Double Anniversary

I landed in Charlotte, North Carolina exactly four years ago today. Having led a relatively sheltered life in Cebu, Philippines, I've long wanted to explore living elsewhere. After two previous attempts to study in New York and landing a scholarship in Germany, the right time finally came after I turned thirty. Charlotte was not on my radar but it worked out. 

Cebu, Philippines

the Big 30 overnight cruise with my best friends

For most people in my circle, this wasn't the age to go out and do something different. It's the time to get serious and buckle down to whatever they expect of themselves or perhaps deemed by society. My restlessness was quelled by many exciting chapters, a few dalliances, travels, and a constant stream of stimulation from varied passions. There finally came a time though when I heeded the tugging of my consciousness. Within 5 months, a decision was made after asking my father, found a school, did the necessary paperwork and research, packed my bags, and immediately started a new life after my 20 hour flight. Picked a place with an international airport, a youngish demographic full of transients, no familial ties (they have to be within a 2 hr flight radius), and relatively close to furniture market. It was an interesting way to weave through life while getting to know myself more intimately. 

artwork by Dr. Joel Mendez 2003

A refreshing pace with nary a care in the world but my immediate goals and everyday to do list. I had the time to sort out experiences, nurture, and converse with myself. Truly a great period of affirmation, growth, and discovery. When one is almost always physically alone, there is a heightened sense of awareness and that was what I was after. This is also what drove me to walk 80 miles to Santiago de Compostela in 5 days in September 2007. My family and friends saw a different side from my usual gregarious self. For awhile, I'm sure that they thought I was mad.

I kept in contact and was thankful for many real and caring family and friends from all over the world so I didn't feel the need to socialize and seek out people in my new environment. Special mention to you dear friends for always being there. 

Thoughts of our beautiful beaches and 

sunny smiles brought warmth during winter.

Calicoan Island

a sandbar somewhere

The difference in time zones proved to be a good exercise in containment of emotion, whether high or low. If I was upset, there was no one to immediately call most of the time. My yoga guru would have been proud. Detachment comes when you don't seek it. Being a solitary spectator was meditative and I needed that after years of  being in the scene and sometimes, creating the scene as Gypsy Queen (my 6 year stint as a lifestyle columnist and I was out almost every night) aside from holding a day job at a furniture factory. My G.Q. experience gave me great sociological lessons that came in very handy. 

fishing in Ocala, Florida

Except for a handful of classmates, teachers and staff in school, a boyfriend, few friends from Withit, and a non denominational church (called Watershed --- which prompted my aunt to ask if I've joined a cult), I only know a few regular names...Google, Ed-my landlord; Eric-the fishmonger; Seang-the florist; Anna-the dry cleaner; Linda and Dan-stylists at Sloan,a fave boutique; Gale-the postman; and Carlo-the waiter at my perfect dine alone place, Coco Osteria, when I lived downtown.  I've had my fair share of addresses---from a cool downtown loft (my dad fondly called it the sanitarium, he couldn't quite equate industrial to chic); an established building 3 blocks away properly called The Jefferson ; 

 a Euro summer in Chateau de Pourtales, Strasbourg 

(with a whole chapter of its own akin to 

Before Sunrise (2003) and Before Sunset (2007)

  

  a historic duplex in Dilworth (the only place I felt truly at home in Charlotte) ;

a rambling pink Victorian in Warrenton, Virginia for my internship with the amazing Barry Dixon ; back to Dilworth ; a brief stint in a neo-chateau in Lake Norman ; and now somewhere in the Hickory woods. This time, the name Gypsy Queen, has truly hit home. All this moving is not futile though since I've learned to downsize and only buy if I truly like something or it's necessary. All my possessions are in a 10x10' storage and a few special furniture pieces stored in a warehouse. Of course, an opposite philosophy applies to the planet where my shoes belong :-)

Coming from entrepreneurial and furniture influences, the Snug partner and I decided to toy with the idea of a furniture business. So on our first sneak presentation at High Point Market in Oct 2008, we had a cocktail party and some friends and family in the industry critique the products. Then we put the thought on hold for a good year to see if we should still do it while working on our day jobs (still d0). I finished a bachelor's degree in Interior Design in 2.5 years just in time when the economy tanked. 

the lovely O at Home  ladies enjoyed lounging in the Lo Rider 

with caviar pie and Louis Bouillot champagne

Fast forward to May 2010, SNUG was launched in New York at ICFF. Pre launch, I had read about the importance of Social Media as a marketing tool especially for start ups and joined Twitter April 2009. Like many, I didn't fully get it from the beginning and was somewhat aghast about tweeting away too much info but eventually started enjoying conversations with like minded people. An intimate come-as-you-are virtual cocktail party. Coming from a different culture where it's not quite common to ask "what do you do?" immediately after shaking hands, I didn't say too much on my Bio, only to realize later that it's imperative to do so unless one is a known figure. I met many of these people online through tweet ups and upon the encouragement of Social Media maven Leslie Carothers (@tkpleslie) of The Kaleidoscope Partnership and maximalist Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo (@abcddesigns), I started this blog last Sept 22nd so my first anniversary is coming up soon. I plan to celebrate it all week by showing photos and snippets of the year that was for me in Social Media. It has been a fun journey meeting wonderful people and getting to know some of you extremely well. I've learned so much from so many! To me, it's not only a marketing tool but a way to communicate in our constantly changing world where sometimes, all you need to do to say or ask for something is to #just140it (there are 140 characters per tweet).

