For Boston Marathon Victims: New Peace-Theme Charm Bracelet Line

Dove Charm Necklace, $28

Like so many other Bostonians last Monday, I stared at Twitter, online video, and news reports in shock. I found out at work about the Boston Marathon tragedy, and when I got home I watched the news in horror as it began to sink in. From the hour long drive from my office listening to somber radio broadcasts and the number of injured rising, to a woman hysterical crying in her car asking me for directions to get back on the Tobin so she could get to Boylston, it really hit home.

Double Heart Charm Bracelet, $28

I watched, as I'm sure all of America did, the video of the bombs over and over again. It's disturbing and unsettling. I've lived in Fenway for five years, Somerville for one, and in Chelsea - right off the Tobin- for one. I've walked down Newbury and Boylston countless times, shopping or going out to eat / drinks. This was my home, and I felt powerless.

Shortly after we began to process the news, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, the purpose of which is to raise money to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during the Marathon.

I found as an artist the best way I could process this was to donate as well. I don't have much, but I have seen success with my She's the First Cupcake Necklace design, of which proceeds go to support girls' education in the developing world. So I designed the Ash Tree "Peace" Bracelet Collection, where 50% of proceeds will go directly to One Fund Boston. I chose a dove and a peace sign, to hopefully promote the idea of peace in this world. The last charm is a double heart, designed to represent and remind us of our loss here, but give us the strength to move forward.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support by the business community and individuals who are united in their desire to help; The One Fund Boston will act as a central fund to receive much needed financial support. At moments like this, we are one state, one city, and one people.”

 - Governor Patrick

Peace Sign Charm Bracelet, $28

I propped and photographed all next to my favorite Boston Red Sox visor, and got them up on my Etsy site as soon as I could. I'm hoping that something as small as this can make a bit of a difference and we can all move through our own healing processes.

Thanks to all of my customers for your continued support - we'll all get through this together.

God bless,
Ashley

Cupcake Necklaces Reach First Goal to Support She's the First!

Cupcake Necklace Sales Have
Raised $300 Towards our goal!

We did it! Thanks to the generous and fabulous supporters of She's the First, I've reached the first tier of my goal to help raise $300 with cupcake necklace sales to reach my goal of donating $1,600 to this great organization.

With She's the First now going to be on NBC's American Giving Awards, I thought this would be a great time to spotlight some of the great work they are doing. STF are currently the running to win $1,000,000 - which comes down to Facebook voting. So if you have a moment, please vote for them to  help to unlock this tremendous donation to send girls to school and share before December 4, 2012.

Back to stunning little cupcake necklace sales: if you look on the She's the First website, $300 is enough for an all-inclusive yearly package for everything a girl needs to go to school in Kopila Valley in Surket, Nepal.

About Kopila Valley School

The girls who go to school here come from poor circumstances. The girls all come from poor or illiterate families, and fall into the “high risk” category of being married off to a man, work as domestic servants, have to work in hotels, or by dry riverbeds to earn a living for their family. These girls are the first of their generation to be educated and literate. Kopila Valley is a co-ed primary school that is a safe place for students to spend the day, receive an education in basic English, Nepali, Math, Science, Health, and Social Studies and have their basic needs met. School runs from Sunday-Friday, with Friday being a half day for extracurricular and fun activities, i.e. racing, sports matches, dance competitions, debate, art, and other activities.

What Does This $300 Do? 

This is enough to provide the following for one girl for a YEAR:

• School uniform: $28 (includes 1 skirt, 1 pair of pants, 2 school shirts, 1 sweater, 1 hat, belt, school tie, a pair of shoes, socks, and warm tights for winter)
• School bag, supplies, and set of the year’s text books: $22
• School lunches: $75  (this includes, rice, fresh vegetables, and lentil soup 5 days a week)
• Tuition: $120 (goes towards everything needed to keep the school functioning and sustaining itself, i.e. staff, teachers, and cook salaries, repairs, and construction, school materials, and classroom needs)
• Medical needs: $55 (i.e. vaccines, vitamins, sanitary napkins, medical emergencies, and dental care for the year)
                                     
Total: $300

Interested in helping to sponsor a girl Kopila Valley, or any other girl around the world? Here's how to help!

Puchase a STF Cupcake Necklace: 75% of proceeds
Go directly to She's the First!

• Give the Gift of Awareness for yourself or a friend: 75% of all specially designed Ash Tree She's the First Cupcake Necklace go directly to She's the First
• Explore the Directory on the STF website to read more about girls who need your help
• Organize your own Bake Sale to sponsor a girls' education in your school with these great tips from STF. 
• Vote for She's the First before Dec. 4th to win the American Giving Awards so they may receive their $1 million grant!

Seth Godin Lecture at Tufts University

I was a nerdy little Marketing fangirl when I heard that Seth Godin was delivering a lecture - free to Tufts students and alumni - this month. I registered immediately. He's authored some of my favorite marketing books, like The Purple Cow and All Marketers are Liars. I also subscribe to his blog, and read it every day when it lands in my inbox. Naturally, I wasn't disappointed when he delivered his talk yesterday evening on campus.

What I love about Seth is that all of what he says makes perfect sense to me - I've had more than one "duh" moment when reading his stuff - and especially when I heard him talk. The problem is getting it into motion, into practice. Maybe my lower-level-not-quite-Tuftsy-brain just boils all of his content down to - "just be awesome, and everything will be good."

So when this bald little guy with great bold glasses came up to the podium (he referred to himself later as a tortoise, and I was like - why, yes. Yes you are.) I wasn't sure what to expect. I ended up taking notes during his lecture - mostly one-liners about points he made with stories he told. I liked hearing about when he was at Tufts and started a million businesses, and most of them failed. (Though my bitter student-loan brain got irritated when he said how fortunate he was that his dad paid for his rent and tuition costs...that he "just" had to pay for food. As dampering it is to think about money, I'm sure being in debt or worrying about more bills makes it a lot more difficult to put it all out there and fail) From his failed businesses, he learned to say "This might not work." He got lots of practice in building things that were greater than himself, businesses that have stood the test of time. He also took as many classes as he could to learn a little about a lot, and was awarded his degree based on the classes he passed.

