style [stahyl] an elegant, fashionable, or luxurious mode of living
car•rot [kar-uht] something promised as a lure or incentive
style carrot: a morsel of chic design
i am a freelance writer living in boston, obsessed and affected by the aesthetics of life. i got my professional start in the fashion closet of rolling stone magazine. but the true birth of my passion for combining pictures and text began at age twelve, in the basement of my childhood home in connecticut. there, perched on the modular sofa under a disco ball from the previous decade, i carefully crafted copy to accompany the fashion photos i had my sister snap. i can still see my favorite shot (though the actual image is long gone), of me, in a silky (read, polyester) dress with a swingy skirt (purchased for my cousin’s bat mitvah), sitting prettily at our bamboo bar, champagne glass in hand.
i learned the real ins and outs of publishing during my three years as an editor at a travel magazine, then subjected myself to a year of terror as a model editor at a women’s magazine. (no, it’s not like the devil wears prada. it’s worse.) i was living my dream. in the mid-’90s i flitted from one fashion show to the next, explaining that the internet was the next big thing. not a tech savvy bunch, but they played along.
then, real life hit and i moved from nyc to dc, had two babies (both with carrot colored hair), retired my aol screen name (stylexpert) and cashed in my stock options to help finance the renovation of our 1918 bungalow. life began anew. forget fashion. it was all about hearth and home. glossy design tears, colorful paint palettes, nubby fabric swatches, little squares of smooth corian. being surrounded by good design on all sides, above, and below, was essential to a good life.
these days, from the sofa in my bay window on beacon street, i write about the (material) stuff that life is made of. wrap dresses, platform sandals, shimmery lipstick, dewy skin, shiny hair, green weddings, zebra skin rugs, modernist furniture, cavernous closets, emerging artists, bauhaus architecture, japanese gardens, kissing, and fantasies of all types.
life is but a dream.
xom
p.s. my name is marni elyse katz | you can email me at stylecarrot at gmail [dot]com
16 Comments
February 12, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Congratulations, the blog looks nice and clean.
I like the all yellow pieces for your banner.
Let me know when you need to feature Plank, art on a yoga mat, or just stuff.
Good luck
Doreen
February 13, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Marni,
If your room is really as dreary as you say, and a photo might be a good idea, your color selections for wall paper may not do what you want. The light reflective quality of grey isn’t very good though it is lighter than what you may have. Bright tones and high contrasts (black on white) give more energy and “brightness” to a dreary space. Consider a pop of color in your small space behind your bed. Then repeat the color on your bed in a pillow or a piece of art in the room.
Thought for the day!
Sue Adams
February 13, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Hi Marni,
If your goal in your bedroom is to create a less dreary room then you might want to select brighter tones. The papers you are considering are very serene and lovely for a bedroom however a pop of color or bolder pattern in a small space will give more energy and “brightness” to an otherwise dreary area. Carry the color onto the bed with a pillow or around the room in a piece of art. Your bedroom should be pleasing and a haven but not boring!
Hope this helps,
Sue Adams
March 8, 2009 at 7:54 am
Absolutely love your blog!! Its stylish awesomeness.
May 29, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Cute blog! You have a great eye.
July 8, 2009 at 8:17 pm
What a great blog!!! I love all the colors and all the fabulous ideas….
In my business, decorative wall tiles, I’m finding that people are not afraid of color or style choices… People want something unique, that shows their personal style….
I’ve had people put nautical or fish tiles in a bathroom. Makes sense…. water… nautical…. fish…..
But I’ve had some pretty unique designs like the woman who loved cats and wanted 27 accent cat tiles for her bathroom or another customer who wanted funky bright colored cows around her sunken tub…. (She was really into cows!)
But whatever your style or look your hoping to achieve this is a great blog to get some great ideas.
July 21, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Lovely blog! I’ve listed you in my “sites to love”
section.
Happy Blogging!
July 29, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Marni,
Thanks for your visit to simply danish today. Fun to meet you – I love your blog. I will be totally ignoring customers now with my nose stuck into your site.
Have a fun visit in P-town.
Linda
September 1, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Hi Marni,
I really like your blog and how you group the similar designs together. Must have taken you a lot of time to hunting down all those designs. My husband and I are now planning on building our house and your blog will certainly inspire us a lot. Also as a mother of two, I can amazed how you managed to look after the kids as well as writing the blog. So thanks and keep up the hard work!
Madeline
September 22, 2009 at 10:47 am
Lovely dear, I’ll try to follow your wonderful steps. Hopefully, one day I’ll have half of your amazing résumé.
It looks like you have a happy life, I’m really glad for you.
November 1, 2009 at 8:58 am
Alright….its just been so long since I’ve come across a blog that has held my interest entry after entry. The only sad thing about that is I have gone through the entire blog. Wonderful posts and I do believe you are my new fav! I only wish you posted multiple times a day.
P.S. – I cannot believe you were allowed to have your own phone in your room in 1982! Lucky ducky.
November 10, 2009 at 11:28 am
Hi-
Nice work! I’m into all things fashion and style and really enjoyed the vibe and stuff you feature. Love the furniture, fabric, vintage, clothes. I read this article in Psych Today a while back about the difference between fashion and style- according to the article you don’t need fashion to have style- which I thought was an interesting insight…but in your case…I think you have both! Keep up the great work!
best,
joejoejoe
February 18, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Somehow, I now feel less than chic….which is the reason ..We have linked your blog as a resource. We write about appliances, lighting, plumbing and energy efficiency. Have a look when you have a free moment http://yaleappliance.blogspot.com/
Sincerely,
Steve
February 22, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Hey, thanks Steve. I am quite familiar with Yale Appliance, having purchased all the appliances for our Cape house there. Thanks!
March 4, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Hello Marni:
Hope you are well. Been on your great blog before but never realized you are a mom, too. How do you do it all?!
Just want to drop you a line that after 8 years on Newbury St, we are relocating to the North Shore–Marblehead vicinity. Of course, we are having an huge moving sale–everything is at least 30% off.
Hope to see you at the next design event. Btw, I totally covet that Starburst mirror in your banner.
Best,
Panamai
Bliss Home
225 Newbury St
Boston
March 4, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Oh, sad news for Newbury Street. I will post about it though. When’s your last day?