The "gears" are finally finished! It has taken two years to complete this one..what with all the shooting and other things. Lol This piece has already found its home at Bodies by Atun and is scheduled for installation March 2012.

Well ya’ll.... it’s February again. And guess what? It’s my birthday! Over the past few years many of my readers and clients out in Sugar Land have asked me who do you use for this or that....and even more have asked how do you do all of that! LOL  I started thinking about what a wonderful way to share what I call my Dream Team and  include you in 2012 happenings ... Voila!  I decided to throw a birthday party for me! It’s really for you though because as I contacted all of my posse’ every single one of them were eager to meet my readers and share what they do and offer all sorts of free goodies to you for attending! 

I have gathered my DREAM TEAM, they are all  professionals that range from fitness and beauty to medical doctors and business builders.... from those that lift my spirits and even my chest line! ( Which is a story that I will be sharing extensively shortly as I am still recovering from, yes count them... four surgeries!) LOL Each one of these wonderful friends and colleagues continues to improve my life and I want to introduce you to them. I also want you to visit my studio. I have been shooting for years in our community and began painting again last year.  Many of you read the column each month and everyone of you needs portraits of your family or commissioned art for your home. There are countless clients that first found me as a reader of this column and then picked up the phone and called me for a session. I want to become your portrait artist and I want you to meet me and see the work that I have dedicated my life to creating. 

I am excited because this year is going to be amazing! Throughout this year I am challenging myself to be the best me I can be in all areas. I am working out, I am allowing for down time to just think and be a mother and I am grateful. I want to share that journey with each of you and allow you to share with me your experiences as well. Throughout this year I will be inviting you to events and lectures that will inspire you and help you develop yourself.

In addition, I will be hosting my own show on youtube and featuring a video blog that documents the artist’s life. I will be hosting a series of lectures in the Montrose studio and the home studio in Sugar Land that offer opportunities for you to Create YOUR SWEETLIFE in 2012! There will be art shows and coffee talks where we gather to intimately discuss marketing and business strategies and I will assist you in developing the best YOU!!

The Party is where it all begins because I will be able to finally meet you and be able to keep in touch with you all year, updating you and inviting you to all of these happenings! 

The Party is February 24 from 2:00 until 6:00. Please call 713-598-2207 or facebook me alisa murray and let me know you will be attending.  It’s well worth missing work for too. There are over $1000 dollars in swag bags for EVERY ATTENDEE in addition to DOOR PRIZES that are just .... well OVER THE TOP! Here’s just a few of what I have in store for you!

Inspire Fitness

Sponsoring 4 workouts and a BMI assessment 

Lisa Geisler

Sponsoring 3 hours of organizing and planning

Laila Narsi

TheMindfulself.com

Sarah Lindstrom

Stella and Dot jewlery

Renew Laser and Beauty

Complimentary peels for all attendees! 

Milagro

Complimentary Cut and Color

Summer Sanford

Image Consulting and Closet organizing

Bodies by ATUN

3 Lazer hair removals for all attendees

Alicia Garza

Spring trend demos in creating the most current eyes and lips 

Rocco

Prostar Creative consultation in Finding the TRUE YOU

Magnolia Nails and Spa

Complimentary eyebrow waxing and mani/pedi’s

Wellness Center

$100 off HCG and IPL Skin Rejuvenation/Laser Facials

Ana Vasquez

Mineral makeup and Glycolic peels

Linda Lopez

One hour massage 

The Design Source

Consultation and showroom specialty pricing

FOW

Complimentary copy of the latest issue of Focus on Women magazine

Lake Point Dental

Complimentary ZOOM teeth whitening 

JCD Financial Services,INC.

50% off tax return/ Complimentary month with a signed annual contract

The Body Elite

Two week complimentary bootie camp

ME!!!!

$200 gift certificate to every attendee and a $500 photo packages and Frames! 

Sooooo I hope to see you here for my Birthday! I know you are all going to enjoy the pampering ...the information...the experience!  Bring your date planners or iphones so you can schedule yourself for an amazing journey of networking and happenings this year as well!  I am excited to meet and visit with each of you and plan together to become our  most fantabulous in 2012! 

Take Care of YOU! 

It was not until I became a mother and delivered unto this earth another “motor mouth” that it all came flooding back to me. The hurt and anger, that is, at being labeled because of a personality trait that I will attest has served me quite well, thank you very much!

Over my years in learning, it was very obvious that a smaller school classroom was the perfect fit for me. I was often asked to answer questions and in my learning style of talking through answers and information in order to understand my world. Ask me to stand up in front of a loving class filled with peers that knew me to give a speech, and it was a piece of cake. The sounds of their hands clapping when my first art exhibit was unveiled.... like music to my artistic ears!

