Playing Interior Designer...

Last week was a very busy and interesting week. We celebrated our very 1st year anniversary. (Yep, took the leap to name and brand what I love to do a year ago.) We finally updated and launched our shop page called Studio VSM. It benefits designers and our supporting charity, My Stuff Bags. My BlogTalkRadio show, "Live with Viteri Style", aired on 2/25 and was an instant hit with listeners. (You guys are awesome and I can't thank you enough!) But with this busy week came the interesting.

Are you playing interior designer?

So here is what I mean by interesting. I loved the feedback I got from the radio show. There were some really special interior designers that contacted me to let me know they learned, laughed and loved all I had to say. Then there were some really "special" interior designers that made me question if they were just playing designer? I was surprise I was communicating with people that made me even ask this question.  

 I hope by now everyone knows me to be blunt, honest and most importantly sincere. I have the utmost respect and admiration for interior designers. I like to learn directly from the pros, so I make it a point to learn from the best designers in our industry. This past week made me think I should share my thoughts with designers that may not realize they appear to be playing interior designer. Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled to connect with people to learn more about them and their business. Some became clients and some just became time consuming Q&A's that lead to this blog post. So let's get real here on why I cut those conversations short.
 

I keep my promises, so take notes.

It's my passion to work with interior designers and help them build a better business. When chatting with a few designers last week I notice some were just talking to me to pick my brain. I see time as a commodity, so yes I had no problem cutting those conversations short, but I did make a promise to answer a few questions via my next blog post. So here it is. I'll let you, the readers, imagine some of the questions I got base off of my personal answers.

Hope you get my sense of humor, but these were my true answers.

"Pictures of your home should not be on your portfolio page. It should be a feature." 

I get designers have to start somewhere. You and your home will always be the best client/project, but personally I don't think your residence should be included with your portfolio. Ever look at a cover of magazine that advertizes "Get the Inside Look of So and So's Pad"? How about just recently, interior designer Jamie Drake's NYC Apartment was featured (in video) on Architectural Digest. Start thinking your home is worth that! Feature it as if it was a layout in a magazine. Add those photos on your "About" page. If it was published or blogged about, put it on your press page with an "inside look" caption. Don't include it as part of your portfolio. You personal reflection of you and how you live should be highlighted in a deserving fashion. Everyone wants to know how a designers live and as I mentioned, your home will always be your best project.

"Shut the front door! You don't have a website?"

This would have to be a duh moment if I have to explain why. Use the above suggestion for one good reason, but also think of the obvious. Your in business to sell something. From your design services to products, your website is an online platform to expose to your clients and potential clients. Keep it updated at all times with every project you finish, every event you attend, every award you receive and most importantly press/testimonials you get. Clients admire designers that are in the loop and lets be honest, give them something to brag about.

"Seriously, you don't have a .com by now?"

If your business email ends with @gmail, @yahoo, @aol, @I'm too lazy or cheap to pay for a .com to show I am in business, close shop now. I hate to break it to you, but not having a .com screams to me I don't have it together. It costs little to nothing to have a .com these days. Google offers business solutions for just $50 a year that includes a .com email. Even my company that solely works with boutique design firms ensure that your email becomes .com if you were not when we started. Don't let people email you in anything other than .com. People will second guess.

"Why do you want to blog if your not selling something?"

This maybe a tough pill to swallow as it seems everyone has a blog, but I cannot stress the amount of time and energy that should be focus on building your business. A blog will not bring you business, unless you treat it as a platform to sell something and then take the enormous amount of time getting people to pay attention. Why not focus that energy on your social media to connect with others. It's faster and more effective. Have a Facebook business page and Twitter handle. Statistically speaking, people are more inclined to learn about you through Facebook first before heading to your website. Don't take my word for it, check out this post from my friend, Carl Dellatore, pro blogger himself. (Just click on his name and prepare.)

"When you are an entrepreneur it's because you are paving the path to become a philanthropist." 

This is a biggie for me. It speaks volumes about a designer and their firm. You don't have to show off pictures of you handing out soup at a soup kitchen, but you should make known you are helping others. Charity can be given in many ways, from money, time, product donations and attending events to show your support. It's a win win no matter which way you go about it. You should post events you are attending in support of a charity that speaks to you. You should make every effort to donate (funds, time or items) to a charity that is close to your heart. People will see you in a new light and embrace your business for it. I am a firm believer that once you make the decision to be an entrepreneur, it's because you are paving the path to becoming a philanthropist. 

My suggestions are just that, suggestions. They were answers to plenty of questions I received last week and they are backed by what I have experienced when working with the best of the best. I made a promise to explain my views, but I share them with pure love for our industry. Designers can easily visualize a space for a client, but can get easily blinded when it comes to their business. Don't be surprise when I say I love to hear from you. I do and I hope you share your comments. I also hope you value your business enough to consider the above. You will never appear to be playing interior designer, but fabulously showcasing you are one. 

