An Interview with Hillary Keech of Modest Designs

Hillary Keech is a designer with extensive experience working on projects that include high-end homes and trendy boutique hotels. Now with Modest Designs, the company Hillary founded in 2009, the designer strives to prove that "high quality design can be achieved on any budget." Back in July, Hillary shared a stunning kitchen makeover she had completed for a client and now has answered some questions about her company, her design sensibility and her inspirations.

You can check out the full interview with Hillary at Delectably Chic! Below, find out about a few of...

Hillary’s Favorite Things

Go-To Wall Paint Color – Benjamin Moore Purple Lace 2068-60, it is a great mix of gray and purple.

Flower – White Peony

[via]

Shop – Liza Sherman Antiques in NYC

Design Secret/Tip – If you love an object, no matter how unusual, it will always be a great feature of your room.

[via]

Clothing Designer – Alexander Wang

Indulgence – Buying something I absolutely cannot afford.

[via]

Vacation Destination – Greece

One Must-Have Item for a Stylish Home – A great piece of art that the client loves, it can be the focal point of the house.

Thanks Hillary!

For more information about Modest Designs visit their website and blog.

Also, do you remember the beautiful rooms and fabulous baroque furniture I posted about on Monday? Karen at Liv-Chic has generously offered a Promo Code to all followers of Sogni e Sorrisi - just enter TRADECHIC for 10% off any purchase.

  

  

J'Adore New York Giveaway and Interview with Isabelle Lafleche

Do you remember awhile back I reviewed Isabelle Laflèche's J'Adore New York? Well, since then I've had the opportunity to pose some questions to the first-time author who was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer. If you get a chance you should really check it out. Isabelle has also offered to gift two lucky winners with a copy of their very own--the seventh of our giveaways celebrating 400 followers!

You once lived in New York and had a career similar to J’Adore New York’s protagonist, Catherine, how much of you can we find in the book’s main character?

There is some of me in Catherine. I love fashion, I consider myself to be ambitious and have a pretty good sense of humour.



Reading the acknowledgements of your book it seems like you had a similar experience to one Catherine has in the book – a chance meeting with a psychic who encourages you to go after your dreams. Did you decide to pursue writing immediately after your encounter with the psychic in the street?

Not immediately. I did have a chance meeting with a psychic on the streets of Manhattan who told me that I was missing my calling as a writer and that I should be writing rather than practicing law. It took me a good eight months of soul searching to take her advice seriously. I always had artistic inclinations but never pursued them because of my career. I then decided to move back to Montreal and sign up for creative writing classes at a local university to find out whether there was any merit to what she had told me. Receiving positive feedback from my classmates gave me the confidence to start writing a novel.

Was writing always something you wanted to do, one of your passions?

Looking back now, I remember that I loved writing stories as a child. I would write fairy tales and read them to my grandmother. I put this aside for a long while after pursuing other interests, but I’m thrilled to be back doing what I love.


Perfumes and scents seem to have a pivotal role in the book. How important do you think fragrance is to a woman and which do you favour?

Coco Chanel once said that a woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future. I wouldn’t go that far but I think that wearing perfume is another way to express your creativity and your sense of self. I wore J’Adore by Dior for a while but am now wearing Idylle by Guerlain.


 What can we expect next from Isabelle Lafleche?

I spent a week in Paris this summer doing research for my next novel. I have started working on my second book, which will be the sequel to the first.

A Few of Isabelle’s Favourite Things…

Flower – Pink peony

Shop – J. Crew, Kate Spade and Anthropologie

Fashion Designer –John Galliano at Dior

Artist –IZAK, fashion illustrator

 Author – Candace Bushnell and Edith Wharton

Style Icon – Coco Chanel, Diane Kruger and Jenna Lyons

Day Bag – Muse bag by Yves Saint-Laurent (found it on e-Bay for a quarter of the price, what a great score!!)

Night Shoe – Manolo Blahnik

 Indulgence – Manicure + Pedicure

Vacation Destination – Barbados, Cape Cod and hopefully one day soon, Capri!

So thanks to Isabelle's generosity you now have the chance to win one of two copies of J'Adore New York! Cool, right?

To Enter

Giveaway is open to folllowers of Sogni e Sorrisi.

Just check out Isabelle's book and leave a comment

below letting me know why you'd like to win.

