Stories about shoes and some Swedish coffee

Hiya! I can’t tell you why but instead of being just a lifestyle blog, my blog is now going to be also about fashion and style. But since fashion and shopping is a significant part of my life, that shouldn’t change much. Or perhaps just have a slight influence on my bank account because to have something to write about I will need to shop. Just kidding, mum, my wardrobe is already quite representative...

 

Let’s start with shoes! I know plenty of people who collect designer bags (or bags in general). Bags are nice but I’ve always been more a shoe-person. I love shoes (except winter shoes) and I fast counted and I have 32 pairs of shoes in my small apartment.  Here’s my top 5 high heels:
 

1.       Turquoise peep toe pumps from Minelli:

 

 

 

I just love  love love them. These shoes were my birthday present for myself when I turned 20 and I've worn them at least thousand times. The sad story that some of you know is that I also bought a matching turquoise clutch at the same time and I always wore them together. It was the easiest outfit for any occasion, something black or white with turquoise accessories. And then my dear clutch got stolen. I was really pissed because there was nothing valuable inside so absolutely nothing for the robbers but they took my favorite bag and probably just throw it away. Last autumn I finally found a bag that resembles the one I had but it's not the same turquoise so it's nice with other colors but doesn't really match with my shoes. But I actually peeked in to Minelli the other day and they have turquoise again this spring, shoes and bags! Even the small clutches were quite expensive but I have to check if it's the same nuance. And if it is, well my birthday is coming soon...

 

 

2. (fake) Jimmy Choo's:

 

 

 

My choice when I want to be extra chic. It was about two years ago when I decided that I wanted to wear golden shoes at my mum's birthday party the following summer. I bought a coral red Rachel Roy dress from New York and thought that golden heels and accessories would be perfect with it. But easier said than done. I looked from everywhere in New York and in Paris but no golden shoes to be found so in the end I decided to order online. The delivery from the States took a while and then my shoes got lost in the mail (not the first time they loose something in La Poste...). When I finally got them, they were too big so I had to sell them to a friend and order new ones (returning them would have been crazy expensive, thanks again to La Poste). But all this was worth it, I got my golden heels and they are beautiful! (And a fashion pioneer as I am, of course a couple of months later all the shops were full of golden shoes...)

 

 

3. Violet espadrillas from Zara:

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These are my favorite summer shoes. So confortable and perfect for a townwalk, to the beach or for partying. I bought them in 2009 from Toulon and they were with me in so many adventures in the Southern France that summer. Wearing these espadrillas I also learned to drive in high heels. :)


4. Black and golden pumps from Zara:

I like them because they are classic black heels but with a special detail. These shoes are high and style but really uncomfortable, my toes die in 30 minutes, but I like them so I still wear them quite often (and try to sit as much as possible).


5. Beige classy heels from Mango:

 

 

 

My high school graduation shoes that I wear when I want to look stylish and professional. They've been to some school and job interviews with me and will hopefully soon be again. If I get an internship for this summer, where I can wear heels, the first thing I’m going to do is buy an other pair of elegant work heels!

 

 

It was hard to choose but I'm not going to do a top-10. ;) Now something else. Yesterday afternoon I finished early at Uni and the sun was shining so I went to say hi to my friend M who works at the Swedish Coffee House which is here in le Marais, right around the corner. This café is such a lovely place, a serious competitor for the French ones. The style and the whole atmosphere is so Swedish. I think this is going to be my Scandinavian corner where I can escape when I lose my mind with everything French. :)

 

Café suédois with it's lovely outdoor terrace

 

Swedish pastries looks delicious

 

My friend M, the cutest waitress ever

 

Now I'm enjoying a long weekend off. No school until Tuesday afternoon! I've been a little sick the whole week but now I'm finally feeling better. It sure didn't help that I've been doing sport the whole week but I just couldn't resist, I'm seriously addicted to all the Les Mills classes right now, especially to Body Balance. I think the only moment when I feel completely relaxed and not at all stressed or worried about something is when I'm doing Body Balance. So in order to not go crazy soon, I just have to go there almost every day.

