Life in the Prime!

Posted on May 16, 2018 by tiffany

The beginning of an epiphany:

In preparing for our vacation to Belize, I discovered a picture of a fearless young girl jumping off the end of the pier at The Villa Groovy Gecko. I admired her youthful inhibitions and knew I had to recreate that picture! {See Take The Leap}

The Villa Groovy Gecko, our vacation home in Placencia, was perfect! After a tour and home instructions, the gang didn’t waist any time tackling island life. First stop, floating in the pool, then we made cocktails and soaked it all in. Jeff tried out the paddle boards and a few of us headed to the pier to watch.

The pier was calling me. I knew in my gut that it was time for me to take the leap! I wanted to get this act of bravery over with. The only problem was a rare influx of seaweed had washed up shore. The water looked mucky and I had no idea of what I’d be swimming with. Even in my younger days I didn’t like to swim in lake or ocean water. I just kept thinking, “I can’t let that young girl have all the fun.” So I did it… I took the leap!

Our dreamy trip to Belize

I can honestly say our vacation to Belize was the best! I fell in love with The Villa Groovy Gecko, and the entire staff who took such good care of us. It was special to experience a bucket list dream with my hubby and best friends! The weather was great with only one day of rain. The day it rained, my friends and I had a epic dance party in the foyer. #winning I watched the sunrise every morning from the end of the pier, and experienced a breezy massage there too. There were adventures in the village, at a waterfall and a sunset sail. Finally, at our last dinner Jeff and I went international with our karaoke version of Inspite Of Ourselves (a John Prine song).

The vacation was everything I imagined and more! Here are a few highlights:

The Epiphany

I had plenty of time to think. The ocean breezes and the jungle air helped clarify a few things for me.

Conversations I had with Kelly and Michele, while lazily hanging at the pool, stuck with me. {This is where the epiphany set in} I’ll be 50 years young in two years. I am middle aged.

I don’t feel old. I don’t act old. I still have HUGE dreams. So, why would this number even effect me???

Dreams aren’t reserved for the young, but for the young at heart. I believe the only real limitations I have are the ones I create. I still have thirty plus years to blow up my dreams, and the confidence that I lacked in my youth. Watch out!

Future plans?

When I returned home, I had a conversation with Jeff about focusing energy on our middle age. It is time for us to get laser focused on what we want, where we want to go and how we’ll get there. No time to waste!

Kelly, Michele and I agree that there is a market for women (and men) who are coming into a new freedom. After raising a family and/or pursuing the career of our youth, it is time to pursue out of the box ideals.

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal ~Earl Nigthengale

I believe success is defined differently in the prime of life. “Worthy ideals” may be a call to travel, or start a new business, or maybe it is time to do volunteer work on a passion project.

After the conversations I had with my tribe (Jeff, Kelly, Jason & Michele)… and my epiphany in Belize… it is no coincidence that I found an advertisement for Prime Women Magazine, “Redefining the ageless generation.” BINGO! Confirmation to my hunch.

There are a bazillion ideas running through my head. The future looks as mucky as the water I leaped into at the end of the pier in Belize. One thing I know for sure, I am not letting the young have all the fun! I’ll take the leap! Here are a few things I’m working on:

I love the course Flown The Coop is on. Creative At The Coop classes start this Saturday (May 19th). I LOVE all our product lines and supporting local entrepreneurs. The redesigned the store looks amazing! Exciting times!
Jeff and I are planning the start of our guest house project. This is going to be challenging, but so rewarding! Stay tuned!
I’m going to attack business ventures with confidence. I am currently building three businesses; Flown The Coop, Young Living and now Scout & Cellar. They are all wellness focused and allow me to express my passion for entrepreneurial endeavors.
Travel and travel real estate is calling my tribe. Currently researching vacation property. AND… Kelly, Michele and I are looking at relaunching a travel project we started nine years ago. EEKS!
Wellness has taken on a whole new meaning for me. I started my wellness journey in response to health crisis. Now, I want to make wellness an integral part of my life. I am going to be extremely picky what I ingest, inhale and/or place on my body. I am going to be even pickier about the thoughts that I entertain. I need my body to keep up with all the business, travel and lifestyle adventures I have planned.

No more inhibitions, I am a women in my PriMe!

Reach out to me by email or comment below if you can relate to life in the prime!

I’d love to talk with you about entrepreneurship in the prime years.
I’d love to encourage you in moving past limitations.
Let me know what travel interests you have.

