Katie Barberi interview & Mariposa Katie giveaway

By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com exclusive
December 28, 2014

After playing the role of Ursula on the Nickelodeon Latin American series, “Grachi,” Katie Barberi reprised her role — but this time in English. On “Every Witch Way” — Nickelodeon’s sitcom about teenage witches — she plays the mother of the head mean girl, Maddie.

“I think Ursula would be a great travel companion!” Barberi said, laughing. “We’d do nothing but shop for shoes! We might want to take a cruise through the Mediterranean and up in the Caribbean. I think if we got (her daughter) Maddie to go with us, we could go anywhere we wanted. Although, Maddie’s powers are still being honed, so who knows where we’d end up.”

The third season of “Every Witch Way” premiers January 5 on Nickelodeon USA.

And guess what? You have a chance to win a piece from Mariposa Katie, Barberi’s jewelry line. The actress has handpicked the Ascend necklace for the lucky winner — just like the one she’s wearing in the photo ↑above↑. The bronze piece is hand soldered and painted, and the crystals are Swarovski.

Contest rules are at the bottom of this interview, where we talk about some of the many, many places she has visited.

Q. You’ve recently started Mariposa Katie, a jewelry line. Have your travels played a role in that?

A. Absolutely. I’ve been lucky enough to travel from a young age. I’ve grown up seeing so much diversity and beauty in different cultures. I draw inspiration from that all the time. I work with Liza Schadan, a jeweler who manufactures my design. Her company is in Venezuela. I live in Florida. We work together and try to create something unique and inspirational.

Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?

A. I had the benefit of traveling practically from the time I was born. The first trip I remember was to Cancun. At that time Cancun was a new development in tourism. There were these huge shells on the beach and in the ocean, and you could just see pristine beaches and sand for miles. It was amazing.

Q. What have you learned from filming overseas?

A. There are studio projects with huge budgets and independent passion projects in every country, and I have enjoyed being a part of all of them. I am particularly impressed with the professionalism and talent of actors in Colombia and Mexico, for instance. They are used to working hard. They have little time to create a role and make an impression on their audience, and I have been so inspired by the fact that they may never become millionaires acting in the areas of the entertainment industry that they’re in, but they love what they do. I learned rather than complaining, just put your energy and heart into your work. Your audience deserves the best from you.

Q. Have you ever had concerns about your safety during your trips?

A. When I’m there working the studios are aware of the problem areas, so I was never near them. But you have to be cautious anywhere. In Mexico, you have to be very alert in places. It’s a beautiful country and the people are wonderful, but the poverty level in certain areas is devastating. Enjoy the cultural experience, but be careful. In Colombia, the danger is more on a political level. I am told there are certain highways you should not travel on because of conflict within the country. So I took that advice.

Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?

A. That different cultures give you the benefit of objectivity in your life. Luckily, I’ve traveled and lived in other countries, and it helps me to understand people and human nature. I believe there is danger in just being from one place and thinking one way. It’s good to learn what motivates people outside of the U.S., what makes them happy. It opens up perspective and in some ways has taught me what’s really important in life.

Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A. I want to see Colorado! I would love to do a road trip all across the northern part of the United States.

Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A. I need my phone. That’s my lifeline. Some ChapStick. I love a good, pretty pair of boots in the winter or flats in the summer so I can go sightseeing in comfort. And at least one pretty outfit to go out to dinner and try the local specialty wherever I am.

Q. What would be your dream trip?

A. A month in Europe. I want to see it all. I want to see all the museums and architecture. I want to sit in the middle of a small piazza somewhere in Italy and have some pasta. I want to see Harrod’s and Big Ben in England and the Eiffel Tower and the Moulin Rouge in France. It’s been my fantasy trip since I was a child and I know the time will come and it will be the trip of a lifetime.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?

A. I love eating chocolate! Travel is an excuse to gorge myself on the chocolate manufactured locally wherever we are.

Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?

A. It depends on the location, but the Internet will tell you almost anything you need to know about where you’re going. I try to book at least one tour. And I ask people I know who have already been there. Even in this cyber age, there’s still nothing like word of mouth.

Q. What is your worst vacation memory?

A. I don’t want to sound cliche or sickeningly optimistic, but I have very little negative memory of any trip I’ve ever been fortunate enough to take. We live in a beautiful world. If I’m lucky enough to see it — as much of it as I can — I won’t complain. Flights get delayed. Highways get stopped up. But I try to enjoy it all. There’s always something to be learned and something new to experience.

 

You will earn one entry for each item you complete:

→ A winner will be picked at random at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on January 5, 2015. The winner will be contacted via email and/or social media.

→ This contest is open worldwide.

→  The prize will be shipped to you directly from Mariposa Katie. Good luck! 🙂

La tercera temporada de “Every Witch Way” comienza el 5 de Enero por Nickelodeon! Y que creen? Tienen una oportunidad de ganarse una pieza de la exclusiva linea de joyeria de Katie Barberi, Mariposa Katie. La actriz ha escojido un collar Ascend de su linea para el ganador afortunado! La pieza es hecha y soldada a mano en bronce. La pieza tambien lleva Cristales Swarovski. La bella foto que se ve en la parte superior muestra a Katie portando Ascend.

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