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Doggie Daycare
BUSINESS
A N A D V E N T U R E A T F U R R Y PA W S
text: ELLIE LAWRENCE
photography: JOHN BOUMA
Furry Paws, a doggie daycare and boarding facility, is the labor of love of
New York native Lisa Gallea.
I anticipated my two-year-old Jack
Russell terrier, Jethro, to be overly animated
as we approached Furry Paws, a doggie daycare and boarding facility in the heart of petcentric Miami. As if his age and breed didn’t
already foreshadow his dynamic temperament toward social situations, his notorious
track record for leaping out of the passenger’s
side window of my car at the mere sight of
a dog park has certainly sealed the fate for
every canine gathering pool. With the leash
pulled taut and his little legs galloping furiously, this boutique-style daycare was to be
met with the same antsy enthusiasm.
We entered into the spacious front room
where vibrant plush toys and colorful leashes
grounded the airy atmosphere. While Jethro
scurried off to sniff out every scent, his snorting nose glued to the ground like a feasting
anteater, I gravitated toward the bone-shaped
windows to peek at the pooches at play. The
handful of four-legged patrons romping
around in the adjacent playroom was enough
to quell the irrational fears of this overprotective pet parent as I knew immediately that
Jethro would be in good hands at Furry Paws.
Furry Paws is the labor of love of Lisa Gallea, the New York native who personally welcomed my terrier into her establishment as
if he was her own pet. “You could say I have
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AL 19
been a genuine dog lover from a young age.
Growing up in the suburbs of Rochester, having dogs as pets was almost a way of life,” recalls Lisa. “I can still remember my first dog,
a sheepdog named Gus. Gus was a gray and
white gentle giant—at least he seemed that
way to me as I was very little at the time.
Gus taught me to love and respect these loyal
companions. When I was in second grade,
we got Cooper, a golden retriever. As I was
a little older when we got Cooper, I was able
to better appreciate the beauty and joy these
animals possess. Cooper was a wonderful
dog and brought a lot of happiness and good
memories to my childhood.”
Growing up, my
father used to always
tell me, “In life, you
need to find what
you love to do, and
then find a way to be
successful at it.” That
wonderful fatherly
advice has always
stuck with me.
That same genuine love for animals is what
brought Lisa to Miami. “After graduating
from Syracuse University, I moved out to LA
where I assisted in negotiating celebrity commercial and endorsement deals for a large entertainment firm. Although I enjoyed my job
very much, it became evident to me over time
that it was just a job. My real driving passion
was working with animals,” Lisa describes.
“Growing up, my father used to always tell
me, ‘In life, you need to find what you love
to do, and then find a way to be successful at
it.’ That wonderful fatherly advice has always
stuck with me. So when I found myself at the
crossroads of a big life change, those words of
wisdom surfaced yet again, and gave me the
courage and inspiration to make the leap. I
decided to follow my passion, and to this day,
I have never looked back in regret.”
Inspired to focus her career around dogs,
Lisa returned to her home state for a year to
take a job at a very prominent dog daycare
and boarding facility. “When I initially made
the career change, it was extremely important
that I became educated and properly trained
to work with dogs,” she explains. “Taking that
job was a wonderful hands-on learning tool.
The owner of the facility was not only a great
business owner, but really understood how to
operate a safe and healthy facility. During my
time there, I learned a tremendous amount—
everything from dog behavior to proper
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flooring. Additionally, I also received my
Advanced Pet Care Technician certification,
became certified in Pet CPR, and read a lot!”
Once well versed in the industry, Lisa found
herself Miami bound, ready to branch
out into her own business in the poochpopulated city. “Every business owner I
have ever met has always had big hopes and
dreams for their business, and I am no exception,” continues the driven and spirited
entrepreneur. “I knew from the beginning
that I not only wanted to offer an unbeatable
service that was nothing short of the best care
and attention for the dogs in my care, but I
wanted to make a difference in the lives of
these dogs. I wanted my facility to be a place
where dogs could socialize and get the exercise and stimulation they need in a clean,
healthy, and safe environment.”
But before learning to walk as a business owner, she had to crawl. “Opening Furry Paws
was a very determined and exciting process
for me. As I was new to Miami, I needed to
become familiar with the city, understand the
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canine community. But I was also incredibly
grateful for the content Jack Russell, complete with a panting smile stretched ear to
ear, that she returned to me at the end of the
day. When I inquired about Jethro’s behavioral report card, Lisa assured me today was
just another typical day consisting of “tails
wagging in and tails wagging out!” The pack
of dogs spent the majority of their time getting plenty of fresh air, running through the
sprinkler, and racing on the agility ramp—
of course, there was a brief afternoon nap
thrown in for intermission. As for Jethro’s
scoring of Furry Paws, he was clearly more
than impressed—the pup was fast asleep the
second his head hit the seat, recharging his
battery for his next doggie daycare playdate.
artist of a dog will remain safe and secure
throughout his stay. “I have learned to never
underestimate the capability of a dog,” Lisa
comments. “Their determination and intelligence can be very intense!”
people, and most importantly make a name
for myself,” informs Lisa. “Furry Paws started
off as a dog walking and pet sitting business.
