3 Fabulous Books For Girls Who Love Paris (and things Parisian)

I'm sitting on my couch, it's late at night and I've had one hell of a week. I've had editorial shoots, I've been teaching a pro makeup class, I've been doing the final prep for the next Glam Tour which takes off in a couple of days.
Yesterday I took a red eye (at 1:45 am) from Phoenix to Dallas to speak to a fabulous crowd at the Pinner's Conference Texas. I am the beauty director for a fantastic new magazine called Luca, ( I am super proud of this magazine!) and I was in Dallas with Luca speaking on one of my favorite subjects, beauty. It was great fun. I wish I could have stayed overnight, but my schedule is crazy at the moment, so I had to fly back last night at midnight. And this morning was up and working super early again.

With a few shell shocked minutes up my sleeve I've been clicking around Amazon.com looking for books for the trip ahead. I figured you might enjoy the books sitting in my shopping cart waiting for me to click and ship. I may double buy them actually, as each would make a fabulously chic gift and Christmas is on it's way.



Love Style Life  by Garance Dore
I covet Garance's life. It is so glamorous just as she is so glamorous. Her book is a best seller and her blog is legend. (GaranceDore.com)

Garance Dore

Thirty Chic Days: Practical inspiration for a beautiful life

I'm super excited about this one! Written by fellow Kiwi Fiona Ferris who you may know from her blog How To Be Chic, this book will feed your inner imaginary life in Paris. Even though I'm on my way back to Rome this will make a fab read on the plane!



How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits

Parisiennes are the epitome of chic cool n'est ce pas? And you and I can channel our inner Parisienne with the help of this book. I'm especially interested in the bad habits....


This post contains affiliate links. There is a chance that if you purchase one of these books I could be paid a few cents.

Where To Find 9 Of The Best Views In Paris

When I was getting ready to move from London I had to choose between moving to New York and moving to Paris.

At the time Paris was my favorite city in the world and I was scared that if I moved there it would lose it's magic and just become some city that I was living in, so I chose New York. Which actually became Los Angeles. I had such a blast living there, it was a huge career move, my life in L.A. was larger than life, and I miss it every single day.
But lately I keep wondering what my life would have looked like had I chosen Paris. In fact I have been obsessing about it. Did I make the right choice?

I was thinking about it this morning when I opened my email, and there was the following post from World Of Wanderlust (via Bloglovin). And all day I have thought about Paris....

9 Of The Best Views In Paris

Nothing beats a panoramic view of a city, especially one as beautiful as Paris. Seeing a city from above allows you to immediately gain perspective and get your bearings, as well as be inspired by the beautiful cityscape. Fortunately in Paris, you can climb most of the famous monuments and the best thing is that each of them offer an entirely different vantage point. Thus, we’ve listed the most iconic monuments, rooftop terraces and restaurants to help you find the best views in Paris.

Hôtel Plaza Athénée Paris

As one of Paris’ most iconic hotels, you really can’t get a better room view than those on offer at the Hotel Plaza Athénée. The entire facade of the hotel is covered in lush greenery and red flowers, making this an even more magical sight with the glorious Eiffel Tower as a backdrop!

Shangri la – La Rooftop Lounge

If spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower are what you’re after, then this is where you must go. This 5* luxury hotel opens its terrace to the public between the hours of 4pm to 11.30pm during the summer, giving you access to one of the absolute best views in Paris without the per-night price tag. Do be prepared to dig deep into your pockets for drinks, however the view makes the pricy cocktails worth every penny. Hotel Shangri La Paris (Photo via Shangri-La)

 

Maison Blanche

The chic and trendy restaurant Maison Blanche is located on the exclusive Avenue Montaigne, one of the most expensive shopping streets in Paris. The restaurant is as exclusive as the road it lies on, reservations are needed but if you nab a table you won’t be disappointed. The all-white restaurant has large glass panels and an outdoor terrace with views towards the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysée. On Saturdays the upper floor turns into a nightclub for those who want to party with a view over the Paris skyline. (Photo via Maison Blanche)

Montparnasse

It is said that the best view over Paris is from atop the Montparnasse tower, the reason being that when you’re at the top you can’t see the modern monstrosity of the building itself. The second reason being that it offers one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the kind of shot you see on postcards. It also boasts the fastest lift in Europe so an additional bonus is not having to climb hundreds of stairs to appreciate the views but instead reaching the 56th floor in 38 seconds! (Photo via Where Kate Resides)

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Arc de Triomphe

Standing at the top of the Arc de Triomphe offers a spectacular view of Paris. The twelve avenues stretch out from the roundabout below offering a dizzying view of the city and a birds eye view of the most famous avenue in Paris: the Champs Elysées.  But the real reason this view is so good? It offers an unparalleled panorama of the Eiffel Tower which stands proudly above the Parisian rooftops.

Hotel Terass

This luxury hotel located in Montmartre opens its terrace as a restaurant for lunch and dinner. The verdant and leafy terrace provides the most romantic setting for dinner, only heightened by the breathtaking view over the city of lights with the Eiffel Tower in the distance. 

