Cheese Day Pavillion Ledoyan, L Maison de Couture

The week I attended L Maison de Couture's show at Circle de l'Union Interalliée.

A fabulous collection Made-ro-order evening gowns Calling Joan Crawford...

Each gown takes well over 300 hours to create. Even more for the embroidery alone.

Lush flowers the perfect accompaniment.

A stunning lineup for L Maison de Couture. And a rave review in Vogue the next day.

Artistic director, Isabelle Moser, an alum of John Galliano and the Christian Dior atelier, comes out for a round of thrilled applause.
More L Maison de Couture show photos on Flickr.

My brother-in-law's nephew, Rudine Mottaghian, a co-founder of L Maison de Couture. Why do I have no lace dresses to wear to couture showings?
More fashion photos on FLICKR.

Monday was the 1st ever www.cheeseday.fr held at Pavillion Ledoyan along the Champs-Élysées 

So many to taste

I would not be surprised if all of France's 300+ cheeses were represented in one room.

We were given large, empty platters, a knife, and wine glass.

Let the tasting begin!

A lineup of Calvados apple brandy from the lightest to the most intense with companion cheeses.

All you can eat and drink of wine and cheese for 15€ from 11am to 11pm.

I'm sure CheeseDay.fr will be back next year. Plan your trip accordingly.

Quite a few PBers have requested to buy just one letter.

Now you can.
The Paris Sketch letter of your choice will ship out in a large flat cardboard envelope. No creases and frame-ready.

Single Paris map letters can be had too. Plus Parisian souvenirs included with both.

End of a wonderful day, the cheering lineup of Russian singers in Concorde Metro.

Dimanche Paris, Journée du Patrimoine, Garde Republicaine

Sunday turned into another 'Tourist Day' but sometimes when you're on a trip, things don't go exactly as planned...hmmm. A lot of you ask how I find out what's on and could I please tell you what to do next September when you're planning to visit. Honestly I get most of my ideas from posters in the Metro. On Sunday musée d'Orsay was having quickie 'free' concerts in their atrium...not so free by the way since you have to buy a ticket to get inside, hmmm. Still the Orchestre de la Garde Republicaine was playing at 11:00 am.

I live near the Garde Republicaine on bd. Henri IV. Every now and then they come out in full regalia on horseback and parade around stopping traffic. Very exciting.

Ai Weiwei at Le Bon Marche and Cha Ling

Tuesday night I reluctantly ventured out into the chill night to attend a cosmetics launch of Cha Ling l'esprit du thè at Bon Marche.

A few weeks earlier I noticed excitement going on in Bon Marche's windows - The biggest installation ever in Paris of Chinese artist, Ai WeiWei is on from 20 Janvier - 20 Fevrier.

I managed to catch a shot of Ai Weiwei's diagrammatic sketch.

Look at the wildly energetic results seen Tuesday night.

Ten windows with different poetic, mythical themes.

Inside Bon Marche, a new other worldly sérum infusion called Cha Ling l'esprit du thé is designed to hydrate your dry skin in the chill air.

Made with rare organic forest tea leaves plus red algae. The scent is wonderful, exotic yet not heavily perfumy.

Samples were expertly smoothed on hands

Chinese artifacts in exquisite still lifes

I suppose part of the Chinese promotion throughout Bon Marche.

On hand artisans

A calligrapher to paint your fortune

Taste tea made from the same leaves in Cha Ling skin care.

And of course gelato served by Il Gelato del Marchese

The guests of honor, Olivier Echaudemaison, Guerlain creative director

On his arm, Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova

Hovering over the head of the president of Cha Ling and Guerlain, Laurent Boillot, swirling and dipping

Ai Weiwei's terrific mythical creature-kites Bet they'd love to swoop down for a glass of Veuve Clicquot.

Bon Marche's atrium is the perfect environment for these floating creatures.

At eye-level silvery fish swim in big tanks in the cosmetics department.

I have absolutely nothing to wear to these events. I went back yesterday for more shots. Wish I had mythical, floaty pink hair, perfect for tea cosmetic launches.This swath of Chinese red cloth worn on the wrist is so chic for French soirées (only for employees of Bon Marche and Cha Ling).
Don't miss the Ai Weiwei installation at Bon Marche if you're in Paris!

A Tourist in Paris, Halsman exhibit

If you live in Paris, believe it or not

Every now and then you wish you were again a carefree tourist throwing caution to the wind.

I did that on Saturday. I went to see the Halsman photography exhibit. As exciting as the giant blowup posters in the Metro.

A few tips for tourists:
M. Asked me, "was it safe to take Paris buses?

YES! If this man isn't worried his puppy will be taken, you shouldn't either.

S. asked me where are the best croissants?
When you live in Paris you pretty much stop eating croissants and p'tit dejeuner as served in hotels and cafes. There are too many other goodies to waste your calories on.

Like Brioche de Rois during the month os Janvier.

I never tried the Provençal galette before but these are truly delicious. Inside, fleur d'orange delicately flavored brioche. Outside a crackly thin sugar coating with preserved fruit. Eric Kayser makes this mini version. I kept eating it Before I painted it...

The classic January galette des Rois is pretty much like eating a layered croissant made with the same puff pastry (another reason to save yourself).

I've been researching these. They are only available from Jan 1-31.

Gerard Mulot makes this divine version with pistachios and big Spanish almonds. Get it while you can. Forget those croissants.

For a year I have been ogling these adorable feves (favors placed inside the Galette des Rois). On Saturday, feeling a bit tourist-like I sailed into Angelina and paid an outrageous 27€ for these minis. The equally adorable feves sitting on top are from the very reasonable Picard - DIY individual galette des roi (4€ for 2 feves).

I took a quick look at Angelina's gold leaf galette (the price was hidden) and went on my way.

The trouble with indulging yourself with luxury items is you start thinking you deserve others. You have to be a tourist to slip so easily into this frame of mind. I've passed this seafood restaurant, VIN et MARÉE so many times yet never went in. A bit of chatting with the maitre d and I waltzed inside. The interiors are from the ocean liner, SS Normandie. Luxury indeed.

The formule dinner menu was not really very steep...

Naturally I went for all coquille Saint Jacques. They give you a lovely bowl of mussels in lemony sauce first 'on the house'.

My main, more scallops with leaks plus une verre of Quincy 'Domaine de Villalin'. When you're pretending to be a tourist you can get wine even though normally you don't touch a drop. It enhances the meal though I couldn't finish my glass...

Vin et Marée has a lovely counter outside of fresh fruits de mer at 165 rue Saint-Honoré so they're easy to spot and open 7 days a week.

I usually never notice at my Metro entrance (by Niki de Saint Phalle), when I'm tearing around. Was she referencing

The dome at Église Saint Roch also on rue Saint-Honore? A nice postprandial stopin after indulging all day as a pretend tourist.
Its good idea to look at the evening light at Concorde instead of rushing off home.
Sometimes I wish I was a tourist again...