Make a Carriès Mask

Make a Carriès Mask

This is part of Make a Mask, a series where I make copies of masks in Parisian museums. This Halloween, I made my first papier-mâché mask. It was such an enjoyable process; a mix of sculpture, paper work and painting. Since then, every time I visit a museum, I am drawn magnetically to any and all masks on display. Naturally, the next step was [ ... ]

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Speed Crafting at La REcyclerie

Speed Crafting at La REcyclerie

I was recently introduced to what may be now my favorite competitive sport: speed crafting (think speed dating, but without the awkward small talk and judgement). The event was organized by L'Insolente for Paris bloggers to come together, sip cocktails, and race to complete as many of the four proposed crafts as possible in an hour and [ ... ]

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Making a Papier-mâché Mask

Making a Papier-mâché Mask

In the midst of getting ready for Halloween this year, I came across a website called Ultimate Paper Mache. All of a sudden, I was overcome with a burning desire to make a papier-mâché mask. Like, right now. When I get a creative itch, it can be very hard for me to not scratch it immediately. Once the idea of playing with papier-mâché [ ... ]

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Halloween Costumes (and Skeletons)

Halloween Costumes (and Skeletons)

When October rolls around each year, I am faced with the big decision of what costume to make for Halloween. But since moving to Paris, this choice has become more complicated. It’s not just me anymore; there are also the skeletons. I was in charge of decorations for the Halloween party two years ago.  I [ ... ]

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Happy Place: the Bon Marché

Happy Place: the Bon Marché

This is part of Happy Places, a series about making the time to have experiences that bring you joy, but can be hard to justify with a busy schedule. The Bon Marché, founded in 1838, was Paris's first department store. Every detail of the display is meticulously thought out to maximize your experience of luxury. It is a sensory overload, a Vogue you can touch and smell [ ... ]

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It's not a party without a guestbook

It's not a party without a guestbook

"Welcome! You can put your coat on the bed, food and drinks are in the living room, and don't forget to sign the guestbook!" This is how I greeted my guests at my recent Housewarming Party, and pretty much everyone gave me a puzzled look, wondering if they had heard me correctly. They had [ ... ]

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Roaring Twenties Birthday Party

Roaring Twenties Birthday Party

A dear friend’s 30th birthday was approaching. To celebrate reaching the end of her 20’s, she decided to have a Roaring Twenties party. She has mad mixology skills, so a major highlight of the evening would be the specially selected, Prohibition Era cocktails. To prepare for the evening, she had [ ... ]

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