Happy Friday!

Happy Friday all!  It looks like we are in for a little blizzard this weekend so I had better start in on my holiday shopping this morning before the roads get nasty.  I haven't even started buying gifts yet and I've also got the menu for our holiday party to finalize.  Hope you all have a nice weekend of pre-holiday prep, relaxation, and staying warm & cozy! 

Design Trend: Triangles

Okay if you haven't noticed the whole triangle graphics trend by now you've probably been living under a rock somewhere.  They are all over the place, in fashion, interior design, graphic design, stationary, even jewelry design.  Here's a round up of some of my favorites! (click to enlarge)

 

Maria Dahlgren designed serving tray

 

A Fine Fete Necklace from Anthropologie.

 

Artwork from Greg Lamarche.

Prism Lights from Nathalie Dewez

Arne Jacobsen Series 300 Sofa.

Laser Show from MWM Graphics

Sanna Annukka Wrapping Paper

Wallpapered room found thanks to Design for Mankind. + Dolce & Gabbana Geometric Print Dress

Getting Into Holiday Mode

So my life the past month has been so consumed with preparing for the No-Coast show that many things got pushed aside, neglected, suspended, forgotten, or otherwise just didn't happen.  One of those things was my daily blog roll and after getting back to it yesterday, I realized how much I really missed my morning ritual!  In addition, I wasn't allowing myself to start doing holiday stuff until the show was over (which was a tough rule to follow!).  So now I am happily getting into Christmas mode full force!  Last night we got our Christmas tree, a beautiful frasier fur that smells amazing, and I've downloaded a plethora of unique holiday albums including a Best of Motown Christmas.  It's pretty good except for a really unfortunate track of Stevie Wonder singing Ave Maria, featuring a harmonica solo!   I'm also trying to get all the plans together for the holiday party we are hosting in 2 weeks, including mulling over ideas for my par-tay outfit.  One of my favorite blogs, Design is Mine, had some awesome suggestions for the perfect party ensemble! 

Winding Down After No-Coast

Good morning all.  Bet you're wondering how the big weekend at the fair went!  To sum it up in one sentence, it went well but not as well as I'd hoped for.  The biggest bummer was the snow storm that came just as things were getting set up on Friday!  It was not exactly fun hauling in load after load in that.  By the time I moved my car (about a half hour after the show started) the roads were really bad which kept people away I think.  Saturday started out a bit poky as well but by the afternoon was pretty busy.  It was great to interface with the public, vs. just selling online.  It was like a study in sociology, watching what people were interested in (or not).  My booth looked pretty stellar after a bit of rearranging.   I talked to a lot of local brides about veil and bolero orders and I met some great vendors too!   

All and all, I'm glad I did the show... but I'm also glad I don't do craft shows on a regular basis!   It was just a crazy amount of work making enough inventory to fill out a booth, and I keep plenty busy just with my normal work load.   I still have to finish unloading the car today and find a place for all the left over merchandise, but I'm slowly winding down and getting back to having a life in addition to a business!  ( I even managed to bring up the Christmas decorations from the basement yesterday!)  And that feels pretty good!  

No-Coast Craft-o-rama is Here!

Super quick post this morning as I get the last of everything together for the show today.  My office, most of my house for that matter is a big mess of display items, promotional postcards, and product hanging here and there.  All the same, I think my booth is going to look pretty rockin'!  I'm super excited and ready or not, here I come!  Hope to see you all at the Midtown Global Market this weekend! The show starts at 3pm Friday and at 9am on Saturday.   Stop by booth 22-E and say hi!

Sunday Edition

Happy Sunday everyone.  Hopefully you've had a good holiday and are having a great weekend as well.  Sorry for the minimal posts lately, but it will probably continue for one more week.  It's now less than one week until the No-Coast Craft-o-rama... and I'm starting to get a little stressed!  What if I don't sell enough and I have a bunch of left overs?  What if I'm not making enough product and I sell out too fast?  I'm still not entirely sure how I'm arranging my booth space either!   I'm excited, I'm looking forward to it but I'm also nervous and can't wait for it to be over at the same time!   There is still so much to do so I'm guessing I won't have a blog post every single day this coming week.  Cross your fingers, eyes and toes and wish me luck! 

From last week, neckties awaiting to be sewn. Fortunately this task is now complete!

Product Preview: Pocket Squares

I know my posts have been have been scarce this week but I've been working my tail off to get ready for the big No-Coast Craft-o-rama!   I'll be debuting several new products there including the new Men's Haberdashery line!  You've already seen a sneak peek of the slim plaid ties and here is a preview of the latest addition, pre-folded pocket squares!  A decade ago seeing a pocket square in a mans coat pocket was a rare thing but today no fashionable man should be without one.   Ah, but to deal with all the pesky folding and refolding is inconvenient for today's guy on the go.  The solution is our quality pre-folded pocket squares, available in four different fold styles.  Each is made of fine Egyptian cotton, reinforced at the base, and stitched in place to permanently hold it's shape.  And unlike the cheap cheesy pre-folded pocket squares that came with your prom tuxedo these are not stapled to large pieces of card board, so they are fully washable should they become soiled.   Look for them December 3rd and 4th and the Midtown Global Market!