Q&A: Deborah Stein

Welcome to the glittering, elegant world of Bonbon Oiseau.

Get into the holiday spirit and check out her blog, 

where she's hosting a raffle to benefit The NYC Food Bank!

cutie Deb.

1) Describe who you are in 10 words or less.
awww...do i have to...wait that was 5 words...damn. 11.

2) Tell us what you do for work, and who you do it for, OR how you spend your days. (besides blogging. HA!) 

I'm a jewelry designer with a company called Bonbon Oiseau. I do it for myself (and to feed my husband and 2 cats and often times friends and family members who wander in)

3) What organization methods do you use to keep all your bits and pieces in order?

 Nice question! In the studio I use plastic boxes with all kinds of little compartments stacked on shelves so we can see everything as we need it. There are a few things we keep in old Clementine boxes because I like the way they look but my assistant hates them because we can't see into them. (She also had me get a labeler so we label everything we can't see) We also have cubbies (the "Expedit from ikea"--love this one--am a big fan of cubbies to keep us organized) and inside each one we keep a different family of things. We use nails on the wall to hang all of our orders up with those clamp clips...basically we always revise our organizational system as we grow...it's the only way...

4) Share a defining moment in your life, which had a direct effect on who you are today.
Hmmm... I suppose a defining moment was the time I spent in India working with the toymakers. They were very poor as were a lot of the people I spent my days with there and it taught me to not waste anything, that I don't really NEED anything and to be thankful for everything I do have every day. I think it did shape who I've become.

5) Please tell us the story of the biggest belly laugh of your life.
Well, there are a lot. I have a lot of funny friends. The only one that immediately comes to mind and that I can repeat (kind of) was the day after The Coney Island Mermaid Parade in 2000. My friends and I entered a float themed "Only a Starfish Can Open A Clam"..our float was great, and I was the clam--I designed a soft sculpture clamshell that opened and closed and I could sit inside and threw confetti and mardi-gras beads from out of my shell-- we had a full on extravaganza with our own parade leader and sexy dancing girls all dressed alike with a little dance routine and a brass band from Wisconsin following us and the next day, after it was all over, I got a call from my friend Jen who said, "Guess who's in the inside cover of the NY Daily News Deb?...You are...you are Deb." We laughed pretty hard...I guess I was a pretty good clam but the thing is..can I say this here? I had glued a pretty obvious beard to my chin and wore all

 pink and sat in a clamshell that opened and closed... The Daily News put a Bearded Clam on their inside cover...anyway..we laughed and laughed...I'll look for the picture and send it to you!

6) What work of art, creation, project, photo, etc. are you most proud of?
I think to date I'm most proud of my Fall Collection right now..it's based on Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass and I think it embodies the feeling and spirit of that collection of poems...It's one of my favorite collections in that it's literary and also wearable. That's not always that easy to do.

7) Which children's book influenced you the most? 

I think Jacob Two-two and The Hooded Fang which i thought was by Roald Dahl but I just looked into it and it turns out to be by Moredcai Richter---it was about a little kid surrounded by adults, like i was, but he ends up going to jail for doing something bad I can't remember... he was a very cool little character... I also loved the Great Brain series by John Fitzgerald (my collection was illustrated by Maurice Sendak which was great)... that was about a little Mormon kid who was always outsmarting all the adults (but as my older brother always says, the adults were just really stupid).

8) What is your favorite pie? Favorite flavor Ice Cream?

 Favorite pie: tarte tatin, (and often humble pie) favorite ice cream: green tea or Ciao Bella's Blood Ornage Sorbet

9) Which blog post of yours has had the most comments? 

l don't really have that kind of rock star blog but i get the most comments 1) when i've had a giveaway (how do people know?) 2) when I post a recipe or pics from my garden or 3) after a Bonbon photoshoot... but this one got a surprising number of comments (for me) because people liked the pic of my dad:
bonbonoiseaudesign.blogspot.com/2008/09/even-if-your-weekend-is-busy.html

10) What message would you like to leave for the world? (here is your chance)
My message is from my favorite grafitti artist--the tag is written large on a wall in williamsburg: WE ARE ALL BUDDHAS. I would say that's a pretty good message.

