Imagine a single square, or “place” in Paris, bordered on all four charming sides by all the gorgeous design and decor brands seen flipping the pages of your favorite glossies.

Place Furstenberg in the 6th, is just this magical square.

It is a tiny, quiet corner in the heart of St-Germain des Pres left bank “chic adresse”.  It has set the scene for several favorite movies – the end of “The Age of Innocence”, is one of the best.

All around, you are surrounded by the prestigious stores of design, materials, decoration and antiques.

This window has my mouth watering.  The color trio of apricot, chocolate and white is just divine, delicious, and one of my next parties!

Same here – the blush, raspberry, fuscia combination c’est parfait.  It is the color palette in play this weekend for our gorgeous Peninsula wedding – and  cannot wait.

I don’t know that I have ever wandered into the place without at least one artist at work on a painting or sketch.  Many artists have painted this romantic Place, and it has been the subject of many famous paintings throughout the years.

One such artist is Eugene Delacroix.  Musée Delacroix is a beautiful respite in the square.  This Musée is where the artist lived and worked until his death in the 1860s – and it is totally preserved with his studio in place.

This lovely little square was named after the famous Prince of Furstenberg, a descendent of the Emperor Napoleon.  Of course I always think of Diane and my favorite wrap dresses and prints…

The square and the entire surrounding Rue Jacob, Rue de Buci neighborhood itself truly evokes the feeling of romance that Paris is so well known for.

It is a place, perfectly Paris.

Debi Lilly, aperfectevent.com

Where en Paris, can you be surrounded by total divine gorgeousness, while sipping une coup de champagne, you may wonder?

Just a few bocks west of Kong, directly down Rue de Rivoli, to Le Meurice, bien sur.

And what exactly to do when you get there?

Well…first I sit and soak in each and every detail of the divine decor…which is just astounding.  Photos cannot do it justice.

The lobby is simply sumptuous – designs to surprise and delight – with all every design rule turned right on their head.

Do you see above the black and white hand painting hanging on the ceiling?  How fabulous is that?

I love the swing in scale – from alice in wonderland oversize to french renaissance petite (everything was so teeny tiny!).

How beautiful would a pair of those white urns be at a wedding altar or entrance to an event?

The flickering candlelight from inside the glass armoire, reflecting off of the hanging vintage hand mirrors, is really too much for words.  Non?

And from one enchanted fairy tale to another, like Goldilocks herself, I want to sit in each and every hand carved chair.

From painted wings and clawed ball feet…

To a caned and gilded chair pour deux…

To setting mon coup de champagne Nicolas Feuillatte atop gilded tables with muscled legs wearing chaussures tres chic…

Would any special occasion not rise to new heights in this petite prive dining salon…

Restaurant Le Dali is an irresistible temptation to relax and enjoy various delicacies throughout the day…definitely a place for encounters and a moment to savour.

Settle down beneath the keystone of the Philippe Starck’s project, involving a giant canvas painted by his daughter Ara Starck.

The gold and ochre hues will transport you to a captivating world of interpretations.  In this grand space where Dali’s spirit still reigns supreme, discover the  many references to Dali’s work, such as a Daliesque chair with feet in the form of ladies shoes, a lamp with drawers, or Le Meurice’s recognizable lobster on a telephone.

These elements all add to the mystical aura of the place and makes it totally Daliesque!

Or inside the sparkling silver prive wine cave?

And for fine dining at its very, very best – mon dieu – say no more.  Once seated, I absolutely NEVER want to leave.

The original Parisian palace hotel, for almost 200 years Le Meurice has entwined its own stunningly gorgeous history with the history of dear darling France, and with the cultural and gastronomic evocations of Paris.

Day after day, Chef Yannick Alléno applies himself to elevating Cuisine to the rank of fine art. In doing so, he confirms Le Meurice as the expression of French Genius for the art of living.  The gorgeous restaurant shown, Terroir Parisien, is a true tribute to the land of Paris and its region, and to all those who serve it so well.

Chef Alléno’s love of Paris, its flavours and colours is such that he has sought out the origins of its cuisine, to remind us of why it is so unique.

