10/03/2023

The Moody Blues: A Personal Connection

Nowadays you may be finding it impossible to ignore what seems to be the mass exodus of so many bands, musicians, and songwriters of yesterday – too many in just the past couple of years. In true blue, rock 'n' roll fashion, Elizabeth scrambles to preserve the memories of music she followed her entire life, dating as far back as the '60s. In doing so, she welcomes Gary Kudrna, sound engineer for The Moody Blues for 12 extraordinary years. How Elizabeth and her latest guest's worlds happen to collide is a rock 'n' roll story well worth telling. For now, we'll just say it all began with the two of them once meeting the same beautiful girl named Paula. The two agree that their coming together was an event that was simply "meant to be" after her passing late last year. You'll want to listen to the behind-the-scenes stories about how The Moody Blues were "instrumental" in keeping Gary and Paula's relationship alive. Not only that, hear about Gary's unique mixing process and the other famous bands he's worked with. Over 400, including the Beach Boys, Robert Palmer, and Led Zeppelin, just to name a few! Rare, special guests, "Three Dog Night," decide to play the roles of background vocalists for a short stretch in this track. These are Gary's three beloved rescue dogs, Jango, Beni, and Sal, also known as "the boys." This guy also has some very cool and collected rock 'n' roll decor: framed platinum albums, guitars, signed artwork, and more. Elizabeth goes crazy over this and points out her undeniable passion for rock music-inspired rooms, an everyday additive on her website and Instagram feed. Rumor has it that Elizabeth and Gary are thinking about coming back to record Part II because they figure they barely scratched the surface. Be sure to stay tuned in to Deep Track Designs for more! A tribute to our dear, sweet Paula on her birthday. Paula Louise Craig 10/02/60 - 11/14/22 A mutual love lost... Her memory is one we vow to keep alive together.

35 min

08/31/2023

Gen X: Life by Design

YO, everyone! Get yourself ready for another "gnarly" track from Deep Track Designs as Elizabeth Becken sets you up, once again, with a very special guest. Elizabeth admits she's a young Baby Boomer, but that doesn't derail the desire to share her vast knowledge of the 1980s, and she does just that alongside her homegirl, Jen. It just so happens these two have a ton in common as their businesses and personal lives have evolved simultaneously. Each of them are clearly taking the world by the tail and they explain how listeners can do the same! Sharing the "wisdom" that comes from being older, the two go on to chat about truly understanding how it feels to go through life's transitions, many of which are not fun at all. Both Elizabeth and Jen recognize that many midlifers, whether a design client or budding entrepreneur, need assistance in order to bring their homes or businesses to the next level – the best it can possibly be. Furthermore, they believe starting over, as difficult as it can be, is a unique opportunity that must be seized. It's a great time to take stock in what you've seen, where you've been, and what you've done – THEN make the decision to pivot. At the forefront of this episode is this... Jen, from Jen-X Website Design & Strategy, just finished helping Elizabeth rebrand Smoothyblues Online Interiors. The two are very excited to announce Elizabeth's new niche, Residential Interior Design for Midlifers: Inspiring Home Decor to Match the BOLD New You! Besides taking pride in catering to midlifers with their businesses, the two share plenty of '80s memories. In this track, Jen laughs at how the boys in school used to tease her about her big hair, giving her the name "net-head." When it comes to music, they both agree that "Express Yourself" by Madonna is an appropriate tune for this track's theme song with the lyrics, "Don't go for second best, baby... Put your love to the test!" Not surprising, Elizabeth takes a deep dive into design from the '80s with her colorful discussion around Memphis Design. She talks about its Italian origin and how it came to be so "radically" popular in the United States. She goes on to point out familiar examples – the sets on MTV and Peewee Herman where bright colors and abstract geometric shapes ruled. Listeners, however, may be interested to learn which rock artist compiled one of the largest Memphis Design collections in the world. The collection can be seen at the Modernism Museum Mount Dora, and the title of the exhibit (wink, wink) is Space Oddities: The Sequel. Make sure you listen for more on designing for the Gen Xer today plus Jen's philosophy on aligning feelings with what you want in life. To learn more about Jen's business visit: https://www.jenxwebdesign.com/ Visit Elizabeth's new website: https://www.smoothybluesonlineinteriors.com/

