THE GREEN WALL

LE MUR VEGETAL 

DE LA RUE DES PETITS CARREAUX

How would you like to live in that building? so lush and generous seen from outside, no doubt;

but any creepy-crawlies ready to sneak in through the kitchen window?

au revoir.

MOTHER'S DAY IS STARTING VERY WELL...

BON DEBUT A LA FETE DES MERES (AUX USA)...

au revoir.

WHAT I FOUND ON THE STREETS...

CE QUE J'AI TROUVÉ SUR MON CHEMIN

Paris

They do say it is the city of love...

 Naples, Italy

Loosely translated:

To the owner of the dog who, daily, does his business in front of # 21: your uncivil conduct cannot be tolerated most of all because the afore mentioned address is that of a handicapped person. So should this unpleasant episode continue it will be reported to the competent authorities.

Tangier, Morocco

BOO!

Paris

Translation:

I don't want to be your friend on Facebook.

OK...

au revoir.

HARLEQUIN

 MON AMI ARLEQUIN 

If you have been reading my posts you may have noticed that I love the Harlequin pattern. This one is particularly appealing in its extreme subtlety.

 In fact I am drawn to very minimalist harlequin patterns. 

Especially on 

 a lot of white.

Au revoir.

THE RED ARTICHOKES

LES ARTICHAUTS ROUGES

Found at the market in Paris today, these pretty artichoke with deep red hearts. 

Served slightly opened, with just a lime and olive oil vinaigrette and finely sliced home-made gravlax.

au revoir.

THE VERY BLUE POST-WINTER SKIES OF TANGIER

LES CIELS TRÈS BLEUS DE TANGER APRÈS L'HIVER

 After the cold and the humidity of winters in Tangier Morocco, the skies clear up once in a while and display their bright blue splendor for a few days. This was the case on our last trip there 2 weeks ago. A very welcomed respite from the endless rain, the "locals" told us!
Chez Abdou, the funky fish restaurant on the beach, the weather was deceptively bright and though the entrance to the beach has been readied in Abdou's flamboyant style, there is no swimming quite yet.

 In the Kasba, the usually white walls, their grayish stains the effect of the wet winter season, await the next coat of paint

The Strait as seen from the terrace of the fabulous Tangerina. 

Bright blue skies chasing the winter blues.

au revoir.

HARLEQUIN

 As I have already mentioned in my blog, I really love this pattern! It's beautiful in a Moroccan Boucherouite rug, as an accent wall, on Moroccan side tables and even on a wall in Taroudant, Morocco.

Morocco/harlequin…do I see a pattern here? 

Yes (pun intended…)

images via etsy, pinterest, elle décor and my own.

au revoir.

THE FUN EVOLUTION OF THE LITTLE TEA POT

L'ÉVOLUTION CHARMANTE DE LA PETITE THÉIÈRE 

A neighbor of my sister's in the Kasba of Tangier has been painting and repainting a teapot motif around the small window next to his front door. 

He started with a very minimalist version and has been happily adding, changing and basically playing around with the cute design every year. 

This time we were welcomed with an entirely new color scheme! 

Quite charming!

au revoir.

CANAL ST. MARTIN, PARIS, FRANCE, IN WINTER

LE CANAL ST. MARTIN L'HIVER

At this time of year, same canal, less picnickers….

au revoir.

FIRST TASTE, THEN FUN!!!

EN PRIORITÉ LE GOUT; ENSUITE LE STYLE

A new restaurant in Kiev. Fun all around.

via http://design-milk.com

au revoir.

TANGIER, ALL THE PRETTY ARCHES.

TANGER, plein de jolies arches.

Off to Tangier Morocco once again, tomorrow. 

Weather report: sunny and warm all week! 

Can't wait.

au revoir.

A "REASONABLE" VALENTINE'S DAY? UHUH...

LA ST.VALENTIN RAISONNABLE? IMPOSSIBLE...

have fun. go crazy.

au revoir.

AH, PARIS...

