Timeless Trends–Ten Looks That Won’t Go Out Of Style

October 6, 2015

Remember when this look was in style…..

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As a designer, I’m often asked by clients and friends about whether a particular color, fabric or materials is in or out of style. On the surface that might be a hard question to answer because everything that’s in style will eventually go out of style and then most likely come back in style again. The image above is from the early 70’s and the fabric and styling of that sofa are in demand today. And the image below, also from the 70’s, is the tulip table and chairs are just as popular today as they were back then.

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While styles and trends come and go, there are some design elements that I think fall into the timeless category and will always provide a classic look when decorating.

Want to know what those timeless trends are?

Well, here’s a look at Ten Trends That Won’t Go Out Of Style…

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Best of Etsy: Plaid for Fall

October 2, 2014

Nothing says FALL to me more than plaid!

(ok, well maybe a pumpkin spice donut from Krispy Kreme)

Plaid is sure a classic way to dress up your home and your wardrobe for the season. If you’re looking for some unique plaid pieces for fall, I’ve rounded up a handful of the greatest from Etsy.

Stop by and check out each of these shops because there’s more great items that await you.

Resource list:

River Oak Studio Buffalo Plaid Pillow

Upscale Downhome Plaid Antler Mount

86 Home Plaid Blanket

Blue Rooster Designs Plaid Footstool

Freckle Face Monday Plaid Scarf

Hope Bauble Vintage Plaid Tote

Happy Fall!

Sun, Sand and Crafting

January 21, 2014

Hello there! Today I wanted to share my trip last week to the CHA show in Los Angeles. I had an awesome time and it was the perfect new adventure to start the year off. The Craft and Hobby Association show is like the super bowl of crafting. All of the industries leading product manufacturers, designers and craft talents come together for a 4 day show that’s all about the creative and crafting industry. Major companies like Plaid, Fiskars, Cricut and Scotch are there with new product introductions and demonstrations on all the crafting items they sell. In addition to the these heavy hitters, there are paper companies, scrapbook companies, rubber stamp companies, jewelry supply manufacturers and anything else related to the craft industry.

I had the great pleasure of being asked by Craffiti, a leading rubber stamp and embossing plate manufacturer here in Georgia to attend the show as their creative artist. I’ve created projects for Craffiti for a few months and was thrilled when they extended the invitation.

Once we landed in Los Angeles, Sheila, Christy, Amanda and I headed to our hotel. We stayed at the Anabella, a cute boutique hotel which is located right next door to the convention center and across the street from Disneyland. It was the perfect location and the surrounding area was so pretty.

The street in front of the hotel was lined with beautiful palm trees and at night you could see the Ferris Wheel at Disneyland all lit up.

The booth set-up was next on our agenda.

The display included this giant board featuring examples of the stamp and embossing products Craffiti makes and some cards and gifts tags I created using their embossing plates.

The pink tutu table skirt was a big hit at the show!

Once the booth was set up we had a few hours on our hands and decided to head to the beach for some lunch and a walk in the sand. One of the things I was hoping to do this trip was to walk in the sand and put my feet in the ocean. After living on the west coast for so many years, I miss the beauty of the Pacific Ocean. Huntington Beach, the 80 degree weather and the SUN was heavenly!

{oh, I forgot how cold the water was on the west coast}

The CHA show started on Saturday and boy was it a crafting fest.

Scotch had all of their Expressions washi tapes, masking tapes and packing tapes on display. So many cute designs to choose from.

My favorite ribbon company May Arts was there and I got to check out their entire ribbon line. Such goodness!

There were so many creative craft projects on display. This wreath, using Jillibean Soup Wood Sprinkles was one of my favorites.

Just one of the many beautiful paper collage art pieces I saw. So inspiring!

One of my favorite crafting companies, Me and My Big Ideas had a new line of Mambistick stickers that are awesome. I can’t wait to use them in a project. I’m envisioning a fun gallery wall something like this.

How cute is this wreath using decorative paper cards?

There were hundreds of booths at the CHA show and some of them really stood out to me. I loved this space set up like a crafting room.

Spellbinders had one of the most amazing booths at the show. It was decorated like a vintage parlour with stunning displays featuring Gilded Life jewelry products.

This banner has me thinking about a burlap and bling Christmas theme for 2014 🙂

A Gilded Life necklace. We were able to make a similar one for free during the show.

In addition to seeing so many great craft projects and ideas, I also loved checking out new crafting machines and tools. This Ad Tech glue gun is on my shopping list. It’s a dual function glue gun that operates both with batteries and electric and it has a built-in stand that allows the gun to stand upright.

And then there was the Fiskars AdvantEdge Punch System. After seeing this machine in person I’m in love. It uses decorative cartridges to create a continuous border punch. I’m using this machine for my next gift wrap inspiration post that will be coming up later this week on the blog.

And if crystals are your thing, CHA had them on display in full force. A company called Crystal Ninja turns everyday items in to works of art using their crystals. You have to check out their website to see more of the amazing things they create.

So can you see what I mean by crafting super bowl? The CHA show was such an awesome experience, representing Craffiti, being creativity energized and connecting with new people. I look forward to attending the show next year but until then I’ll be using many of the new items I saw at the show in my crafting post throughout the year. I’m ready to get crafty, how about you?

Fall Fashion Trend: The Outer Layer

September 5, 2013

I know coats and outerwear are the last thing on your mind given that it’s probably 85 degrees where you are right now, but whether we want it to happen or not, fall and winter are coming and we all need to be fashionably ready.

So I thought I’d pop in today and share one of the hottest fall fashion trends of with you, OUTERWEAR. Fall and winter outerwear often gets the short end of the style stick with function trumping fashion but for 2013 coats are making a major fashion statement. The trend is boxy, slouchy, plaid and stripes, with just about every color on the color wheel being popular. So grab a glass of ice tea and take a look at what you’ll be seeing in the coming months in magazines, store windows and on the street!

Grey, black and white have always been top colors used in outerwear but when combined into a stripe they take on a fresh appeal. The classic double-breasted car coat silhouette is one you’ll see a lot of as always.

Here’s the slouchy approach to that classic car coat style. This is a tricky silhouette to pull off and if not done right you could look like a balloon. The key is to keep your top and pant slim and close cut.

This plaid coat is awesome! The kimono style is really fun in this red and white plaid and the black piping helps to give the coat structure. {fyi– I’m pretty sure if you found this coat in a store it would come with a finished hem}

Classic black and white tweed in a raglan sleeve coat. Stripes mixed with tweed are one of my favorite pattern combos.

Even long coat styles are more relaxed for fall!

The color camel is also a hot trend for fall and works great as a stripe paired with black. You’ll be seeing wide and narrow stripes so you’ll have options.

I love anything in red so this coat really appeals to me. The fur collar is fab and the bell sleeves and oversized pockets give this coat some playfulness.

If pastels are your thing you’ll find outerwear in those colors too.

This look is so beautiful. I’ve always been drawn to a head-to-toe color palette and the ice blue is so chic in my book. And the tapered silhouette really helps with the shape of this coat.

Hum? At first glance I really liked this coat but the more I look at it the more I see “fire fighter”. The orange however is fab and will be a big color for fall and winter so keep your eye open for less industrial looks in that color.

There you have it, your first look at fall fashion trends. Since I’m a fashion fiend, I’ll be sharing some more fall looks with you over the next few weeks so getting your shopping list ready. Until then enjoy your glass of ice tea and the last bits of summer!