54 min

02/16/2023

Leopard and the Little Rebel

Elizabeth Becken is turning up the volume with a spectacular line-up of guests for Season II of Deep Track Designs! She says the criteria for guests is simple: they must love music, must have something mind-blowing to add to their interior design conversation, AND, they absolutely must have a sense of humor. With her typical injection of Vermont flavor, Elizabeth explains how she met her first very cool guest. What grabbed her attention was this: the unsuspecting, soon-to-be guest had “two major (and I mean MAJOR) obsessions – leopard print and David Bowie.” As Elizabeth got to know her more, she thought, dang girl, you’re coming with me! You’ll be asking yourself, who else other than Elizabeth dares to zigzag back and forth between conversations about the most famous interior designer of all time and Bowie… and with such remarkable grace? Literally with Grace, Elizabeth’s first guest, who is asked when she first recognized herself as a little rebel and matter-of-factly responds, “inside the womb!” One after another, Grace drops entertaining bombs with her surprising answers to Elizabeth’s questions. Although Grace considers herself a rebel of sorts, don’t be fooled. She is not only a talented artist, she's also an extremely well-spoken lady who grew up in a home where music and art became staples in the pantry of her everyday life. She clearly loves and respects her grandparents who raised her. Of course, Elizabeth manages to weave in a few historical tidbits about leopard print, as well as how to incorporate the pattern into your design. Both she and Grace agree that they tend to gravitate most toward a leopard print design which also features neon pink. The over-the-top discussion about their mutual love for leopard clothing and decor is well worth taking in. Finally, you’ll love hearing Grace provide some obscure factoids about David Bowie’s life and music. Be prepared to learn something new! Rest assured, the two won’t be saying goodbye before touching on Bowie’s hit, “Rebel Rebel.” Be sure to listen all the way through this track to truly get the deep connection this lady has with Bowie. You can check out Grace’s art on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feannag/ Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website: https://www.smoothybluesonlineinteriors.com/

32 min

08/31/2022

Season One Finale: Out With a Bang!

Deep Track Designs is going out with a BANG... literally! On a sweltering hot day in Vermont, Elizabeth cracks open a Harpoon Summer Ale to celebrate the season's end with her co-host and proceeds to tell everyone one last story. You have to listen to appreciate the full magnitude of Elizabeth's sweaty excitement when she unleashes her amazing new discovery – one of the world's most famous and talented drummers, the Japanese twelve year-old, Yoyoka Soma. She says she stumbled upon Yoyoka late one night while pulling her notes together for her final track of the season. Her initial thoughts included promoting her social media plus reminiscing about the highlights from the last eight episodes; theme songs, design tips, and particularly funny segments... and that she's done. BUT... Then she came across Yoyoka's birthday YouTube video of her drumming away to "We're an American Band" with her family. Elizabeth explains how she kept digging and found more and more of this genius' head-banging videos: "Stone Cold Crazy," "Good Times Bad Times," "Burn," "Sunshine of Your Love," and "Black Dog," to name a few. Elizabeth was blown away and now plans on designing a room just for Yoyoka, since she loves designing rooms to inspire young people to follow whatever feeds their passion. You can bet this room will feature a drum set! Until Yoyoka contacts her, she adds the new room design will live in her website's Our Future design gallery. Speaking of which, Elizabeth wants to be sure listeners know there will be plenty of entertainment going on while she takes a break from the mic. She invites everyone to visit her website where she's written numerous unique posts for her Genre blog. Some of her most popular include Janis Lyn Joplin: A Surprising Connection to Interior Design, Savage Gardens: Dining Rooms Unimagined, and Paws for Design. She and her co-host remark on how crazy and colorful her Instagram page is as well! So, you may be wondering where this girl is going. The story reads she's leaving on a jet plane to Thailand, but she DOES know when she'll be back again... That'll be January, with a spankin' new podcast format! Don't you worry, though. Elizabeth promises music and design are still going to be very much her main gig. One last thing before she leaves... If you listen to the end of Track 9, you'll find a freebie promotion Elizabeth's created especially for her podcast listeners! Just her way of saying THANK YOU to everyone for listening.

