week 48 - window inspiration

as i was scrolling through my facebook posts today, one of my all time most inspiring topics came up - anthropologie's windows. yes, their windows are nothing short of amazing; I could stand in front of them for days trying to figure our who's mind came up with the creations of reusing trinkets, treasures, paper, cardboard, and making them into something beautiful. similar to what mesh is all about with our reuse of ordinary things and making them extraordinary.

one recent example of a window i loved was in their nyc meat packing district shop last month. the window had fans blowing at a plethora of vintage price tags that had been made into a skirt. okay...this sounds like it could be a colossal mess, although it was so well done, that you actually envisioned the tags as a skirt, before looking at them as a slew of old price tags. this particular store also had a flowing glam skirt made out of tissue paper a few years ago...one that has been stuck in my head since i spotted it.

we have to use these sources of inspiration to move us forward with our creations...it is always the concepts that you think - 'i wish i could create something to that extreme' - that actually push you to eventually doing so.

we are pushing the envelope with mesh this year. watch for our 'window' creations in the months to come!

-melissa

on the table | custom creations to send out to oprah and michelle this week.

week 47 - think spring

think spring.

i recently realized there is a pattern that has developed with mesh. every year after a successful holiday sales run we automatically go into hibernation for about 1.5 months. we’re exhausted from the whirl of holiday shopping, shows, and trips to the post office. don’t get me wrong...it’s our most fun time of year while we help everyone pick that perfect mesh piece under the tree for friends and family.

but with every season of hibernation comes a fresh new perspective around the corner! melissa and I had a power meeting a few weekends ago to launch mesh 2011! (power meeting = my kitchen counter with pizza) we love scheming, planning, and strategizing what we are going to do in the new year.

here is where I don’t tell you what we really have up our sleeve and say ‘stay tuned for further updates…..’

however, since this power meeting, we’ve booked two new spring shows with two brand new ladies! good way to start the year! we’d love to have a home|show at your place! give us a shout if you need a reason to get all your friends together this spring or summer!

-sherry

on the table | necklaces to send a few unmentioned celebrities

week 46 - art institute

has everyone recovered from the blizzard of the century yet? hope so! glad february wasn’t this snowy last year on this exact weekend when I got married. this weekend i celebrated my first wedding anniversary.

a few weekend details that everyone needs to take advantage of! first, please tell me that all of you have dined at terzo piano…the restaurant on the top floor of the modern wing of chicago’s art institute! it is the most phenomenal experience in chicago dining. It is our special occasion place…as we had our first date at the art institute.

anyhow, the menu is always fresh and has such interesting combinations of flavor. the atmosphere is light and airy. open for lunch only, but is such a relaxing experience. we were there on sunday and felt as if we were sitting in a snow globe once the snow started flowing thru the city skyline.

secondly, a ‘must-see’ at the institute right now is the watercolor exhibit by american modernist john marin. (this is another thing my husband has introduced into my life via his institute pass…amazing rotating exhibits!) i am partial to water color and I thought these were really inspiring. john marin traveled all of america and europe. it was a fun experience to try and guess the city in his works.

lastly, i always take visit to the museum shop at the institute to see what new jewelry designers they are featuring. and this time…I got brave! i asked for the information for mesh to exhibit in their store. so, wish us luck as we put together the application!!

-sherry

on the table - the paperwork for the Museum Shop!

week 44 | 45 - snowed in

if you are in chicago tonight, you are hopefully snowed in somewhere you are happy to be. we are in the midst of a colossal blizzard; one like chicago has never seen before, or so we are currently being told. perhaps i can use this blizzard as an excuse for missing our mesh blog two weeks in a row!? i am so sorry again to our avid readers, although i am hoping that you will enjoy this little mid-week snow day read.

last week took me to nyc for an afternoon of walking the extensive length of 5th avenue - or at least 37 blocks of it - to stop into every little shop i would not typically have time to check out. after visiting my old standbys surrounding rockafeller center, i made my way south, past the ny public library and bryant park, into 'beads on 5th', through the flatiron district,

around the corner onto 19th street, through chelsea to the meat packing district.

i loved this walk, not only because it lead me to buddakan for dinner, but also because it took me into our favorite bead shop in the country. we love 'beads on 5th', as they never disappoint with their ample stock of our beloved 30/40 faceted quartz. we have already started creating a slew of new spring necklaces, to utilize our latest and greatest 30/40 scaled vibrant stones. while it is difficult to think of mesh spring collections in this weather, the designing must go on!

okay...now that the lighting is mixing with the snow outside, it is time to wrap up the mesh blog for the week. stay safe and inside!

