The gift for someone who has everything ...

Monique Johnson, Susan Kanoff and Sharon Sullivan

preparing for The Swap Soiree in North Andover 

Some people can be so difficult to buy for during the holiday season: they have a closet full of designer fashions, racks of shoes, purses for every occasion, more accessories than a small boutique  ... what could you possibly add to their already full closets? My suggestion? An hour or two with fashion coach Susan Kanoff of A Great New Look.

Susan is a wardrobe consultant who can just as easily fill a closet as she can edit one that is overflowing with too many choices. She offers gift certificates for wardrobe consults and will even shop with clients to help them find just the right combination of wardrobe items to make them feel and look their best. She also has a wealth of fashion connections and style tips that she is happy to share with her friends and clients.

Wardrobe consult “after” photos from Susan’s website.

Click here for the story behind the makeover.

Where to find Susan ...

On Wednesday, November 28th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm she is hosting a designer clothing swap in North Andover called The Swap Soiree. Along with event planner Monique Johnson of Monx Design House, these two women have coordinated quite an evening of fashion fun. For the price of an $18 ticket, guests can shop rack after rack of designer fashions, shoes, and bags and take home as many bargains as they are willing to swap.

They are still collecting clothing donations from 9am to 4pm tomorrow at St. Michael’s Church on Main Street if you want to thin out your own closet, otherwise, guests are able to buy tokens tomorrow night for $4 a piece, with each token good for one item. Such a win-win!

Image courtesy: Robert Jason Salon of Andover 

I stopped by tonight to drop off some donations from my own closet – I feel emotionally lighter already – and saw lots of like-new pieces and others with tags still on them (we all have a couple of those in our closets ; ) Any clothing that does not get taken home after tomorrow night’s event will be donated to a local charity. Along with designer labels there will be seasonal refreshments and raffle items (Robert Jason Salon of Andover is just one of the sponsors). I will be looking for some sparkly items for my holiday wardrobe and will be asking Susan for her advice while I shop. 

Tickets are still available through EventBrite.

For holiday gift certificates, contact fashion coach Susan Kanoff.

New England Finery: Issue One

Open publication

Just in time for weekend browsing, the first issue of New England Finery Magazine is hot off the virtual press! While I still need to figure out some of the technical details associated with the online publishing platform, overall the process of putting this 75 page online magazine together was way more fun than it was work! Take a look and let us know what you think : )

PS Feel free to share New England Finery with others. There are a lot of great New England-based businesses (and bloggers) featured in this issue, and they each have a story to tell. We couldn’t have pulled this off without them!

New York State of Mind ...

CityGirl by designvignettes on Polyvore.com

I have been shopping for a special trip-to-the-city outfit, which reminded me of this style-with-an-edge post that I was working on with Fashion Coach, Susan Kanoff. Urban and chic, these looks are for the budget-conscious fashionista! Whether decorating a studio apartment, or filling a dorm closet with day-to-night fashions, incredible style can be had at a reasonable price. It is all about attitude! And you don’t have to be 20-something to appreciate a bargain : )

Edgy College Student Day to Night by Fashioncoach


The reason why I am shopping ...

You know when you work really hard to achieve some kind of goal and then you almost stop trying because you just aren’t sure if your efforts are paying off plus you really should be trying to find a legitimate way to pay the bills that keep showing up one after another ....

Well, I am so glad that I have continued to keep doing what I love – writing a design blog and putting myself out there by connecting with others in my industry – because this week I feel like I have connected a lot of dots and am finally starting to see the big picture! And I love what I see! Can I just list a handful of the better headlines from my week?

Photo borrowed from Nate’s blog

1. I am invited to be an audience member at THE NATE BERKUS SHOW next week in New York! Remember when I devoted a blog post to Nate back on Nate Day? Well I will get the opportunity to see the very show I posted about being taped at his studio, along with an audience that will be full of design bloggers just like me! My friend, Rosanne who also writes a design blog, will be joining me, and I already know that a bunch of Boston bloggers will be heading to NY, too! This news would be enough to keep me floating for weeks, but there is more ...

Rue Magazine Sept./Oct. 2010

2. Yesterday I discovered I was quoted in the premiere issue of RueMagazine (see page 4!)
If you haven’t checked out the launch of this much anticipated on-line designer-eye-candy that is filled with amazing ideas and resources, beautifully designed
and produced by a super-creative team of hard working bloggers, then do it now (well, after you
finish my post ; )

3. I received confirmation that I will have an online decorating column of my own with a new local news source Patch.com for the town of Lynnfield.
I will be answering decorating questions and will be highlighting local businesses that relate to interior design. How fun is that?! If you have any questions you want answered, send them my way!

4. I even met a lovely new client with a gorgeous home who would like my design help.

5. I still can’t share this surprise yet ...
but I promise it is BIG!!!!


I mean, really, I can hardly stand all this good news at once! And I am not saying that I did not have my share of not-so-good moments this week, but I prefer to look on the bright side and toast unbelievably-special happenings like these that seriously don’t come
along that often!

