Author Archives: Ilene

#leapoffaith: Call for Submissions

Posted on by

Hello old friends.  Re-posting from the Hippie Chick Granola Co. Blog because I know many of you will have amazing stories for me. xo He sat with the book in front of him, a blank stare washed over his face.  He didn’t know the words and was hesitant to try.  He read what he could and attempted to sound out the rest.  He was nervous. Reading had not come easily for him, and over time, a vicious cycle set in.  He’d try, he wouldn’t get it. He began to try less and less because he started to question the point … Continue reading →

A Modern Family Romance Part Two

Posted on by

I wasn’t sure about the house.  It was close to the beach, it had a second floor wrap around porch that lent a great view of the ocean.  It had a ground level bedroom for guests.  But there were faults.  The rooms were small and musty and paneled with dark wood.  The kitchen wasn’t the least bit modern.  There was no dishwasher.  The clothing dryer was old.  Would the landlord call someone to fix it if it broke down?  I didn’t have much time to find a place to live, and rentals were sparse on our island, affordable rentals were … Continue reading →

A Modern Family Romance Part One

Posted on by

“Does good pizza even exist down here?”  I asked B. on our first date. “Sure there does,” he replied, as he rattled off a short list of reputable places.  Some of them I had heard of.  There was that restaurant in Wilmington.  There was the place in Carolina Beach that had a good reputation.  But good compared to what? “No, seriously, good enough for a Jersey Girl kind of good?  Because North Carolina people have told me about the ‘good pizza’ before, but it’s never been the same.” Pizza talk took up a lot of our first date.  I decided … Continue reading →

No Holding Back for Alexa

Posted on by

When I met Alexa B. at Bloggy Boot Camp Charlotte last year, I was just becoming familiar with her work as a writer and advocate of infant and newborn health. I remember thinking that she was just as warm and outspoken in person as I had found her to be on her blog, and that her ability to take the unthinkable tragedy of losing a daughter and that dedicating her life to educating, advocating, and healing others in similar circumstances, instantaneously earned Alexa hero status in my eyes. In this past year, I’ve watched Alexa publish a book, I’ve watched … Continue reading →

Good Vibes Hippie Chick Edition

Posted on by

It was the most inopportune time to travel to New Jersey, one week and two days after launching my business. A family matter awaited and it needed 96 hours of my time. On Saturday morning I loaded the kids into a rental car and loaded enough granola in its cargo space that I would be able to fill at least the first of the web orders that came in while I was away. That granola was sold before I reached the New Jersey State line. Tamara’s Blend sold out before I got to Maryland. I felt blessed…and a little stressed … Continue reading →

Maybe This Could Be Big

Posted on by

Her heart sank as she watched her girl’s squad on the performance floor below, from the middle tier of Sun National Stadium in Trenton. They hugged and screamed and jumped into each other’s arms.  It was a victorious moment, discovering that they qualified for the national cheer competition in Orlando.  But for her mother, it was a moment of panic. She knew the expenses would be high when she signed up her daughter for cheer, and she was aware of the costs of the national competition.  From sign up day to present moment, her life had changed precipitously. She had … Continue reading →

A Modern Family Valentine

Posted on by

“I know, my car’s a mess.  You don’t have to tell me.” “I’ve seen it look worse,” says S., the man who thrives on order, as he loads the oversized pictures into the back of my cargo space. He follows me to the store in his car. I asked him when he scheduled the weekend with me to bring his tool box and a drill. Somewhere along East Oak Island Drive he disappears from behind me. A few minutes later, he shows up in my parking lot, handing me a cup of coffee. “Where’d you go?”  I ask. “B.’s place?” … Continue reading →

Good Vibes Volume 1

Posted on by

I looked forward to hitting the ground running this past Monday after four snow days last week but the only thing that hit the ground was the ceramic tile I had purchased for the floor of my store, as I was unloading it from my car.  Not before hitting my foot first and then falling to the pavement, breaking into pieces all over the parking lot. Oh, and there was my laptop, that blue screened on me, just a day before my printer totally died.  And the workman who walked over the freshly painted back room floor of my business … Continue reading →

Signs

Posted on by

It had been an unseasonably warm day for January, the kind of weather that we’re all pining for right now. It may have hit seventy degrees by that afternoon.  The kids ran door to door without jackets after school helping Fiona sell Girl Scout Cookies.  Afterward, they took out their bicycles. I couldn’t keep up with them as they sped around the block.  I was nursing a minor running injury and walked quickly but avoided a full out jog.   The older kids flew ahead of me on their two wheelers and even Scarlett managed to gain momentum on her training … Continue reading →

You Gotta Be: Ask Away Friday with Tamara Camera Blog

Posted on by

Well, hey, there, blog! Remember me? Yes, blog, you’ve been neglected but admittedly, I have a lot of distractions right now. Like this storefront. Hey, readers!  I miss y’all! Want to take a look at what lies beyond that building permit? Yeah, I’m loving the purple and green. And when you come to visit me this summer, (see how I’m not saying “if” but “when?”), there will be photos Swami Satchyananda at the opening ceremonies of the Woodstock Music Festival and of Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon adorning those purple walls. You want to see something else? Meet the face … Continue reading →