Brown is the new black ...

In case you didn't know, Latinos are now facing the same kind of discrimination that historically African Americans have been faced with. Apparently membership in the KKK has risen due to a lot of anti-immigration fear & anxiety with the immigrants coming from Mexico rather than other countries.

I also read an article this past week in the New York Times about 7 teenagers in Long Island, NY who went out looking for a "Mexican"to beat up. They found Marcelo Lucero, an legal immigrant from Ecuador who had lived in the US for 16 years. They beat him, stabbed and killed him. It's a horrible reminder of how racism is alive and well in the U.S.

According to government statistics, racism against Mexicans in the US is escalating steeply. The FBI reports that hate crimes against Latinos rose almost 40 percent between 2003 and 2006. And it's getting worse.

All this reminds me about an incident that happened to me about 2 years ago. I was shopping at my local grocery store in Orange County (before our move here to San Diego), and I was wearing an Aztec calendar medalion around my neck. While I'm standing at the checkout stand the latino guy bagging my groceries says to me in spanish, "Are you sure you want to be advertising that you're a Mexican, it's not a good idea". I guess he had the inside scoop about what was to come.

Growing up, my mother put a lot of effort into making me fit in. I suppose she was trying to protect me from the racism she received for being a latino. Her theory was that if I dressed the part and looked the part, maybe people wouldn't find out that I was a Mexican. When I was 12 she took me to get my hair dyed auburn red, I continued doing that until I was 18. The plan was to present myself as a "white" person. So whenever I went to a new school (lots of schools, 2 jr highs and 6 high schools), my mom told me when asked about my ethnicity I should say Greek, Italian or even Jewish, but never say "I'm Mexican". The other thing that she would always say is "make sure you say your name is Padilla like Vanilla". It should have been pronounced "pu-dee-ya", but if I did that then they might figure out I was a Mexican. I'm actually thinking of publishing all the creative tips used to assimilate me, or maybe I'll just call it "100 Ways to Pretend Your Not A Mexican" =)

The good news was that once I became an adult I realized I had the freedom to be myself and I stared to embrace my heritage, no matter what the reaction or consequence might be.

So, back to they story of Marcelo. Like many Latino immigrants, he came here to work hard, even for meager wages, and just wanted to make a living. It's a tradgedy that most American's don't understand what life is like on the other side of the border and that's why there's so little compassion about the issue.

During last weekend's Project Mexico trip, we took several groups of the home-building volunteers over to meet Marisol, my friend that lives in Colonia San Bernardo. I've observed that by spending some time with her and seeing her family and hearing a bit of her story opinions on this whole immigration issue can really be shaped, in a positive way.

So my hope for you, is that you get to know a hispanic, and you get extra points if they are undocumented. I know for a fact that it's an awesome experience to love someone that doesn't fit into your comfort zone.

On the roof ...

We just got back from another great weekend of home building in Colonia de San Bernardo. Our Terra Nova Church team finished the home just in the nick of time before the rain hit. I'll soon have more to tell you about this past weekend in Tijuana, but just wanted to share this picture of Jon & the girls on the roof of the home ... we all had such a fun and rewarding experience. Hope you can join us on the next trip in Spring 2009!

Halloween & Dia de los Muertos ...

Halloween in Golden Hill last night was quite a surprise! This little corner of San Diego sure came to life. I bought 2 jumbo bags of candy and that certainly didn't last long. The streets came alive and it was so fun to see two diverse cultures mixing it up and having so much fun. The girls had a good time, and so did Jon and I. It was a great introduction to the neighborhood.

So after we got home last night, Jon and I started getting our stuff together for a Dia de los Muertos event we are attending this evening. We'll be decorating sugar skulls, walking the streets of Sherman Heights to visit some homes that are decorated for Dia de los Muertos, we'll also be decorating an altar/shrine and enjoying posole with friends. It's good to be celebrating my cultural heritage and traditions with the girls.

