Inspirational gifts and accessories
Sarah, of the challenge has been babysitting my girls during their week off from school. They’ve been having such am amazing time with her making Muchy crafty fun that Elie and I decided to have her come today so we could get out and work on Muchness together!
Check out Molly, the Muchness monster from last week!!
Can’t wait to see what we come home to today!
I haven’t written too much lately. It’s not that I have nothing to write about, it’s that I feel a little overwhelmed. There is so much I want to do – so many places I want to take The Muchness Movement, and so little time in which to do it. Today is September 2nd. 3rd. It’s 12:15 in the morning. I’d been thinking about this post for a few days, and planned to post it in September 1st. September. That’s the month. If you check out the little ticker in the left hand corner, It’s getting close. Just 22 days away. 22 days and it will be two years since we said goodbye to Sunshine & Daisy. Two years since I (unknowingly) said goodbye to my old life and started building the one I have now. I still miss them. I’ll always miss them. My arms still ache to hold them. I still wonder what they would have looked like. What they would have smelled like. How it would have felt to have two identical looking babies look up at me, smiling.
I only see them in my mind as babies. I know some babyloss moms are different. They envision what their baby may have looked like as they got older. I don’t know. Maybe I do that too. I look at babies that are close to their age but I don’t imagine them that way. They’d have been premies. They’d have been smaller. There are just too many unknowns for me to make an accurate picture in my mind, so I avoid doing it.
I realized that I started this Muchness project in April. The twins were conceived in April. They lived for almost 24 weeks inside me. And here we are, three weeks away. Once I realized what The Muchness was capable of, I made it my personal goal to grow this project to really huge proportions by September 25th. I regret that I have not been as single-minded and focused as I wanted to be, and now the anniversary is looming and I’m feeling overwhelmed by all I want to do.
So, I’ve decided to take my to-do list ‘public’ and post it on this site. If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last 2 years…. well, then that would be pretty sad because I’ve learned about a million things I never knew (back when I thought I was so smart, ironically) Anyhow, I know that when I put my feelings out there, it helps me move through them. When I share them with others, it helps me to stop swallowing them whole because they can just choke you. So, I’ve made a list. I’ve started a list. I’m even having a hard time finishing the list, let alone the things on it. Fabulous.
22 days to make a dent in the list and enlarge the Muchness Movement footprint. Molly and Liat are amazing little girls who will undoubtedly make their mark on this world. I want to pass on to them the inspiration and strength that their sisters taught me. That is Sunshine & Daisy’s gift to our family, and to any other individual or family that is affected by The Muchness. Their bodies may not have lived outside my body but their spirit does. I believe it is my responsibility to make this their legacy. God, that sounds so melodramatic. I almost deleted it. But I didn’t. Because I believe it. (and besides, The Muchy Tova is nothing if not dramatic 😉 )
September 1st, 2009. Our ultrasound tech, Sureka, said the babies were looking really good that day, so against standard protocol, she pulled out the 3-D ultrasound wand and took some pictures for us of our beautiful, healthy, identical looking babies. What a gift those pictures were then. And even more so now.
Sunshine & Daisy. Forever Missed & Always In Our Hearts.
Can’t wait for TODAYS Muchness Pic!!!!
She better not not post!!!!
hahahahaha
My aunt Nina is a world traveler, seeing our planet by way of cruise ship. What a joy that would be (for someone who never gets motion sickness…. 🙂
Nina writes:
I was in Rio on a cruise about 6 months ago.. and we were wandering
the designer shops on the fashionable street (equivalent to Madison
Ave) and came across this bag designer.. I snapped this thinking of
you…
—
I think these are awesome. Quirky and unique, those bags with the scenes are magnificent.
Thanks for sharing!!!!
Artist:
http://www.gilsonmartins.com.br/lojas.html
A few Days back April posted about how The Muchness Challenge has helped her find her voice, find the confidence to speak up when she knows something should be said and others just sit back and watch, and it made me remember a time, many years ago, when a pregnant woman on the subway was clearly in need of a seat but no one was standing to offer her one. (I was standing too, obviously) In my head, I was yelling at these people “STAND UP! GIVE THIS PREGNANT WOMAN YOUR SEAT” but out of my mouth, not a sound was heard.
I wrote that if that situation presented itself today, I am quite certain I’d speak up without a moments hesitation.
And there it was. This morning. On the bus. I’d waited forever because service was limited (Thanks again Irene). The bus went along it’s way and I started writing in my notebook, oblivious to the world. At the last stop before getting on the highway, I heard the bus driver tell the potential passenger that there were no seats left, she’d have to stand. I looked up, glanced out the window and saw that the woman was wearing an infant in a carrier strapped to her chest. Without even a moment to think I stood up and called to the front of the bus – “She can have my seat!” — I didn’t even know I did it. I walked to the front of the bus to make sure the driver had heard me and she knew of my offer. Then she asked me if there was another seat for her toddler. And here’s where it got interesting…
I looked towards the back of the bus and saw what might have been an empty seat. But I couldn’t be sure. So I called out- loud “Are there any seats back there?” and I didn’t even care that I completely broke the sound barrier of silence. Nor did I care that no one answered me, rather a few just shuffled uncomfortably. Then a gentleman got up and offered his seat.
