Who's Most Likely To Be Blessed in 2011?

The story on Yahoo's homepage today was titled, "Who's most likely to struggle in 2011." That is a terrible headline! The year hasn't even begun yet and negativity is being thrown our way and sending some people into a panic. Do NOT buy into that negativity and do NOT read stuff like that!

We have a better headline for you...WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO BE BLESSED IN 2011? The answer is simple. Anyone who believes that they are blessed will be blessed. If you need help with this concept, we're here to help you. Our goal isn't to just help you have a blessed year though. Our goal is to help you have MANY blessed years to come. 

In order to do this you've got to have a vision for your life. If you have a family, it's important to have a vision for your family as well. If you ask around, most people don't have a real vision for themselves or their families.  But if you don't make one, the world has a way of making one for you. Sort of like flying by the seat of your pants and feeling lost.

To make a life vision, start by taking inventory. Make a Gratitude list which is a list of what and whom your grateful for right now. Then make a list of what you want in your future. We'll call this the POSITIVE list. Make this be very specific because you will need it for the next step which is going to be your Vision Board. The Vision Board can be a cork board but we prefer those large poster boards that you can get at any arts & crafts store and sometimes even at the drugstore. They cost about a dollar. Once you've got your board, pick out photos that express your visions. If you want a certain kind of house, find a photo that looks like it. If you want joy in your life, find a photo that expresses joy. If you want good health, find photos that show things that achieve good health. If you want to go to Tahiti, find some gorgeous photos of Tahiti. If you want more money, you're not going to get it by focusing all of your attention on bills and debt. Get the idea? Be very specific in what you want! Then glue all of the photos on to your Vision Board and place the board where you can look at it every day. This way, it will help you to stay focused on your vision. We attract the things that we focus on! 

Now it's time to clean house! Here comes the last list that you will need to make. This ones called the NEGATIVE list. This list also needs to be very specific. On here you will write down everything that blocks you from getting the things you want. If you're lazy about reaching goals, put laziness on there. If you have negative thoughts all of the time, put negative thinking on there. If you share your time, space or life with negative people or people who don't wish what it best for you, put them on the list. It is time to let go of unhealthy relationships. It is time to let go of everything that does not add to your life. This is going to be very hard for most people to do just for the sole reason that we are creatures of habit. But if you truly want to see significant change in your life, you have to be willing to let go of bad habits. No way around it. 

Last but not least, stop filling yourself up with negativity. It is everywhere. Don't watch the news reports that love to talk non-stop about the recession, job loss, foreclosures, etc... Don't read about it in the papers or online. Ask yourself how it makes you feel after you fill up on those negative stories. The answer is probably not very good and pretty hopeless, right? 

Stay focused on the POSITIVE. Watch things and read about things that fill you up with good energy. Share your time, space and life with people who make you want to be a better person. When you feel yourself starting to have a pity party or you're having a "WHY ME" moment, go and do something nice for someone. Then take out your GRATITUDE list and remember all that you have right now to be grateful for. Fill your SOUL every single day with light. Your soul needs tending to just as a garden does. Water it and feed it! Be of service when needed and do it with a smile. Share your LOVE with people and with yourSELF!

If you can live your life with VISION, GRATITUDE, LOVE and SERVICE, you will get everything you want and more importantly, need. And this my friend, is what is known as a BLESSED life. 

Wishing you all a very blessed New Year! xoxo

  

Gratitude Giveaway Round Two Winner!

We'd like to thank you all once again, for sharing your stories with us about the beautiful and amazing people in your lives that you are grateful for. It's an honor to get to read about everyone. There are so many awesome people in the world!

The winner of the Gratitude Giveaway is Francesca Scopelliti! We didn't pick Francesca for our usual reason which is a person who gives more than they take. We chose Francesca because despite the fact that she had disabilities that she needed to overcome growing up, she had to do so while facing bullies who simply bullied her for reasons that were beyond her control. That's enough to make anyone want to give up on life, but she didn't. Francesca persevered with grace. We think that Francesca is the type of person who we could all learn from. Congratulations, Francesca! We're grateful for learning about you!

