Monday, April 30, 2012

NYC - Pedicures, Whole Shrimp, and Great Company!


 Alrighty, so now for the exciting part!  On Tuesday April 17th, Mark and I headed to the Burlington Airport.  We drove two hours to catch a plane (which would take one hour) to NYC.  Mark says we should’ve taken the train because it would’ve been more romantic… oh well, next time!  We were greeted at JFK Airport by a black SUV which transported us to our hotel – yup, we’re fancy (as Becca says - you’ll hear me talk about her shortly).  We were put up in the Empire Hotel – just about a block away from Central Park and supposedly where some episodes of Gossip Girls has been filmed.  Those of you who have been around me more than 30 seconds probably know that this show is not quite the type I like to watch so this wasn’t really all that impressive to me, but for those of you who do watch it… look for the Empire Hotel – I stayed there!



Mark and I were pretty exhausted when we arrived so we went right to bed.  I know, lame.  Especially since I’ve probably only been to the city half a dozen times in my life, but when you’re tired… you’re tired!  And I had a photo shoot coming up so I quite literally needed my beauty sleep!

In the morning we all gathered in the lobby before heading off to breakfast.  This was the first time I was able to meet Rebecca Stanley, Carrie Severson, and Rachel Doyle (all founders of the non-profits which they pour their hearts and souls into every day), although I had done my research on each of them and already saw each of them as a huge inspiration! 

Quick little info…
Rebecca Stanley is an amazing mom of two beautiful young children who you can instantly tell has a sincere heart filled with compassion and love.  (The main quote on her Facebook page is “Giving can help rescue them from poverty, but it has also rescued me from wealth.” – Yup, definitely a soul sister of mine!)  Becca and her husband Adam moved to the ghetto in Atlanta about a year ago after they realized that they could more effectively provide positive role models for children living in poverty if they lived on their street and in their neighborhood.  They quite literally purchased a crack house and during the first few months when Adam and his father were renovating the house, they would have to kindly ask the prostitutes and drug dealers to step off the premises so they could do their work.  During the time of renovation, Adam got to know many of the local families and he feels that the respect he was able to show for the local people early on has provided for the safety that he and is family now feel living in that neighborhood.  Becca shared a story from the first week they lived in the house… she met a little boy down the street and invited him over for game night the following night.  That night came and a knock was heard at the door.  Becca opened it and found six kids with big eager smiles on their faces, “We’ve come for game night!” Of course she welcomed them right in!  The local kids can be found at Becca and Adam’s house nearly every night of the week (except Mondays – that’s “Family Day” and the kids know that they aren’t to interrupt the Stanley household unless it’s an emergency)… eating dinner, doing homework, playing spoons and other fun games during “family game night” (the local kids dubbed it that), or throwing a football around with Adam.  They even took one of the boys they’ve been mentoring for six years, to Florida with them for their family vacation a couple weeks ago!  These people don’t just talk the talk… they truly walk the walk!  Becca and Adam started an organization called Blueprint 58.  As their Facebook page says, “Blueprint 58 is a non-profit mentoring program dedicated to restoring and transforming the Atlanta communities of Adair Park and Pittsburgh. Because we firmly believe that transformation most readily occurs within the context of relationship, one-on-one mentoring relationships are the core of our ministry.”  They don’t have a website and not much of a budget at the moment… as Becca said, she and Adam would much rather be doing the hands on work with the kids than doing the fundraising… but it is certainly a worthwhile organization and a concept that they hope to keep simple enough for other communities to replicate.  Becca’s blog is the best place to keep up with the family and the work that they do. http://thestanleyclan.blogspot.com/ Plus she’s hilarious and she posts amazing photos – yup, she’s a photographer too!  Becca and Adam have been through what most people would call hell during the last 8 months.  Their little guy was born with a heart defect and had to have open-heart surgery five days after he was born.  Caden is doing well now, although he will have to have a number of surgeries during his life; and Becca and Adam both shared that while they wouldn’t wish that horrific experience on anyone, it did bring them closer together and made them stronger people.  Yup, they are basically my heroes.  I couldn’t get enough of listening to the two of them talk about their life.  Not only that but they’re my age and totally the kind of people who I know Mark and I would be best friends with if they lived nearby (Mark loved them too!).  It’s too bad Atlanta is so dang far from Lake Placid!  We’ll just try to do our best to keep in touch and hope that our paths cross again soon.  There’s a reason we were both in this photo shoot… no doubt! 

