Valentina

Positivity Weekly Color Challenge: Turquoise | Valentina Cirasola | Designer

18 May 2020 17 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #PinkandTurquoise, #PinkColoredGlasses, #PinkVibration, #TurquoiseVibration, #VibrantColorCombination, #WeeklyColorChallenge

Being on shelter-in time and away from humans has pushed a lot of people of different backgrounds to create kind of a silent movement simply for entertaining and contributing to the serenity of others. They offer a little something beneficial to the soul, they are helping others while helping themselves being uplifted. I don’t feel exonerated and I am doing just the same. I started with solo videos talking about short stories of the “Evolution Of The Home” then I interviewed people on my TV Show “Inspiration From…”. I went on with a monthly inspirational Zoom call with my Facebook group Design One Beautiful Life and now I am challenging the members of this group with a “Positive Weekly Color Challenge”. Helping others is fun and makes me feel good, it keeps me also away from my own challenges. The other day I was wearing mirrored rose-colored glasses while attending my garden. I kept seeing a bluish, rosy, and pale yellow light through my lenses, which gave my environment a serene view. A thought came to my mind, why do we need to wear rose-colored glasses?

In a highly stressful time such as this one we are experiencing, we need to see the whole picture in a more positive way, find ways to improve our life or ways to be creative in making a new living and certainly stay away from negativity.

(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Pink and Turquoise – Valentina Cirasola

Wearing “rose-colored glasses” is an expression used to describe a person who sees only the positive. Through the rose-colored glasses, the world takes a softer tone, not everything looks so harsh and we develop compassion for ourselves and others. Pink vibration takes us back to childhood cuddling, teaches us playfulness, and self-love.
Yes, it’s good to love yourself, do it often and believe it. If we pair pink with turquoise, we will find our inner peace to share with others, in fact, when we are at peace our immunity system will strengthen on its own. The world, while wearing rose-colored glasses, will look a bit more pleasant and it did while I was working in the garden wearing my pair of rose-colored glasses.

For the entire week, we need to be more introspective using pink and turquoise. I promise it will push out some emotions. I suggest to surround yourself with home objects in these two colors, or wear something pink with turquoise, and be restful pondering about feeling the love for yourself.

These are some of the responses I received from the members of the group about this positive color challenge.

Pink and Turquoise – Valentina Cirasola

A few months ago, in the sea of people on the Internet, and in various groups, I spotted Sandra Phillips, from England, one super creative person, who uses her admiration for colors and her ability to see endless possibilities beyond “pre-loved clothes”, to create new, very original outfits. She hand illustrates every outfit she wears daily. She appeared on my TV show “Inspiration from a fashion lover” and from there I was hooked on her style. Here she is wearing a knotted turquoise linen shirt and cerise linen cropped balloon pants. On her feet, she is wearing a pair of Michael Kors gold leather gladiator sandals (£10 in a charity shop). Cerise button earrings and a wooden tassel necklace accessorize her ensemble. Everything is pre-loved from charity shops. Great finds!
She is on Instagram.

Pink and Turquoise-Sandra Phillips

Cicely Gilman from California is a very colorful fabric artist, she is into painting fashion and home décor items. Lately, she has been making face masks using her hand-painted fabric. Here she is wearing her favorite mauve pink color. The top has been beautifully embroidered with turquoise and cream threads, that she paired with a mauve cut-velvet skirt and a pink cotton petticoat. She accessorizes this outfit with a turquoise necklace. Well done! She is on Etsy.

Pink and Turquoise-Cicely Gilman

Joe Hinchliffe from Australia writes a daily poem based on the color or pattern of the garment she wears, then she recites the poem in a video. She is so witty! Here she is showing two upcycled garments she made last year in these colors. She joined garments together to create unique, bespoke outfits. The pink pants, she says, are actually made from a pashmina scarf. Clever idea! A few other women I met online do the same, this is a new expression of individuality. She is on Facebook.

Pink and Turquoise – Jo Hinchliffe

Nikki Wellington from Australia is a multifaceted artist, she is a lantern maker, a mosaic artist, prop maker, and doodler. She is also a face and body painter. She drew a quick doodle/sketch in pink and turquoise for this challenge. The line of the outfit is very becoming and the necklace is so attractive. She is on Facebook.

