As some of you know I am gettin' married in a month, week before Christmas actually! I am very excited and can't wait for the big day! Just wanted to let you all know I will be taking a wee break from blogging to focus on the holidays and my pending nuptials.
I will return in January with a fresh look for the blog and my online Glamour News site Belle Femme Gazette. I hope you will join me for your daily dose of glamour and well-being in the new year. It promises to be filled with plenty of pink ruffles and sparkling jewels!
You can still follow me on Twitter and Facebook. I promise to post plenty of pics of my tiny wedding and holiday celebrations!
Hope your holidays are filled with much love and frothy confections.
Thank you so much for visiting and reading my blog. It means so much!
There is high price of not standing behind your products and knowing your power.
Sometimes as consumers we feel powerless. In writing this I am at my edge. I am at the end of the line in a very unsatisfactory bordering horrible experience with Sears and Kenmore.
American companies are failing. As an American I really want to support our homegrown companies because our flourishing economy depends on our vibrant businesses.
But after the meltdown I just experienced, which is a rare occurrence for me, I just don’t know how else to make this situation right for me.
You see, I purchased a Kenmore refrigerator three years ago because
c. Sears is a great American company that employs many workers and has a nice reputation.
Sears is struggling. And now I know why. They don’t stand behind their products. Oh, they say they do, and if you purchase the additional agreement then they absolutely will. So in other words it is up to the consumer to purchase how much customer service you are going to get.
Bottom line: If you can pay for it, you can have better customer service.
My refrigerator is three years old. I feel that since we bought it new, the thing should at least outlast the limited warrantee. But no. The chemical leak that contaminated our all our food, and that we have been ingesting for months, ultimately rendered our fridge unfixable.
Sears is happy to give us a voucher for a few hundred dollars for the purchase of a new, ultimately more expensive fridge. Yay, but buy another Kenmore Sears product after such a horrible experience? TOTALLY OUT OF THE QUESTION.
So now I have to buy a new fridge.
But the real cost of Sears’s greed is going to be money lost for them.
Because the people who read this and know me, might listen and may re-think their purchase from Sears. Which could potentially lose them thousand of dollars.
So passing the buck of responsibility can work in the short run.
Ok, fine. I accept that I only purchased the lower priced service agreement. I accept my responsibility for that.
But Sears and Kenmore need to take a little responsibility for their products. I don’t think it is unreasonable to want a new fridge when there is a toxic chemical leak in mine. I don’t think it is unreasonable that the leak was caused by the deliverymen making a huge dent in the side and the internal organs bleeding out over time.
I don’t even believe the customer is always right. I don’t subscribe to the litigious “something for nothing” mind set.
I just want corporations to stand by their products like they say they do and understand the high cost of giving loyal customers the finger.
Because I can tell you this. I have a choice where I spend my money. That is all I got. AND. I. WILL. NEVER. BUY. ANOTHER. SEARS. KENMORE. PRODUCT. EVER.
Do you think that Louis D’Ambrosio CEO of Sears/ Kenmore will care? I highly doubt it. But I know he cares about his own paycheck. So ya never know.
I am not a ranter or a raver. But I recognize unfair treatment when I receive it. I strive everyday to be my highest self and live a life that creates connection and vitality over confrontation and harm.
So here I am, sharing with my beautiful readers my experience, so that you may know that what you do matters, where you spend your money matters, and sharing your experiences matter. We matter to each other.
When it seems that struggling American companies are holding on to every dollar they can to stay afloat just remember, the connections you cultivate are your power whether you are a huge company or a tiny consumer.
The first time I met Tiffany Kirchner-Dixon she was backing up a horse trailer into a tiny parking spot while wearing a tutu and cowboy boots. Despite the unwieldy navigation of said trailer she was calm as a cucumber. Heck, I am not even sure she was looking where she was going. In fact I am pretty sure she was talking and giggling at the same time.
Two things about Tiffany became forever cemented in my mind.
One, she has a penchant for petticoats and tractor trailers. Two, there is a simplicity to Tiffany that boils back to this; She embraces and embodies beauty to the fullest and in its most pure form. And this quality shows in her work. It is not something you can teach. It just is.
So naturally when she suggested that we collaborate on a creative project, I jumped at the chance. Knowing the feminine and fairy-tale-ish quality of her work, I knew I wanted to create with her. Her photography is the perfect fit for my styling and new website.
