Monthly Archives: June 2012

Hey Banner, Banner

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I’m so excited to unveil my new blog banner today! After renaming it Simply Annette, I wanted to design a banner that would better reflect what this blog is about. Since I was a young girl, I have managed to collect dozens of journals full of personal reflections, favorite quotes, ideas, to-do lists, and thoughts. And because I’m an avid doodler, inevitably the covers of these journals are all doodled up! As this blog is an online journal of sorts, I wanted the design to replicate all those doodled journals of mine….et voila! How do you like it?

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Many thanks to Dora Vargas for helping bring these ideas to fruition!

 

My Weekend with Jean Paul G.

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I am no fashionista, but I love going to a great fashion exhibit at the museum.  Over the past few years, San Francisco museums have showcased the work of some influential designers — from the haute couture master Cristóbal Balenciaga at the de Young to the jewelry and art collection of Cartier at the Legion of Honor.  This weekend, I finally made it to the latest installment of fashion exhibits –  The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk at the de Young museum.

This mutltimedia exhibit features over 140 haute couture designs created by Gaultier between the mid-1970s and 2010, including Madonna’s iconic corsets worn during her Blond Ambition tour and Kylie Minogue’s costumes worn during her X2008 tour. As you enter the exhibit, you are immedialy transported to the avant-garde genius mind of Gaultier.  The exhibit features eerily lifelike mannequins, including one of Gaultier, that are animated to talk, sing, and recite poetry. I’ve included some of my favorites below, but there is much, much more to see.

The exhibit runs through August 19, 2012.  Ticket prices:  Adults $20, seniors 65+ $17, students with current ID $16, youths 6–17 $10, members and children 5 and under free. For more info, click here.  I recommend visiting during the week, if possible, as the exhibit was extremely crowded over the weekend.

It’s not my aim to be provocative. I just try to reflect what I see and feel around me. — JPG

I respect individualities and I like particularities. I mix and match, collect, twist, and crossbreed codes.  Past, present, here, elsewhere, masculine, feminine, remarkable, humdrum – it all coexists. – JPG

Designers are the catalysts of their time; their role is to translate the changes, the mutations, the evolution of society. — JPG

Words To Live By

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I was doing some spring cleaning yesterday and came across this poem given to me by a friend. I have read it a number of times and each time I read it, the words resonate with me as if it was the first time.  As we come to the end of another week, I want to pass it along to you,  friends. I hope you are as moved by it as I am. Happy weekend!

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

BE YOURSELF.

Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit
to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

About the Author: Max Ehrmann wrote this now famous poem in the late 1920s while living in his howmetown of Indiana.  In 1948, Ehrmann’s widow had his poetry published in the Poems of Max Ehrmann.  In the 1950s a Maryalnd pastor copied the poem on the front pages of a booklet of inspirational writings for his congregation.  The booklet’s letterhead read Old St. Paul’s Church, Baltimore, A.D. 1692.  From there, the founding date of the church was often confused for the copyright date of the poem and  the poem was incorrectly believed to be age-old widosm written by an anonymous author.

DIY To-Do

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While I’m on the topic of to-do lists, here are a few DIY to-do’s on my list…

1. Butterfly Art: I saw this butterfly display when visiting the Fireworks store in Seattle. If I ever need some new artwork for my walls, all I need is a canvas, sparkly butterflies, and my trusty glue gun.

2. Fabric hangers: I noticed these fabric hangers at a local clothing boutique and loved the character and sparkle they would add to any closet!

3. Chalk It Up Jars: These jars painted in white with a chalk-paint lid were displayed in one of the booths at the Alameda Antiques Fair. Although chalk paint is nothing new, I thought this was an easy (and pretty) way to organize all those extra knick-knacks like nails, buttons, and paper clips and put all those extra jars I have managed to collect to good use.

4. Neon frames: I am LOVING these neon colored frames from the Etsy shop Shugabee Lane. I have some extra frames that can be repurposed for this project and I already have a can of bright pink spray paint. Can’t wait for Monday Playday!

So Much To Do!

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Paris, France

A few months ago, I read an article about Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and current chairman of Twitter and the founder and current CEO of Square. Yes folks – he has two jobs. Each workday, he puts in sixteen hour days: eight hours at Twitter, then another eight hours at Square. So what’s his secret? A great work ethic and tons of discipline must be a given, but Dorsey also assigns each day of the week its own focus:

  • Monday: Management meetings and “running the company” work
  • Tuesday: Product development
  • Wednesday: Marketing, communications and growth
  • Thursday: Developers and partnerships
  • Friday: The company and its culture
  • Weekends:  Hiking and “reflection, feedback, and strategy”

I was so drawn to the concept that I jotted “themed days” in the journal where I record random thoughts and inspiration. In the working world, I suffered from the whatever-screams-the-loudest-is-what-gets-my-attention syndrome. Although there are situations where work emergencies cannot be avoided, it can also be a slippery slope. Before you know it you’re perpetually in “putting out fires” mode, which comes at the expense of attending to tasks that are important, but not as urgent. Ironically, now that I have all this free time, I find myself in a similar predicament, instead with fun distractions. What I need is a system to balance my time so that it leaves enough room for organic exploration, but provides enough structure to assure that I attend to all the important areas of my life. If this concept of themed days works for Jack Dorsey to help structure a life full of demands for his time and attention, would it work for someone like me who has an abundance of time? Hey, it’s worth a shot.

