licking the windows | where to shop in Paris

Before I dive into my few favorite shops in Paris, let me say that I am loving this fall weather! New England is cool and crisp today, but the sun is shining which makes it even more perfect. I feel like wearing boots and drinking apple cider. Maybe we'll head to the farm this weekend to pick up a gallon. Anyway, I titled this post 'licking the windows' because that's what the French call 'window shopping.' Well, really they call it faire du lèche-vitrine, but I can't pronounce that. When we arrived in Paris I had a list of shops to visit as long as my arm. Sadly, some of them were closed for vacation (August is typically when Parisians go on holiday) and others had funky hours so we missed out on a few, but there was still plenty of shopping to do! Here are some shops I could have browsed in for hours - 
MUSKHANE, 3 rue du Pastourelle - felted wool everything. I especially liked the little mice and the polka dot balls.
the Collection, 33 rue de Poitou - pretty little ceramic pieces for the home, gorgeous wallpaper selection, modern children's furniture and home accessories
ie boutique, 128 rue Vieille du Temple - beautiful fabric sold by the meter, handmade children's clothing
Chou Fleur,  21 rue Monge - they sell children's accessories, toys, and clothing and host craft workshops for kids, too. A lot like kreatelier, for those of you who are local.

L'Autre The, 40 rue Mouffetard - huge selection of teas and little tea room all in one, they even serve fresh juice!
Le 4, 4 rue Mouffetard - gourmet foods (think oil, vinegar, spices, tea, and chocolate), candles, vases, and funky children's items

Then for open air shopping, you have to visit Les Puces, the biggest flea market in the world. Jordan has a great map of how to get there right here. Now I feel in the mood for some online shopping...

whites and brights | how to host a tie dye party

A couple weeks ago I helped organize a sleepover for the girls in junior high at our church. We needed some sort of activity (other than eating Double Stuf Oreos and watching movies, that is) so I thought for a bit and decided that tie dyeing would be an easy and inexpensive crafty type thing that all the girls could participate in. We ended up spending hours in the garage soaking tee shirts in buckets filled with brightly colored water, and now I want to tie dye everything in sight. Here's what you need to throw your own tie dye party... 

plain white tees / Rit dye powder / salt / liquid laundry detergent

rubber gloves / five gallon bucket / hot water / rubber bands

Once you have all your supplies just follow the instructions on the inside of the Rit box. We (obviously) used the bucket method which is simple and involves no risk of dyeing the kitchen floor. As long as you don't bring the bucket in the kitchen. In case you were wondering, the colors we used were sunshine orange, lemon yellow, fuchsia, teal, and purple. Have you ever tried tie dyeing anything? It's one of my favorite things. 

image via my friend Missy's Instagram

peek... | favorite little clothes

Ezra wears this Dewey Decimal System shirt at least once a week because it's my absolute favorite... the rule is basically this: as long as it's clean he's wearing it. I just can't get enough of it, and it seems others agree. Everywhere we go, from the playground to the mall, Ezra is complimented on his hip tee. It recently occurred to me to check the tag so we can buy more clothes like it. The tee is by peek..., which is available at Nordstrom. Let the online shopping begin.

images via Nordstrom

shades

So as it turns out, I lied about being back this week with regular posts.  I fully intended to be back on Monday but then Monday turned into Tuesday and now it's Wednesday, but at least I have a post for today!

baby wayfarers

stripe tee

faded skinny jeans

See this outfit?  In a matter of only a few days Ezra will be the owner of this outfit and therefore the coolest seven month old in Cranston.  Really though, a package addressed to me arrived in the mail about a week ago and in it was a gift card to 77 kids.  I have no idea why I was the lucky recipient of said gift card, but I think I must have entered a giveaway and forgotten about it.  So thank you, potential giver of the mysterious giveaway and thank you 77 kids!  What are some of your favorite baby and kid clothing picks?  I have a hard time finding clothes for Ezra that I like.  77 kids is now on my go-to list.

operation cardi

Operation Cardigan is officially over and I declare it a success.  Not only did I make ruthless decisions about which sweaters to toss or donate, but I learned a lot of the same things that Melanie learned, the worst of them being that I dress super boring.  I wear jeans almost every day and I hardly ever accessorize.  I blame Ezra, but I don't hold it against him.  Wearing a scarf, earrings, necklace, bracelet, or even an embellished tee shirt gets difficult when your six month old thinks everything is his personal chew toy and proceeds to soak anything within grabbing distance with drool.  My goal for the next six months is to get dressed every morning.  I don't mean just put on clothes, I mean get dressed, meaning putting thought into if pieces coordinate and complement each other so that I don't mentally smack my hand into my forehead when I run into someone I know at the grocery store and I'm wearing jeans with holes (real ones, not artfully placed ones) and Reefs and a day old ponytail.  We'll see how long this resolution lasts.

operation cardigan

(image via you are my fave)

Last week I read about Melanie's completion of what she called operation cardigan and immediately thought her more brilliant than before.  I decided to embark on my own operation cardigan with the eighteen cardis that are currently hanging in my closet between my button-down shirts and Matt's dress pants.  There are some favorites (hello, green cardigan) and some that leave much to be desired.  In about eighteen days I should be able to determine the keepers.  I'll leave you with this quote from Notting Hill - "Ooh! Sexy cardi!"  No, it doesn't make any sense when taken out of context like that, but it always makes me laugh.  Wish me luck!

i heart tulle

(image via gap)

I'm starting this week off ogling this gorgeous dress I spied at Gap over the weekend.  Time to start saving my pennies!