I Prefer Paris

Au Nom de la Rose

I love Paris flower shops and down the street from me is Au Nom de la Rose, a shop that specializes in everything roses. When I pass by, there are always the most vivid colored bouquets and arrangements spilling on to the street. They make smart arrangements in mini- watering cans and do an adorable one with either a single, double, or triple rose configuration in a tiny tin pail. I always buy them as gifts for dinner parties, so the hostess/host doesn't have to fuss finding a vase to fill with water. When you purchase something, they ask you if it's for a gift, and if it is they will put in in a shopping bag, and fill the top with rose petals and staple a single rose to the side of it.

Not only do they have a spectacular selection of roses, they also offer a product line of other rose products, including jam, lollipops, chocolates with crystalized roses, perfume, candles, room spray, and rose flavored syrup.

 Everything is coming up roses at Au Nom de la Rose.

 They have boutiques all over France and around the world.

 87 rue Saint Antoine, 75004

Metro: Saint Paul

http://www.aunomdelarose.fr/index.cgi

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

My New Custom Shirt from Les Dandys

I discovered Les Dandys, a custom suit and shirt maker, a few years ago and wrote about them on Eye Prefer Paris in November 2010. I also wrote about the shop for Passport magazine last September in an article about custom men's shops in Paris. The owners Sylvan and Antoine were so happy and thankful for what I wrote that they generously offered to make me a shirt.

 I was so touched and excited, since I have never had a custom shirt before. I made an appointment for the fitting one afternoon last November. Sylvan brought out about a dozen books of fabric samples, and each one had hundreds of patterns to choose from. Stripes, solids, twills, wide stripes, narrow stripes, every imaginable and unimaginable color combination, thick cotton, thin cotton, and other choices I can't remember that made my head spin. How do I choose one? I narrowed it down to three and finally chose a bold fuchsia medium stripe against a white background. It was two-ply, 120-weight cotton poplin made in Italy by one of the finest fabric companies for clothing, Thomas Mason, started by Thomas Mason in 1750 in England. Sylvan took out his tape measure and measured me in all sorts of places: from my elbow to my wrist, elbow to shoulder, the width around my body, my neck, and across my shoulders. Then he asked me questions that I had never been asked and wasn't quite sure what to answer.

 Do you want the buttons to show or hidden? 

Do you want a monogram and if you do, where do you want it? (He then proceeded to show me a choice of monogram styles)

Do you want a pocket?

What kind of buttons and what color?

What kind of collar do you prefer and how many buttons do you want on the collar?

Straight bottom or curved?

 After I made my final choices with more questions than my SAT test in high school, Sylvan gave me a dummy shirt to try on for size. He adjusted it a little so it wasn't too tight. He carefully went over the order to make sure everything was correct and said the he would call me in three to four weeks when the shirt was ready. I went back to the shop in mid December and the shirt came out fabulous. I tried it on and it felt like a jillion bucks. The crisp, cool cotton felt so good against my torso and the cut made me instantly look 10 lbs. thinner. Who needs a 10 lbs. thinner uncomfortable, rubber girdle when you can have a delicious cotton shirt do the job.

 I wore the shirt to an important Christmas party with a black suit and solid black Hermés tie. I also wore it New Years eve, just open with a few buttons showing a little cleavage and black corduroy pants. I have to say and even my friends said I looked smashing. Other shirts in my wardrobe will never feel the same and I may have to order some more shirts from Les Dandys.

 Les Dandys

23 rue Pasquier, 75008

Metro: Madeleine

Tel. 01 40 07 05 54

Open Monday to Saturday 10:30AM to 7PM

http://www.lesdandys.com/en/collection.html#

Do you like?

 New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Christmas in Paris 2011: Galeries Lafayette Noël Rock ‘n’ Mode

For Christmas 2011 it's Noël Rock ‘n’ Mode at Galeries Lafayette. The windows are adorned with chicly dressed animated marionettes called Kouklistars and have names such as Cyril Mokaiesh, Mademoiselle K, Inna Modja, Brigitte, and Iman. They have been created by New York artist Andrew Yang and he has also designed the life sized rock n roll mannequins. 

Inside Galeries Lafayette stands the impressive 66 ft. tree dressed with 55 neon rock n roll signs on it.

Legendary rocker Iggy Pop is the poster boy for the Noël Rock ‘n’ Mode on all the metro ads.

