I Spy Styles In Amsterdam

That's my hand, holding my tram pass... I'm wearing a shocking "Schiaparelli" pink nailpolish by Essie, available at Skin Cosmetics, a terrific store on the lovely Runstraat.

Bikes are absolutely a part of the Dutch lifestyle; I loved this tandem bike, and those fun sneakers...

If I were bolder I would copy this hairstyle, a fresher version of my own cut. I spotted it on a waitress at Ysbreker, a great café by a canal.

Don't you love this comics-style bag? Very Roy Lichtenberg...


This girl, who was having lunch at Ysbreker, was super stylish. I really loved her jacket with that crown. Like the Brits, the Dutch have a playful, tongue-in-cheek take on their monarchy.
I also liked how she wore a bright blue dress - her high heels were the same color, too...

Amsterdam: meet Pia

Everyone loves Pia's fabulously pretty, fresh and smart blog, so I was thrilled to meet this amazing girl in the flesh.

With Benjy in tow of course, we went for a walk and drinks in Amsterdam where she lives and chatted endlessly like old friends. She gave me plenty of tips about the city. Pia is so nice, fun and interesting it was absolutely a treat to spend time with her, and it made her blog even more precious to me.

Sneak a peek at her style: her cool bike, her oh so colorful bag and her elegant shoes... Too bad you can't see her smile and her sparkling eyes: like many people who were trained as photographers, pretty Pia is camera-shy.
And tomorrow we'll see more Amsterdam styles in an I Spy post!

Posters in Amsterdam

Today (May 4) is my birthday! Let's celebrate with the colorful designs of posters from around Amsterdam... Vote for your favorite one!

To Amsterdam!

On Friday morning, Benjy and I headed to the Gare du Nord and boarded the Thalys, the fast train that goes to Belgium and the Netherlands. There we met up with my sister, who just moved to the Dutch capital to work.
I love the city's canals, narrow brick houses in all shades of red, the omnipresent flowers and of course, the sumptuous cheese!
In the days to come, Benjy and I will share some snapshots from Amsterdam: wonderfully designed posters, styles spied on local girls and more - stay tuned...

Guest blogger Benjy on high heels

Dear Benjy, how do Parisian women manage to walk in 5-inch heels? Chloe

Dear Chloé, dear readers, Ah, the mysteries of Parisian women! As if walking in 5-inch heels weren't hard enough in itself, they are also often seen trotting on tricky coble-stones and biking on Vélibs with such shoes... My unique vantage point, super low (yes, I am tiny!), allows me to study shoes up close and I believe the secret to walking in heels is to choose well-designed shoes. Christian Loboutin, who shared his knowledge with the readers of the British Harper's Bazaar May issue, and I would like to give you some tips:

You need a heel that sits in the middle of you heel, not one set flat against the back of the shoe. The top of the heel, where it joins the shoe, needs to be as wide as possible, as does the gap between the bottom of the heel and where the sole touches the ground.
That's why Mary-Laure's Martine Sitbon heels are so easy to walk in...

Dear readers, if you too have a question about fashion, shopping, Paris or anything, post it in the Comment section. The Oracle always answers!
Benjy

A note from Mary-Laure: those of you who liked my article on CalorieLab about Smart Choices At French Bakeries, may want to read my companion article on Smart Choices For Dessert at French Restaurants.

Sewing Machine

Old cars, typewriters, even household appliances... I love such treasures, their ingenious machinery and retro design, so I was thrilled to see this ancient sewing machine in a shop-window on London's Neal Street. Its case is also super cute.

I dream of Pininfarina automobiles and Olivetti typewriters...
And you?

Special offer: when shopping at Border's Bookstore in London, I was given a 20% off coupon for my next purchase. It's valid in the UK only, until May 31. As I won't be crossing the Channel in May, I'll mail this coupon to one of you, dear readers. Interested? Leave your name in the Comments section - do mention you'd like to enter the draw. Benjy's innocent little paw will pick one name.

Books and a top hat

I've already shared with you covers from Penguin's Great Love series here and here; this weekend I couldn't resist 3 volumes from the collection - two of which I read even before getting back to Paris: Nin's luscious Eros Unbound and exquisite stories by Katherine Mansfield.


By now, you all probably know how much I love hats; I've been wanting to buy a classic top hat for a long time. So I did! I found it in a tiny and densely stocked vintage store.

I wore it on the streets of London with jeans, a graphic black and white tee and high heels. It sheltered me from spring's whimsical showers and made me feel cool. After all, eccentricity is a classical way of life in the UK, and one that I'm happy to embrace!
Back in conservative, conventional Paris, I'm not so sure about my top hat's stylishness anymore...

London I Love You!

Today, after an exhausting two-day conference in a dreary basement, I could walk around London before taking the Eurostar... It's spring!

Tomorrow I will be sharing my small but a little crazy shopping booty!

Creatures

Today I wanted to ask Benjy to answer one of his fans' questions. But poor Benjy! After he got bit by a Big Dog, the skin around his wound got infected and the poor little beast is on antibiotics. He's lost a patch of glossy hair on his neck so he is camera-shy these days...
In lieu of Benjy, I thought I'd feature these adorable creatures I spotted today outside a flower shop. I don't like seeing caged animals, but this rabbit didn't seem too unhappy, as he munched on an ear of corn and some carrots; he reminded me of the terrific hare Andrea displayed on her blog.

La Petite Reine

When bikes first appeared in this country, the French affectionately dubbed them les petites reines, the little queens. Now their highnesses are enjoying a new spell of popularity with Paris's communal bike system, Vélib. Like many girls here, I don't hesitate to wear heels as I cycle around.

Here are a few Vélib tips:
before choosing your bike, make sure the tires are not half empty... tie your bag to the basket to avoid having it snatched away at a traffic light... before you start biking, make sure you know how to ring the bell (it's an unusual system)... when riding, remember to respect the same rules as drivers (don't ride on the sidewalks, stop at traffic lights, don't take one-way-streets) as les flics have frantically started fining Vélib-riders...

Recycle: A home for your magazines

I was going to buy plastic boxes to store my magazine collections when I literally stumbled upon wood crates outside a Monoprix, and decided to use these instead. You can get them at outdoor markets or supermarkets - if you can't see any, just ask, as they are usually happy to get rid of them. I am debating whether or not to paint them in bright colors...
The large ones accommodate two stacks of Vogues!

And if you don't keep your magazines, instead of throwing them away, why not drop them off at a local hospital, retirement home or other place where people get really lonely and bored...? Today I'll be leaving stacks of French Elle at the Hôpital Saint-Antoine.
TV Trivia: does anyone know for which hugely popular American TV series some episodes where shot at the Hôpital Saint-Antoine?

Purple and white and I Spy Pink

Let's start the week with some silky, delicate flowers: a bouquet on my kitchen table... They're poetry incarnate.

They smell exquisite, and their colors echo those of the primroses on my window sill.

Also, today I'd like to introduce a new feature, I Spy. I love spotting cool styles and in I Spy posts I'll share some such sightings. We start with this really fun bag, its shocking pink hue (hello Elsa Schiaparelli) and clean gym-bag-like lines. I'm no fan of so-called it-bags or handbags, but this one won my vote.

I Spy A Pink Bag - Monday afternoon, rue des Archives (Le Marais, Paris)