Marrakesh: and a tale of me and Martha Stewart

I'll tell you my "Good thing".  It's that I got to spend the day lunching and shopping with Martha Stewart (and Kevin Sharkey - adorable!) in Marrakesh.

Martha told me about the 700 stores she's opening in the US (holy moly!).  And her commitment to providing people with really good quality at an affordable price.  And we chatted about gardens, about food, about her granddaughter -- ie all the loves of her life. 

Martha Stewart is a woman with a full -- very full -- life.  Isn't that what we all want?  No matter how we define it?

And did I mention that Martha really likes my book, Marrakesh by Design?  (Yippee!)

Lucky me!  Thank you universe:-)

The good old USA: and a tale of my book tour schedule for Marrakesh by Design

Dear friends,

I'm leaving tomorrow for my little US book tour for Marrakesh by Design.  I can't tell you how much it would mean to me to meet you!  My connection to you in this olive grove of mine in Marrakesh is mostly virtual.  Wouldn't it be so nice to meet in real life?

Here's the schedule below.  It's going to be a little bit of a balancing act on my part:-)

WASHINGTON, DC

Thursday, May 3, 6:00 p.m.

WASHINGTON DESIGN CENTER, 300 D Street SW

Haven Interiors showroom

Book talk & signing

www.dcdesigncenter.com

http://dcdesigncenterblog.com/2012/04/book-signing-may-3-marrakesh-by-design/

MIAMI, FL

Monday, May 7, 8:00 p.m.

BOOKS & BOOKS, 265 Aragon Ave (Coral Gables)

www.booksandbooks.com

Book talk & signing

http://www.booksandbooks.com/event/maryam-montague-marrakesh-design-gables

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL

Tuesday, May 8, 12:00 noon

MUSEUM OF ART FORT LAUDERDALE, 1 East Las Olas Boulevard 

www.moafl.org

With BOOKS & BOOKS, www.booksandbooks.com

Lunch, book talk & signing

http://events.miami.com/fort_lauderdale_fl/events/show/257459984-art-roundtable-luncheon-marrakesh-by-design-with-maryam-montague

(Look Mom, no hands.....) 

LOS ANGELES, CA

Thursday, May 10, 10:00 AM

WATERWORKS, 8580 Melrose Avenue

As part of LA CIENEGA DESIGN QUARTER’S LEGENDS OF LA CIENEGA: WINDOWS TO THE WORLD

www.lcdqla.com/legends-2012

Panel discussion on Morocco; book talk & signing

http://lcdqla.com/legends-2012/

LOS ANGELES, CA

Friday, May 11, 3:00 PM

DOWNTOWN, 719 N. La Cienega Blvd.

As part of LA CIENEGA DESIGN QUARTER’S LEGENDS OF LA CIENEGA: WINDOWS TO THE WORLD

www.lcdqla.com/legends-2012

Panel discussion on Morocco; book talk & signing

CHULA VISTA, CA

Saturday, May 12, 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.

ROYAL DESIGN STUDIO, 3517 Main Street, Suite 302 

www.royaldesignstudio.com

Hands-on Moroccan stencil workshops and/or talk with book signing

http://www.royaldesignstudio.com/products/my-marrakesh-coming-to-san-diego

RYE, NY

Tuesday, May 15, 7:00 p.m.

NEST INSPIRED HOME, 20 Purchase Street

www.nestinspiredhome.com

Book party & signing

http://www.nestinspiredhome.com/events.php

 NEW YORK, NY

Wednesday, May 16, 4:00 p.m.

DDB DECORATION & DESIGN BUILDING, 979 Third Avenue

www.ddbuilding.com

Book talk & signing, as part of the DDB Spring Market

................................................................

I would be so grateful for blog/Facebook mentions and tweets on any/all of the events. (One well known writer I know told me he would sometimes show up at book events and there would be only 1 or 2 people there and he would want to cry:-()

I am so looking forward to sharing & discussing what I love about Moroccan design with you!

See you..........I hope........very soon!

                    With love from Marrakesh,

                    Maryam

Marrakesh by Design: and a tale of relief

I had told you about the trepidation.  About how it sat in the cardboard box, unopened -- my book, Marrakesh by Design.  

My husband peeked his head through the door.  Well? he said.  

No, I replied. Not yet.

The night passed, the day passed, the night passed.  My book sat in its cardboard box, the seal unbroken.

And then I opened it quietly, with no one around.  

It was bigger than I thought. 

I opened to the first page, and then the next page, and then the next. And then I put it down.  And then I picked it up.  And I opened it again and read another page, and then one more, then several.    Then I closed it and opened it from the back.  And I read it, well, backwards.  

A wave of.... of relief washed over me.  {Why, it was okay.  It was, even, well, good!}

I gave it to a close friend.  A designer friend.  I knew that she would tell me the truth.  

She liked it.  She liked it a lot.

Oh, thank you, universe.

I hope you'll like it, too.  Please, oh please, do.

PS I've been teaching my 12 year old son, Tristan, how to take pictures.  The ones above are his.

PPS My jewelry is from Bouvier.  Rebecca is my favorite jeweller ever.

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Morocco: and a tale of Moroccan lanterns

It's been years.  But I still succumb to their beauty.  every. single. time. 

Moroccan lanterns.

 

Made with the tiniest saw blades, with the most careful chisels, with the most precise hammers.  Made by master craftsmen with the most patient hands.  

 

These are no ordinary lights.  Oh no.  This is ambiance hanging from a chain -- the streams of light, tattooing the walls, the ceiling, the floor. 

So you can buy those Ikea lights, those plastic globes, those prefab sconces.  Or you can buy.... Moroccan magic.

 

I side with magic every time.

 

PS There is a Moroccan shopping resource section in my book.  So you can have some Moroccan magic of your very own.