Calendrier de l'Advent - 22 December

Located in my favorite little area in Paris you will find the cutest little store. On the carrefour de l’Odéon just steps away from the best wine bar in Paris is the Zoé Ferdinand boutique. Filled with distinct pieces you can take home to mark your trip to Paris and also a collection of great shirts based on some of the best books ever written. I could be a bit biased about that but, c’est la vie. Last spring walking by the lovely facade of the store covered with flowers in the window I spotted this great t-shirt and HAD to have it.  We know the great Hemingway book published after his death as A Moveable Feast, documenting those early years in Paris and the friends that filled it, it is a must for any Francophile. However in France the book is known under the title “Paris est une fête”. So spying this treasure in the window I had to grab it. 

This great store has many other shirts with titles and sayings from some of your favorite books and you can even pick up a candle to really get the creative inspiration flowing. You can spend an entire day in this small triangle, eating, drinking and shopping.

Find all Zoe’s treasures on her website.

Calendrier de l'Advent - 21 December

Another wonderful person to follow that fills your feed with lovely inspiration is Katherine of @rue.dauphone.paris. Living in the Northwest but inspired by the City of Light as so many of us are. This year her posts have been a lovely break from the stress and negativity that has filled social media. In her lovely home she lives the joie de vivre of France each and every day and shares it with us all.

And for even more inspiration she also has a Francophile book club, because we all need more books in our life. (At least I am sticking with that thought)

Check out her Instagram

Calendrier de l'Advent - 20 December

Janise Commentz has been painting all her life. Raised by an artist, she would pursue her love of art and sharing it with others. A high school teacher of art and English in the Mojave Dessert and later Joshua Tree but always inspired by the romance of Paris.

Janise now creates beautiful watercolors of many of the beautiful sights in Paris and I was so excited to be gifted one of her lovely calendars. January starts out with a dreamy watercolor of Mont Saint-Michel, my grandfather’s favorite place he ever visited. Janise doesn’t just paint France she also has many other images of the desert as well as portraits. And for all of you that want to become an artist in your own right, check out her online classes. Oh how I wish I could paint like this.

Find Janise and her beautiful work here. and her Etsy shop

Calendrier de l'Advent - 19 December

Need a great gift idea from France and created by a group of talented friends? Since 98 is a collection of t-shirts with one of a kind designs that are each embroidered on?

Straight from Cannes, you could hear the waves lapping against the shore when you wear one of these wonderful shirts. Purchase a shirt and support my sweet friends that I wish everyday we were back behind the bar at L’Avant Compoir de la Terre.

Order a shirt for a friend or yourself here .

Calendrier de l'Advent - 18 December

Jacqueline Marval was a 19th & 20th century artist that followed her own rules. Arriving in Paris in 1895 she would meet and mingle with the biggest artists of her time including Matisse and Picasso. In 1901 she took part in her first Salon where she was noticed by art dealer Ambroise Vollard. Vollard noticed many of the artists very early and was also the art dealer to Gertrude and Leo Stein. Later she would work with dealer Berthe Weill who championed women artists at a time when very few did.

In Paris today you can view the largest collection of her work at the lovely Comité Jacqueline Marvel. Raphael Roux has amassed more than seventy of her paintings, the largest collection in the world. With his wonderful daughter Camille they have taken on the life of Marvel and her legacy to share it with everyone.

Be sure to contact them and check out the amazing gallery at 4 cité Malesherbes in the 9th. Reservations are required but it will be worth every moment

Coming soon we will have an episode of La Vie Creative - Paris History Avec A Hemingway all about Jacqueline Marvel and also an episode on the quiet but amazing life of Berhe Weill.

Calendrier de l'Advent - 17 December

At your wits end on what to cook for dinner tonight? Our Sicilian in Paris Giuseppe can zoom straight into your kitchen and help you create an amazing meal to share with friends and family. From arancini and home made gnocchi to delicious Italian cookies you can impress everyone with your new skills.

