There are some things in this world that simply cannot be quantified. Namely:

-The boundless creativity of certain lucky individuals.
-Love.
-Why the perfect desk calendar and/or planner can make or break an entire year.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to stop obsessing over the first two (or try to do so a little less), so I’m choosing to focus on the last one.

Enter Rifle Paper Company.

Rifle Paper Co. has magically managed to coalesce the beauty of all three of these things with its 2016 Travel the World calendar. I found it while browsing the very frou frou reclaimed wood tables at Anthropologie, and the lover of all things wanderlust and pretty inside me snatched it up with visions of effortless office productivity and bohemian-chic sophistication swirling in my brain, and and bought it without so much as a smidgen of remorse. It now sits on my desk and makes me happy every single day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My guess is that the Travel the World calendar is meant to inspire horizon-broadening trips an enviable getaways with its splashy colors and luxe paper, and rightfully so. If you ask me, most of us could use a bit more texture and variety in our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As luck would have it, January’s dedicated destination is none other than La Ville Lumière, or for those of us who snoozed through French I and II, Paris. I call this luck, because Paris also happens to be one of my favorite cities in the world–and most memorable trips.

Even on a rainy day, there is an undeniable romance to Paris. In fact, dreariness only accentuates that meandering desire to lounge, flanee, and languish in the storied nostalgia of its cobbled streets. Despite the fact that the bridge of love is actually crumbling under the weight of so much passion, it’s fun to imagine another universe where you and your lover lounge with a picnic beside famed monuments without a care in the world. Hopefully, with a bit of saving and planning, you’ll be lucky enough to live this image into reality one day like I did–and meet some wonderful new friends along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To write a single blog post about Paris would not only be difficult, but also silly, empty, and a downright waste of time; there is far too much to dive into– let along understand on a single trip. Too much wine to sample, too many cappuccinos to drink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead, I’ll focus this post on one single aspect of my time in Paris: the croissants.

Oprah once told me and 877 gillion other impressionable women that croissants were Satan incarb-nate, packing more calories per bite than any sane, health conscious human should ever consume. But Oprah did offer one exception to this rule: Paris. Croissants were only to be consumed in their homeland, as any other version would pale in quality. Up until visiting Europe, I’d heeded her advice. But once I arrived in Europe, I decided to buck my master’s directives, and consequently gorged myself on the delicious pastries. Paris or not, I figured everything probably tasted better in Europe, and that Barcelona was close enough.

And even as I welcomed the return of a buttery treat gone too long, and celebrated our reunion and my own entrance into flavor euphoria, I foolishly underestimated what was to come.

Croissants in Spain are good.
Croissants in Paris are paramount.

Queen O was right–they were worth waiting for, and quickly became my favorite thing.

The next time you are in Paris, eat at least one croissant every day (two is better). Savor ever bite, and eat it while walking to ward off any lingering feelings of health guilt (or don’t. Those are stupid and worthless. Bury them with chocolate and happy memories of a beautiful place).

 

 

 

 

 

Love,