 

Happy Easter everyone, eat lots of chocolate eggs!

 

xoxo: Emi

This week's FOOD

Due to special occasions or the fact that I don't have time to do my groceries (again), I've been eating out a lot this week. :)

 

My friend A from Finland was here so on Tuesday we had dinner with her, one other friend of ours, R and two friends of R in a cosy Parisian Brasserie at Hôtel de Ville.
 

 

R ate this "tartare". I've never really understood why they eat raw meat here but I tasted it and it was quite good actually. But I still wouldn't order anything that looks this un-eatable...

 

A, me and R

 

And then we went for drinks to Les Etages, one of my favorite bars in le Marais.

Skål with Kir Chardonnay

On Thursday we walked around in St.Michel/Odéon area with M and ended up having dinner in a Crêperie. I think I've been there once before long time ago, a really nice place which style is a Mediterranean mix: the decor looks Greek, the menu is in Spanish and the crêpes traditionnally French.

 

 

 

On Friday I had lunch with my friend G that I hadn't seen in too long time. She wanted to go to this Vietnamese place in the 13th that she likes so I agreed to give it a shot and was really happy. Exotic, delicious and cheap! And a lovely catch up with G.

 

 

 

 

And then Friday eve I was with big sis M and we were too tired and lazy to cook (or even to go to the supermarket) so we didn't go out for dinner but ordered Sushi (and ate too much).

 

 

 

 

Tonight my friends from work are coming over so now I actually have to cook. But it's okay, I've been studying and sending applications for the whole day so I think I'm ready to start my relaxed Saturday night. Tomorrow more studying and job applications, can't wait...

xoxo: Emi

Sunday night walk

Hey! I just came home from a 1h 40min walk. What a relaxed feeling! After intensive (well at least for a Sunday) studying and job hunting I decided to go for a little walk. But somehow I walked a little too far away, first along the Seine long after Gare d'Austerlitz, then through many small streets and alleys at Quartier Latin to rue Mouffetard and then back down to the river and to Ile St.Louis and then home to le Marais. Time flew by when I was walking, listening to music and thinking about all my years in Paris and holidays I spent here long time ago. I have tons of great memories from all these years. Living here hasn't always been easy but I've survived and had so much fun. Right now I'm stressing about finding an internship for the summer, it's seems to me that it's really hard to find anything. But I know I shouldn't worry, I've made it until now and I will fight this one as well. It just can't be that I have brilliant grades and then I won't pass my year because I don't find a job. I'm trying not to panic and to think positive. Because everything else is great in my life. I'm so happy that Paris is my home, I just love living here and I don't want to go anywhere else.

 

I tried to take some photos but it was too dark. But here's two from Ile St. Louis, one of my favorite areas in Paris. It would be an amazingly beautiful place to live in and imagine if your address was "rue St.Louis en l'île" - perfect. ;)

 

 

 

Sleep tight and get ready for a new week and new adventures! :)

 

xoxo: Emi

From spring to winter and other crazy things

I love writing about the weather. :) Because it has a huge impact on my mood, when the sun is shining all my problems seem to be far away, and when it’s snowing in March I just go crazy and get depressed. That’s understandable I guess. Last week it was such a lovely spring weather, finally time to abandon your winter coats and put on some light shoes (I wear ballerinas all year round because I hate winter shoes but for those who don’t). On Monday we enjoyed our weekly stroll at Jardin des Plantes with C and on Tuesday when we exceptionally had a long lunch break as well, two guys from our class, D and N joined us and we had a picnic lunch on a bench in the park. It was so warm and the whole week went on like this. Thursday evening we were walking with M near Chatelet at rue Montorgueuil, a street with lots of restaurants and bars. There were heaps of people walking around and eating on the terraces and I could just sense the summery atmosphere. I was wearing only a t-shirt and a leather jacket and I wasn’t freezing at all.

