Author: Josephine Butler

Green Thought Thursday: More Uses for Old Vices

Josephine ButlerBlog, Sustainability, ,

Once again, our intern Ashely Hurteau is jumping in to share a few more green thoughts…

We love these ideas from Real Simple Magazine!

Last week, I shared four new uses for old vices. These clever ideas from Real Simple come at the perfect time – we’re all still sticking to our New Year’s resolutions, right? This Green Thought Thursday, I’d like to share a few more ideas. They are:

  • Giving up gambling for good? Turn your poker caddy into a pen and pencil caddy. Close off the bottom with poker chips and the sides with playing cards – very appropriate!
  • Any hipster’s dream – transform old beer cans into paperweights by filling them with coins or sand and sealing the top.
  • If soda is a thing of the past, take the old bottles and turn them into an uncooked spaghetti holder. Coincidentally, they hold the perfect amount for a single serving!
  • Clean your contacts and the landfills! Use plastic bottle caps as contact lens holders. Be sure to clean them before you re-use.

Last week I vowed to re-use my wine corks for a cork board. This week I am going to suggest something that I have been doing for years. Save the funnies from the Sunday news and use them as wrapping paper. Give a gift, a laugh and one less wasted item!

As always, we would love to hear other ways you will re-use things in 2012!

Read More

Whaddaya Think About Color Blocking?

Josephine ButlerBlog, Fashion, Furniture PR, , , , 1 Comment on Whaddaya Think About Color Blocking?

This post originally appeared on Tips and Trends, the blog for Drexel Heritage (Clairemont client). In fashion, color blocking has taken the nation by storm, and we just can’t get enough of it! Whaddaya think?

Posted on 17. Jan, 2012 in Fashion and Design, Trendy Tips.

For those of you who read our previous post, Penchant for Pattern, you know that color blocking has been on our radar. Now we’re here to tell you that these big, bold blocks aren’t going anywhere! From the runway to your living room, these exciting color combos exude glamour.

We love this Eliza J dress from Nordstrom. The idea is simple, but the outcome is anything but. With the dramatic color and a few accessories, it’s all you need to have a runway-worthy look!

This trend is not just for garments. We, too, have caught the color blocking fever! Our Essie Bench looks fabulous with color-blocked upholstery. The eye-catching combination of colors spruces up any room and can be customized with your favorite Drexel Heritage fabrics.

How are you incorporating this timeless trend into your personal style and home décor? We’d love to hear about your winning combinations!

Read More

Trends Tuesday: Put Your Blues Behind You

Josephine ButlerBlog, Trends, , , , , , 2 Comments on Trends Tuesday: Put Your Blues Behind You

For today’s Trends Tuesday, we’re hearing again from our resident fashionista, Ashely Hurteau!

Did you see this article in Real Simple? The editors are loving colorful denim, too!

Brightly colored jeans are the new trend that will leave you anything but blue. In the past year, designers have made a simple alteration to classic blue jeans that has transformed them from supporting roles to leading ladies.

From Target to Neiman Marcus, these ultra chic jeans are hot on the racks and can be found at any price point. For those of you who want to be conservative with your wallet, check out these sunny yellow jeans from Forever 21 for just $15. A splurge, but well worth it, is this pair of Joe’s Jeans in tangerine. As I mentioned last week, Pantone named Tangerine Tango the 2012 Color of the Year. Whether you’re pairing them with a simple blouse for work or a barely-there tank for night, these sultry yet sophisticated pants demand attention.

Worried that bright hues are only for spring? Fret not because vibrant jeans can be worn 24/7, 365. Personally, I like to spice up the drab of winter by pairing my electric blue jeans with layered grey tops and sweaters. I am bundled but bold, and exude fashionista wherever I go. In the spring and summer, combine them with a great sandal, sheer top and bronzed tan for a fresh and luminous look.

Be blue no more, these effervescent jeans are here to stay. I’ve told you how I like mine; now share how you wear your ROYGBIV jeans!

Read More

Green Thought Thursday: New Uses For Old Vices

Josephine ButlerBlog, Sustainability, , , 1 Comment on Green Thought Thursday: New Uses For Old Vices

Today we’ll hear again from Ashely Hurteau, our fabulous new intern and fellow lover of all things green.

As we embark on 2012, many New Year’s resolutions will involve kicking bad habits. In the spirit of going green, Real Simple has shared some ways to re-use items that you might have otherwise shunned. For today’s Green Thought Thursday, we’d like to share a few of those ideas with you.

  • If you can’t kick the habit of sweets, at least kick the waste. Take old candy wrappers and use them to wrap small presents. Aren’t they adorable?
  • Clean the air and your lungs by quitting smoking. Then use your old ash trays as cute little soy sauce dishes!
  • Cutting back on TV and don’t know what to do with the remote? Remove the batteries and make it your new hide-a-key compartment or emergency cash holder!
  • Give up gambling and use the numbered cards as gift tags. They’re great for birthdays, and the Queen and King of Hearts are perfect for Valentine’s Day!

I loved these tips from Real Simple so much that I decided to come up with one of my own: as a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur, I vow to re-use the corks by collecting them to make a cork board.

So whether you do it in stiletos or boots, in 2012 make one of your resolutions to reduce your carbon footprint while kicking your vices, and stay tuned as we share more ideas from Real Simple. In the meantime, we’re kicking it over to you. Please share your ideas in the comments section.

Read More

Trends Tuesday: It’s Time to Tango!

Josephine ButlerBlog, Trends3 Comments on Trends Tuesday: It’s Time to Tango!
We love the way Ashely's tangerine, leopard-print pillow makes her sofa pop!

For this week’s Trend Tuesday, we’re hearing from one of the newest additions to the Clairemont team: the always fashionable Ashely Hurteau!

What do you get when you mix the softness of yellow with the va va voom of red? Tangerine Tango, the simple yet exotic color chosen by Pantone  as the 2012 Color of the Year. To call it orange would be an insult. Pumpkins and traffic cones are orange, while Tangerine Tango is vivacious and rich. Simply put, this bold, seductive color is the perfect way to take any wardrobe or home from ordinary to fabulous.

Pops of color are nothing new in the fashion world, but this year stylists are putting their “it” girls in this new “it” color. Whether it is a full frock or an embellishment, stars like Jennifer Hudson and personal stars, such as my mom, are turning heads with this show-stopping color. Personally, when I am putting an outfit together, I follow the phrase ‘simple yet sassy.’ This year I will spruce up my style by including a tangerine nail, clutch or pair of shoes. I believe that a small touch of color says, “I’m here, I’m confident and I bet you wish you had my outfit!”

Another of Ashely's fun pillows with tangerine accents!

For those of you who tend to shy away from bold colors in your wardrobe, try adding accents of tangerine into your house décor – it oozes style and class. I have these fabulous tangerine leopard pillows that spruce up my living room. The color, along with the print, takes my inexpensive college sofa and makes it look luscious! So whether you are like me, a right-out-of-college graduate decorating on a dime, or are able to hire an interior designer to outfit your home, show you are chic with a touch of the 2012 color of the year.

How do you plan on using Tangerine Tango or similar shades in your home? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!

Read More