Review: Diva Dreads

Today, I (Visionary Bri) want to tell you about this abso-freaking-lutely awesome company, Diva Dreads.

Are you interested in dread falls? I am. I love the look of dreads, but I also love the feeling of running a brush through my hair and massaging my scalp, so I'm just not ready for the dread commitment.

I found those videos on YouTube. You know the ones. "Make your own yarn dreadfalls!" Well, I bought two things of yarn and got to work. For a week, I dilligently made my dread falls, excited that I'd soon have an awesome hair piece to rock.

But I was sorely disappointed. I'm sure that if you're trying to make them for fun colors, they're okay. But the final product looks less than stellar.

"But I wanted 'em to be beautiful. . . "

After doing some research, I came across a wonderful company out of California called Diva Dreads. Looking at their site, I sent them an inquiry email immediately. I think that this has been one of the absolute best hair decisions I've ever made. Diva Dreads far surpassed my expectations, as a company.

All their dreads are hand-made by a mother and her two daughters. Send them a picture of your hair and they custom blend colors to match and compliment your real hair. And how lucky am I? Diva Dreads sent Visionary Bri my very own custom dread falls to review. 

Now I'm one stylin' chicka and I want to wear my new dreadfalls everywhere!

This is the picture I sent for color matching.

Now, here's a picture of the dread falls Diva Dreads made for me. Notice all the different tones and colors that make these dread falls just *pop*!

 

See those pretty orange flowers? Those were included!

Every pair of dreadfalls by Diva Dreads

gets a pair of complimentary flower clips!

Somehow, I expected the dreads to be stiff, but these aren't. They feel and move just like my natural hair. Do you see the beads that Diva Dreads put on? Those are handmade limited run beads and all the beads that Diva Dreads uses are. They look like aged brass and they're just so neat! The ends of the dreads taper off like natural hair and look astounding both up close and far away.

I'm a big fan of using faux hair in fashion and I own several pieces. All the top bellydancers in the US are using Diva Dreads for their falls and they're the hands-down best hair accessories I've ever worn. 

Another cool thing? When your purchase your own dread falls from Diva Dreads, they're guaranteed for life! If you wear them to a festival, dance with them in or go to Burning Man and they get dirty or become loose? Just send them to Diva Dreads and for $10, they'll clean them, tighten them and send 'em back to you! I have never heard of another company that does this and it's really great to know that Diva Dreads is serious about and helpful with maintaining the beauty and quality of their products.

I can not rave enough about this company. So stop on by their site and get yourself a brand new beauty product that you'll love and will last you for the rest of your life. Heck, get 5 or 6 in different colors (they come in the whole rainbow) and tell 'em that Visionary Bri sent you! I know that I'm going to be getting some brown ones with purple in them, in the future.

Now, for the absolute best part. Go and "like" Diva Dreads on Facebook. Send 'em a message saying where you saw this review. Order from their site and tell 'em Visionary Bri sent you, or even just email them and tell them how awesome they are. Diva Dreads has agreed that, if we get enough of a buzz going, they'll do a giveaway and one lucky reader will a set of CUSTOM dread falls for their very-own-self!

That's right, loves. Now, get out there and spread this post. Put it on Reddit. Tweet it. G+ it. Share it on Facebook. Put it in an appropriate linky. Let's get the buzz of this Visionary Friend going! I really would love to run this giveaway, so get to sharing, my lovelies.

And don't forget that we're all Visionaries. We just have to figure out where we excel!

Love to All,

-Bri

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Childhood Wishes Can Come True

No matter how silly it may seem later, as little children, sometimes we see things out in the world that we want. And, sometimes, the things that our little child hearts desire are a little strange. We've all had this experience, I'm sure.

When a friend of mine was little, she wanted a calculator and she wanted to work at a grocery store. In her child-mind, she wanted to press the buttons on the cash register. She just thought it was the coolest thing and she wanted a calculator so she could add things up. Luckily, my friend had an understanding mother who got her a calculator and my friend spent hours with it, adding up the numbers in the phone book. She was tickled to death to be adding up those numbers.

