inspiring tee

Military Wife Strong Chick

September 5, 2012 By Debbie 3 Comments

What a busy summer! Been enjoying the outdoors and coming up with new ideas for Happy First. So here I am, back to blogging!

We have been working for months on our newest tees, Strong Chick. Some of you remember our contest last winter where people picked the next “chick” tee. One of the top finalists was Ally Boulas who wanted “Strong Chick” and wrote about her mom, Pam Dominesse, an Army major who was in Kuwait for 2 years starting when Ally was 8 years old. Check out the “Strong Chick” blog post to read her story. We loved it and want to help families in the military. We thought this would be a great time of year to honor them, as November is National Military Families month. We are going to donate to military families with a portion of sales from these tees. Details will be coming soon. So after months of designing, here are our first 2 tees. We have one more coming soon.

Last week we celebrated a good friend’s birthday and Latife Myers (pictured) and her mom, both good friends of mine, were at the lunch. I showed my friends the tees, they were hot off the press. Everyone loved them! (yay!) Then we realized Latife’s story would be perfect to share. So it was pretty spontaneous, she took some pics and wrote me this note. Love it. Exactly who we want to honor.

Debbie,
I can’t express how much it thrills me that you have made a t-shirt for all of the strong women in this world, especially those serving in the military and those with a spouse, or loved one who serves. This t-shirt hits very close to home for me and my family. As you know my husband Dylan Myers has just finished his contract with the Marine Corps after four long years as an E-4,with Bulk Fuel Co. We have been through 3 deployments in the last four years. Oef 9.1 and Oef 10.2 (Operation Enduring Freedom),and the third a humanitarian mission to Haiti after the earthquake. Having a spouse or loved one in the military not only means sacrifice and strength, but it also means having a whole new family, with a completely different bond than any other. Throughout my four years of being a “military wife” I have met so many people that have impacted my life in ways I could never imagine, having that bond with my husband and his fellow marines is something I will always cherish and carry with me throughout the rest of my life. Having this shirt to share with the wives and the friends that we have made throughout this journey will only keep a tight knot between us even tighter. Thank you again for representing the strength we need while all of our loved ones are gone, I am extremely lucky and proud to have my husband home and safe with me, and I wish the best to all of those who need that strength right now in their lives.

Sincerely,
Latife Myers

So do you all know any other Strong Chicks out there? Are you one? We are looking for stories from people with a connection to the military. Let us know why you or a friend are a Strong Chick. Write on our facebook wall at our Happy First facebook page , email us, or comment below. Would love pics too!

ps-click on the pictures to take you to the Happy First website to get more details on the tees.

And Strong Chick is designed for anyone to wear, you don’t have to have a military connection to be a Strong Chick! We all are strong in different ways.

Be a Lucky Chick!

March 5, 2012 By Debbie 6 Comments

My newest tee is the Lucky Chick-I thought it would be fun for the Spring, my favorite season! It’s available in our popular long sleeve burnout and a short sleeve gradient lime tee. It’s designed with green in both tees so you won’t get pinched on St. Patrick’s Day, but I think you can be a Lucky Chick all year long! (Someone said they will be wearing it to the casino, didn’t think of that one-but that works!)

What is Lucky?

I looked up Luck in the dictionary and it said “success or failure brought by chance rather than one’s actions”. I am not really a believer in that kind of luck. Yea, you can be in the right place at the right time, but I agree with what my friend Kim Fuller said on my Happy First Facebook page-she’s a “make my own luck chick”! I love that! I believe that we all have the power to change our future based on our choices. And I know things happen in life, but it is the attitude we have and how we handle circumstances that creates our destiny.

I believe I am lucky because I am here! I went through Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 17 years ago and am happy to be here! (And have you seen that Happy to be Here tee?) I feel blessed with my family and friends and just all the opportunities and adventures that are all just waiting for me. I knew in my heart when I was going through treatment that something good was going to come out of my experience. Through creating Happy First I have met so many incredible people and am making a difference! I have met other entrepreneurs, survivors and patients. My newest friend is undergoing treatment from Hodgkin’s and she lives in South Africa. She found me through my blog. You never know where your experiences can take you. (By the way she is doing great!)

Find your Passion and Pursue it

In an earlier blog post, I wrote about finding your passion and pursuing it. It doesn’t mean you have to quit your current job or anything. Just figure out what you love to do and start doing it. You never know where it will lead you. Some of you know my story, I started out in college as a fashion design major and then switched to accounting because I was so good with numbers and thought I would make more money being a CPA. But I was miserable; I didn’t like it-it wasn’t my passion.

When you decide on a path, it is like things and people just start appearing and falling into place. “Leap and the net will appear”. A word that keeps popping up with me recently is synchronicity. That word showed up in 2 different studies (below) I was doing on the same day! The dictionary defines synchronicity as – the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection .

Some would say it is coincidence, but I like to think that things are not really coincidences. I have really been delving this year (my word for 2012 is delve-check it out). In January I signed up for both the Baron Baptist 40 days to Personal Revolution and started reading a book “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. That book has been sitting on my shelf for years-I don’t even remember who told me to buy it. I started these studies on the same day and it is weird (or synchronous) how these two go hand in hand. I am going to to tell you more about both in another post-what a creative journey!

Anyway Baron Baptiste talks about having a vision shift -he said “our greatest power to change ourselves is found in our ability to see beyond the veil, to see with an enlightened vision. He said a vision shift calls for attention, intention and faith. He quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson- “Once you make a decision , the universe conspires to make it happen”. He mentioned the word synchronicity.

in her book Julia Cameron said “Take a small step in the direction of a dream and watch the synchronous doors flying open”. Another quote she included was by Goethe “Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do , begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.”

I’m not trying to be weird or voodoo here, I am just saying, once you decide and commit to a path, things fall into place.

Finding Synchronicity

I feel like I experience synchronicity almost every day. People are just coming into my path. A couple of weeks ago I had coffee with Judi Groves, founder of Breast Impressions and Turn Tulsa Pink. I thought we were meeting really quickly so I could give her her Super Chick tee. Anyway, 2 hours later we were still talking! She is contagious. She loves life and helping others and has a huge vision. Then last week I went to a friend’s party and met Kayce Hughlett. Kayce wrote a book that I bought on the spot that night-As I lay Pondering Daily Invitations to Live a Transformed Life. We immediately clicked – we are kindred spirits. She just included me in her blog-Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds– I am honored!

Both of these women and I talked about how you are never to old to start pursuing your passion. All your experiences and circumstances are leading you up to what you are supposed to do now.

I want you to realize that YOU too are created for greatness. I want you to find your passion and pursue it! I truly believe that every one of us is supposed to do something with our talents.

What is your passion? Remember, each one of us can be a “Lucky Chick!”

Super Chick ShaRhonda

January 24, 2012 By Debbie 1 Comment

I wanted ya’ll to get to know our Super Chick, the winner of our “New Chick” contest! It is ShaRhonda Williams Crow! I asked her to write a little about herself and include a picture. She has been helping us come up with the design, it is almost ready, cannot wait for you all to see it! Introducing ShaRhonda….

I am just a small southern Oklahoma girl, still trying to find my way into the “BIG” city life! I am a God-Fearing PT-SAHM!?! I have 2 beautiful kids & a gorgeous husband. I am author of my own personal family blog The 4-Crow’s and a co-founder of the blog The Real Housewives of Oklahoma aka The RHOK where I write as ♥Mrs. Hart♥. I work part-time as an Infant Teacher, Volunteer, Coach T-ball, Run a Professional Kid Taxi Service to and from ballet and sports practices/events and am a Self-Retired Banker- oh and am a Social Media addict!

Creativity is just part of my being. When I was a bank manager my employees always told me that I should be a teacher because of the ideas I would throw out there and make them do to achieve their sales goals. I guess my degree in Business Management/Communications applies to all ages at times.

One of my favorite quotes is “When real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep walking.” Carrie Bradshaw. This quote is one that has helped remind me many times of who I am and to get up and get going again. I think it accurately describes the “Super Chick” shirt as well- because a “Chick” who can honestly follow that advice after experiencing some of life’s roller coasters and curve balls, truly is “Super”!

I am very humbled that “Super Chick” was chosen amongst such great entries in the “New Chick” contest. I am absolutely thrilled that a portion of the profits will be going to the local charity Turn Tulsa Pink, $46,000 was raised by this organization in 2011 and I am so excited that we will be a part of exceeding that goal in 2012.

ShaRhonda Williams Crow

Now lets sell some shirts!!!!

Pick the next Happy First “chick” Shirt & be Charitable!

