To have more you must become more.

“Don't wish it was easier,  wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom” - Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn on Personal Development

You've got pennies in your pocket, you've got nothing in the bank.  The creditors are calling.  You're behind on your promises.  Here is how that occurs:  You've attracted these things to you because of the person you've become.

If you change, everything will change for you.  Change what's on the inside.

To have more, you must become more. 

How do I become more? Lean new skills.

Let's talk about money.  It's easy to measure.
We get paid for bringing value to the market place.  Market place is also described as reality.  It takes time to bring value to the market place.  We don't get paid for time.  Mistakenly, man says he gets paid $20 an hour.  You get paid for the value you put into the time.  So, is it possible to become twice as valuable and earn twice as much as you do now?  Is it possible to become three times more valuable and earn three times as much as you do now.   All you have to do to earn more in the same time is simply, become more valuable. 

The more valuable you become the more you earn.  So how do you get more money?  go on strike? major problem.  You can't get rich by demand.  Why not just become more valuable rather than wait? Become more valuable.  Learn to work harder on yourself than on your job.  If you work hard at your job, you'll make a living.  If you work hard on yourself, you'll make a fortune.

You've got to have more than one skill.  I started to learn these skills myself in Idaho.  I used to know how to milk cows.  The only problem is it didn't pay very well.  Here is the first skill, part-time.  I learned sales.  I learned how to make a presentation.  This little part time job helped me multiply my income.  Now I have two skills, milking cows and finding customers.  My next skill was finding good people.  When I learned this skill; finding good people for my little enterprise, my income really started to increase.  Now I have three skills.  I know how to milk a cow, find customers, and find good people.  I'm on my way.  Here is the next one that paid me good money.  that was organizing, that's getting people to work together.  Big challenge, but they pay extraordinary money.  Here is the next one that really increased my income and that's; promotion and recognition.  Rewarding people for small steps of progress.  I mastered this one.  Here is the philosophy, be so busy giving other people recognition, you really don't need it for yourself.   Here is the next one, communication.  Words can work miracles.
1. Training: showing how the job or business works.  Pays big money
2. Teaching; teaching people how life works, how to set goals,  how to become a leader, manager, entrepreneur, leader, how to step up to higher opportunity.  This pays extraordinary money.
This one pays the best; learning how to inspire.  Helping people see themselves better than they are.

We get paid for bringing value to the market place.  The market place is the people.   Value has two parts 1) the product or service or 2) the value you become, as in an entrepreneur, teacher, leader, manager.  The value you become pays much more than what you bring. Go to work on yourself, harder than you work on your job.  If you work hard on your job you make a living.  If you work on yourself, you'll make a fortune.

Success is not something you pursue, it's something you attract.

Jim Rohn on Personal Development

Jim Rohn on how to Live and Exceptional Life

There is a hole in my sidewalk

THERE'S A HOLE IN MY SIDEWALK
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
By Portia Nelson

Chapter One
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost .... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend that I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in this same place.
But, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit ... but, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter Four

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter Five
I walk down another street.

Not so Secret Selfie

Ever find yourself in a precarious situation?  That's exactly what happened to me last night.  We were invited to co-host an after hours chef's dinner at the Leonardo.   After taking a few photos of the event I stepped out  to capture a picture of the bottle with the amazing multi floor designer cobweb they'd strung by the escalators.  One photo led to another as I wondered through magical rooms and amazing exhibits.

Some time later my heart stopped.  The thought crossed my mind, "should I be wondering through a closed museum by myself"? and oh no, I don't have my phone.   What if the dinner is over, everyone assumes I've left, and I'm locked in the museum?

Luckily I wasn't.  This photo was taken in the infinity room shortly before my epiphany.   I thought I was perfectly staged,  for the caption "An eternity of 4-Play" as I placed the bottle on the doll, then on the floor.   Note to self, when you take photos in a room with mirror, you're just gonna end up with a selfie.

