renew america together initiative

I just signed up for updates about Barack Obama's Renew America Together initiative. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.usaservice.org

I will be volunteering my time on Monday night at the United Food Bank Hunger Busters to help end hunger in the East Valley! I will sort and pack donations from food drives to distribute to those who need it most. Volunteers act as quality control - making sure food products are in good condition. I am excited for the opportunity to participate and give much-needed support.

Starting January 21, Starbucks will salute everyone who pledges 5 volunteer hours with a free Tall brewed cup of coffee. Starbucks and HandsOn Network are launching a campaign to support the President-elect’s call for national service. Working together, we can create the change we all wish to see.

i heart telecommuting

This week at work has been all about going green! Soft Flex Company has explored the green work environment for some time but, we have never formally expressed these practices to each other or to our customers. The New Year presented the perfect time to discuss what we do as a company and individuals to tread lightly on this wonderful planet. Check out Soft Flex Company's green practices.

Bert & I telecommute for Soft Flex Company, as do 1/3 of the Soft Flex staff. This means a strong reduction in vehicle emissions and fuel consumption as we are not adding to the congestion on the road. Our home-based office is very close to being paperless as the majority of our work is performed online. We, as home-based employees, also add to the conservation aspect by not packing lunches or eating out, waste incurred here includes: food containers, plastic baggies, cups, plastic eating utensils, and paper waste, such as napkins. It feels great working from home for many reasons and having the additional bonus of helping our environment makes it all the more merrier.

I hope telecommuting gains more momentum for companies in the future. Many people ask how do we get any work done, but really how can we not? Bert & I still have deadlines and goals to meet. I enjoy having the freedom to plan my day and the trust to be able to work unsupervised. The trust given to you to be able to work on your own accord is enough to motivate me. The discipline needed to work from home may seem like a lot but, ultimately you have things to get things done. If you do them, they aren't going away so; you might as well get to work! I honestly wouldn't want to jeopardize my position with the company by not completing the tasks asked of me. Why would I want to "slack off" and get laid off when working from home is a gift in and of itself that I don't want to take for granted.

Sure, there are some downsides - of course there is. I do not get out much (if at all some days). I rarely meet my co-workers face to face. I have to dedicate a portion of my home to "work" and essentially never leave work. And, I sometimes feel like my design skills get stale because I do not have any design colleagues sitting next to me to bounce ideas off of and learn from. However, all these things can be overcome.

• Instead of getting outdoor time to and from work, I need to take some time outside after work or open my windows!
  
• Instead of making friends to go out with from work, I have to get involved in social groups with people that have similar interests (which means my friendships may be longer lasting as they are people I have more in common with then just were we work).
• I have purchased an armoire that can be closed when the work day is done and I have to shut down my computer. This prevents me from feeling like I have to sit at my desk off hours.
  
• And, I have to frequent design sites and blogs to work on tutorials (my 2009 goal) to keep ideas fresh and my skills sharp!

I love working from home and I love that Soft Flex Company has been open to telecommuting for over 5 years. And, I really love that this arrangement also helps out our environment in big ways.

weekly reflection

I just finished 30 min of Dance, Dance Revolution for the Wii (aka DDR). It is pretty fun and definitely gets you sweating. I also took a hip hop dance class at my gym on wendesday night. Now, that was a lot of fun! The instructor was really energetic, totally enjoys dancing and she threw in a little freestyle time. I love to dance and being that I don't "hit da club" very often, on wednesday nights I'll have some have fun, work it out and maybe learn a new move or two for when I get out on the dance floor! I went to the gym every day this week and did a mix of cardio and yoga and I lost 4 lbs. 4 lbs in 1 week - that NEVER happens and it feels amazing!


In even more amazing news, my friends Chris & Wendy welcomed the arrival of their adorable little boy, Quinn, on Jan 6th! I am so happy for them. He is beautiful and I wish I could visit and give Quinn a little snuggle. But, they live on the other side of the country so, that won't happen anytime soon. Thank goodness for facebook so, we can keep in touch, see pictures and hear stories of their life together.

silver and gold

Make new friends,

but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.

