Pay it forward- December 1, 2010

Did you see the movie Pay it forward? It was excellent. Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment were the cast if this movie from 2000. Here's what it's about.....
"Everything in social studies teacher Eugene Simonet's life is in order--every shirt, every pencil, every person in its proper place. To keep the surface placid means never having to go deeper. And no one and nothing in his life has ever asked him to. Arlene McKinney is a single mother hanging on by her fingertips, working two jobs, and struggling to raise her son, Trevor. She is trying to give him a new life, but in her absence she is losing him. Eugene gives Trevor's class an assignment: look at the world around you and fix what you don't like. But can you fix people? "
I've seen this movie a few times and every time I am moved and affected. I love the concept that Trevor created which was to do 3 random acts of kindness and if those 3 people pay it forward then eventually everyone would be doing good deeds. Tomorrow is official "Pay it forward" day according to David Del Mundo. He posted on facebook an invite that December 1st is official pay it forward day, and he asked people to join. I happily agreed. It's easy to pay it forward, the hard part is in being anonymous. I often do random acts of kindness but I usually get thanked for it. The real test is doing it and not having any praise and acknowledgment. So I thought of different things to do for it and settled on distributing 8 poinsettias with Merry Christmas from someone who cares to the people in hospice. I would like to give everyone one, and I will let the staff figure out who gets them but it's a start. The reason I'm sharing this is not for praise but to inspire you to do the same tomorrow in whatever way you find enjoyable. I like to support good causes and this is a good one to be sure. I thought about buying people Starbucks but I really wanted to reach someone who needs a lift. I think I will make December a pay it forward month and do as many acts of kindness as I can. I just wanted to be sure and do something for the launch. If you haven't seen the movie, get it. If you've never paid it forward, try it. You will get just as much out of it as the person who receives it, if not more. And remember "Tis the season".....

This is David's post for Pay it forward on facebook..
David's 2nd Annual
Pay It Forward Day
December 1st, 2010

‘Tis the Season! A random act of kindness goes a long way so…

PAY IT FORWARD!!!

What can you do?
ON DEC. 1st...
• Pay for someone’s cup of coffee…
• Buy someone some groceries…
• Get the next person’s gas…
• Help someone out…
• Donate something…
• Be creative!!!

When you do something for someone there’s a good chance they’ll do something for someone else. If not, at least you’ve done a good deed for someone.

So on December 1st share some kindness and spread some joy! It can be as little as a few dollars or as much as you want. No one needs to know!

Join me, won’t you?

(I'm trying to make this a national event so spread the word. Maybe one day it'll be a nationally recognized day!)

I won't be offended if you don't decide to participate, but please... spread the word!

Gratitude

November is gratitude month in AA.  For those of you who know me you know I am in this program.  For those of you who don't know me now you know.  Haha.  I am proud of this and I do not hide my anonymity.  I have been sober for 9 years, and being sober is the best thing I ever did.  I'm not going to go on and on about sobriety, although this is what I'm most grateful for.  Without my sobriety I am lost.  I am floundering and I am a mental mess.  With sobriety I have clarity, direction and purpose.  Most of all I have gratitude.
I just want you to take a minute right now and mentally list the things you are grateful for..........when you are finished I will list mine......

I am going to freely brainstorm them now......
life, family, friends, AA, health, higher power, sunshine, clouds, air, oceans and warm water, gentle breezes, laughter, smiles, tears.  Colors and light, art, paper, paint, and books.  Cupcakes, ice cream, sunflower seeds and fizzy juice, Bass Lake, St. Croix and memories.  My husband who I have grown up with and continue to grow old with and my two astonishing children Alex and Abby.  I am humbled by their goodness and always impressed with their uniqueness.  My shop Hip Chick and how it has enabled me to grow as an artist and business woman.  It teaches me what I want and where I want to go on a daily basis.  I have gratitude for my creative journey and it's never ending expansion.  I am grateful for my family of origin and tomorrow being with them all for Thanksgiving, all except my brother who I am grateful is now joining me in sobriety.  I am grateful for all my friends who love and support me, encourage and inspire me.  I am grateful I live in America, I have food, water, shelter, good health and money to live comfortably.  I am grateful for so much more but now I must stop as I should be going to the shop.....I just wanted to get a quick post up before I left.

I would LOVE to hear what YOU"RE grateful for, I love feedback and you are just as important to me as I am to you.  I am grateful for YOU too.

Happy Thanksgiving from Hip Chick Carrie

Phil Hansen has got it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tncwN7Hdyeg
Stumbled upon this video of Phil Hansen and he just blew my brains.  The dude's got it.  I mean talent, complex ideas and the ability to produce something fresh.   This humbles me.  Could make me jealous but that's just silly, so instead I salute him.  BRAVO Phil!you deserve all the recognition you receive and I shall be an admirer of what you do.....

