paris

renee has been posting photos of her honeymoon in paris. i know exactly where i want to be right now....tsumori chisato, isabel marant, and pain au chocolat.

sorry for the lack of posts. it's been tough these past few weeks getting the place ready to sell, and now we spend our days cleaning and waiting. as a treat, i've been buying flowers every few days to brighten up the place.

dreaming of rachel comey shoes, which are very soft but still too narrow.
sidewinder mocs
cushings twist bootie

the only thing i bought in paris

so, shopping in Paris? meh.

maybe it's because i can find so many of the same things in the States, but i wasn't super impressed by the selection. so many of the harder to find labels like Repetto, A.P.C., Isabel Marant, Tsumori Chisato, IRO, Antik Batik, aren't so hard to find nowadays thanks to shops in NYC and online.

or maybe it's because the currency exchange rate is still pretty rotten (although much better than over the summer). considering so many shops like Bird and Creatures of Comfort had already begun their steep markdowns, i decided to save my money.

i do, however, love claudie pierlot, so it was particularly nice to stop by the shop. if it weren't for the exchange rate, most of her pieces would actually be quite affordable (dresses for 280 euros).

anyway, the store that i fell in love with was L'Eclaireur. their two shops in the Marais were right down the street from us. even though many of the pieces can be found elsewhere (Marni, Dries, Margiela), the selection was perfectly edited. this is why i love places like Impulse or Stel's so much: not only do their shops look like my dream closet (wearable, perfectly styled, inspiring), but the owners and salespeople are clearly enthusiastic about what they do and are welcoming whether or not you're 'just looking.'

i bought my lambskin aviator hat (Issac Sellam) at the Rue Herold outpost of L'Eclaireur. every shop is a little different, and this one was gorgeous, very gothic and dark. it was also completely empty (tucked away on an alley, no signs). the saleswoman has my dream haircut, a short bob with bangs that somehow manages to avoid being too severe. i wish i had had the nerve to take a photo of her, but needless to say, i am very close to chopping my hair off.

she had me try on everything even though she knew we weren't going to buy them. i tried on a gorgeous short cashmere jacket with an accordion pleat in the back made of stiff moiré.

she also showed me an amazing seed stitch shawl with three holes for your arms or head. it was about 6 feet long, loosely knit, and 2-3 feet wide. i am pretty sure any of us could replicate this. i wish i could draw, i would sketch it for the knitters out there.

as for food, we ate at the apartment most of the time, or packed sandwiches for our expeditions. i ate way too many pains au chocolat from legay choc. and the yogurt. why is the yogurt so darn good in europe? i think i miss that the most...

back from paris

sainte chapelle

eiffel tower on a cold foggy day

versailles gardens

institut du monde arabe (jean nouvel)

'Chinatown'--13th arr. Les Olympiades residential tower blocks

Parc des Buttes Chaumont (Haussmann's folly)--note the faux bois concrete work

Centre Pompidou from a distance

the main entrance to our apartment

through the main door

and up the stairs

32 weeks. lovely old mirror in the living room

matthew washing dishes

a neighbor's cat who liked to come inside the apartment. i named him maurice.

packing for paris

pipsqueak chapeau linen dress
tse say wool cardigan
mm6 leggings

mm6 dress
jcrew sweater
leggings
thigh-high legwarmers

dries van noten top
theory wool cardigan
apc wool skirt
leggings
leg warmers

mayle galina wool jacket

belly

barbour bedale jacket in sage with warm lining
virginia johnson camel wool shawl

so it's going to be about as cold in paris as it is here in new england. i've been sifting through my closet, trying to figure out what will be both comfortable and warm. i'm also packing my new jeans and my frye boots. i'm not sure my mayle jacket will be warm enough, but i'll bring it just in case. i'm thinking layers are my best option, but if it's really cold, i'll probably just wear my jeans, a cardigan, and leggings as long underwear. not very stylish, but oh well.

paris!

photo of henri labrouste's bibliotheque ste. genevieve, from here.

we're flying out christmas evening from nyc and returning on new year's day. neither of us have been to paris, and my adviser generously offered his apartment for the week. i'm a bit iffy on traveling during the third trimester, but my midwife's office says it's fine. i guess i better start brushing up on my conversational french, i haven't spoken it in over 6 years...