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True Confessions: I Can’t Stop Reading Another Queen’s Diary

Now, if you think Beverly Feldman’s shoes are fantastic, you should read her blog, Diary of an Obsessed Shoe and Handbag Designer. She is not only a great bag and shoe designer, but also a genius comedienne. I aspire to live my own version of her fabulous, funny, globe-trotting adventures. She celebrated her sixtieth birthday not so long ago; she has boyfriends in every country; she dotes on her dogs; and she never diets and designs at the same time because “sugar feeds her creativity”. Here is just a sampling of Beverly’s bodacious blog and her delightful wit:
Beverly on her bust size: I was a perfect 34 B my whole life until of course I started liposucking my life away. You know what they say, it always comes back. Well, guess where mine landed! My recent quest in life is to keep my hair bigger than my bust. This only works with daily blow drying, a lot of spray and no rain.

Beverly on her weight: I wish I was fat today like I thought I was 30 years ago. Just bury me deep frozen in Haagen Daz Pralines and Crème when I die.

Beverly on the art of packing light: So, back to my packing. I arrive at the airport exactly 4 kilos overweight. I cannot believe it. I have left half of my belongings in Hong Kong, and I am still overweight. This is more stressful than Weight Watchers.
 
Beverly on fancy Manhattan restaurants: You need an encyclopedia to understand the ridiculous descriptions on the menu. That’s if you can get in. Soon, the menu will tell us where the pots and pans were made, and what time the chickens laid their eggs. Pre-dawn eggs certainly would certainly warrant a $25.00 price tag, don’t you think?

Beverly on Hong Kong brides (Notice yet another Scarlett sighting!): Brides in Hong Kong change up to six times. How fabulous is that? We should import that custom to the States. Most of the bride’s outfits are rented, but who cares? During a single wedding, they go from Scarlett O’Hara to the traditional Chinese bride of the last emperor days, finally ending up in Lanvin (not rented). It’s a dream - every time you turn around the bride is in another outfit. That’s my idea of heaven.

Beverly on her clients: My customers are women from 10 yrs who are going to Bar Mitzvah’s and want to wear my highest 4” rhinestone heels, to my adopted mother, Harriet Wright, the last living Copacabana Girl (87) who has a huge closet of my beaded flats.

Beverly on her style: I came from absolutely nothing. I wanted to be a star, so I dressed like one. I wanted to be a star and so designed my own life with the philosophy, ‘TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH’!!  I believe if you dress like a star, you will be a star. 

Beverly on her shoes: My shoes make women happy. My designs are more like legal mood elevators than ordinary footwear and bags. They are all conversation pieces; they are glamorous, fun; they are art. I have yet to meet a woman anywhere in the world that doesn’t love shoes. I design my collections based on what I personally would want to wear, and what my customers will think is new, and find totally irresistible. There is only one trend I follow - timeless glamour.

Fantastique, n’est-ce pas? So when you’re not reading me, be sure to read Beverly!

Shoes for a Superstar

Happiness is in the Bag

It’s a Gretchen Scott creation, and I love everything about it. Her tagline is: “Laugh More, Gripe Less, Ignore Critics, Say Yes, Order Dessert, Love Life!” And, honey, believe me when I tell you that you can’t just carry this bag - you have to wear the bag, work the bag, and live the bag! Every time I pick it up, I feel my mood elevate. It’s so chic-French-woman-goes-to-market, so Southern-belle-of-every-ball. And can I just tell you how fabulously jaunty and flirtatious and feminine I feel while carrying it? It’s truly inspiring. Happiness is running errands while accessorized by a purse that screams: "I'm fun! I'm joyful! I'm feminine! And, I don't take myself too seriously!" 

