Things to love, read, wear & inspire - May & June Edit
Ten things I've loved these past couple of months, including a quick peep inside the apartment of French interiors brand, Casa Lopez's owner, the shorts you need this summer & the series I enjoyed!
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Hello from a very hot and sticky Paris! We’ve been asking the powers that be for sun and warmth and boy did they deliver, so now of course everyone’s complaining about the heat! There’s no pleasing Parisians. I for one love a balmy 30 degrees celsius, but not so much when I’m trying to work in the apartment, which feels warmer. I will try not to talk about the weather in every newsletter, but we’re having the weirdest summer over here - apparently the wettest since 1886. And the mercury is scheduled to plunge again the day after tomorrow. Anyway, moving on…
Sorry for my radio silence these last couple of weeks and thanks as always for sticking with me. Life hasn’t been easy recently and I tend to retreat into my shell when it feels like everything is falling apart. Our renovation project has become very tiresome, and we are on the precipice of taking legal action with the builder if he doesn’t restart tomorrow (he turned up 3 days in the last 3 weeks and promised he’d be finishing tomorrow) and we are in the thick of it with quite a few frustrations in life that have left Victor and I feeling like we’ll be forever left in life’s waiting room. Plus France’s recent political upheaval; Macron’s snap decision to call an election that could have dire consequences for the country, hasn’t helped with the general malaise and uncertainty I’ve been feeling, but I know things could always be much worse.
So I’m forcing myself back into the habit of writing (read tapping away on my keyboard) and sharing the things I love, as a reminder that all is ok or that it will be in the end. I’ve also been inspired by some lovely words that I was fortunate enough to hear recently, spoken by French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian during the trip I took last week to visit his Jardin de Parfumeur in the grounds of Château de Versailles:
“I believe in modern times and specifically nowadays, there is nothing more important than sharing the things that you like and love, because we all need that idea of beautiful things, we all need the idea of dreaming, and dreaming together.” Francis Kurkdjian
These words really resonated with me. I’ve always enjoyed sharing the things I love, in the hope that they might offer some inspiration too and there’s no more important time than now to dream a little more.
Things to love, read, watch, wear & inspire:
I thoroughly enjoyed this series and you will too if you love Paris, fashion and all things French! It tells the story of Christian Dior during the German occupation of Paris and how he went on to establish his own maison. It’s particularly moving as it also follows the story of his sister, Catherine (played by Maisie Williams, with a surprisingly flawless French accent), who he named his iconic Miss Dior perfume after, and who was captured by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp. It also delves into Chanel’s (played by the brilliant Binoche) dealings with the Nazis. It’s quite a lesson in French history and fashion. Definitely a must watch!
Yellow jeans by Citizens of Humanity
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m a denim girl. Jeans are the items of clothing I wear the most, but I usually stick to a sober palette of black, blue and white. I was recently sent these and have been swayed to depart my minimal denim colors. It’s such a happy color and I have been wearing them with white t shirts, leather and blue denim jackets and sandals. (You can find similar here.)
Loewe + Paula's Ibiza Anagram medium appliquéd leatherbag
Ooh she’s a beauty indeed, the Rolls Royce of basket bags. I particularly love Loewe basket bags - I have the original, which I sadly punched a hole through whilst carrying my laptop around in it and have yet to get it repaired. But I will take better care of this one. She’s already been to Greece and has come on quite a few outings into town as my carryall.
The new summer scent from the oldest French candle brand that’s inspired by the Mediterranean, and smells like it too! I adore this brand, as I do French brands with an incredible history. If you invest in one candle brand for your home, this is it.
The beautiful Parisian apartment of Casa Lopez owner, Pierre Sauvage
I’ve had the opportunity to peep inside many beautiful apartments in Paris, but this one was certainly up there with the best. I was invited to peruse the presentation of the collaboration between Casa Lopez and Parisian shirt brand, Figaret, which was hosted in the home of Casa Lopez’s owner, Pierre Sauvage. I walked up a sweeping staircase with walls lined with tapestries and into the home of Sauvage, which is I’m guessing an old hôtel particulier, judging by the incredibly high ceilings and ornate paneling. It’s a beautiful mix of pattern, color and of course pieces from the Casa Lopez collection that have been peppered around the space. The most impressive is the living room with ornate wood paneled walls.
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Love & Death
Elizabeth Olson should have won an award for her acting in this sleepy 70s community turned bloody crime thriller based on the real life trial of Candy Montgomery, a housewife from Wylie, Texas. What begins as a extra-maritel affair, ends in a gruesome killing. It had me on the edge of my seat and I had to look away quite a few times when things got gorey. But it’s a fascinating watch: the calm and collected Montgomery trying to keep her cool, the clothes, interiors and even more so as it’s based on real life happenings!
Shorts have been getting quite a bit of press recently - I’m thinking Paul Mescal at the Gucci show during Milan fashion week this month and those short shorts and long white socks. Men have since been embracing the trend in their droves. And I too have been embracing the style, just sans the long socks. I too have been sporting the style (albeit sans long socks) and these white tailored shorts from Arket have been making regular appearances recently as they’re so easy to wear in warm weather in the city. If you’re looking for a smart pair of shorts that you can wear to work or events, then these are them!
This was such a fun night! Who knew fruit and vegetables could make music? But they can, thanks to the talent of artist Casey Barth. We dined on an exclusively (and delicious) vegan menu concocted by chefs Marine Hervouet (Arpège, Table by Bruno Verjus) and Pascaline Albicini (Le Quatrième Mur, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon) inside the elegant location of le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, which if you’re visiting Paris or live here and have never been, like I hadn’t (ashamedly), I suggest taking a tour. And if you ever have a chance to join one of these dinners, I highly recommend it! Thanks again to
for inviting me!I’m behind on my reading this month, as life got in the way, but I have just started Goff’s most recent novel loosely based on the life of Marie de France, a poet who lived in the UK during the 12th century. I adored Maggie O’Farrel’s Hamnet, so decided to dive into another work of historical fiction based on someone who lived a long time ago and so far so good!
I tried and finished a bottle of this recently thanks to Oh My Cream, who introduced me to the brand during their press day. Talm (a French brand) was originally developed specifically for pregnant women, but has been garnering attention by women looking for natural products. I really liked the consistency and it helps to lock in moisture thanks to the hyaluronic acid.
Thanks again for reading and do feel free to leave any feedback in the comments section. I would love to hear from you! Marissa xx
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