Manya's Fashion Philosophy

Comfort and style.  That about sums it up!  I like to look nice and feel comfortable.  I also like it if my clothing is pretty easy to care for.  So, naturally, that's what I look for when choosing clothing for Manya Vee Selects.  I think I'm in the minority about jeans.  I don't find them comfortable, and I don't think they're particularly stylish.  I think another issue is they are pretty ubiquitous.  Since I like to look distinctive, jeans don't fit the bill there either.

I had a chance to show off some of the comfortable and stylish outfits at the Edmonds Fashion Show last Thursday.  It was great fun putting things together, and finding two wonderful Manya Vee Selects customers to model them for us.

Kris Browne and Laura Hamilton
modeled for us at the 2012 Edmonds Fashion Show

Kris Browne shows off her
sassy outfit.

Stretchy waistbands are a must for me.  In fact, in Kris's first outfit, the waistband on her skirt is super expandable, which also translates to super comfy.  This is one example of the one-of-a-kind skirts made by California designer Marcia Bloom.  Each skirt is a full circle, making it swish sassily when you move.  She's paired it with a nylon cami from California's Luxe Junkie.  These are also super stretchy and comfy.  We've got women with 4 or 5 in their closets, and still looking for more because they come in a huge array of colors.  Also available as a tank, a cap-sleeve and a 3/4 sleeve.  Finally, she's wearing a pewter jacket of the softest cotton around, made by Testimony Los Angeles.

Laura Hamilton looks awesome

Laura's first outfit featured pants and a jacket from Testimony Los Angeles.  Made of cotton with spandex, it just doesn't get more comfortable.  But the style doesn't stop!  The jacket is their new design for spring.  She's paired it with a red tank top from Luxe Junkie.


Best of all, everything they are wearing can be washed in the washing machine.  Just turn it inside out while washing.  Hang it on the line to dry.  That will keep its shape and color in the longest-lasting condition.

I was so excited watching the cat walk that I forgot to go back behind the scenes to get photos of their second outfits.  Instead, Jeff was practicing with our new video camera, and so we'll have to watch a video of round two.

Manya in Testimony's
brown skirt and vest

For Kris in round two, we get to enjoy Testimony Los Angeles' rayon/spandex line.  She's wearing their new "gypsy" skirt in brown.  Later you'll see Laura wearing hers in black.  Kris paired her skirt with a brown suit vest (also Testimony's) and a coral 3/4 sleeve shirt from Luxe Junkie.  She's got her own brown boots with it, and it really looks smashing. Here's an image of me wearing that outfit, then click on the link below to see Kris in action.

Kris Browne at Edmonds Fashion Show 2012

Elana Kattan Jacket over
Luxe Junkie tank

Laura has gorgeous white hair and pale features, so bright colors look just great on her.  As you recall, in the first outfit we put her in that bright red top.  Well, for outfit number two, she's wearing the wonderful "gypsy" skirt in black from Testimony.  Her turquoise top is from Luxe Junkie, and with that she's wearing a gorgeous multi-colored mesh jacket from Florida's Elana Kattan.  This jacket is very versatile due to all the colors.  You can pair it with turquoise like Laura did here, or also fuschia, coral, lime green, black, white, mocha, aqua and more.  That makes it a very useful piece for travel.  Alas, but our novice video skills made this video not turn out at all.

Come on in and let us put together a comfortable and stylish outfit for you!  And know that every single piece is Made in America!

Manya Vee
ManyaVeeSelects.com

May 1, 2012

It's a Wonderful Mystery: Birgit Moenig's Silk Scarves

Birgit Moenig has been sharing her love of painting on silk for over 25 years. What she loves even more than painting on silk is meeting women who feel happier because they are wearing one of her scarves. And that's what it all comes down to: bringing as much happiness as possible, through the beauty a silk scarf can bring to a person and her world.

A happy customer, wearing her
new Birgit scarf

Hailing from Germany originally, Birgit was exposed to silk painting very early. Many German housewives know how to paint on silk, so it was a common, everyday thing to do. Initially, she just picked up some silk, opened some dye, and put it on the silk as she had seen so many others do so effortlessly. She applied her artist eye to it as well, and got inspiration from other artist friends also applying dye to silk. “It's an on-going learning process even today,” she exclaims. “I still talk to my artist friends, and we are always trying new things to see what works best.”

