A little more about me...
Over the years I have divulged a lot about myself and my family, my hopes, dreams and inspirations here on the blog. People seem to want to read about you (me, in this case) and I am the same way. I love to learn about the people behind the blogs that I read - I love to read about their dreams, hopes, desires and passions, about their backgrounds, about what they love. I love to read memoirs and autobiographies. So when Kim from Northern California Style tagged me and awarded me with the Very Aspiring Blogger Award I didn't think twice about accepting. Thank you, Kim! Normally I turn a blind eye to these, but I am participating now, and I hope that those of you whom I select will do so as well!
Most of you know that I grew up in Manhattan, went to prep school in the UK, summered in Cannes and attended college in Boston. Most of you know that I am a mother to three Entertaining Kids and most of you know I am recently divorced. As I have showcased my interests and kind finds over the years, I've also let you into my world - the good and the not so good. And yet, there are still some things you still may not know about me.
1. Until recently I was a very hesitant and reluctant person. I was not a risk-taker. I was terribly afraid of taking chances and stepping outside of my comfort zone. I was a creature of comfort (I still am) and therefore never dared to see what else was out there. I missed out on a lot of fabulous opportunities because I was scared to take a chance, I was scared to fail. I turned down many fabulous opportunities that were practically handed to me. I do regret that. I regret it all greatly. The greatest thing I have ever done for myself was to get out of an unhappy marriage. It was certainly the hardest thing I have ever done. But I came through - I came through shining! And now I embrace change, challenge and opportunity. I am not afraid to step out of my comfort zone and I urge you all to as well. It's a big, beautiful, wonderful world out there and we aren't going to see any of it if we don't set out to do so. Change is scary but it is also the most rewarding.
2. I have ADHD. The attention part. I am a classic textbook case. I was diagnosed after college. An earlier diagnosis would have saved me many years of frustration. I will walk into a room and have no idea why I'm there. I have a very hard time reading books because of this. I can read an entire chapter and have no idea what I've just read because my head has been elsewhere! I inherited it from my father. I've given it to my boys. I know that this is a gift, however. Because I can't "focus" for long periods of time, my eyes are always darting around and I see things - little things, special things - that others overlook. My father and my boys both do this. These little and special things are the tiny details of our lives...
3. Because of the above I see the world as though I am looking through the lens of a camera. Always. My photographs are rarely scenic and broad in nature, but most often focused. I want my viewers to see the details too. When I photograph the city I want to see the details in the architecture or who's behind the taxi-cab window. When I'm in the country I want to see the filaments and the nectar inside the flowers. If I'm photographing a person, I want to see the lines, the freckles... I want to know what they might be thinking, why they might be smiling. When I photograph food, I want to see the ingredients... I want to see the color and texture. I want to taste the food and smell it through my photographs.
4. I designed my own wedding dress. I knew what I wanted and no one else made one the way I envisioned mine to be. (The closest would have been Ralph Lauren or Vera Wang but they were a bit out of my price range!) I drew my sketches to a dress maker and together we created the perfect dress! I chose a dotted Swiss overlay and silk taffeta for the body of the dress. The arms were purely dotted Swiss. The neckline was just off my shoulder and I had a large and dramatic, collar and cuffs. The cuffs and back of the dress boasted wonderfully over-sized pearl buttons. My dress was ball-gown length. The bodice was form fitting (read tight!) and the skirt pouffed out dramatically - think Degas ballerina! There was a long sash in dotted Swiss that was lined in yellow, butter-colored silk taffeta. I wanted just a hint of color. My shoes were the same butter yellow. My dress was truly spectacular! I would love some day to design all my dresses!
5. I was in a dog show in the South of France when I was 6. I showed my grandmother's Kerry Blue Terriers, Ballyhoo and Tipperary. I won first place.
6. When I was in the first grade a picture of mine was entered in a competition to be the cover of an FAO Schwartz Christmas Catalogue. I won 3rd prize. I drew a picture of a mermaid. She was topless, and very well endowed! Gosh I wish I had that drawing still!
7. I have a very hard time finishing things :)
Thank you Kim!
