practical and meaningful

moving, more moving, and moving yet again

For someone who does not really like change, the past six months have been utter chaos with moving things from place to place, into storage, out of my warehouse, into a new space, & into new storage.

I keep settling in, organizing, and then moving again.

This time, it is to start construction on the Cafe which will be next to the Hollywood Art Studio. We should be open in a few months.  Wish us luck !

Sunday lunch at home

While cleaning the house, doing laundry, and resetting for the week ahead, I whipped up a nice lunch today including a baked chicken with vegetables, kale chips, roasted cauliflower, and greens and herbs from the garden for a fresh salad.

gift it forward and other meaningful presents

My favorite kind of gift exchange is where each person brings a gift that is practical or meaningful - it can be something you love (your favorite thing - a book, a candle) , a GIFT IT FORWARD gift - something you own (that you love) that you want to pass on (not a white elephant gift), or you can make something. Anything practical or meaningful.

Affirmations

When I love everything around me, I am constantly inspired.
When I have money in the bank, I am more able to think, feel, and live life.
When I invite people into my home, I am more connected and loving in the world.
When I am taking care of myself and eating right and exercizing, I have more to give.
Creating jobs and making money connects me to my community and my purpose.
Appreciate your life, find meaning in everything you do.
Eliminate what does not support your true self.
Love your life, work hard, play hard, be AWAKE.

painting by Adele Sypesteyn

productive and beyond

Most of my days are fragmented and super busy with too much to do and not enough continuous time to get it all done.  Yesterday I accomplished so much due to the fact that I had the full day to work and lots of people to help.

In twelve hours, I met with the architects and finalized plans for the cafe, met with an artist and created a workshop series for the art studio, reorganized various parts of the crafty warehouse, donated big heavy file cabinets, reconfigured the entire supply room at the art studio to make room for a knitting circle seating area with better light, moved a couch into my office, tore out the ugly counter and shelf in the bathroom, worked on new software system, relocated all the cake boxes to better storage, rearranged all the fridges and set up a mock layout of the cafe based on our finalized plans, decided to donate the big desk, shelves, and extra fridge and freezer, went to the tailor to get my jeans hemmed, taped crafty receipts, did banking, finalized payroll, booked a new show, worked on scheduling, had lunch with my husband, cleaned off all the sticky labels on the trashcans and fridges, with goo gone, cleaned the windows and swept, reduced some clutter, found some money, booked a party, bid on some restaurant supplies, worked on our budget, tightened up the operating agreement, got extra sets of keys made, replaced the broken fridge lights, booked someone to detail and wash the van, paid rent (x4), and strategized about ways to make it all work together and work well.

DONE.

 

i hate crushing little girls spirits

Today while friends were visiting, thier six year old daughter was playing in my daughter's room. My daughter wanted to set some boundaries so she came down stairs to ask the grown ups for some support. When the girls parents encouraged my daughter to "just tell her no", my daughter flat out said "I hate crushing little girls spirits". 

 

 

Happy New Year from Practical & Meaningful

Practically speaking, here are some resolutions for the new year.  Meaningfully speaking, here is what I loved most about last year. 

PRACTICAL Resolutions for 2012 - Tighten up my systems, simplify, & be more organized. Exercise regularly.  Take more photos. See more movies. Spend time with the people I love. Enjoy more music.

MEANINGFUL What I loved most about 2011 - My Think Days. our Valentine's Dinner Party. the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love. My daughter singing at David's 40th birthday party. Bring your dogs and parents to ART CAMP day. Moving Crafty. Hiking the Stairs in Culver City. All the great press I got through HARO. Being a moMPreneur. The Egg Project. my TWEEN.  Going to PSV.

Practical and Meaningful. Resolution and Review. Action and Appreciation. Work and Play. Friendships and Friends. Places and Memories. Systems and Recall.  Happy New Year!

loving is daunting but kind of nice too

As i pack up the warehouse near downtown Los Angeles where i have run my business for the past 5 years, I am feeling a little melancholy and so excited at the same time.  Consolidating and expanding. Moving to a space closer to the art studios in Hollywood - which will make my life more efficient and also expanding the business in new ways.

I text my husband today saying "loving is daunting but kind of nice too"....then realized I meant to say "moving is daunting but kind of nice too."

He reponded " I think it is also true of loving". Well said.  To new beginnings, a fresh start, shedding the old, and embarking on something new.

heirloom tomatoes

I am in LOVE with heirloom tomatoes. The color, the shape, the taste,  the smell, the beauty, the versatility! 

ICE for the people who handle your important information

IT is important to have the emergency contact info for your private vendors such as bookkeepers. If something was to happen to them, you want to know how to retreive your information from their files. Totally practical. Do you know where your stuff is and how to get it if something happens to your stuff keeper?