Paris Fashion Week kicks off tomorrow, Tuesday 26 February, and while I have managed to squirm my way into one or two events, I really do feel that there is nothing like watching the fashions on the street, or browsing the aisles in the major chain stores of Europe.

Things I’ve noticed? Emerald might be the Pantone colour of the year but mint is to be the colour of the season (Spring/Summer 13). It’s everywhere, together with a healthy dose of lemon.

                                                                          Mint and florals at H&M

Second trend? The mottled colour jumper. If it’s a knit, even better. I command you all to find a speckled jumper immediately – it’s best in pastels.

          
                              The mottled jumper – EVERYWHERE in Paris – at Monoprix

Those runners with a wedge heel, so loved by Isabel Marant, are all over Paris and try as I might to hate them, it seems they are here to stay.

Brights and fluro accents don’t seem to be going anywhere either. Orange and pink are attached to 90% of the clothes this side of the world, so don’t go throwing anything away just yet.

As for on the streets, it’s so cold here, everyone is covered up – today it rained and while the snow was pretty, water pouring from the sky is just miserable. All I can think of is soup and tracksuit pants, two things really not very Parisian. 

We ventured over to Galeries Lafayette today (the architecture of that building alone was worth the trip!) and I may or may not have put us on the wrong Metro back to the Hotel de Ville. All was not lost though; a wrong train means opportunity and this one saw us watching a man with a saxaphone entertain a carriage full of peak hour travellers. You don’t see that in Melbourne!

…and I don’t know why. All we have done for the past few days is eat. I’m up to four servings of steak and fries this week and after eating chicken and rice for 24 hours on the plane, I think I’m ready to reintroduce vegetables to my diet. Some quinoa salad really hit the spot today, as did the fruit salad yesterday, but I really am hankering for a decent stir fry with some crispy veg.

Meanwhile, my sweet tooth is getting a workout – I just finished the richest hot chocolate I have perhaps ever consumed. I also burnt my tongue, given how keen I was to feel any kind of warmth in my fingers and toes, but we already established how cold it is here. (As in, there is cold, and then there is Paris).

It has snowed all day and while it is freezing, I can’t help but find it incredibly beautiful – so much so that yesterday I got all welled up at lunch! (I know I’m a crier generally but it was in the moment. You had to be there. It was magic.)

So yesterday we moved apartments from Saint Germain to le Marais, packing our suitcases and lugging them to the other side of the river. The process took quite some time, and upon arriving at our new apartment and taking our luggage up four flights of stairs (THAT is why French women don’t get fat) the woman letting us into the new apartment couldn’t get the key to work. After some jiggling and letting us have a go, Sarah was the one who finally clicked the lock.

Our new apartment overlooks the rooftops of Paris and reminds me of the scene in Mary Poppins where the chimmney sweeps dance on the roofs – there are little chimmneys everywhere! It’s surprisingly noisy on the fourth floor, however my bedroom overlooks the courtyard so it’s not too bad. After unpacking, we ventured to lunch (steak and fries! and wine!) and then to a little bar where we met Jenny, who is crowdfunding her Paris project, LAmour or Less.

She was a delight, and we enjoyed sitting in the dimly lit bar, drinking red wine while we shared dating stories, and tales of our time in Paris. With the temperature now below zero, we returned to our new apartment and watched a classic (though not very French!) movie, Pretty Woman.

Today we wandered the streets of le Marais, exploring the Jewish quarter and the gay district. We stopped at Starbucks for the free wifi (pronounced wee-fee in Paris!) and had lunch at the Rose Bakery, a quaint little cafe with a queue to the door and a 30 minute wait for a table. Well worth it though. 

Lot’s of the stores are closed on Sundays, as are some of the streets, so its fun to be able to wander around without fear of getting hit by cars that go too fast (or because i am constantly looking the wrong way). We are halfway through our Paris Experience and while we do miss Melbourne, there is still so much to see and explore. Au Revoir!

I am so lucky to know so many creative people. One of the loveliest, cleverest and just amazing girls I have had the pleasure of meeting in recent years, with due credit to social media, is Cheryl Lin.

