Nov. 7-10: Home for the Holidays!

When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze, for the holidays, you can't beat home sweet home! -- "Home for the Holidays"

We love to travel to Paris in September, after the summer heat but before what Ernest Hemingway called the bad weather that "would come in one day when the fall was over."  When we return home from Paris, the change of seasons is usually underway here also.  Autumn is now in full swing in Wisconsin, with orange and yellow leaves and crisp, cool days.  Our hearts and minds turn to the coming holiday season.  Some long for the coziness of a wood burning stove, others for a snowshoe hike after fresh snowfall, or reading a good book next to a roaring fireplace, baking your grandmother's banana nut bread, the coming of Thanksgiving and -- not long after that -- Old Man Winter. It is especially this time of year that we may long for comfort and coziness the most!

We hope to create a sense of warmth and bundle you up in joy at our next market Nov. 7th-10th, "Home for the Holidays" the second of our 2019 "Les Trois Fêtes" year-end holiday festivals -- The Feasting!  We'll have tons of home decorations for the holiday season, including Christmas, as well as treasures and lots of gift ideas from Paris and elsewhere in France.  We want you to feel as though you can come and stay as long as you please, as if  you are being hugged by beauty and find happiness around every corner.  And maybe you will find a little something for your precious, cozy home.

No matter how far away you roam . . . there's no place like home for the holidays!


"Home for the Holidays" Market Hours:

Thursday, Nov. 7:          5pm-8pm (Nuit Blanche!)

Friday, Nov. 8:               10am-5pm

Saturday, Nov. 9:           10am-5pm

Sunday, Nov. 10:           Noon-5pm

a bientot,

Anastasia 

Thursday Oct. 17th: Our 5-Hour "Bonne Chance" Market AND Halloween Sale!

Feeling lucky?  You should, because it's your lucky week!  If you missed our "Fete d'Halloween" market last week or just want to come back for more spooky yet classy fun, we're giving you a second chance with our special 5-hour  good luck market (or "Le Bonne Chance Marché") this Thursday October 17th from 3pm-8pm.  We're opening our doors once again so you can have a second lucky chance to enjoy our market before we close until our next regular market in November!  (Note the special early opening at 3pm.)  We're also having a Halloween sale!

We decided to at least offer you a second chance at something you admired, loved, or want to reconsider after thinking about it for days! Knowing we won't open again until November, here is your Bonne Chance to stock up on one of your French favorites or purchase a last-minute spooky treasure to get ready for the spookiest day of the year!  As an added bonus, select Halloween merchandise will be 50% off.  Help us make room for our upcoming holiday markets!

We can't wait to see you again!

October "Le Bonne Chance Marché" hours:

Thursday October 17:      3pm-8pm

a bientot,

Anastasia

Oct. 10-13: Our "Fête d'Halloween" Market!

France is haunted.

No doubt -- there are spirits in the air in France.

Don't believe me?  Then spend some time in the Paris Catacombs. This deep underground cave devoted to the bones of the dead is certain to make you believe in all things ghostly. How about Pere Lachaise cemetery? The cobblestone walkways between the ancient graves sometimes feel that they will cave under your feet. And what about some of the crypts that are no longer completely sealed? I dare you to peek inside one of them on a cold, crisp autumn night.

One of my favorite things to do when I visit Paris with my hubby Adam is to wander the narrow cobblestone streets of the oldest parts of the City of Light late at night and breathe in the history and romance of this ancient place.  Sometimes it's really quite creepy to look up at the dark, imposing shadows of the Concierge, where Marie Antoinette spent her last days imprisoned before meeting her sad fate . . . Even the river Seine has a certain eeriness about it when the wind is blowing and you can only hear the faint sounds of traffic above and the rippling water below.

Confectionique's October "Fete d'Halloween" market is where the City of Light meets the darkness.  It's the first of our 2019 "Les Trois Fêtes" year-end holiday festivals at Confectionique!

What scares you? At Confectionique, we will do our best to creep you out just a little bit -- but with Paris style, naturally!

I hope you will join us on Thursday, October 10th from 5pm-8pm for Nuit Blanche and help us kick off our "Fete d'Halloween" market as we celebrate all things Paris, and all things Halloweenish.  (Or should we say "Hallo-oui-nish?)  Get ready for a spooky season filled with autumn delights!

October "Fete d'Halloween" Market Hours:

Thursday, Oct. 10:            5pm-8pm (Nuit Blanche!)

Friday, Oct. 11:                  10am-5pm

Saturday, Oct. 12:            10am-5pm

Sunday, Oct. 13:                Noon-5pm

a bientot,

Anastasia

August 8-11: "The Paris Apartment" !

There is nothing that helps me soak in the French experience more than having our own apartment in Paris.  If only for one short week or for a long stay, having a place to "nest" and call home helps me feel as if I really am living life as a Parisian.

Just like Americans, Parisians (and the French in general) have a wide variety of tastes.  But something binds them together.  A love of the worldly, the cosmopolitan.  A flair for the eclectic.  A need for travel.  A passion for practicality and efficiency embodied in style.   And, of course, a love of fashion! 

We want to share our vision of the Paris apartments we have grown to love over the years -- please join us for Confectionique's  "The Paris Apartment" Market August 8-11th!  This year, our Paris Apartment market is inspired by -- and pays homage to -- the fashion and style of the great Parisian designer Coco Chanel.  Click here for a sneak peek of the treasures we have in store for you!

