on the way back home i ended up getting one with a messed up chain and it would pop every pump i gave. i ended up spotting a flower shop right next to a velib' and direct metro station home. i gave up the runny nose and cold fingers for some flowers and a metro home.

these really made my day. when the clerk asked me if they were a gift, i said yes. but i didn't say the gift was for me.

first day of sun!

2010-11-15T14:12:00.000+01:00

to all my parisians out there: aren't you sooo happy we get some blue skies today?!

rock out today, we deserve it!

père lachaise cemetery

2010-11-14T18:46:00.001+01:00

the weather here has been really depressing and rainy for about two weeks. the perfect weather walk to around the cemetery. i'll have to go back though because half way through my good camera ran out of batteries and i didn't see as much as i would have liked to...

yes, those are my initials.

for more cemetery photos click here.

late birthday

2010-11-09T01:11:00.000+01:00

i think as far as presents go, i really banked it this year for my birthday, which was in september.

on friday, i received a late but welcomed gift.

new pin cushion to get me through the workin' days.

{homemade!}

this also has inspired me to replenish my favorite straight pins.

they will segregated for cupcake only!!

thanks pam!

rainy day sunday

2010-11-09T00:52:00.000+01:00

it was a rainy weekend, it seems like this weekend will be no end in sight for the week ahead.

but i said goodbye to work sunday evening & don't worry, i turned off the light before i left.

on the way home after tea at a friends house,

stopped here after dark to give my new tripod a spin.

for some reason when it's cloudy, it always seems like the nights are brighter. but i'm happy to have caught eiffel in the clouds like that.

to be honest i wasn't thinking about paris while i was alone in the dark {spooky}. after getting pasted the spookiness of it, i was thinking about home and the st. louis arch. when i see eiffel makes, he me nostalgic for home.

normandy carnival

2010-11-01T15:41:00.000+01:00

sunday afternoon we decided to take a drive and get some lunch at a small village nearby. to our surprise, there was a town wide carnival. luckily we finished lunch right before the tractor racing started.

it was so much fun and reminded me of the days when i lived in the country and watched demo derbies.

[true story]

normandy weekend

2010-10-31T23:13:00.000+01:00

started site seeing at blonville, ended at houlgate

not too big on flags, but it's always nice to have reminders of home when i'm so far away.

spiderweb!

ate some of these...

couldn't resist taking some pictures of the cutest family ever. i wonder if they new some creep was takin' their picture.

lovely fall afternoon

2010-10-28T16:59:00.000+02:00

yesterday afternoon, i went to the new location of carette, which is located on place de vosges.
although, i will stand by my opinion of carette macarons being the best, i will say my heart will always love the other location better.
that being said, my new friend and i extended our afternoon in the park. it was such a lovely day and i'm so happy i got to enjoy it.
my friends phone took a great panoramic shot of the park and before we left, i was sure to grab some photos of my own so i could make one myself.

blackbird

2010-10-27T08:18:00.000+02:00

in the quiet of the dark morning, i could hear this song through my walls.

for some reason it was very touching and lovely.

i hope everyone to have a beautiful day.

stade de france

2010-10-26T00:05:00.000+02:00

this weekend i experienced my first rugby game at stade de france. definitely cold. definitely fun. definitely worth it.

below is the opening show. shocking for americans, with the half clothed amazon woman. think years back a the super bowl, janet jacket, and compare it to this video below.

jazz!

2010-10-22T01:15:00.000+02:00

watching these two make me soo happy!!

if i could be anywhere on nye, it would be in san fran with these guys.

ps: hey look at that 'boji sweatshirt!

well put.

2010-10-19T11:25:00.000+02:00

let us all go to the woods and watch spiders.

love haiku

2010-10-16T22:51:00.000+02:00

i think i'm in love.

such a sweet song had to be

apart of my mix.

hillary, this one is for you.

2010-10-16T22:13:00.000+02:00

hillary, i know you're sick and wish i could come over and watch lifetime and give you kombucha with medicinal herbs while this soup is cooking on the stove.

{but sometimes wishes don't come true}

[sorry, picture above is a bit yellow. please don't let that sway your opinion]

instead, you should get another friend to cook this. it is just perfect for the current fall weather (and i'm almost sure for walking pneumonia).

just a heads up though:

i couldn't find kale here at my local grocery, so i didn't use any.

i used 2 cans of white beans because i was too lazy to soak anything.

also, i just added about a cup of veggie broth, as it didn't really seem to need much more after all those tomatoes (picture above is pre-broth)

get better...

kthanxbye

best 35€ i've ever spent.

2010-10-14T22:08:00.000+02:00

after this week of travel (to greece, of all places) i am looking back. i never thought in my life i would travel so many places. to be honest, i'm not a traveler. i'm always ready to go home after the first couple days. but don't get me wrong. the experience is more than i could ask for. and the things i see and do are all apart of living.

my highlight of the week was finding this:

a 'cave' of sorts. filled with leather goods. it was messy, unorganized, and dusty. i thought i was going where i wasn't supposed to go. the workroom, maybe? nope.

i couldn't resist buying this little leather purse...

...but mostly because this man was sitting in the corner. in a pile of leather scraps and newspaper, working away. he wasn't too talkative and in a sour mood, but i related to him. sewing alone all day can get lonely. (and i'm sure those annoying tourists coming in and out all day don't help! haha)

this purse will be close to my heart as i work away hunched over my own machine during the day, knowing i'm not the only one.

....the weekend brought the flea market. of course i couldn't resist. looking in a case i saw this little box. thinking, it was surely too small to fit anything in it, i had to look and see if it really was a sewing kit.

...it was. it can't be too old considering the plastic baggy inside with buttons and safety pins, but it worth it to me. such a great find!

if you would like to look at the more scenic side if athens and islands look here.

there were so many cute stray dogs and cats. i couldn't not take pictures. yes, i was THAT person.

good food.

2010-10-08T20:12:00.000+02:00

yay for fig season!!

ya think i'm stylin'?

2010-10-04T00:04:00.001+02:00

//gurl, i've been tight rollin' all week//

i say goodbye, you say hello.

2010-10-03T23:42:00.001+02:00

fall has been upon us for some weeks, but i'm just saying goodbye to summer. here is the last of my summer photos.

...back in paris, i'm busy again, but it is welcome. fall is always my favorite. the colors and the brisk air remind me i'm alive.

today i finally made a mix of music... please enjoy!

found: kombucha

2010-09-27T15:46:00.000+02:00

here i was, nervous to return to the city of my love. so many reasons to miss america, kombucha being one (which as always surprised me because the french do love their fermented foods). the first full day back proved me wrong. as i do love natural grocery i can never pass one up when walking by and this day was no different. this walk brought me to discover that kombucha is on the shelves of france. thank goodness.

to those in america, has kombucha been returned to you yet?

also, i never understand why the bottle always states: 'after opening can be stored for 5 days'... without fail i cannot resist the temptation that is kombucha.

i can see the world and it ain't so big at all

2010-09-22T01:55:00.001+02:00

these past weeks have been more fun than i could ask. several times during my vacation home i realized how much i love all my friends and family. i am so happy to have so many beautiful people in my life,

i miss all of you already.

in the coming days, i will be busy again with 'real life' but will touch up on my vacation here and there through the blog world.

i didn't think i would be, but i'm getting excited to get back to paris.

to all my friends, please keep in touch. in a semi lonely parisian world i need all of you.

let's get dancy.

2010-09-12T20:26:00.000+02:00

happy anniversary to my husband who lets me blast private whenever i want.