Francophilia catches up to you sometimes

It's been 4 years since I've been to Paris. J'adore that place.

The first time was with my mom, and I was proposed to by a crepe maker right beside Notre Dame cathedral. I was at my peak of unhealthy teenage self-consciousness and thus very embarrassed about it, but my mom thought it to be really funny, of course. It's one of many signs Paris and I are destined.

Especially after Spain when all I wanted was ANY NON-BLAND FOOD, por favor. A non-Spanish-raised-on-balsamic-vinaigrette girl can only take so much paella and jamon serrano. Needless to say, 'DONDE ESTAN LAS VERDURAS?' was my oft-repeated phrase. It is mind-blowing how few things green Spaniards consume. I had olive oil and french fry nightmares for weeks after my return to America.

But I guess I better graduate, and get a real job in the east so I can justify fanshy rittle trips across the pond? Oh Champs Elysees ... (one of my favorite solo date night ins in Provo was spent on the Darjeeling Limited- obsessed).

Almost there.


This post is dedicated for one Chantelle Elise whom I miss too, who is NOT a barista ;)

Cute as a button

Oooh how I loove the Salt Lake City bakery Les Madeleines...

Why?  

The only bakery in SLC that makes authentic French macarons-- known in (dumbed down) English as "button cookies"...

In flavors of hazelnut, mango, strawberry, pistachio, green tea and even 'margarita'...

AND one of only 6 bakeries in the USA to make Kouing-aman... 

a sweet & salty, crunchy & gooey anomaly of a pastry that must be made with sea salt from its birthplace of Brittany, France.

Les Madeleines has not only provided me with loads of epicurean delight, but also shown me that Utah may be a more sophisticated place than previously thought...

this is why food has the ability to affect my life so deeply. hehe.

Photo via Les Madeleines

Eva in Paris!

A follow up to this post...

Isn't she fabulous?
Straight out of the Sartorialist's look-book.
Gah, I love her.

Paris: what hiring freeze?

My friend Eva is going to Paris tomorrow for 9 days, staying in an itsy studio (Euro standard!) in the 1st arrondisement near the Tuileries/Louvre.

Let's just say I'm disappointed that Webster/we in the 21st century have not come up with a scathing curse word for "envy."

It is both our dreams to be photographed by the Sartorialist. Soul sisters.

And she thought the following was so funny she has the following quote (by me) on her Gchat status:
"The world is on a hiring freeze, so let's all up and go to Paris for 9 days- Carpe Diem!"


Bahaha, ok, enough about me, here's some pictures of her modeling:

Photos Courtesy Ana Yacubic Photography

I wanted her to try out for this season's America's Next Top Model (girls must be under 5'7" for a change), this NY Mag article, our dreams were crushed.
Oh Tyra...

But anyway, Eva is going to have a fabu time! And she promised to take a lot of pics of her outfits, and well, that's just exciting.


Other Parisian nuggets:

This website (for short term Parisian rentals) will kill me. Just knowing I could live there with the click of the mouse.

Rita Wilson's attempting to be French in Bazaar.

Paris in the Rain via Joanna's blog. Still gorgeous!

Bon voyage Eva! Bisoux!


If you've been, what is your favorite thing about Paris?

Balloons

I have a chronic fear of heights (which is ironic considering my own height), and for some reason, when I was younger, I used to be afraid of balloons flying away.

I would get sweaty palms as I held balloon strings, and whenever I saw one or released one, I was found panic-ridden, as if the balloon were a living object with a life sadly blown away...

But this lovely post from the equally as lovely Brittany is just brilliant.

...as is this Miss Dior Cherie Parfum ad, produced by Sofia Coppola!




Oh, to be in Paris right now, in the spring...

Last week, in our bloodshot study break stupor, Rindz and I kayak.com'ed and found roundtrips to Charles de Gaulle for $600.
(This came about because we started naming off airport codes we knew- a requirement for all travel agents to know- yes, it was about 1 AM, don't worry about it...)

To say it was tempting would be a gross understatement. I was about ready to plug in my memorized credit card number (a handy, yet dangerous thing, as I've been known to sleep-shop in early morning hours and then get surprised when packages show up on my doorstep).

Upcoming post to follow about my darling friend Eva who WILL be going in a week or so...

Bisoux for now!

Inglourious Basterds

I am savoring up this month's Vanity Fair...
(read about my love affair with the publication here and here).

Cover Story: "...And God Created Gisele"
So fitting! Mario Testino does fabulous work. Link to the story here.

Strange Obama cover from a Singapore publication dubbed as "GQ meets the Economist." Interesting.


And I cannot wait until I get my hands on Inglourious Basterds ... (I am a total WWII junkie!) debuting this month at the Cannes Film Festival.

VF article here.

Physicality phactor

I kid you not, standing at a good 5'11"...

(6' if I've done a lot of lengthening pilates lately)

....I attribute part of my obsession with Michelle O being the fact that I get a kick out of knowing how I would look standing next to the itsy foreign dignitaries.

With Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of England

With Nicholas and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy of France

With German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer

As soon as my life slows down for 5 minutes, I'm going to submit that to PostSecret...

so if it ever becomes published, you lucky ones will know it originated here.



Oh, and I had to include the following, because it speaks progressive volumes:
It's Sauer and Michelle having a snack while President O and Angela did their business.
Basically, the First Man of Germany...with Mobama (no explanation needed).

(Photos courtesy ABC, Guardian UK and Huffington Post)

Paris: Another reason

As much as fashion is intriguing and escapist, when it all comes down to the masses it reaches the wearable function phase.

But in France, everything and anything goes...

The Sartorialist (see his blog for fabu beyond fabu photos) was in Paris for the fall fashion shows, so thus he posted on-the-street shots of French women- the originators of chic.


How much would you
a) love to be in Paris right now
b) love to be wearing that coat and
c) love the fact that you'd only be second-glanced at by an American photographer in it?

La Culture Française

So it's not a secret that part of me wants to be French.

Actually, more so German (they're prompt, hygienic, friendly-er, tall-er and they embrace all cuisines...yeah you can see where my priorities are hah)

not to mention Tina Fey is half-German...




...but the German language is harder and not as practical.

Regardless, I'm really obsessed with la culture francaise, so obsessed that for graduation I'm not asking for jewelry nor a boob job (JK- but it's commonplace where I come from!)...
but Rosetta Stone's to learn French.

I am in love with Paris (even though it's a far scarier place in Taken than say, Mumbai in Slumdog Millionaire...)

I could sit on the Champs-Elysees all day.

I even know where I would live: ideally near the Jardin Luxembourg and the Musee Rodin, close to the cafe culture and nightlife of Montparnasse and the Latin Quarter of the left bank.

Especially after reading this: 5 surprises about living in Paris (I want to be her).
For the record #3, 4, and 5 are presumably universal if you live in Europe- I say that based on my living experiences in Spain, where I did not blow dry my hair, frequently took cold showers (tepid at warmest, in a box-sized shower no less)...and well, the food in Spain is uninspiringly bland so I can't really speak much for the cheddar cheese one.

Check out these luuuurvely flowers from Parisian markets.

Peonies are now in my top three favorite flowers, after orchids and irises.

I find orchids so intriguingly architectural,

Irises so strikingly vibrantly (and who doesn't love Van Gogh),

and Peonies simply lusssh and lovely.


Oh to be in Paris.

(photos courtesy Kari Herer Photography)