Looking forward to..

This rooftop view in London!

The new shopping mall in the City is not only great for retail therapy- but also for food and amazing views. The One New Change building has been designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Jean Nouvel. The modernist building has 6,500 floor-to-ceiling glass panes in varying shades of red, grey and beige, flooding the floors with natural light. 4,300 of which are unique pieces. It's open everyday from 7AM till late..I am definitely looking forwards to many meeting up on the terrace!

10 things I want to do in Rome

1- See my family. I have missed them terribly since I moved to England

2- See my friends: work friends, play friends, food friends..everyone I have not seen since March

3- Go to Sperlonga, or Sabaudia. The lovely beaches of Italy are a must in the Summer, and if I cannot make it to Sardegna this time around, at least I can chill in Sperlonga!

4- Gelati: both Daniel Gelo - with their coconut, mandarino and watermelon flavors, but also Ciampini with fragoline and panna.
(I am salivating just thinking about it)

5-Giacomo: Al Vino Al Vino, la caponata, sitting by the courtyard sipping a glass of Bisol and eating the figs that Giacomo brings us (yes, I am spoiled!)

6-Caffe: shakerato, al vetro, con un goccio di latte. I am so excited at the idea of paying 80 cents for an amazing coffee, I cannot wait.

7- Rome: I miss walking around my city. Taking in the beauty and chaos, the dirt and magnificence of Rome. I heart my city, even when it's 40C

8- Shop: Monti, Testaccio and via del Babbuino..I shall shop and be merry!

9-La parlata Romana: believe it or not, I miss hearing some of the typical Roman expressions, the jokes that only a Roman would do and understand.

10- Water: drinking fountains everywhere and perfectly sparkling water easily available. Now, that's luxury!

Only 1 week to go!

Shopping in Rome - for a good cause-2

Here is our stand. Our day was very successful and we raised 504 Euro for Behbud.



Thank you Katie, Arlene, Jessica, Elizabeth and everyone else who came by and gave us support!

Bags in a cage

I love the new widows at LV in St. Germain.

Materozzoli out - Car shoe in

I used to LOVE Materozzoli. I went here for all my special perfume purchases. I loved the atmosphere of sophistication and historical relevance.
The shop was opened in 1870 by a man- Mr Materozzoli- from Pietmont, it ran as a family business for over a century until 1977 when Gianni Sciortino and Luisa Zamagna, took over the shop and continued the tradition of excellence.

Materozzoli was a point of reference for the "bella Roma" as well as for chic travelers to Rome.

And now they are gone. Where? What happened to Materozzoli? All I know for now is that they have been replaced by my favorite brand of shoes, but nevertheless, they are going to be missed.

Shoes out

It's official, I have to many pairs of shoes. I started going through them using some key criteria:

1- have I worn this pair at least once in the past two years
2- did I pay more than 100 euro for them
3- would I still pay the same amount today?

If the answer to all questions is yes, I get to keep the shoes. If the answer is no to more that one question, I chuck the shoes.

Before chucking them (or donating them) I decided to take a picture each pair, so I can have a photographic memory of all my shoes and changing taste.

Soldes! Sales in Paris

The people went crazy inside the Repetto store!

Dresses, closets and shopping

The battle with Mr R on the food pantry- shoe closet continues and while most consequences of this war are negative (the house is a mess, my shoes are everywhere..) there is one positive aspect to it. I am rediscovering some of my long forgotten shoes. From Repetto, to Sergio Rossi, Giuseppe Zanotti, Borini, Church, Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo and the list goes on.

Changing shoes allows you to re-invent an outfit, make it sexy or sporty, elegant or casual.
I pulled out my dresses and started wearing them with heels, strap sandals, flat sandals and of course this led to more shopping, because some of the shoes really needed a new outfit to go with them:-)

So I purchased 3 dresses in 3 days (not good Petulia , not good): the first is a long black dress from Jucca , the second is a tailor made wrap dress a-la DVF, the third (just picked up) is from a local boutique called Le Gallinelle. Le Gallinelle (the chicks) is a wonderful space where Wilma Silvestri and her two daughters create clothes for women and men who love fashion but can go beyond the big names.

Le Gallinelle is in a former butcher shop, and still today you can see the barble counter where the poultry and meat were sold. Today, Le Gallinelle is a hip stop for Romans and foreigners alike...I am still hoping to bump into John Galliano who is rumored to be an admirer of Wilma's style!

Fur and makeup

I was going to write up something about what I keep in my bag..and the ridiculous amount of money I spend of cosmetics.

