The Irreverent Jason Oliver Nixon on the Design Bloggers Hall of Fame Awards

I love a good awards ceremony. Ever since I won the Pinewood Derby as a Cub Scout at about the age of seven, I have been obsessed with trophies and those satin blue ribbons with lots of ruffles and lettering in big, bold gold type that my friends who jumped horses had all over their walls.

Frankly, there’s nothing better than a gilt statuette perched atop a plastic base. In time, the gold will start to peel and the nut and screw holding the plastic base to the urn or statuette will loosen, but so what? By the time your statuette is un-screwed, you probably won’t remember what the award really stood for anyhow.

The best awards are the ones that can be put to a good use and not clutter up the bookshelf: I won an award for something a few years back, and that chunky glass pyramid now works perfectly for smashing ice before cocktail parties. My chipped-ice martinis are famous, so thank you to the Folio Magazine Awards.

Just remember: Today’s peacock, tomorrow’s feather duster. That’s what my mom always told me, and they are good words to live by. Your blog might kick some major metrics ass right now, but don’t rest on your laurels. Speaking of which, we are design bloggers so who wants to rest on an uncomfortable laurel anyhow. If I plan to rest upon anything it will be a Trina Turk-covered daybed in the courtyard of a hotel in Palm Springs, n’est-ce pas, and not some tree branch.

Frankly, if I were in charge of this awards ceremonies, I would be giving everyone a Jereboam of vodka: What could be better than a double magnum of liquor to keep you in a celebratory mood. And I would probably throw in a few mixers, too, for winners like this was some VIP lounge with table service.

“Here’s your Stoli, and we’re throwing in some Mr. & Mrs. T Bloody Mary Mix, cranberry juice, some celery, a few limes, salt, and peanuts. Thank you so much for your dedication. Now go Tweet, sweetie, and drink up, buttercup. #killerpartyinroom405 later”

So, welcome to the Design Bloggers Hall of Fame. It’s sort of like the Best-Dressed Hall of Fame, only we aren’t critiquing your engaging fashion ensembles but rather your gimlet-eyed glance upon the worlds of style and design. Your blog rocks. Seriously. And we love you, dearly. Just don’t blather on too much when you get up here to accept your award, and don’t close your eyes when the requisite photo is snapped.

And, good lord, I am hosting.

Just stay awake. I have no intention of going down in the annals as the James Franco and Anne Hathaway combo-from-hell or a nose-picking Chevy Chase of the Design Bloggers Conference. If the motor idles, I am ordering in pizza and Chardonnay, and we can play “Chug Boat” and Tobi Fairley can be Florence Henderson and Ronda Carman, Charro.

Or maybe I’ll loll about in the audience and ask provocative personal questions (“So, what do you REALLY think of Kelly Wearstler, and did you see her Playboy spread years back?” Or “Do you think anyone is going to hook up at this conference? Name the names.”).

Or I’ll get Bethanne Matari from Currey & Co. up here to tell off-color jokes.

“OK, so this one time at band camp…”

Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy lunch.

Oh. And next year we want to hear just where you stuck your award.

Mitra Morgan: The Thrill of the Find

Mitra Morgan is Co-Founder and Chief Curator of Joss & Main, a division of Wayfair.com, the No. 2 online retailer of home furnishings and housewares in the U.S. Joss & Main is a members-only flash inspiration site that provides carefully curated sales events featuring the most desirable goods for the home. One of the fastest-growing private sale sites, Joss & Main officially launched about a year ago. Among flash sale sites, it stands out for being dedicated solely to the home and offering its readers inspiration combined with great deals cutting across all styles, from traditional to transitional to modern.

The “thrill of the find” is a key idea not only for Mitra and her team of talented buyers & curators, but also to Joss & Main’s varied and exclusive members. Mitra is delighted to hear when members spot an item on Joss & Main that isn’t at all what they think of as their style, but is an irresistible find, just the same. Some of the more unique items Mitra has curated so far at Joss & Main include: vibrant Moroccan poufs, stunning blown glass accents, and iconic modern furniture. Her favorite find this month was a samurai bench inspired by the toji gates of Japan. Mitra loves the growing role Joss & Main is playing in members’ lives – giving them a break in their busy days to think about their own style sensibilities and bring more finds and even a few surprises into their homes and lives.

Mitra has extensive leadership and entrepreneurial experience in both private and public companies, which she leveraged in building Joss & Main. She founded and operated Brooks Pond, an award-winning manufacturer of premium juvenile goods distributed through Barneys NY and buybuyBABY among others. Before founding Brooks Pond, Mitra was the Executive Vice President of Go Ahead Tours, a division of EF Education, the leading international education company.

