Thinking Bonanno's worldwide! Check out this e-mail I got ...
Hello,
"I am currently in Iraq and am looking to get a new pair of Bonannos. Do you have an image of what the Zoe look like on? I can't be there to try them on and want to order a pair for when i get home in a few weeks."
Thanks~ Sandra
When Domenick and I lived in Hawthorne Heights New Jersey, we had a farmhouse on 1.5 acres of wooded land. We had deer passing thru daily and the most beautiful birds of all shapes and colors come to feed. It was amazing.
Five years ago we moved to sunny South Florida (where I grew up) and built a small home on what they call a zero lot line in a gated community surrounded by a golf course and preserves. We still wanted a little privacy so we picked a lot with the preserves backing our back yard.
Aaaah, undisturbed nature at it's best. ... Slap me now!
Since then, I have had 2 black snakes flaunting themselves in a small tree 8 feet from my front door, a possum trapped in my fenced in back yard, green frogs slapped against our glass doors nightly, a baby black snake swimming in our pool, a gator down the street in a pond and while I was trimming our palms a small banded snake hidden among the leaves making it's escape, just inches from my face. You think that would be enough to send us packing ...
just this past Saturday, Domenick and I were lounging poolside when I looked to my right, and freaked out! I jumped out of my chair and yelled for Rippy our Scottish Terrier to get inside ... As we approached to get a closer look, there, in our back yard, on our paver's, close to the pool, (where I stand every day watering my plants), was an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake! It was approx 4 to 5 feet long, very thick and making his way from my neighbors yard thru ours, back into the preserves.
I'm getting too old for this much excitement.
Priced to sell. An adorable little house, w/pool and a preserve in their backyard. It's Nature at it's best.
With Mom & Pop shops closing all around us, one of our downtown shop owners, concerned, handed me a 4" x 8" piece of paper with the message below and said he was leaving it on his counter as a friendly reminder to his customers ... It hit home. I found it interesting and wanted to share it with you.
Three.
Think about which three independently owned businesses you'd miss most if they were gone. Stop in and say hello. Pick up a little something that will make someone smile. Your dollars are what keeps those businesses around.
Fifty.
If just half the employed US population spent $50.00 each month in independently owned business their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue, which goes back into the economy.
One.
The number of people it takes to start the trend ... you!
So, I started thinking of my three favs, which I must admit, I find myself too busy to visit on a regular basis ... I'm making a promise to myself today to change that. Even if it's a little something that I purchase each time, I want to send the message that I'd miss them if they were gone.
1) E & J Cigars
6582 S Kanner Hwy Stuart, FL 34997
2) Puppuccino Pet Boutique (My favorite just recently closed her doors and went on-line.)
3) Peggys Natural Foods
5839 SE Federal Hwy Stuart, FL 34997
I'm also going to seek out other independently owned shops that I've noticed along the way, but have never taken the time to check out.
Sorry it took so long to announce the winner for a pair of Stephen Bonanno Monogram Sandals.
In my newsletter I asked if my blogger friends were interested, to post our Sunfest Sale on their sites and I would enter them into a raffle to win a pair of Monogram sandals.
You did and the winner is ... Ronda from Stella's Mom blog
My passion is dogs, and cooking anything and everything. I would have been a chef if it weren't for the long hours, weekends, and holidays they have to work. My other passion is being with my family and friends whenever possible. I love spending summers and any other time I can at our summer home on the eastern shore in Maryland.
http://stellasmom-ronda.blogspot.com/
Congrats!
Ronda, e-mail me with your info and we can place your order.
Thanks again to everyone to played along.
Vivian
An itsy bitsy, teeny tiny, ... sandal
Marcelino, one of our cobblers, made this adorable tiny sandal to hang from my Bonanno Tote.
Love the high heel!
Blogging is a blast ...
... but it drives me crazy that I can't seem to get my images and captions to place neatly and orderly on the page. When I publish and view, I always seem to have soooo much white space, or air between them, and there's no telling where my captions will end up.
i.e. "Fun in the Sun" and "Bullies VS Bonanno's"
It's frustrating!
Thank you for listening ... :)
I'm excited ... we have a new logo with our monogram in the middle (see top of box), the signature phrase on each side, our family story on the bottom, signed from the designer and a friendly reminder to send in those pictures of you in your Bonanno's for the "Where in the World ..." on our blog.
Hi Aunt Viv,
While you were busy with customers I took this pic for your blog.
It says it all ...
Sunfest
W. Palm Beach 2009
Jamie
Strawberry Blonde
Five days of sandal madness at the Sunfest Festival, held every year in W. Palm Beach.
