Dear Laura.

*** I wrote this 4 months ago and never posted. Hmm…must’ve been busy. Anyway I think it’s still pretty true – so here you go.

I so appreciate all the lovely feedback I received from my last blog post. I’ve even read and referenced it myself a couple of times since I posted it. Anyway lately I’ve been feeling a bit lost, personally that is, with what my new status means. As I mentioned in GRAY, the feeling of Who am I? What have I become? still lingers a bit at 3.5 months in. I’ve gone back to work and feel torn between the adult interaction I so desperately need and the idea of being there for every moment of Stella’s formative years. I don’t want her to prefer anyone else to me but need a break. I feel inspired at work but cry each morning when I leave. Life has become one big dichotomy.

In addition to that, Ralph and I were super social. We live in a Peter Pan-esque community that truly lives by the credo you’re only as old as you think you are; which is fantastic when you have no responsibilities but a bit difficult when you move to Baby-ville. Is it me or does everyone appear to be on their way to a party we didn’t get invited to?? The social transition from pre-baby to baby is shocking. Let’s talk truths here. You don’t know until you know and when you do, a small part of you wants to hide under the bed until your child becomes a little less thankless. Is it blow hardy to discuss this? Is it pointless to want to understand the transition? As the days post partum turn to weeks and the weeks turn to months, the other side; (AKA your former life) seems a distant memory as the “new normal” settles in and starts to feel comfortable. How do you socialize with a baby? How do you go out to dinner? Have people over? Travel? Exercise? or do anything that bears a small semblance to life before. Truth is you manage and figure it out as you go. What’s the worst that can happen? Really ask yourself that and mean it. The answer is nothing. If she cries, she’s being a baby and people understand.

Now that I loosely have a small footing on this motherhood adventure, I keep thinking to myself, what would you say to you, if you could go back for a day before Stella came?

Luella Says… remember how lucky you are.

Dear Laura,

When you look in the mirror you’re not going to love what you see. You just had a baby and major surgery, the scar will be there forever but the excess weight and bloat will not. Breastfeeding burns 800 calories but don’t give yourself a license to eat whatever you want. Stay focused on your green & clean living tenets and exercise as much as you can. You gave up your gym membership for the time being and running with her in the stroller, walking up hills, sit ups, even bouncing her will give you a little bit back.

You’re going to feel bored sometimes, feel as if you’re clock watching to get to the time Ralph comes home or help arrives; it’s ok and totally normal. To be fair, you’ll also relish in the moments with her that are small but intensely perfect. Like when she finally falls asleep on your shoulder after many attempts to get her to stop crying or at night, (yes 2,3,4,5 am) when she’s finished nursing; the house is dark and quiet and all the people who matter most are off in dreamland and you get to take a moment to be grateful. It really does get better and easier every day and you’ll surprise yourself with how natural it comes to you and the want to be good at it more than anything else.

People will show how important they are to you. Meaning – wait to put anyone on a VIP list until they’ve helped/been there/proven they want to be. You’re going to be alone a bit more often but it’s ok and temporary. Your marriage will shift a bit as the focus becomes solely on your new creation but you’ll adapt and steal moments together more often as time goes on. You will become a Stella pro fairly soon and eventually regain a small part of who you used to be. Best part is, that coupled with MOM is a pretty fierce combination. Cue the Star Spangled Banner as it plays at your medal ceremony for winning the gold in multi-tasking.

In closing, be excited. It’s the hardest, most amazing, hysterical, crazy, lovely, scary and profound experience you will ever have. You have been gifted with this little being, so head up, stay the course and know you’re going to choose wrong sometimes. Carpe Diem – seize EVERY day.

Love, me.

Related articles

• Advice for New Moms – Don’t worry, I was scared of my baby, too (babble.com)
• Breastfeeding Wasn’t So Important to Me – … until I had to pump exclusively (babble.com)

Where There is Darkness, There is Light.

Have you ever wanted to stop time and literally spend an entire day in just one moment? Soaking it in, reveling and trying to imprint the details in your life memory bank forever? I have and its been happening a lot lately.

