I had been planning on investing in a little something for Chéri and I…but I had not committed to anything yet. And then, I was innocently wandering down a lovely street in the Marais, my mind on things like home décor and an “apothicary style” dinning room… I was minding my own business, when this store just came up on the trottoir and literally PULLED me in! I am not kidding you! I had no part in it whatsoever. None.
And when I was in there, I was really only going to look. REALLY!
Missing You In Paris from Prete Moi Paris on Vimeo.
As a Paris expat blogger, I am always happy to let you all know about my other fellow expat friends and bloggers. I am thrilled to present you with two fabulous ladies today!
I think this will be the final volume in the series “Most Romantic Spot in Paris” (unless I get inspired by another element to explore!).
I have drawn upon my own experiences and those shared with me, to explore the idea of what might be considered the most romantic spot in Paris. There are romantic places to stroll in the scenery of this beautiful city…. there are places to dine and tempt ourselves with taste. There are the ever sensual arts. And there are also places to ignite the other senses of and thus the heart strings, like listening to some sultry jazz notes… even olfactory elements of romance! But what about what our fingertips feel? There is certainly a sensual, romantic aspect worth exploiting there!
Romance is many things, as we have explored. Romance is a sunny walk along the river Seine as well as a delicious meal shared with your chéri(e) gazing at one another in the reflection of the window overlooking the Opéra Garnier. And romance can also be the brush of lace under the fingertips. Continue reading
If you have been following my blog for a decent amount of time, you then know that my favorite car is the 2CV! And there is a car service company in Paris that has pulled on my cute-little-car-lover’s heart strings : 4 roues sous 1 parapluie. I even used them for my wedding!
Well they sent me a press release for their second edition of this ralley : Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages of France) which takes from Paris to Cannes just in time for the famous film festival, I just had to share it with all of you. Can you imagine arriving in that kind of spectacular style?!? A line of darling and colorful 2CV?!? I wish so much I could do this but alas, I cannot take a week off work in May. But I hope some of you, my readers and fans will take advantage of the event, or plan your trip to France around it next year! This has got to be one of the most delightfully French and charming ideas I have ever heard of doing in France. I would give anything…. (almost)….
Another volume in the series of finding the “most” romantic spot in Paris… I have drawn upon my own experiences and those shared with me, to explore the idea of what might be considered the most romantic spot in Paris. There are romantic places to stroll in the scenery of this beautiful city…. there are places to dine and tempt ourselves with taste. There are the ever sensual arts. And there are also places to ignite the other senses of and thus the heart strings.
In the begining of my romance with Chéri, he took me to a place that I have since lamented as it closed down…Les 7 Lézards. It was a jazz bar, a very well-known one, where we had our first kiss. A cozy and sultry place, it oozed sensuality, not only with the fantastic music it offered but also from its warm and inviting interior. The bar has long since closed its doors, but their website still remains, maintained by a group “Friends of the 7 Lézards” who can’t seem to let go of this legendary place.
Now an on-going series exploring the “most romantic” spots in Paris, I have written on the romance in the open air along the water in the City of Lights, as well as romantic dining…
Now poses the question of what is the most romantic cultural experience in this beautiful city. Freedom of space as well as delightful things to taste can ignite romantic feelings, well, art also inspires emotion. So there is most definitely room for romance among the various and numerous museums in Paris.
On the top of that list I would place the Musée Rodin.
Continue reading
I often complain about not having enough time. But perhaps I am just not appreciative enough of the time I do have.
In an effort to be more optimist about the time I do have, I am writing this post to illustrate how I can and do appreciate it.
The most luxurious luxuries of all is time.
Sunday is the one day of the week where I have that luxury. And so I love to spend all that luxurious time allowing myself to indulge in other little luxuries, since, well, I have the time to do so!
Sunday for Chéri and I starts with a nice long sleep-in until around 11:00, then breakfast in bed with a pair of folding trays that we received for Christmas from his parents. (It was my favorite gift, believe me!) 
We usually watch Jon Stewart on streaming to make sure we are kept up-to-date with American politics.
Once we have had our fill of yankee humor, soft boiled eggs, toast, jam and mariage frères tea (currently we are sipping their “black magic” blend), we allow ourselves extra time in the shower which offers me the chance to enjoy things like fancy bath gels. I am using up a little bottle of lilac, rose and geranium mix by Abahna that we found in a lovely boutique on a recent weekend trip to Brussels. This lovely bath essentials company excels in creating products for the “ceremony of bathing” as they call it. I save the bottle just for use on Sundays so that I can enjoy the scent and the lather to its fullest. Continue reading
So an article from the Huffington Post about the Pont des Arts as the most romantic spot in Paris has inspired this piece or series of pieces. It got me thinking that although the Pont des Art is quite romantic, there may be people out there with a different idea of the most romantic spot in the City of Light (and love).
