Posts made in December, 2009
Make Your Own Stella and Dot Chic Flower Necklace
A couple of weeks ago my favorite Houndstooth girls invited me to their Stella & Dot trunk show. This is where a bunch of women get together for wine, nibbles, chit-chat and jewelry shopping. Superb.
While I was there I met this lovely lady sporting a cool capelet she made herself from an old sweater. She told me she found the instructions on a blog and whipped it together in minutes. This is my kind of lady! She quickly became my new BFF when just two minutes later she offered to loan me a bunch of sweaters for an Ugly Christmas Sweater party. She had just met me and yet was willing to hand over her prize collection — super ugly, these things could go for mucho bucks on eBay.
To thank her I created this necklace which is just like the one I purchased from Stella & Dot that night. The cool thing about the Stella & Dot necklace is that you can change the brooch. It comes with a metal flower, but for $34 you can buy the brooch in the picture below and swap it out. Ingenious.
I discovered how to make the flower brooch from the same blog that had the capelet tutorial. I got a long chain necklace for a couple bucks from the craft store and hot glue gunned it all together. The back of mine needs some work but overall I’m impressed. It only cost a couple bucks and took less than an hour! The tax alone on the one I purchased cost more than that. I’m definitely making one for myself!
Here’s a picture of me modeling the necklace. The length looks great in this dress. I love it when ideas come together, don’t you?
Bon Anniversaire Gratitude Journal!
A year ago today I woke to an email that changed my life completely. It was from Apple saying that my iPhone app, Gratitude Journal, was approved.
Like all anniversaries, I like to reflect on the year and note how far I had come. And nothing compares to this past year with my little buddy, Gratitude. This little app has put me in touch with people all over the world, all walks of life. People who are passionately sharing their artistic talents. And others who just wanted to let me know that the app has helped them through a particularly hard time.
It has expanded the opportunities in my life profoundly. I’m working with amazing talent who teach me something new everyday. I’m honored to be on their team.
But mostly, it has given me a confidence I never had before. Or perhaps it’s a feeling of peace rather than confidence. Sure, I still want to get a nose job and shed a few pounds. But that’s not it. For the first time I really, truly like who I am. I accept my mistakes as learning opportunities and know that the universe wants the best for me. For all of us. And I discovered how happy I am when I’m sharing my talents with others helping those I meet get ahead.
I have each and everyone of you to thank for making this past year one of the best ever. Your encouragement and friendship was an unexpected blessing that catapulted me out a slump and into a new way of thinking. We all have a gem inside of us. And by sharing yours, you changed my life. Thank you.
Read MoreEverybody has a Superhero in their Life
Forever my niece has told me I’m her favorite aunt. She probably says this to all her aunts, I really don’t care, I just love hearing it. Those words free me to be wacky, unpredictable and childish when I’m with her. We have a blast. And I always leave feeling pretty cool. Like I’m making a difference in her life.
Little did I know that truth be told, she’s in fact my hero. I realized this earlier today when we were having lunch together with her mom (my sister). Given our busy lives, it’s a rare treat to have a couple hours to catch up and today it was extra special.
See, my niece is a freshman in high school and is considering leaping from her tiny 150 people school to one with well over 2000 students. And topping it off with a half hour commute each way. I can’t imagine how scary but exciting that must be for her. Yet, she’s stepping up to the plate and giving her best shot.
To top it off, her mom rang me afterwards with great news that she’s going back to college. She’s finishing a degree in marketing. Today I expected to have a simple lunch with two woman I love and it turns out they showed me how to step outside my comfort zone and to take risks. The logistics of how the two of them will pull of these changes are unclear. But that’s not the point. The point is we need to make that critical first step and trust that the rest will come together in time.
My sister and her daughter are true superheroes. I’m sure they don’t see it right now, but to me their bright red capes are glowingly flapping in the wind shouting “change is good!”. Bravo!
Read MoreAbout Me
I'm a yoga lover who creates iPhone apps -- Gratitude Journal, Vision Board and Little Buddha Quotes. I also wrote a book about how to create iPhone apps without learning to code. This blog is about my journey to peace, wealth and good health. If there’s one thing you learn from visiting my site, please know this. Give thanks and give back. Practice these two acts daily and you will find abundance, joy and purpose.
