The Flea market

The Sunday San Telmo market marked the start of our buying extravaganza. Chandeliers, glassware, and silver were the hot items of this mart. Reminded us a bit of the Porte de Vanve market in Paris. Small stalls one after another sparkled in the morning winter sun (although winter here the last few days is a quite pleasant 65 – 75 degrees). Bric-a-brac heaven! Surrounding the square are numerous higher end and much more expensive antique shops – great stuff, just too pricey.

Today we toured the more northern cities of upscale San Isidro and tranquil Tigre. This was historically the summer playground of the portenos (local BA natives). Nestled overlooking the Rio de la Plata this kind of resembles a Spanish Hamptons. Inland this area also houses the furniture factories and wholesalers – more difficult to do business, but definitely worth the effort. Take your own guide or translator to facilitate the deals. After a leisurely river-cruise (island deltas and river houses could have been from backwoods Louisiana) we headed back to the city to do some tourist shopping along Florida Street (imagine Times Square as a mile-long pedestrian street). Tonight it’s early to bed, got to get up at 5am tomorrow for our flight to Iguazu. More on that next time .

Argentina third world…my empanada!!

After two days of traversing uber-wide boulevards, strolling quaint cobblestone byways, and eating way too much steak (pampas-fed beats hormone-infused any day) we have decided that Buenos Aires is an amalgam of the best of France, Spain, and Italy. Where else can you view an exquisite chateau, while eating a taco, having just downed an espresso?

Food in Argentina is great and cheap. You can eat and drink yourself sick at an excellent restaurant for about twenty dollars. I’m talking steak and a bottle of top shelf Malbec.

Too much to tell you in one short blog. I think I will leave you with a magical image that is now burned in my brain forever. We have always had a thing for cemeteries. Living previously in New Orleans, the cemetery was always a mysterious venue of crypts, sarcophagi, and mausoleums. Bonaventure cemetery in Savannah is a place of majesty and mystery, a combination of oaks, palms, and tributes to the dead. Nothing compares to Recoleta Cemetery. This morning’s thick fog dusted the entryway, a cool breeze rustled the Patagonia pine fronds, the banyan tree limbs thrust almost horizontal eerily creaked while the staccato rasp of pigeons filled our ears. This place is amazing. Imagine row after row of exquisite monuments and statuary – all clearly expensive, some probably priceless. Within each lies a noble family’s tribute to its heritage, truly amazing. Eva Peron was finally laid to rest in this cemetery after an apparently prolonged and bizarre journey after her death.

Okay, enough for now. Tomorrow we will fill you in on our amazing finds at the flea market of San Telmo. Stay tuned.

Next stop......Argentina

Argentina, our next fantastic adventure begins today. The land of wonders (Iguazu Falls, Tierra del Fuego), wine (seductive Mendoza), food (world’s best steak), shopping (San Telmo), and the intoxicating, gyrating, insomniac Buenos Aires is in our crosshairs. Just a short ten-hour plane ride to the new “next” great place.

Over the next week, we plan to shop, trek, eat and drink our way across the landscape and invite you to come with us – this time at least in the blog-sense. With the only world currency worse than ours, the Peso is the new dollar. So wake up your travel bug , pour yourself a glass of something sinful, cozy up to your computer and follow our journey.

My Dinner with André

Fabulously fashionable, fiercely fantastical, fanciful, formidable, yet always sweet as key lime pie.

The Cisco Brothers are Coming! The Cisco Brothers are Coming!

Hold your horses gunslingers, this isn’t the famous outlaw with his sidekick Pancho. The Paris Market is proud to welcome our newest furniture and upholstery line – Cisco Brothers.

Based in Los Angeles, Francisco Panedo is widely regarded as the best in the business. Cisco developed his furniture with superior craftsmanship, cutting-edge style, and unparalleled value. The closely-knit family atmosphere of the company nurtures uncommon client loyalty.

In 2006, Cisco developed the Inside Green method of construction and became the first designer to create 100% FSC Pure sustainable upholstered furniture. The company moved exclusively to FSC Pure certified woods on upholstered furniture, using reclaimed hardwoods for a collection of stunning case goods and the use of water based glues and environmentally friendly detergents to wash all fabrics. The result is furniture that looks, feels, and even smells fantastic. Naturally antibacterial, this stuff is even good for your health.