Be Thankful for your Mystery Team

Today I am so present to "Progress is a Team Sport" and grateful for the team I didn't know I was playing with.  So honored....

 

We got a mysterious call from a man in Mississipi.  He was driving with his wife listening to SERIUS The Highway when he heard our ad on the radio.  "Our Ad? We haven't placed any ads."  The caller said he heard a woman talking about Jack Wagon Wheat and it sounded so good he wanted to know where he could get some.  We were perplexed.  How did we get on SERIUS radio? and what was said to cause someone to track us down, call, and press us for beer?

The mystery was partly revealed when we got a text with the picture you see on the left.  It's our friends from Elume Lighting showroom in Park City.  They were on a road trip to Nashville, took someone of their favorite beer with them, and somehow ended up on the Radio doing a plug for us.  

The blessings don't end there.

We're expanding distribution to Southern Utah.  Our local distributor made an introduction and next thing we know, we are going into Cedar City, St. George, Bryce Canyon, Kanab, and Beaver.  The beautiful photo you see above, courtesy of Scott Roddenberg Photography I am especially grateful for.  It's hard to make the grand announcement when you don't have or can't find the right photo. 

 

I sit here and feel gratefulness for the people in my life, for unexpected surprises, for generosity.  We work hard, we strive for excellence, we brew our best.... but we can only do so much.  Thank you Team.

 

 

Raining Inside

We walked into the brewery on a rainy day to a roof leak.  The building we moved into is an old meat processing plant and the dilapidated bottler we bought is over 20 yrs old and unserviceable.. I'd have to admit it was a bit of a let down.  One more thing to fix. 

I'm always on the prowl for images to share with our "fans" so with camera in hand I began to walk around the machine.  A glimmer of light caught my eye and I was instantly mesmerized.  The rain drops on the bottler were forming the most beautiful landscapes, textures, and reflections.  It was magical.

First in Line, A Tradition Full of Craft Beer Love

The energy at the gate was magnetic.    The line of beer fans was 10 lanes deep and wrapped around the grounds as far as my eye could see.   Thousands of enthusiastic beer fans got up early to be one of the “first in line”.

First in line is about tradition, it’s about hanging with friends, it’s about anticipation, it’s about passion.   Mountain Brewer’s festival  is in it’s 20th year and it’s fans that have created their own set of traditions.  I found organizers,  volunteers,  brewers, and fans that had been coming to the event for over 18 years.


An Oddessy

Mountain Brewers is no ordinary festival.    It’s roots date back to the pre-craft beer boom.   Shades of Pale’s own, Trent Fargher, remembers first attending the festival as a beer enthusiast,  14 years ago.  He drove 8 hours from Dillon, Colorado, to Park City, Utah at a friend’s invitation to join him on a flight to Idaho.  Mike Conte, owner of Mtn Timber Furniture and long time friend, planned to fly in to the festival in his private plane.    Trent recalls a festival of approx 10 craft breweries and 500 attendees;  a small event by today’s standards but extraordinary for it’s time.

Beer Enthusiasts, You Rock!

Particularly impressive, is the event’s organization and efficiency.  Even more impressive is that this is a

100% volunteer endeavor that grew out of a home brew club.   Beer enthusiasts, you rock!   Back at the gate, stood several  thousand people eagerly awaiting entry.   Organizer Lisa Lambic, shared with me in an interview,  she expected a smooth and speedy check in.    The volunteer set up at the gate was extensive.   Entry was comprised of 5 lanes with 2 ticket checkers a piece for a total of 10 entry points. Tickets were pre- sold on the web and same day ticket sales began early at a ticket booth near the gate.   To further expedite the process, ticket checkers were armed with electronic swipe guns.  Wow!

