A Distinctive Style Winter 2011 with Katerina Graham by A Distinctive Style Magazine

Artist Craig Tracy

Leonardo DiCaprio

s world leaders gathered for a historic summit to save tigers from extinction, Leonardo DiCaprio committed $1 million to World Wildlife Fund for urgent tiger conservation efforts through his Fund at the California Community Foundation. Across Asia, tiger numbers have dropped from 100,000 at the beginning of the last century to as few as 3,200 today. Heads of government from the 13 tiger range countries are gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia, for a first-ever summit to save tigers hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. They are expected to announce a Global Tiger Recovery Program with a goal of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022. DiCaprio, a WWF board member, visited Nepal and Bhutan with WWF experts, touring tiger habitat on elephant back alongside antipoaching staff, meeting with community members, and learning how WWF scientists monitor the park's tigers. The donation will add to DiCaprio’s existing commitment to tiger conservation during the 2010 Year of the Tiger. In early 2010, he joined forces with WWF in an effort to raise $20 million for tiger conservation through the Save Tigers Now campaign. “It's been a pleasure to work with Leo. He cares deeply about the fate of tigers and the human communities with whom they share their habitat. He is committing his time, his wealth, and most importantly, his talent to this cause," said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund. “His financial commitment will spark urgent on-theground conservation for tigers. His storytelling will inspire people around the world to help." DiCaprio's donation will help support antipoaching efforts and protect critical tiger forests where the needs are most urgent. "Illegal poaching of tigers for their parts and massive habitat loss due to palm oil, timber and paper production are driving this species to extinction,” said DiCaprio. “If we don’t take action now, one of the most iconic animals on our planet could be gone in just a few decades. By saving tigers, we can also protect some of our last remaining ancient forests and improve the lives of indigenous communities." The 13 countries where tigers still exist are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. Money raised by DiCaprio and WWF through Save Tigers Now will go to fund antipoaching efforts and habitat protection in the 12 priority landscapes across Asia that WWF believes represent the best locations to maintain viable, thriving populations of tigers. The money will also fund advocacy and outreach activities to build support for tiger conservation. For more information, visit http://www.SaveTigersNow.org follow the conversation on Twitter: #SaveTigersNow. For more about Leonardo DiCaprio, visit http://www.LeonardoDiCaprio .com become a Fan on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/LeonardoDiCaprio and follow Leonardo DiCaprio on Twitter @leodicaprio.

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Leonardo DiCaprio helps Pradeep Khanal of World Wildlife Fund set up a camera trap in tiger habitat on a recent trip to Nepal. DiCaprio visited tiger projects across the Eastern Himalayas with WWF to learn about the threats to the species, down to as few as 3,200 in the wild, and eďŹ&#x20AC;orts to protect them and double their population. Camera traps are a key tool used to study and protect tigers. The infrared-triggered areNow placed is a global campaign by World Wildlife Fund and Leonardo DiCaprio. Savecameras Tigers at animal eye-level in the forest goal is to build political, financial and public support to double and take a photo whenî&#x20AC;&#x201A;eir they sense body heat in their path. They allow the number of wild tigers by 2022. scientists to identify individual tigers by their unique stripe patterns, as well as monitor tiger movements. (c) Jan Vertefeuille/WWF

Save TigerS Now:

http://www.savetigersnow.org

NOW

SAVE TIGERS .ORG

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Artist Craig Tracy

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“

I have a very personal inner spirit that yearns for the exceptional. I absolutely desire to live passionately, and this drive seems to be inherent to my core being. I’m visually inspired by nature, culture and concepts such as truth.

”

~ Craig Tracy By Blake Alexander In February 2006 Craig Tracy opened the PaintedAlive Gallery in his home city, New Orleans, La, USA. PaintedAlive is the first gallery in the world dedicated exclusively to fine art Bodypainted images. But where did his passion for using the human body as a canvas start? Read on... when did you first realize you had the passion for painting? I’ve been an artist since day one. I have very distinct memories beginning around the age of four when I was greatly encouraged to continue to draw and paint. I have no memory of a time when I wasn’t an artist. It’s just always been understood that this is who I am and that creating is why I’m here. How do you see? what is it about a scene or subject that speaks to you and causes you to want to paint it? Ah, I love contrast and harmony. I’ve always been attracted to conventional beauty as long as it has an underlying strength or power. My attraction to tigers and other big cats would be a prime example of beauty balanced with power. I also love mystery in visual images, and I try to include a touch of intrigue in each painting that I create. what is the most rewarding aspect of your work? Can you tell us why you enjoy it, and what keeps you excited about coming into the studio each day? I’m so very fortunate to have found Bodypainting as a creative outlet as early as I did. It’s allowed me to involve so many aspects of what I love to do and bring all of these passions together into my work and daily life. With that being said, however, my absolute favorite aspect of my work is the sharing that it allows me to do. I love sharing with viewers and collectors the very real and yet surreal moments of beauty and mystery that my work often involves. I also enjoy sharing with the models involved in my work. Their experience and pleasure as transformative beings is very rewarding in and of itself. what are some of the challenges inherent in this type of work, and how do you deal with them?

Being a fine art bodypainter offers me many unique and often unusual challenges. Pioneering anything can be a battle from time to time. I’ve had to be patient in certain areas of my career because of the lack of vision of others. Book publishing is a recent hurdle that I’m patiently working to overcome. Large publishers are currently a bit hesitant in signing me a book deal because they primarily refer to established precedents. To date bodypainting has no proven track record of selling books. I approach each such hurdle that I encounter with the confidence built from overcoming previous obstacles. In the midst of dealing with such roadblocks, I often smile and envision a time in the future when these little bumps are far behind me and, in retrospect, will be fodder for amusing conversations. what famous artists have influenced you, and how? I’ve been influenced by them all and in many varying ways. The greatest and perhaps the most profound influence on me came at a very early age. I was only twelve years old when I first became aware of a contemporary fantasy artist named Boris Vallejo. Boris is a modern master whose vision and ability altered my life when I was sixteen and seventeen years old. He painted the human body in a way that I had never before seen, and it was such a breath of fresh air for me. Later while in art school, I became aware of other both classical and contemporary artists that delighted my soul. Chuck Close, Maxfield Parrish, and Toulouse-Lautrec are among those that I truly respect and admire. would you tell us how you got involved with the “Save China’s Tigers” project and why? In November of 2009 I was contacted by Li Quan founder and Director of the Save China’s Tigers Foundation. She asked if I might create an image of a tiger that might bring awareness to her organization and cause. I had just coincidentally returned from an artistic exhibition in Shanghai China, and tigers have always been my favorite animals. So, the idea of helping her with this cause seemed timely and very worthwhile. The image Continued Next Page

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Artist Craig Tracy

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that I created for the project has been hugely successful, and it’s now recognized throughout the world. I feel very fortunate that I was able to help. would you tell us a little about other creative projects you are working on? also what are your plans, goals, and dreams for the future? Yes, I’m always pushing my creative boundaries. I’ll continue to experiment with my work, trying ever differing styles and techniques. Also, I love traveling; and I intend to do a lot more in the coming years. I traveled extensively last year sharing my art on four different continents. I have many more countries where I want to explore and share my work. Several different agents and producers in several different arenas are currently representing me. I have someone working to sell a TV show around me and my work. If this does happen, I’ll have a much larger platform to share from. The idea of a TV show really excites me, and I hope it becomes a “reality.” Pun intended. Bodypainting is expanding globally, and I hope to continue to be one of its strongest advocates. Books, lectures, exhibitions and even a few film projects have been presented to me. It’s all very exciting, and I hope to continue to enjoy every second of it.

worry about things that I have no control over. I indulge myself by painting on beautiful human bodies at will, and then sharing my efforts with whoever cares to see. I live and work in one of the most culturally rich cities and neighborhoods in the world, and I don’t allow anyone or anything to limit my freedom. if you could travel back in time to visit your thirteen-year-old self, what advice or words of wisdom would you want to give him? Nice question ... I’d advise myself to take lots of photos and cherish each and every moment with close friends and family. I’d also advise myself to not become to attached to my head of hair. what is your greatest source of inspiration? I have a very personal inner spirit that yearns for the exceptional. I absolutely desire to live passionately, and this drive seems to be inherent to my core being. I’m visually inspired by nature, culture and concepts such as truth. what advice would you give to an artist just starting out? Never stop expressing yourself passionately, and always be true to yourself and those that you love and respect. what makes you laugh and shine inside? When I think about my good fortune, I often break out into laughter and sometimes, blissful tears. I’m currently living inside a dream, and this dream is joyous and much appreciated.

what do you like to do just for fun, just for you, when you’re not hard at work on another wonderful masterpiece? This is funny because I really don’t have any substantial hobbies. I do love talking with people, and I love spending time in my gallery. I also love traveling and day dreaming ... I’m a huge daydreamer. Is sleeping late a hobby? I love sleeping late ... I’m actually really good at it. Lot’s of practice!

what is your wish for 2011? More travel, more exceptional moments, more time with loved ones and friends and more chocolate!

How do you indulge yourself? Treat yourself like a king? Do you have any favorite luscious “guilty pleasures?” Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate. I’m a lover of chocolate. I very rarely wake with an alarm clock, and I almost always sleep late. I almost never get out of bed before 11:00 am. I also never

where can our readers find out more about your projects and upcoming shows? Please visit my gallery in New Orleans at 827 Royal St. in the center of the French Quarter. My website www.craigtracy.com is updated monthly, and I’m Facebook friendly.

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I just want to come out there swingin’! Keep it movin’...keep it groovin’!

