Oooh La La!

It is dreary here today in Chicago. While yes, the flowers were in much need of the rain- in typical Chicagoan fickleness- I got used to the blue skies and overly warm for September weather. Oh well. To brighten our day here are some pictures from a new concept store in Paris. (Where I don't think I'd mind if a gale was blowing and the Parisian cats & dogs were raining from the sky...I mean, its Paris!) The store was created by Marie-France Cohen and her husband who are the founders and designers of Bonpoint a children's clothing line. They decided that they have made enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives (!) and wanted to do something for people less fortunate. ALL proceeds from their store MERCI go to children's charities- the largest of which is for children in Madagascar. How cool is that?



While at MERCI you can shop for furniture, fashion & flowers- of course, I'm focusing on flowers!!! How great- I love me some french flowers. Maybe if we all collectively close our eyes and think about Paris very very very hard we could beam ourselves there- do a little shopping (I mean, its all for charity) have a croissant and a cafe au lait-wink and smile slyly at a beautiful Parisian man...ready...1 2 3...are we there? No? Well- I knew it was a long shot and all, but I thought it was worth a try. Pretty pictures will have to do.

Ah! Hello peonies- I love you.

Everything on sale at MERCI has been donated by designers or locals. There is a used bookstore (that looks delicious like only a used bookstore in Paris could) where you can get coffee and just sit and read. You can have your own perfume made and bottled in a pretty little vessel just for you. Or you can just wander & wonder at all of the beauty.

There are some more fantastic non-flower pictures of MERCI, perhaps if we need to escape again I'll dig out some more. Maybe later this week we'll go visit some of my favorite nurseries or flower shops around the world. (Well, I think they would be my favorite...one day I will find out in person, not just by virtual visiting.) Until that day though...we virtual window shop!

Painfully, none of these images are mine (sigh). Click here here or here for more images. Thank you Paris Parfait, Designers Block & flickr.