Category Archives: photography

In Love With An Iron Lady

Posted in City of Paris, Monument, Outdoors, Paris, parisian, photography, tourist, Uncategorized by

Grey Day Eiffel TowerI have been in Paris for over 11 years now. Wow. It seems so long to me.

And no matter how many times I go to see the Eiffel Tower, I always always take a picture of her. She is beautiful. Weather it is against a grey cloud-cast sky, or dazzling beneath a vibrant evening blue hue, she is the star of this city, and everyone who comes her heads to her feet to pay hommage in the best way we modern humans know how : by taking her picture.

One day in February, as I was treating myself to a stroll around her gardens, I though how interesting it was to see the intense concentration on people’s faces as they captured her image. They were trance-like almost. Continue reading →

Paris Street Style #PFW #AW2014 Issey Miyake

Posted in Blogs, City of Paris, fashion, Paris, Paris Fashion Week, photography, Pretty!, Style, trendy by

Issey Miyake Street Style #PFW #AW14  … I skipped over to the Tuileries fashion week tent on my lunch the other day to snap some street style shots outside of the Issey Miyake show. There was a slew of photographers and bloggers all waiting for the fashion people to pour out of the venue so they could snap quick pics to toss up on the web.

Like so many have started saying, fashion week now happens just as much OUTSIDE of the shows as it does inside. Continue reading →

Serge Lutens’ Magic Perfume

Posted in Luxe, Paris, parisian, Perfume, photography, Pretty! by

Referring to the title of this post, I was already a believer in the power of Serge Lutens’ creations, and no this new scent that was presented to a small group of Paris bloggers, is not in actuality “magic”…but… it could be, almost. It has incredible powers of transformation, and sparks vibrant images of my imagination.

Serge Lutens Paris boutique, stairs

Photo by Prête-Moi Paris

The boutique at Palais Royal where we were invited after hours, is a place I have indulgently and luxuriously become opulently used to, although it never ceases to onvoke awe and appreciation in me and heighten my creative senses. It is such an intriguing place. Soulaimane, who hosts these soirées, is the ever gracious and elegant host as well as a passionate believer (or converter) in the scents of the magician Lutens. He offers us champagne refreshments and little cakelettes to make us feel at ease and welcomed. And then he launches into in-depth explanations of all the scents that come about in conversation, as they are on display atop the table in front of us. He allows the conversation to ease its way around the different perfumes and olfactive opinions that are invoked by each of us present. And once we have been gently cradled into the atmosphere and universe of Serge Lutens perfumes, then he comes about with his explanation of the origins of the new creation.
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Pretty Paris Pictures : Night Lights

Posted in City of Paris, Outdoors, Paris, photography, Pretty!, romantic by

I have been braving the cold and dreary weather lately, with my camera in tow, trying to capture some of those beautiful moments that flicker across my life in this amazing city… And if course I do all that so I can share it with you! Sometimes I end up walking waaaay farther than I originally intend to, all for the sake of getting more great shots. Some of my night shots come out rather yellowish, I wonder if it’s the lights here, or is it my camera? I don’t do any image altering or filtering on my pictures that I post here. I would, if I had the time, but I am just to busy to bother. So I end up taking quite a handful of clichés for each frame, in order to get the perfect picture that won’t need modifications.

Paris a-glow Continue reading →

A Makeup Artist’s View on Haute Couture

Posted in beauty, City of Paris, couture, Culture, Expat, mode, Paris, Paris Fashion Week, photography, Pretty!, Style by

I am thrilled to present a Paris Fashion Week haute couture show review from the darling and dashing makeup artist Charles Gillman, a British expat who has been making magic in Paris for three years now. I was lucky to get to work with him in a wedding modeling shoot and on my own Sweet Life in Paris video. And now he has been so kind as to lend his “plume” to Prête-Moi Paris for an article on Defined Moment’s Spring-Summer 2014 couture collection.

And without Further ado!

