Postcards from Paris: { josephine baker and le chateau des milandes }

We took the small country roads from Paris to Bordeaux early Saturday morning. The sun still hadn’t risen when we took the road at 5:30am. Our initiative was to arrive in time for a traditional Bordeaux lunch, and then to catch a turn through the Chateau of Joséphine Baker. I’ve had some defining moments strolling through Paris while listening to Joséphine Baker. The stereotypes of the city are highlighted when listening to “J’ai Deux Amours” and a stop at the nearest boulangerie for a gouter emporter is justified. Recently when a certain French monsieur told me of the time he visited her chateau in Dordogne when he was young, I was intrigued by the adventure he then proposed. Joséphine Baker outside of Paris, could she define another French façade, in Bordeaux?

And then we listened to that song of her's, good ole' “J’ai Deux Amours” as we drove through the winding country roads. Spring’s first blossoms were beginning and there were dandelions sprouting out from all of the vineyards.  My question was answered; her songs are defining regardless of the region, but there will always be an echo of Paris no matter where we are when she sings:

On dit qu'au-delà des mers,
It is said that above the seas?
Là-bas sous le ciel clair,
Over there under the clear sky,
Il existe une cité, au séjour enchanté.
Exists a city, where the stay is enchanted
Et sous les grands arbres noirs,
And under the big black trees,
Chaque soir,
Every evening,
Vers elle s'en va tout mon espoir.
Towards it leaves all my hope
J'ai deux amours
I have two loves
Mon pays et Paris.
My country and Paris
Par eux toujours,
By them always
Mon coeur est ravi.
is my heart ravished.
Manhattan est belle,
Manhattan is beautiful
Mais à quoi bon le nier :
But why deny it,
Ce qui m'ensorcelle, c'est Paris,
what puts a spell on me is Paris,
c'est Paris tout entier.
Paris in its whole.
Le voir un jour,
Seeing it one day
c'est mon rêve joli.
is my pretty dream
J'ai deux amours,
I have two loves,
Mon pays et Paris.
My country and Paris.

Bisous,
Reba

Not Your Regular Garden Gnome...

Modern garden gnomes are based on the legendary “Gnomes” of myth, mysticism, and fairy tales. Gnomes have historically been described as small (from a few inches to a foot or two in height) stout beings who live in underground. Gnomes were said to wear conical hats and to be able to move through the earth itself as easily as we humans walk upon it, yet if any of these underground dwellers were caught out in the daylight it was said that the rays of the Sun turned them into stone. The visual of these dusty, dirty, little bearded fellows isn't too appealing but it seems that the ceramic version is quite a bit cuter.

We are in love with our newest, and smallest, additions to our garden section. These ceramic Garden Gnomes have been capturing the hearts of our customers and creating quite a bit of mischief in our shop. You can sometimes find them hiding in the strangest places....

Can you find the hiding Gnome in each of these displays?

If you were stumped by our hiding gnome here is where he can be found...

Be sure to take home one of these mischievous little trouble makers for your home or garden!

Now available at The Paris Market! 

Sending a Special Message: Our Favorite Cards

Sometimes Stationary sends much more than a special message...

With the multitude of designs, colors, and images, cards can also be a fun way to display your personal style. Our newest card line by J. Falkner brings something chic into the world of paper goods. Their home base in Palm Beach, Flordia shows off their vibrant inspiration for colorful designs. Their hearts are in the right place too! A percentage of their card sales are donated to the Trevor Project, an inspirational youth-oriented charity.

So next time you choose to send a special message, don't forget to add your personal style in that envelope with one of our J. Falkner cards!

Available at The Paris Market!

Reading in the Kitchen...Our Favorite Cookbooks

Among the various useful and sometimes necessary tools in the Kitchen, the perfect cookbook can't be overlooked.

Our Kitchen section has been stocked full of some of our favorite (and essential) cookbooks of the season. From Southern Staples to the Sweets of Paris, these cookbooks will have you donning that apron and whipping up something special for you next sit-down soiree.

 

Subdue that rumbling stomach and head over and pick up a new cookbook, now available at The Paris Market!

Postcards from Paris: {p l a n c h e - à - r o u l e t t e s}

Scarves are still on, but skateboards are out.
I feel nostalgic for my Californian upbringing each time I see a set of skateboarders gliding through town. Every Sunday afternoon, usually on the Left Bank, one can catch a large group of roller skaters touring through Paris. The last time I caught these rollers I noticed right behind them was a set of cool mecs riding along on their four wheeled boards. Just then a California heat wave kicked in. I know I’m not the only American to feel a certain amount of ownership to this pastime activity, even if during those days I was just a spectator with a set of D3 Osiris shoes looking for a new crush. That time has passed, and has been reinterpretated for me in French. Only in Paris can skateboarding take on an elegant and feminine appearance. The windows at Les Galeries Lafayette are glammed up with Lacoste skateboards, Balenciaga stilettos, and Prada sunglasses to encourage Spring to hurry along.
{{A Past-Time Activity}}

Bisous,
Reba

New Products Online - Jewelry Addition!

 

Metropolis 2 Earrings

Generator Bangle

Braided Leather Band Ring

Papoose Earrings

Sweetheart Ring

Metropolis Earrings

Our newest online shop update speaks of everything accessories with our assortment of simple and intricate jewelry for spring! We just love the classic, minimalist designs and versatile wear-ability of this stunning collection. You're warm weather wardrobe will never be happier!

