Weekend Quick Pic

Chartres, Evening July 2010

Well Jury Duty is still a giant question mark hanging over my head.  My extended adventure in Civic Engagement yet resists resolution.  So for this Friday, I will leave you with a little bit of summer magic and wish you all a wonderful, and magic, weekend yourselves.  Till the Jury Genie releases me from his grip...............

Paris - Passage Paradis 2010

So does anyone happen to remember I once posted about how this blog came to be named?   Here is a link to that earlier post.

This is a "world" off of the Rue Oberkampf in Paris.  The sign on the archway that you see above says:  Cite Figuiere.  But I was so certain that in 1998 when we discovered it, it was called "Passage Paradis".   Are you with me here?

What changes the years have wrought!

It is much more crowded.

The greenery is almost smothering.

And yet, a timelessness.  Despite the fact that most of the houses have added floors since we were last here.  And there is a more prosperous air.

 A fresh-fresh coat of paint on the elephants-and-palms.

Fresh paint here, too but otherwise - everything EXACTLY the same as when I photographed, and later painted it.  Down to the reds and the hollyhocks.

This was the house that was for sale in the murky freezing winter of '99.  We could have bought it, we could have found a way.  But still.  It was ALOT of money then.  And so, someone ELSE did.

Were we wrong?

Or were we right to walk away?  And to create a Passage Paradis elsewhere....  My husband thinks we were right.  

What do you think?  Would you?  Could you?  Have walked away?


* I've been called in for jury for an as-yet-undetermined period of time.  So my excuses if I'm not coming by to comment.  xoxo

Corner View - Me

Hello all you Corner Viewers.  So nice to see you all and all the little glimpses into "YOU" that we don't always get to share!  Such pretty pictures I've seen so far.

This one is a tough one for me because I'm still quite happy to preserve my privacy and anonymity.  And that's not so much about YOU, but because while I'm anonymous, I feel I can be more ME than I might otherwise.   More to the point, the blog really IS me, more than almost anything I've ever done in my life.  If I'm not sharing with you things I've made, I'm showing you things that sooth my eyes and excite my heart.  So Passage Paradis is really who I am.  It would not be here if I were not passionate about everything I put into and on it.  On the other hand, I never imagined when I started this blog and chose cyber-identifiers that weren't already taken, that I might have to go around introducing myself as "Mlle Paradis" to total strangers, which recently I've had to do once or twice!  And felt quite silly.  So that part, maybe not so much ME!

Since I'm not going to share any images of a little-old-myself from some point in my life, present or past, 

here are images of a couple of things that are occupying me (besides France) just at the moment.  And I think they're appropriate to share because fundamentally, that is who and what and the best that I am: an artist.  So above is a handbuilt stoneware necklace that I made when I was living in Honolulu and doing ceramics. I love the Wilma and Pebbles Flintstone allure that it has, with that rustic but refined style that I do adore.  It says ALOT about ME that I only just got to stringing it LAST WEEK!  Now, if anyone has any bright ideas about how to hang a three-foot-fifty-pound clay necklace on the living room wall in an earthquake zone, give me a shout. (!)

This bottom image is matryoshka dolls that I have just gessoed in preparation for a little artistic playing.  If I am at all successful with the ideas I have maybe I'll try to do a giveaway of these puppies/poupees.  So watch this space!  And by the way, who doesn't identify with matryoshka dolls?  With their nested selves, and mini-ME's and iconization of the process of growing up and making anew young variations of ourselves! 

So I look forward to coming along and visting the rest of all of you!  For those of you who are NOT Corner Viewers....here's a link to Jane and Spain Daily where you will find other Corner Views and what it's all about.

Paris - Quick Looks

An abbreviated continuation of the Paris shop crawl.....as I have an appointment with my pillows and an early morning tomorrow.  

Most of these were taken in the more salubrious arondissements.

Did I mention the summer sales were on?  (Have I used this pic already?)

So one could not just stand there looking wooden,

one had to get our there and check out the offerings!!!!!  (Finnova, Left Bank)

This was NOT a working trip (C.G.!) so I did not scribble addresses down for your further edification.  It was rather, a holiday,  A VACATION for me and my dearest.  Hence, gnomes of course!  To keep the mood light.  If you're interested in addresses leave a comment and I'll do my best.

Forget the faience Ferdinand, I know now that I am actually here for that CHANDELIER!  (Do you like it Kevin?  This might go nice with your turquoise glass theme at home.)

Do you love his shirt?  I DO!  Next he gave me a giant smile.  But I did not snap it!  (Sad face again - rushing past.)

And of course who does not love Astier-Villatte??????  But not so much washing it.  It is soooooo delicate!

