How Could I Resist?

This collage is my submission for The Three Muses Collage Challenge. The prompt this week was "Oooh-La-La!". Now, how exactly, was I going to resist that?

(Please click on the image for the larger version.)

(Thank you to Julia at Cemerony, Cristina at Asunder Ephemera, Ella at Calico Collage, Mark at Memories Emporium and Karen of The Graphics Fairy for the images I used.)

It Has Arrived!

Dearest Friends,
How many of you remember my post about the book PastryParis by Susan Hochbaum from a year ago August (and another one here)? It seems like we've waited forever, but now the wait is over! PastryParis is now available, published by The Little Bookroom! Congratulations to Susan! How gratifying it must be to see a project such as this come to fruition! Truly a beautiful gem of a book! In it, she demonstrates to us that, indeed, "In Paris, everything looks like dessert."! Such a treat this book is, with its beautiful photography of the beauty of Paris and also of luscious pastries that resemble many of the landmarks! I have to tell you that one of the things that I also appreciate is how she discusses not only the historical significance of the places pictured, but also explains what each pastry is and how it is made. So, please treat yourself and get a copy of this lovely, lovely book! Make yourself a cup of your favorite tea and imagine yourself here in one of the comfiest chairs, devouring this book like it was one of the pastries pictured inside!

A special note to my friends in Paris, Susan will be signing her book at the following places:

Author Presentation, Champagne and Pastry Tasting
Thursday, October 20, 7 pm
WH Smith
248 rue de Rivoli
(Metro Concorde)
RSVP: books@whsmith.fr
(Subject line: Réservation-Soirée dédicace avec Susan Hochbaum)

Booksigning
Saturday October 22, 2pm - 3 pm
Salon du Chocolat
Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
1 place de la Porte de Versailles
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01.40.68.22.22
www.salon-du-chocolat.com

Cherries and the Opera. . .

(The background for this collage is called "Cotton Candy" and it is from a great blog called Shadowhouse Creations where a gentleman named Jerry posts backgrounds to use and all he asks is that you leave a "Thank You" or a smiley for him if you use one.)

Dear Friends,
Above is my submission for the challenge on the blog "So Artful Challenge". The challenge this week is "Life is a Bowl of Cherries". It features cherries (of course!), cherry blossoms (please hurry Mademoiselle Spring!) and one of my favorite subjects, the divine opera diva Mademoiselle Lina Cavalieri.

And speaking of the opera, I spotted the strangest sign while riding through the town in Maine where I now live. On the side of the abandoned opera house, there is a sign advertising "Phantom Flowers" and a phone number. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention there is also a Gothic Street in Paris, the next town over. Hmmm...

Lastly, please do yourself a favor and look at the sweetest blog I have just discovered! Bardot in Blue comes to us by recommendation of Judith of Paris Atelier! Between the two of these ladies, there will be enough Parisian eye-candy to last you for days!! (You are welcome!!)

Wishing you a lovely evening!

Betty

5 Degrees of Inspiration House Party

Welcome Friends and Friends-I-Do-Not-Yet-Know,
Happy Blog Party to you! As a member of the Inspiration Avenue Team, I welcome you!

What inspires me? Anyone who knows me or reads my blog probably has a pretty good idea of a lot of the topics that inspire me, as my artwork or blog give life to most of them. Here are some images of inspiration for me. I hope they do the same for you.

Welcome to the House of My Imagination. All the rooms are decorated with extra glitter and sparkly bits in anticipation of your visit . . .

. . . and so we begin in Room One,
the Dining Hall,
so that you might sample food that inspires me. . .

. . .by taste. . .
(These pastries from Ladurée make me dream! Your first experience with the scentflavors of rose and lily-of-the-valley are something you will never forget!)

. . . by sight . . .
(Madame Joconde Eclairs from Fauchon)
Read my previous post about them here.
What is this lovely-looking item? You might think it was a dessert, but you would not be correct! It is Saint-Honoré Printanier de Légumes from Dalloyau, a tart made of tiny spring vegetables, fresh cheese and fresh flower petals!

. . .by anticipation . . .
I will definitely want to try this Wasabi Macaron the next time I visit the House of Pierre Hermé!

. . . by scent . . .
With which tea may I tempt you? Kusmi's Bourbon Vanilla, redolent of the exotic and beautiful vanilla pod, Caramel, warm and sweet, Spicy Chocolate with warm spicy notes or beautifully floral Violet?


. . . now, on to Room Two,
the Gallery,
so that you might see images that inspire me . . .

(An Ad for the coffee company Lavazza, a large sign with this ad on it was one of the first things I saw when we arrived in Paris at 7 am after not having slept all night!)

(An Ad from Fauchon)

(An Image from the Italian artist Nicoletta Ceccoli)

(An Image from the collection of Les Museés de Strasbourg)


. . . next,
on to Room Three,
the Library,
so that I might share with you
words that inspire me . . .

The Fig Eater, by Jodi Shields
This is a beautiful, dark, hypnotic book, meant to be savored over and over again. To read this book is to live in turn-of-the-century Vienna.

Paris Out of Hand by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, Barbara Hodgson and Nick Bantock (author of the Griffin and Sabine series)
This gorgeous book is a tour guide of Paris, but not Paris as it actually exists. It is a surreal, dadaist tour of the Paris of the Mind. This lovely little jewel box of a book will make you dream of visiting The City of Lights.

. . before we leave the library, I hope you find inspiration in some quotes by my favorite poets and writers . . .