In my childhood, I asked my parents for something I'd seen on television. I wanted a Ronco Food Dehydrator. Oh, how I wanted that thing! I watched the infomercials (still a hobby of mine) and pined away for the ability to make my own fruit roll-ups or turkey jerky. My little heart wanted this so badly!

Me at 7 years old with our dog, Sasha,
wanting to make turkey jerky

To this day, I'm not sure why my little heart wanted that food dehydrator, but my parents (confused as they often were by my antics) probably wrote it off as "another one of those weird things Bri's into, now." This has happened more than once over my lifetime, so far.

Years passed and I never got my food dehydrator.

This past Christmas of 2013, my friend, my father and I were talking about dreams. It's a favorite topic of mine. We were talking about holidays and years past and the topic of the "one present I never got, but really wanted" came up. Of course, I mentioned the food dehydrator and my father said, "You still wanted one after all these years?" You betcha. I sure did! My father asked me, "Why?" and my answer was the same. "To make turkey jerky and fruit roll-ups!"

After all these 20-some-odd years, all the locales, all the achievements and all my adventures, the little girl in me still cried out for this thing. The little one in me still wanted the self-sufficiency and fun and healthy snacks that this device offered me.

The days of counting toward the holidays passed and I forgot all about the conversation with my father.

Christmas morning came and a large, slightly heavy box was placed in my lap. And what do you think was in that box?

You're right. It was my very own food dehydrator! Sitting next to me, hubby gave me a look of confusion as I threw my head back and laughed. My father had heard me and responded. I gave my father a huge hug and we laughed some more.

My lovelies, if you don't make your dreams known, then there is no way that the people who love you can help you make them a reality! If you don't tell your friends and family, look for a mentor, or hire a life coach to help you (I'm still working on setting that aspect of this business up). it's going to be a lot harder to get what you want. Asking is always good. The worst they can say is "no."

And, the best thing that can happen is that someone will be in exactly the right place at the perfect time to help you. Then, you get to your dreams / goals / wishes that much faster! Ask, my dears. Always ask. Let the world conspire to give you everything you want. Believe that it can happen. Or you can muster your own fortitude, guts and resources and get yourself your own damned food dehydrator! *wink*

Tonight, I started and finished my very first tray of beef jerky. Isn't it beautiful? Next batch is turkey jerky!

My very first batch of beef jerky in the dehydrator

My happy face, makeup-free today, after the jerky-fying had begun

So, my gorgeous dears, what is it that you want? What does your heart sing for? What did you never get as a child that you still want, to this day? It's not too late to get it or achieve that dream. Leave a comment or email me at brifloorwilson(at)gmail(dot)com and let me know what your inner kiddo still wants, no matter how "silly" it sounds. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time, please remember that we are all visionaries. We just have to figure out where we excel.


Love to All,

Bri


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What is a Visionary?

Merriam - Webster defines the word 'VISIONARY' like this:

noun

1

a : of the nature of a vision : illusory 

b : incapable of being realized or achieved : utopian <a visionary scheme> 

c : existing only in imagination : unreal
2

a : able or likely to see visions 

b : disposed to reverie or imagining : dreamy

3

: of, relating to, or characterized by visions or the power of vision

4

: having or marked by foresight and imagination <a visionary leader> <a visionary invention>

— vi·sion·ar·i·ness noun

Examples of VISIONARY

1. She is known as a visionary leader
2. He had a visionary experience.

But what is a visionary, really? And why have I been dubbed "Visionary Bri"?

The Center for Visionary Leadership says this:

"Visionary leaders are the builders of a new dawn, working with imagination, insight, and boldness. They present a challenge that calls forth the best in people and brings them together around a shared sense of purpose. They work with the power of intentionality and alignment with a higher purpose. Their eyes are on the horizon, not just on the near at hand. They are social innovators and change agents, seeing the big picture and thinking strategically.

