Following a brilliant night of creative visions at the Dream Box workshop, I had another fantastic day in D.C. I took my second yoga class at Tranquil Space and then strolled around Dupont Circle enjoying the sunshine and soaking up the local neighborhood character.
In the evening I had the chance to meet up with the lovely Ananda, another creative beauty. We enjoyed a great conversation and yummy dinner at one of Ananada’s favorite local spots, Teaism. I felt so blessed getting to connect with so many of my online blogging friends in-person during this trip!
Then on Sunday I headed to Georgetown for the Creativity in Business Conference to lead my Right-Brain Business Plan breakout session and commune with other creative spirits. What an awesome trip. I look forward to returning to the capital city again for more fun, creative adventures.
I’m loving my visit to Washington D.C. so far! Today was filled with dreamy and inspiring adventures.
I kicked the day off with yoga at Kimberly Wilson‘s gorgeous studio Tranquil Space. The class was challenging and grounding. Just what I needed to decompress from all the travel. I love the quote on the wall of the yoga room. The studio is brimming with so many beautiful details like the gold stars on the floor…
And a yummy selection of tea. I could’ve stayed in the studio the whole afternoon browsing the book shelves and admiring all the TranquiliT wear!
Later on in the day, I met up with a friend that I hadn’t seen in more than 15 years (gotta love Facebook for that!). She’s doing really awesome and inspiring work with animals and I really enjoyed catching up with her. I’m so glad that we reconnected!!
In the evening, I went over to Kimberly’s pink palace to lead my Dream Box workshop with a group of wonderfully creative women. It was so cool to meet a bunch of people in person for the first time and also to see some familiar faces from Kimberly’s March yoga retreat. There’s Tiffany at the left, Kimberly, Chai, Ana, Lauren and Sharon.
Here’s Sharon with her twin sister Sherry. They both have the most endearing laugh.
Hope brought some of her Paper Relics goodies which the girls just ate up! Next to her is the Danielle who took my Right-Brain Business Plan teleclass earlier this year, so it was cool to meet her in person. And next to her is Lauren who made the super cool mobile Right-Brain Business Plan.
Kimberly’s cat Bonnard was hilarious. He got cozy on the magazines and stared us down as we crafted and collaged.
Aren’t these dream boxes lovely? One of my favorite things is seeing how unique and beautiful each person’s boxes and dreams are.
Here’s another dream box. On the inside of the lid behind the window she collaged a garden. What a great idea!
And here I am kickin’ it with Kimberly after my huge post-workshop TranquiliT shopping spree! Thank you Kimberly for being a wonderful workshop host and a big inspiration. I’m looking forward to another amazing day in D.C. tomorrow.
What a treat it was to visit Leah in Boston this past weekend. She’s such a sweetie! Not only did I have a blast co-leading our Creative Play workshop with her, I really enjoyed just hanging out, meeting her great hubby and her cute kitties and getting the local’s tour of the city.
On Friday, we walked around Newbury Street. I wanted to check out OAK which had lots of cute handmade goods. We also stopped into the Fluevog store and Leah scored some super awesome turquoise shoes! So cute! I tried on a bunch of pairs, but alas, the boots I wanted didn’t quite work out for me. I will continue coveting :).
We also went to the art store and I asked Leah to give me some expert advice on supplies. I picked up a quill and some ink to play with — fun!
One of my favorite parts of the trip was getting to see Leah’s art up close and personal. If you think her paintings look beautiful on her website, you’d be blown away at how gorgeous the colors, layers and textures are in-person. I spent so much time just poring over all her amazing art! I knew I wanted to buy something, but it was really hard to choose. I ended up getting the cool mixed media piece above called Blackbird Forest. It feels so quiet and serene to me and I love that she used some Asian newsprint for the background. It fits in nicely in my dining room.
Leah surprised me with this darling “yoga Jenn” painting. I absolutely love it! And it’s perfect on the altar in my yoga/meditation room.
After seeing several cuddling cat photos on Leah’s blog throughout the years, I enjoyed finally getting to meet the four meows. Tabbers is certainly a character! Even though I’m allergic to cats, I couldn’t resist petting him especially when he would just come and plop himself on my lap.
