The AWESOME Steven Smith at Umberto Beverly Hills!

Handsome and Talented!

If you want to feel pampered, beautiful and all the while being wildly (and sometimes naughtily) entertained…go spend an hour or so with this amazing man at Umberto Salon in Beverly Hills!

My dear friend, Penny Perry Davis, urged me to go and get a "good" haircut from Steven.  I hesitated for awhile, frankly because I am intimidated by the fancy schmancy ambiance of Beverly Hills.  I do not feel like I 'fit in' at all with the ladies who lunch.  Everyone there is drop dead gorgeous, skinny and seemingly rich!  I am none of those things.  Yes, yes…I know I have 'inner' beauty - blah, blah, blah… but that doesn't really mean much in this supercool, extreme glam kind of place.

Steven Smith, however, is the REAL thing!  No pretenses, no fakery, no attitude…just a very talented and hard working hair stylist who makes every woman in his chair feel lovely and loved!  Quite an accomplishment if you ask me.

When arriving at Umberto one is greeted immediately by several people at the front and escorted to the changing area.  A pretty and friendly girl takes your coat or whatever you're wearing on top and gives you a nice, comfy cotton robe.  Actually - first she gives you the robe and THEN you disrobe!!  She hangs up your clothes and give you a number on a safety pin like they do at some spas or gyms.  You are directed up the oh so shiny staircase and to the back into Steven's private little studio where he makes magic happen.

Steven has a delightful assistant, Alex, who greets you, inquires if you want coffee, tea, water or food.  They have a cafe downstairs.  I always like to sip on nice, cool water.  Alex gets the coloring out of the way, shampoos you with magic hands and then TA-DA…the Master arrives with flair and a flourish!

Those who know me know that I have tiny bits of wispiness on my head which I generously refer to as my 'hair'.  This situation does NOT intimidate Steven!  He treats my 'hair' as though it is the long locks of Rapunzel; and I swear he trims and angles every blessed strand with an attention to detail that I've never before seen in a stylist!

The whole time one is in Steven's 'chair of beauty' he is telling stories, making jokes and generally just making certain that everyone is having a blast.

Guess what - I always do!  I love Alex's shampoo technique and I am sincerely grateful for the miracle Steven is able to pull off with my hair - but I really just simply enjoy spending time with this lovely and wonderful guy!

THANK YOU STEVEN SMITH - THE INIMITABLE!!

Girls Just Want To Have Fun!

some of the ladies being greeted by Birthday Girl!

On Saturday, around 11:30 AM, twenty amazing women gathered for good times at Marmalade Cafe on Ventura in Sherman Oaks!  It was the occasion of our monthly 'breast friends' brunch.  There were only 3 (Bonnie, Fran and Holly) from our original group which started in 2007!!  Over the years we have welcomed so many more to the club in which no one wants to be a member!!

It was a kind of double celebration yesterday - since it was the day before Bonnie (AKA "Booh") celebrates her birthday.  Bonnie is loved by all, has an amazingly generous heart,  and so much energy! She is the one who keeps us all together through her countless emails and reminders.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BONNIE - WE ALL LOVE AND CELEBRATE YOU!

We welcomed two 'newbies' - Nancy and Sally and they are delightful. Thank you Linda R and Marcy for bringing these lovely ladies to us!!

Noreen brought an amazingly fantastic chocolate extravaganza birthday cake.  The darling Jayne designed and styled a princess tiara for the birthday girl.  Others brought flowers, balloons and little gifts and cards.  Bonnie didn't complain about all the attention and was especially delighted that her amazing daughter - the one and only HEIDI ABRA was there to surprise her!!

Cake!

This week we also celebrate founding member Penny Perry Davis's birthday on the 27th.  

While we do know how to have fun and we love having fun, we also support, encourage and educate one another.  Dikla is an incredible internationally acclaimed breast cancer advocate with a special interest in young women with breast cancer - being one herself.  Every single person brings her uniqueness to the mix and we celebrate each other all the time.  We have lost some of our group to death and we mourn them.  

Yesterday- five of us gathered in the tiny and cramped bathroom at the restaurant to share our 'final results' with one anther and to share the varieties and options regarding procedures and surgeries with one of our newbies who has yet to have surgery.  Here we were - baring our chests, pointing  out our scars, ripples, newly tattooed areolae (me) and talking about what each of us had gone through and for some,  are still going through. What an uplifting (pun intended) experience.  