My friends at Osez Le Romantisme have compiled a list of the 10 most romantic spots in the city. These are some of the classic most popular spots in Paris, and are, among visitors and tourists, places where they have experienced some of the most amazing moments of their lives. And I agree, who wouldn’t want to be in one of those beautiful spots with the person they love!?!
But the purpose of these pieces is to dig into the idea of “the most romantic spot in Paris”, on a more personal level. Through my own expereices, I want to encourage you to respond, comment and reply about what you people, readers, Paris lovers and *gasp* Parisians, consider one of the most romantic spots in the city is. (FYI : being Parisian doesn’t mean you are necessarily French, it just means you live here).
I have a friend that I had meant to write to for quite some time…and the days turned into weeks and the weeks into a couple months! And before I knew I had become gravely late on my correspondance!
So to make up for it, I thought it would be the perfect touch to make it into a fun, DIY frilly card.
I am a bit of a perfume junkie. If you have been followinng this blog for any significant length of time you may have figured that out yourself. I think I have a slightly accute sense of smell and an infidèle addiction to perfumes. But there are a handful of scents that I truly, truly love, and will hold onto for many years to come… They are quite a varied collection, with a different mood and humeur for different days, seasons and desires.
Annick Goutal, Petite Chérie
Annick Goutal created in 1998 a perfume dedicated to her daughter Camille, and called it Petite Chérie. (“Little Sweetie”). This perfume embodies to me, that ultime desire for a delightful snuggle, and soft, happy and wonderful hug from someone who loves you dearly. The perfume is floral and sweet with a strong hint of pear, but does not have that stickiness to its sweet side. It smells more like a fresh juicy pear that you just bit into. A discrete perfume. It is the smell of pure bliss. Continue reading
Photo : Prête-Moi Paris
I wrote about it in October, and now it is here : The newest music festival on scene in Paris just opened last night (November 23, 2012) with a beautiful and spectacular concert in the Saint Sulpice church. The Simphonie du Marais directed by Hugo Reyne, played a program of “Sacred Music from Richelieu to Louis XIV” that included Lully, Michel-Richard Delalande, Guillaume Bouzignac and Marc-Antoine Charpentier. They opened with Cantate Domino of Bouzignac, a joyous but saddened song of triumph written about the siege at La Rochelle in 1628. The concert flowed through the pieces by Bouzignac on to a Te Deum by Charpentier. An intermission was granted and then we were rewarded with the Jubilate Deo ombis terra by Lully (1660). The concert climaxed at the end on the Te Deum of Delalande and we were even granted an encore piece!
J’en ai parlé en octobre, et voilà que c’est arrivé : Le tout dernier festival de musique à arriver à Paris s’est ouvert hier soir (Le 23 novemebre 2012) avec un concert spectaculaire dans l’église Saint Sulpice. La Simphonie du Marais sous la direction de Hugo Reyne, a joué un programme des “Musiques Sacrées de Richelieu à Louis XIV” qui incluait Lully, Michel-Richard Delalande, Guillaume Bouzignac et Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Le concert s’est ouvert avec la Cantate Domino de Bouzignac, une chanson à la fois joyeuse et triste écrite sur le triomphe du siège de La Rochelle en 1628. Le concert se poursuivait sur les motets de Bouzignac et vers le Te Deum de Charpentier. Après l’entracte on a pu se délecter sur le Motet pour la Paix de Lully (1660). Le pic du concert est arrivé à la fin avec le Te Deum de Delalande et nous avons même eu le plaisir d’un bis! Continue reading
So, bridal modeling seems to be somewhat of a partime pro-bono vocation for me lately… I mean what’s not to love about getting primped and dolled up, putting on a frilly gown and prancing around in front of a camera! I mean who wouldn’t want ot do that!?!
So when Lyndsey Kent of Pictours Paris sent out a tweet looking for models to shoot a promo for her new bridal services and wedding package, I was all about that!
Post by Frank Cierpial
For the Francophiles on the other side of the Atlantic…
Photo by : Frank Cierpial
Going out in New York is hard to do. There are countless complaints that I have about the New York nightlife. Either the music is too loud, there is no place to sit or walk that does not involve getting drinks spilled on you, or if you want to keep your shirt clean, it is too expensive. With that said, Going out in New York and trying to satisfy a craving for French culture is even harder. But Francophiles in the New York or San Francisco areas, there is an outlet for your yearning for French culture. Continue reading
So this is not a bridal shoot, I promise! 
But it is a fun and frivolous shoot that Chéri and I did just shortly after our wedding.
One of the blogs I follow, French Wedding Style run by Monique was having a giveaway contest some months back, that I entered. I have to be honest, I had almost forgotten about it when suddenly I recieved an email telling me that I was one of the winners! I scheduled a day in July to do the photo shoot with the photographer Keith Pitts, and decided it would be fun to continue the carnival/circus theme we had for our June wedding.
We met Keith at the merry-go-round just below Trocadero where we had done some of our wedding photos, and it was quite fun to see the differences between the two photographers at the same spot. Keith was a super easy-going guy, totally uncomplicated and easy to talk to. He and Chéri engaged in conversation about everything from Paris to travel to Arizona where Keith is From.
Keith Pitts Photography
As Summer draws to a close I thought it would be nice to show you my favorite place to relax in Paris this season. The Crillon has one of the most tranquil, pretty and soothing places to sit quietly and enjoy a beverage with a friend or two. Le Jardin d’Hiver patio. Jardin d’hiver, means winter garden, but it’s my little escape in the Summer time. Continue reading
Post by contributor Jenny Bailey
Parc du Château de Chantilly, by Esther Westerveld
With so many tourists visiting Paris every year looking for great deals, it’s hard to imagine that there are still some places that are relatively unheard of. Away from some of the more popular attractions, there are however various monuments that are equally as impressive. One of these is the Château de Chantilly – a beautiful castle located in one of the largest forests near Paris, Le Massif de Trois Forêts, in the town of Chantilly. It is home to the Grand Stables, various courtyards and gardens, a lake and the Musée Condé – one of the country’s finest art galleries. Continue reading
♥ Please be patient while the photos load… ♥
I met Bethany a couple of years ago. She was a student under my care when I worked in study-abroad, and we remained in contact after her session here in Paris. We have shared our life news since, and I was so happy to learn several weeks ago that she was engaged, and even more thrilled to know that she would be visiting Paris and was hoping to do an engagement photo-shoot. She wanted to know if I knew anyone available on short notice…I did, myself! Eager to try something I haven’t done before, and also happy to do something beautiful and creative for someone I care about I asked her if she would allow me to take their engagement photos. She was more than happy to let me have the opportunity. So on the scheduled day of the shoot I met them at the Alexander III bridge where we did a series of shots, and then headed over to the Grand and Petit Palais, followed by a quick pass by rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré and then to Ladurée for breakfast on rue Royal. They were relaxed and care-free about the whole thing, the perfect couple to photograph. Being that it was my first every engagement photo-shoot, I was unsure if I would be able to direct my subjects well. After the first few clicks of my camera I was not worried. Not only were Bethany and James super photogenic, but they were happy to oblige in any direction I gave them.
James is a shoe designer and comes from a family of artisans that restore old Ford Model T cars… and man this guy is organized! When he decided to propose to his chérie he planned it all to a T! He got their friends involved, and managed to pull of the most unexpected, most romantic moment full of surprise and delight to a bewildered Bethany who had no idea what was coming.
The bride-to-be is a product manager for Keds. Both of these two lovebirds work in the shoe industry. So in addition to being best friends and life partners, they both have their feet pointed in the same direction. So as to saying goes : if the shoe fits… And these two certainly fit!
They are a couple of accomplices in life and have tons of obvious compatibility together, all you have to do is look at the two of them to see that they were meant to be! I wish them a long and joyful life together…
♥ Love rules!!! ♥
Valentines day is coming up… and although many of the French still pooh-pooh this Hallmark holiday, it is catching on for quite a few of them. Restaurants, bars, hotels and other services will are starting to offer special Valentines day deals (and generally jack up the price). Last year Chéri and I had a little dinner out at the restaurant where we went on our first date (right next to the Opéra de Paris, my favorite monument of Paris). There was no Valentines day special there that night, and that was just fine with us, since it was like we had a little romantic secret that the rest of the other people there dining did not. Of course this is most likely untrue…but that’s how it felt at our window corner seat table for two with the glowing Opera house smiling back at us. And that is how I feel Valentines should be. A feeling of shared complicity with your loved one… A secret display of affection… as opposed to a giant over-the-top public publication of desire or love (which although if tastefully done is not completely out of the question!) So… I have found just the thing for all of you to do in Paris to help celebrate intimately your feelings with your chéri : Continue reading
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