A circle is round,
it has no end.
That's how long,
I will be your friend.

My good friend and long time co-worker with Soft Flex Company, Sara Hardin brought her boyfriend Josh, her dog Honey and another member of the Soft Flex team Jamie, to our house for a post holiday celebration. Although Jamie & I have been working together for over a year...and although I know Jamie well from our "internet friendship" of emails and online chats...we have not gotten to meet each other face to face. So, while Jamie was in Arizona visiting her family I'm so very happy she came to our home to share a nice afternoon with our family. It was wonderful to meet one another. Funny, how Jamie & I wore the same color shirt - that was not planned but, it was a pleasant surprise ;)


Truly my friends are the silver and gold in my life. I am blessed to work with wonderful people. I cherish the friendships I have with my co-workers. For me, having honest friendships with those I work with creates an environment I want to go to each and every day. Many of my past co-workers are still dear friends of mine today.

I seek out spiritual friendships, a relationship with common interests and that is the responsibility of both friends and both bring something to it. I enjoy engaging in mutually helping behavior, such as exchange of advice and the sharing of ourselves. Sara and I have this kind of friendship and I am so grateful for it.

Chihuly: The Nature of Glass

On the evening of December 26th my friend Egor, my mom and I headed out into the bitter cold (it really was cold - I think it was in 30's brr!) to enjoy the Chihuly: The Nature of Glass exhibit at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. It was well worth the shivering! This is Chihuly's first exhibition in an outdoor desert environment and he was clearly influenced by the desert surroundings and catered many of his sculptures to reflect the imagery of the native plants.

Dale Chihuly is known for his innovative glass sculptures, and his work is immediately recognizable for its grand scale and vibrant colors.

Here are some pictures I took at the garden:

Desert Wildflower Towers, 2008 (detail)

Chiostro di Sant'Apollonia Chandelier, 1995

Orange Hornet and Eelgrass Chandelier, 2008

Float Boat, 2008

Blue Fiddleheads, 2008

Neodymium Reeds, 2008

The Sun, 2008 (detail)

This was a spectacular exhibit and I encourage all those in the area to see it. I would like see this again with Bert and also treat his mom to a visit when she is feeling better. She was supposed to go with us this evening but, an unforuntate fall left her with a broken knee and unable to go.

happy new year!

Happy New Year 2009! Just because we have kids, doesn't mean we can't ring in the New Year. This year we joined our friends Stacy, Rick and Erica for a special "under 21" party. There was lots of toys, dancing and yummy food. We had our own countdown and balloon drop at 9pm (okay so we have to do things a bit earlier with kids - haha).


Traditions of New Year’s Eve include champagne, parties, dancing, holding your eyelids open until midnight … and making resolutions. I have to say, I love making resolutions and I like doing it all year long not just at New Years. Being the goal-setter and list-maker that I am, that’s not surprising. However, I sometimes get so caught in the fun of making lists and setting goals that I have trouble actually following through on doing them. Now what good is that?

This year I hope to continue in the new paths that I’ve found in 2008 (simplifying, decluttering, financial responsibility, healthy living and calmness). I decided I'd write my personal and creative goals for 2009 here so, I have a place to refer to and look back at.

Creative

• do a sketch crawl
• create a 3 piece painting series
  
• learn to sew to hem the boys pants (just picked up a sewing machine via freecycle!)
• make prints of past artwork (this will take me one step closer to a major life goal)
• improve my design by setting time each month for tutorials
  

Personal

• plan a "date" with each of my boys somewhat regularly
  
• spend time in meditation or practicing yoga each week
• give more and buy less
• volunteer in some way for a cause I believe in
• make a living will/ trust
• explore the art of money management and budget regularly
• continue going to the gym and eating healthy
  
• continue to read lots of books
  
• continue to look for ways to "green" our home and the products we buy
• continue to work on my patience when dealing with my children and daily stresses
  
• unsubscribe from email lists I no longer need to read

Many wishes for health, happiness, growth and peace in 2009!

polar express

With the holidays upon us we are all a little busier then usual. And that is why last week's reflective Friday is being posted on this week's Tuesday. Sorry about that! 10 days ago we took a ride on the Polar Express in Williams, AZ on the Grand Canyon Railway. You can see how much fun we were having by the smiles on our faces in the photo above! This picture was taken right after we saw Santa and he gave the boys each a bell form his sleigh. The whole trip was very festive and had every one of us feeling like a kid. Many thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law, Cindy (aka Nannie) for taking us this magical trip to the North Pole!

