december according to my phone

Christmas Dreaming

It's become a Christmas tradition for us to visit the window displays together at the grands magasins. There are hoards of hurried people scrambling in and out of overcrowded department stores and tons of children gazing into the glittering windows and dreaming of Santa's arrival. It's an inexplicable atmosphere and it really gets us in the spirit. 

sweater, blouse, skirt, necklace and belt: Forever XXI; shoes: Nine West; watch: Michael Kors; bracelet: made by me

London in December

In our quest to travel at least once a month, we decided why not London to top off such an exciting year. It's fun, it's festive around the holidays, and it's been two years since the last time we went. I love going to London - for me, it's a kind of mix between Paris and New York, but also a city with a personality and charm of its own. 

By the end of the weekend, I found myself thinking (and this, more than once) when we could make it back for another weekend and what it could be like to spend more than a weekend's time in this super city. 

The city really does it up in terms of Christmas decorations. 

The window displays made me want to run home and decorate like a Christmas elf! 

Saw the ad, and like every girl who grew up in the 90s, wished I could see the show... 

Because no trip to London is complete without pictures of these two trademark reds 

Covent Garden became my new favorite part of London this year

 I love the markets and the quirky boutiques you can find here

No trip to London is complete without a trip to Harrod's, 

where Disney princesses are the main attraction of this year's window displays 

Always leave one thing for next time. I like to do this when I know I'll be back in a city, and this time, 

it was high tea we've left on our list for la prochaine fois ... 

to the tee

When I bought this shirt, I thought maybe it would be one of those things you only wear once ... but it has turned out to be a staple of my wardrobe, a go-to top for days when dressing down is out of the questions and dressing up doesn't sound so fun. I like that I can pair it with almost anything and create endless possibilities. I wore this combination to work this week for a mix of cool and put-togetherness. 

jacket and skirt: forever XXI; tee: American Eagle; shoes: Mango 

festive feeling

I took these pictures last month in milan. it was the first moment all year that i heard Bing Crosby singing in my head, "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." I love this time of the year, when everything glitters and shines, we get together with our families and we celebrate all that is good in the world and we dream about the new beginnings that will come with the new year.

initial

I had been wanting something with my initial on it for the longest. The letter K isn't exactly everywhere so I decided to make one à la middle school, with a tee and an iron-on patch. I'm really happy with the result and kind of wish I had brought back patches to make other variations of this shirt. 

tee: Old Navy with a DIY patch; skirt: ASOS; shoes: Nine West; necklace: Forever XXI; bracelets: DIY

blue prep

 

Some of the pieces I got on my latest trip back home have become instant favorites, like this cozy blue sweater that has made it into two outfits this week. Others, I'm having a lot of fun bringing out of the closet like these bright, slightly tinsel-y pants that make me feel like the holidays are right around the corner. One thing's for sure, blue has, as of late, become a more prominent color in my wardrobe.

outfit one, for a Sunday stroll: sweater: Gap; polo: Tommy Hilfiger; scarf: Irish souvenir; jeans: Forever XXI; bag: Coach; shoes: Zara

outfit two, for work: sweater: Gap; blouse: Ralph Lauren; pants: J.Crew; necklace: :Forever XXI; shoes: Nine West

the countryside

Last weekend was a long one. We took the train out of Paris and into the mountains for four days of relaxing and family time. On a walk Friday evening, down a quaint little street in an old fisherman's village, I caught a glimpse into one of the cute chalet-style townhouses and thought it was probably one of the most charming places I've ever seen. As much as I love living in the city, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to leave it behind and make home in the country side. In a small town or village where everything is a short walk's away and where days kind of just slow down and melt together into one colorful adventure, not dictated by the rhythm of traffic or of the 9-5.