36th Annual Long Beach Leadership Prayer Breakfast with Guest Speaker Pastor Brian Sumner

I grabbed a quick photo with Guest Speaker: Pastor Brian Sumner at the 36th Annual Long Beach Leadership Prayer Breakfast at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach.  He is a professional skateboarder turned Christian minister. He gave a truly inspirational message that day and spoke about his personal testimony.
God uses people in all walks of life...Are you ready?

It was a great community event, and it was nice to hear about all of the wonderful ways that God is working through all of the outstanding leaders in Long Beach.

The Incredible Life of India's Instagram-Famous Rajkumari, Technology Executive, Human Rights and Clean Water Activist, and Style Icon

Hello! Today I want to introduce you to Rajkumari Amy Mali.  I first noticed her while scrolling through Instagram.  She had beautiful pictures, but what really captured my attention was her international love story.  Every week or so, I would see her story pop-up in my Instagram feed teaching me something new about Indian wedding cultural traditions as she experienced it through her native #Calindianprincess (California Born Indian Princess) eyes.  Being a native Californian myself, I was certainly intrigued by the extensive wedding practices and her journey into becoming an Indian bride and wife.  In my personal opinion, Indian wedding dresses or “saris” are some of the most beautiful and masterfully handcrafted pieces on the planet.  Let’s learn more about her love story...

So, here we go…

Hi Amy! Thank you for sharing your time with us today!

Firstly, in your Instagram profile your tag line is:

“Breaking boundaries & changing the world one gold bangle at a time!” 

Can you please tell me more about that and about your background?

Hello lovely to meet you.

Where are you from?

I was born in California, USA to American parents. I grew up in the small town of Pleasant Valley, California. My hobbies included recreational sports such as cheerleading, biking, swimming, sailing, and the arts such as ballet and painting.

Amy at age 5

Amy as a Cal Poly Cheerleader

                    

Growing up in the Christian faith we celebrated holidays like Christmas and Easter.

Every year during Christmas and Easter my parents would take me and my sister to a homeless shelter to serve warm meals and give gifts to homeless children. It gave me the perspective of serving the less fortunate at a very young age which has been instrumental. I always dreamed big and wanted to change the world for the less fortunate. I received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business from California Polytechnic State University. I applied this, first, to the technology sector and, later, for social impact entrepreneurial endeavors.

Amy founded DayOne Response Inc. a company that provided clean water technology globally.  She was honored by The Tech Awards as a Laureate for tremendous global impact, recognized by the United Nations for humanitarian innovation and awarded by Toyota for her life-saving technology.

Amy honored by The Tech Awards as a Laureate

Water bag providing clean water to children 

after Nepal Earthquake

I am most proud of being part of providing over 40 million liters of clean drinking water to disaster relief beneficiaries around the world. My passion is clean water as I believe it is a basic human right.

Amy Mali with Diane von Furstenberg

I loved meeting the extraordinary Diane von Fürstenberg at the Women in the World event (where my company was honored) as she is an inspiration to women globally! She is best known for her fashion label, which is often shortened to DvF and her iconic wrap dresses.

“Be with someone who looks at you like you are magical.” –Amy Mali Rajkumari

You two make the cutest couple and it is so obvious that you both love each other! 

How did you meet your husband?

Let me start by saying Fairy tales do exist! We met each other unexpectedly at the tech company we both were part of in the Silicon Valley. The day Shaunak started I had an immediate crush and called my mother to tell her about him. We ended up becoming friends for years and fell head over heels in love. It truly was magical like the universe brought us together.

What made you decide to start an Instagram centered around your love story?

At our formal engagement function in India there was a man who spoke to my Future Father in Law and told him that he had forbade his son from being with a non-Indian girl and had cut of all communication. After witnessing our engagement and seeing the true love Shaunak and I had for each other he said he changed his mind and decided he will reach back out to his son. This was so amazing to me! Sharing our love story was able to help change one life. I set out to simply share our story with hopes to inspire people to believe in LOVE!

Amy’s parents on left and Shaunak’s on right coming together for the marriage 

One of my favorite quotes on your Instagram is:

“Knowledge of other people’s beliefs and ways of thinking must be used to build bridges, not to create conflicts.” –Kjeli Magne Bondevik   

Can you tell me why this quote is significant for you?

Yes, we must build bridges and not create conflicts. We are global citizens and we have the responsibility to learn about other people’s beliefs in an interconnected world.

