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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THE RIGHT GIFT
Dollar sign tree ornament for accountants and financial planners.
I know a lot of people are still unsure how the economic downturn is going to affect how they celebrate their holidays. We typically say we will spend less during the holidays than we actually do. The last few years it seems that retailers have started discounting in November and having blow out sales in December – which always seems to motivate people to spend more than they planned.
This year for me it is going to be about getting the right gift – not the best deal. Deals can be exciting – but more and more I see that the deals are not really such a deal. The size of the package has shrunk. the number of items in the box has been reduced. The “free” shipping is made up for in the “handling” charge. The quality of the item is not what it once was. It all just reminds me of that old adage about no such thing as a free lunch.
So – the right gift. Not one that has been marked down, not one that might fit. Not something they might
Customized Dragonfly pill box.
not already have. The right gift for everyone on my list. And how will I do that? By choosing things that are really personal and useful. Things that tell the person that I put a lot of thought into their gift. By selecting , say, a pill box (useful) and putting a dragonfly design on it (personal) with aqua iridescent color (shows you know their taste) and their initials engraved on the back (keepsake). And I can do that for each person on my list.
I have lots of nieces and nephews. For each one no matter what age I can find a gift and make it really thoughtful and personal. Bookmarks are one example, I
Happy Graduation 2008!
can choose one with a peace symbol in pink, another with dogs in purple and another with a graduation cap in cobalt blue – have them engraved and I have 3 gifts that match the interests and personalities of those kids.
Looking through the list, I see pill boxes, money clips, business card cases, contact lens cases, magnets for the fridge, a flask or two, a metal wallet and and, of course, tree ornaments that would all be just the right gift for my family and friends.
So get out your list, sit down and spend some time on our site and I am sure you will find the right gift for everyone!
X bookmark X busioness card case X contact lens case X custom gifts X desonger X dragonfly gifts X Engraved gifts X flask X functional gifts X gifts bad economy X graduation gifts X keepsake X magnets X Meaningful Gifts X money clips X ornaments X persoanl gifts X pill box X purse X right gift X thoughtful gifts X useful gifts X wallet
GIFTS FOR FANS OF THE TWILIGHT SERIES
Bite me!
My daughter has been reading and re-reading the Twilight series books (Twilight,
The apple is a symbol of choice - bookmark for your Twilight books.
New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) for a couple of years now. She has encouraged me to read them, which I will as soon as I get through my monthly book club book before the meeting day.
She has outlined the stories and told me bits and pieces about Edward, the handsome vampire and Bella the smart and not so beautiful girl he loves and the
Prowling (were)wolf pill box.
danger she is in from his enemies. Her best friend, and Edward’s rival for her affections, is Jacob, a werewolf. They all live in Forks, Washington. These vampires don’t have fangs, and can be out in the daylight. All the vampires have different powers and are all beautiful. Their skin sparkles like diamonds in the sunlight. The story of these lovers is highly romantic, but fairly chaste compared to most romance novels of the day.
A flask full of blood?
The author of these hugely successful books is Stephenie Meyer, an Arizona mom of 3. She started writing based on a dream she had. The books have sparked such a huge following that websites have popped
Entwined hearts for fans of romance.
up worldwide for fans to discuss, sell merchandise, fantasize and obsess. The fourth book, Breaking Dawn, was meant to be the last of the series as told from Bella’s point of view, but Meyer had stated on another book, Midnight Sun, told from Edward’s, point of view. When stolen pages began to appear online, she stopped the project.
In the meantime, fans around the world, and in my house, await the movie version of Twilight opening on
Christmas tree ornament for movie lovers, click here.
November 21, 2008. We have put together some of our designs which relate to the Twilight characters and some of the symbolism and imagery of the books. We have the sun and moon, apple, chess pieces, diamond, entwined hearts, a sunset and cool mountain designs. These designs are not based on the book, but we had fun thinking of which ones related. Let us know if you see more possibilities!
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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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GOOD GIFT CHOICES IN TOUGH FINANCIAL TIMES
The big news last week was “Killer” Hurricane Ike – but the big storm turned out to be the one on Wall Street
Create your own theme business card case.
this week. Not that it came on as fast as Ike. Those really watching what has been going on in the last couple of years could see that what goes up, must come down.
The market will eventually correct, and hopefully financial institutions will become more conservative in their dealings and offerings. In the meantime, I think a lot of good can come of this financial melt down. Actually, I think it is already happening.
There are some very smart women who have joined together to take control of their finances. The Women in Red , a support group on MSN Money offers advice and support for women working to get their finances in order – to get out of debt and into “financial sanity”.
