Book Review: Whispers from the East by Ilham Badreddine Mahfouz

"Through art, the truth is delivered for the viewer to experience."--artist Ilham Badreddine Mahfouz.

The world is full of art whether you have an artistic eye or not.  Everything has a shape and unique characteristics.  Art connects people emotionally, bonds  groups through symbols as well.

I got myself a copy when I found out that Ilham Badreddine Mahfouz wrote a book called 

*

because she is a beautiful woman inside out.  Her art is a representation of her feelings and thoughts.  Her art reminds you that there is still pain and problems, yet there is still hope.  Whispers from the East * is a combination of combining the emotions and memories of  Ilham's life  with art.   Ilham includes her thoughts on the suffering of the Syrian people.  By using art, Ilham is able to convey the feelings of pain and suffering greater.  We are a visual society.  We like to see the world in terms of pictures and abstracts.  Perhaps, Ilham is correct in saying "Abstract art appeals to me for the mystery and imagination of expression it affords."  

With each art in the book, Ilham gives a reflection of thoughts and emotions.  She shows despite how humanity is fragile, humanity can succeed once we understand the pain of each other.  

 I highly recommend this book if you truly want to get a worldly view through the abstract of art.

*contains affiliate links

Craft Idea: Sports Pennants Banner

Sportsboy loves baseketball, baseball and soccer.  He plays on teams.  This year, he will actually get to try out for school teams because he is entering 7th grade.  He's excited.

So I bought these 30 professional basketball team pennants (NBA teams) for Sportsboy's room.  However, they didn't come connected.  Of course thanks to Pinterest, I was looking at some pinspirations.  (Follow me on Pinterest). For the finished project, I took pictures with my iPhone because my son was excited the banner looked pretty cool, and I didn't want to take out my camera. 

I decided to connect the pennants together with burlap twine and glue, and a little bit of tape for sturdiness.  Sportsboy helped as well.

Once we were finished, Sportsboy and I took the banner to his room and hung it above the doorway and his closet.  

Looks pretty nice. 

Business Lessons I learned from watching Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters Rockin1000 Official Video

You have to watch this video for a variety of reasons.  Not because it is a music video or Foo Fighters.  Because there are lots of valuable lessons that professional business people can learn.  Here are some lessons that I learned.

1.  This takes A LOT of planning from both ends--coordinators and participants.  Think of all the communication taking place.  Every single person in the video had to receive the appropriate information of his or her role in the video.  They functioned as one team despite playing different roles.

2.  A lot of passion and energy is seen throughout the video.  Musicians were into their work.  They  believe in what they are doing.  The passion is shown throughout the video. You must have passion in what you believe, especially in business.

3.  Work is serious, but you can have fun while working.  These musicians were working, but I couldn't tell because they were having fun.  Having fun attracts people to your business idea, product and service.  

I encourage you to watch this video and tell me what kinds of lessons you learned.  

Fresh Design Ideas for Summer!

The change of seasons brings about many new aesthetics from clothing style to interior design. If you’re thinking about updating your space this summer, I’d like to introduce you to J Design Group. CEO/Founder Jennifer Corredor has worked on premier projects around the world.

Beyond luxury homes, J Design Group has been responsible for the sensational interiors of hotels, restaurants, financial institutions, corporate facilities, casinos, and resorts on an international scale. They have accumulated many prestigious accolades including the Best of Houzz 2015 award in Design and Client Satisfaction.


Read the interview with Jennifer.

Faten (FA): How should one get started without feeling overwhelmed?

Jennifer Corredor (JC):  If one is concerned about being overwhelmed, this could be achieved by doing room by room, so as not to feel the effects of pressure. However, the design as a whole should be done on the onset so that the design overall at the end will flow.

FA:  What are some must have pieces that should be in a living space?
JC: One very important piece of furniture that is always necessary is to have is a comfortable sofa that one can enjoy and relax.

FA: What are some tips on updating for those on a budget?
JC: Always remember designing these days that there is an array of products that are very well priced and it can be more easily achieved and cost effective.Having the space plan is a must before purchasing or making any decisions.

FA: Which celebrity did you update their space? 

JC: We have designed homes for several celebrities, though our clients are very private and prefer not to be mentioned.

 For additional information or to schedule a design consultation, visit www.jdesigngroup.com.

