NEW WOOD AND METAL BOXES ADDED TO KYLE DESIGN
Colorful wood boxes with glass and metal.
I tease Kyle sometimes because we talk a lot about new ideas she has and then months later I find out she has added it to the website when I see the actual new product come up for me to pack! Or I read about it when I am checking out her blog.
That is what happened when she finalized the new wood boxes with glass and metal overlay. This design allows you to use any of our over 400 designs on our wood boxes. the design is integrated into a metal overlay on a colorful piece of glass and with a flash of our iridescent film under the design.
glass color chart.
There are nine color systems available on the 6.5″ x 6.5″ x 2.5″ high boxes which are made of rosewood stained ash. The boxes are hinged and the bottom of the inside is lined. We can ad an engraving plate to the inside or outside of the box.
A smaller version of the overlay box will soon be
Small box coming soon.
available in black. Hopefully Kyle will let me know when that happens and I can post information on that box! Pictured here ia a sample of that box.
2008 CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TRENDS
Just taking a minute out of our busy day of processing and packing orders to
hourglass timer
mention some of the shopping tends we are seeing.
With the economy in an uproar it was hard to know how people would react and if they would
Big bow Badge Reel
be shopping. We feel that we have the perfect kind of gifts – practical, beautiful and unique. Well, we are happily busy filling orders.
Fibonacci sequence earrings!
We are seeing that our math and science designs are doing well, as is the vampire design – thanks to all the Twilight fans! We are seeing lot’s of sharks and squirrels, too. Things we are getting low on are the stockbroker design, the fashion design and sewing- so people have really been buying based on their hobbies and professions.
Frosty beer pill box.
We have had fun seeing what people have been using the alcohol and caffeine molecular designs for! Our new double designs are becoming popular and it is great fun trying to decipher the meanings – we had one that appears to have been for a DUI attorney!
Sports remain very popular. Lacrosse, rowing and our new athletic shoe are almost as popular as the swimming design. There are also a LOT of ballroom dance fans ordering.
Round interlinking hearts pill box
The one that we have sold out is our interlocking hearts – so Kyle is gearing up and we will have plenty of that design in time for Valentine’s Day!
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IT’S FALL
Fall leaves decor on dimmer knob.
Our studio is located in a very nice business park. We have lots of big shady trees that are turning color.
A pumpkin or other fall themed night light adds to seasonal decor.
we can look across to hills which are slowly being covered by grape vineyards. When I am driving too and from the studio I go past a field which is planted at various times of the year. Just now they are harvesting pumpkins. Down the road is a very famous corn maze. They usually have pumpkins and farm animals and similar attractions for kids.
A round pillbox with a turkey makes a fun hostess gift.
A couple of years ago we looked out the window to see a flock of turkeys walking down the street. Someone must have called the folks at the corn maze and they rounded them up and took them back, but one turkey had eluded them and lived in the “wild” of the business park for a couple of years. We saw her several times a year strolling around, but she has either been captured or otherwise occupied lately.
The farmer’s market is full of crisp apples and tall sunflowers, but I miss the
Give a sunflower Christmas tree ornament.
strawberries…there are still lots of bright green veggies in the market and last week I still found some fragrant basil. The market gets smaller as the fall goes on. My daughter likes to go with me to get cupcakes and other baked goodies.
Christmas tree ornaments for cheer team.
And there is football, and cheerleaders and Homecoming dances. That is the stuff my daughter is enjoying this fall. My husband and I took a long bike ride Sunday and enjoyed the late blooming roses in the park. A cool wind blew from behind as we took the trail home. Tom thinking of having a beer and me a nice bubble bath.
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SMART GIFT SHOPPING
Bright Christmas Pill Box.
I know that this new round of economic woes has everyone on edge. The concepts are too big to get my head around, except for the old adage of “what goes up, must come down.” All I do know is that it is time to focus on what we need and to spend our money on quality.
To me the best thing about Kyle Design products is that they are lovely pieces of art but useful, too. Functional art is what it is called. The other thing I like is that I work for a woman who has built this business over 25 years. She has weathered these financial storms and kept her business alive and has a real commitment to offering high quality at a moderate price, made in the USA and backed up with good customer service.
