monday dose of the road

sunrise next to uncle's house, Jackson Wyoming

bear scare tactics

morning (geothermal) activity

an old buffalo jump

a room by a lake

two does

geysers at nightfall

low clouds

clouds over the Great Northern Railway

rainbow

Butte house

Garnet house

glacier waterfall through fogged up lens

Cooke City, Montana, after the rain

We had our road trip and were witness to things of nature, Lewis and Clarke and Sacajawea, sunrises and sunsets, a lot of steak and huckleberry eating, trading post stops, the magnificence found in the mountains and big sky and looking closely at little things, a relative re-visited and of course car music, picture snapping, good conversation and togetherness.

I know I'm home because I just bought a new phone (the old one broke the second day in Wyoming) and still haven't checked my email, a thousand letters long. Vanessa is off duty I am back in the Bonbon driver's seat. Can I get just one more day?

It is............ALIVE!

HELLO!! Back from two weeks of no phone, no computer, only wild and wooly wilderness but I've missed you all! Vacation mission accomplished: rejuvenated with so much to tell and so much learned from our very westward ho trip to the far corners of Wyoming and Montana.
Many many many many thanks to all the fantastic friends who wrote as guests here these last few weeks--hope everyone's enjoyed reading them as much as I did when I stayed up until 3 am misty eyed and touched and invigorated and not at all tired (as I am right now).

See you beauties tomorrow with a little western flair.

Design on a dime.

Hello, bonbons! It's Bee from The Lil Bee, and I'm honored to be your guest host. Like you, I come here for style inspiration—jewelry, design, photography...whatever Deb's got cooking on any particular day. So, I thought I would share with you some of the things that have inspired me in my quest to decorate my not-so-new home.

The first thing I did when we moved from NYC is search for wallpaper. Beautiful, lush, delicious wallpaper. It's inconceivable to put up wallpaper in a Manhattan rental, so for the last decade I coveted the stuff. Florals, toile, ikat, abstract, Baroque... you name it, I needed it.

But there was a problem. Wallpaper is... expensive! And you have to COMMIT to a particular STYLE for a long, long time! I chickened out. I humphed and pouted in frustration. And then... then I discovered the magic of decals.

So, for you, sweet bonbons, I present some of the most darling decals I've found, to date. They can instantly spruce up any space, and they're all quite affordable. Take a look...

Wouldn't laundry day be so much sweeter with a colorful clothing line?

A gorgeous design for a Sex And The City-worthy walk-in closet.

This pretty print* would be the perfect backdrop for reading a book and sipping hot tea.

Here's a stylish substitute to a pricey chandelier.

And for the little bebe...

...or la bambina.

I do hope these designs have inspired you, as well. Thanks for indulging me and have a wonderful day!

*via Belle Maison

My Weekend at Deb's

Hi everyone, this is Aran from Cannelle Et Vanille. I am so excited to be here today in Deb's little corner of the world. I met Deb through blogging a little bit over a year ago and through emails, I came to adore her. One of those special blogging friendships that I never thought I would have.

This past weekend, I spent three amazing days in NYC to attend Sunday Suppers where I was invited as a guest chef. When she found out I would be in NYC, she called and said "if you want, my home can be yours for those three days". And so I accepted and I'm so happy I did.




When Deb asked me if I could write a guest post, I immediately thought how great it would be if I could take some photos of her home to share with you. She lives on the most beautiful and quaint street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. So quiet and peaceful that I kept forgetting I was even in NYC.




She has the most amazing garden where she grows herbs, tomatoes, flowers and I think I even saw some peas. I had coffee there every morning and I would sit outside right before bedtime at night.





Her two adorable kitties, Icky and Max kept me company and even slept with me at night. They followed me around and sat with me in the mornings while I checked the news and my emails. I appreciated the peace and quiet so much.

I love how her apartment is an extension of herself, full of memories, photos, travel mementos. It's full of character. I love her work room of Bonbon Oiseau pieces, photos and perfectly organized beads. I even spotted some pieces I had never seen before, which was a treat.




Thank you so much Deb. It was the perfect New York weekend. I miss the kitties already!

Workspace inspiration

Hello friends~

This is Vana from Le Papier Studio filling in for my fabulous, sweet friend, Deb.
When Deb asked me to do a guest post on her blog, I could hardly contain myself, literally. The moment I heard she needed some ideas/inspirations to help her with the workspace renovation, I started sketching. Well...here is what I came up with...

Illustration by Vana

Click on the illustration to zoom in.

A combination of built in shelving and some continuous 12" deep ledges along the perimeter of the room, will give Deb enough storage for her jewelry supplies. Some glass cabinets will double as display pieces.

Dividing her workspace into three areas (computer station, work area and the lounge/rest/meeting area) will help define her space even more.

Illustrations by Vana

Covered space heaters allow for some cozy window sitting.

via apartment therapy

I can picture this simple and elegant wooden piece in Deb's space. All her jewelry will look so pretty in such setting.

