Spirited Woman Blogger Team

Adventurer, Spirited Woman Extraordinaire - Katy Leakey - Lives Amongst the Maasai

I have had the pleasure to speak with some amazing women on behalf of Spirited Woman but when I had the opportunity to speak with Katy Leakey, I was more than a little thrilled. I first heard of Katy when I discovered the amazing Leakey Collection Zulu grass jewelry line. I read a bit about the company and its founders Katy and her husband, Phillip, and was immediately impressed. Fast forward to the present when I learned that there would be an opportunity to speak with Katy while she was back home stateside in California, where she used to live. I of course jumped at the chance. 

Katy is not only a spirited and adventurous woman, she is truly giving, open and oh-so-interesting. She was trained as an artist and she did very well with her craft. As she began to combine her love of art with her love of adventure, she began to create some amazing experiences for herself. It was when her adventurer’s heart was won by Philip Leakey of the famous Leakey family of paleo-anthropologists, though that Katy discovered a whole new life.

Katy and Phillip live amongst the Maasai in Kenya, Africa and have developed such a deep relationship with the tribe that when the tribe’s people most needed help, Katy and Philip stepped right up. They found a brilliant and beautiful solution along the lines of the ‘teach a man to fish’ theory. Now a well established and profitable company, the Leakey Collection features handmade jewelry created by the Maasai themselves.

My time with Katy was completely inspiring and uplifting. Perhaps her words will even motivate you to follow her lead and pursue your dreams and adventurous callings. After all, you are a Spirited Woman too! 

Dawn:  Katy, when I hear your story and all that you have accomplished in your life so far, the words, brave, unstoppable and passionate come to mind.  Do you think these words describe you well? Are there other words that you feel suit you better?
Katy:  I don’t know about brave, definitely passionate! I get very fired up and inspired by ideas; especially when I can see a structure that can benefit people or the environment. I love contributing to making a better world.

Dawn: It seems that you have always had an entrepreneur’s heart. Did it ever occur to you to take your passion for art into a more structured career such as teaching or running an art gallery?
Katy: Absolutely not! I need a much larger variety than either of those two offers could provide. 

Spirited Women Know That Fairy Tales Can Come True at Any Age

I have had the Frank Sinatra song, Young at Heart, running through my head of late. The chorus goes, "Fairy Tales can come true, it can happen to you, if you're young at heart." It is probably because I have recently seen evidence that fairy tales truly can come true, and at any age. I have always been a big proponent of pursuing your dreams. Therefore, whenever someone would tell me that she could not accomplish her life's ambition because she was too old, I would ask, "Have you ever heard of Grandma Moses? She began to pursue her dream of being a great artist at the tender age of seventy something. You are never too old!? Well, now I have an even better example to give:  Laurie Allyn.

Though Laurie's name may not be familiar to you...YET - her story is both inspiring and thrilling. In 1957, Laurie was on the verge of  breaking through as a sought after singer. She had been signed by a new record label, Mode Records, to create a jazz album with some of the greatest musicians of the time. Her voice had been lauded by many in the industry as innocently beautiful and everyone expected great things from her. She was posed to be a star.

Then the unthinkable happened, Mode Records went bankrupt one short week after Laurie had completed recording the album. Her masterpiece was not released and her chances of super stardom seemed to be swept out from under her feet. Laurie decided to return to her native Texas and raise her daughter and help her ailing mother. She felt music had turned its back on her so she decided to reciprocate.

50 years later the unthinkable happened once again, this time through life was much kinder. Through a twist of fate worthy of a  Hollywood scenario, Laurie's album was resurrected and music came knocking on her door, asking for a second chance. It has been a  glorious fairy tale period for Laurie and I had the uplifting  opportunity to speak with her about her amazing tale and how it has  affected her life.

Laurie is now living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest next to her very grown and equally spirited daughter Carrie Pierce (I profiled Carrie, last year on Spirited Woman - since then she has co-authored the just released book Making Peace With Menopause - Embarking on the Journey of Your Lifetime and
Living to Tell the Tale). Let Laurie's story inspire you to the  understanding that it is NEVER too late: your dreams absolutely can come true! 