I flew from Los Angeles to Seattle and was delighted when in typical Tiffany fashion, she rolled up to the curb in a monster truck wearing a ruffley dress and boots and was rocking a bouncy Breck hair-do circa 1970’s Charlie’s Angels.
This juxtaposition of fully feminine mixed with outrageous bad ass is Tiffany in a nutshell. My excitement was firmly cemented!
When we arrived at Kirchner-Dixon Farm, I was greeted by two very exuberant St. Bernards. Daisy and Bo. Think playful, shaggy, and 200 pounds. And lots of shedding. And slobber. Since I wear dog slobber like eau-de cologne I lapped up the attention.
In addition to the dogs, I met the donkey, chickens and the pink vintage motor home, Audree. Even though Audree is a work in progress, she was still decorated so cute.
Tiff’s home is cute too. I was rubbernecking to take in all the gorgeous décor. The entire house is so beautifully and creatively decorated. I was amazed and impressed at how effortless she makes her daily life seem.
In addition to being the Fancy Farm Girl, Tiffany is a wife to a strong and supportive man, and the mom of two teenage daughters. Lexi is fifteen. And Sasha is twelve.
I got to witness the finesse of the Fancy Farm Girl first hand. She wakes up early to usher the entire household into their day. It was a bit like watching a New York cab driver glide his way through Manhattan traffic. Before I knew it, husband was off to work, daughters were off to school, everyone was fed including the animals. All this happened with just a cup of coffee and a smile.
When I saw how Tiffany infuses beauty into her home, family and farm, I knew our collaborating was going to be amazing.
And it was. We seamlessly moved through wardrobe changes, lighting challenges, technical difficulties, and rainy weather.
The results of our creative harmony shows in the photos. In two days we shot thirteen different looks, three models, six different sets, countless wardrobe and accessory changes. And one totally amazing model. Kayla was incredible! Her look and sweet attitude was beyond my wildest dreams!
I experienced first hand the reason TIffany's work is so sought after. The way she embodies and embraces beauty is not only who she is as a person, it is also her trademark as an artist. Her enthusiasm and joy shows in her work. Her images live.
You will never get stubborn ego or know-it-all resistance when you work with Tiffany. She understands the creative process so deeply that there just isn’t room or time to waste on all that. Seizing the inspiration in the moment is what you will experience. The images are proof of her dedication to each moment. I walked away with a deep gratitude for her talent and her person.
You are about to witness her career explode. And when she gets to the top of her field, you can expect one thing from Tiffany. Embodiment of beauty in all its forms. Because that is what she is. Pure radiant beauty.
Can you think of five big risks that you have consciously taken? Honestly, when I asked myself this, I had a hard time coming up with some at first. But it led me to realize the importance of small risks. Maybe even ones so small that they hardly even seem like accomplishments.
Here is a list of some of my biggies:
1. Sold my house and all my possessions to move to Italy. (This risk was so huge that it kind of eclipses all the other risks.) I literally had the Eat Pray Love experience. Side note: I hadn't read the book until over a year upon returning to the states. I freaked out at the paralells. I even fell in love. another story....
2. Quitting my steady job to work freelance. (Ohhh…tell me again what it’s like having affordable health care?)
3. Moving from Chicago to San Francisco. What made this so risky was that I had never even been to San Francisco. Luckily it worked out. (I have one person in particular to thank for this one. Ms. C. Thank you. You will never really know the depth of my gratitude for your support and friendship. And letting me borrow your stuff. You will always hold a special place in my heart…. Sniff.)
4. Going to London alone.
5. Becoming a writer.
Why do I consider these risks? Because they took courage to attempt when I was nothing but afraid. Because they involved faith. Because all of them involved discomfort. Because the outcomes were unknown.
Risks are a necessary part of growth. Without risks we stagnate in unsatisfying safe lives.
Remember that horrible phrase from the 80’s, “No pain, no gain?” Bleh. I think it was from an ad or something. It is the kind of cliché that corporations have printed on posters and placed in the break room.
Only the phrase rings true. But I like to think of the “pain” part as discomfort. Discomfort is intense sensation. Amplified fear, frustration, worry, anxiety, excitement. Sensation is different than pain. Pain stays with you in the bad way. Discomfort moves through you. Moving through it creates growth.
