Reinvent Yo Self!

This image hangs in my kitchen, as a constant reminder that reinvention is possible!

In 1991 Madonna was an impossibly perfect Marilyn Monroe- the height of retro glamour.

In 1994 she was a pixie cut, minimal, tough as nails bitch- it blew my mind!

I might not be Madonna, but I do know a thing or two about reinventing myself. I have survived many transformations. I have been an honors student with a 4.2 GPA, a high school drop out, a conservative bride, lazy photography major, a tortured artist, a Martha Stewart wanna be, gallery director, bass player, an anemic new mom, and an aspiring model (and not necessarily in that order).

photo credits: Sarah Christensen and Genevieve Dietz

When I think back to the times I admired other people, and all the amazing things they achieved, and then thought to myself: "Oh, I could never do that!" I now know how ridiculous that statement really is. If you want to do something you love, you will choose to do it. If you want to become the sort of person you admire, you can choose to make those changes. I used to think there was no way I would be able to homeschool one child while maintaining any kind of job or being any kind of an artist. Today, I homeschool two boys while successfully running my own business and satisfying my need to create. I will be the first to admit my life is not easy, nor is it perfectly balanced, but I am squeezing in regular exercise into my schedule for the first time in my life.

But, here's the catch...

artwork by Sweaty Wisdom

That's really the "secret" everyone keeps talking about. There's no secret, it's a lot of damn work. And on top of working your ass off, you better be grateful at the same time! No one ever achieved personal and professional success by being a bitch all the time.

So, this is me today. New hairstyle, hope for the future, love for my family, and belief in my dreams.

Don't like the way the way things are going?

 xoxo

The Gods Have Spoken

Well, this Greek fascination started a long time ago. When I was around 13 I was watching the show Fashion File, one of the collections that was getting a lot of attention that season was Jean Paul Gaultier. His closing bridal ensemble was modeled by Madonna and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. It was amazing. The staging, the concept, and I loved that gold winged headband. Another one of those iconic pictures that crept into my subconscious to stay. Over the years I have had this image (below) on my bulletin board or in an inspiration file. I have moved 8 times in the last 12 years and I have managed to keep track of it. I guess it must be pretty important.

 Madonna with Jean Paul Gaultier 1994. She closed his show in Paris with this bridal number.

 Love the drama of this image. What's in that carriage??

 Turns out there was a fluffy white dog in the carriage. I loved the humor and the spectacle.

After all that inspiration the Greek Goddess Feathered Headband was born 16 years later!

Just recently I came across this: Alexander McQueen for Givenchy from the 1990's. All I can say is that this is just all kinds of WOW! It took it to the next level.

So, tonight when we take the kids trick-or-treating, I will be a Greek goddess.  I have even created a new amped up version of my headband for tonight. Let the fun begin. 

Happy Halloween!

xoxo