interview.

One of my favorite people to work with is Linda at Decalgirl. Since meeting her we have met in New York, Las Vegas and London... we have sipped pints, dined on fish and chips and fabulous Indian curries, talked design and shopped Marks & Spencer. She even convinced me to buy my favorite royal blue coat. 

Her passion for art and her enthusiasm for licensing is infectious, and I wanted to share one ofthe
crazy interviews she had with me for the Decalgirl blog. Enjoy!

What is your very favorite smell? And why?  What does it do for you?  What does it make you think of?

My favorite smell is California. I love getting off the plane and feeling that wonderful warm breeze flow over me filled with the scent of eucalyptus and jasmine. Simply divine, especially when I am visiting from the east coast during the winter, when our frigid air has absolutely no scent whatsoever!

What is the one thing, if you were stranded on a dessert island, that you couldn't live without? And why?  And it can't be art related.

My window on the world is my computer. The past 4 years I have been recuperating from brain surgery, and even though I have traveled abroad since then, I have had to limit my adventures. My computer has allowed me to dance the flamenco in Madrid, ski the mountains in Zermatt, go clubbing in New York and eat sushi in Tokyo. Even without Adobe Illustrator, my computer would be my best friend on a desert island.

Who would you speak with, and say things to, if given the chance?  It can be a famous person or not, it can also be someone from your past.  

Dorothy Parker. There is never a dull moment when in the company of a witty person.

What would you do as a profession, if you couldn't do what you do now? And why?

Interior design. I absolutely love designing and redesigning rooms, changing paint colors, moving furniture around the house, adding accessories, designing fabric for pillows, choosing tile, finding the perfect door knob, playing with wallpaper…my husband and I designed and built our home and it was the biggest 3 dimensional piece of art I ever made. So much fun, but especially picking all the surfaces and textures for the interior.

What can you cook?  And give us your go-to recipe so we can try it!

I'm Italian/Irish, so I can cook and bake anything! To me cooking is not a chore, it is an art. And since I love to entertain, I will share this easy appetizer that will make anyone look like a chef extraordinaire!

artichoke and black olive tart

1 lemon

1 1/2 tsps lemon zest

1 can of artichoke hearts in water

olive oil

sea salt

pepper

2 tsp. minced parsley

1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed according to directions

3 oz. host cheese at room temperature

25 kalamata olives pitted

3 tbsp of parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 400 degrees

roll out the puff pastry and place in a 9" tart pan with removable bottom. gently press into the pan and trim edges of the pastry even with the pan

spread the cheese across the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle with the lemon zest.

pack the olives and artichokes in a single layer on top of the cheese. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan.

refrigerate for 30 minutes or place in the freezer for 15 minutes so the puff pastry will puff quickly when baked.

bake until the edges are lightly browned about 25 minutes. serve warm. enjoy!

spring fever.

It's not the temperature that makes me think of spring...it's the light.

And once the days start getting longer I start to get more energy...I guess you could say spring fever.

Makes me want to do more projects. Make some pillows maybe. And then paint some rooms to match the new pillows. And then buy new sisal rugs to match the pillows and the new walls and

then drag out bright colored vases to fill with fresh flowers to match the new pillows and new walls and new rugs and then

I need to buy a new sofa to go with the new pillows and new walls and new rugs and fresh flowers and...I think I have spring fever.

animal house.

One of the requirements for working in my studio is an ability to love animals...mostly because they are all over the place.

Oscar was a local alley cat from Chester and Mayer came from Newington. They like silk pillows and fur throws.

Dolly landed here from Georgia after a long trailer truck ride up I-95. She has since lost her southern accent and enjoys spying on the neighbors and tattle tales.

Wally is the newest addition that came from...where else? Georgia! He enjoys chasing deer, eating biscuits and animal prints.

And last but not least, little Tate from Virginia with a face only a mother could love. So when you are sending me your resume make sure it says "Proficient in Illustrator, Photoshop and belly rubs."

frustrated.

Recently I saw an article about Facebook envy. "It’s the act of viewing all of your friends’ fabulous vacations, lovely children, attractive friends and great social lives. The research showed it can leave people feeling — you guessed it — angry, lonely and frustrated."

Now I have to admit I don't get angry and I don't get lonely...but I
must say I do get frustrated. Why you say?

How does everyone do so much? Friends traveling the globe, friends clubbing every night, friends creating music, friends throwing fabulous parties, friends painting their own wrapping paper, friends sewing king size quilts, friends knitting sweaters, friends competing in triathlons...its just so frustrating. As I read their exploits I started thinking...I am getting nothing done.

And so I started to think of what I've done. Oh yeah that's right...I illustrated some birds and then I created some floral patterns and then I designed a greeting card and then I got it sold and then I used my samples to make invitations for the easter brunch I am planning and then I planned the menu and planned the decor and then I bought some daffodils and then I set up a photo shoot and then I blogged about it and then...I wasn't so frustrated anymore.

time for a change.

Back to school, crisp air, gray skies, red leaves...loving this time of year!

summer.

Suffering through winter makes summer in new england so much sweeter.

The scentless air becomes fragrant.

Pale white becomes suntan.

Boots are shed for bare feet.

Pink tomatoes are tossed for juicy red.

Books take the place of television.

Lunch is served on the water instead of land.

Color reappears everywhere.

Salt water replaces snow.

And then the sweet new england summer ends...and we start all over again.

hola.

When September rolls around I will be in

Spain and Portugal.

Having always wanted to go there I cannot wait!

But unlike all the other tourists who will be eating tapas, drinking sangria and dancing the flamenco,

I will be sitting in a fashionable store on a shelf.

Yes...all four of my brands have now been transformed into a fabulous line of bedding, from robinzingone® the signature brand to loveMi™ robinzingone®, the kawaii brand, Girlygirl™robinzingone®, the collectible brand and Cocomimilulu, the fabulous brand for girls!

Duvets, bedspreads, comforters, pillows...wow!

Sadly I will only be in Spain in Portugal, but then I will be off to Israel to sit on a shelf surrounded by my latest release of graphic stationery and social expression. And then, passport in hand I will be off to Mexico, sitting on a shelf with a collection of adorable baby bottles, and baby bibs and baby wipes and...you get the idea!

 So when September rolls around...you just might see me sitting in a fashionable store on a shelf! Hola.

courtney love.

Ever just click with someone? That was my friendship with Courtney. The first designer I ever hired, she came to the studio with talent, ambition and lots of laughs.

She showed me her design secrets, I showed her my design secrets, she showed me her love of fashion, I showed her my love of fashion, she showed me her love of dogs, I showed her my love of dogs...

Ever since she moved I have been looking for "the new Courtney". Its not that easy to just click with someone, but when you do, distance and time don't matter. So when I opened the unexpected package that landed on my stoop this week, I just thought to myself...

Ever just click with someone?

what do you love.

Its that time of year again when we ask ourselves...who do you love?

But I decided to ask myself a different question...what do you love?

Yellow taxis in Manhattan.

The purr of my cats.

Salt air, blue velvet, spicy tuna mahi, Tennessee,

painted toenails, Lisbeth Salander, chocolate cherries, Mini Coopers, Bou' Miche,

Paul Rand, Mas Que Nada, red lipstick, olives in martinis, Une Very Stylish Fille,

Cry Baby, pink tulips, Richard Neutra, airports, Rear Wiindow, coconut, Jammin, Bonjour Tristesse, Rodarte...

So now I have to ask...what do you love?