Archive for » 2011 «

10
Dec
Creative approach to holiday season…
Bonnie

Yesterday, I did the annual visit to Hotel Roanoke to visit the Festival of Trees. Each year, there’s a bounty of ideas that can be gleaned from the beautiful displays. This year, my favorite is the sparkling in white creation featuring feathery owls pictured here. I do not profess to have the skills or abilities to pull something like this off, yet I’m inspired to push myself past my usual decorating style this year for something more grand and unexpected.

There’s much to be said for embracing a new level of creativity. Across this year, the people in my circles that have added the extra touch of color, wore the higher heels, spoke the old words in a new way, those are who have stood out to me. It’s not about change just for the sake of change, but change that is an improvement, a shift in energies that attracts an improved quality of life. Creativity has the power to inspire, encourage and draw attention to something that otherwise would be invisible, part of the every day landscape of life.

Today, my family & I will be out and about, visiting, shopping and holiday site seeing together. I’ll be gathering ideas for new cookies, tree displays and traditions that can be incorporated into the memories we create for the next several weeks. Do you have a holiday tradition that improves with time? Are there new, creative changes added to seasonal celebrations with family that are anticipated for their surprise?

My goal is to keep things simple this year, yet create memories of the special moments that will last a lifetime. Isn’t that what life is all about? Visit again soon to see what I come up with…

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08
Dec
Never know where a hero will appear…
Bonnie

Looking back on this year, I must admit it has turned out differently than I expected. I’m an Aquarius, really deep down in my soul Aquarius, which means I live in the future. My life plan is way past that curve in the road that is far out of sight. Changing paths, changing my mind, and just stopping mid-stream to regroup are strategies I use regularly, to the dismay of many people in my life who just can’t keep up. Now you would think these two approaches would conflict, but not in my mind!

So, along the path this year, I’ve connected with some people who have become my heroes. The two I want to share with you today are directly related to me stepping out of my comfort zone and trusting the Universe that I was in that place at the right moment.

First is my friend, Gabrielle, who is my hero because she embraces her uniqueness. I met her through another friend, who introduced us because we had vintage clothing in common. I had a wealth of true vintage lingerie for sale, and Gabrielle appreciates beautiful vintage fashions. She also knows the value of this type of thing and where to sell it, should you want to part with it.

What has made Gabrielle a hero to me is that she has faced demons in her life, and has come out the other side to tell the tale. She spent many years on the Renaissance circuit, dressed as a wench, selling ladies under-things, and playing the role like the pro she is. These days, she has a cute home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she occasionally hosts visitors in her Gypsy Wagon or Hacienda overnight. Always shifting decor, moving, lighting, dramatizing the fantasy of the setting, Gabrielle invents a new adventure from the every day. If your path leads you her way, take the time to stop in and check out her version of the “Floyd Experience.”

My other hero is Louise of Thirty Something Bride. She is still experiencing the transition of single to married life, love and how to make it work, and how to still be herself. We met while I was selling vintage stuff in Charlotte, North Carolina, shedding much of my past to grasp a fresh future. Louise can see through the dust and age of long boxed up and discolored things, and is able to turn pieces of the past in to works of art that become treasured pieces of life’s memorable occasions. The thing that makes her my hero is that she  is not only a talented seamstress, but that she is also a word maestro! She has taken her blog, talking about beautiful people, places and things, and created a masterpiece of visual and written excellence. Every visit to her blog takes me deeper into a shimmering world where people carefully craft and celebrate the moments of life that have meaning.

These two women are very different. They have both added a much needed and unexpected texture to my life that I truly enjoy. This is why they are my heroes. I didn’t see them coming on the path. I didn’t dodge them because they were different than the people I usually connect with, or seek out. I embraced how different we were to each other and embraced the experience. And now, looking back, I’m so grateful.

Is there anyone that has been a hero in your life this year? Is there any experience that pushed you out of your comfort zone and shifted your thinking? Share your comments here and explore how 2011 has evolved for you!

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Category: Consignment Shopping, New Lifestyle, Simplify, travel, women  Tags: , , , , , , , ,  One Comment
04
Dec
Christmas Traditions in Social Network Communities
Bonnie

Fall and early winter have turned into a season of one holiday morphing into the next.  After Labor Day, the first weekend in September in the US, if stores have not set up Christmas displays already (some started in AUGUST this year), they are very visible by Halloween in October. It all seems too much, commercializing what is supposed to be a spirit of peace and love shared globally.