Mom and Daughter

We are an incredible group of women and I love us. I did miss the ones who were not there - especially Laura A, Poopak, Medik, Penny, Susan and Mia.  I was thrilled to see Toni (who has been absent for a while)!!

Bubbly Jayne!

HUGS Ladies!!  Huge hugs from Holly…

Linda…Nicky's nearby!

IF...

I think it was two years ago that Jordan gave me a little book at Christmas entitled, If…Questions for the Game of Life.  The thought behind it was to inspire me with possible topics for this blog.  I think in writing class these are called "prompts".

I've really enjoyed the little book a lot though today will be there first time I'm using one of the prompts in my blogging.

The phrase is:  If you could have a starring role in one film already made, which movie would you pick?

This is easy! It would be the film in which I 'starred' last weekend while at NANTR!! (National Areola and Nipple Tattoo Registry).  I have not seen the actuate footage yet and I'm sure I will be horrified by how I look (the extra 10 lbs or so that the camera  adds) or by things I said!  Jeanine has promised me that I can preview it and approve it before it is released as an educational tool.

How often does one have the opportunity that I was given to play a critical and instrumental role in educating a room full of people who are committing themselves to improving the lives of people affected by breast cancer?

I'm still processing the whole event on many different levels.  It was an overwhelmingly positive experience with just a few little glitches.

At the conclusion I was exhausted and elated at the same time.  I keep reliving various moments of the experience and thinking about what this has meant to me in my own healing of body, mind and soul.  I was shocked and delighted when Brian presented me with the hugest and most gorgeous bouquet of orchids that I've ever seen.  It was so large that when I got home I had to divide the flowers into two very big vases.  All week I've been pleased by the flowers and what they represent.  I hardly ever indulge in buying fresh flowers for myself so to have one vase in the dining room and another in the living room filled to bursting with beautiful buds has been a real treat.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Jeanine, Brian, Jill - you are my heroes!  You are superstars!  The world is a better place because of you and the love in your hearts which prompts you to do what you do...

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY JORDAN HOPE SMITH!!

WOW!

Birthday daughter and DIL during a recent LA visit doing that 'thing' pose!!

How is it that my sweet darling firstborn child is thirty years old today?  I was only 27 when she arrived in our family!!  I could not be more proud and more impressed by and more thrilled to have this wonderful girl child in my life!

Jordan began teaching me things about myself from the moment she was born - actually in the many hours of labor before she was born!  Jordan was persistent in her effort to get into the world, but I had fed her well during my pregnancy and she arrived at a whopping 10 lbs!

She was perfect!  Lots of spiky black hair and the brilliant blue eyes she still has.

Jordan girl - I love you!  YOU are an amazingly accomplished young woman.  I wish I could be you!  YOU inspire me and deal well with my 'kookiness' and I appreciate that more than you can know.

Girl child - you are a wonder and I am forever humbled that your sweet spirit chose me as  your mother.  Have a wonder filled 30th and know that you are deeply, deeply loved!

Happy Birthday sweet girl!!  Your mom loves you to the moon and back!

BEING BRAVE PART TWO!

I made the drive back to the 'OC' the following day.  I walked into the ballroom and felt like I was in a reunion of old friends!  I got a warm welcome from many of the participants and many, many expressions of thanks and admiration.  It was all very flattering but I felt THEY were the ones who should be thanked and admired - not me!  After all, it is THESE people who were taking time out of their busy schedules and lives to travel to Santa Ana, CA to learn new techniques and skills in order to better serve the women (and men) who have had breast cancer and are their clients!  These creative and talented individuals came from all over the country to spend two days learning from the masters (and mistresses!! ) of the trade to help restore confidence and dignity to those who have been literally scarred by cancer and its treatments.  Helping to heal the visible scars goes a LONG way to helping to heal the emotional and unseen damage as well.

Pictured above is the beautiful, charming and so sweet - Jill Hoyer of Los Gatos, CA.  Jill has created this amazing technique of tattooing in individual hair strokes in the absent or scant eyebrow area of the cancer survivor.  A base foundation layer is applied (I already had that thanks to Jeanine McTasney) and then with several different shades of color permanently tattoos on these hair strokes one by one.  It is an amazing process with an amazing outcome.

Jill cracked me up form the very beginning.  She is  a consummate professional and no details gets past her.  Getting my eyebrows done was much less stressful for two reasons - they are not  a personal or intimate body part and I already had confidence in the procedure since Jeanine's skillful tattooing of them  in May 2013.  Jill has a calm and reassuring presence but underneath her fun-loving and joke making exterior - she has a will of steel and the determination to reach perfection that is truly impressive.

