Trendy for the Tree

Some motifs just live on and on, often without explanation, and even find their way onto the Christmas tree...

The Mustache 

Mustache Christmas Ornament

 

Black Mustache Ornament 

 

 

 

The Owl

The Owl 

 

Barn Owl Ornament

 

Chapeau the felt owl ornament

 

The Sugar Skull

Sugar Skull Ornaments Mexican Day of the Dead Soft by Missbutler

 

 Sugar Skull Ornament

 

Janna Salak Designs Day of the Dead Sugar Skull

 

 

 

 

 

 



Less Can Be More

I just read an interesting article that really alligns with my family Christmas plans. The article is called 'Three-gift Christmas' parents try to bring some reason to the season'.

TODAY contributor, A. Pawlowski writes, Inspired by the notion that Jesus received three gifts from the Wise Men on December 25 -- gold, frankincense and myrrh – many parents are saying they, too, want a three-gift Christmas for their children. Some do it for religious reasons. Others try it to save money, ease the stress of the holidays or get away from the commercialism that permeates December.

I would have to put a check mark on all of those reasons. We've been practicing minimal gift giving as a family for several years. We prefer to spend our time experiencing many of the special moments of Christmas - like driving down Christmas Tree Lane looking at all the decorated homes, attending our church's Christmas play, having friends over for a gift exchange, watching holiday movies, and just staying at home enjoying our family and our decorations. Best of all, by keeping the gift giving to a minimum it keeps our 'greed-o-meters' in check. I don't like feeling discontent with my life because I don't have the latest gadgets or must-have items that are all on sale. We purposefully keep the commercialism to a minimum so we can be thankful and celebratory of the true reason for Christmas.

What about you? Do you plan to splurge or keep the gift-giving to a minimum this year?
 

Arm Knitting Craze

There's a hot trend for winter that seems to be a favorite craft amongst Millennials: Arm Knitting! Have you heard of it? No knitting needles required—all Millennials need are their own two hands and about 30-minutes to spare to create the chunky knit scarf of the season.  

Arm knitting is a growing trend, with over 300 boutiques on Etsy selling knitted goods made using this method. According to The Wall Street Journal, the technique combines several things that are appealing to Millennials: crafts projects, chunky knitwear (featured on the fall 2013 runways), social media and instant gratification. Unlike traditional knitting, which has been passed down from generation to generation, the arm knitting craze has gone viral--you can find info and inspiration on Pinterest and YouTube, where there are a plethora of tutorial videos that are easy to follow.  

Before you know it you'll be an expert at the quickest way to make a chunky scarf, and you'll be on trend, too!

 

 

Pantone's Color of the Year 2014

The captivating, magical and enchanting Radiant Orchid. An invitation to innovation, modern and versatile Radiant Orchid encourages creativity and originality. Imbued with a harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and its rosy undertones emanate great joy, love and health. See more on Pinterest.

Celebrity Hair Color - Fall 2013

 Alexa Chung

 

 Kesha

 

 Avril Levigne

 

Vanessa Hudgens

Celebrity Tie-Dye Sitings for November 2013

Rachel Zoe and Coco Rocha

 Credit: Billy Farrell/BFAnyc/Sipa

 

 

Kanye West in his latest music video, Bound 2

Color Drip

 Seeing these...

 

iPhone 5/5s Coat of Color cases by Jordan Carlyle

 

 

Makes me think of these... 

Scribbles Dimensional Fabric Paint

DIY Candy Wrapper Crafts

Well, did you all survive the Halloween madness?! Us, too. Now, what to do with all those candy wrappers that are gathering as your kids (or you) make their way through the sugary loot??? Here are some really cool DIY projects I found that make me want to say "Kids, hurry up and eat that candy!"

This curtain from Luisa Caldwell is made from thread and old wrappers, and would make an excellent party backdrop.

 

 Gum wrapper chains also make for really great Christmas garland that you can use for years upon years. From The New New.

This coiled vase was made by Saved By Love Creations, from a combination of candy wrappers and magazines.

DIY Candy Wrapper Barrettes (source: MAKE)

Candy Wrapper Dress (source)

This gorgeous evening dress, designed by Christina Liedtke, took over 600 M&M wrappers and 1,800 flower designs to create. It was featured at TerraCycle’s Greenup! Popup Shop in New York City in 2010.

 DIY Candy Wrapper Wreath (source: Michele Made Me)

 

 

 

Happy Retro Halloween

Take a listen to what is reported to have caused panic the evening before Halloween in 1938.

The War of the Worlds is an episode of the American radio drama anthology series The Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H.G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds (1898).
The first two thirds of the 62-minute broadcast were presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, which suggested to many listeners that an actual alien invasion by Martians was currently in progress. Compounding the issue was the fact that the Mercury Theatre on the Air was a show that ran without commercial breaks, adding to the program's realism. There were sensationalist accounts in the press about a supposed panic in response to the broadcast.

Cat Ears

 Forever 21

 

Cats are a hot motif lately. You see them on t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, etc. There are prints and patterns of cats on leggings, tops, and accessories. And then there are all the cat ears I keep seeing. Need a quick costume? Cat ears! Although I think this cat ear trend wasn't necessarily meant for Halloween. Take a look...

Katy Perry

 

Nicole Richie

 

 DIY Cat Ears from P.S... I Made This

 

Justice

DittLys on Etsy

 



Urban Outfitters

 

Glitter Stem Pumpkin!

Happy Friday! Yesterday I had a plain, albeit gorgeous, white pumpkin in my office. I rarely get time to get crafty at work, even though I am surrounded by fabulous craft products. But yesterday I was told that my computer needed to be serviced so I had about twenty minutes to kill while I waited. Hmmm...what to do? I decided my little pumpkin needed some glitter love! I walked over to our creative department and picked up some Aleene's Tacky Glue, some Tulip Fashion Glitter, and a round brush. I brushed the entire stem with the glue, sprinkled on the glitter, and voila! In less than two-minutes, my plain little pumpkin was dazzling!

The Capitol Collection by CoverGirl / The Hunger Games: Catching Fire



TREND: Body Art

CoverGirl is gearing up for Catching Fire, the next installment in The Hunger Games series, with their stunning Capitol Collection. There are 12 distinct looks representing each of the 12 districts featured in the series. From the Luxury District to the Masonry District, the looks are over-the-top gorgeous. The movie will be in theaters on November 22, 2013. See the movie trailer at the end of this post.