Via Dave Coote interiors

The red chair is so pretty against the blue paneling. Did I mention how much I love paneling? A LOT! It adds such richness to any space.

via from the right bank (photograph by Ditte Isager)

Last by not least, I love the little rustic frame against the cool blue wall and the black bird cage hanging from the elegant blue ribbon.

Dear Deb, this was so much fun. Thank you for allowing me to bounce some of my ideas. I can't wait to see what you end up doing with your space!

XOXO

Vana

Inspired by bon bons.....

Hello sweet and lovely bon bon readers! 

                    Melissa here from Melissa loves and so happy and excited to be helping out while Deb is away! I consider Deb a friend but, even before that I was a huge fan of her beautiful creations. In awe of the uniqueness of design and beauty but, also amazed by the unusual and gorgeous materials she finds to use in her pieces. They inspire me, make me happy and( like anyone  that owns a piece of Deb's..) make me feel special! So, Deb...this is for you (and your lovely readers)...some of your latest work paired with some  beautiful images that reminded me of each other. 

~ gorgeous jewelry? All Deb's of course :) 

here, here, here and here 

~ photographs (1) here (2) here (3) here and (4) here

Deb, thank you so much for inviting me over to your beautiful place.....I am honored to help hold the fort! I hope you are having a wonderful time on your adventure, gleaning tons of inspiration and having the time of your life. 

xoxo

Melis

alpenglühen

hello hello blog team! i am rachel from living lab, and i am delighted every day to be deb's upstairs neighbor, 'other mama' to her kitties, and friend. the minute i got word of deb and jim's holiday plans, i could feel my brain start to dig into the archives of some of my best memories of the west. back before i lived there, when i was still just falling in love with it, i got my fix by spending a great deal of time in a sleeping bag on slabs of granite after miles of hiking and countless blisters.

there were all kinds of high-points about being in the mountains for weeks at a time (and a number of lows), but i thought this blog post (in honor of deb's and jim's adventure) could be about just one of them. my favorite. the one i still get butterflies about when i think of it, and occasionally long for.

the first time i experienced 'alpenglow' (from the german alpenglühen) i literally had my breath taken away. its an optical phenomenon when the sun has set, but there is still an indirect reflection of the light on a mountain peak. they love to make those inspirational posters of these kinds of things, but obviously, if you've seen it you know, you cant really beat the real deal.

cheers to mountain light, summer holidays, memory making in the american west and my girl deb. come home soon! xx

photos: widerange.org, galen rowell, jack brauer, dee golden, jack brauer

A day in the life...

I was living out my now- daily dream this summer: I spent 3 weeks living in New York.
I used to live in NY, for about 10 years. And then I decided I needed a break. So, I took one.
All the way to San Francisco.
Turns out, that break has been too big.

I looooong for NY.
*********
It sounds like a "meeting":

Hi, I'm Molly, from A Little House in the Clouds, and I love New York.

Hiiiii, Molly!

***********
Coming back to live for a few weeks really has it's little perks. One of them being seeing people and things in a whole new way.

I first met Deb when my sister and I had a shop on Crosby Street. She was getting her Bonbon on and we always had a good time talking notions, beads and bits. Years later, we re-discovered each other through blog-land.

We met up this summer and it felt like hanging out with an old friend. Turns out, another perk, is doing the Union Square farmers market with someone who gets as excited by as you do. Deb and I laughed our way through the crowds as we stopped to ahhh & ohhh over the beautiful veggies, bread and vendors!
Ah, the little things.
There were other major perks while living in that big apple that I realize more and more as things change. Over lunch, Deb and I talked about craft and art and being an "artist" and having a hard time saying that word, and the craftsmen and women who are slowly being pushed out of New York (or anywhere for that matter--with time comes change, huge change). Back in the day, (my sister and I, for many years, having a manufacturing business) one of those great perks was like going back in time when you were really just going to a vendor's warehouse.

No longer there, but still doing business, was a place called Dulken & Derrick. It was a flower making, notion warehouse, if you will. They made flowers for everyone in the business (the Sex & The City girls) and everyone not in the business (Eleanor Roosevelt). In the family for years and years, with the old filing cabinets, peeling paint and dusty boxes to prove it, this place was an absolute find. The fact that, each time we came in, we were given access to every nook and cranny just made it all the more special. The final visit, I brought my camera and shot away.
Each petal was cut and curled according to flower type. To watch the whole system for a day was incredible.


Hundreds of old flower molds, shelves and shelves of them, faced this one little "machine". After the fabric was cut into the shape of the leaf or the petal, it was placed in a 2-part mold, cranked under the block for just a moment and pressed. It's a lost art.
The other constant vendor perk was Tinsel Trading. On the surface, a gorgeous shop with more than enough to look at. But, one day, after many, many years, Marcia finally let us into the basement. Tinsel Trading was her Grandfather's shop and we came across packages from 70 years ago that had never been opened. It was a diggers' dream! It was notion heaven! And it was a another piece of New York history that continues to blow my mind. Many times, I was as taken with the basement itself as I was with the metal ribbons and sequins.

to see lots, lots more feel free to flickr

(Someday, Deb, someone's going to come poking through your new workspace, your beautiful studio, and have the same glee as they pick thru your beads and baubles and watch you work!)