the Creative Thursday blog

more moments at the Louvre

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Much like we do in Los Angeles, we are trying to live in the city of Paris against the normal flows of traffic. I can't say that we are much for 'crowds of people', is there anyone that is, really? We've discovered that going out later in the day or late at night is one of the best times to walk the city, generally less people and definitely less tourists.

On Wednesday and Friday nights the Louvre is open until 9 pm, so this is when we decided to make our first visit to this gorgeous museum. Since we went just before it closed, we didn't have too much time to explore the museum. We hope to return this week to explore some more. We did however, get to experience the Louvre lit up at night, and that in itself was worth the evening visit.

1.  A Lilac bush blooming along the Seine River that we came across on our walk to the Louvre. And yes, we took a moment to stop and smell the flowers ~ more than a moment actually, because the scent of blooming lilacs is beyond intoxicating. What I loved about this bush in particular is that attached to it were two hand written notes, one in English and one in French kindly asking people not to pick it's blossoms, so that everyone who passed by could enjoy them.  {you can see the note blurred out in the background of this photo}

2. One of the many ornate bridges crossing the Seine, Ponte Alexandre

3. Le Fumoir ~ one of my new favorite restaurants in Paris, directly across from the entrance to the Louvre, great atmosphere, good food and a happy hour

4. Sailboats with what look like hand sewn sails, that children {or grown-ups} can rent and 'sail' with a stick around a little pond in the Tuileries gardens. Sean did this as a kid, and for nostalgia reasons could not wait to come back to this pond. We could've sat there for hours. You'd never guess that a simple sailboat could give little kids, and us watching them, so much enjoyment. 

5. Sean filming at the Palais du Louvre

6. The famous pyramid. I was so thrilled to see it in person

7. painting at the Louvre that caught my eye ~ reminded me of all my characters in a row ;) And I'm sorry to say that we moved through the Louvre so quickly that I did not take note of the names of these paintings, or the artists who created them, to share with you...next time

8. and 9. I love the paintings that depict the angel announcing to Mary that she is pregnant and there were so many paintings and depictions of this in the Italian painters section of the Louvre.

10. those bright green chairs at the Tuileries Gardens ~ how can you not want to sit and stay a while? especially in the ones that recline?

We're in Germany this weekend so I'm planning to take a few days away to enjoy time with my family. It's the one place in the world that I seem to be able to let go of everything and connect to the part of me that was most inspired as a child. I love it here. Not sure if any of that makes any sense to you, but it means I'll be taking a short break.

So I leave you for a few days with some more images of Paris, and I wish you a happy weekend and ein schones wochenende. bis bald ~ a bientot ~ see you back here soon ~ xo

a moment at the Louvre

Every now and then I shoot a little video with my, you guessed it, everyone say it in unison "Iphone". I couldn't resist filming this moment, just before we visited the Louvre, for me, for the very first time. One of the things I love most about Paris are these moments when you get to experience someone's art simply because they were brave enough to share it with you where ever that may be, a street corner, under a bridge, in front of a cathedral, at the Palais de Louvre, on a bridge to Ile Saint Louis. How can you not be inspired, as well as feel a little braver to keep sharing your own art, your own voice with the world?

I also loved this exchange between the little girl, the musicians and her mom. I'm not entirely sure she wanted to give up her coin to the musicians, but I am entirely sure she enjoyed the music.

We're headed to Germany tomorrow, actually today as I write this post! On my way to see my family, cannot wait.

four from Paris

 
 Including the new vintage labels and paper I found at Les Puces this Sunday. Paris inspiration is kicking in, full force.

 
 

{click here to buy originals}

new outfits, perhaps?

 

Sean and I decided that these will be our new outfits from Paris. 

{told you I want to step up my fashion game}

Saturday in Paris

 

One week already since I posted photos for you? Yikes! I'm a little behind in sharing our journey and my photos are piling up, so I'm going to lay it on you in a series of posts over the next few days. I could wait until I get home to share all of this with you, but that's no fun? right? and honestly I don't know how I would narrow down the photos, seeing as how it's already hard to narrow them down into snippets like this...Is it wrong that I want to photograph EVERYTHING here?!

This series is actually from the Saturday before last, {since we stayed in all day to work this past Saturday} some of which you saw glimpses of in Sean's last video. 