Extra Entries

1. Tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy tweet this:

Just entered to win a copy of Isabelle Laflèche's J'Adore New York @SogniESorrisi http://tinyurl.com/3xu2yaw @pinklemonade08

2. Follow me on Twitter. If you already do, thanks! Just let me know.

3. Follow Isabelle on Twitter.

4. Follow Isabelle's blog.

Giveaway open until September 17, 2010.

Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Good Luck and Happy Weekend!

The Recessionistas: An Interview and a Giveaway

The author photographed for Quest magazine

If you recall, a little while back I reviewed Alexandra Lebenthal's The Recessionistas, in my Book of the Week feature. I enjoyed the novel and was really impressed when I learned more about the author and her background. Needless to say I was very excited and honored when I was given the opportunity to ask Alexandra some questions about her book, her charity work and the future--as well as those all important questions about fashion and interior design!

Judith Leiber helped created the bewejelled NYC skyline for the cover

There is constantly debate about whether women can really have it all. You seem to have quite a bit, including a successful career in the financial sector (at Alexandra and James), a family, an active social calendar and now a new book. Do you think the promise of “having it all” is something that is attainable by women? How do you balance the demands of work and family life?

You can have it all --just not at the same time. Several years ago I went to the Shanghai Circus after a particularly stressful work week. I watched the performers balance bowls on top of their heads while on unicycles. Sometimes they fell. I realized balance is achievable for moments in time but isn’t permanent. Even though the performers were embarrassed when they fell, the audience was still amazed at what they were able to accomplish. Having said that, I still have times when it’s too much, so I try to have times when I'm free with nothing to do but watch reality TV and read magazines.

Many women who work in male dominated fields do their best to blend in rather than stand out, but that doesn’t seem to be your tact at all. What has inspired you to not only embrace your femininity, but announce it in the way you choose to dress?

I was put in a leadership position when I was very young and looked even younger. I was often asked to be on boards or committees where I was the only woman or one of only a few and definitely the youngest. I assumed that I was there only because I was a woman, and I had the legend of my Dad to live up to as well, so I would make it a point to say something and stand out. That transitioned into the way I dress. I also love fashion and similar to the character of Sasha Silver feel that it is a part of my personality, my costume, and at times, my armor.

As you consider clothing and accessories as a kind of armor do you find that selecting the right piece can really change your mood and your mindset? Do you have a favorite piece to wear for important occasions or when you need a pick-me-up?

Yes! I realized once when I had a big choker on that I held my head a little higher. I also noticed that people started commenting on pieces that I wore or seemed, frankly, to have a bit more awe or respect of me. It made me feel like I was stronger and stood out more. Again being young, (and also short), having something that made me feel bigger meant a lot.

I have several favorite pieces. A gold and rhinestone Chanel cuff from the 80s is one of my favorites. I also love vintage Kenneth Jay Lane earrings, Miriam Haskell, Liasophia and the new Grayce by Molly Sims collection.

You have a beautiful home. What is one item you think is necessary for having a stylish and inviting space?

Comfortable chairs and sofas so people want to stay!

At a New York Botanical Garden Event in Chanel Jewlery

You’re well known for your active participation on the charity circuit. What are some of the foundations you support?

My biggest passion is the Rita Hayworth Alzheimers’ Association. My mother passed away this March after ten years with the disease so I want to be a part of making a difference down the line in the lives of others. It was started by Rita Hayworth’s daughter Princess Yasmin Kahn twenty seven years ago and one day will be a part of finding a cure. Last year I chaired the annual Gala which raised $2 million and made me feel so proud.

I'm also involved with Hale House which provides housing, day care, and other services for homeless families. It’s in Harlem. The people who work there are so dedicated and when you meet the children who would be living in shelters you think about how their lives can change because people give money or take the time to be involved. Satire in The Recessionistas aside, these are people for whom the economy is all too real.

Lastly I'm very involved with the NY Botanical Garden. Who doesn’t love gorgeous flowers? But they also have the largest collection of plant specimens in the world, many of which are instrumental in developing pharmaceuticals.

Lebenthal and husband Jeremy Diamond

The subject of your book is incredibly timely, a real insider’s look at the great economic collapse. What made you decide to put pen to paper and why this type of book?

The book emanated from my column on New York Social Diary. I started writing about the financial world in fictional characters and found that I not only loved it, but readers also were commenting that for the first time they understood financial issues. I wanted to talk about what happened in our country over the last few years in a way that would be interesting to people that don’t normally pick up the Wall Street Journal.

One of the main characters in The Recessionistas is a successful career woman who juggles work with family and has a sizzling wardrobe to boot. How much of you can we find in Sasha Silver?

