Shameless Self Promotion

When I am not cooking up things for Ella to eat, I work as a Set Decorator in film and television. Earlier this year I decorated two seasons of Hell's Kitchen, back to back. The first of those seasons (Season 6) will begin airing on Tuesday on Fox (check your local listings). Admittedly, this is not a show that I normally watch. I am more of a Top Chef kind of gal. But I have many friends that say that they are addicted to it and swear that I should give it a chance. Regardless, I am really proud of the sets that we created. Doing a show like this is a major feat and you would never know just by watching it. The "restaurant" is built from the ground up, each season. It takes place on a Hollywood sound stage. It must have enough tables to feed 100 patrons, as well as scores of camera crews and support staff. There is no plumbing or gas lines so this must be brought in. And everything must follow strict building and fire codes, as it becomes a real working restaurant. In addition to the dining room and kitchens, there are Gordon's offices and an outdoor patio and living quarters for all 16 contestants. Trust me, just finding 16 matching bedding sets is challenging enough (we had everything made). I was a part of a team of three decorators (normal shows only have one) and somehow, we were able to make it all work beautifully, even with all of those cooks in the kitchen! The Season 5 crew (which I was not yet a part of) just got nominated for an Emmy last week for the fabulous work that they had done. I am so proud of them and I can honestly say that we were able to step things up even more between Seasons 5 and 6. Check it out if you are looking for something to watch over the summer! By the way, Gordon Ramsey is a pussycat. A total sweetheart!