Monday 27 January 2014

Ski activities

Have I already mentioned that weather was impeccable?

Good Morning!

Yes, it is Monday morning. And I didn't post anything yesterday - believe me, I feel as if I have betrayed you and myself.
But at least there is a simple reason for my absence on Sunday and those of you following me on Instagram already got a sneak peak (@svenjacole): I went back home to my parents, primarily to go skiing. As loyal readers, you are probably aware of my passion for mountains and snow. Therefore I packed my stuff on Friday afternoon, took a 3hrs train back home and enjoyed winter, snow and sports in a cosy atmosphere.

Homecoming is not only great because your Mom cooks your favourite food (Raclette!) but it is also the opportunity to relax a little since everything is pretty much organised. Well, relaxing wasn't that much on my agenda, since I went up at 7AM on Saturday to go to the Grand Bornand and did cross-country skiing on Sunday (as a lack of fitness, I had to give up after 8km...) - but still it's been lovely to come back. Furthermore I had the chance to meet some friends the other night and we were in the bar for more than 5hrs, talking & drinking. I love such kinds of nights and to exchange all the news that have been occured during the last couple of months.

Now, I sit here in the office, writing this post. My first meeting is only in 10 minutes, so I should be fine. I wish you a great week & talk to you soon!

Powder
Little village on top of the moutains
Even if Paris is great, my love will always be the mountains.

Thursday 23 January 2014

Cartier

Bling Bling

When I was young, my Mom always put me into boys' clothes. I never was the kind of girl wearing princess dresses or any sparkling t-shirts; instead, I played football, got dressed as a cowboy and most of my friends were guys. I am very grateful for this education during my childhood. Obviously, all the "girly" things like shopping, make-up and jewellery came into my scope when I got older and followed my other teen aged friends.

Nevertheless, the pink-and-glitter-free childhood influenced me so far that I cannot totally relate to anything that sparkles in a pompous way. When I went to the Cartier Exhibition in the Grand Palais a couple of days ago, I saw a lot of diamonds, gold and silver used for various types of tiaras, necklaces, rings and brooches. Whereas most of the women around me turned to those little childhood-princesses while gazing at the showcases, I was less fascinated by the look but was rather interested in the (gossip) stories behind every piece. I was astonished to see the historical development of the pieces throughout the centuries and the reasons why men bought this extraordinary jewellery for their women.

Even if you are not the type of girl that dreamt of being a princess when you were younger, I recommend this exhibition to you. The stories behind the pieces can be more exciting than the diamonds put on it...

Queen Elizabeth's brooch
Kate Middleton's tiara for her weeding
Lightshow on the Grand Palais Ceiling

Sunday 19 January 2014

An Intern's Life

Sexy shoes in the factory to protect my tiny little feet
Happy Sunday!

Two weeks have passed since I have started my internship and I thought that today is a good day to tell you how I feel about it so far.

I work in the Controlling department of a very technical company, more precisely I deal with turbines most of the time. Yes, it sounds as sexy as it is. Though, I must say that the choice to try something different from Marketing was a good one since I feel very comfortable with all these numbers and excel sheets. Still, I would be happier if behind them some Chanel bags waited.
As the environment is pretty technical, people are it as well. I work with (male) engineers the entire day, there are only a few that completed business studies as I do. Most of them are really nice to me although some of them are kind of geeky (that's normal for this sector, isn't it?). All the women working here adapt to this "geekiness", so high heels are nowhere to be seen and short hair cuts are on the daily agenda. I, with my interest in fashion and accessories, stand out in this environment and hope that I avoid any kind of adaption throughout the next months (hell, no!).
It is true that for the moment I have only small tasks to do because technical terms and controlling are both new to me. Of course, I hope that I will be more occupied in future because I cannot spend the whole day reading blogs, even if it's very (or maybe even more) interesting.
Regarding the company offers, I can be truly satisfied. Okay, we are located in one of the most dangerous Parisian suburbs, but still accessible by metro. Therefore it is about 45 minutes to get to work in the morning which is very normal for Paris. Moreover I benefit from a cafeteria that is very cheap: 1.50 to 3.50 € for a meal or even menu is so reasonable compared to other interns in town. And last but not least we have a media center where I can rent DVDs, CDs, BlueRays and books for free.
So what to say in conclusion? It is an internship in which I can deepen my knowledge of Controlling but it won't be the company I want to work for later. Still, I wish for a little bit more work in future and think that a "girlier" atmosphere might be more suitable for me.

