Adam Lambert Kisses Some Guy In Paris

Where do American Idols go after the show is over? To Paris, bien sûr! Adam Lambert, the second place, season 8, flamboyant singer with a fabulous voice, recently took his Glam Tour to the City of Light, where he played a sold out show at Le Trabendo on November 18th. Leave it to Lambert to change the lyrics of the Jimi Hendrix classic, Purple Haze, to, "Excuse me while I kiss some guy."

And what did Lambert do his first day ever in Paris? "Visited Notre Dame, the Louvre, and ended the evening at the Crazy Horse!" he tweeted.

Want to spend your first day ever in Paris? Or your 100th? It's real simple. No matter how many times you've been to Paris, one thing you always need to bring is cash. And guess whose giving away $15,000? It's Real Simple, really! Simply enter.

Voilà - the link to Real Simple's $15,000 Holiday Giveaway:

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holiday-giveaway-sweepstakes/index.html?xid=rs-spa-finder-15K-sweeps&

Timing Is Everything

One of my favorite novels this year is The Elegance of the Hedgehog. This quiet, rambling story explores the unlikely relationship between Madame Michel, a middle-aged concierge who hides her intelligence while she looks after an exclusive apartment building in Paris, and Paloma, a smart 12-year-old tenant, who intends to commit suicide when she turns 13. If "incunabulum" and "seppuku" aren't in your lexicon, keep a dictionary nearby. The enchanting vocabulary is part of the joy of reading this unusual book, which riffs on the meaning of beauty, art, culture, and cats. Given the philosophical ruminations peppering the narrative, it's enlightening to discover that the author, Muriel Barbery, was a philosophy professor. There are, however, few descriptions of Paris itself, and 7 rue de Grenelle, where the book is set, is currently a Prada boutique. Heavy on ideas and thin on plot, the story doesn't gather steam until the arrival of a new tenant, Mr. Kakuro. As soon as this Japanese gentleman sees Madame Michel for who she really is, this wonderful, insightful, heartbreaking novel is hard to put down. When you're through, your concept of time will be altered.

And speaking of time, the present prepares you for Paris. Real Simple is giving away $3,000 to, well, buy yourself a little time. What you do with it is up to you. Stop procrastinating and enter.


Voilà - the link to the Real Simple Gift of Time Sweepstakes:

http://www.realsimple.com/static/sweepstakes/gift-of-time-sweepstakes/