Journal- "Les Amants de Paris" Part 1

The SOOTHING morning breeze brushes against my cheeks, announcing the beginning of a new day. I slowly wake up to the sound of EDITH PIAF's harmonious voice FILTERING through the neighbors shutters.

Quand il me prend dans ses bras

Qu'il me parle tout bas

Je vois la vie en Rose

Il me dit des mots d'amour

Des mots de tout les jours

Et ca me fait quelque chose

For years, I have listened to this SONG, reminding me every day that I am in the city of love, PARIS. I can still hear my mother humming along to the chorus as she got dressed in her powder room years ago. As a child, I would watch her close her eyes and smile while holding my hands and TWIRLING me around the room. I would often imagine us dancing at the top of the EIFFEL TOWER with our berets crying out "Vivre Paris," as I had read in the Comtesse de SEGUR books my mother had purchased for me. Nonetheless, for her, it was her way to relive the memories of when she lived in Europe; she could still SMELL, TASTE, SEE, HEAR and FEEL it in her heart. "You have never felt TRUE love until you have been to Paris," she would often tell me. In a quest to UNRAVEL the mysteries of my mother's first love, I went to France to feed my curiosity, and became a victim of love at first SIGHT.

I quickly rush to the bathroom to prepare myself for another day of exploration. The city's rich culture never ceases to AMAZE me. There is always something new to SEE; whether it is an art exhibition or books at local libraries. Paris is the MECCA of the old and the new living PLEASANTLY hand and hand. The refreshing SPRING air fills the apartment as I prepare my breakfast. Two BRIOCHES and homemade APRICOT jelly that I enjoy to the last bite accompany the AROMATIC Nigerian coffee. I grab my bag and straw hat and head to the door. The narrow brick stone STREETS were filled with cars parked on each side of the road. The buildings' shadows dim the pathways that lead to the park. The open SHUTTERS give way to the songs of the city's HEART, from the voices of people speaking their native tongues to the SOUNDS of records playing famous songs by singers such as CHARLES AZNAVOUR. I head down to the JARDIN DES TUILERIES, admiring the tall trees, the blooming rosebushes and the butterflies floating in the air. It was indeed spring, as I observed the LOVERS holding hands, stealing kisses and WALTZING toward the many bridges towering above the SEINE river. It was ofter at the borders of the water that lovers go to express their EMOTIONS for one another in front of the WHOLE world. As EDITH PIAF said in her song "LES AMANTS DE PARIS," once in the city, lovers have their special way of DEVOTING to love. Even if you are alone, in Paris, it always seems that love was just AROUND the corner. 

I headed towards a bridge to see what was going on on the other side of the CITY...

A SUIVRE....

With Love,

Minou

Images- An Eye for Details... Men Accessories

It often seems that Men are afraid to add some DETAILS to their wardrobe. But for those who are BOLD and CONFIDANT, they seem to know the difference a thoughtful ACCENT or ACCESSORY can make to reveal just enough about WHO they are....

These are some examples:

The Arm Handle

Suit Accent (The Sartorialist)

Skulls & Beads (The Sartorialist) 

Steel Armor (The Sartorialist)

Bracelet Layers (The Sartorialist)

The Pocket Pick

Pocket Square and Sunglasess (The Sartorialist)

Button-Hole Accent and Pocket Square (The Sartorialist)

The Chain

Hat and Chain (The Sartorialist)

Beaded Casual (The Sartorialist)

The Belt

Color Belt (The Sartorialist)

Belt Pattern (The Sartorialist)

BE YOURSELF, HAVE FUN!!!

With Love,

Minou

Travel- Learn to Live a Language

One of my FAVORITE  things to do, is TRAVEL!

At a very young age, my parents taught my siblings and I the importance of ACCEPTING, UNDERSTANDING and LEARNING about other cultures. We've travelled INCESSENTLY every summer to different countries around the GLOBE. Ultimately, my parents gave us an invaluable GIFT; they made the world our CLASSROOM and helped us to become CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.