   

Carrie Severson is an amazingly strong woman from Phoenix, Arizona.  Carrie and I had exchanged numerous emails during the weeks leading up to the shoot and I knew she was as excited for this experience as I was!  The non-profit that Carrie founded called Severson Sisters, is very personal and important to Carrie.  Having lived through many of the terrible things that far too many elementary, middle (especially middle) and high school students have to deal with in terms of bullying and hazing, Carrie was able to turn her negative experiences into an opportunity to help others.  Severson Sisters is a bullying solutions and self-compassion non-profit for girls of all ages. The organization uses creative arts as a tool for girls to express themselves while building self-esteem and developing friendships with other girls their age.  They incorporate a bullying solution method into the creative objective.  What an important organization!!  I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t go back to middle school for anything.  When I look back at my life, those were some of my darkest days… filled with doing anything possible to try to fit and not get picked on, and losing myself in the process.  Unfortunately this is a huge issue for young people all across our country and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.  Programs like Carrie’s can help young people (specifically girls) to gain the self-confidence and self-love they need to not only survive middle and high school, but to move out into the world as self-assured, wonderful, authentic, loving individuals!  And that’s exactly what Carrie has done!  This super girl is in conversations with the producers of the Ellen DeGeneres show!!  Talk about a go-getter!!  I’m super psyched for Carrie and all that she has before her!  The sky is the limit girl – go do it!  If you’d like to learn more about Carrie and her organization you can visit Severson Sisters on Facebook or check out their website www.seversonsisters.org



Lastly, I met Rachel Doyle.  There’s no doubt why Rachel was chosen to be featured in the Sally Hansen “The Best of You” contest.  While in high school, Rachel’s grandmother passed away and her influence inspired Rachel to start a make-over program with women living in senior homes.  The program grew from there and while in college, Rachel founded the organization GlamourGals.  This non-profit, driven by Rachel, inspires and organizes teen girls to make change in their communities. Each month their over 60 local chapters (throughout 13 states across the country) volunteer time with women living in senior homes and provide their signature program of complimentary facials and makeovers.  They make women feel beautiful and good about themselves right up to their last day on this earth.  Again, such great work!  Rachel has been featured on all sorts of TV programs and in articles in magazines too numerous to mention here.  She is only in her late 20s and she’s already accomplished more than most people accomplish in their lifetime.  She truly is a determined and focused woman and I am happy that I met her!  You can learn more about Rachel’s organization by visiting the GlamourGals on Facebook or by checking out their website www.glamourgals.org

Oops, apparently I don't have a picture of just Rachel.  Here she is getting a make-over. 


I know I said I was only going to give “quick little info” but you know me!  I’m sure you can see why I feel honored to be featured in a magazine alongside these amazing women!!!  Such inspiring people!  I am blessed to have met each of them!

To continue with my story (because I know you’re all dying to hear the rest)… We ate a delicious breakfast that morning with Lorraine Nunez and Kerri Kivlan – both beauty merchandising managers with Glamour.  Mark and Adam (Becca’s husband) really bonded and we were all able to share our stories and get to know each other.  Then we were off to The Town House Spa for a day of pampering!  (Yes, the guys quickly disappeared… Mark went back to the hotel to do some computer work and Adam went off to explore the city – his first time in NYC!)  Rachel and I headed into the pedicure area first.  You may be surprised (or perhaps not) to know that I’ve never had a pedicure in my life.  I must admit that I was initially a bit self-conscious about having a stranger “work on” my feet but that lasted about 2 seconds… ahhhhh… so relaxing!  I didn’t even care if they put polish on my nails… the massage was where it was at!!  Plus I was seated in a massage chair with a goblet of lemon/cucumber water in my hand… yup, I felt glamorous! 