Q&A: Laura of Shorehouse Chic

Laura: Shorehouse Chic

1) Describe who you are in 10 words or less.
Rock star trapped in the body of a thirty-something homebody.
Too many words? ;-)

2) Tell us what you do for work, and who you do it for, OR how you spend your days. (besides blogging. HA!)
I work in marketing communications for a business-to-business company in NYC – I am a business writer, creative services, company organizer, event planner, schlepper by day. And night, sometimes. I used to have more exciting gigs in the media industry where I got to travel and do "important" (depending on your definition) things…Now I'm grateful for a much smaller job that is 100% local. The only work travel I do is to my own bed at night, and I'm at a point in my life where I'm pretty happy for that. (Unless someone's willing to pay me more to do otherwise. Then I'd be at Newark airport tomorrow!)

3) What organization methods do you use to keep all your bits and pieces in order?
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

4) Share a defining moment in your life, which had a direct effect on who you are today.
To make a VERY long story short…My first job out of college was at a small, fancy pants PR agency in Manhattan. It was heinous…no lunch breaks, no benefits (health or other) -- just the "prestige" of working there. My boss was tiny, but thanks to an incredible collection of Manolo Blahniks she could look you right in the eye when she was making you feel like a lump of poo. One day she called me in her office to say, give or take a couple of words, "You'll never, ever make it. You're not cut out for this business or this city. Maybe I could help you find a job in retail." In less than 10 years I was running the PR department at a major company in her building. I've often thought about writing her a thank you note for making my first "real job" so horrible: She helped me keep my eye on the prize, and by putting me down just made me work harder.

5) Please tell us the story of the biggest belly laugh of your life.
I laugh a *lot* so that's a really tough one. I come from a long line of belly laughers, in fact. I'd have to say my mother getting pulled onto a Broadway stage by Dame Edna is up there. And when I first heard David Sedaris read Santaland Diaries live, I almost piddled myself I laughed so hard.

6) What work of art, creation, project, photo, etc. are you most proud of?
I think you're supposed to say your kids? But I don't have any. Hmmm...I'm pretty proud of the house me and the mister have put together over the past year. That's certainly been a labor of love at times.

Digging back a bit in time…When I was in college, my fashion journalism professor was the former men's fashion editor at the L.A. Times, so when he submitted one of my class assignments (on tartan making a comeback) for publication I almost plotzed. I was pretty proud to be considered "publishable" by anyone, least of whom a respected journalist.

7) Which children's book influenced you the most?
Charlotte's Web. Read it. Loved it. Never ate meat again. And that was pretty close to 30 years ago!

8) What is your favorite pie? Favorite flavor Ice Cream?
I. Love. Pie. Making it…eating it…loving it. My favorite decadent treat is the sour cream apple walnut pie at The Little Pie Company in NYC.
And, hands down mint chocolate chip ice cream is mon favorite. Always has been my favorite, and (save me getting dropped on my head or something) always will be.

9) Which blog post of yours has had the most comments?
My house tours have always been crowd favorites, thanks to linking up to Hooked on Houses' online tours (http://hookedonhouses.net/2008/10/23/hooked-on-house-tours-the-fall-party-starts-here). The most comments were on my school house tour/giveaway post:
http://shorechic.blogspot.com/2008/10/back-to-school-house-tour.html#comments

And a close second was my tour of the wild Ocean Grove, NJ, tent community which had 45 comments (http://shorechic.blogspot.com/2008/08/they-live-in-tents.html#comments),
but was my most talked about post…and brought many new people my way that still read my blog (and vice versa).

