Self-Improvement | Valentina Expressions

An Incredulous Vision | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

An incredulous thing happened to me yesterday afternoon around 6:00 pm, I just want to know if any of you have ever experienced anything similar. I am still thinking about it and what is the meaning of it.

I was driving on a super busy freeway, when all of a sudden, the town I was approaching, but not yet my exit, all the lights of that town, the freeway landscape, the shape of the winding road, all reminded me of another place in Europe.
In my over imposed view, I could not recognize this place in my déjà vu, but I was sure I had been there sometimes in my previous life. It was very clear in my mind, it was very familiar, I know I had been there in that cozy place, but where was it?
Then, as in any dream, I had an abrupt awakening, the view disappeared and returned to the dreadful, super busy freeway.

This morning, I drove 45 miles to return to the same spot on purpose, but the view I had seen yesterday didn’t come back. Perhaps the view of that beautiful place in Europe appeared because I was hungry and the emptiness of my stomach played a trick on me, or I was wishing in that moment to go somewhere unknown. Perhaps, the strange lights of a freeway in the early evening distort images, or the stress of my work is taking a toll. I think the latter is more real and not an excuse.
What do you guys think and what does it mean? Why this view appeared yesterday and not any other day, since that is an area I drive through often?
I will remain puzzled.

On the note of my stress, a few days have passed since I wrote my last blog, I am feeling withdraws as if I have a blog vise and a few days have passed by without thanking Jamie at http://grandmothermusings.com for nominating me with two awards:
The Reality Blog and One Lovely Blog Award. I appreciate your wisdom Jamie and I appreciate all the bloggers’ talents, information, photos, fun and personal dilemmas. That’s is what a community supposed to be. It is not always possible to answer all of you, but I do see and read you all everyday.

These are five questions for both Awards.
I will only answer one, my eye lids are falling off at the moment:
1) What is the one thing really scares you?

Being left completely by myself on this world, no people, no animals, no books, nothing.
2) If you could change something, what would you change?
3) If you could repeat an age, what age would it be?
4) What one dream have you not completed yet and do you think you will be able to complete it.
5) If you could be someone else for the day, who would you be?

(Photo above http://www.delish.com/food-news/a44086/champagne-water-cooler)

I am thinking that perhaps I need something as joyful as this in my photo above, chilled and refreshing, in any corner of my house. I might be able to find another meaning of life, or will cure my stress.
I am also thinking that some of my clients will appreciate having one of this in convenient places, especially when we are in the remodeling process.

I will nominate five bloggers and there is no specific rule to these awards. Each nominee is free to accept and do what he or she will with his or her award.

http://tresorsdeluxe.wordpress.com

http://passport.laurenoliviaco.com

http://astronomybythecosmos.com

http://katrinaperkins.wordpress.com

http://fueledbyvegetables.com

Create a great weekend. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior Designer and former Fashion Designer, working in the USA and Europe since 1990. She blends well fashion with interior and colors the world of her clients. She has been described as “the colorist” and loves to create the unusual. Her latest book ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors is published. Check out her books on:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Good Day Sisters! Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

Today I am going off topic from my usual design and style. I like to repost a piece from one of girlfriends and artist who wrote it after she attended a talk at Stanford University.

©Valentina Cirasola

Tiffany (left) Valentina (right) having fun at a restaurant.

“They Teach It at Stanford:
In an evening class at Stanford University the last lecture was on the mind-body connection – the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health is to nurture her relationships with girlfriends. At first everyone laughed, but the professor was serious.
Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality “girlfriend time” helps us to create more serotonin – a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well-being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very GOOD for our health.

He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym. There’s a tendency to think that when we are “exercising” we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged? Not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking! So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky.

Let’s toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it’s very good for our health”.

I am taking this opportunity to thank Jamie, my new-found friend here on WordPress
http://www.grandmothermusings.com for my nomination of “One Lovely Blog Award”. Jamie says that “Sharing little slices of life makes the journey more exciting!” I could not agree more.

Rules for the One Lovely Blog Award:
1. Give credit to the awesome person who nominated you and post the Award on your site.

2. Describe 7 things about yourself.

3. Nominate 15 other bloggers. I will tweak it a little.

7 Things about Home Designs Master
1. A few moons ago, I moved away from the Old World to only find myself doing things in the Old World style in the New World:

a. My laundry yard is where I hang my clean laundry to dry in the sun and wind. Will never own a clothes dryer.

b. Microwave cooking is not for me, it’s very bad to cook in it. Will never own a microwave either.

c. In my garden, I created an orchard, where I grow many types of food, Summer is harvest time. I preserve them for the winter, going through so much cooking, stuffing, canning and pickling, but my winter looks colorful, abundant and healthy.

d. If I am not using parts of my home at night, the lights stay off in those area; only keep lit the rooms I am using at certain given time of my evening.

e. For a good health of the home and the health of people living in it, I keep windows open to circulate fresh air all through the day. In the morning, when I get up, I open the windows and when I cook, the windows are open also. During remodeling process, I make sure to include plenty windows in clients’ kitchens and bathrooms. It is important these two spaces have egress for steam, vapors and odors.

e. I learned to make facial masks and skin, hair, or body treatments with food in my kitchen.

My way of living is in tune with my eco-friendly designs, which I offer to my clients, if they care to save money and live in a natural way.
The government didn’t have to tell me what to do to respect the Earth, I was born into a saving mentality.

Allow me to tweak the rules of the award and nominate the following 10 exceptional blogs for the One Lovely Blog Award. Many thanks to all of you for spending time with my writing and sharing your experiences and thoughts with me. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.Valentinadesigns.com

*******

These are my nominees:

http://healthdemystified.wordpress.com/
http://zenandgenki.com/
http://openplatforms.wordpress.com/
http://myhomefoodthatsamore.wordpress.com/
http://cancerkillingrecipe.wordpress.com/
http://jeffsinonphotography.wordpress.com/
http://bluebutterfliesandme.wordpress.com/
http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/
http://thebigbookofdating.wordpress.com/
http://thismansjourney.net/

Valentina Cirasola has been a lifetime designer in fashion and interiors. Her extensive knowledge of colors and materials led her in both directions successfully. “Vogue Italy” magazine featured Valentina as the guru of staging in the theatrical way. Among designing and remodeling homes, designing custom-made furniture and writing books, Valentina is now teaching etiquette, table manners, table setting and life style. Her new book on the subject of colors is almost ready to be published. Stay tuned for ©Red-A Voyage Into Colors.
Check out her books on