Every Day Parisian: Behind the New Paris Lifestyle Website

There are many lovers of Paris spread across the globe. They keep their passion for the phenomenal city alive in various ways from cooking up their favorite French meal to gazing upon a vintage Parisian poster hung on their wall. Now there’s a fantastic new website, Every Day Parisian, which helps you keep its essence in your daily lives. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing its founder Rebecca Plotnick, a talented photographer, for several years now and am in complete awe of her beautiful photos which capture the City of Light so well. I recently catch up with her to find out what sparked this great initiative.

Lily la Tigresse: Tell us a little about yourself

Rebecca Plotnick: I am a travel photographer with a love of Paris. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and studied apparel merchandising in college. My first trip abroad was when I was 21 and I moved to Italy for a semester. I was bit by the travel bug and haven’t been able to shake it since. I suffer from an extreme case of wanderlust. I am fortunate enough to be able to take my passion and created a business on a love of travel and Paris.

When was your love of France sparked?

I fell in love with Paris way before my first visit. I grew up always having a dream of visiting the Eiffel tower one day. In middle school when were given a choice to pick a language I chose French. My French teachers taught us about Paris and the French culture and my love for France grew quickly and deep.

What is the concept of Every Day Parisian?

Every Day Parisian is a lifestyle blog on how to keep Paris in your every day life. So many people have a love affair with Paris and not everyone gets the chance to visit or they visit only once and love it so much. The blog is a guide on teaching the little things that can incorporate Paris in your life. From recipes, style, books, and guides to different cities around the world to find hints of the Parisian lifestyle.

What inspired you to start everyday Parisian?

After three years of living as a nomad mostly in Paris I was forced by my family to come home. I was upset and couldn’t sleep. I realized my life in Chicago was still so much of a Parisian lifestyle. The way I shopped, decorated, ate, and the books I read. There was nothing else like it that I could find so I jumped on godaddy in the middle of the night and saw the name was available so I grabbed it. It took almost 9 months for my vision to come to life. Things popped up in the way and it was frustrating at times but I think it helped really shape a better blog.

How would you like to see the site evolve?

Oh I have so many ideas!! Since starting just two months ago it has grown so much. We have people reaching out from all over the world asking to write for the blog. People that love Paris and miss it. The dream was to have a community and I guess if you build it they will come. Its been a beautiful process to watch unfold.

We have a hashtag #everydayparisian and I can’t wait for that to grow and have people show how they are finding paris in their every day life. From their home to where they eat and what they are reading.

I was recently in NYC to create a city guide. I bit off a huge chunk because NYC is like a mini Paris. There are so many amazing shops, bakeries, and bookshops that my small list kept growing. So many people kept adding to the list and I didn’t have enough time. I will have to visit again soon.

Since I am based in Chicago I am working on creating a guide for Chicago. It won’t be as big as NYC but that’s ok. There is a wonderful Francophile community here including the Alliance Francaise. I am really excited about being a resource for people around the world.

What do you miss most about Paris in your every day life?

I miss the walks. I literally would walk for hours and would end up across the city with the biggest smile on my face. A lot of my photography is based on discovering the little moments in Paris and the only way to find that is by walking and discovering. It sounds cheesy but I arrived in Paris years ago after losing my job and then again after a breakup. Paris has a way of healing a broken heart and helping you find yourself again.

If you could pick one favourite place in Paris or aspect of the city what would it be?

The food! There is so much that is centered around food in Paris. There are amazing restaurants that offer amazing meals. But one of my favorite memories is sitting around a table of a French meal with friends and laughing, drinking wine, and eating cheese. It’s the simplest meal but one of my favorites. I have a thing for French cheese and baguettes. I have been very fortunate to have made fantastic friendships over the years in Paris. It’s a very transient city. People come and go after a period of time. I have left and returned some people will still be there and others will be gone. But the bond of Paris is something that you will share for the rest of the life no matter where you live.

Merci beaucoup Rebecca!

I’m also very pleased to be helping share some of my Paris tips with Every Day Parisian Readers! My first post is on my Top 10 Romantic Bars in Paris. You can access the Every Day Parisian’s website at this link and don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter, the best way to stay up to date on their posts!