Focus magazine – Shopping Issue

STYLE

DINING

KIDS

ART

PERFORMANCE

FREE ACTIVITIES

JUNE 2014 focusmag.us

COMMUNITY POWERED

$4.95

FASHION & STYLE

SHOPPING ISSUE

THE HUNT TYRA BANKS INVESTS IN AN APP FOR FINDING STYLISH THINGS

MOLLY SIMS ON FITNESS AND FUNDRAISING

LISA MANSFIELD

Realtor, NRT’s Top 1,000 Sales Associates

310.481.4313

lisa.mansfield@sothebyshomes.com www.lisamansfield.com

Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

BRENTWOOD BROKERAGE | 11911 SAN VICENTE BLVD SUITE 200 | LOS ANGELES | CA 90049

BUYER’S TESTIMONIAL

“…my uncertainty in a fast-paced market was hampering my ability to make a decision. That’s when Lisa’s honesty and integrity became apparent. She stepped in and provided the feedback I needed to decide. Throughout the negotiating process her advice and support was invaluable – she really held my hand and we were able to make a deal.”

Top

2%

of Sales Associates Nationwide

– Jill Meyer

DID YOU KNOW…?

“HARVARD: 5 FINANCIAL REASONS TO BUY A HOME: • Housing is typically the one leveraged investment available • You’re paying for housing whether you own or rent • Owning is usually a form of “forced savings” • There are substantial tax benefits to owning • Owning is a hedge against inflation.”

(Eric Belsky, Managing Director, Joint Center of Housing Studies, Harvard Univ.)

…CALL ME TO DISCUSS! DIRECT: 310.481.4313 FOR SALE!!! FOR SALE!!!

11374 Homedale St. 2 Beds + 2 Baths + Den HomedaleSt.com

LISA MANSFIELD

FOR SALE!!!

Brentwood Glen Fabulous Yard & Patio!

Asking Price:$1,349,000

CELL: 310.993.2303 WHAT’S NEW...!

11374 Homedale St. NEW LISTING!!!

Asking $1,349,000!!!

11331 Elderwood St. *For Sale!!!

2451 Cloverfield Blvd. *For Sale!!!

11428 National Blvd. #101 *For Sale!!!

11362 Burnham St. *In Escrow!!!

11318 Farlin St.

*In Escrow!!!

11338 Burnham St. *Just Sold!!!

11326 Homedale St. *Just Sold!!!

11343 Homedale St. *Just Sold!!!

1425 Stanford St. #5 *Just Sold!!!

429 Bundy Dr. *Just Leased!!!

Contact me to hear about my upcoming listings! – Lisa

ARCHIVE: ART/ File 00615STL

ART ANTIQUES A R T I FA C T S ACCESSORIES

French, Mid Century, Metal Mobile 50” W x 40” H x 36” D

2928 Nebraska Avenue Santa Monica, California 90404 Open daily by appointment Call 310 828-1030

ST L STUFF

TOM

LIKES

www.stufftomlikes.net Shop Stuff Tom Likes at www.1stdibs.com THE THOMAS CALLAWAY COLLECTION

CONTRIBUTORS Community powered.

Michelle Gillette Michelle is a mom, certified Martha Beck Life Coach, freelance writer, artist and former hedge fund executive.

Megan Horney Megan is an Interior Designer and lover of fashion. @mrhdaily

Jennifer Wilson Jennifer is the LA/OC based lifestyle blogger of Modern Ensemble modernensemble.com

Katie Arnold Style blogger and moonrock jewelrymaker the-style-riot.com

Editor/Creative Director Mark Castellino T: 310 869 7532 mark@focusmag.us Contributing Editors Andrew Waldman andy@focusmag.us Jenna Atchison jenna@focusmag.us Staff Writers Cody Brooks Felicia Waldman

Copyright 2014 by Focus Media.

Focus (ISSN 2328-1359) is published 10 times per year. Please do not to reproduce any of the content without permission.

Michelle Harvey Michelle is a men’s grooming and style expert. She is the go-to gal for men’s grooming tips, style, lifestyle and dating advice. groomedbymichelle harvey.com

Ruby P. Hunt Ruby is a blogger and stay-at-home mom, with a background in design and photography. facebook.com/ westsidemommy westsidemommy.com

Kaleigh Walker Kaleigh is a certified Yoga Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Nutrition Coach. She teaches regular yoga classes at Maha Yoga and Corepower Yoga and is available for private instruction. kaleighwalker.com

Danielle Cuccio Danielle offers private yoga sessions, customized to your individual needs.

Cuccio Yoga Somatology Private Yoga • Retreats • Workshops cucciosomatology.com

Whitney English A Hollywood reporter, Whitney has worked at E! Entertainment, MSN and SheKnows.com.

Whitney co-hosts the Google+ cooking show The Fit & Funny Foodies for Fit Approach. liveanddiet.com

Tara Ellison After enduring her own ‘miserable divorce’ Tara Ellison realized that what she needed most was a good laugh and she turned to her passion for writing.

Email: chaptertwo consulting@gmail.com taraellison.com

Pia Artesona Pia can be found guiding Recovery Yoga and Vinyasa Flow at Bhakti Yoga Shala and Naam Yoga in Santa Monica, Sattva Yoga LA in Brentwood, and Liberation Yoga in Los Angeles. She also offers private yoga sessions. piaartesona.com

Julia Conley

Julia is a model and an advocate for being a lady and acting with class and integrity. juliaannconley.com

Subscription and distribution inquiries: sales@focusmag.us

Tom Callaway Tom Callaway is an interior designer and architect, living in Brentwood. thomascallaway.com

Alex Thomopoulos

The host of HUNGRY’s “Bites & Booze: Gluten Free” and “Gluten Free with Alex T”, she is a stand-up comic turned chef. Alex is also is a guest co-host of Hallmark Channel’s Home and Family Show. alextcooks.com

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

In the best tradition of Spring cleaning, now is a great time to clear out closets and prepare for the Summer. This issue looks at the various online sites which pay for the clothes and accessories you’re finally ready to part with.

In fact, there’s a general Shopping theme that runs throughout the magazine, together with fashion blogger profiles and tips.

We also introduce you to some of the stores who will participate in our online Boutique – and we roll out a fresh look to our website focusmag.us.

As the magazine is gaining popularity in places like Bel Air, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, we decided to retain the old Focus masthead and broaden our appeal. I think this will encourage writers from further afield, who want to be part of our expanding community.

Please feel free to contact me if you have suggestions for future issues, or if you want to contribute a post to the magazine or website.

APOLOGY We omitted the credits for this photo in our last issue; Model: Kat McCleary Represented by CESD Photographer: Dana Adams www.loveinlalaland.com Makeup: Lori Young

Mark Castellino Creative Director + Editor

SUBSCRIBE

CONTACT US

Enjoy VIP access with Focus magazine mailed to you directly, free admission to upcoming events and priority notice on limited time deals.

10 issues annually for $39.

Email sales@focusmag.us for details.

Write: 149 South Barrington Place #178, Los Angeles CA 90049 Email: hi@focusmag.us Submit Photos: photos@focusmag.us

Style&Gifts CHUNKY STATEMENT NECKLACES

Socks and Pumps

“The sock and pump combo is BACK! Trendsetters like Zendaya have been seen on the red carpet with this comeback look and I’m giving it a big thumbs up.”

Statement jewelry has always been my thing and can make any outfit fun! I love the latest collaboration between StyleGodis and new jewelry brand Shlimp&Ulrich.

This amazing handmade oxidized silver plated necklace featuring vintage coins and chains is the perfect signature piece!

Wear it with a white tee or your boyfriend’s button down to lunch, paired with your favorite sandals.

Make any outfit shine with it at this weekends party!

Available together with more styles at StyleGodis.

Misty Kingma mistykingma.com

Trending Four tastemakers pick their favorite things...

Michaela Westerlund stylegodis.com

Lace Candle

SANDRO ‘CUMULUS’ TOP

Liz Benichou hashtagliz.com

6 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 1 4

“Powder blue is definitely my color of choice this spring!

I absolutely love this Sandro ‘Cumulus’ top.” $340 www.sandro-paris.com

“Decorative candles have always been a popular item whether it be for personal use, given as a gift, used for the holidays or to simply create a relaxing environment.

This pretty candle is personal favorite of mine.

Although made specifically for a wedding, I find the design versatile enough to be used for a pretty dinner tablescape, home decor, or just because you love to collect pretty.”

prettypleasedesign.com $75

Parisa Kaprealian prettypleasedesign.com

FOCUS BOUTIQUE | 06/2014

CALAVERA Inspired by surfing and tested in one of the toughest waves in the world, Calavera is swimwear with looks worthy of a Bond girl and performance befitting a champion.

Built for riding Kauai’s curls, beachside yoga in Bali, snorkeling in the Caribbean and everything in between, these bathing suits don’t budge. calaveraswimwear.com

ASTRAE Astrae apparel is a one of a kind spiritual clothing line that embodies unique intentions for each piece created.

The meaning behind ASTRAE derives from the chief greek goddess astarte – who was creator of Mother Nature and all living things. Each garment creates a powerful energy and symbolism that connects love, luck, prosperity and happiness. Our clothing is handpainted and digitally crafted art printed on 100% organic material.

The purpose is to look fashionable while exuding positive energy. It’s all about trusting the universe and sending out those vibes to make things happen in your life! astraeapparel.com

AN ONLINE MARKETPLACE WITH ITEMS CURATED FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. focusmag.us/boutique LOVE AROUND THE NECK JESSICA SACKS-DAVIMOS has supplied Los Angeles’ top stylists, actresses and television executives with amazing and unique handbags, as well as beautiful and fun jewelry for over 15 years.

LATN will keep you up to date with the latest jewelry trends – everything from handcrafted jewelry, semi-precious stones and sterling silver pieces from talented and current designers such as Jessica Elliot, Only Tatiana, Safia Day, J Fisher – and newest to the scene – Blue Candy Jewelry! Plus some beautiful vintage pieces, hand crafted with a modern day twist.

You will also find yummy and functional leather handbags from designers like Carla Mancini, Eyes of Ruth and Laggo.

LATN has been supplying the entertainment industry for over 15 years. From TV shows like Friends, Will and Grace, Melrose Place & 90210 to more recent shows as Entourage, Heroes, CSI and American Idol. Celebrities such as Paula Abdul, Jennie Garth, Brittney Spears and Vanna White have all purchased from the designers at Love Around The Neck. www.lovearoundtheneck.com

LUNYA SLEEPWEAR Lunya has reinvented sleepwear for the modern woman by crafting clothes that make her look and feel fabulous. You no longer have to choose between an uncomfortable negligee or your boyfriend’s baggy t-shirt. Finally, sleepwear that performs in the bedroom ;) lunyacompany.com

#focusboutique #merchantswanted

focusmag.us 7

INTERNET PRIVACY / Megan Horney

The Hunt is On

by Megan Horney

Social Media has changed the way we shop and find new items to lust over. It expands user’s knowledge of brands, both big and small, and what they offer to clientele. Someone in Jasper, Indiana can shop for the same thing as someone living in Los Angeles, California.

Scrolling through Instagram you notice a fashion blogger wearing the cutest dress or you see your favorite pinner posting about a new trend; many times these items aren’t tagged with the brand. This leaves users frustrated sending us into a frenzy of endless Google searches.

When I heard about “The Hunt” app, I thought it was exactly what we have all been waiting for.

The app allows you to search for a new trend, upload an item you are looking for, and help other hunters find their treasure. The app has a search tool that gives you access to almost any e-commerce site worldwide, making the search even easier.

An important part of the app is that it’s allows you to add an ideal price for your hunt. We’ve all been in the situation where you find the most amazing pair of shoes, but they are way out of your budget.

Now you can upload a picture of them to The Hunt and users can help you find a similar pair.

