Tag Archives: jewelry

Pardon My (Personal) Dust!

05 Monday Aug 2013

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95closeupWell dang…it’s been awhile since I posted in here, eh?  The last part of July literally went *poof* before my eyes…and now it’s August!!  So much going on lately!

What, you might ask?  Well, I spent 5 days in Kansas City (Missouri) last week at Silpada Designs National Conference (jewelry!), and it was even more fun than last year if that’s even possible!  It’s fun going as a first-timer, but just as fun having been once before.  I felt much more oriented and grounded in the mix of all the whirlwind excitement!

Take a look at those gorgeous babies in the picture…that’s hematite, pyrite and pearl mixed in with .925 sterling silver, the highest quality silver available in jewelry.  Same grade that Tiffany uses, but nowhere NEAR Tiffany prices!  What’s not to love?  Please message me if you’d like to learn more or would like me to personally send you a new catalogue with my compliments!

And on a more personal note, I’ve jumped on a glorious new journey to get back in shape and drop those extra pounds that have crept up slowly over the last decade.  I’ve joined a coaching program through Precision Nutrition – it’s their Lean Eating for Women program.  This is week 3 and I’m off to a pretty good start! [Guys, there’s a Men’s program too if you were wondering.]

Now, I was a little skeptical about signing up.  Some of you who tune in here regularly might recall my dip into Intuitive Eating.  How refreshing…intuitive eating is not dieting!  So I was worried that the LE program might in fact be a diet.  And I’m very relieved to discover that it’s not.  In fact, it embraces lots of Intuitive Eating principles such as paying attention to your internal cues and noting when you’re starting to feel full.  It’s habit-based coaching, meaning you start out small by learning and practicing a couple of new habits, rather than getting everything WHOOOSH all at once.  It’s too overwhelming otherwise!

So the initial habits have nothing to do with what to eat or what not to eat.  Rather, just getting good nutritional supplements and some exercise (the routines are provided, along with short video clips to demonstrate).  Then we’ll build on those going forward!  Oh man, I have been so sore – but in a glorious way – so much that I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning (damn those planks!!).  But I’m getting the discipline back in my brain, and frankly it’s nice spending some time in the gym rather than flushing $100 a month down the toilet for dues without ever setting foot inside.  I’m getting in the habit of having my workout clothes in a pile ready to throw into my car on my way to work so I can get in the gym right afterwards.  As much as it would be great to do early morning workouts (my gym opens daily at 5:00am), that’s just not in my DNA.  So, early evening workouts it is.

I also had to take some pictures and do some body measurements for a baseline (this is a year-long program).  THAT was a little painful.  Thankfully, J was a champ as always, getting my pictures taken and helping me measure my biceps, waist, hips, neck, etc.  I cried a little as I weighed in on the scales at 204.5 lbs (about 95 kg).  And I’m only 5’4″ (1.6m).  How the fuck did this happen?? 10 years ago I was 138 lbs (63 kg) and a svelte size 6!  I’m grateful J finds me attractive…believe me, I’m doing this for ME and my personal health first and foremost.  I don’t want to be gripped by high blood pressure or the possible danger of diabetes looming in my future (thankfully I’m not diabetic).

So that’s what’s going on these days.  I’ll definitely have more to post as I get more underway in this journey.  I know I’ll get frustrated at times…that’s where the “excellence, not perfection” motto has to kick in.  I’m a little scared too, but excited.

That’s when I remember the words of Dr. Tom Barrett, our keynote speaker at Silpada convention this year:  “Sometimes you have to do it afraid.”

Keep Calm and Sparkle On!

07 Sunday Oct 2012

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Next month marks my two-year anniversary of becoming a Silpada Designs rep, representing fabulous .925 sterling silver jewelry!  I’ve loved this line of jewelry for years and so when I took the plunge to sell it, it was an easy choice.  I’m passionate about it – the design, materials and craftsmanship are simply the best out there.  And the style is “hip/classic,” meaning on-trend but not trendy.  I love seeing women in their 20s AND women in their 70s wearing the same jewelry, rocking them their own way and looking great!  Stylish and chic.

.925 sterling silver is the highest quality of sterling silver available – it’s the same grade of silver that Tiffany’s uses…but nowhere near Tiffany’s price points!

Now, you may hear the term ‘.925 sterling silver’ and wonder…just what the heck does that MEAN?  Well, here’s the answer:  .925 sterling silver is an alloy (a mixture) of silver, copper and zinc.  92.5% of it is silver, and the remaining 7.5% is copper and zinc.  Pure silver on its own is far too soft to be useful for anything like jewelry or silverware, so copper and zinc are added as strengthening agents.  That’s it!  And Silpada’s sterling silver is not plated, meaning it’s not coated in a thin layer on top of brass, for example.  So you won’t have problems with it ‘wearing off’ over time.  In fact, Silpada offers a lifetime guarantee on every piece of jewelry…with free postage for returns and exchanges! Now THAT’S even more reason I’m proud to represent this product – the company stands behind its jewelry 100%!

There are other grades of silver out there that are mixed with other metals such as nickel.  Silpada jewelry is absolutely nickel-free.  I always mention this at my home shopping parties or when people ask me in general about the jewelry.  Nickel is known to cause allergies and skin reactions in some people.  Ever had a necklace or ring cause your skin to turn green?  That’s likely a nickel allergy.  It’s happened to me with other brands of earrings.  Now, I have had customers show me where they’ve had skin irritations with Silpada jewelry, mostly on their fingers underneath their rings.  The cause of this is not the sterling silver, but water and/or lotion getting trapped between the ring band and the skin.  The skin turns pinkish rather than the green I’ve seen with nickel. 

The solution is to stop wearing the ring for a few days to allow the skin to heal.  Then be sure to dry your hands completely after washing them, and dry your rings inside and out before putting them back on.  And try not to put lotion where you wear your rings (admittedly this can be a little challenging).

Speaking of water, I do not recommend bathing or showering in jewelry either.  I do know of customers who do this with no problems (and I cringe as they tell me; hopefully my facial expression is enough to discourage doing that).  Over time the residue from soap and shampoo can dull and mar the jewelry’s finish.  And please, everyone, remove your bling before getting in a pool or hot tub!  The chemicals in the water will react horribly with the sterling silver, leaving ugly, orange and brown rust-like splotches on it.  I’ve seen lots of unfortunate-looking pictures of this in our Silpada Facebook group.

I’ve been asked about the best ways to care for sterling silver jewelry, to keep it looking beautiful for a lifetime. Sterling silver does tarnish (darken) over time, and exposure to the open air speeds up this process a little.  It’s actually the copper in the sterling silver alloy that causes this.  Now note that the darkened (oxidized) look is sometimes part of the design of the jewelry itself to showcase its handcrafted textures and beauty, so a little oxidation is not always a ‘bad’ thing.  I also find that pieces I wear a lot tend to pick up a little of the oils on my skin and just need occasional cleaning.  

Keeping your jewelry stored out of direct sunlight is the best way to slow down the tarnishing process.  I don’t follow this rule 100% so I know I will need to spend a little more time and love caring for what I have to keep it looking its best.  There are two ways I’ll share with you today.

1.  Use a polishing cloth.  Silpada’s polishing cloth is 8″ x 10″.  It’s white and treated with a jeweler’s rouge to remove the tarnish from sterling silver and it comes in a resealable envelope.  It also works great on your gold and platinum jewelry too!  Did you know that Silpada donates $1 from every $5 cloth purchase to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and has donated over $1 million since the launch of this program?  Just this year at National Conference in Kansas City, Silpada presented JDRF with a check for $127,000!  

How long does a cloth last?  The answer depends on how much jewelry you are polishing and how tarnished it is when you start.  Typically my cloths last about 3-4 months, but your mileage may vary.  It’s a great way to keep jewelry looking its best AND donate back to a great cause.

2. Another cheap and quick way to bring back the shine…a little baking soda, tin foil and boiling water!  This is a great method if you have a lot of jewelry you want to get sparkling all at once.  I’m going to start doing this the day before my home shopping parties to really make sure my display pieces are in tip-top shape.  What a timesaver!

