Feeling lucky

Possession.  I am in possession of much.  I have the tangibles - clean water, food, property, and even luxury goods.  I have the intangibles - love and support from family and friends.  I even have romantic love available - if I could open myself up to it.  In short, I'm lucky, and I know it.

I have all this, so why do I feel the sadness attributed to lack?  Maybe what I'm missing is something to dream about.  The dreams I had about what my life could be were so very vague in my youth, and have subsequently been swept away by rejection and failure in the last decade. The reality of rejection and failure is so prevalent that I can no longer expect anything else. I now fully expect to fail, or to be rejected, and no dreams intrude on this reality.

So when I lay down on my pillow at night I do not know what utopia, what possession, what fate to think about.  What do you dream of when you believe you can never possess that dream?  The answer, of course, is that you only sleep; you embrace the numb stasis of slumber and dream of nothing at all.

If you'll forgive these paltry analogies and comparisons, I'll simply conclude that I'm a lucky sleepwalker, and I know neither how to wake up or how to dream, and therefore do not know how to live.

"The world of men is dreaming, it has gone mad in its sleep, and a snake is strangling it, but it can't wake up."
-David Herbert Lawrence

Weddings

Claire Pettibone - 'Midnight'

There’s going to be a wedding!  (Not mine.)  Actually, there are going to be three weddings; I’m in the rare position of having an engaged best friend, an engaged mother, and an engaged father.

My father and his third wife-to-be are slated to have a quiet, group style wedding in their church, so no specific planning on my part is going into his upcoming nuptials.  All I need to do is show up and be happy for him!  This is a good thing as the other two weddings are slated to be affairs with capital ‘A’s.

Not only am I in the wedding parties for these two, but I’m helping with the planning for my Bf’s wedding, and am the full on planner for my Mum’s wedding.  So far, wedding planning has been great fun.   We’ve visited quite a few venues, met caterers, photographers, DJs, and bakers.  Who wouldn’t like sampling various flavors of wedding cake from an upscale bakery?!

While the cakes were delicious, it has not my favorite part.  Cake cannot compare to the finding of THE dress.  I had the honor of being present when both my brides chose their gowns.  I absolutely loved the expressions of delight on their faces when they put on those gowns and looked at their reflections; it was such a beautiful moment to behold. 

It has been a joy to be involved in every part of the planning of these two weddings.  I have not experienced severe jealousy, grown tired of talking about the weddings, or felt sadness over being a singleton as some bridesmaids have been known to do.  But because I am the last single girl in my closest group of friends, I do admit to feeling a little bit like the last unicorn.  I have also worried about how the dynamics of my relationships with these wonderful women will change once the weddings are over and the marriages underway.

I can also admit that in the midst of all this wedding planning, I’ve done more thinking about my own wedding than I ever have before.  I wasn’t one of those little girls who dreamed of weddings.  Growing up I was not someone who went to many weddings.  Despite the fact that, for me, marriage is in the ‘maybe someday’ category (as I’m single and past my prime) I caught planning fever. 

I couldn’t help it; maybe I missed my calling as an event planner, maybe I’m making up for a lack of wedding exposure in my youth, maybe I’m crazy, but I have the ring (pictured), dress (pictured), venue, and colors picked out.  It will be vintage fabulous if it ever happens.

In the meantime, my brides have picked out some kick-ass bridesmaids’ dresses in beautiful colors that I get to wear.  I get to eat cake, drink champagne, and celebrate with very special people in my life.  In short, my fourth and fifth times as a bridesmaid will be moments that I always cherish whether I’m ever the bride or not. 

Patio Dreaming

Cheapside Park

I’m not the outdoorsy type.  Humidity makes my hair crazy, and swimming pools make it green.   Mosquitos love me.  My curvy hips hurt when I sleep on the ground or air mattress.  And, I’m not one of those dainty girls that never seem to sweat; when it’s hot I sweat.  It’s not likely that you will ever find me wearing hiking boots (though I have agreed to try geocaching this summer.   I was disappointed however when my friend told me that this was not an activity that was conducive to sporting my new green espadrilles…). 

However, there is something that draws me outside – posting up with friends and cocktails on a patio.  What is it about the patio that not only makes me brave the heat and humidity, but look forward to being outside? 

For me, the tenor of summer and it’s laid back vibe can be found on a patio.  I love watching people mill about, the warm winds wafting the smell of flowering trees, and thawing out from being cold all winter long, and, okay, I love summer dress and flip flops.

That said, I am exhibiting the early warning signs for spring patio fever, and cannot be quarantined.  Beware, this fever is known to be contagious…

Orla Kiely

For Orla Kiely a bright green pear isn’t hanging from a tree, but off the side of a dining room table; decisively colored vines tie up double decker buses; and motorcars are parked all over luggage.   Kiely is a modern designer that focuses on pattern.  Her patterns are applied to all manner of functional items: clothing, handbags, housewares, luggage, vehicles, and more.

