Chic Cadeau- A French Tea Towel

I always think that tea towels make great gifts or souvenirs.  They are one-size-fits-all, unbreakable, and lightweight.  Wendy spotted these beauties at Tumbleweed in the Marais.  

I love how modern and bright they are, a chic cadeau for sure.

Top 5 French Gifts for Royal Babies

Congrats to Will & Kate on the adorable Princess Charlotte!  We thought we'd dedicate this post to the baby gifts we might offer her, if we were invited for tea.  All are available online, if you have a prince or princess in your life to shop for!

This is just too sweet.  Can't you see Princess Charlotte pushing this around Kensington Palace gardens next summer?  aBaby Doll Carriage, $153

In order to have smooth and soft baby skin, French mamans swear by Mustela for babies and themselves.  Mustela Newborn Gift Set, $40

A classic French baby doll, to go in the pram above!

Corolle, Les Classiques, baby doll, $50.48

My girls both LOVED their Sophies- a great squeeky toy and teether.

Sophie the Giraffe, natural rubber teether, $23

I was gifted one of these for my first born and it will be a heirloom, I'm sure.

A baby beautiful blanket.  Bonpoint Baby Shawl, 86€

Chic new resto: Ellsworth

I had a lovely birthday dinner at Ellsworth with some friends [and my mom!] a few weeks ago, and although I was having too much fun to take pictures and/or notes of the food, I thought I'd still share my experience.

The details: Ellsworth is a new spot from the cool American couple behind Verjus and Verjus wine bar.  [More yummy restaurants to try!]  It is a tiny, intimate but fun little place in the 1st, with an amazing sharing menu. [Although, I will admit, my plates were so yummy I actually did not share!]  I had the sprout salad- and I kid you not, my mouth is salivating at the thought it.  The dressing was so great that I could have eaten 3 salads.  And the famous buttermilk chicken? It is all that.  And more. All washed down by some lovely bottles of wine, and followed by apple fritters.  Definitely worth a visit.  [And you can reserve online, and English!]

Trendy Teens in Paris

Over the years, we've had quite a number of teens come on shopping tours.  Some come with very small budgets and big dreams, some come with even bigger dreams of fancy dresses [prom, bat mitzvah, etc], some just hope to see a bit of Parisian style....and I can confidently say that we've left them all as satisfied customers!  Teens who come on a special shopping trip to Paris can be considered a privileged group, to be sure, but we aim to keep our clients of all ages feeling like they've left with a bit of Paris in their bags! There is nothing more exciting than seeing one find the perfect dress- like the young lady above!  If you are coming to Paris with a teen, check out our
Tres Teen tour- it will save you hours of agony trying to figure out where the "cool" shops are for you and your teen.

Chic for Kids! Color your own dress

Wendy spotted this cuteness when out and about the other day....a color your own dress for girls! You color it, wear it, and then you wash it and start again!  The brand, Charabia, also offers t-shirts with the same concept, great for the little artistes in your life.

Charabia, 11 rue Madame, 6th

French made bags

As many of you know, most of the big names in luxury goods make now make their goods outside of France- sometimes in nearby Italy, but many times in factories in Asia.  I don't know about you, but that certainly takes some of the cachet out of buying a French bag.   I'd like one that is actually made with quality materials, in France.  Never mind the logo- don't need it, or would prefer it discreet, s'il vous plait.  

Our intrepid guide, Wendy, is always on the lookout for items that are truly Made in France, and voila!  She came upon 1854 Grunenberger, who still makes their bags in France, since 1854, naturellement.  I think the styles are a great mix of trendy and classy, non?  Available online and in a boutique in the 17th.

Il Fait Beau....it's almost spring!

As the sun starts to warm up our days in Paris, we start thinking of vacation destinations....and apparently the creative team at Monoprix is thinking the same thing.  This cute destination-inspired line of clothing for babies and kids is a fun way to transition into spring.   (It's making me feel the need to pull out my Breton stripes again!)  Prices range from 7.99- 19.99, so the pieces make chic (and cheap!) souvenirs.  At Monoprix shops and online.

Fashionable Macarons

I'll admit that I'm a sucker for packaging- a great looking gift or an eye catching product always wins me over!  Just spotted these uber-colorful Pucci designed Laduree macaron boxes...not only do you get some delectable treats (with seasonal flavors like banana chocolate, yuzu ginger and pineapple!), but you get to keep these sweet and funky box.  [They make great desk organizers.]  Voila!  Spring Paris souvenirs sorted.

Hermes Haute Couture Candles

French designer Guillaume Bardet and perfumer Celine Ellena were taped by Hermes to design their new luxury candle collection, Le Perfum de la Maison.  The result?  These stunning candle bowls, that can be tipped on their sides, along with a paper horse and a scented stone.  The scents are created around five story lines:  Des pas sur la neige, Temps de pluie, Fenetre ouverte, Champ libre, and A Cheval.  Trop chic!