GEAUX TIGERS!

What a beautiful Saturday it was for tailgating!  With a high temp of about 85 degrees in South Louisiana and just enough clouds to keep you from being cooked to “well done” in the upper east side of Tiger Stadium at 3pm in the afternoon, I’d say it was a perfect day for football.  Especially since we managed to keep our “#1” ranking after beating Auburn 45-10.  GEAUX TIGERS!!!  (LSU Tigers, that is… J)

We started our day at 10:30 am, the way any proud southerner preparing for a day game would, with some robust Bloody Marys compliments of Zin Zang.  (Good stuff, I tell ya!) It didn’t hurt that Brian had pickled okra in tow as well!  Three cheers for mixed-drink-savvy fiancés!  J 

Thankfully, I wore comfortable shoes since we walked what seemed to be approximately 8.5 miles (no, really) from the River Road parking lot all the way to Touchdown Village, just past Campus Federal.  Holy cow. There’s no question that next time, I am going to either bring my kid’s scooter or trade the Bloody Marys for a ride.  Another friend of mine called to see if we were coming to meet them before the game and I advised them that the only way I’d make it to the Agriculture building was in the back of an ambulance.  I am SO out of shape.

Anyway, I digress.  Where were we?  Oh yes, beautiful day, perfect weather, yada yada yada.  We really did have such a great time with my friend Jennifer and her husband, Kevin.  We are never short on laughter when we are all together.  We also met two wonderful friends of theirs who we are very anxious to visit with again as we thoroughly enjoyed their company.  Heck, as soon as Brian realized that the “new buddy” shared his belief in never re-electing anyone, I didn’t see him again for another hour and a half.

In the end, nothing beats good times with good friends, new and old!  As for our #1 LSU Tigers… Bring it on, Alabama!  We are 8-0 and READY for YOU!  Look out, Tuscaloosa, ‘cause here we come!

What Gets Your Motor Running?

My fiance’ just told me the most inspiring story.  Have no fear -- it’s short and sweet. 

Every year he looks forward to this particular hunting trip where he spends four glorious days and nights in beautiful Natchez, Mississippi at a friend’s home to bow hunt at the opening of the season. (Which reminds me of an even funnier story he shared with me about how a small Louisiana town called Ville Platte actually closes their schools for the opening of squirrel season.  Swear to goodness.)  Anyway, so you would think a trip like this usually involves a testosterone-filled week with several huge men, grunting, drinking beer, farting, swearing and telling tall tales about the one particular buck they saw that they couldn’t quiiiiiiiite get a shot on, right?  Well, I am here to tell you to throw your stereotypes out of the window.

It seems my fiance’ stumbled upon one of these tough guys during “down time” one day, taking a rest on the couch, all camo-clad, with a beer in hand and watching… wait for it… HGTV!  Yes, you read it right.  Isn’t that fabulous???  It just goes to show you that even our “manly men” can recognize good quality programming and get inspired by shows like Design on a Dime or Color Splash!  HA.  I mean, he had a remote, right?  He could’ve changed it.  But that channel inspires people, I tell ya! It’s good stuff!  Who’s to say he didn’t go home and tackle some major “honey-do” task as a result of being inspired by David Bromstad?  It could happen…

After hearing that story, I truly believe that everyone has their own method of grabbing a little bit of inspiration in the most unexpected ways and making it their own.

We talked in my last blog about finding something you love to do and running with it.  What inspires you?  What do you love to do?  Or some of you may ask, “How do I even go about revealing to myself my truest gifts and desires?”

I am of the belief that in many cases, it takes small steps and small realizations to compose the bigger picture.

Obviously, I can’t say for each of you what will inspire you.  However, I can give you examples of ways to get inspired.   Some may work for you.  Some may not.  That’s what makes us unique individuals!

Here’s some ideas to get your motor running…

1.   Take a picture.  See something  that makes you smile?  Or something you’d like to build or paint?  An outfit you’d like to try to put together?  A business idea that looks interesting?  Snap it!  Snap it!  Snap it!  You would be surprised at the seemingly ridiculous things I have photographed on my cell phone.  In my case, I am always thinking of designs to paint onto glassware.  So if I see something that inspires me, I snap it!  It can be as simple as a decorative door knob or a button on a coat.  Here are a few things that have inspired me and ended up on my cell phone:

• A decorative lamp shade that had a certain pattern that I wanted to duplicate;
• An apron that had the perfect color combination of black and pink with polka dots and scrolls;
• A fleur-de-lis medallion hanging from a co-worker’s Mardi Gras bead that had the perfect placement of polka dots that would look great on a glass! 
• Festive birthday gift bags that featured a design that I was dying to put on a plate!

