ADISTINCTIVE Style Magazine Fall 2010
StORIES Of
Hope, Courage, Survival Women Making a Difference
IN THE WORLD
MaRk VIcTOR HaNsEN
changing the face of the world
The Legendary
CLORIS LEACHMAN
Olivia Newton-John
HELpINg wOMEN LIV With Grace and Gratitude
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Photo ByTrey Ratcliff http://www.stuckincustoms.com 6 A Distinctive Style . COM
Ben Sollee: The Beautiful Limitations of a Bicycling Artist By Teresa Louise Johnson
B
en Sollee’s music (www.bensollee.com) is not your usual mainstream brand of sound; it’s soulful, catchy, and innovative. While his song “It’s Not Impossible” has a happy rhythm that draws you in, the melody of “A Change is Gonna Come” has an interlacing quality; the voices, cello, and violin weave around one another while the percussion acts as an exceptional accessory to the other sounds. Having spent the last couple tours riding from location to location by bicycle, there’s no question in Ben’s mind as to why he and those accompanying him, have a connectedness that is conveyed in the music. Sollee says that there is a rhythm to pedaling and breathing while bicycling with a group. This “pedaling pack mentality” is especially apparent when they fall into synch with one another on stage; by the end of the bike tour, they “know” each other.
Sollee’s “Ditch the Van” tour began in 2009 and has continued on into 2010. Forgoing the typical fast-paced musician lifestyle, Sollee packs his cello into his Xtracycle Cargo bicycle and heads off, leaving behind not a trail of dust and tour bus exhaust fumes but heading forward into what he calls “beautiful limitations.” He says the place he is biking to is the place he is going to be. No longer can he hop on a plane for a media event; reporters and the like hook up with him by phone or meet him on tour. He’s connecting with communities along the way, making stops in towns a stone’s throw apart rather than landing in cities hundreds of miles apart. He’s meeting members of bike communities, jamming with local treasures like that harmonica player in Georgia, and making an impression on organizations like Oxfam.
Of Oxfam, Sollee says that though they initially set up Oxfam booths at his shows and gave out pamphlets, they eventually decided to tie the organization to their bike tours. Sollee buys a bicycle, to support micro-entrepreneurs who view bikes as tools and not as recreational devices in developing communities, at each show through Oxfam Unwrapped to encourage fans and concert-goers to do the same. Proactive in so many ways, Sollee’s newest record “Dear Companion” with Daniel Martin Moore raises awareness of mountaintop removal in Appalachia. Over time, his music has become more focused on creating honest storytelling. He calls himself a “mutt like creature of musical influences,” saying that is the beauty of Appalachian culture as well—it’s rich with music, dance, and stories; he says American heritage is tied to Appalachian traditions. It’s easy to see that Sollee is inspired by and connected to his world. His bicycle tours have a green effect, promoting travel by bike and the decrease of community carbon footprints. They’re about physical, artistic, and financial sustainability. Most of all, they’re about a more human pace of life, slowing it down to something more simple, and letting the music take center stage. Ben recommends: www.ilovemountains.org Kentucky author Wendell Berry www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/ben-sollee.html Musician Janelle Monae
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Photo by trey Ratcli http://www.stuckincustoms.com 8 A Distinctive Style . COM
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the opus What is your goal or dream you would like to accomplish or achieve more than anything else? The Opus is story of a young man pursuing his dreams his Opus. However along the way he faces impossible challenges, and even many people telling him he will never succeed. During the story in the Opus Movie and along the way this powerful and unique your are introduced to some of the world's top teachers and achievers. Their contribution to the story will teach you the secrets to unlock your amazing Opus
that is inside each one of us. They will show you how to create your personal opus and create the life that you have dreamed of. The Opus Movie will help you answer these questions. The Opus Movie" provides is the Vision, the plan, that will lead us to the performance. It uses a very unique story line to present the story behind the story. It tells a story about a boy becoming a man along the way overcoming life's challenges.
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Photo by trey RatcliямА http://www.stuckincustoms.com
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cLORis LeAcHMAn
LeOnARD PeLtieR
sHARyn WynteRs
RHeMA MARvAnne
MORAn AtiAs
Jesse MetcALF
PRince cHARLes
cRystAL DWyeR
MARK bALLAs
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s p e c i a l
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Cover OliViA neWtOn-JOHn Publisher dMpubliSHing Editor-in-Chief deniSe MARie Beauty Editor
cAnceR AWAReness
SHelly bAlleSteRO Features Editors peteR MACK / JAne WAide Copy Editor lAuRen Kent Art Director MAytHe CARpentinO Director of Marketing/Sales blAKe AleXAndeR Contributing Writers RitA COOK
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First, I wanted to be a cowboy, then I wanted to be Superman...
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By Rita Cook
esse Matcalfe became a household face with his turn on “Desperate Housewives” from 2004 to 2009 playing John Rowland, the love struck teenage gardener who had an illicit affair with Gabrielle Solis, Eva Longoria’s character. However, in addition to that plum role, Jesse Metcalfe has also starred in two films this year and recently became an ambassador for an organization called GO Campaign (www.gocampaign.org). GO Campaign is dedicated to helping orphans and vulnerable children throughout the world build a better future with an emphasis on the countries of China, Cambodia, Kenya, Malawi, Peru, Rwanda, Tanzania and Malawi. A youth-driven nonprofit that brings together youth everywhere, their main goal is to cut out the red tape and provide direct access to grassroots projects that improve’— and often save— lives of vulnerable children around the globe. “I heard about the campaign from a friend and literally asked them if I could become involved,” he says. “Simple as that and lucky for me they said yes. I like the fact that the GO Campaign is 100% centered on helping orphans and children less fortunate throughout the world.” It was this upbringing that he says contributed to who he is today, “I learned to work hard for the things I wanted in life and the "value of a dollar" from very early on. I think, like most east coast upbringings, I learned to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, or else, get slapped back down. I'd say that a "keep it real" mentality is my greatest homegrown asset.” As for film projects, Metcalfe has been promoting both Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, which opened in
~Jesse Metcalf September and The Tortured, which had no opening date at press time. In Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, a film noir crime thriller, Metcalfe plays CJ Nicholas, an overly eager and ambitious investigative journalist who suspects the local District Attorney, played by Michael Douglas, of corruption. Metcalfe notes that crime-thrillers are his favorite genres and “the opportunity to work with Michael and our director, Peter Hyams was a really incredible opportunity and experience for me.” In The Tortured, Metcalfe plays a loving family man who seeks revenge after his son's murder and believes that “both character arches center around the theme of morality versus desire. Both character's are engaged in an inner struggle that is very tangible and very human; a struggle that we're all faced with at some point or another in life. I found all the desires of both these characters within myself.” Currently Metcalfe says there is nothing he would change in his life even though acting might not have always been his first choice. “Life is trial and error,” he begins. “First, I wanted to be a cowboy, then I wanted to be Superman, then Indiana Jones, then a psychologist, then a filmmaker and now I'm an actor. Who knows what I'll want to be next week.” With his five-year goals in place he concludes, “Hopefully [I will] have a long and inspired career as an actor, travel the world, help people through various philanthropic ventures by giving of myself and my time, become a more accomplished guitarist, spend time with my friends and family and generally, be a better man.”
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AIRSICk: An Industrial Devolution Toronto Star Photographer Lucas Oleniuk tackles the global issue of climate change through a local approach. "We're addicted to fossil fuels and our infrastructure reflects that," says Oleniuk. "My hope is that one day this film will be seen as the way we used to do things." CREDItS cONcEpT aND pHOTOgRapHy: Lucas Oleniuk The Toronto Star aIRsIck EDITOR: Scott Simmie The Toronto Star ORIgINaL MusIc: Randy Risling The Toronto Star DEsIgN aND aNIMaTION: James Ivar Gundersen pRODucER: Eric Maierson pRODucER: Epilogue: Tim Hussin ExEcuTIVE pRODucER: Brian Storm 16 A Distinctive Style . COM
Designed by Dima Loginoff. Suspension LED lamp made of glass and looks like an elephant trunk. www.dimaloginoff.com
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I feel very humbled by a new attitudeI embrace. ~Moran Atias
By Rita Cook
A Distinctive Style: Tell me what you are working on now? Moran Atias: I just finished The Next Three Days with Russell Crowe and just wrapped a movie called Crazy Eyes with Lukas Haas. ADS: What are you working on in the future? MA: I am actively involved in two foundations, both of which had me traveling to Haiti twice this year, called ISRAAID and APJ – Artists for Peace and Justice. So my time is pretty booked when I am not acting or developing projects. ADS: Where did you grow up and how did that contribute to the person you are today? MA: I grew up in Haifa, Israel. I think that when you live somewhere, all your surroundings—family, school, weather, country—everything shapes you into who you are today. Growing up in Israel has really helped me appreciate life, and life in the United States. I appreciate the small things. Living in Israel helped shape my independence as a person and taught me to be gracious of things that other people take for granted like freedom and education. Growing up in Israel puts things in perspective and I live life to the fullest. I take chances, live for today; you don’t know what will happen tomorrow.
Ambassador helping third world countries, JPHRO; Haiti Foundation and an Ambassador of APJ – Artists for Peace and Justice. There is also Latet an Israeli organization, it’s like the ‘Make a Wish’ foundation. I am also hosting a telethon TV special in December. ADS: How did you get involved with these organizations, why and when? MA: I was extremely overwhelmed when I saw the images and stories in the news when the disaster occurred. I was asked to travel to Haiti for the first time with APJ, and then I made a second trip. I heard about APJ through other actors and artists involved throughout the world. I met ISRAAID in Haiti on the ground, and was attracted to their efficiency. I wanted to get involved and turn my thoughts and desires into actions. Amidst all the horror, I felt really humbled to even be there. What is more important than saving someone else’s life? The fact that I could make a difference in so many people’s lives was so rewarding. ADS: What have been some of the highlights?
ADS: Tell me more about these foundations and organizations you work with?
MA: The major highlight was the first time I went to Haiti this year, a few days after the disaster struck. The second day I was there, I was able to save 29 lives, by having no clue, only good will. I was able to share these moments with a combination of amazing doctors and amazing people who were all volunteers.
MA: There is ISRAAID Good Will
ADS: How much time is spent hands-
on with these organizations? MA: Since I returned back from Haiti, I have been actively involved in promoting these organizations by spreading the word throughout the entertainment community. I am involved in upcoming missions and projects. I organized a charity event in Cannes this year for APJ, which was attended by Russell Crowe, Danielle Spencer, Gerard Butler, Lionel Richie, Paul Haggis and many more. I am co-organizing a gigantic event for 2011 that will require me to be fully focused; it’s going to be completely amazing. I feel so blessed that I can be apart of all this and actively involved in all of them. ADS: How has working with these foundations and charities changed your life? MA: I feel very humbled by a new attitude I embrace; I now welcome the challenge to find patience to help someone with nothing as well as someone that seems to have everything. A balanced place and life with no judgment. ADS: Anything else you want to add about yourself or your work with these organizations? MA: I would like to thank, Sean Penn, Paul Haggis, David Belle and all the doctors that have allowed me to experience this life changing experience. This has allowed me to have this new perspective I don’t think I would have been able to at such an early age if it hadn’t been so first hand. A Distinctive Style . COM 19
Photo by trey Ratcli http://www.stuckincustoms.com
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The secret to getting rid of holiday stress! The Laugh Anyway Mom COLUMn By Tracy DeGraaf
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he holidays are supposed to be filled with Rockwellian images of families gathered around oversized tables with mismatched chairs from every room in the house and a perfectly roasted bird in the center. Well, the reality is that holidays are more filled with stressed-out moms, exhausted kids, and dads scratching their heads thinking about the credit card bills that will come in January. This is the year to put an end to all of that holiday stress. But how do we do that when traditions have been established and expectations set? I’ve been married to my husband Ron for 21 years and we have five sons ages 9-20. I’ve mastered the art of “lowering my expectations in order to meet them.” I remember my first holiday dinner early in my marriage. I had a four-month-old baby who screamed all day long, and an 18 month old who was quietly mischievous (the most dangerous kind). It was Christmas Eve day and Ron had to work which left me to watch the kids, clean the house, and make dinner by myself. I was a huge Martha Stewart fan and had planned an elaborate and supposedly “stress free” fail-proof meal. HA! I’m pretty sure Martha didn’t have to prepare her 12 pound turkey with a 12 pound screaming baby on her hip. And, she most likely didn’t have an 18 month old running around like a cage-free monkey. Ron came home to a frazzled wife, squawking kids, and a house that looked like it had been broken into. The meal wasn’t even close to being ready and the family would be ringing our doorbell in twenty minutes. I handed Ron our crying baby, and then put my face in my hands and joined the chorus. I was sobbing. My sweet husband was so endearing in that moment. Guys could take a lesson from his response. He gently put his arm around me and told me that the food and the house didn’t matter. “It’s Christmas,” he said, “don’t cry! We’ll order out. And as for the house, we’ll just shove everything into plastic garbage bags and lock them in the basement until tomorrow.” Thankfully, a pizza place in town was open for business even on Christmas Eve. We ordered four large pepperoni pizzas and tuned our TV to the local cable station which featured video of a burning log to create a makeshift fireplace. We taped our stockings to the screen and called it Christmas. The funny thing is that our boys were too young to remember that fiasco even though everyone in the family recalls it with fondness and laughter. I guess if you really look hard, you can find value even in the not-so-perfect times. The real secret to a stress-free holiday is to remember faith, family and friends and forget everything else!
Tracy DeGraaf is the author of Laugh Anyway Mom: Hilarious survival stories from a Mother of FIVE who has learned to keep the joy in motherhood and how you can too! She is also a speaker and stand-up comedienne in Chicago and has an online radio show that can be found at www.LaughAnywayMom.com. Find Tracy on Twitter and Facebook too!