When my sister, who had never studied in her life and could regurgitate any information, came to the small school, she was very withdrawn and quite unhappy. She was expected to work in groups and talk through subjects and yes, give speeches. For her, one would have thought that was worse than death itself. In the small classroom setting where I could personally speak with each professor and ask questions until the information finally clicked, I was unstoppable. You know what? I found that I was a gifted and a very talented kiddo despite that early label. You see, my sister fit into the perfect mold of the perfect student that by someone (who by the way I’d like to strangle) had designated for the public schools.

In my own search as a mother, I have found many tools that have assisted me in what and how to better parent. There’s a book by Barbara Joosse entitled I Love You the Purplest in which a mother answers the question that every child secretly wants to know the answer to: “How much do you love me?” In the book, she describes to each their best virtues and characteristics, telling them through colors who they are to her and how much they each mean to her.

I came across Appleton and their “geniuStyle” program a few months ago, and immediately, I was sold. In their own words, “Real students are so much more than a percentile, a GPA or a test score.” I wanted to learn more about what made the program so special. Through a personality profile, Appleton asks the child and the parent the ways in which they like to study. Do you get queasy in the classroom if you have to stand up in front of the class? Do you prefer working until you get through or is it better to take small breaks so you can reset the brain and actually retain more? All of these questions translate into a “geniuStyle” that has cool names and explains how that person best learns. For example, the Aristotle is well-loved by teachers because they have a learning style that is a perfect match to the traditional classroom setting. Then, there’s the exact opposite – Picasso – who is talkative and needs to explore through discussion.

In a classroom set up for teaching many children, there is little time for meeting the academic needs of the later. Aristotles are often seen as compliant and easy to teach and yes, “gifted and talented.” Whereas Picasso’s may be seen as being talkative and disruptive despite the fact that they are a majority in the personality profiles of National Merit Scholars. All in all, there are a total of eight different and equally valid learning styles. The Appleton system is set up specifically to work with children and match a tutor that is as close to their own personality/learning style as possible I am so pleased by the entire experience. There has not been any complaining about having a tutor, no sad grumpy faces and no reluctance at all to the materials. My children are enjoying doing their homework because our tutor is correctly matched to them to deliver the information the way

they must receive it to be their best. Appleton Learning creates customized solutions for each student to help bridge the gap between the end of this school year and the beginning of the next. Summer is the perfect time to really ensure academic success for all students. It isn’t only a time to get caught up in trouble areas, it’s a time to stay fresh on the material that was just covered and move ahead in preparation for the next year. If you’re interested in creating an amazing experience in education, I highly recommend the program. It is an amazing tool as a mother, as well when you realize the reason your child is behaving in a certain way is indicative of the style that they are. Suddenly, that child that is talkative is not just running his mouth to hear himself talk, but is actually trying to process and learn actively in his environment. I’ll tell you something else too... I found out I was a Picasso and went on back to the studio while the children were taking their tests. James Edward threw open the door and with his arms outstretched and a grand smile on his face, he exclaimed “Mommy, I am a Picasso too!” It was a proud moment!

Take Care of YOU!!!!

For my readers, when you call Appleton, you and your children can be tested gratis. Use the Code Word SWEETLIFE. They are waiving their regular $75.00 fee! Call them and get ready for an amazing summer and a school year filled with happy to be educated youngsters! Contact: Lacey Cesarz, Education Specialist Appleton Learning P: (713) 461-4131 extension 304 F: (713) 461-5609 Lacey.cesarz@appletonlearning.com Visit us at www.AppletonLearning.com

Mothers instinctively know what their purposes here are. Even for those who were unexpectedly surprised by the discovery of a new life growing inside of them, it suddenly becomes quite clear their most precious achievement is somewhere in the successes of the next generation. Is it not, after all, what makes the world go round?

I remember as a child my own mother very briefly. Few pictures remain of her and very few still of her with me.

Pictures of her are what I longed for as a child, especially in times of great stress and sorrow, and equally in times of elation when life’s difficult mile- stones were completed with unspeakable joy. Mothers are, without any question, a necessary part of normal childhood development that broadly spans across multiple species. I know I would not be who I am today had I not lost my own at the age of eight.

Her life, though short, I feel was taken for a reason. A life well-lived is not done so in years but in when it has achieved all it’s heart has dreamed of. I’ll never understand how anyone can see a sunrise and a baby being born, or witness the will of the human spirit with all its might and question God’s grace. No one knows our soul’s code; however, I believe there are trace memories of our maker in each of us. One thing’s for sure: God is good.

Mother’s Day for many is a time of being present in company with but not present in spirit with their own mothers. I ask you this season to spend it mindfully. Instead of going out to a restaurant and through the hazy noises of others hovering conversations, stay home and ask questions about life. Sit in the sun for a spell over a glass of lemonade and sing songs with her to your own children. Take a moment to be in the moment. Let life happen with you fully engaged in the moment. You’ll be surprised at what you discover!

Take Care of You!

