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Chair Whimsy featuring Wendy Conklin
The Green Table
Christine Stephens
Women & Finance
Jill Carr
Your Health & Wellness Journey
Debra Loader
Girlfriend Getaways
Jessica Brown
Diary of a Hairapist
Jamie McNeill
Permission to Experiment
Joy Dettling
Wardrobe Wisdom
Kelsey Rudy
Sparkle & Shine
Mimi Matthews
Law of Attraction
Suzanne Young
Called to Create Colleen Kilpatrick
Real Life Meditation
Trice Berlinski
Bounce Back with Nurse T
Tarnesa Martin
Touched by Clay
Meg Bundy
Tainted Beauty: The Art and Vision of Zophael Ray Staff Writer
The Creation of Colorful Plates
Emily Cowen
Creative Thinking Outside the Box
Kelly Haskins Stonerock
From Our Editor
Dear Readers,
Our theme for this issue, “Creative Expression”, probably brings many images and thoughts to your mind, perhaps including music, theater, painting, sculpture, dance, or writing. Our writers have supported that every single person is creative, themselves using words to create ideas and a peek into their own lives.
Our cover girl, Wendy Conklin, is definitely a frontrunner of courageous creativity, and leads the way for others. Having grown up in an environment where she didn’t always feel seen or valued, she questioned whether she mattered and if what she created was enough or was even worth sharing.
What started as reupholstering chairs turned into something much deeper. It was one of the first places where she felt free to express who she really was without permission. Creativity became a turning point, giving her confidence and eventually, joy. She says Life Whimsy is about using creativity as a way to heal, to rediscover yourself, and to build a life that feels more aligned with who you truly are.
Creativity is not always demonstrated through an outward, visual display. Has it ever occurred to you that our very thoughts are creative? From those thoughts we create belief systems and behaviors, an idea that both Suzanne Young and Debra Loader express. Jill Carr and Kelly Stonerock wrote about creative problem solving, and Colleen Kilpatrick shared with us a creative celebratory event. The idea that we are all creative individuals fills every page.
We feature several people with an artistic nature: Zophael Ray paints, Meg Bundy works with clay, Emily Cowen makes colorful food arrangements, and Jessica Brown creates with photography. We also showcase creativity in problem solving, fashion ideas, and hair design. Each article is encouraging (pushing?) us to stretch our minds, not become hindered by what society thinks “creativity” means, and to play and experiment a bit.
For many of us, winter has a way of dulling our senses and fogging our brains, driving us to hibernate. These pages are full of ways to revive the creative spark within you. Do something with that! Buy Wendy’s book, think new, empowering thoughts, visit museums, pick flowers, get outside and observe nature while you play, experiment with paint, create ways to laugh with friends, and eat colorful food. Just have fun! In doing so you will find joy. Please join us as we create our best life ever!
Blessings & joy to you, , Editor
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The Art of Gathering: Layers of Beauty at Home and in the Garden
There’s something about the arrival of May in Michigan that feels like a deep exhale. After a long winter, we begin to open our doors again, welcoming in fresh air, soft light, and the simple joy of gathering. For me, entertaining always begins with the table. Before the menu is planned or the flowers are clipped, I think about linens. Truly, I believe it all starts there. Linens set the tone; they tell your guests what kind of experience awaits them.
I’m drawn to mixing patterns and colors, layering unexpected combinations that feel collected rather than curated in a traditional sense. A floral cloth paired with a striped runner, or soft pastels mixed with bold prints...it all adds character. I’m always on the lookout for unique linens, whether I’m browsing a favorite shop or wandering through an estate sale. Those one of a kind finds bring a story to the table.
From there, I begin layering. I’ll often walk through my home, gathering pieces that catch my eye - candlesticks, small bowls, textured chargers, or a favorite piece of pottery. These layers create depth and interest, making the table feel inviting and lived in rather than overly styled. It’s less about perfection and more about creating a space where people feel comfortable lingering.
That same philosophy carries into my home. I’ve always believed the furnishing of a home should be gathered over time, not purchased all at once. I rarely buy matching furniture. Instead, I’m drawn to pieces that bring movement and visual interest; items that make your eye travel and invite curiosity.
Some of my favorite treasures have come from antique shops, auctions, and even the occasional marketplace find. There’s something special about giving new life to a piece with history. When thoughtfully combined, these elements create a home that feels layered, personal, and uniquely yours.
And then, of course, there is the gardenperhaps the most rewarding layer of all.
As Michigan awakens, I find so much joy in watching the first signs of life emerge. Buds begin to swell, bulbs push through the soil, and suddenly the landscape shifts from muted tones to vibrant greens and soft blooms. It’s a quiet transformation, but a powerful one.
If you’re looking to add beauty to your garden this year and for seasons to come, I highly recommend planting hellebores. They thrive in partial shade and offer delicate blooms from early spring into late fall, providing a long lasting touch of elegance.
Forsythia is another favorite of mine. Its bright yellow branches are one of the earliest signs of spring, and they’re just as beautiful brought indoors. A simple vase filled with forsythia clippings can instantly brighten a room and serve as a reminder that the season has truly changed.
Whether you’re setting a table, collecting items for your home, or tending to your garden, it all comes down to layering, textures, colors, and meaningful pieces that tell your story. As we step into this new season, I hope you find inspiration in the details and joy in creating spaces that welcome others in.
Christine Stephens “For those who find beauty in the everyday - welcome to The Green Table.” - The Green Table Home & Garden.
Wendy Conklin, the founder of Chair Whimsy, often calls herself a chair “stylist” because what she does is really more than upholstery. She may take forgotten, over looked chairs and transform them into colorful, personality filled statement pieces but the heart of her work is really about helping women rediscover their creativity and joy.
She considers it her life’s work to help women realize that they’re not too late, too old, or too far gone to create something beautiful. Whether it’s a chair or a life, transformation is always possible and it can start with something as simple as color.
A lot of the women she works with are in a season of life where they’re asking, “What’s next for me?” Creativity becomes the doorway. When they learn to trust their instincts choosing bold fabrics, mixing patterns, or painting something they once felt afraid to touch, it creates a ripple effect. They begin to see themselves differently.
Wendy wrote Life Whimsy: How to Think, Play, and Work More Creatively because she saw so many women losing touch with joy, play, and creativity in the middle of busy, full lives, getting so focused on responsibilities that they forget what it feels like to create something just because it lights them up. This book is her way of handing women a path back to that part of themselves.
Life Whimsy provides ways to shift your mindset, spark ideas, and start creating again, even if you don’t consider yourself creative. What she loves most is that it meets you wherever you are. Whether you’re feeling stuck, burned out, or simply craving more joy, her book shows you how creativity can become a powerful tool for healing, growth, and even reinvention.
Wendy grew up in an environment where she didn’t always feel seen or valued. This caused her to question whether she
mattered and whether what she created was enough, or even worth sharing. Creativity became a turning point. She says, “What started as reupholstering chairs turned into something much deeper. Choosing color, mixing patterns, and bringing something forgotten back to life helped me do the same within myself. It gave me a sense of agency, confidence, and eventually, joy. It was one of the first places where I felt free to express who I really was without permission. That’s why this book matters so much to me. It’s not just about being creative, it’s about using creativity as a way to heal, to rediscover yourself, and to build a life that feels more aligned with who you truly are. If my story can help even one woman feel less alone or give her the courage to pick up something creative and begin again, then sharing it is worth it.”
Wendy was a teacher by profession, and loved helping people learn and grow. When she discovered upholstery it started as a creative outlet, something she did on the side because she enjoyed it. She didn’t set out thinking this would be her life’s work, but over time realized it was doing more than just filling a hobby. It was changing how she saw herself.
She began sharing her work and teaching other women how to transform their own chairs and noticed something powerful happening. It wasn’t just about the furniture. Women were gaining confidence. They were taking risks, trusting their instincts, and seeing themselves as creative in a way they hadn’t before.
That’s when things started to shift for her. It was no longer only about making beautiful things, but also became a way to help women see what they are capable of. She says that she feels a responsibility, and a deep desire, to keep showing up and creating spaces where women can rediscover themselves through creativity.
So while her work and her purpose grew naturally over the years, Wendy says that where it’s landed feels very intentional. She’s still teaching... just in a different classroom now.
Through the years when things feel hard or are challenging, Wendy has learned that her strength doesn’t come from having everything figured out, it comes from continuing to move forward.
Creativity has been a big source of that strength for her. When life feels overwhelming, she goes back to creating, whether that’s working with color, designing a chair, or painting. There’s something about the process that helps her quiet the noise, reconnect with her self, and take the next step instead of trying to solve everything at once.