Galeries Lafayette
40 Blvd. Haussmann, 75009
Metro: Chausée D'antin
http://www.galerieslafayette.com/

A Great Holiday Gift: Robert Wilson from Within
Margery Arent Safir has lovingly edited the marvelous book Robert Wilson from Within. Robert Wilson is the world's most foremost avant garde theater artist of his generation. Wilson's amazing career has spanned over 40 years and ranges across opera, stage works,visual arts, video, lighting, furniture, and set design. He is best known for his collaboration with Philip Glass on the unforgettable Einstein on the Beach plus he has conceived and directed new productions of operas The Magic Flute,Madama Butterfly, Pélleas et Mélisande, The Threepenny Opera,and in theater, Hamlet, Orlando, Quartett, Happy Days, Lulu. The book celebrates his long career and crowning achievements and contributors include Marina Abramovic, Laurie Anderson, Pierre Bergé, Philip Glass, Isabelle Huppert, Viktor & Rolf, and Rufus Wainwright.

Robert Wilson from Within is most special holiday gift for anyone who loves avant- garde theater.

Click here for more info and to order from Amazon.

Iggy Pop

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Christmas in Paris 2011: Hermés

Hermés never fails to serve up luxurious decadence in their holiday windows and this year is no exception. From gold metallic boxing gloves, to an ostrich motorcycle helmet, to a lavender colored crocodile Kelly bag, to a sliver fox and shearling cape, the windows are pure fantasy along with the price tags.

Leila Menchari the genius window designer, celebrates her fiftieth year working for Hermés and is still pulling out all the stops in creating the fabulous windows.

Hermés
24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008
Metro: Concorde
http://www.hermes.com/

Wanna put up your dukes for an Hermés Birking bag?

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Christmas in Paris 2011: Printemps Noel Reves d'Evasion

This year the Christmas windows at Printemps, titled Noel Reves d'Evasion (Dreams of Escape), is much ado about Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel. Four windows have Chanel backgrounds from Moscow, Los Angeles, Moscow, and Tokyo with clever and imaginative sets and animated dolls. The rest of the windows have animated Kaiser Karl (that's what he is known as in the fashion industry) dolls dressed in his signature look, black suit, high-collared white shirt, dark glasses, and his silver mane pulled into a ponytail plus a few other windows have Chanel collections from former years. I'm not sure kids will identify too much with the Karl dolls, but it would be funny if there was a sudden rush at Toys R Us for Karl dolls.

Noel Reves d'Evasion at Printemps
64 Blvd. Haussmann, 75009
Metro: Havre Caumartin
http://departmentstoreparis.printemps.com/noel/

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Best of EPP: Shopping Tips

I am taking a blogging break this week, so enjoy the Best of Eye Prefer Paris for the next four days.

I write a monthly column about Paris for www.travelagentcentral.com, a website for upscale travel agents. I am reprinting last month's article because I thought it would be useful to my readers.

Paris Shopping Tips
One of the most joyous activities in Paris is shopping. Whether it’s the designer boutiques of rue St. Honore, the grand department stores Printemps or Galleries Lafayette, or some special trinket from a unique boutique, there is something for every one.

Here are some insider shopping tips to make your experience even better.

1. Store Hours & Closings
Most stores are open Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays. Department stores, and shops in more commercial areas like the Opera are open 10AM-7PM. Areas like the Marais and St Germain des Pres, the individual boutiques are usually open from 11AM-7PM.
Sundays – the only place where stores are open on Sunday is the Champs Elysees and the Marais. Stores are usually open 11-7 but some in the Marais open later, sometimes after 12PM or 1PM.

Most food shops & gourmet stores- small neighborhood food shops like cheese stores, butchers, fish stores, chocolate shops, patisseries, etc. are open Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday 8AM till 2PM. Some fish shops, butchers, and cheese shops will close for an hour or two in the middle of the day for lunch. Store opening hours vary between 8AM & 10AM till 7PM or 8PM.

2. VAT/Tax Refund

If you spend 175 euros or more in one shop, you are entitled to a tax refund. It usually varies between 10 & 15%, depending on the store’s administrative costs. It can be refunded to your credit card later on or given to you in cash, in whatever currency you prefer, at the airport. You must do this before you go through security. Also you must present your passport or have the number when making the purchase at the shop.

3. Sales

Unlike the United States, where there are sales all year round, sales in France are regulated by the government and happen twice a year during summer and winter. Winter sales usually start the first Wednesday in January and summer sales the last week of June and sales last about 4 to 5 weeks. Stores can be fined heavily for having sales at other times than the government allows. However, last year the government let shops have an extra two weeks out of the year to let them have additional sale days. Some of the upscale boutiques will have private or un announced sales about a month before the government sales, whereby when you are in the shop, the sales people will discreetly tell you there is a sale going on or there will be red dots on the pricetags. One exception is that stores can have a sale of certain items marked “Promotion” with 20-30% off all year round.

