Thank You Karl

Dear KARL, you will be missed.

Who didn't want an invitation to your spectacular shows at Grand Palace

Though standing outside watching the fabulous parade seemed almost as good or better. No stress. Did you forget your passpost? What to wear? Where were you sitting inside? No renting a head-to-toe Chanel outfit. just watch the fun.

You gave us black and white like no one else

Ruffles, Hats, Sunglasses, the tiny bun, ridiculous frou frou

Shoes, bags, baskets like no one else before or since

You will be missed. R.I.P. Karl

Soirée Love, Musee Rodin, 14 Fevrier

Saint Valentine's eve I had an invite to attend the annual SOIRÉE LOVE at Musée Rodin.

What a delightful event. Couples, families, singles showed up to partake of the festivities (20€)

Champagne was of course flowing.

Live music was playing upstairs and down. We received programs with Rodin's love letters and poems to read as we wandered from room to room in the museum.

I was especially drawn to the room of CAMILLE CLAUDEL'S evocative sculptures 

Sketching with Django Rhinehardt playing in the background was perfect. Live artists were painting happy couples. You could get a photo portrait with Rodin's sculpture, The Lovers.

By-lingual guides in every room happily explained the artworks surrounded by rose petals.

The focus was on the romance between Rodin, in his 40s and 17-year-old Camille Claudel .

After 10 years with Rodin as pupil, muse, model, mistress Claudel lived and worked not far from me on the Île.

                                                             watercolor on ETSY
I pass this beautiful Hôtel particulier many times. Lovely to know the back story. Next I must visit the MUSEE CAMILLE CLAUDEL. Crossing Pont Sully on the way home, the bateaux mouches were full of Valentine lovers. Do go next year PBers if your in Paris to Musée Rodin/SOIRÉE LOVE.

With Love XXX from Paris ❤️🐻💋

5 Years on...

Bear reminded me its 5 years since we moved to Île Saint-Louis and 5 years since we started Paris watercolor letters. ❤️ CELEBRATION! ❤️ We called them: Belle Lettres, Sketch Letters, You've Got Paris Mail etc.

Five years ago we lived in the 19th arrondissement. Quite a step-up to the Île our former 'landlady' said.

Our first Paris letter was going to be about leeks(!?) 

Fortunately surrounding maritime themes and BERTHILLON won out.

Being naturally dyslexic, disorganized, and a rotten speller with illegible handwriting, I had no idea what I was getting into. Starting a letter subscription business - what was I thinking? :((

Both studios before and after remain a bordel/chaotic. Getting the letters out remains a monthly challenge I know I'd miss.

I looked for the 1st bonus watercolors (gift with purchase). None left.

I love French airmail envelopes, but no one else liked their letters folded 2Xs 

As a ❤️ Saint Valentine ❤️ thank you for hanging in there dear letter subscribers and putting baguettes on Bear's table, I'm including the 1st Parisbreakfast letter along with the February letter. (Paris map subscribers will get theirs in May). ❤️HAPPY ANNIVERSARY PBers❤️. We're still here and the Île is still spectacular as the day I moved. Thanks for reading and sharing Parisbreakfast. Subscription letters 💌, maps and watercolors etc. are in my Etsy shop. With love💋 still in Paris🐻

La Plume de Louise en l'Ile 75004

Before moving to Paris I suffered from EIFFEL TOWER INSANITY like everyone else..

The Eiffel tower clock was an essential decor element.

Why did I leave this Eiffel tower pillow back in New York. Where is it now? 

I took a gazillion photos at every opp and still do, though the obsession subsides with daily doses.

If you're similarly obsessed head for LA PLUME DE LOUISE EN L'ILE. 

Eiffel tower HQ. Look at these tiny irresistable spoons and stripy tray

Why not deck yourself out more or less head-to-toe?

LA PLUME publishes wonderful notebooks, childrens books. Especially wonderful their unique DIY cardboard Eiffel Towers in an endless array of chic designs not just for kids.

