"Can I take a picture of you for my blog?"

"Hi, my name is Anita and I am a writer and I'm working on a piece on beauty and women for my blog. I am taking pictures of beautiful women to post on my blog. Can I take a picture of you?" And with this little introduction, I approached about a dozen women of various ages (16 - 75 years) at Boca's famous Town Center Mall. I was there at the Apple store to drop off my son's laptop...water damage..or more like...lemonade damage. Poor kid was actually trying to complete his homework during lunch at my behooving when some kid pushed some other kid and somehow, someone's lemonade ended up all over my son's laptop. Needless to say, it shut down and  has not turned on since. So I was at the Apple store to figure out our options.  Turns out, it costs approximately $750 to repair water damage or one could just buy a new Mac starting at $1000.

Well, I digress. So back to my little experiment. As I waited in the Apple store, I saw this beautiful woman walk by. She was beautiful, but not in the traditional sense of the word, but there was just something about her that was so exquisite that I couldn't help but ask her the question....And to be honest, up till the moment that the words came out of my mouth, I had no idea that I was going to be doing this. But once the sentence was out, it was like I had committed to it and had to see it through.

Now let me assure you that I was intimidated to approach random women in Boca. For if you know Boca, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Rich, white folks, dressed to kill even when dressed casually, in the latest fashion, carrying the most expensive purses, with the designer shoes and sunglasses to complete the look. Well they're not all white but rich and uppity folks none the less. And I admit that this is my perception of Boca. I've always felt out of place there. Its as though they look down on people like me who not only are not rich but are as down to earth and non-caring of fashion trends as they come. None the less, I mustered up the courage and looked around me at all the many women in the different shapes, sizes, colors and ages. And I saw the most perfectly imperfect women everywhere! Every face I saw, radiated beauty.  Just the realization that we are all one...we are all just spiritual beings having a human experience in this time and place together, filled my heart with joy and sadness. Sadness only because I could sense with many of the women that they had forgotten who they really were and were filled with doubt and shame. Its not something they said but its their energy that I was sensing. Call it my sixth sense to be able to pick up on people's inner demons.

Sadly, I had more girls and women say no to having their pictures taken then I had women who said yes. But I gave out my business cards like candy to any of them who would actually accept it.

Guess how old she is?

Isn't she stunning...bandaid and all...and she is Rola, 28 years old with her MBA from FIU.

Just loved her energy!!! God Bless her!

I asked this beautiful white woman who was a bit on the skinny side and was at the Gymboree store with her mom. She just said, "No sorry!" and her eyes immediately looked down to the floor.  I thanked her and handed her my card which she did accept, and let them be.

I saw these two women walking toward me and I mustered up the courage and said, "Excuse me...my name is Anita......"  One of them, who was actually dressed to kill, immediately tried to get away from me in case I were to snap a picture of her, with my simple little IPhone. She smiled awkwardly and said "No way!" but her friend, this brave, beautiful woman happily posed for me. Isn't she stunning?  Can you see her beautiful spirit radiate in her eyes and her smile! And she is in her early 20's.

Next I walked by one of the kiosks and saw this gorgeous woman who asked me if I spoke Spanish, which I don't really...Well, I did study it for 3 years in high school but not enough to carry on a conversation. I can understand it if the person speaks very slowly. Anyways, she did understand why I was taking the picture and asked to see them when I took a few. But she didn't like them and decided to take her glasses off for the next one.

I walked in to the Limited and asked the salesperson behind the counter but she excused herself to go in the back and ask her supervisor and came back and explained that she couldn't while at work. I respected that.
As I was walking out I saw this gorgeous 30 some year old latin woman who again, was happy to have her picture taken.

I stopped at this other kiosk to buy some essential oils (lavender and patchouli) and asked the sales woman in the peach jacket and she said that I should take a picture of her co-worker (in yellow). So I did once she agreed and then I managed to convince the one in peach that she too was beautiful. She smiled embarrassingly and let me take a picture of her. She is in her early 40's.

I asked a couple of women who looked like they were in their late 70's ...these perfectly done up older, white women and they literally just looked down their nose to me and shrugged me off as though I was some annoying fly. :) I thanked them and walked away with my card still in my hand since they refused to even accept my card.

That was a bit discouraging and I hesitated to ask others although that only lasted a few minutes. And I was back to asking again.

The department stores with their counter after counter full of creams, perfumes and makeup.

