In the Company of Women

I just recently finished reading the book "In the Company of Women".

It's filled with words of wisdom from 100 ladies from all over the globe who are makers, artists, and entrepreneurs.

These are my people! And my heroes like Anna Bond, Cheryl Day, Dana Tanamachi, Joy Cho, Christine Schmidt, and Maira Kalman are part of it. 

It's written by the talented Grace Bonney and she says, "My goal with In the Company of Women is to provide motivating and relatable examples of all kinds of women running their own businesses, so that any woman, anywhere, can open to a page and see herself reflected."

I picked up a lot of encouraging nuggets (as seen by the page flags) and here are some of my favorites:

"I could not find a product that I liked for my skin, so I created my own. I was fifty-nine." - Linda Rodin (stylist and beauty entrepreneur) 

* * *

"Winners are losers who got back up. Full stop. If you want something, grab it. Get it. It's yours, damn it. " - Jodie Patterson (Beauty Entrepreneur)

* * *

"I've nurtured the ability to feel nervous but jump in anyway and know that if I make a mistake or misjudgement, I have the smarts to work things out. It wasn't always like that -- with age comes wisdom." - Lisa Hunt (Designer and Artist)

"I define success as being able to match one's passion with a deep sense of purpose." - Thelma Golden (Museum Director and Chief Curator)

* * *

"I think success is a very personal thing. For me it's the legacy you leave behind when you're physically gone from this earth. Did you help anyone? Did you contribute to the betterment of your community or society as a whole?" - Cy Lauz (Lingerie Designer)

* * *

"Almost everyone fails before they succeed." - Desiree Akhavan (Writer, Actor, Director)

* * *

"Maybe I define success as simply doing things I don't think I am capable of doing." - Dominique Browning (Author and Activist)

* * *

"It takes ten years to become an overnight success. " - Anishka Clarke (Interior Designer)

* * *

"Success means staying true to the vision and values I held before ever setting out to be successful. As long as my work continues to foster joy, celebration, community, generosity, and simplicity, I'm on the road to success." - Dana Tanamachi (Graphic Designer)

"I don't compare myself to others. I'm not in a competition." - Christine Schmidt (Artist and Designer)

* * *

"Be authentic. Own your work style and don't ever think you have to change who you are to be successful." - Cheryl Day (Baker and Author)

* * *

"Be you and not another." - Olimpia Zagnoli (Illustrator)

"I ask myself if what I am doing is making me happy. Would I want to put my energy in a different direction? So far, realigning myself with my goals and priorities does the trick." - Sarah Neuburger (Artist and Designer)

* * *

"I also learned that sometimes you work hard and passionately on something you love, and it may not work out. That's okay. You live to tell about it. You come up with other ideas and something will grow. Something will work if you're just patient and persistent. - Klancy Miller (Writer and Chef)

"As a business owner I know the importance of being able to network and make personal connections with your customers. It's something I work on every day. And trust your instincts." - Lisa Hunt (Designer and Artist)

* * *

"I've learned to say no primarily as a mother and now as an experienced member of the design community. No is powerful. When you can say no, you have worth. I've learned that by saying no to certain jobs and other aspects of life, I can be more balanced, and often offers that are more valuable quickly follow." - Genevieve Gorder (Interior Designer and TV Host)

* * *

"Trust your vision and be patient. Don't let go of your goals, but let go of your expectations " - Elise Kornack (Chef and Restaurateur)

* * *

"Hire professionals to do the things you are not good at or knowledgeable about. They key takeaway was that you don't have to be able to do everything on your own. Look to the experts when you need to." - Danielle Colding (Interior Designer)

* * *

"Never just show the product. Always show the lifestyle." - Rebecca Wood (Potter)

* * *

"People often go into a business because they love something: baking pies, building furniture, designing clothes. The reality of being a business owner is that your occupation is not Pie Maker, Furniture Builder, or Clothing Designer. Your occupation is Entrepreneur. If you don't love business, you will not love your job." - Mary Going (Fashion Designer)

Thank you for reading. I hope these words have inspired you today.

