this was a good week
The powerhouse women I spent time with this week. From left to right: me, Alexandra Jackson, Patricia Torres, Stacy Nadeau, Dre Brown, Jess Weiner.
This was an insanely great week. Here's why:
• My time in New York was to join a new team of women around the country who will be doing public speaking and workshops on behalf of Dove, in furtherance of Dove's Self-Esteem Project mission. As you can imagine, I'm beyond thrilled to be doing this, for reasons not the least of which is that these women (shown above) are each already doing amazing things in this in arena in their own rights. I can't wait to see what grows from this, and share it with you all.
• While my two days in New York City were chock-full, I did get an opportunity to play with that little point-and-shoot again. Here's a brand-spanking-new gallery to prove it.
• Speaking of which, since it's the first of August, it's time for a new image in the shop, don't you think? Now you can get a photograph of Manhattan at dusk to bling-up your technology. Go get you some.
• I've got no travel scheduled for a few months, and I'm grateful for this. Still, I can't help dreaming of traveling on Japan's new luxury trains. (Although I think I'll skip the car where you share a footbath with other passengers. I've got a thing about feet.)
• It's official: Thelma and Louise win for best selfies, even 23 years later.
• Knowing how much you all enjoy stories, I had to share this one about The Cherry Cordial Revolution, written by my friend Helen Jane. She's one of the best storytellers out there.
• And yet another story: this past weekend, I listened to this one on NPR -- a (I can only assume) fictional diary entry from a young classical musician. I was in my car when I heard it, and howled in a way that was probably pretty unseemly to other drivers on the road. (Heads-up, though, I'd give this story a PG-13 rating: it's safe enough to be on national radio, of course, but if you have little ears around you who like to ask awkward questions, or conservative bosses who like to pass by your desk to see what you're up to, I'd have the headphones in.)
• And even more stories: I didn't get to see this installation, but I love this collaboration between storytellers and imagemakers on a street corner in New York City. Images-that-inspire-words-that-inspire-images? That's my jam, man.
• My beautiful friend Marianne is offering one of her amazing online courses -- 30 Days of Courage -- and registration ends at the end of the day today. If you're looking for a bit of courage in your life, I highly recommend her class -- her soothing spirit is positively balm for the soul.
• INSTAGRAMMERS, for your good deed for today, how about this: comment and like this photo on my Instagram feed and Walgreens will donate one vaccine (up to 60,000) for a child who needs it in a developing country. This is part of Shot@Life's #Blogust program, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. So go! Comment! Heart it! And then do it again tomorrow, and the next day -- every comment received for the entire month of August will count, including multiple comments from the same person! And of course, feel free to spread the word.
• And finally, the song of the day: one of the women I met (the lovely blue-eyed spirit standing next to me in the photograph above) is Alex Jackson, a jazz musician and vocalist from Atlanta. Since jazz always puts me in a New York state of mind (blame the soundtrack of When Harry Met Sally for that), it seems only fitting that I share some of her work here.
So click here or on the arrow below to hear Alex do her vocal awesome. Before you do, please prepare yourself to be as blown away as I am (and you can buy the rest of her album here).
On that decidedly soulful note, friends, have a wonderful weekend. See you next week.