Amazing Life

So, there are things that are serendipitous, surreal, or plain unexplainable good.

Serendipitous:
1) My Husband: How do I begin? He is singularly the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. Period. I have never laughed so hard, loved so deep, or lived in such complete love in my entire life. We met at a party 13 years ago, and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think....what if I did not go that night, what if I had to work late? It was perfect and innocent, and reshaped my opinion about men after my first failed marriage.
2) The Teacher: Mrs. Ethel could have chosen to sell her business off in pieces, could have had a daughter that she taught the skill to, or a family that wanted to carry on the legacy. None of those things happened. It was a right time right place thing. She wanted to pass the business as a whole, and I wanted to learn it all. I was thirsty for my own business, and to upgrade my skill set. We met, and I had this *feeling* this encompassing feeling that I was talking to a woman that was changing my life with each word she spoke. I was hooked, I wanted to make the most beautiful intimates I could possibly make.

Surreal:
1) The Competition: Texas Next Top Designer, Changed. My. Life. No singular event in my career felt more satisfying or surreal in my life thus far. I had no intention to enter, I was unsure of our first collection. I did not feel it was strong, it was the FIRST collection we had done. No shame in a first collection, but I had a stronger vision. I entered on the urging of my seamstress core. Shortly after entering I had a house fire. I had 2nd and 3rd degree burns to my dominant hand. I felt I had nothing to show, no chance to work on the collection. My next thought was that I can at least get feedback on what had been produced thus far. That, And I might learn what NOT to do next time. I showed what we made thus far, presented the business plan that I worked on for 9months, and brought my most humble game. I won. I called my mommy, I cried, and I am still amazed to this day that there are a group of people that are willing to help a designer with a dream.
2)My friends: I am not known to be the best of friends. I have been hurt, and left by so many friends that I have a guarded heart to those that might be a true and great friend. I have a close circle now that understand this, or on a level know it, and love and look past my own garbage to be true and great. If you think we should be friends know I will distance myself, guard my pain that I will one day loose you, you will move on, away, and loose touch. I love my friends so deeply that I cant bear to not be a part of them. I have NEVER dealt well with loss of friendship. The fact that I have allowed myself to open up to people on Twitter and here are some of the biggest steps I have take in my entire life in regards to forging new friendships. Thanks for being a friend.

Unexplainable good:
1) The Feedback: It really can be as simple as saying something nice....Try it, it can change some one's life. For freaking real. I had a client leave feedback on Love a Local Business about Sew Sister (our business).
http://lovealocalbusiness.intuit.com/ Heather sent in feed back about our business, she took time to write a simple sentence, one of praise, but with that simple thought we were entered into a contest where our business was awarded a grant. So Simple, and amazing...this one sentence that made me smile on its own then yielded a monetary grant that was just so amazing. I am in constant awe that this universe has a plan, and that if you pour positive energy into it you see the most astounding things happen. The grant could not have come at a better time. I really cant quite explain the trials of being a business owner here, but I cried when I heard the news from Gretchen. It was a HUGE sign for me that I am doing what I should be, it was the carrot that made me get back on track, allowed me to look at the past 8 years of struggle, and WANT to continue. This business is a hard one, and there are days that you question why you even do it.... but Heather, and the folks at Intuit make the struggle more bearable.
2)The Tithe: Buy Custom Give Support :
I decided that I wanted to give back, but as I have poured what salary I could have drawn the past 4 years back into my business I really had nothing of a physical nature that could impact some one's cause....I thought. I launched The Buy Custom Give Support campaign in early 2010, I found that I had made enough mastectomy bra stock that I could donate a bra to the BCRC for every custom bra purchase made through us. I did not quite realize the impact of that on women in need. I have donated 66 mastectomy bras to date to the http://www.bcrc.org/ . Women who are still not covered by insurance, have limited resources, or just simply need a bit of help with just something/anything as they deal with their life changing cancer.