Other Bits & Bobs

Dec 30, 2011

Dec-a-Porter 360* - 25 Things You Wish You Didn't Know About Me




It almost seems fitting that today's Dec-a-Porter 360* post be the last of 2011,
and inspired by a fellow blogger, I decided to create a list of

  

1. I was born in Los Angeles, but in 1990 ended up moving to Australia, Mauritius, London, Israel, back to London, and finally to Portugal in 1994, where I stayed for 14 years, and lastly, I moved to New York in 2008.
via

2. I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers - and everyone in my family lives in a different State or Country.

3. Not a huge fan of closed spaces, or anything constricting or limiting. Really don't like elevators.

4. Have always felt, and been, a very independent soul.

5. I have 3 fabulous kids and enjoy how they make me crazy (just don't tell them I said that!)

6. I speak Portuguese (obviously English) and can have a conversation in Hebrew, Spanish, and once I have had a glass of wine, a little French.

7. I saw every Nightmare on Elm Street as a kid and loved them all, but can't watch scary movies anymore.

8. I have to fall asleep watching Law & Order, The Closer, or Criminal Minds (with a little Mad Men in the middle). Of course, I am always crying when a kid has been kidnapped..why do I torture myself this way?

9. I love Pink..and Blue..and very sunny Yellow .. and I really don't want to be committed to any one color.


10. Love wallpaper - everywhere!

11. My favorite flowers are gardenias - because they smell so pretty .. and honeysuckle..and roses.. (ok I think you get the idea).

12. My grandparents died when I was very young, but the few years I had with them made a huge impact on who I am today.

13. My parents worked (and work) with gem stones. Not the pretty polished ones, but actual rough stones in mines... Emeralds were these funny green rocks we had on our kitchen table when I was a little kid.

14. One day I will run the New York Marathon (so I guess I need to start training).

15. I started playing the piano when I was 5. At my first recital, I sang "Billy Jean" by Michael Jackson, white sparkly glove and all.


16. I loved my year at Lee Strasberg, in LA .. it was my own real life version of living on the television show "Fame", and it prepared me for everything I have ever done in my life since.

17. Am I the only person that LOVED boarding school?

18. Graduated high school in Jerusalem from a high school where every religion possible, was present.

19. I love the beach, the ocean, the sea and every type of boat.. but burn like a lobster in the sun.

Chinese Fire Dragon by Alexandra Felgate
via
20. I am a Chinese "Fire Dragon" - which I am told means
"Watch out!"


21. I love driving, and road trips and simply getting lost. That's the best way to discover new places.




22. I have never had a job I haven't been able to love.. even when I was a waitress while still at school. The owners, on the other hand, might not have loved me breaking their plates all the time.

23. My top 3 goals for 2012:
  1. to create inspirational, in-depth posts covering events, companies and professionals that inspire me on the blog;
  2. have more speaking engagements about the profession of design, networking and creating a visual brand, among other things...
  3. to be able to design a room in a New York show house.
24. My favorite person in the whole world: My Husband. Not only is he an amazingly patient man (key personality trait here people!), he is also an extraordinary professional. And his greatest quality of all - making me feel calm in the stormiest of seas.

via Lynn Byrne of Decor Arts Now
BlogTour London

25. My dream job: exactly what I am doing right now.
I hope you have enjoyed getting to know me a little better, and the quirky traits that make me, me..
I've enjoyed meeting new friends, and making wonderful new connections through everything that this Blog has brought to me over the past year.








I am humbly grateful to all of you who follow me here, on Facebook, on Twitter and on Pinterest..
and hope to continue to help make a difference in your lives, as you have in mine.

Thank you to Franziska San Pedro - who inspired the 25 things about me post (read up on her 25 things here).

Wishing you all a wonderful New Years, full of inspiration, laughter, love and much success!

Dec 29, 2011

Color Wheel: Finding Your Inner Sparkle

It's nearly 2012 and how could I resist dedicating this Color Wheel post to Sparkles, Glitter and anything and everything that shimmers? Really, I couldn't..

As I put together my post for tomorrow, a New Years Resolution if you will, I thought that this would be a nice lead up as I look deeper into what I would like my path to be next year and how I can make that happen.