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Kiely’s life, and certainly the Orla Kiely brand was born of “colour, pattern and texture with a '60s twist” (according to the designer herself).

Kiely is a graduate of the National College of Art and Design in Ireland with a focus on textiles and design, and thereafter the Royal Academy of Art in London with a MA in knit.  Between graduations, Kiely worked for the retailer Esprit as a pattern designer.

After completing her program at the Royal Academy of Art, Kiely began designing hats for the retailer Harrods.  A successful line of accessories, particularly handbags, followed.

Design and consultant work for major retailers continued, and Kiely worked on her signature designs on the side.  And then, in 1997 with her husband, Dermott Rowan, Kiely launched the Orla Kiely Partnership. 

Since this launch the Orla Kiely brand has grown exponentially into a multimillion dollar per year business.  A business so successful that it has been featured in retailers in Asia, throughout Europe, and North America, acclaimed via blog across the internet, and lauded in Fashion Weeks, magazines and other print media.  Her designs have not only grown in worldwide popularity, but the application of the patters have expanded in variety.  In addition to accessories, clothing, and housewares, the brand also now includes sunglasses and stationary.

2010 was a strong year for Kiely; another year of firsts and variety:  her first book ‘Pattern’ was published, her first fragrance hit shelves, and the Orla Kiely Citroën DS3 car launched in limited edition.

First up for 2011, Kiely was a presenter at London’s Fashion Week on February 18^th.  Beyond that, we can only speculate that Kiely will continue to take a big juicy bite out of the fashion world with her aesthetic.

What is it about the Orla Kiely aesthetic is so captivating?  Kiely’s pattern work is certainly eye-catchingly bold and graphic.  But, I believe that a deeper reason has resulted in such wide-scale devotion to the brand.  I speculate that it is the universal qualities in Kiely’s work that have prompted her global success.

The Kiely aesthetic harkens back to the Scandinavian design movement of the 1950’s through the 1970’s. This movement was characterized by simple, minimalist style that could be inexpensive produced on a mass scale.  Due to the mass production aspect, this design movement conveyed a notion of social democracy; in this instance, beauty could be found in everyday functional objects, and not just luxury objects only available to the wealthy.  This price point sensibility is not ignored by the Orla Kiely brand, which explains the still rising profits, in the face of economic downturn.  Universally speaking, we have a shared history and social interest with this type of aesthetic.

The universal aspects do not stop at history; what could be more recognizable, more universal than her vines, flowers, and other organic forms?  While most viewers enjoy natural subject matter, the viewer’s attention is held by Kiely’s geometric handling of the organic subject matter.  The ingrained conflict between manmade and natural intensifies that visual interest.

Likewise, the symmetrical and simple composition wherein positive and negative space is balanced is easily approachable for any viewer.   Kiely also alters these components to hold the viewer.  The pattern’s symmetry is juxtaposed by applying it to three dimensional objects, and the static elements of simplicity and space is offset by the use of texture, the rhythm created in the contoured space, and focused colour.   The colour is bold enough and arranged to make an impact on the viewer, but is not jarring or off-putting, which serves as another universal component.

The collective quality of the Kiely aesthetic has created the strong brand identity.  This identity has been reinforced and supported by creating more patterns and images that have strong similarities to Kiely’s past work.  This leads me to wonder what the outcome would be if she were to create a pattern or product that pushed the brand identity/style in a different direction.  When and how should brand identities change?  How much is too much?  As with the Scandinavian Design movement rise and fall before her, can the fickle public’s love affair with Orla Kiely last?  Presently, Kiely’s universalism is triumphing over the embraced fashion trends.

Lex-vegas

Ah, my dear Lexington – with your melding of rural and urban, waffling weather, and southern charm I don’t know how anyone leaves you for good.

I am a Lexington, KY native who has yet to find a reason to run away from home.  (For a moment, I thought that love with an Indiana born and bred man might part Lexington and I.  Lexington won.) 

My family and I lived here in Lexington until I was five years old.  At which time, my family moved to the neighboring community of Georgetown.  In my formative years in the suburbs, I always expected that I would not stay in Kentucky.  I was going to be a globe-trotting fashion designer who had no time to marry or have children.

But, as they say – there’s no escaping your roots.  But, for me, as I grew up and returned to Lexington for college, and afterwards stayed to become a proper home-owning, voting, local first consumer, I have realized that I don’t want to escape my Lexington roots.

So, the older I become the more enchanted with and entrenched in Lexington I become.  Frankly, it’s “-er” here; cleaner, safer, and friendlier.  So I say bluegrass is greener grass!  I may just get hitched and give a kid or two Lexington roots.

Go Cats – final four!!!  How's that for hometown pride?