Paris Stacks

Macaroon box,watercolor, 9" x 11"

This was going to be a post about...

The Stacking candy boxes I see over and over in Paris arranged in graduating sizes and price.
Who could forget these stacked Warholesque boxes.
Salon du Chocolat brings out the French stackeurs - brick by brick, walls of French nougat...
Horizontal stacking of pate de fruits.
It's only natural to stack up blue and white plates at the brocante.
I was smitten by the stacked lunchboxes at Fauchon. I saved mine, dragged it home. It's here somewhere...
An example of elevated stacking at Chateau Vaux le Vicomte...
And the real thing....

A stacked gourmand print.

A poster in the Metro- a stack of pomme...

The best stack of all - macarons with the help from some chewing gum to get these babies to behave.
BONJOUR PARIS STACKS!

Boxed in...

One macaron box, original watercolor 5" x 7"

Have you been feeling "Boxed in" by the cold weather?

Two macaron boxes, original watercolor, sold 5" x 7"

Well I have...

It is blankety-blank&*%$ COLD here!!!!

Like 18 degrees + the dastardly wind chill factor?

In my little 10' x 12' Boxy studio, it's fairly toasty... But if I go out of the room,

it FEELS LIKE ALL THE WINDOWS ARE WIDE OPEN!!!!
FREEZING COLD! My Friend in San Francisco, Annie, says all her windows ARE wide open!
It's like 80 degrees there! What? Oh and don't you know we got SNOW today!
Another reason to stay inside my little Box...ahem Speaking of Boxes...since the apartment was painted, you know how you get these urges to throw out a ton of stuff? Well the thousand or so Boxes of miniatures...quite a few Boxes have landed on the street, making some finder very happy I hope... Bye bye little Boxes! Course I did keep a few...
Oh and yesterday I finally ventured out of my box to mail a bunch of watercolors
(THANK YOU PB readers!!) at the post office.
Don't you know I left them home sitting on my chair!?
Naturally I only realized while on the subway that my bag was rather light.

Here's a couple of chocolate Parisien Boxes I wouldn't mind getting delivered..
HOW COLD IS IT WHERE YOU LIVE?
BON CLIMAT!

Stackoiserie

French Cookie Box,watercolor 9" x 11"

This was going to be a post about...

The Stacking candy boxes I've spotted over and over in Paris, usually stacked graduating in size and price, but still so pretty! Now these are stacked...I wanted to buy this faux puff pastry sitting on top of this box - not for sale. But I digress. Back to my theory on stacking - images of stackoiserie kept coming up in my search, like these sheets of chocolate... The Salon du Chocolat really brings out the stackeurs - here brick by brick, enormous piles of French nougat...There can be horizontal stacking too by the way. Not all stackoiserie need be vertical.Oh YUM Stacks of marshmallow/guimauve boxes and squares... It's only natural to stack up plates at the brocante. Not particularly French you could say...Look at these stacked lunchboxes at Fauchon! I saved mine, dragged it home, hoping to bring a little stackoiserie to New York. The tradition of stacking figures on ceiling frescos has it's origins in Italy. Still you'll see plenty in France, like at the Paris Opera...

Another example of stacking (horizontal and elevated) in this print at Chateau Vaux le Vicomte...

And the real thing....

It's my secret theory that this indemic French stackoiserie originates with the Baron Haussmann buildings you see everywhere. I do think your eye is influenced by your surroundings. How can this not be so?

Then again here's an example of pre-Haussmann stackerie.

Perhaps it's something genetic...

Am I the only one who sees stacking everywhere in Paris? Please confirm or agree to disagree with me.

Here's le stack par excellance we all long for. Admittedly this was not a natural event. It took several wads of BlueStik to get these babies to behave.
BON MERCREDI!

Blame it on Paris

Fauchon Tin of Madeleines, watercolor

Last week I just happened to return some books to a different library...

At the library, I just happened to spot a book with an irresistable title,

BLAME IT ON PARIS.

I'd like to blame to on Paris that I'm obsessed with painting cafe cups, French tins, macarons and chocolates..

But author, Laura Florand got there before me and came up with a better reason.

Laura just happened to find an adorable French husband when she walked into Le Relais du Vin and she writes about her Paris adventures with delight and humor.

On page 37 Laura describes her student dorm room in Paris:

"I only believed in the most essential of expenses, like chocolates from various luxury chocolate houses whose beautiful BOXES and TINS currently decorated two long shelves that circled my tiny room."

Laura is a kindred spirit!

Next trip I may just happen to make a small detour from chocolatiers and patisseries.

You never know what might happen...

Laura Florand has an author websitehttp://www.lauraflorand.com/
And a bloghttp://www.lauraflorand.com/blog/

Read her book. You'll be laughing outloud!

French Candy Box Madness

Mademoiselle de Margaux Candy Box, watercolor, 9" x 11 1/2"

Eating only chocolates for dinner

Will narrow your chances of getting thinner.

Patrick Roger Candy Box, watercolor, 9" x 11 1/2"

But chocolates for breakfast is another matter.

It's well documented that eating breakfast prevents you getting fatter.

French chocolates sitting on a silver platter

Give cause for idle chatter - yum..yum..yum

*A special note for those concerned for my well being and think I'm capable of eating everything I shoot. The contents of these French chocolate boxes were left in a bag outside the door of the concierge as well as several other lucky recipients (the photography shop on rue Vavin and M.s' door). I can barely look a bonbon in the face these days...well almost.

Pretty Paris Boxes

There's a tremendous fuss made over the candy box in France and I'm very glad of it. It's not merely a square box with a lid and bottom.

There's much more involved. It's an architectural wonder with popup leaves and windows and layers and so forth. No imagination is spared coming up with these "jewel boxes". I envision men in white coats fussing about with bits of cardboard in the lab creating these gems. And you can choose the box design appropriate for the occasion. These little darlings from Marquise de Sevigne, are waiting, perhaps for the mother of a new born babe..? A tiny bit resembling diapers...Hmmm Can anyone compete with Ladurée's aray of shapes, sizes and variety in box design? I doubt it. Their designer must be the Yves St. Laurent of candy box couture... This chic turquoise box comes from Patrick Roger . An intensely orange slipcase slides over the blue box...striking. French branding (IMO) is about ribbons, past-on stickers and whymsical boxes. Not giant billboards that knock you over or your car on the highway. And don't forget those signature sacs (bags). Pink is a favored color for Paris boxes but black too is popular. You're probably thinking, Hmmm...I'm more interested in the contents of that box.
I brought home this pile of candy boxes, and I have another bag full of brand name ribbons. They have no sell-by date. One shop can have 2-3 different signature brand ribbons on offer. They only make these in France as far as I can tell. I've often thought how nice to have a ribbon 🎀 with Paris Breakfasts name on it. If I knew where to order them, I would tout suite...