The Heiter Paris List

Oh Paris, you treated us well! My husband Ben and I made our way to the French capital last weekend. Not to run from one sight to the next but to enjoy the atmosphere that makes the city so unique, have some quality time and visit places that make us feel heiter. Today I would like to share our heiter Paris list with you. Ben and I both love food, good coffee, greenery and antique shopping and if you do too, the list below is for you.

Food & Coffee

Les Grand d’Amour

A meal at Les Grand d’Amour is a must – in particular during the warmer months when their courtyard is open. The hotel is very close the Gare de l'Est, the train station we arrived at (but also Gare du Nord if you travel from the UK; it’s only one Metro stop away) so we decided to go there for our first Parisian lunch. I loved the tiny Parisian table and chairs, the summery atmosphere as well as the food (the best tartare I had in a long time!).

Judy

Another lovely lunch place we visited on our second day with our friend Sophie. Healthy, lovingly styled dishes, lots of plants and cool furniture. It ticks all the “Instagram” boxes.

Café Pimpin

Not only is this place stylish but they also sell the best coffee in town. The waiters approach you in English which adds to the international vibe of the café and the breakfast (toasties, croissants, granola and scones) is lovely too. I adore their white tiles that finish off the café front and the laid back setting.

Comestibles Et Marchands De Vin

You would like to enjoy traditional platters and great wine in an easy-going atmosphere? Then this is the place to go. Cheese, saucisson and calm background music instantly made us feel heiter. We also loved that there were hardly any tourists but many real Parisians. An insider tip I would say!

Nature in the city

Jardin du Palais Royal

Chairs and benches invite you to sit down in between the trees, by the roses or the fountain. When we visited the lovely garden we even had the chance to listen to someone play the violin. So many people were out that night, chatting to friends, playing bocce or simply enjoying the evening light. 

Mama Petula

The plant concept store Mama Petula feels like an urban jungle. Plants, flower pots, vintage apothecary bottles or antique flower books are everywhere in the little shop at Les Grands Voisins, an old hospital site that has been turned into a place for community, art and culture. During the week Mama Petula run a plant service for other businesses that involves decorating with and taking care of plants, on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday afternoon) Caroline, the founder of Mama Petula, and her team invite people to their shop. Reasonable prices, make sure you bring cash.

Treasured finds

Hippy Market

I was amazed by their excellent selection of vintage clothes! It ranges from elegant and quirky to eccentric and is well looked after while reasonably priced. All pieces are presented either by their colour or theme which makes it easy to find your way round. I could manage to get myself a white blouse from the 80s as well as a boater hat (which I had had on my wishlist for a long time). Luckily, there are several sites in Paris so I am sure you can easily find one close to where you stay.

La Ressourcerie Créative

Based in an old hospital building La Ressourcerie Creative (alongside other creative projects – see Mama Petula above) offers creative activities but also runs one of the best charity shops I’ve come across Paris. Shelves full of crockery, accessories, old books as well as furniture and clothes invite you to rummage around and find treasures. I am sure everyone could find something to take home from this lovely place. I was very tempted to get an antique typewriter but it was too heavy to bring back all the way to Germany.

Midnight walk

We stayed close to Montmartre and decided one night to walk all the way up to Sacre Coeur. The sunset view from Sacre Coeur over Paris was stunning and if I am honest, very romantic. We wanted to avoid the touristy parts on our way down so decided to walk to the pretty and green Avenue Junot and from there to Rue Durantin, which is also lovely and calm. Rue Durantin led us to one of the nicest parts of Montmartre Hill, Halle Saint-Pierre. We had bought drinks on the way and sat down for a bit to enjoy them and listen to someone playing “You’re wonderful” on the guitar. After a while we carried on to the beautiful Rue Ramey and then to Rue Caulaincourt. The latter is filled with boutiques, cafés and restaurant. Even though most of them were already closed by the time we got there, they looked beautiful in the moonlight.