Christmas is a holiday that you both celebrate and share. Before you got married, what types of compromises did you discuss in regards to your cultural differences and religious beliefs/ traditions?

We went into our marriage with the understanding that we would be blending both of our cultures into something new and amazing. We decided to keep the holidays and traditions that made us happy. We never saw this as a compromise we saw it as an exciting opportunity.

I come from a very mixed family racially and culturally as well.  When my parents got married in the 1970’s they faced some adversity amongst friends and family in regards to their relationship being seen as “socially acceptable” due to their mixed background, have you faced that in your interracial relationship/ marriage?  If so, how did you handle it?

We faced many challenges as we were not considered “socially acceptable” to the Indian community. In fact when Shaunak and I started dating I was a secret from his parents for an entire year. This was really hard for us. My parents got to know and love Shaunak over that year while his parents were still strangers to me. Shaunak summoned the courage to tell his parents one winter night that he was in love with an American woman. I can’t speak from their standpoint but from mine there were lots of tears because their initial shock came across as not welcoming. I feel so lucky and blessed that after a few very difficult months Shaunak’s family came to accept me. They decided not only would they accept me but they would announce to the world and Indian community our engagement for all to see. Our engagement was an amazing milestone that we celebrated. Shaunak and I built a strong foundation for our relationship because we knew there would be many challenges that ‘normal’ couples don’t have to face. We both feel so lucky and blessed to be together that we celebrate our love every day. I’m extremely optimistic that the tides are changing with a growing number of interracial couples being celebrated by both cultures. Congratulations to the newly engaged Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas!

    

First official introduction to Indian society

                                                 Family at Indian engagement

I want to know all about your wedding dresses.  I saw that you wore a white wedding dress as well as a traditional Indian sari wedding dress. Can you tell me about the details of both?

Gauri Kekre was the existing Mali family designer based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She designs custom, couture pieces. Gauri Kekre is one of those rare exceptionally gifted designers. Every piece she creates is a true masterpiece down to every detail. She created all of my dresses for the many days of the Indian wedding. She also created my exquisite American wedding gown and all of the bridesmaid’s dresses. https://www.instagram.com/gaurikekre/

American wedding dress with Indian zardozi 
embroidery and beading

Indian wedding traditional Maharashtrian 

saree and hand beaded veil

Sangeet dress gold beaded and chiffon 

Teal and gold sequined ball gown with beaded overlay for wedding reception 

Traditional Green Haldi Saree with coordinating blouse

I see you wearing really stunning pieces of jewelry in your photos, can you enlighten me on the importance of Indian jewelry pieces?

"Jewelry is like the perfect spice… it enhances what is already there!" Jewelry has been a significant adornment for Indian women through the ages. Jewelry studded with different gems is quite popular among Indians. For reasons ranging from spiritual to aesthetic to health, gemstone jewelry has become the part of life of Indian women and men both. These stone jewelries are worn according to the individual's astrological chart and ruling of planet. According to ancient Indian history necklaces worn near the heart are believed to control emotions and strengthen one’s love. Wearing a necklace of stones is believed to bind ourselves with their eternal powers. Since ancient times, necklaces, pendants, strings of beads and elaborate ornamental collars were worn by women to bring good luck and ward off the evil eye.

Indian jewelry and my mehendi 

Tell me about the tradition of getting the Mehendi or henna done.

Mehndi or "Mehendi" is a form of body art from Ancient India, in which decorative designs are created on a person's body, using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves of the henna plant. Mehndi is derived from the Sanskrit word mendhikā. Haldi (staining oneself with turmeric paste) as well as mehndi are Vedic customs, intended to be a symbolic representation of the outer and the inner sun. Vedic customs are centered on the idea of "awakening the inner light". Traditional Indian designs are representations of the sun on the palm, which, in this context, is intended to represent the hands and feet. The earliest clear evidence of henna powder application on the body appears in Egyptian mummies whose hair and nails were stained with the reddish brown tones of henna. Botanists believe the henna plant, Lawsonia inermis, originated in Egypt and was carried regularly to India where it was used since at least 700 AD for decorating hands and feet. Pretty cool this tradition dates back to Egypt!

What is the garland ceremony and why is it important?

