Little Pieces of Heaven

I haven't mentioned how much I miss Paris right now. It's something about spring in Seattle that immediately makes me long for spring in Paris. It undoubtably has something to do with the beauty that its there, as opposed to here (rainy and windy right now, what gives?).

Last week, I was so desperate for macarons that I almost made them myself. I had all the ingredients, save for eggs and somehow was too lazy to go to the store. I recognize that this is crazy on a number of levels - crazy that I had almond flour on hand, but no eggs; Crazy that I had the gumption to make a complicated little cookie, but nada for a 3 block trip to the store.

So imagine my happiness when Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle had a lovely little row of flavors available for purchase when I was there on Saturday. I was so happy I could have just cried. But unfortunately, it was short-lived. They just didn't do it for me like the ones I would by at Laduree. Something about the flavors -- just too much. I like the purity of just pistacio, or just strawberry. These were crazy combinations, and all just sooo sweet.

So from sad to happy to sad, and now, perhaps happy again when this tidbit came from DailyCandy yesterday: Macarons on your doorstep for $20 dollars.

I love this because I spent 18.50 on a meazly nine and because these seem pretty straigtforeward. Unadulterated macarons just the way I like them.

And I also think they make the perfect gift. That is, if you can't just send them to Paris.

Flamant: Tres Chic

It was painfully impossible to post pictures of my trips to various Flamant shops in Europe and then when I got home, well, I forgot that I had been hanging on to all of these sneaky pictures. I made it a priority to go to Flamant in any city that I could, which means primarily Paris and Rome. Sadly, I wasn't impressed by the Rome store, so it didn't make the cut, even though I spent an hour walking there (but hey, it's Rome, so no love lost). The thing about Flamant is that it's so beautiful, they generally frown on pictures being taken. Unless you have the cache of an elderly French woman begging permission for you (the case for me at the Saint-Honore shop) or at Rue Furstemberg, manage to exchange your phone number for the right to "discreetly" snap some pics. My lovely friend thankfully was just their type so she kept them distracted while I raced around taking pictures from the hip -- hence the lack of composition and focus. Net net, I'm not above whoring myself out to shopboys if it means bringing home some Flamant.

8 Rue Furstemberg, 8 Rue De L'Abbaye: two entrances, two addresses means twice the Flamant -- this is the biggest Paris store and it's conventiently close to Laduree. The entry to Rue Furstemberg shop is all greenery and flowers. Walking in, you almost think the store is a florist, but alas, it opens onto wonderful furnishings. Unfortunately, this is where I sold my soul to the French, so no pictures resulted of this area.

I would love to own this coffee table. The proportions and material are ideal, I just wish the photo wasn't so darn blurry. I remember almost being seen taking this particular photo...

I would love to someday own some of their glassware. It's all so beautiful -especially their stemware. It's also gorgeous.







Such a wonderful chair for a bedroom. It was the perfect size and the lines were so romantic in person, without being overly sweet.


Recognize this chair? It was in the other store in white, here it's in a child's bedroom.


They have the most amazing bookcases. This one only gives a taste of the ones that are all over the store. Everything about them is wonderful.


The downstairs of the Rue Saint-Honore shop has a kitchen vignette and again, it's wonderful. Thick Carrera marble on cabinents done in a warm gray. The photo just barely shows that the face of this island is composed of wide planks. Loves it.


I had to get a photo of this staircase for my files. I would love to do this staircase someday.

Such a great wingback, done in a warm taupe/gray linen. Is linen ever wrong? I submit that it is not.

Those branches and hurricanes - stop it! It's just too good. I love the height that branches give and I also love how modern they can make a space look. It's an added bonus that they are the chic version of fake flowers. You get all the ease and longevity without having to be my Aunt Sandie.

Oh I wish I had a better picture of this settee. It was truly awesome. I also love the jardinieres on the table.

If only my friend and I had actually gone out with the shopboys -- I keep thinking of a night that ended with me coercing them to let me back in the shop under the pretense of 'having a little fun.' Wouldn't they have been so disappointed to learn that my idea of fun would have consisted of sitting on all the roped off chairs and playing house in all the different rooms?

Different strokes...

Paris

Jam packed exploring day -- get ready to be exhausted from the rundown.

The morning (well, let's say 11:00, because generally we don't get moving very quickly, but thankfully, neither does Europe):

• Metro to Sacre Coeur - We use our best "don't eff with us" faces to ward off the swindlers & pickpockets at the gates of Sacre Coeur; the cathedral is beautiful, more for the view and because of the white Gypsum that it's made from than the actual interior
• Montmartre - Awesome district of Paris that has roots as bohemian and artsy -- this is where the starving artists lived after the turn of the century because no one could afford the heart of Paris -- a really lovely neighborhood resulted; Think it's where I'll stay next time, as it's got cafe after cafe and great shops at reasonable prices
  
• Moulin Rouge - Crap hole, but you figure "well, while I'm here, I should at least walk by..."
• Lunch - Small outdoor cafe that was probably chosen more for the crepe stand rather than the sandwiches; Banana and Nutella crepes are introduced to us
  
• Bus to Luxembourg Gardens (by way of Louvre (super long walk) and another long walk in search of a boat thinking that maybe now is the time to go down the Seine)
• Luxembourg Gardens are amazing, even more amazing is the number of people in it; Paris, like Seattle, potentially consists of people that flee their offices at the first glimpse of sun in spring as the grounds are crawling with people (non-tourists) -- reading books, playing chess, bocci ball, kids having toy sailboat races, etc.
  
• Plan to go down river is hijacked by my desire to go to Flamant on the left bank (endless buses and walking/getting lost necessary to find the store that doesn't exist on maps, phone calls to my sister for directions ensue, as well as a Google map from a hotel concierge)
• Explored Saint Germain-des-Pres as a result of (being lost) looking for Flamant
• Finally find it! Friend gets hit on by two shopboys (real phone numbers and everything) and we're invited to go dancing; I'm told I am "beautiful, like our paints" and other people in the store laugh at the stupid American girl who is trying to ask what kind of base they use - "Resin? Acrylic? Clay?" Things get massively twisted around in translation, conversation is a lost cause
• Flamant bonus: Laduree is nearby, so I buy the famous macaroons for us under the guise that it's a thank you to friend for aimlessly wandering Paris due to home store fetish (really just wanted to stuff face with cookies...)
  

Evening:

• Louve - Bus back to central downtown area and hit the Louvre after the Friday evening admission discount is in play; Power through the exhibits even though we're starting to feel the effects of the day; Highlight is not the Mona Lisa, but rather taking pervy pictures in a deserted wing of the Roman statue hall, wild schoolgirl giggling ensues
  
• Close down the Louvre and catch metro to the Eiffel Tower area so we can get on a boat for the river tour
• Disclaimer: Thought long and hard about this, but after being told to do it by several Parisians, we opted to follow-through -- especially thought it was a good way to see Paris at night since we were not staying in the thick of the city
• Consensus: Nice way to see the city at night, but wouldn't make the same recommendation to anyone else, some Asian guy did take friend's picture though, potentially thought she was part of the tour, as people think she looks like Britney Spears
  

12:30 AM:

• Exhausted and whiny, we catch three different metro trains to make it back to the 'burbs; oddly, apartment owner has left us a note saying she's not sure whether she'll be home for the night (shacking?) so we have the apartment to ourselves, not that we needed it, we both fell asleep immediately.

Big day. Did the tourist in us proud.