Big Fat Life Lesson…pt Deux

Tomorrow I return to the real world.  I have had the luxury of being on vacation for the past two weeks.  It has been a bit magical, these past two weeks.  I was able to slow down just enough to really absorb Christmas and all it’s gifts this year.  My family has a Big Fat Non-Greek Christmas Eve party every year.  My entire lovingly dysfunctional family shows up in full Christmas garb to celebrate the night before Christmas – absolutely nothing about it is quite as a mouse.  I have mentioned in the past that my family is large and loving and loud.  Very loud.  We mostly laugh loud – with a few occasional terse words thrown in for sport.  This year was no exception.  I had a ball and this year in particular – I invited a new friend and he made me laugh till I had tears in my eyes.  I ate up Christmas like I was Augustus Gloop and I  loved every bit of it.  Yum.

Shortly after all the Christmas cookies were eaten, I hopped on a plane and went up to see my cousins in New England.  Connecticut to be exact.  I decided to rent a car like a big girl this year and proceeded to zip around corners and up hills hopping from one house to the next.  Driving in New England is 1,000 times more fun than the boring, flat, gridded roads of South Florida.  Nothing could stop me in my Chevy Cavalier.  Look out!!

Vroooom!

My cousins have the world’s most adorable children.  There were two in one house – Jack and Cooper- and four in another house – Nathan, Noah, Isabella, and Alana.  Now, it could just be me being biased – but see for yourself -

Cooper with the world’s largest snowball headed for my head

Me and Jack playing in the snow

Ridiculously adorable Isabella on Girls Night out New Years Eve

Baby Alana

Noah

Nathan in the middle – orchestrating my kid alarm clock.

See what I mean??  This family of mine sure makes some damn cute kids.  Crazy.  This has been one of the all-time best Christmas breaks I have ever had.   It was filled with everything  I hold dear to me – family and friends that touch my heart and make me stop and appreciate what is really important in life.  I have a tendency to bury myself in projects and work and forget to stop and smell the proverbial roses.  This break was one big whiff of kindness, love, and laughter.  Thank you to my beautiful family and friends – old and new- for making this such as special two week vacation.  I feel utterly blessed and satiated.  It is now 11:48pm and I am intending to wake up bright and early tomorrow ready to bend the young minds of our future leaders.  No pressure.  Piece of cake.  I think I need to go and drink some Sleepytime tea.  This may be a rough re-entry.  Sweet dreams!

Finding Me 2012 ~ One Big Fat Life Lesson. Pt 1

I feel like I just woke up this morning and realized that an entire year has passed.  What? Where did 2012 go?  It has been quite the whirlwind year!  This has been an incredible year of growth for my lil ol’ company, Mabel & Elodie, and, quite frankly, for me.  I had no idea what this year was going to look like when it began.  I had been a big traveler for a number of years.  I am often on a plane at least once a month going somewhere other than home.  I love to be in airports and on planes.  I love to put my earphones on, buy my cheesy tabloid magazine, and grab my go-to travel snack- peanut M&M’s – off I go!  Nothing makes me feel more free than sitting in an airplane and looking out of the window at the clouds whirling by.

However, this year, I did no such travel.  At the end of December 2011, I had decided that if I was serious about trying to make a go of my side hobby/business – I was going to need to trade in my wings for a firm grip on hard work and reality.  It was not an easy decision.  I wanted to do it ALL.  I wanted the financial security of a full-time job, a fabulously supportive soulmate romance without drama or strife, a healthy and super-fit body, adventure and travel, AND a wildly successful business.  Oh yes, and peace and serenity.  Totally and completely feasible in my mind. So I tried it.  I was training 4 nights a week in MMA (mixed martial arts), teaching full-time during the day and one class twice a week at FAU (local university), preparing for several shows and Fab.com sales, training for a half-marathon with one of my best friends – all the while maintaining my spiritual and emotional well-being with various practices  - and attempting to have an active social life…….

Then BLAMO!

Yep.  I crashed and burned.  I was able to hold it all together until about mid-July.  I had been fairly successful juggling it all and robbing time from Peter to pay Paul… until I ran out of creativity.  That is the funny thing about being an artist – you have to fill your bucket.  You can’t run on empty for very long without completely using up all your creative reserves.  It happened one day when I walked into my studio for my scheduled work time and I simply could not think of one thing to make.  Not. One. Damn.  Thing.  Zip.  Zero.  Nada.

It had happened.  I was smack in the middle of the realization that I simply could not do it all.  Something had to give.  In retrospect, it was one of the best days of my life.  I realized, in that moment, that I had limitations and I needed to re-prioritize my life – and fast.  So I stripped down.  I pulled out a piece of paper and made a list of everything that I absolutely cannot live without.  Art.  Love.  Spirit.  Ability to pay my bills with relative ease.  Meaningful relationships.  Adventure.  Health and regular exercise.  Laughter.  Lots of Laughter.

