Christmas Eve, Eve

Hey bon bons, a little birdie told us you might need an extra day for your Christmas shopping, so we will be open 12-5 this Sunday for your shopping pleasure. Happy Holidays!

...by the way, I don't know about you, but White Christmas is my favorite Christmas movie. If nothing else, there are fantastic costumes and some serious tap dancing!

Fabulously Creative

Guess what bon bons? Our new website was featured on the awesome blog Fly! This is one of our must reads each day so we are super excited about it! Check it out at http://flygirls.typepad.com/!

www.bonbonatelier.com-- Now Open for Business!

Hello Friends!
We have some exciting news, our website www.bonbonatelier.com has been given a makeover. It is revamped, online and shoppable! So, if you can't come visit us at our store, come visit us online, where you can check out our Holiday Gift Guide, our Artist of the Month, Tour the Store, and of course shop all our wonderful merchandise! So come visit and don't forget to tell all your friends! www.bonbonatelier.com

Love
Betsy and Emily

Whimsy Holiday Paper

Whimsy Press Holiday Paper has arrived! New double-sided patterns and colors (not necessarily just for the holidays) are here to brighten up the store, and we are so excited about them, that we wanted to put them up for all to see, and give you some wrapping tips as well!

• Look for subtle colors in the paper, and pull that color out with your ribbon
• Bundle small gifts together in one package. The two sides of Whimsy Press paper are perfectly coordinated to look great together
• Make a "belt" using the flip side of the Whimsy Press paper you used to wrap the gift. Just cut out a strip of paper long enough to go around your package, then fold it lengthwise to create pleats. Wrap it around the gift and secure it with double stick tape
• Adding a small gift to the outside is a nicety that really cranks up the personality of the gift. If you are giving one of our hot chocolate pots, it would be funny to attach a glittery toothbrush. Or one of our mix and match stationary sets would be a great add on gift. Or a candle, or felt barrette, or soap or we could go on forever, but you get the picture!

As seen on....

These fabulous stitchable journals were featured on the Designsponge Holiday Gift Guide, and of course we have them! We also have the stitchable photo album kits. It's a perfect gift, crafty and usefull!

Have fun stitching while creating a deluxe monogrammed journal. Whether you're a beginner or a veteran, this all-inclusive kit will guide you through the project step-by-step. Stitched directly onto the laser cut cover, the needlepoint accent adds a luxurious touch to this practical journal.
Kit includes:
* 4.5 x 6.25 inch journal (192 unlined pages)
* easy-to-follow instructions
* needle & needle threader
* cotton thread in coordinating colors
* a chart pattern of all letters for the initials.

$25.00

What are you getting your true love?

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me....
12 Pacifica candles   

11 glittery toothbrushes  

10 retro aprons     

9 pairs of legwarmers     

8 books on decorating    
7 velvet poufs     
6 bejeweled teacups    
5 silver rings      

4 pairs of earrings  

3 handbags      

2 pairs of shoes  

and a bon bon atelier gift certificate!

Feeling bookish?

I know, it's far too warm outside to think about shopping for the Holiday's, but they are coming. Quickly! So, if you need a few ideas for that hard to buy for fashionista in your life, how about a fabulous book? We have got a ton of new books, but 3 of them are destined for fashion lovers.
Slim, by Cynthia Rowley is a beautifully illustrated fable of how she became a fashion designer.
Lulu Guinness has given us Put on Your Pearls Girls!, a guide to life and dressing, it is so charming, and it even has some pop out pictures!
A Party Dress is an yummy book chronicling how we have dressed up through the ages for different events. It doesn't just look at vintage designers though, it also highlights some amazing new ones.

bon bon Holiday Extravaganza

I know-- we have been bad bon bon bloggers. However, we have been away for a reason, it is the holiday season after all and between planning events, ordering awesome new merchandise, and re-arranging the store into a magical wonderland, we have been a bit busy. Anyway, Thursday we kick off the Holiday season at bon bon with a soiree from 6-9pm. Champagne and chocolates are being served, that always makes for a good party! Oh, and really cool news!! Last Wednesday on DesignSponge, there was a Kansas City city guide put up, and we were on it! How excited were we? Well, I called everyone I knew and jumped up and down until my legs gave out. I'll put the link up so you all can go see it, if you haven't been on DesignSponge before, you are missing a little piece of magic on the internet. Anyway, come visit us on Thursday!

