Congratulations Mr. & Mrs Kathy Nguyen ;)

My sister got married this weekend! Congrats to her and her new hubbie Remy! Looking forward to seeing them in a few weeks when they come visit me in NYC. Here is some behind-the-scenes footage from one of their many wedding photoshoots:

Wedding Photoshoot Wipeout! from Julie Le on Vimeo.

xoxojules

A Special Cakeball Order by Gabriella

A Special Cake Ball Order By Gabriella from Julie Le on Vimeo.

My sister's flower girl made a special request for some custom flavored cake balls ;).

xoxojules

Cake Balls Mentioned in VOGUE.COM!

I got a little mention in Vogue's Daily blog. Big hugs to Sidney, he's been helping me spread the word about my balls from the very beginning!



See link: http://www.style.com/vogue/voguedaily/2009/06/best-outdoor-spot-flea-dom/


xoxojules


P.S. Actually....I have not been at Brooklyn Flea this summer at all, ha. So, please don't go looking for me there! I did get my start there last summer thanks to Eric! I may consider making an appearance at one point this summer because I had so much fun when I did it with Jay, but I will keep you all up-to-date!

Dreadnought in Athens

My buddy Noel Hennessy is in Greece this summer installing a show in Athens for ReMap2 of his collaborative work with Micheal Bevilacqua under the name Dreadnought. He is posting photos of his works-in-progess out there, so check out this blog.

Miss you Noel!

xoxojules

Garden Party

The other day my friends that I work with at The Costume Institute had a lovely garden party/reunion with our dear friend Ajiri (our old super star intern), who just returned from Paris with a Master's (in Decorative Arts, Desigh, Culture and History thank-you-very-much) under her belt and working a new gig with Orange Films (congrats babe!). Coincidentally, we had a Red&Pink food themed party from my Korean-Vietnamese burgers (well red before they are on the grill), watermelon/cherry tomatoe/basil skewers & homemade salsa made by Bethany, strawberry rhubarb by bought by Amanda from The Blue Stove in Williamsburg, Andrew's pink lemonade vodka with mint, and my red velvet cake balls! We pigged out on homemade fried won tons by Joyce, Shannon's ambrosia salad, and Keith's grilled corn. Baby Oona (pictured with a Crunchy as a teething toy!) was the Queen of the Party and looked so yummy we all wanted a bite of her too! ;)











xoxojules

Wayne White is FANFUCKINTASTIC!

My new lovely friend Todd invited me to an opening for the art Wayne White at Mireille Mosler last month. Most of my inspiration, I look at art of the past to draw my references from, but seeing the paintings of the contemporary Wayne White was so exciting! The work was seamlessly done and from what I understood were re-worked paintings where he added a graphic-based, tongue-in-cheek element that was executed with such serious skill. I came knowing very little of White's work and left a new fan and wished I could have bought so many of his pieces to adorn my walls at home! Maybe one day sooner than later ;). Here are some photos from the opening...





Todd Oldham Studio designed the artist monograph which also debuted that evening, which I bought right away! You must too! It's a great addition to anyone's art book collection. The book is an overview of the artist's life's work from his doodles and skethes for Pee Wee's Playhouse to his paintings as of late.

WAYNE WHITE
Maybe Now I'll Get The Respect I So Richly Deserve
By Todd Oldham

Design guru and art collector Todd Oldham shines the spotlight on the clever and warped world of artist Wayne White. From Wayne's early days as a production designer and puppet maker for the iconic TV show Pee-Wee's Playhouse to his unmistakable and exquisitely rendered text paintings, this monograph is a comprehensive view of Wayne White's oeuvre.

Wayne is a unique wordsmith, brilliantly juxtaposing irreverent and humorous phrases over existing thrift store paintings that together create a completely original and fictional landscape. Influenced by both his upbringing in rural Tennessee as well as a very sophisticated knowledge of art history, Wayne White's sensibility is completely singular and distinctive.

