I always find myself in the Baker neighborhood with Allie when I am in Denver (proof & proof).
I just love this neighborhood. I’ve got so many memories driving in and out of Denver up and down this avenue before moving to Paris. It seems like it was another life.
Check out some of my favorite South Broadway spots in this post.
Spring is still chilly and gray here. I’ve constantly got the chills. Sunshine, come out to play.
I will admit it’s nice to force ourselves to get out of the house a bit. Do you ever find it hard to just get out and move around on cold days like this?
This particular Sunday we went to explore somewhere I had never been, le Parc de la Villette in Paris’s 19th. The skies were gray, and the parts of the park that we wandered through were more than just silent and far too calm. La Géode‘s reflection of the sky gave it the same shades of gray, and at times I had to squeeze my eyes shut and squint to make out where it was when looking at it from a distance.
When the weather is nice, this park is filled with so much life, but with the cold the structures seemed even more immense and simply empty. It was surreal… and felt abandoned in some ways.
It was a refreshingly chilly stroll.
Stay cozy. Sunshine will be here to stay soon, j’espère.
If you’re looking to stroll through this part of Paris, find my favorite spots in this post on the 19th district.
On Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of attending the Lillet Rosé launch party that was hosted at My Little Paris.
Lillet, if you don’t already know it, is a Bordeaux wine-based apéritif that exists in its classical white, and also red: both mixed with liqueur and fruity goodness. As it is an apéritif that is served chilled, it was perfect for the few days of warm Spring weather we had.
It was such a beautiful day. The sun hadn’t set when we arrived, and the windows were wide open with a cool breeze. The theme of the party, “Rosé is the new chic” was in the spotlight with pink spotlights and all things rose and bright every left and right. I brought the beautiful Olivia along with me, and we were introduced to Lillet’s land of rosé and chic. Bien sûr, these events are also a wonderful place to mingle. I had the chance of meeting many new faces, one of which is the lovely Chloé, another passionate lady of all things pretty and delicious.
Lillet Rosé bottles were showcased in big, fabulous ice bowls that exposed the beautiful and vintage-looking labels through the ice cubes. The various cocktails on the menu were mixed with this delicious and bright apéritif for us to indulge in… they were the most refreshingly tasteful concoctions. At the soirée was not only delicious grub, a man in a floral suit that put pink mesh headpieces in our hair, a DIY Lillet cocktail bar, but also terrific show by . She also did an unforgettable cover of “American Boy” but in French, that she translated to, “Mon beau Parisien”. I found it to be quite fantastic.
For a feel of this magical evening in every shade of rosé, I invite you to scroll down through the vibrantly colored pictures below. The powerful spotlights gave all of our faces pink tints and bright lips…almost like an extra bit of blush on all of our cheeks. It was dreamy as can be,.
Lillet Rosé is already big in Bordeaux, in the United States and a few other countries across the globe, but is currently being launched in Paris, Australia and Brazil. Exciting, eh? I am astonished I had never seen it before. Especially with such fantastic labels and a perfect, plump pink color that the alcohol has.
You can read about a delicious spring cocktail with Lillet Rosé on Martha Stewart here. I am so excited to have been introduced to this delicious apéritif, and can’t wait to get creative with different flavors.
Special thanks to the folks at Génépi for promoting and organizing this lovely occasion, and of course to My Little Paris for hosting.
This past Sunday was the first day the grass was open in the parks of Paris.
To celebrate the occasion, Lauren organized a big picnic to anyone who felt like joining in Parc Monceau. She crafted the most adorable sets of cutlery and straws and was quite the host. She decked out the park with vases of flowers, adorable blankets and plates full of yummies. I am anxious to see what she does decoration-wise at the Hive next month.
The sun was shining and it was just the perfect start to Spring. People who knew each other closely and also those who had just met mingled and gobbled down delicious picnic grub together, creating good conversation. Parc Monceau was packed with families, friends and lovers and it made it feel like the nice weather is finally here to stay in Paris. Lauren even introduced us non-Aussies to the joys of pavlova. C’était superbe.
I had the chance to soak up some sun with some of my dear friends Olivia, Steph, Courtney and Anne, but also with some new friends for whom Paris is also a stomping ground, Carin, Edna, Milsters, Ylenia, Gemma, C, and Diane.
I for one, am anxious for more park time. This winter was far too long.
Special thanks to Lauren for hosting and pimping this fabulous affair.
For this post of Wonderful Things, I wanted to share a video of one of my closest and dearest friends speaking in her native tongue: Portuguese.
…Because that alone is fantastic. When I first saw this, I thought to myself, SHIT, I want know that side of her. I want to understand her when she is in her element, letting the beauty of this romantic language just roll off her tongue. Since I’ve got two bestie Brazilians in my life, I did just order Portuguese for Dummies, but that is another story…
Something about listening to someone you’re close to express themselves in their maternal language is just exciting when it’s not the same as your own. I’m not sure really I can explain why it touched my heart so much. Obviously, I can’t really understand anything, but it just made me that much more excited. I’m anxious to practice with one of her other projects, Brasilité.
Language is a form of expression, a tool of communication but also a great part of our identities. It’s invigorating. Cheers to that.
Cachaça portraits: Ana Clara (English subtitles) from Ana Clara Soares on Vimeo.
Is this language not ridiculously beautiful?
Wondering what this video is about?
Ana Clara and her partner in crime, Yann-Yves have filmed and are now finishing up their first documentary called .
You can read more about it on the blog here, and also on .