Oh and believe me when I say that soon you will get over the foolish feeling of snapping pics of gift bags in a dollar store while people give you that quizzical look.  Trust me, it’ll pass…

2.  Record every idea.  Always keep a pad and pen near you.  Keep a small one in your purse, one at your desk at work, one in your car and one by your bedside.   Ideas that may seem small to you now may reflect a totally different concept once they’ve stewed awhile in that smart brain of yours.  Never underestimate the power of even the smallest idea!  I keep a notepad in my car because I will often find myself driving along and suddenly I’ll think of a design that I would love to paint on a glass.  I literally have had to pull over onto the side of the road before to immediately draw the design out, lest I forget it!

3.  Place inspiring quotes, messages or articles in places where you’ll see them often.  Whether it is a bible scripture, an idea that warrants repeating, a quote from a famous author or just something I conjured up myself, I always benefit from having little inspirational messages posted all around me.   This can also be an inspirational picture such as one of the holy family, which I have in my car to remind me of the love that is all around me.  I have Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me) posted both at my office and framed in my kitchen.  If I’m feeling weak, I take a peek at that and am reminded that SOMEONE has my back no matter what! 

Desk calendars with inspirational messages dedicated for each day are great motivational pick-me-ups!  I’ve also heard of posting in your home or office a “motivational word for the day” which you aspire to embrace.  For example, “comfort” might be your word for the day, which reminds you to reach out to others.  (What would you do if “motivation” or “innovation” were your word for the day?  Hmmm.)  Finally, I have to give a shout out to one of my best friends, Todd, who would drive around with “4.0” sticky notes in his truck to motivate him to reach the highest GPA in college.  Hey, whatever works!

4.  Shake up your routine.  An easy way to get inspired is to do something out of the ordinary.  Take a different route to work.  If you're a runner, take a different path today.  Take a long scenic drive somewhere instead of trying to break a record to get somewhere via the quickest route.  Choose raspberry tea instead of cola at lunch.  Check out a clothing store you never would have gone to before.   Wake up extra early and go find a sweet spot to watch the sun rise.  Try out musicals, craft shows or concerts that you normally wouldn’t attend.  It can’t hurt!

5.  Read!  I have experienced some of my favorite adventures, all while curled up in the corner at Barnes and Noble.  I always preach to my kids that books will take you places you’ve never been before.  Pick up a new cookbook for a recipe that will make you feel like you’re sitting in Florence.  Grab Fodor’s latest travel guide to Paris to map out a dream vacation.  A book by Erma Bombeck might be the laugh you need to cast your petty worries behind you for a day or more.  Inspirational books by people who have experienced something in life that moved them enough to share it with the world are some of my absolute favorite books!  I always think, “If they can do this, so can I!”  I also get inspired by business books, self-help books, as well as DIY books.  My personal favorite right now is a Patio design book that I would keep in my pocket if it were small enough!

6.  Wish boards Wish boards are a fantastic way to remind yourself every day of the goals, no matter how big or small, that you wish to attain.  There are no rules, but in general, wish boards are sturdy poster boards that serve for gluing pictures of places we’d like to see, things we’d like to do, or items we wish to own one day.  It can even hold inspiring messages or symbols.   

Another fantastic “virtual” wishboard forum that I have chalked up as my latest addiction is Pinterest.  This is an online forum in which members create virtual “boards” then “pin” to their own boards pictures of anything that interests them – hence “Pinterest”.  You can “repin” a picture from someone else’s board or upload your own picture (using proper discretion and taste of course) to your boards.  The great part is that you make the board whatever you want it to be.  Vacation bucket lists, favorite flowers, musical artists, wedding ideas.  Heck, a girlfriend of mine has a board strictly dedicated to everything that is the color pink!  You gotta love it!

