Parisian Chic, by Ines de la Fressange

What a fun book! This is departure from my usual book fair, though, unbeknownst to most, I actually read fashion and style magazines quite a bit. First of all, the presentation of the book is really cool. Tons of pictures, cute little drawings, easily digestable bits of information, and there's a section for notes at the back, just where I looked for it!

The book itself is meant as a guide to living one's life as a Parisian woman does, though its many hints and suggestions seem like just plain common sense. The pervading idea is that a real Parisian wants to look good, put together, and have great things, but never, EVER, wants to spend a lot doing it. She is much more likely to brag about a fantastic supermarket find than an expensive label item. With this is in mind, de la Fressange suggests tons of Paris stores (nearly all with online inventories) and ways to get the basics down so you can mix and match - clothing, make up, furniture, entertaining - it works for everything! Plus there's great sections on things to do in Paris when you're visiting, either on your own or with children. This is definitely a book I'll be referencing again and again.