The blogosphere is a great place to meet interesting people that we wouldn’t otherwise meet. We get to learn about their lives, their arts, their likes and dislikes, and the world seems more familiar. Robbie is a prolific author, a professional baker and a great painter. If one examines her animal paintings, one will see that Robbie has captured the soul of the animal. My interview focuses on my life as an immigrant in the United States and my colorful accomplishments as a designer. Head over Robbie’s blog to read it. Thanks again, Robbie. I am honoured. Ciao, Valentina
One day, I woke up and found myself in a Renaissance town. From my window, Brunelleschi’s dome greeted me every morning. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Such a treasure was only a five-minute walk away from my hotel. It was a historical building as well. I woke up in history and went to bed in history. Excitement filled me every moment of the day. Being born in an exceptional country, where beauty is the password, is an indescribable feeling. Dreaming of being in a historical place and pretending to be in a different era was a reality. Every corner and every small detail of the buildings spoke of history. I had all the intentions of enjoying and soaking in beauty. This was Florence. It is one of the most prominent Renaissance towns in Italy. Travellers, artists, financiers, and tradespeople have been invading it since the first building was erected.
Everything interested me, and not only architectural details. I took pictures of designs on street pavement, store displays, building corners and niches. I snapped photos of stairs, roofs, ceiling designs and stores’ entry doors. I photographed patisseries, gelato stores and restaurants. I immortalized statues, windows, balconies, artwork and horse-drawn carriages. Florence is a concentration of beauty that got me to tears a few times.
It was a sad moment when I spotted a tourist yawning in front of the Davide by Michelangelo. Those are the fast travellers. Those are the people who visit 10 countries in a week. They take a selfie in front of a masterpiece just to say they have been there. They buy a t-shirt and go home. During their travel, they learn nothing and don’t even remember where they have been. It was also sad to see Florence turned into an amusement park for tourists. This transformation is happening in all the Italian art cities.
My speaking engagements were well received, and I decided to repeat the experience next year. The talks were on “Color Intelligence” and “House Harmony”. The same subjects for more speaking engagements took me down to Puglia, my native region. The landscape in this region is very different from Florence. The countryside is flat. The coastline of the Adriatic Sea is long. It covers 900 km of many cities and small towns. The air is fresh with sea breeze and all four winds of the Mediterranean. People of this region are happier, friendlier, louder and more creative in the living philosophy. Food in Puglia is lighter than Florentine food. There are no heavy sauces and no creams. There are no braised meats and no heavy stuffed pasta. The cuisine includes fish, a wide variety of vegetables, lightly cooked meats and fresh fruit.
The main city, Bari, was built by a Frenchman, Joaquin Murat. He was Napoleon’s brother-in-law. The city was constructed in the style of French architecture of the 1800s. Later, the fascist dictator Mussolini brought many modern upgrades to the infrastructure. He also refurbished the city centre in the Liberty style. This was a floral, ornate, romantic and appealing style of the early 1900s.
The city of Bari today is no longer the city I left when I emigrated to America. People’s mentality now is open to novelties. Throughout the years, the city managers added many public events that changed people’s lives. Tourists flock to the area as there are more things to do and see. There is more harmony and willingness to keep the city alive. Traffic, I must say, is still chaotic and disorganized.
Walking along the promenade on the Adriatic Sea, I pondered what is there on the other side of the pond. Was it all worth it when I decided to move away from all this beauty? I was in Italy for two months and completely forgot about the world; I didn’t even open the computer once. I was happy to live that life. It was too familiar to me. Despite the changes in society, it is still a society that highly values human personal relationships. I remember one day I walked into a very small family-owned haberdashery store to buy a couple of buttons. After fifteen minutes of conversation, the store owner offered me a cup of espresso coffee. We were conversing as if we had been friends for a long time. I didn’t even know the woman, nor had I shopped there before. Her hospitality was genuine and I ended up buying more than two buttons.