Cheryl, like myself, worked full time in her ‘real’ corporate job while pursuing her creative endeavours in the after hours. Her website, BusinessChic (where I have had the pleasure of being featured) is a fantastic resource for workwear inspiration and now Cheryl’s latest project is sure to get the imagination pumping when it comes to getting dressed for work.

The Little Black Dress Project saw Cheryl wear a LBD to work once a week for a whole year, styling it completely differently each time. Her happy snaps from each iteration are to be made into a book, a project Cheryl herself says is a labour of love.

“I enjoy fashion but wanted to be more resourceful and creative than constantly buying completely new outfits. So I came up with this idea to test the versatility of fashion’s favourite staple, the Little Black Dress.”

The publication will be a fantastic resource for busy women, and those who want to spend less time buying dresses and more time working with what they already own.

Designed and published in Australia, the book features contributions by fellow Melburnians; photography by Meagan Harding, fashion illustration by Angie Rehe and creative design by Jim Petroutsos of  C*Juice Studio.

In order to get the project off the ground, Cheryl has launched a campaign on crowdfunding platform, Pozible, to raise funds to publish the book.

Cheryl hopes that the Pozible campaign will reach its target to raise $5,000 in two weeks to help fund the cost of printing locally. Supporters are able to receive their physical book by mail, or pick up from the exhibition that will be held at Melbourne Central as part of the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival.

The catch? Cheryl must raise $5,000 by Thursday 27 February, 2013 for her project to be successful.

Cheryl recently told me that my decision to go out on my own and start freelancing was an inspiration to her – I can only hope that her dream of being able to publish her book can become a reality too.

The Little Black Dress Project Book campaign on Pozible can be accessed via this link: http://pozible.com/LBDproject

Photography by Meagan Harding, fashion illustration by Angie Rehe and creative design by Jim Petroutsos of  C*Juice Studio.  

It snowed. It snowed in Paris. WHILE I WAS HERE. 

I think I can now lock myself in Australia for the rest of my life and die happy knowing I saw it snow in Paris.

Note this is not how much snow we got today. We had 30 minutes of flakes. But this picture was prettier. Thanks to I’m Just Saying blog.

Also, I think I could stop writing this blog here and you could all be happy knowing I saw it snow in Paris. But many more things have happened that make my trip fabulous that you should read about (and based on the comments on my latest Onya Magazine piece, I want everyone to know just how crazy lucky I know I am that I’m here at all).

I didn’t get much work done this morning after the excitement of the snow – it’s hard to concentrate whilst sitting at your kitchen table watching the flakes fall onto the street ouside, in Paris(!), and I was far too distracted by just how warm and fuzzy it made me feel (as opposed to actually feeling warm when it’s -3 degrees outside). Sarah volunteered to do the coffee run again (bless her!) and after many vin rouge last night, I think we needed it (though I could really have smashed some Vegemite toast).

The plan today was to visit a gluten free cafe in the 10th, NoGlu (get it?? No Gluten!!) and later, see a film. Breakfast at Tiffanys and Roman Holiday are both playing in the city, but we elected to head to the little independent cinema at the end of our street, La Pagode, to see Silver Linings Playbook (known here at Happiness Therapy).

But first – food. At minus 1 degrees when we stepped outside rugged up, it was a chilly walk to the Metro and a brief train ride to the right bank where we emerged onto the street, right in front of an Australian pub. Serving VB, Fosters and Tooheys, the Oz cafe screens all your favourite AFL games and has a Collingwood poster on the wall (vomit). Our wanderings took us down a laneway arcade (similar to Melbourne’s Royal Arcade), where we literally accidentally stumbled across the gluten free cafe.

NoGlu greeted us with with a buffet of cake and a quaint dining room where we quickly decided we were here for lunch rather than just some sweets. A club sandwich and roast pork ordered, we settled in for a lovely afternoon. The food was amazing, and by gluten free standards, incredible. I haven’t had bread that good in years – in Melbourne or Paris – and by the time we put our forks down, noting how full we were, dessert was on the table. The chocolate tart was too good for words. I can’t wait to return to this spot.

