January 18, 2010 by Genevieve Sandifer
vintageinstyle.com; moviemaidens.com
Photos: courtesy of Césaire.
One thing that women the world over can agree on is that the search for the perfect partner is fraught with its share of trials and errors. The urge to collect can be too tempting (and enjoyable), since, let’s face it, different occasions beg for appropriate company. Showing up with a flashy, recognizable number at a company benefit will have your professional circle questioning your judgment and taste; but tote along an oversize, understated friend to a glitzy, packed soirée and you’ll feel weighed down all night. I am, of course, talking about purses here.
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Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 2 Comments »
December 20, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
Although Paris is a fantastic city to visit at any time of the year, it is particularly magical around Christmas. Whether it’s the twinkling street lights, the holiday markets or the smells of delicious rich foods escaping from apartment and restaurant windows, it’s hard to ignore a holiday spirit that revolves (refreshingly) more around food than around the piggy bank.
L’Internaute.fr; Le Site de L’Evenementiel.com
For many, Christmas celebrations in France are centered around a heaping family meal served as dinner on the Eve, or as lunch on Christmas day. Oysters and champagne, foie gras and roasted capon, smoked salmon and Bûche de Noel… many figure-conscious Parisians will diet before and after les fêtes simply in order to make room for all the delicious yuletide specialties. Not partaking in the seasonal gluttony could be interpreted as a lack of joie de vivre; in order to save yourself from this fate worse than death, we recommend putting all thoughts of régime off until the New Year! Continue Reading »
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December 20, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
Images Courtesy of VIA.fr
Not that there is any shortage of exciting things to do in Paris in December and January, but the Pompidou Centre has just teamed up with VIA to put on a stellar exhibit featuring some of France’s most influential contributions to the interior design field in the past 30 years. Conceived to present pieces considered “most representative of French design when applied to lifestyle” to the public, you can expect early and important works from giants such as Philippe Starck, Martin Szekely, Jean-Paul Gaultier and many more. The exhibit runs from December 17 to February 1, 2010. Continue Reading »
Posted in Arts, Design, Events | 2 Comments »
December 5, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
Images courtesy of Miss Lunch
Supperclubs are nothing new. Whether the recent popularity they’re enjoying first started in London or Manhattan — where the hook was exclusivity and bragging rights about ‘discovering’ underground chefs in their lairs — or in the impossibly small kitchens of aspiring Brooklyn chefs and foodies is anyone’s guess.
What is certain, though, is that the move from chefs’ tables to chefs’ kitchens did not pass Paris by unnoticed. In many ways, the model is better suited to French dinner-party habits than it is to the fickle attention spans of New Yorkers, and it has enjoyed a fair amount of low-key success notably among foodie expats.
HiP Paris recently received an email from a certain Miss Lunch — a chef, artist, teacher, writer with a passion for incorporating her rich heritage into delicious, alternative culinary experiences. Trained at the Beaux Arts and a Paris resident for 15 years, she dabbles in art, cooking classes, cookbook writing and … semi-public dinner parties. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living, Restaurant Reviews | No Comments »
November 30, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
If you happen to be wandering by the Louvre on December 6th and find yourself wishing you had your Parisian second cousin on hand to point you in the direction of a meal that’ll really blow you away, or maybe a little advice on where to take a newfound Parisian flame, you might consider stopping by the ‘Caves du Paradis’ for some wine, a chat and a little required reading.
On December 6th, O Chateau and Context Tours are teaming up to present a wine tasting–book signing event with famed expats David Lebovitz, Heather Stimmler-Hall, and Keith Spicer in the Caves du Paradis. The setting itself is worth a detour; the historical cellars that constitute O Chateau’s headquarters are over 300 years old and used to house the royal sommelier’s stash. The guests of honor aren’t too shabby either: David Lebovitz, author of The Sweet Life in Paris, is one of France’s most pre-eminent Anglophone food critics and has a blog loved by professionals and amateurs alike. Heather Stimmler-Hall, an expert on Paris’ hidden gems, will be signing her alternative city guide The Naughty Paris Guide; and Keith Spicer, a Canadian journalist, will be presenting Paris Passions, his witty collection of short stories about – what else? – the French. Continue Reading »
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November 18, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
The 27th International Festival for Environmental Film runs from November 18 – 24 at La Pagode, the left bank’s famed artsy cinema house. Thirty-six countries are represented with 104 films, so there should be something to suit every eco-leaning movie lover’s taste. The HiP Paris crew has selected a few highlights that will be screened in English.
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October 31, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
Donald Urquhart’s An Alphabet of Paris (Arletty to Zizi) — Courtesy of artinfo.com
Last weekend marked the end of one of Paris’ most feverish cultural weeks during which 4 contemporary art fairs competed for the attention of collectors, journalists, galleries and museums who had come from near and far to take the contemporary art world’s pulse.
Mariano Vargas, Helen — courtesy of cutlog.org
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October 14, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
www.amisdesmusees.lu
True to Parisian form, Fiac, the international contemporary art fair taking place October 22-25, aims to impress. Hundreds of works, spread throughout the Tuilleries gardens, the Cour Carrée of the Louvre and the Grand Palais, promise to shock, amaze, frustrate and provoke – just what the French (and Francophiles) need to get a little healthy, argumentative blood flowing. Continue Reading »
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October 9, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
Attention all design and interior décor gurus! This weekend there will be no respite for the aesthetically minded. After a week devoted to decorating the flesh, it’s time to think about the home. October 8-11, two not-to-be-missed events are competing for weekend shoppers – the Puces du Design and the Mondial de l’Antiquité – and turning the outer-limits of Paris into a playground for decorators and amateurs alike. Continue Reading »
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August 28, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
Although Paris isn’t quite as bike-centric as Amsterdam just yet, bicycles have definitely become the hip and green way to get around. As Sarah pointed out earlier, the now-ubiquitous Vélibs’ have converted Parisians over to the scenic joys of gliding along tree-lined boulevards as an alternative to the soul-crushing rush hour metro.
www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/2489449704
But this picturesque approach to Paris isn’t just reserved for natives and those who are able to get their foreign cards to work in the Vélib’ machines. Fat Tire Tours, a bike-and-segway specific tour company, was among the first Paris-based tour groups to offer bicycle tours of the city. They are a friendly and entertaining way to see the city.
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Posted in Green, Tours and Classes | 1 Comment »