Another thing I found really interesting - and that embarassingly, rang true to me - was that what got us into Tufts will not get us out. You can get perfect grades, get into a perfect school, do everything you are supposed to do, but being perfect will get you no where in life. Instead, you'll be looking for perfect in your job, looking to see how you can be perfect - when it's just mediocrity. I was so sure that if I did everything right, got good grades, went to the school I was supposed to go to - that everything would work out for me. And it hasn't. The reason being is that we are in the middle of a revolution right now - the Connection Revolution - and revolutions destroy the perfect. Seth used the example of the record industry - which was perfect, until it wasn't. Now there is a very limited amount of record labels, yet more people are recording music and more people are listening to music than ever before - because they are more connected.

There are no college exams on trust, on making rules, or on solving problems. Maybe we can address all these problems in creative ways - and maybe they won't work. I definitely think the institution of college education is heading towards a revolution - especially when students graduate and don't have that job they felt was promised to them because of their degree. I liked his story about Icarus, which we all know as "don't fly too close to the sun, or the wax on your wings will melt and you will perish". What's interesting about that is there is more to that story that no one ever tells - after the sun, Icarus is told "do not fly too low, or your wings will be caught in the mist, you will lose your lift and surely perish." So - don't fly too high, but also, don't fly too low. Don't be lazy and compliant.

Another fact he brought up was that the "disease" of writer's block started in 1942. Before that, anyone who wanted to write a book, did. Now, there's this overwhelming awareness of resistance, of our internal editors, afraid of approaching other people and saying "I made this". It's funny - I worked all day yesterday - that same day I saw Seth - on a new website design for my company, and I delayed sending it for hours. When I finally did, I prefaced it with "this can be changed"! and "this is just a first pass!". What kind of BS is that? I made something I was proud of - why couldn't I just send it to my boss? It's the fear of not being good enough, of a past rejection of my work at the forefront of my mind. But I've also gotten past praise - so why isn't that something that I'm thinking about?

The last point he made which also applies to me was the difference between a professional and an amateur. An amateur sees resistance to himself or an idea, and is paralyzed by it. A professional is aware of resistance , and overcomes it. Building your personal brand is all about building your reputation and confidence in what you have to say, as it's valuable. And definitely shouldn't be thrown away. So, just be awesome.

Help Feed Women in Boston: Rosie's Place Food Drive

WOMEN RIGHTS IN THE 2012 ELECTION

This was not an easy election to follow. Seeing topics important to women as political issues was difficult for me personally - both as a woman and as a big sister.

However, instead of walking around Republican / man-bashing (well okay maybe I did that a little ;), I thought it would be more productive to actually DO something about it. That's how I originally got involved with the She's the First charity (which through STF cupcake necklace sales has successfully donated about $300 to educating girls in developing countries!) last year, and I can certainly do that at home in Boston.

What I've come to realize is, no matter how frustrating it can be to have birth control, the definition of rape, and equal pay openly discussed among male politicians with little regard to women, there are so many worse things happening every day where we live. They're a little more concerned about where they are going to sleep at night, and what they are going to eat: not so much about what their male co-worker brings in for salary.

ROSIE'S PLACE: WOMEN IN NEED

So I organized this Food Drive to benefit a great organization called Rosie's Place, who's mission it is to help women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity, and find security in their lives. Founded in 1974 by a woman who was horrified seeing homeless women dressing up as men to get assistance in shelters, many of the women assisted at Rosie's Place are working and in housing but just can’t make ends meet. Some are newly homeless, while others have been living on the streets for years. Rosie's Place serves women as young as 18 and as old as 80. Approximately one-third of their guests also have children.

Each year 78,000 nutritionally balanced meals are served in their warm Dining Room. 1,800 women shop for 20 to 40 lbs. of free non-perishable food items and fresh produce from their Groceries program each month. Rosie's Place does not accept funding from the city, state or federal governments or the United Way. Thanks to generous donations from volunteers, 88 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to services for women and their children.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

With the "Feeding the Women of Boston: Making a Difference" drive I've set up, helping out is as easy as shopping online.

• No trip to the grocery store required 
• No need to drop off goods at any physical location
• Don't need to live in or nearby Boston to help
• Pick whatever food item you want, at whatever quantities, to purchase online
• You'll be sent an email confirmation at the conclusion of the drive (Dec. 21st) confirming Rosie's Place receipt of your donation, as well as a receipt for tax purposes
• That's it!

Finally, some good to come from online shopping :)

It's super easy to donate - just pick what you'd like and check out!

So I'm writing this post here to ask all my lady-friends, colleagues, and even lady-loving boy friends, to please take a moment to visit my Food Drive web page to make a small donation in the form of a non-perishable food item for whatever you can so that these ladies in Boston have something warm to eat this winter and holiday season. All items will be delivered right before Christmas Eve!

Here is the web URL if the above link won't work: http://www.yougivegoods.com/drive.php?id=1078

Thanks in advance for all that you do, here's to a successful finish of 2012!

Ashley

Source: Please visit the Rosie's Place website to read more about this great organization - http://www.rosiesplace.org

Charcoal Drawings of Wedding Photos

Commissioned Charcoal Drawings, $100 each

In June of 2011, my best friend got married to the love of her life. It's hard to believe that now over a year has gone by, and even harder that she's not around. She has since moved to Texas, and I'm still in Boston - so between student loans and her moving expenses, it's been tough not seeing each other for so long.