~Delfeayo Marsalis By Jane Waide

he overwhelming response from our readers to our 2010 Summer Edition interview with Delfeayo Marsalis has led us back for a reprise. We can think of no one we’d rather begin our New Year Celebration with than this “Renaissance Man of the Arts.” The year 2011 is expected to be one of unsurpassed achievement and expression for Delfeayo. Beginning on January 11th, along with his father, Ellis, and brothers Branford, Wynton and Jason, he will be accepting The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award: the first group award of its kind to be bestowed by the NEA in its 29 year history. A week later on January 18th, his latest CD, Sweet Thunder, will be released. The following day Delfeayo rolls out the crowning jewel as he launches his Sweet Thunder Tour: a theatrical jazz production that will be presented in 36 cities across the U.S. i understand the music on the CD is a revisiting of a work by Duke ellington? Yes. In 1957 Ellington was commissioned by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to write music based on any aspect of Shakespeare. At that point in his career, Ellington was working on a lot of different things simultaneously. So what he chose to do was to create a number of monologues. What you basically have are sonnets, almost like a collection of individual solos with accompaniment. How did you become interested in this particular work of music? When I was matriculating on my Masters Degree, I visited the Smithsonian and researched a lot on Ellington. Really, I became consumed with his trip to England and his work with (Billy) Strayhorn. They actually had all the original scores at the Smithsonian. As I looked at Ellington and the way he composed, it made sense that it could be transformed to a smaller ensemble. In addition to that transformation, I’ve extended the work. I’ve added solos and melodic material. I think that when Ellington composed it, he was thinking that one day down the road a student of the music is going to find this and do something with it. So I think he actually wrote it specifically for me. 16 A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM

is the sound on the CD different from ellington’s original work? Oh yeah! It’s way different. To use Ellington’s music as my own: to keep the pertinent but to add my own voice to that. It’s hard to have music where improvisation is included in the dogma of the work and to make it as cohesive as this. Sometimes I add an improvisation and actually enhance the music. If you listen to Ellington’s version you hear a big suite, and it’s more introspective. But what we’ve done is more of an extroverted version. Can you describe for us what the theatrical production is going to look like? The set will be divided. One side will be Ellington’s neighborhood. We’ll recreate Harlem Brownstones and the Cotton Club. The other side will be Shakespeare’s neighborhood with Juliet’s balcony, The Globe or an Elizabethan-style dwelling. We have Ellington’s sphere and Shakespeare’s sphere, and the idea is that these are two great houses, both alike in dignity. So my love for literature, for Shakespeare, having studied that, everything is coming together for this project. It was especially designed for me. Having produced and/or performed with so many other jazz notables like brothers Branford and Wynton, Harry Connick Jr., Terence Blanchard, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Elvin Jones and Slide Hampton, Delfeayo has command of each aspect of the presentation process. He’s understandably proud of this project and is anxious to commence. This has been such a pleasure. in closing, would you share with us your wish for the New Year? I just want to come out there swingin’! Keep it movin’….keep it groovin’! In addition to his work as a professional musician, composer, producer and writer, Delfeayo Marsalis is the Director of Jazz for Divas World, a not-for-profit dedicated to integrating art forms and enhancing the musical arts experience. For more information on the Sweet Thunder Tour, including dates and cities, please visit http://www.delfeayomarsalis.com

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PHOtOGRaPHER bY uNcLE PHOOEY

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Narrated by Jane Seymour

early every state in the American Southwest is aﬀected by

a water crisis and is struggling with record dry conditions.

On the heels of the American Southwest’s drought, and in

an effort to raise awareness, The Chronicles Group with support from grants from the California Water Association, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and other public and private entities, Vegas PBS will present “The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry?” directed, written, and produced by Jim Thebaut, president of The Chronicles Group, a Los Angeles based nonprofit public information/education film production company.

Southwest states and its escalating economic toll. From the White House to the House of Representatives, Jim Thebaut interviews key thought leaders for an intelligent and informed discussion about the evolving water crisis. Thebaut ﬁlmed at diverse locations including the Navajo and Hopi reservations, on Capitol Hill and in Las Vegas for an absorbing and contemplative discussion about conservation, water reuse, desalination, unprecedented population growth and future water policies. Interviews with key members of Congress include Sens. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Ken Salazar (Colo.), and Pete Domenici and Jeﬀ Bingaman (N.M.), and U.S. Reps. Mary Bono (Palm Springs)

Featuring narration from Emmy® Award-winning actress Jane

and Jim Costa (Fresno). An interview with Dr. Gene Whitney,

Seymour, “The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry?” is a

science advisor to President Bush, also is featured in this

deﬁnitive look at how the water crisis aﬀects the American

impartial and balanced documentary.

WAYS TO SAVE WATER http://www.runningdry.org/americansouthwest/savewater2.html MORE TIPS ON SAVING WATER http://www.monolake.org/waterconservation A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 21

Choose Health – Choose non-GMO By Sharyn Wynters he acronym, GMO is becoming more widely recognized— for a number of reasons—none of them good. GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Genetic modification (GM) also known as genetic engineering, gene splicing, or recombinant DNA technology, is the alteration of a living organism by transferring genes from other organisms. The difference between GM and other breeding programs is that GM creates unnatural genetic combinations. GM recombines the genetic material from plants, insects, or animals for which there is no (or low) probability of natural breeding. Some have referred to the food created through this process as “Frankenfood,” for obvious reasons . . . and while most people indicate that given the choice, they would not choose GM food, few realize that they unknowingly eat it every day.

Most countries, including the European Union, Japan, and Australia, require the mandatory labeling of foods that contain GM ingredients. As a result, most food manufacturers in these countries choose to use non-GM ingredients. But in the United States, unless food is labeled “organic” it may legally contain GMOs. An estimated 75 percent of foods in U.S. grocery stores contain GM ingredients. And don’t bother reading labels to see if you’re buying a GM product, because in the U.S., no labeling is required! Despite claims that GM foods are safe, the research says otherwise. GMO’s have been linked with, allergies, infertility, infant mortality, immune dysfunction, stunted growth, and accelerated aging. Recent findings link it to Morgellon’s disease, a mysterious new skin disease. According to Jeffrey Smith, an authority on genetic modification, GM foods are one of the greatest threats to the sustainability of the human race—and to our planet. gM or not. How can you tell? There are six GM food crops that are widespread in North America. In fact, if the label doesn’t specifically say, “non-GMO” or “organic,” you can be fairly certain these six foods are genetically modified. They are: Corn, Soybeans, Canola, Cottonseed, Sugar Beets, and Hawaiian Papaya. A small amount of Zucchini and Yellow Squash are also currently GM. Any products or ingredients made from these crops contain GM organisms. For example: Sugar: If a product made in North American lists “sugar” as an ingredient, then it is almost certainly a combination of sugar from both sugar cane and GM sugar beets. 22 A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM

Cereals & Breakfast Foods: Cereals and breakfast bars are very likely to include GMO ingredients because they are often made with corn and soy products—and beet sugar. Dairy: Nearly all dairy cows in the U.S. are injected with GM bovine growth hormone (rbGH or rbST). infant formulas: Milk or soy protein is the basis of most infant formulas. The main ingredient in these products is often GM soy or milk from cows injected with rbGH. Many brands also add GMOderived corn syrup, corn syrup solids, or soy lecithin. Baked goods: While wheat, rice, kamut, and oats are not yet genetically modified, many packaged breads and bakery items contain other GMO ingredients such as corn syrup, soy flour, and sugar from sugar beets. The most recent GM atrocity being proposed is GM salmon— genetically engineered to produce growth hormones yearround, creating fish that grow at twice the normal rate. Without conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment or feeding studies, the FDA announced that it intends to approve the new fish which cannot be labeled under current U.S. laws. Once again you won’t know whether you are real salmon or” Frankenfish.” This is a current and pending issue. It may not be too late to voice your opinion by visiting this website: http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/campaigns. Most people are still unaware of the overpowering influence of toxins and the impact they have on our health. Genetic modification is just one area of concern. My latest book, SURVIVE! A Family Guide to Thriving in a Toxic World will open your eyes and it will guide you to alternatives that will help to protect your health and the health of your family. Start this month by avoiding GM foods and by spreading the word. Sharyn Wynters is a naturopath and author. Her book can be purchased from her website at http://www.wyntersway.com

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Director Dereck Magyar on His Life, His Movie and Helping People By Rita Cook

ecently directing his first Feature, Award Winning Actor, Derek Magyar’s “Flying Lessons” stars the likes of Cary Elwes, Maggie Grace, Hal Holbrook, Christine Lahti and Jonathan Tucker. Derek's new movie "Flying Lessons" received rave reviews at Santa Barbara's International Film Festival. The film is about a 25-year-old girl named Sophie Conway (Maggie Grace) returning home to the small town she always wanted to forget. Once home, she is faced with the friends and lovers she left behind, a tangled relationship with her Mother, and Harry Pleasant, an Alzheimer's Disease patient. There is even an Oscar buzz about Emmy-winning actor Hal Holbrook's performance as a man who suffers from Alzheimers.

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Derek is also staying busy prepping his next feature ﬁlm, “The Secrets we Share” with producers Chris Carter (The X-Files) and Mark Johnson (The Chronicles of Narnia), which is set to begin principal photography in March of 2011. And as if he is not busy enough, he is also going back to his Alma Mater Cal Arts to direct their upcoming theatrical production of “Romeo and Juliet.” Known for his leading role as “X” in the Indie favorite, “Boy Culture” Magyar received two ﬁlm festival awards for “Best Actor” for his outstanding performance. He also has a leading role in the much-anticipated Chris Carter ‘covert operation,’ “Fencewalker.”

Magyar has had many guest starring and recurring roles on primetime television too including a two-episode arc on “Medium,” a recurring role on “Star Trek” as ‘Commander Kelby’ and an unforgettable performance as ‘Roy Toy Manning’ on FX’s “Dirt.” A graduate of Cal Arts, Magyar is the son of film director Dezso Magyar, who was artistic director of the American Film Institute Conservatory for 14 years and now holds the same position at Chapman University’s Film School. He is also very involved in a number of charities including Smilenow, California Environment, Ante up for Africa, Heal the Bay and Make it Right Foundation. Tell us what you are working on now with “Flying Lessons” and what are you expecting from audiences when it comes out? Well, the creative process actually ended a few months ago. We wrapped up the sound mix back in October, which was really exciting. Not just the whole collaborative aspect of getting in a room and batting around ideas with our composer (Jesse Glick) and several of the guys on our creative team – but also because we got our first glimpse into how the finished product was going to play. Since then, “Flying Lessons” has been fully completed and is ready to go. Most recently what we’ve really been focused on is working with our distributor (New Films International) to lock in a release strategy so that we can reach not just as broad an audience as possible, but one that will truly respond to the movie. You know, I think there are many things about it that aren’t necessarily “commercial,” at least not from a conventional standpoint. But at the same time, if you look at the trend over recent years, it’s really hard to know…what is commercial even anymore. Throughout this entire journey, we wanted to remain centered on telling a strong, heartfelt story that hit a full spectrum of emotions. And ultimately, I expect that’s how audiences will feel, too, when they walk out of the theater.

what made you decide to make this your Directorial Debut? My ﬁrst introduction to the project was as an actor. Originally, I was attached to play the role of “Billy” (whom Jonathan Tucker ended up playing and doing a really great job with). But after I’d had a chance to read the script, and really immerse myself in the material, I knew without the slightest doubt that I had to direct it. Although before “Flying Lessons” most of my career had been in front of the camera, with this picture it was almost as though the decision to direct, rather than act in it, wasn’t even a choice. was it a personal story in any way? Absolutely. My grandmother suﬀered from Alzheimer’s, and as anyone who’s had to watch a loved one go through the disease can relate to, I found it beyond words painful for me. One of the hardest things was seeing my grandma’s own awareness of how it was crippling her. And I think that’s one aspect of Hal’s character we managed to explore in a subtle, but purposeful way, hopefully. There is a chance that perhaps Hal Holbrook could win a nomination for this performance, what are your thoughts on that? What to say about Hal Holbrook? One of the most brilliant and highly respected men in the business. This opportunity to have worked with him was certainly one of the greatest experiences of my life, and it would not be an exaggeration to say I learned something new every single day we shot together. That being said, yes, there’s been some talk of Hal receiving a well-deserved Oscar nod. A lot of people felt he deserved one for his performance in “That Evening Sun,” where he played an aging farmer. If you look back at his body of work, it’s amazing – the range of the roles he’s played, the sheer number of great performances he’s given. Continued Next Page

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Magyar Continued

And all of his experience, at breaking down a script, and a character, and really getting down to the essence of whomever he’s portraying, shows in his performance as “Harry.” I truly believe no other living man could have nailed the part the way Hal did. So we’ll see, but we’re hoping for the best! what projects are you working on now? I am directing a workshop at Cal Arts, which is something I’m really thrilled to be a part of, as I went to school there. It’s a fantastic school that doesn’t receive nearly the kind of recognition it deserves, especially when it comes to producing cutting-edge theater that deﬁes convention. What I’ll be doing, essentially, is heading a course that brings together Cal Arts students and professional working actors; we will rehearse and then perform a contemporary interpretation of “Romeo & Juliet.” the project culminates with a full-scale, six-week run this fall at the Red Cat or another theater in downtown Los Angeles, and then possibly a run in New York. As I mentioned Cal Arts doesn’t get as much recognition as it should, so I’m very excited to have this chance to bring Cal Arts to LA, and LA to Cal Arts. My production company, Skinny Lee Productions, also has a full slate of projects planned for 2011, including a short and my next feature as a director. And I’ve been getting back behind the camera again lately, too, which as much as I love directing, I realized I did miss a lot during the two year journey that was “Flying Lessons.” So, all in all, I’d say I’ve got a pretty busy year ahead!

