Pastries & Perfume

Admin
Jul 19, 2017
4 min read

There is a certain smell on the streets in Paris...pastries and perfume. It lures you in and wrap you in a warm feeling.

This was my first time to Paris, and I felt like I belonged there. My two true loves have always been performing and fashion. A psychic once told me that I was a performer in a past life. Paris didn't feel foreign to me... so maybe

I performed there in that past life. The picture below is the Place Vendôme. With its rich history that embodied the power of Paris, it is now the showcase for the most luxurious and greatest jewelry brands in the world such as Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Van Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari and it's not Paris without the jewels of Chanel!

One of the leading luxury hotels in the world, the Hotel Ritz, is also located in the Place Vendôme. The Ritz was on the top of my list to stay, rich in beauty and history, with a history of famous guests - from Ernest Hemingway, to Coco Chanel to Princess Diana. Unfortunately it was sold out, so no pictures, but I did indulge in tea there.

My time in Paris was short but well-lived and certainly loved. There was time to see the Louvre and Versailles.

There was also time to sit and have coffee and a pastry, or spend a moment talking and connecting to the Parisians. And of course there was time to take in the fashion that is Paris.

Paris laid out the red carpet for me. I was blessed with great weather and the world's best fashion right outside my door. What more could a girl want? A week before I had arrived, Paris had hit 90 degrees and 100% humidity. Before the trip, I anxiously checked the weather everyday to see what I would have to pack. I got lucky and the temperature dropped 15-20 degrees. It rained once while I was there, but I didn't mind. Just like Gil in Midnight in Paris, I love Paris in the rain.

It was all so perfect!

Christian Dior was celebrating it's 70th anniversary at the Louvre, and you could feel the excitement in the air, especially at and around their headquarters on Avenue Montaigne. As they look back at 70 years of fashion, the House of Dior is also looking ahead to the next decade, bringing the first female creative director in the history of the fashion house - Maria Grazia Chiuri, who previously worked at Valentino for almost 17 years. I truly have a greater appreciation for Dior since I left Paris... maybe even an obsession. Chiuri's garden of floral dresses with her mix of masculinity resonates with me.

A painting of Christian Dior at the Dior store

A hundred feet away from my hotel was Hermès. I passed it everyday and what a crowd! I have never seen so many orange shopping bags in a one block radius. I love the color orange which is strange since I would never wear it. But I do have a few of those orange boxes.

I was introduced to Hermès not because of the famous Birkin, but for the beauty of their saddles. I love horses...I grew up riding them in Colorado and Missouri. Funny thing, Hermès saddles cost less than the Birkin. Their saddles however are only English, and I am a western rider. I plan on buying an Hermès saddle one day to display like horns over a mantle. I've also seen Hermès horse bits grouted on the backsplash of a bar in someone's home - so cool.

The picture below is of two wagons hanging from the ceiling of the Hermès store on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. I took the picture not knowing it was not allowed until a giant security guard approached me.

I had to buy something Hermès in Paris, but I didn't go crazy - just a bracelet. You have to make a same-day appointment to be with an associate to see the bags. The bags are behind cases and no one touches them without an appointment.

I saw a gorgeous raw leather saddle bag purse with a large subtle H branded on the front of the bag. The shape of the bag resembled the Evelyn bag, but with a stiffer leather with a slight western feel.I loved it! I could have made an appointment, but I heard that there is no guarantee that there will be an opening unless you are there, as suggested, an hour before the store opens - and that's just to make the appointment!

Shopping for me is not a job, it's a pleasure. I will never wait in line or make an appointment to look at a purse. So I passed, and I will wait until the bag comes to the US. I am a true lover of Hermès. I am infatuated with their furniture - they are true works of art. I also like some of their costume jewelry. They seem to be the Tiffany of the new millennium. I'm not into scarves, but I can appreciate how much work goes into one - it can take up to six months to complete. And one other note - when buying anything in Paris from Hermès, your purchase history is separate from the one in the United States. I will end for now by saying, Paris... I will be back next year!! Au Revoir 😘😘 *I took all the pictures.