Here's the letter that her sister, Antonia wrote to us:

 I want to nominate my little sister for the gratitude giveaway. Her name is Francesca and she isn’t so little anymore but being 10 years older than her will always make her little. My little sister is 20 years old and has been through so much adversity in her life. I often wonder if I could have handled half the things she has been through.

She was born in November of 1990, 2 and a half months premature. She weighed 2 pounds and 1 ounce. She was tiny and it was sad to watch her be fed through a tube in her nose and then watch them shave her head and see all the wires on her. I honestly thought if she could make it through the first couple of months, she’d be fine. My older sister was also born premature and she turned out just fine so I didn’t really worry that much. She stayed in the hospital until the week before christmas. A few days before she came home, the doctor told my parents that she had suffered a brain haemorrhage shortly after her birth. They weren’t aware yet of how much damage had been done and as she grew they would monitor everything. The haemorrhage had cause cerebral palsy; a mild form that affected the right side of her body. It took her longer than most children to learn how to walk and the right side of her body was very weak. She needed to sleep with a machine attached to her leg and arm so that they would help strengthen her.

 When she entered school, we realized she wasn't learning as fast as the other children. She was diagnosed with a learning disability and everything became much harder. It took her double the time to learn things that her peers were learning. She had friends but was bullied because ignorant children didn't seem to understand that not everyone is the same. Through it all, she persevered. In high school, she faced similar challenges but managed to work through them.

 In 2005, she was walking home from school and hit by a car. She had to be home schooled for much of 10^th grade and this caused her to go into a depression. There were moments when I found myself crying constantly because I couldn't imagine everything she had been through her whole life. This poor child had faced the unimaginable at such a young age.

 She began university in 2008, obviously, it was difficult at first because she realized she had to push much harder than the other students. She spent many nights crying herself to sleep and wanted to quit so many times. She never gave up though. She has been this way from the day she was born.

 Today, she is in her 3^rd year of university. She has plans to attend law school once she graduates. We are all so proud of her and all her efforts.  I am thankful to have her in my life and to remind me every day that if you want something bad enough, it is attainable. J

Attached is a picture of her and I and our older sister (Francesca is in the middle and I am on the left). She is a true survivor and will always be the most important person in my life. 
 
 
Thank you,
 
Antonia
xoxoxo

Gratitude Giveaway Round Two!

Just when you thought Thanksgiving was over, we decided to keep it going. We are kicking off round two of our GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY!!!

Please join us in keeping the attitude of gratitude going strong. We were so moved by the entries of the last giveaway! There was such a huge abundance of love in those emails and it really is an awesome way to show someone special that you recognize their giving heart!

All you have to do to enter the GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY is send us an email to info@mypeaceandlove.com telling us about a special woman that you know of, who deserves recognition for all of the good that she does. In the subject box, please put the word "Gratitude". All entries must be received by 12PM PST, on December 22, 2010. Along with your story, please attach a photo of her. We will share the winning letter and photo right here on our blog. Along with sharing her story, the winner will receive this Gratitude bracelet from the DINA MANZO LOVE ROCKS collection. Retail value of $125.00 

For any of you who entered the last giveaway, feel free to resubmit your letters. They were wonderful! You never know, it might win this time around:) 

Winner will be announced on December 23, 2010. Good luck!  

And The Winner Of The Gratitude Giveaway Is...

Deciding on a winner for the Gratitude Giveaway was much harder than we expected. Much harder. All of the entries were beautiful stories and many brought tears. Thank you to all who entered. Your words were beautiful!


The winner of the giveaway is Jill Kincer. Her daughter, Elizabeth wrote in and here is her story...