The year she got married, I saw her a good 3 times in a year period - which was awesome! Now that we have gone back to the distance, I miss not being able to hang out. So on their anniversary, I picked out one of their wedding photos (their hands with their new wedding rings) and did a sketch in charcoal of it. I matted and framed it, then shipped it off as a surprise wedding gift / housewarming gift for them about a month ago.

Commission your own drawing - Add Matt + Frame for extra $20

I really do love working on these pieces, with thought and meaning behind it. If you think about it, your wedding photos are memories that will last forever. They are beautiful images, and are great resources to use after your wedding as special gifts to family members or to use as thank-you notes.

For wedding calligraphy brides, another unique way that you can your images is to have one of significant meaning translated into a piece of art. It's a great way to add another perspective to your big day, through the eyes of an artist. This makes a great piece for your new home, and with the charcoal technique, the classic black-and-white charcoal look will match any decor - and look great in any room!

Not the bride? These charcoal wedding drawings make great gifts for bridesmaids or the maid of honor to give to the bride as a wedding gift, or make a fabulous and thoughtful 1-year anniversary present for the couple. It's a great way to say how you remember their big day: how much fun you had, an how meaningful it was for you to be a part of it.

Above is the original image, printed off and bit creased from working on it. Any .JPEG file or link will do for this project. Commissioned charcoal pieces are a flat $100 each, for a standard 8"x10" image, unframed. You can also do a framed or matted only option for an additional cost (approx. $20), and I'd be happy to ship right to the couple with a note from you!

Just some food for thought - the holidays are right around the corner, and you'll need something for the new Mr. & Mrs.! Contact me to get started :)

Handling Bad Business Review

I haven't posted in a good three months. Mostly, it's been time...but since I do love writing, I have to be honest: there was a reason my passion had slipped away.

As a (very) small business owner, it hits right to the heart when you come across a bad review of your business. Such a thing happened to me recently, and after much emotional grappling, I have come to terms with it and am trying to move on.

I'll start with a comment I read about employers today: they love seeing "entrepreneurship" on your resume, because it shows that you have personal accountability: taking your career into your own hands, rather than someone else's. And while I have built this wedding calligraphy business up from scratch since starting up five years ago, I am still one person. The buck stops with me - I made a mistake.

Calligraphy for Wedding Signs, $2 each

In this review, the bride had some valid points. I had dropped the ball, we had some miscommunication, and while she said my work was beautiful (a compliment she didn't need to make when dissatisfied), it still cuts to the core when you put everything you are into a business. I take pride in my work, and my goal has always been to have the bride over-the-moon excited for what I've been able to do for her, and when that doesn't happen, I hate to see it.

On the other hand, I can dispute some other points made in this review: but what would that solve? The damage has already been done, time has passed, and nothing will be able to change her mind. For example, one of the issues she had with me was that the ink color I used was inconsistent: some envelopes looked "darker" than others, and that was the only issue she had...and I know for a fact that she was simply wrong. This then transformed to a slew of other errors I was hearing for the first time in her review, which don't really give her much credibility.

I will say that I love this business. 99.9% of the time, the brides I work with are amazing, sweet and so much fun to work with. I love being able to do my part in making their wedding beautiful - especially in that first moment that one of their guests receives their invitation and are blown away by the first impression, which I love to hear!

So, I'm back to blogging. Contrary to my super-critical, take-everything-personal side, that bad review hasn't done any damage at all to my business. In fact, the amount of business I'm doing has DOUBLED since this time last year - with brides finding me both online and through fellow vendor and past bride referrals. All this makes me understand that I have high quality work, and shouldn't let one crazy bridezilla (okay, that was immature but makes me feel a bit better ;) stop me from doing what I love to do.

I continue to look forward to working with my brides, and doing whatever I can to make them happy!

Thanks to all my fabulous brides for being you,
Ashley

Charcoal Drawings: White Rose and Feeling Trapped

Charcoal Drawing, "White Rose" 8"x10"

I took a sick day about a month ago. It was snowing, and I was feeling really conflicted. I felt like after a few frustrating events in my life, that I needed a minute to reconnect what I loved doing and feel some reassurance. I started first with the image below, which I had been thinking about for a while and finally just did it (maybe I'll do a series - I do think it's a cool concept).

Do you ever look around and just feel trapped? Maybe a huge doctor's bill put grocery shopping off another few weeks, or that car you pictured owning after graduation took a side seat because of the constant battle between your rent, student loans, and current paycheck. I guess this feeling of entrapment stems a bit from money - like all the possibilities before and during college are no longer possible because my sole mission now is to make money in order to pay off that education and to support myself. That art career won't pay for it: at least not now. And definitely no vacations for a while - at least last year I had my best friend's wedding in Florida as a fabulous excuse. So I'm stuck.

"Trapped", Charcoal 11"x16" on white paper

I needed reassurance and I needed it fast. After a frustrated attempt at painting two months ago, I busted out what I could find for charcoal supplies (and amazed how little I had - in school and before I always had a "kit" of essentials nearby), Googled an image of hands on jail bars, and started sketching. The simplicity, ease of blending, and quick buildup of charcoal made me feel better immediately. I felt like I really captured what I was feeling on paper, and felt so satisfied once it was completed.

After that weight had been lifted, I didn't want to stop. I wanted something that would last longer, that would be a challenge: so, with the same paper but cut down to an unused matted frame size, I Googled images of White Roses. Do you have ANY idea how difficult it is to sketch out, let alone DRAW a rose?? There's each petal, that has to make sense with the petals surrounding it, then each of those petals has to have the right shading for the whole image to make sense. But I sat there, with Grey's Anatomy in the background in my studio, and sketched lightly, then re-sketched, then finally filling in the darks. When that image was finally complete (see above) I felt immensely satisfied.

