New York Gift Show: Fashion Review

henna tattoo in Continental Home booth

I go to the New York Gift Show to see the latest home wares, 
but I love spying the other "wears" too. 
Here are some of my fave moments of personal adornment.

IN BLACK AND WHITE

Merchandising master Stephen Killian explores B&W @ LAZY SUSAN: 

Laurie Lenfestey of Bittersweet Designs and consultant Nancy Soriano show off their black and white dot iPhone cases.

Graphic and anonymous.

 FRINGED

 Margaret Josephs of The Macbeth Collection (left) and Jill Rosenwald rock the fringe.

SKIRTED

This skirt reminds me of a man's tie.

Carol Gregg of Red Egg mixes honeycomb fishnets with a silk brocade skirt and 1950s kimono.

Great flowy hemline found at Made Goods.

My plaid radar kept beeping.

an unknown dapper shopper catches my eye from head to toe.

  Schmutzerland's Bonnie Berish's work shirt

In the 1973 booth

XOXO the combo of Claire Russo's plaid jacket with LuRu Home Nankeen pillow.

a purple and gold combo on a side street near Javits

 A FEW EXCELLENT JACKETS

including Mark Musters' blanket style jacket.

this highlighter yellow down jacket

and this purple paisley blazer

AND "BEST CHEST" AWARDS GO TO...

 

 Laurie Lenfestey of Bittersweet Designs and Susan Chancey of Lost & Foundry

JEWELRY DESIGNER  Heather Haase

and Jen O'Connor, mama angel at Earth Angels Studios, 

ALSO NECK-WORTHY

Don Carney ties one of his scarves on at Patch NYC

Ana Romero does similarly in silk

coordinating outfits

out on the street, i really wanted to ask this army green trio if they planned to dress the same.


i also suspect this gift show shopping couple planned their orange and gray outfits.

LAST WORD: BEST HAT

.
Meg Cohen (right) and I both went to Friends Select School in Philadelphia. Her collection of colorful, cashmere gear (and more) is soft and delicious. 

VALENTINE SPECIAL: Couples That Work Together

On my way to the Gift Show I passed this sign @ 72nd & Bway. Check out This is How You Win Her Back; the story it''s pretty cool.

I XOXO meeting couples who are in business together, and I always find a bunch at the New York Gift Show. Some couples I have known for years, others I just met at the last show. This Valentine's Day I honor your commitment to create and relate. As far as I can see, it seems to be working!

Two ceramicists in one house:  "It turns out I am married to a great designer." -- Jill Rosenwald on Lawrence McCrae

The flower maker and his wife.
"Working together is a luxury with an undetermined outcome." -- Tommy Mitchell on working with Marty Mitchell,  Tommy Mitchell Company

"We have learned to not take things too seriously." -- Amy & Jacob Townsend of Amy Ruth Designs

"We met in 1972 and have been together ever since. We don't quite look at the world the way most people do." - David Rubin and Bonnie Berish, Schmutzerland

"The idea of coming home in the evening and taking about completely different realties is something I can't imagine -  Ernie Sesskin of Groundwork
(Brian Foster, Me, and Ernie Sesskin)

 

Don Carney and John Ross from Patch NYC are both artists whose creative modes are totally complimentary.

 Happy Valentine's Day!  XOXO Jane

P.S. If you work alongside your life partner, let me know. 

NEW YORK GIFT FAIR: MAD FOR METALLIC

glittery, glinty, sparkly, shiny...

Lamia, the youngest member of the Moroccan Prestige sales force, gets comfy on a silver 40" sq ottoman.

Whether your pleasure is silver or gold, there was lots o' flashy product at the New York International Gift Fair to satisfy one's METALLIC mood.

John Derian was one of the first pioneers to embrace the leather pouf .

 Metallic stars in Pappelina's woven plastic carpets. Made in Sweden.

Studio Salvage Crafts' stools and benches woven with metallic rope 

Metallic threads run through many of Mastour's silk/wool Tibetan carpets

Metallic bags, woven scarves, and zipps from Christen Maxwel

Siemon & Salazar's Gong pendant features fused metallic leaf.

"Moust have" cast brass place card holders from Jonathan Adler.  

Tommy Mitchell's gilded tole flowers.

Chilewich's Metallic Lace Placement in silver or gold

Metallic Leather cuff from Jamie Dietrich

Red Egg's octagonal coffee table gets a coat of silver. From the Indochine Collection.

Steel is a toned down silver alternative at Design Workshop.

New York Gift Fair: La Fleur Stir

Decoupage deer found outside The Library of Flowers booth

I am XOXO-ing some of the new florals recently spied at the New York International Gift Fair. They are not traditional renderings of roses or peonies, nor realistic depictions of lilacs or sunflowers. They are folksy flowers -- a bit boho, a bit nostalgic. These whimsical, often naive specimens look like they might have decorated children's storybooks in the 60s and 70s. They are hybrids; with elements inspired by Frida Kahlo, Marimekko, and Art Deco These blooms are bigger than ditzy florals, and just as sweet, and they are putting me in the mood for spring and redoing something!

Here are a few of my fresh picks ...

1. Jardine Rug by NuLoom

2. Pochoir Pink from Vintage Smith

3. Porcelain Vase with gold floral accents from Jonathan Adler

4. Notecards and journals from Ecojot

5.  August Morgan pillows by Kate Hersch featuring vintage needlework

6. Limited edition jewelry by artist Dion Hitchings for Schmutzerland

7. Wrapping paper from  Snow & Graham

8, Quilted blankets from Utility Canvas

Then, walking back from the Javits, I saw a stenciled design on the side of a small flower stall. 

So I stopped and shot the roses!

Stubble Trouble? Blade Buddy to the Rescue

Every young girl anticipates shaving her legs. It is a rite of passage. She begs and begs to shave her legs, until one day her parent, usually her mom, shrugs her shoulders, offers one last warning - "It'll only come in heavier and darker" -- and then, realizing that her daughter doesn't think so and doesn't care, whisks her off to Target to buy her first razor.

The daughter is excited at first. She posts about shaving on Facebook and gets hundreds of likes. She instagrams her first razor. Once the newness wears off, and shaving becomes a chore, she realizes that she has unleashed a hairy monster. And when she finally has to buy her own razor blades, she will curse the day she started. This girl needs to know about Blade Buddy. Everyone needs to know.

Simply swipe the razor on a soaped up Blade Buddy pad 15-20 times before shaving. New or nearly new blades work best.

Blade Buddy is the way to keep your blade alive so that you are buying blades much less frequently. It prolongs the life of a razor blade for months. The silicone pad is designed with special grooves that work to re-straighten bent blades.  Blade Buddy is a money saver and waste reducer (Billions of razors and packaging are put into landfill each year). It costs about $20.

At least a week has passed since my last shave, and I have just sharpened my razor with Blade Buddy!!

I  took my time and ended up with a great shave. My legs felt super clean!
(btw, this is my knee. A friend of mine asked "what is that?")

Prior to discovering Blade Buddy via The Balancing Act, my normally fastidious shaving habits had taken a dive. The cost of razor blades dampened desire, plus my former boyfriend was totally cool with my prickly legs. I  am, however currently single, in possession of a Blade Buddy, shaving more frequently, and feeling really optimistic about life in general. 

(this blog is dedicated to @casadecrain)