Thursday November 15th, Holiday Extravaganza 6-9 pm.

Crafty Classes!

It’s time to get Crafty…..
Big News bon bons!
Starting in December we will be offering crafty classes for all of you who want to expand your artistic horizon. Whether you are a beginner, or an old hand we have the classes for you! And of course, they are just in time for the Holidays, because the best gift is a homemade gift!

Subversive Cross Stitch Class
December 4th 6-7:30 pm
Feeling a little disgruntled? Tired of all that forced cheerfulness the Holiday’s bring? Well, express yourself in a healthy way—through the fine art of Cross Stitch! Inspired by Julie Jackson’s Subversive Cross Stitch book we will teach you how to get your needle out, your fabric in the loop and you’ll be stitching in no time! You can choose between 2 designs, a tattoo heart that says mom, or Happy F**ing Holidays which is surrounded by pretty snowflakes. The class includes the book, fabric loop, thread, needles and cross stitch fabric. $30.00 Please RSVP by November 26rd.

Gift Wrapping Class
December 11th 6-7:30
You know those people who always give the most perfect Martha Stewart-like gifts? You know, with ribbons and trim and flowers? Well, now you can be that person! Our very own wrapping queen Rachel will teach you how to put together the perfect packages—Bring some of your own gifts to wrap if you want! This class includes 2 sheets of wrapping paper, ribbon, gift tags, stickers and package trimmings. $25.00 Please RSVP by December 1st

Decoupage Class
December 17th 6-7:30Our very own furniture-design queen Sheila Blodgett will show you how her decoupage secrets can work on a smaller scale—frames! Decoupage, which is the art of layering and lacquering paper on an item, can instantly transform an object into a one of a kind piece with amazing depth and detail. This class includes, 1 frame, and all of the paper and other supplies needed. $30.00 Please RSVP by December 3rd.

Happy Hostess Party! October 24th

Hone your Happy Hostess skills just in time for the Holidays! On Wednesday, October 24th, from 6–9 p.m., bon bon atelier will have everything you need: aprons, tableware, your favorite Hostess products, and even an on-hand professional event planner giving helpful hostess hints. And, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a portion of the night’s proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. See you there!

Kansas City Fashion Week

bon bon atelier will be participating in the finale show of Kansas City Fashion week (put on by weahaus), Friday September 28th starting at 8:00 pm. You can check out the rest of the weeks schedule at http://kc.wearhaus.org/?page_id=21. It's going to be a great week of fashion, (although Friday's show will be the best, of course). Come see us!!

Domino Decorating Contest!

Submit a photo of your room by October 16, the 5 finalists will be announced on the 23rd and then voting opens. It's great to see all the amazing rooms!

Hello Autumn, goodbye Valentino

Autumn. I am so glad you are here (almost). I have been waiting for 5 months to bring out my boots, tights, chunky sweaters and hats, and now the time is almost here! If only it wasn't 95 degrees out. Anyway, we've been a little quieter than usual here at bon bon, waiting for the heat to let up, but now we are starting to gear up for our favorite season! First and Foremost, out with the old! American Apparel is 40% off, and with a variety of styles from dresses to tanks to long sleeve shirts, it is definitely a good time to stock up. As for the new, we are starting off with a new pair of delicious shoes from Irregular Choice. They are tasty little shoes with a little luxury in the form of a pink jeweled buckle right on top. $106.00. We also have some new fall dresses in, A-lines in mixed patterns and colors. Just right for making that transition to the new more body conscious silhouette (goodbye Trapeze Dress). And of course there will be new bags, more shoes, and some great new jewelry--all in good time. I would like to now bid a fond farewell to Valentino who has just announced today that he is stepping down as head designer from his company that he founded in 1960. It has not been announced who will take his place, but it will be a hard one to fill. I hope that they continue as one of the few houses who still show haute couture. It is a dying art, and one that Valentino has done well over the years.