Sometimes it's not about where you are in your life when you look around - and sometimes there's only so much you can do. What I do know, is doing what you're good at once in a while (think riding-a-bike-skill) can really make you smile. And we all need that to keep going.

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A lot of people have been talking about this book recently, even more so with the release of the movie. I stubbornly, as always, insisted on reading the book before I saw the (english version) of the movie. I have to say it wasn't what I thought it would be.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

With all the hype surrounding this book, I had suspected it would be a serial-killer murder mystery. And to some extent, it was: but the suspenseful plot existed within an exhaustive political narration. As a woman, the use of guardians for "incompetent" females drove me crazy, as well as the percentage of woman that report being sexually assaulted every year in that country. Staggering. I also grew to really love the girl with the dragon tattoo herself, Lisbeth. After all that has happened to her, she doesn't see herself as a victim. Instead, she refuses to accept any fate that she doesn't chose: which is great to read about and very empowering.

Like Steven King's novels, the book took a great deal of time to get into. The author writes extremely meticulously, and it can be hard to get used to the Swedish dialogue and names for people and places. It picked up for me briefly about 2/3 through, where I couldn't put it down through the climax. However, after that, the book continued its resolution for far too long. If you are a "to-the-point" reader, this book may not be for you.

That being said, I saw the movie right after I read the book: and I liked it. But I'm not sure if I liked the movie because I read the book - I knew who all the characters were, and liked knowing what was going to happen. I felt somewhat disappointed with the portrayal of the movie: I felt as though they really could have taken elements in the book a lot further visually. But the movie was very talk-y, didn't have a lot of action / movement, and had long, drawn-out scenes. Or scenes that interrupted other scenes like the book did. It was exactly as boring as the book was. I will say that Lisbeth Salander was nailed perfectly with great casting.

Bottom Line: Well thought out, cool plot - but requires a lot of patience. Great time-killing book, or for people who are into politics.

Proposed MBTA Cuts Will Affect 31 Million Riders - Please Give Your Input!

I've been reading about it for months, and now the time is actually here. The MBTA has finally decided to do something about it's huge deficit: and guess what? It's solution is to pass the burden to the riders (shocker). My bus is currently on the chopping block, as if my commute on this hardly reliable, infrequent bus wasn't hard enough. The following list represents all buses that will be TOTALLY ELIMINATED if this scenario is enacted:

Bye, bye 62 - guess I'll just 
start sleeping at my desk.

Scenario 2: Route Eliminations (31.0 million annual trips):
Eliminate Routes (all days): 4, 5, 14, 18, 27, 29, 33, 37, 38, 40, 43, 45, 48, 50, 51, 52, 55, 59, 60,
62, 64, 67, 68, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 80, 85, 90, 92, 95, 96, 97, 99, 100, 105, 106, 108, 112, 119, 120,
121, 131, 132, 136, 137, 170, 171, 201, 202, 210, 211, 212, 215, 217, 230, 236, 238, 240, 245, 275,
276, 277, 325, 326, 350, 351, 352, 354, 355, 411, 424, 428, 429, 430, 431, 434, 435, 436, 439, 441,
448, 449, 451, 456, 459, 465, 468, 500, 501, 502, 503, 505, 553, 554, 555, 556, 558, CT3, and all
Private Carrier and Suburban Bus Routes
Route Revisions:
- Cut 34E back to Walpole
- Cut 70A segment
- Cut 134 back to West Medford
- Combine 214 and 216
- Cut 220, 221, and 222 back to Bicknell Sq.
- Cut 225 back to Weymouth Landing
- Cut 426, 442, 450, and 455 to Wonderland



So I sent the following email to the MBTA, and urge you to do the same if you are a commuter dependent on public transportation.


As we near the MBTA's proposals being implemented into reality, I need to send you my input in regards to Scenario 2. 

Alewife Busway: Where the bus may or may not 
be there in the AM. Also great hangouts for smokers 
and the homeless! 

I am a recent college graduate who has secured a job in Lexington, MA - right off of the 62 Bus Route. Because of my student loans, rent, and low income, I cannot afford a car - and up until now, haven't needed one, as public transportation is a huge part of my daily life. I've ridden the T every day since moving to Boston in '06 to go to college - from the Green Line, the 47 Bus, and now the Red Line from Davis Square. As if it's not hard enough trying to save for my future, implementing these cuts with such great impact on me and nearly 31 million other riders on their daily route - to me - is unacceptable.

In enacting scenario 2, you are in essence saying that you don't care about what will happen to these 31 million people. How will they get to work every day? Are you going to find them new jobs when they are replaced with more well-off people who have cars by their employers? What about when your massive deficit is closed after this scenario has passed: who will now ride your buses? No one. They'll be out of work, at home, and somehow adjusting to a limited mobility life. Some of us simply cannot afford an average $600 monthly cost of owning a vehicle.

Cut back service to morning and evening buses only so that people can at least get to work and get home at night. For the economy's sake, for the sake of my already difficult daily commute and financial struggle, DO NOT pass these "cost saving measures" - because I can assure you, you'll ultimately be the one paying the price when your deficit has closed. 

Ashley Osgood, 
#62 Bus Rider and Monthly Pass Holder

RESPONSE: 

Dear Ashley,

Thank you for your comments on the proposed fare and service changes for the MBTA.

We have reviewed your comments regarding Route 62 bus service. Due to lower ridership and a relatively high cost per passenger trip, Scenario 2 has proposed to eliminate Route 62 service entirely, as you are aware. We recognize the impact of these proposed service changes.  

Photo Credit: MBTA Jonathan R. Davis, Left

Your comments will be considered as we determine the final proposal for fare and service changes. We also welcome you to attend one of the numerous upcoming public meetings on fare and service changes. For meeting times, locations, and updates on proposed fare and service changes, please visit mbta.com/jointhediscussion.