These two holidays in particular were taboo while I was growing up. It's good to able to make my own choices and share my values with my own family now. So we took the girls out last night to explore and connect with our new little neighborhood. I feel that Halloween is a PERFECT opportunity to walk around your block, peek into peoples homes and actually talk to your neighbors.

For me, my belief is that above all else we are commanded by God to show love to our neighbors, and not to judge them. And in the immortal words of Forest Gump ... "that's all I have to say about that".

Now for the really good stuff, this is a painting that Jon made for me last night. He hasn't painted anything in over 20 years, so it's good to see him get back into painting, he's got such amazing talent. So, we'll use it for a decoration tonight for the Dia de los Muertos fiesta. But it's certainly coming back home with me, I can't wait to hang it up above my computer table so that I can see it all the time, I just love it!!!

Happy Anniversary Jon!

WOW! We've been married for 20 years, and I've got to say I wouldn't trade one single minute. I love you more than ever.

I found this wonderful rendition by Allison Crowe of one of my favorite Beatle's songs. It perfectly sums up what I feel today ... so very happy and fortunate.

In Honor of Father's Day ...

These were some great tv ads I found on an advertising website I visit on occasion.

I love the cheerleader one! Probably because I've seen Jon let the girls paint his nails, put barrettes in his hair and so much more. He's such an awesome Dad!

And since you probably have a great Dad of your own or may be married to one, I thought these would give you a smile.

I got flowers today ...

Jon was gone in the backyard for a few minutes, he came back with this. These flowers and banana leaf are all from either the front or back yard. I love the way they are arranged - some wildflowers in a vase wrapped in a banana leaf. They are beautiful!

It was a simple gesture that said so much.

Family Craft Time ...

Crafting is one of my favorite things to do with the girls, we try and include "the man of the house" when possible.

On a recent Saturday, the girls picked out some fun fabrics, I did most of the sewing and Jon painted the faces. They were so fun to make together!

The girls are going to camp this summer, they are trying to raise money by making and selling their creations. If you'd like buy a one-of-a-kind doll for $20, then just send me an email at sophia@sophiacarolina.com and the girls will get busy working on a custom-made doll for you.

Shhh ... Now don't go tell anyone that Jon makes dolls =)

Art by Jon ...

Jon had his wisdom teeth pulled yesterday. I'm making him take it easy. I didn't know what he's been doing on the computer this morning, until now. He just sent this to me, he took the picture of Emily last weekend and then he worked on it this morning ... I LOVE IT!!! and thought you'd enjoy a peek at the wonderful stuff Jon does when he can squeeze in some "spare" time.

The picture is from last Sunday, just after the Spelling Bee in Long Beach we drove back towards home via the Pacific Coast Hwy. When we drove past Huntington Beach the girls saw the sand dunes and wanted to stop and play. So of course, we did. Collecting shells and getting sand between our toes and stopping at Gina's Pizza in Laguna Beach on the way home is our favorite way to end a perfect beach day.

Before and After ...

Stefani wanted her hair cut this weekend so that "a little girl who's sick can have hair". She donated a whopping 18"!

We are sending the hair to Locks of Love so that a wig can be made for someone who really needs it.

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

I think the new "do" suits her =)

My hope for 2008 ...

Our family watched the vintage classic "A Christmas Carol" this past week. I've seen the movie several times in my life, but this time I saw something new, something huge ... it happens in the middle of the movie when Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Christmas Present with two orphans, Ignorance and Want.

I couldn't find a video clip, but here's the transcript;

"They are Man’s" said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it." cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. "Slander those who tell it ye. Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And abide the end."

"Have they no refuge or resource." cried Scrooge.

"Are there no prisons". said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses."

Championing the causes of the poor and oppressed, Charles Dickens personified Ignorance and Want as twins because Ignorance and Want are the twin evils of humanity. And eventually Ignorance will lead to doom.

Which made me think, it's really how WE act and behave towards one another in society that plays a vital role in lives of the poor and the oppressed. When I say we, I mean all of us! The orphan twins symbolized the plight of the poor and the causes of their poverty as well as humanity’s obligation to them. IGNORANCE is the greater evil, I'll speak for myself ... I don't want to be ignorant.

