Waterproof Soul

waterproofsoul.etsy.com

2010-07-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

So,

We have found a realy great platform to sell our jewelry online from!

And since New York City does not consider jewelry as "art" that one can sell freely on the street, we are selling our jewelry exclusively at:

www.waterproofsoul.etsy.com

So check us out! pick out some earrings! We make them all and they make really great gifts for friends or for yourself!

Order with code "blog" and get a free gift with your purchase!!!

Check it out: www.waterproofsoul.etsy.com

2010-07-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Waiting Game....

Why must we wait? Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans hard and five years later, as we verge upon the anniversary of the strong, some people still wait to rebuild lives and come back to their homes.

What freedom is there in America if someone simply is not allowed to go home?

Those that are home, are now faced with an even darker foe. Oil in the water.

My friend said she can smell it from the French Quarter. That the smell is unavoidable.

My friend in Pas Christian, Mississippi, lives on the beach. She uses paper towels to absorb oil and clean up her land.

Shamefull.

For me, who we blame is not the solution. It is a distraction....energy needs to be focused on a solution for all of the wildlife and people whose lives we lose every day.

Waterproof Soul will be traveling to New Orleans in August to do our own detective work.

Stay tuned....

We're back on the streets!

2010-06-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

Here's for round two of our street team fundraiser.

Bloomberg's war against Street Artist has given us a run for our money but we're back!

Here is where we will be:

Saturday June 5th 81st and Broadway, on the west side of the street near Zabar's

Sunday June 6th 81st and Broadway, on the west side of the street near Zabar's.

Monday June 7th St. marks, near the Film Academy Cafe.

Tuesday June 8th Union Square Park

Friday June 11th 81st and Broadway, on the west side of the street near Zabar's.

Saturday June 11th 81st and Broadway, on the west side of the street near Zabar's.

Sunday June 12th Union Square Park

It has been an incredible three months. We've had our ups and down and learned a lot.

There is so much work to do. This disaster of an oil spill presents a whole new issue.

Come find us!

Stay Tuned!

This Friday May 28th! FUNKY MUSIC!!!!

2010-05-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

This Friday!

THE FUNKY FRITTERS are playing a benefit show for WATERPROOF SOUL and hubspot.NOLA!!! YEAH!!!

MAY 28th @ 10pm @ The Bitter End 147 Bleecker St.

GET A FREE GIFT!!!

RSVP with Sarah at waterproofsoulnola@gmail.com

and get a free gift when you come to the merchandise table!

Or, bring this flyer with you and come to the Merch table!

Time Will Tell

2010-05-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

Time Will Tell what will happen to New Orleans, and pretty much everything in this world...

but for now you can Tell Time with Time Will Tell Watches, and support Waterproof Soul by doing so.

Right now we have two styles in stock, and within the next few days the entire line of Time Will Tell Watches will be available right here, on this page!

As a "launch special" these two styles will be free of shipping charges.

These watches were featured in Oprah Winfrey's magazine. Isaac Mizrahi also raves about them.

2010-05-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

THE FUNKY FRITTERS ARE PLAYING 2 BENEFIT SHOWS FOR WATERPROOF SOUL and HUBSPOT.NOLA!!! YEAH!!!

MAY 15th @ 9pm @ The Tea Lounge on Union St. in Park Slope

MAY 28th @ 10pm @ The Bitter End 147 Bleecker St.

GET A FREE GIFT!!!

RSVP with Sarah at waterproofsoulnola@gmail.com

and get a free gift when you come to the merchandise table!

Or, bring this flyer with you and come to the Merch table!

Bloody Waters Screening May 13th @ 7pm

2010-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

May 13th @ 7pm
Hunter College
(6 train to 68th and lexington)
Thomas Hunter Hall room 105

Come join
Hubspot.Nola and Waterproof Soul
for a staged Reading of
BLOODY WATERS
written by Justin Carter
directed by Ethan Matthews

Stay for a discussion with the writer, director and cast.

Event is Free.

There will be Gumbo. Yeah.

A screening of the film
"Fouberg Treme; the Untold Story of Black New Orleans"
will follow.

So much brewing...

2010-03-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on.

New partnerships, new staff and volunteers. New Events.

A trip in the works.

We are well on our way to our goal for April
and we have signed a legally binding contract with
Our School at Blair Grocery
stating that we will be giving them
a minimum of 25% percent of all proceeds
for an entire year
starting April 1, 2010 and ending April 1, 2011.
Of course, we've got a head start and have started campaigning already.
As you know, in Union Square, NY.

I met a beautiful woman in the park a week ago or so and she happens to be from New Orleans, and thought my table was cool...
Check out her Time Will Tell Watches.
We'll be selling them soon!

We'll be co-hosting an event at
Hunter College on April 6th, an Open Mic with Pricetags Art. An Open Mic.
If you would like to perform call 917-331-8734.
And another one later on in the month, also at Hunter College.
More info coming VERY soon.

