Kathy Ireland ~ Living Life with Purpose

Written by Shire Hakel

“Achievement doesn’t come from what we do, but from who we are. Our career is an extension of our personality.” ~Marianne Williamson, from A Course in Miracles

I met Kathy Ireland on Twitter in early 2009. I was taken by her kindness and down-to-earth attitude. Since then Kathy’s multi-billion dollar empire has been growing larger each year. Kathy is the CEO and Chief Designer of kathy ireland Worldwide®. Her enthusiasm is contagious. She empowers others and surrounds herself with talented people who share her passion.

Recently, Kathy Ireland appeared on the cover of Forbes magazine. Last year alone, kathy ireland Worldwide® grossed close to $2 billion dollars in retail sales. And it all started with a line of socks. A mom herself, the mission statement of kathy ireland Worldwide® is “…finding solutions for families, especially busy moms.”™

kathy ireland Worldwide® founded in 1993, offers designs in Home, Office, Weddings, Fashion, Fine Jewelry, Baby Products, Destination Properties and More. Kathy is also Chief Designer for Window World, America’s largest window replacement company. Fairchild Publications names her one of the 50 Most Influential People in Fashion. Kathy Ireland Skincare products are incredible and affordable. These effective skincare products are from the Dead Sea.

Recent TV appearances include co-hosting “Oscars 2010 Red Carpet.” Prior to the live broadcast, Kathy had recently returned from a humanitarian trip to Haiti.
On February 29, 2012, she was guest co-host on ” The View.”

Kathy has also written six books and produced several fitness videos. UCLA acknowledges Kathy as one of the top 10 Women’s Health Advocates in America.

Kathy Ireland recently added bridal fashions to her product line empire with a mission statement “…finding solutions for people in love.”™

Kathy is a dedicated Philanthropist. Her philanthropic work supports several non-profits including the Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation, Feed The Children, the Alliance for Christian Education and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Kathy reminds me everyday that one person can make an enormous difference.

One of my favorite quotes of Kathy Ireland is: “Don’t just work for the money; that will bring only limited satisfaction.”

Kathy Ireland is and will always be a special friend to me.
Thank you for leading by example, a life with purpose and inspiring us all, Kathy!

Follow Kathy Ireland on Twitter
Visit kathyireland.com and kathyireland.org for more information

Our rug collections inspired by Kathy’s world travels…

By “…finding solutions for families, especially busy moms,”™ Kathy Ireland offers products that are family-friendly, exciting, and unique. Kathy’s designs are inspired by her world travels and embraced by millions of families.

Here’s a recap of the kathy ireland Home by Shaw Living collections:

International First Lady Kathy’s belief that every woman deserves to be the “first lady” in her own home is represented in this group of our finest rugs, offering timeless styling and exquisite detail for traditional, transitional, or contemporary settings. With an array of designs from traditional to casual modern, the collection honors historic grandeur as well as contemporary elegance—all in appealing, on-trend colors. Machine woven of Shaw’s EverTouch® recyclable nylon (see Shaw Green Edge note, below), International First Lady styles are luxuriously soft, exceptionally durable, and easy to clean.

Gallery  Whether you’d like dramatic scrollwork with rich chocolate brown accents or a modern damask with contemporary black graphics, the Gallery collection offers designs in traditional, contemporary, and transitional styling. Machine woven of soft, durable olefin, Gallery styles resist soil and stains and are fade resistant. These fashionable yet classic area rugs create the perfect backdrop in today’s rooms. 

Essentials  A beautiful color palette and dynamic styling have made Essentials one of our top-selling collections. You’ll find traditional designs, organic patterns, damask scrolls, leaf and floral designs, and geometric wavy stripes—all of which express today’s trends toward earthy, natural shades with contrasting dark chocolates and blue grays. Luxurious yet easy to maintain, the rugs are machine woven and constructed of plush, durable, stain-resistant olefin. Ideal for today’s busy families.