The Hunt isn’t just for clothing and accessories. As an Interior Designer, I love the fact that you can hunt for home decor items too. You can add an image of an accessory, like a pillow, to the search feed and it’s thrown into the feed where users help you source it. See ya later Google goggles, hello The Hunt.

The Hunt has over 2 million stylish users and is rapidly growing everyday. It really will change the way you shop. Download it today and get your happy hunting on.

THE HUNT: LOWDOWN Created 2011 by Tim Weingarten and Simon Peck.

What is it?

We noticed that the nature of how consumers discover the products, looks and trends they want to wear and buy is rapidly shifting from advertisements and in-store displays to usergenerated photos – but it’s nearly impossible to get the look seen in photos on social media sites like Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest – especially while staying in your budget. We wanted to create a service that catered to the increasing amount of mobile shoppers, while providing a place where our community could come together to style each other’s outfits, enabling our members to receive fashion advice while paying it forward by solving other’s shopping related quests.

Percentage rate of success?

The majority of Hunts get solved within one day of posting.

Most successfully found items?

Fashion and accessory items geared toward young women. One of the most interesting things about The Hunt is the ability to spot trends, sometimes even weeks before they hit the main stream social media outlets. Our user base is incredibly fashion forward. Last week, for example, there were over 4000 Hunts started for crop tops. We also see a lot of activity around events.

Currently, we’re seeing a huge interest in spring events, like festival style for Coachella and other music festivals, and prom.

8 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 1 4

Craziest item requested?

We do see the occasional quirky Hunt. Someone started a Hunt asking for help solving their trigonometry homework, and the community helped them out! Occasionally we also see someone starting a Hunt of someone that they have a crush on, asking “Who is this?”

Most common type of item requested?

Women’s clothing and accessories as well as beauty related (hair and makeup) hunts.

Similar companies?

Yes, but they tend to focus on discovery and curation by trend-setters.

The Hunt, on the other hand, solves a niche problem – where to find and buy something you’ve seen. We’ve built a community that really enjoys helping Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher each other, which is truly unique. The are investors in The Hunt.

Hunt taps into existing passion for fashion, the camaraderie of community, and the enticement of an ongoing, fun, but achievable challenge.

New Features?

We have a lot of plans that we’re very excited to share. The first is focused on the core value of The Hunt. If you post a Hunt, we want to make sure that you not only get one really good answer, but that you have a few good options to choose from. We spend a lot of time thinking about the people who go out and find products for other people, and how we can improve their experience. We are also focused on personalization. When you come to The Hunt, your experience should look different than mine. We have a lot of great intent data about our users and can use that to make their online shopping experience better. thehunt.com

CLOSET [ TO ] CLOSET A GUIDE TO ONLINE CONSIGNMENT

focusmag.us 9

CLOSET TO CLOSET / 06/2014

THE RESALE GUIDE eDrop-Off

thredUP

Lollipuff

2009 Over 1M members. www.thredup.com

March 2013. www.lollipuff.com

Yes

Yes, Android and iOS.

No.

40% commission.

Under $40 and 10-40% is paid out upfront. Over $40 is paid consignment, between 50-80% of the resale price.

DATE ESTABLISHED /NUMBER OF USERS

October 1994. www.shopedropoff.com

MOBILE APP COMMISSION

Sold over 350,000 luxury items.

7% Stella McCartney $125 poshmark.com

PAYMENT

Paid out via check.

PayPal or thredUP shopping credit.

Paypal.

RETURNS

3 day grace period. Any item approved for return other than for an item that is not as described will incur a 20% restocking fee.

30 days returns. Returns for orders placed on the mobile app are free.

Varies from seller to seller.

However, if the item has significant flaws that were not disclosed, the seller is required to accept a return.

Free nationwide pick up and closet cleans in all major cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and San Francisco.

thredUP manages the photography, listing, selling and shipping. Sellers get a pre-paid Clean Out Bag. Free shipping on all orders over $50.

SHIPPING

Tory Burch flats and Prada handbags might sell in under 24 hours! A J. Crew button down shirt might take a few weeks.

SELLING TIME

SUCCESS RATE

MOST POPULAR ITEMS

MOST REQUESTED ITEMS

Usually 7 days. Sellers usually choose an auction length time of 7 days.

98% sell through rate which is one of the highest in the industry.

Roughly 80% of all items listed eventually get sold.

Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermes.

Chanel, and Herve Leger.

Kate Spade $129.49 thredup.com

Celine Paisley Print $1200 shopedropoff.com 10 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

After the seller receives payment, the seller is instructed to ship to the buyer with signature confirmation.

THE RESALE GUIDE | 06/2014

Poshmark

Shop-Hers

The Real Real

Walk In My Closet

December 2011. www.poshmark.com

November 2011 www.shop-hers.com

April 2011 www.therealreal.com

April 2013 www.walkinmycloset.com

Millions of members and over 350,000 women’s closet are currently open for sale.

400,000 members

2.5M members

500 active members

Yes, iOS and Android.

Coming soon

Yes

Yes

20%

18%

30%

25%-35%

Check or Posh credits.

Paypal or credits

Paypal or credits

Paypal

3 day returns

Return within 14 days minus 5% restocking fee

Yes

3 day grace period

They authorize everything, so when a buyer finds something on the site, it is all done through the Santa Monica office, verified and then sent to the buyer.

10+ items – schedule an in-home appointment with a luxury manager who will consult with you and pick up your goods. Less than 10 items – free shipping label.

5 minutes post-listing to 5 days.

80% Of our products sell through in 3-day flash sales.

Poshpost. 2-3 day priority shipping, at a subsidized flat rate of $4.99 For up to 5 pounds.

As quickly as 24 hours! Posh parties - in app events hosted 3 times a day around trends and designers - are also a great way to sell.

Last year over 1.5 Million items out of each other’s closets.

Handbags, shoes, and dresses are top sellers. Chanel, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton continually sell faster and at higher price points then others.

Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, Brandy Melville, Frye, and Longchamp.

A classic Chanel handbag gets sold extremely quickly and most things Celine don’t last on the site too long.

Coach handbags were the most popular overall in 2013.

Definitely the Chanel classic handbag

Free shipping label provided

Within the first two weeks

80% Womens 96% Mens 90% Watches and jewelry 60% Art

Anything Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes.

Bags and clothing

Balenciaga bags and anything Celine

Manolo Blahnik Sandals $145 therealreal.com

focusmag.us 11

BLOG SPOTLIGHT | MODERN ENSEMBLE / 06/2014

BLOG SPOTLIGHT MODERN ENSEMBLE www.modernensemble.com It has been a whirlwind few years, moving from beautiful Brentwood to an hour south in Newport Beach, and having a mix of jobs in jewelry design, wardrobe styling and interior design. I have loved dabbling in so many different creative fields and getting a sense for what I was most passionate about. Last year I decided to combine all of my loves into a career, and started my lifestyle blog, Modern Ensemble. Based fully on my everyday life, I discuss everything fashion, decor, and beauty related, with a little travel mixed in, and select only the best things I find for my readers on a daily basis. Modern Ensemble has a little bit of everything including styled outfit posts, my favorite home products and looks, and makeup and skincare secrets. A few of my favorite must haves I am loving for the summer are crop tops with the slightest sliver of skin showing, white pointed toe pumps, bucket bags, faded denim, flirty skirts, beach tousled hair with blunt edges, dewy skin, and an orange lip.

At the start of every season, it is important to do a closet revamp and get a few key pieces that are trending for that time of year. I always make sure to edit my closet every three to four months and get rid of anything I haven’t worn that year. That way, I make room for any new pieces and can keep a clean and organized space with a color story, and see everything I own.

There is nothing worse than a messy and jam-packed closet because you never know what may be hiding in the back or underneath something, which admittedly I have fallen victim to more than once. One of the things that I like to show my readers is how to wear items in your closet in different ways and make them look like fresh new pieces. I love mixing and matching new trendy pieces with classic wardrobe staples that I already have, and everything in between. Every stylish woman needs to have the nine basics: a striped shirt, biker jacket, blazer, pencil skirt, black pumps, little black dress, a collared shirt, great pair of jeans, and a trench coat. In my opinion, as long as you have these key pieces, you can pretty much do anything and look fabulous.

When it comes to the home, I like to relate it to fashion, and think of interior design as dressing your house instead of your body. As I discuss on Modern Ensemble, I generally prefer an all neutral palette for the major furniture pieces with pops of color here and there in accessories, art, and plants, which I consider to be the “jewelry” of the home and less is absolutely always more.

In terms of beauty, I generally believe in sticking to a tried and true routine with makeup that looks best on your face. However,

12 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

switching up your normal routine with a bright or bold colored lip or a smoky eye once in awhile is always nice and keeps things a little more exciting.

I am a crazy skin fanatic, and have a serious nighttime routine that I do every night no matter what. I believe that your face is your most important accessory and you only get one, so I like to delve into my favorite products and newest finds on a continuous basis.

Since moving to Newport Beach, I sought out the best and most

unique shopping in town. A few of my most loved and under-theradar local spots that I frequent are Bardot, Aris on the Coast, and 11th Moon. Between household designer names and newer less known ones, these three boutiques are my go to’s for everyday items and special pieces for events.

Jennifer Wilson is an LA/OC based lifestyle blogger of Modern Ensemble www.modernensemble.com

BLOG SPOTLIGHT | BASK IN STYLE / 06/2014

BASK IN STYLE www.baskinstyle.com

We have found that most things revolve around love - love for people, a hobby, a place.

We have found a great love, one that encompasses several things together: friendship, fashion, and experiencing life.

We are long-time best friends who have careers in the fashion industry and we bask in anything and everything style-related, sharing all of our fun findings with our fantastic blog followers. This love of all things fashion led us to create Bask In Style this past January. It was important to us that our blog not only feature our styling tips but also that we incorporate fun and interesting things having to do with the fashion industry; like sample sales, upand-coming brands and new retailers. On BaskInStyle.com, our followers can find out more about us, search through past posts, find out what our current obsession is, and get a sneak peek of what is on our social media outlets.

One of the main features on the blog that we are most excited about is the “Boutique”. We added this tab in order to make the shopping experience for our followers easy; we do all the work for them!

This is also what makes our “Boutique” unique - it is a combination of items available for sale at several online retailers.

This way our readers have a large variety of items to choose from and they are not limited to just one store. Our “Boutique” is set up as a pin board, which makes it simple to navigate and shop all of the items we curate from our favorite e-tailers.

We constantly update the “Boutique” by scouring the web and adding varying items and looks that represent our personal style, incorporate important trends, and highlight staple basics. Not only will you find noteworthy clothing items but we also make sure to include swoon-worthy shoes, jewelry, bags and other small accessories!

Additionally, you can shop all the outfits in our posts! We suggest that our readers check in daily because the “Boutique” is always changing and often items we select sell out quickly. You can find it directly here: http://www.baskinstyle.com/p/shop.

html or you can go to the “Boutique” button through our main site.

Another great way to keep up to date with us is through social media. This is a huge resource for bloggers and we take full advantage of that. We cannot always write posts about every insider fashion secret we hear about so we suggest you follow us on Instagram @BaskInStyle. We are constantly informing our followers about discount codes, last minute sales and trunk shows. We are also sure to point out fun items we LOVE as well as quick fashion tips! Additionally, we have now started offering a “shop the look” feature through our Instagram. It is as easy as going to LIKEtoKNOW.it and becoming a member.

Once your are a member and you “like” any of our posts with this embedded link, you will then automatically get an email sent to your inbox with information regarding the items that we are wearing. We are trying to make the overall shopping experience not only fun, but also easy! People are so busy these days, so why spend time finding items for yourself when they can be emailed directly to your inbox?

Have our newest post sent directly to you, by registering your email on our blog: www.BaskInStyle.com x, Ken & Cas

Breana {Ken}nedy and Cybel {Cas}troSouza are LA-based fashion bloggers with experience in design, merchandising, wholesale & retail sales, as well as fashion PR and marketing.