Before painting on silk, Birgit had tried watercolor on paper, “but it didn't take,” she says. Acrylic on canvas was better, and in fact she painted and sold miniature folk paintings at the Pike Place Market when she and her husband first arrived in the States in 1980. But dyeing silk was what she really loved to do. “Designing something and staying inside the lines isn't very fun,” she says. “So I developed my silk dyeing to avoid that. It's a more abstract approach with colors overlapping and flowing together.”

Using a brush to "paint" the dye
onto the white silk

People are drawn to the beautiful colors Birgit uses on her scarves. At Manya Vee Selects, we love to watch people have their eye drawn to our scarf rack and its colorful array of her scarves. They can't resist walking over and touching them! Birgit finds the color choices and blending to be a constant challenge. “It's a wonderful mystery. When it's all done, that's when you know whether it worked or not.”    

Multi-colored scarf by Birgit

The technique is what causes the challenge. A non-toxic, water-based liquid dye is applied to dry, white silk. Colors are always more intense when they are wet, so controlling the strength of each hue is difficult. In addition, not as many colors are available as before, so that means more blending is required to achieve a full palette with lots of variety. In the end, Birgit confesses that her color choices are very intuitive. Of course, I have a feeling her 25 years of experience helps guide the intuition to get her beautiful results.

Birgit's scarf rack at Manya Vee Selects

Birgit works with her husband, Dieter, closely these days. This teamwork began when he lost all contracts for his own business after 9/11. He had been making high-tech satellites for ships. That left him with a lot of time on his hands. One piece of equipment he used in his business is a water-jet, which can cut cleanly through metals. He designed some 3-D ornaments made out of Boeing surplus aluminum, each one cut with that water jet. They were very successful. More designs followed based on customer requests.

Next, customers began asking for 3-D earrings. This required much smaller pieces, and thus more precision in cutting. His huge machine wasn't made for such detail. Upon discovering it would cost $28,000 to re-tool it, he gave up for a while. But the requests kept coming, so he figured out a way to re-tool it himself, costing only $2,000. He graduated the metal to titanium since aluminum has such a low perceived value, and grew his own customer base with this new product.

Three notKnot styles

A scarf woven into a
notKnot

The next product he invented ties Dieter's and Birgit's respective products together very closely – the notKnot! Based on a concept floating around in Birgit's head, each notKnot is cut out with the water jet using thick stainless steel. It allows a person a great deal of flexibility in how to wear the scarves, by weaving them in and out of the openings, making the scarf a bit more like a piece of jewelry.

Now, in addition to showing her scarves at Manya Vee Selects in Edmonds, they tour the country together doing art fairs and selling their wares together, finding new fans at each new show they do. Birgit loves returning to a place and meeting customers for a second, third and fourth time. It gives her great joy to hear how much the women enjoy wearing her scarves. It is an extra special day when someone sends her a card or email letting her know how much they love wearing her scarves.

Birgit and Dieter at an art show

We're in our 12^th year now at Manya Vee Selects, and Birgit is one of just a few artists whose work we've carried since the beginning.  Her scarves find passionate new wearers almost daily. We love passing along those stories to Birgit from our own customers, who simply can't resist that scarf rack and end up buying one, then two, then another for a gift, and so on. Go ahead and write your story here in the comments about your Birgit scarves, so we can share it with her too.

And of course, make your own pilgrimage to The Scarf Rack, and see for yourself how happy and beautiful a new Birgit scarf can make you feel!

See you soon,

Manya

P.S.  Here are links to previous blogs that show some scarf-tying methods.

http://manyaveeselects.blogspot.com/2011/11/3-scarf-ideas-to-spiff-up-your-wardrobe.html

http://manyaveeselects.blogspot.com/2010/07/from-neophyte-to-expert-in-2-hours.html

April 16, 2012

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Yes, yes.  We've heard it hundreds of times before.  And indeed, diamonds are a pretty amazing stone!  The hardness and clarity make it capture all the colors of the rainbow, even without having any actual color inside the stone.  This optical illusion has mesmerized many of us over the centuries.


And they take a while to get such beauty, too.  According to Wikipedia,  "most natural diamonds are formed at high temperature and pressure at depths of 87 to 120 miles in the Earth mantle.  Carbon-containing minerals provide the carbon source, and the growth occurs over periods from 1 billion to 3.3 billion years (25% to 75% of the age of the Earth).  They are brought closer to the earth's surface through deep volcanic eruptions."

