HOT 5 - 7/16/21
Hello HOT Friends,
Forgive me for being a week late with the bi-weekly HOT 5. We took our first trip in almost a year and a half for the 4th of July holiday and it was quite the celebration! It was just a quick visit to two separate wonderful locations in the Hamptons to see cherished old friends but we enjoyed every minute. Another silver lining to our lockdown year is that we're not going to take things for granted anymore, am I right?
Here's this week's HOT 5:
1. Pack Like A Pro!
2. Time to Re-introduce Colleen!
3. Very Amusing Take on Dressing After 50
4. No One Does It Like Iris
5. My Favorite Feel Good Story This Year
1. Pack Like A Pro!
After staying put for almost a year and a half, I thought I might be a bit rusty at packing for a summertime getaway but I found it was just like riding a bike. A few years ago I shared the HOT 8 Summer Getaway Packing Tips and for our first post-pandemic trip I followed them to a T. Check them out here before taking off for your next summer weekend away or if you're lucky, for your weeks-long summer vacay. I hope you find them helpful, have fun!
2. Time to Re-introduce Colleen!
One thing that Colleen Brand, founder of African Textile Jewelry, and I definitely have in common is our love of African fabrics. When I discovered her stunning creations made with African textiles like shweshwe and wax print mixed with exquisite African beads on Instagram in 2018, I knew I had to offer them to my lovely customers. How lucky I was to actually meet Colleen while on a trip to South Africa soon after that discovery. We spent a wonderful afternoon together in her atelier and I learned all about her unique handmade wearable artwork and her commitment to employing local women enabling them to supplement their income while working from home. I still have a few of her designs on the site and I think they make perfect lightweight summer accessories. They're great for gifts too!
3. No One Does It Like Iris
Do you know of the incredibly talented Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen? Known for combining fashion and science in truly exciting and astonishing ways, her designs are true works of art. Her latest show entitled Earthwise debuted at Paris Haute Couture Week on July 5th and explored the fragility of marine ecosystems. Many of the designs are made entirely of recycled plastics and the colors and motifs of all of the designs characterize the sea in remarkable ways.
To really appreciate this designer's talent make sure and look at this video she created for the collection.
4. Very Amusing Take on Dressing After 50
Well this made me laugh! Entitled Now That I'm 50 I Will Wear Whatever the Hell I Want author Coco Joan shares a very funny list of all the things she's planning on wearing now that she's past age 50. She had me at "we are going straight from MILF to outrageous old woman" and it just gets better from there. We're always reading about the dressing rules women are expected to follow once they hit a certain age and this hysterical send-up which pokes fun at those rules will make you smile (provided you're a certain age:)
5. My Favorite Feel Good Story This Year
I'm sure you've heard all about Zaila Avant-Garde, the 14-year-old phenom who recently became the first African American student to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee? The story appeared everywhere and during these trying times when it seems the news gets worse every single day, what a truly welcome story this was! In addition to being a champion speller, Zaila holds 3 Guinness World records! If you haven't already seen it I urge you to watch this video of Zaila talking about her plans, goals, and ambitions. It definitely gives you hope for the future!
Terry xoxo