Sincerely,
Jonathan R. Davis
General Manager

There's only one month left to give them your input. Here is the contact information to contact the MBTA directly and tell them what you think - don't let them force us out of our lives!

Email: fareproposal@mbta.com

Phone: 617-222-3200

In-person: www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta

Book Review: Girls in White Dresses

I just finished this great book by Jennifer Close, "Girls In White Dresses", read on my very own Kindle-like Nook from Barnes and Noble. It's dangerous, because I've gone through 2 books in less than two weeks.

Anyway, I read about this book in the Metro a while back, and finally bought it this month. As I was reading about girls my age going through the same things I'm going through, I found myself bookmarking like crazy and saying "YES!" at every page.

"One year after graduating, they were finally on their own. It was almost like college, except they had to get up and go to work every morning. They tried (for the sake of being grown-ups) not to go out every night. 

The weather made them restless and irritable while they waited for something to start. They all knew they ought to feel different in their new lives, but they felt the same and it put them on edge...they fidgeted, asking each other 'what next?'" - Girls In White Dresses, page 26

Girls in White Dresses, Jennifer Close

This book, Ms. Close's first novel, takes you on a tour of what it's like to be a girl in her 20's, fresh out of college. She's not quite sure where to go or what to do with this next phase of her life, so she's anxiously taking a job "just for now" and dating to find "The One" so she can get married. And I'll be honest, reading about these intelligent women dating these idiots looking for the right guy for them actually stirred up a lot for me personally.

One guy, obsessed with politics, goes on the road for weeks then months at a time and eventually leaves his girlfiend. Between another self-absorbed stoner who works 4 hours a day, the lawyer who hooks up with the fresh law school graduate then tells her he's engaged when she can't stop thinking of him, and the ladies' man bartender who dates one of the women he works with as a waitress then dumps her after a few days, I kept remembering the tools of boyfrields past: knowing that the reason that women put up with this unacceptable male behavior in their 20's is that they are lonely and always believe that if they just wait it out, it will pay off.

Positively, I found myself to relating to experiences of many of the girls, and especially loved the bridezilla chapter, where their friend Kristi had 6 bridal showers that all the girls had to schlep to. I started losing interest in the last few chapters where the married girls started with the baby-making, because I'm just not in an I-want-baby-place right now. If you are looking for something fresh and relateable, especially when you're drowning in family-centered novels (i.e., Jodi Picoult), this is a great read for you.

Bottom Line: Awesome, go read it and feel better about your LIFE in this WORLD.

Jessica Rabbit Halloween Costume

Now that I'm starting to think Halloween again, it occurred to me that I never came back with the finished product after last year's vicious Jessica Rabbit costume hunt. Here's an image of my final costume: it was a big hit! I only encountered 1 other Jessica Rabbit in Boston, but my costume was obviously way better.

The Gabriella Dancy shoes in red were perfect for the costume, and surprisingly didn't hurt my feet that bad. Unfortunately, the fabric tore on both shoes during my bar crawling, and I had to return them. I tried to find another pair on Zappos, but they are not carrying that fire-red that they did last year: the closest is a deeper red in patent leather.

Full Jessica Rabbit Costume,
custom design by MsMars.
Photo Credit: Focal Impulse

The thing that really made this costume was the wig. I got mine at Dorothy's Boutique near Berklee, and the second I saw the obnoxious orange hair color, I knew it was perfect. It even had the side-swept bang that I could hide one of my eyes, much like Jessica herself. I also bought obnoxiously huge fake eyelashes.

Lastly, after searching the city I broke down and bought long purple gloves online cheap. I don't remember where, but they were like $12: which is good, because I spilled beer all over them. (And no, not me - I don't drink beer. So ha!)

Pictured in this post is the full Jessica Rabbit costume as photographed during a Boudoir Quickie Slam Shoot by Focal Impulse Studios. As I've posted before in my experience with them, I cannot recommend them enough to clients looking for (or even thinking about) participating in a boudoir photo shoot. They were great with direction, have an impressive portfolio, and I was thrilled with the resulting re-touched photos. So don't wear you're *hot* Halloween costume only once: get some great photos, too!

Of course, after this epic costume, I am having problems coming up with one for this year. How do you follow up a bombshell like Jessica Rabbit? Any suggestions welcome - I was thinking Marilyn Monroe...

HUGS 2011: Hubspot User Conference

Before this becomes obsolete, I wanted to write a quick post on my attendance to the Hubspot 2011 Conference this past Friday. The company I am currently employed utilizes Hubspot software for its online marketing initiatives, and I have since become an obsessed user since being introduced to the system about 6 months ago. Hubspot hosted a conference at the Boston Sheraton this past Friday, called HUGS 2011, and it was, for the most part, good.

{Powerful Closing Here} Such delicious Geekiness...

The day had a full agenda of seminars that were broken up into three tracks based on experience of Hubspot users. I felt torn between the Intermediate and Advanced sessions, so I attended a few of both. Some of the presentations were a bit better then others, but for the most part I felt as though I knew most of the material already, or was in a real-life Hubspot webinar. Which has its great moments, but wasn't what I'd expected.

The event itself was okay, you could tell that they still need to tweak things a bit to make flawless. For example, there was a  Q&A lunch session with the CEO and Founder that I really wanted to catch, but I had gotten a late seat at a table waaay in the back with lots of chattering marketers, so I had no prayer of hearing what was going on. One of their big speakers also didn't show up due to illness, which was disappointing

However, I do not regret attending. I got a great spreadsheet that I'm still wrapping my mind around to measure ROI of online marketing efforts. I got further inspired and was yelling "YES! YES!" in my head during a content seminar about blogging and have a slew of new ideas to get my company involved with our blog. Lastly, my favorite presentation was by Jeanne Hopkins, Director of Marketing at Hubspot. The seminar not only gave me great pointers on marketing collaborations, but I was able to snag her for a quick conversation on how to be a strong female leader in the male workplace.

