Laduree » Feather Factor

Interview with Carin, Part Two

May 092012

My hands down favorite thing about writing Feather Factor have been the interviews. Through them, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many fantastic people from all around the world that I admire – and I often wonder months after I’ve had someone on here about how they are doing.

One of these people was Carin, who some of you remember was a beautiful editorial assistant at Elle Decor Sweden. After Carin’s interview I had a few readers ask about her and whether she had a blog, which she didn’t at the time. Half a year later though, Carin emailed me – she had moved to Paris, and had started a blog! I was so interested in her move, and awed by the photos on her blog, that I had to ask her back. So please welcome Carin again – and enjoy her beautiful photos!

Carin in Paris

Who are you? What do you do, and where do you live?

My name is Carin and right now I’m living in Paris, France. I came to the city of lights to learn the French language, indulge in amazing food, yummy treats and to discover a whole new city. I quit my job and left both family, friends and boyfriend back home to make this little dream happen for myself – and I’m so happy that I did.

Window display at Laduree

Since we last talked…you have moved to Paris! What brought about this decision…and were you scared?

Actually it was after the trip to Paris, about a year ago, and the last time we talked, that I made this decision. Or well started to think about an actual move… It took some time for me to actually make the decision and stick with it. During the trip, in March 2011, everything just felt right, I didn’t want to go back home. When I came back to Stockholm (where I usually live) I started thinking about spending some more time in this beautiful city.

The word scared is really an understatement to describe my feelings about this trip and this decision at the time. I know it may seem very silly to some people, since it’s only for a shorter period of time, but this was a big thing for me. Although, after a while I managed to push away those scared feelings and now I couldn’t be happier over the fact that I did. Once here, it’s not scary at all. It just feels right!

A Paris ice cream line

What’s been the most happily surprising thing you’ve discovered since moving to Paris?

I don’t know if this is surprising but it really was an eye opening experience for me and it’s one of the things I will try to carry with me wherever I go from now on. I love how the French people enjoy life. I love how they enjoy themselves even though there’s no special occasion! I love that there’s a five meter line outside every patisserie and boulangerie in the city on a normal Tuesday just because they want something delicious. I love that so many people go to their boucherie to buy their meat, to the vegetable stand to buy their vegetables and fruit, and to the crémerie to pick up some cheese. I think that you make the smaller, normal things in life, a bit more special this way. Perhaps it sounds like such a cliché but I’ve fallen for this mentality completely. Why shouldn’t you let yourself indulge or treat yourself to something nice when you can?

Champ de Mars

Brunch at Les Fous de L’Ile

How about anything that you found out was harder/more difficult to get adjusted to than you thought?

Since it’s within Europe the culture is generally quite similar to what I’m used to (although completely different in some ways)… Many people were shocked when I told them that I was going to live in Paris when I didn’t know a single word in French except bonjour and merci. I think it’s still extremely common for people to believe that no one in Paris speaks English, which is not the case at all. I’ve come to realize that it’s actually often quite hard to get to practice your French in this city, because as soon as they hear that you’re not French they want to practice their English as much as you want to practice your French.

Although I won’t lie. I’ve encountered the people who lived up to the stereotype as well. But often times I think it’s just a question of how you approach a person. I found out that the right way is to greet the person you want to get in contact with, with a: “Bonjour” (this is a must) and then, if you want to speak English nicely ask: “Vous parlez anglais?” which means: “Do you speak English?”. I can understand that you can get annoyed when people just come up and grab you and say: “Do you know where this place is?” while pointing to their map (which have happened to me several times now). Perhaps it’s just me who’s gotten too influenced by the French people, but I prefer starting the conversation with a “hello” or “bonjour” before asking your question.

Even on a cloudy day...Paris is beautiful

Has your style changed since you moved there? Do you really think that Parisian women “dress better”? If so, what would be your advice to dress more like a Parisian?

I actually made a promise to myself before I left which was: to dress more creatively. Unfortunately I have not fulfilled this promise yet, but I blame the rain and the bad weather that’s been here in Paris for the last couple of weeks. And the before that, I blame the cold. So it’s still on my list!

