Motivation Monday.

As I continue to raise funding for my move back to Africa, I'm often overwhelmed with gratitude as others lend me their support- whether that be through donations, prayers, and kind words. This generosity is a constant motivation, and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people. One person, who has been a particular blessing to me, is Diana from Our City Lights.




Diana and her husband, Scott, were two of the first people to donate to me when I first went to Africa this summer. It's so amazing to find people like them, especially over the internet. Then to top it off, as I was gathering raffle prizes for my fashion show in September, Diana again gave her support through an amazing donation (some of her photography prints AND a Marc Jacobs bag, which I'm sure you can imagine raised quite a bit of money). She even offered to donate through her online shop, where she sells unwanted (and pretty awesome) clothes from her closet.

So, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to Diana and all the people that continue to support me and my journey, you are my motivation.

Motivation Monday

Here is something truly inspirational and will encourage me to look beyond my front door.

Drawn From Water is truly amazing, there mission is to rescue and provide the best possible future for children who have been deemed “mingi” and sentenced to death by their tribes. In rural Africa there are three tribes that practice what is called “mingi”, which loosely translates to mean dirty or unclean. There are many ways in which a child may become “mingi”, but once the label has been placed all children suffer the same fate, they must be killed. For example if a child top teeth grow in before there bottom they are deemed “mingi”. But now there is Draw From Water orphanage who’s mission is to take in the children who have been deemed “mingi” and to educate the tribes that these children are a blessing and not a curse. In the three tribes, which practice “mingi”, there are a total of roughly 130,000 people living in hundreds of villages spanning an area totaling hundreds of square miles. It is estimated that more than 1000 children are killed each year because they were “mingi”

Grab a box of tissues and watch this video to learn more about the organization.

"It Began with Bale" from Drawn From Water on Vimeo.

I hope this video blesses you, encourage you to look beyond your front door, and have compassion for children and humanity all over the world. Because it only took a few people to start this organization, it took only one leap of faith and took only one person to say “I think I can do this, I have a chance to make a difference, I have to try.” So whether it be small acts of kindness, helping you community or support organizations like this I hope you give it some thought. I believe it will make an even larger difference in your own life.

Motivation Monday

I have decided in an attempt to post more on my blog I will start doing Motivation Monday. I will post things that motivate me, inspire me, and encourage me. Whether it is things that inspire my fashion designs move me to help other, or encourage me to seek God.

Sound good? Let’s see if I can keep it up.

My first Motivation Monday is on one of my all time favorite artist and inspiration for most of my designs, the brilliant Gustav Klimt. My 2009 collection was directly inspired by his artwork and even was titled ‘Gustav’.

His use of patterns and color are beautiful. The elegant gold and colored decoration, spirals and swirls, and other shapes could very well be placed on textile. I would love to have fabric that was directly pulled from one of his works. Wouldn’t you?


The Kiss


Here are 4 interesting facts, or at least I think they are interesting…

• Klimt became one of the founding members and president of the Vienna Secession in 1897.

• During his 'Golden Phase’ (my favorites out of all his works are from this phase) Klimt used gold leaf in his painting.

• Klimt would paint the women’s body before he painted the clothing.

• Klimt wrote little but one interesting thing he wrote was "I have never painted a self-portrait. I am less interested in myself as a subject for a painting than I am in other people, above all women...There is nothing special about me. I am a painter who paints day after day from morning to night...Who ever wants to know something about me... ought to look carefully at my pictures."


The Tree Of Life

Dame mit Fächer