A New Decade

I meant to blog about Christmas but I got too busy. I meant to blog to wish everyone a Happy New Year and talk about my resolutions, but I decided I wasn't going to make any because when I fail I tend to feel bad about myself. And that is NOT how I want to feel. I want to feel enthusiastic about the future, even when the future is scary. I want to make sound decisions and wise choices. I want to be smarter because of the adversity I have been through. I don't want to have weathered a crisis and have nothing to show for it. What gain is there in that? A couple of days ago I read a newspaper article, "Economic Crisis Scars a Generation", by Gail Marks Jarvis, that said, After living through one of the most brutal recessions in U.S. history, many late teens and young adults could be scarred for life, adopting behaviours that could skew everything from their own careers to politics, corporate profits and the stock market. The article went on to say it may have much the same effect as how the Great Depression changed so many of the youths of the 1930s into conservative spenders and investors. OK, but isn't that a good thing? Why do we think that if we endure suffering it must 'scar' us instead of mold us? My parents lived through the Great Depression and WWII. My mother told me stories of how they rationed sugar and meat, and when she was pregnant with her firstborn during wartime, the doctor told her if she didn't follow his instructions to the letter, he would drop her as a patient because he didn't have time to treat undisciplined patients. Harsh? Maybe. But that generation learned to sacrifice and became strong. They were smart with what little money they had, they valued family, and they did what they had to do to hold it together. After WWII, America went on to experience prosperity like it had never known. Maybe this will happen again to this generation of young people who have witnessed their parents struggling to make ends meet. Maybe this recent struggle will create entrepreneurs who will change the world. Maybe it takes a monumental struggle like the one we are experiencing to instill humility into a generation of people who think suffering is having to shop less, ride a bike instead of drive, or eat at home instead of at a fast food restaurant. It makes me wonder who we will be as a nation at the end of the next decade. As a person who has traveled overseas and witnessed suffering firsthand, I can say that we live like kings and queens in America, even when we are lacking what we once enjoyed. My challenge to myself this new year is to treat each struggle as an opportunity to become stronger, to give a hand to someone who needs one, and to always view my glass as half full, rather than half empty.

Team Jacob

I am not a Twilight fan. Nothing against the vampire saga, but I just am not feeling it. Having said that, I did sit in an empty theater last night - empty but for my two friends and I - and had a great time watching New Moon. What made the movie so entertaining, besides the shirtless wolves, the adrenaline-seeking Bella, and the scary looking Voltarians, (not to mention the Junior Mints, Dots and M&Ms) were the reactions from my friends, one of whom is a major fan. She's already seen the movie, but she provided all the reactions to the characters as if it were her first viewing. Of course, because the theater was empty we were able to laugh, scream, talk and howl through the whole thing. In case you are wondering.......................I am definitely on Team Jacob! Here's why: He's alive and his altered state is a wolf. I like wolves. Edward, on the other hand is dead, cold and really pasty white when he takes off his shirt. Can he turn into a bat like Dracula? I don't know.............I only read as far as Twilight.

New Moon

I tried to resist. I pretended I didn't care. I am not even a fan.

But I am going. Tonight. With two of my younger, somewhat obsessed coworkers, to see

New Moon.

I don't even know which team to be on. Maybe I'll decide after tonight. Of course, my co-workers have already been to the movie - on opening night!

As a trend guru I decided I had better see the second installment of this pop culture phenomenon - the Twilight series.

I am prepared to enjoy this flick. All I need are a box of Junior Mints, a ticket, and great friends. Stay tuned........

24 Hours in Murphys

Last Friday my friend, Lauren, and I headed up to Murphys to feature my jewelry at Murphys Motorcycle Company, a store owned by our friend, Teri.

It was an evening where all the merchants kept their doors open late and everyone visited all the stores and partied in the streets. Well, it was a crazy evening filled with food, music and an opportunity to meet Teri's local friends who are super friendly! There was a small Christmas parade which we missed because we were inside manning our jewelry table. There were bonfires and cider and lots of wine tasting. Murphys is a big wine tasting town because of all the nearby vineyards.

The evening was successful and when it was time to pack up, we headed across the street to get some refreshments at Grounds. We were there maybe half and hour, when in walked Santa and Mrs. Clause. They were needing a drink after that big parade! Of course, Lauren and I had to have our pictures taken with Santa. The next morning we ended up eating the best breakfast there! Seriously good food! If you go to Murphys you must eat breakfast at Grounds.

