An Abundant Life - Royalty

I've written about the wonderful stylist and designer Hector Ramon Miranda in these pages before, in December of 2018. At the time I wrote that I had just met him, and I was so impressed by his work and who he is as a person that I called that post A Wonderful Man. As I wrote then, he has a way of seeing color and style and putting patterns and textures together that is extraordinary and gorgeous. In my work with Artists and Designers over the years I have always seen fashion as art,  but it is a rare feeling to meet someone like Hector whose work and creative vision are always so unique and new.

Hector's eyesight and the way he sees color are usually described as being color blind, but I prefer to say that he sees color differently. The combinations he puts together are striking and beautiful, and though when he began to describe to me recently how he sees certain colors I realized that at times he is not seeing what I am seeing at all, I began to understand that the way he sees color and what he is seeing makes it possible for him to feel and experience color and texture in a way that is part of his own unique and special vision. He is also a master of understanding what is stylish without conforming to the expected or ordinary. He has styled Cher, Robert Downey, Jr., Oprah, Michelle Obama, Bruce Cohen, Andre Charles (Ru Paul), Matthew Broderick, Philipp Kirkorov and Alessandra Ambrosio among others, always creating looks that are classic and timeless, contemporary and unique, with a focus on personal style that highlights and enhances the star quality of the wearer.

When I wrote about Hector before, several people left comments about what a wonderful and talented person he is, and though I had not seen him in a while, when he contacted me a few weeks ago to let me know he had some designs in a store in Jersey City, I wanted to go and visit with him right away. That's the kind of person he is, not only talented but someone who is full of such good and inspiring energy that it's a joy to be around him. He has not had an easy life and he has made a name for himself through hard work and personal integrity combined with his talent. He has grown as an Artist and Designer even in the few short years since I first met him because he is always seeking to learn and do more, and to be the best that he can be, pushing beyond what is ordinary into the realm of something new. His sense of joy and fun helps everyone who meets him to think about tradition and the boundaries of style as a place to explore and play in, to push through and beyond and create a style of our own that is unique.

He is very handsome and wears clothing in a way that makes each piece shine, and his designs are extraordinary, each one different and special in the way that an Artist creates works of art. In my years in and around the fashion industry I have met some people who are doing beautiful work, and when I meet someone like Hector who is able to create something so completely new I recognize that it is a very special gift that he is sharing with us all.

Hector's label is HRM Style, and his logo is handpainted in different ways on each piece. The initials are his own, and because they also have the wonderful play on words of the initials of His or Her Royal Majesty he will sometimes add a crown in the intricacy of his designs. I'm glad he's found this way of expressing the feeling of royalty that can be available to us all when we wear beautifully designed clothing, and I celebrate his finding his own way to claim the royal place that is his own.

Hector Ramon Miranda

HRM Style

https://www.hrmstyle.com

Photographs Courtesy Of The HRM Style Website

 

Photographs and Video

Courtesy of

Hector Ramon Miranda

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Walk In The Park

I've written in these pages before that Jersey City is a beautiful place to walk around and explore, and one of the things I enjoy is the combination of art and architecture and the lovely and interesting places and spaces I stumble upon when I'm walking from one neighborhood to another. There are sweet old parks and vibrant murals, cobblestones and stone walls, old brownstones and new high-rises and loft buildings created from warehouses. Different neighborhoods have their own special feeling, and as I walk down different streets I can almost feel the change in energy as I go from one side of a park to another and enter into another section of the city.

One day a few years ago I was meeting with the Artist John Fathom for a potential project, and afterward he suggested we go somewhere to sit and talk. He walked me a few blocks over from where we were to the Hamilton Inn, and we sat outside on that warm summer day and enjoyed a quiet late afternoon conversation. I had been wanting to return again since then, and recently when I was planning to have lunch with someone I decided to go there. The days are much colder now and so we sat inside, and with the holiday lights still glittering around the doors and windows it was lovely and cozy and festive.

