MIMI's BOYS

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Jeremy with his son Cole Pic 2 Max 18 and Cole 10 months Pic 3 Cole...Mimi's BOYS!

It has been such fun to have crumbs and sippie cups and little grand boys under toe! This has truly been a Thanksgiving to remember. Now it is time to put out the mistletoe even though the decor changes with each passing season the sweet memories linger. Never mind the unswept floors, laundry and all the leftovers. While people are swept in a shopping freenzy I am choosing to linger a little longer.

As I kissed my youngest 10 month old good bye as he bundled up to get ready for an early flight to San Franscico it made me remember tucking in my son soon to be 32 in a few days. Where did the time go? We were running off to soccer and football and packing for college. Seems like the only room I remember decorating was the nursery, the next years time was spent cleaning and sorting, in fact I cannot honestly remember the color or even the furniture in his room, the smell of football uniforms still remains! And now all I remember is the precious smile that framed his face and looks so much like little Cole.

This brought back the first time he caught my eyes with the sparkle that said "I love you mommy" and we connected. Now, as Mimi I assume another role to see things differently than before. My eye for design always catches the unusual. The unusual caught my heart. I saw the interior of my son light up. His eyes attached to the smile of his son. The attraction was mutual. They hit the "sweet spot". Both corners of their mouths lovingly curled. My heart melted with the interplay of emotions. This explains why a room takes on so many directions and often one color interplays against another giving it the strength to remain. Love is that way.

All of a sudden it did not matter to me the frustrations of the week before and the misunderstandings that Jeremy and I had had over the years. Wasted words and frayed emotions steal our sleep. This holiday truly was a time to give THANKS. Never mind how having a fussy, sick baby is exhausting. Even though Cole's nose was runny he never stopped smiling, that was enough to make us forget his cries. This reminds me of the color of paint for my bathroom. It was a designers migraine. I have been so frustrated with three different colors and purchases of paint. Like harsh words they are costly. If only we could paint over them like my bathroom. I finally 'let go" of worrying about the color and asked my painter to bring over some left overpaint. I would choose from his overages. I selected a subtle grey taupe. It was perfect. I let go of expectations.

This Thanksgiving I wanted to serve my family. There were moments when I was reluctant. I kept letting go and allowing love to lead. I watched each glass clanging as we toasted and lovingly waited for each child's warm response. Even the hurtful moment with Jeremy, like Cole's crying vanished when I heard his warm remarks. As I kept observing his reaction to his own son my own misunderstood feelings dissolved. I now understood how fierce his love and care for his son was. Like I told him LOVE ALWAYS WINS.

My mother heart yearns to always restore and strengthen the foundation of our relationship. Honor mixed with love will be the winning touchdown. This is something I want him to teach his son. This builds a secure family. If there is anything I have learned in a design process there are NO short cuts. You will always pay more later. I often tried to patch up a hurt when more preparation was required. Because of fear inside me from a fractured marriage. I often tried to do a quick fix instead of a lasting repair. I needed to expose the pain before trying to cover it up. We try to plaster our way over the rough spots in life when we really need to examine the size of the crack.

This week seeing my son look into his precious Cole's eyes was a delight. There bonding is deep. There love and compassion will increase. My hope is they will not take short cuts in their relationship and plan their course. We spend so much time planning our rooms, purchasing the furniture and collecting. If only we spent as much time, money and energy in our family building skills. What we own, store and collect is never as important as the time we spend looking into the eyes of a child and encouraging them in their development.

Over the years most of my collecting has been showing up beneath the dust, tucked inside unopened boxes in the garage. The last two months I have been sorting, giving and hoping the kids would want some of the treasures I so neatly and secuely stored. I even found a trophy with the head off, not sure which kid that belonged to but it finally hit the trash. My eyes have been opened. I am thankfully letting go. My heart is filled with expectation.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON...YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MIM's LITTLE BOY!

Have you ever wondered why?

Doors and Windows

Architectural details: Holmsted Manor, outside West London

Have you ever noticed all the different styles in architectural elements? Doors and windows always captivate my imagination . Who lived here? What is behind the darkened panes? Noticing the substantial hewn frames and often refined woodwork entices the senses to savor more. Recent travel to Israel and London in June heightened these taste buds. Sights kept widening my view. I wanted to see, touch, and taste all the architectural elements. Time etches a myriad of organic patterns that fascinate the eye.

When looking through the eye of a camera lens one finds a focal point. As the pictures are reviewed we either delete or save. A trip away always reinforces what we know. For me what the Bible says in Romans about all things working together for our good because He LOVES us kept me going. His LOVE remained my center of attention. Every day was not filled with sunshine but there was always a new point of interest. As I touched and felt the history and researched what was behind the closed doors and gates, a new sense of purpose was formed.

Looking thru gate to King David Hotel Jerusalem

The trip was not only a new experience to assist in a film project(Israel) but also "sourcing" for the newly forming non profit, come create.org. and re-aligning with YWAM London. For you not in the DESIGN world, we are always "sourcing" new materials and compiling our vendors for new projects. Discovery of wonderful products leads to innovative ways to change an environment. I always enjoy when the publications come to my desk- it seems to get creativity moving. One just arrived, got me thinking..

Are you always looking for ways to access change? Change is constant. I met a wonderful writer in London Christen Forester, in his book THE SUPRA-NATURAL LIFE, he wrote some things that changed me. His thoughts on our pasts strengthened me. He said they cannot be erased; however, they can re-shape our history. He refers to how "our soul carries our story".

Starting to open the closed heavy doors to my marred past caused me to re-claim the wood to re-use. If one woman can open a new door of hope and look thru spotless glass to her bright future, then late nights wondering and uncertain days will turn to good. Without faith, it would be impossible. Without hope it would be unbearable, but with HIM it has been foreseeably possible. So glad it has been said "you have a prophetic eye". Eagle sight soars. G-d's gifts create insight, leading to foresight avoiding hindsight. In the case of exploited women, keen perception is necessary because there are unfortunately no beautiful magazines to "source".

Design is a natural. In this new project I must rely on the supra-natural. The doors are opening and there are ones yet to be closed. We must remember not all closed doors are forever. It was once said "where there is a closed door there is always an open window".

Hiding in the past of exploited women caught in sexual slavery there is always more to untie. It is like peering through a GLASS DARKLY tied together with wire. Like abandoned buildings often the glass is broken and dirty. One touching story unraveled in my London connections, one of many. http://www.beyondthestreets.org.uk/index.php/blog/entry/the_church_and_prostitution/

This led me to believe that there is much more to dig up in the graveyard of the past. Lest HISTORY repeat itself we must learn how to be the solution. The pictures saved in my mind are the ones that tell this story. What develops will only be met with more open and closed doors and I am sure darkened, damp windows. If we can COME CREATE CHANGE that frees one woman bolted behind closed doors, then history will be rewritten.

The doors keep opening and connections are unfolding for an art venue in London. This exhibit prior to the Olympics would raise awareness and funding for existing organizations who already open their doors to sexually exploited women. Will you believe with me that dreams will come true. It is time to open doors and windows and let the LIGHT shine. We will re-claim ancient pathways. Open wide the doorways of your hearts!

Commonwealth Buildings London Christies art auction 6-28-11

personal discovery

As co-founders we believe all creativity is G-d given and within the fabric of a women's soul and when discovered it becomes a motivating force to fulfill life purpose. Passion has pushed us into purpose. We women give life. We are carriers for greatness. We believe in lasting cross generational legacies. As a mother, daughter team we expect to learn as much as we impart.

Our creative assignments have knit us together. Our different world views have strengthened our friendships and balanced our sight. We share career dreams and have even worked together in my interior design company. We both have taught art to children and are constantly learning from them "how to create". Our artists inspire us. Vision compels us. Our canvas is the world and we have no favorite color. We want to depict colors that portray a womans' heart. We believe we have a G-d idea. May this idea incubate and create new streams of thought and action.