First of all, I need to say that my husband is not Adam! He is always there to help! I also have three wonderful children that only embody the best qualities of the Silver children. There is a lot of me in Sasha but also in all the characters- even the bad ones!

I do have a great wardrobe, but I love a bargain too! I grew up taking the subway to Loehmanns in the Bronx with my mom and still go to sample sales and shop on Gilt.com. My favorite saying is “look how much I saved.” I wear a lot of J Crew in addition to high end designers and have a lot of vintage jewelry from Ebay. (Like Bruce in the book I have sewn those pieces on bags and hats, too!)

I think the most important quality in Sasha that I recognized in myself was that you cannot wait around for people to fix things or make the world the way you want it to be. If you want something to happen, go get it or move on to the place where you should be!

Several of the characters in your novel are not really likeable, which you’ve previously said was intentional. Was it difficult to populate your book with so many characters that ultimately didn’t have very many redeeming qualities?

No – it was fun! As I said earlier even the bad characters have a little me in them. Sometimes I want to pretend I'm Grigsby and make it all go away. Some might say I get in my share of party photos. Sometimes I curse like John Cutter too!

When I wrote the epilogue though, I realized that each character had the ability to make their own choices and that, in and of itself, was a good quality. Grigsby was helpless for much of the book, but when faced with her downfall she picked herself up and did what she needed to do to survive. I surprised myself that Mimi realized what was important in the end. I ended up liking her. Blake lost his way but through his own mistakes, realized what was important and became a decent person. Ok there were still a few jerks.

We all love to talk about people we don’t like, or watch the same villains and villainesses on reality TV. There is an aspect of Schadenfreude in it. Making up bad characters takes that one step further!

What’s next for Alexandra Lebenthal? Can we expect another book?

Yes! I have the outline but I feel like I just had a baby and I'm still in the hospital admiring it’s ten perfect fingers and toes. I want to enjoy the fun of this book before I get started on baby number two!

A Few of Alexandra's Favorite Things...

Flower – Peony. It was my Mom’s as well. She planted them in the garden in my summer house in Bellport and every year they come up bigger and better. It’s like she is there with me.

Shop – Bergdorf Goodman. As if it wasn’t obvious in the book!

Clothing Designer – Douglas Hannant. Douglas and his partner Frederick are good friends. They understand what looks good on me and their evening dresses are easy to wear and glamorous at the same time. The day dresses always generate comments.

Artist – Fernando Botero. I don’t know why I find his images of overweight people very comforting. Maybe because he seems to celebrate it.

Author – Jill Kargman. Every single book she has written.

Day Bag – Prada black nylon that I bought in the Rome airport.

Night Shoe – Valentino green satin strappy sandals with green rhinestones and feathers. Bought those at the Valentino outlet outside Rome- told you I love a bargain!

Scent – I wear Frederic Malle En Passant Olivia Giacobetti for night and Malle Jean Claude Biagarade Concentree for day. I like wearing a different scent at night. When I put it on the smell automatically makes me feel like dancing.

Vacation Destination – The Caribbean. I find the turquoise color so tranquil and inviting.

Thanks so much to Alexandra for taking the time to answer my questions! Check here for a glimpse into The Recessionistas and here to buy. Want to know more? Alexandra is being interviewed on  Friday, August 13 at 12pm EST--you can listen here.

Leave a comment below for your chance to win
one of five copies of The Recessionistas
courtesy of Hachette Publishing.


Sorry international readers - Open to US and Canada residents only.
Giveaway closes on August 18, 2010
Winner will be chosen at random.

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

Image Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13

Book of the Week: The Truth About Delilah Blue & An Author Interview

This week, in addition to the usual book review, I'm very excited to be hosting author Tish Cohen on the blog tour for her new book, the wonderfully written The Truth About Delilah Blue. The eponymous heroine of Cohen's novel is an aspiring L.A. artist, originally from Toronto. Delilah moved to the States with her father when she was just a child, after being told that her mother no longer wanted to be part of her life. Growing up without a mother is hard for any child, but being told your mother no longer wants you (when of all things in this world a mother's love is supposed to be sacrosanct and unconditional) does something to a young character.

Today Delilah is vulnerable and slightly broken, wanting to be a famous artist to catch her mother's eye, but ripping up every piece of art she produces. To compound Delilah's problems her father has begun to act strange--getting confused and acting forgetful--and also refuses to bankroll art school, forcing her to drop trou (or robe, as the case may be) as a classroom model in hopes of soaking up some knowledge while she poses. When Delilah's mother reappears with an explosive secret the young woman's world gets turned upside down as she struggles to figure out who, if anyone, she can trust.

