A nail to the thumb, why that's a Tuesday for me!

OK, so it took me long enough to get this out (I got to get better at this whole blogging thing) but THE THUMB IS FINE! Honestly, it was only a matter of time before something like "shooting myself with a nail gun" was to happen. For those who know me, know I have a loooooong history of clumsy accidents, for those who don't, well, they go something like this:

Age 3: Split my head open (several stitches required)

Cause: Falling off a barrel on it's side (my stupidity ensues)

Age 5: Cut my arm from shoulder to elbow (48 stitches required) 

Cause: Running into a barbed wire fence (sorta wasn't watching where I was going...)

Age 7: Split Chin (several stitches required)

Cause: Face planting into my brothers playpen (I lost my balance!) 

Age 8: Tore my middle finger on left hand (several stitches required)

Cause: Opening an electrical circuit box (yeah, most normal people manage this task on a daily basis without injuring themselves)

Age 10: Third degree burn on my upper right arm

Cause: Crashing my four-wheeler into my bothers go-cart (I thought it would be more dramatic to heave over the handlebars and onto the go-cart's engine than fall to the side.) 

Age 14: Sliced open my shin and the muscle below (several internal and external stitches required)

Cause: Attempting to hang a hammock in a Mexican hotel room's bathroom (My sister suggested we see if the ceramic towel hooks on the wall were strong enough to hold the hammock, so naturally, I lifted myself up onto one... I learned the hard way that they in fact were not strong enough.)

Age 16 - 18: Seven car accidents resulting in minor scrapes and bruises (thank god my folks own an auto body shop)
Cause 1: a tree just came out of nowhere
Cause 2: someone parked way to close behind me in a parking lot
Cause 3: the road just ended, or maybe it curved off to the side
Cause 4: a car rammed me as I pulled out of a gas station, I was looking right! He was coming from the left, note to self: always look both ways!
Cause 5: an idiot was stopped at a light and I rear ended him, wait now that I think about it, the light was red...
Cause 6: the same four-wheeler/go-cart accident occurred with my brother and I around the same blind spot in our driveway, this time with our cars.

Cause 7: while borrowing my mother's car, because mine was in the shop, I rear-eneded yet another person, I'm not good when people stop in front of me...

College years remain a blur, but for the most part I stayed in one piece. 

Age 25: Sliced the side of my thumb on left hand (several stitches required)

Cause: Putting together presentation boards hung over

And alas, putting an 1 3/4" nail into that same thumb, my left hand's been through a lot! The heightened adrenaline, sheer exhaustion, and ticking clock made me numb to the whole thing. I really wanted to just yank it out with a pair of pliers, but those firemen insisted on taking the proper precautions... So the wrapped me up like a friggin mummy, ushered me off to St. Vincent's in an ambulance, took X-rays, and then had some nurse yank the nail out with Doctor type tongues, eh, should of just shut my mouth and grabbed the pliers!

Never the less, Alex put together my desk as best he could, and I am proud to be part of a team that pulled together and took the win for us, thanks guys! Not bad huh:

I had planned a black trim with an eagle head silhouette detail around the base which would have made my piece a bit more interesting, but the fact that it got built was good enough for me... And secretly I was relieved for a moment in the ER, it was the first and only time in this competition that I sat down with no cameras and relaxed, but don't tell Casey, Emily, or Alex that.


P.S. This episode is when Trixie met Troy... 

This is a force to be reckoned with! Caption picture below: Fireman walks in, see's this and says "Huh, it's like polishing a turd..." Ha ha, favorite quote of the day!

This challenge was an amazing one. The FDNY is a breed of men and women who risk their lives and take other's into their own hands on a daily basis. One of the most traumatic moments in my life was when I had my apartment in New York catch fire and these guys arrived in a matter of moments and contained the fire to one room in a four room apartment... Yes, these folks are a rarity and I admire them for that. I was honored to be part of this and able to personally give back to them. And um Squad 18, if that desk is falling apart or the, uh-em, painted linoleum floor needs a little maintenance, well I live in NYC and would be glad to come by... and Trixies coming with me!

Recently, I caught these guys in action at a fire that broke out a block from my place... Seriously, this is their day job...

Bookcases, Barb, and Battling Nina

I'm not sure where to start... This week has been super surreal and I'm just stating for the record, I'm not letting any of it go to my head and start acting all too big for my britches, I promise... Except Mom, I'll need you to send a car for me this weekend before the lake, I can't take trains anymore...