Every day, I would visit the local dog parks,
hand out business cards and flyers, and network any way possible. After about a year
and a half, I was finally at a point where I felt
comfortable enough to expand the business.”
Once
well versed in the industry, Lisa found herself
own business in the
Miami bound, ready to branch out into her
pooch-populated city.
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Furry Paws is now a thriving, multifaceted
establishment focusing on daycare, overnight boarding, and basic grooming services.
The facility has two generously sized indoor
spaces where the bigger dogs can have their
own room to run around in all day, while the
“little paws” can enjoy their own separate
quarters (complete with a playhouse) all to
themselves. The large playrooms open up to a
3,000-square-foot “bark park” where canine
clients can enjoy an agility ramp, fire hydrant,
doggie pool, and even a play slide in the wonderful Florida weather. The turf flooring and
six-foot-tall fence surrounding the perimeter
of the property ensures that even my escape
Whether the clients are some of Lisa’s regulars
who come every day of the week while their
owners are at work, those who stop in every
now and then for exercise and socialization,
or new faces like Jethro who spend the day as
a special treat, every dog receives loving attention while at Furry Paws. “As a dog owner
myself, I also used to use daycare and boarding facilities, so I understand what a difficult
and nerve-racking experience leaving your
own dogs can be,” analyzes Lisa, who strives
to maintain an inviting and warm establishment. “Creating a personal experience was a
real driving force in ensuring that my clients
knew me personally, interacted with me on a
daily basis, and were always reassured their
dogs were going to be in good hands while
they were away. Additionally, I am very hands
on with the everyday operation. Every single
one of my staff members is hired and personally trained by myself to ensure that the best
quality of care is always provided.”
As if presenting the best care and attention
to the dog-loving community wasn’t enough,
Lisa’s passion extends to fostering dogs and
promoting animal adoption as well. “From
the very beginning, fostering dogs has always been an experience and opportunity I
wanted to be involved with. When I learned
about Paws 4 You Rescue, a nonprofit rescue
organization based out of Miami, Florida, I
instantly wanted to help,” she states. “Each
person that donates their time and services
to Paws 4 You brings something unique and
helpful to the table. For me, I was able to foster dogs at my facility which helps to relieve
the unfortunate overcrowding that can result
from so many dogs in need of homes. Paws
4 You is an incredible organization that battles a tremendous growing problem here in
Florida, and I am proud to assist them in any
way possible.
AL :: www.furr ypawsmiami.com
“Fostering dogs can be a very difficult, but
rewarding process,” Lisa continues. “I always
become very attached to the dogs I foster;
it’s hard not to when you become so close
day in and day out. Unfortunately, a lot of
the dogs that need fostering are dogs with
a broken past that were faced with difficult
circumstances. You become attached watching the dog open back up and trust again. It’s
amazing to watch it all unfold in front of you.
But when it’s time to say goodbye, I always
remind myself that my purpose in their life
has been fulfilled, and they will now get that
chance to the wonderful life they deserve.
Fostering dogs is more than just giving a dog
a temporary place to stay. It’s part of giving a
dog a second chance.”
It warmed my heart to know that my patronage at Furry Paws helps enable Lisa to continue following her passion and assisting the
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Tell us about yourself:
I went to college to study business. I love
business, and I thought it would be a good
background for whatever I wanted to do. It
wasn’t until my senior year that I decided I
really wanted to go into design. After graduating from business school, I went straight
to design school at the Fashion Institute of
Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.
I started working in the industry from there
and never turned back.
A Fresh Classic
T H E W O R K O F M E L I S S A WA R N E R
text: MELISSA WARNER
photography: DAVID FENTON
Interior designer Melissa Warner transforms a traditional San Francisco home into a
timeless, yet contemporary oasis for a family.
DESIGN
What draws you to interior design?
I love the composition—creating a sense of
balance with the colors and the textures and
the furniture. Being that I have the business
background, I also really like using that to be
able to manage the projects and the budgets,
and deliver the end results on time.
smitten with textiles. I really can’t
get enough of beautiful fabrics.
I am really
Massucco Warner Miller Interior Design
and Decoration:
My partner, Julie Massucco, and I always say
how much we love design and how much we
never want to be the ones not doing the designing. I think that if you don’t have a passion for it, there isn’t any way that you can
have a firm because there’s so much hard
work and energy that goes into it. The fact
that we love it so much keeps us going.
Do you approach the design process
collaboratively?
It completely depends on the project. For this
particular project, the San Francisco residence, I did on my own. But depending on
the scope of the job and the timeline, we assess that on a project-by-project basis.
What is your main goal when designing
a home?
I really want someone’s home to feel collected. I like it to feel effortlessly chic—like you
didn’t try too hard to make it look as good
as it does.
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Describe your style:
I really like using pieces that have classic
lines, but using them in a modern and fresh
way. If you look at the rooms I have designed and start dissecting the pieces, a lot of
them have really classic lines and form, even
though the overall room looks modern. This
mix of classic pieces with funkier and edgier
pieces thrown in is what keeps the room interesting, but still timeless.
What inspires your design choices?
Sometimes it is the direction set by a client;
perhaps they have always had a dream of having a room that is a particular color. Sometimes it is just being out in the field and finding a great fabric or a great piece of furniture
or a great piece of art that ends up inspiring
the story for the whole room.
