What are you willing to give up?

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Gigi in Inspiration 1 Comment

I’m always reading something, online, magazines, a book or the newspaper-I’m old school I still get it delivered daily, I keep my notebook handy and if I come across something interesting I will jot it down, so the other day I came across this quote:

“People who look like they have everything they want are actually the people who are most clear on what they are willing to give up.”

I thought about it for a moment as it relates to my own life and it was so clear. Basically it goes back to being happy with what you have at any given moment, instead of what you don’t have… We live in a suburb outside of LA proper in a little sleepy town, I’m very happy here, although sometimes I hear “hmmmmm I don’t know how you live out there…it is so far” or “I could never do all the driving you all do” Living where we live, was a choice we made, and we are okay with not living in LA proper, or in my case I gave up living at the beach prior to getting married.

Beach House

Do I wish I had a hermes birkin bag? No, I’m happy with my pretty bags that I have accumulated from various sales here and there. Do I have hair envy when I see someone with long straight shiny hair blowing? Hmmmm no, I gave that up when I decided to wear my hair in its natural state. The list goes on and on.

Hermes Birkin

The key is figuring out what you can comfortably give up and still be happy. I love traveling, but being self employed there is only so much time my husband and I can take off, without our businesses suffering, so the romantic notion of living abroad for a month or so, is not in our future, but I can go and see a lot on a 4 day trip. I remember after 9/11 we scored some tickets to London for $200 RT, we left on a Wednesday and returned on a Sunday, spent 3 days there and had a blast.

Life is to short to always look for the negative, or to feel as though the entire world is out to get you. Remember there is always going to be someone who is younger than you , richer than you, skinnier than you etc. but once you exhale and give in to your authentic self, everything else will fall into place. We really are in control, and sometimes when you give up certain things other opportunities will come your way. It may be little things like waking up earlier to exercise to get the fit body your want, or taking an online class to pick up a new skill or maybe fine tuning your “friend” circle to those who really are there for you and you both mutually enhance each others lives.

So what are you willing to give up? I’m curious, we all are so different and what is important to me may not be important to you. Please share…

Happy Wednesday,

Xoxo,

Gigi

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn. – Gore Vidal

Turn the HAPPY Dial up to MAX!

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Gigi in Well-Being 8 Comments

I don’t like to keep putting this kind of info into the universe, but I feel like this is one of those messages that come out of nowhere when you are watching a really good show and the screen goes blank – “we interrupt this program etc….”. Yesterday I was still numb, today my regular post was hijacked-

Believe it or not but on Wednesday, another sister was diagnosed with f-ing CANCER. I can’t even explain how I feel–TOO Much for my little family.

So this is what my family tree is looking like about now…

cancer tree

Oh, I almost forgot my other sister had a car accident on Wednesday to add to the already horrific news. She is OK, but her car is jacked up.

So yes, I’m a little nervous, but I just keep it moving, living each day to the fullest. Do I worry? Of course… Do I freak out going to the Doctor? Yes. Do I have panic attacks waiting for test results? Yes. CAN I DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? NO.

So this is my approach “BUMP UP THE HAPPY DIAL ALL THE WAY…TO THE MAX!”

No time for madness, anger, cray cray’s, crazy, stupidity, envy, jealousy, negativity, meanies, haters, basically no time for bull shit on any level.

Just looking for the “good” and doing the best I can each day, and lifting others up to the best of my ability…

Parked my car next to a field of flowers that were in the parking lot…made me happy…

field of flowers in the parking lot

So Friends embrace today and find little bits of happiness in random places…

Happy Friday,

XOXO.

GIGI

GIGI’S LIST

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Gigi in Holiday Comments Off

holiday

At my age, it’s not baubles and glittery trinkets I desire anymore, nor the bags, well maybe a pair of louboutins occasionally, I crave longevity, well-being, peace and the ability to sprinkle joy wherever I go, leaving a trail of happiness.

This past year presented a few health challenges for my loved ones. I quickly realized how fragile we really are, and how daunting our own mortality is considering how one day can be life changing. Disgusting diseases are a part of life, I wish no one had to suffer, that there was some magic potion that could be a cure all. I try and purpose to follow a clean life style, but I’m not perfect and I know nothing is guaranteed.