 Jardin du Jour Award-winning landscape designer Nicholas Walker celebrates outdoor living inside, with the Jardin du Jour collection. Adding to the collection’s uniqueness is the fact that it also incorporates Kathy Ireland’s personal design inspiration, including her own sketches. Styles range from transitional florals and vineyards to an eclectic blend of floral and foliage motifs unified by a central Safari theme.
Ohana Paradise  This special collection of rugs celebrates the casual lifestyles of the coast, presenting glorious island-and-sea-inspired colors and designs. Colors include beige, soft golds and greens, oceanic blues, sandy taupes, and warm tones of coral reef and natural driftwood. Designs are inspired by nautical seascapes, beach stripes, tonal shells, sailing graphics, exotic palms, island flowers, and animal prints.

Young Attitudes (Printed Nylon) Trendy, hip, and so much fun, Young Attitudes dazzles with styles suitable for kids of all ages—baby, ‘tween, or teen. Beautiful yet budget-friendly, the collection offers bold and whimsical designs in saturated colors that capture the stylish youth market. Many styles also coordinate with bedding from kathy ireland Home^® by Thank You Baby. Printed on recyclable nylon in the U.S.A. (see Shaw Green Edge note below)

Shaw Green Edge™ Rugs in the kathy ireland Home^® collections International First Lady and Young Attitudes are made with Type 6 nylon (nylon 6), the only fiber capable of being recycled into new carpet and area rug fiber repeatedly. Shaw’s Evergreen Nylon Recycling facility uses patented technology that converts Type 6 nylon fiber from carpet and area rugs and recycles it back to its original material, caprolactam, which is the building block of Type 6 nylon fiber. This “cradle-to-cradle” process allows Shaw’s Type 6 nylon fibers to be recycled over and over again without the loss of any aesthetic or performance properties.  This recycling program is limited and may not exist in your area.  Please visit Shawfloors.com to locate recycling collection companies throughout the country, or call 1-800-434-9887 for more information.

BRISTOL, Pa., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – GORHAM is pleased to announce that it has entered into a long-term partnership agreement with lifestyle designer Kathy Ireland, to design, manufacture and market a range of tabletop, gift and home decor accessories to be produced under the kathy ireland Home by GORHAM brand.

“We are thrilled to partner with one of America’s most successful female entrepreneurs, lifestyle designer, Kathy Ireland,” said Bill Wieland, Executive Vice President.  ”This collaboration presents new and exciting opportunities for GORHAM and we are confident that the synergies created here will result in a collection of lifestyle inspired pieces, expertly crafted with timeless appeal.”

According to Jim Mylonas, Vice President and General Manager of GORHAM, the new brand will offer well-priced solutions for today’s casual lifestyle, and also address the bridal market with a unique approach that blends stylish design with modern practicality.

The kathy ireland Home Collection will debut in Fall of 2012 with a retail launch scheduled for Spring 2013.  The collection will include both fine and casual dinnerware,glassware and flatware, entertaining serveware and giftware,and is designed around contemporary and traditional lifestyle themes.

“Our collaboration with Gorham and their wonderful team is innovative. Our designs will be exhilarating, fresh and essential with a powerful focus of implementing our missions of ‘…finding solutions for people in love,’ in the Bridal category. Our home mission, ‘…finding solutions for families, especially busy moms,’ will also be beautifully served. The legacy of Gorham is a dream come true for kathy ireland Home and kathy ireland Bridal,” said Kathy Ireland, CEO & Chief Designer of kathy ireland Worldwide.

About Gorham

GORHAM, an American company celebrating its 180th year, has a rich history of artfully making silver, fine china, crystal and tableware products, and has established a world-renowned reputation for crafting high quality, well-priced, functional designed collections in a classic design style. GORHAM markets its products under GORHAM, That’s Entertainment by GORHAM, Merry Go Round by GORHAM, Emeril by GORHAM, and Food & Wine by GORHAM brands.

GORHAM is a division of Lenox Corporation, which also markets Kate Spade, Donna Karan Lenox, Marchesa by Lenox, Dansk and culinary brands including Mario Batali by Dansk and Dr. Weil’s Healthy Kitchen by Dansk.