This year, I’ve noticed a clear trend with both corporate and personal messages online. The long and continuing economic stress that affects everyone’s life at some level is shifting, with businesses and individuals providing uplifting and inspiring messages. One example is The Bing Magical Holiday Calendar. Each day a new opportunity for a holiday surprise is available for 24 hours. Sometimes a contest or a discount, the invitation is commercial yet feels much more generous than some of the other “Buy it now or suffer” messages so prevalent this time of year. It may be just me, but I’d really love some release from the pressure of frenzied buying.

The other effort that has emerged to impress this season is on Google+.  I joined that community enthusiastically in July. It has the same elements of other social networks, following, friending, conversations and stalkers. It also has been for me, a breath of fresh air. My experience so far has allowed me to connect with intelligent, thoughtful and giving people from all over the world. With the launch of Google+ Business Pages in October, I’m learning more each day about new companies who are seeking to make a positive difference for their consumers, employees and investors.

The holiday effort on Google+ that has generated attention recently is +SecretSanta. Time Magazine shared the project on it’s G+ page this past week. Carter Gibson created the effort and manages the project with a group of elves, sharing featured Wish Lists and the resulting joys of gifts received. How cool is that for a random act of kindness that just keeps going?!?

I’ll be giving a lot this holiday. It’s time for me to lighten the load, as some would say. I’m ending a decade of my selling of gift shop inventory after the holidays, boxing up and donating much of it to charity groups who are helping victims of domestic violence and homelessness. While I don’t have cash to give, I do have so many beautiful things that bring joy to people who are suffering. Isn’t that what the holidays are about?!?  I’d love to hear what the holidays mean to you and how you are celebrating this December. It really is a beautiful time to make a difference ;~)

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11
Nov
Beginnings 11/11/11
Bonnie

Today is special. The time has come for a new beginning. There are shifts in priorities, with ideas connecting what can happen when minds open to different ways of doing things. I’m making it personal.

Over the past few years, I’ve struggled. There have been challenges with my family, health issues, separations, divorces, all the things that people face together. There have been changes professionally, keeping up with an ever evolving field of technology and marketing, and how to maneuver through the chaos and be heard. Most of all, there has been an internal struggle in my heart and deep within my soul. I have been doing what I thought I should do for everyone else instead of what I know I need to do for me.

I’m facing a period of time where I have responsibilities to my teenage son at one end of the spectrum and my 80+ year old Mom on the other. I know I’m not alone in having to deal with this. I’m also facing the fact that I have to create an income that not only supports me, but allows me to save for my own health care, retirement and emergencies. As an entrepreneur, there’s no perks, no paid holidays, no benefits package unless I budget it for myself.

On a deeper level, I believe I’m in this place in time for a reason. My deeply held spiritual convictions are that there is something we are each put here to do. I hold a broad perspective that we are all more alike than we are different. With that said, my vision is to create a respectful dialogue between what is not working in our world and possible solutions that can be accomplished serving the greater good. It’s not a dream, it’s an imperative for our time.

There is the reality, illuminated for me and the world. I’ll be using this space to share the journey. Some posts will be personal. Some posts will be spiritual. Some posts will be political. All posts will be expressing my own opinion and will invite polite and respectful discourse. I’m energized to embark on this adventure. Join me!

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12
Mar
Facing the future, coming together is important
Bonnie

Japan EarthquakeIn the wake of the horrible earthquake and tsunamis this week, I had what Oprah would call an “Ah-ha” moment. It is more important than ever that we come together as humanity in all areas of living. This morning there is a group I’m connected to, and I strongly support, who are holding a peaceful parade demonstration in Fort Myers Beach, Florida.  They have gathered to promote the same idea, that we really are One Human Family. It’s not a difficult concept to embrace. You only have to acknowledge that we all are only skin and bones, blood and brains, heart and soul.

What has moved me to write this post is that there are competing efforts trying to cause fear and distrust among us. Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t bad people out there who will take an opportunity to do bad things on purpose. They are more plentiful than I would like. I’m specifically talking about people who are focused on creating the emotion of fear to guide our daily thoughts and actions.

One example is the 2012 predictions of the world ending. I found this advertisement recently for the 2012 Survival Guide. I don’t know if it’s true or not ~ it doesn’t matter. It probably wouldn’t hurt to follow some of the advice in the guide. Living in a rural community, you never know when the electric will go out or the well will go bad or a multitude of other things that can happen. Being prepared is always a good thing. If you live in an urban or suburban community, there’s still things that can and do go wrong and being prepared to live a few hours or even days without creature comforts like water and power on demand may be a good thing.