This Christmas I will celebrate in a foreign land. For the first time I skipped putting up my holiday decor, it feels a little odd. I realized my ritual of going through my ornaments is what I miss most, I have collected them from our travels over the years and enjoy reliving those moments as I would place them on the tree. The four of us will be celebrating together in Italy making new memories.

I hope your holiday is shaping up nicely. Perhaps you are attending soirees or hosting one of your own. Remember to savor these special times with family and friends.

P.S.

Wear the good “shit” in the daytime–:)

Xoxo,

GIGI

amani & reggie

Your Practice is YOUR Practice

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Gigi in My Life, Well-Being Comments Off

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Saturday night we attended a special 2 hour hot yoga event, the room was steamy, the reggae rhythm was bumping, the “quiet storm” perfect pitch voice our yoga teacher Scott was smoothly guiding us through the vinyasa flow. As I struggled through the poses I reminded myself that my practice is just that “my practice” my moment to be the best that I can be at that given moment, no more no less. Within ten minutes I was in my trance, not longer worrying about if my butt looked gi-normous in chair pose, or that my back bend was pretty lame, or that annoying fat roll was appearing when I did a side bend nor that my leg was not lifted as high as the rest of the yoginis. All of those conscious thoughts disappeared as I moved through the poses, taking an occasional child’s pose when needed for a short reprise.

After about an hour or so, my emotions began to come to the surface, perhaps it was when Scott said something like “release what binds you, so you can be free” I felt my eyes as they began to fill with water, slowly releasing tears that merged with the salty sweat forming a shiny glow on my face. I continued the poses with a spurt of energy, thankful for this time, for my life, my breath and my sanity.

I realized that the key to real happiness is accepting your personal best, rather than comparing yourself to your neighbor, friend, relative, or stranger, I may not ever do a beautiful headstand in the center of the room and that is OK. In life it is easy to compare ourselves with others, but when you are able to “let it go” and accept that your personal best is good enough, you eliminate the “keeping up with the Joneses” effect or the “green eyed” jealousy and her partner envy at bay. Find contentment with your own success and growth, I can do my passion without worrying about if I will be a six figure earning photographer or if I will be famous, shooting magazine covers.

I can do “ME” without thinking about if I am meeting someone else’s expectations. I can accept my imperfections and mistakes and I can forgive and forget. Free from the judgement of others or the petty punishments inflicted, I can purpose to improve on yesterdays actions and continue to “practice” and give my best.

I practice at Purple Yoga– a fabulous studio with awesome teachers. Scott Winslow led Saturday nights class.

Namaste XOXO,

Gigi

yoga class

Quote BE HAPPY!

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Gigi in Quotes, Thoughts, Well-Being Comments Off

quote

In my 54 years on the planet, I have let happiness guide me for the most part. Going over my life, the times when I have not let happiness guide me-those were my darkest moments. It is not the “grand” things that bring me joy, it is those little ones, the ones that we take for granted. Last week I adopted 2 adult siamese cats, I was not looking to adopt at all. It all began a about a month ago I met a woman named Jill who was in Paper Source (yes I have a paper fetish) with her lovely Roswell who was on a leash, I had never seen a cat on a leash that was as happy as this one. So of course I started chatting with Roswell’s mom Jill and she told me about an organization called Siamese Rescue that she was a member of, and how they are always looking for families to adopt and the rest is history. These two kitties bring me so much joy, I can’t even describe how these two fur balls along with my resident cat Tiny make me so happy.

Roswell

My Babies…

I am passionate about my photography. I was always the point and shoot camera person, always giving friends pictures in the “old” days, always documenting events. I started taking classes with my departed brother 14 years ago, but did not finish the course- it was not my time, my brother however finished the program and worked as a professional photographer until his untimely death. I knew I needed to pick up the baton and continue his legacy and pursue something that I always dreamed of doing. I have become a hunter of light, always noticing how light is landing on an object, wondering what that light would look illuminating someones hair or the curve of a body forming a pretty silhouette. Being “happy” doing my craft keeps me in a state of perfecting my work, always trying to be better each session, learning everything I can and shooting every day.

Gigi

When I go over my long life and I reflect on the moments when I was not happy, times when I was trying to be something I was not…trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be…those were dark moments. Moments not wasted necessarily, but times that contributed to the woman I am today. I remember feeling bad for dropping out of college, dating guys who would say crazy things like “If only you had a degree, you seem so smart” or “I really like you, but I envision myself being with a college graduate”. It took me a long time to realize that those same guys who were putting me down had their own insecurities and putting me down somehow made them feel better. Of course years later I returned to school and finished my degree, I realized I was still the same person, that the degree was just a piece a paper and it did not represent happiness or success.

