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Paris Sidewalk Poetry

Valentine Red

I'm so over people hating Valentine's Day,single, not single, just go with it enjoy the kitsch the chocolate the flowers, spread the love to friends or lover or husband.. even if admittedly I had a majorly shitty day at work , I just have to gaze at my new candy-apple red patent Louboutins ( that were technically a Christmas present) to make me swoon.

images from www.net-a-porter.com

Classic Weekend ..

Some weekends just got that perfectly weekend-y feel to them . It happens when the balance of doing nothing / hanging out with friends / being out on the town and chores works out just so. It happened tis weekend.I finally mastered getting up early ( well at 9)Saturdays to get the gym out of the way by midday then had a little window-shopping / sale shopping excursion, where i finally scored those black pumps ( my wardrobe sorely need) on sale an mind-marked two or three blouses and a jacket to pick up with next months paycheck for spring outfits.Of course WHSmith was included for fresh Vogue and a skip over to Pierre Herme for white truffle macaroons then home for a movie and some magazine devouring and as a chore thrown in a home pedicure .
Then Sunday the American Church with friends and a quick coffee,dashing home sorting out my closet on a whim and a tasting menu dinner at another friends fabulous apartment tonight. And so it goes. of course perfection would have included a dinner à deux with the husband and maybe some Sunday cake baking but for now i'm content and dreaming of summer weekend perfection involving picnicking and Kirs on an open terasse.

Image by Atget

On Shoes and Home

When husband announced last week that he would leave me for a week to go to London I was envious and sad but also happy to get a chance and make plans with friends, listen to my music whenever I wanted , write more on my blog ..Then the first day he is gone tragedy strikes in the form of a badly strained muscle in my back ,which left me for days in agonizing pain .Thus my the lovely plans were thwarted.Now he is back, I'm back to painless life and spent a lovely day researching the perfect black heel. ( Nr1 goes to Jimmy Choo's Gilbert, Second Prize to Declic by Luboutin)taking a restful hour reading Tatler, Vogue, Vanity Fair and my new favourite PG Woodehouse chez Angelina and cheating on WHSmiths with Galignani, where i found quite an inspiring selection of books.

Since blogs seem to be the preferred outlet for these:

On to my (new years)GENERAL resolution;After this last purchase of much needed perfect black heels I wow to look more into the future and redirect my sartorial attentions (and hopefully savings) from flimsy fashion buys to the more worthy home objects.

Maybe I'm inspired by our plan to buy an apartment in Budapest,maybe its just the shocking realisation that an armchair can be had for less then a pair of Jimmy Choos, either way I hope to aquire some pieces for our future dream apartment in the coming years .

And so here a list of worthy objects I found on : www.grahamandgreen.com ; sofaworkshop.com, jonathanadler.com, and of course jimmychoo.com

Winter Moodbook

A few photos I took during the last weeks winter impressions from Paris to Budapest .

-6C and snowing...

This is not meant to be a weather report but I thought the extreme of the winter here is worth sharing. And yeah after two days of running around town looking for last minute gifts and viewing apartments I caved in and bought some fake ugg boots. The high heel leopard print booties were just not cutting it anymore.I'm not sure whyapartment hunting at Christmas-time in Hungary seemed like a good idea from Paris , I shoud know better then plan any outdoors activity in freezing Budapest wintertime. Feeling better too. though reclaimedmyvoice albeit a few shadesdeeprthen before voiceloss .Feeling Back to myself which seems to be the case when ever I come back home and spend a few days away from work.I also discovered a disk with all myold photos so i'll be sharing thosehere even though some of them are ridiclously over-photoshopped ( like that too strong sepia-tint)still they remind me of tose years full of lofty creative aspirations before I started working.

Enforced silence ..

Somehow everything has been in motion and I'm still grappling with decisions made. Apparently so is my body as I've literally lost my voice over the last few days nothing but painful whispering or shutting up left. The feeling of elation from giving in my resignation has subsided as my company then came back with an offer that driven by fear and resposible adult thinking I had to accept. I have stayed working at the same company in marginally better positioon with marginally better pay and feelin more then marginally trapped. Alas hope for a change in some not so distant future lives on . Only thing left to do is shake off this cold regain my voice and somehow manage to cram in christmas shopping and making meetings with realtors in the next four days before I head to Budapest.Then again i might just give myself a break and chill out and regain some sanity that hasnt been syphoned off yet from my work and collegues ...

