“America is my country and Paris is my hometown” – Gertrude Stein And so my story takes a turn, and I am now living in Paris, my dream ever since I first visited at 18 years old and sunk my teeth into the pillowy, fresh, delicate layers of a Charlotte Russe at Gérard Mulot. As…
Paris
Hotel Récamier in Paris
Nestled next to the Cathedral Saint-Sulpice, where Fitzgerald and Hemingway attended church, is the Hotel Récamier. This shot was taken from this former residence of Gertrude Stein where she briefly lived with Alice B. Toklas. Notice the dreamy roofs oxidized in Parisian blue. Picture climbing into bed in a room at the top of this…
Coffee and Journals in Paris
My favorite scene in the Sabrina remake is when Fanny Ardant says in her sumptuous French accent to the young and uncertain Sabrina: “For eight months– no, more than that– a year… I sat in a cafe, I drank coffee… and I wrote nonsense in a journal. And then, somehow… it was not nonsense. I…
An Unobstructed View of Notre Dame
Sometimes my most memorable times traveling are not when carving my way along a strategic footpath mapped out by GPS, but when I lose track of all technology and just follow the sights and sounds of the city. From the soft croon of a jazz musician on Pont Saint Louis, to the lure of a…
A Sweet Almond Croissant in Paris
My bliss is powdered sugar over an almond croissant in Paris. And those golden, slivered almonds that cover buttery, laminated layers. I have been swooning over the pictures of pastries posted by my favorite Parisian Instagram accounts. I rushed out this morning to encounter, standing proudly in the pâtisserie window, this work of perfection. It…
Shopping and Sweetscouting in the Marais
The Marais offers a dynamic duo of eye candy — stylish boutique windows and sweet patisseries. I love strolling through the side streets, popping into trendy stores, slipping my feet into colorful ballet flats and having friendly salespeople flood my dressing room with feminine and distinctly French-cut blouses and skirts. A shoulder ruffle, delicate bow, and coquettish pencil skirt all seem to fit…