Shell Sherree

Francophile Friday : Le Consulat Café Montmartre Paris

5.7.24

Ahh, Montmartre. Quaint and charming, it's easy to imagine you've time travelled to the 1800s when you're wandering there.

And Le Consulat café is a perfect way to imagine you're an artist, poet or philosopher enjoying a glass (nay, bottle!) of cheeky red wine and debating all night until the dawn whispers "Bonjour!" over the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur nearby.

Le Consulat restaurant is just a hearty cobblestone's throw from Place du Tertre and a plethora of Montmartre cafes and attractions, including the very pretty pink La Maison Rose (illustrated here), the Musée de Montmartre and Paris vineyard Vigne du Clos Montmartre. So even if you indulge in several courses of their hearty fare, you'll have ample opportunity to stroll it off before you hop on the Metro again. And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you! (Order this artwork as a beautiful fine art print here)

Le Consulat, 18 rue Norvin, 95018, Paris

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::: Beautiful French-inspired fine art prints to brighten your every day :::

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Francophile Friday : Au Rocher de Cancale, Paris

31.5.24

I'm don't know why, but this pretty Paris cafe reminds me of a wedding cake! How about you? Perhaps it's the decorative mouldings, like white fondant icing pressed onto the pastel-tinted surface.

My vintage is showing, as I'm not talking about naked cakes or smashcakes. No, I'm reminiscing about the tiered and structured wedding cakes that one of my beautiful aunts used to make for all of the family and friends in years gone by: a firm-yet-pliable royal icing carefully molded (after preparatory layers of (1) warmed jam and (2) marzipan) onto a traditional fruit cake. Do you remember those? And the slices in little rustling paper cake bags that the wedding guests would be given to take home, and if you slept with it under your pillow, you'd dream of the person you'd marry? I'd love to see how a slice of naked wedding cake hold up to that. The smashcake would look ... well, still like a smashcake. Either way, your pillows will never be the same.

Back to today's illustration, where the resident cafe cats (which may or may not be a figment of my imagination) are very much at home, and waiting for you to join them. The book on the table might well be by Hemingway, its owner off in search of the next part of Paris's moveable feast. And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you! (You can order fine art prints of this beauty Here.)

SHOP SHELL SHERREE

::: Beautiful French-inspired fine art prints to brighten your every day :::

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Francophile Friday : Wisteria Wander in Brittany

26.4.24

French Country Pretty Wisteria illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

Among my many armchair travels over the time, both in Blogland and on Instagram, I've become friends with lovely people with shared passions. Unsurprisingly, most of them love animals and all things French.

And as the world feels both enormous and strangely small when you're online, it can be extra special when you find those friends closer to home. Such is the case with the lovely Annette at A French Collection, a French lifestyle blog written by a fellow Australian who divvies up her time between there and here.

Annette is an entertaining and highly informed writer who takes you into the heart of French life rather than skimming on the surface of the touristy attractions, and her photography is luscious and beautiful! I highly recommend popping over and subscribing. Caution: you'll find yourself wanting to book a flight to France with great regularity!

Today's illustration takes its inspiration directly from her charming wisteria-woven wanders in Brittany (scroll her Instagram feed and you'll find them). The cute cat and bird are included with a piece of poetic license (or two!) And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you! (You can order fine art prints of this artwork Here.)

SHOP SHELL SHERREE

::: Beautiful French-inspired fine art prints to brighten your every day :::

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Furry Friends Friday : Flowering Frenchie

24.11.23

"Where flowers bloom so does hope." Lady Bird Johnson

This pretty French bulldog with flowers in her fur hopes to bring you cheer. That is the primary reason she's here. And on that note ...

Happy Furry Friends Friday to you!

SHOP SHELL SHERREE

::: Beautiful French-inspired fine art prints to brighten your every day :::

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Francophile Friday : French Carousel to Carry Your Worries Away

27.10.23

rench Carousel with Flowers and Pink illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

Can a carousel carry your worries away? This one might at least chase them off for another day.

Today's illustration is inspired by a charming carousel spotted by my niece in the south of France. Knowing my penchant for them, she kindly sent through her pics and Voilà, as they say, the rest is history.

Rather than a plethora of ponies (never a problem for me, by the way!), this one delights its wayfarers with other forms of transport: hot air balloon, vintage plane, cute little fire truck, steampunk spaceship and also, thankfully, the classic, traditional pony. Your getaway might be slower but it's a champion when it comes to carbon emissions! And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

SHOP SHELL SHERREE

::: Beautiful French-inspired fine art prints to brighten your every day :::

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Francophile Friday : Stroll Past Paris Stohrer

25.8.23

Paris Stohrer Patisserie illustration © Shell Sherree all rights reserved

In French, flâner is the verb for 'to stroll' ... so if you're strolling past a pâtisserie window with flans, are you going for a flan flâner ?

I suspect not, but the subject of today's illustration would be a lovely place to pause to ponder. Stohrer is the oldest pâtisserie in Paris, founded in 1730 by Nicolas Stohrer ~ pâtissier to king Louis XV. It still resides in its original location on rue Montorgueil, and its facade is as pretty as its ingredients!

Known not just for its own sweet invention Baba au rhum - prepared with dough soaked in amber rum with candied cherry, invented by Nicolas Stohrer in the 18th century - Stohrer is a treasure trove of treats that's impossible to walk past by all but the most stoically will-powered of souls. The Rubenesque black cat in the upstairs windows is clearly not one of those. And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Stohrer ::: 51 rue Montorgueil 75002 Paris

SHOP SHELL SHERREE

::: Beautiful French-inspired fine art prints to brighten your every day :::

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