TTAA

June 20, 2017 In BLR Play It Forward 2017, blue lollipops, Do good, Inspiration, Links, Nicaragua, People, Photos, Projects & Organizations I dig, Today Is The Day, Travel, TTAA

paying forward and getting so much back

I just returned from this amazing LeaderSurf program in Nicaragua where I learned a ton and was able to give back and share the blue lollipop Strong Mojo magic:

Blue Lollipop Road in Nicaragua

As I arrived home and plugged in, I discovered that Team Awesome (I just made that up) who includes my family, some alumni friends, and other perfect strangers from my hometown have been rocking and rolling with plans & construction on our community donation project for the 6th Annual BLR Play It Forward to be revealed on Saturday July 8th:

BLR construction project

People coming together, spending time doing good things for, or in honor of others feels incredible. My heart could explode!

I am 1,000 times more determined than ever to keep educating myself on everything I can, do work I’m passionate about, and to help lead others to do the same. This above is the stuff a full life is made of my friends! I am so thankful, inspired, and motivated by all this collaboration right now…happiness!

How are you sharing things that fire you up today?

#ServantLeadership #FollowYourPassion #RememberCelebrateLive

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June 4, 2017 In Articles, Inspiration, Links, Live the life you want to live, North Carolina, Operation Charlotte, Photos, Recommended reading, Today Is The Day, TTAA

attached to people, not things

I might have to start crediting my friend Michele for my whole life. (Kidding Mom and all my other amazing peeps, just trying to be funny here!) Michele is constantly sending news clips, tips, articles, blog posts, links- you name it, attached with “worth the read” or “read this!” notes. They are always on point with where my head is and what I’m interested in. Did I mention she introduces me to fabulous people too, and throws a damn good party? This woman is giving me a run for my money.

(I have to side note here that I’m just pinching myself at this point in life. I’m 38 and I’m surrounded by SO MANY incredible gal pals, near and far, who are just ridiculously badass and so good to me I can’t even believe it. I never thought girls could be this easy, fun, and no bs. My tribe rules! I LOVE YOU, LADIES!)

Anyway, this just popped in from Michele. She knows me well. A couple of my favorite lines:

~ “The best way to remember is to “DO.”

~ “Figure out the 10-15 things you want in your bag before you die tomorrow.”

~ “This is the problem with self-help books. They seem to be written by someone on a pedestal giving advice without having any blemishes.”

…but the best in this above article is his last question and answer.

Thanks for the read Michele! And all of them, always. And! To all I’m so lucky enough to have in my ultimate girl tribe, like 80 year-old Grazia:

Grazia Walker & Diane Peacock

…yes EIGHTY with that hot pink hair and fashion sense! – thank you for continuing to help me feel young and energized, so I can keep kicking all those doors to laughter and joy wiiiiiiiiiide open.

#NeverWaitForPermission #Freedom #FindYourTribe

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January 25, 2017 In Freedom, North Carolina, Operation Charlotte, Projects & Organizations I dig, TTAA

micro-apartments rock my socks

After reading this article last week about micro-apartments coming to Charlotte, I jumped out of bed like an excited kid ready to race downstairs to see what was under the Christmas tree. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve mentioned in conversation since moving to the Queen City, that I wished well designed micro-spaces were here.

Ask and you shall receive!

My favorite apartment to date was the 430 square foot one I had in Virginia back in 2009:

Small smart spaces

Small smart space

Small is simple. Simple is smart. Smart is mighty.

I have no idea why I took or saved these shots. Perhaps they were meant just for this, eight years later. The above is what my place looked like every day in all of It’s simple, small, unfussy, glory. No extra CRAP anywhere to take care of/manage or pay for! Ahhh…I love you, freedom! (Not pictured are my full sized bathroom and kitchen.) The units were brand new and my rent was $595/month. At the time I rented there, the developer tried selling me the unit. It would’ve only been $80k to own. What a deal. I should have scooped that spot up in a heartbeat. I’ve occasionally kicked myself for not doing it.

A Charlotte Agenda writer put out this piece today about the new micro-apartments coming soon. I completely disagree with her. The claim of small spaces and everything having to have a place all the time being stressful, is the exact opposite of anything I’ve ever experienced. (Still love you anyway, Agenda!) Everyday I work with clients who hire me because they have too much space, too much stuff, too many expenses…and they’ve reach a point they’re so over it all. I’ve found time and time again that the stressed and buried feelings much of us swirl in, are directly related to the excess of everything in our lives, not because the carefully selected items we’ve chosen, we love, and we actually use are best kept in their specific places at days end.

I’d never try to convince anyone who wasn’t interested, to live in a small space. You do you! I don’t necessarily think big is bad. I do think however, that far too many of us are incredibly wasteful, living smack dab in the middle of a serious drone zone believing we need a whole lot more than we actually do, to be happy.

I’ll see you for the Grand Opening at The RailYard!

#SmartSpaces #LiveSimpleDoMore #LessStuffMoreFreedomHappyLife

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June 26, 2015 In Inspiration, Links, News & Updates, People, Photos, TTAA

LET. LOVE. RULE.

Well this is some of the best news that could ever come across the airwaves!!! (And it totally deserves a triple exclamation point.)

My sister visited this week. I took this photo of her to send to a sick friend, but how perfect an image for a day like today?

With heart

So incredibly happy for many friends and families today. Love will always win. Period.

YAY! Finally!

