La Brava C'est Mort!

Eartha Kitt was definitely La Brava de la Pelicula! She broke barriers as she broke hearts:



May she rest in peace.

GemaV designs shows us a wedding dress she's working on for a Roumanian wedding!!

GemaV's progress on the Prom Dresses

GemaV shows southbeachannie how her couture Prom Dresses are shaping up...the big day is approaching!

Happy 80th Birthday to Maya Angelou!

Maya Angelou is definitely a "brava de la pelicula!"

How wonderful it has been to experience such an

amazing person in our midst!  Maya Angelou

embodies grace, charm, intelligence, integrity,

courage and above all compassion.  One of the

most amazing days of my life was when I sat to

hear her speak in a lecture hall.

 

Thank you for your words, your presence

and undying will to change into

something better!

GemaV Designs Prom Dresses...

It is that time of the year again when young girls gather their parents and demand a prom dress that has to be perfect! Miami based fashion designer, GemaV shares her two prom dresses in progress for two very lucky girls:

More on GemaV and the fitting coming soon!!

Something Truly Inspiring About Our Consciousness!

I have been reading, listening and learning new thought via the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and Unity Church for the last four years.  It is wonderfully refreshing to see the adoption of these beliefs spread as I study them through public figures like Oprah and her "world classroom" with Eckhart Tolle covering A New Earth and the following encounter of a neuroscientist "living in the present" while experiencing a stroke:

Truly Amazing!

What we Perceive!

I think this video captures it all:

Feel Good!

This morning I woke up to feeling fear and anxiety about my choices in life. So, I popped my video of The Secret into my DVD player and watched it while having coffee. The message that struck me today was, "Feel Good!" Since there are only two types of emotions, either feeling good or bad.

Well, I'd like to share the following video with you if you ever need a boost. I saw someone perform this tapping method once, but haven't really given it a shot myself.



There's nothing wrong with trying new methods of feeling good!!

Namaste

Melt it!

Keep my heart while I’m gone

Hold it in your hands tenderly

I have no use for it

Where I’m going

So keep it in your care

And if you are so moved

Leave it in a tiny chamber

Within your huge heart

Let it rest there

While I am gone

Nestled gently within you

Following the beat of your own

A Sad Story, but Inspirational...

What would you tell the world if you only had a few months to live?

Randy Pausch has a moving and poignant tale to tell:



Once a shaman told me, "The secret to life is to live it!"

It's All About Closure!!

This funny video was sent to me by an amazing Bravo named Angel.

In recent conversations with friends, we've been discussing closure with past loves so we can move on. Sometimes I really wonder about the motives behind doing such a thing. Sarah Silverman (definite Brava) shows some interesting insight on this theme:



It's funny how the men in my life (my dad and friend Angel) are the ones who've taught me the most about empowerment!

Que vivan los Bravos!!

Happy Hour with El Bravo! My Dad!

Here's a toast to with my 81 year old inspiration:

Gaping the Void

I really love this cartoon:



It is fresh and offers an interesting perspective on life and relationships. Sometimes it is very cynical, but I still love it!!

Hugh MacLeod, who comes up with these themes is definitely a Bravo!!




Happy Anniversary to La Brava and Her Bravo!

Let me tell you, staying happily married is definitely a Brava de la Pelicula role! My friends Gema and Eddie got hitched back in 1976 and are going strong. They are the epitome of partnership, mutual support and growth!!

Even if I have failed at the life long union, I believe there is still hope! I believe in that one true love that endures all and surpasses all odds. At this day and age it is not only romantic, but HEROIC!!

Hurray for LOVE!!

Another Brava Moment...

This was sent to me by a true Brava de la Pelicula, Judi Moore:

Rebirthing Interview with My Inner Child

Me: How old are you?

Inner Child: 4

Me: What is your name?

Inner Child: Amia

Me: What do you want?

Inner Child: Sunshine

Me: Where do you want to go?

Inner Child: Up that tree

Me: Why?

Inner Child: To see things

Me: What do you want to see?

Inner Child: Everything!

Me: Can I help you?

Inner Child: No

Me: How can I keep you happy?

Inner Child: Just be

Me: Why do you think I left you long ago?

Inner Child: The “others” got in the way and shut me up; they are big and loud.

Me: Are you happy with the changes I’ve made in our life?

Inner Child: Yes, we will have fun.

Me: Do you fear anything?

Inner Child: Huh? I don’t understand.

Me: What is your message to me?

Inner Child: Everything is alright; we still have time.

Me: What do you want for me in a relationship?

Inner Child: FUN!!

Me: Someone I can play with?

Inner Child: Yes!

No More Excuses!

Dedicated to Michelle Oshen (www.michelleoshen.com) a true Brava de la Pelicula!

Okay, take a deep breath…now move forward! This is the year of no excuses. What I mean is doing what is truly fulfilling, exciting, thrilling and really blissful. Go for it! Don’t look back! Grab life by the _____!

Right before the New Year, I went under a health scare. My left breast repeatedly failed a series of mammograms, so after a sonogram I had to undergo a biopsy. Luckily, everything turned out alright. However, the time that lapsed between the first failed test and the biopsy results seemed like an eternity of self reflection.

What if? The C word is an ugly one! Would I go through the treatment? Would I just travel the world and ignore the cure? Would I get a new pair, porn-star style? Would I hide under a rock somewhere? So many questions raced through my mind.

These big questions made my decision to leave my day job very easy. What difference does having a steady income mean after facing one’s own mortality? I reflected on my options during the holidays and submitted my two week notice on my first workday in January.

“Two more weeks,” I thought, “then my dreams will all come true.” Well, those two weeks are over as of last Friday. My new life begins now!

What is La Brava de la Pelicula?

The idea for this concept was born after telling my dad I had met my (now ex) boyfriend’s ex-wife on Thanksgiving Day in 2006. It was a pleasant enough greeting between us, but my dad quickly interrupted my story and exclaimed, “Recuerda, que la brava de la pelicula eres tu!” This translates to “Remember, you are the heroine in this movie!”

“La brava de la pelicula…” statement is a very common Cuban idiom. It is defiant and positive in asserting one’s power over any situation and enforces a winning attitude. Consequently, it is wonderful advice for a parent to give a child of any age. Especially in relationships, I’ve come to consider the fact that I always win. If things work out, I win; if things don’t work out, I win. Why? Because, I am La Brava de la Pelicula!

Later that week, I was having a late lunch at a former speakeasy with a close friend. I told her the story and we decided this has to be a movement promoting empowerment and self worth. We plan to create t-shirts and invite our audience to share their story of how one defines being La Brava de la Pelicula and how to live by this concept.

So, I invite you to visit this site and see how things progress. Please email me your story by clicking my link below. Meanwhile, enjoy the images of lovely Maria Felix who embodied “La Brava de la Pelicula” both on and off screen.