I walked along the promenade on the Adriatic Sea often, pondering. I thought that after two months, it would be difficult to return to a modern society. In that modern world I live in now, buildings all look the same. There are no embroideries on the façade or balconies with flowers. There are no phantasmagorical designs, statues, or antiquities to admire. People are too busy grinding through their day. No one offers me a cup of coffee just because I entered their shop. I created a good life in America, no doubt. I will never know how my life as an artist might have turned out. What if I had lived in one artistic city? I could have fed my soul with all artistic expressions. In that special place, where even just looking at a building or a panorama could ignite a spark of emotion. Ciao. Valentina
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. She was recently certified as a “Color Analyst.” Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
I often dream of slicing through time to find myself in a different era. I feel influenced when I watch period films or read stories from other times. I believe every era had rough times one way or another. Still, when my fantasy plays, I notice things that today aren’t here anymore. For this reason, every now and then, I organize theme dinners. For two or three hours, I enjoy reliving the atmosphere of another era. Yesterday, Sunday, was the turn of an Art Deco dinner. I asked the guests to dress to match the era, even with only a few details. This helps everyone feel part of a relatively prosperous and frivolous era. Guests are usually happy to follow the suggestion. They often show up fully dressed in a costume of the specific era. Here, costumes can be easily rented or bought at a reasonable price.
You know that minimalism characterizes Art Deco. It is a linear style, geometric, clean without frills. The prominent colors are black, gold and silver, followed by white, powdery colors, purple, red and green.
I found the right fabric to sew the tablecloth. At the Tamara de Lempicka art exhibition, I bought the plates. On one of my many visits to antique shops, I found the printed glasses from 1920. They were even signed and I also found the two cute demi-tasses.
The black velvet pouches, to the left of each plate, contain the napkin and the flatware, something different. At the end of the evening, I will fill the pouches with cookies I made. The guests will take these home as a token of friendship. I cooked three typical dishes of the 1920s. As it is customary in America, each guest will bring a specialty of their choice or something to drink.
(I think the original 1920s demi-tasses are adorable.)
I searched for this period’s food. Deviled eggs seemed to have been a very popular appetizer in the 1920s. The main course was roast veal with mashed potatoes. For dessert, a typical of the era pineapple upside-down cake completed the dinner. The conversation was interesting and flowed to the tune of 1920s music.
It was a load of fun to get into the period dress and greet everyone with plumes and pearls. Ciao, Valentina https://valentinadesigns.com
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
My fascination with stairs goes back a long way, they are kind of a fetish for me. Stairs can tell a story, hide a surprise that opens up at the end of a spiral staircase, for instance, or have an aura of mystery. Who was there before me, who kissed on those stairs, what feud happened, or where did they lead?
In Italy, during my young life, I lived in a circular building. The centre was the atrium opened to the sky, where kids played if it didn’t rain. Around the atrium were time-worn stairs leading to each apartment. On each floor were long balconies overlooking the atrium, so that the children’s parents or relatives could watch them playing while indulging in conversation and a cup of coffee. As a child, I liked to sit on the floor, on the top stairs without underwear and go down all the stairs one by one, just to feel the cold of the marble and hear the flat sound of my bottom touching the marble. Inevitably, at the bottom of the stairs, I always found an adult who scolded me to make me go to my house and put on my underwear. I never lived in such a singular building after that time. It was a creative convivial living, an original architecture that allowed socialization, almost like the courtyard scene in the old film by Hitchcock “Rear Window” where everyone could see the happenings in each other apartment, listen to conversations, hear someone’s music, see someone practising dance and know everyone’s business.
Another episode involving stairs that I like to remember pleasantly is my fashion school in Italy. It was a 400-year-old building, first used as the Italian state police headquarters, then became a nunnery for Catholic nuns and ultimately became a Fashion School where I spent four years learning the trade of fashion.
The stairs were bowed just like those in the picture, actually, my depiction is exactly how I remember those stairs. The teachers instructed us to walk on each side of the stairs, not in the centre, being brittle, they could have collapsed easily. Sometimes, we had our arms full of large design rolls, fabric samples, mannequins, cameras and whatnot, it was challenging going up and down four flights of stairs, stepping only on a few inches of space, but we had a certain respect for history and willingness to preserve it.