Rough diamond crystal in matrix

First recognized and enjoyed in India possibly 6000 years ago, where their use in religious iconography, and also for engraving tools, dates back to the earliest human history.  But what we now think of as a rather ubiquitous stone, hasn't always been that way.


It was the discovery in 1867 of large diamond deposits in what is now South Africa that radically changed our conception.  In the subsequent 10 years, diamond production increased more than tenfold.  Several fortunes were made, and we now think of diamonds as an easily-available stone.  


And now it is April, with diamond as the birthstone.  As you well know, we at Manya Vee Selects enjoy how artists use these amazing materials in unusual ways.  So of course, you can find some beautiful diamonds for both men and women.  Check out this 10-point diamond set in white gold by Seattle jeweler Michelle Logan.

10-point diamond in white gold

The white gold chain is diamond-cut, so it sparkles in such a way as to enhance the diamond.  Truly amazing.


We just received five rings from master metalsmith Sarah Gascoigne, all of which include diamonds.  Two are wide-band rings for men, and three are delicate and unusual rings for women.  Simple, but far from boring.  Come on in and check it out!


ManyaVeeSelects.com

What does intimacy have to do with Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and it brings up so many mixed feelings for people.  It's supposed to be a day we celebrate the people we love most in our life.  A lover, spouse, our kids, special friends - all those could be put into the mix.  I see a lot of longing in the eyes of those coming into the store these days, and I'm convinced that what they seek is a lot more than a simple "I love you".  Based on some comments I've heard, intimacy is the missing factor.

What is intimacy?  Manya's definition has intimacy as a safe meeting of the minds.  First of all, it must be a safe place.  Far too often, we move away from that safe place after the romantic bloom has faded.  Life gets hectic, conflicts arise, disagreements leave us feeling undervalued, unheard, and dehumanized.  Clearly, that's not a very safe place to be.  So we start closing those formerly-open doors one by one, and before you know it, very few remain open.  We share less and less with each other.

How sad it is that you share so many things with a person (i.e. living space, refrigerator space, household tasks, child-rearing tasks, a few similarities in music and movie choices) and yet feel quite alone at the same time.  There may not be a lonelier feeling on the planet.

Secondly, it's a meeting of the minds.  It seems to me that true intimacy can only take place between those who share similar values and goals.  That might be one of the reasons you feel safe with a person - because you think a lot alike.  Or at least you used to.

This Valentine's Day, re-claim that intimacy by arranging for a special time that just the two of you share.  Think about that sharing of the minds, and choose one of those shared things to re-create in your home, or some other special place.  Set the scene with things you know you both enjoy.  It could be candles everywhere, a bottle of wine, and some great cheese and crackers.  Turn off all phones, pagers, and other communication devices so you have uninterrupted time.  Tell each other stories about those early days when you began to learn about all the ways your minds met, and how amazing that felt!

Someone's got to take the first step.  Everyone on this planet wants to be known.  And then to be loved for being known so deeply - flaws and all.  It is always so risky to open up and reveal those not so pretty parts of oneself.  Remember - you had that at one time with your lover.  He or she is probably missing it too, and regretting its loss.  So be brave.  Take that step.  It's going to be scary, but the rewards are great!  It might be awkward at first, because your lover is feeling insecure about things too.  Just hold on tight, knowing that if you can break through the barriers, that wonderful place can be yours to share again.

That's my wish for you all this Valentine's Day.  Let me know what happens...

Manya

Manya Vee Selects
409 Main St
Edmonds, WA  98020

ManyaVeeSelects.com

Garnet - January's Birthstone

Garnets have been used in jewelry for centuries, and were particularly common in the Late Antique Roman world.  Still popular today, it is not so well-known that garnets come in many colors.  The name itself is believed to derive from the Latin "malum garanatum" which means pomegranate.  The stones do, in fact, rather resemble those lovely seeds.  So no wonder we think of it only as red!

Garnet growing in a rock

But if you're not fond of red, you can also find garnet in gorgeous greens, oranges and yellows.  Due to the popularity, and relatively affordable price or the red garnets, they are the easiest to find on the market.

Green Garnet Drusy Pendant

Metaphysically, garnet is a stone of romantic love and passion.  It is also said that it will bring positive thoughts and boost energy!  I'm sure there are a few of us out there who could use a little of that.

Odd garnet fact #1  - warriors used to carry garnets as a talisman against death and injury.  But it was also said to bring victory and peace, as well as be able to stop the flow of blood.