What has been the biggest challenge you
have faced as a designer?
I like to keep each project fresh and unique.
It is really important that each project represents the person who lives there. But sometimes I have a favorite piece—a favorite fabric or piece of furniture—that I really want
to reuse again and again, especially when the
piece can work in a variety of different situations. But I want each client’s home to be special, so sometimes I feel that I need to retire
certain pieces after I’ve used them.
What is your favorite element of design?
I am really smitten with textiles. I really can’t
get enough of beautiful fabrics. I love the texture, and I love mixing them.
Tell us about the clients:
This is a home in San Francisco, California,
for a young family—husband, wife, and three
children. This is actually the second home
that I have worked on with them, so we already had a good working relationship. The
wife has a very strong sense of style. She loves
color. She is not afraid of patterns or of taking
risks—and I love that about her! It was really
fun to work with someone who is really passionate about design.
What was the space like before
RENOVATIONS BEGAN?
The house was built in 1900 in an Edwardian
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style. The six-bedroom, five-bath home is
approximately 5,500 square feet, split between three floors. We actually did an extensive remodel on the house. It was under construction for a year and a half. The house was
in complete disrepair. When I first walked
into the house, it didn’t resemble the house
now in any way, shape, or form. Every room
was gutted and taken down to the studs.
Many rooms were completely reconfigured.
All the bathrooms are new. The kitchen is
new. The moldings are new. Every piece of
hardware, all the lighting, and all the doors
are new. But it was important to the client
to keep the integrity of the house and its architecture. Although all the pieces were new,
they wanted the inside to reflect the tradition
of the home. The house was a very beautiful,
classic San Francisco home, and the style of
the interior still says timeless.
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Leaving the furniture
as is, the inspiration
behind the living
room was all about
reinventing those
pieces and making
them work for this
new space.
Sum up the theme and inspiration behind
this project in a couple of sentences:
I think this project is colorful, youthful, fresh,
and classic—all at the same time.
What type of mood were you trying to
achieve when guests enter the home?
I wanted the home to feel really approachable
and warm. I really like when you come into a
home and you are not afraid to sit on things.
DESIGN DETAILS:
Kitchen:
The kitchen is really the hub of this house.
It is a little hard to tell from the photos, but
the kitchen, the breakfast nook, and the family room are all open in one space. So this is
really where the family spends a lot of time.
The goal for this space was to make it childfriendly and durable, but still keep it chic.
Function was very important in this space.
Dining:
The client knew she wanted to have some sort
of beautiful de Gournay wallpaper in the dining room. Once we chose that design, which
is the vibrant Kelly green with the tangerine
and coral detail, the wallpaper really set the
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tone for the whole space. We did the chairs in
the tangerine to bring out the accent color of
the wallpaper. Then I decided we really needed a dark color to ground the space, which
is why I had the moldings painted in that
coffee-charcoal hue. The window treatments
and the upholstered leather door also benefited from the same charcoal hue.
Because we went so bold on the
wallpaper, we wanted to keep it
simple everywhere else. We used
a vintage mirror, a vintage
chandelier, and some
beautiful gold sconces to really
let the wallpaper shine.
Living:
The living room is made up of pieces that I
had created for their previous home. Leaving
the furniture as is, the inspiration behind the
living room was all about reinventing those
pieces and making them work for this new
space. The walls and the window treatments
ended up being different compared to the
first house.
Bathroom:
That wallpaper is so fun! Because we went so
bold on the wallpaper, we wanted to keep it
simple everywhere else. We used a vintage
mirror, a vintage chandelier, and some beautiful gold sconces to really let the wallpaper
shine through.
Master Bedroom:
We wanted it to be a relaxing retreat, so the
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colors in the bedroom are definitely more
muted. There is also a sitting area directly
off the bedroom, so they really have a master
suite which can be their oasis.
Children’s Rooms:
Shapewise, rooms in San Francisco can sometimes be hard to work with. The girl’s room
was inspired as a way to really get her some
bookshelves and maximize the storage, while
still allowing room for her to run around and
play and have some floor space. The built-in
bed was created based on that concept, which
is nice because she has a place to have her
books and her toys, and then there are some
storage drawers beneath the bed. The little
boys’ room is the one with the blue and white
stripes. We didn’t have any challenges in that
room in terms of shape, so the design direction was all about being bold and fun.
What does the mix of colors and patterns
add to a room?
I think that is a huge part of what makes a
room successful or not. The mixing of things
that you wouldn’t necessarily think would go
together, but they do, gives that element of
unpredictability—and to me, having something unexpected in the room is what keeps
things exciting. Sometimes you need to
throw in a new color or pattern to keep the
room interesting.
Describe the home after the design was
complete:
It was a dramatic change just because the
house was in disrepair before we started. But
after the installation week, everything was
completely transformed. Installation week
is always my favorite. We added all the finishing touches—the window treatments, the
carpet, all of the furniture, the art, and the
mirrors—that last week. It always was a beautiful house, but I feel like it was really transformed into a home. It was finally livable and
functional for the client.
think of having something that is traditional,
they think of it as being boring or outdated.
But this project really shows that you can
have classic and traditional pieces but use
them in a new, fresh, and modern way.
