#GratitudeDay | Valentina Expressions

2014 Chapter | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

02 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #BerniniBaldacchino, #GratitudeDay, #NewYearCelebrations, #PopeFrancis, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #StPeterBasilica

My native homeland is ever so distant especially during the holidays. The turn of the year arrives in Italy nine hours before it happens in USA. To feel a little closer to home, I follow their events on the Italian TV and celebrate with the first bottle of champagne at 3:00 pm, midnight Italian time. While waiting for 2014 to arrive across the pond, I watched a replay mass from the Vatican in Rome. St. Peter’s Basilica was stunning as ever and full of faithful.

(Photo: Wikimedia Foundation)

Pope Francis spoke from the altar under the magnificent Bernini’s Baldacchino. His words of love rang out in the world strong and decisive. He said every new year is a new book made of 365 empty pages onto which we can write our life starting on the first of January. I had never thought of it that way.

Last year I started a kind of gratitude jar with notes of every highlight of my days that I would read at the end of the year. I filled it with notes of people and events that mattered, made my days and taught me something. Reading the notes on the 31st of december was like seeing a sweet movie on slow motion.

I will start my 2014 chapter with a thank you note to my top commenters on my blog, as WordPress says in my annual report:

http://tbmarkinson.wordpress.com

http://bluebutterfliesandme.wordpress.com

http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com

http://terry1954.wordpress.com

http://greendoorhospitality.wordpress.com

Also, I would like to thank all my readers and followers from different parts of the world, 133 countries, and wish you all a splendid 2014. Ciao,
Valentina

http://www.valentinadesigns.com

This is my 24th year in design business and I am not showing signs of wanting to quit. I will be evolving in different directions, while still helping people realizing their dream spaces in homes, offices, interiors, exteriors and improving restaurants or cafés. Check out my books on

Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Liebster Award | March Appreciation | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

06 Mar 2013 33 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #GratitudeDay, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #SelfImprovement, #SpringCleaning, #SpringColors, Colors

Are you getting ready for spring? Are you looking into your wardrobe to see what looks good for keeping and what doesn’t? Are you ready to change into spring colors? Do you usually invite spring into your home with new colors, deep cleaning, moving furniture around, or adding nature in some corners? Before my March is over I do all that and I make a special appreciation day to everyone and everything contributing to the “good and pleasant” in my life. Ask me how to do it, if you have challenges. Decorating for Spring with your skin and eye colors is fun.

Today I am recognizing Sindy at http://bluebutterfliesandme.wordpress.com for nominating me with the Liebster Award. Please visit her site, Sindy writes about spirituality. Sindy, I know a few weeks have passed since you awarded me, but I haven’t forgotten you, just needed to find the right moment. Last December, I stuck the beautiful amaryllis’s bulb in the pot and waited for a miracle to happen, until one day it bloomed literally before my eyes. I dedicated this flower to you Sindy (it came out a little dark, I don’t know how to fix it) and thank you for nominating me, I feel honored.

~Award Suggested Guidelines~

Answer the questions below.

Nominate 11 bloggers

Inform your nominees by posting a link on their blogs

The Questions Are:

What first inspired you to start writing a blog?
In 2005, I was blogging on an Italian designers’ site and didn’t even knew it was called blogging. I thought I was participating to discussions. Then, my business coach said I needed to have my blog site and three years ago I landed on WordPress.

What is the biggest challenge you have had to face when writing a blog?
What is on my mind, it’s also on my tongue. I was concerned my words would start a third Punic War.

If you traveled through time, what time would you want to arrive at and why?
I am very sure I lived in the 17^th Century between Venice and France. I have too many déjà-vu examples that I have been there already.

However if I were to just pick one time in the past..
Definitely it would be Paris in 1920. I agree with Sindy, Woody Allen’s movie, “Midnight In Paris” project the perfect time for my character. I watch that film religiously at least once a month.

Do you prefer to eat chocolate, sweets or neither?
Chocolate for sure, no guilt.

Do you prefer to read or write?
I am addicted to both, it’s hard to choose.