I equate it to getting older, being more aware of mortality, aging, being in love, experiencing loss and learning hard truths and realizing how quickly things can change.I have never been good with change but always seem to be in a constant state of it. Life just simply goes by too fast. There is no formula, surgery, potion or elixir that can change that.

As Chris Pureka says, Time is the Anchor, Change is a Constant.I had an entirely different post planned about fashion and my beloved Green Bay Packers but that will need to wait a day. I awoke this morning to the news that a close friend’s mother and a singer songwriter we love and follow are both facing one of life’s hardest realities; cancer.

I was struck with their honesty and perspective so much so that I felt compelled to share it with you. Here they are, two different people, two different versions their paths anonymously connected by unfortunate news and the courage to carry on.

As we all know, Cancer doesn’t care. It sees no color, gender, age, race or sexual orientation. It is undiscriminating, taxing and incredibly selfish. It is a real life monster under the bed HOWEVER, in the grandest sense possible, there is always hope. Hope breeds positivity and lightness and I think reaches far deeper than any treatment or remedy.The power of positive thinking, love and tenacity goes a long way. As my friend Heather eloquently said 4 years ago when she received her diagnosis, “I am going to kick cancer’s ass, it has messed with the wrong girl.” As we speak, she is pregnant and healthy.I consider this news a reminder of what is important. A re-balancing of my life’s priorities and focus. A necessary nudge to reach out, educate myself and be a lending ear and shoulder for those in my life who might need some extra support.

Read the brave words and perspectives of the affected who have now become warriors in their fight back to healthy.

Luella says…C Stands for Change and Courage.

Our close friend Sandra said,

“My family is about to embark on a challenging journey. It will be up to each person to transform the situation into an opportunity for faith, hope, and happiness. My mom’s cancer is back. It’s in her liver and lungs. Wanted to share this early before it became too overwhelming to share.”

Doris Muramatsu of GIRLY MAN writes,

“One image that keeps circling my mind is of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s an 823 ft hill in the middle of the city, climbable from almost any direction. The views up top are breathtaking, you feel otherworldly and closer to God. It was climbing this hill back in October 2010 when I knew something in me had shifted. I was no longer a healthy person. Perhaps it was the moment when my chromosomes decided to mutate; I’d like to think they’d pick a transcendent experience such as this hike to do so rather than during one of my more earthly chores such as brushing my teeth.  Of course, I don’t even think I was conscious of this shift. All I knew was that my legs felt like cement blocks and my breath huffed double time with every step I took. I had to stop every 2 minutes or so to regain my breath and couldn’t understand why or how so many people could just amble up the hill with such ease. But the sun, making a rare appearance, shone down on JJ and me, and the highland grass shimmered. Something was beckoning me to keep moving forward because to stop would admit defeat. Sure, my legs and ankles swelled daily for seemingly no reason, and sure I was dangerously short of breath. But I couldn’t admit defeat yet.

I finally made it to the top and rejoiced. I felt proud of myself and thoughts of being sick were set aside for one more day. I wouldn’t have been able to do this if I were really sick. In retrospect, I can hardly believe that I returned from the UK and immediately played shows in Atlanta and Birmingham, then the next weekend in North Carolina and South Carolina. Then I somehow managed to do a grueling 2 and half week tour in the Northeast, playing a show almost every night and teaching a harmony workshop. And every day I was zonked out in the van, barely able to lift my head, barely able to eat. I’d garner my strength for the show and give my all during those 90 minutes, (though I coughed through a good portion of it) but I felt scarily disconnected from my body. My midriff looked foreign to me, like I was in one of those books where you can flip the top, middle, and bottom portions and create the policeman wearing a pink tutu with ostrich feet. I was the Asian girl with E.T.’s belly wearing tights and cool Fluevogs. I stopped looking at myself in the mirror.

