Many of you know I took a sabbatical from my job as a physician.  In the end, I decided to dedicate myself to full time writing, speaking and coaching.  That big LEAP did not happen without some major magic.  Much of the magic that helped me along my path was Nature related and I share how you can tap into that MAGIC in my new book, What the Walrus Knows:  An Eccentric’s Field Guide to Working WIth Beastie Energies. You do not have to be a Shaman living in the Amazon basin to do this work-  it is for everybody and it is a delightful way to FEEL GOOD, understand your loved ones in a more playful way and to experience more JOY!  There are animals showing up for you daily to share messages with you.  All you have to do is listen:)

The book is beautiful inside and out and has a dictionary at the back of 50 different Beasties and how best to align with their energies to help yourself feel GOOD

I would be thrilled if you buy it!

If you love it-  please share it on facebook, tweet it, bring a copy to a ladies night-  whatever FEELS GOOD.  My dream is that this book will delight and ignite every human who comes into contact with it!  ~Sarah

I was recently asked to submit a proposal for a project.  The person on the other end of the phone was rattling off the various requirements for the proposal… when she asked for a description of my business philosophy.  What a great question!  I loved the fact that she was INTERESTED in how I DO my work.  Not in if I have a fax machine or where my office was but what I believed in. 

I used to have a philosophy called “I HAVE NO CHOICE.”  As you can imagine, someone who subscribes to this mindset is generally resentful, unwilling to say NO, and rarely happy in their job.  In fact I almost quit the design business at one point because as a result of not valuing myself and my work enough, I had attracted some business that can be described difficult at best. 

I learned that in order to love my job again, I needed to value myself.  That meant coming up with a job description for the one and only employee of Kitchee Gammi Design Co. (me.)  I had to redefine my philosophy about how I wanted to continue in the design business.  Today I’m happy to say that I’m developing the confidence to take the right projects, and turn down the things that don’t fit my new vision for myself.  Any project that asks me for my business philosophy appears to be on track for one I’m interested in. 

What’s your philosophy… on how you work and play?  About what you’re willing to accept or dream for yourself?  Is it time for you to write a new job description for yourself?

In fact, maybe we should have a ball. Like a real ball with pretty dresses and princes and everything. What am I talking about? Gibberish, but I have to start somewhere with this subject, so gibberish it is. The truth is, my bra is itchy, I’ve been apathetic all day, I don’t really feel like doing anything but going to bed. I don’t want to talk about parties.

I don’t know that absolutely any place is a good place for a party. Doesn’t that sound a bit frivolous? A bit silly? Well, yes, it does. But who cares?!? Isn’t that the point? The point Sarah and Suzi are trying to make is, “Be silly! Be frivolous!” But why?

Why when there are so many harsh realities in life should we go out of our way, risking ridicule, to be goof balls? And what exactly is a party anyway. I suppose I could check Webster’s. My daughter has often told me that I will talk to anyone. It’s true. I’ve started up conversations at many a check-out counter. I’ll talk to strangers all day long. People fascinate me. And I love to make them smile. So many people are so darned depressed looking. It’s fun to watch their eyes light up, their lips curve in a smile. Peoples’ faces change so much when they smile. Some people look completely different. Their whole face changes with a big grin.

Okay. That’s all for now.  Kim at Retreat with me

“It’s not done yet.”–Suzi Vandersteen

I had an assignment in 5th grade that started me on my road to the design world.  We were asked by Mrs. Lillibridge (our terrifyingand VERY TAN fifth grade teacher and coincidentally,  the school principal) to create a diorama of a house, including the various rooms and how they related to form and function.  I approached this task with the zeal I usually reserved for avoiding homework rather than completing it.  My diorama included carpets made of rabbit skins (WHY had no one thought of this before I mused…) and a room that ONLY housed a model 1969 Mustang pilfered from my brother’s room. 

After all these years it occurs to me that long before I stumbled upon and embraced my natural history style of decorating AND  my white hot passion for the car show Top Gear, I already knew what was important to me.   This is something I like to remind my clients.  Many of them struggle with the concept of really buying what they truly love, and I have noticed that many times it’s because what they are passionate about may seem a little odd, or it may not relate directly to the style of their home.   I feel that my job as a designer is to give them permission to purchase/find/display the things that get them VERY excited about design, because in many ways those things are in direct relation to who they truly are.  If we only decorated around the period and style of a home, our rooms would reflect just that, the style and period of that home.  But PEOPLE live, love, grow, change in these rooms.  So why shouldn’t the design reflect that? 

