A Decade Lost: From Aught to Naught

As we enter this new decade, let's review some of those things that are becoming obsolete, what is replacing them, and if that is good or NOT *:

BOOK >>>>>>>>>> KINDLE
Well, I think the Kindles are great, especially for traveling (no lugging the heavy books),for newpapers (no ink mess or awkward paper folding to avoid invading your neighbors space if you care about that sort of thing), and for sampling new reads. But, I do love the feel of a good book and the COLORS/VISUALS you get with an actual book - especially those books from Rizzoli and Assouline.

PEN >>>>>>>>>> KEYBOARD
Sorry, I love the feel of a fabulous pen - from a Tiffany Blue pen to a handsome Mont Blanc to my old stand by - blue papermates (by the box full). I always sign my docs in blue - easy to id the original. But I do use BOTH (obviously, as you are reading my Blog)

LANDLINE >>>>>>>>>> CELLPHONE
Provided the brain cancer link is truly a myth, cellphones are GOOD. They are portable, small and come in a variety of colors.

PAYPHONE CALLS TO SAY GOODNIGHT >>>>>>>>>> CELLPHONES TO SAY/TEXT GOODNIGHT
A GOOD thing. Direct and to the Point and no lines. I am not sure I actually ever stood on a line or used a pay phone for this purpose but others have! And, are there really any payphone left anyway?

ACTUAL CONVERSATION >>>>>>>>>> TEXT MESSAGES and EMAILS
Aside from calling someone's actual home, hearing a voice, maybe having to say hello to someone's parent, child, spouse or other human, actually seeing someone's face during a conversation where you can see their reaction, and read, rightly or wrongly, emotion as you "converse", there are advantages but I hope the Art of Conversation is not completely lost. And, SKYPE is a bridge builder here...

PAYPHONE CALLS TO SAY GOODNIGHT >>>>>>>>>> CELLPHONES TO SAY/TEXT GOODNIGHT
A GOOD thing. Direct and to the Point and no lines. I am not sure I actually ever stood on a line or used a pay phone for this purpose but others have! And, are there really any payphone left anyway?

PERSONAL LETTER >>>>>>>>>> EMAIL
Many say the former has disappeared but we all know the curiousity, intrigue, PLEASURE we feel when a personal letter arrives. Not so much with an email. And, do we save love emails? I don't think so. And, when we give a gift, do we give it with an email taped to the box or in the bag? No, our gifts - whatever the occasion - are most often accompanied with a handwritten note/card or gift tag. As a related aside, one of the most refreshing things I heard all week - a friend who has no email. He only writes personal notes. He responds to business emails sent to his office the next day with a hand written note/letter or a phone call - he likes to take the time to deliberate. While this may not be practical for some or most of us (myself included), it is food for thought.

RANDOM CHATTER >>>>>>>>>> TWITTER
I don't even know what to say here.

HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

*opinions may vary depending upon your age and experience!

Inviting Mrs. Meyer's

What am I doing? Writing about a cleaner??!! But it is right up my alley - Aroma therapeutic. Fresh. Not complicated. No mess. I really like the directions for the liquid hand soap: "Moisten your hands, then add soap. The longer you rub your hands, the cleaner they become."

This happy holiday one has an amazingly clean and mountain pine scent. But, she's a welcome invite other times of the year too - I especially like her in lavender. Yummy.

Merry Christmas

Even the dogs glisten in Deer Valley.

Wishing for Some Peace

We all need peace. Certified organic.

http://www.organicbouquet.com/p_58/pine_wreath_peace.html

Wrapping It Up

Here we are, in the middle of the holiday season and things are getting all wrapped up.
Gift paper - sustainably offset printing on 100% post consumer recycled paper.
Letterpress gift tags can also be used as seating cards. From Smock.

FAIRCHILD in Wonderland

Orrganics Blog was there, in NYC, to hear about the exciting things happening at the Fairchild Fashion Group (part of the Condé Nast media family) and to enjoy some holiday eats and drinks. Can you spot part of me in my favorite NARS nail color - Tokaïdo Express? It was a winter wonderland in the midst of NYC... Look for some exciting and innovative things from WWD, a Fairchild Brand.

Speaking of WWD (Women's Wear Daily) , do you have your winter stationery wardrobe yet? Winter whites in lovely organics cottons, silver chain link accents, lush velvet embellishments and black ink of course.

I just love keeping warm by the fire and watching the snow fall, click below and you can enjoy it too.

Happy Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah, skylight menorah from Jonathan Adler. Cool.

Train to Deer Valley

I am so happy to have done the invitation for JUMA's Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest this year (see above). That project had me thinking about this event weekend for a while (see prior post on Anticipation). Of course, it was a fabulous weekend full of skiing (with past Olympians!), racing, eating, chatting, celebrating and enjoying a private concert by Train - great NEW album. There was also an auction evening to benefit Bobby Kennedy's environmental organization, Waterkeeper Alliance. There are a few photos from the weekend above. Click on the photo below for a sampling of Train's song "Save Me San Francisco".