The other side of that coin is that I’m not prepared to live waiting for the sky to fall, Henny Penny… I have faith that as One Human Family, we are all connected and when times get tough, we look out for each other. I’ve lived though times of struggle and times of reward and no matter where I’ve been on the ride of life, there are people there with me who support me and are there to celebrate with me.

So, how are you prepared for challenging times? Who is around you that can support you and you support them in times of physical or emotional challenge? Have you said thank you recently to someone who was there for you in the past? I’ll be sending this post to a few people in my network who I truly appreciate. It matters when you reach out and touch someone’s life. Make each moment count!

UPDATE: other people are thinking about this too… Here’s Jamie Lee Curtis post on Huffington Post

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08
Mar
100 years of women who don’t quit!
Bonnie

womanOn this day 100 years ago, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated.

“Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women’s Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic ‘Triangle Fire’ in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women’s Day events.”

from the website http://www.internationalwomensday.com

My grandmother was born in 1906. She grew up during the difficult years of women’s sufferage, two World Wars and the Great Depression. Her family lived in New York City when she was young and she told stories of the livery stables her father owned. She would ride with him to deliver blocks of ice to the first iceboxes in New York’s famous walkups, carrying heavy ice blocks up flights of stairs to well populated apartments in the heat of summer and the cold of winter. After graduating from high school, she went to work in New York’s garment district, working as a secretary and bookkeeper for a hat maker. These were tough times and getting ahead meant working hard and sticking with it.

Fast forward to today’s International Women’s Day and we’re in similar times. Our global economic situation forces women to be creative, think and act strategically to get ahead, and to never quit. It is only the determination of women that has continued to move society forward, providing children, families and communities the support, leadership and action to accomplish great things.

In my grandmother’s things, I found the following treasure… I share it here in hopes that you, dear reader, will share it with others.

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sign,
When care is pressing you down a bit ~
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow ~
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is ‘nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out ~
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, ~
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

Author Unknown

*** image thanks to http://vintageholidaycrafts.com/free-vintage-clip-art-people-around-the-world/ ***

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10
Jan
2011 Resolution Revolt
Bonnie

It’s 2011 and no, I don’t have any resolutions to share. Time matches on and I’m sticking to what works now and will continue to work for me in the future.

I’m going to share a few things that have consistently made a difference in my life. The first is something that has come back into style, something I never walked away from, even when it was frowned upon. Curious?

I’m a 3rd generation coupon user! Not only do I use coupons regularly, I also save proofs of purchase for promotional products. (My annual Christmas tree has beautiful Campbells Kids blown glass ornaments and white satin cats from Fancy Feast.) I have a coupon envelop filled with coupons on products that I use, ready for when an item goes on sale.

On the weeks when I’m doing major grocery shopping, I’ll load my store card with paperless coupons. I make a list (TIP ~ ALWAYS make a list, you WILL SAVE $$$!) and organize my paper coupons. I average 20-30% savings on each trip. It’s worth picking up the Sunday paper to get the coupons, and I usually donate unused coupons to a senior center or another charity (and I recycle the paper as packing for shipping Ebay purchases).

The second thing I want to share is that I’m an avid supporter of consignment shops, again, something I’ve always done. When I was young, my parents divorced and my mom had to be creative to stretch our family budget. We would shop in consignment shops for clothes, toys and other household items. It was like a treasure hunt! It was also one of the first ways I learned about giving back. When my sister and I got tired of a toy or outgrew an item of clothing, we would donate it. We knew someone else like us would benefit, along with the consignment shop organization, usually a hospital at that time.

Today, consignment shops are an important part of my frugal lifestyle, the closer to home the better! I like shopping in local consignment shops for fashion trends, bargains and home furnishings. I donate to Goodwill to support their efforts to provide employment, recycle and reuse. I receive a tax deduction and I shop in the stores for craft supplies, gently used clothing and home décor. Plus, I’m back in my childhood on the treasure hunt, it’s FUN!

Lastly, I wanted to share something that looks to be an important trend in 2011, which is attitude. I’ve been accused of being eternally optimistic, sometimes to a fault. Life is not perfect, but if you decide each day is a gift, you will find the blessing in each challenge. My life is full of challenges right now. Every day, my choice is to make the most of the challenges and the blessings and make something wonderful from the mix, always maintaining a positive attitude. It doesn’t always work out how I would like. Sometimes things fall into place BETTER than I had ever imagined!

I’d love to hear how your 2011 is evolving so far. Comment, email me or share your thoughts with me on Facebook, Twitter or Linked In.

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Category: Consignment Shopping, Giving Back, Love Your Day, Shop Local, Simplify, parenting  Tags: , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment