The Art of Hermes. Right in my own backyard.

Anyone who knows me, knows what a scarf addict I am. So when I heard that Cleveland Museum of Art was hosting a presentation on how Hermes make the Hermes scarves, I couldn't miss it. Plus, any excuse to head over to the museum, which if you have never visited–you should–it is absolutely WORLD CLASS. This event is a perfect example. I wasn't sure what to expect – would it be a slide show or video with a narrator? I was amazed to discover that, in fact, actual artisans form Hermes, master printers, as they referred to them, presented a hands-on demonstration of the silk screen process right there in the Atrium. It was a very interesting "show" with lots of inside scoop on the culture over at Hermes and how their standard of excellence drives every detail. Quite inspiring. I know Hermes is a luxury brand, but I had no idea that each scarf is literally made by hand, each color of ink silk screened with precision. A very informative, entertaining and inspiring presentation. 

You can read lots more about the details of the process at Cleveland.com. 

Henri lines up the screen, using his 26 years of experience to "eye it up"

A screen for every color, plus one solely to print the Hermes name and copyright.

Of course, they make their own inks in the "kitchen" in Lyon.

Good thing they weren't giving away any scarves, I would not have been able to choose!

Cathy Hunt Designs Available at OfficeMax

I am doing a little dance in my office right now. On the shelf at OfficeMax you can find file folders with Cathy Hunt designs printed on them—twelve designs, to be exact. This is a bit of a milestone for me. One of my goals this year was to be "on the shelf" so I am pretty excited to be in a national retailer like OfficeMax. Now I need to get some filing done...

View more of my work at cathyhuntstudio.net

from the Garden Gate Collection

from the Wellington Court Collection

Pantone Color of the Year 2013: Emerald Green

    

I was not surprised to see this green as Pantone Color of the Year. I feel like versions of it have been appearing on my radar for a while now. I have been playing with different ways to use Emerald 2013. One of the things I love about this color is its versatility. It can be the hero of a palette or a great grounding color for some brighter companions. The blueish-green version, almost a teal, is where I see this color going in the next couple years. I was shopping in Target and just could not resist these towels. Brave of them to mix the yellow-green with the teal, but I think it works beautifully.

Shelf Liners. They're not just for Grandma anymore.

I am in love with this surface design. It is a woven, bamboo-burlap pattern, printed on a cushiony plastic that comes in rolls, to be used as a shelf liner.
It has been sitting on my desk for the last two weeks, a product sample for some TV concepts I am working on. I have to say, although I love the pattern, I did not think I would love lining my shelves with it. But every day another drawer gets a mini-makeover, and I get a little lift. ( I like to clean out and reorganize, go figure).
The cool thing about this particular shelf liner is that it has a grip bottom (non-adhesive) and a smooth top that makes it easy to clean. AND you can even throw it in the washing machine.
OK, I stole a few lines from the TV script, but seriously, this product offers a fresh approach in an old category.
Check out the Smooth Top Easy Liner from Duck.

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!

Now even your coffee can look hip. And be environmentally aware. And taste better.
I was out doing holiday stuff and stopped in at Caribou Coffee for a cappacino and saw these Reusable Clutches on display. Nice packaging. Couldn't imagine a better way to do it. Love the headline, too. And the use of "clutch".
Personally, though, I liked the cardboard sleeve with the seasonal message on it that came with my cappacino. It suits my festive mood.

It's always a good idea to ask questions.

I don't have a 5 year plan. I tend to like to meander a bit through life, leave some room for unexpected turns in the path. I do have goals. And I do know the general direction I want to go. And I have also learned that I will not get anywhere without defining the steps and taking action. But I like to keep the rest kind of open-ended.

What I continually do is ask questions. Am I enjoying what I am doing? Am I contributing to this world? And always....Am I following my passion? For me it is the things I am passionate about that drive me in the right direction. That is where the real juice is.

Inspirational tools are a great way to explore yourself. I am a huge fan of Compendium and their products. I have the book "where will you be 5 years from today?" that a friend gave to me. It poses some great questions.

Click on the above image to view the video promoting the "5 book". And ask yourself some questions.

a little spring in my step

Stopped by Room Service and picked up a few things that caught my eye. Great place to find unique gift items, or just be inspired by the eclectic mix. Interesting, most of the things I grabbed were by the same manufacturer, Danica Studio. Love the bird motif.

check out www.roomservicecleveland.com and danicastudio.com to see more.

Move over Red Bull.

Nutricosmetics. The next new niche. I was reading about this in Fast Company, a great source for trend-following. I am always interested in new product categories that spring up, new ways to package old ideas. I love the marketing of this "ingestible", Glowelle from Nestle. Will the 40+-somethings (I know a few...) that love to be sold on youth elixirs buy into this? I don't know, but I will be keeping an eye on it.

(cool website, too)
http://www.glowelle.com