Photos by: Shaïna Ligondé // Dennis Hernandez

focusmag.us 13

WORTH THE TREK / Katie Arnold

WORTH THE TREK

–

OC Shopping

FASHION ISLAND @ fashionisland You can’t make a list of OC shopping and leave out Fashion Island, the massive outdoor shopping center in Newport Beach. My favorite stops at Fashion Island are American Rag Cie, Anthropologie, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Kitson, lunch at Lemonade, and dinner at True Food Kitchen. Yes, all are available to you LA folk, but not in the relaxing, posh, sunny coastal setting Fashion Island offers!

with one-of-a-kind pieces from local Ever venture outside of designers.

LA to get your shopping 142 N. Glassell St. fix? Fashion blogger, Orange, CA 92866 Katie Arnold from the(714) 538-7467 www.laurenly.com style-riot.com, shares her favorite hidden gems LF LAGUNA @lflaguna 401 Newport Center Dr. worth the jaunt from LA OK, OK. So there’s an LF on Newport Beach, CA 92660 Robertson. But that doesn’t mean to The OC this weekend.

(949) 721-2000 you shouldn’t take a weekend trip Best of all, parking in www.shopfashionisland.com down the coast and check out their Orange County is (mostly) original location in the heart of THE OC MIX @theocmix free and plentiful!

Laguna Beach! Geared towards girls who dare to be different, LF is the queen of fashion treasure hunting.

LUNA BOUTIQUE @ shoplunab Stocked with all the latest trends and easy-breezy pieces, Luna B. is where it’s at for that laid-back Californiacool vibe. Check out their two locations by the beach: 19680 Beach Blvd.

Huntington Beach, CA 92648 (714) 962-9749 28251 Crown Valley Pkwy Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 (949) 349-9400 www.shoplunab.com

CLEOBELLA @cleobella Cleobella’s bohemian chic clothing line was founded in Bali and blesses free spirited goddesses in Orange County with their flagship boutique in Huntington Beach. In addition to their OC location, you can find Cleobella clothing at Anthropologie, Shopbop, Nasty Gal, and more!

16792 14th St. Sunset Beach, CA 90742 (855) 912-3552 www.cleobella.com

LAURENLY @laurenly_ boutique Located in the heart of Old Towne Orange, Laurenly offers a variety of easy, trendy, and affordable women’s clothing and accessories. Laurenly’s best asset? Mixing well-known labels

278 Forest Ave.

Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (949) 497-9194 www.lfstores.com

LOBBY @lobbylab Lobby is probably the coolest store on this list. With brands like Unif, Lovers and Friends, Wildfox, and Kill City, Lobby manages to outdo nearly every other store in OC, offering rad finds for both men and women. Definitely worth stopping by its prime location at The Lab AntiMall in Costa Mesa.

2930 Bristol St. Suite A Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 966-9697 www.lobbystoreonline.com

Last but certainly not least, if you’re more a local, handmade, off-thebeaten-path kind of person, you seriously need to check out The OC Mix. Its unique industrial interior is reminiscent of New York’s Chelsea Market and the “Eat - Shop - Local” mini-mall is home to local boutiques and specialty food retailers you can’t find anywhere else. Make sure to check out Lili Claspe (www. liliclaspe.com) while you’re there!

Her handmade jewelry is out of this world.

3313 Hyland Ave. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (949) 375-0749 www.shoptheocmix.com

@shoplunab

@cleobella

@laurenly_boutique

THE LAB @thelabantimall The Lab, also known as “The AntiMall” is a homey indoor/outdoor hangout nestled in the midst of Orange County’s suburban palm tree perfection and boasts a uniquely hip and relevant identity. LAB stands for “Little American Business” and that’s what they stand for. You’ll find everything from Urban Outfitters and Buffalo Exchange to locallyowned and curated boutiques like Lobby and food joints like the Gypsy Den. 2930 Bristol St. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 966-6661 www.thelab.com

bylab

@lob @lflaguna

@fashionisland

14 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

all

bantim

@thela

INTERNET PRIVACY / Hayley Kaplan

A V E R Y S P E C I A L W AY T O S H O P

11624 Chayote Street Brentwood Village CA 90049 310-476-9330 shopglorias.com

TRUNK SHOWS Weill May 29-31 Cigno Nero June 5-7 Lafayette 148 June 12-14 Joseph Ribkoff June 27/28 Paperwhite July 10-12 Anatomie July 10-12 Elliot Lauren July 17-19 Pink Tartan July 24-26 Magaschoni August 7-9 Blair Stanley August 21-23

focusmag.us 15

GIFTS FOR MEN / Michelle Harvey

GIFTS FOR MEN

by Michelle Harvey

THE AGE OLD QUESTION…WHAT CAN I GIFT THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING? By definition, this gentleman is able to go out and do or buy most anything at his leisure. While this is great for him…it’s decidedly not ideal for YOU! Let me help you take the guess work out of the equation. I’ve come up with 5 unique and very different gifts for the man in your life who seems almost impossible to surprise.

From once in a lifetime experiences, to unique and thoughtful, to amazingly flavorful treats; these gifts are sure to put a smile on the faces of the men in your lives! company is genius. I advise getting The Executive package.

This is their top tier razor at $9 per month. I also suggest including their Shave Butter at $8 per tube. In your first month, they will ship your high quality razor handle, first blades, and Shave Butter. Every month, for the next year, your man will receive his gift of replacement blades. This is a unique, practical, and thoughtful gift for the special man in your life. www.dollarshaveclub.com

ALEXANDER MURRAY & CO SCOTCH WHISKY Many men enjoy a glass of fine whisky from time to time. This unique, Scottish family owned company, sources and bottles some of Scotland’s finest single malt whiskies. From a bottle of their 2014 San Francisco World Spirits silver medalist the Alexander Murray Bon Accord $46, to the Alexander Murray Speyside, their finest 40 year old bottle of single malt Scotch Whisky $629. You will easily find the perfect gift bottle of Scotch for your man to sip and enjoy. www.lovescotch.com

digital cameras to capture every exciting second of this amazing adventure. You will forever be considered “The best gift giver EVER” after this one! Packages start at $1,395.

I recently had the pleasure of personally receiving 2 6oz USDA www.aircombat.com Prime Angus Filet Mignon The special man in your life will steaks from this company as a not only smile when receiving gift! I can honestly say…they one of these gifts, but appreciate were, by far, the BEST filets I the thought that was put into have ever eaten! Tender doesn’t choosing such a unique gift! begin to describe these steaks.

The Angus cattle are grass fed and hormone, antibiotic free.

Each steak is cut only AFTER you order it. It’s then vacuum sealed and shipped free of charge the same day. This company also allows you to mix sizes of filets within one order to accommodate your needs. The Groomedbymichelleharvey.com packaging presentation from

DOLLAR SHAVE CLUB This is definitely the gift that keeps on giving! As a men’s grooming expert, I think this

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this company is impeccable; perfect for a gift! Prime filets are 4/4oz$115 to 4/12oz $231. www.bestfiletmignon.com

EXOTICS RACING The idea for this gift came to me from me ex husband and my 10 year old son. They called me from the racetrack both so excited I could barely understand them! My son Tanner got to ride along with a professional driver in a Ferrari 458 Italia. An adult, however, can the choose the exotic car of his dreams to race 5 times or more around a 1.2 mile track. So this once in a lifetime experience can be shared and remembered; it is filmed from both inside and outside of the car. Packages start at $299. www.exoticsracing.com

AIR COMBAT USA I cannot think of a guy who wouldn’t smile ear to ear when receiving this as a gift! Your man will fly a real military fighter jet with, of course, a fully licensed pilot. He will engage in 5-6 simulated aerial dogfights!

The aircraft are fitted with

BEST FILET MIGNON

KIDS VINTAGE | 06/2014

Kids Vintage & Resale Shopping

by Ruby P. Hunt

My daughter Aria is still at the age where I can dress her how I want, which means lots of fun for mommy. I recently discovered the world of vintage and resale children’s clothing, which allows me to affordably dress my sweet girl in a wide array of unique, nostalgic, and designer clothing; and in turn take some really fun photos!

Here are some of the shops I discovered around Los Angeles (listed from west to east) and why I like them.

BABY DAZE (Santa Monica) facebook.com/babydazeboutique This shop is well-organized, with a nice selection of resale clothing, some with their original tags. They also carry fun leg warmers, vintage and classic toys and books. Angela, the owner, is very friendly and helpful.

NOODLES (Del Ray) noodlesresale.com/ I always noticed this place on my way to Target, but didn’t check it out until recently.

The amount of merchandise they have is a little overwhelming, which means you have to do some digging. Thankfully, there are a lot of toys kids can play with, as well as a sectioned off play area. There is a great selection of shoes — I bought a pair of Pediped shoes for a fraction of the retail price!

KIDSTOCK (Cheviot Hills) kidstockla.com/ Kidstock is a good place to find designer brands, which isn’t surprising, given their location in a great neighborhood of West L.A. I found some European and Japanese clothes I did not see anywhere else. Don’t forget to check out their dollar rack in the back, where you may score some amazing deals.

BLUEBIRD (Larchmont) bluebirdlakids.com Bluebird feels like a high-end boutique and fits right in on trendy Larchmont Blvd.

European, classic, and designer styles can be found here, as well as a great selection of high-end baby gear.

GROW KID GROW (Silverlake) growkidgrow.com This is a resale store that is communityoriented and intentionally caters to a wide demographic. Regular patrons range from Silverlake locals to celebrities. The store is fully stocked, and the average price is around five dollars per item. Missy Gibson, one of the owners of Grow Kid Grow, said she wanted to create a place where parents can find anything their child needed, no matter what the season. Need an affordable

snowsuit for your kid’s first trip to Big Bear?

You will likely find it here. Another good tip: they hold an annual costume swap the last weekend before Halloween.

THE GREEN BEAN (Eagle Rock) thegreenbeangoods.com The Green Bean is not just a kid’s resale store, it is a “community-oriented family resource center!” Traci, the owner, is an amazing force who created a wonderful place that holds art and music classes, live performances, and special events. The store is organized extremely well; seasonal, vintage, resale by size and gender, as well as a music section and new vintage-style and wooden toys. This place makes me wish I lived on the Eastside.

Online for vintage and classic clothing: The Tiny Coyote (etsy.com/shop/ TheTinyCoyote): Vintage kids clothes, handmade accessories, and hand-drawn screen printed tee’s Capture the Flag (etsy.com/shop/ capturetheflagkids): Fantastic vintage finds, nice selection Joli Mome (etsy.com/shop/jolimome): High-end, French Vintage It’s Vintage, Baby (itsvintagebaby.com): New and vintage Ruby Lane children’s vintage (rubylane. com/clothing/,id=94.3): Antique, Edwardian, Victorian, and vintage as early as the 1920s Home Spun Vintage: (homespunvintage. bigcartel.com/): Vintage and reworked vintage line Dressing and shopping for my daughter, as well as meeting like-minded (fashion and business) mothers, inspired me to start my own online store! Please check out Animal Snap Crackers (animalsnapcrackers.com) for handpicked vintage and classic children’s fashions!

facebook.com/westsidemommy westsidemommy.com

focusmag.us 17

HAVEN & CO.

Antica Farmacista Bergamotto e Aria Di Oceano A fresh new fragrance, that comes in beautiful apothecary bottles, truly lifts the spirits and creates a wonderful atmosphere.

Cindy Williams, owner of Haven & Co, chooses her favorite things in the store for Summer days (and nights).

SUMMER

Lilly Pulitzer Bringing Lilly Pulitzer back to the Westside was always a desire of mine since the patterns announce the arrival of Summer.

The colors are vivid and blouses and tops are so easy to pair with bottoms to create a fun and casual look.

