Life’s Pathway

Hello friends of Pinkskate,

When life happens there’s not a whole lot you can do to stop, slow or impede its effects. Life simply happens and we have to strap in our “life seat belts” and hunker down for the ride. For some

folks, “life happens” sounds cliché, but for many that phrase takes on a deeper meaning and represents a variety of moments we’ve experienced. What I know for sure is that these moments look different for each of us.

Like many of you, I consider myself someone who wears multiple hats for a myriad of reasons. For example, I’m a Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sibling, Aunt, Friend, Mentor and a Business owner. Each role brings certain responsibilities and weight to bear; typically one I can handle but a weight none-the-less.

For example, I have aging parents who require far more care and assistance than they have in recent years. This can be especially difficult when one parent requires serious aid and attendance due to memory loss coupled with physical disability. As many of you already know this can be hard watching a loved one loose the independence they once enjoyed.  Like I said, nothing I can’t handle, but it is challenging.

So, what does all this mean and what does it have to do with figure skating?? I’m so glad you asked because the point of this blog post is NOT to make anyone sad or to feel sorry for me! Quite the contrary, the point of this blog post is to encourage you as well as myself. The good news is that in spite of some current challenges, life is still happening and moving forward in a very positive way!

In order for that to be possible, it required that I step down from a volunteer position on a local figure skating board, as well as pull back from non-profit work with a local domestic violence agency. Although these were tough decisions to make it allowed me to become more available to care for my aging parents. It also provided more flexibility in my schedule to support my Daughter in her continued growth and progress as a figure skater. In fact, she recently passed her Juvenile Moves In The Field test, landed her double salchow and joined a girls high school hockey team. Hmm, I wonder where she gets all her ambition from??

Lastly, I’m happy to say that since prioritizing my life and busy schedule, I’ve been afforded more time to keep building Pinkskate. My desire to build Pinkskate is not just for myself but for every skating family who gets it and understands that life can and will be challenging while we support our loved ones in this great sport. Fortunately, I’ve learned that when “Life Happens” it doesn’t mean that we have to give up on our goals, dreams or ambitions. There may be some tough decisions and even sacrifices to be made but hopefully, you’ll still be moving forward and getting a little stronger along the way.

Thanks for visiting the Pinkskate blog and I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Summer! As we head into the Fall season, please be on the look-out for some fun and exciting news about the Pinkskate brand.

Lots of love from my Pinkskate Family to you and yours.

Terri

So what do you do when smack dab in the middle of all the hustle and bustle you experience the loss of a loved one? This is one of the hardest blog post I’ve ever written because that’s exactly what our family is dealing with. On August 9, 2015 just 15 days shy of her 87^th birthday we lost the beautiful life and loving Woman that we’ve known as Mom, Mother-in-law, Grandma and Friend. Losing my Mother-in-law feels very much like we’ve hit a brick wall. Watching my Husband deal with the loss of his Mom and my Kids with the loss of their Grandma is a compounded situation. Although it affects us all in different ways, the impact is still very hard and painful. She was such a sweet and tenderhearted Woman who had a smile for practically everyone she met and we will miss her dearly. I believe the thing I will miss most about my Mother-in-law is her hearty laughter and her contagious smile. The stories she’d tell us of beating my Husband and his brother in a game of hockey on the frozen pond in the back yard of their farm, all while wearing a pair of figure skates. Mom was always full of laughter and smiles, you couldn’t be in her presence more than five minutes before you were also smiling and laughing. I always felt that this was an incredible gift she shared with us and we were so fortunate to partake in her joy and zest for life.

Mom had a passion for baking, gardening, flowers and collecting sea shells. She enjoyed laughing at all the silly jokes my Husband told and she was one of the most generous and selfless individuals I have ever known.  Most importantly, I know that my Mother-in-law had an unwavering love for her three Sons, her beautiful grand children and her entire family.  She was proceeded in death by her beautiful and vibrant 18 year old daughter Karen who loved the Arts and had a true zest for life just like her Mom. Also proceeding her in death was her beloved Husband Kenneth. Prior to his passing they enjoyed almost 60 years of marriage together and we all know that she truly missed both her precious Daughter and Husband.