43 min

07/26/2022

Farmhouse Blitz

Smoothyblues owner, Elizabeth, and her co-host start this track off by painting a vivid picture of what it’s like to take in all of Vermont’s natural summer beauty, a distinct celebration for the senses. In the foreground of Elizabeth’s mind, however, are all of the farmhouses that can be seen around almost every turn she takes. She says, as an interior designer, she often finds herself gravitating towards a few particular farmhouse styles, and you can imagine why. But before getting into the thick of the design discussion, you can leave it to Elizabeth to catch you off guard with an unusual conversation about her thirsty cucumbers and how she gives herself a "10" when it comes to gardening. There’s a lot of chuckling after she dares Bo Derek to challenge her on this. In the continued effort to uphold her modus operandi, Elizabeth makes the announcement of her unconventional choice for a theme song, "We’re an American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad. After all, how could this song possibly relate to farmhouse design? It’s SIMPLE, she says, "I love to listen to music featuring cowbells!" She asks her co-host, "Have you ever noticed how everyone runs to the dance floor like a herd of cattle when they hear cowbells? I know I DO!" While chatting it up about this Michigan-based band, Elizabeth mentions famous groupie, Connie Hamzy. She points out there’s a line in this song dedicated to Sweet, Sweet Connie. The two joke again... Perhaps Elizabeth could be a groupie for her co-host’s band, and people would refer to her as Sweet, Sweet Lizzy. It’s so easy for these two to propagate more and more spin-off music talk, because they clearly love it! Keep the faith, though, because Elizabeth does manage to turn this track around to inform listeners about her three favorite farmhouse design styles, something else she really loves. She begins her talk with describing the Early American Farmhouse style. She not only provides a little history, she describes the typical furniture from this era as well their signature characteristics. There’s even a few short lessons on pie safe and Windsor chair construction. Next up is what Elizabeth refers to as Farmhouse Glitz. You’ll surely want to hear about her romantic bedroom design. She shows you how complete opposites, rustic and glam, can work very well together. Finally, this lady gets around to a style so many of us are just crazy about – Industrial Farmhouse. She provides a comprehensive list of elements, once again, but get a hold of this! You’re also going to be hearing about her dream, loft apartment in NYC. Let’s say this for now... Twiggy is a special guest. So, you’re gonna want to listen to the end, cause there’s some really funny stuff there! When this track is done, be sure to check out the Smoothyblues website too. Write in to Elizabeth there for a chance to receive a gift of Vermont maple syrup! https://www.smoothybluesonlineinteriors.com/