It's funny about art.  It's so personal and specific to the artist, like Phil's work is what is important to him.  I like to think I'm an artist and yet I still get blocked on how to convey what is important to me in my work.  I opt for what pleases me instead.  I opt for visually interesting instead of sending a message. Sometimes I capture a moment that was particularly poignant, and this feels good. Yet I aim to put complex messages into my art and to do it in a fresh way.  That's a tall order and the key is in not pressuring myself.  That's a real buzz kill, "PRESSURE", a creative fire extinguisher....It's a trap and I am tuned in to it which helps me to sidestep it if I'm lucky...By suiting up and showing up, my art will evolve and go where it's meant to.  It's always changing and growing and I just have to get my ego outta the way.  My ego tells me it sucks, it's been done, what's the point, I should be doing something more pertinent, yatta yatta...real friendly stuff like that.  It never says, "Gee Carrie you are learning and trying new things, good for you.  Who cares if it isn't perfect, pretty and 'sale able"....I have to train my brain against the ego's negativism...it's like a bad guy with the dark suit and hat who creeps out from the dark alley and says I'm gonna get ya...the good news is I won't let him get me, I'm always just a few steps ahead of him,yet he's lurking and if I'm not careful he could grab me and then , "poof", I'm screwed....ok this sounds very mellow dramatic but it FEELS very real.  Those who create, understand the nerve wracking that goes along with the joy, the angst and the ecstasy...the creative blocks and the breakthroughs, it's all part of the creative process, and there's no better ride I'd rather be on........

Christmas has come to Hip Chick's

It's all sparkly at the shop people as I love decorating for Christmas. I didn't get to have Christmas at the shop last year, we were in transition, painting and getting ready for opening in January. So it's fun to put the trees up, and the decorations and throw fake snow about and sing deck the halls.....hahaha. Ok I'm not really singing Christmas carols yet, don't worry, that's kinda gross at this point, nor am I even putting Christmas music on until it's DECEMBER but I do have the festive spirit now that the shop is decked. I had a productive day making things today, I had a black hat I embellished with paper, ribbon, feather and flower bow. Wha-la...fabulous! and I made a collage with some Paris images and paper, glitter and glue, oh the fun of glue let me tell you. This is one fabulous element. I can't get enough of it...I want to collage everything...people, places, things....haha... I also LOVE my triple thick gloss which I put on top of a collage to really seal and age it. The large multi color piece has the goop and it just coagulates beautifully. I wanted to share my efforts with those of you who care, you know who you are...and I hope to see all of you for our open studios in December on the 11th and 12th from 10-4. Treats and festivities will abound, so don't miss out on the fun, as always thanks for your support....ho ho ho...

San Damiano tutu shots

Monday I took the red tutu to San Damiano in Danville for a photo shoot. It was a gray day and not ideal for picture taking but I didn't care too much. You gotta go when the mood strikes regardless of lighting, and I had a chunk of time so I drove on up and wandered around. Here's San Damiano in a nutshell....."OUR MISSION is to provide a peaceful environment of natural beauty where spiritual renewal and growth may be sought by people of all faiths and backgrounds. In the spirit of St. Francis and guided by the Franciscan traditions of joy, hospitality, compassion, peace and simplicity, we offer contemporary and challenging retreats and programs in response to the changing needs of God's people." This retreat is in the heart of downtown Danville at the top of Highland Dr. and many people go there for retreats, gatherings, spiritual healing and quiet. Not many people are there taking pictures with tutus but then again I am kinda quirky....
I envisioned a tutu shrine shot and mine is ok, nothing exceptional but not every photo shoot produces the epic shot. But the point isn't always to get the perfect shot but to have fun and see what happens. I had a few curious looks for sure but no one seemed to mind the silly girl and her red tutu....it is a place to embrace all people and all spirituality. My tutu is a form of spirituality, it brings me peace, happiness and joy. It also brings many people peace, happiness and joy so this encourages me to keep playing with it.
Today Ben my husband decided to tackle our hairy beast of a dog, Chester. He is a combo German Shepherd and Poodle and one big ball of fur. Kinda like a Rastafarian dog when we let his hair grow long. It gets all matted and clumpy and NASTY. Being we are kinda cheapskates and don't want to fork over $100 to tame this hairy beast, we have the home job kit. Scissors and a electric razor. Ben is the groomer and he does surprisingly well with it. When it's cattiwamus well that just gives Chester that unique hip look that you just can't get from a professional groomer..

