Melody's Sofa

The best part of CHA

This is "The Study of a Woman's Hands" by Leornardo Da Vinci

I came home from CHA really thinking so much about the power of a woman's hands, and what she can do with them....it absolutely amazes me.

I had so many chats about this with my girlfriends....

We saw so much beautiful art, and creations...we saw hands patting each other on the back and hugging...we saw women holding babies and women shaking hands putting together huge business deals.

My favorite part of CHA this year was catching up with so many women that I love and have loved for years, and also embracing lots of new women into my life.....relationships between women are so complex, don't you think? I could not explain it better than Heidi Swapp (who I love so very much) did when we chatted at the show....I will never forget what she said about the power of women....that we are STRONG....we can do anything, we can get through anything, we can bear anything....and we have the POWER TO LIFT EACH OTHER UP more than any force on this earth.....and then also that we have the power to DESTROY each other more thoroughly than any force on this earth ever could......that is the power of women....and that it's so crucial that we all embrace the goodness of the power we hold in our hands, and not ever use it for destructive purposes.

I got to spend time with women who believe in lifting each other up...most of them I have been friends with for 10 years....some more....most of them older...and so much wiser than I am. (the young ones are so wise, too!) Jeanne and Cynthia would wake me up every morning at 4 or 5am so we could go for a walk, or just talk....really really talk.

Spending so much time with Jeanne, Cynthia, Carrie, Kathy, Jone and Amelia will keep my batteries recharged for months!

I got to be with my oldest sister, it was her first CHA! She is my hero...and it was such an enormous blessing to have her there...and to be able to have her come and meet so many of the women of our industry. It was so great to stand with my dear friend Carrie and see that our hard work to get new products and our selves to CHA was a reality!

It was so fun to see Christy and Ben and how great she is doing with her new kit club, I love her so much!
I loved seeing Sophia's baby boy and how much he is growing...and her big grown up boy too.

I loved catching up with women whose words have lifted me during tough times in life...I loved talking with Ali Edwards and being reminded once again how 100% authentic she is. I loved sharing back and forth with Stacy Julian....she is such a wonderful woman and friend and so very centered and willing to share her life lessons.

I loved making plans to go to South Africa again! And London!

Oh...and one of my ALL TIME favorite things I got to do was to meet with the people behind esty.com....WOW! I can't wait to meet with you all again in NYC!

I loved meeting and spending time with the people at 7Gypsies, our new sister company....what a fantastic bunch of people....I can't wait to do more shows with you all!!! I couldn't believe that we had one of our most successful shows in our history in one of the smallest booths we've ever had...thanks for all of your help!

There were so many others...I was so proud of all of the women I met who were having the courage to follow their dreams...to get back up from setbacks and disappointments (you absolutely inspire me Crazy Rachel!)

....so...I hope we all choose to lift each other up instead of tear each other down....sure, we do have the power....we have everything it takes to devastate each other...but WHY spend our power doing that? We also have the power to lift and empower and remind each other of who we are and why we're here....I hope we'll all remember that...and use what we've got for good.

......Marq gave me a whole big basket full of paint tubes for Valentine's Day....and a bunch of canvas's.....so...I'm gonna take these hands and go make something good.

Hope you'll find time this weekend to do the same.
Lots of Love
Melody

What does it take!?!?

This is a little tribute to our team....and what we all pulled off together! I love these people....so, what does it take to get to CHA? A whole lot of creating, organizing, putting up with stuff, laughing, working LOOONG hours, counting on each other, and having a whole lot of fun.....we took some photos over the last few days while we've been wrapping things up.......WE DID IT, GUYS!!! I love you Carrie, Kathy, Brad, JQ, Chelsea, Aubri & Greg!!!! SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Can't wait to see everyone at CHA! We fly out tomorrow....it's gonna be great!!!
Lots of Love

Melody

Closed for Restoration Part II

{{before I begin...I just got the funniest email about this post, asking me if I am depressed or something, or if I need a counselor!! :) SO FUNNY!!! The reason I am doing this "restoration" thing is an assignment for the life magazine that I am editor for...I am assigned to participate in a 3-month Life Makeover and so I am meeting with a life coach among other things...and, friends and family have asked if I'd elaborate on what I'm learning. SO PLEASE DON'T WORRY...I am better than ever....just doing lots of internal exploring....sorry it's so heavy at times, I'm definitely not depressed! So funny it came off that way.......just trying to be really raw.....:) }}
Ok....I have gotten quite a few emails asking me to elaborate on what my life coach is teaching me about "closing for restoration".....I have to say....it has gotten better and better by the day....and really, the best way that I can explain how I feel inside is to show you some visuals...the things that I see when I am meditating about it, doing the homework she gives me, and writing about my experience for the magazine. I am a visual person....so this exercise has just been so lifechanging for me. So....take a good look at these photos that I compiled to give me a little reminder about how great this has been and how fiercely I want to protect it....I have been sharing these exercises with people that I love....and even many of my mentors (who are usually the ones teaching me). We have had lengthy discussions about how simple this is, yet how profound........I hope I can really explain it to you in a way that you can try this stuff out for yourself. It has made enormous difference in my life...I'm gonna continue to break it into chunks....but here's the images.