Pink and Turquoise – Nikki Wellington

Teagan Geneviene is a prolific author living in New Mexico. I love her 1920’s stories. Coral is a cousin’s color pink, it works for me, even if is it is red. She made this coral necklace many years ago. She found a carved turquoise Kuan Yin and attached it to the long string of coral, that she could wear it many different ways, including as a belt with the pendant as a drop. Great idea! She elaborated on the stone representing Kuan Yin. The deity has been worshiped in many countries for thousands of years. Over time she’s become a sort of an “all-purpose goddess” since so many things are attributed to her. She’s mostly a goddess of mercy. “Chinese Bodhisattva/ Goddess of Compassion, Mercy and Kindness is considered to be a mother-goddess”. Thank you.

Coral and Turquoise – Teagan Geneviene

Teagan is currently writing a novel set in 1965. She is giving her heroine, Venus, this turquoise and pink creation from a 1965 issue of Vogue magazine. See her books here.

Pink and Turquoise – Credit: Horst P. Horst

Dorothy Atkins is a California artist. Her art has been featured in local magazines and national news articles. For the pink and turquoise challenge, she presented her box of color including her hand-painted cards and favorite Laurel Birch scarf. Nice display. View her artwork here.

Pink and Turquoise- Dorothy Atkins

This has been fun, now experience your feelings, live with these two colors for the entire week, arrange this color combination in your home, wear it interchanging fashion items and jewelry and eat some pink macaroon or pink pasta. I made a bunch of gnocchi from red beets and came out so beautifully colored. I will eat them for the entire week with one sauce or another. As for turquoise food, there aren’t that many, blueberry tea or blueberry ice cream will do.

Gnocchi-Red Beets-Gorgonzola – Valentina Cirasola

Next week’s challenge will be about another fun color combination. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com
Amazon Author’s Page

It’s my hope that through my writing and my stories I am enriching your aesthetic sensibility towards design, style, and inspiring you to live in beauty. I love to encourage my clients to show their personality through their home décor, or the clothes they wear. I have loved my profession as an interior-fashion designer since 1990. I am here ready to offer consultations on-line if you need it. Check out one of my books on the subject of colors:
©RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition, paperback, and kindle.
Amazon and Barnes&Noble

One Day In Napa | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Design

09 May 2020 8 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #ContemporaryDining, #Furnishing, #HomeDecor, #InteriorDesign, #Minimalist, #ModernInteriors

Moving away from the chaotic metropolitan area feels very good, I can already taste the pleasure of wines. Leaving behind the super crowded freeway and slipping down a country road feels even better. Nature starts to feel real and aromatic. The sound of the wine train that takes visitors from one vineyard to another reminds me very much of the local train in Puglia of many years ago with the beautiful round and imposing façade of an old smokey locomotive. The train greets us in the wine valley. Life here starts to appear slower and not marked by time, the only time that really needs to be marked is the harvest of the grapes.

(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Sattui Winery

Locomotive wine train

It’s so nice to see long stretches of land planted with vineyards, everything is so lush and bucolic. I start to see the Mediterranean style homes the old Italian emigrants preferred, and old Victorian-style homes built before 1887, wrought iron on doors and gates, wine barrels everywhere as decorative items of stores and vineyards.

The air is sultry, of course, it’s a valley away from the sea breeze. Grapes don’t like winds or an abrupt change of weather, they like it hot and calm.

Napa Vineyards

Middle-class people inhabit the outskirt of the wine valley, they are mostly workers of the vineyards, homes are down to earth and convenience stores serve them. The change in lifestyle is immediately noticeable when approaching the fancy vineyard establishments where people go for wine tasting and shopping for high-class or imported food. Here, days go by tasting wines, eating specialty food, and international variety of cheeses. I think that’s the reason people are so relaxed here. Life is easier when it is not stuck in the same groove.

Mid-Day Sultriness

Napa Historic Building

The views are beautiful, no matter what. St.Helena is very posh, art stores, tourist shops, boutiques, and decorating shops cater to sophisticated people. Prices and originality are very high, I love to discover them all, at least I get my eyes filled with creativity.
This Italian original wine press is from around the 1700s, I would love to have it for my garden, next to my Bacchus’s face hanging on the wall.

