Launch Your Creativi-Tea

As you can gather from the name of this blog, I am more of a coffee drinker as opposed to tea. In fact, the only time I usually take tea is when I don't feel good or I'm in England. I thought no one could do tea like the English, but this weekend proved me completely wrong.

I was so honored to attend Launch Your Creativity (http://www.launchyourcreativity.com/) in Orange, CA at Paris in a Cup tea salon (http://www.parisinacup.com/). I was treated to a lovely tea (I drank Paris Garden) in a salon that was modeled after several Parisian set movies. Our meal consisted of scones with jam, sandwiches, fruit salad, and petit fours. The food was divine! But even more amazing was the company. I sat at a table with good friends Lisa Loria (www.lisaloria.blogspot.com), Rita Reade (www.mamabellarte.blogspot.com), and Kim Caldwell (www.artisticbliss.typepad.com). Events like this are also fun because they are great opportunities to make new friends. I was so happy to meet someone we have published so often, the lovely Kay Ellen Hammar (www.kayellen.typepad.com) and the sweet Missy Watson Duffy (www.chateauchicboutique.blogspot.com).

We listened to truly powerful speakers who talked about what it meant to be a woman who was creative and business minded. In attending this event, I realized there aren't many talks of this nature out there. Sure, in the corporate world there are all kinds of retreats and team building exercises, but in the creative field there are few (if any) gatherings like this. I truly felt moved, and part of a network that appreciated and encouraged the power of creativity (in the business market and in our personal lives). I have to thank Sharon Hughes (www.pansycottagegarden.com) for her inspiring speech and empathy for so many women, Cynthia Wadell (www.heavenlyhostess.com) for her lightheartedness and fashion savvy, Cheryl Turner for allowing us to have tea in her beautiful salon and talking with such detail about the restaurant business, and Jenelle van de Mortel (www.vandemorteldesigns.blogspot.com) for inviting and uplifiting me. Jenelle created the mixed-media journal pictured above. It was so nice

to have handmade goodies along with tea and sweets in the gift bag.

But really the best gift given by this event was the people I met and got to listen to. I know women are sharers by nature, but sometimes, sharing really is the best way to ignite, inspire, and feel comforted. The quote in the tea salon is true, no matter how you enter a room, it is always possible to leave as a friend ... especially when there's tea involved. My many and sincerest thanks to these amazing women. I hope this Monday finds you launching your creativity.