Prostitutes AND shoulder pads? Bad week, clearly.

So it's a lovely Thursday morning in sunny Paris, France, and Taryn and I decide to go for a power walk in the Bois de Boulogne (yes, I realize we're old ladies, deal with it). On our way there, we pass this sort of sketchy looking van and in the front seat is a woman wearing a red pleather bustier. So we kind of giggle and talk about how you see all types in the Bois de Boulogne. Only then, we pass another van with a similar pleather-clad woman, and another. Suddenly, we realized that we were passing prostitute row. SO MUCH PLEATHER. Prostitute count for the day: 4. So this clearly led to speculation as to why they were out at 11 a.m. Is there simply good business during the day?

That was pretty much the big event of the week. Otherwise, I was a little sick and I babysat a lot. Obviously my first thought when I got sick was that I probably had swine flu. I decided this wasn't the case, though, when it turned out to just be a sore throat. I didn't even have a fever. So maybe I overreacted a little, whatever. Just to be sure, I laid in the bed all day yesterday and drank hot tea and whimpered (and played spider solitaire). I'm fine now. Don't worry.

I did have kind of an exciting morning today. I got the my family's apartment at around 11, and the mom told me she didn't actually have any plans till around 1:30, so I could go run errands if I needed to. I did some really thrilling things: window shopped at Promod and H&M, bought face cream at Sephora, decided I had been ripped off and then bought face cream at Monoprix instead, learned that a pimple in French is a "bouton," which is way cuter than "pimple," let's be serious, and came home to make tea. However, the best part about the morning was that while I was in H&M, I had what I think might be my best yet

ERRONEOUS DENIM SIGHTING OF THE WEEK:

A jhirt (or a j-jacket, I'm not sure which). With puffy sleeves. And shoulder pads. In an acid wash. With pleated elbow patches. And Sgt. Pepper-esque military-style buttons down the front. But really, shoulder pads. SHOULDER PADS. Oh. My. God. You're welcome.

Something great you should know about H&M: they have a tacky, overly-trendy, 80s-esque section. This makes my day every time I go in there.

And now, a list.

Really awesome (sometimes bad) fashions that I love:
Sheggings (for those of you who have been living under a rock for the last year and/or not reading this blog, sheggings are shiny leggings)
Gratuitous fake fur
The fact that the grunge look is totally back in style (this is so good for me!)
Clashing plaids that would embarrass 1992
Really really cheap Chanel knock-offs (bags, jackets, whatever)
Sequins
Gold lamé
Motorcycle boots and jackets
Ray-ban sunglasses
French girls who actually wear striped shirts and berets
Shoulder pads (so shoot me)

Things I hate:
My closet is slowly filling up with neutrals because that is all French women wear
Short hair is not cool here
Shoulder pads

In other news, French computer keyboards are surprisingly different from American ones. I've gotten so used to typing on the family's computer that it has taken me an absurdly long time to write this post on my own laptop. I keep hitting the wrong buttons. This is eternally frustrating. However, I just got my new internet box in the mail, so now I will have internet in my own room (and I will never leave said room again) and I won't have to awkwardly come down to their apartment whenever I need to check my email. Awesome. Also, now I will be able to skype with everyone! All the time! Get ready.

Until next time, je t'embrasse!