tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20453438533665896842024-02-22T01:12:31.419-08:00Style With PurposeA newsletter and information page for Out of the Gray, a charity incorporated in the state of Washington, which exists to benefit women who serve others, often to their own neglect, especially those in extreme circumstances.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-21504942858442934712010-11-23T12:16:00.001-08:002010-11-23T12:23:17.862-08:00It's Been A WhileI have been remiss in my blogging duties. Bad, bad, blogger. However, there are still exciting things afoot that I would love to share with you, Dear Reader, so allow me to redirect you to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Out-of-the-Gray/158488604465">our facebook page</a>. This will be the best place to catch updates, until we have a website of our own up and running.<br /><br />Yes, we have a website in the works, and a fresh logo to unveil. Stay tuned!<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />LizLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-43288259515940060092010-01-29T19:17:00.000-08:002010-01-29T19:20:26.693-08:00InvitationYou are cordially invited to <br /><em><strong>Share the Love</strong></em><br />on February 28, 2010<br />at 3:30 pm<br /><br />6350 East Green Lake Way North<br />Seattle, Washington 98103<br /><br /> Please join us for an<br /> afternoon tea, clothing auction, and fun<br />on behalf of<br /><em><strong>Out of the Gray</strong></em><br /><em>Caring for Caregivers</em><br /><br /><br /><strong><em> Style with Purpose </em></strong><br />Not every contribution a person makes on behalf of society <br />can be measured financially. <br />Our role is to<br />come alongside those who make sacrifices<br />on behalf of those<br />who cannot care for themselves,<br />and affirm that their compassion benefits everyone.<br />To represent<br />to these women<br />that they are not invisible.<br />We respect their sacrifices <br />and support them in their quiet acts of devotion,<br />and will do what we can<br />with what we have <br />to increase their ability<br />to lead within their families<br />and within their communities.<br /><br />A $20 suggested donation will be collected, <br />RSVP to Liz Joseph<br />outofthegray@gmail.com<br />on or before<br />February 24, 2010Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-6256972832734374102010-01-14T16:57:00.000-08:002010-01-14T17:30:05.428-08:00Share the LoveFebruary is fast approaching, and with it comes thougts of hearts, sweets, chocolate--<em>loads</em> of chocolate, soft plush things, hard sparkly things, and all things love and lovely. <br /><br />We, and by 'we' I mean the Board of Directors and I, are planning our first Fundraiser, centered around the theme of love and sharing. Faith, Hope, and Love, but the greatest of these is Love. Or perhaps you've heard it as Faith, Hope and Charity. When I think of charity, I think of sharing. Love = sharing. So amidst the pretty foil wrappers and rose petals, will you share a bit of your time by sending a prayer or positive thought our way? Or if you have the resources, a gift to keep us moving forward. Whatever you have to give, we accept gladly. Even chocolate. Well, actually, <em>especially </em>chocolate.<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />LizLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-89820990771402382182009-11-18T21:19:00.000-08:002009-11-18T21:34:58.717-08:00Thanks in GivingThere's so much bustling about in our little non-profit world right now. We are preparing for our first fund raiser. For anyone who has ever started planning something like that, you understand we are <em>scared out of our gourds</em>. We also have a potential opportunity to reach out to several hundred more people by Christmas. There have been offers of substantial help to further things along by means of time and talent, and if all goes as planned, there will be a benefit concert. (details to come)<br /><br />So, as is customary at this time of year, I would like to thank those of you that are reading and sending us all your good thoughts and mojo. To you who have donated, it is a precious resource, and repeatedly I am moved that you believe in this, too. I would like to thank the Board of Directors for your time and individual talents. I would also like to show my gratitude to this crazy, mixed-up planet by serving a couple more clients by the first of the year.<br /><br />If you know of a woman in need of propping up this season, please use the contact information to the right to be in touch with me. The gift is in the giving, so again I thank you for giving me this opportunity to share some hope, some fun, and some cute shoes.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-76487688040090173162009-10-10T11:22:00.000-07:002009-10-10T12:34:58.114-07:00Pure GeniusI believe I witnessed a stroke of marketing genius this week. I went to Nordstrom with the very spefific intent of sniffing some of Philosophy's new holiday bath scents. Specifically, Red Velvet Cake. Yeah, I'm all over that for my Birthday/Christmas wish list. Top it off with a cocoa butter rub down. Ah do decla-yuh! <br /><br />Anyhoo, the store was bustling. And I do mean <em>bustling</em>. Outside those streak-free glass doors, the mall population was listless at best. Store clerks leaning on their elbows, a bit of an echo as I walked the faux-marble tile. It was the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, after all. It's understandable. Not inside Nordstrom. I thought for a second I had been