Dreaming of Paris--Deux

My arsenal (from top to bottom):

1. Chic Shopping Paris: Need I say more? I think not.
2. French Milk: The book that kind of started it all. I stumbled upon it while browsing in a small local bookstore and it just had to come home with me. Not only a great read, but a great resource for things to do while in Paris.
3. Frommer's Paris from $95 a Day: I think the title speaks for itself : )
4. A Homemade Life: Molly's book is great for a lot of things, but the Paris chapters are my favorite.

I've also found some great on-line guides out in blog land:

-Tommy's Lo-Fi Paris: I love love love this guide. So glad to have found it!
-Jordan's Paris Haunts and Jaunts: Excited to have found this one as well!

Oh, and speaking of Paris, there's a great interview with my favorite Parisienne, Garance Dore, over here. I've already read it three times since yesterday!

Ok, that's all for now. Bonne journee!

Still dreaming...

It's been a while since I've talked about my Paris plans, but this trip is still very much in my thoughts and dreams. Over the past few months, I've been collecting quite a few Paris links, which I'll share with you now. (All of these links will open in a new window, so please do follow along. There's great stuff to see!)

Lena Corwin took a trip to Paris this summer and she shared lots of lovely details when she returned. My favorite posts are here and here. (My computer desktop background, which you can see a bit of above, it one of the photos from her trip.)

Pia, who has already shared enough Paris recommendations to fill several trips, has shared even more from a few recent trips. My favorites are here, here, and here. If you're planning a trip to Paris, you should really buy her book!

Jen Causey also took a trip to Paris this spring, and I love her post on merci.

I've changed my mind about accommodations. Planning to stay here now. Since I'll be traveling alone and on a budget, I'm probably going to want to take some meals in my room, and the rooms in this hotel have kitchenettes (looking forward to stocking my fridge with lots of yummy French cheese!). I also like the location and the cute balconies.

If I wasn't staying in a hotel, I'd be searching for apartments here or here.

The following link is not Paris-specific, but it's great travel advice. Behold Decorno's unbelievable packing prowess!

Dreaming of Paris--Un

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am plotting and planning a little trip to Paris. Right now I'm thinking next Spring, but I might go sooner if the stars align properly before then. After spending hours going back and forth between my notebook and various books on Paris, I've decided to use my blog to organize my thoughts and plans. So, "Dreaming of Paris" will likely be a reqular feature between now and my trip. If you stumble across my blog and have any Paris tips, please share in the comments!

Now, about those lovely pictures above. Can you taste the croissants in that last picture? Yuummm. This is the Hotel du Champ de Mars, and I think it's the perfect hotel for me. It's oh so lovely and the price of a single room with a shower is exactly right. One of Lena's readers recommended it in a comment to her Paris post. Speaking of, I'm going back now to finish scouring the comments for more advice. See you back here for part deux of my Paris dreaming!

Dreaming of Paris--Cinq

Speaking of vintage, I just discovered Room Service, a fabulous vintage shop in Paris!! It's going straight to the top of my Paris shopping agenda.

Found via le voyage créatif

Dreaming of Paris--Trois

I've been waiting for this book for a very long time. I first found out that Pia was writing a book about a year ago in this Design for Mankind daily. I had no idea what it was about, but I knew I had to have it. So I filed it away at the top of my books-I-have-to-buy-as-soon-as-they're-released list, and then tried to push it out of my mind because I know from my own experience in book publishing (as an editor, not a writer) that the transition from manuscript to bookstore shelf takes a while. And so I waited for almost a year. And then, when I was least expecting it, Pia posted a preview of the cover. Yippeee, I thought, it's almost here! And then I waited some more. Then, last week, on a whim, I decided to check to see if Amazon had put it up for pre-order, and they had!! And it was about fait main (handmade) shopping in Paris!! Perfect! And it was going to be released the very next Tuesday!!! Needless to say I pre-ordered my copy immediately. It arrived on Tuesday, and I'm oh so happy it's here. It is splendiferously lovely, and I can't wait to roam the streets of Paris with this precious little jewel in hand.

Dreaming of Paris--Quatre

As if I needed another reason to dream of Paris, I recently discovered (via Joanna) this lovely book by Ami Sioux. Ami asked 50 Parisians to sketch a map of a place that is important to them, and then she followed the maps and took a photograph. I will definitely try to follow some of these hand drawn maps on my trip.

Speaking of trips, I'll be heading to Charleston, SC, this weekend for a wedding. I'll share some pictures when I return.

Happy Weekend!

Wishing you a restful one.

What I'll be up to:

-Taking my Pentax camera out for a spring walk
-Trying out some recipes from Molly's new book
-Plotting and planning a future (distant future) trip to Paris with this
-Poking around Pia's blog house some more. I can't stay away! : )

Am I allowed to buy this dress?

Can I afford it? Well, no...yes, I know I'm supposed to be saving for a trip to Paris, but...oh, don't give me that look...I know, I know...I won't buy it, ok? **sigh**

On My Wishlist

OK, time for a little reality check. My current level of spending is not sustainable. I've tried shopping bans before, but this one has really got to stick. You know that trip to Paris I was supposed to be saving for? Well, I've somehow ended up with even less savings than I had before! Something has gotta give.

So, here's how I see it. I am passionate about good design and supporting small businesses, and my life would be dully-McDullsville if I somehow tried to abandon that part of my life completely. Hence, this new feature, "On My Wishlist." It is my attempt to prioritize all of the beautiful things that stream through my Google reader on a daily basis. If it's worth adding to my official wishlist, it's worth considering for future purchase. Emphasis on "future;" I have to start thinking more about what I buy before I whip out my debit or credit card...

So, with all that out of the way, let's get to the fun stuff. The first two items "On My Wishlist:"

1. An *emera camera bag (top 2 photos), found via Cup of Jo. I actually feel pretty good about this one because it falls into the "needs" category. I really do need a proper camera bag...preferably one as stylish as this.

2. An AK Vintage necklace. I've been seeing these all over Chelsea's new street-style blog Urban Weeds, and I really adore them. One of my favorites is pictured above. This item falls more into the "wants" category, but a girl's gotta live, right?

One of those weeks...

This has just been one of those weeks when I've been a lot more interested in other people's blogs than my own. But I thought I'd drop in and share a photo and a couple of links.

The photo above is a favorite corner of my home. And it is literally a corner. My "living room" is about two feet away.

I have done some cooking since my last post. I made these yummy tortillas on Saturday, but I was so ready to eat by the time I'd finished rolling and flipping all 18 tortillas that grabbing my camera was the furthest thing from my mind. I topped the tortillas with guacamole and sauteed shrimp like Emily. Yuummmm.

Tommy has just posted a great Lo-Fi Tokyo guide. After Paris, Tokyo is next on my list!

I just couldn't help myself...

It was on sale...and it's Sessùn...

I've been searching high and low for a shop in the states that sells Sessùn, with no luck until today, when I clicked on over to Penelope's after seeing this post by Jenny. And there it was, in all its denim glory, and so much cheaper than a plane ticket to Paris. : ) This particular dress appears to be sold out (I must have gotten one of the last), but there's lots more cuteness where that came from, including great A.P.C. items and more Sessùn. Here are a few more things I wish I'd popped into my shopping cart.

American Retro Tribeca Blouse

Lulu black and white feather earrings

Millimeter/Milligram note ver. 1

All images from Penelope's