In Memory of Alberto

Alberto and Luci, Vigeveno

Thanks Scrap

via Scrappy Girl( and her love of the install) via notcot

My old Iowa City pal Cathy Halley who writes the Scrappy Girl blog for Domino mag, wrote a little piece about my house tableaus. I love watching her decorate via blogland. And I really like our shared obsession with tree murals and DIY art installations for the house. Scrappy Babe, I defy you to let me come over and do something weird to your wall.
(Or if you ever veer away from nature and small objects, head to the Hubble Site...you can download the cosmos and turn it into gigantor wall panels--they even tell you how to do it, those cheeky Hubble monkeys.)

It's All Animals Monday

Looka here. Above, geese and owls by Tamar Mogendorff! Below foxes, giraffes and buffalo from Clive and Sunshine. Too good for little kids. I'd like to collect them all.

Corey Arnold

Photographer Corey Arnold might have the key to the universe. This stuff is killing me. I'm deeply in love.
Via Cup of Jo--thank you.

Saturday, May 12th back on Smith Street!

The Brooklyn Indie Market over in Cobble Hill was so overwhelmingly successful (and we had such a good time!) last Saturday, I'm heading back this coming Saturday to do it all over again on the day before Mother's Day.

WHEN: Saturday, May 12th/ 11AM-7PM
WHERE: Corner of Smith and Union Street, (just next to the Carroll Street station F train stop and Carroll Park)

IF you're not from New York or you can't make it to the market, I'll give you 20% off and free USPS 2-Day Priority shipping on all corsages, earrings, necklaces, and earrings on the Bonbon Oiseau website until Wednesday May 9th just in time to get to mom. Just write BONBON BLOG/SALE in the subject line of your purchase inquiry.

Alexa

These are by Alexa Vachon, and are some of the most movingly beautiful photographs I've seen. They make me feel lonely, awed and totally uncool all at the same time. I love the super saturated colors...every subject is imbued with an intensity that blows me away. Check out some of her portfolios on her new website, here.

La Femme

Something Bleu, Bonbon Oiseau

La Lune et Les'Etoiles, Bonbon Oiseau

(left) Fondinette Noire (above) Petite Flyaway, Bonbon Oiseau

My big ambitions of prepping for painting my bedroom were thwarted by a bad bout of allergies. Hello Spring. So I've been inside on this gorgeous spring day intermittently napping, I watched Marie Antoinette on-demand, (twice in a row-mesmerized by the costumes and sets) and surfing around. Am loving all the macaron colors from the film, for a line or for paint colors? Am very inspired, particurly because I've been creating bridal head pieces all week for a shoot for the launch issue of Seattle Metropolitan Bride. Le Madeleine, Bonbon Oiseau

I usually name my bridal headpieces after French sweets. They have such deliciously pretty names.

Oh John Derian! Why are you so great?

My favorites from John Derian. My favorite is John Derian.

New Wonderful Blogs

Today ws supposed to be cleaning day but Jim had to work and I have bad allergies it turns out. I also wanted to prep my bedroom walls to start painting. So instead I'm surfing around since Jim left at 6:30am! Just found some pretty pretty photos of jewelry draped on teacups and pots on Jane D'Avril's Blog (via another absolutely lovely site, Absolutely Beautiful Things (more on this one below) via yet ANOTHER incredible home decor site Desire To Inspire) and consequently, I am inspired. My table at the market in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn got many compliments which made me happy. Someone said it was perfectly curated, like a French curio market. I'll take some pictures next week--it went so well I'm going to be there next Saturday as well!So, I loved Absolutely Beautiful Things tribute to Pink and Yellow. But I especially loved this near cobalt (or is it deep turquoise?) room in her smaller tribute to blue. I was finally going to go for a really neutral tone in the bedroom like a kind of fawn or mushroom-- a leap from the aubergine walls that exist now (inspired by Parco Sushi in Milan--don't ask) but now I'm not so sure it's in me.