Although our hearts are beyond sad and our pain is real because we miss her terribly,  I think more than anything my Mother-in-law would want us to keep moving forward, keep pressing on, and keep encouraging each other to be all that we can be.  Most importantly, I believe that she would want her family to keep loving and sharing moments of laughter with one another. Also, when we think of her, I believe she wouldn’t want us to be sad but would encourage us with the truth that she will forever be smiling down on us until we catch up with her. RIP Mom and thank you for being a true Woman of strength and courage. You overcame some of the hardest adversities that life has to offer and you never lost your gift of laughter and love. We will miss you dearly and although you are gone you will never be forgotten.

Lastly, I want to encourage you, especially if you have dealt with a recent loss or still grieving the loss of a loved one. May you also find peace and comfort during your time of recovery.

In Loving Memory of Shirley Ewert

2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

2015 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships

The 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships was amazing! There were so many spectacular moments in each of the events and I love just how much I continue to learn every time my family and I set down to watch these amazing athletes compete. With so much on the line, you can tell that each competitor has worked themselves down to the bones in preparation of this event. Some of them even coming back from injury like Gracie Gold. She is and will forever be one of my favorites! Although she wasn’t as successful this year while defending her title, she still gave an outstanding performance and she should certainly be proud of her hard work.

Another one of my favorite moments while watching some of the competitors was seeing Courtney Hicks who also skated fantastically. I was so impressed with her power and precision. I thought her short program was fierce and when I heard Jonny Weir tell Tara Lipinski “She beat the ice down and tore its weave off” I literally laughed out loud because it was so funny but true!  Courtney Hicks definitely earned her spot at Nationals and I certainly wish her all the best going forward and the commentators were correct in saying that she will be one to watch.

I can’t forget about Polina Edmunds, I thought she was technically brilliant as always. Basically she doesn’t miss a beat and she usually skates a solid program by landing all her jumps and executing each of her spins with sheer perfection. She had the little slip up and fell in her long program but she looked adorable as ever and will continue to grow in her technical skills and artistic abilities. The commentators had also mentioned that Polina is going through puberty and that even Polina said she’s glad it’s happening now and not later. As the Mother of a 13 year old soon to be turning 14, I thought, Oh Dear God this poor girl is having her puberty discussed on a National level! Then I quickly realized that she is embracing this season of her life and since she is not shying away from it and feels comfortable having it discussed then kudos to her.  I’m happy for her and that she’s embracing the fact that she is growing up and becoming a woman. I’m sure there are other little girls that may be encouraged by her candidness.  Best wishes in all you do Polina and keep shining bright!  Just a quick side note, I can remember when my Daughter Bethany was going through a “growth spurt” and she lost her scratch spin. Her Dad and I were like what the heck is going on!!? How does this happen? Thank God for coaches because our coach explained that these things can happen when a skater’s body changes and they start to grow, getting taller and leaner.

Next, we all enjoyed little 15 year old Karen Chen who stands all of 4-foot-10 inches tall. She is just a sweet special treat and I could watch her skate all day long. Not only was she adorable but she was a little power house and I’m so happy for her figure skating achievements. This is especially true since she’s not even old enough to compete in this year’s Sr. World Championships, which is the next destination for all of the 2015 U.S. Championship winners. Congratulations Karen! You looked amazing and I love your spunk!

I saved the best for last because she truly is in a class all by herself and that is none other than Ms. Ashley Wagner!! So very happy for her and I must give her one big giant “You Go Girl!!“  Her victory in winning her third U.S. Figure Skating Title is just amazing and we are so happy for her. Ashley was “unstoppable” and she was perfect in everything she showcased from her awesome custom made dress’s to her show stopping performances. Her power and determination was evident in each jump she landed and throughout her choreography. She was literally skating from her soul and it showed!