I was partially inspired by Maria's brilliant blog Lipstick Masala and the great advice she gives ( I only wish she had started writing before I bought all the make up I have). But during one of my excursions today two things steered me off the subject of makeup :

1- I bought more make up, so I could not think critically about it
2- I bumped into a wedding party, in a church in the center of Rome, and saw this:



I am not against fur..but this creeped me out a bit. First of all it was very warm, and definitely not fur whether. Secondly, I am not sure I love seeing the legs (and head) of the poor animal.

What do you think?

Hot chocolate in a cold sunny day

walking around Rome is on of my favorite activities especially when the sun is out.
Yesterday and today have been exceptionally beautiful, with a great light and a strong cold wind cleaning up the air. The air felt crisp and made walking particularly pleasant (in a strange masochistic way).

After a stressful day and after witnessing a robbery in front of my office, I took off for a brisk walk in the direction of the Spanish Steps. Mr. R and I were on a mission to go check on a friend's apartment in that part of town. We walked and talked, discussed ideas and projects, propositions and suggestions, until we got to Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina. This piazza is by far one of my favorites in the city, it's a little pocket of peace and style in the sea of chaos that is Via del Corso.
Here we meet our clients for the Orientation Walk, and here I bought my first Luis Vitton item. The Bottega Veneta Rome boutique in on this piazza as well as Pomellato and the famous Profumeria Materozzoli, all dear destinations to style seekers.

Among all these boutiques sits a cafe of equal relevance: Ciampini.

Ciampini has the best of everything, best location, best ice cream, best cornetti and cornetti salati, best iced tea (along with La Caffettiera) and I recently discovered best hot chocolate.
Not only the consistency was perfect, but the flavor was full and round just like what it should be.
To top it all, my favorite barista added a spoon of panna (cream) feshly whipped. No words can describe the warm feeling I got inside when I sipped on the dark drink...

NY Dog Show

I don't really like traveling in the winter, but there is one thing I love about being in NY at this time of the year: the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.
This great event takes place every year around this time of the year, the show is at Medison Square Garden, just a couple of blocks from my friends apartment.
I never attended the show itself, but I always managed to get a peek of some of the contestants, sometimes even the winners.
This time I was on my way to do some shopping when I saw a small crowd gathering in front of the MSG. I crossed the street and wiggled my way to the front of the crowd just to see this wonderful and enormous mastiff . He was so docile that everyone got close to him, even little kids. He almost looked fake, in fact at first I thought it was not a real dog but some kind of crazy toy. His eyes were a bit sad, but overall he seemed like a happy dog.

The show happened and the winner was announced, I completely missed it as I was back in Philly and getting ready for the next trip up to Boston, until my good friend J showed me this:
The golden Briard.
The author of the blog is a friend of J's and is a fantastic illustrator with a true love for dogs.

Check it out, she has all the results of the show in an illustrated version:-)

Last day in Paris, last minute shopping

On my last day in Paris I realized I still had do do a bunch of presents. Remembering a friend suggestion, I ran out, threw myself in the crowds of Rue de Rivoli and headed to the Carousel du Louvre. This cunning structure is part of the larger Louvre building and it hosts shops and cafes conveniently open 7 days a week from 8:30AM to 8:15 PM.
Among other shops is the official Musee du Luvre boutique where you can find the usual postcards, catalogues, books and a beutiful selection of copies from the museum collection. Jewelry, tapestry and ceramics that make the perfect little gift for a friend who has almost everything, but doens't have a replica of an ancient Roman bracelet.

After picking up a bunch of beautifully wrapped gifts (what else do you expect from the French?) a couple of macaroons for the flight, and after bundling up again, I headed back home.
Rue de Rivoli was still packed, but I could not help noticing these pictures posted outside the Samaritaine building. This beautiful department store has been closed for quite a while as it is undergoing restoration. In the meantime, the pictures posted on its scaffoliding make passerbys remember that the heart of Parisian shopping is still beating.
Pictures show children photographed few minutes after their birth. I thought they were beautiful and joyful. A message of hope for the future.

How much is that doggie in the window?

So the songs goes..but I have never heard this song before, so I have to go on trust.

Every time I leave the apartment in Paris I pass this small upholstery shop. It's tiny but very well kept, I take it that they fix and do most of the sofas and armchairs in my lovely neighborhood.
Apart from being an interesting joint per se, the upholster shop is also home to this Jackrussell.
I haven't familiarized with him yet, as he is mostly sitting on an armchair behind a glass. But this time he came close to the window, almost willing to "chat" while I tried to take a picture.

If you look closely you can see me and part of Mr. R trying to sweet talk doggie, singing "how much is that doggie in the window...