My Word For 2013... Si
A few days ago I met my friend Annie for a coffee. She was super busy this year and we were finally able to get together and catch up during her low season.I told Annie how since September I've spoken more Italian than in the previous three years. I was joking when I said my "word" for 2013 should be "Si". Then we thought about it and realized it's a perfect word.When I mentioned this to another friend, she said, "Uhm, hello, wasn't your word last year, 'yes'?"It was. However, "si" is different.Until recently, I was living in an English speaking bubble. I do have Italian friends (all speak several languages), but I worked only in English. I'm not married to an Italian and I had no reason to speak it everyday, which is bizarre given I live in Italy!Now that I'm suddenly working in Italy, everything has changed. My getting-by-Italian is fine for dinner parties and ordering food in restaurants. It's a problem when I have to order meters of fabric for custom drapes and sofas. It's important that I'm clear and able to communicate with the artisans I'm working with.Already, I feel a whole new world is opening up to me because my language skills have improved. I dream in Italian sometimes. In one of those dreams Idris Elba was also speaking Italian but I digress.As I explained in my post last year, I tend to over think things. In 2012, I said "yes" a lot more often and took some financial risks (going to the Salone, buying Photoshop, etc.) It wasn't easy to step out of my comfort zone but I'm glad I did. 2012, on a personal and professional level, was a much better year than 2011.I'm excited about 2013 and hope that the momentum from the last few months carries over.
Get Your Interior Design On - The Kathryn M. Ireland Bootcamp Experience
Last month I attended Kathryn M. Ireland's Interior Design Bootcamp in Los Angeles.That would be Kathryn the internationally known designer, NOT Kathy the former SI cover model. One Hollywood exec said to me, "I thought you were talking about the model the entire time. Alas, now our conversation has become less interesting to me." Too funny. Gotta love Hollywood.It would be hard to describe a packed four day schedule in one short blog post. Overall, it was fantastic experience. I was very impressed by Kathryn and her team, Jen, Rebecca, and Francesca. I learned a lot and enjoyed meeting my fellow bootcampers.There were only seven of us. Six were in different stages of our careers. One bootcamper had a new house. For her it was a good opportunity to see how a designer works. Some bootcampers had degrees in Interior Design and their own showrooms, while others were self taught and just starting out. It was a great mix.If you watch the show MILLION DOLLAR DECORATORS or have read anything about Kathryn you know that along with being a talented textiles and interior designer, she's a fantastic host. We met some heavy hitters in the business and it says something about Kathryn that everyone she introduced us to was warm, and down-to-earth.The workshop was organized (binders, books, baked goods!) We received excellent nuts and bolts information and advice about the business of design. There were guest speakers who talked about the state of the industry, branding, product development, publicity, and social media.We also visited several high profile showrooms with Kathryn, like Lucca, Nathan Turner, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Peter Dunham, Christopher Farr, Jasper, Pat McGann, etc.Martyn's was our last showroom stop. He had drinks and quips for us.There was down time too (and plenty of wine with meals). We went on a hike in Will Rogers State Park with sick views of the Pacific. It wasn't mandatory but a nice way to kick off a long day. That day we visited Kathryn's print shop. She opened it in Los Angeles instead of outsourcing the work. The time it takes to hand print fabric is no joke and that's why it's expensive.We worked on our mood/presentation boards for our projects with input from Kathryn and her team. I wanted to pull my hair out as I tried to draw my floor plans by hand. Luckily for me, one of my fellow bootcampers was a kitchen and bath designer. She talked me down off the ledge.I can't really say which highlight (there were many) of the workshop was my favorite. I can say I returned to Rome feeling excited about the future and inspired.For more information about future Bootcamps, check out Kathryn's WEBSITE.
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Stylish Simplicity - Earrings - Me&Ro Jewelry
Years ago when I was in the middle of hell a Hollywood film development executive, I worked 24/7. I also made no money, but on my birthday I would buy either a bag, shoes, or jewelry.For a few years (until the production company I worked for shut down) I alternated between which item to get, went go to Barneys, and put down my Barneys credit card. I would pay it off immediately with birthday money I received from my family.I didn't go crazy. I would buy, say a pair of Prada shoes (back then the prices were at least $200 lower) instead of Louboutins. That said, I think Marc Jacobs bags were/are completely over priced. Can someone please explain their price points to me?One particularly heinous year, I doubled down and bought a bag AND earrings.That year I walked pass the jewelry section on the first floor and a pair of earrings, similar to below, caught my eye.
