Come Over

Here it is. Our new apartment, our work in progress. We are suddenly feeling...at home.
The diamond in the rough from August is now starting to charm us in November. There's still a lot to do.
But I'll tell you, I had no idea how liberating moving would actually be. It kicked everything into high gear, but the slow gear is feeling pretty good. Slow gear feels right at home. You told me that but I didn't believe it. Our friends and family helped us a lot.

I'll start the house tour with the Dining Room. It gets insanely good light. It has a larder.
We painted these floors white. It hosted Thanksgiving. We are slowly hoping for a something big for the wall across from the fireplace. The cats are into being fat all over the day bed. The day bed likes it.

“The autumn leaves are falling like rain
Although my neighbors are all barbarians
And you, you are a thousand miles away
There are always two cups at my table.”
– T’ang dynasty poem

Fab Wednesday

So there was Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Shop like you're on fire Sunday (I just made that up), Cyber Monday, and as my friend joked, Broke-ass Tuesday. But tomorrow for us bonbon makers all up in here is FAB WEDNESDAY in which we go live on Fab.com for a three day flash sale. Sign up if you ain't already and see the preview!

Let the Season Begin

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Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful.

Yesterday, in the midst of all the cooking, there were games and laughter, in the other room and people in and out of my little kitchen. Then, I was alone for a minute when everyone went out for a walk before dinner.
I thought about how thankful I am for my new home, made truly a home by Jim and Icky and Maxine and all the sunlight that pours in and good friends who come over. I am thankful for such good friends, my warm family, my amazing assistant Vanessa, my loyal customers and the people who keep coming over to this blog who still believe in me, even when I'm not my best self, my most productive self, when I'm just my just ok self, the one who tries and fails and sometimes the one who is too tired to try. It felt so good to cook for family and friends yesterday, to be with my mom. I felt like my best self there in that room.


I owe a debt of gratitude to my incredibly generous, supportive and let's not forget talented husband for shooting the above photos this week, and my sweet friend Tamika for saying yes and breathing so much beauty into my bonbons a few days ago. A few photos from our last shoot with her for our new Golden Lining and Etoiles du Monde Collections, above. But this isn't the Academy Awards...

This Saturday begins Bonbon's first weekend back at the Brooklyn Flea which is back indoors at the spectacular One Hanson in Fort Greene. We'll be there every weekend with pretty new things each week. There's also a few extra holiday shopping days in December so be sure to mark them down via the Brooklyn Flea site! This Saturday, November 26th we're teaming up with American Express for Small Business Saturday. Hopefully you can come and see us!

Wednesday, November 30th be sure to sign up Fab.com where we'll have a holiday flash sale for three days only. Very new things abound.

*photos by James Knudsen

Thanksgiving Menu 2011

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***holy crap, little pies can not get much cuter

An LIC Thanksgiving:
Roast Turkey w/ Cider, Sage and Roasted Cippollini Onion Gravy
Wild Rice Stuffing w/ Wild Mushrooms and Chestnuts
Acorn Squash Roasted w/ Pomegranate Molasses & Marcona Almonds
Sweet Potatoes Baked w/ Brown Sugar and Black Pepper
Brussel Sprouts w/ Pancetta and Parsley
Mixed Greens w/ Pears and Pumpkin Seeds & Balsamic
Cranberry Sauce with Clementines & Elderflower Liquor
Cider and Wines
Corn Bread, desserts and pies by Sandy and my nieces, appetizers by mom and sisters-in-laws.

Thanksgiving made and served in our new place this year.
The current here is not a lot of steps, no casseroles, no butter overload, just food in its simplest form, not a lot of fuss, married with pretty and delicious partners to bring out it's best. No offense butter. Making menus, a too favorite past-time and way to avoid other types of paperwork, in these gray NY days...

photos: ** via Saveur, *** via Sunday in Bed

Striving

"When I intend to create something beautiful as I've never seen before, I wonder what and where the source of the design's power will come from.I wonder if what I have seen, learnt and been moved by will be the source, from which it develops unconsciously. If I am ready to admit that, I wonder where I can attain the confidence for my creations and how they should present themselves as adorable items that women should love to try on in the future. After all, I wonder if I will manage to learn from the past, our experiences and history. Is it impossible to do creative work freely with a blank heart and not be restricted? Working tirelessly toward this calling, we can gain experiences and a sense of the craft through accumulating a natural sensitivity. However, this too can prove the difficulty in creating inspiration, a truly explosive force. I wonder what in the world I should be improving on and take a great deal of care in every new generation. Since I established this brand while wondering thoughts like these, a decade have passed."
-ISSHI KANAMARU, Head Designer, Feral Flair

all images via Feral Flair

Our new office room

wants to look just like this.

So much so that this morning we hauled ass to an awesome lumberyard that specializes in reclaimed lumber but then I was overwhelmed by board choices and confronted with having to do math. But by cracky, this room will happen, yet I fear not easily. I am a dealer of tiny objects not big giant hunks of old wood with rusty nails and splinters sticking out. (That's the plan for the new me.)

The room in question has the potential to have this happen to it. It will double as a guest room and to that I say, I love this shit. Apologies for having no idea where I found this and can give no credit to the photographer. If anyone knows, hit me with it.

Making it Up As we Go Along

cat's plan

5 year plan

*Cat by: Nature

**Print on Khadi by: Julie Doucet from 5 Year Plan made like this