Love, love, love. . . . love is all you need!

The sentiments of this Beatles song impressed Sally Short so much that she superimposed each letter of the phrase, abbreviated to LOVE IS ALL U NEED, on top of one another and then added a peace sign to create a unique design.  She sent the design off to be case in sterling silver as a Love and Peace pendant to wear.  The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

After receiving the design, various people noticed that every letter of the alphabet and every numbers is contained within the design.  Since the design could then be a personal message on any topic to anybody, the interactive jewelry company, Meridane Design, was born.

A variety of jewelry options are available:  pendants, earrings, bracelets, charms, and necklaces, as well as on shirts.  Design styles are available for men and women, young and old.  The design is cast in the USA, and a portion of the casting is done at Annie’s Orphans in support of their No-Kill Dog Shelter, located in Durango Colorado.  There is plenty of love going around with this design!

Jewelry prices start at $32, t-shirt at $25.  Custom pieces are available.

The symbol allows you to spell out any word or statement that you wish – just try it.

I think this is charming! If you’re interested in making your own personal statement through your jewelry, take a look at the options available at Meridane Design.

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Meridane Design

In a playful fantasy romp, the star-crossed lovers of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet come to animated life as garden gnomes in a re-telling of the classic story in Gnomeo & Juliet.

Gnomeo (voiced by James McAvoy) and Juliet (voiced by Emily Blunt) are the representatives of the feuding Blue Gnomes and Red Gnomes, respectively.  They meet serendipitously, fall in love, battle their family stereotypes and feuding, and eventually convince both the red and blue gnomes to live in peace and harmony for the good of all.  In between there are plenty of silly puns, slapstick humor, and lawnmower races to keep the kids interested in what is, at its essence, a tragic love story.

In this version however, everyone lives happily ever after, dancing along to Elton John music circa 1970-80’s.  One new song is features, a duet with Lady Gaga, titled “Hello, Hello.”

Who will like Gnomeo & Juliet:

• Younger kids laughed at the gnome antics, brought to a standstill any time a human appears on the scene, as well as the action scenes of the lawnmower races and the lightweight violence of a tomato feud.  They may be a little bored by goo-goo eyes of the gnomes as they fall in love, and they won’t relate at all to the Elton John songs, popular long before you they were born.
• Mid-aged kids seemed to be the ones most restless in the audience, perhaps finding the races and animation a bit too corny and the love story a bit too silly.
• Teens and adults in the audience seemed charmed, and I overheard lots of chatter afterward about how “cute” it was.  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it is, perhaps, a cute little movie to enjoy with someone special.

Rated G.  There is some gnome violence, with one having his gnome hat cracked off and one death by shattering, the latter appearing glued back together later in the movie.  One gnome wears a mankini-thong type of thing, of the sort seen on Borat, which exposes a round little gnome butt.

Gnomeo & Juliet is a nice little movie, nothing earth shattering, and in may not instill a love for Shakespeare in the kids.  But, it’s a pleasant escape into a world divided into red and blue; a world where gnomes eventually unite because to do else wise is destruction for all.  Reality check, anyone?

My high school English teacher used to start class on Friday with 5 words or phrases written on the board.  He’d then regale us with stories about the words or phrases, varying from tidbits about their etymology to translation of foreign phrases to quotes and more.  He called it Five Fun Facts for Friday.  If we walked into class and there weren’t 5 words on the board, we’d start asking about that day’s five fun facts.

Years later, and I do mean many years, I still remember this teacher and the way he made learning fun.  I’ve also noticed when I come across little tidbits of information that I often think of them in terms of five fun facts, so today I’m going to share them with you.  Sometimes I discover something new, sometimes it’s a reminder, and sometimes it’s just something that makes me say hmmmmmm.

While I’m not promising that I’ll have five fun facts every Friday, I thing you’ll see the concept again!

1. There are 200 species of potatoes, and thousands of subspecies, that are native to the Andes region of Peru.  And, and additional 150 types of sweet potatoes.  No wonder potatoes figure prominently in Peruvian cuisine.
2. You really can drive on the beach at Daytona Beach (and a few other beaches in the area).  There is a beach permit required (the fee price depends on if you are a resident or non-resident), and vehicle hours are posted.  The beach is always open and free to pedestrians and bicyclists depending on tides.
3. You can get a bone marrow transplant from a baboon, assuming, of course, you can find a match (source).
4. Colder temperature may help you lose weight.  While certainly not the only factor in losing weight, turning down the temperature a few degrees can help you burn more calories (source).
5. Hawaii, Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation), and the part of Indiana (that portion in the eastern time zone) do NOT observe daylight savings time.  Neither does Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.  I know this at one level, but when it’s time to make a phone call I have to sit down and think it through again.

Photo credit: SXC

There’s nothing like a little red carpet glamour to make you realize how hopelessly out of synch you are with pop culture.  Watching the Golden Globes the other night I could count on one hand the movies I’ve seen, and none of those were up for any major awards.

With on-demand options available via any number of sources, it just seems easier (to say nothing of cheaper) to catch a movie at home.  I can snuggle up with a blanket, even stay in my pajamas if I want, and it’s sort of a big slumber party like back in my teen years.

