New York vs. Paris

It's true that you always want to move to the places where you vacation.  Never before, however, had I felt such a strong urge to drop everything and move than when I was in Paris.  The feeling eventually passed, and as I've settled back into normal life, I've realized that there are so many things I'd miss about New York.  Paris and New York are both incredible cities with so much to offer their residents, yet so different in their quirks as illustrated by Vahram Muratyan in his blog Paris versus New York: a tally of two cities. 

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

 Whichever you prefer, make sure you keep le ticket with you at all times or you may get a fine from the SNCF.

 I think pigeons are worse.  Rats can't fly. 

Pistachio macaron vs. red velvet cupcake?  Now this is a tough one...

I'm not sure how I.M. Pei would like having his creation compared to a retail store, but they do look similar...

I've never been to the 3rd or Williamsburg, but I imagine those who have can attest to the accuracy of this image.

What the Cool Girls are Wearing

I think French girls are so cool.  They look so...effortless.  Like they rolled out of bed looking totally fabulous.  Since I spent only one week observing what Parisian women wore, I can't claim to be an expert (or even very accurate) but I noticed a few trends: leather motorcycle jackets, cross body bags and chunky ankle boots.  All of these items lean towards casual, so I thought it would be fun to interpret them in a way that could work for a Professionelle.

McQ Leather Vest-Inlay Jacket (1565.00)

I love how feminine this leather jacket looks.  The cut softens the edge of the leather and the cropped length would work well for petites.

BCBGMAXAZRIA Naples1 (250.00)

The buckles on these boots give it that biker chick look but the shape of the boot is very refined.  I would wear these with patterned black tights.

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Harbridge Saddle Bag (228.00)

I actually saw this bag in the window of the Macy's on Nicolette Mall in Minneapolis.  Paris inspired, but found in the Midwest.

Alexander Wang Leather-Front Blazer (895.00)

It's so hard to find a leather blazer that doesn't look outdated.  I love how modern this looks, yet it still feels classic.

Alexander McQueen Tab and Buckle Heel Bootie (1225.00)

Now this boot is going to take some attitude to pull off at work, and perhaps a very conservative outfit to balance the shoe.  I absolutely love navy suede for Fall.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Jane-On-A-Leash Crossbody (228.00)

I'm so glad Marc Jacobs finally made some Marc by Marc Jacobs bags without that awful gold plaque.  This bag makes the perfect day to night purse.

An American Professionelle in Paris

Bonsoir Professionelles!

Je suis très désolé!  I have been in France for the last two weeks and had every intention of blogging during my entire vacation.  But alas, it's my last night in Paris and I'm just getting around to writing my first post.

This has been the most incredible trip.  It began in Burgandy, for Peter and Lisa's beautiful wedding.  Next, my dear friend Yun Ah and I traveled to Provence and Nice before heading to Paris.  Unfortunately, Yun Ah had to return to work, but I was incredibly lucky to have three fantastic local hosts (Chiawen, José and Camilla) to show me the city of light.  In fact, the title of this post is inspired by Chiawen's blog, A Chinese-American in Paris.  Since I know of at least a few Professionelles who will be traveling to Paris in the next few months, and also because the French are très chic, I will be sharing with you a series of posts inspired by my trip.

It's past 1am here, and I have a flight to catch in the morning, so this first post is actually a re-post from a fabulous blog Camilla introduced me to: HiP Paris.

The above illustration is from this great post about how to pack for Spring in Paris.  It translates very well for those who are traveling to Paris in the Fall.  I generally consider myself a fairly sophisticated traveler, and for the most part, our trip has gone off without a hitch, but I really could have used this post before I left New York.  As I was planning this trip, I used travel websites like Trip Advisor and Airbnb (can't wait to use Approved by Friends for my next trip!), I consulted friends who had been to the places we were going for recommendations (thank you to the Ulterior Epicure!), but for some reason, I didn't think to check out local blogs for inspiration.  If I had done so, I would have packed at least one pair of pants and many layering options for the unpredictable and varied French weather!

With that, I'm off to bed for now.  But once I'm back stateside, I will be posting my observations about what Parisienne women wear to allow them to look so effortlessly chic, reviews of the stores Parisienne women actually shop in, whether French designer goods are really cheaper in France and why, after only two days, J'aime mon carré!

Bonne nuit Professionelles!

P.S. please excuse any mistakes in my French as I am using the ever so accurate Google Translate.

Custom Salvaged Wood Dining Table

As Christina is well aware, I have been looking for the perfect dining table for over two years.  It had to be small enough to fit in a New York apartment, but big enough to seat six people for a small dinner party. I wanted it to be rustic yet elegant and it had to be sturdy but not clunky.  Needless to say, like with other areas of my life, it was hard to find something that met all of my requirements.  That is, until I stumbled upon these gorgeous custom tables by a husband and wife team at the Brooklyn Flea.  They don't have pictures of their tables on their website, but you can basically get any size table (dining, coffee, bar height etc.) that is of the style shown below.  I asked for a 54x32 dining table with legs set 17 inches wide in order to fit my ghost chairs.  I asked for wood with some flaws to give it some character.  In less than a week, my table was ready!  Prices vary, but I paid $550 for the table pictured below.  Finally!  Table success!  Now, I've just got to find the perfect black work bag...

Email John or Avian at avian@verizon.net to order your custom table.  They require 50% down for all custom orders.  If you want to check them out before ordering, you can find them on Saturdays at the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene.