A Distinctive Style Spring 2012 with Linda Gray of Dallas Fame

ADISTINCTIVEStyle Spring 2012

Ethical

FasHion designers

a Miracle Cure for

CanCEr

ann-MarGrET Exclusive interview on liFE and lovE

linda GraY WHaT MovEs HEr &

WHaT MovEs HEr & KEEPs HEr MovinG

sECrETs To a

lonG liFE FroM 94 YEar old FroM 94 YEar old Protect Yourself From

radiaTion

Colorado

PHoToGraPHEr

JoHn FiEldEr

KaYE Ballard & FriEnds

PErForM For aniMal riGHTs

A lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs.

Her collections include women’s ready-to-wear, accessories, lingerie, eyewear, fragrance and organic skincare.

For the Olympic Summer Games in 2012, Stella McCartney was appointed Team GB’s Creative Director by adidas - the first time in the history of the games that a leading fashion designer has designed the apparel for a country’s team across all competitions for both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. Also in 2012; L.I.L.Y, her latest fragrance launched. In celebration of London in 2012, Stella McCartney presented a one-off capsule evening collection during London Fashion Week.

2

A Distinctive style . com

A Distinctive style . com

3

Katherine Feiel

HANDMADE GowNs www.katherinefeiel.com 4

A Distinctive style . com

A Distinctive style . com

5

6

A Distinctive style . com

classical music, with his contemporary look mixed with his mastering of the violin, the combination make for an exciting spectacle.”

–Mario Testino

charlie siem

freshness into the world of

c l A s s i c A l

“Charlie Siem brings a

M u s i c i A N

A Distinctive style . com

7

A major feature length production from BBC Earth Films, ONE LIFE has been created from 10,000 hours of incredible, intimate footage of amazing creatures that are in turn heroic, strange, loveable, beautiful and surprisingly funny. ONE LIFE is voiced by Daniel Craig and oers an accessible narrative that children will love. It is a joyful celebration of the most brilliant and imaginative stories of survival from the natural world.

10

A Distinctive style . com

Our Earth is Contaminated

with Radiation Find out How to Protect Yourself and Your Family...

By Sharyn Wynters, ND

D

espite the fact that it is no longer in the news, radiation is still being released from the Fukushima reactors.

Experts say that even when or if leakages stop, radiation will continue to spread throughout the world for decades. The sad truth is that the entire Earth is being contaminated. The problem is not short term. Long-term exposure to low levels of radiation is one thousand times more dangerous than a single, large exposure. Yet this is exactly what is happening to the entire world population. Each of us is being exposed to low levels of radiation that will continue for a long time. There are no safe levels–despite what you have been told.

Our exposure to radiation from nuclear reactors is a reflection of a global struggle to move from technologies that promote death to technologies that promote life. It is part of a larger wake up call. The message is clear: The human race cannot thrive while continuing to destroy natural resources, while poisoning its food with chemicals and genetic modification, and while ignoring safe, natural options for energy. The longer we keep our heads in the sand, the longer it will take to pull out of a tailspin that could have disastrous consequences.

From one perspective, the consequences have already been disastrous.

The good news is that there are ways to protect you and your loved ones from radiation and from other toxins. After 55 years of being classified, research conducted at Hiroshima and Nagasaki reveals that 20 cups of green tea a day provided 97% protection against exposure to the atomic bomb. That’s almost complete protection. Perhaps this is why green tea is at the top of numerous lists for use against radiation. Green tea contains catechins and other naturally occurring polyphenols effective in absorbing damaging free radicals. But who can drink 20 cups of tea a day? That’s where the good news gets better.

I drink a concentrated green tea called Calli Tea that has the antioxidant power of 5 or 6 cups of green tea—without preservatives and without additional caffeine. This tea also contains a blend of powerful herbs that assist in removing free radicals and in detoxifying the entire body. One tea bag makes

6 cups—enough to drink throughout the day. I often mix it with other nutrients.

Another thing you can do to protect against radiation is to make sure your body has plenty of minerals. Why? Because if your cells have the minerals they need, there is less opportunity for radioactive minerals to find a place of residence in your body. This is the idea behind taking iodine supplements.

When the thyroid has plenty of iodine, it doesn’t attract radioactive iodine. Similarly, if bones contain plenty of minerals, radioactive strontium and barium are not drawn into bone tissue. The same is true of other minerals and their radioactive counterparts.

Organically grown raw foods are a great source of biologically available minerals. Additionally, I use a mineral supplement that I mix in my Calli Tea. Many minerals can be absorbed through the skin. It’s called transdermal absorption and it’s one of the reasons bathing in salt water is so good for you.

Natural salt (not the processed kind sold in grocery stores) contains a balanced blend of minerals. When placed in water, they become available in their ionic form—easily absorbed through the skin. One of the nicest things you can do for yourself is to take a regular salt bath. Pour one to two cups of unprocessed natural salt in your bathwater and soak for 20-30 minutes. You might also want to add a cup of baking soda.

Bathing in salt and soda has other benefits—especially when it comes to radiation. Together, salt and soda pull many toxins from the body while neutralizing contaminants. It is an excellent combination to pull radioactive toxins from your body.

While the world is waking up, protect yourself from radiation using Calli Tea, minerals and salt/soda baths.

Sharyn Wynters is a naturopath and author of a new book to be released in May, The Pure Cure: A Complete Guide to Freeing Your Life from Dangerous Toxins. Pre-order your book on Amazon.com To order Calli Tea and other products to detoxify the body, or to ask Dr. Wynters a question, use the contact form on her Web site: www.wyntersway.com A Distinctive style . com

11

ADISTINCTIVEStyle SPRIN G 2012 MAS THEAD ISSUE 18

cover linda GraY

cover music “anGEls” PErForMEd BY ConniE liM WriTTEn BY roBBiE WilliaMs

editor in chief dEnisE MariE

fashion editor TErEsa loUisE JoHnson

austin reporter KEiTH ElKin

dallas reporter KarEn solTEro

cinematographers JErrY MillEr (dallas)|BrEnT nordinG (aUsTin)

photographers WEndY lEE | KarEn solTEro

staff writers MaTT KraMEr | raCHEl soKol | MiKaEla JonEs | MarlEnE CarosElli

contributing writers sHarYn WYnTErs | KEn CoTTErill | KarEn solTEro

story ideas sEniorEdiTor@adisTinCTivEsTYlE.CoM

editor-in-chief EdiTor-in-CHiEF@adisTinCTivEsTYlE.CoM © CoPYriGHT 2012 a disTinCTivE sTYlE, llC

All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this magazine constitutes acceptance of A Distinctive Style’s User Agreement and Privacy Policy. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission from A Distinctive Style Magazine.

Artwork by:

A Distinctive style . com

13

ADISTINCTIVEStyle CONTENTS

10

BBC EARTH FILM “JOURNEY OF LIFE”

11

EARTH IS CONTAMINATION WITH RADIATION DR. SHARYN WYNTERS

18

ENvIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIvAL

21

TEXAS ARTIST LYNDON GAITHER

24

MICHELLE DOAN FOUNDER OF EMANI

30

JUDITH DAvIES, PORCELAIN ARTIST

36

A MIRACLE CURE FOR CANCER

42

CECELIA WEBBER’S IMAGES OF THE HUMAN BODY

44

SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD

48

EvERYDAY IS AN ADvENTURE FOR 94 YEAR OLD HELENE SOLTERO

52

AGING GRACEFULLY MIKAELA JONES

67

ETHICAL FASHION DESIGNERS

86

CAPONE “NOT YOUR TYPICAL FAMILY”

88

3036 MILES, 52 DAYS AT 57 YEARS OLD MARSHALL ULRICH’S RUN ACROSS AMERICA

94

SURFRIDING TEXAS STYLE

95

LIvING CLUTTER FREE

46 14

OLIvE NATURAL BEAUTY

A Distinctive style . com

26

26

50

SCHMIMMEL ART

LINDA GRAY

“DALLAS” IS BACK!

92

CHUCK PYLE

7

38

60

CHARLIE SIEM

16

CONNIE LIM

32

SEBASTIAN COPELAND

ANN-MARGRET

54

JD KNIGHT

59

BULLY DOCUMENTARY

KAYE BALLARD AND LEE ROY REAMS

62

LILIANE MONTEvECHI

89

JOHN FIELDER A Distinctive style . com

15

Connie Lim seduces listeners with her wholehearted lyrics and flawless vocals

B

orn in Hollywood, California, Connie Lim was raised in the conservative town of Palos verdes. A shy girl, she preferred communication through the power of music, a power that improved her listening and emotional depth. Her emotional depth comes across immediately in both the range and the choice of her songs.

"Lim paid a price for acquiring this power—her family's approval. They wanted her to complete her medical studies at Berkeley, rather than follow her dream to be a singer/ songwriter. When asked if her parents had accepted her choice Lim told us: “My parents took a while to accept my decision. In high school I trotted in my sister's footsteps, taking AP courses, and landing on Honor Rolls year after year. I was ASB president and homecoming queen, founder of a club that started a local breast cancer walk.”

“I grew up ambitious and aware of my parents' expectations for my future as a bright professional. They were devastated that I would throw my education away for the arts, but now see that I am channeling the same drive into what I believe is my calling and they could not be happier for me. It was the hardest journey in my life, but the most rewarding. To get emails from my dad saying that he loves my songs is probably the best accomplishment in my life,” she shared.

For her fans, there are other remarkable accomplishments, including “The Hunted," a song that Connie wrote as an anthem for gays in Uganda. When asked about her commitment to this cause she told us: “I would love to continue to sing for those who are discriminated for who they choose to love. I'm also very intrigued and compelled to sing for women who have survived sexual abuse or image disorders. I grew up with these obstacles and survived them and I want to stand as a voice for those who may seem vulnerable, but are ultimately mighty and strong.”

"Sugar" is a song that has a lot of weight behind the lyrics,” Lim shared: “I call them iceberg songs. I wrote that song about the young girls in Sub-Saharan Africa who are encouraged to have sexual relations with their teachers for survival. The pressure these girls must have felt really haunted me. Then I realized how I too encounter those pressures in today's sex-crazed and money obsessed media culture.”

16

A Distinctive style . com

“A lot of my songs spring from a sense of sadness, fear, or anxiety and I turn them into beautiful moments for relief and release,” Lim shared. "LA City" sprang out of a fever as I was beginning the grand hustle in Los Angeles. I sat down at the piano, feeling a bit defeated, and thought I'd write an angry song, but as usual, I ended up writing a song of beauty and hope. I use music to turn less beautiful moments into positive moments,” Lim tells A Distinctive Style.

Connie Lim’s body of work “Fog over Water” marked a new beginning in her endeavors as a professional. Connie remembered those inspiring moments. “Fog Over Water represents the image of a fog sitting over the ocean; one of the most beautiful images to me. The imagery of the clouds and the water has always been something mystical, and fleetingly beautiful to me.” Lim found Sandburg's poetic personification of fog as a cat most inspirational. She says, "That poem always haunted that poem always haunted and delighted me as a child.”

Because so many influences haunt and delight this gifted songwriter, it is difficult to pigeonhole her style, but Jay Frank, a music industry executive and owner of DigSin, has offered her new avenues to explore her talent.

In February 2012 Lim signed a music contract with Jay Frank of DigSin, a new digital record label that distributes content free to subscribers. Her new single titled, “LA City” can be downloaded for free at: www.digsin.com/blog/ la-city.

About the song LA City, Lim tells us: “I wrote that song in about 15 minutes, so I didn't think anything of it: I thought it was too simple and people would be bored by it. I was surprised. That song ended up getting me signed to DigSin. It's amazing that the simple songs I create from the heart are the ones that have helped me move the furthest. I like what that says about life and my outlook on life.”

Connie remains true to her convictions to produce only the best of her craft. “My music makes me feel sane; like I'm not alone, and that I'm reaching out. I view my music as a sunrise, or a sunset; something that shines through my bedroom window, to coo me to bed, or to gently wake me up. I guess you would say I strive to be like the sun: reliable, warm, and giving.” www. connielimmusic.com

The Arcadia International Environmental Film Festival will be launched mid 2012 simultaneously in over 25 major cites worldwide. Screening of at least 15 movies, with additional short environmental documentaries. The focus of the festival will be on environmental protection, food security, social inequalities, climate change, pollution and activism. The aim is to enlighten and empower individuals and communities globally to take actions, together, to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Live a more sustainable livestyle

18

A Distinctive style . com

20

A Distinctive style . com

LynDon GAiTheR...

A Man of Many

Colors

By Marlene Carolessi

P

aBlo PiCasso wondered why "two colors, put one next to the other, sing." Texas artist Lyndon Gaither understands the question. What's more, he knows the answer to the question. His colors don't only sing, they are visual operatic outbursts. He shares his secrets. "I achieve what I call 'a bold and electrifying use of color' by placing contrasting colors that are strikingly different next to one another."

He explains his one-man mission: "I want to put color into the sepia-tone world of Western art." Acknowledging that his art is not for everyone and that there are people who only like the traditional style, he nonetheless admits to having great appreciation and respect for those artists who lean toward the sepia tones. "On the other hand," he reveals, "I enjoy painting Western subjects using non-traditional colors that are intended to make the viewer feel happy and excited about my work."

Gaither is not a reclusive artist, embracing solitude in a lonely garret with only a palette for warmth. This man of many colors likes going to trade shows, where he chats with art-lovers and fellow artists alike. He likes to converse with fans of all ages about his style and his techniques. visit his web site (www.lyndongaither.com) and you'll quickly understand the method in his media. "I like to put the focus on the subject of my paintings," he explains, "and not the backgrounds. I often ask those looking at my work if they have a blue and purple horse, a green and red saddle, or a pair of chaps that are yellow. They always say no with a laugh, but they also tell me that my painting are fun, that they make people feel good."

Gaither's journey to painting with primary colors has had many stops along the way. Having studied at North Texas University, where he painted in a style completely different from his current one (yes, he relied on sepia tones), Gaither has also worked as an exhibit designer, a art director and a

illustrator. Although he lives in Dallas, his heart remains in rural Texas. This farmer's son grew up just outside Plainview. While his hands did farm work, his heart pulsed with a longing for art.

Gaither acknowledges the changes that have transformed his life and his art. "My work is evolving," he confirms. "I continue to stretch myself and my limits with every new piece." Asked what excites him, he speaks of "the contrast of color and shapes. My bold, dramatic and electrifying use of color," he admits, "is what sets me apart from other Western artists."

In addition to understanding colors that sing, Gaither and Picasso have something else in common: a respect for God's creations. Picasso once asserted that God had a sense of humor. "He created the giraffe, didn't he?" Picasso is reported to have asked. Similarly, Gaither admits to a certain bond he has with the "Western lifestyle, the people that make up that community, the tools of the trade" and of course, "the animals."

There is pride, too as be speaks about the state he so clearly loves. "We Texans" he asserts, "have a love of God and country, a deep respect and concern for the land, the animals, and most of all, each other."

A Distinctive style . com

21

Company refuses to use fillers and harsh chemicals in their cosmetics

Michelle Doan, Founder of EMANI

By Rachel Sokol

T

he term “mineral makeup” is frequently used in the beauty industry today. But one cosmetics company is moving in a different direction when it comes to the green movement and women’s health…

After thirteen years of spearheading the mineral movement, EMANI (formerly EMANI Minerals) has announced that they are dropping the word “minerals” from their brand name.

According to Michelle Doan, who founded the company in 1998, this is due to persistent abuse and overuse of the term “minerals” in the cosmetic industry.

It’s of utmost importance to Doan that EMANI cosmetics exceed the highest standards of the professional makeup

24

A Distinctive style . com

industry while promoting a healthy complexion for all women.

“Over 169 million women in North America wear ‘mineral’ makeup, and over half of those women do not know the real ingredients they are applying to their faces daily,” explains Doan, whose company is based in California.

EMANI ingredients include Green Tea, Grapefruit extract, honeysuckle, and organic flower oils; which are much healthier for the skin than their too-common counterparts of Petrolatum, Talc, Mineral Oil, to name just a few.

“Within the past five years many brands have jumped on the mineral bandwagon. However, there are no regulations for what constitutes mineral makeup, leaving words like ‘mineral’ and ‘mineralized’ to be thrown around,” continues Doan. “This is misleading. Consumers are buying ‘mineral’-based makeup thinking it’s a healthier alternative.”

Doan refuses to compromise her company’s integrity by using fillers and harsh chemicals in her cosmetics. “Being green is only one integral part of EMANI. EMANI also proactively formulates their entire line of vegan and natural cosmetics to be high-performing while reducing skin allergy risks,” she explains.

EMANI has successfully removed dangerous pollutants from their cosmetics, but “our mission doesn’t stop there. The brand is dedicated to continually improving business practices to help the environment,” says Doan. Currently, EMANI uses both biodegradable and recyclable product packaging material.

Doan, who battled problem skin as a teen, describes herself as a “fanatic” when it comes to skin care. She continues to develop, design and formulate products that are not only visually beautiful but green and high performing.

During her early research, Doan learned that almost all cosmetics and skincare available in 1997 contained pore-clogging ingredients. Out of frustration, she created products for herself; a woman with sensitive skin. She then incorporated all the benefits of natural-derived ingredients and formed EMANI. “EMANI aims to use the fewest ingredients possible in each product, which makes it the perfect choice for someone prone to allergies or skin sensitivity,” explains Doan, whose celebrity fans include Lea Michele, Carrie Underwood, and Nina Dobrev.

“Many celebrities have started to really care about the environment and have made a point to go green… that makes EMANI a perfect fit for them and every woman.”

For more information about EMANI, visit www.EMANI.com

THE GiFT oF GraTiTUdE: Linda Gray on what moves her and

M

any people have asked actress Linda Gray, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing on the iconic show, Dallas, what her secret is. That secret keeps a woman beautiful. The one that makes a woman gracious, humble and giving, and helps to ensure a long career and a healthy dose of success. And though she doesn’t claim to have a secret, after a little time listening to her speak from the heart, it all seems to come down to one word – gratitude. Something this talented and gracious woman has in spades. Almost every day, Gray’s morning begins with what she calls a “gratitude walk.” An hour to spend thinking about the things most of us forget in our daily lives that we should be grateful for.

For Gray, gratitude begins with those little things, the ability to walk, the hot water in her shower, and it stretches to reach well beyond, into career, personal life and her experiences in the world. If it is indeed the secret to success, happiness and beauty, well then, it’s working.

This summer, TNT will introduce a new crop of television viewers to the Ewing family, as they take us back to Southfork Ranch to see what our favorite characters from the original Dallas series have been up to over the intervening two decades since the show went off the air, and to meet the next generation. The new cast includes 71 year-old Gray, back to reprise the role of Sue Ellen Ewing. “It was very surreal to be invited back after being off the air for twenty years, and then come back and be the same character. I don’t know many actors that get that job,” Gray explains, going on to talk about how she relishes the opportunity to work with fellow actors Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy, still great friends after so many years. She notes that if it weren’t for a rebirth Continued Next Page

26

A Distinctive style . com

keeps her moving

BY KarEn solTEro

Linda Gray Continued of the show, “We would never ever in our careers ever work together again, because nobody would hire us, the three of us.” Too recognizable as Sue Ellen, J.R. and Bobby, they’ve been given a rare opportunity. “How much fun it is to be together and how blessed we are. This is a gift. Honestly, it’s a gift.”

Gray was also delighted by the chance to revisit the city of Dallas. “It was just absolutely lovely. The experience of coming back to a city that you knew twenty years ago and watch how it’s changed.” It wasn’t without it’s challenges. “Larry Hagman bought me a GPS because I got lost. I think the first day I was there I went down Lemmon the wrong way.” New streets and navigation issues aside, Gray has enjoyed the flourishing art community and often spent breaks in filming at area museums like the Kimball, the Nasher Sculpture Garden and DMA, where she was so impressed by the caliber of the work, she became a member.

When asked about what made the original Dallas so popular on such a global scale, Gray answered, “I don’t think anybody will ever know the real reason. I think it was timing. I think it was the perfect time for that in the world.” She also cites people’s tendency to look at Texas and see it as representative of America as a whole, as well as the allure of watching a troubled family and the relationships and struggles that develop. “To this day, “ Gray says, “I get stories of people who

28

A Distinctive style . com

say ‘I left my abusive husband because I watched the show.’

Or ‘I went to AA because of the show.’ And you don’t realize the impact of those things until you start hearing from people who say how impactful the show was. We didn’t know that when we were filming it.”

Gray has continued to make an impact over the years on people all around the world. As a U.S. Goodwill ambassador from 1997-2007, she traveled to underdeveloped countries to get to know the local women and to understand and share their situations, their concerns. She gave these a women a gift, by helping to share their stories, but the impact it made on her was also life-changing.

“I remember one village on top of a little mountain and the women were down at the little river that ran through their village and they were washing their clothes on the rocks and giggling and laughing, and it was almost like we would meet at Starbucks and giggle, and laugh and have girl talk. Women are the same, no matter where you go. They’re mothers, just like any other mother in the world, and they want things for their children, what any other mother in any other part would want. They’re concerned about bettering their lives, education for their children, proper food and water for their family.”

Recently, Gray traveled to Malawi with an organization called Nourish the Children, where she spent time in the villages, helping to distribute and prepare food. “There is something that changes in you when you hand someone a package. That you know that they don’t have any food, and

WWW.LINDAGrAY.COM

they’re going to have food for a month with this little package that costs Americans maybe $22.” Though she acknowledges that her position in the public eye is helpful because it allows her to share such experiences with others who can’t travel to such far away places, it has never been about being seen doing good. “I do it from my heart.” It is clear from the excitement in her voice that she is passionate about the work that she does. Not one to rest long, she will soon be headed to Washington D.C. to speak on the hill on behalf of Meals on Wheels about the importance of feeding senior citizens.

She’s hoping to help shed some light on the need to take care of our elder community, one that is traditionally revered in other countries and cultures, but often forgotten in our youth-oriented society.

In talking about the subject of youth, and it’s cohort beauty, Gray is candid and open with her advice to younger generations, those who are becoming more and more invested in the idea that beauty is something that is bought, that it comes from the outside.

“I think that women honestly have to get in touch with themselves,” she says frankly. “I think they have to stop comparing themselves to anybody else and be the person they were put on the planet to be. We’re all born unique and different and special, and we don’t honor that.”

She admits it sounds trite, but her simple answer resonates, “Just love yourself.” If you’re having a little trouble doing that, follow Gray’s prescription, because if she’s any testament, it definitely works. “Get yourself off the couch, go for a long walk and be grateful for something in your life. Anything. Be grateful and appreciative of something you’ve got.”

The Ewings return to Southfork on Wednesday, June 13th at 9 pm on TNT. Don’t miss the 2-hour series premiere, followed by a ten week run.

A Distinctive style . com

29

D A V i E s J u D i T H 30

A R T i s T

www.lrgd.co.uk/jd/

Expressing beauty i A Distinctive style . com

By Ken Cotterill

UniqUE arTWorKs arE BoTH CEraMiC arT and sCUlPTUrE. She finds inspiration in the human body, especially the female torso, which influences the curving forms of her work. She makes large vessels, bowls and more sculptural torsos that are simplified and attempt to capture the essence of form.

Davies also has a strong interest in movement, line and light that is directly transcribed onto her artworks, she is mindful of the details of edges, rims and balance, some of her work seems to almost hover in space, defying gravity. The pale colors of her work add to the sense of lightness and delicacy, her color palette is mainly pinks, blues and white.

Davies works in porcelain, which, by its very nature, is both delicate and difficult to handle, but it gives clarity of color along with a beautiful surface quality. She slowly hand-builds her work over many days, and before the work is totally dry, burnishes the surface. Recently she has discovered a technique that produces ripples on the surface of the work, giving the effect of skin or ripples in water or sand.

“The porcelain is not fired to maturity, which means that the surface, rather than being hard and cold, has a softer, warmer quality about it,” said Davies.

To give her artworks that special look Davies uses the saggar-firing technique, where her work is fumed in seaweed, salt and oxides inside a fire-brick box within a gas kiln. The seaweed produces the markings, while the oxides produce the haloes and splashes of color. This serendipitous technique makes each one of her artworks both unique and unrepeatable.

“The marks, especially on the torsos, hint at the interior of the body, while on the vessels and bowls the markings have the quality of Chinese brush paintings, like flowers or landscapes,” said Davies.

Davies works from a farmhouse on the edge of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, she loves the landscape of moors and quiet valleys. She initially studied painting and illustration at Manchester Polytechnic. After graduating in 1978 she worked as a freelance illustrator and mural painter. A visit to Mexico in the late 1980’s fired up her interest in Pre-Columbian ceramics. Later she studied ceramic art at Goldsmiths College in London. Since then she has exhibited her work mainly in the UK, having two solo shows in London and exhibiting at the prestigious Ceramic Art London, and the London Art Fair.

In addition to making and exhibiting her ceramics and drawings, Davies teaches on a graduate programme at the School of Creative Arts in northwest England.

Constantly inspired by the natural world, in some of Davies’ newer work ceramic forms are sculpted from the fragmented ‘sea potato’ anemone shells that she finds on the shoreline when looking for seaweed. Curiously, Davies finds that these forms connect to her interest in the human body, the worn and bleached out surfaces have a sort of veining on them that reminds her of skin, the little openings, ridges and curved forms remind her of the details of the body.

“My eye is drawn to detail, it is these little nuances of form that interest me.”

The Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi also interests Davies.

Wabi-sabi celebrates things that are worn, aged, and fragile and that show evidence of use. In ceramics this can be translated into an object being asymmetrical or of a simple, modest style and coloring.

“I am inspired by small things, unimportant things, things that are left behind and disregarded,” said Davies.

From the rural tranquillity of her studio, Davies will continue to create artworks because she enjoys the quiet, contemplative act of making. She hopes that her work will constantly evolve; ever reaching to express the beauty in the natural world that inspires her.

in the natural world A Distinctive style . com

31

Sebastian Copeland Author, activist, extreme athlete, environmental advocate, Arctic explorer, and award-winning photographer, is on a mission to educate the world, about the world

By Marlene Caroselli

S

OREN KIERKEGAARD once observed that “education without bias is like love without passion.”

His bias: the urgent need to create a sustainable future. His love? His passion? The work he does, work that includes Antarctica: The Global Warning, which won him the 2007 Photographer of the Year Award, and Into the Cold: A Journey of the Soul, a breathtaking documentary of his Arctic expedition that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

“Helping people fall in love with the world is a catalyst to wanting to save it,” Copeland asserts. His own love affair began when he was a child, fortunate enough to be influenced by his grandfathers. His maternal grandfather, a surgeon working in India, was an avid hunter who, by midlife, had traded his gun for a camera. Copeland grew up “seeing those slides of amazing jungle animals.

“My grandfather,” he acknowledges, “communicated his love of animals to me.” The grandfather on his father’s side was a philanthropist. He strongly impressed on Copeland the need to give back.

Although the two forces—environmental awareness and altruism—did not coalesce until he was grown, Copeland was shaped by the moral imperative that asks each of us to maintain our mode of existence in a way that does not negatively impact the world around us.

Urgency is apparent in his voice as this director on the board of Global Green USA speaks of the power each person possesses. Granted, he moves among the rich and famous that walk the red carpet one day a year and drive green cars on the

32

A Distinctive style . com

other days. Noting there’s a “synergy between sustainable living and savings in the pocketbook,” Copeland cites some big-city initiatives such as Los Angeles’ Green Building Resource Center and the City Carbon Index. Yes, there will be the costs associated with initial green-investment, he says, but the conservation measures definitely pay off in the long run.

Copeland says individuals, too—even those at the other end of the financial spectrum—can express concern for the environment. Energy conservation—letting laundry dry in the sun instead of in a clothes dryer, for example—is but one suggestion. He also points to urban farming, which is catching on all over the country, as well as the need to establish a legal code for the rights of nature.

Copeland applauds small towns, where residents use their own resources to create food sources.

He’s fascinated by what people do to save money and save energy, especially when facing dire conditions. “Each of us can take small steps,” he urges. “To illustrate, we can all take shorter showers. But we have to do some mental shifting. We have to think ‘sustainability’ every day.”

There are big issues, of course, involved with collective mind-sets being rearranged. “We’ve been conditioned for generations,” Copeland worries, “to operate within one mode of energy consumption. Comfort, though, doesn’t have to be at odds with the environment.”

The thinking-shift is affected by awareness, by training, by making small, easyto-do changes in our daily pattern of living. These changes, he hopes, “will start the process of impacting our elected officials.”

Copeland remembers the days when the concept of global warning “was met with blank stares. People simply didn’t

associate it with anything detrimental.

The phrase made many think of longer, lazier summers.” That momentous shift in universal consciousness, he believes, will continue. And we inhabitants of the earth will become more and more intolerant of unacceptable behaviors that harm ecosystems and future generations alike.

In speaking of the two sustainability factors—humanity and the environment—Copeland envisions a future in which neither one comes at the expense of the other. He fears, if we fail to make necessary changes, that humanity itself will be eclipsed, and not the environment.

To prevent that possibility, Copeland knows the future lies with the children.

And he’s doing his part: in concert with Green Cross International, he took nine teenagers into the high Arctic. While he admits there was some frustration as he tried to share his passion for full integration with nature, he also realizes that the concept of climate-change awareness is a slow-growing seed with teens.

“But,” he offers, hope evident once again in his voice, “these kids are not stupid. Yes, they have other concerns at this age, but ideally the impact of the Arctic experience will be realized as they mature. We have to continue to influence their sensibilities. My walks with my grandfather made a strong impression on me. But I didn’t come to completely appreciate nature until I was much older.”

Getting young minds to evolve into selflessness is no easy task. Having them understand what Einstein meant when he said “the environment is everything that isn’t me” takes work. But professional and accidental educators don’t mind such work. They live by Henry Miller’s exhortation to love this world, which is “so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures.” Miller also said we have to “forget ourselves” in order to fulfill a higher purpose.

Moving young people from ego-centrism to eco-awareness will take considerable teaching and learning. Asked if he’d consider working with educators to development curricula aligned with his photographs and documentary, Copeland has a one-word response: “Yes!”

SEBASTIAN COPELAND’S ANTARCTICA | WWW.SEBASTIANCOPELANDADvENTURES.COM

A Distinctive style . com

33

A Miracle Cure for Cancer “A chemical in guanabana was found to selectively kill colon cancer cells at '10,000 times the potency of the commonly used chemotherapy drug Adriamycin.”

– A report from the Catholic University of South Korea

By Christopher Lane, Ph.D.

In the U.S., across the West, we are understandably suspicious of medical hoaxes and scams, given the damage they can cause. Our media and pundits try to weed out medical assertions that are unsupported by science. The Internet, in particular, abounds with dubious products whose untested, often wildly oversold effects can easily persuade the unthinking and the credulous to part with their cash.

Yet as someone who follows and comments on developments in especially psychiatry, I frequently am struck by the faith we place in products that come with FDA approval, but a litany of unpleasant, sometimes risky side effects. When, for example, millions of men across America are willing to "double their risk of hearing loss" and jeopardize their eyesight for an erection, as recent studies warn about those routinely taking viagra, you know that potency is something we take very seriously as a people and culture. Seriously enough to tune out such warnings and opt unthinkingly for a blue pill, rather than a wealth of natural aphrodisiacs whose effect is basically identical—minus, of course, the nasty health risks.

When our knowledge of natural products is also limited, even impoverished, by cultural biases that skew toward pharmaceuticals, our information-base shrinks accordingly.

We ignore the well-known medicinal properties of vast amounts of natural products and end up placing enormous faith in pills whose very advertisements are forced to devote significant amounts of time and space to a laundry list of side effects.

(The U.S. shares with New Zealand the dubious distinction of being the only Western countries to allow direct-to-consumer advertising of psychotropic pharmaceuticals.)

Because I spend large amounts of time in South America, in particular Perú, cultural differences in medicine and public.

I've been able to follow with intense interest the arguments both for and against naturally existing cancer-fighting agents, such as the leaves of the guanabana tree (hereafter known as "graviola"). From all that I've been able to investigate, from PubMed to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, my sense is that the leaves of this remarkably promising fruit should be getting more rather than less atten-

36

A Distinctive style . com

tion from the scientific community. Yet though in Perú graviola is routinely part of a cancer-fighting arsenal, along with chemotherapy, in the States the latter prevails, eclipsing more or less all other options.

A few years ago, word spread rapidly on the web about the cancer-fighting properties of "graviola," the leaves of the guanabana tree (Annona muricata), also known as "soursop," "cherimoya," "custard apple," and "Brazilian paw paw." The tree grows in Perú, Colombia, and Brazil, as well as countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia with similarly temperate climates. In all of these countries, the fruit is eaten widely; it is often put in shakes and fruit salads, because it is so delicious. Additionally, the leaves and fruit are frequently used to treat viruses, infections, and depression. There is also, apparently, limited production of the fruit in southern Florida.

As millions of people suffer from all kinds of cancers, for which we have treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy (generally, with terrible side effects) but no cure, interest in and demand for graviola, in particular, skyrocketed around 2008 when reports of its efficacy started to rise. At the same time, some small businesses and a few hucksters, generally selling graviola with a host of other products (essiac tea, burdock root, sheep sorrel, blue-green algae, and so on), overstated their medicinal effects, whose accuracy had also been exaggerated in all the hubbub and excitement. very quickly, a treatment known to kill some cancer cells and tumors morphed inaccurately into assurance about cancer's cure.

As rapidly as excitement had skyrocketed, skeptics rushed to denounce the "cancer cure" as a fraud and scam afflicting the needy, the desperate, and the gullible. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) swooped in to fine and close various businesses that had unwisely reported an ability to cure cancer.

And in September 2008, Medical News Today publicized the FTC's actions, quoting its director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Lydia Parkes, as saying: "There is no credible scientific evidence that any of the products marketed by these companies can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind."

The problem with Parkes' blanket dismissal of all these

elements is that, in the case of graviola, her claim was not true.

In 1976, as Richard D. McCarthy, MD, reports on the encyclopedic cancer website U.S. Cancer Centers: Cancer Center Information and Research, "The NCI or the National Cancer Institute did some research on the guanabana cancer cure and came up with some interesting results. The study . . . showed that the leaves and stems of the plant were incredibly eďŹƒcient at destroying certain cancerous cells in the body."

"Inexplicably," another site notes, "the results [of the NCI research] were published in an internal report and never released to the public. Since 1976, guanabana has proven to be an immensely potent cancer killer in 20 independent laboratory tests. [However], a study published in the Journal of Natural Products, following a recent study conducted at Catholic University of South Korea, stated that one chemical in guanabana was found to selectively kill colon cancer cells at '10,000 times the potency of (the commonly used chemotherapy drug) Adriamycin. '... The most signiďŹ cant part of the Catholic University of South Korea report is that guanabana was shown to selectively target the cancer cells, leaving healthy cells untouched."

Adds the same site, "A study at Purdue University, Indiana, recently found that leaves from the guanabana tree killed cancer cells among six human cell lines and were especially eective against prostate, pancreatic and lung cancers." The

article, "Paw Paw and Cancer: Annonaceous Acetogenins from Discovery to Commercial Products," appearing in Journal of Natural Products 71.7 in 2008, was authored by Dr. Jerry L. McLaughlin of Purdue's Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. The journal is published by the American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy (copyright restrictions prevent me from circulating the article in question).

In response to the enormous rise in public interest in graviola, Cancer Research UK also released a statement about the alleged cancer "cure" that included these sentences: "In laboratory studies, graviola extracts can kill some types of liver and breast cancer cells that are resistant to particular chemotherapy drugs. But there haven't been any large-scale studies in humans. So we don't know yet whether it can work as a cancer treatment or not. Overall, there is no evidence to show that graviola works as a cure for cancer."

On the basis of the laboratory studies quoted here, with Cancer Research UK acknowledging that "graviola extracts can kill some types of liver and breast cancer cells," you might think that such preliminary but hopeful results would at least warrant further investigation. As the site states, "we don't know yet," implying a desire for further research, but also essentially acknowledging ignorance because of the rather astonishing absence of "large-scale studies in humans."

A Distinctive style . com

37

An ma

38

A Distinctive style . com

nn-Margret shares her views on life and love; arriage and motherhood; passions and pets

By Marlene Caroselli

T

he world knows a lot about Ann-Margret Olsson. They know, for example, that she was born in Stockholm, Sweden and immigrated to the United States shortly after World War II ended. On the day she arrived in America, her father took her to a performance at radio City Music Hall.

This experience may well have been pivotal in Ann-Margret's career: just three years later, she began taking dance lessons.

There's also a lot the world doesn't know about this multitalented star. In this exclusive interview with A Distinctive Style, Ann-Margret shares with publisher Denise Marie, her views on life and love; music, marriage and motherhood; passions and pets.

When Marie speaks about being married, Margret responds immediately, with considerable excitement. "I knew on the third date, that roger Smith was the man for me." She confides that roger made her feel protected, a feeling that has remained throughout their 45 years of marriage. roger, a former actor, worked for many years as Margret’s manager.

“I love him,” she gushes to Marie in the interview. “He’s coming up on his 80th birthday and doing great.”

There's an undeniable zest for life, an appreciation for all she has been given that can be heard in Margret's voice as she tells Marie, "Every day that you wake up is an important day."

She alludes to the Man Above frequently in the interview and acknowledges that some one was working from above to make certain things happen in her life, including her Gospel music recordings.

When asked about a favorite song on her new album, AnnMargret confesses to a preference for "Fairest Lord Jesus"— perhaps because a fellow Swede wrote it centuries ago. She then speaks passionately about the album and about the direction in which God has sent her.

It is no doubt her abiding faith led Grammy Award-Winning producer-arranger-musician, Art Greenhaw to believe Margret would be interested in recording Gospel songs. Ironically, it was when she was doing a national tour of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, when Greenhaw approached her, after a performance and laid out his vision for her Gospel career.

“He surprised the heck out of me,” Margret says. When she asked him how he knew she wanted to do Gospel music, Greenhaw replied, “I know.”

She was surprised that Greenhaw had an intuition of her religious convictions and had spoken with conviction about the need for the two of them to collaborate.

On that first album, the critically acclaimed God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions, the two of them worked in the recording studio until 2 or 3 in the morning, after Margret completed her shows each night.

Ann-Margret was extremely close to her mother, and shared with us that in 2001, when she was working on her first Gospel recording, her mother became terribly ill.

When Margret’s mother, her “best friend” passed away from lung cancer, she was simply unable to work for three weeks. “I couldn’t do anything with the songs.”

Her voice breaks as she recounts the process that led her back to the recording studio. “I know that both my mother and my father would have wanted me to complete that album. They were in my heart.”

Ann-Margret’s recently released album God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions 2 has ten contemporary and traditional gospel songs; the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church choir of Dallas provides background vocals for the legendary entertainer. Of the many beautiful songs recorded, "The Battle Hymn of the republic” is one of Margret's favorites." She readily admits the "Amen's" at the end really resonated with her—not a surprising choice, given Margret's admission that "my faith is deep, deep inside of me." But, she acknowledges—a hint of amusement infusing her words—"apart from my family and closest friends, no one knew just how strong my Lutheran faith is."

In the shared intimacy that springs up when the two women speak openly about their lives, Ann-Margret laughs about being an emotional woman, one who "melts like ice cream," when things touch her heart. “I’m such an emotional woman,” she shares.

Ann-Margret Continued Next Page A Distinctive style . com

39

Passion is also evident when she tells Marie about her accident in Las vegas. In 1977, she fell 22 feet from a stage, breaking many bones.

"I know the reason why I survived that," she reveals. "God was giving me the chance to help others. And when people speak passionately about their God," she confirms, “you can see it and you can feel it!"

Marie concurs: "It's the positive energy, the fire that makes life worth living, the love of self and others that people radiate when they talk about their passion. You can hear it in their voice and see it in their eyes, these are the stories we like to share in A Distinctive Style magazine.”

Ann-Margret regards such story telling as a "gift." She continues: "It's passion that keeps me in this industry," she asserts. “No amount of money could make me do what I do if I didn’t have passion.”

When Marie praises Margret's ability to touch resonant chords in others, Margret expresses regret for people who "don't know why they are here, who don't have a direction, who feel desolation."

The passionate conversation soon finds a new focus--animals. AnnMargret and Roger Smith have lived in their Los Angeles home since 1968. It has also been the home of three of her stepchildren—one of whom is named ‘Dallas’ after Roger’s father, plus 17 cats, numerous dogs, hamsters and bunnies.

“I’m an animal lover,” says Margret, who confesses a guilty pleasure is watching Animal Planet “all the time.”

She now has “three cats and a dog who thinks she's a cat.” She laughs when talking about her rescued Maltese. “The Maltese bites me all the time and I’m the one who shampoos and cleans up after her!”

Additionally, she and Roger joke that they have a “Kat-Halla Hilton,” for all their rescued felines. “It has hammocks and ramps made especially for them.”

Both women agree that when one has not given birth, animals make a fantastic substitute for children.

“I don’t really trust people who don’t like animals,” Margret jokes.

“Animals give you so much love.”

Ann-Margret's fan base goes well beyond the animals she cares for: she has won five Golden Globe Awards and has been nominated for two Oscars, two Grammy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and six Emmy Awards.

And, let's not forget the military. On one of her USO tours during the vietnam War, Margret was in a plane over the South China Sea. She looked out the window and noticed that the crew members from the Aircraft Carrier Yorktown had spelled out "HI ANNIE" on the flight deck.

For all she has given the world, the rest of us can only say, "THANK YOU ANN-MARGRET." You can purchase Ann-Margret’s music at: www.theconnextion.com/artgreenhaw visit Ann-Margret’s website for updates: www.ann-margret.com

40

A Distinctive style . com

PHoTo BY WEndY lEE

Ann-Margret Continued

(Left) Art Greenhaw is a Grammy Award-Winning recording artist, producer, mixing engineer and founder of the independent record label, Greenhaw Records. Greenhaw recently produced Ann-Margret’s Gospel CD “God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions 2.” www.artgreenhaw.com

A Distinctive style . com

41

cecelia web

Beautiful Min

l

42

A Distinctive style . com

ifelike images, composed entir of hundreds of replicated pictu of the human body

bber’s

nd

rely ures

By Karen Soltero

W

hat started out as a photo experiment by a neuroscience major during her last semester at USC has become an evocative hybrid art/photography collection that speaks to promoting a better understanding of how we react and respond to our natural environment. Using a basic digital camera on a timer, herself as a model and available light, 26 year-old, Montreal-based artist CeceliaWebber shot a series of nude images. As she combined them together in Photoshop, something unexpected emerged. “It was basically an accident,” She says. “I took a bunch of pictures, I shot them of myself and edited them into the black background, and then I realized that one of them looked a lot like a petal.” Webber was eventually able to create a lifelike image of a flower, composed entirely of hundreds of replicated pictures of the human body. Tinted in the vibrant hues and blended together so that the eye sees first a rose or a daisy before catching the curve of an arched back or a tangle of fingers, each image unfolding like a beautiful brain-teaser.

From flowers, Webber moved to butterflies and caterpillars, working with Barney’s New York to design a collection, which sold in their stores in 2010. She’s continued to expand into more challenging conceptual imagery. Her first bird image, a peacock with over 700 layers, made its debut in March at Infanitamente 2012, a neuroscience festival in verona, Italy. Her work is also on display around the United States, including the Milan Gallery in Ft. Worth, TX and on permanent exhibit in the radiology department at Renown Hospital in Reno, Nv. The motivation and inspiration behind these stunning and captivating images is two-fold. “I feel really strongly about providing people with natural looking images of people’s bodies in an unPhotoshopped way,” Webber says. Her commitment to show images of bodies

that have not been significantly altered means that while her images are highly edited, she makes no changes to the shape of the bodies and does not retouch them to remove a blemish, tan line or other imperfection. And she plans to use more models from different age groups, genders and races. “I want to challenge some preconceived notions, in the American culture especially, about the human body and the way that my views conflict with the consumeristic push for people to find flaws within themselves so that products can be sold.”

Equally important is her concern for our impact on the environment. She’s candid about the reality of our world.

“It’s kind of ironic that a lot of the stuff that I’m making in these pictures is stuff that humans have the ability to destroy in the near future if they don’t make certain steps that need to be made.” In the coming years, she hopes to work with businesses that are intent on promoting green practices, as well as create images of species potentially facing extinction.

It should not go without note that this thoughtful young artist is also a talented painter. Each rambling, darkly whimsical image is filled with a combination of people and surreal urban landscapes, a juxtaposition of natural elements in conflict with an urban environment. For Webber, they represent “some sort of approximation of how the world feels to be in.” And in a way, they are like her body-art photography, representing similar conflicts between humans and the world around them. Further serving to illustrate a point important to Webber. Art should be meaningful.

“I think artistic people have to have something to make art about,” she explains, executing a blend of left and right-brained thinking with enviable skill.

“I went into science was because I didn’t want to just be making art about making art.” ceceliawebber.com A Distinctive style . com

43

i WondErEd WHaT i CoUld do THE MaKE THE World a BETTEr PlaCE

Tim Schriver and Soeren Palumbo start “End the R-Word”

By Marlene Caroselli

CAMPAiGn

“ Handle them carefully, for words have more power than goal of this grass-roots organization. They want others to conatom bombs.” Having grown up with firsthand knowledge of sider the effect words can have on individuals and what conhow harmful words can be, Soeren Palumbo understands the sequences arise from the use of certain words. On the annual full import of Pearl Strachan’s words. Palumbo’s younger sis- Day of Awareness, they coordinate with a large number of ter Olivia, now 17, is a person with an intellectual disability. schools around the world—all of whom hold an event on the Palumbo had what he calls a “front-row seat” to the stigma, same day.

Although their efforts are directed to students, Palumbo prejudice, and unkindness others showed toward her. He remembers people in a grocery store going down a different and Shriver have reached out to, and into, other spheres. aisle in order to avoid her. Or, people in restaurants, whisper- Actor John C. McGinley, for example, who has a son with ing about her, staring at her. It made him sensitive to the pain Down’s syndrome, has agreed to be a celebrity ambassador.

So has Joe Jonas of the Jonas brothers. Additionally, there are that “explodes” when words are “not” handled carefully.

“The words ‘retard’ and ‘retarded’ are little words,” he organizations like the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation that acknowledges, “but they conjure up stereotypes of people encourage taking the pledge. Ann Costello, Director of the Foundation explains their role in the effort: being clumsy, hopeless, worthless—peo“We believe that with greater awareness ple who are little more than jokes to be through Tv and radio announcements laughed at. Using these words, unfortupeople will stop and think before using nately, continues the stereotypes. words that perpetuate the stigma and “As Olivia’s big brother,” he shares, “I negative stereotypes. wondered what I could do to make the “After a huge outpouring of support world a better place for her and at the for its ‘End the r-Word’ campaign last same time invite others to engage with year,” she shares, “the Golisano Founher. I was fortunate to meet Tim Shriver, dation is once again challenging the Jr., [son of Sargent Shriver and Eunice Rochester (NY) community to help creKennedy Shriver, founder of Special ate a more accepting world for people Olymics] when we were volunteering at with intellectual and developmental disthe Special Olympics. He had a similar WWW.r-Word.orG abilities, people who have unique gifts passion, having grown up in a family more and talents to share with the world.” aware than most, of the rejection people Palumbo and Shriver have turned to these very people and like my sister face—often because others use the ‘R-word’ in reference to them. We decided to start a campaign in which have garnered feedback from them. And, while the camyoung people would have a major role. We would educate instead paign’s co-founders did not originate “people-first language,” they want everyone to use it. This way, individuals will not be of scold them and then engage them to help spread the word.”

The campaign was launched in 2009. “We began finding defined by a disability. “The medical community uses such champions in our communities—first college kids on cam- language,” Palumbo points out, “as does the legal commupuses all over the country, and then high school students,” nity. And, 43 states and the federal government alike have Palumbo recalls. “Basically, we ask people to take a pledge re- either changed the outmoded words or have legislation pendfraining from the use of the R-word. We ask students to sign ing to do so.”

In their efforts to make language more respectful, Palumbo their names to a banner or a poster. It’s a simple, but effective technique. And, it’s a conversation starter.” The event car- and Shriver are making people think and re-think the power of ries over to classrooms; where teachers lead discussions the words. They share Lord Byron’s sentiment that “words are next day or kids on the school bus discuss what they did and things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, why it was important.

Palumbo and his colleagues regard education as the main think.”

44

A Distinctive style . com

Better Soap . Better World

Kiss My Face

Peace Soap

getting back to basics

olive . coconut . jojoba oils biodegradable | eco-friendly | cleans just about anything45 A Distinctive style . com

olive natural beauty o l i ve n a t u r a l b e a u t y. c o m

CliCK HErE To EnTEr GivEaWaY a disTinCTivE sTYlE rEadErs–siGn UP For a CHanCE To Win ProdUCTs FroM olivE naTUral BEaUTY.

46

A Distinctive style . com

By Rachel Sokol

Jess Lauren oF aMHErsT, MassaCHUsETTs is a go-getter. She works as the office manager for a wheelchair company. She’s a singer-songwriter who in the process of releasing a demo.

She’s the founder of Olive Natural Beauty, an organic, allnatural product line currently available at two retail stores in Massachusetts.

Jess also oversees two online stores in which she sells her skincare products and other homemade goodies. Oh, and did we mention she’s only 23 years old?

“It feels very empowering to be a young entrepreneur,” says Jess, in an interview with A Distinctive Style. “At first, it seemed incredibly hard and intimidating to start a business, which it is, but when you are passionate, want the business to succeed, and finally get it off the ground, the hard parts are just bumps in the road.”

While attending Emerson College in Boston, where she majored in marketing, Jess worked as a manager at C.O. Bigelow Apothecary. “I learned about ingredients through my position at C.O. Bigelow. It was so important that we were incredibly knowledgeable about why Shea butter is used, or why jojoba oil is good for your skin. I was able to informally research the health and beauty market, let alone try all the top brands and products.”

It took Jess—who always wanted to launch her own company—about a year to “figure out the perfect recipe for my products. I knew exactly what ingredients I wanted to include in my own line.”

Also armed with career advice from her college professors and her boss at the wheelchair company, Jess launched Olive Natural Beauty in 2010 when she was 21, but “was working on the concept and formulas since I was nineteen.”

Olive Natural Beauty products, include body scrubs, soaps, lip balms and moisturizers and are all 100 percent handmade, natural and organic, and use no synthetics or preservatives.

Ingredients include fairly traded organic cocoa butter, and fairly traded organic Shea butter through the African Fair Trade Council—profits of which empower women in Africa.

Every product is handmade by Jess, from start to finish.

“All Olive Natural Beauty products are also cruelty free, and synthetic and preservative free,” adds Jess, who created her own brochures and marketing materials that outline every ingredient used in her line.

So—why is olive oil a key ingredient? As Jess explains, “I grew up in an Italian household, so I learned from a young age how beneficial and important extra virgin olive oil can be for the body’s health. My grandparents used it as a regular skin moisturizer! It’s a Mediterranean tried- and-true skin care secret now available to everyone!”

What’s next for this very ambitious career woman, who credits her parents for instilling her passion and “desire to succeed?”

“Down the road I would love to open my own storefront, carrying Olive Natural Beauty products, of course!” says Jess. “After that, who knows? I have a few other ventures up my sleeve.”

