Tokujin Yoshioka

Check out the amazing Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka.  Last year he unveiled "Venus", a natural crystal chair. Quite cutting-edge and innovative, but more of a beautiful piece of art than comfort furniture! More importantly, his production process is very unique - the skeleton of this chair is made of polyester elastomer and then submerged in a tank where the crystals grow over time.  Its an interesting take on sustainable design... creating with the laws of nature.

His website features more incredible work, including architectural/spacial designs and commercial art from his collaborations with the likes of Issey Miyake, Hermes, BMW and Swarvoski.

Here's a video of his "Lake of Shimmer", an installation for Swarvoksi:

H2O

Exactly just how much water are you supposed to drink each day?  We've all heard 8 glasses, but what is considered a 'glass'?  I just learned that determining your ideal fluid intake is actually more complex than you may think, as its based upon your level of activity, weight, climate and how many hours you spend awake.  Below, find out how many ounces of water YOUR hard working body requires each day...

Daily Water Requirements:  

• Drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces
• Sedentary people: 50%;  Active people: 75%

Example Calculation:

Pounds of body weightWater requirement from above (75% of body weight for an active person) Add for dryness of climate Add for strenous exercise	150 lb.112.5 oz. + 16 oz. + 16 oz.
Total per day	144.5 oz.
Divide by the number of hours you're awake to find your hourly water requirement: 144.5 ÷ 16 =	9 oz.

Therefore, a 150-pound active person who works out should drink 9 oz. of water for each hour awake.

Thanks to: http://www.naturodoc.com

So... I just drank 100 ounces of water today.  It did certainly take a good deal of awareness throughout the work day - hoping I can keep it up!

[[ What tips do you have for working more healthy H20 into your daily routine? ]]

Fleur de Lis Essentials

In the French spirit of my last post on Paris... here are 10 beautiful ways to show your modern love for the traditional Fleur de lis!

[[ Fleur de lis translates into "flower of the lily". This symbol, depicticting a stylized lily or lotus flower, has many meanings.  Traditionally, it has been used to represent French Royalty, and it is said to signify perfection, light, and life. ]]

1. Fancy Headband
thatjewelrygirl
Both sophisticated and fun. 

2. Wall Runner Table
trueconnection
Natural, classic and functional.

3. Baby Onesie
webe0311
Hand-stitched, whimsical, truly unique. 

4. Maple Wood Pendant
ZephyrWoods
Beautiful wood and a piece that's not too full of itself!

5. Decorative Vintage Wine Bottle w/ Magazine Paper
Greencycledesigns
Original artwork, super cool!

6. Burlap Stencil Pillow
maisondestencils
Hand-stamped, modern shabby.

7. Vintage French Book Paper Wreath
SimpleJoysPaperie
Clever, original, romantic and beautiful.

8. Rustic Silver Ring
happygolicky
Finely crafted, simple and stunning.

9. Recycled Salvaged Wood Stencil Love Sign
artbymags
Recycled! Salvaged! Yeah!

10. Warm Vanilla Picture Frame
fadetoglory
Understated, a great gift.

Paris: In the Know

Ahhh... Paris.  My husband and I visited the city of lights and love this past July and ever since I haven't been able to stop dreaming about the houseboat on the Seine that we are going to buy... one day... when we are independently wealthy... when we no longer need to work and can spend our time strolling the streets, lolly-gagging in museums, and drinking Cafe Creme - all day long! Ahhh... Paris. For those of you who can't get enough of pretending that you live the Parisien life, here are some fun blogs and resources to keep you in the loop.
 

My Little Paris

http://www.mylittleparis.com 

Similar to the popular US online city guide "Daily Candy",  "My Little Paris" is run by a team of Parisiens who keep you up-to-date on everything that’s happening in the city: secret boutiques, inventive restaurants, hidden treasures and latest trends.  You can also sign-up for their weekly newsletter.

French-Word-A-Day

http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com

My mom introduced me to the blog "French-Word-A-Day" a few years ago, and its really quite excellent.  Kristin is an American living in France and enjoys poking fun at her own language learning curve.  But what makes this such a great personal blog is that she not only features a French word (origin, pronunciation, usage), but it's accompanied by a hilarious and insightful story!  

Kristin recently published a book called "Words in a French Life" - and I couldn't put it down!  A great fire-side, quick winter read: Buy it on Amazon here.

Paris Daily Photo

http://www.parisdailyphoto.com/

Eric Tenin calls himself "the friendly Parisien" (yes, it does exist!) and he  snaps a photo of things found in his home city every day, for your viewing pleasure.

The Paris Blog
http://www.theparisblog.com
The motto: "Life in Paris, posted daily". Mostly geared towards American Ex-patriots, you'll find a lot of info on local hotels, restaurants, exhibits and cheap deals.  Information is presented well with artistic flair.

Simon Says

http://francoissimon.typepad.fr/english

And for you "foodies" out there, check-out "Simon Says", a French food and lifestyle blog run by French food critic Francois Simon.  He has an amazing resource library of restaurants by arrondissement. The posts are very detailed, as he comments on just about everything - food, wine, decor, owner, service - while adding just the right amount of personal spice.

Learn French with Alexa  
http://learnfrenchwithalexa.com
And if you want to brush-up on your sexy French accent, I highly recommend "Learn French with Alexa".  She offers FREE (that's right, I said FREE) French lessions via her iTunes Audio Podcast called  "The French Ecole", complete with printable PDF worksheets for each lesson!  She's got a great sense of humor, which makes the lessons fun, and her pacing is perfect for beginner to intermediate levels.

HiP Paris

http://hipparis.com

This very special blog has everything you could ever want to know about being the suuuper cool kid about town. Art, film, music, shopping, fashion, recipes, eating, events - and of course - hipster interviews. With multiple story contributors, its always fresh.

Their Mission: "Don’t get us wrong—we love the Eiffel Tower as much as anyone. But there’s so much more to Paris than its iconic monuments and well-known sites. To us, the best way to experience this city is to dig a little deeper, hunt a little harder and linger a little longer to uncover the secrets that make Paris so utterly irresistible." 

Pret a Voyager

http://pretavoyager.blogspot.com
The quirky travel-centric blog "Pret a Voyager" is run by an American graphic designer living in Paris. She has a unique eye and the subject matter is diverse (design, city guides, art, travel resources). My favorite feature by far is the "Boarding Pass" series where she gets to know interesting people through interviews about their past travel history and future escape plans. 

Happy Day Dreaming...


[[ Do you have a favorite Parisien resource worth sharing? ]]