It was a fabulous 24 hours in Murphys. And off we go.................home to Fresno.

Tie-Dye Still Trendy For 2010

“There’s something about tie-dye that speaks to everyone,” says Tory Burch, adding, “it’s a little nostalgic but also feels modern.” Well, I gotta love Tory Burch. Tie-dye is one of our favorite fashion-transformation products here at iLoveToCreate, and tie-dye is hotter than ever for spring/summer 2010. What's exciting is that the look keeps morphing each season to stay fresh and relevant. So often people think of tie-dye as unsophisticated and Bohemian, or as a messy children's craft on a t-shirt. That is so NOT TRUE! Check out these runway pictures to see what top fashion designers are doing with dye...

And here's a couple of projects from our website that are tie-dye inspired:

Visit our website, iLoveToCreate.com, for more trend and project information!

December

It's December 1, already! Thanksgiving was wonderful. I had nine days off - IN A ROW! That never happens for me. It was great. The first half of my vacation I reorganized my closet and my pantry, and I cleaned my entire house - I mean, really cleaned it! It felt so good to get this stuff checked off my To Do list. Now I was ready to enjoy Thanksgiving. Luckily, I didn't have to cook. We went to my husband's brother's home and feasted until we were zombies! While we were there in Sacramento we decided to take a drive to Folsom to walk around and check out the antique shops and boutiques. As we were driving through the neighborhoods to get to the main street, a big flock of wild turkeys flew across the road, in front of our car, and landed in a yard! There were about 15 of them. I had never seen wild turkeys before. Of course, my camera was in the trunk!

We came home the next day and enjoyed our clean and well-organized home, relaxed, watched movies and just enjoyed the peace of the day. Monday rolled around and my vacation is over and I am back at work. My husband brought our dog, Gabby, to work to be photographed for an upcoming pet feature for iLoveToCreate. Look at how cute she looks! Her Punk Princess hoodie is all done with Tulip products.

It seems every weekend we will be busy. This Friday I am heading up to Murphys, CA, to sell some of my jewelry in my friend's store during Murphys Open House.

Then on Saturday, we will walk Christmas Tree Lane with friends. By Sunday, we will need a day of rest.

Fingerless Gloves

I love fingerless gloves! But probably not for the reasons you'd think. I sit by a door and in the winter, no matter how warm and cozy our building attempts to be, I get really cold. My hands have been so cold that I have been known to type with one hand while I sit on the other. And then I would trade hands so I could warm up the other one! About 4 years ago, right before Karl Lagerfeld reintroduced the world to fingerless gloves, I seriously would take my old mittens and clip the tips off of them and wear them so I could type. I work on a computer for the bulk of my day and I have to be able to type. Fingerless gloves keep me warm and working! Now they are a fashion statement, not just a practical solution for those texters and typers who have cold hands. There are a number of trends that are fueling this fingerless glove phenom. The '80s gave us Madonna in her lace fingerless gloves, and everyone knows that that decade is a huge fashion inspiration right now. The Rocker Glam look fits the fingerless trend like, well, a black leather glove (with stud embellishments). The bulky knits that are so trendy right now are also inspiring some of my favorite looks in fingerless gloves. Here are some more favorites:

Here are celebrities who have been snapped wearing fingerless gloves:

Blog Addiction

I love to read books, and I love to read peoples blogs. My niece and her husband recently left New York City to travel and live in Ecuador for a few months before they return to the United States and settle into 'real life'. Luckily, they started a blog to share their travels with family and friends. I've been following their blog, checking on them as they talk about all their adventures. Stuff like riding a bus all night on an unpaved road, freezing cold in muddy clothes, to get to the next town. They are young, adventurous, on a budget, and having a blast. I envy their freedom. They are funny because they are vegans and they keep posting about the foods they are eating and the difficulty or ease with which they are finding this food. They are also bummed because they visited a market that was supposedly selling handcrafted goods, only to find that every vendor at the market was selling the same 'unique' items. On the upside, they are meeting all kinds of interesting travelers from all over the world. They are taking Spanish lessons so they won't struggle so much with trying to communicate. What a life they are leading! Walking to most places they want to go, experiencing a completely different culture, renting a little place they share with other travelers, and seeing the world in a whole different light. I can't wait to see who they become after they return from their grand adventure!

