Coucou! That is a sweet way to say hello in French to your friends. There are lots of new faces this month and I’m so ecstatic you’re here! If you feel compelled to share, I’d love to know about you or what you're looking forward to this spring!
To recap, my monthly favorites is where I talk about what I loved this month (rewearing, eyeing, recommending, etc) and most recently I’ve been incorporating a version of TikTok’s R.E.P.O.R.T structure. As always, you can skip the recap and scroll to the bottom for the monthly favorites.
Reading
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on the day of the week for me, lots of French grammar! I just completed my first month of intensive French classes and ufff it is not for the faint of heart. I am incredibly lucky my husband speaks French and my mother in law, who used to teach French, graciously tutors me most nights. Even still, some days are a struggle.
French aside, I’ve also been trying to read for fun on my bus rides to class and I’m almost finished with Girl, Woman, Other. It tells the story of 12 different women and it has been a fascinating read so far. I can’t decide between The Nightingale or The Paper Palace for my next book. If you’ve read either of these, let me know!
Eating and Taste Testing
I don’t get to eat a proper lunch before I head off to French class due to timing, so once I get back home I’m hungry for a snack. I’ve been indulging in sarrasin chips which are chips made of buckwheat. They’re thin, lightly salted and buttery. My mother in law loves these chips and she has now passed on her addiction to me. Highly recommend giving these a try if you’re in France.
Fun fact — buckwheat flour comes from the region of Bretagne where it can be grown easily even in poor conditions. It was often referred to as the “poor man's” wheat because it could be grown in low quality soil. It was primarily farmed by peasants to avoid taxes that were levied on other grains during the 14th century. Today, it’s the most popular flour for making savory crepes. Bonus if you’re gluten free, this one is safe to eat!
Perusing, Paris & Proud Of
A new neighborhood! This also meant another month in an Airbnb has gone by and thankfully we are done with them because we finally found an apartment (!!!!). Our Airbnb was in the 3rd arrondissement, right on the border of the 4th and 11th. We were still able to walk to our favorites from our stay in the 11th, but it also meant trying out closer bakeries.
Luckily, they haven’t disappointed and we quickly found another favorite down the block from us. There are so many it’s really not that hard to find an alternative — especially when a good bakery is basically France’s bread and butter (sorry for the bad pun 😄). I’ve mostly been enjoying croissants this past month with a few surprise guests — like the spur of the moment chocolate flan we grabbed one night to celebrate signing for our new apartment.
Today is our first day in our apartment!!! We’ve slowly been moving our stuff over since we got our keys and our boxes from the US are officially at the New York Harbor waiting to leave for France. We are over the moon to have an apartment. It’s furnished, but it’s missing a lot of items we use and rely on every day so we’ve spent the week buying essentials and making a nice to have wishlist. If you’re curious on what we’re buying (or wishlisting!) to make our apartment cozy, let me know and I can write an article about it!
Proud Of
If you scroll to the 9th image on this Sephora page, you will find yours truly! This was one of my first tastes of content creation and it’s wild to me that a video I made in the fall of 2023 is now on Sephora’s website. I’ve been using RŌZ’s products ever since. My hair wash day essentials are: shampoo, conditioner, pre-wash oil, and milk serum. I occasionally use the hair mask and the styling oil that doubles as a heat protectant!
Obsessing Over
I am always obsessing over loafers, and after seeing these I want a pair of tassel loafers. If you’re in NYC, Alex Mill carries Sesa in case you want to try them on. I’ve heard nothing but excellent things about the brand. They mainly do wholesale vs selling directly to customers so you tend to have to find a store that sells them.
I’ve also been eyeing a few white loafer options, but I haven’t found a pair I feel that I “need” quite yet. I know these (the white version is restocking soon!) would be insanely soft (I own them in this color already) but I’d love something with a thicker sole. I also tend to go back to this two toned option often. Every time I search for white loafers, this pair comes up ($300 cheaper here) and I feel like I need to try them on, you know, for ✨ science ✨.
Recommending To You
If you’re into White Lotus, I highly suggest this podcast. I have been making my way through it after
’s recommendation and it’s full of behind the scenes tidbits. It covers season one and two and each episode tends to focus on one or two characters. Are you watching the newest season of White Lotus?! I’d love to know what you think!Treating Myself To
Passion fruits — I cannot get enough in my morning chia bowl. They have been a tropical escape to get me through the colder months. They smell absolutely divine and taste even better. If you’re lucky to get your hands on some and want to recreate what I’ve been eating every morning this month, the recipe is below:
— 1 cup of coconut milk (you can use any milk you’d like, but I like coconut milk the best with this recipe)
— 1 cup of greek yogurt
— 1/3 cup of chia seeds
— 1 tsp of vanilla
— 1 teaspoon of honey
Stir all of it together and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Top it with your favorite fruits, granola or muesli. Depending on what you top it with you can get 10 to 15 grams of fiber to start your day. I know — exciting things I think about as a 30 something year old. Can’t find passion fruit? I also love topping it with kiwis, bananas, diced apples, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Recipe adapted from Avocado Bella on TikTok.