Dawn:  Laurie, you must have been devastated when over 50 years ago you found out that your big album was not going to be released?  How did you handle this disappointment?
Laurie: Truth is, I didn't deal with it. I was in the process of getting a divorce, had a young baby daughter at the time, a sick mother back in Texas - and not much chance to even blink. I simply returned to Texas from Hollywood to deal with my responsibilities. I pushed away the dream that had begun so beautifully - and with so much promise; swallowed it as it were, and looked for ways to reinvent myself. I believe I closed myself symbolically to that dream and all that it represented But in my heart of hearts it never left me. Occasionally I would hum to the radio and have such mixed emotions; it seemed such a closed door. Music seemed to have left me high and dry and I eventually became resolved and turned my back on it as well - or so I thought. I didn't sing professionally after that - and only a couple of times at reunions of old early musician buddies. I feared that everyone expected so much - those who knew my early career - and I didn't have the heart to disappoint them - or myself.

Lindsey Nefesh-Clarke - A Spirited Woman who is Empowering Women Worldwide

I am taking on a new role within the Spirited Woman Blogger Team as a regular guest blogger to bring you insights, profiles and wisdom from inspiringly spirited women. My passion is to help women move forward in their lives no matter what their circumstances and to empower women worldwide to make their mark by pursuing their passions and purpose. Today, I would like to introduce you to a woman who has a similar goal to mine and she is taking incredible steps to make her mission the light that guides many others.

Lindsey Nefesh-Clarke not only talks about making a difference, she is doing by launching her new website Women's Worldwide Web, an online philanthropy platform dedicated to women's empowerment through microfinance, education, mentoring and networking. Lindsey began planning her new organization while pursuing her Executive MBA at ESCP Europe in Paris and the rest as they say is history. I had the opportunity to speak with Lindsey and learn more about what drives this incredible woman. 

Dawn: What sparked the idea for Women's Worldwide Web?
Lindsey: The formation of the Women's Worldwide Web was inspired by several converging experiences. My years of humanitarian work drove home the global urgency of stepping up efforts to promote women's empowerment. This was reinforced by unforgettable meetings with women in various countries whose life stories were awe-inspiring in their demonstration of courage, resilience and resourcefulness in the face of injustices and the denial of their human rights. Above all, I consistently and inspiringly witnessed the truly life-changing potential of education, microfinance and mentoring.

The idea of the Women's Worldwide Web emerged from all these experiences, combined with the decision to harness the vast potential of the web as a social networking tool, connecting people, everywhere, who care.

D:  What do you hope to achieve with your website?
L:  Women's Worldwide Web serves as an online fundraising platform, enabling individuals, companies and institutions to support the work of grassroots NGOs and microfinance institutions around the world, by making online donations and loans. We aim to raise funds and channel these funds to grassroots organizations that are doing vital work to empower women. While addressing tough issues, our platform aims to be positive and solution-oriented spotlighting possibilities and showing what can be achieved when women are able to exercise their rights and their entrepreneurial potential. Above all, we hope to create a positive and exciting movement, to increase awareness about the critical issues women face all over the world, and to inspire people everywhere to be part of the solution.

A Spirited Woman Shopping Getaway in New York

In case you haven't gathered as much from some of my past blogs, New York City is one of my favorite places in the world. I love the energy, the people, the incredible variety of things to do and of course the shopping. On my recent trip to the Big Apple I arrived on a train from DC to discover a gorgeous blizzard whipping through the city. It was a winter wonderland and the city is so well prepared for bad weather that everyone was going about their regular activities as if it were a  normal day. My dear friend from Florida, Karen, had flown in the day before and we had planned to spend two days exploring the city via every lovely boutique we could find.

As a working mommy of three young boys, girlfriend time is very rare so it was a real treat to not only have shopping time but to also share that time with a childhood buddy. If you have the privilege to go out often with the girls, consider yourself lucky and be grateful for these special times, they are soul enriching. On our first day, Karen and I actually went with a friend, whose mother could not make it into the city because of the snow, to do some wedding dress shopping. That was great girly fun and we got to ooh and ahh at the gorgeous options available. We also gasped at some of the price tags. The day ended with dinner and a movie as we knew we needed to save up our energy for the next day: a full day of shop till you drop or your feet give out activity. 

We chose to make our ultimate destination the Greenwich Village and Soho districts but of course we had to make a stop at Filene's Basement and DSW before we hit the area's unique boutiques. I am always amazed by how many new places I discover each time I walk around New York City and especially in the village. As we strolled along the charming streets one of the shops caught my eye and I said, "Karen do you want to pop into Purdy Girl?"  She let out an enthusiastic yes and said that was exactly the shop she had wanted to find as it had been featured on an episode of What Not To Wear. The small boutique was an eclectic, contemporary mix of clothees, handbags and jewelry that would add a unique touch to any wardrobe. A great find!