Odd garnet fact #2 - very few garnets are pretty enough to be cut into gemstones for use in jewelry.  Most garnets are mined and then crushed to be used as industrial abrasives!

Odd garnet fact #3 - the most rare type of gem-grade garnet is the color-change garnet.  We have a lovely specimen in the gallery in a ring made by Seattle master metalsmith Sarah Gascoigne.  It looks red indoors, but turns an interesting warm brown in the sunlight.

Gascoigne's Color-Change Garnet Ring

We've got garnet necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings by a variety of Manya Vee Selects artists in a variety of price points.  The selection is quite high at the moment because of January, but also because it's a lovely piece of jewelry to give your lover for Valentine's Day - which is just around the corner!  Check out this smattering of jewelry choices.

Left: Garnet Swing Necklace by Ed Levin Jewelry
Center: Garnet necklace and earring set by Manya Vee Jewelry
Right: Two Rings by Bill Booze.  Earrings by Shari Both Jewelry.

We've got a shelf devoted to nothing but garnet, and you're just seeing a small few here.  Come on by to see them all and see which one has to become yours!

Manya Vee

manyaveeselects.com

Manya Vee Selects
409 Main St, Edmonds WA  98020
425-776-3778

4 Ways To Make Your Down Time Count

For many of us, the only ME time we get on a daily basis is in the shower.  Okay, then - let's pledge to make that a sacred time.


How can we do this?  We all know how lovely scents enhance our mood.  So choose soaps and lotions that make you happy, and maybe even make you want to linger just a little longer in your sacred place!


It's also important to choose soaps and lotions with natural ingredients, to keep your skin healthy and moisturized.


I love great-smelling, great-feeling soaps and lotions.  I never receive enough of them as gifts, and because the really good ones are a little more expensive, I don't often treat myself.  Well, along with you, I'm pledging to change that right now.


I used to hang out at the soap shops in the U District and Pike Place Market when I was a college student.  It was a little indulgence I enjoyed very much.  I kept hoping such a shop would open in Edmonds, but it doesn't appear to be in Edmonds' future. 


So, I decided to take advantage of the numerous artisan soap and lotion makers right here at home, and create a Personal Spa section right in the gallery!  Check out the offerings from these four artisans, dedicated to making healthy, nourishing, delicious-smelling soaps and lotions for you!


1.  Beautiful Soap - made by Linda and Patrice.  These two made a batch of soap in their kitchen just for fun.  Their friends loved it so much, they moved it up a notch and started selling it in small amounts.  Friends of friends loved it too, and so it grew.  Their belief is, "We think that we create a beautiful product that everyone can enjoy. We truly love making our soap and conscientiously try to improve our soap with each new fragrance and color that we add to our shelves."

Offerings from Beautiful Soap

Beautiful soap is 100% glycerin, which attracts moisture from the air to your skin!  Plus, it's coconut base makes LOTS of bubbles.  Each curl is hand-carved, too.  Lots of care goes into each and every bar.  I have a cucumber-melon fragrance on the bathroom sink, and it is lasting much longer than I expected.  Plus, it makes the whole bathroom smell quite wonderful.


2.  Body Systems. This company invites you to "embrace natural skin care and transport yourself to a true tropical experience.  We source ingredients from all over the world to create the most beneficiel and natural products for our skin and the environment.  We never test on animals and use fair traded and organic ingredients whenever possible."

Group of Bath Gels from Body Systems

The soft, heavenly scents from Body Systems will transport you, and make your skin feel fantastic.  They are very pure, as well as concentrated.  In the Butter Lotion, notice that water isn't even one of the ingredients.  Check your lotions at home and it's first on the list!  That means these are very concentrated, and thus last a very long time.  It also means they are more expensive - but you're not just paying for scented water.


We currently have the Bath Gel, Butter Lotion, and a very fun Bath Confetti that makes for the most amazing bubble bath!


3. Pearl and Daisy. With a firm commitment to purity, Rebecca Taylor spends lots of time getting the right combination of ingredients together for the best possible product.  She says, "pure essential oils are blended to provide aromatherapy benefits and a glorious scent.  Minerals and organic botanicals are added to nourish the skin and provide natural color.  You won't find any synthetic fragrance, artificial color, phthalates, synthetic parabens, sodium laurel sulphate, or petrochemicals in any of our soaps or body care products.  Not even a little bit."