Rhema Marvanne
Her Mother’s Child
A YouTube prodigy dedicates her time and talent in an effort to help others. By Lauren Kent
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hema Marvanne lives in a castle. At least a large dad she wished to have the “party” her mom had planned: two-story behemoth home in the suburbs of Dal- a day of arts and crafts at a retirement center. “She doesn’t las, that in some fairy tales could be construed as want gifts,” Teton said. “She says she wants people to bring one. She has a loving, doting father, and a bright bedroom presents for the elderly instead of for her.” with a canopied bed fit for a princess. But on the particular day I visit young Rhema’s pHOTOgRapHy by VIcTOR ROsas castle, there are dresses and toys and shoes on that www.iamvictorrosas.com grand bed of hers, waiting to be sent to another girl her age, a seven-year-old in need, that Rhema heard about at a Believer’s Convention. “I don’t play with these things anymore,” she explains, dangling her feet off the edge of the bed. “Now another little girl can have them.” Rhema, which means “The spoken word of God,” is not your conventional princess. While, like other little girls, she loves her dolls, her little dog and High School Musical, she also spends a good deal of time in philanthropy. Her biggest gift? The angelic voice she possesses, already making her a YouTube sensation, a guest on the Maury Show and earning her an invite to sing the national anthem at the Cowboys Stadium. Rhema Marvanne’s singing began with her first words, but it was her mother, Wendi, a gospel singer who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2008, who inspired her. “My mom always used to sing to me before I went to bed,” she remembers. “I miss her so much.” For three years Rhema took care of her mother through chemotherapy, and she dedicates her fledgling career to her memory. Now, Rhema has taken that same selfless dedication to the masses, her calendar filled with charity concerts and benefits. Teton, Rhema’s father, says that on her last birthday he threw a large block party, complete with ponies and over 100 invitees. When asked what she wants to do this December for her eighth birthday, she told her Videography by Jerry Miller
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www.vchtexas.com
Their next big project is a reality television show for children, which will follow around little Rhema as she prepares for performances, travels to shows with Dad and pup Mojo, and gives back to her community. A new Christmas album is slated to be released in mid-October, which will include her incredible rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” (see video). As for what the future holds? Rhema’s father has an open mind. “As long as she does something for others I think that will be wonderful. Right now it’s singing, in the future, who knows.” www.rhemamarvanne.com
Rhema is giving away copies of her new CD to fans of her music. Click the link below to find out the details and to sign up!
a m e h R
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shelter "a film by Jason sussberg"
www.jasonsussberg.com
Jason Sussberg is a San Francisco based digital media producer. He'd like to think of himself as a 21st century Thomas Paine, inciting revolution and inspiring freedom with his daring non-ficiton work. Or maybe a 21st century Thomas Kincaid painter of light, providing existential abstract reflection of the mundane. Despite his delusions, he is a digital media mercenary who is for hire for corporate, sports, non-profit and documentary work. He has over three years of experience in digital media production. His body of work includes commercial/promotional broadcast spots, short format non-fiction videos, LED display design and video podcasting. 24 A Distinctive Style . COM
suRvive! A Family Guide
to tHRiving in a tOxic WORLD Finally a book that deals with the overwhelming toxic environment we live in
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ctober is Cancer Awareness Month, but not to Dr. Sharyn Wynters. It isn’t the awareness part she disagrees with, in fact you could say that awareness itself is the weapon she wields most often. It’s the word “cancer” you won’t hear her say.
“I call it a health opportunity,” says Dr. Wynters. “Because we are not our disease. It is critical how we talk to ourselves, and when we put names on our diesases, we become them. The first thing I tell my clients to do is not to name their disease.”
[www.wyntersway.com],” she says. “Vaccines, auto pollutants, toxins in your animals. I even talk about toxic thoughts and emotions, which if they are askew nothing is going to work.” Everything, says Dr. Wynters, from our frozen TV dinners to the microwaves we cook them in and the plastic ware we eat them with, is full of harmful chemicals that affect us more than we can imagine.
“There is no doubt that all this stuff has given us an easier lifestyle, but the human race is creating chemicals for every purpose imaginable,” says Dr. Wynters. “Now these chemicals are When Dr. Sharyn Wynters had a run in with causing genetic disorders, the onset of early a degenerative disease at the age of 26, her puberty, developmental problems, asthma, life changed drastically. A successful actress attention deficit disorder, sexual disfuncliving in Los Angeles (she was the very first tions, cancers, pregnancy issues. We have “Cat Girl” on Batman), Dr. Wynters was devbecome human doings instead of human astated to learn that modern medicine could beings, we have checked out, we want a not cure her of her disease. So, she decided quick fix yesterday. We created antito head to Texas to take part in an alternative despressants and anti-anxiety pills because form of treatment, consisting of vitamins, we are so disconnected from the source. herbs and ridding her life of toxic elements. And it’s about getting back. Taking a break, Miraculously, it worked, and she has been fol- Dr. Sharyn Wynters taking your shoes off, and connecting to the lowing the path toward discovery ever since. earth’s resonance.” No cure, however, is full proof, according to Dr. Wynters. Get a signed autographed copy of Dr. Wynters’ book “You may find your cure, there may be many cures for your Survive on her website, www.wyntersway.com, and see her disease, but you need to know why you got it, you need to October 20th on Good Morning Philadelphia! understand the source, or it will come back,” she explains. In her book Survive! A Family Guide to Thriving in a Toxic Sign up for Sharyn Wynters newsletter and receive a FREE World, a culmination of 37 years of research, Dr. Wynters excerpt from her book, “Survive,” A Family Guide to Thriving outlines the many items and processes we do every day that In A Toxic World. As soon as you enter your email address you are harmful and causing us to be ill in a myriad of ways. will be taken to the page for their FREE gift! “I list the chapters [of my book] on my website
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Eleven percent of the population age 65 and over take no prescribed medications and, thus, avoid the associated costs,
inconveniences, and pain. They are also more physically active than others over age 65. They exercise, travel, and enjoy retirement to the fullest www.holistichealthshow.com
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using a holistic approach, the author (carl O. Helvie, R.N., Dr.p.H. of Healthy Holistic aging: a blueprint for success at age 78 is a member of this group on no medications and also has no chronic illnesses. He will share his secrets for successful aging that he has used in his own life and with thousands of clients during his 58-year career in nursing.
Prince charles: start Program The Prince of Wales has been a supporter of sustainable practices for many years. From ethical business to fair farming, social justice to rainforest protection, his charities unite under a common banner of decency, balance and respect for one another and our environment. In 2009, The Prince of Wales was invited to deliver the annual Dimbleby Lecture. In this address, he explained why it is essential and urgent that the peoples of the world adapt their behaviour to mitigate the effects of climate change. This message is now a familiar one to us all. But until now, much of the advice we have received has focused on what we shouldn't be doing. While we support many of the excellent campaigns to cut our emissions, we feel that the emphasis shouldn't only be on stopping, but starting. With Start, our objective is to present an inspiring picture of a sustainable future. We will do this by highlighting the very best examples of sustainable practice in the UK, and showing how we can all make positive changes right now. During 2010, Start will grow into a vibrant and diverse
programme, which will engage people right across the UK. Research shows that the majority of people in the UK find the language of climate change negative and offputting. A great many of us are still confused about we can do to make a difference. The Start website will explain the big issues simply and without jargon, and show what can be achieved. We also want to hear from Start members about their personal experiences, as well as their goals, ideas and expectations. This way, a growing and like-minded collective of individuals and communities will help us to shape what Start ultimately becomes. We are not purely optimistic, nor do we underestimate the challenges that lie ahead. We acknowledge that living sustainably will require us all to make real changes to the way we live. But we also believe that these changes can bring immense rewards to us as individuals and nations. And that this is something to be celebrated. Our goal is to help people across the UK take clear, positive and practical steps towards a better future. http://www.startuk.org
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shelly ballestero com photos by katiemeehan.com
The Timeless book “Beauty by God, Spoken words have power. They can tear someone down, or lift them up. Speak Out...You are beautiful! CD is designed to strengthen your heart, build you inner beauty, restore hope, and bring joy to women who are in need of encouragement. Whether you are driving on your daily commute, walking or excercising, get filled with confidence and listen to Speak Out... You are Beautiful! and learn to live well!
shelly ballestero com
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Inside/Out Secrets for Every Woman,” will be your ultimate guide to a better you, mind-body-spirit...
Artistry with Passion. Music from the Soul, for the Soul.
Violinist Lori Jean Smith, delivers both power and peace in her music. A perfect touch for every season of the year. New Christmas CD to be released Fall 2011.
www.LoriJeanSmith.com
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P
reparing for an interview with Cloris Leachman was like becoming Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Start to finish in less than ten days. Picked up in a whirlwind of excitement from my Kansas-like, summer existence and dropped onto the tarmac at LAX with a thud. Then, with barely time to get my land legs and recover from the bump on the head, there I was, standing at the front door of Cloris Leachman’s home with my colleagues, and all that was missing was Toto. One of my fondest childhood memories is an image from The Wizard Of Oz. In black and white, Judy Garland stands inside the doorway of her modest little prairie home, having landed somewhere over the rainbow. And as the door slowly opens, everything on the other side begins to glow in brilliant Technicolor. So it was with us. We walked through the doorway into an astounding world inhabited by 9 Winged Emmys, 1 stalwart and terribly impressive Oscar, a single Orb of Gold, and a diminutive Anna, Ms. Leachman’s personal assistant. We looked around in amazement and set to the task of finding just the right spots for lights, cameras and microphones.
Then, with little fanfare, (but no less impressive than if she had been Glinda floating toward us in a bubble), the inimitable Ms. Leachman walked into the room and greeted us. She moved to the Baby Grand and played a medley of music from “Cloris,” her one woman show. For the next 3 hours we were enchanted. We listened on speaker phone to details of planned premieres for her soon to be released film, The Fields. We heard the best inside stories from her character Maw Maw in Raising Hope and got the advance scoop on an upcoming reality series with her granddaughter, Skye. Cloris is an engaging, charismatic person, and an actress of seemingly limitless range. She has the uncanny ability to seize opportunities that continue to expand her repertoire. Over and over, she strengthens the connection with fans who’ve loved her work for years, while reaching out and winning over whole new audiences. We taped the interview but wished the camera had continued to roll as we sat at the
s i r o l C achman Le
dining table and chatted about Harold Lloyd’s patio furniture and the Paris Flea Market at Saint-Ouen. There was so much more we had wanted to ask. Which was her most challenging role? Who was the funniest actor she’d ever worked with? How did she deal with the demands of Dancing With The Stars? But it was time to go home. And with a wave of her hand and the reminder to “just close the door behind you,” Cloris and Anna disappeared down the hall. While there was no Wizard, nor Yellow Brick Road, our crew smiled at one another and headed off to see Cloris’ “Star” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Our thanks to Skye Englund and George Englund Jr. Very special thanks to each of the individuals who lent their time and talents to make our interview successful, memorable, and above all, enjoyable; MAKEUP by Melissa Walsh—Besides her irrefutable talent as a makeup artist, Melissa is possessed of limitless grace and personal style. Please contact her at www.beautyandphoto.com. Melissa’s cosmetic choices included refreshingly natural products by www.christopherdrummondbeauty.com and www.easyeyesolutions.com HAIR by Anh Co Tran-Magic! Your lighthearted energy infused the room. It was a pleasure to have you in our midst. You can contact Ahn at; AnhCoTran@gmail.com or on FB at: www.facebook.com/anhcotran PHOTOGRAPHY by Toranj Kayvon — Toranj’ work has been featured in both the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 editions of A Distinctive Style. She is a true protégé whose work has an indescribable presence. Follow her remarkable photography via her website at www.toranjkayvon.com
VIDEOGRAPHY by Jerry Miller—Jerry “doggedly” searched for the perfect video angle to film our interview. He’s a true professional and a perfectionist. See more of his work in upcoming editions. Contact Jerry through his website: www.vchtexas.com. PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTAnT by Kedar Lawrence. We can’t help but laugh each time we think of you navigating that grocery cart loaded with cameras and lighting equipment across the streets of Brentwood. Contact Kedar at: KedarLawrence@gmail.com EDITOR-In-CHIEF—denise marie— To my friend denise, you put this together with near flawless perfection. Always available to assist you at editor-in-chief@ADistinctive Style.com.
WRITER, InTERVIEWER and DOROTHY-AT-LARGE—Jane Waide EditorWaide@gmail.com
Most of all, thank you to Cloris Leachman. When you played “Clair de lune,” I was moved beyond words.
www.cloris.com
An Interview with The Legendary Cloris Leachman
Slow food USA SUPPORTInG GOOD, CLEAn, AnD FAIR FOOD Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. http://www.slowfoodusa.org
Photo by trey Ratcli http://www.stuckincustoms.com
Distinctive Style Style .. COM COM 33 AA Distinctive
By Kristan Bourestom
W
hen an abyss opens in the earth beneath your feet, what do you do? Give up and fall in? Scramble back from the precipice in confusion? Retreat to a safer corner and ignore the danger? For Namrata Sing Gujral that answer was an easy one. Having been a teen model and raised in an “acting family,” Namrata was finding success and fulfillment as an actor in television shows such as The Agency and Passions and the Hindi film Kaante. She was also charting new territory as a country music singer and starred in and produced the 2007 film Americanizing Shelly. Then the world broke apart. With family history of breast cancer Namrata had been a very diligent advocate for her own health. So she thought she would have been better prepared to handle the news that she had breast cancer. Yet it was a moment of utter, for lack of a better word that could express the emotion with more intensity, shock. Only weeks before she had a clean mammogram and no signs of a problem. But thanks to an extremely diligent radiologist her cancer was detected early.
