Christmas Shopping for the Company

The Christmas markets have been in full swing for three weeks now. With eight trips under my belt; one could say I've been taking full advantage of the season.

It amazes me how much time Germans spend out of doors. Weather is, absolutely, not a factor. I am outside all of the time; for long periods of time. It's the only way to absorb the culture...and fresh air. It could be 10 degrees Celsius and raining; and there will still be crowds perched outside coffee shops enjoying a beverage (and perhaps a cigarette) at a table. They may be under a blanket; but that just makes the dedication even more apparent.

Luckily, I've got plenty of outdoor clothing. It is of the greatest necessity to always carry with you a hat, gloves, scarf and an umbrella. It doesn't matter what month, day, or time of day it is; in Germany you must be prepared for it to be cold and/or rainy. Being the cold freak that I am; I also carry two sets of Hot Hands. Sometimes I need more than Glühwein to encourage my blood to continuously circulate. 

With Christmas less than 10 days away I've definitely begun to hear the phrase, “You've seen one Christmas market, then you've seen them all. While in general I find this opinion a bit boring, I also found a Christmas market this Sunday to put that opinion to shame. (Try to stay with me here.) I attended a two-day Christmas market at Gut Wolfgangshof (an old farm estate, in Anwanden, hosted by the Schloss Hexenagger group. The website is www.winterzauberland.de You might want to bookmark it for next year. 

This was not your typical Christmas market. Yes, they had Glühwein and Lebkuchen. Yes, they had chocolate and bratwurst. But they also had organic, farm raised, lamb sausage with a most fantastic paprika seasoning. (and I don't even like lamb) They had lots of vendors from farms with fresh eggs, meats, pelts, preserves, jams, and jellies....so much of the land's bounty. Yes, many vendors there were selling Christmas ornaments and candles. But the ornaments were hand carved and the candles hand-dipped beeswax. I am also in love with how the Germans have not let the simple traditions of craftsmanship fall to the wayside. There was even a blacksmith present. He was doing demonstrations, but also letting children practice as well. It was cool. Even better; there was a camel. You could ride it. I didn't. Kids did.

Since the market was on a farm estate, the barn was full of crafters and vendors too. I found many beauty products I would have loved to purchase.There was a guy selling lotion made from potatoes (cool) and I couldn't keep from tripping over millions of delicious smelling soaps. On the ground floor of the barn they had a exhibit of the traditional biscuit ornaments. The biscuits are hand made in molds, then baked, then painted. Here you could buy them and paint them yourself. I bought two, of course, but I brought them home to paint with my own paint. I'm going to give them to my neighbors and landlords as gifts. There were also many fabulous jewelers present at this market. My sights and senses were overwhelmed with all of the beautiful possibilities of jewelry. I always take jewelers' business cards in hopes of contacting them and asking them to make me incredible buttons. Here, in Germany, I think I'm going to have great luck with that. The jewelers I have met so far seem quite personable and interested in custom work. For instance, wouldn't it be awesome to have buttons from this artist?...www.erdwind.de...

So what did I buy? Nothing for myself; I must admit. I bought more fur for Florida Scarf. I met these awesome dudes, from Leipzig. They traveled quite far with their outstanding collection. They had so many interesting, beautiful, high quality pieces. I wanted to buy them all. I chose to purchase the softest rabbit pelt I could find; just one. I don't want to go overboard with any one style. Florida Scarf, in fur, has been a hit here in Europe though. Seeing how much time we are all spending outside; now I understand. Fur keeps you incredibly comfortable and warm.

I could ramble on about my enchanting Sunday afternoon, at the Magic Winter Market that was terribly gorgeous and enchanting, and cold, and rainy, and muddy; but you would get bored and fall asleep, and it would leave me no time to mention Saturday.

Saturday was another cold and rainy (typical) day in Germany. I rode the train to Nürnberg and went to the Winterkiosk (www.winterkiosk.de) at the Kunsthaus (Art House) across the street from the train station. It was three floors of handmade wares, repurposed clothing, vegan food, glühwein, recycling, books, and basically everything else for the modern hippie. It was fun; but with an extremely different flair than the market on Sunday. Saturday was fun, and funky. I am happy to report that I found some buttons for Flo Sca on Saturday. I am slowly building an army of supplies born and bred in Deutschland. 

After the Winterkiosk I made another stop at the Nuremberg Christmas market. (I couldn't be in the city and not drop by) That place is crazy! On a Saturday. Crazy! In a good way. I really enjoy shopping once all of my normal Christmas shopping is over with. Like this weekend; the only people I bought things for were (technically me, but also for) Flo Sca customers...and I don't even know them yet. This means there is no pressure, and I get to hang on to the items for a while. I will use them (myself) to make the scarf with, then they will be purchased. It's like a double gift. Initially it makes me happy. Then, later, it makes another person happy.

