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A LA MAISON





This year seems to be all about transitions. The biggest one coming up is leaving our nest of 3 years for a new one. A new opportunity to re arrange the bookshelf, an opportunity to put new holes in new walls (my favorite part) and for things like finding an excuse to buy wallpaper. Our little nest in southwest Paris has served us well, but as we grow and become big kids, a step up only seemed natural.

As a sidenote, can I just say that apartment hunting in Paris is FAR from easy… and it’s basically a full time job. Landlords look only at the paper – the salary – and not where you work, what you do or who you are as a person or if they just get a good feeling when they meet you (Ok, *ideals*, but it would be cool if they didn’t JUST look at the 7 digits in your contract, right?). Certain statuses in France are not favored, cough, like the one my boyfriend works under in the cinema industry, add being a foreigner into the mix and it makes for one complicated application in the eyes of the everyday real estate agent, and no matter what your situation they still want guarantors that live and work on French soil that are not retired and that are clearly prosperous bread winners that own property (which will forever blow my mind in a city so rich in culture and with quite a population of immigrants).

Bref, we now see the light at the end of the tunnel could not be more anxious to discover the larger Paris just beyond the 75’s limits and still so spoiled by public transport. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Paris has become seemingly smaller, while becoming literally bigger. The borders are stretching and people are venturing even farther out from Ile de la Cité for various reasons. To top it off, I feel like within the city limits is becoming more and more unbearable to live comfortably. Times have certainly changed, and even good jobs aren’t enough for my generation for the price of living in some cities, even à deux. But alas, I’m not complaining.

I often ask myself how people do it. Having a certain idea of what people earn in the industry that I work in, I am still trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Where do these people get the funding and guarantors needed to rent these humongous apartments in the city? I guess these people are winning at the big game of Monopoly.

To say the least, I’m just proud to be making ends meet on my very own in this big bad city that is my home.

A LA MAISON: SASHA AND MATHIEU

Sasha and Mathieu’s nest is filled with knick knacks and photographs – a life together. They also are the only people we have ever met with the same couch!

On the first floor of a precious building tucked behind a precious and floral courtyard is their wood floored Parisian paradise. As you enter past the first set of doors, you wouldn’t think your in Paris: plants arch over the rugged pathway, with random flowers left and right and a little gnome to greet you.

The wed couple has maximized their space, with shelving with stacked books and adorned walls with posters and photographs of them when they were young, their parents… Their royal blue couch is topped with geometric pillows, and their coffee table with coasters from travels and other trinkets. All of these little things make their apartment their own, and gives off nothing but the feeling of coziness.

Gaspard, their precious pup, roams freely and loves company. Having tea parties with Sasha is as cozy as can be. Sidenote: how amazing is their bar cart?

MAKING TURKISH COFFEE


Olivia from Cleopatra’s Bling taught me how to make a mean Turkish Coffee once upon a time.

I sure am anxious to go visit her in Istanbul next weekend and drink my weight in Turkish coffee. If you have any recommendations on the city, do share!

A FRUITY LILLET ROSE BEVVY

Ever since discovering Lillet Rosé at their launch party in Paris last fall, I have fallen hard for their cocktails. Lillet Rosé is a refreshing beverage with a bit more punch than your classic wine – it is what they call an aperitif wine – equally delightful when it’s on the rocks with a slice of orange or mixed in with other flavors and liquors to make for a fantastically crafted and peachy colored cocktail.

With Olivia on a Friday night in, we decided to add a few of our favorite things and make our own little fruity cocktail inspired by one of the classic Lillet Rosé cocktails.

We probably should have put the ice cubes in the mixer and the fruit afterwards, but hey, it’s all about learning! Also, add the tonic water at the very end for better results. Enjoy!

lillet-rose-cocktail-diy-de-quelle-planete-es-tu-01

To see more video collaborations with Cleopatra’s Bling, click here.

A LA MAISON: VALÉRIE

A while ago I started to feature a small series on here called A La Maison with pictures of people’s spaces. The first space features besides my own was O + J. Part of the reason I did this is that I love discovering people’s homes (in a non-creepy way). I feel like what someone surrounds themselves with at home can say so much about a person. It’s intriguing to see what people you adore choose to surround themselves with in their own little space.

Valérie is a French photographer, and her nest is the coolest I’ve seen in this city.

Valérie’s home up in Paris’s 19th district is refreshingly cozy. It’s hidden away in an interior courtyard, an escape from the Parisian streets.

As you walk in, a mint green SMEG fridge radiates with the vintage knick-knacks, perfectly toned enamel kitchenware and floral motifs. Her stunning wooden kitchen table is tucked between vintage school chairs (one of my dream déco choices). The large industrial windows that open to a small terrace out front are lined with books, framed photographs and succulents. Don’t even get me started on her bathtub.

The living space has a wall of bricks, which I just drool over every time I walk in. It’s simple, so beautiful and seems effortless. I could feel stepping in the front door that someone creative dwelled here.

Interiors can be so inspiring. Valérie’s will always be in my memory as the perfect cozy space with the perfect color tones and objects placed effortlessly. Something as simple as stacked magazines at Valérie’s are a statement in decoration.

You can find out more about Valérie’s photography and here.

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