1a Minute® A Film by Namrata Sing Gujral
Speeding through the stages of grief Namrata quickly decides that what her industry did in the 80’s to raise awareness of and support for Aids she could play a role in
After watching the film’s trailer I asked Namrata how she reconciles its two most profound and seemingly conflicting messages; one of tragedy and fear, the other of
doing for Breast Cancer. And thus, she began to write her own story and chronicle her journey through all the stages
inspiration and hope. Her response, sung in a voice filled with enthusiasm and joy rings out, “You have to!” And she
of diagnosis and treatment. Namrata is now a 2 year
almost bubbles over in her urgency to tell me that the harsh
survivor of breast cancer and her docudrama, 1 A Minute, which draws its title from the alarming statistic that worldwide, 1 woman dies from breast cancer every 69 seconds, will be released for Breast Cancer Awareness Month on October 6th, 2010 in over 600 movie theatres nationwide. The film opens with a live panel discussion via satellite followed by the 90 minute docudrama. Narrator Kelly McGillis is joined by Susan G. Komen for the Cure founder Nancy G. Brinker, Olivia Newton-John, William and Daniel Baldwin among a multitude of other women and celebrities who share their personal stories of courage and support.
truth is cancer is terrifying but to, “Survive cancer is to survive life.” So what do you do in the face of the abyss? If you are Namrata Singh Gujral, you reach out to others facing the same unknown and give them the gift of knowledge, partnership and hope. The mission statement of A Distinctive Style Magazine is, in part, “…to bring awareness, uplift and inspire… to help create a better life now and for the future.” Who better for us to celebrate, than a woman who is doing just that for so many. For more information and details about the film visit: www.uniglobeentertainment.com/1aminute
FEATURING WIllIAm BAldWIN ANd dANIEl BAldWIN, NANcy G. BRINkER, dIAhANN cARRoll, dR. dEEpAk chopRA, pRIyA dUTT, mElISSA EThERIdGE, kElly mcGIllIS, BARBARA moRI , mUmTAz, olIvIA NEWToN-JohN, NAmRATA SINGh GURJAl, dR. dENNIS SlAmoN, JAclyN SmITh lISA RAy
Music has always been a healing tool in my life. ~ Olivia Newton-John
By Ginger Brashinger
espite being graced with beauty, talent, and fame, in 1992 Olivia Newton-John could not escape the devastating blow that far too many women know all too well: the lump she discovered in her breast was cancer.
D
According to filmmaker and breast cancer survivor Namrata Singh Gujral, in whose film 1 a Minute (1aminute.com) Olivia appears, over one million women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide. Olivia’s immediate reaction was to fight for her survival, knowing that her young daughter, Chloe, needed her mother. And then, Olivia fought for others. Because the discovery of a lump in her breast was
through her own self-examination, something she had been doing regularly for years because of her chronic breast issues, Olivia partnered with world renowned breast cancer surgeon Dr. Ernie Bodai to create Liv Aid (www.Liv.com), a potentially life-saving device for women. “The Liv Aid is a device I created to make regular selfexams easier to do every month,” Olivia explains, aware of the fact that many women struggle with understanding and performing the process of self-examination. “It is not to replace mammograms or your regular doctor’s visits, but it can help you know your own breasts and when there are changes. Most of the time lumps are benign, but it is better to know than not to know.” continuEd next page A Distinctive Style . COM 37
But what if the scales tip the other way? “Attitude is extremely important, during not only the diagnosis but through treatment,” says Olivia. “We are all connected: body, mind and spirit, and in order to fully heal the whole person, a positive attitude is key to getting through cancer.” Throughout her own experience, Olivia found sources of strength from her family and friends, especially her mother, Irene Newton-John, who as Olivia says had “always been such a powerful influence for me as she enjoyed the beauty of the world…” From her childhood roots, Olivia found comfort in her ever-present joy of music. She feels that music has always been
a healing tool in her life, and she shared that gift with others following her recovery. Olivia’s album Grace and Gratitude is an inspirational and moving journey of that rare combination of song and encouragement, the kind of comfort that springs from a kindred spirit—and it doesn’t hurt that she possesses the voice of an angel. “In my recovery, I became even more aware of the power of music,” she admits. “It can heal the body, calm the mind and lift the spirit, but above all, it can connect us to our hearts.” Olivia also found strength and encouragment through her relationship with husband John Easterling. Long-time friends and more recently lovers (they married in 2008), Olivia and John rediscovered each other in the rainforests of the Amazon several years ago. “I went to see her in a concert,” says John, who admits to never having seen the movie Grease before marrying Olivia. “She had just done the Grace and Gratitude CD. I just got this resonance that in her soul-space, she’s a healer. I just got this connection that I should introduce her to healers in the Rainforest.”
When they set out into the Amazon with some mutual friends, their fairy tale romance began almost instantly. “Day two in the Rainforest,” John recalls, “we just fell madly in love. We connected in a magical way.” Part of the magic of their relationship may be credited to John’s tireless efforts in the arena of health and wellness. He spent years in the Amazon, searching for natural, nutrional products for his Amazon Herb Company (www.amazonherb.net). Olivia, one of the company’s most passionate advocates and poster girl for its properties, joins John in his quest to supply the world with real nourishment. This is just the tip of the iceberg, however, in Olivia’s long list of interests and accolades. “I am most excited that after almost seven years of fundraising, we have begun construction on the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in my hometown of Melbourne, Australia (www.OliviaAppeal.com),” says Olivia. www.Liv.com 1aminute.com www.amazonherb.net www.OliviaAppeal.com
The girl never rests, certainly not on her laurels. Olivia’s current schedule includes appearing at cancer events in Austria, Berlin, and Budapest, and she plans to partner with the national organization City of Hope as well as perform at an event in October which her nephew Emerson Newton-John created, “Pink and Blue for Two,” for the Lee Moffitt Center. As the evening’s co-host, Olivia will help raise funds to be divided between Moffitt’s center in Tampa and hers in Melbourne. We asked Olivia when she might feel she has given enough of herself to this cause. “When cancer is no longer something we have to worry about is when I think I will have done enough,” she says.“We just need to help heal the planet and heal ourselves. I do believe we are on the verge of finding a cure, and until then, we will just keep doing everything we can with my hospital and Liv Aid campaign to help heal the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.”
Turning Pain into Purpose Heals! The strength and power of words saves lives, So Gals, Let’s Start Tawking! By Surinder Moore
In last years Fall issue of a ADS we caught up with Fran Drescher, T.V.'s beloved Nanny, and a crusader to bring Cancer awareness to women all over the world. October is Cancer Awareness Month and to mark the occasion we thought we'd follow up with Fran's and her team at The Cancer Scmancer Movement to see what's new... A Distinctive Style: We read about the recent news about the Safe Cosmetics Act, which Fran and Cancer Schmancer supported – What can you tell us about how this changes things for women who use cosmetics? Fran Drescher: The Environmental Working Group performed a study and found that more than 1 in 5 personal care products contain chemicals linked to cancer and 80% have ingredients that commonly include hazardous impurities. Right now, in the U.S., the FDA does not have the system or authority to require safety and assessment of these ingredients. If passed, the Safe Cosmetics Act will impact every American man and woman by ensuring that the products we smear on our faces and bodies (and that of our children!) are safe and do not contain harmful ingredients. It would ensure that cosmetic and personal care product manufacturers live up to their responsibilities to consumers.
ADS: Why did Cancer Schmancer decide to add a youth movement? FD: Everywhere I go, I am touched by people’s stories; whether they themselves are survivors, or they have lost people near and dear to them. Over the last few months I have met some remarkable young adults who are living in a generation where cancer is the “norm.” Cancer Schmancer created WE THE FUTURE, a youth initiative, to engage our young ones to understand the importance of living healthy, being proactive in their healthcare, and helping their families do the same. ADS: June 21st marked your 10-year anniversary of wellness from uterine cancer (CONGRATS!) and the third birthday of Cancer Schmancer. Since the start (of CS) what
have been some of the major milestones that you have accomplished? FD: Thank you! Good health and good sense are two of life’s blessings and this past decade has been absolutely transforming for me. Cancer Schmancer is still dedicated to shifting our nation’s focus from just searching for the cure to prevention and early detection of cancer. We’ve been working hard to grow our programs
and continue to transform women from patients into medical consumers so they can live long and healthy lives. ADS: We have seen many Survivor stories on Twitter/ Facebook – How many of these stories have you been getting each month, are there common themes that you are seeing throughout stories (example: misdiagnosis). FD: Did you know 1 in 3 women and HALF of all men in the U.S. will get cancer in their lifetime? Not a day goes by where we don’t hear from people who have been affected by cancer. What we are seeing is regardless if they were misdiagnosed, caught their cancer early, or are unfortunately in the late stages, the individuals who reach out to us are empowered to share their stories with hope of inspiring their fellow brothers and sisters across the globe to be in charge of their health. It’s a beautiful thing to see people turning lemons into lemonade! ADS: Tell us about the Early Detection Fran Van program. FD: We are currently collaborating with Inner Images, Inc., one of the leading providers of mobile mammography services in California who provides service to over 80 community-based health centers throughout the state to under-privileged women. Together, we will activate
grassroots involvement and educate the communities about the importance of prevention and early detection and help more eligible women receive breast exams and mammographies. Keep an eye out for the co-branded Cancer Schmancer/Inner Images vans in the Los Angeles area! ADS: The last time we talked to you, Fran, you just came back from touring Europe as US Public Diplomacy Envoy. Where have you been lately/what was accomplished? FD: I recently went to Australia and visited hospitals and healthcare facilities to speak with health practitioners about the importance of empowering their patients. Right now, I’m currently in South Africa speaking to groups about the AIDS crisis and combating violence against women. ADS: What recent changes have taken place on Capitol Hill, in respect to women’s health issues, that Cancer Schmancer has been directly involved in? FD: Cancer Schmancer is at the forefront of the fight against environmental toxins that contribute to increased cancer risk. We have joined with leaders in this arena such as Environmental Working Group, the
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Already in California, I was instrumental with Cancer Schmancer, in delivering crucial support for a bill to remove Bisphenol A (BPA) from baby bottles, "sippy" cups, and infant formula containers.
Most recently we have taken stands when funding for important early detection programs has been slashed, and hope the federal government will take a stake in the success of our Early Detection Fran Van pilot program in California. ADS: What are some of the challenges advocates face pushing for better health care/promoting early detection/getting women to be their own advocates? FD: Education! As a whole, we have this misconception that prevention and living healthier is an impossible task. But it’s not as difficult as we may think. We just have to start off small and take steps forward every day. When people are given the tools to better themselves that are easy, achievable and inexpensive, they pass with flying colors. With confidence and the right information, we can do anything. And that’s what we hope to do as we develop our Trash Cancer program, which will help people eliminate the things in their lives that are increasing their risk for cancer and other diseases. ADS: What’s the next big task for Fran? FD: Well I have two TV shows in the works; one is a sitcom and the other is a talk show. (Actually, it’s a TAWK show!) I get the best of both worlds; being able to make people laugh and discussing important current events.
www.cancerschmancer.org
Melinda Marchiano’s battle with cancer— told in her own words...
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n December 18th, 2007, at age thirteen, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma after months of searching for what was making me so ill. A giant mass sat in my chest cavity, slowly suffocating me and cutting off all circulation. Two days after Christmas, I began my first of four rounds of chemotherapy, followed by three weeks of daily radiation. During this time, few situations were too serious to make light of or laugh at and some of my greatest laughs were at a time when, truly, I shouldn’t have been laughing. In addition to laughter, dance proved to be therapeutic. Having danced since age 3, I was passionate about continuing my classes when I was well enough. Two days after I finished treatment on May 8th 2008, I danced in my Spring Recital. Although I was thrilled to be “done” with everything, I soon realized that recovery was just as difficult as treatment itself. Struggling with post-treatment effects, I sunk into depression and the funny, loving person I had been gradually disintegrated. Bad associations with food and horrible digestive problems morphed into a lifethreatening eating disorder that destroyed me physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It was at this time that I began writing. I never began
writing with an end goal in my mind, I just wrote-wrote about what happened to me and how I felt at the time. I was able to evoke and dissect what I had experienced, put it in context, and place it where it fit in my life. It was not until I had filled about four spiral notebooks that I realized that I had something going. My health steadily improved, and by August 2009, I was on the road to recovery and I had written a 289-page book describing my experience before, during, and after cancer. Discovering that my story could inspire, heal, touch, and help many people, it became extremely meaningful and rewarding for me to share my story. On October 31st, 2009, my new book, Grace, was self-published. Before long, Grace was accepted by Greenleaf Book Group, one of the only large publishing companies that let the author retain full rights to his or her story.
We have recently completed the second edition of Grace, which includes over 60 pictures and endorsements from Lance Armstrong, Nobel Laureate Dr. Lee Hartwell, and many more. Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery is set to be published and distributed nationally in October 2010. I feel so blessed to be able to share my story and am dedicated to the fight against cancer and helping those affected by this terrible disease. I am now a healthy 16 year-old, high school junior who dances 6 days a week. I plan to go into the medical field and continue dancing and writing. Cancer has brought me even closer to God and has given me an opportunity to make a difference in this beautiful, yet pained, thing called life‌and I am very thankful for that.
www.marchiano.net
Melinda
Global Healing Survivor winner Ethan Zohn weighs in on the debate between Eastern and Western medicine, and what he believes helped him into remission. By Lauren Kent
E
than Zohn is training for the New York City Marathon when his skin begins to itch. Annoying as it is, Zohn is feeling on top of the world and refuses to think much of the symptom—until it gets progressively worse. After a string of visits to allergists, dermatologists and a slew of medication, Zohn gets the news he couldn’t have anticipated: a swollen lymph node, 12 by 6 centimeters in diameter, a mass that means he has Hodgkins Lymphoma.