transported back to the "glory days" of Reaganomics where 18% interest on bank CD's meant $300 bottles of perfume made nice office gifts. They might as well have had a banner hanging across each entrance emblazoned with "WHAT RECESSION?" There were at least two dozen employees at the cosmetics counters alone, and about as many in the shoe department. Big smiles. Piano music in the background. <br /><br />For a split second there, a pair of leopard print stilletoes with hot pink trim were calling my name. *get back evil Sirens* It didn't matter that I'm still jobless, even though I graduated seven months ago. Pure. Genius. Help people forget. Step inside our store and we'll take you back for a while to better days. *whispers* Mind you, we won't be paying your heating bill, or your mortgage, or your credit card bill. *louder* Those shoes make your calves look <em>fabulous</em>! I think someone's been stealing pages out of <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/">Don Draper's </a>handbook.<br /><br />It made me wonder, if I walked around that afternoon, handing out my card and telling people about <em>Out of the Gray</em>, what kind of response I might have gotten. Encouraging smiles, whipping out checkbooks? Hmm. I suspect more likely "Don't you know times are hard for everyone?" scowls. The Me Generation hasn't actually gone anywhere. Like the Law of Thermodynamics for energy, selfishness can't be destroyed, it just moves unilaterally. Heck, I'm still daydreaming about those stilletoes, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33075304/ns/world_news-asiapacific/">not these poor people</a>. <br /><br />I wonder if Nordstrom's marketing team is for hire? I only need them for about two hours. *scratches chin* On second thought, nah, I'm not interested in creating ice castles. My hope is built on firmer foundations than that. <br /><br />Blessings,<br />LizLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-69390524373052730052009-10-06T08:22:00.000-07:002009-10-06T08:27:42.708-07:00Sublime(inal)Tis' official. The IRS received our paperwork and Out of the Gray is off and running. (send money) It seems like it's taken forever (send money) to become something more than (send money) an idea on cyber-paper and yet considering how many dreams (send money) never make it out of the closet, so to speak, this has clipped (send money)along at a respectable (send money)pace.(send lots and lots of cold, hard cash)(pretty please) I'm just glad we're not going to be one of those grabby, annoying, blatant types of charities. (with a cherry on top) We plan to be subtle and handle our pledge requests with elegance and not an ounce of pandering. (if you don't send lots of money, baby Jesus will cry) (and your lips will fall off)(it's true~we know Gypsies)Thank you for your support and please continue to keep this venture in your thoughts. Stay posted! (and send money) (if you know what's good for you)Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-21854579232475144032009-10-03T20:47:00.000-07:002009-10-03T20:50:59.201-07:00LunacakeThis is my word for the day. Don't worry, not to become a habit. I have a hard enough time keeping standard vocabulary on the tip of my tongue, let alone adding to Webster's. No, this would be the word that tumbled forth when trying to describe my state of mind to a friend on the phone. *still waiting for word from the IRS* When, as usual, the swirling vortex in my head is going faster than the speed of my mouth (a feat all in itself). I couldn't decide on "lunatic" or "fruitcake". The result being "lunacake". Nice, huh? I think it should be blazoned across a pink tee. It would also be a cute name if I ever decide to open a bakery. Or, should Brangelina actually adopt the whole world and demand that every child get branded, this is going on my derriere. (Lunacake Jolie-Pitt. Take that, Shiloh.) Though I like to think of myself as more cupcake than fruitcake, well, who am I kidding, it's a toss-up, really.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-46181827524983520062009-09-24T15:01:00.000-07:002009-10-01T15:03:31.448-07:00Closer to LoveLeaves are turning here. It reminds me of that phrase "turning over a new leaf". I guess I understand what the intention is, but I'm pretty happy with the leaf I've got. I'll be fine morphing from tender celadon, to a mature, healthy, fully-ripe green. Looking forward to the days I'm a vibrant orange and even, though a tad reluctantly, eventually droopy and faded, a little brittle around the edges. If nature requires a cycle, who am I to jump out of the loop and turn over a new anything? After all, I'm just along for the ride, thank you.<br /><br />I mailed off the "paperwork" required by the IRS to request 501(c)(3) status. And by paperwork, I mean tome. Several thousand hours later...<em>Out of the Gray </em>is one step closer to our mission. Love. So, do me a big favor and love your leaf. Erm, life.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-30113588914786193782009-05-03T12:00:00.001-07:002009-05-03T12:01:10.126-07:00The Director Is InIt is finished! I have finished my degree and the director is now in. Whew. Check back soon...Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-13187500612708043802008-09-26T23:15:00.000-07:002008-09-27T00:13:34.390-07:00DedicationA beloved lady passed away last week. I just got back from a short trip to my home state to honor her life, and celebrate the ninety years she spent blessing people. She was smart, and <em>funny</em>, and gut-wrenchingly honest, but never cruel. To know her was to understand implicitly that in her eyes, you were <em>enough</em>. Children were dearest to her, and teaching and education were her passions, but it was the unconditional love she bestowed on every single soul she touched that changed lives. She was the closest thing to God I've ever experienced on this plane, and alot of what I have learned about giving came from her.