A wander through the arcades and laneways filled with bookstores and cafes saw us invited to dinner by an older gentlemen (in a totally non creepy way, he really was quite lovely) as we explored the other side of the river. Our final return to Saint Germain and a quick look though the ‘posh’ supermarket (think David Jones foodhall on steroids) and the spectacular Conran Shop before we back arrived at our apartment. 

Our film started at 7pm tonight, our last evening in Saint Germain. Amusingly, the cinema heating was broken and we sat in our coats and gloves with blankets in the theatre, while it was minus one outside. Tomorrow we move to le Marais – a whole new district to explore, get lost in and fall in love with.

Today was perhaps the coldest day on the planet, ever. I swear I’m not exaggerating. At just one degree, I realise it’s not the actual coldest day on the planet ever, but it sure felt like it and as soon as I can feel my fingers and toes again, I’ll be sure to look it up on Google.

But if you have to be cold, is there really anywhere better to be than Paris? A quick look in a shop or a cheeky mid afternoon vin rouge is sure to warm you up – as it did us today!!

I spent the best part of the day indoors, in a tee shirt and shorts no less(!) working on a few bits and pieces I wanted to spend some time on. Our productivity levels were high as we munched through a divine raspberry and cashew meringue purchased from the patisserie downstairs from our apartment and by 1pm, we felt it was time for wine.

With plans to visit the Eiffel Tower today, Sarah and I rugged up and headed out at 3.30pm, strolling to the landmark with gloves and scarves firmly in place. Last time I was in Paris, in April 2011, my Eiffel Tower visit was bathed in sunshine and the area was teaming with tourists. Today, however, while the Eiffel Tower is mid construction, the tourist numbers were at a minimum and while the sky was blue, there wasn’t any warmth to be found.

Pic ops quickly taken care of, we were keen to head home. It truly was icy outside. I don’t know how the Parisian girls were walking around with skirts and sheer stockings on but I commend their bravery. I was freezing, so what better excuse than to duck into a cafe out of the cold – I now know why everyone in Paris drinks so much. It’s to keep warm!

We enjoyed the best creme brulee I have perhaps ever had, with wine of course, then set back out on the path we thought was the direction of home.

But without the Eiffel Tower in our line of sight, a few turns off the main roads to duck into quirky looking boutiques and before we knew it, we couldn’t find the street on the map and it was starting to get dark (and colder!) Checking the map as we came to each intersection didn’t seem to be helping – I’m not good with maps to start with (Yes, I turn them upside down to understand better) and Sarah had no idea which way was home. We were lost.

But if you have to be lost, is there really anywhere better to be than Paris? (Until you realise that all the buildings look the same?) Finally recognising a florist we had seen before and then quickly righting the direction we were meant to be walking in, we arrived back at our apartment three hours after departing – just soon enough I think!

Tonight I am grateful to be rugged up inside, where we are about to eat a truckload of cheese, bread, salmon and prosciutto – and wine, of course.

In news that won’t be new to you, Emerald was named as the Pantone colour of the year for 2013 which means that green is the shade de jour of everything design and fashion for the next twelve months.

Lucky for Disney, they are releasing a prequel to The Wizard of Oz this March: Oz The Great & Powerful, which of course takes place in the Emerald City. Girls of all ages will like the film cause James Franco plays Oz, while boyfriends will not need to be dragged along with the likes of Mila Junis and Michelle Williams starring too.

The plot of the film is set before Dorothy and her ruby slippers drop into Oz, when a small-time magician with questionable ethics arrives in a magical land where he must choose between becoming a good man, or a great one.

The costumes, of which a good chunk are styled in emerald, are gorgeous and you can of course see the emerald trend filtering through fashionable wardrobes already – just check out my favourite fashion magazines.