This puts Ethan Zohn out of the race and into the hospital, where he begins chemotherapy treatment in May, 2009. A grueling summer awaits him, weakening his body but not his resolve. Zohn was thrown into the public eye after his million dollar win on Survivor: Africa in 2002, a lucky break he used to co-found Grassroots Soccer, a non-profit increasing HIV/AIDS awareness in Africa. His philanthropic efforts only increased after that, so when he is diagnosed with cancer and decides to make his battle public by gracing the cover of People, Zohn is asked to serve as National Ambassador for “Stand Up 2 Cancer” and Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Foundation. “The choice to make my battle public was a bit cathartic, therapeutic, to have the focus somewhere else,” says Zohn. According to his calculations, because of the media attention via blogs and interviews, he has had 12 people contact him to tell him they went to the doctor with similar symptoms and got diagnosed with the rare form of lymphoma early. Zohn’s father passed away from cancer when he was 14 years old, so he was no stranger to the heartbreak and uphill journey he was facing. Zohn begins chemotherapy, and goes through the motions, gradually using more and more potent methods with little results. Eight months in, he begins to get scared. “When the doctors can’t help you, you pretty much panic,” Zohn explains. “I wanted to have control of what was happening to me.” He goes to an acupuncturist during his chemo, who prescribes him reishi mushroom extract and vitamins. He
sees an energy healer, and a Buddhist monk. He becomes a strict vegetarian, and studies alternative methods like pawpaw treatments in cancer survival books. “My doctors didn’t agree with what I was doing. It’s just if you are going through different types of chemo, they need to know if other things are reacting with the body, if there are alternate variables involved,” says Zohn. When Zohn begins learning about stem cell transplants, he is intrigued. He learns from his doctors there is a clinical trial for the process for which he was a candidate, not knowing that in the nearly 15 years since the program’s inception, less than 100 patients had been subjected to it. “I would have tried anything,” says Zohn. “I read about these crazy Germans doing coffee enemas and heat therapy. I didn’t end up going over there, but I would have.” The stem cell treatment leaves Zohn in complete isolation for three weeks. It is by far, he says, the most torturous thing he ever had to do. Although he feels crushed physically and emotionally, he vows to keep a positive attitude, and enjoys the music therapy and meditation offered to him during his stay. He repeats mantras, speaks with a psychiatrist and continues to exercise every day despite advice from his doctors. Finally, in April of this year he gets the news he has been praying for: a clean CT scan. So which one did the trick: traditional Western medicine, or the Eastern methods he experimented with? Both, he says, an answer possibly founded on the fact that Zohn realized part of his chemo treatment was derived from an African flower, the rosy periwinkle. “I think the combination of the two is the answer, to tell you the truth,” he admits. “The body and the mind together is so incredible, we haven’t even begun to discover it yet. We really don’t know how powerful we are.” Visit Stand Up To Cancer www.standuptocancer.org/survivor to get involved, and join the tribe!
Transformation Through Adversity “Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” – Arthur Golden By Meredith Gray
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ometimes it takes an adversity to open oneself up to all the possibilities that exist before us. My adversity came in the form of breast cancer – twice! I was 49 years old when I received a second diagnosis of the disease. An annual mammogram had revealed abnormalities in my left breast. I would learn that I had the aggressive HER2+ form of the disease. When adversity befalls, there comes a critical moment in each of us when we are forced to make the decision to either fight or retreat. I chose to fight. Three years earlier, I had been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ in my right breast. Following a lumpectomy, I underwent eight weeks of radiation therapy and walked away from the experience feeling cured, fortunate and grateful. The second time around, I would not get off so easily. I faced a difficult decision. Without a double mastectomy followed by chemotherapy, the chance that the cancer would metastasize was significant. On January 13, 2009 surgeons amputated both my breasts and began reconstruction.
My mother died of pancreatic cancer at age 53. I was 15 years old. Fear and secrecy surrounded her diagnosis. No one was willing to discuss the “C-word” with me. No one helped me understand what my mother was experiencing. Years later, with my own diagnosis of cancer, I realized that even today most women don’t know what to expect when they receive the devastating news that they have breast cancer. I wanted to do something to change that. And so I became the subject of a documentary film that followed me throughout 8 months of surgeries, reconstruction, treatments and the integrative methods I implemented to transition me to recovery. While the documentary titled Naked focuses on my own journey with breast cancer, I am not alone; one in every 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime. Naked is meant to empower, educate, and inform women of the choices and decisions that confront a breast cancer diagnosis. My career background is in fashion publishing. I worked at Vogue magazine right out of college, became a fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar in my 20’s: and went on to
Photo by Claudia Hehr, www.claudiahehrphoto.com
46 A Distinctive Style . COM
become the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Patterns magazine. Since 1995 I have been a freelance fashion stylist and writer. In the world of fashion, body image is everything. As women, we are brought up to emphasize the importance of our physical attributes from early childhood onward. Actresses, models and pop stars define our culture’s standard of perceived beauty. For most of my life I help perpetuate those standards. Breast cancer changed all that. I like to think the universe gave me a wake-up call. As I sat in the chemotherapy lounge during each 4 1/2 hour I.V. drip, I stared into the faces of other women waging their own battle against the disease. What stared back at me was
the amazing beauty that radiated from their inner strength and courage. It no longer mattered to me if my body was “imperfect.” My mastectomy scares became my badges of courage, of honor, of inner strength – my personal triumph over adversity. It forced me to re-access myself, as I really am – Naked - stripped of the façade. And so I am transitioning. I made the decision to move my life and career in a new, more meaningful direction. I am determined to break down the stereotype of the “perfect body.” I want all women to understand that the loss of a breast or breasts does not make them less than whole. Most importantly, I am striving to put an end to the fear and secrecy that can surround a breast cancer diagnosis. I’ve come a long way in my own knowledge of the “C-word” since my mother’s death. I’ve survived! The documentary Naked can be seen throughout October (Breast Cancer Awareness month) on Lifetime Network’s Lifetime on Demand. Lifetime will also be honoring Meredith as a “Remarkable Woman” in the network’s Every Woman Counts campaign. To learn more about Meredith and the documentary go to: http://www.naked-documentary.com
Photos by Laurie Klein www.laurieklein.com
A Distinctive Style . COM 47
Dan Holtz: More than a Survival Story By Teresa Louise Johnson
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an Holtz, co-founder of the vegan bakery Liz Lovely (www.lizlovely.com), beat cancer at the age of 17 but he’s so much more than a survival story. Sometimes he plays at being “Cowboy Dan,” the maverick and showman, and most times he’s Vice President of the company, tinkering with machinery and business ideas, but with a natural philosophical nature such as his, he’s also this guy with a positive perspective on life. As Dan’s wife Liz will tell you, “Having cancer at midlife changes you. Having cancer at 17 defines you.” She was beside Dan during his bout with cancer, supporting him no matter what he did. Even as he attended parties and played gigs, she knew that he needed to “transcend the disease” rather than let it turn him into an invalid “living under the constant fear of death.” His diagnosis of several weeks turned into a diagnosis of “healthy” after a year and a half. Since then, Dan has made a complete turn-around in terms
of how he treats his body, accrediting his healthy lifestyle to Liz. He watches what he eats, following a specific menu, depending on what he’s doing physically (like heavy weight training), he does yoga, runs trails or walks vigorously with the family dog, swims, and cross country skis. He says he was a “junk food kid” pre-cancer but now he’s committed to health and fitness. It’s no surprise then that he and Liz are also dedicated to social responsibility, using “real” and organic ingredients in their bakery and promoting healthy and balanced employee lifestyles. Their employees work four 10-hour days so that they can lessen commute and increase time at home. “The Don” is their “shipping guru” and Jodi is their “sales queen” while Liz is always a part of the bakery team and Dan takes care of business, finding ways to lower costs or working on the what’s next, like a compostable package. He says that sustainability needs to start locally and encourages people to get involved with Transition Town groups to work on energy descent plans for their
communities. He recommends buying artisan at sites like Foodzie.com. As an entrepreneur, Dan seems unstoppable, but his philosophy is to “let go of fears, beliefs, and opinions when life shows you something different” because “most people choose to close their eyes and carry on in the dark,” but Dan tries to live with his eyes and his ears open. He likes to surprise himself, overcoming fears and jumping in feet first. He wants to travel to South Africa and to ride the rail around Europe and he wants to adopt a baby with Liz. He has a lot of fun, hosting karaoke shows and playing music on the guitar, bass, harmonica or keyboard.
Of course, Dan has time for taste-testing as well at the Liz Lovely bakery. Though it’s all tasty, his top pick is the Peanut Butter Classic while his wife’s is Cowgirl Cookies.
www.lizlovely.com
Photo by trey Ratcli http://www.stuckincustoms.com
Is a cure for cancer on the horizon? By Peter Mack
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ometimes in this seemingly harsh and uncompromising world, there lays hidden a glimmer of hope that will someday turn into a huge light that will have the power to change the world as we know it. In a small town of around 1000 people in tropical North Queensland, Australia, that glimmer is gathering strength and is guaranteed to touch us all in the not too distant future. The name Yungaburra, situated on the beautiful Atherton Tablelands, will soon roll off people’s tongues as easily as New York, London or Moscow. Two Scientists; Doctors Victoria Gordon and Paul Reddell have discovered what could well be a cure for that most insidious of diseases; solid tumour cancer.
The treatment known as EBC-46 is a metabolite from the seeds of the rainforest tree blushwood (Fontainea), which grows wild in this region and is now being cultivated for future supplies and research. EBC-46 is delivered either by direct injection into the tumour or topically applied to the tumour surface. Any tumour that can be biopsied is a potential target for a curative response.
Advanced Animal Clinical trials on over 100 dogs, cats and horses with spontaneous tumours has resulted in total disintegration of those tumours and rapid healing within just a few weeks. In most cases the results can be seen within a matter of hours. The body’s innate immune system is stimulated to destroy the tumour. Essentially any tumour that can be accessed and biopsied is a target for this treatment. It treats skin, head, neck, breast and prostate cancers. According to Dr. Gordon ‘It’s absolutely amazing to see this drug in action. The tumours almost shrink before your eyes.’ If progress continues at its current rate EBC-46 will be available for human use within the next six years. Clinical trials on humans are expected to commence in 2012. Queensland has a biodiversity of such richness that even the experts are at a loss to explain it. If this research reaches the conclusions that it currently foreshadows, it creates even more reasons to aggressively pursue the sustainability of our precious resources. It also introduces an even more important reason to conserve the environment for future genera-
tions. A Distinctive Style will keep you apprised of this amazing products progress in coming issues.
QBiotics DR VICtORIA gORDON Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Dr Gordon holds a PhD in Chemical Ecology, Bachelor of Applied Science, Diploma in Human and Animal Health. She has also taken extensive business management training and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She also worked for many years with CSIRO* DR pAUL REDDELL, Executive Director & Chief Scientific Officer Dr Reddell holds a PhD in Forest Ecology, a Bachelor of Science. He has also taken extensive business management training and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She also worked for many years with CSIRO* *CSIRO. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
WEbsITE: www.qbiotics.com A Distinctive Style . COM 51
By Ginger Brashinger
John Easterling’s “
Amazon John” Easterling, the male half of the Newton-John/Easterling team of people-who-makea-difference, has spent virtually all of his adult life in pursuit of something; pursuits that resulted in benefiting others.
Easterling couldn’t have known where his childhood desire to be an explorer in the Amazon Rainforest would lead him when he finally arrived there in his early twenties. “I actually got interested in South America in grade school,” Easterling, a native of North Carolina, said. “It was kind of a dream deferred when I bought a ticket to Ecuador to go looking for treasure.” That dream was the beginning of a journey to wellness and rediscovery in an unexpected way, a way that led Easterling to the real treasure of the Amazon—botanicals. Easterling’s early businesses, Andes Fur Trading Company and Raiders of the Lost Art, helped fund his Amazon quest, but without the desired outcome. Each new endeavor was a step forward, but Easterling had not found his niche. As he spent more time in the jungles of Peru and encountered indigenous people in their daily lives, he also observed their use of the Rainforest botanicals and began to try them himself. “Those botanicals improved my health,” Easterling said, referring in understated fashion to his return to good health after suffering some debilitating health issues for which he could get no relief in the States. But, there’s nothing understated about his passion for the Amazon Rainforest and its life-giving properties,
Journey to Wellness and Rediscovery Easterling’s motivation for founding the Amazon Herb Company in 1990. “This is the place,” Easterling says with the conviction of a man who has found a virtual Garden of Eden. “The Rainforest has the highest concentration of life energy on the planet and only three per cent of it has been studied.” Tapping into that “life energy,” the Amazon Herb Company makes available to the world what we no longer have access to in our commercial food supply. Not only does Easterling’s company carry a full line of nutritional products which, in Easterling’s estimation, makes use of the Rainforest botanicals in life-changing ways (“I happen to believe that it can reverse every degenerative disease”), but a line of skin care products underscores Easterling’s passion and excitement for what can be. Camu Camu, a fruit whose nutrient-rich properties exist only in this unique food, can be ingested (“Once you reinforce your organs with nutrients, your body knows what to do with them.”), or used topically as a skin care product. “The Indians would take the berries off the tree and smear them on their faces,” Easterling recalled. “When I tried it, I realized it made my face feel really good. It’s refreshing and tightens the skin.” Through years of research and development to ensure the stabilization of the product without the use of chemicals, Camu C Serum was born, a skin care product with powerful anti-aging properties and a rising star in the Lluvia TM Skin Care System. Speaking of stars, does Olivia use it?
“She’s wild for it,” Easterling acknowledged. “She looks better now than she has in 10 or 15 years. Then, with a question mark at the end of his quiet laugh, Easterling adds, “And, I think she’s kidding when she says she married me for my Lluvia.”
John Easterling believes the Rainforest is “extraordinarily important” to the rest of the planet and must be maintained for three reasons: • it supplies 30% of the earth’s oxygen (the “lungs of the planet”) • largest climate stabilizer—if it’s ecosystem is destroyed, that affects all of us world’s largest repository of medicinal plants Amazon Herb Company supports the Amazon Rainforest by giving back to the people who live there through ACEER (Amazon Center of Environmental and Educational Research), a program which educates children through schools and other programs about the value of the Rainforest they live in. A portion of every bottle of their ZAMU product supports ACEER.
Mark Victor Hansen Motivational speaker, entrepreneur and co-creator of the chicken soup For the soul series By Shelly Ballestero
For more than 30 years, Mark Victor Hansen has focused solely on helping people and organizations, from all walks of life, reshape their personal vision of what's possible. His powerful messages of possibility, opportunity, and action have helped create startling and powerful change in thousands of organizations, and millions of individuals worldwide. www.markvictorhansen.com
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C r Y s TA l D w Y e r
Pure oughts for Pure Results Let’s face it: we all want something. Most of us actually want a lot of something’s, and we do what we can to obtain them. We believe the tasks we take on, the money we earn, and the items we buy, will fulfill us or change us for the better. It will cure our depression, make us slimmer, younger, more successful, more intelligent. We spend our lives unfulfilled; balancing on the razor’s edge of what Crystal Dwyer calls “the pain of mediocrity.” She is here to tell us that it is not through the superficial conscious choices we make that will eventually alter our realities permanently, but through what she calls “subconscious programming.” Shelly Ballestero sits down with author and Life Coach Crystal Dwyer to discuss how we can focus our energy into a deeper realm in order to change ourselves for the better.
happen. There was a need and I was able to fill it. I also loved putting into words the insights I would get from the relationships and experiences.