Calaisio Refresh your dinner parties and kick start summer in just a few easy steps, by changing out placemats and napkins.

Ranging from elegant events to relaxing backyard dinners.

BEDDING (opposite page)

At Haven & Co we are featuring exciting, new bed linens from Peacock Alley, Nancy Koltes, Yves Delorme, and John Matouk at affordable prices. One of our custom order beds can become your sanctuary after a hard day. I know it sounds simplistic, but the number one thing I look forward to at the close of the day is to slip into indulgent soft sheets. It relieves me of all life’s stresses. I truly believe that having a beautiful bed is one of the most important things you can have in your house. It’s so easy to create a whole new look with a tweak by just adding a different duvet, pillows or throws. We are bringing in a whole new slew of fabrics and colors, so stay tuned!

Simon Pearce Revere Hurricane A perfect piece to liven up the backyard, entry way, and of course the dinner table. Handblown, the quality is top-notch and an absolute marvel to have in any home. I personally like to pair it with a blue pillar candle to give it that beachy look, that isn’t too stuffy.

Fleur Candles Resort Collection At The Beach / Seaside /Tiare This is one of my favorite candles because it is reminiscent of my childhood, with care-free summer afternoons spent at the beach.

Haven & Co. 11965 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 T: (310) 476-3060 havenandcompany.com

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@ltmerkle focusmag.us 21

Rachel Zoe and son Skyler

Christina Milian and daughter Violet

Heather McDonald

Janel Parish

Rachel Zoe book signing

Molly Sims and son Brooks

Daniella Alonso

Ryan Cabrera

SUPER SATURDAY LA 17 May Barker Hangar, Santa Monica supersaturday.kintera.org Cameron Silver

Wendy Kretchmer and Rachel Zoe

Liev Schreiber

Gayle King 22 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

Charlotte Ross and son Maxwell Ross Goldman

SOCIAL | 06/2014

MONDAY SWIMWEAR 2014 LAUNCH PARTY

By Monday Swimwear hosted by Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman from A Bikini A Day 路 May 18 Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel Photos by TLaynePhoto.com abikiniaday.com

Lupus Ride

LUPUS LA RIDE

May 18 Soulcycle West Hollywood lupusla.org

focusmag.us 23

SURF AIR/ Michelle Gillette

SHOPPING FOR A BETTER LIFE HOW SURF AIR IS ENHANCING THE LIVES OF ITS MEMBERS

by Michelle Gillette

CHOICE is the new luxury: having good options and the time to enjoy them.

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Photo: Hayley Miner

LUXURY. In the past that word may have brought to mind opulence and excess. But long gone are the days of the glorified, red power tie and the over-indulgences that went with them.

We are in an era where there’s a shake-down taking place. It’s the end of pretending. People are re-examining their lives, getting rid of what doesn’t work and enhancing what does. People are shopping for a better life.

As a Los Angeles based life coach, it’s not uncommon to have clients come to me wanting to improve the quality of their lives. At some point, just like the Saturday Night Live skit would have you believe, we inevitably get around to talking about the “lifesucking vampire known as traffic”, as my client Dan (not his real name) refers to it.

Dan is a successful businessman with a young family, a thriving business and a beautiful luxury vehicle…that he spends WAY too much time sitting in as he commutes from one part of California to another scouring the state for good real estate deals. If he’s not in his car he’s at an airport or on his way to one.

But all of this commuting is getting to him. It’s taking time away from his family, wearing him down, as well as his tires, brakes and clearly his mood. “I’ve worked so hard to create this life, I wish I had more time to actually enjoy it” he shared.

“You DO have other options”, I reminded Dan. He braced himself for the “enlightenment” that would come next.

“What? If you’re going to tell me to sell my business and become a naked surf instructor, I’ll gently remind you that I have a hefty mortgage, a wife who loves to shop, an expensive skiing obsession and a kid who is destined to have effed-up teeth unless we get him braces.”

“No, keep your clothes on. Please. And you also get to keep your house, your wife, her shopping habits, your skis and even the kid with soon-to-be designer teeth.”

Dan and I had already discussed ways to make his commutes more enjoyable: – Audible books and podcasts? He gets too engrossed so they distract him; – Great music playlists? That helps. But not nearly enough; – Hire a car and driver? He loves the idea of paying someone who will feel obligated to laugh at all of his jokes – but he’s concerned about what to do with the driver in the downtime.

– Chartering a private jet instead of flying commercial? Tried that. Too costly

SURF AIR | 06/2014

and excessive to do it on a regular basis.

Dan is a discerning man who is at once witty, intelligent, business-savvy, successful and a bit impatient. He also truly values his family and his time. While I’d love to spend several sessions helping him “find the gift in the commute,” because there is often much to appreciate in the journey – the pragmatist in me quickly realizes that he’s a man who wants a solution now.

“Actually Dan, you were onto something when you used the word surf.” I tell him.

Before he got too distracted with images of windsurfing to work from the Santa Monica pier to the San Francisco Bay, I interrupted him with some convenient news: there’s a new airline called Surf Air. “It’s an “All-You-Can-Fly” Private Travel Membership airline based in Santa Monica that currently has flights going to and from un-crowded, private municipal air terminals around Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, the Bay Area, and as of May 2, Tahoe/Truckee.”

A PRIVATE JET Surf Air flies private aircraft called the Pilatus that seats up to 7 passengers. The membership dues start at $1599 per month which allows its members to fly as many times as they want per month, but they can only make one reservation at a time. Once that flight is completed they are free to book another. If the member wishes to secure several reservations at once then he or she might opt to upgrade to one of the higher priced memberships that they offer.

All members are pre-screened for security purposes and able to book flights in under 30 seconds via an app or the Surf Air concierge. They can arrive at the local airport just 15 minutes before their flight departs, park for free, and fly off to their destination.

When they land, a concierge can have a car waiting for them and/or help them with any other travel needs.

It’s like a charter but without the extra overhead costs or the scheduling directives. Unlike a charter that caters to the VIP’s timeline, Surf Air flies a set schedule. Thus, it’s “wheels up” according to their clock, not the client’s. But for many, the flexibility the member gives up in terms of scheduling flight times can be made up in financial savings, networking opportunities, and ease of use.

Surf Air is capitalizing on the fact that for people like Dan, quality of life matters, and time is money.

And you know what else is money? Money! So why not offset some costs and offer up savings to the member? Unlike charter flights that often require the client to pay for the deadhead time or the “empty leg” (the cost of flying the empty plane to its home) or paying for the plane and the pilot to be on stand-by, Surf Air model allows them to fill their seats with other members on what would have been empty return flights.

They currently have three aircraft in their fleet all of which are the Swiss made Pilatus PC-12, a highly efficient aircraft with excellent safety records.

According to their website, Surf Air goes above and beyond the regulatory requirements in terms of safety and maintenance as safety is always a top priority. As such, two experienced pilots are on each flight even though only one is required.

According to Surf Air’s CEO, Jeff Potter – formerly of Frontier Airline and Exclusive Resorts, Surf Air currently has 500 members. Its clientele tends to be young, successful men and women who, like Dan, value their time. Many commute between the Silicon Valley and Silicon Beach (the burgeoning tech hub around LA) who want better commuting options. As Jeff points out, the flights tend to be an excellent opportunity for the members to network. Its members have created a nice little community. Jeff ’s used the current members as his own unofficial focus group, and what he’s learned is that some of the members value their flight time so much as an opportunity to unwind and converse with other like-minded people that some have requested NOT to have Wifi on board. It’s a chance for some to “unplug” and make human contact again, all while getting to their destination in a plush and comfortable setting.

Surf Air has also become popular with those who love a good weekend getaway and now that Tahoe/ Truckee has been added, it’s easy to envision an increase in Surf Air’s leisure travelers: Shopping trips between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a romantic rendezvous in Santa Barbara, gambling trips to Tahoe and skiing in Squaw, etc. At some point, they may add destinations like Monterey, Napa and Sacramento, so some Pebble Beach golf trips and some wine tours will certainly be in order.

Dan’s wife, the shopper, is going to love this because if he signs up, he’ll be able to bring her along with a guest pass. (Something even George Jetson’s Magic Teleporter stop-watch didn’t offer!)

Surf Air will not make sense for everyone. But it may make sense for Dan and those like him; people who are have created a nice life for themselves but want more time to enjoy it; people wishing to maximize the quality of their travel experience, enhance networking opportunities, and become part of a community; people who want better options and wish to move more efficiently through their day, and in this case— across California. www.surfair.com

THE WORLD OF PRIVATE JETS Blackjet – like Uber for private aircraft. www.blackjet.com Empty Leg Market – A website that lists some of the empty leg flights available. Empty Leg Market does not own or operate any aircraft, nor does it perform any due diligence on the operators listed on this website www.emptylegmarket.com Evojet – worldwide jet charters that offers empty leg flights. www.evojets. com Hop A Jet- offers empty leg flights. www. hopajetworldwide.com JetSuite - JetSuite’s last minute daily flight deals give you the chance to fly “empty legs” privately starting at only $536 each way (for the whole jet).

These deals appear within 48 hours of departure. www.jetsuiteair.com NetJets – Premium service, higher cost. www. netjets.com Sentient Jet - world’s largest provider of private jet travel. Offers empty leg flights. www.sentient.com For more options, Google “empty leg flights.” But please be aware that not all companies offer the same level of safety standards, so do your homework.

focusmag.us 25

MOLLY SIMS / Whitney English

Golly Miss Molly Molly Sims on fitness and motherhood

by Whitney English

Molly Sims is a total babe. Always has been, always will be.

The hot mom still looks just as smokin’ as she did when she first graced the the glossy pages of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue 14 years ago. That’s probably because unlike other models, she really cares about her health (not just about being skinny).

Sims, who has a 5-year-old son named Brooks, blogs about her lifestyle and offers advice to other moms on topics like prepregnancy health, keeping your home eco-friendly and safe, and nutritious meals for the whole family.

What’s even cooler about this gorgeous gal? Sims has a huge heart and spends a lot of her time helping moms in need through the charity Baby2Baby.

I had the chance to catch up with her recently at a pre-Mother’s Day event for the cause. Sims spent the afternoon helping children paint canvases for their moms that the super cute stationary company, TinyPrints, would later turn into cards.

After she was done helping out, she filled me in on all of her tips to staying happy and healthy.

As it turns out, Sims is currently trying for baby number two!

Her first tip for hopeful mommies: don’t over-exercise.

“You need to keep your body strong,” says Sims. “Don’t deplete so much. I recommend taking supplements like Vitamin D and CoQ10.”

She actually recommends a moderate exercise regimen for all women and says that switching things up is another way she keeps her bod happy.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for Baby2Baby

“I love Spin. I love SoulCycle. I love Tracy Anderson,” says Sims. “I love not doing the same thing everyday. I think for my body, because I do have so much muscle, the same thing isn’t good. So I dance, or I hike, or I do Pilates, or Hot Yoga, that’s the best thing I can do. I also feel like if I over-exercise, I eat more. So I have to think about that as well.”

While over-exercising may be a problem for some women, I think most of us feel guilty that we’re not getting to the gym enough! Sims admits that she too slacks off at times and says that scheduling it in is the best way to stay on track.

26 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

“Fitting it in is the hardest thing,” says Sims. “Honestly, what you have to do is make lists, keep calendars, schedule it in, just like you’re going to the dentist. The first 15 minutes you don’t want to, but the last 30 you’re like, ‘OK, I’m in it. I’m doing it.’ And it feels so good when you’re done.”

When it comes to her diet, Molly has a pretty loose approach as well. She says she tries to eat nutritious meals, but she doesn’t impose any dietary restrictions.

“I pretty much eat everything,” she told me. “I think when you say, ‘I’m on a diet,’ that’s what messes you up. You think, ‘I want that chocolate.’ I usually eat high protein meals, and more vegetables now.

