Industry Standard: Laduree (Paris Week)

Few things are more luxurous than Laduree macarons in that signature gold and celadon box but why not make your own? Here's Martha Stewart's recipe for macarons. I made the chocloate with chocolate ganache filling and found them to be even more delicoius the second day.

Industry Standard: Deyrolle (Paris Week)

What's the only thing creepier than taxidermy? Antique taxidermy.

What's the only thing creepier than antique taxidermy? Charred antique taxidermy.

Deyrolle, a taxidermy shop, opened in the 19th century and is a Paris institution. From what it sounds like, there's truly no other place like it (I wouldn't know because I don't like to be around dead animals). In 2008, much of the legendary shop's inventory was destroyed in a fire. The haunting aftermath was captured by two photographers: Laurent Bochet (image on left) and Martin D'Orgeval (image on right).

Product Appreciation: Chanel No. 5 (Paris Week)

I don't wear Chanel No. 5, in fact, I don't really like the way it smells however, I love its history. A few weeks ago, I felt the urge to drop everything I was doing and make an enormous bottle of Chanel No. 5 out of papier mache. As I was looking for images of the iconic bottle, I came across this NotCot post which points out how the bottle's proportions mimic Place Vendome.

Here's my bottle. I hung it on the wall above my bed because someone once told me that when asked what she wore to bed, Marilyn Monroe replied "Chanel No. 5."

Methods/Systems: Umberto Eco's "The Infinity of Lists" at the Louvre (Paris Week)

"The list is the origin of culture. It's part of the history of art and literature. What does culture want? To make infinity comprehensible. It also wants to create order--not always, but often. And how, as a human being, does one face infinity? How does one attempt to grasp the incomprehensible? Through lists, through collections in museums and through encyclopedias and dictionaries." -Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco guest curated an art exhibit on the theme of lists, it is currently on view at the Louvre. Here's an article about it and here's another one.

Also, all of this week's posts will be Paris-related...