Friday, July 27, 2012

EW Brocante - 21, rue Saint-Paul 75004

 Ever walk into a shop

 And say to yourself

 'I'm home'.

 That's how I felt when I wandered into EW because a certain well-known shop down the street was closed comme d'habitude. And boy was I glad.
EW - 21, rue St-Paul 'Le Marais' 75004

 EW (Eduardo) on the phone talking away in Portuguese, looked up and said 'Bonjour'I responded, 'Tudo bom?'
He smiled and let me wander and poke around to my heart's content.

 Eduardo came to Paris 20 years ago to study architecture from Brazil. He opened his tiny closet-sized shop 12 years ago.

 He told me,
'Whenever I get fed up with Paris, I just look out the window and I'm happy again'.

 I was enthralled with the old French school goodies Eduardo has just like at Le Bonbon au Palais - several adorable watercolor boxes called out to me.

 The vintage French china was hard to ignore.

 But this old French how-to-draw brochure had my name on it.

 Irresistible.

 Doesn't it remind you of Anna Corba's Doodling in French?

 If you walk into a Parisian patisserie and don't know how to say,
'Please wrap my macarons as a cadeau/gift'
Now you can draw it for the vendeuse.

 Anna shows you how to draw a pitcher too. In a restaurant you can 'ask' for a carafe d'eau/Paris tap by simply sketching it on a napkin, instead of spending $$ for a bottle of water.

 It's a perfect gift for the French-obsessed. Well I'm off to New York today. Do stop in at EW when you're wandering in Le Marais for an enchanting return to childhood.

29 comments:

  1. Love every single thing in this post
    very dreamy especially the kitchen ware
    merci for another new place to discover in Paris!

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  2. Finally heading to France in September. Have added so many of your great "don't miss" spots that to see them all I will have to stay for a month! Thank you so much for sharing. I am looking forward to visiting EW- it looks fun... right up my alley! Merci

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  3. Adore EW, its a real gem !! Love this post !

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  4. EW looks to be a totally charming place. I think I would also wish to linger there.

    Carol, your Parisian posts have been delightful.

    I wish you a safe journey and hope to see you when you have re-acclimated to NYC. Last night's big thunderstorm was a doozie!

    xo

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  5. Oh I love that store..Chanceuse!
    I hope you bought one of the darling little watercolor tins?
    And thank you for that book recommendation..I had never heard of it..
    You sure did a lot this trip..I am amazed since it didn't quite start out the way you had planned~Wonderful.

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  6. Cute shop and cute story. And I did a google translate on "tudo bom"....I am so happy to know it means "all good". I will have to remember to use that!

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    Replies
    1. Ooops I should have said.
      In Brazil people say, 'Tudo bem?'
      and respond, 'Tudo bom'
      more often then they say, 'Buon dia'/Good day
      It's a very relaxed culture.

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  7. ... good travels home ... another wonderful journey ...

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  8. Great shop Carol... Hope you are having fun... Bon weekend... xv

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  9. With little stores like this to discover, I think I need to spend a week in Paris by myself shopping and exploring, then have my husband join me for the grand tour!

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  10. What an adorable little shop! Can't wait to see what you end up learning to draw...in French.

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  11. Bonjour PB~
    This is MY kind of place....another little place to put on my "to see" list.
    What would I ever do without you??!!
    ~Suzanne

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  12. I've been obsessed with Vintage French childhood stuff ever since I was an au pair for a French family. This place is perfect! And I''m off to get the doodle book. Once again. Great tips from Carolg!!
    Connie*

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    Replies
    1. Ooooo me too Connie
      'Obsessed with vintage French childhood stuff.
      Where to find it si the big question and not break the bank.
      I thought EW's prices were fine.
      Hmmm...must have a tete a tete with you Connie.

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  13. Hello darling Carol! So, things are finally settling into place. Alas I am leaving my French Wonderland on the 3rd of September. Undergoing an entirely new visa process but this could take months - so in the meantime, I am going to wander aim(fully) around the world! Any chance you are in Paris before I leave? Would love to finally meet up!

    x Milla

    (http://littlepiecesoflight.blogspot.fr/)

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  14. What does "todo bom" mean? Some fantastic finds there, but the disembodied dolls heads frighten me.

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  15. Parting is such sweet sorrow -- what would a trip to Paris be without the bittersweet farewells...even though you know you'll be back again, and again, and again. Joyce wrote his best Dublin stories when he lived in Switzerland, Mark Twain wrote beautifully about the Mississippi from his library in Connecticut, Wodehouse crafted his inimitable English world while living on Long Island. We're looking forward to seeing the bright, beautiful, and brilliant memories of Paris that you'll create when you're back o American soil.

    Welcome back!

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  16. That post is a real stunner - one great photo after another.
    What a great shop!
    Beautiful essay - I love your closing shot, too!

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  17. Le dessin à l'école, I am coveting it!! And the little boite d'aquarelles, oj là là! I think part of the charm in finding a shop one loves is conversing with the propriétaire & learning his or her history...Being a language enthusiast, I am wondering if you conversed in French, Portuguese or English...?...I love the storefront as well as the delightful still lifes inside...

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    Replies
    1. I think all 3 Sketchbook
      Pourquoi pas?

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  18. Love EW! and did I notice, yes,yes, it was a set of French canisters among the pretty china! I love poking around in little shops like that anywhere!
    thanks for showing PBers such a fun time in France again! Safe journey home!

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  19. eduardo/EW11:15 AM

    carol bom dia!

    it was so nice to meet you in the shop,and I'm so glad with this nice gift you gave to me! it's very nice ,thank you.

    hope you are doing well,take care,and see you in paris,brazil or new york!

    obrigado e um beijo.

    eduardo/EW

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  20. I love this street! I don't know EW but it looks so similar to another favourite shop of mine in rue St Paul - Au Petit Bonheur la Chance - I'm sure you know it. Next time I'll be sure to pop in and say bom dia to Eduardo :)

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  21. Wonderful, simply wonderful. Another reason to keep Paris on my to-visit list! Bon voyage home, Carol!

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  22. Sahana Sri12:04 PM

    Wow!
    I love each n every thing in this shop.
    When I visited New Delhi, in a place called Hauz Khas, I saw similar shop having all vintage stuff from old phones, wall clocks, decades old movie posters, and so many things! This shop in your post reminded me of that...

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  23. Very cute shop. I found one very similar packed to the brim on Rue de Vaugirard last December. Will try and find 'your' shop when I am there next. :-)

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  24. That three weeks went fast. What a fantastic shop you found. Loved what I could see via photos. I could spend lots of time in there. :)

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    Replies
    1. It felt like months to me..
      So much more gets done in one day in Paris
      Busy busy

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  25. That shop looks heavenly. I miss that about Paris. Walking along and finding such gems.
    xx

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