ItalianWinePress

Home décor stores appeal to me more than anything else. In this store, the atmosphere is dark and minimalist. It displays home items generally a family with kids will not choose to have. The furniture here is theatrical and very playful.

Store Display

What do you do with a metal mannequin dressed in a cotton funky dress or with a rusted bucket and a thick rope spilling out? Nothing, they are nice details that make you wonder. The stone wall behind the bucket gives that natural character, in fact, stones, and metal are two elements found in nature. Between the 1950s-70s a lot of homes had stone interior walls as an accent, then builders got away from using stones and started to build homes without characters, resembling more like shoe boxes.

Ropes-Rusty-Vessel

This table is set for people who like to converse on intelligent topics, while they are sipping a lot of wine and eating small morsels of food, that’s the way I imagine it. It’s dark, minimalist, metal plates, golden tone flatware, glass top table, tall back wicker chairs, but I don’t think a lot of eating is happening here. This décor is suited for single people, high rollers, definitely not for a family with kids.

Table-Setting

I love this swivel chair, it feels like a seed pod.

Flag Swivel Chair

I was intrigued by these bergère chairs, they feel very baroque in style, except the legs are too short and the backs too high. They have been revisited in a modern key.

Napa Store

What I am trying to prove with this post is that an interior décor style must fit your lifestyle, otherwise, as beautiful or posh it might be, you will never feel comfortable in it. I will be happy to help you find your style. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola transforms and creates spaces realizing people’s dreams in homes, offices, interiors, and exteriors. She infuses your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away a comfortable living. Valentina is well-known for bringing originality on any project and for thinking outside the box. Her interiors are not made with cookie cutters, they only follow the client’s inspiration, lifestyle, and personality. She offers online design consultations through Skype or Zoom and the traditional in-house consultations, helping people with their design challenge anywhere in the world. She is the author of five books.

Amazon – Barnes&Noble

Painting With Yarn | Valentina Cirasola | Designer

02 May 2020 6 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #CrochetArt, #CrochetFashion, #ModernCrochet, #OneOfAKindFashion, #OriginalCrochet, #PaintingWithYarn

It’s hard to believe not too long ago I used to paint with acrylics, oils, watercolors, crayons, and Indian ink. Creativity and space are the most important things needed to become an artist aside from having a good amount of money for supplies and organizing art shows. I had enough space when I was painting, my only complaint was about how expensive the supplies were, but I never thought I was going to run out of space, then I moved to the States and my space became a necessity. Real estate here is super expensive. I bought my home and I thought it was enough until I moved in. Soon I realized my home is cute, colorful, and compact. My dilemma has been how to occupy my rooms sensibly to assure me a comfortable living. I had to give up painting, to make room for my office, and all the large drawings I had to do when I was on home remodel projects for clients.

For someone like me who likes any art, giving up painting was hard. Something else had to take place to feed my soul and it did. My interior design work provided me with enough satisfaction, the drawings of interiors I did for work, satisfied that hunger for art I had. Seeing their joy, seeing how at ease they were at the end of each project, receiving the gratitude of their journeys with me was and still is the best.

Abstract Top – Front

OK, that art was related to my work. Again, I had to find new art just for me. I learned to sew, crochet, and knit at a very young age. Once I had the basics down, I ventured in exploring free-form in crochet, and sewing. Patterns never interested me, my imagination always told me to go to the abstract and asymmetrical lines, the same as I do in the interior design because they are easier on the eyes, they hide angular corners and all the not pleasant curves.

It has been many years since I revived these art forms, originally created as hobbies. To see something grow out of nothing, without a pattern or a thought is so rewarding. I just start a thread with a needle and the rest is all a big question mark, almost until the end, when I start to see where I am going.

Abstract Top – Back

Strangely enough, the inspiration for this abstract crochet top came from one of my coffee cups, hand-made by a ceramic artist. My best inspirations seem to come when I am around food.

Hand-painted espresso cup

Although I didn’t want to, my crochet art has become a work, I have produced so much that I have run out of space again and I had to open a store to sell all my production on Etsy. Enjoy all my products here where aside from knitted fashion you will find hand-carved exotic wood pens, blank cards made from my photography, button covers, and more, all made by me.

