LAFLEUR DE TWITTER

I've officially joined Twitter (about time, right?) Follow me @ Lafleurdeparis !

xoxo
Twittergirl

ps Look - Claude Lelouch is checking his iphone for my latest tweet - aren't you ??

HUNGOVER IN PARIS WITH KIRSTEN LOBE

A New Yorker in Paris who loves clothes, shoes, delicious food and French men – already a winning concept for a book. Actually, a winning concept in itself. (cough cough) Couple that with the brilliantly witty and engaging writing style of Kirsten Lobe and you’re got yourself a … well, a Hangover. A “Paris, Hangover,” that is, Lobe’s first novel, a fish out of water tail – I mean TALE – about an American girl working in fashion in NY who leaves everything behind to embark on new adventures (most of which involve French men, mind you) in Paris. The book follows protagonist Klein as she braves the strange jungle of French men and dating, not to mention daily life in this strange land they call France. As an American living in Paris for five years, Lobe really captures the expat experience with humor, but also emotion. It’s like “Sex & The City” meets “2 Days in Paris.” The book will truly make you feel “hungover” – a bit strange, but very glad of the fun you had while reading it. Lobe is a former fashion designer for Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta who left NY for Paris in 2002. She traded her 2,000 square foot Tribeca loft for a tiny St Germain des pres abode – and thank goodness, because her books are essential reading for any Américaine living in Paris. Lobe also penned “French Trysts” (yes, don’t you just love her puntastic titles? I certainly do.) in 2007. The book is totally wild – it follows a young (American, bien sur) Sorbonne student who becomes a Courtesan and enjoys the thrill of the high life in Paris (wait a second, not a bad idea … ) It’s a totally hot and sexy romp through Paris. Now, Lobe is maman to Oscar Maximilian and is working on another book, which I will be sure to give you more details on as soon as that approaches. What are you waiting for? Grab some champagne and prepare yourself for a “Paris, Hangover” !
(FYI, You can buy the book at Amazon and WH Smith.)

PS Voilà an excerpt from Jalouse magazine a couple of years ago featuring the first Lafleur-Lobe rendez-vous, american girls in Paris at - where else? - the Café de Flore!

Let's GOGO out in Paris !

Are you GoGoing to Paris anytime soon? Or are you stranded there like an ash-hole what with this volcanic eruption? Or do you live here like moi and are looking for all the new hotspots ? Well get GoGoing and buy your copy of the self-proclaimed “freshest guide to Paris,” GoGo Paris’ Insider Guide to the city of lights, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The guide is available in .PDF form at GoGo’s website http://www.gogoparis.com/shop/. For those of you not familiar with GoGo, it’s an English-language website devoted to all things hip and cool in Paris. The new guide will be bi-monthly and downloadable. It’s SO 2010 – I mean, who really wants to carry around an out-dated printed book ? The new GoGo guide has all of the updates on cultural events during the two month-period (the first issue is May and June), plus a guide to the newest addresses including shopping, restaurants, galleries, museums, bars, clubs and hotels. Not to mention insiders tips from Parisian personalities such as yours truly (see Page 19 for my picks!).



The guide costs just 8 euros (aka $11 aka 7£ depending on your monetary unit of choice) and features 55 pages packed with 300 addresses. What are you waiting for? Let’s GoGo!

IF THE SHOE FITS ... BLOG IT. PARIS POPCORN AND PRING HEAT UP l'APPART

Thought I was the only girl with an accent gallivanting around Paris and blogging about my adventures? Think again. Nirit Sumeruk, the chicest and sexiest South African this side of the French border, struts her stuff at Parispopcorn.com. In other “I have an accent and I’m très chic and I live in Paris” news, Pring Chindahporn boasts the funkiest shoes this side of the River Seine at her boutique on the rue Charlot. The two fashionistas joined forces on Friday night for a party at André and Lionel’s top-secret hot spot in collaboration with Vitamin Water, “The Apartment.” Upstairs, every girl’s dream – a bed topped with gorgeous high heels à la Pring. Downstairs, a giant chocolate cupcake (courtesy of Beauty Cakes), a Popcorn machine (bien sûr!), champagne and a lifetime supply of vitamin water. Not to mention fabulously fashionable Parisians everywhere, including several expats – it was accent-chic night at l’Appart. Fashion bloggers from Shine A Town Isa and Alix were in the house – practice your French at their fab site http://www.shineatown.blogspot.com/. That is, before your dose of Popcorn at http://www.parispopcorn.com/ and Pring’s shoes at http://www.pringparis.com/.