Over the years there is always someone who comes along with grandiose ideas, a boatload of money, and zero qualms about history who wants to tear down the old thing and build shoeboxes for people who just need to go to sleep. It happened again, the 400-year-old building was demolished and a new office building was built in place.
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
NASA predicts that the first Full Moon will reach peak illumination on January 13, 2025 and will last three days.
For several years, I have been interested in the movement of the stars and planets around us. In fact, from the moment we come into the light, the planets influence our lives, actions, thoughts, and daily decisions. Our successes or failures are only partly determined by us; the rest is the work of the planets. If we learn to align with the Universe, we can change the course of our lives. Life flows easily, and obstacles become only detours, allowing us to find our way again without getting lost.
My way of being in tune with the Universe is by honouring the colours of the planets as they move daily. They give me all the energy I need and the guidance in the search for my well-being. If I am well, others around me are well too.
The Moon’s natural colours are white/grey/beige/brown, depending on how we see it, but this January the Moon becomes red/orange due to the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere and a particular viewing angle. For the next three days, wearing one of the Moon’s natural colours will help us feel good about ourselves, but the colours that will make a real difference in making us feel even better and going with the flow of the universe are red and orange.
Red and orange are two hot colours for the winter season. Most people tend to wear dark clothes in the winter to be naturally in tune with the gloom, rain, grey skies and shorter days. However, a red pair of shoes with a pair of red gloves and a red hat over a brown or grey coat will brighten any winter day.
To push this idea even further, you can also eat red and orange food for the next three days and decorate your home with some red or orange accessories. Fresh red roses in all rooms will do if you are not into decorating habits. I move my decorative items around and keep the colours I need for my therapy closer to me. To change colours around according to the planets seems like a lot of fuss. I have invested in beauty for a life, it’s my philosophy.
A few years ago, I became a colour therapist and even though I have been in the design business for more than three decades, I feel there is still so much to learn in this field that can help me and others. Ciao, Valentina https://valentinadesigns.com
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
There is a beautiful historical town in Italy called Naples, situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a port town considered a frontier town, as many ships from the four corners of the world dock there, bringing various cultures, customs and merchandise. The music of Naples reflects folklore, history and a mixture of modern with ethnic sounds. Many people who have visited Naples say it’s a love or an absolute hate at first sight. There are no grey shades in between. The city sits at the foot of an active volcano, Mount Vesuvius, people feel the temporariness of their lives, they can be buried under volcanic ashes anytime just like it happened to Pompei in 79 AD. Due to this feeling of temporariness, people are imaginative, their humor is as sharp as scissors, direct, crude, funny and very theatrical. The city is chaotic, and noisy, therefore rules exist only when convenient, most of the time, people invent their own.
Photo: Andrea Huls Pareja – Unsplash
Naples had its own original end-of-the-year-custom. At the sound of midnight, after the toast to the new year, hugs, kisses and fireworks, old stuff that was no longer needed flew from balconies into the streets. Think of old sink, old toilet, old cabinetry, dishes, clothes, anything, without rules. The next day, city street cleaners had a huge problem picking up and disposing all of that. I wouldn’t be surprised if this custom still existed today.
The stuff I want to throw away is not about material things, it is the stuff our society produces: 1. all the so-called “influencers” who might think have an impact on my life, just because have a mouth; 2. people who believe fake news is real and real news is fake; 3. people who dislike those who don’t vote the same as they do; 4. cancel culture, one day they will cancel you; 5. functional idiots: are the people who can write, read, do mathematics, maybe have one or two degrees and multiple titles, but remain idiots; 6. the global puppets are those who must look, speak, think, eat in the same way, just to feel accepted, no matter where in the world they live and penalize individuality; 7. people who preach about the environment, but travel across the world in private jets, just to have an aperitif in Paris or sophisticated locations; 8. people who want to feed the entire world with insects, while they continue to eat steaks, caviar, oysters and drink expensive champagne; 9. all the rich oligarchs disguised as benefactors; 10. people who want to abolish family and religions to rule over you with dichotomy. The list is too long, I will stop here.