Hotel Terass Montmartre (Photo via Hotel Terass”)

Le Perchoir

Everyone loves a good rooftop bar. What’s not to love about enjoying a chilled glass of rosé or an expertly crafted cocktail whilst taking in a spectacular view? Paris doesn’t have very many rooftop bars like hip and happening New York does, so Parisians flock in large numbers to the select few rooftop bars in the city. Le Perchoir is one of the trendiest in Paris attracting long queues but offering killer views to boot. (Photo via Where Kate Resides)

Ciel de Paris

Literally translated as Paris’ sky, this dizzyingly high restaurant and bar offers a specular view of the Paris skyline, as its name implies. Located on the 56th floor of the Montparnasse tower, the Ciel de Paris doesn’t only house a gourmet restaurant but also a chic champagne bar. (Photo via Ciel de Paris)

Printemps

Two of the biggest department stores in Paris, Lafayette and Printemps, offer terraces with beautiful views over Paris. The best part is that climbing to the top of them is entirely free. You come face to face with magnificent Opéra Garnier and get a real sense of the buzz of the city below.

The original post on World Of Wanderlust has 15 Of The Best Views In Paris. I've shown you 9 of them to see the rest you will need to check out the original post, linked here

My 8 Favorite Cities In The World

 I've been traveling the world for most of my life. I've lived in several different countries, in incredibly interesting places.
When you travel extensively you learn that some places are wonderful to see and you wouldn't miss that experience for anything, but you feel no reason to go back. Other places stick with you.
Here is a list of 8 cities around the world that have stuck with me.

Sydney Harbor shot by Sam Abell for National Geographic

My 8 Favorite Cities In The World.

Auckland, New Zealand.

Auckland is remarkable. It reminds me of Sydney and Seattle for its wow factor. Endless beautiful bays winding around the city, a gorgeous city center, cosmopolitan in its shopping and restaurant options. Walking around the city center and waterfront you are equally stunned by how fabulous this place is, and by how incredibly few people there are. Auckland is the most populated city in New Zealand, with a population of 1.4 to 1.5 million, but it's land mass is large, so after a lifetime living in huge international cities it almost feels empty.

It's hard to imagine that a beautiful oceanfront city can still exist in the world and not be overpopulated.

Where to stay in Auckland ? Try the SkyCity Hotel
If you prefer vacation rentals, check out this fabulous Penthouse on Princes Wharf or this 2 Bedroom Waterfront apartment, also on Princes Wharf

Cairo Egypt

image via magazine.fourseasons.com

I spent a month in Egypt when I was 22.

Although I now will probably never return, Cairo remains one of my favorite cities. At least the Cairo I went to. It was spicy and exciting, a little scary but completely intriguing. One of the most important cities in the world archeologically and historically, I treasure the memories I built there.
Where to stay in Cairo? Enjoy your morning coffee looking at the pyramids from your window at the 2015 Travelers Choice Awards winning Pyramid View Inn

St Petersburg, Russia

As a child and teen I was obsessed with the Romanovs, and dreamed of going to this, one of the most fascinating cities in the world, and tracing their steps. If you want it badly enough you can make anything happen, so I found myself in Russia and fell in love with this beautiful city, called Leningrad at the time.

Throughout its violent history St Petersburg has always been incredibly chic, populated by the most fashionable crowd, and as such is resplendent with its endless stunning palaces.

The Winter Palace and Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo impacted me so deeply that I can still remember their smell, and minute details of the rooms I walked through.

The Church Of The Resurrection Of Christ, St Petersburg Russia

While in St Petersburg stay at the Pushka Inn Hotel

Paris, France

Paris is always a good idea. Always.

I'm a left bank girl and always have been, although next time I go back I might stay in the Marais just for a change.
Any way you shake it, Paris is amazing.

Where to stay in Paris? Vacation rentals are much more affordable than hotels in the City of Light. On the left bank in St Germaine Des Pres check out this adorable studio with roof terrace. In the Marais this studio on Rue Chanoinesse is lovely.

Rome, Italy.

I love walking cities more than any other, and Rome is one of the greatest cities in the world to walk around.

I feel a deeper connection to Rome than to any other city in the world.

See more about Rome HERE.

Looking for a place to stay in Roma? Try a B&B in the beautiful Trastevere like the B&B Ventisei Scalini, or this 2 bedroom apartment by the Vatican, Michelangelo Sistina

Copenhagen, Denmark

Walk or ride bikes around this picturesque and lovely city during the summer. The people are friendly, there are wonderful restaurants, great shopping, it's super clean and you can breathe in endless pure Scandinavian air.

Stay in Vesterbro in a 2 bedroom vacation rental condo like this one, or go for a big, bright beautiful apartment in central Copenhagen like this one 

Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona is pure magic. Stroll, eat and shop along La Rambla, take in all the amazing Gaudi, hit the beach, enjoy the nightlife.
Barcelona is so vibrant and exciting!

Where to stay in Barcelona: everyone loves the Hotel The Serras.
The Hotel Brummell is also super popular, and is a 15 minute stroll to La Rambla.

Sydney, Australia

Quite possibly my favorite city in the world, Sydney never loses it's "wow" factor. You can't beat the views flying in over Sydney harbor on a sunny day, even in dreary weather it's beautiful.
Sydney is incredibly cosmopolitan. It's artsy, the food is incredible, there is so much to see and do. One of the most international cities in the world, it is also one of the most chic cities you will ever visit.

Sydney is endless water and gorgeous bays. Just when you think it couldn't possibly get better, you turn the corner into yet another bay, that just takes your breath away.
Even the animals at the Sydney zoo are treated to the most spectacular views, and like the locals they are totally chill.
Sydney-siders know how to live. Lifestyle is everything here, the people are so friendly and happy, no doubt because their absolute essence is quality of life.
I love it.

Where to stay in Sydney? You really are spoiled for choice. Rent an apartment with a view, such as this 3 bedroom in Pyrmont or enjoy the endless sky and beach life near Manly in this beachfront apartment.
You will never want to leave.

xo