Offerings from Pearl & Daisy

We have the bar soap and bath salts available individually.  In the gift box, you'll also find their solid lotion, which is super intense and moisturizing for your hands.  I use it at night because it takes a while to soak in.  It's not greasy enough to make my sheets greasy, but by morning, my hands feel just great.  And that's pretty nice for someone nearing 50!


4. Good Earth Soap Company - by Tracy and Michael.  Tracy and Michael love nature and the goodness of the earth.  That's the inspiration behind their products, and here's their promise to you:  "Good Earth products are created with only the finest ingredients. Each batch is made with its own unique blend of aromatherapy grade essential oils and organic herbs. Handcrafted in small batches to refresh and invigorate your soul. The simplicity of the ingredients we use aids in their ability to heal and revitalize your skin. The reason our products are so good for you is because they are created from natural butters, oils and waxes. It is our hope you will find our products are of the highest quality, Made from the Goodness of the Earth."

Bar soaps by Good Earth

 We currently have the bar soaps, as well as the soy lotion and a fabulous lip balm!  A perfect gift is to get one of each for someone.


We have testers of the lotions, and you can smell the soaps for yourself.  Stop by to play and see which scent makes your heart soar.  That's the one for you!


And make this the gift you give all your best pals this year - because it's also the gift of Down Time for them!

Manya Vee

www.ManyaVeeSelects.com

Visit us today!

Manya Vee Selects

409 Main St

Edmonds, WA  98020

425-776-3778

Hours: Daily 11 - 6, Sunday & Tuesday noon - 4

Be The Best Gift-Giver On The Planet - Part 2

We talked about gifts for the home or office before.  Now it's time to turn our hand to personal gifts - gifts of jewelry, accessories or clothing.  

Here are three tips that can help you get outside your own personal taste and focus on the person receiving your gift.

1.  What is your friend's style?  Is she conservatively tailored?  A northwest jeans and fleece gal? A jeans with tops and jackets that enjoy drape and flow?  A bohemian style with lots of movement and color?  Knowing the answer to this question can also help narrow down the options drastically.

Simple T-shirt and khakis, small earrings,
no necklace, only a watch.
She's also wearing warm tones - brown and tan

2. what is your friend's favorite color(s)?  This question often stumps people, so start paying attention now.  If you're not sure, just close your eyes and see the person in your head.  What color clothing do you see most often on her?  When you think of her, do you see blue-purple-aqua?  Or brown-orange-moss?  One of those means she prefers cool colors, and the other warm.    Maybe she's an all-black-all-the-time person.  These important clues will help narrow down a gift choice in the jewelry or accessory category quickly.

Flowing clothes, a bit Bohemian.
Can't tell in this picture, but she loves colorful, long, fun earrings.
There's a big, wide bracelet too.
Also notice the colors - pinks and purples, so in the cool tones.

3. What pieces of jewelry and/or accessories have you seen her wear?  Not everyone enjoys necklaces, for example.  I have several customers who were given a necklace by their children, and it is the only necklace they will wear.  This rules out necklaces for this pal!  Alternatively, she may enjoy earrings.  Okay, what kind of earrings?  Short ones with bright colors?  Long dangly ones?  All silver?  If she wears bracelets, notice if she prefers the stiff, cuff type, or a more flexible chain or beaded type.  

A more tailored look on the right - button up shirt and jacket.
Hair pulled back and - oh no! - no earrings!
But and lovely, simple, feminine necklace looks perfect.
The pretty blue means she wears cool tones.

And of course, we must consider a scarf.  A scarf can turn a simple top and pants into an outfit with a simple twist of the wrist!  If you have seen her wear scarves at all, not only do we have a wide variety of scarves, but we also have an entire shelf devoted to scarf toys!  

And in the post just before this, there are three great ideas on how to wear your scarves more fashionably and with greater versatility.  There's even a video of me showing our favorite way to tie scarves!

And here's me, in my comfortable, drapey, sexy clothes.
Also I like jewelry to be pretty showy, too, so I've got on some big earrings, necklace and bracelet here.

These three simple tips will make your gift selection process so much more effective, and give you much more confidence in your choices.  It's all a simple matter of paying attention, which is rather fun anyway.  So take a few minutes to think about those with upcoming birthdays, or those on your holiday gift list, and make them very happy this year!

Manya Vee

www.ManyaVeeSelects.com

Visit us today!

Manya Vee Selects

409 Main St

Edmonds, WA  98020

425-776-3778

Hours: Daily 11 - 6, Sunday & Tuesday noon - 4