I Prefer Paris

Eiffel Tower Photo Contest Winner

I know you have been in suspense all week,anxiously waiting like a reality show contestant to see if you won the contest.

And the Winner is (DRUM ROLL)...................
Sherry Jo Williams. Sherry Jo is in Paris this week and sent me this photo which I think is the most unusual photo I received.


And the second Winner is (DRUM ROLL) .........
Bill Flannery from New Jersey


Big Congratulations to Sherry Jo and and Bill. Please email your address me at [email protected] so I can have your book sent to you.

Yes, there is a second winner. Since all of you sent me such glorious photos and had a hard enough deciding on just one, I chose two. The publishers at Viking Press were generous enough to provide another copy of Eiffel's Tower.

I want to thank everyone so much who entered the contest for your great photos and sentimental stories behind them.

Below are some runner-ups.
Ben Smith


Vincent Lupo


Barbara Major


Kristi

Virginia Jones

Diane Crowe

 

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.

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

Metro Vitrines at Sevres-Babylone Metro

While boarding the metro a few weeks ago after photographing the baby windows at Le Bon Marche, I noticed these whimsical vitrines on the metro platform. They are to promote bio- diversity and the respect of nature.

Platform of #10 line at Sevres-Babylone Metro

Eye Prefer Paris Eiffel Tower Contest
 I am looking for the most unusual and unique personal photo of the Eiffel Tower. The winner will receive a copy of Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes. Contest deadline is next Wednesday, May 13 and I will announce the winner on Thursday, May 14. So get out your best photos and please email me them to me at [email protected]. Please size horizontal photos 6" and vertical photos also 6" and don't send more than 3 photos in one email.

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.

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

7 Tips For Being a Chic Parisianista- Guest Post by LaMom Blog

I met the "mom"  who writes the witty and hilarious La Mom Paris blog about American moms living in Paris, a few weeks ago and we immediately hit it off. Talking about the world of blogging and ex-pat living in Paris, we came up with the brilliant idea of doing a guest post for each others blog, since I like her style so much. We decided it would be fun to each do a post about Paris fashion/style vs. American fashion/style.

7 Tips For Being a Chic Parisianista

La Mom's been living in Paris for a très long time. Long enough that I'm an expert on all things Paris. I learned Parisian chic years ago as La Single Girl by paying close attention to my Parisian girlfriends.

So now that I've got the chic thing mastered, I'd like to thank Richard at Eye Prefer Paris for providing La Mom the opportunity to dish up fashion advice.

1.Gerard Darel handbags
Don't even think of leaving your chic Parisian apartment without your Darel!GD's bags are all you need to go from day to night, from a Parc Monceau playdate to a Mom's Night Out at L'Avenue. These bags can do double duty as diaper and evening bags. (Psst - chic Parisiennes discovered Gerard's bags way before Eva Longoriaista did!)



2. Invest in a pair of Roger Vivier ballerina flats
If Jackie O, Liz Taylor, Sophia Loren, and Catherine Deneuve (the essence of Parisian chic) wear them - you should too. Or get a good imitation. They are jewelry for your feet. Plus they're easy to slip off and on when you visit expat apartments for play dates!

3. Go to H & M for the basics
Don't want to spend a fortune on tops that will be out of style in six months? Then stock up on several trendy and affordable styles here!

4.Wear and unforgettable accessory
A big pearl necklace, a Celine or Chloé belt, a silk scarf tied around your handbag. Nothing makes a statement like something simple yet unforgettable. If you’re a mom, accessorize yourself and bébé with a Bugaboo stroller of course!
 

5. Keep good company
Take a stroll along the Seine with your husband, boyfriend, lover, or best of all - a dog.
(If your dog is small enough, plop him into your Gerard Darel bag while you stroll along the river with your lover.  Très très très chic!)

6. Buy a great pair of jeans
Yves Saint Laurent said it best, “I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes.” No matter what your budget, the Galeries Lafayette Jeans Bar has a great selection of jeans for everyone. You'll be sure to find the pair that fit like a glove and make you feel like a million euros!

7. Go Au Naturel
Absolutely no perms, no fake acrylic nails, no war paint, no peroxide blond hair allowed. Parisiennes have mastered the old adage, 'Less is more'.

Click here to read 7 Deadly Fashion Sins on La Mom's blog:
Sprinkle with a bit of expat mommy dish + add a dash of kids + season with a pinch of Paris. Combine ingredients. Serve weekly. Season to taste. VOILA!

Eye Prefer Paris Eiffel Tower Contest
 I am looking for the most unusual and unique personal photo of the Eiffel Tower. The winner will receive a copy of Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes. Contest deadline is next Wednesday, May 13 and I will announce the winner on Thursday, May 14. So get out your best photos and please email me them to me at [email protected]. Please size horizontal photos 6" and vertical photos also 6" and don't send more than 3 photos in one email.

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.

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

75 rue Vieille de Temple

As you know, I am always on the prowl to find an undiscovered courtyard, a hidden garden, or intriguing passage. 

Last week I hit the jackpot at 75 rue Vieille du Temple. As a workman was painting a fresh coat of royal blue on the door of this 17th century hotel particulier that I have passed hundreds of times but have never viewed beyond the imposing doors, I quickly scampered inside.

First my eyes feasted on the entrance courtyard covered with cobblestones, more bright blue lacquered doors, at least 15 ft. high windows, and square blue planters brimming with spring plants. Beyond the initial courtyard was an closed iron gate and inside was a garden with meticulously manicured shrubs in the greenest green and ivy trimmed stone walls.