OK, to start, I forgot how much I loved the look of our room this past week. They start to fade in my head after a certain amount of time. Clean, fresh and simple can certainly be dynamic and I think the boys and I proved that... Some may say it's safe, but I say if you're borderline OCD, like to clean, and enjoy light and airy, then go for it, live in a white minimal box. Me, I need lots of color, varied depths, and patterns to distract me from dust bunnies, wall scuffs, and grit... Please don't think I'm a slob, I just am too busy to clean several times a day. 

And then the bookcase, well yes, while it was my conceptual idea, Courtland did have a lot of input on the the schematics and construction of the piece, and without him it would have never happened. For me, I just wanted the head of the bed to face the windows... Killer views to wake up to.

Next, my first recognition from a stranger... Now as an Urbanite we get used to celebrity sightings and I mean like real, legitimate ones... So New Yorkers, well I'm not sure on the whole they'll notice me. But take me to suburbia and my chances increase. I was in Lowes buying some hardware for a project I'm doing outside The City, 16 drawers pulls to be exact, at self checkout, $3.97, $3.97, $3.97, $3.97 and so on, which naturally I started laughing at myself after hearing the $3.97 for the 8th time, I have a tendency to laugh and talk to myself a lot... (Note to self: stop doing that in public, it looks strange.) So I'm walking out and this woman approaches me and says "Are you Michael?" and since this project is not far from home I'm thinking this must be a friend of my mother, or a teacher from grade school, or a friend's mother, but no it was not, it was a complete stranger... So I answered yes and she first apologized for "bothering me" (Note to others: attention is never a bother) and then proceeds to to praise me, the show, my designs; she tells me how she's routing and wishes big things for me... And all I'm thinking is what do I do? Do I introduce myself? Do I thank her? Do I call for help? But being so taken off guard I awkwardly introduce myself (Duh Michael, she knows who you are) and I meet my first fan, Barb... And while I am not the least bit shy or put off by attention, this scenario was surreal. I got in my car, was literally shaking, and called my mom! I think I've been in a bit of denial this whole time... But now, I'm thinking, this is going to happen... Future trips to Target and Home Depot should be approached with caution. Shout out to Barb from Lowes!

And of course, a mini-challenge with Nina on the PIX morning show. It was fun to get back in the game, push creativity to the max, and hastily spit something out that you hope is presentable in the end... You can watch it here if you missed it:

http://weblogs.wpix.com/news/local/morningnews/blogs/2010/07/whose_design_do_you_like_more.html#more

I'm happy with the outcome, considering it was done in 90 minutes... If I had more time, I would have added more layers and continued my graffiti word play with "star".

My inspiration, Shepard Fairy... and well Traci, my good friend who encouraged me  the night before to take a risk...

But my favorite thing that happened all week was having a car sent for me for the PIX Morning News. A guy could get used to that, I need a driver, now accepting applications but you must supply the car and be OK with no pay.

A Little Bounce for your Step

I've been brewing a bit since the last challenge, thinking about how some people think its far fetched to use music as an inspiration for interior design, but the more I thought (don't worry, is was minimal) the more I realized music is probably one of the heaviest forms of influence in our daily lives.

Now most of you urbanites will agree, we bounce around our cities bearing an electronic extremity, be it an Ipod, your mobile phone, or a Walkman (for real, I've spotted recently spotted a few hipsters sporting them, God they'll try to bring anything back...). And what about the rest... You're listening to music while driving in your car, working in the office, and relaxing at home. We all have our playlists, radio stations, and online music  blaring according to how we feel or want to feel; it puts a little bounce in our step, energy to our workouts, life to our commutes, and even some needed consolation when feeling blue. So music, I can confidently say you are a bigger part of me than you may think, you inspire my moods, actions, and routines. Its way too often that I am living in a soundtrack and I'm not ashamed to admit it... Am I the only one that has a runway strut when walking down a subway platform listening to my Ipod??? I think not!

See below for a playlist to bring a little inspiration to your weekend... It's a good one to clean the house, hang by the pool, or just plain background for hanging with friends. Hit play and enjoy!

Stay tuned, this Sunday is an all new episode brought to you by flowers!