Wayne White's warped and perspectival words integrate into seemingly benign pastoral landscapes, creating a completely surreal experience. Wayne's expert painting chops and detailed attention to lighting and reflection, place the "new" text directly in its "original" setting. Text paintings such as "Donald Judd was a Son of a Bitch Wrecked his Train in a Whorehouse Ditch", "Poon", and "Maybe Now I'll Get The Respect I So Richly Deserve", are a welcome departure from the more-often-than-not self-aggrandizing art world. There is a mind-bending immediacy to the work that crosses pop culture and painting genres, and that brings a singular voice to the mediums of drawing, painting, and sculpture.

The thirty plus years of work represented in this monograph beautifully present Wayne White's wildly prolific life as an artist, and in fact we think it's pretty "FANFUCKINTASTIC" !

- From Ammo Books website..

xoxojules

Adam is Keeping the Craft Alive

My friend Adam Selman ( who is a tasty piece of eye candy in my opinion ) makes the cutest pot holder with portraits of all of our favorite icons such as Dolly Parton, Miss Piggy, Jerry Blank, Oprah or any portrait of your choice (he customizes!). He also makes bandana shoe laces that I would wear necklace or bracelet. For order pot holders or shoelaces, go on his website: www.adamselman.com.

xoxojules

The Model as Muse Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - On View Now!

The Model as Muse - Koda, Harold; Yohannan, Kohle - Yale University Press

Posted using ShareThis







xoxojules

Samantha Pleet

My friend Samantha Pleet and one of my favorite cake ball customers served my tasty treats at a brunch she was hosting at her new studio in Williamsburg. I am a huge fan of her rompers & little dresses and have been wearing her pieces like uniform all summer long.

Sam is bloggin too! Check out Here There and Back Again at http://samanthapleet.blogspot.com/

xoxojules

Crunchy x Dulcetfig in Singapore

Many thanks to my lady Seraphina Woon for bringing Crunchies to Dulcetfig
in Singapore =)

xoxojules

New Crunchy Necklaces

Here are photos of my latest series one-of-a-kind Crunchies made with recycled, vintage chains....I have been working on this collection incorporating colorful yarn for some time now and always excited when I come with with interesting string/chain combinations....

 
 
 
 

Photos: Jason G. Lewis

Merce Cunningham at 90 @ BAM

My friend Loran took me to see Merce Cunningham at BAM - costumes by Romeo Gigli and Sonic Youth as part of the musical ensemble, it was incredible!

More info:

Nearly NinetyMerce Cunningham Dance Company
Choreography by Merce Cunningham

Commissioned by BAM

“...he has routinely been described as the world’s greatest choreographer… The dances he has made this millennium suggest, amazingly, that no choreographer alive is more concerned with continuing to extend his range.”
—The New York Times

April 16 marks the 90th birthday of Merce Cunningham—one of the most important choreographers of our time—whose radical approaches to space, time, and technology continue to redefine the way we experience dance. Over the course of his celebrated career, he has forged a distinctive language of movement, illuminating the body’s inherent drama and limitless capacity for change. And as a longtime collaborator of John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns, he has played a leading role in fostering innovation across art forms.

In celebration of his birthday, Merce Cunningham Dance Company returns to BAM with the world premiere of a dazzling evening-length work created in collaboration with and performed live by Led Zeppelin's legendary multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones, mixed-media sound composer Takehisa Kosugi, and seminal indie rock band Sonic Youth. With an intriguing multi-tiered décor by world-renowned architect Benedetta Tagliabue, lighting by Tony and Obie-winning designer Brian MacDevitt, video design by Franc Aleu, and costumes by Romeo Gigli, this new masterpiece is testament to the boundless imagination of a man who, on the cusp of his tenth decade, still keeps us on our toes.