I definitely can’t be vegan, because I get too tired. I’m O Negative, so I really crave protein.”

When she’s on-the-go, Sims sticks to easy, portable snacks that both she and Brooks can enjoy. Her favorites?

“Almonds, but not too many. My little Babybel cheeses are a staple. Healthy popcorn or graham crackers.”

For Mother’s Day though, she’ll be getting a break in the kitchen.

“My husband will probably be cooking some kind of chicken and steak,” said Sims. “He can cook. He’s not great, but he’s decent.”

Ouch! I’m guessing the big time Hollywood producer makes up for his mediocre culinary skills in other ways.

And, as Molly told me, she thinks one of the most important things in life is embracing our individuality.

When asked the best advice she received from her mother, Sims said: “Dare to be different. Don’t look like everyone else. Don’t do what everyone is doing. [My mom] was all for education, and so was my dad, but they were also like, ‘Do whatever you want to do, be whatever you want to be.’ That really gave me confidence from a very early age.”

It shows.

Reprinted from an original post by Whitney English on liveanddiet.com 9 May 2014

Fitness

Unplug Meditation

by Kaleigh Walker

Suze Yalof Schwartz has taken the mystery, (and the mysticism), out of meditation. She believes that everyone needs a quiet space to unwind for a few minutes, before they rejoin their hectic schedules.

Suze Yalof Schwartz

Browse through the artfully curated selection, just outside the mediation studio, with trainer’s book choices, specially crafted handmade mugs and tshirts. It’s an ideal way to continue the process of unwinding.

You were referred to as “The Fairy Godmother of Makeovers” by the New York Times, and worked for some of the trendiest fashion magazines on newsstands today. How did you get from fashion to owning your own meditation studio?

I was doing makeovers for Glamour for about 14 years and I loved my job. My husband wanted to move to California, so he dared me, and I said yes. I was going back and forth to New York doing fashion and I was stressed!

My mother-in-law suggested that I meditate. I went to try to find a place to meditate and I could not find one that wasn’t a huge commitment, that fit my schedule, or that was “chic” in a way. So I thought “I need to do this! I need to build this!” I started taking all of these classes, and the more classes I took, the more I realized there was a real need for Unplug Meditation.

What is a typical class like?

It’s always a different experience depending on which class type you take and that’s the beauty of meditation. I’m really fortunate that I have instructors that are holding the bar at a high level.

But we’re not bringing Buddhists into the room, we’re not bringing Sanskrit into the room. We’re trying to make it accessible, relatable, and affordable for as many people as possible.

What is something you can share with those people that are skeptical about trying out meditation?

Meditation has taught me how to press the pause button internally.

A lot of people are living in the future and it stresses them out, or they are living in the past and they get a little bit depressed. But when you are in the present moment, you are in the zone. And getting in the zone is when you are at your best. The truth is, the present is all we have. So meditation has taught How did you come up with the me to make the most of right now. aesthetic of Unplug?

And the more you meditate, the I started looking at pictures on Pinterest and through that, I really more you realize just how limitless you are. came up with a game plan and strategy. I went to IKEA and a lot You were so successful in your of the stuff that you are seeing is from there. For instance, the front fashion career, but you didn’t have a lot of experience opening desk is actually a kitchen cabinet up your own business, right? but we created the front panel to I had zero experience opening up make it look more like a desk. I was also inspired by James Turrell, my own business, all I had was an idea. But someone said to me, an artist who deals with light, so the way to learn about business is the room has a purple hue that automatically just makes you feel to just learn as you go along. And opening up your own business is relaxed. unplug meditation 12401 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 101, Los Angeles, CA 90025 T: (310) 826-8899 unplugmeditation.com

like going to business school and you will learn so much. The more I just went for it and did it, the more I realized it’s really not that hard.

What were some of the difficulties you faced when opening Unplug Meditation?

When I filed my LLC, it was “Unplug Meditation,” but the company that filed it for me wrote “Unplug Mediation.” I waited six months to find out that I had to re-file the whole thing. So what I’ve learned, the hard way, is to pay attention to all of the details.

Listen to your gut and take the time to stop and focus on what you are doing, because when you glaze over everything, a lot of mistakes can happen.

What are some inspirational words you would give someone who is interested in opening up their own business?

Ask yourself, would you rather say “Oh well” or “What if?” Because for me “Oh well” is much better than “What if.” I’m living it, I’m breathing it, I’m doing it. I came up with an idea and I’m executing it. There will be zero regrets. The trick is to not be overwhelmed by everything you have to do, but to say to yourself “I get to do it.” Do not be afraid, put fear away and just go forward.

Watch the full video interview at focusmag.us/unplug

focusmag.us 27

GET IN TOP SHAPE THIS SUMMER / Danielle Cuccio

Health Blogger & Celebrity Private Yoga Instructor, Danielle Cuccio’s

10 TIPS TO GET IN TOP SHAPE THIS SUMMER

by Danielle Cuccio

1. Water

Two liters a day. As the weather gets warmer, we’re more likely to become dehydrated. Your body and skin will thank you!

2. Apple Cider Vinegar & Probiotics

I can’t stress the importance of our digestive health and making sure you balance out the good and bad bacteria in your digestive system! When I travel and don’t take my probiotics with me (because they have to be refrigerated), I definitely see and feel a difference. The brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected so it also has an effect on your mood!

3. Visit Barnes & Noble

Relaxing is so important to release stress and inflammation. A book can do just that. I like having two books that I’m reading at a time. One that is job related: yoga/beauty/health AND another simply for pleasure. My recent reads, “The Man Repeller” by Leandra Medine and Kelly Oxford’s book, “Everything Is Perfect When You’re A Liar“. Both equally hysterical and entertaining!

4. Sunscreen

UV exposure is the strongest in the summer. Sun exposure is important to get in your natural dose of Vitamin D (recommended 5-30 minutes a day).

While working as an Esthetician, I saw sun damage to be women’s number one skin concern. Later on that SPF 30 or higher!

5. A Hat

Know you’re going to be in the sun for more than 30 minutes? A hat can protect your skin in ways that sunscreen can’t and won’t.

6. Yoga

Too hot to go on a run or hike? Yoga is most often practiced indoors! Yoga allows us to connect more intuitvely to our bodies, allowing us to pay more attention to our diets and overall wellbeing. I practice and teach Power Yoga to keep my body in shape, especially during bikini season! I swear by it!

7. Fruits & Vegetables

A plant-based diet is the way to go. Summer months have some of the best fruits available! Watermelon, anyone? Watermelon works wonders in replenishing lost fluids in the body and contains lycopene, which protects skin against sun damage!

8. The 80/20 Rule

80% of your diet should be plant-based emphasizing vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains and the other 20% can be where you slack off and enjoy things like cookies, pizza, a cupcake or whatever you are craving!

Photo: Carolina Tumpal

9. Exfoliate

Pick a cleanser with jojoba beads or a light microdermabrasion cream cleanser.

Get rid of dead skin cell buildup and let your skin radiate this summer!

10. Get Some Fresh Air

It’s summer, enjoy the beautiful weather and get to the ocean for some much needed R&R...You deserve it!

Want to treat yourself and do something extra healthy this summer..? Join our next One-day Yoga Retreat this August in Pacific Palisades, CA on Saturday, August 2nd, 2014. Meet yogis in the hood and enjoy a day of health and fun!

Yoga, Nutrition Tips, Vegetarian Lunch, Mindfulness Meditation Techniques, Goody bags & more! All levels welcome! $105 per person by 6/15/14.

Space is limited! www.CuccioSomatology.com T: (323) 863-5041 28 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

Fitness

Yoga Off The Mat

by Pia Artesona

One of the key ingredients of any yoga class is the breath.

It’s a good indicator of how our practice is going. Following the breath keeps us present. It tells us if we are straining too much and allows one the ability to sustain and build the stamina for holding a pose, transitioning from posture to posture, and getting through the intense sensations that come up through a practice.

In Yoga, breath is considered the life giving force, prana.

Pranayama is the practice of altering the breath through different techniques and exercises. Some of these practices include, Breath of fire; an even, rapid, and rhythmic inhale and exhale through the nose to increases physical endurance.

Sitali pranayama; the practice of drawing air in through a curled tongue to provide a cooling and calming effect.

Probably the most common way of altering the breath during yoga is through Ujjayi. Sometimes referred to as an ocean breath, it’s an audible breath created by inhaling and exhaling over the back of the throat.

When we practice altering the breath we become more aware of life force moving through us. We are also reminded that we can maintain control over the mind and body rather

“Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”

Thích Nhat Hanh

than be overwhelmed by the effects of stress on the body and mind.

The easiest way to take this idea off the mat is to simply begin to focus on the breath moving in and out through the nose, notice the lungs fill up and feel the ribs expand on the inhale, and then contract on the exhale. This can be done in stillness, while walking the dog, or especially when sitting in traffic.

Breath is a powerful resource that allows us the opportunity to be an active participant in relaxing the body, soothing the mind, and softening the heart. When we are able to maintain awareness through the power of the breath, we realize that only we are in charge of shifting our moods and steering through life with more presence.

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Performance

Music & Theater 19-22 JUNE

Debbie Allen’s Brothers of the Knight

Broadway legend Debbie Allen’s Brothers of the Knight is a hip adaptation of The Brothers Grimm’s classic tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Choreographed and directed by Debbie Allen with an original score

by Grammy Award winner James Ingram and Debbie Allen.

Tickets $36 / &75

Saban Theatre. 8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 T: 818 879-5016 canyonclub.net

30-31 MAY

Jessica Lang Dance

Founded in 2011, the young and innovative Jessica Lang Dance from New York City has become one of the most talked about new companies in the dance world. Enriching and inspiring global audiences by immersing them in the beauty of movement and music. Hailed as “a master of visual composition” by Dance Magazine, Lang seamlessly incorporates striking design elements and transforms classical ballet language into artfully crafted, emotionally engaging contemporary works. The company will make its West Coast debut with a program of Lang’s diverse work, ranging from minimal and simplistic to rich and complex with stunning visuals. Tickets: $79/ $129 8pm.

Wallis Annenberg Center 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 T: 310 746-4000 thewallis.org

24 JUNE

An Evening with David Sedaris

Photo: Anne Fishbein

Back by popular demand, David Sedaris returns to Royce Hall for another winning evening at the podium featuring anecdotes, works-in-progress and readings from recent and popular books. Sedaris is a perennial crowd pleaser whose unassuming charm and wry humor has won him legions of avid readers worldwide. Don’t miss it.

Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and his most recent book, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, each of which became an immediate bestseller. The audio version of Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls is a 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album. He is the author of the NYT-bestselling collection of fables entitled Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (with illustrations by Ian Falconer). He was also the editor of Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. Sedaris’s pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” There are a total of 7 million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 25 languages.

Tickets: $30 / 80 8pm.

Royce Hall 340 Royce Drive, CA 90095 cap.ucla.edu

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Art

Current Exhibitions

FROM 31 MAY Country: Portraits of an American Sound

Historical and contemporary photographs explore how images shape the public identity of country music performers and of the genre itself.

Celebrated performers such as Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban and Hank Williams—as well as deejays, fans, executives and musicians—are seen in the works of photographers who documented multiple generations of this popular history. annenbergspaceforphotography.org Photo by Joshua White.

FROM 15 JUNE

Made in LA 2014

The Hammer’s biennial exhibition Made in L.A. 2014 features works by 35 Los Angeles artists with an emphasis on emerging and under recognized artists. It debuts recent work and new painting, installation, video, sculpture, photography, and performances created specifically for the exhibition. Made in L.A. 2014 will be installed in every gallery at the Hammer Museum. The exhibition is organized by Hammer chief curator Connie Butler and independent curator Michael Ned Holte. The exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive hardcover catalogue, as well as a full roster of free public programming.

Channing Hansen.

Polytope Soap, 2013.