Here’s the best part: Inside the black and white striped and polka-dotted lining is a little hidden tag. It looks like an exaggerated version of the paper slips you find in fortune cookies. It says: "Wherever you go, go with all your heart" -Confucius 

Daily Scarlett Sightings? Well, We Are in the South, Darlings

Margaret Mitchell wrote her great epic novel, Gone with the Wind, in 1936; the film debuted in 1939. Seventy years may have passed, but folks in the South have long and loyal memories; they’re still not over the Civil War, so they certainly haven’t forgotten Miss Scarlett.

I’ve had three sightings in as many days, so I thought it must be time to make my first mention of Scarlett O’Hara (full name Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler) on this blog. Since she was of French-Irish ancestry, and since she is the quintessential steel magnolia, I’m sure she’ll appear often in these South ‘n France posts. She certainly pops up often enough in my daily life here at the Bon Bon Factory:

Giving Frankie The Accordionist a Squeeze

Here was another thing we loved about Bastille Day: Frankie Gerald Accurso and his incredible vintage rhinestone accordion. Frankie has entertained at restaurants, country clubs, corporate functions, banquets and wedding receptions for more than 35 years. 

Accordians and the songs of Edith Piaf may well be the two greatest icons of French music, so his smooth sounds provided the perfect ambiance for the art gallery where we held our wine, bon bon and goat cheese tasting. Frankie even provided fantastic accompaniment to the Poodle and Puppy Parade! His repertoire is amazing, he takes requests, and he can even entertain as a one-man band that sounds like a five-piece combo! Even better, Mr. Accurso is one of the kindest, most professional musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.  (I think he’s pretty cute too - and strong! Did you know that accordions weigh about 20-25 pounds?). Frankie lives in Bolivia, NC, which means he can travel to Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, Southport and surrounding areas. We only recommend the best, and we can definitely recommend Mr. Frankie Gerald Accurso!  The accordion is sometimes called a “squeezebox”, but we think Frankie deserves a “squeeze” for adding so much to Bastille Day.  Hugs and kisses from The Bon Bon Queen, Frankie!




Here are a few fun pieces of accordion trivia from Mr. Smarty Pants:

• "Weird Al" Yankovic got his first accordion at age 7 from his parents, who promptly enrolled him in the Famous Zamour Academy of Music. His grandmother would subsequently pay him a dollar every time he came over to visit and play his accordion.
  


• There used to be a game show/talent contest on television in the Soviet Union that was called "Play Your Accordion!"
  


• In 1990, there were an estimated 75,000 accordionists in the United States.
  


• Former Boston Celtics player Tony Lavelli used to play his accordion at half time.
  


• Deborah Norville (formerly of NBC's Today Show) is a closet accordion player.
  


• The cities of Detroit, Skokie, Illinois, and St. Paul, Minnesota have designated the accordion as their official instrument.
  

Cooper, Le Chien Français, Takes the Cake at 2nd Annual Bastille Day Celebration

The Story of Henri and Suzette

When we began preparing for our Grapes and Crepes parties, we delved into the history, legends and lore surrounding these versatile French pancakes. One of my favorite stories is about the most famous crepe dish in the world -- Crepes Suzette. It's a very theatrical dessert crepe made with a sauce of sugar, orange zest and liqueur, often prepared tableside in restaurants so patrons can watch the liqueur (usually Grand Marnier or Brandy) burst into flames when it is lit.

Legend has it that the dish was created by mistake at the Monte Carlo Café de Paris when fourteen year-old Assistant Waiter Henri Charpentier accidentally lit a crepe on fire while preparing the dessert for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. Henri boldly served the crepes anyway, and the Prince adored them.  When Prince Edward inquired as to the name of the dessert, Henri thought fast and replied: "Crepes Princesse", in his honor.  (Break for a mini French grammar lesson:  it was "Crepes Princesse" and not "Crepes Prince" since the word crepe is feminine--une crepe). But the Prince asked the young waiter to rename this delicious crepe dessert. For whom? A little girl in the restaurant? His mistress? Or the character his favorite actress portrayed in a play? It seems that only Henri knew for sure—historians all bet on different women, some even attributing the dessert to other French chefs.