I just didn't have the courage to ask these two as they walked by me.

And I just had to take a pic of this guy. He worked in the shoe dept and is in his early 20's. Wow!!! Now that takes courage!  I walked by him when I entered the store and I heard this elderly woman go up to him and say, "You are absolutely beautiful!" To which I responded, "I second that." He had the most beautiful smile.  So when I was walking out of the store, I saw that he was still in the same area, I asked him if I could take a picture of him and he shrugged and said, "Sure."  He actually looks even better in person when he smiles!!!

selfie with shoe guy

Add caption

So this little experiment just confirmed what I'd suspected all along.

More to come on the "You are Beautiful" project.

Love, Light and Blessings,
Anita 

It is about to go down!!!

Hello fellow travelers on this journey of life!!! I haven't written in a while because I'm always censoring myself in my head and then end up not writing at all because the things I want to say, to share are personal, sometimes not so pleasant and sometimes plain out controversial... so I behave like the good girl that I'm expected to be and not write a damn word...oh and not curse at all too...but enough with that bs...i am done...u know at 41 years old...i don't need to be worrying about offending people...if they don't like what I write or do, then don't read it. Feel free to just ignore me and my work. I won't take it personally, I promise! :)  but before going any further, I have to give credit where credit is due. I absolutely adore my fellow blogger, writer and dear friend, Gabe Berman. Now Gabe and I have never met in person, but communicated enough be in on the phone or via Facebook or text. Gabe is a kindred. He is also the author of 2 awesome books!!! (Live Like a Fruit Fly & Where is God when your loved ones get sick? - both available on Amazon).
So as I read Gabe blog about his daily life in Long Island, I smile, my heart smiles because he is HONEST!!!! He writes as he thinks and feels and I respect that. I used to believe that one should not curse in their writings but I realize now that if that is how one communicates/ thinks...then that is what should be included....hell we all curse don't we...even the most holy of us occasionally slip up in our heads if not out loud. So as I read Gabe's most recent posts, I was inspired to just be honest...be vulnerable...be myself...perhaps others will recognize a bit of themselves in my experience of life....after all I can't be the only weirdo who thinks, acts and feels like I do.

Alright so here goes...

I am not known for being diplomatic...in fact...i lack it! and to be quite honest, I find it exhausting. So let me share a recent episode of yet another time, when I put my foot in my mouth and walked away immediately regretting it.
I recently attended a funeral of a dear aunt who lost her battle to cancer at the young age of 52. I adored her and respected her and still can't believe she is gone. In fact, I found myself talking to her just the other evening as I was sitting at my jewelry table working on a piece. And in my head, I could see her smile and respond. Now please be clear that I am not a psychic or a clarevoyant and most definitely am not a Ghost Whisperer. But this was a just me missing a loved one who left way too soon!

Alright, back to being with family members before her funeral. Isn't it funny how we all come together for weddings and funerals and although funerals are by nature, supposed to be sad and they are sad but they are also a time of laughter and connection. We tend to come together as a family unit as we together mourn the loss of our loved ones.  While we wait for the funeral or get together after the funeral, we break bread together and cousins hang out together and aunts usually are helping out in the kitchen while the uncles sit back and watch the scene unfold. So it was at one such dinner the night before the funeral that I walked in to the home and immediately was surrounded by family members whom I hadn't seen since my divorce 10 years ago...oh did I fail to mention this was my ex husband's aunt. :) Well she was and although I've always been invited at weddings and other occasions, I have never gone. But there was no way I was missing her funeral. I had been in regular touch with her over the years and had a lot of respect for the strong, educated woman that she was.