à next time with a dash more positivity.. hopefully

Thanksgiving ...

Wow Its Thanksgiving already , although I have no American bone in me , have never even been to the States , its still my favourite self-elected holiday . I'm of the belief that one should just go with the holidays that speak to one , and thus i love it when y American friends invite me for their Thanksgiving diner and the spirit of feasting without gilt on pumpkin pies and turkey and giving thanks for all the blessings.
Blessings lately include having finally quit my job that hasn't made me happy for a long time now,having the full support of my family in this decision, husband finding a new job that not only has a perspective but actually surprised himself by liking it and yeah I'm going home for Christmas and will look at possible apartments to buy in Budapest, oh yeah and friends, the one's that write E-mails, keep in touch , throw parties, support us ... So there quite a few pretty great blessings there. Now all I need is a piece of pumpkin pie to reach total bliss ..

Just so ..

"Women wish to be loved without a why or a wherefore; not because they are pretty, or good, or well-bred, or graceful, or intelligent, but because they are themselves." -- Henri Frederic Amiel

photo from www.myvinagevogue.com

Windowshopping

Had a lovely day window shopping in Bon Marche with my friend J. its such a blast the perfect place to spend cold rainy saturday afternoon compiling a wishlist with a girlfriend of perfect jimmy choo shoes and dyptique candles hats and furs .So much more relaxing and serene too than Galleries Lafayette. Though one thing I haven't found is the perfect leopard cloche to wear this winter. Poor hubby a bit horrified my my leopard obsession , it seems to translate to trailer - trash for him while for me its lovely vintage chic like on these photos from myvintagevogue.com.

Autumn cake

The last few weeks between guests and work and brunches with friends dinners etc have just passed in a rush.Finally this weekend was a long and free one .I had a longed for silent alone morning then me and hubby did an afternoon / nite of new things ( read in the NYTimes that doing new things's what keeps couples happy&together) And today was that kind of relaxed housekeeping day that can be a nightmare when busy but lovely when nothing else is there to interrupt the flow of gym, shopping, quick clean of house , baking a cake , then an episode of mad men some magazine flicking and reading... having a piece of cake a cup of tea , and feeling sane again. Ah I'm in love with the sweet potato pound cake i've just made with a receipe from orangette perfect fall/ winter cake with its warm spiciness and a dollop of crème fraiche , and the golden plums i found today are not bad either .

Fall pretty

I must admit this image is taken from http://dressdesigndecor.blogspot.com/ which I totally love for a dose of pretty in the morning but its so fall-y and inspiring that I just wanted to have it here as well.

Word Love

Am reading the New York Stories of Edit Wharton which I find surprisingly better then her books ,very elegant writing the stories are finely drawn and psychological, proper rewarding reading but what I love even more is to come upon a word that surprises me that i've never heard before but is just perfect so here you are in the hope of reviving it : pusillanimous [pyoo-suh-lan-uh-muhs]= lacking courage or resolution

Mini breaks, Guests and Paris Fall ...

So the epiphany came to me that mini breaks work for me, still love the idea of a three week holiday but going to London then Budapest then the South of France over the Summer into early fall was great , now getting used to the idea of yet another grey rainy Paris winter, for the moment though not worn down by it yet , its almost nice to think of cosy coats and baking Christmas cookies and it the fact that quite a few guests have come through town and are to come nicely diverts attention from the fact that its indeed October! Oh well first day I got my cat out , now just need to find a leopard cloche to go with it and finally have my winter boots delivered...

just some bits and pieces from the south .. oh and my amazing burnt btter brown sugar cupcakes that are worthy of even the worst self-praise oh and you haven't lived enough if you haven't yet seen a country circus with a goat as the exotic attraction.. highly recommend it !

Friday morning walk - Belleville food market