Before joining EF, Mitra was the VP Corporate Development for the Kessler Group (Kessler Financial Services). She was responsible for their international expansion and the launch of American Express’ affinity card offering. Mitra’s professional experience also includes work as a senior associate with management consulting firm CSC Index Inc.

She holds an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth and an A.B. from Bowdoin College. Mitra lives near Boston with her husband and two children. An avid traveler, when she’s not searching for new finds to share at Joss & Main, she can be found planning her next trip!

Jason Oliver Nixon to Host Design Bloggers Hall of Fame Awards

Have you made your nominations for the Design Bloggers Hall of Fame yet? Nominations will close on December 21 - make sure your favorite blogs are recognized!

The awards will be presented at lunch during the first day of the Design Bloggers Conference on February 27 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. We’re thrilled to announce that the host for the awards ceremony will be design/lifestyle writer Jason Oliver Nixon.

Jason Oliver Nixon doesn’t just understand the fabulous life; he knows how to unearth it. Far beyond his ability to quote Dorothy Parker, Dorothy Draper, and Noel Coward, it is Nixon’s laser-sharp ability to discover what is truly cutting edge and unique that has led to his current role as a lifestyle guru and authority on taste.

The Global Lifestyle Editor at Delta Sky magazine, the in-flight publication of the world’s largest airline, Nixon has the task of trend-spotting and cultivating and searching out global content and talent to ensure that the publication maintains an inspired, innovative vision. He lives out of an acid-orange Globe-Trotter suitcase, constantly on the prowl for the latest and greatest finds.

Nixon began his publishing career at Condé Nast Traveler, where he served as an Associate Editor and new products editor for three years, covering the travel-product beat and writing features and front-of-book stories. He held a senior editorial role at Fodor’s Travel Guides’ book division and was the Editor of New Media on the fodors.com website before turning to television. He was the launch Field Producer for E! Entertainment’s “True Hollywood Stories” series and the Executive Producer of Robin Leach’s Gourmet Getaways at the Food Network and simultaneously wrote regular restaurant reviews for Paper magazine and a column for the James Beard Foundation’s monthly newsletter. Nixon was awarded with a James Beard Scholarship to attend the esteemed French Culinary Institute, and as a result, was inspired to write the book New York’s 50 Best Places to Eat Brunch.

Nixon eventually left the Food Network to return to the publishing world in affluent Palm Beach, Florida where he launched the Ocean Drive magazine spin-off Ocean Drive’s Palm Beach, a luxury-targeted, general-interest publication. Later, he became the Editor in Chief and Editorial Director of Niche Media LLC, successfully re-launching Hamptons magazine as a controlled-circulation, general-interest summer weekly to target high-end consumers. The magazine’s overwhelming success led Nixon to subsequently launch several highly targeted regional magazines for the group, including Gotham, Los Angeles Confidential, Aspen Peak, Boston Common, and Capitol File as well as Niche’s custom-publishing division, where he developed branded publications for companies such as Tourneau. Nixon has served as the Chief Luxury Officer for the Four Seasons Hotels magazine where he oversaw all design, style, fashion, and accessories coverage for the publication and served as a roving brand ambassador.

Nixon contributes regularly as a writer, producer, stylist, fashion consultant, wrangler, and lifestyle guru to such publications as Virtuoso Life, Town & Country, and Entrée, the Neiman Marcus magazine. He makes frequent appearances on E! and MTV as a style correspondent. Nixon is also one half of the Brooklyn-based interior design firm Madcap Cottage (f/k/a John Loecke Inc.), whose colorful projects have been published in magazines and newspapers such as Domino, House Beautiful, Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens, the New York Times, British House & Garden, and the New York Post. Nixon curates a global style and design blog entitled Demystifying Design that captures his and John Loecke’s far-flung adventures and fabulous finds as they scour the world for Madcap Cottage.

A native of Tampa, Florida, Nixon is a graduate of Maine’s Colby College. Nixon splits his time between a row house in Brooklyn and a renovated schoolhouse in New York’s Catskill Mountains, where he can be found puttering in his garden and Tweeting about his plants.

