Circus Circus

In the spirit of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey to Cirque Du Soleil, The Paris Market and Brocante proudly presents Cirque De Paris. What better way to reflect the current retail environment than channel our very own circus. From vintage circus posters, fabrics and textiles, to cookies, sweets, and cotton candy, this circus is sure to cheer you up. Be astounded our dramatic new window displays featuring the bearded lady and a genuine fortuneteller. Be amazed by our restyled underground labyrinth of new furnishing and accessories. Impress your friends with your very own rubber chicken and bright red clown nose. The extravaganza lasts all month. Don’t miss a minute of the mayhem. Please note, we are not responsible for spontaneous and irresponsible acts of pure childhood fun.

Stay Tuned!

Overture, curtains, lights,
This is it, the night of nights
No more rehearsing and nursing a part
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtains, lights
This is it, you'll hit the heights
And oh what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it

Tonight what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it

Ruby, Just a Diamond In The Rough

Thanks for the publicity, albeit slightly tainted with reality TV humor (www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows /ruby /videos/index.jsp). We know we aren’t everyone's cup of tea, in fact, that’s exactly the way we like it, off-kilter, off-the-beaten-path and unexpected. So here’s to Ruby, our own hometown weight-challenged heroine. Your film crew makes Savannah shine. May you experience continued success and lightness of being.

The Kool Kessler Kollection

If you think parts of the new Bohemian Hotel look familiar, you're right. Check out the unique lighting though out the hotel. From the chic lighting gracing the river street facade, to the swarovski-crystal oyster shell creations of the roof top bar, our very own Tim Adams has continued his magic. Our wine sphere lighting adds just the perfect touch to the hallways. Please note, all lighting is trademarked and available exclusively though The Paris Market and Brocante.

Vegetarian? I Don’t Think So!

Introducing…”Shake Ya Pork Chop”. Come sample our most flavorful jewelry line yet. Organic, hormone-free, these free-range delights are sure to satisfy your hunger for style. Available only at the Paris Market and Brocante, each specimen is unique – expand your diet today.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
-Marcel Proust

Cafés and conversations, architecture and attitude, shopping and schlepping, ahh our trip has come to an end. In a deliberate, concerted effort to have a real relaxing vacation instead of our usual wondrous but harried and overly exhausting adventure travels, we have succeeded in finding a new Paris; the serene, non-touristed Paris. Late morning wake ups (no alarm clocks allowed), afternoon catnaps (just a couple of hours, but who’s counting), late night out-on-the-town prowling (shall I have another glass?) and not one visit to a typical Paris landmark besides our incredible dinner at Jules Verne. Enlightened, invigorated, refreshed and rejuvenated, we return. Our minds full of new ideas, the next direction clear… watch out, The Paris Market and Brocante is about to blow your mind!

Le Flaneur

(Noun: one who wanders without a destination in mind). Whenever I have exhausted and completely satiated my body’s maniacal shopping gene, I seek out more peaceful surrounding to regroup and contemplate the day’s activities and ponder possible future endeavors. Paris offers solace in many places to reenergize, regroup and even retire for the evening. Some of my favorites include:

Jardin de Luxembourg: This 6th arrondissement treasure is perhaps Paris’s finest. The Palais du Luxembourg is surrounded by acres of manicured grounds and shaded paths, an oasis for locals and probably the best people-watching space in the city. My husband, also an avid runner, claims the perimeter – as measured by his nike/ipod - is the most gorgeous 2km track in the world.

Jardin des Tuileries: Louis XIV’s gardener Le Notre’s palatial grounds. Structured, ordered, an exquisite platform for the Louvre.

Bois de Boulogne: The “main lung” of Paris. Traverse by horse-drawn carriage through forests, lakes and waterfalls, Baron Haussmann’s landscape architecture at its best.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont: Napoleon III’s most distinctive and romantic gift to the city.

Place des Vosges: Built by Henri IV, this square exudes style and symmetry with some of the most elegant and expensive real estate in the city.

Jardin du Palais-Royal: This courtyard is currently being renovated, but the remarkable symmetry of these grounds gives much needed respite to the frenetic 1st arrondissement right outside.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery

A lesbian thespian, a creative destructionist, a romantic neoclassicist, a homosexual celebrity, a heroin addicted rock star, a tuberculosis ridden comedian, la vie en rose, a literary master, and a musical prodigy. What do they have in common? A final place of peace and eternal tranquility. Colette, Baron Georges Haussmann, Eugene Delacroix, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Moliere, Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust and Frederic Chopin all lay in the wonderfully haunting grounds. My husband and I have always tended towards these somewhat macabre but intensely stimulating locals (see our Argentina - June 29th, 2008 blog). No, we didn’t have sex on top of Jim Morrison’s tomb or rub the rather large “extension” of Victor Noir, but we did stride silently among the over 300,000 bodies not pondering death, rather cherishing life.

