The Bedlam of Beefy: April 2010

Hello, Kids! Well, remember when I promised you some more "Behind The Blog" action? Well, look who's gettin' around to fulfilling promises, promises! C'est moi! This time 'round I'm leaving you to bask in the fabulosity that is Christiane Lemieux of Dwell Studio (where I go to visit personal bedding faves Hedgerow Persimmon & Peacock Citrine - Je t'aime!)! I'm sure it's a good thing I invited Christiane to take part in this series. Running a company and taking care of a family must leave her with loads of free time and, living in New York City, she's got nothing else to do but contribute her gracious presence to The Bedlam. Y'know? Huh? Oh. Yeah. I'll shut up. Here's Christiane...

First, a thank-you to Mr. Beefy, for inviting me to participate in BEHIND THE BLOG! Bradford and I started out as Twitter friends and I soon discovered that he is “half-Canadian,” having attended one of the most prestigious universities in the Great White North...my homeland. Everyone at the studio are big fans of Bedlam of Beefy and love Bradford’s witty take on, well, everything!

A little about me... I am first and foremost a mother of two and a half (the half being a big old Labrador Jake - who comes to the office every day) and am married to a wonderful gentleman named Josh, who is also my business partner. I started DwellStudio in 1999 and we launched with DwellStudio for Target in 2008. Last year I started a blog (The Studio Blog) and have LOVED writing it...I think it may be my own little form of therapy. We write about design (of course), but also get into things like motherhood, travel, food (actually, a lot of food!), and we love to scour for little-known resources and share them with our readers. It’s been so rewarding to have a direct dialog with our fans – I have learned a lot!

A little background...I graduated from Parson's School of Design with a degree in Fashion design, but I also have a degree in Art History from Queen's University in Canada where I’m from. I worked in the design world as a fashion designer for Isaac Mizrahi and GAP, then moved into the home world when I was Design Director at Portico. I started my business when I realized there was a gap in the market for great graphic textiles, and the brand has just not stopped growing ever since – we do everything from bedding to table, pillows, an entire baby/kids collection, travel and so-on.

I would say I am inspired by travel (as you know, Beefy, Canadians love to travel because it's so cold up there and they are always looking for some sun), design, and all things creative. More than anything, though I am trying to figure out how to live a life of adventure in this great city I get to live in (NYC) and bring my kids along too.

LOVE it!

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Film... I love love love film –this is so hard. I go to different films for different things – I though the Art Direction of Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” was inspiring. When I see Little Eddie and Big Eddie in “Grey Gardens” I can barely take my eyes off the screen – I mean the marble fawn...”Rear Window”- what an apartment and what could be better than Grace? I always come back to “Out of Africa” because I would love to live in

Kenya

on that farm and I laughed so hard in "The Hangover" – that Zach Galifianakis is genius. I am all over the place.

Book... Again..Love love love to read. I have stacks of books by the bed and more in the wings. Anything by Borges, ditto for Tolstoy....I loved "Tender is the Night" and just went on to read abiography of Gerald and Sarah Murphy as a result called “Everybody Was So Young”...great literary journey. I like to start somewhere and end up in an unexpected place.

Food... No surprise – love to eat too. My favorite thing to eat would be anything from Bukhara (the Clinton is a favorite) in New Delhi followed closely by anything from Le Comptoir in Paris (the foie gras salad with artichoke is to die for).

Libation... Burgundy (especially if it starts with DRC...) and champagne cocktail– my perennial favorite is the Old Cuban.

Album... so hard – Beethoven's 9th for moments requiring gravitas, The Essential Stan Getz for brunch and “Best of KC and the Sunshine Band “for disco dancing with the kiddies.

Day... The days my kids were born.

Clothes... Marni – Consuelo Castiglione I do worship you and your prints for Fall 2010 are sublime.

Band... Probably Bob Marley and the Wailers – the kids love it and every time you play Bob – its like a mini mental vacation to

Jamaica

. I can almost hear the waves and feel the sun.

Blogs... Yes your's... and honestly I find a new amazing one everyday!

Place... New York, Paris, Jaipur – ok I changed it to places....and I will add Essaouira.

Person... I have three- My husband Josh and my children Isabelle and William... (and my secret crush on John Hamm – that Donald Draper is compelling – BAD – but compelling)

Smell... Hermes – Un Jardin Sur Le Nil.... oh and Jasmine when it opens at night.

HATE it!
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Film... I was forced to sit through Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in “Gigli”on the airplane once---ok I admit it was at the height of Bennifer so I felt compelled to watch but wow....I am also vindicated by the fact hat it has made many of the “top 100 worst movies of the decade” lists.

Book... The only book I really hated was my calculus book in high school.

Food... I will eat and love almost everything – I was served snake in

China

once and was not a fan. I also have trouble with some organ meats like tripe.

Libation... Anything sweet and milky – White Russians – Irish cream...

Day... The last day of summer.

Clothes... Juicy terry track suit...never.

Band... Something really heavy metal like Slayer – not my thing.

Place... The hospital...really hate it.

Person... anyone judgmental or intolerant.

Smell... NYC garbage truck – potent and terrible! Stay upwind.

It's all in the details.
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The best sandwich is made with... baguette, ham and butter – off the street in Paris.

The place I feel safest is... at home – in New York with my husband and kids.

I love the sound of... my children laughing with each other.

The first poster on my bedroom wall was... I went to boarding school – so no posters...If I could have it would have been Duran Duran for sure.

The vice I am glad I got rid of... I am riddled with vices – I don’t shed them I collect them. I did smoke a few cigarettes in high school ( all girls boarding school – I had to do something!!!) that never stuck.

As a child, i wanted to be... A spy.

The first time I got drunk was... tequila....in Mexico - I still can’t drink it.

The best way to cook a potato is... french fried, scalloped or mashed...is there a bad way?

At night I worry about... everything...what can I say...I am a worrier...world peace, inventory levels, cash flow...

The first thing I do in the morning is... drink coffee – then I can deal.

Plane, train, or automobile... Plane –then you can go anywhere – the farther and more exotic the better....

Thanks so much, Christiane!

(Happy weekending, Kids!)

Eh, Kids... so it looks like Blogger got all up in my bidness and decided to reformat some of their publishing tools. So your Uncle has been spending the morning trying to figure out how to upload photos with the new system. I think I may have it figured out but, suffice it to say, it ain't an improvement on the previous system! [insert wagging finger here] I will tell you what!

So now I gotta reformat my own game plan with doing posts, and the morning is getting away from me, and I'm trying to figure out a way to fulfill a cupcake request for this Saturday, and I gotta try to look like something other than a homeless person before going to work! See, Kids... and you thought being a celebrity was glamorous? Quite the contrary! ;)

You'll see me pop back up whenever I get all this flim-flam figured out!

[insert pouting face with excessively furrowed brow here]

UPDATE: My sweet Miss Jane has come to save the day!
THANKS, Jane!

So, now I'll be back again tomorrow for sure! Hi, ho, hi, ho... it's off to work I go!