{what i loved this week}

on instagram:  This bar's color combo and open shelving would be great to replicate in my own kitchen.  Loved the masculine/glam look of SomethingNavy's oversized tufted ottoman.  Elle Ferguson can do no wrong with her style.  Rachel Castillero & Sitting in A Tree Events recently put together quick boudoir shoots called the Fox Sessions and they look so amazing that I'm considering signing up for the next round!

on pinterest:  Roasted strawberry & mascarpone ice cream sounds like the perfect end to the warm days this spring.  Would love to whip up a big batch of these gourmet honeys to give as gifts.  

in real life:  We are currently visiting Barcelona through the weekend and staying in this wonderful modern apartment we found on Airbnb. 

on the blogs:  The Super Bowl is this Sunday and we will be watching it around midnight in Paris at a little American Football bar we found, but if I was back home in the US then I would without a doubt be copying this "anti-superbowl" party theme from Style Me Pretty Living. 

on my wishlist:  Rachel Zoe's new style book is on pre-order!  If I had access to a Target right now I would be buying two of these simple ottomans immediately!  The perfect bootie from Zara for spring.  A great little knit striped dress for those transitional days between the seasons from ASOS. 

{friday cocktail: le sanguinello}

This Friday's cocktail is French inspired update on The Type-O cocktail which is one of my favorite seasonal recipes using blood orange.  Subbing gin for vodka, eliminating the simple syrup and adding in the very parisian St. Germain makes this recipe into a slightly more flavorful yet tart version of the original.  The best part is the striking hot pink color that comes from the blood orange mixed with lemon juice.

Cheers!

{custom monogrammed c. wonder clutch}

I have been wanting to share this custom monogrammed C. Wonder clutch I grabbed before the holidays, but didn't have a chance until last night when I snapped some shots before I took it out to dinner in Paris for our much anticipated reservations here.  After we arrived in Southern California for Christmas, we headed straight to Fashion Island to do some last minute gift-shopping since we didn't want to carry gifts in our suitcases.  I was most excited to check out the C. Wonder store that is there since it's one of the only locations outside of the East Coast (partly we were gift shopping here, but mostly we were there for my own selfish reasons).  I'm not a huge fan of their clothing line, but the accessories and housewares are always amazing!

You can customize quite a few of C. Wonder's products on their site and during the holidays they had the embroidery service on-site in stores so that you could take home customized goodies that same day.  How could I possibily pass up adding a $10 monogram to purchase!?!  I opted for the simple striped clutch and then proceeded to agonize over what color thread to use for my initials- ultimately I choose the hot pink, but metallic gold was a very close runner up.

Unfortunately, as I was adding links to this post I discovered that C. Wonder doesn't have this clutch on their site anymore.  I'm hoping they bring it back soon because it's such an easy and affordable gift idea! You can find a similar customizable clutch here in the meantime.  Or you could buy this one or this one and take it to a local embroidery store.

UPDATE 02/10/14: C. Wonder has re-stocked their monogram clutches in new patterns for spring right here!

{etsy faves}

After my unsuccessful trip the beautiful Paris flea markets, I consoled myself with a little trip down the black hole of Etsy shopping.  Since I found about 100 things I want to purchase immediately on Etsy, I thought it might be fun to round up some of my faves that are actually affordable (not to mention purchase-able from the US!).  I'll take one of each please...

1. Black & White woven hammock  $89

2. Pair of Brass Pineapple Urns $189

3. Brass pocket change tray $25

4. Pair of Swan Vases $68

5. Peony Print $50

6. 10 yards of navy Ikat fabric $86

7. Vintage highball caddy set $89

8. Black leather miniaudiere $90

9. 36" by 48" Floral Poster $50

10. Infinity Handle coffee mug $39

{paris: week four}

This past week in Paris was a bit quieter as the rainy weather kept me from wanting to walk around extensively or take as many photos, but in spite of the rain our time was definitely not lacking in more fabulous dining and shopping experiences.  I discovered two of my new favorite stores; one was Merci in the Marais which is a fun mix of boutique clothing finds and impeccably designed home decor with a decidedly french flair to it.  The other store that came highly recommended to me and did not disappoint is & Other Stories which is sort of like H&M meets Zara- a little lower price point than Zara with more trendy cuts/colors.  

In addition to crossing off some places on our restaurant wishlist, we discovered a delicious and low-key Italian place down the street from our apartment that will surely become an easy weeknight staple over the next couple months.  On the recommendations of many we trekked out to wine & tapas bar, Bones, for a great meal that was a welcome departure from the more traditional french dishes we have become used to including Banh Mi with Pate.   In search of another wine bar-type experience, we checked out this little place in 6th and then biked over to cocktails after dinner at the intimate Curio Parlor.  

{the entrance to Merci}

{fun quotes decorate many of the walls in Merci}

{fell in love with this chandelier with subtle pops of pink}

{checked out the breathtaking Alaïa exhibit before it closed this past Sunday}

{wandering through an open air market on Saturday afternoon}

{monday morning with: Liz of Sequins & Stripes}

This Monday the adorable Liz from Sequins & Stripes joins us for a little virtual coffee chat.  I have followed Liz's style blog from the very beginning and you might remember her as the fabulous host of the Nordstrom campaign/event I participated in here.  

what's your drink of choice? 
I'm a beer girl!


what's the most recent store you shopped at? 
Zara, to stock up on more sweaters for this insane winter.


do you have a signature scent? 
I wear Marc Jacobs signature scent. 


what is the top item on your wishlist right now?
I'm headed to Florida in a few weeks so I'm dying for this fun beach coverup or a new Marysia bikini. 


what'd you do this past weekend? 
I went to my friend's lakehouse in Wisconsin for a girls weekend to meet her new baby girl!


where are you or where would you like to travel to next?
I'm currently in the middle of the polar vortex in Chicago, but I'm dreaming of sunny destinations for our honeymoon in September!


what are you currently reading?
Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill


favorite quote of the moment? 
One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can't change.


whats your new favorite blog discovery?
Park & Cube, the imagery and design is gorgeous!


tell us a secret?
I'm addicted to coffee.

