Terrasse

Pieces and Bits

This week has been a series of small occurrences that link together in a delightful chain that by Friday had me smiling like a crazy person.

First up: Corgi in a gym bag.  I got on the metro monday morning, on my way to meet clients for a tour at mister louvre only to sit across from a lady who had a Welsh corgi stuffed inside a gym bag.  The corgi didn’t seem too alarmed that his 30 lb bulk had been squished inside something that would normally carry two tennis rackets and a pair of smelly shoes.  Not at all.  Instead, he was smiling at me all the way to work.  I was giggling to myself ceaselessly, probably convincing all my fellow metro-commuters that they were sitting next to a young woman in the midst of a mental break, but I didn’t care.  And I didn’t care that my constant corgi-directed gaze was probably alarming mister corgi’s owner.

I didn’t have my camera with me, so I’ve instead tried to recreate the effect here (please excuse my drawing):

It’s not great, but you get the idea.  It’s a corgi in a gym bag.  Then you have to imagine a tiny French woman attempting to lug this chubby pup through a busy metro couloir.  No easy feat.  And fairly amusing.

Later on in the week, I spotted this little gem in the window of a local shop:

This is the funniest “ass plate” yet.  Mister Cooper and I had a good giggle over this.  You may recognize the shop from an earlier post.

Of course, then there’s been the amazing fall weather.  Autumn and Paris are the best-matched couple I’ve ever met.  I hope they stay in love and live a long, harmonious life together.

Dustin and took a walk in the Bois de Boulogne to check out Paris and Autumn’s love child (a sunny sunday):

Mister Cooper walks in the woods.  Note fall coat.

I’m not sure what this man’s hoping to catch in that stinky pond, but he sure looks relaxed.

Everyone was basking in the warm, orange sun.

I love watching the ladies gossip and elderly couples out for a sunday stroll.

Last night I wanted to take a picture of this really beautiful, old-fashioned storefront in the 9th, but this guy wasn’t having it:

I kind of wish he was more in focus so I could really center on his disapproving gaze.  (it kind of cracks me up).

At any rate - these are just a few pieces from my life of late.  It’s been beautiful and happy and I’ve been feeling more contented and warm than I have for a good while.  Paris is its own theater, and it seems I’ve been endlessly entertained this week.

The Doodles of My Dreams

Today, while I was on a Christmas shopping reconnaissance mission at the Louvre’s kid gift shop, I picked up this amazing coloring book.  Initially I thought I’d give it to one of our many nieces and nephews back home in california, but I’ve decided instead to keep it for myself.  Selfish, I know, but I can’t bring myself to part with this find.

The book is huge, maybe 11 x 14″, and features the playful artwork of Lili Scratchy, a French designer living in the eastern suburbs of Paris.  Her work is hilarious and cute, with a bit of a punk rock, outsider-y edge to it, featuring labyrinthine moustaches and spaghetti full of lost jewels.  The illustrations are funny enough to make even mushrooms laugh.  See?

Below is my favorite illustration, and the first I’ll color with the included watercolor pencils.

And all the pictures are one-sided and perforated, so when you’re done coloring they’ll make excellent and sophisticated decor of your own making (almost).

If you’re not going to be in Paris any time soon, you can also order these books online from that timeless purveyor of cool, colette.

So, I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday with singing vegetables and the world’s smallest elephant, thanks to lili scratchy.

Sexy Cheese

Mr. K and I were remarking last night that only in France are the cheese commercials so unavoidably sexy.

In France cheese is sexy.  No joke.

Cheese is a revelation

And one from the 80s proving that sexy cheese is a long-standing tradition

Amazing Site-specific Project

Check out this amazing project by a design studio in the Czech Republic, where a group of artists have cached sound-producing sculptural works in the forests surrounding Brno.  Their works are fantastic and industrial at the same time, playing off both natural (wind) and industrial (train tracks) phenomena.  The website itself is beautiful and imaginative, make sure to turn your volume up.

There are more interesting works than the one pictured above: podvedomim

Tricothé! (a parisian version of stitch n’ bitch?)

I finally found a Parisian knitting group - held once a week on wednesdays at 7pm at a lovely tea house called L’Oisive Thé, which is located in the 13th.

I have yet to insert myself into this little group (let alone choose a new project) but I’m excited to try it out.  And now this little tea house is selling yarn to boot!  What’s more, the location (butte aux cailles, the former home of my favorite former parisians) is one of my faves in Paris, and I’ve walked past the tea house many many times without even knowing it housed the Parisian incarnation of a stitch n’ bitch.

Regardless of the salon de thé’s appeal to this specific craft nerd’s woolly yearnings, it offers the non-crafty seemingly delicious treats for the tummy in a cozy setting.

Check it out here

Imagining what was Missed

A new favorite blog - I love this artist’s illustrations and the idea itself.  What a great source of inspiration, to build a visual story from these little narrative snippets - lovely and playful and funny (read the one about flatulence).

http://missedconnectionsny.blogspot.com/