Glitter Fingertips For Winter 2010

Are those snowflakes on your fingertips? The big trend this winter is all things sparkly! That includes nails. I love this twist on the french manicure with the glitter and metallic finish on the tips of the nails. It's so elegant and festive, and will surely get you noticed.
Rococo's Gold Leaf nail lacquer by SpaceNK give your nails a gold-spattered effect. Why should your Christmas lights be the only thing that sparkles?
Only Gold For Me

Top Coat from Sephora O.P.I.

It's a brilliant finishing touch that acts like jewelry for your nails.

Hearts For Haiti

I did not go out shopping on Black Friday - I had a stuffy nose, it was super cold at around 48 degrees (that is super cold for the central valley!), and I get overwhelmed by motley crowds. However, I did venture out a little bit on Saturday to get my favorite candles at Pottery Barn. I love candlelight on cozy winter nights, and I think their candles burn the best without an overpowering fragrance. Anyway, while paying for my candles I happened to see these lovely hand-carved stone hearts. I thought they would be perfect in one of my many bowls of collectibles. I bought the Hearts For Haiti because they are beautiful and because I love giving back, especially during the holiday season. It feels good! The proceeds from the sale of these handmade Haitian hearts will fund the Haitian relief activities of HAND/EYE Fund's Artisan Grants Program. HAND/EYE Fund woks in Haiti to help artisans recover from the life-challenging loss of shelter, equipment, workshops and income. Artisans in Haiti embody their country's rich cultural heritage, employ their neighbors, solve community problems with their entrepreneurial skills, and create opportunities for themselves and others. So have a heart (or three) this holiday season!

Bagvertising

Bagvertising...

Now here's a great way to make a clever brand statement. Click here for more images.

iLoveToCreate on iCarly

I was watching TV with my boys last night and we tuned in to a new episode of iCarly. "iStart A Fan War" was actually a 47 minute 'movie' with guest star, Jack Black. Carly's brother Spencer is a sculptor/artist who happened to be working on a costume for a WebiCon convention similar to ComiCon. As Carly and her friend Sam are making snacks at the kitchen island I spotted a whole bunch of Tulip Fabric Sprays and Aleene's Tacky Glue in the iconic gold bottle on the counter top in front of them. Spencer's costume, a "World of Warlords" avatar ensemble inspired by his favorite medieval online video game was made with our products! Past special episodes of iCarly have drawn upwards of 13 million viewers. That means millions of people got to see our products in Carly's kitchen. Jack Black plays Spencer's online video rival who also attends WebiCon.

Sew Creative II

"Look what I neglected to include in my last blog," she sheepishly stuttered.

Right in my own backyard is Sew Creative, a studio in Fresno that teaches sewing in a super cool environment. And, of course, there is Quilters Paradise in Clovis. Sew sorry! (bad sewing humor)

Sew Creative!

Yesterday I read an article in our local paper (Beth Hughes/San Francisco Chronicle) about how sewing classes are bursting at the seams as sewing enthusiasts and wanna-be seamstresses are taking this retro craft to new heights. There are many reasons for this, we know - the recession, the desire to simplify one's life, the inspiration of television shows like Project Runway, the DIY movement, self-expression, etc. According to the article, it's all these reasons and more. It's an attitude lined with a can-do spirit and stitched together by how-to home-sewing videos on YouTube. Born of the desire to be more self-sufficient, the result is a creative all-gender antidote to a workaday world, a truly individualized look and, for some, a possible career move. "In a survey, we found that the No.1 reason for our members to sew is to have a creative outlet," says Nora Abousteit, co-founder of Burdastyle, which has more than 400,000 members and gets 6.5 million page views per month. Interest in sewing has grown out of the craft and DIY movements. While in can be cheaper to buy 'disposable' clothing at retail stores like Forever 21 and H&M, people are interested in something unique, something they made with their own hands. Today, sewing is the latest 'lost art' of our grandmother's art that is being revived. There is something so satisfying when you engage your creativity and make something yourself. Places like the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica, Selvedge Sewing, and The Crafter's Studio in Santa Cruz offer sewing classes and DIY inspiration, as well as other craft offerings.

White Christmas

Stockings - HGTV

There are certain holiday trends that remain timeless and a white Christmas is one of them. I live in central California so our idea of a white Christmas is dense tulle fog, although it did lightly snow in the winter of 1999. I know this because I have pictures of me pregnant with our first son, standing in our front yard as the snow fell. It was only a few inches (if that) but it was definitely snow! With white being such an on-trend color this season and into spring 2011, you can certainly create your own white Christmas. Here's some things I am seeing...

Christmas Tree - West ElmSnow Globes - West ElmSanta Lucia Snowflake Set - AnthropologieNovelty Nut Crackers - West Elm Luminaries - HGTV

Felt and fashion

Peas in a pod - by Unseen Products

Is there anything cozier than felted wool for fall, winter and Christmas? I love the look and feel of felt because of its handmade properties and versatile looks. Felt is becoming more prominent in home decor with embroidery, cut-outs and appliques adding dimension and texture. Felted items are often handcrafted in exotic places and reflect the culture of the country from which they come from. Here are some of my favorite felt finds for November...My very favorite felted things are these incredible felted dogs by Domenica More Gordon. She was featured on Man Shops Globe on the Sundance Channel. Host Keith Johnson found her in Edinburgh, Scottland, and fell in love with the little dogs which were auctioned off for charity.Scarf and purse from Anthropologie.Floral motif by Kunstgewerbe Ursula GehlmenCut outs - shawl from JurgitaMi on Etsy Pillow by Unseen ProductsDoor wreath and garland from Anthropologie

Felted Christmas Tree By Meander BV

Fashion + Art

Kids, fashion, painting and music collide here.

It's wonderful how self-expression and free from art burst forth to market creativity.

Beiber Marketing

Did I hear it correctly? Justin Beiber has designed a line of nail polishes for Nicole by OPI. Huh? Is there nothing celebs won't plug to make a buck? The polishes are bold colors with lots of glitter. Called the One Less Lonely Girl collection, the shades are inspired by Beiber hits. The nail polishes will debut this December at Walmart. By the way, the 16-year-old Beibs is also designing his own fragrance line for the ladies, which is slated to launch in high-end department stores next year.

Life is but a dream...

My love of Anthropologie continues to grow. I just received the November 2010 catalog and I am flipping over the whimsical, dreamy, vintage, grandiose scale and playful nature of the images. I am less about what they are selling (I love it all!) and more about how they are selling it. I want to step inside the pages, much like Alice stepped through the looking glass.
The use of vintage inspired wallpaper as a background adds to the enchantment of the pieces featured.The catalog is 89 pages of pure delight.

RED: The Color of the Season

FYI... Artful Home, Red is the color of the season. While red is always a power color for the holiday season, it is apparently the color for the 2010-11 season.