It made me think about what I would want to hear if I were about to make my transition: (for my own sanity, I like to think of death as a gateway into more life, just in a different form) the good memories, fun times, the love and laughter. Because doesn’t it all boil down to the love we share, what we give to each other and what we take in, and being able to see each other through the eyes of Source? (or God if you want to call it that?) That’s the one big thing that I realized the day I was going to receive my diagnosis in that hospital in Jersey. I was freaking out, shaking violently underneath that swath of hospital gown. And underlying that fear was the profound certainty that I wasn’t done with my life–I still wanted more. I realized that music was my absolute calling and how lucky I was to have found Ty, Nate, and JJ. How lucky we were to be able to create together. As I focused on each of them, and then on my parents and my other dearest friends, tears of joy streamed down my face. In that moment, I basically experienced the opposite of fear: love. It instantly lifted me to the grandest, most comforting space I have ever been simply because I was allowing myself to bask in its eternal truth. I was one with the Universe. (I hope I don’t sound crazy!) My mood completely transformed, and I think I even glowed because I was vibrating on such a high level.

Five people in white coats came in just then to give me my diagnosis. (It was the oncologist, the resident, and 3 medical students–I was quite the teaching example.) I shone in a state of grace and acceptance. I was ready.”

Just click here to follow her story on her blog.

Nothing else to say really. Be aware of life’s highs and lows, either way keep learning from your experiences.

Be a work in progress.

Related Articles

• Cancer breakthrough — or nightmare? (cnn.com)
• Love yourself (osocio.org)
• United in Hope (everydayhealth.com)

What’s Up Doc?

I am getting back to reality after a two-week holiday stint spent relaxing with my husband, watching movies, eating and drinking with friends and sleeping longer than usual.

I am sure you all indulged in your own version of that as well. To that, I say cheers and well done!Well good morning 2011, now it is time to get back into the swing of things and start anew. Whatever that means, right?

I realize I have been straying away from fashion posts but I go with what I feel and lately I have been digging a bit deeper and looking outside of the “what to wear” scope. (Hope you don’t mind) I promise there is more fashion on the horizon.Anyway, as with most things in my life, I lean toward the uncontrived and what is more organic and real than documentaries? They evoke real emotions and shed light on people, places and events that otherwise would remain unknown.

I consider myself a connoisseur of the arts in general, (if you haven’t already picked up on that) and think these should land in your “What to Watch” queue for the cold and sometimes listless month of January.

Luella says…Document Everything.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

“This is the inside story of Street Art – a brutal and revealing account of what happens when fame, money and vandalism collide. Exit Through the Gift Shop follows an eccentric shop-keeper turned amateur film-maker as he attempts to capture many of the world’s most infamous vandals on camera, only to have a British stencil artist named Banksy turn the camcorder back on its owner with wildly unexpected results.”

Surfwise

According to the NEW YORK TIMES, “There are many different ways to drop off the grid, but few dropped off with such style and urgency as Dorian Paskowitz, the paterfamilias of what is lovingly and at times enviably described as the first family of surfing. It was an intensity in part born of his passionately felt engagement with history as a Jew, which took him from Stanford Medical School in the 1940s to button-down respectability in the 1950s and, thereafter, on the road and into the blue yonder with a devoted wife, nine children, a succession of battered campers and the surfboards that were by turns the family’s cradles, playpens, lifelines and shields.”

 

Funky Monks

One reviewer writes, “this independent production in living black & white was shot of the Red Hot Chili Peppers as they became “Funky Monks” with producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin and retreated to a virtual monastery of an empty house in the hills above L.A. to record their greatest musical achievement ever, 1991′s “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”.

The personality of L.A. is every bit as much the star of this film as is the personalities of the Chili Peppers themselves. The feel of the town is everywhere, from the record offices where the executives explain the concept behind the recording taking place in the fashion it did to the locations where Anthony is interviewed regarding the lyrics of “Under The Bridge” to the wrap party that is held at the house once the recording has been completed…the soul of Los Angeles (such as it is) and the symbiotic association it has with the band are factors that set this filmed “making of” documentary a step above all the others; there is much more than four guys in a studio and a producer in a booth…it is an encapsulation of a city and its most identifiable band, frozen in time forever.”

Helvetica

Gary Huswit says, “Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.”

So watch the above documentaries and let me know what you think. We found them profound in their own subjects.

There is also something very appealing to have the opportunity to see things for myself, a peek behind the curtain if you will. What would your life’s documentary be about?

