dare to dream

Amanda Dickson: CHANGE!!!! Alright. Alright. Stop Yelling.

Amanda Dickson co-hosts Utah's #1 rated morning show, "Utah's Morning News with Grant and Amanda," on KSL Newsradio.  Amanda earned her B.A. in English and Juris Doctorate at the University of Utah.  In her 40+ years, she's held 18 different jobs. She's been good at a few of them; and fired from a few.  Given her work experiences combined with being married, the stepmother of three children, Cameron 16, Ashley 19 and Laurel 20, and the mother of Ethan 4 and Aiden 2, Amanda is no stranger to change. You can read her blog here, and about her latest book Change It Up here.

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Some months ago, I found myself surrounded by the word “change.”  It was the theme of political campaigns, a point of contention (“That’s not real change!”  “That’s just change for change’s sake.”), something companies and entire industries needed to do (“We’ve got to change something around here, or we’re all going under.”) There was no ground under my feet, or what ground was there was shaking the china out of the hutch.

During this time of unsteadiness, companies would hire me as a speaker to address their management retreats and employee off-sites.  The topic they wanted me to address with their teams?  How to handle change.

Source:  istockphoto

When I’d go to these gatherings, I’d often get there early, early enough to hang around the lobby and see if I could get any of the attendees to talk to me before the event began. “How’s it going?” I’d open.  “Pretty good.”  The standard response.  “No, really.  How’s it going?  How’s everybody taking all the changes?”  Whoa.  Would that open the floodgates?  This was a topic people wanted to talk about.  I felt their stiffness, their reluctance to embrace the changes, no matter what they were.  I felt their unease, their worry for the future, for their family’s security.  Change was not a good word for these professionals, of every pay grade, of every stage in their careers.

That got me thinking.  How can I help?  If one of the themes of my life is helping people see happiness where before there was only worry, lightness where there was despair, then how can I help people (myself included) to see playfulness in change, if not pleasure.   I started to think about some of the changes we do like. 

There are some, you know.  For instance, we watch those makeover shows.  We love to watch people change hairstyles and wardrobes and kitchen appliances.  We love to make those little changes in our own lives.  And when we do, we feel great.  Why?  It’s the energy.

Source:  istockphoto

There is a charge on change.  That’s why when you change your hairstyle, people will compliment you, even if your old hairstyle looked better.  It’s not about the quality of the change – it’s about the fact of the change.  The change woke you up on some level, and that’s what they feel.  So, knowing this, if we want energy in our lives (and who doesn’t) we just need to welcome some change in.  Any change.  It doesn’t really matter what you change.  Drive to work a different way.  Move your books.  Paint something.  Wear a different color.  Wear dresses if you used to wear pants, or vice versa.  Feel the charge that comes with change.

And feel the skill.  Change is like any other ability – the more you do it, the better you get.  Since we know that change is coming to all of us, big, hairy, painful change, shouldn’t we try to develop a little skill in this area while we can, while there’s a calm in the storm.  Change something now.  Feel the rush of it.  Feel the ease of it.  That wasn’t as hard as you thought.

Source:  istockphoto

Then, when the painful change comes, remember what you’ve learned.  Let go.  Keep moving.  Keep loving the living.  You know those six little words that we crave during difficult times, that we want our husbands to say to us, or our parents, or even our presidents.  “Everything is going to be okay.” 

Do you know why we crave those exact words?  Because they’re TRUE!  Their truth makes them powerful in the quietest of ways.  And do you know how I know they’re true?  I’m not privy to any secret information.  I’m just a mom who’s trying to juggle work and kids and life, like you are.  I know they’re true because of change.  Change – the eternal do-over.  No matter what is happening right now, hang on.  It will be okay.  It will be different, to be sure, but it will be okay.

These are the ideas that prompted me to write my new book, Change It Up.  I felt the power in these thoughts when I shared them with groups, and I was humbled by the simplicity of their strength.  I know I’m not the first person to have these thoughts.  You’ve probably read them and thought them before, but in case you have not – I offer them to you in this book – with the wish that you have more change in your life, not less. 

Change is life.
Change is joy.
No one is getting out of this life alive, and no one is getting out unchanged.
Change it up!

***

Change - the eternal do-over.  I like that.

