Sunday, March 28, 2010

Les Puces du Paris Saint Quen


I have once tried to go this flee market. But then, it was much like the bad part of Victoria Market. Then, my Paris friend told me that I was in the long end and the market goes for miles the other way.
Look it up, check the map and it is actually 5mins walk from my house!
Apparently, it's the biggest flee market in Europe. That is a big statement to make. But it's true. It's so big. Anything and everything that you can think of are there. Private sellers to black market dudes. Track suits pants to amazing vintage/antiques. I have made some good purchase today.
This is what my 8 euro has got me.

Crochet crazy...

I've been busy. I've been very busy crocheting... and I am totally obsessed! So obsessed that I stay up till 2.30 in the morning crocheting.
In the process, I have learned a lot of new French word which are necessary in making my crafts. Yarns, needles, cotton (for stuffing) etc. I have also found many beautiful craft shops in Paris.

La Droguerie
9-11 rue du jour
75001 Paris

They have really good range of yarns, beads, buttons, felts etc. It is a little bit pricey and it can get very busy on weekends but it's good quality.They also have a store in Le Bon Marche 3rd floor. In terms of yarns, Bon Marche has much more range and easier to get served.

Le Bon Marche

24 rue de Sevres
75007 ParisMetro: Sevres-Babylon

Another beautiful store in the hidden courtyard.Entree des Fornisseurs
8 rue des Francs Bourgeois
75003 Paris
Metro: Saint Paul

The buttons are quite expensive there... I found that it's too much. Then just around the corner, there's an amazingly good priced beads/button/accessory shop.
Matiere Premiere
12 rue de Sevigne
75004 Paris
Metro: Saint Paul

Marais is a full of whole sellers for craft materials. Lot of them don't do retail selling but this one does. Full of beads and jewelery making goods.


La Perlerie
22 rue du temple
75003 Paris


I've gone nuts and started making everything! from teddies to food... they're the practice ones so it's not perfect yet. But soon. Soon I'll get better. (I hope)



This little shop is an inspiration to all my obsession. It's a knitted finger puppet shop. I found it last time i was in Paris, but then it moved! I recommended it to a friend, but because of the move, I couldn't find it. Then, walking around Saint Paul the other day, I found it!!!

Marionnettes du Marais
15 rue Elzevir
75003 Paris

Sunday, March 21, 2010

what more could a girl want?

I possibly had the best girlie day with my friend Jacinta yesterday. We went to Printemp MAC section to find new liquid eye liner. I usually use the one that's from Japan. They have cheap and not nasty cosmetics. But the problem is that good liquid eye liners are difficult to find. Specially ones that lasts and stays as bold as when it's applied. I don't wanna sound like an infomercial lady, but damn this is good. Me and Jacinta both got one. Highly recommended. It's worth investing in a good eyeliner.
I got this make-up base as well. I didn't mean to get this one... I wanted to get the oil control base this but I picked up the wrong one... However, this is amazing as well. The foundation goes on the skin so smooth after this. I should get a job at Mac... This lovely lady at the counter even gave me a discount. Turns out that she lived in Japan for 3 years in Nakamegro, met her French husband and now she's in Paris.

Gallery La Fayette has this great gourmet section. As you walk in, you can smell all the spices, chocolate, macarons etc at once. I don't know if that's a good thing...
Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki makes incredibly beautiful sweets. It's like this Japanese obsession for Paris, sweets and cute little things all mixed into their creation of their products. So colourful and beautiful to look at. One thing I really wanted to try was Chocorons!
Yes, they are macarons coated with chocolate!!! It is so delicious!!! I had a cafe flavour. I'm going to try all the flavours by the time I leave Paris. This is going to be my little treats from now on.
Jacinta with her wasabi flavoured macarons.

Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki

35 rue de Vaugirard
56 boulevard de Port-Royal

Gallery La Fayette
48 boulevard Haussmann 75009 Paris

La Machine

The weekend of 13 March, I went to check out this club event with Mani from Stone Roses and Chris form Belle and Sebastian djing at this club La Machine in the red light district Pigalle. The venue is amazingly furnished with red/orange colour. good size stage. It's about the size of the Hi-Fi but the sealing is really high up that it seems a lot bigger. No one really started dancing until 1.30am even though there were good selection of northern soul happening. I was quite agitated by the crowd not dancing actually. By the end of it, everyone was dancing but man, I was tired by then.
Black Lips and King Khan are doing a gig there soon. It'll be quite good as a venue.