After the pedicure I headed upstairs for my hair cut.  I had the option of a cut or a dye and I chose a cut because, well, I guess I’m not that adventurous.  I’ve only had my hair dyed once… for a musical I was in during my senior year of high school… and I really have no desire to do it again.  I’ve been blessed with natural highlights, what can I say?! :)

A really nice Russian guy went to work on my hair.  Quickest haircut I think I’ve ever had.  Either he really knows what he’s doing or he did a crappy job… you guess!  Then he did a blowout.  If I hadn’t put a call out on Facebook for some beauty advice before I headed to NYC, I wouldn’t have known what a blowout was.  And as it was, he didn’t ask what I wanted, he just kind of did it; but I loved it!  So for those of you, like me, who don’t know what a blowout is… it’s a form of straightening hair using a round brush and a hair dryer.  I’m honestly not sure how it works exactly, but it did! When he finished my hair was straight with just a slight curl on the end.  It was incredibly smooth and not frizzy at all… a miracle!  It also almost looked like I had bangs.  Anyway, very cool and a lot of fun!

I was the first to have my make-up done and the man who did that did a wonderful job as well.  He really seemed to catch on to the fact that I don’t wear much make-up and I like the natural look.  Unlike other times when I’ve had to have make-up for a wedding or something, he didn’t make it look like I was “made-up.”  Again, quite the professional!

When I got back to the hotel room I took pictures of myself in the mirror because I really liked my hair. Don't mind the poor lighting.


The next couple hours were spent chatting with Becca, Carrie, and Rachel as they completed their beautification process.  I enjoyed a delicious salad – yes, this spa has a little restaurant in it – and relaxed for a bit.  After everyone was all “done up,” Carrie, Becca, and I had a glass of wine with Lorraine and Maria Marino, an advertising manager at Glamour and Conde Nast.  Looking back on the couple of days, this was one of my favorite times of the whole experience.  It was really nice for each of us to be able to share our story and talk openly about our experiences, with everyone at the table fully engrossed in what we were saying.  It was obvious to me that Carrie and Becca are both immensely passionate about their work but it’s nice to also feel their support for mine.  I hope they feel my support as well!  I loved not feeling like we were competing for the ear of these corporate women, but rather sharing our passion with other strong individuals.  There was some serious “women power” around that table!  It was also nice to hear Maria say that she needs to start doing more for others.  Of course our intention is not to guilt others into doing more; but rather, to help them to see the joy that it brings us and hopefully inspire them to reach out.  Based on the conversation, it sounds like Maria will do just that!  Deciding on the nail polish for the season just isn’t filling her soul. :)

We were taken back to the hotel late that afternoon for a bit of a rest before our dinner reservations at Rouge et Blanc at 7pm.  I was so high on life about my first pedicure, my amazing hair, and the great conversation that we had just had, that I hardly noticed Mark was lying in bed gripping his stomach with a forced smile on his face.  When I finally came down from my cloud I realized that he wasn’t feeling well, at all.  Needless to say, I headed off to the restaurant solo that evening while he stayed in the room and fought with what was either food poisoning or an awful 24-hour stomach bug… poor guy!



Dinner at Rouge et Blanc was wonderful!  I am a person who can eat just about anything and be satisfied (my motto is “food is food”) but Mark, on the other hand, appreciates good food.   I was bummed he missed out on that experience.  Rouge et Blanc is a Vietnamese/French restaurant, needless to say, there were some very interesting things on the menu!  Carrie’s friend was the chef so that’s how we found out about the place and it really was perfect.  The six of us (Carrie, her mother, Becca, Adam, Rachel, and I) enjoyed octopus (that was my pick!), quail (with a quail egg on top – so good!), and lobster with vegetable noodles, among other things.  The food was incredible!  (Definitely not “just food.”)  And the company was wonderful as well!  A great night had by all!  Except maybe Mark… he still wasn’t doing so well when I returned to the hotel.  :(

Becca may look a little nervous about eating this whole shrimp (eyes, antennae and everything), but she did and she even said they were good!


Once again I headed to bed rather quickly because this was the night I REALLY needed my beauty sleep… the photo shoot was the next day!!  However, before heading to bed I did take pictures of myself in the mirror and Mark even sat up to take one of me as well.  I really didn’t want to fall asleep and lose my beautiful hair-do!  Ridiculous, I know!



Okay, I'm impressed you got to this point.  I'm going to give your eyes a little break and post the rest (the photo shoot!) tomorrow.  Thank you for reading!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Every Vote Counts!


So, I must admit that I’ve been meaning to start a blog for quite a while now.  I suppose this whole New York City Glamour experience is as good an excuse as any so here goes nothin’!  Just to warn you, this first blog post may be a bit wordy but I’m hoping to refine my blogging skills and get better at getting to the point in a few less words :) But for now I’m just going to dive in….