Knowing that she walked through seasons and came out the other side gives her strength through that perspective and reminds her that hard moments don’t last forever.
She chooses not to stay stuck. Rather, she may pause and process, but will keep going, in a steady, intentional way. “If there’s one thing I’ve come to believe, it’s that strength isn’t about being unshaken it’s about continuing to show up, even when you are,” she says.
Wendy has some key points she wants to share with our readers:
*Most importantly, it’s not too late to become who you were meant to be. Many women reach a point where they feel like their best years are behind them, or that they’ve missed their window to try something new, be creative, or build something meaningful. I’ve learned that’s simply not true. Some of the most beautiful, expansive chapters come laterwhen you finally give yourself permission to show up fully.
*Trust your instincts, even when they don’t make sense to anyone else. That
applies to creativity, business, and life. The more I leaned into what I was naturally drawn to - color, pattern, and play - the more everything began to open up.
*Creativity is not a luxury - it’s a tool. It can help you process emotions, rebuild confidence, and rediscover joy. You don’t have to be an artist to access it. You just have to be willing to start.
* You matter. Your ideas, your voice, your desire to create something different - it all matters. I know what it feels like to question that, and I also know how powerful it is to move forward anyway. Cover Girl Wendy Conklin.docx
* Start where you are. Use what you have, and trust that something beautiful can come from it.
You can purchase Life Whimsy: How to Think, Play, and Work More Creatively on Amazon. Wendy has many different sites to learn from, tailored to how you like to learn and are inspired:
Chair Whimsy (www.chairwhimsy.com) is where she shares blog posts, tutorials, and behind-the - scenes looks at her chair transformations, along with tips on fabric selection, color, and design. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking for inspiration or want to understand her process. She teaches online courses, including her DIY Upholstery course and design focused trainings, where she walks women step by step through transforming their own chairs. Those are designed to be beginner friendly but also empowering, helping women build real skills and confidence. www.chairwhimsy.com/courses
On social media sheshares videos that bring her projects to life —everything from full chair makeovers to creative design tips and ideas you can use in your own home.
Whimsy & Co. is her newest creative adventure an extension of her love for color, storytelling, and design, but expressed through painting original art. This brand allows her to start with a blank canvas and create playful, joy filled pieces inspired by everything from coastal scenes to whimsical characters. Each piece is meant to bring personality and happiness into a home, reminding women that they can surround themselves with things that feel uplifting, expressive, and uniquely their own. Visit www.whimsyandco.com and sign up by email to be notified of her pop up shops featuring her newest creations.
For those who want a more immersive experience, Wendy cohosts inperson events and workshops through PINK Creatives, which focuses on creativity, business growth, and building a life you love alongside other women.
www.pinkcreatives.com
No matter the platform, her goal is always the same to inspire women to bring more color, creativity, and joy into their homes and their lives.
I recently took up jigsaw puzzles, starting with 300-piece sets and gradually working my way up to 1,000 pieces. As the puzzles became more complex, I noticed a shift in how I approached them. It’s far more challenging to complete a puzzle where many pieces share the same color—you can’t rely on obvious visual cues like faces or patterns. Instead, success depends on studying subtle differences in shape and fit.
Along the way, I’ve learned the value of patience. Sometimes the first piece you try isn’t the right one, but the process of testing and adjusting eventually leads you to it. That same mindset is what drew me to a career in finance.
Many people assume that finance, or anything involving numbers or math, is inherently uncreative. In reality, the opposite is true. (And no, I don’t mean being “creative” with accounting or “inventing” numbers on a tax return.)
As a financial planner, much of my work centers on understanding what clients want out of life, personally and financially, and then determining how to help them get there. While math certainly plays a role, the real work often requires
creativity. It’s about finding ways to make the pieces fit together, even when the picture isn’t immediately clear.
For example, what if you want to retire at 55 but haven’t saved as much as you’d hoped? That’s where creative problemsolving comes in. Could you transition to part-time work instead of retiring completely? Would extending your working years by even a small amount make a meaningful difference? In many cases, just a few extra years of income can significantly improve a retirement projection.
We might also explore lifestyle adjustments. Could downsizing your home reduce your fixed expenses? Would relocating to a lower-cost area make your goals more attainable? Each of these options represents a different way of approaching the same puzzle.
Your monthly budget is another example. Most people have a relatively fixed income, but their expenses can vary widely. Making everything align often requires thoughtful adjustments and, yes, a bit of creativity. Budgeting can feel tedious, much like dieting, but
Important Disclosure: Jill Carr is a Senior Wealth Advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only. Opinions referenced are as of the publication date and may be modified due to changes in the market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. Forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Beacon Pointe has exercised all reasonable professional care in preparing this information. The information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however, Beacon Pointe has not independently verified or attested to the accuracy or authenticity of the information. The discussions, outlook, and viewpoints featured are not intended to be investment advice and do not consider specific investment objectives or risk tolerance you may have. All investments involve risks, including the loss of principal. Consult your financial professional for guidance specific to your circumstances.
understanding your numbers is essential to staying on track and achieving your goals.
That’s why we always start with your “why.” Clarifying your financial purpose provides a framework for decisionmaking. If your goal is to raise children who value generosity and create lasting family memories, then spending on vacations or charitable giving may align perfectly with your priorities. On the other hand, it may be easier to say no to additional discretionary purchases that don’t serve that purpose.
When you’re clear on what truly matters, your financial decisions become more intentional—and often easier.
Of course, putting all of this together can be challenging to do on your own. That’s where a skilled financial planner can help. Having a trusted professional to guide these conversations can make all the difference in turning a complex puzzle into a clear, actionable plan—so you can focus on living your best life.
a Senior Wealth
She specializes in empowering individuals and families through comprehensive financial planning, drawing on deep expertise in taxes, estate planning, and personal finance. Deeply rooted in the Flint community, Jill serves on several boards of non-profits in the area. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and staying up to date on the latest TV shows.
Jill Carr, CPA, CFP®, CEPA®, CPFA® Jill is
Advisor in the Beacon Pointe Flint, MI office.
Your Health & Wellness Journey
The Creative Power of Your Mind
There was a time in my life when I thought I had goals. But looking back, I realize they were really just wishes. I would say things like, “I wish I had more money,” or “I wish I was in better shape.” Yet nothing changed—because I wasn’t changing anything. Days turned into weeks, weeks into years, and I found myself in the same place… or sometimes even further behind. I was, quite honestly, sleepwalking through my life.
It wasn’t until I began exploring personal growth that something shifted. One of the first books that woke me up was The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. It opened my eyes to the power of small, consistent actions. But over time, I began to notice something else—something deeper. There is more than one way to create change.
For years, I lived almost entirely in what I would now call “doing” energy—pushing, striving, planning, and checking boxes. It was effective to a point, but it often felt heavy. Joy was missing. Ease was missing. Then I began to discover another side of myself—one that had been there all along.
A quieter, more creative energy. An energy rooted in stillness, intuition, and trust. An energy that feels more like flow than force. As I reflected on it, I realized this wasn’t something I needed to go out and find. It was already within me—deeply connected to my faith and my relationship with God.
our thoughts come from? This is where a simple but powerful realization changed everything for me: We think about what we allow into our minds.
Imagine your mind as a glass. It will hold whatever you pour into it. It doesn’t judge. It doesn’t filter. It simply contains what you give it. If that glass is filled with negativity, fear, comparison, or constant noise, that becomes your internal world. But if you begin to pour in something different—hope, truth, encouragement, inspiration—you gradually change what
in today’s world, this requires intention more than ever. We are constantly surrounded by noise—messages of fear, scarcity, comparison, and overwhelm. These inputs are easy to find. They don’t require effort. But the opposite? The messages that uplift, strengthen, and inspire? Those we often have to seek out.
For me, this has become a daily practice— protecting what I allow into my mind and choosing what I intentionally feed it. It might be through prayer, uplifting content, meaningful conversations, or simply creating space for stillness.
Here’s where creativity comes in. We often think of creativity as something artistic—painting, writing, music. But creativity is much bigger than that. Creativity is how we shape our lives. What we experience in life is, in many ways, a result of what we are creating—often without even realizing it.
What drives that creative process? Our thoughts. What we consistently think about shapes what we expect, and what we expect quietly influences what we create.
If I expect the day to be stressful, I will likely notice every frustration. If I expect to see goodness, opportunity, or kindness, I begin to notice that instead.
So the question becomes—where do
fills your mind.
Here’s the beautiful part: you don’t have to empty the glass all at once. You simply begin to pour in something better. Over time, what once felt heavy can begin to feel clear, peaceful, and full of possibility.
