Miss Isabel's Diary - "Reflection or incarnation. We all look at the mirror..."

When was the last time the sunrise was only for you... 

and the sunset whispered goodbye to your heart as if no one else could hear...?

We just came back from an incredible week of vacation by the sea and I still can feel the ocean licking my toes and the boys throwing sand in my ears...(NOT the opposite !lol) We needed it so much... Looking back at the few days (not to mention the few months!) before we left, I am just in disbelief at all that we did in such a short time! I think of Big Byrd as he flew all over Montreal to get all the elements, all the treasures that are a part of the SFCC official package (the Membership Card is just so cool... the pictures all with different quotes... DVD...and I won't even mention everything else PLUS the special t-shirt crafted in our own "Fabrik" YFE shop... wait to see it... you will... euh... maybe take your meds for seizures ok?;)...lol). I had the chance to help Stephanie assemble the packages the night before the Bla Bla Bla and to sign many little notes again, every time feeling such a connection with you. During the night before the Bla Bla Bla, I also had another chance... To dye Jeff's hair in pink!lol You have to know that Jeff HATES it when I have to put make up on him for videos so you can imagine when I had to dye his hair and wash it many times afterwards because it became more "beet" color than pink!LOL But he was so determined to surprise Sef! You have to see the rerun of that Bla Bla Bla because every moment was so surprising and filled with the love we all share. Of course, we spent the whole night awake preparing that Bla Bla Bla Live show as it included so many important things we wanted to offer you: the "Where Did We Loose Each Other" official video clip. the "Silence is Murder" human rights video, the retrospective of the sooooo crazy year 2011... images we all want engraved in our minds and in our hearts.

Right after the Bla Bla Bla I remember I was trying to prepare my luggage for the vacation but I was so tired that every movement I was doing was only making me turn in circles and move things uselessly...lol But it wasn't OVER! We were heading that very same day to downtown Montreal to shoot a very important video clip with an incredible movie team. My energy all came back as soon as I saw the set, the costumes, the movie team, their energy. The excitement overpowered our lack of sleep! I lived a true blast during that video shoot as the team was so professional and they were directing us marvelously which was kind of strange as we usually control everything and direct things ourselves. It was nice to feel passionate artists team up with us to create something that will be eternal for all of us, for all of you, our family. 

Once the video clip shooting was done we took a short 3 hour nap and we went to the airport to catch our plane, THE plane that would lead all the band and team to a dream destination, to rest, to have fun, to reinforce the strong bond we all have in our hearts for you, to give us a chance to savour the fruits of what we have all built together over the years.

I had soooooo much fun!!! I enjoyed every moment, I laughed, I shared my heart, I have learned life stories, I rested, I played volleyball, swam, did aqua gym, celebrated my birthday, danced, breathed all the salty air, caught all the sun on my SPF60 protected skin... And most of all I feel I grasped what was there for me, not letting anything slip between my fingers that could have been offered to me. On the very last day of vacation, here is what I wrote in my little personal notebook: "I see the sun birthing through the waters, from an ocean already tinted from a promising dawn... and as this light rises up allowing colors to come to life, inside of my heart I can hear : I love you." That same evening, I saw the most incredible sunset, the sun resigning to disappear under the horizon... a horizon made of sky and clouds as we were flying 36000 feet above an infinite sea that was collecting every precious drop of sparkling red, purple and yellow that the sun was leaving behind.

Now were back and I know I'm ready for more, more surprises, more love, more challenges, more craziness, more sleepless nights accomplishing our dreams. Alex wrote something so encouraging as we were leaving and I want to share it with you. It talks about us, it talks about you, it talks about what each of us, you and me, can live the second we decide to believe it's ours and we will NOT let it slip from our hands... 

IT'S OURS!!! It's mine!!! 

It's YOURS!!! Take it!:) -

Miss Isabel

"(...) root down and be fruitful. Not tomorrow. But now. It's a choice. Everything goes back to that fundamental essence of the freedom we have: Freedom... Regardless of who deserves such blessing, freedom is the gift we all received from God... Not religion. And unconditional love is the embodiment of such gift. Freedom... A dirty word for those determined to live in the loneliness and the shadow caused by every illusion. Freedom... Abomination for those covering every single one of their well paced self-righteous footsteps with a prefabricated halo of artificial light, perfectly set to be victimized through the impersonation of a confused walk and a dazed lack of comprehension. We are all experiencing that freedom by every single spark and every single flash of truth that lights our vision through the night of our own fool's paradise. Even if only for a second of a flash. Even if only for a second of a spark. Free...


The way you embrace the truth of your decisions, for good or for worst, will determine the nature of life; Reality or fantasy, whisper or climax. Either way, we're all free. And the call up is for every single one of us, wide awake or living dead. It's a daily decision, not the reminiscence of what used to be good, but the daily redefining incarnation of what it is, not what it feels, but really what it is, to BE... for what BEING is about ,truly... Some called that daily opportunity to BE an eternal second chance... me, I called it a graceful blessing to decide from which side of the mirror we want to look at our own life: reflection or incarnation. We all look at the mirror... Aren't we all the same ;)" -Alex

Miss Isabel's Diary "With an eternal ink... I write from my heart for you"

It might be hard to imagine, but every single day you guys are at the center of the Your Favorite Enemies activities, at the center of our hearts and at the center of our common and personal journeys. It's hard to imagine because you see us only on the screen of a computer... we are much bigger in real life! Really! ;) It's hard to imagine because it's not so common to be searching actively to be exposed to others, to let others deeply impact our lives, to invite people from a completely different country or culture to see and participate in our daily life, to think of people we may never meet and to try our best to DO SOMETHING to give the best to them... not so common BUT it exists!!! The proof is YOU did this so many times for us and we are doing it for you.