Gigi’s Graduation 2006

Another key to happiness is finding some source of joy in life no matter what is going on, something that brings a smile on your face. Don’t focus on the negativity, shut it down, align yourself with positivity, it may be something as simple as escaping in a good book, or taking a walk, practicing yoga- just do something. Be true to yourself and learn to LOVE who you are and all your idiosyncrasies. Remember those you judge you based on your “truth” have their own demons. You can’t change where you come from, the color of your skin, choices you have made-but none of those things have to define you, the world is out there waiting for you to make your mark to make a difference. So start today or continue-to get your HAPPY on…Enjoy your Wednesday!

My Current (yes it changes) Top 10 HAPPY THINGS

1. Photography-speicifically shooting women 35+ and making them feel beautiful-like an A-lister

2. good gourmet vegan food-either at a restaurant or something I prepared & entertaining whether a friend for tea or a club meeting…

3. cut fragrant roses from my garden- have you noticed that store bought roses have no scent…

4. international fashion magazines & foreign films

5. korean spas-something about a strong lady wearing a black bra and panty scrubbing me until my skin is like a newborn baby

6. deeply discounted beautiful designer shoes- that can makes my heart skip a beat

7. my natural kinky curly hair – i have embraced it and all its wild ways and have never looked back to my creamy crack days

8. my 3 kitty children-their love is divine

9. travel- whether it is around the world, or to a new neighborhood

10. Friends-old and new-past and current- what would I do without my village?

YES!

Xoxo,

Gigi

QUOTE

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Gigi in Inspiration, photography, Quotes Comments Off

Love this Quote …

YES!

You may get tired of this reoccurring theme in a lot of my posts, but it is so true, and once you embrace this concept you will see how life changing it can be. It does not have to be a different career, it could be something simple like going to a show by yourself, taking up a new hobby, a yoga class, going back to school, just as long as you are doing something that you have “always wanted to do”. The real beauty of this is that if you do something and realize that perhaps it “is not all that” at least you tried and you had that experience.

I always loved photography, and always had my little point and shoot camera with me, nothing sophisticated, just an inexpensive camera I kept in my purse and pulled it out daily to capture moments and observations of my day and the kids and all the “cute” things that they did, btw this is before digital, so I have boxes and boxes of snapshots for each year…another project I need to address one day.

When my brother was alive we took a photography class together about 13 years ago, I remember because Amani was 10 and Reggie was 4 and at the time I could not juggle everything and it was not my time, so I dropped out of the class, however my brother became a professional photographer and changed his life. He departed earth almost 4 years ago, so I know it was my time to pick up where he left off, I know he is smiling looking down on me saying something like “You got this Sis, you can do this”…

GiGi

So my friends, go do something YOU always wanted to do…let me know, I’d love to hear from you.

XOXO,

Gigi

LOVE WHAT YOU DO_

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Gigi in Quotes, Well-Being Comments Off

LOVE WHAT YOU DO_OR FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE…

Photographer Gigi

It is easy to let an array of external forces get in your way. You know the typical culprits, like wanting everything to be just so…so much that you end up spending a lot of time in the “preparation phase” that you never do anything. Sometimes we spend time planning and perfecting instead of “doing” for fear of failing. We have blocks, especially if we typically follow traditional conventional ways of doing things.

Personally embarking on my new passion is scary at times, I think, “will anyone really hire me?”. hmmmmmm I don’t have a nice website, or a clever business card, it would be easy to say, let me work on those things and then I will move forward. At my age it is now or never, I just have to trust my gut and go forward now, and see what happens, the worse that can happen is I would join the ranks of struggling artists, and as long as I am happy, that is what matters.

True, we all want to present the best image of ourselves as possible, but trust me things have a way of working out. I shot four events for my family this past weekend, my cousin “John” and I were presented with a host of obstacles, but I just let my instinct guide me and I kept moving around and shooting from different angles with a smile of my face, delighted to finally be doing something that I LOVE!

If you are not doing something that you LOVE keep exploring, until you do, and remember some of us are late bloomers and that is perfectly OK.

Orchids

Xoxo,

GIGI

http://youtu.be/4mLrm1cuhWM

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