How did I know that in the hushed precincts of a certain "Colette" store that punters taking pictures would be soooooo UnCool?  I was so charmingly scolded as this snuck-in fuzzy exposure reveals.  But who could resist the bunnies!  (Best part about the whole shop!)

I'll say no more.  Except that you have recently been window shopping on the Rue du Faubourg St. Honore where it would not be unusual to have a WHOLE FAMILY bustle past you on the trottoir, each with their very own personal orange HERMES shopping bag in hand.  Including the 10-year old boy!  (Now I have seen EVERYTHING!)

Paris - Saturday Morning

Le Faubourg St. Antoine behind the Bastille....the Marche Aligre.  A Saturday morning in Paris may look very much like a Saturday morning where you are.

But then again, it might not look like your part of the world at all!  (Do you get fresh fuzzy almonds at your market?)

Oldish guys with crutches.  Maybe?

Nice arab ladies with cheerful green trollies?  You tell me.

Stylish females with the very latest in flashy footwear?

Ladies who bought too much, packing and unpacking?  Or who made the fatal mistake of putting their wallet at the BOTTOM of the grocery trolley?  (Something I have to admit, I would do!)

We don't seem to do this so much in the U.S., the sensible cutting up of squash so you need only buy enough for your own family, versus taking home a giant specimen for the WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD!

Does your market have cheery red baskets to weigh your fruit in?

Do your fellow shoppers look like (slightly severe) models......

 or goddesses?

This is reminding me I should really refine my street snapping style.  At this point I am only visualizing that iconic look of the photographer in the khaki jacket with all the pockets for his/her lenses and the big sunglasses pushed up onto the top of the head.

Should I be dressing with flair, or going very incognito and unremarkable so as to draw less attention to myself?  I feel I should do as I did in India - prepare ahead with pockets full of pens and stickers, to hand out to my subjects, and little cards, thanking them for letting me steal their souls and post them on the internet, with my address so that they can come murder me in retaliation.  Or at least get copies of the pics or my url so they can find themselves online to show to friends.  I should be charmingly grateful for their participation in my endeavors.

I don't like strangers taking a picture of me either.  It seems an invasion.  And importuning.  A presumption.  I guess, to improve my karma, I'll have to change my own attitude about that.  

But the artist in me is getting thicker skinned and bolder, may I say?

You can't ALWAYS be shooting people from behind!

Did I mention though, I would be inclined to hand out lumps of coal and rotten fruit (unlike this - does anybody KNOW what to do with raw fresh almonds by the way?) to people who insist on stepping ACROSS the picture I'm trying to take.  Which happens far too many times than I'd like to say.

This lady was lovely and generous and gave me a smile, even after I declined her tempting flowers.  She reminds me in her face and how the chin is lifted, and even in her stance, of Degas' "Petite Danseuse".  On a bad-posture-cigarette break.

These guys have found a certain freedom in the "Velibs".  They don't know I've snapped them.  Very liberating for all concerned.

SHE is rocking the classic french clashing color workingmans' look.  Clashing in all the best ways, I've always thought.

She is rocking the take-me-to-the-disco-you-will-not-regret-it-cheri! look (At 12 noon on a Saturday, I remind you!) THANKYOU MLLE!  for giving me a big smile.  You KNOW you look good.  And I.  Am doing the - "Oh I'm not snapping YOU!  It's that fascinating building in the background" happy dance.  Which is why the picture is blurry.

And these guys.  Are rocking the I-AM-A-HAPPY-CHILD-IN-PARIS look.

A seemingly effortless style .  YOU could feel so stylish if you were born to it, if most of the Saturdays of your life looked like this!  How WAS yours, anyway?

Paris - Glances

Something low impact for the weekend.

A little window shopping in the Marais?

I have ALWAYS wanted one of these.  They were made by young girls for confirmation or their sweet sixteens.  They are made of wax.  They would NEVER have survived all my house moves.

Of course Mr. Paradis LOVED the knife "block".  - - - GUYS!!!!

Something about the simplicity and the crispness.......Loving that satiny border.....more borders later.....

so summery and fresh.

.....what, more Fermobs!?!

So ladylike - the blurry pic adds to the dreamy charm no?  Say YES!

I just love the idea of photo fabrics (what a surprise!)  I would have to have one of every one of these little bags.  Genial!

You and Jackie "O"

This one reminds me of my little girl.  She would totally have her nose in the absinthe.  I could take her off the Prozac!

You'd never see an optician in America displaying glasses like this.

Les fripes.  (SIGH!)  A girl never tires of French fripes.  Never.

I shouldn't like this dress AT ALL.  The shape and color are so wrong for me.  But the little checks,  the subtle color transitions, the delicacy, the transparence, the gold borders!  It is something so special and so ordinary ALL at once.  The french do simple/extraordinary like noone else. (For more details of locations of these goodies, see my response to Carol's comment below).

have a great weekend everybody!