While I should have been doing something profound to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, like working for social justice, attending a rally, etc, I bundled myself up against the Seattle rain and set off to the mall to catch a movie.  I didn’t have anything specific in mind, when you haven’t seen anything there’s not a lot to dither over, so I figured I’d make the best choice once I arrived at the theater.  I was willing to wait for a little while, but didn’t want to put my entire afternoon on a movie schedule.

What was up next when I arrived?  Gulliver’s Travels starring Jack Black.

Perfect,  I plunk down tons of cash for my ticket, get my 3-D glasses (I’ve yet to figure out the fascination with 3-D), and settle in for the show.

Lest you think this movie could be categorized a kid’s flick, let me remind you that the classic novel of the same name (published in the early 1700’s) is both a parody and a satire, so there’s plenty of funny stuff for kids and plenty of aaaaaaah moments for adults.  And, as an extra bonus, in this version Gulliver was a travel writer.  Sure, there’s some frat boy humor (a giant wedgie and peeing to put a fire out), but there’s plenty to give us pause to think as we pause to think about the human condition.

Watch the trailer in the sidebar, and leave a comment if you’ve seen it.

Photo credit:  Amazon

OK friends — I know you’ve listened, and patiently I might add, to me complaining about my back pain.  It’s been going on for nearly two weeks now, and while I tried to ignore it in those first few days, reality kicked me in the butt and it became a full blown problem.  In (very) lay terms, my ribs get all compressed and I get lower back pain as a result.  In the process, the ribs are shifted upwards, poking into my neck and shoulder area, causing additional stress and pain in that area.

I’ve had this happen before.  It’s really nothing new, just something that crops up about once a year.  (The last time this happened was in April 2010.)

I’m not entirely sure what causes the problem.  It could be any number of things, from repetitive motions that aggravates that side of my body (it’s always on my left side) to some sort of trauma that impacts that side.  Or, it could be a little old age and not being able to rebound from these type of things the way I could 10 years ago.

Whatever the cause, the treatment is what’s important.  I have a GREAT chiropractor, who treats me conservatively and with attention to my job as a flight attendant and a lifestyle that bounces from constant travel to sitting in front of a keyboard for extended periods of time.  He gets me back into shape, advises me on exercises and behavioral changes that can help, and does his part to keep me healthy.

So I decided it’s time that I step up and do my part.  I’m actually going to follow his instructions. All of them.  And that means not doing the activities that exacerbate the problem before he gives me the go ahead.

Doesn’t that sound like an easy thing?

Well it’s not for me – and I”m guessing not for a lot of you, too.  Have you ever stopped taking that medication because you felt better, leaving several pills in the vial?  Have you ever gotten up to do just a “few little things” around the house when you should have been resting in bed?  Have you ever gone for a run when you should have just been walking?  Have you ever kept going, compensating or ignoring an injury instead of dealing with it?

Yeah, me too.  And this year it stops.  Taking care of my health and being responsible for my health choice is a very good resolution for this New Year.

Photo credit: graur razvan ionut

There’s nothing like combining two things that you love, and for me the opportunity came with the Italy in Book reading challenge.  I love to read.  I love Italy.  Hey, this is a no-brainer!

The challenge is to read 12 book that are set in Italy during the year.  They don’t need to be entirely set in Italy, just that Italy needs to figure prominently in the plot.  The book can be fiction or nonfiction, and can be about any topic.  Now doesn’t that sound like fun?  And, as an extra bonus, there will be prizes for participants!

Everyone can participate – you don’t need to have a blog – so check out the details about signing up and joining the challenge.  After you’ve read the book, you can write a review on your blog if you have one.  If you don’t have a blog, you can click on a link and add your review of the book in an alternate method.  You won’t have to worry about running out of ideas on what to read – you’ll get lots of ideas from reviews written by others.

My first review was on the book Beyond the Pasta, a combination cookbook-travel book-food memoir, about spending a month living with an Italian family and learning the language and cuisine.  Talk about fun!  It’s a bit zany, full of life, with some great recipes as well.  You can read my review of Beyond the Pasta on Traveling with MJ.

If the book interests you, it is available from Amazon for $32.95.  It is not currently available for Kindle.

C’mon – don’t you want to participate too?  Who will join with me?

In what has become a bit of a tradition, I started out the New Year with some fellow travel loving pals for doughnuts and coffee at the downtown location of Top Pot.  Besides having some of the best darn doughnuts around town, it’s a pleasant location (with free wi-fi) to meet up with friends for coffee and conversation.

As is typical when travelers get together, there was plenty of conversation about where we’ve been, where we’re going, and where we want to go.  Some talk of resolutions and goals, and what we’re hoping will be in store for the coming year.  We laughed and reflected, munched on our doughnuts and sipped our coffee, talked about cold weather and dreamed of warm, and had an enjoyable couple hours.

It’s hard to imagine that a few short years ago I knew none of these people.  These friendships were formed after meeting via travel blogging, twitter, and Facebook. When people say that online friendships aren’t real, don’t believe them.  This morning I spent time with some very real friends:  Pam, Austin, Kelly, Andy, Sheri, Andy, Peggy, and Melody.