Blue sky at Jardin des Plantes

C and palm trees

and me and palm trees

dressing light

I think all this felt so good especially because right before I left from Finland the springlike weather there took a turn back to winter with a snowstorm and -10 degrees again. So I was really happy to be back in Paris and teasing those who had to stay there. But apparently I was laughing too soon…. Because this week: bye bye spring and welcome back winter to Paris as well. Seriously, how much can it snow in Paris in mid-March?? I’m so done with the cold, the snow, the slush, the frozen slush and everything related to winter. If I have to say something positive, it’s that I live in the center and I don’t have to use suburban trains. Apparently on Tuesday and Wednesday almost all the trains were cancelled and there were signs everywhere saying “don’t try to go to Paris today”. What a chaos.  So now please please please let this craziness end and the winter be over for good. If not, I may have to move somewhere else…

On my way to school on Tuesday



Our garden

As J reminded me, this is what we were doing exactly a year ago, sunbathing at Jardin de Luxembourg. In March, that's how it's supposed to be!

My first one a half weeks back in Paris have been extremely busy but it has been good to get back to the routines after a relaxing stay in Finland. I’ve started a new good life which means that:

1.        I’ve been working hard at school to catch up with what I missed.

2.        I’ve started putting an active effort into my job hunting.

3.       I’ve been doing lots of sports.

4.       Finally, after three days of absolutely nothing in my fridge and absolutely no  time to do my groceries, I bought plenty of healthy food and are now  cooking and eating well again.

5.       I cleaned my apartment thoroughly and even took out all my clothes from the wardrobe and reorganized them (to make room for new spring clothes).

So my excuses for not writing my blog…

I’ve also tried to have time for my friends. Last Friday was the International Women’s Day so we had a small soirée with some of my favorite women. Thanks T for the initiative and everyone for your company.

M

E

T

And + D, all together, a part of my favorite girls!

It was Women's Day but some quite great guys joined us as well

One other crazy thing (besides the weather haha) happened this Monday: we finally got our exam results! And what’s crazy about that is that I got amazingly good grades. Yey! :) We don’t know the exact average grades yet but I have at least 15,6/20 which should be among the bests in our class and at least it’s more than I’ve ever gotten before. I’m really happy and relaxed because I was so worried. But I’m also a little ashamed because once again I was so afraid that my exams went bad and then finally I got super grades. I could promise that from now on I don’t stress and panic pointlessly – but I won’t because that’s a promise I could never keep, this is just who I am. But for my own physical and mental health I will try to take it a little easier. After all, I only need to get like 4,5/20 for this semester and I’ll pass my year. Well I’m not going to take it that easy thought. But for example, I had a test today in information technology. I practiced yesterday for maybe three and a half hours but that’s all (not much for me). And I stressed or worried for zero seconds. And I think it went quite well, I’m soon a pro in web developing and won’t need big sis M’s help anymore (haha you wish). After school I went to do some shopping, came home and took nap, read some Emily Giffin, cooked dinner and now I’m writing this. And soon I’ll have a skype date with N, my Finnish-Swiss friend. And what about tomorrow’s homework, not even thinking about it. This “not taking school too seriously”-attitude is kind of nice actually. Besides, I’ve been really tired these last days. I think that waiting for the exam results and stressing about it took a lot of energy and then finally when I got them and everything was fine I was exhausted. So I’ve been sleeping a lot but I think I deserve it.

So I started to do some spring shopping. But mum, I can explain this to you:

This Chanel jacket was only 24,90 on sale at Promod, I just couldn't resiste



And I needed new black pants because the ones I normally use lost their color when you washed them. Besides, this is the best part, I always though I was short but apparently I was just fat because when you buy pants in size 34 (!!) you don't even have to shorten them.  34 is a reason enough to buy, I think you can agree on that.