Find a Pyrex bowl or baking dish and place your jewelry in it.  Grab some tin foil, and crumple it with your hands.  Loosen the crumpled tin foil slightly and place it in the bowl or baking dish.  Sprinkle a little baking soda lightly over the jewelry.  Pour boiling water over the jewelry, enough to cover it completely.  Let sit 20 minutes.  Remove jewelry from the mixture, rinse it lightly and pat dry completely.  The water will still be a little warm, so use caution at first when removing your jewelry.

Above is a picture of the sparkle in progress!  Note I do not have my burners turned on – I just placed my baking dish with the jewelry on it so it would be near the boiling water in the tea kettle.

Don’t freak out about pouring boiling water onto your jewelry (I admit I did at first, but this method was recommended by a senior Silpada rep so I trusted it would work and not be harmful).  Remember, the jewelry was crafted at far higher temperatures than 212 degrees F (100 degrees C)!

And, ta daaaa…here’s my sparkling beauties!  This is just a small sample of what I bring to jewelry parties…see why I have the ‘best part-time job in the world’?  I get to wear my inventory wherever I go, get paid to party (I earn commission on every piece sold), and my hostess gets free jewelry credit depending on the amount of her party sales!  All in a totally casual, no-pressure environment.  I don’t have to do any sales pitches or memorize silly presentations for guests to have to sit through.  Nope!  We just eat, drink, socialize and play in the jewelry – that’s it!

If you do want to try this method, please read this ‘fun fine print’ before starting.  First, do NOT put any sterling silver jewelry in the baking soda bath that contains other materials such as pearls, diamonds, faceted glass, CZs or any other semi-precious stones.  You risk harming the stones – I have no idea how baking soda would react with any other materials.  Do not use this method for jewelry which has leather or cord as part of the design.  Again, not sure how baking soda would react with it, and getting leather or cord wet in general weakens it.  I also have not tried this with plated jewelry (jewelry which has a layer of sterling silver over another metal such as brass) so I’m not sure if it’s OK or not.

Be sure to use a Pyrex glass bowl or baking dish.  No metal bowls!  Use Pyrex or another brand of glass that can handle boiling water without shattering.

Do you know how to tell if a piece of jewelry is .925 sterling silver? It will have a “.925” stamp on it somewhere.  It’s sometimes tiny and hard to find, but it’s there!  Or try the magnet test – hold your jewelry next to a magnet and watch what happens.  If it’s .925 sterling, it won’t stick!  If it does, your jewelry contains other metals.

If you have any questions about the cloth, the baking soda bath or the jewelry please feel free to post a comment or message me!

Yoga’d…and Blessed

16 Sunday Sep 2012

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OK, first of all, fivenineteen is officially THREE!  Three years old!!  The (my?) official birthday was Saturday September 15.  9/15.  WOW…I never realized how that’s an exact mirror image of 5/19.  Where is that Twilight Zone music?  Honestly, that’s just a beautiful accident (or was it?). Absolutely was not intended….but I love it and I laugh how I just noticed that this year.  Thank you to my followers – old and new – and to everyone out there who stumbled in here by accident!  Welcome to my big ol’ ball of random!

This weekend reminded me how blessed I am to have incredible women in my life.  Great friends – old and new – and my Mom. 

Yesterday was all about getting the girls together and playing in jewelry!  Many of you know that I am a Silpada Designs representative, representing an incredible line of .925 sterling silver jewelry, handcrafted with semi-precious stones.  I’ve been a fan of the jewelry for around 6-7 years – I’d purchased pieces at home shopping parties or for fundraisers – and never thought I’d give direct selling on my own a try…but I started doing this nearly two years ago and I love it!  It’s easy to share what you love when you love what you represent!  I love sharing how .925 sterling (92.5% silver + 7.5% copper & zinc for strength – pure silver is too soft on its own for jewelry) is the highest grade of sterling silver there is.  It’s the same grade that Tiffany’s uses in their jewelry, and believe me Silpada’s price points are nowhere near Tiffany’s!

I tried something totally different and fun, for I had my jewelry on display at a restaurant inside a hotel where my team meets monthly…a combination of current pieces plus a lot of retired pieces marked down, gift boxed and priced to move!  In the process I had a lot of people stop by while I was setting up – even the executive chef stopped by to introduce himself and snap a pic of a necklace to see if his wife wanted one for herself!  It just ‘feels’ good in there – the restaurant staff is so gracious and accommodating…believe me when you get 20 of us jewelry reps together at a big table for meetings and throw in wine and munchies we can get a little rowdy!  Those meetings are a fun way to blow off steam from the workday, or for those who are stay at home Moms to get out of the house for a few hours for some adult time with girlfriends!

It was fun seeing friends of mine meet one another for the first time, plus having everyone meet my Mom!  Heck, even my Mom – who has the most exquisite taste in fine gold jewelry – is starting to take a shine (no pun intended) to sterling silver! Plus the mixed metal look (combining gold and silver) is super hot right now and I think it’s a trend that will continue far into the future.

So we had fun playing with jewelry, and it was both fun and nice to have a lot of my retired, discounted pieces find new homes.  I never thought I’d have “too much jewelry,” but after doing this for a couple of years my jewelry box has really grown, enough to where it was time to scale back and streamline.

And this morning…drum roll…Yours Truly got her butt out of bed early!  Meaning, an 8am meetup!  For carpooling to yoga!  Now, I’ve probably posted way too much in here about how I’m not a morning person, especially on the weekends.  While I feel I’m wasting the day when I sleep in until 10:30 or so on a Saturday or Sunday, I listen to my body’s rhythms.  It needs it and I’m not going to fight it off.

When I knew I was going to take a sabbatical from hockey (starting this fall season – and wow, looks like the NHL is doing the same with the lockout – ugh) I entertained ideas of what I’d do with this new, freed up spare time (and money).  Try yoga again – or try working out with a trainer? Revisit trying to learn Norwegian again for a someday-someday trip to the arctic?  So far the personal training is underway – 5 sessions done so far with B’s weekly ass kickings and I’m slowly rediscovering muscles that were long dormant.  My hamstrings and triceps are still on fire from last Thursday’s workout!

So to add fuel to that fire, I joined my dear friend D and her friend K for what I like to call “drop in yoga.”  [kinda like drop in / pickup hockey, ha ha.]   D recently moved to Austin, TX for a wonderful job opportunity, and her amazing energy just seems to swoop in whenever it’s needed.  Here she was in town for a few days, with a spontaneous invitation for me to join her and K for a free, open house yoga session at Lila.  D is probably one of the few (well, more than a few) who can motivate me to wake up, meet at a Starbucks and whisk me away in the morning for something beautiful, new and fun.  That and the 5Ks that P inspired me to start doing a few years ago with her.  Yep, those two take the prize.

So before I could walk into the Starbucks at Carillon Point to grab a double-tall nonfat latte, D and K arrived to scoop me up and take me to yoga!  Which I have not done in nearly 9 years!  In fact, I tried yoga for the first time the same weekend I started learning to play hockey.  What an intense Saturday-Sunday that was, pushing myself physically in two different ways I’d never tried before.  In fact, I had a third opportunity that fall in 2003 to join a friend for belly dancing lessons but my dance card was full.  I like to joke with people that I had a choice between belly dancing and hockey, and hockey won out.

So here we were at Lila (LEE la), which means Divine Play (I learned that from their website).  I was so grateful that K had an extra yoga mat for me to borrow – mine is buried deep somewhere in my garage.  I was impressed with the studio layout, how friendly everyone was, the beautiful light streaming through the studio – I love the beautiful Madison Park neighborhood in Seattle – and how the instructor took the time to greet each of us newcomers with a handshake, smile and personal welcome before we got started.

Oh man, what a wake up call!  The yoga memories of that introductory course nearly nine years ago came flooding back to me.  How inflexible I am…or where I actually am somewhat.  The poses – so hard to hold after a few cycles of repetition…if you have not tried yoga it is not just sitting and meditating – you work up a sweat!  But at the same time re-centering with your inner calm and confidence.  Inner glow.  And I remember the wise words of my instructor from 9 years ago when I would get frustrated at my lack of flexibility or difficulty holding a pose.  “Just give it 10 years,” she said in a soothing voice.  Aha!  That’s when I learned that yoga really and truly is NOT a quick fix.  Rather, it’s a lifelong practice and lifestyle.