I stepped through the gate to have a chat with some of the fans first in line.   I discovered a happy and
excited crowd even though they’d been standing in the sun several hours.   For many, the day started with a group breakfast a local restaurant then carpooling to the Rodeo grounds to hang with their best buds.  Angel Street, a group of musicians, made the trek from Utah on their motorcycles.  One thing that was shared, enthusiasm, joy, camaraderie,  and a passion for beer.
As opening time neared, the energy and anticipation began to build.   “10 minutes,  5 minutes,  2 minutes”,  I heard someone yell.   At 12:00pm on the dot a loud bell began to ring immediately followed by the roar of the crowd.

Can’t wait for next year.
Alexandra

If you'd like to find out more about the event, follow this link to hear an interview with organizer, Lisa Lambic. 

Bitchen Botanicals

Ever been confronted with a problem you're not quite sure how to solve? Crazy way to unwind isn't it?  You look at it and look at it and look at it and turn it around and look at it some more.  Such has been my relationship with hop art.  I've been obsessed with drawing hops.  I"m not quite sure why.  I chuck it up to unexplained obsessions.

QUITE UGLY

Hop cones are not the most attractive botanicals, yet I'm insanely attracted to them.   The hop plant is quite unassuming, the vineyard's ugly duckling.   The hope cones are green.  Yes, green.   Hop farms look like fields of  giant leafy bushes that rise in tall V shapes.   These massive plants are held up with wires and hide the beautiful hillsides that would make up the stunning panoramas one is used to admiring in vineyard landscapes.

International Artist Magazine wrote about a most dreaded artist problem; greens don't sell.  People apparently don't like to look at too much green.   For the past year I have been painting hops, attempting to add color, shape, and variation to a plant that's added so much to my lfie.   While the exercise has wrought some interesting results, the basic problem still loomed before me.   It's difficult to stray from the not "quite ugly" hop painting.

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

While admiring vintage wine posters an idea flashed before my eyes.  Why not incorporate more character, life, color, and a vintage feel into my hop paintings?   I've loved the elegance, playfulness, and artistic beauty found in vintage art  particularly from 1920's France, art deco and wpa.

Le Hop Mistress, Biere Celebebration is the first, of what I intend to be a study of vintage art.  Part of me wishes I'd come up with some amazing new discovery, a completely new technique.  For now, I am quite content to be a student, and spend some time with my old favorites.  I realize there is really nothing new under the sun.  Many of our bright ideas are a compilation of old ideas blended into one new creation.  

LE HOP MISTRESS

Why Le Hop Mistress you may ask? Well, anything French is quite romantic, and I love the idea of hero worship; glorifying beer and all the wonders of life with beer in it.   The image is obviously a female and a hop.  I though the title Hop Mistress would be fitting.   Not so long ago, I was honored with the title, Mistress of the Hop, by the Tasting Nitch, a beer blog headed up by American living in France.  So, Cheers to you, Nichole.   Thank you for the lovely write up and your work a champion of beer in wine country.  

Here again I am faced with 2 more cliches; "what a small world this is", and "life comes around full circle".

Le Hop Mistress series is dedicated to all the wonderful women who love beer, and the men who appreciate them.

Photos: Where Beer and Art Collide

Kudos to ex-National Geographic photographer Carla Boecklin  for another exceptional showing at

our most recent Barley's Angel's event.   She's a kindred spirit, creative soul, and adventurer.   After meeting the love of her life on a shoot in the Amazon, Carla left National Geographic to begin a new life with Victor in our home town of Park City, Utah.  We're lucky to have her.  Yes, this is a plug for her.  If you are ever in need of an exceptional photographer, give Carla a call.  Fly her in if you need to.  She's worth it. 

The Art of Beer

This was the theme of Barley's Angels chapter last get together.     In keeping with the theme, we held the event at an art Gallery, and invited Squatters Brewing and Shades of Pale to speak on the creative process behind the beer labels.  Pictured on the right are Angels Jenn Deppe and Amber Mills feeding Shades of Pale Publican a bottle of cold beer.

