Well...So...Anyway

Yes, I'm still physically on the earthly level. :-)

Right now I'm thinking, working some things out, implementing ideas, and loving. It's all coming together.

**********

In the meantime. The other day I received and replied to an email from one of my blog readers. The thoughts she shared were much appreciated and brought to the forefront some things that had been lingering in the back of my mind. This post is inspired by that conversation. So I'd like to take this time where I'm short on words about my current happenings to share with you pics of aspects of my life that aren't clothing related. Ok, well a couple of the photos are, but only a couple. Some of the pictures and events might have been shared before, so those of you who have been reading my blog for sometime (thank you!) may be aware of 1 0r 2.

Here we go:

Did y'all know that I'm 1/2 of an organization called R.I.S.E 360 which organizes events in service to the community? It was started by me and my Chicago-native sistafriend Divine (an amazing spoken word artist who relocated to Louisiana a few yrs. ago) in Lafayette, LA in 2007. We saw a need for enlightenment in various areas including health, parenting, and just general self-improvement and decided to do what we could to fulfill it based on some of the knowledge we have as well as the knowledge of others who we bring in the speak. (We came up with various phrases for what R.I.S.E could stand for, but I think we really just how the word looked with the periods! And the 360 is for wholeness, something we aim to promote/generate.)

This is us after one of our events held in February 2008 as part of a week-long series of events intended to provide valuable information to anyone who decided to come. Always free of charge.

Cutie pie Baby Nile who recently turned 2!


And us with Diana Kimble, an organic farmer/teacher/phenomenal woman who moved back home to Colfax, Louisiana from Dallas, TX to get back the land. She was our guest speaker on one of the nights. I love this woman! The crowd thoroughly enjoyed her as well. The event was well-attended, and discussion was lively. She talked about growing your own food and self-sustainability.




And us on one of the other nights preparing for another session. Divine giving some commentary.




Me and some of the attendees on another night with our guest speaker Iya Raet (center, brown shirt) who we brought down from Philidelphia to give a presentation on information related to giving birth and parenting. You can visit her site at:

http://www.afrikanparenting.com/aboutauthor.html

I've mentioned before that I'm quite fascinated with this subject, so this was right up my alley!

Yes, some of us do look kind of off--myself included.

**********
I'm also an English Language Arts instructor in a grass-roots program held in the spring to prepare 4th and 8th grade students for the LEAP test. This was the 8th grade class on year. Very bright group there. And to think...they're now heading into the 3rd yr. of high school!

Again, me looking off.

**********

I was appointed to be the word caller-outer/sentence maker upper at a 1st annual spelling bee for area students.


**********

I've taught styling classes for young girls. Here's me with the group from summer '08 draped/tied/safety-pinned in fabric to create outfits during a project where each person was styled by a partner.

One of the subjects that I always make a point to cover is body/self image and matters of that nature, cause I know teen girls can have it pretty rough.

**********

Spring '08 I somehow ended up on a panel at Barnes & Nobel to discuss a topic that dealt with the presence or lack of presence of strong women in my (and the other panelists') families and how we were influenced by it. The discussion was related to Zora Neal Hurston's book Their Eyes were Watching God, which was the book chosen for that year's Big Read. No picture from that, but here's a generic.



It was a great experience despite the fact that I hadn't ever read the book until a week before I was to be a part of the panel!

**********

And this one just cause. :-D Me with my beloved cherry dress a few yrs. ago at a vintage boutique owned by a friend/fellow maker of cloth items.



She gives me space in her shop to sell my wears and this was me out there promoting my goods for the first time during Art Walk, an event that takes place downtown Lafayette the second weekend of each month. Shoulda kept that one.


**********

The other day someone made a comment about me doing what I do best and what I love to do the most, designing and making clothes. This is what they assumed. I responded with words to the effect of, "Well, making clothes is what I do. A skill I have. Something I know how to do. But what I enjoy even more and feel that I do even better is love. Love by giving, showing, teaching, helping, uplifting, and sharing in the ways that I am able to do so. This has a deeper level of meaning for me. It's the truer passion of mine."

At that moment it was as if I were a medium that was being spoken through. I've felt that way for a long time, but at that point it was verbalized for the first time, effortlessly and clearly. Afterwards I thought to myself, "Wow," and knew exactly what I needed to do.

Considering this, I've come to a conclusion about how I'm going to move forward. Perhaps I'll get into that at some point in the future.

Thanks for reading!
peace.