Don't let the title fool you. Even if you're not a crafty guy or girl, this post isn't ALL about the CRAFT Beach Retreat per se. In a nutshell, it's also about courage, fortitude, vision, entrepreneurship, and friendship. It's about my AMAZING friend, Rachel K.
I have written about Rachel K numerous times, since "The Bumpy Ride" began; as we've been friends for almost 20 years, she was in the delivery room with Luis and I when I gave birth to my oldest daughter, Lyndzi, (and she is one of Lyndzi's Godmother's.) Rachel helped me plan and execute my 40th Birthday Scrapbooking Extravaganza Weekend and she invited me to work with her when she developed her business, Scrapbooking From The Inside Out. It's been my pleasure to watch Rachel fulfill her dream with her Scrapbooking kit club and online community and now she is ready to take her business to a new level, by offering an exclusive experience which she is calling CRAFT Beach Retreat.
CRAFT is an acronym for Creating Reflective Art For Transformation, and the very first retreat will be held in beautiful, Santa Monica, California on November 11-13, 2011. I'm so excited that Rachel has asked me to be a part of her Retreat team, and surely I'll have more information to follow. If you're already interested, you can sign up on CRAFT Beach Retreat so that you'll be updated with information as we share it.
I can tell you that this event will be like no other of its kind, because Rachel is one of the most thoughtful and thorough women that I know; and she likes to give people experiences that are nothing short of perfection. I make these claims as someone who has been blessed to be on the receiving end of Rachel's gracious, generosity countless times; and someone who has been cheerleading her vision since inception.
I am so very proud of Rachel and all that she's accomplished thus far, and I feel privileged to be working with her on CRAFT. Rachel has taught me many valuable lessons through the course of our friendship, and she was instrumental in my decision to start "The Bumpy Ride." Rachel is a shining example of what one can accomplish when they dare to pursue their dream; and she inspires me on a daily basis.
I look forward to telling you more about CRAFT in the future and I encourage you to follow Rachel's example and pursue your passion.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING
So much to tell, so much to tell; and yet I have not. I know that I often say, I've been CRAZY busy, and occasionally offer up what it is I've been busy at; yet for months now, I've had things in the works, and kept waiting and waiting to have more details to share before I filled you in. Trust me when I tell you - I have news to share! I've had a brush with actually having a piece of my work published, I've gone camping, yes that's right I said camping, I've joined the board of my kids soccer league, I've become an announcer in training / official for my kids swim team, I now work 40 hours a week instead of 36, I still try to go to the gym 5 times a week (I've now lost 25 lbs total - YAY!) and I've been flattered by the invitation to become the Assistant Design Team Coordinator for my friend Rachel's scrapbooking kit club extraordinaire "Scrapbooking from the Inside Out" which has it's official launch on July 1, 2008. Whew... That busy enough for you? Throw in laundry, dentist's appointments (the kids - not mine, THANK GOD) household chores, meal preparation, swim lessons, diving lessons, weekly swim meets, organizing monthly crops etc, etc, and is it any wonder my blogs have been so few and far between lately?
OK, so I DO NOT want to tell you ALL the details of ALL of the above at once. But I do promise that I will be back soon, with the article that coulda, shoulda, woulda been published - sob, sob, No, that's not S.O.B (though it should be; ) it's sob, sob, as in I'm VERY sad - and I am. I promise, I will offer up a blog on my very first camping trip, once I collect all of my thoughts on it; and as my 41st b'day is now approaching, I've also been anxious to write about my observations of my 40th year. BUT for today, it's all about "Scrapbooking from the Inside Out."
So, let me tell you about my friend Rachel. Rachel is a woman with courage. A woman who had a dream and stopped at nothing to make it a reality. A woman who has embraced scrapbooking not only as an art form but as a therapeutic outlet; and in doing so, published scrapbook artist Rachel Kaufman has started her own business called "Scrapbooking from the Inside Out." This club is going to be different from other kit clubs in as much as each month the kit will be focusing on an emotion "using color, design, and journaling to create pages and projects that explore your inner world." You will receive printed papers, coordinating cardstock, chipboard, paint, various kinds of stickers and ribbons, and ink, maybe a rubber stamp, and I could go on and on, but as each kit won't have the same contents each month; I think you get the idea. You get a TON of supplies and a fresh and exciting approach. For those of you who have never scrapbooked before, this might be a FABULOUS way to get started and give it a try.
I am so proud of Rachel and it has been truly inspiring to watch her pour her heart and soul into developing an online community as well as kits that will give the scrapbooker a variety of mediums to work with while exploring their inner self.
Although I personally have not allowed myself the time to scrapbook about JUST ME thus far- I am hoping to do so in the future. I am welcoming the opportunity to explore who I am as a person and not just as a mom, which usually happens in my scrapbooking. Don't get me wrong, being a mom is SO much of who I am but we all know that there is more to each of us; and in being a mom, I think it would be awesome for my kids to be able to look back and learn about me from my own perspective. It might also give them a little insight into who they are and how they have come to be that way - I know that sounds kinda serious coming from me; sorry if I've disappointed - but I just have to talk about why this venture is so exciting - Say it with me "It's all for the GREATER GOOD!!"
Now, not only will you be able to purchase the kits on Rachel's website; it will also feature a gallery, a message board and it will be supported not only by Rachel (and occasionally myself) but by the 3 brilliant designers that we have chosen for the first 6 months of this venture. I think you'll be wowed by the artistry and techniques of, Amanda Berens -Technique Speak, Nancy Doren - My Paperview and Bjay Jaminal - Pigmentations. If you are a scrapbooker, I highly recommend that you visit scrapbookingfromtheinsideout.com as well as each of these fabulous designer's blogs.
Please join us at some time on July 1st to celebrate with Rachel and contemplate Scrapbooking from the Inside Out. There will be challenges, games and an opportunity to scraplift from the best of em. Congratulations Rachel; I wish you ALL the success I the world. Think about it, you are already SO much better off just by having this experience thus far.
Best of luck!!
Till next time...
Queen of Everything