Today Cisco Home has six retail showrooms including a gallery at ABC Home Furnishings in NYC, the acclaimed LA Design Center in Los Angeles and soon The Paris Market and Brocante in Savannah.

The Spider, the Oyster, and the Twig

No this is not the beginning of some strange joke, rather these are just a few of the names swirled into wonderful, natural, and organic creations from our own lighting guru. Sometimes simple and discrete, sometimes riveting, complex and over-the-top, yet always enthralling, these unique masterpieces are available only at The Paris Market and Brocante.

The tidal marshes serve as a fantastic palette of inspiration for this aspiring artist. Gently working metals and incorporating natural materials, the finished products are individual, unique, one-of-a-kind designs sure to strike up conversation (in fact some of his creations have already appeared on various designer blogs – love it!).

Below are just a few examples of pure genius. All items can come in almost any size and shape, some just dictated by the constraints of nature. Have a rough idea of what you want? Send us a sketch, and before you know it, your idea will come to light – pun intended!

She sells seashells by the seashore

Ahh, Savannah in the spring. The almost schizophrenic color of azaleas, dogwoods, redbud's, and cherry trees has climaxed, the majestic oaks have erupted with new leaves, and the intoxicating scent of jasmine and honeysuckle is everywhere. The green of spring is unlike any other green in the color spectrum. My beloved, but not-too-smart dove family, has again setup a nest in the palm tree outside my back porch – perfectly situated at eye level – and the chimney sweeps have taken roost in our fireplace. We are currently enjoying the month before the oppressive humidity and bloodthirsty gnats turn outdoors into a drippy, slappy, feeding frenzy.

As spring turns to summer, Savannah heads to the beach. Tybee Island starts to hum – the redneck Riviera beckons. One can walk for miles along the wide sandy beach picking up odds and ends. For some reason, I have always been fascinated with specimens of nature. A simple walk in the sand turns into a treasure hunt for artifacts ranging from sand dollars, shells, and starfish, to shark’s teeth and the occasional boney remains of anonymous sea life.

I have sand and surf remnants from the various beaches of our travels, collected and hand labeled like priceless finds from archaeological digs. These glass canisters serve to remind me of the cool surf and even cooler locals (Hayman, Alexandria, Mumbai, Cannes, Seaside, etc).

I have searched far and wide for unique sources of sea-life. In the constant effort to maintain “green” values, the sources must comply with strict environmental guidelines. This year I think I have outdone myself. The beauty of nature cannot be replicated; the intricacy is confounding, yet the simplicity is astounding. These artifacts will establish a degree of elegance to any home.



It is also my pleasure to introduce the fantastic works of a local artist. Combining original statuary with shell remnants, a fantastical, organic masterpiece is created. Stop by the store or visit us online – I want you to share to experience.

Paula

After almost a century of its absence: Absinthe.

About 20 years ago, in a little corner bar on the east end of Bourbon Street, I had my first taste of the illegal distillate. Part liquor, part herb, part performance theater, absinthe proved intoxicating, both figuratively and literally. After being ushered to an aged table, an elegant dispensing apparatus appeared out of the back shadows. Tall, thick, ancient appearing glasses were placed under each spout, each topped with an equally ancient perforated spoon and capped with an assymetric sugar cube. An anonymous hand then placed the illicit bottle on the table. I started having second thoughts the moment the label became visible with the flicker of the candle. A morphing green fairy with a sardonic grin stared back at me as if daring me to proceed. I hesitated. My husband, then only my on again, off again boyfriend – and not one with a lot of common sense – said “cool”, grabbed the bottle and started pouring.

A pale green fluid pooled in the bottom of each glass. The absinthe fountain, which looked like an elegantly bizarre fondue pot, was filled with ice and water. The lever was turned, and a slow drip of iced water permeated the sugar cube and glided into the liquor. With each drip, an opalescent cloud formed as the herbal essence was released. One could almost envision the fairy emerging from the swirling brew. The cocktail complete, I ventured forth. A pleasingly crisp, slightly sweetened licorice flavored my palate. Not bad, actually quite good.

A few hours later we left the bar. No hallucinations, just a little intoxicated. Absinthe proved an enjoyable liquor with a storied tradition.