#LetLoveRule #Equality #LoveAlwaysWins

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April 17, 2015 In Books to read, Inspiration, Links, Photos, Projects & Organizations I dig, Today Is The Day, TTAA

b*tch stole my book title/subject/vibe! (again.)

From a friend this morning via text:

I went to a bookstore yesterday to try to find this book I’ve been wanting to read…they were sold out of that book, but I came across this in my search and had to get it for you:

Books I love

(The photo came in on my phone screen and the text continued…)

I don’t know anything about it, but it seemed too Peacock-esque to pass up:)

Do cool sh*T? Quit your day job, start your own business and live happily ever after?! Does this author live inside my head or what? (And I guess my friends know me pretty well, too.)

Recently, I wrote this post after my sister sent me Jen Sincero’s Badass book that I read in about 22 seconds. That was just a couple months ago and here pops in the above book. (I see a pattern here.) I haven’t yet read a page in this one, but I have a feeling based on the title and what I read about the author, I’m going to love it.

Did Jen Sincero or Miki Agrawal “steal” anything from me? No, of course not, they just beat me to the punch on finishing & publishing books like these, and jumping out to the world in a focused way asking for people to pay for sharing their knowledge & experience. (Man I have to get better at that whole charging for the value I bring to the table, thing.) At least I’ve been plugging along with my book, so sometime this century you will see me shamelessly self promoting my written words all typed and bound so pretty on shelves around the world.

This will happen.

Until then, I will take extra motivation and inspiration from badass & cool (see what I did there? HA!) author ladies like these.

Are you doing cool sh*t, or at least trying to?

Thanks for the book, A!

#LifeIsShortDoCoolShit #TodayIsTheDay #BeatOfMyOwnDrum

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February 17, 2015 In Food, Food Porn, Louisiana, Photos, TTAA

because today is mardi gras

…and my boyfriend is from Louisiana, and it is a snow day here in NC:

Beignet Breakfast

…we made beignets of course. And Chicory Coffee with our eggs for this lazy cold Tuesday breakfast:

Mardi Gras Breakfast

As you can see from the top corner of the photo below, my sweet partner in crime takes no prisoners when it comes to noshing on these deeeeeee-lish French doughnuts:

Kevin's Beignets Breakfast

…he usually has powdered sugar all over his hands, up his arms, on every button of the stove, every drawer handle, and of course- all over his face by the time the whole make and eat process is done. The kitchen often looks like a white powder bomb went off, as if a 2 year old, or the family dog found a 10 pound bag and just shook it all over the place.

A small cleaning price to pay to be able to have these treats if you ask me. I’ll clean up that mess any day to have a snuggly, warm, yummy breakfast like this with my sweet, messy, Cajun partner in crime.

How do you snuggle in on a snow day?

#MardiGras #BeignetLove #Winter

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December 9, 2014 In Inspiration, Links, People, Photos, September 2011 BLR Honda Adventure, TTAA, Uncategorized, Vermont, Videos

one of my hero’s

Check out this video that promotes a youth film competition in Vermont. My little brother (who’s actually not so young, but I call him little brother, anyway:) is on the video at 1:37 until about 2:06. It’s a clip from when he spoke on the gay marriage bill at the Vermont State House back in 2009. How proud is this Peacock (thumbs pointed in at myself) to share blood with this good-looking’, hard-working, well-spoken,  guy?

My brother is awesome

Awesome. I haven’t seen this footage (that made a ruckus, the news and a quote in the NY Times by the way) in a long time,  but it just resurfaced last week. I can’t get enough of it, so I had to share again. My most amazing, kind-hearted, sweet, strong brother makes me want to be a better person and never stop fighting for what I believe in.

Thanks for always inspiring me, Brad! I love you.

What do you stand up for?

#SpeakUp #StandProud #LetLoveRule

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January 16, 2014 In Be active, BLR365, Great companies, grow, Links, North Carolina, Photos, play, TTAA

365 days of blue lollipop road; day 16

1.16.14

I’ve recently started working with a fantastic organization called Soccer Shots. As I was getting my gear in order this afternoon for the kick off of the winter/spring season next week, three letters popped in my head:

Blue Lollipop Road and soccer go hand in hand! Do you know the story? If not, click here to read it.

If you have kids between the ages of 2 and 8 years old, and you don’t yet know about Soccer Shots, run- don’t walk to the nearest computer to find a program in your area and sign them up! This organization is incredibly well-organized, professionally run, and the curriculum is exceptional. Every last person I’ve met since starting with them, really cares about their job and the kids. I am thrilled to be a part of the team, and to have found a company who’s words and actions actually match. Such a rarity! Super bonus? The Soccer Shots mission, method, and motivation are very much aligned with what BLR is all about. Love that!

I started playing soccer at the age of 5 in tiny little Shaftsbury, Vermont at a place called Howard Park. (The same spot I’ve hosted BLR Play It Forward the past two years.) I’ve been playing ever since. The friends I made, the teamwork and dedication I learned, and the fun I had (especially during those young impressionable years), have had a huge part in shaping who I am today. I’m happy to be a part of the soccer community, and proud to be a part of Soccer Shots. To be in the position to coach young kids now, and teach them some of the lessons I learned through team sport, feels totally awesome.

Here’s to the love of the game, and to STRONG MOJO!

This is what my road looks like today. What’s happening on yours?

#BLR365 #LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad #SoccerRules

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