Francophile Friday: Feel the Pain and Eat It Anyway

{Paris Pain de Campagne: ink & watercolour illustration © Shell-Sherree}

Today we play Guess the Location.  The prize is the warm glow of helping your fellow Chez Shell partygoers, so everyone play along and we won't let such minor details as accuracy get in the way of a good story {a philosophy embraced by many news outlets on the planet}.  That said, I'm fairly confident someone really will know which boulangerie/pâtisserie we're pressing our noses against.  {Wait ~ wrong window.  How did that get in here...}  Let's carry a casual dress code into the weekend as we indulge both sweet and savoury tooths with today's selection.  Which would you choose?  I'm on the fence.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Inspiration with thanks here.  

Francophile Friday: Here, Cartier Kitty

{Ode to L'Odyssée de Cartier: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

That which we call a panther by any other name shall look as sweet.  While it's no secret I love cats, it's a long time since a Big Kitty has made an appearance here.  Card-carrying Cartier connoisseurs are already giving each other discreet bejewelled high-fives at recognising the inspiration behind today's illustration before I've had a chance to say Panthère.  Or Leopard.  Or Pantherus pardus.  {All one and the same, as it turns out.}  As we're a crazy bunch of dreamers here Chez Shell, I'm pretty confident you'll love being swept along on our beautiful Cartier leopard's bewitching odyssey in this exquisite {I use this word freely in exchange for insanely-expensive-but-worth-it} short film.  {Check out the back story here.}   Three leopards were involved in filming and ~ wait for it ~ guess what their names were?  Cali, Tiga and Damou.  {For those new here, from cali is one of my dear friends and longstanding comments-party animals.  I'm jealous.  Fancy sharing a name with a leopard...} I feel we need an invisibility cloak of sorts to wear for the ride, so let's don our camouflage gear.  Hang onto your hats.  And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!
PS:   Bonus cute Cartier kitties here.

Francophile Friday: Paris Daily Photo Reprised

{Tenin Perspective - Paris Daily Photo: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

My life took a new turn when I happily stumbled upon Paris Daily Photo while following a croissant-crumb trail of links back in 2008.  I'm guessing it started with typing Paris into Google ~ no need to bring bring Inspector Maigret out of retirement.

I fell a bit in love with Eric Tenin and his gaggle of loyal followers.  This was my first encounter with BlogLand ~ and wow.  The wit, the repartee, the camaraderie!  The Paris eye candy, from the gilty gloriousness to the everyday!  I was captivated.  After lurking shyly for a crazy length of time, I still remember squeezing up the nerve to leave my first comment, and the warm glow of being welcomed {by Coltrane_lives first, if my memory serves correctly}.  Eric and Paris Daily Photo sparked the start of my own blog and many dear friendships both on and off our various respective blogs, seeded in a common love for Paris and discovering a whole bunch of other kinships {not the least being kitties}. 

Each year, Eric holds a Paris Daily Photo Picnic {aka the PDP Picnic, pronounced PDP Pique-nique by those in the know}, and way back I whipped up a little illustration for the 2009 edition.  What do you know, tomorrow heralds this year's picnic so I've gone back to the archives and bent my 'no repeats' illo philosophy as I thought it would be fun to revisit.  Eric has updated his site design a couple of times since I did this, so it can go into the archives for posterity's sake {and posterior's sake}.  I won't be there and each year it comes around, I kick myself up the proverbial for not getting my proverbial to Paris yet.  I hang my head, Yoda, as I do my best to follow your wisdom: Do or do not.  There is no try.  

But if you are going along, here's something you can slip into.  Plenty of layers in case of uncertain weather.  Let us pray for baby blue skies ~ either way, the picnic will be lit by the sunshine of your smiles.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday PDP Picnic Edition to you...

Francophile Friday: Of Absinthe and Affogato

{Absinthe Kitty: ink & watercolour illustration © Shell-Sherree}

Affogato!  Sounds perilously close to cussing in Italian {or blessing someone if they sneeze}, but today's illustration is brought to you in the wee hours of Saturday morning thanks to this simple dessert of vanilla ice-cream puddled in shots of espresso.  Make mine a double.  Wait ~ I already did.  If not for that, I'd have given into the temptation of sleeping.  And if I had absinthe in the bar cart {aka the top shelf of my pantry, which sadly looks nothing like this}, said slumber would possibly have taken place out on the roof or up in a tree ~ neither of which lends itself to late-night illustration attempts.  As I have none, catastrophe averted.