4. Store Etiquette

•    When you walk into a shop, always say “Hello/Bonjour”

•    Don’t ask how much something is without saying “Hello/Bonjour”
•    Don’t go into a clothing or non-food shop eating or drinking
•    Don’t touch things in the window without asking
•    Ask the sales person if they speak English and don’t automatically assume they do.

5. Sizes

European clothing and shoe sizes are different than American sizes, so either know what size you are before you arrive, or have a size converter printed out from the internet or on your phone.

Bon shopping!

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New Yorkís best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com
 

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Heaven Shop

One of my favorite things to do on my Paris shopping tours is to take people to out of the way shops that have things that are only sold in Paris or France. I used to seek out these shops when I visited before I moved here and was always thrilled when I would find that special something that I knew could only get here. My friends would always compliment me and say where did you get that fabulous shirt, pair of shoes, belt, etc. and I would glowingly say Paris. I remember buying a handsome pair of Goyard tanned leather shoes in the early 90s, way before Goyard became so popular and was sold only in France.

Heaven is a delightful clothing and accessory shop in the Marais and the owner, the lovely and beautiful Lea-Anne Wallis designs and hand makes all the garments. Twice a year Lea-Anne creates a collection using small remnants of fabric leftover from the prestigious designers like Agnes B., and Hermés, cleverly using the fabric to make some very original and chic pieces. She can usually only get a few yards of the fabric, so she will only make a few garments with the same fabric, therefore many of the pieces are limited editions. Her collections are inspired by films, music, and pop culture and she describes fall/winter 2011 as warm and wooly mixed with metallic and shimmery.

On any given day Lea-Anne, originally from England and living in Paris for over 20 years, is happily sewing away in her atelier in the back of the shop, always with a smile on her face. The atelier has shelves lined with oodles of fab fabrics, dozens of bright colored spools of thread, and an ironing board. Jean Christophe Peyrieux, her talented French husband is an interior designer and designs festive modern lamps and a line of subtle, fine jewelry using semi-precious stones, silver, and gold plate, both sold in the shop. The price for this handmade, original luxury? Surprisingly affordable, with dresses priced from 129 euros to 189 euros, skirts 89 to 109 euros, shirts and blouses 109 to 129 euros, coats 239 to 289 euros, and 159 euros for trousers. The jewelry ranges from 30 to 150 euros.

In addition to the clothing collection, Lea-Anne hand makes the fun pony and suede pillows adorned with big metallic stars. She will start giving sewing classes one night a week in the near future. Heaven also carries handbags, scarves, wallets, shoes, and gloves, and this season the palate is rich, jewel tones.

One of the problems I have when taking female clients shopping for clothes is the lack of larger sizes in most Parisian shops and Lea-Anne said she would happily make her garments in a more ample size if you ask her.

If you want a Heaven-ly garment from Paris to flaunt back home, give Heaven and Lea-Anne a visit and please tell her I sent you.

Heaven
16 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004
Metro: St. Paul or Hotel de Ville
Tel. 01 42 77 38 89
Open Tuesday to Saturday 11AM to 7:30PM, Sunday 2PM to 7:30PM
www.heaven-paris.com

Lee-Anne showing off her pillows

The atelier

Frisbee, the store mascot

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New Yorkís best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com
 

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Parisian of the Month: Sally Perrin

I originally met Sally Perrin online after her daughter commented on one of my blog posts a few years ago. We met in person last year and Sally is glamorous, chic, and fun. She spends about 2/3 of her time in Los Angeles and the rest in Paris with her husband who is originally from Limoges and their two daughters. She recently started to design a line of sumptuous handbags and leather accessories and invited me to the atelier, where I went ga-ga over the gorgeous leather goods. Later that afternoon Sally kindly invited me to her apartment for tea and we chatted for hours about love, life, and of course, Paris.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?
Born in Minnesota, grew up in Seattle and spent summers on the East Coast with my mother's family.

 
How and when did you meet Michel your French husband?
In Seattle, at a bar!  I was in my early 20's.  One twirl on the dance floor with the Frenchman and I was never the same...!

 
You lived in Paris for a number of years and then moved to Los Angeles and now split your time between them. Why the move to Los Angeles, which is dramatically different than Paris?
After more than a decade in Paris, we were ready for a new adventure. We always loved our visits to LA: the sunshine and open-minded attitudes prevalent among Angelenos. It's so outrageous that it keeps us laughing, everyday!  

 
Where else have you lived?
Tokyo, Istanbul

 
A few years ago you launched a new luxury line of handbags and leather accessories, reviving a multi-generational family business of Michel’s. Can you tell us about the original company and how you modernized it with your new line?
The house of Perrin Paris was established in 1893 as a well known family-run glove making business, later expanded into tannery. 