And then I had to buy some sports wear and basic make up but that doesn't count. :)

M had promised me long time ago that if I succeeded my exams he would take me out for dinner (as if he didn’t do it all the time) so Monday eve, horrified by the snow storm we went to the Spanish restaurant 30 meters from my place, Casa San Pablo. I really like this place and their Sangria and spending time with you M.

Casa san Pablo (and the golden purse M is holding is mine btw)

I swore I'd never ever drink again but a glass (or two) of Sangria is fine (and it was)

And dessert!

It's good to be back in Paris and I love my life. I wish you all an awesome Friday and weekend!

xoxo: Emi

Flying back to Paris

I’m writing this post on the plane. I’m somewhere between Helsinki and Paris so here’s my “differences between Helsinki and Paris”-list. Haha, just a couple of small things that came to my mind during this week.

Compared to Paris, what I love about my visits in Helsinki:

• Long, hot showers, you never run out of hot water.
• Warm apartments! Even if it’s -20 outside, it’s always warm inside.
• Also the walls are not paper thin like in Paris so I spent my mornings singing Alicia Keys’s “Girl On Fire” (quite loud) and I think our neighbors didn’t hear that much.
• Someone always cooks for me or at least pays if I do the grocery shopping. And mum takes care of me and gives me vitamins when I’m sick.
• Reading Finnish Cosmo and eating Finnish/Swedish chocolate and candy – perfect
• Everyone speaks Finnish, it’s so relax not having to speak foreign languages. Even though it’s weird.
• Client service, really friendly everywhere, at least this time.
• I looked around while walking in the center of Helsinki and looks like we have plenty of nice cafés. If I lived in Helsinki I could probably even survive without a Starbucks.
• In Helsinki they don’t go crazy about snow. Okay a little, but in Paris, a snow storm like the one we had last night in Helsinki and my flight would have never departed on time (and I would have never gotten to the airport).

And things that I’ve forgotten about and that now drive me crazy:

• Public transports! Too often I wait for the tram for 15 minutes in the freezing cold, that’s not cool. And getting from place A to place B in the center area of Helsinki takes forever.
• Everyone understands Finnish (no secret language like in Paris)
• The selection in grocery stores is so restricted (or different), I never find anything that I’m used to eating in Paris. And the prices for food in supermarkets and in restaurants, horrible. And alcohol, everything is so expensive!
• Spending time with my family is great but a week is enough, thank God in Paris I have my own apartment just for me.

 

Kirjotan tätä postausta lentokoneessa jossain Helsingin ja Pariisin välillä, tässä siis mun lista ”Mikä on erilaista Helsingissä ja Pariisissa?” Haha, muutama pieni asia vaan, mitä tuli mieleen tän viikon aikana.

Verrattuna Pariisiin, asioita joiden takia Helsingissä on niin ihana käydä:

• Kuuma, pitkä suihku on aina parasta, lämmin vesi ei lopu ikinä!
• Asunnot on lämpimiä. Vaikka ulkona ois kuinka kylmä niin sisällä on aina lämmin.
• Seinät ei myöskään oo paperinohuita niin kun Pariisissa. Lauleskelin melkeen joka aamu Alicia Keysin ”Girl On Fire” (aika kovaa) ja luulen ettei meidän naapurit häiriintyneet kovin pahasti.
• Joku aina laittaa ruokaa tai ainakin maksaa jos käyn kaupassa. Ja äiti huolehtii musta ja ostaa mulle vitamiineja kun oon kipeä.
• Suomen Cosmo ja suomalaista/ruotsalaista suklaata ja karkkia – täydellistä.
• Kaikki puhuu suomea, on niin rentoa kun ei tarvii puhua vieraita kieliä. Vaikka se onkin outoa.
• Asiakaspalvelu on ystävällistä, ainakin tällä kertaa.
• Huomasin keskustassa pyöriessäni, että Helsingissä on paljon tosi kiva näköisiä kahviloita. Jos asuisin Helsingissä niin saattaisin ehkä jopa selvitä ilman Starbucksia.
• Helsingissä ei seota lumesta. Okei, ehkä vähän, mutta jos Pariisissa ois ollut samanlainen lumimyräkkä kun Helsingissä eilen niin mun lento ei ois ikinä lähtenyt ajoissa. Enkä ois kyllä mitenkään edes päässyt lentokentälle.