 I am writing to nominate an individual for the gratitude giveaway. I guess I will begin by giving a little background information on myself and my nomination. My name is Elizabeth Kincer, I am an 18 year old Senior attending Seymour High School, and I have 2 brothers (Kyle who is 16 and Cameron who is 9). I have been accepted to attend Indiana Business College and intend on pursuing a degree as a Veterinary Technician, a passion I have had since birth. 

My brother Kyle is an excellent student, and he has had a passion for music his entire life. He can play any instrument that you put in front of him, and he will play it well! (Not that I am jealous or anything) He has been a drummer in a local teen band "7 Car Pile-Up"  for about 5 years and hopes to "make it big" someday, and I have no doubt with his talent that he will.

My other brother, Cameron, is our "baby". He was diagnosed with Autism several years ago. He is the smartest little boy I have ever seen and I truly can not wait to see what amazing things he might accomplish in his life. I love to just hang out with him and watch cartoons, teach him new things (the kid is like a sponge for knowledge), or help him with "I Spy" books. He is just so much fun! Which brings me to my person for nomination...

My mother, my best friend and absolutely most amazing strong woman I have ever met. She is a single parent, and when she was really struggling with Cameron's issues I saw a change in her and it really scared me at first. He was in full medical meltdown several years age prior to his diagnosis. I didn't know it at the time, but later found out, that she was probably having a nervous breakdown herself. Her child was sick, very sick, and she didn't know why and she couldn't "fix" it. She couldn't "kiss" it away or hold him until he felt better, and this made her feel like a failure as a parent. This made me so sad because my mom has always been our rock. She kept this family as stable as possible, she made everything flow, and was and is our everything, and for her to feel like a failure was a life altering state of being for all of us. I saw, what could have easily been a family's demise and ultimate breakdown, this woman pick herself and her family up, stand up tall on two very strong feet and that was "it". She was determined not to let this get any of us down. She found out everything she could about Autism. She made changes and adjustments in our everyday lives that would better Cameron's life, but she did it in a way where there was very little disruption for the rest of us. She worked with Cameron constantly to better his health and living conditions, and she sacrificed so much to do so. 

My mother is constantly giving to and for her children, family and friends. We are always in the forefront of her mind in everything that she does. I have seen her buying food for a family with four small children that had no food for them, even though we barely had enough for ourselves, and at first I was so angry and I asked her, "why are you doing that when we don't have that much for ourselves?" Her answer to me was, "Well, we are ok and if I have a little to help then thats one child that won't go to bed hungry." I felt so overwhelmed with emotions and at the same time inspired! She has given people rides to work when they couldn't get there when she had no idea how she herself would cover the next gas fill, but never asked for a dime from the people she was helping.  She can not keep jobs for very long at a time due to Cameron's needs. It will often cause her to miss work because she is the only one that really can deal with his emotional and social issues. She has searched long countless hours for grants and assistance, but has had no luck. At this point both of our vehicles are broken down, and my brother doesn't have a car yet (it isn't looking good for him anyway) so I am not quite sure what we will do about the working situations and getting Cameron to his medical appointments, but I want her to know that we appreciate her. We realize how much she does, how much she has done, how much love she pours out to us. We don't have anything at all, no vehicles, house is old and falling apart and way to small for us, we never get to go "out" and do things other kids do, Cameron has never been on a vacation and he always asks mom to take us to Disney World (which I know rips her heart out to know she will never be able to take him), she struggles to put gas in the tank, keep the lights on, and  put food on the table  (I often worry how Kyle and I will make it to college) I know this causes countless sleepless nights for her, just knowing that she is doing the best she can but not being able to provide the basic needs. We all feel so lucky though. We are all together, we are in good health, and we have a roof over our heads, and that is 100% due to this amazing woman! I love you mommy!

There is really so much more I could go on about this woman, but I think you probably get the idea. Her name is Jill Kincer, she is (as I mentioned) a 35 year old single parent of 3 awesome and amazing children (we get that from her!). She currently attends Hair Force Beauty Academy to get her license for Cosmetology. She is currently unemployed, but hopefully if we can get transportation and gas that will be a temporary situation.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this e-mail. I think this would be the most amazing way to show her how much she is appreciated. She would never think we would do anything like this.

