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Dear Melissa,
Happy St. Patrick's Day, albeit
belated! Well, I do hope the luck of the Irish was
with you this St. Patrick’s Day. This year is truly
flying by. I can hardly fathom where January and
February went and I feel like April is already upon
us. Been busy with design, speaking is taking off,
and travel is making for a life of true adventure.
West Coast Red Carpet WOW! I did
it, I actually walked a red carpet (shocked to learn
they use red astro turf)! It is really a bit
daunting, and this was nowhere near as long as the
one that the Oscar Nominees and assorted Celebrities
walk annually. This was for the Walk of Style awards
that I attended to receive honors on behalf of my
late godmother, Hollywood costumer, Edith Head.
Jacqueline Bisset and Martin Landau presented to me,
and Brittany Murphy kicked the whole event
off.
Quite an extraordinary experience meeting Angelica
Huston, her husband and sculptor of the award
itself, Robert Graham, and sharing the stage with
fellow honorees Milena Cannonera and James Acheson.
Made some wonderful new friends, rekindled old
ones, and can’t wait to return.
Paris Beckons!
I can’t believe it really, but a friend has a
business trip involving a weekend in Paris, so I
decided to blow a wad of frequent flyer points and
head for the Eiffel Tower. I haven’t been in some 30
years and never got to see the Louvre (Mother
thought we were too young, so took only my older
sister). I’m looking forward to a river cruise along
the Seine, the Arc de Triomphe and much more. Only
gone 4.5 days, but what a wonderful whirlwind!
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: As You Like It |
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Do you have a useless niche, a room without a
reason, an available closet? Transform it into a
space with a purpose! No, of course, it doesn’t have
to fit anyone else’s definition of useful, only
yours, but let’s consider some fresh ideas . . .
Conversation Station: Finding
yourself constantly on the phone but tired of using
a cell phone or an ear piece? What about having a
good old retro rotary dial or even just a normal
sized cordless but in a designated niche just for
calling? You can create a calling corner, as it were,
beneath the stairs or even in a closet that isn’t
storing useful goods. Consider adding a small desk
complete with your choice of desk accessories, and I
mean the good stuff. Go find a divine desk blotter,
an old fashioned address book, a card holder, and
even an inbox and outbox. It is a mini conversation
station and a great way to renew the art of
correspondence and keeping in touch.
Tis Better To Give and Give
Beautifully: Whenever I have a gift to take
I am always running about madly searching for the
last bit of wrapping paper, tape, and scissors two
minutes before I am to be out the door. How much
nicer it would be to have a dedicated space stocked
with creative wrapping elements and the room to use
them. So consider devising your own gift niche. Even
when going to a party and taking a bottle of wine,
the presentation counts and so does originality and
effort. Sure you can use one of those gift bags, but
why not dress it up, personalize it with charms,
sequins, notes and more all available at the local
party supply store. If you regularly attend baby and
bridal showers, anniversary celebrations,
birthdays, and corporate shindigs, presents with all
the trimmings really make a statement.
Zen for Better Balance: I actually
know a couple of clients that have meditation rooms
on their wish list, and what a great idea! A space of
quiet and calm designed solely to wind down and
synthesize the pressures of every day into positive
energies for every life. It can include a chaise or
day bed, or even just long floor cushions, an
étagère with space for soothing elements of
inspiration including crystals and scented candles.
A mirror to witness your transformation, and a
source of relaxing sounds or music are essential.
Think of this as creating a way station for better
balance and re-energizing.
Of course there are other rooms, niches, and nooks
you can create; it depends on what you want. So take
a good look around - is your house missing the haven
you most want? Make it happen!
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Melissa's Design and Decorating Tips and Tricks
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link to
www.melissagalt.com.
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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The Dark Side of the Light
Chasers,
Debbie Ford
This is a terrific internal look at some of our most
challenging issues. Ford forces us to look at what
we are hiding from ourselves or what we avoid
looking at. She shows us how our “dark” side can
actually bring us more into the light of our being.
This is a truly enlightening guide at how we can
reconcile the parts of ourselves we like least with
our best sides, to become truly whole individuals.
It is by acknowledging and respecting ourselves
completely that we can find our path and release
ourselves from patterns of self doubt and
punishment. Ford is an easy read with compelling
thoughts and positive outcome.
Home Therapy: Fast, Easy,
Affordable Makeovers, Lauri Ward
Ward is the doyenne of one day makeovers and this
book is an inspirational compilation of case studies
from a wide range of clientele. Whether you are
downsizing, shifting from renting to owning, making
the most of temporary quarters, merging households
with another or creating a specific home
environment, there is something here to look at.
Neatly laid out with each scenario including
background and challenges, diagnosis and remedy, and
follow up commentary, Ward provides detailed
solutions and floorplan sketches to implement
immediately. So much of design requires a fresh
view, and professional expertise without breaking
the bank is always welcome.
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

"Pride and Prejudice" -
Keira Knightley, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland,
Matthew MacFadyen

A remake of Jane Austin’s classic tale, this was
better than expected. Blethyn and Sutherland were
really stellar. Knightley was wonderful though not
big enough yet for Oscar honors. The fascination was
the social mores of the day, and the intricate
social graces and delightful mannerisms. If only we
could live in such a gracious age now. The story
holds up, boy falls for girl, girl spurns boy, girl
chases and gets boy back. Even with a happy ending
for all concerned.
"Freedomland" -
Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore, Edie Falco, Ron
Eldard
What was this? Singularly some of the worst
performances by great actors I have ever had the
misfortune to see. The screenplay was dismal,
directing bizarre, and just generally could have
been missed all together. Julianne does do glazed
and dazed very well, but the idea of her as a former
drug addict, no money, no self worth, sleeping
around was a stretch even I had trouble making.
Jackson could have been good but the director added
an inappropriate sexual tension into the whole
racial tension and nothing really fit. Even the
ending was anticlimactic, and I was left wondering
why bother, who cares?
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: Eclectic is Everywhere |
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What does eclectic even mean anymore?! It is
probably the most overused terminology in design
today and seems to be the stock answer used when a
client is asked about their style. Essentially
everything and anything goes these days. It is all
about making it personal and making it count and for
some that means mixing great grandmother’s antique
armoire with more modern elements such as a Natuzzi
leather sofa and a retromodern cocktail table. For
others it means a minimalist environment focusing on
each piece as a functional art form. Great design
still is about dichotomy and duality. It means
function and style, comfort and classicism,
durability and elegance, low maintenance and luxury.
It is about having it all and living well
and beautifully!
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| Audience Quips |
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Little Things Can Make a Big
Difference
“We love the wallpaper. It turned out even nicer
than we had hoped!”
- Gwenn Weiss on recent bath
transformation
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| Life Philosophies |
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“Success is a matter of buying
your experience cheap and selling it at a profit.”
- Anonymous
“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember
anything.”
- Mark Twain
"Choice, not chance, determines destiny."
- Anonymous
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