Do you have any favorite Foundation or organizations that you work with ? I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to work with Human Rights Watch and People Helping People. Human Rights Watch is an organization that focuses on defending Human Rights, that as American citizens, we often take for granted. From fighting sexual violence in the Congo to investigating cases in Senegal where children were forced to beg, they have been incredibly successful at fighting oppression all around the world. At the same time, I think it’s equally important that we don’t lose sight of the fact that there are people suffering here at home, right outside our doorsteps – and not just in faraway socalled “third world” countries. Which is where smaller, grassroots organizations like People Helping People come into play. PHP, which is based out of the Santa Ynez Valley in California, provides local families in need with the resources to become selfsufficient. Whether it’s emergency relief or helping provide for basic needs, their work has really touched a lot of lives in the local communities. “Flying Lessons” was shot in Santa Ynez, which also happens to be where my family lives, so this one is very near and dear to my heart. what motivated you to get involved with People Helping People and Human rights watch? I’m fortunate to be surrounded by loved ones that are very aware, socially conscious, and care deeply about charity work. My mom especially, but also many of my closest friends.

Yvonne Strahovski Is an 'Angel for Animals' vonne Strahovski's best friends—her rescued dogs, Chazzie and Wilbur—go with her everywhere, even to the set of her hit NBC show Chuck. Now, the trio is doing their part to help millions of homeless animals by starring in an "Adopt, Don't Buy" PETA campaign.

good homes. People who buy animals from breeders or pet shops and don't spay or neuter their animal companions are fueling the animal overpopulation crisis. Every dog or cat purchased from a breeder or pet store takes a home away from an animal waiting in a shelter.

"I think it's really important that people become aware of the amount, the mass of animals that are sitting in shelters as opposed to people going out and just buying puppies that are being bred," Strahovski explains. Every year, 6 to 8 million stray and abandoned animals enter animal shelters across the U.S., and about half of them must be euthanized because of a lack of

"There are just so many dogs that are just asgorgeous―whether they're mixed or purebred or whatever―they're all gorgeous, and they all have personalities, and they all need a home," shares Yvonne in an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview with PETA. Watch her interview below to learn more about the animal overpopulation crisis and how you can help.

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ith increasing interest I read as Kathy Stevens and her co-worker Julie rescue Norman the Turkey from her (yes, her) certain fate at the dinner table. The turkey is a symbol of the Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s staff and volunteers’ passion for animals. Kathy has a heart wrenching understanding of the emotions animals go through; she knows their pain, their fear, their sadness, and ultimately (and because of her), their happiness. Found at a Radio Station “(frozen) turkey bowling event,” Norman was spared from among the hoards of freshly slaughtered birds being sold out of a poultry farm’s general store simply because Kathy and Julie couldn’t bear to see this turkey suffer (of fear, mostly) further. This is Animal Camp, Stevens’ second book about CAS, in which Kathy discovers the secrets of animal personalities. Are skeptics right to accuse Stevens of being Anthropomorphic? Is she making the emotions of animals out to be more than they can possibly be? Though it would appear her ultimate intention is to sway the reader into a realization that perhaps the killing and eating of animals is unnecessary and cruel, it is also to let us into her world, to present us with her world as she sees it, to share her perceptions of the creatures she comes across (and adores) as Founder and Director of an Animal Sanctuary. If that’s Anthropomorphism, so be it. Every writer is trying to tell the reader something and every writer knows that even if they only reach one person, at least they did that. Lastly, every writer has the freedom to influence her reader using whatever means she deems necessary. Though her book certainly draws the reader in and stirs compassion for animals, Stevens is extremely proactive in her mission to spread compassion toward all living creatures, even beyond the written word. She and her Staff give tours at the farm, hold Vegan Cooking Classes (Compassionate Cuisine) and have created Summer Camps for children. As Stevens says, “The combination of allowing children to have lengthy and meaningful interactions with pigs, cows and chickens combined with working in an organic garden and learning to prepare their own vegan lunches I believe works on all kinds of

levels – not only to heighten compassion and help children to connect the dots, but also to empower them to make kind choices.” Children aren’t the only ones to become “inspired” (as Kathy puts it) to feel compassion toward animals and to become Vegetarians. Kathy is proud to have created Catskill Animal Sanctuary “not just as a haven for animals, but as a place for people to come and be inspired to change.” Stevens asserts that adults make their way up the CAS driveway for whatever reason, whether it’s simply because they love cats and dogs and want to spread their horizons to farm animals or because they’ve read the book or are looking for a last push toward Vegetarianism, and they’re often compelled by CAS’s “largerthan-life animal personalities” just as the children are. They often want to know “Okay. I give. Now what do I do?” It’s no wonder Stevens and her staff at CAS inspire love and compassion in so many. Even those who could be her harshest critics don’t greet her with backlash for what might be perceived as vilifying pork producers and the like. Stevens says that because she speaks “from a place of love and always without anger, a lot of the rage that might otherwise be directed at me is softened. If there ever is backlash, I’d simply do what I always do: speak with love, but speak the truth. To do so disarms many of our most strident critics.” In Animal Camp, her

love for her porcine friends, like Franklin the pig, shines through in her stories about them. It becomes very apparent to the reader that her stories are about pigs that are more than just the squealing pink mud-lovers they appear to be at first. They share similarities and emotions with humans that so many might not have been aware of. Getting firsthand insight into the intricacies of these and other animals (by way of kisses for some) is just one of the experiences offered to those who visit CAS. For those who remain critics of Stevens and accuse her of Anthropomorphism, it’s as simple as taking a moment to listen and learn. Stevens says it best when she asserts that just about anyone can learn to “hear” the animals if they take the time to develop their ability to read animals. It’s much like reading people; some people do “just

have it” but some learn to read others with accuracy given the time. Stevens says, when asked if an ability to understand animals as adeptly as she seems to is a God-given talent or something that can be learned, “Animals lack our language, but they don’t lack language!! They communicate constantly—with different sounds, with gestures, with eye contact, and so much more. The important thing is to slow down, watch and listen….and wait for the magic to happen. When an animal knows you’re paying attention to him, good LORD will he ‘talk’!” Looking for compassionate recipes or other info (why not donate to this great cause?) concerning Catskill Animal Sanctuary? Check out the CAS website for weekly podcasts starting in January by CAS’s very own chef Kevin Archer: Lessons, laughter, and great recipes all in a five-minute podcast: what could be better?! www.casanctuary.org

journey of a mother searching to unlock her autistic sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind

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Our objective is to look beyond the differences caused by autism and into the hearts and minds of these incredible people.

his inspiring film, narrated by Kate Winslet, follows one woman’s quest to understand autism, a neural developmental disorder. While she holds no unrealistic expectations for her son Keli, Margret worries that he may never be self-sufficient or express himself normally. Traveling from Iceland to the United States and Europe, she learns how the brains of autistic children differ from “normal” children and discovers new techniques that could offer a promising future for children with autism, including her son. Along the way, Margret connects with families of autistic children, who share stories of their efforts to help their kids interact with the world around them. Many of their accounts

echo her own struggles, including the endless doctor visits and experiments with diﬀerent treatments, the complication of doing everyday tasks, and the inability to communicate with their children, perhaps the most painful and frustrating aspect of autism for them. However, many families detail innovative new therapies that might break down the wall of autism, comforting Margret with a glimmer of hope that her son may be able to communicate on a level she didn’t previously expect. After the family returns home, Margret says, “Before, we used to talk about Keli in front of him, but now we talk to him.” With new hope for the future, she adds, “I can start to get to know my own child.”

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Meet Gregarious Entrepreneur

Martin Miller By Rita Cook

f you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be? Today, for me at least it would be Martin Miller. Talk about interesting! Lucky for me, I just happened to have the chance to ask him some pretty enlightening questions and with his “gin and dry sense of humor,” I’m thinking, “can I be Martin Miller for the day?” An ultra gregarious Entrepreneur, Miller created his namesake’s World-Famous Gin by jotting notes down on a napkin. At 14, intrigued by the opposite sex, he created Success with the Fairer Sex and sold 50-100 copies a week. With a keen eye for unique antiques, Martin created the World-Renowned Miller’s Antique Guide (the first of its kind to feature photos) to fuel his obsession for collecting trinkets. An eclectic businessman and visionary with a knack for finding hidden treasures, Miller’s three London properties boast the eccentricity of their creator and all three of his properties are decorated with Miller’s maximalist approach – overflowing with antiques and findings from his adventures.

