Oh Christmas Tree...

For the past five years, we have had an artificial Christmas tree and for some reason, I couldn't stand the thought of dragging it out this year. It just isn't the same as having a live tree, one that isn't squished inside a box. Not only did I missed the fresh smell of pine but I also missed the "hunt" for that perfect tree.

So off we went to the local tree farm with our dog, Vincent. We walked around for  about an hour until we spotted it — the perfect tree for our family room. 

Here are my helpers in front of the tree we selected. Of course, Vincent wasn't much help. He was more interested in greeting everyone he saw but it was fun having him with us.  

I wasn't sure how the animals would react to a live tree so I kept my vintage bulbs safely tucked away in their boxes and decorated the tree with silver and blue ornaments again. 

I love anything that sparkles and love how these ornaments reflect the lights.

 There are even a few creatures, here ... 

... and there!

We can't forget Santa. I treat myself to a new one each year. This one is from Poland. 

And of course you need an angel for the top. Mine was crocheted by my mother over 35 years ago! I treasure it since my mother is no longer with us.

And a tree wouldn't be a Christmas tree without presents.

As you can see, I love sparkly ribbon and papers too!

Our beautiful finished tree—I love it! 

What kind of tree do you prefer — live or artificial? 

Whatever tree you get, I'm sure it will be beautiful. I think all Christmas trees are.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

A peek into color forecasting...

I attended the Color Marketing Group International Summit in beautiful Palm Springs last week. We had one full day of amazing speakers and another full day filled with color workshops. And then on the final day, we received all the reports back from the workshops along with color palettes that were selected from the participants in all the ChromoZONE workshops in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. I can't share the 2015 World Palette with you yet but I can give you a peek of what went on in my workshop, ColorsNOW.

Here are a few members from my group, busy finalizing the colors we chose to tell our story—because every color palette has a story behind it. We had to identify what colors from the 2013 global palette have successfully made it into products by market—home decor, fashion, textiles, graphics, etc. My colors and story boards are shown below. 



The three colors I chose from the 2013 World Palette, Tequilla Sunrise, Cloud Appeal and Blueburst, have successfully made it into products. They are being used in fashion, home decor, accessories, textiles, technology and graphic communication and I've used them on numerous graphic projects this year. These colors also happen to be my favorite hues this year. Of course, I never get tired of orange since it's marigold's brand color!

As for the NEXT colors... you'll just have to wait and see!

Click here for more information on the 2013 Color Marketing Group International Summit and for a glimpse of the 2014 World Palette.

What are your favorite colors? Which ones have you used successfully in your market?

autumn joys...

I love everything about autumn.

the beautiful hues of the landscape...

the smell of apple and cinnamon...

  and taking a walk with my favorite 4-legged friend, Vincent!

It's great having connections to wonderful photographers! Scott Pease captured Vincent perfectly.

Or course, we had to go off the beaten path so Vincent wouldn't be distracted by other dogs in the park.

  And we went through a lot of treats to reward him for his good behavioral!

But overall, Vincent was a natural.

Happy Autumn!

taking time... inspires your work

I love this quote and truly believe it.

source : pinterest

I have not blogged for over 3 months and you're probably wondering where I have been. I can't blame it on work because this is the first time in years that I was not crazy busy with projects. I finally was able to relax—catching up with family and friends, burying myself with home projects and finding inspiration in the simple joys of life. But when I was in the studio, I was extremely busy with colorful projects. Here's a peek at what I have been working on:

Collateral pieces—brochure, postcards, tickets  

Direct Mail Campaign

Annual report with stepped pages

More colorful projects are in the works and I can't wait to share them with all of you!

Enjoy!

colorful inspiration in quilts...

I have to admit that I love fabric as much as I love paper! I used to sew a lot when I was a stay-at-home mom, before the computer days and owning my own business. Now, I'm lucky if I have time to pick up a needle to even sew a button now! But that doesn't stop me from browsing in a fabric store.

On our last day in Kauai last month, we found a fabric store and of course, we had to stop to check it out. I was in color heaven! Rows and rows of incredible hues and patterns.

The Kapaia Stitchery is the name of the shop, right on Kuhio Highlway in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii. Besides Hawaiian fabrics, they also had on display a variety of beautiful quilts. It was hard to take photos of the quilts since they were hanging up high but here's a peek at some of them.

And my fabric which I hate to tell you is still sitting on my sewing machine. Maybe this weekend...

inspiration from Hawaii...

Anyone that owns their own business or does freelancing knows that it isn't easy taking time off, especially for a two-week vacation. A lot of planning is necessary, not only for the vacation but for finishing all the projects in the studio. I started warning my clients months in advance that I was leaving with reminders every two weeks. I also stopped accepting projects 10 days before my trip so I could focus on finishing the current projects. Yes, it was a crazy few weeks before I left for vacation, with me working late into the evenings but boy, was it worth it! I left with a clean desk, knowing that projects and all paperwork were finished. Then I concentrated on nothing but relaxation and fun for two whole weeks and returned home rested with lots of inspiration for my new projects!  

Our first stop was Maui and then Kauai. Both islands are beautiful but Kauai captured my heart! Here's a glimpse of my weeks in paradise. 

Garden of Eden in Maui

Black Sand Beach in Maui

Hanalei in Kauai [top and bottom]

 Waimea Canyon in Kauai [top and bottom]

Wailua Falls in Kauai

Na Pali Coast in Kauai [top and bottom]

A beautiful sunset at the southern end of Kauai

Aloha!