In Union Square we've got Lana's Steampunk Art, our Taste New Orleans Cookbook, some donated Original Artwork, our Freedom Jewelry, Poems by Candlelight and of course, information about the situation in New Orleans.
come see us Tomorrow, from 10-7!

Our film will launch on Kickstarter on May 15, 2010 and run through August 1, 2010.

Moving Forward....

2010-03-08T03:55:00.000-08:00

OOOOO WEEEEEE we had fun these past few days....

Shout outs to Mr. Will and Robert Grant for their STELLAR help Thurs-Sun.
The army is growing....

We've got handmade watches coming and people asking us to speak in schools! Equity firms are even talking about FUNDING. Wow.

Just to refresh your memory...this is not a weekend thing. We are not doing a "marathon" fundraiser or a small "campaign"....we run our business like a Non-Profit and are in the course of becoming one. We aim to do this FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

Just a reminder, you can continue supporting us online at fireflycandleshop.com - I signed up to be an independent distributor so that I could buy the candles wholesale and sell them for retail....and to provide a fun way to participate online. You can also sign up for free candles on the site so check it out! fireflycandleshop.com

So we are well on way to hitting our $1,000 mark....we will let you know how close we are after this coming weekend.

Speaking of this coming weekend, we will be holding it down in Union Square Wednesday through Sunday this weekend....adding another day because it so too much fun out there....

Peace,
Sarah Rose

Les Nubians...

2010-03-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

We've got tickets for Les Nubians coming tomorrow!
$20.00 for a two person ticket!!!!
More info coming soon!
say what???!!!!!!

Clockstress Jewelry

2010-03-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, So she doesn't call herself Clockstress,
I just thought of that.
Lana, a wonderful woman I went to school with, came out to work with me on Thursday (yesterday) and had some wonderful, creative suggestions...
It seems like so many people want to expand this project!
Anyway, Lana likes to make jewelry with clock parts and keys. I love it.
So, she's going to be working with me...and making some pretty funky jewelry for everyone!
I could not be happier!
S. Rose

New News! Pictures!

2010-03-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

This is so much fun. And we are getting somewhere!
Today, we made some new connections that are going to expand our product line.
I have so many pictures from my various New Orleans trips. I asked the man standing across from me about his photographs today, and it turned out he is from Lafayette, Louisiana- a town two hours north of New Orleans. Let's just say he gave me an incredibly reasonable price for framing photographs. So, we are going to have prints soon!
Ya Heard Me!
Framed, beautiful, photographs: frames and wrapped for your protection...I am so excited!
Here is a sneak peak....
Ginger Mint Julep
Pitt's Pink Houses; Overshot, Synogogue Waterline, Levee Wall

Thank you very much Freek Flag Philoso-Teaze c/o Spacemammal.com!

In appreciation,
Sarah Rose

Film Release and Weekend Update

2010-03-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

Hey Hey Hey...

Oh boy do we have an update!

Waterproof Soul 2010:the Untold Story of Progress in Post-Katrina New Orleans
A documentary by Sarah Auerbach

Is set to release August 29th of 2010 on the fifth year anniversary of you know what.

We already have several screening lined up, and will be booking several more.

This film follows organizations like The School at Blair Grocery and explores the positive movements happening on ground in New Orleans. It covers chronology from volunteer trips beginning in 2008 and ending in January of 2010 and looks towards the future of a city vital to America.

The documentary has been almost entirely self funded with a few in-kind contributions from the The Office of Student Activities at Hunter College, The Film and Media department of Hunter College and the Hillel Foundation of Hunter College.

We need funding to duplicate thousands of DVDs which we will use for our Waterproof Soul Fundraiser and to cover business costs.

Not to mention, it is a very strong advocacy tool.

LUCKY FOR US, for YOU, and for The School at Blair Grocery we have been accepted into the KICKSTARTER program for funding creative projects. The fundraiser will launch on April 1st 2010 and run through August 1st 2010. Our goal is to raise $2,000 to duplicate at least 1,000 DVDs. This is totally possible. Kickstarter has an INCREDIBLE PROGRAM and we will be launching April 1st, so keep posted.

And why this is really lucky???? Even more of our Union Square raised dollars gets put towards The School at Blair Grocery!!!!

So yeah, come find us in Union Square!

This weekend we are there Thursday 12-5, Friday 11-5, Saturday 11-5, Sunday 12-5

Come see us!
Peace!
Sarah Rose

Snow Snow go away.....

2010-02-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

Boy oh boy...

We can't miss another day so we are going to endure the slush.....or hope that there is none in Union Square.

I can't quite call whats going to happen, if we find a "dry spot" and the snow holds off for an hour we will stick with our table set up. If, however, it precipitates or park rangers haven't shovelled yet, we'll bag it up and walk around the area.

But two days typing promotional material and investment proposals is enough for me. I've got to hit the streets!

See you in the square!
Sarah Rose

snow day....

2010-02-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

Oh Poo on this snow storm...
Gotta love the elements...
I'm going to figure out how I can snow proof my system but until then Im going to clean house, do some writing and plan things out for Saturday and Sunday.
Come find us Saturday and Sunday in the square..we miss you....

