Posts by Nicole Curcio
Greetings from the (messy) desk of Rejuvenation’s master multi-tasker! If you’ve ever seen one of our products on TV, in a magazine or online, chances are I had a little something to do with getting it there. If you’ve attended one of our in-store events here in Portland or Seattle, I was the person working behind the scenes to find the right speaker, make sure you received your invitation, AND had some tasty hors d’oeuvres and wine during your visit. Perhaps, we’ve exchanged commentary on Facebook or Twitter over the last couple of years?
My latest task is figuring out all of the marketing that goes into opening a new store in 2011, but you’ll learn more about that later. I’m an ideas person and I have a really fun and exciting job here, as I try to make all of those ideas into reality. Interacting with all the great people I meet through work is the best part of my job, so thanks to you all for that!
My background is in retail and fine arts. I started at one of our competitors as holiday help in college and over the course of six years held every job from gift wrapper to store manager and everything in between, before I left my hometown in Connecticut and headed for Portland, OR. I wandered into Rejuvenation’s showroom shortly after my arrival and the rest, as they say, is history!
When I’m not working, I can be found in my pottery studio, home painting or running (quite literally) around Portland with my Aussie pup, Basil (who can also be found under my desk from time to time). While I’m no expert on history or antique lighting like some of my cohorts, I can certainly connect you with the right resources and people to provide ideas and inspiration to get the job done. Your comments and questions are always welcome.
You can find me on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/rejuvenationlightingandhouseparts, via email: ncurcio@rejuvenation.com or right here.
Two truths and one lie about me:
- I once owned a home built in 1900 for the factory workers of an old fire hose factory.
- I’m somewhat accident prone. I’ve broken my right wrist once, my left wrist four times, a collar bone and a finger.
- I am horribly allergic to cats.
For each of our retail stores, Rejuvenation partners with a local charity. It’s a labor of love for us to do what we can to help the communities in which we work and live. In Los Angeles, we work with PATH (People Assisting the Homeless).
PATH is hosting their fundraiser on June 22 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. The evening will feature a VIP reception, one-night-only musical retelling of The Wizard of Oz, and dessert party with the cast. This event raises funds to permanently house 1,000 homeless families and individuals. Purchase tickets here or call (323) 644-2209.
In the meantime, we wanted to introduce you to PATH’s inspiring founder, Claire West-Orr.
In 1983, Claire West-Orr observed more and more homeless people scavenging through dumpsters in her west Los Angeles neighborhood. She asked, “Why is someone not doing something to help these people out?” When no answers came, the next question she asked was, “Why not me?”
She started with a letter—a simple invitation to the west Los Angeles community to discuss the growing problem of homelessness. There were no grandiose visions of a large social service agency, no thoughts of developing a model for services, not even the dream of ending homelessness. This group of conscientious and compassionate individuals just wanted to help the homeless people they saw in their own neighborhoods.
“We realized that something had to be done because so many people were falling through the cracks,” says Claire. “From the beginning, we made two decisions: that people would truly be able to help themselves with, as we say, ‘a hand up, not a hand out.’ And that we would be multi-denominational and community based.”
So in 1984, PATH was founded in a small office space donated by the Westwood United Methodist Church. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church agreed to host an emergency food and clothing program.
Today PATH has grown into a $12 million-a-year organization with multiple agencies working collectively to end homelessness throughout Southern California. PATH boasts expansive street outreach teams and 215 transitional beds at four locations. It will complete 1,000 units of new affordable housing by 2015 and is constructing a new $35 million facility in downtown San Diego.
When asked to share a memorable story from her time with PATH, Claire recounts, “I attended a west side meeting recently and met a young man who arrived at PATH with a history of drug abuse, incarceration, and many difficult life situations, including selling drugs by the time he was 11. He told me that PATH is not just CHANGING his life, but GIVING him a life for the first time ever.” These types of interactions occur on a daily basis. As Claire says, “Every day we witness a miracle, sometimes several.”
As to her coveted role as Aunt Em in the production, Claire modestly states, “I don’t usually feel comfortable with accolades and personal attention. However, I am happy to do my part to support the fundraiser. Likewise, PATH needs and appreciates the support we get from Rejuvenation. It’s a wonderful company and we so value what you contribute to help change peoples lives.”
Jett Loe wanted to be an architect, became a photographer and director, and now photographs and directs videos about architecture. His current project documents the Los Angeles neighborhood of West Adams. The area is full of historic architecture and generous homeowners—just the kind of place that inspires us, too.
Ever since childhood, I’ve been in love with architecture. Specifically houses. Even more specifically, the homes of a hundred years ago. You know the kind: Wooden and brick structures full of amazing detail, hand-crafted, and—compared to the seemingly robot-built homes of today—built to last.