First, I identified categories that I think need my attention if I want to have a balanced life: professional/career; health/fitness; financial; education; recreation; charitable; adventure/travel; family/relationships; and spiritual. For each category, I noted several short term or long term goals. Reflecting on these goals, I then developed the following schedule. Hopefully, I’ll have Jack’s discipline and stick with it!

Mondays: Playdays – As the name suggests, Mondays are for playing. So many of us dread Mondays, so I like the notion of starting the week off in a playful and creative state of mind. Today will be devoted to pursuing creative projects including developing this blog, pinning away on Pinterest to put together a mood board for my new apartment makeover (more on that in a future post), working on DIY and craft projects, and otherwise feeding my creative soul! No more Sunday night blues for me!

Tuesdays: Professional Development – Tuesdays are for learning new skills and technologies that will help me in the professional world; networking and conducting informational interviews; and working on tasks for the organizations where I volunteer.

Wednesdays: Personal Development - Wednesdays are for doing things that will contribute to becoming a well-rounded person. Exploring, pursuing, planning, or learning about personal passions such as travel, decorating, photography, reading, cooking, etc.

Thursdays: Housekeeping – Thursdays are literally for housekeeping and taking care of those pesky items on my to-do list: laundry, tidying up, grocery shopping, cleaning out my inbox, organizing my contact list, paying bills and making sure my financial house is in order, organizing my closet, scanning all my paper files, etc.

Fridays-Sundays: Recreation, Adventure, and Socializing – This is the time to explore all the treasures in my backyard of San Francisco, catch up with friends and family, and just LIVE and have FUN. Sunday evenings are for reflection and gratitude– practicing yoga, evaluating the past week and planning for the week ahead.

Exercise wasn’t assigned it’s own day because it should be a daily activity. Well, let’s hope.

If this seems a little overkill, it is. Then again, I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to learning about time management, productivity, and personal development. I’m curious to hear about how you go about identifying and tracking your goals, if at all. Go ahead and leave me a comment!

Weekend of Happiness

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Happiness is 80+ degree weather in San Francisco.

Happiness is treating myself to a pedicure and leaving with toenails that are the perfect shade of bubble gum pink.

Happiness is learning something new.

Happiness is wearing bright blue pants and sparkly sandals.

Happiness is basking in the sunshine and sipping an iced coffee while waiting for the CalTrain.

Happiness is receiving a non-sensical, rambling voicemail from a friend just because.

Happiness is indulging in a bowl of creamy guacamole.

Happiness is a girls’ night out and showing those young lads how it’s really done on the dance floor.

Happiness is the excitement of hearing the DJ play NKOTB while shaking it on the dance floor.

Happiness is finding a heart shaped herb on my finger at Sunday brunch.

Happiness is a text from a friend saying that I inspired her to take the first steps to find a man worthy of her love.

Happiness is finding exactly what I was looking for at Home Goods.

Happiness is soaking up some sun poolside.

Happiness is getting home in time to watch my favorite TV show.

Happiness is receiving a call from my great aunt and laughing together like silly teenagers.

Happiness is looking forward to do it all over again next weekend!

Moniker Makeover – Simply Annette!

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A Lawyer Walks In to A Coffee Bar (ALWIACB) has undergone a slight makeover and will now be known as Simply Annette. Why the change, you ask?

My original inspiration for starting a blog was to learn more about the people I met in coffee shops while I was on sabbatical. However, after starting ALWIACB, I discovered that I enjoy blogging about so many things, including those coffee-shop dwellers. The blog developed into a collection of the people I meet, the places I go, the things that make me happy, and the lessons learned along the way. I wanted a name that would be broad enough to encompass all my interests and Simply Annette seems much more reflective of that than ALWIACB.

I am still a coffee-drinking lawyer who loves meeting people, but I am much, much more than that. I am a friend, a daughter, a traveler, a DIY-er, a reader, a foodie, a thinker, a goofball, a lover of sparkly things, a [fill in the blank], and on and on. The name Simply Annette is a reminder to honor my complete self (and not just the lawyer in me) and to just be Annette.

Also, Simply Annette is now much shorter than its predecessor, A Lawyer Walks Into A Coffee Bar. Ooh – that was a mouthful! As my high school AP calculus teacher Dr. H used to say –you have to K.I.S.S. or Keep It Simple Stupid. So this is me K.I.S.S.-ing!

You can find me at simplyannette.com, Tweet me at @simply__annette, or email me at annette@simplyannette.com.