Thanksgiving in Paris

Paris is one of the most gorgeous, romantic cities I have ever traveled to, and I would do anything to return whenever I can. With a few extra days around Thanksgiving off of work, I figure why not jet off to my favorite city in the world, Paris! I found the perfect substitute to the Thanksgiving meal, a Bateaux Parisienne dinner cruise down the Seine River for a night tour of the city and serenade. While feasting on fois gras, duck, creme brulee, and champagne, it was hard to even ponder missing the traditional turkey meal in the states. This was an incredible introduction to the city, with monuments such as the Louvre and Notre Dame illuminated on both banks of the river.

After viewing all the typical yet amazing monuments, my favorite days comprise of leisurely strolling down the windy cobblestone streets of Le Marais, the sweet area where our boutique hotel Les Jardins Du Marais was located. There, you can find the best fashion boutiques, tiny patisseries, vintage shopping, and stumble into galleries with free wine upon entry. Needless to say, this is a magical area of Paris without the commercial appeal or tourists in your face.

cafe in Les Places Des Vosges the first morning

typical floral shop in Le Marais

exploring the outdoor markets

Each morning, it was my mission to seek the best croissant and after sampling endlessly from chocolate to almond, I finally found my absolute favorite croissant in Le Marais, a delicious pistachio and chocolate croissant. While it's not hard to find amazing food in Paris, it can be a task to wander past endless restaurants and discover the perfect place to have dinner. Luckily, we found a restaurant named Au Beaujolais in Le Marais that was so amazing we had to return for a second dinner. That says a lot because I'm normally more adventurous and curious to try new things. But the creamy mussel appetizer had me hooked at the first bite, and as the main course of fish over ratatouille and molten chocolate dessert rolled out, this restaurant proved to be more and more fantastic.

streets of Le Marais

The next day was spent leisurely perusing shops in the slightly more commercial area of St Germain, my next favorite arrondisement to Le Marais. And by leisurely perusing, I mean shop until you drop! I ended up basically buying out one tiny store by snagging a gorgeous fur vest, black winter coat, crocheed scarf, and purple leather purse. After window shopping and exploring the winding little streets, we stumbled upon a sweet little cafe to recharge in the afternoon with a glass of champagne.

shopping damage in St Germain

mmm macaroons!

beautiful muted color palette in this tile showroom

The next day was packed with a trip to the Musee D'Orsay, which had a fabulous special exhibit on Art Nouveau that I would have been sorry to miss. It highlighted crazy furniture, psychedelic album covers, Hallmark paper dresses, and tons of bright and inspiring textile prints from the sixties, which I was obviously obsessed with as a textile designer!

Art Nouveau exhibit

the wonderful Mr. Van Gogh

Next, we wondered over to Champs-Elysees, where we had the pleasant surprise of endless Christmas markets set up almost all the way down the street to L'Arc de Triumph! These markets are so fun and festive, and remind me of the good old days when I was living in Florence. Enjoying some hot mulled wine from a vendor while looking at the trinkets at every booth was a good distraction from the torrential rain that day. All in all, this was an amazing trip to Paris, and possibly the best time to travel there with the city all decked out for the holidays with decorative lights and Christmas trees all around. I look forward to the next time I can return to Paris, but until then, Au Revoir!

L'Arc Du Triumph in my news fur vest

Champs-Elysees Christmas markets

Champs-Elysees lit up at night

Notre Dame

JetSet Coco Purse Sneak Peek!!!

I have been working on this collection of purses forever and hope to launch my website and begin selling by January. Each incredibly soft calf skin leather purse is individually made and embellished by me! For price inquiries or orders, please email me directly at

jetsetcoco@yahoo.com

Thanks for checking out my designs!

Flower Girl Dress Designs

Below are my flower girl dress designs that are featured in a six page

spread in the October/November edition of the

San Diego Style Weddings Magazine!

For more information about how to purchase or inquire about a custom-made flower girl dress, visit Buenos Ayres Kids or contact me directly.

Kandinsky

Accent In Pink, 1926

I first fell in love with the Russian artist Vasily Kandinsky's work at the Centre Pompidou in Paris three years ago. Kandinsky's intriguing use of abstract forms and unique color combinations inspire me as an artist and textile designer, so it's no wonder that I nearly busted down the doors of the Guggenheim in New York City the day the Kandinsky exhibit opened. Spiraling through the Guggenheim to admire the vast collection of over 100 paintings spanning Kandinsky's career was the perfect way to spend a cloudy afternoon. The exhibit is open through January 13th 2010, so don't miss a chance to view the extensive collection of Kandinsky's amazing work and get inspired. Here are a few of my favorite Kandinsky paintings although they're never as fabulous as in person:

Several Circles, 1926

Improvisation 26, 1912

Improvisation 9, 1910

Black Lines, 1913

Various Parts, 1940

Brimfield Antique Show

This past weekend I had the privilege of vintage shopping at the largest, most amazing flea market in the country, the Brimfield Antique Show. Three times a year, all the top antique vendors flock to the quaint town of Brimfield, Massachusetts to exhibit in this week long show that literally spans one mile. Upon arrival, my jaw dropped as I stared at tent after tent of clothing, furniture and jewelry vendors lining both sides of the town's main street. From this point on, I was on a mission to score as many unique vintage deals as I could. And believe me, I made it out of there with two giant bags full of incredible loot while barely scathing the wad of cash I brought. My lucky finds include amazing gold chain long necklaces that are tassled and perfectly in fashion, a gorgeous long mohair cream coat, and a sequin and beaded mushroom handbag all from the 70's. I also scored a Givenchy nautical striped dress and cardigan set for a mere $10from a very friendly vendor at Vintage Steph. Vibrantly colored mini dresses from the sixties also made it to the top of my list of favorite purchases. To tame my sensory overload after a few hours of perusing the market, I indulged in a half pound lobster roll which was cooked to perfection New England style. I could go on and on and not even begin to cover the unique sights of bizarre and rare pieces exhibited at this flea market. Brimfield is absolute heaven for any vintage shopper!

Since you literally shop until you drop from sunrise until about 6pm, finding the right hotel in Brimfield is key. I absolutely loved my charming hotel, the Publick House, which was only a five

minute drive from the show. I somehow scored a two storied suite that was decorated in a rustic country style with toile covering the walls. In the morning, the trip to the Publick House Bakery only made me love the hotel more. Chatting with the locals at the cafe over a cheese danish and coffee made me appreciate the simple pleasures of relaxing in a small town. With a

trunk full of vintage pieces and country baked goods, I was armed and ready to return to NYC. I can't for my next chance to escape to

 this charming town in May for the next show!