Throwback Thursday: 1956, Yosemite & Father’s Day

Even as a kid in the 50s, I marveled at the wonder that is Yosemite. What, you’re asking, does this have to do with Father’s Day? A whole lot. For several years in the early 50s our family vacations were spent camping in Yosemite – Camp Seven I think…or was it Camp 11? Our spot was always right next to the Merced River and we camped with a tent – no swish trailer for our family! As a kid then and a much older kid today, I love to be outdoors. So, being outside round-the-clock in Yosemite was heaven to me.

Pantone Fall 2014: Cypress

Cypress, selected as one of the top colors by Pantone for Fall 2014, is mystically described as a majestic and powerful green in the Fashion Color Report. I have to agree. Many years ago, I remember saying to a friend that I really didn’t have much green in my wardrobe. What I didn’t realize at the time is just how much green I had in the way of accessories and jewelry! I still have the eyeglasses from the 80s and 90s as proof of my love of all things green – several of which are very, very green (keep your eyes open for an upcoming post on those specs). How can one go wrong with green?

Throwback Thursday: Crop Top, Bermudas & 1965

Thought it would be fun to share a few more pix from 1965. These taken by a photographer as tests for a project in the hills of Irvine…long before Irvine was ever developed and there was still an occasional adobe casa sprinkled here and there. Yes, back in the olden days when I had lots and lots of hair and brow! I remember that crop top so well – not only did I love the lines and fit of it – look closely at the neckline – it had a semi-bateau shape with a wonderful soft rolled collar constructed from a soft linen. Sigh, why don’t they make clothes like this in 2014? (Or is that the chant of a granny who thinks everything from the past was better than it really was? Yikes!)

Pantone Fall 2014: Aluminum

Yippee, yahoo and gadzooks! Let’s hear it for the Pantone Fall 2014 Color Report. Aluminum – Pantone simply described it as a cross between silver and gray -- heavenly is how I describe it. Yes, I am one of those people that absolutely loves the soft mysterious hues of the color gray. I am a bit of a purist, in that I like my gray, plain and simple. So, I'm conflicted as to how I feel about the color combinations highlighted by various designers in the Fall 2014 Color Report.

Fanfare Please: Fluorite, Crystal Quartz & Pearls

I have fluorite on the brain! Maybe because I.m longing for the sea – oh, that sounds so dramatic doesn’t it? Well, I am always longing for the ocean even after all the years of not living by it…since I can’t be there right now, I take solace in designing with fluorite. If you haven’t seen this gemstone in person, boy, are you in for a treat. When I work with fluorite, I always think of the waters in the Caribbean – not the shallow parts you see from the shore and wiggle your toes in; but the aqua-green-blue colors you see when you are out sailing, diving or snorkeling and stare into the depths. One of the reasons I love working with beads is that they allow light to pass through the stone and in fluorite the result mimics the sunlight dancing off the sea.