You're on your way, Hubspot, and I like what you're doing. I believe next year will be even better!

If you went to the conference, let me know what you think ;)

Fashion Outfit of the Week: Going Wild

Shanghai Exotic Peep Toe Pump: Christian Siriano for Payless

Sandra Darren Snake Print Dress, $29 ideeli

Croc and snakeskin prints and textures are in for fall. So this week's fashion outfit reflects this - my latest purchase from my favorite fashion site, ideeli.com, an impulse Payless shoe purchase, and tying it all up with an accessory.

Shoes: I've been on the hunt for the perfect neutral pumps. Tan or skin tone heels are not only a great option for work, but wearing them with a skirt can blend with your skin tone and make your legs appear longer. For all these reasons, I needed them. Like, really.

So, when I walked into my usual Size 11 aisle at Payless (THE ONLY reasonably priced shoe store that carries my size, shoe-store jerks!) I saw these on sale and tried them on immediately. Being a Libra, I pace and think over and over, but these shoes were 100% sold. They were comfortable, and sexy: and even with the lizard print, they are still neutral enough to wear.


Dress: Next, I was browsing a great "Fun Frocks" sale that ideeli.com occasionally has, and I was immediately drawn to a Sandra Darren Snake Print Dress. Talk about perfect in the workplace: long enough, fairly modest coverage, and perfect olive green tones for fall (which also happen to be one of my favorite shades to work!). Sold!

Minicci Womens Cut Out Cuff, Payless

Accessories: To tie this all together, I noticed a significant lack of gold jewelry - and bracelets - in my wardrobe. I hate gold, I think it's very "old lady", so all of my jewelry is silver. I think silver goes with more, because of it's white tone instead of yellow. But, knowing that fall brings gold hues, I searched online and found this great gold cuff that also matches my personality. The cutout Minicci bracelet was a steal at $5.99 BOGO price from Payless!

One last recommendation - for your next manicure, go for a skin-tone matching nude or tan color polish. Not only will this match this outfit, (and many others!) but going for this nail color can make your fingers look longer and more elegant.

To conclude, I must re-confirm my love for both Payless Shoesource and ideeli.com, both great places that serve up fashion for those on a budget, and refuse to spend $1,700 on a handbag when that could buy you, like, 56 pairs of shoes from Payless. And for a shoe-aholic like me with big steamboat feet that just want some pretty-shoe love, that's the perfect price!

Professional Work Wraps

It's summer, and the blazing hot days usually mean a comfortable work or transportation setting with the air conditioning. Right?

Long Sleeve Fringe Sweater from ANAMA. Ideeli, $29

 WRONG!

Ever since it just gave a hint of warmth in early July, I feel as though everywhere I go the A/C is on steroids. One could argue that I'm a cold "person" and that most "normal" people are "comfortable", but whatever. It's summer and I'm friggin cold, which is stupid.

So whether your office is A/C crazy because everyone is hot even when they're buried in a building not anywhere near the sun or open windows, or you're commuting to work on a rainy day that is not warm at all but the bus driver says F* it and cranks the A/C anyway, you're going to need to find a balance between that cold-anger and professional appearance. And in case your wondering if these are personal experiences, yes, they indeed are.

And guess what? Since most people are ACTUALLY hot and think you're crazy, professional-looking wraps are on sale this time of year! Yay!

 Loose Knit Cardigan White, $13 from RisingTaste

Check out these two that I found in my online travels. The first, from my favorite go-to sale site Ideeli is a fringy sweater (above) that is actually in a summery light coral color, while adding warmth to your cold, miserable body and looking professional in the workplace and not like a shivering fool during meetings.

The second idea for your cold body is a lighter sweater option for your office dealings or on-the-go. I have a similar wrap now to this in white that I pull out for the office and for that stupid cold bus ride, and it keeps me warm without taking up too much room in my bag. Plus, it's white: it's summer, and white is okay. This wrap is from RisingTaste, and is only $13. Great option for poor, cold bus-riders like me.

Now I just have to find a solution for my cold sandal-feet...

Book Review: Water for Elephants

One word: wow.

"Water for Elephants" had everything that I love about books inside its pages. It was dynamic, had sympathetic characters, murder, death, life, and countless other controversial subjects. The kicker? It was about the circus!

This was one of the books that I've had my eye on for a while, and just recently purchased through half.com. (If you're an avid book reader or just need the text for school, go to Half.com. It's a division of eBay that has books for mad cheap, and you just pay for shipping. I've gotten books there from $0.75-$6.00) I started it late last week, and couldn't put it down. It's a book that makes your commute fly by - so much so that you have to jolt yourself out of it so you don't miss your stop.

I feel as though the circus has a relatively unanimous appeal to people - maybe it's the animals, or the idea of running away with the circus. I almost can't literally tell you anything about the plot without ruining the whole story for you. The author, Sara Gruen, does a marvelous job weaving details and jumping from past to present. I love all of the stories of the main elephant "character", (which she later reveals most were based on fact from 1900's circus elephants!) and she had great love-to-hate characters themselves. The ending, which was totally unexpected, left me with such a feel-good feeling as well!

One of the most moving aspects of the book was when she was depicting the life of the main character as an old man in first person. It's a topic that I don't feel many people are comfortable with, especially when it comes to how we treat and respect the elderly. He is alone, living in a nursing home, with five children that come to visit him once a week - and what was fascinating about it was the mental process that he was going through. Recalling the past so lucidly, then forgetting his favorite nurse. I've only encountered this kind of mental depiction in "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova, another great read on the mind of a rapidly deteriorating Alzheimer's patient.

If you have not read this book, PLEASE do so before you go see the movie! I haven't seen it yet, but I enjoyed the book so much that I can only imagine you will too. Then you can go see the movie with that Twilight dude.