It was a wonderful re-centering experience – just what I needed.  D and I headed back to the suburbs afterwards and grabbed a late breakfast at The Brief Encounter Cafe in Bellevue – a perfect place for hearty food, nice service and post-yoga sweats and leggings. 

And then I went home and took a two-hour nap.  I was stunned at how I was back home before noon.  So much of the day ahead…with a much-needed nap to celebrate Sunday.  And I smile, relishing the amazing friendships I have in my life.  Ahhhh, bliss. 

Namaste.

Reunited and it feels so good…and so painful

19 Sunday Aug 2012

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Ah yes…there actually ARE muscles in there, way down deep in my core.  And my hamstrings and my pecs…

And I’m still feeling the burn, 3 days after that workout!  Truly hilarious.  Oh wait – it’s not good for me to laugh too hard right now – my abs hurt when I do!

So what’s going on here?  Well, as mentioned last week I am committed to shifting my routine and getting back to basics with physical fitness.  Hockey is going to take a sabbatical and I’m going to use money normally budgeted for league fees and put it toward my kick ass personal trainer, B.

Who, really and truly, kicks my ass.  B first started training me back in 2009 at the gym I’ve belonged to for now nearly nine years.  I’d never worked with a personal trainer before, but I was inspired by my manager at my job at the time, who took the plunge and hired a personal trainer for himself.  And I got to thinking, hmmm…my gym had finished undergoing a major remodel, complete with brand new exercise equipment throughout.  It would be fun to learn how to use it with a professional!  I was in the process of doing Couch to 5K, a running program for beginners and felt on a wee bit of a fitness roll!

Everyone at the gym recommended B.  He’s been training there a long time and is a fixture.  But hardly with his style…no, he is all about variety and creativity with workouts, which is EXACTLY what I need.  I’d seen him working with other clients over the years so I had a general idea of his demeanor.

I enjoyed working out with him so much…we’d meet up Tuesday nights and Sunday late mornings.  Try as he might to get me to join his Sunday morning spinning class I always opted out – it was too early for me on a day of the week I cherish sleeping in.  Never once was his workout for me exactly the same – truly inspiring and impressive.

Then the economy tanked and I was out of a job.  Ah yes, summer 2009…so wonderful with personal accomplishments and yet so damn shitty with the job market.  So while I clung to my gym membership – I truly needed it to keep me sane during those unemployed months – I had to make personal, financial cutbacks and training with B was one of them.  Of course he totally understood – things like this happen all the time.

So last Thursday – after 3 years – we got back to business.  Ironically it was one of the hottest days of the year so far – highs in the mid 90s (36c).  It seemed a little odd to be heading indoors on such a beautiful evening but on the other hand, I was jazzed and motivated to get back to it.  “Let’s Rock & Roll,” as B always says before our workouts!

Planks.  UGH.  I’m wayyyy out of practice doing them, so he had me do some variations on ab crunches to get started.  I also did some step up exercises on a stool so he could gauge my balance on how well I can step without needing to push off with my lower foot.  Sad but true, after age 40 or so we as women can start to lose our sense of balance.  And I have a small handful of stories to totally prove that true – a few female friends/co-workers have taken tumbles on stairs or outside on office steps shortly after turning 40.  I too have had a few klutzy incidents – thankfully most with no witnesses (meaning, at home).

I also did some upper body work (man, that feels great to bust through the neck/shoulder tension after slaving away on a hot laptop all day) and some diagonal lunges with hand weights.  And side moves with kettlebells to target those obliques. Believe me, that hour went fast.  It was intense and I was dripping in sweat by the time we were finished.  What a great feeling!

…Until the next morning.  Oh man I was in agony, but not in a bad way.  Although changing positions while sleeping, getting out of bed and simple things like walking down stairs, sitting down on the – ahem – throne and getting out of my desk chair at work after a bit was excruciating.  I was probably walking around looking like I was severely constipated.  HA!

The plan is for us to train Thursday nights and I’ll get in the gym on my own on Sunday nights and Tuesday nights.  Starting this Tuesday, ha ha.

This weekend was all about FOOD.  Lots of great, glorious food.

One of my cousins is getting married later this fall on Catalina Island.  We had a bridal shower luncheon on Saturday in her honor, hosted by a family friend with a beautiful home in the Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle.  Such an elegant menu as well…the soup was a chilled puree of tomato, peach, a little chicken stock, cream and fresh tarragon.  It was so unexpected and heavenly and I’m in hot pursuit of the recipe so I can post it for all of you here – simply glorious!  We also had small sandwiches, spinach Quiche, an arugula salad and a trio of small scoops of sorbets for dessert with hot coffee.

And if I thought I’d never be hungry again the next day, I actually was.  I went to visit L (my guy BFF) today, as he had finished designing and printing new business cards for my Silpada jewelry business.  I’m thrilled how the cards turned out and can’t wait for the new batch of accompanying postcards too! 

Lunch was in order and L was in a burger/sports bar mood.  On our way in the car we passed Thai Siam, a longtime, casual and fabulous Thai restaurant in Seattle’s Crown Hill neighborhood, just north of Ballard.  And they were having their annual benefit buffet, so we thought, why not?  An all-you-can-eat buffet of incredible Thai food benefitting local causes (Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission and Cancer Lifeline…that’s a no-brainer!)

My goodness Thai Siam brings back memories.  In the early 1990s when I’d finished college and was just starting out working full-time, eating out was a luxury I craved (I hardly knew how to cook save for mac & cheese and Boboli pizza).  Heck, anything beyond basic rent and utilities (and other basics like pantyhose but that was the era then) seemed a luxury.  But a mutual friend of my roommate’s raved about Thai Siam, and while it is not pricey in the general sense it was a splurge – and well worth it – on my entry-level salary.  And how wonderful to visit it again after 20+ years!  Along with live Thai music and dancing, a spontaneous barbershop quartet grabbed the microphones and sang a few songs, including Happy Birthday to a man celebrating his 21st with his family!  The waiter walked up to him with a smile and asked him, “hey, do you want a beer?”  Before he could answer his mother piped in with a flat-out “NO.”  Hilarious!

I love spontaneous weekends like this.  And I catch my breath that it’s mid August – we hold tight to summer here in Seattle for it’s often too fleeting and brief.  But when the sun shines here, there is nowhere on Earth more beautiful.

Now, where did I put my Motrin?

Packin’ (for) Heat!

29 Sunday Jul 2012

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There’s nothing like a 5-day weather forecast for highs in the 100s / lows in the 80s – plus humidity and the heat index – to strike terror in a Seattle girl.  Aiiieeee…those lows are higher than the highs we’ve had this summer so far!  What the hell do I pack?  Will I melt or combust??

I spent 5 wonderful days in Kansas City, MO and am still riding the high!  The high of a fabulous Silpada Designs National Conference…my first ever!  And first time visiting KC!

Silpada is hand-crafted .925 sterling silver jewelry – the highest grade of sterling silver.  There are nearly 33,000 representatives all over the USA, Canada and the UK!  I’m so proud to be one myself – it will be two years this November since I took the plunge!  I fell in love with the jewelry at a party a friend hosted nearly 7 years ago and am beyond impressed.  Everything from the quality of the product (nothing is plated and there is NO nickel in the jewelry), the unique designs, the lifetime warranty and the support provided by corporate offices…I hit the jackpot signing up!

And now I was off to KC to experience the high energy of National Conference for the first time with nearly 5000 fellow reps!  But first…quelles horreurs…what the hell to pack?  We had the agenda and suggested dress code for each day…most was business casual with one night a more formal night.  Sounds great, but how do you try to dress for that in blasting hot heat?  And when your wardrobe is, well, lacking a few ‘nicer’ items because most you can’t fit into anymore?  Thankfully I had great advice from my local team – we meet once a month and it’s so much fun!  They all said not to stress about it too much…just go with comfortable.