What has been the greatest
accomplishment within your career?
Building this business with Julie has been my
greatest accomplishment. I feel that we really
built this business based on values that are
important to us, like giving good client service and great design.
What would be your dream project?
I would love to have a project in Italy. I love
the style. I love how easy it looks—it feels so
effortless. I would jump at the chance to have
a project there!
AL :: www.mwminteriordesign.com
The girl’s room was inspired
as a way to really get her
some bookshelves and
maximize the storage, while
still allowing room for her to
run around and play and have
some floor space. The built-in
bed was created based on that
concept, which is nice
because she has a place to
have her books and her toys,
and then there are some
storage drawers beneath
the bed.
How does this project exemplify and
highlight your firm’s talents?
It really shows that we are not afraid to take
risks with colors and patterns. It shows that
you can have a classic home, but have it feel
exciting. I think a lot of times when people
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TRAVEL
© Keith Boas
© Mid-Lakes Navigation
© Alvin Reiss
If Sal Did It, We Can Too
A TRIP ALONG THE ERIE CANAL
text: alvin h. reiss
photography: as noted
A trip along the Erie Canal reveals history and culture in the form of museums, boats, and art.
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© Mid-Lakes Navigation
Sal, the mule immor talized in the old
folk song, spent fifteen years on the Erie
Canal. Although I spent only four days, my
experience was much richer than Sal’s, especially since I didn’t have to tow a flat barge
loaded with freight along the great waterway.
The Erie Canal, the engineering marvel of
its time, opened in 1825 thanks to the vision
of New York Governor DeWitt Clinton. His
concept, that digging a 363-mile canal from
Buffalo to Albany would open a new shipping lane from New York to the eastern shore
of Lake Erie and then on to the American
West, proved prophetically right. Although
the Clinton plan was derided by President
Thomas Jefferson, who called it an act “just
short of madness,” the resulting Erie Canal
proved to be a huge spur to the economy,
that within its first decade reduced the cost
of moving freight from one hundred dollars
a ton to four dollars a ton. Just as importantly, it not only opened New York to the
West, but it linked western commerce from
the Great Lakes down to Albany, the Hudson
River, and eventually to the Port of New York
and Europe.
As another song goes, “times have changed,”
and although you don’t see the barges and
mules of yesteryear along the canal, the Erie
today is very much alive with pleasure craft,
and offers the traveler an unexpected and exciting historic and cultural experience. My
wife, Ellen, and I began our four-day trip
the way a visit to the Erie Canal should begin—on the canal itself. Arriving in Syracuse,
we embarked on a tour ship, the Emita, the
next morning and for seven hours, fueled
with breakfast, lunch, and snacks, lazied our
way past bucolic scenes of canal-side homes,
bridges, pleasure boats, self-skippered charters, and an old aqueduct. We experienced
the thrill of going through a series of locks,
just as the old barges did, at our arrival point
in Seneca Falls.
By now we were ready to explore by car an
equally interesting aspect of the area—the
towns and cities along the canal. After an
overnight stay in Newark at Vintage Gardens,
a charming bed and breakfast in a beautiful
It not only opened New York to
the West, but it linked western
commerce from the Great Lakes
down to Albany, the Hudson
River, and eventually to the Port
of New York and Europe.
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the Memorial Art Gallery and the National
Museum of Play at the Strong Museum. Ostensibly a museum created for children with
an incredible variety of exhibits and experiences, the Strong Museum is also a place the
adults, including us, seemed to enjoy as much
as the kids did.
right
Artists’ loft in Pultneyville
The next day offered a highlight not to be
missed, the George Eastman House, where
the inventor and founder of Eastman Kodak
lived and left virtually intact, and its International Museum of Photography and Film, the
world’s oldest photography museum. Then,
reluctantly, it was back home to New York by
train. All told, our travels on the canal and
by car to the canal towns were no more than
forty miles each, but what we experienced
was untold miles of pleasure, boosted by
A visit to the
© Wayne County Tourism
old nineteenth-century home, we discovered
the Newark Arcadia Historical Society, offering detailed views of the businesses that
sprang up in the years following the canal’s
opening. Across the street, the Hoffman
Clock Museum displayed over 300 vintage
clocks including our favorite, an 1840 Black
Forest organ clock featuring a German band
that entertained us with eight different tunes.
A short drive brought us to an old lighthouse
on Lake Ontario. In its new function as the
Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum, it offered us
an inside view and, after climbing the fiftytwo circular steps to the top, an outside view
of how the lighthouse keeper and his family
lived and worked. Contemporary art was on
tap next at the Artisans’ Loft at a lake marina
in the charming town of Pultneyville. There
was still so much to do that we decided to
forgo visits to the many nearby wineries, and
headed instead to the town of Palmyra on
the old canal which, proud of its past, houses
five historic museums. A visit to the William
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incredible dining experiences in a range of
interesting restaurants, cafés, and bistros.
Although the canal is open for boating only
from early May through late October, the
paths along it and its towns and villages offer
year-round pleasures. We really enjoyed our
trip and especially enjoyed our many conversations with residents of the canal towns who
have tremendous pride in their past and, despite some economic difficulties, great hopes
for the future. We’re already marking down
the first weekend in June next year so we can
join the more than 200,000 visitors who celebrate the Erie Canal and its legacy at Fairport’s thirty-fifth annual Canal Days Festival.
