Thursday, May 21, 2015

Jill Colonna's Teatime in Paris, Treize, Flower

Yesterday was Jill's book signing for her lovely new Teatime in Paris - a DYI to all the secrets of Parisian pastry making you've always dreamed of.
Here is Jill showing off the endpapers I painted for her delightful book.
Naturally I had to eat every illustrated pastry to get the inner essence.
The macarons were overflowing, all made by Jill (of the famous Mad About Macarons cook book).

Remember a few weeks ago Jill personally gave me choux-making lessons? Voila!
Jill is like a Humming bird. Impossible to catch on film. Here her divinely rosy macarons.
Did I say we gathered at Treize - A Baker's Dozen, tucked away in a courtyard at 16, rue des Saint Peres 75007
Owned by top baker formerly of Sugar Plum Cake Shop, Southerner Laurel Sanderson is noted for her divine carrot cake. She gives cooking lessons along with serving up lunch and brunch. Reservations are recommended.
My eye was caught by this flower crown on the wall of Treize. Laurel says she exchanges cakes for flowers at the shop next door. I went to explore.
Cosy and intimate is Treize. Do try it next time in Paris.

The corridor out to the street is guarded by a Marie-Antoinette milkmaid.

Look in the chandelier shop on your right as you exit the cour.

These hidden corridors full of treasures are so Paris.

On to No.14 rue des Saint Peres.
Bowers of old-fashioned bouquets at Flower.
Visiting this Parisian fleurist is another must-do.
Old-fashioned note cards to go in your luscious bouquet!
Top that.
At last the flower crowns hanging on a Burgundy jacquard wall.
Vogue online, just the other day, did a history of flower crowns.
   Few accessories have aroused such commentary, for and against, than the flower crown, so trendy of late among the neo-hippie festival crowd. Despite detractors, these decorative headpieces, whose history in mythology and art can be traced back to ancient civilizations, show no signs of fading from favor. Not only was actress Fan Bingbing a flower-crowned vision on the red carpet at Cannes this week, but, thanks to a new exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden, Fridamania (appreciation of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, who often wore flowers in her hair) is raging.

It’s a look that has roots. In agrarian societies, tied to the land and the seasons, flower crowns had great symbolic meaning. Worn for practical and ceremonial reasons, they could illustrate status and accomplishment (Olympic olive wreaths).
These FLOWER bouquets...
Look like they stepped out of this Giverny plate painted by Fabrice Moireau at china house, Gien just around the corner on 13, rue JacobDo explore these little streets in quartier Saint Germain for lots of delicious surprises.
And get Jill's book and do it yourself!

15 comments:

  1. Florabelle11:45 AM

    I can see Jill wearing a wreath if Macarons easily!

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  2. Whoops...I meant flower crown!

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  3. Foodwalker12:24 PM

    Love the look of the end sheets for her book.

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  4. Well I would have loved everything!
    What a fabulous idea to have your art in her new book!
    A perfect pairing!The book looks fabulous Carol.
    Love the flowers..ALLOFTHEM..and I wish I had a wee girl to make floral crowns for.
    The white peonies are breathtaking and I am so curious as to..the purple ones.. beside the wheat..I can almost guess Clematis..and how unusual to have them in a florist.......

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  5. Love your pics from yesterday, Carol - they are so action-packed! Thank you for coming - I loved how some of us managed to get you to sign the endpapers too; a real double-bill! I love your artwork in it. Oh, and the Treize Bakery appears under the cream puff on the book's map in the endpapers. A beauty! So proud and happy that Waverley Books managed to whisk you into Teatime in Paris too!

    Florabelle - I wasn't wearing a flower macaron crown (hehe great idea!) but Carol was wearing a cool macaron bracelet!

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  6. Oh, and I meant to say these wonderful choux, éclairs and tartlets and were all made just before the event by the Treize Bakery, using the book's recipes. Delicious!

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  7. Talk about an instant sale! I'm going straight to Amazon! And your shots on location! I'm dying to sketch in every one of those places!

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  8. I am coming to Paris in December and I already knew we would be having lunch at Treize Bakery. Now maybe we are going to need a whole day for the whole neighborhood. Every picture is eye candy.

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    1. The neighborhood is Full of eye candy!

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  9. How fun it must have been doing that artwork..while endulging in the pastries you were drawing....

    Too bad I was working and couldn't join :-( Those macarons looks so delicious..homemade and all <3

    Have never been to treize bakery...but been several times at sugarplum café enjoying their fabulous CARROTCAKE <3

    Now Treize is on my list and I got to try making Jill's fluffy choux filled with cream :-)

    Xx

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  10. What a lovely post! I like the flowercrowns :)

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  11. Carol, your endpaper watercolor painting for Teatime in Paris is fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! I am sure that this lovely post is going to encourage lots of folks to buy Jill's enticing book. Both of you talented ladies should take a deep bow. xo

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  12. Lynne C.1:32 AM

    I love the Gien China..I have one of the patterns but love this one more than mine..

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    1. I would love to have some Gien china...
      I do have one of their dishtowels :))

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  13. Dear Carol, love the illustrations in "Teatime in Paris" and love your entire blog - these shots of the flower shop are so beautiful. Nicola

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