There is a profound interconnectedness between the leader and the whole, and true visionary leaders serve the good of the whole. They recognize that there is some truth on both sides of most polarized issues in our society today. They search for solutions that transcend the usual adversarial approaches and address the causal level of problems. They find a higher synthesis of the best of both sides of an issue and address the systemic root causes of problems to create real breakthroughs."

In short, we visionaries are the dreamers of the future. We see not only what this would is, but what this would can become and we work tirelessly to make those two versions merge. We are revolutionaries, imagine-ers, followers of our gut and instinct. We guide others along to their true potential and create networks of like-minded people. With a visionary around, everyone benefits. We are the rally-points, the spearheads and the cavalry calls for new and innovative projects. Often, we feel compelled to be this way. It's a burning passion inside of us that doesn't rest for long. We dream, we create and we build because we feel that we are called to do so. Whether we make money or not, following our visions, it doesn't matter. It also doesn't matter if the world listens to us. We will keep true to our path and persevere.

But not only are we leaders, our type of leadership has its' own brand. We lead with integrity, with conviction and with an inner light that seems to shine through us. We do not stand for profits, for greed, for personal gain or for hate of any kind. What we stand for is a connectivity of all people, no matter their differences and we will not backstab others for our own gain. Visionaries are not corrupted by power - we are uplifted by it and use it well. Visionaries offer a clear picture of what is possible and we inspire others to believe that we, as a whole, can get there.

Visionaries are not about manipulating with fear, as some politicians or leaders are. Instead, we seek to empower the people around us. We seek to give them confidence and a sense of strength similar to our own. We understand that taking power away from someone only hurts the whole. We are in service to the betterment of the whole, of the entire human family.

In contrast to most leaders we see today, Visionaries do not tell people what to do. We don't push them towards things they aren't ready for and we don't dominate them. Each being has its own free will and that must not be taken away from them. Visionaries listen to those around them more than other leaders do. We are open to new ideas and perspectives that we may not have considered before.

Visionaries are receptive to change. When presented with a better method of doing something than the one we've thought of, we do not find that challenging or "insubordination." Instead, we find it to be enlightening. What a wonderful revelation!

Instead of being out for ourselves, we embody a sense of community. Other people, their knowledge and talents are our greatest assets. It is said that, "Everyone you meet knows something that you don't." We realize this and embrace it. We are willing to learn, to pull back and to refocus.

Even though we can see into the world of the future, we visionaries are interested in solutions that actually work. We don't just want things that look good on paper. We want the nuts and the bolts and the real world solutions to be reasonable and sustainable. Everything needs to be actionable and attainable in order for it to be considered a valid idea. The other side of that is that we see more things as attainable than most people do and we will happily guide others far beyond what they ever thought possible.

Again, The Center for Visionary Leadership says:

"When we see a truly visionary leader accomplishing great things, s/he is drawing on the resources of their soul and its remarkable capabilities. Each of us can access our inner resources to become a more effective leader in our own field. First we must be willing to take initiative and stand for something we believe in passionately. We must be ready to take the heat. Many of us avoid the responsibility of leadership primarily because we are too sensitive to criticism. But when we know who we truly are and we live from an inner core of values, criticism can be filtered to take in only what is true and helpful to our growth."

This reason is why I close almost every blog post with my motto: "We are all visionaries. We just have to figure out where we excel."

If a person can find where their passion lies, they will almost naturally become a visionary. Their eyes light up, their soul opens and they develop a very strong sense of values and of community, when this happens. Their potential has been unlocked.

I have been dubbed "Visionary Bri" because of all these qualities. Through the years, friends have told me that they exist in me. When I was searching for a name for this blog, I often Googled some of the qualities that others had described in me. Time after time, the word "visionary" came up. I took it as a sign and adopted the moniker.

