Fall is About

Above pieces from Les Historiettes Automne 2007 Collection

Here. It's just sneaking up. And the new Rêve des Bonnie & Clyde and Les Historiettes Automne 2007 (collection is finally up...I'll be adding more pieces (earrings, new key fobs!, hair pieces, stickpins and rings over the next week) throughout the week. Go to the Bonbon Oiseau site for more!

Anatomy of a Storm

What a week for weather. The entire continent seems to be getting pummeled. I guess northeasterners can consider ourselves lucky. It's just cold and rainy here in NY---in some ways good for work and forging full steam ahead into the fall season and preparing for the trade show in Paris (leaving for which in 5 weeks!), bad for that summertime feeling and tomato growing.

Yesterday was spent working on earrings to go with the new collection for Spring. Earrings are always an afterthought for me, necklaces are the real deal. The decolleté is the main canvas for me, and the earrings are kind of the frame. Which is strange since the first pieces that put Bonbon on the map (and inspired many many copies) were these simple mismatched (yet complementary) charm earrings, now part of the Les Historiettes or "little stories" collection. I'm going to have them cast in gold for Christmas. But I'm really pleased with what the new earrings--tassel cascades of Victorian black glass hearts and seed pearls and a few styles which I haven't ventured forth with before.

Photographer Alexa Vachon and artist/Bonbon Oiseau model Mathilde Bergeon did gorgeous photoshoot back in the beginning of July. Now I need to choose an image for my postcards and possibly posters for the booth. I love the horizontal ones for simple postcards, but it might look cool to have a long horozontal postcard with 3 or 4 images side by side. Thoughts dear readers? Input? Ideas?

Here's a report (and another) on the hurricane's aftermath in the Yucatan and it's continuation in Mexico.

Holiday in Tulum

The town of Tulum . that's our favorite fruit stand.

cochinita pibil tacquitos near the bus station



rain shower at sea--see the rainbow! view from the cabaña!


Ladies cooking at the Dukes of Hazzard (not it's real name) taco stand.
Excellent al pastor here.Dukes of Hazzard taquitos con carnitas---possibly the most delicious tacos of my life.La Tortuga-our bungalow-taken from our beach chair...

We had a very narrow miss in the Yucatan with Hurricane Dean. Worried terribly about the fate of all the wonderful people we met in Tulum and where they might go. As you can see, most of the bungalows are set right on the beach--there are no high rises in Tulum like in Cancun--hardly any places with electricity. The last I heard, some of the shelters near Chetumal and Tulum weren't strong enough for the people taking shelter in them. People live in small one or two story houses and buildings, some in concrete, some in palapas with palm thatched roofs.

Homes and businesses, our beautiful cabana included had to be completely abandoned or shut down and are getting pummeled by 160 mph winds. I wonder about their fate.

We spent such a great week, completely relaxing, taking dips and playing in the warm Carribbean waves and exploring the little town of Tulum. We ate amazing cochinita pibil and found some beautiful romantic beach restaurants. I was inspired by the colors of the sea and the sky and had some ideas for next summer's line---shades of turquoise,palm greens, sand and gunmetal silver...

Good thing for us I guess, that the airlines couldn't extend trip when we tried--our flight was delayed by 5 hours because of bad weather in Houston--didn't arrive home 'til the wee hours on Friday.
Now we're all watching to see what happens after the storm. My heart goes out to the people who live down there and braved it and a speedy recovery effort to all.

A treat grows in Brooklyn and 38th Street

38th Street was so good to me yesterday. None of this was planned but I say, ladies and gentlemen, this was a tour fit for tourist and local alike.

1. 38th St. and Park: A light late lunch at the Cafe at the Scandinavia House. Gravlox with cilantro and avocado for 8.50? Thank you Giant Magnet, for leading us here! Have only heard of it's charms, and was on a walk from 1st avenue to my destination, Broadway for some chain shopping. Suddenly there it was. I loved the spare Ikea meets Merimekko-ness of it all and the colors of the chairs: acid green, cobalt blue, strawberry red.

