Spring, As Definined By Laduree

Spring in Paris is beautiful, made even more so by some of the patisserie houses' spring collections of pastries. In particular, Laduree's two spring and summer flavors are definitely some of the most wonderful things about the warm-weather seasons!

Some excerpts from their press release:


"A Romantic Spring at Ladurée:
Ladurée is celebrating spring with a Château de Versailles theme. A romantic decoration made up of interlaced designs, medallions and flower bouquets with antiquated colours houses the new box of macaroons with various spring flavours and a definite boudoir feel."


"Ladurée is particularly fond of the month of May and pays homage to it each year by creating a limited edition of its famous, irresistibly-flavoured Lilly-of-the-valley macaroons.

. . .Fleeting and traditional at Ladurée, on the occasion of the first of May, this macaroon is filled with a light and creamy white cream,flavoured with a touch of Lilly-of-the-Valley.
- A Creation by Philippe Andrieu -"



"It is with the sun and summer in mind that Pastry Chef Philippe Andrieu devised the new Ladurée macaroon. Its radiant sun-yellow shell encloses an unctuous, Bergamot flavoured cream which is both sweet and bitter. Tangy and sun-drenched, this new flavour macaroon will make the perfect summer treat this year."


The lily-of-the-valley macaron was one of our very favorite flavors, one I describe as a "scentflavor", as they taste just like they smell. Indescribably delicious and unusual.

We so wish we were there to get to try the bergamot flavor! One our favorite teas is Earl Grey and it is the oil of bergamot that is used to give the tea its beautiful perfume-like scent and flavor.

Mademoiselle Moon Just for You

A new item I just posted to The Gossamer Tearoom Gift Shop (aka my Etsy site)!  Mademoiselle Moon awaits your visit in all her full-moon glory...

Blogs to Swoon Over

Good Morning to you, Dearest Friends,

I hope you have all swept up the last of the confetti from the Mermaids Tea Party (or not, because it looks pretty!)   Thank you so very much to all the nice fellow bloggers who visited!

I have added several blogs to my blogroll that I wanted to tell you about.  First, Fanciful Designs and French Blue, which are both just beautiful and so much fun to look through!  The image above of the very sweet & cheeky macaron pillow came from Fanciful Designs.  Aren't these perfect for the The Gossamer Tearoom?

Also, if you go to Claudia's exquisite Paris Apartment blog, you can walk in Paris right along with her, as she is there right now!  

Next, I wanted to let you know about my new blog friend LuLu's blog Coastal Sisters.  She was one of my Etsy customers and we started chatting.  It's been such fun!  Thank you, LuLu!   (And our conversations have been planting the seeds of a small idea I have for an essay I've toyed with for a while. . . more on that later.)

Betty

Tea with a Mermaid Princess

Please meet Anemone-Clotilde, Mermaid Dauphine of the Chateau Fleur de Sel. She lives in a beautiful castle, deep below the sea, off the northern coast of France. She is most pleased to meet you!


On the clearest of nights, if you were to look out from the top of the monestery at Mont St. Michel, you might see some lights faintly glowing in the water and mistake them for the reflection of stars or the light of our dear friend Mademoiselle Moon, but it would be the lights from the Dauphine’s home, shining in the darkest part of the ocean.


When the Dauphine entertains other Royal Mermaid Heads of State, this is the crown she wears. Isn’t it beautiful? Please notice the inside, her favorite color! It takes a great deal of concentration and grace to keep a crown of bubbles on your head!




Have you ever noticed how a crown can look just like a drop of milk, like the ones you might add to your tea? (Thank you Mr. Harold Edgerton for his iconic photograph.)






The Dauphine has made certain that all her favorite tea-time treats were prepared for you! Please have a sip of tea made of the rarest of blooms of sea heliotrope blossoms, lovely little sandwiches of smoked twinkle-fish and of course, a chocolat fleur de sel macaron!

Farewell to the Dauphine! She has been so pleased to have made your acquaintance!


Thank you to Moonfaires World (our wonderful hostess Lisa) and Asunder Ephemera for the images used in creating The Dauphine.

The Mermaid Tea Party

Dearest Friends,
Lisa Kettell, the Queen of Magic, will be hosting yet another very fun blog party this Saturday, April 18th! This one will be The Mermaids Tea Party! Honestly, I have not really thought that much about mermaids up to this point, but you know if it has "tea party" in the title, I have to be there!! Please click on Lisa's site Faerie Enchantment for more details and to leave a comment to tell her that you will be there too! And please be certain to visit The Gossamer Tearoom for my contribution to the festivities!

Marie

I am very happy to announce that Stampington's special edition Marie is currently on sale!

As I mentioned in my post of January 18, my collage entitled "In the Secret Dessert Garden-Thirty-ninth in an Imaginary Series from the Untold Secrets of Marie Antoinette" was selected for publication! When they contacted me to tell me that my work had been accepted, they asked me to write something about my inspiration for the piece. This is what I sent them:

Initially, I was inspired to create this collage after having seen the Sofia Coppola movie “Marie Antoinette” and read the book by Antonia Fraser on which the movie was based. In addition, I was fortunate enough to see the Marie Antoinette exhibit at the Grand Palais in Paris in April 2008. But I was also inspired by visits to Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, two of the most famous patisseries in Paris and the sweetest tea salon across from the Luxembourg Gardens called Thé Cool. In these places, I found desserts almost too beautiful to eat and teas beyond what I could have ever imagined. In addition, I began to think about what we knew of the life of the last queen of France. I also began to ponder what we may not have known and my imagination began to run wild! We know that she loved her gardens and she loved her desserts. What if she had commissioned the royal horticulturist to develop a hybrid of flower whose fruit were desserts? Therefore, I named my collage, “In the Dessert Garden, Thirty-Ninth in an Imaginary Series from The Untold Secrets of Marie Antoinette.”

Here are some pictures:








I want to thank my husband Victor for his constant encouragement and for insisting that we visit the show at the Grand Palais and to Stampington for publishing my work!

Gratefully,

Betty