I put them on and said, "I'll take them."For a while I only wore the earrings on special occasions. Then I thought that didn't make sense. Beautiful things should be worn.I wear them all the time now.These earrings are the only Me&Ro pieces I own. I love them and look forward to buying more pieces in the future.The designer and CEO, Robin Renzi, used to be a dancer and started her company in the back of her Elizabeth Street apartment in the early '90s. Me&Ro works with recycled materials and their designs are simple and stylish. The company has really grown since the mid 00s but the quality is as high as ever.Also, I like that they still make and produce all their jewelry in Tribeca, New York City. I'm sure they could increase their profit margins if they shipped those jobs overseas. That they've been in downtown NYC all this time says a lot about the company's values.
I haven't spent that much time in Tuscany. I've been to Florence, Siena, and the tiny town of Terriciola which isn't too far from Pisa.I was going to stay in Rome for my birthday. However, the horrendous heat, the fact that 99 percent of my friends were gone for Ferragosto, and dealing with screaming drunk American college students and loud high school Italian teenagers on my street pushed me over the edge. I booked a trip out of town.My friend Michelle, who lives in Milan, told me about Versilia. Her husband happened to be in the area that weekend. He was dropping off their young son who was going to stay at his great aunt's house. He showed me around Versilia.I don't know if it was escaping from the heat or what but I fell in love with this part of the Tuscan coast. Sometimes referred to as the Tuscan Riviera, Versilia is in the Northwest part of Tuscany.I stayed in the town of Marina di Piestrasanta. I had no idea I was so close to the Forte dei Marmi border. The two towns share a great park filled with pines trees. The smell was glorious.Marina di Piestrasanta was a little more laid back. Forte dei Marmi reminded me of the Hamptons/Martha's Vineyard.There were all these super chic people on their bicycles whose families have been going to the area for decades. Then you'd turn a corner and see a Veline/showgirl with massive fake breasts, injected duck lips, and a much older man on her arm. As with the Hamptons and Martha's Vineyard, the new money is pushing up the price of real estate sky high. Many locals worry about losing stores like a butcher shop or pasty shop to another high-end clothing store.FDM has become very popular with wealthy Russians. Most of the real estate offices had signs in Italian and Russian.I know this is going to sound nuts, but it was so weird not to see any Americans or hear English. Yes, I live in Italy, but Rome has a lot of tourists and American expats. All the tourists in my hotel were Italian or German. There wasn't a single flip-flop girl sighting the whole weekend. I wonder why that is.Above Marina di Piestrasanta is the hill town of Pietrasanta. This small town was packed with art. The famous artist Botero has been going to Pietrasanta for thirty years and has a home in town. To celebrate his 80th birthday, there was a large (and free) exhibition of his work.Versilia has been popular with artists for centuries. Michelangelo stayed in Pietrasanta. What looks like snow on the Apuan Alps is actually marble.On my next trip I would like to visit one of the marble quarries. Speaking of marble, some of the SIDEWALKS in Forte dei Marmi were made from the expensive material.I'm definitely spoiled by Caribbean beaches. It's strange that I would love to have a place in the area but I probably wouldn't join a beach club. I loved the beach town vibe but didn't love the beaches.People were very friendly and the food was delicious. I drank a lot of Franciacorta.Overall, I had a great birthday weekend. I had one moment of, "everyone is here is with someone or their family, and I'm alone" but it passed pretty quickly. I think it helped to be surrounded by so much beauty, delicious food, and the sea.The night of my birthday I went to the Principe Hotel roof bar for a glass of Franciacorta after dinner. The views were stupendous. I believe the views were the reason my glass of wine was double the price of what I paid at dinner even though it was from the same vineyard.That's okay, as the kids would say YOLO, you only live once.