This is the creative process at work. We often try to change our lives by forcing new actions. But lasting change begins earlier—at the level of what we are allowing into our minds and hearts.
When we change the input, we naturally begin to change the thoughts. When we change our thoughts, we influence our feelings. And our feelings shape the actions we take—and ultimately, the results we experience.
It’s a quiet, powerful chain reaction, and
What I’ve come to understand is this: creativity isn’t just about what we produce—it’s about what we allow. It’s about the environment we create within ourselves, and from that place, everything else begins to shift.
If there are a few simple takeaways I could leave you with, they would be these:
Stand guard at the door of your mind. Not everything deserves your attention.
Be intentional about what you take in. Your mind, like your body, thrives on nourishment.
Trust that small shifts matter. You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight. Just begin. Because the truth is—you are always creating. Every thought you allow, every message you absorb, and every moment you give your attention… it is all shaping the life you experience.
So perhaps the better question is not “What do I want?” But “What am I allowing to shape me?”
Today is an opportunity to begin again. To choose more intentionally. To think more life-giving thoughts. To create from a place of peace instead of pressure.
Because when you begin to change what fills your mind, you begin to change what fills your life.
is a Christian Health and Wellness Coach, a Christian Life Coach, as well as a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). She helps women integrate their Christian faith into their health and wellness journey to find greater motivation and resilience. You can
Debra Loader
Called to Create
The door opens to a dusty room. The plastic bag crinkles as I open it. The smell of earth, ready to be formed, smells like home to me. The clay feels cool to the touch and soft as I press my fingers into it.
I clear a space for the portal to be opened. Quite literally, I clear the space by tidying up my work table. Putting things away that I don’t need, and gathering all the essential tools. My old work stool, which has developed a slight lean from decades of unbalanced sitting, welcomes me like a familiar friend. The top is leather which has been burnished into a shiny patina, the legs are made of wood that has been wired together. The wire was no doubt employed by a previous owner to correct its lean, which I find perfect for sitstanding while I’m working.
Next I lay out my carving tools- I have a curved blade, a fine needle point stylus, and a cheap bristle brush I keep in a leather carrying case. Finally I sit down to carve designs into the clay that has been dried very slowly and carefully to a chocolate hard state. Through the repetition of geometric patterns and forms I incise into the clay, the world slows down and all the noise begins to quiet. I can begin to process, think and meditate.
I often think of early humans, particularly a certain human. The one who picked up that piece of limestone and carved it into the shape of a woman 30,000 some years ago. That piece of limestone carved into a woman is the Venus of Willendorf. She is a 4.4 inch figure made by Paleolithic human hands, and considered one of the earliest and most famous masterpieces of human sculpture.
Humans have been creating for millennia to share and express emotions, stories, and history in a non- verbal way. This has allowed us to understand the world, and
connects us like a bridge across time and geography. Creating art has been a vital record of our existence, documenting cultural evolution and spiritual beliefs; acting as a visual ledger of the past that no words could ever express.
It is with humble gratitude and honor that I participate in this same act of creation, adding to this visual ledger. With my hands immersed in soft earth that has been transported by wind and water across thousands of years, I begin the ritual. Using the four elements: earth, air, water and eventually fire to make something that wasn't there before. When working with clay, we hold in our hands millions of year’s worth of decomposed igneous rock, the same rock early humans used to make tools for hunting, and the same rock that was once used to carve the limestone body of the Venus of Willendorf- the portal is open. I am but a humble channel, or simple vessel receiving transmissions through the aether.
That aether being the collective unconscious. According to Carl Jung, it represented a universal, inherited layer of the unconscious mind, common to all humans. It exists below the personal unconscious and contains archetypes— universal symbols, instincts, and primordial images that shape our human experience. We as humans have a direct connection to this universal reservoir of thoughts and ideas.
By clearing space both literally (the work table) and figuratively (clearing our minds from any resistance and distractions), we can draw from this well of inspiration wherever we are geographically. Tuning into this channel and frequency is like exercise. The more you do it, the stronger you get, and easier it is to be creative and inspired.
The more we rely on external sources for inspiration and ideas, i.e. curated digital screens, scrolling endlessly but leading nowhere, open AI, etc., our channel then becomes static. The frequency is jammed, and we can’t understand the transmissions anymore. Our well of inspiration starts to run dry. Eventually our bridge across time and geography starts to collapse and crumble.
For me the act of creating is an essential part of life. I pay attention to the ideas that come while doing the everyday things that allow my mind to wander- showering, driving to work, or cooking dinner. I write them down as soon as I can, and I make a pact with myself to bring them into reality. To create something that wasn’t there before not only feels cathartic, but also feels like true magic.
Creating something out of clay- the sediment of millions of years of ground mountains, oceans that carried earth's first creatures, the dissolved bones of our earliest ancestors, fragments of stone and iron which carry the memory of exploded stars strewn across the darkness of the cosmos before gravity gathered it into the rock that became this planet; to make things out of these elements feels really important and vital.
Yet it also feels like playing in the mud as a child. Maybe I’m just making my little mark on the rock to show I was here, or maybe I’m just a kid playing in the mud again. Either way, my continued agenda is to touch clay every day.
Meg Bundy is owner of Native House Ceramic Co. in Flushing, and makes small batch modern handmade ceramics. The designs are meant to evoke an appreciation for the natural world around us. she strives to make pottery that feels natural and simplified, with a connection to the history and people of the land. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram @ nativehouseceramicco or shopnativehouse.com
Zophael Ray describes herself as a Flint Town Nerd Girl, and we love a good nerd girl! As an artist and art instructor, Zophael finds joy in exploring diverse mediums and pushing her creative boundaries. Her work includes miniature paintings, meticulously detailed graphite drawings, ink, and watercolor.
Using multiple mediums helps her to capture the intricate realism of the places she visits and the people she meets.
She is fascinated with crumbling buildings, dark portraits, and deserted places. As a lifetime resident of the Flint area, the once thriving, but now decaying landscape of the city moves her to capture scenes of ruin and tainted beauty., which capture the passage of time in a tangible way.
Her work is a journey through time and history, whether to meet a new and interesting face through portraiture or to travel to a destination off the beaten path.
Like many artists, Zophael’s path to earning a living from her creativity was not straignt forward. She studied drawing and illustration at Genesee Area Skill Center. She also attended Mott Community College, studying Anthropology and Philosophy with a focus on World Religions.
After many years working for Barnes and Noble and taking care of her aging grandparents, she was able to move into art as a full time career doing costume design, working on commissions for movies, renaissance festivals, and cosplay. She also taught costuming, make up, and prop making at conventions as well as for MSU’s 4-H program.
Zophael travels multiple times a year to locations around the country to draw, paint, and take photos for her art. Her work has most recently been shown at the Greater Flint Arts Council and Buckham Art Gallery in Flint, Michigan. She also works with the Flint Monster Society and Flint Horror Collective to present art at their shows.
During the day, she brings creativity and connection to life at the Mundy Township Senior & Enrichment Center, where she serves as the Programming Coordinator and lead art instructor. Whether she’s planning engaging activities or guiding others through artistic expression, she fills the space with energy, inspiration, and a passion for community.
You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram @ZophaelRay
You can follow Mundy Township on facebook @mundytownshipsenior& enrichmentcenter
QLiz Bruegge
Future Independent Sales Director
Mary Kay Cosmetics
734.788.6204
Shop with me 24/7 at marykay.com/ecizek
With spring cleaning in full swing, there’s one area most people forget: your makeup brushes. And yes—it matters more than you think. One of the most common questions I hear is: “How often should I really clean them?”
AAnswer: once a week. Regular cleaning prevents buildup of oil, dead skin, and bacteria (hello, breakouts), while also improving your makeup application and extending the life of your brushes.
If your skin is sensitive or acne-prone, consider washing them more often—even after each use. It may feel like extra effort, but your skin will show the difference.
Prefer using natural bristle brushes? Clean them even more frequently. They’re more porous than synthetic brushes, which means they hold onto bacteria more easily.
And let’s talk about makeup sponges. These need daily cleaning—no exceptions. They absorb significant amounts of moisture and product quickly, creating the perfect environment for bacteria and yeast growth. (Truthfully, I rarely recommend them for this reason.)
When it comes to choosing a cleanser, stick with something gentle but effective. I personally love using our Mary Kay Micellar water for this! After washing, lay brushes flat or hang them upside down to dry. This prevents moisture from weakening the glue and helps your brushes last for years. Clean brushes, better skin, flawless application—it’s worth the habit.
My name is Liz Bruegge, and I’ve been an independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay for over a decade.
