Soldes.

Some bargains found in the sales over the weekend : 1) one pink knit and one starry jumper from my favourite clothes shop, Vicxite.A; 2) a set of Marimekko bowls from the new 1962 shop (these were really "fake bargains" since they were only 10% off, mais bon!); 3) Smiling Planet bear sweater from Smallable; 3) Cushion from Petit Pan (originally for the little man, but his mama keeps pinching it from him).

Vicxhite.A
47, rue des Abbesses
75018 Paris

Boutique 1962
4, rue Tholoze
75018 Paris

Petit Pan
10, rue Yvonne Letac
75018 Paris

I'm at home sick today, getting lots of sleep and drinking heaps of herbal tea (thanks Jocelyn!) to be back on track tomorrow.I hope you are all having a good week so far!

Thief & Bandit...for kids!

The amazing Thief & Bandit shop has just launched its children's line: Thief & Bandit Kids. I'm totally smitten with their Navajo-style leggings and headbands. All I need now is a baby girl to have an excuse to shop there (i'm not too big about that style for boys, but that's just me). They are offering a 30% discount this week so pop over to Etsy and take a look.

ps: the winner of the giveaway will be announced this afternoon... stay tuned!

{via Bluebird}

Wellies.

Now that autumn has officially settled in - after two (hot, hot, hot!) Indian summer weeks - it's time to prepare for the long, cold, wet winter months. And as I picture the rain in my head, I can't help but think of wellies. I've secretly been wanting a pair of Hunter boots for a while but as they are quite pricey, I've been holding off any kind of compulsive purchase. Only in a few weeks, I'll be saying 'adios' to my twenties and I'm thinking that these would be a nice birthday present 'from me to me' to mark the occasion. What do you think: are they worth the extra money? I love the fact that they are elegant and that I could wear them around Paris without feeling like a frumpy mummy.

ps: a fun wellies photo found via Pinterest :)

{images via Atlantic-Pacific and Marion WD}

Les soldes - coups de cœur.

Here is a selection of some of my favourite items while I was shopping on line for little big L. yesterday.

Striped Donkey Scarf, April Showers

Pink Eiffel Tower T-Shirt, Bobo Chose

Dolly Gold Shoes, Tip Toey Joey

Oups Jacquard Dress, Talc

Striped Sweater, Imps & Elfs

Branca Baby Blouse, Gold

Bat Boy Hat, Oeuf NYC

Camera Jumpsuit, Bobo Chose

Robe Balo Indigo, Dis une Couleur

Car Jumpsuit, Bobo Chose

Crunchy Tennis Shoes, Tip Toey Joey

Monster Joe T-Shirt, Nissalisa

Wellies, Spring Court

Les soldes d'hiver.

Les soldes are finally here.

In France, we only have sales twice a year - from mid January to mid February and again in the summer. So when les soldes begin, it is like Christmas all over again: the stores are clustered with eager shoppers and every other person in the street is walking around with a bag full of goodies. Although the deals get more interesting as the weeks go by, the best bargains are for the early shoppers. In fact, I have to confess that in the past, I have even taken a day off work just to go shopping on the first day of les soldes.

Now, as a busy working mama, my days of shopping after work are over; and I have a rule not to go near the main shopping areas on Saturdays because I cannot cope with the crowds and queues. Instead, I will be visiting my favourite, more quiet little local shops this weekend. And as for L., I bought all his goodies on line today and got the bestest bargains. God bless the Internet.

image ©Mlle Bé

Petit Bateau by Tsumori Chisato.

I went to Petit Bateau today to check out the whimsical collection by Tsumori Chisato. The Japanese designer collaborated with Petit Bateau on 13 pieces and I love her quirky style. Most of the items are for wee ones but a few pieces come in adult sizes too.

ps: I have been a little absent from blogland these past few days because I am ex-haus-ted. I am trying to get through the week, working my little b*tt off to be able to be on holiday as of Friday night. Two weeks off work and spending more time with my sweet boy would be the best Xmas present I could get.

Stella McCartney Tammy Boots.

How cute are these Tammy boots by Stella McCartney? You'll have to be quick if you'd like to get a pair for your little one as the yellow wellies are in limited stock. 

{via}

Made in Brazil.

