For the 2012 holiday season, I decided to do a video on the window displays and decoration for which Paris is so well know. Rather than the city lights like last year, I’ve opted for the famous Printemps fenêtres and the lovely festivities of local shop keepers to try to give you a sense of the holiday ambiance around the city.
I wish you all a wonderfully happy holiday season, and will have much more of Paris for you in 2013!
Related articles:
Becoming Madame 
Happy Christmas and thanks for the insider view of Paris, I’ve enjoyed reading your blog immensely in 2012, I look forward to more next year.
Very cool. I posted recently about some of the Christmas windows here in Melbourne, but what you have in Paris is so much nicer!
Reblogged this on Americanexpatinfrance's Blog.
Ohhhh its so close now I can almost taste all the amazing food! See you in 4 days Paris!! Another delightful post that always gives me new ideas for my photography Madame, thank you. Have a wonderful holiday season. 🙂
Thank you so much for this magical trip to Paris for those of us far away!
Nancy
beautifully done video, great worK. Paris is nice and at Christmas is nicer. However, this year will be in Brussels ::) for Christmas to new year.Merry Christmas and happy new year!
Incredible, thank you for sharing.
I have nominated your blog to receive the Blog of the Year 2012 award. Please check it out.
I wish you a wonderful holiday season, and a happy new year!
Sincerely,
Denise, aka friendlytm
Dec 18, 2012
Wow! Thank you very much! I’m honored! Thank you kindly for thinking of BM! And congratulations to you too!!
Terrific video thanks for sharing. I wish I was there 🙂 Have a very happy holiday.
Thank you very much! Hope your holidays were fabulous! And all the best for 2013!
Je me souviens enfant .les vitrines des grand magasins étaient faites de décorations pour les enfants.Force est de constater que les temps changent.
Hello, I’m a new reader here and am thoroughly enjoying your blog. I’ve been reading many blogs like this one, about Parisian life, and I’m a bit confused on some points. For instance, I’ve read that the women never wear any color other than nude on their fingernails, and only ever red on the toenails. However, I spotted a women in one of your photos who you referred to as “impossibly chic”, wearing an orange-y shade on her fingernails. Which is correct? Also, Coco Chanel is often quoted as saying “remove one thing before leaving the house”, yet she is always seen in photographs wearing masses of jewelry (so what exactly did she take off?), but then I have read that minimal accessories are the way to go. Why the contradiction? I’ve read that if you wear eye makeup that the lips should be nude, and if no eye makeup then red lips are allowed, and that red lips are best for evening. Yet another blog said NEVER wear red lipstick, it just isn’t done. I am also wondering if it’s common to see red shoes there? And lastly, I loved reading your posts about French eating, but I wondered why no pasta, potatoes or rice? Thank you for such a wonderful and informative blog – it really is like a little journey to Paris!
Hi Angela,
You pose some interesting questions. First of all, let me say that most of us, including myself, who speak about the French or French women as a single whole are doing so in generalities. It is impossible to categorize every French person with one sweeping brush. Having said that, there are a number of traditions and customs and ways of life that cover a majority of French people and it is of those that most of us, I imagine, are referring. You will always find some French women who are overweight, who wear a lot of makeup, who wear red nail polish, cakey foundation, lots of accessories, etc. It depends largely on whether or not the French person you are referring to lives in Paris or in the countryside, what their family situation is, their lifestyle, whether they are Franco-Français or from a multicultural family. All these considerations change the general rules. When I talk about French people, I am referring mostly to Parisians, because that’s where I live and where I spend most of my time, and of the traditional French families, because that’s the type family I married into. As to your questions: most Parisians where black coats and lots of black clothes. They don’t wear a great deal of color except for their shoes or accessories – that’s true. As to the fingernail polish, it’s true that most women above 30 don’t wear a great deal of colorful nail polish, but then again that is a generalization. Just the other day I noticed a lady on the bus my age (mid 30s) with hot-pink polish on. But she also had her hair tips dyed pink. People’s individual style does account for variety. Coco Chanel did say the quote about taking off an accessory before leaving home, and it is a good rule to follow. Her own style was not overly accessorized; she wore layered necklaces a lot, chain belts, broaches. I think her point was to focus on one type of accessory for each outfit, don’t pile everything you have on each day just because you own it. As for the makeup advice, I’ve also read that if you wear heavily made-up eyes, then go more natural on the lips. I don’t think this is a particularly French custom. I think it just makes sense for the same reason as the accessories comment: let people focus on one great thing about you at a time. Red lipstick was out of style years ago. It’s back now. And it was very popular in the 50s (think M. Monroe). This type of advice is trendy. You can tell what’s in fashion by following the pages of French Vogue. French eating is one of my favorite topics too. It’s not that the French – again I speak here to families that eat according to the traditional French ways of eating – don’t ever eat potatoes or rice or pasta, quite the contrary. It’s that they don’t normally sit down to a meal of only pasta or potatoes or rice based dishes. These are sides, un accompagnement, and are just a part of a meal along with a meat and a vegetable.
Thanks for your kind words regarding the blog! I’m thrilled you are enjoying it. Take care!
Oh, and I almost forgot 2 other things…..you say that the french never snack. So who eats all of those wonderful pastries and macaroons? And one blog says women in Paris don’t wear earrings. EVER. Period. One of your posts says to stock up on great gold and silver earrings. It’s all too confusing.
You have to take these rules with a grain of salt. There are no absolute rules, just like every American does not eat McDonalds every day and every Canadian isn’t a tree hugger by nature. But for those of us who live among the French and have assimilated into the culture, we can spy certain trends, traditions, customs that are true among the majority of French. The traditional way of French eating doesn’t include snacking at random times. They have a “gouter” at around 4pm and it is during this time that pastries are served or an aperitif around 7pm for adults. Also for dessert or breakfast sometimes, especially on the weekends. As to earrings, I’ve noticed that French women wear smaller earrings than the women I know in North America: studs are popular, small hoops, delicate rather than obvious or extravagant. Don’t be confused – remember the French are just people, so the truth is that there are as many possibilities as there are people. Take care!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses to my questions! I just borrowed a pile of books from the library about French life, and I am really enjoying learning (pertaining to Parisian life especially). I never thought that ALL Parisians would fall into these categories, but it is nice to know what is “customary”. There sure is a lot of contradictory information out there, and as you know, America is always being compared to France, and we Americans always seem to fall short for some reason. I’m getting a good education! Thank you for clarifying!
Hi, Let me say your videos are most informative and well done, as an american who has never been to Europe i really enjoyed all of them,you are a credit to our country and the French are very lucky to have you represent them…Keep up the cooking vids,and stay happy….
Thank you very much! That’s very kind of you to say! I wish you all the very best for 2013!
I wish I’d found this blog the week before I went to Paris and not the week after! I’m going to settle down this evening and scroll back through your fascinating blog.
I hope you enjoy! Be sure to send a line next time you’re thinking of coming over!