The boring (and simple) answer to the question how to dress more “Parisian” is: wear black. And lots of black. Because it seems like everyone is wearing black in this city for some reason. My beige coat and I seem to be quite alone in this colourless city (and beige isn’t even that much of a colour to begin with). But perhaps it’s because of the bad weather, although I doubt it…

Even though Parisians tend to wear black most of the time, they often do it with style. Yes, Paris is a very stylish city but of course it depends on which person you’re looking at and which areas and neighbourhoods you visit – as with every city I’m sure. I can’t wait until it gets a bit warmer here and everybody takes of their outerwear, I’m hoping for some great inspiration!

Hermes Kelly during Fashion Week

Chanel flap during Fashion Week

Any new items that you’ve picked up during your stay there?

I haven’t picked up anything special so far… And by special, I mean bags. But I have my eyes open and if I’m really lucky I’ll perhaps find what I’m looking for before my days here are over! I can tell you this though: it’s really hard keeping your wallet from losing every single cent in a city like this, I see a million things that I fall in love with every single day. …So well yes, a couple of things have made its way into my possession over these past few months but not the thing (bag) I want the most.

Dogs playing in the fountain

Jardin des Tuileries

Now that you are almost moving back…how do you feel? Are you glad to be moving home…and what do you want to take in/experience/do before you move?

No is the simple answer to your question. I’m not happy to be moving back home. And I’m not really sure how I’ll cope with the fact that I’m actually going home when the time comes and I have to pack up my bags and leave my adorable little apartment, which I’ve grown to love more than my place back home. I’ve made friends here, the people in my neighbourhood now know me (and finally accept me!), I have my routines, and my likes and dislikes. It will be so hard to give all this up…

I have a little list of the things I absolutely want to do before I go home again. Although it just keeps getting longer and longer since I’m adding more and more stuff onto it instead of ticking them off… But aside from everything I physically want to visit and see before I go home I also want to soak up as much of the good energy here as I possibly can. Some things, like enjoying myself even though there’s no special occasion, I really want to take with me wherever I go in life.

Walking by the Plaza Athénée

Windows at Christian Dior

Can you describe your dream day in Paris? Starting from the morning…to evening…including walks, where you would eat, etc.

Oh, this is fun! I just made another promise to myself: my answer to this question has to become reality before I leave!

I would start my day with croissants (yes, plural), jam, orange juice and a cup of tea at a small café somewhere nice. It doesn’t have to be any special café, just one that looks cosy and inviting, and that serves good croissants – bien sûr!

Green chairs at the Jardin du Luxembourg

Next I would visit La Grande Epicerie, which is a huge grocery store, located next to the very famous department store Le Bon Marche in the 6th arrondissement, that has everything imaginable. I don’t need to buy anything when I’m here (although that’s a plus) I just love browsing around in this amazing store. From La Grande Epicerie I would stroll around Rue de Grenelle, Rue du Bac, Rue du Four and Rue Bonaparte just to end up at Place Saint-Sulplice where you’re only a few steps from the gorgeous Jardin du Luxembourg.

I would buy a good magazine or bring a good book, find my way to the back of the Jardin du Luxembourg (if you’re walking in from the Place Saint-Sulplice direction) grab one of those green chairs and just relax for a couple of minutes, or even hours.

A meat dish at Les Cocottes

After that it’s lunchtime. And for me this is not a hard choice. I would start walking, or take the bus, to the 7th arrondissement, to Rue Saint-Dominique to be more exact. There I would drop by either one of the restaurants Café Constant or Les Cocottes, which are two of my favourite places in all of Paris.

When I’ve finished my lunch I would continue to the 8th arrondissement, taking the path closest to the Eiffel Tower to get a magnificent view while walking towards my goal. I would find my way to Avenue Montaigne and admire every single display window along this beautiful street.

After spending way too much time dreaming about beautiful (and very expensive) things I would cross Avenue des Champs-Elysées to get to the corner of Avenue Matignon and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. From there I would follow Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré/Rue Saint-Honoré all the way to Jardin du Palais Royale – of course with the mandatory “stopping at every window display along the street”. I would also pick up a couple of treats along my way, perhaps a macaron or two, preferably from Pierre Hermé, Ladurée or Hugo & Victor. Then I would find a nice spot at Jardin du Palais Royale and just take a moment to relax.