I spent most of the summer in Cebu and went on an unintentional blog hiatus, a no no  in the blogosphere, since readers expect consistency. I was Home and it was more important for me to spend every waking moment with loved ones and kept many in betweens for spontaneity and me time. I just needed that. In this day and age of instant gratification and TMI, sometimes it is more sublime to savor and save it for later.  

Thank you for sharing your world with me and 
taking a peek into my world!

I look forward to getting to know you all better.

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

BiOHpolyols Project UDesign: A Soy Love Alifair

 

BiOHpolyols ' Project UDesign, is a contest, in collaboration with the Savannah College of Art and Design (@SCADdotedu), Century Furniture, and Toray Ultrasuede to crowdsource "the next generation sustainable wing chair."

Important dates for voting 

(All voting is only online at http://facebook.com/BiOHFans)

There are currently 6 designs and 5 semi-finalist students. Between now and Oct. 3rd at 11: 59 pm, all can vote for the 3 finalists. They will be selected only  by those who vote online and the 3 finalists will be announced on Monday, Oct. 4th on  www.facebook.com/BiOHFans

The voting for the three finalists announced on Oct. 4th will end at 11: 59pm , Tuesday, Oct. 19th and that person who has the most votes will win. The winner will be chosen only by online votes and none of the partners or related parties have any say so in the winner. It is completely the public's choice.

The winner will be announced at High Point Market on Wednesday, Oct. 20th in the Century Courtyard at the start of  Withit's  student mentoring day-approx. 9:15 am.

 

What's in it for the Winner?

1. $1000 from BiOH immediately
2. Their winning design will be produced and put into Century's regular line up for intro at the Spring 2011 High Point Market
3. The winning student will be paid royalties by Century on all sales of their winning chair once it's produced.
4. A lot of publicity!
 

The Alifair Chair by Ryland Quillen

"I thought about the concept of a wing chair, the wings providing comfort and a sense of enclosure. I realized, however, that if the wings are too imposing, they can block vision to the right and left when sitting in the chair. To cope with this, I decided to employ cut offs, creating a window large enough to see to either side when sitting. The gently swooping curve on either side suggests  the feeling of warmth and comfort without hindering sight.

Alifair is shown here upholstered in Charcoal Ultrasuede with contrasting Black Onyx piping and in Kagan Red Ultrasuede. The legs on the chair are tapered and shown in dark mahogany. Alifair will utilize Cargill's environmentally conscious BiOH foam." 

I have been off the blogosphere for many good reasons which I will explain in the next blog post but I was too excited about this project that I couldn't let it pass. First of all, as a furniture manufacturer and designer for SNUG , we Soy Love our BiOH and believe that sustainable design can be beautiful, contrary to what many people think. Some of you may wonder why I'm blogging about Century Furniture when I represent SNUG. I firmly believe that as manufacturers, distributors,  retailers, designers, and consumers, it is our responsibility to use and specify sustainable resources for our quality furniture and home accessories. By sharing and coming together, the opportunity to have a major impact in the reduction of oil used and energy saved is huge. For every 1 million pounds of BiOH's soy polyol ingredient sold to the major foam manufacturers, 84,000 barrels of petroleum are saved. 

I won't bore you any further with statistics....So how did I get to picking this particular one? It's no secret that I'm a furniture girl at heart and the cut out wings immediately resonated with me in 5 seconds. I looked at the others and went back to this one in a heartbeat .  As they say, don't overthink it. The designer, Ryland Quillen's, words "the wings providing comfort and a sense of enclosure" and "the gently swooping curves suggesting warmth and comfort" screamed snuglicious!

Here's how I've created a Frou La La tableau with my favorite things using sustainable resources (natural, recycled, repurposed, biodegradable, energy efficient) without looking granola.  Please click on image to enlarge.

clockwise from top left: Alifair wings with the Ultrasuede  black onyx contrast piping | a postcard from one of my European trips as inspiration (Uptown, 1968 by Richard Lindner - the original is in Neue Museum in Nurnberg) | set of 4 1970s glass rod and chrome pendant lights (orig. USA) with adjustable cords for accent and illumination from Irwin Feld Design   | a Stuart Weitzman ad which also serves as an inspirational sweet edgy image | Alifair Wing Chair in Ultrasuede charcoal by Ryland Quillen (shoutout to vote!) | pugella diamond tuft sofa, tattoo cocktail table and link end table by SNUG  |  salvaged solid American white oak top with  steel and cast iron base by AT-95  | undyed, 100% unprocessed Tibetan wool by Inigo Elizalde Rugs  | LED stardust floor pillow glow-in-the-dark red by Mario Bellini from Moss  | Jil Sander sandals (as some of you know, I have to inject a solemate into my interiors) | Alifair Wing Chair in Ultrasuede Kagan Red | jet stream cowhide leather wallpaper in mint, teal, rita, azalea, platinum by Kyle Bunting | 1970s lucite and resin gazelle head from Irwin Feld Design 