44 min

06/16/2022

An Eclectic Approach to Music, Design, and Life

Straight out of the gate, you can tell Elizabeth’s especially passionate about this topic. She begins with drawing a parallel between the way she’s led her life and experimental gardening. She says, “Life is an experiment... You gotta try new things!" Be prepared to hang on to your earbuds, because this episode features more music discussion than any other previous track! If you’re a returning listener to Deep Track Designs, you may recall how Elizabeth started listening to all kinds of records at an early age. She explains how she moved from loving rock to swiftly adopting an appreciation for classical in a matter of just a few years, all thanks to an older brother who she clearly adores. She and her co-host banter back and forth about the way their musical backgrounds developed – in many cases, simultaneously. The undeniable connection between these two makes for a delightfully entertaining exchange of music trivia and laughter. Their eclectic tastes in music, like a hummingbird dipping from one flower to the next, covers tremendous territory. They bop from country to disco, soft rock, pop rock, blues rock, crossovers, and, finally, to one of Elizabeth’s favorite eclectic music artists, Paul McCartney. As always, she selects a theme song to go with each episode. Elizabeth likes how her favorite Paul McCartney and Wings tune, Bluebird, fits. She says the gentle song lends to being free to do what you like, whatever it may be. For a moment or two, Elizabeth gets caught up in Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. She explains she was nearly brought to her knees while Ed Sheeran sang Perfect to the Queen. Of course, this episode couldn’t rock n’ roll on by without mentioning Paul’s being knighted by Her Majesty in 1997. So, how about that eclectic design process… Elizabeth warns pulling an eclectic design together can be tricky. She highlights some basic, less strict rules: mixing the old with the new, choosing mismatched furniture, blending styles, using plenty of contrasting textures, and adding a few exceptional, standout pieces. She also offers a few tips for maintaining a more unified look and relaxing the eye. Finally, she shares the story of her eclectic approach to education, careers, and adventure. You’ll be surprised to learn what Elizabeth first studied after high school; listen to the end of this special track to find out!

39 min

05/20/2022

Small Spaces: What’s Up My Sleeve

If you’re interested in learning more about the real Elizabeth and what her life is like living on the side of Vermont’s Mt. Ascutney, this is definitely the episode for you! She admits she was a tomboy growing up alongside her three older brothers. To this day, she still doesn’t mind getting dirty one bit. This girl, when called to the task, even drives a tractor. You can be sure, there’s more to this story. Don’t you worry, though, there’s plenty of chit-chat around solutions for your small space. It doesn’t take long for Elizabeth Becken, owner of Smoothyblues Online Interiors, to get right to the heart of matter. For starters, she assigns the song, Magic Man, by Heart to this episode. Do you remember the sounds from Magic Man's chest-thumping drums and that dark, sensual guitar? So, come on in, Elizabeth says "with a smile." Whether you are someone who lives a minimalist lifestyle, in a tiny city apartment, or has one small, quirky space in the house that simply drives you insane, Elizabeth pulls some useful tricks from her sleeve one-by-one. She begins with a tip that costs very little, and sometimes zero dollars, to implement – natural light. In this track, there’s plenty of talk about the magical, reflective qualities of mirrors and glass. "He looked right through me, yeah..." Elizabeth offers some helpful window treatment ideas, but she adds that she likes her windows to be “naked," since she lives in the woods. Trust us, this particular segment is funny and, perhaps, borderline indecent. Then she keep things moving with talk about storage solutions for bathrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, and bedrooms. Elizabeth describes unique storage build ideas along with a few easier remedies like floating shelves & nightstands, swing-arm sconces, and furniture that “works for you." She means, literally, it works at storing your stash, while being on call for double, triple or, even, quadruple duty. She highlights a few key points: paying close attention to not breaking up walls and flooring to allow your eye to move around the room freely and without distraction. Not only that, you’ll be surprised by what you really, really need to do to give a dark, narrow hallway the grand illusion of being much larger than it really is. We hope you stop in to listen to more tips and tricks. Don't miss the show. Get your free ticket right here on Track 6 of Deep Track Designs!

