BMJ Blog

The History of the Cufflink

Posted on May 05, 2016 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

During the middle ages, a man’s fine shirt was often a canvas for decorative embellishments, including ruffles, frills, and embroidery. Especially ornamented shirts were reserved for appearances in royal court until the end of the 18th century. Meanwhile, simpler shirts were worn for everyday occasions. On either style of shirt, the neck opening of might be held together with ribbon—a precursor of the necktie. Cuffs were often held together by ribbons, too, or secured with buttons.

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Posted in cufflinks, men's fashion, men's jewelry, style, trends, vintage

Ethical and Eco-Friendly Wedding Ideas

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

By making conscious choices with each element of your wedding, you can minimize the environmental impact of the big event while supporting good causes along the way.

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Posted in celia grace, conflict-free, ethical wedding, local, organic, recycled gold, style, sustainably sourced, vegan, wedding favors, wedding ideas

What Is Bad Taste?

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

In some cases, bad taste is one of those “I’ll-know-it-when-I-see-it” kind of things. For many of us, bad taste often depends on context, expectations, and other subjective variables—and it’s this subjectivity that can make bad taste a touchy subject. But that doesn’t stop philosophers—both old and contemporary—from voicing opinions on the matter.

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Posted in aesthetics, alain de botton, bad taste, clothing, philosophy, style, trends

7 Lovely Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

7 Lovely Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas | BMJ Blog

Put your creative side to use with eco-friendly gift wrapping.

Opting for eco-friendly gift wrapping is a beautiful way to honor Mother Earth--and show off your creative talents. The following are only a few options for green giving. There are so many ways to adorn your gifts in conscious style. Simply use your imagination--How can old containers be repurposed and made pretty? Also, when necessary, seek out earth-conscious companies that produce fine papers made from recycled and sustainable materials. 

1.Wrap Gifts with Fabric

7 Lovely Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas | BMJ Blog

Save scraps of cloth from sewing projects or head down to your local sewing or craft store and pick out some festive prints. Cloth is a gift itself because it can be repurposed a number of ways. It can be turned into pieces for a quilt, part of a reusable shopping bag, napkins, or even a rag! 

2. Gift with Reusable Shopping Bags

While we're on the topic of reusable shopping bags, why not share gifts in a decorative reusable shopping bag or cloth tote (again, another gift itself)? If you're efficient with a sewing machine, totes are pretty easy to whip up. You can choose from a variety of patterns here

3. Decorate Gift Packages with Backyard Findings

7 Lovely Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas | BMJ Blog

 Explore the great outdoors (or just your backyard) in search of pretty, natural findings to decorate your gifts. Delicate twigs, small pinecones, and sprigs of holly and berries make eye-catching additions. 

4. Go Black and White and Re(use)d All Over

 7 Lovely Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas | BMJ Blog

Newspapers and magazines make playful and inexpensive green wrapping options.  Simply find a visually interesting page (the comics section is always a good choice), layer over another piece of newspaper (since newspaper tends to tear easily), and go to town! Tie off with yarn, ribbon, or baker's twine. 

5. Seek Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Paper Printed with Soy Ink

This cute paper by the Green Field Paper company is made from 100% recycled materials and printed with soy ink.  Soy inks are a smart green option because but they only release a minimal amount of volatile organic compounds into our atmosphere during the printing process. Soy is also a renewable resource while petroleum, the base of most conventional ink, is nonrenewable—and not very friendly to the atmosphere. Soy ink comes in vivid, long-lasting colors, and paper companies may not need to use as much ink to produce stunning graphics (like these adorable dogs!). 

6. Use Banana Fiber Paper 

7 Lovely Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas | BMJ Blog

Banana fiber is created with stems leftover from a banana harvest. The paper has an organic texture that lends it an earthy yet sophisticated feel. Perfect for understated (but high-impact) gift wrapping. 

7. Get Adventurous with Old Maps 

7 Lovely Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas | BMJ Blog

Save your old atlases for some fun gift wrapping. While any page will make for interesting packaging, consider the recipient of your gift--Where have you travelled together? Where is she originally from?  Choose your map paper accordingly for extra thoughtful wrapping :)

Photos: Erika G via Flickr, Martha Stewart, ohsohappytogether via Flickr, Green Field Paper Company, eCrater, Eric Christensen via Flickr, 

Posted in creative, DIY, eco-friendly, fun, gift wrapping, holidays, style

How Does Fashion Trend Forecasting Work?

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

Somehow, all of the major designers seem to be on similar wavelengths.

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Posted in fashion, fashion forecasting, style, trend forecasting, trends

Trend Watch: Lady Gaga's Heart-Shaped Engagement Ring

Posted on July 09, 2015 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

When cut correctly, the heart-shaped diamond is almost as brilliant as a round-cut diamond (the most brilliant shape for a diamond).

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Posted in diamonds, engagement, engagement ring, engagement rings, jewelry, style

Why Is Rose Gold Pink and What Are the Different Shades?

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

Modern rose gold is created by alloying yellow gold (gold’s natural color) with copper. Although rose gold is often interchangeably described as “rose,” “red,” or “pink” gold, these terms actually describe different proportions of gold to copper and their resulting shades.

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Posted in engagement ring, engagement rings, gold, gold alloys, jewelry, pink gold, red gold, rose gold, style, wedding bands

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