Now, I paint with yarn. It has been eight years going to trade fairs where I present and sell my original one-of-a-kind pieces. Working without a pattern, I can’t repeat the same piece again, thus originality is guaranteed.
“Originality is the greatest form of rebellion” – Mike Sasso.
Ciao,
Valentina
Fashion Services

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. She has conceived a few new books of various subjects to which she is working simultaneously. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. Some years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire, and inform, while she is living her passion. Get a copy of her books here:
Amazon and Barnes&Noble

I Am On Electric Press | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

29 Apr 2020 3 Comments

by Valentina in Books Blog Tags: #ColorEmotions, #ColorTalk, #ColorVibrations, #DesigningWithColors, #ElectricPressArticles, #ValentinaCirasolaAuthor

The publisher of Electric Press opens my article with a question: “An article about interior design in a literary magazine…are we crazy? No, we are not.
He continues: As Valentina explains in this article, the interior design of our homes and workspaces have an important bearing on our health and wellbeing and, ultimately this is reflected in our creativity”.

My article “Colours and Emotions” was published today and perhaps it came at the right time when the entire world is on a painful lockdown, sheltered in our homes. We can beat our seclusion by surrounding ourselves with colorful homes, colorful food, and scented plants. During this time, we all have less to do, it might be a good time to learn how to use mirrors to double the image of all pretty things in the home, how to use lights to create great atmospheres and see colors as our friendly aid to positivity.

Nothing beats seeing vibrant colors as soon as we open our eyes to a new day.
Of course, the chirping of birds, a kiss from the loved one, and the aroma of fresh brewing coffee are part of this corollary I call the good life, a natural consequence of a harmonious environment colored the way we like, because you see, before you slapped colors on your walls, or you selected colorful clothes, someone colored the world just the way it is with blue sky, yellow sun, green grass, brown trees, colorful flowers, blue waters, colorful fish, white mountains, and on and on, he was sure we were going to like it.

What is there to be afraid when using colors? If I can keep converting people to colors, I will keep on being happy.

Click on each picture to view the article and enjoy it.

Colours and Emotions – Page 54-55

Colours and Emotions – Page 56-57

Click here to read Electric Press May edition. Thank you, Paul, for publishing my article. Ciao,
Valentina
Amazon Author’s Page

Space and Inspiration | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

24 Apr 2020 8 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #CeilingDesign, #ColorAtmosphere, #ColorsAndLight, #FantasyRoom, #Inspiration, #InteriorDesign, #WritingRoom

I am so honored I have been featured with my article Space and Inspiration on the site of Author James J. Cudney IV, in the Tips and Advice section, where authors can share their tips on any subject they love. My topics always gravitate around design, style, and colors, that’s what I do the best since I have conducted my design business for three decades and not showing signs of wanting to quit.

In this article, the ceiling is the protagonist. I talk about how the ceilings might play a good role in inspiring writers. Some of my pictures show extravagant ceilings of places I have visited in Europe. I am not saying that to have an inspiration, a writer must have one of those highly decorated and historical ceilings to be able to write.

Inspiration can come from anything, even from a stone, or from a dollop of butter curled in an unusual way. It happened to me a long time ago, when looking at that dollop of butter on my plate, I ended up designing the exterior part of a home in Italy.

It’s easier for me to look up above if I am waiting for something to come to me, a spiritual, artistic, or a fantasy inspiration. That phrase my father pronounced “You are not going to find it on the floor” stuck with me ever since.

Tips-Advice by Valentina Cirasola

Click the graphic above or the link below here to enjoy the article.
I hope you have an inspirational space to write or do your creative work. If you don’t, I am an email or a phone call away.

https://thisismytruthnow.com/2020/04/24/tips-advice-products-services-valentina-designs

Permit me just a little shameless promotion of my book on Colors, available in paperback and ebook version on Amazon and Barnes&Noble:
©Red- A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition. It will help to shed a light on all the benefits, including health and wellness, colors will bring into our life.

RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition

Thank you, James, you are a great person with a big heart, I would have never met you without the internet. Ciao.
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. She has conceived a few new books of various subjects to which she is working simultaneously. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. A couple of years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire, and inform, while she is living her passion. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Reminiscence | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

18 Apr 2020 4 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #1950sHomeMagazine, #ColorfulHome, #DesigningWithBoldColors, #InteriorDesign, #SplitFloorHome

I don’t know why suddenly one of my clients came to my mind today, she was the owner of this house. She was a very tall woman, her weight, which was well distributed on her body gave her a powerful presence. She met me at one of my “colors” speaking engagements when I surprise people talking about the emotions colors produce on human beings. She hired me just to fix the grey and beige colors of her home, interiors, and exterior. She gave me permission to go bold with colors but not the furniture. She left all her traditional furniture in place.
The colors I selected required very modern and stylish furniture and although she was very happy about the vibrant colors, I was disappointed to not being able to finish her interiors with great furniture that would have emphasized the colors and made her home an artistic place.

(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Kitchen Dining Area – Original colors

This home was designed with a split floor, a very popular layout in the ’70s and ’80s. I love this concept of open views from any level while maintaining each area separately. She left this world at age 42 and only enjoyed her colors for a short year. Her sister, who still lives in New York, left me and my realtor in charge of the sale the house and all the contents. It was on the market for only one week, an Indian family fell in love with the colors and bought it.

For some reason, today I was thinking of her. I looked at all the pictures of her project, upstairs, downstairs, the garden patio and I noticed that the style of her furniture would have done very well in a 1950s magazine.
I played with photoshop on a few pictures and turned her colorful home into the mid-century style.

Kitchen-Dining Area – 50’s magazine style

Comparing the mid-century style I created with the original pictures, I must say, I still like the games of colors I put in this house.

Living Area – Original Colors

Living Area – Sepia tone

This is her cute patio, we sat there for coffee many times when I was overseeing this work. All her plants, garden fixtures, statues, and table sets now live in my garden.

Garden Patio View 1

Garden Patio View 2

It felt good to indulge in reminiscence, I heard her voice and the expression of happiness when the paintwork was completed.

Do you want to know how colors affect you emotionally? This is the book you want to get in Kindle or paperback format.

RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition – Valentina Cirasola

Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com
Amazon Author’s Page

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. She has conceived a few new books of various subjects to which she is working simultaneously. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. A couple of years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire and inform, while she is living her passion. Get a copy of her books here:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Be Inspired In My Design Universe | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

16 Apr 2020 7 Comments

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #AuthorJamesCudneyIV, #ChefRosaMariotti, #InspirationalShows, #PaolaBallerina, #ValentinaDesignUniverse

Watching people getting marriage proposals, getting serenaded, playing neighborly bingo, and singing from balconies in Europe has been my latest divertissement. Me, I am OK being quiet on all fronts, blogging, on social platforms and with my design work. It’s even hard to write when there is no life around us. I am keeping in touch through video calls and messages with people who had disappeared from my life and I am happy to know they are all alive and kicking.

As the world turns, days have become all the same, Sundays, Mondays or Friday are all mixed in as if making a cake. I am allowing myself to feel what I feel in this strange situation, instead of beating myself up for not being a superhuman and not producing as I did a few months ago. Some days, I do see a glimmer of light and I think rebirth is approaching, it will be better than ever before when it will happen, I am excited already.

Due to the closing of many businesses, I can’t even produce TV shows in the studio with cameramen and the whole crew of technicians, we are still on the social distancing mode for a little while longer ☹️🥺. I miss being in the TV studio, preparing the stage and the shows. I thought why not bringing online the same shows? I started a mini-series called “Inspiration From…” My guests are varied and speak about their trades, specialties or quirks.

Click on each photo to view the show or click on each name to visit their web homes.

The first guest was a young Ballerina, Paola. She catapulted me and the audience in her fascinating world of classical dance and the glamour of theatre performances. She is very disciplined in how she spends her days and pursuing her dancing career goals. With her will, she can inspire the stones, if that is possible.