Some pastries from Comme à Lisbonne

After my little sugar break I would stroll along the Seine, passing Pont Neuf and Île de la Cité, only to find myself ready for my next sugar stop on Rue du Roi de Sicile in the neighbourhood Le Marais. There I would have to options: taste the best ice cream I’ve ever had outside of Italy, from Pozzetto, or indulge in a dreamy pastry from their next door neighbour Comme à Lisbonne.

When I’ve picked my poison I would grab it and start walking towards Île Saint-Louis (the smaller of the two islands in central Paris), go down the stairs from Quai d’Orléans, which would take me down to the border of the Seine. I would sit there, enjoy the evening sun and look out over this amazing city and just be really happy that I am where I am at the moment.

For dinner I would go to L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (where you should book a table in advance to be on the safe side), located on Rue de Montalembert in the 6th arrondissement, and just enjoy the fantastic food that they have to offer.

… It’s going to be a pretty busy day.

Photographers at Fashion Week snapping Nicky Hilton

You were taking photos at Paris Fashion Week.What were some of the favorite styles you saw? Is it a bit funny, watching people pose for photos and all the photographers?

Fashion Week was one of my favourite experiences in Paris so far. I think that I had just as much fun as the other people had even though I didn’t go in to see one single show. It really was a madhouse outside the locations. People say that about fashion week but I didn’t believe them until I saw it with my own eyes. Although it was of course a very exciting and absolutely gorgeous madhouse… I couldn’t help myself from literally laughing out loud when I saw this spectacle for the first time. There were people dressed up to their teeth, photographers running in huge groups around one person trying to capture the very best shot and their targets walking back and forth to show off their best angle.

Anna dello Russo, Vogue Japan

There were even people dressed up just as much as Anna dello Russo, who weren’t even invited to the show but just wanted to catch the eye of a photographer. Then you realize how big this street style obsession really has become. But I’m all for it since it’s so much fun! It was also amazing to see the people you admire and just read about in real life for the very first time, for example: Garance Doré, André Leon Talley, Nina Garcia, Anna dello Russo, Natalia Vodianova, Nicky Hilton, Scott Schuman, Joe Zee and Grace Coddington.

Bright colors at Fashion Week

I loved that the city came alive and for once, most of the people dared to wear colour (even though it rained most of the time). It was like watching a runway show happening right in front of your eyes with all the people going to the shows as the models. I can safely say that the fashion I saw, didn’t disappoint. I think I saw more bags, jewellery, coats, outfits, shoes and bags again, that I wanted to just grab and run away with than ever before in my life! Let’s just say that I’m definitely coming back again.

Chocolate cake and reading for some alone time

Paris sunset over the Seine

Finally – please share something else surprising about yourself…that has emerged since your move to Paris!

I really enjoy being by myself. I don’t know if that’s super surprising (or even exciting to know) but when I left home I was quite nervous about having only myself and being totally alone in the beginning of my stay, since it takes some time to meet new people and make new friends. But it was not a problem at all; it was quite the opposite actually! Even now, and even though I’ve made a lot of new friends I love to be by myself sometimes. I think it’s really important to appreciate the time you have with yourself and learn to really enjoy those precious moments. Sometimes there’s simply nothing better than to just sit down somewhere; in a park, at a café or by the Seine and just be alone with your own thoughts.

Isn’t Carin so lovely? And how fantastic was her description of a “dream day” in Paris? She sounds like the perfect person that I’d want to spend a day in Paris with – or anywhere else! As as an only child, I definitely related to the words around alone time – one of the most wonderful feelings is being completely at ease by yourself. Thank you Carin for sharing some of your Paris experience and your stunning photographs with us! For more of Carin and Paris, make sure to check out her blog, Paris in Four Months.

Interview with Lucy

Apr 042012

Today I have a wonderful interview for you all, with my friend Lucy. Lucy is another one of those women with impeccable taste and a beautiful closet – but on top of all that, she is also an amazing photographer. She included many of her gorgeous photographs and I was originally going to make this into a two part post – but decided to keep it as one so you could view everything together. Please also note that Lucy provided captions and charming original titles for her photographs. Get ready for some fabulous images and a great read – and enjoy meeting Lucy!

“O O O”: Me, my old D300, and a couple of mirrors.

First things first – who are you? What do you do, and where do you live?