A Distinctive style . com

47

stories are shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education and cultural preservation. Meet a woman with nearly a century of stories to tell!

every day IS a NEW adventure for 94 year old HELENE SOLTERO

By Karen Soltero

A

t 94 years old, Helene Soltero is not only alive, she’s thriving.

In a youth-centric society, where people over a certain age are often disregarded, ignored or even abandoned, she’s proof-positive that life quite simply doesn’t end when we think it does.

“Nobody’s too old to try anything they want to do,” she says, simply. Helene took up tap dancing for the first time at 77. About a year ago, she started taking Zoomba classes. These days, she keeps up with a busy schedule, playing poker and bridge, working out and competing in a Wii bowling league at a Senior Facility in Dallas, where she’s been a resident for the past eighteen months, following the death of her husband, Albert in 2010.

Senior Living Centers and people like Helene are going a long way in making a difference in the idea that members of our older generation no longer want to “have a life.”

In other cultures and countries, elders are both respected and cared for by younger generations. Here in the U.S., elder

48

A Distinctive style . com

care is often seen as a burden. But these men and women are the guardians of our past, the keepers and tellers of the stories of a changing world.

Born in 1917, Helene lived through two World Wars, waited while her husband served for years at a time overseas, raising children and keeping the home.

With almost a century under her belt, she’s seen the evolution of the modern home, been in-step with the advancements in technology and is in a unique position to appreciate the ease of using her MacBook Air to send emails.

Dustin Allen, head of the wellness department at the senior living facility where Helene resides, tells us that Helene is an inspiration for other residents, including those younger than her. She often can be found encouraging her neighbors to try new things, to get out and move and most importantly, to keep having fun. She says that’s what she’s done all her life and that’s what her husband would want her to continue to do.

See our interview with Helene and if you would like to contact her, she’d love to hear from you! Email her at: helene1@soltero.org.

Photo by Karen soltero www.karensolterophotography.com

A Distinctive style . com

49

SChimmel Art

TransForMinG JUnK Mail inTo siMPlE BEaUTY BY raCHEl soKol

Everyone has a pet peeve, and finding stacks of catalogs, glossy brochures and other junk mail inside your mailbox is a common one. Do we women really need any more in-your-face messages about what society thinks makes a woman desirable? Err, no.

Artist Sandhi Schimmel Gold decided to take the media’s idea of beauty into her own hands—literally. She put all that junk mail to good use by using it to create stunning mosaics—called Papier collé—of women’s faces.

A mosaic is when pieces of various materials, of all different colors, shapes and sizes, are assembled to create an image or composition.

Basically, Gold transforms junk mail into art; a reminder that one can find beauty in the little details.

50

A Distinctive style . com

WWW.SCHIMMELArT.COM/INDEx.HTM

“Every society or age has its own version of beauty. A hundred years ago, a woman was considered attractive if she had wide hips for childbirth,” explains Gold, adding that in some cultures, the length of one’s neck, or shortness of her feet reflects “beauty.”

“However, today, at least in America, our ideal is so unrealistic.

Women are held to an impossible standard,” says Gold. “That is why I find it so amusing to destroy the images of beauty that arrive in my mailbox and create a whole other image of simple beauty from the advertisements aimed at our vulnerability.”

Gold’s inspiration stems from history to travel, to even popculture. “I am mostly interested in women’s faces, as you can tell, and when I create an image, I let the inspiration flow. A

face becomes part of a story once I start working,” says Gold.

“A simple sketch turns into an icon, or a statement about mortality, or illustrate the lyrics of a favorite song…”

Gold, who lives in virginia, uses all upcycled paper in her mosaics; items that would normally go to waste, such as old greeting cards, catalogs, postcards and calendars.

Additionally, Gold only uses water-based, acid-free nontoxic paint, adhesives and coatings when creating art.

Early in her career, Gold worked as a muralist, a consumer goods designer, and a special event designer. She also traveled to Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey to view and study mosaics.

“I was always painting custom portraits on the side,” she says. “After studying tile/glass mosaics for while, I felt like I needed to do something different; something no one else was doing…”

Gold began experimenting on some of her own paintings, adding paper “tiles” and embellishing everything in her house with paper tiles, including her lamp shades. She calls her current collection of portraits “a marriage of my two loves–painting and mosaic work.”

When Gold creates one of her stunning portraits, she sketches first, sometimes paints, then glues each of the pieces, cutting them at least eight times from raw material to the exact shape to fit the space she’s placing it...

“The eyes are usually painted and the entire piece has a coating of some sort to protect the surface,” she explains.

If a client is interested in custom (commissioned) artwork, Gold explains what the client needs to do.

“First, the client needs to send me some photos of the subject. Then I will create a painting for you to review and approve.

You would give me some input regarding style and colors; and you can submit materials you’d like me to include,” she says.

“Once you approve the painting, the mosaic starts.”

Gold spends most nights in her personal studio, unless she is traveling. This night owl explains, “I am most creative and energetic at night. When I am in the mood to paint, nothing stops me... I can go on for hours.”

Gold’s work is can be found in private, corporate and museum collections all over the world.

“I’ve been so honored to have a few solo museum shows, I have been approached to do custom portraits by several people who love my work, and have had gallery shows,” she says.

Not only are adults inspired by her talent, but also Gold even has young fans!

“I’ve had kids write me, a asking for advice on how to create their own ‘Schimmel Art.’ When someone loves what you do, that comes from your mind and is created by your hands—it’s amazing.”

CliCK HErE To EnTEr GivEaWaY a disTinCTivE sTYlE rEadErs...siGn UP For a CHanCE To Win a CollECTion oF GiFT Cards WiTH PiCTUrEs oF sCHiMMEl arT

SHINE YOUR LIGHT Eight Spiritual Attitudes For Aging Gracefully

By Mikaela Katherine Jones

B

eyond the physical practices of eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, keeping the body moving, and nurturing yourself with mindful relaxation, more of us every day are realizing that the spiritual attitudes we hold in life are just as important to live fully and age gracefully.

I think of the ladies featured in this issue of ADS and how bright their light still shines… so inspiring! I’m nearing fortysix, and am often told I look and act years younger, hah! My life hasn’t been ‘easy’, so I take that as a compliment.

Here are eight of my favorite spiritual attitudes I practice, so that when I reach my 80’s, I’m pretty confident I will still be looking and acting much younger…wearing purple and all!

Let’s do it together…

1. Know Thyself. Be yourself, not somebody else’s idea of who you should be. Own your gifts. Listen to your heart to find your life’s purpose and express it. Over time, the expression of your purpose will change. Give it your all…

L-I-v-E, LIvE! 2. Practice seeing the world with the eyes of your inner child.

It expands your ability to experience the magic of life. Take delight in the small moments of your day… the sun on your face, the taste of a peach, a wild flower poking through a crack in the sidewalk, a child’s laughter. These pleasurable moments will juice you up if you take the time to truly appreciate them.

3. Release the past. Let the power of your inner light, your True Self, heal your ‘could haves’, ‘should haves’, and ‘wish I would haves’.

4. Hold your head high. You are a beautiful and powerful being of light. Remembering that you are a spiritual being having a physical adventure helps you hold life in perspective and take yourself more lightly.

52

A Distinctive style . com

5. Give up being perfect. As long as you’re in the body, you still have things to learn and experience. It’s not your job to be perfect; it’s your job to share your light. In so doing, you will inspire and uplift those around you. (You’ll also have a lot more FUN!) 6. Trust in the process of your life. Even if something ‘bad’ happens. Have faith that something good will come from it. It may take years to see the blessing, but you will. Set your intention for the future, and be unattached to the results. The Creator may have a different and better plan for you.

7. Make compassion your word for the day, your word for life.

Give others a break, we all make mistakes. Forgive yourself and others, and remember you’re never alone. You’re always connected to your light. Ask for guidance. Ask to grow.

8. Learn to laugh at yourself. You’re pretty funny. Come on, you know you are. Laughing at yourself is one of the best prescriptions for slowing down the aging process. (Don’t worry, your eyes will shine so bright, nobody’s going to notice any ‘laugh’ lines through all that radiance!)

It is my prayer that these eight spiritual attitudes will enable you to live with more peace, courage, and joy in your heart…which is in all ways, a timeless and precious beauty.

Mikaela Jones is an inspirational writer, speaker, hypnotherapist, and Delight Frequency® Manifestation Meditation Teacher. For more tools to shine bright, (including some free ones) visit www.MikaelaJones.com. Mikaela's work will enable you to fulfill your unique personal vision by helping you stay connected with your True Self, and find delight daily…so you can shine.

THrIVE is an unconventional documentary that lifts the veil on what's rEALLY going on in our world by following the money upstream -uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives. Weaving together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism, THrIVE oers real solutions, empowering us with unprecedented and bold strategies for reclaiming our lives and our future.

JZ KniGHT is a GUEsT on THE HolisTiC HEalTH sHoW WiTH HosT Carl o. HElviE listen to the interview below

Click Here for Interview

J

Z Knight is the unique channel of Ramtha and author of the best-selling autobiography, “A State of Mind, My Story.”

Historians and religious experts who have studied her life’s work call JZ Knight the Great American Channel and recognize her as one of the most charismatic and compelling spiritual leaders of the modern age.

JZ Knight and Ramtha have captivated and inspired audiences worldwide for the last three decades, bridging ancient wisdom and the power of consciousness together with the latest discoveries in science. JZ Knight has appeared on national Tv shows, such as Larry King and The Merv Griffin Show, offering spiritual insight and inspiration to thousands of people from all over the world and all walks of life, including many well-known figures from the entertainment world.

Knight is the president of JZK, Inc and Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment (www.ramtha.com), a unique academy located in the foothills of Mt. Rainier in Washington State. The school was established in the 1980s and hosts over 10,000 students from the United States and 60 foreign countries. JZ Knight is the “channel” through which Ramtha delivers his message. Ramtha is an ascended Master Teacher who learned in his lifetime the unlimited potential of our minds for creating reality and the extraordinary in our lives. Ramtha lived as a human being on Earth 35,000 years ago. In that lifetime he discovered the true nature of the human person, the power of the mind, and the malleable nature of physical reality. Through his study of the nature of reality he achieved the supreme convergence of spirit and matter and became an ascended master. His powerful message of hope for humanity has already changed countless lives — none more powerfully and dramatically than JZ’s own life.

aBoUT THE HolisTiC HEalTH sHoW The Holistic Health Show could save your life by providing you with comprehensive holistic interventions for staying well and overcoming illnesses. Staying healthy and overcoming illnesses involve a combination of body-mind-spiritenvironment-relationship-political interventions. Carl O. Helvie believes these interventions should be the most effective ones available and also the least caustic and invasive. Many guests on this show will present an in depth discussion on one aspect of the whole holistic approach..

