Sketchbook Sessions

In honor of my {Renaissance Year}, and being a creatively frazzled dreamer in general, 
I'm finding myself attacking color to paper on a more regular basis again. 

And it feels right. 

Nothing groundbreakingly MoMA worthy or anything, 
(that would need to involve an obligatory rendition of a penis. ZING!)

And don't worry, I'm not opening up an Etsy store... 

(Double ZING!)


I'm just being me. 

Someone who realllllllly wants one of the new Mara Hoffman vinyl beach bags and listened to White Flight's "Panther" a little too much this morning. 


xoxo

{Bon Bon}



P.S. If you have an Etsy store, I'm just being passive aggressive and uber jealous of your talents and entrepreneurship. It's just my PayPal account talking. And if you're the owner of the MoMa reading this....seriously, too much.  

Renaissance Woman

{the she & him finished products of a watercolor morning with the Bean}

Someday in the future, hopefully in the far far eighty plus years far away future, my iPad tombstone will read..."Herein lies Bon Bon. She had enviable wavy textured hair and the gift of dabble."

{and a morbid sense of humor} 


Music. Art. Writing. Cooking. Dreaming. Mixology. Decorating. Styling. Athletics. Linguistics. Speed Reading. Sewing. Paper Mache Puppetry. Creating. Doing numerous Its by Yourself. 
Basically, everything from Butcher to Baker to Candlestick Maker and beyond.

{The term "butcher" is loosely being used here, due to an unfortunate incident involving a suicidal deer on HWY 212 back in the summer of 2010}


My real hobby is collecting hobbies.
Which is a cutesy roundabout way of saying: I like to quit things.

Once something gets too mundane or easy or boring or unnatural or hard or frustrating, I huff and puff my way off the mountain. {My last ski lesson was in 2001)


So, in honor of now being one of the Bean's "practice what you preach" role-models, and in homage to my collection of Giga Pets in the 4th grade that I starved off because they kept beeping me awake during the night, I am committing myself to a Renaissance Year! A year of trying, re-trying, and most importantly, finishing whatever I start.
{I'm specifically talking to the four books on my nightstand, a ukulele I ordered from Amazon, two baskets of clothes waiting to be folded since last last laaaast Friday, and season 3 of Downton Abbey). 


No more sulking by the ski lodge fireplaces of life for me! 

I'm going to open that unused bag of jewelry making supplies, dust off the out of tune banjo, sew something more substantial than a pillowcase, and re-watch "The Joy of Painting" episodes.



Maybe, first, I'll learn how to roast coffee beans. 
I'm gonna need it. 




I would also like to point out that the Bean beeped me awake for nine months straight and he's still here in one piece, so obviously progress has already been made. 

Keeping a plant alive is another story. 



xoxo

{Bon Bon}

FOLLOW ME ON: BLOGLOVIN//INSTAGRAM//TWITTER 

Fashion and the Flu

{vitamin c. yes please}

Even though I'm feeling a little under the weather, I figured I might as well try and get out of my sweatpants uniform and dress for the day like a normal functioning human being. Then I had an epiphany. Twofold. (A). I'm not normal. I've learned to embrace the quirky. (B). Sweatpants are fashionable these days.

I double checked my resources upon this revelation.

{Yigal Azrouël, Alexander Wang, and Rag & Bone}

Comfort and style? You don't have to choose one over the other? It's too good to be true! So, I threw together my own version, cause I'm ridiculous like that, even when stricken with the black lung. Did I mention I get really dramatic whilst sick? Haha. Whilst.

{tired eyes. bright lips}

Top: Lulus

Necklace: A gift from Spain

Sweatpants: Aerie

Shoes: Michael Antonio

I posed for a bit. Contemplated life. Practiced my runway walk, just for old times' sake. Ate a grapefruit. Good times were had. Good times.

Then I kicked off my heels and snuggled back onto the couch.

After all, isn't that what sweatpants really were created for? Let's be honest here.

The red lipstick stayed on though. I still wanted to feel a bit glamorous for the day and, surprisingly, it pairs well with a red runny nose. Whowhouldathunkit.

Would you ever take your sweatpants out of the gym and into the "real" world?

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Ballerina Bon Bon

Recently we watched this movie.

