HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe, prosperous, joyous New Year!

Mr. and Mrs. Hunny Bunny and I are gearing up for 2010. I'm looking forward to making new hats in the coming New Year and, I have a few other surprises I'll be pulling out of the hat for Spring and Summer. And no, it's not a rabbit:) We'll see you again in 2010!

OH TANNENBAUM

We finally set up the Christmas tree and it's absolutely gorgeous! I love Christmas, it's such a wonderful time of year. This year will be a little different for me because, it's the first Christmas we'll have without my dad, he passed away in May, two weeks before my wedding. My dad made this time of year so special for his children, all 10 of us, and his grandchildren. My dad raised us alone after my mom passed away. I was only five years old and the youngest at the time.

Every Christmas my siblings and I would write out our Christmas list. On Christmas morning when we ran down the stairs and into the living room, we were overjoyed to find the entire room full of toys! When I say the entire room was filled with toys I mean it. There were toys under the tree, on the sofa, on the tables and covering the floor. He also made sure that we had candy, fruits, and nuts as treats. My brothers and sisters are still amazed that he did this all on his own.

I miss my Dad but, I am so fortunate to have so many wonderful memories from my childhood to comfort me at this time. I hope that you and your family will make some wonderful memories of your own this Christmas.

I tried to find the German version of "Oh Tannenbaum" by Nat King Cole for your listening pleasure. The versions that were available on Youtube are not so great. I thought you might enjoy this Christmas classic instead.

SOMETHING BLUE

Blue is showing up on the runway as a color option for Spring 2010 brides.

REEM ACRA

AMSALA BLUE LABEL

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

and a little SOMETHING BLUE from yours truly......

We'll make it to the runway someday.

WHAT'S NEW!

New mannequin, new designs! See more at www.dzyndbysharon,etsy.com.

Which hat or fascinator would be perfect for your holiday ensemble? Check out the "Style Tips"that are posted with each listing.

I-TUNES PURCHASE OF THE DAY!

A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my all time favorite Christmas specials. A true classic for young and old to enjoy. I'm gathering all of my Christmas entertainment( movies and cartoons, etc, )and planning my strategy for the coming weeks before the big day. I'm going to nestle on the sofa with a hot cup of cocoa and a warm blanket and enjoy Christmas treats such as: "White Christmas" "Miracle on 34th Street", "It's a Wonderful Life", "Little Women", "Scrooge"," Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and, the one that makes me laugh out loud, " The Grinch" starring Jim Carey. Which are your favorites?

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK ALOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

Ok, so it's not snowing and I don't have my Christmas tree up yet but, a trip into the city today put me in a festive mood. The Weihnacten Markets (Christmas Markets) in Bonn and Siegburg are in full effect! At the Weihnacten Markets you can purchase unique Christmas gifts and trinkets that are all hand-made. In Bonn there are well over 100 booths to feast your eyes on. The Market in Siegburg is more traditional. All of the vendors are dressed in costumes from the Middle Ages and they are speaking in a very old German dialect , which I don't understand. I enjoy the traditional Market in Siegburg because, vendors are actually engaged in crafting their wares. It's very interesting to see how they create their work. Street performers are a treat for young and old. And, of course in both Bonn and Siegburg, there is plenty of good food and drink.

STYLE TIPS

I've come up with a "new concept" for posting my hats on Etsy.com. Sometimes I wonder if people, when contemplating buying a hat, have reservations based on these questions: "Where would I where that hat? or, "What could I wear that hat with?

I will be offering "Style Tips" in the form of fashion illustrations in my Etsy listings. These illustrations will help potential customers to visualize the look of the hat with an outfit. I don't use live models for my hats so, I figure this concept may be helpful to someone thinking about purchasing one of my unique hats.

OFF TO THE THEATER!

I played the role of "Ronnette" in a regional production of "Little Shop of Horrors" in Cincinnati over ten years ago. I was so excited because, it was my very first professional role in music theater. Before I landed the job, I had no prior experience but, that didn't stop me from auditioning. This brought back alot of good memories. It was such a great time. Enjoy this catchy little tune. (Sidenote: in the movie version Ronnette is played by Tischina Arnold. She is known for her role as Pam on the Martin Lawrence Show)

WEDDING DAY HEADGEAR

My wedding was done on the cheap! I had a little over two weeks to get it all together after my dad passed away . We did not hire a professional photographer however, we did collect tons of photos from our family and friends. Here a few pics of the hair accessories that I made for myself and my flower girls and bridesmaids.

Organza and Lace headpiece. I actually made this hat over 5 years ago. It matched my dress perfectly.

Note* I made my bridal bouquet as well. The tiny blue ribbon is a snippet from a dress that belonged to my mother. She passed away when I was five. I really felt the presence of both of my parents on that day.

This dress was custom made for me by my former boss and her talented staff of seamstresses at the Costume Gallery in Newport, Kentucky. I wanted a serious 1950's look and it was gorgeous! They started sewing the dress a week before my wedding and completed it the day before. It was perfect!

My adorable flower girls wore butterfly themed headpieces

My lovely bridesmaids. They all wore simple butterfly headpieces as show on the model on the far right. Sorry, not the best pic.

May 30, 2009 was such a wonderful day!

NEW MANNEQUIN!

My new mannequin arrived yesterday! I've also ordered a bundle of hat blocks from Guy-Morse Hat Blocks in the UK. I'm really excited about those. So, my new girl needs a name..and a wig. Any suggestions?

Church Divas, 1941

Church Divas, 1941
Originally uploaded by discoverblackheritage

These ladies are absolutely gorgeous! Love the outfits, love the hats. Such class!