Now I am passing the torch on to the following 7 bloggers, and I cannot wait to hear more about them!
A Place to Dwell
Lily Lemontree
Falling off a High Heeled Life
Maryland Pink and Green
Shorely Chic
Three Peanuts
Social Climbers
XOXO
Most of you know that I grew up in Manhattan, went to prep school in the UK, summered in Cannes and attended college in Boston. Most of you know that I am a mother to three Entertaining Kids and most of you know I am recently divorced. As I have showcased my interests and kind finds over the years, I've also let you into my world - the good and the not so good. And yet, there are still some things you still may not know about me.
1. Until recently I was a very hesitant and reluctant person. I was not a risk-taker. I was terribly afraid of taking chances and stepping outside of my comfort zone. I was a creature of comfort (I still am) and therefore never dared to see what else was out there. I missed out on a lot of fabulous opportunities because I was scared to take a chance, I was scared to fail. I turned down many fabulous opportunities that were practically handed to me. I do regret that. I regret it all greatly. The greatest thing I have ever done for myself was to get out of an unhappy marriage. It was certainly the hardest thing I have ever done. But I came through - I came through shining! And now I embrace change, challenge and opportunity. I am not afraid to step out of my comfort zone and I urge you all to as well. It's a big, beautiful, wonderful world out there and we aren't going to see any of it if we don't set out to do so. Change is scary but it is also the most rewarding.
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| via Flickr |
2. I have ADHD. The attention part. I am a classic textbook case. I was diagnosed after college. An earlier diagnosis would have saved me many years of frustration. I will walk into a room and have no idea why I'm there. I have a very hard time reading books because of this. I can read an entire chapter and have no idea what I've just read because my head has been elsewhere! I inherited it from my father. I've given it to my boys. I know that this is a gift, however. Because I can't "focus" for long periods of time, my eyes are always darting around and I see things - little things, special things - that others overlook. My father and my boys both do this. These little and special things are the tiny details of our lives...
3. Because of the above I see the world as though I am looking through the lens of a camera. Always. My photographs are rarely scenic and broad in nature, but most often focused. I want my viewers to see the details too. When I photograph the city I want to see the details in the architecture or who's behind the taxi-cab window. When I'm in the country I want to see the filaments and the nectar inside the flowers. If I'm photographing a person, I want to see the lines, the freckles... I want to know what they might be thinking, why they might be smiling. When I photograph food, I want to see the ingredients... I want to see the color and texture. I want to taste the food and smell it through my photographs.
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
4. I designed my own wedding dress. I knew what I wanted and no one else made one the way I envisioned mine to be. (The closest would have been Ralph Lauren or Vera Wang but they were a bit out of my price range!) I drew my sketches to a dress maker and together we created the perfect dress! I chose a dotted Swiss overlay and silk taffeta for the body of the dress. The arms were purely dotted Swiss. The neckline was just off my shoulder and I had a large and dramatic, collar and cuffs. The cuffs and back of the dress boasted wonderfully over-sized pearl buttons. My dress was ball-gown length. The bodice was form fitting (read tight!) and the skirt pouffed out dramatically - think Degas ballerina! There was a long sash in dotted Swiss that was lined in yellow, butter-colored silk taffeta. I wanted just a hint of color. My shoes were the same butter yellow. My dress was truly spectacular! I would love some day to design all my dresses!
 |
| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
5. I was in a dog show in the South of France when I was 6. I showed my grandmother's Kerry Blue Terriers, Ballyhoo and Tipperary. I won first place.
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| Property of The Entertaining House |
6. When I was in the first grade a picture of mine was entered in a competition to be the cover of an FAO Schwartz Christmas Catalogue. I won 3rd prize. I drew a picture of a mermaid. She was topless, and very well endowed! Gosh I wish I had that drawing still!
7. I have a very hard time finishing things :)
Thank you Kim!
Now I am passing the torch on to the following 7 bloggers, and I cannot wait to hear more about them!
A Place to Dwell
Lily Lemontree
Falling off a High Heeled Life
Maryland Pink and Green
Shorely Chic
Three Peanuts
Social Climbers
XOXO
Jessica