Mexico, part uno

This was the first time in four years I didn't do the show in Paris. All that it takes to get there just wasn't in my spirit this season, but a little break from it all was it turned out. Enter, Oaxaca, Mexico. A lot of inspiration, the nicest people in the world and while it snowed in feets in NYC, we got an extra day in the sun granted to us by the Eastern Seaboard Weather Authority (a.k.a. the ESWA).

Am thinking it helped to go inside this gigantic beautiful church just about everyday. I'm not religious but someone was on our side here. I want more Mexico. That's all I have to say.

Three Love Letters

Photos from Anthropologie

Letter One: Dear Rachel,
I have crossed a line. I took in the mail and your Anthropologie catalog was sitting on the radiator. I looked both ways and when I was sure no one was coming, I took it into my apartment and ate my lunch over it. I'm sorry. It's just so freaking beautiful. And this jewelry photo shoot is killing me. It's just killing me Rachel. It's back on the radiator now, so thanks, post-facto.
Love, Deb

Letter two: Dear Anthropologie,
Beautiful work on your Spring jewelry photoshoot! I just saw it when I stole my neighbor's catalog off the radiator inthe hallway and am pretty much feeling incredibly jealous that I didn't think of this first. I am writing to ask if I can pretend I did think of it first and do the same with my Spring Collection which is way late in coming on-line? Thanks Anthropologie! I knew you'd understand.
Love, Deb

Letter three: Dear Friends and Readers,
I'm back from Oaxaca and my head is on a wee bit straighter, just adjusted a little differently I guess. Mexico was great and I am so happy that pals, Melissa and Rachel and Persephone and Kaelea came over to entertain over here. Thanks ladies. I am back and I hope you will be too. I miss you guys. I will tell you everything soon. Are you ready?
Love, Deb

A care package: for Deb

Hello sweet bon bon readers!
Melissa here from Melissa loves....I am so happy to be here, visiting you at Deb's. I hope that as we read this, Deb is having a glorious time in Mexico...resting & relaxing in the sun, with the sea air drying on her skin....feeling hopeful & happy. If I could, I would get together a care package for Deb, to be waiting for her upon her return. These are the things I would put in & hope they made Deb feel loved & appreciated!







This card, telling her she was missed & we hope she had fun!


This pillow for a chair in her new studio space..




This photograph, to remind her of her trip & the solace of the sea...



This ring, to remind her she is a star & a shimmering one at that.



This dress, for spring & for whenever she needs to feel fabulous.



These heels, to be worn with said dress....or whenever the heck she wants to! :)


and...last but, not least, these bottles for her mantle or her windowsill to let her know that spring is just around the corner

Deb, thank you so much for having me & I adore you! Have a wonderful week everyone and all the very best!

xo
Melis

S.O.B.

Hey kids! Its Rachel Deb's Neighbor and blog nerd from Living Lab.

As you know Deb's south of the border right now busy grinding and roasting chiles and chocolate and hopefully sipping plenty of suero como cola de penguino.

That being said, maybe it would make more sense to do a post on something other than Mexico? Unfortunately however, I love it a liiiittle too much not to take this opportunity to gush about sensory-overload-land. How about a few nuggets from the ridiculousness of dear-to-my-heart Baja? What choice to I have really? Its February after all.

1. Marine Mammals (must listen to this)

2. Cactus Growing Next to Salt Water

3. Fish Tacos
(If a gun were put to my head and someone demanded that I only eat one dish for the rest of my life)

4. Swimming

(deep sigh)

5. The Log From the Sea of Cortez

"The sweet smell of the land blew out to us on a warm wind, a smell of sand, verbena and grass and mangrove. It is so quickly forgotten, this land smell. We know it so well on shore that the nose forgets it, but after a few days at sea the odor memory pattern is lost so that the first land smell strikes a powerful emotional nostalgia, very sharp and strangely dear." John Steinbeck

¡goce de México DEB-BEE! We miss you!

Images : 1. Steve Ryan 2. Mountain Travel Sobek 3. Relate Revolution 4. Unknown 5. Penguin

Fischer!

Fischer S/S 2010

Fischer Fall 2010

Well hello my sweet peas, it's Kaelea Ann, author *cough* slacker *cough* of The Royal Me! It is always my pleasure to take over for Miss Bonbon while she is away on a much deserved relaxation of her mind! It is Fashion Week here in NYC, so I thought I would introduce you to a friend and a sometimes workmate of mine: Kristina Angelozzi & Fischer. I had the pleasure of an invitation to her 2nd preview of Fischer this past Sunday. Kristina's outfits were always ones to watch at work (if she only wore pants (a partialist to skirts!) I would call her style a cross between Annie Hall and Francoise Hardy) so I was very excited to see her blood, sweat and tears. With a background focusing on menswear design, the Fall 2010 line was brimming with feminine yet intricate details and a simple feel of the French 1920's. While she did not do your run-of-the-mill runway, she had all the models in a group setting so if you should so desire to check out her hemlines you were able get out of your seat to take a closer look! I expect to see many more great things from Fischer, so people, keep your eyes peeled!

*Photography courtesy of Fischer, Guest of a Guest and Papermag.com

¡Buen viaje, mamacita!

Dearest blog babies, it's P. here, taking a little break from What Possessed Me to help kick off Deb's trip to Mexico. Very happy to be here, as always.