I must issue a warning with today's post, however.  Kitties: do not attempt this fanciful feline's adventures at home.  An unadulterated cat is fascination enough without adding absinthe into the equation.  But dear Virginia Jones's photo of Vert Absinthe in le Marais inspired me to follow the green fairy from our last post to this one, and look where we've ended up: illustrating an illustration.  Now, there's an absinthian concept if ever I saw one.  {Thanks as always, ma chère.} We should don something appropriate before entering, in case the custodians are recruiting this weekend.  And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Francophile Friday: Merci, Too

{Merci, Too: ink & watercolour illustration © Shell-Sherree}

I sit here at my studio desk and look to my right at my fading leopard-print letter rack and inspiration board hanging above it, and count almost a dozen handwritten quotes that have settled there since the new year alone.  Most along the lines of love, gratitude and faith.

So when I came across another cheery photo of Paris store Merci while seeking inspiration for today's illustration, I took the hint.  Any excuse to give thanks. If this looks familiar and you're making a note to decline the offer of a second glass of absinthe with dinner, relax ~ la fée verte is not at work {nor is the green fairy}.  This is indeed the second time I've illustrated Merci ~ which I think makes it a first.  I mean, the first time I've illustrated a place for the second time {excepting the Eiffel Tower, but she is in a category all her own}.  I mean... not to worry.  {Pass the absinthe...}  In the spirit of keeping things fresh, the cheeky little Fiat Cinquecento has pinker cheeks this time around and our kitty mascot is bringing you pawfuls of flowers to say, "I hope you know you are beautiful beyond measure."  {You can check out Virginia Jones's lovely Merci photos over here.  Look, more eye candy!}  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Update Friday 19th April:  I'm so sorry, I'll be taking a blog breather here and there for the next little while.  Turns out today is such a day.  I'll stay in touch and notify of my next post on my Facebook page.  Until next time, take care and bisous to you...

Francophile Friday: French Doors Give Us Paws

{French Doors Give Us Paws: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

I'd lay money a secret society of frazzled home handymen in Paris {should I say 'handypersons' nowadays?  Where's my fainting couch, it's all so hard...} spread a rumour once upon a time that peeling paint merely adds a certain je ne sais quoi better left to its own crumbling devices in order to propagate a certain rakish charm ~ say, the architectural equivalent of a three-day growth.  {Hard to argue with that.}  The inspiration for today's illustration also makes a good case.  And with decorative railings like these, the walls could resemble filo pastry and all would be forgiven.  {Not to mention the excellent pawholds these beauties provide.}  But I vote we wander inside and check out the view from there.  Who knows, there might even be a ballroom!  I feel a wardrobe change in the air.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Francophile Friday: Happy in Paris

{Happy in Paris: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

Be happy.  Such a simple prescription for life {if a tad hard to observe at times ~ when snivelling into a soft cotton hankie, for instance}.  But if one happened upon this fleuriste in Paris, waving its awning and flowers at you and shouting its good cheer, happiness would surely be irresistible.  {You can wander over and see a different view on a different day courtesy of dear Virginia of Paris Through My Lens.}  Our scruffy pooch looks like he's been rescued from a desert island then dragged through a perfectly manicured hedge backwards, but it matters not when there are roses to smell and kitties to play with.  Wherever you are and whatever you're doing this Easter weekend, may you be safe, peaceful and happy.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Fashionable Furry Friends Friday: The Gloves Are On

{Darling, We're Home: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

Have turquoise set of wheels, Scotty dog and mascot kitty, will travel.  The fur kids had to be separated a couple of times and if I heard "Are we there yet?" whined one more time... but it looks like all's well that ends well.