La Machine du Moulin Rouge

92 Boulvard de Clichy
75018 Paris

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Absinthe

Sandra and Derren came to Paris! We went to a couple of bars and had fine wine, pastis and absinthe (I just had a sip of Sandra's though...) At La Fee Verte, they get you the whole ceremonial absinthe fountain. It has more water in it that you ever need and is huge. That's worth looking at in itself. It is so strong... I need to be prepared for that. It doesn't taste as bad as some has made it out to be.


It's just nice looking at the sugar melt by the water dripping from the fountain. There's a little fairy holding the fountain.

There's this venue in Pigalle called La Cigale... The xx played there recently and I couldn't get a ticket to it. Everything sells out quick here... Semi-major gigs are on there all the time. But I had no idea what la cigale (the word) meant. There is a little bar around the corner called La Fourmi. Nice little bar (easy on my wallet) for indie arts/music crowds that are going to a show later or going out. NOW, la cigale means cricket or cicada! and La fourmi means ants! It's from the folk tale. I only found that out yesterday. I found that the relationship between the bar and the venue extremely cute...

La Fourmi
74 rue du Martys
750018, Paris

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Winter's back... Brunch Bazar!

Just as i thought that the winter is saying good bye to me, i thought wrong... It got really cold again, which put me into semi-hibernation. (means I don't get out of the house after dark.) Instead I made myself noodles from the scratch. Those Japanese udon noodles. They also eat the similar kind in China as well. My colleague has lend me a book on it, so I gave it a go. You just need some strong flour and water. (and a lot of arm strength) After a good work out of kneading the dough, you rest is with a wet cloth over it for 1 hour. Then, you starting rolling it out flat with a rolling pin. You need to repeat that for a good sometime to make it to 40cm each way. Then you fold the pastry and cut into thin strips. Viola! You cook the noodles in the boiling water, then serve it with soup or stir fry it with vegetables.

You only need:
200g strong flour
80ml water
a good pair of arms

Some says it's better to use salt water and use cornflour to flour the bench etc.

Strong flour is basically the flour used for bread etc. Not the normal stuff for cakes.

I made it into a stir fry. It was my first attempt but it went well! Yummy. I started having this funny idea that maybe I open a noodle restaurant...

I went shopping for Jonny, Duncan and Kath's birthdays looking for something funny and little so that I can send them over cheap.That Marc Jacobs is a pen inside. Wait for it Kath. Yves Saint Laurent "official" badge. I could've made them but hey, it's "official" YSL. I love them. So Paris...

Exert from a magazine. It's a hamburger cupcake. The article included a recipe. They stole it Gemma!

I went to Brunch Bazzar today! It's a little craft market with vintage stalls, crafts and stuff. It's held 1st Sunday of every month. It's very earth friendly and child friendly. They were so many cute French kids. (well dressed of course.) This little fella above was waiting outside for his owner and he was shaking. But for that, he was getting a lot of attention.

Cococook. Good cakes and hot chocolates!!


Country dance lesson for all... Cutest thing ever. The little dude on the left in gray was eating for the whole time.


I bought a top/blouson type thing for 20 euros. But then, the guy at the stall puts all these things in my bag and says "it's a gift." A lot more than what I actually paid for. It made me happy for it's total randomness and practicality. Beck's scarf, Emily's Xmas sock, Adidas medal (not sure if that's practical...) and coasters.

Brunch Bazar

At Le Comptoir General
80 Quai de Jemmapes
75010 Paris
Metro: Republic

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Alice au Pay de Merveilles/Laduree

I have done it! Made it to Jacobs by Marc Jacobs shop after work!! I got the bag! yaya! I got a grey one. I wanted a pink one but that pink kinda reminded me of Supre, and my scarf and shoes will go better with the gray one. Jacobs by Marc Jacobs although is targeted at younger generation who would not be spending 220 euros on jeans. Affordable plain wallets, accessories, books, clothes etc. Next door is Marc Jacobs and baby Marc Jacobs as well.

19 Place du Marche Saint-Honore
75001 Paris


The department store Printemps have done this massive collaboration with designers, Disney and Laduree for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Laduree in Le printemps has done a total make over to look like Mad hatter's tea party.
The store has a collection of luxury brands which I would never be able to afford.
Apart from all the handbags displayed in between cakes and etc, it looks incredible in a very Disney way. (I do love Disneyland.) Specially because the display goes all the way up to the 3rd floor and there is a massive tea pot hanging from the roof. I was somewhat scared as I was sitting directly beneath it whilst I was enjoying my macarons...




On the menu, they have created limited seasons only flavours for the film. Green Apple (left) and Cherries. I had to try them and they were delicious!




Designers like Chole, Maison Martin Margiela, Christopher Kane and also R.I.P Alexander McQueen has done their novelty bit to the film and the store. I felt like I was at Myer at Christmas time... in a good way.

Printemps
64 Bvd Haussmann
75009 Paris