Francophilia and Mother's Day

I already wrote about Petite Paris but I didn't realize they had these beautifully boxed macarons, which would make amazing Mother's Day gifts! And good for when my friend's get out of the hospital with their new babies this summer!
And since I have a lot of new babies popping out and into my world, I think these adorable toys from Basic French are the total answer.
I also love the Becassine Knitter and some of the classic dolls for my post-toddler years nieces. Sweet!

A Picture from April 3rd

The Song that Resonates

Regarding Where in the World is Matt Lauer, does Matt Lauer really like visiting 5 countries in 5 days? I guess his plane is pretty comfortable. Can I come next year Matt? Oh, and thanks for that song.

Elaine Perlov takes the Quiz

Elaine Perlov, the fashion designer who coined "modular" fashion and creator of the inspiring blog I am a Fashion Designer. Gee, did the Interview for a Rainy Day. I love her answers. We were pretty similar in our X-treme love of making stuff.

D: What were you like as a kid?
E: I think that the second grade me and the me right now seem very similar. Similar sense of humor, similar love of swimming, similar drive to make things. When I was a kid I was always making something with Scotch tape. I still love Scotch tape.
D: What did you love to do?
E: I loved to build models (boats, cars, planes) and do paint-by-numbers and string art with my Dad. As soon as we were finished with one project, we would get to work on a new one. By myself, I loved making anything out of construction paper. And glitter. I loved drawing and coloring, but I was not so big into coloring books because I thought they were boring. I liked to make my own pictures. Inexplicably, once a year my friend Jean Ann and I would make old man beards and mustaches out of white paper and pose for a Polaroid. We would tape them on with Scotch tape, fold our arms and wrinkle up our faces. We thought it was hilarious. We were around 5. And sometimes my Mom would let me sew. That was always pretty exciting. Alternately, I would attempt to totally redesign the clothes my Mom would make for me, having long discussions about my ideas in the fabric stores. I think we went to fabric stores every week. My mom was a big sewer.
D: How does who you were then, enter into your work now?
E: I think the constant desire to make something, no matter what it is, is still the same. I still get excited about making something new.
D: How do you keep that spirit of enthusiasm working for you now?
E: When I get the momentum going or get an idea that I am totally excited about, I won't stop until it's done. Just like when I was a kid.
D: What were your top kooky projects you tried as a wee one?
E. My major work was a 4-story doll house I made when I was 10 for my Honey Hill Bunch Dolls. It had 8 intricately furnished rooms, a garage, a roof-top pool, a working elevator and a backyard. I made the whole thing out of corrugated cardboard, down to the tiny forks, knives and plates on the table. I made cabinets, appliances, couches, chairs, bunk beds with pull-out drawers, vases, framed artwork, and a car. I also upholstered the chairs and draped the dinner table with fabric (mostly terry cloth) from my Mom's sewing cabinet. I put the whole thing together with Elmer's glue and Scotch tape. My Mom and Dad still have it in the basement!
D. Did you love arts and craft books?
E. I loved books about sewing projects in particular. Making pillows or making dolls. That was pretty fun. I made my name in pillows one year.

Oh Spring! How pretty you are!

I visited Oh Joy's wonderful blog last night and found an old entry with this lovely picture. It's from a July 2006 Martha Stewart Weddings. I love those tea tins--you can find them all in Chinatown at 32 Mott Street I believe, in the oldest shop in Chinatown. Now they have all kinds of porcelain teapots, cups, vases and sculptures as well as other assorted goodies--backscratchers, abacuses (abacii?) dragon kites! was thinking an arrangement along these lines would look nice on my table at the show on Saturday or I could make an arrangement for my mom for Mother's Day!
I also found this site, (thanks Joy!) Petite Paris with all kinds of goodies. I want it all. And they carry the very cute Hut Up cup and egg cosies.