Spirited Women Bloom Where They Are Planted

When I first arrived in Paris over a decade ago, I only had the intention to stay a year as a photography student before heading back to the life that I knew in the United States. Through some unexpectedly wonderful surprises though, I ended up making Paris my home. As I was seeking to plant my roots in this unfamiliar city, I kept noticing a class being offered for expat women called "Bloom Where You Are Planted." I never actually took the class but I loved the name and just reading the title was enough to offer me a very important message. I began to seek ways to find my happiness and fulfillment in a place that was different, foreign and far from those I loved and cared about.

Though I had originally intended to write in this blog post about fashion weeks in both London (where I was last week) and New York ( the snowy winter wonderland I am sitting in right now), as I began to reflect on what I wanted to say, I felt compelled to write about blooming instead. Oh don't worry, I will cover the fashion beat in my next blog but I firmly believe in following my instincts so blooming is the message this week. I think you will find it is much more valuable than knowing what Stella McCartney thinks you should be wearing next fall ( though that has its merits too).

If you are like me and most people, you have your good days and your bad days but the whole idea of blooming where you are planted is to make your day to day life full of many more good days than bad days. Do you often find yourself thinking "I will be happy when...?" Well, your only true chance for happiness exists in the here and now. Blooming where you are planted does not just mean an actual city, it also means a state of mind. It implies finding a way to enjoy where you are at in your life, at this very minute and building on that good feeling.

So does this mean that you shouldn't seek something better or more meaningful for the future? Absolutely not. It simply means that if you can find a state of happiness, gratitude and peace where you are right now, you are in a perfect state of mind to then seek the things that will fulfill you even more. Be aware though that by adapting the habit of enjoying where you are in the present, you may just find that where you are is exactly where you want to be. It is the human condition to want more and better but don't let it rule your life. Find joy in where you are and then find ways to use that joy to understand what is truly important to you.

Beauty Tips That Work & Are Easy!

The magazine piles in my office were beginning to overflow once again so I decided it was time to do some sorting and put a few in the recycle pile. This always turns into a time consuming project though because I adore magazines and can't bear to part with one if I think it has some juicy fashion find or sizzling style tip. The result is almost always a much too large "keep" pile. Today as I was flipping through this past Spring's editions, I came across the April 6th edition of Tips magazine, a French twice monthly that offers tips on just about every area of your life.

In Tips magazine experts give you their advice on their area of specialization. The magazine's beauty coach Ravshaniya Azoulay did a fascinating makeover and then gave some very unique hints for staying beautiful. Since I am fairly certain most of our Spirited Community did not get a chance to see these great ideas I thought I would share a few of Ms..Azoulay's practical tips.

Need help with dark circles under the eyes? Simply soak two cotton pads in low fat milk, and then apply for 10 minutes on each eye. Economical, simple and effective.

Has your mascara dried up? Just add one or two drops of mineral water in the tube then close and shake. It's ready to use right away.

Want beautifully supple lips? To make them deliciously soft, smooth and plump apply a thin layer of honey to your lips just before going to sleep. They will be generously hydrated when you awake.

Have an unsightly blemish that you would like to get rid of quickly? Nothing dries an unwanted bump better than fluoride toothpaste. Put a bit on that spot and let it sit for at least an hour. Rinse with water and you are ready to go.

Spirited Women Know How to Splash on The Color

Color is hot, hot, hot for this coming spring and I couldn't be more thrilled. You may have gotten a hint of this color wave coming when I included a brightly colored winter coat in my list of winter fashion must haves. With spring waiting in the wings though, color is ready to make a real entrance. Pops of color are absolutely the way to go. Though you can certainly go for all out color everywhere, neutral colors with bright touches of color were showing up all over the runways for the Spring 2010 shows (shown in the fashion world tradition during fashion weeks in the fall of 2009).

When I first moved to Paris over a decade ago, all of a sudden I wanted to add color to my life. I have always loved color but for some reason I had never really incorporated it into my surroundings until my move to Paris. In my new apartment, I wanted to hang Matisse paintings, throw on yellow bedding and sprinkle in orange, azure and green wherever it looked good. I was blooming and my apartment became the outward reflection of my inner self.

