Paris in Autumn
A few random images from my trip to Paris back in October which never made their way on to the blog. We are flying to Paris bright and early tomorrow morning for a couple jam-packed days of work and play and I cannot wait! Paris is quite stunning in autumn, but with the warmer spring weather I think we will be in for quite a treat! That Parisian light is always some sort of magic.
How to Ride the Metro
Over the holidays, I took a Visual Storytelling class from Skillshare along with my friend Anne of Prêt à Voyager. The class focused on creatively telling a story through the use of video. Anne and I had shot a little bit of footage just for fun while I was in Paris back in October, and decided this class was a great opportunity to collaborate and finally edit through the video we had shot. It did take us a little longer than expected (the class ended in December), but paid work always trumps personal work. It is admittedly not my best work, but it was a lot of fun to work on together and I thought I would share it here on the blog. Anne is a graphic designer and used her skills to create the graphics and text and as well as creating the concept and modeling in the video :) Hopefully we will be able to work on another project again soon, working with friends is so much fun and I love having someone to bounce ideas off of.
Anne is teaching a map making class on Skillshare which starts next week! I am signed up and super excited to learn and hopefully create a map or two to use on the blog! More info here.
AND, did you see? In honor of Valentines Day, I am giving away a Heartbeats Session on my wedding blog! For more information and to enter, click here!
Colorova Pâtisserie | Paris
My trip to Paris was not complete without a trip to the darling new left bank patisserie, Colorova, which both Anne and Lindsey had raved about. In addition to the incredible food, the design had me swooning and wishing I lived closer. Apparently during my week in town the word had spread around the city about this gem and their delicious brunch, so make sure to call ahead and reserve a table!
Colorova Pâtisserie
47 rue de l’Abbé-Grégoire
75006 Paris
** and we obviously needed to stage an impromptu photo shoot when we realized Anne’s nails matched their SMEG fridge perfectly :)
Wine Bars of the 12th Arrondissement | Paris
Last month in Paris, Lindsey and I got the chance to go on a new Paris by Mouth wine tour in the 12th Arrondissement. Sadly I had a really nasty cold and couldn’t fully enjoy (smell or taste) the wine we tasted, but I learned a lot about some lesser known French varietals and had a great time nevertheless. We toured the Faubourg Saint Antoine (another area I haven’t spent too much time in) and I will definitely head back to some of the wine bars we visited on my next trip to Paris.
For more info on this tour, and many other Paris by Mouth food tours, here.
A funny side note: When we arrived for the tour and everyone introduced ourselves, Lindsey discovered one of our tour mates was an instagram friend of hers who just happened to be visiting paris- oh how I love the internet! Sara just moved to Rome and I am loving following her adventures in her new home city through her instagram. She was so sweet and invited Lindsey and I to come visit her in Rome- fingers crossed we can make it happen soon!!
a new side of Paris
I somehow never knew there was a Statue of Liberty in Paris until a wedding last summer celebrated on a boat on the Seine. Andreas told me we were about to pass the statue of Liberty and I thought he had helped himself to one too many glasses of Champagne. Turns out, I was the crazy one. Oops.
I feel like I know my way around the city of Paris pretty well, as I have been lucky to visit countless times before and after my year living there. Although that said, it feels like we somehow always seem to hang out in the same parts of the city and there are still so many places I have yet to discover. This trip was especially fun because I got to explore with both Anne and Lindsey, two locals living on different sides of the city, which meant I got to see lots of new-to-me places :). Anne, Angelo (her friend visiting from the US) and I spent one full day together, most of which was spent working on a project together (which I can’t wait to show you!), but after we were finished we ended up by the Eiffel Tour and we just started walking west along the Seine- an area I had never explored. We ventured pretty far from the normal tourist path (which always makes me mighty happy), admired some wild 80′s high rise buildings, and I snapped a few photos along the way.
In Paris, Restos for Fashion’s Restless | The New York Times T Magazine
During my time in Paris I worked on several different projects, one of which was an article for The New York York Times T Magazine. My friend Lindsey and I worked together on the piece, she wrote the fantastic article and I was lucky to be asked to photograph it, and we had such a great time working together. The owners of coffee hot-spot Télescope, Nicolas and David, shared some of their favorite restaurants and cafés around Paris with us, just in time for fashion week. Check out the article here.
From top:
a few shots of Télescope,
the owners of Télescope, David and Nicolas hanging outside the café and their delicious filter coffee,
Kunitoraya 2 is a Japanese udon restaurant directly next-door to Télescope in the style of a french bistro,
Lunch fare at Le Bal
and Lindsey working away from inside Le Bal
l’amour fou
Somehow I am just now learning of this documentary about Yves Saint Laurent, but from the trailer, it looks fascinating, and I am dying to find a way to watch it. Has anyone seen it yet?