When you think of a Paris apartment you may imagine white furnishings, chandeliers and gold mirrors -- it can be these things, certainly, but a Paris apartment can also have a modern or minimalist look.  It is not unusual to find a centuries-old wardrobe next to an Eames chair, for example.  In the end, a Paris apartment is about using the elements of design in a compact space that is aesthetically beautiful, well-designed and functional.

Parisians are experts at making little spaces seem big. They do this with multi-use furniture, getting by only with what they need (most Parisians would consider art and decorative pieces a need ) and bringing this all together in a cohesive and useful manner which showcases one's individuality and -- above all -- remains stylish. After nesting in a smaller space while living in Paris, it does make me wonder if I really need so much stuff at home.

We hope you will join us at our "Paris Apartment" market where you will feel inspired, like Coco Chanel, to live in style.  Shop like a Parisian, live like the French!

**Due to high interest, we will be opening at 4pm (one hour earlier than normal) for Nuit Blanche on Thursday August 8th.** 

"The Paris Apartment" Market Hours:

Thursday, Aug. 8:   4pm-8pm 

Friday, Aug. 9:        10am-5pm

Saturday, Aug. 10:  10am-5pm
Sunday, Aug. 11:      Noon-5pm

A bientot,

Anastasia 

Vive La France! Paris 2020 Tour

Bonjour friends,
We will be offering  a tour for approximately 17 guests to travel with us to Paris  September 15-22, 2020 (these are tentative dates). We will explore Paris by experiencing Paris. Our goal is to keep the trip affordable, comfortable and as stress-free as possible, while enjoying Paris as the Parisians do.
Our goal is for the tour package to include:

1. Round-trip economy flight from a major US city direct to Paris
2. Round-trip ground transport from the airport to the hotel and back
3. Hotel accommodations with breakfast
4. Unlimited use Metro pass for the duration of your stay
5. Exploration of Paris gardens and cemeteries
6. Picnics and City Walks
7. Paris Markets
8. Hosts Anastasia and Adam
9. Dinner cruise on the Seine

As our  tour group is determined, we will meet regularly to gather your interests and wishes for our stay together in Paris, answer questions, discuss culture, packing and preparing for travel.  Also, we can decide as a group if we wish to buy tickets for certain events or if the tour operator, Burkhalter, can assist with individualized excursions. Once the final dates are set and cost and itinerary are determined, you will want to sign up sooner rather than later, as space will be limited.

If you wish to have your name added to our mailings for this specific trip to receive further information, please send us an email response. We are taking serious inquiries only.  You can contact us at confectionique@confectionique.com .  Hope you can join us in Paris!

Merci beaucoup,
Anastasia
Confectionique, LLC

June 13-14: "Bonne Chance" Market !

Feeling lucky?  You should, because it's your lucky week!  If you missed our summer- and vintage-themed market last week or just want to come back for more summer fun, we're giving you a second chance with our special 2-day good luck market (or "Le Bonne Chance Marché") this Thursday June 13th from 5pm-8pm and Friday June 14th from 10am-5pm.  We're opening our doors once again so you can have a second lucky chance to enjoy our market before we close until our next regular market in August!

The idea for this special event came to me on a recent buying trip to Paris.  As I wandered single file through my favorite Parisian market, following along with the rest of the shopping herd and passing one vendor after another, my eyes could hardly focus on just one item at a time. Then I saw the most glorious old sewing basket, standing with its doors open wide.  Inside were piles and piles of old threads that were intertwined with vintage metal thimbles, needle cards, buttons and a pair of divine, intricate sewing scissors. Already, I was plotting. My hands were already filled with bag handles from other purchases along the way. I  foolishly told myself, "This late in the day, no one will buy it. I can wait and find my way back later to make that old sewing box mine!"   But, there would be no Bonne Chance pour moi and that sewing box -- it was gone when I returned!

We decided to at least offer you a second chance at something you admired, loved, or want to reconsider after thinking about it for days! Knowing we won't open again until August, here is your Bonne Chance to stock up on one of your French favorites or purchase a last-minute unique gift.

And don't forget your Dad -- the Fête des Pères (Father's Day) is this Sunday, June 16 -- get the Francophile in your life something special for Father's Day!

We can't wait to see you again!

June "Le Bonne Chance Marché" hours:

Thursday June 13:      5pm-8pm
Friday June 14:          10am-5pm

a bientot,

Anastasia

June 6th-9th: "Summer in Provence" !

For our next 4-day market June 6th-9th, help us welcome the arrival of warmth and "soleil" as we celebrate a vintage French summer!

School is almost out.  Flag Day.  Father's Day.  The 4th of July.  Patio cookouts.  Vacations.  Picnics.  The great outdoors.  Even Bastille Day.

At long last:  Summer!


Join us for Nuit Blanche on Thursday June 6th from 5pm-8pm while we kick off our long-awaited summer with our "Summer in Provence" market.  We love Paris, but we just might love sunny Provence even more!



The market continues Friday June 7th from 10am-5pm, Saturday June 8th from 10am-5pm and concludes on Sunday June 9th from Noon-5pm.



"Summer in Provence" Market Hours: 

Thurs., June 6:      5pm-8pm (Nuit Blanche!)

Friday, June 7:      10am-5pm

Saturday, June 8: 10am-5pm
Sunday June 9:      Noon-5pm

A bientot,

Anastasia