Handspun and dyed Merino, Corriedale, Cheviot, holographic polymers Romney, and Teeswater Locks, yak down, silk noils, commercial thread, cotton, viscose, polyamide, and cedar.

58 x 56 in.

hammer.ucla.edu

TILL 4 JUNE

Friedrich Kunath: Grand Optimist

Friedrich Kunath was born in Chemnitz, Germany in 1974 and now resides in Los Angeles.

He works in a broad array of classical media including gouache, oil, oil pastel, lacquer, acrylic, pencil, watercolor and India ink on canvas and other surfaces.

Kunath’s “Grand Optimist” exhibit will be on public view by appointment from May 22 – June 4, 2014. To make an appointment to visit the exhibition after the opening, please call 310-873-7043.

Eastern Star Gallery at The Archer School for Girls, 11725 Sunset Boulevard, CA 90049 easternstargallery.archeronline.org

TILL 27 JULY

The Awkward Family Photos Exhibit

Mike Bender and Doug Chernack began a blog in May, 2009 after Mike saw an awkward vacation photo hung in his parent’s house.

Realizing that there were probably plenty of other people out there with their own awkward family images, the two friends decided to create a friendly place where everyone could come together and share their uncomfortable family moments.

Thus, Awkward Family Photos was born. The authors/guest curators started by posting a few of their own childhood photos and those provided by friends, and the site quickly took off and became an internet sensation; it now receives millions of hits and submissions from around the world. The exhibition closes on July 27.

California Heritage Museum 2612 Main St Santa Monica californiaheritagemuseum.org focusmag.us 31

Kids

Cahnicles

The Adventures of the Cahn Family TOY STORES

THINGS TO DO

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As a proud resident of Brentwood, I love supporting local businesses whenever possible. And as a mom of two little ones, I’m always on the lookout for unique and fun kid’s stores. These are 3 of my favorites.

STAR TOYS - Opened in Brentwood in 1968, this toy store is a true eclectic gem. It has every classic toy you can think of, as well as a huge inventory of contemporary games. This is the only place I go when I need to buy for a birthday party - they really do have every toy you can think of! Owners Leonard Lieberman and his sister Caroline Seymour will have you in stitches the whole time - they are hilarious.

And the best part - they’re not afraid to tell you exactly what you should be buying based on age, sex, or local weather patterns.

130 S. Barrington Place, Los Angeles, CA 90049 310-472-7282 JENNY BECS - Another great kids store in Brentwood. I especially love their selection of books and crafts.

The best part (according to my kids) is that there is little carousel in the front, and that it’s right next door to frozen yogurt and cupcakes - what could be better than that?

11710 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 310-820-0500 PUMPKINHEADS - This store carries a number of things I can’t find anywhere else! Hard to find brands like Esme, Scotch Shrunk, IKKS and Pink Chicken - to name a few. I found out about the store because they carried Le Bébé Coo sunscreen wipes (if you haven’t tried them - they are a lifesaver). And shopping here will make anyone feel good - 15% of all profits go to local childrens charities.

11640 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90049 310-207-6760

Kim Cahn left her television producer job to be a full time mom to Olive (4) and Buster (1). She writes about their family activities on her blog http://andrewjr.com.

Watch this space for Kim Cahn’s family adventure next month!

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7-8 June: 5.30am-3pm

38th Annual Halibut Derby Ages: All ages Cost: $45/$85

Enjoy two fun filled days on the water with friends and family and support two great causes in the process. All proceeds go to fund our Youth Fishing Program and our White Sea Bass Grow-Out Program where we take hundreds of disadvantaged youth fishing and release thousands of juvenile White Sea Bass into the wild every year.

13650 Mindanao Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 T: (424) 229-1890 www.mdranglers.org

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7 June: 6pm-9am

Snowy Dreams: A Family Sleepover Ages: 6+ Cost: $55

In conjunction with the exhibition The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats, pack up your pajamas and your sleeping bag for this one-time-only, unique Keats-themed sleepover.

Take an after-hours tour of the exhibition, make your own Keats-inspired artwork, and engage in fun activities before camping out in Noah’s Ark. Also enjoy a tasty dinner, bedtime stories, and more! Skirball, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. CA 90049 www.skirball.org

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8 June: 2-4pm

Down to Earth: Buggy Petting Zoo All ages Cost: Free

After you explore Earth Matters learn about and even touch some creatures that crawl, scurry, and slither across the earth.

Then, make your very own spider pin out of recycled materials.

Fowler Museum, 308 Charles E Young Dr., Westwood

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14 June: 11am-6pm

Celebrate Santa Monica Ages: All ages Cost: Free

The Santa Monica Festival showcases sustainable living and culture through free, family-friendly activities, including art workshops, music and dance performances, cooking demonstrations, fitness classes. There’s also a pop-up playground, where kids can create their own worlds out of everyday items. And the Family Bike Hub will offer bike safety checks, maintenance tips, prizes, and much more.

Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica\

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19 June: 7pm

Concerts on Cañon All ages Cost: Free

The free Cañon Summer Concert Series features all kinds of upbeat music from jazz and classic standards to Big Band.

Seating is available on a first-come basis. Bring a meal to enjoy. (Or pick up a tasty picnic on the grounds at Bouchon Bakery!) Plentiful seating provided on a first-come basis with open grass area for picnic blankets, tables and chairs.

Beverly Cañon Gardens, 241 N. Cañon Dr., Beverly Hills www.lovebeverlyhills.com

PROFILE

JULIA ANN CONLEY Beauty gets your foot in the door, but what you have to say keeps you there. Twenty-three years of trials and tribulations have led me to discover my life’s purpose. Following my passion has not been easy, but I am now reaping the rewards of my efforts.

I am a model. The term “Model” can be perceived as many ways as there are people. I’m sure I fit many of those perceptions. My modeling agency, Wilhelmina, has a reputation for being one the most successful agencies in history. The exposure they bring places you in a role model position, creating a huge responsibility.

I began my career three years ago while I was studying business marketing. Becoming a model had always been a secret desire of mine, but my mother was not keen on the idea. It is only now that she sees how I am using modeling as a platform to facilitate the pursuit of my purpose.

Grace Kelly was a famous model who will always been remembered favorably due to her classy, composed lady-like behavior. Who are today’s role models? Miley Cyrus? Paris Hilton?

These are the women who are influencing today’s young generation. Scary? I don’t think dressing in skimpy clothing, simulating sex on primetime television and twerking are a solid basis for advancing a career. Simply being a party girl has no longevity – virtually anyone can do it.

My purpose is to show young woman how to be “ladies” without sacrificing their independence or appeal. It is the lost art. I want them to realize that imitating a Miley or a Paris makes them the ultimate followers. As we all know, trends eventually die and then new ones emerge. It’s a never-ending cycle.

With the help of my agency, I have been creating a video log on the Vlogma app. I post short videos on how to be a lady. The clips are entertaining and provide genuine advice.

My goal is to establish a movement led by considerate woman of high moral character. You don’t have to come from a high socio-economic background to be a lady; nor are you granted such a title based on wealth. You must earn it. A lady is guided by her integrity. All you need to be a lady is a commitment to follow your passion to your purpose. That is priceless.

Being a lady is timeless. A lady respects herself, her body, and others. Doors of opportunity will be opened for you because you are acting with class and integrity.

Love, Lady Julia juliaannconley.com focusmag.us 33

Events

Must See Events Curated by Leila Najafi, Eventbrite

Brite Space LA

8 days. 8 events. 1 space. Brite Space LA is coming your way. A pop-up series hosted by Eventbrite LA featuring LA’s tastemakers under one roof for a diverse event lineup. We invite you to attend one or all of the events and spread the word to your fun-loving friends. RSVP is required. www.britespacela.com Brite Space LA 7711 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90046

Barnsdall Art Park Foundation presents Barnsdall Fridays

“...a rotating series of boutique/small-production artisanal wines for tasting. Patron of the arts and unconventional spirit Aline Barnsdall would be proud to see her homestead used for this purpose when Silverlake Wine starts tastings on the west lawn at Olive Hill/ Barnsdall Park.” - LA Weekly Friday, June 20 from 5.30pm - 8.30pm Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., CA 90027

LA Street Food Fest

Sample signature bites from a curated selection of 100+ street food vendors from hot gourmet food trucks, old school carts and stands to celebrity chefs, and street inspired dishes from LA’s best restaurants.

Saturday, June 28 from 4PM - 10PM Rose Bowl , 1001 Rose Bowl Dr. Pasadena, CA 91103 code EBFAN14 for $5 off

Exploring Sonoma

The diversity inside of Sonoma is unmatched. The coolest zones of the Sonoma Coast and Russian River, to the wild and diverse Alexander and Bennett Valley’s. Come and taste the extremes and see why Sonoma maybe the most exciting place to visit, and taste wine today.

Sunday, June 29, from 3:30 PM to 5.30 PM Josie Restaurant, 2424 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403

LIVE & DINE L.A.

Angeleno magazine’s 12th Annual Live & Dine L.A. In celebration of The Restaurant Issue, ANGELENO will host its annual LIVE & DINE L.A. event honoring the city’s most distinguished chefs and restaurateurs of 2014 who continue to shape and evolve L.A.’s culinary scene. Guests will be treated to culinary demonstrations prepared by the celebrated chefs, which will be paired with exclusive wines and artisanal cocktails.

Sunday, July 20, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM The Fairmont, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401

More info, and tickets for all the events at eventbrite.com Leila Najafi is the LA Marketing Manager for Eventbrite, an online ticketing and event discovery website. Stay connected with her so you’ll be in the know about upcoming events and ticket discounts.

Twitter: @BriteLA Facebook: facebook.com/EventbriteLA Instagram: EventbriteLA 34 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

The Style That Began with His Hair

T

by Tom Callaway

he theme of this issue being “fashion and style” led me to thinking about my 30-some year friendship with one of the most stylish guys I’ve ever known, Basketball Hall of Fame Coach, Pat Riley. The most fun aspect of thinking about Pat’s personal style is that I take complete credit for it…well, at least for the part of his expanding legend dealing with his much discussed and recognized hair style.

Pat’s hair wasn’t always this way. Like most of us Baby Boomers, both Pat and I had gone through a life cycle of hairstyles that reflected the times we lived in, the groups we hung with, and the films we fantasized being in. Like me, I think Pat always was, and still is, a dreamer. He passed through the pompadour years of “Rebel Without a Cause”, to the athletic buzz cuts of our sports heroes of the ‘50s and ‘60s (think Mickey Mantle and Bob Pettit), the mop top hair and side burns of the 70’s (Gimme a head with hair) and eventually into the country phase (Lookin’ for Love in all the Wrong Faces) of the 80’s where this story and our friendship began.

In early 1980, I had recently moved to Los Angeles from New York to continue pursuit of an acting career. I had always been a huge sports fan, (the NBA and NFL in particular), and had relished every minute of the playoff battles between my New York Knicks of DeBusschere, Reed and Bradley against the LA Lakers of Wilt and Jerry West, with Riley off the bench to back up West. So here I was, a rookie actor in LA, trying to snare lead roles in TV series and commercials. Now, several months gone by, my commercial agent called to say she had just signed the retired Lakers player, Pat Riley for commercials… information she thought I’d enjoy, being the sports junkie that I was. Pat and his wife, Chris, had invited our agent to a game and lunch just before Pat was to broadcast the game on TV and radio with Chick Hearn. She asked if my wife, Claire and I would like to join their little party.

We enjoyed the Rileys immensely, and the gals, (Chris and Claire) exchanged phone numbers for a possible follow up double date, which came to pass just a couple of days later. Now it wasn’t long before we became best of friends, spending months of time together. Along the way, Pat and I realized sports, movies and acting weren’t the only interests we had in common. In our own ways, both of us had a sense of design. I had studied art history, painting and architecture, so my design sense and our home was more gallery influenced where Pat’s was more music influenced. Rhythm and Blues and Soul tunes set the tone for both the Riley home and Pat’s wardrobe. In 1979 his clothing style leaned a bit toward Super Fly with custom fitted bell bottoms, the outside leg seams, double stitched in contrasting thread, and their home was cozy and dark, with shag carpet, dim lighting effects, tall column speakers, bongo and conga drums, and sprinkled with sports memorabilia.