As for his charitable contributions, he works with the Nordoff Robbin Trust, a foundation that focuses on music therapy to promote health and well being holding an annual fundraiser on its behalf, the Martin Miller Flaming Art Festival; an art auction that he began in 2009. Miller asks guests to donate the ugliest art that they own for the Auction. The art is either purchased during the Auction or thrown into a blazing fire if no one likes it! You have accomplished quite a bit in your life already, what are your future plans? Apart from the Hideaway, which is a bit of a “pet project” and, for me, a bit of relaxation, most of the next five years, I imagine, will be spent taming the beast that Martin Miller’s Gin has become. It’s hard to keep up with the pace at which the Gin Renaissance is sweeping around the world. Just this month alone, I have been to places as far apart as China and Sweden supporting our Martin Miller’s Gin fan base. Continued Next Page

The Drawing Room at Miller’s Residence

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where did you grow up and how did that contribute to the person you are today? I grew up in Worthing, a sort of English version of Palm Springs. From an early age, I was exposed to the elderly and infirm. My school and many others in the locality routinely encouraged us to help out on weekends and during the holiday season. I guess it was habit that formed early on and has always stayed with me. Tell us about your annual fundraiser, the Martin Miller Flaming Art Festival. what kind of art have you seen donated, sold and burned in the past and did anything surprise you? Well, I had an exhibition of my own paintings a few years ago and let’s just say…I have had better success with some of my other ventures. Basically, I was clearing a few things out – not something I make a habit of – and the paintings came to light. Just as I was about to burn all of them, I suddenly felt guilty, because, after all, it was ‘art,’ and there were probably many people out there who had art pieces of dubious merit hanging around. I had to come up with a way that I could possibly remove my guilt. I could use this unwanted art of mine to raise money for charity, but to simply sell it wasn’t the solution, considering it was a large group of unwanted goods. So, the idea occurred of bidding to either own it – if you really wanted it – or burn it. In the end, the takings went to Nordoff Robbins, a Charity dedicated to supplying Music Therapy for Autistic Children. I never like to talk about how much money we raised that day, but the most surprising donation came from the famous and anonymous Graffiti Artist, Banksy. He turned up at the festival, heavily disguised, of course, and donated a piece called ‘Firewood,’ a signed 4x2. It was ironically one of the few pieces not burned that day as someone paid over $5000 for it. By the way, we are planning to hold a Flaming Art Festival through Martin Miller’s Gin, this year in Los Angeles! So, all of you Stars and Celebs, start rootling around in your attics and garages! what is the focus of your Fundraisers and how much money do you try and raise each year? For the most part, I want to raise funds for Nordoff Robbin’s. Like I said, I don’t like to talk about how much is raised because I’m a bit superstitious about it and I also don’t

want to test the generosity of my friends too much. Can you tell us about the Nordoff robbins Trust and how it focuses on Music Therapy to promote Health and well Being? Paul Nordoff, an American Pianist and Composer, and Clive Robbins, an English Special Needs Teacher, together, developed a music based therapy that has changed the life of children with special needs and learning difficulties. It has also produced fabulous results with older members of the community by reconnecting them with the world around them through rhythm and sound. To see it in action is truly magical. are there any other Foundations or Causes that you are involved with? My wife is Romanian, and through her I became interested in the work that Princess Margarita of Romania is doing. Her Trust improves the living conditions of children and young people, families at risk and the elderly; at the same time rebuilding the bridges between the young and the elderly that had always been a strong part of Romanian life. That life is now under pressure as Romania struggles to integrate into modern European society. what have been some of the highlights of your philanthropy? The first thing that springs to mind is when I dressed up as Santa Claus when I was a teenager. I had the red suit, beard and all, and distributed presents to the orphans at the Pestalozzi International Village Trust. It was pure unadulterated fun, so much so that I almost felt guilty. I suppose it left me wanting more. How much time is spent hands-on with this organization? These days, most of my time is spent travelling and working on my Gin Business, like I said, it has become very demanding. However, I am working on ways in which I can combine business and philanthropy; particularly my Flaming Art Festivals. I would like to hold a Festival in each of the big cities where my Gin is popular. As I said, we are planning one for Los Angeles next year. I would also love to do one in Shanghai. It would be fascinating to see what the Chinese would donate for the fire! what is your most memorable experience working with your organization? There are too many to mention. Although, I do have to say, most of the art donated for burning is pretty unmemorable. I’m waiting for my first Picasso. Now, that will be memorable! Do you have plans to expand the “Flaming arts Festival” in the future? I see the Flaming Art Festivals as great way of combining business and philanthropy. I would love to do four or five a year.

How has working with these foundations and charities changed your life? It’s very hard to tell. I am probably the last person to ask. Certainly, I can’t remember any sort of ‘Road to Damascus’ moment. I guess, if anything, it’s that old, mundane ‘makes you realize how lucky you are’ feeling that you get. is there anything you would change in your life? Yes. My first two wives! what are the three words that best describe you? Well, someone once described me as a cross between Willy Wonka and Oscar Wilde. So, I’ll take a stab at it. Iconoclastic, I guess I’m a bit of a perfectionist and my wife always says I’m pretty grumpy, too. So, an iconoclastic, grumpy perfectionist! what would you be doing if not in this career? Considering the previous question, probably writing perfect poetry in a chocolate factory! what is the most interesting trinket you have ever collected and where is it now? Despite appearances, I’m a bit of a romantic. When I proposed to my wife, it was a spur of the moment sort of thing. We were in an unfeasibly romantic location overlooking Bran Castle, in Transylvania. Not having a ring to use, I fashioned one from some silver paper from a chocolate bar. We have cherished it to this day, although we also had an exact copy made cast in white gold. Can you describe your three London properties and how each is individual, but with your flair for creation in each one? When it comes to decoration, I guess it’s fair to say that I’m a bit of a “one trick pony.” As you probably realize, I am an avid and passionate collector. I collect everything, and throw very little away. When it comes to decoration, I am very much the maximalist. I can’t abide minimalism; for me, more is more. would you share with us something about you that no one else knows? I might claim to be a romantic, but I am also absent minded. I recently completely forgot about Valentine’s Day. Returning home late, card-less and present free, I was terrified of what Mrs. Miller had in store for me. But to my surprise, I was greeted by wide smiles and kisses. ‘Thank you darling, that was so thoughtful and sweet of you to place that Ad in the Times Classifieds’, she said. To this day, I have been forever thankful to that Mr. Miller, whoever he is, for placing that Valentine message to his ‘darling Mrs. Miller’… But I guess the cat is out of the bag now!

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Woody Allen, Mimi Kennedy and Rachel McAdams

Mimi Kennedy and Rachel McAdams

My trusty google let me down in my attempts to learn a little bit about your upcoming movie, Midnight in Paris. Though Mr. allen has seemingly revealed more pre-release information about this film than he usually does, there is still very little floating around out there. i understand it’s a romantic comedy about a family traveling for business in Paris and experiencing a social/cultural awakening of sorts? am i on track and can you help shed a little more light on the film for us? I’ll answer as best I can, but first let me say that when I was offered the role, I had to tell my agent a time and day when the script could be delivered to me. The delivery person returned two hours later to pick it up, and it wasn’t the whole script, it was just the scenes that involved my character, Helen. I knew she was Rachel McAdams’ mother. That’s it. A typed note from Woody said I might have fun as Rachel’s mother; if I hated the role, maybe another role another time. Of course I wrote back that I loved it. I noted in the margin that the character seemed to be channeling a Helen in my own family, a stylish, assertive Manhattan cousin of my mother’s. What I know from the shoot is that Rachel’s character is engaged to Owen Wilson’s character, who is Woody’s persona in the film, a screenwriter. He wants to be a novelist, and on a Parisian vacation he wanders all night by himself and enters the Parisian past. By day, my corporate-deal husband and I drag the couple around on our super-rich shopping expeditions and dining experiences. I think it’s safe to say the movie will comically present the dilemma of our times: given the present and the past – what is really of value?

of the most brilliant social observers we have, in his writing, in his films, and he’s lived in New York, in a brilliant cultural community, through the last half-century of social change, maintaining his position as an outside commentator. And I felt like this film might have something oddly reassuring to say about America’s cultural moment, a moment of decline but also real possibility in terms of discovering what used to be and could be again.

This is a period piece. is the main message historical in nature – relevant primarily to the 1920’s? or can we take it with us today? Woody would insist he doesn’t do sociology, I think. He doesn’t talk much to his actors, by the way, since what he values is naturalness and wants to see actual life unfold on camera in the scenes he sets up. But I love his films precisely because he’s one 42 A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM

You play rachel Mc adams’ mother in the film. what was the relationship between these two characters? Like mother like daughter. Perfect consumers, handle our men as if they were trained-but-difficult race horses. Pretty toxic, but funny to reflect (in this way it reminds me of In The Loop). Both narcissistic, spoiled. I assume my daughter will affirm my values and share my enjoyments. I’m wary of her choice of grooms, but at least he’s rich (a successful screenwriter!) She and I pick out the wedding ring for him to buy for her at Chopard’s—a French gem house from which I got my character’s jewelry wardrobe. Which was so dear, they sent a security guard to shadow me on the set all the time I was in costume! and how did you develop your character relative to hers? We did that on set and at a few odd meals we had, early on. There wasn’t time to do anything else. In many ways, you don’t have to do much except to get relationships right in Woody’s films except understand what the scene’s about and take his (minimal!) direction, absorbing his reaction (slight smile and twinkle? Or consternation?) before doing another take. Rachel is so smart and so good as an actress. We found our way pretty fast. This is quite a star-studded cast; which is enticing for the movie “goer.” is it fulfilling as an actor to work with so many talented people all at one time? It’s ideal. Michael Sheen, who’d played Tony Blair in The Queen, and David Frost in Frost-Nixon, was wonderful; Owen made me chuckle, playing his Woody persona in his own California style;

Rachel sparkles, mentally and physically; Kurt Fuller (who plays my husband in the film) is open and sharp about subtle comedy. The great pleasure in working with wonderful actors is that they make the scenes seem real. That’s what you need, for comedy or tragedy. Bad acting creates that awful, plodding rhythm of staged fakery, which great actors avoid, like race-car drivers who know how to handle their vehicle at speeds no ordinary driver dare attempt. I never met Mrs. Sarkozy (Carla Bruni) or Marion Cotillard, much to my regret, but they’d finished their roles before mine began. i would have been tongue tied side by side with the first lady of France. what was it like to work with Carla Bruni-Sarkozy? It was not my pleasure to have met her, as described. We had one three-star private Michelin meal Woody arranged for us from the chef at our five-star hotel and I hoped she’d show there, but I guess the First Lady of France didn’t need to travel outside her home for great French food… i understand Midnight in Paris will premiere at Cannes in May. any word on a firm release date yet? You know more than I do! But I did suspect that Cannes would be the target premiere. I doubt my role is large enough for me to get a paid invitation! Midnight in Paris is only one of your current projects. Tell us a little bit about the television roles on NBC’s Love Bites and Tv Land’s Retired at 35 that you have coming up. In the Love Bites episode I play actor Greg Grunberg’s mother. The scenes felt hilarious and cracked us actors and our director, Timothy Busfield, up – which is always a good sign that the audience might be amused. There is a christening, contrasting the ridiculous with the sublime while respecting the sublime. It reminded me of laughing in church, some of the most hysterical laughter I know, because you have to suppress it and can’t. A rich comic vein. I don’t know the rest of the shows, but the actors (Constance Zimmer plays Greg’s wife) are really good and funny. I can’t wait to see it. I hope the mother recurs. actor, author, activist! You are a trifecta of talent! My first instinct was to ask which of these three hats you like wearing best. But then i wondered if that might be akin to asking someone which of their children they like best! So instead, can you tell us how your writing and political activism inform your acting or vice versa? They don’t always mix well, anymore than children do, as siblings. There is rivalry as one career demands from another; the writer doesn’t have to pay attention to hair, make-up, figure; the actress doesn’t have to invest deep mental time; the activist threatens the economic viability of success in other realms - this shouldn’t be so in America, by the way, and

