Bonding with Brizo Part 2

At our prep station: Cristi Holcombe, Laura Bielecki, myself, Donna Hall

photo credit: Jayme Thornton

The evening before we are supposed to look Park Avenue fashion show crowd worthy, we Brizo bloggers are forced to prepare our own dinner. And it is predominantly carbs. Paired with many glasses of wine. And it is delicious. Chef Joel of Sur La Table cooking school, brought out the culinary genius in each of us, serving up professional instructions on how to make fresh pasta and flavorful risotto. And even when our dough wasn’t sticking together despite multiple passes through the pasta machine, he still complimented us for our efforts, stating our pasta was “beautiful.” 

“Fresh pasta is sexy.”

– Chef Joel Gamoran, Sur La Table

Bloggers and Team Brizo about to break bread at Sur La Table

photo credit: Jayme Thornton

A few key ingredients: fresh herbs, pine nuts, garlic

Induction cook tops were at every station. As was wine.

photo credit: Jayme Thornton

Faith, Susan, and Barbara talk shop between risotto prepping and pasta making.

This is Chef Joel’s idea of a “pinch of salt.”

photo credit: Jayme Thornton

It is beautiful, isn’t it? Laura, Cristi, Donna, and “Dubai”

Trevor Williams, Marilyn Russell, Ellen Cheever, Gizem Imer, Jai Massela

Voila! Fresh fettuccine with roasted winter squash, arugula, and pine nuts.

Brizo’s Paula Warner, Katie Feltz and Sarah Sinetean looking as if they

didn't lift a finger, but everyone pitched in. That was half the fun!

The other half was sitting down to enjoy a meal that we all took part in making.

photo credit: Jayme Thornton

{After dinner drinks}

Top of the Standard aka the Boom Boom Room at The Standard Hotel

After our meal, a group of us headed to The Standard for drinks. When we walked out of the elevator into this uber-hip and extremely sparkly roof-top bar (the carpet actually had glitter fibers in it) I was reminded of a DIFFA Dining by Design table I had seen the last time I went to New York with friends to attend the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. I felt like I had just stepped into one of my own blog posts! The in-real-life bar offers a 360-degree view of Manhattan and the lounge is pretty swanky with its luxurious ’70s inspired glam.

DIFFA Dining by Design at the Architectural Digest Home Show 2012

Saying goodbye to Cristi who had to leave early to attend a wedding.

Cristi, Laura, Judd, Laura

By this point, we knew that the Brizo trip was going to be cut short for a few of the bloggers since an impending blizzard was bearing down on New England. As a result, three of them had to be re-scheduled to fly out first thing the next morning in order to make it home for other commitments. Unfortunately they would not be able to attend the Jason Wu fashion show and cocktail after party, but we made the best of it by staying out as late as a bunch of people who just ate multiple plates of pasta could keep their eyes open for.

Some of us are staying for the duration ... Nick, Donna, Adele, Trevor

Surrounded by designers: Todd (on the left), Judd (on the right) 

Todd also had to leave in order to make it home to the Bahamas.

At least he was heading home to sunny skies and warm weather!

{Day Three}

At 8:30am the next morning, at the end of this long hallway, we reconvened to look at a number of top secret Brizo prototypes. I’m not sure how we all made it there on time, although they did encourage us by serving a champagne breakfast! While in the meeting rooms, we weren’t allowed to take photos and we were sworn to secrecy regarding what they showed us. I am able to say, however, that I saw one proposed model in particular that I would’ve taken home that day if I could, and another that will surely stand out for its inventive design. Hopefully they will both make it through their rigorous rounds of Brizo testing and product development schedules. Each one of these focus group sessions helps the Brizo team to adjust their new models based on what the professionals who specify their products suggest. I know I am speaking for the #blogger19 group when I say we are really looking forward to seeing what’s next in the Brizo line up!

As a thank you (as if being a New York fashion week guest, staying at a boutique hotel, etc. wasn’t enough) we each received a signed lithograph from Jason Wu, a sweet key chain with his owl emblem on it, and as I hinted at before, our choice of a Brizo kitchen faucet (which is something I really needed!) We were also invited to attend the first Brizo Blogger19 Reunion which will be held in Memphis, Tennessee this summer. While there, among other sure to be fun activities, past bloggers will tour St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital which is Brizo’s charity of choice. As the first national sponsor back in 2010, Brizo has dedicated annual support to the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, providing faucets and accessories for each brand new, fully designed home that gets raffled off to one lucky winner. The money raised via raffle purchases and ticket sales to view the Dream Home is used to fund research and childhood cancer treatment efforts at St. Jude. The Brizo people hold this partnership very dear to their hearts. We were told to plan on packing extra tissues for this field trip.

– watch the St. Jude video via Brizo  –

After leaving our last official Brizo “meeting” we grabbed some lunch at the Eventi before heading to our rooms to change for the Jason Wu fashion show on Park Avenue. Next up in the queue will be pics from the runway and after party (I had a feeling I couldn’t edit this story into just a couple of posts!)

Brizo bloggers – and their bags – gather in the

lobby of the Eventi before heading to the show.

A designer’s before and after ...

Welcome to my “room!”

The story behind this vignette is an easy one to tell as it is my own. When asked to provide a concept for our designed space at the Wenham Museum’s North Shore Design Show, we were encouraged to create a space that reflected our personal design aesthetic. On the ride home from that first meeting, I was already planning visual ways to interpret “creative resourcefulness” as my theme.