What did you love in the third grade?  For me it was bird’s nests, wasps nests, rocks, feathers, burlap (yes, my facination with that fabric started early) anything from nature, and it shows up in what I do today.   Trust yourself, the third grader was not only in tuned with what she loved, she was likely confident in creating it!  Do not be intimidated by design my friends, your answers have been with you all along.  —Suzi

Changing things around can create chaos.  But it’s in this chaotic environment that we begin to see things differently… Removing things from your space suddenly opens up new ideas for furniture arrangements, lighting opportunities, tables, accessories… let your imagination run wild.  I added a desk to my living room last time I rearranged.  One day I looked around and realized we had no family photos of ourselves around the house!  (Generally, my belief is that family photos look amazing as a gallery wall in a more private area of the house.)  But I didn’t have anywhere to display them…. I grabbed a table from our lower level (purchased at goodwill for aobut  $17.00 and spray painted black several years ago) and decided to rename it “desk”. 

And on my “desk” I put a great lamp, stacked some of my favorite books, loaded it up with things I love, like some family photos and interesting accessories.  Because it started life as a table, putting a chair up to it was no problem.  The desk seemed a little small in my room so I shoved an old trunk underneath it, leaving it hanging out about 20 inches… easy way to lengthen the look and create a better proportion. 

Here’s my new motto, “No BORING ROOMS!”  I don’t care if I need to create a little chaos, move some stuff, and change things up to make that happen, I don’t care if I have to break my own rules… (family photos in a more public area anyone?), but I want my house to be fun, and not look too serious.  And in order for that to happen, I need to surround myself with things that are important to me, even if it means I need to create a little chaos to achieve it! 

What chaos are you creating today?   I can’t wait to hear!!! –Suzi

Bill Hamilton, Sava and me- photo Susan Honnell

From Sarah ~  The Jazz the Glass Retreat in Kauai Hawaii that I created with Susan Honnell and Tami McCall turned out to be an absolutely amazing experience for me!  We set out to take visionary Women-   Mavericks, the Bad Asses and Honey Badgers on this trip to connect to Nature, Spirit and (of course)  to bend the rules,  and play outsde of the fences of our ordinary lives.   Boy did it deliver, for me.

To be in Hanalei on Kauai is to be in a Bohemian Wonderland where the most clothes that people seem to be sporting are a bathing suit and maybe a shirt or sundress.  We even spotted a guy pumping gas on the highway in his Speedo.   Shoes are optional, tattoos are def. recommended.    Breakfast consisted of green smoothies at the local co-op and we packed up lunch in the cooler and headed for the beach.

We had planned to do Stand up Paddle boarding-  which we did up the Hanalei River and it was fabulous.  One of the unexpected (those are the best, right?) peaks, for me,  was learning to surf.

That very first day, it seemed daunting to paddle out on these large long boards to the place where the waves were breaking.  One of my co-hosts, Susan Honnell,  was an awesome guide and assured me that I could handle it.  Once we got out there were these small waves breaking perfect for a novice.  So I got into position as Susan had taught me and waited for the waves.  The first one I decided to go for I threw myself on the board and then (as instructed) paddled like a bat out of hell-  but missed it.  Then Susan pushed me onto the next one.  It felt different.   Instead of  feeling the wave sink and crumble beneath me….all of a sudden it was like this huge surge of power right under me and I stopped paddling and was hurtling along with no effort at all.  The, I leaped up,  into my karate stance,  (again- thanks Susan!) and I was up – flying along the water and I cannot even really explain how fun it was.  When it petered out-  I flopped into the water and could not wait to get back in the line up to catch another.

I surfed and tried to surf so many waves in the ensuing  6 days.    My leg and hip got so badly bruised (from slamming myself onto the board to get ready) that I looked a bit of a wreck.   I could not have cared less.  I even had a heck of a hematoma going on my right hand.  It was so much fun,  I was not going to let it stop me.  My body (at night) was like-  oh wow-  all over body workout and exhaustion-  yet as soon as I had stretched and had a cup of coffee I was like-  gotta get out and Jazz some glass!

What I noticed was the second day its started getting more difficult to catch a wave. It think beginners luck has something to do with “non-attachment’  because I didn’t really know if I would ever be able to catch a wave on that first day.  By the second day (knowing what it felt like to “catch” a wave) I was greedy for waves.   I wanted to CATCH them all.  When I tried to do that what I found out is my “paddling arms” got so exhausted and I didn’t catch as many.