Hello, I am Lucy and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have gone to dental school and have an advanced science degree, but left all that behind to become a mom, wife, housekeeper, chauffeur, cook, nurse, referee, good cop/bad cop, and volunteer instead. I also love to take pictures. I’m a published amateur photographer and Getty Images contributor.

Can you describe some of your style, and some favorite items in your wardrobe? Your most worn and treasured pieces?

I love Hermès but I am nowhere near as fashionable as many of you who read this blog. To put it kindly, I suppose my style is clean, classic, and no-nonsense. Most days I take less than 5 minutes to dress up but I’ll take twice as long to choose a bag. When it comes to dressing I don’t like to fuss or think too much. I am probably the female equivalent of Albert Einstein or the late Steve Jobs when it comes to my closet; i.e., I have multiples of the same piece of clothing. If I like something, I’ll just get it in different (neutral) colors. I am asking myself right now why I’m even here on this blog. My husband, sister, and friends have even begged me to shop for more stylish clothes.

I do have my treasures. I have a favorite black Burberry coat that I’ve worn too often since 2003 (don’t ask). On the outside it still looks nearly new but the sleeves’ lining has ripped in several places. I haven’t bothered to have it repaired and haven’t found a similar one to replace it. My latest favorite accessories are the LV Stephen Sprouse leopard stole, a Burberry crinkled cashmere/silk scarf, and various Hermès bracelets and classic pieces of fine jewelry. I also like classic Manolo Blahnik heels, Chanel, Tod’s, and AGL ballet flats.

“Pillar of style”: The heel of my Manolo Blahnik Mladari black patent pumps.

“CC is for classic and comfortable”: Tried and true Chanel ballet flats in dark silver/black.

“Pillar of style II”: Some 4 1/2″ heel Manolo Blahnik alligator sandals that I never wore, only photographed.

“Don’t stop the dance”: Manolo Blahnik “Pippo” strappy heels that go with everything.

“At ease”: Resting on the sofa in my Manolo Blahnik “Giunglia” quilted flats.

I know you’re a fan of Hermes. When did you buy your first Hermes item, and what was it?

About thirteen years ago I bought my first Hermès item. It wasn’t a handbag but a gorgeous scarf. I still haven’t worn it. I remember vividly how special it felt to own silk so extraordinary and fine.

What does your Hermes collection look like today? Any other pieces you’d like to add?

I think I have covered all my bases when it comes to my H collection. I prefer to be a little discree with my collection now for many reasons. As far as collecting, I finally did reach my “saturation point” a couple of years ago. When I finally received that one special bag I felt that “that was it” and that the rest of the bags I acquired afterwards would be icing on the cake. I am proud to say that more than half of my collection consists of special orders- the exact combination of leather/color that I requested, right down to the hardware. It took a lot of trial and error, headaches, and patience but it was worth it.

I would like to add a Kelly 32cm in Etoupe Swift or Clemence with silver palladium and maybe a Kelly 25cm or 28cm in Rubis Tadelakt with silver palladium hardware. I’m not obsessing but these would be welcome additions.

My beloved Birkin in Rouge Vif Chevre de Coromandel and what’s usually inside of it. I took this “product shot” for a flickr group called “What’s Inside Your Bag?”

What have been the changes you’ve seen over time with Hermes – in terms of the prices, the clientele, the stock available, etc? Do you see yourself buying a lot more in the future?

I still remember the good old days when a Birkin was a mere $4K-5K. Even at that time I considered it ridiculous but compared to the prices now, it seems like a bargain. I think I started to love Hermes a little before its popularity skyrocketed in the early- to mid-2000′s. I didn’t know about “Sex and the City” but quickly found out from other purse lovers the reason why the Birkin became as famous (or infamous) as it is. Many times while at Hermès stores I frequently overhear new customers ask for Birkins outright. For those who know the Hermès ”game” that would very rarely ever get the salesperson to procure a Birkin. I dislike some of Hermès’ business practices but to get the gorgeous pieces of leather that I wanted I was willing to play that game. The “rarer” or harder to get, the greater the demand. I’m no slave to fashion but I’m a sucker for beautiful leather goods.