The romance of Paris in springtime came alive.

75 rue Vieille du Temple, 3d arr.
Metro: St. Paul or Hotel de Ville

Eye Prefer Paris Eiffel Tower Contest
 I am looking for the most unusual and unique personal photo of the Eiffel Tower. The winner will receive a copy of Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes. Contest deadline is next Wednesday, May 13 and I will announce the winner on Thursday, May 14. So get out your best photos and please email me them to me at [email protected]. Please size horizontal photos 6" and vertical photos also 6" and don't send more than 3 photos in one email.

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.

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

Merci

It's a flower and garden shop. No, it's a used book shop and cozy cafe. No, it's a designer vintage clothing shop. No, it's an Annick Goutal perfume bar where you fill your own bottle with your favorite fragrance or create your own. No, it's fabric shop. No, it's a kids clothing shop. No, a it's furniture emporium with eclectic, one of a kind pieces. No, it's a basement filled with inventive and useful housewares. No, it's a clothing boutique with exclusive pieces by top designers at 40% off. No, it's a charity organization/store that gives money to build schools in Madagascar.

Yes, the new store Merci is all of these.

Merci is the brainchild of Marie and Bernard Cohen, the owners of Bonpoint, the hugely successful, pricey children's clothing line. They came up with the idea of mixing their love of fashion with giving something back to the community and have created a mega concept store to end all concept stores. The massive, warehouse-like space on the edge of the Marais is three floors with over 15,000 square feet.

I spent over an hour admiring almost every inch of this original shop and it's one of those rare places that I wished I could have one of everything. It's not so much that anything was so innovative or new, it was the clever merchandising and displays that made everything so appealing.

Since discovering the shop right after they opened about six weeks ago, it's been a new must-see stop on my Marais tours. My clients have been saying Merci,Richard! for showing us the coolest store in Paris.

Merci
111 Blvd. Beaumarchais, 3d arr.
Metro: St. Sebastien-Froissart or Chemin Vert
Tel. 01.42.77.00.33
Open 10AM-8PM, Monday to Saturday

Eye Prefer Paris Eiffel Tower Contest

I am looking for the most unusual and unique personal photo of the Eiffel Tower. The winner will receive a copy of Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes. Contest deadline is next Wednesday, May 13 and I will announce the winner on Thursday, May 14. So get out your best photos and please email me them to me at [email protected]. Please size horizontal photos 6" and vertical photos also 6" and don't send more than 3 photos in one email.

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.

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

Eye Prefer Paris Contest: The Eiffel Tower

2009 is the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower, the world's greatest monument. I still get a shiver every time I look at it and if I pass it at night on the hour, the sparkle lights still give me a breathtaking thrill.

In commemoration of the anniversary, I was sent a copy of the enthralling and entertaining new book Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes. The book is filled with fascinating accounts of how the tower was built and the romantic time of the Belle Epoque period of the late 1800s. True life tales of colorful, real life characters Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, van Gough, Gaugin, and Whistler are richly spun throughout the book in addition to the eye-opening story of Gustave Eiffel, the genius behind the modern masterpiece. It is the only book available in English about the history of the tower.

I thought the book was a perfect incentive for an Eye Prefer Paris contest.

Contest: I am looking for the most unusual and unique personal photo of the Eiffel Tower. The winner will receive a copy of Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes. Contest deadline is next Wednesday, May 13 and I will announce the winner on Thursday, May 14. So get out your best photos and please email me them to me at [email protected]. Please size horizontal photos 6" and vertical photos also 6" and don't send more than 3 photos in one email. 

The book is a total page-turner, so I highly recommend you buy it.

Click here to order on Amazon

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.

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

May Eye Need to Do's: Gustave Eiffel, Johnny Hallyday, French Open, and Henri Cartier Bresson

Gustave Eiffel, le magicien du fer
This year marks the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower and what better way to celebrate than with a exhibit dedicated to the great Gustave Eiffel. The exhibit is done in three parts which explore the genius and vision of Eiffel: the individual, the builder and the scientist. Did you know that Eiffel built the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty?

Hotel de Ville
5 rue de Lobau, 4th arr.
Metro: Hotel de Ville
May 6 till August 31
10AM to 7PM everyday except Sunday
Admission free
http://www.new-paris-ile-de-france.co.uk/events-paris/exhibitions/modern-and-contemporary-arts/gustave-eiffel-le-magicien-du-fer/infos-pratiques-216263.html

Johnny Hallyday
France's greatest rock star, the French equivalent to Elvis, is giving a long overdue concert. At 66, the legend is  still rocking rock and singing the blues. Watch out Mick Jagger!

May 29 & 30, 9PM
Stade de France
Tickets


French Tennis Open
Will Federer finally clinch the title this year or is Nadal destined to capture his fourth win in a row? Watch your favorite players slip and slide on the famed red clay of the Roland Garros Tennis courts. 

French Open
May 24 to June 7
Roland Garros
2 Ave. Gordon Bennett, 16th arr.
Metro:Michel-Ange-Auteil, Port d'Auteuil
http://www.fft.fr/rolandgarros/default_en.asp?id=

Henri Cartier Bresson a vue d'oeil
A new exhibit of over 320 photos by Henri Cartier Bresson coincides with his 100 year birthday. Usually known for his photos of Paris, there are photos from many European countries and cities.

Henri Cartier Bresson a vue d'oeil
Maison Européene de la Photographie
5/7, rue de Fourcy, 4th arr.
Metro: St. Paul, Pont Marie
http://www.mep-fr.org
Open 11AM-8PM, Wednesday to Sunday

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.

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