To Market, To Market . . .

We took our annual trip to the Dallas Home and Gift Market @ the World Trade Center recently. Here's the news on the latest trends:

COLOR: The color of the year 2012, according to the Color Association of the U. S. is "tangerine tango". It's a bright reddish orange color. You'll also see muted versions in a salmon or coral shade. @ Pantone, they also stress yellow and a lime green to go with the tango. Of lesser importance, but still present for 2012 are peacock and gray shades.

STYLE; We saw a lot of Italian influence in showrooms. A nice break from strictly French (though we always love French decor too). It works well with the citrusy colors for 2012 (think Tuscany).

SHOP GREEN: Recycling, upcycling, shop locally, organic products, and giving back to the local economy are all still current trends.

CHRISTMAS: Still lots of chartreuse or lime mixed with red, hot pink, or purple. winged creatures like peacocks, cardinals, & fairies are all the rage for Christmas.

SIZE MATTERS: Trends are moving from small to larger. i.e. cupcakes to cakes, meatballs to meatloaf, etc.

MISCELLANEOUS: Believe it! BACON, synonymous with luxury is on the trendy list. So are mustaches-real or costume. African and tribal influences are on the increase in gifts and home decor. And, we saw so many bird cages they were too numerous to count on each floor and came in every color imagineable.

HANDMADE/VINTAGE FINDS: This was a new addition to the 2012 Market. We saw several people we knew participating in this venue @ the Cash and Carry area of market, including mother & son duo Lindra & John Petty (http://www.parkhouseantiques.com/ and http://www.johnpettyantiques.com/). John had his fabulous line of handcrafted vintage industrial lamps available, though most had SOLD stickers on them. Look for them in the Dallas Morning News Home & Garden section soon! Of course he gets all his talent from his mom, you know! Check them both out.

Also sporting back to back booths were Maggie (The Veranda @ Canton and other venues) and Lillie Bussey (Junk Palace, also Canton: texasjunkpalace@aol.com). All you need to do is look at the photos to see their unique & creative merchandise and displays to know they were selling up a storm @ Market.

VALENTINES DAY: Don't forget, Valentine's Day is upon us. Come in and see our wide selection of gifts, jewelry,and stuff that's PERFECT for all your valentines!