Carrie's Design Musings: September 2015

Color My World

I used to love to color as a kid. Why do we stop? We doodle, we journal, we draw in some cases, but why do we stop coloring? Adult coloring books are trending. I hope it's not just a moment, their 15 minutes, but that the art of coloring stays alive throughout a lifetime.

Studies show there are so many health benefits to being in a meditative state, and one can conjure this just by the mere act of sitting down to color in a coloring book. Your heart rate slows, your stress level decreases, your brain has a chance to "reboot." When I am engaged in something like high intensity cardio, my brain doesn't have a chance to think about anything else except the job at hand. That's why I think my husband loves to play golf, he thinks of nothing else in the moment. His brain is at rest. It's the same with coloring. Your mind does not tend to wander, thinking about the minutia in life that must be attended to.

Also by balancing the creative right side of our brain with the logical left side, coloring helps us process, become more aware, and better focused ~ all good for aging. Also, the act of play becomes increasingly important as we age. We play as children, we play with our children, we may even play with our grandchildren, but often times we, ourselves, stop playing. Don't stop playing!

So if those are not enough reasons to pick up a colored pencil, magic marker, or crayon, you might even find a little inner Picasso in you that has been hiding all along. Playing like a child is a good thing!

Click here to down load a picture now and give it a try.

The Art of the Shoe

Manolo Blahnik is on a slight whirlwind tour these days, celebrating his 40 years in business and a new tome, Fleeting Gestures and Obsessions. This couture cobbler remains steadfast in his feelings about designing his sexy, signature pumps and mules that give the illusion of an elongated leg. No platforms for him! Inspired by art, architecture, film, travel and more, the designs and look of the book are lavishly displayed. "It's all about the balance," Manolo explains. The same holds true for interior design, so I thought it would be fun to use the shoes as inspiration; one inspiring the other, because often times, they do.

Manolo can credit becoming a shoe designer to a happy accident. He was asked to design shoes for an Ozzy Clarke fashion show. His inexperience worked to his advantage because the models were forced to assume an unusual gait as they walked the runway so as not to fall flat on their faces. The critics and show-goers stood up and took notice. The rave reviews motivated Manolo to study the business of shoe design and he has since gone on to create more than 30,000 different designs.

He strongly believes in the importance of referencing the past to inform the future ~

His designs are sharp and timeless ~

Attention Grabbing and Sexy ~

Festive and Unique ~

Classic and Elegant ~

and Neutral and Sensual ~

Manolo stumbled upon his life's passion and spent a career pursuing the perfection of the art of the shoe. That's not what I call a fleeting obsession!

shoe photos:Michael Roberts

Manifestation Monday

Dr. Wayne Dyer passed away 2 weeks ago. I was just seemingly getting to know the man. He was considered an early advocate of the self help movement. As I am embarking on this new phase in my life, his teachings, words and deeds resonate with me. I thought they might with you as well, so here are 10 of his best quotes ~

1. "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

2. "How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours."

3. "When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."

4. "Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice."

5. "Conflict cannot survive without your participation."

6. "You cannot be lonely if you like the person you're alone with."

7. "The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about."

8. "When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."

9. "Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life."

10. "Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into."

This is a lot of food for thought! R.I.P Dr. Dyer

Good Readers,
I want to ask you a question, I have been wrestling with something and maybe you can help me. As I begin to develop a coaching practice I cannot decide whether to combine the design and coaching into one website or does that seem confusing? Should I consider one website for interior design and one website for coaching? How would you like to see the blog develop? Is the combination of design and manifesting your best life something you are interested in? Would you stay or would you go?
I am stumped. I value your opinion, therefore, I would love to know your thoughts. Which resonates with you? Would it seem more confusing to you one way or the other?

If you don't want to leave a comment you can email me at carrie@carrieleskowitzinteriors.com

Thank you so much!

H is for the Perfect Accent

I recently urged a client to purchase an Hermes Avalon blanket. I just felt like that was what the room craved. Now that it's on my radar, I am seeing them often. Like a Birkin bag that effortlessly elevates an outfit , the Avalon blanket does the same for a room. It's infinitely chic and classically stands the test of time.