|
Dear Elisa,
"Not a Day Goes By... I keep thinking, "When will it end?" Where's the day I'll have started forgetting..." *
*Lyrics to a memorable tune by the incomparable, Stephen Sondheim from "Merrily We Roll Along."
It doesn't have to be a soured relationship to be reminded of the fragile world we live in. As we usher out another month as fast as it arrived, "spooky" energies are already haunting the planet with consequential weather indignities and other chaotic tragedies.
Wishing safety to everyone who is currently being affected by the Florida/Georgia hurricane, crazy issues of extreme heat, or even this week's mayoral corruption scandal in NYC. It's just my two cents that whenever I feel called to perform little acts of kindness or to lend a hand, it helps to recalibrate my nervous system as the world keeps throwing more spinning plates of chaos our way.
And, as I write this, I just learned of the passing of Dame Maggie Smith today - a legend among acting greats who left the world a legacy of unforgettable performances with her unique gifts and snappy retorts that no one will ever match. She, and the recent passing of James Earl Jones, are two of an inevitable celebrity trio of three... As my father used to say, "They are calling in our class."
And so...
•••••
On a couple of Uplifting Notes...
THIS WEEKEND, SUNDAY, SEPT. 29th
is the POWER of PINK LUNCHEON Fundraiser for
the Margie Petersen Breast Center at St. John's in Santa Monica
I dropped my Silent Auction donation off at St. John's Foundation for the Power of Pink Fundraiser yesterday as the luncheon is this Sunday, Oct. 29th from 11-3, at the Skirball. I think tickets are still available. I am not sure if you can just come to the boutique and silent auction and not go to the luncheon. But feel free to click the link above to get more info.
I was pleased at how well my framed piece came out. I gave the committee several designs to choose from and they selected "Never Lose SIGHT of Your Own Magnificence" using my beloved character of 'Swoozie.' My illustration shows a woman dancing and celebrating as if no one is watching. There's a hot-pink, zig-zag energy across the front of her body - and although this was created in 2012, the synchronicity of the breast-area metaphor is not lost on me.
If you are lucky enough to be on the other side of recovering from Breast Cancer, there is a release of energy and gratitude that one has moved through a stage of life maybe a bit bruised and battered but still intact. How we relate to ourselves and our bodies is an inside job and we have to be the ones to celebrate who we've become in the process.
I took a picture of the piece below and will take a better picture of it on Sunday. The overhead lights at The Sherman Gallery (where I took it to be framed) put a glare on my camera photo. The size of this piece is 20 x 24. I don't know yet how they will start the bidding on the silent auction items.
I also donated a basket of my I'm Skewed products for a raffle giveaway they will be having on Monday, 9/30 for their annual Power of Pink Lighting ceremony at St. John's in Santa Monica from 6 pm - 8 pm. I think you can attend this ceremony for free. I don't know how much the raffle tickets will be. That basket is valued at $130 and includes my AWESOME Book, my Inspirational Journal, a 'Suki Oliver' Notepad, a set of Multicolored Heart Boxed Notes, an 'Ursula' Yoga Latte Mug ("Sometimes I Can See What's Possible!"), and (6) assorted Thank you Cards.
When people are going through an illness or a rough patch, feel-good inspirational gifts are hard to come by. I know that Wellness takes a Village - and thank you notes offer an easy way to thank or acknowledge those who show up for you during your time of recovery. Having them on hand (without having to venture out to Trader Joe's or CVS trying to find the perfect sentiment when you don't feel well) makes your life easier. The Blank Boxed-Note Heart cards can be used for any occasion.
Many thanks to Tanya Chorin for wrapping this for me. Tanya used to have a gift and wrapping service business called DRAGONFLY GIFTS in Santa Monica. She retired to the Desert but I lucked out to find her in LA for a short stint and she did such a pretty job. When we were visiting, she happened to mention that her daughter was managing a cool, creative arts store in Marina Del Rey, just down the street from Costco on Washington Blvd. It's called THESE HANDS MAKERS COLLECTIVE.
I stopped in there on Wednesday and learned that over the summer, before Kamala Harris was running for President, Kamala wanted to support Women-Owned businesses and her team scouted out this little gem of a gift store/creative arts center. Kamala and her husband Doug went in there to do a little shopping and took a picture with the owner (see below). It then put the store in the spotlight and Sony Pictures in Culver City heard about it and hired them to come in and teach some art workshops to their employees. They offer cool workshops every month from sandal-making to Perfume essences and everything-in-between. If you have a class that you might like to teach, let them know. Their website will show you a full list of their monthly offerings.
