Shut up and write!

Posted by random olio

I love badass writers like Natalie Goldberg. I can remember reading her book: “Writing Down the Bones” in college. I still have it and pick it up every so often. One of the many things I love about Goldberg is her language, and how blunt she is about writing. Shelf Awareness recently had an interview with Goldberg that I wanted to share:

“Tell us a little about the phrase ‘shut up and write.” Oh It’s everything. Shut up and eat. Shut up and live your life. Shut up and run. We have such a monkey mind that goes on and on. I’m having trouble writing; I should hire a psychiatrist to discuss it. I need a really nice studio. I need a comfortable cafe. Finally, stop all this. Just shut up, pick up the pen and get moving. And really, it’s what I have said from the beginning. That’s really the only teaching you need.”

She is so right on. How often do we make excuses for what we are not doing, or why we are not doing it? If you want something badly enough, make it happen. Make the time, shut up and do it. Yes, I will admit that there are often times that we have competing responsibilities, work, home life, family that mean we do not have the same kind of time to focus on what we really want to do, but we can always make the time. How many of you can fit in an extra episode of American Idol, or Breaking Bad (fill in the blank for your guilty TV pleasure)? Yes, I am raising my hand. I often fill my brain-dead moments with some TV each night, but should I? Sometimes yes, but sometimes no. Sometimes I should get quiet and write.

When you start to complain about not having the right computer, desk, environment, etc, then get your head out of your ass and sit your butt down and write. Focus. Let it flow. Be present. Write.

#Shut up and do it.

What Is Your Story?

Posted by random olio

We each have a story to tell. Whether we had a tough childhood, or one full of fun, play, and laughter, there is a story in everything we do. I am the kind of person that walks into a room and accesses who else is in the room, what are the dynamics, the mood and energy level. I think it tells you a lot about how individuals will or may interact during the time spent in that room or social situation. In the end, each individual has a story to tell. Each in our own unique perspective.

If you listen to how another individual tells a story, you can learn about the art of a story, you can watch how they captivate a room. What brings others into their story? What is interesting the story they tell? What makes others laugh? What keeps them captivated? Over time I have begun to watch for those nuances when someone else tells a story, in the books I read, and in how people interact. Are they more dramatic, are they comedic? Do they start the story with a good opening?

Recently I came across this quote from an Oprah email:

“You have to live your story before being able to write your story.” – Amy Shearn

It has me thinking. What is my story to tell? What is your story to tell? What did you observe today that will help you tell your story? There is rich material in each encounter we have, we just have to be open and willing to watch for the color, the nuggets, the humor, and thread together the web that connects each story.

Unforgettable Impact

Posted by random olio

Are there people from your past that have had an unforgettable impact on you? They came into your life at a specific time, left that imprint on your heart, they may or may not be in your life anymore, but you remember the lasting effect they had on you.

There are so many people in my life that had that kind of impact on me. Children, other families, parents of children I took care of, friends, the list goes on. I can remember when I was in elementary school, a neighbor on my street would let me come over after school. She had been an art teacher and took time off to have a baby. I would come by to play with her son, and she would often have an art project out on the kitchen table and ask if I wanted to join her. I learned a lot from her, and often wonder if her encouragement and interest is what ignited my interest in art. If she had not left that imprint on my life, would I have pursued many of my creative and artistic endeavors? I will never know, but I am grateful for the connected afternoons of playing with baby + paints, paper, pencils, wax, and my imagination.

Why is it that I remember very specific details of interactions outside of my family, but many details of life inside my home are a blur? I could list off many experiences I had babysitting kids in my neighborhood, or from my church. Families I came close to in high school and college. Often I spent more time in their home and with their children than I did in my own home. Many times it would begin to feel more like my home away from home. I would have meals with their family and the parents would tease me that they wanted to adopt me. So why did I find such solace and comfort in spending time with these families? They had a definite impact on me. They taught me different ways to live, politics, things I wanted in my life, and things I did not want.