I know I tend to speak of change negatively.  And yet, as Amanda points out, so many of the changes in our life are quite good.   What are some of your recent positive changes? And what is there to be learned from the process?  I'll have to give this some thought.

Miranda's Dog Blog

Six months ago, my daughter Miranda started a blog.

She really, really, really wants a dog, but I'm allergic, so she has a fish, had a lizard, and now a guinea pig -- and has started a blog about dogs.

She asked me to tell you about Miranda's Dog Blog; I promised her I would once she had 10 entries.

Now she does.

This is a picture Miranda, Age 8, drew; read more about it here.

Will you go visit her blog and leave a comment?

Even better, why don't you share her blog with fellow dog lovers, daughters, granddaughters or nieces?

She will be thrilled.

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We really are a gatekeeper to our children's dreams.  What dreams are our children dreaming?

And if we can't open the gate (because we don't know how to (e.g. learn to sew or become an Eagle Scout) or don't have the energy), are there people in our sphere that can?  

The 'Left Tackles' in our Lives

Blindside (v.) - to tackle, hit, or attack (an opponent) from the blind side.

I just finished reading The Blind Side by Michael Lewis; the film was released last Friday.

Here's a synopsis from the backcover:

When we first meet him, Michael Oher is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he doesn't know his real name, his father, his birthday or how to read and write.  He takes up football, and school, after a rich, white, Evangelical family plucks him from the streets.  Then two great forces alter Oher:  the family's love and the evolution of football into a game where the quarterback must be protected at any cost.  Our protagonist becomes the priceless package of size, speed, and agility necessary to guard the quarterback's greatest vulnerability, his blind side.

Here's what's interesting. 

The left tackle, the player guarding the quarterback's blind side, goes largely unnoticed by the general public because the camera follows the ball.  It's in the quarterback's hands.  He hands it off to a running back, or throws it to a receiver.  The camera follows them into the end zone.  Touchdown.  These are the players that the media tells us are important.  I don't follow football, but I can name quarterbacks and receivers (Tom Brady, Chad Ocho Cinco, LaDanian Tomlinson).  Left tackle?  Nary a one.  I didn't even know the position existed until I read this book. 

 

Yet, if the left tackle does his job, the quarterback not only avoids being sacked by linebackers like Lawrence Taylor whose "instinct is to find the quarterback and kill him", he remains injury-free, and he has the time needed to throw touchdown-producing, headline-grabbing passes.

Which is why the camera may not follow the left tackle, but the team owners do -- and have the big, fat canceled checks to prove it.  According to Lewis, "In 2004, the average NFL left tackle salary was $5.5 million a year, and the left tackle had become the second highest paid position on the field after the quarterback."

We all have a blind side.

Because it's blind, we can't see the people who are guarding against attacks from our opponents.

Which means -- of all the people that we need to be grateful for, it's 'left tackles in our lives' we're mostly likely to overlook.  Like my husband.  And a few dear friends.

Who are your 'left tackles"?
Are you like the media who follows the ball, blind to these key players?
Or do you have an owner-like view of their value?

Either way, will you tell these individuals thank you very soon?

In fact, why not today?

P.S.  I don't play football.  If you do, and I'm getting this wrong, or there are nuances I've missed, do share.

Elizabeth Stewart Dunford: Solace in Creativity

Elizabeth Stewart Dunford studied music and photography as an undergraduate, and is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts at Harvard, one class at a time.  She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, Michael and their three children with whom she has the opportunity to spend the bulk of her time.  You can learn more about Elizabeth here, here, and her family's start-up business here.
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My mother told me never to read anyone else’s diary. 

Is that why all the diaries I coveted growing up came adorned with a miniature lock and key?  To ward off all those who didn’t observe social protocol? Ashamedly, I have found myself in this category at times. (I have older sisters). So, when an opportunity to research Charlotte Brontë’s diary arose, my childhood impulse was to call my mom and ask if she thought Brontë would mind.

Charlotte Brontë fascinates me. She already had my attention with Jane Eyre, but after I read the following words from her diary, she commanded my attention.

How few would believe that from sources purely imaginary such happiness could be derived! … What a treasure is thought! What a privilege is reverie! I am thankful I have the power of solacing myself with the dream of creations … May I never lose that power, may I never feel it grow weaker.

