Lauren's Flavor

This post is so important to me. Lauren is one of the most courageous, driven, beautiful, and staggeringly funny women I've ever met. Her flavor was a year in the making, and readers, it was worth the wait. Lauren, thank you for being you. My life is richer/better/simply more awesome for you in it.

"Guess what? I finally decided...
Although I of course would like to come up with something more original and clever,after much obsessive thought, coffee it is...
I'm an acquired taste, you get me or you don't. I'm not too much to handle but I can come across quite strong, and as of lately, I'd like to think I am. I will sit back quietly minding my own, or give you a robust opinion, if you ask for it. I can be terribly bitter, I'm better in moderation, but I will always be there to accompany you through an ucomfortable time, try to warm your heart and give you ALL I have to offer.
Yay!!"

Let this inspire us to fearlessly love and embrace who we are.

Thank you dear friend,
RR

Eat dessert first...(or quote of the day!)

"There is too much pain in the search for perfection.
Come into movies 5 minutes late. Leave some books half
finished. Add a smudge to a drawing. Find the beauty
in what is, not what could be. Don't allow "perfect"
to become a synonym for "beautiful"."
-unknown

Beth's Flavor

"I'm ice milk. Have you had it? It's pretty awesome; interesting and different and surprising. Like me. It's super unique and rare. I'm not like the other girls at school, so I think this is a perfect take on who I am as a person."

Beth, yes I've had ice milk and I LOVE it. I also love that you see being unique and interesting as good. I hate it when young ladies equate normal to "right", and unique to "wrong". Let's all be as not-normal as possible! Give it a try! Wear what makes you laugh, read books that others don't, listen to music that makes you dance, do a cartwheel down the hall of your HS. Bring it, ladies. Tell me your stories..

Most definitely one-of-a-kind,
RR

Something Wonderful

This was sent to me by my sparkly friend, Kate (her flavor: Strawberry). It's fantastic and I'd like to have it up on all the walls of my house.

xoxo,
RR

Travel Bug

"Paris is always a good idea."
~ audrey hepburn

Eat dessert first...(or quote of the day!)

Good morning on the West Coast!

Today, I'm leaving you with a poem rather than quote. It's one of my very favorites...

How to Be Really Alive
Live Juicy. Stamp out Conformity. Stay in Bed all Day. Dream of Gypsy Wagons. Find Snails Making Love.
Develop an Astounding Appetite For Books. Drink Sunsets. Draw out Your Feelings. Amaze Yourself.
Be Ridiculous. Stop Worrying. Now. If not now, then when? Make Yes Your Favorite Word.
Marry Yourself. Dry Yourself in the Sun. Eat Mangoes Naked. Keep Toys in the Bathtub. Spin Yourself Dizzy.
Hang Upside Down. Follow a Child. Celebrate an Old Person. Send a Love Letter to Yourself. Be Advanced.
Try Endearing New Ways to Love. Transform Negatives. Delight Someone. Allow Yourself to Feel Rich
Without Money. Be Who You Truly Are and the Money Will Follow. Believe in Everything.
You are Always on Your Way to a Miracle.
The Miracle is You.
Sark-

Rocky Roadville!
I'm so excited to have so many young women (of all ages) excited to share their flavor with me, to honor that I'm going to post a few I've loved over this past year....spoon up...


WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2010
Kristin's Flavor



"I'm dark chocolate. Double Dark. I am not the girl who comes bubbling into the room. However if you want to have a good long talk and need thoughtful advice, I'm there for you. I'm not quirky or terribly silly. But I think what I have to offer is something deeper. I'm loyal, compassionate, and dependable. In my school, it's hard to find friends who won't flake. It makes me realize I want to be better than that. I'm the kind of girl who sticks with you for a while...yes--dark chocolate suits me".


I LOVE this flavor choice. Thank you so much, Kristin. I currently live in LA and even as an adult I am constantly battling dependability, whether it be myself flaking or others flaking on me. I have to wonder how important being a dependable friend is... Is it the most important quality? If it's not the top, it's pretty high up there. The thing I've learned through having many female friendships (some successful, some failed), is the flash and glitter certain friends bring to the table only last so long. The shine fades and what you have left is a friendship built on sand.

