Wrapping Gifts with Pantone

I think that gift wrapping is more fun for me than the recipient. I've used many kinds of wrapping, but keep coming back to my favorite; brown paper. This year I thought I'd dress it up with Pantone's color of the year; turquoise (Pantone 15-5519). Perhaps you remember last year they chose Mimosa? Pantone has a huge influence on color trends and I've noticed that some companies (such as J. Crew) are already presenting their new products in turquoise.

Are you ready for the Year in Turquoise?

Dreaming of a White Christmas

I've been on vacation and have been taking it easy. REALLY easy, actually. Our cat has been sick, and five years into kidney failure, we can expect these peaks and valleys in his health and have learned how to manage the valleys with a variety of medications. The reward is a resilient creature who still loves life.

We're also getting ready for Christmas, which includes driving to Vermont to see my family. My family is not exchanging Christmas gifts this year. With the economy the way it is, it seemed a nice opportunity for everyone to focus on more important things like spending time together. Instead of exchanging gifts, my sisters and I are having a stylish white elephant exchange, which includes anything we haven't worn in some time and that we deem worthy of a continued life. My offerings? A red embroidered satin dress, an ivory shantung silk mandarin jacket, to name a few. I'm really looking forward to this!