Young the Giant

I sort of fell-off the indie music bandwagon when I fell in love with techno, had my ipod stolen, and teenage TV shows lost their edge. Now, I'm not abandoning techno here by any means (3 days in Vegas this summer for EDC + Tiesto = PERFECTION) but I was watching an episode of Cougar Town (of all shows) and heard this song. 

I'm not sure if it's love, but the song has rekindled my indie music interest. 


Enjoy a listen, if you will.


Elizabeth

Beer, Chocolate, Fries & Waffles

Don’t all of those things just sound like you’ve arrived in some fattening heaven? Well I did a few weeks ago for my friend Kristin's 21st birthday. It started out with boarding a bus for four hours (still drunk from the night before) with everything I needed but my tights despite a night of drunk packing. Most seats were full so we had to sit separately, luckily I sat next to a nice girl who didn’t snore or make weird noises, and picked up my glasses which flew off of my tray. 

We arrived at Bruxelles Midi which is some weird station on the outskirts. I was sort of disappointed, thinking I would end up in some jolly city which only tiny European countries can offer. We hopped on the metro and as soon as we ascended to what seemed to be nothing but blue sky from the bottom of the metro stairs, I was happy! Our hostel ended up being a series of modern little apartments complete with kitchen, separate bedroom, patio, and (my personal obsession) television.

Within an hour of us being there I was so happy to be around nice people who spoke French. Don’t get me wrong, I love the French, but sometimes the ones I encounter around tourist areas are a little pissed off at all of the tourists (understandable and I am now pissed off at them come their April migration). Maybe it’s all of the beer and sugar that makes Belgians so nice. 

Brussels offered a ton of cool stuff (art galleries, an abundance of delicious food stands, and humorous landmarks). I probably could have spent a week at Delirious, the bar with apparently the most amount of beers in the world (their menu was a full-on magazine). They had giant barrels for tables, 90s rock on repeat, and tattoo-covered bartenders. I could just see myself dancing on one of those barrels, mango beer in hand, singing along to the Red Hot Chili Peppers as the chorus around me joined in. But alas, to the clubs we had to go.

the ceiling at Delirium: good view from atop a barrel right?

After a dinner of muscles and fries (weird combination right?) we went to a club. I must say, I quite enjoyed the dj that night at the club. But next time I’ll leave the clubbing to Rome and London.

Sunday (continuing my perpetual hungover weekend), we found our way to Bruges. Ahhhh Bruges. Has anyone seen the movie “In Bruges” with Colin Ferrel? Well that’s what I was thinking of the entire time (and Flemish painters). Just adorable street after adorable street of medieval brick buildings, chocolate shops, horse-drawn carriages, waffle stands and canals. 

After a fantastic Belgian meat stew, I embarked on my personal tour of Belgian chocolate. Some pieces from posh, cheap, reputable, and random shops. The most amazing thing was the hot chocolate which was warm milk and a wooden spool with a huge chunk of pure milk chocolate on the end that you place in it and wait to melt. It was the most magical little Belgian day in Bruges. Sunniness and gorgeous scenery were everywhere (trees, flowers, canals). There was even a cute little trinket fair (refer to previous entry on trinkets) to tickle my fancy hahaha. 

We made our way back to Brussels that afternoon and nearly missed our bus. When I finally got on, again, I had to sit with a random. We were unloading our stuff into our seats when I notice the girl next to me had the same book the first one had on the way to Belgium. The random I was sitting next to was the same girl from Saturday's bus ride there. We both realized at the same time, gave a nice enthusiastic smile and “hello”, and soon everyone was asleep to the sounds of the Russian driver and buddy in front of us chatting it up. The gorgeous French countryside passed us by: castles, cathedrals, villages, and I felt so happy having come full circle, back in Paris.

Elizabeth

Ladurée Pastry & OOTD

When I woke up today after skipping my class, I saw that it was a glorious, sunny, just absolutely gorgeous day and knew that I had to go to Ladurée to get myself a rose macaron. It is my absolute favorite dessert on the go and the flavor/color is just epic on a day like today in Paris.

When I got to the shop, there it was, the most beautiful culinary creation I had ever seen: a rose framboise (raspberry) Saint Honoré (specific kind of French pastry) sitting there waiting for me to eat it for lunch. So what did Allison and I do? We ordered two of course (one each) and a couple of macarons for dessert after dinner later.