OK, that sounds good, but there was a teeny part of me that wanted to be impossibly chic and fresh – cute sundresses and sandals and all that.  So one night after work I headed to Nordstrom at Bellevue Square.  And I realized how long it’s been since I’ve gone CLOTHES shopping.  I spend my money on shoes, boots and handbags (and jewelry of course!).  My clothes are mostly J. Crew clearance, given I work in an uber-casual environment. I wanted something fresh with a little more pizzazz for this trip, but I had an awful time finding things I liked that fit me.  I learned right then and there that the larger you get in size, the fewer choices you have in clothes and you risk looking frumpy.  I would rather walk around naked than wear frumpy clothes!  Hell, when I’m 80 – Lord willing I live that long – I will NEVER be frumpy!  I even choked back tears in the dressing room a couple of times.  Maybe THIS was the in-your-face that I needed to vow to get back in shape and drop some poundage.

So I ended up with a couple of pairs of pants (one khaki, one black) some loose-fitting black leggings, a purple gingham checked shirt (which I didn’t bring to conference but is pretty cute), two layering tank tops – one in white, one in light khaki – a lightweight sweater which would be good for the plane ride and a couple of t-shirts.  I tried on countless sundresses that didn’t fit quite right, and while I found a cute maxi dress it would have needed a LOT of alterations (and hemming) which I didn’t have time for.  I went home $500 poorer and frustrated.  I STILL didn’t feel like I had the ‘right’ stuff I wanted to bring on this trip.  But this was reality and the body I have to dress today.

Once I got packed and on the plane, I stopped stressing about my clothes.  I knew there would be an opportunity to do a little shopping during the convention, so maybe I could find something there?  Turns out I didn’t have much time to shop, other than a quick ‘drive by’ through the booths they had (soooo cute). I grabbed a small wristlet for going out (no need to lug a purse around).

I was also a little nervous about traveling with a large amount of jewelry, because that’s not something I typically do.  I knew to pack it in my carry on (NOT in checked baggage – never never), but it still felt odd to me.  But, I trusted the advice of my fellow reps and purchased a cute ‘jewelry roll,’ which is a tri-fold soft cloth case with TONS of zippers and pockets for packing up jewelry.  It fits great in your carry on, they said!

Then there was the problem of the carry-on.  As in I COULD NOT FIND MY CARRY ON.  This was probably a day or two before I left…I swore it was on a closet shelf where it’s been for years.  It’s a cute, black nylon Nine West messenger style bag…and it’s GONE!  I even looked in my garage.  How could it be gone? I’d NEVER consciously decide to get rid of something like this!!

Well, thank goodness for a spare laptop bag!  My current consulting firm provides us each with a laptop bag…I use a larger Tumi briefcase for work that I’ve had for years because it has built-in padding for cradling my laptop.  I knew that smaller laptop bag would be PERFECT for a carry on…and yay, no need to pack a laptop in it for this trip!  It held my jewelry roll and catalogues great and was not too heavy or bulky!  Love it!

I also knew to bring an extra Ziploc bag for airport security.  Once I arrived at Sea-Tac I removed the jewelry I was wearing and placed it in a Ziploc bag and placed it in my purse.  That way I wouldn’t be “that girl” holding up security, having to remove jewelry right then and there in the walk-through screening.  This is a GREAT tip, by the way, for anyone who likes to wear a lot of bling!  [I was at the airport by 5am and the line for security snaked for what seemed like MILES.]  Once I got through security I simply put my jewelry (and shoes) back on and was good to go!

I had a two-hour layover in Denver…thankfully it whizzed by quickly.  When I arrived in KC I prayed my luggage would not get lost (whew, it didn’t) and checked in to wait for the shuttle to my hotel!  My roommate (and business sponsor) was already in KC and our texts were flying back and forth!

How wonderful to discover my shuttle-mates were all fellow Silpada reps!  Most of us were attending for the first time…THIS is what was so special and bonding about conference…it’s easy to spot a fellow rep in her fabulous jewelry…and just walk up and start talking with her! 

Thursday:  travel time to KC via Denver!  I was so excited to finally arrive…that 4:30am shuttle pickup at home was a distant memory and my adrenaline kicked in hard.  It was late afternoon when I arrived and after what seemed like eternity I finally got to the hotel, checked in and got back in a shuttle to the convention center.   There was a continuous flow of (free) shuttles every day for us to hop on to get to and from the convention center from our hotels.  So nice and convenient not having to rent a car or grab a cab every time!

I got registered, got my name tag and a beautiful sterling silver charm (check out the pic at the top of this post)!  It’s a gorgeous “15” design, as this year is the 15th anniversary of Silpada’s founding!  On the back it’s engraved with “keep the party going,” this year’s convention theme!  I actually wore it as a pendant, as it’s a bit large on a charm bracelet.

After what seemed like ages, I finally found L (my business sponsor) and a couple of others of our team in a large area that was set aside for supply shopping!  Calculators, post it notes, new yearly planners, pens, t-shirts…so much fun!  They also had a photo booth set up to get a headshot to include on your website.  I was sure I looked a wired & tired mess so I skipped that.

A few of us headed out to the Power & Light district to check out the scene and live music!  True confession…I’m not into country music but hey, when in Rome right?  The P&L district is full of shops, restaurants and bars and has a central, open area perfect for live music and dancing.  And it’s super easy to spot fellow Silpada reps out and about…we’re all decked out in our jewelry…and so happy to be doing what we do! 

My God it was hot that night…105 degrees (41 C) and a little humid.  Thankfully I’d worn one of my new tank tops under the sweater I wore on the plane.  Off goes the sweater and it ties around my shoulders…great music, friends and a couple cocktails and we were doing just fine.

Friday:  we grabbed a quick breakfast in the convention center (breakfast and lunch was provided each day…wonderful!) and headed into the main arena for opening general sessions.  Bill Rancic kicked us off as our keynote speaker…I just adore him and now love him even more!!  He spoke for about an hour with fantastic motivation and advice for us fellow entrepreneurs!

We then had the choice of 3 different training sessions.  What I liked about this was that each of the 3 repeated itself twice, and there was plenty of room in each area for seating.  No need to pre-register…we each had a booklet of which sessions were offered each day and sat down as a team to figure out which ones we each wanted to go to.  Some we did as a group and for others we chose to divide and conquer so we could share what we learned!  I also liked that we each had a pre-printed booklet of each sessions talking points, so even if we couldn’t attend everything we still had the scoop! 

THEN…a pizza party for dinner with our team – cute matching t-shirts too – and time for NEW JEWELRY PREVIEW!!  Oh my goodness what a moment this is!  Every year in July a new Silpada catalogue is unveiled…and lots of new jewelry too!  All 5000 of us packed into the convention center and were treated to a beautiful fashion show with models showing off the new jewels – gorgeous!  And by the time they were done we were whipped into a frenzy!

It’s a STAMPEDE of jewelry reps running to the jewels!  And this is unbelievable…they set up 30 huge tables, EACH with the entire new catalogue’s jewels displayed, all for us to touch and try on!!  That’s about 450 pieces of jewelry per table…this is truly THE biggest jewelry party in the WORLD!  This is one of the new bracelets and is absolutely incredible…and not too heavy!   It’s solid .925 sterling silver, handcrafted and is $199.  Want to find out more about this piece?  Please message me! 

What do you do after ooh’ing and ahhh’ing over all the new jewels?  Grab your packet of (free) new catalogues, your Sharpies or post-its, get a cocktail and have a seat on the convention room floor with your team. Lots of pages to pour over!! 

Saturday:  More training sessions and closing general sessions in the main arena.  I have so many notes to type up…my notepad is chock full of my chicken scratching! 

Was this the morning L and I spent FORTY MINUTES waiting in line for Starbucks?  I think it was.  Just agonizing.  Thankfully we’d allowed enough time but WOW that Starbucks near the convention center could kick it up a notch or two, especially with huge events like ours.  Although I noticed the pace was a tad slower in general from what I’m used to.  Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming to us…is this that famous midwestern hospitality?  Not that people in Seattle are rude, it’s just a different vibe and not as laid back.  In fact, my first night heading to the convention center I was the only one on the shuttle, and my shuttle driver even took a few extra minutes to drive around and show me some key points of interest in KC before dropping me off at the convention center!  Too funny…and nice. 