Traveling has become an integral part of my life because I want to CONNECT with people, and have an INSATIABLE curiosity about other cultures. I love to learn about how people live, OBSERVE them as they UNASSUMINGLY carry on with their days and SHARE experiences with them that I will remember long after my stay. I try my best to evade the TOURISTIC destinations (although appreciating the historical foundations of CIVILIZATION is important): the visits to monuments, overcrowded museums and makechief local restaurants (whose menus reflect the tourists pallette instead of the local DELICACIES). I prefer to INTERACT with others and find out what makes us ALIKE despite the differences of location.

Recently, I saw posted on a friend's Facebook page a video entitled "PARIS," which I thought at first was a movie trailer. To my delight, it was actually a commercial that followed a young woman through her stay in the "City of Love." It gave you a glimpse of Paris as she navigated her way around, DISCOVERING and learning the French LANGUAGE and CULTURE. The WHIMSICAL snippet ended with the company logo "EF."

WHAT IS EF?

I began to research for other CITIES using the company letters "EF" and these are some of what I found:

EF is an abbreviation for EDUCATION FIRST, an international education company that specializes in language TRAINING, educational world tours, academic programs, cultural EXCHANGE, and leisure travels. EF was founded in 1965 in Sweden by Bertil Hult. Today, it is represented in over 50 countries with more than 20,000 language teachers and cultural guides.

For more information about Education First please visit their website- http://www.ef.com/

I love the CONCEPT of traveling not only to be a tourist, but also to LIVE the culture and language of another country, even if it is for a few days.

A GREAT new way to TRAVEL and VISIT a country!

Something to CONSIDER on a next trip....

Notes:


Would you enjoy to learn the language of the next country you visit? What new culture would you like to learn about?

With Love,

Minou

Journal- Power of You...

"It is the combination of THOUGHT and LOVE which forms the irresistible force of the LAW OF ATTRACTION."

Charles Haanel (The Secret)

Images- Shala Monroque: Beauty of Her Own

Journal- You are a Marvel...

" Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the UNIVERSE, a moment that will never be AGAIN. And what do we TEACH our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them WHAT they are? You are a MARVEL. You are UNIQUE. In all the years that have passed there has never been ANOTHER child like YOU. Your legs, your arms, your CLEVER fingers, the way you move. You may BECOME a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the CAPACITY FOR ANYTHING. YES, you are a marvel. And when your grow up, can you then harm another who is, LIKE YOU, a marvel? You must WORK, we must ALL work, to make the world WORTHY OF ITS CHILDREN."

Pablo Picasso

Thank you Fredo Dupoux for the inspiration and the WORDS. Please visit http://blog.fredericdupoux.com/ .

Photography- Frederic Dupoux: Vividly Conscious

An INSTINCTIVE and WITTY photographer, FREDERIC DUPOUX's clever grasp of visual rhythm brings an explosive BURST of COLOR and life to his work. His ability to PAINT vivid HUES with his lens can make something insignificant_ a pattern of hanging locks and keys, each in its seemingly appropriate place_ come ALIVE and become COMPELLINGLY intricate. From portraits to landscape images, the WARM spectrum of colors and descriptive LINES bring an inevitable CONSCIOUSNESS to his work.

Frederic Dupoux- Self Portrait

88 Days in Haiti Workshop- Day 11

I particularly enjoy the CULTURAL and social COMMENTARY of Haiti, his home country, in his latest work. He recites the stories of people, explores the CONTRASTS of the community, EXPOSES new artistic movements and REFLECTS on the current social & political climate of his surroundings. However, in every image, he always manages to capture an UNDERLYING beauty and unspoken HOPE, that would otherwise go UNNOTICED.

Other than photography, Frederic EXPERIMENTS with other forms of MEDIA and technology that allow him to manipulate and play with SHAPES and FORMS; an influence that can be seen in his work.

Some of my selected favorite pictures:

Although, to some, he is recently better known for his portrait work at events and special occasions, it is his clever VISION,  distinctive APPROACH and AWARENESS that makes people MARVEL at his work. Frederic is ACTIVELY working on his CRAFT, from creating INNOVATIVE ways of reaching his audience (blog, website development, social media) to enrolling in new WORKSHOPS abroad and within his home country.

I am INTRIGUED to see his influential IMPACT with new media in Haiti and his development as a social and cultural DOCUMENTARY photographer, an aspect not often EXPLORED.