The Paris Market showcases and online store are stocked full of everything you need to look, live, and be fabulous this April season.

Happy Stylish Spring!

Timeless Authors: Horatio Alger Jr.

As someone who is an avid bookworm, I have a serious soft spot for vintage books, especially books for children. You can often find vintage reads scattered on our display shelves, but our collection of Horatio Alger Jr. novels have every literary fan swooning over the yellowed pages, beautifully illustrated covers and historic significance of these timeless books.

Horatio Alger, Jr. was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many juvenile novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty.

His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on America during the Gilded Age. Essentially, all of Alger's novels share the same theme: a young boy struggles through hard work to escape poverty. Critics, however, are quick to point out that it is not the hard work itself that rescues the boy from his fate, but rather some extraordinary act of bravery or honesty, which brings him into contact with a wealthy elder gentleman, who takes the boy in as a ward. The boy might return a large sum of money that was lost or rescue someone from an overturned carriage, bringing the boy—and his plight—to the attention of some wealthy individual. It has been suggested that this reflects Alger's own patronizing attitude to the boys he tried to help.

Alger secured his literary niche in 1868 with the publication of his fourth book Ragged Dick, the story of a poor bootblack's rise to middle-class respectability, which was a huge success. His many books that followed were essentially variations on Ragged Dick and featured a cast of stock characters: the valiant hard-working, honest youth (who knew more Latin than the villain), the noble, mysterious stranger (whom the poor boy rescued and by whom he got rewarded), the snobbish youth (cousin), and the evil squire (uncle). 

In the 1870s, Alger took a trip to California to gather material for future books, but the trip had little influence on his writing. In the last decades of the 19th century, boys' tastes changed, and Alger's moral tone coarsened accordingly. The Puritan ethic had loosened its grip on America, and violence, murder, and other sensational themes entered Alger's works. Public librarians questioned whether his books should be made available to the young. By the time he died in 1899, he had published around a hundred volumes.

If you love books, history, and timeless stories, you will love Horatio Alger Jr's work.

Pack your reading glasses in your pocket and head on over to The Paris Market to see our collection of antique books and novels for the vintage literary spirit.

Poisson d’Avril

For centuries, April 1st has been a day marked by hoaxes and practical jokes played on people around the world. France is no exception to this world-wide tradition, and in fact many people think April Fools’ Day originated in France. 

Today in France, those who are fooled on April 1 are called the “Poisson d’Avril” (the April Fish). A common prank (especially among school-aged children) is to place a paper fish on the back of an unsuspecting person. When the paper fish is discovered, the victim is declared a “Poisson d’Avril.”

While it is not clear of the origins of fish being associated with April 1, many think the correlation is related to zodiac sign of Pisces (a fish), which falls near April.

If you are looking for an easy way to prank your friends or family, doodling or cutting out a paper fish and sticking it on the back of an unsuspecting victim is an easy (though admittedly juvenile) way of commemorating the origins of April Fools’ Day.

The History of “Poisson d’Avril”

Although the origins of April Fools is obscure and debated, the most widely accepted explanation actually credits the “holiday” as starting in France. The most popular theory about the origin of April Fool’s Day involves the French calendar reform of the sixteenth century. The theory goes like this: In 1564 King Charles XIV of France reformed the calendar, moving the start of the year from the end of March to January 1. However, in a time without trains, a reliable post system or the internet, news often traveled slow and the uneducated, lower class people in rural France were the last to hear of and accept the new calendar. Those who failed to keep up with the change or who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them. Pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs. The victims of this prank were thus called Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish—which, to this day, remains the French term for April Fools—and so the tradition was born.

What Pranks are you Playing Today?!

A Few of our Favorite Things

We would like to welcome our newest team member, Kate!

This current Junior at Scad and Advertising major, brings a lot to our crew with her sweet smile and friendly attitude. Her love for interior design puts her right at home within our walls and we couldn't be happier to have her as a part of the Paris Market family! As we do with all our lovely ladies, we asked her to share some of her Paris Market favorites.

Here they are!

 1. Matt and Nat Green Leather Clutch / 2. Wine Barrel Chandelier / 3. Vintage Cabinet Cards / 4. Sweet Sunflower Candle / 5. Sailor Canvas Toiletry Bag 

What are a few of your favorite things?

Thursday Treats: Homemade Scones

If you've every sat down at a sunlit marble bistro table in our Patisserie and pushed pause on your busy day to enjoy a comforting beverage, you've probably treated your taste buds to one of the many tasty treats. Everyday we offer an assortment of locally made biscotti, cookies, and macarons, but on Thursday we are serving something extra special. 

Our favorite Barista, Susie is now offering our Patisserie customers her fresh baked scones every Thursday.

Choose from flavors like Ham & Cheddar with fresh Thyme, Blueberry Ginger with Tangerine Zest, Lavender Lemon, and the seasonal Pumpkin Spice. 

Susie has been a personal chef on private yachts and in high-end houses for the past 25 years and loves to bake. 

Now your cup of coffee can have the perfect pairing with one of her homemade scones.

So stop by every Thursday, sit down at a sunlit marble bistro table in our Patisserie, push pause on your busy day, enjoy a comforting beverage and be sure to try one of Susie's scones.

Who knows you might decide to become a regular.

See you next Thursday!