Life is a journey, come travel with me!

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

Taking The Leap

Posted on April 6, 2018 by tiffany

Photo cred: Ryann Beck

I was I glad to say good bye to 2017. Last year was a challenge, to say the least. I shared about my health struggles in a June blog post Zest For Life.

I gleefully leaped into 2018!

Before 2017 ended, I immersed myself in self help books, podcasts and youtube videos. I was inspired to dream again. I created a bucket list, then encouraged my family to create their own bucket lists to share at Christmas. {side note: sharing bucket lists at Christmas is a fun activity. I use the bucket lists for future presents ideas}

One item on my bucket list is a vacation to Belize. There is a difference between a trip and a vacation. My heart longs for a relaxing tropical vacation! In my mind’s eye, I see a whole house on the ocean with a pool. I want to feel ocean breezes while I sip cocktails by a pool. {A pool is ideal, because It is not dreamy to lay on a sandy towel with grit in my crevices.} I also see hiring a chef to take care of us. Wouldn’t that be luxurious?

I set my bucket list aside to work on figuring out 2018. The list lingered in my thoughts as I struggled to live in the present moment. Although my wellness journey is continually making an amazing difference in my life, personal loss and business struggles were getting me down. Months later, following the advice of another podcast, I put a price tag to some of my dreams.

I did a quick search of homes in Belize. Can you imagine my excitement when I discovered most of the homes for rent included a chef????? In my excitement, I posted a picture of The Villa Groovy Gehko to Facebook. This property is a perfect match! So glad I’m an over-sharer on Facebook. I love sharing dreams! It resonated with many of my Facebook friends.

Fast forward a couple weeks… enter my adventurous tribe into the bucket list story. The three of us are world class dreamers! The time felt right to discuss our next adventure. We’ve been throwing around a trip to Italy for years, and it will happen one day!!!! Kelly threw out the idea of Belize. She shared my desire for a true vacation. The house I found to rent would be a perfect and could include husbands and friends. So, we invited Jason and Jeff. Later our friend Laurie joined the adventure.

After a little prodding from Kelly, Jeff agreed to the adventure. My tribe truly believes that life is too short… TAKE THE TRIP. You always need something zesty to look forward to! I am so glad that Kelly persisted. This trip has been dripping zest into another struggling year.

Just in the nick of time

As I write this blog post, Texas Antiques Week is coming to an end and our trip to Belize is less than thirty days away!

Flown The Coop will be open eighteen straight days during the spring show. I absolutely love seeing so many wonderful friends who make the bi-annual pilgrimage to our neck of the woods. I love junking… but it’s the people I’ve come to know and love who make it truly special.

Honestly, it is the people that keeps me going. I appreciate all of you!

Unfortunately, the first quarter of 2018 has not been an improvement from last year. Trends in retail have been harsh on a very small shop struggling to survive in a secret town that often feels like a ghost town. Burton takes one step forward and six steps back. I’ve seen businesses come and go.

Thank God for my wellness journey and focusing on Young Living! It has turned into a passion, keeping me well and in good spirits as I face monumental decisions concerning Flown The Coop.

{credit also goes to all the great podcasts I pour over – keeping my thoughts positive}

The dreamer in me will not give up the ghost. Jeff and I have long talks about various directions Flown The Coop could go. There will be slow changes over time. I believe God will lead me to the perfect plan. He gave me a rainbow over Burton three years ago as a sign. He knows the plans he has for me, plans for a hope and a future. He knew I would need this trip to Belize at this very point in my journey. God is good!

I can’t wait to get to Belize! This tropical vacation is the rejuvenation I need to conquer the remaining of 2018. I will be jumping off the pier in celebration of a dream realized, which symbolizes hope for dreams to come!

“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?”
― Erin Hanson

My advice to you… Go for it! Take the trip! BE a big thinker in a small world. Believe in abundance. See possibilities everywhere.

The end of Texas Antiques WEEKSSSS will bring slight changes to The Coop.

We’ll be closed on Sundays starting on April 8th. Jeff and I need a day to recharge our batteries and enjoy adventures together.
We are also going to start on my beloved Guest House project. YEAH!!!!
The Coop will offer more classes. Stayed tuned!!!!!

We will also be closed the first week of May…. #Unbelizable.

Take the leap… take the trip… go for it! Fly!