However, the host believes interventions in the six areas identified above should be used together for maximum effectiveness. On the premier show the host applied interventions in these six areas to wellness, stress, and cancer to help listeners see how they work together for wellness or recovery from illness.

The outcomes of interventions on health presented on this show and in Helvie’s book Healthy Holistic Aging: A Blueprint for Success are based on research. They show that eating a proper diet; exercising regularly; getting adequate sleep and rest; using affirmations and visualization; meditating and praying daily; having a positive outlook; developing the spiritual attributes of patience, faith, and forgiveness; maintaining close friendships; and living in a clean environment will assure a healthy life.

Holistic Health Show: www.HolisticHealthShow.com E-mail: CarlHelvie@cox.net

Karen Soltero PHOTOGRAPHY DallaS

56

A Distinctive style . com

Book Creators

Circle

aBasEd

MEMBErsHiP

CoMMUniTY THaTProFilEs and ProMoTEs

asPirinG WriTErs To EsTaBlisHEd aUTHors

and BooK

indUsTriEs

www.bookcr eator scir cle.com.au | admin@bookcr eator scir cle.com.au A Distinctive style . com

57

58

A Distinctive style . com

“BULLY,” the documentary, follows three victims of bullying, and two families of children (Tyler Long, 17, and Ty Smalley, 11) who committed suicide after abuse at the hands of their peers.

Lee Hirsch, director of BULLY said; "I made BULLY for kids to see the bullies as well as the bullied. We have to change hearts and minds in order to stop this epidemic, which has scarred countless lives and driven many children to suicide.”

“To capture the stark reality of bullying, we had to capture the way kids act and speak in their everyday lives and the fact is that kids use profanity. It is heartbreaking that the MPAA, in adhering to a strict limit on certain words, would end up keeping this film from those who need to see it most.

No one could make this case more powerfully than Alex Libby, and I am so proud and honored that he is stepping forward to make a personal appeal."

SYNOPSIS –BULLY: The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Safe and Drug-Free Schools estimates that over 13 million American kids will be bullied this year, making it the most common form of violence experienced by young people in the nation. In the new documentary BULLY , award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch brings human scale to this startling statistic, offering an intimate, unflinching look at how bullying has touched five kids and their families. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.

A Distinctive style . com

59

Doin’ It For Love INTERVIEW

I

magine how accomplished you would be, how reďŹ ned your skills would be, if you had devoted sixty years to your craft. Now take your thinking a step further: Imagine an awardwinning trio of performers with two and a half centuries' worth of dedication to the crafts of song and dance and drama and comedy. If your imagination can encompass such a scenario, then you can no doubt imagine the delight Austin theatre-goers had when they watched Lee Roy Reams, Kaye Ballard, and Liliane Montevecchi in "Doin' it for Love."

Before the performance, the Broadway stars shared their childhood stories and career highlights with A Distinctive Style, Sponsored by the Texas Humane Legislation Network, the "Love" evening made imaginations soar as these revered celebrities went on stage--not to break a leg but to raise a leg--in Liliane Montevecchi's case, at least. (At age 80, can still lift hers above her head!)

Watch the video as they open their hearts and explore their memories with A Distinctive Style readers.

60

A Distinctive style . com

100% of the proceeds from this show were dontate to the Texas Humane Legislation Network to help promote the humane treatment of animals.

LILIANE moNTEVECChI

LEE Roy REAmS

KATE BALLARD A Distinctive style . com

61

LILIANE MONTEVECCHI

Continues to reaCh above her head as she performs into her 80’s

By Marlene Caroselli

"CEASE TO GNAW THAT CrUST. There's ripe fruit above your head." Henry David Thoreau's words perfectly match Liliane Montevecchi's attitude toward life. Still performing at age 80, Montecchi spoke with A Distinctive Style's publisher, Denise Marie, who asked which was the most difficult of the many roles the actress has played-–both offstage and on.

With characteristic optimism and equal candor, Montevecchi reveals, "Nothing has been difficult for me. Ever. And I hope it will stay like that until the day I die." Despite the moves she has made in her career, Montevecchi acknowledges that "everything was given to me and everything has been good."

From Paris to Hollywood, from the prima ballerina stage to the Broadway theatre, she reveals that she never moved without having a contract. This beautiful octogenarian had a role written for and named after her. As Liliane in Nine, she won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for that role. Not surprisingly, Montevecchi admits having fun with everything she does. When she auditioned for Nine, she refused to sing without a pianist. But, she told Tommy Tune, "I would adore to have dinner with you." Dine they did and, after an a cappella rendition of "La vie en Rose," she was soon offered the role. A wonderful partnership had begun.

This 80-year-old dynamo, who can easily move her leg behind her ear, was asked how she stays in shape. "I stretch every day," she confesses. She regards herself as a ballerina still and is grateful for being so limber. "I like to show people my movements to encourage them to stay in shape, too," she reveals.

Denise Marie asks about the time Montevecchi and her mother were arrested in Spain. Montevecchi chuckles: "Yes, we were arrested but we were not put in jail. In the 40's it was not considered proper for a woman to show her legs or to wear short dresses. And my mother wanted everyone to see my

62

A Distinctive style . com

beautiful legs. She did not care about 'proper' and 'not proper.'

The police arrested us and took us back to our hotel. There, we had to change to longer dresses."

Montevecchi's mother was a milliner. She copied the designs of the most famous dress designers of the day. "That's why I was always dressed to the nines," Montevecchi says. "My mother left me with a wonderful legacy of boldness. In Paris, for example, people who stroll in the park are prevented from walking on the grass. My mother made me walk on the grass because it was cleaner than the pathways," she recalls.

"Nothing was ever forbidden and so, I never did anything bad as a child because I had so much freedom. My mother was so disciplined, so beautiful," she reminisces. "It was my joy to have this woman next to me as a lesson of dignity and charm." Sadness can be heard in the star's voice as she tells of her parents' divorce when she was 12. Her father never got to see her perform as a result. But oh, what adventures she had with her mother.

Often quoted for saying, "You don't have to have money to be chic," Montevecchi marvels at how a woman can look "fantastic, with just a little money." She doesn't like some of the new designs, though, which she describes as "messy." She wisely adds, "If you look like a mess, you will feel like a mess.

And if you feel like a mess, you will think like a mess."

"Mess" and "Montevecchi" are antithetical terms. This elegant woman, who names champagne as her secret indulgence, is most proud of winning a Tony for her first Broadway role. She appreciates the recognition, especially because she won "as a foreigner." She humbly concedes, "I know many people wait much longer for that recognition."

Throughout her life, Montevecchi has reached for the metaphorical ripe fruit she saw above her head. You can hear that refusal to "gnaw crusts" when she says, "I am not going to sit on my derriere and wait for something to happen."

Much is indeed happening for this talented Frenchwoman.

She has a concert scheduled in New York and then it's off to Frankfurt for two months, and then a play in Paris.

Regarding the "ripe fruit" she has reached for, Montevecchi advises patience, passion, and discipline. "Life has taught me to be happy with what I have," she affirms. And those who have had the good fortune to watch Liliane Montevecchi perform are ecstatically happy with what they have seen.

L O V E

F o r

I t

d o i n

MONICA HARDY

eXeCutive direCtor of thLn regards “doin’ it for Love” a huge suCCess!

By Marlene Caroselli

IF ANIMALS COULD GIVE COMPASSION AWArDS, Monica Hardy, Executive Director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN), would surely walk away with her own golden statue, year after year after year. Hers is a grass roots organization— nearly 100% volunteer. There are ten regional chapters in the state. Each is committed to promoting the humane treatment of animals. THLN members reach out to various communities, especially the lawmaking community. They do tabling events, attend conferences, hold an annual conference themselves, and engage in anything that will help spread the word about their campaigns.

It's their legislative advocacy that makes THLN unique. They lobby to effect laws that will protect animals. Additionally, the group monitors all animal laws during the Texas legislative sessions. They push their own initiatives, which include educating the public about puppy mills. In the last session, THLN promoted and worked with sponsors of the bill that would ensure dogs and cats in large-scale breeding operations will be treated humanely. The bill passed and will have inspectors from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation visiting locations to ensure animals are protected from cruel treatment. If a given location doesn't meet acceptable standards, their license can be revoked.

THLN also advocates for the humane treatment of horses.

And, they conceived the idea for animal-friendly licenses plates, which are now an automotive reality and the top selling specialty license plate in Texas. They fight, too, to ensure that 100% of allocated funds are well spent on low cost spay/neuter grants.

Asked about her job, Hardy makes a slight correction, referring to her work as a "lifelong passion," much more than simply a job. "I've had pets all my life," she reveals and confesses to a

love for animals of every shape, color, and continent. She has an indescribable connection to them and stresses the importance of our speaking for the creative who have no voice.

"I'm especially interested," she says, "in the legislative aspect of effecting change. If we are to get to the root of cruelty, we must go through the legal system. Yes," she admits, "it's very important to have shelters, to have groups that rescue animals and others that tend to spaying and neutering. But, if we are really going to make life better for animals and end the cycle of cruelty, we have ensured humane treatment. And that happens through policy change."

Recognizing that the legislative process can be a lengthy one, Hardy nonetheless points with pride to the work the group has done in the last 37 years. "Just in the last session alone," she notes, "we had seven very important animal-protection measures passed into law. If you go to our site (www.THLN.org)," she prompts, "you can see a summary of our legislative victories."

Recognizing the huge network of music people in Austin, the THLN regarded the recent "Doin' It for Love" theatrical as a most worthwhile investment of their resources, especially in view of the animal-loving Broadway stars who appear in the show. "It was an honor," Hardy offers, "to work with the stars, Kaye Ballard, Liliane Montevecchi and Lee Roy Reams and to work with Testa Dura Productions on the event."

She regards "Doin' It with Love" as a huge success. And those who know about non-profits clearly regard THLN as a huge success as well.

A Distinctive style . com

63

LAST CALL AT THE OASIS, presents a powerful argument for why the global water crisis will be the central issue facing our world this century. Illuminating the vital role water plays in our lives, exposing the defects in the current system and depicting communities already struggling with its ill-effects, the film was produced by Elise Pearlstein (FOOD, INC.) and features activist Erin Brockovich and such distinguished experts as Peter Gleick, Alex Prud’homme, Jay Famiglietti and Robert Glennon.