What began as an impromptu decision to say yes to an extra source of income became a passion for pampering and bringing joy to women, helping them discover their best skin and regain their confidence, and mentoring others to bridge gaps in their lives.
I graduated from Michigan State with a degree in English, and didn’t know the first thing about skincare. When Mary Kay stepped into my life, I saw it as an easy opportunity to learn about something new, and earn extra income while doing so. What I didn’t realize at the time was everything behind the lipstick: a growing relationship with God, women empowerment, personal development, positive sisterhood, and a vision of hope for a future that “Corporate America” could never provide.
Whether I get to help you with a simple mascara, build a custom skincare routine, or guide you in starting your own journey in Mary Kay, I look forward to educating and serving you in whatever capacity that may be!
Girlfriend Getaways
This month’s themes of Creative Expression and Art are near and dear to my heart! For nearly twenty years my husband and I were a dynamic duo of creative wedding photographers.
We competed head to head within our company to be the one who brought home the “best” image of the day. When we hung up our cameras in 2023 we were at the top of our game, consistently filling our schedule with a full slate of weddings, senior photos and family pictures.
Creative expression was the name of the game and even editing provided an everyday outlet to make beautiful things. These days I spend a great deal of my work life behind a desk or in meetings that don’t trigger that “right brain” creative vibe, so I find myself seeking ways to scratch that itch any way I can!
My number one creative outlet is still photography - more often than not it’s with the phone in my pocket instead of a professional camera, but the creative release is the same.
As I travel, I use photography as a way to explore and record the amazing things I see. My mind is always looking for the unique angle, the textures, the stunning architecture and color. Composing interesting images forces you to slow down and really look at the spaces around you and soak them in. Here are a few universal tips to taking interesting images:
1.Use a different angle - change your height either get low or high. Cool tree? Get close to it and shoot up the trunk.
2. Pay attention to light - shadows or the sun highlighting something from behind adds visual interest.
3. Use architecture to your advantage
- shoot through an open doorway or window. Add dimension and depth to your image by using different layers.
4. Zoom in! With phone cameras we have a tendency to just leave the lens on the default setting. But getting up close draws the eye into the image and sharpens focus on what you want to see.
I also have a couple of more recent creative outlets. Last summer we planted an entire area of cut flowers on our farm. I have a newfound love of wandering the flowers and cutting stems to create gorgeous flower arrangements. For this summer I’ve already ordered my flower seeds with bouquets in mind. I just need some sun and warmth to be tiptoeing through the flowers again!
My second new outlet is painting. My husband bought paint by number kits for all of us to fill our winter idle time. These are not the small paint by number kits of our childhood but intricate, beautiful works of art! It was definitely not a quick project and took lots of patience and trust that following the flow of the painting would turn into something! He of course chose an iconic Mykonos street scene for me and I enjoyed watching it come to life with each brush stroke.
I find each of my creative hobbies have some things in common. I adore how colors play together, textures, and interesting architecture. And each of my hobbies requires a bit of patience, creativity and a different side of my “work brain.” They help me slow down and focus - they calm my mind and feed my soul in different ways - all the things I need to remember to make time for!
As we age and our children begin to grow up and need us less and less, we may feel like the time to chase our dreams has come and gone. But what if menopause marks the start of a new era for us? What if this is the time in our life when we can truly pursue our passions and make the impact we yearn for?
The truth is, when our children are grown and no longer depend on us for daily tasks - like packing lunches, driving to and from activities, making meals, and helping with homework - we have a lot more time to decide what WE want. When we’re in the midst of the busy and active motherhood routines, our own dreams and passions tend to take the backseat to ensure our family is properly cared for.
Typically, menopause tends to occur right around the time when we’re seeing our children off to college or on to their own path into adulthood. This timing lines up nicely with the changes that are happening within our brain, which may allow for more creativity to spark and new paths to be paved.
After the hormone shifts that occur during menopause, the female brain is much less reactive to negative emotions and has more capacity to sustain gratitude and joy
and other positive emotions. Emotional control is gained with the transitions that are happening within the brain, more specifically the amygdala.
Most women can recall the emotional rollercoaster that they rode during puberty and pregnancy/postpartum, and of course perimenopause.
When we come out the other end of menopause and the ovaries are completely offline, emotions will begin to stabilize and shift into a more controlled manner. This can be incredibly helpful when thinking about exploring new activities that may cause some frustration, but thankfully the brain is more able to brush this off and focus on the positive. This also gives women the ability to care a bit less of what others may think of them, and focus on what truly makes them happy.
It’s also been shown in studies that women in their 50s have much more empathy than their male counterparts. This is incredibly helpful when thinking about the role that women play within the family dynamic and society during this this time. Being able to look beyond the surface and truly feel what others may be experiencing can be a gift. A gift that
may give us the motivation to truly pursue our dreams and ability to share our talent with others.
Did you know that Laura Ingalls Wilder didn’t publish her first book until she was 64? And Anna Mary Robertson Moses a.k.a. Grandma Moses, didn’t pursue her artistry talents until the age of 76? It wasn’t until the age of 69 when Saint Mother Theresa won a Nobel Peace Prize.
These talents may differ from what you have within yourself, but this goes to show that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams. We were all given special gifts to offer the world and these are not dependent on a specific timeline. So lean into what your heart desires and don’t be afraid to go against the grain to show the world that you are meaningful regardless of your age. Your time is now!
Dr. Melissa Vandermissen is a Chiropractor and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, as well as a wife and a mom. She operates a fully virtual clinic, where she works with women from preconception through menopause. Dr. Melissa utilizes the best of science and nature to formulate personalized protocols for her clients so they can live out their full potential. You can follow her on Instagram at drmelissavandermissen or at thedrmelissa.com.
The year is 2024 and I have been doing hair for twenty one years. I am what we call seasoned, which is a polite industry term for “has strong opinions about round brushes.”
I have done things. Backstage at hair shows, work with the State Board of Cosmetology, and apprenticed women into this field and sent them into the world armed with hot tools and confidence. I have done hair in basements, garages, laundry rooms, closets, cars, and once stood in a salon while a film crew shot footage for an episode of Wife Swap that never aired. Apparently America was not ready for that level of tension.
All of this to say, I thought I was prepared for anything. Then I got invited to New York Fashion Week!
Please understand something. I am five foot two. I carry the confident softness of a woman who does not fear bread. Mostly because I don’t. No shaming, I just need you to have an accurate picture as I take you on this ride.
My boss and friend Sarah invites me and I enter a full identity spiral. I borrow clothes like I am about to be personally knighted by Betsey Johnson. As if anyone in New York City would look up from their phone long enough to confirm I exist. I shop. I panic. My aesthetic, if you can call it that, is feral but approachable.
What in the hell kind of costume do you wear to FASHION WEEK? In the end I chose the unofficial national uniform of hairdressers everywhere. All black. Black dress, fishnets, combat boots. It suggests control. It suggests mystery. It mostly suggests I got dressed during a mild psychological event. I am comfortable.
At 5 a.m. we enter a Manhattan warehouse converted into a temporary salon. Industrial chic with a side of chaos. We are the first show of the day for Badgley Mischka, which sounds delicate and luxurious and not at all like what is about to happen.
I am immediately made to put a wrinkled promotional T-shirt over my entire carefully-constructed outfit. I did not factor this into the design. Three weeks of wardrobe panic, undone in fourteen seconds by a crinkled cotton billboard. Serious self doubt commences.
The models begin to float in. They are approximately seven feet tall and the width of a USB cable. My anxiety, which had spent weeks fixating on outfits and
curling irons, had failed to prepare me for a single thing that was actually happening. So incredibly rude.
We gather for a look and learn with the lead stylist. He’s a wizard. Every model must have the exact same sleek, polished style. When he demonstrates on a woman whose hair resembles what would happen if a silk waterfall had a baby with a Vidal Sassoon model, it looks effortless. Part. Smooth. Shine. Applause. Anyone could do it.
I get paired with Sarah, which is the only thing saving me. She has the energy of someone who meditates. I have the energy of a campground raccoon that just discovered Red Bull. She is unreadable. Professional. Cool as a cucumber. I have the face of someone who has never successfully hidden a single thought in her life.
It is go time. I approach the first model
Creative expression does not care that you survived decades of trends or did hair in a stranger’s garage. It will shake you. You can still do it afraid! That is actually the only way it expands you. It is terrifying to discover you are always capable of being a beginner again.
and politely address her midsection, because I cannot see her face without tilting back like I am studying constellations. She sits, reluctantly, and I am about to find out why.