The classes are very fun and you may even pick up a little French and Italian while you cook and at the end you have a wonderful meal or treat. You can choose from a private one on one class, group class with your friends near and far and even a combo cooking class and downloadable cookbook. What are you waiting for, grab some classes and step up your cooking game.

Also don’t miss his weekly cooking classes from their Paris kitchen resuming in January. I have taken quite a few and they are a great way to spend an hour of your Sunday (after our live walks in Paris of course).

Find all his cooking classes here

Calendrier de l'Advent - 16 December

Nestled into one of the most picturesque nooks in Paris is the Musée Delacroix. Dedicated to the great French Romantic painter Eugene Delacroix it was also his last studio and home. As he was getting older, the man that believed in the large historical paintings health began to fail. Commissioned to paint three frescos in the Eglise Saint Sulpice he moved his studio and home from the Rue Notre Dame de Lorette to the Place de Fürstenberg.

On December 28, 1857 he moved and wrote in his journal: "My apartment is decidedly charming". Within just a few blocks of Saint Sulpice he would until 1861 spent all his time working on the three paintings he said would eventually kill him. Less than two years later on August 13, 1863 Delacroix took his last breath in his sweet apartment in Saint Germain des Pres.

In 1865 another master painter moved into his former atelier. Claude Monet spent a few short months staying with fellow artist Frédéric Bazille. Many many years later, another group of artists joined together to open the former studio and home into L'Atelier Delacroix. In 1971 it became a national museum and later attached to the Musée du Louvre.

Yet another wonderful thing about your ticket to the Louvre, it will also get you into the Musée Delacroix within 24 hours of your visit for FREE. It is a small museum and can be a quick visit, but make sure to visit his former atelier and take some time to sit in the lovely garden to take it all in.

Check out their website and upcoming expeditions. The permanent collection changes frequently so if you have gone before, make sure to make another visit if you love Delacroix as much as me.

Calendrier de l'Advent - 15 December

One of the companies I work with in Paris is the custom Paris travel designer American Concierge. Started in 2015 by Sharon Carr, American Concierge can plan your entire visit to Paris or just a private tour. Of course things changed this year and without visitors to Paris, they shifted to virtual tours much different than most people are doing. The wonderful Rosemary Flannery, who also wrote a fantastic book, Angels In Paris that every Paris lover needs also has started a virtual tour of Paris that covers many of the angels in her book.

Other tours to choose from include a photo lesson with Krystal Kenney a cheese tasting with Debbi that will come complete with cheese and a wine tasting with Tanisha. I jumped into the fun and share the real story of Ernest Hemingway’s years in Paris. Check them all out to fill your time before you return to Paris and also a few things to look forward to when you finally return

Calendrier de l'Advent - 14 December

When I began with my first tutor it was all about the basic structure of the language. Learning specific words and then the dreaded conjugated verbs. Once I had that down we went into stories and comprehension.  My former tutor Alice Ayel, a wonderful French woman living in Portugal teaches French through what she calls the Natural Method. When we were little and we were learning to talk our parents didn’t give us a stack of flashcards and books and told us to memorize them. We learned by hearing our parents saying the same words over and over. The Natural Method is just like that. Through a series of stories, starting at the “baby stage” up to more advanced and working with a dry erase board she draws and acts out the words. It is amazing how quickly this method works.  Alice has a wonderful YouTube channel where you can watch any of her stories for free. She also has a newsletter and membership that includes special videos, stories and even books.

And for those of you that want to add a little Christmas cheer to your learning, check out her book 24 petites histoires de l’Avent en français. It accompanies her videos she made of each of the stories and is a really fun way to add more French into your routine. Each story is other YouTube channel and you can easily purchase and download the book. 

Check out her website AliceAyel.com and find her on YouTube

Calendrier de l'Advent - 13 December

I couldn’t have an Advent Calendar dedicated to all my favorite things in Paris and leave out the Musée du Louvre, bien sûr. The famous museum known around the world is often skipped by tourists or they run into see a few of the most famous items, check off their list and onto the next thing. However, there is so much more to the Louvre than the Mona Lisa.

