Solo in Paris: A Little Adventure, A Lot of Inspiration

Last month, I took a quick solo trip to Paris to meet up with one of my best friends and his husband who were visiting from the states. It was my first time traveling without my husband and toddler in quite a while, which made the trip feel like a small adventure. To be honest, having a bit of time to myself in a city like Paris felt like the perfect reset!

One afternoon, I had a few hours to myself before meeting up with my friends, so I decided to take a walk through the 10th arrondissement. Without any real plan, I ended up finding two really special shops that left a big impression on me.

The first was a crystal store. The associate there was incredibly kind and helpful—he took time to explain the meanings of different stones, offered great tips, and even shared a contact for a wholesaler in France. It was such a pleasant, unexpected experience.

Just a short walk away, I came across another shop that immediately caught my eye. Almost everything inside was handmade, and while I browsed, I noticed two artists working right in the space. One was a goldsmith creating new jewelry pieces, and in the back, another artist was busy with their craft. It was so inspiring to watch creativity happening in real time.

The next day my friends and I attended a perfume-making class—and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. I learned about the structure of fragrance—base, heart, and head notes—and how to layer scents that complement one another. I ended up creating a blend with a santal and vanilla-heavy base, balanced with floral notes like jasmine and rose. It turned out beautifully… so much so that I found myself wondering, should I actually produce this? Who knows—maybe one day!

Between the spontaneous shop discoveries and the creative energy of the perfume class, the trip felt full of unexpected inspiration. As I continue working on my rebrand (about 75% there!), these little moments are reminding me I’m on the right path. I’m excited to share more soon—stay tuned.

With love,
Hillary