domino - requiescat in pace.

We all know that Domino es muerte. But someone should tell their website that. Doesn't it know? I'm a little embarassed for it.

ecoutez, s'il vous plait.

Leigh and I had a fruitful time at the Gift Show. It is such a treasure hunt - miles of schlock and then - behold! - you stumble across a perfect little gem. These French notebooks, (oh excusez-moi, cahiers), are exactly as they should be. They will be in bientôt, mes amis.

(More posts on gift show finds coming soon...)

The Heart is a Lonely, Lovely Hunter

Though we at Catbird heartily endorse the random bestowing of jewelry on those you love, we also know that a certain day, not too many weeks from now, is traditionally considered by many and most to be the day for giving the gift of jewelry.  We love all our jewelers a lot, but we love Robin of Bittersweets a lot a lot.  For those of you who like your romantic gestures dark, moody, and rather hilarious, we suggest her heart & dagger necklace- with removable dagger, of course.  

We were like kids in a mercury glass filled candy store

we love this vase - coming to you minus the bar code, of course

milagro-inspired votive holders (or q-tip receptacle for a tops to tails designed bathroom)

Rony and I spent Sunday and Monday poking through every nook and cranny at a massive massive trade show.  A taste of the truffles we snuffled up for you: pop up dollhouses, the longest bunting ever, mercury glass mushrooms, the sweetest water bottles known to man, leather apple change purses, the world's craziest glass vase, and trays, boxes, and cut glass bowls of all shapes and sizes, begging to spill over with your collection of baubles.  

She played gin rummy and traveled to Shanghai.

Like Rony, I'm home enjoying some coffee and quiet time. It's not my birthday but I've been freelancing all week and I'm tired. Rejuvenating my spirits, getting me ready to unearth treasures of all sorts with Rony at the Gift Show, is my favorite Kobo (soy-based) candle - Grapefruite et Tabaco. It's been recently renamed by the good people at Kobo, but whatever they call it, it reminds me of the rich, bohemian grandmother I someday hope to be.

update: If Smoking Babies (see comments) isn't your scent of choice, fear not. Stop by Catbird and any of us will be happy to take your nose on a tour of all the deliciousness Kobo has to offer.

fourteen is the new twenty eight.

Today is my birthday and I am enjoying a quiet cup of coffee, some bread with avocado and sea salt and my good friend, the internerd. I don't much care about my birthday, and I am not feeling particularly old, although I guess I am.

A project I am working on has me looking for pictures of girls in pretty dresses and I came upon this amazing Flickr page by Olivia Bee who, as it turns out, is FOURTEEN. I recommend you see what this young gal is up to. I wish I was doing half as much when I was twice as old.

(p.s. I am not twenty eight. Not even close.)

found via the continuously delightful east side bride.

maggie may.

Maggie Stevenson: catbird shop gal, fantastic jeweler and generally adorable and awesome girl-about-town was spotted by Free Williamsburg.

Michelle, Our Belle

Post-election, rumors ran rampant that President Obama was gifting First Lady Obama with a $30,000 rhodium and diamond ring. Not so. We at Catbird suggests Mrs. O continues her support of independent New York designers (Thakoon! Jason Wu! Isabel Toledo! Narciso Rodriguez!) and slips a grand cocktail ring by Digby and Iona on that free finger. At the relatively modest sum of $190, she won't have to worry when the presidential pup-to-be uses her bauble as a teething ring.

Follow the fashion of Mrs. O, caped crusader of American designers, here.

50% off is the new black.

CLOSING SALE IS STILL KICKING ASS.
MANY FINDS TO BE...FOUND.

We just brought out more stuff to satisfy your liquidation jones. And, for the first time ever, we put a rather sweet selection of jewelry on sale!

Some of the new clothes on sale include j.brand's fabulous Zazou jean, wide leg Jordaches, high rise Blank cutoffs, Bow & Arrow Blouses, Dada mod mini scooter dresses, Found denim rompers, Del Fortes organic jumpers. This is the year for a recession-friendly spring wardrobe!

Sale (including jewelry) is ONLY at 390 Metropolitan Ave.

behold.

Happy Birthday, America. We got you something great.

(pic lifted from here)

Belle de Jour

Bonjour mes amis. Before my tenure at Catbird I hadn't realized that some rings are flattering and elongating on the fingers, while others are showpieces, slightly less inclined to render mortal digits into the winsome, fluttering tools of expression seen above. Stop by the store and slip on Barens and Belle's new flower crest ring and try not to feel like one of the Three Graces in Botticelli's Primavera. C'est impossible.

james franco is dreamy.

La Familia Green cards never disappoint. I know this is nothing revolutionary, but I have been crazy for James Franco since Freaks & Geeks. You know what he's up to now? Oh, just getting his MFA at Columbia writing program and getting annoyed when fellow film students don't ask him to be in their movies. Yeah. That's right.

Anyway, I am pretty certain that what I feel for him is True Love. And now, thanks to Mollie Green I have the card to prove it. James, come on by if you are in the hood. I would mos def ask you to be in my film. (Seriously, I don't even think I can handle watching him with facial hair. That is just waaaay too much for this girl.)

Side note: Jame Franco appears on my entirely imaginary blog, Today's Hottest Jew. It is a blog that exists only in my head. Unlike this one.

The silhouette of things to come.

Leigh Batnick, aka Jezebel, wearer of many hats: blogger, stationer and shopgirl extraordinaire, will be guest blogging here on the catbird website while I delve into towers of paperwork and hours of phone calls of the most boring variety. Lucky me, lucky you.

(On another note, the liquidation of the Metro store is moving along at a rather brisk pace but I would still highly recommend coming in. There are great finds in many sizes and we will be putting more stuff out from now until the end of March.)

LOST OUR LEASE.

After five amazing years we are
closing our Metropolitan location.
50-75% off the entire store starting TODAY

We will be bringing new stuff out throughout the next two months so make sure to continue checking in. Only at 390 Metropolitan Ave.

The Bedford location - jewels and all - remains unscathed!!

more sweet than bitter.

Robin Adams, the creative genius behind Bittersweets New York, has come up with a great idea.

We sell her adorable engraved rings rather briskly, and, while they are a great gift, sometimes you just don't know exactly what size and letters your beloved may want. So, here is the solution. A catbird/bittersweets gift card. Designed exquisitely (as always) by Robin. So there you go. Problem solved.

(Whenever I use stamps it looks like the work of a 7th grader who just discovered Kate's Paperie. Hmmph.)

party dresses.

Got a party to attend? Or perhaps you're feeling a tad fancy? Check out these two sweet, new party dresses just in. (The top one has the extra bonus of being appropriate for any season.)

she's purty.

Ali McGraw is such a fox. Jus' sayin.

(Back to our regularly schedued retail blogging next week.)

morris & essex

Have you ever seen a better dining room? No, you have not. This is where Eliza Jane Curtis, of Morris & Essex cards (carried at catbird) sips her morning coffee. I am proud just to carry cards that have been near this room. See more pics here.

Also blogged about rather eloquently by Jezebel.

And here are some of the lovely cards. They are so fresh looking. Like a teeny, tiny taste of... dare i say it...Spring.