Her hair is a literal hate crime. Broken pieces everywhere and a mullet that arrived uninvited. Thin, lifeless, with a tender scalp and extension placement that suggests both ambition and spite. My stomach drops into my boots. I look around frantically to see if I am being pranked. I was not.
She lightly slaps my hand away at one point, which feels fair. I glance at Sarah. She glances at me. The silent conversation translates roughly to: pack it up Jame, you had a good run, time to become an accountant.
investigate. One brave soul is attempting sleek symmetry on a model who is actually bald. I witness tears. Someone gets yelled at. I feel all of it in my bones because I am an empath and that is my burden.
I briefly consider quitting cosmetology and opening a candle shop.
Instead we get to work. We engineer. We finesse. We smooth and tuck and pray. We produce something that resembles the assigned look if you squint and believe in miracles. The model leaves. I age three years.
Redemption becomes personal. I survey the room like a general selecting a capable recruit. I find a model with long, cooperative hair and an expression suggesting emotional stability. She sits down and everything changes. The sections fall where they should. The shine appears. The part aligns as if it has been waiting its entire life for this moment. We do the damn thing. I resist the urge to hug her calves, which are at eye level.
Later, the runway photos circulate. She is everywhere. Front and center. Glossy. Regal. Our work, living forever on the internet. The pride I feel could power Manhattan.
Here is what I know now. Creative expression does not care that you survived decades of trends or did hair in a stranger’s garage. It will shake you. You can still do it afraid! That is actually the only way it expands you. It is terrifying to discover you are always capable of being a beginner again.
Mastery is not the absence of fear. It is the decision to keep going while sweating in fishnets in February next to a seven foot model who may or may not slap you a little.
Fashion Week was humbling and absurd and one of the greatest highs of my life.
Show up before you feel ready. Trade perfection for presence. Stand in your combat boots and decide you belong there anyway.
Next time I might even wear color. Just kidding.
Around us, chaos blooms like a very expensive flower. Stylists are whisper shouting. There is a hairspray fog. A discussion about adhesive is happening two chairs down that I choose not to 19
In Diary of a Hairapist, Jamie MacNeill explores the sacred absurdity of modern womanhood, from the tangles in our hair to the tangles in our hearts. It’s wit with wisdom, scissors with soul, and proof that beauty and truth often come from the same messy place. Instagram: @jamiemacneill, Facebook: Jamie MacNeill
Have you ever stopped to wonder if the blueprint you have been handed for “how to live life” is really right? Most of us are living out the same basic script: check the boxes, stay within the lines, move from A to B to C without skipping a single letter. Graduate, settle, commit, get rewarded. No detours, no experiments, no new checkboxes invented along the way. It's simple and it's acceptable, and for some people, it genuinely works. But for others (maybe for you, and definitely for me) that straight, predictable line becomes a cage.
I believe we all were experimenters as children. And it was valuable to us; it was how we learned: get curious about something and then go do it. It might have led to loads of fun, it might have led to something terrifying, but either way, it was how I learned. As an adult still, I see the value of experimentation as how I form my own opinions and build a catalog of wisdom that is uniquely mine, grounded in lived experience rather than theory.
And yet, for most of my life, I didn't embrace my experimental self. Instead, I shamed my inner experimenter. The world around me told me experimentation wasn’t safe or it was a waste of time.
The result? To avoid being experimental I would over-commit. I would feel such a deep pull toward an experience that I'd make enormous life changes, complete with huge commitments, just to get access to it. Then, once I was deep in it and realized it wasn't right for me, I felt I had to stay, often in toxic situations.
Changing my mind would mean admitting I'd made the wrong choice. It would mean
failure. So I told myself, again and again, that I had to stick it out. I often have felt my life was like one plane crash after another. I'd build up the enthusiasm and the energy to lift off, take off, and soar, only to find myself crashing to the ground, and then spending months picking up the pieces.
What I'm learning now is that this erratic pattern is not inevitable. I just didn't have the framework to recognize that experimentation was allowed and how to do it without wreaking havoc.
I am beginning to experiment more freely and much more comfortably now that I am doing it with consciousness and intention. What has helped this shift for me is putting experimentation within a container of safety. Here is how I have been doing it:
How to Experiment Safely
For those of you who feel the pull toward more experimentation in your own lives, here is the framework I've developed for doing it in a way that keeps you grounded:
Identify the scope before you begin. Set limits on time, money, and energy before you dive in. Knowing your container in advance means you won't keep extending it out of guilt or inertia.
Know your exit signals in advance. Before you begin, ask yourself: what would tell me it's time to stop? Common signals include no longer having fun, being asked to do things that conflict with your values, or simply feeling consistently off or drained. Commit to yourself that you will honor those signals when they appear and take a thoughtful pause.
Give yourself time before making decisions. I've learned that I almost always
need a few days before I can give anyone a clear answer. For bigger decisions, I may need a month. That's not indecisiveness. That's self-knowledge. Make it known upfront: "I need a little time on that", and it doesn’t have to mean you are flakey.
Be mindful of the commitments you make to others while in exploratory mode. There's also a genuine weight of having promised someone something and then having to change later. Now when I'm in experimenter mode, I tell people upfront: “I'm exploring this” or “I'm not ready to commit.” It sets everyone's expectations in the right place.
Honor what you learned, even when it didn't go as hoped. When an experiment ends, especially one that didn't turn out the way you imagined, take time to acknowledge what you gained. There is almost always something valuable: insight, clarity, a story, wisdom you'll carry forward. Seeing it this way is what keeps you from sliding into “the pit of despair.”
If any of this resonates with you, I want to offer you this: your curiosity is not recklessness. Your desire to experience life directly, to taste things before committing, to say "actually, this isn't for me", is wisdom.
Experimentation is something we all need in our lives. It is inspiring, enlivening, and one of the key factors of growth as Human Beings. Follow your curiosities. It’s safe to let your inner experimenter out to play.
Joy Dettling helps you move forward with clarity and confidence to release what’s keeping you stuck, and take aligned steps that truly work for you. She offers 1:1 sessions that get to the root of what’s in the way so you can move forward. Learn more or book a session at: www.ignitelife.net
Growing up, my Mother was a wonderful cook, but the kitchen largely became her domain. Consequently, one day at 30 years old, I came to the shocking conclusion that I really didn’t know how to truly nourish myself.
Cooking was not something I particularly felt skillful at, nor really initially enjoyed. So, why pursue any of it? Instead, my young adulthood was mostly consumed with proving my worth, contributing to society, working multiple jobs and pursuing multiple degrees. Why pursue something when there wasn’t a guarantee that I would be good at it? Contributing to myself? Largely an afterthought.
Cooking and creativity are the same, in that it takes engaging in them to become skillful or find enjoyment. Sometimes both default towards someone else being the judge of what is “right” or “good.”
Like other things in life, we often get set in our ways, stay in our comfort zones, and reaffirm with confirmation bias what it is that we think we are naturally inclined to excel at. However, cooking, like creativity, is a highly personal endeavor, and beauty, much like taste, is in the eye of the beholder. We often take ourselves out of these practices before we really begin, let alone improve, then claim that’s proof we aren’t good or skilled enough. Cooking creatively is something to be nourished. It then reciprocally nourishes you.
I began to fall in love with cooking, and taking care of and nourishing myself. I came to understand that I was worthy and deserved the effort it took to feel good. I was also falling in love with creativity, as not only personal expression, but as soothing medicine.
Color makes me happy, but most of my life I assumed I wasn’t an “artsy” person, by many traditional standards. I
was wrong and downplayed my colorful and creative gifts, even outside of my newfound passion for making “pretty plates” that light up my being when I sit down to them.
When you let go of the outcome and how something should be, worrying if you are doing it right, or even what others might think of it, magic happens. My plates went from being disconnected (swing from not caring about what I was fueling my body with at all, to meticulous causing anxiety and stress) to a newfound way to color my life with sheer joy. Even amongst the mundane, chaos and uncertainties of life. The foods on our plates nourish not just our bodies, but our souls, with vibrancy and creative fuel.
So this month, I challenge you to a creative color challenge: Eat the rainbow! When you grocery shop, notice what fresh colors seem to be lacking. Consider how you can ADD more colors to what you already eat without revamping your whole routine or sense of ease. It’s a fun and easy way to optimize and improve health by getting in more fruits and vegetables, fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, polyphenols, etc. Fun, playful, and creative will always trump uber stressful pursuits of greater health. Can you make your daily plates pop with three or more colors and watch the process become more appealing?