My interview with Mrs. Lemons

I met Mrs. Lemons a few years back when I was working in the New York City Office of a Hotel Design Company and she was working in the Scottsdale branch... When my design world was chock full of nothing but hotels: guest rooms, lobbies, restaurants (my favorite btw), spas, basically anything you could cram into a hotel. The hospitality design industry is a fun one, god I have stories from that time, like the one where I flew a private jet all over Europe to tour hotels, but that's a whole blog in itself (hmm, stay tuned). Anyway, we crossed paths at the Hospitality Design Convention in Vegas that year, which is always, well, a blast to put it mildly... I believe the exact location was The Playboy Club at the top of The Palms, killer space, the ceiling retracts so you are literally dancing under the stars. OK, getting off track again... We became fast friends that night and have kept in touch along the way... She recently did an interview with me for her blog and I loved her questions, a bit different from what I've been being asked, so check it out; it's a little peak inside my head:

http://mrslemons.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/hgtv-design-star-michael-moeller-interview/

Me, Mrs. L, and the gal who intro'ed us, Brynn (Hi B! We miss you. B is in Abu Dabai working on some crazy hotel.)

MM's Top 1 Liners

Musically Inspired Terraces

"There's nothing more that screams cello to me than Venetian plaster" in regards to Court's vibrant interpretation of the cello...

"Show me where it is" in regards to Trent's feeling of energy and fun he gets from the piano...

Ouch, my sarcasm was at an all time high this last episode, must have taken a double dose of my sarcastic pill that morning!

Court's 1 Liners were so much better than mine this episode:

"Less Christmas Tree-e-e" ha ha, in regards to Trent's, well, Christmas tree.

"Alex's voice was muted" CHEESE FACTOR ALERT, I heart me a good pun though, nicely played CB!

Terraces, Turrets, and Tasty Treats...

Well we did it, we got ourselves to elimination thanks to our terrace with a slight case of Turrets! Ah, whatever, cohesive blah-blah, I still liked it, thought it was super creative. But here's the thing, the team leadership from the last challenge that Tom kept blaming for our loss, in my opinion, was not the case at all... On the Redbook challenge the leadership formula broke down like this: I took a strong lead with furniture and accessories, I know the New York shopping scene, I have a strong grasp on decoration and styling, and for the most part I was not questioned on my contributions to the design. Courtland took the lead with the layout of finishes and architectural styling of the room, and it's no secret, he did a great job... And in the end that leadership formula worked out and helped us win the challenge, this time, not so much. I piped down a little bit (a bit being the key word) this time around. I really don't want to come across as overbearing or bossy, well at least this soon in the competition. I got lost in my art piece, focused a lot on my "sly" injection of humor with the use of accessories, and was concerned with more my own inspiration than anyone elses... Court got caught up in his little piece of Arizona, Alex and Tom really focused their efforts on the furniture and how/what it spoke to, and Trent, well sadly Trent was losing steam... I think we all put on blinders and no one stepped back to look at the big picture! So, with that said, maybe if Court was driving, actually scratch that, maybe if I was driving and Court was sitting shotgun (that'd be cuter) we would have won! But whatever the case, I had a blast and stand behind my design and my team!

OK, now more importantly, what the hell am I doing in this photo???

As a New Yorker, I know all to well how urbanites covet outdoor spaces. Without having the luxury of backyards and outdoor space being so hard to come by we rely on seeking refuge in a restaurant's sidewalk seating, a beer garden, a hotel rooftop, anywhere really that we can take in some fresh air (well as fresh as NYC can offer). So where are my favorite New York outdoor oases, here you go:

The Poetry Garden Terrace at The Library Hotel

Madison Ave. and 41st Street

The perfect place to throw back a glass of Champagne with a hot date prior to indulging him or her in a romantic summer night.

Yaffa Cafe

St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and A. 

This eccentric back patio makes our patio's Turrets pale in comparison. The distinct East Village eatery offers a lot of tasty cheap eats perfect for getting some food in the stomach prior to barhopping your way through the Lower East Side. 

My Moon

N. 10th Street between Driggs and Bedford Aves. 

This industrial factory turned restaurant's outdoor garden demands attention as it prominently lends itself to a grand entrance into the space. If you're unable to get a seat outside no worries, the trek out to BK is worth while as the interior boasts the space's original boilers converted to booths, wood ceiling beams,  and vast architectural proportions.

I'm brewing on a few more spots to check out, I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, get out there and try some of these... 

MM's Top 1 Liners

Design Star Redbook Challenge:

"She blew away like a feather" in regards to Julie getting eliminated.

"I think we should try them on" in regards to our inspiration outfits. I really wanted to see Dan in those jammies...