Bold. Brilliant. Beautiful. YOU.

Have you ever done something so out of the box, so out of your comfort zone that it makes you a little ill? Or makes you feel so many emotions at once you could burst? I just entered my Fuck you, Lymphoma quilt into a quilt exhibition and that is how I feel right about now. The Voices in my head wanted me to just think about it for a while, but the application deadline is this Friday and I know those Voices are just trying to psyche me out. So I did it. It isn't the rejection that scares me, but what happens if my quilt is selected. I'll have to go to an event. I'll have to stand next to my quilt. I'll have to talk about it and accept compliments without curling up in a ball or walking away like an odd little weirdo.


This is part of my plan for 2014. I've joined a fabulous group of people online who are taking part in a new project. We're taking the pledge to be more Bold. More Brilliant. More Beautiful. More YOU.

What does this all mean? I don't know. You tell me. It means something different to each and every one of us. Every one has something that makes them feel awkward or overly emotional. That thing that makes us feel like we are standing naked in front of the world.

We're taking that thing and we're facing it head on. We're setting out to conquer those things and to help each other out in order to achieve those goals. Because when we help each other we establish trust and we start a grow a community. We can look around us and feel safe. And free. Free to just be ourselves. Once we can feel free to be ourselves then we can truly SHINE.

So I'd like you to join me. Join us in our plan be more Bold. Brilliant. Beautiful. You. It's not going to happen in one day, one week, one month. But you can do it. We'll do it together.
Here's what I am working on:

Bold.
I recently watched this video of Amy Pohler talking about taking risks and having courage. One of the things she said was this: "Great people do things before they are ready. They do things before they know they can do it." That has really resonated with me. So for 2014 I'm pinching my nose and jumping in to the deep end of the pool, friends. Entering my Fuck you quilt into an exhibition is an example. I've never done this before. I don't know if my quilt is good enough, but damn it, I'm doing it.

I'm also taken what I feel like is a huge risk and started a new company with some trusted, talented friends. We're really going out one a limb here in bringing something new and bold and unique to the indie pattern business. It's called Perfect Pattern Parcel. I invite you to start following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Expect to hear much much more about this in the future. You're going to like this. A lot. (I may poop my pants.)

Brilliant.
When I think of brilliance, I think of stars, diamonds, shining, and light. It's my goal for 2014 to become more involved in the sewing community both online and off. There are so many of us out here and I can't help but feel we're like buoys bobbing in the ocean. Now is the time to swim! Not only do I want to reach out a hand to those who want to learn to swim, I want to orchestrate an entire synchronized swimming ballet.

Beautiful.
A good portion of you are mothers, and a good portion of you are past your twenties. Finding yourself and truly feeling beautiful at this point is not easy. I think a lot of us think of ourselves as the older, lumpier versions of our formerly beautiful selves. It's not fair and it's not true. It's my goal to stop comparing myself to some one else's definition of beautiful. I spent my childhood wishing I had curly blond hair. My hair is brown and as straight as it comes! It is just ridiculous. Plain stupid.

In 2014 I'm going to work on being beautiful in my own skin as a thirty something wife, mother, student, maker, blogger. I'm not letting anyone else tell me what is beautiful. I say what is beautiful. While I'm on the subject, I've always thought tattoos were beautiful. And tattooed ladies. Anytime you overhear discussions about tattoos and women, you hear things like this: "But what will you look like on your wedding day/in a strapless dress?" Or: "What will you look like when you're 70?" I tell you what I'm going to look like. A seventy year old beautiful women with tattoos all over her. I've decided life is too short, and while I have not completely lost my mind, I'm expanding my tattoo collections. I'm expanding my canvas onto body parts that are more visible. Why buy art to hide it in the closet?

Feast your eyes on my latest artwork! I'm so thrilled with it. It was designed by Little Jenn Small of Charlotte, NC last weekend at the DC Tattoo Convention. I was so pleased to collaborate with and support another female maker in her art. Plus, it's totally rad!

Fake it 'til you become it:
I watched an amazing TED talk last week by Amy Cuddy. Everyone needs to watch it. I don't care how much laundry is waiting for you. No laundress ever conquered the world. Watch it. Now. It is twenty-one minutes of awesome. She will change your life forever. I want you to go watch that video today. That is your Bold.Brilliant.Beautiful.YOU homework assignment. And after you watch it, I want you to start practicing your power posing. You're going to feel like a dork at first, but it works. I'll be doing it, too. Together we're going to fake it 'til you become it.

Want some extra support? Join the Bold. Brilliant. Beautiful. YOU. group on Facebook. It is a closed group so we can chat among ourselves without fear. I'd love to see you there. I want to see your power posing pictures, too! Use Instagram and tag them #boldbrilliantbeautiful & #powerposing. You'll feel so strong and awesome.

Together we're going to kick some major ass.

Bold. Brilliant. Beautiful. YOU.