The inspiration fabric for my space: a vintage
Waverly print, found at VintageSteph

There is a lot of buzz these days about recycling, reusing what we have, designing with sustainable materials and shopping locally in an effort to be environmentally conscious. The plan for my space was to use my personal story as a way to highlight the current trend toward green decorating, and do it in a way that looked fresh and modern while using inspirational items from my past and present. The best part for me? I did not have to go far to find inspiration. I combined many items from my personal collections (curated over the past 30 years or so) with items from craigslist, vintage stores, ebay and favorite local places to shop to design a space dedicated to creative pursuits. For each time period, I used inspiration boards to show design trends that more often than not repeat themselves.

From a student desk surrounded with cherished objects from childhood, to a sophisticated grown-up space with a touch of nostalgia, my room was filled with items and images that inspire me.

Window treatments and seat cushion: Acorn Interiors, Andover, MA Chair seat: Pentucket Furniture Restoration, Haverhill, MA
Turkish rug from the 1930’s - 1940’s: First Oriental Rugs, Danvers, MA
Let’s start with a quick visit
to the 70’s and 80’s ...

I got this doll for 10 cents at a neighbor’s yard sale. My mom made the dress out of an old curtain (see my 6th birthday photo above). The white cat on the preppy colored chair (from my wallpaper as art collection) looks a lot like my childhood kitty Tomasina.

Girly-girl favorites: butterflies and friendship pins.
Butterfly cup by Beth Hylan



Do you remember pet rocks and Pappagallos?
One year on pointe shoes was enough for this dancer.

Some of my favorite books, that I read over and over again, made it to the show. I think I will reread “Mandy” one more time. Written by The Sound of Music’s Julie Andrews under the pen name Julie Edwards, it is a charming story about an orphan girl who longs for a place to call home.

A journal cover of mine, quite obviously from the eighties, and the inspiration for the disco ball hanging above my space ; )

Dear Blog Visitor,

You may not know this about me, but I have always written in a journal of some sort. My first diary was red with gold trim and it had a key. I think my brothers still managed to open it from time to time, but I cherished having a secure spot for my private thoughts (like who I had a crush on that day!) The diary I used for the show was hot pink velvet and is available through Amazon.com.
I used to read Seventeen Magazine religiously during junior high and high school. The December 1982 edition used for my show with “Think Pink!” on the cover was a must have. I paid $20 for it on ebay which was money well spent to travel back in time!

I have had a pen-pal (her name is Sandy) since 1976. The card on the desk is one of her many letters that I have saved over the last few decades. We are now friends on Facebook, and she actually came to visit me and my family for the first time a couple of years ago. She still lives on a real working farm in Indiana and has a family of her own.

Thank you for letting me re-live my childhood memories. Did you see any favorite objects that you recognized from your own childhood?

xo
yvonne
PS Did you know smiley faces are making a comeback? : )

Back to 2010 ...

As an adult, I now use my blog to pen my thoughts about design and creating an inspired life. I still like to surround myself with cherished objects ... cherished for their ability to remind me of a person, place, time or thought that is important to me.

This glass paperweight was used in last year’s design show. The Y mug was a gift from a sister-in-law (who introduced me to my husband). Bunny Williams’ book “An Affair with a House” reminds me that my home and barn have great potential.

I used to sketch this wooden model over and over again back in high school. I love how wallpapers and patterns breathe life into a room (or in this case a bookshelf). My initial has always defined me (and not many others have it!)

When I see a key, I add it to my collection. To me, they represent the ability we each have to unlock the door that opens to the world that we wish for ourselves. This vintage piece was created by my friend, Beth Hylan who has a shop called Studio B in Concord.

I am always inspired by the creative talents
and wisdom of others ...

I love decorative items that play on scale and add a touch of whimsy. Bubble balls and turf balls from CB2. Silver dish from design friend and blogger, Linda Merrill. (read about it here). A lot of design bloggers are trend-spotting dramatic black walls and this wallpaper from the 70’s ...

My grandmother used to wear the white owl above on a necklace when she took us to yard sales
(I have inherited her love for a bargain!)

I used another pendant that was Nana’s
to adorn my purse for the Preview Party.

This light was in my grandparents home, I just added a little bling to it with new crystals and a frosted white glass shade. The sewing table was a trash-to-treasure piece inspired by the lovely desk shown below, seen at the Grange showroom at the Boston Design Center ...

Flowers *always* move me. Especially when a $20 orchid from Home Depot looks so fabulous.

Bouquet flowers from Stop & Shop, used to fill this small vase, lasted the entire week of the design show, even under bright lights. Vintage squirrel from Nesting on Main. Acrylic tray on table is from CB2.

The table itself cost just $5.00 at a yard sale (I added a glass top over a square of remnant fabric). My “blogger’s desk” was $80.00 off of Craigslist. The ladder back chair was free ... I found it on the side of the road. Manchester Tan Aura paint from Benjamin Moore ties all of my pieces together.

Look closely at my large inspiration board (another DIY project) and you will see lots of photos of my family. They are quite often the reason I do what I do.

{Butterfly by Ben}

My guys enjoying the large train gallery
downstairs at the Wenham Museum.

The little details in life,
woven together, tell our story.

Thanks for visiting me – at the museum or online. While this has been my personal story, my goal is always to set the stage for someone to tell their own story in their surroundings. Every home should celebrate the people who live there, showing what is important to them, where they have been and where they are going, while providing a view of that which inspires them.

www.yvonneblacker.com