Ashley was coming back to the ice from so much negativity and criticism from many directions and no matter what side of the coin people were on last year in terms of their opinion of her, no one can deny that Ashley is a true champion because she has proven that by earning a third U.S. Figure Skating Title. I love what Ashley was quoted as saying when she told the commentators “ I’m so endlessly in love with this sport”. This is so awesome because you have to be in love with a sport like this to skate against all odds. Especially when people are telling you that your too old or all washed up. A person has to have a lot of perseverance to say I’m here to stay and I’m not going anywhere until I say so. Well, in so many words Ashley did just that by skating her way to a championship win during the 2015 Nationals. She is amazing and I wish her all the best going forward.

Lastly, congratulations to Jason Brown on winning his first U.S. Figure Skating Title, way to go!! =  )  I also want to congratulate Adam Rippon and Josh Farris. We are all so happy for you and inspired by your incredible hard work! Wishing you all and every competitor at Nationals the very best going forward.

Terri

Dream Big!

A New Year & New Beginnings

I am very humbled when I think back on all that this year of 2014 has meant to me, my family & our journey in pursuing our dream of small business ownership and our passion for the sports of Figure Skating and Hockey. This year and so many before 2014 have been filled with challenges and disappointments that we wouldn’t wish on anyone. Yet somehow during this journey we have been reminded that when you choose to pursue your dream no matter how unpopular or unconventional it may appear to others, it can and will be worth the pursuit when you follow your heart. Once we realized that the obstacles we faced were only opportunities into something greater, we actually embraced the challenges and pressed on.

Perhaps the greatest joy of this whole year has been the experience and opportunity in giving something back to the sport I’ve loved my whole life. Truly, this journey would not be possible without the continued support from all of you. My hope is that our success, small and new as it may be, would inspire all of you to purse your dreams. Having said that, I am wishing all of us an even more exciting 2015!

From all of us to all of you we wish you a Happy New Year!

Love,

Pinkskate

Brand new look

Happy Holidays!!

Fashion and Sports

Hello Friends of Pinkskate,

First of all let me just say goodbye Summer and Hello Fall because here in Illinois, Winter comes quick and with a vengeance. So to all our Pinkskate friends still enjoying your warm weather, please soak up some sun rays for me. Now that things have settled down a bit with the kids back to school and finally getting Pinkskate.com up and running, I’m happy to have this time to be blogging with you.

In recent days, the topic on my mind has been the issue of Sports and its influence on Fashion and in many ways we’ve all been affected by it whether we realize it or not. Sometimes, this influence is subtle and many times it’s overt and in our faces.  Let me just give my disclaimer now and say that I am not a fashion expert however, I’m just like you in that I am a consumer and I like to shop for trendy, practical clothing items for myself and family.

So as consumers, how then do we know what to buy in terms of the latest fashion trend and why is it appealing to us? The best way to answer that question is to examine the very thing we get bombarded with every day and that is none other than the world of Sports. If this were not true none of us would be familiar with what a Polo Shirt, Tank Top, or even a Sports Jacket is.

For example, Wikipedia explains that a Polo Shirt is also known as a golf shirt or a tennis shirt. Interestingly enough, both golf and tennis are two of the most popular sports world-wide. Although the Polo shirt is a very basic example, it’s still a good one because we’ve all worn a polo shirt at some point in our lives. However, if we started crunching the numbers of people who only wear Polo’s because they actually play golf or tennis we would find that involvement in the sport itself has absolutely nothing to do with wearing that particular item of clothing.

Let’s consider the sport of Rugby and at one time the famous designer Ralph Lauren had taken the concept of a very tough sport like Rugby and made a fashion icon out of the main article of clothing from that sport. He developed “Rugby Ralph Lauren”, a preppy line of apparel for both Men and Women. The clothing line and other goods including house wares, food and wines were introduced on the market in 2004 and did very well for a period of time however, it was in February of 2013 that the popular brand was discontinued by the iconic designer. Even if short lived Ralph Lauren did very well with the concept of Rugby meets fashion.