Saturday was awards night, and time to get a little more dressed up!  Here’s where I’m glad I didn’t pack a nice dress…I went with my new, loose black leggings, bling-y flat sandals and a sequined J. Crew tank top with a white tank layered under it (it’s a little low-cut).  By the time I met up with the rest of our team in the convention center, they already had a mini bar set up…big tumblers of vodka tonics!  I cracked up…are these award ceremonies THAT bad?  Everything’s been so amazing! 

When I found out that the awards would go on for THREE HOURS, I knew why we mixed a few tonics.  After about an hour we ditched and headed back to the Power and Light district for some dancing!

This time instead of a live country artist it was a DJ on main stage blasting 80s and 90s music.  I’m SO glad we decided to go dancing…earlier the talk was we’d go to karaoke (which I absolutely cannot stand either doing or listening to, heh).  We grabbed food at the Dubliner and headed up to one of the dance clubs.

There were easily 2 or 3 bachelor and bachelorette parties going on that night…love it!  And perfect for a bunch of 30-40 something bling-loving ladies to mix it up with them on the dance floor!  Awesome.

I was even sort of getting used to the hot weather.  Emphasis on sort of.  We ended up back outside where the DJ was cranking out music and dancing around on the pavement.  Somehow I ended up in the arms of a very handsome cowboy – and a great dancer too.  Man, how long has it been since I got twirled around like that?  Too funny.  My sweaty feet were a little slippery in my sandals but I did alright.

I also met a few more reps too…we exchanged business cards and hoped to meet up the next day for our tour of corporate offices!  I figured OK that sounds great, but with so many of us it’s hard to plan sometimes!

My roommate L headed back to the room early, as she had an insane shuttle pick up time…something like 3:00am.  At that point it’s not even worth going to sleep!  She was catching a standby flight home and had to get up early to start waiting.  The rest of us grabbed a cab later…poor cabbie got an earful of 3 sheets to the wind jewelry reps who needed to bust a move after being on a structured schedule for a few days! 

Somehow I slept well and woke up with no hangover.  Does the hot weather make me sweat out all that booze?  Ha. 

Sunday:  it was weird waking up that morning with L already long gone.  Many people were flying home that day, but for me there was still much to do…starting with a tour of Silpada’s world headquarters!

A short shuttle ride away is the town of Lenexa, KS.  We crowded the streets in KC, piling into shuttles as we did every morning.  When I finally got onto one…oops…it was already full!  I turned around and got in line for the next one.  Lo and behold I ran into ME, one of the reps I’d met out dancing the night before!  What are the chances?  It was totally meant to be…she and I hung out the entire time for the tour and just really hit it off! 

I’m so impressed with the corporate offices and nearby huge distribution center…overall the campus sits on 29.5 acres!  Everything is beautiful and immaculate.  I was also impressed to learn about the bar coding and order processing…they process 20,000 orders a day, with capacity for double that!  And the warehouse workers only work a day shift…there’s no swing or graveyard!  How’s that for quality of life!!  Wow.

The corporate tour was the last official event for conference…I was brimming with so much energy, excitement and empowerment!  I’m not alone in doing this business…I’ve got a huge network of Silpada sisters who are doing exactly what I’m doing (or trying to do) in growing my business!

Now I was on my own…had to figure out for myself what to do to keep entertained!  I had the rest of Sunday and a good chunk of Monday still in town!

I walked over to the Westin Hotel (there are a few skybridges linking the various hotels) and ended up at Brasserie.  An early dinner sounded good!  I chose chicken prepared with asparagus, crab, artichoke and tarragon.  Delicious!  I came back later to my hotel room, freshened up a bit and wandered back down to one of the restaurants to see if I knew anyone…or could spot any fellow reps in their jewelry who were still around! 

Amazingly, I ran into D.  D and I are a part of a huge, private Facebook group just for Silpada reps….there’s over 3700 of us in it and growing.  And she and I are Facebook friends too…and there she was!  I couldn’t believe it!! We ended up hanging out that entire evening, and I went with her upstairs to keep her company while she finished packing. 

I just love these types of days where you have zero idea what you’re going to do, and the most wonderful, random things happen!

Monday:  I grabbed a coffee and bagel and finished packing.  Checked out of the hotel and had them hold my suitcase and carry-on…I needed to do some shopping, and had a little time to kill as my flight didn’t leave till that afternoon.

So I grabbed a cab and headed for the Country Club Plaza!  WOW this place is stunning.  I’m so in awe of outdoor shopping destinations, for in Seattle they are not the most popular way to be set up for obvious reasons!  I’m glad I got there when I did, before it got too hot (but boy it was cookin’) and that I was there during a not so busy time (Monday morning).  Damn, I burned my fingers on the ATM buttons outside!  Youch.

I knew I needed to keep my last purchases small as my suitcase and carry-on were already packed full.  I ended up with some new MAC makeup and some wonderful green tea-scented solid perfume from L’Occitane.  I’ve never had solid perfume before and thought this was a great idea…it comes in a round tin just like lip balm…and no spilling or breakage in your purse!

And my flight home…was a non-stop on Alaska Airlines.  Would you believe we arrived a half hour early?  I guess the jet stream is so far north from where it normally is that we had nothing in our way as we flew west!  And my suitcase was one of the first ones handed off in baggage claim!  Hooray!  Off to the shuttle I went, excited to be home a little earlier than I planned.

Well, I guess it all evens out in the end.  Turns out our shuttle driver was doing his VERY FIRST RUN after his classroom training. He had a mentor riding shotgun with him.  It was awful.  It was like I was spying on someone taking their driver’s test and I felt dirty.  God, it was painful…the guy acted like he never had driven in his life and I’d put him around late 50s or so in age! 

I am SO inspired and energized about Silpada now more than ever!  I KNOW I’ve hit the jackpot representing this amazing product and cherish the friendships I’ve made at conference!!

If you’re interested in learning more about the jewelry or why I have “the best part-time job in the world” as a rep please message me!

No Accidents

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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I truly believe there are no accidents in life.  Things DO happen exactly as they’re supposed to.  Sometimes that’s hard for me to fully accept – perhaps there’s a wee or not so wee streak of control freak in me.  Sometimes I get frustrated and pouty when things don’t happen WHEN or HOW *I* want them to.  Sounds kind of childish.  But that stream flows in me and creeps up when I get extra tired and stressed.  Kind of sounds like the last few weeks…I’ve re-read a few of my recent posts in here and yowza – I’ve got a lot going on and boiling within me!

So what to do about it?  Nothing?  Something? Yesterday things unfolded so deliciously, one by one.  I’m not Irish but perhaps I got a much-needed dose of St. Patrick’s Day luck.   And given so much got crammed into March 17, 2012, it was a good thing the day got started a little (lot?) earlier than usual. 

Yep, I got my tired self out of bed, dressed and over into the wonderful Ballard neighborhood of Seattle for a fun mini spa and nutrition seminar at my new friend M’s condo.  YES!  Another jaunt into the city – this totally refreshes me.  I couldn’t believe the snowflakes as I whizzed through Seattle in my car.  I met M at a Silpada jewelry party my friend T hosted back in December.  M is one of those wonderful souls with warm energy – the type you’re just drawn to!  She told me about a line of skin care and nutrition supplements she represents and asked if I would be interested in coming to one of her seminars!  Absolutely, I said!

Know when you meet someone and during your conversation they tell you “oh, we should get together and…” …and you never hear from them again?  Or you just fall out of contact? Not a big deal – nothing personal – but when someone DOES really, truly reach out to you with a sincere invitation to join them to learn about something they’re so passionate about, well, that energy is contagious! 

Even just the journey of driving back into the Ballard neighborhood made me smile.  I lived in some adjacent neighborhoods the first half of the 1990s before moving back to the suburbs – my childhood roots.  And the only reason I moved was due to my work commute.  The company I worked for at that time moved from downtown to the suburbs, which would have made my new commute via bus or car a nightmare.  Le Sigh…I often wonder what path my life might have taken had that company not moved.  I’d likely still be in the city.  

