Perspective

So I posted earlier about being so nervous and worked up about giving a company-wide presentation.  Well, we had a guest motivational speaker prior to anyone's presentations.  His name was John O'Leary (http://www.rising-above.com/) - if you ever need a motivational speaker for religious, personal or business reasons - he definitely fits the bill.

At nine years of age, John was playing with fire one day while his dad was at work and his mom was out.  He ended up catching on fire and his older brother found him.  It took his brother two minutes to put the fire out.  When John got to the hospital, they found that he was burnt on 100% of his body, with third degree burns on over 85% of his body.  Every healthcare professional gave him a 0% chance of surviving the night.  You wouldn't think this story would have application in a business setting, but he was able to apply it to business.

He gave us a booklet and said that in life, just like at the airport, there are three questions that need to be asked.  They are:
- Who are you?
- Where are you going?
- Who is going with you?

He was able to relate each to his life and to business.  With the question who are you - he talked about how certain "fires" happen in life.  While they may be negative at the time, there is always a positive that results from it.  These fires change you.  We had to fill out a workbook page that had what is your most difficult experience in both business and personal life.  Then we had to answer what we learned from this and how it changed us.  Then John really pushed us, asking us to share it with the group.  He said that no matter what you have to go through today, nothing compares to these fires.  He even said that sharing this would make anything else we did today seem minor in comparison.  Hearing all of this brought a lot of perspective in my fear of presenting.

For John, his life-changing moment was the fire.  He was told he wouldn't live, then that he wouldn't walk and a list a mile long of other things he wouldn't do.  He did them all.  Not to the scale of John's experience is mine, but I could definitely relate.  Enduring two back surgeries and being told I have an autoimmune disease that has no cure and will probably get worst was hard.  To go from being an active athlete able to do anything to not being able to use the bathroom on my own was hard.  To be told a list of things I would never do again was hard.  But it did change me and it inspired me to push through things.  I have now done almost everything on the list that I was told I would never do.  It has tested my limits in terms of what I thought was pain.  It has made me a determined person.

The next question was where are you going.  This ties in to the prior part of everything John was told he wouldn't do.  He gave a great quote of "when you know the why, the how doesn't matter."  He pointed to these life-changing events sometimes providing perspective on what you are to do with your life.  For him, he endured his experience and recovery and it was never talked about again in his family until five years ago when his parents wrote a book about the experience.  He bought the book and realized how much the experience impacted others.  He had never been a public speaker.  In fact, he made a D in public speaking in college.  But he realized his story was one that needed told.  He started to speak and has now made a business out of it.  With the where are you going, we had to answer questions like five year plan, 12 month plans and what you will do to achieve those.  He also asked the question of, if I knew I wouldn't fail, what would I do both personally and in business.

The next question was who is going with you.  On this one, he talked about all the people in his life that made his recovery possible.  The first night in the hospital he asked his mom if he was going to die.  Her response was do you want to die.  He said no and she said that he had to fight like he has never fought before and that they would be there every step of the way.  He thought his dad would be furious with him since the house was burnt too.  His dad came in and grabbed his hand and said how much he loved him and how proud he was of him.  He had a nurse that every morning would come in and give him a bath and redress his wounds.  His nurse would come in and say to him that he was going to walk again, and in the meantime I am coming along and will help you.  The nurse would pick him up hover John's feet over the floor and carry him to the bath.  John said he knew he would never walk - he was burnt to the bone on his legs.  But he said after months of this nurse telling him this, he finally bought in to the sentiment.

He had therapists that would come and stretch him every day.  John would make so much noise screaming that they had to move him away from other patients and give him a towel to bite on.  While he was crying through this, he noticed the therapists crying too.  He said his thought was I am the one that is going through this, what do they have to cry about.  But then he realized that they are the people that come in to our life, not for the money and endure with you.

Right after he was put in the hospital, the St. Louis Cardinal's announcer Jack Buck came to visit him.  He had never met John before, but he came in and told John that he was going to live and that they were going to have a John O'Leary day at the Cardinals Stadium.  Jack walked out and crumpled on the floor crying.  The nurses asked if he was all right, and he asked if John would live.  The nurse told him that it was just a matter of time.  Jack asked the nurses what more he could do.  John pointed out that he never asked what was that kid thinking or where were his parents, it was what more could he do.  Jack came back every day that he could while John was in the hospital.  When he couldn't, he would announce a shout-out to John on the radio while commentating.  There was a John O'Leary day at the stadium.  Jack continued to ask what more he could do.