The first restaurant opened here on Rue des Poulies (now Rue du Louvre), around 1765. For several years now, the history of Paris has occupied his thoughts: the history of its cuisine, from simple fare to cuisine bourgeoise and dishes for royal tables; the history of its market gardeners, breeders and regional specialities: saffron from Le Gâtinais, mint from Milly-la-Forêt, Houdan chicken and the leafy purple ball of Pontoise cabbage.

Farmers, market gardeners, breeders and beekeepers have accepted the chef’s invitation to revive the traditions of one of France’s richest agricultural regions. Reawakening Parisian cuisine… Chef Alléno has set himself the task of reawakening old, forgotten or obsolete recipes by adapting them to today’s tastes with all the talent and savoir-faire of his team.

Normandy sole, first served in the early 1830s at a restaurant on Rue Montorgueil nearby..

Lobster à l’américaine, invented by Pierre Fraise…

Anna potatoes and puffed potatoes with Bearnaise sauce, created in Saint-Germain-en-Laye..

His fricassée of Le Gâtinais chicken with artichoke and potatoes is his tribute, with a modern twist, to the dish served at Au Cabaret du Père Lathuile in 1790.

History lives on… Yannick Alléno refuses the notion of an outdated, static cuisine. And so he is writing his own Parisian history of inventive and appetizing dishes made with ingredients we too often overlook.

Tres chic…non?  Parisians really know how to dress a room, oui?

And now – bar de l’hôtel.  Bar 228 is named after the hotel’s address on 228 rue de Rivoli, and is “THE rendez-vous” of Parisians.

The cosy atmosphere has the warmth of British clubs, perhaps due to the many british guests that visited hotel Le Meurice in its early years. Totally reinterpreted by Philippe Starck in 2007, the warm and hushed decor remains faithful to its origins with wooden bar stools and leather chairs. The atmosphere is subtly warmed by the crackling glow of tobacco shades and highlighted by the sparkle of rare crystal decanters, to be filled at leisure.

Like the festive night scene at Château de Fontainebleau portrayed in the three restored Lavalley paintings hanging on its walls, the bar offers guests an ideal respite, complete decadent cocktails and lavish décor. The evening sky gives the bar a cozy-but-rich feeling. This  setting combined with a selection of over 50 whiskies and malts will keep guests warm throughout the year.

300 drink references are available, among them 17 exclusive creations, including mon prefere Cocktail Starcky or The 228.

Every evening, enjoy delicious live piano or jazz with your cocktail, who thrill the soul of Le Meurice, from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Rooftop dining pour deux anyone?  With a view de la Tour Eiffel at sunset?

Tired feet?  A bit of sun?  This is the rooftop deck pour vous.

And in case you are too tired to move…like me…just retire upstairs into one of the most picturesque rooms you have ever seen in your life.

From beyond grande in the penthouse…

To cozy and sweet in the rafters…

And don’t forget petit dejuner en la terrasse…

And a hot soak pour les pieds en la bath…

I could be very, very happy just spending my entire stay in the bath…and never leaving.

Bon nuit et a bientot Le Meurice…

Debi Lilly, aperfectevent.com

I have a secret.

I am having a summer love affair…and I thought you should know.

Floriole Cafe and Bakery is my obsession.  It is Paris in Chicago, and I simply cannot make it through a single day without popping in for an inspired and soulful bite.

My crush first developed over the years at Green City Market, on Wednesday and Sunday in Lincoln Park.  We loved waking up, riding our bikes down Clark Street to the park, and enjoying a delicious, chewy croissant or pastry for breakfast.  Sadly, the market packs up right after lunch…so our time together was numbered.  But now, oh boy, now it is a full on love fest – errrr – feast with their Lincoln Park cafe open 6 days a week (yet another reason to begrudge Mondays).

At first I couldn’t get enough of the BAD sandwich, Bacon, Arugula, Dates and Goat Cheese on Yeasted Corn Bread (above right).  I found myself laying in bed at night, dreaming, wishing, stomach growling.  As if it doesn’t taste INCREDIBLE, it is dressed in the most charming little white paper wrap…perfect for a picnic in the park or in my case, lunch on the go.

