In Black and White

Lights

These elegant pigeon lights ($155) from Areaware were created by British designer Ed Carpenter. They include a clothespin attachment for clamping to shelves or window ledges. Made of acrylic they take a maximum bulb wattage of 25W. Available in black or white. Available from Vivre.com.

Mix it Up

I've blogged about these confetti mixing bowls ($28) before and actually own a set of the yellow, blue and pink bowls. However, now they are available in black with white! Crafted from recycled melamine they are eco-friendly as well as cool. Available from urbanoutfitters.com.

Stick It

Add privacy to a window without curtains with this adhesive wall film from UK designer Emma Jeffs. I love this morroccan tile pattern. ($76) for a 37" x 52" roll. Just add water and adhere to a window. The film gives privacy while still letting light shine through and easy to remove later with no residue. Available from 2jane.com.

Also available from this same site, these adhesive tile tattoos jazz up plain white tiles. These stickers resist water and moisture and it only takes a few dabs of water to apply. ($16) for a set of six.

I Heart Paris

I was just on in Paris on a business trip and had a day to myself to explore the city. I was so inspired by the crystal clear Fall day with blue, blue skies that I bought a Holga large format camera (at left) at the Paris store Colette and sat down in the Tuileries and loaded it with film right away. Hopefully the pics come out!

Here's a few of my favorite finds from my wanderings. I think all total I walked about 8 hours that day. By no means an exhaustive list, but I did manage to stumble on quite a few interesting shops.

Zadig & Voltaire

Zadig & Voltaire is a great boutique designed around the concept of "affordable luxury" with t-shirts and cashmere sweaters decorated with crystals, skulls and slogans like "Paris Rocks", "Muse" and "Elvis" (€ 80.00). Very casual and rock n' roll.

Cashmere sweaters also come with great logos and designs although they run a bit more expensive like this yellow sweater with the slogan, "Just Rock" (€ 268.00).

Zadig & Voltaire carries great bags, shoes and jewelry as well as a men's and children's line. If you can't make it to one of their stores (they have on in L.A. among other places) you can shop online on their e-store.

Matières à Réflexion Paris

This boutique in the Marais features a line of bags made from vintage leather jackets and army jackets as well as a selection of jewelry and apparel from local French designers.

I bought a silver bracelet from designer House of Done that features tiny silver chain that has been crocheted (at left) (€ 75). I also picked up a great pair of fingerless mittens and a purple keffiyeh scarf of the kind that is popular among French students.

I definitely recommend this store for finding that special something made in France. You can view some of their wares on the website or visit in person at:

19 rue de Poitou - Paris 75003 +33 (0)1 42 72 16 31

DOM Christian Koban

A vraiment hypercool lifestyle boutique with edgy and inexpensive housewares, accessories, clothing and furniture. I was tempted by a "Hells Kitchen" vinyl wall sticker.

You can view a video on the website which showcases some of their products. Wish they had an online store, but unfortunately you have to visit them in person at one of there locations including the Paris store:

21, Rue Ste. Croix de la Bretonnerie +33 (0)1 42 71 08 00

Publicis Drugstore

Right next to where I was staying on the Champs-Élysées was this great drugstore, magazine kiosk, gift shop, restaurant and take-out food emporium called Publicis Drugstore. Open until 2am every night which was extremely convenient.

In the L'Épicerie I was able to find great gluten-free and dairy-free salads like ginger quinoa or lentil carrot as well as sushi, juices, chocolates, etc.

The store carries a selection of Kiehl's, Shu Uemura and Acqua di Parma products. There were also great bags, children's clothes, paper goods and electronics. Definitely worth seeking out!

133 avenue des Champs-Elysées 75008 Tél : 33(0)1 44 43 79 00

Le 66

I did not have time to check out this new mega fashion emporium on the Champs-Elysées. However, I did peer through the windows when the store was closed and it will be top of my list when I have the occasion to go back to Paris again.

66 Avenue Des Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris

Femme Fatale

I usually don't go for anything too overtly feminine, but every now and then a touch of the "girly" is a good thing. Here's a few finds I'm conveting right now that definitely veer more to the feminine side of things:

Jonquil Sky Dress

What I love about this kimono dress ($198) by Anna Sui for Anthropologie is that could be dressed up with heels for a holiday event, or dressed down with tights and boots for everyday wear. What's even better is that this color palette of bright orange and blue on creamy silk leds itself to Fall and will transition equally well to Spring. Feminine and slightly retro. This just may be my holiday dress this season.