I've seen some criticism regarding dubbing yourself a visionary. When I read this criticism, I often think that the person is doing an awful lot of judging. Everyone's path is different. If you want to call yourself "Llama Joe," feel free. No matter what we choose to be known as, it is merely a name. A name does, in fact, help us identify traits about a person, but they're just words. I respond just as readily to plain ol' "Bri" or even "Hey, you!" Honestly, criticism reveals more about the person writing it than what they are writing about. Through criticism, we can see what filters the critic views the world through. If he uses racial slurs, that's a filter. If there's sexual shaming, that's another filter. I don't pay too much heed to negative criticism. It doesn't change what I feel called to put out into the world.

In the culture that I came from, each person has at least 3 names in their lifetime. One for youth, one for adulthood and one for being an elder. Taking different names symbolizes the different lessons we learn in each phase of life. A new name may even come after a particularly significant spiritual event.

I have had many names in my life. I've been known by many monikers for many different situations. Each were me, at the time, and each was just a word that I answered to. They did not define me. This new name I have taken, I feel, is the one that keeps me on this path the best. I am a visionary. Criticism for using that word, myself, does not deter the deep soul-feeling of connection that says, "Yes. That is the word. That is the name. Live up to it!" 

See? I deeply feel that each of us can follow our dreams, find our purpose and live this life wrapped in bliss. I believe that every person on the face of the planet can have joy and love that goes all the way down to your tiptoes. You can be fed, you can be supported, you don't have to struggle and you can have big, roaring belly-laughs and true connection with others every single day.

This is my purpose. This is my calling. Every time someone calls me "Visionary," it reminds me of this goal and this calling. Every time I hear or read that word, I am called up out of the daily life. Up and above the details of car insurance and "I've gotta eat" and "Where are my meds" and "I just HAD my cell phone." That word calls me up, calls me out of myself and reminds me of the wise self that I have and am called to be. That one word, "visionary," makes me remember, "Yeah. Higher purpose. Calling. Wise self. Don't get mired down in the details of 'the car doesn't have enough gas to get there.'" Daily life happens and even I need reminders from time to time. Thus I am, am called, and I answer to "Visionary Bri."

What little tricks can you use to call yourself up and remind you that you are, in fact, an awesomely wise and creative soul? Will signs with affirmations around your house help? Will taking a new name to be called help? Leave me a comment or email me at brifloorwilson(at)gmail(dot)com. I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, my precious ones, please remember that we are all (every single one of us) visionaries. We jut have to figure out where we excel.


Love to All,

-Bri


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WOYWW

So, I don't have a "work desk" per se. My apartment is small and I don't have a work desk, yet. Though hubby does have one planned to build me, so here's hoping.

To participate in WOYWW, I'll show you this. My workspace is not a desk. Confession time -- most of my creating is done in bed. That's right. I write my blog in bed, I paint and draw in bed, I sew in bed. Everything. Mostly, my creative time is late at night while my Precious Pookie and hubby are sleeping. Three cheers for long hours of uninterrupted time to focus!

An unconventional WOYWW, here you go!

First off, there is my bedside table.

Here you see my Bath and Body Works lavender vanilla pillow mist, lotions, my "geek stick" jump drive, colored pencils, a cowrie shell, my medications, fruit and grain bars, a pocket knife, a nail kit, my large cup of hot tea, my water bottle of iced tea, my Prismacolor pencils, a bag of sharpies and my box of creativity reference books.

Second, how I keep everything organized:

Here you see the shelves above the nightstand and my bulletin board. In the black binder are completed writing prjects. The green binder is projects for the baby next to my sketchbook. The brown container is full of jewelry I have made. Next to that on the shelf is tape, a mini muffin tin that I mix paints in, tape, headphones and thumb tacks. On the bulletin bard are blog post topics, daily to-do stuff and mail I need to address.

Finally, my awesome shelves that hubby made me this week:

On the top shelf is fabric and other "to mend" projects. The middle shelf is painting supplies and business cards. The bottom shelf, I have already described.