Thanks again,

Elizabeth Kincer

Gratitude Giveaway

Since November has that special holiday in it where we are supposed to pause and be thankful, we thought it would be the perfect month to kick off our GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY!

This is how the giveaway will work: Every month we are going to give away one of our Gratitude bracelets from the Dina Manzo Love Rocks collection to one special person who deserves a special thank you. So, if you know an extraordinary person who gives more than they take, we want to hear about them. All you have to do is email us and tell us in your own words why this special someone should win the Gratitude bracelet. That's it! That's all you have to do.

We will announce the winner of  the first GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY the day before Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 24. Along with winning the bracelet, we will also share your inspiring story here on our blog.

Please email your stories to info@mypeaceandlove.com . If you can, please attach a photo of this special person too. Can't wait to hear from you guys! xo

Dina Manzo Love Rocks Collection

We are extremely excited about our new DINA MANZO LOVE ROCKS collection. By chance you don't know who Dina Manzo is, she is a former housewife on Bravo TV's the Real Housewives Of New Jersey. Much more than that, Dina is an exceptionally loving and giving person who is not only the founder of Project Ladybug, a not for profit charity catering to children battling cancer and their families, but she is also a BIG time animal lover who invites animals into her home who are moments away from being put to sleep forever. And this is exactly why we've partnered up with Dina for this very special collection. She rocks! Like us, Dina deeply believes in the importance of positive energy and the wonderful healing properties of gemstones.


The DINA MANZO LOVE ROCKS collection includes necklaces and bracelets and are designed to specifically promote Protection, Gratitude, Fertility, Peace & Love, Belief, and Good Luck & New Beginnings. We hope that you will enjoy them for years to come! The collection is available now on www.mypeaceandlove.com and will also be available in a just few days on www.dinamanzo.com .

Happy Halloween!

Was at a Halloween party last night when the photo above appeared on my blackberry. I was beyond excited to get it. Her name is Atia and she is a 3 year old little girl who has stolen our heart. She has stolen a lot of peoples hearts! She's wearing the smallest necklace that we've ever made for anyone and what an honor it was to do so!

All photos by Laura Lutarewych

Atia has been battling leukemia and is receiving chemotherapy. She is so brave and such a natural born fighter! Last year she was too sick to go trick or treating so she was SO excited to dress up in her Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba costume to participate in all the fun this weekend. Her amazing mama, Laura Lutarewych posted this photo for all of Atia's fans to see on Twitter. Does she melt your heart or what?!

Laura and Atia

I learned about Atia through our lovely and divine Dina Manzo, formerly of the Real Housewives Of New Jersey and founder of the charity Project Ladybug. This awesome charity is specifically for children battling cancer and their families. Atia is Chicago's Ladybug.

If you would like to learn more about Atia's journey or her mama, Laura...Did I mention that Laura is a cancer survivor??? You can read all abut them on Laura's blog by clicking here. If you would like to learn more about Project Ladybug, you can do so by clicking here.

Happy Halloween to all of you! We say Atia wins this year for best costume!!! xo

Think Pink!!!

As we all know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's time to THINK PINK!!! Ladies, check your boobies! If your under 40 years old, do a self exam. If your older than 40, please get a mammogram. And men, do your part by making sure your lady is taking care of herself! Everybody check their boobies!


In honor of THINKING PINK, we will be donating 5% of all sales made on www.mypeaceandlove.com during the month of October to Susan G. Komen for a CURE!!! So, here's your chance to SHOP FOR A CURE!


Cheers to peace, love and kicking cancers ASS!!! xoxo

Stand Up 2 Cancer!

All day today and tomorrow we will be donating 10% of ALL SALES that are made at www.MyPeaceAndLove.com to Stand Up 2 Cancer. Their organization uses 100% of ALL its donations in collaborative cancer research! How awesome is that?!