(This is my favorite image of her; a chalk drawing by George Richmond, 1850, commissioned by her husband)

Empirical data supporting the healing influence of the arts upon one’s subconscious, thoughts and feelings was not defined until the early 20th century—yet Brontë understood and utilized the healing effects of writing and painting in her life more than 150 years before the advent of art therapy. 

A study of Brontë’s life reveals many sobering reasons why she turned to creative pursuits. The death of her mother and older sisters created a void that she felt obliged to fill. It was expected of her to assume the position of mother figure to her remaining younger siblings. It is a burden Brontë shouldered throughout most of her life.  Creative expression is how she dealt with her day-to-day problems.  As her diary firmly establishes, she found solace in creativity. 

I identify with her.

Last summer I recorded some songs that I had written over a five-year period. Recording my songs facilitated a creative process that allowed me to find closure to painful relationships and celebrate current relationships.  As I lost myself in the process and didn’t focus on the outcome, my creative endeavors healed and invigorated me.

The benefits inherent in creative acts are accessible to everyone. Creativity shows up differently from one to another: could be strengthening relationships, could be collecting sporks, or could be creating an edible dinner with what’s left in the fridge.

Creativity is not only available to everyone but easily visible during one’s early years. Think about this for a moment. All children draw. All children sing. In fact, it’s easy to find a 3- or 4- year-old child who will have a go at creating or trying anything. I am lucky enough to have one currently living within my walls—my daughter Ella Sophia’s creations are delightfully present all over the house.

(Noah's Ark animals being fed cut-up Twizzlers)

What happened to us between preschool and the present? We’ve all heard these reasons before—being taught that there is a “right” and a “wrong” way to do things, others’ criticism and fear.   Even Charlotte Brontë feared rejection of her writing. Shortly after the publication of the wildly successful Jane Eyre, thirty-one-year-old Brontë nervously wrote to her editor “It has no learning, no research, it discusses no subject of public interest.”

So where to start? How can we, like Brontë, find solace in creative pursuits?

Observe the creative process undefiled. Grab the nearest preschooler and ask her to draw. Watch what she does. The preschooler has no fear and is almost always happy about her creation. If the preschooler is still present (hasn’t run off and “seatbelt taped” the Playmobil girl into the car—my recent favorite from Ella Sophia) you’ll notice that she enjoys the process as much as or more than the final outcome. You don’t need to create a masterpiece—a wildly successful novel or painting or song. Creation itself is the therapy.

What is creating? Your answer will vary from that of everyone else. The point is that you create without judgment. In the context of art therapy, the art created is secondary to the process. Go out and be a child. Create something and remove the critique.

Maybe I’ll get that diary with the lock and key and start by filling the pages with a story about a creative little girl who uses tape for seat belts.

***

Does your creative outlet sustain you through loss, grief, your day-to-day difficulties?

Mine is not a traditional outlet, like painting or composing, but when I can help bring to life to someone's story and ideas on 'dare to dream', this for me is an act of creation -- one that brings me happiness. As Elizabeth said, creativity can take so many forms -- what does yours look like?

As we consider gifting the art of expression to our children, you may want to re-read Tie-Dye, Daughters and Dreams.

Finally, when Elizabeth and I first discussed a guest post after Kimberly Carlile's presentation at Fusion (Kimerly's presentation also inspired Julie Berry's Embracing Round post), I had no idea Elizabeth was a composer/vocalist/musician. Surprise.  I especially liked Hush. 

HarvardBusiness.org: Summoning the Courage to Tear Down Walls

I guest posted over at HarvardBusiness.org today.  

Before you read the post, I'd encourage you to watch this clip from President Reagan's "Tear Down the Wall" speech.

Do you remember Reagan giving this speech?

When was the last time you delivered tough talk to someone?  Or someone to you?  What was your motivation?  What happened?

What walls do you need to tear down in order to achieve your dream?

P.S.   Eva Koleva Timothy's story, in part, prompted this post; Stacey Petrey pressed me to further explore the implications of the 'tear down'; Elizabeth Harmer-Dionne forwarded me the WSJ piece on Reagan; had Stacey and Liz Economy not 'dared' me to submit my posts to HarvardBusiness.org, I wouldn't have.  A dream team indeed. 

 

Final 15: Shabby Apple Happy

Giddy.

I can't think of a better word.