Amazing Photo Workshop Project- http://88daysinhaiti.com/index.php?x=browse

Check his website at- http://fredericdupoux.com/

You can enter the mind of this artist on his blog- http://blog.fredericdupoux.com/

Follow some of his social photography work on- http://fotokonbit.org/

Notes:
What is photography to you?

With Love,

Minou

Photography- Julie Rouzier: Uncompromisingly Raw

A persistent HALO & mist of light seems to PERMEATE from a gentle cloud of dew that surrounds her subject matter and captures your ATTENTION. JULIE ROUZIER's photos are EMOTIONALLY RAW and soft. Whether it be the face of a child or the landscape of a German field, there is a NOSTALGIA in her images that makes one long to be PART of the story told or CURIOUS about what lies behind the subject matter. Julie is unashamed to PROVOKE, INVOKE and REVEAL emotions.

Julie Rouzier self portrait- I AM ...

Her images are filled with HINTS of classical Romanticism that seem to reflect a modern stylistic INTERPRETATION of eighteen century STILL LIFE paintings. I often feel that Julie's portraits are those of FAMILIAR faces (those of personal friends, neighbors, family... in ones own life), and her landscape images, are that of a distant dream or FAIRY TALE land. The moments and STORIES told in her photos may seem like fleeting points in time, however, if you look long enough_ the ever present RAY OF LIGHT she always manages to capture_serves as a ETHEREAL touch, that reminds us, that they actually live on ETERNALLY.

These are some of my selected favorites:

Although, to some, she is better known for her portrait work at events and special occasions, it is her personal VISION,  distinct STYLE and artistic POINT OF VIEW that makes her work worth NOTING.

With every click, Julie Rouzier grows BOLDER and DARING. I would like to see the GROWTH  and definitive RISKS this artist will take on to showcase the extent of her TALENT. 

To View her latest work go to- http://julierouzier.tumblr.com/

You can view some of her work on the following website- http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilou817

To follow more of her work- http://www.facebook.com/lilbug

With Love,

Minou

Photography- Growing Outlook

My eyes are like two paintbrushes that OBSERVE and CAPTURE images of the world around me. All too often, I wish I had a camera with me to take pictures of what I see; to PRESERVE a moment, feeling and CREATE memories.

I have taken the INITIATIVE to always carry my trusty Canon PowerShot SD 900 to start PRACTICING and learning. My confidence as a photographer, is a work in progress,  because I am continuously LEARNING how to focus on and translate the image I see with my EYES in a photo. Determined, daily I learn how to play with NATURAL light, movement, lenses and focus... practice 'makes perfect.'

Nevertheless, I enjoy and admire the work of various photographers. From Avedon to Salgado, the spectrum of work and genres that I appreciate are endless. Photography, to me, is a form of expression that TELL stories, make STATEMENTS or invoke emotions that are PRICELESS moments in TIME.


"In photography there are no shadows that cannot be illuminated" by August Sander

For a few years, I have been following the journey of photography EVOLVE both in studios and on the streets. Everyone, with the development of digital camera and media, in their own ways, are now able to grow from taking leisurely pictures of friends to CREATING distinct artistic works of SELF-EXPRESSION.

It is EXCITING to see a GROWING OUTLOOK on photography.

Please read about Julie Rouzier and Frederic Dupoux in the following posts.


With Love,

Minou

Music- 'Rolling In The Deep" Adele

Images- Colorful Accent

Images- Re-Modeling

I enjoy RE-MODELING men clothing into a women outfit, it APPEALS to me. The loose fit and freedom to play around with proportions allows me to transform the clothes as it SUITS me.

Here is a perfect example of transforming men jeans into a delightful summer short.

Images- Colorfully Cool

Music- 'Secret' by Seal

Journal- To the Heart...

"Death of the HEART, is the Ugliest death there is"

Oscar Wilde

Journal- Routine

Often the trouble with ROUTINE is that it can inhibit your AMBITIONS and consume you with FEAR. Life is a continuous LESSON. WAKE UP curious, ask yourself a question everyday and be determined to find the ANSWER.

CHALLENGE yourself, not to abolish fear, but CONQUER it!

