Paris Tips: Celebrating the Umbrella (parapluie-uie-uie)!
Raindrops keep falling on my head Photos by Theadora Brack
(OH!) Boy Parapluies Paris, ELLE, December 1967
By Theadora Brack
Splish Splash! Sometimes in Paris, a little rain must fall. No matter when you’re visiting the City of Light—and light sprinkles, don’t leave your parapluie behind.
Here’s the deal: The weather here can change at the drop of a Schiaparelli hat. While showers don’t typically last long, I highly recommend toting a little vibrant compact number.
Make it rain
“Never carry an umbrella in Paris! There’s a law,” says Audrey Hepburn to Humphrey Bogart in Billy Wilder’s “Sabrina” film.
Well, Sabrina, that’s not quite true. In fact, it was the French who invented the folding parapluie (literally, “rain protector”). (more…)
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Paris Flea Market Shopping: The Mad Men Edition
Paris Flea Market Treasures Photos by Theadora Brack
What would Peggy do?
By Theadora Brack
Blame it on the return of springtime and the critically acclaimed “Mad Men” television series, but suddenly I’ve got a strong hankering for cocktails, vintage duds and heady scents, along with some good old-fashioned toe-tapping, finger snapping, bodice riffing jazz. For the love of swanky-panky, what would Don Draper do?
Slipping on my snug-as-a-bug Peggy Olson thinking cap, I’ve decide to celebrate Mad Men’s fifth coming with an old-fashioned slide show. As a nod to the glamorous advertising and packaging of days gone by, it features my recent swagnificent scores from the Paris flea markets. In case you can’t tell, I’ve a groovy kind of love for the classic French apéritif Suze and its undefinable taste! (more…)
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Paris Tips: Shake it up with 3 Classic French Apéritifs
Let the good times roll at the Jardin des Tuileries Photos by Theadora Brack
Harmonie by Antoniucci Volti at the Métro Arts et Métiers
By Theadora Brack
It’s springtime and the lazy, hazy sipping is easy. So let’s celebrate the classic French liqueurs, full-bodied bitters, anisés and wild gentians. The mind squeals with delight!
Here are three apéritifs—along with a few daytime touring suggestions to go with your drinks— that’ll help you ease into “l’heure de apéritif” in harmonious style. I’ll trap the snacks, while you grab our sketchbook pad. It’s high time to chill! (more…)
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Paris Shopping Tips: Big Cheeses to Try
Triple Threat Plateau de Fromages Photos by Theadora Brack
Chez Virginie on rue Damrémont
By Theadora Brack
Big wheels do keep on turning in Paris! Like skirts, cheese is seasonal, and in France the variety is never-ending. So here’s a shopping list to use as a starting point. I’ve also asked a few friends for recommendations. Grab a pencil!
1. Saint-Nectaire
The Maréchal de Sennecterre introduced Versailles to Saint-Nectaire, a superstar from near Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne. Boasting an earthy aroma acquired while curing on straw for eight weeks, the thick, gooey Saint-Nectaire has long had its share of fans. Even Louis XIV gave this taste sensation his Good Palace-Keeping seal of approval! (more…)
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Paris Tips: Big Cats on Parade
Can you hear me now? (Montmartre, 18th arrondissement)
By Theadora Brack
Every day it’s International Cat Day, according to my cat, Kitty. So in celebration of les chats du monde and Parisian artists Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen and Erik Satie, I’ve decided to launch the weekend with a few of my own favorite felines in Paris.
When you’re out pounding the pavement or slinking down the alleyways in Paris, keep your eyes peeled for other appealing cat sightings. Cats are practically a part of the landscape in Paris, after all. Here’s what’s new Pussy Cat! For instance. . . (more…)
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Paris Tips: Embracing the Cathédrale Notre Dame
Glowing like an over-sized Lucite jewelry box Photos by Theadora Brack
387 steps to the top!
By Theadora Brack
Let’s take a sentimental journey to the Cathédrale Notre Dame in Paris. For the love of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, I’ll also include a few historical tidbits. So grab a snack, umbrella and video phone. Seven is the time we leave!
Queen of the French cathedrals
Notre Dame has had its share of monumental ups and downs throughout the centuries. Maurice de Sully (that’s “Bishop” to you) set the redo project in motion back in 1163. Yes, it was a very good year, but as time marched on, it took a toll on the cathedral’s interior and exterior. Heck, we’ve all been there. Touché! That’s what he said. (more…)
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Paris Tips: 4 Romantic Picnic Spots with Regal Appeal
Place du Trocadéro Photos by Theadora Brack
Place Dalida
By Theadora Brack
Incelebration of Leap Year, come hither! Let’s give a smouldering nod to the late, great Éric Rohmer and his movie Les Rendezvous de Paris. Lights! Camera! Action!
Here are a few of my favorite rendezvous-worthy places, squares and gardens in Paris, along with the statues that bring them to life.
1. Place du Trocadéro
Place du Trocadéro, 16th arrondissement
(Métro Trocadéro)
At the fab Trocadéro, you’ll find one of my favorite views of the Eiffel Tower. Let’s first share a brownie and a soda pop at the bustling Café Carlu nestled inside the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine. Hands-down, this is my new happy place! I think you’re going to dig the bookshop, too. (more…)
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Paris Shopping Tips: 2 Favorite Lingerie Hotspots
The Happy Homemaker at Le Boudoir de Marie Photos by Theadora Brack
La Vie en Rose at Le Boudoir de Marie
By Theadora Brack
Let’s go lingerie shopping in Paris. Affordable and lightweight, they’re my favorite souvenirs. Justifying my love, if buying hundreds of slips is wrong, I don’t want to be right!
But first things first, let’s prepare for our quest. Desire deep discounts? Schedule your jaunt during either the big January or July sale periods. Also, know your European size numbers.
So with a burlesque beat, here are two of my favorite hotspots for lingerie shopping. Va-va-voom! (more…)
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Paris Tips: Gorgeous Backdrops for Photo ops
L’heure bleue (Twilight) at the Moulin Rouge Photos by Theadora Brack
The hills are alive at Sacré Coeur
By Theadora Brack
Grab the camera phones and bucket lists, and let’s shoot the city like there’s no tomorrow. Here’s a slew of my favorite iconic backdrops for photo ops, picture-perfect for your darling social media portraits and status updates, too.
Celebrating photographers Robert Doisneau and Robert Capa (who often featured France’s national moments in their haute couture spreads), I’ve meshed the old with the new, fully appreciating the dynamic, overlapping, ever-changing juxtapositions.
So with Rolleiflex firmly in hand, let’s snap, crackle, pop. Giddy up! (more…)
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Paris Tips: Make Room for a New Macaron
I think we’re alone now Photos by Theadora Brack
Chocolats and Macarons by Christophe Roussel
By Theadora Brack
Is it possible to have too many passions? Not according to my grandmother! This week, I am happy to sing out that there is a new macaron in the city, and it’s dipped in silky smooth dark chocolate.
Meet Chocolats and Macarons
Created by dream team Christophe Roussel and Julie Haumont, the shop’s Calder-like macaron mobiles in the window called out my name. So I popped inside.
The shop’s vitrines and interior are bright and trippy, flaunting a tie-dyed, psychedelic color scheme in purple, pink, orange, and green. Here I definitely felt a mellow yellow-worthy “Groovitational” pull and—in a fit of rave—I purchased one too many macarons to count. Ah, but who’s counting? (more…)
Paris: People, Places and Bling 