Women are Art.   Women Love Beer.  Beer is Art.  This was truly an event where Beer and Art collide.   I'll be posting the rest of the photos on the Barley's Angels and Shades of Pale websites.   But here is a few more favorites:

 A big thank you to our hosts and Arch Angel:   Evergreen Gallery

If you haven't yet been to our Barley's Angels Facebook Page, come out visit, and connect.  We'd love to have you join the sisterhood.

Alexandra

Beer - Boobs & Tattoos

BFF Boob Tattoos

Women like their boobs tattooed; one boob, two boobs...BFF matching boob tattoos.   I have witnessed this first hand.  It appears temporary tattoos inspire even the most conservative women to take a walk on the wild side.  Well, it's possible the beer helped a little too.

Barley's Angels Utah attended it's first beer festival last month.  We showed up with Amber's Wicked Ale, home brew educational display, and air brush tattoo in tow.   No one asked about the home brew display,  two people asked about the beer,  but we were slammed with requests for temporary tattoos.

Why boobs?  Why not boobs?  Boobs are a big deal in these parts.  Here is an interesting statistic....  Utah is one of the highest per capita fake boob states rivaling California and Florida.   Park City is Utah's Sin City and Salt Lake proper now has more sinners than saints, but the rest of the state is predominately LDS (Mormons like to be called LDS).  I used to do some work in Utah county, the heart of  the church.  The dress code was stifling.  I've new sympathy for the women living in Iran .  In California where I came from, in 100 degree summers, even grandmas wear sleeveless blouses and it's not big deal.  Not so, in Provo.   It's considered indecent to show your shoulders.  It's common to see women wearing sundresses with shirts underneath the dress.  It's because of the "magic underwear" as the sinners call the LDS "garments" that the saints wear to protect them against harm.  The dress code is extensive, but it's not against code to buy big boobs. 

All in fun and games.  I don't know why boobs, but boob tattoo requests we get.  It appears beer, boobs and tattoos somehow go together.  The guys came to the next festival to help us set up.  How generous of them to offer their help with boob tattoos!  I don't want to leave you with the thought the women were disrobing for a full breast decorative session, but some women are not shy about bearing a bit of their prized pearls.  One rather well endowed woman came up to the booth with a request for a boob tattoo.  She sat down then asked if she could pick out the tattoo artist.  The girls told her "sure".  The woman said, "I want him"! and pointed to Allan, Amber's boyfriend.

So, in the spirit of boob tattoos I leave with a couple of drafts you can take to your tattoo artist.    Though, it could be turned into a hop bikini top or tank top.

Cheers,

Alexandra

Amber Drops Her Drawers

Henna Hops is gone! Well, the original at least.  Gone as the wild and crazy Beer festival we just went to in Evanston, WY, this past weekend.  I must admit, I'll miss the smiling faces, great beer, and the zealous shoppers.  Yes, the zealous shoppers!    Someone bought the 1 sample dry fit shirt I had made for my husband right off his sweaty back.  No,it was not for sale!

Shirt bought off his sweaty back

Amber dropped her drawers.  Barley's Angels' "bottom's Up shorts were a hit".   After selling out of size Large, a woman had to have a pair in her size that day.  She was on her way out of town and wanted to have them on vacation.  There was no ordering on the website for her, so she took Amber's size large right off her butt and asked her to squeeze into a small. 

In any case, I gave the painting away in a drawing for Shades of Pale/Barley's Angels and the perfect person won.  She'd been by the Shades of Pale tent for beer and came back for a shirt.  Later she came by the Barley's Angels booth for information and a spray tattoo.  Enjoy!

Alexandra


www.shadesofpale.com
www.barleysangelsutah.com
www.pixels.com
hops art

Tattoos & Hops

What do Tattoos and beer have in common? “Henna Hops” is the first of a series of paintings that explore these subjects which have fascinated millions.