I completely despise looking at these last 2 images....but I really have to sometimes...I have to think about how things were when I really looked at them......how the "house" of my soul, or my spirit had been so overtaken by intruders that when I finally shooed them all out, this was how I felt inside.

And then how I feel now.....peaceful, calm, quiet.......totally ok with chilling....not taking any new stuff into my life right now....not listening to anything or anyone but the things and people that I have really been conscious about inviting into my heart.....not that I don't still completely love to be around all sorts of people....just how careful I am about how far they get to come into my "house"........I don't want things to get trashed ever again.

People keep asking..."how do I do this?....how do you just clean it all out?" Well, it's just mental...and deeply spiritual. I have really had to spend a lot of quiet time thinking about this, being very conscious about how and why and where and what and when I am doing anything....if I am going to do something.....it's just "awareness"....a word I have heard over and over again....but never understood....it is a deep awareness of the choices that we all have.....how we want to feel each day.

There is so much I want to say....but what I really want to get across is how this has changed my most important relationships....everything feels AMPLIFIED....I have been spending exquisite time with my children and with Marq and with my very best friends...and I am actually 100% there, and peaceful and bringing 100% of the best of my love to every situation......do you know what I mean? The noise is gone...things aren't diluted...I don't hear the outside voices of criticism and pessimism and accusation...the ones that used to be in my head or the ones that are actually real....those voices were asked to leave the property of my life and they are on the outside of the big brick wall that I built around my house....I can hear a faint buzz that blends in with the rest of the noisiness of life....but......I am in those cream-colored rooms with people that I love.......and things I love.....and I am spending a lot of time in that special room where God talks to me.....and His opinion of me is the only one that ultimately matters.....and He is all for this...He tells me to cherish the time with my children and my husband and the handful of friends that have been here through thick and thin and who bring so much joy and don't trash my house, ever.....

Gosh, there's so much more I want to say but I want you to look on these photos again and think on them for a bit...how does your hearts "house" look....where does your soul live.......

....and remember that there's lots of people and situations and expectations and traditions, etc. that you are just going to have to meet down the street at the coffee shop...and THAT IS OK. It is a HUGE HONOR for you to let someone into the house of your heart....a HUGE HONOR........and it's ok if it's only a little handful of people.....the rest you can see on the sidewalk outside the rock wall, or meet at the coffee shop....and you can bring your best self....but then you get to go back home where the things that matter are SO SIMPLE....and the things that matter deserve your undivided attention...they deserve protection....and YOU deserve to indulge in them....indulge yourself in God's love...in humility and in simplicity and pure and protected light......

I hope you get it. I really hope you do. I will write more later.
This stuff will change your life.........

I TOTALLY LOVE MY LIFE COACH!

Lots of Love
Melody

Artsy Goodness *update*

I have been trying to track down the information about the incredible artist who created the beautiful girl silhouettes that we are using in our catalog...I've gotten lots of emails about it....and I totally want to tell you about him/her as soon as I find out everything I know. Aren't they wonderful? I completely fell in love with them when we found them. All I know is that he/she goes by "Chuwy" in the art world...I have emailed and called to find out more.....and as soon as I get something solid, I want to profile him/her on my blog.......I love the girl because she just is so happy and looks full of goodness......she was perfect to put into the setting of our new stuff......***So excited, I just got an email from Maria (she goes by Chuwy or Chu Chu), the artist that we bought the girl silhouettes from. When we bought them, it was very vague about who the artist is. It was so nice to connect with her! She is from Spain and now lives in Mexico as a freelance graphic designer. She and I are talking about doing some more projects together! Anyway, I have a bunch of interview questions out to her and I asked her to send a photo and so when I get all of that, I will share it with you!
AND....we are having so much fun here in the studio...making big huge chandeliers to hang in the booth....well, actually they are only 20" x 20" -ISH....but you GOTTA come to the booth and see these in person....we are even giving 4 of them away to the people who find the most secret messages in our catalog!!!! This show is going to be phenomenal.

I just want to say THANKS to everyone who has sent beautiful emails and notes and even the very special person who sent me flowers to congratulate us on our new catalog....we are SO EXCITED for everyone to see our beautiful stuff in person. WE HAVE THE MOST INCREDIBLE TEAM!! And I am thankful every day to work with such fabulously creative, kind and forward-thinking artists and innovators.

More to come...including part II of "Closed for Restoration"

Much Love,
Melody