In 2005 I enrolled in night school to take my very first Italian class. Moving to Italy wasn’t even on the radar yet. I just loved the way the language sounded and I wanted to learn it.
The first day of class we had to go around the room and simply say our name and a short phrase. As I recall, I think the instructor even wrote the phrase on the chalkboard. When it came to my turn I froze. It was a very low pressure situation, but speaking strange words aloud in front of strange people somehow felt mortifying to me. The teacher repeated the phrase, I said it back, and then the moment was over.
I remember it so vividly because the rush of sensation that I felt prior to speaking the phrase, and the relief I felt after were so intense that my hands shook.
By the next go around my fear was noticeably lessened. I learned in that moment to breathe into the panicky sensations and I didn’t collapse. This tiny risk was the foundational “first” in a long line of Italian related risks.
Taking that first tiny risk opened the floodgates for my entire relationship with Italy. If I hadn’t had the courage to take it, and breathe through the discomfort, I never would have taken the next step or the next one.
Living in Italy was such a rich part of my life. My experiences there were so meaningful and profound. Knowing that living there was the culmination of tiny risks makes anything seem possible. Without tiny risks the larger ones simply are not possible.
There is a difference in making a calculated, informed risk than just walking off a ledge. But there are no “safe” risks. Taking a risk requires you to stand at your edge, and then reach out a little further. It requires belief in self. In order to gain this belief, we must learn to experience intense sensation and be okay with it.
I promise you this, even if you make an informed risk, and it doesn’t have the outcome you desire, it is still worth it because you grow. Growth is what gives our lives meaning. Meaningful lives make us grateful and inspired. Inspiration and gratitude make our lives radiant.
One of the most radiant moments in my life came when I least expected it. It came when I was exhausted, drained, starving and frightened.
I had just arrived in Rome with all my worldly possessions in my suitcase. I spoke my paltry, night-school Italian to the taxi driver who drove me from the airport to my new apartment in Trastevere. When he left me on the curb, (the street was too small for the taxi to fit) I nearly hyperventilated. Fear and excitement make a heady cocktail indeed.
I stood there on the black cobblestones, watching hip and beautiful Italians strolling, talking and laughing all around me. The moment is a frozen tableau in my mind. I had to will myself to take the next step and walk half a block to meet the landlady who was to give me my apartment keys. Each footstep is a clear-cut memory.
By the time I reached the door to my apartment my legs were jelly. I was weeping with exhaustion and joy. My landlady greeted my with the classic air smooches, put down her cigarette and hugged me. She began to weep too. I forgot all my Italian in that moment, and she didn’t speak a lick of English, but there I was sharing a perfect moment with this tenderhearted woman.
When she left, I sat in my beautifully furnished Italian apartment and sobbed with delight because I took a risk at a class in night school.
Taking that risk led me to a dream beyond my wildest imagination. The most important thing I learned was that risks will always go hand in hand with discomfort, but that the benefits so vastly outweigh the embarrassment, awkwardness, confusion, mortification, and humiliation. I know that if I stay at my edge, and reach just beyond, I will grow. I will learn and expand. And that is what living a full life is all about.
Ciao Tutti! I am back after a much needed break! I have been in Italy since December, and having the most wonderful time. I decided to jump right back in with some of the best things in Italy! The flea markets!! The flea markets are acutally a special kind of torture because so many things are so gorgeous and there is literally no way to get most of it home! The chandeliers, the furniture, the art! Oh my....
Drool worthy chandelier booth...I didn't even ask how much....
I wanted to weep when I saw this beautiful doll. She probably came from a church. She was amazing and had human hair and such a beautiful face.
But alas, she was 650 euros, (about $900) so i have to settle for a snap shot. But believe me i was tempted.
Equally as tempting was this alter box of Jesus. So beautiful.
Even the plastics are beautiful. Off to Venice on Thursday!
I am so glad you enjoy dollybelles peepshow and dollybelle themed artwork, photography and writing! Please know that my entire collection of original designs and writing is trademarked and copyrighted. Any unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted designs or material is a no no without previous permission, under the US Federal copyright law, as well as international copyright agreements. We reserve the right to pursue any copyright infringements to the full extent of the law! 2005-2011 by Christine Rose Elle all rights reserved. Thank you!