I enjoyed this novel and I found Delilah to be a charming heroine. She is flawed, but tries her best to be fair and loving to those around her. The parents in this story, Victor and Elisabeth, were a little harder to swallow and I found that I had more sympathy for the former. I think it goes to Cohen's credit, however, that she didn't choose to cast her characters as good-guy, bad-guy types, and didn't make the issues dealt with in the book so black-and-white either, showing that in people and in life there are always shades of grey. I also liked the way Delilah's budding romance was handled--not as the centre of her universe, but as a relationship that helped her grow and realize things about herself.

After reading The Truth About Delilah Blue I was so excited to have the opportunity to ask the author some questions about her writing, the film adaptations of her books and what is next on her schedule. Read on for my Q and A with Tish Cohen:


I understand that the seed for this story came from your father needing care after back surgery, so while it’s clear the plot is not exactly autobiographical did you pull anything from your own childhood to add to the story?

My own father owned a Datsun 240Z, a sporty hatchback with no backseats, when I was young, so that particular car factored into my existence in a big way. There were four kids in my family, so when we went out to dinner and took Dad’s car, our parents sat in front and we lined ourselves up on our backs in the hatch area like little pieces of chalk. The whole way to the restaurant, when we weren’t pinching each other or jostling for more space, we would stare up at the sky and watch the streetlights pass. Punch buggy was more about spying seagulls or red lights than about Volkswagen Beetles.



I thought you did a wonderful job capturing the viewpoint of the young in this book—both with Delilah and Kieran—as well as approaching the central issue of the story from the viewpoints of both parents and Lila herself. How do you get yourself in the frame of mind to be able to write the same story from different perspectives and keep it authentic?

Thanks, Connie. It is always a matter of living through the story within the life of each character. It was important to me to examine how parental abduction alters the non-abducted children in a family, which brought the young stepsister into the story. With Victor, I researched Alzheimer’s and imagined how terrifying it would be to realize your mental faculties are no longer where you left them.



Do you think being a mother yourself changes the way you approach a story of this nature and how you feel about the characters—especially the parents Victor and Elisabeth?

I do. As a parent, having made many mistakes myself, I am very aware that mothers and fathers are mostly doing the best they can with what they have to work with. No parent is wholly good or wholly bad and most lived through a somewhat imperfect childhood themselves, so it was important to me to reflect this in the story.



I always enjoy it when I can see my hometown in print, was including Toronto in the story important for you and how do you choose where to set your stories?

In my work, the book always determines where the story is set. Town House had to be set in a city with history, where four-storey, centuries-old townhomes can be found in abundance: hence, Boston. Inside Out Girl required a property on the side of an eroding property beside a river; I chose the Hudson River Valley. The Truth About Delilah Blue demanded two different countries. Luckily, I’d lived in Toronto and California, so these places felt natural for me to write about.



The movie rights for your first novel, Town House, were purchased by Fox Studios. How is that project coming along and when writing a new novel do you ever wonder how it will translate to the silver screen and does this affect what or how you write?

Town House is on track for filming next February with Zach Galifiniakis and Amy Adams as lead stars. Also, Inside Out Girl is moving forward in terms of film development; our script is polished and ready to go out to actresses. Since Town House sold for film, I definitely think about whether a book will or will not work for film, but I don’t think my writing or my process has changed in that regard. More likely, any suitability for film that my books may have might come from the way I watch a scene unravel the night before I write it.



What can we expect next from Tish Cohen?

I have just finished my next adult book, and am revising a new teen novel that should be out next year!



Thanks Trish for stopping by and taking the time to answer some questions!




Browse Inside The Truth About Delilah Blue

Links to next blog tour spots can be found here

Book of the Week: 13 to Life & An Author Interview

This week we're changing it up a bit. On hold is the usual Book of the Week review, in its place I'm very happy to feature an interview with Shannon Delany, the author of the new book 13 to Life, and a snippet of the novel for you to read. The cool thing about this novel--which is slated to become a series with the second and third books already on their way--is that it began life as a serial textnovel. The whole idea of the textnovel was intriguing to me as it seems to harken back to the serials written by authors like Dickens and Henry James. I was also very interested in the process Delany went through, transforming her serial into a full-length book. Here is a rundown of the plot from the publisher:

"Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early."