I can’t believe how much Ballard has changed.  Tons of new condos and apartments have sprouted up in this formerly somewhat-sleepy slice of Seattle.  I laughed as I had forgotten about allowing extra time to find street parking – surprisingly packed on a Saturday morning.  Could have easily been a Friday night! I dressed a little over optimistically in khakis, an olive green cashmere tank top and a denim jacket.  Damn that was a cold and biting wind as I dashed a few blocks up to M’s condo.  I’m glad I threw on a pashmina wrap before leaving the house. Brrrr.

M represents Usana Health Sciences.  So much to learn about all of these products! Everything from shampoo to nutritional supplements.  I have just scratched the surface and would not do it justice to explain more about it here but boy it is intriguing.  M, her neighbor and I had a fun mini spa at her dining room table, trying out a few exfoliating products, cleansers and moisturizers…with wonderful hot towels heated in her slow cooker! I’m so glad I wore a sleeveless top under my jacket.  Ahhh, I rubbed extra product onto my forearms and elbows. 

I’m taking the plunge and trying their 5-day “reset” program.  It’s designed to help your body kick carbohydrate cravings which spike blood sugar.  I’m not sure what it’s going to be like for me to replace a meal or two a day with a shake for a few days, but I’m going to give it a try.  Two years ago I kicked a 25+ year addiction to Diet Coke cold turkey and I don’t miss it one bit.  If I can do that without any bodily freakouts I can try this Reset program for 5 days, right?  I’ll likely have more to blog about it once the pack arrives next week.  Hmmm!  Years ago I tried adjusting my eating to where I only eat carbs at one meal – usually dinner.  It DOES make a difference.  I’m not as rigid about it now…I occasionally have a sandwich at lunch and today just finished a bagel with cream cheese.  Maybe I do need to be more hard core.

Is it just me or is anyone else noticing how many people are hungering (no pun intended) for better health?  Or other “health” like a more sustainable planet (recycling and all things Green)?  Organic food?  Overall wellness and happiness?  I swear I’ve sensed this spike up since we flipped the calendar pages to 2012.  I wonder what’s going on?  Or it is because we’re so much more uber-connected now because of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and on and on that we can’t help but NOT know what everyone is up to? 

I pondered these things as I relished my mini facial (and forearm facial) at M’s place. We chatted for a bit before I left…I think I was still in winding down mode and destressing after another busy work week.  But I was sure grateful for a friendly ear!

L invited me over to his place that evening – he wanted to make tacos and watch hockey on TV together.  I’d already made plans to see T but I told him I would call after leaving M’s, as L also lives in Ballard.  I swung by for a quick hello and visit.  He’d been sick this past week and I while I didn’t want to risk catching anything I did want to go see him – would have been silly to be such a short drive away and not drop by.  Ahhh…THIS was the fun hanging out with L that I remember.  No stress from my townhouse project he’s been helping me with, no me being cranky coming home from work and him hanging out at my place, falling asleep in front of the TV or what have you.  He told me how much his web design and photography business is growing and how busy he is.  Wonderful! I had to get back into Kirkland for an appointment but as I left he gave me some IKEA shelving he wants to help set up for me in my garage.  Says we just need some one by eights and we’re good to go.  Hmmm, I think that means a size of plywood but I will let him figure that out for me.  He also wants me to join him out on the coast next weekend.  He’s doing a photo shoot and the client has given him use of a very nice vacation rental house.  You know, I just might go!  Good to get out of town for a bit and I’d have my own room and all.

When I got back over the bridge I realized I had about an hour to kill before my appointment at The Woodmark Spa over on Carillon Point.  On a whim I called the spa asking if they could take me any earlier.  Surprise…they could!  Ah, efficiency.  And while my spa treatment was more, ahem, maintenance than pampering, it’s always great to see my aesthetician…can’t believe it’s been over 10 years now!

I stopped at the grocery store, grabbed a nice bottle of Pinot Noir and later drove over to Sammamish for a girls night in with T.  She was going to try a new brownie recipe, baked with Guinness!  How perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!  I brought a couple of trays of jewelry for us to play with too and she picked out some amazing new pieces.  And damn that Pinot went well with chocolate!  That’s some of the ingredients in today’s picture.  I feel so blessed to have T in my life – she is such a cherished friend!  She even gave me a coupon for a discount on a 2-day workshop about understanding men.  Can this topic really be covered in two days?  I’m kind of joking here but in a way not really!  T has absolutely raved about this and other similar workshops she’s attended.  She says it’s not only improved her dating life but also her quality of friendships with women (and men) too!  Wow!  Sign me up…late April it is.

I slept in till 11am today and savored every moment, remembering my wonderful luck-filled Saturday.  I’ve got a late hockey game tonight – last game of our regular season…so a nap might be in order later this afternoon!  Meanwhile, I have a new book thanks to my new friend D.  Strengths Finder 2.0, by Tom Rath.  I can’t wait to discover what’s inside!

Reflecting and Looking Forward

01 Sunday Jan 2012

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Wow…how fun that my typical blogging day – Sunday – is New Years Day!  What sprang from unemployment, boredom, frustration and a lifelong passion for writing is now over two years strong – this September ol’ fivenineteen here will be 3.  THREE!   This will likely be the most productive thing I do all day.  Oh, and taking the Christmas tree down too.  Thankfully it’s a 4 foot artificial tree.  Easy to pull apart and pack up until next time.

I remember as a kid I didn’t really “believe” it was the New Year until I saw it in writing.  Which meant seeing the new year in print on the newspaper the next morning.  There still is a part of me that feels that way…although now it’s the date readout on my cell phone, my home landline phone or even the little clock on the corner of the laptop screen here.  Yep, it’s Sunday January 1, 2012.  Wow.

It’s only natural to reflect back on the year that Was…2011 started off with a bang.  Literally.  My family said goodbye way too soon to a family member – my cousin’s ex wife – at age 41.  And a new relationship…intense, yes, which flamed out quickly.  And, admittedly, took me awhile to process.  Thanks to time and some newly-discovered wisdom shared with me by my dear friend T, it’s all so clear to me now.  And so great to just Let It All Go.

My health took a nosedive in late winter/early spring last year.  Enough to where any plans to hit the gym and train for the year’s 5Ks went out the window.  We had Typhoid Mary run rampant in that team’s cubicle farm.  I coughed for two months straight.  Here’s a tall glass of water in a plastic tumbler toast to a MUCH healthier 2012…with 5Ks to boot!  Hmmm, I might steer clear of the gym for a few weeks and try getting outside to exercise.  Such a cliche…it’s jam packed in January – too hard to get a free treadmill!

I’m optimistic and hopeful about the economy and my job.  Save for a two-week break last year between engagements, I was employed all of 2011!!  WHAT a relief after the mess of late 2009 and first half of 2010.  We HAVE to pull out of this drudgery that is a recession/depression/whatever it is.  It sucks and I have good friends still feeling the burn. 

My confidence in my Silpada jewelry business only continues to grow and grow…every conversation, every party, every question about my jewelry and what I’m doing only fuels me that I can really DO this, have fun, and make a surprisingly great commission on the side!  Just by “selling” a product I’ve loved for years!  (I use “selling” in quotes because it does not really feel like selling at all in the traditional sense.)  Just sharing info with people!  I meet up regularly with other local reps and the friendships that have grown from them are simply fabulous.  Incredible women. 

And what a great crescendo on the last part of 2011 when the consulting work I did for free back in 2010 popped into some extra paying work for a couple of months in late 2011!  That project is on hold right now, but there is a very strong chance we’ll resume work again with the client later this year. Fascinating…and who knows where it could lead?  I will be at my current full-time job through late June this year and I know it will go fast.  And believe me, I know how to network.  If I could stay on longer with this team through June I would leap at the opportunity.  But since I do consulting engagements, that’s not part of the deal usually.  Budget cycles and all mean consultants come and go.  Nothing personal.

I feel truly happy and blessed…big smiles as I welcome 2012 and look outside into the sunshine.  Time to get outside for a walk!

Always Do Your Best

26 Monday Dec 2011

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When I read or hear those words in the title above I get childhood flashbacks.  I can hear my first or second grade teacher tell this repeatedly to us in class as we worked on whatever assignment she gave us.  Or my parents telling me the very same thing whether it was in ballet class, that paper mache project, Easter egg dyeing or learning to ride a bike without training wheels.  Over and over.

