Me and Diddy

Some of you may know I was a professional singer for most of my adult life. Most people ask me, "Where did you sing?" not knowing that if you are making music for a living you work, well, where the work is. I sang in a wedding band for 11 years, recorded a little, sang at clubs, bars, restaurants, The Waldorf Astoria Hotel (which was a wonderful job- hi, Darin) and my most prominent gig, in the Enrique Iglesias band. I will tell grittier stories from the road in other posts. Here is one that is quite fabulous and sophisticated.

The year was 2002. I was working with Enrique and we got a call to perform at the MTV Music Awards which was being held in Barcelona, so beautiful, by the way. I hope to go back one day for pleasure. I was really nervous. I hadn't been in the band very long and we never rehearsed much for TV shows. There were always surprises thrown in like, "Let's do this song in Spanish tonight" when we never even heard the song in Spanish and the show was starting in 5 minutes. That really happened...at The Latin Grammys...I think I burned that tape.

We got to the MTV Award Show really early for a run-through and we had a lot of down time. It's the old 'hurry-up-and-wait' thing people hear about in show business. I put on 7 layers of makeup, paced around the venue, ate something, drank tons of water, peed 900 times and then decided to go for a walk. Security was too tight. I couldn't really go anywhere so I stepped outside in the back of the building. I was by myself out there. It was really peaceful. I was trying to calm myself down and collect my thoughts. I began staring into space, getting lost in my own head. Just when I felt completely serene I heard a noise. The back door opened and a handsome man wearing a suit stepped out. He was holding a parasol. I think I've seen him before is what I said to myself. Oh, yeah. He's P. Diddy's (he still had the "P." then- this was shortly after the Sean Combs, Puff Daddy and Puffy were all dropped. Maybe I should consider a name change...) yes, it's P. Diddy's butler, Fonzworth Bentley! Sure enough, Bentley held the door and out walked Diddy. He looked very dapper, as always. He was on his phone on a seemingly important call. It was only the three of us in this small alleyway so it was a bit uncomfortable. I felt strange just walking inside as soon as they came out so I instead turned my body away to give him privacy and awkwardly...just stood there, trying not to eavesdrop.

Diddy and J. Lo had just broken up. It had been all over the news. I knew he was single and not only could I feel his energy focusing toward me I could see him looking at me using my peripheral vision. He was fighting with someone on the phone but at the same time he was checking me out. Multi-tasking at its best. And all the while he was being shielded from the sun by his butler holding a parasol over his head. This was surreal. Diddy gave his butler some hand signals while he continued his phone conversation and Bentley nodded his head in acknowledgement. Then Bentley approached me with his parasol and said, "Mr. Diddy requests your presence this evening. Surely you will attend." as he handed me a very fancy invitation (with a white-gloved hand) to Diddy's private party in Barcelona that night. OMG! Things like this just don't happen every day to poor girls from Long Island. What an opportunity! Diddy thought I was pretty/hot/sexy/famous enough to go to his party! What do I wear? What do I say? Whom will I meet? I wasn't even nervous about the show anymore. I was nervous about this party.

I told my bandmates about what had happened and they all told me that Diddy's parties were a dangerous place for a girl like me. I'm too naive and innocent and I could be hurt is what they said. There could be drugs, guns or some kind of violence. The men Diddy hung out with didn't respect women. I didn't care. I wanted to go anyway. After the show I cleaned up and got dressed for the party and as I was walking out the door...I changed my mind. I was in love with someone who wouldn't have appreciated me going and besides, my mom would have killed me if I went. The guilt. I always wonder what would have happened had I gone. Would I have been one of The Pussy Cat Dolls? Who knows? I never got an opportunity like that again. But anyway, Diddy asked me out, or so the story goes. :-)

Let's Get Organized in 2011!

Let's Get Organized in 2011!

It's a new year and it's chilly out there. Most of us are spending more time indoors in these cold, winter months. Right now is a great time to do some "spring cleaning." A great place to start is right at the entrance to your home. Many people don't think of the entranceway or front hall as a room but it truly is and should be furnished that way to maximize your space and keep you organized as you enter and leave your home.

Here are two great tips to help you get that entranceway organized and under control:

Where Are My Keys?

Oh, they're on a hook right next to my front door!

Mirrors with hooks on them are a great space-saving way to organize your keys and sunglasses. My keys go right on the hook as soon as I walk in and guess what? They're right there when I need to leave in a hurry. And while my table has a surface, I make sure I can't pile things up on it. I don't want to see a pile of clutter when I first walk in. There is a shelf on the bottom of the table that holds mail, magazines and catalogs that I want to reference later.

If you have the space, tables like these are great. A bowl on top to drop your keys in, a shelf on the bottom for frequently worn shoes or baskets for accessories or magazines. These tables are all courtesy of Stanley Furniture. 

Where is My Hat?

Hall stands are great also. They work great in the entrance or in the mudroom. Mine has hooks for hanging otherwise "lost" items such as hats and gloves and I also use the hooks for guests' coats so they are never uncomfortable asking for their coats when it is time to leave. This hall stand has a seat for putting on your shoes and the seat lid flips up and for storage underneath. A great place to look for something like this is your local antique store- it's totally green and always costs less! Mine is from 1880 and it's still in wonderful condition.

Keeping your area near the front door organized helps keep clutter from building up in other areas of your home. And a beautiful display as soon as you walk in makes your home more inviting to you as well as your guests. 

Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Contact me through my website  www.redesignforadime.com for deep discounts on Stanley Furniture shipped all over the U.S. www.stanleyfurniture.com

Consultations available anywhere in the world through Skype!