Kimberly Seldon: Design For Living

Kimberley Seldon will bring her vibrant presence to the Design Bloggers Conference, where she will be sharing her wealth of knowledge in the world of design as one of our speakers. Kimberly enjoys an international reputation as a designer, journalist, keynote speaker and broadcast personality. Kimberley has enjoyed more than 15 years’ experience in television; hosting three of her own series including the HGTV series “Design for Living with Kimberley Seldon”. Kimberley presides as guest design expert on CityTV’s CityLine and appears regularly on the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in the United States.

Recently, Kimberley has taken on the role of Design Editor of Canada’s Chatelaine Magazine and is the Editor in Chief of Dabble Magazine; an online magazine that encompasses design, travel and food, three of Kimberley’s greatest passions.

Kimberley enjoys sharing her knowledge with industry professionals through Business of Design, a series of live seminars since 2006 and now an online business resource for design professionals. Businessofdesign.com offers online courses, a live webinar series, an interactive forum and other business resources from a panel of experts from across the board.

Brian Patrick Flynn: TV Producer Turned Interior Designer

The incredible Brian Patrick Flynn will speak at the Design Bloggers Conference. After years behind the scenes on home makeover programs, Brian ventured into the world of residential interior design. With his very first project gracing the pages of several shelter magazines, the self-taught, risk-taking designer instantly became hooked. Brian adds, “For me, Interior design has become an addiction. I’ve become so obsessed with the instant gratification that comes from transforming spaces that I’m concerned I’ll end up on an intervention reality show”. Soon thereafter, Brian ended up in front of the camera, hosting/designing the same genre of shows he used to develop — all while maintaining a growing residential and commercial clientele.

In 2009, Brian launched the popular blog-style decorating website, Decor Demon, best described as “lifestyle editorial…with an edge”. The success of Decor Demon — which showcases Brian’s talent not only for interior design but also for producing, writing, directing and prop styling magazine-worthy online editorial content as well as broadcast-quality video — opened up new doors for the energetic go-getter. Just three months after its launch, Decor Demon caught the attention of HGTV, resulting in a high-profile partnership between Brian, the cable network and HGTV.com. Currently, Brian is working as the design producer for the hit reality-competition series, HGTV Design Star, and as HGTV.com’s go-to producer for high-quality editorial content. As if that wasn’t enough, his production company, Flynnside Out Productions, is currently producing the online versions of some of HGTV’s most popular specials including HGTV Dream Home, HGTV Green Home and Urban Oasis. Currently, Brian resides in Los Angeles, California.

Kelley Moore: A Passion for Entertaining and Design

At this year’s Design Bloggers Conference, you’ll hear how blogger, author, TV personality Kelley Moore transformed her life by following her passion. Kelley, who will be speaking at the conference, is a lifestyle and entertaining expert with a simple mission: to inspire people to connect and build relationships through the entertaining and design. With an education in social service, Moore’s desire to combine her passion for design with her social service background led her to found her own event design and production company. Her signature productions are sought after from Seattle to London. Kelley has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, TV Guide, People Magazine, along with many others. She frequently partners with brands to assist in the development of campaigns as a Spokesperson participating in television, print, and SMT campaigns. She’s appeared as an expert on the Ellen Degeneres Show, Tyra Banks Show, Rachael Ray Show, The View, The Today Show and the Nate Berkus Show sharing her passion and tips for entertaining and design. She is the author of Cube Chic. Her blog For The Love of Design is where she shares her daily musings. She recently opened an office in Manhattan to continue to develop her multi-media platform.

Cassandra LaValle: Life is in the Details, Style Accordingly

We are thrilled that Cassandra LaValle will be speaking at the Design Bloggers Conference. Cassandra LaValle is the editor behind the lifestyle blog coco+kelley where she explores trends in fashion, decor and entertaining, highlighting pieces that exude classic design and glamour. Launched in 2007, coco+kelley quickly gained a loyal following from readers that describe the content as chic, charming and original.

As a designer, she consults clients across the globe on styling their homes and private events from her offices in Seattle. Coco+kelley has been recognized by editors at Martha Stewart, House Beautiful and The New York Times, and was honored to be listed on the London Times 50 Best Design Blogs. To view the full coco+kelley portfolio and for more information Cassandra’s styling services, please visit www.cocokelley.com or contact us at: [email protected].

Hardy Wallace: Living The Dream

When you attend this year’s Design Bloggers conference, you’ll have a chance to meet one of the most amazing success stories in the world of blogging - the incredible Hardy Wallace. Hardy will share with you how he used video to realize his dreams, and how you can use video in your own blog to realize yours.

