Tuesday, November 25, 2008

A Little Thanks

Illustration by Steve Mack
(I am, for sure, going to buy his ABC Book
for anyone on my list who doesn't know them)


Thank you for being...you. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy the day! I'm going to Iowa!


Monday, November 24, 2008

letters


I've been thinking lately about writing on the wall. And awesome lettering. My brother is a physicist. He always has blackboards full of physics and maths in his office. We have a blackboard wall in the studio as well. It is full of empty frames.

All images ffffound via FFFFound.

Last two images from Eduardo Recife, one of my favorite illustrators and makers of cool fonts)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

A New Header




Playing around with some graphics this afternoon for holiday web stuff and trying some new things out. I'm not much of a graphic designer and have no idea how half this stuff works but I decided to change the header in the name of procrastination, just to redecorate a little and because I liked that picture of one of our studio walls.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Thanks Ladies

For your sweet mentions this week...Thank you Melissa Loves for adding me to this. Looks so nice and your words are so touching... and to High Desert Diva for loving this
Thanks. You're so nice.
I put a few new holiday pieces up on the site today as well...
If you mention either Melissa Loves or High Desert Diva in your email, these little earrings (called the Holiday Petite Historiettes!) will be half off until December 10th....ooooo!

Hello Sweet Potato. Hello Squash!

The Wednesday Food Section of the New York Times had my mouth watering and while Mark Bittman had some nice sweet potato offerings, last weekend we made this little dish for Namiko's Birthday lunch to go with a beautiful roasted ham made by Tomoko. We all agreed it had Thanksgiving written all over it. Plus I think we got pretty artistic with the top (we had started to cut the squash in pretty circles until we stopped ourselves when we decided to try this...we can be quite spontaneous go with the flow kind of folks when we want to be).

The varieties of squash and sweet potato don't matter (what's the difference between a sweet potato and a yam anyway?) --whatever looks good at your local market, as long as everything is cubed the same size--I love the way honey, lime juice and mint come together---for me it's a little memory of Summer in the Fall and the flavors brighten up anything else on your plate. I'm a huge fan of sweet and savory together. The herbs you use don't matter as long they're fresh---Sage and thyme would be just as nice and very Thanksgiving-y--just omit the lime juice and add a dash of sea salt and a splash of sherry vinegar...
Roasted Sweet Potato & Winter Squash with Honey, Lime & Mint
serves 8-10

3-4 winter squash--acorn, butternut, delicata, kabocha
or any other beautiful squash you can find
2-3 very large yams or sweet potatoes or 6 medium
olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1/4 c brown sugar (or agave syrup would work)
Juice of one lime
about 1/4-1/2 c. chopped fresh mint
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

-You'll need 2 cookie sheets--I lined mine with parchment but you can use foil too. Preheat the oven to 375ยบ. Wash and scrub potatoes and squash and peel everything. Keeping the sweet potato separate from the squash, cut it all into one-inch cubes (if you want to decorate it like I did just cut a few rounds off the top of some of them and baked them as well!). Lay out the squash on one sheet and toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat the squash. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Put in oven. Lay the sweet potato on the next sheet and do the same with the olive oil and salt and put in oven.
After 20 minutes sprinkle some of the brown sugar on both pans and toss gently.
-Check potato after 30 minutes (10 minutes after you sprinkled the sugar!)...when it's soft drizzle with honey and toss gently---keep in oven 5 minutes more and pull out.
After 40 minutes (20 minutes after sugaring!) check squash for doneness and toss with rest of honey. Keep in for 5 more minutes and pull that sheet out.
Everything should be nice and soft (but not too soft) and coated nicely with honey.
-Turn out both pans into a dish. Taste and if you need more honey, add a little more so it melts into the hot melange. Add lime juice, mint and chives and a sprinkle of sea salt and a crack of pepper. Serve hot and eat vigorously.


We're going to Iowa for Thanksgiving...We'll have dinner with my honey's family...and I don't have to cook! I love Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's--she's a great cook--I think we may have actually invited ourselves...

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

First Holiday Sale of the Season and It's a Good One

click to see larger & save the date!

Will post my holiday show schedule in a few days (very exciting=keeping us busy) but first the FUNNEST event will be right here at my studio. Please come if you're in the NY area on December 6th and join me, along with Michelle from Hortensia Handmade and Tamika from Self+Therapy in Williamsburg to kick off the shopping season the best way there is: with a glass of wine and some good friends: We'll be bringing our beautiful wares to you at very reduced prices in this cozy space with good friends. There'll be wine. There'll be delicious foodstuffs. Someone will be giving had massages. We'll have Bonbons galore, Hortensia's beautiful knits and Tamika's handmade organic bath, beauty products and things her shop such as teas, chocolates and other goodies (read more about what Tamika does here). We may even have some other goodies by some of our other designer friends. And our now famous Holiday Raffle.