It is Ignorance that says "we aren’t their keepers" or say "someone should go do something about that problem". It is so much easier to bury our heads in the sand because poverty makes us feel so uncomfortable. Well maybe that feeling is good for us. It makes us think, and hopefully change.

I'm not sure what 2008 holds for us as a family, there are some big decisions on the horizon for us. One thing is the possibility of caring for the marginalized in our country and those just across the border. One very inspirational prospect is something called Micro Lending. In case you don't know what it is or who it's founder Muhammad Yunus is, check out the video, he won the Nobel Peace prize for his work and ideas on ending poverty. He's been quite an inspiration and his ideas from his book "Small Change" have been a big part of many conversations Jon and I have had this past year.

So as we end 2007, my hope and wish for you is; to love, give and grow more abundantly in 2008!

Mine doesn't have wings ...

I wanted to tell you about something that happened to me several years ago when my mother passed away. I had just flown back to LA from Colorado for my mother's funeral and Jon and the girls met me at LAX to drive me home. I was walking with Jon and the girls in the airport and a tall black man taps me on the shoulder and says "I have a message from God for you ... don't forget to look up, this is only temporary".

So Jon looks at me right after this and says "are you OK?" I say "did you hear what that man just said to me?" Jon says "what guy?" I say the one we just passed, I describe him and we turn around and he's gone. Now, I guess you could say, Oh, that's interesting ... or you could say that's amazing. Considering my state of mind at the time and the thoughts in my head at that very moment, I say it was more than amazing.

Next meeting:
A year later I take the girls on a field trip that's about a 2 hour drive from our home. It's a blazing hot day. We arrive at the Renaissance event and realize we have to walk a long way to get to the event. Then once inside we walk for about 45 min just to get to the center of all the activities. So here I am with a 6, 5 and 2 year old and Emily my oldest starts feeling ill. She has a fever and chills and I'm out in the middle of a dirt field, miles from civilization with a really sick kid. The crowds are thick, and so I pick up Emily who was too weak and out of it to walk. I put her on my back. I grab the hands of the 2 little ones and tell them to stay close and not let go. Emily is getting worse by the second and my cell phone won't work out here in the middle of nowhere. I don't see anyone who can help, so I figure I've just got to get back to the entrance and find some help.

I'm struggling to carry Emily, and it's so hot, I'm starting to get really worried. I say a prayer in my head for help as I walk and I bump into "him". He says, "Give them to me, I'll help you get there". Yes, of course it's my tall black man again. He grabs Emily and tells her to hold on to his back and he lifts the other two girls, one on each arm. He turns his head over his shoulder and says "Follow Me".

Now let me press "pause" for a second. If you know me well, which some of you do. It's not like me to hand over my kids to anyone. Also, looking back, I remember him wearing safari clothing. Who wears safari clothing at a Renaissance Faire???

End pause:

So I follow him through what seemed like endless secret long pathways between tents. I follow, and I don't ask questions ... again, that's not like me.

We end up at a medical station of sorts. He puts the girls down with a woman who identifies herself as a nurse to the girls. He says to me, "go get your car, they'll be safe here" Again, I listen and do what he says, I don't ask questions.

When I return with my car I find that the girls are still there. He of course is gone. I ask the nurse what his name is so that I can thank him somehow, maybe send a card or tell a supervisor how helpful and kind he was. She says she has no idea who he is.

I think I know who he is. I think I know who sent him.

So today I had some very difficult things happen. And some very interesting experiences. And then some amazing things happened. I'm still processing all that transpired. Sometimes it's beyond believable how God works and like the events that happened today ... well, it's so amazing and hard to grasp.

But that's an entry for another day.

Socialization ...

The girls and I had a really good talk today about homeschooling. They were telling me today that sometimes when they tell someone for the first time that they are home schooled they usually get a response that is puzzling to them. They hear things like "Really, that's too bad that you never get to play with anyone" or "Wow! You never get to go anywhere" or the most common reaction that I get all the time is "Aren't you worried about socialization?".

