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Dear Melissa,
Time flies! Goodness, I can't
believe summer is virtually already here. The kids
are all getting out of school, and vacation season
starts shortly. Well, not mine, but many others!
This year has absolutely flown by and I still have a
host of goals to achieve!
Scuba and Bonaire ... I had to turn
this trip down; the timing just wasn't right. I have
clients that teach scuba diving and regularly head
down to Bonaire for diving. I still plan to get
certified, but I'm not there yet. Still have a trip
out to the West Coast to plan and up to Nantucket,
and just got the news of the National Speaker's
Conference in Florida, end of July.
On the water ... Went out with
friends a weekend or so ago on their motorboat and
was playing Titanic, (you know - riding in the bow
of the boat, face to the wind, yes I was hanging
on!), and we hit a wave. OUCH! I am now sporting
some lovely amethyst and topaz rewards that I've
found when phrased as such hurt a lot less than the
common brand of bruise! I was more embarrassed than
anything else and feel very lucky that I didn't slit
my chin open (just a couple of nicks) or shatter my
teeth. (Every time my dentist sees me he thinks
"cha-ching"—I have a bad habit of thinking of my
teeth as all-purpose tools and have been known to
use them to straighten a nail in a pinch!)
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:
Living Rich in a Readymade World, part I |
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1. Make it Personal ... Using the
big box retailers for decorating is a real time
saver, but it's up to you to personalize with
photographs, mementos, and collections.
2. Layer the Character ... From
the floor by adding rugs, to the sofa by adding
pillows, to the walls by adding artwork - it is all
about layering to achieve personality and character
in your home's interior.
3. Go for Comfort not just Good Looks
... I know you saw that really cool chair
in a catalog and had to have it, only to find that
no one, including you, will sit in it: it's woefully
uncomfortable. OOPS! Remember, it needs to function
as well as look good.
4. Little changes make a big difference
... Consider changing hardware on your
kitchen cabinets - it's a seemingly little change
that has a big impact. Save the old ones for when
you go to sell.
5. Don't get bored, restore seasonally
... Change your accents with the season.
Think hot colors for the winter and fall months:
reds, oranges, golds, and persimmons. You'll want
cooler tones in the summer and spring: cool blues,
fresh greens, crisp whites, and soothing lavenders.
By changing out your pillows, an art piece or two,
or a couple of accents, you can transform and
re-energize.
- - - - -
Want to See More Articles Like This
One?
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Melissa's Design and Decorating Tips and Tricks
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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 Gift of Taking,
Dr. Jill Kahn
The premise and truth here is that in order to lead
an abundant and happy life it is essential that we
each take care of ourselves first. So many of us are
caught in the trap of giving endlessly and then
we're depleted, overwhelmed, and frustrated—and
don't know why. The key is to put ourselves first in
our own lives so that we can care and function from
the place of a well-tended mind, body, and spirit. I
know about being overwhelmed and having Empty Well
Syndrome all too well; this is a valuable read.
Magnificent
Obsessions,
Mitch Tuchman
From the inventor of Gatorade and his astounding
collection of Studebaker automobiles, to the
aerospace engineer who collects puzzles, to the
graphic designer who collects all things stars and
stripes, this book is a marvelous compendium of 20
collectors and their unique and wondrous
collections. It is an insider view of why people
collect what they do, the thrill of the hunt, and
what their collections mean to them. If you have
more than three of anything — it's the start of a
collection, so what is your passion?!
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
 "The Sentinel" -
Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger,
Eva Longoria
I have to say Douglas looks as handsome as ever. He
has definitely been nip/tucked but had the best; I
guess Ms. Zeta-Jones is something to keep up with!
Sutherland is a well-chosen counterpoint: rigid and
playing by the rules until he realizes the rules
aren't working. Basinger as the First Lady is a bit
disappointing. I've never seen her look
unattractive, but she is here — somehow perpetually
afraid, fragile as always, and deeply unhappy. Not
sure how she attracts Douglas; there is an inner
passion lacking. Longoria is adequate as the rooky
CIA agent, she is effectively naïve and eager, but
hard to take seriously . . . maybe that is the point.
The premise is that there is a plot to assassinate
the President. Douglas is the seasoned agent through
previous administrations that once took a shot for
Reagan; he is being framed by the bad guys and
proves a distraction until he unravels the truth.
Sutherland is one of the top CIA dogs and goes after
Douglas until he realizes his error. Douglas and
Basinger are involved in a lengthy affair, the only
part of this that leaves us hanging at the end.
 "Friends with Money" -
Jennifer Anniston, Frances McDormand, Joan Cusak,
and Catherine Keener
Awesome cast of strong ladies with distinct
characters and appeal. Aniston's career has really
blossomed since she left Pitt. She plays a
pot-smoking, former high school teacher-turned maid
who is obsessed with a married man she had a brief
affair with. She is the only unmarried of her
friends and also the only one with no money. All are
married, though not necessarily happily at all, with
children, and loaded. It is odd to see Anniston as
the lone fifth wheel at dinners and such. Cusack
fixes her up with her personal trainer—a complete
cad that asks Aniston to pay him for helping her
clean the house (helping consists of lying about and
going through clients' drawers). Aniston clearly has
no boundaries and is a bit pathetic, but it is three
cheers when one seemingly unemployed client turns
out to be Prince Charming and . . . well, you'll have to
see it.
Movie Reviews
Be sure to check out the
Designer Movie Reviews Blog for even more films!
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| Audience Quips |
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Atlanta Speaks
“Your presence was so commanding and your
presentation was so entertaining that I was sorry
that you had to stop. You offered all of us some
excellent shortcuts for living our lives “Guilt
Free,” and making our lives just a little bit easier.”
- Linda Zuk, Programming V.P.
- NFEN
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| Life Philosophies |
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“Life is in the living, not in
the waiting.”
- MG
“. . .if one advances confidently in the direction
of this dreams, and his endeavors to live the life
which he has imagined, he will meet with success
unexpected in common hours.”
- Henry David Thoreau
"The price of greatness is responsibility"
- Winston Churchill
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