See you soon!

Hello bon bons!

Ready for some good news? We've marked All our American apparel (solid colors) down! 40% off! We've got long sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, tank tops, scarves, dresses, undies, and skirts! Come in and snag them before they disappear!

Hello Kitty Keeping the Peace?

Ok, so this really doesn't have anything to do with anything, but as a major Hello Kitty fan I was interested, and slightly disturbed...

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police officers who break rules will be forced to wear hot pink armbands featuring "Hello Kitty," the Japanese icon of cute, as a mark of shame, a senior officer said Monday.

Police officers caught littering, parking in a prohibited area, or arriving late — among other misdemeanors — will be forced to stay in the division office and wear the armband all day, said Police Col. Pongpat Chayaphan. The officers won't wear the armband in public.
The striking armband features Hello Kitty sitting atop two hearts.
"Simple warnings no longer work. This new twist is expected to make them feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offense, no matter how minor," said Pongpat, acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok.

"(Hello) Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It's not something macho police officers want covering their biceps," Pongpat said.
He said police caught breaking the law will be subject the same fines and penalties as any other members of the public.
"We want to make sure that we do not condone small offenses," Pongpat said, adding that the CSD believed that getting tough on petty misdemeanors would lead to fewer cases of more serious offenses including abuse of power and mistreatment of the public by police officers.
Hello Kitty, invented by Sanrio Co. in 1974, has been popular for years with children and young women. The celebrity cat adorns everything from diamond-studded jewelry, Fender guitars and digital cameras to lunch boxes, T-shirts and stationery. USA Today

Denyse Schmidt, you crafty devil you...

Calling all quilters!!! bon bon has the book for you--the new Denyse Schmidt quilting book is delicious and inspiring. I think the pictures speak for themselves on how talented Denyse is. Don't worry, if you are overwhelmed by the thought of making a quilt, the book has a lot of smaller projects to get you going. Come in soon, they won't last long!

And the winner is....

Danny Rotert has won our official bon bon atelier tshirt contest!! You can see his beautiful design above, and can purchase t-shirts and tanks starting August 2nd at our 1 year Anniversary Party! And of course, we will have a ton of new merchandise to entice you into our sparkly little store! So join us August 2nd from 6-8 and see all the new lovelies we have for you!

Tatty Devine

So, whilst browsing through favorite pictures that I have saved forever, I came across one of my favorite collections ever, the Autumn 2003/4 Tatty Devine collection, shown in London. As far as I know this was their only apparel collection they have showed, as they are mainly jewelry designers (check out http://www.tattydevine.com/) I'm only showing a portion of the show, you can see it all if you go to http://www.vogue.co.uk/, and find them under shows under Autumn 2003/4. It just makes me so happy to look at it!

Bring a friend, get a discount!

Don't forget, tomorrow is out Bring a Friend, Get a Discount night! For every friend you bring, you get 10% off your purchase (up to 50%!) Because what could be better than shopping with your friends, drinking a little champagne and getting a discount? Not much. From 6-8 Thursday June 28th. See you there!

flo

I just finished reading the biography of Florence Broadhurst that we just got in. She was an innovative wallpaper designer from Australia in the 60's who had a very mysterious life and death. It's a great book, so interesting to read about this mastermind who, out of no where started a spectacular wallpaper business, and of course to see the prints is so inspiring. Anyway, you should definitely come in and check out the book.

In the new issue of Elle Decor UK, there is a story on designer Lisa Whatmough of Squint. I want it all!

oooh--Fun Contest!!

Hello bon bons!

Well, as hard as it is to believe, next month our sparkly little store will have been open for 1 year! To mark the occasion we are having a Official bon bon Tshirt Design Contest! We want you to design a t-shirt that is adorable, fabulous and the very essence of bon bon....then we will be selling them at our Birthday Party in July with a portion of the proceeds going to charity. As winner you will receive a $50.00 gift certificate, t-shirt (of course!), a lot of flattery and a permanent place in the bon bon atelier hall of fame!

Entries need to be in by July 1st, 2007. They will be judged on design quality, creativity and how well they represent bon bon atelier - so get going!