November 1, 2011 By Debbie Leave a Comment

Happy November 1st my friends! I’ve missed blogging! So much happening, I will catch you all up soon. First I want to tell you about our fun promotion!

Pick the next Chick shirt, and win money for your favorite charity!

Happy First was created to celebrate happiness above all things, and my shirts are designed to be a reminder of my philosophy of Happy First. Are you an “Okie Chick?” “Yoga Chick?” “Tennis Chick?” These are some of the most popular from our “Chick” line, but what would your perfect Happy First shirt say? The “New Chick Contest” is an opportunity for you to share your passion with others. In a few sentences, describe your ideal “Chick” t-shirt. What is happiness to you? Post your words of wisdom on Happy First’s Facebook wall, and the top ten finalists will be chosen on December 19. Then, Happy First fans will choose the winner. The “Chick” with the most inspiring t-shirt will get to wear her happiness on her sleeve. And of course, we’ll send one for a friend, too! Sometimes, the best way to get happy is to make others happy. I am committed to donating a percentage of the proceeds from the winner’s shirt to an organization of her choice. So, let’s be “Creative Chicks!”

ps-click on the ecard to send to friends free!

Helping Anna’s friend Micaela battle Leukemia

July 29, 2011 By Debbie 12 Comments

Click on the tee to see details

In my last blog entry, Anna Basso’s Impact on Others, I told you about my sister’s 18 year old next door neighbor in Dallas, Anna Basso, who passed away in June from a year and a half battle with Ewing Sarcoma. My brother in law, Mark Hall, along with his ad agency, Firehouse, had set up a website to get 1 million prayers for Anna, www.1millionprayers.com .The key verse in the site was Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” and they wanted people to pray for Anna every day at 12:12 pm.

The night before the funeral we went to Anna’s visitation. She wanted everyone to wear purple (her favorite color) and bright colors to her visitation and funeral. Her friends and family spoke about her life at the visitation. She had so many good friends. I was so impressed with their maturity and love for Anna. One thing they kept saying that night was what a “Rock Star” she was and how she loved music. In fact, Manchester Orchestra (Anna’s favorite band) had flown in from Atlanta to be with her family-they were at the visitation and later at her Aunt and Uncle’s that night to play to a small group of friends and family. That night the singer said he didn’t realize when he wrote “I feel your pain” five years ago that it would be for Anna. It was a very emotional night.

The funeral was the next day. Just like the night before, their church was packed. I was wearing my bracelet that has Pandora beads and Confidence Beads. My friend, Linda Waters, owns Confidence Beads and each bead has a word or phrase on it. I was playing with my beads and reading the words. The purple bead says “Rock Star” ! I couldn’t believe it. It was as if it were made for Anna!

Then, after the funeral, most people went to the reception hall. We followed Mark and Susan (my sister), with the close friends and family, not being sure if we should, but we wanted to stay by them. They were going to be with Anna’s family while they put Anna’s casket in the hearse. As they did this, the priest looked at his watch and said “It is 12:12!”.Then Randy pulled out his phone, and it was 12:12! This was not planned. I don’t think it was a coincidence.

Instead of flowers, the Bassos asked that any donations go to Anna’s good friend, Micaela White, who just had a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. I am just in awe of the type of people the Bassos are. I want to be like them. They have shown tremendous grace, faith and strength. They immediately went to help someone else. They are now keeping us all posted on Micaela’s needs and progress.

Anna's Butterfly tee, click on pic for details

Micaela and Anna have been friends since they were young. You can read about the two of them in this article entitled “Kindred Spirits” posted by the Texas Catholic Youth. Micaela still needs blood products. Every day, in addition to platelets, she is given 1-3 units of blood.

The day after the funeral I went for a long run by myself trying to process everything. I’m still trying to process everything. I was wondering if I should write about Anna and tell others. I was hoping to see a butterfly along the way (Anna loved butterflies) or just see some kind of sign of what I should do, how I could help. Then it hit me! Design a tee shirt in memory of Anna, and have the proceeds go to help Micaela. Happy First has been giving to leukemia and lymphoma research; this is a way we can help someone directly in need affected by leukemia. I got back to my sister’s and she thought it was a great idea! She mentioned it to Carol (Anna’s mom) and Carol said Patrice (Anna’s older sister) had the same idea too. So now Patrice and I are working on a tee together! The tee is includes words from the band Modest Mouse‘s song “Float On” , featured in the video “Dear Anna” created by Anna’s high school friends. If you would like to order one, click on the picture to take you to the Happy First site to place your order. (ps-I am adding this note 8/1-we have had requests for a crew neck, it is now available-picture and info at Anna’s Float on Crew Neck tee)

Then I realized, I already have a cute organic a-line tee that is purple with butterflies on it! It was meant to be! So I have decided to donate the proceeds from this tee too to Micaela’s fund.