I also happened to be wearing a befitting/matching outfit with my scarf and bag from Florence, and trusty highlighter pink t-shirt from Victoria's Secret. The white jacket is from a Parisienne flea market (les puces) that I got for only 7 euros. I love it! and my bag! There is a picture of it that I took at Giverny (more posts on that excursion & Belgium to come):

I love Spring in Paris!


Elizabeth

Balmain Studded Jacket

I am obsessed with this white studded leather jacket from Balmain. I was watching a makeup tutorial by Lisa Eldridge on her Elle cover look for Cheryl Cole (British popstar who is apparently huge in the UK but no one gives a shit about in America) and went look at the original photo to see what the hell she was talking about. Within the pictures there was a shot of Cheryl Cole wear this AMAZING white studded leather jacket. You could only see the collar in the first picture I saw but there is also a shot of the back in the editorial and it is AMAZING.

Too bad this jacket is in the 5-figure range and there definitely won't be any viable knock-offs. In the words of Rachel Zoe: "I die."


Elizabeth

Ombre Hair

Alright, when I first saw ombre hair I was like “what the fuck?” I mean, why would you want your hair to look like you dyed it and you’re so lazy you let your roots grow out? It just looked so weird to me, but now, here I am sporting ombre hair.

It’s not quite ombre yet. I just died the ends a little on bits of my hair and the color is barely noticeable but it’s definitely added a bit of depth. I’m working on getting my hair like this:

Most people who I’ve asked have told me not to dye my dark hair. I’ve always loved my hair but it’s just always been THE SAME. I’m bored with it. It’s always been so dark and now, especially with summer coming up, I want a major change. It was probably a bad idea to choose to dye my hair in Europe where I can’t really communicate with anyone and their techniques are totally different than in America, but oh well. Now is the time.

So let me know what you think. Is it weird? Do you like it? Are you unsure? Would YOU dye your hair like this? Even if you object, I’ll probably still do it anyway, but I still want to hear it.

Bisous!

Elizabeth

Wino

I didn’t really like wine that much. I always thought wine was generally too bitter and the alcohol content was so much lower than my preferred drinks of choice (whiskey, rum, etc.) that it seemed pretty pointless. Not to mention, I had always heard that wine gives you terrible hangovers, a phenomenon which I had been experiencing more often. 

But in France, wine is a culture. You have wine with everything and certain types of wine go with certain foods. A bunch of us did a wine tasting in February, and although I was EXTREMELY hungover that day, I loved it. Now, I find myself purchasing 2-3 bottles at a time (I don’t drink them in one night people). Rosé, blanc, rouge, etc. I love them all. I could drink wine all the time. And it really gets me drunk.

Allison and I typically share a bottle of wine during dinner. We watch the British tv show “Skins” on Netflicks, and by 30 minutes into the episode, I’m usually feeling a pretty good buzz. If it’s a night where I’m going out, I usually pop open another bottle of wine and oiala! I’m drunk. It’s usually  a pretty good drunk too. Granted, I get a bit of Asian glow, but it’s still fantastic. 

It’s not just that I’ve discovered its ability to gradually and painlessly get me drunk, I also REALLY love the taste. Rosé is my favorite. It’s a smooth and relaxing drink that goes great with food and I can’t wait to get home, cook dinner, and start on another bottle. This post kind of makes me sounds like an alcoholic, but I’m in France, and drinking wine here is like having that “apple a day” in a America. Necessary.

Elizabeth

Can Someone Please Turn Me into Kate Moss/Sienna Miller?

So basically, I want to be Kate Moss from the "Faraway" movie/ad from her new collection for Longchamp. 

Now do you see why I've suddenly become obsessed with finding vintage boho dresses? I probably won't get anywhere near as cool as Kate Moss, but hey, it's good to have something to work toward haha. I'll skip the bangs and the coke.

I also totally loved Sienna Miller's boho era. Remember that London "cool" I was talking about? Well, she totally has it.

Anyone else into hippie-chic?

Elizabeth

'Ello Poppet

not a cloud in sight!

Who wants to move to London? I do! I love loved loved London you guys. It was just “cool” like you would expect it to be. Everyone was SO nice and it was AMAZING to get to speak English and understand people. That accent….that accent just makes every guy THAT much hotter, and they’re pretty hot already so….what more can I say?

