Shoe me Baby

If the glorious powers that be wanted me to be frugal and pay my rent then WHY oh WHY would they let these be created??"

Dries van Noten Raffia Bootie

I spotted them the other day at Le Bon Marche It's a cruel cruel world that would go and tempt me in this way....

Inspiration: Irving Penn

Inspiration: Paris Walks 3

These last 2 Photos were a shop that I passed in Montmarte. Among the other bustling vendors there was something so tragic and at the same time beautiful about this burnt out building. The smell was overwhelming and the stillness was enveloping.

Inspiration: Paris Walks 2

Inspiration: Paris Walks 1

Paris Shops: Mercy, Merci!

Prepare to feast you eyes on the beautiful Merci!

You can find this marvel of a shop in the 3rd Arr. @ number 111 on

just at the corner of Rue Du Pont Choux

So here's the story behind this fantastic place they call Merci as I heard it. Ah hem. So, basically the daughter of the family owned Bonpoint sold the business and with that money opened up this fabulous Boutique! In a desire to "give back" all of Merci's proceeds go to charity (except for what it takes to upkeep and run it I would assume). Which should help to ease the guilt you may experience due to to the inevitable damage you will do to your wallet here! This ain't your average charity shop. Merci carries top designers such as: Vanessa Bruno, Isabel Marant, YSL, and APC... to name a few. There are 3 floors of incredible (if not exactly fugal) shopping here including Women's, Men's and Children's apparel, a Home Store, a Flower Shop, a Parfumerie, Accessories, Shoes and Furniture. I know, I know it's kind of a wonderland!

My beautiful friend Lee (who was introducing me to this shop) arranged to meet me in the cafe on the first floor. Before we got down to business Lee had a cafe creme and I downed a mix of fresh fruit juice (yum!) to fuel up. Directly after we walked upstairs to scope things out. We immediately gravitated to the expansive women's clothing section (of course)!

Then I got distracted...Oh no, oh wait. What is this? It can't be. Don't let me do it! Don't let me touch it. If I touch it, I swear I may just go running out of here in a frantic fashion frenzy and not look back! Someone please, move me away from this rack!

Oh sheesh... I think we are going to have a problem here....

Jacket by Swilden (above)

I was also loving this lineand when I saw how they tagged their clothesdress for dress, jacket for jacket, shirt for shirt. It just put me over the edge. Too sweet! I fell in love with this one!among other things...Forte_Forte
and then when I thought I couldn't possibly desire any more. Out of the corner of my eye I see thisI thought my super natural shopping powers were trying to tell me something. There's vintage in the gosh darn house people!
I wanted thisand thisagain.... among other things....

The Home section is a dream

and we found these rolled up/rip off napkins and place mats to be so clever!

The children's section is packed with well, Bonpoint of course! A short little stroll through here had my empty womb calling out to me to go and get myself knocked up immediately! The clothes are just too adorable. Lee was asking if they had things in her size! I just started looking around for a potential baby daddy...

Every thing here is laid out and merchandised in such an appealing way. You really just want to wonder around, look and unfortunately for whomever is footing the bill, buy everything. Because there really isn't much you CAN'T buy at Merci! Including molded face masks?!a selection from the parfumerie

gorgeously arranged little bundles from the flower shop

and some

Yeah sure, ok, why not? If you can wrap that up I'll take that too!

On the way out Lee spotted a little grill that you can attach to your car/terrace to BBQ outside (is that legal??) Hopefully we will give it a whirl and find out next week!

No matter what you're looking for stop by Merci! and Tell Them Taryn Sent You! Honk honk and Happy trails! Bisous.~taryn xx

Dance à la Paris

My dancing feet getting ready to leave for class.

The other day I decided to take a dance class in Paris. In my former life I was a dancer. Now as a slightly clumsy adult I still love to take class for the pure joy of it. I hooked up with a girl I met through my friend and we headed over together. It was a wonderful day, we wandered around, stopped at a park, got lost and laughed through the whole debacle.

When we got to the studio I immediately loved the vibe. The sounds of different types of music from all over the world pouring out of every studio door. Peeking in to find people full of sweat dancing their little butts off. I just love the dance culture. It's not always this laid back and free but when it is it is electrifying! We initially were going to take an african dance class but by the time we arrived the only class that was available was a dance hall reggae class! I laughed and said "okay, why not I'll try it!" The class was starting right then so after I registered I just ripped off my skirt (I was wearing my leotard and tights underneath) and jumped in.

The class was too much fun. It was wild, at one point the teacher turned off all the lights and had a colored disco ball- like contraption going which made everyone feel like they were at a dance party! Hahaha It was so funny. I could not stop smiling the whole time if not openly laughing at myself in my little leotard and tights hitting these hard dance hall beats, not always exactly correctly I might add.

As I was leaving I thanked the teacher for a great class with a simple "Merçi Beaucoup!". He pulled me aside and began to speak to me in his perfect, fast and unfortunately indecipherable to me French. I excused myself and said in my not so perfect, slow and probably equally indecipherable French "Désolé, Je ne parle pas Français..." He looked at me with utter surprise and said in English "WHAT?? You don't speak French? How did you know what I was saying? How did you take corrections when I told you?" I again whipped out my sad and unfortunate French and said "Je ne parle pas Français Monsieur, mais Je parle Danse!" He laughed and gave me a wink and said "please come back again". I blushed and told him "Bien sûr"!

And that is the beauty of dance. I didn't really need to know what everyone was saying... I let my instincts take over and just kind of moved collectively with the music and the other dancers. It was a freeing and wonderful feeling and I can't wait to go back! and I will! Just as soon as my legs heal from their INSANE soreness.....

"Live, Love, Laugh and DANCE!!
Gros Bisous!

~taryn xx