Both designs (Leslie Whyte Graff's and mine (in collaboration with Leslie)) are finalists in the Shabby Apple dare to design contest.

In the spirit of some advice received about making the 'ask' specific, here are two concrete things you can do to help us with our dress.design.dare:

1)  Will you click through to Shabby Apple, and vote for #15 or #9 in the comment section?   Vote based on your figure type, and the occasion for which you'd envision yourself wearing this Shabby Apple dress.

Here's #15.

And #9.

 

2)  If neither of these dresses works for you, I suspect one of the 15 will.  In addition to #9 and #15, I also like #5 and #12.

Regardless, I hope you'll vote. 

If there are thousands of votes (as there were hundreds of entries), then Shabby Apple will likely sponsor more 'dare to design' contests. 

This contest inspired
hundreds of women to dare.

Including Leslie,
9 year-old Angelfish,
13 year-old Star,
And 12 year-old Sara,
and me. 

Why not you next year?

P.S. Wouldn't it be fun if Leslie incorporated her design into her domestic series?

Store & Style Guest Post: Making Space For Your Dream

In the November 2009 edition of Store & Style, they've featured my article Making Space for Your Dream.   I'd encourage you to also read The Comforts of Home, and Cross it Off Your List.  Both are written by founding editor Christine Vick.

If you've clicked through from Store & Style -- Welcome!  While you're visiting, I hope you'll read Christine Vick's post Simply Living in which she shares some of her story, including the why behind her on-line organizing website.

Crafting this article was a challenge.  I thought I'd be able to bang out it out.  On the contrary.  When I post here -- it's my house, my things, my voice.  When I post elsewhere, it's not.  Christine Vick is a terrific editor.  I would encourage anyone who can, to work with her.  I'm also all about photoshopping, whether images or words, so as to bring out our true and best self.  Writing was still difficult.  

SO -- if you've thought about 'being my guest', and are hesitating, I hope you'll do it anyway. 

I promise I'll be gentle, and...
I promise to help bring out your best and truest voice
as Christine has kindly done with me. 

Eva Koleva Timothy: Lost in Learning

Born and reared in Bulgaria (and now a proud citizen of the U.S.), Eva Koleva Timothy is the mother of 3 young children whom she homeschools.  She is a Media/Communications graduate with a B.A. from the U. of Utah, and has studied at the Oxford School of Photography.  Eva has received numerous accolades including Best in Show in the 2005 UK CACC slide competition; her work has been shown at the Said Business School at Oxford University, The New England Institute of Art.  Her most recent project, Lost in Learning, about which I've asked her to provide the back story below, is designed to be a national traveling exhibition.  She loves collecting shells at the beach, dancing with the music turned all the way up, and Bulgarian cooking. 

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In casting a lens upon the great explorers, artists and scientists of the Age of Exploration, Lost in Learning  is meant to encourage us to embark upon or continue our own voyage of discovery.

All images copyrighted by Eva Koleva Timothy

As I've considered the course navigated by these discoverers, I have crafted the acronym S.A.I.L. which stands for Story, Angle, Immersion & Light.  This acronym not only outlines the process of exploration, but also pays homage to Columbus whose journal inspired this exhibit.  Each of the S.A.I.L. elements has figured prominently in my own life, beginning with the stories my dad told me when I was still a young girl.

STORY
His words would whisk me off to lands of far away and long ago.

Some of the stories were fantastic, fairy tales, Arabian nights, Bulgarian folklore and the like. Others were based in European history and about Alexander the Great, Da Vinci, Columbus and other larger-than-life figures.  And though the stories were from long ago, because I grew up there, they didn't seem so far away.

Bulgaria, in particular, has been at the crossroads of every major civilization for over two millenia, and under a foreign yoke for most of that time.  First, Alexander the Great, then the Greeks, followed by the Ottoman Empire and finally the Soviet occupation.

Growing up under Communist rule, I yearned for freedom.  When I told people of my dream to live in the U.S., most people just laughed.  At that time, leaving a country so tightly controlled by the Soviet bloc was ludicrous.  The stories my parents told me about history's great explorers and independent thinkers helped me remain hopeful that some day I would come to America.  .