A

t the rear, a small pool was surrounded with lush, tropical plantings, making his every plunge into the cool waters remind one of Johnny Weissmuller diving off a hanging vine.

We celebrated the first of many New Year’s Eves together in 1981. As a lark, I suggested the four of us go to New Year’s a la The Great Gatsby (Scott Fitzgerald’s classic tale of the wild, 1920’s excesses of wealthy New England society). Pat wasn’t clear about what I was

THE STYLE THAT BEGAN WITH HIS HAIR / Tom Callaway / 06/2014

national television to help it take flight. After decades of faceless, nervous men, lost in the invisible background of their team’s success or failure, along came Pat Riley with a whole new game. Never before had a coach, at any level, been recognized for his style, his movie star good looks with a leading man’s hair style, while at the same time, pushing his team of superb athletes to the very pinnacle of championship success and glory through an amazing blend of toughness and finesse.

It was style along with substance. Every sports fan took notice… man, woman, and child alike. So did Giorgio Armani, the Italian clothing designer, making sure Pat never walked the sidelines again without a complete Armani ensemble on his back.

Soon other coaches caught on, literally changing the concept of how a first rate coach should appear on courtside. The entire NBA followed suit, requiring players to attend games wearing jackets and ties, and shortly, personal style took on a firestorm of importance with each star player’s oncamera arrival into the arena parking lots before games and their after game interviews.

R

suggesting. “I said, you know, like Redford and Mia Farrow in the film from a few years before, where the guys partied hard with their hair slicked back and wore tuxedos and swilled down champagne while the girls danced all night in flapper dresses.” Pat and I, like most every other male of those days, were still wearing our hair long and floppy, probably inspired by the Beatles and the Stones. Pat, reluctantly, said he was game for my suggestion, so we slicked back our hair, gave it a spray, donned dark suits and wing collars with bow ties, and shuffled our delighted gals off to Mr. Chow’s for a dinner with some of our pals. Within seconds it was clear we had hit a nerve, or, at least Pat had. Women rushed up to him, suggesting how debonair he looked, completely grooving on his Gatsby flair. Although deserved, I hadn’t realized how much Pat had taken these flattering comments to heart. The next day, he slicked back his hair again, and the next, and the next, and it wasn’t long before the new hair arrangement became a permanent part of his new look. About this same time, the world, working in it’s mysterious ways, moved Pat from the broadcast booth to the coaching bench, and once there, the Lakers World Championships began to multiply in short order.

With his new position as Head Coach of the champion Lakers, Pat’s image as a male style setter had a newly accessible stage of

eflecting back on it, Pat’s successful career as a trend setting coach shaped the remarkable talents of his incredible players to create “Showtime”, “Three peats”, “The Big Three”, and endless championships, the third most ever as a player, coach and front office executive. I PREFER to think it all began with ME and my world changing New Year’s Eve suggestion… how we should hit the streets in a shining black limo, with our hair slicked back, and our beautiful wives on our arms, as we prowled the Beverly Hills hot spots like imaginary Kings of Sunset Boulevard! But it goes to show you that a little style suggestion put into the hands of the right man at the right moment can change the entire perception of how we appreciate the world of style.

Pat Riley, the dashing leader of the Showtime Lakers, the mix it up leader of the rockem, sockem Knicks of the 90’s, along with the ever cool leader of the white hot, Miami Heat, has been for all these years, my wonderful pal. A fun loving guy who had the keen wisdom to sign up for my lighthearted notion that we should both be Gatsby’s for a night. But make no mistake. To his credit alone, he has taken hard work and applied it to a philosophy that no detail is too small. He’s led some world- class teams made up of extraordinary players, but found a way to also make them winners. He’s also had his share of good fortune. But through it all, he has created a signature look…a hip, personal style that has been recognized and appreciated around our entire planet with some serious HEAT. Rock on, brother!

focusmag.us 35

SALAD & COCKTAIL / Alex Thomopoulos

A SALAD & COCKTAIL OVEN ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD WITH BALSAMIC DRESSING (serves 4-6)

by Alex Thomopoulos

2 zucchini 1 small eggplant 2 teaspoons salt 1 lb baby tomatoes 1 small red pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips 1 small yellow pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips 1 medium chopped onion,halved and sliced thin 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 handful fresh basil 3 tablespoons olive oil Balsamic Vinaigrette 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

SPICY GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITA (makes 4 margaritas) 1-cup reposado tequila 2 cups grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed is obviously better) 1/4 cup mint leaves Âź cup lime juice, reserve two lime rinds 2 TBSP honey 1 jalepenos (take seeds and ribs out if you like less spicy)

Put lime juice, two leftover rinds, honey, serrano, and mint into a pitcher. Take a wooden spoon or muddler and muddle the ingredients together. Add tequila and grapefruit juice and stir to combine.

Rim each glass with some lime juice, and dip into a mixture of salt and chili powder. Pour enough ice into glass and fill your glass up with the margarita! alextcooks.com instagram: alexthomopoulos twitter: @alexthomopoulos facebook.com/alextcooks

36 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

For Salad: 8-10 cups arugula 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Prepare the zucchini and eggplant 30 mins before you start. Cut them into 1 inch dice and sprinkle with salt. Place in a colander and allow excess water to drain out.

1. While the veggies are draining make vinaigrette. Add honey, dijon, salt, balsamic and garlic into a blender. Turn blender on low and slowly add oil until it’s thick and creamy. You can do this by hand in a bowl with a whisk but using a blender is much easier.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Arrange all the vegetables on a sheet tray, sprinkle with garlic, torn up basil leaves, pepper and a sprinkle of salt.

4. Drizzle the oil over, then mix thoroughly.

5. Roast for 30-40 minutes, mixing about half way to ensure even cooking.

6. Let cool. Toss arugula with some of the dressing. (Just enough to lightly coat). Top with the cooled roasted veggies and garnish with feta and olives and another good drizzle of dressing.

WE ARE ONE / 06/2014

EVENT SPONSORS A special thanks to all our friends who contributed toward our first anniversary party. If you were fortunate to be there you will have experienced these delights firsthand. Please support all of them as they are a fine representation of the Focus mission to highlight community businesses.

EVENTS

DRUNKEN PIXEL Matt and Michelle started this adventure with a combined passion for quality photography and an affinity for having a good time. In their experience, too many photo booths didn’t produce the quality photos that they were looking for, especially at the price being charged. With Matt’s background in IT and Michelle’s experience with event planning, the two combined forces to create Drunken Pixel in 2012. Two years later they service all of Southern California and Seattle, Washington!

At Drunken Pixel, we strive to create a customized experience that is unique to your event and needs. Want to have some fun? So do we, so let’s make it happen. We are always willing to answer any questions you have and create the perfect memories for your event.

Matt & Michelle drunkenpixel.com

focusmag.us 37

WE ARE ONE / 06/2014

HOPE AT HOME

ONE HOPE WINE In 2007 a group of young entrepreneurs set out to create an outstanding wine brand that would be dedicated to supporting various nonprofits all year round. Inspired by a friend who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, this passionate team was determined to make a difference.

Co-founders Jake Kloberdanz, Sarah Gora, Brandon Hall, Tom Leahy, Tiffany Wojtkiewicz, Kristen Shroyer and Blake Petty came together to start ONEHOPE Wine. With $10,000 in the bank, they purchased a small storage unit in Manhattan Beach and started selling wine out of their cars. By the end of the first year they had already sold 8,000 bottles starting with their first account, Mama D’s in Newport Beach.

ONEHOPE Wine relaunched its brand in 2009 in association with Rob Mondavi, Jr., of the Michael Mondavi winemaking family. ONEHOPE Wine’s core varietals are currently produced in partnership with Rob Mondavi Jr. and the award-winning portfolio consists of custom blends from Napa, Sonoma and the Central Coast of California. Today, ONEHOPE Wine is offered in thousands of reputable hotels, restaurants, bars and retail stores nationwide.

With the goal to build a brand that makes a difference year-round, half of profits from every bottle of ONEHOPE Wine are donated to make a social impact. For example, every case of Pinot Noir helps fund two pet adoptions and every case of Sparkling provides 25 meals to children fighting hunger in America. Some of the additional causes we support include breast cancer prevention and treatment, Autism research and treatment, and U.S. forest preservation and protection. To date, the sales from ONEHOPE Wine have generated over $1.2 million of donations for partner nonprofits.

ONEHOPE Wine has evolved into a family of branded products and experiences all of which help change the world, including: Coffee, Gifting, Events, Hope at Home and ONEHOPE Foundation. onehopewine.com

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Launched in 2012, Hope at Home is led by Directors Haley Harris and Jocelyn Reid. After working in the wine industry for several years, Haley saw a market for women hosting local wine tasting events that give back to charities. Her goal was to introduce other women to this entrepreneurial platform by offering them the opportunity to get involved with raising money for their favorite charity. In just one year, Haley and Jocelyn have watched Hope at Home grow into an informative, approachable and fun way to bring private wine tasting and fundraising into your preferred setting, with 15% of sales from each event going back to a cause or school of choice. Today, Haley and Jocelyn lead over 100 social entrepreneurs who together have raised over $10,000 for local and national causes.

What is Hope at Home? Hope at Home is a great way to entertain and give back to your community.

Hope at Home brings private wine tasting and fundraising into a preferred setting, with 15% of sales from each event going back to a non profit or school of your choice. Our tastings feature ONEHOPE Wine, an award winning wine label, produced in partnership with Rob Mondavi Jr. out of Napa.‬ How did Hope at Home get started?

Hope at Home launched in Los Angeles in 2012 as a business under ONEHOPE Wine. Haley had been working for ONEHOPE Wine for several months and started covering a handful of events and quickly realized there was a market for hosting intimate wine tasting parties that could give back to the cause of the host’s choice. While the foundation of Hope at Home was to host intimate wine tasting events, we also wanted to empower a team of social entrepreneurs to join us and encourage them to run their own cause-centric wine businesses through Hope at Home. Today, we lead over 100 event specialists who have collectively raised over $10,000 for local and national charities.

What you can expect from a Hope at Home event? Through our events you can expect a casual and fun wine tasting experience for you and your guests filled with information about our wines, partner causes, and the opportunity to give back to a cause near and dear to you through Hope at Home.

So how do you become an event specialist and join this dynamic group of women giving back and running their own cause business?

Visit our website hopeathome.com and one of our team members will be in touch to answer all your questions on how to join our family or on how to book an event.

FOCUS EVENTS | 06/2014

ANGEL CAKEPOPS We specialize in cakepops and mini desserts servicing our unique Los Angeles clientele, from award shows to babyshowers and everything in between. We are a custom order, online bake shop which consults with all of our clients (via phone or in person). We decided to grow from a very popular word-of-mouth, custom order business to the more traditional online retail store to offer our fresh and custom baked goods to more than those who just know us.

SWEET CRUSH Sweet Crush offers a oneof-a-kind gourmet take on shaved ice: innovative allnatural flavors, hand crafted in its Brentwood location. No syrups, no powders, no artificial anything. The result: a snowy delicacy that’s perfect for a hot summer day. Sweet Crush is served as silky ribbons of milky ice, or as the kids call it, paper ice cream. Pure Crush, a nondairy, vegan dessert, is fruit frozen into snowflakes. Enjoy this award-winning dessert in their custom-designed store or take it to go. Having a get-together and want to serve something out-of-the-ordinary?

Take Sweet Crush home and it will chill out in your freezer.