Maid of Honor Speech

Here's the speech that I gave for my best friend's wedding. Though not wedding calligraphy related, I'm pretty proud of it and thought I would share for those struggling (as I did!) for writing the Maid of Honor wedding speech - while it's hard to get into words, you'll find that you will know what to say.

"I wanted to thank Tiffany first of all for asking me to be Maid of Honor at her wedding: I was completely honored and still am to be standing up here for her today and to have been involved with her wedding in such a special way.

Tiffany is my best friend, and I met her my freshman year in college while we were both studying up in Boston.

She and I clicked instantly when we met a little over five years ago at school. I practically lived at her apartment, and so the year later we became roommates. It's hard to explain such an amazing friendship when you share an instant connection with someone, but that's what happened with Tiff and I.

I’m not sure if anyone here is a Grey’s Anatomy fan, but the show was one of our elements of bonding back in school. One of the quotes between Meredith and Christina, the best friends on the show was, “you are my person”. Since then, we joke about how we are each other’s “person”, - which I interpret as someone who is there for you no matter what. And I can honestly say that Tiffany still to this day is my “person” more than anyone else in my life. After she left Boston in 2008, our cross-country friendship has only gotten stronger: we talk at least once every few days, and continue to see each other only once a year since then – but we always made a point of it, because she's my best friend and that's what you do.

She looked after me during my 21st birthday in Boston, was eager for details when I started dating a new guy, listened to me complain about my stupid bosses, and always was up for Skyping when I was studying abroad in Italy and missing home. Coordinating with abroad hours and listening to my adventures and problems around a hectic schedule certainly speaks to who Tiffany is. She’s absolutely the most sincere, sweetest person that I have in my life. I’m so proud to call her my best friend, and absolutely love her for everything that she is.

Which brings us to Brendan – whom Tiffany actually started dating when we were still living together in Boston. I saw the whole relationship unfold during the crazy busy years for her, as she was finishing up with school and dealing with tons of student teaching hours. But through it all, I could see how important the relationship was. After they started dating, he kept her going through every roadblock and bad day that she had. Nothing  made me happier for seeing her face light up when she would talk about him. I’m not sure when I knew, but I had a gut feeling at this time that this was it for her – maybe because I have never seen her so happy. So when she told me at graduation that she was moving to Texas, I knew she was in love - and I couldn’t ask for a better, more respectable guy for my best friend.

(Click to Enlarge) Photo Credit: Acromatico Photography.

I actually remember the day that I knew Brendan was going to propose – he never told me, I just had a feeling. I was visiting her in Texas in March of 2009 for Spring Break (yeah, we had wild Spring Breaks...), and we had spent the day playing with puppies and kittens at an animal shelter, because we just love cute things and that’s what we do. I was admittedly egging her on, saying she should totally get a puppy, blah blah blah. And when we got home that day to Brendan, she hugged him with her adorable Tiffany face and said, “Baby? Can we get a puppy?” and he said “No, we can’t, I can’t afford it”. This threw up a red flag because a) who says no to puppies? And b) he said “I” can’t afford it, not “we”. For some reason I couldn’t shake that detail that maybe he was buying a ring from that day forward. Sure enough, about a month later I got a call from Tiffany when I was walking out of class saying that she was engaged in the most ridiculously romantic way possible in a Japan cherry-blossom awesomeness.

If any of you has seen Tiffany and Brendan together, it’s no secret that they are perfect complements for each other. I’ve never seen a couple more in-sync, more into each other’s humor, have as much in common, or that make each other as happy as Brendan and Tiffany do. He brings out the best in her, and it’s obvious that he would move the earth for Tiffany.

They embody what I believe should be between two people in a marriage, and since they’ve been dating they have set the standard for what I want someday. I always knew that if I found someone who makes me half as happy as Brendan makes Tiffany, I’d be set for the rest of my life. I’m so excited for her and for the journey that she’s going on starting today, and wish them nothing but the greatest happiness in their new life together."

Book Review: Songs of the Humpback Whale

I really liked this Picoult book better than my last one, Picture Perfect. While she has a knack for writing annoying characters, the supporting characters and fascinating plot kept the book moving for me. This time, my character pain was the main one - Jane Jones. She is a whiny wife of a prominent humpback whale scientist who takes her daughter and up and leaves him one day after a fight. The course of the book is Jane's brother, Joley, charting them across the country to get to him in Massachusetts: which was really cool, because living here it was cool to see references to Massachusetts people.

The storyline also bounced back and forth, using her famous "gasp" moment by starting at the end when you are totally confused and not yet invested in the characters. Then, it takes you through the events leading up to it, and you are more and more horrified knowing what is about to happen, but not knowing how or when. It was a really cool concept.

I liked the notion of driving cross country, (it even got me thinking about that elusive huge road trip that I'd love to take one day!) and the plot was filled with interesting obstacles and scenarios. For instance, her daughter, Rebecca, was in a plane crash that she doesn't remember when she was two: they visit the site of the crash. They also visit the Grand Canyon, and Salt Lake City - all places I want to visit one day. Okay, so the Grand Canyon's a bit tourist-trappy, but my best friend living in SLC and it's one of those places that I think would be cool to visit! So I guess you could say I was kind of living vicariously through these characters on their trip.

So overall, I wasn't happy with the ending and Jane drove me crazy with her immaturity and whininess, although she did have some poignant moments for me, revealed later in the book. One of her quotes was how she lives such a mundane life with a husband that ignores her, that she says that if she could just have 5 minutes of something amazing, she would go back and serve the rest of her life in that horrible day-to-day. I thought that his spoke a lot about how if she just had something to dream about, she would not be so sad everyday. I think I feel that way sometimes, too.

