I Prefer Paris

Introducing Aura de Paris Jewelry

Since late 2023, I’ve been diving headfirst into the world of jewelry design — and I’m thrilled to unveil my new collection and website: Aura de Paris Jewelry.

It all began on a chilly afternoon at the Clignancourt flea market, where I stumbled upon bins of beads in a tucked-away stall. On a whim, I scooped some up, just for fun. Back home, I started experimenting — mixing, matching, and creating. A friend of mine who runs a Parisian jewelry boutique generously showed me the ropes: how to string, clasp, and finish. Within weeks, I was hooked — and working solo.

Fast forward to today: over 200 pieces later, I’m now offering my handmade collection online and in person.

Aura de Paris pieces blend old and new, classic and unexpected. I work with an eclectic mix of materials — crystals, colored glass, hematite, resin, pearls, stones, and vintage finds. Many of my creations begin with treasures unearthed at Parisian brocantes or bead shops and on my travels. I deconstruct vintage necklaces and reimagine them into one-of-a-kind designs, playing with scale, texture, and bold color combinations.

Bracelets start at $55, necklaces at $75.

Alongside the website, I’ll be hosting private jewelry presentations in my Paris apartment by appointment. If you’d like to schedule a visit, email me at [email protected]

Make you aura shine with Aura de Paris Jewelry today.

Aura de Paris Jewelry.

 

 

 

 

Book Giveaway: Paris Shopfronts

I am happy to announce a giveaway of the charming book Paris Shopfronts illustrated by Joel Holland and text by Vivian Song.

Brimming with joie de vivre and delightful detail, this journey through Paris’s neighborhoods captures two hundred intriguing storefronts that help make the city a shopper’s and tourist’s paradise. As in his previous books illustrating the shops of New York City and London, Joel Holland offers the unique perspective of a traveler on foot. Paris-based journalist Vivian Song’s text provides an insider’s perspective as to why each location is worthy of a stop on any itinerary.

There are plenty of iconic stores here: Le Bon Marché, France’s first department store; Shakespeare and Company, the most famous English-language bookshop in the city; the Moulin Rouge, where the can-can was born; and the Ladurée macaron shop.

But there’s also a bounty of lesser-known places, like a Moroccan restaurant frequented by the city’s top chefs; a taxidermist’s mecca; a historic lingerie shop that birthed the predecessor of the modern-day brazier; and a beloved hole-in-the-wall that sells authentic Shanghai-style pan-fried buns.

From the Marais to Montmartre, the Latin Quarter to the 1st Arrondissement, this delightful book offers a unique glimpse into what makes the city a magical and wonderfully diverse place to walk and shop.

Joel Holland is the illustrator behind the highly acclaimed books NYC Storefronts, London Shopfronts, and Brooklyn Storefronts.  

The 9th person who makes a comment on the link below, will receive a copy of Paris Shopfronts

https://www.ipreferparis.net/2025/04/book-giveaway-paris-storefronts-.html

CLICK HERE to order a copy of Paris Shopfronts

 

Cafe of the Month: Fika

Fika is a Swedish word that means coffee break but more than just that, it’s part of the lifestyle in Sweden, where people take time out to have coffee and pastry with friends, colleagues, and family.

Also, the name of the coffee shop at the Swedish Institute, Fika, in the Marais, is a hotspot in the neighborhood. People patiently line up to savor a coffee, tea, and yummy cookies and cakes including apple crumble, butter cookies, lemon loaf cake, and their specialty, cinnamon rolls dusted with powdered sugar, which are part of the Fika tradition. In addition, open faced sandwiches with various toppings on dark bread are available and other drinks such as fresh lemonade, tea, and fresh squeezed juices.

The pleasant café room has artworks and photos on the walls by contemporary Swedish artists, and the outdoor café in the cobblestone courtyard has benches, chairs, and tables.

The Swedish Institute, formerly the 17^th century Hotel de Marle, nurtures cultural and artistic exchanges between France and Sweden, with art and sculpture exhibitions, art residencies, and Swedish language classes. Make sure to check out the lush garden in the rear with cool, contemporary sculptures.

11 rue Payenne, 75004

Open everyday except Monday

https://paris.si.se/en/

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

  

Redesign of Boutique Maison Baccarat and Restaurant

I remember visiting Paris in the early 2003 before I moved here, and going to the newly opened Baccarat showroom, museum, and restaurant. Located in the 16^th arrondissement in a former hotel particulier owned by Marie-Laure de Noailles, a descendant of Marquis de Sade, it was designed by Phillipe Starck, and the restaurant was under chef Guy Martin. Entering the lobby, there was an enormous chandelier immersed in a water tank, followed by an exquisitely designed showroom showing off the dazzling Baccarat product line, and then a grand staircase to the second floor which housed the museum, and the Cristal Room restaurants, which was one of the most beautiful dining rooms I had ever seen at the time.

The showroom closed for a while last year for renovations and reopened at the end of 2024. Gone are the whimsical Starck details, replaced by a dramatic red enamel, cage like structure in the center of the main floor showroom with a dining table set with stunning crystal and china. The grand staircase is still intact, and on the second floor, the dining room has been modernized, and Alain Ducasse and his team have taken over the kitchen. Midi-Minuit is the accompanying cocktail bar and snack cafe, open 12pm to midnight, with renowned mixologist Margot Decarpentier, shaking up her custom designed cocktails and mocktails. In the garden is the Jardin Restaurant and Bar, a terrace serving more casual fare, drinks, and afternoon tea.

