NY Fashion Week….Fall 2011!

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Just a few pictures of celebs at MBFW in September, attending the Spring 2011 runway shows at Lincoln Center! <Can you name them?> For 2011, NYFALL2011 will be this year in Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park during February 10th-17th.  For the second season at Lincoln Center, thousands of fashion industry professionals will gather to see the world’s most established and up-and-coming designers present their Fall 2011 Collections.  What will the designers show? The makeup? Who will be there? Will I be standing on the outskirts..looking in?  <LOL> Can’t wait!

Letia 🙂

http://www.mbfashionweek.com/home

Happy Holidays! A New Year is on the Way!

Hasn’t this year just flown by?  We are so busy, at least I am!  There is always something to do, to get fixed, to remember and to pay for!!   You do the best that you can and often at the end of the year; it’s about reflecting.   You decide what’s important to keep up or to make better.

So here I am with my reflecting.  I am not going to bore you with my long list, but I’m looking back and seeing what I can do, let’s say hoping to do better.  It’s good to have goals, but nothing is etched in stone, because life is life.

One thing I am truly happy about is that I decided to work on the most popular item for improvement this year, being healthy and exercising.   So this past October, I have been really exercising  consistently;  decided to prepare my own food for lunch, shop locally at the farms for fresh produce near my home and make a conscious decision of my food choices when dining out!

I must say, I do feel better and it’s been a daily effort.  Now, please do not think for one minute, that I do not crave for the those sugary treats, I DO!  I do not deprive myself, I have it….but do exercise a little more to compensate  <my weakness is Oreo cookies, I take 3 cookies and split them to make 6 cookies! Smart right? It’s a mind trick!>.

Now, I haven’t put any pressure on myself and there’s no made up glorious weight number to meet, I  just have concentrated on eating right and being healthy.     Just by simply logging into Lance Armstrong‘s  www.livestrong.com website, I am able to update what I am eating to find my calorie intake and that’s it*.  If interested, you can set up a free account.

Now, then it’s those things that I tried to complete before this year ends because they were on my list for the year prior to this one!!!!  I am happy to say, I scratched some off!   To name a few, I finally plastered the ceiling from a bathroom leak, saw my brother and his family in Fort Wayne, IN <so happy>, even though my kitchen smoke alarm went off quite often – I finally can broil a medium-rare steak successfully, loaded about 60 CDs on my Ipod and lastly;  stuck to my budget outlined since last year!

Now, it’s a new year, for what you did n’t do this year, just write it down for 2011 and work towards it; that’s all!   Yes, there are still things to do, but we are coming into a brand new year, we all have goals, lists and those day-to-day challenges each and every one of us are facing; but in the midst of it all….  remembering to enjoy life, take time to spend time with your family and see your friends a bit more often…these are the things which are most important!

I want to take a moment to thank you ALL for your readership, your questions and your support; it’s really been so much fun!   Wishing you and yours the best!

Have a safe and wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year!  See you in Twenty-eleven!

Letia 🙂

* great tip from Rachelle Borderhammer.

How To: Decorate Tips

Amy Brinkerhouse, Durham, NC. says

” I have a lot ideas and would like to begin changing for the new year, but I have no guidance and I can’t afford a decorator; I so happened to find this site and wondered if you could help me? What can I do, what do I do first?”

Change is good, often we look around in our homes and it’s seems like you’ve been there forever!  Yes, it may be comfortable and it may show your own individuality, but where do you begin to change?  Where?  Where?

It’s sad when a person is in a room and there is no identifiable thing to talk about.  The first thing is to identify the things that makes you happy.  It could be a chair, a plant, paint color or dishes.  What ever it is and it is now in your room, KEEP them and incorporate them into your change.

So I am going to answer your question, two-fold.  For readers who have already decided what they are going change and….those who are starting from scratch?  Who are asking what’s next?  Some tips, so you are not completely lost.

Amy would love to have a decorator, but she’s on a budget.  It’s great to have a budget and stick to it!  So first, consider the changes to be done to the room as a project; with a name.  Once you consider it a project; it makes it official.  She will take it seriously when shopping and especially when watching those dollars.

• Take your time to choose your color scheme, choose your paint, floor treatments, fabrics!  Set price points and don’t be afraid to lower your price and ask when the products usually go on sale.   Once you have decided, order everything at once.  Call them all in!  Why?  This forces you to factor in everything, before you make the call.  If it is out of budget, you will get a better idea of what costs should be lowered and rethink.

• Get professionals!  Get referrals for painters, upholsterer and a licensed electrician.   Ask for references and licenses.  Once the information is provided, do your own homework; before hiring.  Check BBB and www.franklinreport.com.

• Upholstering takes 4 – 6 weeks. DO NOT order too much fabric.  Only order what you need.  Do you know a yard of material is expensive!   I’ll say it again, ONLY ORDER WHAT YOU NEED; ask the ulphoster  the correct yardage measurements.  Define if you want piping, trim and or hems.  It’s important.  If you choose a pattern, you are going to spend more money – to match the material! hat is she talking about?> For example, if you have a stripe pattern.  All the lines are supposed to line up, it takes a lot of material to do that!  The same will be for a pattern; like circles.  So, if you can love a solid material, try it.  But, if you fall in love with a pattern, just remember the yardage will cost you a bit more.

• New flooring, goes in first.  If it’s putting down a new floor, staining a floor, grouting a floor  or  even cleaning up the surfaces, it should be done before any painting, wall papering,etc.  <except carpet, after painting>

• For the kitchen, installing of  new cabinets, shelves, etc.  should all be done before any painting.  Once the cabinets are up, then order the appliances, based on the layout.  Heights, widths, flooring and exhausts must be taken in consideration.  Measure, then measure and measure again.  If the appliances are ordered at one time, be sure that the seller gives you a deal.  Save your receipts, for if they are energy-efficient appliances; check for rebates.

• New light fixtures, they should be hung after you paint!  Sconces,  chandeliers, etc.  If touch-ups are required, it can be done after installation.

• Then the drapes and window treatments, go up, but measure carefully before purchasing.   Custom costs money, so you can either do two things – buy stock panels in 84″ or 95″ from a department store (e.g. JC Penney).  Or go to your local fabric store, buy the material and make them! (a panel is usually 54″x84″).

• Add furniture, arrange chairs and the sofa.  If there is a focal point in the room, arrange it around it.   Arrange the furniture as many times you need, until you feel comfortable with the layout.  Sunlight can also affect your layout decision; so look at the arrangement during the day and then at night-time.

• Lastly, accessorizing the room; this is the fun part.  Isolate the many colors which would work with your color scheme, especially those colors which pop.  The accessories should be of different heights, a mixture and something you feel completes the room.  Personalize with your photos or favorite works of art.

Remember, always get estimates for any project, measure 3x and keep asking questions.  Oh! Don’t be afraid to go over your ideas with friends; include them when shopping; it helps you to not second guess too much!

Be well – Letia

? lee@lmlifestyleanddesign.com