Just about this time, I connected with my old friend Chandler.  Chandler and I were BFF’s while I was living in Boulder and attending grad school.  Grad school was one of the most meaningful and rewarding periods of time in my life and Chandler and I laughed our way through many nights while I was living in the magical world of Boulder, Colorado and making tons and tons of art.  It was Bliss.  Chandler has since grown up a bit – with two beautiful kiddos, a fabulous hubby, and a thriving Etsy business.  My hilariously fun friend has created a wildly successful empire of adorable handmade baby blankets on Etsy.  She is my go-to gal when it comes to the nuts and bolts of entrepreneurial expertise.  So when my Save-The-World-And-Make-A-Gazillion-Dollars-And-Be-All-Balanced-And-Peaceful shtick went out the window – I called Chand.

“Balance?  Balance is for amateur jackasses.  I haven’t worn anything but sweatpants and my husband’s t-shirt in weeks.  Anyone who is trying to get something great off the ground will tell you that balance is a pipe dream.  Forget about it.  Follow your passion and buy this audio book by Danielle Laporte.  The Firestarter Sessions.  Go now.  It’s amazing.  It’s the best book I have heard on this exact subject.  Balance is bullshit.  Forget balance – and go kick ass.”

And that is exactly what I did.  For anyone starting a business and following your bliss, Danielle Laporte is the voice you want in your ear while you are in the ring.  I personally don’t trust anyone giving me advice unless they throw in a few expletives for sport.  Then I know we speak the same language.  My tribe is a feisty and sassy bunch who could probably use a few lessons in etiquette and appropriate language usage from Dear Abby (is she still around?).  Ms.  Laporte does not disappoint.  She is refreshingly honest about what it take to be an entrepreneur and how to push through the nagging fear in the back of your head that whispers “You may not have what it takes to do this……”  Oh shut the hell up!  I’m good.  I got this one!  

Go and take a look-see for yourself here.  Stay tuned… tomorrow I’ll dish about how my not-so-graceful-but-oh-so-lively shift from pleasing the world – to finally making myself happy went.  Here is a lil hint… stumble, stumble..trip..trip.. got it.. oh damn.. she’s down … nope.. She’s Back up!  And the crowd goes wild…..wwwahhhoooo!!!!

Merry Merry Christmas!!!

I am wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas day today and hope you are snuggled up with your friends and family, eating yummy food, and playing with new gadgets and presents!  May your day be filled with happiness and love and tons and tons of laughter.  Merry Christmas!!!

JOY to the world…..insert drumroll here…

It is Christmas in South Florida.  Here in my little sleepy beach town of Delray Beach – my neighbors go all out with the lights!  It’s our own lil Christmas Wonderland!

Gus and I and some friends drove around looking at Christmas lights last night.  Florida has a big tradition of lighting up the yards expressing holiday cheer.  We may be sans snow way down here in the South – but we are not sans holiday spirit!!  In preparation for the holidays, during my mid-show opening crunch time, I took a wee break last night and  watched a bit of one of my favorite Christmas flicks – Christmas Vacation.  My Christmas season doesn’t begin until Clark Griswald graces my tv screen sipping eggnog out of his raindeer mug.  I have a lil celebrity crush on Clark.  Let me show you why….

See what I mean??  Love him.

Here is the holiday cheer I found on my roam around the neighborhood last night.  Can’t you just hear the drumroll?

Gus really loves Christmas lights!!!!

It can’t be Christmas without lights in the palm tree!!!  Hooray!  It’s Christmas time!!!

Gratitude Wednesday…I love my J.O.B.

This is me.  I am sitting calmly and sweetly at my desk.  This is not always how I look.  This is a very good shot of me.

These are my students…they are fabulous.  They are also usually rowdy and loud and I need a strong cup of coffee to face them with a genuine smile and energy first thing in the morning.  I know, caffine is an addiction.  I am working on it.

These are images of my student’s work.  They are ridiculously talented.  They make me so proud. (and much more willing to put up with their shenanigans.  Yes, I did just say shenanigans)

Alyssa Warmington – Porcelain Ballerina Sculpture

Rebecca Rolle – Metal Sheeting Fashion Design Sculpture Dress

Riley Hritz Self Portrait made from torn magazine pieces

Anbihn Ho Phone Book Page Fashion Sculpture Dress

In addition to being an artist, entrepreneur, and novice blogger – I am also a teacher.  I teach ceramics, fashion design, and sculpture.  I teach at a high school in South Florida.  I love it.  I am not that mature – so I fit right in relating and teaching this age group.  I wanted to give a big shout out to my very talented and inspiring students today.  Thank you for inspiring me everyday and making my life full, rich, and yummy.  You guys are the best!!!  Thank you for being your crazy, exhausting, amazing, want-to-toss-you-off-the-balcony-utter-frustration-because-you-do-not-listen-just-kidding-don’t-fire-me-please utterly lovable selves.  You make me a better woman by teaching me something new everyday.  Thank you.