What is your favorite non-fiction topic to read about and why?
Famous people autobiographies to learn from successful, smart or rich people how to make a better life and travel novels to learn and dream from people’s experiences about distance places I will never see.

If you could buy one book that would help you solve a problem in your life, what would it be and why?
As practical as I am, no book will ever solve my problem in life, unless I work at my problem with action. A book can only give me some inspiration.

Do you prefer to write at night or during the day?
Anytime, I am a nightcrawler and early birds, depending on my mood.

If you could be any character from a book, who would you be and why?
I am very happy being me, but for the sake of this award, I would try a man’s role, just to see how it is on the other side. I would choose to be Casanova.

Do you prefer to read a printed book or an e-Book?
A printed book smells like a book and knowledge.

These are my 11 nominees, all very talented and creative people. Please visit each other, I am so grateful for all your knowledge, spirit and insights you bring me.

http://greendoorhospitality.wordpress.com/

http://astimegoesbuy.me/

http://terry1954.wordpress.com/

http://marianne365days.wordpress.com/

http://thepalladiantraveler.com/

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

http://50yearproject.wordpress.com/

http://petit4chocolatier.wordpress.com/

http://katrinaperkins.wordpress.com/

http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/

http://misbehavedwoman.wordpress.com/

Life, colors and bread go on. Take control of your own food and the happiness that will follow. Those who have seeds and know how to make food will survive. Create a great week. Ciao,
Valentina

http://www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola has been in business as an interior designer since 1990 improving people’s life by changing their spaces. Often people describe her as “the colorist” for a reason. She lives in a colorful world, wrote a book on colors and loves to color her clients’ environments by creating the unusual. Her deep interest in food led her to study food, natural remedies, nutrition and well-being as an autodidact and finally wrote two books on Italian regional cuisine. Find Valentina’s books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

December – Grace and Thankfulness |Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

03 Dec 2012 22 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #AwardOfTheYear2012, #BlogAward, #ChristmasCelebration, #GratitudeDay, #SelfImprovement

Ah, December is here with the rain to clean up the air, the spiders off the plants and the nuisance illnesses of the winter. Outside is grey and cold, inside my house is warm, the fireplace has been on since the start of the morning making my house nice and cozy all day. I am so thankful to have found an older home with charm and a fireplace.

This morning I was thinking of the special food to cook today. After all it is Sunday, a special day for resting and enjoying food with those who like to eat. My friends forget to leave when invited to my home. At times I wonder if they come for me or for my food. I am thankful for my friends and for having food to offer.

I am a bit behind reading blogs of my followers; while food was cooking I read many to ketch up. Everyone is so talented and write attractive stories or subjects, which makes it really hard to choose. “Everyone is a star and needs to shine”. ~ Marilyn Monroe. I am so thankful for my friend bloggers following me.

December is the month to celebrate a new light coming to the world, a new winter solstice, religious events and it is the month for giving. Cities looks so beautiful with the building tops crowned with lights, colorful displays make designed stores very inviting and front yards of every home are decorated to perfection. I am grateful and thankful to have eyes to see the colors that illuminate my world.

I am very honored, thankful and grateful to two people who nominated me with the Blog Of The Year 2012 Award:

Stefan of http://hillsofherchastity.wordpress.com who writes beautiful poems and
Jamie of http://grandmothermusings.com who writes slices of life with humor and knowledge.

* * *The ‘rules’ for this award are simple:

1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award

2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.

3. Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award

4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them

5. You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience

6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Unlike other awards, which you can only add to your blog once, this award is different!
When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!
There are a total of 6 stars to collect. Which means that you can check out your favorite blogs – and even if someone else has already given them the award – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!

This award goes to the following bloggers:
Amy – experience the world as book – http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com

Sindy – spiritual growth and healing – http://bluebutterfliesandme.wordpress.com

TBM – 50 years project of reading and traveling – http://50yearproject.wordpress.com

Mary – a renaissance woman – http://leblogdemarie.com

Marianne – a British woman living in Andalusia – http://eastofmalaga.net

Judy – with some sweets of her own – http://petit4chocolatier.wordpress.com

Marianne – inspires people to live happier – http://marianne365days.wordpress.com

Create a great week and thank you all. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an interior designer and a former fashion designer in business since 1990. She helps people realizing their dream spaces in homes, offices, interiors, exteriors, restaurants and more. She needs your story to design your dream.

