Weekend Conversation Starters

[Messy Nessy Chic]   Sound the trumpets! The updated digital edition of the Don’t Be a Tourist in Paris has landed! With a wave of my baguette magique – why yes, that is indeed how you say “magic wand” in French – the [eBook for the second edition is now available](. Swipe through the ultimate bible to Paris unknown from any portable device with ease and never find yourself caught at the tourist traps again. It’s 15% off for Keyholders of course, and don’t forget, we also digitally mapped out the entire book for your convenience, y’know, so you can get just the right amount of lost down the rabbit hole… Also in the Keyholder’s Vault, you’ll find a finger-licking good database of all our [Paris Restaurants]( and next week, we’ll be releasing our new Paris Local’s Manual, with all the need-to-know essentials for living your best life in the city.  Isn’t it about time you had the [key to our Vault](? Meanwhile – anyone else getting the itch for spring fever? Let your Weekend Conversation starters whisk you away to warmer realms, from the charming home of Picasso’s favourite French poet, to the fairytale worlds of the illustrator Disney never should have fired. The cherry on top? A nice little [chateau-in-progress](, waiting for you to knock on its door.... Stay curious, [Nessy]   [Mother & Daughter Buy an Abandoned Chateau, Invite You to Stay as they Restore It](   [ezgif.com-webp-to-jpg-39]( Back in 2013, we broke a story about a couple that bought an abandoned chateau and started a blog to share their journey. Widespread interest, longing and general FOMO (fear-of-missing-out) ensued on the internet. Several years later, we’ve found a similar fairytale. An architect from Austria, Elisabeth Herring, and her daughter Valerie, adopt a 16th century…  [Continue Reading](   [Oh, Disney, You Never Should Have Fired Kay Nielsen](   [24033946883_19fd820d74_k]( Kay Nielsen knew his way around a fantasy. The Danish illustrator was raised in a “tense atmosphere of art” (his words) during the Golden Era of Illustration – a time when folks one-upped each another with books bearing golden spines and marbled end papers; elaborately illustrated copies of Grimm’s Fairytales, The Wizard of Oz, and Oscar…  [Continue Reading](   [Miniature Book Nooks Belong on Every Bookshelf, It’s Just a Matter of Time](   [pv8aosrmbnh41]( The internet has officially discovered book nooks, AKA bookshelf inserts fashioned as portals to tiny imaginary worlds. BBC News and most recently Buzzfeed found out about the niche hobby, sending book lovers, miniature collectors and pretty much anyone with a penchant for quirky stuff on a wild internet goose chase. Because the fact is –…  [Continue Reading](   [Hide Away at the Home of Picasso’s Favourite French Poet](   [vacation_home_rental_france_007]( With the first signs of an early Spring, perhaps you might find yourself looking towards summer already and thinking about how you’re going to spend it. With France as my oyster, I began my hunt for hideaways in the south when I stumbled upon a rare gem in the medieval village that has long been a…  [Continue Reading](   [The Bread & Puppet Theatre: A Living Museum of American Hippie Culture](   [bread-and-puppet-sevendays-pollak-20171015]( The year is 1979. Thousands of people flock to a farm field in Vermont, and wait for their stilt-walking hosts to christen the “Circus Ring” field with their presence. When they do, it’s in a parade of unbridled joy – a celebration of misfits, mainstream dissent, and all the freshly-baked rye you can eat. It’s…  [Continue Reading](   [13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CDXC)](   [large_b0e67e56dbf92936e639629a21a4c6e2]( 1. Margarita Carmen Cansino, the Brooklyn-born dancer who became Hollywood film idol ‘Rita Hayworth’ Born Margarita Carmen Cansino, her father was from a little town near Seville, Spain and her Irish and English mother performed with the Ziegfeld Follies. During her time at Fox, Hayworth was billed as Rita Cansino and appeared in unremarkable roles, often cast…  [Continue Reading](  Interested in Becoming a MessyNessy Keyholder? [Apply now to unlock the Vault!](    [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [Blog]( [To ready more from MessyNessyChic visit the Blog]( and make sure you keep getting these email by adding contact@messynessychic.com to your address book or whitelist us. Our postal address: In a Café, Paris 75001 Want out of the loop? [Unsubscribe](.