Boxes for Ishinomaki

My friend Nicole, who was featured on this blog not too long ago, has been working on a pretty awesome project lately. It is starting to get some notice in the local news, and I felt like it would be good to spread the word.

Basically, Nicole has a friend at church from Japan. Nicole and her family set a goal to get 20 boxes prepared and sent to that friend's home town. Supplies, toys, anything extra you have around your house that could help families in Ishinomaki. Well, 20 boxes has turned into hundreds of boxes being sent. It's such an amazing thing.

Here's a video of her TV interview:



Check out Nicole's blog for more information or if you would like to follow the success of the project. Nicole posts photos and updates as they come in. There's even a post about the postman who gets to deliver all the packages, which must be an experience in and of itself. You can add a button to your blog or follow her Flickr page for updates and maybe even send a box yourself. What a fantastic (and easy) way to help people who really need it.

If you would like to send a box and would like more information, please leave a comment with us and I will do what I can to get the information to you. Also, see Nicole's blog, The Sleepy Time Gal, for information and links. She also has a Facebook page that she updates regularly, including lists of supplies that are needed in Ishinomaki.

Geraldine Ferraro (1935-2011)

In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket. 

"I can look back and say that really was an important thing to have happen because, you know, people did see a woman running for national office. But I also have to say something to you: It's not only—it wasn't only the campaign. It wasn't only the election. Since then, I have to tell you the number of women who have come up to me and said to me, thank you for doing that. And I say, well, I appreciate it. And they say, well, no, no. You don't understand. Because if you hadn't done it, I would not have... And I cannot tell you the number of things they attach to the end of that word—have."

Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)

I feel very adventurous.

There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them.

Sakena Yacoobi

Sakena Yacoobi is the executive director of the Afghan Institute of Learning, an NGO that she founded in 1995 to help improve the lives of Afghan women. AIL operates Educational Learning Centers and health centers in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and most of its employees are women. 


Just over a week ago, Dr. Yacoobi was inducted into the Enterprising Women's Hall of Fame at the ninth annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration in Boca Raton, Florida. Dr. Terry Neese, founder of The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women and the woman who nominated Dr. Yacoobi, explained her choice: "Her organization was the first to offer human rights and leadership training to Afghan women in the 1990s. She is an inspiration to Afghan and American women. Her visionary work is an example to everyone that women can persevere through the most challenging times to help build their country and educate their people."

Anna Sewell

"There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham."

Anna Sewell is the author of the lovely Black Beauty, which so many of us adored as children. Her compassion and love of all living creatures is evident in her writing.

Anne Frank

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

Few people inspire me more than Anne Frank. She was so young, and yet she set such a beautiful example of the best there is in human nature. In circumstances that would have tried the most enlightened adults, she was thoughtful and hopeful and utterly lovely. "It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals," she said, "because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."

*I have looked everywhere trying to find the actual origin of that first quote and I couldn't, so if anyone can tell me the source, I will gladly name my first-born child after you. It's driving me crazy. I assumed it was from her diary, but I searched the text of the diary on Google Books and it didn't come up... I'm at a loss.

Spotlight: The Sleepy Time Gal

When I was in college and just starting out as an Art History major, I made a new friend, Nicole. We had several classes together even though she was further along than I was and I'm certain I wouldn't have passed some of those classes without her help.

When I met her, Nicole was dating Bobby. They were both funny and creative and fun to be around. They got married and I drove to their wedding in Pennsylvania. I visited them occasionally when we all lived in Utah and I'm trying to get a visit in to them now that we live close together again. Last time I saw Nicole, she had one gorgeous baby daughter. Now she has four daughters (including twins!) and she blogs about her awesome adventures with them.


I admire how her creativity has grown to accommodate her daughters and how she nurtures their individual creativity. It's even more amazing that she turns around and takes the time to blog about their activities when she could be catching up on sleep (which I'm sure must be a priority with four young children). Needless to say, I've always been a fan of Nicole and now I want to share the love.

Check her out on The Life and Times of The Sleepy Time Gal. She shares photos of her children and their activities, including the decision to start homeschooling. There are tutorials, tips, recipes and links to explore, all put together in a neat little package of a blog. You can tell she is having fun with her daughters every day - even on the hard days (because there are always hard days when you are raising children).

And stay tuned later this week for a guest post from The Sleepy Time Gal, Nicole.

Spotlight: Curly Girl Design

I don't normally make it a point to advertise things I like on this blog (mainly because I don't know how to write about it without sounding like a crazy person), but every once in a while something comes to your attention and you just must share. So.

A few months ago I was in a little store in Nashville, IN, and I started looking at these little greeting cards. I was in love with all of them. They all seemed to say something that was both simple and profound - and not terribly cheesy - and they were cute and creative. I stood and read them for about half an hour before I pulled myself away, and then I came back a few months later and bought several - some to give away, some to frame for myself - and last week I took Lin to the store and we both ended up with another handful. But even if you don't want to buy any (which is fine) you should go and look at them, because the message she's sending is truly lovely. You can find her website at http://www.curlygirldesign.com/.

Here are a few of my favorite designs. I had trouble narrowing it down. I'm pretty sure at some point I'll have some of her prints on my wall.

A Lovely Birthday

Happy birthday Toni Morrison, the first black woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature--she is 79 years old today. Her beautiful novels explore the role of black women in a racist, male-dominated society, and if you didn't have to read her books in high school, you should try them out now.

"At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough." --Tar Baby, Toni Morrison's fourth novel

Spotlight: Stephanie Nielson

We are starting a new feature spotlighting women who are examples of loveliness. After following the story of Stephanie Nielson since before the plane crash that changed her life, I cannot think of a better woman to start with.

Stephanie Nielson is the author of the blog Nie Nie Dialogues, where she shares the stories of raising her four young children and, now, her recovery and return to motherhood. I have mentioned her before on this blog and I will probably mention her again--she is an inspiration and a miracle.

The Arizona Republic has covered her family's story, starting with the plane crash that left Stephanie and her husband Christian severely burned and proved fatal to their pilot, Doug Kinneard. You can read the newest, multi-part installation of the Nielsons' story over at azcentral.com and I definitely recommend that you do so... with tissues.

This story touches me in a way I can't explain. I can't imagine having the strength and the will to go through so much and it is incredible to me how Stephanie has made it through. As much as this new article shares, I know there are all sorts of secret, personal stories of triumph and despair, stories of the miracles that must have occured to get Stephanie to where she is today. To think of the doctors that worked so hard to heal Stephanie's body and the worry and responsibility they surely carried on their own shoulders. To hear of the unconditional love and support of Stephanie's family throughout the entire process. It's the way a family should be. And to read Stephanie's blog now as she expresses her gratitude, love, frustration, pain, joy, etc. It's all so real and sincere and it makes me want to send her presents to brighten her day (although I know people already do that for her).

She is inspiring, and a true example of becoming lovely.