It is people like this that are also part of your journey.  He was able to equate it to business in terms of this being a team that is there to support you.  For me, I was so fortunate to have people like this in my life during my hardest time.  I had amazing parents that moved their grown daughter back home to care for her after they thought their caregiving days were behind them.  I had an amazing husband that sacrificed selflessly too many times to name.  I had a puppy that served as my nurse - she would get up and walk beside me when I did laps.  When the pain was too much and I was crying, she would lay her head in my lap.  I was also blessed to know who my friends were during this.  I had friends that would travel hours to come and spend a weekend with me, despite their lives and busy schedules.

So needless to say, John O'Leary's speech definitely was motivational and had an impact on me.  So, who are you, where are you going and who is going with you?

All About Presentations

"It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time."
-- Wayne Burgraff

Awesome - so that means I need to spend 30 hours of prep time for my upcoming presentation on Thursday!!  (In between everything else I have to do in prep for this meeting.)  I have never been a fan of public speaking.  I took my college teaching position partly because of my fear of public speaking.  I know that sounds counterintuitive, but I like to challenge myself.  I also know that public speaking is a part of life.  It is something that is done daily in business settings, and if I want to grow professionally - it is something that I WILL have to do.  So I thought, what better way to get over speaking in public than forcing myself to do it once a week.  It has helped some. 

There is a direct correlation between my comfort with/knowledge of the subject area and how uncomfortable I get with speaking.  For example, my principles of advertising class - I know the subject inside and out.  I can speak for over two hours on it and not once check the clock to see how much longer I have to stand at the front of my class and keep talking.  It is also noticed by my students.  They can tell how much I enjoy and how interactive I make the presentations.  I have been told by numerous students how excited they are to take my advertising class, despite knowing how much work it will involve.  Now the same can't be said for other subjects. 

I have presented before to my students, which has never been more than 15 students.  I have presented to an audience of about 50 for a National Student Advertising Competition in college, consisting of students, faculty and industry professionals.  In professional settings, the most my presentations have entailed have been to a group of maybe 8-10 people.  I have yet to present to a large audience in a professional business setting. 

After Thursday, I will be able to mark that off my list of to-do's.  It will be my first large-scale, company-wide presentation I have to do.  To say I am nervous is an understatement.  Thankfully, I will be presenting on marketing - which I know and am comfortable talking to people.  Another plus is that practice makes perfect, and the more I do this (large-scale, professional presentations), the better/more comfortable I will get.  So despite my extreme level of uncomfortableness right now, if you don't push yourself to the point of uncomfortable, you will never grow.  Bring on the growth!!!  (And LOTS of happy thoughts/well wishes/prayers my way on Thursday would be appreciated)

"Much Ado About.." Feathers, Part 2

So in a prior post, I posted of a) my love of feathers - whether they be actual or print and b) use of feathers in fashion.  This one is dedicated to the use of feathers in home decor.  

I will start out with tableware.  There are lots of options in terms of plates and drinking utensils.  You can go abstract to literal, expensive or reasonable. 

Hand painted glasses on etsy, hand painted plates on etsy
Bottom: Kate Spade plates

Feathers have made their way in to bridal settings, with putting them in invitations, menu cards, programs and centerpieces.  I don't think this is limited to only weddings.  I think feathers make great centerpieces.  Over Thanksgiving, I made a centerpiece of brown feathers with branches and some plastic cranberries in the bottom of the vase.  It was about the same price, if not less than, a traditional flower arrangement.  The bonus is that in a week's time, I would have to throw the flower arrangement away.  The feathers lasted and are now stored for next year's fall decorating.

Feathers used in centerpiece on mantel and feathers in invitations/menu cards

Holiday decorating has even gone to the birds, so to speak.  This year in many places I found feather trees that served as decorations, in addition to feather wreaths.  The peacock wreath could definitely extend past Christmas in its use.

Feather trees found on etsy.com, Peacock wreath at Pier1 

There is the option of peacock printed bedding, like Dwell's below.  I also have seen many start to incorporate a peacock theme in to nursery decoration.

Dwell Studio Peacock Bedding Duvet Cover

For the bold, there is the option of feather-printed wallpaper.  I don't know that I could handle a whole room done in this print, but I love the idea of it for an accent wall.  In fact, in our next house it is something I am seriously considering for the office.  

Fern Living feather wallpaper

And finally, for those that are not as daring in their home decor to branch in to feathers, you can still add some pizzazz to your desk with feather printed stationary.