So, an unconventional WOYWW.

Disorganized space for the win!



What does your work space look like?



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A Fresh Look at an Ordinary Day

It's Monday and that means that it's time for this week's "working with your sketchbook" exercise.

No matter what kind of art or creative expression you want to pursue, the best place to start is right where you are. Right here. Right now. Wherever you are in the world, right where you are at this very moment is perfect. And your best subject matter to mine will come directly from your life. You can fantasize about other worlds or other lives or draw inspiration from many different places, but the best and most authentic art was created from the artist mining their own life.

 Source

Let's start with the most basic thing that I can think of, your daily routine. Let's think about your daily routine and how you can depict it in your medium of choice. I want to stop you for a second. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "My daily routine? Isn't that boring?" 

I want to tell you that, first off, you are an interesting person. Whether you believe it or not, you are fascinating. All art is merely a process of discovering, uncovering and revealing parts of yourself to the world.

In this entry (or more, if you feel so inclined), I would like you to both words and pictures. Try to make your descriptions as much "yours" as you can -- meaning your original words and pictures. Sometimes song lyrics will come into my head, so I jot those down, as well. I really want you to get into your senses in this exercise. Get into your body. Get into your emotions and your memories. Dive deep and notice any details or flights of fancy. For example:

Generic: "I wake up in the morning and I have coffee."

Original: "The first thing I am aware of as I emerge from the world of my dreams is the comforting feel of jersey cotton on my skin. Soft and feeling like home, I smile as I hear a familiar giggle. I smile with knowing and open my eyes see the fresh, peaches and cream face of my daughter. Her blue eyes sparkle me into daytime-being as her Papa encourages her to play the "uncover Mama" game. The first sound I hear is her giggle which must be what fairies sound like when they're born. The comforting smell of freshly brewed coffee, its' Arabic scent of earth and fire, wafts to me from my bedside table where hubby has placed my morning cuppa, made with French Vanilla creamer to my tastes, perfectly. It's each morning that I start the day, joyful and with the marrow-deep knowledge that I am blessed."

My Pookie's "just woke up" face

See the depth, the freshness? Really take a look at your life. In your memory, slow it down and notice the details. Sure, everyone knows what a fresh cup of coffee smells like, but no one knows what a cup of coffee smells like to you. Experiment with this. Write your day and illustrate it with pencils, pens, marker or paints. Add glitter or stickers. Be spontaneous and make it fun!

Mine your own life for your original experience. Don't worry if some of your descriptions sound funny or absurd. Watch the movie Dead Poet's Society for the scene where Robin William's character gets Ethan Hawke's character to focus in on the detail of a picture in his mind. "A sweaty-toothed mad man"? Yes. It's poetic and spontaneous. Don't edit out these little gems. They will give your art power and originality.

  

If you feel like sharing, please feel free to post some what you've come up with in the comments. I'd love to read them.



Until next time, my lovelies, please remember that we are all visionaries. We just have to figure out where we excel.



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I Hope You Dance

The title of the post, today, comes from this song by Lee Ann Womack:

What a beautiful song, don't you think? It's one of the songs I sing to my Precious Little Pookie of a daughter.

Over the weekend, I'd like to encourage you to dance. I want you to dance like no one is looking. I want you to start out by dancing in your home. Bust a move! I don't care if you do it in your bedroom, alone. Boogie down, my lovelies. This life is too short not to dance.

Now, a story of dancing. I come by my flair for the creative honestly, and you must understand that dancing out in public when there's really no music playing is an advanced level for visionaries. I got my sense of play from my father. Keep your sense of humor intact in life and you never know the joy that will come from it. Example:
  
My father and I were standing in a parking lot, chatting. Across the aisle of cars, a college kid and his girlfriend where loading sacks into the back of their car. The boy was singing at a pretty loud volume some song I'd never heard before. I dropped the conversation with my father and immediately started dancing. My father was confused for a minute, looking at me, puzzled. Then, he heard the singing and started dancing with me. To one college student's sheer joy of voice, we shook our booties for a little over a minute before the singing guy turned around and saw what we were doing. When he realized we were singing to the music he was making, he and his girlfriend broke out in laughter. At that moment, a white car drove through the parking lot between us. The driver of the car waved at singing guy and danced behind the wheel as she passed. Everyone laughed their heads off. My father said, "Life is short. You've got to have fun." I put my arm around my father and said, "Dad, welcome to my life" and he pulled me in for a hug.

