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Coming Back Across the Pond

There are pictures to post and stories to tell, but at the moment, sitting in an Admiral's Club for the 5th hour of my layover in D.C., I have something different to share.

The past 3 weeks have been divided between Paris and Florence. The time spent was much needed on all fronts: work life & personal life.

Beautiful moments alone to process a thought instead of just simply having one.

Fast-forwarding, back from la la land, I find myself reviewing the past several months. What have I learned? Better yet, what will I do with the lessons?

Some of that I'll keep close to my chest, but one thing that this big universe seems to keep beating me over the head with is the worthiness (even the calling?)

of simply striving to be a great manager.

As a designer, I've carried a bit of a complex: what to I actually do that contributes to anything wholesome? I don't save lives on a daily basis. I don't get my hands dirty rebuilding villages,

or see to it that children are given medicine and education....I could go on.

However, there has been just enough of a belief in what I do, or at least have the opportunity to do, that has kept me going. Although, to this point, I've never been comfortable in my articulating it. Then today I read it so well put, that I actually felt the proverbial weight lifted.

An article in the Harvard Business Review's website, a professor, Clay Christensen wrote what I longed to hear,

"...Management is the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well. No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team.

The context of that particular statement described the difference that could be made in someone's life when they are built up and empowered verses belittled and demeaned.

It's well worth the read:

link to hbr.org "How Will You Measure Your Life?" article

The article is only free to read through the end of the month. I highly recommend taking a moment if you can muster one.

He goes on to express another well made point, which is the mundane nature of the expected return from an MBA program: buying, selling, investing...

Mentioning that the pursuit is too often missed of the life that can be made by the good that can come from managing, building–things that make people's lives better.

Stepping off my little inspirational soap-box and onto a plane. I hope you read Mr. Christensen & take away a bit of encouragement.

Cheers for now - and maybe some Euro-trip photos later.

This Week's Eye Candy: Natural African Horn Jewelry from Astrid Sulger.

Thursday night, my former boss, a talented Texas girl–now residing in Mozambique–is bringing over a, no doubt, treasure trove of jewelry she's discovered in her Southern Africa home. I'm planning to be in attendance for the collection preview, with all sorts of ulterior motives...

The designer is Astrid Sulger, a Swiss-born artist who lives in Maputo.

Besides looking forward to some eye-candy after seeing nothing but numbers for the past 2 weeks, the natural materials and beautiful simplicity has me more that slightly curious.

For you FB fashionistas, check out some more of her things here.

Stay tuned for more from Astrid and Amy. I promise a full report post-show.

I predict good things from this duo.

Friday Assignment

It's about 4pm on a Friday in July. At least four people have taken the day off. Music is piping through the studio speakers.

I'm barefoot & the bracelet has come off, signaling a fixed effort toward the business at hand. At least, my grandest attempt, in spite of giving up on focus-power sometime around 11am.

The choice at this point is simple: a late night tonight or an all-work Saturday

(oh, how I want to lay by a pool!)

Two calls just came in from magazines doing a fact check–always a good sign.

One was Vogue - yay!

Just one more week of this math-entrenched, detail-laden, beast of a project, then it will be time to move in on two more big ones, but not before finding tickets for fall travels.

Which means more decisions.

Not a fan of those today.

Hiring seems to be complete, now it's just the pending orders and fulfilling requests for brilliant-yet-commercial ideas (due yesterday). Yet, my usually lovely, comfy perch is rather uninspiring today. Outside that big, seductive window, however...

Which is exactly why I'm closing down and heading to a shady patio.

Happy Friday. Go do something fun with someone fun! If you don't have plans,

be brave–make someone's day!

Afternoon Cut-Ups

My Skype (a new and dangerous discovery) was buzzing this morning with a mixture of short bursts and long conversations from friends and colleagues abroad. As I sat talking about ideas, jotting notes, and sifting through old files, I bumped into some previous inspiration worth sharing.

An exhibit from last October that I completely fell for: Slash, Paper Under the Knife at the Museum of Arts and Design was what caught my attention. I had just finished an invitation for an event hosted at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon.

I was meeting someone for tea at Robert, when I saw the paper exhibition and knew I needed to investigate. The show had mixed reviews from staunch critics, but the ideas are worth considering. It inspired me to do a little gathering of paper-art images for my own inspiration–which brings me back to my original point: sharing it with you.

Just think of it as comfort food for the right side of your brain.

Buon Apetito!

Peter Callesen

Georgia Russell

Trashion dress...read about it

Bovey Lee

The Path to Perfection

To a fault, I wait. I wait until I've thought everything through. Then, rethink. Maybe a few more times: what am I missing? What did we forget? Let's get this one more thing perfect, before...

All along, one friend in particular, is always nudging, "just show it already!" Assuring me and reminding me that it's ready. It is sometimes an idea that just needs to be implemented, sometimes a product or a new design. Mainly, it is my own hang up, for whatever reason.

Today, I'm tossing an it out to you. Unfinished, a bit raw, but so lovely. These shots came in yesterday at the end of a long day. My happy hour, to be sure. Victor Schrager does such wonderful work. The web meeting for implementing the new shots is this afternoon. I've been waiting to move forward on this new web project for what seems like ages...all part of the process.

Have a peek, and stay tuned for more...

...and now on to rethinking.

Happy Wednesday–enjoy the journey!

Picture Perfect

The Monday morning rush hit hard, in fact by 2pm, I was certain there was visible bruising. Yearning for just 2 minutes to rant to someone-anyone, for nothing other than the kind validation of a sympathetic ear, I converted instead an extended stay at the studio. Certain Tuesday would be much nicer if all Monday could be laid to rest, my maze of math and design commenced around 5pm. Unfortunately the ratio of the former was not in my favor.

By midnight my brain was thoroughly jumbled & processing at fractional speed, so home bound and just realizing the burn in my stomach was emptiness, I resigned to skip dinner for a cup of tea and relax in a hot bath.

But, Monday wasn't finished yet. My usual greeting of flying fur and desperate whimpers wasn't there. It wasn't anywhere, the house was dark, locked–no dogs.

The next 25 minutes consisted of panic-stricken calls iced with the guilt of A) calling past a reasonable hour and B) plaguing someone else with my own problem.

Damn, you Monday!

And, so to this point, all you've heard is whine, moan, blah, blah...

It's Tuesday.

At noon, I haven't quite unwound. There definitely hasn't been a spare moment to look up, but to point out the positive:

A wonderful woman and her daughter found and took in my pups, and they are quite possibly my new favorite people.

Bell'Invito has (after 6 years in the filing department of some government office) become an officially recognize Trademark - yay! (shouldn't we toast, or something?)

Brides magazine gave us front and center in the latest issue, invitation story,

p. 232, August Issue.

I am taking a rare moment during the day to blog–nearly defiantly.

By all accounts, I'm healthy, my family is well, my struggles are still proving great fodder for life lessons–or at least blog material. Maybe.

...and I have dinner/drinks with a great friend on Thursday! (Hurry up, Thursday).

Hey - and my A/C works. That, my dear people, is lovely.

Keep the good things coming...peace out.