Paris Tips: Rolling in the Deep on the Pont Alexandre III
Pont Alexandre III at Sunset Photos by Theadora Brack
Cupid, draw back your bow
By Theadora Brack
Guys and dolls, raise your cocktail glass if you haven’t seen English singer-writer Adele’s sulky-smooth, Grammy award-winning “Someone Like You” video, and if not, then get thee to a computer. Pack a hanky!
Picture Perfect
Shot in exquisite black and white by the talented director Jake Nava, Adele’s “Someone Like You” video is an epic weepie. Both Adele and the Pont Alexandre III have never looked more drop-dead glamorous. (more…)
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Paris Scents: Spray-by-Spray at Sephora
My Sin by Lanvin Photos by Theadora Brack
Miles of beauty at Sephora
By Theadora Brack
Rise and shine! Fragrance fanatics, this one is for you.
One of my favorite hotspots in Paris to get beautified in a pinch is the Sephora on the Champs-Elysées. Boasting a dramatic ramp and a ruby red carpet, it’s one of the largest Sephora boutiques in the world.
A superstar since 1969, the classic French chain is a cross between a gigantic supermarket and a glitzy playground, with testers available for every product sold. (more…)
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Paris: Chocolate + Love Wall = Sweet Crush in Abbesses
Love at first bite at Au Levain d’Antan Photos by Theadora Brack
It’s a win-grin at Au Levain d’Antan
By Theadora Brack
Winter has finally arrived in Paris, so with arms tangled and hair highly mussed, let’s stroll to my favorite pâtisserie and rendezvous hotspot. I am in the mood for some warm, flaky goodies, so hold on tight while I straighten your trench coat collar. Love is in the air. Follow my lead.
Meet Pascal Barillon
Located in Abbesses, Au Levain d’Antan is where I buy most of my croissants and pain au chocolat pastries. Last year, Pascal Barillon of Au Levain d’Antan won the “Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Française de la Ville de Paris.” (more…)
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Paris: Scoring Art Supplies at Book Shops
The absolute Truth about cats and dogs at the Libraire Photos by Theadora Brack
Designer Paul Smith also loves Rhodia!
By Theadora Brack
It’s high time for another confession! My name is Theadora. And I am hooked on classic French notebooks. I’m an avid collector! All shapes, sizes and colors, I embrace them like there’s no tomorrow.
These slim gems are usually prominently displayed, lightweight and affordable, costing just €1 to €10. Truth be bold, I haven’t met one I didn’t like. They’re the perfect the souvenir. They’ll satisfy your head, pocketbook and suitcase!
Lucky for me, there’s no shortage of the iconic darlings in Paris. Throughout the city, you’ll find them in neighborhood bookstores (“librairies”) and stationary shops (“papeteries”). (more…)
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Paris: Favorite Post-Shopping Café
Cantal dreaming at the Café de la Mairie Photos by Theadora Brack
Hustling, bustling Café de la Mairie
By Theadora Brack
I have great mews up my fur-lined sleeve. Recently I found another favorite post-shopping café in Paris. The jumping joint is affordable and historic, too. Can you hear me now? Let’s go!
Shop
Conveniently located in Saint-Germain, kitty-corner to Église Saint-Sulpice, the Café de la Mairie is where I now rest my dogs (feet) during whirlwind bargain shopping sprees along rue de Rennes or in Saint-Germain-des-Près. (more…)
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Paris: Art, Books + Quiche = Happiness
Halle Saint Pierre is the cat’s meow Photos by Theadora Brack
View of Sacré Coeur
By Theadora Brack
Let’s face it. It rains a great deal in Paris. So what to do? Where to go? Fret not because I have a plan for you.
Today, let’s huddle at the Musée Halle Saint Pierre. Rain or shine, it’s one of my favorite museums in the world. Interested? Grab your hat and parapluie, too. Because, baby, it is cold outside!
Halle Saint Pierre
Located smack dab in the heart of Montmartre, Halle Saint Pierre is very similar in spirit to Switzerland’s Collection de l’Art Brut, Chicago’s Intuit Center, and Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum. (more…)
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Paris: Chilling with Tintin-Royal
Retail Therapy with Tintin at Palais Royal Photos by Theadora Brack
Rocking out with Serge Gainsbourg in Gambetta
By Theadora Brack
With keen relish, I celebrate window shopping, vintage dolls and mannequins, along with the foxy art of window dressing—worldwide. It’s how I stroll.
Trekking to Paris? All across the City of Light, restaurants, pâtisseries, boutiques, and even pharmacies create window displays and murals. Some are amazingly beautiful, a few inevitably fall into the category of so-bad-they’re-good, but each and every one contributes a little something more to the color and dazzle of the city. So keep your eyes open.
Clipping from Serge Gainsbourg, “Je t’aime! Je t’aime! Je t’aime!”
The Skinny
Palais-Royal
1st arrondissement, Métro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
Pharmacie
245 Rue des Pyrénées
6th arrondissement, Métro: Gambetta
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Paris: Haute Shots found at the Fleas
Bandit stole my heart Photos by Theadora Brack
Modes de Paris July 1948
By Theadora Brack
Guys and dolls, it’s high time for another round of The Haute Shot Perfume Diaries. So grab a cocktail, and prepare for some time travel. Let’s get swanky!
In today’s spotlight
We have a sensuous little number called “Bandit.”
Created by nose Germaine Cellier for Robert Piguet in 1944, I found my vintage bottle at the Marché aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt in Paris. It was love at first sight. (more…)
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Paris: Shopping for Cookies and Cookware on Rue de Rennes
Sweet Dreams at the Boulangerie de Rennes Photos by Theadora Brack
By Theadora Brack
Confession: When I’m out tasking in Paris, I always carry at least one meringue cookie in my trench coat pocket or bag at all times. Sweet and crunchy, it’s the ultimate instant sugar rush, making the perfect portable snack.
Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock
Tip-Tock
Be choosy! Goldilocks, size does matter, so I recommend going with a medium-sized cookie because the smaller ones are sometimes on the dry side, and the larger ones are occasionally too soft. (more…)
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Paris: Art + Shopping = Bliss at the Centre Pompidou
Shhhh! Mural by Jef Aerosol Photos by Theadora Brack
By Theadora Brack
Button up your overcoat because it’s nippy out there! Today let’s shop and bop around the bustling ‘hood of Châtelet. I’ll also throw a splash of art into the mix. Yes, POP goes the easel.
Water for Elephants at the Pompidou
Shhhh!
I recently discovered the fantastical mural while trekking to the Beaubourg (aka, the Centre Pompidou) to buy more skinny reporter notebooks in cherry red. Is it possible to overstock? I don’t think so. (more…)
Paris: People, Places and Bling 