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My father always said the one thing in life we cannot ever stop is the clock...
Tick..tock..tick...tock... it is already the end of the year....
Happy New Year to everyone..may it be one that is filled with positive energy, laughter, bright lights and good friends.
Seeing as though it is the end of the year,I decided to give my banner a revamp. I sat this morning with fresh paint and some vintage embellishments. After working on it, I handed it over to my hard working, wonderful partner Warren to put onto my blog.
I have to say that Warren once given a task stops at nothing until it is done and done to perfection. Most girls would wish for a personal massage therapist,a beautician,a hairstylist,a plastic surgeon ..not me.
I have my own person web designer ,partner and above all a great friend. all in one package..what more could a gal want?
Thank you Warren you are a one in a million ..may we go beyond our wildest creative dreams in the new year...
Here is the banner you will see heading my blog for the months to come...
I just had to blog about our new addition to our family. Her name is Jojo. She is the sweetest,purest ball of white fluff you could ever dream of.
My kids have wanted a dog for as long as I can remember and I keep saying next year (I have only started sleeping through the night now with my youngest who is four!!) so the thought of having to get up for another baby whether it be human or animal was not one that I was jumping at. Saying this Jojo has definitely touched that maternal nerve in me. I am more worried about her being okay through the night than any amount of zzz's.
She was the only one left from the litter as she is slightly cross eyed. The minute we looked at her it was instant love... and so our story begins..... meet Jojo....
My three very excited kids on their way home with a little treasure in the box
As snug as a bug in her pink bed fit for a princess
A look of glee on a new sisters face!!!!!!!!!
When doing one of the New York shows last year I was fortunate to meet someone who works on the Editorial team of Martha Stewart Weddings. Since then we have formed a relationship and we often get calls from Martha Stewart weddings asking for different color vintage ribbons to match up to the particular palette they are working on for their magazine. Here is one that has been shown and I must say no one could possible do justice to the vintage ribbon the way Martha Stewarts design team does.
Check out these cute English trim cards we have in the shop. They are from the 30's. Just love the graphics -
A really good idea would be to take a card and frame it trim and all in a box frame and give it to someone(including yourself) who loves and appreciates vintage goodies.
For all of you out there ...across the street,next door,in the next state,across the country,the ocean,on another continent, in different time zones - I want to take this time to wish you all a happy holiday and thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
Each and every one of you wether you love to create or just love the creation my wish is that I can continue feeding you eye candy and inspiring you to light that spark that burns within each and every one of us....the ability to recognise the beauty in the simplist thing... and know when to take the time to pause and breath.
There is nothing like a nice cold Coke.. even better is one that comes out of a chilled bottle. I found these Coke bottles that come in a set of four and are a limited holiday edition Circa 1900 bottles. Thought they are really cute and just loved the old font they use. I purchased a few and have given them out to clients today with their purchases.. just a little touch of the real thing..
Once in a while I come across something that I love in a magazine that really speaks to me. I cut it out and keep it in a inspiration journal I have... this is something I have kept for a while and want to share.
I absolutely love this... it just appeals to me on the highest level of my creative being!! If that makes any kind of sense.
I really do not even know who to give credit to. If anyone out there knows please tell me...they need to know how much I love it and what a genuis I think they are !
Take a look at how wonderful the wrapping is. Would'nt you love to receive a gift wrapped up like this even if the contents was a empty box.. infact who cares what is inside I would not want to open it and spoil the wrapping!!..I Would never unwrap it .. just keep on guessing what could be inside!
We have a range of cards coming in our TJOMIE collection that is going to be shown in May at The New York Stationery Show.... I thought it was appropriate to share one of the cards from the collection with you now that Christmas is but a few days away.
I took this old black and white picture of my mother in law when she was a child and incorporated a christmas theme into it by handpainting the backgound and foreground...
Now have a look once Warren ( my unbelievably talented partner in TJOMIES) has put it into a card format...
Andrew (my hubbie) has been working the Chelsea Antique Market in NYC for a few years now since we opened the business most weekends. He often comes home with odds and ends for me that he has been given by his buddies from their own collections.