Let's focus on what's real in our friendships. Give love and appreciation to your dark chocolate friends, the one's who have stood beside you through the good and the bad.


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010
Colleen's Flavor!


She writes,
"Cinnamon*
You know, I wasn't sure how to answer that without sounding cliche. It is the first thing that came to mind like when people ask you what animal you would be.. Maybe it has something to do with my red hair or the fact that cinnamon is not too overpowering, but also has a strong kick at the same time~"

You know, this is why I love asking this question? Because I NEVER would have thought of cinnamon! When I asked this question to Colleen, she answered without even a hesitation. She knew. It was exciting to me--it reassured me that we all KNOW who we are. Instinctually, we have a sense of our true selves--Now, it's life that gets in the way, drives us off course and clouds our true understandings of who we really are.

As my dear friend, Mary once said, "Get outta my way, Life!"

I say we take a moment today, get quiet, and remind ourselves of who we truly are without the clutter of who we think we "should" be.

Strip it away and bathe in the wholeness of you. YOU are perfect, whatever flavor you are.



WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2010
Cami's Flavor!


She says to me, "Ripley, When you first asked me this question, I thought it was so silly and disregarded it. But it stuck with me, and now I can't get it out of my head. I even looked at your list and flavors and tried to see what really stuck out to me. It was fun thinking about it and now I've realized what flavor I am!!

CONFETTI

I am confetti, because I think I am a BLAST to be around! (she laughs) I think I bring out the fun in other people. I am proud of my grounded, vanilla base-however my love for life is what is most important and I think that's what the world sees and appreciates in me."


Ladies, as life rolls by day to day, take a moment to see where the celebration lies. I leave you with my favorite quote of all time.

"Here we are in our rare and precious lives, surrounded by moments begging to be noticed and celebrated.
Go! Celebrate!" -SARK


THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010
Sophie's Flavor


"This is easy. I'm dark chocolate. No Question.

I'm not always the perkiest girl in the room, but I have a depth to me which I admire in myself. That's it, really. That's the best way how I know to explain it. Dark Chocolate--it just feels right."


Thanks Sophie! I love your flavor! I've always wanted to be dark chocolate! I love your depth too--it's what makes you so so special.

NEWS FLASH: Ladies, it's ok to be awesome.

Being humble does not mean you have to lose your self confidence. Look at Sophie. I believe it's perfectly wonderful (and necessary) to look at yourself in the mirror and see "gorgeous!" "perfect!" "fantastic!" I love that we can all look in the mirror and have immediate Xray vision into the core of who we are. Let's look at ourselves beyond the lipgloss and mascara, not letting the distractions of vanity get in the way of our true reflection-our dreams and hopes and secrets and wishes. Let's attempt to actually see the most perfect vision of ourselves.

Can you see her?

For this week: Challenge yourself to look in the mirror and choose to see the best parts of you. See your great laugh, your quirky smile, your bright eyes. See your full heart. Take the time and see your worth. Daily.

Let's reclaim being awesome.

perfectly,
RR

Oldie but Goodie!

In honor of our 1st birthday let's continue luxuriating with some throwback posts....
xoxo,
RR

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2010
The Gold Medal...
I've been obsessed with watching everything I can on the Olympics this year. Usually, I catch something here and there, but this time around I am glued right to the TV for everything from Cross Country Racing to Ice Dancing.

It's very simple. I want to be an Olympian.

And because I haven't trained in let's say, skeet shooting my whole life, I've decided I want to be an "Olympian of Life". What do you think of that title? Ok ok, I know it's a silly name, but I think it rings true for most of us out there--
We want to have passion about what we do and love doing it.