10) What message would you like to leave for the world? (here is your chance)
Oh, jeez…That's way too enormous a responsibility for a dunderhead like me. :-) So I'll steal a couple of words from the late musician Warren Zevon…"Enjoy every sandwich."

Q& A: Cheryl, Live from the UAE!

Cheryl & her daughter Eleanor of www.alainnotebook.com

1. Describe who you are in ten words or less
Mother who loves books, my family and friends and beauty

2. Tell us what you do for work, and who you do it for, OR how you spend your days (besides blogging. HA!)
I am a librarian on hiatus as my little family is currently living abroad in the United Arab Emirates for a year. I have worked for two great libraries in Ohio and love the purpose and vision that public libraries serve! I can say that while I loved my job, this not working gig I'm doing right now is pretty sweet. Days are spent with my toddler and husband exploring our new city in the desert and then there are always the domesticalities of the day which I actually really enjoy. I am relishing in the extra time I have and doing yoga again, reading and cooking more, and trying to learn more about photography.

3. What organization methods do you use to keep all your bits and pieces in order?
I am kindof OCD (my husband would debate the "kindof"). I like everything to be in it's "place," although I do have secret "junk drawers" and such. I figure as long as I can't see it, it works. I like things to be contained so I used small bins and things for organization. I like notebooks too for keeping lists and info.

4. Share a defining moment in your life, which had a direct effect on who you are today.
Hmmm.....I'm not going to think about this too much because then it'll become too difficult and unanswerable. I would say having my daughter Eleanor two years ago. There is nothing more defining to me than bringing another life into the world. What a crazy, beautiful experience.

5. Please tell us the story of the biggest belly laugh of your life.
I'm one of those people who have a hard time pulling off a "funny story" at times, which is a real bummer! I like spontaneous laughter like last night in yoga class with a friend getting into a crazy pose that seems impossible and compromising :) or just with a funny movie on like last night's Spanglish. I talk to my Mom every week through Yahoo Messenger and we were dying laughing the other night but I can't even remember what it was about! :) I also email her every day - I'm a good daughter. I hope if my Eleanor moved half way across the world she'd do the same for me. I know it's hard having such distance.
6. What work of art, creation, project, photo, etc. are you most proud of? 
I love this picture that I took the first day my daughter came into the world. I love photography and am really trying to learn more while abroad and capture this amazing time. Photography can be a real challenge though, especially with an active toddler! So I am trying to be patient with myself.

7. Which children's book influenced you the most?
This is not an easy question for a librarian! :) As a child I was greatly influenced by the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary. I loved them. At the time Ramona was my age and I loved reading about all the things she was doing. I have very special memories of reading her books at my library as a kid. There was a large mural covering all the walls of the children's area and a fish pond just off to the side. It was awesome.
As an adult, the children's book that has influenced me the most is The Giver by Lois Lowry. It's a dystopia and a very powerful story that I believe is just as good as any literary fiction adult title I have read. I love reading about dystopias and utopias - it gives interesting perspective and makes you think - what would a perfect world be like for you? others?
And you also can't beat Good Night Moon and the Olivia books by Ian Falconer

8. What is your favorite pie? Favorite flavor Ice Cream?
Me loves some APPLE pie the best, especially when it has the most delicious crunchy crust. Not the biggest ice cream fan (shocking I know!) but I do like mint chocolate chip. And vanilla does add to the apple pie :)

9. Which blog post of yours has had the most comments?
I'm pretty new to blogging. I just started this August to stay in touch with family and friends back home. As readership slowly builds the comments come more. Plus somehow my template did not enable comments for like the first two months! duh. Anyway, I just started something similar to this Q&A called a "Spotlight Series" where I am interviewing bloggers I admire and want to share. That has been my most comments so far. Guess who I'd like to come and be my guest soon?

10. What message would you like to leave for the world? (here is your chance)
To remember that every one on earth is someone's child and to respect and take care of one another.