Friday, May 27, 2011

The CC Event of the Summer!!

Ladies and Gents:  
Chrysalis Couture will be taking some time away from blogging to finish planning the wedding of our Creative Director and Designer ,Cassandra Stearn’s, scheduled to be held on Friday July 15th at the Inn of The Seventh Ray.  This “event of the summer” will not be without us in spirit, as we are doing all the designing and decorating for this special occasion ourselves. From flower arrangements to our own very own textiles as table runners and more! This event will showcase just all the creative possibilities the Chrysalis Couture Studio is capable of.  Please stay tuned to for pictures and highlights on all of the details that are going in to making this event possible, scheduled to be back in full force in mid August!  
In the meantime get outside and soak in some sun!!!
Creatively Yours,
The Chrysalis Couture Studio

Friday, May 20, 2011

“Sex Up Your Space” Legends 2011

This is our first year attending the Legends of La Cienega: Celebrate Art event in the LCDQ....Fun panel discussions, lots of tasty treats along the way(meaning champagne and chocolate covered strawberries...yummmm) and some inspirational design ideas! 

The most noteable discussion we attended was “Sex Up Your Space”  at Waterworks where Megan Arquette of beachbungalow8, Charles de Lisle and Erinn Valencich were guided through a series of questions and pictures by Erin Fehrer of California Home+Design


This fun and flirty discussion made it very clear that animal prints and leather were not the way to decorating a sexy space...the bow chica bow wow days are over and there are better more subtle ways to create a seductive atmosphere.  We are not just talking about in the bedroom either,  suprising nooks and hallways should not be ignored when it comes to giving off the sexy vibe. Lighting was a big one and Chrysalis Couture agrees that lighting in the right spot and in the right amount can do wonders for a space...Erin Valencich likes to include crystal chandeliers to add “the right amount of sparkle”.  In addition to using suggestive pieces that invoke conversation, panelists also agreed that low furniture and using deep, saturated color was a must!
On a humorous note,  crusty pizza boxes and smelly laundry are out when it comes to giving that first impression, especially when you are trying to suggest your bachelor days are OVER...instead replace with a fresh, clean aroma and well kept environment that anyone would want to relax in...cause afterall feeling sexy is all about feeling relaxed!
So now...go make your space sexy...things are heating up here now that summer is arriving and so should your interiors:)
Creatively Yours,
Cassandra Stearns

Friday, May 13, 2011

Creating Buzz For Your Brand

So I was fortunate to have been invited to an industry event moderated by Julie Noran of Editor At Large on “Creating Buzz For Your Brand” and what a blast it was.  Accompanied by my plus one, Miss Mallory Curlee of Curlee Bikini, we headed off to an evening of champagne and hors d’oeuvres followed by a panel discussion by industry experts on online marketing as well as giving your business a competitive edge.  The four panelists included Crystal Gentilello, Jason Oliver NIxon, Keith Granet and Vanessa De VargasEach have their own unique take on the business and a gamut of experience to back it up. 


To top the evening off they asked me to do a brief interview for Editor Tv which usually includes 3-4 minute event coverage! The topic being discussed was best outdoor entertaining suggestions....so exciting...see a behind the scenes pic below! The video is now up online share for all of you. Be prepared to get inspired with some ideas from some new, emerging designers on how best to host your next outdoor fiesta!    
 Creatively Yours,
 Cassandra

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

All Things Apfel!

Nearly every morning after breakfast I check out the Fashion section of New York Magazine and to my surprise I found this snippet on Iris Apfel taken from this months Architectural Digest..... If you don't already know of Iris Apfel you must! She is a fabulous inspiration in both the style and interior design world! Truely a "rare bird"! Check out these inspirational pics from her New York apartment and a few of my favorite quotes and snippets from the article! 




Many of the pillows featured in Mrs. Apfel's Manhattan home are exact hand loomed reproductions of 17th, 18th , 19th and early 20th century fabrics...one of the results from having founded textile company "Old World Weavers" 






Louis XVI style chairs....hmmmm....ironically similar to the one I repurposed for our "CHAIR-ITY"....I had no idea it was such a popular thing when I bought the roughed up chair...Its a great boost to me to know I my instincts are on the right track:) 






I love this picture for 2 reasons....First because it reminds of my Great-Grandmother, Nanna Sylvester, who looks shockingly similar to Iris Apfel, not only cause of the glasses but the because of the huge grin of happiness on her face.  And secondly, because I am envious of all the racks of vintage clothes she owns!

Check out this video I found of and interview she did back in 2009....You will fall in love with the way she articulates herself and how it gives you an internal voice in reading anything she’s quoted on.







Finally I will leave you with this snippet of history on how she found her calling into interior design.  As for me it is my admiration for people like her who have contributed to my urge to decorate the world forward!


She didn’t start out to be an interior designer. What she hankered for in the early 1940s, as a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin’s art school, was a career in fashion. But after landing her first job as a $15-a-week copy girl at Women’s Wear Daily, she figured out that advancement there was blocked because the editors she hoped to someday replace were, as she puts it, “either too old to get pregnant or too young to die.” A stint working for a well-connected woman who tarted up apartments to make them marketable during the World War II housing doldrums followed. “She couldn’t decorate her way out of a shoebox,” says Apfel, but she had a talent for scavenging from junkyards and flea markets the kinds of furniture and fabrics that were hard to come by in wartime. The thrill of the hunt was contagious, and the conviction that Apfel could outdo her employer was inspiring. “I realized I had found my calling,” she declares. “Interior design was for me.”

Monday, May 9, 2011

Glam Chair for Charity Up For Auction!!

A few weeks back we posted on a new project we started in efforts to re-vamp an old vintage chair for charity and the day is finally here!! Our GLAM chair is officially up for auction on the UBH eBay store! Visit the attached link and show your love! Starting bid is $100 and all proceeds will go to the UBH to help them in there efforts to eliminate homelessness among families with children in LA...Pass this along to anyone you may know who would be interested in a fab new chair for their apartment or home!!!


To see more on how this chair became its GLAM self check out our April 8th post on "The Beginning of Our Chair-ity"

Creatively Yours,
Cassandra

Friday, May 6, 2011

VIntage Fashion Expo

So much fun this past weekend attending Santa Monica’s Vintage Fashion Expo at the SM civic auditorium! It was a sunny California day perfect for riding bikes along the beach with one of my favorite Starbuck’s beverages: I call it the black tea lemonlady.  


 This is my re-purposed bike in progress...I got the color and fabric inspiration from the first GLAM chair I did:) Hot pinks and oranges bringing on the summer heat with the addition of the lovely new basket I got for my birthday:)


I found 4 vintage silks scarves from this vendor all hand rolled which means quality and hand-crafted to me:)


digging, digging


and more digging



 Making friends with some fun and energetic vendors: Their names were David and Sabino.  The energy they had was contagious and sure put a smile on my face:)  David owns the Clever Vintage boutique in downtown Los Angeles....visit his site to see what other shows he will be at and we will be there too:)


David and Sabino doing a little impromptu photo shoot with us:)




Although a little blurry I am in aw and excited at the vintage Emilo Pucci print dress in a heavy weight velvet. $800 is a little pricey right now but knowing it exists may come in handy for that high end client in the future:)




hmmm.yeah or ney?...me in debates over this navy, red and white peice that would fit perfectly into a color story I have in the works...the verdict was ney due to the amount of seams and minimal fabric there was to work with.



This is my smirk knowing the next stop for us is the beach!