perhaps it will change as we mature out of this period where we’ve gotten so far from the Constitution, but even in gradeschool I learned the political reality of To The Victor Belong The Spoils. It’s a very war-based metaphor. I’m a non-violent activist. My whole thrust is to teach and do activism in a way that sheds light on cooperation to nurture the coming generations, not violent de-construction and destruction of everything they’ll need to sustain their lives on this planet – and, ideally, America’s constitutional self-government, freedom and (relatively-speaking) respect for the creator that gave us inalienable rights and, by the way, the planet (Ben Franklin was a scientist. He’d believe in the need to self-govern our way to a solution for atmospheric destruction!) You’ve written your autobiography, Mimi Kennedy, Taken to the Stage; The Education of an Actress, which received phenomenal reviews. You blog religiously and now you are about to come out with your first novel. i won’t even ask how you do it all! But i do hope you’ll tell us a little about the book and when we can see it in print! It’s a coming-of-age story involving three friends – two are cousins, the third is their mutual friend. We follow them from the summer of ’67 to the summer of ’88. They come from the culture of privilege and money, but their loves, marriages and child-rearing are quite different, tracing the different paths America has taken. There’s a lot of emphasis on mothersdaughters, and a background story of chemical pollution and corporate fraud whose effects, of course, impact the lives of women and children. I don’t blog religiously, by the way – I wish I had time! And literally, to blog about religion! I have been published in two compilation books that are used in adult catechism classes in some Catholic churches; Articles of Faith, and How To Find God, both edited by James Martin, S.J., who is a frequent commentator on National Public Radio. Speaking of writing; i came across another very delightful, very short and very SweeT piece when i was preparing for this interview. Thank you so much for all the tremendous work you do that inspires, challenges and entertains us. and from the hearts (or should i say stomach’s) of my daughters, thank you also for your “Nutella Crepes,” recipe that is now and forever a staple of our Thanksgiving morning breakfast menu! (Can you share that with our readers too? wink, wink...) Ooh-lala, you’ve done the crepes? That is truly a lasting legacy of my Parisian location shoot! No better food in any Michelin restaurant than those Nutella crepes sold on the street! So I learned to make them (not that hard – the crepe batter – then the Nutella, ready to go!) The crepe recipe is from The New Basics Cookbook, the crepe section of “Crepes Snow White.” The Nutella is from the jar! Do you have other projects on the horizon you’d like to tell us A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 43

Natural gas is being sold to the American public as the answer to all of our energy woes. It's "the clean fossil fuel," as we look to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and "the transition fuel," as we seek to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. But, as we well know, there is no such thing as a "clean" fossil fuel. Nor, is there clean extraction, as citizens on the frontlines of the drilling boom will attest.

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S R E E H t t N R WI O F ER t E t d GuI ENdSE tR O Ec

by teresa Louise Johnson

he Winter 2010/11 Runway Shows, though swarming with inventive ways to warm up this season showcased familiar ladylike silhouettes. Flirty 50s style skirts and dresses fit for ladies were interspersed with all kinds of coats and knits, neutrals and whites, black lace and rich hues. Acquiring the latest in women’s wear while simultaneously feeling good about it isn’t always easy for an earth-friendly trendsetter but sitting back and letting ADS do it for you is.

Skirts Swingy, voluminous, flirty skirt styles graced the Winter 2010/11 Runways. Worn with the latest in textured and colored tights and sweaters, no woman can go wrong in a ladylike frock, especially the Lav & Kush Silk Voile Skirt. It’s knee-length, showcasing the most attractive parts of the wearer’s legs, with a subtle flower pattern running up the length of the piece. Lav & Kush is a company with an awareness of their environmental footprint and a dedication to sustainable fabrics without compromised style, so for this season’s parties, their sleek 100% habatai silk Lily & Jae Southern Skirt is another great option.

Dresses Dresses, dresses, dresses. Nothing makes a woman feel more feminine and pretty than the perfect dress. There are oodles of options for eco-friendly ladies on Etsy, from an organic dress with an appliquéd neckline in the season’s neutral camel tone to the Black Organic Cotton Scallop Neck Dress bound to flatter absolutely everyone. On another note, the Jonano Citron Bloom Jackie O Dress from edressme offers the best of two of the season’s worlds: look-at-me colour and a ladylike silhouette reminiscent of the piece’s namesake. Made with biodegradable fabrics, it’s a standout option for work or play. The exquisitely rendered Nuno Felted Eco Dress made with natural silk gauze and silk sponge is in tune with the season’s wintery whites and is so much more than just one-of-a-kind. It’s a fairytale party dress that highlights legs and softly embraces curves.

Coats and Knits Coats of all types were shown for Winter 2010/11 but in keeping with “Jackie O sophistication,” the Tough Cookies Hemp Jacket from Salts Boutique channels Miss O. It’s perfect for pairing with skinny black pants, jeans or skirts out and about or at the office. To make a statement but keep with the season’s inclination toward minimalism, the Yvanne coat by the ethically committed company Lia Molly fits the bill. It’s a knitwear piece that stands alone, requiring no fuss or frill, much like the remainder of the Lia Molly knitwear collection. Lia Molly promises commitment to ethically crafted pieces, lowering wastage with innovative production. Not to be outdone, the Elfa jacket is another statement knitted jacket by Lia Molly in pomegranate, only one of many beautifully rich hues for the season (a contrast to the season’s neutrals.)

Black Lace Lace has been a feature of past seasons but Winter 2010/11’s black lace is the ultimate in feminine fabrics. Made with recycled fabrics and begging to be worn with a fantastic long coat, opaque tights and high, high heels, the Recycled Black Lace Dress comes with a recycled 100% silk Obi sash in lipstick red. The T-shirt Skirt, a black lace flirty skirt made with recycled Punisher and Mest (seen on the back) tees, can be dressed down with a simple tee or dressed up with a red silk tank and a jacket. Just a little punk and very original, it’s the kind of piece you can’t wait to show off.

Get Out There! Though they might not inspire a celebration of cold and snow, Winter 2010/11 Runway Collections can at least inspire your coldweather look. Spring seems like a long-ago dream but getting through the winter doesn’t have to be a nightmare with warm knits and pretty coats. At the same time, looking good doesn’t have to mean compromising your integrity. The season’s looks are completely wearable for earth lovers going anywhere from office to party.

Listen carefully...

“You have arrived at your destination!” Sound familiar? By Peter David Mack

aren JacobSen has spent much of the past few years

meeting people who believe they have met her before. They have, sort of. Karen is the voice on many of the on air commercials heard around the world. Not only that, she resides in millions of cars and often interrupts our conversations by telling us where to go. Karen is the voice on your automobile’s GPS system.

Karen’s long and sometimes scary journey began in Mackay, a small town in Tropical North Queensland on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. At two years of age, she could be heard singing along to the music on the radio and the television. Karen’s love of music and singing created in her a career desire that would eventually take her across the globe to New York City; although at ﬁrst, she had very ﬁrm plans to go to Los Angeles.

road.” During this time, an obscure side road opened up to her, GPS voicing.

After ﬁnishing College in Brisbane, Karen relocated to Sydney where her career took a few unexpected turns. As she successfully progressed through the entertainment industry, she began to record voiceovers for commercials, as well as singing jingles for some very well known products. The name Karen Jacobsen, as well as her singing and speaking voice, soon became synonymous with advertising. New York City began to replace Los Angeles in Karen’s plans as the “place to be.” Manhattan is arguably the hub of the advertising world; and for Karen, it was a natural progression to go there to develop her burgeoning, multi-faceted career.

The GPS involvement was a fascinating time in her life, and she was amazed at the simplicity of the whole thing. Karen tells the story…. “It’s done by a text to speech system. I recorded about 50 hours of script, and the requirement was to capture every combination of syllables possible. Then they chopped it up and made a voice system from my voice so that every time you type a sentence a voice would speak it. So, it is a voice-to-speech system. I didn’t need to say every street name in the world. I simply needed to say every sentence they created for me in order to capture all of the syllables possible. Amazingly, it is as simple as that. It’s mind blowing isn’t it?”

In 2000, she surprised everyone and moved to New York City. This was an immense leap of faith, a leap of thousands of miles from Mackay, Australia. She describes her ﬁrst year in New York City as “The most extreme year of my life. I bounced around from the highest highs and the lowest lows one could imagine.”

She receives a lot of mail from people who have GPS in their vehicles; most of them are amusing. She recently met a woman who apologised for strangling her when she got all the cables mixed up and tangled around the steering wheel. Another family has named her Zoe after their pet cat; and yet another has an eight year old who has written a song about her. Karen laughingly said, “People tell me that their relationships are a lot better as they now yell at me in the GPS and not at each other.”

While she struggled through this time, she still knew deep inside that this amazing city was where she should be. Coming from the tropics she found getting used to the extreme seasonal changes a lot easier than “Driving on the wrong side of the

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Karen’s schedule has accelerated as she mixes singing and touring with her band; music and advertising gigs; and acting and presenting. Her life is a challenge to juggle the time required to achieve all that she has to do. In addition to her career, Karen shares childcare duties for her little boy, Hayden, as well as apartment care duties, with her husband, Tom. They also sponsor a little Zambian girl, named Edina. They have visited her and her family, experiencing some very special moments that continue to enhance Karen’s life and music. A new travel show is to be released in 2011 with Karen as the host. “Travel with the GPS Girl” will take you around the world. You will go where the locals go, do what the locals do and eat what the locals eat. It will show how to make your travel dollar go further and travel more enjoyable on every level. Karen is relishing the anticipation of this next stage in her journey. In Australia Karen grew up idolising Olivia Newton-John, and she ﬁnally met Newton-John at a black tie function given to honour Olivia. When Karen was introduced, she thanked Olivia for the amazing eﬀect NewtonJohn’s work had on Karen’s life and career, noting the powerful inspiration she still is.

