GIRL REINVENTED + SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY

Introducing my newest CharityRagg Collection: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society! $5 of every CharityRagg sold aids in their commitment to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans. I'm so proud to partner with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, one of a very few organizations that use direct-action tactics to save innocent wildlife. 

NINE (9) CHARITYRAGGS AVAILABLE. SHOP THEIR COLLECTION HERE: DISHRAGGS.COM

We love Sea Shepherd! 

Btw: to clarify, I am a Beginner Rowing Coach. SRC (Saugatuck Rowing Club) is a world-class rowing program with unbelievable coaching. Their elite juniors girls are National Champions 3 years in a row!!  :)

How to cut a pomegranate (SORT OF)!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! 

In honor of V Day, I thought I'd repost this extraordinarily corny "how to" video of me cutting a pomegranate (I made last year, during my consulting days for Blue Ice Vodka) with a very dangerous knife! Ready to make a festive pomegranate martini for your honey, but don't know how to cute the confusing fruit? Here's my video. I'm not sure it will actually help.... but I tried. xoxo

 

Bao Bao Panda Dishtowels that #GiveBack!

Did you know less than 1,800 Giant Pandas are left in this world?!

In partnership with Pandas International, our newest CharityRagg is in honor of beloved Bao Bao, the first surviving cub at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute​, who will be moved to China in a couple weeks for a cooperative breeding program with China Wildlife Conservation Association. Per their agreement with CWCA, all pandas born at the Smithsonian National Zoo will be sent to China before their 4th birthday to breed.

Bao Bao has won the hearts of tens of thousands of panda lovers worldwide who've watched her grow up on the zoo's panda cam. She will be dearly missed, but her contribution to the global giant panda conservation effort is immeasurable! Thank you, Bao Bao!

$5 of every #SaveThePandas Bao Bao CharityRagg purchased will benefit Pandas International​! #panda #baobao #dishtowelswithpurpose #girlreinvented #stronglikeagirl #startup #pandaconservation #giantpandas 

ORDER YOUR BAO BAO CHARITYRAGG HERE

CLICK HERE FOR BAO BAO'S DEPARTURE FAQS 

NBCF + Girl Reinvented, LLC = Making a difference

If you read my "about" section, you know I created a textile brand, DishRaggs.com, with it, the best brand extension in the world, my CharityRaggs GiveBack Program. 

My DishRaggs are a fun and whimsical way to brighten up your kitchen, and CharityRaggs takes that idea to a whole new level with the $5 giveback program. $5 of every CharityRagg sold will be donated to charity! Now, you can brighten up your kitchen, give the perfect gift, and spread goodwill simultaneously.

Breast cancer is a devastating disease, affecting millions of women (even men) annually. If you have not been personally affected by this horrendous disease, I bet you know someone who has. I do. Some brave souls have won the battle, while others have not. It's a dark, ugly reality, but we can not bury our head's in the sand and pretend this silent killer doesn't exist – or won't happen to us. We are all at risk. We must stay strong, support each other and be proactive. While a mammogram may not catch the disease for everyone, it's still our #1 defense against this silent killer. How do you fight an enemy you can't see? By being proactive and vigilant about your health and supporting organizations that help the underserved and misinformed – through early detection, education, and support.

Girl Reinvented, LLC is proud to support the tireless work of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Our official partnership aims to bring awareness and raise much-needed funds to give all women and men (of every race, religion, and socioeconomic background across this nation) a fighting chance.

I currently have two different CharityRaggs available to support NBCF. Click HERE to learn more!  

$5 from every NBCF CharityRagg sold will be donated to NBCF to provide help and inspire hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education and support services. #HelpingWomenNow

#stronglikeagirl

Girlreinvented.com was active during my teardrop adventure, and now she's back on for my next adventure, 6 years later, building a company from nothing out of a garage. Blogging takes time, of which I have very little of these days, so for quick updates you can visit my Girl Reinvented,LLC FB page. I am not narcissistic enough to think people would've cared about the daily happenings between my adventure and now. However, my three years on an outrigger racing team in CA (2013-2015) would have been a outstanding chapter to document – it's such a unique, badass sport. Anyway, the point is, I think we're all programmed to be a little narcissistic, but it's up to us to put ourselves in check. Of course that's harder than ever to do in this "selfie" society we live in. Btw: 6 years ago when I was on my adventure, selfies were not popular (or at least not in my Blackberry world). However if you look through my photos, I took a million of them! I was so excited to learn photography that I would carry my tripod with me everywhere I went. For me, it was less about taking a "selfie" and more about documenting my adventure and playing with depth perspective on my Canon SLR. Every single picture holds special meaning. This Montana shot is by far my favorite! No filter at all (I don't think filters existed back then, lol). This is me when I finally saw the Montana sign for the first time cruising down I-90 with my teardrop camper in tow. I was so excited. I had dreamed of visiting Montana all my life. I pulled over, jumped out of the car and quickly set up my tripod. Looks doctored, but it's NOT AT ALL! This is the real highway sign and me pointing at if from at least 100 yards away. 

Anyway, I'm someone who loves when things come full circle. I wait for the spirit to move me – for something to feel right. I need things to click and make sense. And when they do, and the stars align, BAM, it's magic. I get so excited I want to explode. 

Click to read more ...

"BREATHE WITH YOUR EYES" Dish Towel

One of my newest designs! This one is special because, in only a few phrases, it sums up my Girl Reinvented travel adventure – and a man I met along the way.  

