This week’s featured is a blogger - http://beyondwunderman.blogspot.com/

Beyond Wunderman, an explanation:

“It’s not knowing which parts are real and which parts are imaginary that makes me keep coming back here,” someone once wrote below a post on Beyond Wunderman. It was a comment which came as such a relief to me because until then I’d certainly had no idea how to describe the damn thing. So there we are; a blend of reality and imagination illustrated with my own photographs and images which either expand the mood or have in fact no real relevance to what’s written beneath them.

“Writer, struggling to get any kind of recognition, resorts to blogging in an attempt to feel loved,” is probably how I would have described it before then.

A few years before all of this I’d written a novel, the kind of first novel that was crammed with every good idea I had ever had up until that point. I then passed the next year and a half mentally crumbling under the weight of endless rejection letters, before finally accepting that the novel was clearly no good. So I wrote another. This was followed by another eighteen month period spent watching similar letters land on my doormat once more. I like this novel a lot, but still, I began a third.

“Only a fool repeats the same actions over and over, expecting different results,” someone once said to me, clearly paraphrasing someone else. But the thought stuck. This third book was going to need not only a shove in the right direction, but trumpets and whistles to announce the shove itself. It was already 2009, blogging for writers was clearly one of the better ways to self-promote, and so, after a small amount of time I’d put together some ideas for my own blog, along with a few self imposed rules; avoid the day by day slog and word count of a struggling writer scenario and focus instead on short pieces of fiction to complement the novel, fiction held in place by a mélange of reality and lies. Which is where we came in, right?

Right.

Two common, yet random facts: the state of the nation and the weather are key conduits for people’s moods. So, what happens when the economy sucks, and the weather is dreary? Frankly, it sounds like a depressing equation for disaster. But rest assured my fellow fashionistas, this year things will definitely be different. And we have our designers and buyers to thank for that!

Although weather-wise, fall is officially here: the cold breeze, constant mix of light and heavy rain, gloomy clouds. Here in the states, it’s not your typical fall.…

The usual suspects (dark greys, blacks, greens, and chocolate browns) are now paired with bright pinks, purples, blues, and reds. Turning any outfit up a notch…or two. It’s almost like spring is trying to make an early comeback. Signature thin, wispy fabrics and textures that are reminiscent of spring are replaced with thick knits, cotton, and cable…but in bright, beautiful, electric colors. Why such a dramatic change?

Well, as some of you may have heard (if you’re not living under a rock, that is) there’s a little thing called a recession still happening. In the States, unemployment continues to rise, as housing prices continue to decline. Not to bore you with the details, but you get it. Needless to say, this depressing pot we Americans are in make it really difficult, if not incapable, of providing any motivation to spend money. With Christmas quickly approaching, and scary memories of last year’s holiday shopping, the fashion industry (retailers and buyers alike) are more prepared and determined to make this season a hit with a few new tricks up their sleeves….

Using a bit of psychology, buyers (and designers) are lining the stores with vibrant colors, there’s a sense of ‘cheer’ in the ear. Bright colors are known to brighten up moods, skin tones, etc., and essentially making people feel good about themselves. This positive turn in personality, of course, builds confidence, thus making them more susceptible to purchasing. Although this may be considered a bold move for designers and retailers, it seems to be working. Malls and shopping centers are already filled with shoppers enthusiastic about purchasing again. And, to think that all it took was a little color!

Anisa

This week, we cannot wait to show you the work of Nom Kinnearking

Nom’s work was published in Tommy Lane. Her enchanting illustrations depict female characters who are so haunting and fairy tale-esque, we couldn’t help but fall in love.

Lindsey & Claire x