Opera Length Pearls

I've wanted a strand of opera length pearls since the mid-eighties. That was when the movie "St. Elmo's Fire" came out and I think in one scene that's all that Ally Sheedy's character wears.

J. Crew has come out with a long strand of real freshwater pearls ($495). These are 7.5-8mm pearls on a 54" strand. They are still a little pricey so I probably won't buy these for myself, but if anyone out there wants to make me REALLY HAPPY...:-)

Silver Shoes

These silver Mary Janes with silk ribbon ties ($128) are much sweeter than shoes I would normally wear. However, I'm a sucker for all things sliver and love the shape of the slightly upturned toe. Available from Anthropologie.

Fall Accessories

No More War

Love this great new nail color from Rescue Beauty Lounge. The olive green ($18) is a great neutral for Fall.

Studded Belt

Over 200 brass studs decorate this leather belt ($78) from Sundance Catalogue Company. It's definitely got a heft to it! Great over sweaters or a broken in pair of jeans for that rock 'n roll vibe.

Metallic Scarf

I love this knit scarf in metallic gold from ShopIntuition ($108). Also available in silver. Both would look great with Fall creams, browns and olive greens.

Your Photo Here

Custom M&M's

Here's a great idea for a child's birthday, a wedding or even a corporate event. Upload an image to print on the back of Hershey's M&M's! You can also print text message and choose from 22 different colors. I just ordered purple M&M's with Paloma's picture on them for party favors for her 12th birthday.

Design your own M&M's on mymms.com. A minimum order of $39 is required.

Stickers

Print up to 90 different images in these sticker books from moo.com. High-quality vinyl stickers made with photography or design starting at $9.99. Great gift idea or stocking stuffer.

Custom Postage Stamps

Create your own postage stamps out of any photo. Available from photo.stamps.com and zazzle.com. Stamps cost about $5-$10 in addition to postage depending on how many you order.

Holiday Decor

Now that Halloween is over it's officially time to start thinking about Christmas. I saw that Santa's workshop was already up in our local mall! Here's a few of my favorites home accessories for the holidays.

Retro Lights

I can totally picture these retro Santa & reindeer lawn lights on the roof of our country house. A little bit pricey at $695, but definitely a statement. Comes with Santa and 9 reindeer (not forgetting Rudolf, of course). Available from Sundance Catalogue Company.

Wreath

I just bought one of these handcrafted rose wood wreaths ($55) from Smith and Hawken. The red wood curls with small wooden stamens look like roses. Great on the front door (if your door is shielded from the elements) or above the fireplace.

Faux Snow

I love this faux snow vase filler ($12) from Pottery Barn. Use inside arrangements or scattered across a tablestop or mantle.

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

I love the rusted look of this reproduction "Cut Your Own Trees" metal sign ($14.99). Sign measures 14" in diameter. Available from retroplanet.com.

Graphic Tees

All of a sudden I'm on a mission to find some cool graphic t-shirts to pair with blazers and trousers to work. Here's a few of my recent finds:

Keep Calm

I blogged about these WWII slogan posters already, but here is the t-shirt version from UK streetwear company Yes No Maybe. There are some t-shirts available from other companies, but not with the bold lettering and font that these t-shirts have. Men's and women's styles available in black (shown), blue, red as well as black with gold lettering (£26.00).

What Happens in...

This is a great shirt for men from McSweeney's ($22). I used to live right across the street from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, so this shirt brings back fond memories.

Nothing is Impossible

Here is another shirt from McSweeney's that I love. This one is available in both men's and women's sizes ($22). The saying echoes my sentiments exactly!

Etsy

Etsy is an amazing source of original graphic tees from artists all over the country. I love this the double colt t-shirt ($34) from 1 A E O N which is available in a variety of colors.

I'm also really into squids and octopi (or is it octopuses?). A quick search on etsy turned up dozens of different styles. I particularly like this one ($28) from etsy seller la•tak'.