We'll that's why I refer to the fishes. Many people don't realize that "regular" school is an artificial environment. You are only around kids your same age, from usually your same economic circles and mostly the same ethnicity. Once you finish high school, life isn't like that. College and work environments are very diverse. What my girls are learning is how to relate well to each other, other kids of various ages and ethnicities. The girls run my errands with me, they know how to do grocery shopping, make a bank deposit and other real life stuff. The girls get to see how my husband does his job (he works out of our home) and how I run my clothing design business. We take several extracurricular classes outside our home, and we do spur of the moment field trips every week. We have our "official" educational field trips that we do with a several different large group of home schoolers and we've even managed to find quite a few friends to hang out with in our own neighborhood.

I have nothing against teachers or traditional schools, it's just that I don't think most people understand what really goes on in a home schooling home, well at least mine. I hope this little post of mine will get you thinking about the labels we put on people and how it makes them feel.

For now, I think the girls get it. Natalie said "Oh, next time someone feels sorry for me because I'm home schooled, I'll tell them that they shouldn't feel sorry for me because actually they go to school in the fish bowl and I go to the school in the ocean".

Project Mexico ....

In a few weeks our family is headed across the US border into Mexico with close to 200 volunteers to build homes for impoverished Mexican families living just outside of Tijuana. My husband Jon started Project Mexico in 1999, to date participants have built over 80 homes. The impact goes way beyond shelter for these families, it gives hope.

Our family gets so much out of doing this every fall and spring. A few trips back we built a home for Marisol and her daughter, Karla. Since I speak Spanish we all made friends very quickly. When I told Marisol how each participant pays their own room & board ($65 for the weekend) and each team of 20 raises the $6,200 for materials ($300/person) via fundraising she was completely amazed and grateful. Marisol has had a very rough life; she had an abusive mother, she's a single mom, and the list goes on. She told me that the miracle of getting a home from complete strangers with no strings attached was already overwhelming, but the fact that we all come back and visit and really do care about her and her daughter is something that she has never experienced until now. She's on a journey as we all are, I'm so grateful to be able to be a part of the story that God is telling in this little corner of the planet.

I've realized that these weekends in Mexico are so much more than just building a home, it's about using our hands & feet to show God's love for the people of Colonia de San Bernardo. If you want to know more about Project Mexico check out the site by clicking here.

Here's a video that Jon made from our last trip; hope you enjoy it!

Teddy finds a home!

While at a thrift store, my daughter found this wonderful little scrap of vintage crewel embroidery of a sweet little bear. She asked me if I could make something for her with it, this is what I came up with.

It's a dress; the denim for the top came from my jeans that I cut to make shorts. The buttons are from a jar I bought at an estate sale recently (circa 1940's), the crochet trim from my favorite ribbon shop in downtown LA and the fabric from the the Flea Market line.

I so love these colors together, too bad I used the last of my scraps to make the dress. I made a bunch of new stuff this past weekend. I'll post pics the next time I get to come up for air, I have a very busy week ahead ... but hey who doesn't.

Hope you all get a chance to slow down this week and take time to do what you love =)

The Grass Ain't Always Greener ...

About 2 years ago we sold our house and became renters. It was about that time that all the experts started saying "there's no bubble", "get into real estate now" and "just flip that house". I admit, there were plenty of times that I felt a tinge of regret for selling, but it really was for the best.

Ever since we sold, it seemed to me that everywhere I went, all people could talk about was their equity; about what part of the house they were remodeling next, asking for referrals for contractors, who to use for landscaping, deciding which car to purchase and where they were going for their next vacation. I really would dread group gatherings since I no longer owned a piece of the OC real estate pie, nobody likes to listen to you talk about how much your last rent increase was or what kind of pet the landlord will let you keep.

Fast forward to fall '07 ... I find it sad and yes I admit, a bit amusing that the pendulum is swinging, way over to the other side. Now it's not considered polite to talk about real estate anymore. Right up there on the list with colostomy bags, brain cancer and the lastest Herpes outbreak.