I wandered into LA PLUME DE LOUISE EN L'ILE gift shop by chance after soupe d'oignon at Brasserie de l'Isle Saint-Louis. Its next door so drop in at 3, rue jean du Bellay 75004. I swooned over  wrap-around panorama of the Ile. The owner quickly ran downstairs and gave me a mini version now installed in my studio. Mille Merci M. Frank and thanks PBers for reading and sharing Parisbreakfast. Subscription letters 💌, maps and watercolors are in my Etsy shop. 

With love💋from Paris🐻

Soupe d'Oignon Part 2

The search for the perfect onion soup on Ile Saint Louis continues. Chilly weather made it essential.

A brief foray into a small corner restaurant on the Isle(which shall remain unnamed) was a disaster. Cook's 1st day? To boot it was served luke-warm. I said, "No thank you" and dashed for the door.

Down the street the lovely cafe St. Regis waited. 

Service was great as always. Their bread is from Poilane! Perfectly chewy. Sadly the onion soup was only so so. Broth was beefy its true, but the cheese topping careless. No other way to put it. You should practically need a knife and fork to cut through the blanket of melted cheese. Otherwise where's the fun? And no unmelted cheese shreds please. Maybe a 5-6 on the onion soup scale. Triste. (13,50€) Stick with their chicken paillard or breakfast. Pom'Cannelle still wins the day.

I'm becoming adept at sketching on restaurant paper placemats.

Next stop Alsacian, Brasserie de l'Isle Saint Louis earned a darn good 8+. (12€) Perfectly melted cheesy topping. The broth could have been a touch beefier in my opinion, but altogether a very satisfying experience from a classic, traditional French restaurant. Word has it in the old days, there were lines out the door. Its still popular. I remember the surprise of seeing Baryshnikov sitting in outdoor in their cafe one summer. I'll come back here.

When you move to France, you're unprepared for the bombardment of shredded cheese. Who didn't grow up on Kraft's shreaded Parmesan in the green canister? Was there actually any real Parmigiana or even cheese in there? Didn't matter. Sprinkling it on everything was fun. The shredded cheese varieties in France are vast and can be uneven. Enough dishes require it like croque monsieur, crepes, potatoes gratinee, and natch onion soup. Hardly a day goes by without eating some cheese in France. My current fav is Comté rapé. Not a bad snack straight out of the bag. I watched JULIA make onion soup on Youtube this morning. Did you know you must 'cook' the onions for 15-20 minutes before browning them. I'm tempted to give it a whirl. CHRISTINA'S CUCINA has a good recipe. Have you made DIY onion soup? Do tell.

Last night walking along the Seine, it was cold but still beautiful. Thanks for reading and sharing Parisbreakfast. Subscription letters, maps and watercolors are in my Etsy shop. 

Stay warm PBers, with love💋from Paris🐻

Createur de Reves

                              Wooden Duck watercolor on Etsy
Sometimes one of the hardest things to do in Paris is simply open a door & walk inside. But magic waits behind those doors, so why not?

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I hesitated entering CREATEURS DE REVES (dream makers) a wonderful hole-in-the-wall wooden toy shop at 9 rue Beautreillis 75004. The Gilets Jaunes marched down lower rue de Rivoli Saturday forcing Monoprix to show us out the back door. Lost I turned left and fell into a charming treasure chest.

A very petit Madame Glaser has run the shop for 50 years carrying on her father's passion for witty wooden toys. This sailboat mobile lulls babies to sleep. I could stay awake watching it spin.

She hand-paints and makes wooden top amidst the clutter of equipment

Madame also makes copper jewelry Using Notre Dame's rose window motif.

I fell hard for the mushroom-shaped nutcracker(12€). Perfect to open the Grenoble walnuts I got from Monop (3€ a pound). Madame said, "Très bien pour la santé. I eat them everyday". Me too! Do get some French walnuts next time you visit Paris. Eating 5-8 a day offers many benefits like omega-3s, zinc, arginine. And open as many doors as possible in Paris! Easy peasy to make this savory winter salad of roquefort, walnuts, sliced apple and arrugala + balsamic vinagrette. The JANUARY WATERCOLOR SALE ENDS SOON. Run, don't walk to Etsy XXX 🐻from Paris ❤️