By the third day, I had an awesome chance to hang out and surf with Sava (see her vid below) , queen of the waves who’s owner Bill Hamilton (Yes-  Laird is his son, lol!) taught me a few things.  I told him my dilemma— it seems like I am not getting up on as many.  He said-  “you gotta cherry pick”.  Bill explained that you have to be patient and wait for the cherry to grow on the tree  and then only pick the ones that are ripe and sweet.  I was laughing out loud at the sexual and surfing metaphor in all of this.

Sure enough, as I began to really wait for the waves that looked ideal….I sort of thought they looked “crispy fried” and seemed to have a bit of a CRACKLE to them….if I got into position and paddled like a mad woman into it-  I caught them and oh man what a feeling it was.  There is nothing quite like catching a wave, we all agreed and now, I know I am not the only one who is addicted.

What a great metaphor for my business, my life (sexual and otherwise, lol) and  in general….to wait for the best wave- the one that is ripe for my picking .  That way, I conserve energy and if I do succeed-  WOW what a treat I am in for.    You don’t catch every opportunity you paddle out to but, looking for the crispy delicious ones sure increases your chances.  What does your ideal wave look like in your life?

**We plan to Jazz the Glass Again in 2012-  so send me an email if you would like to hear more when we launch!  ~Sarah

Design is about solving problems.  Really, in my opinion it’s that simple.  Now the problem may show up in a number of ways:  suddenly a home that was perfect for two now houses three children, two dogs, a home business in addition to the original two people it was purchased for.  This was the problem a friend came to me with the other day. 

Moving to a new home was not an option for this couple, so they were thinking about redecorating.  My friend started asking me about what the current design trends were, what she should shop for, what kind of upholstery I liked… but I felt that the conversation was falling flat.  We were just talking about, well… shopping.  And design is soooo much more that that!  It often shows up as a need to shop, a need to act, to solve a problem.  But really, it’s identifying the problem that’s the most important piece of the design puzzle. 

As we talked, she mentioned that her collection of Norwegian china meant more to her than almost anything in her home.  Turns out she has hand carried back nearly the entire collection from her trips to Norway.  (This, in addition to the twenty-four hour plane ride, time changes, and two small children is a feat of strength only this woman can accomplish!)  Over the years, she’s purchased several large china cabinets to house this collection.  But with kids, toys and a new piano… well you get the picture.  The house is bursting at the seams.  Hence, the propulsion toward moving. 

I asked her to describe the other rooms in  her house.  Turns out her family room is the one she was thinking of redecorating, as she talked about her fireplace wall, with shelves on either side, jammed with toys, games, books… I began to get an idea, I asked her if those shelves would work for displaying  her china… the concept seemed to click immediately.  A few glass shelves, lighting and some doors seemed some much easier than picking up and moving!  She was practically calling the local Goodwill to pick up her china cabinets before we finished talking. 

Back to the decorating piece.  NOW we had a place to start.  Something she loved, something that was collected, something that was on her radar, her beloved Scandinavian Farmer’s Rose china collection was no longer going to be locked up in a china cabinet, it was going to be prominently displayed in her favorite and most used room in her home.   Suddenly everything fell into place.  We weren’t trying to create inspiration or personality just through choosing the right furniture or shopping.  Now there was heart and soul present in the room (it was there all along), and we were just adding to it.   She had a color pallete right in front of her, she could add a beautiful rosemaled side table, and scandinavian hooked rug, and lovely painted boxes to the setting.  All reflecting her, her family and their Scandinavian heritage. 

…..And let me tell you, when that happens, you have a happy customer.  So why not be your own customer today, is there an answer right in front of you to a question you’ve been seeking answers for?  Maybe the solution is simpler than you can imagine.  Look around, see what inspires conversation, because that’s a great place to start.  —Suzi

The Eagle is a constant reminder for me to develop my perspective and conserve my energy.  Eagles need to have an involvement with creation, and a willingness to experience extremes.  What a great inspiration for the design business!  I’m reminded that with design, it’s easy to get caught up in the details of a project when what’s most important is the end result. 

So what are you working on today?  Remember, it doesn’t need to be perfect, don’t get caught up in the details, develop your perspective, and ride the winds to your benefit for a change.  Have a little Eagle energy on me, really, I have enough to go around.  –Suzi