Meaningful Mondays- We Are All Worthy

Aloha Everyone! 

I wanted to share this quote with you today. No matter what trauma you've been through in your past, just know that you are worthy of love and happiness. Sending out my love and hugs to you today:)

xoxo Joanna

Holiday Celebration Table Decor from NgLp Designs

Founders of NgLP Designs: Nathalie Gluckstein and Letizia Petti

Hello!  I have the fabulous duo Nathalie Gluckstein and Letizia Petti from NgLP designs on the blog today.  Thank you for sharing your time with us today. When I first saw your beautiful selections of table décor on Instagram, I had to stop and scroll. I’ve never seen such unique designs. 

What types of table décor do you offer and who designs them?

NgLp Designs offers;

• Bespoke Placemats
• Desk Laurels 
• POCKET  for The Table — Decorative for message inserts and napkin holder.  
• POCKET - Decorative holder for storage of makeup brushes
• DESIGN Gift Bags —  for wedding gifts, bonbonniere, hostess gifts, or as a pretty wine, shoe, garment or lingerie bag.

 We are the exclusive designers of our products. We source all our fabrics, appliqués; design and oversee production for all our products with our talented team of trades.

Tell me about yourselves and how you started NGLP designs?

NgLp Designs is the design team of Nathalie Gluckstein and Letizia Petti. Nathalie's brings her love for interior design, décor, skill and experience; owner of Nathalie Gluckstein Interiors.

Letizia brings her graphic design expertise, interior design, social media and digital marketing; owner of Letizia Petti Design Inc.

We came together for the love of table décor. 

In 2012, we launched our first line of bespoke placemats at The DelecTABLE Design Show held in Toronto, Canada.
This was our first opportunity to showcase a dining installation among other Toronto Designers.

The Thanksgiving holiday is coming up and I know you are based in Canada. What traditional or family dishes do you serve at your Thanksgiving table, and what is your favourite Thanksgiving dish?

Given our cultural backgrounds, Canadian, Israeli and Italian, as well as being influenced by our Neighbours to The South, our Thanksgiving menu changes from year to year.

To us, Thanksgiving is about coming back to the table, enjoying that time with those seated with us, giving thanks for our many blessings received over the year.

Decorating the Harvest Table is important to us — thoughtful design sets the tone and carries the overall experience in a different direction from year to year. It conveys that we value those gathering with us; that they are important and that is why we put in the extra effort. We do set our table with love, on many levels and our Design is reflected in our setting and throughout our dishes and display.

We posted this Thanksgiving message that resonates with us;

Wherever you gather at the table to give thanks, 
may you be surrounded with love, kindness and the warmth of togetherness.
Happy #thanksgiving from our table to yours
#setthetablewithlove #thankful 

What is your favourite part of celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday?
      

Because Thanksgiving falls during the changing of the seasons, taking in all of Autumn's splendour is what both of our families enjoy most. Seeing beautifully decorated tables, enjoying long walks after a wonderful dinner,  the atmosphere of a warm fireplace, being surrounded by the warmth and joy of family and friends, the acceptance of another good year coming to an end; the fruits of our labour.

I saw that you posted a lovely pink Instagram post about an anti-bullying campaign that reads “In a world that you can be anything, be kind.” 
Can you tell me a little more about that?

Kindness is full-circle — when you treat people with respect and kindness, life has a way of returning in kind.

Our Instagram post was in support of Pink Shirt Day (Anti-Bullying Day) when people wear a pink shirt to symbolise taking a stand against bullying (in schools, communities and online). This idea originated in Canada 11 years ago when two Nova Scotia high school students, David Shepherd and Travis Price (Founder of Pink Day, Bullying Prevention Advocate) decided to take a stand against bullying in their own school.

We believe in supporting people who champion worthy causes. When we can, we participate in fundraisers which are near and dear to our hearts.

