Mon Traiteur

Jeudi 24 Janvier Mon Traiteur

The great thing about living in Paris is you have your own deli, boulangerie,poissoniere, patisserie, fromager, la poste etc. You're loyal to the purveyors in your quartier and if you're lucky they will remember you and give you the occasional smile...

Mon traiteur has the yummiest stuff...miam miam

Almost always a line out the door.

No matter how many times I pass their vitrine/windows...

I have to stop and leche-vitrine/window shop/drool. I'm especially crazy for coquilles Saint Jacques. There's a special fete this weekend in Montmartre for the coquille Saint Jacques - la fete de la Saint-Vincent, le patron saint des vignerons/wine growers. 'Toute la Butte Montmartre sera en Fete! I really want to go to this.

Twice a week I get 100 grs(3 ounces) of beet salad and red cabbage salad from mon traiteur for about 2.50 euros...

To make 'Detox salade'.

Anything to counter balance the tres riche goodies I ate over New Years and the daily impulsive indulgences ahem.

While Django's doggie dreams of the traiteur's saucisson I dream of coquille Saint-Jacques. Have you tasted this?

BONNE WEEK-END PBers!

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Django Reinhardt

Wednesday January 16 Django Reinhardt expo

I was enticed by posters in the Metro for the La Cite de la Music-Django Reinhardt so why not go?

Feeling adventurous in Paris is easy when you have the monthly carte Navigo - just hop on and hop off like a gypsy...

'Born in the back of a caravan into a family of performers, Django Reinhardt (1910-1953) might have grown up in the slums of the “Zone”, but he belongs to the aristocracy of swing'.

Jean Cocteau described Django as this "child of the breeze"

His jazz music were the classics of the 20's and 30's. And 40's too. Just listen to 'Blues' and you'll get the rift.

The exhibit was crowded for a cold Wednesday afternoon. The rooms were darkened like a jazz club with booths for listening and headphones everywhere to get into the swing of things.

Endless posters of Django - He was an attractive guy. He suited the graphic style of the times - sharp, angular, almost abstract and wonderful to draw.

Lots of tables that looked like juke boxes were filled with dance programs and all sorts of memorabilia. Django played with the best - Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ellington, Dizzy, Benny Carter and of course his partner for many years, Stephan Grappelli. Together they changed the sound of the times ever evolving creatively.





A neighborhood dog looks like hes waiting outside Django's caravan. 
Later on Reinhardt returned to the gypsy life of his childhood but his music is eternal. 
Listen to Nuages. 
I'm in a Cyber Cafe - no wi-fi again but...
I'll see you in my dreams...

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Van Clef & Arpels

Mardi 22 Janvier Van Clef and Arpels

The exhibit of Van Clef and Arpels-La art de la haute joaillerie at musee Les Arts Decoratif could not be more spectacular

The displays are inventive and entrancing if you're into diamonds and who isn't?

Believe of not while drawing the sketch for this post over French radio came Marilyn singing "Diamonds are a girl's best friend"!

400 prestigious pieces are on display dating back to Van Cleef's beginnings up to present day creations.

I loved this quote from Jacques Arpels,

'To be lucky, you have to believe in luck'.

In the West, happiness can be symbolized by a unicorn, a ladybug, a lucky star, a four leaf clover, a swallow and even a horseshoe. In Asia, happiness symbols can include a carp, a lotus-flower,a dragon and a star tortoise. Many of these symbols became VCA's iconic jewelry.

Liz wore her lucky daisy necklace to the Oscars and it brought her even more luck...

Almost as captivating as the sumptuous jewels on display were the fabulous ad campaigns for the brand over the years shown in the show catalog...

Too, too divine no?

'I've got the world on a string of pearls...wrapped around my finger...'

Too French this glamour puss being escorted round place Vendôme in front of Van Cleefs vitrine at #24.

Yet this young French girl on the Metro yesterday has the same 'je ne sait quoi' non?

The DOG COLLAR OF THE DAY - just what every girl needs French or otherwise non?

The VCA exhibit is on at Les Arts Decoratif until 10 Feb

Don't miss it!

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Salon International de la Lingerie

Dimanche 20 Janvier Salon International de la Lingerie

there may have been snow on the ground (really NY slush) but no one was deterred from showing up on Sunday for the Salon International de la Lingerie at Parc de Versailles.

And why not when luscious babes abound (unbound so to speak in their skivies).

Oh why did I ever eat all those Galette de Roi and buchette de Noel?

Cotton Lollipops be gone!

Soooo FRENCH!

Remembrances of lingerie past on exhibit at the show tieing in with a new book out called what else? 'French Lingerie'

Be warned if you go next year. There will be dancing girls ahem.

Everyone wanted to see the Jolidon dancing girls and everyone wanted to see Chantal Thomass' new collection. I put my name on the list too. Dream on. Not a snowballs chance in Paris.

I have to admit French frou-frou isn't me. Being an artist I lounge around in comfortable cocooning type clothing. These 'Cuddly Socks from Taubert in Bavaria suit me to a T. And you could buy them at the souvenir counter.

All the staff at the Lingerie Salon were got up like snow fairies in head-to-toe outfits from Taubert that I would have happily bought off their back, especially the cute hats. I chatted with French-Brazilian J who dreams of coming to New York to work in lingerie of course.

I loved everything from British brand, Derek Rose - London, especially these silk polka-dot lounge trousers...yum

Son Sacha Rose showed me their clever tags with his dad's very serious picture on it - a hoot IMHO.

Another homeware line I would have been happy to take home was from Amsterdam - Pips Studio.

A fresh combination of vintage + wit that would be so fun to wear. Hello US. Buy this!

Enfin something French - Rue du Faubourg homeware and naturally in gris/grey

I'm posting this as a reminder to never eat anything again or maybe cut back on the sweets? So many pretty bods at the Salon. Does it have to come right after the excesses of the holidays? Be gone knives and forks!

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