Words: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magazine

Images: Katharina and Benjamin Geissler-Evans

Image Katharina in front of Judy: Sophie Caldecott

Images Mama Petula: Mama Petula

Let Roxana do you a (wedding) favour: interview with the founder of The Handmade Favour

If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I recently ran a giveaway with The Handmade Favour, a London based brand whose lovely botanical copper frames beautifully finish off table settings for gatherings, weddings as well as simple dinner parties. The brand was founded by Roxana Gutila, shortly after she married the love of her life in her home country Romania last year. Roxana and her now husband Alex had handed out botanical copper frames to their wedding guests and were struck by their positive response. They soon realised that the favours would probably appeal to a wider audience and therefore decided to build a business around them. In the interview below Roxana (who has been one of my closest friends since university) and I chat about the production process, why The Handmade Favour is unique and things to keep calm as a creative business owner.

Hi Roxana, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me today! I adore your botanical copper frames, I still have the one from your wedding! Can you tell me a little bit about the production process?

Of course. All our copper frames are handmade, from start to finish. We cut sheets of copper and make the frames out of them, and then we cut the glass. We collect and press all flowers and plants, it takes about two weeks until they are completely pressed and dry. The next step is to place the pressed botanicals between the panes of glass and add some finishing touches. Although it sounds easy, there is a lot of work and time involved in the production process. A lot of care and love to detail go into our products, something which I believe you can feel once you hold a frame in your hands. We offer two different sizes of frames, smaller ones that can be handed out as favours but also bigger ones that can be used to decorate the home.  

What sets The Handmade Favour apart from other businesses?

We value and are inspired by other creative businesses but do believe that our approach and our focus on weddings and gatherings in one of a kind. We want our audience to see The Handmade Favour as something that adds emotional value to their celebrations. The frames are lovely keepsakes, not the kind that are being forgotten or left in a drawer but the ones that can actually be used to decorate the home and thus, constantly remind one of a special event.

We both work in the fashion industry during the day and run our creative businesses on the side. I fully understand how stressful that can be sometimes. What are your tips or tricks for keeping calm and level-headed as a creative business owner?

Agree, when you have a full-time job and run a business on the side, is not easy at all, however if you are passionate about what you do, the extra hours spent on your business always pay off. To keep calm and level-headed I would recommend the following:

1. Try to find opportunities that help you make your business grow but at the same time make you happy, for example, an Instagram account. I post photos of my favours every day. Styling the images gives me pleasure and calms me down. It is also a chance to get more creative.

2. No matter what kind of creative business you run, you still have to be organized, especially the accounting part. I know, it sounds a bit dull but collecting and storing all the paperwork together from the beginning will help you tremendously at the end of the year – and it will keep you calm.

3. When I feel overwhelmed by time and situations, I go for a walk. This helps me to reconnect with myself and focus on my objectives. Never let go, everything will fall into place if you believe in you and your goals strongly enough!

What’s next for you and The Handmade Favour?

I constantly think about how I could extend our range and turn The Handmade Favour into a beautiful and calming place where people can enjoy natural, handmade products. In fact, we recently introduced hand rolled beeswax candles that come in three sizes. They smell amazing!

Where can people find you and your business?

People can find us on our website, on Facebook and Instagram. Feel free to email us (contact@thehandmadefavour.com) or drop by Backyard Market on Brick Lane, where we sell our favours every Sunday.

How would you describe your perfect heiter (cheerful) moment?

 It’s quite hard to choose only one. My husband, family and friends are very important to me and make me cheerful every time I'm with them. I also find joy and peace in nature. I love standing in the grass barefoot, eating cherries from the tree and listening to the sound of the summer rain falling.

I hope you enjoyed this little interview with Roxana from The Handmade Favour as much as I did! The giveaway on Instagram is now closed. You can still check out @heitermagazine and @thehandmadefavour though. 

Interview & images: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magazine