ADS: Your "Messy Thinking" book guides people to purge their subconscious to create a life they love. What is the first thing we can do to stop "Messy Thinking?"
CD: The first thing we can do to stop “Messy Thinking” is to have an awareness of it. It is really liberating to just understand that there are thoughts that are playing over and over in your head and those thoughts could be taking you in a different direction than you really want to be going. You can’t change anything or make anything different until you become aware that it exists. Awareness is definitely the first step to purging “Messy Thinking” forever.
ADS: When you're not being a Life-Coach, Hypnotherapist, Speaker or Author, what do you like to do?
CD: I love spending time outdoors with the people I love. Nature heals me, lifts me up, exhilarates me, and clears my mind. I tell people that one of the greatest gifts, available to us all of the time is nature. It’s like God created the most opulent, beautiful surroundings with infinite colors and textures…and it’s all teeming with life force. Since all life force comes from God, how much better can it get? Being out in nature is pure therapy to me. For more information on Crystal, visit her website: crystalvisionlife.com
A Distinctive Style: When did you first know that writing and teaching was going to be your passion?
Crystal Dwyer: As a younger child in elementary school, my favorite thing was to read and write. If the teacher gave an assignment to write a story about something, I was in heaven. I would lose myself in it and the whole picture would start to unfold in my mind to the point I didn’t want to stop writing. I hated having to move on to another subject when I was immersed writing. I noticed in high school that every time I worked on a group project, I found myself stepping into the leader/teacher role. It seemed I had a natural ability to see all sides of a situation and the way to integrate multiple personalities in a harmonious way. I didn’t really ask for it…it would just
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MARk BALLAS DEBUTS HIS SOLO ALBUM
Waiting for Patience
WHILE DANCING WITH THE STARS By Rita Cook
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n already established force to be reckoned with in the ballroom, two-time Dancing with the Stars champion Mark Ballas is proving to be a true triple threat as he debuts his singing and songwriting talents in his first solo project, "Waiting for Patience." Born in Houston, Ballas moved to London with his family and at the age of four years old and joined the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Dramatic Arts Associate School. He began training in singing, dancing and acting at school, and after school, collected international accolades with partner country music star Julianne Hough. In fact, coming from a family of international dancers it seems Ballas was bound to be a star. Before embarking on his television career, Ballas also starred as Tony Starr in Copacabana and the UK tour of Maria de Buenos Aires. He played Ricky Valens in the London Palladium production of The Buddy Holly Musical, bringing the audience to their feet nightly; he also made a guest star appearance on the 2008 season premiere of Samantha Who? as Cybil Shepherd's young date. These days Ballas also travels the country choreographing for dance studios and productions, and most recently choreographed for ice skaters Michael Wiss, Marie France Dubruil and gold medalist, Evan Lysacek. And, while this singer/songwriter's first love is music, using his education to not just write the lyrics, but write and arrange the music is also his passion. In fact, he describes his music as acoustic pop-rock with soul; catchy melodies and intricate guitar riffs. Taking his music seriously, he practices his guitar up to two hours a day and strives to make an impact on music like his idols Van Halen and Paco de Lucia. photos by Taylor Hiatt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/taylorhiatt/
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His first album was with friend and cast mate Derek Hough and their band. The Ballas Hough Band released their freshman album in 2009. Ballas’ roles in the group includes everything from writing the music to playing lead guitar to singing lead vocals and sometimes even playing drums and bass. A Distinctive Style: Tell me about your time on Dancing With the Stars: what is your favorite thing about working on the show? Mark Ballas: My favorite thing about working on the show is how creative we can get with choreography and versatility in body expression. ADS: Tell me about working with Cloris Leachman, who we are also featuring in this issue? MB: I've met her; she's crazy in an awesome lovely way (lol). ADS: Your father worked with her, is there anything you can add about her? MB: She is so free spirited and didn't give a s**t what you think about her, I love that. ADS: What new is coming up in your future? MB: I am working on a new record right now, which is sounding really cool. I'm super excited about it, in fact, you can get updates at twitter.com/officialmballas or facebook.com/markballasmusic . ADS: What was your first big break? MB: Probably getting onto season 5 of Dancing with the Stars and being a part of it ever since.
ADS: Where did you grow up and how did that contribute to the person you are today? MB: I grew up and trained in London England. I think being from England has kept me grounded; very real people over there, unlike most in LA. ADS: What are your five year goals? MB: To get an original record out there of my music, create a dance show, travel the world with someone I love, open dance schools and continue to be at peace, with who I am and my art. ADS: Is there anything you would change in your life? MB: Nothing, maybe have my uncle David still alive. ADS: What is a favorite memory in your lifetime so far? MB: My favorite memories‌ hmmm so many: winning
DWTS twice, going to my first rock concert, and playing my first gig and realizing how much I love writing and playing my own music. ADS: What would you be doing if not this career? MB: Either soccer or boxing. ADS: When you were a kid what was your biggest dream? MB: Entertaining people, whether it was playing live in sold out arenas, or dancing and singing on stage, or in competitions, and TV like now. ADS: Tell me some of your other lifetime highlights? MB: I just started working with this foundation, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and it's very important to me, due to the fact I lost my uncle to suicide. I hope that in the near future I can be more hands on with the foundation, in helping people become more aware of suicide and it's terrible affects it has on families, that have lost their loved ones to it. ADS: Tell me something about you that no one else knows? MB: I am petrified of bees and wasps and will run like a four-year-old girl, pushing whoever out of my way. And, I also love women’s feet and have a bit of a fetish. SUICIDE PREVENTION: www.afsp.org MARK BALLAS: www.markballas.com
Photos by Taylor Hiatt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/taylorhiatt/
By Jane Waide
photo by Jeffry Scott
LEONaRD pELTIER
“I am an Indian man. All I want is the right to live as one.”
By Jane Waide
ADS: The subjects of your artwork are clear expressions of your cultural background. Has this always been the case?
A Distinctive Style: Mr. Peltier, thank you so much for your time and for the opportunity to interview you. We’d like to first ask you about your Native American heritage and background. Leonard Peltier: I am an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians—my father’s tribe. My mother was Dakota. I was adopted in traditional way by a Lakota family, as well as by a First Nation in Canada. Adoption in Indian way isn’t an honorary thing. It is an honor, of course, but it’s real. I guess you could say I have a very large extended family.
LP: I have always loved painting my People... or cultural subjects, scenes. I have always believed that we have a very unique culture, and that’s true of all our tribes—from south to the north. I am particularly fascinated w/the culture of the Aztecs and Mayans. They were so far advanced in many things. No one was sick or when someone did get sick, these ancient cultures knew what herb to use for a cure. They had the best agricultural system in the world. They were practicing brain surgery. They invented the syringe to inject medicine. Their tools weren’t like those of today, of course. They used the bone of a small humming bird, sanded it down... and the bladder of a small animal. They ground up the medicines and added water and injected it. So-called modern medicine didn’t use this technique until the 1800s. I
recommend that your readers go to Washington, DC, and visit the American Indian museum there. They can see everything I’ve written about here and plenty more. (http://www.nmai.si.edu) I have always wanted to be an artist... all my life... from day one of school. But, as I said, life for us on those reservations was not a pleasant life and we were lucky to even get through school. I had to quit and find a job at 15 years old; I had finished the 9th grade. Then, I went to work in a potato house at $1.10 an hour, 10 hours a day. Since then, I have earned a GED and some college credits. I have been painting now on and off for over 35 years. There are some murals I did in Seattle, at the El Centro de la Raza (I think)... should still be there. I did other things, too. So there are a few pieces of my work out there from over 35 yrs ago. My art gives me freedom and I love it.
ADS: Do you work from photos or drawings and are you currently working on a painting?
Please tell us about the causes you have helped to support through these donations.
LP: I work from photographs a lot. It’s not like I get to see landscapes, animals. What I’m allowed to see of my own culture, these days, is what I see in the photos people send to me.
LP: Yes, I donate paintings to the Defense Committee to help raise funds for my legal defense. The government has unlimited resources, but my defense team has very little money most of the time. The legal work is often very expensive.
Right now, I am working on a painting of a mammoth and a saber tooth tiger for a friend who is working very hard to get me out of here. I recently finished a painting of a horse. I got a lot of oooohs and aaaaahs from my fellow painters here. It’s always gratifying when other artists appreciate my work. ADS: In addition to the proceeds from the sale of your art going directly to your defense fund, we understand that your paintings are sometimes donated to assist in raising funds for other organizations.
Otherwise, people ask for my help all the time and I do what I can. Donating pieces of art is the only way I can help usually. So, my paintings have been donated to women’s shelters and children’s programs. Usually they’re offered for sale or auctioned to help raise funds for those organizations. I’ve also donated to addiction recovery programs and various Indigenous causes. I’ve donated to the Buffalo Field Campaign. Other artists helped me organize an art auction for the Haiti refugees this
year. Most of the time all I can do is to ask my supporters to get behind various causes. Through the Defense Committee and other organizations, I get supporters to help with an annual gift drive for the kids on Pine Ridge and Turtle Mountain... also to help fund scholarships, donate school supplies... I wish I could do much more. ADS: Are there art supplies you could use that you don’t currently have access to? LP: I have to purchase my art supplies through my prison commissary account. There are a lot of restrictions here in terms of what supplies I can purchase... even down to which suppliers I can order from. If people want to help, they can contribute to my commissary account. They should contact the Defense Committee to find out how to do that.
ADS: Please tell us about your family, your children and your grandchildren? Are you given the opportunity to see them? LP: I have 7 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. I have not been able to see/meet most of the greatgrandkids, yet. We’re a poor family and we cannot afford many visits—in particular because the government keeps moving me further away from home. Just a week or so ago I visited w/my first cousin who I had not seen for 43 years! Wow, that was a good visit. I got caught up on all of our family news, of course, and learned about the ones who have passed. It was a trip to see someone after such a long time. The last time I saw my cousin he was a teenager. Now, he’s an elder. ADS: What do you desire most for your children? LP: What I want for my kids, grandchildren and great-grandkids is to have a good life... at least one better than I had. I grew up in a hot bed of racism and hatred. There was total disrespect for Native People and our culture and religion... even our very lives. For us, life was cheap. Back then, if a white person killed a Native and they received prison time they would be considered unlucky. Usually, they got probation... or no negative consequences at all. Our lands would be taken after every new presidential election... some of it would be annexed by the new government. ADS: Besides television, how do you keep abreast of current events and how do you communicate with your attorneys, family, supporters, and the world at large?
LP: I don’t watch television a great deal, but some. I read a lot. People send me books all the time. Newspapers, of course. Supporters share other material from independent media. I listen to public radio, too. I get 300 phone minutes a month. That’s how I keep in touch with my family, Committee and the attorneys. I have to write letters most often when I want to communicate with friends and supporters. That’s hard too... I have to purchase the paper, pens, envelopes and stamps... also from my commissary account. I don’t keep in touch with as many people as I’d like. ADS: In 1999 your book, Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sundance was released. What does the term Sundance relate to and what is the significance of the title? LP: The Sundance is a sacred ceremony and a big part of my spiritual belief. I won’t go into a great deal of detail about the ceremony, but I think many people may misunderstand Sundance. Maybe some people think it barbaric or something. Giving flesh as we do in Sundance... To give your flesh to Spirit is to give your life. And what you have given you can no longer lose. Sundance is our strength. It’s my strength. Sundance has made even prison life bearable for me. ADS: Whether pro or con Barack Obama, I think most people would agree that his election marked an historical change, at the very least, in the look of politics. Do you think this change will have any direct effect on your petition for clemency or on the lives of Native Americans in general?
LP: George Bush denied clemency, so there isn’t a petition for clemency at the moment. Supporters have continued to push for clemency, though, based on what’s said in the Constitution. Obama can free me any time he wants. Gerald Ford was President when I went to prison. Five other men have occupied the Oval Office since then. I know each of them. I have petitioned every one of them for justice. With some of them I knew that I had no chance for a fair hearing. With others I had very high hopes and was disappointed. Obama may be the one. I don’t know. What I do know is that public support for my freedom will make all the difference. Write letters to Obama. Telephone the White House. Make your voices heard. ADS: For those that might be reading about you for the first time, what would you like them to know about you and your life? LP: I am an Indian man. All I want is the right to live as one. It would take endless pages to say all I would like to say about the manufactured evidence used against me. Some people have had their convictions overturned because of a single constitutional violation. The number of constitutional violations in my case is staggering. Besides that, I’m innocent. So why am I still here? ADS: You often close your writings and communiqués with the words “In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.” What does this mean to you and why have you chosen this as your signature closing?
LP: Crazy Horse is not only my, but millions of natives' hero. We believe his spirit lives in some of us. He was a great warrior and by that I don’t only mean in defense of the People... well, not in a military sense. Crazy Horse was kind, loving, generous, and peaceful. He sacrificed all he had and all he was for the sake of the People... a way of being that we all aspire to.
Leonard’s artwork www.LeonardPeltierArt.com How to help free Leonard Peltier www.whoisleonardpeltier.info www.freepeltiernow.org We wish to thank Delaney with the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, without her assistance this interview would not have been possible.
CREDItS Genre: Director: Producer: Executive Producers:
Documentary Lucy Walker Lawrence Bender Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Bruce Blair, Matt Brown
SyNOpSIS Countdown to Zero traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possess nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony
Blair. Countdown to Zero makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. The film was produced by Academy Award® winner and 2009 nominee Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds, An Inconvenient Truth) and developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media, together with World Security Institute.
www.takepart.com/countdowntozero
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Paula Nelson Life After Touring... A Good Place to Be
A
By Teresa louise Johnson
s I check out the videos on Paula Nelson’s website (WWW.PAULAnELSOnBAnD.COM), I’m struck by the pretty guitar riffs in “Sunny Days,” how suitable “Drink” is to Nelson’s voice, and how strongly her voice comes across while still conveying a soft and vulnerable quality in “Day to Day Love.” The familiar “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” a duet she recorded with her dad Willie Nelson, and her brother Lukas, has a lovely guitar rhythm and a soft melding of the three voices, and though not all cover songs are done successfully, this one is considered to be a triumph. Paula is, for the moment, “sittin’ still” after touring for a period of about five or six years. She says she is happy “staying home with my goat and my cats and my dog.” Her song “Ready or Not” talks about the hardships of touring. She says there’s a difference between touring and traveling and that sometimes you’re on the road for so long that you’re “barely recognizing stuff you know when you get home.” She’s taking it easy, creating artful floor mosaics, focusing on songwriting, thinking about playing gigs in listening rooms, and planning on doing a small portion of her Dad’s upcoming tour in November, along with her sister (part of the band Folk Uke) and her brothers. At age 41, Paula knows herself and she knows where she’s going. Her voice is confident, both in song and in conversation, and her songs are written with honesty. It took some time to get to this place, from the little girl in a Marie Osmond wig performing with her sister during the gospel segment of her dad’s shows, to the 20-something girl getting over stage fright at karaoke shows, to playing a song she recorded a cappella for Clifford Antone and then going on to sing at Antone’s. She mentions fearing that she didn’t “fit in” at some of the venues she played, wondering if people were
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going to her shows to hear Willie Nelson but “not hearing what they think they’re going to hear” when they got there. However, her newest CD “ Little City” is different; it’s not about playing what she thinks people want to hear from her or pleasing a certain audience. It’s no wonder it’s her favourite album so far. With a wide variety of music surrounding her as she grew up, Paula Nelson’s influences are an assortment of talents. She talks about Bonnie Raitt’s strong voice, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, and Jesse Coulter. Her own songs are so personal that she says you can tell by the lyrics who she was dating at the time they were written. They’re love lyrics delivered with such power and feeling that it doesn’t matter who her dad is; the listener is left remembering only band members Landis Armstrong, Kevin Remme, Mark Epstein and the woman at the heart of them.
www.paulanelsonband.com
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I am very driven to win, humble, quiet and shy... ~Antonio Sabato, Jr By Rita Cook
A
ntonio Sabato Jr. has proven to be one of the hottest commodities to come out of daytime television; you’ll most likely remember him from his early 90’s introduction when he joined the cast of ABC's General Hospital causing that show to jump from seventh to third in the daytime Nielsen Ratings. That same year, he also ended up being named as one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People and he starred on the popular CBS daytime drama “The Bold and the Beautiful” playing a role created specifically for him. Of course, there was his Calvin Klein underwear campaign too, when fashion designer Calvin Klein hired the actor in the summer of 1996 to be the company's first celebrity model since Mark Wahlberg four years earlier. During his tenure with Calvin Klein, Sabato Jr. appeared in a campaign appearing on a 90-foot billboard in the middle of Times Square; it was the most successful campaign that the company has seen in its history. These days, with his well-known name and face, Sabato Jr. is glad that he can now help make a difference when it comes to a number of charities and organization. The most recent groups Sabato Jr. has worked with include the Red Cross and the Sandals Foundation Haiti Relief Fund. The Sandals Foundation is a Jamaica-based philanthropic arm of Caribbean resort company Sandals Resorts International (SRI), who mounted a Haiti Relief Fund to deliver swift support to two non-profit organizations in urgent 68 A Distinctive Style . COM
need of immediate assistance: the Salesian Missions and Popular Services International (PSI). Salesian Missions and PSI have more than 100 years of combined experience and presence in Haiti along with a task force comprised of hundreds of workers and volunteers. “I strongly supported Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts by donating money and I most recently participated in a charity golf tournament [for them]. Over the years, I have also donated money and time to the Red Cross,” Sabato Jr. says. “One of the really great things about working with the Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts was to be able to be a part of a great cause and knowing that they're building schools for kids and offering a better future for the Haitian people.” With most of his hands-on time spent with these organization here at home, Sabato Jr. says he attends premiers and functions on a regular basis and tries to highlight his pet organization’s on a monthly basis at his appearances. “I always use that time as a platform to speak about the causes that mean so much to me,” he says. At the moment, Sabato Jr. is also working on setting up his own, currently unnamed, non-profit. “We are in the planning stages of setting up a nonprofit to help expose underprivileged kids to the arts and give them opportunities to develop
new skill sets that will benefit them later in life,” he explains. Part of his interest in creating his own non-profit is because of the effect that working with these foundations and charities have had for him throughout his life. Just 12 years old when, Sabato Jr. moved from Rome, Italy to the United States. Sabato Jr. says his parents spent 10 years trying to get a green card and when they finally did, they moved to America. “Living in Italy was wonderful. I loved it and the culture was completely different, unlike here in America. We ended up coming out here to America as it offered more opportunities for me and my sister.” These days, in addition to working with and trying to establish his own non-profit, he also has a number of projects in the works. Currently living in Los Angeles, if he wasn’t an actor, Sabato Jr says he would be a professional race-car driver. Noting that if he could, it is the one thing he would change in his life, “to have the chance to race cars more often.” Indeed, he is a serious autoracing enthusiast and fitness buff and has written a book called No Excuses: Workout for Life. “I am very driven to win, humble, quiet and shy,” he concludes when wrapping up his life. “And, I believe strongly in God.”
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Gifts That Give Back Rosie Pink Packages were created by stage 4 breast cancer survivor and mompreneur Kim Bloom of Rosie Hippo to benefit low income mothers with breast cancer. Each product is also sold individually and is designed for mother and child to bond through art and the written word. Every package purchased means one is donated to a low-income mother with breast cancer.
BAKING for GOOD. We use the finest all-natural, organic, local, and seasonal ingredients to make your delicious treats. Every purchase is baked fresh for your order and wrapped in beautiful, eco-friendly, secure packaging before it’s shipped overnight or priority (2 days to most locations) right to your door. Baking for Good gives 15% of every order to the organization of the customer’s choice.
www.rosiepinkpackage.org
www.bakingforgood.com
The Working Proof marries art and social responsibility. Each print is paired with a charity of the artists choice, to which The Working Proof donates 15% of the sale of each print, creating a product with not just aesthetic, but social value. The interest of The Working Proof is to promote a variety of charities and expose them to new supporters through the appreciation of art and creativity.
Village Cookie Shop. We use our revenue to help homeless adults and young people with disabilities get an education, a job and a place to call home. We are operated by Mental Health America of Greater LA.
www.theworkingproof.com
Guess you could say we’re not your cookie cutter kind of place! Our cookies would make a wonderful gift, any time of the year! www.villagecookieshoppe.com
A line of modern stylish eco-friendly pillows and bags that are made out of 100% organic cotton with a choice of eco-friendly inserts: organic kapok fiber harvested from the rain forest or ecofiber made from recycled plastic bottles rescued from landfills. 5% of Tortuga design sales supports ProPeninsula's efforts towards sea turtle conservation. www.wabisabigreen.com
Citizen Bean – Coffee of the Month with uncommon attention to detail. (sustainable) coffee with conscienceuncompromising without attitude. We combine love for art and design and the environment into a monthly gift. Each month our roasters chose a charity portions of our sales should be donated too. We support a variety of Food Banks as well as Coffee Kids. www.citizenbean.com
Little Pickle Press is dedicated to helping parents and educators cultivate conscious, responsible little people by stimulating explorations of the meaningful topics of their generation through a variety of media, technologies, and techniques. www.littlepicklepress.com
Planet Botanicals. Certified organic & natural | sustainably sourced products. We work directly with local producers, organic cooperatives and artisan distillers throughout the world to obtain its ingredients on the basis of fair trade and environmental sustainability. Fair trade empowers local producers to achieve greater economic self-sufficiency. www.planetbotanicals.com
The blocks are made of durable, sustainably harvested and FSC-certified Honduran hardwood, and the sales of the blocks help to support Honduran environmental and educational initiatives. When a customer purchases toys, Tegu will either donate a day of school or the planting of a dozen trees.
All Terrain Natural Products are for Active Lifestyles. We believe in enjoying the great outdoors, and offer natural products to help you do so. We only use natural ingredients. A portion of all proceeds will go towards green outdoors charities. www.allterrainco.com
www.tegu.com
B.Witching Bath Co, an all-natural line of bath/body/home products that are uniquely formulated with the finest fruits, herbs, natural ingredients, minimal preservatives and fragrances and are as eco-friendly and natural as possible. A portion of the profits from the products are donated to the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT.
I Rescue Rover, a line of exquisite, organic cotton/bamboo, animalthemes tees for adults, kids and dogs, which donates a portion of all proceeds to animal welfare organizations. In addition, I Rescue Rover partners exclusively with companies that adhere to ethical manufacturing processes.
www.bwitchingbathco.com
www.iRescueRover.org
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Photo by trey Ratcli http://www.stuckincustoms.com 74 A Distinctive Style . COM
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wOMEN MAk
IN tH
Shelene Bryan
Narelle Chene
INg A DIffERENCE
HE wORLD
ery
Stacy Malkan
Susie wang
Hollywood Skips It! By leAnn weiss-rupard
SHELENE BRyAN
I
t all started when a visitor noticed the pictures of African children on Shelene’s refrigerator and asked, “You fell for that?” Shelene Bryan, a successful Hollywood producer, never dreamed the seed of doubt planted about her $50 monthly donation sponsoring two impoverished children would lead her on a life changing adventure from Hollywood to Africa. But just six months later, Shelene found herself in Uganda on a covert investigative mission. After arriving in the village of Gaba, she showed the pictures from her refrigerator to a woman who offered to guide her. Shelene followed the guide deeper into the jungle, and after a two-mile hike, she finally reached an orphanage and was led through a sheeted door into a shabby hut roughly the size of her bedroom walk-in closet. She met Omega, the girl her family sponsored. “I was surprised that Omega knew who I was,” Shelene recalls. “As I hugged her, my eye caught my family’s Christmas card photo embedded on the hut wall. I knew she was real and our donation was actually helping her. Love truly has no borders.” When Shelene volunteered to get Omega anything she wanted, Omega’s face beamed with a huge smile as she asked for a bed. Later, while shopping together, Shelene was amazed that a 78 A Distinctive Style . COM
mere $20 bought not only a bed, but also a mosquito net, blanket, and sheets in addition to new shoes for Omega. That’s when she first thought, “If I skip a manicure, spa day, Starbucks…I’ll never miss it, but the children will never forget it.” She also enjoyed a special meeting with Alonis, the young boy her family also supported. As Shelene said goodbye at the end of her 10-day trip, she promised Omega and Alonis that she wouldn’t forget them and would tell all of her friends about them. “I saw life through an entirely different lens than the glitz and glamour of Hollywood,” she explains. “ I realized that I
couldn’t change the world, but I could help improve the lives of the orphans I saw by tapping into the generosity of my family and friends.” Shelene arrived home with her phone ringing off the hook from curious friends wondering if the children her family sponsored were real or if someone was driving around a Porsche on her dollar. Not wanting to repeat her story dozens of times, Shelene invited 60 of her girlfriends over for lunch. “When I told my friends about the needs [of the children] and my idea to go back and do a complete village makeover on a dime, they all offered to join in by skipping something too.” Shelene returned to Africa with her friend Barbara Cameron, mother of actor Kirk Cameron and actress Candace Cameron Bure. Through that and subsequent trips, Shelene started doing “Extreme Village Makeovers On a Dime” in third-world countries. The unofficial “skip1.org” idea spread by word of mouth before friends encouraged Shelene to utilize the pow-
er of the internet to reach beyond her family and friends. High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale heard about skip1.org and chose it as her favorite charity for an event with Glamour magazine at Sephora. Candace Cameron Bure skipped her Gucci gown and wore a skip1.org t-shirt on the red carpet for the VH1 Do Something Awards. A generous donation in May of 2009 helped bring skip1.org online. Now the public can skip something and donate the money they would have spent at skip1.org. 100 percent of all public donations go directly to the acquisition and distribution of food and water projects worldwide. Shelene’s latest film, Like Dandelion Dust, recently hit theatres starring actress Mira Sorvino. But Shelene Bryan knows that God brought her to Hollywood for greater purposes than just entertainment. “It’s exciting to be able to use my producer skills to inspire people in our richly blessed country to skip something to literally save the lives of children around the world.” Visit www.skip1.org. Even a small sacrifice will bring a big smile to a hungry child.
organic. We were the first in the world to actually achieve organic certification for skin care. ADS: What does Certified Organic mean to consumers?