One of the most important Indian rituals is that of exchanging a beautiful garland of flowers. The tradition of garlanding is one of the many rites in an Indian wedding. When the groom garlands his wife, it is believed he bestows half of his spiritual energy on her. Likewise when the bride garlands the groom, she similarly shares her spiritual energy with him. This exchange is said to mean the couple will uphold one another as gods in their heart and respect each other. This bestowing of spiritual energies ultimately symbolizes the union of two souls in marriage.

Garland ceremony

Puja ceremony

What is the tradition of using turmeric, rice, and flowers?

In Hinduism, puja is done on a variety of occasions, frequency and settings. It may include daily puja done in the home, to occasional temple ceremonies and annual festivals, to few lifetime events such as a wedding, or to begin a new venture. This is a photo of the Puja thali from our wedding. Puja thali means "Prayer plate" and it is a tray or a big container in which the entire puja materials accumulated and decorated. In Hindu religious occasions, festivals, traditions and rituals, puja thali maintans an auspicious role. Puja thali may be made of steel, gold, silver, brass or any other metal; it may be rounded, oval or any other shaped or with little engravings and designs as much as decoration needed. 

I love the post about Shaunak’s grandmothers in Mumbai and also how you explain respect to elders in the Indian culture.  Can you please explain the tradition of Namaskar and Pranama and what it means?

Namaste sometimes spoken as Namaskar, Namaskaramis a respectful form of greeting in Hindu custom. It is used both for salutation and valediction. Namaste is usually spoken with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest. In Hinduism it means "I bow to the divine in you". The greeting may also be spoken without the gesture or the gesture performed wordlessly, carrying the same meaning.

Amy with Shaunak’s Grandmothers

Lastly, do you have any parting words of wisdom that you would like to share about love, marriage, interracial relationships, and transitioning from one culture to another in a marriage?

Believe in love! It’s the best thing in the world.

Shaunak and Amy’s American Wedding

YouTube Videos For A Stylish Love Story

Hi there!  If you haven't had a chance to check out my videos on Instagram or Facebook, you can check them out on my YouTube Channel @  A Stylish Love Story:

This is a little inspirational video from the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  When God Gives Us Comfort In Our Pain, Pass On His Comfort To Those Who Need It:)

3 Reasons Why Team Work Works

Hello!  How is your week going?  Today I want to talk to you about team work.  How many of us have been brought up to be completely self-reliant so that we don’t have to ask anyone for help for anything?  In many ways this way of thinking can be useful if we are alone and trying to survive on an island.  However, I have observed that in life and work, most success has come as a result of collaboration and team work. 

1.       More Solutions and Options

Observing leaders who have an “open mindset” to listening to numerous people’s ideas vs. leaders who only rely on themselves for a solution to a problem or to create and grow a better organization I feel are better leaders.  Why?  Because the one thing we can’t always see ourselves is perspective.  Everyone sees things differently.  Understanding how people think differently about an approach to a team project or a solution to a problem is fascinating to me and this is my favorite part of team work.  It’s also helpful, because once we’ve gathered about ten ideas together vs. just one (ours), we will have a lot of options (good or bad) to choose from.  We may also have found an idea that will work better than the one we had originally thought of ourselves.

 I know this sounds like common sense, but how many of us actually do this?

2.       Expert Knowledge and Higher Quality Outcomes

When I started my blog I was trying to do everything myself, but I quickly learned to delegate tasks in areas that I wasn’t highly skilled in like photography and web design.  Working with professionals who had expert knowledge in their fields made it easier for me to focus on the creative side which is my favorite aspect of blogging.  They also did a much better job than what I would have done on my own. 

What is your favorite aspect of blogging?

3.       Connecting and Building Relationships
Working on a team can be fun and rewarding at the end of the day.  Instead of feeling frustrated in trying to figure everything out on our own, we can ask for help from the relationships that we have built through connecting with other people through team work. Also, whenever possible, it is best to meet in person to make a face to face connection.  A lot of our communication is nonverbal.  Also, you can’t hear the “tone” of someone’s voice through a screen, an email, or a text message.

I hope you found this helpful!

With Love,

Joanna

Interview with Rebecca Phillips from R You Ready To Organize

Hello!  I have a very special guest interview today and her name is Rebecca Phillips. Rebecca has a master’s degree in social work and has worked in the field for many years.  Over the years, she found that her true passion is to help people through utilizing her organization skills and now combines the two.  She has a unique twist on organization that includes the aspect of wellness within her role as a personal coach and home organizer.  I met Rebecca through the Forever Fierce Revolution group and we instantly connected around this topic.  See, this is my Huge, Huge Problem Area and I feel so blessed that I met Rebecca to help me through my Huge Mess.  Yes, I am very messy!  Rebecca will be helping me organize my mess over the next few weeks and I will be documenting it with photos to show you how it goes.  Are you messy too?  If you need help organizing, then she can help you.