Yesterday, baby L. and I went for a relaxing walk in Montmartre with our friend Ciara. It was one of those crispy cold, sunny winter days. The cafés were buzzing, the tourists were Amélie-ing and the early Christmas shoppers were enjoying first-choice shopping. As we were walking along one of the pretty hilly streets, we came across Tudo Bom, a franco-brazilian shop that has only very recently opened its doors. I got chatting to the manager who explained that the clothes are made in Brazil from organic cotton that is grown in the country. This eco-friendly label offers fun and colourful clothes for men, women and children. I didn't resist a similar skirt to this one. Visit the e-shop here or go to:

Tudo Bom
8, rue des Abbesses

75018 Paris

Winter hats for babies.

In just a couple of hours we will be setting off to Bruges  (our cancelled baby moon destination from last year) and I have the strange feeling that we are going to freeze our bottoms off in this Venice of the north. I wish I had one of these irresistible hats to take with me (and tiny head go with it).

Bonton Chapka

Elias & Grace Nepal Hat

Maan Celine Knit Hat

Berlingot hat

Nui Organic Hooded Scarf

ps: have you seen the movie In Bruges? Apparently that's exactly what it looks like (minus Colin Farrell. Damn).

Monthly baby bodysuit stickers.

Baby L. aka Hilarious says a big thanks for all your sweet comments on yesterday's post. To tell you the truth, I felt very amateurish with my "quick & easy" photo collage compared to this and this. Nonetheless, it is my simple way of remembering my days of bumpmania and L's first nine months in this world. I hope that one day he will cherish these photos as much as I do now. Here are some fun stickers from Picky Sticky to start your own (maybe more professional) monthly baby portraits.

Toby Tiger.

I was finishing (yep!) reading my summer copy of Baby London magazine yesterday and discovered these colourful clothes by English brand, Toby Tiger. I love the simple but stylish designs and especially, the affordable prices. I think I know where I'll be wanting to shop next time I am in the UK... that's if I don't succumb to the online temptation before then.

Havaianas teams.

When I was little, my mum always used to buy my brothers and me a pair of rubber flip flops for the summer. We'd love them and couldn't care less whether or not they were the fashion. Today they are still my basic summer footwear, but I have to confess that I have become a bit of a flip flop snob as I only ever wear Havaianas'. My Brazilian friends are to blame for this. They introduced me to the brand over ten years ago and I have been addicted ever since. So I am excited to see this limited edition of designs featuring some of the competing Fifa World Cup teams. You'll have to hurry if you'd like to get yourself a pair as they will only be on sale for the duration of the tournament (but in men sizes only, boohoo).

Click here to view the Havaianas teams commercial (in Portuguese).

Smiling Planet.

Aren't these children plates from Smiling Planet so lovely? They are made with BPA free recycled plastic and each illustration is so pretty and perfect. I found them here but do visit Smiling Planet's website for a wider selection of dishes and other eco friendly items for kiddies. Thanks to July, my little baby L. is the lucky owner of a beautiful Smiling Planet bowl.

Update: somebody else has fallen in love with these plates. Can you resist?

Upla chez Monoprix.

In the 70's, Upla's messenger bag was very much an "it" bag in France and 40 years later, it is making its grand come back via a collaboration with the supermarket chain Monoprix. The bags are made of cotton cloth and are available in navy blue, red and a liberty print, making them the perfect spring/summer gift. You can find them in two different sizes - from 90 to 110 euros.

Mujirushi Ryōhin.

For ages I had been looking for a plain pair of slippers (not very exciting, I know) but never could I find anything simple, cheap, and solid. As there aren't that many stores near me, it had been a while since I had shopped at MUJI, hence forgetting how wonderfully simple all their products are. I did find my slippers, and several other extremely useful bits and bobs for around the house. My eyes were captivated by the deliberate minimalism of each design. Just imagine: how much complexity of thought is necessary to achieve such simplicity? And did you know that MUJI was the abbreviation of Mujirushi Ryōhin, which means No Brand Quality Goods in Japanese? Check out the online shop for more plainness extravaganza (UK or FR).

Sunny days.

©LaFranglaise

What another gorgeous spring afternoon in Paris today, with tourists and locals taking over the terrasses de café to soak up some bit of sunshine. And out with the sun, came the sunglasses. Here's an easy DIY project for making a cute pouch for your shades.

©Felix Clay
...happy Sunday evening people. I'll be enjoying the sunset from our balcony.


photo ©LaFranglaise

Shoe addiction, what's the cure?

©LaFranglaise

A very funny article in today's The Guardian about how celebrities are completely over the top when it comes to buying shoes. Read the full article here on how Fashion Statement proposes a seven step remedy for these "shoeperstars".