For more (professional) on the Event - past and present go to www.dvskifest.com/main.html

Anticipation

One of my favorite spots, Deer Valley, Utah. Tomorrow, the mountain opens for the season.
Can't wait.

A Penny For Your Thoughts, Literally

I don't know about you but when I do a mailing, whether it is an invitation or a holiday card, I am picky about the stamps I use as postage. I have used the services for customized stamps as well as lingered over the selection at the Post Office. So, being Holiday time, I got to thinking about stamps. Above is the first issued adhesive stamp (so I've been informed) - a British Black Penny stamp from Great Britain. Created by Rowland Hill in 1837, it was first used May 6, 1840. The profile is of Queen Victoria's head; this was on all British stamps for the next 60 years. Nice to see we have more options today.

Do You Have One of These in Your Attic?

Sir Henry Cole is credited with creating the first commerically produced Christmas card.
England, 1843. He commissioned the art work from English painter John Callcott Horsley.

Look closely to see the small child in the center drinking wine. What is that about?

Seeing The Blind Side

If you haven't heard, (have you been out of the country??!) this movie is fantastic! I went with my kids for my birthday and it was one of the best presents I have ever received. I cried, smiled and laughed (especially at the mention of "vinegar" - see it and you will too). The Blind Side is a must see -- for so many reasons. And, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, enjoy and savor.

Gratitude is Fabulous

And this week reminds us to be thankful. What/who are you thankful for?

In Living Color

Ogden Rood (1831-1902), an American physicist and artist, wrote about color theory and introduced the term "hue". Hue is the basic term of a color - whether it is blue, green or red ... Neo-impressionist painters (such as George Seurat) benefited from his writings. Others have studied and written about color, saturation, color wavelengths, hue, perception, etc. I could read Modern Chromatics (1879) by Rood - but no. Today, I am going to study color via my new book "HUE", by Kelly Wearstler. Is this lazy? No, it's studying the practical application of color theory.

Treating Your Hair -- Feathers & Bows & Vintage Jewels

I just love these bows/feathers for the holidays (or any day really).

Ban.do ( http://www.shopbando.com/) is the company behind these fabulous and daring creations. I do own one; they are really well made and magical. And, I am considering the one with the orange feathers for Thanksgiving ( but I might be too chicken to wear it).

Feeling Blue?

I am feeling blue and loving it! Yes, I did this years ago, but here I am again. Another blue period. This should not, by any means, be confused with Picasso's somber Blue Period (1901-1904).

YSL. Use with intention and soft lips.

Seeing Red: More Branding and Just in Time for the Holidays

When you see a fabulous red sole, it can only mean one thing. And walking away never looked so good.

Anytime, anywhere. Click here before you walk away: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/templates/media.jhtml?itemId=cat19460743&icid=elvid#

Another success in color branding.

And, the happy souls featured in red above are shown on a yummy Luscious Verde holiday card.

Branding at Tiffany's

Who knows where that pouch came from? Did you recognize the box above? Could you spot it from across the room and know the significance of a genuine Tiffany box? Can you guess – pretty accurately – where the envelope is from without looking at the return address? Why would your answer be “yes” or “Tiffany” to any or all of the above? Because Tiffany & Co. is known for their trademarked blue box. Yes, this particular shade of blue is trademarked - world famous at that. A successful branding story; you see this delightful shade of blue and you think of Tiffany. Did you know that “Tiffany Blue” is also known as Pantone Color 1837? 1837, the year that Tiffany was born.

Hmmm… what color would make people think of you? Are you color branded?

I’d be interested to hear about other successful color brandings. Please send me your top 3.

And, for those who don’t know me that well, I am not so much “color branded” as I am “pattern branded”. The obvious clue lies in the photos above.

Up On A Pedestal

Just this morning, a very cheery product came across my desk. I had to share it.

Recycled and full of color. How could these colors not make you happy?!

I am going to get one in blue; I could say "Tiffany blue" but that is the topic of my next post.

Check out these pedestals at http://iacolimcallister.com/miniPedestals.html

(And next time you are ordering stationery, think about bright colors for your inks. How could that not make you happy?)

Using Recycling - Even for Halloween

So the prep began a few weeks ago. What to be, what to be? Store selections didn't grab us. And all you do with that brand new prepackaged costume is wear it once and put it away in the closet hoping a younger friend or relative will ask to borrow it for next year. And that rarely happens.

Wasn't there anything we could make? Anything we could use from stuff we already had? We had an idea for a costume. Then I heard about Tony; a man with years of experience with costumes for Broadway shows. Tony is a man with a barn 3 stories high filled with costumes and accessories. Fabulous! Maybe we could find something that would look like a coffee mug/container/cup; something already made and just waiting to be used again.