If you tend be a perfectionist and crave control, you may need to create more. Creativity is the opposite of perfection; it’s not control, it’s flow. It’s not holding something tighter in an effort to bend it to your will; it’s releasing the grasp and seeing what unfolds. It’s not outcomes and expectations based on intellectual mind energy; it’s a process, intuitive, and often feeling-and-soul based.
Infuse color into your days and life in different ways and you will find more vitality as well. Seek novelty adventures and creative beauty in nature. Fill your spaces and wardrobe with color. Let colorful-feeling music guide your artistic expression activities.
Start cooking with more soul energy and not mind energy. Treat your ingredients and meals like creative masterpieces and works of art instead of only meticulously counting macros and stressing how that equates to your mass. Have you tried counting colors instead of obsessing over calories?
We are all innately creative beings at our core. Your creativity, just like your plate, doesn’t have to, and often won’t, look like someone else’s. Tapping into your uniquely creative energy isn’t a luxury or a frivolous pursuit. It’s quite literally prescriptive medicine, a longevitysupporting tool.
Let us imagine more than the pursuit of BEING “good,” and tap into creative expression simply because the process is good for us.
Cooking for yourself or others doesn’t have to be a never-ending monotonous chore or looming stressor. As you dabble, you may be surprised to find some pursuits—like cooking for me—not only enjoyable, but a necessary soul fuel that was lacking due to engrained perfectionist mindsets. When it comes to cooking and nutrician, get out of your head and flow.
Cowen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching and Body Positive Coach, available in person and remotely via phone/ video chat! If you are looking for a more sustainable, integrative approach your health goals or to treat health conditions, disease, and diagnoses by using food as medicine visit phoenixtransform.com
Emily
Fashion is a fun way to allow your creativity to soar. It’s how you choose to express yourself to the world; a direct representation of who you are to those you may or may not know. Fun and playful or chic and sophisticated? Fashion allows selfexpression without saying a word.
The way we style pieces are what truly defines our look. Accessories are a fun way to play with prints or colors that might be out of our comfort zone. If you find yourself favoring core solids, consider accessorizing with a colorful handbag or footwear. If there’s something to invest in, I’d choose higher-end accessories to elevate an otherwise basic look.
If colors and prints are your calling, mix and match trends continue to soar. Personally, I love a printed pant with a solid top and vice versa.
Runway -vs- Real Life
“Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It’s movement, design, and architecture all in one.” -Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl)
The looks designers send to the runway for fashion week are their passion projects. It’s their way of
bringing their vision to life. You might wonder how to logically incorporate these pieces into your daily wardrobe.
No one expects you to show up to Costco dressed like Kate Moss on Gucci’s runway (but if you do, more power to you).
Earlier this year, Vogue highlighted some of NY Fashion Week’s breakout models. What we can derive from these looks is inspiration for our personal wardrobe. The color stories, the fabrications, the silhouettes.
I dare you to step outside of your comfort zone. Maybe it’s with a color or a print or a fun, new accessory that you treated yourself to for Mother’s Day. Wear something that inspires you and ask yourself what you’re expressing to others.
At the end of the day, the most fabulous thing you can be is authentically YOU.
Rudy is a wife, mom and equestrian, who is passionate about people and growth. As Birch Run Premium Outlets' Director of Marketing and Business Development, Kelsey focuses on shaping a sustainable, meaningful brand strategy and driving traffic to the Great Lakes Bay Region.
Kelsey
I have never really considered myself very creative or artistic. I come from a long, generational line of artists that are creative, so that’s a factor in my limited image of myself. My mom should have been an interior decorator. I respected her skills so much that I could not modify my home in any way without consulting with
She took classes in pencil art, acrylic painting, chalk painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, cooking and even welding. She was the only woman in the welding class she attended. Her class had an assignment to bring in one item that they wanted to weld. Of course, the guys brought in car bumpers and other large metal pieces. My mom showed up with a dainty purse that had a metal clasp she wanted to weld.
Aunt Bev, my mom’s sister, created oil paintings and her daughter, Kendal, sells real stuffed fish with painted images like “The Starry Night,” by Van Gogh. Even my brother, from behind the bars of a jail, created a piece of art for me from laundry lint and jail receipts and a leather Bible cover that looked like wood. Also, he was paid to make wooden signs for local
They say creativity is not an innate trait, but that it can be developed through practice, discipline and the ability to think outside of the box. I believe I could be artistically creative if I took the time to take classes like my mom and applied
However, my creativity is in how I think, because I do think outside of the box. I used to tutor kids in multiple subjects. I always had a handful of special-needs kids that needed a more creative approach to remember information. I taught the eight multiplication facts to the song, “All about that bass,” but it said, “All about those
I once won a contest against all the substitute teachers in Michigan for a rap
that I wrote. The first lines were, “YO! Teachin’ is rewardin’ and I don’t need to make it borin’. I’m part of a teachin’ team, helping kids while I’m making some green.”
My tutored students used to tell me that I don’t think normally and they are right. My brain does think differently. I can often, spontaneously, come up with weird ways to create acronyms to remember a list of information. I use this approach for my husband when I give him a quick list of things to grab at the grocery store by telling him to just remember, “My Lovely Wife.” That translates to the “M” in Mt. Dew, the “L” in lettuce and the “W” in white bread. Listen! It works! He comes home with exactly what I told him, otherwise, he forgets everything.
My brain THINKS creatively when it comes to problem solving. If there is a problem, I can come up with a list of solutions. Creativity comes in many forms. You can be creative in sports with pattern recognition, problem solving and experience. I play sports and I believe that how you calculate angles on a court or ball field to create a win is creative.
My other sports superpower is outsmarting and out-hitting my male opponents by taking advantage of their weaknesses or their “different” male thinking. I try to think differently, adapt optimally, and express athleticism uniquely. So, if you think you are not creative, THINK AGAIN! Anything you do or any way that you think that’s “outside the box” or outside the way others think, is being creative. So, get your creative ON today! Ask yourself, “How am I creative?”, because you are uniquely creative!
Kelly Haskins Stonerock has been a resident of Goodrich for 29 years. She served as a pastor’s wife for 17 years and is, presently, the CEO of BatsAndTraps.com, an animal removal company that services Genesee County and its surrounding communities. Kelly has five kids of her own and she raised 3 other children. She was featured on ABC’s television show, “Wife Swap” in 2005.
My first memory of an on-the-road adventure is of my family loaded in the station wagon to drive from Texas to Michigan where my grandparents lived. Now that was a trip, circa 1958! I was six years old, and my almost-three-year-old sister and I were piled in the back with our books and dolls, with my older brother and travel items stuffed around him in the middle seat. Money was tight, so one of those items was a large Coleman cooler carrying the food or drinks we would need during the 24-hour trip. My sister was actually being potty trained as we drove, and as the big sister, I was usually her “spotter”, making sure she didn’t fall off the enamelware potty she used. Obviously this trip created memories for me!
Somewhere in the late 60s my parents bought a small camper, and my love for camping began. I camped for at least 13 years with my family, then twentysomething years while married. I didn’t have a lot to do with the set up of the tents or trailers. Basically I picked flowers and enjoyed my dad’s or my husband’s cooking.
In 2010, two years after my little family became only my two children and me, the wanderlust bug hit me. My adopted children were ten at the time and had never camped. I wanted them to have adventures, but the expense of motels was daunting. What I really wanted was a way to camp with them. My van was too small and my cognitively impaired son and tiny daughter would prove more frustration than help in setting up a tent. I needed a camper.
I had never visited Craigslist, but the idea
to look there came to mind. After entering “camper” in the search bar, a tiny, ten foot, 1974 Sprite camper appeared, having just been listed the night before. Oh yes, my heart went pitter patter!! She was adorable, and I believed I could tow and set her up by myself. I really was a brave soul!
After having lights and a trailer hitch installed on my van and acquiring a small loan, I drove an hour away to fetch her. Having never towed any kind of trailer, the owner made sure I could navigate around his subdivision, and we finalized the sale. He forgot to mention that I should put my older van in a lower gear to haul the camper north—one of the many things I had no clue about. With much groaning and growling of the engine I managed to reach 50 miles per hour, fearing an explosion all the way home.
The next summer, after having a radiator cooler installed, we traveled north to Tahquamenon Falls and south to the Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Quite the trips for first timers, but such adventures! I did find that I could absolutely tow and set up by myself (even two years later when I was in a walking cast ten weeks after breaking my leg!). Backing up continues to be challenging but I have become quite creative with that too.
Magenta—my favorite color—was Pantone’s color of the year for 2011 (they called it Honeysuckle). In my glory, I bought tubs for storage, a clock, folding tray table and stool, and sheets and comforter in that color during the “decorate your college dorm” sales. I found just enough material to make
curtains out of a teal and magenta paisley print. I love creating with color!
