I am hoping you are thoroughly enjoying the spring weather as much as I am!
What have you been up to recently?
I’ve been tinkering around in my jewelry studio and made 4 pairs of earrings and 3 statement necklaces recently.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
My heart sings making beautiful things!
So I really hope I don’t bore you out of your lovely goddess skull by showing you my stuff. Today I’ll show you the first thing I made. Something simple. But not plain! A simple pair of earrings. Voilà!
All my jewelry pieces have a goddess name. I believe that every woman is a goddess 😉 Don’t YOU think so? E O S Eos is the goddess of hope, the goddess of the dawn, the goddess of a new day.
Of all the goddesses to choose from, why did I name these earrings after Eos, the goddess of hope?
The turquoise and Swarovsky crystals symbolize bright blue skies.
(And, why not, smooth sailing ahead, too!) This is to remind ourselves that even if our day isn’t going exactly as we’d like, perhaps it’s even downright miserable and grey, there’s always hope that tomorrow will be better (patches of blue sky included).
Spring weather can be especially treacherous, going from crystal clear blue skies to cloudy,
windy and stormy within hours, or even minutes. Here in southern Spain,
our spring weather is usually
quite warm and sunny
but this year we’ve had
many cloudy and rainy days, too.
I must admit the clouds and rain can be pretty spectacular where I live.
See what I mean?
Next time you you are feeling all down and grey, just shout out,
“Hey, Eos, are you there?”
Shout again (louder!) if she doesn’t answer straight away,
“I need your help! Eeeeeeeeeooosssss!”
She’ll eventually answer (goddess are ageless and time has no relevance for them),
“Yes, I’m here. How may I help you?”
So it’s your turn to ask,
“Could you pretty please tell me where my day of hope is?
Gosh, I am feeling so lost…even a tad down today….”
And she’ll answer back,
“Just look inside yourself, my dear goddess, YOU are the ray of sunshine!”
(She sounds a bit like the good witch in Wizard of Oz, doesn’t she?)
We are the ones who wear pants that that reflect our hopes, dreams, and wishes.
We are the ones who wear pants that that show our style.
“These are gorgeous pants made with great care and beautifully styled. I can’t wait to wear them. Thank you so very very much. I love the style and it’s not an easy one to find!”
-Liz
We are the ones who wear pants that look good if we wear size LARGE.
We are the ones who wear pants that look good if we wear size SMALL.
We are the ones who wear pants that look good if we wear size XX-LARGE.
We are the ones who wear pants that look good if we wear size WHATEVER.
Here’s what the French ladies (oh là là!) have to say:
“Je suis ravie de cette première commande, quel plaisir d’avoir un vêtement sur mesure, parfaitement coupé ! Très grand talent et professionnalisme de la créatrice, qui par ailleurs est tout à fait adorable … Un grand merci et à très vite pour une prochaine commmande.”
(“I am delighted with this first order, what a pleasure to have a customized garment, perfectly cut! Great talent and professionalism of the designer, who also is quite lovely … A big thank you and see you soon for a future order.”)
-Maimylene
“J’ai reçu le pantalon, il est parfait et me va très bien.”
(“I received the pants, they are perfect and fit me very well.”)
–aureadenier
“Très beau pantalon, très belle qualité, fait sur mesure. La livraison a été rapide. Je recommande. Une expérience très positive! “
(“Very nice pants, very good quality, custom made. The delivery was fast. I recommend this. A very positive experience!”)
-Aurore
“Je suis satisfaite de ce pantalon, belle finition merci”
(“I’m happy with these pants, nicely finished. thank you”)
This may not seem like a big deal to you but it is a HUGE deal to me!
My parents live more than 4,400 miles
(that’s 7,000 km, my European friends) away from me.
So it’s not like I can just hop into my car and arrive at their doorstep on a whim.
Seeing as I hadn’t seen my dad in about 5 years (yeah, crazy, I know!) and my mom in over a year, I had decided to spend the entire month of December and the first week of January at my parents’ house in Chicago.
I even slept in the same bedroom I had when I was between the ages of 7 – 17!
What memories!
I started looking through the closet and drawers.
Imagine being able to look through your old dressers and closet!
While you are imagining, I’d like you to imagine something else.
