you make me smile. . . please stay for awhile

Colbie Caillat (here wearing Spicy and hangin' with her sis) is for real.  Not only is she beautiful and talented - she is super generous and kind.  Honestly, I can't get enough of her cd Coco.  It plays non-stop at home and in my car.  We'd like to think that we won't be starstruck - especially when we work and play with famous people regularly - we know they are just people like the rest of us.  But, there's something about Colbie that just makes me feel silly.  Her opening line to Bubbly describes it best "you make me feel like a child now. . . . " When I see her emails sitting in my inbox I really do get that giggly feeling that she so perfectly describes in her Bubbly lyrics.  Colbie's on tour, Colbie's filming videos, Colbie's helping her sis plan a wedding. . . but she takes the time to write from her heart - with sweet kind words.  She doesn't have her assistant or her manager communicate - she does it authentically - herself.  Why does Colbie resonate with her fans?  I think it's just that we are so relieved and filled with hope for the world when we meet someone with true talent and grace.  Keep spreading that love and positive energy Colbie!

  

The Wisdom of a Daughter

After having two beautiful boys, I didn't expect that my third child, although a girl, would prove to be much different.  I couldn't have been more wrong!

 

While my magnitude of love is equal amongst the three, the connection I feel to her is beyond words.  It is a feeling so deep within; an understanding of her essence.  She is a child who has entered this world with all her feminine glory.  She has given me inspiration and strength that I never knew was within me.  

 

She has much to live up to with a namesake such as Rumi, but there is no doubt in my mind she will rise high to the calling.  The following poem is one of my favorites.  Hopefully someday, my own little Rumi, will bring such beautiful words to the world.

She Is The Creator

There's a tradition that Muhammad said, " A wise man

will listen and be led by

a woman, while an ignorant man will not."  Someone too 

fiercely drawn by animal

urges lacks kindness and the gentle affections

that keep men human.

Anger and sharp desiring are animal qualities.  A

loving tenderness toward

women shows someone no longer pulled along by wanting.

The core of the feminine

comes directly as a ray of the sun.  Not the earthly 

figure you hear about in

love songs; there's more to her mystery than that.  You

might say she's not from 

the manifest world at all, but the creator of it.

-Rumi

Spicy Session

I wish I could spend more time with these inspirational women. Every time I'm around them I leave feeling like I need to do more good. They have the effect on me that I want Spicy to have on the world. Yes, I do eat healthy (more organic than not), I recycle, I shop with re-usable shopping bags, I traded in my SUV and my kids think that fast food is a bad word. But, honestly, there is so much more we can do. Erin (far left) is in the process of planning a green wedding. Let's face it - planning a wedding is stressful enough - adding the earth-friendly element must make it harder. But, Erin does it with grace. Beautiful. Advice for the day. Surround yourself with people who inspire you to do more good.

Peace,
Nedra

Eco-mmunity

So exciting! Sundance has launched their long awaited green channel complete with an online eco-mmunity. THE GREEN is television’s first regularly scheduled programming destination dedicated entirely to the environment. Presented by Robert Redford and hosted by Simran Sethi and Majora Carter. THE GREEN online presents multimedia content focusing on the earth’s ecology and concepts of green living that balance human needs with responsible care for the planet. THE GREEN reflects the current tipping point in public awareness about ecological issues and the trend towards environmentally sustainable approaches to modern living.
The website is phenomenal. One of the coolest things they are doing is the eco-mmunity where individuals and businesses can easily find like-minded professionals through use of the interactive Google map. Amazing. You’ll find Spicy in the worldwide eco-mmunity in Carlsbad, California.

Peace,
Nedra

Leading the Examined Live

Once again Patagonia inspires us to be better at what we do. They have an internal program called "leading the examined life", now they've added "the footprint chronicles" where their customers can watch the life of four of their products. We love this company. Here's a blurb from their site:

"Every one of us does things in the course of a day that adversely affect the health of the planet. We don’t decide to, we just don’t give it a thought.
Surprising, though, how many habitual practices we can – and do – change once we give them some thought. We can all name environmental habits we’ve changed and more we intend to. This has to be done, and more often by more of us. The impact of an unexamined life is far more serious than it once was – deadly so.
Here we’ll examine Patagonia’s life and habits as a company. The idea is to give more of our practices some air and thought, and to change habits often played out on an industrial scale, with concomitant effects. We’ve been in business long enough to know that when we can reduce or eliminate a harm, other businesses will be eager to follow suit."