“I understand that the most important encounter in life, is the encounter with oneself.”
oh so very true.
On Love – Lindsey from Lost in Cheeseland
While Andreas and I are enjoying our new-newly status, I asked a few of my favorite bloggers to blog-sit and write a bit on the topic of love. Lindsey is a fantastic writer who also shares my great passion for travel, and writes and photographs Paris from an expat’s perspective on her blog, Lost in Cheeseland. Her guest post seemed the perfect fit as Andreas and I embark on this new adventure together as husband and wife. Thank you Lindsey!
5 Tips for a Healthy MarriageWhen I first came to Paris, I fell in love within days. My attraction to the city was palpable but what was noteworthy was meeting a (my) Frenchman. It may not have been the same kind of visceral reaction for him, but I fell hard. Flash forward five years later and we’ve entered our third year of marriage. Would I use the word “bliss” at all times? No, but I’ve learned a lot through the ups and downs and I’m still convinced we’re right for each other. In honor of Ashley’s impending nuptials, I offer a few suggestions for making the marriage work, particularly during the first year.Love isn’t enoughThere must be respect, open-mindedness and support. Exchanging I-love-you’s and providing affection are important but do not trump mutual respect and support. The number of times I’ve seen couples blatantly disrespect one another in front of friends and family is astounding and ultimately destructive to their bond.Be careful how far you let your anger take youBe very prudent in marital disputes. As soon as you cross the line and say something malicious, you can’t turn back. It can really change the dynamic between the couple and lead to resentment, hurt, or even further arguments that spiral out of control. This also goes back to the issue of respect, so tread gently. Consider the outcome and if you’re really prepared to assume responsibility for your words when they shatter your partner’s feelings. Civility is key. I know this from experience.Stare at each otherThere’s something to be said for the honeymoon beginning to any relationship where hours could be spent lounging, gazing into each other’s eyes and tracing every minute detail of their faces. Those moments of insouciance and joy shouldn’t have to end after marriage. In fact, we don’t spend enough time reliving new-love activities. Devote an afternoon to doing nothing but laying around and staring at one another – remember why you’re together and why you chose that person to lay beside for life.Discuss explicitly and openly about your aspirations and needsAlways make sure you’re on the same page, whether with regards to professional aspirations or personal goals. Arguing over travel destinations is one thing but feeling divisive because your life plans do not match as a result of holding them to yourself isn’t constructive. Goals evolve over time, of course, but candidness from the beginning is crucial not only for communication but to ensure common growth.Spend time apartI don’t understand friends who tell me they can’t bear to be away from their partner for even one day. I may have felt that way in the beginning of our relationship but it’s healthy to crave your own space and particularly necessary when tension is high due to stress or disputes. When my husband is away on business, not only do I pack my schedule full of social events that I may ordinarily decline in order to spend time with him but I advance on personal projects. When we finally speak over the phone, I feel like I have hours worth of stories to share – a wonderful feeling. After having a few days or a couple of weeks to feel their absence and really consider what that might mean long-term, the reunion is especially sweet. Give yourself the time to go out with friends alone – being in a couple does not mean your life as an individual ceases to exist.
and we are back!
Our travels were quite a whirlwind and full of adventures, and I am very sorry to have neglected this poor little blog. :( There are so many stories to share, and so so many photos to sort through. We returned back to Germany exhausted after two and a half weeks jam packed with celebrations, friends, family, laughter and love. While I may be in need of a few full days of sleep, I am once again reminded how incredibly blessed I am to have such amazing people in my life, and was even lucky enough to make a few new friends amidst all the wedding hoopla. :)
Our adventure began in Paris, where we started Wedding-polooza, to celebrate the marriage of our friends Nica and Didier. The forecast the day of the wedding predicted rain and the sky was grey until a few moments into the ceremony when the sun popped through the clouds, which later made for the most amazing sunset. We celebrated with a charming ceremony in the park and spent the night dancing the night away as we cruised by boat along the Seine, it was a truly lovely evening.
Between the weekend’s wedding celebrations we did a little shopping, roamed the streets, ate heaps of delicious food, rented velib bikes (for the 1st time!), and bought my weight in macarons at Pierre Hermé (for the wedding, Nica picked the perfect pre-wedding job for me).
We searched VRBO and found the most darling little apartment in Montmartre, which is an area of the city I love, but rarely spend much time in. Having a little “homebase” there for a few days was a refreshing new perspective, as when we visit we usually spend most of our time in the same areas of town. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable apartment in Paris, the owners have several flats around Montmartre and the prices are really hard to beat.
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