When we first went up to see Tony it was a little spooky. The door to the inside porch of his house was left open and it was filled with years of memories. We knocked. We rang the bell. We called from our cell phones and heard his land line ringing with our call. Nothing. We walked across the way to the barn. We pushed open the old door. Wow. Old file cabinets, draped tables, pirate jackets, band outfits, maiden gowns, lace, and webs. Still no Tony. Was he up in the rafters? Could we just walk up those creaky, steep and narrow steps? We had an appointment. Where was he?

"Let's just get out of here" spoke a little voice (yes, my daughter). We called again. No Tony. "Can we please just go..." At that point we did have to leave but our friends could wait a bit longer.

A few minutes later the call came in from Liz - "they have some tea cups and a majorette costume - I think it could work."

A few days later we went back. We combed through the top loft filled with head gear. White fluffy feathers...? An option. But, I am a bit weary of used or shared headgear. We left without a whip cream topping accessory but we had the makings of a coffee cup. Man hours later we had Starbucks branding our Halloween and we were gluing marshmallows to felt hats.

The best part - happy smiles and the delight that we were, for the most part, able to "recycle" a costume.

Happy Halloween!

And, more on branding next week.

Not So Scary Halloween

Lots of treats for a halloween birthday! Isn't this sweet?

Don't Forget to Write!

The power of the written word is quite strong. Receipt of a recent note had me feeling joyful, fabulous and, oh so successful and appreciated for days. All those feelings came from just a few short words.

The young lady (I sound so old saying that!) who penned this note compared opening her very first blue Tiffany box (a gift we gave her - and yes, there was something inside) to witnessing her first snow. Well, ... WOW! How cool is that?!

Now, this fabulous girl loves nature, the earth, humanity, etc., so the particular words she chose really had impact. And, I could totally relate to what she said being both a Tiffany and snow lover myself.

Point here is that her written words had power. I am still smiling as I recall her words days later. A cookie cutter statement off a list of 5 different ways to say thank you just doesn't do the same thing.

And, check out the site of the London illustrator who "penned" the illustration above. http://www.henniehaworth.co.uk/objects

Passing Notes

2 lucky sisters just got some very nice stationery for no apparent reason except to write notes. Yes, there are other forms of communication aside from texting! And, how pretty. I love the different color on the back of the card. And how cute are these motifs? From Arzberger.

Looking Through Rose Colored Glasses

A pink wash for Charlemagne. Courtyard of Notre Dame. Just for fun.

As far as looking at life through rose colored glasses, there is nothing wrong with that... "glass half full" as the saying goes. After all, while it is true that our trip to Paris unexpectedly ended 24 hours after arrival, a week ago we were strolling through a beautiful city without a plan or an agenda, relaxing in a cafe, and enjoying life. So, better a day in Paris than none at all. La vie est belle!

(By the way, I really was in rose colored glasses. )

I hope you enjoy/enjoyed this week's posting "trips" to Paris. BTW, for anyone visiting in the near future, we had a fabulous dinner (yes, I realize it was the only one we had) at Le Bambouche, 15 rue de Babylone ( www.lebamboche.com). If you click on the tab "Cadre", you will see our table - photo top right. During dinner, they do dim the lights.

Recyclez s'il vous plaît

Look at this recylcing bin - located all over the streets in Paris. It is huge.

Look at this Smart Car - they are all over the streets in Paris. It is so small.

Hmmmm... I think this car might fit in the recyling bin.

Speaking French

Another order is in. You may have seen this already but I am in a French mood so here it is again. Packages of 6 notecards with envelopes/liners for $14. Letterpress from Smock. And it is pink.

Mad Mac

Well, Paris did not go exactly as planned - in fact rather than watching Coco Before Chanel on the flight over, I should have watched Paris in 24 Hours because we had to fly home early - but all is fine now. http://video.yahoo.com/watch/140787/1703744.

C'est La Vie - we will try again in the Spring.

In the meanwhile, those 24 hours were great. One of the first stops (and yes, I know there were not many) was Laduree (www.laduree.com). My husband was sure it was a shop for soaps. But no, it is not; it is a patissier, a chocolatier, a place I was drawn to when I first spotted the window display (see above). And yes, there was really a line out the door. About $20 later we had a few ( really just a few - 4 to be exact) different flavors of the famous macaroons; red fruits, lemon, "pamplemousse" - grapefruit - which is my favorite. Great texture, color, flavor but I have to say I felt underwhelmed. Perhaps it was that we ate them out of a bag as we continued our walk through the streets. When we go back we will take our time, sit down and enjoy them with a little "cafe". Like many things, it is about presentation, about patience and love.