Ja asioita, jotka olin jo unohtanut ja jotka nyt ärsyttää:

• Julkinen liikenne! Ratikat on aina myöhässä, niin usein joudun odottaan 15 minuuttia jäätävässä kylmyydessä. Ja miten liikkuminen paikasta A paikkaan B kantakaupungin alueella voi kestää niin kauan?
• Kaikki ymmärtää suomea. Ei voi puhua salakieltä niin kun Pariisissa.
• Ruokakaupoissa on tosi huonot (tai erilaiset) valikoimat, en ikinä löydä mitään, mitä oon tottunut syömään Pariisissa. Ja ruoan hinta kaupassa ja ravintolassa, apua. Ja alkoholi, kaikki on niin kallista!
• On kiva viettää aikaa perheen kanssa, mutta viikko riittää. Onneks Pariisissa mulla on oma kämppä vaan mulle.

And another funny remark. You know when you throw a party in Paris and you tell everyone that it starts at 8pm for example (don’t even dream about starting earlier). You can be sure that no one (at least no one who’s French or Spanish or from South America) shows up before 9pm and that most of the guests will arrive around 10. And so the party doesn’t start until very late and then you’re supposed to keep going until 6am next morning. Not my thing anymore. So let me tell you how we do it in the Finnish way. For example my brother’s birthday party. I had invited everyone for 6pm and at 7pm our house was full of people. That’s not too early at all to start a party and almost everyone came on time. Then we had the whole evening time to party and around 2am the first guests started to leave so that they could catch the last bus or tram home. And it didn’t feel like “oh why are you leaving so soon, we just started” like in Paris. Of course some people stayed longer or even slept at our place and that was cool too.

But even better was my grandma’s birthday party, I laughed so much about this. Our whole family was there already and we ate earlier but the official guests had been invited for 3pm. At 2.55 no one had come and then suddenly at 3.05 everyone was there, they came exactly on the right time not a minute earlier or later. Then they ate and had coffee and around 5pm most of them left. Easy party. (Except those who were already drunk and stayed to get more drunk. Ps it’s hilarious listening to elder people who have had a little too much punch).
 

My point is: the Finnish could really teach some punctuality and being on time to other nationalities (those mentioned before). :)

 

Ja vielä yksi hauska huomio. Kun Pariisissa järjestää bileet ja kutsuu ihmiset vaikka kaheksalta (sitä aikasemmin ei voi ees kuvitella alottavansa) niin kukaan ei varmasti tuu ennen yheksää (ainakaan kukaan ranskalainen/espanjalainen/etelä-Amerikasta) ja suurin osa vieraista saapuu paikalle ehkä kymmenen aikaan. Eli bileet pääsee vauhtiin vasta tosi myöhään ja sit ois tarkotus jaksaa aamuun asti. Enkä mä ainakaan enää jaksa. Suomessa taas, kaikki on toisin. Esim. mun pikkuveljen synttärit, olin kutsunut ihmiset kuudelta ja seittemältä meidän kämppä oli täynnä porukkaa. Ei se oo musta yhtään liian aikainen aika alottaa juhlat ja melkeen kaikki tuli ajoissa. Meillä oli koko ilta aikaa juhlia ja kun ensimmäiset vieraat alkoi lähteä kahen aikaan, että ne ehti vielä vikoihin busseihin ja ratikoihin, niin ei se tuntunut yhtään siltä, että ”hei ette te vielä voi lähteä, justhan nää bileet vasta alkoi”, niin kun Pariisissa aina. Tottakai osa vieraista jäi myöhempään ja jotkut jopa yöks ja sekin oli kivaa.