XOXO

Barbara V. 

Note: We would love to connect with you at our social media tables. Your invited to 'like', 'follow' and 'pin' with us and don't forget to subscribe!

Efforts to Protect Bald Eagles at the Norfolk City Botanical Gardens

On behalf of the grassroots group Eagle On Alliance the firm today sent a letter to the City Manager for Norfolk  Virginia, detailing multiple violations of a permit issued under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act with respect to eagles that have been making their nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden for over a decade.  In October 2012, the City was given a permit by the Fish and Wildlife Service to remove 3 eagles nests at the Garden, claiming that these eagles pose a risk of an airplane collision at the nearby International Norfolk Airport.  Since then, the City, with the help of the United States Department of Agriculture (and federal taxpayer money) has removed at least 6 nests, as the eagle pair – determined to engage in successful nesting this Spring – continue to rebuild their nest each time it is torn down by the City.   Although there are other ways for the Airport to protect the public from any risk of an eagle-plane collision at the Airport, Eagle On Alliance has also suggested taking measures to help these eagles relocate their nest further away from the Airport.  However, to date, the City has rejected these proposals and insists on continuing to destroy the nest each time the eagles reconstruct it.  Because, as the FWS itself acknowledges, “bald eagles exhibit high nest fidelity,” the City apparently intends to continue to tear down these nests indefinitely, rather than pursue more reasonable alternatives.  A copy of the letter sent by the firm can be found here; a recent photograph of one of the eagles building its nest can be found here.

Katherine Meyer and Eric Glitzenstein Receive Kerry Rydberg Award

At the annual Environmental and Natural Resources Law Conference last weekend in Eugene, Oregon -- the nation’s largest annual conference devoted to public interest environmental law --  Kathy and Eric were awarded the prestigious Kerry Rydberg Award for excellence in environmental litigation.   Each year the students of the University of Oregon Law School’s Land, Air, Water (LAW) conference present the award for outstanding achievements in grass-roots environmental law.   The award is given in honor of a 1987 Oregon Law school graduate who was dedicated to public interest law until a tragic automobile accident ended his life.  Kathy and Eric attended the ceremony via Skype and paid tribute to their clients, professional colleagues, past firm attorneys, and especially the other lawyers and administrative staff at the firm – Howard Crystal, Bill Eubanks, Jessica Almy, Leslie Mink, and Amanda Barker.   Eric and Kathy also expressed their admiration and appreciation for all of the public interest attorneys who dedicate their legal careers to trying to save the Earth’s wild places and creatures.

million dollar traders

pl find below links to the 3 part bbc series "million dollar traders"

i recently came across these and watched them. these are 1 hour each 3 parts of an "experiment" wherein 8 shorlisted novice traders are given 1 million dollars to trade (after ofcourse basic training and under watchful expert eyes)

what a series this is! what an experiment it turned out to be!

every novice, ambitious (& even others) must watch these. all tensions and emotions and dilemmas and triumphs etc are beautifully (and at times in raw ugly manner) exposed!

watching these and other videos will add to any trader's learning curve.

enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6ciY8u04Kk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML4ObTeYLhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWkzAvE5aQQ

Frantiska Blechova, Pohádková zahrádka/Fairytale garden

this and the next picture by unknown 

photographer on website geocaching 

Biskupice is a village of less than 300 inhabitants in the Olomouc area in the Czech Republic.

One of its former inhabitants, mrs Frantiska Blechova (1911-1996), is known because she has made an outsider environment by transforming the garden in front of her house into a fairytale garden.

Made from concrete some forty sculptures populate the garden, where one can see musicians, gnomes, princes and princesses, all kinds of common people and all kinds of animals. such as giraffes, zebras, lions, frogs, elephants, all items being colorfully painted and provided with hats and/or attributes suited to the depicted personality..

Mrs Blechova used to dress some of the sculptures with appropriate clothing, depending upon the season.

I have been looking around on the internet for more biographical details and didn't find much, just the information that mrs Blechova began creating the sculptures "later in life" and that she also may have been making (naive) paintings. .

I do not know if the house has a new owner, the property having been put on sale after mrs Blechova died. Since a geocaching website reports that even early 2013 the "cache" (= the sculpture garden) was found, I suppose the sculptures nowadays (2013) are still present in situ. 

The Znojemsky tyden reports that the mayor of Biskupice has said that if nescessary the sculptures could be stored in an empty building owned by the municipality.

More information about the actual situation is welcome.

