Embrace the joy of Paris wherever you live with;American expat Ajiri Aki, founder of the French lifestyle brand Madame de la Maison. The French are known for their joie de vivre--celebrating the simple things--a philosophy that tastemaker Ajiri Aki embraced all of her American life. As a child, she frequently tried to convince her Nigerian-Jamaican mother to pull out the fine china for everyday meals or when hosting friends. Her mother always said she was waiting for a special occasion, which sadly never came before she passed away when Ajiri was only twelve. Ajiri promised herself she would never hesitate to use her treasured pieces. When she moved to Paris, France, as an adult, she learned how central that idea is to French life, and;she also began to absorb other essential lessons from her new friends: treat yourself to fresh flowers just because, take time to source the best baguette, and perhaps most importantly, enjoy être--just being. In this beautifully photographed volume of everything French, Ajiri shares what she’s learned about living in Paris--from hosting the perfect;apéro;(happy hour) to lingering around town like a;flâneur;(loafer) to thrifting for antiques at the market. While exploring the prettiest cafes and shops, you’ll be inspired to reclaim your right to leisure as the French have, so you, too, can savor the spontaneous, joyful moments that happen every day.

Autorentext

Ajiri Aki is the co-author of Where’s Karl? and has worked as a stylist and on fashion exhibitions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of the City of New York. After moving to Paris, Ajiri started her successful design business, Madame de la Maison, a rental company and online boutique. She still lives in Paris, now with her husband and two children.

Klappentext

"A joyful, aspirational, and approachable guide to embracing life the Parisian way, from American expat and founder of the French lifestyle brand Madame de la Maison. The French are known for their joie de vivre-celebrating the little things in life-a philosophy Ajiri Aki has embraced over the past ten years of living in Paris. Nigerian American Aki fell in love with Paris on her first brief visit there (only a single day) while in college. With a background in fashion and having earned a master's degree in decorative arts, it wasn't until she moved to Paris full time that she began to absorb lessons from the French: finding beauty in simple things every day, decorating with fresh flowers and flea market finds, taking time to find the best ingredients for a dish and gathering with loved ones around the table to share a meal or a glass, and perhaps most importantly, learning how to "ãetre" - or just be. In this beautifully photographed volume of everything French, Aki shares all she's learned living in Paris, from hosting a perfect apâero (happy hour) to becoming a leisure-loving flãaneur (loafer) in your own town, to how to find and celebrate joie de vivre. Explore all the prettiest Parisian cafes, plan a multi-course dinner party, learn how to properly loaf like the French, who work to live-rather than live to work-and allow yourself to slow down and find beauty and joyful moments all around you. With lush photographs of Paris's diverse landscape of food, people, culture, and architecture, Joie makes you eager to book your next trip to the City of Lights and to create that magic no matter where in the world you are"--

Zusammenfassung
Embrace the joy of Paris wherever you live with American expat Ajiri Aki, founder of the French lifestyle brand Madame de la Maison.

“More than being a terrific guide to the city, it’s a thoroughly comprehensive guide to better living.”—Chioma Nnadi, editor of Vogue online

The French are known for their joie de vivre—celebrating the simple things—a philosophy that tastemaker Ajiri Aki embraced all of her American life. As a child, she frequently tried to convince her Nigerian-Jamaican mother to pull out the fine china for everyday meals or when hosting friends. Her mother always said she was waiting for a special occasion, which sadly never came before she passed away when Ajiri was only twelve. Ajiri promised herself she would never hesitate to use her treasured pieces. When she moved to Paris, France, as an adult, she learned how central that idea is to French life, and she also began to absorb other essential lessons from her new friends: treat yourself to fresh flowers just because, take time to source the best baguette, and perhaps most importantly, enjoy être—just being.

In this beautifully photographed volume of everything French, Ajiri shares what she’s learned about living in Paris—from hosting the perfect apéro (happy hour) to lingering around town like a flâneur (loafer) to thrifting for antiques at the market. While exploring the prettiest cafes and shops, you’ll be inspired to reclaim your right to leisure as the French have, so you, too, can savor the spontaneous, joyful moments that happen every day.

Leseprobe
Introduction
 
There’s life, and then there’s the good life. 
I first traveled to Paris from New York for a single day as an undergrad and then again for a few months as a graduate student of the decorative arts. Those initial introductions opened my eyes to how Parisians lived so differently from me.
 But it was not until I returned for love, moving here permanently with my Swiss husband, and eventually became a mom to two very Parisian kids, that I took a closer look at the culture. I noticed the driving force behind the way the French live their lives.
 
It’s joie de vivre. The joy of living.
 
Parisians find joy in what they eat, where they go, conversations they have, and how they spend their time. Simple things. It’s their North Star. So, what does that look like? Instead of pushing a shopping cart through a giant superstore to stock up on items in bulk, they might prefer to wait in 
a longer line for a single freshly made baguette from the local boulangerie. A stroll through the open-air marché (market) for produce, chatting up the sellers, is a lovely morning activity. They buy fresh flowers for their homes weekly, not only on special occasions. They stop for a coffee with a friend after dropping kids off at school and before heading to work. They take leisurely lunches and might even have a glass of wine if they feel like it. Many Frenchies love walking through the flea market on a Saturday or Sunday to dig through antiques, searching for mix-and-match porcelain plates or crystal glassware. When they join with friends and family at a table, it’s beautifully set with all the different pieces they have found, the better for enjoying long, even epic, multi-course meals when conversation might revolve around wine, travels, and history. Rarely do they talk about work.
 
No matter if we’re in Paris or at home, we all want to live the good life. You know, the kind of life that doesn’t always feel rushed. When you savor small moments such as sitting in a manicured garden brimming with fragrant flowers or enjoying a long, leisurely lunch with wine, cheese, and dessert. When you feel pride for who you are, or who you have become, because keeping up, showing off, or being perfect just isn’t necessary. When you explore and find things or places that charm you or bring you little jolts of bright-eyed wonder—be it an antique jewelry box, a cute little town, or a buttery, flaky croissant. The kind of life that is full of *joie—*joy—every day, not just when you’re on vacation.
 
When a French friend asked me how I could possibly write about the French’…