day off uniform

May has an exceptional number of bank holidays which have made this one of the shortest months for me. For the past two weeks, I've turned off my alarm clock in the middle of the week and enjoyed a break in the work week to relax, catch up on reading and tv shows from back home, take long walks around the city and get things done I otherwise would have to wait for the weekend for. 
Last thursday, I threw on what has become my "day off uniform" of a crisp white tee, a pair of jeans and a cute pair of sandals to bring it all together, and went for a walk that ended under the rain and with an unexpected dinner date. On these lazy but productive afternoons, I can't help but feeling like a student again and the lingering feeling of a quickly approaching summer. Luckily for us, our summer dreams are about to become a reality as we prepare to take off at the end of the week! 

tee: Old Navy; jeans: Forever XXI; jacket and shoes: Zara; bag: Coach

diary of a weekend getaway

a first stop at the market - flowers on the outside, goodies on the inside

re-energizing with freshly pressed fruit juice - watermelon for moi, strawberry-orange for monsieur 

 the real deal jamon iberico

delicious lunch of paella and agua de valencia

a pottery market on the main place 

orange trees all over the city 

seriously regretting not having a bathing suit but thoroughly enjoying the refreshing waves

leaving the city behind has never felt so good! 

and what better way to end the weekend than with lunch and drinks directly on the sand? 

Polo Prep

On weekend trips, I like to pack a minimum of pieces for a maximum of combinations. I wore this polo, which I bought during the holidays on a whim (I'll admit I was inspired by an in-flight movie that included a polo match), on the plane with a pair of jeans and changed into a skirt once we arrived to warmer destinations. 

I like idea of waking up in one city on Saturday morning and spending the afternoon in another - completely disconnected from everything you leave behind. Getting back on Sunday night feels as if you've left for longer than 36 hours and the week begins on a truly refreshed note. 

polo: Tommy Hilfiger, skirt: Forever XXI; bag: Longchamp; wedges: Nine West; sunglasses: YSL; bracelets: H&M and Venice

paris in the afternoon

Sunday afternoon, we walked out of our building without a definite plan. A Sunday walk et c'est tout. The walk took us through Luxembourg Gardens and beyond onwards to the Musée D'Orsay and the quais. After about two hours, when it was time to go home, I had the crisis of a child who knows that going home on a Sunday evening means that the weekend is ending and Monday is only a night's sleep away. So instead of hopping down into the metro, I slyly suggested walking all the way back, only this time, taking different streets, some that we'd never taken before, some that we'd taken long ago, and discovering/ re-discovering things we love. 

vintage travel posters that transport you to far away places

a lovely store sign that catches your eye from the top of the street 

creative hats that made me wish I had somewhere to wear one to .. 

a lobster ? 

or perhaps a bow like this lovely frogette? 

remnants from another time

bookstores full of pleasant things to look at

I particularly like the name of this one, as "flânning" is what we did all afternoon, and oh, that looks like a flânneur I know ... 

the perfectly symmetrical façade of an old hotel, transformed now into college dorms 

a cast of unlikely characters catching the show 

and because no walk through Paris is complete without the compulsory stop in front of real estate ads to sigh, "if only!"

Happy Monday!

5 de mayo à la parisienne

Last night in the rain, I decided to whip up a dinner worthy of a cinco de mayor celebration - chips with homemade guac and salsa, and while not very Mexican, arroz con pollo to get us in the mood for Miami later this month. I also decided to wear my hair in a Frida Khalo inspired up-do together with a pair of long earrings and stripes to add a "French" touch. 
Dinner and a Spanish music soundtrack later, I can officially say, I'm counting down for our vacation at the end of the month... every single aspect of it. 

sweater tee: Old Navy; jeans: Gap; wedges: Nine West; belt: H&M; earrings: The Mart 

stripes and grimaces

Last weekend, we had a taste of what spring time should have felt like a long time ago - sunny but not scorching, cool but not cold, in other words, perfect ! The long weekend was great - full of sunshine, happiness and relaxation, walks along the lake and sitting in the sun with an easy read. Even though I had to wear tights on Tuesday and a couple of more times after that when I got back to Paris, something in the air tells me those days will be soon over! 

outfit one: pants, tee and blazer: Forever XXI; foulard used as belt: Tous; flats: H&M; bag: Coach

outfit two: lace shorts, sweater and blazer: Forever XXI; flats: H&M; sunglasses: Ray Ban; bag: Coach