About kathy ireland Worldwide

kathy ireland Worldwide® (kiWW®) is the design and marketing firm founded in 1993 by CEO and Chief Designer,Kathy Ireland. The mission statements for kathy ireland Worldwide include:

“…finding solutions for people in love.”™.

“…finding solutions for families, especially busy moms” ™.

Forbes Magazine reports that kiWW® is a “design empire which grosses over 1.4 billion dollars annually in retail sales.” License Global Magazine names kathy ireland Worldwide® the 28th most powerfully licensed brand globally and reports that annual retail sales have grown to 1.9 billion dollars. kathy ireland Worldwide® offers designs in Home, Office, Weddings, Baby Products, Fashion, Fine Jewelry, Destination Properties, Publishing and More…

SOURCE GORHAM

Kathy Ireland’s honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) degree recognizes her many accomplishments as a designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

As a super model in the fashion industry, who appeared on countless covers including Vogue,Cosmopolitan and the best-selling Sports Illustrated issue in history, Ireland launched a highly successful design and marketing empire. Ireland’s designs include fashion, home products, fine jewelry, and has written six books. Her business, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, now boasts retail sales of more than $2 billion a year with more than 15,000 products in 50 countries. In a cover story out this month, Forbesmagazine proclaims her as the prototype for a savvy, hands-on $350-million “Supermodel/Supermogul,” far surpassing Martha Stewart in sales and revenue.

The 48-year-old Santa Barbara resident is also recognized for using her success to create a better world. Through kathyireland.org, she supports a variety of causes, including maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, military families, and empowering women.  She is lauded for running a sustainable and socially responsible business by the United Nations Global Compact and honored for her philanthropic impact and contributions by the Anti-Defamation League, the Dream Foundation, the Alliance for Christian Education, and the YWCA, among others.

“Being honored by CSU Channel Islands is completely humbling. This great university changes lives in powerful ways. Receiving this honorary degree reminds me that we must expand the opportunity of education whenever possible. CSU Channel Islands is a university of the people, by people and for the people of our great state. I am most grateful, and even more aware of the responsibility that accompanies this honorary degree,” said Ireland.

“Kathy Ireland sets a powerful example of how business success and entrepreneurship can be used to perpetuate good in the world – values we work hard to instill in our graduates,” said Rush.  “We are proud to honor her work and impact with an honorary degree and to be able to count her among CI’s many distinguished associates.”

# # #

About California State University Channel Islands CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning.  CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees.  Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.

Spring is here and everything is growing, including kid’s enthusiasm for the great outdoors as they see the garden come to life. A fun project that will keep them full of the joys of spring is building a scarecrow together to protect the garden from unwanted guests. The great thing about building a scarecrow is that most of what you need is right inside your house. Give the kids a list of what they need to find and make it into a treasure hunt for them, here are the things that you will need: old shirts, vest, jackets, pants, a belt, gloves, a hat, boots or shoes, buttons and a plain colored pillowcase for the head.  If you can’t find everything you need at home take the treasure hunt on the road and visit some thrift stores to find your scarecrow treasure.

You will also need some other equipment for building your scarecrow, two wooden boards (which can be purchased from your local home depot store,) a hammer and nails, string, and rags, old socks or even leaves for stuffing your scarecrow.

1.  Once you have your scarecrow treasure it is time to assemble your masterpiece.

2.  While the kids Stuff the clothes the grownup in charge can make the frame for the scarecrows body.  Simply nail the boards together with the shorter board placed horizontally up higher to represent the arms; don’t forget to leave enough board at the bottoms you can stake it into the ground securely below its feet.

3.  Once this is done you can put the stuffed pillow on the board and tie it securely with string to make its neck.  Let the kids make the face with waterproof markers (to protect their work from the rain) or by gluing buttons for eyes and ribbons for the mouth.