Feather letterhead on zazzle.com

So, what is your favorite use of feathers?  Has anyone seen other great uses of feathers in home decor?

Clever Advertising

I apologize for the lack of posting recently - starting a new job, teaching two classes and having a new puppy have all resulted in little to no time right now.  My husband was even lecturing me on not keeping up with the inclement weather we had recently and my lack of blogging.  He said I lost readers because of not giving weather updates.  So to all of you that did not receive your weather updates, I apologize!!

Since I have been in advertising mode with my Principles of Advertising class starting last night and working on some ad campaigns at work, I thought I would share some pictures of some great outdoor advertising that I have seen. 

Let's just say I am getting excited and have some high expectations for the Super Bowl advertising that is coming up in a few weeks.  I am actually very excited to have my advertising class during the time when the Super Bowl is going to be played - a great extra credit assignment!!  Which outdoor ad is your favorite?  Have you seen others that are unique or clever?  If so, please share!!

"Much Ado About".....Feathers - Part 1

For those that know me, most know I have a mild obsession with feathers - especially of the peacock variety.  My dear friend Wendy at http://southernstuf.blogspot.com/ visited Washington DC zoo this past spring and took an amazing picture of a peacock, doctored it up and printed it on nice paper for me.  This adorned my office cube for months.  My old roommate Mariola gave me a peacock necklace for Christmas.  I have a plum peacock pillow on my couch.  I spent an entire summer a few years ago searching for the perfect feather (preferably peacock) print dress - which ended in great success!

Thankfully for me, there are so many options in terms of feathers now in fashion for myself in terms of clothes and for the home.  Feathers have even trickled down to the major retailers like Topshop, ASOS and Zara so you don't have to spend a small fortune to own a fabulous feather-adorned frock.  One of the things I love is that I have seen them used in formal and casual situations.  It is a trend that people of all ages and sizes can take part in thanks to the numerous options.

I thought I would share some of my favorite uses in terms of fashion in this entry.

First, for the bold at heart - feathered clothing:

Blake Lively in a feathered Marchesa gown.

Jason Wu feathered tank

Haute Hippie Ostrich skirt

Elizabeth and James feathered blazer

ASOS feathered skirt

If you aren't ready for a full-fledged feather piece of apparel, there are still options when it comes to clothing.

  

I have always loved the concept behind this brand called Your Slip is Showing (http://www.yourslipisshowing.com/).  The fact that you can wear a smart black pencil skirt to your corporate job and then add a feathered slip after work to go out with friends is brilliant, in my opinion.  I am not a fan of how costly they are, but I think the concept is a fairly straightforward DIY project.

Your Slip is Showing Ugly Duckling Feathered Slip

Your other apparel option is of course feather print items.  I know for a fact that these are readily available at all price points as I own a Liberty of London for Target peacock print shell that I purchased for around $20.  Here are some other options:

Rachel Pally Rowan Dress

Milly Alessandra Pleat Top

Now, if you are not ready to take the plume plunge full-on in terms of clothing, don't worry - you still have many options.

For shoes, you can go the route of buying shoes that come equipped already with feathers like these:

Manolo Blahnik Feathered Shoes

Jimmy Choo Feathered Sandal

Or you can go the route of these adorable shoe clips that can be found on etsy and other places.  This allows you to take a pair of pumps or flats that you already own and for a reasonable price add clips to the shoes to add some pizzazz:

Feathered shoe clips available at RachelLarraine on Etsy

If shoes aren't your flight of fancy, there are still more options like accessories!!

You can go the jewelry route which includes metal pieces in the shape of feathers, bracelets and necklaces that have a print of a feather (or like my Christmas present - a peacock), actual feathers attached to necklaces and earrings

Alkemie Jewelry feather necklace

You can go the route of feather-adorned clutches and handbags, like this memorable one in Sex and the City:

SJP in Sex in the City with Ferragamo feathered clutch

Then you can go with feathered hair accessories.  With Gossip Girl spurring designer headbands and hair accessory comebacks coupled with the boho trend, feathered hair accessories are easy to find and very on-trend.  Also on trend are hats, like fedoras.  You can easily add a pin or feather to the brim of your hat for some extra style pizzazz.

Lastly is pins, which you could add to blazers or whatever you see fit.  I loved this blazer from Anthropologie, but it went on massive sale before Christmas and sold out quickly.  I received for Christmas a similar blazer, in terms of pattern, from Lucky Brand and purchased some feathers and "make your own pin" supplies from Michael's  and plan to make something similar to this.