Almost everyone has been affected by cancer in some way by either a loved one being diagnosed or having been diagnosed with it themselves. But here is the AMAZING news that we do not hear enough about...through research, we have been making great strides and MANY PEOPLE ARE SURVIVING cancer every day. DID YOU HEAR THAT? Way more people than you know are SURVIVING cancer due to the OUTSTANDING RESEARCH!

But more needs to be done. We need a lot more research to find a CURE for EVERY kind of cancer! Some cancers are curable and some are not. Lets put every effort into making sure that ALL cancers are curable in our lifetime! We can do this!

Don't forget to watch Stand Up 2 Cancer tomorrow night September 10 at 8:00PM ET/PT and 7:00PM  CT on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX networks. 

Shoes With Soul

Since it's time for everyone to do their back to school (Man did I hate that saying as a kid!) shopping, it seems like the perfect time kill two birds with one stone (We don't want to kill any birds. Why do I keep using phrases that I don;t like? ). But seriously, since you probably need to buy new shoes for your kids, why not choose a pair that keeps on giving?

If you have no access to a television and haven't heard about Toms Shoes, they are awesome! Toms Shoes donates a pair of shoes to a child in need of shoes, for every single pair of shoes that are purchased from them. And the shoes are cute to boot! No pun intended:) They don't just make shoes for children either so you can get yourself a pair too. It's the perfect gift with a purchase.

We aren't getting paid to share this with you, just FYI. We just happen to know that Tom Rocks! www.toms.com 

What Would Peggy Do?

What says cool? Peggy Lipton, that's what! She is one of our all time fashion inspirations. We love her and the way she has always seemed to make style look effortless. We mean that in a good way, of course.

You know how you can look back at some old photos of your self and say did I really think I was Alexis Carrington? Or, my makeup could have won first prize at a Halloween party! Or, MC Hammer pants...REALLY???!!! Well, we know the feeling and we're guessing that Miss Peggy Lipton doesn't share the same problem. The girl is timeless.

The moral of the story here is when deciding what you want to adorn your body with, follow this simple rule: Am I going to be happy ten years from now when I pull out an old photo and see myself wearing it? If that doesn't work for you, just do what we do. Would Peggy wear this?

The Winner Of The Giveaway Is...

We are very happy to announce that Ally Roy is the winner of the GIVEAWAY!!! Ally will be receiving this Chalcedony, Pink Sapphire, Bone Carved Tusk & Peace Charm Necklace, with retail value of $165.

A special thanks to everyone who participated! XO

Inspired By...

The UPS driver delivered this today from one of our awesome customers. Kathe C. told us that she was so inspired by the necklace that she bought from us that it made her want to break out a canvas and begin painting again.

This is the painting that she did on the day that her necklace arrived. How cool is that???!!! And how cool is she for sending it to us as a gift???!!! Love it, love it, love it.

You never know what or who will inspire you and when it happens, it feels so good. Such a high! There is nothing better than a fresh dose of inspiration. Personally, we'd be lost without it. And out of business! 

We are so grateful for getting to take part in inspiring someone in any way. There is a reason we use the color of stones that we do. For this exact reason. Such a great feeling to know when others feel the same way!

Thanks, Kathe!

Peace & Love Giveaway

We would like to share our PEACE and LOVE with you by having a GIVEAWAY. We will be gifting this Share The Peace necklace. The necklace worth $165 retail is Sterling Silver with Blue Chalcedony, Pink Sapphire, Bone Carved Tusk, Swarovski Crystal and Lilac Jade.

Here's how to win:

Invite as many people as you can to our fanpage. When inviting them, make sure to ask them to write the name of the person who invited them on the wall when they become a fan. If you've become a fan through someone inviting you, write the name of the person who invited you on the wall and then go ahead and invite as many people as you like (so you can win the gift!). The person who gets the most people to become a fan of My Peace & Love Jewelry wins!  Must be 18 years old or older to participate.

