mercredi 30 mars 2011

Mademoiselle en Fleur

Between the colors and the flowers that haunt me nowadays, it seems that every pore of my skin is screaming for Spring!
Thank you Marie Claire Italia for celebrating Spring!









Credits Xevi Muntané for Marie Claire Italia

dimanche 27 mars 2011

Color Power

Have you ever noticed that colors can actually make a real impact on your mood?
Wearing bold colors actually give me so much energy, I tend to always look more like a parrot than a sicilian widow.
It gets you noticed too, but in a nice, and funny way, you can feel people are nicely surprised to see someone having the courage to wear colors.
Poster from this lovely Etsy boutique.

I've discovered the power of colors, living for about 5 years in a country were women are covered with black, even with 50 degrees outside. Now that I am back to Paris, I notice with despair that French women like black, grey and fade colors just as much, even if they're free to wear anything else here.
But as the French Vogue, then Elle, Madame Figaro and all the other boring magazines have announced, color block is the trend of the season!
Which makes me wonder if I'm truly happy about it... Not that I'm happy to come across mini-me versions every where in the capital. But after a season, when everybody will be back to their boring sad colors, I'll look old-fashion, which is even worst than looking trendy I guess...

jeudi 17 mars 2011

Detox anyone?

Yesterday morning, my daily happiness moment was all set: having my first coffee in ages.
Being on a detox diet for 9 days, it meant a lot to me.
But when I arrived at my new neighborhood favorite coffee shop, Kooka Boora, I was really shocked to hear the news: the coffee machine was down, and they were waiting for the handyman to fix it.
Nevermind, I got to stick to my detox diet and had a beetroot/orange/carrot/ginger mix instead.
My delicious- but yet surprising- detox juice

And so did all the people that stepped into the coffee shop that morning.

Not only did I follow my diet, but so did all my neighborhood.
And maybe it's me, but I felt people were more relaxed reading their newspaper that morning, their faces less tensed, some were even engaging conversation with their neighbor, or only commenting on the surprising beetroot juice (not really in the French culture), but I felt the detox was somehow working on everyone...
The handyman should not have bothered to come that day.

mardi 15 mars 2011

Fruit Salad

What if, happiness after all was not all about "when I'll get this", "when I'll be that"...
But only a succession of small gifts life is offering you?

Saturday morning, I'm having my usual breakfast on the café terrace across the street.
On a detox plan that's killing me since 5 days, I am about to dive into the divine fruit salad I prepared for myself, when an old lady passes by.
I don't know why, but I always smile to old ladies. And this one looks particularly charming, and... old.
Our eyes meet, our smiles answer to one other.
And then she goes:
- You are so pretty with your fruit salad! It reminds me of Bourvil*! Do you know Bourvil?
And she starts singing:
- Salade de fruits, jolie jolie...

She made my day.
I only regret I was not quick enough to invite her to sit with me.
Guess where you'll find me next Saturday morning, looking for an old lady who sings?

* An actor/singer/comic you cannot know if you are not above 50 years old and French.

dimanche 13 mars 2011

Of Men and Gloves

It's hard to tell why I like Vintage so much. Is it the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of the discovery, the story behind each item, the tough negotiation...
I like to know, or otherwise to imagine, where my treasure comes from, where it has been, in which condition it was bought,... I am very inventive when it comes to giving life to a mere piece of fabric.

Last week-end there was a flea market in my street.
As always, I like to chat with the sellers and try to know "the stories".
I found some fabulous pieces, but my best treasure is the story of "the Man and the Glove Box".
I bought some gorgeous laces from the 19th century to a delicious lady, Mrs Monique S (her stand is called 'Wardrobe Secrets')
When I asked her for the gloves, she had to reach for the glove box which was out of sight.
As I was diving into it, she told me the story.
It's been at least 3 years, every time she exposes (meaning about 18 times a year), she gets the visit of a man, about 55 to 60 years old, who comes and goes straight to her glove box on display. Then he spends one hour detailing the content of the box, looking carefully at each glove, one by one, to replace them all in the box and leave without a comment. After about 3 years, she starts to find this game a bit strange or fishy, and therefore keeps a lid on the box, and keeps it away from the display.
Last time he came, about a month ago, he was speechless to see the box covered, out of reach. He did not dare asking the lady if he could have a look, and left empty-handed.
She hasn't seen him this week-end, he hasn't come to the rue des Martyrs market.

This story gets my imagination running. I find it extremely romantic, and I'm sure there is a beautiful story behind. Maybe he is looking for a lost glove from a pair, maybe he is looking for gloves which belonged to his true love, maybe it is the gloves his mother used to caress him with he is looking for desperately. Suddenly I wish I could meet this man and know more about his story. It sounds like the beginning of a book.

The Glove Box from Wardrobe Secrets, by Mrs Monique S.


It also reminded me a short story I have read few weeks ago, called 'The Dreamer from Ostende' by the talented Eric Emmanuel Schmidt.

Flirting is in our genes

A super cute video made by Benefit to promote the benefits of a nice smile and translate body language. Nothing new under the sun, but it's just super cute...

jeudi 10 mars 2011

Spring is in the Air...

Winter does not seem to end...
I feel like Spring again, the rebirth of nature, running in flower fields...

These polaroïds by Kristen Dunst for Boy by Boy of Outsiders make me dream of Spring...

And to celebrate the seasons, here is the song that's always cheering me...

mercredi 9 mars 2011

Mmmh...

Tonight, I feel in the mood for... some jazz...
You know these evenings, when you like to get cosy, few candles, some wine (I wish, I'm on a serious detox plan right now!)...
I cannot really tell if it's the detox that is pulling me down, or last night's date that keeps me guessing, but I felt quite nostalgic all day. Like when you feel something is coming, and you have to be prepared. Therefore, this week, I'm paying all my bills, getting all my dues, cleaning up my apartment and finally getting this ibook fixed.
God knows what is coming to me now, but I just feel like embracing it...

dimanche 6 mars 2011

Learning French

For those who want a taste of Paris, and wonder wether they should learn French...

vendredi 4 mars 2011

Be inspired...

I've spent my whole night thinking over many things last night.
After 8 months in Paris, it's about time for an appraisal.
Am I happy, happier, happiest?
Have I found what I was looking for? Do I know what exactly?
I realize how spoiled am I, but is it about time to stop dreaming, and get back to reality?
So many questions...

Here is a little inspiration to kick off this cold but sunny day in Paris...
I like to read it sometimes, when I feel a bit blue...
Have a fantastic week-end!

jeudi 3 mars 2011

Today is -already- another day

Today, for the first time in years, I feel a bit down.

When the Galliano-gate is on everyone's lips during this Paris boring fashion week, who honestly cares about the lousy Oscars ceremony, the 2012 French elections and the potential wannabe/don't wanna tell candidates or Jen Aniston's new haircut (was last week's buzz, which means, 23 years ago already).
Honestly, is it a reflection of our times, or are the medias running out of news?

For having been living in a non-democratic country for years, I guess I must have crystallized about how skilled and professional were the journalists, and the news back home.
Alas, it is with great sadness I realize it was a view from my mind.

A bad flu is putting me down today, and when I woke up this morning, I've head the sad demise of a Great Woman I truly admired, Janine, who has been fighting with illness for years.
God bless her.
No wonder I do not want to hear the rumours of the world today, shall it leaves me alone.
Forget me.

I wish we were already tomorrow morning.