Small "coffee" pill box.
Many people I know have been looking harder at how they spend their money. Packing lunch to take to work, cutting down on luxury coffee drinks, spending less at the mall and putting more thought into their purchasing choices. And now the holidays are coming…
This might seem like a strange discussion for a retail company blog, but we see our products as quite functional and useful things. A business card case as a gift makes more sense than yet another tie. A lovely pill box is more useful than designer bath salts. A night light can be considered an energy saving device! An eyeglass case keeps your expensive eye wear safe, and a new personalized badge holder or lanyard will perk up your appearance at work, even if you can’t buy a new suit.
So when deciding how to spend your hard earned money this holiday season, consider a functional art gift from Kyle Design.
Technorati: functional art, useful, gift, business card case, pill box, eyeglass case, night light, lanyard, badge holder, Women in Red, MSN Money, wall street, stock market, Hurricane Ike, holiday spending, Christmas gifts
FIRE AND ICE, THEN AND NOW
Fire and Ice pill box great for HRT pills.
When I was a girl, the most popular nail and lip color was called Fire and Ice. The ad campaign started in 1952 and carried over for years because the concept of being good and bad, a lady and a tramp was very appealing to those women confined in girdles and gloves.
By the time I was old enough to wear lipstick, it was not popular to look made-up, so fire and ice was out. but I don’t think that the appeal of duality is ever out. We all like to think of ourselves as more than one thing. We have these cool new design options that offer the option to express more about yourself or the person you are buying a gift.
Card case for Personal chef.
I was thinking about it because I am finally in a fire and ice stage of my life – or you could say, hot flashes and fans! So why not a pill box for the HRT (hormone
Card case for a gambler.
replacement therapy) pills?! Just think of the possibilities – You could get a card case with the dame design for someone in the heating and air conditioning business (HVAC). You could get a pill box with aspirin for the domestic goddess, for your
Card case for housing builder or contractor.
mints after coffee and chocolate…so many possibilities.
And it really gets fun with the business card cases, a baby pram and physician symbol for an obstetrician or pediatrician – or a family symbol with the doctor symbol for a family physician. How about a wedding photographer? Or a Film Star! Someone who works the web. Or predicts the weather. Or gives us a relaxing facial. The possibilities are endless and fun to think of!
So – celebrate your many sides and interests. Show someone you understand that they are an artistic nurse, or a soccer playing accountant or a math lover or a bike riding lawyer or a musical firefighter. Customize, personalize, make a perfect gift.
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Technorati: HVAC, heating and air business card case
Double Peace! as heard on San Francisco morning radio
Report from Tina Kopko, a novice blogger
Support Peace and Justice.
I’ll be guest blogging today on My Art Filled Life. I’ve never blogged before, in fact I tend to resist trends and technological fads. BUT, I just had to share my excitement about this morning’s KFOG broadcast live from Walnut Creek, CA. Their guest was Mary Alice O’Connor, Executive Director of the Mount Diablo Peace Center (www.mtdpc.org), an organization working to promote peace locally and globally through citizen involvement.
Hearing the hosts of my favorite morning radio show interview Mary Alice got me hooked back into the FACT that there are many people in my very community who are actively working toward peace. I contribute by maintaining peaceful relationships in my daily life: coworkers, friends, crazy drivers on the highway (float them a peace sign instead of the middle finger!), waitresses and other servicepeople. I proudly display my “WAGE PEACE” bumper sticker and got an extra 45 miles out of my tank of gas by driving 65 instead of 75.
You may think these little things don’t really make a difference, but they do. Every individual has an effect
Double Peace!!
on the people around them – whether they are conscious of it or not. If you were to assume that is true, how would you behave differently with the people in your life? Remember the famous speech that reminds us “our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Fear causes us to retract, to shrink down, to believe people who want us to accept the status quo. I don’t accept war and I don’t accept conflict in my relationships. I believe that every day I have the opportunity to create peace in my world – that’s an exciting concept to me. Mary Alice and the KFOG crew live these concepts every day.
I’m so fortunate to live in a part of the country that takes an active stance in speaking out against war and supporting peaceful conflict resolution. Both
The World is One
Berkeley AND Oakland (don’t believe everything you hear about Oakland!) adopted resolutions to support a cabinet-level representative for the Department of Peace. Imagine what this country could do if we had politicians in influential positions brainstorming and campaigning for waging peace domestically and in other countries! Also happening this weekend at UC Berkeley is the 2008 California Department of Peace Conference. link: http://www.afdop.org/conference/
Kyle Design is a wonderful resource for gifts and home decor with custom designs – such as peace and justice, earth and nature, professions and hobbies.