Intrigued? So was I. Read on to find out what else Shannon Delany has to say about her novel, her characters and her creative process:



I'm always interested in the inspiration of artists, where did the idea for 13 to Life come from?

It all started with the random phrase “thirteen to life” which was rolling around in my head for no good reason and the fact I was tired of seeing so many vampire novels (unlike my main character, Jess) and was wondering why there weren’t more werewolves. That was back in late 2008.


Did you find the process of converting your textnovel into a printed novel series difficult?

No, by the time I was done with the textnovel.com version, I knew where the characters wanted to go and had ideas about other characters and subplots to make it all work. The hardest part was just finding the time to get the full manuscript created.


What are some of the differences between writing a text novel and a traditional book?

A textnovel tends to have (in my opinion) a more sparse writing style or an “economy of language.” With every entry (and I did two “chapters” a day most days) you have to focus on making it very memorable and completely clear—people read an entry then go back to work for another six or eight hours before they can return for another brief section. It’s easy to forget what was going on if you’re reading a serial in a true textnovel serial format. I also had to remember to create a little cliffhanger for each “chapter” to encourage readers along. Writing that way makes you micromanage your words (especially if you’re naturally verbose, like me).


Does main character Jess Gillmansen have any similarities to you at that age?

Bless her heart, yes. She’s opinionated, a bit snarky, loves horses, edits the school newspaper and has been a competitive shooter.


How do you think 13 to Life sets itself apart from the vampire and werewolf novels that have risen in popularity lately?

I’m told pretty often that people like my new take on werewolves. Although I wrote the serial version very organically (it sort of grew on its own) I did a lot of research. I delved into science, “fringe science,” history, legends and lore. I don’t throw all that info out at readers at once (because I don’t like that in books I read) but let readers discover things as Jess discovers them. And much of the research we authors do never shows up in the books directly but just helps build the world. I think another difference is the way the series is told to readers. Jess has a distinct voice. She’s self-involved and self-critical and it takes her a while to pull her head out of her own troubles and see what’s going on with others. Although Jess is very involved in the action and drama, she’s a lens we view the action and drama through. Her opinion, her doubts and fears color everything she perceives (and everything we know and learn) in the story.


What can we expect from you next?

At this point, my 13 to Life trilogy (at least my part in writing the manuscripts) is nearly wrapped up. Book 2 will be released in February 2011 and Book 3 will follow about six months later. Now I’m playing with brand new characters, new settings and new trouble. Every day’s a new adventure when you’re creating worlds and the characters that populate them!


What would you like others to know about your novel?

13 to Life is designed to be read at different levels. Most readers can (and do) zip right through it in a day or two enjoying the tangled teen relationships, action and danger. Others read it and realize later they’re asking themselves the same (or very similar) questions about love, friendship and Shakespeare that Jess and Pietr are exploring. And others will get the importance of the names and start subconsciously lining things up for the second book. And any way you read it is fine—we all bring different things to our reading and we all should leave with a slightly different experience after reading.


Thank you Shannon for taking the time to talk with me and sharing your experiences in writing 13 to Life.  Additional Links: 13 to Life Blog, Where to Buy.

In anticipation of the debut release of 13 to Life, Shannon Delany has created a unique blog tour she calls Start Your Day with Serial. Each day of the tour a new blog will feature an excerpt from the novel and today is my turn. Visit the link below if you would like to get caught up on the previous installments before reading today's snippet located below.

Welcome to Shannon Delany's Start Your Day with Serial Tour! Shannon's debut novel (and first in her YA paranormal series) 13 to Life started as a winning cell phone novel written in serial segments. During the tour you can read bits of the book in order. Miss a day? Hop to Shannon's blog http://13toLife.us/blog and check the link to the blog tour calendar in her sidebar.

{Start Your Day with Serial}

13 to Life: Chapter 4, Part H (used with the author’s permission)

He wrote: Fearing the Forest. “Man has always tried to tame the wilderness. We timber ancient forests, we strip mine… We have an instinctual fear of wild places and wild beasts, so we have historically tamed them so we feel more in control. This primitive fear impacts how we live and how we react in strange situations.”





Shannon's debut novel, 13 to Life, hit stores just 7 short days ago and is the beginning of a new YA paranormal series from St. Martin's Press. Find out more about Shannon and her series at http://ShannonDelany.com and http://13toLife.us/blog or follow Shannon on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Shannon_Delany.