Then I became hooked on their mouth watering, salty and sweet Ham and Sharp White Cheddar Cheese Baguette.  It is so flavor packed, I cannot believe it is simply ham and cheese alone.  It goes to show with fresh, natural ingredients, the simple foods make the best foods.

But now, those old flames are behind me.  Yesterday, they sold their first summer Peach, Basil and Lincoln Log Goat Cheese Baguette.  I savored, I smiled, I almost didn’t want to even eat it – it looked so fantastic and smelled beyond heavenly.

I did of course enjoy it after admiring it lovingly for awhile.  It was pure heaven.  Seriously.  I wanted to go back and get another one for dinner.

But, I restrained myself.  I went today for lunch instead.

I prayed it would be on today’s ever changing du jour menu again…and when I walked into the cafe…there it was!  Front and center on the chalkboard.

Imagine my shock and surprise when the woman in front of me ordered the last one in the case.  Ugggh.

However, their staff being so top notch, Nick behind the counter quickly asked the kitchen to make up another batch.  Phew.  Life is good.

I am so inspired for our big Summer Picnic in the Park Gala next weekend…

Bon Appetit!

Debi Lilly, aperfectevent.com

Eight year olds are always full of surprises.  Two of Lilly’s friends decided to start a Second Grade Book Club.  They sent out invitations, and invited the entire class to get together (BYO chocolate treats) and discuss the first selected read, The Chocolate Fudge Mystery, by Cam Jansen.   Isn’t that just an adorable idea?  I am completely charmed.

Lilly and I had a few ideas of what to bake, and then take to the chocolate fudge tasting.  I fell in love with the mini book idea months ago, on Bakerella, when she honored The Pioneer Woman at her book signing.

I also fell in love with my mother’s famous peanut butter cup cakes over many a holiday sweets plate.  Traditionally, she bakes sugar cookies in mini muffin tins, then inserts the peanut butter cup.   These, quite simply, are perfection, and remind me of winters home from college in Connecticut.  We thought, for this Fudge Event, we could take it one step further.

Step 1 – choose your candies carefully.  Like I said, Mom has me addicted to Reese’s Mini PBCups.  So those were a given.  Lilly never falters when it comes to giving an opinion, and in the grocery aisle she quickly scooped up Hershey’s White Chocolate “Hugs” and Caramel Rolos (ok, let me be honest, I forced these, as I have a serious chocolate caramel addiction).  We began our afternoon by unwrapping dozens of these little sweets…

Once you have unwrapped enough to make roughly 2 dozen, you are ready to mix up the brownies.  We used good ol’ grande dame Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies, as again, my mother has me hooked.  We did omit two ingredients, coffee and walnuts, as we were cooking for kids and adding candies.

I tried to get Lilly to sit, but she found it easier to see inside the mixing bowl in this position.  Note to self – use shorter, smaller mixing bowl in future.  We sprayed the mini muffin tins with cooking spray, then filled them about to the top with batter.  You can fill them halfway for smaller fudge cakes if you like.  Then, into the oven to bake.

I insist on the toothpick testing method – it always works like a charm.  When dipped into the “cake” while baking, if it comes out wet and gooey with batter they are not yet done.  When it comes out “clean” they are ready to pull out.

Immediately, upon removing from the oven, push candies down into the fudge cakes.  We push each in, flat side up, so the candy is flat ontop and flush with the top of the fudge cake.

After a minute or two, they begin to melt into the brownie cakes.  They are really hard to resist sampling…especially as your entire kitchen – ahem HOUSE is smelling too delicious for words.  My mouth was watering.

Don’t you remember begging to lick the spoons – and using the spatula to wipe every spec of batter off of the bowl – till it was bone dry?  I started to say “No, it isn’t good for you – raw egg and all.”  Then I thought – what the heck…we are created her own memories of childhood here.  So as you can see, she was ecstatic.  And you know what?  I was too, just watching her.

Now that’s what I call putting on a happy face.  Move over double dipping – we’ve got double spooning.

Once they were all baked, and infused with as much chocolate as they could possibly hold, they were ready to cool and pop out of the tins.  Most just pull right out with a little tug, but if they stick, just use a dinner knife to help separate them from the side of the tin.

If you use your muffin tin more than once, make sure to wash and re-cooking spray it each time, so they don’t stick after multiple uses.