Live FREE

Be Brave

Seek Adventure

Breathe With Your Eyes

Do you understand the meaning of "Breathe with your eyes?" Of course, it's subjective, but for me, it means slowing down, paying attention to the small details, and absorbing each moment (into my soul). It's a reminder to be fully present and appreciate all the beauty surrounding me.

I wish I could take credit for the saying, but I can't. During my adventure, I was occasionally on Match, the dating site. My profile read, "I left NYC to travel the country..." As you can imagine, men were not lining up to date me. However, I did receive a tremendous amount of supportive emails -- which surprised me. 

One particular email stood out from the rest. It was from a man named Jerome, "I missed you on both ends," his email read. He had just left San Francisco to move to NYC, and I was, sitting smack in the middle of America, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers, reading his email. Jerome had traveled the country quite a bit and even hitchhiked across Canada alone -- he understood. "I would suggest some sites to see along the way, but I don't think that's necessary as your heart will guide you. The advice I will give you, however, is to breathe with your eyes." His words touched me, unlike anything I had read before. That single phrase embodied my entire journey. He did understand. He didn't try to tell me where I should go and impose his beliefs on me. Instead, he respected the deeply personal path I was on. My journey of solitude was spiritual and liberating, free from noise, judgment, and obligation. When you allow your heart to guide you, right and wrong doesn't exist. I didn't rely on books to tell me how I should feel. No one was correcting me, and I was free from expectations. I was learning to slow down and experience the soul-quenching journey in my own way. l was alone, allowed to process my emotions and feelings on my terms, and with each breath, I branded memories into my soul forever. Spicy or mild, cooked or raw, my journey was simple yet complex, and most importantly, it was mine and mine alone. 

Camping World! 120 stores! Hallelujah!

100% of me thought I'd leave my meeting with the Camping World buyer with a handshake, the obligatory "thanks for coming, we'll be in touch," and maybe a cookie (that I would steal from the conference room to eat my feelings). Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd leave with an order?!

I only had 30 minutes to present. While this might seem like a short time to most people, anyone who knows me knows I can talk FAST, so the time constraint didn't bother me. If anything, they might ask me to leave early. I was standing in the conference room of the Holiday Inn in Blowing Green, KY pacing anxiously. It was 1:35. The buyer was actually 5 minutes late. I was a nervous hummingbird ready to explode or puke. 

"It never hurts to ask, it hurts not to ask," wise words spoken by my old mentor, Kerry Cannon – the man I credit for teaching me the most important things I could ever hope to learn in business and lighting my entrepreneurial fire. The other quote I always remember is, "50% of something is better than 100% of nothing."  You're awesome, Kerry. :-)

Most of the meeting is a blur, but I know it could not have gone any better! I may or may not have told Kristen, the Camping World buyer, that I wanted to kiss her. I was so overwhelmed and excited I didn't know what to do with myself. Camping World currently does not carry textiles, BUT that is all changing! CW has decided to create high-end camping kitchen showrooms in most, if not all, of their stores, and my timing could not have been more perfect! I'll be in all of their stores and online.

CW wants to work with people who are excited to work with them. I know the market because I lived in a tear-drop camper for the better part of a year! I AM Camping World. I LOVE Camping World. I'm so excited to work with them. It's crazy! Woot Woot. 

Halfway out the door, I ran back and asked Renae, the lovely woman who checked me in, to take my photo. I am absolutely sure everyone there thinks I'm insane.

 

Presenting my DishRaggs line to Camping World today!

I'm about to meet with one of their buyers at Camping World in Bowling Green, KY! I'm so excited and nervous I might hurl, seriously.

I've expanded my line to include handmade wax fabric coasters (OMG, I love them) and premium ringspun cotton towels. I've also changed the size of the flour sack towels to include a large kitchen size (with a serged edge hem, done by yours indeed) and a smaller size to be used as a hand towel -- for the bath. 

In most cases, you're not buying a "matching" kitchen and bath (hand) towel set, but in RV'ing and boating, your bathroom is right on top of the kitchen, so it makes sense to have a matching set! Right?! That's my theory anyway, and what I'm about to present to Camping World!!! 

The wax fabric coasters with a matching towel are the perfect gift -- especially in the reusable cotton sack! I've designed a "boozy" elements line and the periodic table for coffee, white, and red wine! Here are some quick pics I took this morning before I left Nashville. More to come! I don't want to be late, so I need to hustle. 

xoxoxo

meet my new textile brand : DishRaggs!

It's been 6 years since I embarked on my very unplanned 328-day odyssey across the country, but it still feels like yesterday. An experience like that changes you forever – the way you think and approach life. How could it not? Two of the most relevant things I learned: you need to always have faith and always follow your heart ~ your heart knows what's best and faith will guide you.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase" ~ Martin Luther King

I'm still not sure how I ended up living in a tear drop camper for the better part of a year, but I wouldn't change a second of it. For some reason I was meant to – whatever that means. I let my heart guide me and although I may have seemed bat-sh*t crazy at times (and maybe I was) it opened my eyes to a better way of thinking: it's way more fun and liberating NOT to do what's expected of you. Your heart usually has a different plan, so be true to yourself.

Click to read more ...

piper in a diaper

When I went snowboarding in Jackson Hole this past winter, Piper spent her first time in a sleepaway adventure camp. It was going quite swimmingly until this happened... 

Piper was the smallest dog in the bunch and the only dog that would occasionally use a wee pad (if needed). Well, that's all fine and dandy if the other dogs didn't chew it up on her.

Piper in a diaper. While her LA street cred is questioned here, she pulls it off well.