Making something ridiculous and delightful, Day 2

Day 2: I Jib Jabbed myself. This never gets old.

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Making something ridiculous and delightful, every day

Masking tape bow

I gotta confess, I can get too darn serious at this time of year if I'm not careful. Isn't it funny (not haha funny) that the holidays coincides with end-of-year medical insurance switcheroo?  So in addition to standing in line at the post office, and getting an Evite out to my family, I made a doctor's appointment and signed up for all flavors of lab work to be billed in 2011. Merry Mammogram! That's just not right.

So, in keeping with my standard coping strategies, I've made a plan. I'm going to make something ridiculous and delightful every day. I'm committed to doing this every day...for as long as it is fun.

Day One: I made a bow for a package out of masking tape. My son was headed to a white elephant gift exchange and we shared a good laugh while getting him out the door in record time. Yes, you know you're going to see this reemerge as a product idea. I wonder if I can have it out for next year?

In praise of being unrealistic

I've been accused of being unrealistic but I didn't know it was a compliment until I read 80/20 Individual by Richard Koch who is often quoted in The 4-Hour Workweek .  I’ve being holding a grudge against several characters from my past for saying “You’re not being realistic.” But now I’m picturing myself showing up on their porches saying “I’m sorry I’ve been poking that voodoo doll of you for all these years. I see now it was a compliment.” 

Why is it a compliment? Because "Reality" is simply how have things have been until now; creativity is by definition unrealistic because you’re bringing something new into the world. Every successful business, every work of art, every inspiring social movement was born of someone thinking “I see a different way than what’s been so far.” Koch says an entrepreneur shifts resources from low to a higher yield. If it were realistic, somebody would already be doing it and the margin wouldn’t exist. These pockets exist all over the place and as technology changes, new pockets appear every day. It’s like a modern day Gold Rush. When you spot one, it is your vein of gold. Why doesn’t everyone else see what is plain-as-day to you? Every little thing that made you the unique individual you are – the good things like being in a play, the bad like being bullied – honed your unique perspective so that your vein of gold may be invisible to others. You get to mine it and afterward people might say “She was so lucky!”

So now when someone says “That seems unrealistic.”  I quietly say to myself “Why Thank You” and make a mental note “Here’s a realist. I’ll need this type to keep things going after I’ve created it.”

I’d love to hear your quotes – the things people told you as a kid that pop back into your head now when you try to create something Brilliantly Unrealistic!

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Time change tip

Time change tip...

It can be maddening to schedule an online or phone meeting with someone in another time zone, especially with a time change in between. I found a quick way in Google Calendar. It's so simple I almost overlooked it! Next to the time of the appointment is a link to Time Zone. I clicked it and set the meeting to the correct time for my colleague, for example 6:00 pm in Nederlands. It showed up on my calendar as 10 am. Phew!

While we are switching clocks Nov 6th this year, Europe switched on Oct 30. So if we had set our meeting based on the tried and true "What time is it there?" we'd have missed each other next week because my clock will fall back while his stays the same.  To impress your friends and colleagues read More about time changes.

If I'm going to work at home, I'm going to need nicer pajamas...

It's that time of year again when -- in Colorado, at least -- it is chilly enough in the morning for me to pull out my FUgg* slipper boots and turn on the fire but still blazing hot in the afternoon. This is especially noticeable if I'm still in the morning garb when I notice it's time to drive my son to guitar so I throw a coat over the whole mess of layers and hop into the car...where I develop a keen sympathy for ants tortured to death by magnifying glass.

For me this prompts a couple product ideas.

1. The first is some type of bracelet or sign that states I did actually dress myself in this outfit. I always think if I died suddenly, the police would think "Look what that sick bastard dressed her in...wasn't it enough to poison her?" I start out looking like I'm in a Siberian gulag because I hate to be cold in the morning. Then I get involved in creating a prototype and the layers start coming off like some very unsexy striptease. Later, sitting still in front of the computer, I feel chilly so I add a scarf then some socks then whatever's handy. Voila! Hand me a "Will design for food" sign and I'm ready to go.
2. The second product would be Nicer PJs. They would be very comfortable to sleep in, cozy and free of all zippers, ties and buttons. But, in a flash, they'd look like work clothes. A Moo Moo with strings that pull the whole thing together into an uber-ruched work of fashion? A tailored robe of gabardine? Suede boots that can hide yoga pants? 

Hand me my sketchbook...these could be the next million-dollar ideas!

*Fake Uggs

Appreciation, Step one for getting organized

Making these little books for a local craft fair reminded me of a crucial idea I forget so often...when I stop to appreciate the things that I'm doing right , my organization schemes support and reflect my values, rather than my fears. 


Try it...(It feels soooo good)

1. I appreciate my...a Body Part
2. I appreciate my...a Spiritual Quality
3. I appreciate my...a Skill
4. I appreciate my...a Unique Genius Quality
5. I appreciate how I've grown in...

Share your lists with me!

Press Release: Orderly Chic’s Giveback Week Giveaway to Launch This Week

Orderly Chic’s Giveback Week Giveaway to Launch This Week

BOULDER, CO - With the school year rapidly approaching, parents are bracing for rigorous and sometimes stressful fundraising campaigns for their child’s sports teams, bands, and clubs. Boulder mom/designer/ entrepreneur Kay Magnie McLellan has come up with a clever way to fight the fundraising blues in style with her line of whiteboards from her brand Orderly Chic. “As a mom, I feel great about using my advertising budget to support good causes,” McLellan says.” When I designed the program I thought about the things that make us (parents) cringe: collecting money, delivering whatever was purchased, and selling a smaller version for an inflated cost; with Giveback Week, 15% of the purchase cost goes back to the cause automatically, relatives from all over the country can participate, and everyone can see that the product is being sold at retail cost.”

Starting July 25th Orderly Chic will be launching “The Giveback Giveaway” where lucky winners can walk away with $1,000 in merchandise to help raise funds for the cause of their choice. Orderly Chic’s one-of-a-kind message boards help brighten up any locker, refrigerator or office space with their sleek design, making it an easy sell for families craving a little organization. “Moms have told me that they like the fact that they'd be offering something practical and stylish, something they'd buy for a gift themselves”, McLellan says. Another bonus to Giveback Week? McLellan promises the program isn’t filled with lots of legwork or additional effort. “As a busy mom and entrepreneur myself, I want this process to be as easy as possible for both the beneficiaries and their supporters. Just fill out the simple online form with a few questions about the cause, team, or organization you are fundraising for; if your cause wins, you'll receive 100 Note Boards (a $1000 value) to sell and your cause keeps all the proceeds. To increase your chances, have your friends vote for your cause. Giveback Week participants are encouraged to use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter in order to stir up more support for their cause. The contest hopes to breathe new life into the occasionally daunting task of grassroots fundraising while introducing shoppers to a line of must-have organizational products.

Orderly Chic is the brainchild of industrial designer Kay Magnie McLellan, who was inspired to create a line of products that eased the stress and pain of daily life after she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2001. Orderly Chic products are available at Amazon.com. For more information on Orderly Chic and the Giveback Week giveaway, please contact Kay Magnie McLellan at 888.492.8235 or info@orderlychic.com.

http://orderlychic.com/fundraising.html

http://www.facebook.com/orderlychic