2012 Business Resolutions

It's that time of year when you start making your new year's resolutions.  Usually it would be something like: 1. Lose 50lbs; 2. Meet new friends; 3.  Spend more time with family, 4. Work less, etc....

But now that I am a Business Woman my thought process is different. After reading a few blogs I have come up with the following four:

1. Learn from past mistakes: We rarely acknowledge when we make mistakes, nor do we change our process when we do.  Einstein said "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

Global Caribbean III: Haiti Kingdom of this World

If you live in Miami then you know this weekend is the Art Basel festivities.  When the art world explodes in Miami.  Fortunately, there are a few on Haitian culture.  This morning I went to the Global Caribbean III opening at the Little Haiti Cultural Center.  It's a beautiful exhibit of contemporary creative Haitian art.

Haitian Thanksgiving?

I offered a few nods this past week, but when someone asked me if I was having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, I thought, well yes, because what would be a Haitian Thanksgiving dinner anyway? In Haiti, my family always celebrated Thanksgiving, but my parents just carried that over from living in New York for about two decades. It is not a holiday that Haiti celebrates, especially when I’m thinking their recollection of the original version of the explorers ‘visiting’ with the Indians is not spiced and glazed, but rather still tastes a bit salty and raw.
I had 17 guests sitting on my mix matched chairs. The Jones, Czerniejewski’s, Solages’, and Thomas’ (to name a few) got along just as well. My little one collected leaves from a tree, wrote everyone’s name with a sharpie pen and organized the seating arrangement. All of my staples were juxtaposed on two long tables, so I suppose that’s a nod to Haitian service where food was generally presented in the center of the table as opposed to buffet style in a separate room. The scheme of gold, and umbers accentuated the season and all the dishes were doubled, flanking the turkey to minimize the passing situation.
Usually I throw in a couple new dishes, up for review by the guests to see if they are deemed worthy of gracing the table next year. Fortunately for the homemade apple pie, and the veggie stuffing (sans bread), they did not get chopped, and both survived to be cooked another season. I know they say never to try a new recipe when you have a dinner party, but how else will I know? I need varied opinions. Criticism and crap talking-welcome.
The corn souffle (yellow) has been a hit for years. So has the tomato-mixed peppers-basil-feta salad (red/green/orange/yellow). The amber tones of the rosemary infused biscuits lay ensconced in Italian linen in a woven basket, the beautiful garnet color of the homemade cranberry sauce sat in a footed octagonal dish, the tangy bite of the citrus glazed carrots received some heat from a dash of grated ginger, and the stuffing consisted of potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and walnuts slow simmered in a sage and bay leaf infused broth. My turkey lounged on a bed of sage, thyme, rosemary and celery, while the bubbles and wine passed overhead. I had another nod to Haiti with a bowl of mushroom rice (Djondjon) along with a coconut, milk pudding type dessert called Blanc Mange, except mine was slathered with an apple cranberry pie topping.
It was a wonderful day. My hubby was amazed at how everything was placed on the table on time and piping hot. Many years ago, I just planned backwards (removal from oven to prep time) from the time I wanted to serve, and most chopping prep work was completed, labeled and lay stacked in Ziploc bags in the fridge from the night before. This year, I heard Alton Brown say the same thing, so I know I’m not completely obsessively organized, it’s just how things are done.

Haitianista will be at the PeacePalooza Festival

Come and enjoy some wonderful 60's music and do your holiday shopping @ Tobacco Road.

Holiday Happenings

For those looking for unique, interesting gift items at a reasonable price, come and visit Haitianista's booth at these upcoming events:

PeacePalooza: Sat, Dec 10/ 7:00pm to 2:00am
Come and enjoy a tribute to 60's music and do your holiday shopping
at Tobacco Road
626 South Miami Avenue, Miami


Botanical Bazaar:  Sun, Dec. 11/ Noon to 4PM

Celebrate the holiday season and explore the shopping treasures from 20 artists and crafters of one-of-a-kind handcrafted artworks, jewelry, scarves, knitted and quilted clothing, home accessories, stocking stuffers, photos, orchids, and seasonal plants. Five food trucks, live music and libations add to the festivities.

at Miami Beach Botanical Garden

2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach


Big Night in Little Haiti: Fri, Dec. 16/ 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Enjoy some good Haitian music, food, arts and do your last minute shopping.
at Little Haiti Cultural Center
212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami

Last Minute Holiday Shopping Trunk Show: Sun, Dec. 18th/ TBA
Avoid the mele at the mall, come and do your last minute shopping at Haitianista's trunk show.
More details to come.

Really?