Mutta vielä hauskempi kokemus oli mun mummun synttärit, nauroin tälle niin paljon. Meidän oma suku oli jo paikalla ja syötiin aikasemmin, mutta viralliset vieraat oli kutsuttu kolmeksi. Viis vaille kolme kukaan ei ollut tullut, mutta yhtäkkiä viis yli kolme talo oli täynnä porukkaa, kaikki tuli just oikeaan aikaan, ei minuuttiakaan ennen tai jälkeen. Sitten ne söi ja joi kahvit ja viiden aikaan ne jo lähti pois. Helpot juhlat. (Paitsi ne jäi jotka oli jo vähän humalassa ja halus juoda lisää. Ps. On muuten tosi hauskaa kuunnella eläkeläisiä, jotka on juonut vähän liikaa boolia…)

Mutta pointti oli, että suomalaiset vois todellakin opettaa vähän täsmällisyyttä ja ajoissa olemista muille kansalaisuuksille (jotka manitsin aikaisemmin). :)
 

My party on Friday night that I organized for my brother was a success. I was a little afraid that people wouldn’t come but for no reason. Nearly everyone we invited came and we had quite enough of un-invited guests as well. I think everyone had a good time, the teenagers were drunk and happy but no one threw up, broke anything or stole anything which is pretty well. And in the morning, they were feeling absolutely fine while me and my friend T were super tired and had a terrible headache, so unfair (and we drank like two glasses of wine and nothing else). I’m still feeling sick and that sucks because my point was to get some rest in Finland. I guess all this organizing, stressing and staying up till 5 to supervise the young, drunk party people took too much energy. But my brother liked it and actually it was so much fun watching them because I remember that I was exactly the same five years ago…

 

Bileet, jotka järjestin perjantaina mun pikkuveljelle, oli menestys. Pelkäsin vähän ettei ihmiset tulis, mutta turhaan. Melkeen kaikki kutsutut tuli ja ihan tarpeeks ei-kutsuttujakin. Luulen, että kaikilla oli hauskaa, teinit oli kännissä ja iloisia mutta kukaan ei oksentanut, hajottanut mitään tai varastanut mitään, mikä on ihan hyvä saavutus. Ja aamulla ne oli kaikki tosi hyvävointisia, vaan mä ja mun kaveri T kärsittiin kamalasta väsymyksestä ja päänsärystä, ei oo reilua (me juotiin ehkä kaks lasia viiniä, ei muuta). Mulla on edelleen vähän kipeä olo, mikä on ihan tyhmää koska mun piti palata Suomesta hyvin levänneenä ja virkeänä. Luulen, että tää kaikki juhlajärjestely, stressaaminen ja valvominen viiteen asti nuorta, kännistä juhlaväkeä vahtien, vaati liian paljon energiaa. Mutta mun veli tykkäs ja oikeestaan oli aika hauskaa seurata niitten juhlimista, koska muistan, että viis vuotta sitten oli ite ihan samanlainen…
 

My catering. The drink is punch, in Finnish "booli". One with Passoa and the other with strawberry liqueur.

My team: S, T and R (and J who's not on the photo). Thanks for the help!

Bday boy and his friend R



House full of people. In the end we were at least 30, I shouldn't have worried...

Me and my bday boy

cakes

Bday boy and cake

 

My favorite baby girls S and A

With my dearest Helsinki-friend T...

... trying to act young

Now back to Paris and bye bye winter, the weather forecast shows +16 for next week! And I realized that normally I always take the plane in the evening when it’s dark but this time it’s day time and the sun is shining. The view from my window is really beautiful.

 

Nyt takas Pariisiin ja hei hei talvi koska sääennuste lupaa +16 astetta ens viikolle! Ja tajusin muuten myös, että yleensä lennän aina illalla kun on pimeetä mutta nyt on päivä ja aurinko paistaa ja maisemat on tosi kivat.

xoxo: Emi

 

Flying over Swedish archipelago. Looks already a lot better than in the snowy Finland. :)