Good Shepherd Charity Design Project Open House

As mentioned in previous posts and facebook updates, Chrysalis Couture has  completed another chair for charity...and this time we hooked up with Interior Designer Jordan Cappella! Jordan along with 29 other Interior Designers each partook in designing a room for the Good Shepherd Charity Design Project.  Come see our chair in Jordan’s room this weekend along with other rooms that have been transformed into a fabulous spaces for homeless women who are making a transition into more permanent residences!

Below is more information on this event and our official invite to you!

Good Shepherd Charity Design Project Invite

You are invited to... GOOD SHEPHERD CENTER FOR HOMELESS WOMEN & CHILDREN CHARITY DESIGN PROJECT IN LOS ANGELES

Presented by Vanessa Squared Productions Vanessa De Vargas / Turquoise & Vanessa Kogevinas / Get It! Consulting 

Please come and join us for our Show House in downtown LA as 30 interiors designers transform the Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women & Children into a beautiful space to benefit deserving area women and children. All 30 rooms will be open for viewing and each designer will be there to present their room. This is an event you don’t want to miss! Invite is attached. 

Saturday and Sunday July 23 and 24th from 11-3pm 

GOOD SHEPHERD CENTER FOR HOMELESS WOMEN & CHILDREN  Hawkes Building 

1650 Rockwood St. 

Los Angeles CA 90026

PH 213 482 1834

Food and refreshments will be served. 

Parking available on all side streets. 

*No RSVP is necessary we look forward to seeing you! 

*Please feel free to pass the invite along. 

ABOUT GOOD SHEPHERD CENTER FOR HOMELESS WOMEN & CHILDREN The mission of Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women & Children is to provide, with dignity and love, a continuum of care from homelessness to self-sufficiency for women and their children, through services offered by professional and volunteer staff. For over 25 years Good Shepherd Center has provided food, clothing, shelter and supportive services for homeless women and children. From mobile outreach to transitional shelter to long-term housing for mothers with disabilities, help is available every step of the way. Good Shepherd continues to serve more than 900 women and children a year through comprehensive programs, providing long-term solutions to poverty and homelessness. www.gschomeless.org

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

“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

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 Vargas.  Each 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

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.”

Read more: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/2011/06/iris_apfels_exuberant_apartment_article#ixzz1M4bxI7ng

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra

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!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120722043645#ht_1736wt_1141

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

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!

Makin Some Changes and the Busy Weeks to Come:)

So this week we are making some changes here at Chrysalis Couture to have a better blog format...wasn’t really feelin the older format so we are hooking up with blogspot to make things more readable for you all and not to mention all the fun gadgets for linking and subscribing that we didn’t have before...so to keep you all interested and coming back here are a few up the upcoming weeks events I will be going to....stay tuned for some fun pics from our adventures:)

This weekend April 29th-May 1st:   Vintage Fashion Expo in Santa Monica

Saturday May 7th:  Venice Home and Garden Tour in Venice

May 13th-15th:  Legends of La Cienega in the La Cienega Design Quarter

There are a few other things we will possibly be attending but the above are for sure! To get more information about how you can attend visit the links provided! 

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra

Earth Day!! 2011

    Today I ask you to press pause on life for a bit and stop to acknowledge Earth Day....turn of your lights, walk instead of drive, plant a tree....just do something to pay respect to Mother Earth.

    I found this video below on the first Earth Day back in 1970.  So rad!...to see the history of it all, how it went global in the 90’s and to see how far awareness has been raised today...And the remarkable thing was it organized itself...To get the full history on it go to http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

The Environmental Impact Of Print: Myth v.s. Reality

    Below is an interesting perspective I came across the other day while doing some online research for eco-friendly printing companies.  With Earth Day approaching next week I thought this would be the perfect time to pass along some popular misconceptions about the impact that printed materials have on the environment.  The website I found this on argues the idea that print is detrimental to the environment is factually wrong...What do you think?

Myth: Paper is Made from Fresh-Cut Trees
Reality: Paper is Made Primarily from "Waste" Products

In the United States, the vast majority - a full two-thirds - of the fiber used to make paper comes from sources other than fresh-cut trees. One-third comes from wood chips and sawmill scraps, one-third comes from recycled paper and just one-third comes from "new growth" trees.¹ Of course, these statistics are based on industry averages. There are 200 mills in the United States that use recovered fiber exclusively.²

Myth: Print Leads to Deforestation
Reality: Print Promoted Trees

Contrary to commonly-held belief, paper mills are not cutting down old-growth forests in order to make paper. Nearly all the wood used in paper production comes from " tree farms" - acres of trees grown as a renewable crop, like broccoli or wheat. Print actually gives private landowners a financial incentive to grow trees rather than selling off their land for other uses, such as development.₃ As Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder of Greenpeace, has stated, "Using wood sends signals to the marketplace to grow more trees."

