April's Musings

Thursday, May 19, 2005
“En route to West Palm Beach, Florida
Home and Interior Design Show - Palm Beach County”


Call me artistic, but the word "blog" I can barely bear to spell. What about "journal" or "thoughts" or "memos" or "ideas" or "musings" or "communicating" or "articulating" or "sharing" or "caring" or "empathy" or "sympathy" or "note" or "travel" or "observe," what about "conversation" and "stimulation" and "provocation?" How with all the choices can we land on "blog?" Ouch!

Sage linen jacket, softly laundered, three large mother of pearl buttons, irregularly cut. A scalloped neckline ending in a vee, pockets good for travel, whole placket outlined with a black blanket stitch. Underneath, an ivory soft cotton blend blouse with a round peter pan collar open at neck, four sets of three tiny pearl buttons, a soft scallop of eyelet on the hem. I love a vintage look in blouses. A mellow gold jacquard skirt with two bias panels on the bottom. Shoes: I wore tan Mary Janes with open backs, travel clothes, packed my wardrobe for the show, four seminars two days, fat quilted bag holds it all. Very squishable. Brought my paints and watercolor paper, we are introducing the April Cornell Scrapbooking Book, I might paint a little flower in some books if it is not busy.

Jet Blue is amazing, I love their welcome. "Without you we'd just be flying a bunch of TVs around the country"—that's what it says on their in-seat TV's. Love it. How true. Without our customers we wouldn't be at all. No ladies decorating conventions, no scrapbooking books and book signings, no sweet customers (I just met two on the plane).

Back to fashion. I pink tipped the ends of my hair. I thought it would add a little color to the presentation in West Palm. It will be about color, displayed through four seasons with different color palettes. I'm traveling with our PR Director, Chris Powell (the wit, she talks to everyone). She is in show-stopping black with coral. Looks gorgeous. And beaded sandals. We’ve got the mellow and the bold but both are all about color. We're across the aisle from each other and smiling at the antics of the Jet Blue staff. These guys are fun!

Ruth Custodio, our Visual Director has just gotten off of the plane. She is on standby. The staff is a hoot. They are talking about fashion—classic, but updated. She loves my hair—the pink tips—like Cyndi Lauper. "I'd do it but I'd be fired!" she says.

One lady with a heavy bag says, "Careful that's my drug bag!" Over 60—she must hurt! New crowd getting on. A little girl is wearing denim with cut velvet flowers. Lots of kissing, a lady in a Chanel suit, black and white, severe and sophisticated. A lady in crochet periwinkle top comments on Chris's necklace. Very pretty and unusual. Definitely over-the-top strings of multicolored beads, cotton crepe blouses, grey muscle shirts, baseball hats, and diamond ear studs. African earrings. Sandals are out and walking. Nice to see toes after their long winter hiatus. Bias striped shirts. Lots of gold jewelry even with tee shirts. Indian tunics in turquoise. I love this look too. Very "bo-bo." A heavy amount of sturdy black carry-on luggage. Nobody wants to be separated from their stuff! I have never been accused of traveling light! I had to ship some stuff ahead. You never know where the day may go. I like to be ready.

What is this "scootch" word? "Just scootch over please!" Must be a cross between "squish" and "move it."

Baby doll ivory top shirred over the bust on a beautiful blonde girl in shorts, long brown legs. Lots of periwinkle and pink, for those who do wear color. Silk caramel jacket on a larger woman. Beautiful with her brown skin. Seersucker jacket on a young man (30?). I love Seersucker jackets. Chris used to wear them in his thirties also. Kit carries some in his store. His retro take reminds me of Willie Smith in his early days when he was so hot.

More periwinkle and lime, followed by a pink seersucker shirt on a man. Subtly men are changing their style of dress and expressing an interest in color.

The one thing missing on this flight are some beautiful prints! Ooh another caramel jacket, this one in suede. I love that color! Camp hats—his and hers. White cotton cami—nice!

I bought Jane Fonda’s and Goldie Hawn's new autobiographies. I feel like I have traveled through their ages and stages with them and I am interested in their view of things from the inside.

Plane starting up, we are still waiting for Ruth. Crisp cotton green and turquoise short skirt and an apple green bouclé sweater. Very charming—it's Kit Cornell. I hope she gets on. We need some color on this plane! Oops here she is—with chicken sandwiches too! Shut down and take off.