Kickstarter Project: Fla_ver Candies and Dispensers

 

When was the last time you saw something truly unique in the candy market? Fla-Ver Candies needs your help getting the message of their sweet goodness out to the market! Looking to raise $10,000, Fla-Ver Candies are a delicious new twist in the candy arena, and are launching a uniquely artistic Fla-Ver Candies Dispenser that will spice up any space!

Just what are Fla-Ver Dispensers and Fla-Ver Candies? They are artisan-designed candy dispensers filled with mouth-watering Fla-Ver candies and are like nothing else out there! Each Fla-Ver candy is a treat for your senses with a satisfying texture that is just the right amount of crunch, and delicious natural flavors that are sure to give your mouth a burst with only a few calories! Foodies rejoice—these are the candies your palette has been craving! The natural flavors paired with fun colors make Fla-Ver Candies the grownup’s choice for a flavorful treat. Choose from yummy options like Mint, Lime Chipotle, or Cherry just to name a few!

Fla-Ver Dispensers are the perfect addition to your stylish office or swanky restaurant where you want to offer a sweet treat, without sacrificing your sense of style with a bulky candy dispenser. Each Fla-Ver dispenser is artisan made, and features a slim and attractive design with a sustainable bamboo base.

For more information, check out  

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1759229547/flavr-artisan-crafted-candies-and-dispenser

Feature Friday: Meet Jennifer Harshman

Every Friday, I plan to feature a woman who has a talent to share with the world.  I would like for you to meet Jennifer Harshman--freelance editor, writer, and writers' coach.

Faten Abdallah (FA):  What inspired you to become a writer?

Jennifer Harshman

Jennifer Harshman (JH): I started writing stories when I was three years old, just after I'd learned to read, because I realized that a person wrote the storybooks I read and that meant that I could write stories, too. Writing was natural to me. Many good writers did not experience an early epiphany or any kind of ease with writing, however, so people shouldn't be discouraged if they aren't "natural writers," or if they experience writer's block.

FA:  How do you avoid writer's block?

JH: Writer's block is usually not caused by a lack of ideas, but too many ideas along with a lack of decisiveness or direction. In between editing clients' books, coaching, and running a homeschooling household, I write a blog post a week, but I have several of my own books in the to-write stack. Part of it is a lack of time—I'm booked solid for 10 months out (for which I am very grateful)—but part of it is indecision, too. Last week I found myself with a spare hour, and a friend suggested I write for myself. I asked which of the eight books I should work on, and I laughed, but it is a serious problem. I ended up taking a much-needed nap, telling myself that within a week I would make a list of the books in the order in which I'm going to write them. (I did it.) 

Writers can avoid or break writer's block in many ways, and I wrote about a number of them here http://www.harshmanservices.com/get-past-writers-block/   and here:

http://www.harshmanservices.com/spark-creativity-writer-block/

FA:  What kinds of things have you written?

JH: ​I've written a wide variety of things, including poetry, grant proposals, articles, website content, radio commercials, ad copy, blog posts, manuals, and books. So far, the books I've written have all been done as a ghostwriter or under a pseudonym. I have a few books that will come out under my own name, but right now I have a list of books to edit for clients, and I keep my commitments.

 FA: Can anyone be a writer? What should a new writer know?

JH: It's so tempting to say that anyone can be a writer, and, with enough commitment to it and with proper help, perhaps it's true. I've seen some writers who were terrible writers, and there's no nice way to pretty-up that fact. I've helped some of those writers improve greatly, and I've helped some book manuscripts go from "Ohmagoodness, this is awful" to five-star reviews. Practice and a good editor and/or writing coach can make all the difference.

A new writer should know that while anyone can be published now (thanks to self-publishing), it is still hard to succeed. It can take years of hard work. There is no guarantee that anyone will buy your books. 

Writing is not a one-shot deal. The book, Write.Publish.Repeat. urges writers to write their book, publish it, and get busy on the next one, learning and improving their books as they go along. 

A new writer should also know that everywhere she turns, right in front of her eyes will be another "how to succeed at writing" book or course. She'll sign up for one newsletter and then will see a dozen more, and she'll buy one book and then Amazon will get in on the conspiracy to get her to spend more money on learning how to be a successful writer, and it will suggest six more books for her to buy. A dollar here, eight dollars there, or, in the case of courses, $300 here, $2,000 there . . . It won't take long before her spouse or accountant has steam coming out his ears and she realizes that she could buy and consume a thousand of those things and they still won't write her book for her.