But it’s also the 4th agreement in Don Miguel Ruiz’s book The Four Agreements.  Ah.  A few weeks back I made a commitment to read one chapter a week and blog about it.  And I’m just a couple weeks behind given another book which distracted me profoundly and a quick mental vacay on my typical blogging day Sunday last week.  But it’s all good.  Now I am realizing this is probably my last post of 2011.  Where does the time go?

OK, focus.  Ruiz sums up this chapter like this:  “Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick.  Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.”

See what I mean about words that are so simple and so profound?  I’ve probably made that comment ten million times in each post about these Agreements.  Don’t plan on this book being a quick read if you really want to get the most out of it.  You’ll want to re-read each chapter several times.

And the beauty of this chapter is that this 4th agreement points back to the other 3.  Always Do Your Best to…1. Be Impeccable with your Word; 2. Don’t Take Things Personally; and 3. Don’t Make Assumptions.

Ruiz goes on to explain how much “doing our best” will vary.  When we’re relaxed and refreshed our best is going to be better than when we’re tired.  It will be different when we are happy as opposed to upset.  And, as we continue to incorporate the 4 Agreements into our lives, our best will become better than it used to be.  

If we do our best we won’t judge ourselves.  We won’t punish ourselves.  Ahhh…how freeing is this!!  Especially someone like me who inherited a big ol’ Perfectionism gene.  If it couldn’t be perfect – whatever it was – it (or rather, I) sucked.  I beat myself up.  Or I’d get so overwhelmed I’d procrastinate or even worse not do something at all.  What an ugly downward spiral!

It’s taken years for me to wrestle and fight off that unreasonable, unrealistic quirk that’s so deep in my DNA.  Probably a little over ten years ago when I first started seeing a therapist was this pointed out to me.  HUH?  Well, she was right.  

My new, more modern, personal mantra?  “Excellence, not perfection.”  And I guess that’s similar to this 4th Agreement in a way.  These words resonate deep in my bones whether I’m focusing on a work project, getting ready to hit the ice and play hockey or continue to grow my Silpada jewelry business.  And every other area of my life too.

Ruiz explains more:  “When you do your best, you take action.  Doing your best is taking the action because you love it, not because you’re expecting a reward.”  He goes on to explain the cliche of a worker.  A worker who only works because he/she is expecting the reward – the paycheck.  They work hard the whole week, suffering the actions.  They have to work to pay the rent, to support their family…and when they do get their paycheck they are unhappy.  There’s only a couple days to rest (aka the weekend) and they then try to escape by getting drunk or what have you.

If we take action just for the sake of doing something without expecting a reward, we will enjoy every action we do.  If we like what we do, if we always do our best, we are really, truly enjoying life.  We have fun, we don’t get bored and we don’t have frustrations.  Man, sign me up!

What about when life takes away something from us?  Ruiz explains – “…let it go.  When you surrender and let go of the past, you allow yourself to be fully alive in the moment…if you live in a past dream, you don’t enjoy what is happening right now, because you will always wish it to be different than it is.  There is no time to miss anyone or anything because you are alive.  Not enjoying what is happening right now is living in the past and being only half alive.  This leads to self-pity, suffering and tears.”

Practice makes the master.  Ruiz reminds us that we didn’t learn to speak, read, write or ride a bike right out of the box.  We had to practice, practice, practice!  And not judge ourselves when we fall.  If we break one of the Agreements, we tell ourselves OK, we’ll start over again tomorrow and try again.  It will be challenging at first, but as we practice we will get better and better at honoring all four.  Stay in the moment and do not worry about the future.

See why this book is going to be a perma-fixture on my bedside table for awhile?  It’s powerful stuff.  Life transforming.

After reading this book I now feel like I have a new, freshly-sharpened set of tools ready to make 2012 an even better year than this one was!  

Today is December 26, 2011.  It’s the beginning of A New Dream.      

Beat the Bridge…Beaten

15 Sunday May 2011

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Ah, bridges.

How much we depend upon our beloved bridges around here in the beautiful Puget Sound region.  Pulsing arteries jampacked with cars, buses, bikes – and painfully clogged during those peak commuter hours.  We’ve got so much natural gorgeousness around us…lakes, the Sound (salt water), rivers, mountains – all within a short drive for most of us.  Meaning, you can’t go far without eventually running into one of those.

Today was the annual Beat the Bridge run/walk to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  The jewelry line I represent, Silpada Designs, has JDRF as its charity of choice.  One of the girls on our local team here had a wonderful idea for us to do Beat the Bridge and pledge to donate the commission from one of our jewelry parties as part of our fundraising!  What a great idea! With 10 of us participating and an average party commission at around $300 (yes, it’s true) we were excited to set our team goal at $3000!  Which bridge you may wonder?  The University Bridge, not far from the U of W campus where the race starts and finishes. 

This was planned back in February. And yes, we had the best of intentions.  However, the Universe had other intentions, which I discovered around 6am this morning.  

Bottom line, we didn’t go.  Damn that pouring rain already!

I knew that I’d be walking most if not all of this 8K – and most of the other girls were planning to as well.  Back in February I figured this would be a great way to kickstart getting back in shape for this summer’s 5Ks by restarting the Couch to 5K plan I’ve written about in here occasionally over the past year.  It’s an 8-week running and walking program – just 3 times a week – that gets you ready to run a 5K when you’re done.  And yes, it works!

But illness and stress earlier this year really sapped my energy and my poor lungs.  I had a bad cold and cough for about two months – it just wouldn’t go away.  It was all I could do to eeek out a game of hockey, much less hit the treadmill or go outside in our (cold, shitty) winter weather.  Soggy, soggy soggy.

Nevertheless, I was ready to get out of bed super early and drive to the freeway bus stop where my carpool was going to scoop me up this morning on the way into Seattle.

But let me back up to Saturday for a minute…a glorious, sensuous, warm and sunny day – the kind of day we’ve been starving for here all spring.  Spring so far this year has been a repeat of our rain-soaked, chilly winter sans the snow.  I had a few things planned for Saturday but decided to squeeze in another mini-adventure when it dawned on me that I really should verify I know how to get to the freeway bus stop where my carpool was going to pick me up.  I had an idea in my mind of how to get there, but realized it had been – gasp – nearly 10 years since I’d ventured to that bus stop with a friend.  I’d better go drive over and check it out!  And it was a beautiful day – a perfect excuse to open the sun roof and get some vitamin D the natural way, crank some music and just drive.

So what’s the big deal about this bus stop?  Well, it’s perched literally at land’s end before the freeway turns into one of our two floating bridges that connect Seattle with the suburbs.  These bridges were built decades ago and at the time were very state of the art given they ‘float.’  Lake Washington was determined too deep to do any sort of structural building underneath, hence the floating design.  And I’ll keep it to that because I’m no expert in structural engineering.

Now, there is an oddly creepy-looking pedestrian bridge over the freeway on the east side of the lake, which is how my friend P and I last got to that bus stop nearly a decade ago.  P and I have fallen out of contact and I’d forgotten where we had parked to walk across that bridge, hence my sunny journey in the car yesterday.

Boy am I glad I checked it all out.  There are major projects underway to build a second portion of this particular floating bridge to help with congestion…and, as I soon found out, plans to remove that pedestrian bridge!  Yep, once I figured out where to park and found the foot trail that was supposed to get me to the pedestrian overpass it was all blocked off.  Wow.

So it was a neon yellow vinyl fence that stopped me from my foot journey over the freeway.  And I was not one to rebel and climb through.  Who knows – it might not be structurally sound any longer.  Actually that’s not a good feeling since thousands of cars drive under it every day, but anyway I wasn’t going to chance it.

But I looked across the freeway and could see people waiting at that elusive bus stop.  How the hell did they get over there?  There was no parking lot near it at all – just a carved out covered area in a small, grassy hillside to stand or sit. 

