Sneak peek of the new collection!

What's new at C.Blau

This month is full of change and firsts for C.Blau.  I'll be premiering the new line of handbags at our first trade show in New York City at COAST.  I'm excited for the exposure and the opportunity to expand more into retail.

The original foldover clutch is also getting a face lift!  The new collection features a larger, more generous sized pouch.  Now that I have a baby, I tend to need more luggage room to fit his many burp cloths, squeaky toys and diapers.  I've found that a C.Blau clutch works perfectly to house your many necessary items and still drops neatly into a diaper bag.  Which, by the way, doesn't need to be an ugly printed nylon zippered bag from Babies R' Us.  I've found a large leather tote with pockets works just as well.  It's hard enough to get your hair brushed as a new mom, let alone lose all your fashion dignity.  A C.Blau leather tote is in the developmental stages and will hopefully premier next season.

The new crop of clutches features exceptional quality leather.  I sourced a new leather company out of the UK that I found to have the best Italian skins with the richest colors.  The collection also features python and mangrove snakeskins and a beautiful velvet fabric sourced from France.  Most importantly, every C.Blau bag is hand cut and hand sewn in the USA.  As always, the handbags are limited edition and will be featured on the website by next month.

I hope the month of February brings you some newness and adventure as well!  

 

What better gift than a C.Blau Handbag!

Happy Holidays from C.Blau!  Whether you're staying warm by a toasty fire, or enjoying the cooling breeze under a palm tree like me......spend the holidays appreciating all the things you hold near and dear...your health, family and the little things that make you happy.

A "little thing" that I hold near and dear is setting a pretty table.  Now that I have a "little one", I don't have time to set a pretty table....I'm lucky to get our dinner on a paper plate. Still, what better way to present the latest C.Blau handbag than on a holiday-inspired table setting.

This cherry-red, Italian calfskin leather foldover clutch is a stunning gift for the holidays but will live on throughout the season!  It's the gift that will keep on giving long after the cashmere sweaters have been folded and placed in the closet.  Shop this and additional NEW colorways at cblau.com

I hope everyone gets all they've wished for......and then some.

Happy Holidays!

It's almost time.....

Well, we have the nursery completed.....now all that is needed is a BABY.  We have about 3 weeks to go until we get to meet this little guy.  It's amazing to think that he is this fully-formed baby just growing fatter and fatter everyday until he runs out of room and decides to make his appearance.  It's all pretty fascinating and exciting.  Tony and I are overwhelmed at the amount of love everyone already feels towards him; we've had two baby showers, countless gifts and unending well wishes.

We didn't want the nursery to scream "baby"! but at the same time be a comfortable and unique place for him.  I fell in love with the owl wallpaper as soon as I spotted it.  I mean, what is a better excuse to wallpaper a room than in a nursery!  It's by a London based interior design company that decided to add a line of wallpapers inspired by hand sketches.  You can view all the other prints and patterns at Turner Pocock.  We also thought it would be cool to do an entire wall in chalkboard paint.  It's been fun reading everyone's messages and drawings.  The mobile over the crib is from a Danish company that does brightly colored paper mobiles.  I like that it isn't plastic or "fuzzy" or made in china.  It also moves with just the slightest breeze.  You can check out all the other mobile options here.

The toughest part of the nursery was by FAR the wood chair molding.  It involved many trips to Home Depot, one where we had to rent one of those trucks because we couldn't fit the huge wood panels in the back of our car.  We cut each panel, all the top trim and bottom trim as well as the pieces that make up the "boxes".  Once they were all cut, we painted it a slate-blue color.  There were many nights we just looked at each other and thought, "what the heck were we thinking"?.....but in the end, it's one of my favorite details of the room and it feels really good to know that we did it ourselves.  The rocking chair is an antique that my mom and I picked up on a trip out to Arcadia,Florida (if you're into antiques I recommend a trip there).  That old rocker got a major face lift!  My mom striped the wood and refinished it.  I had it reupholstered in slate-gray leather with nail head trim.  By the way......if you love the color of the leather, it will be an option in the C.Blau handbag line for Fall 2013!

I also wanted the nursery to be puggle friendly.  Afterall, Olive will probably be spending many of her nights in here as well!  Most mornings she goes in and finds the biggest patch of sun and takes a nap.  I just hope the baby finds his room equally relaxing! 

