I’ve spent most of my life believing anything was possible with hard work, good intentions and a little bit of luck. Strong women and supportive men surrounded me in my youth, so why would I believe otherwise. Their encouragement was the backdrop to my life. There were times when obstacles made it tougher to achieve important goals set for myself, but I look back on those trying times and truly believe that without them I would not have learned all of the needed lessons. The areas that have Read more [...]

As a mom, I know that there are many things that will be asked of me and many things I will volunteer to do in order to support my children. I love when my kids think I can solve all their problems. I still remember the day when my oldest son realized that I don’t know everything. He was asking a typically difficult question about the universe and I certainly wanted to give him the answer, but in this particular case — I just didn’t know. He looked up to me, paused, furrowed his brow and said, Read more [...]

Sometimes, I feel a bit guilty that I never became a better cook. It’s not that I don’t think I have the capacity. In fact, I can follow a recipe as well as anyone, but I’ve never had a passion for it. It has always felt more like a chore than a pleasure. But, I have the fondest memories surrounding food. My grandma was an amazing cook and had some signature dishes that I truly miss. My grandma could serve up any dish in a way that truly showed her love. It was not unusual for my grandma Read more [...]

I’m beginning to think we’re living a life of extremes. Do you know what I mean? There were so many acts of unbelievable tragedy and evil last year. Some days I didn’t want to turn the television on or listen to the news at all because I knew that I was going to be bombarded with extremely heart-wrenching details of devastation. We all ask why and unfortunately most of the time — even if we get a “why” it doesn’t make much sense to us. We are surrounded by it. In fact, the headlines Read more [...]

Typically, after the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I would look forward to a few days of down time to recoup and regenerate. But, this year is proving to be much different. I am so energized and excited about the New Year — I can hardly stand it. Have you ever just had a feeling that things are going your way? Well, I would like to state for the record that this year is going to be a good one for me and the folks here at CAWLM. We hit our five-year anniversary and our commitment to you Read more [...]

It rarely happens, but this year it has. I ran into the proverbial wall this past week paralyzed by the amount of “to-do’s.” Don’t get me wrong; I love having a lot to do. In fact, I think I need it … most of the time. This week though, I had many work related obligations, a self-imposed pre-holiday meal to prepare in the middle of the week for my team that included a turkey and homemade stuffing, two night events, my regular family duties and multiple charity commitments that included Read more [...]

Even though the holidays seem to come faster and faster every year and I’m officially against the holiday creep that goes on at the stores, I’ve started to get that same ole lovin’ feeling. I can’t help it. I was beginning to think that I was outgrowing my urge to over accessorize my home during the holidays when I didn’t cover the interior of my house with spider webs and pumpkins. However, I am longingly looking at new holiday décor items in Martha Stewart Living. Seriously? It’s fine. Read more [...]

There’s an old saying and a song or two lamenting over the fact that you can’t go home again. It’s interesting to think about the implications of what that really means. It’s not that you can’t get in your car, a plane or some other obscure mode of transportation to physically take you there. Is there a force field you’ll have to maneuver through? No. It actually means that after you’ve left the place where you were raised and go on to other parts of the world or just down the road, Read more [...]

Even at my age, there are still many “firsts” in my life. There’s the first time I got lost and literally missed my 15-year-old’s golf tournament — much to the dismay of my son and my husband. There’s the starting of a TV talk show, “In Her Shoes” (still hard to believe), and the fact that I’ve had a business for 10 years (whoa…). But, I have to say that my trek across the country this summer in double-time mode was a first I won’t soon forget. I believe I got a lot of Read more [...]

Have you ever heard the saying that any and all publicity is good publicity? I find that to be an interesting concept. Have you processed what that really means? First of all, I don’t believe all publicity is good and in fact I think some publicity is downright bad for your reputation and image. Maintaining your image as an individual or a business should be a top priority; your reputation is everything. It’s the foundation. I think that when you’re living your life, trying to keep a solid, Read more [...]

When it comes to July — it can be a beautiful and sad thing based on your perspective. You can look at it as the apex of summer or a sign that summer is quickly advancing and coming closer to an end. Someone’s perspective is based on his or her thoughts, experiences and interactions with others. I’ve been thinking a lot about perspective lately. Do you ever get surprised by the way others perceive situations? I do. Don’t get me wrong — I am a firm believer that the way people Read more [...]

This issue is dedicated to the boys. Just typing that makes me think of the 80s song by Deniece Williams, “Let’s Hear it for the Boys.” I love that song and it truly is apropos for how I feel about the role of all fellas in our lives. There’s something to be said about the male perspective. I love trying to anticipate what men are going to say and do in every situation. It’s a fun little game of mine. It’s interesting to see the differences. You know what I’m talking about. I’ve Read more [...]