Yes, childhood poverty in America is creeping up at 25%, the largest percentage since we as a nation started even counting it 51 years ago. The figures are staggering. Two million children will find themselves HOMELESS this year. Let me repeat that: Two million babies are without shelter in OUR COUNTRY. Children are being forced out of their homes through foreclosure and because our homeless shelters want to split boys and girls up, families that choose to go there find themselves with the dilemma of separation. As a result, many families choose to move to their next largest asset, their car, for shelter. Children are crammed into the family vehicle to figure out a way to sleep where at least the doors can be locked and everyone can stay together. The personal items, such as portraits (this one got me crying) and dolls have been placed in storage only to become de-funk, sold at auction, never to be seen again. Why would anyone throw away someone’s portraits or a child’s lovey knowingly? It is despicable.

The family pet brings on a whole other column about pet homelessness and anyone who knows the love between a child and their dog or cat or what have you will know to loose that loved one is almost unbearable. Difficult times calls for difficult acts. We all know you feed your child before you feed the family dog. All of this resulting in irreparable psychological damage to the children. PERIOD.

In addition, there is a tight relationship between hunger and homelessness. It is most upsetting to know that children are hungry especially in America. When interviewed, the children said, “You can’t sleep. You wake up again and try to, but your stomach won’t let you. It’s like a black hole....” Through tears, they told of having to get food from a church, one even said, “It’s kinda embarrassing when you go to school, and you walk around and ask your friends if they want their cereal or something.”

Heart breaking as it is, most of these children will not be fed adequate amounts of food to perform at their best and taking into account the other variables of psychological stressors placed on these children, they will not leave their childhood undamaged by this experience. They are the largest group in our society to see real, knock down and dirty poverty since The Great Depression, and we all know what lasting effects that had on those that lived through it.

What worries me the most is in twenty years. What kind of adult is made from homelessness, hunger and disparity? What recipe for disaster are we as a society cooking up to let all this go unchecked? With children dropping out of school to try to find work as a mere teen just to keep their families together, what kind of life will there be for that selfless act? With uneducated children, what hope do we have for their greatness in a successful life?

We are in sad shape, and we need to take a good look and seriously think about the ramifications of all of this for our society. In a country that boasts to everyone how rich we are, where commercials urge us to pledge to sponsor a child far, far away, we need not go three miles away from our very own door.

Take Care of Us!

Just imagine that you are always at peace with your daily tasks, never feeling rushed unless you self-impose the pace. What if “work” wasn’t really work at all, but a mere extension of something so closely tied to your best talents that you’d do it for free? Over the years, I have found myself being asked, “How did you figure out photography?” Or, someone might say “OMG, you are such a great writer, and I love to write too, but I don’t know how I can get aj ob doing that!” I would (and still do) go through my journey of how and why, tracing my steps backward to the now of my own life and how I found my calling.

Nothing that is awesome is ever easy, and I would be pulling your leg to say I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Life, though, does give us signs what you know I call “God jobs, God things and God winks!” Those “things” are your talents, some hidden, and others, glaring as if screaming this is who you are! Over the years, it has been a sheer pleasure to share mostly one- on-one with clients and occasionally over the phone with students, stumbling across my portfolio or readers of my column. Last year, I toyed with creating a “Living the Sweet Life” seminar and time just got away. This year, I suppose I was ready to do it as the opportunity presented itself - a God wink - saying “Now! Yes, it is time!” After many months of planning and thoughtfully preparing for a day of discovery, I am thrilled to be able to present “Living the Sweet Life” to whoever wants to listen and learn. The seminar is set for April 28th, and it will be a full day to discover who you are first, and then, in the examination of that, allow your talents to reveal themselves. In addition to me sharing and all of us participating in an open discussion, I have asked a good friend of mine to perform a personality test prior to the day so we have a jump start on what things you will be great at and learn more abut how your temperaments and inclinations truly effect the success or failure of your chosen life’s work.

Randy Guttenberger

Let me introduce Randy Guttenberger. A Certified Behavior Analyst who helps improve human performance by using a combination of professional assessments, principles and insights, Randy’s delivery reflects his energetic passion, experience and humor. “I show people how to get maximum results with minimal efforts. Once you implement my tools and techniques into your own success, you will never look at life or people the same way again,” said Randy. One of Randy’s unique gifts is understanding people’s abilities and aligning them with purpose. “The corrections can be amazingly simple once discovered, and capture invigorating, life-changing accomplishments that we all want to experience.”
The bottom line is the information you will get will show you so much more than just what you can do to be more aligned with your talents. It will show you how your personality fits with, and sometimes, is misread by others in your life! The seminar will be fun and informative and sure to assist you in finding, and then creating, your very own Sweet Life! Please go to my website www.alisamurray.com and click on “Living the Sweet Life Seminar.”

Come join me in the Journey!

Take Care of You!