penniless in paris

i know. i know. i've been bad.
i don't know what happened...life got a little insane.

i'm still in Paris, but thinking of making a move to London. well, only time will tell...

for now, Paris is home and i finally feel like a normal human being just living in a city again...only problem is that i'm jobless and the penny loafer couldn't be any more penniless ;(

so - the next few weeks will reveal just how creative and resourceful i can be - who says you can't have loads of fun on a dime!

stay tuned for my penniless adventures!

miss and love you all,

Amanda

long hiatus

Came across this video today and instantly loved it!
Check it.

EL GUINCHO | Bombay from MGdM | Marc Gómez del Moral on Vimeo.

xx

SUMMER DAYS

Today I was planning on doing a roundup of my pics from the last two weeks. But, unfortunately, my camera was stolen last night off of the terrace I was sitting on with friends. This is the reality of living in a big city like Paris...always keep your valuables close.

Nonetheless, the weather has been amazing and I'm now seeing Paris in a whole new light. After such a dark, cold and depressing winter I really feel alive again. The people are friendlier, it's light out until 10pm, the terraces are full of happy people - smoking, drinking, eating and relaxing. It's the French joie de vivre.

This is the Paris I love - and the reason I want to stay.

Biz

SCHOOOOOOL'S OUT!

wow! I never thought this day would come!!

I just went through hell and back and made it to the other side - no more classes, no more dirty RER train rides, no more class politics and presentations...I'm free!

In honour of being FREE...this song is dedicated to my MBA luxe class 2010!

Love you guys!

MERCI BUCKETS

okay. so, it's been a long couple of deep dark months, but I feel like i've finally made it to the other side. I'm finally feeling youthful and inspired again!

My orchid bloomed two days ago and I figured it was a sign to get off my whiney ass and start sharing my Paris adventures once again.

So, first up is my visit to an amazing concept store called Merci:

It's one of those stores you can just spend hours in while you imagine how amazing your apartment (and life) would be if you could just afford to take everything home with you. The store carries everything from bohemian style fashion labels and accessories to rustic home decor to the cutest baby cribs to must-have stationary, not to mention two cafes and a library.

The square footage is so large that one begins to wonder how in the hell they can even afford to pay the rent! It turns out that the aim is only to "break even" while all profits go to a co-op for young women in Madagascar. Shopping for a good cause is always more fun!

A toute.

biz

POMPOMS

Paris is in the thick of Fashion Week. All the big fashion names are strutting their fall '11 designs...Karl Lagerfeld, Galliano, Chanel...etc.

Unfortunately, I'm too busy with classes and schoolwork to even notice the glamorous people galavanting all over Paris. So, my access to Paris fashion week consists of quick glances on style.com.

So far, the best i've seen is from Sonia Rykiel - she's bringing the pompom back...well, i'm not sure if it was ever IN, but it sure as hell should be now!!

Enjoy!

Human pompoms!!

OTTO...WHAT?

Ottolenghi. A difficult name to remember, but once you've had their vanilla rose cupcake, impossible to forget.

The London cafe/kitchen owned by two Middle Eastern-born chefs is full of mouthwatering culinary delights.

Seated at a communal table (at the Notting Hill location), we were served a beautiful beet salad, root veggies, delicious fish cakes and other yummy meets and sides. The desserts looked amazing - especially the oversized black currant meringues.

If you can't make it to London - next best thing is their cook book...which, by the way, would look great on my kitchen shelf...hint, hint ;)

xx

BEACH HOUSE

The show confirmed my love for this band.  The sultry, raspy, sexy voice of Victoria Legrand proves to be much, much better than that on digital (which is often not the case).   The music sounds so basic, so effortless, but altogether moving and hypnotic.  Scott says that when he listens to Beach House : he feels like he's "somewhere nice and warm, like in a womb”…

I love, love, love this band and am ecstatic that we got the chance to see them live in a small venue, before they get huge (which they will) and the next thing you know, they’re playing stadiums.

Take a listen:

Beach House "Gila"

Biz xx

BE MINE

Why have one Valentine when you can have a whole bunch?

And, not only is it Valentine’s day, but Chinese new year – sooo, red couldn’t be any more appropriate.

Happy valentine’s slash happy new year! (p.s. no cutting hair/sweeping your floor)

xxxxxxx  (extra kisses)

NEW YORK (food) MARATHON

One week in New York and I'm hooked.

Although I've been to NYC at least a dozen times, this time was different.  This time I really felt like I could seriously live there.

I didn't want to leave...and that's saying a lot considering I was leaving New York for Paris, and not...Iowa or something.