       ​

FA: Some people think it is not necessary to hire or work with an editor.  What's the point of an editor?

JH: Many people think they don't need an editor. This is caused by one of a few things: 

• They are extremely egotistical and won't admit that they need something that everyone else needs (a little ego can come in handy when it comes to promoting their work, but too much is a bad thing).
• They think readers are stupid and won't notice that a book hasn't been edited. (Readers are smart, and they notice. Don't try to cheat them.) 
• They don't know even the basics, because if they did, they'd know that everyone needs an editor. Everyone. And not just one editor, but often two, because there are two very different types of editing, and it's important to get an editor for each kind.  
• They are lying to themselves and others by saying they don't need an editor. This may be because they don't have the money to hire a good editor, or it may be because they are too egotistical.

​Why is it so important to hire an editor? Any piece of writing is not ready for publication until after it's been edited (and proofread) at least once. Would you sell any other product to a consumer in an unfinished, unprepared state—a wedding cake without frosting, a home without doors and windows? Then don't do it with your writing. 

What if a writer can't afford an editor? Not all editors are expensive, but writers should expect to pay the industry standard rates set forth by the book titled, Writer's Market. Not only should a writer not skip editing, a writer should not have their cousin's neighbor's old-maid aunt who used to be an English teacher "edit" the book for her. With very rare exceptions, English teachers do not make good editors. 

The writer should find a good editor, and then work out a deal. Maybe the writer supplies the editor with 72 quarts of organic apple butter and applesauce made from the trees in his yard, in addition to paying half the editor's rate.​ Maybe a writer makes an arrangement with the editor to make monthly payments until she turns into an old man with a beard. Just about anything would be better than to publish a book without having it edited by a professional first.

Over the years, I've learned that it might take me a while to write something, but that's okay. Sometimes, though, a full book has come pouring out of me over the course of a few days, and I did nothing but write and sleep, and at the end of those few days, I needed to be showered, probably with a garden hose, from a distance. 

FA: What have you learned about yourself as a writer and editor?

JH: I've also learned that four of my strengths combine to make me a good editor who keeps clients coming back for more. 

1) I have a penchant for taking something that already exists and making it better.

2) Helping people say what they're trying to say comes very easily to me. I don't "take over" an author's book like many editors do. It's still the author's story after I edit it, just better.  

3) I have often been the "bridge" between people or groups, and I facilitate connections.

4) Having read 15,764 books now and adding more every day (most people, including editors, read fewer than 1,000 books in their whole lives), I have seen thousands of examples of how it's done, so errors jump out at me.

​When I decided to start editing books as a freelance editor, I drew on not only the libraries full of books I'd read, but on my years of experience editing and proofreading hundreds of papers and all of the writing at the places I'd worked. People sense who the good writer is, who the natural editor in the company is; no matter where I worked, people brought to me the things that needed to be written or edited. 

I started prospecting by emailing major publishing houses to see if they needed a freelance line editor. While doing that, I felt a sudden urge to visit the chat room on a certain website where I was a member. I thought it was weird, because that website was totally unrelated to anything in the world of writing or editing, and I wasn't one to use chat rooms. Why that, why now? I thought. But I listened and did it. Only one other person was in there, and we said hi and chatted a minute. When I said I had to get back to querying publishing companies as a freelance editor, he said his wife needed an editor for her book. Within minutes, I had met my first client. ​We emailed back and forth and came to an agreement, and now I do all of her books, and she sends me referrals. That was 2009, and I've never looked back. I now have clients who swear they'll stick with me for life, and I also have a waiting list 10 months long. Every single day—usually multiple times a day—I give thanks for my clients and the business they bring me. Without them, there would be no HarshmanServices.com. It is my honor and privilege to help writers make their writing better, and to encourage them through the whole process. My best wishes, thoughts, and prayers go out for everyone reading this.    

Business Resource: Newest Online Retail Haven: Shop on Main

Imagine taking a stroll down Main Street, going from boutique to boutique, window shopping, and purchasing the latest trends, all while sitting in front of your computer screen. Imagine engaging with fellow fashionistas and building personalized neighborhoods consisting of your favorite stores from across the country with just the click of a mouse.

These luxuries cannot be found on traditional online retail websites, but ShopOnMain.com is now here to make all of your virtual fashion dreams come true!