Regardless of how you make your wishboard, it is your little piece of the world that you’d like to own.  And we all need to do just that.  Own it.  Own your dreams and wishes.  Own your goals.  Own your ideas and feed them.  Find what makes your eyes open just a little bit bigger and makes your heart race a little bit faster.  And by all means, share it with the rest of us!

If you have a special way that you get inspired, please leave a comment here so that we might benefit from it as well!  Thanks and have a great day!

The Gift That Keeps On Giving (And no, it’s not the Jelly of the Month Club.)

As much as it makes my skin crawl to end a sentence with a preposition, I decided to turn a blind eye to both the Harbrace Manual on my desk and the years of writing instruction, in order to kick off today’s blog with this most poignant quote:

‘You owe it to us all to get on with what you’re good at.’ ~W. H. Auden.

Let’s look at it again… Allow me to reconstruct the quote and add emphasis. 

YOU OWE it to all of US to share your GIFTS and get on with the things you DO SO WELL.

Whether we realize it or not, we all have the tools within us to do something special, whether it is making the perfect pie crust or coming up with the strategic plan of designing the next World Trade Center towers.   Still think those talents of yours should be chalked up as hobbies and maybe even quirks that you normally ignore? 

Then maybe you’ll believe someone higher on the totem pole.  How about a great apostle of Jesus Christ?  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. “  1 Peter 4:10 NIV.  Is that enough credence? Doesn’t sound so much like a mere suggestion now, does it?  It took me years to realize that God really does package people with certain gifts before he spiritually ships us out to sea (read – birth).

I always knew I had a creative side.  It runs in my family, as my mom, brother and even my 10-year-old son are amazing artists.  My son is in a gifted art class and always fascinates both teachers and peers alike with his drawings.  My brother probably should have been an illustrator for comic books – nothing short of amazing.  My mother can sketch an outdoor scene that will make Bob Ross blush and probably should have worked for Hallmark as her poetry is beautiful  and more often hilarious.

So what gift did I receive?  Well, I am still in the discovery process, but about two years ago, I realized that I like “making things pretty”.  I am aware of how ridiculous that sounds.  I will say that one of my dear friends totally gets it because she is ALL about both appreciating and surrounding herself with “pretty things”.  In a similar fashion, I simply like making things pretty.  I came to this realization after I stumbled upon this wonderful book entitled, Cure for the Common Life, by Max Lucado.  Everyone needs to read this book!  They make great gifts too.  Just saying…  In an effort to help readers realize their talents and gifts, Lucado asks them to reflect over their life in an effort to recognize their “sweet spot” – more specifically, things that made them happy or that they did well.  It could be seemingly minor and simple things.  Something else Lucado said in his book moved me.  “We serve as canvases for His brush stroke, papers for His pen, soil for His seeds, glimpses of His image.”  Wow.  Okay, I’ll bite.

So, I played along and started thinking back to a time when I would draw an awful lot as a child.  I was obsessed with doing portraits of celebrities. (Don’t laugh, but I sketched a portrait of Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson.  And yes, I know how to spell NERD.)  I went on to design a t-shirt for a local band once that featured silhouettes of each of the members.  (Never mind that I got totally screwed financially on that deal – it was the creativity that mattered, right?)  I also enjoyed crafts, making ribbon barrettes, making bows and even making boxes look like baskets by using raffia paper, which made great storage boxes for shelves.  As a pre-teen, my friends would even ask me to draw those cheesy beach scenes with their names across the sky framed by palm trees.  You know… “John loves Jane; 2 lovers + 2 gether = 4 ever”.  (Hey I already admitted it was cheesy.)  I went on to write poetry all through my high school days, which, at the time, I thought rivaled the works of Robert Frost, only later to realize they were primarily useful only when my mother and I needed a good laugh.