I have had such a wonderful time decorating Itty Bitty. We use every inch of her 70 square feet, (most of which is taken up by beds) so everything has a use and purpose. The 70s theme has been a springboard for ideas. Even the portable potty is covered in retro flower decals—of course!
Itty Bitty’s exterior stripe was a light mint green when I purchased her. Ten years later, when I decided to paint her, I chose to use the interior colors. Now she really stands out! I painted a galvanized wreath for the front of the trailer to match, and made rag lights to hang around the edge of the awning I’d had made. Creating her into the most colorful little egg of a camper has been a total delight!
Itty Bitty has given me freedom, and the ability for adventure and creating precious memories with my children. Being so unique, she provides opportunities for conversations and meeting new people. I’m so thankful I stepped out of my comfort zone and followed that nudge to try something new.
If you’d like to see more pictures of Itty Bitty, she has her own Instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/ ittybittycamper1974/
Mimi Matthews is in the “encouragement business” as the owner of Empowordment Cards by Mimi. She is also a speaker, workshop leader, writer, and our editor. Visit her shop at www.etsy.com/ shop/EmPOWordmentCards and her blog at www. particularpassions.me.
Law of Attraction
Have you ever heated up a nice warm cup of chicken noodle soup to comfort yourself when you’re feeling under the weather?
Today I’d like to introduce you to a new kind of soup that will lift your spirits within 10 to 15 minutes from the time you begin accumulating the ingredients.
This “Soup” is very easy to make because it only takes your imagination to prepare it. I call it my Alphabet Soup for the Soul.
This nourishing and comforting Soup consists of high frequency, energetic words designed especially to lift your mood. The ingredients are invisible, so even though you won’t be able to see what you are consuming, you’ll be able to feel a big difference when it's consumed daily.
Shopping for the ingredients will require you to take an imaginary trip to the store in your mind. We usually choose high-quality organic foods to nourish our physical bodies but with this Soup you will be searching for high-quality (high frequency) organic thoughts and words to soothe your emotional body.
The Law of Attraction principle that comes into play here is the fact that your thoughts create your emotions. So, when you’re feeling down and out, depressed or full of anxiety, it’s time to shift your focus onto something else to help you begin to feel better.
How to make your Soup: Albert Einstein once said, “Logic will get you from A-Z; Imagination will get you everywhere”. Keeping this in mind, enjoy using your imagination to create your own
unique one-of-a-kind Soup.
A. Make a list of good feeling (high frequency) words or short phrases, each one starting with one of the 26 letters in the alphabet. Begin with the letter A. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Simply relax into it and remember to keep it fun and simple. There is no need to complete the entire alphabet in one sitting, because the next day or evening you can start where you left off.
B. Begin to search for words and phrases that bring a smile to your face and/ or make you feel peaceful and happy. Another way to search for ideas is to think about all the things in your life that you appreciate. Here's an example of some of mine: Art, Babies, Curiosity, Delicious, Easy, Flannel sheets, Gratitude. Hot Tubs, Intuition, Joy, Kind etc.
C. After you have completed the entire alphabet, feel free to begin again. Your second time around the alphabet will most likely seem easier because you will have built a nice habit of choosing to focus on the plethora of good feeling words that we always have available at our fingertips.
One foggy and rainy day I got into a fender bender. I couldn't stop thinking about it because I knew it was my fault. Throughout the day the feeling of guilt and anxiety weighed heavily on my mind.
Naturally, by the time I went to bed I couldn't get to sleep. I didn't realize how beneficial the Alphabet Soup for the Soul practice would be for me until that night. As I lay in the dark with my eyes closed, I began creating my alphabet Soup in my
mind. Within a few short minutes, the stress of the day was no longer on my mind. My spirit had risen to a higher level. About halfway through the alphabet, I comfortably drifted off to sleep and indulged myself in an enjoyable night of (high frequency) sweet dreams. I awakened refreshed and rejuvenated.
I continued this process in the morning, so I would continue to reap the benefits of being in a good state of mind, which enabled me to attract more enjoyable experiences throughout the day. I soon learned that intentionally choosing to create my special Soup each morning became an easy habit to build because I discovered it was a lot more fun to wake up happy and eager to get out of bed than it was to be jarred awake by an irritating alarm clock.
I now invite you to use your imagination and the energy of your thoughts (LoA) to create a new and different way to bring yourself back into alignment. When it comes to LoA, keep in mind that momentum is like the wind beneath your wings. The longer you focus on consuming your Alphabet Soup for the Soul, the higher your spirit will fly.
Suzanne Young is an intuitive life coach who specializes in the Law of Attraction. She is also an inspirational speaker, author, and co-owner of Personal Success Programs, since 2007, with her husband Kevin Young.You can email her at suzanne@ psprograms.com and their website is www. psprograms.com.
Every now and then, an ordinary idea takes an unexpected turn when it lands in the right hands. In 2013, that idea met Randy, whose leadership skills soon found an unlikely outlet.
It began with an extra bag of fresh cranberries left over from Thanksgiving— not the dried kind, but the real ones. Tart, bright, stubbornly seasonal. On a whim, I decided to try my hand at cranberryinfused vodka. The process couldn’t have been simpler: chopped cranberries, sugar, cheap vodka, a jar on a shelf, an occasional shake. That was it. No grand plan. Just curiosity.
A month later, on Christmas Eve, I strained the berries, poured the exquisite crimson liquid into a charming decanter, and carried it across the street to my neighbors’ house. Their grown kids were visiting. Someone suggested a vodka tasting, which felt festive and a little cheeky. Everyone took a shot. It was good—surprisingly good. The room buzzed with laughter, questions, and stories, the way rooms tend to do when good ideas and alcohol meet.
No one was more intrigued than Randy. He didn’t just say, “That’s cool.” He leaned in. What other flavors could we make? What kind of vodka did you use? How long did it take to infuse? You could practically see the wheels turning. And then— because this was Randy—he didn’t stop at curiosity. He went straight to execution.
“What if,” he said, “we had a vodka infusion contest?” Not casually. Not hypothetically. A real contest. Judges. Rules. Prizes. Before the festivities had ended that night, Randy already had everyone’s buy-in, and the contest was set for the following Memorial Day.
After the holiday season, he got to work— inviting people, planning the event, setting rules, capping entries, and asking that all infusions be submitted in unmarked, wide-mouth quart-size canning jars. Details
mattered to Randy—and he thought of all of them.
Memorial Day arrived clear and sunny, the sky impossibly blue. In my neighbor’s backyard, the scene felt festive, organized, and expectant—the clear result of careful planning. With help from his wife and his family, the space came together beautifully: a covered buffet on the patio, two white tents in the yard—one for dining, one for tasting—tables and chairs and a big, colorful, handmade Vodka Olympics sign.
By the time the guests arrived, thirtytwo infused vodkas stood side by side in a neat, numbered row on a checked tablecloth beneath the tasting tent. The jars shimmered in every shade imaginable, from pale gold to deep ruby.
To the uninformed eye, it looked like a 4-H canning competition at the county fair. Alongside the jars, small towers of tiny cups made tasting possible—or at least encouraged a bit more restraint than enthusiasm alone might allow. And because Randy thought of everything, he’d asked some of us to save the plastic scoops from our protein powder containers—an unexpectedly perfect way to move vodka from wide mouth to tiny cup.
Food came first. Randy understood that no one should attempt to evaluate thirtytwo vodkas on an empty stomach. So we gathered under the dining tent, laughing, catching up, and enjoying a smorgasbord of picnic fare before turning our attention to the tasting.
Of course, Randy had a system. Scorecards. Pens. Blind tasting. Every sample was considered on its own merits. Thirty-two of them. Then, just to be sure, we circled back to the early favorites to confirm our judgments hadn’t been influenced by later pours. It was earnest, slightly absurd, and handled with the seriousness of people who knew they were doing something
ridiculous—and wonderful—at the same time.
In the end, Randy’s daughter won first place with a deceptively delicious, dessertlike blueberry-lemon infused vodka. Her future husband, however, gave his all to the judging process and paid dearly for it later. The daughter took home gold; her future husband took home the memory of a legendary hangover. We considered that a fair trade.
Just like the Olympics, Randy also awarded silver and bronze medals to the secondand third-place entries—because of course he did. It was the Vodka Olympics. It was all perfect—the day, the gathering, the vodka, the contest.
Many of us assumed it would be the first of many, an annual tradition we’d look forward to. But we never did it again. And now, looking back, I realize that’s part of what makes it so special.
