Showing posts with label ocean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ocean. Show all posts

Monday, September 1, 2014

END OF SUMMER OR ENDLESS SUMMER

 Happy Labor Day!!
Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, but also offers a great opportunity to celebrate the end of the season in style. 

Our design team compiled a small bucket list of some leisurely ways to spend the blissful end days of Summer 2014.  
Find the sea wherever it may be and stick your toe in it. The water is at its warmest, but still very refreshing.
Stroll along the water’s edge, sandals in hand and enjoy the sound of the waves and the cries of the gulls. Find a keepsake shell that marks this summer as special.


Treat yourself to an ice cream cone or a sundae. 
That’s right, ice cream in some form that requires you hold it or at least has some type of topping on it and maybe some whip cream.
The idea is to capture the feeling you had as a child treated to a favorite ice cream treat… before you fell asleep in the backseat. 

Or sink into the memory of being young, hip and adult. Get yourself one of those thick, creamy, fruity, fancy drinks on the outdoor patio of some cute sunny bistro. 
If possible get one of those colorful paper umbrellas in it. Dress the part, bohemian ladies and people watch.

Take a hike 
to a grassy field and pluck some wildflowers. 
In lieu of this try your own garden, cut some flowers and arrange them in a vase, bring them inside along with the memory of the warm sun.

Got a patio and a chaise? 
Sunscreen up, grab that book you’ve been trying to finish and relax in the shade. Or enjoy your backyard/garden in the throes of summer's end.

If you’re a music lover pipe some choice tunes into your backyard and pretend you’re in a French film. 
If you’ve a tablet or e-reader, play the tunes on your music app.


Invite some friends over.  If the thought of a barbeque overwhelms … have an impromptu BYO (bring your own) picnic, or set out a salad &  fixings buffet style spread filled with good eats. 
Use some of those vegetables you worked so hard to grow and let everyone make their own salad.  
Catch up and review: What did you do this summer? 
Break out the cards and the old school games like Scrabble. 
Throw on a little retro summer music … Beach Boys, Sly and the family Stone, Joni Mitchell … and you may have a party on your hands.


Go shopping. Whether online or your favorite specialty shop, summer clothing sales are in there final markdown days. 
Labor Day Sales are everywhere. Now is the time to hunt down a duplicate of your favorite summer blouse, skirt or other. If you shop online, look for special coded savings on top of the advertised markdowns and free S/H. Some stores will offer early bird savings for their Fall/Winter collections as well.

Road trip and/or picnic.  Pack a picnic of your favorite no mess eats and take a day trip to the country or your favorite State park and have a picnic. 
Or forget about packing  food, take a road trip and end up at a country inn.  
If you ride a bicylce, pack a lunch, rack the bike and drive to a park with a bike path and have an adventure. 

If your boat is still in the water … take ’er out ... for a final sail or fish or even a row.

Capture the magic of these moments with your phone, tablet or digital camera … Selfies are an endless source of amusement, so if you haven’t quite figured out how to take one, this is a good time to try.

What’s on your end of summer bucket list?  
Check out our design teams Endless Summer Pin board and see if it flashes any memories for you. If so, share them with us.
What is your favorite childhood memory of summer?  
Plenty of room in our comment box, so share your joy and …

SPARKLE THE WORLD!
Have a wonderful Labor day!



Leave us a comment if you'd like a chance to win our September giveaway drawing.

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Friday, June 6, 2014

INSPIRATION MERMAID: BEHIND THE KIRKS FOLLY MERMAIDS

THE MERMAID by Howard Pyle
Mermaids have captured the hearts and imaginations of men and women the world over. The bewitching sea creatures are found in every culture and date back to ancient Greece, where archaeologist have found bronze moldings of sea nymphs which are over three thousand years old. 

Diego Fernandez's evocative mermaid 
Appearing as both the heroine and villain in countless stories, mermaids run the gamut of emotions, from beautiful seductress to powerful predator. Beneath all these depictions lies a common thread: mermaids embody femininity in all its forms—from the innocent child to the passionate woman. Mermaids symbolize the full spectrum of the feminine, the light and the dark, its power and its mysteries. To embrace the mermaid archetype is to embrace these traits within.
David Adam's scrimshaw
Ulysses and the Sirens H.J. Draper
 Here at Kirks Folly, we fully embrace the mermaid and the  mystery she holds. 
When we design our mermaid jewelry we envision the elusive fish-tailed beauties of ancient lore, who sing captivating songs to lure sailors closer for a stolen kiss or to seal their doom. 
We visualize longhaired lovelies cavorting amongst the sea creatures—seals, seahorses, octopi and dolphins.
The Mermaid and the Dragon
by Warwick Goble
We imagine the sleek, glistening scales of their undulating tails as they dive the depths plucking pearls and treasures from the ocean floors.
We picture them in small groups baking themselves on sea cliffs and separating  seaweed from their gleaming curls with combs of pearl and bone. 
We sense the ocean spray splashing on their warm sunbaked skin, as the wind lifts their hair to reveal the laughter in their eyes and the secretive smile on their lips.
John William Waterhouse
We marvel at the powerful twist of their graceful bodies before they dive from their perch.
Brief glimpses of exquisite faces charm us before disappearing below the ocean surface and we can only stare at the rippling sea, imagine what lies beneath and strive to capture it in metal, crystal and enamel.
Mermaid of the Lighthouse


The illustrations accompanying this post are some of the many, which have inspired the Kirks Folly vision of mermaids. 

Sailor's Fairy Siren Pin/Enhancer

Please share your thoughts on mermaids with us and visit our Inspiration Mermaid Pin-board here to see more of our mermaid inspirations.


Summer is coming, embrace your inner mermaid and…

SPARKLE THE WORLD!



Leave us a comment if you'd like a chance to win our June giveaway drawing. Click here for details. 
Having difficulty commenting? Click here.