These past few days I got to write little personal thank you notes for our dear Secret Family Cult Club members. YES!!! In a few days we are sending the precious and AMAZING packages included in the subscription of either the new or old school fan club membership!!!! I have this HUGE list of people that decided to take part in the crazy YFE story in this special way. I feel so privileged to say that I know many of you by your name, have met some of you face to face but mainly acknowledge that you are all giving us such a boost with your trust, your love, your passion and your dedication in supporting us. Every little note I write, I really want to send a part of my heart:) I sincerely think and believe every word I write. I sincerely think and believe each of these words can encourage you powerfully and make you feel the love we have for you. Words are powerful, the heart behind them can give life...I know it because your words gave me life... so many times.

You guys are changing my life... when I read what you say... your words are penetrating my heart, they engrave my mind and they transform my soul forever. When I think of some of you that have been with us for so many years, faithfully supporting not only the music, living the songs and giving them a place in your daily life, but also supporting us as people, as friends, as a family that you cherish and appreciate... wow... we are soooooooo honored and blessed!!! And then I think of our new friends, people who just discovered the band through Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Myspace, or through other friends... you guys are such a source of joy, like a new born baby that was so desired and brings such excitement and a boost of life in the family! We are proud of all of you!!!

Maybe my next blog I'll look back at the amazing year 2011... Can you think of one thing that happened in our life together that you want to remember forever? Something that impacted you so much, made you laugh so much or made you think or encouraged you when you truly needed it? I would love for you to share a little something about your highlight of what you lived with us. Is it a song? A video? A blog? A personal message from Sef or Jeff or Alex? A picture of Stephanie? A sweet word from one of our amazing team? I'll try to think of my own highlight of 2011 too...;)

I wait for your little sharing!!!!!!!!!! I WAITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT:)

Miss Isabel

P.S. Of course I'll wait for you on this Saturday's LIVE CHAT "BLA BLA BLA" !!!
( http://j.mp/BLABLABLA )the last of the year 2011... I promise... you CAN'T miss it! :)

Miss Isabel's Diary "Today... I crawl or I run?"

Hey my dear family, my friends, my inspiration...

If only you were a little bat sneaking in the studio, the YFE HQ, the La Fabrik t-shirt making area and our Atelier where my partner and I are crafting jewelry, you would FLIP OUT to see everything that is going on, boiling and ready to explode, emerging from dedicated labour and a passionate will to build bridges to unite all of us together. Every day, I'm just so amazed at what I see blooming in front of my eyes...

Did you know we will present for the very first time the "Where Did We Loose Each other" video clip?!? I remember when we filmed that video clip... Everything that could possibly go wrong in the preparation, did go wrong, as if filming that clip had to test our perseverance and determination! The van broke down while carrying the equipment, we had trouble renting all the necessary lighting system, I even had a major ugly skin infection all over my face!lol (well....it's a big LOL now, but that day, I was more panicked than anything!!! Panicked and also very fortunate to have the help from a make up artist friend to do a big job of "face-camouflage"!!!Lol ) But I think you know us well by now and we're not the kind to let down a project that we know will touch everyone's heart and let all of us feel the power and freedom carried by the music and Alex's words.

Not giving up in front of adversity... Each day can be either a repetition of what we always live, always the same routine, the same people, the same conversation, the same habits, the same highs and lows...OR... Each day we can live our life making decisions to try something new, to dare to have fun, to talk to a friend about something that really is important for you... We all can spend our waking hours surfing on the same old waves... OR... Taking action doing something that could change our life or the life of someone we care about. LET'S BE BOLD!!! And if we go wrong... if we fail... if we get hurt... if... if... if... thank God we don't have the "faculty of fearing" so developed when we are babies, otherwise nobody would walk or run...we would all still be crawling!lol (hummm... interesting image in my mind of all adults of this planet crawling to work, crawling to the grocery store... "walking on two little feet? are you crazy??? I may fall!"... Babies don't think that way. I guess we learn to fear and forget the joy of discovering new possibilities, new sounds, new textures, new flavors, new people, new feelings, new landscapes, new aspects of ourselves...

I discover my musical sensitivity when I write and play melodies on the piano. I let myself freely explore my creative side with the jewelry project. The more I take risks not only in what I do, but in how I am honest with my friends and with myself, the more I see my life is yet to be written and discovered... I'm just so glad I don't have to be the same girl I was almost a year ago when we filmed "Where Did We Lose Each Other". I'm just so thankful that I found a love that frees me from fear.

In everything we do, music, shirts, DVDs, jewelry, Blogs, Video Clips, Live Internet Talk shows, and so on... We are learning to walk and run! Nobody can do that learning for us... We just try and fall and get back up and press on and get stuck and get frustrated and find solutions and explode with joy when we realize we made it! I hope we can be big brothers and big sisters for you, a helping hand to stand up, a voice to encourage you to sneak your head in the next room to see what's interesting there. I desire for us to be there when you do fall and get hurt, to heal you but also and mainly to remind you that as soon as your tears are dry you can laugh and run all over again. I have that quality of people around me: the guys from the band and the women and men from the YFE team. And we all dedicate our talent... our life to be there for you too.

Why? It's so much more fun to run with many friends than alone;) Up for it bro? Got your shoes on sis?

I love you

Miss Isabel