And this year's raffle is a great one. It will be a basket filled with goodies from me, and Hortensia Handmade and Therapy (as well as some goodies from some other designer friends---perhaps it will be letterpress, or leather or something delectable?) The best part? All proceeds will go to The Bowery Mission and the Food Bank of NYC . We wanted to give at home this year and we're very happy to give to such an important cause. We'll have pictures soon!

(The raffle will be $5 at the door or $10 if you'd like to donate on-line (which I'll set up shortly and will include shipping this lovely package to you if you win!--The winners will be chosen at 5 pm Saturday December 6th!)
So even if you can't come to the sale you can give to a good cause and be entered to win a little of NY right in your own home, wherever that may be!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Making Things Happen/Bontastic Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress

Loving my Behance "Action Method" list manager

I always start to really feel the season this week. I mean I start to "feel it" when October hits November, when I start to decide which holiday shows to do and how we can get all of our shop orders out before Thanksgiving or just after. I mean I love the holidays and all but this is the week when there are so many things to do, to plan, to take care of, I start to feel a little...less than relaxed as I am responsible to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

Have I told you I love lists? The lists loom long and large this week as we get our orders ready to pack, invoices sent, holidays invitations made, orders finished, silver polished, pieces checked and double checked, materials need to be picked up all over the city and us ready to go to Iowa for Thanksgiving, I'm taking a look at the big picture and have made some decisions to reduce the stress:

1) Every time I check something off my list an angel will get their wings (Jen said, " Or an angle will get his wig")
2) Decide what the priorities are on the list and get it done first (it doesn't involve blogging so see, I'm ignoring my credo already)
3) Don't stress too hard. What's the worst that can happen? No one's going to get hurt so plough through and do your best!
4) Re-do the list, just move things around until it's manageable and oh! take it one step at a time. (Also doesn't involve blogging so I better go now...)

And now some scenes from the studio:












Oh...and the new Holiday Heirloom Collection Necklaces are up on the site!
Don't forget your bloggeroo discount ladies and gents!

Monday, November 17, 2008

A Collection of You for the Holidays & We Have a Winner







my little holiday shoot!

I've really enjoyed reading all of your first blog entries and I have to admit, I spent most of yesterday reading pages and pages of your blogs, especially the beginnings (and a lot of middles and nows)---there is so much amazing work, beautifully crafted entries and carefully curated pictures. From obscure finds shared to budding photographers blossomed, I felt as if I got to know so many of the blog yous a little better...pure joy for me. But the best part? Seeing the evolution of your blog, your new art medium, this living thing you've all created in your own ways. While our reasons for beginning to blog differ, what we all began took on it's own life, a universe, a collection of you. We've given audience to our work and ideas where before there may have been none and by so doing, have grown creatively, inspired each other, given each other confidence, and made real friends. I saw it everywhere and feel it all the time since I've "met" so many of you...

You are all amazing, you are all winners and tomorrow I want to tell you about some of my favorite first posts but first without further ado...
The Winner of The Bonbon L'Oiseau et Le Cle Earrings Is...via Random Integer Generator's Top Number:
Lucky number 8...someone whose blog always has a wonderful story to tell, showcasing her amazing talent and whose musical tastes I happen share to a tee...the lovely and talented Cara from Octavine Illustration! Woohoo!!

And one more little thing for all of my blogging peeps: the new Limited Edition Holiday Heirloom Collection was inspired by you...little gold-dipped lockets and hearts with elegant little Victorian glass disks and freshwater pearls on sterling silver or 18k gold-fill chains with lobster clasps and little freshwater pearls at the neck. I wanted to create something simple, easy to wear with a place to carry your memories. I'll donate 20% of each sale to The Bowery Mission, one of New York's oldest and most important charities, to help feed and shelter homeless folks espcially in this hardest of seasons, the winter...

These will retail on the Bonbon Oiseau website and in select shops for $148-$168 but I wanted to offer you all 35% off until December 10th...(pssst...drop the hint to your men, your sisters, yourselves, just be sure to mention (or have him mention!) your blog or that you read my blog (!) in the email) These will go up on the site first thing tomorrow but feel free to email me at: bonbonoiseau at gmail dot com if you see one you like/want now!

lovelovelove, deb

Sunday, November 16, 2008

A Little Party


Yesterday was my friend Namiko's 4th birthday party. She collected all of the balloons clinging to the ceiling and went into her parents room to jump up and down on the bed. She is truly a girl after my own heart.

Don't forget tonight is the last night to leave a comment to enter into our little Bonbon giveaway! I'll post the winner tomorrow and I just decided to have another giveaway before the holidays because last week we made some really pretty new pieces that I'll post about next week (and I really like to hear all about you and I really like to give things away...)