2010 was an amazingly fast year and it looks like 2011 might be faster. I miss the days of wondering when summer break would arrive and then Christmas. Now I am just in awe of how fleeting these moments are.
Just before the new year, I asked you to vote on your favorite blog posts from 2010 and the results are in.
Drum roll please . . .the top 10 blog posts of 2010 are . . . Read the rest of this entry »
I can procrastinate with the best of the best procrastinators. I have projects that I have procrastinated doing or finishing for YEARS! However, you probably believe that I do more than the average bear. I do, because I eat my frogs.
Many years ago I read a business book by Brian Tracy called “Eat that Frog!” It was 21 ways to avoid procrastination and get more done. It was an easy read, so it didn’t end up in the pile of business books I still have yet to read. His theory is Read the rest of this entry »
It’s 2011 – time to start fresh with new resolutions and a new attitude. Well, not really. You may be carrying the same, if not, more baggage as last year which is stopping you from that fresh start and accomplishing the same resolutions you make every year.
Sure, I’ve made New Year’s resolutions; however, I have had the same resolutions for 20 plus years.
The problem with these resolutions is that I am not willing to change Read the rest of this entry »
As an artist, it is really important that you offer a guarantee of your work because it helps reassure your customer that if they are not completely satisfied with their purchase (or something happens), that they can return it. When customers go to make a purchase, they have to factor in a lot of elements into the decision. Do they have the space for the purchase? Ever wonder why your little products sell faster than the big products? Is the product the right color for their décor? If it is for a friend, will the friend like it? The list of questions your customers ask themselves goes on and on; of course, silently in their heads as you wonder if you are actually going to make a sale. Read the rest of this entry »
I really enjoy this time of year because I get to reconnect with friends and family (near and far). With FaceBook, this task has become a bit easier; however, there is nothing like someone taking the time to send a holiday card using the good old fashioned snail mail system. It shows the recipient that you are thinking of them and I believe it also becomes a transfer of positive energy.
Here is how it works. Read the rest of this entry »
It was Hillary Clinton who popularized the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” bringing new understanding to child rearing. Now, 15 years later, some of those villages or communities are struggling.
A little over 3 years ago I moved from Van Nuys to Altadena. I wanted to be closer to the Xiem Clay Center – a community of ceramic artists and in turn I discovered a number of other communities to join – including that of Altadena. I hadn’t realized I was not apart of the community of Van Nuys until I discovered the diverse community of Altadena Read the rest of this entry »
For too many years I have been defined by what I do instead of who I am. Even when asked, I would list my current job title . . . as if this could somehow explain who I am really. Recently, I’ve started making an effort to not answer the question with my job title and to not be embarrassed by who I really am.
I know, I know, who am I? Similar to Hamlet, I have spent many years pondering this and have had a lot of employment opportunities to test my own perception of who I am against those of others. What I have discovered in all of my jobs from selling popcorn to being a nanny, I have always used my creativity.
At the movie theatre, I would create the weekly movie listing flyer with all the passion of an aspiring advertising executive. As a nanny, I went to my charge’s 4th grade class and directed them in the last scene of “Hamlet” to teach them about Shakespeare. The kids loved “dying” Read the rest of this entry »
In the summer of 2007, I bought and moved into a house with a lot of fruit trees. Growing up back East, I had not really been exposed to fruits. Sure there were apples and Florida oranges, but nothing like what was awaiting me in my own yard.
As I began harvesting the trees and enjoying the literal fruits of my labor, I began to realize how blessed I was Read the rest of this entry »
Let’s start by talking about creativity and what my definition of creative is. Creativity is the act of making something new. We all, by definition are creative as our bodies are constantly creating new cells.
When I think something is creative, it is a judgment call. It usually comes out of my internal thought of . . . “I wish I’d thought of that.”
I know that when people tell me that I am so creative, what they are really saying is Read the rest of this entry »
This weekend I laughed and laughed and laughed. Notice you can’t read the word laugh without at least smiling and maybe giving a little chuckle. It has magical powers, laughter that is. It can transform situations and shared experiences.
Usually, I am pretty good about laughing at my own foibles; however, this time it was my Scottie, Abbey, who was the cause of the laughter. And, unfortunately, she understood Read the rest of this entry »