Bearre Année!

"Are the gateaux prete/ready?" asks Little Bear.
"I think we have enough champagne glasses..."
"Umm...pink Champagne will NOT do!"

"After all, I have a candle light date with the Veuve Clicquot..."

"The heck you do!" shouts BEAR.

" Oooops I forgot...

Prior arrangements must be respected."

Bonne Année dear PBers!!!

Fortnum & Mason

Back to London today!

And Fortum & Mason located at 181 Picadilly - quite a unique department store focused mainly on gourmet foods.

I was enroute to the #14 bus back to Chelsea one evening stopped dead in my tracks by these amazing windows at F & M.

I love the giant, glitzy Champagne glasses bigger than the actual Champagne bottles.

Lots of mini bottles of champers for one celebratory person.

A glorious fountain of candies...

It doesn't have to be Xmas to bring out the candy canes. Who knew?

Another fountain full of tea tins and teapots - this was spinning...

With a teapot topper...

Stacks of cookies supports this teapot's lid!

A plethora of perfumes...

The ever British 'brolly' with the ever British teapot dangling down + a tassel. Who thunk this one up..?

Deco girls, girls, girls...

Simply too divine...

Stacks and stacks of exquisite fine china teacups...

Tea Time at Fornum Mason, watercolor, 9" x 11"

I want to paint them all.

Cupid shows up on the scene - very 'Vickie'...

And stacks of JAM jars bien sur. Ode to jam.

These charmant, mysterious boxes were so enticing I went back to buy some the next day. They were all in the window display. Only a few remained on the floor.

What's up with that F and M?

"Manners for Women" - what makes them think we need that? Still, forgivable since the window is adorable.

Fortnum Masons windows are worth the trip to London alone. Do go by all means!

BONJOUR FORTNUM MASON!

Champagne for Breakfast

Champagne et macarons, watercolor, 9" x 11"

This past weekend I was remembering some Champagne days of yore.

I got to spend a week at the then newly decorated manor house owned by Veuve Clicquot set in the vineyards of Verzy.
Roselyne de Casteja graciously invited me to stay and paint the house and vineyards.
 Champagne for breakfast was available everyday if I was that kind of girl. The refrigerator was chock full of huge jeroboams and nothing else!
I don't mind a tiny frigo full of macarons, but I do like my hot chocolate 1st thing in the morning, not that I want to appear fussy.
The landscape was idylic. Perfection really.
Sitting out in the middle of the Champagne grapes, I felt like Van Gogh minus the straw hat.

Focusing on how to paint vineyards

I missed out painting the manor house/domaine and only figured out how to paint chateaux later on.

 Here's a terrific book on the widow Clicquot.

Another on the famous 'Yellow' of Veuve Clicquot.

It's possible to have your name put on a Champagne bottle!

Like Pierre Herme.

 Perhaps someday there will be a Champagne Parisbreakfast...qui sait?