Pretty etsy shop

Oooh, I just stumbled upon Modaspia, a beautiful etsy clothing shop. I'm especially loving the French tee and floppy wool skirt. So understated and gorgeous, don't you think?

Thursday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Elephantine, a jewelry shop based in Seattle. Rachel, the designer, is offering this Amelia necklace, on which a curve of tiny hematite beads hangs from a delicate gold chain. This timeless necklace would look absolutely lovely year-round and seems like something a French woman would wear.

For a chance to win, please visit Elephantine's shop and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck!

Update: Rachel is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo

Seagull tote

What a cute seagull tote. I bet he has a French accent.

(Via Happy Cavalier)

Paris in America

Whew! As I mentioned last week, I went on a trip for Yves Saint Laurent to scout the best French style in American cities. Well, we got home on Sunday, and here's a final round-up of what I found...

In Los Angeles, my friend Max and I tried Langres, a French cheese you serve by pouring Champagne over it. (Fancy!)

I bought a pair red tights so I could look like French starlet Anna Karina.

We went to Comme Ca in L.A. for a delicious lunch. (I devoured their grilled cheese, with sharp cheddar and gruyere. The secret ingredient? Dijon mustard!)

My parents lived in Paris when they were newlyweds, and they told me about their neighbors' wine scandal...

In Chicago, we saw double at the Art Institute. (And, at top, we took a red balloon to Hollywood, where it made a few "famous" friends.)

See all my posts here -- I hope you like them! Thank you so much. xoxo

(Photos by Anna Wolf, Max Wanger, Jen Gotch and myself)

Messy French bun

My friend C. always wears one of those perfectly messy buns that makes it look like she just rolled out of bed in Montmartre. Here are her step-by-step instructions. (I say we copy her ruthlessly.) xo
Step 1: Make your hair dirty. After showering, you can massage in Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion. Or you can just wash your hair less often and use a dry shampoo to keep your hair from getting greasy.

Step 2: Next, pull together your hair and hold it straight up, like a Lucky Troll Doll.
Step 3: Then twist your hair down to a few inches above the crown.
Step 4: Wrap your hair around itself until it forms a loose bun, right on top of your head.
Step 5: Pin the bun in place with bobby pins. Anywhere from four to eight, depending on how thick your hair is. You want it loose but secure.

Step 6: Finally, pull loose strands of hair from the nape of your neck and around your face to make it look like you’ve worn the bun all day. Voila! The perfect bun!

(Photo by Anna Wolf for Cup of Jo)

Parisian style

My dears, for our YSL project, we've been scouting out the best in French food and style here in the United States. Since we've been traveling, I've written about how to pack a suitcase like a French woman...
Bringing along a French picnic on the airplane (my friend Anna took this photo on our tray table, if you can believe it!)...
A pain au chocolat taste test (this funny photo is of me when I was two)...
And the cutest babies dressed in Oeuf baby sweaters. Don't they look French and fabulous?

I really hope you enjoy the posts! xoxo

(Picnic and baby sweater photos by Anna Wolf. Babies by Lina and Leigh)

Paris bikes

The Sartorialist took this street-style photo of two cuties riding bikes in Paris, but isn't that Adrian Grenier? (The Sartorialist's 333 comments seemed to think so.) My mom loves Entourage and always says Vince is "unflappable."

Bensimon shoes

Bensimon shoes are the French girl's Converse. Aren't they cute? I packed a pair for my honeymoon, and I'm excited to wear them (they're also really comfy).

(They're sold at Shopbop, Jumelle and Habitat.)