Stephen Bonanno was named the Official Sandal of Sunfest 2009, and our tent was in front of ER Bradley's Saloon this year. The weather was beautiful, music was loud, the Art was fabulous and a great time was had by all ...
Hi Vivian,
Miss Blanche (red & white) and Arrgyle (white) seem to have uncovered a truth ...
that not just ladies love Bonanno's, but bullies too!!
The score remains Bullies-0, Bonanno's-2
Ali
Here we are-
Me and my Bonannos travel with me to the Island of Tortola in the BVI
No Better Place on Earth!--
Maria
Maria K.
Vivian,
I ordered these cuties last year and can say these are my most FAVORITE shoes!!!
I wore these shoes while on my trip last week to Jekyll Island and St. Simon's Island.
I was completely amazed at how many times I was stopped because of my shoes.
Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks,
Maggi
Mossgreenmagsterpie.blogspot.com
Hi Vivian:
My Bonanno sandals went with me today to get my mammogram in Aiken, SC. A good reminder - every woman needs to get one!
Bitsy
Aiken SC
Lani forgot to mention where she is ... but I have a feeling it's in South Florida.
Chatting with my customers about their Bonanno sandals, conversation often comes back to "closet space". There's never enough.
My Niece Jamie is following in her Uncle's footsteps. Shoes!
Late last year Quest Magazine contacted me and requested a photo of our sandals because they wanted to do something on us. They said they'd send a copy of the magazine once it went to press. That was January.
I can't find Quest Magazine anywhere in our little town of Stuart, so with lots of gentle prodding on our end, and lots of promises on their end, I still haven't received my copy ...
I'm so curious. Has anyone seen the January 2009 issue? If so, I want details!
What kind of placement?
Is our photo a stand alone or mixed with other photos?
What is the topic?
Did they include contact info? If so, what?
I'll take anything and everything you want to share.
Thank you!
Vivian
by Debra K. Melchior
First, remove the clothing from the rod and the stacks of merchandise strewed on the shelf and floor. Place these items into groups of similar objects.
Calculate how much room you'll need for each group, then measure the space available in the closet -- length, width, and depth. You will then have the numbers you need to formulate a tentative layout.
This layout is much like working with a group of building blocks of assorted sizes. Give some thought to the items of a woman's wardrobe that must go in these "blocks" of space:
dresses, skirts, sweaters, blouses, high heels, handbags, sandals, and a range of other items.
The closet must have sufficient space to hang the dresses, as well as shelf space designed to fit high-heel shoes, knee-high boots, or wide-brimmed hats. After the hanging clothes have been positioned in the layout, play around with your remaining "blocks" of space, both horizontally and vertically, to fill in the gaps with your accessories.
As with any closet project, the route from a disorganized mess to a neat and orderly closet design starts with establishing a set of standard operational procedures, or handling instructions, for the clothes and accessories that will be stored in the closet. Do not deviate from these guidelines; without standard procedures, you cannot maintain control of your closet.
Remove accompanying belts from slacks, skirts, and dresses. Otherwise, the garments may be stretched out of shape. Belts belong on a belt rack.
When hanging slacks, match the inside seam to the outside seam at the bottom edge. Hold the slacks at the bottom, and the crease line is defined. Buttoning or zipping the slacks misaligns the crease. Simply follow the crease line to the waistband and gently mold the zipper and placket into a fold. Then fold the slacks near the middle of their length and insert them onto a hanger, keeping the fold in the center of the hanger.
You may prefer to hang your slacks by their full length, which calls for a type of hanger known as a clamp hanger. But be warned: These hangers might mar the cuffs of slacks or the waistbands of skirts by leaving pressure marks that are difficult to remove.
When hanging blouses and dresses, fasten the top button, perhaps the top two, or, best of all, every other button for the entire length of the garment. This eliminates wrinkles, cock-eyed collars, and twisted plackets. After putting the garment on the hanger, place the hanger on the rod so that all hangers face the same direction. Perhaps the worst habit you can get into is deliberately pulling a garment from its hanger. Instead, remove the hanger from the rod and then unbutton the garment from the hanger.
When handbags are placed on a shelf or in a cubbyhole, they should face the same direction and be in an upright position. Create divided compartments for handbags, with each compartment containing one color or a range of colors from light to dark. Closures should be properly buckled, snapped, or tied shut; if the straps or handles can be placed inside the handbag, do so. This stops the straps from getting tangled with other items in the closet.
