Inspired Resources (and a Give-Away!)

"Buy me now!"

Well, my friends, I have been Stateside for 5 days and I'm still jet lagged. Busiest time of year at my work and at the Herald Square Macy's that I pass on the way to the office, and here's me in a fuzzy-headed fog. Fortutnately, sharper minds have been at work while I was Down Under, so here are a few snappy blogs for you to check out til I get myself together:


Creative Duo

Wanna know what's better than one creative person? Two creative people! (Cut me some slack on the corn - I told you I'm fuzzy.) The above painting was created by the gifted artist John Tebeau whose clever work will increase the fun quotient in your life: See here.

But what's even better than John's talent is his choice in life partners! My friend Colleen Newvine Tebeau is John's wife and a lady commited to exploring those excellent principles of "evolution, revolution, and living life intentionally." She says so on her blog, Newvine Growing. Anyone who brings Jason Bateman to the discussion is a-ok with me.

Singing the Blues

I recognize that the holidays are not an easy or happy time for everyone. I had been separated for almost a year, but that first Christmas during my divorce proceedings, the sadness sat down on top of my chest and just stayed there so it was hard to breathe.

If you've experienced deep loss, there are of course many deeply felt blogs that remind us how closely connected we all are, especially in grief, which can be so isolating. Over at The Spohrs are Multiplying, Mike and Heather Spohr share their sorrows after the recent loss of their 17 month old daughter, Maddie, as well as their nervous joy about the impending birth of another baby girl. This one is not for the faint of heart, but sharing in grief can hem in some of that post-loss loneliness.

Others of us count "survival" as a big accomplishment on the path to a better life. Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is a writer and comedian, who quite famously decided to get sober, and she shares her Mr. Toad's Wild Ride of Recovery at her blog Baby on Bored . She's calling all sober friends who want to stop by and give each other a boost to stop by on Fridays for comments and affirmations and bitter resentment or whatever is needed. My own life has been so impacted by alcoholism - lived with an alcoholic for 10 years, have lost friends and family to the disease - that I encourage with gentle compassion anyone who is in recovery or who is thinking about it to check out Stefanie's blog. She'll even make you laugh.

For the Fun and Fancy

I recently visited a shop to find a new pair of jeans. I asked for a size 6. Skeletor behind the counter told me they did not carry "large" sizes. Next stop? Daddy Likey.

Winona is your fashion girl for helpful information about how to step out in style no matter what your shape. Say you were walking by Intermix and saw a sweater in the same style that we wore in the 80's only we shopped at Weathervane and the cableknit quickly would get cruddy in the wash, but we would wear a belt and leg warmers and buy tickets to the second screening of Teen Wolf so, all up, we felt pretty good about ourselves? Well, Winona can help you figure out how to make all this retro shit that's back work in real life, with a modern sensibility, and your fat size 6 butt. (Oh wait, that's just me.) She's that awesome. (And she's having a contest with super awesome giveaways - including a dress I mentioned a few months ago - so go there now.)

Finally, regular visitors to The Flamingo Room already know that Ms. Sarah Von over at Yes & Yes is awesome like a hot dog. Stopping over at Yes & Yes is like a daily dose of pop rocks (without the sugar hangover). Ms. Von's positive outlook is an effervescent and refreshing reminder that life is to be lived joyfully. Clever lady: she's created a calendar to remind us to say "yes" to life.

All of these good folks are sharing their gifts to help us along this bumpy road of life. They do it with joy and determination and grace. All of them are, in Sarah Von's parlance, "saying yes." Lots of great inspiration for the rest of us!

TAG ON HERE WITH YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY "YES" TO IN 2010, AND I'LL HOLD A DRAWING ON JANUARY 1 TO SELECT SOMEONE TO RECEIVE A "YES & YES" CALENDAR AS A FLAMINGO ROOM GIFT.