<br /><br />Her last request for me was that I sing at her memorial. As a little girl I spent hours singing for her. First, it was "The Sound of Music." Then it was "The Sound of Music" in Spanish. Then French. Of course, my four-year-old brain only knew English but that didn't stop me. I had, after all, a captive audience and a rather long rap-sheet of attention seeking behavior. But it never tired her. It seemed I could only bring her joy, and in doing so, she returned to me an invaluable gift. It would have been easier not to sing at the funeral. I barely made it through, as it was, and it's not like she was going to know if I didn't do it. But even beyond her last breath, she had one last lesson for me about love. Gifts are sometimes most beneficial to the giver.<br /><br />With love,<br />LizLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-34116845369406261152008-08-21T22:06:00.000-07:002009-10-01T14:38:03.956-07:00LullabyThere are episodes in our lives that change us. Some are obviously catastrophic. Others ripple by, veritably unnoticed except for that wrinkle in time which, matrix-like, alters the fabric of our core. If everything happens for a reason, for whatever reason, we are constantly being altered.<br /><br />Last week I went to a nearby lake to meet with friends and be out in our ever-elusive summer sunshine. We never made it in the water that day. The beach was closed when we arrived, and I found my friend with her granddaughter, clearly shaken. Just a few minutes before, she was asked to identify something in the water. It was a woman. With a blonde pony-tail. She was wearing a watch. And she had very deliberately sunk her self to the bottom of the lake.<br /><br />We watched the divers on the dock for awhile, go down then come back up. Down again. Making sure they didn't miss a thing. Yet somehow, <em>we had already failed her</em>. It's true, we cannot save everyone. But we don't know what kind of ripple we may be, unless we try.<br /><br />Peace,<br />LizLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-91588325246778294362008-08-04T17:10:00.000-07:002008-08-04T17:24:46.425-07:00The FormThank you to all of you who have so graciously offered support and well-wishes for this new venture. Cheering sections are always welcome!<br /><br />I am in the process of submitting Form 1023 in order to be granted status as a 501(c)3 corporation. Filing fees alone are $750, but if we want to solicit the Big Guns, it is a vital addition to our title. Who knew tax exemption would be so <em>expensive</em>?<br /><br />LizLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045343853366589684.post-13400461768503055402008-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:002008-07-28T22:36:02.636-07:00Here We Go...A wise woman once said "The best blush to use is laughter: It puts roses in your cheeks and in your soul." <br /><br />I am not a make-over artist. Nor am I a fashionista. But I <em>am</em> a woman with a good eye, and in possession of talents which lead to well-dressed women. I am also a woman who knows what it's like to discover, in bemusement or dismay, that her plans for the future were shoved to the back of a dusty shelf. Whether a result of Providence or careless hands, each of us understands, through observation or personal experience, the black hole that a sense of powerlessness can create right in the middle of your soul. <br /><br />Lord willing, most of us will never know what it is like to lose everything despite our best laid plans, to helplessly watch a loved one deteriorate, or to bury a child. Under these or similar circumstances, the blush of laughter can feel like a far off fairytale. <br /><br /><em><strong>Out of the Gray</strong></em> is not about creating a flawless appearance. We are about meeting women right where they are, in their own space, and helping them to claim what they forgot they own: that rosy glow of a fine work of art. <br /><br />These things should not be left to chance: nature abhors a vacuum and so do we (heh). So here's the plan: we will accept nominations for women in Western Washington who need some clothes, nice clothes. Cute clothes. (Not your grandma's lime green polyester suit, please.) Women who need some <em>time</em>. We'll do a little paperwork, and I will hand pick outfits for them from a collection of new and gently used clothing based on their particular needs, tastes, and shape. Each woman will also receive a selection of donated personal care items. We'll have fundraisers and those of you who can, will use the PayPal button to the right to make financial donations. If you have other talents or donations to offer, please see contact information also on the right. <br /><br />Each of these acts, these gestures, is a small thing. Except they are not. The seeds of kindness, falling on fertile ground, grow into strong, healthy plants which go on to bear fruit in perpetuity. After all, healthy women are helpful women; their successes, their strengths, grow exponentially as conveyed through their offspring and contributions to their communities.<br /><br />Blessings,<br /><br />Liz Joseph<br />Executive DirectorLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09595728198719089137noreply@blogger.com0