Fireworks cracked over the Eiffel Tower in Paris last night. Bastille Day, celebrated every year on July 14, commemorates the storming of Bastille and the unofficial start of the French Revolution. We commemorated the event by checking out famous French hotties and learning about the origin of the French kiss.
A woman crosses the Seine River on the Pont des Arts in Paris with an umbrella in — what we imagine was — a failed attempt to beat the heat.
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I recently attended a tea party at a Marie Antoinette-inspired spot here in the city called Crown & Crumpet. So Fab! I was inspired by it all, but one thing in the souvenir boutique really caught my eye. It's a totally cute way to stack all your dazzling cocktail rings — like these Fossil Mix Stack Rings ($42) — if they're just sitting there in your drawer or on your dresser . . .
To see how to chic stack your rings, read more
Erika La Tour Eiffel is not the first person to fall in love with the Eiffel Tower, but she is the first to say "I do" to it. Last year she married the iconic, iron structure in a small ceremony while surrounded by friends, and afterwards changed her name accordingly. But the tower is not her only love, nor is she the only person to love, love objects.
At least 40 people have joined an online group for objectum sexuals (OS) — a term for people who feel attraction, arousal, love, and commitment for objects. The idea of having a relationship with a person is as absurd to them as the idea of having a relationship with an object is to other people.
While objectum sexuals see the object-human bond as metaphysical, psychologists see it as an abnormal attachment — a barrier between them and other people. Sexual abuse and Asperger's syndrome (a form of autism, which impairs social interactions) run rampant among self-identified objectum sexuals, and most have histories of childhood abandonment and rejection.
To see a clip from Strange Love: Married to the Eiffel Tower, a documentary about OS and the objects of their affections, read more
You know I can't resist Paris — I'm thoroughly jealous that Gildalolly is standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. This tourista already visited London and now she's looking stylish in France. I dig the old-school Mickey Mouse tee and white messenger bag. The gray cardi is a sleek way to cover up in case it gets chilly.
Here's what she has on:
Everyone else, submit your looks and I might feature you on FabSugar!
Keds are always cute. And I have to say the brand's model, Mischa Barton, is a good fit. It's been a while though, and technology recently made me purchase my first pair since third grade.
When I found out you can customize Keds on the brand's website, I just had to give shoe designing a stab. The technology can look scary, but it's quite easy. After playing around, I created some trés chic Keds from an Eiffel Tower photo I found on the Internet. For $70, I can afford to take a risk and see if it will translate as well in person. Stay tuned: I'll keep you posted when they arrive. Besides lace-ups, you can also choose from regular slip-ons and mini slip-ons. Imagine the creative possibilities — your favorite fashion editorials, magazine covers, celebrity muses, and artwork on a pair of Keds. Beyond Fab.
To see some more designs I created for fun, read more
I recently shared some interesting news with you about the Eiffel Tower, which many of you weren't too thrilled about. The Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel has decided to restructure the iconic Paris building.
Can you remember some of the details of my post?
In celebration of the 120th birthday of the Eiffel Tower, which is next year, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel decided to restructure the public reception and access areas of the tower. Paris-based SERERO Architects won an open competition for the icon's restructuring with a proposal that will extend the top floor area used by its 6.5 million annual visitors from 280m2 to 580m2. The temporary addition, which will be constructed with carbon Kevlar, steel connectors, and metal mesh, "aims to create a temporary horizontal extension of the third floor of the tower in order to increase the quality of the access of the public as well as experiencing the fantastic 360 degrees sight of Paris." According to SERERO:
The Eiffel Tower in Paris suffers from its success. Since its creation the amount of visitors coming to reach its top has increased to reach its limit capacity. 6.5 million people wait between 35 minutes to 1h10 to reach the elevators. The floor area of each level decreases with the height because of the tower geometry resulting in very long waiting lines and crowd-management problems.
I don't know about you, but I don't quite know what to think of this nouveau observation deck. A part of me, prone to purism, is anxious about this change (albeit temporary), and another whole-heartedly embraces this merging of past and future. What do you think? Check out these architectural renderings below, and let me know.
