Reinvention: The Revival of Small Businesses for Those Who Have Lost Their Jobs.

Posted on March 12, 2010 by rrblog

     Whether you’ve seen the movie Up in the Air or not, you probably know that George Clooney’s character has the misfortune of informing people that they have lost their jobs.  Director Jason Reitman made the brilliant decision of documenting actual people facing some of the fallout of the Great Recession.  I saw Reitman appear on an episode of Oprah, and he said that he just couldn’t imagine filming anyone other than those who have faced the harsh reality of receiving the axe.  As you watch the movie, you can see the pain, disillusionment, and heart-wrenching, raw fear in their faces.  You cannot help but empathize with them as you share the moments when they are told, “You no longer have a job.” With those few words, their whole lives change in an instant.

     Like Clooney’s character, for years I had been a frequent flier traveling to companies peddling software and consulting services for a large software provider.  I worked nights and weekends, I felt the pressure of hitting a sales quota, and I spent more time away from home than I care to admit.  To me, it was all about making money and hitting my quota.  It was all about the company.  The kill.  The win.  And, to thank me for my efforts and long work weeks, I didn’t get a pat on the back.  Instead, I got a pink slip.  Last year I was yet another casualty of a company that chose to reorganize and downsize.  “This isn’t based on your performance, Ronda,” I was told.  “You, unfortunately, are just in the wrong geographical location at the wrong time.”  I didn’t have the pleasure of looking into Clooney’s eyes when I was let go.  Instead I was disposed of swiftly in an abrupt, thirty minute phone call with a person from human resources and a sales director.  “Never let them see you cry, Peanut,” my dad always advised me when we discussed business, and I was thankful that I could deal with the news in private.  I’m sure if I would have had to have walked into an office and been told that I lost my job of eight years by a stranger and a sales director that I barely knew, I would’ve had a meltdown much like many of those in the movie had. Continue reading →

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Oscar Night: Adding Some Bling, Spotlights, and Setting the Mood in Decorating.

Posted on March 7, 2010 by rrblog
Well, it’s here—the one Sunday of the year when tuxedos and gowns take precedence over sports on TV.  That’s right, it’s Oscar Night!  For years I’ve been ooohing, ahhhing, and sometimes cringing over the outfits, hairstyles, and jewelry that have appeared on the red carpet, and tonight is no different.   I’m so excited to plant myself in front of the big screen TV with some girlfriends—glass of Pinot in one hand, iPhone in the other, as I call and text my best friend with my critique of each person that walks the red carpet. 

Thinking about all of the bling, camera flashes and spotlights inspired me to write about how those concepts apply in interior decorating.  I’ve come up with a few thoughts of my own, and I’d love to hear other ideas via your replies, as well. 

First, let’s talk about what I don’t want to see:  a burlap gown.  Nothing in Hollywood would surprise me, but I really hope that the Project Runway episode that featured burlap designs hasn’t inspired any celebrity to go out and follow suit.  Burlap does not equal formal wear which does not equal Oscars.  I had written an article a few weeks about burlap in design, and I have since seen a couple of pieces that even I would even consider buying, but let’s not wear it on the carpet, ladies.

Bling.  As for bling—who doesn’t love to wear a little?  And, in decorating, a little bling can go a long way.   Recently, I was at a friend’s house who had designed her own custom window treatments.    She had designed long panels where the top third of the panel was made in one fabric, the bottom two thirds of the panel in another fabric, and she separated the two fabrics with beaded trim to add a little texture, visual interest, and sparkle.  I loved it!  It drew your eye right up to the top of the panel and the color she chose tied the two fabrics together perfectly.  In addition, beaded trim is always a great and inexpensive way to add a little character to old lampshades.  Just grab a hot glue gun and a pair of scissors and you can easily change the entire look of the lamp in very little time.  Don’t go out of control, though.  Gluing can be fun, but you don’t want your space to look like a belly dancer’s costume. 

Spotlight.  Oscar night is all about being in the spotlight:  bright lights, camera flashes, and hours of primping to make the stars look their best.   In decorating, high wattage lighting can be strategically used to highlight art in your home.  If you look at the pictures below, you’ll see two different types of high wattage lights used to highlight art in the home.  In my first video blog entitled “Start Building That Portfolio and Dream List Today“, I had talked about a resort I had stayed at in the Turks and Caicos and how a spotlight was placed on a gorgeous piece of art in the bathroom.  When you walk by highlighted art, bathroom or not, you just cannot help but look at it.  So, show off your art, and add a spotlight!