2. 38th and 5th: Jim: "I need a treat". Deb: "After I drag you around the district we'll find some..." Suddenly a lovely truck emblazoned with the word "TREATS" shows itself to us. TREATS!
The amazingly nice woman at the counter smiled and offered us samples: fudge brownie with pecans and chocolate chunks or one with raspberry preserves. The Mexican chocolate brownie looked intriguing and she cut us a sample of that too, all warm and cinnamony. Pecan with chocolate chunks won. We got to choose where we preferred it to be cut from, more edge or more center. I opted for center. I don't need edge. It was hands down the best brownie I've ever had: warm, fresh, rich, gooey and we leaned against a building and ate every crumb. Are we still in NY? Yes we are. Please check out the Treats Truck site because this Red Hook based Treats truck has a roving schedule. The truck is named "Sugar" and runs on environmentally friendly Compressed Natural Gas. Each month she gives 10% of her sales to a different charity. (This month she's giving to Madre, an international women's human rights organization.)
Humbling, exciting and inspiring are words that come to mind.

3. I forgot what happened after that. Oh yes...chain shopping.

Mignonette

I just read an interview on Indie Entrepeneur with Kpoene Kofi-Bruce, the designer behind Mignonette. I've done a few sales with her at the Brooklyn Indie Market and her pieces really are beautiful, party dresses with flattering feminine cuts in fabulous rich colors. The best part is they're cut for women with curves and and she'll tailor them to size. She seems to rove around with more energy than I could ever dream of having so check out her site to see where she'll be next. I think she's moving to San Francisco next which I bet will bow perfectly to her girly style.

I love that chocolate dress with the duck's neck teal edge-these dresses make me want to have bridesmaids

Tulum!

I guess I've been going a little stir crazy. It's back to work and well, I'm doing better each day so Jim booked us a last minute trip to Tulum in the Yucatan in Mexico for 5 days to celebrate our anniversary. After the summer we've had, a little rest and a few romantic dinners on a white sand beach sounds just right. I don't want to brag but, I have a pretty great man...
(Pics of the bungalow we've booked above--woohoo!)

There are some great local craft shops around with nice silver jewelry, pottery and embroidered wall hangings from Chiapas to the South, and I've been reading the Tulum food forum --someone is actually posting menus. I love it!

We' spent a few days there once on another quick last minute retreat about 5 years ago, so we might skip the ruins and head for some cenotes. Cenotes, or undergound lakes and rivers, are particular to the Yucatan Peninsula. You can actually swim in clear blue fresh water complete with stalacmites and stalactites and beneath caves.We'll also back to the old colonial city of Valladolid, a beautiful place about an hour and a half inland. There's a lovely cathedral on the main square and great local craft stalls, gold and silversmith shops, handmade leather shoes and Mayan ladies set up selling beautiful embroidered shirts. My favorite restaurant from that trip is in the Méson del Marquez. They specialize in Yucatecan food and make this amazing Chicken dish--a charcoal grilled chicken in a hot broth, with a grilled jalapeño and marinated red onions on top. You cut the jalapeño and let it;s hotness into the broth---soo good. Then at night we hot the taco stands. Screw las turistas, I'm eating. It'll be about 100 degrees there this time of year but what the hell.
We just need a vacation.

Bonbon Goes to the UK

La Vie En Rose necklace

Bonnie And Clyde Collection, Fall 2007,
Bonbon Oiseau Jewelry tm

English Knitwear designer Ruth Cross now has an online boutique section where, and I quote, "you can buy Ruth Cross pieces direct alongside work from our favourite makers. She has "sourced a selection of contemporary craft and design from the UK and America, all hand made and often one-off or of a limited edition." And she's chosen some select Bonbon pieces to open the shop!

She'll be adding new pieces every few weeks, and many of the pieces she's chosen from Bonbon will be exclusive to Ruth Cross, so if there's something you like, best to get it...after it's gone, that's it. It's very exciting to have entered the English market with such a top notch designer. Le Refuge Necklace
Bonnie And Clyde Collection, Fall 2007,
Bonbon Oiseau Jewelry tm