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

The Year of Joy

Posted on December 3, 2015 by tiffany

In January I declared 2015 to be the year of living Wholeheartedly. Every year seems to have a focus and a Pinterest Board to match. I learned this year to accept myself. I am a dreamer, a risk taker and persistent; character traits that at one time I believed to be construed as selfish. Now I know that I can’t run from who I am. These themes run through all the yearly boards I create. Here’s one of my favorite pins from Living Wholeheartedly 2015…

2016 The Year Of Joy

I am declaring 2016 the year of JOY! A Pinterest Board The Year Of Joy 2016 has been created. For something more tangible, I’ve also started a Joy Jar.

It is empty now. I hope to fill it with moments of joy that I can read next December, an idea I’ve seen posted to Facebook several times in the past few weeks. Wonder what I’ll discover about myself in the Year of Joy?

A moment of joy

I already have a moment of joy to put in my jar. Yesterday I stopped into Branded Boutique, a cute little boutique in Brenham, Texas. I was looking for a new outfit for our Christmas picture. I’m not exactly a fashionista, but I don’t want to look frumpy for our Christmas card. I left with a gift for myself that just made me smile! {Please don’t judge, I know “things” aren’t supposed to make you happy.}

Every Gen.U.Ine FREE spirit needs a pair of Living Your Dream boots!

What’s behind the smile?

As I was purchasing these amazing new boots, I mentioned to the adorable shop owners how perfect these boots were for me to wear at Flown The Coop. I learned a little bit about these sisters who run the the family owned boutique and shared a little bit about The Coop. It was fun to talk shop with other entrepreneurs and kindred spirits.

Various social media platforms and this blog allow me share these experiences, and the fellow dreamers and risk takers I meet. This is what truly makes my heart soar and is behind the smile! I’ve discovered that I LOVE cross promoting other small businesses.

Cross promoting

I learned the importance of cross promoting in 2008 when I had the privilege of hanging out with early adapters who led by example. My best friends; Michele Savoldi, owner of Columbus Impressions and Kelly Blanton, co owner of Sugar Pie Tees built their businesses by sharing themselves and the businesses they admire.

The success of Flown The Coop can be contributed to the many people who share their experiences at The Coop! I appreciate all the friends of Flown The Coop who posted to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Looking back through Visitors Posts on Facebook and Photos Of You on Instagram testifies! Every post ads to my joy! THANK YOU!!!!!!!

I also appreciate the kindred entrepreneurs who understand cross promoting. Businesses that have a large following can do so much in helping small businesses! I have some great friends in the Roundtropolis who get it…

This year I was totally blown away by a few.

One day Tara Royer Steele, from the famous Royers Pie Haven and Royer’s Round Top Cafe, came to visit The Coop. I had never officially met Tara, but recognized her when her precious family stopped in. I enjoyed chatting briefly and watching her son carry their purchases to the car. So sweet! Not long after they left I noticed @thepiequeen post to Instagram. That weekend a few people shopped The Coop because they saw Tara’s post. I’m not sure if she knew how that simple act of kindness made my day!

I’m blessed to have cross promoting friends in and around Burton. Here’s a few:

Abbey Road is a natural promoter. Her recent Where The Back Roads End article is spot on!
Denise Withington, the Kountry Chick Karaoke & DJ has been a great promoter!
Beverly Martines, owner of Bel Solé B&B, has shared all the many uniques finds she has purchased from The Coop.
Pamela and Eric Hutchins of Skipjack Publishing are promoting rock stars!
Theresa Cano, owner of Garden Antqs Vintage, is a master of cross promoting our friends in the junker world. I’ve appreciated her posts about Flown The Coop!

Burton has a hard working team at The Burton Chamber Of Commerce who are continually looking for ways to promote other businesses. I’ve been blessed by these ladies who continually promote Burton on their business pages.

Act of kindness

Local businesses count on your support. It is an act of kindness to choose to shop small and local anytime of the year. Go a step further and tell your friends about your shopping small experiences on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I promise your time sharing will not go unnoticed and will be appreciated!

My first Joy Jar memory is a moment of joy shopping at Branded Boutique. I met sisters pursuing their dreams and left with an awesome pair of boots. That shopping small experience got me thinking about the importance of cross promoting. I am so blessed to have friends who continually promote The Coop. Thank God they embrace my dreams, risk taking and persistence wholeheartedly as well. 🙂

May your joy overflow

Photo cred: Homegrown Hospitality

Happy Holidays!