I have traveled almost everywhere to hunt for elusive H bags. During my last few visits to FSH, I noticed that the stock has dwindled. I have several special orders that are taking a little longer than usual. I don’t eat, sleep, or breathe Hermès as I used to, so it doesn’t bother me much. At this point I am enjoying their other items, such as home accessories. Thank goodness I’m over the bag hunting stage because frankly, it got tiring after a while.

“Kelly graphic”

What do you think of these changes at Hermes and how the brand has evolved?

Hermès isn’t as low-key as it used to be. Everyone seems to know what a Birkin is and with extreme popularity comes backlash. I still consider the Birkin a great bag and one of the easiest H styles to carry, but sometimes I’m embarrassed to carry one to my kids’ schools. I live in an area where many mothers (despite their VC and tech-titan husbands) are quite conservative when it comes to fashion, and I would prefer not to stand out. More often than not, I carry the more under-the-radar styles. I probably should not care what others think but I can’t help that.

“First customer”: An early lunch with my go-with-everything Birkin in Cognac Chevre de Coromandel Souple.

“Mousseline”: Birkin in Blue Jean Taurillon Clemence, in my humble opinion one of the best color/leather combinations for a Birkin, with a blue/green “Belles du Mexique” mousseline scarf.

A vintage Sac Ring II in black crocodile.

Are there any other brands that you think offer the same craftsmanship as Hermes that you like? What about some of your favorite more affordable/high street brands?

Bottega Veneta’s craftsmanship is exquisite, but I’m so partial to Hermès that I still can’t say that BV is up to their standards. I’ve owned both standard and exotic BV, and although they were beautifully crafted with some of the finest materials, they still did not compare to the best of Hermès. Hermès artisans really know how to choose and cut skins (esp. croc/gator) that show off their best features. This probably sounds dumb but when I examine crocodile scales, I think I can tell what the craftsperson was thinking when he put the pieces of skin together- the best piece with the most even scales ends up on the front, the second best piece ends up on the back, and the rest comprise the bottom and sides. The pieces with smallest scales are generally for the narrow parts, such as straps. Everything just comes together so beautifully.

As for cheaper/high street brands, when it comes to bags I think that Coach makes some lovely all-leather bags. I am not a fan of their signature textile pieces but I’ve always admired their classic leather bags. Great products for the price. For basics and work-out clothes (yoga pants double as eating pants), I like Lands’ End online- click, click and I have a package. on the way with multiples of the same pieces! For some pants they even custom hem. A winner for me because getting alterations is bothersome.

“En Désordre” : Natural Barenia Birkin with an “En Désordre” vintage-style scarf. I haven’t actually used the bag; this is just a photo. Note plastic still on the turn lock!

Knowing what you do now, what would you do differently about shopping/style/budgeting? Any advice you’d like to give?

I really don’t like to shop, actually. I don’t spend hours lingering at stores; I like to pop in, get what I need, and leave. I love a great sale but try not to be tempted to buy anything just because it’s on sale. If that little devil on my shoulder acts up I ask myself, “Would I buy this even if it weren’t on sale?” That works most of the time. I stick to classic styles, neutral colors for basics, and “investment pieces”. I use scarves and bags to add color. I remember reading about the “typical Parisian style,” which suits my lifestyle- invest in the best classic pieces you can afford, spend less on colorful and trendy items, and always wear a scarf, great handbag, and shoes. As for budgeting, never buy anything on credit unless you can pay it off immediately. Try to live below your means and just about everything will fall into place.

“Lines and shadows”: Tourists inside Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité in Paris, France.

“La Ville-Lumière“: Paris isn’t called “The City of Light” for nothing.

Where are some of your favorite places that you’ve traveled to? Destinations, hotels?

Paris, without a doubt, is my favorite place to visit often. Almost every year since 2000 I have visited Paris, but I also enjoyed the south of France, Monaco, Italy, Sweden, the UK, and Asia. I also realized how lucky I am to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is one reason my family and I recently had a “staycation” to experience what tourists flock to see but what we take for granted . We stayed at the iconic Fairmont and played tourists in our own neck of the woods. I also went on my first cruise last summer, on the new Disney Dream ship, and will be cruising again on the Fantasy at Christmas. I always feared getting seasick but after some advice and research, my family and I took the plunge and had a marvelous time. Food is always a top priority when my husband and/or my family and I travel. Some of our most memorable meals were at Pierre Gagnaire, Guy Savoy, Taillevent, Le Comptoir du Relais, Thörnströms kök, The Restaurant at Gordon Ramsay (@*$#&^!), restaurants by Joël Robuchon, and so many more.