Key Links to Remember

BiOH's blog: http://experiencebioh.com

Site for voting: http://facebook.com/BiOHFans

Site for watching the videos of the students: http://youtube/com/user/BiOHpolyols

Online voters will choose  the first sustainable wing chair to be crowdsourced  and produced 
(once winner is chosen) in the history of the furniture industry. What are you waiting for? VOTE NOW!

Nate Day BlogParty

Nate Berkus needs no introduction. His creative pursuits have enjoyed exponential popularity through the Oprah effect. Rightly so, his laidback luxe style is attainable yet unexpected and speaks to most. Images below are some of my favorites from his portfolio.

The storied personal life of Nate Berkus is just as well documented. When he experienced loss, the world cried and mourned with him. When I learned about his relationship with Brian Atwood, I was giddy with excitement since he is one of my favorite shoe designers. The images from Elle Decor below are from their Milan apartment.

understated chic

iconic touches such as the Martinique wallpaper and hand chair

adding glamour to the room

Ah, this room has everything I want! 

Antique chairs, zebra rug, ebony and horn table

 and shoes shoes shoes!!

To satiate your Nate Berkus appetite, check out his
more-dash-for-less-cash line at HSN.

Or mark your calendars for The Nate Berkus Show,
which will premiere in the Fall, 

September 13, 2010!

Blog Hiatus

As some of you know may have noticed, I dropped off the face of the earth since my Snug Life rapidly took over me the past couple of months. As much as I can multitask, I couldn't bring myself to write even if there were many exciting happenings and inspirational things to write about. It was one of the few times where I felt the soulful parts of my mind and body were running on empty. Stressed out of my wits, I couldn't relax, sleep, and was snappy. So after a hectic year that went full steam last April and May, I came home to Cebu for a much needed break and surrounded myself with the comforts of home  and the love and pampering of family and best friends. As you can see from the images below, it has been home sweet home.....

Cebu Mangoes

Papayas

Sineguelas or Spanish Plum

I will be finishing up my Easter Chronicles story and doing an ode to Social Media before blogging about my Cebu escapades. Thank you friends for hanging out with me here on Frou La La and for all the wonderful convos on Twitter :-)

The Way of the Cross: Contemporary Interpretation

A few years ago, my dear friend and brilliant furniture designer, Debbie Palao, asked me to work with her on a stations of the cross project for the contemporary chapel she designed for the Capuchin Tertiary Order of the Holy Family. Our dear friend, Sister Luz Maria Buitrago , was instrumental in making this happen. After conceptualizing over cups of Illy espresso in her veranda, we came up with these ideas using materials on hand. The brushed aluminum plaques and roman numerals in cut ebony veneer were prepared ahead of time at our workshop. Another good friend and jewelry designer, Miranda Konstantinidou,  gave us a  generous supply of Swarovski crystals. 

The Last Supper

industrial plastic tubing, Swarovski crystals for the red wine, 

rice grains to depict the host

Jesus prays in the Garden of Olives

Debbie asked a friend to bring an olive branch from Greece 

Jesus is condemned to death by the Sanhedrin

rattan woven balls, black fiber mesh, brass drawer pulls

Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns

Debbie's security guard fashioned this barbed wire 

while stationed at the gate

Jesus falls the first time

nim tree branch and copper wire 

Jesus falls the second time

Simon of Cyrene helps 

Jesus carry His Cross

mdf board shaped into hands from Debbie's workshop

Jesus encounters the women of Jerusalem

Swarovski crystal tears

MDF board and abaca fabric

Jesus is nailed to the cross

rusty nails from an old shed toolbox

Jesus promises to share his reign with the good thief

natural hand-made paper and buri sticks

Jesus is on the cross with his 

Mother and disciple below

abaca fabric, jute thread, natural hand-made paper, and shells

Jesus dies on the cross

wood veneer scrap

Jesus is laid in the tomb

marble stone,abaca fabric

Holy Saturday and Easter Resurrection

ribbon with gold thread and nim branch

Debbie has since designed two other chapels and we will work on two more sets come June. I look forward to sharing this beautiful and spiritual bonding activity with her.  These photos are from the first chapel in Cebu.

A divinely designed Blessed Sacrament 

with a lighted disc inlaid with small bamboo bits

Aside from dedicating this post to Debbie and Sister Luz Maria, I would like to include Fr. Patty Flanagan who walked with me on my last Way of the Cross in Lourdes, France. He made it more meaningful by including relevant reflection statements. 

Here are a couple of inspirational chapel photos 

from Interior Design Magazine

with one of my all time favorite furniture pieces,

the Panton Chair.

photography by Qubus Design