Brought to you entirely by the Iphone camera~ I decided to leave the DSLR home on this Saturday~ simply due to the fact I am growing tired of having my arms full of things to carry. Honestly, I've decided that this is why I love using my Iphone as a camera, SO much. It dates back. I've always liked to travel light and I've never liked being that person, with the large camera, who stands out because they are taking pictures all the time ~ I don't like to feel intrusive {in my mind I know} plus the large cameras are heavy ~ but then again this is also before the days of blogging where using a larger camera does not always = that you are a tourist, and also before the days where photography became more of a creative outlet for me. Still the Iphone is so discreet, I love that I can snap photos almost without anyone knowing. And finally, I am still in love with the artistic results created by that darn CameraBag app. I digress, here's our Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Notre Dame Cathedral, I also spent hours studying this structure in school and for the record, at the risk of sounding like a complete tourist, oh I don't care anymore if I sound like a tourist, I am one ;) ~ IT is amazing. I cannot believe that human beings built a structure of this magnitude and grandeur without any of the equipment we have today.

2. I mean, just look at this ceiling

3. getting married, and photographed along and around the Seine River on a beautiful spring day in Paris, seems to be a popular activity

4. bought my first bouquet of fresh flowers for Babette in a shop on Ile Saint Louis. I love the smell of a fresh flower boutiques in Europe

5. Exterior of Notre Dame

6. Oh, and you might know that I love stars {seeing as how I work them into my paintings as often as I can}  One of the ceilings in the Notre Dame is painted navy blue with small gold stars adorning it. It's so interesting to see the design elements created years, and years ago ~ and how they continue to influence our present design years, and years later.

7. Cheese Souffle {yes it was DELICIOUS} for dinner at Philippe and Babette's, as was the Lillet served over ice with a slice of orange rind, an apertif from Bordeaux

8. And yes, this is their view. Beautiful, isn't it? I asked them if they ever get tired of seeing the Eiffel Tower light up at night, which it does every night, every hour until 1 a.m. and they said a hearty "No, we never grow tired of it" I have to say, seeing as how I love ambient lighting at night, stars and twinkly lights, I'd probably never grow tired of it either

9. The exterior to a very fun shop also in Ile Saint Louis filled with the most colorful home decor ever, from lamps, to kitchen timers,  to cheese graters. I must find out what company is the creator of these products...

Two weeks in, we are finally more comfortable and more at home here. Even amidst the initial challenges of being in an entirely new environment, feeling like a complete outsider, some minor snafus, moments of low blood sugar and crankiness, the occasional rude Parisian, this trip is everything I hoped it would be and I am loving every minute of it.

branching out

 

3 x 3 in.

The subject of this painting... pretty self-explanatory.

Two weeks into this trip. This is usually the time we head home. And this is actually the time when we are just beginning to get settled in, to unwind, to adjust, to really take in what we came here for. In all of my travels, I've always, always wanted more time and today I have that time. 

{original is sold}

Second video from Paris :: "Mon Ami, Philippe"

You said you wanted more videos? ~ well technically, Swirly said she wanted more and since she is our good friend, more videos it is.

If the first one was romantic and thoughtful ~ this one is fun and silly ~ heavily influenced by Sean's humor and love for the movie Ronin {told you it was one of his favorites}

Enjoy the second video created by Sean with a little cinematography by moi auci. Philippe is a family friend, my Dad's Godson, who has known me since I was born, and we've had the best time re-connecting with him and his family during our time here.

We spent 8 hours exploring the city of Paris today. Believe me when I say, more photos for you soon xo

First daily painting from Paris :: french friends

 
 

3 x 3 in.

Finally painted! The inspiration I've taken in over the last few weeks has been piling up, and I haven't even started visiting the art museums yet... 

This first painting is inspired by French fashion. Parisians really do make an effort to have style. Completely inspiring to see so much personal style, and it also makes me want to seriously step up my fashion game. However I'm not sure I know how they can handle walking everywhere in this city in such fashionable shoes, i.e. high heels? Everyone seems to have great shoes and many, not all, have sizeable heels on them. The same heels we hear coming up behind us on the sidewalks, when we're walking too slow. clip clop, clip clop {sorry pedestrians who are in a hurry}

So, I put some of my characters in heels, scarves, and bursts of color, although it seems a big part of the style here is wearing neutrals, good strong classic neutrals, with just a touch of color.

My big plan is to do 15 or so of these tiny paintings from Paris. I've got to say painting accompanied by good music and a glass of French red wine in our tiny Paris apartment, life doesn't get much sweeter.