Olivia said “Karen Jacobsen! You’re Karen Jacobsen? I love your singing.” “That was an amazing experience for me,” Karen told us. “To meet her and for her to say that was better than anything I could have expected. Many people besides Newton-John have influenced Karen, such as: Celine Dion, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman. Karen believes that they are all professional entertainers who manage to “run their own race.” In a dominant entertainment industry, they are very strong and definite about the way their careers are going. Karen finds this incredibly inspiring. Who knows where the roads of change will take this remarkable lady in the future but wherever it is she has proven that she will be able find her way around when she gets there A Distincrtive Style urges you to visit http://www.thegpsgirl.com/thegpsgirl.com/giving.html to see another side of the amazing GPS gal.

http://www.karenjacobsen.com

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Editor Picks 1 Xmittens Hooded Jackets

made with vegan ﬂeece and all fabric, labels and thread are made in the U.S.A for a smaller carbon footprint. http://www.xmittens.com

2 kigo footwear is stylish, eco-friendly minimalist footwear for athletics and everyday wear. http://www.kigofootwear.com 3 LaNatura Feel-Well Lavender Hand Cream replenishes parched hands and deﬁes age. Provides extreme comfort and hydration, and provides protection from the sun. http://www.lanatura.com

4 Chaz Deans’ Wen Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner replaces shampoos, conditioners, styling products and leave-in treatments, all in one amazing product. http://www.chazdean.com

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Peter Lamas places the highest priority on using the purest ingredients – for a unique blend of nature and science, free of harmful chemicals that deliver results. http://www.peterlamas.com

6 It started with a simple idea.That experiencing nature would be better with less. Less weight, less fuss, less waste....more fun! 7 It's a philosophy that drives GoLite to make simple, beautiful high performance gear that's light on the planet. Because, we are all athletes who thrive on the trail. http://www.GoLite.com 8 Made owith hemp, recycled leather, even recycled

zippers! And a portion of their proďŹ t goes to Animal Rights Groups. Stylish and trendy with a love for the environment and our furry friends, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go wrong with these handbags! http://www.thehemptress.com

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model: Tatjana Sinkevica, photographer: Martin Sobey, makeup & hair:Â Andrea Laug

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a.d.o fashion designer

Anjelika Krishna Anjelika Krishna, 31, is a Merit scholar graduate of The School of Art Institute of Chicago. Anjelika has worked for names such as Issey Miyake, Chaps Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne and Tiger J, a private label company where she designed to develop clothing lines for celebrities and designers such as Iman, Serena Williams, Paula Abdul, Adrienne Landau and many others. Anjelika’s vision to incorporate her traditional Indian culture and art into her western designs gave birth to a.d.o in October 2008. Her Ready to Wear line, a.d.o (anjelika dreams organic), represents her commitment to sustainable and eco friendly textiles in the Indian tradition of Ayur-vastra (natural, herb dye). Today, a.d.o has gained a strong core following with clients and celebrities around the world. a.d.o has been featured in magazines such as Timeout NY, Travel & Leisure, Tree hugger (a discovery channel company) among others and is invited to take part in Eco Chic Asia’s 2010 fashion show

held in Hong Kong and also exhibit at The Fashion Museum in Hasselt, Belgium. a.d.o is a 2011 Ecco Domani Semi-Finalist in Sustainable category (past winners have been Bodkin, Organic by John Patrick) Anjelika's work has been displayed in exhibitions sponsored by the Contemporary Arts Council of Chicago, for which she was featured in the Chicago Reader journal. In 2003, she was nominated for the Richard H. Driehaus Fashion Excellence Award. Her garment made entirely out of fusing material was chosen and displayed at Tiﬀany & Co. during 2003 Art Windows Festival in Chicago. Anjelika's recent project has included draping vintage Indian textile to represent her Motherland, which was on exhibit at New Jersey City University and Bronx Art Gallery. Anjelika is also involved in supporting many charities including UNICEF, Women for Women International and South East Asian Woman’s Creative.

sustainability a.d.o (anjelika dreams organic) is a readyto-wear collection that’s revolutionizing the future of sustainable fashion — not only in its designs but non-chemical dyeing, fair trade sourcing and production methods as well. a.d.o integrates Indian tradition of natural herb dye with modern, ﬂuid and feminine design aesthetic. By using only natural herb dye, a.d.o spares the environment of harmful chemical residue. It is a closed-loop dyeing process whereby the herb dye waste is used as garden compost.

I extensively travel to India and diligently research and use a variety of fabrics such as organic cotton, Ahimsa (peace) silk and organic wool. To maintain outmost quality, every fabric goes through wash and durability test to check for color fastness. The organic fabrics are typically sourced from small handloom workshops that adhere to fair trade principles and lend a holistic environment for the workers and their families. a.d.o’s fair trade philosophy has extended to my eﬀorts to save the domestic fashion community as well. All a.d.o clothing is produced in the New

York garment district where it is crafted with highest precision and packaged using recycled materials. Every detail in crafting the clothing is taken into account—trims such as buttons, laces and drawstrings are recycled, organic or natural in origin. My mission for a.d.o, is to be a carbon neutral company. We are a premier leader in creating nontoxic, fair trade and chic clothing, which is truly the future of holistic & sustainable fashion. Anjelika Krishna | Owner & Designer A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 55

a.d.o fashion

Ethical Fashion Preview at Nolcha Fashion Week by BEL ESPRIT SHOWROOM Bel Esprit members Miksani, Vicerra, Tammam, Elena Garcia, Yalerri, Zele, Vella Mode and Gunas walked the Nolcha runway on September 14, 2010, showing styles from their Spring 2011 collections. Ethical Fashion took the stage and showed chic style from sportswear to bridal!

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WEAVING BEAUTIFUL CLOTH Fair trade organic silk in Northeast Thailand Text and photos by Ellen Agger

s we drive into Nawn Thoong village in Thailand’s northeast province of Khon Kaen, Pii Yai is excited. She has served for many years on the board of directors of Prae Pan Group, a women’s weaving co-operative in Thailand’s northeast, whose staff set up our visits today to three villages where members live and work. We gather across the street at the house of Mae Pit, a long-time Prae Pan member. She and the four other members sit on a mat next to the house, protected from the glaring sun. They’re in their late 50s. These are the silk weavers in the village. Like most of Prae Pan’s members, they are farmers who fit weaving around their farming chores and care for their children, grandchildren and elders. Weaving brings in much needed additional income, used to send their children to trade school or university, for health care and to improve their lives in the village. By belonging to the co-op they are paid for their work as soon as they deliver it to the group’s shop in Khon Kaen city. Members are proud that the co-op owns this shop, reflecting the group’s goal of being self-sufficient. Co-op membership gives members the chance to work with customers like TAMMACHAT Natural Textiles, which pays 50% in advance for orders. “On our annual visits with groups like Prae Pan, we deepen our relationships,” says TAMMACHAT cofounder Alleson Kase. “This year we are learning more about the group’s capacity to weave organic, naturally dyed silk fabric for the growing eco-textile market. We have also started to collaborate on designing bags for the North American market.” Co-op membership has also given members a market for their weaving well beyond what they would otherwise be able to reach as individuals. They are keen to learn more about the markets in our country, as they don’t often have the chance to meet directly with foreign customers of the co-op. We ask the women gathered today if they are passing on their skills, learned from their mothers. Now their daughters are going off to earn their livings in the cities or on to further schooling. These skills are at risk of being lost, we’re told again and again on visits like these. Sometimes younger women do return to their village when their children are small, preferring a quieter life where they have family support networks. “When I was young,” says one of the women, “I went away to work in a factory. Then I came back to

my village. At home, you’re free. I can farm and I’m happier.” After choosing samples of silk yarns of some of the colours they can produce in this village, we thank the women, jump in Pii Yai’s truck and arrive a short time later in Nom Thoom village. We stop at the house of Mae Nung who is feeding organic mulberry leaves to heritage silkworms in baskets her husband has woven. She sits behind blue netting that protects the sensitive silkworms from exposure to diseases and chemicals like cigarette smoke. “Raising silkworms is like raising babies,” she says. The resulting silk yarns, painstakingly reeled by hand, are produced organically, we learn, protecting both the women’s health and their local environment. We meet with 10 women, ranging in age from mid-forties to over 70. For all the women, this work brings income to the family. For some, it’s more. “If I don’t weave,” says Mae Som, age 49, “I cannot sleep.” Mae Tong Luan tells us, “It’s important to me that I do the whole cycle of production. It’s a circle.” In neighbouring Suk Som Boon village, Mae Nung practices this full circle. She grows the mulberry bushes to feed the silkworms, hand reels and twists silk yarns, dyes them with natural dyes that she has grown or gathered in the wild, and weaves. It’s time consuming work. It takes 2 months to produce 12 hand-woven, naturally dyed silk scarves, 3 months to produce 40 metres of organic silk fabric. We watch as Mae Pan cuts the reddish green leaves of “maak yao.” She has a new recipe to create a luminescent green. She dips the silk yarns in the simmering dye bath twice, then gets help from Mae Pet, the president of Prae Pan, to straighten the fine yarns and then they hang them to dry. Preserving these traditional skills – and bringing income to women in Thailand and Laos’s rural areas – is what’s behind TAMMACHAT’s work. “Fair trade is about much more than paying fairly for the work,” says Alleson. “It’s about respecting the people who do the work, learning from each other and supporting sustainable practices. It makes a real difference in the lives of these women,” she adds. “Our weavers are very proud when they can weave cloth beautiful enough to attract customers,” Mae Pet tells us. And well they should be. For more information, visit: TAMMACHAT Natural Textiles at: www.tammachat.com A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 61

Ashlan Gorse Adorable, easy to relate to and with a great fashion sense, Ashlan Gorse is a familiar face these days opposite Ryan Seacrest on the number entertainment show, E! News and and E!’s Chelsea Lately. As one of the main correspondents on the show with Seacrest, she is the go to girl for a majority of everything that happens on E! News, everything from major award shows, Oscars, Emmy’s, Golden Globes and Grammy’s. Besides doing major award shows, Gorse also deals with a great deal of breaking news, movie premieres, events, exclusives, but she’s not the typical correspondent, she has a degree from UNC and interned and has worked at the top networks MSNBC, CNN, Fox News and NBC. Gorse also gives her time to animal charities, she donates to the SPCA, to kids and any charity that finds a cure, especially cancer and she recently participated in the the Susan G. Koman and Diane Von Furstenberg fashion for a cure show to raise awareness and money for breast cancer.