More pictures
* Picasaweb has a page with a large collection of pictures (from 2008 and 2009), provided by Bub (sept 2008) and Sekyt (dec 2009)

Frantiska Blechova
Fairytale garden
Biskupice, Czech Republic
if still present visible from the road

Biskupice sculpture garden weergeven op een grotere kaart

5 Best reasons to spend a Summer vacation in Sequim

Dear Sequim researchers,
When you found our Sequim Town blog in your Google search, you were already familiar with little Sequim Town in general but were in search of more details for spending a summer vacation there. Here are our 5 best reasons for spending a summer vacation in Sequim. Remember this is our very personal opinion as residents of Sequim for over 6 years:

1. Take a summer vacation in the town where you want to retire

OK you have heard so many good things about Sequim, and even know how to pronounce it, this little retirement town on the Olympic Peninsula but have NEVER been there. Take a summer vacation in Sequim and find out whether it's the town where you'd like to retire. That's at least what we did and what we recommend to everybody. Talk to as many people as possible, when you are here. To regular folks like us. Just ask them "And where are you from?" This opens all the doors to interesting stories.

2. Summer vacation looking for a house in Sequim

That's for those folks who know for sure that they want to move to Sequim and retire there. Do all your homework when you are still at home checking 'Sequim Houses for Sale' on the Internet. Not only real estate businesses but also 'Homes for sale by owner'. Get familiar with different areas, pros and cons of its subdivisions. Then start making a list of homes for sale matching your budget and expectations. Upon our arrival in Sequim, we checked the location and neighborhood of these house and were quite surprised that a lot did NOT meet our criteria. When we had downsized our list of homes, we contacted the realtor of our choice for real viewings. Sequim home prices were up when we bought in 2005 but now it's still a buyer's market.

3. Best things to do in Sequim in summer

Of course, a summer vacation here - BTW most years, Indian Summers last to September + October - is the perfect time of the year to explore Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic National Park and even Victoria in BC on Vancouver Island. Best to take a longer monthly stay, so you won't feel rushed and can have some relaxing time picking berries. Delicious fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are in season. So is the wonderful lavender. If you want to stay with us for July during Lavender Festival season - 2013 Lavender Festival is July 19 - 21, make your reservation early.

4. How to socialize and make friends in Sequim?

We get quite a number of emails from people who have lots of questions about Sequim BEFORE they come and WHEN they are staying at our 'Bell Hill View Sequim Vacation Rental'. We perfectly understand. So we take the time to answer as many and as detailed as we can. A casual pizza dinner at our house on their arrival night mostly gets the conversation going. As a follow-up, our guests visit the Sequim Senior Center and Sequim Aquatic Recreational Center, our two biggest places to find kindred spirit friends. The following is a view of Bell Hill in the fog which comes from Sequim Bay.

5. Escape the summer heat of Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania, California

Yes, you finally can breathe again outdoors on your summer vacation in Sequim. No racing for the next air conditioned building or having to spend summers indoors in your AC home because of the extreme heat in double digits. That's when we Sequim residents say "Good that we live in Sequim!" Sequim enjoys mild winter AND mild summers which makes any outdoor activity like walking, hiking, biking or kayaking a real fun summer activity. Walk along shady Railroad Bridge along Olympic Discovery Trail.

Well, what else can we say? See for yourselves and spend a vacation in Sequim this summer.
p.s.
BTW all these wonderful photos were taken by our Sequim vacation rental guests Sue and Cathy from Missouri who spent July 2012 with us. Thank you so much. Read their testimonial.

Effort to Save Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Launched

On behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity (“CBD”) and the Maricopa Audubon Society we have provided formal notice of Endangered Species Act violations in connection with federal agency actions harming the Southwestern willow flycatcher, a highly endangered bird in Arizona and other southwestern states.  Because of the ongoing destruction of the flycatcher’s native riparian willow habitat, the species has been forced to adapt in many locations to living in tamarisk, an exotic plant that frequently occupies degraded riparian habitats in the southwestern U.S.  Beginning in the late 1990s, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – an agency within the Department of Agriculture – began to permit and otherwise facilitate the release of tamarisk-eating beetles – another non-native species on the theory that this would help to eradicate tamarisk.  Grave concerns were raised by the Fish and Wildlife Service, CBD, and others that this program could do serious harm to the flycatcher unless steps were taken to ensure that any impact on flycatcher habitat would be mitigated by strenuous efforts to restore native willow vegetation in locations where tamarisk might be destroyed.  However, APHIS assured the Service and others that the particular species of beetle being released would not be able to survive in the latitudes where flycatchers exist and, on that basis, the release program was allowed to proceed.  Soon thereafter, APHIS’s prediction proved false, and the beetle is now decimating flycatcher habitat, creating a massive new threat to this already highly imperiled species.  But although APHIS has now halted new releases of the beetle, it has made no commitment to mitigate for the ongoing devastating impacts of its earlier actions.  Regrettably, to date, the FWS has signed off on that course of conduct.  Accordingly, we have sent a detailed notice to APHIS, FWS, and other federal officials that merely walking away from the unfolding disaster for which APHIS is directly responsible contravenes various provisions of the Endangered Species Act, as well as the National Environmental Policy Act.  A copy of the notice can be found here.  A copy of CBD’s press release concerning the notice can be found here.