Inspiration on Display at 18 Karat's Dallas Showroom 2009.

We just returned from Dallas market and as always our favorite accessory line 18Karat didn’t disappoint! We are so excited to be bringing you a sneak peak at the beautiful new product you will find in our showroom at the end of the summer. We also thought we would share a little bit about why 18Karat continues to inspire us. Not only do they create daring displays, but they also engage us with thoughts on current times.

Artist and designer Maureen Welton, owner/co-founder of Eighteen Karat, wrote the below quote which we found poignantly stated on the wall of the showroom. As she always does, Maureen described her inspiration for the design of the current collection but this time also spoke eloquently towards the current shifting tides of this business we so love.

"If you look deep into a tree, you see random branches and vines tumbling over each other without a beginning or end, chaotic and unstructured. When you stand back, the branches become visible as an entire plant, perfectly formed and shaped. This is the dichotomy of chaos and order. It is a basic principle of our earth and the biology of life. Where ever there is chaos, there is order; underlying confusion is equanimity. Perhaps more than any other time in our modern lives, we are looking at the chaos in our world in a different way. The changes that we are facing in our working lives and personal lives are so close and personal that all we can see is the chaos of the branches. Even if our circumstances haven't changed, we all feel a shift in our thinking and are trying to make sense of this new reality - in other words, we're trying to see the entire tree."

Our partnership with 18Karat keeps us thinking about how we can bring a fresh new approach to what we are doing in the shop every day. They encourage us to push the boundaries and always look ahead, to see the tree through the branches. We hope when you next come to visit us that we too can inspire you.

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Well we are happy to report our very first trunk show was a success! I think we all enjoyed the sweet treats and subsequent sugar rush. And it was nice to bring in fresh flower and really make the day special for our customers. All the new pillows were a huge hit, as was our Destination candle gift with purchase!

Ryan Studios is a great new product which allows our customer to have designer detailing but at a great price. Ryan Studios which is the sister company of Legacy Home is a domestic manufacturer of bedding, drapery and accent pillows, focusing its efforts on high quality production. They shop the world for fabrics and designs, and merchandise unique collections - providing a complete solution. Why go to the time and expense of selecting each element when their award winning design team supplies assortments suitable to every environment. We are so excited that this new product will enable us to deliver a custom look in less time and with less effort.

We look forward to bringing you many more trunk shows in the future. We enjoyed having our Ryan Studios rep Denise in the showroom to help our customers create custom designs. We hope to make each coming event better than the last and we look forward to having you join us again soon.

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Staff Pick of The Month, Owner and Buyer Kelly Schwartz.

Being the buyer for the store makes it hard for me to pick just one item I love the most this month, since I love it all! But right now I really find our newest collection of lamps irresistible. The Bianca Pearl Shagreen Porcelain table lamp has the most amazing texture; it makes you just want to reach out and touch it. The shagreen, which is a shark skin or sting ray texture, paired with the beautiful bulb shape makes this lamp simple yet intriguing. The scale is just right for a console table or night stand and the all white color will freshen up any room.

Kelly Judd Schwartz is the co-owner and creative force behind LOFT. Her quest to always find new and original (and eco-friendly) products for our store keeps LOFT at the forefront of an ever progressing home décor industry. Kelly studied Interior Design at Arizona State University then went to become a successful partner in a design firm in Manhattan Beach, California, where she remained until returning to her home town of Austin to start LOFT.

The 3/50 Project. Saving The Brick & Mortars our Nation Was Built On.

What three independently owned business would you miss if the disappeared? Stop In. Say Hello. Pick up something that brings a smile. Your purchases are what keeps those businesses around.

If half of the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42 billion in revenue.  Imagine the positive impact if ¾ the employed population did that.

For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home.

Pick 3, Spend $50, Save your local economy.