As I started to get a little frustrated (NOW what?) I paused for a moment and just drank in everything around me.  I’m standing on a dirt trail in beautiful sunshine.  I’m mere steps from incredibly ritzy homes (in the ‘high rent district’ neighborhood around here called Medina).  And I’m also mere steps from, well, a 20 foot drop down to a roaring river freeway, with the hillside below covered in tangled, dirty weeds from decades of car exhaust.  How rare is it we stand still so close to a freeway like this?  Thankfully my time roadside has been those rare occasions when I’ve been in a fender-bender or have a flat tire.  It’s just astonishing watching and hearing the amount of cars whizzing by every second and being so close perched at the angle above it on the foot trail.  I think back on how many thousands of times in my life I have gone back and forth over that bridge.  As a child in the back seat of my parents’ old station wagon.  On my own as a teen and a freshly-minted drivers license in an orange 1970 Volvo (LOVED that car, wow). And countless times as an adult.

I jumped back in my car and drove back to the main road.  Aha!  I found a small, gravelly parking lot for bus commuters.  The trick was to park there and walk over the main road that goes over the freeway, not the pedestrian bridge.  Then, jump onto the trail on the bus stop side and voila – you’re there!  Wow, cryptic.  Believe me I tried searching online for maps long before I got in the car.  Anyway, a little resourcefulness pays off.

I walked over the freeway, again in awe of the cars whooshing by below me.  And looked to the west toward our beautiful, shining Lake Washington and the Olympic Mountains a little hazy along the horizon.  This is our back yard.  And how awesome it was to take it in on foot rather than as a stressed out commuter.  As I stepped onto the foot trail down to the bus stop I ran into a very nice lady out walking her dog.  She was disappointed that the pedestrian bridge was now closed off – she sounded like she walked over it fairly often so this might have been a really recent closure.

After my bridge and freeway adventure I drove over to my friend M’s house.  Back in the car, I laughed to myself and thought WOW, I am SO GLAD I did all that foot trail and bus stop homework a day ahead of time.  I am a terrible morning person and I would have been a total zombie case trying to figure it out that morning, worrying my carpool would be held up. 

After a quick visit with M (she is going to host a jewelry party in combination with her new office opening and we’re so excited!), I headed back home, grabbed a bottle of pinot grigio and walked up to my neighbor A’s house.  We’re getting in a groove of watching any of The Real Housewives series (on Bravo) that she has in her Tivo a couple of times a month.  Sadly I have not yet made the switch to flat screen TV but that’s another post.  If any of you follow the New York housewives, you’ll understand the pinot grigio (it’s the signature drink of one of the cast). 

So after getting caught up with A and laughing our asses off at fabulous trainwreck TV, I headed home to carbo load with some penne and pesto and forced myself to bed early.  I knew I had to leave the house around 6am to get to that good ol’ bus stop for my carpool.

And, it started to rain.  What a huge contrast from the tease of sunny spring we had earlier in the day.  I kept optimistic – the weather forcecast for Sunday was a ‘chance of showers.’  Actually, around here you could use that forecast every day and be pretty accurate.

I was tired this morning.  But I got out of bed, got dressed in my walking/running gear and after scaring myself looking in the mirror I dabbed on a small bit of foundation (my face is naturally ruddy so anything to tone it down helps) and a little flick of mascara for those tired eyes.  Keys, hat, sunglasses (I’m eternally optimistic plus sensitive to glare)…and…phone.

Wow.  My phone had blown up with tons of voicemail and texts last night after I’d forced myself to go to bed early, but I didn’t see any of it until early this morning.  I keep my phone downstairs at night because I don’t feel a need to have it with me 24/7.  

When I saw how my carpool driver plus a ton of others in the group were going to cancel, the wind went out of my sails.  Just poof and pffffttt.  Why cancel?  Rain. Yep, it was still raining hard this morning and even still is now in the early afternoon.

So I was a sheep and I bailed too.  I felt a little dejected because I was looking forward to trying this race for the first time with friends, but I have to know that it just wasn’t meant to be.  And I won’t dig too deep for the reason right now.

‘Cause I’m tired.    

Changes Dunked in Silver

01 Sunday May 2011

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May already??  Wow. 

Well, it was quite a week.  And how could we not recap a week without a big nod to the Royal Wedding – ?  C’mon, even the most anti out there saw a few clips of it or at least the pictures?  And maybe even cracked a smile?  It was breathtaking.  Not so breathtaking for me to feel like getting up at 3am to watch it live, but I do know of a few ladies who did get up early and have a pajama party – with their best HATS on.  Love it!  And pass the tea and scones, please, darling.

So, changes.  Changes are good – good to refresh, re-analyze and re-group.  My work assignment is getting a brief extension at least into the summer – possibly into the fall – but that still has not hashed out.  Good Lord have I been back at work nearly a year?  Yes indeed.  All of that stress and anguish I went through prior to landing this gig won’t soon be forgotten.  So nice to have it far in the rear view mirror.  But with a few scars…and that’s OK.

Two of my closest co-workers wrapped up their assignments this week and are moving on.  One won’t be going too far it turns out, as she’ll be joining kind of a ‘cousin’ team of ours, but I’ll miss her ‘partner in crime’ that she’s been this past year.  Another is required to take about 3 months off – that’s the rules with some kinds of contingent workers – and she is hoping to return and pick up where she left off.

I’m happy for them both but admittedly a little sad.  But moreso I have a shitload of hilarious memories.  Things that may have sucked before but are now funny. 

I capped off the workweek with a wonderful dinner with my dear friend L at Brix, a wine bar a short drive from my house.  She’s a part of that circle of friends I get together with a few times a year – we’re all about the same age and went to elementary school together.  Unwinding over a nice pinot gris and to die for risotto was heavenly.  L and I can just smile at eachother and ‘know’ what we’re each thinking.  Oodles of memories over some 35 years.  

And the silver, silver, silver flows and flows.  I’m taking a few extra steps in my Silpada business by doing a sort of correspondence course with a coach at the corporate offices.  She sends me ‘homework’ each week for 4 weeks and I send it back at the end of the week.  She sends me feedback, the next week’s ‘homework,’ and we also chat on the phone during the week too.

Ugh.  I know myself pretty well and am realizing where I’m doing well in promoting my business and where I suck monkey butt.  I have a party next weekend that I’m SUPER excited about.  And one night I met up with a good friend I hadn’t seen in quite awhile for dinner and half priced bottles of wine.  She asked about the jewelry I was wearing, I let her road test a few pieces during dinner, and voila – that evening I had a very nice order from her!  So I feel comfortable when people approach me with questions or compliments.  I’ve been complimented on my jewelry from random strangers in the grocery store to the cashier in one of our work cafeterias.  You can bet I never go anywhere without my jewelry on and a handful of business cards.  Yes, I’m learning the nuts and bolts of direct selling.  It’s all about connections, people!  The woman who is hosting my party next week noticed my jewelry at work and it just flowed from there.  You never know!

But I hate picking up the damn phone.  It’s no problem for me when I’m doing follow up calls to make sure people are happy with their jewelry and to answer any other questions, but just making outbound calls to people I know to talk about what I’m doing and to ask if they’d like to host parties.  Well, ew.  I am so not a sales person, and frankly, when I get home from work I am tired and the last thing I feel like doing is picking up the phone.  I feel like I’m intruding on people’s dinner time or other quality time with family.  And you know I don’t mean to be whiney in here because I DO love what I’m doing as a side business, but that’s the area I need to really work on.

And it suddenly dawned on me why.

Email!  Texting!  Facebook!  So much of my immediate circle communication is through non-phone, social media methods!  Aha!  Is that something unique to me?  Or to this part of the country?  I have beautiful snail mail postcards in my supplies which are used to send out reminders about parties.  I don’t know about any of you, but around here we stick with Evite.  Is it because it’s ‘green’?  Or technological?  It’s SO much easier to set up parties and have reminders sent automatically via email.  

So these are some fun self-discovery things…part of the reason I chose to start this business was to get out of my comfort zone and do something I’d never done before.  Same as my plunge into hockey back in 2003.

I’ll be speaking during part of our monthly team meeting this week and I’m really honored to be asked. It’s very informal – just sharing the tips I’ve learned from this 4-week course I’m doing on my own – but I really appreciate the chance to participate more in our meetings.  ‘Cause they’re super fun!!

And now it’s time to head to the bank and run other fun errands.  Got a shiny new Silpada license plate frame on my car – let’s see what happens!