A few things I'm loving lately, Paris/France-inspired:

 1. I've loved Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic's blog for many years - her unabashedly Upper-East-Side updates from New York gave me the dose of Manhattan I missed after moving home to Kentucky, but our shared love of Paris might surpass that of the Big Apple. She's there now, and j'adore following along on Instagram as she makes her way stylishly around the city. Even better, she offers what MANY reviewers/travelers/readers/those in the know say is the very best city guide to Paris. She updates it often, includes everything from hotels and restaurants to shops and museums, and you can download it (for a reasonable fee given the depth and detail included) to plan your next bon voyage!

2. I have many favorite teas, but this one feels both decadent and inspiring on a morning when both may be lacking. (Which honestly just confirms for me that everything feels/looks/tastes/sounds/is better in Paris.)

 3. My dear friend Allison and I met in college as French majors, both of us spending fall semester in Paris our junior year (though she stayed the entire year!) Her dedication to France and its language continued in graduate school and she is now a college professor herself, sharing her love and passion for all things French with lucky students at Centre College (in my hometown of Danville, Kentucky!) Her beautiful blog is full of thoughtful writing and interesting musings, and she documents some of her favorite recipes, books, and - maybe best of all - often-overlooked spots on her travels in France, including Marie-Antoinette's château, Le Petit Trianon. 

4. Another way to travel vicariously (and to score some beautiful vintages and antiques, too) is to follow Lily's Vintage Finds on Instagram. Based in Houston, she's just returned from two weeks in France, shopping all of the country's best flea markets and antique shops to fill a crate of beauty that will head stateside soon. And good news for those of you who might want to follow in her footsteps: she's just launched a Patreon account where she promises to share her best tips and tricks on sourcing those vintage French goods, where to stay/shop/eat in France, and how to negotiate with vendors here in the US and abroad. Thankfully the vintage and antique jewelry I found on my trip to the Paris markets fit in a suitcase - no shipping container required - but seeing the amazing furniture and accessories she found definitely made me want to return. 

5. I couldn't talk about France and leave out the fashion - and if I were headed to market in the summer, this skirt is no doubt what I'd be wearing. Stripes toujours!

6. And, bien sûr, I have to include the inspiration for this whole lovely list: one of the vintage French souvenir bracelets from Paris in our latest By Hand + With Love update. (In golden brass with scenes from the City of Lights, it's sure to be a forever favorite.) Also a joyful souvenir, a vintage souvenir compact from Paris shows La Tour Eiffel among other cherished spots and opens to reveal spaces for pressed powder and lipstick. I turned the compact into a pendant and paired it with vintage and antique glass beads from Nigeria for a colorful statement style. (And it's on sale, mes amies!) 

Bonus: One of my favorite French albums - now over 20 years old - but never seems to lose its appeal. 

Our third offering in our By Hand + With Love series is a small curated collection of the most beautiful handwoven textiles from West Africa. I've been gathering these for a while (honestly, almost every time I've sourced glass beads over the last 20-plus years from my longtime friend and vendor of African designs who hails from West Africa himself, I added a textile or two to my own collection) and I'm thrilled to share a few with you here! 

Most of this collection is vintage, though some are more contemporary examples of African fabric. Each is entirely spun, woven, or sewn by hand and dyed with organic materials, all in an ancient tradition by richly talented craftspeople, the result of which is honored and celebrated for its beauty, quality, usefulness, and meaning. Some of these cotton creations hail from Mali, others from the Ivory Coast, and still others from Burkina-Faso. The texture, colors, details, imperfections, and hand-crafted character of each textile tell a remarkable story and bring an authentic artistry to any setting.

A few ways I enjoy them:

They can also be turned into pillow covers (with the help of someone who sews!) or even used as upholstery fabric (I have big plans to cover my great-grandmother's sofa with a few of them soon...) hung as a tapestry, or stitched together for a bed coverlet. I'm hopeful you'll appreciate and adore them as I do, and I can't wait to see which ones catch your eye.

A few things I'm loving lately:

1. I heard this live version of a childhood favorite on our amazing local Louisville radio station 91.9 WFPK and had to add it to the latest Elva Fields playlist for some nostalgic listening, along with some other fun songs. 

2. It's been a while since I've read and finished a book in just a day or two (such an indulgence!) but this one was compelling, captivating, and wholly enjoyable. Like the traditional recipe for which the book is named, I devoured it. (As a bonus, the author curates a playlist at the end of the book to accompany various scenes and characters in her novel, and I couldn't help but add one of her suggested songs to the Elva playlist this month in homage to this wonderful read.)

3. This dark chocolate bark gets rave reviews and was new to me on my last visit to Trader Joe's. I'm currently hiding the bag on a far shelf in the pantry to keep it all to myself. As it turns out, I may have to hide it even from myself soon enough. 

4. Though it's billed as an overnight lip mask, I use this goodness as a regular lip gloss day AND night. Thanks to my former sister-in-law who sent it as a holiday gift, my ever-peeling lips are a little less dry and chapped these days.

5. Two shows I've loved watching lately: one with my kiddos, one without them. Both smart, funny, entertaining, and humanity-at-its-worst-and-best heartwarming.