Photo credit:  SXC

New Year’s.  The time of staying up to see in the new year, champagne and a kiss or two with friends and loved ones, the turning of a calendar page (and a new calendar at that), and making resolutions.  Over the years my resolutions have morphed into goals, and that’s served me fairly well in both my business endeavors and personal life.

Then, a few weeks ago, I read about Three Words, a concept devised by a blogger who I admire, although have never met, Chris Brogan.  Some years ago he started selecting three words (and only three, no cheating) that would serve as his guiding principles for his decisions for the coming year.  He explains further that the three words need not matter or be understood by anyone else, but should be fairly broad, with a meaning far more expansive than the mere word.

I liked the idea and decided to adopt that approach for goal setting for 2011.  I like the idea that it’s not a long list, but forces me to think on larger principles about how I want to live my life.  I’ll be measuring my business decisions and life choices to make sure that they are in congruence with these larger life goals, so I live more fully and consciously.

Here then, are my Three Words for 2011, with only a very brief explanation of what they mean to me.

• Speaking:  I used to do a lot of speaking, both as keynotes and training sessions, and it’s something I’d like to get back to.  It fits into a lot of my business plans as well.
• STB:  An organization that I tried to get started in 2010, but ran into personal timing roadblocks.
• Delegation:  From hiring help at home to outsourcing, from letting someone else do things to not volunteering for everything, this is a reminder for me to actively choose how I spend my time.

Are you setting goals or resolutions for 2011.  Why not take the Three Words approach?  And, if you’re so inclined, feel free to share them with others.

Photo credit::  SXC

If you’ve been reading the latest and greatest in business books and sales trends, you’ve read that you always need to be marketing.  Every opportunity to make an additional sale, promote your brand, and create a loyal customer must not be allowed to slip by.  And even more than that, we must constantly be researching and tracking metrics that identify who are customer is.  So that we can continue marketing them.

Sounds good, huh?

Well, not so much!  Having been on the receiving end of far too many of these marketing campaigns this holiday season, I have a new theory.  What I really want from the businesses I patronize is that they respect my time, let me make my purchase(s), and stop making MY experience all about THEM!  I’m tired of emails urging me to make additional purchases, follow up phone calls asking me for a brief interview about my experience, and I’m tired of companies that put barriers in my way when I want to make a purchase.

My most recent experience, and probably the straw that broke the camel’s back, was a few day’s ago at the import store, Pier 1 Imports.  I’m not a regular at this store, but I do pop in now and again when I have a selective purchase to make, and that’s what brought in this time.

I wanted to buy a plate.  I didn’t want a set of dishes, matching stemware, or placemats.  I knew specifically what I wanted, I went into the store, shrugged off assistance from the staff, picked up the plate and, with cash in hand, went to the counter to make a purchase.  I received the obligatory sales follow up, “Did you find everything you wanted?” and replied, “Yes, I just want to buy this plate” and indicated that it would be a cash purchase.

The sales clerk asked for my phone number.  I wondered why I needed to provide a personal detail like my phone number to pay cash for a plate, and said so.  She politely replied that it was for their records.  Records?  I don’t want my phone number part of your records!  Still, she’s just doing her job, and it’s the holiday season and we should be of good cheer, so I rattled off my business number, and extended the $10 bill to complete the purchase.

Your email?  Huh?!  The only reason that I can imagine someone would want my email address is to email me something.  Something like sales flyers, urging me to buy more stuff.  And all this focus on maybe getting me to buy something in the future was getting in the way of making a purchase right now.   And I wasn’t giving out my email.

So I told the nice young clerk that I just wanted to buy the plate.  She said she had to ask, keeping her fingers poised on the computer to enter the information.  I said no, that I didn’t want to give out any more personal information, and again said, I just want to buy this plate.  Finally sensing that I was serious, she said that she was required to ask the information at every purchase, but that I didn’t have to provide it to buy something.  Well thank you very much for removing that roadblock so that I could spend money with you!

Now I understand that this isn’t the clerk’s fault.  She’s merely carrying out a policy set at some corporate level.  A policy likely set by someone who is in charge of tracking metrics, planning marketing campaigns, and keeping the brand in the customer’s eye – but who has never had a person standing in front of them who just wants to buy a plate and get out of the story quickly.

There’s a moral to this story.

And it’s not that Pier 1 needs to worry about me as a customer (I only shop there occasionally), that they’ll lose a sale (I only made a small, negligible purchase), or that there will be some major reprisal (there won’t). There is no reason for the store to pay me one iota of attention.

The important message from this experience is for me to learn a lesson.  And to implement that lesson as I grow my blogging and online travel business.  Looking for selling opportunities is great.  And tracking metrics is certainly helpful.  And building a brand that you can be proud of is a touch, but rewarding, job.

But sometimes you just need to stop making the transaction about marketing, sales, or metrics.  Make it about the customer.  Give the customer what they want.  Get our of your own way and let the customer make a purchase on their own terms.

Photo credit: SXC

During this holiday season take time to smile, to laugh, to be thankful, to love, and may you enjoy the many blessings of the holiday.