ANGLE
Communism is so much about directed collective thought and attempts to manage perception.  Under communist rule, the economic climate was dismal, but 'spun' as an era of glory.  I wanted no part of this world, and potentially could have become embittered.  Fortunately, my artist father continually highlighted the exquisite beauty in day-to-day life:  the wonder of nature (the play of light at sunset, reflections in puddles) and urban architecture (from archways to power cables).  This artist's angle, taught to me by my father, helps see a world filled with potential no matter how difficult or busy life becomes.

IMMERSION
One thing I absolutely love about photography is the principle of focus.

When seeking to keep a positive perspective in a society as depressed and sullen as Eastern Europe was, my ability to focus was a very useful skill.  It does, however, make me one of the world’s worst multi-taskers.  Even at the dinner table, I like to stop, talk about, and really savor our meal.

When I was 14, and the Wall had fallen and there really was a chance that I could come and live in America someday. There was just one minor obstacle…I didn’t speak English and I needed to pass the University Language test the TOEFL.

I’ve never wanted to learn anything so much in my life (besides maybe photography). 

I took 3x5 cards to the movie theater when watching sub-titled American films and I would write down all the phrases I could pick up from the actors. I started reading Shakespeare during my Russian class and got sent to the headmasters office. I talked with every American I could find and while books had never been a favorite birthday gift, I fell in love with the huge English-Bulgarian dictionary my parents gave me on my 15th birthday.

I did pass the test and thanks to the generosity of Richard and Linda Eyre and the friendship of their daughter Saren, I was given the wonderful opportunity of realizing my dream and coming to study in the U.S.

LIGHT
I love it when things just come together.

Often times it happens when we aren’t expecting it.

I’ve found though, that when I've toggled to seeker/explorer mode, I am much more likely to be struck by light or inspiration. 

For example, I remember sitting one day reading a book by Daniel Boorstin, former head of the Library of Congress. The book was titled The Discoverers and detailed the history of discovery.

At one point he writes about Columbus’ preparation for his journey westward and how he wrote copious notes in the margins of one of his geography books.  Adoring history as I do, I thought, "Wouldn’t it be cool to see the book with his actual handwriting!”

I had recently taken up photographing a series of old books I had brought with me from the year our family lived in Oxford. Then thinking about Columbus' book had written, I had the idea to photograph manuscripts, instruments, artifacts in a way that would tell the story of these amazing men and women I was reading about.

So I did.

I found a copy of the Imago Mundi with Columbus notes and putting it together with an old compass, the project was born.

From there I visited the Harvard Collection of Scientific Instruments to photograph the Renaissance era artifacts. I acquired copies of facsimile manuscripts by Galileo, Newton, Hooke, Handel, Da Vinci and others. I also visited antique shops to find period spectacles, prisms, a miniature spyglass and a beautiful old magnifying glass to add a unique artistic perspective to the photographs. These lenses, which granted new sight, focused light and enabled learning in that era became in many ways a symbol of the project.

They also came to remind me that the discoveries we now celebrate and teach about were made possible not simply because of raw intellectual power, but mostly because of how these men and women opened their eyes to see the world with curiosity, imagination, and a desire to explore.

***

In Eva's notes about S.A.I.L., she compares the reasons for learning in The Little Prince, which are fame and fortune, to learning because we hunger to know more about a topic.  I wonder if when we are famished, we are on to our dream.

The first element of discovery is Story.  Eva's father is a storyteller, and encouraged her to see herself as the hero of her story.  Are we reading books that encourage us to be the hero of our story -- and for children to be the heroes of theirs?

The second element is Angle.   We all tell ourselves stories.  The perspective we have, the kinds of stories we tell, determine whether we pursue our dreams, or not.

The third element is Immersion.  What do we find ourselves focused on?  One of the best ways to figure out what our dream is, is to observe what we think about when we don't have to think about anything.

The fourth and final element is Light.  How does the creative process work for you?  In what areas of your life are you most creative?  Do you find yourself wanting to visit the Lost in Learning exhibit?  Me too.

We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall this week.  How fitting that we are hearing from Eva.  Can we, as Mr. Gorbachev did, tear down the walls that are keeping us from our dreams?

N.E.D.: The Healing Power of Music

I had actually scrapped this post, and told Drew Citron as much. 