Music composed and performed by
John Paul Jones, Takehisa Kosugi, and Sonic Youth:
Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley
Décor Design by Benedetta Tagliabue
Costume Design by Romeo Gigli for io ipse idem
Lighting Design by Brian MacDevitt
Video Design by Franc Aleu

(See Link: http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=703)

xoxojules

Crunchy Jewels Cake Balls on the Today Show with Daily Candy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So,they ran out of time to talk about my balls (which were on the table beside the vanilla extract), but you know they had enough time to eat them all like Al Roker! ;). Many thanks to my ladies at Daily Candy for their continued support!

Here is the updated web article that accompanies this tv segment:

Most of us are dining out less, which provides a good opportunity to try new recipes and entertain at home more often. Avoid getting stuck in a rut, but still keep expenses low, by tasting a big trend in food right now: halfsies. Portions were reaching outlandish sizes, so you won’t be missing anything but calories and cost. Tastemakers are also making desserts more miniature.

New Yorker Julie Lê is a creative powerhouse but produces wee little sweets. She spends her days as a librarian at the Met’s Costume Institute, and her nights and weekends creating a truly tasty, tiny treat she invented, Crunchy Jewels. She crumbles red velvet cake in cream cheese frosting, rolls in chocolate and dusts with coconut to produce these little bites of heaven.


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29636308/

xoxojules

p.s. I would not claim that I invented cake balls, but rather found an addictive and tasty adaptation that never gets complaints ;). The reason why I only have one flavor available, red velvet, is because it took me a little while to find the perfect combination of ingredients.

I Heart Stuart & Wright

Alec Stuart & and Celeste Wright are my family and own my favorite shop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn Stuart & Wright. They are blogging their new spring merchandise (including my jewelry!) so stay up do date by checking out: www.stuartandwright.blogspot.com.

Oh and if you are stopping by the boutique, be sure to grab a bite at General Greene. So yummy!


xoxojules

p.s. Dress by Vena Cava with Crunchy Jewels.

Crunchy Jewels:Jewelry Press in Sportswear International

Big hugs to Jessie Cohan ;)

xoxojules

Rachel Trachtenburg's Homemade World

My young friend Rachel Trachtenburg of The Tracthenburg Family Slideshow Players has also been performing in her own variety show of sorts called the Rachel Trachtenburg Show. What a cutie!



xoxojules

Crunchy Book List - Gothic: Dark Glamour

My friend Jennifer Park and I re-united this past year at the Met where we both work at the Costume Institute. We first met when I was an intern at the Museum at FIT during my undergrad studies. Besides being one of my favorite baking buddies (I showed her in the art of cake balling), we will be working on some fun projects this year, so this won't be the last time you read about Ms. Park!

Jen co-wrote the book Gothic: Dark Glamor that was released this fall by Yale University Press.

From its origins in the eighteenth-century literature of terror to its contemporary manifestations in vampire fiction, cinema, and art, the gothic has embraced the powers of horror and the erotic macabre. “Gothic” is an epithet with a strange history – evoking images of death, destruction, and decay. Ironically, its negative connotations have made the gothic an ideal symbol of rebellion for a wide range of cultural outsiders.

Popularly associated with black-clad teenagers and rock musicians, gothic fashion encompasses not only subcultural styles (from old-school goth to cyber-goth and beyond) but also high fashion by such designers as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano of Christian Dior, Rick Owens, Olivier Theyskens, and Yohji Yamamoto. Fashion photographers, such as Sean Ellis and Eugenio Recuenco, have also drawn on the visual vocabulary of the gothic to convey narratives of dark glamour. As the text and lavish illustrations in this book suggest, gothic fashion has deep cultural roots that give it an enduring potency.


Buy the book and check out her mention in the NY TIMES.

(Jen, I am so proud of you!)

xoxojules

Crunchy Jewels x Caycee Black

My friend Caycee Black was a regular at the Costume Institute library when she was working for Tibi and Club Monaco and has come out with her own collection of women's wear for Fall 2009. Our friend Dustin McSwane styled her look book.

Congrats Caycee!

xoxojules

Crunchy Jewels : Cake Balls in Daily Candy!