In my college years, I became obsessed with writing.  I thoroughly enjoyed writing research papers, copy editing and writing very short stories – more like fictional essays.  I also enjoyed making an impact with my personal letters, so much so that I would often take days to perfect the “Dear John” letter, only to find that “John” had left before I had an opportunity to deliver my masterpiece.  During this time, I still enjoyed being artistic.  I was always the girl to paint the cutesy plastic cups to prepare for our annual fat Tuesday journeys.  They had to look absolutely festive and perfect!  I also took a few drawing and design courses in college that resulted in some pretty wicked banana tree sketches, I must say. That is, if you can call banana leaves wicked.  But I digress…

In my adulthood, my need to improve things aesthetically started to bleed over to projects at work like perfecting cover pages on programs and brochures as well as assuring that power point presentations looked very “together”.  At home, my desire for everything to be neat and stylish would initially be shrugged off by my family as OCD.  But it was more than that and I knew it.  My version of a perfect day would consist of being buried in home decorating magazines, only to be put down long enough to turn up the volume on HGTV.  Okay that’s still my version of a perfect day, but now it involves a glass of Pinot.  Anyway, it’s a deep strong desire in me for everything to look good and to NOT look out of place.  (That’s not to say you won’t walk in my home on any given day and think it’s been burglarized – it’s the desire for things to look nice that we’re focusing on here, okay?)

I’d also be remiss not to mention the several years I delved into photography as a side job.  As you might guess, I had way more fun editing and enhancing the picture than being behind the camera and composing the picture itself.

Anyway, to make a long story short (too late), it was after reading Max Lucado’s book, that I realized, I have a deep longing to “make things pretty”.  Still with me, Rach?  Whether it is changing the margins on a document to improve its balance, changing the color scheme on a web page to make it pop, lining shelves with perfect boxes or placing the absolute perfect pillows on a couch, I just want to make it a little bit better.

So I think it’s no surprise that Paul was divinely inspired by someone much wiser than us when he said, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.” (Gal. 6:4 NIV).  The Message gives us an even more inspiring translation:

 “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” (Gal. 6:4 MSG).

I started Sunny Belle mostly due to the prodding of both my mother and aunt.  I realized then that although it was a small thing, they were right.  If God gave me the talent to be creative, why not use it?  One of the gifts he gave me was to be artsy with glass and ceramics.  I may not be Michaelangelo, but God doesn’t expect me to be.  He expects me to be Crystal, owner of Sunny Belle Designs (among other things of course.)  He may change his mind and lead me in a different direction next month.  Who knows?

If you take nothing else away from this blog today, just remember this:  You and I are God’s blank canvases.  This world is for you and me to improve upon with our gifts, whatever they may be and however big or small they may be.  We owe it to each other and to our Maker to share those gifts with the world in order to make it a slightly better place… even if our gift is simply a painted glass that made someone smile!  J

Tune in next week for ways you can capture your own inspiration!

Silver Linings

Can it get any better than this?  It’s Friday morning.  The sun is shining.  My kids are happy and healthy and off to a good day at their Mimi’s.  I have already gotten my inspection sticker, thanks to the reminder of my super thoughtful (and gorgeous) fiance’.  I am meeting one of my two dear friends for lunch today and even more dear friends for cocktails after work at Kona Grill.  My (gorgeous) fiance’ is meeting me at Perkins Rowe for a movie later tonight. Tomorrow I am attending a pool party given by my life-long best friend from the 5^th grade!  Sunny Belle is doing better than expected.  Orders are lined up!  I feel fantastic.  Best of all, MOST importantly, I am having a great hair day!  So my life is perfect, right?

WRONG.  You wouldn’t know that this has actually been kind of a rough month for me.  Well, a rough two months.  Aw, hell we may as well back it up to February.  In February, I lost my beloved godfather who was a mere 70 years young.  What was heartbreaking was that I was unable to make it to Chicago on such short notice, where his funeral was held (but what other notice could he give, right?  Bless his heart).  He had planned a trip here with his wife in April, but alas, that was not to be.

In May, my uncle passed away after a brief but fierce battle with cancer.  Will we ever find a way to stop that sick thief in its tracks?  Again, a sad time for my family, but especially for my mother, who had already unwillingly handed one sibling over to that unstoppable disease in 1993.

On June 7, one of my precious girlfriends and coworkers was shot and killed in the line of duty during a routine inspection of papers through her work at the Department of Insurance.  She was only 44.  Her coworker, also incredibly young, was killed in that same tragedy.  I think you all know how unnecessary it is to try to describe the tragic sense of loss everyone felt.

And as if June couldn’t get any worse, my beloved dog, friend and companion of 12 and a half years, passed away on June 25, from what I can only describe as old age.  You know -- the minor problems that accumulate and once put together become too much for an old dog to handle.  I really do not think I was ever prepared for how badly the loss of my precious Sadie Mae would affect me.  And by the way, the “Preparation H under the eyes” thing really does work for puffy post-cry bags under the eyes.