If I knew you were coming......

I'd have cleared out my closet. Retro Betty is here. All green with pom poms, shouldn't you welcome her into your home? $118.00

Whimsy Press

Hello bon bons! I know that it has been a long time inbetween posts, but we have been busy here at the store. We rearranged (again), created a Jolly Holliday themed window, have been working on our apparel for the 18th st fashion show, and of course been running the store! However, we are super excited to welcome Whimsy Press gift wrap to the store! This 2-sided paper is amazingly cute. It has two different patterns on each side of the sheet and is heavy enough to reuse (if you can resist ripping the paper off your gift!) In fact, one of our customers bought some last week and has used the same sheet 3 times since then! Or, you can tack it to the wall like wallpaper as we did in our new window. And I'm sure there are a million other uses. We also got their stickers, notepads and pompoms!

Jungden's jewels

This necklace is by one of our new local designers Emily Jungden--who does the most amazing enamel work ever. She has just brought in a new shipment, and although it is flying out of the store, there are still some choice pieces left--definitely worth a look!

Simple Sewing

I just wanted to highlight a new book that we recently got, Simple Sewing with a French Twist by Celine Dupuy, it is a beautiful book with easy to sew, yet amazing patterns, all topped off with super inspiring pictures.

New British Elle Decor

Hi bon bons! Exciting news, in the new British Elle Decor for this month the Ibride trays that we have (see below) are one of the top three Things To Have! Not surprising, since they are so cool! Anyway, we are the only ones in Kansas City that has them, so come get them while they are still around!

Yvestown

I have come across the loveliest little blog, www.yvestown.com. She lives in the Netherlands in the cutest Cath Kidston-ish house ever, and it is a joy to look at all her pictures. I highly recommend it.

purlsoho

If you are searching for a website with the most beautiful fabrics ever, look no further than Purlsoho.com. They have a million different fabrics and accessories and books, etc-all of them magnificent. By far my favorite are the new Tana Lawn prints by Liberty of London. They have a great selection of these fabrics that are incredibly difficult to find in the USA. The website is worth a peek just for inspiration!

melamine plates!

As summer nears, and we find ourselves outside more and more, it's nice to have some super fun non breakable plates for all of those outside parties. We found these at working class studio, which is part of the Savannah college of art and design, where the artists get to have their designs actually produced and sold to the masses. Some people have just been using them as decoration they are so pretty! Available now at bon bon~

Ceramics Crazy

Emily and I love ceramics, in fact we are ceramics crazy. I don't know what it is about us, but we love a good vessel. bon bon, of course, carries the incredible ceramic designs of Andrea Yates and Shirley Kramer (of whom both are very well represented in our homes), but another ceramicist we love--Jonathan Adler. We first went to a Jonathan Adler store in San Francisco, and then fell into his website, and of course watch him every week as the incredibly witty judge on Top Design. Anyway look at his website--his ceramics are amazing, he does incredibly beautiful furniture-oh and his pillows are awesome. www.jonathanadler.com For the incredible Shirley Kramer and Andrea Yates check out our website www.bonbonatelier.com or stop in the store!

Save the Date

Hello! I just wanted to give you a Save the Date for April 19th 7:00pm. That is when bon bon is having it's Garden Party, which will also be premiere of our new exclusive capsule collection! Every couple of months we will have 5 or 6 new limited edition (only 3 of each!) pieces. We are really excited about this, and hope everyone can make it! I am just sorry that there aren't any pictures I can put up right now! So, here is a picture of one of the coolest necklaces that Emily has made for the store, that I love.

Ibride Trays have Arrived

Ibride's products are created by 3 members of the same French family. The inspiration for each item comes from both the very close environment and travels around the world. The word 'ibride' itself is a play on words in French meaning 'hybrid', and many of the pieces combine several forms and several functions. The trays are not only sturdy and beautiful while in use but can also become elegant wall décor statements. Each tray is constructed to last using a century old technique. Created of high pressure laminate each of Ibride's items are thoroughly functional and lifestyle enhancing at the same time. And now they are at bon bon!