Hey Kids yes, I’m talking to you..

It’s been awhile and I’m sorry .. We’ve been…, yes, you guessed it.. burning the candle at both ends again!  Oh well, we are only here for a short time so I for one, is packing it all in!.  I have been thinking a lot lately of what it is we are meant to do in this short life..  Sorry kids, I don’t have the answer to Life BUT I have come to a sufficient compromise with myself as to what I think it might be and am trying to guide my life in that direction.

I told my son David the other day that as long as you live your life so as to leave the following legacy when you leave:  You made a difference in the community (therefore the world), you gave more than you took, you loved more than you needed love, you left this planet a better place for you being in it, you were kind to yourself, you said yes to everything and experienced as many new and exciting things as you could without being selfish.. I could go on but really its that simple, what will I leave behind, what legacy will our kids and grandkids and future generations be proud of, what lessons did I teach, what mistakes did I make so as they can learn not to do the same..  As parents we need to nurture then try to teach and hopefully lead by example, family is a given, but what of the greater picture, the wider family, your community?  Thoughts?

What have we been doing?

Saying yes to exciting opportunities meant that I landed a role as General Manager of a big fancy awesome Estate called Rivermead Estateand I am loving finding my feet back in the corporate world. (Feel free to give me advice!)  When the opportunity came my way I had big decisions to make…  What of The Lindy Charm School and Swing On In Dance School, what would that mean, I couldn’t do it all…  I left the Corporate World never to return the day my little sister Elisha Neave took her last breath as her last words to me was to back myself and invest all into The Lindy Charm School as that was my real passion!  I did this..  Ray and I turned our backs, dared to become poor creatives,  with no regular income… It was scary but we needed to do it,  to heal, to discover life again and to give it a red hot go!  I think we did pretty good actually, we always had a roof over our heads, always paid the bills, dined out occasionally, bought vintage clothing and for the most part we always had a gig to keep us going… I went on the road and taught workshops, presented at fairs and had a whole lot of frivolity which kept me away from home most weekends and when at home we taught dancing 3 nights a week!.  So, life was full and we were happy being poor creatives…  Fast forward to 2019 and this brand new opportunity was presented to me..  Money aside, I saw this as a fabulous opportunity, I fell in love with Rivermead and with a wink and a handshake I said yes..  So far so good..  It’s hard with start an amazing start up but one foot in front of the other…  The other thing I am passionate about is:

BEAUTIES FEELING FABULOUS:

I, and a wonderful team of fabulous volunteers are giving back….. we have been busy running free pamper days for women living with cancer and aside from that amazing experience I am so proud of our latest milestone……. introducing our Comfort Ponchos.  The brainchild of my Mum when I had my double mastectomy,  she made a poncho for me to allow comfort, warmth and lightness on my chest with our the stupidity of feeding drains and drips through arm holes of conventional gowns and pyjamas.. She also did this for my sister Ronnie when she had to go through same surgery… fast forward … today, with the help of a small grant from Cr Kristyn Boulton we have had made over 30 ponchos now and donated  to any women who is going through treatment and/or surgery, and we have more in production, we don’t make a big deal of it but I have to say, what my Sister and Mum started with a thought, I, and my team are proud to deliver!  BFF makes a difference .. Check it out and if you feel like being involved, please do message me.

So, we haven’t Left you:

Just to let you know though, I have not abandoned The Lindy Charm School or Swing On In, rather I have learnt the art of balance (our friends laugh out loud right now!).  How do I do it?
A great partnership with my husband Ray.. together we teach swing dancing 2 nights a week and hold regular socials, I work full time and he does part time, we have his ailing Mum living with us and Ray is her Carer, we have our Grand Babies on Monday Night and Tuesday and on top of all that we are trying to build our home (yes I am still living in a renovation chaos!)  I desperately want a kitchen, laundry, bathroom but with no time and only 1 day a week to build its a slow process..  Can you feel me?

Good news though.. He is building us a most fantastic Charm School Salon and Dance Studio, when it’s done, it will be magnificent complete with chandeliers, Red Velvet Curtains and plumes of flamingo feathers wallpapered as a feature!  I can’t wait… actually, I can, one thing I want to stop doing is wishing the year away to the next big thing!!  Live in the moment, live in the now..  (MANTRA!)

OH SORRY.. I have totally waffled on…  The purpose of this newsletter was to share with you a couple of exciting things I had the pleasure to be involved in recently with the leading Qld Nostalgia Festival Cooly Rocks On keeping with my mantra, say YES, I had the honour of being Emcee and host to the official opening of the festival, I was also Miss Cooly Rocks On and Miss Rockabilly Pageant Host and Emcee and with my darling husband, host of the first Harvest Moon Swing Ball!  Yes we had a fabulous week of fun…   I have to thank my good friends Aik and Johanka for taking these videos and pictures for us..  They are super stars (literally) so to have them doing stuff for us in Australia was such a treat.  Check them out here

OK, enough from me..  but just know, I am still doing Vintage Styled Weddings, Hens Parties, Workshops, pop up salons and makeover photoshoots, I am just working it in with my life right now..   Still dial me in you are in need of something..  Oh an yes, I still sell lots of cool stuff on my website!

THE OFFICAL OPENING AT THE PINK HOTEL

THE MISS COOLY ROCKS ON PAGEANT

THE HARVEST MNOON SWING BALL

RAY AND I JUST DANCIN!
Yep, we are no spring chickens but we still find some youthful energy and joy everytime we step on to the dance floor. Wanna know what the magic is? Get along to a class near you: www.swingonin.com.au

With much love and Swinging Regards,

Miss Chrissy & the Master … Ray xx

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