#tbt - Impromptu Paris Photoshoot

Photos by Alastair Arthur

Happy Thursday! This is a fun post for me and seemed fitting for #throwbackthursday. I did a two week Europe trip last September and I've been reminiscing about the trip quite a bit lately. My heart literally aches when I see pictures of Paris or London (like physical pain, sometimes tears) because I just fell so in love with both of those cities and have such special memories from my trip. I wanted to share these pictures from Paris, as well as the story behind them.

My first day in Paris was a nightmare. How is that possible, right? Long story short my hotel was terrifying - like horror movie terrifying. In a panic to find wifi (yes, this place didn't even have wifi) and find myself a new hotel, I met a friend who at the time felt like an angel sent from the heavens. Spoke english, my age, and down to go exploring. We went to the Eiffel Tower and spent time at the park in front of the tower. Enter Alastair Arthur (coolest name ever, right?).

Alastair is a photographer and started speaking to us because he was doing a piece on hats, and my new friend was wearing a hat that worked into Alastair's piece. After we spent time talking I was gushing about Paris Fashion Week (yes, I was in Paris during Fashion Week - swoon) and how I was just dying to have a fashion moment in Paris (think bold lips, bold outfit, cool Paris background), with pictures as a keepsake. Well, Alastair offered to take said photo. Now I was just thinking a quick snap of a few photos on my iPhone and we'll call it a day. Oh but did I get so much more.

The next day I was ready for my fashion moment. Big top knot, check. Obnoxious fur vest, check. Bright pink lip, check. Ready to go! Alastair was kind enough to do a full on photoshoot with me. We met at and took photos at the Louvre, wandered around the Tuileries Garden and ended in front of a fashion show. I was in fashion HEAVEN. The photos, the buzz outside the fashion show, the fact that I was in Paris. These are all memories that I will seriously treasure forever and I'm so thankful to Alastair for taking these photos as a memory of this amazing day.

It's crazy how things happen. Had my hotel been tolerable I never would have met my friend, we never would have wandered to the Eiffel Tower that day, and I never would have met Alastair. These are all things I'm so incredibly grateful for and will cherish for the rest of my life. Crazy how fate works, isn't it?