Mange Bien

From basic, simple bistro fare to bold, dynamic culinary creations, Paris has it all. After losing most of the last decade to the Spanish wizardry of el Bulli’s Ferian Adria and the like, French chefs, newly emboldened, have emerged ever stronger. The following is a listing of some of our favorites. Please note, we did not hit each of these this trip. With the euro at a near all time high, keep your American Express card handy, no pre-set spending limit is a must for some of the joints. A saving grace is the government’s recent (July 1) decrease in restaurant taxes from 19.6% to 5.5%.

Bistro Paul Bert (18, rue Paul-Bert): classic cooking for that ultimate insiders bistro experience.

Le Cinq (Four Seasons Hotel George V, 31, Ave. George V): Chef Phillipe Legendre has received multiple Michelin stars at this Parisian palace hotel.

Le Jules Verne (Eiffel Tower, South Pillar): Set 400 feet up on the entire second level, experience the Eiffel tower with your own private elevator. Alain Ducasse creates wonderment with a million-dollar view. My birthday treat this year!

Le Comptoir du Relais (9, Carrefour de l’Odeon): Yves Camdeborde’s slice of heaven.

Petrelle (34, rue Petrelle): Jean-Luc André’s restaurant, furnished with mismatched antiques, feels like the cluttered home of a Parisian artist. Come to see French fashion designers and film stars vying for his equally stylish bistro cooking.

Chez George (1, rue du Mail): La cuisine bourgeoise (comfort food).

Aux Lyonnais (32, rue St. Marc): Alain Ducasse reinvents and betters the gastronomic capital’s favorites at this Belle Epoque classic. Also visit his chandelier-studded namesake at the Hotel Plaza Athenée.

Taillevent (15, rue Lamennais): named after a 14th century chef to the king and the author of the first French cookbook, this restaurant is perfection. Go ahead and book now, if you get reservations then schedule your flight.

Le Grand Véfour (17, rue de Beaujolais): If Aristotle Onassis could woo Jackie Kennedy here, the sublime dishes and Louis XV decors will surely assist your romantic advances.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (5-7, rue de Montalembert): not just a “workshop”, a dining revolution.

Cristal Room Baccarat (11, place des Etats-Unis): Enhance your bling quotient and maybe spy a celebrity (we saw Tom and Katie). This place is wow.

Shopping Partie 2

Beaubourg and Les Halles: Skip the vast underground shopping complex and hit rue Tiquetonne and Rue Montmartre for avant-garde design and jewelry. Many of our current labels have their warehouse showroom located in this area. Grab lunch from one of the huge array of outdoor food vendors and make your way to St-Eustache for a picture perfect picnic, or sway to the beat in the hyper industrial Georges (6th fl, Centre Pompidou) for equally perfect views from above.

Champs-Elysees: Feeling at the top of your game? Throw on those spanx, your highest stilettos, shortest skirt, fix your hair and makeup and make sure your tan hasn’t pooled around your knees and ankles. Rue Montaigne and Rue George V beckon. With their flagship five star stores with six star prices, arrive as a princess and leave as a pauper. While in the area splurge on lunch at the Four Seasons George V (31, Ave George V), our favorite hotel in France (while there check out the world’s most exquisite flower arrangements by Jeff Leatham), or the Plaza Athenée (25, Ave Montaigne), book ahead and have lunch in the courtyard.

Shopping Centers: These are not your suburban malls; marvel at the constant commerce of Galleries Lafayette (40, Blvd Haussman) and Le Printemps (64, Blvd Haussman), recession? what recession? Left Bank treasure Le Bon Marché (24, rue de Sevre) with Le Grande Epicerie de Paris (best food hall ever). Need to fix a flat or work on some renovation? Head to BHV (le Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville, 14, rue de Temple) Paris’s classy version of Home Depot.

Place de la Madeleine: Gourmet foodies rejoice. Visit Fauchon (26,30, place de la Madeleine), and Hédiard (21, place de la Madeleine). Don’t just browse, both have excellent restaurants in which to sample their creations.

Any way, there is something for everyone. This list is entirely skimming the surface and the city begs for dedicated browsing. I have also kind of tangentially included some eating suggestions, but I think I will dedicate an entire installment to this endeavor. Bon shopping!