 

Boutique Maison Baccarat/ Ducasse Baccarat

11 Pl. des États-Unis, 75116

https://baccarat-worldnews.com/en/downloads/maison-baccarat-paris/

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

Easter at La Grande Epicerie

This season, La Grande Epicerie has an incredible selection of the most adorable Easter eggs and chocolates. It’s a mélange of many different brands, with imaginative and fun packaging.

My favorite ones are the hollowed out, brown eggs filled with jelly candies, chocolate bits, and meringue yolk and whites in Easter color egg cartons.

38 rue de Sevres, 75007

https://www.lagrandeepicerie.com/

 

 

 

April in Paris 2025: Spring Flowers and Blooms

It’s April in Paris, and the last two weeks, we have been blessed with the most beautiful weather with temperatures in the mid-60s Fahrenheit, azure, blue skies, and dazzling sunshine.

I was giving a Saint Germain Tour and on the side streets, the Luxembourg Gardens, and Square Boucicaut, there were glorious flowers, and trees in bloom. The horse chestnut trees were sprouting their lovely pink and white blooms, vibrant tulips stood proud, cherry blossoms abounded, and flower shops were showing off their plump hydrangeas.

Have you ever been in Paris in April?

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

 

 

Bordallo Pinheiro Ceramics Boutique

During my stroll in 7^th arrondissement last week, where I discovered the Doors of the Month, that I posted on Monday, I found another delightful discovery.

Bordallo Pinheiro is a delightful boutique with the most colorful and amusing ceramics. It’s like walking in the Garden of Eve, only everything is ceramic. Cabbages, cantaloupes, watermelons, lemons, strawberries, tomatoes, pumpkins, coconuts, and pineapples are magically transformed into serving pieces, bowls, plates, mugs, pitchers, soup tureens, plates, hanging lamps,  and trays. Birds, animals, and butterflies are also part of the collection. The effect is whimsical and very tempting.

Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (21 March 1846 – 23 January 1905), was originally an artist known for his drawings, illustrations, and caricatures, and in 1885, opened a ceramics factory in Portugal, and the factory today still produces their products. Supermodel form the 1990s, Claudia Schiffer, has designed a collection for Bordallo Pinheiro.

260 Blvd. Saint Germain, 75007

https://eu.bordallopinheiro.com/

LOVE the lamps

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

Doors of the Month: 7th Arrondissement

April in Paris 2025, has been glorious so far with sunny days and temperatures in the low to mid 60s Fahrenheit. I met a friend last week for lunch in Saint Germain, and it was so beautiful outside, I decided to stroll down Boulevard Saint Germain, to where it ends in the 7^th arrondissement, and then over to Place de la Concorde.

While walking, I noticed some interesting doors I haven’t captured before on rue de Lille, Blvd. Saint Germain, and rue de Bellechasse. Do you have some favorites?

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

April 2025 Eye Need to Do’s: Agnes Varda, David Hockney, Matisse et Marguerite & Titanique

Agnes Varda’s Paris

Unbeknownst to most people, the beloved film director Agnes Varda, was also a photographer. A new exhibition displays Varda’s photos of Paris from 1951 to 2019, and starts with images developed in her rue Daguerre courtyard studio in the 14^th arrondissement.

From April 9 to August 24, 2025

Museé Carnavalet 23 rue Madame de Sévigné, 75003

https://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/en/exhibitions/agnes-vardas-paris

David Hockney 25

The Fondation Louis Vuitton is dedicating their entire space, 11 galleries, to a David Hockney retrospective. Over 400 works are shown with Hockney overseeing every aspect of the exhibition.

April 9 to August 31, 2025

Fondation Louis Vuitton

https://presse.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/david-hockney-25-en/

Matisse et Marguerite- Through Her Eyes

A very special event, Matisse et Marguerite explores the fascination Matisse had painting portraits of his eldest daughter Marguerite Duthuit-Matisse. More than 110 works, some never seen before in public, include paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and ceramics.

April 4 to August 24, 2025

Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris

11 Avenue du Président Wilson75116

https://www.mam.paris.fr/en/expositions/exhibitions-matisse-and-marguerite

Titanique

The worldwide, sensation Titanique, makes its way to Paris. In the hilarious sendup of the film Titanic, Celine Dion sings all her hit songs while telling the real scoop about Jack and Rose from the movie.

Starting April 24, 2024

In English with French subtitles

Lido 2

https://lido2paris.com/en/upcoming-events/titanique/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlbeh08a5jAMV5ZdoCR1_qClgEAAYASAAEgK-3PD_BwE

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

 

Trip to Egypt – Open Air Markets in Old Cairo and Aswan

One of my favorite memories of my trip to Egypt last month, was visiting the outdoor markets in Old Cairo and Aswan.

The vibrant colors, the intoxicating scents, bargaining with the shop owners, sniffing perfume, tasing dried dates, men practically begging me to buy their wares, exotic spices such as tamarind, carts topped to the brim with heads of garlic, rows of t-shirts in electrifying colors, three-feet high mounds of nuts, strands of exotic beads, festive robes and dresses festooned with pom-poms, and meticulously stacked cigarette packs, are just some of the wonderful things I experienced at the markets. 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.