/ Shell Sherree

Francophile Friday: Do You Take This Macaron...

29.4.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS

Once in a while, it's nice to have a fairytale. Anything uplifting and cheering for the spirit is welcome, even more so this year than others in recent recollection. William and Kate are a beautiful couple and I wish them every happiness and more. I have to confess, I'll be watching the Royal Wedding on delay due to a previous engagement. {No, not that kind of engagement.} But I'm looking forward to being assailed by all kinds of eye candy, not the least: the wedding cake. Is there any chance a tower of macarons was on their short list? It's kind of fun to imagine so. Merci, dear Virginia for today's inspiration. Somehow, I suspect it would be the celebratory pastry extravaganza of choice for many of those pressing your noses up against this Paris shop window today. So please, don't forget to take your bonbonniere before you leave. There's a flavour to suit everyone. And on that note...

Happy Royal Francophile Friday to you!

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Venerdi in Venice: Hightail the Fluffy Tail

22.4.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS

It isn't easy keeping one's fluffy tail high and dry when visiting Venice. This well-travelled little Easter Bunny has excelled. The welcoming committee is in the apartment upstairs, plumping up pillows, scrubbing the finest of carrots and washing freshly plucked leaves. {Grazie mille to dear Danielle of VenetiaMicio for the beautiful photo inspiration.} I've just finished whipping up some dark chocolate truffles for our turndown service. {Mind the cocoa dust on your linen pillowcase.} Your vaporetto driver is tapping his foot impatiently... please mind your step and keep your own tail high and dry as you make your way through the canals to our weekend destination. And on that note...

Happy Venerdi in Venice and a safe and peaceful Easter to you!

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Francophile Friday: Cushy Kitties, Louis Style

15.4.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS

Our next council kerbside pickup is only a couple of months away ~ so I'm honing my extrasensory perception and having the sparkplugs changed on my Louis Radar. If anything resembling this chaise and side table is lurking by the side of the road in a 15 km radius, it will be mine. These pampered Parisian kittens, on the other hand, have already landed on their paws and secured some gilty pleasures of their very own. Shall we name them? I'll start pouring the champagne fountain while you're thinking aloud. And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

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Francophile Friday: Vicki's Boulangerie

8.4.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 8.75" x 7" [22.5 x 18cm] ORDER PRINT

Bonjour. I'm so glad to see you again. Yes, really see you again, rather than through a foggy haze, courtesy of being a 'visually vague person,' as labelled affectionately by my specialist, Dr Julie. {A few 'tsk, tsk, tsks' were also involved.} Thank you for your kind and caring comments and emails to check in on me. I've missed you all.

Now that I've packed away the eye mask, let's embark on our long overdue trip to the south of France thanks to Vicki Archer of French Essence, one of the most exquisite places in Blogland. Odds are, you already know Vicki ~ but if not, you'll be glad to. Vicki is a gracious Australian writer who lives between London and St Rémy de Provence; she lives what many would consider to be a charmed life, but always wears her humanity and heart on her sleeve. Vicki generously agreed to my request to use her Boulangerie photo as inspiration for today's post. Thank you, dear Vicki. You're a honey. We'll be glad to pull up a wicker chair here and pat the kitty. And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

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Restful Paws...

4.3.11

I'm ever so sorry, but I've a wee dram of eye strain and need to take a little sojourn from blogging. I'll be back when I can, and in the meantime, let's take a leaf from kitty's book and relax in your daydream of choice. And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday or Venerdi in Venice to you!

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Francophile Friday: Vintage Paris

25.2.11

ink & watercolour weensy meep miniature, 3.5 x 2.5" [9 x 6.5cm ]

One of the many unfortunate side-effects of our January floods is the impact on the supply of vintage treasures at my local thrift shops. This is in no small part due to several of them going underwater, including my favourite, the RSPCA Thrift Shop at Sherwood. {No, they do not sell men in tights. The Sherwood Forest store might.} I'm fond of fossicking around in there, so I'm champing at the bit for their re-opening. As excellent as they are, however, I've yet to happen upon any vintage items like the ones illustrated poking out from under a pile of $2 stonewash jeans. One suspects one is a tad more likely to see them languishing around with a mild air of ennui and a waft of cigar smoke in the Place des Pyramides in Paris. Merci to dear Eric of Paris Daily Photo for the inspiration. They actually look like fine getaway vehicles. Meep, meep. Ladies, gentlemen ~ start your engines. And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

PS: I'm offering Original Meep Miniatures at a special rate to my dear blog readers for the next couple of weeks {while stocks last}: $39AUD for a pair {unframed}, plus $3 standard postage worldwide. There's no simple way to handle it in my Etsy store, so please just pop me an email at shellsherree[!at]gmail.com if interested and we'll arrange delivery details and secure credit card payment. My Etsy store doesn't show all Meeps available, so if your fave isn't there, please ask in case I still have it.

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