I will fill you in with more details sometime next
week. Like who I met, what everyone wore, what
Nate is like in person ...

Signed,
“Pinch me, I must be dreaming!”

P.S. In case you are reading this ...
Happy Birthday, Nate!

Fall color trends ...

Silver Polish, Purple Pizazz by designvignettes on Polyvore.com

Fun & Flirty by Fashioncoach featuring flower ring

Purple Orchid and Oyster Gray are two colors you’ll see a lot of according to the Pantone Fashion Color Report for Fall 2010. Bits of black, shiny silver and a hint of gold add drama to this fun and flirty combination. When adding these colors to your home, mix playful
and trendy accessories with
classicly styled silhouettes.


Meet Susan Kanoff, the creator of today’s fashion forecast at The Swap Soiree on November 4, 2010 from 6:30 to 9 pm. Click here for details!

Classic styling ...

timeless classics by designvignettes on Polyvore.com

Classic & Timeless by Fashioncoach featuring gold watches

If you are a big HGTV fan (like I am) and just watched the season finale of Design Star on Sunday night, then you are familiar with the winner, Emily Henderson, stylist and author of the blog The Brass Petal. During the last couple of episodes of the season-long challenge, each of the remaining contestants had to share what their future design show concept would be. Emily, who has professional experience styling interiors for numerous publications, proclaimed that her show would celebrate the wardrobe-to-room concept (Domino magazine was famous for this).

While we viewers were all wondering who would win (although I knew from the start it would be her!), Emily was actually busy taping her new show. She has shared on her blog that the final format will be a bit different (since it has been done before by Thom Filicia of Dress My Nest) and will be called “Secrets from a Stylist.” I can’t wait to see what she has to share, especially since I love styling spaces to create visual stories, and I know she will have a lot of great insider info on how to create great looks in
whatever space they throw her way.


Susan Kanoff, Fashion Coach


I still love a good outfit-to-room, however, and for the next few weeks I will be featuring a collaboration between myself and fashion coach, Susan Kanoff, who I met through a mutual friend, Ginny Williams at a recent event. Our first project involves creating a classicly tailored room based on an outfit worn by
a woman who appreciates classic style.

The trench coat above is a stylish solution for dealing with the past few days of cold and wet weather that we have been experiencing here in the Boston area. I used its camel color to define my room in the form of the antique mohair sofa. I used the quilted pattern from the vintage Chanel bag as inspiration for the patterns in the room (lampshade uses cream and tan while the Moroccan table with mother-of-pearl inlay has some of the brown from the leather belt). A black lacquered coffee table with great legs and a stylish silhouette speaks to both the Louboutin shoes and my fashion favorite, the pencil skirt. While the Anthropologie light fixture is on the pricey-side, it is certainly a show stopper, much like the way a great piece of jewelry will often get all of the “where did you get this?” attention.

Next week I will show a room based on Susan’s picks for the back-to-college crowd, followed by some visual advice for decorating with fall fashion colors in mind. Let me know if there is something that you would like to see from Susan, and definitely consider giving her a call directly if you would like expert advice on re-styling your own wardrobe. If you would like your home to look its stylish best, I would be more than happy to help! You know where to reach me ...

Congratulations goes to ...

Jamilyn of
Living it at Home

You are the lucky winner of my Beach Bag & Towel Giveaway (please email your mailing address to yblacker@verizon.net and I will send it your way!)

I hope you enjoy this custom designed beach bag from my collection of seaside inspired pieces along with the matching beach towel that I picked up at HomeGoods.

You certainly deserve a relaxing and sunny day by the sea after all the housecleaning you have been doing lately (visit her charming blog to read about her new motivational system to tackle dust bunny removal, etc.!) As soon as I am done setting up my room for the North Shore Design Show, I will try to follow your “get clean” tips. Right now my home looks like a tornado went through it (or Hurricane Yvonne : )

My room at the Wenham Musuem,
however, is looking very put together ...



This closet door is actually part of a wall that we constructed (hubby and I) to create the one freestanding wall of my 8 x 8 foot space. I tried to create a nice backside view for my neighbor, designer Nanette Chandler of Brookline, who is right beside me. Her space looks so pretty, with beautiful textures and soft colors. I look forward to chatting with her more on Friday night over a drink or two as we show off our spaces to Gala guests. Here is a glimpse of what my room looks like behind this door ...



You will have to come visit to see the rest!

Setting up for a design show reminds me of moving in to my dorm as a BC freshman ... I remember showing up with a car full of mostly decorative (and some functional) objects that I had carefully selected for an entire summer, all the while crossing my fingers hoping that my roommate was cool and her stuff wouldn’t clash with mine. Fortunately, all of my roommates at the show have a great eye for design. I was not so lucky that first year as an undergrad!