Anthropologie Garment District blazer with Peacock Pin

So, there you have it - the fashion world, as I see it, in terms of feathers!  Stay tuned for another post-to-com on feathers in the decorating world.  What is everyone's thoughts on feathers?  Do you love or is it something you wouldn't try?  

Update, update!

I thought I would provide an update that my ankle has started to swell for any interested parties in the area with hopes of snow tomorrow....  Take it for what it is worth.  I know the minute I start predicting these things out here, in writing, my ankle will make me out to be a liar.  I guess we shall see!!

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind"

So winter weather was in the forecast for the area yesterday and several upcoming days.  All day yesterday husband would ask if I had any weather update.  Unfortunately, much to my heart's dismay there was nothing to update him on.  My ankle was not swollen or in any abnormal amount of pain.  I wasn't going to post on anything about this, but husband kept making comments that I should blog an official update.

My comment to him was, "I am not wanting my blog to solely be a weather update blog.  I have plenty of other interests that I would prefer to blog about - like soon-to-come countless blogs and pictures of golden retrievers (namely of Scout and Luna - yes I am bias, but I think they are awesome), fashion, travel, random musings, etc."  His reply was, "I get that, but the blog is named after your superb ability to gauge weather.  You have to blog about the blog namesake."

So since Blogger was down yesterday, I had to wait until today.  So I apologize for the somewhat delayed manner of this blog!

See below for the weather report from www.wral.com about how there is a chance of snow in the area three times over the next seven days.

www.wral.com weather article

Here is the seven day forecast with images, because I don't know about you - but I always enjoy the snow images that show up on days they predict snow.

www.wral.com 7-day weather forecast for Raleigh, NC

So, last night my post was going to be that the verdict from my ankle was no snow for the area for anyone interested.  And it turned out to be correct - the only thing the area got was some cold rain this morning.  They are still calling for snow tomorrow - again no signs from the ankle that there is any clout to this.  As for Tuesday's predictions - stay tuned!!

What's in a Name??

So some of you may think that the name of my blog is an interesting one.  However, if you know me at all - it is a common quote of mine especially when there is snow in the forecast.

I have always been somewhat accident-prone growing up.  I also was one who never seemed to heal from said injuries.  I was fortunate enough at 27 to have a doctor put a name to everything and diagnose me with a disease called ankylosing spondylitis (you can read about it more here: http://www.arthritis.org/disease-center.php?disease_id=2)  Thank goodness for great rheumatologists, awesome advances in medication and amazing family and friends that have helped me through everything.  (Here is my little plug for the Arthritis Organization - they are a great group and if you ever have the chance to participate in any of their walks, please do!)

Anyway, to go back to things, I had ankle surgery in college from numerous sports injuries.  It never seemed to heal.  Now I know it's because of having AS.  So from all of this, I know have basically doppler in my ankle.  I have a 100% accurate track record in terms of predicting snow versus any meteorologist.  I wish I could patent this.  It used to be, prior to starting my medicine that I am currently on, that I could actually gauge the amount of snow we would have.

I remember one year I was at my job and the weathermen were calling for this awful blizzard.  As anyone who has ever experienced snow in North Carolina knows, just talk of this results in schools being shut down and companies going on delays.  I always laugh at this compared to winters in Ohio.  Anyway, they were making these predictions and my ankle had not swollen any.  One co-worker was saying well I am not coming in because of snow.  I told my boss that if it did snow, it would only be flurries and nothing would stick.  He laughed me off.  The next day - I was 100% right.  The roads were perfectly fine and there was a small snowing that melted off by the time I got to work.  After that day, my boss would always consult me on any potential closings and snow.

Just Christmas Eve this year, they were calling for snow.  We were in Hickory at my husband's parent's house.  They had been talking it up quite a bit there.  So my mother-in-law was saying there is no way we will get anything because whenever they talk it up this much, nothing happens.  By 8 PM on Christmas Eve, my ankle was the size of a grapefruit.  My mother-in-law still didn't believe.  My husband said, "Kelly's ankle never lies.  It is the best predictor of snow that I have ever seen.  We are having a white Christmas!"

It's a blessing and a curse - it is never fun to have a swollen, bruised ankle in the winter.  But on those rare snowy days in North Carolina, I will take that with the wintry goodness that is soon to come!!

So there you have it, the reason behind the name of this blog.  Stay tuned for any further snow predictions - I am sure I can verify or debunk!

Does anyone else have any fun weather-related ailments?