Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Falling for Frenchie Types

I bet you thought this was going to be about falling in love in Paris. Haha

I fall in love daily. I was walking along minding my own business yesterday on rue Saint-Augustin, when I happened to look up and fell instantly in love with the French typography all over this restaurant.

I even thought I might go in and have lunch I was feeling so in love but the menu at Drouant par Antoine Westermann was too steep for my pocketbook :) Still that's one of the things I LOVE about Paris is the gorgeous type everywhere.

Photo by Lindsay Tramata
Yesterday expat Paris writer Lindsey Tramata had a photo on her Lost In Cheeseland post I think...or maybe in her beautiful Flickr pictures of Susan Hutchinson's blog biz card. A coup de foudre(love at first sight) for this flowing Frenchie script.

Naturally I tried to copy it. Hmmm...more practice needed.

Look up in Paris. You will see wonderful type faces, some from the 30s and still very much appreciated by the French.

Boulangerie Poilane knows how to do a classy logo chosen from the most traditional of French type faces going back to the 17th century

Most French wines and jams also follow in the classic 17th century tradition. Is this why we love them so much?

The 2 most beautiful words in the world maybe. Break fast.

Food and French type are joined at the hip. Even the most primitive French scraw has style and class no?

The brand new la Maison Plisson uses classic French scrawl to let you know their berries cost more than anyone else's. Hmm...

I just love this weird word meaning 'licoricerie' at the Foire de Paris.

French scrawl done beautifully with a loaded paintbrush will get you from the Vernon train station to Monet's gardens in Giverny.

Here's a French scrawl decal you can plaster on your walls (at BHV).

Last week friends took me to another Antoine Westermann restaurant, Le Coco Rico. The design of absolutely spot on including their all-chicken menu. The interior is done up like inside a chicken coop and is darn elegant and witty.
89, rue Lepic 75018

Their daily lunch specials are terrific (note it's written clearly in New York Times type face.

I wish my photo of Wednesday's special, saucisse de volaille Maison aux champignons de Paris pommes de terres sautees de persil was more enticing, but it tasted YUM.

My dessert (BTW not included in the 15 euros special) of French Toast brioche was prettier and fab.

Classic café type is always a treat for the eyes.

I fall in love every time with chalk scrawl on café blackboards (ardoise). Do you?
A trip to the shoemaker can be just as elegant as Dior in Paris in my opinion. What's not to love about Frenchie type?

28 comments:

  1. Love calligraphy.. words..always.
    La navette pour Giverny..how cute..and the script all over the resto..
    The first pic..how cute is she..love the expressions on the people watchers faces.
    Tout va bien.What a great state to be in.

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    1. They are looking at her like she is ET!!

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  2. Yes, the type faces, etc...one of my favorite things...have the workbooks, now have to practice the writing. THAnk you.

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    1. I too have many of those French hand writing notebooks.
      I too need to PRACTICE
      PRACTICE
      PRACTICE!

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  3. Your the best! You are so observant! What a good eye, it's the real artist in you!!!!

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    1. Honestly it's everywhere Ann.
      You're tripping over beautiful type in this town.
      I should know!

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  4. Food and French type=joined at the lip

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    Replies
    1. Hahaha
      With me it's definitely at the HIPS!

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  5. Jane G.10:35 AM

    I know what you mean.
    I picked up a child's primary-school writing book last year and taught myself how to do French schoolgirl handwriting.
    Also love how CLEAN the Parisian streets are, compared to here. After Paris, NYC is just . . . shabby.

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  6. Carolyn12:59 PM

    Personally, I love the sheet of paper with all of your calligraphy scrawls on it!!! I will be more observant on my next trip after having you highlight this for us

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  7. I love your eye, Carol, We went to Giverny today and I admired the blue script on the bus but, alas, didn't take a picture of it.

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    1. I was the only idiot shooting the bus. The rest were collapsing. I wonder if the peonies are out yet?

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    2. No, the peonies are not out yet but are getting close. I was really hoping to see them.

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  8. Are white Trainers or tennis shoes now acceptable?

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    Replies
    1. Sharp eyes!
      They are Totally IN.I saw a guy wearing blue Keds on the Metro.
      Wanted to shoot him but lost my nerve. It happens now and then.

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  9. Great post. I'm obsessed with handwriting and penmanship. Merci, merci!

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  10. There are much worse obsessions and this one has no calories.

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  11. Anonymous7:08 PM

    Tres intelligente, intrigant et charmant. Merci tant!
    Diane in Denver
    Etats-Unis

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  12. I'm a total graphics freak, LOVED this post! But I must also admit that during my first trip to France I mistook a French 1 as a 7 and was stunned by the prices on the chalkboards! After 23 additional trips to Paris I now misread the numerals in California!

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    Replies
    1. US postman seem to make the same mistake with my envelopes!
      Or else I'm getting carried away with my flourishes...more likely the case.

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  13. The French toast looks Devine...would love to be sitting at the table consuming right now..

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  14. Great, colorful collection of scrawls :)
    The street shots are great, again so colorful - I love the shot of the guy ladling the food!
    Great photography, Carol!

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  15. Suzanne1:12 AM

    Thank you...I particularly liked this charming "breakfast"
    Love signs... Calligraphy ...and especially looking in windows!

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  16. Do I love the French hand writing? YES!!!! and I love my grandmother's European handwriting in her old journals, exquisite! I love the lettering on the navette, but all of them here are so pleasing. And love how you are still practicing your calligraphy. Once I took a calligraphy class. Teacher made me copy an "O" about a 1,000 times! Falling in love daily, pas mal! PS Love your Paris Mail collage at the top right.

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  17. Love, love, love that shot of the "plat du jour" window with the fantastic reflections! It must be wonderful getting to wander at will in that glorious place!

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  18. Anonymous11:19 AM

    Such a fun post my dear! I'm obsessed with font and to see all this pretty French writing first thing in the morning was dreamy. Thanks for starting my day off so pretty!

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  19. Darling, have you been to the mlm, Musée des lettres et Manuscrits? there I bet you'll find hundreds of handwritten letters...
    and you know what..maybe I should buy that decal....and put it on my wall..."tout va bien"..right?
    Xx
    p.s.I bought organic strawberries at the Bastille market last Sunday..8 € !!!!!!!
    And in Corsica you could have a barquette of Corsican stawberries for only 2,5€...sweet as heaven...

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  20. Love all the calligraphy through your artistic eyes, Carol. I've always been amazed by the lovely handwriting in chalk for daily specials in bistros, incredibly written. That first photo of the couple's faces looking on - what a hoot!

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