I am so happy to help in some way and I am so enjoying getting to know Patrice better. By the way, Patrice has a wonderful blog, it is www.patricesblog.com where she talks about Anna’s journey. I know this fundraising for Micaela won’t bring Anna back, but will help her memory live on and help us in our healing and also help her dear friend, Micaela. I haven’t met Micaela yet, but hope to some day.

Another weird so-called coincidence. When Anna was first diagnosed, my sister and I gave Anna, her mom, and Patrice Happy First necklaces with their favorite charms. In April, Carol said Micaela would really like one too. She wanted one of the charms to be the relic cross. I went to fill her order and realized I was out of the relic crosses. I had lost my own Happy First necklace with the relic cross about 6 months ago. The day I was working on Micaela’s necklace I just happened to find my missing necklace in my closet! Micaela was meant to have my cross! The weird thing is, after I sent her package, I found an extra cross in my stock. I think it is more special that Micaela has my cross and was meant to be.

I keep looking for silver linings and found one with a new friendship. I went to a business conference back in February-Tory Johnson’s Spark and Hustle, and saw Jo Khalifa, owner of MoJo Roast Coffee speak. After the conference we became friends through email and Facebook, talking back and forth, realizing we had lots in common. Then in one of her messages to me she mentioned that one of her daughters had Ewing Sarcoma 17 years ago when she was 8, and is now 25! I immediately called her on the phone and we had a long conversation. I feel like Anna brought us together.

So, I just had to share Anna’s impact on others. Her life may have been short but she and her family did (and still are doing) more for others than most people do in a long lifetime.

Live in Full Bloom

April 4, 2011 By Debbie Leave a Comment

It’s Motivational Monday again! Mondays come so quickly! I am trying to write this with a spoiled Jack Russell Terrier on my lap. We went for an hour run this morning so she is tired!
Today I want you to think about Living in Full Bloom-living out to your potential. Finding what makes you Happy! Doing what you are meant to do! Again I want to ask you, what is your passion? What do you like to do in your free time? I believe each and every one of us have special talents and creativity inside waiting to burst out! (That is one meaning of the Happy First egg) I think sometimes we repress it because we either don’t think we have time or are afraid to take the plunge! I think we are happiest when we are creating and doing something we love to do! Make yourself take the time to do something for you. It will make you happier in other areas of your life. Take some time by yourself to just be still and reflect on what you would love to do. Your passion might be something that you just do for fun or it may become a career for you.
I am now reading for the second time an awesome book; it is “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen spends a whole year researching happiness and does some new things each month to boost her happiness. She has a theme for each month. My favorite month is September which she titled “PURSUE A PASSION”. I love it-we think alike-my quote I put on my website in 2007 when Happy First launched is “Find your passion and pursue it”.I love this-in this chapter she says-“But whatever your passion might be, happiness research predicts that making time for a passion and treating it as a real priority instead of an “extra” to be fitted in at a free moment (which many people practically never have) will bring a tremendous happiness boost”In an earlier chapter (March) she said this about passion- “I’d become convinced that passion was a critical factor in professional success. People who love their work bring an intensity and enthusiasm that’s impossible to match through sheer diligence.”
I guess I relate so much to Gretchen because she was an accomplished lawyer but didn’t love it so she decided to pursue her love of writing. I was a CPA that didn’t love it so I dove into my love of fashion and encouraging others. The time just flies for me when I am working on Happy First. I get lost in it! I love it!
Pictured are two of my favorite tees- the “Live in Full Bloom” tees. They are perfect for this time of year- one is a chocolate cap sleeve tee. The other is a v-neck A-line organic tunic (great with jeans or leggings) in a red chili color.
I want each and every one of you to Live in Full Bloom! Be the wonderful You that You were created to be! You are unique and have talents no one else has!
What is YOUR passion, something that you would like to do or already do?