Today holds new explorations! and maybe new videos :)

Have a happy day and thanks for following along with our adventure ~ xo

{original is sold}

First Video from Paris :: Finding 3 Rue Balzac

Sean has been filming, editing and sharing videos from our trip with our family and friends back home. And can I just say? he's been having the best time making these!! While I'm lost for hours sorting through photos and blogging them here, he's lost for hours working on his latest video. I think Paris is working it's magic, as it is certainly inspiring the creativity in these two yokels {meaning us} 

I thought I'd share this video, our first from Paris, with you here on the blog. Sean made this one for my mom on a walk we took along the Champs Elysees to find her first apartment in Paris. As I mentioned, she lived in Paris for eight years. This apartment located just three streets down from the Arc d' Triomphe was one of her first Paris homes.  She lived at 3 Rue Balzac, while working as a flight attendant. And yes! Did you know my dad was an airline pilot? On flight layovers he would stay in the hotel directly across the street~ quite convenient. As my mom said, he didn't have far to go to see her. And so their romance began...

There's a reason they say Paris is a city for lovers. Right? Isn't that what they say?!

Montmartre

How do I even begin to share with you the daily impressions we are taking in? 

C'est impossible.  Somewhat of a pet peeve of mine, when people casually throw around expressions in a language other than their own, especially when they've never even been to that country... but I figure, I'm allowed because right now I live in France. 

Even though it's near impossible for me to photograph, let alone share all of the new, almost daily, impressions I'm taking in ~ just knowing that you might be anxiously awaiting  new glimpses of Paris, makes it so fun for me to share with you.

One week in? Are we getting our 'Paris legs'? you ask ...a little, yes, after Sean got his leg returned from the entrance to the Metro station door closing on him {he is ok!}. Deciding to live and work here with relatively minimal experience with this city has been a bit more challenging than we had anticipated, and also the reason we are taking some days just to be quiet, staying in to catch up on work and our breath. The beauty of having the time we have here, is that we can take our time. People who visit this city in mere days, or even a week or so~ how do you do it? Then again, by all means see Paris any way you can, but I recommend visiting Paris, taking some time. Even though the Parisians are in a hurry, we are not ~ which does annoy those Parisians who end up on the sidewalk behind us...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  

 

 

 
 1.  red window shutters on an apartment, only discovered because we were lost trying to find a restaurant in one of our guide books {being lost in Paris = new discoveries}

2. art work that lines that stairwells of the metro at Abbesses ~ different style of art going up than going down= smart so you won't lose your way traveling stair after stair after stair in a circular staircase, if you don't just take the elevator that is. {we have to walk off all the cheese we've been eating, so we opt for the stairs} I also appreciate the tiles that line the art. My design-ophiles are those considered art-deco or art nouveau? 

3. the entrance of the Metro at Abbesses, which up until last week I had only studied in my History of Art and Architecture class I took when I went back to school for interior design. I remember how enamored we were with the art nouveau styling of this metro entrance. {have to say I sort of loved it seeing it in person}
 

4. the outside of the bar that was in the opening scene{s} of Ronin, one of Sean's all time favorite movies

5. bistro chairs. ah the colors of Paris ~ have I mentioned I adore the use of color in Paris? spots of bright color in unsuspecting places

6. and speaking of color, a group of tourists visiting Sacre Couer ~couldn't miss them as they were all wearing orange hats. Brave, I tell you. I'm too busy trying to blend in all the time ~ I cannot seem like a tourist or a foreigner, so orange hats? I'd never be able to be so bold, especially considering I won't even open my map in public ;) {why we got lost looking for a restaurant}

7. Sacre Couer ~ quite stunning inside minus all the tourists, not to mention the great view over Paris you get once you climb up all the steps to get there.

8. was enamored with this row of little kids on a field trip? maybe?! they were all filling out pages that had images of the church on them ~ something like they had to find certain architectural details on the church that corresponded with the image on their paper. It was a great activity for them because they all sat almost completely still taking in the church for at least 30 minutes or so. Cutest little fellow was in the sunglasses ~ do you see him?

9. pizza restaurant. have I also mentioned I'm a big fan of European pizzas?

10. tiniest, cutest cars ever = original minis and I see them everywhere here

11. little girl singing and dancing from one pole to the next on the Metro ride home. It was almost like a little Amelie in front of us ~ she had the same haircut

That's all for now ~but more soon ~ a bientot! and happy Sunday xo