Easter Etsy Weekend Sale, creating the Spring letter, think Green

PB Etsy Easter weekend SALE ALERT! Storewide (except for prints)  $15 off on everything else! Offer is good until the 18th of April Just use the code at checkout: PBEASTER17

Let me know if you have any problems. I've been thinking Green this week. Wasn't it Earth Day?

New Spring seasonal vegetables are in the markets. Hooray!

It seemed like an easy idea to translate into watercolor. Ha.

17,000 pencil sketches later...not so easy but much eating of radis rouge. These are big radishes.

Asperges too...matching the subtle pink-to-green color...not so easy.

Petit pois! A more yellowy green.

Last weekend I made a dash to gorgeous chateau Vaux le Vicomte, just an hour from Paris.

I fell in love with these British floral prints.

Perfect for my April letter non?

But a trip to Georges' candy shop, Le Bonbon au Palais changed my mind.

Better go with French school labels. Why can't I write like French school kids? Practice, practice.

Et voila. The end result after much vegetable eating. Maybe I should do this every month?

BHV has green on their mind. Windows full of garden whimsy, especially the Magritte apple pillow.

Flower shop, Au Nom de la Rose is thinking greens. What is Citisus? Pretty no?

Green grass everwhere in Paris, especially under chocolate bunnys. They were even mowing the lawn in my tiny garden out back! 

I'm painting up a storm of petit pois bonus watercolors for new subscribers and renewers. Get yours while the Easter Weekend Sale is on. Why not? Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast.  Easter Etsy weekend sale on Paris letters, watercolors and map subscriptions. 

Bon WEEKEND a tous!

Paris in Bloom

Is winter still hanging round in your doorstep? Then you need THIS BOOK.

IF Spring is beginning to show up you still need THIS BOOK.

If you have a mother, you need this book. Georgianna Lane's PARIS IN BLOOM is simply divine.

It inspired me to look for Paris pinks. Le Bonbon au Palais confiserie has perfect pink marshmallow.

They have deep pink framboise chocolate fish! This is a first.

Anne Maisoneuve is ready for Spring with peony Ts.

I thought of buying pretty pink ranunculus to paint inspired by Georgianna's book.

Every picture is a painting, evocative, inspiring, dreamy. I was shooting in Paul Langevin parc under a swath of cherry trees. Bloosoms were falling.

Paris in Bloom has useful information like Georgianna's favored flower boutiques. Quite a few were in last May's flower shop map.

She likes Au Nome de La Rose.

A Metro poster announcing Easter egg events I found yesterday.

No pastries in Georgianna's book, but many how-tos like Creating your own Parisian-style bouquet. And a field guide to recognizing common Paris spring-blooming trees.

There's a DIY tour of Georgianna's favorite locations for flowering trees and plants in central Paris.

Bear and I met up with Georgiannas.

We were lucky to get her to come take a look at our tiny secret garden.

Who knew there were Camellias in my own back yard till Georgianna identified them?

I've been painting Camellias ever since. If you want/need a fabulous uplift, a taste of Spring, inspiration, oh anything ar all, do get PARIS IN BLOOM. (Link above) Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. If you enjoyed this post and would like to support it, subscribe to Paris letters, maps and watercolors or forward to a friend. Cheers

June Fruits Rouges Paris Sketch Letter

I'm late cluing you in on what to eat in June (juin). Quatres fruits rouges (4 red fruits) may be a strictly French thing. Correct me if I'm wrong. I remember first time I ordered a mysterious dessert called '4 red fruits'. I've been addicted ever since.

On a visit to Le Bonbon au Palais I spotted this little advert card for pates de fruits. Instant love. I begged Georges if I could borrow it. Then I raced to the copy shop. Picasso said "Good artists copy; great artists steal". I would have happily stolen Georges' little card. What does that make me?

My first doodle sketch..

You may wonder exactly which red fruits are included. Guess what? Any summer red fruit will do. No apples please. Plus fruits bleu Arte allowed.
Fraise, framboise, cerises, cassis, myrtille, mure, groseille to name a few.

Off to the marché

For some very much in season June red fruits.

FYI these sweet little boats filled with fruit are called 'barquettes'.

Early days on my Paris jaunts I would race through marches intimidated and clueless.

Thanks to Marjorie William's informative MARKETS OF PARIS all that's changed. Marchęs are an integral part of daily Parisian life. DO NOT MISS OUT please. How else to know what's in season and what to order when you eat out? Plus the colors, aromas and friendly sellers insisting you taste a bite is instantly cheering. When I first moved here I lived at Metro Duplex 75015. I had to walk through marché Grenelle 2 times a week. It was a better spirit-lifter than any shrink.

You could take your red fruits back to your apartment and easily put together a tarte au fruits. Just bake a giant sable cookie base. Throw on some crème patisserie for glue so your fruits don't roll onto the floor.

Check out Jill Colonna's recipe for sablé on Mad About Macarons.

If you're like me, you can't be trusted around raw dough. Then go to the nearest patisserie. Two sizes on offer - family size and 'individual' for that afternoon peche mignon.

More guilty pleasures (peche mignon) to admire.

An exquisite slice of sablé topped with strawbs from haute couture patisseries Hugo and Victor. I lay the blame at your feet dear PB readers for teaching me to enjoy fab crust. In the old days I'd just eat the fruit. Tisk tisk

Yesterday was the first time I spotted fruits rouges ice cream at Maison Gosselin near the Orsay. I will have to return to taste.

Of course there is tons of red fruits jam in France and even red fruits teas. But red fruits biere! Who knew?
à table everyone and eat your red fruits with or without a cookie base.
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