So what is that to you?
It's too easy to let the inertia of life get in the the way of our dreams. Explore your passions, figure out what really excites you, and GO FOR IT. Life is too short to do anything but that. And for everyone out there who hasn't figured out their passion yet, look at your friendships, relationships, family--your passion might be in keeping those relationships strong and healthy. Passion doesn't have to be some activity, or talent to hone. A passion to love hard and live well is just as valid as someone's passion to be a ballerina. The key is to look within yourself and consciously create a life that you LOVE.

As "Life Olympians", we have to realize that the training is not judging yourself or your life, comparing it to others, or looking down on the choices we've made in the past. It's about constantly looking forward, waking up and making choices that make us more fun, interesting, and alive women.

xoxo,
RR

My Favorite Holiday

Dear readers,
I send you love today from the tips of my toes to the ends of my crazy red hair.
This is my lovefest challenge to you:

Re-examine love.

Start Here:


you. are. worth. great. love.

bubbling over with gratitude for you,
RR

Choosing our flavors!

Ladies!
It's our one year anniversary here at Rocky Roadville! It's so exciting to have had the opportunity to connect and learn from each and every one of you! So to celebrate, I would like to revisit some of our original postings. To remind us of our essence, one fancy lady might say:


MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2010

Let's Call it a "Character Education".

Let me explain:
There's nothing wrong with vanilla--it's fine, it's safe, it doesn't make a fuss. Now Rocky Road on the other hand, has a little bit of everything in it--a taste explosion, if you will. This is what I want in women. In a society where young girls associate self confidence to a swollen ego and "sassy" behavior, my intention is to create a space for young women and their parents, teachers, and mentors to re-instill the ethics we already know. To start conversations, debates, and sharing of stories that will will help us become the women we want to become or know we already are. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with vanilla, but there is something wrong with being vanilla and being fine with it, not wanting more. There are a million different flavors out there. Go! Explore! Find out what you want to be. Let's grab a spoon and dig in!

Eat dessert first...(or quote of the day!)

My readers,
I am absolutely in the middle of the project and had to drop everything to post this quote. It is one of the best I've ever heard. Take a moment, read this. Digest it.


“Self-respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale. It cannot be fabricated out of public relations. It comes to us when we are alone, in quiet moments, in quiet places, when we suddenly realize that, knowing the good, we have done it; knowing the beautiful, we have served it; knowing the truth, we have spoken it.”
-Whitney Griswold, President of Yale University

It's really good--possibly better than ice cream... ;)

sweet dreams,
RR

Charlie's Flavor

"This is easy. I'm chocolate. I'm full of flavor (personality)!"

Yes, Charlie, you are! I admire you so much! Keep it up--Keep living out loud!

xoxo,
RR

Eat dessert first...(or quote of the day!)

Readers,

One of my most succulent friends and devoted readers recently lost someone very dear to her. My hope is that this quote can bring her (and all of us at times of need) peace.

"There isn’t much that I can do, but I can share my thoughts with you and I can share my books with you and sometimes share your burdens too as on our way we go."
-Maria V. Preston

So much love,
RR

So Awesome!

From the website www.beadforlife.org:
"BeadforLife eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads. Women in Northern Uganda gather shea nuts and press them into shea butter for cosmetics and soaps. And people who care open their hearts,homes and communities to buy and sell both products.

The beads and shea butter become income, food, medicine, school fees and hope. It is a small miracle that enriches us all."

Ladies, rethink your 2011 parties! Let's have personal celebrations that have the potential to touch the rest of the world. Bring the idea to your schools, work, friends...

Let's do it,
RR

New Year, Same you*

Hello lovelies,

Welcome to 2011. I like the sound of 2011. It fills my mouth and rolls off my tongue. It's sounds luxurious.
Try it, 2011, 2011....

This is a year I plan on really enjoying!

I wanted to write something to address the whole "New Year, New You" mentality. How about we adopt the thinking of not needing to be "New". We are full and wonderfull and plenty-just as we are. There's no need to be "new" anything. Let's take this year and work with the abundance we already possess in ourselves. Ladies, instead of layering on "new", let's peel back and discover the exceptional "you" that's there already.

This. This we can do.

Cheers to 2011,
RR