The food, the service and the menu are excellent, as is the wine selection, and the mixology is definitely inviting and well crafted. It was hard to decide what to have because there were so many wonderful things on the menu. One of my favorite things is a Reuben, and when I saw their version uses corned beef that is smoked at Hamilton Pork next door I decided that was what my choice would be and it was a winner. I'm sure everything would be because that's the kind of place it is. It was lovely that afternoon and it made me wonder what it was like at other times of the day and the week and want to visit often.

Nearby is Hamilton Park and some other parts of Jersey City like Grove Street and Newport are an easy few minutes walk in different directions. If you're up for exploring you can take some time to look at murals on the way or just enjoy the lovely old buildings, trees and sky. As you walk through the Park you can enjoy the view of the gazebo, and as you continue on your journey you might just feel like you've gone a little bit back in time to remember the history of the place and the people who have lived there before. When food is fresh and made with care and the environment has a feeling of giving space and light, we can feel as if it's not just today we are enjoying but bringing the past to meet the present and make memories that will enrich our tomorrows.

The Hamilton Inn

708 Jersey Avenue

Jersey City, New Jersey

https://www.hamiltoninnjc.com  

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Letting Light Shine

Two years ago around this time a friend suggested that I write a post describing a bit about myself and why I write this blog. It came about because we had been talking about public relations and marketing and the fact that so many people who write blogs and post on social media are using these platforms to make money and while I don't in any way say that it's a bad thing to do what they are doing, the fact is I am not. At the time my friend suggested I write that post, I seriously thought about it, and actually began to plan a new way of writing this blog for that new year to include some of my own history in some of the posts and to begin to write more about some of the people and places and things that have been a part of my life from the past that might not still be around or air least not in the way they used to be. But then the world as we know it changed and for a time, though I kept writing this blog, with all the uncertainty my posts did begin to reflect the times that we were living in, and sometimes I couldn't write as much in depth as I'd wish because I couldn't visit with people in person, some of the people and places I'd written about in the past I began to do updates on, and I also began to include information about some of the projects I began working on that were part of this new world we were living in. But this week as I started to think about what to write about, this topic came into my mind again, I think in part because I have been having conversations with people about public relations and marketing, about media and advertising, and about how we can know the truth in a world where everyone has an opinion about something and they'll tell you they did their research, and some people will argue and get angry if you question their sources or try to say something even slightly different.

I grew up in a family where asking questions was normal, where critical thinking was encouraged, and where the only facts that we understood were concrete were found in books like a dictionary. My father was an engineer and a scientist, and he was always encouraging us to play word games and math games, to see how numbers and language could be moved around to mean and do new things. In school I belonged to debate clubs, and when I went to college we were encouraged to do work that was outside of the standard boxes and where standardized tests with yes and no and check a, b or c answers didn't really exist. To this day even when I have a very strong opinion about something I try to see someone else's point of view, and though it's sometimes difficult, I try not to judge someone else, or make a decision about something based on my own beliefs or way of living my life. I've come to understand that I can't possibly know everything, and I've also had so much experience with public relations and marketing over the years that I also know how easy it is sway people in a direction of thought. What works for me may not work for someone else, and what they believe may not make sense to me at all, and so to make a judgment without being able to stand in their shoes and live the life they've lived with the experiences they've had is shortsighted at best. Recently I found myself in a conversation with someone who was being very judgemental, and it bothered me so much that for days afterward I couldn't stop thinking about it. And I realized that at the core it's because I personally don't believe that our time should be spent looking at what other people do unless it's to celebrate them.