“It’s a banner day”: Flags at the façade of The Fairmont, the iconic San Francisco hotel.

“Tea for one”: Tea and macarons by myself at my favorite Ladurée shop at 16, rue Royale in Paris.

“Sierra Mar with the fog rolling in at sunset”: Taken at the Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, CA.

“Voyage into the vortex”: Somewhere in the London Underground.

“Iberico ham wrapped Florida shrimp with melon”:Taken at Remy, one of the two adult-exclusive restaurants on the Disney Dream cruise ship, as we sailed around the Caribbean. Named after the rat in the Disney film, “Ratatouille”. No, Remy didn’t cook for us!

“Tubal irrigation”: This is a section of the Disney Dream’s Aquaduck, the first water coaster on a cruise ship.

What’s a favorite photograph that you’ve taken?

I love photographs so much that I have to share more than one, if you don’t mind! I’ve taken so many photos since I started shooting seriously in 2008, but below are some of my personal favorites, which can be found on my flickr site.

“A tourist line”: When you get tired of looking at old stuff in old buildings, sometimes the tourists/visitors become more interesting. Taken at the British Museum, London.

“Pop!”: My daughter’s Perfection game in action, literally. It took me 7 tries to get this shot and it still isn’t perfect but it will do.

“Turntable”: My family and I had dinner at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. While waiting for the food, I put my camera on the Lazy Susan and took it for a spin. Weeeee.

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain”: Taken in the lobby of the Palazzo hotel in Las Vegas. This one just makes me happy even if I nearly broke my neck to take it.

“By the seventh wave”: A textured macro shot of newly unfurling leaves of my sago palm.

“Swingin’ easy”

“Don’t get caught with your pants down”: A candid of a mom changing her son’s clothes after playing at an amusement park’s water attraction.

“Sunbathing with a friend”

Can you share some of your favorite photographers and photographs from them?

As for other photographers, I won’t bother to name any famous ones and I can’t narrow my favorite photo from another photographer to just one. Instead, I’d like to do a shout out for a few of my longtime flickr friends. If you want to see some of the most beautiful and creative photography, please check out these streams:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ggriffin1288/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinturner/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55593339@N07/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegreenalbum/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariakallin/

Finally, please tell us something surprising about yourself!

I can do mean impressions of Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. =D I can socialize with the best of them but my insides turn because I’m terribly shy. People tend to be very surprised when I tell them that. Because of that I tend to avoid most social situations if I have a choice.

I really enjoyed putting together this interview – I am far from a photography expert (as you can all surely tell) and it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit back and just enjoy beautiful photographs and images. Thank you to the kind and ever so gracious Lucy for sharing her beautiful closet and talent with us – and I loved all her answers. Her quote advising to “live beneath your means, and everything will fall into place” was so eloquent and true. For more of her photographs, do check out Lucy’s flickr site, here.

Sweets from Paris

Mar 252012

In a clearly transparent effort to gain further brownie points, my husband brought back some favorite sweets along with my Kellywhen he got back from Paris. Below are three names that always bring joy: Pierre Herme, Laduree and Feodora.

Aren’t the boxes lovely? I love pretty packaging and containers and always keep them if I think I might have some ill defined use for them later – but now I probably have literally over twenty Laduree boxes in our apartment rattling around. Any suggestions for uses?

The goodies, unmasked. Pierre Herme is hands down my favorite macaron shop and I much prefer it to Laduree, which I know is blasphemy to some. Both are of course delicious but Herme just has more innovative flavors in my opinion. My favorites include Isaphan (rose, lychee and raspberry) Mogador (chocolate and passion fruit) and Mosaic (pistachio, cinnamon and cherries). Mogador is year round but the others are seasonal. That’s the only problem with Pierre Herme – they have a bunch of seasonal flavors which sometimes never come back. I spent an entire summer bothering the lone concession in Selfridges about a green tea matcha flavor I had a few years ago until they finally decided to dial up the Paris HQ, just to rid themselves of me. It wasn’t coming back that year

Finally, Feodora (the truffles to the right) is actually a German brand which can be found throughout Europe, and they make the most amazing egg liquor truffles for Easter – I am obsessed! It’s kind of like cookie dough batter that’s alcoholic on the inside, really dreamy. If you ever see these I’d encourage you to try them. I also have a soft spot for Feodora as one of their most popular and year round products are these chocolate cat tongues, which I find slightly eccentric.