Each part of your closet can be designed in a variety of configurations. You must determine which aspects of the given designs are most productive and effective for your own circumstances.
For instance, what is in the drawers? Lingerie? Socks? Nightgowns? Jewelry? Would the drawers serve you better in the bedroom itself?
You must decide for yourself if it is a good idea to place dresser drawers in the closet.
If the drawers contain items that are worn repeatedly before they are washed -- such as sweatshirts, sweatpants, jeans, and other garments that you tend to throw on after work each day or for chores and/or leisure activities -- it's a waste of valuable space to stash them in a drawer unit.
You would be far better served by placing them on shelves (perhaps behind a cabinet door). The ideal way to handle these items, as well as robes and other nightwear, is to place a few small hooks in the accessible spaces along the side edges of the closet, or you could develop a system on the inside of the closet door.
Also consider the manner in which the boots are stored. These boots could be folded for storage, using less shelf space. It isn't true that your boots will suffer damage from this position. As you become more aware of your closet space and its various configurations, the problem of seasonal clothes may enter your mind.
It can be distressing to look at a wardrobe that contains items you know won't be worn until the fall or spring. On the other hand, it can be a real nuisance to try to find these items in storage when the weather changes quickly. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, and you must decide for yourself which works best for you.
Of course, the capacity of some closets simply cannot match your needs, despite all your refiguring and diagramming. But if you stick to the basic principles of organizing, your closet will at least provide as much storage space as possible. The most important thing to remember is to group things into categories. One simple rule could save you a lot of space and frustration.
Chatting with my customers about their Bonanno sandals, conversation often comes back to "closet space".
There's never enough.
1) How big?
2) How organized is it?
3) Are sandals and handbags boxed and labeled?
4) Are boxes tossed and sandals and handbags spread out on the floor?
5) What are their tricks to keeping their personal closet space looking, well, ... organized.
Photos by How Stuff Works
Fun Fact:
One of my customers built an extra bedroom onto her home and converted it into a master closet for her shoe and handbag collection. Everything is boxed and labeled with a small photograph and description of each item taped to the outside of each box.
I wish I was that organized!
Care to Share?
I thought it would be fun to show photos of your closet and how you organize around your Bonanno's. If you dare. :)
It won't matter if your closet is a mess and disorganized ... truth is, it will probably make some of us feel a little better about ours.
If you want to play along, send a photo, include your first name and answers to the 5 questions above.
It'll be fun.
vivianb@stephenbonanno.com
Our next newsletter will be out very soon. If you haven't signed up for our 'Newsletter with Sole," this is the time. e-mail me at vivian@bonannofactory.com soonest, and I will put you on the list to start receiving them.
Coming up in the April Issue:
** New Colors
** New Styles
** The Flower Series
** Sandal of the Month
** The Scoop on a National Fashion Magazine & Bonanno's
** Breaking news! The Official Sandal of ...
** Signature Store Event: Who. What. Where. When.
** The 2009 "Holiday Sandal Ornament'. Signed and numbered by Designer Stephen Bonanno (limited edition)
A post from my brother David
April 1980, prior to my deployment to Korea, I left a pair of shoes for my Dad to fix with the understanding that he would mail them to Korea when the repair work was finished. Upon my return, a year and a half later, I asked my dad about my shoes. He looked around the shop and found them under a pile of leather, and with a sincere look on his face said," 5 minutes, they'll be ready in 5 minutes."Our shopping cart on http://www.sbsandals.com/ was down for about a week while we were tweaking a few things. I'm happy to report that it is up and awaiting your spring/summer orders. :)
Happy Sandal Shopping!
The Adventures of Monkey
It all started April 13, 2008 in Winnipeg, when Canadian Blogger, Lisagh from Grosgrain Garage came up with a fun idea to send her sock monkey, "Monkey" around the United States of America to visit with fellow bloggers.
The rules are simple. Have fun, document, blog it and then send him along to the next host.
The idea was to bring us all closer together.
Monkey arrived almost a year later to Stephen Bonanno's in Stuart, FL on March 2, 2009. We put Monkey right to work making sandals with designer, Stephen Bonanno and the crew.
Here's Monkey's post to his Mom
I love the nick name our customer Stacey from Wellington gave them ... faux-nanno's!
Yep, there are actually "Bonanno" sandals out there that are not designed or made by Stephen Bonanno.
You see, Stephen and his wife were divorced this past December ... she is making her version of the sandals using the name "Bonanno." There has been some confusion because they look like ours and have the same last name as ours, but most assuredly they are not ours.