I write this blog for a number of reasons, which all have to do with encouraging people and helping people to see how important and special their place is in the world, and none of the posts I write are sponsored. I write from my heart, talking about people and places and things I discover or have known about for years. Sometimes people will introduce me to someone or something new or suggest I meet someone or go somewhere, and on occasion I have had people contact me to introduce themselves, but in every case I always make it clear that I'll only write about people, places and things that I genuinely think are doing something excellent. At one point early on someone told me that I should start writing about everyone and everything because they personally liked to read blogs that had information about places they shouldn't go or people who weren't doing great things, but to me that just doesn't make sense. My blog is a place where people can go to read about great people doing great things, and it's a place to read about them and know that what you're reading about is based in my personal experience of someone or something that I cared enough about and had such a high regard for that I chose to take my personal time to write about them.

When I think about the difference I feel when I write about the people and places I write about instead of having negative conversations like the one that bothered me so much lately, it's truly astounding that anyone would bother to take the time to talk about someone else unless they were saying something good. It's not to say that I'm a pollyanna, because I'm definitely not. I have my moments and there are many times that I've been hurt or disappointed or even betrayed. But there is a place and time to talk about our hurts and woes, and dwelling on them does not help us or heal them. If our eyes are looking for reasons to find fault, they will block the beauty and blessings there are and will keep us from receiving them. This blog is a place where the focus is on life and light and all the abundance that is available to us when we open ourselves up to see it.

Letting The Sun Shine In

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Vintage Dream

I've written about Sharon Florio and her beautiful store Sixth Street Vintage before, but it's been quite a while since that post and it felt like time for an update. I like to write updates from time to time, especially when the first post I wrote was several years ago, and even more especially these days when just seeing people and places I like is uplifting in a way that seems almost like a breath of new life. These days are such strange ones in so many way, with so much uncertainty and so many challenges and changes that doing things that are joyful and fun have become healing in a way that helps remind me of brighter days and give me the strength to believe that one day our world will be whole again.

Years ago when I first met Sharon, I always enjoyed visiting her store. It's lovely in the way that my favorite places are, and I love vintage shopping and browsing. Sixth Street Vintage has such a wonderful feel about it, and every piece is so carefully curated and arranged. I always see things that are so special there, sometimes reminders of things that I've seen or had or wanted in years past, sometimes something I've never even known existed, and sometimes, and things that become part of my own home now. Recently I've found myself visiting even more often, and in a turn of events that I wasn't expecting I had to have some work done in my apartment and everything got very topsy turvy. Instead of moving things back to where they were I've decided to overhaul everything and do some projects that I've been putting off. Finding more treasures that Sharon has discovered has worked in with my own time of home rearranging, and it's been a great adventure that that I'm enjoying so much, and one I didn't know how much I needed until I began it.

Truly creative people who make the world around them beautiful are inspiring. On any day it's always a wonderful experience to visit Sharon at her store, and she does Estate Sales too where wandering around and discovering things in homes and apartments and houses feels like a treasure hunt. It's always fun to see her signs and know that there's a home full of interesting and beautiful things to explore, but I think my favorite time to see Sharon is when she is at Sixth Street Vintage where there is always something new to find. Her taste is so excellent that even the flowers arranged in a vintage vase or planter bring a sense of beauty, calm, peace and joy, and the items in her store have so many stories to tell. She is knowledgable and has such a history of doing her work with excellence that she has a loyal following of fans and admirers and friends. She is also a woman of integrity, who is hard working without complaint, helpful to others and a loyal friend, a reminder of the woman described in Proverbs 31, "She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

Treasures From

Sixth Street Vintage

408 6th Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

https://www.instagram.com/6streetvintage

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - New Year's Memories

On occasion I've been adding in stories of my life to these pages, reflections and memories of my history in New York and in places where I've had moments or seasons of such deeply resonating images that the thought of the place or the time brings back so many feelings in a very beautiful and sometimes profound and life changing way. This year as the New Year approached, I remembered a New Year's Eve that was like nothing I could ever have imagined, and though I know there are much more glamorous times I've had, it stays in my mind as a memorable experience that I am so grateful to have had as part of my journey.

