Six, Five, Four, Please Vote Some More!

Being a finalist in the Designhounds Influencer Awards has been a lot of fun, and I am truly finding out who my friends are. Every day I have been talking to people and asking them for their vote.

This weekend I thought a lot about this, and what makes an Influencer. Bottom line, you have to have something to share that people are curious about. Fortunately, I have an incredible photographer on call that’s used to my last-minute ideas. Lisa Stewart Photography was very kind to help me take my idea and make it happen, and I will forever be grateful.

With six days left, I decided to do an image that had the same amount of items in it as there were days left to vote and to earn people’s votes and support. It was a lot of fun, and it helps to have your own vintage shop and live in an old printing factory - I had a lot to choose from.

So here we go. I’ll add each day’s photos and story, so please come back and if you think that we did earn your vote, I hope that you will vote for me every day.

FOUR DAYS

Measuring Spoons that I discovered on one of my thrifting journeys

Sometimes one is not enough. When I started doing this campaign with Lisa Stewart Photography, we decided to shoot all of them at once, and we did a couple of days using more than one set of props. With four, I couldn’t choose so I’m going to share both.

Lisa Stewart is an incredibly talented food photographer along with her many other talents. We have an agreement that I style her food shots, and she photographs my work so we always have lots of original content to work with.

We are both honored to be members of Les Dames d’Escoffier - a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage, and hospitality. The by-invitation membership, composed of over 2,400 members in 43 chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Mexico, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. It has been such an incredible opportunity to get to know these women and to be a board member of our local chapter. When I found out that I was a finalist for this award, they immediately started sharing the link and voting to support me.

I have learned so much by being involved with this group, and I consider many of them very good friends. As a result, I have amassed an enormous collection of props to use for photoshoots, and I can’t turn down a unique corkscrew, rolling pin, or champagne glass.

When I was asked to curate the art collection for Signature Kitchen Suite, Zach Elkin said he would like something that was in the spirit of the Chuck Williams Collection at nearby CIA at Copia. I can’t walk away from a challenge, so I started collecting and pulling from my own collections, and came up with the rolling pin wall that you can see when you visit the Signature Kitchen Suite Experience and Design Center. It has been very well received, and a few of those are what I used to win my baking ribbons at the State Fair of Texas and Tailgating contests.

So it only made sense that 4 needed to celebrate my love of cooking and being in the kitchen. Thank you to all of the Les Dames d’Escoffier members who have supported me and voted for me.

I’ve been looking forward to this one!

Meeting Fred Dame, MS at TEXSOM

A year ago, visiting Napa and touring some of the wineries was on my Bucket List. I volunteer for TEXSOM at their wine competition and conference, and after having the opportunity to meet quite a few master Sommeliers and winemakers, I fell in love with this culture.

The Signature Kitchen Suite Experience and Design Center

I’ve known Zach Elkin at Signature Kitchen Suites for awhile through our participation in NKBA and NAHB, and when I got a call for him that he needed help styling his new Experience and Design Center in Napa, it was a dream come true. Not only did I get to work with an incredible new company that’s philosophies are the same as mine., they have introduced me to some beautiful wines and people in the area including Jean-Charles Boisset.

A plaque at Buena Vista Winery

I’ll be writing more about this man and his 29 wineries and other companies. Even though he is French, he loves our country and its history more than most Americans that I have met. He has saved a few important historical properties in Napa Valley and has kept their integrity including Buena Vista Winery, the previous Mondavi Estate at Wappo Hill, Oakville Grocery, and now the old train station in Yountville.

And in his spare time, he is reinventing how people buy wine, by creating a company where people can buy wine from their friends, and neighbors that ships directly from his wineries to your home. Wine preservation and how wine is stored is a huge focus for myself, so this was very important to me. There is so much to share about this man and his passions - a full article will be coming soon!

FIVE DAYS

Some of my awards - Day Five

There are only 5 days left to vote in the #Designhounds #DesignInfluencer awards. We love a good competition. We have been recognized as being the best in our fields locally and nationally. We are the only company to win national awards from not only the NAHB, but The Manufactured Housing Institute as well.

Winning the tailgating competition at the Geneseo Hunt Trails was a huge honor, but our favorite was from the 4H kids that we mentored and handmade my award for me.
I appreciate you letting me compete for your vote as well.

SIX DAYS

Occupied Japan Figurines - Six Day photo!

These six cuties are hoping that you will vote for Lifestylist Suzanne Felber in the Designhounds Design Influencer Awards.

I try to make the best use of my time when I am traveling by thrifting in local places for my shops at Lula B's OC. I love the idea of finding things that others have cast aside and finding them a new home where they will be loved and enjoyed. These are all made in Occupied Japan from 1947-1952. The expressions on these are priceless which is one of the reasons I collect them.

Animal rescue is something that is very important to me, and something that I do hands-on as much as possible. I have a home full of special needs animals that make my life full, and I wish I could take in dozens more but I am a true foster failure - I want to keep all of them!

With only six days left, every vote is important. Please vote for me here - you can vote every day