Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Dress Flip and You!



The Dress Flip and Ultra Chic Boutique are events sponsored by Max I. Walker. The ultimate goal of both events is to raise money for transitional housing for women and their children.  I was chosen as 1 of 10 designers to participate in The Dress Flip challenge. What is the challenge; to create one dress from 4 different dresses. Whomever creates the "best" dress wins that challenge. All of our final pieces will be put into the Ultra Chic Boutique as thousands of women race against time to find their perfect dress! All of the proceeds from sales at the Boutique go to the transitional housing.
I almost did not apply for this event because "I don't have time", "This is not a part of my 2016 plan" All the while giving these reasons, I kept looking at the application because....I really wanted to apply! I finally said, "Ok. What the hell. I'll apply", in that order. Only after I was selected, I realized how special of an event this is. Part of my plan is to connect my business with non-profit organizations that help women. Before I applied for challenge, I had been trying to come up with ways that I can start the connection now instead of waiting for my business to be known. Although this event is an indirect way, it's a start. I'm happy to be a part of it.
 So what is Tamu's unsolicited advice to you? Allow yourself to be "un-rigid" in your plans. I'm not saying to ignore your plans and just say "yes" to anything. I am saying try giving five extra minutes of thought to an opportunity that was not a part of "The Plan". If you look beyond it's surface, it could be the opportunity or the boost you need, it could be the answer to a question you've had, it could be the direction you've been looking for. Now, I have to stop writing. I have dresses to flip and two weeks to do it! Bye! (Wait. Don't leave yet. I've posted the four dresses I have to work with. I will post the final dress in two weeks!)
Turn these dresses into one?? It will be interesting!

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Studio Session




So who is the young woman that sings with Stevie Wonder in the Christmas commercial?! You know the commercial where you imagine that you are the third singer! (I know I can't be the only one!) In case you didn't know, her name is Andra Day. I love her voice. Her entire album "Cheers to the Fall" is a jewel. I listened to it over and over again yesterday while I was working. It gave me life, especially that lyric, "I don't know how to never try at all" It made me think of the things that I tried this year that were aka fails, aka "no-go's", aka "wtf's", aka "do-overs". If you are with me, for 2016, let's do-over, try again, but differently. In the meantime, turn your volume all the way up and play your life song, your album, your playlist and get ready to put a lid on 2015 and welcome 2016 with open arms.  Please share your life song with me!
"...We gonna walk it out...and move mountains"~ Rise Up by Andra Day.