NARELLE CHENERy By shelly Ballestero
G
REEN guRu NaRELLE cHENERy, cofounder of “Miessence” (the world’s first certified organic skin care company), is not only a wife and mother of three—she’s also a formulator and Director of Research & Development for ONE group (an acronym for Organic and Natural Enterprise, which produces three distinct labels: Miessence, nutrition range, MiVitality, and organic household brand MiEnviron). A company that started in her ‘kitchen laboratory’ made world waves into the atmosphere of ‘organic solutions’ for us all to enjoy. This article is best read while sipping on organic tea.
gET TO kNOW NaRELLE… A Distinctive Style: When were you first introduced to "organic" products? narelle Chenery: Food. I got involved in an organic home delivery co-op when I first became pregnant because I wanted the cleanest possible food to nurture my growing baby. Cosmetics… When I created the world's first certified organic product back in 2001, whilst there were claims about being 'organic' before then, no one had actually ever been certified
nC: It's a independent third-party guarantee of the authenticity and integrity of every ingredient in the product. Simply put, it's a guarantee of organic integrity, purity and utmost safety. Unfortunately, some people still don't know that the only way to verify that a product is truly certified organic is to look for the certification logo on the label. ADS: You've been referred to as "The Mother of EcoBeauty,” how do you feel about that title and what does it mean to you? nC: Wow I hadn't heard that! Such a title is certainly an honor! As with any mother, I feel very protective of "Ecobeauty," particularly her truest and purest daughter - "Certified Organic.” I have fought long and hard to create products that meet those most stringent standards, and have defended the integrity and honesty of anyone making claims against certified organic beauty. I shall defend her purity always. ADS: How can we educate the public to think more about the toxic products they use on their body everyday, and how it could be detrimental to their long-term health? nC: I wish I knew the answer to that. I am continually dismayed at the blind trust of people who use 'natural' and 'organic' product that aren't verified by certification, and their misguided belief in the 'safety' of consumer products, just because they're on our shelves. People who expect the government and corporations to look after their best interests are gravely mistaken. Unfortunately,
you can't force people to think critically. You can only plant seeds of doubt that inspire critical thinking. Then it's up to them to investigate further if they desire. To that end, I've written articles, and conducted public seminars on the topic of cosmetic safety for the last decade. ADS: What are the toxic chemicals we should be looking for in our personal care products? nC: There are quite a few hundred! But I have a few super-toxics to avoid: 1. Formaldehyde donor preservatives 2. Ethoxylated ingredients that are contaminated with 1,4-dioxane 3. nitrosamine-contaminating ingredients ADS: With all recent news about the "Safe Cosmetics Act" being reported, can you tell us how this will change things for women who use cosmetics? nC: You may be perplexed to discover that I'm actually opposed to the Safe Cosmetics Act. Firstly, I think the FDA would do a pretty rotten job of guaranteeing the 'safety' of cosmetics. We just have to look at the Vioxx scandal to learn about their dubious reputation for ensuring the 'safety' of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, there is growing concern that the Act will require unnecessarily burdensome testing, registration, labeling and reporting requirements on small manufacturers that have little to do with the actual safety of cosmetics. My recommendation for women is to rely neither on government nor industry to look after their best interests. We must become responsible for our own health and well-being through self-education. Thank you Narelle and ONE group for making organic ‘waves’ around the world…one product at a time! www.mionegroup.com A Distinctive Style . COM 79
Chemicals Linked to Birth Defects found in More than 70% of products By shelly Ballestero
important for the health of our families and future generations — and we need your help. We’re asking everyone who cares about this issue to contact your Congressional representatives and ask them to co-sponsor The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010. To send the letter through our website, go to www.safecosmetics.org.
StACy MALkAN
S
Tacy MaLkaN has been exposing the toxic truth about everyday personal care products for many years (as well as in her award winning book not Just a Pretty Face)—and in 2002, she helped launch the cosmetics campain with the not Too Pretty report, which found chemicals linked to birth defects in more than 70% of products tested. Stacy is a leading advocate for keeping products safe for us and the planet—and giving the beauty industry a much needed makeover! A Distinctive Style: What kind of response are you getting to the Safe Cosmetics Campaign? Also how about "The Story of Cosmetics?"
Stacy Malkin: It's been phenomenal. Our investigation into toxic chemicals in personal care products began almost 10 years ago, and it's so gratifying to see the issue getting national attention at the highest levels. More than 300,000 people have seen the Story of Cosmetics so far (and I urge you to share it with everyone you know! www.StoryofCosmetics.org.) We have an amazing opportunity right now to pass new cosmetic regulations that protect our health and shift the $50 billion beauty industry in a safer, more sustainable direction. This is 80 A Distinctive Style . COM
ADS: Any other adventures you are taking on? SM: I just got back from South Africa, as a guest of the Cancer Society of South Africa where I was asked to speak at a women's health conference about cosmetics and cancer. I'd never been to that country and I was very excited! I'm also pleased to be working with this particular organization because the Cancer Society of S.A. dedicates a significant percentage of its research dollars to science that investigates the environmental health links to the disease. It is critical to understand what has caused such dramatic increases in cancer, so that we can figure out the best strategies for preventing cancer. If the big cancer groups in the United States were funding environmental health research, we would be a lot closer to understanding how to lessen the epidemic of this disease. As we wait for more research, there is plenty of evidence right now to justify removing carcinogens from the products we put on our bodies every day. ADS: Do you believe that the US Government has started paying attention to the public outcry? SM: Yes absolutely. The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 is the first real opportunity we've had to overhaul cosmetic regulations that were put in place 70
years ago. We have the ear of legislators who are fully committed to this issue, and now is the time to take action. It is not going to be easy because there is huge lobbying pressure to keep the industry unregulated or to pass watered-down legislation. ADS:What advice do you give consumers looking for safer products? SM: Simpler is better. Choose products with fewer chemicals, avoid synthetic fragrance, and use fewer products overall. The companies like to make us think we need a different lotion for every part of our body or a different cleaning product for every room in the house. Most of it is just not necessary. However, we should be able to use whatever beauty products we want to use without worrying if we are putting our health in danger. A great resource for finding safer products is the Skin Deep database at www.cosmeticdatabase.org. ADS: How can we all get involved? SM: 1. Choose to support companies that share your values for a healthy planet. Check out Skin Deep at www.cosmeticdatabase.com and choose products in the 0-2 range. 2. Get politically active. We can’t just shop our way out of this problem. In order to shift the big companies and ensure safer products are available to everyone, we have to change the law. Ask your Congressional rep to support the Safe Cosmetics Act; you can send a letter through our website, www.safecosmetics.org. 3. Tell your friends. Share the Story of Cosmetics with everyone you know! www.storyofcosmetics.org.
walking out the door, I knocked over a chemical that was used in eye cream. When I came back in, I saw how the chemical warped the lab table, and started 100% Pure May of 2005. ADS: What was the process?
SUSIE wANg By shelly Ballestero
W
ould you ever think the same fruits and vegetables you eat can be made into cosmetics? Susie Wang did and created 100% Pure Cosmetics, the world’s only cosmetics company that holds the patent for using fruit and vegetable pigments. One day while picking berries from her garden, Susie had her ‘Aha” moment— using fruits and vegetables for pigments instead of synthetic dyes. Not only is the company good for your skin, it’s good for the planet too, using post-consumer recycled aluminum, plastic, and glass in their containers. Meet 100 percent sweet Susie. A Distinctive Style: When did you decide to start your own company?
SW: The process to start your own business starts with a great idea — an idea that is better than anything else already out there. 100% Pure was started because of the brilliant idea of using fruit and vegetable pigments in color cosmetics and since every other cosmetic company was using dyes or minerals, we patented the use of fruit, vegetable, seed and flower pigments to color cosmetics. ADS: You have a passion for animals, can you tell us a little about why and what you support? SW: If you watch this video — www.peta.org/feat/ChineseFurFarms/in dex.asp — you too will become passionate about helping these helpless, innocent animals.
SW:For starters, avoid chemicals that are clinically proven to be toxic such as DBP -(in perfumes and nailpolish), pthalates (plasticizer that leaks out in plastic when exposed to heat), parabens — these are just some of the chemicals that are linked to causing birth defects and cancer. ADS: Are you a vegetarian? SW: I grew up vegan but when I went to college, I started eating yogurt and cheese. ADS: What would you say to the person out there who would like to start a business? SW: The number one thing to become successful is to make whatever you're selling the most high quality product you can make. People may buy something once, but if the quality is not good, they will never trust your brand. That is why I'm such a stickler about always using the highest quality ingredients, the very best of everything because to me, quality trumps all. Another huge important quality is integrity. Always be honest and have the highest integrity . If you're going to say you're going to do something, do it and do it the very best.
I love animals because they are living, feeling, breathing beings and there is way too much abuse and cruelty that happens and unfortunately, they can't do anything about it so I feel compelled and extremely dedicated to help these innocent creatures that can't help themselves.
Thanks Susie for helping us eat and wear our fruits and veggies, but most of all for making a product that is safe for our skin and the planet!
ADS: What are some places to start to use clean products?
WEBSITE: www.100percentpure.com
Susie Wang: I worked at one of the world’s largest cosmetic companies as their chemist. I saw how they would claim no animal testing when it wasn’t true. Maybe the final formula wasn’t tested on animals, but every chemical ingredient had to have been tested on animals in order for it to be FDA approved. One time as I was A Distinctive Style . COM 81
meisha: Eco-Cosmetics By Teresa Louise Johnson
T
he eco-cosmetics company Cosmetics Without Synthetics, headed by Marj Melchiors, began as a mail-order business in 1997 but by 1999, they were online reaching and shipping to clients worldwide. They launched the cosmetic line Earth’s Beauty (http://www.earthsbeauty.com) in 2000, for which there is no animal testing and no known harmful ingredients (for the environment or for humans), and they’ll soon be launching a similar but innovative teenager friendly eco-cosmetic line, meisha.
meisha stands for Makeup, Ecology, Integrity, Safe, Honest, Always. Melchiors wanted the name to mean something, saying “The meisha cosmetic line was developed to meet the growing need for a line of teen makeup that is safe!” Marj cited a study by the Environmental Working Group in which scientists discovered that sixteen chemicals from four different families of chemicals were found in twenty girls 14-19 years old. The possible effects of these chemicals? Cancer and hormone disruption. The origin of the chemicals? In the girls’ own cosmetics, nail polish, perfumes, lotions and shampoos. meisha products aren’t filled with synthetic chemicals—they’re gluten free and Nanoparticle free.
for Today’s Eco-Sav vy Teens Though the meisha brand, due out in October 2010, isn’t offering lotions, nail polish, perfumes or shampoos, it is offering an array of products that teen girls will appreciate. There will be unique eco-friendly and recyclable packaging, such as the refillable compacts for eye shadow, one which holds up to four eye shadows and the other up to nine. The eye shadows pop into the cardboard compact with magnetic closures and stay in place using magnets, making each colour purchased easy to replace without waste. The packaging for the replacement tin shadow discs is eco-friendly as well— business card sized and made of recyclable cardboard with cellophane. The packaging colours of the meisha line are an attractive combination of black, metallic fuchsia and white. Though the focus of the meisha line is eyes, with 12 colours in pressed powder or cream forms, there are also two colours of blush (pink or peach), five eye liner pencil colours and four tasteful colours of lip gloss that come in double sided tubes with two colours in each tube. The jars of body glitter come in the shade teen surveys indicated to be most popular: gold. Marj is keeping the idea of a scented glitter spray in mind for the future. Lastly, the mascara is a lengthening and thickening formula.
Melchiors says that people today realize the value of organic and natural products but her team worked hard to keep the price line down. The $10-15 average price range is not unheard of or even unreasonable in an eco-cosmetic line such as meisha, with eco-friendly packaging keeping costs down. This generation of teens is savvy about what they put on or in their bodies; Marj Melchiors believes that this is the time to launch a teenager friendly ecocosmetics line. What’s next for Cosmetics Without Synthetics? Earth’s Beauty Deluxe, a higher end organic line of products, is expected out in spring of next year. Study cited: http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens
Zambian Coffee Body Scrub In an effort to give back and help in the fight against HIV/AIDs in Zambia, Crater lake Company will donate 20% of the profits from the sale of the company’s Zambian Coffee Body scrub to Camfed, an organization that fights poverty and HIV/AIDs in impoverished southern African nations by educating girls and empowering women to become leaders of change. http://www.craterlakecompany.com/coffee.html
http://www.amazonherb.net DISCOVER tHE tREASURE recent discoveries of beneficial compounds in rainforest plants give new hope for fresh young looking skin. with lluvia™ skin renewal system you will: • Cleanse naturally with no harmful foaming agents • Gently polish and refine your skin • refresh and hydrate your skin, and uplift your spirit • Diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles • Deeply nourish tissue layers for a youthful, radiant glow • Balance hydration and lock in moisture
Naturally fresh Deodorant Crystal gives a portion of its proceeds to support causes like breast cancer research. This all-natural deodorant is a top recommended brand by oncologists. Natural Fresh Deodorant offers a solutions to a little-known side effect of breast cancer radiation therapy: irritation from conventional deodorants/ antiperspirants.
www.Okabashi.com
http://www.naturallyfreshdeodorantcrystal.com Easy Eye Solutions creates a noticeable reduc tion in appearance of dark under eye circles and in the actual firmness of the entire under eye area. The short term effect of a single ap plication takes only minutes: bags and puffiness are reduced for 12 hours or more. You will be amazed at how it turns back the clock, providing a youthful fresh look to your appearance. The products are safe, easy to use, pH balanced, Paraben-free, and not tested on animals. http://www.easyeyesolutions.com 84 A Distinctive Style . COM
Casual women's Shoes & womens Sandals Made in UsA, Okabashi womens shoes range from sporty, attractive, womens sandals to casual womens shoes that are comfortable enough to wear all day long. If you wear ladies shoes and haven’t tried our styles, it’s time experience Okabashi's joyfully comfortable shoes. For every jar of Bath By Bettijo, sweet Peppermint Aromatherapy shower Infusers sold during the fourth quarter this year they will donate one tree to the Global releaf fund. every dollar donated plants one https://bathbybettijo.com tree!
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kEVIN.MURpHy, a leading line of fashion-focused hair products maintains cutting edge style while practicing ecofriendly methodologies throughout product development. Originating in Australia, the products reflect a regional ethos, implementing environmental components that align with the culture’s laid-back nature. From the bottle designs to the product ingredients and testing, kEVIN.MURpHy is conscious of both style and the environment.
wAtERLESS wASHINg MACHINE Airwash is a waterless washing machine for the home of 2020. eliminating the use of detergent and precious water resources, it cleans clothes with pressurized air and negative ions - nature's cleansing agent. Its form is inspired by the waterfall, nature?s negative ion generator. Its touch-light interface marries function with emotion, humanizing the often-mechanical experience when handling household appliances. liberated from the laundry area, Airwash is a symbol of wellness and sophistication, designed for living spaces and focal points in the home.
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FASHION
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Violeta
Villacorta
Violeta Villacorta V
ioleta Villacorta has the heart of a missionary with none of the ulterior motives. An unselfish desire to assist indigenous peoples of the world in order to internationally showcase their traditions, their arts, and their crafts blossoms from her South American roots. Born in Lima Peru, Violeta was surrounded by the beauty of native arts and artifacts as a child, something that left not only a deep impression on her creative DNA, but may have been a factor in her advocacy decisions as an adult. “I’ve been in tune with what’s going on in the Amazon for many years,” Violeta, a member of Amazon Watch, said. “Amazon Watch works for the protection of the Rainforest as well as advancing indigenous rights.” Violeta’s real opportunities began with a family move to New York in 1980 which ultimately resulted in her acceptance at the Fashion Institute of Technology. While there, Violeta worked toward her dream of becoming a part of the world of fashion design, a place where she could showcase her unique understanding of the influence of indigenous arts and crafts on Western fashion. Violeta went on to become a senior designer for Patagonia, a company steeped in a tradition of Eco-friendly products, a good fit for Violeta’s fashion and lifestyle beliefs. Despite her success there, as well as with her own fashion line, Violeta’s passion to help others resulted in her personal creativity taking a back seat as she helps native communities find venues for their traditions and arts, a cause for which she sees multiple benefits. Feminine and beautiful, Violeta seems an unlikely candidate for jungle treks, but her most recent endeavor—the Cofán Project—has led her to the Amazon jungles
and the small community of Cofán in Dureno Ecuador. “I’m going to be working with these people for a number of years,” Violeta said recently after raising over $17, 000 for an art center, scheduled for construction in the fall of 2010. The “Cofán Project” came about through a serendipitous series of events, beginning in March of 2010 when Atossa Soltani, the founder of Amazon Watch, invited Violeta to a screening of Avatar in Los Angeles. A longtime member of the organization which closely tracks the exploitation of the Amazon rainforest and promotes its restoration and maintenance, Violeta met Emergildo Criollo at the screening. Criollo had come to the United States with a 200,000 signature petition to present to a major oil company as part of a lawsuit. As one of the head artisans in his community of Cofán, Criollo had much in common with Violeta. By mid-May of 2010, she found herself on her way to Cofán, sketchbook in hand. Violeta, an advocate of working rather than complaining, saw an opportunity to fulfill her passion of helping others. “Instead of pointing fingers, say, ‘What can I do?’ You act,” Violeta said. “Pointing fingers gets us nowhere.” Violeta acted. Emergildo Criollo’s nephew, Wilson Criollo, and his family hosted Violeta for her one- week stay where she absorbed all the native culture the community had to offer. Time was precious, and her goal was to observe the women as they worked with native seeds and fibers to produce beautifully hand-crafted bags and jewelry, both learning and teaching during the time they spent together. The artists’ work, however, could not begin until the daily chores were done.
“We couldn’t meet before noon,” Violeta recalled. “The women were up early to do their house chores, and then they would spend a half day planting in the fields—all the women— mothers and daughters—whoever was available.” When the women were free to meet with Violeta in the afternoon, they would bring their children with them, and Violeta would play with the children as she spoke to the women through a Spanish interpreter. Astounded by how quickly the women were able to turn her sketches into reality, Violeta was determined to raise the necessary funds to help build an art center where the artisans could work, showcase, and store their artwork. By July 28th, 2010, Violeta raised over $17,000 through the Cofán Project. Between $5,000 and $7,000 will be used to erect the art center, planned to be a traditional thatched roof building, and the rest will be used for supplies and the internet capability necessary to market the artwork in order to create an income for the community. “In no way do I want to have a little factory there,” Violeta said firmly, “so that they are making this for me. Whatever it is they do, I want to collaborate with them to take their artwork to the next level, to a more discerning market—one that asks for quality and is looking for handmade arts and crafts and accessories. Through it all, I want to bring to light the beauty and wisdom of indigenous cultures that live in harmony with the natural world.” Violeta Villacorta brings her own beauty and wisdom to the project as she values the well-being of others above self— a rare commodity which can only serve to nourish her generous spirit.
www.violetavillacorta.com/violetavillacorta_english.html www.etsy.com/shop/VioletaVillacorta www.facebook.com/pages/Violeta-Villacorta/ 94409174794?ref=ts
Spirit Woman
By Peter Mack
T
he Australian Aboriginal nation is the oldest living culture in the world. That culture dates back about 60,000 years and still carries to this day the heritage, beliefs and spiritual connections of the past. The culture is rich in mythological stories (Dream Time), family values, living in harmony with the land and above all respect for those values. Traditional Australian Aboriginal art is founded on more than simply putting materials to support mediums; it encompasses the history and culture of the artist creating the piece. Many influences are present and they dictate the forms, shapes, colours and textures used. They guide the artist and in Eva Wanganeen’s case it is her Spirit Woman who has led her through troubled waters, that sits at her side peacefully showing her the way. Eva is an Aboriginal artist who openly welcomes her Spirit Woman into her life and she can be seen and felt in everything that Eva produces. Eva has an amazing tale of trials and tribulations to tell and she stands tall as an example to all of us to learn from. Eva’s journey began on a mission near Wallaroo in South Australia and through a variety of family associations is guided by diverse cultures and spiritual influences. She is tied to the Arrente and Kokatha people through her grandmother, the Wiringu through her mother and the River
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Murray region through her father. Eva’s great grandfather Billy Kite, was one half of twins and was born in the far north of South Australia a very rough and inhospitable part of the country. Due to the harshness of the region, scarce resources and cultural practices, it was accepted that only one twin could be carried and the other was simply left behind. Billy was heard by a local stockman crying in the bush and was taken to the station and raised as a stockman himself. Eva was born with Spina Bifida and her family were told that she would never walk and would never bear children, which was a terribly cruel double blow to the family. Her grandfather Gilbert refused to accept this and spent untold hours with Eva in her early years getting her to stand against a wall and encouraging her to take hesitant steps by twirling a tobacco tin on a string. He made her walk towards the tin, she eventually began to take faltering steps and she learned to walk. When she was seventeen Eva was sitting outside a store and an expatriate Englishman noticed her as he drove by. Something told him to stop and Colin Brook went into the store so that he could walk by this girl on the bench. He came out sat down and started to talk to her. They still talk today over forty years later, and their beautiful daughter Kiah and son in law Philip have given Eva and Colin a wonderful grandson Dirrawai. Eva; guided by her Spirit Woman
began painting about 15 years ago under the mentorship of French silk artist Marie France. Her natural talent shone though and as she matured and learned she found her unique place in Aboriginal art. Her works are stunning in design and colour. You feel the heat, the dry, the wet seasons and are taken on a journey simply by holding a piece of Eva’s art in your hands. Eva has produced a range of silk scarves in a limited edition which represent the lady as she sees the world. There is strength, determination, courage merging with the spiritual energy and influences shared by Eva and her Spirit Woman. The colours are vibrant in their intensity and draw the viewer into the moment. Silk is a natural fibre and is said to be one of the strongest materials in the world. Pound for pound it is stronger than steel. Its beauty and luxurious feel have been a source of trade for centuries. It is an animal protein, similar to our hair which explains it’s sensuous, warm, lustrous touch and makes it the perfect material for exceptional clothing and fabric pieces. The silkworm (Bombay Moth) generates the base thread which is an environmentally friendly and non allergenic material. Eva has had a tough journey but with the support of her husband Colin she has shown that anything can be achieved despite what, at times seemed like insurmountable odds. www.evawanganeen.com.au
Eva Wanganeen
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AmyKathryn.com
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AmyKathryn.com "BEAUTIFUL HAnDBAGS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE" One day, designer Amy Hall, decided to focus her design talent in fashion accessories. amykathryn handbags was then founded in 2002 in Los Angeles, The Grammy's MusiCares Foundation, Gary Hall Jr. Diabetes Foundation and Diabetes Research Institute. amykathryn handbags believes in supporting Diabetic research to find a cure and supporting the creative arts through Music.
Amy Hall, the creator and designer of amykathryn
Anthropology as well as Art History at the University of
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Arizona, her family and upbringing are anything but
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arts led her to Los Angeles where she attended Otis School
magnificent five-star resort, The Phoenician, in Scottsdale,
of Design and became a designer of fabrics and accessories.
Arizona. Her father and brother, Gary Hall Sr. and Jr. are the only father-son duo in history to make 3 Olympics,
Today, amykathryn is one of the fastest growing brands on
earning a combined 13 Olympic medals and breaking 12
the market. Celebrity clients include Pink, Hillary Duff,
world records in swimming. The list goes on, with no small
Selma Blair, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Leann Rimes. Each
shoes to fill, but Hall has risen to the challenge.
bag is hand-printed with beautiful patterns derived from the textiles she remembers from her childhood. Also
She lists her mother, Mary Hall, and grandmother, Mary
incorporated are the rich colors found in nature, paired
Elaine Keating, as her guiding inspiration - both women
with animal-friendly faux leathers. Each season brings a
were behind The Phoenician and both have encouraged
breath-taking surprise, which makes her bags in high
Hall's creative talents in design. Hall has a deep-rooted
demand. Hall's future goals include expanding into a
passion for Africa, where she traveled with her
lifestyle brand and incorporating her eco-friendly
grandparents as a child. This passion led her to major in
philosophy into all aspects of product and design.
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Wearable Art
From Recycled Mate
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TOMPKINS POINT APPAREL CLASSIC AMERICAN DESIGNS ETHICALLY PRODUCED
Tompkins Point is a sustainable menswear brand that creates enlightened preppy clothing our first line of pique polo shirts was the first clothing in the United States to be fair trade certified and our shirts are also certified organic. Most importantly, however, Tompkins Point is dedicated to improving the lives of the farmers and factory workers that make our clothing, and we donate 25% of our profits to these workers.
www.tompkinspoint.com
Barnaby Roper Cuts to the Quick with the Spectacular fashion film Iris
Fall’s most devastating looks are dissected and energized in today’s cut-and-slice extravaganza, Iris, starring supermodel (and current campaign star for Trussardi, MaxMara and DSquared2) Iris Strubegger. “All of my fashion films are named after the model,” says director Barnaby Roper, a photographer turned filmmaker whose previous work includes music videos for artists including Robyn and OK Go, as well as a series of edgy, adrenaline-packed and technologically innovative films for Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio. “I’m interested in showing these people… letting the viewer into the model,” he continues. “You never hear a model talk.” In a previous film with Natasa Vojnovic he changed all that, asking her to strip nude and reminisce about her upbringing in Bosnia. When it came to working with Eniko Mihalik, he went for a different, but equally innovative approach, creating an interactive film in which users could cut between various shots of Eniko (and different clips of music) by tapping their keyboards. "I've done a lot of music videos and it’s like kids don’t even look at the three-minute videos anymore," he says. "They’ll watch the first 30 seconds and then they’ll skip to the end. That’s why interactive films are so good. I’ve been told that babies, little babies, love Eniko because they’re pressing buttons. That’s where that idea came from almost––kids, a baby toy." In today's video he displays his supreme editing skills, conducting visual experiments upon the geometry of Strubegger’s body as she spins around a fixed axis, clad in a series of increasingly exaggerated looks. It’s all driven by the shutter-like editing, inspired in part by the surrealist’s favorite parlor game: exquisite corpse. “It’s the rhythm of the edit that’s the key to the film, the key to all films,” says Roper. Iris wears clothes by Stella McCartney, Miu Miu, Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, Céline, Proenza Schouler, Doo Ri and accessories by Iosselliani, Pamela Love, Genevieve Jones, Made Her Think, Mawi, Carolina Amato, Kristen Farrell and Fenton.
A Distinctive Style . COM 99
It is the American way, to give back and help ~Joey Lawrence By Rita Cook
W
e liked him in Gimme a Break! and Blossom, and now we like him in the ABC Family Original series Melissa and Joey, airing this summer. However, there is yet another good reason why we like Joey Lawrence even more. It’s because of the time he has taken in his life to get involved with the various organizations including the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation. An organization that seeks to prevent pediatric HIV infection and to eradicate pediatric AIDS. They do this through research, advocacy of prevention and treatment programs. The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation continually fights for the rights of children living with HIV, who were forgotten in the early days of the pandemic. Through work with policymakers, the Foundation has built upon Elizabeth’s legacy by expanding funding for pediatric research. “The fact that children are born into this world with aids just tears me apart because they didn’t choose this in life; it’s the innocence of it all,” Lawrence says. Lawrence also works with the American Cancer Society, a foundation with chartered divisions throughout the country and over 3,400 local offices. The American Cancer Society (ACS) is all about the
commitment to fight cancer through balanced programs of research, education, patient service, advocacy and rehabilitation. Noting that these two organizations are his true passion at the moment, Lawrence also adds, “I believe there is a cure out there and that we are close to finding it.” Lawrence began working with both of these organizations because as a public figure he can make a difference. “The highlights are going and visiting with the kids and giving back as much as I can. There is not much more I can do, except give my voice, and share my passion to find an end to this.” Working with both the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation and The American Cancer Society has made Joey feel more complete as a person. “Just being able to lend a hand and my heart to others.” “Seeing the joy on the children’s faces when you come to spend time with them and bring them surprises to open,” he says. “It truly brings tears to my eyes.” Lawrence is Executive Producer on his new project Melissa and Joey, and this is his first time back on television in 10 years. He says he is glad to be back in the
television more attention can be brought to his business and philanthropic work. “I hope that I have showed maturity,” he says. “I have grown up with my fans, therefore it’s a natural progression to now play roles of characters in their early 30’s. It’s exciting to finally be able to play the roles I grew up admiring, by the actors I looked up to.” Lawrence, grew up in Philadelphia, PA; spending his childhood and graduating from high school there. It wasn’t until 1996 that he officially moved to Los Angeles, but even today he says, “I honestly don’t feel like I identify with LA in terms of energy and what it ultimately represents. All my values and beliefs came from Pennsylvania. A big night out, when I was growing up, was simply going to the movies; it definitely kept me real. I had as normal of a childhood as possible, and I consider it a huge blessing.” Feeling good about his life, he believes the most important thing is working with charities and giving back. “It feels so good to help someone else,” he says. “[Besides] it is the American way, to give back and help. It’s our job as Americans to do what we can.”
public eye, and with his new role on A Distinctive Style . COM 101
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Photo by trey Ratcli www.stuckincustoms.com