AL :: www.midlakesnav.com
William Phelps General Store Museum took us back in time to an intact
completely furnished and untouched owner’s home upstairs.
nineteenth-century store with a
Phelps General Store Museum took us back
in time to an intact nineteenth-century store
with a completely furnished and untouched
owner’s home upstairs.
The day was drawing to a close when we set
out for Fairport, a charming village which
thoroughly embraces its setting on the original Erie Canal. We climbed the infamous
sloped lift bridge, a ten-sided structure which
crosses the canal at a thirty-two-degree angle, and visited with a cheerful bridge master. Although only minutes from Rochester,
Fairport is a town very much its own and is
especially popular with working artists—we
visited with several—and celebrates its heritage with a range of waterside festivals.
At the end of our third day, we were off to
Rochester, a canal city whose ties to water are
highlighted by the dramatic one hundredfoot high waterfall in the High Falls Historic
District. Rochester is very much a cultureoriented city, as we discovered in visits to
© Wayne County Tourism
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In seventeenth-century
Japan, temari as toys
flourished as an artistic
pursuit of noble women,
who created intricate
designs stitched with silk
thread salvaged from old
kimonos.
All
my
life, I’ve
pursued
creative
endeavors in both my professional and personal life. I find joy and purpose in creativity.
I use art, craft, and design as a way to explore
life and the world around me. “Life and art
are inseparable” is a saying that fits me well.
Although I am a book designer by trade, currently a freelance designer and typographer
of books for museums and galleries, I have
always dabbled in various forms of art—photography, mixed-media collage and assemblage, chain maille jewelry and sculpture, and
pen and ink drawing to name a few. I have recently taken up the art of temari. In the simplest sense, temari are embroidered spheres,
derived from the ancient Japanese folk art
that has become more and more popular in
the West in the past few decades.
CRAFT
Falling under the Spell of Temari
In the summer of 2011, I curated an online
exhibit about geometry in art and craft for
Etsy Stalker, a blog featuring daily themed exhibits of art and craft from sellers on Etsy. My
search for spheres exposed me to temari for
the first time. I was immediately intrigued—
something about them really resonated with
me, although I wasn’t sure at that time what
it was. I just knew I couldn’t stop thinking
about them and their endless possibilities.
Threads of Tradition
THE ART OF TEMARI
text: SUSAN kelly
photography: SUSAN kelly
Embroidered balls, symbolizing friendship and loyalty, are delicately crafted and given as gifts
for the New Year, weddings, and other special occasions.
36
Eventually, I realized what first resonated
with me was how completely different temari
was from the art to which I was accustomed.
I’d been drawing for years exclusively in
black ink (only having just added watercolor), and here was something colorful, threedimensional, and tactile. I found their round
shape to be calming and peaceful, and their
patterns intriguing. They’re playful. Since
my drawings were abstract, free flowing,
and mostly black and white, the possibilities
presented by pattern and color and dimension—choosing patterns and experimenting
with them, combining colors to create subtle
and pleasing palettes—drew me in.
I set out to learn all I could about temari
via the internet and books. For me, it’s most
rewarding to learn a new craft the “correct”
way—to understand the basics so that I can
then take what I’ve learned in the directions
that work for me. Without properly and deliberately beginning from the beginning, I
felt like I would be disrespecting the craft.
I found an online class through which I ordered a supply kit and instructions for my
first temari; held in the format of a Yahoo
group, one could ask questions, get help,
and post pictures of the final temari for critique. I was hooked even before finishing
AL 37
my first, and ordered several more patterns
and kits from the same teacher, as well as a
book by her and several other books. The
most amazing part to me was starting with a
handful of rice hulls and some common yarn
and thread, and ending up with a wonderful round sphere on which to embroider—it
seems an impossible feat, and yet it isn’t at all.
The Journey of Temari
Although there are many various accounts of
the history of temari—with exact dates, traditions, and explanations differing from source
to source—temari is generally believed to
have originated in China as simple leather
balls for games like handball, juggling, and
kickball-type games such as hackey sack.
They were brought to Japan hundreds of
years ago, probably by traveling Buddhist
monks and missionaries. They evolved to
simple balls made of wound thread.
In seventeenth-century Japan, temari as
toys flourished as an artistic pursuit of noble women, who created intricate designs
stitched with silk thread salvaged from old
kimonos. Competitions were held to promote creation of increasingly elaborate designs. Certain designs were specific to particular regions. With the advent of rubber balls
at the end of the nineteenth century, and the
increasing availability of fiber arts materials,
temari evolved into primarily an art form,
crafted by women throughout the country. It
was traditional for a mother to stitch a new
temari for her daughter as a gift for the New
Year. They are also auspicious gifts for weddings and other such occasions. Temari are
symbols of deep friendship and loyalty.
Temari is still practiced today, with a resurgence in Japan and a growing popularity in
the West. In Japan, it takes many years of
apprenticeship and studying to become a
master and teacher. The Japan Temari Association (JTA) was established in the 1970s
to help keep the tradition of temari alive and
to encourage it to flourish, introducing them
to new generations and to other areas of the
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It is traditional to include a
bell box
with a rattle inside a temari. I use watercolor
paper and make a small box, in which I put a
world. The JTA offers levels of certification
from Introductory to Professor; each level
requires a certain number of years of study
under a certified teacher, special skill sets,
and the passing of exams judged by the JTA.
