Lunatic Fringe

I just received my Restoration Hardware dream catalog and on the very first page is a letter from Gary Friedman, Chairman & Co-Chief Executive Officer. I don't usually read these letters, just want to get to the most fantastic furniture ever. I was captured by the title of his letter, "Every Movement has a Lunatic Fringe."  I would love to share excerpts from his letter because as a female entrepreneur and go-getter, believing that one person can make a difference, I really appreciate his thoughts and references.  He speaks of one of our greatest presidents Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt and quotes a proclamation from his famous speech in 1910 at the Sorbonne in Paris. He says,
 "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles.. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who at his worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never by with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat"
 Gary reflects that "He lived in the moment with a disdain for the status quo, an eye toward the future, fighting for his beliefs of a better tomorrow for all."
Are you on the Lunatic Fringe? I will be pleased to meet you there, fore that is where I reside and plan to stay forever!
Sherry

Why did the fox cross the road?

Why did the fox cross the road? Answer: To find a concrete free area to roam  I witnessed this firsthand this morning and it broke my heart, and brought about an epiphany that I believe will change my life forever. Let me elaborate before you judge me as being melodramatic. See I've lived on the Northwest side of Houston in the "burbs" for a quarter of a century and over time have see the terrain change rather drastically. I guess you could call it Urban Sprawl! The fox ran across 6 lanes of concrete this morning with fear and confusion allover it's furry face. That same road was once a dirt road that became a two lane road, then 4 then 6 lanes of pure tree and grass free highway, also known as Hwy 6 North. When as a newlyweds my husband and I moved to Copperfield it was a new community with only 1 Mexican restaurant, 1 seafood restaurant, a gas station and a Kroger. Life was simply perfect! When I saw that fox running for it's life this morning a single tear fell from my eye and my stomach ached. What have we done, I asked myself. I say "we" because all of us are responsible for wanting more, bigger, better, now, now, now! I was planning on stopping buy the store to buy a new top for this weekend. Did I need another black top? No. Do I have many black tops and a closet full of clothes most of which I never wear? Yes. I suddenly was not in the mood for shopping. Instead I wanted to turn around, pick up that wild fox (not recommended) and release him into an area lush with grass, trees, bushes and friends for him to play with...This is the part where you will think I am crazy, in that moment I decided  I would only carry recycled, up cycled, vintage clothing and accessories in my store. We have a wonderful new artist in our store named B. Artise who wrote the book, Born Again Vintage. Bridgett reconstructs old clothing to make it new and fashionable. I starting wondering wear my sewing machine was at home and all the great outfits I could make from all the tops, pants, dresses and skirts already existing in my closet and drawers. You are probably wondering what reconstructing clothes has to do with Urban Sprawl, and a wild fox crossing the road....well I will tell you that if we take the blinders off and start paying attention to our surroundings, what we buy, how we live our lives and how daily decision's we make CAN and DO make a difference in the world around us maybe the air will be cleaner, our water will be purer, our family will be healthier and the creatures that God put on this earth will be able to continue to roam, eat, and live as they were intended. That's all...just think about it!

http://www.b-artise.com/