Lets do bullet points. I like bullet points. Mainly because when you grow up in Brooklyn, there's a sick comfort in the word 'bullet'.
Grew up in Brooklyn, and apparently repeat the word Brooklyn a lot. Graduated from The School of Visual Arts in NYC, I draw, I paint, I design interiors, I cook like crazy, clean like my kidney function depends upon it, I collect dogs (4), lived downtown in NYC most of my life, was an art director/ Assoc Creative Director in advertising for 14 years, eventually quit to raise my 2 boys (now 17 and 20), predictably moved out of nyc after 9/11, ripped my hair out for the next 5 years, made fun of every mom who played tennis for an additional 3 years, didn't buy a minivan, almost died, (like how i slipped that in there?), got a divorce, (remained great friends afterwards), became a personal trainer/kickboxing instructor, (took 5 years but got my Black Belt. I know, I know.....every third grader has a black belt, but not as many 48th graders).
Anyway, bullet points, right. Fuck. This should be a blog sponsored by Ritalin. You know what? Screw the bullet points. Bullet points are for accountants with laser pointers, pie charts and often, a dominatrix.
Where was I...right...martial arts. So after throwing myself into the discipline for 10 yrs, and injuring my hip, knees, wrists, Coccyx bone, and instructing for 4 yrs, I decided I needed more than counting peoples sit-ups... and enduring the psychotic, mental breakdowns from women who ate french fries for lunch, and have possibly detected another dent of cellulite in their upper thigh. So eventually, I put instructing aside, and went neck deep into hot yoga. But I needed to work still. After a bunch of kitchen remodels and living room rearrangements I did for friends as favors, I decided to start a small interior design business, and start building a portfolio. https://www.facebook.com/interiorstylingbydawnpres/
Yes, it's very different than martial arts, and an advertising career, but every once in a while, I'd sidekick someone's ugly sofa out the door, or I'd leg sweep a heinous floor lamp down a flight of stairs, for nostalgic reasons.
I've been designing interiors now for about 4 yrs, but will mostly be doing consults only so I can pursue a few other areas of interest.
One of them being a little upholstered chair painting business with my partner Doug Anderson, called (ChairVandals.com). And also a brand new, little online store called Sewbotz. ( http://www.redbubble.com/people/Sewbotz ). A third one is in the works for my digital drawings and will be available through Society6. I will update as it becomes more complete.
I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but my hands, heart and mind will continue to search and explore the variety of things in this world that excite me. And that's so, so many things.
More to come.
Peace, love and pancakes.
Peace, love and pancakes.
❤
What I’m ok at:
There's a few things I'm good at, but in the interest of saving time, I'll spare you the details of keeping your tile grout sparkly clean, and cleaning up regular rotations of your dogs crap.
So let me start with a few boring things.
Smelling anyone's bullshit from a mile away....i attribute this gift to my Italian proportioned nose. So, thank you dad. I've always wanted to be able to hide an Anaconda up my nose, that just ate a goat. Big noses were always a dream of mine. So thank you.
Equally good at using the right side of my brain matter, being creepily intuitive, communicating, consoling, being loyal, expressing myself, admitting fault, solving problems, getting lost, and being a great mom (Don't roll your eyes, it's not easy being under appreciated daily ;).
I try and be the best I can be, with whatever's in front of me, and I'm definitely my own worst critic, and think everything i do sucks. But enough with all this self-congratulatory nonsense. It's so much more fun to know what I'm a miserable failure at. I'm terrible at skiing, swimming,(I'm great at drowning though), losing, straightening my hair, ripping off band aids fast, not using my hands to talk, balancing checkbooks, and/or a running chainsaw on my nose, asking for help, hanging curtain rods, making small portions, changing tires, re-roofing houses, building space modules, and staying dry when i'm in the shower, to name a few.
The first things people usually notice about me:
I guess that wholly depends upon who you ask. If you ask my dry cleaners, they may say one thing. If you ask my gynecologist, they might say something else.
Favorite books, movies, shows, music, and food:
Books...I'm addicted to non-fiction. To me, fictitious stories feel like a waste of time. If i can't learn from something, spiritual, factual, or intellectual, I'm bored, and will fall asleep on the persons lap top next to me on the train. And except for the 100% down-filled keyboards, regular keyboards make terrible pillows.
Favorite books: Outliers, A Short History of Nearly Everything, anything spiritual, Craft of The Warrior, Bursts, The Power Of Now, My Horizontal Life, Wayne Dyer anything, 13 Things That Don't Make Sense, Into Thin Air, The Tipping Point, Omnivore's Dilemma, Create Your Own Religion, Thank You For Smoking…
Food...Being Italian, food was given more importance than taking in oxygen. So needless to say, I'll eat anything. Even possibly my traveling companion if we get into a plane crash on a snowy mountain top, and she dies, and I live.
TV...Just blow that thing up.
Music… Too much to mention… Plus I live in a house of musicians, so here, music is like air. Hard Rock, Hip Hop, old school, Breaking Benjamin, Staind, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Jay Z, Rage Against the Machine, Em, Muse, Deftones, STP, Linkin Park, Puddle of Mudd, Sheryl Crow, Evanescence, Asking Alexandria, Nine Inch Nails, love a bunch of alternative music too, House Music, techno, Jazz, Classical.... my love list is endless... I'll pretty much listen to anything. Except 80's music and country. I think I'd rather eat raw hay and swallow a splintered banjo than actually listen to that. Which means if you love and listen to country, don't even bother saying hi, because I'll date you, leave you, grab a ukulele, and write a song about how I left you, and feed it to your cow.
Movies...Crash, The Departed, The Prestige, American History X, The Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Up --(one of the best movies i've seen in awhile. Don't laugh! I cried like a 2 year old), Pulp Fiction, Liar liar, Seven, Memento, Cinema Paradiso, The Money Pit, Meet The Parents, Borat, 300. Im an avid documentary watcher, as well.
Comedians: George Carlin, Bill Burr. Louis CK, Joe Rogan. My all time faves.
The six things I could never do without: Why 6, i have no idea:
1. <3 and all the bullshit that comes along with it.
2. My kick ass boys and amazing circle of severely abnormal friends.
3. A deep connection... philosophically, spiritually, mentally, physically or otherwise.
4. A beautiful home.
5. An outlet for my creativity.
6. ...as well as for my hairdryer.
7. Monthly cupcakes. Sorry. That's 7. Can't cut out my monthly pms cupcakes. Unless i can replace it with Napoleons, or a quick, forgivable bout of homicidal rage.
The most private thing I’m willing to admit:
38-55-17-49...That's the combination for my gym locker. Help yourself.
