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Dear Melissa,
Happy Valentine's Day! I can’t
believe it is almost here, and so soon. I’m sending
flowers this year to dear friends and clients. It
seems too few do anymore and this is a great
occasion. I’ve got one friend that thinks flowers
are a waste because they die, but I don’t agree.
To me the beauty they add in the interim is entirely
worth it, and I don’t eat chocolates, fruit baskets,
or such. I love, love, love flowers!!!
High Point Design Inspirations
Event! I am attending an event at High
Point in just a couple of weeks with seminars from
such illustrious design talents as Barry Dixon,
Albert Hadley, and Steve Nobel of the Luxury
Marketing Council. I am excited - looking forward to
a change of scenery and learning new trends. I’ll
report it all right here, so stay tuned!
Celebrity Event in Beverly Hills
Yes, it’s true, I’ve been invited by the powers that
be to accept an award for my Godmother, the famed
costumer to the stars, Edith Head in Beverly Hills
at the close of the month. She is being inducted
into the Walk of Style with a star all her own. I am
thrilled to be included! What do I wear??
Check out the changes we are making both on
the website and our blog additions regularly: www.melissagalt.com
Live well and beautifully,
MG
| Fresh Inspirations: Outdoor Sculpture Makes a Real Statement |
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My trip to Santa Fe was breathtaking! I took in art
galleries and venues all over the city. My favorite,
of course, is Canyon Road. You can easily stroll
from one end to the other with the most stunning
range of artistic talents on display at every turn.
I was speechless with the breadth of inspiration and
creativity. While it would be tough to get pictures
inside the galleries (artists often fear plagiarism
and unfortunately rightly so,) the works
outdoors were so numerous and fun I couldn’t resist
a last look and photo tour my final day in town. I
can imagine nothing so wonderful as one day having a
property with enough land for a true sculpture
garden and being able to include such unique works
as the giant ant or scorpion in bronze, the
Amazonian rabbit straight out of Watership
Down, or
the rusted iron worked goats and sheep just waiting
for a hillside with an incredible mountain view.
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Online
entrepreneur Melissa Galt, "The Lifestyle Diva,"
publishes “Design Destinations” a monthly ezine
with 1500+ subscribers. If you're ready to
jump-start your life, create comfortable and
personal home interiors, define your personal image
and style, plan exciting travel and adventure,
develop the career of your dreams, and pursue your
past times and passionate pursuits, learn how now at
www.melissagalt.com
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| Book Reviews |
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 It's Not How Good You Are,
It's How Good You Want to Be,
Paul Arden
I love this book and recommend it to all I meet. It
was only a 45 minute read and I will reread it many
times over. Arden was Executive Creative Director
for ad giant Saatchi & Saatchi for many years; he
has a dry wit and even managed to include
illustrations of a New Yorker brilliance. This is
truly the pocket guide to making the most of who you
are and what you want. He makes the unthinkable
suddenly possible for those usually too timid to
imagine. Filled with original and rational answers
to ordinary questions, this book doesn’t show you
your path, but it does inspire you to stay on it
when you have it!
 Real Decorating for Real
People, Shari Hiller and Matt Fox
This is a great book for an DIYer. Decorating is
divvied up by the room and then each room by the
“what’s right,” “what’s wrong,” “let’s get started”
list making, “fixes,” and “projects.” Taken from
their TV success this book is easy to follow and
well laid out. The ideas are creative and fixes
simple, generally speaking, with step by step
instruction for more complex projects. Before and
After photos are always a bonus.
Book Reviews
For more of Melissa's brilliant book reviews,
check out her Designer
Book Reviews Blog.
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| Movie Reviews |
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Rating system of one to five
stars
 "Brokeback Mountain" -
Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway,
Michelle Williams
Well having heard all the hype I was sorely
disappointed. It must be the genre that is causing
the fuss. I was truly unimpressed and would not
recommend this. The story was very slow,
predictable, and a bit tedious. The lead characters
were more tragic than heroic, and I just didn’t see
the point. Heath’s makeup and hair in particular as
he aged were disastrous. Don’t bother . . .
 "Last Holiday" -
Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Gerard Depardieu, Timothy
Hutton
Loved it! This is how I live my life, but without
being diagnosed with a terminal disease. Yahoo!
Guess I am behind - need to add base jumping and
snowboarding to my list. I have actually ordered
multiple entrees (when only I was present!) If only
to taste it all, and that is what this delicious bit
of film is about . . . tasting it all before we go.
Latifah is excellent, Depardieu a delight, and
Hutton perfectly despicable as the one who has it
all but is so busy getting more that he fails to see
the gifts. This may not win awards, it isn’t weighty
enough, but good all around entertainment. It is a
must see.
Movie Reviews
Be sure to check out the
Designer Movie Reviews Blog for even more films!
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| Newsletter Signup |
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Online entrepreneur Melissa Galt, "The Lifestyle
Diva," publishes “Design Destinations” a monthly
ezine with 1500+ subscribers. If you're ready to
jump-start your life, create comfortable and
personal home interiors, define your personal image
and style, plan exciting travel and adventure,
develop the career of your dreams, and pursue your
past times and passionate pursuits, sign up now for
her free newsletter.
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| Trends: Less Fluff, More Substance |
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Seems that the trend in recent years of feathers and
jewels adorning just about everything is fading
fast. Now it is about simplicity, clean lines, and
function. Arts and Crafts, known to many as Mission
Style, is more prevalent even with builders these
days. We are getting back to taking care of the
environment, green is bigger than ever, and that
means organic design and earthwise designs. It also
means “less is more” and more is now seen as excess.
People are realizing that they don’t need as much to
live comfortably, and instead are maximizing what
they already have. The influences of Asia,
Indonesia, and the clean lined zen maxim is gaining
momentum. Yes, Calvin Klein did get there early, and
there will always be those that like the over the
top of Raymond Waites and Lillian August with their
multilayers, can’t see the forest for the trees
approach. I, for one, am glad that values seem to be
shifting a bit to substance and value, and less
about stuff for stuff’s sake. The concept of Simple
Living seems to be getting a real toehold.
Life is afterall in the living, not in the
stuff collected.
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| Audience Quips |
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“Melissa truly has her 'finger on the pulse' of what
it’s like to consciously craft and create not only a
beautiful home but a beautiful life for yourself,
and she’s on the cutting edge of delivering it all
through the internet. She is true inspiration.
Kudos, Melissa!”
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| Life Philosophies |
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“Wise men talk because they have
something to say; fools, because they have to say
something.”
- Plato
“Life is in the living, not in the waiting.”
- MG
"Enthusiasm is the propelling force necessary for
climbing the ladder of success."
- Anonymous
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