Ronda Rice Carmen is first and foremost a fellow blogger. She started her blog
All The Best in 2007, and by the time I started mine in 2008, she was one of the "big girls" and a role model with a blog that had great content, and a loyal following. She is also a very very nice person as well as being a talented marketer, interviewer, and writer. Her blog did not begin as a branding and marketing tool, but rather as many others were: It was personal and personable, a place for Ronda to find her way in her changing world (a move to Scotland).
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| The home of Suzanne and Christopher Sharp from Designers At Home, by Ronda Rice Carmen |
Blogs can lead you to many places, people, and things to do. Ronda's journey has led her to writing a book,
"Designers At Home - Personal Reflections On Stylish Living". You can get it everywhere now, and perhaps you can meet Ronda as she makes the rounds on her book signing tour.
Have you ever dreamed of having your blog printed in book form? How great would it be to have all, the images you lovingly collected, bound in a gorgeous hardcover book, one to have and to hold, turning the pages and lingering over all your favorite images, your collection of all the best.
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Well that's what you have here in DAH. Ronda compiled 50 designers in one fat compact delicious bible-size tome. She writes a short burst of an introduction for each one of them, and than frames the same five or six topics for each designer to weigh in on. The book reads like your favorite blog. The topics: Making An Entrance; Creature Comforts; Flowers and Fragrance; A Beautiful Bed; Entertaining Thoughts; Decorative Details.
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There are 300 photographs in as many pages, often laid out on a cozy grid with several gorgeous images to a page, so you get to see a ton of visual eye candy. There are some full and double page photographs as well. Your favorite designers (at home) are there, though some are MIA too, and I reckon Ronda just couldn't get everyone in one book. Maybe she will do volume two.
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| Pages 64-65 from Designers At Home |
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The most striking thing about the book, is the similarity, a common thread that weaves its way throughout the answers each designer gives to Ronda's queries. We are a homogeneous lot indeed.
Scented candles, beautiful bed linens, flowers such as orchids, peonies, roses are the favorites, and pink and white flowers are the preferred colors. A love of entertaining (by way of dinner and cocktail parties) prevails; books and art work are a big part of the lifestyle designers at home eschew.
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How will you use this book? Besides cuddled up on the chaise with a few satisfying hours of decor porn, I think it will also serve as a handy reference for ideas for yourself or a client. Of course it will look pretty amongst your other pretty books on the coffee table, or arranged by color on your bookshelves.
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I am so amazed by what bloggers have wrought. Once relegated to the obscure ranks of geeks and journal scribblers, we emerged as a deep talent pool and a force to be reckoned with. It makes me insanely happy when I see a blogger succeed beyond the blog.
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So congratulations to Ronda Rice Carmen. The sheer organizational scope of collecting all these images and interviews is mind boggling and admirable. I don't have to ask you to support Ronda, because we bloggers already support one another. But really, buy her book and post a nice review for her on Amazon. She truly deserves all our best.
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Above Photos courtesy of Rizzoli.
Follow Ronda on Facebook to keep up with her on the road.
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| Ronda Rice Carmen signing her book Designers At Home (via FB) |
For fun - answer one of Ronda's six questions in the comments:
- Making An Entrance (how do you do it?)
- Creature Comforts (what can't you love without?)
- Flowers and Fragrance (what are your faves?)
- A Beautiful Bed (what makes your bed beautiful?)
- Entertaining Thoughts (what's your favorite party to give?)
- Decorative Details (what are your signature details?)
Hover over any image to Pin it.
Please add my NEW address to your blog list:
http://thevisualvamp.blogspot.com
And please become a Follower again (or for the first time) on this newer VV blog
I can't wait to see Ronda's book... xv
ReplyDeleteLindas imagens, são uma inspiração para mim.
ReplyDeleteUm belo trabalho.
Tenha uma ótima semana.
THANK YOU so very much Valorie for the very kind blog post!!!! It's been an amazing journey. Like many others in the book...I'm going with the peony ;) xo
ReplyDeleteI've been dying to see the inside of Ronda's book. I'm definitely going to buy it now. I especially like the Q&A sections of her blog.
ReplyDelete