Related Articles

• Waiting For Superman, Inside Job, Exit Through The Gift Shop Make Oscar Doc Shortlist (cinemablend.com)
• Unsung Heroes: The Editing of Exit Through the Gift Shop (filmexperience.blogspot.com)
• “Can We Talk?” The Documentary SnubFest… I Mean Shortlist. (filmexperience.blogspot.com)

Clean Your Slate.

So I write this blog feeling all over the place. For me, 2010 literally personified the beginning of Charles Dicken’s epic novel, A Tale of Two Cities.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way–”On one hand, I finally got to marry my dream man after 4 years of living with and loving him. Our wedding was a perfect party and I had the best time. I am a Willison now and I feel ready to start the new chapter in my life of family, babies and selflessness.On the other hand, I left my dream job of 8 years with a disappointed heart and fractured loyalty and spent the last couple of months searching for professional meaning. At 31, I felt average and as much as I told myself better things were to come, I couldn’t quite absorb and believe it.One doesn’t want to think their job defines them but when you find yourself idle you realize in some respects it did. Having had time to reflect on where I was, who I had become and what I had to offer was humbling and difficult.

Again like Dickens wrote though, it was necessary and inspiring. When a forest burns down to the ground, new life springs forth. Ideas, creativity, dedication, passion and growth are now ignited and re-aligned. Change is good even though change is hard.As the clock hits midnight, I will not only be starting a new year but also a new job and feel blessed to have the opportunity.

For those of you who may find yourself in a similar situation remember your “double rainbow” (sorry had to) is coming but you have to fight for it. Persistence is your final answer.

Luella says…New Year, New You.

Below are some inspiring words and songs for new beginnings that inspired me during my difficult moments.

There is no place to go but up. Keep on trying and always, always, always believe in yourself.

F***IN PERFECT by Pink

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language

And next year’s words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning.”- T.S. Eliot

RADIOACTIVE by Kings of Leon

Entrance

By Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by Dana Gioia)

Whoever you are, step out of doors tonight,

out of the room that lets you feel secure.

Infinity is open to your sight. Whoever you are.

With eyes that have forgotten how to see from viewing things already too well-known,

lift up into the dark a huge, black tree and put it in the heavens: tall, alone.

And you have made the world and all you see. It ripens like the words still in your mouth.

And when at last you comprehend its truth, then close your eyes and gently set it free.

JAR OF HEARTS by Christina Perri

A New Start

by Bernard Shaw

I have wiped the slate clean,
No more reminders from the past.
Memories of what I have been,
Have vanished at long last.

I look forward to my future new,
Where all is territory strange.
Soon I will be among the few,
That plans their life at long range.

I see my life laid out at my feet,
New friends shall rally at my call.
They will be the first I will greet,
At this my welcoming ball.

Soon all memories will depart,
Of a past left well behind.
I will get off to a new start,
With the best of mankind.

Eminem I’M GOING THROUGH CHANGES

New Beginning

By Tracy Chapman

The whole world’s broke and it ain’t worth fixing
It’s time to start all over, make a new beginning
There’s too much pain, too much suffering
Let’s resolve to start all over make a new beginning

Now don’t get me wrong I love life and living
But when you wake up and look around at everything that’s going down
All wrong
You see we need to change it now, this world with too few happy endings
We can resolve to start all over make a new beginning

The world is broken into fragments and pieces
That once were joined together in a unified whole
But now too many stand alone There’s too much separation
We can resolve to come together in the new beginning

We can break the cycle – We can break the chain
We can start all over – In the new beginning
We can learn, we can teach
We can share the myths the dream the prayer
The notion that we can do better
Change our lives and paths
Create a new world

The whole world’s broke and it ain’t worth fixing
It’s time to start all over, make a new beginning
There’s too much fighting, too little understanding
It’s time to stop and start all over
Make a new beginning

We need to make new symbols
Make new signs
Make a new language
With these we’ll define the world

Teeth by Lady Gaga

I think this cover of The Climb is stunning. I realize my street cred meter just broke but the words are pertinent and when I was running and feeling ugh it made me want to keep going and prove the world wrong.

THE CLIMB by Kelly Clarkson with Jill and Kate (her backup singers).