A few weeks ago he brought home this paper mache dress form. I have not known what to do with us until today. After cutting some eyelet lace for a client it dawned on me.. I was going to make a dress out of the lace for this very plain dress form.
Armed with my ever so faithful hot glue gun and some stunning vintage Austrian eyelet lace I went to work layering the lace to make a dress.
I shaped the top as if it were a sundress with spagetti straps made of narrow lace..
I made a belt out of a wide bright red velvet - love the contrast of the rich red against all the white.
I then decided this lovely lady needed a brooch and so I went about making one out of casein and glass buttons with details of swarovski beads and glass pearl beads... embellished the neck choker with a hand beaded vintage applique.. have a look -
A vintage millinery flower always adds a nice touch so I embellished the waist band with one as a final touch..
I am really happy with the end result and now my lady dressed in eyelet lace has a home as display amongst my soaps ...
I am always looking for gifts to give that are unique and cannot be found everywhere. Something that can be given to someone and that someone will instantly have a smile on their face and react with "How cool..what a great idea"
So saying this these are two items I have in the store that I thought would make really cool gifts (not to mention inexpensive)
Love this - not only can it be personalised on front but also there is a keepsake plant that is ready to be grown. The bag includes the seedlings and soil to grown your very own Christmas tree.. maybe you can plant it outside eventually and grow it for next year.
This too is a bio degradable pot and includes the soil and seeds to grow you very own tree.
What I love about these soaps for Hanukkah gifts arethat they are so unique. The graphics on the packaging is taken from old pictures which really appeals to me. Who would want another ceramic dreidel when you can get these unique soaps instead?? Oh yes and by the way they really are kosher and smell great... not just a gimmick!
For any of the above items go to our website to the giftware section and order them now in time for the holidays...ps dont forget shipping is free for the next month.
As much as I love anything with detail so too can I appreciate minimalism.
I have always loved Muji - the Japanese line that is the ultimate in clean cut and sophisticated design. When I lived in London I would often go down to Covent Gardens and visit the Muji store for some eye candy. The store design is just as important as the product.. take a look
There is something about the clean lines of Japanese design and the total creative genius in the simplicity of the packaging.
Treat yourself and have a look at their website MUJI or if you are in NY,London or Frankfurt go into one of their stores.
I have a lovely lady that comes into the store regularly.
She works for a family with two little girls. She loves giving gifts that are hand made.What I love most about her is that she really takes the time to do something special for this family that she has grown to love as her own.
She asked me if I would make her some personalised trinket boxes to give to the little girls for the holidays.
I went off to the local craft store and found these really cute little boxes that were really inexpensive.
I then went through my stash of papers I have collected over time and found some paper that I thought would be sweet and pretty for these two little princesses..
I then took the locks off the boxes before I started with my modge podge and paper.
I then decaupaged them both using the specific colors I was told they like....
Yes that is yours truly looking ever so serious with my modge podge in hand!!!
Once I had finished with the paper I looked for trim to embellish the boxes and give them the last little individual touch using a baby picture of each girl which I framed with buttons and trim.
Such a inexpensive gift to give that special someone. It is a gift that really shows the person receiving it that you care enough to take the time to put something together made just for them.
Ps. Another little touch .. I stuck inside each box a mini envelope with a note so each can have a keepsake of who gave them the box with her own private message.
I am amazed how many people walk through our door at the shop asking if we have clip on earrings.
I wish you could see the excitement on their faces when I tell them that YES we indeed do ..and infact we most likely have the largest variety of vintage clip on earrings in the world !! Sounds crazy but it is true.
Have a look for yourselves. We have clip on as well as screw backs from the 50's. All originating from Czechoslavakian,Austrian and Western Germany .
We have Austrian crystal,celluloid,hand painted enamel,mother of pearl and swarovski...
I have included some pictures to wet the taste buds.. so for all those that have been searching high and low for a unusual pair of screwbacks or clip ons I suggest you get a paper bag and keep it close by for any hyperventilating as result of the pictures that follow !!!
PS.. we have known a few that have really needed the paper bags !!! Jokes aside..
To have a look at more clip on earrings go to accessoriesofold