Obviously, there is not much time left when you work the entire day. The nights I spent with friends, watching movies or visiting apartments (I found one and will be moving by end of this month, then you get some shots). The last two nights I was out with friends and had so much fun! And don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin!

Thursday 16 January 2014

Pont Neuf Walk

Dear readers,

While both of my last posts were pretty fashionable, I today share with you some pics I took last night. I finished work quite early and when I left the building, I saw this magnificent sunset. Immediately, I jumped into the metro to reach Pont Neuf before sun was entirely gone.
Seeing this pictures, I might be thinking of staying in this beautiful city after graduation?






Sunday 12 January 2014

Sale Shopping

Bonjour, bonjour,

Ok guys, I don't know how stupid I could have been for so long. How could I ever go shopping throughout the year, not remembering sales period? From now on, I shop twice a year - June and January - and save my money until then to buy myself great things.

You might want to hear (or not) about how my first days in Paris were and especially how my first week of internship was, but I must disappoint you: It's about fashion today.
Sales begun here on Wednesday and since I had no time then, I started to enter the boutiques the day after. As a girl from the countryside that has never seen sales signs with 70% written on it, I was stunned by the offers I can get in Paris after Christmas. Next time, I tell my Mom to buy presents in January.

So, let me tell you a little story that underlines my experience with this special time of the year:
When I went to Printemps, the luxury warehouse, I discovered great Marc Jacobs clutches in the hall. AND THEN, I realized that they were 50% off. I grabbed one and adored it a long time until a saleswoman came and asked how she could help me. Of course, I wanted to be sure that I got the signs the right way and asked about the discount. She simply answered: 60% off. My mouth stood open and I repeated her words (I screamed them and everyone in the radius of 10 meters looked at me): 60% off?! Oh my God. I love this city. And I love sales.

Well, in the end, I didn't buy the clutch because I couldn't think of any nice occasion to wear it, but I nevertheless did a few other good choices. Here we go: 7 pieces for 105 €. See what I mean?

Shirt (Mango) - Skirt (Vanessa Steward & APC)
Navy Suit (Mango)
Bra (H&M) - Top (Mango)
P.S. If you are in Paris, check out the 7th floor of Printemps in the Blvd Haussmann that is normally not accessible. Isabel Marant and other great designers 70% off. Run!

Saturday 11 January 2014

Michael Kors Jet Set

My Mom always tells me: Svenja, never save on shoes. They must carry you all day long, over years, so they must be comfortable and good to your feet. In most cases I have listened to her and can even speak of leather shoes that I have been possessing for over 8 years now.
Speaking of leather, there is another item I put a lot of attention on - bags. They don't have to carry myself, but all my stuff. And they can transform a simple outfit into a very special one. This Christmas I decided to put a bag on my wish list that I have been longing for throughout 2013, even if I know that I haven't been the only one. But once in a while I don't want to be another latecomer.
May I present? Here is my new Michael Kors Jet Set Top-Zip Saffiano Tote.

It is the perfect companion for my working days in Paris since I can put everything into it, yet in a stylish way. It is a very simple bag but I love the cut and the golden details that express such a classy style.


Michael Kors Jet Set Top-Zip Saffiano Tote
See you tomorrow!

Sunday 5 January 2014

Passion. Love. Freedom

Monts Jura
Happy Sunday!

I hope you have well started into 2014. I haven't thought about any resolutions yet and I am not even sure whether I will set up some. In the end I keep them in the first quarter, then forget all about them and eventually, by the second half of the year, start remembering them. Well, let's see what this year will bring. In the very short term, it will be another huge change since I am leaving to my new place in Paris in less than 2 hrs. Oh yes, I am pretty nervous and I cannot wait to explore this beautiful city.