Meow!

What are some of your favorite sweets to indulge in? And those who’ve had both – how do you weigh in on the Pierre Herme vs. Laduree debate?

Paris – Part 3: Passage 53 and Chanel

Jun 282011

Today I wanted to share Part 3 of Paris with you all (Part 1 and Part 2 here). Before we did our shopping, Mr. Feather and I had lunch at an amazing restaurant called Passage 53, which serves French food with a Japanese touch. The restaurant was recently awarded its second Michelin star (may be about to get a third soon) and I would really recommend it for lunch – four courses were quite affordable too by Paris standards, I think less than 60 euro each per person). Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of all the food except for the dessert below – I am so happy when there’s lots of dessert at restaurants because I have a total sweet tooth.

Passage 53 is in the Passage des Panoramas which is the oldest covered passageway in Paris! There are tons of affordable and delicious looking dining options inside.

There are also a ton of really lovely, unique shops! I saw more than a few stamp shops, I thought this giant vintage suitcase with all these used stamps below was so cool:

There was also a very interesting doll shop that sold all kinds of doll parts including empty doll heads, eyes, hair, etc. Here are all the different eyes that you could buy to put in your doll – to be honest, while the shop was definitely cool I was a little scared. It seemed like somewhere Hannibal Lecter would shop (come closer, Clarice…).

After eating, Mr. Feather and I headed back to the Vendome area to do some shopping (we walked – it’s a very nice walk, around a mile or so). You know that I had a wonderful time at Hermes, but to be honest, the best shopping experience I had was at Chanel!

Chanel Rue Cambon flagship

After the crazy crowds at 24 Faubourg I was a little scared of visiting the Chanel flagship at Rue Cambon. It was indeed really crowded. But as soon as I walked in, it was such a great experience. A lovely sales associate immediately went up to us and asked if I was looking for anything special. I replied that I just wanted to walk around, and she said of course, would we mind if she walked us around the store and had some refreshments brought over as well?

After I got my green tea (hey, tea is 8 euros at Laduree – I take free whenever I can), we ended up in ready to wear, where they have racks and racks organized by your size. I was DYING! Everything was so gorgeous, I was well past my 8th iteration of “OMG, I love it, I love it, so pretty, DEAR LORD look at the PRICE, why didn’t I listen to my parents and study engineering so I could have started the next Facebook and thus could BUY THIS JACKET” when Mr. Feather began to yawn conspicuously and mutter worrisome sounding phrases such as, “fiscal responsibility” and “when are we going to see some cultural sights.” So I quickly moved onto shoes and accessories…where I eventually fell in love with these sweet shoes. They are not as jaw droppingly beautiful as a Lesage tweed jacket but hopefully they will be more durable…!

By the way – most luxury shops in Paris will deliver to your hotel, free of charge (not the case in other European cities I’ve found), and so I would definitely take advantage of this – it leaves you free to walk around and the bags appear nicely in your room at the end of the day! I have never had an issue with this.

I have been looking for the perfect pair of slightly cowboy + slightly Isabel Marant-ish plus totally comfortable boots in a particular tan shade for the longest time – I finally found them at Chanel! I would recommend these little boots very much, very stylish and comfortable.

Next to some oxford heels that came in the mail while I was gone..

Just leaving you all with a little totally unrelated anecdote. I love the camellia that Chanel includes on its packaging and when we came back, I was searching for it in my luggage. It turns out Mr. Feather stuck it on the fridge! I took a photo for you all and then noticed it was next to this obscure magnet from Lacock, Wiltshire. I got this magnet when I was once stuck in Bath, England for a long time for business related reasons (don’t ask). One weekend I was so bored that I decided to go on a Harry Potter England tour… even though I don’t even watch Harry Potter! Apparently Lacock is where some of the movies are filmed – since everybody was oohing and aahing I decided I might as well get a magnet!

Okay, I hope you all enjoyed Part 3 of Paris! Look out for Part 4 sometime soon