To all these people, I wish the best 2025 in the world of real humans. Ciao, Valentina
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
There was a time when Christmas trees had nothing artificial hanging from the branches, but only real fruit such as apples, oranges, tangerines, homemade cookies and wrapped chocolates.
On January 6, it happened in all homes, people invited friends, family and neighbours to play the game of stripping the Christmas tree. The game was mainly for kids, a few adults participated as well, and it was fun. Those who played had to be blindfolded to avoid picking up the best prize: the chocolates. After the tree was completely naked of fruit ornaments, the count began to see who picked up the most chocolates. Kids received simple utilitarian gifts on January 6, not on Christmas. The simple gifts could have been a new sweater, a new pair of shoes, maybe an electric train with one track, a doll, wooden toys that could not be easily disassembled or a book. Kids played with other kids, hardly with toys, we were so creative in inventing our own games, told each other stories of our bravery, and talked to oblivion until our heads exploded. No kid ever stayed alone in his/her room and parents were always present. Then the lights of the tree were turned off and one more large dinner took place with all the people invited for that evening, officially closing the Christmas holidays, unless the next day, on the seventh, was a Sunday. The new week was business as usual. Everyone returned to work and the kids went back to school. Street decorations did not exist, as Christmas in Italy was a religious event, thus there was nothing to turn off.
Christmas customs have changed even in Italy and consumerism has taken over. The Christmas custom I described was the Christmas I experienced as a girl living in Italy and today this ritual came out of the blue from the drawer of my memories. I am glad I was born in a different latitude where I learned strong life values that helped me everywhere I lived in the world. I hope all of you had a nice Christmas and I wish you and your family a splendid 2025. Ciao, Valentina
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
September is for me the month that changes many things. It’s the beginning of the Autumn dominated by the water element through which everything moves and changes. Autumn is not only the new season in nature, but it’s also the Autumn for people when most of us take stock of the situation and make more sensible life plans for the year to come. Autumn brings a great charge that stalls temporarily in the Winter time and explodes in the Spring with new ideas and vibrations that we have felt inside of us exactly in the dormant lulling September. This past September, I wanted to turn the page of my events, I wanted to look ahead and evolve myself into something new. Confident I was going to find what I was looking for, I boarded the plane to Europe and stayed gone for two months. I went through Germany for the October fest, Austria and as soon as I crossed the Alpes, the warm sun of Italy appeared among the grey clouds of the Teutonic countries and my heart started to sing, I had a distinct feeling that new ideas were appearing on the horizon already.
I spent two months seeing and connecting with people with whom I could lay the foundation of new enterprises. I spent time with them going to street markets, getting ideas, talking about new things at aperitif time, and soaking in the local culture. Living in the US makes me forget that life is not only about work and being productive. Unfortunately, I have become part of a grinding society that requires us to do more and takes all our energy until we have nothing else to give. In Europe, people are more relaxed and don’t feel guilty for spending time doing nothing when necessary. On weekends they don’t even answer work-related phone calls and don’t talk business at parties. They work to live, in the US people live to work. Growing up in Italy, I knew nothing else but how to balance work and play, life was much easier. However, when I moved to the US, I felt the urge to be competitive in my work and forgot how sweet life used to be.
After so many years in the US, I miss the street market scenes, the loud people screaming about having the best merchandise, the noisy streets, the colourful conversations between vendors and clients, the bargains, the socialization, the satisfaction of having found something fashionable at a reasonable price and to have spent a good day under the sun with much humour.
At the street markets, one can find home décor items, new and vintage clothes, shoes, fashion accessories, kitchen stuff, food and much more. There is something for everybody, every size, every taste, for women, men and children. People often exchange recipes at the food kiosks, while strangers tell you how good this or that garment looks on you at the clothes kiosks.
Home Décor.
Sweaters
Winter Fashion
Jewellery
Women Clothes
Sparkle Clothes for everyday use
The bread Lady was so gracious.