So here I was standing with an uncle and aunt whom I had not seen in about 12 years. Now they have a son who is a senior in high school and is about to graduate. So naturally the conversation flowed towards his plans for college. They informed me almost proudly that they had decided that they didn't want him going away to an expensive university because he would get the same education attending a local community college for two years and then would look into transferring to a university to finish his Bachelors degree. They started to tell me how the son was going to basically follow in his father's footsteps and become a US customs inspector of some sort. They continued to explain how that would be wonderful for him and in 5 years, he had the potential of becoming a plant supervisor or something like that. Now I stood there just blown away. Why would you want your son to do what you do? Not that there is anything wrong with what he does but they live in America, the land of the free and opportunity.  America, one of the few countries in the world where one can access the BEST education available. And yet their aspirations for him were to have the life and successes that the father had experienced.  Not being college graduates themselves, the mother had been a stay at home mom for the most part and I respect that. No judgement there. In fact, I applaud and encourage all mothers who can make it work, to stay home and raise their kids for as long as they possibly can. And the father, I believe had completed enough college courses etc to be promoted to the supervisor position. At first the conversation was quite polite. But I think I lost in when the father said to me that in about 5 years, their son will make to a position of a supervisor and make about a $100,000 a year. HUH??? WHAT?!!! Are you kidding me? $100,000??? what is that...how much is that...what kind of lifestyle can one really afford with $100,000 a year. Now obviously I see the judgement exuding from my words because I know many families who make a lot less than that a year and are happy and healthy. But my immigrant roots scream in opposition as I remember the sacrifices our parents made when they came to America while in their 30'a to start over a new life for their kids. We were raised with the "You have to go to college. You have to get your Bachelors, You have to get a Masters! You have to make something of yourself. You have to preferably be in a career where you're working with your head and not with your hands." You see, our parents no matter what their education backgrounds from the mother lands of India and Pakistan, had to start from the bottom up with jobs such as working at What a Burger, the local dry cleaners, delivering pizza and even driving a cab in Chicago. They struggled and eventually were able to make a life for us. They worked two jobs, sacrificed the fancy lifestyle even when they could afford it to put us through college all in the hopes that we would have a better life than they ever could imagine for themselves. Because that alone would justify the sacrifices they made.
So back to the uncle and aunt, long story short, I basically said something similar to "Don't you want your son to have a better life than you?" and "Why aren't you encouraging him to aim higher". Of course I immediately bit my tongue and regretted those words ever leaving my lips...but it was done. I politely ended that conversation as I wished them the best and "I'm sure he will do great" etc etc etc bullshit.... and walked away from them, avoiding them for the rest of the weekend. I felt like an idiot and indeed I was a jerk for imposing my views, my expectations for my children on their family. But oh well...another lesson learned...keep your mouth shut Anita!!!
Later as the boys and I flew back home, I told them about this conversation and they just smiled and shrugged their head. "Mom!!! Only you!!!" they both said. Aly told me that he had a similar conversation about college with them and instead of blurting out like the idiot that I am, he was very mature and diplomatic and he bit his tongue and politely stood there saying nothing. He said, "Mom, I realized that that was their way of thinking and it was not my place to tell them any different." Damn!!!! Smart kid!!!! Now why didn't I think of that!! Oh well...yet another lesson learned....when in doubt keep my mouth shut. :)

Over and out!
Sending you love, light and blessings.
Anita

A Few Things You Might Not Necessarily Know About Me.

I love mangoes, longons, lychees and custard apples. 

I love writing which is equivalent to playing with play dough for me. I could take a piece of writing and go back and edit and re-edit it until I have written the whole thing over again. 

I adore vintage luggage and white-washed older furniture pieces with character. I also love lamps, bookshelves and wicker baskets! 

I have always loved singing but unlike other girls from India who have melodious voices, I have always had a deep, manly voice. As a little girl, I use to sing into my hairbrush and practice my acceptance speech as I went up to receive my Grammy. Alas, I will not be winning any awards for singing. In fact, they might consider giving me an award for not singing. :)

I love spending time near the ocean. The vastness of the ocean, the rhythm of the waves, the warmth of the sun on my bare skin, the smooth sand beneath my toes, laying down and staring up at the clear blue skies thru the luscious palm trees. It recharges me. I feel rejuvenated. 

I feel privileged to have worked with youth for over 10 years in various capacities. And have made an impact on their lives in some small way.

I love getting lost in a new book 

which enriches my mind, fills my 

soul with hope and joy 

and encourages me to dream. 

These days I find myself delving 

into the various magazines published 

by Sommerset which include: 

Where Women Create, 

Where Women Create Business, 

Artful Blogging etc. 

As an artist with a budding business 

in its infancy stage, I find enormous 

encouragement and ideas for where 

I see my baby growing into. 

I invite and relish the challenge of creating a custom piece for a client. To be able to actualize their vision into reality is awesome! And it pushes me as an artist to try something new and different. These end up being some of my best sellers when I offer them in my shop.

I love traveling to other countries and learning the local culture, discovering the little hole in the wall joints and discovering places off the beaten path. 