This blog has been a huge salvation for me during my recent transition period. I loved every minute of creating blog posts and intend to keep on posting in the same manner as always.

After all and  in appropriate fashion, this is just the beginning of Luella says.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Related Articles

• Blank slate. (levite.wordpress.com)
• “Out with the old. In with the new” (scottpaterson.org)

Go There.

I am not an artist. I just don’t have the talent. I wish I could look at a blank canvas and know exactly what to draw or where to go with my vision but such is not to be.

I was born a consultant of sorts. Meaning I can tell you what works and what doesn’t but I can’t create it myself. My skill set is much more in the performing arts spectrum rather than the artistry of paint, pencil and ink to canvas.I have always admired the art world though with its chic gallery shows and pedestrians lining up to be blown away by the abstracts, paintings and works of their favorite artists.

I used to think one had to possess a certain “eye” for understanding but as of late I realize it is what you make it. If you allow yourself to go there, things tend to take on a whole new meaning.Such was the case when I was doing research for a project and stumbled across the art works of Pierre Soulages.

He was born in 1919 and according to Claire Rosemberg of The Telegraph, is famously known for switching direction halfway through his career to emphasise how light is reflected from the colour black – a concept he calls “ultra black”, or outrenoir. Using thick layers of black paint, he scrapes and digs and etches using bits of rubber, spoons or tiny rakes to create smooth and rough textures that absorb or reject light, subtly changing monotonous black.He recently hosted his own gallery show, at Le Centre de Georges Pompidou in Paris in 2009 and at age 91, is still living and working in a flat in the South of France that overlooks the Mediterranean.(Pierre Soulage’s shadow painted by Klaus Guingand 2005)

When interviewed for his gallery show last year, Pierre said, “It is touching to see 63 years of my work brought together, but I don’t much like the word ‘retrospective’,” he added. “I am still painting, I have works drying in the studio.”

At 91, is that a testament to spending one’s life living out their dreams instead of waiting to pursue them? Perhaps.

Luella says…Dig a Little Deeper.

(all photos sourced from Pierre-Soulages.com)

I love his work. I would never have found him had I not been a bit idle.

Moral of this story, is to take a little more time out for yourself. Stop and absorb your surroundings, breathe, be present and notice the details.

Give that to yourself this Christmas.

Related Articles

• A year of astounding art discoveries (telegraph.co.uk)
• Arman Show in Paris Puts Spotlight on Everyday Objects (intransit.blogs.nytimes.com)
• La Roche House in France by Archiplein (design-milk.com)

Closet Construction.

Making a list for Christmas is really no different from what I go through every season when Fashion Week rears its gorgeous head.

I delightfully go to Style.com and watch the slide show images of each designer I covet and make mental and yes literal notes of what I would choose and fill my closet with.

A girl can dream right?On a side note, for this Holiday season if your budget is tight, find things you would love to buy for your loved ones and wrap them as promises for when times are not as tough. The thoughtfulness is the same whether it is physically there or not and it gives you a goal and the receiver something to look forward to.

Christmas in (fill in the month) perhaps?

Back to the point, I am compiling a style collage for my work with Kimberly Ovitz, an amazing designer that if you don’t know you need to and thus began my “LOVE list” for the Ready-to-Wear Spring 2011 collections.

If money were no object, I would construct a closet and fill it with these styles and then add to it for each new season from now till forever.

(Like KOD on Facebook)

So while I sit here staring out the window at a very dreary and cold day, my thoughts go to Springtime when the world warms up and our closets turn over and welcome back some color.

This is a list of my favorite styles coming hopefully to a boutique near you for Spring 2011. (February/March delivery.) Remember these choices are not necessarily my favorite designers but merely my Musts & Loves.

Luella says…Runway to Reality?

(all photos SOURCED from: www.style.com)

Designer: Vionnet

Designer: Miu Miu

Designer: Chloe

Designer: Rag & Bone

Designer: Ports 1961

Designer: Marchesa

Designer: YSL

Designer: Lanvin

Designer: Jill Stuart

Designer: Alberta Ferretti

Designer: Willow

Designer: Kimberly Ovitz

Designer: Preen

Designer: Diane Von Furstenberg

Designer: Alexander Wang

Designer: Donna Karan

Designer: Collette Dinnigan

Designer: Phillip Lim

Which style is your favorite? What personal projects do you love to do during the year?