For the sake of time we won’t examine all the different clothing items influenced by sports but we can take a look at a few. These are items that many of us wear every day and not just because we actually play the sport or because we’re a fan of a particular sport but more importantly it’s because we have been shown the “Fashionable” side of the sport.

The following list is by no means an all-inclusive list but these are some of the most popular clothing items influenced by the world of sports:

–  Men’s Sports Jacket: Originally used for outdoor sports like hunting

–  Tank Top: Also referred to as an “A-shirt” with the A being short for Athletic, commonly worn in basketball and various track and field sports. It is also worthy to note that the tank top is one of the most popular clothing items worn by many people today.

–  Sweatpants:  Originally worn during athletic activities but are now one of the biggest and most popular fashionable clothing items on the market to date. Today they are commonly referred to as “Boyfriend Sweatpants” and are hugely popular with Brands like Forever 21 and Victoria Secret Pink.

–  Runner or Jogger Pants: The name says it all but now you can find various, fashionable styles of Runner / Jogger pants that are Unisex and mostly being worn by Men in fabrics like Corduroy, Blue Jean and Fleece.

–  Varsity Jackets /Letterman Jackets: College and High school students who earned sports or academic awards received a letter to be placed on their school jacket for their high achievement. For example, when a student makes his Varsity Football team, he would get a letter, usually a “V” and it would be placed on his jacket. Now you can find these types of Jackets in major name brand stores.

–  Yoga Pants: Yoga gained popularity from its Hindu origin of transforming the body through relaxation and meditation. The pants worn to participate in this historical practice were coined “Yoga Pants” and they have become extremely popular. They now come in trendy and colorful options that are super comfortable enough to wear for any casual occasion. Many women wear these cozy pants but never actually take part in the practice of Yoga. Yoga pants can be found in popular retail chains including Target, Walmart and JC Penny.

–  Baseball T Shirts: Traditionally worn by baseball players and now worn by most everyone. For serious baseball fans,  I recommend you check out this great brand called Routine Baseball at routinebaseball.com

–  Football Jersey Dresses: Not the most common article of clothing you will find in the stores however, this particular concept is gaining popularity as fashion designers like Tom Ford created a sparkling sequined jersey dress for the ever popular Beyonce who performed in the dress while on tour in Cologn Germany. As always, She- Looked- Fabulous!

You might be asking, so what’s your POINT?  My point is that you don’t have to be directly involved in a sport to appreciate the contribution that a particular sport has had on Fashion. We can take that concept a step further and say that when you wear a baseball t-shirt, that doesn’t  make you a “Baseball Player”. Maybe you like the sport or maybe you just like the awesome graphics that happen to be featured on that style of shirt. Bottom line, if the T-Shirt is attractive to you and you like it, then chances are you’ll probably wear it.

I love most all sports however, there’s one in particular that I’m passionate about and that is the sport of Figure Skating. This sport has a history just as rich if not more than all the sports we’ve discussed above.  It is through this rich history and its union with fashion that Pinkskate embraced the ideal of fashion for your passion. That is my ultimate goal, to bring awareness to an awesome sport that functions year round and takes center stage at every Winter Olympic game.

I understand that those who may get it the quickest are the people who are directly involved in the sport. However, one of the main ideas behind the Pinkskate brand is that you don’t have to be a figure skater to like or appreciate our apparel. The more important fact is that if you like quality apparel printed on eco-friendly cotton and you can appreciate a burnout t-shirt that looks great but feels even better, then you should try our Snowflake Burnout T-Shirt.

If you like trendy leggings and pants that are cool enough to rock a snowflake year round, just like the sport it represents, then you will appreciate the warmth and comfort of our Boyfriend Sweatpants that are so soft and cozy, you literally want to wear them all the time.  We really hope you embrace our unique snowflake logo that represents our desire to give you fashion for your passion. Thank you so much for stopping by the Pinkskate blog and as always, I want to leave you with the encouraging words to love yourself and love your sport.