There are three very excellent films you should look for this snow day!

Mine
Fouberg Treme, the Untold Story of Black New Orleans
Trouble the Water

look for em!

Update

2010-02-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

Because of this lovely snow storm, we will not be out today.

Do not worry, we have not given up.....we just don't want our paperwork and stuff all getting wet and would like to avoid catching sick! It looks like tomorrow it might snow too, we will keep you posted- but we will DEFINITELY BE OUT THERE SATURDAY and SUNDAY.

reading reading reading

2010-02-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

I think its very important to educate one's self.

Lots of people ask me questions about levees and laws.

What about the government? Aren't they helping people?

What do you mean there are no schools?

I hear these questions ALL day long.....

I understand the confusion: some people still trust that the government has their best interest at heart. But what happens when the government's best interest is NOT the peoples...

POST KATRINA NEW ORLEANS IS WHAT.....
oh yeah, Pre-Katrina New Orleans too.....

check these articles out for your reference:

"Bush stole the levee money"

This is a timeline of FEMA. As the author says: "read it and weep"

This article is a 2009 article about levee plans

this article is about Nagin's crime camera plan....which seems to get more resources than the levee plan

I encourage you to do your research, especially if you think what happened in New Orleans is the "natural" way things go.

I myself am going to start calling "Katrina" a "federal flood" because Katrina truly is only part to blame.

Love,
Sarah Rose

How We Work

2010-02-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

Food for thought:

Is it better to (a) get one $100.00 donation or (b) 100 $1.00 donations?

I vote for option (b) because then you build a network (or an army like i like to say).

So today we got about 27 donations. Not bad for three hours in the square.

Thank you to everyone who contributed we are well on our way to donating something significant to the School at Blair Grocery.

We'll be posting our fundraising goals in detail on the eve of March 1st. Until then, we are getting our feet wet and figuring out what works best. People on the streets in NYC are prepared to deal with canvassers and other people asking them for money. They fake phone calls, avoid eye contact and walk right on by (sometimes). Those of you who do stop: THANK YOU. I would love to hear what you would love to hear when being approached by promoters.

Today our system went like this...
Donors receive raffle tickets for their contributions. They can choose either a gourmet candle from www.fireflycandleshop.com (retails for $20.00), a Dangerfield's Comedy Club VIP Ticket for 2 (retails for 50.00) or a VIP membership/gift certificate to a spa in NYC worth $300.00.
Yes, that means they could get these awesome and valuable gifts for very small donations.

I like the way it worked and am going to stick with it for this coming weekend.

We do sell the above listed products too...
Candles $20.00
Comedy Tickets $25.00
Spa Promotions $60.00

If you would like to purchase, and therefore also donate....call 917.331.8734 and ask for Sarah Rose. We can do credit cards and check or cash....but most of all we want to hear from you.

You can purchase the candles here www.fireflycandleshop.com.

So, weekend 1 is done....some money raised, lots learned...

We'll be back in Union Square Thursday through Sunday so please please please come find us.
Check back during the week too, we'll be posting some research and information.
Statistics to back our claims...

LOVE YOU ALL,

Sarah Rose

New Day

2010-02-21T07:51:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering what we do: we advocate.

We talk.

Find us in Union Square, NY on the weekends...we've got really nice gifts for you for your donations and support.

If you'd like to support us online you can do so through www.fireflycandleshop.com
Just go to the website and shop around. That website is mine, I started the business so that I could fund this project. It's working out lovely so far...and we are just getting started!

Go to www.fireflycandleshop.com and use the code WATERPROOF when you order, and I know you met me through this project.

But really, seek us out. We need your support. There are children and families in the lower ninth ward with little to no access to education or food. There is no public transportation to get them to the school and grocery stores. Many do not have cars.

Does everyone deserve to eat? Read?

Let's make sure it happens.

Call 917-331-8734 to find out how you can help.

2010-02-19T10:59:00.001-08:00

I'm late in starting this...but better late than never...

First off I want to thank you for checking out this blog. If you are doing so it means mostly that you have already met me in some way, and that hopefully I said something to you that struck a chord and made you want to look.

In 2005 New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast at large, was ravaged by Hurricane(s) Katrina (and Rita). Relief work (or the lack thereof) left much to be desired and at present New Orleans struggles to rebuild. There is much work to be done. Many residents of New Orleans have not been able to return home, but desperately want to. Those that have returned are welcomed to a city that is much different from the one they knew before. Resources for some are few and far between, while many neighborhoods flourish.

Waterproof Soul is dedicated to those people striving for life in post-Katrina New Orleans. It is a tribute to the beautifully rich and cultural history of the city and its people. It is indebted to the people of New Orleans- to their resilience, strength and conviction to thrive in their Homes.

If I haven't introduced myself to you, my name is Sarah Rose. Welcome to Waterproof Soul. This project is my heart and soul, my life's work. I won't stop until New Orleans is rebuilt and stronger for it!

You can reach me anytime at 917-331-8734 if you have any thought about this project. We need your support, ideas and energy.

Love and Light,
Sarah Rose