I actually would love to know what you think , so VOTE in the comments section below.

Related Articles

• Japanese Vogue editor: fashion rogue (guardian.co.uk)
• Yigal Azrouël Is Paris Bound (style.com)
• Fashion is Never Bottomless (vivanista.com)

IndepenDANCE.

Sometimes I feel like I’ve lived two totally separate lives. I am sure a lot of people feel that way who venture out of their home towns and settle in elsewhere.

I still have a core group of friends whom I have known since grade school and actually was introduced to my California born and raised husband by one of them but that is a story for another day.

My point is what many who know me now, don’t know, is I was a dancer my entire life. I started ballet when I was 4, dabbled in gymnastics and ended up at a studio at the age of 9 and stayed dancing there till I was 18. We did everything. Ballet was the foundation (as it should be) but we learned Tap, Contemporary, Modern, Broadway, Hip-Hop & Jazz. In retrospect, we were quite progressive.

(Source: Tamsin Flickr & RisaCandy.tumblr.com)

When I was 11, I made the company and traveled around the country performing and competing in various cities. We stayed in hotels and I lived with the same three girls in my room each trip for 6 years. Our company as a whole was extremely close. We were innocent, spastic, creative, supportive and built such a deep bond that it is actually hard to articulate with words. We don’t see each other as much obviously but when or if we do meet up, it is as if no time has passed.

I am so grateful to my parents who supported my passion both monetarily and emotionally. They never once were put out by the costumes, shoes, lessons, airline tickets, hotel accommodations, etc etc.

I would even argue their support of my independence through dance allowed me to garner the tools necessary to branch out for college and life after graduation. It helped solidify my sense of dreaming and living big.Our company, for being from a small town in Wisconsin, was and is for that matter, kind of a big deal. Our teacher was asked to tour as a choreographer on the same circuit as Stephen Boyd, Densil Adams, Frank Hatchett and Mia Michaels who we were privileged enough to take classes from.

Some unbelievable dancers came from AOD and I am proud to say some have even gone on to open their own dance companies. Namely All About Dance in Chicago, Virtuoso Performing Arts in Glenview, IL & Bound Contemporary Dance in San Diego. One alumni is a member of the Sonya Tayeh Dance Company, has danced with Wade Robson, in Cirque du Soleil BELIEVE and is currently dancing in New York at Radio City Music Hall.

(Martha Graham dancing Satyric Festival Song in 1935. Photo by Barbara Morgan, American, 1900-1992)

When I hear certain music or watch choreography it brings me right back to all those moments spent in the dance studio. Once a dancer, always a dancer. I suppose that is true for any artisan or athlete.

If anyone with young children is looking for an outlet, enroll them in dance class. It was the best thing my parents ever did for me.

Luella says…Make it a Movie Night.

All of this was inspired by the new movie BLACK SWAN that is coming out today starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. It looks amazing and I can’t wait to see it.

IMDB says, “Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side – a recklessness that threatens to destroy her. Written by Fox Searchlight Pictures“

(CLICK TO WATCH THE TRAILER)

If you go and see it you MUST let me know what you think.

What hobbies were you passionate about growing up?

What did you fill your spare time doing?

Related Articles

• Great New International Trailer for BLACK SWAN (geektyrant.com)
• True Story: I Was An Anorexic Ballerina (crushable.com)
• The Nutcracker Chronicles: Following the Dancers From Room to Room (artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Contemporary dance festival kicks off in Moscow (rt.com)

Back to Life. Back to Reality.

I am on a plane making my way back to Los Angeles after a much-needed escape back home to the Midwest for Thanksgiving. I leave feeling full; literally and figuratively. Full from the massive amounts of food & drink I consumed but also filled with a hearty dose of family and friends.

Our roots are what shape us and help us become who and what we are. Mine start in Wisconsin and  a part of me will always remain where I began.For me, the holidays provide an excuse to eat what I want, have an extra (or three) glasses of wine, laugh, relax and ultimately let my guard down. I realize this is not the case for everyone as families come in all sorts and sizes. My remedy is to focus on the best moments and live in those memories.