Paola Ballerina

Author James J. Cudney IV talked about his art of writing. Is it challenging being an author of contemporary and mystery fiction? I believe it is. To produce these kinds of novels, one must include good drama and a good dose of suspense without giving out all the secrets until the very last page. Two of his books have been translated into the Portuguese language, how lovely. 😀

Author James J Cudney IV

How can the day not be delightful with a chef on board? Chef Rosa Mariotti makes extravagant fancy food look so easy and maybe they are to those who cook for passion or for work. Her food is spiced up with the right salts. Who knew so many salts from all over the world are available to us !!!!
Her food and her food photography are a huge inspiration, if you like to eat well like I do.

Chef Rosa Mariotti

A musician specialized in Renaissance music, Gabriella Perugini, performed on the show with a lute. She says a sound is a form of energy produced by vibrations, which in turn are caused by the movement of particles. The sounds she produces with Medieval and Renaissance instruments are multisensory, as she involves all the senses of the audience using scents, chocolate, flowers, poetry, paintings to amplify the experience.

Musician Gabriella Perugini

Next week, my guest will be a sweet woman from London, England, Sandra Phillips, who is not in the fashion business but loves being in fashion her own way. She uses pre-loved clothes to make her own interpretation and then she produces a daily drawing of every outfit she wears. A fun way to see her style combination though each day. Instagram as DressIntoArt . She will inspire people to reuse and upcycle clothes while saving the environment and limiting child exploitation. I will post the link to her show next week.z

Dress Into Art

Would you like to be in my Design Universe and be an inspiration to other people? The series “Inspiration From…” will continue only for a short while, please contact me if you like to participate. Ciao,
Valentina
https://www.amazon.com/Valentina-Cirasola/e/B0031A02H2

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. She has conceived a few new books of various subjects to which she is working simultaneously. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. A few years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire and inform, while she is living her passion.
Get a copy of her books here:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Inspiration From An Author | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

06 Apr 2020 5 Comments

by Valentina in Books Blog Tags: #BookTalk, #InspirationalTalk, #InspirationFromAnAuthor, #JamesCudneyIV, #TalkShow, #WritingBooks

My Saturday started with an inspiration. Author James J.Cudney IV was a great guest on my online show Valentina Design Universe. I am starting a new short series of shows, called “Inspiration From…” for only a couple of weeks, to help people coping with the forced shelter-in and social distancing. The topics will be related to various fields, just to keep people interested. This is a tough time for everyone, I am doing what I can to alleviate the solitude we feel at this time.

James was a gracious guest, he is not camera-shy and a pleasure to listen to. Watch the show here.
He has a few books in the making and I hope we can see some of them by the end of this year. Perhaps, when he publishes the new book, he will return to the show.

I learned that when writing a mystery novel, it’s best not to disclose all the secrets at the beginning. That would be my downfall if I were writing a novel, it would be a short 3 pages novel.

James inspired me to continue to write the two books I had started last year when I was launching The Road To Top Of The World and Red – A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition, and I had to leave the half-written books in the funnel.

After the show yesterday, I prepared the dough for bread and focaccia for the week, while the dough was rising, I looked at the files of one of the two books and wrote two chapters. This morning on Sunday I wrote one chapter. Sometimes, we just need a little push from outside and for this, I will say thank you, James, you relieved me of my momentary torpor.

Who knows, perhaps the world was turning too fast and we all needed to slow down. I don’t want to get into political discussions, it’s pointless, the damage is done. However, I can say I was doing and feeling good the way I was turning before this pandemic. Now, I feel like a sack of potatoes without even one sprout growing.

My guest for next week has been infected with the coronavirus, she is so sweet, I wish her well and a speedy recovery.
If anyone wants to participate in my short online TV series “Inspiration From…” please contact me and we will have a show remotely on your favorite topic and you will talk how you can inspire others.
Stay safe, stay well. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. She has conceived a few new books of various subjects to which she is working simultaneously. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. Three years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host and she produces shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire and inform, while she is living her passion. https://valentinadesignuniverse.com
Get a copy of her books here:
Amazon and Barnes&Nobles

What’s Up Peeps? | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

02 Apr 2020 13 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #HomeHistory, #HomeStyles, #HomeTallk, #InteriorDesign, #InteriorDesignTalk, #ValentinaDesignUniverse

The coronavirus has brought all of us to our knees, everyone I know is sheltered-in, but not everyone I know is doing good emotionally. Some of my friends cannot work due to the nature of the work they do and some others work from home. Some people are getting depressed and some are very happy with the slow, downtime as they realized their life was on the accelerated mode. Many people have rediscovered their homes and the people they live with and some other people are getting farther apart, too much closeness might not be a good thing for them and they are just finding out.