So, here it goes…

Hi Rebecca!  Thank you for sharing your time with us today.

Tell me about yourself.

I am a business blogger, home organizer, retired social worker, and grandmother of 3. My oldest grandchild went to college this year (trying to catch my breath). I am blessed to be semi-retired and stay at home with my two terriers (one is 17, blind and deaf, so need a lot of care) and build my new business.

Why did you decide to start your own home organization business?

I have always been very organized. My father died at a very young age. So, my mom went to work and the three of us stayed home. We had a babysitter, but I still took on the cleaning and tidying up a lot. I even ironed my mom’s clothes. And they were crisp. Everyone started to notice my knack for organizing, and my love of it. I loved to help mom clear clutter and put things away. It was a great help to her as she worked 3 jobs.

Explain how wellness is a part of your organization process.

Clutter causes chaos, anxiety, and a loss of control. It is that simple. I’m not talking about neat stack of sorted items around the house. I am talking piles of unused, untouched stuff. That is like a dumping ground.

“Each room in our house nurtures us. Our bedroom gives us rest and rejuvenates us. Our kitchen nourishes and feeds us. Our bathroom cleans our bodies and also rejuvenates us. The family room brings families together to bond and connect. Our home is our sanctuary. It should be tidy and organized with only the things we use and love.”

Add caption

What are the main types of clutter that you usually see?

Stock piles of personal items of a close deceased relative or loved one. This is challenging. A loved one close to us dies. We hold onto anything that makes us feel them and experience them over and over. It is prolonging loss. Loss hurts. Yet, knowing this is the key. I try to work with clients to clear the junk and keep only a few precious items from their loved one-only ones they will use and love.

So, what are some of the major reasons why people might struggle with clutter?

Just like before, sentiment. Strong feelings of sentiment come from uncontrolled feelings of loss and helplessness. Part of clearing clutter is gaining control of these feelings, knowing they are natural and normal. When people feel more in control and normal about their trauma, they start to let go of a loved one’s stuff and keep only what they truly cherish.

A lot of my readers are fashion bloggers and some of us shop a lot.  At what point does shopping become an addiction/ a hoarding problem? Why do so many women struggle with shopping addiction?

This is tricky. When does shopping become an addiction. Like any other addiction. When something, a habit or behavior starts to interfere with your ability to function on a daily basis, it’s a problem. Hoarding gets in the way of every aspect of our daily living. It is clearly an addiction. If the amount of time and clothing accumulated during shopping trips interferes with you daily routines, work, keeping your home tidy and decluttered, then it’s a problem. I think fashion bloggers in particular, need a regular clothing weeding routine. They accumulate lots of clothing. They only need to keep what the love and will truly use on a regular basis. That’s the hard truth.

Can you tell me about a time where you felt that you really helped to change someone’s life?

Many times. When I managed housing for homeless families in Phoenix many years ago, the most challenging cases were those families who lost their homes and had to move into one of my tiny apartment units. All of their stuff just stuffed into them. I had to work very hard at trying to get them to downsize, focus on getting job skills, good paying jobs and buying another (usually smaller) home. The hardest part was not job training or getting work. It was the trauma of downsizing and parting with what was sentimental, but no longer used or valuable.

Where can we find you?

Website: ryoureadytoorganize.com

Email: rebeccaphillips@ryoureadytoorganize.com

Instagram: ryoureadytoorganize

Twitter: readytoorganize

Pinterest:ryoureadytoorganize

Interview With Sweet Cavanagh

Hello!  How are you?  Today I wanted to introduce you to a very special guest on the blog today, Rosalind, the programme coordinator at Sweet Cavanagh.  Sweet Cavanagh is a jewelry brand that is owned by Free Me, a London based charity organization that provides free care and support to women recovering from eating disorders and addictions.  When I was searching for a brand to promote over the holidays a couple years ago that gave support to women with eating disorders, I found Sweet Cavanagh.  As many of you know, this cause is really near and dear to me.  One of the reasons I started this blog was to be able to one day help those who are suffering from eating disorders with a charitable contribution in some way.  To show my support today, I wanted to share this interview with you and encourage you to make purchases from this brand.  I just purchased my first bracelet with a rose and aventurine bead and I love it!  I am super excited about this pretty little bracelet with a pink rose on it and wear it often as a reminder of the healing that is taking place through Free Me and Sweet Cavanagh.