Sadie snuggled up with me for a bit on the couch when Leah and I watched Glee.
Here’s Emma hiding away in an empty moving box. Shy Sasha remained elusive during the kitty photo shoot.
And can you believe this gorgeous pond is within walking distance of Leah’s beautiful new house?! A hike through the woods on Sunday was the perfect end to a perfect trip. Thanks Leah for being the hostess with the mostess! I look forward to your visit out here when we bring Creative Play to the Bay Area — woohoo!
I had so much fun in Boston this past weekend visiting with Leah Piken Kolidas. Our Creative Play workshop on Saturday was a blast and it was such a treat to finally meet so many creative souls and online friends in-person.
After the workshop, Mindy, Melba McMullin (who braved a hellish commute from Cape Cod), Leah and I did a road trip up to New Hampshire to catch the Squam art fair. I’ll share more about that exciting adventure later!
Here are the pieces that I put together. We used small cards to encourage quick collaging. Since we gave permission to be messy and silly and to make bad art, I found it so much easier to make some wacky things that I probably normally wouldn’t do. It didn’t need to make sense or look good, but boy did some of my images make me laugh!
Last week I was in New York for Book Expo America, the largest trade show of the publishing industry. For this first-time conference attendee and aspiring author, the show was overwhelming but also quite educational and inspirational. I learned about and met various publishers and got a better sense of what goes on in the professional world of books!
I picked up several advanced copies (one of the show perks!) and I’m excited to dig in. Plus, I got a sneak-peek at some cool titles coming out this fall including: Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey and the Craft Inc. Business Planner by Meg Mateo Ilasco. Definitely check these out! I was drooling.
I was so busy wandering the halls and soaking it all in that I didn’t get to any of the seminars. Heard there were some good ones on social networking and e-books/Kindle. During my roaming, however, I happened to bump into the brilliant and witty author Karen Salmansohn who I saw speak last year at a Ladies Who Launch event for her awesome book Bounce Back. She was tremendously helpful and offered valuable feedback and insights into some of my projects. I am so grateful! Plus it was fun to see her in action giving love advice for her new book, Prince Harming: Break Bad Relationship Patterns for Good Using the Timeless Secrets of Aristotle. Man, this woman is sharp and hilarious!
My friend Cami Walker’s forthcoming book 29 Gifts: How One Month of Giving Changed my Life was featured at the Perseus Books booth. I loved reading an excerpt from the samplers they had out and loved seeing her book cover (different from these samplers) displayed on a big screen at the booth, too. She has an amazing personal story. I’m thrilled for her, her book and her giving movement.
And not only did I get to hang out with my college roomie, Matea, in Brooklyn before the show, I also got to reunite with my friends Rae, Moon and Lesley from Kimberly Wilson’s March Hip Tranquil Chick Retreat. Lesley was actually at BEA as well representing the Girl Scouts. I was impressed by the programs and accompanying books they have for helping young girls build leadership skills. Things sure have changed since I was a Brownie!
I’m still integrating all that I learned from my research, the contacts I made and the guidance from my book coach. And I’m extremely excited about the next chapter of my own book ideas!
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Kimberly Wilson’s Hip Tranquil Chick Retreat in New York. Two-plus days full of creativity, yoga, journaling, meditation and lots of other yummy activities – who could ask for more? Oh yeah, and some retail therapy (Kimberly brought pieces from her spring line of TranquiliT eco-clothing) so, of course, I had to pick up a few things!
I took Kimberly’s Yoga and Creativity workshop in San Francisco last year, so I enjoyed getting a whole weekend to bask in the hip and tranquil lifestyle!
There was a dreamy library brimming with books written by women. I loved how there were lots of cozy corners in the farmhouse. My intention for the weekend was self-care, so I went to bed early and slept in late and took every opportunity to nourish myself.
On Saturday night we made vision boards while watching Sex and the City. It was lots of fun! On the floor in the front, there’s Mary Knebel founder of Self Help Goddess, a website that brings together the best of self-help resources.
