Autumn in Paris

If you live in Southern California like me, you might not realize that it’s actually autumn. The trees are barely turning colors and just a couple weeks ago it was 100*F. (rolls eyes).

That’s why I’m extra nostalgic for autumn in Paris, so I’ve thrown together some of my favorite images of Paris covered in leaves.

ALSO, this is a great time to announce that I’ve been officially published in print! A couple months ago I entered an Instagram competition with Lonely Planet Traveller magazine. The theme was Ode to Autumn, so I submitted one of my photos of the autumnal banks of the Seine river, and I was picked! Here’s a peek at the page inside the Postcards section in November issue of the UK version of the magazine. Mine’s the first one at the top left!

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The optimistic part of me hopes that this is just the beginning of my photographic career, and that there are many more moments like this to come, but the pessimistic, critical part of me is saying it’s no big deal, that it means nothing and doesn’t mean I’ll ever “make it” as a photographer. But regardless of my mixed feelings about this 2-by-2-inch square of real estate in a magazine, I gotta admit it’s pretty cool.

Just in case anybody is interested in purchasing this fall image as a print (my grandma has this one framed in her house!), I popped a listing into my Etsy shop, available here.

 

Without further ado, enjoy these fall-tastic photos of Paris that I’ve taken over the years. If there’s a specific photo you’d like to know the location of, just leave me a comment and I’ll reply!

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Visual Diary – Lonely Autumn Days

The past month has given me lots of alone time to reflect. Recently, two of my closest friends moved out of France, and in September, my husband Erik went to the US to await his Green Card, leaving me with just a single friend to hang out with, and lots of quiet evenings alone. It’s been interesting.

Without an extra person next to me when I sleep, or someone waiting for me when I come back from the grocery store, things have been a little bit strange. Yesterday I realized I had barely used my voice for the entire day, and I wondered jokingly if my vocal chords still worked. Even though I had been wandering around Paris for the entire day, surrounded by people on the street, I still felt isolated, simply because most of the people I love weren’t with me.

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The Gardens of Versailles in Autumn

During the two years I’ve lived near the Versailles gardens, can you believe I’ve never seen the fountains when they’re turned on? You see, there are lots of Baroque fountains and groves peppered throughout the massive gardens, but since they’re so old, they can’t be running water constantly. So every weekend (excluding weekends in winter), all the fountains turn on and the entire garden is filled with the sounds of water and Baroque music. It really adds to the ambiance – which is impressive, considering the gardens already have a ton of ambiance to begin with.

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In the Tuileries garden

Visual Diary – Summer’s Over

The change in season has brought about many changes in day-to-day life. In early September, not just one, but three friends moved into town. Two of those friends were originally made during my study-abraod adventures two years ago, all of us hailing from different parts of the US. It’s amazing that all of us find ourselves back in the same place once more.  My weekends now consist of dinner with friends, wiiU game tournaments, and friendly meet-ups for coffee or walks through the park. I haven’t felt that crushing sense of boredom and depression that hit me all too frequently in the past months.  Filling a life with even the smallest of meaningful activities makes such a big difference.  Having people I trust in my immediate surroundings makes me feel less like an alien and more like I have a place here.

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The Last Bookstore + Outfit + Abbot Kinney Road

I’ve lived within Los Angeles County for the entirety of my life, and this week marked my THIRD visit to downtown… and the other two were so brief that they hardly count. I don’t give this city enough credit. I complain about how warm it is everyday, wanting to have that cozy winter holiday feeling that never seems to come, but really? Who can complain about year-round sunshine?

Michelle and I decided to go to The Last Bookstore, which is probably one of the coolest places I’ve been in a while. It doubles as artist studio space, performance venue, and even offers knitting classes. They had some awesome art installations with deconstructed pianos and sculptural sheet music! The ground level looked like a pretty standard bookstore, but upstairs is where the magic happens. Not only were the artist studios upstairs, but also “The Labyrinth above The Last Bookstore.”

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Details: Tapestry + Thoughts on Confidence

As Fall approaches (I see fall as happening in the future because it is still warm here in SoCal), I have noticed the resurfacing of autumnal textures: cable knit, tweed, wool, plaid, and tapestry. I bought these tapestry shorts last year, but they’ve been hibernating in the bottom of my pants drawer. They’re one of those items that you love, but can’t seem to muster the confidence to wear on most days.

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