{ Photo Suggestion — 

• Reuse the anti-bullying graphic

• Photo of Nathalie Gluckstein w/ Eugene Levy — Parachute Canada bringing awareness to preventable injuries and saving lives. #momswhocare for their #kidswholovesports!

#parachutegala 

#braininjury

#concussion

Where do you draw inspiration from?

From everyday living — our personal experiences, through travel, Mother Nature and her beautiful colours; from other talented designers, architecture — all fields in art + design. 

One of our favourite quotes:
"Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world." (Brené Brown) 
"Creative isn't the way I think, it's the way I like to live." ( Paul Sandip)

What do you feel is the most important aspect of working as a team of women entrepreneurs?

We recently posted to our Instagram account that which best represents our view of a team;

We are not A TEAM because we work together.
We are a team because we respect, trust and care for each other.

As women entrepreneurs, we are both working mothers who love what we do and enjoy the balance of work, play and lots of laughter and creativity.
We express our love for design via our own custom luxe table mats + accessories, all handcrafted in our metropolitan city of Toronto; utilizing modern faux skins and high-grade textiles that we source from all over the world.

What is your favourite memory of working in décor so far?

The launch of NgLp Designer Placemats at the Toronto DelecTABLE Design Show, where it all started.
That show connected us with media, subsequently being recognized and published in Style at Home Magazine, Style NEWS, December 2012 Entertainment issue.

Jessica Waks writes: “When it comes to holiday entertaining, add drama and polish to your table settings with texture, shape and patterns. Handmade placemats by NgLp Designs are embellished with grommets and other design details, are wipeable for easy cleanup.”

Players Penthouse for World Cup of Hockey in 2016 — meeting invited media, hockey players and their families at undisclosed downtown Toronto location.

Letizia Petti and Joe Thornton from the San Jose Sharks NHL 

Our Trunk Shows are a lovely way to represent our new product lines and to mingle with those who appreciate setting a beautiful table.Being recognized by our Clients, Boutiques and Showrooms that love and carry our merchandise.

Letizia Petti and Frederik Anderson from the Toronto Maple Leafs

Letizia Petti and MaxPacioretty NHL Vegas Golden Knights 

Letizia Petti and Brent Burns from NHL San Jose Sharks 

Where can we find you?

We love the Instagram community and wonderful support they have given us over the years,
the best platform to illustrate our work and connect with the community.

Instagram: nglpdesigns
Web Site:  www.nglpdesigns.com

We’ve had exceptional opportunities and the good fortune to have high-end stores carry our collections over the years. 
La Compania
Hillhome
Papergrafix

SouthHill Home

Our Inclusive Thanksgiving Table

Hello! How are you? Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I have been thinking a lot about how we can use this holiday to grow together as a more inclusive community.  Many of you may already know that I was brought up in a Christian home, and our family always made it a point to invite our friends and neighbors over who didn’t have family around to eat at our Thanksgiving table. 

Sometimes it was the single person at our church whose family lived in a different state and during my college years we always invited our friends and roommates over to join us during the holidays.  

Our family always had an open door to those who may have otherwise spent it alone. 

Have you ever reached out to friends, roommates, and neighbors to invite them over to join you at your Thanksgiving table?  

I believe if we all made a greater effort to do this even more often, we can do our part in building more inclusive communities.

Pray for California

Please Pray for California...

Other ways you can help are by donating through one of these organizations:

The American Red Cross

American Red Cross Online Safety Tool To Find Loved Ones

California Community Foundation's Wildfire Relief Fund Offering Aid To Those Affected By Wildfires

Always Do Research Before You Donate Try Charity Navigator

Thank You for Your Service

The Greatest Gift someone could ever give us is the gift of life. 

Let Us Take Some Time to Stop and say a prayer or give a message of thanks today to all those who serve and have served in our military to keep our country safe and to protect our lives by laying down their lives. 

Let Us Remember all of our loved ones that we have lost who laid down their lives to keep all of us safe and protected from losing our lives.