With ShopOnMain.com you can fully delight in your shopping desires, with direct access to the best online boutiques across the country. The site is fully interactive, allowing you to connect with other users through its social media channel without the hassle of trolls and stalkers, all while browsing the website as if you are strolling along the boulevard, browsing as you go.

So, I wanted to know more about Shop on Main because I am a big fan of Main Streets, USA, because you can find unique shops.  The interview is me: FA and SM is Shop on Main.

Faten (FA): What inspired the creation of Shop on Main?

Shop on Main (SM): We had several small business clients who were frustrated with their online sales.  We found that it was nearly impossible to help them within the confines of the current online sales platforms available. Most are not really set up favorably for the small business. You wind up competing solely on price, and sometimes the platforms themselves will even compete against you. Worse, the shopper often doesn’t even know exactly whom they are purchasing from. Small businesses spend time, effort and money building their store –but- the only business shoppers see is the platform itself.

So we wanted to create something that would be a better experience for small businesses, especially our clients.

But how to make it appealing to shoppers? Why should they come here instead of visiting the places that already exist? This is what led us to develop the idea of creating a unique experience for shoppers. One where you can shop like we do in the real world.  Pick an area (say San Francisco) then explore and discover … rather than hunt, add it to your cart and buy.

So really, we’re hoping to create something new on two fronts: A better experience for merchants, and a unique experience for shoppers. 

FA: Who is behind the website?

SM: JJSmith Marketing. We’re a small company that handles internet marketing for clients. Our founder, Joseph Smith, was involved in online and software companies like Amazon.com in their earliest days. He took this knowledge and built a small team of talented dreamers who are just crazy enough to think they can change the world. The online world, anyway. 

FA: What do the owners/creators hope Shop on Main will achieve?

SM: Right now, millions of tiny little Mom and Pop stores have their existence threatened not only by big box stores, but by the rise of online shopping. We envision a path to getting those stores online in a way that allows them to use the power of the internet FOR their businesses rather than feeling that it’s something they can’t quite make work. Or worse, something that’s an actual threat to their shops.

We want to create a place where merchants can grow their businesses together with thousands of other merchants from across the country, without just a race to the lowest price.

We see a place where shoppers can connect with those businesses and support them. But also, where shoppers can feel enriched by the shopping experience. Where you can spend an hour when you’re stuck on the bus or at the waiting room and walk away without feeling like you’ve wasted time, but instead that you’ve been somewhere, that you’ve experienced something new.

This is where you can find the unique gems that are hidden in stores all over the country (and eventually the world!) that aren’t found online now, because it’s not worth the effort for the smallest stores to add them to the giant shopping platforms.  

FA: What can our readers on the site?  Why should they stop there?

SM: If they’re merchants, they should definitely talk to us about creating a store listing. Even if they’ve never sold products online before, we can help them get set up and make it work in a way that truly benefits them. We have some special benefits laid out for the merchants who sign up before we open to the public that will definitely make it worthwhile to sign up now rather than later when we’re the big thing online.

If you’re a shopper, then we have our “First Shoppers Club.” As we gear up to launch the site in the next 2-3 months, we need people that want to provide feedback in exchange for some really nice perks and benefits. What do they think of the experience as it unfolds? What do we need to add or change to make it truly unique for them?

We need to know what real shoppers think, and if they’ll actually provide that feedback we’ll make it well worth their while!

FA: How is Shop on Main similar/different to Shop on Main Street in real life?

SM: For one thing, it will be open 24 hours a day. So if you want to see what’s new at the store on the corner (or the corner in San Francisco or New York City) you can do that at 3 am. You’ll be able to add products to your cart from different stores all over the country and only check out once (we’ll divide the money and get it to the correct stores on our end, so for them it’s as if you checked out there, but for you it’s seamless).

It will be similar to shopping Main Street in that you can browse the stores in a particular area without having a certain product in mind. Merchants will be able to create a “store front window” that they can completely customize – some may want to show you certain product images in that window, some may want to show you a video of their quirky storefront, or a video of the owner saying hello… or maybe they just have text they want to put there for you to read. So as you scroll through your results, it’s like walking down a street and seeing which doors you want to open up, walk in and check out. 

FA: Anything else to add?

SM: Merchants are going to be the key to this entire experience. So if you have products to sell, definitely get in touch! And if you’re a shopper who has a favorite store you’d really like to see, please let us know!