Inspiration, the Crazy Eye, and cocktail weenies

This is a crazy busy month for me. I have been up to my eyeballs in preparation for three shows I have in the next couple of weeks. The convergence of holidays and consumerism is upon me. I am not complaining – I have been blessed with an abundance of opportunity and success in these past few months – some kind of surge in the universal abundance radar. It has been wonderful and amazing… and a bit overwhelming. I have been recruiting new sources of support lately. Being entrepreneurial has it’s own kind of rhythm to it. It is this unique blend of insane intensity – which is not every one’s cup of tea – and Lion Courage. It isn’t for the faint of heart. It is exhilarating, scary, and quite lonely at times. From the outside – it is hard to understand what the hell you are doing. Your friends go in spurts of seeing you – and when they do see you – there is no guarantee that you aren’t wearing the same clothes you had on last time they saw you. From the outside- I am certain it can look quite bizarre. But from the inside… it is pure magic. I have never felt as alive as I do when I am in the middle of creating something I believe in – something good. It takes a bit from me to get there – there are layers of superficial life stuff I must push through to get to the place where I can hear my song. It is quiet at first… quite annoying. Like a little baby bird stuck inside a box, inside a closet, inside a house.. you can barely hear it – and there is a sense of urgency to it – that makes you search until you find it. That is what inspiration sounds like when it strikes in the middle of a cocktail party. It isn’t convenient and it certainly doesn’t bode well with talk of the weather or idle gossip. It is urgent and important and it must be attended to. Which is usually when I get the crazy eye. Pirated saying from one of my all time favorite flicks, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou, I have been known to suffer from this affliction. I get this far away look and a slight widening of my eye – and poof. I am gone. I may stare at you and appear to be listening to your latest adorable baby story – and they are adorable. But I am gone. I have left the building. I am now plotting my next adventure in the studio. It isn’t that I am not intereseted or do not care – it is simply that I must go and find the baby bird. Right now. I have to go. Bye.

The Betties go to Pace Center For Girls Annual Auction

See the little dynamo hiding behind the world’s fluffiest skirt?? Adorable right?

Giving feels Good.  Anytime.  Giving feels particularly good when you can see a direct link between giving and how your giving is making some kind of a difference.  Insert my friend Jen.  Jen is a light-up-the-room when she walks in kinda gal.  It’s amazing.  She actually glows.  She has this amazing ability to be kind and loving in the face of anything.  I have never met anyone quite like her.  She radates pure love.  I met Jen a few years ago and instantly fell in love with her.  I wanted to squeeze her and put her into my pocket for safe keeping.

Jen is married to Jason – the equally amazing other half to this equation.  They are madly in love with one another.  They are that couple.  You know the couple – the one you measure your own relationship against as a barometer for what you actually want in your life.  Yep.  Adorable.  They also have two adorable kids.  It is quite a ridiculously adorable household.  I want to be Jen and Jason when I grow up.

Here is the thing about Jen – she is the real deal.  She is actually that kind and loving – and real.  I have seen Jen face life fiercely and hold her ground with depth and strength most women of 5′ stature would crumble under.  Nope.  Not this mighty gal.  She is fierce in her love and depth.  It is refreashing and the reason why I will do anything for this lil powerhouse.

So – when Jen asked me to help her out with a Charity Auction for her school – I didn’t hesitate.  Where and when do you need me?  Put The Betties in heels?… Done.  I arrived with bells on.

Every year The PACE Center for Girls has a charity auction dinner to benefit the girls who attend the school.  Pace is an extraordinary program.  Now.. I must also include Jen’s mom – Julie.  (Yes, they have a particular kind of fondness for the letter J in this family, I have noticed)  Julie is equally amazing.  She has more energy and focus than a One-Woman-Red-Bull.  That says a lot coming from me.  When I get to a place where I will be hiring people to help me run my company – Julie is at the top of the list.  Unbelievable.

The website for Pace describes PACE as – “PACE Center for Girls Broward is a free, voluntary program providing academics, counseling, life skills training, career and college preparation and community service projects for adolescent girls.  To be considered for enrollment, the girl must be between the ages of 11 to 17 years old (grades 6th – 12th), reside in Broward County and present 3 or more risk factors. A girl can be referred to PACE by parents, school counselors, social services professionals, doctors, juvenile judges or themselves (self-referral). Our program hours of operation are 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday, with extended care available until 4:30 pm.“

I describe PACE as a miracle in the working.  This program single-handedly changes lives.  The stats from this program speak for themselves:

Prior to coming to the PACE program…

53% reported using drugs and alcohol.

37% had run away.

76% were suspended or expelled within current or previous year.

After leaving the PACE program…

89% had no involvement with a crime one year after leaving the program.

97% improved their academic performance.

89% successfully transitioned to high school, college or a vocational program.

This is what hope and change looks like in action.  Period.

Celebrating 20 years of changing lives

If you are in the gift-giving spirit this season and would like your gift to have impact, meaning, and a bit of soul – this is IT.  Any amount will be impacting.  If you are an artist or have some special crafty-handy widget company and would like to donate your mad skills, fabulous art, or bad ass widget for sale at their auction that would be loved and appreciated too!  Just click on this handy dandy link and GIVE AWAY!!!  It will fill you with warmth and fuzzies for the whole year.  I promise.