Paint Spatters

Are you one of those people who smashed wedding cake into the face of your new spouse?Do you like to throw water balloons at unsuspecting sunbathers?

Do you have trouble coloring inside the lines?

If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes', then I have a great paint trend for you! The latest '80s-inspired look is paint spattering. All you have to do is load your brush and fling it at your garment or home decor item and you are good to go!

Channel your inner Jackson Pollock to create this look. Get your paint goods here.

Jackson Pollock, Galaxy

PaintWorks, On Track With Trends

Quite a few months ago I was asked to be a contributor to the magazines, PaintWorks and Quick & Easy Painting as a trend columnist. My first article to appear in print is in the December 2009 issue of PaintWorks. This magazine is for decorative painters so my trend article needed to be accompanied by a fantastic project that would reflect my article and also appeal to the readers. The topic I chose to write about was Kitchen Couture, with the project being three fabulous aprons designed and painted by designers Suzi Shinseki and Cheryl Ball from iLovetoCreate. I am so excited to share my trend knowledge with a whole new audience of readers. If you see this magazine on the stands, pick it up, read my article and make an apron you can wear for many holiday seasons to come.

October Promises

I love October. I always have. The evenings become crisp and cool, and the leaves are turning to rich ambers, reds and russets. I love to throw an extra quilt on the bed! I love that it gets dark earlier. Some people hate that, but not me. I find it comforting after a long hot summer. I like to make thick soups and have a fire in my fireplace. I like to make crafts with my boys and make plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas. October holds the promises of all these things!

Let me say upfront that I am not a Halloween person. I don't like how 'dark' it has become. I do, however, love some of the elements of Halloween if they are really artsy or vintage. Here are some of my favorite 2009 finds:

These messy, graffiti painted pumpkins by Alisa Burke are so cool. I want to make them for my front porch! Check out her blog and she'll tell you how.This macabre plush owl, aptly named Chillingsworth by artist Ann Wood, is constructed from an antique bodice. Isn't he great?! I would keep him out all year long.

My favorite pumpkins are created by artist, Vergie Lightfoot. They each have their own distinct personality and charm. They are incredible.

FYI: Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to talk trends with Tiffany Windsor of Inspired At Home blog radio. Each month I choose a couple of topics that are trendy and she interviews me. I really love sharing trends with the listeners who love to craft. On October 18, you can listen to find out which retro decades are inspiring our latest fashion trends, and why. Then on November 1, you can hear me talk about the reason plaid patterns are so popular.

Trend Talk

This has been a hard month for me. I traveled to Las Vegas the end of August to attend Sourcing at MAGIC and came home with a cough. The cough turned into Bronchitis and I missed four days of work. Four days! Well, here it is, the end of September and I am just now getting over that cough. Of course, I have been to the doctor and had to take prescription meds - twice - to kick this thing. Having said all that, I am doing better and back to blogging. Just a reminder, if you missed hearing me talk trends on Inspired At Home blog talk radio, you can listen here. The picture above is of somewhere in North Carolina. I found it online and I loved it and wanted to share it.

Glitter

I am very excited! My friend, Kathy Cano-Murillo - aka, The Crafty Chica - has written her first novel and I get to read an advanced copy. I remember when Kathy and I went to lunch quite a few months back, we discussed one of the characters in her book and the changes Kathy was trying to make that would greater define this person. I felt privileged that she would even ask for my input. Luckily, I had a few trendy insights to offer Kathy. And now, here on my desk sits her book, Waking Up In The Land Of Glitter. In case you didn't know, glitter is Kathy's very, very favorite thing. Here's how the book is described: If Amy Sedaris and Ugly Betty teamed up to rewrite The Friday Night Knitting Club, you'd have this hilarious, heartwarming debut novel.

Remembering September 11

This morning my husband and I sat together watching the news and reverently observed a minute of silence in reflection of the events of September 11, 2001. I remembered back to that morning eight years ago, I was sitting in my chair with my new baby in my arms, watching the news about an airplane that hit one of the Twin Towers. As I continued to watch, a second plane hit the remaining tower, and I remembered the horror I felt as I realized that America was under attack.

Today I am thinking about all the things we as Americans enjoy because we live in safety and freedom. May we never, ever forget the events of September 11, 2001. And may God bless America.