If you’d like to check out the flick for yourself, find some emerald inspiration or just have a good perve at James Franco, I’m giving away 8 double passes to the film, valued at $40 each. The first 8 people to leave their email address on this post are going to the movies!

Oz The Great and Powerful hits Aussie cinemas on March 7.

When in Melbourne, a take away coffee cup is the accessory de jour. When in Paris, a take away coffee cup is frowned upon and audible gasps can be heard if, god forbid you should enter a store, lest the sales assistant fall over herself to swipe it from your hands and place it safely on the counter. After two days of shopping and walking, Sarah and I decided that today, we would take our coffee to the park, eat pastries and read (aka: look at the pictures) fashion magazines. But if the gods deem it to be so, shopping is always on the agenda.

Whilst this morning dawned cloudy, we decided to kick things off with some yoga in the hope the weather might brighten for our trip to the park. Forty-five minutes into the hour and a half class, I was more than ready to throw in the towel (I’m not the ‘sportiest’ person going round) and essentially gave up, lying on the floor of our living room in awe as Sarah continued to bend in ways I ddn’t think possible. I went to make breakfast – and as we established in Melbourne, I’m not the savviest cook but very good with a microwave.

Moral of the story? I’m good with microwaves in Melbourne – not so much in France. But all was not lost as we transferred to the hot plate, ate, and headed out for some time in the sun. The Jardin du Luxembourg gardens seemed close on the map but as we wound our way through the streets of Paris, it appeared that perhaps it was slightly further than we anticipated.

The reward however was the magnificent Paris architecture, glimpses of the Eiffel Tower from afar and inadvertent shopping in chic boutiques that we never intended to come across. Suddenly in possession of a new coat and boots, we found ourselves on Rue de Rennes where a second H&M (far more organised than the first) came across our path. I was able to purchase a skirt I had seen on the Champs Elysees not available in my size and it is my FAVOURITE Paris purchase to date. I’m ecstatic!

Further wanderings took us to a second hand store where I found a very French clutch in navy and white, and it seemed the gardens were never going to happen. Several hours after we left our apartment, we entered the Jardin de Luxembourg and strolled through green grass, old men playing chess, small children running and people sunning themselves. It was beautiful in the pale sunshine on this gorgeous February afternoon.

Beyond the gardens was the Pantheon, and around the corner from this, the stairs Owen Wilson sits on in Midnight in Paris. If you haven’t seen the film (what is WRONG with you), go find a copy. Now. 

Photo op done and my fingers close to falling off with cold, we set up camp at le Petite Cafe around 4pm for a very late lunch, our first wine of the day and a well earned rest. More steak and fries followed (my iron levels are going to be awesome after this trip) before we decided it was too cold to walk home and hitched a ride on the Metro – but not before a quick visit to the fromagerie and the wine store next door.

Hope your hump day was as good as mine!

Note to anyone keeping count: I know we have shopped A LOT in the past three days. I checked the credit card balance tonight – the bank isn’t panicking yet so neither am I. Thanks for your concern 😉

Our apartment on Rue de Babylone is directly above a very popular patisserie, and the smell of baked goods has woken me up the past two mornings. This is a truly lovely part of my day – until I remember that I am gluten intolerant and can’t actually eat anything they are cooking in that shop.

Instead, Sarah made me toast with banana just after noon this morning (this afternoon?), after I had already worked for several hours in bed. Whilst Skyping with my boyfriend in Melbourne (and his best mate in Brazil – seriously, how cool is Skype!?) it really was amazing to realize four things – it was Tuesday, after midday, I was still in bed AND I WAS IN PARIS.

At 8am in Brazil, noon in Paris and 10pm in Melbourne, I loved being able to realize just how brilliant life – and technology – can be. And with that, Sarah and I started our day in Paris by grabbing coffee from the café across the road and heading off for another afternoon of shopping.

Our first trip on the Metro and we thrilled ourselves with our ability to purchase tickets with ease… unlike Melbourne’s Myki ;)… and change trains on the epic network of tunnels that make up Paris’ public transport system. Our destination was the Champs-Élysées, a shopping mecca and the home of the Arc de Triomphe.