Messy Princess

Source: flickr.com via A Whole Lotta on Pinterest

This photograph was too captivating for me to just repin on pinterest. I had to have it on my blog too. This composition says so many things about me. I want to recreate this photo shoot on, like, my 60th birthday. It'll remind me of how I am, have always been, and still will be.

Screw it. I should do the shoot way sooner, like with scarves :)

Another Fashion Show

On Friday, March 5, I will be participating in another fashion show. No, I'm not a model. No, Florida Scarf won't be there. This time I will be helping behind the scenes. I've got my black shirt and pants already picked out. This event is going to be a blast so if you're in the area you should come.
I'm really excited about the opportunity to volunteer again. Being in the military has given me a lot of opportunities to get involved with my communities. This event is going to be my favorite so far, I think. It's right up my alley. There will be about thirty models, and they all have more than one outfit. Their ensembles will be available for purchase after the show. Isn't that a great idea? The people putting it on have been hunting/collecting great pieces for the outfits for a year. I can't wait to see what they've found.
Shows are such an exciting way to get out for the evening. I think entertainment from thrift store fashion will be surprising too. It seems to be a trend experiencing resurgence. Thank goodness. Fashion is cyclical anyway. So why continue to make new stuff that looks like old stuff? Rock the old stuff.
I plan on bringing my camera to the dress rehersal and show. Hopefully I'll follow up with some great shots for you.

Does Color Make You Nervous?

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and have finally decided to voice my concerns. I think people are afraid of color. They like to look at it, but they don't like to use it. I'm going to list a few examples.

Since the beginning, black cars have sold the most.

Black, brown, and gray are the most popular color choices for clothing, especially jackets. But you can't argue against the fact that the man in the middle is enjoying his outfit the most.

People prefer to eat things that are some shade of brown.

Food is especially delightful when it is brown and topped with something brown.

 Raise your hand if this is you.

I could go on about houses, inside and out, jewelry, this list is endless. Personally I think it is time for a change. Read on and realize how much more appealing the rest of the post is.

Don't you feel rejuvenated from looking at all that color? I do. This is why I focus on color when I make art. I need color. When customers are shopping for a scarf they initially ask for something in black. If I always had a scarf that was all black they wouldn't be very unique, would they?

I work hard to make Florida Scarf like Art on Sedatives. (to stress this point I have chosen to randomly capitolize words) By this I mean that my focus is color contrast and texture. I want to make things that seem alive. Of course, the product needs to be wearable, so I also apply some rules of fashion.

The scarves and hoods are small. It's an easy way to enjoy color. It surprises me how many people are intimidated by even that. I spend most of my money on sale fabrics. These fabrics are the ones that are most outrageously colored. I take it and cut it into my little 5"x30" rectangle and make it manageable. People need time to process. A certain fabric may not stand a chance as a dress, but turning it into a scarf gives it potential.

The same reasoning can be applied to answering the question of why more people don't like salad. I think they see all the color dancing around the plate and assume it can't be good. You can however, get people to eat a single serving of carrots, or strawberries. Again, in small portions color is manageable.

Everyone needs to realize that color gives us energy and life. It can make you more happy to surround yourself with color. Take the holidays for instance. People like color then. They wrap their house in color. The purpose of the holidays is to spread cheer by decorating things. Wouldn't we all be better off if this was the intent year round?

So honk if you love color! Get your lighters up!

This is Sarah Geraci For Color

signing off

I Spent My Time on Buttons

I just read an article about a blogger who spent hours and hours researching his latest posting. He investigated 68 years worth of microfilms at the Municipal Archives in NYC that mapped out Greenwich Village. He did this to try and locate the exact position of a diner depicted in an Edward Hopper painting. I think Nighthawks is captivating, but not deserving of such intense research. I am sorry to disappoint any reader who wants me to give any one posting that much attention. When would I sew?

I am just here today to inform everyone that another bunch of buttons has been created. This time they were made out of wood. My husband has been busy in the garage refinishing a dining set. I think I may have been a bit inspired by all of the sawdust everywhere. I decided to do a round of buttons in various sizes and shapes, with varying amounts of thread holes. I enjoy switching up the amount of holes for different looks on pieces. One of my favorite  things is to put extra holes in the buttons and attach smaller buttons as decoration. If you are lucky the next time you buy a Florida Scarf with a wooden button you will still be able to smell the stain.