Working it R+F style!

Wow, I have been busy since I cleaned up my home office for the #OneRoomChallenge a couple months ago! It is so motivating to clear the clutter knowing that in the end there will be more room for opportunities to present themselves. It was definitely worth it to invest my time in designing a welcoming space in which to be creative. So what have I been up to since May?

• I have been writing design related blog posts

• I participated in a Mindset Makeover group

• I assisted interior design clients with their room makeovers

• I co-hosted a fashion-focused art gallery pop-up event

• I coordinated a VIP event for one of my favorite brands

• And I have still had time to enjoy summer fun with my family

How have I managed to do all of this? When you are in charge of your own time, and can work when you want with whom you want, it’s easy to take on projects you love, not to mention vacation time when it suits your own schedule. This is an opportunity that I would love to share with others, so I am currently hosting an informative virtual meetup event where I explain how representing the Rodan + Fields brand has afforded me the time freedom and income potential to be my own boss. I would love for you to stop by and review the info I am presenting. I would also love to help you discover how R+F can offer you the same benefits that I have been enjoying over the past year as an Independent Consultant.

“What I love about the business side of Rodan + Fields is that it connects each of us regardless of where we are in life. Some of us are moms to big families, some are just starting out, some are single and ready to travel the world. We can be marketers, nurses, hair stylists or salon owners. This business can fit into each and every one of our busy lives.” – Yvonne Blacker, Executive Consultant Rodan + Fields


How would you like to work for yourself, but not by yourself? Join me – and our team of R+F rockstars – and I will show you what’s possible (and I promise it will be a lot of fun!)

Click here to learn more!

Winter’s last breath ...

The snapshot above was taken last Sunday. I was so excited to see these crocuses making their way out of their frozen slumber! Today we are buried under a foot of the white stuff again. 

While a monochromatic canvas exists outside my window, my thoughts drift to colorful bouquets and flower shows ... 

Spring on my mind ...

On Monday night, the annual Art in Bloom exhibit at the Lynnfield Library will be opening. I am hoping to find some pretty spring-like blossoms this weekend to use in my floral interpretation of a local high school student’s artwork. Last year was the first time our garden club opened up the show to student artists. The collaboration was really inspiring and brought a youthful energy to the exhibit. This year we have even more students participating. I promise to share some favorite photos after the event.

“Pastorale” by Beth Aaronson // floral arrangement by Bootie Stevens
View Art in Bloom 2012 here

If you are in town, stop by the library between 7:30 – 9 pm to join us for the opening night reception with the artists and members of the Village Home and Garden Club. Refreshments will be served and there will be some raffle prizes. Last year someone took home a gorgeous tree from Northeast Nursery to plant in their yard. Art in Bloom is open to the public through Friday, March 15th.

Boston Flower and Garden Show 2011
Stone gate and garden by New England Land Artisan of Stratham, NH 

featured in New England Finery, April 2011 

The ultimate interior landscape ...

I just realized that the Boston Flower and Garden Show opens next week and runs Wednesday through Sunday at the Seaport World Trade Center. I hope I can make it over there before it ends. Like many of my New England neighbors, I am in serious need of brightly-hued flowers, warm sunshine, and the smell of fragrant blossoms to beckon me back outdoors.

Boston Flower and Garden Show 2011

New England Arts and Flowers of Walpole, MA

featured in New England Finery, April 2011

Suzani Design Rug, Hand-Knotted in Pakistan

available at Landry and Arcari

Fabulous florals in silk and wool ...

The final seminar in the Boston Home Magazine Passport to Design series was rescheduled to Thursday, March 14th (canceled from its original night on the 7th because of you guessed it, another snowstorm). I will be at the Landry and Arcari showroom in Salem, MA from 6 to 8pm with my peeps from Designer Bath and the rest of the Passport to Design team members. Registered guests will learn how to select fine carpets to decorate their homes. If you would like to attend, please email contact@landryandarcari.com to get your name on the list. This will be the final opportunity to enter to win the $20,000 Home Makeover Sweepstakes, which could easily outfit any home with a fresh new look for spring.

Mentoring others in design

Ted and Kim Goodnow of Woodmeister Master Builders receive

their Cumar Marble & Granite designed award from publisher of
Design New England, Steve Twombly, and editor Gail Ravgiala

While the design/build field may appear to be a competitive arena, it actually is very much about creative collaboration and the sharing of information. Every feature story that is shown in a major shelter magazine has been touched by teams of professionals who bring to the table their specific set of talents. When these industry experts take what they know and share it with those around them, encouraging others to do the same, the design community as a whole benefits. Last Thursday evening, at the Cyclorama in Boston, a number of design field professionals – who by their very nature make a point of mentoring others – were celebrated and honored with Mentors in Design Awards presented by Design New England Magazine.

Read about the honorees here
Distinguished Mentors: Lynda Onthank, Steve Durkee, Estelle Bond Guralnick Mentors of the Year: Ted & Kim Goodnow

Annabelle’s Garden, oil on linen, John C. Traynor
Fine art and flowers at the 15th Annual
Boston International Fine Art Show

Linda Merrill, Estelle Bond Guralnick, Michael J. Lee, Eric Roth
(Click on links above for their reviews of this event)

Design New England chose to pair this award ceremony with the celebration of their 5th Anniversary in print and hosted it during the gala preview of the Boston International Fine Art Show. Writers, photographers, designers, architects, builders, artists, and editors mingled amidst a backdrop of eye-catching, conversation-starting works of contemporary and traditional art. While networking and socializing with my friends and sometimes co-workers was the highlight of the evening, my only regret is not taking more time to really study the impressive galleries at this show. One of the comments made during the awards presentation was that all of us there were artists in some respect. Whether that art involves dedication to a craft, creation or appreciation, the words rang true.

While I do have a background in fine arts, I haven’t produced an oil painting since college (and they weren’t anything like this one!) At one point in the evening, I was told by Robert Brown and Eliza Tan that I should have my photo taken in front of it since my sweater complimented the colors so nicely. They know what they are talking about, so I obliged : )

Design New England, Nov./Dec. 2011
Cover photo: Jim Westphalen

Design New England, Nov./Dec. 2011, p. 47

If you haven’t seen the 5th Anniversary issue of Design New England yet, it is now available online. Turn to page 47 and you will see one of the first ads I designed as the new marketing director for Designer Bath in Beverly, MA. In this role, I handle all of their ad placements, the design of the ads, plus social media engagement like twitter, facebook and their new design blog.

How does a decorator/magazine editor end up as a full-time marketing director? When I was researching ad sponsorship for the summer issue of New England Finery Magazine, I visited the website for Designer Bath since they were incorporated by designer Pat Finn in her vignette for the Wenham Museum North Shore Design Show last May – one of my feature stories.

Segment produced by America’s Best TV

On their home page Designer Bath posted that they were looking for someone to coordinate photo shoots of high-end baths, design advertising materials, oversee production and placement of television and print media ... I thought to myself “I would love to do that!” When I met with them and shared my background in advertising and design, along with the fact that my husband is a trade professional, it just seemed like the perfect fit at the right time. But rest assured, I am still dedicated to my creative projects including this blog, decorating consultations and the direction of New England Finery. It is the sum of all these related parts that make up my creative whole, and each is essential to who I am as a designer, and an artist.