Paintbox Addict

Tiny Daler-Rowney watercolor box

Some people can't live without Louboutins. I can't live with out paintboxes. I'm a 'pan' person not a paint tube person. The formula is different. Paint comes up on your brush more easily from a pan than from dried tube paint. Plus Europe is more pan-oriented so I came to the right place. Not just because of the Victorians took paintboxes with them as they crossed the Sahara. In the US art stores can't be bothered with tiny pans. Tubes are an easier sell. But enough paintbox trivia.

Someone sent me this book thinking I'd be interested, but its the cover that enthralled me.

This what my Kremer Pigment box looked like when it was new.

Ooopla! The before and after...

If you love watercolor paintboxes you start seeing them everywhere...like stacked Popsicles in a store window...

Or brilliantly colored dragée...

L'Eclair de Genie is pure watercolor beauty. Miam miam.

Fun matching icing colors with paintbox colors. More yum.

It must be what drives me nuts about macarons - the round disks of pure color look like they popped out of a kid's paintbox...

L'Occitane's sign is out in the street at Opera. If they just sold a product with this on it I'd buy it in a flash, but they don't. Dommage ;((

What's not to love? Slabs of color by Fabrice Moireau in his Giverny book. Drool-worthy definitely.

*Here's a hot watercolor tip! All new boxes come 'unseasoned'. When you try to mix colors they'll instantly bead up in a most unsatisfactory way. The cure? Put a strong dark color like ultramarine blue or a dark Umber brown coating on the tin and leave it. Then wash off and do again several times. NEVER take Brillo or scouring powder to your box. You'll ruin the finish pronto.

At the SIMP salon of miniatures show on Sunday this dreamy set of paintboxes make any addict's heart beat faster...

Darling N. wants to fix me up with a nice Frenchman. But she's too late! Walking round her neighborhood I fell deeply, madly for this little one. What Frenchman stands a chance against this?

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Marché Gastronomique

I was sitting on the #42 bus Saturday coming from the pool when we passed a bunch of red and white striped awning food stands.  Marche gastronomique Popup Alert! Bells went off and I jumped off the bus.

I've yet to figure out when and where these regional marches will be. They aren't announced in the free Metro papers. If you know do please tell dear PBers. This gent from the Haute Alpes was at Pasteur last winter. Chef Marthe whispered to me

"This guy could sell milk to a cow".

He did sell us great hunks of pricey but very delicious Beaufort plus elegant dried beef from his region. This time I kept my purse well hidden...

There are specialties from so many regions and it's a chance to get fresh artisanal products. Plus the venders are awfully charming to boot.

Tasting/goute is expected/de rigueur. Their feelings are hurt if you don't taste and voice an opinion. No wonder French kids learn to love cheese early and everything else.

There is always at least one stand with Corsican products if not more.

I bought picholine olives from the Provencal seller. I would have bought these sun-dried tomatoes but I still have the ones I bought  in Aix a week or so ago...

Organic caramels from Baramel in Brittany, a co-op.

Wine is always flowing at the marche gastronomique. Alsace had a several stands.

Plus gastronome Alsatian Daniel Zenner was making choucroute crue with caraway seeds/carvi and miel de Sapin, recipe included.

Since no one was demonstrating any kitchen gadgets I walked away with a big kilo bucket of raw sauerkraut. Later on I had no trouble finding caraways seeds at Franprix.

But the miel/honey de Sapin/pine is still eluding me. And I just noticed the bucket says it must be eaten by 19-07-13. That's a lot of sauerkraut for just one person to wolf down...uh oh

I went back Sunday for another look but they were closing down. Just the Basques were still standing. I stood there eyeballing the saucisson. The seller (wearing a black beret) took one look at me, grabbed the six sampling sausages, tossed them in a bag and handed them to me. I said,

"How much?

"It's a cadeaux!" he said.

That's what happens at a French popup marche gastronomique.

I didn't notice any dogs but today this saucisson pup reminded me of my good fortune.

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Salon Int. de la Maison de Poupee

Are you obsessed with dollshouse things?

Then you should have been at Espace Champeret today for the 1-day only Salon International de la Maison Poupee.

Bear was quite insistent we go. After all there were 100 dealers from all over the world present. Including PBer Marie-Paule who made these exquisite woven straw bits and pieces.

Isn't it fun pretending Summer has arrived? Miam miam

So many miniature-smitten, obsessed visitors.

One obsessed visitor couldn't take her eyes off this jam jar cupboard.

Look! French cheese-making was going on onsite.

Brit craftswoman, Angie Scarr gives classes in Andalucia (where Summer has arrived by the way, a very good reason to go).

And a perfect miniature of a patisserie tradionnelle with glass paintings to boot!

Many amazingly detailed miniatures like I've never seen before...

Teeny, tiny hand-cut silhouette pictures to hang behind your spinet while you pound out the Mozart.

I fell head over heels for these little puppet theatres.

Don't they look just like this real one in the Butte Chaumont park?

These were brought to the Salon by Argentinian Reina Mab.

Bear fell head over paws for these handsome mini bear musicians...

You could so easily break the bank at a miniature salon like this. At least there are no calories to count...

Wouldn't it be nice to pack up all your things in these mini Vuitton trunks?

Guess who will be packing pretty soon?

Guess who finally found another apartment to move to?

Guess who will be having A Watercolor MOVING SALE on Tuesday on Etsy? 3 guesses? Stay tuned.

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Fauchon Attraction

*Fabulous soirée alert for Fauchon Attraction - their newest collection of divine goodies available starting today through 10 september.

It was last night and I'm still recovering...

Pink

Pink

Framboise/raspberry pink everywhere.

Darling mini versions of a 'Charlotte Tourbillon'

I'm thinking...now who is Charlotte Tourbillon? Latest winner at Roland Garros? No way! A new twist (ha!) on a charlotte russe gateau usually surrounded with vertical lady fingers - un mélange de fruits rouges (fraises, framboises, mures et groseilles) topped with crème Chantilly and a marshmallow bonbon. This is the giant version. By the way a 'tourbillon' is a kind of twisty spring inside a watch according to Wikie...

This is the clown's nose! A chocolate shell enrobed in magenta glase sitting on a pistachio financier base. All fun and games at Fauchon last night.

Beautiful towers of raspberry-red fruits and pistachio macarons.

Lots of lollypopism! Mini eclairs on sticks - they come as a pair. Granny Smith candy apple and pistachio.

More food on sticks - glazed tomatoes filled with Atlantic crab, ginger and a touch of avocado puree. Perfection.

Foie gras lollies

Even more stick action. Grab a fishing rod and try to catch a canard or bath duckie.

And these bduckies move fast! You had to 'catch' THREE duckies to win a lollypop. I was ready to tear my hair out and even attempted to give the hook a helping hand but got caught red-handed. Still I did catch 3 ducks though I thought it would take all night.

The prize lollies or Attraction Sucettes - a twist or tourbillon of color and flavors acidule - fraise, framboise, cerise, mure, cassis, Pomme = yum.

What to wear to a Fauchon Attraction collection soiree? These hot pink shoes of course from Le Bon Marche!

One does wonder what the original Fauchons would think of all this circus shenanigans at their epicerie. Don't miss out!

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