As I sit here in turbulence, over the great Western Plains, I realize my transition back into reality today is also a bit choppy.

Maybe it is just the Monday blues or a post-holiday melancholy….either way, I need a little help to restart my reality after the holiday break. 

Luella says…Pass the Cream and Inspiration.

These images provided a respite for me on this hard day back to the grind. I am going to make a considerate effort to find more of these in my every day life.

How do you remedy a moody Monday? I am open for any and all suggestions.

Related Articles

• What Top Ten List Would You Make? (learning.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Alone for Thanksgiving, Alone for Christmas (psychcentral.com)
• Healthy Hollywood: Fab Food Friday – 10 Tips To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain! (omg.yahoo.com)

Be Present.

 

I love Thanksgiving. I might even argue it is my favorite holiday. I love Christmas too but there is something less complicated about Thanksgiving time. With no need for presents, it becomes a holiday based around time being spent together.

It truly combines all my favorite things to do. Celebrate with family and friends, eat a delicious home cooked meal, drink fantastic wine, visit with old friends I haven’t seen since last year at this time, play games, stay up late, not worry about work, the list goes on and on.Lately time seems to be flying by. I find myself grasping and holding onto moments in an attempt to control and slow it down. It has proven to be fruitless and I realize the older you get the faster it goes.

My only recompense is to enjoy each and every day. Be present and thankful even when that seems impossible.

Thanksgiving is a perfect reminder of this. Let’s all take advantage of it.

Below are some beautiful Thanksgiving home accents and table decorations. I hope they will inspire you to enjoy decorating before the guests arrive and then relish the time you spend with whomever is coming over to celebrate.

I am thankful for many things this year and am going to make a list and refocus on what I do have instead of concentrating on what is missing. I suggest you do the same.

Luella says…Make a “Thankful” List and Check it Twice.

 I hope your Thanksgiving holiday is exactly as you wish it to be. It might not be as perfect as the accents above are but that is half the charm.

As Dave Matthews sings, “Eat, Drink and be Merry.” (feel free to insert a lot after any of those) 

Related Articles

• Thanksgiving Confessions of an Ornery Atheist (new.exchristian.net)
• Giving Thanks (skeltzer.wordpress.com)
• The True Meaning of Giving Thanks (allhome-improve.com)

I Pledge to Read the Written Word.

 

I love books. I hate the Kindle. I am sorry my husband is going to kill me for saying that but I simply won’t get on board. I love technology and embrace advancement but I can’t give up on the treasure of a real book.

 

Every Summer my Mother used to challenge my sister and I to see who could finish the most books. Unlike sports, Nintendo or Science; this I won every time. (Sorry Les)

I think it helped solidify an already present obsession with the written word. I love stories and details and there is something so rewarding about the resolute finality of placing a finished book on a shelf and starting a new one.

 

Dear Earth, Universe and Time,

I hope I never have to say goodbye to libraries and book shelves.  I want to turn the page of my book, I want to write notes in the margin, I want to pass it on to someone I know will benefit as much as I did.

Love, Luella

 

Some things are worth holding on to. (literally) If I had endless time this post would be 100 books deep.

Luella says…Save the Bookmark

A haunting book detailing Frank Lloyd Wright’s muse Mamah Borthwick and their illicit affair and tragedy in the early 1900′s. Literally couldn’t put it down. (Luella READ IT)

A frank and honest autobiography on the drug filled world of Anthony Kiedis during his rise to fame as lead singer of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Easy read and extremely rich with details. (Luella READ IT)

Emily Bronte’s only published novel which was originally written under the name Ellis Bell. An age-old tale of deep unresolved passion that led to destruction and despair. One of my all time favorites. (Luella READ IT)

 

The story of Pat Tillman and his choice to leave a lucrative career in the NFL and fight for our country post 9-11. His death and the mystery surrounding it is detailed in this book and THE PAT TILLMAN STORY, a documentary which was very well received at Sundance.  (Luella is READING IT)

 

A novel about the Mystery of the World’s most expensive bottle of wine and the journey of how and where it came to be. Did Thomas Jefferson personally own this bottle that was auctioned off in 1985? Read on to find out. (Luella has STARTED IT)