"Poetry is . . . the human soul entire, squeezed like a lemon or a lime, drop by drop, into atomic words" - Langston Hughes

"Very much so. Hopelessly. I just love that time so much. It’s unfragmented and velvety. My mind is very free at night.” - Karen Elizabeth Gordon, when asked if she was a night person.

"And the day came when the risk (it took) to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage" - Anais Nin

(For further inspiration, please consider reading anything by Colette or Edward Gorey)


. . .and in Room Four,
The Listening Room . . .
. . . I hope you find yourself inspired by the music that currently inspires me . . .

a strange, joyful mix of the following:

almost anything from Joy Division (always "Love Will Tear Us Apart".
Consider this a shout-out. He knows who he is.)

"Sketch for Summer" by Durrutti Column

"Sunshine and Love" by The Happy Mondays

"Six Bells Chime" by Crime and the City Solution

"Fistfull of Tears" by Maxwell

"Song to the Siren" by This Mortal Coil (this came to me as inspiration from V by way of something posted by J.
You inspire me always. I love you so much.)


. . .Finally. . .
in Room Five. . .
the Observatory. . .
Please gaze with me at the Number One Place that has inspired me:
. . .being watched over by our Dear Friend,
Mademoiselle Moon!

Goodbye Dear Friends and New Friends!
Please have fun visiting the other parties being hosted by the other participants of The Inspiration Avenue Blog Party!
May you be inspired!

Betty

Very Happy Day of Love and Valentines!

(Images: Lisa Kettell of Moonfaires, Majik Design and Asunder Ephemera)

Also, thank you so much to Soul Journal for allowing me to participate in my first-ever blog party!


Dearest Friends,
Wishing you a very most happy day! May you have a day surrounded by beautiful valentines, wrapped in yards of organza and silk ribbons, wreathed in roses and indulging in delicious chocolates, pastries and of course, your favorite cup of tea!  Don't forget that if you are alone today, please treat yourself.  YOU are your Best Valentine Friend!

This is my playlist for the morning:
La Vie en Rose- Louis Armstrong, I'm In the Mood for Love - Bryan Ferry (I love all the violins in this!), Si Tu N'Es Pas La and Guilty - from the Amelie soundtrack, Les Barricades Mysterious and K. 213 - from the Marie Antoinette soundtrack (oooh, harpsichords!), and for the rest of the day, all four disks of Lullabies to Violaine by the Cocteau Twins!

So, in honor of this special day, here is my fantasy French pastry indulgence for our Heureux Saint-Valentin!:

The Rose Religieuse from Ladurée:

This is composed of a small and a large cream puff, the small is filled with pastry cream scented with rose water and the large is filled with the same rose cream and a small layer of raspberry puree.  The whole thing is covered in royal icing, also scented with rose and joined with buttercream.  

The next is on my wish list for our next trip to Paris.  This is the Coeur Infiniment Vanille (Infinite Vanilla Heart):

This is one of Pierre Hermé's beautiful cakes, made in a heart shape for this special day. Every part of this cake is made with vanilla from three sources: Mexico, Madagascar and Tahiti.

And finally, heart-shaped pâtes de fruits from Hediard:
Mr. V and I fell in love with pâtes de fruits from Pierre Hermé (his variety called "Celeste" made of layers of passionfruit, strawberry and rhubarb), but these were so beautiful we would have to try them too! Pâtes de fruits are made by cooking down large amounts of fresh fruit until it is a thick jelly consistancy (much more concentrated than jam or jelly) and then cutting into squares (or in this case hearts). They are the most perfect essence of the fruit captured for enjoyment long after the fruit has left the trees, bushes and brambles.

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Betty

Tea Lust

Anyone who has been to Paris knows that standing in line is just part of being there.  But for me, standing in line for food is not the torture one might think!  In fact, I realized that I like a bit of a line when having to decide what to order (and how to say it in French!).  One day, Mr. V and I stood in line at the Pierre Hermé on Rue Bonaparte, waiting to buy some of his divine pastries and some gifts to bring home.  This tea was one treat that we brought back for ourselves!  It is one of Monsieur Hermé's signature teas and he calls it Jardin de Pierre (Pierre's Garden).  It is a black tea infused with the essences of citrus, jasmine, rose and violet!  We first drank it as an iced tea for our first anniversary tea.  It is deliciously surreal to drink (or eat) something tasting of the scentflavors of flowers (Yes, I know that scentflavor is not actually a word, but just eat or drink something like this and you will understand!).  But as I warned one of my friends later, do not add too much sugar or it is like drinking a liquid gardenia!  However, the small notes of citrus in the tea do go nicely with a very thin slice of lemon or lime.

On that rainy afternoon of our first anniversary, this was the menu of our tea:

tea sandwiches on thin slices of baguette-

cucumber with dill butter

egg salad with dill and mustard

smoked salmon with wasabi mayonnaise

proscuitto with cream cheese

mixed fresh fruit served in margarita glasses

homemade mini strawberry tarts

iced Jardin de Pierre tea with sugar and slices of lemon and lime

the final bottle of Dolce Stilnovo Rosso 2005 saved from our wedding

Epiphanie

Good Evening, dear friends,

Just one of many reasons that we should chuck it all in and just move to Paris!  As is traditional during the celebration of Epiphany, most patisseries make their version of the Galette de Rois.  Of course, Pierre Hermé is one of the most innovative creators of delectable desserts and his galettes are no exception.  His offerings include not only the traditional one with almond paste, but also two with his fetish flavors:  Satine (passionfruit) and Ispahan (rose, raspberry and litchi), which is pictured above.  For more information on these delicious wonders and all the rest of the wonderful things he makes, please look at his website here.