As I have just recently started my personal
journey with temari, I am very much still a
beginner, and mastering the art form is not
my end goal. My interest lies in the journey
of creating temari. There is always something
new to learn and ways to improve over time.
The Bell Box
It is traditional to include a bell box with a
rattle inside a temari. I use watercolor paper
and make a small box, in which I put a handwritten quotation. Every temari I have made
since the very first has included a quote, lyric,
poem, or haiku—something meaningful to
me or for the person for whom I’m making
the temari. I add brass rings (a nod to my
chain maille work) to the box that make a
quiet rattle when the finished temari is shaken. The number of rings is often seven, nine,
or eleven because these are good numbers.
Sometimes I choose the number of rings in
handwritten quotation.
reference to the pattern and/or the quote—
fourteen for a quote by the Dalai Lama (who
is the fourteenth Dalai Lama), sixteen for the
kiku (chrysanthemum) pattern because it has
sixteen petals, or seventeen if the quote is a
haiku (for the seventeen syllables). The box
is sealed with the quote and the rings inside.
The Core
For the core, I put the rice hulls in the foot of
a new stocking along with the bell box and
shape it round, a little like packing a snowball. Rice hulls (the husks that are removed
from grains of rice during milling) are the
traditional medium for the core, although
some people use a Styrofoam ball, recycled
plastic bags, cotton batting, or recycled fabric
plus thread instead.
I choose quotes that are
meaningful to me: about
life and living, generosity
and compassion,
creativity and
inspiration, and
finding one’s path and
one’s place in the world.
The Mari Base
The next step is to create the mari base by
wrapping yarn around the core until it is covered, forming a ball. The ball is then wrapped
in thread (standard serger sewing machine
thread that comes on cones). Several hundred yards are needed to fully cover the yarn
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and form a thick enough layer. It takes practice, but actually isn’t as hard as it might
seem. Even if not perfectly round, round to
the eye and close enough to perfect will work
just fine. There’s a Japanese term, wabi sabi,
which means “perfectly imperfect.” Temari
are a folk art and therefore not intended to be
perfect; being wabi sabi is part of the charm
of the craft.
otherwise it is all proportional geometry. The
pins are guides to add your guidelines, which
are typically done in metallic thread but can
be done with regular embroidery thread (or
in “waste” thread that is removed later so it
isn’t a part of the design). Thread guidelines
are added that run from pole to pole, and
around the equator.
Division is the measuring and
marking of the mari base so you
get the guidelines for stitching
your pattern. A temari is
referenced as if it is a globe: the
top is the north pole, the bottom
the south pole, and around
the middle is the equator.
“
The primary stitch is the herringbone stitch.
Patterns are essentially made up of shapes—which can be simple or
complex, layered, interwoven, or interlocking.
Stitching a Design
Division
Division is the measuring and marking of the
mari base so you get the guidelines for stitching your pattern. A temari is referenced as if
it is a globe: the top is the north pole, the bottom the south pole, and around the middle is
the equator. Measuring is often done with a
paper strip or a fabric tape measure, and pins
with colored heads are inserted to differentiate the points on the mari. Only the more
complicated divisions require exact numbers;
There are many traditional stitches, and these
stitches are combined to make traditional
patterns. The primary stitch is the herringbone stitch. Patterns are essentially made up
of shapes—which can be simple or complex,
layered, interwoven, or interlocking. There
are patterns like the kiku (chrysanthemum),
a sixteen-petalled flower, that are centuries
old. Temari makers also create original patterns and different methods and applications
of stitching. Like any art form, there’s a fuzzy
line between applying the traditional methods in pleasing ways, and truly coming up
with something new and original.
I’m still such a beginner, and I’m taking it
very slowly to really practice and refine my
stitching. The patterns I choose are relatively
basic and simple. The artist, the painter, and
the designer within me wants to play too, so
while I am still doing very basic work, I am
exploring color and form as much as I can
in this basic work. Temari patterns and designs can be extremely complex and intricate.
Somewhat to my surprise, I have found that
when I look at photographs of very complex
temari, though I truly appreciate the complexity and skill, the simpler patterns resonate
more and are more aesthetically pleasing.
Inspirational Words of Wisdom
As one who adores reading, the rather unorthodox inclusion of the quote is as important to me as all the elements are. I almost
always start with the quote, which prompts
the design. (On the other hand, if I want to
try a new pattern, I’ll search for the right
quote to go with that pattern.) Whether it
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For me, a temari is already very much about
about
generosity, about humanity.
wholeheartedness, about compassion,
I am fortunate that I am
able to create something
that gives me joy and
happiness, that brings the
owner joy and happiness,
and then take the money I
make from that transaction
and help others in realizing
their own aspirations.
is a Japanese haiku from the seventeenth or
eighteenth century, or a quote from a favorite author or artist, I choose quotes that are
meaningful to me: about life and living, generosity and compassion, creativity and inspiration, and finding one’s path and one’s place
in the world. Or sometimes I choose haiku
or poetry for the beauty of the words and the
imagery evoked. While it is difficult to articulate the natural flow of the design process
into words, the quote often informs the pattern or design: certain quotes ask for stars, or
swirls, or particular colors.