My extraordinary adventures at the premiere of "The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec"

A young intrepid journalist, ready to do anything to achieve her goals – and very pretty too. Oh stop, I’m blushing. Actually, I’m referring to Adele Blanc-Sec, the heroine from Jacques Tardi’s famous comic books who is the title character in Luc Besson’s latest turn in the director’s chair, “The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec.” French TV personality turned rising starlette Louise Bourgoin plays the lead, joined on screen by an all-star French cast including Gilles Lellouche, Jean-Paul Rouve and Mathieu Amalric. I covered the red carpet premiere of the film in Paris on Monday night – check it out. The stars all came out to support the film – not only Besson, Bourgoin and Lellouche, but also French thesps Christophe Lambert, Alain Chabat, Samuel Lebihan and Zinedine Soualem, plus famous faces from the fashion world like Jean-Paul Gaultier and songbird Olivia Ruiz. Quote of the evening: “You are very Adele Blanc-Sec.” –Alain Chabat, to me after our interview. Stay tuned for mummies, pterodactyls and, the scariest of all … papa razzi !

"1.2.3.... say EVA!"

Thursday night, Eva Herzigova showed off her new collection for French brand 1.2.3 at a très VIP party in Paris at a private Hotel Particulier on the Avenue Foch. Eva was stunning in a long black dress as models wearing her collection wandered around the room. Best-selling author-turned media superstar Frédéric Beigbeder joined “it” girl Alice Dellal to play some of the best music I’ve heard at a party in awhile. Paris' in crowd hit the dance floor to move to nostalgic 90s tunes and modern hits. Several French celebs came out for the occasion including Bernard-Henri Levy and Arielle Dombasle, Natalia Vodianova, Melvil Poupaud, Lou Doillon, Vincent Elbaz, Zoe Félix, Aure Atika, Virginie Efira and Patrick Poivre d’Arvor. Former supermodel Herzigova has a two-year designing deal with 1.2.3. Check out these videos from the star-studded evening!

Movies of the week!

It's Easter weekend in Paris. Everything is closed and all of your friends are away in their country houses (or mine are at least!). Not to mention it's "raining like peeing cows" as the French so gracefully put it. Nothing to do? Head to the movies, bien sûr! And what should you see ? Check out my TV segment on Canal + show "Le Grand Journal" this week for the recommendations from the country's top film critics (cough cough :)

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE:
http://player.canalplus.fr/#/331734

MERCI !

MERCI … beaucoup! Literally, I plan to go to Merci, beaucoup (a lot) in the future. I’m of course referring to the vintage boutique Merci, located in Paris’ 3rd arrondissement. The concept store from the people who brought us the Bonpoint empire, Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, offers fabulous (expensive, but fabulous nevertheless) vintage clothing and accessories in a hipster-chic setting. From the flower shop to a bookstore coffee shop to the cobblestone courtyard, Merci is an escape from the busy Paris streets. Plus, all of the profits, production costs deducted, go straight to a children’s charity in Madagascar. The best part ? On the lower level, Merci’s restaurant offers healthy, “ladies who lunch”-like mid-day meals overlooking a cute little garden. Enjoy a plate of the day’s latest salads as you run into French movie stars from the neighborhood (like the ravishing Emmanuelle Devos who has been there every time I have) or fashionistas (and a few select fashionistos, but I must warn that the female:male ratio here is about 10:1). The plate of the day’s seasonal vegetables and salad offerings – think: quinoa salad with lemon, green beans with hazelnuts and orange zest, potatoes and capers and mushrooms and celery or lentils with parsley for example – is surprisingly good, and I highly recommend their fruit juice blends and delectable desserts like a pistachio and red berry crumble or fromage blanc with honey and pistachios. Head over there and I promise you’ll be telling me “merci!” for the fabulous recommendation.

Bounty Hunting in Paris

Last night, I met up with my best "Friend," Mademoiselle Jennifer Aniston, and the new love of my life, Gerard Butler, for the Paris premiere of Andy Tennant's new movie "The Bounty Hunter." Enjoy!

