O comme l'Obssession

 Macaron box, 9" x 11'

Do you collect whatever you obsess about?

 Yesterday was press day at the Met so off I went to see the refurbished arms and armor collection initially donated by Dr. Bashford Dean (1867–1928).

 Not necessarily my cup of tea you might think...

 Though very grand indeed.

 It was the obsession factor that grabed me. Bashford's father gave him a book on armor at age 10 and the dye was cast.

 His obsession became life long, though his training was in zoology with a focus on fish. Here Bashford is decked out in Japanese warrior armor acquired during his time in Japan.
FYI: this looked heavy to me but the collection's curator, Donald LaRocca kindly explained, the 50 pounds would be evenly distributed over the body and not at all the hardship one imagines. So feel free to give in to your delusions of knighthood.

 Dr. Dean's helmet collection was displayed thusly at the Met early days. Dean went on to become honorary curator, every summer high-tailing it to Europe by boat  to look for rare finds for the Met (now one of the best armor collections in the US and up there with many European collections thanks to Dean).

 Naturally I was given to think of my own copious collection of Paris macaron cookie boxes...

 And way too many pastry bags gathering dust on the shelf.

Would/could the Met be interested?

 There are still macaron remnents calling out siren-like from the fridge. It's a daily exercise in French delaying skills not to wolf them.

 Paris Macaron boxes, 9" x 11"

The one deterrent that keeps me from eating them, stale as they are since purchase in July of this year is the thought I could use them in a watercolor still life peut-etre?
Why ever does one hang on to these things?

 Admittedly, taking a giant leap of faith, can you imagine your collections.

Gracing the great halls of the Metropolitan Museum like Bashford Dean's?

I can...

Boxed In

 It's no secret I have a love affair ongoing with French boxes.

 My collection keeps growing.

 At this year's Salon du Chocolat there was a special 'Professional' section to view suppliers of boxes, ribbons, ingredients etc. 

River Pack makes Pierre Herme's innovative boxes as well as Cafe Pouchkine and other 'couture' patissieres...

 Embaline Cartonnage de Luxe is another fancy box-maker.

 Upstairs at the Salon I loved Arnaud Larher's lunchbox style candy box.

 And my favorite and it's contents (flavored-chocolate faux macarons) was tiny - just under 3" square but inside soooo delicieux

 Sadaharu Aoki puts great thought and wit into his boxes.

 He was at the Salon as always to chat with consumers.

 Boissier does the prettiest boxes. I'd love to visit their salon de the in the 16th.

 More faux macarons - these are really almond candies/calissons d'Aix -

 Real chocolate-dipped macarons in a plain see-thru box

 Box-shaped chocolate snacks were provided for 'professional' viewers at the Salon by Lenotre - how we suffered...

Do you want to see more Paris candy boxes?

I have many more to show.

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!

Sophia's Dollhouse Project

Macarons for Sophia, original watercolor,9" x 11"

Sometimes I get funny requests from PB readers, like a Mumbai CEO wants to order macarons for his bosses' private jet. I get a lot of orders for real macarons. If only I could bake and if only I had a patisserie like Sophia's dollhouse project.

voila Sophia's dollhouse project. 
"I am very pleased with the way it turned out and would be delighted for you to do a post. 

 I am making a very, very big dollhouse and was searching for French minis for it one day on the web. I found the facade on the website of La Boite a Joujoux, the miniature shop in Passage Jouffroy.

The picture on the back wall is the ceiling that I manipulated on the computer and then glazed with stained glass medium to add the brush strokes. The chef doll is by Marcia Blackstrom.

...for quite a long time and enfin.
 At 20€ I decided it was just too tiny to go with other pastries and returned it the next day with no regrets. I figured out how to make my own boxes happily.
Et voila!

 BIG MERCI Sophia for sharing your dollhouse dreams with us. 

Simply adorable!