Nesting

The term "nesting", when referring to a soon-to-be mother, always sounded funny to me.  I guess it makes me think of my family's pregnant cat;  she would tear up pieces of paper and frantically stuff them in a pile in the cardboard box we provided for her.  Maybe "nesting" sounds too literal for me.  Or too all-consuming.  I've been lucky enough to live in a place where the cold hasn't kept me indoors.  I haven't had to be cooped up in the house obsessing over every part of being pregnant.  Most mornings I eat my breakfast outside and have a moment of peace and quiet to spend with the little human growing inside of me. I talk to him.  Simple things like, "looks like we're out of Cheerios, guess it's going to be oatmeal this morning", or "oops, we spent too long watering the plants, now we're going to be late for work!".  In a way, I feel like I'm already getting to know him.......the much quieter, non-diaper changing, "I get to still have a normal night's sleep" version of him.  So I'm sure all the mothers out there are saying......."just you wait!! you have no idea what's to come!".  And I really don't.  And I don't expect to.  I'm hoping that my husband and I will be able to adapt to the HUGE life change that awaits and take it day by day.  In the words of my mother, "blessed are those who are flexible".  In the meantime, I'm just enjoying every kick, squirm, ache and pain that this little boy brings me.

So back to nesting.......I've decided to post a picture of the nursery the way it looks today.  Yes, we have put up chalkboard paint on the one wall, but that seems to be about it.  My husband would probably disagree because in order to get the room to look like this, he had to rip out the baseboards, skim coat the walls, sand, then skim coat the walls again.  It seems like a lot to do in order to get a room "ready" to be "ready".  But, here we are........and I couldn't be more excited!  While some may think this looks daunting or overwhelming, I see it as a world of potential!  So many options of paint, wallpaper and ideas!    This is the best time for a room, when you can clear everything out, clean out all the hidden dust bunnies, start fresh and create any mood and feeling you want the room to portray.  I'll give you a hint as to what the plan is........it involves owl wallpaper and a cowskin rug.  How baby friendly is that?  I left Tony to pick out the proper bottles and baby bathing tub while I chose the cowskin rug.  Hopefully in the next couple of months it will all come together because this boy could be here by August 1st!


While 6 months is plenty of time to get accustomed to something, I am still amazed everyday that I am housing a small living creature.  At this stage he has eyebrows and eyelashes and is starting to grow hair on his head.  All while only being about 1 lb.  I often wonder who this little boy will grow up to be, what traits will he take from Tony and what will he take from me.  I still marvel at genetics....the shape of my foot is identical with my dads.  Do I get nervous about life after the baby?  Of course...I wonder how this will affect my new business, how it will affect the peaceful life that Tony and I have created for ourselves in our marriage, and if we'll figure out what the heck to do with our baby the day we bring him home from the hospital.  But above the worry, I am thankful that I have Tony as a partner to go through the ups and downs with.  We are also so fortunate to have family so close by.  I think that is very rare these days, and I never take that for granted.
                        

Another member of the family who will have to adjust is Olive. She has already had to learn that she can't lay on my stomach anymore.  I've told Tony that we will have to put  a new bed for her in the nursery, so she doesn't feel left out.........I think I got an eye roll for that one.

Start fresh this Spring

Spring is finally here (for most of the country)!  If you live in Florida like me, it's been Spring for quite some time now.  This season is about new growth, starting fresh and spending more time outdoors.  As far as starting fresh goes........this can mean a lot of different things;  taking on a new challenge, cleaning the crud out of your window panes, or updating your wardrobe.  Or a bit of each!

Nothing freshens your look like a new handbag.  It can be the color pop that your muted outfit is in desperate need of, or the sophisticated and unique piece that makes your tired old jeans look fresh again.  The hottest colors for spring are what I call, vibrant pastels.  Lilac, seafoam and cornflower blue mix amazingly well with apricot, vivid lime and coral. These standout clutches are created from the softest Italian lambskin and made in the USA.  These colors are limited, so get your favorite (or two) now, and start the season off with a punch!

Buy these and other colorways at cblau.com

 

C.Blau for the Holidays

As this Holiday shopping season is coming to a close, I'm happy to report that the 1st collection of C.Blau handbags is almost entirely sold out!  I have a few left if you would still like to get one in time for the holidays.  I can have it wrapped in burlap and ribbon and sent out wherever you would like.

I've received some great feedback about the bags, and was recently blogged about on Radar To The Scene  She reviews all things fantastic and has a lot to say about beauty products, fashion, food and music.

Also, my good friend Lindsey who moved home to Omaha, Nebraska and opened up her dream store Piper, is selling C.Blau handbags.  If you're ever in the Omaha area, be sure to stop in and check it out.  She recently starting selling online, so if you don't happen to be local you can still buy! She has a great eye for the unique and special and gets a lot of emerging designers in her store.  Check out what she had to say about C.Blau in a recent blog post. 

I will have the Spring 2013 collection of C.Blau handbags ready by late January.  Keep posted for potential online shopping available in February!  I'll give you a sneak peak at the design process/colors in future posts.  Stay tuned!