Behold, Bon Bon Vie!
I love seeing the passage of time, and what effects it has on our lives. Flashback to 2007. At the time I lived in Miami and needed a logo for my relatively-new-but-gaining-popularity blog. And Shari Neal was an up and coming graphic designer in Chicago. Shari submitted the winning entry to the Afrobella logo contest, and is the designer of the amazing – dare I say, iconic logo you see right here on this blog today. And now I live in the same city as the winner of my Afrobella logo contest so many years ago!
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Shari and finding out what she’s been up to lately – she is SO amazing! Click here to check out her portfolio – she has worked on some amazing sites and done some truly inspiring work!
Now in addition to being a stellar designer of blogs and websites, Shari is adding teeshirt designer to her resume. Behold, Bon Bon Vie, her line of inspiring and bold tees for the fearless, fly and fashionable.
I touched base with Shari recently, and she explained the inspiration behind her latest designs!
“I always wanted to design tee shirts, but I just never sat down to do it until fairly recently. In the past I had done tee shirt designs for other people and I finally decided to do something for myself.
The name of the company comes from the T.S. Monk song Bon Bon Vie (Gimme The Good Life).”
” A friend of mine put me on to that song a few years ago and I’ve loved it ever since…and the lyrics of the song really spoke to me. Especially this part:
“The man promised me a raise (I said who?)
Who’s gonna raise me when I’m dead?Oh, I’m so tired of putting that clock every day (Working every day)
All day skatin’ on thin ice
Lord knows we could use a holiday, baby
Just the two of us would be so nice…”I feel like those lyrics sometimes, as I’m sure a lot of people do. I like my job, but at the same time, I really want to truly be self-sufficient one day. It’s a really amazing feeling to have something you created (whether it be a blog, t-shirt business, whatever) do well and be able to sustain you financially.”
Yes INDEED. Bon Bon Vie is a beautiful new beginning for an immensely talented person, and I can’t wait to see this line grow and grow and GROW!
To celebrate the birth of Bon Bon Vie, Shari is offering an awesome giveaway for Afrobella readers – just in time for my bloggaversary week! YAY!!!
I’ve got THREE tees to give away. You can choose between the Reverse Brown Skin Lady tee, or the white Rep Chi tee. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me which tee you want, and why!!
Comments will stay open until Friday, and then Shari and I will choose winners over the weekend. Good luck! And if you can’t wait another minute (or want another tee that I haven’t offered in this giveaway) check out Bon Bon Vie to get yourself a piece!
Category: Style
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I read the other emails and they are so poetic and creative so I just decided to say that “I just simply would love to have one”. The reverse brown skin lady tee would be perfect.
I would love that!! I like the reverse brown skin lady shirt. Thanks for the chance!
I stumbled across BonBonVie’s site a few weeks ago and have been coveting the “Brown Skin Lady” Ts for a minute. I have had a minor crush on MosDef since I was 15 and first saw him on “The Cosby Mysteries”–yes, dorky and a throwback, but girl, it’s true! lol
Anyway, flash forward to 2002 when I was played the BlackStar song “Brown Skin Lady” for the first time by now wonderful now-hubby (who’s skin is not brown, btw). Everytime I hear this song my fly-ness quotient increases and I think of how uniquely beautiful all brown-skinned women are. I totally hope I win this giveaway, but if not, I’m sure one of these days I’ll scrape together the dough and buy one anyway!! Love you Afrobella–thanks for such a great site!
I must first say that I thoroughly enjoy your blog! This t-logo is what I have been looking for! I would love to have one, as it speaks volumes in a subtle way all while embodying fashion and creativity. Thank you for sharing with us the creative mind responsible for your website logo. Truth be told, your website logo was the very first thing that caught my eye. It’s as if Afrobella whispered, “Welcome girlfriend, why don’t you join us and stay a while.” Excellent job! P.S. I just discovered the Afroblla tee and will be ordering soon. Afrobella is diva-vicious!
I must first say that I thoroughly enjoy your blog! This t-logo is what I have been looking for! (Reverse Brown Skin Lady Tee) I would love to have one, as it speaks volumes in a subtle way all while embodying fashion and creativity. Thank you for sharing with us the creative mind responsible for your website logo. Truth be told, the fierce website logo was the very first thing that caught my eye. It’s as if Afrobella whispered, “Welcome girlfriend, why don’t you join us and stay a while.” Excellent job! P.S. I just discovered the Afroblla tee and will be ordering soon. Afrobella is diva-vicious!
I am totally in love with the reverse brown skin lady tee… I am trying to lose weight and I know that the possibility of rocking that tee proudly would be all the motivation I need!!!
Being Chicago born and raised but living in Indy, Rep Chi is a must.
I would like the Rep Chi tee! I’ll be starting med school in Chicago and would love to have a tee!
The Reverse Brown skin Lady tee…..
I’ve never been one to speak up about my insecurities but since I have gone natural (Feb 2010) I definitely have embraced all i have to offer this awesome world. So much so, that I recently graduated from nursing school despite all the obstacles!!! i have gained so much confidence and insight that the brown Skin tee whould just bee the icing on the cake to celebrate how wonderful 2010 is/has been for me.(chocolate cake that is!!!) plus my 30th bday is next week!!!
I heart the Rep chi shirts. Can you add some sparkle to the shirt. That would make it hotter. I also like the yellow brown skinned lady. I think I would loook better in that one and people wouldn’t notice that i’m less brown than the shirt.
hi bella-
i would definitely love to rep that brown skin lady tee. i definitely remember bon bon vie from back in the day, it was one of my favorite songs. i am a 45-year-old lady who transitioned, big chopped, and now i am rocking a baa. i would definitely love to be seen out and about in that brown skin lady tee. thanks!
Bon Bon Vie’s style is so eclectic, funky and urban….It really represents so many aspects of Black women in many ways. That’s why I would love to have the “Brown Skin Lady” tee, because it is all of that and more…And I feel that it would fit my style and personality to a ‘tee’.
Blessings and love!
I already have one but I wear it so much I need anther one!!!!!!!lol! I get soooo many compliments on my “Brown skin Lady”