Check out her books on:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Where Did Thursday Go? | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

18 Aug 2012 16 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #ComeMiaNonnaReturnToSimplicity, #GratitudeDay, #ReaderAppreciationAward, #SinsOfAQueen, #ValentinaCirasolaDesigner

Where did one day of my week go? I seem to have lost a Thursday. Did this ever happen to you? Yesterday, Friday, I was doing things I had scheduled to do Thursday, but towards to end of my workday, I realized it was already Friday.

I looked around in my studio, all the pretty pictures, décor, fabrics and props I use for my work and I realized that all of this is always here, they don’t move around like I do, they don’t get exhausted like I do, at times they hear some non-sense and they observe me silently, yet days revolve without even noticing them and the busyness of my every day grinding work puts me almost in a state of hypnotism. I was told that time in space doesn’t exist, so why should it exist in my timetable? Why am I in disbelief when often I lose one day in the week? Or why is it important to do something on Thursday or Friday, for example?

I worked very hard this week, I was able to achieve more or less what I wanted, Friday arrived upon my shoulder and didn’t even make any plans for the evening. Is this really bad, or unbearable? I don’t think so. There must be a reason why I lost one day. Perhaps something is telling me to slow down this train, which runs faster than the speed of light, to breath and to be thankful for everything I create and for the people supporting me. I want to thank Jamie from http://grandmothermusings.com/ for nominating me for the “Reader Appreciation Award”. I am late in thanking you Jamie, nonetheless I am very honored and humbly accept it.

Rules of this award are:
* Post seven interesting things about yourself.
• Nominate 5 people (I am bending the rule a bit) who in turn will post on their page the award with the link to the giver.
• Let them know about the nomination.

7 Things You Might Find Interesting About Home Designs Master

1. I was made to be on stage and I didn’t know it until a few years ago, when a business coach told me I am a show person and I should use this strong feature of my character as my business strength.
2. I dream of having a home made of brick façade with a theatre stage inside, where I can entertain my friends with plays, comedy, or classical music and real actors or singers.
3. I like to have a houseboat on the water and entertain at night under the stars “al fresco”.
4. I like to cook and eat preferably with people. My motto is “Never eat alone when doing business”.
5. I like political thriller films and any thrillers, but not horrors. My favourite are Hitchcock and Agatha Christy films.
6. I know a ton of people, but I only choose a few to be my friends and they are all good.
7. Here we go again, I lost something in the 7th position.

My nominations are for:
1. http://ancientfoods.wordpress.com/ – Joanna writes about the interesting history and roots of our food.
2. http://imeldaevans.wordpress.com/ – Imelda, is a writer, her blog is Wine, Women & Wordplay.
3. http://beyondthegreendoor.wordpress.com/ – Kenley writes about savoring the Everyday Adventures of Cooking and subjects related to food.
4. http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/ – Jake at The Sunday Post blog is a photographer and graphic artist. I learn many good things from photographers.
5. http://roamandhome.com/ – Karen writes about her travel and dining experience.

I am so happy to be part of this blogosphere made of so many interesting and colorful people. I learn from your blogs and amuse myself with all of you every day. Yes, I do read you all every day. Thank you all for following my blog, I am very grateful for all your support and comments.
I don’t know who said this: “There are no strangers in this world, only people we have not met yet”. I want to get to know all of you.
Happy Saturday. Ciao.
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola, is the principal designer and owner of Valentina Interiors & Designs. She is a trained designer and has been in business since 1990. She works on consultation and produces drawings for remodeling, upgrading, new home construction, décor restyling and home fashion. “Vogue Italy” magazine and many prominent publications in California featured Valentina’s work. She also has made four appearances on T.V. Comcast Channel 15. She is an author and her books are on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0