Today I wanted to share with you a little piece of me. This post has a lot to do with my personal taste in decor and interior design. Consider that your warning — if neither of those things interest you, you may want to quit reading! ; )
Another one of my “hobbies” or things I tend to enjoy doing is decorating/interior design. I don’t think I am very good at it whatsoever. But none-the-less, I love it. I wanted to share with you were I draw a lot of my inspiration for my very girly/vintage/glam style and taste in decor.
It was almost 20 years ago that I saw the movie that inspired a big part of who I am today. It may sound silly to most, but Beauty and the Beast has been my favorite Disney animated movie of all time. I was SO excited when they recently re-released it onto DVD. I ran out and bought it right away, watched it and was blown away when I saw so much of my personal style and taste in it. I hadn’t seen it in probably 10 years, maybe longer… but I always would remember how the ballroom scene was my favorite, not only for the romance, but for the incredible chandelier and decor. I can honestly say without hesitation that the ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast is where my obsession for chandeliers began. And I was only 8 years old when I saw it for the first time, in the theater no less! I can remember several different times in my life as a young girl fantasizing about that scene and how absolutely wonderful it would be to have the opportunity to dance in a beautiful gown in a beautiful ballroom in an enchanted castle with a handsome prince. Yes, I am such a girly girl like that. And I’m totally not ashamed to admit it. I’ve said it before and I will say it again… I’m a swirly girl, I think and dream in swirly patterns and I am SO glad God made me swirly. : )
As I watched the movie again, I realized just how much this animated story had impacted my life. I decided to take some snap shots with my iphone (that you can see below) from different scenes that in particular stood out to me that I know inspired my style. I absolutely love the castle and every bit of how it’s designed and decorated. I can see where I drew so much of my inspiration when I began styling my boudoir studio with the different furniture, decor and design. It was so cool to see this as I watched the movie again.
I not only LOVE this movie for the castle’s design, but I absolutely adore the story. The fact that Belle chose to see past his looks, and see the inner beauty of the beast’s heart, is not only heart warming, but inspiring. I believe the story has inspired a lot of who I am today as a photographer and artist. I am constantly striving to bring out the beauty in every one of my subjects and in the little things around me. Sometimes when you choose to look deeper, you’ll be amazed at what true beauty you can find.
Another story that I L-O-V-E and can never get enough of, is The Phantom of the Opera. I saw this story on Broadway about a year before the movie came out and was instantly hooked. The movie came out, and I loved it even more because it was like a close up version of the Broadway. Again, I LOVE the decor and style (and chandelier!!!) of this story by Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Webber but I also love the music and story of a girl seeing the inner beauty of the phantom. I truly believe that inner beauty reflects on your outward beauty. This story is also incredibly inspirational to me.
(On a side note, I recently say “part two” of the this story, called Love Never Dies, in London. It’s a brand new broadway by Andrew Lloyd Webber that is the sequel to the amazing story of the Phantom. On a scale of 1-10, this Broadway is a 11. AMAZING!! I can’t wait to see it again. It literally had me in tears! Brilliant!)
Both stories are set in the late 1800’s. So I suppose if asked, my favorite era would have been then. It’s another reason I LOVE Europe so much – for all of it’s old, beautiful and ornate architecture. I get extremely excited just thinking about it. I just LOVE it.
Again, I realize this post might seem silly. But I just had to share something that means something to me. I think it’s amazing the things that inspire us as children… that play a part on our lives as adults. I wanted to use my blog to recognize and document my thoughts on how a Disney animated movie and a Broadway theater production played a huge part on my life.
Are there any stories, plays or movies that inspired you as a child?