Flying first class

A miracle occurred, out of the blue, and rocked my world. For the first time EVER the pilots wives were invited on the Global by Ellen (bosses wife). She was going empty to Boston and NY for 3 nights, four days and I jumped at it. We had to get up at 4:30 AM Saturday, this was the only bummer of the whole trip, but who cares when you get there and it's all first class livin'....We took off in seconds, that jet gets up fast, and I kicked it in my plush leather seat, and was served a hot towel with lemon for my cleaning pleasure. This was the way of it, I got a meal served on white linen, crystal glasses and sterling silver cutlery, I had choices for what to eat, I chose split pea soup and a caprese salad. I had a television as big as what we have at home and I could get up and do whatever I wanted for the whole flight!! This was the best part, you see I'm not actually into flying, AT ALL. I am quite the opposite, if I never had to fly that would be just dandy but unfortunately it's the main mode of transpo to get places. Especially as my hubbie is a pilot! That being said, I loved the contact I had with the flight crew, I got to chat with the guys in the cabin and even sat in the co-pilot seat, learned about how the plane works, good to know info, and chat up Susan our lovely flight attendant. Before I knew it we were in Boston and we walk off the plane and into our rental car....SNAP...just like that. Ahhh the ease of it.
Boston was chilly and beautiful, we had a family trip there about 5 years ago so I was familiar with it's charm. We ate dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, "Giacomo's" where you just line up outside for a table and they always have a line as they are that good. The next day we wanted to see some fall foliage and I wanted to bring along the tutu as it had been awhile since I had a fresh tutu shot. Got some by a lake we stumbled across and then we headed to the Colonial Inn for a "Lobsta Roll" , a Boston tradition, heaps of lobster with some mayo on a hot dog bun.....YUMMY! After lunch we found my dream store called nesting, full of Hip Chick style items, I bought a few and was happily satiated as we left Boston to fly to NY that night.
All corporate jets fly to Teterboro airport if they are going to NY due to such high volume of traffic and it was my first time at this FBO (flight based operations) the FBO was SWANKY like a fancy Elle Decor magazine interior and a grand piano in the corner, there was a huge pilot's lounge and all the celebs and the richey riches go through on a regular basis. I was in heaven....so this is how the other half lives.....NICE! Our flight was only 45 mins, that's my kind of flying and then we drove about as much to get into the city, Times Square was our destintation. It was on. It's always on in NY and at Times Square. And this day just so happened to be Halloween. Thank God I thought to bring my tutu's and a mask in case I was feeling feisty....they were quite popular. Ben and I walked around Times Square and tourist stopped me and asked if I would take a picture with them, it was hilarious! And fun! Of course I was more then happy to oblige and then I took pictures with various costumed folk, it was hoppin! We heard there was a rockin parade in Grennich Village so we headed down and it was so packed we could barely see a thing. But everywhere we went there we people dressed up, having a good time and that made it worth the trip. Note to self, Halloween is HUGE in NY....
Next day was mellow, our only full day of non travel so we soaked up the concierge lounge and set off walking the streets. Had lunch at Eataly which is a huge Italian compound of little restaurants and markets. We bought some fresh pasta to take to Jeff's house for dinner (Ben's oldest friend) and it was a smash hit. We watched the Giants win the World Series and it was all good.....Tuesday was our last day and we ran in central park where they were setting up for the Marathon, it was a chilly, clear day and I love running in the park. Later we went to Chelsea and had a lovely french lunch and walked on the highline a new above ground walkway, very chic, artsy and scenic, in an industrial area of the city. I even squeezed in a thrift shop and felt like things could'nt have been better.. But there was one big finale after all that waiting at the teterboro airport. I saw Zach Galifianakis from The Hangover and Robert Downey Jr. a few minutes later. Robert was with his wife and I didn't want to bug him but Zach was alone so I asked if I could take a picture and he said sure. I want to camp out at the FBO and see how many celebs I can count in a day....so that was my trip, a real whirlwind of first class travel, fun sights, quality time with Ben, and unexpected pleasures...sometimes life has a way of just surprising you and exceeding all of your expectations..

India Collage

India Collage

I made this India Collage for Kat, my friend and best customer.  I previously made a Paris collage and she saw it, and bought it and loved it.  After wards she decided she needed two side by side and she came up with the India idea as it's spiritual place she has always wanted to visit.  Both collages are meant to manifest her journeys to Paris and India and they will hang above her bed where she can dream of her trips....I absolutely love making collages, they are a breath of fresh air in that they are new and fast and I like the aged quality they convey.  Sky is the limit when it comes to the creativity in collaging and I am only just discovering the possibilities.  The only thing I am using is paper, Elmer's glue, photo's and glitter, the finale is my new favorite sealer, triple gloss.  I love the texture and depth it creates and it really sealed everything solid.  These collages can be custom made and are only $45.00 for a 11x14.  I hope you like them as much as I do......thanks for checking in on my happenings....