Au Petit Bonheur la Chance

Au Petit Bonheur la Chance, watercolor
Linda Dannenberg gave me the name of her favorite secret Parisien haunt for antique kitchen and old school treasures - Au Petit Bonheur La Chance.

I went the day I arrived, a Monday, when most Paris shops are closed. Au Petit is in the Marais 13, rue St. Paul around the corner from Aux Désirs de Manon.

 It's a tiny shop, but jam-packed with kitchen goodies and old school supplies.

You will want everything. And I had no problem photographing everything in sight. I only bought a tiny box of jam labels. Not that I'll ever make home-made preserves. I had big plans to return and buy more.

They have a huge collection of cafe au lait bowls and tins.

Remember Cuisinophilie, where I found the little blue milk jug. That's a shoe box compared to Au Petit Bonheur La Chance, which by the way means, the little happiness of random luck.

Because I love French handwriting I took a picture of their doorway. I just forgot to read it.
"Open everyday except Monday - Tuesday"

I returned on Tuesday. They were closed of course.

Do you have art hanging in your kitchen? 
It's ART MONTH at apartment therapy: the kitchen. They've done a very nice interview on Paris Breakfasts and my food art.
Please take a look.

BIG MERCI !

Au Petit Bonheur la Chance

 Au Petit Bonheur la Chance, watercolor, 9" x 11"

 Have you visited one of the cutest shops in Paris?

 Au Petit Bonheur la Chance 13, rue Saint-Paul 75004

 If you can hit it when they're open, which takes a lot of chance/luck in fact you'll have a ball browsing.

 Even if they are closed, the windows are full of fun and whimsy.

Though nothing beats going inside.

 Looking for French back-to-school stuff?

 This is ze place.

 Do you collect vintage bath duckies or swans? I once did. Though I'm pleased to announce I've moved on to wind-up chicks.

 Yellow Bird has afternoon gouter, watercolor, 9" x 11"

 I don't think there's a single thing in this shop that isn't vintage...

 Which basically means you'll pay through the nose like I did for a few butter signs (10 euros each). If you're looking for bargains...urrrr

 Go around the block to 129 Rue Saint-Antoine

 And stuff your face with a 1 euros giant marshmallow/guimauve in a variety of flavors/parfums

Or save on the plane ticket and visit New York's Bosie Tea Parlor for a 'S'Mores' macaron with a toasted marshmallow plus a tiny square of graham cracker inside.

Quatrehomme, June Paris Fromage letter

Why is there always a truck or scaffolding in front of Quatrehomme Fromager?

One of Paris' best CHEESE shops, open since 1953.

The metro is full of giant French cheese posters including this cheesy wedding cake inspiring June's Paris letter. (Mailed last week by the way so go stand by your mailbox svp).The family establishment is sitting over a huge cellar where their cheeses are aged. Not open for viewing. I asked.

But they will answer all your cheese questions about their vast selection. Mme. Marie Quatrehomme was made the 1st cheese MOF in 2000. Coming from the post, I turned down rue Saint Paul by chance. 
Its been a long time since I stepped inside AU PETIT BONHEUR LE CHANCE. Have you been?

The name means some thing like; aimlessly, happy-go-lucky, haphazardly... I asked if they had any cheesy things.

By chance they did.

I came home with a nice old school cow rubber stamp (see above) and an ice cream dixie cup covered in cows, all for the Paris CHEESY map going out this week! 

Outside AU PETIT I saw this scooter rider. Her French terrier is going to sue me.

An update on my cloud studies. Please click on empty box to see Notre Dame svp.

I'm painting atmospheric Notre Dames with the steeple still attached. A  bit of artistic plastic surgery is OK  sometimes. There is a new ribbony gift/renewal/subscription 💌 ENVELOPE in my Etsy shop. Please stay well dear PBers💋❤️🐻xxx

Discover Paris by Metro

 It's been a while since I made you salivate/l'eau à la bouche.

 With tentations/temptations from Paris Patisseries - you're overdue.

 Miss Manon is just a small corner patisserie in the Marais 75004 at 87, rue St Antione an

 It's not a high-end 'couture' patisserie but their sandwiches and pastries are delish.

 For a little gouter/snack

 My caramel eclair - granted it was not official 'gouter' time (4:30)

 So when I headed down rue St-Paul to look in Au Petit Bonheur la Chance of course it was ferme/closed.

 So many goodies(cafe bowls, old school supplies, stickers) locked away for another hour or so.

 Across the street at #30 rue St-Paul, Bijoux Blues was not closed - perhaps the smallest shop in Paris.

 Their goodies are just as delish.

A few doors up blue Boulangerie Malineau has edibles a plenty like caneles waiting for the 4:30 snack bell to go off.

 EW antiques has captivating windows across the street at #21.

 Do you know The Red Wheelbarrow bookstore at #22 Mostly English books here and they'll greet you with big smiles.

 I bought the Discover Paris by Metro.

 And ripped out numerous pages in my usual abusive fashion, ahem

Only to find it's come out here in English!

A 'l'indispensable' as the French say when you're charging around Paris.

Les Bonbons

Les Bonbons, 9" x 12"

I'm curious about the French attachment to penny candy & other souvenirs of childhood.

A French friend, Misha (a philosophy Ph.D) first pointed out Les Bonbons to me on rue Brea in the 6th. A delightful penny confiserie.I doubt you'll find anything for 1 centime.

 It's her favorite shop.

The penny candy kisoque at the Odeon Metro is constantly busy, though you don't see many children buying the lollies and gummie bears. $5 for just 100 grams (3.3 ounces)

The old fashioned ice cream cone is a Parisian favorite.Why does Paris have more ice cream shops than New York?
  A giant blue lapin sitting out in the street.

High or low, Parisians do not put away childish things. Pierre Herme's vitrine focuses on an enfant's dreams. And who is not reduced to a greedy 5-year old inside Pierre Herme?

Renault covers a car with a favorite candy - the fraise tagada. Penny candy is serious business in France.

 Paris chocolatier Jean-Charles Rochoux, has cuddling chocolate bears/doudous in his vitrine. 

At Cafe Loup in Musee des Arts Decorativ they serve fraise tagada candies as an amusing afternoon snack/gouter with tea. *Note guimauve/marshmallows on the left.

The museum bookstore had this book on French penny candy. I bought it.

In the Marais Au Petit Bonheur La Chance specializes in vintage grade school paraphrenalia and toys. 13 rue St-Paul 

Painting by an unknown artist in the 9th arr.

Play and playfulness - is there ever enough of it.

BON WEEK-END PBers!