I view each temari as a whole, an individual work of art, and approach it in this way.
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I choose the color for the thread wrap, and
then the palette for the embroidery stitching. It is all very deliberate, and all planned in
advance. I want each to be one of a kind, so
though I repeat patterns, palettes, or quotes, I
never combine all elements again in the exact
same way, so as not to duplicate a past temari.
I see the temari I create as a personal spin on
traditional temari. A more “modern” color
palette speaks to me, and is reflective in my
craft. I want the temari I make to be more
than an object put on the shelf as a decoration, but something one can hold, puzzle
over, contemplate, and even use as an object
for meditation.
Crafting for a Cause
For me, a temari is already very much about
wholeheartedness, about compassion, about
generosity, about humanity; realizing this in
a practical way completes the cycle. This is
one reason why the sphere/circle/globe shape
so draws me in. It’s symbolic of what I am trying to accomplish.
I hope to bring happiness to people who
buy one of my temari, and hopefully give
them something to provoke thought. And of
course, lending the proceeds to Kiva is a huge
part. Kiva is a nonprofit organization that
facilitates microfinance loans to individuals and groups in impoverished areas of the
world, people who might not be able to get
financial help in any traditional way. These
are people who work hard at improving
their circumstances—for themselves, their
families and children, saving for the future,
paying for the education of their children, or
constructing a better home. I am fortunate
that I am able to create something that gives
me joy and happiness, that brings the owner
joy and happiness, and then take the money
I make from that transaction and help others in realizing their own aspirations, helping
those who want to pursue their own livelihoods and make better lives for themselves
and their children, and create a better future.
Therefore, I am able to benefit others and not
just myself, and this is a huge part of my inspiration. If I was only doing this for profit, I
don’t know that I’d feel nearly as motivated;
knowing that I can help others with the sale
utterly augments the satisfaction and benefit
of the entire creative (and selling) process.
AL :: www.kumotemari.blogspot.com
www.kumotemari.etsy.com
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CAREER
He said, “Lady, I have some good
and bad news for you. The bad
news is you and Bob have to go
up to Harrisburg next Thursday.
The good news is you are going
to be appointed as the first female
professional boxing judge in the
country.”
Ringside with Carol Polis
THE FIRST FEMALE BOXING JUD GE
text: carol polis
Not initially interested in the sport of boxing, Carol Polis first learned how to score a
match from her ex-husband, a boxing referee at the time.
I was never interested in boxing.
I thought the sport was very barbaric and
cruel. But my now ex-husband was a boxing referee inside the ring at the time, and he
would take me to the fights. One night when
I went with him, which wasn’t that often, he
thought he would teach me how to keep score
on the back of a program to keep me busy. I
only got a ten-second lesson. But I was able
to keep score, which made the fight a little
more interesting.
At the end of the evening, he said to me, “I
am going to turn your score in to the commissioner.” It is an awful thing to see a grown
woman beg, but I begged, “Please don’t turn
my scores in! I don’t know what I am doing.
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I don’t want to make a fool of myself.” I guess
I can say luckily he didn’t listen because he
turned my scores in to the commissioner,
Zack Clayton, who said he liked my scoring
better than the men’s. He encouraged me to
keep scoring fights, and sent me a tiny book,
about two inches thick, with all of the rules
and regulations. It took me a year and a half
to get through it. I figured I would learn so
that I would have something more in common with my husband. He loved being a referee, and this would give us something else
we could talk about—and also not agree on!
sporadic scores so he could compare it against
the men’s scores. One night during the intermission before the main event, Zack Clayton
came over. He never called me by name; he
always called me Lady. He said, “Lady, I have
some good and bad news for you. The bad
news is you and Bob have to go up to Harrisburg next Thursday. The good news is you are
going to be appointed as the first female professional boxing judge in the country.” (Since
that time, I have found out that I was to be
the first female professional boxing judge in
the world!)
Here and there, the commissioner would ask
me on-the-spot questions when he saw me at
a fight, and I would continue to turn in my
This was thirty-nine years ago, but I can put
myself back in time in a second because I
remember his exact words and my feelings.
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My quick response was, “I use the kitchen
do you mean in the
I almost collapsed! I actually thought he was
kidding. But that next Thursday, off we went
to Harrisburg to meet with Governor Shapp.
They gave me huge red boxing gloves to pretend I was striking the governor. The radio,
television, and newspaper people were there.
And I thought to myself, “Now I know how
Marilyn Monroe must have felt.” It was very
exciting for me. Even when we got home
from Harrisburg, there were newspaper reporters waiting on our front step. I felt like I
was a celebrity, and I loved every second of it!