The holidays are coming up fast. We have been getting ready for months now because it is our busiest
Click here to see large custom lockets.
time of year. I always start my shopping early because we put in long days at work in November and December. I have a few gifts in my hiding places already, and I have made lists of things to seek out in the next few weeks. Will I cut down this year? Not much. The cuts that could have been made were made in past years. I just try to be smart and look for value
One thing I look at when I am shopping online is the shipping cost. If a site hides the shipping information or pads the cost of shipping, I look elsewhere. I am proud to say we do not charge beyond the actual cost of UPS shipping at Kyle Design. Plus we offer flat rate shipping – so buying multiple items from us is smart.
Click here to purchase money clip with dollar sign.
I think it is smart to shop online, as well. Saving the time and gas and staying away from the crowds is big for me. Kyle Design offers a huge variety of gift options. (We frequently ask Kyle if she has gone crazy because she is always adding new items and our shelves are bending under the weight!) The thing is – last year we didn’t have lockets or long engravable bookmarks, handy boxes and our double design options and now people order them every day! Spend some time looking around our site and you will truly fine a gift for everyone you know.
So, for the holiday gift season coming up, shop smart by spending some time at Kyle Design.
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MY DESIGN OF THE DAY
Every summer Kyle spends a few weeks in a designing frenzy. When I started working at Kyle Design about 5 years ago, there were 100 design choices, we will have over 300 in a few weeks. Her new designs are
Dancers gold pill box with pink iridescent color.
frequently based on customer suggestions, her own inspirations and trends she notes from our website.
The new designs always get us all excited – fun to have new things to see and to see how people use them. But we have some really cool long time designs, too. So I am going to feature some of them before the new designs come in and steal all the attention.
So, todays design is…#93, Dancers. (Okay – so I am a big So You Think You Can Dance fan.) But the Dancers design has always been a favorite. It has a great feeling of movement. It is both modern and traditional in feel – sort of a folkloric design that appeals to lovers of Judaica.
My youngest sister has 3 little girls who are in dance -and I gave her a Christmas tree ornament with the
Silver tree ornamant with dancers design in aquamarine.
dancers design to represent them.
The cool thing about our business is that any design can be added to any of our items. So if you want to have a night light with a dance design, you can have it. Or a dance flask, or a business card case for a dance teacher, a pill box for those pain relievers for a new dance student, a compact mirror with a pretty dancer to check her lipstick. And on and on. We also offer many different items and colors appropriate for male dancers, too, like money clips and metal wallets.
So for all those dancers and dance fans – consider the Dancers Design for a nice gift from us.
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PIRATES IN PLEASANTON?
I knew something was up when I was pedaling to our Farmer’s Market and there were pirates strolling down the street. A man and woman in full, colorful pirate costume are not the usual visitors to our little suburban town of Pleasanton.
I continued on to purchase my berries and basil and pedaled back to see the pirates going into a sushi restaurant. Ok – now I have got to know what is going on. So I did what any suburban woman would do – after I washed my produce and put everything away, I googled local events.
Mermaid's treasure box.
Ahoy! I had my answer. Ye Olde Velosity Circus Pirate Academy is appearing In San Francisco June 23-27, 2008. The ” team of slightly unprincipled, playfully deceitful scoundrels and rascallettes will teach children how to walk, talk and present oneself in only the most proper pirate ways.” The Academy will teach nautical knot tying, sword skills, storytelling, a mermaid cove and pirate lingo. Arrrgh.
Sail away with this Sailboat night light.
This is one of the many events and activities scheduled during the Festival of Sail San Francisco. There will be a parade of tall ships and activities on land and sea, including hands- on activities for children and families, ship boarding, an International Village and Green Village featuring environmental organizations and exhibits related to marine life.
So set sail, drive your carrrgh, shiver your timbers and get down to the Festival of Sail!
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MAY DAY
When my kids were little I tried to get them into celebrating May Day as I did when I was young. They were not as enchanted with this holiday as I was. Perhaps because I grew up in the warm and sunny San Joaquin Valley and they grew up in gray, rainy Seattle.
We alway had flowers growing and ready to pick and put in little baskets which we
had made. We would then go to friends and neighbors doors and leave the flowers tied to the door knob – ring the bell and run away. A great opportunity to play doorbell ditch without negative consequences!
Now, I have never gone ’round a May Pole to celebrate the beginning of spring. Nor have I been a member of organized labor, although I appreciate their efforts to make the work day a standard 8 hours. I understand that May 1 is also a saints day and a 
national holiday in some countries for various reasons. I applaud all those reasons to celebrate today. I will commemorate the day by cutting some of the early roses in our garden and making a nice arrangement.