My Bullet Journal

Hello guys! It's that time of year when we write down our goals and promise ourselves a more organized, results-oriented year. Planners and journals have been all the rage and I think it's TADA! This old school system of pen and paper is alive and well.

My journal takes elements from the Bullet Journal. I created a version that suits my needs:

The notebook I chose was a company gift from work. It's a Moleskine with lined pages. 

To make it my own, I used these cute craft stamps and a black ink pad. These have been collected over the years waiting to be used more regularly.  

The first page has my contact information in case I accidentally leave it while on the go. I also promise a hefty reward! 

Start each page with the date.

I divided each page into five sections. 

The main attraction of this journal is my TO DO List.

As much as I love crossing off the list, I'm instead following the "Task Bullets" as follows: 

• "X" means task complete
• ">" means task migrated (a task that wasn't completed and will be moved to the next day's list)
• "<" means task is already scheduled (ex. a vacation, meeting, etc.)  

I also want to include highlights of the day which will help me remember events. These I put under NOTES.

There's a line that goes, "Baby steps will move you forward". I want to celebrate little victories that help me reach my goals. These are the items I list under BRAVO.

MESSAGE is where I put a memorable quote, a verse from my prayer time, or a shoutout from the Universe.

GRATITUDE is where I write down at least five things that I am grateful for on that day.

I also put some random frames where I can make art or stick a souvenir from my day.

My preference is a simple black and white page where I can track productivity and allows me to pause and appreciate. I want to look at each page as a sense of accomplishment instead of a daunting list of things that need to be done.

Depending on my future needs, I can change the layout and the categories, but for now, this is an ideal system for me.

Here's a related book I want to check out:

I hope these tips were helpful for your journaling journey!

A New Year

How lucky are we that we're ushering a brand new year filled with fresh possibilities!

I'm raising a glass of bubbly to all of you. May 2018 be our best year yet.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Hi guys! I know all of you have been nice this year (maybe a bit naughty, but that's okay) and you all deserve a memorable Christmas day. 

I hope you are surrounded by your favorite people and celebrate this season with meaning and presence.

And what about this magnificent tree at Rockefeller Center:

Beautiful, isn't it?

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Baking and Packaging

I hope you are doing well today. Do you do a lot of holiday baking to give as gifts or perhaps you're taking part in a cookie swap party?

If your answer is a yes, this craft might spark some ideas.

Begin with a plain box.

Line the box with a pretty paper doily.

Pile on your baked goodies...these are fudgy brownies.

Tie on some baker's twine, decorate with labels, and as an added bonus, embellish with a candy cane.

Now, who wouldn't want to receive a package like this one? TADA!

A Christmas Card Display

Christmas cards in the mail are one of my favorite things about the holidays! The simple thought of families and friends wishing me well (all relayed in a card) is enough to warm me up inside and out. 

I like to put all these cards on display. Here's how I do it:

I start with a set of clothespins. They're looking a little blah, though.

By adding some stickers, they look festive already. TADA!

Use readymade stickers or make your own. These were cut out from sticker glitter foam.

Make a "clothesline" out of cord or string. Put this up on a wall or above a door frame.

Use the clothespins to hold the cards in place.

Love and merry wishes on display! TADA!

Red Noses

It's December! How did the year go by so quickly?

Whether we like it or not, it's gift-giving season. Everyone loves a well-thought of gift and a beautifully wrapped package.

Here's an idea that will turn your gift tags from blah to TADA!

All we need are plain gift tags (cut out from cardstock or better yet, recycle some cardboard), glue, scissors, red pompoms, yarn, and markers.

Start by drawing some cute reindeer.

Use a pompom for its nose. Just secure it to the cardstock with glue.

Accent the tops with yarn.

As an optional step, gild the empty spaces with glitter. 

Now, your plain packages will be ready for the holidays! 

Oh, and here's a bonus:

Use the same concept for birthdays using the pompoms as clown noses. TADA!