35 min

04/19/2022

Boldometer: Exploring Your Decorator Bold

Smoothyblues’ Elizabeth Becken is at it again! This time around, she’s tipping her hat to the Dutch rock band, Shocking Blue. The 1969 hit song is Venus, sung by lead vocalist, Mariska Veres. Elizabeth and her co-host do their share of bad singing on this podcast track. She may need to consider adding a “bad-singing acceptance” button, sort of like a “cookies” button, to her podcast webpage. Besides being undeniably bold, you may ask why this song for this track? It’s pure and simple – Elizabeth wants to make sure all her Deep Track Designs listeners, clients, and visitors to her website understand this about decorating their homes: “Yeah, baby," you got it! She has shared the message of her philosophy-driven design approach since the very start of her interior design business. Elizabeth’s niche is creating bold and beautiful spaces to reflect your personal level of bold. It’s her belief that we're all at our best when we push our limits, and she doesn’t think one’s personal surroundings should be excluded from the party! So, Elizabeth built a comprehensive design quiz to help visitors discover their level of decorator bold. She says, “The Boldometer Quiz is not your average quiz.” Quiz takers can expect to get real time design inspiration and advice in five minutes! There are four possible results: Toe-Dipper, Drama-Seeker, Boldster, and On Fire. Each result is accompanied by its own thermometer, a dozen beautiful inspiration images, 10 or so design tips, and a handful of design style suggestions. Then, as an extra bonus, you can adjust your own Boldometer temperature…Turn it up or down with just one final click of a button. Voila, experience the inspiration for all four results! But... Elizabeth doesn’t give away all her secrets behind this closed door. She warns listeners that they will be missing out if they don’t take the quiz and compares this hidden, expansive part of her website to an amusement park just waiting for you to take a wild ride! Click the link below to take the quiz and see for yourself. https://www.smoothybluesonlineinteriors.com/boldometer

35 min

03/23/2022

De Dos and De Don’ts

Don’t miss out on Track 4 of Deep Track Designs. Not only is it jam-packed with interior design Dos and Don'ts, its humor will keep you laughing throughout the entire episode. This spin around, Elizabeth’s co-host cleverly decides to throw out a curveball in the form of a trivia question... and she scores! So, buckle up! As usual, there’s a heavy dose of music talk, so don’t be surprised when she warns listeners about the potential for a costly mistake while driving to the beat of an energetic song... CRANKED! The story ends with... “But officer, I was listening to De Do Do Do De Da Da Da by The Police. Surely you understand?” Well, yes... I mean no, don’t do this! Instead, this is "all I want to say to you." Elizabeth pins on her Design Police badge and drives home a few basic dos and don'ts, because she knows, when it comes to decorating, it can be downright confusing. Not to mention, very expensive. Think of it this way: it's sort of like slapping yourself with a big, fat ticket, if mistakes are made. First things first – don’t allow yourself to get overloaded with design advice. If this happens, it can result in your project feeling like it's just plain stalled in traffic, before it even begins. You'll find her concise list of De Dos and De Don'ts will get you headed in the right direction, with purchase patience playing a big role in the overall collective look for your room. Along with patience, Elizabeth addresses several other tips for hanging drapes, measuring a room, the 60/30/10 color rule, avoiding matchy-matchy and much more of her Roxanne-turn-off-your-red-light advice. BEEP BEEP!! You have the green light... YOU GO!

33 min

02/15/2022

Interior Design: A Bird's-eye View

From her lush floor to her majestic skies, mother nature offers so much beauty and, most certainly, endless inspiration to interior designer, Elizabeth Becken. Elizabeth says she, like so many of us, finds it challenging to strike a healthy balance between work, family and having time to nurture her own well-being. So, to the woods she heads… While recently taking a walk one crisp winter’s day, she looked up and spotted a gigantic nest. She surmised it must belong to last year’s resident red-tail hawk. What a wonderful discovery, which was nearly as thrilling as watching the eagles who frequently fly over the nearby Connecticut River. Experiences like these are what really grip her and often turn out to be the foundation for many of her designs and design topics. Now, close your eyes and picture yourself flying like an eagle over every room in the house. Elizabeth's about to help you look at balance in a totally different way! In Track 3 of Deep Track Designs, Elizabeth discusses a few simple tips and steps anyone can follow: finding the focal point of the room, taking a few measurements, grabbing some graph paper, rough-sketching furniture, using color, and understanding formal vs. informal balance. She promises these useful tools will save your back from all that heavy lifting. The result- a perfectly balanced room, one of the most important ingredients for a truly great design. If you find yourself needing a helping hand, don’t worry about it. Leave the heavy load with Elizabeth, and she’ll create a digital floor plan that’s guaranteed to make your life a lot more simple, leaving you more time to work on striking the balance in your own life by doing what you really want to do… ENJOY LIFE! "Fly like an eagle..." - Steve Miller Band