I overdid the waist nipping again, so one could be forgiven for thinking we should have packed a lot more sandwiches for the road trip.  {Either that or kitty ate more than her duly allotted share.  She's a growing girl ~ what can I say.}  But the bunch of flowers is a promising sign that we're about to be romanced with a simple but heartfelt home-cooked meal {two ways to a girl's heart within one sentence...}, so we can make up for lost time over the weekend and loosen that belt by the time Sunday rolls around.  I smell welcome home Gin and Tonics in the air.  And on that note...

Happy Fashionable Furry Friends Friday to you!

PS:  Inspiration for today's illustration is here ...  And when one Etsy store closes {mine!}, another one opens: regulars here well know and love Virginia Jones of Paris Through My Lens {source of much of my inspiration, with my eternal gratitude!}  To acquire gorgeous Paris photo prints for your home, please visit her new print store.  'Tis truly lovely.

Francophile Friday: Hôtel de Ville or Roundabouts

{Hôtel de Ville Carousel: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

If you've had a rough week, not to worry.  What you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts.  The details are sketchy as to what we lost on the swings and who was in charge at the time {I'm sure we can blame it loosely on last week's adventure}, but I'll gladly accept a carousel ride in Paris to make up for it.  Virginia found this double-decker beauty at the Hôtel de Ville last Christmas {thank you for the lovely inspiration, ma chère!}  A transeasonal wardrobe choice will cover us in both hemispheres at the moment, and the bag is large enough to stow contraband of the macaron persuasion without sending us off to the chiropractors.  {Mind you, a massage could still be in order, not that my arm ever needs twisting on that score.}  And on that note...


Happy Francophile Friday to you!

PS:  The charming folk at Winsome Journal kindly lassoed me for an interview recently.  If we'd caught up in person, I'm sure tea and blueberry white chocolate scones would have been involved.  That's the way they roll.  {The printed edition comes out later this year.}  Please read on over here if you're curious...

Francophile Friday: Cafe Ruffles

{Sitting Pretty at Le Pure Cafe: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

I have no idea what's on the playlist at Le Pure Cafe, but with a dress like that, Flamenco music might not be too far away.  We're in Paris, however, so perhaps it comes in the shape of a Flamenco accordionist.  {Better pass me the smelling salts now.}  In fact, our bartender seems somewhat distracted at the possibility of such a phenomenon, and is taking her paws off the job.  We'd better take a seat and prepare for a longish wait.  {And whatever you do, don't ask for a cocktail or you're begging for a disaster.}  Better follow our hostess's lead and stick with a double grande cafe au lait instead.  I hear the barista wears his iPod earphones at all times in case of such emergencies.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

{Photo inspiration for today's illustration via here.}

Francophile Friday: A Fashionable Eiffel Trifle

{Fashionable Eiffel Trifle: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

Oh, look.  The Love Bus No.9 has adventurously made the leap from London to Paris, and the vintage styling could almost convince us we've lost another decade in the process since our stop in the 60s last week.  Bring back the knotted white men's shirt, I say!  {Or has it already come back?  I try to keep my finger on fashion's pulse, but I've never done a St John's Ambulance course, so I don't guarantee I'm always resting it in the right place.}  While we're so jauntily attired and our imaginary sky this weekend is like the most gorgeous blue eyes you've ever lost yourself in, should we have a pique nique? {Apologies to our Hugh this week, but light brown-coloured sky just won't cut the mustard.}  I'll bring the crusty baguettes, fromage and some cheeky bottles of red.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Fashionable Furry Friends Friday: London Paws

{London Paws: ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree}

It seems one of the other passengers on board our Love Bus N°9 took the Abbey Road stop.  Cross your eyes and look at this in dim light if you're a purist, but perhaps we can imagine for the sake of a good segue that there's a vague Sgt. Peppers vibe about our groovy chick.  Being wise beyond her years, she's not buying into the Lonely Hearts side of things, though ~ I suspect she has many suitors saying, "I want to hold your hand," but these puppy dogs are keeping them full.  Not to mention Superman could be waiting in the phone booth for her.   {She loves Hugh, yeah, yeah, yeah.}  I can already feel the stampede to climb in there before he exits, so on that note...

Happy Fashionable Furry Friends Friday to you!