Imagine the excitement of a little girl, rushing to the living room
on December 25th at 6 a.m.,
and discovering a mountain
of colorfully wrapped boxes
under the Christmas tree.
That’s exactly how I felt when I opened the dresser drawers.
Where my old stuff used to be.
What I discovered instead were piles of beads and semi-precious stones.
My mom’s stash of beads.
And she said I could keep them!
Oh, the joy!
But…
There was a problem.
Keep in mind that after the holidays, I had to fly back to Spain.
Leaving behind cold and dreary Chicago weather and exchanging it for sunny and warm Spain.
No problem there!
So what was the problem?
The dilemma was that I was only allowed 50 lbs. (23 kilos) in my suitcase.
Which meant that I had to decide judiciously what I was going to take with me, and what I was to leave behind.
Decisions, decisions!
But…
what a FUN decision!
I made up my mind to take the pile of coral.
(I also decided to take the pile of turquoise but that is another story. Oh, and the silver. You can bet I didn’t leave behind the sterling silver.)
So here it was, sitting on my studio desk back in Spain.
A bright bunch of coral.
Luscious.
And red.
Grab a closer look.
So I pulled out my jewelry making tray.
And started to play!
Hmmm, what goes with coral?
Turquoise goes with coral!
And what goes with coral and turquoise?
Why, amber and sterling silver do!
I played and played.
And here’s what I came up with.
It’s sitting on my studio desk right now.
So here it is.
The “rough draft” of my coral + turquoise + amber + sterling silver necklace.
“Still not finished?”, you ask.
Yeah….uhhh…
Still not finished.
Heck.
Ran out of jewelry stringing supplies. Bummer. Whatever.
Had to order more supplies.
Still waiting, semi-patiently, for the order to arrive….
You want to see it when it’s done?
What do you think?
Should I re-arrange the beads?
Take out something?
Add something?
Do you ever wear statement necklaces? Yes? No?
LET ME know!
Write your opinion & ideas (heck, or just say HI if you can’t think of anything) in the comment section below!
“ …surrounding yourself with objects that are not only beautiful, but also elegant, can make a world of a difference…”
“I like to surround myself with things I love. “
“ Some decades ago, conscious consumerism was ‘I don’t want my dollar to support a bad cause.’ Now it’s one step better: ‘I want my dollar to do something good.’ “
“A product shouldn’t just be ethical. It should be attractive. You don’t want a product that does good. You want a better product that does good.”
”It’s not about buying more. It’s about buying better.”
“We’re living in a really powerful time. So many people are waking up. So many shifts are happening. People want to discover who they are and make a difference in the world.”
“ whether you’re starting a revolution or you smile at a human on the street …. what you do matters…. “
“connecting to like-minded people on the powerful web”
“inspire → be inspired → inspire → be inspired”
“I’d love to inspire you so that you could inspire me”
These are all snippets of ideas that are whizzing around my brain.
I know I am not the only one thinking this way.
I heard YOU say them on the internet.
You have inspired me!
I am a creator. I love to make clothes. I love to make jewelry.
Yet with so much “stuff” out there already, much of it just polluting our lovely planet, I felt a deep discontent about adding more daily junk to our overstuffed lives.
And here is how you have inspired me:
I’ve gone treasure-hunting
to bring you
beauty and meaning and love
to your daily life
because I’ve come to the conclusion that by surrounding ourselves
with beauty,
with true friendship,
and with love,
we are adding meaning to our lives.
DO YOU AGREE???
Here’s a sneak preview of what you will find at Hello My Goddess:
Beautiful things.
Filled with meaning.
Made by do-gooders from all over the world.
WRAP TOP made by Avda
OIL & VINEGAR CRUETS made by Maia
NATURAL LINEN NAPKINS made by Urte and Simona
I’d like your input, your comments, your ideas.
By joining forces and doing this together,
we CAN be the change we want to see in the world!
a little viking princess fell in love with her knight in shining armor.
The princess did 53 cartwheels out of sheer excitement
when the wedding was announced.
Ten years was a long time to be boy-knight-friend & girl-princess-friend.
The couple decided it was about time to populate the world
with miniature versions of themselves.
Marriage was logically the next step in their fairy tale world.
At long last, that special aisle-walking day came…….
………..and went.
