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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

10 Things I Can’t Live Without: Carolina Eclectic

Carolina Saunders of Carolina Eclectic was one of the first bloggers I ever met. I so admire this fellow Houstonian, wife, mother, and designer for her well-defined sense of personal style and her kind heart. Carolina is one of those truly genuine people who are so few and far between nowadays. She is an uber-talented photographer and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to anything mid-century modern. Carolina has a taste for the subversive and an eye for original style. Judging by her “10 Things” list, it seems we share a few of the same inspirational heroes. Enjoy!

Hello La Dolce Vita readers! I'm so excited to have my list posted on such an amazing blog! When Paloma sent me an invitation to write about things I can't live without, I was sort of caught off-guard. I wondered, "What can't I live without, really?" I realized that there are few physical objects that I must have, mostly I love ideas and concepts. I asked Paloma if I could write about that and she graciously said yes:) So, here goes!
1. Surrealism- Honestly, I don't have a great explanation for this one. I just can't help being drawn to the fantasy and absurdity of it. Whatever it is, I have a need to surround myself with odd images, perhaps its because life is a surreal experience.
2. Great Design- Truly great design just makes life better! Not just in furniture or interiors, but objects that we live with at all times.
3. Mac computers- What did we do before them? I love my Mac so much, besides my family; it would be the only thing I would rescue in a fire.
4. My inspirational heroes- Before I started my blog, I stopped to think about what it was I wanted to write. In the process, I was inspired to make a list of people who inspire me the most. I came up with a list of creative people from different countries and different eras, all who worked in different mediums. They did have one thing in common, they are all staunch individuals. They all broke the rules and never stopped to care if they "fit in". I love that! Anytime I feel unsure of myself, I stop to think of all these amazing people who stuck to their convictions. My highest aspiration is to be my true self at all times. From top left to right: 1. David Byrne 2. Pablo Picasso 3. Vicente Wolf 4. Coco Chanel 5. Johnny Depp 6. Frank Lloyd Wright 7. Frida Kahlo 8. Georgia O'Keeffe 9. Maira Kalman
5. Modern Architecture- I love all types of buildings, but modern ones truly speak to me. They're innovative and they aren't restrained by many preconceived notions.
6. Books- Classic fiction, self-help, biographies, art catalogs, essays, I love almost any type of book. I realize how nerdy this makes me sound, but its the truth. I have a notion that I can solve almost any problem as long as I can find the right book. P.S. Despite how many books I have read, I still haven't found one I love more than Huckleberry Finn:)
7. Unusual Portraits- I love trying to understand people. Who they are, what motivates them, etc. Portraits by their nature allow us to examine people for as long as we wish. To me, off-beat portraits often show how people see themselves.
Nikon D40x
8. My Camera- Ahhh, my other love. I would need to rescue it from a fire too. Over the years its become an extension of myself.
The Sartorialist and Anthropologie
9. Chunky Jewelry- Call it the Frida Kahlo in me, or maybe its because I'm from Texas but I LOVE BIG JEWELRY. The bigger the better! Oh, and if I can wear multiple layers of necklaces, bracelets, or rings than I am a truly happy girl. 10. Music- It really soothes the soul, no? When I was a kid I wanted to be a famous singer. Unfortunately, I discovered that I'm not that good at it. Despite that, I am passionate about music. I don't care if its the newest sounds or traditional ones. I like it even if its in a language I don't understand or played with instruments I've never seen before. I just really love music! I didn't want to presume that I could add a video to Paloma's site, so here is a link to one of my favorite songs....yeah, I'm a die-hard Gen X-er!

11 comments:

A Perfect Gray said...

Awesome. One of the 'BEST' 10 best.

Erika Ward said...

So genuine and insightful!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for participating in the series, Carolina! I can identify with so many of the things on your list: surrealism, Frida, Picasso, Coco Chanel, books, chunky jewlery, and of course, music. I love Karma Police! It is one of my favorite Radiohead songs.

Anonymous said...

Paloma, this was so much fun! Thanks again:)

Anonymous said...

I've been reading these for some time now and always wondered why no one has listed music. Glad someone has. One of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists. Great list.

Anonymous said...

I also love Surrealism and all of the Spanish and Latin artists. Nice taste!

Meg said...

Love this, I so see Carolina through each image! Great!

Nancy@marcusdesign said...

Great post, very inspirational! It gets me thinking, what can't I live without?? That's quite a huge question!

Sanity Fair said...

Poor PC people - they don't know what they're missing. If you've ever worked on a Mac, you're never going back!

Radostina // 79ideas.org said...

Great post, very inspirational!
Thanks :)))

xoxo,
Raru

Jane Kilpatrick Schott said...

FABULOUS! I could have written this my self.