We opted to re-launch the brand by introducing a line of handbags to compliment the glove collection.  I still believe in shoes matching a purse in color, or gloves and purse in the same color, and like presenting this option to our customers. We offer many models of fingerless gloves that are more an accessory than a necessity.  Many of our handbags are structured and ladylike but we also have elegant satchels for the gal-on-the-go that form to the body, allowing a woman the freedom of movement (and free hands!)  We also offer a collection of leather and crocodile sunglasses.  We have brought the savoir faire and tradition of leather craftsmanship into the 21st century by offering a line for the modern woman who appreciates a timeless product.

You now are involved in the design and execution of the merchandise. Tell us about what influences you and inspires you and also about the bags and accessories you create.
My motto is keep it simple and chic. I like a unique shape, hand-crafted in the most beautiful of skins.  I often create models that are an extension of the arm/hand. I am most complimented when people come into our boutiques for the first time and are delighted in discovering how original and elegant our designs are.
 
What are your bestselling items in your Los Angeles shop and in your Paris atelier?  
As of late, the new Croisiere Tote and Capitale Clutch-these 2 models are getting alot of press! The Ball Bag is our iconic and most identifiable model.

Crosiere Tote

Capitale Clutch

Ball Bag

If you could design a handbag for anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you design?
For Edith Wharton: a beautiful pale blue ostrich leather reinforced case to carry her typewriter.
 
 How do the way women from Los Angeles dress compare to way Parisian women dress?
What I find most amusing is how LA gals walk around in heels during the day!  They are either very casual or overly-done up.  

 
You recently moved into your dream Paris apartment, which is stunning. How did it you find it and please tell us about the design and who designed it.
We found a small 'bijoux' of an apartment on the Left Bank, by word of mouth. The French family had owned the apt. for over 75 years and the grandson, in charge of the sale, took a liking to us. I promised him many beautiful moments would be celebrated as a family in the apt. that his grandparents loved. We keep a beautiful coin of theirs, framed, in the library so that they are ever present.Our dear friend and talented designer Chahan Minassian worked his magic on the interiors.
 
What do you prefer about Paris?
Old stone, l'art de vivre, marrons glaces' , the inherent elegance of Parisians....

Paris Boutique:
35, rue des Petits Champs, 75001
Metro: Palais Royal
Open Monday to Saturday 11AM-6PM
Door code to enter on Saturday 16A32
Tel. +33 (0)1 42 97 40 26

Los Angeles Boutique
346 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, 90210
Open 10AM to 6PM, seven days
Tel. 310-786-9936

www.perrinparis.com 

Click here to see photos from Harpers Bazaar of Sally's amazing apartment

Sally and her dashing husband Michel

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New York's best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com
 

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Puces St. Ouen/St. Ouen Flea Market 2

Les Puces de St. Ouen is the largest antique and flea market in the world with over 2500 vendors, sprawling 17 acres on the edge of the city. 120,000 to 150,000 people arrive every weekend searching for treasures. The market was officially started in 1885 but before that, scrap metal and rag and bone men sold their wares. The first antique stalls were setup in 1920 by Romain Vernaison on a 9000 meter plot of land bordering the rue de Voltaire, rue de Rosiers, and Ave. Michelet. Other markets followed in later years including the Biron, Paul Bert, and Jules Valles.

Les Puces de St. Ouen is open Saturday 9AM to 6PM, Sunday 10AM to 6PM, and Monday 11AM to 5PM.

Metro: Garabaldi or Porte de Clingancourt

http://www.parispuces.com/en/Default.asp

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New Yorkís best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com
 

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Librairie Elbé

I had a little time to kill in between appointments a few weeks ago and stumbled upon a most a most intriguing poster shop in St. Germain des Pres. Although it's called a librairie (bookshop), Librairie Elbé is a poster shop specializing mostly in original travel posters from 1880 to 1980.The welcoming windows were lined with posters of far away lands I long to travel to.

I spoke at length with Grégoire Déon, the genial manager of the shop. He shared that the shop, opened 1974, mostly carries illustrated posters from the golden age of travel posters which was from 1900 to 1940 before photography became came into vogue. The rarest posters sell for 10,000 to 20,000 euros from artists Jean Dupas, Cassandre, Tattango, and Ramiro Arrue. He said Bernard Villemot was the last great poster artist of the late 20th century. A very rare Toulouse Lautrec was not for sale. Prices start at 30 euros for fruit, butterfly, and plant posters and travel posters start at about 80 euros.

I perused the racks on the main floor and in the musty basement, delighting in the exquisite graphics and bold colors of the wonderful posters and the romance of slow travel from yesteryear.

Librairie Elbé
213 bis Boulevard Saint Germain, 75007
Tel. 01 45 48 77 97
Metro: Rue du Bac

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com