I stayed with my friend Saskia at her flat in Shoreditch by Brick Lane where we went to get some incredible Indian food as soon as I got there. Tandori prawns anyone? We even brought our own beers from our place and they didn’t care that we brought them inside. We went to a bar where they were playing tons of dubstep and met up with my friend Kailyn before we went on to Saskia’s friend’s flat party. Cabs in London are HUGE (unlike Paris, you can actually take more than 3 people) and look super cute and old-school. 

My first full day was GORGEOUS (apparently the first in months) with not a cloud in the sky. We walked by Buckingham Palace and through the park which was lovely. I got some strawberry ice cream (delicious) which matched all of the cherry blossoms in the trees. It just felt like SUCH a pretty day!

I nearly died when we went shopping on Oxford Street, nearly died due to an OVERLOAD of greediness. Everything was soooooooo cute (and inexpensive if you didn’t convert the pounds to dollars)! I even decided on an entire style-adaptation while there because I was inspired. I now want to go all boho à la Kate Moss and Sienna Miller and with my new hair I think it’s totally suitable. I limited myself to this trench coat I had wanted since I saw it online a few weeks ago and a little white bohemian dress. 

We went out to a hipster club/bar thing out in Camden for my British friend Luke’s birthday. The club/bar was REALLY cool. It used to be horse stables apparently and they converted it into a club so now there are like couches and stripper poles in those stalls. They were also blasting techno/discoelectronica in two different rooms which was cool. Later we went to Luke’s place for continued drinking and it was fun actually getting to know some native peoples. We made some cool friends including two really nice girls whom we happened to see the next day in line for the ATM. 

Taylor Taylor London

After I got my hair cut at Taylor Taylor London by a Mr. James Rowe (such a cool guy; had tattoos and CRAZY skills) where they had a cocktail/coffee/tea bar, candy, and the cutest decor in the world, the two girls took us to a market and I got some MEXICAN FOOD! It was good and cheap and there were endless amounts of things that I wanted at that market (jewelry, scarves, food, ahhh). 

notice London Bridge in the background?/my new trench

We did some more sightseeing and walked along the Thames. The atmosphere was just really pleasant and it was all clean (which I appreciated since there is quite a bit of dog poop and piss all over Paris). Parliament was gorgeous as was Westminster Abbey (aka future site of the Kate & William wedding). 

Stupidly, I didn't take ANY pictures at night (intoxication?). That is my mission for my next trip there.

Also, the myth about there not being good food in England, totally FALSE. I can’t wait to go back and get some sausage & mash with some people I met there. CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!

Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve left anything btw. I’ll try and be better about that and put up some more random/fun stuff!


Elizabeth

Paris's Hidden Treasures

my purchased postcards & scarf from Florence

Paris is a huge labyrinth of thousands of tiny shops. There is anything and everything. Some of these shops are even hundreds of years old (and not just 1 or 2, some are up to 4 or 5). Today my friend and I visited the Passage des Panoramas in the 2^nd arrondisment. It’s this cool series of corridors between buildings with tons of old shops full of trinkets (love that word), art, and old books (some of them looked like Olivader’s from Harry Potter but with books instead of wands haha; 1) that was really nerdy of me to reference Harry Potter and 2) funny that reference fits considering I saw Emma Watson today).

I went there on the search for the postcards in the picture above by this illustrator I recently came across, Antoinette Fleur. They ended up being in a store that was probably not bigger than a 12 ft x 3 ft shop. I felt really proud of myself for some reason when I finally found the place and purchased the cards. I guess it was one of many of quests I’ve tried to accomplished so far in Paris (like finding the perfect pair of boots or seeing uniquely Parisienne things). 

There were tons of places in the panoramas for unique old jewelry, vintage postcards, and trinket shops with SUCH random things such as little glass men that sit on the edge of a table and even spare doll eyes (creepy?). It was like being taken back in time or to some whimsical alternate universe. 

On our way to the Orangerie to see Monet’s “Water Lilies” we passed by a few different art galleries (and Christian Louboutin….[quoting Rachel Zoe]“ugh I die”). There was one gallery with a collection of REALLY AMAZING pop art, including this picture below. 

Will someone please fund me a trinket/art shopping spree? I don’t know where I’d put it all but maybe I can design my room a la Zooey Deschanel in “500 Days of Summer.”