I'm not sure of the exact year, but it was sometime in the early 90's I think, when I was first starting out as an actress in New York. A woman who I knew from the Circle Repertory Company where we were both members asked me to be in a short play that she wrote that was scheduled to be performed at a New Year's Eve into New Year's Day marathon at a theater company somewhere midtown. Though I could look these things up and may at some point, as I write this I don't remember the name of the play, the playwright's name, the theater company or exactly where the performance was. In my memory the play festival was being held at a black box space somewhere in the East 50's or 60's, but it could have been on the west side or in the 70's or 80's. Wherever it was, the play was ten or fifteen minutes long and it was scheduled to start at around 6am on New Year's Day. That meant of course that I had to go to sleep early and couldn't have a party or go to one on New Year's Eve which was difficult for me because in those days I always loved to throw parties and New Year's Eve has always been a special and fun time for me to go out or have people over and dress up in something extra glittery and celebrate life.

But that year because of the play, I went to bed early, woke up at whatever early time in the morning and made my way uptown from the apartment I lived in at the time in the West Village all the way near the West Side Highway. The City was quiet at the hour I was traveling, there were signs of the parties the nights before, but it was as if everyone were finally sleeping after all their end of the year plans had made their way to the finish line in the early morning light. I arrived at the theater and went to the green room which was really only the size of a closet as the theater itself as I remember it was very small. And then it was time to go on, and I seated myself at the table on stage in the darkness. The play was about a woman who was working as a temporary secretary at a new job, something that I did back in those days so it made perfect sense to me and my life at the time. The twist was that in this play her boss is a millionaire, and somehow or other she ends up meeting him after they talk on the phone and if I remember rightly he helps support her playwriting career. I honestly don't remember if they get married or not, but I don't think so. It was to my memory much more of a play about a woman's finding a friend and mentor, someone who can be a friend who supports her in her professional career and her life of independence. Perhaps that is what I wish that it had been, but that is how my memory sees it. It's in my files somewhere and if I find it and it's different, I'll update this story sometime.

So there I was sitting at the table in the dark, the lights come up and the phone on my desk rings, and I begin the conversation with the millionaire. And then at some point he arrives and although he was a very good actor and we'd rehearsed it well before hand, he had gone out the night before to a party and hadn't gotten any sleep, and when he started his first line, he went up and faltered and went to the end of the play. The difficulty for live theater when this happens is that everyone around the production is basing all of their cues on what is said. The lighting and sound people hear a cue and they have to do what they have to do to follow on and do what needs to be done. By going up on his lines and saying his last line, he almost ended the play before much had been said. There were a few tense moments and somehow I was able to bring us back around again, but he was completely lost.

There is something I often tell people now when I describe the experience of acting, and I say that for me it can be very stressful. Though I love it, as an actor I have to rely on the hope that the people I'm working with haven't gone out the night before to a party and because I've found over the years that some people do surprising things on stage, I end up learning the whole play, with all the lines, the direction, the sound and light cues, the props, so that if something goes wrong I can fix it and keep it going. I don't remember exactly what happened at that point in the play when I kept trying to bring it back around and the other actor kept getting lost, but as I remember it I think I started to rephrase his lines to feed them to him and tell the story of the play. Though it sounds like an experience full of anxiety, and it may have been at the time, somehow we got through it and no one except the playwright, cast and crew knew anything was wrong. I think someone asked me afterward if the play was supposed to just be my monologue, but other than that in my memory the story was somehow told.

Afterward I left the theater and walked across town in the early morning hours, perhaps taking the subway, possibly walking home as I sometimes did even in those days when I wanted to take time to savor the moments. It's possible that I treated myself to a cab, but I remember at least walking for a while, past Central Park and along 57th Street. When I got home to my West Village apartment, I had a glass of champagne and went to sleep again for a little while, waking up when the phone rang for real on the stage of my life to begin my New Year's Day.

A New Year's Celebration

This Year At Halifax Hoboken

225 River Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

Blessings,

Jannie Susan