06.27.09
Posted in Sights in Paris at 12:52 pm by Paris Ambiance Blogger
Wandering the streets of Paris in the early mornings has to be one of my favorite pastimes. As the shops prepare to open and everything is put in place for the day, the flower markets are prepared for the day’s show. Whether you are stopping to purchase or just merely passing by, you can drink in the beautiful display and fresh scent.
Buying flowers for friends is often my best excuse to stop and smell the roses (quite literally). I often visit the flower market in the Place de La Madeleine. Nestled in the area quite near the food markets of Fauchon and Hédiard, the flower market is just steps away from delicious delicacies which also make wonderful hostess gifts.
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06.19.09
Posted in Expert Advice at 3:17 pm by Paris Ambiance Blogger
If there is one city that defines fashion, it is Paris. Knowing that you are stepping into the fashion capital of the world can be intimidating. Fortunately, most of us do not feel obliged to look like we just stepped off the runway. But at the same time, there is a certain sense of confidence that comes from being somewhat in touch with the current fashion trends.
With friends in the fashion industry in Paris, I am always being “updated” when I am there. I definitely tend toward the more conservative side, so they are usually encouraging me to step out a bit. The best part is coming home with some new fashion accessory, and of course, my girls love to be the recipients of all such things!
However, on my most recent trip to Paris, I decided I do a quick fashion check before I started packing. I was delighted to find a website that had just the perfect information: Click here.
As you read through different fashion articles you sometimes have to wonder, who says this is the newest look? But I really like Paris Escapes’ “What Parisians are Wearing” approach. As I read over the Winter 2009 column, I was pleased to see that what I needed was mostly in my closet and ready to go. When I arrived, I realized just how accurate their reporting had been. Now I have this site bookmarked for a seasonal visit.
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06.17.09
Posted in Expert Advice at 1:10 pm by Paris Ambiance Blogger
As an interior designer by education, I am often asked about French antiques. Though certainly not an expert, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities to go “antiquing” in France. For many years, a trip to Paris was not complete without a visit to Marche Paul Bert in the Clignancourt Flea Market. Back in the days of a stronger dollar, every trip seemed to offer some reward whether grande or petite, depending on the need and budget of the moment.
One time a dear friend and I discovered a beautiful set of matching Louis XV style fauteuils. We both wanted them, but neither of us needed such a large grouping. With only a few minutes left for our market visit, we quickly decided to divide the chairs and each take a pair. Unfortunately, we did not take the time to review all the shipping costs and felt a bit taken advantage of in the end. Lesson number one: Consider how you are going to get it home and have written price quotes from a reputable shipper before you finalize your purchase.
On another adventure, my mother and I combined forces and brought a container of antiques back from Belgium, France, and England to resell. The shipping seemed easy enough since the shipper assured us that the fuller the container, the better it was for shipping. This was only fully understood when the container (which looked like the trailer of an 18 wheeler) was delivered to our residential street. Fortunately, we had some very athletic friends to help us unload. Because we did not realize we needed a dock, the guys literally stood on each other’s shoulders to open the doors and unload these giant pieces that had been crammed into a container from top to bottom! It was quite a sight, leading to lesson number two: Make sure you know what you are going to do with it once you get it home! This was even an issue another time when we picked up crates of antiques from our airport customs. How in the world was I going to open large wooden crates?
On the other hand, perhaps one of my most pleasant experiences was the purchase of a barometer that a friend, who owns an antique store, had offered to ship with his things back to the U.S. His perfect French explanation for packing and shipping instructions paid off in a perfect delivery. I was surprised when I met other American-based French Antique store owners from my area that happily offered to let me pay for shipping to include my things with their shipment. They were paying a bulk rate and charged me a reasonable price to join them. I realized they had a lot more experience than I did with all of the details of shipping.
Fortunately, the fun of receiving your antiques usually helps you forget all you may go through in the process. As a matter of fact, I set out to write this blog on the excitement of buying French antiques. Now I have found myself in some sort of writers’ therapy for bad shipping memories! Please do not let your husband or any practical friend read this blog - you may never talk them into going along with your wonderful purchase! Let’s just keep it our little secret! To make it easier, you may want to check with your local antique store to see if they are organizing a shipment from France and would be willing to help, if you find something “you just cannot live without!”
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06.12.09
Posted in Expert Advice at 10:19 am by Paris Ambiance Blogger
From our travel guidebook, A Paris View:
L’Open Tour has been a wonderful discovery. In an effort to create a 3-day tour that was the most time efficient and least stressful, I began researching different tours and transportation options. With its open top buses and scheduled tours of different areas, L’Open Tour satisfied me as the best solution. I have enjoyed L’Open Tour during several different seasons. Though the wait time is longer between buses from November to March, the bus is typically less crowded during these times.
L’Open Tour has been described as a “hop on hop off” tour, which offers the opportunity to visit each stop. The tickets for the tour can be purchased on any bus. If you are going to be using L’Open Tour on two consecutive days, the rates are highly discounted.
With the purchase of the bus ticket, you will also receive headphones for the audio tour, as well as, a map of all of their tours and some additional information. Remember to keep your ticket handy because it is necessary to show your ticket each time you board the bus. For more information on L’Open Tour, you may visit:
http://www.pariscityrama.com/paris-open-tour
For A Paris View visit: http://www.aparisview.com
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06.02.09
Posted in Expert Advice at 10:13 pm by Paris Ambiance Blogger
From our previous blogs, you might remember our Rue Princesse story. While staying on Rue Princesse in one of the Paris Ambiance apartment listings, we discovered right below our apartment a fabulous French handbag store, also appropriately named Rue Princesse. Our love for these wonderful bags began our adventure of becoming the U.S. Distributor for Rue Princesse.
This spring at the accessories market, we introduced the handbag line to American boutique owners and buyers. And we are happy to announce that coming later this summer, Rue Princesse will be available in the U.S. for the online purchase of the Fall/Winter Collection at: http://www.RuePrincesse.com Until then, you may enjoy viewing the Spring/Summer bags on the website and visiting the shop while in Paris. If you are not able to visit the Saint-Germain-des-Prés shop, Galeries Lafayette has a special section just for Rue Princesse.
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