But then, the woman didn’t get on because her annoying friend wanted to wait for the next bus. So, I walked back to my seat, without an ounce of self-conciousness.
After sitting for a moment, when the bus started moving again, I realized what I’d done, and that my heart wasn’t thumping and my foot wasn’t tapping and I wasn’t at all concerned if people were annoyed that my actions had held the bus up for a minute or two. And that, was an awesome Muchy feeling.
So, shortly before we lost power, (Thanks again Irene!) I found myself inexplicably drawn to the television to watch the profound reality of two of TV’s most radiant reality stars, IceT & his delicate wife, Coco.
I know it sounds a little like I am judgmental, and well, in certain ways, I am. But mostly just because they are such characters that they, well, that they have a friggin’ reality show! But the truth is, of the little bit I saw of them on the episode I watched, I kinda liked them. They seem to have a really pleasant rapport with one another, and there is a certain genius, I believe, to using the media like the well oiled money machine it is, to line your pockets. It is why I will always secretly love The Spice Girls. (Every boy and every girl- Spice up your life!) But, of course, all of this is weeeell besides the point.
The point is, I want her laptop cover.
...But I want mine to say MUCHNESS.
Encrusted with pink gradient crystals on every square milliliter!? PINK GRADIENT CRYSTALS???? Those are, without a doubt, three of my most favorite words in the english language.
I can prove it to you. Check out the shoes I wore to my wedding:
SEE? Pink. Gradient. Crystals.
I didn’t even care about anything else when I married the love of my life.
Table linens? Peh.
Bridesmaids Dresses? Wear what you want.
Menu? Whatever, just no stinky cheese table.
My Dress? Not so important, as long as it highlights my waist and shoes.
Shoes? 16 hours of watching Law & Order SVU, late at night, while glueing rhinestones, one, by one, by one.
….And it alllll comes together…
Irene took all our power. Literally. She swooped into town in what felt like nothing more than an overnight rainstorm. We awoke to blinking clocks that needed to be reset. I thought “really?? This is what the drama was all about? It’s not even raining anymore!”
I turned on my computer, took my phone off the charger and started feeding the kids.
And then, the power went down. Ten minutes later it still was off. An hour later I learned that a tree that had been holding on by a limb (pun intended) had fallen and taken a transformer with it. 24 hours later were still powerless. And 24 hours from now we may still be. Talk about chaos. And thawed expensive organic grass fed beef. I am not amused.
So, please forgive the lack of posts before and after this one. But, I did just have a super Muchness moment I wanted to share. April, you’d be proud.
It’s coming soon!
Xox, Tova
So, I have a whole fresh batch of Muchness bands currently on order at the factory. They should be in by the end of the week and I am psyched to start promoting them because they’re HAWT.
It’s often hard to know how to reach out and show someone you care, especially when you don’t really know what would be appropriate, or you are concerned about saying the wrong thing. Muchness Bands are sort of like a little token of strength and support. It is a unique and personalized way to tell someone you know they are in pain, but you believe they are strong and resilient. And perhaps a little fantastically awesome too.
If you like the idea, but are concerned the recipient will not ‘get it’ because they are unfamiliar with The Muchness Movement, I’ve got you covered. Because I think about these things. because thinking about them makes me happy. And that’s My muchness.
So-
When you order a Muchness Band it comes beautifully wrapped in tissue paper, sealed with a sparkly little Sunflower and Daisy. In addition to the silk band and the matching satchel, the recipient will find a glittering book of blank paper strips on which to write their secret notes to themselves to slide into the secret pocket. (I call them wish strips) But most importantly, they’ll receive a Mini Muchness Booklet. It’s four little pages that describs ‘What is Muchness’, and the meaning and significance behind the Muchness Band. It will undoubtedly bring a little light and joy to their day, to know you are thinking of them and selected something so personal and meaningful to show them how much you care.
Packaged with the "Whats Muchness?" Mini booklet, and the strips of secret message paper.
Beautifully wrapped and sealed with some Sunshine & Daisy Muchness.
All packed up and ready to go!
Of course, if you get it for yourself it still comes with all the muchy accessories. 🙂
When you place your order, expect about 1-2 weeks for the custom quote design. And check out this page for ideas for sentimental quotes! You can choose one of those, or send me your own, or just write something that means something to you! I can fit as many as 75 words, or as few as two. It’s up to you!!
I’m not great with remembering important dates so I pre-wrote this post to go live today. Sending Muchy thoughts to a friend whose got a big day tomorrow. You know who you are!
If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but you think you can’t
It is almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!
Thank you Uma & yvette!!