Bottom Line: wouldn't run out and buy it, but good for 1.5 hour commutes, which I'm currently dealing with in my life and going through books like I go through gum. Almost 4 stars.

Trusting Your Gut: Knowing When to Say “No” to Freelance Clients

Freelance can be hard. I’ve been at it with my wedding calligraphy business for 5 years now. It can be especially difficult when you are desperate for cash to say “no”. But every once in a while, when speaking with a  potential client, you get this nagging feeling that this person can, and will, make your life a living hell for the next few weeks in your contract.

I have had great brides for clients: respectful, easy to communicate with and have been ecstatic with the end result that I deliver. About a year ago, I sat down with a bride and her fiancé, which isn’t too common, but I have seen it a few times…mostly the guys just sit there and nod, maybe ask a question or two. What was unusual about this couple was the bride sat there and said nothing at all, while I consulted with the groom.

Again, I was fine with it: that is, until the consultation dragged on and on, while he asked the same questions and flipped through my calligraphy portfolio over and over. He commented on a few totally different styles, and wouldn’t commit to any of them. If this wasn’t enough to give me that “I shouldn’t work with you” feeling, he asked of my 50 page sample book, “Is this all you have?”

Unfortunately, I felt caught at the time. This was back when I had intro calligraphy pricing – which was very low and beyond reasonable – and he already had his envelopes and deposit with him. So, I reluctantly had him sign my freelance contract and took the job – which also had to be completed within one week instead of 2-3.

When I returned the envelopes, he gave me the amount outstanding plus a tip that he expected me to fall over. Considering the amount of effort I had put into the job, a small tip – especially on top of my prices at the time – was not unusual. That night, however, he went through the envelopes and found a “mistake”, which he refused to disclose to me as I had the original list I wanted to check against it. I offered to re-do it of course free of charge, but he not only declined but continued to harass me with at least 5 emails on how disappointed he was. I knew he wanted his money back, but he had signed a contract. So I respectfully asked him to stop emailing me.

Honestly, it ate me up. I hate when customers aren’t happy with my work. Granted, it had never happened before or since, but as an artist you need to step back and realize that this person just has issues that have nothing to do with you. After you do everything – within reason – to make things right, and they are being disrespectful of you and your time, you just have to let it go.

Have you ever had a similar experience? Was there something you believe that I should have done to deal with this differently? Let me know!

Book Review - Picture Perfect

I really do hate to say it, but I guess this makes strike two for Jodi Picoult for me. The topic for this book, Picture Perfect, was a great controversial topic that Picoult always pulls off so well. However, I found the characters once again to be annoying and stupid, and I had little sympathy for them by the book's conclusion.

The book is about a movie star, Alex Rivers, who falls in love with an anthropologist named Cassie. Their courtship and romance were a bit of a stretch for me personally, but nonetheless I sincerely liked Cassie's intelligent and passionate character at the beginning of the story. Then she met and married Alex in a rushed wedding that started the downward spiral for me - especially when I didn't feel as though there was enough of a relationship to base a marriage on in the first place.

That's when the controversy starts: when dreamy Alex Rivers reveals that he is a ruthless wife-beater. From the first time this happened, I wanted to slam the book down over and over - where was this intelligent woman that had married this idiot? Why was she constantly making excuses for him, and taking beatings that she eventually thought she deserved? You can tell that Picoult researched the mind of a battered woman to come up with Cassie's thoughts, and I suppose I was supposed to gain some lesson from how battered women feel, but it just made me pissed.

In terms of the writing style itself, not a page-turner. There's a random Indian involved with the plot line that is kind of weird, so there's some Indian culture and stories thrown in that I didn't quite get the relevance. And, I was kind of hoping that the Indians could talk some sense into her after she leaves her husband to live with them. But no. After 10 months of staying with Indians, "But THIS time he really has changed." Urgh!

There is some redemption at the end, so I got closure, but was overall frustrated. I'm thinking the fact that it was "early Picoult" may have something to do with it - I believe this book was published in the early '90s. I've got another Picoult book waiting for me on my windowsill, though - maybe 3rd one's the charm?


Bottom Line: Slightly agonizing read, but I just wanted to get to the end to find out what happened.

View all Ash Tree Book Reviews. 

Fashion Outfit of the Week: Going Nautical

Navy Dress, $88 Ann Taylor

 Time to blog about where my true love lies: fashion.

My best friend is getting married at the end of June, so obviously - as Maid of Honor - I'm required to dress to impress. Not that she said this, but it's pretty much assumed.

Anyway, her Rehearsal Dinner - which is more like cocktails - is taking place on a Friday evening on a boat cruise in Florida. What better way to glam it up on a boat than by going nautical? I found this Navy Dress with White Stripes at Ann Taylor, which was having a 40% off sale and so I got this dress for $49 (originally $88) this weekend while birthday shopping with my mother.

I was a little weary as there were only 2 dresses of this style left, and both were XS. Yikes. But, I tried it on anyway, and it fit like a glove. The style, pattern and rouching in the front prevents it from looking too tight and bulgy on your body. It's also made of a breathable jersey material, which doesn't feel tight at all.

Fioni Red Strappy Sandal Wedges, $26.99 - Payless

The big question is: what to wear for shoes? I hate flats, so that's not happening. When I think navy and white, I automatically want to complete the trio with red, but not too in-your-face red. So I did some searching and found these Strappy Red Sandal Wedges from Fioni on Payless. I love and olwn several pairs of Fioni, and I love the Payless style: not to mention, they always have my freaky shoe size 11 in stock.

This match is perfect. The touch of red and the "cork" of the wedge pulls together the nautical look without going overboard (HA get it?). I approve.

Any suggestions on jewelry? I am first going to browse the selections of 6 In the Shipyard, or maybe will just make something to go with it. I'm thinking simple: maybe a pair of my Silver Starfish Charm Earrings will do...