The little viking princess bride moved in with her striking shiny knight and they lived happily ever.
Never.
Mr. Knight yelled and yelled and yelled.
Mrs. Princess cried and cried and cried.
A baby was born. A prince!
The baby prince didn’t yell.
But, boy, did he cry!
And so, the princess cried along with him.
Baby # 2 came along. A little princess!
And so the original princess lost her place of honor
and was relegated to the role of chimney sweeper. And diaper changer.
And 3 a.m. night-shift nurse. And music-class-gymnastics-team-after-school-activities-chauffeur.
And cleaning lady. And smelly socks washer…..
[You get the picture.]
The chimney-sweeper-former-princess was overwhelmed.
Two precious babies and oh my, how they cried!
She hugged them daily and noticed that it helped her own crying go away.
Yet with all that embracing, one big question obsessed her daily:
“Why did Mr. Knight yell at me so much? ”
“Is it something I SAID? ”, she wondered.
So she stopped talking.
After all, he DID tell her that she said stupid things.
“Is it the way I laugh? ”, she wondered.
After all, he DID say that she had an obnoxious laugh.
So she stopped laughing.
“Is it the way I dress? ” she wondered.
After all, he DID say that those shoes didn’t match that dress and how ever did he expect him to go out with her if she was going to wear that.
So she stopped dressing.
(NO, she did NOT go naked! Mr. Knight often called her “fat ass” and “cow”, interspersed with “clumsy” and “klutz”. So Mrs. Chimney-Sweeper-No-Longer-Princess tried to dress in a way that would play down her adorable bubble butt. )
Mrs. Kitchen-Mopper-No-Longer-Princess came to the conclusion that she was, oh, so weak because she didn’t know how to deal with so much yelling.
After all, Mr. Shining Armor DID constantly say,
“You are too sensitive!
The problem is that you need to hear things delivered on a silver platter! Well, have I got news for you. You are just a spoiled brat and you don’t even realize it!”
Mrs. No-Longer-Princess fell into a depression.
That lasted for quite some time.
But as with all fairy tales, this one has a happy ending.
One fine day, the ex-princess WOKE UP.
“A-HA! I’ve found it!
Here is the answer to the question that has been obsessing me all these years!”
It was right there in front of her.
Staring her squarely from the computer screen:
“You’ve always had the power.
It’s just that you gave it away.”
HUH? Was that REALLY it?
Yep. That was it.
*******
Power Realization # 1:
“It’s not ME! It’s HIM! HE is the one with the problems. He thinks that he can blame me for everything that is wrong in his world.”
Power Realization # 2:
“I am NOT weak!
Hell, no, I am one of the strongest woman alive to have tolerated so may years of anger!”
Power Realization # 3:
“I CAN make it on my own!
At the very least, I will NOT end up begging in the gutter as Mr. Soon-To-Be-Ex-Knight has often threatened me!”
Power Realization # 4:
“I AM a goddess!
I’ve been strong, and beautiful, and powerful all along! It’s just that those qualities were buried so deep that I didn’t even know it.”
Power Realization # 5:
“Not only am I a goddess
but ALL women are goddesses!”
Power Realization # 6:
“Many Goddesses-In-Hiding do not know their true power.
I know how horrible this feels.
I really want to help them someday!”
Power Realization # 7:
“Yes! I CAN do it!!!”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And so, the idea of Goddess was born.
I’m starting this new e-commerce adventure
because I want to help all the goddesses out there:
By employing down-on-their-luck goddesses.
By donating to organizations that help goddesses.
By selling artisan goddesses’ lovely creations.
I want to help ALL these lovely goddesses make a living
while infusing YOUR life with meaningful and beautiful objects.
And, in case you have any doubts, yes, that little viking princess was me.
In my new life, I blab A LOT!
And I laugh A LOT!
And I dress any old darn way I feel like it!
And I rarely dust the house, nor mop the floor anymore……..
Too many other beautiful things to do!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Why are YOU a goddess???
Just because.
YOU ARE.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Why the “my” in Hello My Goddess?
Have you ever noticed that when you really love someone you address them with the possessive word “my”?
Who hasn’t ever uttered words like these while talking to a loved one:
“How is my cut little doggy-woggy today? Want to go out for a walk?”
Why the “hello” in Hello My Goddess?