Now a few facts:
Absinthe is now legal for purchase in the United States. Absinthe does not cause hallucinations. This was a misconception promoted by the French wine consortium who deemed Absinthe’s afford ability and popularity a detriment to wine sales. Absinthe’s green color is a result of natural ingredients; no coloring is added. The bottles are dark to prevent exposure to light, which would destroy the natural color. Grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is the key ingredient in genuine Absinthe. The active ingredient thujone is strictly regulated. It has been noted that even the original manufacturers of Absinthe did not have significant amounts of thujone which could has caused hallucinations. The hallucinations historically alluded to with the myth of absinthe can probably be attributed to the concurrent popularity of cocaine and opium.

The Paris Market & Brocante carries Absinthe accessories for sale both in the store and on our website at http://theparismarket.com/Gallery.asp?secondary=12&catid=9

Taxidermy, A Solar System, and 109 Noses

My wife decided not to get up for an early morning shopping spree. She’s not a morning person; she actually thinks brunch is the first meal of the day. We had this great opportunity to select shop a vintage European wholesaler, but the first come first served mentality was to prevail. Perhaps a few too many bourbons the night before, I woke up ready, reeling, but ready. My wife, alas, still in deep hibernation, was not to be aroused. After a quick caffeine infusion it was off to the hunt.

I arrived in the dark to join the other hungry retailers at the gate. Felt like the kennel at feeding time. Each new arrival was sized up and subsequently discarded to the back of the line by the pack leader. The wholesaler finally sauntered up to the gate and herded us inside.

Ah, like the Vikings of old, we pillaged our way through the warehouse. Everything had a price, and I had to have everything. Stickers flew about, hopes won, dreams dashed.

A couple of hours later, an American express card much lighter, I return to the hotel. My wife, still in the same place I left her, although with a half empty cup of coffee in her hand and some croissant fragments on her robe, asked how it went. I proudly pulled out the receipt and revealed my treasure;

Antique taxidermy baby deer, baby goat, fox, and badger
French model solar system (Which sold quick!)
109 terra cotta theatre nose molds (early 1900's)

My wife now accompanies me on all buying outings. I believe she has finally realized the magnitude of my genius.

*all items available at the Paris Market and Brocante store or website. Noses available individually or as a lot. Priced from $140-170 individually.

Why Aesop??

Eleven years ago my husband and I traveled to Australia – furthest place we could go with all our saved up frequent flyer miles – to elope to the perfect paradise of Hayman Island. He was finishing residency, I was working three jobs, and doing research on the side – we had no money, but we had love and thus we were invincible (or is that irrational?). What a trip. I highly recommend foregoing the typical overdone wedding in favor of splurging the entire fortune on you and your honey! We called our parents the day of the wedding, went shopping for a cheap dress, shoes and suit, and bought a pair of silver rings (my husband called them training rings – he was so scared he would lose his).
We had to fly in a magistrate from a neighboring island, wrote our own vows, had hotel staff (our new best friends) for witnesses, and had a fantastically humble wedding on the beach,

Why am I telling you all this? Well, we were so worn out (and incredibly sunburned) from our impromtu island wedding that when we returned to Melbourne we needed some major revitalization. On the way to Australia, I think I read every magazine in the world. Nothing like traveling fourteen hours jam packed in coach. I came across this article in an Australian fashion magazine about the best product for that time (and in my opinion for all times) - Primrose Facial Hydrating Cream -the high priestess of hydrating creams as Aesop likes to call it. Apparently all the Australian films stars were enamored with this product line (including the perfect Nicole Kidman). This product was unknown to us so I dragged my husband high and low through Melbourne on the hunt. We finally found it. Aesop was green before green was a concept. Aesop does not subscribe to mainstream cosmetic practices and claims of anti-aging, promises of youth and distorted ideals of beauty. Aesop believes that external beauty is ultimately the result of a healthy attitude, diet, and moderate exercise and consistent physical attention to, and protection of, the skin. I bought a couple of products. My husband, the doctor, and thus always the naysayer of any cosmetic claim, was apparently satisfied by the package insert, and decided to participate in my beauty night (he’s my best girlfriend). Actually, I think he was just so sunburned that he was willing to try anything..

So here we are, eleven years later and I finally had the opportunity to bring Aesop to Savannah. This company has evolved into something even better over the years. Start the New Year right. Our new in-store apothecary has a multitude of lines to improve your appearance, but Aesop certainly is our finest coup.