Paris was BEAUTIFUL today by the way. We were walking through the Tuileries and I felt SO happy to be there outside on my day off. I didn’t even need my jacket. Hopefully more sunny days to come!

Elizabeth

French Fashion: Blair & Chuck

illustration by Antoinette Fleur

(btw, after these first couple, my future postings will DEF not be this long)

I’m not gonna lie, before coming to Paris I was pretty confident in my personal fashion sense. While I can’t always afford all of the stuff I want to buy, I tend to feel a little over-dressed back home in the U.S. (I mean, hell, I used to wear heels to class almost everyday junior year of high school) and I love reading fashion mags and checking up on style.com. But then I came to Paris….

Now, most of these super-fashionable Parisiennes I’m going to be talking about are probably the ones with a little money. Not EVERY French person looks like they stepped out of Vogue but for the most part, French people just look really polished and nice. I can’t tell you enough how easy it is to spot tourists (especially Americans) just because of their odd clothing. Those ugly-ass shoes and travel bags STICK OUT like sore thumbs. Again, I was pretty confident before arriving here, but the French are just at an entirely different level. 

It may be that the French seem to be customarily more traditional so they tend to stick to a style that is both classic and complementary. Sometimes when I’m walking around I feel like I could find a postcard of the same location from 40 years ago and everything and everyone would look nearly the same. They all wear nice tailored coats, generally in classic tones like black, camel, or navy and EVERYONE (including men) can wear a scarf sooo chic-ly. I STILL can never get my scarf to look right. But I try I try…

The French people I see most often are the ones at my school. They are quite bougy and thus, wear really nice clothes. I always see the French girls wearing those little lace-up petite-heeled boots with tights and dresses. The closest recognizable figure I can think of to embody their style would be Blair Waldorf. Fashionable and on-trend but always polished. The male version would obviously be her counterpart, Chuck Bass. There’s a little bit of Dan thrown in there but mostly, there are tons of Blairs & Chucks wandering around Paris (I know, these gossip girl references make me feel very “tweeny” but they fit). 

The other day I even saw a guy in one of my classes wearing...get ready...BRIGHT RED trousers (and I mean BRIGHT red), a burgundy/velvety blazer, light-blue collared shirt, briefcase and a light blue BOWTIE with tiny burgundy dots (paired with that overgrown, fluffy, messy hair look so many guys around here are sporting). He casually walked in and strolled through the room to sit by his friends who, to my own atonishment, greeted him like he didn’t look like some sort of WILLY WONKA impersonator. If I saw someone wearing this in the US, I would think it was a costume, or they were just crazy. But for the most part, the guys at my school (and France in general) dress pretty dashingly. 

On a personal note, I NEED more tights. They have these beautiful stocking/tight stores all over Paris and I want to buy sooo many. Eventually I might want my collection to resemble Blair Waldorf’s. Seriously. That’s another thing…..now I can NEVER wear a skirt or dress without tights. That breeze just makes me feel like a slut. If you go tight-less here in Paris, you’ll probably get some stares that say “hey you whore,” at least while the weather is still chilly. I saw a girl yesterday wearing a skirt with no tights and flat boots and the phrase “what a whore!” was the first statement which came to my mind. Hopefully this will change as the weather changes, but even thinking of showing-off my pasty legs in public makes me uncomfortable (which is so so so weird coming from California where my bare legs usually make their appearance during 90% of my life). 

One of my statuses when I first arrived here was that everyone looked like they had stepped out of Vogue and that’s still true. I never thought that the ensembles of fashion mags were ever worn in real life (I always thought you were meant to take pieces of each and incorporate them into more “normal” dress) but they are. It’s really cool to see. It’s also pretty cool that the French seem to carry this sense of style from the time of their birth until their old age. I just saw an old couple looking ADORABLE (the man wore a full camel-toned ensemble with matching hat and scarf while the women had on a navy mod coat, camel skirt, and red scarf). 

It’s no wonder “chic” is a French word since it seems to be more of a model they live by rather than merely an adjective.

Hopefully with my time here, I’ll bring a little bit of the fashion sense back with me.

Too much is running through my mind on this subject (specific clothing items, shopping practices, etc.) but I'm sure it'll all eventually make its way into future postings.

(I’m on the hunt for the perfect trench, if you know of where to get one please tell me!)

Elizabeth