Typical baby octopus of the Mediterranean.
Cheeses and cold cuts.
Olive, nuts and dry food.
Red Onions
By this time, European street markets are already decorated with Christmas products. The atmosphere has changed, in some parts is snowing and very cold, but going to the market is still a great experience, especially at nighttime. Hot chocolate, mulled wine, chestnut roasting, pastry cooking and Christmas music fill the air.
Two months later, I am still thinking of the aroma I smelt, the food I tasted and the people I met. Life is certainly different in those parts of the world, my new plans will take me there again and often. I miss that lifestyle terribly, I want to be part of it just like I was growing up there. Ciao, Valentina
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
Summer is winding down and so is the warm weather, in a certain way I am happy, summer has become too difficult for me to take. I was having loose and unordered thoughts while sitting in my garden and a fun episode came to mind, my visit to Carlo Goldoni’s House in Venice. Goldoni was a witty, sarcastic Italian playwright and librettist of the Venitian Republic in the 1700s.
In preparing the luggage for my trip, I packed one of Goldoni’s plays, I knew visiting his House was in my plans, I wanted to envision his street plays and relive Venice of the 1700s through his writing. I loved that small theatre with a stage, regular theatre seats, dim lights and a great atmosphere!
Photo from: Venetoinside.com
I have been a lover of live theatre plays since a young age. In that moment, being in front of antiquity, I felt attracted to that small, ancient stage, it even smelled like the 1700s, perhaps my imagination played my fantasy. I started to recite aloud Goldoni’s play to experience being an actress in his time. When I travel, I don’t look like a tourist, I blend in with the locals, thus the attendant of the House probably thought I was a real actress practising and left me alone to do my things, but in the meantime a few hours passed by, he forgot about me being there and closed the House. When I realized I was by myself and locked in a Museum House it was evening and I started to panic a bit about rats roaming around at night in the streets and inside buildings.
The play I recited to myself was beautiful and threw me into another era. I would have loved to be enveloped by that atmosphere, but my reality was in today’s time and my modern phone got me out of there with a simple call to the emergency number.
Alessandro Longhi – Ritratto di Carlo Goldoni (c 1757) Ca Goldoni Venezia
Goldoni wrote many successful theatre stories: “Il Servitore Di Due Padroni” (The Servant of two Masters), “La Locandiera” (The Mistress of the Inn). “Il Bugiardo” (The liar), “La Famiglia Dell’Antiquario” (The Antiquarian’s Family) just to name a few. Next time, you are in Venice, please visit Goldoni’s House, his satire will give you a few hours of freedom from your reality. Ciao, Valentina
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
On the 1st of August, the Romans celebrated the harvest of grain, cereals and the Earth’s fertility. Under Roman Emperor Augustus workers were allowed to celebrate a day of rest after weeks of hard work in the agricultural sector and received a monetary bonus.
The festivity involved public rituals and banquets, bullfighting, sports events, excessive drinking and sex practices in which nobles, emperors, slaves, maids and the lower classes were permitted to participate. Even the working animals, such as cows and donkeys were left to relax for the whole month of August and showed off their festivity attires made of flowers.
Ferragosto became a law during the Renaissance throughout the papal states. The Catholic Church decided to move the festivity to the 15th of August which is the Assumption of Mary, as Ferragosto became so eradicated in people’s lives that the Roman Church decided to turn it into a legal festivity and made a holiday rather than suppress it. Mussolini, the Italian dictator, created “holiday trains” with extremely low-cost tickets for this festivity to allow the lower classes to visit cultural cities or to spend a few days at the seaside, from the 14th to the 16th of August.
Today, all the European Christian countries celebrate Ferragosto as a religious and a mid-summer holiday. I hope you get to take a mid-summer break, it is so important to recharge the batteries and keep on shining your light in this world. Ciao, Valentina
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
Welcome! Immerse yourself in the colorful world of Modern Tropical, an eclectic lifestyle brand for people who love the retro-modern beach aesthetic. It is produced by independent award-winning artist Kristian Gallagher.
Valentina Expressions 