Technorati: peace, peaceful, justice, democracy, peace symbol, double peace, wage peace, peace conference, K-fog, Berkeley, Oakland, Department of Peace, custom gifts, money clip, earth money clip, peace and Justice card case, double peace earrings
SMOKEY SUMMER FORECAST
Here in the San Francisco bay area we are surrounded by the wildfires sparked by both man and nature last week. Sunday morning the skies were bright blue, but we could smell the smoke. By Sunday evening the skies were hazy and since Monday, the weather report has included “smokey” in the forecast.
The brownish haze is not only a sad reminder of the fires and all the damage 
they cause, but a health hazard to people with respiratory problems. It looks like we may see a change in the weather pattern by Friday, which must be good news to all the firefighters – some of whom have been working for 30 days straight. Rain is a lot to ask for during a California summer – but there is the possibility of some showers, and the lightening that accompanies a summer thunderstorm.
We all hope for the best and thank those who work so hard to save properties, lives and our wilderness areas.
Technorati: fire, flames, wildfire, fiirefighter, firefighter gifts, flame pill box, firefighter magnet, rain, thunderstorm, smoke, smokey, weather gifts
GIFTS FOR DADS, BROTHERS AND THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE
No two men are the same.
If your dad is a sentimental guy and has kept every one of his #1 Father coffee mugs, you’ve got it easy. If he’s not particularly open about his feelings, focus on the things you do know about him. Tune in to his hobbies and interests. Showing Dad that you love him for who he is can be the best gift he gets.
We have what is commonly called a “brag book” or pocket photo album, but in a nice textured metal finish that any man would feel comfortable carrying. I am making one with photos of all (14) grandkids for my dad and having his initials engraved on it. Nothing cutesy like some of the similar products you see on the market.
Most people can use a pill box to tuck into a suitcase, bag or pocket. Choose a nice pill box with a sports or animal theme – or even with weights on it to put in his gym bag. We have a variety of sizes from tiny to
seven day pill holders.
Our flasks have been very popular. We have sent them out with a lot of hunting related designs. We also have flask sets which come with funnel and cup.
For the working guy, consider a business card case. There is a design for every guy – some professional symbols and some classic designs such as the Celtic Knot and Craftsman are very popular for men.
A tricked out money clip with scissors, nail file and knife won’t be allowed on a commercial flight,but it is cool for those everyday uses. Simple money clips are also available for the frequent flier. Personalize for dad with a choice of 100 designs, colors and it’s engrave able, too!
Men may not need a traditional jewelry box, but he does need a place to put his cuff links, watches, rings and all those little odd & ends he likes to keep. Boxes range in size from ring boxes to 8 inch square with layered trays.
Badge reels come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors and it is a simple way to remind him 
you are thinking of him while he is at work. Heavy duty reels can hold keys and cell phones, lighter reels hold badges, proxy cars, phone card, etc. Make it unique for your father with over 200 designs. Colorful lanyards also available. Choose a variety of themes for badge reels to suit his every mood.
We have a couple of cases for his iPod. A crushproof case which can hold the earbuds and power cord, and a smaller iPod case for the Nano or MP3 player.
Check out more exciting gift ideas here!.
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Wetsuit aids balding, shivering penguin
I am reprinting this as written because it was so charmingly reported!
Michelle Locke / Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — What’s black and white and warm all over? A penguin in a wetsuit, naturally.
Sounds like a joke, but it’s quite serious for biologists at the California Academy of Sciences, who had a wetsuit created for an African penguin to help him get back in the swim of things.
Pierre, a venerable 25 years old, was going bald, which left him with an embarrassingly exposed, pale pink behind.
“He was cold; he would shake,” said Pam Schaller, a senior aquatic biologist at the academy. Pierre’s species of penguin is accustomed to temperate climates, unlike many of their cousins.
Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm. Then she got another idea: If wetsuits help humans frolic in the chilly Pacific, why not whip up one in a slightly smaller size?
Staff at Oceanic Worldwide, a supplier of dive gear based in San Leandro, were enthusiastic about making a real penguin suit.
“We were really excited to do it,” said Teo Tertel, company marketing specialist. “Anything we could do to help them, we were all for it.”
We have great gifts for penguin lovers – check it out!
Technorati: penguin, penguins, penguin gifts, penguin theme, penguin flask, penguin wetsuit, cold penguin
My Art Filled Life 