The Louvre itself began as a palace to the kings of France in the Middle Ages. Over time from each king changed it just a bit adding their own take until Francois I revamped the entire idea of the monarchy and the palace itself. Removing much of the medieval structure the Louvre that we know today began to take shape. Mostly left to his son Henri II to carry out, today you can admire the Salle des Caryatides on the ground floor of the Sully wing beautifully created by Jean Goujon and Pierre Lescot. Catherine de Medicis later added her touch with the Petite Galerie and the Palais des Tuileries and Henri IV would build the vast Grande Galerie connecting the two. Louis XIV famously started and left leaving the Louvre open to the rain of Paris and finally completed by the two Napoleon emperors.

Spending countless hours within the walls of the Louvre and studding everything I can get my hands on I can’t wait to share it all with you. Starting in January I will begin to give some live chats sharing all the history of those sacred walls.Are you interested in learning more about the Louvre, well beyond the Mona Lisa? Let me know in the comments.

Subscribe to my newsletter here on my website to keep updated.

Calendrier de l'Advent - 12 December

Krystal Kenney isn’t just my podcast and livestream partner she is also an amazing photographer. When we aren’t in the middle of a pandemic and tourists aren’t roaming the cobblestones of Paris she is busy from sunrise to sunset taking beautiful photos of couples and families in Paris.

Since we can’t get there right now, you can bring a little bit into your home to hang on your wall to remind you of those carefree days in Paris. Now availible to print in ship from the US is a large collection of few of her gorgeous shots. Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur the beloved doors of Paris and so many more. It is the perfect gift for your loved one that is desperately missing Paris, or even for yourself. We all deserve a little something special this year.

https://missparisphoto.pixieset.com/printshopparis/

Calendrier de l'Avent - 11 December

It's not hard to imagine that I spend a lot of time on reading everything I can on Paris and her history. Many years ago I came across The Most Beautiful Walk in the World written by Australian John Baxter and devoured it. It led me to find every book he wrote on Paris until one day I looked in the back of the book and found his website just in case there were any books I may have missed. In doing so I found that he also did literary tours in Paris. The thought of a guided walk with an author I admire was too much and signed up right away.

Taking a handful of fellow fans, John guides people through the streets of Montparnasse and Saint Germain des Près where the pages come alive before you. Each tour ends in his apartment with lunch and wine while you are surrounded by first editions of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Hemingway. His apartment just happens to be located on Rue de l’Odeon where from his terrace you see the top of Notre Dame and as you look out you can imagine Hemingway on the same roof, taking out German soldiers that still held Odeon during the Liberation of Paris before he moved onto the Ritz and liberated many bottles of gin. Since that first tour, I never miss a chance to meet up with John, whether it is a long and lovely lunch at a tiny bistro to a quick coffee or wine in his historic building. For me, being in this building holds a huge significance from the generations long before me and walking in the footsteps of another Hemingway from long ago.

On my last visit John gave me his newest book, The Paris Men’s Salon, a collection of stories and his most personal book yet. Self published you too can grab one of these limited editions before they are gone, through his website. (link in my bio). I cherish every moment I can spend with John and has even become a mentor to me in my own writing. We can sit and talk about those old characters of Paris and I always leave him floating on air from such lovely chats.

Check out his website and his large library of books. Each and every one is fantastic.

John’s holiday book Immovable Feast is also our featured book the month for our La Vie Creative book club. Join the club now and at the end of the month on December 27th we will have a live zoom with the author himself.

Calendrier de l'Avent - 10 December

Living in Paris, Landen Kerr fell in love with the lovely antiques found in the flea markets. The dainty flowered plates, delicate napkins and stunning crystal knife rests. Everyone needs a little touch of Paris on their table and Landen is bringing that directly to you.

During the confinement this year, Landen spent two months in Normandy where each and every day involved setting the perfect table for each meal. A ritual sadly forgotten in most American homes but kept alive on the tables of France. It only takes one or two beloved items to add to your table to take it up a notch. Many people keep these items locked away waiting for a special occasion, but there is nothing more special than each and every day of your life.