Fierce Con 2018 - It's Not A Conference, It's A Connection

Cathy Williamson from The Middle Page,
Joanna Joy from A Stylish Love Story,
and Nancy Hoogenboom from The Daily Etiquette

Illustration by Beth Briggs

Hello!  How are you? Last weekend I had the great pleasure of attending Forever Fierce Con 2018. Catherine Grace O’Connell, founder of the Forever Fierce Revolution is the mastermind behind this group of supportive and empowered women in midlife.  Fierce Con was a 2-day event that was more of a connection than a conference featuring midlife bloggers and panel speakers. Women from all over the globe flew in to support, learn from one another, share blogging and style tips, and make face to face friendships.  Meeting these women in person was so inspiring!  The sense of freedom that they felt to break the rules of style and life expectations that the world had placed upon us made a lasting impact on me.  We are Loving midlife, Leading in midlife, and Defying the preconceived notions of what it means to be a woman in midlife.   In one word, we are “Fierce”J  

 

Fierce Con 2018
at
The Crowne Plaza in Redondo Beach, California

I met so many beautiful and fascinating women who weren’t afraid to speak up and say how they felt shunned by most of the marketing these days.  We want to see ourselves depicted in the mainstream media, we want anti-aging creams to be modeled on women our age (not on younger something models who aren’t the target market).  We want to be “Visible”.  I heard others saying how excluded they felt, but how they still wished to be included in beauty and style campaigns.  I see what they are saying.  After all, the midlife generation is one of the largest populations now and have a huge amount of purchasing power nationally and control 80% of the nations disposable income, so it makes sense that we want to see marketing campaigns that reflect ourselves. 

However, we are not letting anything stop us from living Forever Fierce, we are taking to social media and blogging up a storm showing other women how to look and feel their best at 35+ and beyond.  This sense of confidence was something that I wish I had in my twenties.  I’m not quite there yet, but I’m getting there.  Hopefully, one day we will all be able to feel like “Forever Fierce” women and be able to break through the stigma of aging, to live without fear of judgement, to live with confidence in our inner beauty, and to love ourselves unconditionally at whatever age we are.

Check out the Forever Fierce Revolution campaigns here and the Forever Fierce Revolution website here!

#ForeverFierce
#AgeIsJustANumber

Wonder Women Tech Diversity & Inclusion Conference-Innovate, Empower, & Ignite

Hello!  Hope everyone’s week is going well.  Lately, I've been attending conferences and making a lot of connections, which is one of my favorite things to do!  Do you enjoy learning and meeting new people? I sure do.  Last month I attended one of the most incredible conferences called “Wonder Women Tech”. 

Lisa Mae Brunson,
Founder of Wonder Women Tech

WONDER WOMEN TECH

This conference was started by founder Lisa Mae Brunson and is centered around celebrating women and the underrepresented in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) industries, innovation, and entrepreneurialism.  This conference is all inclusive, offering panel discussions about real-life scenarios on what it is like to work in the STEAM fields. It presents a variety of diverse speakers, coding classes, workshops, hackathons, a diversity career fair, STEAM camps, community inclusion activities, thought leadership, and other programming geared towards empowering women and girls, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. 

Merora Clothing and Accessories by Meeta Roy

PleaseNotes #Hustlekit by Cheryl Sutherland

As soon as I drove up I saw a sign that said “Wonder Woman Parking”…that was awesome!  When I walked into the doors to this conference, I saw so many smiling faces greeting me at the entrance and inspirational message boards staring me in the face.  Everyone was super friendly!  It was then that I knew that I was in the right place, this was the conference that understood me.  If you are a woman or in an underrepresented group within the STEAM fields, this is the place where you can feel welcomed, understood, and at home. 

PleaseNotes by Cheryl Sutherland

#itwasneveradress When we see women
differently...we see the world differently! Empowered by Axosoft.

