The Convivial Woman

The Convivial Mama Joins the Time Cover Photo Debate

Cheryl Chavarria — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:36:46 +0000

With Mother’s Day this weekend, I’m getting a head start on the celebration by joining in the conversations that are bubbling to the surface online and in print about a beautiful, mysterious, golden handcuffs kind of experience called motherhood. After a long day of taking care of my convivial clan, I snuck away for some [...]

Unexpected Movie Night + The Pure Talent of Jonsi

Cheryl Chavarria — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:10:28 +0000

I rented the movie We Bought a Zoo for my boys the other night, but I ended up watching the film solo since both little warriors knocked out on me. There I sat watching the story of a newly widowed father and his two young children. They were trying to figure out how to go [...]

The Convivial Life, always a Page-Turning Experience

Cheryl Chavarria — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:08:43 +0000

I lay in bed with laptop fired up, ready to turn and possibly type out some of the pages of a journal I’ve kept since December 2002. The journal (shown below) was a gift from my brother after I got married. He knew I was headed on a seven city tour of Europe for my [...]

TGIF: Time to Morph into a Creative Homebody

Cheryl Chavarria — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:40:43 +0000

Spent the day at Phil’s IceHouse chatting the afternoon away with a fellow creative who is starting her own photography business in Austin. Our kids played in the sun to their hearts content while we discussed our dreams at work. We both grew up in Chicago and thanks to a mutual friend, we have discovered [...]

My Feisty Mama Visits, Wedding Oops + A Long Awaited Date Night

Cheryl Chavarria — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:24:48 +0000

I’ve been thrilled to start May off by spending time with my feisty mama. I’ve been calling her that lately when I mention her here, because that is one of the qualities that I love best about her. It also happens to be one of the top qualities I inherited from her. One thing I’m [...]

In May: Up Close and Personal Blogs All Month Long

Cheryl Chavarria — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:39:08 +0000

The month of May, I’m opening up the windows and letting in some fresh air for the blog to breathe in. I’ll be putting the convivial agenda aside (temporarily) and will bring another version of Cheryl the writer. The Convivial Woman is going to read like a personal blog, very Dear Diary-like, so bear with [...]

A Convivial Encounter with a Psychic

Cheryl Chavarria — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:41:16 +0000

On Sunday, my dear friend, Becky came to visit and we decided to have tarot cards drawn and our palms read by a psychic. I always had this phobia about seeing a psychic…you know, the whole being afraid of what they might say, of hearing something you didn’t want to hear, but on this particular [...]

The Convivial Experience of Being an Introvert, or just going solo every now and then

Cheryl Chavarria — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:52:46 +0000

It’s only been in the past three years that I’ve come to realize and embrace my introverted nature. I have my experiences in motherhood and authors like Susan Cain to thank for bringing me to that understanding. Recently, I went to a bookstore and instinctively reached for this new title My hand leaped for the [...]

Got Leisure + Benchmarks? They Show You What’s Convivial + Possible

Cheryl Chavarria — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:34:14 +0000

The last two weeks have been fun for me. First, I got away to Vegas with my luvuh (aka hubby) and a couple friends for some much needed unwinding. We enjoyed a night out as the participating audience for the show, Zumanity- the sensual and naughty side of Cirque de Soleil. This show is definitely [...]

Ready To Show The World How Unrealistic You Are? Join the Convivial Club

Cheryl Chavarria — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:57:11 +0000

Are you at a point in your life where you’re ready to show the world who you really are? What you’re really capable of? The impact you can truly make? Well, let me ask you this. How willing are you to be seen by others as someone who is… crazy, ridiculous, unrealistic, unrelenting, defiant, heretical, [...]