Love,

Pinkskate

I hope everyone is doing well and trying to wrap their minds around the fact that it’s already August and we are in the midst of the Back to School season! Wow, is all I can think when I ponder that thought. So with the Summer Break approaching its end and Kids preparing themselves for school to begin, I thought this would be the perfect time to recommend a wonderful book to all my Figure Skating fans. This wonderful story has earned a lovely spot in the Pinkskate Spotlight.

Pairs On Ice by Elizabeth Weiss Vollstadt, is a fun, and fascinating story of characters you actually find yourself relating to and rooting for. Jamie, is a vibrant and determined 12-year old figure skater who truly enjoyed skating singles but then finds herself suddenly catapulted into the world of Pairs skating with her new partner Matt. Unfortunately, Jamie and Matt hit it off like Oil and Vinegar! Mostly because Matt is an experienced Pairs Skater that actually believes he never makes mistakes. Of course it doesn’t help that his mother, Violet, constantly points out every single flaw and slip-up Jamie ever makes. Even when she doesn’t make one. Note to self, Violet might be the character you love to hate.

When a Peace Truce between this unlikely Pairs couple finally takes place, you won’t believe what happens when they actually start to become a team! Will they make it to Nationals or will old skating partners and drama between parents ruin everything?!?  I guess you’ll just have to read Pairs On Ice for yourself to find out. You won’t be sorry you did and this is definitely a “Tween” book to remember! You can find it on Amazon as both a paperback and Kindle book – buy the paperback and download the Kindle for FREE! https://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethvollstadt

** Elizabeth Weiss Vollstadt is an accomplished Author with strong ties to the Figure Skating community. You might be interested to know that Pairs on Ice is a finalist in the Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Award Competition.  Results will be announced at their annual conference in October.

Until we blog again, I hope Everyone is able to do some fun back to school shopping and I want to leave you with the gentle reminder to always love yourself and love your sport.

Love Pinkskate

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Fourth of July Celebration with their families, friends and loved ones. I’m also hoping that everyone is enjoying the beauty of summer and getting an opportunity to hang out with friends for summertime fun.

The mere fact that we are halfway through this Month of July reminds me that Pinkskate is literally a couple of weeks away from launching our online store! I don’t want to pretend like this has been an easy task because it hasn’t. Truly, whenever someone is pursuing their dreams there’s always a fair amount of Hard Work that goes into it and none of us are immune from that.

The best part is that we have finally finished our product photography and we look forward to doing live shots of our Pinkskate Models who just happen to be real figure skaters. With only a few administrative details left to finalize the back end of our store, we look forward to bringing our dream to a reality. Better yet, we look forward to bringing you quality products, created specifically for the Pinkskate brand.

Most importantly, I want to thank everyone for their positive words of encouragement throughout this process. Any success that Pinkskate incurs will truly be because of you.

Well, plain and simple it means time to work just as hard off the ice as you do on the ice. Since my skater is at the Freestyle 5 level, it can be somewhat of a “cross roads” in which skaters either dig in and give their all to advance or unfortunately loose interest and let go of the sport all together.

Today was a special lesson because we incorporated a whole new level of stretches after the lesson. The stretches really showed us where Bethany has tight spots in her lower back, legs and hips. What I really found to be interesting is that Bethany has the perfect physic for figure skating; She’s long and lean with great extensions. However, that doesn’t automatically guarantee that She has the “flexibility” that goes along with the perfect physic. In other words sometimes looks can be deceiving.

Today’s workout included a serious of Pilate style stretches to encourage Bethany’s core strength, extensions and flexibility. The good news is that Bethany is more flexible than she thought with good core strength!  On the other hand, she has a ways to go and in order to “level up” she will need to keep the stretching and Pilates exercises as routine part of her workouts.

I have so much respect for this sport and for everyone who loves it because if you do love the sport of figure skating, then you know that it takes “Hard Work  + Dedication”. I just want to leave you with one final thought… Remember to love yourself and love your sport.

Much Love from Pinkskate! = )