Myth: The Tree Population is Shrinking
Reality: More Trees and Forests Exist Today Than 20 Years Ago

With the increased demand for printed goods that we've seen over time, many people believe that the forests must be shrinking. This is simply not true. There are 12 million more acres of forest in the U.S. today than there were 20 years ago; between 1953 and 2006 we saw a 49% increase in the number of trees still standing after mortality and harvesting.⁴

Digital Media

Reality: Many people forget that digital media also has a carbon footprint. Websites, online ads and email are all supported by a strong infrastructure system. This infrastructure consumes electricity, emits greenhouse gases and sends electronic waste to our landfills.

¹ U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste. ₂ American Forest and Paper Association ₃ Edward L. Glaeser, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, "A Road Map for Environmentalism," Boston Globe, May 21, 2007. ⁴ Down to Earth.

Myth vs Reality article found on http://www.westcoastlitho.com/eco-friendly-printing

The Beginning Of Our “CHAIR-ITY”

 Chrysalis Couture is all about giving back to the community and we want to do so in a creative way that represents what our business is about.  So to put the “chair” in charity we decided to take an otherwise trash bound chair or a chair in need of a face lift and re-purpose it into something a little more GLAM, then auction it off to raise money for charity.  

   

     We are pleased to share that the organization we have chosen to donate to is the Upward Bound House, located in Santa Monica, CA.  The mission of the Upward Bound House is to eliminate homelessness among families with children by providing housing, supportive services and advocacy.  We are even more excited to announce that they are willing to showcase Chrysalis Couture’s latest interior accessory on there eBay store!  Check out below to see an inside look at the design task at hand from start to finish!

A laborious task stripping down the chair to only the frame and patching all its nicks!  Then, painting, cutting the batting and fabric and finally, upholstering it all together.....  

Here is the final result and it sure turned out to be a GLAM chair!  Whether you use it to sit in front of your vanity while powdering your nose or at your desk while writing your next Vogue article.  Perhaps even in the corner of your bedroom where you lay out your clothing options for that nights festivities.  Either way its got to make you feel some sort of fabulous!

Stay tuned for more information as to when the chair will be up for auction on the UBH eBay store or contact Chrysalis Couture directly.

A 90º Fabric Adventure!

  Watch out California and hello summer!...This weeks fabric adventure took place downtown at one of may favorite spots to find leftover designer fabrics and the heat was definitely on! With 90º temps it felt more like beach weather than shopping weather but there will be time for that after some work has been done!...Some great pieces were found to inspire the next color story to go to production...hot pinks and bright oranges you will be sure to see all over this summer and to be included in my next collection! Be on the lookout in the next week or so for pics of this latest production.  I hope it inspires all of you to do some spring/summer interior re-vamping and swap out those winter blues for summer hues!

  

  The thrill of the hunt is fun but digging through these gnarly bins on a hot day is a workout!

 What a shopping frenzy...with people picking through bins like a designer sample sale, hoping know one else gets to the best pieces first.... 

Here is some of the fabric I found...very few pieces but some I have some great ideas on how I want to use them...and can I just say how I love the robin’s egg blue accents against hot pink and orange!

Earth Hour!!!!

Everyone tomorrow is “Earth Hour”!!!! At 8:30pm please turn off your lights in a world wide effort to pay tribute to Mother Earth....If its too late this year, think about how you can get your city to be involved next year or what you can do to go “Beyond the Hour”...so many cities in so many countries participate so lets put ours on the map!

What IS Sustainability....?!

    I read this article a few days ago about sustainability and what it is and what it’s not.  The article forces you to question where you are in the eco-friendly spectrum...In a way it almost makes you feel like you might not be living the sustainable life that you thought you were with its right off the bat list of all the things it is not (some of which are questionable and I must put more thought in to why).  My initial opinion was that as long as you are implementing some sustainable practices you are taking steps in the right direction and those are good first steps.  After reading and re-reading I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe this right off the bat approach is more necessary than thought.  After all, some of us have not yet even taken the first step and sometimes we need a little harshness to drive us to take more initiative to educate ourselves and those around us.  However small or big the changes you make keep making them.  The example will get set and eventually it will become the norm.

    So...what is sustainability?  The dictionary’s definition states it is a method of using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.  The resource we are talking about here is Mother Earth.  So what are you doing to participate in its continuation? Yes, this may mean making some difficult or inconvenient modifications or may mean that you have to spend a little more money on things that are local and not mass produced, but what a small price to pay in comparison to what could be lost if you don’t.  Besides when did life get so complicated anyways? My suggestion to you is to simplify and share.  I urge you to read this article and take a little time for introspection...you never know, it could be life changing and after all everything has a ripple effect whether small or large.  

http://ecohearth.com/eco-op-ed/300-what-is-sustainability-.html

Elephants Are Artists Too....?!

So I got this small piece of art awhile back and framed it for my apartment...I did so to remind myself every day that anyone can be an artist whether its your natural ability or trained.  I was amazed as will you be at the thought that there are other species out there with an artistic ability just like us....not to mention another indicator that some animals have a developed sense of self.  Whether or not the ability is innate or trained the fact is it is still remarkable. I encourage you to explore more about these painting elephants on the internet for there is a vast number of sites and videos available to view.  Below is the elephant artist behind my picture named Hong displaying her process. Perhaps one day I will travel to Thailand myself and visit her:).....Enjoy!