PS — if you’re looking for a delicious granola that doesn’t have a ton of sugar, I’d recommend Michele’s Granola. If you want to see if you can find it locally, here is their store locator.
Monthly Favorites
Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence
Listen, I can’t say it’s only this little bottle I have to thank but I had a gnarly wrinkle on my neck that one day just popped up out of nowhere. I happened to get a facial and a week or so later I picked up a new bottle of Hyaluronic Serum since our trusty option had run out. Believe me when I tell you I’m not exaggerating that just one week later, I looked in the mirror and did a double take — the wrinkle had severely reduced. I squinted at the mirror in disbelief — surely my eyes were fooling me?! I had also started exfoliating my neck (other scents here) more consistently, so it could be the combination of both.
Leather Gloves
These leather gloves have been carrying me through winter. I’ve had them for a few months and have been wearing them daily. I’m surprised I hadn’t mentioned them earlier — they’re buttery soft and keep my hands fairly warm in low temperatures.
Buck Mason Wool Pants
I bought these back in October knowing they’d be doing the heavy lifting during the Parisian winters. Now that the holidays have worn off and we’re entering the last month of winter, these pants have been a life saver. On those exceptionally cold days where I am curling up on the couch, I slip these on for some added comfort and warmth. I desperately want Buck Mason to come out with a matching oversized sweater to match. I’d love a matching set. Pre-pajama pajamas if you will.
Neck Scarves
I’ve collected several over the years. Most of mine are from Madewell and a few are from Sézane that I’ve been relying on and rotating heavily this past month. As someone who doesn’t have a lot of necklaces, they’re a great way to accessorize a look. All of mine are a few years old, but Madewell always has new prints in rotation. Soeur also has some great options like this light yellow floral option, along with some silk options I’m eyeing.
PS — it looks like Soeur is still running their private sale! You can find items up to 50% off.
Gillian Stevens Sweater
I’ve been wearing this sweater non-stop since I got it in December. It was also in my favorites two months ago, but this past month I’ve been reaching for it several times a week. It’s a beautiful speckled pure wool sweater that’s roomy without being too oversized. It’s also the first chunky sweater that I haven’t shied away from wearing over my shoulders and as a scarf since it layers so nicely.
If you’re a regular here, you’ve likely heard me sing praises about Gillian Stevens before. I highly recommend her brand for quality pieces that are made to last. It’s also a small, woman owned brand! She recently released her initial Spring launch and the second installment comes next month!
PS — I own this scarf in nutmeg and it’s currently on sale!
Côte d'Or Chocolate
We’ve been picking up a bar of Côte d'Or chocolate every week. I’m currently hyper fixated on the praline filled chocolate version. I can’t find the exact one online to reference, but the other Côte d'Or chocolates I’ve tried have also been equally delicious.
I found a handful on MyPanier, which if you haven’t ordered from yet, they sell snacks from all over the world. My mother in law shipped us my favorite Ines Rosales snacks (another must try!) when my husband and I moved into our first place together after I mentioned they weren’t available locally. Highly recommend this site if you’re looking for some snacks you’ve had on a trip that you can’t find locally and have a craving for!
All featured items available here.
I hope you had a lovely February. As always, I’d love to know what your favorites were this month. We’re in the home stretch of winter — you can do it!
xx Ofelia
Disclaimer: some links are affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small percentage from a sale. As always, anything that is linked are things I either own, recommend or would purchase myself.
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January Favorites ‘25
One month in Paris?! Sometimes it just feels like a fever dream but I’m feeling more grateful every day. I know I keep saying that, but I’ve noticed that shifting my perspective has helped me feel a bit more at home. I’m excited to share more with you and if you ever have any special requests — I’m all ears.
December Favorites
First and foremost, if you’re in LA or have family in LA, I hope y’all are safe. If you have been affected by the fires, know someone who is or are looking for ways to help those affected by the fires, here are some resources:
Coucou! And congrats on the apartment…that’s huge!! ❤️
You are gorgeous! That shot of you in the red gloves in one for the ages.