WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS

Chelsea recently moved to the city and I couldn't be happier. Nothing like having a bestie around for frolicking and galavanting...and also eating your weight in good cheese, drinking tons of coffee and rhapsodizing about Paris. Speaking of, I just finished David McCullough's The Greater Journey (I blogged about starting it here), a historical work that's unexpectedly gripping from the get-go. McCullough artfully weaves together the lives of American expatriates in 19th-century Paris; I wish it were twice the size, really. One of the details I found most fascinating is the way art students would spend days and weeks replicating paintings in the Louvre.

As much as I respect and appreciate copyright law, it made me think about how truly helpful it is to attempt to copy something as a part of the learning process. It can teach you so much about which elements of a work you really appreciate and why. It's one of the reasons I think Instagram is such a great tool for photographers - there's endless inspiration and no harm or hassle in trying different styles of shooting. I've found that my favorite Instagrammers make great use of shadow, negative space and a simple or muted color palette.

Instagram is not the Louvre and an iPhone photo is not Degas, but here are a few of the accounts on IG that have influenced how I shoot: @jasonhudson, @alice_gao, @dabito, @amerrymishap and @lifeserial. And don't forget to follow me @thisfruitsnaps! Images, clockwise from top-left: spoon at La Colombe, Chelsea at home, the backyard of Saturdays Surf NYC, my book.

FRUIT FANCIES: LADY EDITION

Seeing as it's Girls Week on *fruitpunch, I feel it's only fitting to have a ladycentric Fruit Fancies! I decided to create three different looks based on place...all black and ankle boots in Paris for the Isabel Marant-ophiles, bold colors and sleek accessories for the Milanese fashionplate and denim, leather and Loubs for the Big Apple bloggers. Sorry there aren't any dresses or skirts - I think I ended up putting together outfits I could see myself wearing, if that makes any sense! Which look is your favorite? All images via Net-a-Porter.

jeans PROENZA SCHOULER // shirt ERDEM // jumper ALEXANDER WANG //

necklace PAMELA LOVE // cuff EDDIE BORGO // boots RAG & BONE

sweater JIL SANDER // pants J. CREW // sunglasses VICTORIA BECKHAM //

earrings ERICKSON BEAMON // sandals MARNI // bag MARNI

jeans MARNI // sweater CREATURES OF THE WIND // jacket ACNE //

boots CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN // sunglasses LINDA FARROW //

bag vintage HÈRMES // watch PATEK PHILLIPPE

VACATION READING

This year, my vacation is all about reading. I am leaving behind my laptop for a measly-but-also-sort-of-groundbreaking five days and doing any/all writing I need to do in a notebook. With a pen! I'm just finishing up Triumph Of The City, by economist Edward Glaeser - not as dense as it sounds, I promise! It's a must-read for anyone with even a vague interest in ecological living, particularly young urbanites who've eschewed cars for oft-delayed MTA commutes (living off the G line can be rough.) Next up is historian David McCullough's The Greater Journey, to add some historical perspective to the rampant Francophilism (made up word, I know) that started up in me after reading Adam Gopnik's Paris To The Moon and Peter Mayle's retirement-fantasia classic A Year in Provence. The last piece of Literature I read was D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover. Lawrence's psychologically laborious, but oftentimes profoundly modern prose has left me hankering for something with a deeper meaning and poignant insights, but really I'll take anything in which I can imagine a pouting Keira Knightely as the protagonist. What will you be reading over the holiday?

P.S. Isn't that quote great? It's actually by Lemony Snicket, the man responsible for A Series of Unfortunate Events. (And FYI, you can find a whole bunch more great quotes about books at Goodreads.) Photos Géraud Béton (left) and Stefano Marchionini (right).

PETRA BINDEL X VIRGINIE DENNY

I first saw this stunning home in Elle Decoration Japan while I was killing time in Kinokuniya bookstore obsessing over EVeRyThiNG. I went home to Google its owner, Virginie Denny, and found that it was shot and styled for Elle Decoration UK a few years ago by interiors dream team Petra Bindel and Emma Persson Lagerberg (you can see Lagerberg's home lensed by Bindel here.) Denny's abode is full of intriguing art, gorgeous furniture and oodles of beautiful light...and it's in Paris, of course! All photos Petra Bindel.

HIBERNATION

images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (some links n/a, sorry!)

It's been so gray the past few days here in NYC...but I'm weirdly loving it? The weather has me dreaming of a Paris staycation. I'll lounge around inside all day on a mountain of faux fur pillows, flipping through back issues of French Vogue, eating entire boxes of cookies (maybe not so Parisian) and flopping onto my bed...occasionally getting up to water/admire my big leafy pet plant.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREIGE

The interiors inspiration posts are getting few and far between now that I don't have an interior to be inspired for, sorry :/ Since leaving my job in interior design and hunkering down in Brooklyn, I've been missing the feel of stonewashed linen and dreaming in shades of greige...maybe thinking I'll fly to Paris and study French someday soon...after New York...always dreaming! Regardless of whether or not my head is in the clouds - do we want to continue seeing interiors posts? Should I find a new way to present them? Let me know in the comments!

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L***RS IN PARIS

So it's Valentine's Day and I don't have a date tonight, despite the fact that I'm certifiably betrothed to Joseph Altuzarra. I guess his people didn't get the memo I sent them on Twitter, so I figure there's no harm in a fantasy date with Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing since he fantasy asked me out and I'm an imaginary floozy.

The date would be an all-day affair, beginning in the morning with café au lait and conversation.

We would then wander through the city, starting up at buildings and strolling aimlessly through markets and gardens (this date is obviously taking place in the summer...)

Then we'd hit the shops for some "dress you up in my love" action, as Olivierkins would want to make sure I was snapped by his side in my favorite look from his Fall/Winter '12 collection. We'd drop by Galeries Lafayette and peruse fragranced candles and possibly he'll have a custom-scented bougie waiting for me...

And in the evening we would host a dinner party in his courtyard, with lots of cheese and bread.

Afterwards, someone would suggest dancing at Le Montana but, "non," I will say...

And instead, Olivier and I will watch French New Wave films late into the night. Happy Valentine's Day to me!

photos via (from top to bottom): Style.com, The Coveteur, Le Portillon, Amy Merrick's Flickr, Style.com, Oh Joy!, Treehugger.com, Purple, and my Pinterest account!

DEAR INTERNET No. 12

Doing this a little differently, but more on that in a tick...this week I loved model Anouck Lepère's home on NOWNESS... 

...and David Mallett's Paris salon on Into The Gloss...

...and I'm officially into Byredo Parfums candles, the Peyote Poem in particular (how great are these names? Wasn't Candy Darling a character in that Robert Rodriguez zombie movie? Righteous.)

...also, Solange Knowles is just the bee's knees. Her hair! She told Lucky Magazine it's inspired by Janet Jackson circa Poetic Justice, aka Janet Jackson circa AWESOME.

And I haven't really listened to Beyoncé in years (she lost me after radio overload of that "to the left" song), but my Solange craze led me to take a look at all of B's recent videos, leading to my current ObSessIOn with this song:

The video is a bit OOC, but I have to say she's kind of totally charming, and I love the Maybelline outfit and now want to be a ballet dancer in Queens.

So, my new goal is to condense a lot of the blog's "outside content" into these Dear Internet posts (really my original intent), since people seem to respond most to my stuff (understandable). I'll still upload the occasional editorial, as long as it meets my Standards Of Cool, and bits and bobs here and there as I see fit. Sound good? Ok, endless bisous. Bon weekend!