Inspiration for a joyful and creative life

The new issue of Where Women Create, which is another wonderful Stampington and Company publication is now out!

The tag line describes what this fun magazine is about; inspiring work spaces of extraordinary women.

If you love to be inspired by creative women and get a glimpse at what they are doing and where they work, you’ll love this magazine.  It is full of beautiful color photographs of studios and work spaces of others who love to create.

I love that it also opens up ideas and possibilities to be inspired about what other artists, designers, and creative women do.

This is the cover of the August 2010 issue which features Amy Barickman, Amy Butler, Jo Packham, , Kelly Rae Roberts, and many others.

I’m looking forward to savoring my copy!

If you are lucky, you have been the recipient of the wonderful, unconditional, deep and abiding mother’s love.

And if you are even luckier, you marry into a family and receive it yet again…..and again.

I’m that lucky.

I don’t think you can appreciate it as much as when you have your own children and find your heart expanding more than you ever thought possible.

It’s true that we don’t always give our mothers the thanks and appreciation they deserve.

After all, they were the ones that made us eat our vegetables and say please and thank you.

They were the maid, the chauffer, the cook, the laundress, the travel agent, and the holiday Meister.

Sometimes we took their great care and concern for us for granted.

So, this is a loving tribute to my Moms, to say Thank you!  We love you and appreciate you!

And thank you to all the Mom’s out there who do their best every day to take care of their families.

Have ever wondered if one person can make a difference? Or have you have ever thought the world’s problems are too big to even begin to make a worthwhile change?

I was inspired and in awe of the heroes celebrated on the 2009 CNN Hero Awards. You can check out their stories on CNN’s website http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/.

Here are some of the things these every day heroes have accomplished.

Jorge Munoz is a school bus driver, who spends his evenings, with the help of his family, feeding people who are hungry and on the street.

Doc Hendley mission is helping people all over the world to get clean drinking water.

Betty Makoni, of Zimbabwe, is helping girls and women to to overcome the trauma of sexual abuse and rape and to take a stand against the myths and atrocities that abound in her country.

Jordon Thomas lost his legs in a boating accident at 16 years old. That was four years ago and he created a foundation that has raised more than $400,000 to pay for ongoing prosthetics for children until they reach age 18.

Efron Penaflorida was the winner of the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Award. He brings education to the kids in the slums of the Philippines. He created a simple idea of bringing push carts to the children since they did not have a place to learn. He has created a network to teach the children reading and writing with the hope that education will give them an alternative to gangs and give them hope for a better life.

All ten of the heroes had something in common. They all started with an idea and the passion to help make things better.

I imagine most of them didn’t realize how much of a difference they would make. They just knew they wanted to try. And they took a step to reach out to someone in need.

It does make you think about what you might be able to do. If you think it has to be something really big, it can be too intimidating. If you think about helping one person, or taking a small step to make someones life a little better, it seems possible.

How could you help make someones life just a little better?