I had a week where it seemed that every time I left my house I came across some type of eye rolling ‘really’ moment. Usually I’m lost in whatever song is playing on the radio, but this day I was driving down a not particularly busy neighborhood street, when I saw a young ‘lady’ flouncing down toward the main drag. At first I thought I was interrupting a music video, so I slowed down checking the surroundings and to watch this young woman do this deliberate cat walk/Rihanna, heel-toe, line up the knees, strut. Even more glaring was the tangerine tanga shorts she had on. I had to commend her for having the perfect apple bottoms to rock them, but it was 2pm and when are tangas NOT underwear? Anyway, she coordinated with matching heels and to top it off her blond dred locks bobbed in two sloppy piles as though she were channeling her inner Basquiat and Coolio, but still deliberately styled as though trying to pull off the cute Mickey Mouse ears. She had what appeared to be an infant’s tank top on, with contrasting black bra. Her arm was flailing as she spoke on the phone, seemingly oblivious to the traffic piling up around her. I can’t say if she was ‘working,’ but even if she was-really? Two o’clock in the afternoon? Like that? It was so Julia Roberts ‘work it, own it,' I really should have offered her a red Tootsie pop and a bus stop to complete her look. Really? 2pm?

Multi Tasking!

There is so much information out there that you can literally spend three days a week just reading.  Which leads to information overload: is it relevant to the business? is it quick? is the follow up cheap? Can I do it? or will I have to hire someone else to do it?

It has been challenging operating a business on a shoestring budget and running a household.  Between "information overload", ironing the "soulmate's" shirts, cooking for the little one, AND working on the website who has time for anything else?!

Well apparently Haitianista does! 

Signed up for a two day conference of the Women's Success Summit this week and to top it off we have booths at two different events!  How is that for multi-tasking? 

On Saturday, from 10 to 5, we will be at the Arboleda Fest in the Design District, AND at the IMade2011 Fair at Century Marketplace.  On Sunday, we will be at the IMADE2011 Fair.  Check us out on Facebook for details.

We will have beautiful handmade jewelry, beaded clutches, sandals, statues,all one of kind pieces perfect for presents.  Hope to see you at either events! and if you happen to see me nodding off just bring me some Haitian cafe!

The black gold of Haiti, coffee creole is hot again - Haiti - MiamiHerald.com

The black gold of Haiti, coffee creole is hot again - Haiti - MiamiHerald.com

Scenes of Haiti courtesy of Kender Floyd Louissaint

View of Cocoye Anglade, 10 minutes after the town of Aquin when heading south.  The water is warm and the sand is like gold.

View of Grand Boulage/Morne a Cabri.

We are live!

Dear all:

After a few sweat and tears, we have successfully launched our website. www.haitianista.com.  Please go see our products and forward to your friends and family.  Thanks

Haitianista will be at the Arboleda Festival

Regulatory foods and other rants

Some of you swear you don’t have them. ‘No, I go with whatever’ is what I’ve heard until I threw out a few options. Then, of course, real opinions arise about regulatory foods allowed in your household. I’m a gnat’s ass away from giving my dear husband a picture book of the groceries allowed to cross the threshold. I didn’t think I had so many preferences until my husband did the shopping. Then, it turned into a lip curling, nose flaring event as I sifted through the plastic bags (hello, why did I buy a pile of environmentally friendly ones for each car)? Everyday is Earth Day! Roast beef thinly sliced? Uh, I asked for roasted turkey. Generic cat food? We have a Iams/Fancy feast household here (yes, my cats fasted for a week when I tried less expensive brands). Store brand apple and cinnamon cereal, seriously? Arg! I can’t say that I have an allegiance to certain companies, other than the ones that I have tested just because. For instance, I did try every diaper brand in search of the ultimate ‘keeper' when I had my daughter. Pampers won hands down for me.

Lord of the rings

You know what I love about the Haitianista line? I get to celebrate a beach tan with pieces called mango tango! I’ve always enjoyed simple styles concerning clothes, probably because I was not apt to seeing separates put together apart from pulling them right off the magazine page. So being able to top off a simple plain dress with a stream of beads in energetic turquoise, provides the right amount of pizazz for me.
I wish there was a super store where I could chat with fashion coordinators and shop in the same place for looks that fit my lifestyle. ‘What not to wear’ meets Rooms To Go (but with clothes). Since I haven’t found that store, I love that I could stack Haitianista’s chunky cow horn cuffs and become Wonder Woman- in my own mind!

