Ghosts of Halloween Past(s)

halloween 2007

Seriously though, isn't it time we put away childish things? {Never: See post below}
Costumes past, that have won the hearts of...uh... a few people I know.
2007: Beethoven
2006: Einstein
2005: Steve Zissou ( I felt a great connection to the character at the time)
2004: Super Pink Pinkerbell
2004: Ziegfield & Roy (Jim was Zigfield/I was Roy)
2003: That year I went as the house we used to live down the street from on Walter Street in San Francisco. The windows were covered in tinfoil and it had signs all over the door and everywhere. I went as the sign that said: "Just because it is Halloween is no reason to zap my appliances". I carried a toaster and wore a tin foil helmet with antennae. A little abstract, I know.
2002: Edith Piaf (I always love the chance to smear my lipstick)

I don't remember too well before this but there seems to be a common link. What it is I'm not sure. Now get out there and have a fun halloween everyone. Of course you can!

Hallo Halloween!

The very talented Jen Knox made these smartypants invitations for our little Halloween party tomorrow night at our friend Sandy's place Snacky. If you're in Williamsburg please join us! I would say no one loves Halloween more than my husband (besides little kids and perhaps Satanists). Maybe it's the director in him but we've been planning our "ensemble" costume for about 2 months now and 5 of us will be dressing up as every character from an 80's cult classic. hint: there's a well dressed man involved...
Can you guess it?

The Secret Life of Blogging and a Midnight Rally

Pictures by Nadia

Today Nadia, from the gorgeous blog La Porte Rouge, wrote such a beautiful and touching post... I must say I got incredibly choked up. Thank you Nadia, for such kind words...
And yesterday I was "tagged" by the lovely Camille of the delicious Rtemis to write 7 facts about myself. I read through hers (so cute), remembered I had done this once before and I went back in time (all the way back through this blog) and reread my facts. My mind is a little blank these days, working too much and nothing but the election on my mind...The old facts still remain true and current so if you want you can check them out, please look here!

Here are just two new ones:
1. Whenever I listen to Barack Obama, I actually have hope for this country. I actually believe in the goodness in people. And I actually believe in myself just a little bit more. I hope he has that effect on others...the air on the high road is just so...fresh.

2. I feel a great sense of peace when I visit you who write my favorite blogs, who pursue your creativity and do so much good, who inspire me every day to do better, see things in a more beautiful way and who make me feel so much less alone...thank you.

Your turn...let me know when you do it and I'll come over to your blog and read them...I want to know more!

more acorn love

all photos taken from the lilfishstudio etsy page...

Can I get a hoo-hoo for acorns? It's hard to be indifferent to acorns. They're just so darn cute. They remind me we were young once, and tender and vulnerable--they bring out my caretaker's instinct. They make me want to be a better person. Am I right here or just a little crazy? Or a little of both? Look at these amazing little tributes by Lisa Jordan of lil fish studio found thanks to a very fine write-up on the lovely blog speckled egg...

and I love these river stones she's done as well,
as a big fan of river stones..as well...

Honey Pie and an Old Friend

My old friend Gabe was here from out of town this weekend. I haven't seen her for such a long time, but it was as if we hadn't skipped a beat. The conversation was as jam-packed as ever from correlations between blogging and Victorian letter-writing (Gabe is a historian) to whether we should add sour cream to the filling in this honey pecan pumpkin pie recipe (Gabe has a sweet tooth).

Gabe was the first person to tell me how to make pie pastry...I still have the same recipe she wrote down for me in college kept in my favorite recipe keeper, on the same yellow legal paper, in her handwriting. How nostalgic is that? We talked all day, watched a few episodes of Tim Gunn's Guide to Style (it was a stormy Saturday) and decided to bake this pumpkin pie in honor of Fall (adding some ground cardomom, more cinnamon and grated nutmeg (we forgot the sour cream) and topped it with these honeyed pecans (Gabe loves pecans).

Honey Caramel Pecans

• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup pecan halves (about 4 ounces)

Preparation

Make pecans:
Place large piece of foil on work surface. Stir sugar, honey, butter and salt in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, butter melts and syrup comes to simmer. Add pecans. Cook until syrup turns deep caramel color and bubbles thickly, stirring nuts occasionally to coat, about 9 minutes. Scrape onto foil. Working quickly, separate nuts with spoon. Cool completely. Place in airtight container. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store at room temperature.)

When the pecans cool and the pie is done assemble on top..you can use these nuts with any pumpkin pie you like, especially the one in this recipe.

Something(s)

cliquez on les images s'il vous plait

some things to look at.

Connecting

Yesterday I realized a lot of my work starts in these photos of little moments, some close looks at small things, and of course with the colors and forms of the very lovely seasons that make-up a New York year.

one of those weeks

outside and

inside

Some weeks pump with intensity from the start, when everything that is fit tightly into a list begins to work its way tightly into a schedule of one task after the next intermingling with unknown variables and curve balls barely caught, running around in circles until it suddenly winds down, unraveling with a deep breath and a little sigh of "we did it" or "we tried to do it".

It always seems that the life of Bonbon Oiseau is in a state of constant flux , in an excited/stressed state of hope that what we are doing will fall into place finally, someday, over and over again and again.

This morning I woke up a little burnt out but took a break and looked around at some quiet moments at home, just to keep track, in the very quiet light of an autumn morning in Brooklyn.

What We Made at Make

Last night I sort of wound down with a little earring-making class I've been teaching at Make. They made two pairs of earrings, the first a simple pair I designed and the second, a little more difficult with a new technique and a design of their own...and let me tell you, these ladies were naturals! There was such an air of joy in the room and we really had so much fun...

Whenever I'm there, I seem to step outside of my everyday and remember how much I love teaching, the experience of watching someone learn how to do something for the very first time or discovering new ways to do something they hadn't tried before. I always come away with so much more than I entered the room with.

(I'll be teaching another nifty class week! I wish you could all come! Can you?)
(And many thanks to Aran, for teaching me something new as well...how to make this little collage! Thank you!)

Lost and Found

We got lost in some town somewhere but then we found this tree. Or this tree found us. It's a nice tree to think about whenever you might feel a little lost, I'd say. It's like getting a big hug from the Grand Poobah of Autumn.