Image: Nico Alary @nicoalaryjr

Image: Nico Alary @nicoalaryjr

Back in April when I was putting together the Pelouse en Fête picnic I went researching how I could incorporate a little of the Kinfolk magazine spirit into the event. Kinfolk, a magazine published just four times a year out of Portland, Oregon, in the US, is probably one of the most beautiful and charming magazines on the planet. Their mantra 'a guide for small gatherings' encourages its readers and followers to embrace the simple and everyday with intention and eschew the complex and unnecessary. Something I resonate with deeply.

What I didn't realise was that Kinfolk had changed their involvement in world-wide dinners and instead put in place themed workshops, facilitated by representatives all over the world, to encourage readers to engage more in their food and re-harness long-lost skills. There was no way my picnic could be involved for April, but the advertised theme for June - charcuterie, butchery, cheese - fit so well with the amazing produce that comes from this country that an event of this kind could not not happen in Paris. I had to inquire into holding an event.
As it turned out, Kinfolk had already received interest from someone in Paris. My heart sank. I was so upset that I was too late and that I wouldn't be able to contribute to an event here. I reached out to the girl Kinfolk put me in contact with, to say hello, to offer a hand. Miraculously, but really, when you think about it, not so unsurprisingly, the person on the other end of the email said yes, please.

Images: Nico Alary @nicoalaryjr

So I met the lovely Lise. And together we brought the June Gathering to a small wine bar in the 17th last Saturday. And people from all over Paris came; some we contacted to invite as we knew they'd love it; some that had just happened upon the event's details and thought it would be a nice way to spend the afternoon; some whose work we'd admired and adored from afar, and some we'd made online friends with that we were dying to meet in person.
The little wine bar, Le Garde Robe des Batignolles, only selects the best meat, cheese and natural wines that they are able to source and we had the privilege of sampling such a variety and learning about their makers and production. The event could not have happened without Axelle, who works at Le Garde Robe; her passion for the produce of her land is inspiring and she brings such joy to the simplicity of preparing food, eating and sharing.
The meal ended with traditional French cherry pies, clafoutis, made by Lise, a qualified pastry chef and passionate cook, and the culinary expert of the two of us. It was the loveliest evening spent in a very long time and I'm so grateful to everyone that came to make the Gathering as special as it was.

Image: Nico Alary @nicoalaryjr

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A handful of the photos above (the good ones!) belong to Nico Alary. We came across Nico's work in the last two Kinfolk issues and when we realised he was based in Paris we had to say hello and let him know we were hosting an event. He told us straight away that he and his girlfriend would join us. So, not only were we blessed with their excellent company, but with also his talent as a photographer. Nico has posted more pics of the event on his Flickr and is currently in the process of opening up a café with his girlfriend Sarah, which they are amazingly chronicling the process here.

xx

Le Grand Froid

This weekend would have to have been one of the most surreal since moving to the northern hemisphere some three years ago. It snowed for almost 72 hours, sans interruption.
It had actually started snowing early last week, intermittently, through the night, all traces gone by the morning, like a hazy one night stand. However, late Friday night when it was realised that the snow wasn't going to turn into an icy drizzle and slowly, surely, started turning all manners of motor vehicles and street furniture white, did everyone fully rejoice that the snow was here to stay.

Waking Saturday morning to snow

And was it ever! By Saturday morning Paris had turned into a winter wonderland. Snow covered every exterior surface. The parks and gardens were full of families, trying to find a spare square metre space to build their first snowman for the year. Teenagers were sliding down streets on garbage bags. And snowball fights broke out left, right and centre. I felt like I was back in Stockholm, or Norway. It was pure magic.

The Mairie deemed the Square des Batignolles too dangerous under ice and closed it to the public. Les enfants and their Papas had to make their snowmen in the street. It was so sad to see!

It is surreal to think that in 6 months from now this stretch of lawn will be covered in people with their tops off, sun bathing!

And now it's Monday, and the magic has tuned to dirty slush. Back to work, back to reality. We'll be super lucky to get another weekend like the one we just had, but with Spring still a couple of months off here's hoping.

(Yarn) Bomb-diggity!

Whilst walking home from a jaunt to the florist Mr M and I spied from afar these little knitted squares fastened to the bridge railings over the Gare Saint Lazare - Pont Cardinet train tracks.

A little investigating led me to hold those cleverly creative ladies from Collectif France Tricot* responsible for this piece of urban prettification.

Yarn bombing, graffiti knitting, yarnstorming - call it what you will, the French call it fil de rue - street yarn - and it, along with knitting in general, is garnering more and more attention in France with the help of the rising popularity of knitting events organised by groups such as the C-F-T and dedicated knitting cafés, such as L'OisiveThé in the 13th.

My favourite piece - Balloons! The unattached strings floated along with the wind as if they were full of helium and flying high above the rooftops.

I was sure 'Liebe' wasn't a french word, so I had to look it up. It means 'Love' in German. Awww, love!

As the C-F-T girls wrote on their site, in regards to Yarn Bombing;

"Il y a une façon de regarder la ville différemment, et même si c’est seulement cinq secondes, surprendre, donner aux autres quelque chose d’inattendu."

(It is a way to see the city differently, and even if it is just five seconds, to surprise, to give others something unexpected.)

I was lucky and happy to be one of those "others".

Merci les filles, c'était très

Yarn Bombing in the 17e
Rue des Dames, over the trainlines at Rue du Rome
Until they saddeningly get pulled down.

*le tricot - knitting