So "Brace Yourselves", and maybe pull out a pair of sunglasses.. and here is to finding your own sparkle this new year!





















Discovering your own shining light is an exciting journey
that can lead to wonderful new oppurtunities..

Thank you for sharing my journey with me.
Tomorrows post - My 2012 New Years Resolutions.



* All images via my Pinterest board: Sparkle. Please visit for further references and details of image credits. 

Dec 28, 2011

1-2-3: It's So Organized

I have to say that as a Virgo, and a designer, and maybe just because I am a woman as well..(ok I could keep going) I just get a sense of tremendous peace that washes over me as I look at neatly organized objects.
Over the holiday weekend, a friend of ours introduced us to a new visual library of sorts - all about neatly organized items..


I'm not suggesting you make a list of everything you own..

But as everyone begins to think about taking down their holiday decorations and preparing themselves and their homes for the New Year, I can't think of a better 1-2-3 post then sharing 3 styles of organization to get you all on your way..






In order to help group my objects at home and help me get ready, I decided to group them three ways: By Size, By Color, and By Collection.

















 























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So, are you feeling a little more relaxed? Maybe just a bit more enthusiastic about the idea of putting all the holiday decorations away..and preparing your home for the New Year.. I know I am!


*All images via my pinterest board: "It's So Organized"
*And for great inspiration and more images on very tidy objects - Visit Things Organized Neatly

Dec 27, 2011

Peek-a-Boo: My Week with Marilyn and a Tufted Heaven



After leaving the new film "My Week with Marilyn", I feel as though I am walking around in a daze... With a cast to rival all others, stunning cinematography, direction and acting from the entire cast and including the very mesmerizing Michelle Williams, I needed to share this post with you on today's Peek-a-Boo.

One magical week in London in 1956 - a very eager and wide eyed young man, Colin Clark was swept away by Marilyn Monroe while filming the "The Prince and the Showgirl" with Sir Laurence Olivier.
Colin, a recent Oxford grad and son of the scholar and author Sir Kenneth Clark, recounts his memories of that troubled film production, and of the one magical week in particular when Marilyn shook his world.


Director Simon Curtis shares this story with us and through the Production Design of Donal Woods and Set Decorator Judy Farr SDSA [Oscar nominee for THE KING’S SPEECH], they re-create the making of the 1956 film and each set is a visual masterpiece.

Pinewood Studios
Marilyn’s gifts for cast & crew. Colin Clark [Eddie Redmayne]
“It was such an intriguing script,” Farr says. “Set in that dark, old-fashioned England, with old fashioned cars and everything mucky and dreary. I can’t imagine anything more awful for Marilyn than coming to stodgy post-war Britain, especially from America where everything was new and bright.”  - J. Farr (set designer)

 
Pinewood Studios
Reproduction of original set for THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL

Each detail - the color and styling of the furniture, is very much in keeping with the original film and at the same acts as an incredible background for these extraordinary actors ...

 

On their romantic escapade, Colin takes Marilyn on a tour of Windsor Castle, where his godfather is the Librarian..

Some wonderful scenes take place in these rooms, where Marilyn enjoys some good humor about her lack of education, and with perfect English manners, how she is made to feel completely at ease and welcome...

Windsor Castle Library Hatfield House stands in for Windsor Castle


even brought into this private room, where Queen Mary's "dollhouse" is opened and marvelled at with interiors nearly as exquisite as the Castle itself..

Windsor Castle
Reproduction of Queen Mary’s dollhouse at Windsor Castle

One design element that reappears often throughout the film is Tufting ..sofas, chaises and chairs with tufting..so how could I resist this chance to throw in a few shots of Tufting inspired by Marilyn's week...?















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Wishing you a wonderful week..

and if you get the chance to see the movie, come back and leave a note about what you thought..

My Week with Marilyn - Trailer



Read the article in Vogue: My week with Michelle Williams here
by Adam Green | portraits by Annie Leibovitz


*All images of set design: Please visit _ Set Decorators Society of America
My week with Marilyn: set decorator: Judy Farr SDSA; production designer: Donal Woods
The Weinstein Company
* All tufting design images via my pinterest board for my details: Tufted Heaven







© The Weinstein Company 2011.


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