Author Archive

Life, In Real Time

Posted on May 14, 2012

Hi Everybody!

It’s still rainy, cold and gray in Paris—-what kind of May is this? People write love songs and have dreams about spring in Paris, and none of them include long-johns and umbrellas!!! And either there is some kind of worldwide lousy weather thing happening, or I’m cursed, since I arrived from the same kind of unseasonable weather in New York, Los Angeles before that (pouring rain and freezing cold), and 3 weeks of miserable cold weather in San Francisco. And to top it off, I’m going to New York in 2 days, checked the weather, sure it would be balmy and warm with spring in full swing, and discovered that the weather in New York is more of the same. Yerghk!!! I hope it warms up and dries out somewhere that I am soon, since I’m heading off on my usual rounds to see the kids. » read more »

Filed Under Family, Kids | 3 Comments

Spring?

Posted on May 7, 2012

Having grown up alone with an older father, and married two men who were twenty years older than I (who often had friends even older than they), I have often spent my life with considerably older people, and discovered (to my dismay when I was very young) that older people have 3 favorite subjects of conversation: how well they slept the night before, how well their digestive systems are working, and the weather. I always found all 3 topics incredibly boring, but maybe I’m slipping over the edge now too. I’ve never had trouble sleeping and sleep very little (I don’t need more than 4 or 5 hours a night), my digestive system has always worked fine and I pay no attention to it (and find it an appalling topic of conversation), which leaves the weather. And I find that lately, I’m getting obsessed with that. I left Paris more than » read more »

Filed Under Paris, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

May Day in Paris

Posted on April 30, 2012

As I’ve mentioned before, May Day (the first of May) is a big deal in France, and it is to me as well, for several reasons. It’s the French equivalent of Labor Day, and often the French get to do what they call ‘make a bridge’, like this year the 1st of May falls on Tuesday, so everything will be closed all week end, Monday (the bridge), and Tuesday (the actual holiday). It’s a particularly nice holiday, because everyone gives everyone else ‘lily of the valley’ for good luck. they are sold in little pots, bouquets, or just a sprig, and there are vendors on nearly every street corner selling them, with the delicate scent of lily of the valley fragrant in the air. » read more »

Filed Under Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Spring Cleaning

Posted on April 23, 2012

Hi Everyone,

Here I am—-doing closets again!!! Spring Cleaning!!! I always question why I do them (other than the fact that closets get messy), and I think there are two reasons why I take such pleasure in cleaning out and reorganizing closets. For one thing, it’s something you can control. None of us can fully control our lives, people come and go, things happen, the unexpected and unpredictable turns our lives upside down (romances that go awry, children who worry us, bumps in our careers, lost clients, lost jobs, and all the things that stress us everyday), but when you tidy up your closets, you feel like you’re the master of the situation, you get to make choices, decide where you want to put things, and what you want in your life and what you don’t. You can dispose of every outfit you feel fat or ugly in, the fashion mistakes, the things you bought on a bad day, look at later and wonder what you were thinking. » read more »

Filed Under Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Springtime in Paris

Posted on April 16, 2012

Spring was still officially six days away as I wrote this:  The weather has been so gorgeous in Paris for the last few days, that everyone is hoping Spring is really here. Branches are blossoming with tiny flowers, the sun is out and the weather is warm, and it made me think today that there is nothing prettier than Spring in Paris (or anywhere for that matter, but it’s hard to beat here). And after cold gray days of winter, this is just heavenly. It will probably get cold again, but this is sooooooo nice. » read more »

Good Morning America

Posted on April 9, 2012

Hi Everyone,

As some of you may have seen, I was on Good Morning America recently, and even after all these years of ‘fame’, it still amazes me to be on those shows. I flew to New York from Paris, and had a really lovely weekend with two of my daughters (one of them is getting married, and we’re planning the wedding, so there is lots to talk about. But even without the wedding, I love seeing my daughters, and a weekend together is a real gift). And after a nice weekend, I had the show to do on Monday morning. And the show may seem early—-but that’s nothing compared to what you have to do in order to be on it.  » read more »

Filed Under Uncategorized | 14 Comments

Resurrection

Posted on April 2, 2012

As you know, I don’t like intruding on anyone’s thoughts about religion, as it’s a very private thing. But certain words resonate for all of us, whatever our beliefs, and as much as I like the whimsical side of Easter (my family and I wear bunny ears every year at Easter brunch, and I can never resist chocolate covered marshmallow bunnies and eggs!!!)—-but in spite of that less serious note, the concept of ‘resurrection’ resonates deeply for me every year.  » read more »

Filed Under Holidays | 7 Comments

Shoes!!!

Posted on March 26, 2012

With apologies to my male readers, this is admittedly a girly subject. Although some men like shoes too.

A few years ago, a disgruntled shoe designer (whose shoes my daughters and I don’t often buy any more, new designers emerge, and fashion moves on), anyway he announced in an interview, in a fit of pique, I assume—that I have 6,000 pairs of his shoes. His comment hit the internet, and I haven’t heard the end of it since. I wish people talked as much about my books, as about the story of those 6,000 pairs of shoes. It continues to surface, and at every dinner party I go to, someone leans over and says in hushed tones “Do you really have 6,000 pairs of shoes?”. No, I don’t, of his shoes, nor any other designer’s. And the originator of that comment wrote me a very nice apology many months later, but the deed was done. So now I will be talked about forever as the woman with 6,000 pairs of shoes.  But having said that, yes, I do love shoes!!! (Not 6,000 pairs of them, but a lot). » read more »

Filed Under Fashion | 7 Comments

Paris Fashion Week…..More

Posted on March 12, 2012

As I write this, Paris fashion week is just winding to a close, after a frenzied week of fashion shows all day long, and people in fashion from all over the world in Paris to see the shows. I have to admit, I picked the cream of the crop, and peeked at the other shows online. There were some beautiful clothes shown in Paris in the last week. One of my favorites, Celine, didn’t have a show, just a presentation, so I looked at that one online. » read more »

Filed Under Fashion, Paris | 15 Comments

Paris Fashion Week…Again

Posted on March 5, 2012

Hi, Everyone!!

It’s that time of year again!!! (Ready to Wear) Fashion Week in Paris. As I’ve told you before, the Haute Couture shows used to be the Big Event in French fashion, with presidents’ wives, major movie stars, and famous socialites at every show, making it a really big deal. Now with most of the big Couture designers gone, the only two big Haute Couture shows left are Dior and Chanel. Givenchy does Haute Couture and no longer does a fashion show, although they make beautiful clothes. But nowadays, there are few familiar faces at those shows although I saw Cameron Diaz at the recent Chanel Haute Couture show, and she looked absolutely gorgeous, just as pretty as in the movies!! » read more »

Filed Under Fashion, Paris | 29 Comments

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »