summer in the city

I took this picture a few days ago as I was heading to the office. It was early morning but it was summer, early august and that makes such a difference. No horns chanting loudly, no tires screeching or verbal abuse hurled at and no traffic jams either on the streets or the sidewalks.  

As much as I'm getting the blues watching coworkers beautiful vacations pics while I'm in the office, being in the city when the pace is slower and the atmosphere almost peaceful is a holiday in itself.

Here bellow are the Seine river banks usually filled with cars being replaced for a few days by sand, palmtrees and deckchairs.
Of course, the stillness captured is temporary and in a few hours the "beach"(Paris Plage) will be full of children playing, people lounging on the chairs and tourists strolling by.

Opposite is the Court of justice, the bridge ahead, the first made of stone, is the Pont-Neuf and far away, the impossible to miss Eiffel tower.

In that instant, the view filled me with  joy. Not (only) for the picture perfect setting but for the simple pleasure of that fleeting serenity in the jumble and rumble of city life.

On the Pont-Neuf, in the early evening, much more animation there and then. I took the pose for blurry and beheaded pics... but  the main interesting parts are distinguishable! haha!

For my cover girl moves, I was wearing a summer favorite, that long printed and colorful skirt which, summer after summer I always go back to, never get tired of. Yet, except for stripes (which I have a lot of), the sometimes dots and occasional tie-dye and leopard, I'm not a print person... Solid neutrals is more my thing. I think what makes it work for me is that:

- overall, it's not sugary, princessy, nor little house in the prairie...

- the cut: not Marie-Antoinette voluminous.

- the length: not too long as in I'm not sweeping the sidewalk in it,

- the 2 side pockets so I can plunge my hands and be all nonchalant,

- the prints and colors are obvious but not flashy in your face.

- and, I don't wear it in full boho mode, injecting instead some toughness or tailored items to the mix. 

 

tank/débardeur: h&m - skirt/jupe: Comptoir des Cotonniers (2008) - sandals /sandales Isabel Marant "Merry"(2012) - bag/sac: balenciaga city - jacket (on bag)/veste (sur le sac): Uniqlo

Speaking of colors and favorites, here are my latest guilty lunch snacks grabbed at the supermarket by the office.

I know "baby carrots" are not as healthy as marketing would want us to believe but among the infinite variety of industrial food, the nauseating extra filled mayonnaise sandwishes or drowning in sauce salads, I still choose them.

And even though I usually snub imported fruits like mangoes, this summer I just couldn't resist a little treat from time to time.

To be continued...