I have been written up in Daily Candy! I am about to go balls to the wall baking my treats for Valentine's Day. Oh boy. ;)

xoxojules

Crunchy Jewels X Etsy for Valentine's Day!

I am now accepting credit card orders through my new Crunchy Jewels x Etsy site, which also means I will start delivering cake balls via Priority Mail! The deadline for Valentine's Day orders is February 8th at midnight.



xoxojules

P.S. All cake ball photos (actually, all of my photos) are courtesy of Jason Lewis. Check out his blog and see my new favorite installations on his trip to Japan that are currently up.

Happy Birthday to....... Me!

I am an Aquarian born on the 21st of January and I have been celebrating all month long.

Last night, I ended my birthday month with a dance party at B.East (big hugs Gelo!). Deejay's Desi Monster and Jared Buckhiester played our dance tunes and my girls Linyee & Randa helped me make the best party favors from scratch - GLITTERSTACHES. I felt 2% guilty that I didn't provide my guests with cake balls, but this girl needs a break! ;)

Crunchy Jewels : Jewelry Collection 2009

I am in love with this new series of necklaces. I am still utilizing recycled & vintage chains, but have been incorporating yarn & cord by interweaving it into the chains for a splash of color. All of these pieces are one-of-a-kind and hand made by me. I just dropped of a handful with Alec at Stuart & Wright, but I will also have a few Crunchies available to purchase online via Etsy sooner than later....

The new Crunchies have already been featured in some press coming out these next few months and I will be collaborating with different independent clothing designers this year, so stay tuned!

xoxojules

The best part about being a fashion librarian....

...is getting thank you notes & portraits like this!

Zaldy and his creative team (including my dear friend Adam Selman) paid me a visit to do some inspiration research in the library a little while ago. Their enthusiasum was infectious and they were so much fun to assist. My favorite is the application of falsh eye lashes to illustrate my hairdo. =)




xoxojules

New Year, New Crunchies

Just a peek of new pieces I worked on over holiday. Now that cake ball season has slowed down for me (until Valentine's Day!), I can divert my attention to Crunchy making! I will scan more pieces soon!

If you click on the photo, you'll get a super sized view with great detail.

xoxojules

Happy Holidays!

Crunchy Press: Women's Health Magazine Dec 2008

Now accepting Holiday Cake Ball Orders until 12/17 Midnight!!

Many thanks to those who ordered cake balls for their turkey dinners. I have finally enlisted some help, so I am ready for all of your holiday orders ;). If you have ordered from me before, you will get a free surprise! Pick up will be available the weekend before Christmas and delivery may be available to those in the city for an extra fee so please inquire. My list will close December 17th at midnight.

cake@crunchyjewels.com

xoxo, jules

Crunchy X Stuart & Wright

The Crunchy in Color series have finally landed at Stuart & Wright in Fort Greene. The photo above is a pic I took on my phone of my display that Alec put together for me (it's not completely filled up because he had sold 2 pieces the first day!) As you know, I'm juggling a lot of different projects on top of my new job at the Costume Institute Library, but having so much fun!

Check out Stuart & Wright's blog for updates on the new merchandise they are getting in the shop.

xoxojules

Crunchy Jewels: Custom-Colored Cake Balls

Red velvet cake balls dipped in custom-colored white chocolate and covered in coconut for Kohle Yohannan's Halloween Party at Grey Stone Court.










xoxojules

Chunky Crunchies!

My Lizette Crunchy has been updated with a little more color! I have also found some really chunky vintage chains from the last time I was in Seattle at a yard sale. I have nearly a hundred pounds of chains in the jewelry work corner of my house, but still collect and buy more whenever I find something I like. It's an addiction!