“So, why are you being such a buzz-kill Ms. Sunny Belle?” you might ask.  Because if I had not made a choice, a long time ago, to look to the bright side of things and refuse to let negativity bring me down, I would not be able to appreciate life with the exuberance just expressed in my first paragraph.  I have come to understand – even though the journey is still often admittedly painful - that God has a way of working His plan, even if we do not understand it.  We have to look for the silver linings in our life as proof of God’s mercy and kindness.

First example – My godfather passed away.  I am still so sad over his loss, but I have to look at the silver lining in the fact that he passed away during a jovial dinner out with his beloved wife and dear friends.  I mean, really?  Is there a better way to go?  Okay, well maybe in my sleep.  But anyway, I’m focusing on silver linings here.  Also, even though it is through Facebook, I have not only forged a slightly closer relationship with his wife, but was reunited (even if only cyberly) with two of his children, with whom I had not been in contact in years!  How wonderful!

I understand my uncle James died during the night.  Not to say that the cancer wasn’t painful, but I thank God that my uncle had pain killers and that his misery was not prolonged. I am thankful he had a fairly long life with family and friends that loved him very dearly and that he had a sense of humor that will be remembered for a lifetime.   I am proud that during his years on this earth, he served his country well in the Navy.  I am simply thankful that the good Lord didn’t let it rain on the day we laid him to rest.

My sweet girlfriend and coworker died way too young.  We all agree to that.  She met the love of her life and married him four years before she died.  Do I curse the heavens for taking her so soon, just when she was finally getting her life the way she wanted it?  Or do I get on my knees and thank God that he allowed her four precious years with this fantastic man who could not possibly love her more, before He decided to take her home.  I opt for the latter.  She couldn’t have ended her life on a higher note.

As I write this blog, it has only been six days since my Sadie passed away.  But as the clouds lift, I look back on all the things that surround that fateful day that I now know NOT to be mere coincidences, but God’s grace.  Sadie was found lying in a peaceful position in the grassy ditch behind my home.  I say grassy because I don’t want it to sound like she was in sewage or something.  It was shallow, dry, dotted with lots of long grassy patches, etc.  The partial shade may have drawn her there, but for whatever reason, she was there out of view from everyone.  It was God who spoke to me suddenly and told me to go look for her there.  Seriously.  I found her… not a neighbor… not a stranger… but her “momma”, just as God planned it.  The kids were not there to find her… they were with their father… just as God planned it.  On a final note, as luck would have it, I walked out on my patio this morning with my cup of coffee only to discover that in the wee hours of the morning, the city must have decided to bush-hog the incredibly overgrown ditch and it was as clean as a whistle.  I shuddered at the thought of what might have been, had the city accomplished this chore six days earlier, or if Sadie had died in that ditch, camouflaged by the grass, six days later.  But it didn’t work that way.  THANK. YOU. GOD.  He planned it His way for many reasons.  This gives me extreme comfort.

Your happiness, your attitude, your disposition and the way you affect others COMPLETELY depends not on others, nor your circumstances, but on YOU and on what you choose to dwell. 

No matter what each day brings me, I am still blessed, I still have so much for which to be grateful and I am still humbled by His goodness.  So no, my life isn’t perfect.  It’s not supposed to be.  But it’s exactly what He has planned for me.  Follow His will.   Count your blessings. And most importantly, always look for the silver linings that He has left for you to find!

Sunny Belle Has Been Born!

Good afternoon, friends!  I recently started hand painting glassware and I am having a blast!  These make fabulous gifts for the upcoming holidays or just for fun!  I will have more patterns coming soon, (LSU, Saints, St. Patrick’s Day, birthdays) but for now I am offering my Mardi Gras glassware at great introductory prices. 

The Mardi Gras glasses are $17 each and come with a “feathered” mask on one side and on the other side, your choice of either a fleur-de-lis or a set of theatre masks.  Each glass has Mardi Gras beads painted on both sides as well.  I will have more Mardi Gras related items to show soon!

If you are interested in placing an order, you may either e-mail me at crystal@sunnybelle.com with your order or call me at 225/255-0977.  Thanks so much!