I heard the divorce lawyers are on stand by. I also heard that in China, after the lockdown for the coronavirus was over, there has been an increase of divorces by 30%. I also read a funny advertisement from a realtor, it said:
“At the end of the quarantine, if you decide you can’t stand the people you live with, remember I’m your Realtor” and I will add: “I am your Designer, I can design a new home for you, finally the way you want it”.

Everyone is doing something online to spend time in a productive way. Since we must stay home, why not loving where we must be for a while? I am producing daily short videos on how certain home items have come about, their history, their meaning in dreams if we happen to dream about them, and how they have evolved through time. I came up with the idea of “The Evolution Of A Home”. I love history, the human race wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t made history good or bad.
My daily episodes are intended to inform, entertain and keep each other’s company. I hope you like them.

So far I produced nine shows, all on my Youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/designsvalentina
Follow me if you like and if you need me at this time, I offer consultations online. Nothing is simpler than to connect with a video and give you some of my sage advice. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Amazon Author’s Page

It’s my hope that through my writing and my stories I am enriching your aesthetic sensibility towards design, style and inspiring you to live in beauty. I love to encourage my clients to show their personality through their home décor, or the clothes they wear. I have loved my profession as an interior-fashion designer since 1990.
Check out one of my books on the subject of colors, ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Bxhq08
Barnes&Noble: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Staying Positive With The Virus | Valentina Cirasola | Designer

27 Mar 2020 8 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #REDAVoyageIntoColors, #REDColor, #RedEnergy, #RedFashion, #RedPower

Red Barrel Purse

I found this cute barrel purse before the mess of coronavirus started all over the world. It’s made in India and it has a tag inside saying it’s vegan. OK, lately, I am finding many fashion items labeled “vegan”, we might have to get used not to have real leather anymore and that’s fine with me as long as the items are well made and don’t look “fake”. I fell in love as soon as I spotted this purse for its unusual shape. It reminds me of something I saw in fashion books featuring styles at the turn of the 19th century. I want to think of it as being an Art Deco piece but I really can’t place it in a specific period.

Pantone institute says this year’s color is blue, but I rather stay with my red color, as a conductor of power and positive energy.
This time we are living now will go down in history as a grave health/medical crisis. My friends tell me many of their friends have succumbed to coronavirus. I was in Italy working on an important project when the pandemic broke out. I made it back out of the country just on the same day the lockdown was declared leaving with a heavy heart knowing that my family is there. Upon my return, I was going to finish what I had left undone and start what I had in mind to do, but guess what? Never like this period, all my activities have come to a screeching halt. I have been silent on the social platforms, as I find myself short on words and feel at times demotivated. Being locked in the house has affected me, just like everybody else. Looking at colors helps me stay positive and active to support all my friends who are feeling depressed. I get dressed with colors every day, turn on the scented essential oil, I am working slowly on whatever I can, watch something funny on the TV and don’t slouch on the sofa all day long. I read passages from my book: RED – A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition. Why not?

RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition

I keep telling my friends to think of the time when everything will be over and we will be able to wear the beautiful items now sleeping in our closets.
I want them to think about how colors can keep them inspired, and in a positive state. I am telling them, and I am also telling it to myself. I am not exonerated from feeling down, but as I look at this purse and I think of the many items I have to pair it with, I see a glimmer of light and hope that everything will be over soon.
How are you holding on? I am here if you want to talk about it. Ciao.
Valentina
Fashion Services
https://valentinadesigns.com/services#fashion-services

It’s my hope that through my writing and my stories I am enriching your aesthetic sensibility towards design, style and inspiring you to live in beauty. I love to encourage my clients to show their personality through their home décor, or the clothes they wear. I have loved my profession as an interior-fashion designer since 1990. I am here ready to offer consultations on-line if you need it. Check out one of my books on the subject of colors, ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition. Amazon and Barnes&Noble