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Whenever I feel like I’m having a bad day and everything is going wrong, I think of all the suffering people and animals in the world and shake myself out of it. So ashlan, what you are working on now? E! News extended to a full hour in October 2010 and we are all running around filling it up. Can you tell us about some of your favorite projects to date? I always love award show season. It’s crazy, hectic but most of all fun. Huge celebs, fanny dresses and champagne: that’s the perfect combination. where did you grow up and how did that contribute to the person you are today? I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and honestly I will always be a southerner no matter where I live. The South taught me manners, patience and to always smile at everyone! I still get confused when people don’t smile back. Can you share your five year goals with us? I want to be an anchor or full time host in five years, be it for an entertainment show, news program or talk show. But most importantly, I want to be happy and fulfilled. And maybe married. is there anything you would change in your life if you could? Sometimes I wish I wasn’t 5’11”. Yes, it’s nice to be tall but I’m always taller than all the guys in the room, I can never find pants that are tall enough and sometimes I just want to be incognito. That’s an impossible thing to do when you’re almost six feet in flats. what would you be doing if not in this career? I wanted to be a vet when I was little, until I found out you can’t cure all the animals. Since I love math and public speaking; I would have to say, either an engineer or a spokesperson. You are very busy with several important causes can you tell us about the foundation and organizations you work with? I have a lot of passions but I’m most involved with Breast Cancer Research and Animals. So I have worked with Susan G Komen, Breast Cancer Charities of America, ASPCA, Animal Alliance and The Husky Haven of Los Angeles. How did you get involved with these organizations? I’ve been a supporter of the ASPCA since I made my first money as a teenage. I would send away $20 a month from my babysit-

~ Ashlan Gorse ting profits to help the animals. I’ve always been a sucker for anything furry. And more recently I have been working with various Breast Cancer organizations. My grandmother is a survivor and we need to do all we can to put a stop to this evil disease. what have been some of the highlights of supporting these causes? In June I adopted a sweet, loving Siberian Husky who is about 6 years old from the Husky Haven of LA. She is the apple of my eye and the best stress relief in the world. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect companion. I hope that everyone who wants a pet considers adoption first. About 40% of dogs at shelters are pure breeds. How much time is spent hands-on with Huskey Haven of L.a.? Well with my dog, every day! But I usually work on one event each month. what keeps you ‘giving’ to these organizations? Every time I help out at an adoption event, I am bought to tears at how happy the animals look when they find their forever home. Do you have plans with these organizations in the future? As a birthday gift to myself, I am building two wells in Haiti. Everyone deserves clean water. I am planning on taking a trip down there when they are finished in January so I can see the finished wells. I am so happy to be able to do it (you can help donate at www.mygenerositywater.com/ ashlan) How has working with these foundations and charities changed your life? Whenever I feel like I’m having a bad day and everything is going wrong, I think of all the suffering people and animals in the world and shake myself out of it. Tell me something about you no one else knows? I totally talk to myself when I am at home alone. I catch myself doing it and I just start laughing. Thanks so much for talking with us, Ashlan, best of luck on your upcoming projects! A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 63

Recipe from the kitchen of Leslie Graham,

The Modern Mother's Mentor – Helping Busy

Moms Bring Healthy Home-Cooking Back to the Table Mock Meatballs with Marinara 2 cups brown basmati rice, cooked 1 T vegetable bouillon (or two cubes) 2 T sun dried tomatoes, chopped 1 t. onion powder 1 t. garlic powder 1 t. dried parsley 1 t. dried basil 2-3 T. Peanut oil Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into small meatball shapes by pressing with your hands. If mixture is too dry, add touch of water 1 teaspoon at a time until moist enough to form ball shape. The mixture should be slightly moist—not wet and sticky. Next, brown the “meatballs” in a skillet by gently placing into a pan with hot peanut oil. There should be enough oil in the bottom of the pan that the “meatballs” can easily be moved without them sticking to the bottom of the pan. Gently turn every minute or so until all sides are browned.

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Marinara 2 T Olive oil 1 c. chopped onion 2 t. minced garlic 28 oz. can diced tomatoes 1 t. dried basil 1 t. dried oregano 1 t. salt 1 t. sugar Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Serve mock meatballs alone with marinara, use spiral cutter to create “pasta” using raw zucchini or serve on a bed of your favorite whole grain pasta or gluten free pasta http://www.momsmentor.com

leslie@momsmentor.com

The Laugh Anyway Mom Column Five Secrets to Getting and Staying Organized for the New Year and Beyond By Tracy DeGraaf

nce upon a time, I was organized. Then I had FIVE sons. I’ll never forget the time I checked out seven books from the library on the subject. Months later, I found myself standing at the same counter with the books in hand after weeks of procrastination which turned into months of losing the books, and once I finally gathered them up again and returned them; my fine was so high that I had to write a check! The librarian couldn’t stop laughing when I told her I found them under a pile of stuff in my office. If you are like me, and you want to be organized, but struggle with it, read on…you can do it! Secret Number 1: a Place for everything and everything in its Place. We’ve all heard this, but the problem is putting it into action. So, secret number one is to actually DO it. Take any organizational project no matter how large or small and determine a place for each item in that space and label it and put it back there every time. This secret applies to your purse and where you put your lipstick as well as your garage and where you put your garden rake. Just think how wonderful it will be to know where your stuff is at all times. But how do you get there? Secret Number 2: Think Small! Don’t try to tackle every room at once. Instead, think small! Focus on your purse, then your make-up, then the kitchen drawer. Once you’ve successfully organized the smallest part of your life, move to the next smallest and so on. Try this with your purse…dump out the whole thing. Throw out all the trash, group like objects together (make-up, keys, wallet, credit cards, mints, meds, and hair stuff). Get a purse organizer with lots of pockets and compartments. Or, group like items in small pouches. Then assign a spot for each thing and get into the habit of putting everything back into its proper place every time you use it. Secret Number 3: Use a Labeler! I bought myself a labeler for my birthday last year and I’m telling you, it’s addictive! The advantage to labeling is that everyone in your home will know what goes where and you’ll also know if

something is missing because the label will say “scissors” and they if they’re not there, they’re M.I.A. I labeled my spice rack, my jewelry drawer, even my refrigerator! Yes, I put a label where the ketchup goes! No, my family doesn’t always put it in the right spot, but at least it has a proper home. Secret Number 4: get your family on board! I once thought I was depressed and went to a counselor only to have her tell me that my husband and children were fully capable of doing their own laundry. She was right, and I’m going to save you $150 dollars right now. Anyone who is living under the same roof should share the household responsibilities. Laundry, cleaning, cooking, shopping, and maintaining the home should be a group effort. But don’t expect to turn the ship around overnight. I came home from that counseling appointment and declared from thence forward, each would be responsible for his own laundry. Two weeks later, I came home from grocery shopping and my husband was sitting on the couch in his swimsuit. It was winter and 20 degrees outside. I laughed because I knew what happened. You can do it and so can they. BTW, he went out and bought a dozen pair of underwear after that! Secret Number 5: give yourself a break! Don’t be so hard on yourself. I spent years comparing myself to other women who seemed to have it all together. As soon as I turned forty, something magical happened and suddenly I didn’t give a flying rip about what anyone thought of me and I quit comparing myself to others. I am a work-from-home mother with five sons and a husband. Our basement has hand-me-down clothing that will fit boys age 9-19. Our garage has 7 bikes in it. I’m just going to have more junk than other people. I have to feed 7 people everyday. My kitchen is just going to be a little messier than most. So what! Who cares? Life is meant to be lived. Don’t waste your life comparing your situation to anyone else’s. Just do your best and never give up and LAUGH ANYWAY!!! http://www.LaughanywayMom.com A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 65

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Dallas Native Chelsea Traille Plays Coco in burlesque By Rita Cook

mbitious and bright, 25-year-old Chelsea Traille is quickly rising through the ranks and establishing herself as one of Hollywood’s most sought out talents. Traille recently made her acting debut in Sony’s “Burlesque” playing CoCo, a regular performer in a Burlesque Club. A native from Dallas, Traille received her Bachelor’s Degree from University of Texas at Dallas, majoring in Business Administration/ Concentration in Marketing. Being a first generation Jamaican, dancing and music was a big part of her life, but she is the first in her family to be in the Entertainment Business. After years of dance training she knew she wanted a career in Film and Television and with that in mind she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams, less than two years ago. She also appeared on the FOX hit series “So You Think You Can Dance” and she notes that Dancer, Director and Producer, Kenny Ortega was a big influence in her life, recognizing her talent and pushing her to pursue her dream. Your first big break was “Burlesque,” tell us how you got the role and about the character CoCo that you play? I went in last summer to audition for the skeleton crew that would help piece together choreography for the movie. At the time, there was no real information released about the project. I didn’t get that job. I auditioned two more times as a dancer but didn’t receive any official bookings, and then one day I got called to read for the role. I worked on the scenes with my acting coach and the next week the director told me that I had been booked. My life was changed in that moment. The character Coco is a veteran dancer at Cher’s club Burlesque. Coco is sassy, flirty, and not totally welcoming to the newcomer Ali (Aguilera). When she finally becomes aware of Ali’s amazing talent, needless to say, everyone comes around. So what’s next after Burlesque, what are your plans for the the new year? I would really love to get into television in the near future and I am currently working on that to make it a reality! Tell me about growing up in Dallas and how that influenced who you are today? Well, I’m a bit of a ‘cultural mutt’ because my entire family is

Jamaican but I grew up in Flower Mound, a suburb 30 minutes North of Dallas, my whole life. Did you always know you wanted to be an actress? I always knew I was gonna be a dancer, but I also knew I could be great at acting and grow to love it. what do you see yourself doing in the next five years? Five year goals include working regularly in film and television, married, and considering children...just considering! is there anything you would change in your life? I wish I would have kept all my textbooks from College and not rushed my way through it. I was so focused on getting my life started in LA, and that’s all I could see before me. Even though I graduated with a degree in marketing from UTD, it would be nice to get to reference my notes and reading material to take care of “my business” now. I think that information is necessary to all professional occupations. Tell us Chelsea, what’s your favorite memory as a child? All my best memories pretty much involve one or both of my older brothers. They would wrap me up in a blanket and swing me inside it like a jump rope. It was so dangerous, but so fun! Can you share something about you that no one else knows? I am OCD about cleanliness. I don’t like dust, I don’t like weird smells, and I really don’t like bugs. Needless to say, I stay pretty clean. what do you think you would you be doing if you were not acting? First choice, interior decorator. second choice, chef. third choice, makeup artist. But I actually claim that I AM all of these things. I pretty much know everything! Just kidding! Do you work with any foundation or charities Chelsea and if so, which ones? I support of the rebuilding Haiti initiative. How did you get involved with the rebuilding Haiti initiative? This summer at the Judith Leiber—Don’t Forget Haiti charity event, I was able to learn about the foundation and how it is supporting Haiti. I got involved with the project at this time. A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 67

Mike Dooley AuThOR – SPEAkER – ADVENTuRER

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CAN ThoughTS beCoMe ThiNgS?