-melissa

on the table | cameras to document the storm of the decade!

week43 - tai kang lu

my trip to shanghai last week was filled with a lot of work and a bit of inspiration. it was a complete whirlwind of an excursion, although it opened my eyes to the city and its culture, beyond what i had experienced on my previous visit.

nici (my project teammate & mesh extraordinaire) and I looked forward to a few hours of down time all week. we finally got a chance to shop on tai kang lu before our 12.5 hour flight back to chicago. we heard earlier in the week that this was the place to find an eclectic assortment of artistic boutiques. we hailed a taxi to take us to the area and knew immediately that we had arrived, when we saw a cluster of anthro-esque store fronts. as we wandered along the adjacent alleys, beyond the main 'lu' (road), we came across multiple art galleries, original clothing boutiques, bikes of the masses, enough scarves to wrap the city, and personal laundry drying in every shape and size.

the texture, color, and unique quality filling these meandering streets was something you would find in a small european village. the creativity and inspiration was endless. each boutique had one of each item being sold, as the store owners

have everything made to fit...all of the way down to the shoes they sell. the cashmere capes and scarves varied in style to represent each boutique owners' creative vision. it was a truly artistic representation of fashion and art in the city.

while we were more than happy to get home unscathed from the stench of stinky tofu that hovers over the streets of shanghai; i am quite anxious to return and visit with the shop owners that have developed such unique identities on tai kang lu.

- melissa

on the table | notes for tomorrow's transition meeting with sherry, before she departs for india!

week 42 - first necklace of 2011

as we start another year we begin a whole new list of ‘firsts’ for 2011. a quick search will tell you that the first baby born in chicago for 2011 was a girl at 12:01am at loyola. the first couple to get married this year in chicago was on january 3^rd. so, it was the justice of the peace…it was legit.

i myself am celebrating my first anniversary next month! i’m also taking my first trip to india of the year in 9 days! i’m excited about both of those things…

the other big news of this year is the first mesh necklace made in 2011. whew! i officially introduce you to necklace #668. (yes, as in….we’ve made 668 necklaces to date!) we went to a bead buy back in december and i have been dying to use these chunky stones! they have been sitting on the folding table in the corner of my loft for weeks now…just taunting me! so, i did it. managed to get a couple hours in on sunday of bead making while melissa was 25,000 feet in the air flying to shang hai.

anyhow, these are my fabulous natural stones that I got from a vendor named may! they are my favorite. nothing but the classic mesh offset would do these justice. maybe you will snag it at the first mesh show of 2011. in the meantime, i’ll be sporting it until then….

-sherry

on the table | may's beads for 2011

week 40|41 - resolutions

we are back in action, after a one week holiday hiatus from our monday night blog. we hope you enjoyed your holiday season and all that came with it!

here we are in 2011, ready to concur some resolutions and goals in the new year! talking about resolutions...my goal for every new year is to travel as much as possible; and while 2010 took me on my first trip to shanghai, there was not much travel beyond that. this year, sherry and i are both starting out strong with international travel. i will be returning to shanghai next week for a design presentation, and sherry will be heading out to see her girls in india shortly after i get back. we are thrilled about these adventures around the world, and hope to run into amazing inspiration for our upcoming mesh 2011 product launch along the way!

as you all know, we are constantly searching for new inspiration to enhance our evolving creations...and these trips are prime examples of inspiration finding us (or us finding it, after a 14 hour flight, etc...). we can't wait to update you all on our finds and experiences on the other side of the world. stay tuned to our blogs and facebook posts over the next few weeks...much excitement to come!

as for your resolutions and goals for the new year...start strong, but don't lose your momentum in february. i will keep you posted on my travel resolution status as the months go by!

happy new year!

-melissa

on the table | empty suitcases ready to be packed with mesh souvenirs and treasures!