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)

Dog photographer = cutest job ever

Oh my goodness, I've been so excited to share this with you! This weekend, we were lucky enough to visit animal photographer Sharon Montrose in her L.A. studio, as she photographed a puddle of golden retriever puppies and a French bulldog. Seriously, how cute is this photo??!!! We were dying the whole time. See more photos here.

(Photo by Anna Wolf)

Have a great weekend.

My darlings, thank you for being so sweet this week about all my Paris posts! We're in Los Angeles for the weekend, and I'm walking around like a zombie after late nights typing away in my hotel room. Despite my eyes' dark circles, it's been such a fabulous trip with amazing girls, and I'm excited for our last two days. Have a wonderful weekend, and here are six great posts from around the web this week...

Two beautiful (used) wedding dresses.

The Hovey sisters go to Prague.

Can you spot the little styling differences?

Picasso plays with light.

Cute egg man.

This New Yorker article about children's books and parenting was fascinating.

And you can read my Parisian posts here, if you'd like. Have a great weekend. xo

Ballet girls

This week, we were lucky enough to visit a class at the Academy of Dance, the official school of the Joffrey Ballet. The girls were achingly beautiful, and we were spellbound as they stretched and practiced. I could have stayed for days. See more photos here.

(Photo by Anna Wolf)

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)

Manhattan bikes

This weekend, for our YSL project, my friend Anna Wolf and I did a little photo shoot of New Yorkers on their bikes. It was really fun to bring together so many cute cyclists (including two-year-old Ada, above). See many more photos here.