I will forever be grateful to Jill for the work she did for me.  I will be seeing her again at some point for some fine-tuning.  One can't be too aggressive in this process and try to get everything done at once because it can be harmful to the tissue.  As Jeanine says, "Sometimes there is a tissue issue!"

These three rare and inspiring human begins - Jeanine, Jill and Brian have gifted me in ways they cannot fully understand.  I am deeply humbled by their care and concern for me and every woman with whom they work. There were also a few very key participants that I became attached to and really connected with and you know who  you are!!

This was an amazingly emotional experience and I know I will be processing parts of it for some time.  I will be staying in touch with all of these fine human beings and am glad to count them among my friends now.

THANK YOU JEANINE!

THANK YOU JILL!

THANK YOU BRIAN!

My heart is filled with gratitude, deep respect for you and LOVE….

Being Brave - Acting with Courage (Part One)

This weekend I did something very brave.  I volunteered to serve as both an eyebrow and breast model at the Annual Conference of the Nipple and Areola Tattoo Registry held in Santa Ana, CA.  Tattoo artists and permanent makeup aestheticians gathered in a ballroom at Embassy Suites for a two day intensive 'hands on' training in the newest and best practice techniques for tattooing women who are breast cancer survivors  One woman approached me to tell me that for 10 years her practice has solely served women who have had breast cancer.

So that you are not overly scandalized - allow me to explain how it all worked.  In a ballroom full of enthusiastic and highly dedicated professionals I was placed behind a privacy screen with the acclaimed portraiture tattoo artist Brian Everett of Albuquerque, NM.  Brian is a unique and interesting character.  He has a long silver pony tail that extends nearly all the way to the waistband of his jeans.  Arms are sleeved, piercings are notable and the smile on his face, combined with the twinkle in his eye, lets you know immediately that you are safe with him. He approaches his work with the utmost attention to detail and he never loses sight of you (the client, the customer, the patient) for even one second.  He has been tattooing for 39 years.  He is a no nonsense, tender hearted fellow who practices his art with an attitude of solemnity and deep respect.

A single camera operator recorded the procedure and it was projected onto a huge screen so the participants could watch and learn.  My face was hidden from view.  I did address them all before the process began and told them my breast cancer story.   I gave them advice about how to approach their breast cancer clients and commended them for their important work in supporting the healing process for these women (and some men).

Was I nervous?  Heck ya! (Not about the tattooing itself, but about the personal nature of this particular procedure.  These are my breasts after all!!)  But - I am a teacher at heart and I love every opportunity to help and support others in their personal and professional growth.  So, I was willing to deal with some awkwardness and embarrassment in hopes of touching the hearts of these fine artists and practitioners.  They will not forget this experience = ever; nor will I!

One participant who goes by the moniker of "Shoe" wrote me the sweetest letter which he gave to me at the end of the day.  This is a rough and tough acting guy from "Jersey"- think Tony Soprano (way cuter) with tats!  In the letter he chronicled the course of the tattoo demonstrations, noting comments from other participants, highlighting Brian's calm and quiet demeanor and mentioning my request to Jeanine to help me remember to breathe.  He told me I was brave and had a graceful kind of courage.  WOW - to hear that from someone who is virtually a stranger is pretty awesome and very humbling.  I am so grateful he wrote me that letter.  I will treasure it.

Jeanine McTasney- is  story all by herself.  You may remember that Jeanine tattooed my eyebrows in May 2013.  It was a kind of closure for me of the cancer journey.  I had for years used 'brush on brow" when my own brows never returned after the chemo treatments.  I wanted a permanent solution but was wary of all the BAD eyebrows tattoos I saw in and around LA!!  I went to breastcancer.org to ask for recommendations and within 10 minutes a half dozen people responded - all giving me Jeanine's name and contact info.  She practices in SoCal and New Mexico, a place dear to my heart.

Jeanine is AMAZING!  Another highly talented and totally dedicated professional.  She is the energizer bunny on steroids!  Jeanine pulled together this whole conference and is on the road to national acclaim.  People came from all across the country for this meeting and her impact is profound in this field.

All this happened yesterday.  Today I will return and receive eyebrows tattooed enhancements from the amazingly talented and ever so sweet Jill Hoyer of Los Gatos, CA.  Jill will (I don't know how) place individual hair strokes onto the eyebrow base that I already have.  I am excited and will post tomorrow about Part Two!