You can bring flowers into your home or give as a gift by choosing a flower themed gift! Make the rose yellow or the iris blue – customize to your taste.
Technorati: flower, sunflower, iris, rose, flower gifts, may day, spring, spring gifts, business card cases, rose card case, sunflower ornament, hibiscus, hibiscus stamp box, iris night light, iris gifts, blue iris, purple iris
MISSED BLOGGING OPPORTUNITIES
I have been having one of those weeks when I can’t think of a topic to write, so I have been poking around the internet for inspiration. I found out that I missed World Pillow Fight day on March 22nd. What a perfect subject – people around the work smacking each other with feather pillows. and we have a feather design! But I missed it.
I also waited too long to blog about Easter gifts. I knew Easter was coming up fast. I even had a draft about things to put in
Easter Baskets besides candy and eggs…Like a Bunny night light. I love that design, the little rabbit is jumping over a bunch of carrots. A little ladybug pill box would be a great Easter gift – so cute and spring like. A bookmark with a butterfly or a cross would also be a great thing to put in an Easter basket – but I didn’t suggest it in time. Sigh. Well, click on any of the links here to see what you could add to your Easter Basket next year.
I also missed the Ides of March on March 15th. I didn’t have much to say on that – the day Julius Caesar was murdered doesn’t have much potential for gift giving or home decor recommendations. But I missed it, too.
Technorati: feathers, insects, lady bug, ladybug gift, night light, pill box, pillow fight, rabbit, spring, spring gifts, World Pillow Fight day
DINNER WITH FRIENDS
We were
invited to dinner at the new home of my old friend and her significant other. They purchased it together and we were their first guests. It is an older ranch house which has been updated beautifully. It sits on a large lot with a terraced garden, large trees and an inviting hot tub. I am looking forward to their house warming party planned later in the spring when the nights will be warm enough to sit outdoors.
He made some potent Margaritas to start us out, she served some tasty guacamole and
we commenced to talking. I am not sure we stopped talking for a minute, even to savor the wonderful dinner. She made some great seviche with scallops and salmon. It was so fresh and spicy that I just had to have another margarita.
Next she grilled some lamb chops which she served over corn pudding with 3 different salsas. The salsas were green, yellow and red, so you can imagine how amazing these plates looked – and the taste was just as good. Yum.
So it was a great evening out with friends. Good food, wonderful company, an inviting setting and an invitation to visit again.
I wrote an article a while back about hostess gifts. When you have received an invitation, take a look and consider taking an out of the ordinary gift!
Technorati: dinner, home, house, garden, margarita, wine, lamb, chili pepper, salsa, dinner party, house warming, pill box, flask, ornament
IMMERSED IN THE BOLEYNS
My book club read “The Other Boleyn Girl” by Phillippa Gregory before I joined. The current selection is the follow-up novel “The Boleyn Inheritance” but everyone said I 
should read the first one first, if I could read 1000 pages in 4 weeks. The plan was that we would all go to the movie when it opened – and we did tonight.
So I have been immersed in the 16th century all month. The books read practically like romance novels, but have a sprinkle of history, politics, sociology and religion which give them some real historical heft. Of course, I was aware of Ann Boleyn – or Ann of a Thousand Days. I knew how it was all going to turn out, but I have gone to the internet to look up several things to put more of the story in context and to understand some of the terms used.
Women were treated abominably – big surprise. Women were treated badly throughout history, however we tend to think that especially true of the less educated and privileged. In this story we see that noble women were used as pawns to raise a family’s position. And they used the sexuality of these young women very openly. And by young, I mean 12 and 14 years old “sold” into marriage, offered as mistress to the King in exchange for money and property and rank. The movie ran through about 14 years of history in 2 hours and so condensed the story to a nearly unrecognizable degree. That is the problem with movies based on stories which are long and complicated.
I admired the way they changed it, but a lot of what made the book an enjoyable read was
lost. The costumes were lavish, the settings were lovely. The mood of the movie was darker, more somber than the book. Not much of the merry making and courtly love were evident. In our book club discussion over dinner, we all agreed that we enjoyed the movie – but as usual, liked the book more.
Gifts for your Queen, Princess, King and Prince can be found here! Click here for gift ideas for your book club.
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