Friday, August 20, 2010

Terra Firma - Browns for Fall

I noticed today that it was still dark when I was making breakfast at 05:30.  It was even dark when I went to bed last night at 9 pm.  Ah.... the days are getting shorter.  Cooler weather WILL arrive here in Western New York eventually.  Something wonderful to look forward to.  I can't wait for the hot, sticky weather to be behind us this year.  It seems like this Summer has been horribly long and I have a little air conditioner that at least keeps the inside bearable.

Fall is just around the corner and with it comes the new fashions.  They are out in the stores now.  According to the color forecast there is a whole palate of wonderful colors this year.  If you are following my posts, you have seen some of them already.  Today's collection centers around the earthen, terra firma colors, or in laymen's terms - browns.

I just love searching for coordinated items for my virtual wardrobe.  There's no way I could afford - or wear most of the items I pick.  It's still fun to "window shop".   Here are some of the wonderful items I found to go with a basic brown dress.  Many of them would make unique handmade gifts for folks on my shopping list.




Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Another Fall Color - Monarch Orange

I have been dwelling on the colors of Fall and Winter for some time now.  If you have been following me, you know that.  You also know how silly I think the names the industry uses for colors are.  This one is a slight exception.  At least it is close.  I do think of orange when I hear the word "monarch".  It almost surprises me that they didn't connect it with purple for royalty though.

In the past, orange has never been one of my favorite colors.  I think I associate it with the 60's and 70's when everything around me seemed to be orange stripes or paisley prints!  OMG - what were we thinking?  Thankfully, those days are behind us.  The oranges of today are a bit more tolerable.  Some of them are down right beautiful.  It was simple to make up a collection of handmade gift ideas for the fashion conscious buyer.  Here's a peek at my choices.  No two are alike and all of them are beautiful!


Sunday, August 15, 2010

Aubergine, Eggplant, Burgundy, Purple - You Name It

I stated earlier this week that the names the fashion industry come up with for colors never ceases to amaze me.  I don't know about you, but I'm not any more prone to buy a dress if it is called Winter Kale instead of just plane old pink.  I find their fancy names some what of a put off.  Just how do they expect the average Joe to find any of their colors in an Internet search?  I searched for "Winter Kale" and you know what results I got?  Kale... That pretty, leafy stuff that they grow in ornamental gardens and some brave souls eat.  No where in sight were there any fashions or accessories.  For that matter, most of the results were green, not pink.  A search for "Aubergine" brought me picture after picture of eggplants and low and behold, even some fashions and accessories.  I attribute that little success to the fact that more people know what color eggplant is.  I guess it's the country girl in me.  We tend to call a cow a cow and an ass an ass.  Rarely do we sugar coat the truth of the matter with fancy names unless you consider Bossie or Jack fancy.

That said, let's move on to prettier things.  I have been having a ball playing with Art Fire's new collection tool.  One day this week I picked a color from the forecasted 2010 Fall and Winter palate and started searching.  Since zero items resulted from "Winter Kale" I moved on to the more familiar eggplant discussed above.  I even found a few sellers who knew what aubergine is.  I am sharing my collection with you so you too can drool over these wonderful handmade gifts.  Hop on over to Art Fire and find a few for yourself.  Share them with all of us here if you would like.  Just leave a link in my comments.


Friday, August 13, 2010

Buying For Your Man

Can you believe it?  Summer is almost over.  It can't end soon enough for me but on the down side, that means it's time to start thinking about the holiday gift giving season again.  I absolutely dread buying for the men on my list.  That is especially true for my husband who when asked what he would like for Christmas just shrugs his shoulders and mumbles "I don't know".

This year I decided to start looking early.  I'm stuck on the idea of giving handmade items when ever possible.  Making something for everyone is completely impractical.  Who has time for that?  I spent some time searching and found a ton of handmade gifts for men on Art Fire alone.  Just a few clicks and I had a list started.   There are so many talented artists on the internet!

I put a few of my favorite items into a collection to share with you but don't stop with what I found. Go exploring yourself and you may just find the perfect gift for that impossible to buy for man on your list.