4.  You can secure the pants with a belt and if you need and extra help securing them, just use safety pins.

5. Attach the gloves with safety pins, or you could secure them by sewing them on to the clothes.

6. Tuck the trousers inside the boots and place the board in the ground securely.

7. Hey presto you made a scarecrow and it wasn’t that scary was it? Now all that is left is to name him and then let him do a scarily good job of keeping the garden looking beautiful, very clever.

Sometimes gardening is simply survival of the fittest, your garden or pests galore? This time of year is when pests come out of their winter slumber and are ready to eat their way through your tender plant leaves and flower petals, so they have to be kept in check or your garden will not be a pretty sight.

1.  Slugs love that spring favorite, tulips, and lots of tender spring shoots.  So to get rid of these slithery pests use pet-safe slug pellets or a liquid slug killer can do the job very well.

2.  Snails can be plucked off plants and put elsewhere; birds are good snail eradicators and like nothing more than a few of them for dinner.

3.   Caterpillars can munch their way through your garden but they do end up making your backyard beautiful.  But make sure they don’t become too prolific as they can cause a lot of damage before they get their wings.

4.  Even are feathered friends can be pesky pests, they love seeds and not just the kind designed for birds. They will eat grass seed and plant seeds by the beak-full, so protect your seeds by covering them up with chicken wire and securing the wire with rock or make a scarecrow, it does just what it is supposed to, scare away birds.

 Crabmeat Avocado Shooters

 This light, refreshing starter is an explosion of flavors that will set the mood for

 any occasion.

2 cup(s) Clamato (tomato-clam cocktail)

1/2 cup(s) tomato juice

1/2  red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2  orange bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2  green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 ear corn grilled or roasted, kernels removed

1 firm-ripe Hass avocado, finely chopped

1/4 cup(s) chopped cilantro

2 clove(s) garlic, crushed through a press

2 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice

2 tablespoon(s) cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon (s) chili oil

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt

1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper

1 pound(s) jumbo lump crabmeat

thinly sliced green onion for garnish

In a large pitcher or bowl, combine all ingredients except crab. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, place mixture in small cocktail, juice glasses or small boat like dishes. Top with chunks of crabmeat and garnish with sliced green onion, if desired.
Serves 10 – 12

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Lovely Lily-of-the-Valley

May’s flower is Lily-of-the-valley whose delicate beauty is a reminder that summer is just around the corner.  This little flower is of big importance all around the world, in Germany they are known as ‘little May bells’ as their blossoms are shaped like tiny bells and on May 1st in France this pretty flower is traditionally sold on the street in France; it is also the national flower of Finland.

There is no denying that this little bloom makes a big impact in any garden. Lily-of-the-Valley is part of the Ruscaceae family and the sole member of the genus Convallaria.  This perennial flower is surprisingly hardy whose blossoms have a deliciously heady fragrance.  It maintains its loveliness throughout the spring and summer; for as their spring blooms fade their exotic looking leaves stay fresh until the fall and add a distinctive beauty to any garden all summer long.  They thrive beneath the shade of trees and large shrubs; yet they are flexible enough to flourish even in full sun if they have to.

Lily-of-the-valley is a great ground cover for shady spots and as they are not that particular about the type of soil that they grow in they do well in most gardens.  When planting take into consideration that Lily-of-the-valley’s leaves, flowers and berries are toxic and so be aware of their proximity to children and household pets.  They grow profusely and tend to take over any area that they are planted in, so it is best to plant them in a contained area and not grouped with other flowers. The roots of Lily-of-the-Valley are called ‘pips’ and should be planted in spring or fall about six to ten inches apart to give them room to flourish and as they propagate so profusely you want to allow room for extra plants next season.   A shady, moist spot is best for optimal growth, but they can do well in full sun as well.  The flowers can also be brought in containers at nurseries throughout the spring and summer and planted accordingly.

They can be divided and re-planted elsewhere when they begin to grow too densely in one area.  Although usually associated with white blossoms there is a pink Lily-of-the-Valley flower called ‘rosea’ that is as lovely as its more famous family member. “You will find happiness” is the meaning of Lily-of-the-Valley and any gardener will indeed be joyful when these flowers bloom in their garden, happiness was never so easy to grow.