Map of Paris - Paris Christmas Windows

'Some enchanting evening you will meet a' Snowman, reindeer and cardinals. Paris Christmas windows seemed an obvious December map idea. 

Department store BHV in the Marais is celebrating Noel in Alsace. I wonder how many reindeer are running around STRASBOURG? No matter. Reindeer = Christmas. 

Along with the absence of Paris squirrels, there are no red cardinals. Yet I'm surrounded by cardinals. I take metro CARDINAL LEMOINE (when its running) and pass le Petit Cardinal cafe and Cafe Cardinal almost daily so thanks to my subconscious the December letters are full of red birds. 

G.THUILLIER, a nativity shop at Place St. Sulpice is a must-see at Christmas. 

DIPTYQUE the perfume shop at 34 bd St Germain has delightful and surprising windows all year round.

My favorite Paris windows this year are at GALERIES LAFAYETTE with a bee hive theme.

A very royal queen bee surrounded by lush flowers.

The colors and design are spectacular.

And not so commercial.

Buzzing bees hover inside the store in the atrium around a huge flowered tree. Its breath-taking.

That tree became my Eiffel tower on December's map.

Chocolatier LA MERE DE FAMILLE shops never disappoint both inside and out. Nor do their playful chocolates. FYI the Metros are not yet running. Buses are intermittent. The post office is open 🙏🏻 The Batobus on the Seine IS running. And the tempurature is 39 feels like 31. Thanks for reading PB. Gift yourself and friends Parisbreakfast letters, maps and watercolors in my Etsy shop. Bear 🐻 is under an umbrella. Its raining out ❤️Xxx

Fete de Muguet - May Letter

It's that time of year in Paris. Everyone is buying plants to put on their balcony or window boxes.
 

Flowers are spilling out on to the street and the fragrance as you walk by is delicious.

Chocolate bunnies and hens have been replaced by sprigs/brin of lily of the valley or muguet in anticipation for the 1st of May, a national holiday in France.
 

I stopped in the flower market at Cité yesterday for a look.
 

As Claire said the price of pots of muguet can vary widely. These are 10€.
 

My pot from BHV was just 4.50 - was it the lovely scent that made me loose my head and drop my credit cards on the floor?
 

Stacks and stacks of cards wishing Spring good luck to all.
 

And so many bottles of flowery muguet scents, many of them only available for the month of May - limited editions like a special Pierre Hermé macaron flavor.
 

Monthly excitement over the latest celebration is what makes living in Paris so much fun.
 

The French tradition of giving muguet as a lucky charm goes back to the 16th century. During his reign, Charles IX began offering sprigs of muguet for luck.
 

Wreaths of muguet were hung on doorways to announce the bans of new brides-to-be in the Spring. They're still used in bridal bouquets for their delicacy and scent.

La Mere de Famile has chocolate flower pots filled with praline. Mazet puts their nuts on the outside like an inside out sushi roll.

You can buy their chopped praliné and fill your own chocolate pots.
 

Sarah Vasseghi created a tabletop design of sugar paste muguet on little cakes. The how-to directions are on Prima(in French).

Lily of the valley (my birth flower) popping up everywhere made me want to draw their lyrical leaves and inhale their perfume. I've been buying bunches/boite in the market as soon as they showed up and then the plant with 3 sprigs.
 

What a perfect way to illustrate Spring and give Mom a lift.
 

May Sketch letters going out will be in Muguet-scented envelopes with an original watercolor lily of the valley on the envelope. Bear has given Mini Bear her envelope early. There's still time to send out a gift letter for May 11, Mother's Day. Je porte Bonheur!