Crunchy Jewels X Linus in DAILY CANDY

My friend Stella Lee has a new clothing line called Linus which was featured in Daily Candy and the photo in the article has a Crunchy!

http://www.dailycandy.com/everywhere/article/39594/Sorry+Charlie



Here are some of my favorite Linus pieces:




Check out www.linusthelabel.com to pre-order the Spring collection.

xojulie

Crunchy Jewels x Gotryke.com

My writer friend Tamara Warren wrote an article on Crunchy enttiled, "Chains with a Bite" - I love it! She is also a proud new mamma to Benicio - I have yet to meet him, but judging by the photos - I may eat him all up because he is just that cute.

xoxo

Burger Girl

Burger Girl

It is summer in New York City which means it's BBQ season! Every so often I am hired to grill for parties or the grill madame at my friend's parties. Why? I make burgers that will change you life, but not just any kind of burger - Korean-Vietnamese BBQ burgers. Pretty serious, so serious that all you need is a bun and nothing else because the condiments are contained in the meat!

Here is the recipe to feed a small party. I generally guesstimate my measurements, but basically you can judge the marinade by taste before you add the meat. The most basic & important ingredients are soy, sugar, scallions & onions - I love playing with what I happen to have in the kitchen. So here goes:

1 bottle of Kikkoman Low Sodium Soy Sauce (the green bottle)
4 Tablespoon of Fish Sauce - Three Crab Brand
1/4 cup Tablesoons of Sugar in the Raw or brown sugar - add more if you want it sweeter
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Honey or Mirin
1/4 cup of Chili Garlic Sauce (add more or less depending how spicy you want it)
4 Cloves of minced Garlic
2 Tablespoons of minced Ginger
1 Bunch of chopped Scallion
1 Chopped Onion

4 1/2 - 5 pounds of Ground Sirloin Beef

Sesame Burger Buns

In a large bowl or deep dish pan, add the sugar, fish sauce, sugar, ground pepper, honey, and chili garlic sauce together. Taste to see whether or not you want to add more sugar and/or more spice with the chili garlic sauce. Then add garlic, ginger, scallion, and onions. Mix thoroughly and then add ground beef. Make sure that the meat is entirely coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Grill each side for 5 minutes. Add to a toasted bun and enjoy! Do not even think of adding ketchup to this burger. I will be insulted. You will never want to eat a regular burger at a BBQ ever again I promise!

xoxojules

Preview: Crunchy in Color

For the past few months, I have been working on a new series of Crunchies using colored cord and string. Here is what I have been working on so far, but many more to come! I have been putting out a few pieces here and there to test their response...

Mexico

I have been away on vacation with the man-friend. I will post more photos & videos soon of our adventures in Playa del Carmen & Tulum....but in the meantime, check out Jay's Beach Portrait Series on his blog!

xo

Crunchies in Dubai!

Thanks to Randa who was my liaison for my first store in Dubai - Five Green!

Vice Magazine

Crunchy was pulled for a Vice Magazine shoot for the Fashion Issue! Ok, so you can't really see the jewelry, but I have a credit, ha.

xo

Saved

Sean McNanney and I have been friends since we met in Seattle working together at Betsey Johnson (I was taking a short break from the City for about 8 months). As I returned to NYC in 2001, Sean followed route and two years later opened Saved Gallery. These photos were taken on the last days leading to the store's closing to preserve & showcase Sean's unique handicraft and aesthetic. As friends, we shared a common ground in make-believe, old stories from old ladies, vintage design, grotesque humor, romance, and fantasies of living inside a jewelry box.

Saved Gallery was a endless source of inspiration for so many artists and designers. Sean's use of color was incredible and his eye for those little pieces here and there that were once abandoned and forgotten. I spent hours at his shop because it was only a few blocks away from home. Click on the photo above to see a slide show of Sean's old space. I look forward to his future endeavors because his work & projects will only get more extravagant, always a little off-kilter, but beautiful.

So.... Sean is going to re-upholster a chair for me with fabric he designed and handmade himself. I am so excited! Stay tuned.

xoxo

Summer Crunchies

I have experimenting with a little more color other than gold & metal tones. This is a piece that is made with vintage milk glass beads that seem to float on an oxidized fine sterling silver chain. I have a huge collection of vintage beads that I have been hoarding for a rainy day....

xoxo

Vietnam