Mountain Brewer’s Festival, the largest Beer festival in the Mountain West, attracting over 100 breweries and over 8,000 attendees was my first foray into tattoo art. The gals in our Barley’s Angels chapter, festival neophytes, were excited to attend their first major beer event. Barley’s Angels is an international lady’s organization. We hold educational socials to educate women about craft beer and hence bring more women into the beer drinking sisterhood. Filled with anticipation, we showed up, home brew and airbrush in tow. With so much great beer in one location, Amber’s Wicked Ale, did not get much attention, but our airbrush tattoos were a hit. We sprayed, branded, and delighted the masses.

Tattoos are most definitely en-vogue. To try to explain why, seems an impossible task. Why do humans do what they do and love what they love? While I am sure there must be some study that attempts to explain human behavior, when it comes to tattoos, the bottom line is that an awful lot of humans now sport one. I recently read a statistic that 25% of the population has a tattoo and the more I look around the more convinced I become, it’s got to be higher than that.
Having experienced a measure of success with our tattoo spray gun, the angels suggested I look into henna. A quick look was all it took to fall in love with it. My eyes were opened to a new world made up of beautiful lines, shapes, and squiggles.

A blending of two passions.

Beer is already the most popular drink in the world. It’s a recent passion and since it’s also my business, it touches almost every facet of my life. Since I also live and breathe art, it only made sense to begin to blend them both. The result is “Henna Hops”, the first in a line of beer inspired paintings with roots in tattoo art. I look forward to continuing to explore and develop this magical blend and sharing the wonders I discover.

Alexandra

hops paintings

Beer Couture

Who said beer inspired products had to be cheesy, sleazy and cheapo?  Out with macro brand chatzkys and in with Craft!

Ideas about designer beer inspired products have been flying around my head for a couple of years.   Beer is the priority, so we've been funneling all our resources towards stainless steel.  You can imagine just how big my eyes got when I ran into zazzle?   I'm in complete fascination and wasted no time in opening my very own online "Brewery Boutique".  What is one to do at 3:56 a.m. when one can't sleep? Design a new product! This mini messenger bag was inspired by my painting "Hop Medley".  I've been fixated on painting hops for some time.  Part of the reason is because hops are so symbolic of beer.  It's been difficult to find hop images I love and even harder to create them.  This particular piece was the result of my playing around with henna design.  I incorporated curves and swirls to the cones and leaves.

While most of my free time is currently consumed with learning web design and building out the Shades of Pale website, I'm sure I'll come back to zazzle to build out a designer beer collection.  Could this be a new genera of products?  I suppose we could consider it Beer Couture!

Cheers

Hop Obsession Part I

I must admit that as of late I have become obsessed with painting hops. This strikes me as rather strange since I don't particularly like hoppy beers. Hops are not particularly beautiful to look at and most difficult to paint. The fascination really is with beer. Since hops are an ingredient that is almost solely used in beer making, it's symbolic of this most revered drink.

My painting obsession began not too long after I took over graphic design for the brewery. My husband and I started Shades of Pale Brewing in Park City, Utah. Though it may sound like a grand endeavor, it was actually a nano operation started on a shoestring budget. We both had day jobs and worked on the business week ends and evenings. In those early days I affectionately called myself the CSM, Chief Scrub Master. I suppose I could have given myself a glorious title, but the truth of it is that there was an awful lot of cleaning involved. The hop addition was a particularly a messy affair.

We began recipe development on a Sabco System. For those of you not yet indoctrinated into the world of brewing, a Sabco is a glorified brew at home set up. Picture 3 fifteen gallon metal buckets that sit side by side over gas burners. The whole system sits on a metal frame and reminds me of a gas grill with big pots on top of the grill.

Hops are typically added to the boil, or as a hop addition at fermentation. The brewing process vaguely resembles making tea. Grains, just like tea, are steeped in water. The result is sugar water which is boiled for a certain amount of time, flash cooled, and moved to fermenters where yeast converts those sugars into alcohol. Hops, a bitter flower, are added to the beer to balance the sweetness of the malts and provide aromas that tantalize the palate.

Continued on: Hop Obsession Part II.

Alexandra's Print on Fine Art Amerca
Shades of Pale Brewing
Barley's Angels Utah