Post by Charles Gillman

Charles Gillman

Defined moment’s show – 22nd January 2014

This winter I’m a makeup artist in hibernation, I’d spent most days nipping out to see clients and then whipping back home to spend my life by the Nespresso machine, as well as gluing my eyes to my laptop. Yes, Paris is fine-looking all year round, but it seemed easier and more tolerable from behind the window, avoiding the wind whipping, falling over undersized dogs and having disputes with fellow Parisians on the metro about ‘who got to the seat at the outset!’ (all these things are frequent occurrences.)

DM1(1)
Continue reading →

Pretty Paris Carnival Pictures

Posted in activity, American in Paris, bon plan, Charming, City of Paris, Events, Family, Fun, Monument, Paris, photography, Pretty! by

Playing like kids in Paris Chéri and I went out to play on the last day of the carnival at the Grand Palais. It was a sugar-coated-colorful afternoon of playful diversion from daily life. I toted along my camera, knowing full well I was going to want to snap pictures like crazy. And I did. I have more in the flickr album if you don’t get enough here on the blog!  Enjoy my shots and let me know which ones are your top three favorites in the comments below.

*Candy Apply bisous from Paris!* Continue reading →

Our Paris Dungeon Basement

Posted in American in Paris, City of Paris, Funny story, Paris, parisian, photography, Uncategorized by

Our dungeon basement I have been wanting to blog about this since we moved in last July. Before getting our keys we still hadn’t seen the basement, but we were told there was one. A commodity in a Parisian apartment rental. It’s an extra room to put things, since Parisian apartments are rather lacking in storage space. My imagination conjured up images of a nice stone walled space where I could organize my excess paraphernalia in a neat and orderly fashion. I was quite impressed by the key to our basement space. It’s giant, heavy and very old looking. It should have been a sign as to what our basement storage space would look like, but my ever optimistic self paid no heed…
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Pretty Paris Pictures – Reflections

Posted in City of Paris, Outdoors, Paris, parisian, photography, Pretty!, tourist, travel, Uncategorized by

Rooftop Window January always begins with new resolutions, or renewed goals, for many. I am not always keen on making resolutions, but I do like to reflect on the year that has passed, and the year that has just begun. I like to imagine my plans and goals, and visualize myself meeting them.

This brought me to thinking about illustrating that process of thought… And what better way than with my trusty camera and my muse : Paris.

Enjoy!

(Comment below to let me know which one you like best!)

 

 

Liquid Louvre

Chimney Tops in the Window

Wall Reflector

Car Window Reflection

Tourist Reflection

Ministry Reflections

Window Reflections

Louvre Reflection

Pretty Paris – Crisp December

Posted in Charming, City of Paris, Holiday, Outdoors, Paris, photography, Pretty!, Uncategorized by

Iron CurlMy dear readers, I hope those of you who celebrate, had a lovely Christmas…

*

It has been a while since I published some of my snapshots of my wanderings around Paris. In fact it has been a while since I wandered around with my camera. Time (that elusive fellow) seems so fleeting these days. Maybe it’s the fall of night so early in the evening, or maybe it’s just the fatigue from working hard, but I was thrilled to finally grab my Panasonic on the way out the door to do a few lazy errands with Chéri the other day.

Continue reading →

Fall Colors in Paris

Posted in Charming, City of Paris, Outdoors, Paris, Parks and gardens, photography, Uncategorized by

Benches in the Park Chéri and I took some time on a Sunday in early November to just have a lovely lazy stroll around the park down the street from us (two actually), the new Martin Luther King park and the Square des Batignolles. It was somewhat of a Fall Colors stroll, since that is what we did in New England where I grew up, sought out the Fall Colors.

Granted the colors here pale in comparison to those found in Conneticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, but it was a quintessential Fall afternoon complete with crisp air, blue skies, birds of a feather, and the kind of weather that makes you hold each other closer… One of the best kinds of weather (second only to the lounging on a chair by the sea in Italy weather…) Hmmm Mmm! Continue reading →