Midnight in Paris

Paris is a beautiful city day and night, but Woody Allen is right, Paris after midnight (and after the rain) has a magical glow throughout. Today my friends and I had a wonderful afternoon of making no plans and seeing where the day took us. We ended up having dinner at the Lourve, with this as our view. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever eaten. We left to catch the metro home just after midnight, and it was a beautiful walk through the city of lights. I'm looking forward to a waking up in the morning to explore the Parisian flea market and plan a few weekend adventures. 

Bonne nuit..

The Skinny

One of my favorite things about Europe is the fashion forward culture. I love that fashion is incorporated into European life everyday, and that so much of the culture is centered around the art and sophistication of high-end style. I was even dining next to designers from Roberto Cavalli and Marc Jacobs tonight at dinner by the Seine. I had an amazing time discovering Topshop London and am excited to bring home some fun finds for summer. One trend I’ve fully adopted is bright and patterned skinny jeans, and while this style has been around for more than one season, I’m so happy to know it’s not going anywhere. Everyone I’ve seen in both London and Paris are stylishly sporting this colorful look. Here are a few ways I’ve styled these bright pieces while in Europe…

{off to London}

{red and peplum}

{french florals}

Exploring Paris

Paris is so magical. It really does live up to all the expectations I’ve gathered from movies, books and pictures. I love the fact that I have time to explore the city, and although each day has been so full, having a month to explore makes the sightseeing so much less stressful. I feel completely adapted to French culture, and am trying as best I can to order my café and croissant in complete French. The language is beautiful and the people are so sophisticated and classy. Being on time to important events like company presentations and classes has been an adventure in itself, but as we run through the beautiful streets I feel as if I’m in a movie. I’m off to sleep after a lovely evening under the glittering Eiffel Tower and am taking off for a weekend flight to London this afternoon.  

{love being by the water}

{everyone rides bikes, in style too}

{extra large bubbles}

{first ice cream at the cutest shop I've seen: coffee and coconut} 

{flowers!}

{I've always loved the look and color of peonies - they are everywhere in Paris}

{flower shops are always nearby in my neighborhood}

{can't get enough flowers}

{succulents - my favorite}

{catching up}

{lovely colors}

{colorful purchases} 

{pretending this is our vespa}

Paris & Peonies

Just as I thought, I love Paris. As soon as I got out of the taxi and rolled my suitcase (unfortunately packing lightly enough for a backpack was not within my packing capacity) to my apartment through the tree-lined streets, I instantly felt at home. The lifestyle fits perfectly with my personality and I love everything from the relaxed ambience of afternoon coffee at a street café, the pink peony filled flower shops on every corner and of course, the well dressed crowds. Each an every apartment looks absolutely beautiful, with stunning architecture and flower box-lined windows. If I had a job, I might just move in. 

{the view from my apartment - although not the most glamourous of the bunch, I can't complain}

{bridge over the Seine}

{too many amazing cafes to count}

{first cappuccino} 

{lots of this - thank goodness for walking} 

{pretty postcards}

{visiting Notre Dame}

{lights of Notre Dame}

{locks of love}

Photos of today coming soon. It was the best day of getting lost, riding the Metro, eating delicious ice cream, buying a bouquet of pink flowers and taking photos on other people's mopeds. Just as we ducked into our apartment the rain started to pour and we are now watching the lightning flash from our big apartment windows. 

Bonsoir. 

Ciao

{ordering room service} 

It's a beautiful sunny morning by the beach, but I've got my rain boots and an umbrella packed, and am off to the airport for rainy Paris. I've always loved to travel, and am excited to add another stamp to my passport. As I was looking through some old photos the other day I came across these two of me when I was less than five. Below is a photo of me on the beach in Mexico, the first time I ever got on a plane. Thanks to my jet-setting parents, I don't think the travel bug is one I'll ever get rid of. 

Here are a few of my own personal travel tips:

1. Plan your trip according to a Lonely Planet book. They've never failed me.

2. Leggings are the best travel pants.

3. Always make a travel checklist. 

4. Learn at least a few words or phrases in the language of your destination, people will love you much more!

5. Don't read a Chelsea Handler book while traveling on a plane alone. I couldn't stop laughing. 

{my five-year-old style}

Something Summery

There really is no time like summer. It just has this lovely carefree feeling that nothing tops. I couldn't be more ready to have a full-time job, but the one thing I'll truly miss about summer are those three months of nothing to do but enjoy it. Of course that just means I'll have to make the time to be carefree, which really can be so much fun to plan. But for the moment, I still have that one glimpse of a true summer left ahead. Here are a few things that got me summer-inspired today amidst prepping for Europe. 

My friend Hannah wrote a lovely post on her blog about Glamping (glamourous camping) which is just my thing. I love the outdoors, but honestly don't love to get dirty. I read an article about these great spots in Sunset today, and have added the destination to my bucket list. 

My boyfriend loves to sail and plans on getting a large boat someday soon. I hope it looks like this:

 This urban rooftop picnic looks amazing. 

I hope to be spending lots of time at places like this while in Europe this summer. 

{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

Traveling in Style

{image via}

Since I was young, I've always loved airports. As much as I'd like to say I loath the lines and crowds, I must admit that airports are one of my favorite places. That feeling of taking off, landing and purchasing an overpriced magazine from the airport newsstand all bring to mind the excitement of jetting-setting to somewhere new, with unexpected adventures ahead. That must be why the the final scene of Love Actually makes me cry every time, and of course tops my list of favorite movies. 

But when it comes to dressing for the journey, it's almost impossible to look your best while traveling, unless you happen to have your own personal jet. In tabloid magazines, my favorite outfits to admire (besides red carpet dresses) are the airport outfits. The starlets always seem to have packed just the perfect amount of luggage into a stylishly small bag, while appearing totally chic at the same time. As my week ahead consists of deciding how I should squeeze my closet into one month's worth of space, here are some looks I've been admiring from these fashionably traveled ladies. 

{patterns & layers}

{classy & casual}

{cute & comfortable}

{bold & bright}

{1,2,3,4}