Paris Comes to Cleveland
Recently, Philippa of Interknitter had the good fortune to spend a couple of weeks in Paris. (Go here to see some beautiful pictures and hear all about her trip.) When she posted that she was going, I commented that I could use a little Paris right now. Couldn't we all? She kindly offered to send some Paris to Ohio, and today, c'est ici!
She sent me some lovely buttons from Le Bon Marche.
The red buttons are the most beautiful shade of deep, dark red, a color with which I am currently having a torrid affair. (Speaking of torrid affairs and beautiful reds, have you seen Brooklyn Tweed's Shetland Triangle? Go look.) I have never been to Le Bon Marche, if you can believe it. That's okay. It's good to have unfinished business in Paris.She also sent a lovely note on a beautiful postcard and a CD that a bespectacled, ponytailed, chainsmoking Frenchman in the record store assured her would make me feel as though I were in the City of Light.
A funny thing ... the record store where she got the disc is located on the rue des Ecoles, which is the street on which I stayed two of the three times I was in Paris. I likely have been in that very store and certainly have walked right past it.
Some places you go just resonate with you. Maybe, while you are there, you get to know not just a city, but also yourself. Perhaps geography, emotion, personal circumstance, and aesthetics combine to lodge the memory of a certain place deep in your heart, where it stays. And you can return to that place again and again, in good times and bad, even if you never make it back there in person. That's what Paris is to me. This is what I think of when I hear the famous Gertrude Stein quote, "America is my country, but Paris is my hometown." So, thank you, Philippa, for sending me a little something from home.
posted by Laura at 3:12 PM
11 Comments:
I would go so far as to say that deep red is more like the love of my life, which I occasionally like to also have torrid affairs with. Those buttons rock.
I feel the same way about Petersburg. Something about the spooky lighting from being so far north and the street lights that Pushkin walked under...
I feel really honoured to have provoked such a beautiful post. :)
Glad it all arrived in one piece.
Gorgeous buttons, and that is a beautiful red.
How nice! I adore that quote about hurting for Paris. Beautiful.
Posts like these make me seriously consider how I can persuade hubby to let me jet off to Paris for the weekend.... I like your original quote "It's good to have unfinished business in Paris."
What lovely goodies!
And those buttons are certainly worthy of a torrid affair!
Those buttons are beautiful - and I feel the same way about a nice, deep, dark red ;o)
aww...that was very nice and considerate of her to do that for you.
some people call places like that their "spiritual home."
gorgeous buttons. i would save those for something special, or just for days when i feel wistful.
thank you for sharing.
The buttons are beautiful. If you are having an affair with this gorgeous deep red, it absolutely has to be a torrid affair! I love this color too.
Nice sentiments about Paris. I enjoyed it while I was there, but it didn't resonate with me quite the way it did with you. The place that best falls into that category for me is Salisbury, England. I spent 5 days there once and I can't wait for the day I get to return.
Le Bon Marche is one of my very favorite places . Also La Droguerie .Ever been there ????? They are also at Le Bon Marche and I bet the buttons are from their booth .I love the red vest BTW
Daniele a Parisian knitter
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