FOCAL POINT STYLING: A DAY AT THE DCOTA

Had such a wonderful day Thursday at the DCOTA's Outdoor Chic Affair and showrooms! It was the first Thursday in a series of events they will be featuring every Thursday - from now through August 5th - for their International Design Series. It was an eye-opening adventure - exploring showrooms, studying vignettes, and viewing the tablescape competition between the designers...

But one of the most intriguing, inspiring and fun interactions of the day was getting to meet new people. And some, not even so new to be meeting for the first time and have no re pore, but meeting people face to face for the first time after having met them through facebook! NETWORKING - it's a beautiful thing!

Left - Gloria | Center - Designer Juan Montoya | Right - Michelle

Gloria & I met through facebook...

and since she is living up north in the DC area, she is personal friends with

Jennifer Sergent - of DC by DESIGN blog

Jennifer actually featured my 'Food-Inspired' design

earlier this year on HER blog!! Small world!!

What a treat and a delight to have met DC designer Gloria De Lourdes Blalock of Blalock Interiors- who also introduced me to yet another fantastic person located right here in South Florida - Michelle Mendez (of Rustic Rooster in Delray Beach - FL). Most people were pleasant, but I guess some people were st having a bad day - like when I politely asked a girl if she was going to the book-signing event - she replied "Maybe"..... Be that as it may - here's a round-up of pics of the tablescapes featured. Considering these were set by "designers"... so I'm really curious to read what you think...

DCOTA TS 1

DCOTA TS 2

DCOTA TS 3

DCOTA TS 4

DCOTA TS 5

DCOTA TS 6

DCOTA TS 7

DCOTA TS 8

While touring the many showrooms in between the tablescapes featured on the four floors of the DCOTA, we also met some other talented designers like Andy Quinones of Artistic Interiors, Aldo of DCA-Decor Concepts by Aldo, and Joan Caruso of Casual Environs. Andy studied at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale (so did I!!) and he started his career displaying some of the vignettes here at the DCOTA. The event will happening for three more weeks, but here are a few vignettes and pieces on displayed in the DCOTA showrooms...

The day ended with a poignant surprise - one of the showroom windows was featuring panels of magenta fabric in their window... and since my dress was ombre magenta - I couldn't resist a moment to get silly and go pop in the window...