They were so pretty all baked, and lined up in rows by candy, but we needed to give them the finishing book club touch.

We took a photograph of the book, opened covers up, flat on the table, so we could see the front and back cover at the same time.  Then, we inserted the image onto white labels, and cut them down so they were the exact size of the image.  With toothpicks, wrap the label on itself to make a little “book”, with front cover on one side and back cover on the other side.

Insert into each cake, pushing gently into the candy if they have cooled.  I love how you can even see the library filing shelf labels on the spine…

Ready for the book club…and a dozen eight year olds ready to pounce!

But Lilly, in all of her creative wisdom, had one more idea…

Mini Hershey chocolate bars, a la edible book accessories, wrapped in a label reading “My Fudge Bookmark”.  These literally took less than 10 minutes, start to finish.

I got a call today from Karen, the hostess, to tell me the kids were all screaming with excitement, saying “Oh my gosh, that is SO CUTE!”, “I can’t believe that’s the REAL BOOK!”, “That’s AMAZINGLY AWESOME!”  Lilly told me it made her feel really happy to have her friends love her mini fudge book brownie cakes.  It almost made her cry happily.  (She’s narrating right now as I type).

Happy reading!

DL

debililly.com

aperfectevent.com

Last night’s Heart Ball Gala was so gorgeous, I had to share Avery House Creative’s AMAZING photography. They captured each and every detail in such perfect detail – enjoy.

Our vintage reclaimed settees are so elegant and chic – I love the romance and style they bring to our events.

The acrylic/shag combination is light and eclectic – just the right glam accessory for the vibrant red spring tulips.

The cocktail tables were set with two shades of red – a bright cherry red cloth, with a crimson crush runner down the center for texture.  Each crystal vase was handtied with looped silk red ribbon for a sweet accent to the table.

The focal point table, set at the entrance to the gala, featured red manzanita branches emulated coral from the sea, tipped Black Magic Rose bouquets, compotes of red spring fruits, and dozens of votive candles.

All night the strawberries kept vanishing…the most popular fruit of choice on display.

The dining room was just breathtaking…as the sun set the candles created a warm glow that transformed the cavernous ballroom for 900 guests into an intimate, glowing affair.

Tablescapes and Halls crystal chivari and ghost chairs sparkled throughout the evening.  Windy City Linen and BBJ Linen reds ombred from fire engine red to deep merlot throughout the dining room.  J’adore.

The lighting from Freeman was off the hook – it completely transformed the entire room and event.

Oh – the gobo.  I just loved it.  Perfect finishing detail to the ballroom.

DL

Big table – big collection of vases to fill the space.

Don’t have one centerpiece – have five!

Combine floral filled vases, designed with massed, dense Red Roses and submerged Ti Leaf with tall rectangular bud vases filled with Red Tulips, Rectangles filled with floating candles, and more.

As always fill every nook and cranny with a dozen votives to create varied height and levels of glowing candles.

DL

Such a fabulous finishing touch – the glowing gobo centered on the dancefloor.

It brands every event, adds a personal statement to the focal point of the ballroom, and is noticed as the piece de resistance by all.

DL

Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom dates back to the early 1900s. Beautifully preserved from the hardwood floor to the 80 foot tall bandshell dome, everyone has stopped and photographed the room as they find their tables.

The bandshell dome is beautifully aglow with a wash of 30 red uplights, and the arch is covered in brocade heart patterns.

Divine!

DL

Here is the AV and lighting control booth – with Freeman’s team of tech gurus micromanaging down to the nano second.

There are 30 some AV staff, almost 4000 lightbulbs in the event, and 100s of volunteers.

The fun has begun!

DL

Tonight is The 2010 Heart Ball for The American Heart Association, one of the city’s largest and most successful fundraising galas.

850 black tie guests will be here in a few hours – and we are dressing up The Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier to the nines in lovely RED glamour.

Shown above, the entire auction bidding process will be done using iphone like keypad devices from IML throughout cocktails and dinner. We have been charging the 500+ keypads for 24 hours, so they are ready to raise over 1 million dollars for heart treatments, research programs, education and prevention.

Wish us luck!

DL