“Hello” is a symbol of recognition. I acknowledge your presence.
Everyone needs to be acknowledged.
Everyone needs love.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hello My Goddess!
I welcome you to my world.
Which is also YOUR world.
Which is really OUR WORLD!
Would you like to join our power revolution?
Did you like this story?
Or , rather, did you NOT like the beginning of this story?
Share it with your friends!
WHAT kind of abuse have you suffered in your life AND what have you learned as a result?
LET US KNOW (if you’re not shy) in the comments below.
By sharing, we can help support each other and regain our power!
[BTW, my ex really DID call me “viking” and “princess” almost daily while dating.
I didn’t just make that up. Neither did I make up the rest of the fairy tale.
It’s just that I found it less painful to tell my story in 3rd person.
It has been a rather daunting experience to put this in black and white and hit the Publish button.]
I decided it was about time I told you the real reason why I start my letters with “Hello my goddess!” yet as I am writing this I am surrounded by pins and needles and cutting shears and bits of linen…
…………so the last thing on my mind right now is to recount the saga of why I decided to name my new shop Hello My Goddess.
You see, the day after tomorrow I present my summer collection of linen clothes in a fashion show. YIKES! Did I say I was nervous? Well, I wasn’t…. yesterday. Today…oh, you better believe it, I AM!
Gosh, I am still in the process of sewing oodles and oodles of tiny little triangular bits of linen onto a sweet little bustier top.
Let’s pray it turns out OK as it’ll be part of the grand finale when the bride comes bustling down the runway!
Just when she is out there in all her crowning glory, all twirling about in a majestic linen cape and this (hopefully!) incredible bustier, the announcer will call out my name so that I go out and wave to the public.
“Hello My Goddess!”, I’ll shout down to the on-lookers! (No, not really! But I’ll be thinking of you, my dear friends, those of you who are supporting me from the side-lines and unable to come!)
Ever since I was a prepubescent preteen, I’d been fantasizing about designing for a fashion show……and, whaddya know, only about 4 decades later, this Friday, June 6th, will be the 3rd time I get to fulfill that dream. Yay!
Have you ever wanted to be an actress ….and finally landing the leading role in The Ice Queen?
Have you ever dreamed of playing the lead guitar in a rock & roll band….and just landed 5 gigs to play live in London?
Have you ever dreamed of going to Europe …and all of a sudden you find yourself with a croissant and a café au lait, in a cute little patisserie around the corner from Notre Dame?
Have you ever fantasized about living in a clean house…and all of a sudden your teen volunteers to vacuum the living room? (I wish! Dream on, girl!)
Yes, Dorothy, believe it or not, dreams (sometimes) really DO come true!
How did you feel when your dream came true? I am curious to know!
Everyone else is, too!
Please share your story down below in the comments 😉
And see you next time…
…with the true meaning of Hello My Goddess !
Right now I really gotta hurry on back to my ol’ faithful Singer and get this bridal outfit finished!
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“Without the past to cast its long shadow, might you see the future more clearly?” ― Diane Setterfield
Do you care about others?
Do you care about our planet?
Do you love to be surrounded by meaningful things?
With so much junk & cheap stuff out there already,
I asked myself, “Do I really want to add to our throw-out culture and to the growing
mountain of rubbish?”
My answer was a loud “NO!”
“Yet meaningful & beautiful items are NOT junk!”, I realized.
So I went on an inspiring treasure hunt.
I’ve decided to put together under one virtual roof
the most wonderful and meaningful objects I could find.
When curating, I asked myself,
“Does this artisan create beauty?”
“Does she care about others?”
“Does she care about our lovely planet?”
I challenge you to ask yourself the following:
Do you know who made your coffee cup?
Do you know by name the person who wove your bath towel?
And the pants you are wearing?
Who made them?
I don’t mean the obvious brand name,
I mean, who actually sewed them?
Do you even care?
Don’t you think that life would have more meaning
for ALL of US if ALL of US cared?
Is there anything you do in your daily life that helps the planet?
Or helps your community to flourish?
Don’t be shy and please leave your comments below.
Together let’s make the world a more beautiful place!
Join the conversation with a vibrant community of people like you.
Don’t forget to leave your name and e-mail in the box to your right
so I can let you know when new discussions are brewing.