JUST THE FACTS
** The "Stephen Bonanno Sandals Factory" is in Stuart Fl.
** The one, the only Stephen Bonanno, designs in Stuart
** We have two Signature Stores:
Downtown Stuart and Vero Beach
** There are a host of other boutiques throughout the country who carry "Stephen Bonanno Sandals" and they are all posted on our website under STORE LOCATIONS
If you think your favorite store carries our sandals, but you don't see the boutique's name on our website. See STORE LOCATIONS there is a good chance they are faux-nanno's!
Don't be fooled by faux-nanno's ... If it doesn't say "Stephen Bonanno Palm Beach" on the sole, it isn't the original.
Sorry, not the best image.
Our newest Bonanno Fans, Mary Beth, Robin and Lynn purchased their 1st pair of Bonanno's Saturday at the Stuart Boutique and got an extra special surprise visit from designer Stephen Bonanno who popped in to say hello.
"We're really excited about the sandals.
Will be sending you more pictures of our feet in your Bonanno sandals.
It was a pleasure to meet you!!! "
Love
Your Newest Fans
Mary Beth, Robin and Lynn
Ali had a hard time wrestling away her sandals from her brother's bulldog, Bully.
Thank goodness all Bully wanted to do was "taste" them.
No damage done.
Final Score: Bonanno's 1, Bully 0
Click to enlarge. Ya gotta see her expression.
Priceless.
James Andrew's follow up from his last post.
http://www.whatisjameswearing.com/
Feb 24th, 2009
by lunarlander.
I received such an overwhelming response to my “Buy Something Today” post that I thought it would be a good idea to do a follow up post. So many people reached out to thank me for the refreshing alternative to the media’s doom and gloom.
One young lady wrote to tell me how moved she was by my post. Despite not having much money to spend, she went right to her local bakery and bought a cupcake. Can you imagine if everyone went out and bought a cupcake? - 100’s of millions of dollars would flood into the economy- now THAT is a stimulus package!
I love the story. Pretty much everyone here can afford a cupcake. My point is, whether one is buying haute couture or a cupcake it is all about spending something within our means - keeping people in their jobs, shops open, etc. Collectively we can definitely make a difference.
I would really like to dispel the notion once and for all that spending, shopping, decorating etc. is somehow insensitive, inappropriate or vulgar!
Let’s get happy now! Let’s enjoy ourselves, splurge a little, have some fun - enough of all this dreariness - it is sooo boring. The better it gets the better it gets!
I came across James Andrew's blog http://www.whatisjameswearing.com/
and found his post profound and very important to share.
I can't tell you how many times Domenick and I have had the same topic of conversation over dinner. How can we do our part? I understand these are scary and uncertain times, but I feel it is so important to keep the economy moving in the right direction by shopping a little or shopping a lot. Just so we don't stop shopping altogether.
Please take a moment and read Jame's post ...
... when our customers tell me they follow my blog.
... when our customers call to tell me they just got their sandals and they LOVE them!
... when our customers make us a "must stop shop" when their family and friends are in town visiting ... and they too become Bonanno fans.
... when my fellow bloggers make it a point, when in Florida, to come by and say hello.
President's Day was a busy Monday with lots of shoppers, when in the middle of all the insanity a sweet and soft spoken woman came up to me and introduced herself as NED from the Peyton Place blog. How cool, I read her blog! She mentioned she was chatting with Lisagh from Grosgrain Garage and told her she was heading to Stuart for her Bonanno fix ... "Lisagh's going to be so jealous."
Lisagh's response to NED's post: WAHHHHHHHH!!!!
Ned ordered the Palm Beach Classic with our newest leather, the "Brown Patent Croco" with Puma whipstitch. It's a deep rich brown and so beautiful.
Check out NED's blog:
http://thepeyt.blogspot.com/
We are currently updating our shopping cart ...
for all on-line orders please call our toll free number
866-313-FEET (3338)
thank you!
... two American Classics come together to make the "Blue Jean" series.
The "Blue Jean" Denim Series comes in the Palm Beach Classic and the Emma Monogram style sandals.
Customizing available in Light Denim and Dark Denim and can be mixed with any color leather your heart desires. The Denim is backed with our soft supple kid-skin leather. Simply Fabulous!
"Palm Beach Blue Jean": $115.00
"Emma Blue Jean": $170.00
Available at Stephen Bonanno Signature Stores:
Stephen Bonanno Sandals, Stuart 772-219-8008
Stephen Bonanno Sandals, Vero Beach 772-234-8377
Stephen Bonanno On-Line Store 866-313-FEET (3338)
New Colors:
Black Patent Croco
Brown Patent Croco
Camel Ostrich
Silver Iguana
Platinum Iguana
For Bonanno fans with a color swatch set at home, please e-mail me at vivianb@stephenbonanno.com wth your name (under the name you ordered your swatch), and we will get the new colors out to you with your next sandal order.