First Official Bout
The first official fight that I judged after being
appointed was between two very well-known
heavyweights—Jimmy Young and Earnie
“The Acorn” Shavers. I was so scared and
nervous. I didn’t hear anything but two voices
in the audience—and there were 17,000 people there! It was almost as if I went deaf, and
all I heard were two voices. One said, “I think
I love you, Carol.” I liked that voice. And the
other one said, “Carol, did you know that was
a body blow?”
kitchen baking?”
as a breezeway to get out of the house. What
that came out in the newspaper here and
there were, “What could she possibly know
about boxing? She should be home in the
kitchen baking.” And my quick response was,
“I use the kitchen as a breezeway to get out of
the house. What do you mean in the kitchen
baking?” But I’ll be honest with you. It took
me many years to come up with a real good
patent line which is this: Every man I have
ever worked with (and ninety-nine percent
of them had been men) had fought in some
capacity—whether it was in the Navy or the
Army or high school—so they are all partial
to their style. I do not have my own style because I would never get in the ring, so I feel I
can be extremely objective.
Zack walked over to me before the fight started and said, “Don’t worry about it. It will be
over in the third round.” And it was. How he
knew, I don’t know to this day. At any rate, it
was a scary night for me because you don’t
know how you are going to be accepted. People were not used to seeing a female judge in
such a male-dominated field.
I am also able to ask questions that men
would never consider asking. One time, I
met Muhammad Ali. We were chatting, and
I said to him, “I know your fists are considered lethal weapons outside of the ring. Has
anybody ever tried to pick a fight with you
outside of the ring?” And he said, “Yes, but
always remember, it takes a man to walk away
from a fight.” And then I asked him—and
only a woman would ask this—“When you
step into the square circle,” which is what we
call the ring, “are you ever afraid?” Can you
see a man asking him that? He said, “Anybody who tells you that they don’t have butterflies in their stomach, there is something
wrong with them. Of course I have butterflies
in my stomach.”
Overcoming Stereotypes
Caught up in the excitement
When you are the first in anything, you have
to set an example. The first few comments
I entered into the industry at an absolutely
fabulous time. I tried on a conscious level to
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take the back seat because I knew it was my
ex-husband’s thing, but he was the one who
really encouraged me to get into boxing. He
kept me in it, and I was trying to go along
with it. In the end, I think he thought he created a monster—not that I acted like one because I was always a lady—but I got caught
up in it.
I probably would have gotten carried away
with it after the first few years anyway. There
were so many experiences and opportunities that came along. I have judged twentyseven title fights throughout the world and
two nontitle heavyweight fights. One of the
two nontitle heavyweight fights included
Mike Tyson and the other, Larry Holmes.
Early on in my career, I appeared on What’s
My Line and To Tell the Truth. I was on a
lot of radio shows and sports shows. I even
appeared in Rocky V.
Dokes, the fight ended in one minute and
twenty-four seconds into the first round.
(Championship fights used to always be fifteen rounds as the mark of a true champion,
but have now been changed to twelve.) When
it is a title fight and you are being paid to
judge, whether it ends in one second in the
first round or it goes the distance of twelve
rounds, you are still paid the same. So I personally do not care if it ends in one second
because I am always looking forward to the
fight party afterward to mingle with people
and see old friends. Every sport has their
own family, and it is always great to see people from all over the world. But I remember
when I got home, people thought it was a
shame that it was over so quickly. But it ends
when it ends. I have no control over that.
Apex of Career
I remember full well at the end of the ceremony when I was officially appointed, there
was a local woman from the Harrisburg
newspaper. She asked what would be the apex
of my career—what would be the top of the
mountain for me of what I could wish for at
this point in time. And I said, “To one day do
a heavyweight title fight, and the second is to
do a title fight in Europe.” Both of which have
come true. My first title fight in Europe was
in Copenhagen, Denmark, which was great
and very exciting.
When I did a heavyweight title fight in Las
Vegas between Michael Weaver and Michael
Scoring a fight
Zack Clayton told me to remember three
things: First, it is better to stop a fight one
punch too soon than one punch too late.
Secondly, when you are judging a fight, be
a man. If you call anything a draw, that is a
weakling. Make a decision. And finally, don’t
worry about what they say about you in the
newspaper. Just make sure they spell your
name right.
When you score a fight, you must score in
ink. And they come around and take your
card after each round, so you can’t keep any
kind of running total. You can talk to people
before a fight, but you certainly can’t talk to
people in between rounds. You are there to
concentrate one hundred percent and do the
best job you can. I judge each round separately as if it is its own fight. I look for aggressiveness, cleverness of blows, and technical fouls
and violations. I also lean most heavily on the
effectiveness of blows. It is not the amount of
blows you throw.
Storytelling
There were so many experiences. It is amazing the things that I have been around and
gone through and somehow came out unscathed! I kept diaries and an annotated
photo scrapbook to match of all my title
fights. Luckily I did this because I may have
a razor-sharp memory at least today, but in
two years, I may forget all of it! And with the
help of my coauthor, Rich Herschlag, we were
able to take everything I had written down
in diary-form in my scrapbook and complete
the book of my experiences as the first female
professional boxing judge in the world. I am
excited about my book more than anything.
It has been almost five years in the making.
But I have a good feeling about it.
In the meantime, I really enjoy telling my stories at speaking engagements. I have spoken
to all kinds of groups—churches and synagogues, colleges and universities, and corporate events and foundations. I have divided
my speech into five rounds, like boxing. But
the most important thing of all is the theme
throughout my five rounds: with courage,
anything is possible. And trust me, it is true!
AL :: maine523@yahoo.com
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