I LOVE THIS SONG

Lovely historical costume paper sculpture by Brooklyn based designer Eloise Corr-Danch.

See more of here work here: eloisecorrdanch.com

LARKRISE TO CANDLEFORD

I absolutely love this BBC mini-series! Taken from the memoirs of author Flora Thompson, the mini-series chronicles her Oxfordshire childhood. It also follows the daily lives of farmers, neighbors and friends in the towns of Larkrise and Candleford.

This series is funny, heartwarming and offers a bit of romance. I stumbled upon series 1 and 2 on Youtube. I don't get BBC programing here in Germany. Series 3 begins in 2010 so, check it out. Oh, and the hats and costumes are fabulous!

SUDDENLY

This is the perfect headpiece for the bride who wants to make a statement. For more information on this stunning headpiece please visit my Etsy shop: www.dzyndbysharon.etsy.com

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY....IN SEVILLE!

for more information and to view more hats, click on the link: www.dzyndbysharon.etsy.com

MORE NEW HAT DESIGNS

I'm very happy with the new hat designs that I've completed recently . I've been playing around with shapes and with unexpected fabric combinations. Here are the results. What do you think?

Miss Pearl

Miss Ruby

Miss Kitty

For more info on these lovely ladies, visit my Etsy shop

www.dzyndbysharon.etsy.com

I'M REALLY PROUD OF THIS ONE

Semiyet Goes Riding

See more hats at www.dzyndbysharon.com or www.dzyndbysharon.etsy.com

It's been awhile......

Hello everyone,

I've been away for quite some time. But, things are settling down and hopefully I can get back into the swing of things.

I moved to Germany a little over a year ago. I am still adjusting to the culture, and learning the language. It's been tough and challenging at times. In addition to the changes, I lost my beloved Dad a few weeks before my wedding this past May. With all of events that have been going on in my life, I have struggled to continue designing my hats.

So, with that said, I am moving forward and expecting great things! I have completed a small array of new hat designs, please check them out and let me know what you think.

Guten Tag
Sharon

HATS OFF TO THE MOVIES (PART TWO)

More fabulous hats from fabulous movies, worn by fabulous women! Part 3 coming soon.

Greta Garbo in "Ninotchka"

Judy Garland with girls wearing hats in "Meet Me in St. Louis"

I love this piece worn by Judy in "Meet Me in St. Louis"

Joan Crawford in "Rain"

Mia Farrow in "The Great Gatsby"

Doris Day in "The Year of Living Dangerously"

Carmen Miranda

How does your garden grow?

Isn't she lovely? I absolutely love orchids. I think that they are such elegant flowers. This is my second one. The first one died a slow death over the winter. This pretty lady is blossoming all over the place. Check out the before ( about 3 weeks ago) and after.

Before

After

This is how she looks today, simply beautiful! Orchids need water once a week and a bit of TLC. I just love having the orchid on the window sill in the studio. It's great to be able to glance over at it from time to time when I'm working.

Check out our spice rack! My fiancee is the chef in our house. He cooks just about every night ( I wash the dishes) and, he always uses fresh spices. Pictured here are Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, and Kresse. You can buy these spices in planters ready to use at the supermarket. Not only is my fiancee the chef, he also has a green thumb. He likes to grow some of his own spices and they look great on the kitchen window sill.

Because we live in a second floor apartment, we don't have a garden. However, there is a balcony with lots of potential. When we purchased the orchid, we also bought six small rose bushes, a large bamboo plant, twelve lilac bulbs, and a blackberry bush. There is some form of greenery on every side of the balcony. The rose bushes are sitting on the floor in flower pots. We have the lilac bulbs hanging over the railing of the balcony, as well as the bamboo plant. The blackberry bush is positioned in a corner against a bamboo screen. We are hoping that it grows like a vine. I am so excited about the blackberry bush! When I was a kid we had tons of blackberry bushes growing in the neighborhood park. My friends and I would just pick the berries off of the trees and pop them into our mouths. What a succulent summer treat!

Blackberry Bush

Lilacs

Bamboo

When it's warm out, we like to have dinner out on the balcony. We light the candles, turn on some nice music and, enjoy the atmosphere. I'm really looking forward to having dinner surrounded by the beauty of nature, so I really hope that our gardening projects will be a big success.

I'll be posting more photos soon to keep you up to date on our" budding" progress.

Wedding 360

Wow, its a long time since my last entry and so much has changed regarding my wedding. My siblings have taken on the task of planning everything in Cincinnati which is great. They are very excited and have some wonderful ideas. Initially I thought a small outdoor wedding in my Dad's yard would be perfect. However, my family is concerned about the weather and rightfully so. To remedy that problem, they have rented an indoor location for the wedding. Great, everything will be in one place, we can invite more people, or more family that we originally planned and we won't have to worry about the weather. The venue they have chosen is very nice, but, the color scheme and decor would totally clash with my pink, black and white wedding colors. So, we have changed the wedding colors to some which will compliment the room a bit better. Drum roll please.......... the new colors are yellow and orange. Yep, I know a total 360 but, the change I think is necessary. Take a look at the room:

I just don't think that pink dresses and pink black and white decor will flow well with this room and, I want to avoid color overload. Yellow and orange is a beautiful color combination.

I plan to put my sisters in soft yellow dresses and my groom and brothers in yellow ties. I finally got the swatches for my bridal gown and ironically the pink embroidered organza that I selected is no longer available. I have to go with solid white which works well with the new color scheme. I'm sure everything will be just beautiful and I have no worries. And, I'll probably sneak some pink in there somewhere. Now, I just have to get started making headpieces, sashes and boutonnieres. Only 79 days left!