ESPANA

Just returned from a ten day vacation in Spain with my family. I had never been there before and finally my girlfriend (who lives in Geneva) and I worked out a place where we would like to vacation together. I diligently did my research before the trip, reading horror stories of the local transportation system. Considering my limited Spanish, we were arriving in Barcelona, had to get to another station downtown to buy tickets for a five hour train south to Alicante, I had my reservations about how smoothly things would go. Then my husband made it worse by buying three books on Spain to find out Alicante had it’s very own dialect that was not exactly Catalan. Oh brother.
From the airport, it was easy to ask about the taxis and public transportation. We only needed five words for the cab driver. “Barcelona Sants, por favor, gracias.” Twenty minutes later we were at a ticket counter where the customer service representative stiffly replied “Thomos en Barthalona” to the question of if he habla ingles. We met one other person like that. Everyone else spoke English enough. We were grateful everyone understood ‘bano’ because around the train station and in town, the bathrooms were referred to as lavabos or servicios. ‘Bale’ meant ok, got it, but ‘dale’ according to Cubans means, let’s go or c’mon. After a while I found myself saying grathias (gracias-thank you) and therca (for cerca-close to) because when in Rome...

Haitianista @ Century Marketplace August 20th & 21st

The Haitianista ladies will be @Century Marketplace this weekend, August 20th & 21st, @ 850 NW 42nd Avenue.  Please come and see us at our booth.  We will have a wide variety of items for sale.

Haitianista in the news!

Business

Sneak Peak at Emerging Businesses: Haitianista

Details

Category: Business

Published on Monday, 15 August 2011 09:27

Written by Maeva Renaud

Mango Tango Orange Pink Beaded Eyeglass Case

MIAMI, USA (defend.ht) - Entrepreneurship is a fast and moving ideal in the Haitian community. Especially for wife and mother, Rasha Cameau, who started a fashion and art business called Haitianista.

“Really it started because my family usually sent me nice pieces of art or jewelry as presents and people would always compliment me on them, and mainly ask where they could buy some. So I thought, why not have an online store so everyone can buy Haitian art, jewelery, etc...? To do my business plan I researched the various types of artists and designers in Haiti, and it dawned on me that Haitianista would actually create jobs in Haiti. It could help artists and designers become entrepreneurs, take care of their families and also hire more people.”

The venture started in February 2011 with partner Gail Dumornay. Cameau explained to DH how it all started,

“It started out with two designers, Christine Dartigue and Sara Magloire, they do comtemporary jewelry pieces, and sandals. Then I expanded to more artists, so now I have products from ten artists to start, but expect to double that number shortly. I support their original design, and I also ask them to do some pieces specifically for Haitianista. I never thought that I would be a designer, believe me.”

The women coined the name Haitianista after debates of calling themselves “I am Haiti”, but found that too restrictive for business. Cameau’s take on their brand,

“usually having a word end with "ista" means that you're an expert and support that thing, so we thought "Haitianista!" We are experts in Haitian art, fashion and designs and support it through our business. Plus it was very catchy to say. We have trademarked the word and the logo, which is the hibiscus.”

Sneak Peek of our site

Bonjour tous:


Wanted to share with you the draft of our new site.  I am still raising funds to finalize it, so any and every pledge helps get us closer to our goal.  So you can see what you're paying for (apart from the cool rewards) here is what our mainpage will look like:

You like?

Our very first video on Youtube!

http://youtu.be/fF17-NOidnI

Please consider supporting Haitianista on www.peerbackers.com

Dear Friend:

As you all know I have been working diligently on creating an online business to sell Haitian art, accessories, jewelry, etc...  I am still in the building aspect of it and am still raising funds in support of the business.  To that end, I am trying this new trend of "crowdfunding".  It allows me to raise funds for a specific aspect of the business and most of all to make people aware of the business.  I am raising funds to finalize the website.

I am asking you to help me by "backing" me on my project.  There are several levels to support, as little as $15.00 to $65.00, and there are wonderful rewards in return.  The caveat of course is that I have to raise the funds within 45 days.  So the clock is ticking....  Please, please support and/or forward this to all your friends and colleagues.

It's very easy:
1) Just go to www.peerbackers.com
2) Search Haitianista
3) Back Haitianista at whatever level you are comfortable with
4) Forward this info to your friends and colleagues.

PS: It wouldn't hurt if you "liked" Haitianista on Facebook as well.

Are you always on?

What do you do to ‘keep it tight, keep it right’ as the fully made up, designer clad basketball wives say?
The other day I was listening to a morning talk show and one of the radio hosts said how happy she was that her boyfriend was away for three days because she was able to comfortably sleep in sweat pants, granny panties and a dumpy T-shirt. Her colleague commented on the three year relationship. She responded saying how much work it was to be in a matching thong set every night, looking cute with every hair in place. She laughed.
I frowned. When is her boyfriend going to meet her?
I attended a party recently and a guest complimented my asymmetrical haircut. I thanked her shrugging and sighing with twisted facial expressions.
“What’s the problem?’
“The neediness of the style,” I said. “My hair needed a healthy change, however, I don’t do well with needy. Thank goodness my child was not the leg clinger type.
“Is your husband home every night?”
“No, he travels a lot.”

From Mahalia's kitchen