And so, THIS SUNDAY, 9/29, if you are in the area and want to Sip and Shop Locally, they will be having a HOPE is BACK Arts Fundraiser for Harris/Walz from 10 am-
6 pm. There will be an online Arts Auction, Voting Postcard writing, and a "Swiftie Style" Friendship Bracelet-making session among other fun activities. If you live in the neighborhood and want to check them out, their address is 13347 W. Washington Blvd. (Corner of Walgrove) on the North side of the street. Click the link above to RSVP - it's free to attend.
•••••
UPCOMING ART SHOW NEXT WEEKEND FOR ME, OCTOBER 5th & 6th
If you live in Los Angeles and like to plan out your weekend in advance, feel free to mark your calendar for next weekend's, 52nd Manhattan Beach Old Hometown Fair
DATES: Sat. & Sun. October 5th & 6th, 2024
HOURS: 10 am - 6 pm (Both Days)
ADDRESS: 1601 N. Valley Drive
Manhattan Beach
MY BOOTH SPACE #164 (Close to the entrance of the fair)
*Please be advised that there is an annual 10K run on Saturday, Oct. 5th only from 7 am - 9:30 am and street traffic will be closed along Ardmore which is parallel to Valley Drive while the marathon is on. Make sure you look at the website pull-down menu, "Know Before You Go" for parking, shuttles, and other essentials - including the Art/Craft Vendors which list their booth numbers if you are looking for a particular artisan.
A quick "SHOUT OUT" to my friends who will be participating vendors:
If you are looking for unique jewelry, be sure to find Anthe Wosczyna of Little Muse Designs (one of our past Crafty Caster vendors who uses Czecholavakian Glass to create her beautiful, hand-beaded mandala earrings and necklaces. She'll be in Booth #239 and my friend, Judy Brandon (Judy Brandon Jewelry) who will be in Booth #361. Judy's designs are light and elegant and she has something for everyone.
If you like found-art-repurposed pieces, check out Cindy Bolin who combines architecture, welding, silver, gold, copper, bakelite corn holders, shells, gemstones, and other found objects to create her one-of-a-kind pieces. Cindy will be in Booth #316.(https://www.cindybolin.com/about) My other friend Lissa, (pronounced Lisa) creates handsewn fabric postcard stationery boxed notes. We do many shows together and our designs are very different. Her company is called Pelham's Paperie and she was across the way from me in Newport Beach two weeks ago and up in San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay when I was up there last month. She'll be in Booth #236. We also do a lot of shows in the Palm Springs area as well.
But you can find me in BOOTH SPACE #164 (close to the entrance of the show). I think it is the same booth area that I had last year. I'll be on the 100 Aisle which is closer to East side of Valley Drive. The 200's are the middle aisles and the 300's are on the beach-fence side where the Beer Gardens are.
We look forward to seeing you!
•••••
Alternative Healing is in the Air!
If you are focused on wellness, longevity, and the science
behind living longer, take Note!
If you have been reading some of my recent emails, you will remember I recommended Dr. Katie Deming (Born to Heal Podcast )- a radiation oncologist who left a very successful 20+ yr. career to explore the alternative wellness space to help people navigate their cancer journey and figure out how to heal from within. She is great!
Last Saturday night I ran into some friends and we were talking about this very topic of alternative wellness and they gave me a book by another doctor, Dr. Peter Attia, MD who was a cancer surgeon (Stanford/Johns Hopkins). He, too, became disillusioned with just fixing people's medical issues and started to explore realms of healthier living. Still combining the gifts from Western medicine but he's a math geek and has put his analytical mind into hyperdrive to create new statistics on living longer and what to do about it.
He has written a fantastic NY Times bestselling book called, OUTLIVE - The Science and Art of Longevity which I am totally enjoying. He wrote it after his own health scare with heart disease (he is also a long-distance swimmer) and his book is easy to read and understand. I highly recommend it. He also has a podcast (90 million downloads) called, The Drive. I've not had a chance to listen to it yet but will take a listen soon.
•••••
Sorry for the very long post and I hope you have a great weekend. As always, please stay safe and keep the faith! Thank you for enjoying my work.
Elisa
Coupon Code:
Feel free to use the coupon, Kindness2024 at checkout, to receive 20% off of your purchase. NOTE: Special requests, custom orders, or items currently on sale are exempt from loyalty coupon discounts. Thank you for your understanding.
| 
