What I’m Reading: How to be Parisian…

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Okay so let me tell you about my exciting Thursday night.

I sat my little bum on the floor of my bedroom (but actually), plugged in my space heater, lit my favvvvorite candle, & read an entire book. I kid you not — the entire book in one sitting.

I haven’t read a book that fast since Nam. The last one I can remember doing that with may have been one of the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul series (remember those?! lol!)

But I must admit, it was a relaxing change of pace. I left my phone in a different room & went nose-deep into the book, no distractions, no BS.

So without further adieu, the book that I’m currently raving about is How to be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love Style, and Bad Habits. I had to get it after seeing it all over Instagram! To keep it short & sweet, the book is about 4 french women & their hilarious (yet very relatable) opinions/secrets on style, beauty, culture, attitude, and men.

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The book is setup into short, witty sections so it holds the A.D.D.-reader’s attention span nicely. (I swear.. if I am uninterested in a book, I can read the same sentence 20+ times without ACTUALLY reading it).

Some of my all-time fave quotes from the book: (no, this is not really a spoiler — the book has no plot!)

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“Be unfaithful: cheat on your perfume, but only on cold days”.

“She’ll never wear makeup on a date. Naturally, her inner beauty needs no artifice. On the other hand, she won’t hesitate to wear lipstick to the bakery on a Sunday morning…”

“People who wait in line stress her out”.

“She always wears her sunglasses, even when it rains. But she despises movie stars who hide behind them”.

“What you won’t find in her closet: a fake designer bag. Like fake breasts, you can’t fix your insecurities through forgery”.

“She eats four cheese pizza but puts Stevia in her coffee”.

“She’s aware that her flaws mess with her life. But changing is too much work”.

“Sometimes she’ll cut off a male driver, for the sake of gender equality, to prove that she, too, has balls”.

“The Parisienne does not extend her affection lightly, once offered, it lasts til death do us part”.

“Never lose control. But make sure you have a steamy past”.

“She thinks of her mother’s backside and the cost of the gym membership, but that’s not enough”.

“The oversized sweater that slips off your shoulder. It’s as soft as a teddy bear, as calming as a Xanax, as wide as a screen, perfect for days when you can feel your hips too much”.

“If her wardrobe is made up only of black, it’s not because she’s in mourning… Black is the color of celebration”.

“Solitude can be a luxury”.

“Enjoy the face you have today. It’s the one you’ll wish you have in ten years from now”.

“And so you don’t need anyone else to be happy. But you have to admit that, with him, it’s better”.

“Crying is not a weapon, it’s a little more than noise and needlessly wasted energy”.

“Jealousy is a complete bore…”

“Just because you have only one life doesn’t mean you should be afraid of wasting it”.

“Without her girls gang, the Parisienne is incomplete”.

“The bathroom… choose a flattering light — even if it cheats a little — to make you feel good about yourself”.

— Hope my lil’ teaser persuades you to plop down & read it, too — it’s worth it!

X, j