With Love,

Minou

Journal- Jay-Z: Oprah Winfrey Presents Master Class

In Oprah Winfrey's new OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) television network, she has introduced a weekly series entitled Oprah Presents Master Class; an in depth look into the lives and inspirations of some of the most INFLUENTIAL people, as told in their OWN words. Each episode takes us on a journey through the story, experiences and lessons of a FAMOUS figure, whom people have come to love, RESPECT, and admire. These brilliant minds have a UNIQUE impact in the world and have proven to be true MASTERS of their craft.

"Everyone has a story. And there's something to be learned from every experience." OPRAH WINFREY

Let's begin the CLASS with the story of rapper, entrepreneur, cultural icon... Sean Carter... Jay-Z:

Notes:

How will you decide to become a master of your Life?

With Love,

Minou

Fashion- Scott Schuman: Individual Expression Through a Lens

Anyone close to me will tell you, as many times people check their emails or social media pages daily, I check the latest images posted on THE SARTORIALIST.

The latter, is a blog created by Scott Schuman, in his effort to capture and SHARE photos of what REAL people wear on the streets that INSPIRES him. Whether it is the details of an attire or a complete outfit, Schuman always seems to GRASP the nuances of individual STYLE. What began in the streets of New York has catapulted into a VISIONARY lens of SELF-EXPRESSION on the streets around the world.

Scott Schuman- The Sartorialist

A glimpse at the man behind the lens featured in the recent Intel Visual Life commercial project:

The Sartorialist is a visual FEAST for the eyes and a celebration of INDIVIDUALITY. The success of the blog to me, is Schuman's understanding that the biggest INFLUENCE on fashion are PEOPLE.

PLEASE VISIT Scott Schuman's blog- http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

With Love,

Minou

Music- 'Breathe Me' by Sia

Documentary- Gehry: The Vision Behind the Sketches

I recommend the DOCUMENTARY Sketches of Frank Gehry by the late Sydney Pollack, to get a glimpse into the life and creations of Frank Gehry:

The VISION and MOTIVATION behind the architecture.

For more information about the documentary- http://www.sonyclassics.com/sketchesoffrankgehry/

With Love,

Minou

Architecture- Frank Gehry: Redefining the Creation of Space

I'm not what you call a connoisseur of ARCHITECTURE, but one of the great joys of life is that everyone can appreciate BEAUTY and TRUTH. Who has not pictured their DREAM home or place of REFUGE?

I remember spending many nights in my friend's dorm room, listening to him describe the INSPIRATION and meaning behind every LINE and BREADTH he created on his architecture project models. From the position of a hallway to the construction material a piece of cardboard represented, every DETAIL had its importance and PURPOSE. I was completely enthralled, not just by his VISION and passion, but to observe the thought process and EVOLUTION of an idea from a two dimensional sketch to a three dimensional living SPACE.

What I love the most about architecture is the PROCESS, CREATION, and expression of a person's ideas or views through design; the STORY being told in every nuance. Every project has functional, technical, social and aesthetic possibilities that are LIMITLESS!

Frank Gehry, controversial or REVOLUTIONARY, is one of the architects whose work I really enjoy because he continues to REDEFINE how SPACE can be created. His work first CAPTURED my attention when I drove by the new IAC headquarter building in New York, near the Hudson River on the West Side Highway. I was both puzzled and completely enamored by its MOVEMENT and structure.

IAC Headquarters in New York

His frustration with the rigid RULES of architecture, has enabled him to take BOLD and daring RISKS creating such master work as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Stata Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His designs defies conventional ideas of what architecture is 'supposed' to BE and how it 'should' be done. The JOYFUL wit and love he puts into his projects, have a CREATIVE boldness that bring forth more to the eyes with every CURVE.

A few of my favorite Gehry buildings:

Vitra Design Museum-Weil am Reihn, Germany

Hotel Marques de Riscal- Elciego, Spain

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao- Bilbao, Spain

Ray and Maria Stata Center (MIT)- Cambridge, MA United States

Frank Gehry website- http://www.foga.com/
Vitra Design Museum- http://www.design-museum.de/index.php
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao- http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao
Massachusetts Institute of Technology- http://www.mit.edu/

Here's to being a pioneer who stimulates IMAGINATION!


Notes:

What do you think of Architecture? How as it influenced you?

With Love,

Minou