We arrived around 2pm, walking through the park and the intersection with the Ferris Wheel to begin our afternoon shopping adventures. Within five minutes we were walking coat and scarf-less – four degrees in Paris is apparently quite warm when you are really putting your back into it. Ultimately? Shopping is hard work!!

With purchases at H&M, Promod and Sephora, we continued on to take in the sunset at the Arc de Triomph before joining the peak hour commute back to our apartment.

After last nights dinner of wine, cheese and crackers (I LOVE Paris!), we are heading out tonight for something more substantial. My jetlag has finally worn off and I’m ready to really give Paris my all. Au revoir pour l’instant!

One of the awesome things about being a freelancer is the ability to work anywhere in world. This fortnight in Paris I am continuing to work – sometimes early in the morning or late at night to satisfy time differences – whilst balancing touristy things and enjoying all the amazing thing Paris has to offer. While this is a learning experience for me too, today is proof that it can be done.

I turned the computer on at 6.30am this morning, checking emails, facebook posts and tweets in bed. Paris was a chilly zero degrees and it was certainly pleasant to be rugged up in the doona whilst I read about the soaring temperatures in Melbourne. I began writing around 8am, before Sarah got up and we did yoga in our living room for an hour around 9. 

The yoga was an instructional video we had downloaded, and whilst we had a good giggle at some of the buzz words the instructor used, the session was actually really good – I’m not really a ‘sporty’ person and I was certainly feeling it after about 30 minutes! After we layered up and headed out, it was time for a late breakfast/early lunch.

Our apartment in Paris is in the 7th Arr, a short walk to Saint Germain on the Left Bank. We strolled not 500metres to Cafe le Babylone – where I actually had lunch when I was in Paris 2 years ago! Diagonally opposite Le Bon Marche, we had steak and fries with champagne and red wine, sitting outside in the sun and 4 degree chill. 

It truly is amazing to be able to sit at a cafe in Paris at midday, drink champagne and watch the world go by. Lucky much?

A wander through Le Bon Marche (totally out of our price range!) and then we were off in search of the Bio Stores, aka the places where they sell gluten free goods. I also wanted to find a new coat and boots today but after trying on possibly EVERY pair of black boots on the Boulevard Saint Germain, I lucked out. I never had any intention of bringing the coat that I bought to Paris home – its a size 14 I bought in Year 12! – so it was a touch frustrating not to find a newie today (especially after I saw such a GORGEOUS coat at Reiss in London). (Style note: my coat looks TOTALLY 80s cause the shoulders are waaaaay too big and I’m cinching it in with a belt!)

So no luck with jackets or shoes but I did get two jumpers at the MonoPrix, together with a collection of assorted gluten free goodies, wine and cheese. We drank coffee at the Cafe de Flore and arrived home five hours after we set out, exhausted but pleased to have had such a full day. 

More work is lined up for this evening, before a we set out again in search of dinner. And tomorrow? Who knows….

We made it!!

One Cafe Vue meal and a billion plane dinners later, Sarah and I (yes, I’m travelling with another Sarah!) touched down in Paris Sunday morning at 11.25am and after our first few hours in the city, it’s hard to believe we were ever away.

The air is cool here (ok, it’s fricken FREEZING) but it’s sunny and crisp. Everyone is wearing coats and hats and scarves and gloves – a major change from the 35 degree heat we just left in Melbourne. We are bumping up the heater and planning our first day out tomorrow: shopping!!

Coffee was required as soon as humanely possible upon landing and we just happen to be staying across the road from one of the most fabulous coffee shops in Paris – they actually make GREAT coffee. Sarah discovered Coutume Cafe on her last visit to Paris and I’m pleased to report that it feels like having a little slice of Melbourne just downstairs.

Our apartment is quaint and cosy – the shower and a bed welcome relief from more than 30 hours in transit. Melbourne – Singapore – London – Paris may not have been the most direct route but at least now I can say I’ve been to two new countries (I do wish any of them would stamp my passport though!)

Let the adventures begin!