It all starts, at least for me, back in late November 2011.  It was then that I received an email from Lorraine Nunez, the beauty merchandising manager for Glamour magazine.  She was asking for a little more information about me and Reason2Smile Inc before the semi-finalists for the 2012 “Best of You” contest were chosen.  I gladly provided her with the information and then quickly called up Donna Rosenblum, a Reason2Smile board member and the person who Lorraine told me had nominated me for the award.  At this point I was just psyched that Donna had nominated me and even more psyched that I was a potential semi-finalist for the contest!

Donna and her son Ryan after they shaved their heads as a fundraiser for St. Baldrick's Children's Hospital.

Days past and I must say that I forgot all about the contest.  That is until mid-December… I was visiting Donna and her family for a week of presentations in their area on Long Island and a Reason2Smile Art Show in their public library.  It was then that I received an email from Lorraine saying that I was a semi-finalist in the 2012 “Best of You” contest!!

Okay, yeah you see… this is why it takes me hours to write a blog post.  I’m ridiculous about having to share every last detail!  You’re probably bored out of your mind already.  So sorry… hang in there!  It will get more exciting, I promise!

The Sally Hansen “Best of You” contest has been taking place for 12 years.  It is a contest which celebrates women who are making a difference in the world and who are an inspiration to others.  Apparently thousands of women are nominated every year and then the folks at Glamour and Sally Hansen pare it down to ten semi-finalists.  These ten women are profiled on the Glam Alert website and the general public are given an opportunity to cast their votes on which woman they think most deserves the award.  (Let me just say that all 10 women’s profiles sounded inspiring and I don’t know how anyone could pick just one of them!) 

Voting takes place for a couple of weeks and this is when you all were SO INCREDIBLY supportive of me and Reason2Smile!  Not only did you vote but you also passed the link on to your family, friends, and neighbors and encouraged them to vote!  Schools that I have spoken at passed the link around and had all the teachers, faculty, and staff members vote.  Wells College, my alma mater, sent the link around to not only the current students, faculty, and staff but also to all the alums! 



My favorite voting story is of a little girl in my mom’s fourth grade class.  My mom shared the excitement of the contest with her students and gave them each the link so they could go home and ask their parents to vote.  (You must know that on the voting website we were listed alphabetically and each woman had a number – based on the order – next to the button where you vote.)  One little girl came back the next day and said, “When we went to vote it said that Keela only had two votes so I’m really glad that my mom voted because she’s going to need more than two votes to win!” :)  So darn cute!

After driving you all crazy with 80 bazillion Facebook postings and emails about voting, the polls closed and the following 2 ½ weeks went by painfully slowly.  On Wednesday March 7th, a normal day in the Reason2Smile office… emails being answered, thank you notes being written… I received an email from Lorraine saying, “Hi Keela, CONGRATULATIONS!!”  I didn’t need to read any farther, my heart skipped a beat and my jaw quite literally dropped.  I must have read the email three times before it really set in.  Then the phone calls, texts, emails, and Facebook postings started… first to mom, then dad, then Donna, and on from there… 

I absolutely LOVED how excited you all were for the organization and me!  I can’t tell you the number of people who told me, “I’ve voted for people I know in contests in the past but no one has ever won!  It’s so good to see my vote helped!”  It truly was like each and every one of you had won along with me!  I hope you felt that way too because I certainly couldn’t have done it without each of you voting and spreading the word to others!  And of course, the most important winners are the children in developing countries who we haven’t even met yet but who we will be able to help once this goes national and more people start getting involved – yes, I’m an optimist!!



During the days that followed I received emails, posts, and phone calls from you all congratulating me.  I felt SO loved!!  I walked around town and people literally called out from the other side of the street, “Hey, there's our Glamour girl!!”  It’s amazing how wonderful it feels to live in a small town where everyone knows you personally and they share their support in every way, shape, and form.  Thank you!!

Okay, so here I am… nearly 1,000 words in and I haven’t even gotten to the actual trip to NYC yet!  Not only that but I really do need to wrap things up for the night. This is a good start though and I hope you haven’t lost interest because the next section will be all about NYC and the actual photo shoot… I promise!