cook up some new bijoux

the name of this new jewelry line is quite surprising- cuisine francaise bijoux- and, luckily, their jewelry is just as fresh!  [prices are quite attractive too!]  i love this fun cuff bracelet [the "fanny"]for spring, and the golden macaroon bracelet is a great giftie for your sweet-toothed gal pal.  the new-ish line can be purchased online  [they ship worldwide!] or found in boutiques around paris.  

fun & funky longchamp

classic leather-goods brand longchamp keeps its image jeune & fresh by collaborating with hot young designers.  following in the paths of jeremy scott and kate moss, greek designer mary katrantzou takes her turn.  known for her eclectic, colorful prints, the new longchamp bags will surely bring a pop of color to your spring wardrobe.  for sale exclusively at colette until mid-february, then at longchamp boutiques.

make these "boyfriend" panties

you've heard of the boyfriend sweater...and boyfriend jeans too.  the latest trend?  boyfriend panties!  the sweatshop atelier is helping you make a surprise for valentine's day- bring in "borrowed" shirt from your boyfriend, and whip up these cute knickers.   but hurry- the ateliers are this weekend only, january 28th and 29th.

happy bday brand bazar

brand bazaar, a multi-brand boutique right near le bon marche, is celebrating it's 10th birthday....and for it's fete, ten frenchie brands [APC, Carven, Le Mont Saint Michel, Gat Rimon, etc.] have created limited-edition pieces exclusively for the boutique.  stop by after february 1st to check out the collection in person- who doesn't want something she can get only in paris?  [or order online and use BRANDBAZAR10 to receive 10% off.]

Brand Bazar

33 rue de Sevres, 6th

garence dore dances for petit bateau

what do you get when you add garence dore + petit bateau?  first, a great little video of garence kicking it up doing the Madison [attention! the catchy song sticks in your head....]  and then you get the cute and classic line that she created of petit bateau clothing- cable knit sweaters and carrot pants, to be worn with ballet flats and red rouge a levres, a la garence.  trop chic!

made by vous

with do-it-yourself becoming such a recessionista hobby, more and more chic & cheap boutiques are catering to the crafty mademoiselle.  hobbyists and paris-lovers alike will be thrilled to discover this little shop- brimming with goodies for homemade projects.  yogurt or jam, scrapbooking, beauty, or knitting-- you name it, L'Effet Maison has got the gear for you to whip it up.

L'Effet Maison

32 rue Vignon, 8th

24 hour museum- get there quick!

To celebrate the reopening of Prada's Faubourg St Honore boutique this week, Miuccia Prada invited Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli for a short but stunning artistic performance. The 24 hour museum is open for 24 hours only- 24th and 25th of January, at the Palais d'Iena. The general public is invited only on the 25th, from 7am until midnight.  What's in store?  Vezzoli's take on femininity through classical sculptures and contemporary divas.   Vite, before it's over!

pipoca patches

how cool are these?  a far cry from the elbow patches on grandpere's sweater, these funky patches from pipoca are totally hip.  patches have been a la mode in boutiques for several seasons now in paris, and now do-it-yourself models are popping up everywhere.  this spring, update an old sweater with a star-spangled pair, et voila!  

pipoca
67 rue cardinall-lemoine, 5th

smells like dior spirit

it wouldn't be spring [well, almost!] without some hip new nail polish launch from one of the biggest names in beauty.  this year, the credits go to dior, with it's fresh duo: forget-me-not and waterlily, in lilac and soft green hues.  the special surprise?  once dry, they smell like soft rose.  spring has sprung!

Hermes not-so-secret sale

Those in-the-know know that Hermes has a semi-annual sale, off site, twice a year with exceptional prices.  This year, as in the past few years, the sale takes place at the Palais de Congres, and the final day will be tomorrow.  What's in store?  Scarves are by far the best buy- and you'll have to wait in line to see them- at 175 euros instead of 310 euros in stores.  Ties were 83 euros.  Racks of clothing and shoes were all on offer, with prices about 50% off, but this year there was very little jewelry or leather accessories.  If you missed this sale, not to worry, just mark your calendars for the end of June....