Instead of bombarding you with my thoughts, fears and hopes for the French capital I rather prefer to have a look back and concentrate on my passion: Ski. There was merely no day within the last two weeks that I haven't spent in the mountains which is why I thought of compiling my favourite spots today.
  • Les Portes de Soleil - Les Gets, Morzine & Champéry (France, Switzerland): My favourite spots in the Alpes. The resort is located in France and Switzerland, offering more than 400 km of slopes all in all. 
  • La Clusaz (France): Not only the french fries at "Chez Arthur" are a reason to come back every year, but also the resort offers something for everyone: Powder snow, hard slopes and fun park. My tip: Drive to the parking "La Balme" at the end of the valley. 
  • Les Contamines (France): On of the best spots to start the season since slopes are pretty easy and the resort is located in higher altitude. 
  • Les Monts Jura - Crozet, Lelex & La Vattay (France): Crozet is only 10 minutes away from my home, so I pretty much know every single bump on the slopes. Though, you should be there at 8.45 AM in order to benefit from good snow conditions. La Vattay is my place to do Nordic Skating. 
  • Praz de Lys - Sommand (France): Also here, Nordic Skating and Downhill can be combined which is a great advantage for the family resort. The 4hrs-pass allows you to only do a half day. 
  • Flaine (France): Besides the funny names of the slopes (my fav' is Faust), the skiing experience is amazing. The lifts are well maintained and the slopes exhaust you. Admittedly, the "village" is not very pretty. 
  • Saas-Fee (Switzerland): Saas-Fe has the advantage to be located at a glacier that permits to ski even in April and May. I very much like the car-free village in the Swiss Alps. 
  • Saanenmöser / Gstaad (Switzerland): It is less because of the ski experience but even more for the hotel Hornberg that I like this resort. The hotel offers delicious food, a relaxing wellness area and staff is extremely friendly. 
  • Damüls (Austria): It is where I basically learnt how to ski. It is nearly guaranteed to have snow in this area, the lifts are super comfortable and the size of the resort is perfect for a couple of days of skiing. 
Of course, there are also places that I don't like as for example Chamonix (where the heck shall I park?), Megève (expensive, boring and too posh), Engelberg (overcrowded), Crans-Montana (weird snow) and finally the German Feldberg (overcrowded).

To even more inspire you, I recommend this page for you where powder snow is on the daily agenda. Enjoy!
La Clusaz
La Clusaz 
Shadow Selfie
Monts Jura
Praz de Lys - Sommand

Wednesday 1 January 2014

New new new


No, wait, you aren't wrong here - this is still c'est le dimanche matin, but - as you can see - with a slightly new design. As to begin the new year appropriately, I also wanted to change a few things on my blog.
  • Design: A lighter design but the green details are still present. Yet I cannot tell whether I will stick to it but for now I am very happy with it. 
  • Social Media: It is most likely that I am one of the latest adopters but during holidays I discovered Instagram and Pinterest to their full extent. Better late than never! So, I included their direct links into my header. 
  • Content: No, the content won't be changing. I will still post about everything in my life, from food to travels to fashion to fun facts. For a better overview, I added subcategories so that you can easily find the posts you are looking for. 
  • Regularity: Whereas I've stuck to the rule to post on Sunday morning (with some delays...) for more than two years now, I might from now on posting during the week as well. Of course, my Sunday morning tradition will be continued but when I find some exciting stories throughout the week, they will be posted immediately. 
  • Travitips: Some of you might know that I've also been writing another blog but managing two blogs at the same time is by far too much. Consequently, I merged the two and you can now find the travel reports here
  • Anonymity: For now, my blog was quite anonymous which I want to change a little. Well, my name is Svenja, 21 years old and I living in Paris for 6 months. What I like, what I do and where I go, you can see in every post that I am writing. 
You might wonder why I spend my New Years Eve organising my blog. Since I plan to go skiing tomorrow morning, I rather prefer to stay home and enjoy a calm start of the new year with good champagne and stories in front of the fireplace.
I hope you like the changes as much as I do and wish you all the best for 2014!