We are eager to follow suit! Click here to see more
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=23429

Peace,
Nedra

Friends of Spicy

So, here we are with our new Blog. Everyone said we need to blog, so blog we will. This will be one way to keep you, our beloved customers in our circle of friends. We are lucky to have a circle of friends who includes people with integrity and big ideas about living life gracefully. Who will you hear from in this blog? Erin Hawk, Kari Way, Jennifer Miller, Molly Halterman and Lindsy Richards - our so cal friends from the skateboarding world. They are they kind of women that you meet and think - amazing! I met Erin 5 years ago - we formed an instant bond. Today, as I spoke with her about a personal ethical dilema she said - "you know why we are such good friends - integrity and deeply felt emotions". I agree, Erin, I know few people that feel as deeply as you and give as abundantly as you. But, I'd take it a step further and say that openness, honesty and your willingness to stand up for what is right is what sets you apart. Erin and I have this saying - "I'm so tired of people behaving badly". I love this. And, I love that Erin has introduced me to some of her very cool, very real friends. One of our favorite words is authentic. These women reign in this realm. They are incredible human beings and I love that they recognize that Spicy has heart and soul!

The first time I ever worked with Kari Way she was organizing a benefit for victims of hurricane Katrina. She was floating around her eco-friendly (amazing) house on her cell phone ethereally requesting silent auction items from actions sports heavyweights. Her strength and clarity blew me away. I hadn't seen her in years when she came it to see Spicy with her newborn baby, Rumi. Yes, she named her baby Rumi - THE most inspirational poet of ANY century. If you don't know Rumi's work - you should. I discovered him sitting in the quiet room at Miraval - THE best spa in the world. It was the only book on the room. Presumably, the only book on the planet worth reading if you are recovering from a ninety minute auyrvedic massage. Back to Kari. She's a natural mother - nursing Rumi at the office, gracefully while she reviews our product. Jennifer Miller is a creative genius. She's raised two teenage boys while becoming a sought-after photographer. She volunteers her time with homeless women, and did I mention - she looks 22? Molly Halterman was pregnant the first time I met her. We sat next to each other at Erin's surprise birthday party. Even though she was about ready to give birth, she kindly engaged the new girl at the table - me. Molly arrived at the office recently with Jasper (2). His lunch was neatly packed in a beautiful basket, carrots, cashews and celery in individual stainless steel cups all perfectly blanketed in a cotton plaid napkin. No happy meals here! I've been trying so hard to eliminate plastic, eat organic and educate my kids on these issues - Molly is inspirational! Lindsy Richards is one of those women that you see and cannot stop thinking about how beautiful she is. She is kind and gracious and so natural with this radiant energy. Again, it could be the yoga, but I think it's something deeper. She apparently married Todd in the ocean, surrounded by her closest friends. . . on a surfboard. We look forward to hearing from these amazing, authentic women on our blog!

Spicy comes from Eliana Stefani's very deep desire to impact the world thoughtfully. I feel honored to be part of her mission. The universe brought us together, and I am so thankful for that! As a designer in Brazil she experienced the best and the worst of people. After traveling the world and settling in Bali Eliana found herself searching for a way to design clothes that fit her personal sensibility. Her creation of Spicy does just that - she says that she puts love in the clothes. I believe it.

Who am I? A very fortunate woman who has found some new people to share a common goal with. Enjoy life, be considerate, respect the earth, respect the people around you and rid yourself of "people behaving badly."

Peace,

Nedra

Spicy Blog Online

Welcome to Spicy's new blog page. Visit frequently to hear updates about Spicy clothing and events from women who live the Spicy lifestyle.