I have had the good fortune to travel to France, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, India, Nepal, St Thomas, Cayman Island, Greece. 

My favorite places in the world these days are the west coast of USA with the beautiful Pacific Ocean and Santorini, Greece. I hope to spend a summer there renting a cottage over looking the cliff/water and writing one of my many best sellers. Ameen!

That's all for now! Until next time. Please feel free to share something about yourself.

Love, Light, and Blessings,

Anita

Home Studio Space Revamped!

As many of you know, I am very new to this artist thing...now mind you, I am not new to the artsy craftsy thing...i've been crafting ever since I can remember...whether I was painting dressers, tables and bookshelves bought from garage sales and then stamping them or sewing pillows and table cloths while I was pregnant with my first born Aly and was totally in the nesting mode. (moms will know exactly what I mean) ....but I never dared call myself an artist! Hello I'm Indian (born in India, not American Indian) until the age of 12 which is when my family decided to migrate to the USA. But at the age of 40, after attending Liz Lameroux's Be Present Retreat (http://www.bepresentretreats.com), I came back re-evaluating everything about my life...this retreat was a game changer for me....and I slowly but surely started to shed my years of identities taken on by life to uncovering my true self which was....(clearing my throat)...an artist! 

Even today after 9 months of launching my ETSY shop and selling a few of my art journals and plenty of my custom made jewelry pieces, I hesitate to call myself an artist. You see, in my head, an artist is someone who can draw, paint etc etc...and yes although I can art journal,...i can't really draw or paint like say a painting. .:)

None the less, I have taken over the front room of our home, which is designed to be the formal living room of the house as my studio space.  It started about 2 years ago with just a large, oval, antique Ethan Allen off white dining table which I use as my desk and art table to then adding a long table by the window to work on my beads/ jewelry...but found that my Project Life / scrapbooking never got touched because I simply never had the table space for it...I'd have to clean up the paints or the sewing machine or whatever it was I was working on before I could work on something new....and it just wasn't happening. 

But then a few weeks ago, one of my neighbors put out their used office furniture out on the curb for bulk pick up. The furniture was used but in excellent condition. What caught my eye was the handsome cherry with black inset desk top!!! It was just sitting there. The kids and I pulled over our suv on our way home one night and got out of the car to examine it. I realized that although most of the pieces were good pieces, I only really would find use for the tabletop but having no certain plans or space for using the table top, I walked or rather drove away from it.

Well, my sons being my sons, decided to go carry it home the next day so that my youngest could use it to skate on. When I saw it sitting in the garage, I was a little confused as to why it was there. Zayn told me that it was not the right size or height to skate on and this is when I decided to go ahead and see if I could incorporate it into my work area. So I did! I moved around these cubes and drawers that I had bought a few years ago from Michael's to organize my craft supplies. These became the perfect base for the table. And I lined up the tables perpendicular to each other at the corners so that it created a nice U shaped work area. But then I wanted to tie the place together and decided to sew simple table skirts made of off white duct / canvas fabric (only $6 a yard). 

So off to Joanne's fabrics I went but once there I found myself drawn to the beautiful Waverly patterned fabrics which I have always loved!!!! So I had an idea. I bought a yard each of 8 different patterns (stripes, florals etc). I also bought 9 yards of off white belt trim which I used to finish off the skirt. I cut up 1/2 yard of each of the patterns including the off white duck/canvas material and sewed it all together. I made sure to iron the fabrics before and after sewing them and used hot glue to put the belt trim at the bottom of the skirts. I made two separate skirts (one for each table) and also used plain canvas panels to cover the area underneath the jewelry table. 

Here area  few pics!!!

Before...

After...

In a perfect world, I would have another work surface/area for my painting and art journaling and another for my writing / blogging etc. but this will have to do for now!!!

And I love how it all came together. Now anyone who is fortunate to have any kinda space for their crafting will tell you that organizing it is a constant process of moving things around, assigning items you don't normally use to the garage and incorporating new baskets, boxes and cups etc to store things in an asthetically  pleasing manner. After all, an artist irooms inspired and nurtured by their environment. 

I am proud to say that I have started working on my Project Life albums but alas find myself being way too busy with creating prayer beads, Nade Ali prayer jewelry and other pieces to spend any real time on my album. I 

Mahi gappudi!

About 4.5 mos old

5mos old

5 1/2 mos old