Have something grander in mind? Sweet Crush shaved at the Oscar’s and can shave at your event too.

Yael Lustmann sweet-crush.com

EVENTS

Thank you for trusting us to cure your sweet tooth!

Paige Oliver angelcakepops.com

SPINKY’S Twenty years ago I married a man with one major weakness - his affinity for chocolate chip cookies. Seeking to exploit this weakness, of course, I shared with him the cookie recipe I had been using to make chocolate chip cookies for years. One bite and he was sold – I had locked him down for better or for worse.

My husband isn’t the only one who becomes giddy at the thought of chocolate chip cookies - everyone does. For years I’ve been making these same cookies for friends, family members and co-workers. When I started getting requests from friends of friends, and then friends of FRIENDS of friends, I knew I had something special to offer the world.

Lea Newton

spinkys.com focusmag.us 39

WE ARE ONE / 06/2014

PORCH PIES

EVENTS

WHISK Whisk Gluten-Free Bakery was founded by Lynn and Stephanie, two gluten-free sisters, who have been on a long search to find mouthwatering, gluten-free and gluten-free vegan baked goods.

Having multiple family members with allergies to gluten, dairy, nuts, and eggs, we had to learn how to accommodate everyone’s needs by creating our own speciality cakes and cupcakes for every birthday, holiday, and family shindig.

Realizing we weren’t alone in our search for deliciousness, and tired of settling for dry and tasteless, we dedicated the last two years to perfecting gluten free & gluten-free vegan artisan baked goods to be absolutely delicious and are proud to share them with you!

Lynn & Stephanie whiskgfbakery.com

40 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

Baked fresh to order and hand delivered to your door – each pie is a taste of the deep south and is made from our family’s heirloom recipes passed down from generations of grandmothers and great aunts.

I grew up in the Deep South, and part of my upbringing was learning my family’s heirloom recipes to cherish and pass down to my children one day. Some of my most precious memories are of my mother and grandmother guiding my hands as I learned how temperamental and delicate pie crusts can be. In my family, a perfect pie crust is a rite of passage.

Church picnics, school bazaars, family holidays and everyday meals honed the skills passed down to me from the southern ladies of my family, church and community.

In the late 1990′s, I was married and living in New York City, worlds away from my life in Alabama. However, I would still bake pies for dinners, holidays and as gifts for friends. It didn’t take long before I began getting requests… and then orders. Before I knew it, I had a small business on my hands – Porch Pies was born and I loved it!

Today, living in Los Angeles with my family, I continue to bake the pies of my southern grandmothers and am delighted to introduce to y’all our little pie company – Porch Pies. We’ll deliver some southern sweetness to your home… and we just feel sure y’all will come back!

Robyn Poarch porchpies.com When asked what she was baking that smelled so good, the southern cook replied, “Jes’ pie.”

ELLE A EVENTS | 06/2014

PROFILE

ELLE A EVENTS

Q: How did you get into event planning?

A: My love for events was evident at the early age of 15 when I was planning & hosting parties at my parents’ home.

I have always been fascinated by the unique tastes and preferences of people, especially when they are part of a celebration or event. After attending Penn State University, I embarked on a journey to Los Angeles where I became the Director of Marketing & Promotions for a few of Hollywood’s most premier companies like the Sunset Entertainment Group. From there, I continued to build upon my event & design experience until I was able to start Elle A Events.

Q: How would you best describe the style of your work?

A: It’s all about what the client needs and wants. I usually try to infuse a touch of elegance and an extreme eye for detail into every event we produce. It’s all about the details.

The smallest touches can be the most appreciated part of your design. It’s amazing how the “little things” can mean so much to your client and their guests.

Q: What separates you from the competition?

A: I pride myself on working with any budget to help my clients make their event, wedding, decorated space, or special occasion vision a reality. My main goal is to make sure they are able to create their “dream event” without having to lose any of the magic due to budget constraints.

Whether it’s a party of 2 or a party of thousands, Elle A Events will make it personalized and unforgettable.

Elle A Events is a full service Event Coordination & Design boutique based in Los Angeles, CA with event services nationwide. In 2011, Elle A Events was founded

by Certified Meeting and Event Producer, Elle Anderson. Her eye for detail and fresh approach brings a unique touch to every single event. Elle A Events’ philosophy combines fun, artistic beauty with hard work to create the newest, freshest, and most luxurious events possible.

Q: What are some of the most memorable events you have created?

A: Every event I have coordinated is unique and memorable in its own way. Being a part of someone’s wedding day is an amazing feeling. However, I once had Moby preforming on the 21st floor of a building downtown to a crowd of 200, and that was probably one of the most memorable events I have done. It was a game-changer for the company.

Q: If you could plan any kind of event, what would it be and where?

A: Being a part of someone’s wedding day is a big honor, and if I had my choice, I would chose a wedding. Wedding trends this year have been so much fun to work with; the open back lace dresses, flower headbands, and chair flair have made quite the statement for the season. California has many beautiful venues, but the one that has left me speechless is the Vineyard of Beverly Hills. It offers a 360 degree mesmerizing view of Los Angeles with its 153 acres, and it has the highest vantage point in the city. It’s brand new and opened in January in time to host one of the most elite 2014 Oscar Parties. It’s a space where your imagination has no boundaries.

Weddings are embracing romanticism, with gorgeous laces and crowns of flowers.

Keep up with the latest trends by visiting our Blog at www.ElleAEvents.com Twitter & IG: @ElleAEvents FB: facebook.com/ElleAEvents Pinterest: ElleAEvents

focusmag.us 41

SECOND ACTS / Tara Ellison

Second Acts:

by Tara Ellison

What I Learned From Dating After My Divorce

“...when he walked me to my car he said ‘It was nice to meet you,” in a way that told me he would not be calling me again.”

When I found myself in the midst of a divorce and having to navigate a new dating world – this time as a single mother – it dawned on me that any experience garnered in my former incarnation as a single woman was now to be thrown out the window. Dating-as-adivorced-mother was an entirely new game, one whose rules - despite my eagerness to learn them - remained mysterious. There weren’t going to be any short cuts and I didn’t know any single mothers to consult for tips. I would have to learn them in the trenches.

Men and women seem to cope differently with the collapse of a relationship. In my experience, men are often more skilled at getting back in the saddle. I was not in any shape to go out and meet a replacement nor was anyone seeking my company (dour divorcée is hardly on the top of anyone’s desired list). Eventually, after the fog of said miserable divorce started to lift - or perhaps precipitated by my intense desire for it to lift friends and acquaintances began to set me up on dates.

Early on in the blind date parade there was the attractive young television director I shared a quirky lunch date with. We sat down at a restaurant on Melrose and began the process of inquiring about each other’s lives. He took such lingering pauses before answering anything that I started to think he’d forgotten the question. Then, just as the silence had stretched to the point of becoming awkward, he would reel himself back in from his mental escape hatch and say something witty. He seemed to be toying with me but since I was so out of practice, I couldn’t be certain. Perhaps it was his dazzling smile that made me give him the benefit of the doubt. In a grand gesture he ordered several entrees and two desserts and encouraged me to ‘dig in’. Feeling starved of just about everything in life at that time I did just that and heartily devoured the feast in front of me. He lightened up as the meal progressed and we seemed to have fun but when he walked me to my car he said ‘It was nice to meet you,” in a way that told me he would not be calling me again. I chalked it up to my voracious appetite -which may have been a turn-off for a Hollywood director accustomed to whippet-thin actresses - but I found out later that he already had a girlfriend and was merely ‘shopping around’ while she was out of town. I was really annoyed that I had been set up with someone so obviously unavailable. Lesson number one: Ask more questions before accepting dates.

Then there was a perfectly nice fellow, a bodybuilder with a sensitive side who shared lavender

42 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 14

cupcakes and tea with me one hot summer afternoon.

He asked thoughtful questions and was a good listener but we had a distinct lack of chemistry. You don’t have to have set-the-house-on-fire chemistry but there has to be a spark. Lesson number two: If there’s no chemistry, do not pass go.

Next there was the flamboyant dentist who drove like a maniac and deposited his gum into the middle of his olive bread while disclosing that he always falls in love “with a woman’s silhouette”. He also mentioned during dinner that he found these pleasing silhouettes most often in (much) younger women. Lesson number three: Must have reasonable expectations.

A handsome filmmaker cast his net over me, completely bewitching me with his humor and charm (I was in dire need of some laughs). He was such good company that it ensured his popularity with people in far loftier social circles than I. Needless to say the added complication of having a child was not a big attraction, either. Lesson number four: Must like kids.

After a disheartening slog through the dating trenches, I took a break and focused on other areas of my life that were sorely lacking – which happened to be the best thing I could have done. I spent time rediscovering what I liked to do and engaged in passions and hobbies instead of romantic pursuits.

When I was ready to resurface, a friend introduced me to a different type of man: a divorced dad, with kids. Dating as a divorced parent demands that you be a grown-up, as the margin for error has diminished considerably and now you have one or more little people depending on you not to screw it up again. Dating a person who has to deal with similar circumstances can be a tremendous comfort.

Lesson Number five: Date someone who gets your life.

In next month’s issue...

Dating Tips for Divorced , Separated and otherwise uncoupled Mothers

PAY IT FORWARD | 06/2014

MILK & BOOKIES Photography: Donato Sardello Ellie Papayanopoulos

MILK + BOOKIES FIFTH ANNUAL STORY TIME CELEBRATION took place at Skirball Cultural Center April 27, 2014 Milk + Bookies is a nationwide charitable organization that gets books into the hands of thousands of children who need them. At Milk + Bookies events, boys and girls are provided the opportunity to select, purchase and inscribe books that are then donated to their peers who do not have access to books of their own.

The organization combines two essential and worthwhile efforts: Service Learning and Literacy Promotion. Just as important as the book donations, is instilling the seed of giving into each participant, sparking feelings of importance, self-confidence and the desire to give and give again.

For additional information, visit www.milkandbookies.org or call 310.393.3201

KALISSI

Female 6 wk old Beagle Dachshund mix

DILLON

Male 6 wk old Havanese Terrier mix

MOCHA

Female 6 wk old Havanese Terrier mix

These cute dogs were rescued from area shelters and are in need of love, hugs, and a HOME! Focus Magazine, together with Saving K9 Lives Plus, will proudly donate the full adoption fee paid by anyone choosing to add one of these adorable pets to their family, enabling this amazing organization to rescue another dog. With your help we can save twice the number of dogs on this page! As an added bonus, Focus Magazine will feature your new, precious family member in an upcoming issue.

KALHUA

Female 6 wk old Havanese Terrier mix

Rescue these wonderful dogs today with Focus Magazine’s pledge to #payitforward Find out more from Jackie Goodman: jaclyndgoodman@gmail.com Read each dog’s story at focusmag.us/focuscares focusmag.us 43

A YEAR IN FOCUS | 06/2014

A Year in Focus

MAY 2014

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$1,450,000

Set back from the street, atop a knoll, sits your private and gated modern home on coveted celebrity row. Modern, airy and spacious feel inside and out, on a half acre of tiered land with views of the Hollywood sign. The home features a spacious, light and bright living room with high pitched ceiling, surrounded by tall glass windows, tree top views, chrome railing, wood-burning fire place. Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors that extend into the modern kitchen, which is great for entertaining. Master bedroom has high beam ceilings, two walk-in closets and large master bath. The additional 2 bedrooms are spacious, with a remodeled full bath. Take a step-down to the family/ent. room with installed 92� HD projector tv, bar, double closets and laundry area.Doors lead outside from nearly every room onto balconies, patio space or tiered land.The backyard has endless possibilities, there is enough flat yard for a pool. Full security system with cameras and house is pre-wired for Ipod use.

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T: 310 466-6675 mona@monacohen.com Rodeo Realty Brentwood 11940 San Vicente # 100 Los Angeles, CA 90049 www.monacohen.com

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