30 min

01/18/2022

Leather and Lace: Design Compromise for Couples

When you hear these two words, leather and lace, your mind probably drifts off to the Stevie Nicks and Don Henley romantic duet, which was masterfully written by the Fleetwood Mac sweetheart in 1981. But sit tight, because... Elizabeth Becken not only takes this song to a different level, she makes this song a hit once again with her unusual choice to dissect the lyrics in a manner in which they relate a commonplace struggle couples have – deciding how to put their homes together amicably. Although both the melody and the words may make your heart melt, her main goal is to help couples avoid having a meltdown with her newly remastered version of Leather and Lace. Whether you're talking "my city, your mountain" or leather and lace, there will be a time when couples simply need to learn how to compromise, communicate, and demonstrate their true compassion for each other. When couples are preparing for the blending of two households, there's just no escaping all that yin and yang. Fortunately, Elizabeth has gathered some really helpful advice specific to this topic. Over her career, she explains how she's been able to narrow a list down to five types of couples ranging from those who have exactly the same design tastes to those who plain do not agree on anything, period. Plus, she takes the time to describe everything in between. Elizabeth also reinforces the importance of editing belongings before signing on the dotted line for, likely, the biggest merger of one's lifetime. Have no fear! Elizabeth spells out some tried and true tips that are super easy to follow. Then, if all else fails, she embraces her Behavioral Science degree and lays down some hard and fast rules that, ultimately, result in a good healthy mix of each other's style. "Give to me your leather... Take from me my lace." - Stevie Nicks

23 min

12/08/2021

The Birth of Smoothyblues: Then and Now

In the first installment of Deep Track Designs, Elizabeth discusses her love for music and interior design. She goes on to describe how her passion for both developed and the unusual way she intertwined the two to create a successful interior design business. She also shares what it was like to launch a new business at the start of a pandemic. While other more traditional interior designers were struggling to be relevant in an online world, she explains that Smoothyblues Online Interiors started out that way. Not to mention, Elizabeth's signature brand, Not Too Serious Offices, couldn't have been launched at a more appropriate time. It was like "the stars were aligned." Get ready! Track one takes some surprising twists and turns, which will keep you wondering what's coming next. Like, is it normal to have a secret desire for car karaoke with Steven Tyler? She'll be leaving it up to you to decide. In the meantime, the hope is that you’ll find her enthusiasm entertaining and contagious-enough to keep coming back for more! She also doesn't just talk the talk, she walks the walk. When Elizabeth encourages people to venture outside of their comfort zone, her ultimate goal is to empower them to unleash their personal level of bold and feel really good about it, whether it's through her design services, GENRE blog, or new podcast. Elizabeth's creative approach to interior design is far from the only aspect that sets her company apart from the crowd. Her interior design style is not only bold, it's also philosophy-driven by nature, a sense of humor, and trying new things. She's a very unique and exuberant Vermont interior designer who's truly worth checking out! Listen to the full track or visit the Smoothyblues website to learn more. https://www.smoothybluesonlineinteriors.com/

26 min

Deep Track Designs

Episodes

The Moody Blues: A Personal Connection

Gen X: Life by Design

Leopard and the Little Rebel

Season One Finale: Out With a Bang!

Farmhouse Blitz

An Eclectic Approach to Music, Design, and Life

Small Spaces: What’s Up My Sleeve

Boldometer: Exploring Your Decorator Bold

De Dos and De Don’ts

Interior Design: A Bird's-eye View

Leather and Lace: Design Compromise for Couples

The Birth of Smoothyblues: Then and Now

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