 

Is a novel about one man’s search for the happiest places in the world. How does one’s culture and habits affect their overall state of mind? (RECOMMENDED by Derek Sivers)

 

Dave Cullen’s harrowing and detailed account of the Columbine massacre. He was a local journalist first on the scene back in 1999 and took these last 10 years to analyze, search and detail the entire account from the an unbiased and honest perspective. Couldn’t put it down. Hard subject but very well written. (Luella READ IT)

 

The book which inspired THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Saw the movie this weekend and was intrigued to find out the real cast of characters and what really happened at the inception of Facebook. (Luella is BUYING IT)

 

My husband and I spent some time in Venice on our honeymoon and we went to the Peggy Guggenheim museum on the banks of the Grand canal. I left more fascinated by her story then the priceless Picasso, Kandinsky, Dali and Jackson Pollock art pieces we saw. This book details her life. She was blessed by wealth but cursed by reality. I look forward to this book. (Luella BOUGHT IT)

I have loved this book, since I watched the movie with my Mother a million years ago and became obsessed. Isak Dinesen was really Karen Blixen from Copenhagen, Denmark. One of the benefits of working for a Danish company for 8 years, was that I actually got to go to her home on the outskirts of Copenhagen, in Rungstedlund and visit where she was born, wrote all of her renowned literary works and returned to after 17 years in Africa. It is a treasured memory, go if you are ever in Denmark. (Luella READ IT)

A scientific approach and study on how one can manipulate their chances for survival. In the middle of it and very interesting! (Luella is READING IT)

 

One of my favorite books ever. Dramatic tale of the rise of a lowly country servant to the inner circle of the King in 17th century England. Large read at over 900 pages but reads like a short story. If you are into this era, you must read it. (Luella READ IT)

 

A skeptic on marriage and love, the author explores and learns to accept the  idea of marriage on her own terms. (RECOMMENDED by Derek Sivers)

 

Dominick Dunne, amongst many other things, was a constant contributor to Vanity Fair. I loved his articles and always wanted more. After his death in 2009, his publishers reprinted some of his earlier novels. I read People Like Us on my honeymoon and couldn’t put it down but this one has received even better reviews. This is an alias/fictitious  recount of Dominick’s rise and fall in high society in the 1950′s. (Luella BOUGHT IT)

A memoir of survival and perseverance to better her life on her own. She went from homeless to Harvard with no mentor or college prepatory. Inspired after just reading the foreword. (Luella is BUYING IT)

 

Read this 8 years ago and can’t say enough about it. Krakauer was an editor for OUTSIDE magazine and was assigned a story on civilians paying their way to climb Mt. Everest. Ended up being caught in one of the worst tragedies in the mountain’s history. Didn’t put it down. Such a good book. (Luella READ IT)

An explanation of the art of joy and how to achieve it. Learning how to be aware of the present and embrace it. (RECOMMENDED by Derek Sivers)

 

McDougall tracks down members of the reclusive Tarahumara Indian tribe in the Mexican Copper Canyons. After being repeatedly injured as a runner himself, McDougall marvels at the tribe’s ability to run ultra distances (over 100 miles) at incredible speeds, without getting the routine injuries of most American runners. Excited to get into this! (RECOMMENDED)

A warm yet vivid portrayal of depression as written by an author who suffers from it himself. So many people encounter this in some form or another during their life. This book allows the reader to know they are not alone in their plight. (RECOMMENDED by Maria Bello)

 

I read this book 6 years ago and again couldn’t put it down. It reads like a love story. John Adams fought through so much adversity in his days as president. He was NOT the popular choice. His dedication to education, his family, his country and his wife makes for beautiful reading. I highly suggest this for anyone who would enjoy a blend of history, love and sacrifice.

♦

You too can make the PLEDGE.

Support your local bookstores.

Related Articles

• Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust moves into Rookery (timeoutny.com)
• Chili Peppers Add Afro-Pop Songs to New Album (spin.com)
• Maher Praises Pat Tillman Brother Richard’s Rip Against Religion from Funeral (newsbusters.org)