It was an overwhelming week, but productive and exciting.  

I miss you New York. tear.

Sticky Toffee Cake with ice cream from Schiller's...oh, and of course, a glass of bubbly!

Conveyor belt of treats at the Sak's cafe

Lovely gift from Cartier

Eating in with friends

Massive bowl of guac from Rosa Mexicana's

Breakfast at the St. Regis Hotel c/o Bottega Veneta

Poached pear pancakes with maple butter from Clinton Street Bakery

Holy Eff - time for a cleanse!

NYC LOVE

Second day in New York and loving it.  

We started off the day with an amazing brunch at Cafe Mogador (101 St. Marks Pl.) amazing Moroccan cafe with an incredible ambiance and often frequented Chloe Sevigny - who we all love.

Delicious mint tea

intense turkish coffee - seriously high in caffeine

Next we dropped into The Smile (26 Bond St.) where one of Sara's besties works - it's this super cool cafe/retail concept shop owned by two Torontonians.

We hit up Oak (28 Bond St.) next door, multi-brand fashion boutique, and browsed their killer selection and then did some shopping around Houston and Broadway.

Notoriously known for the best smoked meat in the city - NYC version of Schwartz's in MTL

Always reminds me of Felicity!

Totally pooped and excited for tomorrow - school visit to Moet Hennesy, L'Oreal and then drinks at the Ace Hotel.

Signing off.

xx

HELLOOOO NEW YORK

NYC: 5 hours in…

Absolutely frrrrreeezing cold…like NEGATIVE 20 with windchill! 

But that didn’t stop us from hitting the streets of the lower east side.

A few highlights:

Delicious cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery (126 Rivington St) – they’ve got red velvet cupcakes, but they don’t beat the Magnolia Bakery test…sorry guys!

The absolutely amazing Charlie and the chocolate factory-like candy store, Economy Candy (108 Rivington St) – it brought on crazy nostalgia…remember pop rocks, fun dip, gold rush, hot tomales…basically, enough candy to rot your face off.

I’ll finish this off with Vanessa’s (118A Eldridge st.), the dumpling house that is oh so good and oh so cheap.  We gorged on dumplings, hot & sour soup, and red bean buns for next to nothing.

Okay peeps, NY nap time.

xx

 

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Paris is lovely and all...but sometimes you need a break from all those croissants and macarons...

...so, I'm off to New York City for a week!

Excited to spend some quality time with the wonderful Sara (who has even cut me my own apt key) - such a doll!

Stay tuned for pics from my NYC adventure...

Bisou Bisou

ok, seriously. how come even tiramisu is cuter in France!! 

paris je t'aime

biz xx

DIANA'S KITCHEN

On a blistering cold and rainy afternoon in Paris there's nothing more comforting that eating home-cooked food and catching up with one of your best friends.

But really, who ever thought it was possible to feel home-sick in Paris...the city of love, beauty, style, deliciousness...etc

Thanks dear Diana (a.k.a mummy)

Homemade oatmeal with Canadian maple syrup!

Purple potatoes!!

Galette des Rois - baking in the oven

Fajitas! yumm!

LET 'EM EAT CAKE

So, In France there’s this thing called La Galette des Rois (literal translation: The King’s Cake) to celebrate the new year, and it’s the funnest thing ever!  It involves eating a delicious French pastry (with almond filling) and, if you’re lucky, being crowned!  Each Galette has a tiny porcelain charm, if you find it in your piece you get to wear a crown!  The king or queen then has to find her queen or king by dropping the charm in their glass!

The other super cute thing is that the youngest person in the group has to sit under the table where the galette is being served and choose the order in which the guests are served.

Yesterday our class had our own Galette des Rois with champagne to toast the new year…

For all of you who have been reading, I’d like to toast you - and I wish you all the best in the coming year!

xoxo

During my post-nye lazy days I came across a song by Calexico while listening to old, nostalgic music on my iTunes.  It was featured in the film "I'm Not There" and is by far one of my favorite scenes in the movie...goosebumps good

enjoy

NYE PARIS STYLEZZZZ

You know New Years' Eve was perfect mayhem when you wake up at 1pm in the afternoon with four friends occupying every square meter of your 18 meter squared apartment in Paris...

We had an adventure of a night starting with Champagne chez moi until midnight, Parisian house party 'til 2am and then random pub full of English blokes until 4am...

Definitely a Parisian night to remember...

Bonne Annee!!

pre-drinks chez Amanda

Donna wearing the Mariah Carey mask at Mirjam's bash

time to go home...