A & B

                                                               Villa Roma Ski Resort 1991

Saturday night here I am home, waiting for the ventilation specialist to come and fix something in my attic. I don’t mind waiting around considering my week has gone by as one big blur.  Working, having a big meeting with a possible account for “Pretty Little Things” and filling out countless job applications (which if I have to copy and paste one more resume into a job database I‘ll be sick). I don’t really mind that all I have planned for my night is to watch Pearl Harbor, accompanied with my favorite glass of wine and my new tomato -red nail polish J

            I don’t know what to really blog about tonight.  I haven’t been writing as much as I’d like to be. I guess lately my family has been number one on my mind. I miss my parents and my sister. Last week I found out my grandmother who is 102 just got put into a nursing home.  That has been hard since it is not easy for me to make it home as often as I would like. Growing up with my parents and one sister our house never felt like we had to make “extra noise”. We came to enjoy quieter Holidays than our neighbors down the road.  My parents made sure my sister and I strived to do what we loved all through grade school. For my sister it was piano and theater. I was the Tomboy of our family. Always being outside running and traveling for meets and invitational’s (believe it or not).

A lot older now, my sister works through Campus Crusades and does a lot of traveling. Being in Charleston these last few months I’ve wished we had more time to talk and catch up. Hoping the next few months we will be able to talk more often I have been missing her. It is funny when I think back to how we were while growing up in Seneca Falls. Coralie and I have always been two completely different people. When we were younger we had the title of being “The Schulman Twins”. Truthfully, even to this day we don’t have a lot in common (besides our curly hair, laugh and addiction to anything sweet) we understand each other on such a stronger level than ever. Through our stubbornness Coralie has been the one person who has never and will never let me down. Trying to find who you are as a person, being by yourself, financial issues and social pulls it can be lonely and stressful at times. But having my sister there, always with her words of support and a prayer she has seen me in my most vulnerable state as a puddle on the floor to better times, standing tall with my head held high. I’m so happy to have you as my sister.

 Love you A.  B xo

                                                                                       Shrine Mont CFO 2011

"People who Eat White Bread don't have any Dreams"-Diana Vreeland

In this last month with endless research, sketching, planning, organizing, late night doubt and early morning enthusiasm the saying “ to go out on a limb” has been profoundly marked. Finally being at the place where I know I am ready to show my product and to take whatever comes each day my way has been a surprisingly relieving feeling. Along with being the scariest and most thrilling choice I have made yet. I am happy to say “Pretty Little Things”(http://www.facebook.com/StyleMePretty.Charleston) has been booming throughout the Charleston area.  Thinking back to just a month or two ago with a collection of ideas and having only sketches of ruffles, lace and big-toed figures to show I can proudly say my passion has finally becoming recognized. I want to thank all of you, my amazing support system of family and friends for every single word of encouragement.

Believing in something. That burning feeling of knowing we need to be able to trust ourselves. Personally, for myself it has been the feeling of having a purpose. To show what I have worked so hard to become and let people enjoy my skills and talents; whether it’s designing, teaching, illustrating… or all three! Knowing that everything has been coming together, then being able to step to the sideline and see the people around me excited with all the work and energy being put into “Pretty Little Things” it has been an unbelievable feeling. You guys have given me the courage and sense of knowing I am going in the right direction. I love you all, thank you.

"These are a Few of my Favorite Things..."

                                                                Brown paper packages

                                                                     Morning coffee

                                                                     The color blue

                                                                          Dresses

                                                                           Blush

                                                                    Thunderstorms

                                                                 Hand written letters

                                                                         Riesling.

                                          Leaving the theater after watching a good movie.

                                                                     Bubble baths.

                                                                     Beach walks

                                                                      Illustrating.

                                                                        Sewing.

                                                               Good conversations.

                                                                       Seasons.

                                                                         Lake.

                                                             Wrap-around porches.

                                                              Surprise phone calls.

                                                                       Freckles.

                                       

                                                

Lake Laura

Lake Laura Orkney Springs, VA

I forgot how small the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport is. The time is about 10am and I’m sitting here waiting for my flight to head back to Charleston. Already with three cups of coffee in I thought this would be a great time to write (and to help take my nerves off flying).

I am amazed how much nature can heal and strengthen a person. I’ve been so tired and truthfully burnt-out.  During my week at Orkney Springs, surrounded by the outdoors with the joy of getting to walk everywhere.  Waking up, seeing first thing the mountains, I wasn’t surprised how easy it was falling into "relax" mode. Yet, sitting in this airport, with my lists already made-up for this week (before 9am) of business goals, errands and chores I’ve caught myself feeling the worldly stress beginning to come back as quickly as it had left. What I wanted out of this week was to find patience. Patience for being where I am right now, as well as for what is to come. However, I find myself traveling back to Charleston with a sense of so much more – value.

On Thursday I had the opportunity to go on a run with a few other campers. Meeting at the entrance of Shrine Mont the five of us with our sneakers, water bottles and beach towels (for the swim across Lake Laura) we ran through the little town and out into the country. About ten minutes into our run we were met with a horse trail that followed the perimeter of Lake Laura. Running up and down the hills, scraping around the tight turns and balancing over loose rocks and tree roots gave me the kind of adrenaline rush I haven’t experienced in a very long time. With the view of Lake Laura never leaving us it was a peaceful-sweaty heart pumping experience. Through the middle of the run the heavy worry of leeches and snakes disappeared with the feeling of cool calm water. We swam across and back; treading water I stopped in awe of the view where I hiked North Mountain just the day before and where my group and I ate lunch. I remembered thinking how I thought a person could only feel small in an airplane. But there I was in the middle of this huge lake, deep in a valley with trees, sun and mountains looking up a few hundred miles.

John Hobbs talked about the importance of making memories. How we as people, need to make memories. We mold our stories from good and bad memories.  I was making a good memory that I’ll never forget. I am blessed to have experienced that awesome moment. Oh, and I am happy to say I am officially a member of the “Shrine Mont Run and Swim Club" Thank you and much love to you, Rick Cook.