After our first day of setting up, my assistant and I (thankfully my husband knows a thing or two about construction!) headed over to The Black Cow for lunch. I had the crab cakes and he had a huge plate of steak and potatoes which was a very good choice since I am way too busy to prepare “real meals” this week!



When we returned home, my first set of Mini Moo Cards had arrived! They show my blog address on one side and this picture on the other ...



Today we headed over bright and early to finish the construction part of my space, and then I styled it after John left. My mom stopped by later to drop off window treatments that I had forgotten at home (a slight glitch!), I met some more nice neighbors, chatted with the amazing women who “run the show” at the Wenham museum, and left with just a small punch list of to-do’s. I figure one more trip and I should be all set (I still have a couple of DIY items to finish up at home). Then it is on to finding the perfect gala outfit (thanks to fashion coach Susan Kanoff, I know where I will be heading to look!)

More to come ...

And a special thanks goes to Dot LaPlante and Lorna Lupi for expertly weaving the new chair seat shown in the sneak peek photo above (amazing!) If you have furniture pieces that have seen better days, bring them to these talented women! They are at:

Pentucket Furniture Restoration
226 Water Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
pentucketfurniture@verizon.net
phone: 1-978-372-9585

Designing your best life

Fashion Coach Susan Kanoff and

Professional Life Coach Ginny Williams

Do you ever feel that life is pulling you in many directions, but you just don’t know which way you are headed? And then to top it off, you can’t imagine what to wear when you get there?? This past Saturday, fashion expert Susan Kanoff and professional life coach Ginny Williams teamed up to present
their best tips on how to get closer to finding the answers in a life changing workshop titled
“Reinventing Yourself from the Inside Out”



These women are truly passionate about helping their clients to make life choices with confidence ... whether those choices involve balancing work and family, dealing with a major life change (or two or three), creating a stylish wardrobe, or just trying to get to the bottom of “what is it that makes me happy and how do I create more of that while weeding out the stuff I don’t like?” I think we all have those days when we wish there were some signs along our personal journey that could clarify things a bit like “Don’t take that job ... it’s a dead end” or “Put that dress back on the rack, you’ll never feel comfortable wearing it and
I don’t care if it is on sale!”

A great example of a stylish outfit that flatters,
worn by audience member Maria Markey.

Some of Susan’s wardrobe staples:
fashion tape to discreetly secure what is loose,
wrinkle spray to smooth things over,
a craft box to store jewelry tangle-free,
and a stylish black wedge to look good on the go.


Coach Ginny with
Kathleen Rose-Johnsen
of KoolKat Design

While a lot of us go to friends or family when we need our most urgent questions answered like “does this outfit make me look ... ?” there are times when a fresh perspective from a non-related person is in order! I have discussed personal goal setting with Ginny on many occasions. She has really helped me to focus on what I want more of in my life. Her ability to ask the right questions, really listen to my replies and then guide me toward finding my own answers has been like talking to a best friend/cheerleader/fairy godmother/emotional therapist all rolled into one! Just following her on Twitter, I am reminded often of how to take a positive approach to facing life’s daily challenges that can either slow us down or inspire us to greatness. And while I have not worked with Susan before (although I would gladly empty my closet and start fresh in exchange for one day of power shopping with her!) I have been following her on Twitter where she links to her favorite places to shop, offers “client” discounts and highlights current trends in fashion.

Susan Kanoff on Twitter: Fashion Coach

Ginny Williams on Twitter: Coach Ginny

More workshops like this will be scheduled in the future.

When someone loves what they do, they are able to share a special joy with the people around them. Saturday’s workshop was a lot like that. I left feeling like I had been in the company of women who really care about helping others to be happy in their own skin, doing what they love and enjoying the journey!

A few years ago, I attended Oprah’s Live Your Best Life tour when it was in Boston. This workshop felt very similar in its ability to uplift and inspire. I will end today’s post with a great quote that Ginny
used to begin Saturday’s event ...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

– Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love

Rejuvenating chairs ...

It is officially time for renewal, both inside and out! I loved this chair that I discovered in a client’s backyard garden. If you have a chair with a missing or worn-out cane seat, put it to good use like she did!

Inside her home, we took these
conservative looking chairs ...

and made them boldly elegant.

This chair could have found a home
in a garden like the one above ...

but I loved it in the room of a young client, painted silver with a thick velvet cushion on top. The custom skirt that I designed for her dollhouse table is playful yet sophisticated. Green velvet on top (and at bottom) looks almost like a carpet of grass.

If you are looking for a way to rejuvenate your own look and spirit, check out this May 1st workshop that will be hosted by a couple of inspiring women that I have recently connected with ...


Reinventing Yourself From the Inside Out:
A Life Changing Workshop for Women
Co-hosted by Susan Kanoff, Fashion Coach
and Ginny Williams, Life Coach