The Giveaway starts now and the winner will be chosen Tuesday, August 24 so get going! Click here to begin inviting your friends. Good luck! XO

Trends? Nooooo

Trend is not one of our favorite words because who has ever wanted to be thought of as trendy? Jumping on a major trend wagon is also not one of our favorite things. There is nothing wrong with adding a fresh accessory to your look, but "trending" head to toe is never a good idea.



Above is the new $80 trend for this Fall. Really?

We are all individuals and we believe that it's important to express yourself with style. It shares a little insight on who you are as an individual. Our best style advice to you is to not become trendy. Find ways of setting yourself apart from the rest. We know that this takes courage for some people because sometimes you don't always have faith in your style choices. But have faith! Go with your instincts and what makes you feel good. Don't make rules up for yourself. A lot of people do this. "I'm too short for that," or "My neck isn't long enough." It is really amazing actually, how many rules people make for themselves. Trust us, we've heard them all. It's time to free yourself of rules.

The way we design is by making things that are not trendy but instead, timeless. That way you can wear a piece for a while, put it away for a little bit and then rediscover that same piece by falling in love with it all over again. Isn't it fun when you get to go shopping in your own closet or jewelry box and get to find an old friend? We love this! It makes investing in an item you truly love priceless because you will enjoy it for years to come.

So, the message of the day is don't be trendy...Be yourSELF!

Gratitude

We would like to show our gratitude to our fans on Facebook so we are offering a 20% discount on all jewelry today and tomorrow! To get the discount code click here. Love you all so much and thank you!!! XO

Bohemian Goodies

Here is a look at a few new bohemian goodies that we added this week. Honestly, we can't stop looking at the All Love necklace. The colors are so happy and inviting! Rose Quartz is a stone that attracts love and it must be working because we are in love!

Everything available at MyPeaceAndLove.com

All Love necklace. Rose Quartz, Carnelian, Chrysoprase, Peruvian Opal, Amethyst, Sterling Silver



Angelic Wing necklace. Chalcedony, Pink Sapphire, Pink Tourmaline accent stones, Sterling Silver



Sapphire Squares earrings. Sapphire, Berry Jade, 14K Gold Filled



Carnelian necklace. Carnelian, Magenta Quartz stone pendant, Amethyst accent stone, Sterling Silver



Waterfall earrings. Amethyst, Moonstone briolettes, 24k Gold Vermeil



Golden Heart necklace. Carnelian & 24K Gold Vermeil, Sapphire accent stone near clasp

Peace Through Media

Just found this site called MyPeace.TV this week and love the whole concept. It's a place to share your own vision of PEACE with the world. Have a look, it's pretty cool and hasn't been around that long. xo

For Loves Sake

The love we give away is the only love we keep. -Elbert Hubbard





Chalcedony, Jade, Amethyst, 24k Gold Vermeil, Rutilated Quartz Stone Pendant. Necklace Approx. 31 inches long. Available only at My Peace & Love

The Fun Is Over

I guess that all fun things must come to an end. Vacation and family time ended today. They are all on a plane heading home. All that remains are smooshed Goldfish crackers, sand and half empty water bottles on the floor of my car. Gifts from my nieces and nephews:)

We went everywhere and did everything. Catalina Island, Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, Universal Studios, Hollywood tourist ssshtuff, the Farmers Market, Laguna, the ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier, made s'mores, resort day of swimming and lots more sssshtuff.

All in all it was very successful family time. We only had one boogie board injury that required first aid, no major fights, one cell phone lost to the sea, one wallet lost but quickly recovered by the nice people at Universal, one case of sea sickness, one cousin accidently kicking the other in the neck while swimming and I think that just about covers it. A group full of kids? I think we came out pretty good!!!























































And Last but not least, my niece wanted me to make her a dayglow peace necklace. How gorgeous of a young lady is she???!!!



Miss the family already:(