The unforgettable impact continues in adulthood. Whether a colleague, a friend’s precious child, or that night out to dinner with friends. I can walk away from an experience and feel the imprint internally. The deep conversation that changed me, taught me to look at myself differently, or helped me to appreciate all the goodness and greatness already in my life. I am honored to look back and appreciate all the individuals that have changed me.

Who has made a great impact in your life?

Naked Juice + Pound of Fruit = Fed Family

Posted by random olio

I grew up hating vegetables. It was not until at least the age of 25 when I started to eat them, and now I crave them. For the most part eating vegetables in my youth sucked. They were either frozen or canned, and many times microwaved or overcooked. All around gross. Now I am passionate about promoting vegetables. When I hear that parents have a hard getting their kids to eat their veggies, I think two things. That will change as they get older, and there are now creative ways they can get their kids to eat amazing green, leafy veggies.

Whenever I travel and have little to no access to vegetables, I defer to bottled green juices. There are many brands I have tried, but my favorites are Odwalla, Naked, and a few local brands. When I found out about Naked Juices campaign to help families receive fresh produce I thought – brilliant! Naked Juice states that there is an entire pound of fruit in every bottle of Naked Juice. Their green juice version has veggies too.

They have teamed up with Wholesome Wave, a non-profit that helps provide underserved communities with local produce. You can download a coupon from the Naked Juice website, that gives you $1 off any 15.2 ounce of Naked Juice. For every coupon downloaded from their website, they will donated one pound of produce to families in need. It is definitely a clever marketing campaign. It means more Naked Juice customers, which means more knowledge about their brand. It allows their consumer to be their customer evangelists, and families receive fresh produce. A win-win situation.

You can find out more details by going to the “Good Deeds” page on their website. You will want to be sure to watch the slide show. Naked Juice has started their campaign by donating 50,000 pounds of fruits and veggies.

If you crave kale, spinach, banana, and other nutrient rich foods, download a coupon, pick up a bottle of Naked Juice, and know you have helped to provide necessary foods for a family.

#winwin

A little wedding cake ten years later?

Posted by random olio

My wedding was different. We both wanted it that way. We wanted it to be about us. The focus was about two distinct and unique individuals coming together to take vows to spend our life with each other. We did not want to get caught up in making other family and friends happy, or to cater to everyone’s little need. I have seen it happen so many times, where the bride and groom get so sucked into the wedding and party afterwards that they forget to breathe and remember why they are bringing their lives together. The most important moments of a wedding day is not what you look like, if your hair looks perfect, or if your mom is happy, but those precious moments when you promise to keep your vows. That is what a wedding is truly about, the vow and promises that are the beginning steps of a marriage.

Now that you have heard my rant and thoughts about a wedding, you can probably guess that Chris and I got married just the two of us. We did not elope per se, because we alerted folks that we were going to run off to the beach in Hawaii to make our promises to each other at sunset. Getting married with just your life partner in tow might not be for everyone, but it was so right for us. We still comment on how perfect it was for us, and have not regrets.

Yet a few things could have been easier. Those things had nothing to do with our vows, or family, or even because we almost missed our appointment to obtain our marriage license. The parts I might do differently were the silly, unnecessary wedding details. My dress. A cake.

the cake made for our after wedding party

Finding a dress was complicated. At the time, I could choose a big ass dress from David’s Bridal, spend more than I was on my wedding and get something unique, or do what I did and purchase a dress at Banana Republic for $100. There was not a wedding dress line at J. Crew or Banana Republic at the time. I know I might sound old, or many other women before me might say that I had more options than they did, but whatever they may say, the options are now endless.

When I recently came across the website: Loverly, a Pinterest site of sorts that specifically focuses on weddings, I thought: “Bummer, wish such a site was available when I got married.” Sure, theknot.com was around, but it was more for creating a website and registry pages. There was not a pin board type site where you could find endless creative ideas. Even though I have been married for almost ten years, I recently had so much fun exploring the different boards on Loverly. We did not have a wedding cake, instead a very generous friend made a cake for us for a party after we got married. It tasted amazing.

Maybe for our upcoming tenth anniversary, I will have a cake made, invite friends over, and eat to our hearts content. The dress, well in the end, mine was perfect for a beach wedding.