And to add insult to injury, A&E ran an entire marathon of "Flip This House" this past weekend? Was that just a bad joke? Or are they just clueless?

All that to say, I do feel sorry for any friends that bought high and have an adjustable loan. And for those of you that paid a normal, reasonable price for your home, longer than 3 years ago and have a great interest rate and a manageable payment, I'm happy for you ... no, really I am.

Balance

School started for us two days ago. This will be my sixth year teaching, I think it will be the most challenging and hopefully the most rewarding. I'm following a wonderful classical home school education outlined in the book The Well Trained Mind, this year we cycle through Ancient Civilizations again, my absolute favorite time period to cover. The girls are in 1st, 4th & 5th grade this year. I have not posted recently, I've spent the last few weeks trying to get organized and work out a schedule of sorts, I think I'm ready.

In the past few weeks, I've been contemplating how chaotic my life has become. Lately, I've been so busy juggling my clothing design business, running a household, teaching, attending church events, keeping in touch with friends and all the other things I cram my life with that it's getting tougher to juggle it all.

I want to balance ... I don't want to juggle. Not sure what to do about it, but while thinking and digging around the web, I came across this fascinating little vintage animation from 1990, it won the Oscar for Best Animated Short that year.

I'm definitely not a deep thinker, but this little movie has got me thinking. I suppose it's a commentary on our society. My thought is, if they stayed perfectly balanced forever and didn't move, that would be boring. It didn't get interesting until they started shaking things up. Hopefully you'll enjoy or be bothered by it, let me know what you think.

Real Beauty ...

I am very aware of the role the media plays in how we as women view ourselves. And since I am raising three young girls, I want to be "real" all the time, at least that's what I strive for. Hopefully I'm passing down that freedom to my girls.

I recently shared this awesome Dove video with my girls. They all came away with the main point very clearly ... you can't always believe what you see.

And while we're on the subject; here's some of my favorite quotes about beauty;

You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her. ~Author Unknown

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful. ~Ninon de L'Enclos

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. ~Confucius

Bunny & Shelby

Natalie loves to craft. Here's a picture of a new bear she made last night. His name is Shelby, he's got movable arms and legs and she made him a crochet scarf to match his blue eyes (she learned how to make him from a book we got at the rummage sale on Saturday) AND check out this crochet bunny she made this morning, it's a Japanese art form using crochet and/or knitting called Amigurumi - she's figured it out from seeing the pictures on the web.

I'm so envious, I can't even fold a map. She sees things in 3D and can figure out how to make them from just looking at a picture. I'm sure that gene came from Daddy, lucky girl =)

Giraffe's Are Cute!

I made this little guy yesterday. He's so darn cute, BUT it's so hard to keep the stitches evenly spaced and straight, I wish I wasn't such a freak about quality control LOL!

I'm not sure I want to make any more of them, but it's too late to change my mind ... I've already listed it as a custom item on ebay, just click on the link to see the auction. For now, I'm definitely going to have to make 2 more, the girls each want their own.

I may go blind trying to make them =)

Making Salsa ...

Here's a picture of my daughter while helping me make salsa today. We listened to great "ranchero" Mexican music as we chopped away.

Making great salsa isn't that hard to do. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll share my "top secret" recipe with you =)

Start with (6) fresh red tomatoes, (1) small red onion (actually looks purple, but they are called red), (1) lime, (3) serano chiles (use jalapeño if you can't find serano), (3) yellow chiles, (1) tsp of salt, (1) bunch of fresh cilantro. Wash everything and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the stems off the chiles and the bottom inch of the stems off the cilantro, use all the leaves. Chop everything and put together in one bowl. Squeeze the lime juice over your chopped ingredients, add the salt (if you want more than 1 tsp., taste it first, and season how you like it), give it a good stir and chill for at least 30 minutes to merge all the flavors. Serve with chips and a pitcher of margaritas ... and slow down and enjoy your family, friends and the rest of the summer!

ps. My husband insists I warn you that this may be too hot for most people ... make the margaritas first, so that you have something to cool off your mouth =)