Our education is not as important as the life lessons. We both have studied at the University of the Nations and consider Youth with a Mission vital to our DNA. However I have a B.A. in art with graduate classes and am even an ordained minister. I refer to myself as the "minister of the interior". We have both travelled the world studying and observing . Joy has completed courses in design, photography and now completing her degree in film. 20/20 vision drives us to continue our search to see a solution for social injustice.

Life is a discovery. Let life discover you. Uncover potential.

Mary Ann Hopkins and Joy Hopkins

Contagious Creativity

COME CREATE.org contagious creativity

WHO WE ARE

Come Create with us. We believe creativity is contagious. We expose women to creative ideas that paint themselves out of the dark corner of their world of INJUSTICE through education and contagious love by connecting women to women who will offer HOPE and practical assistance.

A VOICE

With our creative endeavors and special artistic workshops, women will display their corner of the world through art. This traveling art exhibit will release a SOUND as well as sight. EMPOWERMENT will come as corporations and Nations listen. Our VOICE becomes louder as we are one. We will partner with existing organizations that are active in women's advocacy. Our target will be to identify women at risk, those exploited through sex and trafficking caught in gender and domestic violence on a daily basis.

EDUCATION

We want creative expression to be realized and dignity restored. Just like job training skills are often learned more readily on location, we too believe this collaborative effort will generate new courage for women to face their fears. Inspiration will come as they listen,laugh,and share their story with other women on the team. Our artists will be a springboard for imagination. Art, like confidence, is more often caught than taught.

ASSISTANCE

Listen. Learn. Link. We want to identify the needs, connect and link the women at risk with other NGO's for practical assistance in their area of expertise and lend creative ideas that stimulate new job opportunities.

JOIN US

YOU CAN END SLAVERY OF WOMEN WORLDWIDE. COME CREATE A CHANGE THAT INFECTS THE WORLD. CONTAGIOUS CREATIVITY.

SPRINGS VISION

SPRINGS

an oasis for women seeking HOPE

OUR VISION: A NONPROFIT THAT PROVIDES A CREATIVE SPRINGBOARD TO REBUILD WOMEN’S LIVES AND PROVIDE DESTINY FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

OUR BELIEF: CREATIVITY IS G-D-GIVEN AND WITHIN THE FABRIC OF A WOMANS SOUL.

OUR MISSION: CREATIVE IDEAS USED for EDUCATION and ENPOWERMENT TO END THE CYCLE OF GENERATIONAL LOSS OF DIGNITY AND INABILITY TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

OUR METHOD: WORKSHOPS CONNECTING WOMEN WITH WOMEN. UNSUNG HEROINES USING ART AND DESIGN TO STIMULATE INJUSTICE AWARENESS AND ENGAGE IN BECOMING COMMUNITIES OF HOPE.

OUR MOTIVATION: “HAVING A LIFE WHERE THE HARD KNOCKS ALMOST KEPT ME UNDER AND ARISING TO BE A WOMAN WHO COULD FIX ANYTHING”. *

THE HISTORY BEHIND SPRINGS:

A single woman with 2 small babies, left penniless and a husband in prison and nowhere to turn- what can she do? That was me 28 years ago. The RESOUCES of HEAVEN opened and the greatest TREASURY of CREATIVE IDEAS erupted. As I waited, a WELL SPRING of HOPE surfaced! Further inspiration and help from other women encouraged me that I could live out my dream. I literally painted my way out of a black corner. A successful Interior Design company was launched after years of creative discovery and job opportunities of serving others. The focus and desire of SPRINGS is to be a resource and “water spring for dry women, withered and bent under life situations, and to offer an atmosphere where solutions to life’s hard problems, the cracks in the walls of hearts are fixed”.* My utmost desire is to be able to generate creative ideas with a traveling art exhibit that will create injustice awareness and new jobs.

*excerpts from the Bible Is.58:11-12