Color can do that to you. It can just make you come alive. Too much can be overkill (though some people pull off head to toe color beautifully) but elegant touches will jazz up any dull look. Why not try a few splashes of color yourself this spring? Here are some hints to make your fashion pop: 

Twist on a brightly colored scarf. You can wear one around your neck, or around your waist  or even wrapped in your hair. Pick up a vibrantly colored handbag to add just a dash of color to any outfit.  Some of the season's hottest sac colors include outrageous orange, limey green and yummy yellow. Add a perky pair of pumps or sandals. Remember Dorothy's ruby slippers? Color on your feet can boost your confidence, add a bounce to your step and dazzle those around you.

Anita Roddick - A Spirited Woman Role Model

As I write this I am sitting on the Eurostar on my way to London. In case you have missed this fact in a few of my previous blogs, I love the Eurostar and I adore London. I am very fortunate that my work allows me to come to this place that feels like home, a number of times a year. The first time I came to London was in 1985. I was a university student who had decided to take a semester off and back pack around Europe. It was an amazing adventure that I believe changed me in more ways than even I saw at the time. It was on this trip that I discovered a marvelous store called The Body Shop. A beauty store unlike any I had ever seen, their products and messages were groundbreaking. This was also my introduction to The Body Shop's amazing founder Anita Roddick. Anita was the epitome of a Spirited Woman: gutsy, outrageous, philanthropic, entrepreneurial and above all caring.

A little over two years ago, I was walking in a local shopping center and as I passed The Body Shop, I stopped in shock. There behind the cash register was a big sign memorializing the store's great founder: Anita Roddick. The sadness that flooded over me was quite extreme when you consider the fact that I had never even met the woman, but I had always believed that one day I would meet her as she represented so much of what I aspired and continue to aspire to. The world felt a little less light that day and I knew that we had lost a great crusader and a woman with incredible heart. Fortunately, there are others who continue Anita's work so though she has passed, her message lives on.

Sarah Jessica Parker - Fashonista, Mom, Actress, Business Woman, Icon

SJP, do those three letters mean anything to you? Well if you are a full-fledged fashionista they should but otherwise you may not realize that they simply stand for Hollywood super star Sarah Jessica Parker. I don't know about the press in the rest of the world, but in Europe and most particularly in the UK and France, you hardly ever see her whole name printed out, she is simply the iconic SJP.

A true fashion phenomenon, SJP is a role model for 30+ women the world over. Glamour in the UK recently ran an article about the chameleon like actress. They showed photos from the beginning of her career to today and it was fascinating to see how this modern day diva (but in a nice way) has constantly changed her looks to fit the times. Be sure to check it out for yourself here. 

Though Sarah Jessica Parker is famous from a very young age, I only truly discovered her when I saw her in Steve Martin's hilarious movie L.A. Story. She was simply a ray of sunshine in that movie. She seemed so full of life, so optimistic, you couldn't help but like her.  Now, yes I know that was her character but I tend to think that when you play a role really well, there are at least a few of those same characteristics in you.

In the late 90s, success with a capital S came knocking on SJP's door. Sex and the City was born and with it an international phenomenon for modern women the world over. The four principal actresses became household names nearly overnight but none more so than Sarah Jessica Parker. Carrie, her character, was so real, so flawed and yet so chic and friendly that you felt you just wanted to sit down with her for a New York city Sunday brunch. I certainly got hooked on the series and it remains on my favorites' list to this day.

Beauty Favorites That Don't Break the Bank

I admit that I love walking through fancy department stores and gazing at the gorgeous cosmetic counters filled with all sorts of exotic and magical potions. Who doesn't like to try out the hottest perfume, test out the latest lipstick color or sample the newest wrinkle cream? I do cave in sometimes to the temptations but at the end of the day, I often find myself simply returning to some of my favorite tried and true products. The added bonus? Every single one of them will not break the bank.

Neutrogena Face Wash - Growing up I was hooked on the basic Neutorgena soap bar. I found it kept my skin clean and clear without stripping it of natural oils. It was one quick and easy step that I never missed in my morning and evening skin care routines. Neutrogena's skin care line has expanded and evolved greatly and though the exact product I use may have changed, I am still loyal to Neutrogena when it comes to cleansing my skin.

Clinique Mascara  - Mascara is one of those can't do without makeup items for me. A number of years ago I read a magazine survey where they asked famous women what one beauty item they would take in their purse if they could have only one thing. At first, I thought that I could never narrow it down to just one but then I reflected a bit longer and realized it would probably have to be mascara. As a former luxury cosmetics manager, I have had the opportunity to try many mascaras and there are a number on the market that are wonderful but somehow I always end up coming back to my tried and true Clinique's High Impact mascara.