{what i loved this week}

on instagram:  I've definitely given up on elbowing my way into H&M collabs since it's just a headache for generally disappointing merch, but I really should have paid more attention to the recent Isabel Marant collection they had because now I'm obsessed with these boots and have been scouring ebay for them!!  Love this layout of having a desk directly behind a couch in a large space.  What a fun and affordable party centerpiece to use honeycomb decorations.  I'm still not over neon installations. 

on pinterest:  This mid-century cabinet would be perfect to house all our glassware.  A fun use for a ceramic umbrella stand as a planter in simple entryway.

in real life:  I really miss Muji so I sent him a little care package with a new lobster toy from my favorite dog toy brand!

on the blogs:  Even though it's for a kid's party, I love this colorful decor theme- especially the geometric backdrop!  Candied grapefruit sounds amazing and surprisingly easy to make!

on my wishlist:  This one-piece swimsuit is pretty spectacular.  Subtle-y colorful rhinestone earrings from ASOS.  This pineapple lamp from Zara Home is calling my name- I has a great vintage feel to it.  Would love to pick up a few of these brass/acrylic drawer pulls to makeover an old piece of furniture. 

{friday cocktail: the rattlesnake}

This past Christmas while we were in Southern California, my family up in wine country was whipping up batches of this cocktail and texting me snapshots to induce jealousy.  My wonderful sister-in-law was kind enough to send me the recipe and now I'm sharing it with you!  Besides the fact that this cocktail tastes delicious, I think my favorite part is the intricate bitters garnish that sits atop the foamy top layer created by the egg whites.  It reminds me of the milk art that baristas create in frothy milk except better because this is a cocktail not coffee....

Cheers!

{a day at the paris flea market}

One of the things at the top of my list for our time here in Paris was a trip (or two or three) to the world famous flea market.  Two weekends ago we hopped on the metro with some fellow friends from Chris' MBA program and spent the better half of a day wandering around the expansive markets.  I did a little research on what markets are best to start off with since the area is so expansive that there is no way to see everything in one day.  After reading Jordan's write up (seriously my biggest source while we have been here) and the overview on A Girls Guide, I decided on visiting Marche Dauphine, Marche Paul Bert & Marche Serpette.

There are two main things on my list that I would love to bring home as a reminder of our time living in Paris, one is an absinthe fountain (because I love absinthe and it would be beautiful to display on our bar!) and the other is a cool piece of art (preferably something on the smaller side since I would probably have to ship it home).  Unfortunately, I found neither of these things on our trip and came home empty handed because what I didn't realize about the Paris flea market is that it is craaaaazy expensive.  We are talking about walking across some random art laying on the ground outside of a merchant's stand and you ask for the price and the answer is "oh that is $3,500."  Um, what?  Perhaps the markets I chose are the more expensive ones as they are the ones that lean towards home decor/furnishings, but I had no idea it would be that expensive.

Don't get me wrong- we had soooo much fun wandering around for hours and hours looking at all the amazing antiques.  Every single stall was filled to the brim with things I would have gladly brought home- not to mention how inspiring it was just to see everything.   This was definitely not my last trip to the flea market as I intend to go back in a few weeks when the weather is nicer to continue my hunt for my wishlist items and to find the elusive markets that are more reasonably priced.  We are also planning on taking a little trek out to the twice yearly flea market in March.

If you do plan on taking a trip to the flea market during a vacation in Paris, I would recommend you read this post on exactly how to get there. 

 {I really wanted this leopard, but he was a cool 5K so Chris kindly steered me away.}

 {you guys. this dress. unfortunately it was a bit too small otherwise it would be hanging in
my mini closet in our paris apartment. I mean....look at it!}

{We stopped into Ma Cocotte for a cup of coffee- the entire place is designed by Phillip Starck so it's a fun modern place to relax for a minute.  We also ate lunch at this place and it was spectacular!}

So have you been to the Paris flea market? Whats the best market to find awesome deals at?!?

{paris: week three}

This week with Chris away at classes during the day out at HEC, I got to explore this beautiful city on my own which is something I really love doing (being entertained alone is one of the skills and perks of growing up as an only child).  I continue to be completely amazed by this city especially when I'm simply walking around and the gorgeous architecture/history just hits you in the face at every turn.  In the past 7 days we drank Margaritas here, explored the Japanese quarter here, ate some mind-blowing pastries from here and got some work done at the prettiest Starbucks you ever did see.  I'm starting to feel like I really may never return from this trip...

 {the view from the terrace on top of Printemps}

 {street crepes. my go-to is the nutella/banana}

 {just a parisian dog chillin off leash on the sidewalk.}

{don't you dare walk on this grass. it's just a big expanse of random grass perfect for lounging, but you can't sit here. move along. seriously wtf paris?! this is my one dislike with this city}

 {gorgeous dome at the Galleries Lafayette}

 {I've talked about Chris' love for all asian food before so it's no surprise that we lunched in the mini Japanese area by the Louvre on some delicious Ramen at this place}

{relaxing along the Seine}