Kimberly invited me to lead a section of the retreat. I guided the group through a visualization to meet their Inner Muse and we broke out the crayons, markers and glitter glue to create Inner Muse portraits. What a treat to see the creativity flowing and to hear some of the personal discoveries. Thanks, Kimberly for an amazing opportunity!!
Lesley Williams from the Creative Cookie and I paired up to discuss how we can improve aspects of our “Wheel of Life.” It was great to share ideas for living a healthy life!
Kimberly had us do our vision boards on folders. What a brilliant idea! My vision board focused on finishing my book and book proposal with ease and flow. So many ideas bubbled up for me during this retreat and I’m excited to start working on them. Also, participating in this retreat and getting to lead a couple of hours helped underscore for me my goal of leading retreats for women in the future.
Me with Kimberly Wilson and Sharon Burton
I had a blast getting to chat with Kimberly throughout the weekend. And I was thrilled to finally meet my blogging buddy Sharon Burton in person! We’ve been connecting on Twitter, Facebook and our blogs for some time and Sharon’s also taking my Right-Brain Business Plan Teleclass, so it was really cool to hang out with her!
And here are all the magnificent ladies! I met such cool, amazing and inspiring women and I’m really excited about what they’re up to!
If you’re wanting to go on retreat either away or for a few hours at home, check out Jennifer Louden’s The Women’s Retreat Book which offers some great suggestions for designing your own personal getaway. I highly recommend going on retreat at least once a year to clear your head and to relish in relaxation and rejuvenation.
(Note: last five photos are from Kimberly Wilson and Sharon Burton).
I’m in Dallas this weekend for the annual eWomen Network Conference. It’s been an amazing past few days meeting so many talented, smart and savvy women (there are about 3,000 women entrepreneurs here at the Hyatt Regency!)
One of my favorite things was getting to spend lots of quality one-on-one time with publishing experts and authors as part of the eWomen Publishing Network. I got fantastic “femtoring” (as eWomen Network founder Sandra Yancey likes to say) from Jan King, my book coach and founder of the eWomen Network Publishing Network, Debbie Mzarek, a fabulous woman I met a last year’s conference and author of “The Field Guide to Sales,” Jennifer Madson, a fellow lady launcher and author of “A Financial Minute,” Gail Richards, a fellow creative spirit and head of Author Smart, AND (OMG!!!!) the brilliant and wonderfully down-to-earth Tama Kieves author of a super-inspiring and best-selling book, “This Time I Dance.” I read it a couple of years ago right around the time I quit my corporate job and it was just what I needed to hear then. Anyway, I shared my Right-Brain Business Plan, dream box and Unfolding Your Life Vision collage books with her and she was so thrilled!
I even asked Tama to give a video testimonial for me, which she so graciously did as you can see below. All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!
And if all that wasn’t enough, while I was in the Publishing Pavilion, I met this really sharp woman April from Georgia. We hit it off and she invited me to dinner with her friends from the Savannah eWomen chapter. So I got to know Deborah, Melissa, Nanci and Judy, too! What a positive and empowered group of women.
I can’t wait to continue connecting with them after the conference. There are so many other cool people I’ve met here, and I’m sure I’ll meet more tomorrow before I head home.
The morning always starts off with some surprise entertainment. So today we saw jugglers John and Owen of The Passing Zone. These two funny guys pulled off crazy stunts including juggling machetes while balancing on a beam and standing on top of each other.
And then they juggled sickles while a brave audience member balanced spinning plates and a ball! (I’m glad I wasn’t in her shoes!).
And finally, a really inspiring part of the program was hearing Sandra talk about The GLOW Project, which includes a full-length movie and a magazine to showcase uplifting success stories of women. They had a panel of a few of the women featured in the movie and it was extremely touching to hear about their journeys and how they keep their inner glow burning.
Whew… It’s been a very, very full day and I have lots of great ideas to absorb! I’m always amazed at the power of networking with so many incredible women.
At the end of April I took a short trip to London to visit with four of my dear friends from my leadership tribe. It had been about three and a half years since we were all together, so we were thrilled to have a mini-reunion.