It was pretty. It was dark. White Swan. Black Swan. Ballet scenes and oh.my.not.for.the.faint.of.heart.scenes. Black moments encompassed the majority of the film, but the mixture of beautiful and gloomy was so intertwined, that by the end of it, I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. Did something ethereal just happen, or plain ol' crazy?

I still can't decide if I even liked the darn thing. Your thoughts?

Regardless, it was the fashion that inspired me most. Hello Rodarte! Hello cashmere, leggings, shrugs, airy skirts, off-shoulder sweaters and tights in grey, nude, and blush tones. Long gone are my days at the barre in my pink leotard, {maybe that's why I've become so clumsy in life. sad story}, but I can still pretend to be graceful!

Here's my interpretation of Swan Lake via my closet. I pulled out a few things that make me feel like a dainty ballerina and I possibly did a plié or two along the way, just saying.

White Swan

Leggings: Nordstrom

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Headband: Adidas

Earrings: A gift {handmade}

Necklace: A gift {handmade}

Scarf: Anthropologie

Top: Solemio

Sweater: Matty M

Earrings: A gift

Top: Silence & Noise

Hairband: Urban Outfitters

Shorts: Lululemon

Legwarmers: A gift

Earrings: A gift

Black Swan

Top: Soprano

Headband: Forever 21

Skirt: Forever 21

Tights: Urban Outfitters

{The End}

Hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into what inspires me in the every day! I'm off to dance around the city with my Swan Prince today. Hooray for long weekends.

Have a lovely and lively Friday!

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

From Russia With Love

{via}

Long story short, (someday I'll post "The Long Story"), I fell in love with a certain green-eyed Ukrainian man a few years ago. Now I have a brand-new-difficult-to-pronounce-the-cashier-at-the-grocery-store-never-gets-it-right, last name. phew.

Of course, I'm still smitten with my Ukrainian and I absolutely love my new identity as a Mrs. This name is fun. I feel so multi-cultural!

And our kids, well, our kids will be a smorgasbord of international genes. Small parts Korean and German plus a big dose of Eastern European. My main thought about that: What if they have red hair, blue eyes, and look nothing like me? I've seen it happen before people. It's a strange, strange world.

Who am I kidding? They are gonna be so adorable! Yep, I just bragged about our kids that don't even exist.

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself though. No little Svetlana or Vladimir running around anytime soon. I think.

In honor of my fancy new name and big extended family, here are some fun little babushka trinkets and lovelies to remind you of the old country.

Russian to Get Home

{via}

Squeaky Clean

{via}

Add some leggings and a bowl of borscht

{via}

O.P.I Boris & Natasha Collection

{via}

Sparkly Nesting Doll Ring

{via}

"Tro-lo-lo-loooooo" (It's a family favorite song)

{via}

Russian Red Pout

{via}

Introduce these lovely ladies to The Brothers Karamazov

{via}

Jot a few notes to your Mama and Papa

{via}

Block out the winter chill

{via}

Sweet Dreams of Caviar, Blini, and Vodka

{via}

The bebes will come someday...

{via}

Adorable clutch to store your rubles

{via}

Russian fashion for me

{via}

"Mmmmm, Fish Perogies" for him

{via}

Matryoshka Flats

{via}

Hope you enjoyed a sweet treat of Russian-inspired goodies today!

Don't forget the old country's words of wisdom:

"Love and eggs are best when they are fresh."

"Счастливое понедельник"

-Happy Monday

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Fashion Fuel: Topshop

Here's a little something to warm you up

{via}

I was browsing through Topshop's Spring/Summer Collections today. If I can't actually be in Sweden for the summer, I guess the next best thing is to look the part. I'm always up for being a little 70's, a tad Bohemian, and slightly European. I think it's how long my hair is now, I'm feeling free-spirited. Maybe start carrying a tambourine?

Even if your fashion-conscience won't let you jump into this look full-force, that doesn't mean you have to abandon it completely! Mix in a breezy floral print, a delicate cardigan, some lace, suede, a maxi dress, chunky wedges, etc. Little touches here and there.

I threw together an outfit that I would like to wear all summer long:

Flowers in your hair are optional, but always appreciated. Especially in Portland.

Shout out to a few of my European lovelies that I'm missing today: Birgitta, Marta, Ruthie, Victoria, Tina, Louise, Birgitte, Iina, Kata, Susanne, Stina, Jenny, Miriam, Kath, and Helena.

Hope you are having a lively Saturday. Lovely and lively!

xoxo

{Bon Bon}