The Ultimate Adventure

By Jane Waide

o thoughts really become things? Each weekday morning for the last four years, I’ve spent a few moments with Mike Dooley (well at least with his Notes from the Universe), before heading out to engage the day. Mike’s Notes are a daily dose of positivity, delivered with wit, wisdom and insight. With over 350,000 Notes from the Universe emailed out each day (it began with just 38), and his new book, Manifesting Change, hovering at the top of Amazon’s Bestsellers List, his message on Manifesting and The Law of Attraction is recognized worldwide. And here I am, interviewing Mike for A Distinctive Style. So if you’re asking me if thoughts become things, the answer is yes. They most certainly do! Mike, how do you describe your job? Have you a business card and if so, what does it say? I do. I think it says “Author- Speaker- Adventurer.” Basically I look at myself as a teacher. I teach people about the nature of reality, the beauty of Life and the powers we’re all gifted with. Wherever I go there’s a deep appreciation for this message. It resonates with people. They’re happy to hear it. They feel like they’ve always known it and perhaps didn’t have words for it. That makes it a really nice way to make a living or be a teacher. Did you ever have a single “aha” moment when you realized “wow! This really works!” Yes. I talked about the biggest one in Infinite Possibilities. It occurred when I was a CPA for Price Waterhouse, living in Saudi Arabia and on my way home on leave. I was having breakfast in a really snazzy restaurant in Kowloon, Hong Kong. My secret back then when I was twenty five and traveling on a budget, was to stay someplace low budget, then go to fancy hotels for breakfast. So I was having breakfast at the Regent Hotel in Kowloon, when I looked up at these two story plate glass windows that surrounded me and suddenly realized it was the exact view of Hong Kong Island I had cut and pasted in a scrapbook just two years earlier, when I was a struggling auditor in Florida. That’s how fast this stuff happens.

when you sit down to write Notes from the Universe, what’s your process and what inspires you? I guess it’s the big picture which inspires me. I love what I do. I know that if I apply myself and focus, I reach more people and spread more smiles. Usually, before I start writing I picture the end result, which for me is that feeling I have when I think I’ve written well. The goal is never to write about gratitude or visualization: it’s to feel good about what I write. So I visualize feeling happy. Nine times out of ten the first words I write will end up being deleted: but they get the process started. That’s the secret to all manifesting. Whether it’s a new car or improved health or writing Notes. Start it and then you’re within reach of Life’s magic. You can be guided: you can be assisted. what i find most enjoyable and refreshing about your writing is a sense of blessed irreverence that sometimes pops out. is that your personality coming through or does that belong to the territory of the Universe? Well it’s all one and the same. The Divine Mind is a jovial perspective, possessing great wit, spontaneity, a beloved irreverence, a divine nonchalance. Therefore that’s true for all of us. No matter how seriously we temporarily take things. and have you a wish for the New Year? MD: I wish for things to be exactly as they are: which means I get to continue being a divine creator in my corner of the jungles of time and space, where my thoughts unfailingly become the things and events of my life. It doesn’t get any better. I couldn’t wish for anything more than that. Let your end results be general. Let them be about happiness. That’s the ultimate end result. The more specific you get, the more you limit Life’s magic. Just wish for your own happiness. For more information on Mike Dooley, his Notes from the Universe, and to begin the adventure, please visit his website at http://www.tut.com

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Crystal Dwyer AuThor, SpeAker, hypNoTherApiST, LiFe CoACh

Does life seem to be spinning out of your control? Do you desire change, but don’t know where to start? What if all the answers were inside of you, right now? Everything you need to fulfill your destiny, happiness, and greatest success, is waiting to be discovered, in your subconscious mind! Let Crystal Dwyer, renowned author, life coach, and hypnotherapist, guide you through your greatest personal discovery! There are many people whose only experience with hypnosis has been on stage or some sort of sideshow. Even though hypnosis is often associated with the strange and mysterious – the truth is, hypnosis is neither supernatural nor mysterious. In fact, the average person, over the course of their life, has been in some kind of hypnotic state thousands of times. Hypnosis is simply a deliberately induced trance state. The client is guided by gentle imagery into a relaxed state, which is usually a bit deeper than a normal daydreaming state Besides providing a fascinating and relaxing experience, hypnotherapy is a wonderful tool for reprogramming and therapies of all kinds. It is an extremely effective and powerful modality in healing emotional residue from your past that can really block your success in any area of life. Hypnotherapy also provides amazing results in getting rid of unwanted habits and patterns and replacing them with more positive, productive habits and patterns.

CrYSTaL’S STorY “My story starts almost 30 years ago when I was a teen; when my own perfect life seemed to start spinning out from under me. In a situation where I was alone with a baby on my hip, in a new city, with no friends or family nearby I searched deeply for the tools that would allow me to gain control of my life again. As the years went by I not only developed those tools but also learned the key principles that allowed me to recreate myself again and again and become successful in numerous careers. These are the very tools and principles that have allowed me to create the life of my dreams that I live now.” 70 A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM

Crystal has combined these principles and tools with her education and expertise in advanced Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching to create a unique system of transformation. She has a burning desire to share these tools with as many people as she can reach. Not only has she helped thousands understand how their own subconscious thought systems are what create havoc in their lives and prevent them from experiencing their greatest happiness and success; her system successfully guides people to purge their “Messy Thinking” forever and to create a life they love. To learn more about Crystal’s programs, go to http://www.crystalvisionlife.com. Join Crystal’s Community at www.facebook.com/crystalinphx, or on Twitter @CrystalVision !

8.30pm Saturday 26th March 2011

Puerta de alcala, before it went dark for an hour on the occassion of WWF's Earth Hour 2009 event, madrid, Spain. credit: Jorge Sierra / WWF-Spain

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CREDITS Photography: Michael Chevas Hair: Larry Sims for Exclusive Artists Makeup: Sutan Stylist: Rudy Rocha

“If I weren’t in my current career I would be working with UNICEF” ~ Katerina Graham By Rita Cook

aterina Graham, you know her as one of the leads on “Vampire Diaries,” (she plays the witch), but what you might not know about is her strong background in music she’s been on tour with the Black Eyed Peas and she’s also worked with Jamie Foxx and Pharrell. In a movie with Leighton Meester out next year, Graham was born in Switzerland, speaks four languages and was one of the original Fanta girls (the Fantanas). When she’s not busy working however, Graham has a strong desire to make a difference in the world. “If I weren’t in my current career I would be working with UNICEF,” she says.

Currently working closely with not one but five different organizations UNICEF included, she also gives time to the Strongheart Fellowship, which raises money for Liberian refugees, Invisible Children, which rehabilitates rescued child soldiers from Uganda, Friends Without a Border, which funds a children’s hospital in Cambodia and Children Mending Hearts, which helps homeless families and children in Congo. Graham says she got involved with these groups by “personally reaching out to each one of them.” A few groups like UNICEF and Children Mending Hearts, Graham has worked with for years. “The other ones I have worked with for months and am working on strengthening my relationships with all of them even more,” she says. “I have a huge amount of respect for what each of these foundations do.” Taking part in everything from arts and crafts, to visiting children’s hospitals to making donations, Graham says she believes that “every single action, no matter how big or small, will help. I’m also looking in to designing and selling my own t-shirts and selling them to fans through contests. All the money from this will be donated to these charities.” To date, her most memorable experience while involved in these foundations came while working with the Strongheart Fellowship, “I am half Liberian,” she explains “so a really memorable experience was meeting Lovetta Conte, a 16-yearold Liberian orphan who makes necklaces out of bullets from the Liberian civil war.”

From a career standpoint, Graham recently wrapped the first season of CW’s “Vampire Diaries” adding it was a fantastic experience “I’ve made so many lifetime friends. I’m very appreciative of this experience.” Her character, Bonnie Bennett she says is quite similar to who Graham is in real life too, “when it comes to having compassion for other people [that is]. We are extremely different in terms of personal style. I love Bonnie’s fashion choices because they represent who she is. I like sharp shoulders and platform shoes. Bonnie likes embroidered shirts and loafers.” Her upcoming films include “The Roommate” and “Chicago Pulaski Jones.” “I feel I’ve been very lucky because so many good things have happened to me over the years,” she explains. “From my time on Disney, to going on tour with the Peas, to the international Fanta campaign that I was a part of, but I feel the “Vampire Diaries” has opened so many more doors for me.” And of course, you can’t ignore Graham’s music, adding that her most memorable experience in that area was when she was on tour with the Black Eyed Peas “We did a show is Ethiopia during their millennium and I jumped in a cab and went to the nearest orphanage and volunteered for the day,” she says. Growing up in the heart of Hollywood, Graham says this was definitely a positive influence on her life “because I realized there’s a grind to this job and it’s not always glamorous. There’s a lot of struggle and you have to really love what you do.” In five years she says her goals are to continue to do everything she is doing now and “10 fold” since acting has been her dream since she was a child. For now too, the only thing she’d change in her life “I’d take more risks daily,” and as for how her life has been changed by working with the many organizations, she concludes “They have changed my life by forcing me to constantly remember why I’m doing what I’m doing.” A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 73

JuLIEttE OF tHE HERbS Juliette of the Herbs is a beautifully filmed lyrical portrait of the life and work of Juliette de Bairacli Levy: world renowned herbalist, author, breeder of Afghan hounds, friend of the Gypsies, traveler in search of herbal wisdom and the pioneer of holistic veterinary medicine.

For more than 70 years Juliette lived with the Gypsies, nomads and peasants of the world, learning the healing arts from these people who live close to nature. Born in England to an Egyptian mother and Turkish father, Juliette’s life story is as colorful and as exciting as her tremendous wealth of herbal knowledge. While an increasingly large number of people are exploring alternative means of medical therapy for themselves, how many are seeking holistic healers for their pets? Documentarian Tish Streeten introduces Juliette de BairacliLevy, a veterinarian who developed an interest in herbal medicine and went on to write best-selling books on herbalism and other natural healing techniques. These days, she applies her skills to treating animals through natural, non-traditional means. Streeten offers an in-depth look at Juliette de Bairacli-Levy’s life, work, and research. Juliette of the Herbs received its premiere at the 1999 Boston Festival of Women’s Cinema.” ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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PhoTogrAPhEr by UNClE PhooEy

In New York Times bestseller,The Kind Diet, actress, activist, and committed conservationist Alicia Silverstone shares the insights that encouraged her to swear off meat and dairy forever, and outlines the spectacular benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, from effortless weight loss to clear skin, off-the-chart energy, and smooth digestion. She explains how meat, fish, milk, and cheese-the very foods we've been taught to regard as the cornerstone of good nutrition-are actually the culprits behind escalating rates of disease and the cause of dire, potentially permanent damage to our ecology. Yet going meat and dairy-free doesn't mean suffering deprivation; to the contrary, The Kind Diet cookbook introduces irresistibly delicious food that satisfies on every level-it even includes amazing desserts to keep the most stubborn sweet tooth happy. Alicia also addresses the nutritional concerns faced by many who are new to a plant-based diet, and shows how to cover every nutritional base, from protein to calcium and beyond. Whether your goal is to drop a few pounds, boost your energy and metabolism, or simply save the world, Alicia provides the encouragement, the information, and the tools you need to make the transition to a plant-based diet deliciously empowering. Children with autism have nutrition problems and gastrointestinal issues more often than their typical peers (click here for rebuttal to the recent study in Pediatrics that claims this is not true).This makes their developmental challenges even deeper. All children benefit from being in normal nutrition status, and NCPA works to restore it for those with autism. Decades of reliable data illustrate that even small shortages for various nutrients can impair learning, growth, and development in typical children. NCPA troubleshoots this, and restores normal appetite, normal absorption, normal bowel function, and normal status for individual nutrients. When these things are in tact, all children function better, learn better, feel better, and grow better. NCPA restores adequate and appropriate sources for calories, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates; corrects essential mineral deficits; chooses which vitamins might best suit your child for therapeutic dosing; balances bowel bacteria; and can refer to qualified professionals to help your child use gentle methods to remove toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, or aluminum. This care can accommodate users of a variety of special diets. Ultimately, NCPA's goal is to help your child tolerate a less restricted diet with no ill effects. If your child has used a special diet for more than a year and is still requiring a complex set of dietary restrictions, supplements, and biomedical treatments, something may be missing from your intervention. A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM 75

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Artist Larry Riley

#1 New York times bestselling author maRk VIctOR HaNSEN and bILL FROEHLIcH

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