Here is Ethan writing his wish list to Santa. He was finished in lightening speed because all he wrote was - Wii Mario Kart. He has been asking for that from Santa since July!

Here is Cindy and I with the boys waiting to board the train. Ethan was the first in line for our train car (of course he was)!

Hudson receiving a chocolate chip cookie and hot cocoa - yum!

Reading the book Polar Express with the train elf.

Here is Papa Bert singing Christmas carols!

Meeting Santa and receiving our sleigh bells!

I wish you all a magical and very merry Christmas!

beading: moukaite set

This is a blast from the past! I created this design back in 2005, I think. Since it's been a busy week preparing for the holidays I don't have much new happening creatively so, i figured this was a good week to bust out an oldie but goodie design.

The focal bead for this necklace is a bold and beautiful moukaite slice gemstone bead. Moukaite comes from Australia and is part of the jasper family. It typically has bands of all sorts of colors from pinks to yellows to deep reds. This stone is unique and a lot of fun to design interesting jewelry. Jasper protects you against negativity and is also an excellent grounding stone spiritually and emotionally.

The remainder of the design is made up of amber and bone colored glass beads in various shapes and sizes and tiny reddish brown seed beads as spacers, all strung on Soft Flex .019 beading wire. I finished the design with a sterling silver wrapped hook and eye clasp.

I think I'll wear this piece in the upcoming days. With the holidays right around the corner who wouldn't need a little grounding spiritually and emotionally?!

adopt a family

Ethan & I joined our friends Sarah, Anna and Jessica to deliver Christmas decorations galore to our Adopt-A-Family. They were most appreciative. All of the kids came out and gathered around and I can just picture that they will have a nice night together decorating.

My mom's group signed up to provide assistance to a local family this Christmas. We are chipping in together to provide a Christmas tree, wreath and decorations, food for their Christmas dinner and gifts for the family members. My friend Jessica belongs to a church that offers the Adopt-A-Family program and she signed us up as a group to help this family.

The History of Adopt-A-Family

Adopt-A-Family was created to address the needs of low-income households -children and families during the holidays and times of need. Many of the families applying for assistance are facing financial hardships and are unable to afford a Christmas dinner or new toys and warm clothing for their children. Some are single parent families with very low income and some are large families where a parent has been laid off from their job. Year after year, Adopt-A-Family programs offer the gifts of hope, encouragement and caring to those needing it most.

sonora star jewelry

My friend Carla sent me this beautiful gift last week. These pieces are from her handcrafted Sonora Star Jewelry Collection. The color schemes she has created within that collection are a gorgeous, rich mixture of jewel tones that are oh so flattering. Plus, she strings all her beaded creations on the best quality beading wire, Soft Flex! Carla sells the creative hand earrings pictured above online and, as of right now, the extra long pearl necklace can be purchased at their booth or you can contact them via email to inquire.

I met Carla in 2001 when I began working as a graphic designer in a local bead shop/bead supply catalog company. We have stayed in touch all these years and I am so thankful for her friendship. Her and her husband Mark are wonderfully genuine people. They have since moved to Alpine, AZ and began their own jewelry company, Black Mountain Jewelry. They sell their handmade jewelry designs online and at art festivals around the state. Check out the awesome press coverage Black Mountain Jewelry recently received for their gifts that give back. I am proud to be their go to designer for all things graphic and I am ever so grateful for the beautiful gifts they have sent me. Thank you for being such good friends ~ love you!