Belle en Rykiel

Voilà a look at Sonia Rykiel's amazing fashion show in Paris this year. Not only are the clothes incredibly gorgeous, but the models wearing them are actually - gasp!- smiling!

Enjoy...

Chic in Antik Batik!!

Check out my sneak peek of Antik Batik's winter collection for 2010-2011 at their showroom in Paris - so gorgeous!!

Lindsay L., Karl L. and Rebecca L. @ the VIP Room Paris

VIP ROOM Paris during Paris Fashion Week. Lindsay Lohan, Karl Lagerfeld and Gary Dourdan from "CSI". Notice how Lindsay was "avoiding the papa razzi" here ? Well, she then came back downstairs to pose for a second time just in case she didn't make enough of a scene. In any case, Gary Dourdan hit the stage to sing for the crowd with a Lenny Kravitz-like show that proves he's got a knack for forensics AND acoustics.

New blog

Check out my new blog @ Premiere.fr !! Don't hesitate to make comments on the posts or videos!
Practice your French!

http://experts.premiere.fr/Rebecca-Leffler


Bisous,
Rebecca

Off with their heels! Paris Premiere of "Alice in Wonderland"

Voilà a look at the Paris Premiere of Tim Burton's fabulous film "Alice in Wonderland." Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter (aka the Red Queen) and moi on the red carpet ... Enjoy!

http://www.premiere.fr/Cinema/Exclus-cinema/Interview-video/Le-Tapis-rouge-d-Alice-au-pays-des-merveilles-avec-Tim-Burton



The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?
Alice: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.

A SINGLE MAN PREMIERE, PARIS

It's not easy to find A Single Man in Paris ... but I did. Tom Ford, Colin Firth and Julianne Moore were all in Paris for the French "black carpet" premiere of Ford's latest film "A Single Man."

The fashion world came out to support Tom - Sonia and Nathalie Rykiel, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean-Paul Gaulthier, plus Kylie Minogue, Yvan Attal and Charlotte Gainsbourg and other stars from the French movie biz.

The film is excellent for those who haven't seen it yet. Colin Firth was nominated for an Oscar for his beautiful performance as a gay college professor in the 1960s mourning the death of his lover in a tragic car accident. Tom Ford really shows promise behind the camera, and Julianne Moore gives a classy, subtle performance as Firth's best friend.

Check out my coverage of the black carpet:

New blog @ Premiere.fr

Pour ceux qui parlez français or any of you who want to practice your French, check out my new blog @ Premiere.fr !

http://experts.premiere.fr/Rebecca-Leffler

I Love Paris in the Green&Spring-time ...

Oh the weather outside is frightful…but l’Hôtel is so delightful. It’s true – there’s no better spot in this wintery weather than l’Hôtel, rue des Beaux Arts, my favorite Left Bank refuge. Jessica and Peter Frankopan, the husband and wife duo behind A Curious Group of Hotels including this famed spot and Cowley Manor in the British countryside, have launched their own skincare line, Green & Spring and are bringing it to Paris. The all-natural products, already sold throughout the UK including in Harvey Nichols stores, will be sold at the Bon Marché as of March 8th. Oscar Wilde would be thrilled. (Indeed, while I do claim to have discovered the wonderful spot that is l’Hôtel, it’s in fact been a favorite of many before me, including Oscar Wilde, Johnny Depp, Mick Jagger - and Isabelle Huppert who I just ran into there the other day - among others.)

It’s not easy being Green & Spring... Actually, it is. The products are made with only wholesome, natural ingredients and smell and feel like they are fresh from the British countryside (in fact, they are.) The line features three main categories : relaxing, indulgent and revitalizing. The “Green” refers to their philosophy to use only natural ingredients, and the “Spring” to the fact that the products feature Cowley Manor’s own spring water.


COWLEY MANOR

The “relaxing” collection features aromatic scents and oils like lavender and rosemary, the “indulgent” collection combines sinful ingredients such as rose and jasmine, while the “revitalizing” collection will wake up your senses with peppermint and fennel. It’s like a green field in the middle of Springtime in the British countryside … only in a bottle.