That single day revealed the essence of Randy: creative, leader, organizer, emcee—a man who loved structure and fun, rules and revelry, food and drink, and bringing people together. He took a simple idea and turned it into an unforgettable experience, not because it needed to last forever, but because it mattered right then.
When I think of Randy now, that’s how I see him. Standing under that white tent, a handmade Vodkalympics sign above him, Hard Rock T-shirt on. CEO-level leadership energy without the suit. Leading without needing credit. Creating something fun and memorable simply because he could.
The first—and last—Vodka Olympics. And the quiet reminder he left behind: savor the moment, because we may never walk this way again.
Colleen Kilpatrick is a speaker, storyteller, and wellness advocate. The author of Eliminate What You Tolerate, she supports women as they navigate the brave work of letting go of what no longer serves them and making space for what truly lights them up.
Real Life Meditation
Yep! I Googled it. What are different types of creative expression?
Google went on to enlighten us why creative expression matters: Engaging in these activities helps lower stress, increases emotional balance, and strengthens focus.
Hmm, I thought, engaging in these activities offers the same benefits as meditation. In fact, many of my clients have shared that their choice of creative expression is their meditation. I will challenge them, though, “When your kids are fighting in the back seat as you come to a screeching halt on the freeway due to an accident up ahead, where is your gardening then?”
The revolution called Mindfulness Meditation turned the concept of meditation into an accessible tool with untold benefits, one of which is to be the ultimate creator of your biology, choosing whether you paint in broad strokes of rage or vibrant shades of joy. It’s important to note that these emotions are neither bad or good. Acting out of rage, however, or even an oblivious cloud of joy, can have debilitating consequences, ones we didn’t intend to create.
Emotions like rage, anger, frustration, and sadness have been labeled as the bad guys but they are no different than other emotions, informing us about our experience. It is essential to remember that your experience is filtered through the lens of your own perception which is based on your upbringing, beliefs and values, current environment and how many stressors are weighing on you, etc.
Mindfulness teaches us to pause, creating a space to choose how we react and how long we stay in any one particular landscape of feeling. As you learn to manage your emotions, you are no longer
reacting to the world; you are creating it from the inside out, ultimately creating better relationships (read more about this in our newsletter in early May!).
The Quiet Revolution: Why Your Next Big Idea is Hiding in the Silence
We’ve all been there: staring at a blank canvas, a flashing cursor, or a pile of fabrics, waiting for the lightning bolt of inspiration to strike. Usually, we try to force it. We drink more coffee, scroll through Pinterest for "inspo," or pull an all-nighter. But what if the secret to unlocking your most vibrant, creative self isn't about doing more, but about doing absolutely nothing?
Meditation is often dismissed as a "relaxation tool." But it’s actually a highperformance engine for the imagination. Here is how stillness of the mind can set your creativity on fire. (Notice, I did not say stillness of the body! Some of my most creative moments have come during walking meditation!).
Entering the "Flow State"
Have you ever been so engaged in a project that hours felt like minutes? That’s "Flow." Science shows that regular meditation strengthens the neural pathways associated with deep focus. By training your brain to return to the present moment, you’re practicing how to enter that "zone" where your best work happens.
Curiosity instead of Judgement
The biggest killer of creativity isn't a lack of talent; it’s the Inner Critic. You know the one—the voice that whispers your idea is "silly" or "done before".
Meditation trains you to observe these thoughts without engaging in them. I often tell my clients “Put that book back on the shelf – you’re not going to read that one right now”, guiding them to return their attention to something in the present moment, such as their breath, or a sense of curiosity about what they are experiencing in the present moment,
because curiosity is the opposite of judgment. It is also an immensely useful tool to cultivate creativity.
Connecting the Unconnected Creativity is often the ability to connect two seemingly unrelated ideas. This happens best when the "Default Mode Network" of the brain is active—the same area stimulated during meditation. When we quiet the noise of our to-do lists, our brains begin to make "wideangle" associations. That’s why your best ideas often come in the shower or a quiet moment; you’ve finally cleared enough space for the dots to connect.
How to Start (Without the Stress)
You don’t need to sit on a mountain top for an hour. To spark your creative expression, try this "Creative Reset":
The 10-Minute Gap: Before you start your creative project, sit for ten minutes. Focus only on the sensation of your breath. Science has shown that it takes 7-10 minutes for our brains to get out of the analytical beta brainwave patterns into the more creative alpha brainwaves.
The Observation Walk: Walk without your phone, bringing a sense of curiosity and wonder to everything in your environment, even if you need to invoke it.
Release the Outcome: During your meditation, tell yourself: "I am creating for the joy of the process, not the perfection of the result."
The next time you feel blocked, reach for the silence instead of your phone. It’s the blank canvas that welcomes your most expressive, authentic self to create.
Trice is a Meditation Therapist, certified in Mindfulness Meditation and the Neuroscience of Meditation by Dr. Joe Dispenza. Email her at Trice@presencetopupils. com for a free 20-minute consultation.
I am honored that God has given me the courage to write articles rooted in real life experiences, with the hopes of empowering, educating and elevating the mindsets of others to become a better version of themselves.
This topic is personal and reminds me of a time when I didn’t have the faith to execute wisdom and confidently become a more intentional version of me. My journey of pain, divorce, menopause, hypertension and feelings of rejection while trying to navigate through the day-to-day operations of my personal, professional and spiritual life, almost got the best of me.
Until I discovered by faith that I had the capacity to execute wisdom and become a more intentional version of me. Through life transitions, resilience and execution of my God given-wisdom, I learned every setback carries the power to transform you.
What I’ve lived through I now use to help others heal, grow, and walk confidently in who they are becoming. All Is Not Lost! You can still bounce back, heal and reclaim your life with God’s power.
In a world full of information, inspiration, and access to knowledge, many women are not lacking wisdom, they are lacking execution. We attend conferences, listen to powerful messages, read books, and receive confirmation after confirmation about what we should do next. Yet, too often, we remain in the same place. Why? Because, wisdom without execution does not produce transformation.
The truth is, becoming more intentional requires more than awareness. It requires action. It requires alignment. It requires the courage to do what you already know is necessary for your growth, your healing, and your elevation.
At its core, the execution of wisdom is about living on purpose. Many of us can identify areas in our lives where we know better. We know we should set boundaries, prioritize our health, walk away from inconsistency, manage our finances wisely, and protect our peace. It’s time to execute wisdom and become more intentional about your life, so that you can become the change you want to see.
• Execution is saying “no” when it’s uncomfortable.
• Execution is choosing discipline over distraction.
• Execution is walking away even when your emotions want to stay.
• Execution is showing up for yourself consistently, not just when you feel motivated.
• Execution of wisdom transitions you into intentional living.
Being intentional means your actions match your values. It means you are no longer living on autopilot or reacting to life as it comes. Instead, you are making conscious decisions that reflect who you are becoming, not who you used to be. For many women, especially those who have poured into others for years, this can feel unfamiliar. You have spent so much time being available, accommodating, and resilient that choosing yourself feels like a disruption.
But let me remind you, choosing yourself is not selfish, it is necessary. When you begin to execute wisdom, you start to realign your life. Your “Yes” becomes more powerful. Your time becomes more protected. Your energy is no longer given away freely to things that do not serve your purpose.
The truth is, readiness is often revealed in movement. You don’t become confident
before you act; you build confidence through your actions. Delaying keeps you stuck in cycles that no longer serve you. It prolongs your healing. It postpones your growth. It keeps you connected to versions of yourself that you’ve already outgrown.
Execution doesn’t always look big or glamorous. Sometimes it looks like scheduling the doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off or having that conversation with friends, family or your partner that you have been putting off. Executing wisdom can be as simple as creating a plan and following through by setting boundaries and standing on your business.
It’s a call to action. You already have the wisdom, insight and everything you need to move forward. It’s time to Win! Stand Up and Embrace Your Crown.
I host “Women Who Win, Say Yes to The Crown Empowerment Events” every 2nd Thursday at the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. I’m creating a safe space for women to heal, grow and share their story of resilience, while saying yes to their own personal crown.
On behalf of Women Who Win, Saying Yes to The Crown: It is my honor and privilege to crown you through this written declaration of faith. You have been called, chosen, and carried through seasons that were meant to break you, but instead, they built you.
Author,
- Saying Yes to The Crown & The Patient Resource & Community Advocate for Hurley Medical Center. For coaching, community engagement consulting, Hurley Health support services or to share your story at Women Who Win, contact: empowertolivebetter@gmail.com or tmartin1hurleymc.com -810.262.6100
Tarnesa “Nurse T” Martin, is C.E.O and Founder of Empower to Live Better LLC: Life Transformation & Confidence Coaching,