Bathroom Art Spotlight

Nook Art Spotlight

  Continue reading →

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Toilet Paper Holders: The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Posted on March 4, 2010 by rrblog

     I remember the time I had to select toilet paper holders in my first house.  As a homeowner rookie, I made my decision entirely on the look of the apparatus, and I completely ignored the functional aspects of my options.  I settled on solid brass toilet paper holders with the spring rods in the middle that separated two colonial looking end pieces that mounted to the wall.   I’d grown up with the spring-rod type, so I figured I might as well go with something familiar.  I didn’t feel like investing a ton of money on hardware in my 2 ½ bathrooms, so I ended going with the prettiest and most inexpensive brass toilet paper holder I could find.  Brass, by the way, was ‘in’ at the time –check out my article on Ode to Apolo:  Go For the Gold, Silver and Bronze in Interior Decorating.

At that time, I was clueless as to how to use a cordless drill, so I borrowed my dad who painstakingly hung all three toilet paper holders snugly to the wall and within reach. (It’s always a good idea to do a mock bathroom reach before installing, by the way.  You’ll thank me later.)  Within a few days when it was time to change the roll in my master bathroom, I quickly realized that I had made a mistake with my toilet paper holder purchases.  That dang solid brass, embedded spring rod was so hard to dislodge that I pinched my finger trying to get the empty toilet paper roll off to replace with a fresh roll.  After I finally did get the old roll off, I had the same problem trying to get the fresh roll installed and back into place.  I endured the process every couple of days over the next nine years until I made a move into my next home.

The next time I was determined to make my choice based on human factors and usability instead of entirely on looks.  So, I began my research.  It’s that research that I want to share with my readers to possibly save you time, and give you some advice on things to consider before changing out your old toilet paper holders or before selecting ones for your new custom home. 

Continue reading →

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Ode to Apolo: Go for the gold, silver, and bronze when decorating!

Posted on February 26, 2010 by rrblog

The winter olympics in Vancouver have been phenomenal this year and the USA has gone for the gold, silver, and bronze at every event.  When it comes to decorating, you too can go for gold, silver, and bronze throughout your space. This video clip (headband and all) is dedicated of my favorite olympian, Apolo Anton Ohno.   Way to go, Apolo!  If you decide to retire, you will be missed!

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Olympic Fever: Decorating With Circles!

Posted on February 25, 2010 by rrblog

     Since I was a child, I’ve always been a fan of the Olympics. Having witnessed Mark Spitz win multiple medals when I was a youngster, I’d always hoped that I would be a good enough swimmer some day to get my chance on the podium. Of course, I wasn’t even close to getting to the Olympics. Sure, I could swim circles around most of my friends, I won a few ribbons, and I even earned a “Swimmer of The Year” award when I was twelve. But, I was no Mark. Instead, for years I have had to settle for watching both the summer and winter Olympics on TV, and this year with the winter games in Vancouver, it has been no different.
     For the past week and a half, I’ve been consumed with watching as many events as possible. So much so that I’m starting to feel a little verklempt that it’s almost over. The athletes representing the good ole US of A have certainly made us proud, and you just can’t help but get inspired by watching their achievements, staring at the Olympic flame and sharing, in some small way, their joy with them.
      Thinking about the Olympics and those five interlocked rings colored blue, yellow, black, green, and red has inspired me to talk about circles today. I’m sure Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern day Olympic Games, wasn’t thinking about interior decorating when he came up with the emblem, but as with most things that inspire us, I figure what better time than now to think about decorating with circles since we are nearing the end of the Olympic games. Continue reading →

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Get Inspired By Decorating!

Posted on February 23, 2010 by rrblog

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Spring has sprung in SC!

Posted on February 20, 2010 by rrblog

Skipper, my cat, trying to steal the show in my video blog. 

Video Blog: 2-20-10 – preview of upcoming videos

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Burlap: not quite as soft as cotton.

Posted on February 19, 2010 by rrblog

What’s with Burlap?

This week I want to address burlap as the other trend that seems to be lingering in the decorating industry.

Now, depending on what part of the country you live in, using burlap for interior decorating may not be something you’re seeing, but at least in the south, burlap is everywhere. It’s on sofas, arm chairs, dining room chairs, lampshades, and pillows, to name a few. In fact, I’ve seen so much burlap that at times I couldn’t figure out if I was in a furniture store or in the potato section at the grocery store.

Continue reading →

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