Their “Indulging Exfoliating Body Balm” protects the skin with rosehip while sugar and beeswax leave the skin totally smooth - yes, even in winter. The Shower and Bath foams span every product category from a relaxing blend of chamomile, lavender and comfrey (careful – don’t fall asleep in the shower!) to indulging with jasmine and rose or revitalizing complete with vitamin A to tone the skin and aniseed to help relieve muscle and joint pain (after a day of Paris shopping?). Shampoos, conditioners, light bath oils, hand creams and washes, lip balm, candles and body lotions complete the Green & Spring package, not to mention a travel pack feature mini versions of the basic products, perfect for jet-setters (or traveling journalists ! wink wink). The travel pack bottles are perfectly sized to pass in your carry-on luggage through airport security … or in your overnight bag for a weekend getaway to Cowley Manor!

The prices are reasonable - 12€ for the lip balm, shower gel for 24€, hand wash for 18€ or cream for 20€ or body lotion for 28€ for example.

Can’t distinguish between all of the different products? Thankfully, there are British birds to do that for us. I don’t mean a fancy posh British way to say English women, I mean – literally – our winged, flying, feathered friends. The birds represent the British countryside and feature birds from the British Isles. Each kind of bird represents a different product and the colors of the birds refer to the range the product hails from, whether it be relaxing, revitalizing or indulging.
All of the ingredients are natural, most hailing from the UK, and the products are never tested on animals – British or otherwise.

On Tuesday, the Green & Spring team hosted a British-themed launch event for their skincare collection at – where else? – l’Hôtel, complete with cucumber and marmite sandwiches (they're British, forgive their culinary habits please), Victoria sponge cake (a royally delicious treat) and tea and champagne. Green (& Spring) with envy are you ? Don't worry, the products will all be available soon at le Bon Marché. In the meantime, I’m going to take a bath with some relaxing Green & Spring bath gel. Cheerio, mates !!

Take an insider look at the collection with the founder herself, Jessica Frankopan.




For more on Green & Spring:
http://greenandspring.com/

A cookie recipe from "Rebecca, the Conceited Chef"

Recipe du jour from “Rebecca, the Conceited Chef” (my very domestic alter-ego)

Conceited Cookies

These cookies have become my own personal Proust-like Madeleine – they evoke home (nothing says “New Jersey” like a combo of nuts and spices) and Martha Stewart (who nobody has heard of over here, can you believe it?) They’ve been my winter fuel since the start of the year – they’re incredibly easy to make (yes, even in tiny Paris kitchen conditions) and they’re relatively healthy, as far as cookies go.

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup regular, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil (or, if you’re in France, try huile de colza)
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I like “vanille de bourbon”)
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 cup or raisins
½ cup of almonds or walnuts
½ tsp of cinnamon
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Mix together the two kinds of flower and the baking powder in one bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla. Mix together. Add the flour mixture until all smooth. Then, add the oats, the nuts and the raisins, the cinnamon and the honey or maple syrup. Mix together. (You can refrigerate for a little while if you think the batter feels too soft/runny.) Spoon into circles, depending on how big or small you like your cookies, onto a non-stick or greased cookie sheet then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or approx. 175 degrees Celsius. Cook for around 7-8 minutes, then rotate cookie sheet and cook for around another 7-8 minutes, or until the cookies are to your liking. I prefer mine golden brown, but I know some prefer less cooked, so really it’s up to you. I recommend sprinkling a bit more cinnamon on top of the cookies right before you bake them for extra cinnamon flavor. Remove from sheet, let cool for a few minutes, then dig in ! These will keep in an airtight container for around a week (if they last that long!) Dip into a tall glass of almond milk or vanilla-flavored rice milk for an extra health kick, or enjoy – as I do – with some Yogi Bedtime tea before you head to sleep (It’s been scientifically proven that the sugar in the cookies is cancelled out by the bedtime-friendly herbs in the tea.) (OK, that’s a lie, but I swear, it’s a fabulous combo.) They’re SO DELICIOUS. Bon appétit, Rebecca the Conceited Chef.

BELLE EN RYKIEL (and happier too!)