The four bellas – a radiantly pregnant Tina, Lisa, me and Fiona – were happy to be together. We have been connecting off and on on the phone over the past several years and it’s always like a breath of fresh air when we’re all together. Fiona, being the fabulous idea generator that she is came up with a “development day” concept where each of us got time to share what was going on in our lives and get support, coaching, insights and feedback. Pretty awesome considering we’re all trained coaches who care deeply about each other!
Beks‘ son Callum and Fiona’s son Pierre meet for the first time. Too cute!
A gorgeous view from Richmond Park where we spent a warm, sunny afternoon with the boys.
All five of us together before heading out to dinner at a delicious Turkish restaurant.
We dined on yummy sweet potato and ginger soup in the lovely Petersham Nurseries greenhouse. Just heavenly!
A view of the Thames from the Petersham Hotel where we enjoyed high tea complete with finger sandwiches sans crusts and scones with clotted cream. A table near us had a group of gray-haired well-dressed women and we joked that that would be us forty years from now at one of our future reunions! I love to think of us continuing to make time to connect like that. These women are such an important part of my life and we have seen each other through lots of growth and transition. I am so glad I said yes to this spontaneous trip to spend time with dear friends.
Just when I thought I was done with my travels, I found out last week that my dad was in the hospital with pneumonia. So last weekend, I took a quick trip down to L.A. to visit the family. It was unsettling to see him weak and out of breath. What a relief to watch him perk up when my nephews popped by. Fortunately, he’s doing much better now and is finally back at home resting and recovering.
Being in my hometown brought back some fond memories of my Japanese/Chinese-American heritage. On Saturday night, my sister-in-law’s mom cooked a Chinese New Year dinner at my brother’s house. I delighted in eating one of my favorite childhood treats, almond jello, for dessert. I do miss the days when I would receive those little red envelopes from my grandmother on my dad’s side. We didn’t really celebrate a traditional Chinese New Year, but as a kid, you bet I was willing to say “Gung Hay Fat Choy” in exchange for a bit of pocket money ;).
The next day, after visiting my dad in the hospital, my mom took me to Little Tokyo for lunch. I had a delicious warm bowl of udon. I remember going to J-Town do shows in a performing arts group called Inochi and taking part in the Cherry Blossom Festival. Next time I’m down there, I want to see the Japanese American National Museum since I haven’t been to its newer, larger space.
Being home and spending time with family reconnected me to my roots. For someone who’s typically thinking about the future, it was refreshing to be reminded of where I’ve been and where I came from. How do you reconnect with your history and heritage? What traditions do you honor in your life?
The past 10 days have been a whirlwind of excitement, connection, fulfillment and fun! I visited Washington DC to be a Circle Coach for Quest, returned home to lead a dream box workshop at It’s Yoga and then flew out to Cleveland for our Ladies Who Launch leader training. I had a great time at all the different events. And this weary traveler is happy to be home (where it’s not snowing!).
Quest was amazing. What an honor to help shepherd our Questers on their journey of discovering their leadership essence and taking action on their inspiring Quests. I look forward to seeing how they each continue to make their unique impact on the world!
The icing on the cake was meeting up with my friends John and Marie last Saturday night in DC. I hadn’t seen John in about three years and this was my first time meeting Marie in person. What a treat!
Had one day back home to make dream boxes with the yoga teacher trainers including students from Mexico, Israel, Japan and all across the US. I’m always so moved by what the participants dream of and create!
Next up, Cleveland! On our first day there, Launy, Corinne and I ventured to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’m no music buff, so much of the paraphernalia was beyond me. But I did get a kick out of seeing a letter that Madonna wrote to a friend while she was at the University of Michigan, Jim Morrison’s report cards from grade school and drawings that Jimi Hendrix did as a kid.
California girls Launy, me, Corinne and Claire braving the snow. It was so much fun to be at the training with these smart, savvy gals. And we’re so excited to bring all our launching energy back to our fellow Bay Area launchers.
Oh, and I just had to take a picture of the infamous chocolate cake that magically appeared after every meal. Good thing we had yoga class Friday morning to work off such decadence.
And finally, a beautiful shot of all 14 leaders in training from across the US and Canada along with our awesome trainer Stella. What an amazing group of women!