Five years ago, Hardy Wallace started an Atlanta based wine blog - Dirty South Wine. With no goals or direction besides to just enjoy writing and shooting videos about wine, Dirty South Wine’s out of left field tone gained a loyal following of consumers and wine professionals.

In early 2009, Hardy was laid off from his Tech career, and decided to fully focus on wine. “I had no idea what the hell I was going to do, but I wasn’t going back to tech”. Two months later, Murphy-Goode Winery launched their search for “A Really Goode Job” aka the best wine job in the world - a six month stint living in Sonoma County, and being paid $10k a month to blog about life at Murphy-Goode. Out of thousands of applicants, Hardy was chosen as the winner and helped launch the era of social media in the often antiquated wine industry.

At the end of the six month period, Hardy left Murphy-Goode to help grow a fledgling winery in Sonoma called “The Natural Process Alliance” or “The NPA”. With his help in marketing and social media, Wallace helped grow and take the almost unknown winery and gained massive attention nationwide with stories on NPR, CBS, the Washington Post, AP, and winning the 2010 Green Winery Award, and being named the 6th Hottest Brand by Wine Business.Com.

While at The NPA, Hardy found a love for winemaking and began making his own wines with a former blogging buddy (Rowdy Food) under the label “Dirty and Rowdy Wine Co.” Hardy had found his calling - ”I fell in love with winemaking- The process of taking something from vine to glass is something that transcends anything I could have imagined… It was in this process where if I found exactly what I was meant to do.”

After a year and a half at The NPA, Hardy left to gain more education. His next stop was to learn the farming side of the wine industry, where he spent a summer farming his own block on Shake Ridge Vineyard in Amador County (a source he uses in Dirty and Rowdy), and then to gain more winemaking and cellar experience with the legendary Ehren Jordan at Failla Wines. His first release of Dirty and Rowdy Wines will be early 2012.

Hardy’s journey is one from daydreamer, to dream job, to a job you dream about.

Ronda Carman to Speak at Design Bloggers Conference

Ronda Carman is the founder of All the Best Blog, brand ambassador for SFERRA, designer liaison for SAVIOR BEDS and a contributing writer for the Huffington Post. Her first book will be published by Rizzoli in Spring 2013.

Ronda spent 15 years in the world of marketing and nonprofits prior to founding All the Best Blog—A Passport to Stylish Living in 2007. All the Best Blog is read in over 105 countries and has garnered press from around the globe, including Fox News (named one of the top ten design blogs in 2010), ELLE Decor, House Beautiful, domino, Southern Living, Home Plus Scotland and numerous regional, national and international newspapers.

All the Best is renowned for it’s insightful interviews and profiles with industry icons, entrepreneurs and global tastemakers. Through creative use of social media Ronda has built a recognized brand, has developed relationships with respected editors and industry icons and has earned the trust of loyal readers.

A Texan by birth, Ronda divides her time between the United Kingdom, the United States and the window seat of an airplane.

Bunny Williams to Speak at the Design Bloggers Conference

We are excited to announce that Bunny Williams will be a featured speaker at the Design Bloggers Conference, kicking off the second day of the conference program.

Bunny Williams is a designer with a modern vision, a sense of history, and the confidence to take the unexpected path. Both a trailblazer and a tastemaker, Williams’ style is classic, but never predictable.

A native of Charlottesville, VA, Williams began her career at Stair & Co., the prestigious English antiques dealer, followed by 22 years with the venerable firm, Parish-Hadley Associates. She formed her own firm, Bunny Williams Inc. in 1988. Today she not only runs her design firm, but with her husband John Rosselli, owns Treillage Ltd., two shops selling garden objects, antiques, and decorative accessories, based in New York City. In 2008 she introduced a celebrated home furnishings collection, BeeLine Home, which continues to expand and introduce new pieces at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, NC. Williams’ fourth book, “Scrapbook for Living” was published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang in November 2010.

William’s work has been published around the world both in print and online. She has received numerous honors and awards including: the Interior Design Hall of Fame, House Beautiful Giants of Design, Elle Décor’s A List, Timeless Design Award from the Royal Oak Society, Living Landmarks from the NY Landmarks Conservancy, and the Etoile award from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Williams is a fast adapter to new technology and stays in touch with her expanding fan base through her website bunnywilliams.com, Facebook: facebook.com/beelinehome, facebook.com/treillage, and Twitter: Bunny Williams

Bunny Williams Inc. 306 E 61st St. NY , NY 10065 212-207-4040

PR: Carolyn Sollis [email protected], 917-648-6200