It’s February in Paris. The air is cold, and the people are too. It’s either snowing or raining, and it’s dark when we wake up in the morning and dark again by late afternoon.
The Groundhog may not have seen his shadow, but I can confirm that Spring is coming early this year. On February 20th, H&M will launch its new exclusive knitwear collection designed by famous French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel. You all remember the most incredible party of the year, don’t you? (http://lafleurdeparis.blogspot.com/2009/12/rykiel-in-wonderland-h-throws-amazing.html)

Well, after launching the lingerie line in December, the knitwear collection will hit H&M stores all over the globe on Feb. 20th. Now, we can all be “Belle en Rykiel” (“beautiful in Rykiel”) and for even more beautiful prices ! And if the prices – 29,95euros for sweaters, 39,95euros for dresses – don’t make you feel good already, then maybe the fact that part of the proceeds of sales of the collection will go directly to UNICEF’s “All for Children” project will ?








Around 200 H&M locations will be colored with Rykiel’s designs including more basic black knit shorts, skirts and sweaters or schoolgirl-like blazers and more fun and colorful sweaters, dresses, leggings and scarves featuring Rykiel’s classic striped knits. The vibrant colors are like rays of yellow and pink sunshine in the middle of winter. French doctors have confirmed that wearing Rykiel’s colorful knits decrease depression by 98%. No, actually they haven’t but I have. Trust Dr. Lafleur, these sweaters will keep you smiling for hours. Rykiel also added her signature to the collection with bows on striped sweaters or Rykiel-ariffic words like “Mon pull Rykiel” (“My Rykiel Sweater” but it’s in French so that will be so chic everywhere other than Paris, France, bien sûr!) on her signature slogan tops. I love the black knitwear pieces splattered with clear rhinestones, including everything from sweaters to leggings and – of course, this is Paris, after all, more specifically Saint Germain des Pres – a beret.



Not to mention that Rykiel represents all that is beautiful about Saint Germain des pres, and now she’ll be spreading Saint Germain des pres love all around the world ! (Which I attempt to do every day, but they have yet to name a club sandwich after me at the Café de Flore like they have for her).
And, ladies, if you get to the shops in time (read: if you sleep in front of the store the night before, otherwise good luck finding anything after 20 minutes), THE accessory from the collection is Rykiel for H&M’s UNICEF bag. 30% of the proceeds from the bag will go to the project.



So before you start popping those anti-depressants or jumping into the Seine, throw on some brightly colored Rykiel for H&M-wear. Plus, at H&M’s affordable prices, it’s a lot cheaper than a psychologist.* (*Unless of course you buy the entire collection, which I might ☺)

Bises EWWWWWW

The kiss on both cheeks - les “bisous” – are the French (contami)national symbol for hello and goodbye. Even in the dead of winter when microbes are ubiquitous throughout the air and “la grippe A” (a very chic, French, pretty way to say “swine flu”) is spreading rapidly, Parisiens insist on kissing each other despite the obvious danger to the kissee. They call this art “La Bise.”
I can’t even tell you how many times someone has “bisoused” me (bisou v. {bee-zoo-d} to give the two-cheeked French kiss greeting) and after I say “ça va?” respond with “oh, by the way I have the stomach flu” or “no, in fact, I have a very contagious strain of ebola.” The thought would never occur to said French person to perhaps – gasp! – NOT give the bisous considering the illness? But of course – bisouing in France is like breathing, you simply just do it naturally. Except of course to perhaps your boss or someone in a business meeting or an elder. But then you get into the whole “vous” vs. “tu” debate and, well, that’s just too complicated for a Wednesday afternoon. The French take their bisous very seriously. Going out to a group dinner is, in fact, one of France’s unspoken national sports. Before one can sit down at the table, one must give two kisses (or three if your fellow diners hail from certain regions of Southern France) on the cheeks of each guest and THEN, before leaving, another table round. For a dinner of 10 people, that’s a total of 40 kisses, and 20 left-to-right neck movements. I’ve figured it out. THAT’S the French paradox. THAT’S how they stay so thin. Forget “the smaller portions sizes” or “their metabolism” – they perform the equivalent of a quarter triathlon before and after every meal.
A message to all Parisians: THINK before you bisou. Have a cold? I don’t. I don’t want one. Shake my hand if you must – I’m American, I always carry Purell in my purse of course – but please, no bisEWWW. And with that, I must go – I have to go do some neck exercises to get in shape for a big dinner with some friends later tonight…