Drew's PR firm TwoShepsThatPass has been engaged to drive funds to/awareness of women's cancers.  They are publicizing the band N.E.D. No Evidence of Disease, a band comprised of five gynecologic oncologists.  N.E.D. will be performing at the 1st Annual Gynecologic Cancer Foundation Race to End Women's Cancer.

Initially I'd said - sure, happy to help -- and looked forward to interviewing lead singer Dr. Joannie Hope (see below).

But as I began to write, I couldn't seem to find a way to connect to and tell N.E.D.'s story.  If I can't connect with a person, a story, a stock, a job -- game over; I'm just not about dialing things in.

If I haven't had cancer...
Nor has anyone I dearly love had cancer -- though it's only a matter of time...
Nor can I relate a story of any of the band members having had cancer...

How do I connect?

In trying to find a win-win, Drew countered with, "What about exploring the themes of healing through music from your own perspective?"

Pay dirt.

Perhaps because music has more often been a bane than a balm in my life, I hadn't seen it.  Yet, I have -- haven't we all -- been in a place, whether a stuck place (or any other place, for that matter), for which music made meaning of an experience and/or just made us happier?

Three examples: 

1. As I wrote in my series of posts Tell Your Soundtrack Story, while living in Manhattan, I was better -- happier -- nearly every Sunday because of the music I heard in church, especially D. Fletcher's music.
2. More recently, I was moved by Macy Robison's cabaret-style recital Children Will Listen, which makes meaning of mothering.  Having the privilege of accompanying her (playing the piano, specifically) made it that much more meaningful for me.
3. As I deal with the daily ups-and-downs, music can pick-me-up, or punch-things-up when I'm already having a good day. 

What a gift then -- that these doctors who care deeply about healing their patients, galvanizing them as they battle cancer -- have added to their toolbox music.

With that as a backdrop, click here or on the image below to hear N.E.D. tell their story.

***

What are your thoughts?  How has music healed you? 

Did you listen to the lyrics of False Pretenses in the video?  Written in the context of treating a life-threatening disease, the lyrics are poignant -- and true whether we are sick or well.  Lay down your walls... Tell me how you really feel..there isn't time for false pretenses...

If you do decide to download N.E.D.'s music, ALL proceeds from MUSIC SALES and DONATIONS will go to the N.E.D. Fund at the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, to support gynecologic cancer research and awareness.

If you'd like to explore the topic further, you may be interested in the book Music and Cancer:  A Prescription for Healing by Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth, one of the members of the band.

***

P.S.  I also had the opportunity to interview Dr. Joanie Hope, a gynecologic surgeon and lead singer for N.E.D. No Evidence of Disease. 

In speaking with Dr. Hope, she touched on several themes we discuss frequently on 'dare to dream'. 

1)  Music was always a love of Dr. Hope's, but in college, she had a moment where she realized that eventually it may be the right decision for her to write and sing, but now was not the time.  Now she needed to go to medical school.  She put the dream of being a musician on hold (trusted herself in that decision), and years later her life experiences have come together in an unexpected, rather magical, mosaic. Could she have possibly imagined that her music would someday enliven and heal?

2)  During medical school, at a time when her life was about science, structure, rigor, she found herself more creative than ever, with songs spilling out of her.  Isn't it interesting that we are most creative (with art, money, ideas) when we have constraints and structure.  It's as if we thrive when we achieve a balance between structure and play.   

3)  Prior to a major medical conference of gynecological oncologists, Dr. Larry Maxwell, in an impresario-type move, decided to put together a rock-and-roll cover band.  He put out a notice -- Dr. Hope saw the notice, and signed up. To join N.E.D., she had to suit up and show up. Some times things fall into our lap, and people ask us to participate, or to play.  But more often than not, they don't.

Sara Hutchins: 12 Year-Old Dares to Design

12 year-old Sara Hutchins is considering becoming a fashion designer when she grows up.

Won't these dress designs for Shabby Apple Dresses be stunning on a statuesque 5'7" girl like Sara? 

 For Sara's first design, she envisions a blue ribbon in the middle, green plaid skirt, yellow short sleeved top.

Her second design is a green/grey dress with a yellow scarf; grey, heeled shoes with yellow buckles.

 

I am so proud of her for daring to dream:  I'm thinking there should be a special category for all dress designers under the age of 18!

When you have a moment, won't you leave a comment telling Sara 'Atta Girl'?