Peony or Ranunculus ?

The gauntlet has been thrown down (a metal glove worn by knights in the Middle Ages. When challenged to joust someone would throw down their glove). Name this flower PBers!
 

I bought this bunch of _____ at the marché Bastille Sunday for a mere 4€. Name the fleur!

Someone is getting a nice surprise.
 

Well that's how I read this bouquet of pinks and deep, dark red?
 

Hmmm...3 guesses?

OK, Trick question. Even I know this one!
 

At Giverny...loverly non?
 

Also at Giverny.
 

A week ago walking down rue Saint-Honore passing Hotel Oriental,

I was floored by this wallflower arrangement!!

Yesterday I passed by again and the - - - - - - - were out full blown!
 

What to drink with your peonies? A pretty Rose of course.

What to munch with your Rose? Mini madeleines framboise non?
 

And these very special dragee, the best from Sicily, Avola made by Adams. More Peonies to come.

The Wedding

Here...

Comes the bride...

Abracadabra

Mr & Mrs!

Le gateau...

Table for two...

My job as Auntie, was to create the 'Sofre Aghd' - a traditional Persian wedding table. (The bride is half Persian). I had many little helping hands mostly doing hand-to-mouth resusitation...

Everything on the table (always facing east the direction of the sunrise) is symbolic. The mirror and two candelabras are represent light and fire. A tray of 7 multi-colored herbs and spices to guard the couple against the evil eye...

A book of love poems, a bottle of rose water to perfume the air, a container of honey to sweeten life and a bowl of gold coins representing wealth and prosperity. The red rose petals and red heart confetti were my addition to the recipe...

Umm...my 'sustainable' dress by popular request. Merci H&M! The bride wrote a sustainable cookbook...

Family!

BONJOUR WEDDING

Tendance Rose

Word out.

Paris is thinking PINK

Tendance rose/trend pink.

Forgetabout RED PBers!

The first indication that something was going on was this lush gateaux in Lenotres vitrine. I spotted it coming out of the Metro the minute I set foot dans le rue... Of course France is in love with the iPad.
And this has to be a French Girl.
Ballerinas - check
Mariniere striped shirt - check
Pink jeans?
What's up with that I'm thinking...

Please Paint a Peony

Pink Peony, 12" x 15" watercolor

You give me ideas. Not so much directly when you tell me what to write or paint. More indirectly, more intuitively, when you mention something in passing, and it strikes a chord.

 I just gave you 3 peonies in one day. OK more peonies.

I remember a peony I met in Paris last May...

Next door to my pied à terre was a tiny flower shop, just a closet really. I wanted one flower for my still lifes so I went in for a look.
The owner was cranky...

Was he going to let me buy one flower?

When I heard the price for a bud, I hesitated..
Misha said, “Oh you didn't go in there?”

Trop cher (too expensive!)

That one bud lasted for 2 weeks. Opening a little more each day, quite happy to try different poses and very pleased to sit beside Paris' best desserts.

 There's something about a peony.

The Last Flowers of Manet (Abradale Books) Manet was smitten with peonies and painted them over and over, all colors. During the last 3 years of his life, while gravely ill, he painted on a smaller scale. Friends would bring the convalescing artist bouquets of flowers. Those flower paintings are his most poignant, most evocative, most intimate. Did that cranky florist whisper sweet nothings to his flowers when no one was around? Yesterday, Naturegirl said...please a...peony

La Vie En Rose 2

Chocolate Bouchee in Paris, 9"" x 11",

You see no end of PINK in Paris.

Particularly in shop windows (vitrine).

Patisserie shops love to throw PINK around liberally like Gérard Mulot and Dalloyau. Pierre Hermé is the king of PINK in Paris.
Fauchon is another king of pink and even gives you a pink receipt when you make a purchase.
 The cows have come to Paris. You can vote for your favorite Vach'Art here.

Is there so much PINK because of the constant grey skies (ciel gris)? Is PINK added into the mix as a cheering factor like ginger in a recipe? Of course it was the week before La Fête des Mères and a long weekend at that -- much to be happy about.
Me, I went next door and bought one pink Peony bud (la pivoine). I painted it in WN Permanent Rose over the next 7 days as it opened and bloomed.