Paris tout petit

Thanks to Stan the Frenchman who sent me the link for Made by Joel this morning....lots of great crafty ideas for kids, but my eyes immediately went to this printable mini-Paris scene.  What a great activity for a kid stuck on the plane, learning about France, or for any other Paris lover you know!  I'm sure my two mademoiselles will have a great time playing with this this weekend.....

karl by karl

the much-anticipated karl by karl lagerfeld collection has just released a few pictures of the upcoming collection, to be released january 25th on netaporter.com and then next month on karl's new site, karl.com.   the well-cut, mainly black, looks from the master himself are a fashionista's dream- and the prices are even dreamier, ranging frpom 60-300 euros.

this weekend: maison et objet

if you have anything to do with the world of design/furniture/home decor, this is THE weekend to be in paris, for the semi-annual maison et objet show.  the gigantic show showcases the best and newest from the chic-est designers and is an amazing place to get information/inspiration or to order up items for your boutique.  i was lucky enough to tag along one time and it was truly amazing- and will make you want to redecorate your humble abode tout de suite!  jan 20-24th at paris nord villepinte

this weekend: paris des chefs

Gourmet geeks unite- if you are in town this weekend, be sure to check out Paris des Chefs.  Three days dedicated to food and design, with tastings, demonstrations by chefs from around the world, and more.  To top if off, many events will take place in the recently redone art deco buliding La Maison de la Mutualite [renovated by hip architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte].    

pop goes the garden

one of the cutest souvenirs i've seen in a while- a simple little card that pops up, holding a sachet of grass to water....letting you watch the grass grow with the vista of the Eiffel Tower behind.  it's always greener on the other side, non?  for a limited time only, available at monceau fleurs [19 euros]

hibernation at the conciergerie

The French are so good a putting that little twist of the unexpected- that je ne sais quoi- on things to  make them special.  This is exactly what is so fun about the Betes Off [a pun on "best of"] expo, currently at the Conciergerie.   The exhibit focuses on animals and the imaginery in the work of contemporary artists- how fun is it to have a flock of birds over your head [indoors] or walking under ponies suspended from the ceiling? A humorous way to check out one of Paris' treasured monuments.

Until March 11th at the Conciergerie, 2 blvd du Palais, 1st.

Galette du Rois

It's that time of the year again- you can't pass a bakery without spotting one of these buttery, flaky concoctions known as the Galette du Rois [king's cake].   I love the etoile creation, top, available at La Grande Epicerie and the cleverness of the color-your-own-crown that comes with the delicious galette at La Patisserie des Reves.  

If you want to try to create the same thing at home, there are many recipes online.  [I'm going to attempt the nutella-filled galette this weekend.  And don't forget the galette party tradition- the youngest person [usually a child!], goes under the table, and tells the cake server who gets each piece of the galette in order to not peek and see the feve [trinket/ charm].  Whoever gets the feve in his/her piece is queen or king for the day.  A vous de jouer!

the hands of Hermes

Hermes is one of the last few true luxury brands that remains- each leather good or silk scarf is made entirely by hand, and in the case of the handbags, each one is made by one person, from start to finish.  Hermes shows off their savoir-faire in this gorgeous short documentary, Les Mains d'Hermes [called "Hearts and Crafts" in the English version], which you can watch online for free. Warning:  it might make you start a secret "Hermes bag" fund.

for the kids table

Only the French could come up with an entire store dedicated to les arts de la table for children....Le Ciel est a tout le monde is filled with Petit Jour tableware for kids- all made of BPA-free melamine- splashed with French & international kid characters like Maisy the mouse, Barbapapa, and Peter Rabbit and more.  Couldn't be cuter for your little mademoiselle's next tea party.

Le Ciel est overt a tout le monde
10 rue Gay-Lassac, 5th

This week: Les Soldes [Sales!]

As I've discussed previously on this blog, the two semi-annual sales periods in France are a big deal.  Loads of things on sale, for about 5 weeks!  Visitors who are lucky enough to be here during this time period can score some great deals [if you are willing to fight the crowds the first few days.]  The sales start this Wednesday, January 11th, so look out for early store openings.

Not here for the soldes? Not to fret.... In recent years, the French government has loosened up the regulations regarding sales, and now stores can run brief 2- week sales and 'de-stocking' promotions outside of the 2 big sales periods.  So keep your eyes out for flashy signs and words like destockage, promotion, etc.  Happy bargain hunting!

bubbles for bebe

I don't think I've ever come across a kid that is not fascinated by bubbles- by blowing them or just chasing them through the air.  Who can resist these uber-chic bubbles by Maison Francis Kurkdijan- scented with glorious flavors like cut grass or pear?  A chic gift that will have parents & enfants smiling and blowing away....

Maison Francis Kurkdijan
5 rue Alger, 1st

Paris at the movies

Did you know that over 900 movies are shot in Paris each year?  Who doesn't love watching movies about Paris and figuring out exactly where they were shot.  The city of Paris' website, Paris.fr, offers a great list of mini guides  [in English & in French] that you can print out to scout out some of the locations of famous films.  Check out their site to find the promenade that will take you to the spots in Midnight in Paris, The Devil Wears Prada, and many more.