After those weeks in confinement, Landen created La Porte Bonheur, her new adventure bringing these treasures to your home. Not only that, she has also held two auctions raising money for the beloved Bouqinistes of the Seine that need all our support so they can survive and continue to be a lasting imprint on the city of Paris.

Check out her website and auction at www.Laportebonheur.com

Calendrier de l'Avent - 9 December

On my second trip to Paris I stumbled upon Thierry Givone’s Wine Tasting Paris. Tucked into a small street of the Latin Quarter is his wonderful Wine Tasting Paris. Growing up in Dijon in the Burgundy region wine has always been in his blood and after a few years in the corporate world he decided to return to his roots. Opening in 2014, Thierry’s Wine Tasting Paris filled a void.

Thierry gives you all the tools needed to tackle any wine list like a pro. One of his classes is a Tour de France of wine, learning about each region the wine come from and the perfect pairing for each wine. Focusing on small independent producers, you will taste some wonderful handpicked wines and hear the stories of the wonderful winemakers behind them.

Like so many of us in 2020 Thierry had to switch his focus to online classes. In the comfort of your home you can have the perfect session with Thierry to prime you for your upcoming trip to Paris. When you are in Paris, be sure to take one of his classes and add on a cheese plate, because why not.

Check out his classes and website for more information.

Calendrier de l'Avent - 8 December

Another wonderful person I have met through social media is Francophile Kim Godby. As a flight attendant for Delta, she is lucky enough to return to Paris multiple times a month. On her trips she scourers the flea markets for treasures to share with everyone in her lovely boutique My French Brocante located in Noblesville, Indiana.

Kim and I met through social media and my many stories of Paris giving her a moment back in her beloved city with each post. One day on Facebook she posted a photo of a croissant ornament painted blue, white and red with a touch of sparkle and I about died. Next thing I knew the ornament arrived at my door and now stays out all year long.

Kim’s shop is filled with vintage hard to find items for your kitchen, dining table and walls as well as everything for your home you never knew you needed. With a sharp eye and a lover of the stories and history of each piece she creates a collection perfect for any Paris lovers home.

Check out my website www.claudinehemingway.com for links to her Facebook and Instagram where you can see her beautiful items and even order them.

Calendrier de l'Avent - 7 December

Chef Véronique Bawol has the love of cooking running in her veins. Inspired by her grandmother and the classic dishes of France she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu in London, but it was those early years that created her love of cooking.

Véronique began to cater events and parties and eventually started the Cuisine Elegante cooking school. Paris is filled with cooking schools and classes but Véronique’s offers something a little more special. Each of her classes involve a trip to the market and the streets of Rue Cler picking out each of the ingredients and return to her lovely kitchen to cook. Each class is followed by lunch dining over the fruits of you labor with your new best friends.

Of course this year changed things and with an easy pivot Véronique took her classes on line into the kitchens of happy cooks around the world. She is also one of the nicest people you would ever meet and I am so lucky to have met her at a dinner party over some of her fantastic food. A fellow instructor for American Concierge and American Women’s Group, I couldn’t be in more lovely company.

Check out her classes on her website and when you can return to Paris, don’t miss a chance to meet this lovely lady.

Calendrier de l'Avent - 6 December

I met Katrina Lawrence years ago through Instagram and we clearly shared a love of Paris. The history and stories hidden in so many of the streets begging to be told drew us together. In the spring of 2018 as fate would have it, we would both be in Paris at the same time resulting in a lovely stroll through the Parc Monceau.

Katrina, better known as Paris for Dreamers curates the most beautiful images of Paris even when home in Australia. Over the last few years she has written two books, Paris Dreaming: What the City of Light Taught Me About Life, Love & Lipstick a memoir about how her deep love of Paris came to be and Paris for Dreamers: Whimsical Walks Through the City of Light’s Delights. Each book is a wonderful trip through Paris for all the forced armchair travelers of 2020.

Check out her books and links to her website www.parisfordreamers.com and be sure to follower her on Instagram and Facebook for beautiful inspiration of Paris every day.