PARIS, TOUJOURS PARIS

Even in Tangier Morocco, Paris is never very far away…

au revoir.

BONNE ANNÉE

WHY THIS IS THE PERFECT NEW YEAR'S SHOT

To me, it says

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Smile a lot?

Try baby shampoo?

Remember to layer your cloths?

Always think sensible shoes?

Yes, all that, and

it SCREAMS

it's 2015

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!

*

         *                                              *

                     *

*   

HAPPY NEW YEAR

*  

et

   *   

*       BONNE ANNÉE       *

* 

       *

THE BEST COOKIES IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

LES MEILLEURS GATEAUX DE LA PLANÈTE

The BRIZELÉS are made entirely artisanally in Lebanon. (Soon they will also be produced in Dubai. Yes, Dubai.) 

They are beautiful, light and airy,  and so addictive!

Paper thin wafers with a melt in your mouth sweetness! The ones we were given are "Walnuts and Cinnamon". There are however 6 other kinds including cumin, olive and thyme.

They are the brain child of a man passionate about cooking, who started making these in his kitchen in Beirut, Lebanon a few years ago and is now selling them everywhere over there but also on line! (His charming son Omar kindly and very generously brings them back to Paris during his frequent trips to Beirut for his extremely grateful friends.)

You should not hesitate to order some for one single second. 

That's Papa Kamel Cabbabé, there, on the box.

Editor's note: I was not compensated for this post in any way…well, if you don't count the boxes of Brizelés which have delighted us so, I could not resist raving to you about them.

au revoir.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

BONNES FÊTES

au revoir.

THE LITTLE THROWS THAT KEEP ON GOING

LES PLAIDS QUI NE BAISSENT PAS LES BRAS

This is two of abanjà's best selling items. 

Simple. Graphic. Beautifully crafted.

Entirely hand made.

Available at Nickey-Kehoe in Los Angeles or online here.

Not to toot our own horn, or anything…

au revoir.

A TRANSATLANTIC SHIP IN PARIS

UN TRANSATLANTIQUE EN PLEIN PARIS 

Some friends and I have an" abonnement" - season tickets- to modern ballet at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. 
I find most of it great. Some of it is not quite my cup of tea. 
What I do find fabulous however, is the building itself with tall, tall ceilings, art deco style everywhere, and that lovely feeling of being in one of those magnificent transatlantic ships of the 40's.
There is huge difference of course:
THE EIFFEL TOWER, staring at you through every window. 
My idea of Pure Heaven!

au revoir.

TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING; DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR TURKEY IS?

DEMAIN C'EST THANKSGIVING: SAVEZ-VOUS OU EST VOTRE DINDE?

You know what to cook and how to cook it, you know who is coming, you know  the big white tablecloth will fit and the good silver is as shiny as a new dime, you know you have enough chairs, what with the bench being dragged from the TV room for little Charlie, you know you can count on good old Aunt Mary for her casserole and Uncle Tom for the Bloody Mary's.

You know who and what you are thankful for.

But do you know where HE is? 

Tomorrow will be too late…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY AMERICAN FRIENDS!

au revoir.

THE UNIQUE MAC BOOK AIR CASE

LE PROTEGE ORDI PAS COMMUN

The Cinématèque of Tangier, Morocco is a fantastically unique place. Part movie house for the great-old-movie addicts, part cyber café, part lunch "canteen" for expats and young Moroccans alike. With its harlequin façade, vintage movie posters, bric-a-brac multicolored furniture, funky lighting and sun drenched glass roofed "diner" area, it attracts creative souls and hard-smoking (sadly) youths from neighboring streets. It is one of my favorite haunts as I go about my day in the medina working away with the weavers of our textile collection Abanjá.

On one of my trips there I could not resist acquiring this great computer case made by the Cinématèque with it's weekly movie programs covered in clear plastic sheeting and fitted with a strong zipper. 

I love it! Perfect fit, perfect job of protecting my valuable device.

And, invariably, the inevitable question: "where did you get that?". 

I love to answer.

au revoir.