Colors no longer available:
Please take the following colors off your ring:
Most of you will not have them on your ring, but if you do ... toss them, please.
Caramel
Brown Gator
Aqua
Angel Blue
Essex Blue
Parched Wheat
Barbazon
All "Textured" skins have gone up in price. Add $20.00 to the original price.
i.e. Emma Monogram with "textured" leather will now be $170.00
The Classic Palm Beach with "textured" leather will now be $115.00 etc ...
Kid-Skin leathers and plain Patent Leathers have not increased.
The following are considered "Textured" leathers:
Gator (no longer have the Brown Gator)
Croc
Patent "Croco" (new this spring)
How would you like to live in the heart of our quaint and historic downtown Stuart?
Better yet, above Stephen Bonanno Sandals Signature Store! OMG! Sandals at your fingertips.
Historic Downtown Stuart
Sailfish Capital of the World
Sits right on the St. Lucie River (your apartment is 1/2 block from the River)
Boardwalk (watch the boaters and the fishermen)
Monthly Jazz Series on the water
Best ice cream store down the street
Fabulous restaurants, walking distance (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Shopping Galore
Parades, Street Parties, Music and Art Fests all year round
Here's the scoop ...
Adorable, and roomy apartment for rent (above retail)
Annual
2 bed/2 bath
1600 sq ft
Unfurnished
Large Balcony overlooking the main street
Back porch
Breakfast counter
Dining room
Master bedroom with master bath shares balcony
Central Air
Sprinkler System
Ceiling fans
Wood floor in Living room
One Parking space + street parking permit for second car
Rent: $1,400.00
Call today. It will go quickly!
Oh, and did I mention, we have the best landlords in town.
Call Bob and Tracy Davis
772-225-9032
(tell 'em you found out via Stephen Bonanno Blog)
Why Bonanno's Make A Great Push Gift
Just Humor me please!
I am in the shower this morning and thinking about gifts (yes, selfish I know), not just for me for women everywhere. I know times are tough so I wanted to be sure that my gift or gift suggestion would be worth the money spent.
I have lots of jewelry and nick knacks. My body, oh my body....you get the idea. When I feel fat and gross...I think jewelry, handbags and shoes! You know, the things that are size-less. The wonderfulness of accessories!! It doesn't matter what size or shape you are, they always make us feel better.
So, I thought about what I can't wait to wear again since I really loathe the winter. Oh and so happy this baby is being born in the summer. I can't wait to wear my flip flops and sandals. SANDALS!!!! That's it! My most favorite summer time accessorie...my Bonanno's!
Oh how I covetetd them. Took hours, days even weeks to pick out the colors. They were a mother's day gift from my husband. The wait. Yes there was a wait. Hey, its takes time for these beauties. Oh I remember the day they came. Joy, as almost comparable to the birth of my son ;). I rememer slipping them on and oh...Like butter. Perfect fit.
So, back to my shower. Yes, I thought. I can't wait to wear my Bonanno's. I live in the north east, I have to wait until June and I only get a couple of months to enjoy my little beauties. Then, as I was scrubbing my feet (they are so dry these days) I thought about how they have not swollen yet. SWOLLEN FEET!!!! Foiled!
The one thing I was looking forward to was now foiled!! I remembered when I had my son my feel were so swollen before and after his birth that it was almost three months before I could even get back in to some of my shoes and I was one of those people who's foot "grew" half an inch so I had to replace all of my shoes. Oh God, please let my Bonanno's fit! Can you imagine my dissapointment?
I am tempted to call Vivian and ask her advice. Do you think Bonanno's has a registry?
So, what is boils down to my friends is I will most likely be needing a new pair. I was thinking of taking up a collection (read wonderful family and friends). I really don't need the cute little frames and stuffed animals. Oh, the baby really doesn't need new clothes, I'm having a boy afterall. Just Kidding. (kind of)
Oh, if I was writing an essay here is the part where I tell you that Bonanno's make a really great gift for anyone, especially a mommy!
Dear PreppyMama,
I've heard from so many women who say their shoe size changed after having babies.
The good news is ... if the tops of your sandals are still in good shape, we can "resole" your old Bonanno's to a bigger size if need be. This way you can hold on to all your favorites.
-- Vivian