PleaseNotes by Cheryl Sutherland

What I enjoyed most about this exceptional conference was that it allowed me to hear their stories of real life experiences in regards to what it is like to work in the STEAM fields, their challenges, their feelings, and perspectives on how they wish to create change within the industry towards more positive outcomes and inclusivity...not just research.  At Wonder Women Tech, I was also able to connect with female founders of brands that are inspiring the next generation of young women and girls in the STEAM fields and you can see some of their pics on my Instagram.  Also, if you are looking for career opportunities in the tech field, there is a Resume Review Corner with professionals from the tech industry dedicated to helping you understand what employers are looking for, and they’d be happy to critique your resume for you too!  Additionally, Google sponsors an interactive STEAM camp for youth through Wonder Women Tech.  This year, Long Beach youth participated in a Junior Innovation camp sponsored by the Long Beach Public Libraries and learned the basics of electronic circuitry to build a light up sketchbook.  Nice!

Merora Clothing and Accessories by Meeta Roy

Please put this conference on your calendar for 2019!  You can even bring your little ones because they offer a Mommy Lounge Daycare hosted by those who have passed a criminal background check and have completed CPR and First Aid training.  Upcoming conferences for next year are in:

• ·        Long Beach, CA
• ·        Washington DC
• ·        London
• ·        Brazil

See you there!  Also, if you’d like to volunteer for this conference, please visit their website @ wonderwomentech.com.

Beautiful architecture at the Long Beach
Convention Center in California

Merora Clothing and Accessories by Meeta Roy

Merora Clothing and Accessories by Meeta Roy

Some of my favorite quotes from the conference were:

“All the hardship in life brings out the best in you.” –Alexa Fleur, Founder, Critiquelt

“You’re not always going to be on time or have all the answers, but you’ll have persistence and that is what it takes.” –Lisa Mae Brunson, Founder of Wonder Woman Tech

“I started with a laptop and a dream.” –Carolyn Rush, VP Worn Creative

The Hivery Booth Fostering Kindness and Connection -a shared coworking space #womendoingcoolstuff

Favorite Hashtags from the Conference: 
#WonderWomanTech #WWT2018 #WeAreInnovators #youmatter #representationmatters #supportingusmatters

My Instagram photo at Wonder Women Tech

Some topics from the conference were:

Be Fearless Over Flawless by Lydia Bettegoni, Sr. VP of Story and Franchise Development, Blizzard Entertainment Inc.

Empathy In Tech-The Need for Humanity at the Heart of Innovation by Maelle Gavet

Become A Negotiate Her-by Lauren Hasson, Founder of Develop [Her]

Panel Discussion: Building an Airplane While in the Air: Deep Confessions from Female Founders 

Lisa Mae Brunson, Founder, Wonder omen Tech Alexa Fleur, Founder, Critiquelt

Jay Pryor, Speaker and Executive Consultant, Opening Keynote Talk: Woman in Man Skin: A narrative on Gender Consciousness

Panel Discussion: Beyond Coding: The Other Tech Skills

Keynote Speaker: Aiko Bethea, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Principal of RARE Coaching and Consulting, #Representation Matters

Keynote Speaker: Michael Greene, Vice President and General Manager, System Technologies & Optimization, Software and Services Group at Intel, Innovation Requires Inclusion—Inclusion Involves ME(N)

Panel Discussion: From Gen Z to Baby Boomers: Generations of Innovators Who Make an Impact

Oracle: Top 10 Ways to Ally for Women

Panel Discussion: Down the Rabbit Hole: How Immersive Tech is Changing the World

Understanding Unconscious Bias to Create Powerfully Diverse Teams

Using Creativity and Kindness to Empower On and Offline Communities

The Pulse of Immersive Technology: How AI Is Making “Smart” Technology Smarter

The Hivery Lounge-A community of women entrepreneurs


There was so much more amazing content than what I listed here!!!  I wish I could have gone to all of the workshops and panel discussions.  There was so much to see and do, I couldn't do it all. I can't wait to see what the next conference will be like. I hope to see you there!

Remember, "You are Capable of Doing Wondrous Things"
PleaseNotes Journal By Cheryl Sutherland