My pre-teen and adolescent years can be traced and tracked through my sketchbooks, overflowing with drawings of fanciful homes I designed. But somewhere, some when, my ardor for architecture cooled. I don’t know why. I moved on, left the U.S., and ended up living in London directing wacky pie-in-the-face comedy shows for the BBC. I had given up my young romance with the architecture of the Craftsman, the Gothic, the Beaux Arts, and had even forgotten that I had given up. Until…I moved to Los Angeles.
And saw these.
Who knew L.A. had this kind of houses? I certainly didn’t.
I’m talking about the absolutely astonishing homes—hundreds, perhaps thousands, of astonishing homes in L.A.’s West Adams District.
It was complete happenstance that I found them. There I was, new to town, looking at ugly strip-mall architecture at the intersection of Western Avenue and Washington Boulevard. I had signed on to share a house near there, and was headed to see my new living quarters. As I walked west from the intersection, I turned up a side street. I was stunned.
I felt like I’d stumbled upon what was, quite possibly, the greatest undiscovered architectural treasure west of the Mississippi. I’ve lived all over the world and I’d never seen anything like this. When I’ve talked to experts in the field, and even native Angelenos, the most detailed response I get is along the lines of “Oh yeah, I’ve heard there’s some nice houses around there.”
It’s a lot more than that. If you come to Los Angeles, you’ve got to see this area for yourself. Some of these homes still have gaslight! If you can’t visit but still want to see what the fuss is about, just go to UntoldLA.com.
At Rejuvenation, we’ve always believed that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Our employees certainly prove this adage—and not just when they’re at work. In the coming months, we’ll be featuring some of the surprising and inspiring projects that are their own labors of love.
The following is from Lance Terrile, one of our Sales Representatives.
When I first found out that Rejuvenation sold Jadite glass, I squealed with delight. I have a huge collection of it, and over the last five years, it’s become something of an obsession. My collection started out small with a few pieces I found through Martha Stewart. From there, all bets were off. I became a crazed man trying to build my collection bigger and bigger. Not only did I love the classic beauty of the glass, but also how calming the color is.
In the last five years, my collection has grown so large that I don’t even know how many pieces I have. But I’m not going to stop looking, because hunting for Jadite is as much fun as having it.
This year, we have been sharing our Labor of Love stories with you. Some have been about products and some have been about personal experiences, but they’ve all reflected on our appreciation for the handmade, the hard-won, and the heartfelt. To honor this weekend’s holiday, we wanted to pay tribute to the biggest labor of love of all: motherhood. We hope you enjoy our stories—and feel inspired to share one of your own with us. Or, even better, share it with the special ones near to you.
Goofing around with mom at a family wedding
My mom worked hard to raise me, mostly by herself. I was the one of the only girls in the family—it was me, my older brother, seven uncles, and mostly male cousins. Maybe it was no big surprise that I was always much happier digging in the yard or riding my bike (a black BMX-style number) than I ever was wearing a dress or playing with dolls. My mom knew I wasn’t a kid who could sit still much, so she always encouraged me to go outside and play.
Unfortunately, all this rough-and-tumble activity came with a downside. I am a little (OK, a lot) accident prone. So while I have many fond memories of my mom from growing up, so many of them are of her trying to make me feel better. She nursed me through five broken wrists, one broken collar bone, one broken finger, one nearly severed finger, a tonsillectomy, wisdom teeth removal, some other crazy oral surgery (I am in dental record books!), and most recently, foot surgery in February.
I’ll confess that I am no easy patient, but my mom has always dropped everything to make sure I had what I needed when I needed her most.
Thanks Mom. And Happy Mother’s Day from your “Tough Break Kid.”
At Rejuvenation, we’ve always believed that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Our employees certainly prove this adage—and not just when they’re at work. In the coming months, we’ll be featuring some of the surprising and inspiring projects that are their own labors of love.
The following is from Sarah Fritsch, a consultant who’s been working as our web project manager for so long enough she’s become part of the Rejuve crew.
Over the past ELEVEN years I have been trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon. On several occasions I have missed qualifying by only seconds. This past October, I gave it another try at the Portland marathon. And, finally, I qualified!
To prepare for the race, I got up stupid early in the morning and ran almost every day. I tried to finish my training runs in the wee hours of the morning (before 7 a.m.) so that I didn’t miss any action at home. Once a week I got a babysitter to watch the kids while I cranked out my long run—about 20 miles.
Carrying a baby through the snow counts as weight-lifting, right?
My family loves to ski and spend time on the mountain, which is awesome but impacted my running schedule (since I can’t run in snow very well!). To compensate, I incorporated cross-training in the form of snowy hikes with a baby strapped on, and cross-country skiing pulling a kid in a sled. Happily, my husband, Oliver, is a huge supporter and has been for all 11 years that I have tried to qualify. My kids cheered me on and loved to have mini marathons with me at home and in the park.
I’m happy to say that I completed the marathon and that it was totally worth all the time and effort. Now I just have to find a new project to occupy me for the next 11 years…