 My father holding my 1-day-old daughter, the Precious Pookie.

He bought the lamb hat for her that morning and it was bigger than her whole head.

There's a song that I've been hearing everywhere, lately, by a group called Fun. In a shoe store, on the radio. This song is everywhere and I am absolutely in love with it. I'm so completely taken with this song that I really want to have coffee with Nate Ruess (which is an honor held for the likes of Meat Loaf, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Davis, Henry Rollins, Alex Grey and Ed Kowalczyk). The drum line of this song is wonderful and it makes me not only wanna bring my djembe out of storage, but it makes my butt wanna boogie. So, no matter where I am when I hear this great piece of music, I do a little dance.  I've also been listening to it on repeat in my headphones and in the car, by the way.

My only question, beautiful Mr. Ruess, is why did you let them AutoTune your voice? It's wonderful without that artificial sound.

So, my readers, this weekend and as you go about your life, when you hear this song, I'd like you to dance a bit if you feel like it. Yes, I'd like you to boogie in the shoe store. Yes, jive in the drivers' seat. Yes, do your little turn in the grocery store. Bop your head and groove on the bus.

And I want you to do this because every time I hear the song, I promise to boogie, as well. Dancey-dance with me, please? Wibble-wobble with me, no matter where you are in the world. Move your body a bit in a way that feels happy to you.

Life is too short to not dance. Let's dance together, shall we? Maybe we can get others to join in and spread the joy! Let's make some impromptu dance parties, shall we? Spreading joy in the world is always a worthwhile thing.


Until next time, my lovelies, remember that we are all visionaries. We just have to figure out where we excel!

Absinthe Drunk and God-Mad

Absinthe

Recently, the wonderful drink of absinthe  has become legal in the United States, where I reside. 

When I was in college, my friends and I would order bottles of this famed liquor from places like The Czech Republic. We thought we were so counter-culture and in-the-know, at the time. Our bottles arrived at our doors in nondescript, brown cardboard boxes marked "Text Books." The DEA probably had too much on its' plate, worrying about cocaine coming over our borders and meth being made in bathtubs. So, I suppose that it didn't have time to worry about a bunch of artistic, rebellious and self-proclaimed bohemian college students sneaking in a bottle of barely-known and culturally outdated alcohol. 
 

When the Words Hurt

Our words, our thoughts and our feelings all have immense power in this world and, sometimes, those around us can say things that cut us right to the quick.

I have Fibromyalgia and suspected Systemic Lupus. Because of these things, I have lots of doctors appointments, take many medications and have tests run on me fairly regularly. I have this idea in my head that my friends care about how I'm doing, so I guess I run down the latest medical updates, unbidden, at times.

It seems that someone who I thought was a close friend just, apparently, got tired of hearing about it and said, "So, what's wrong with you, today?" His eyes rolled behind his glasses. My heart skipped, my reply froze in my throat and I turned in upon myself. How deflated I felt. How utterly betrayed. In that moment, I was not supported in my illnesses by one of my best friends and his words tore through me like a knife.

Driving Onward with Visionary Vehicles

My entire life, I've driven Cadillacs. My first car was a Coupe DeVille named Cherlindrea.

 Cherlindrea

Later, I had a strawberry red Seville named Joan. I got voted 2nd place in the "Best Car" catagory, my senior year of high school.
.

Joan, the Seville, and I

The last Cadillac of mine was Janet, an black STS.

Janet