When Deb told me she was heading to Oaxaca, I threw my sombrero up in the air and exclaimed, "¡AY YAI YAI YAI! ¡ARRIBA!" while knocking back a shot of mezcal. Of course, I did this with my inside voice because not everyone understands what Oaxaca does to a girl. I didn't know either - not until I took a little road trip through Mexico last year and got my socks knocked off good and proper.

Deb, you have such delights in store for you.

Like Mexican beauties who look like Frida Kahlo. Don't you wish you dressed like this every day?

And streets lined with flowers.

Let's not forget the plethora of culinary treats. Crickets are quite tasty when you're not quite sure what you're eating.

Beware: Sometimes the mezcal can go to your head. Which is totally fine, because Oaxaca is the kind of place where you can snooze in someone's doorway with impunity.

And if you're very, very lucky, a woman selling nuts will show you how she does her hair, pulling out a single pin so that her braids tumble down her back.

Did I mention the music? And the lively atmosphere? Such a charming, vibrant city.

Just the place for a much needed midwinter break. Have a wonderful time, Deb - the first cerveza is on us!

xo,

P.

breaking

beautiful photos from Planeta

We are taking a little break from:
winter, snow, the newness of everything, the oldness of everything, ourselves.

We're going to Oaxaca in Mexico where I hope we can:
see some sun and color, eat on the street, ride horses in the country, hike in the mountains, look at art and crafts, tumble along, find new things, meet new people, find some togetherness, stop the world for a while.

While I'm gone, some extremely talented girls will be here to write you love notes and when I get back, I will try not to neglect my work, this poor blog and all of you wonderful friends who faithfully come to visit. I am hoping sunshine helps this otherworldliness and as soon as I get back I want to show you the new collection for Spring.

Love

When I turned on my computer I found this on my desktop. I think Jim left it there. I am looking at it as an early Valentine.

For the last 5 years, I've spent the weeks before Valentine's Day helping romantics find the perfect gift to express their love. And yet, I keep thinking though about how much love I've been feeling, (sometimes over-feeling) these days, love for all the little things: the small acts of kindness, shoulders I've leaned on, comments left and letters sent with great care, love received and parceled at just the right times and how thankful I am for any of it. How do I give something back?

So here I am declaring Valentine's Day the official Thanksgiving of Love. Let this Valentine's Day be about all of our friends who are there when you really need them. I am lucky...I have many many and more. I have so many Valentines. I am thinking of something special.

The Year of January

Time has gone by thickly this month. It feels like almost a year has passed since the New Year came. Has it? The world is a different place here for me and all my anticipation about what it might seem like without my dad was no preparation at all for what this feels like but I am trying hard to be back, trying hard to mix the move forward with good memories and less pain. Back to home and friends and new projects, back to a new collection to be designed (very late), back to filling orders, and back starting tomorrow to the new Brooklyn Flea, my first weekend of many--I am looking forward to seeing my old friends there and hopefully some of you. I am excited for Valentine's Day, being a lover of love in all it's incarnations and am working on project for a little group show to benefit relief work in Haiti just before.

That's how my dad would want it.

Lastly today, I want to tell you how appreciative I am of all your kind and comforting words over the last month. All your love and support from near and far helped me and my family so much more than you can know. Thank you. A few people have told me that that they actually booked tickets to see their loved ones--I say yes. Do it. Be present, linger in every moment.
love, deb

A Life

Nate Stein 1920-2010

Thank you so much for all your beautiful words of comfort last week while my dad was in the hospital. My father passed away on Friday as the sun was going down with all of us around him, holding both of his hands and each other. It's difficult to accept the loss of someone you had so much time to love here in this world, here that we know. Grieving is a shapeless process.

...it is not news that we live in a world
Where beauty is unexplainable
And suddenly ruined
And has its own routines. We are often far
From home in a dark town, and our griefs
Are difficult to translate into a language
Understood by others.

Charlie Smith
"The Meaning of Birds"

Heartbreak

dad and my big brother at emily's graduation last may

This is how I begin: This is the first time I've been home in 9 days. My father is very sick. My family and I have been with him in the hospital since last Monday night and we are holding out hope that he will pull through. He is old and fragile. While we hope big, we are feeling sad and confused also.

There is so much to this experience, every nuance of whatever this misshapen process is, carries pain and hope and ability, reflection and wishes and love and heartbreak, weakness and strength. We are feeling as many feelings as I think there are. We are taking it minute by minute right now, but sometimes we forget. I hope things will go back to normal soon, like my father would want for all of us. I miss you.

A New Year

I was just told last night that we are beginning a new decade. I never got that memo but the last day of any year is the time I usually get ready for a big do-over. I tell myself all the things I want to try to be this year and all the things I want to do and try. Where all that clarity comes from I don't know. Must be about ending and beginning all at the same time. Then the first day is filled with that hazy clearness of movement forward and doing a whole lot of fun nothing. Also Jim woke up this morning with hot pink lipstick all over his face. Luckily there is photo-proof I was wearing hot-pink lipstick last night and rose-colored (2010) glasses, which I plan to keep on all year.

That being said, wishing you all a happy magical year with big hugs and little (hotpink) kisses.

(magical photos by the unicorn diaries)