Hoping we are back together in Paris and chatting over glasses of champagne soon.

Calendrier de l'Avent - 5 December

Everyone has been hit hard this year and one of the most beloved traditions in Paris was not immune. The Bouquinistes have lined the Seine for almost 200 years. With their Vert Wagon green boxes filled with books are as much a part of the landscape of Paris as the Eiffel Tower. I love to walk past them and stop and search through the books and even from time to time find a treasure you will never find in a book store.

The tradition dates back to the 16th century when the book sellers were mobile and forced from the Pont Neuf and under Napoleon the sellers became a fixture on the Quai's next to the Seine. In 1859 they were finally an official part of Paris and over the years a short list of stipulations were put into place. The boxes must all be painted the same Vert Wagon green and most sellers owned four boxes, with three that had to include books only. In the day of tourism, one box can include souvenirs. Today over 900 boxes belonging to more than 200 sellers brave the heat of the summer and the bone chilling cold of the winter.

This year without tourists in Paris and the many lockdowns times are hard for the bouquinistes and we need to help save this beloved institution. Landen Kerr has organized a wonderful auction of some of these sellers favorite items that would make the perfect holiday gifts for all your Paris lovers. Make sure to check it out today and bid on a treasure that will help these humble quite fixtures of Paris.

Wonderful thing you are doing @pariswithlanden

Calendrier de l'Avent - 4 December

My grandmother has always loved Christmas and decorating for it and it is something she passed on to me. This year I was excited to finally get my own decorations out of storage, it was like visiting old friends as I unwrapped each one. Years ago anytime my grandmother picked up a French theme ornament she also grabbed one for me. Sadly, she no longer decorates but I have taken on the task especially this year to recreate those magical moments. As I put up the tree I call her and ask her about many of the ornaments and their stories. Even at 98 years old on this very day, she remembers every single story.

Now as I unpack my own ornaments I have double of many and enough Eiffel Towers to cover the real one, but I adore each and every one of them.

Luckily for all of us in the age of the internet we don’t have to wait until we return to Paris to add some beauties to your tree that remind you of walking down those cobbled streets. I have found a few for al the Paris lovers out there that you can add to your own tree and give you a special little reminder of a perfect day you spent in Paris.

Paris Monuments Ornament

Amazing Santa Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower

Louvre Pyramid

And so many more

Calendrier de l'Avent, 3 December

One of my favorite restaurants in Paris is just a short walk from the Musée du Louvre and Palais Royal. Willi’s Wine Bar has been in Paris for FORTY years, opening in 1980 it has been a staple of the first arrondissement and all those that have fallen in love with it.

Mark Williamson has put his heart and soul into making it a relaxed bistro with exceptional food and bringing one of the first wine bars to Paris. I have enjoyed Willi’s many times and it is a place I never miss and always pass onto travelers looking for a wonderful meal. The menu changes but you will no doubt find something delicious and don’t forget the wine. Mark and his staff curate the wine list with exceptional wines that may be new to you but ones you will always remember.

In 1983, Willi’s began making a yearly poster with local artists that are inspired by wine and all the beauty that comes from a bottle. Past artists include one of my favorite Jean Charles de Castelbajac in 2005, Cathy Millet in 1986, Jacques de Loustal in 2004, Petronille in 2018 and MH Jeeves in 2016. You can purchase all of these wonderful photos at their website. These posters are so popular they are sometimes spotted on CNN in the background of the now normal in home studios.

https://shop.williswinebar.com/the-bottle-art-collection/?sort=featured&page=4

My favorite of all the posters is the masterpiece by Anthony Palliser where used Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People as inspiration.

Earlier this year Mark released a book dedicated to the first 40 years of Wili’s. Immoveable Feast, 40 Years of Feeding the French covers the tales from the bar, recipes and many of the images from the posters. Check out the book and posters on their website. I can’t wait to get back to Paris for a long leisurely lunch and flip through this masterpiece.

Make sure you add Willi’s Wine Bar to your list of must visit places. Open for lunch and dinner, 12h-14h and 19h-22h at 13 Rue des Petits Champs.