So, here we go…

Hello!  Thank you for sharing your time with us today. 

Can you tell me your story of how and why the Free Me charity organization started?

Florence started Free Me after spending time in a residential treatment centre in South Africa for an addiction and eating disorder. After she returned she wanted a way to be able to spend time with her friends who were also in recovery where they could meet up and talk about the trials and tribulations of committing every day to your recovery, but without it being just about recovery. Whilst in South Africa, she had been introduced to beading, so when one of her friends was in need they met up, brought some beads and talked it all through.

Florence wanted Free Me to expand so that women across London could access a free, creative support network at a time when increasing funding cuts meant access to NHS healthcare was becoming harder and harder to get, and private therapy costs were too much for the majority of people. Sadly, the situation only seems to be getting worse. But we are so grateful to be able to provide the programme at Free Me as a small way to fill this gap in treatment options.

I personally came on board as programme coordinator a little over a year ago, having been through the programme myself three years ago. I experienced first hand the value of such an organization and was unbelievably impressed with what Florence had set up. To be able to use my experiences to help others now is amazing.

How did Sweet Cavanagh start and how does it help to empower women?

Well, with all this beautiful jewelry being made in the groups, and the struggle to get funding to turn it into what it is now, it only made sense to start selling the jewelry. Each woman who attends the Free Me programe has her own page on the Sweet Cavanagh website where we upload each piece of jewelry she has made and named. To be able to create something beautiful during a time of struggle is incredibly rewarding and to see it photographed and on a website is so empowering. Every time a piece sells you know you have made something that someone else values and cherishes, when you’re in the early stages of recovery these are feelings that don’t always come easy.

What kinds of support does Free Me provide?

Free Me offers peer support and jewelry making workshops to women in recovery. In addition to this, there is a group therapy session and access to nutritional support, and best of all, it’s completely free.

When I was browsing through the selections of jewelry pieces, I noticed names and stories.  Can you tell me a little bit more about that?

Sure, each woman has her own page and writes a short bio, giving a little bit of background on who they are and their journey so far. She will also name every piece of jewelry she makes in a unique way. Sometimes this could be a first name as the piece reminded them of someone in particular, sometimes it just evokes a feeling (like patience) or reminds the maker of a place or thing. Sometimes it’s just a funny play on words (a great example of this was Ellie’s piece called Ainsley Halibut – a necklace with a fish charm on). Being able to be a bit silly in the workshop is really important to us, we want to support one another through hardship, but we also want to have fun, drink tea and come up with silly puns. At the end of the day, if everyone feels a little bit better than they did when they walked through the door in the morning, we know we’ve done our job well.

I noticed that no jewelry pieces were replicated, what type of materials are used to create this jewelry and what is the quality like?

We use a huge variety of materials including semi-precious stones such as aventurine, amethyst, carnelian and rose quartz. Recently, we moved to a new studio where we have been able to expand our skillset, we are learning to work with metals and are hoping to produce some silver rings to sell soon (once we’ve really got the knack of it, so watch this space!) We also receive donations from other jewelers and crafters who give us beads and other objects to work with, we love this as anything to stop bits going to a landfill is a win. It’s great to give something a second life as well!

The women are all trained in how to make the jewelry to a standard that it won’t break and we try to use materials that won’t tarnish or wear.

Where can we purchase jewelry from Sweet Cavanagh?

Our main selling point is on our website www.sweetcavanagh.com We also sell a few select items on our Not on the High Street page  Keep an eye on our social media for updates of any other places we will be stocking.

If you’re U.K based we do pop up sales in London often and you can find us at empowering events — recent ones include the Women of the World festival and the Anti Diet Riot Club Fair

Where can we connect with Sweet Cavanagh and Free Me?

Find us on Instagram at sweetcavanagh Twitter @CavanaghSweet and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sweetcavanagh/

You can email directly to Rosalind on info@sweetcavanagh.com to find out more about both the programme itself or the jewelry we are selling

Thanks so much for chatting to us, we’re so happy to feature on your blog and to spread our message of hope and empowerment to all those in recovery or wondering if it’s possible for them.

Thank you for taking the time to write this interview.  Hopefully, we can raise more support for Free Me.