64

A Distinctive style . com

An eye-opening film directed by Laura Israel documenting the struggle that erupts in an upstate NY farm town after industrial wind turbines are proposed.

Wind power... it’s sustainable ... it burns no fossil fuels...it produces no air pollution. What’s more, it cuts down dependency on foreign oil. That’s what the people of Meredith, NY first

thought when a wind developer looked to supplement the rural farm town’s failing economy with a farm of their own — that of 40 industrial wind turbines. But when a group of townspeople discover the impacts that a 400foot high windmill could bring to their community, Meredith’s residents become deeply divided as they fight over the future of their community.

With wind development in the United States growing annually at 39 percent, Windfall is an eye-opener for anyone concerned about the environment and the future of renewable energy.

66

A Distinctive style . com

Eco Fashion by Sass Brown, honors what ground-breakers are doing in the fashion industry to integrate their consciousness, lifestyle choices and concern for our planet and the people on it, into their business strategies.

The designers and labels featured in Eco Fashion, overview a range of change in our industry from entirely new business models to recycle, reuse, redesign, sustainable fabrications, diversion of waste materials from landďŹ ll, fair trade and community development. This book is about good design that gives back. Good design in its many guises from street fashion to couture, and everything else in between. It is not however about boring beige T-shirts or scratchy, drawstring pajama-style pants, but fun, playful, ethereal, cerebral, intelligent design, at various price points and for various markets.

www.ecofashiontalk.com

By SASS BROWN

A Distinctive style . com

67

linhardt

dEsiGn

68

A Distinctive style . com

Green jeweler, Lisa Linhardt Lisa's designs are often inspired by her time living in Scandinavia when she was introduced to the work of many mid-century masters in jewelry design. Her heart is in New York City and has been for many generations—as the Gallery's name "Linhardt Design" was created in hommage to Lisa's relatives who emigrated to the Lower East Side of Manhattan through Ellis Island at the turn of the century. www.linhardtdesign.com

A Distinctive style . com

69

Alabama Chanin is a lifestyle company that focuses on creating an array of products through focusing on slow design and sustainability.

Crafting limited-edition products for the individual and the home. Products are made-by-hand using a combination of new, organic and recycled materials. Each piece is constructed by talented artisans who live and work in communities in and around Florence, Alabama. www.alabamacanin.com

ALABAMA CANiN

LAVUK Los Angeles

Born out of the urge to introduce a unique character in fashion and tell stories through poems and illustrations, Nuvula’s creations involve creating a canvas in the garments they design.

Conceptualized with the intent of providing sophisticated customers with modern, edgy classics that become wardrobe staples, Nuvula aims to constantly push the limits of art, fashion, poetry and funk in their designs.

Creating pieces for the modern individual who desires a wardrobe that expresses individuality, depth and diversity, the Nuvula collection incorporates refined detailing and modern silhouettes to create garments that are effortless and captivating. Nuvula presents a very wearable and ultracomfortable garment.

Highly praised for innovative tailoring techniques, Nuvula’s

retro, seventies, "Everyone-is-a-Member” outerwear collection is a signature, highly coveted by young Hollywood starlets. High collars, slim cuffs, fitted blazers, coat tails and blousy sleeves in a suitably gothic color palette gives a nod to the 1800’s, while the progressive proportions and modern fabrics ensure that the collection is modern and sophisticated.

Nuvula gives their customer effortless pieces with modern refinements and a touch of attitude. Soft lines, and the strength of the clothes are played around a new accord of proportions, accessories and personality.

Spring/Summer 2012 draws its inspiration from the lights and flow of Art Nouveau and Asian-inspired luxury.

Dedicated to using natural fibers, Nuvula fabrics throughout the collection, include main fiber bamboo, rayon, modal and vegan leather accents.

Ada Zandition.com 74

A Distinctive style . com

Ada Zanditon is committed to utilising Fair Trade, organic, and upcycled materials. She is constantly researching and sourcing production methods which might reduce her collections’ environmental impact. www.adazandition.com

Ada Zandition.com

Katherine Feiel HANDMADE WEDDING GoWNs

Bridal wear, and special occasion gowns using vintage beaded fabrics which are collected: beaded silk garments, hand made laces and other beautiful pieces.

Katherine reworks found fabrics to create unique pieces that are not replicable. She believes in the slow fashion movement and meticulously fills each order, sometimes spending weeks to create the perfect gown. “Creating is therapy for me and the possibilities are endless.”

PHOTOGrAPHEr: Emma Rose Photography MODEL: Zoe Dixon www.katherinefeiel.com

Evengi Petkov stands apart, as a designer who works to incorporate his native cultural landscape through his work. Petkov combines the rich textile tradition of the region, with local craft skills and contemporary design. Working predominately with natural fibers such as soft spun wool, organic cotton, vintage lace trims, raffia and finely woven Bulgarian silk, the designer’s aim is to sustain craft skills as well as communities in his homeland, while looking for eco solutions to his creative process.

PHOTOGrAPHY: Ivomir Peshev STYLING: Evgeni Petrov www.ev-fashion.com

A Distinctive style . com

79

Aneeth Arora founded Péro in 2008, interpreting international aesthetics using local materials and skills, taking inspiration from what surrounds us to make a product that connects with people around the world.

'Péro' means ‘to wear’ in the Marwari local language of Rajasthan. The Indian nature of ‘péro’ rests in the textile process, where materials pass through the hands of one craftsperson to the other, carrying forward the Indian handmade tradition and resulting in the creation of unique pieces.

Aneeth Arora FOR PERO

Constance Jablonski models H&M’s latest line called “Exclusive Conscious.” A collection of red carpet ready looks made of more sustainable materials. Extravagant evening wear looks ranging from beaded minis to floral gowns feature materials such as recycled polyester chiffon, organic cotton and hemp. The new collection will be available on April 12th in around 100 H&M stores and online.

82

A Distinctive style . com

A Distinctive style . com

83

I S R E V E N G E I N D W T S O F H I G H T O W E R C H E L S I E

Soft & silky graphic t-shirts made from eco-friendly fabrics, including a blend of organic cotton and polyester spun from recycled plastic bottles and 100% Siro Micromodal. Recently introduced its “endangered species” and “eat your veggies” lines of t-shirts and tank tops.

Our endangered species line recognizes the accelerating pace of extinction of some of our most beloved animal species, the impact their loss has on our world and way of life, and encourages preservation of these vital contributors to the health and balance of our ecosystems. Our “eat your veggies” line of t-shirts and tank tops inform our customers about the nutritional value of common vegetables and encourages them to eat healthy and live long. www.revengeis.com

www.chazdean.com WEN TrEATMENT OILS are a unique blend of the world’s rarest and most beneficial oils. They combine the nourishing and moisturizing properties of Argan Oil with the restorative and healing properties of Abyssinan Oil. These oils both help restore your hair and skins moisture and make them really super soft.

These oils are so fantastic for your hair and scalp. Just put a few

drops on your wet hair (after you wash it) and massage it in. Relax in the shower/bath for about 15 minutes then rinse out and style as usual. Or, for a better scalp treatment, you can leave it on your scalp and sleep on it! Then rinse out in the morning. We are already big fans of the Wen Cleaning Conditioners, now we have another Wen product that we can’t live without!

Over 169 million women in North America wear “mineral” makeup, and over half of those women do not know the real ingredients that they are applying to their face daily. Here are some EMANI ingredients (in bold), listed versus that of their counterparts. What would you prefer to put on YOUR face??

www.EMANI.com

Grapefruit extract vs.

Isopropyl & Triclosan Green Tea vs. Petrolatum Honeysuckle vs.

Talc, Paraben or Nitrosodiethanolamine

100% Organic Flower Oils vs. Mineral oil and butylated hydroxytoluene EMANI provides natural cosmetics to the socially and environmentally conscious customer who still wants to look and feel 100% gorgeous. The company has become so much more than a make up brand; it’s a healthy lifestyle choice, and it’s a choice that illustrates that women don’t have to sacrifice looking gorgeous or paying a fair price in order to potentially save their lives.

PErSONALIzED JEWELrY Isabelle Grace Jewelry is a beautiful collection of jewelry designed by artist Claudia Montez at her studio in Dartmouth, Mass. Each piece is made by hand, and crafted from sterling silver, 14 carat gold and semi-precious stones.This elegant and classic jewelry is inspired by the most important things in life; family, children and love. www.isabellegracejewelry.com

CALENDAr KEEPSAKE Set your favorite day in stone, so you never forget! Not Just Any Day marks your favorite day of the month with a Swarovski crystal. These timeless calendars make a great gift idea for a wedding, birthday, anniversary or any special occasion.

What a wonderful keepsake this will make for someone you love! www.notjustanyoldday.com A Distinctive style . com

85

NOT YOuR

TYPiCAL

FAMiLY

it wasn’t easy growing up with the last name of the most notorious gangster in American history.

Al and Deirdre Capone — 1946

By Matt Kramer

AL CAPONE died on his grand niece’s seventh birthday. Her memories of him are only of a fatherly man who was kind and protective of his family. She didn’t use the family name in school; instead she was registered as Deirdre Gabriel. When she had her first communion, tradition was followed and her legal name was announced in the local newspaper. Not many girls named Deirdre were in her school and that’s all it took for someone to figure out that she was a Capone. After the news broke, children were told to stay away from her, no one came to her birthday parties, no one would play with her. The target of derision, insults and cruel tricks, Capone didn’t have a friend again until she was in the sixth grade.

The Capone name sabotaged her in other ways too. At nineteen she was hired as a secretary; she loved the job and worked hard to improve her skills. After six months, when she qualified for health insurance, the paperwork required her to disclose her legal name. Her boss called her into his office and asked if she was related to Al Capone. Having no choice but to tell the truth, Deirdre was fired on the spot. The Capone name also factored into her first marriage; that husband manipu-

86

A Distinctive style . com

lated her into wedlock because he thought she was a ticket to improve his standing in the mob culture.

Capone recalled him ruefully: “He was a sociopath – I thought he was all I deserved, because I was a Capone and I was being punished for that connection.”

Many relatives kept their history private, there was so much Deirdre Capone didn’t know about her grand uncle, yet she felt that the public mythology was largely untrue. She decided to write a book based upon the family’s knowledge and experience of her famous uncle. Some relatives resisted, asking her to leave the story alone. Others agreed to share their story on the condition that the book not be published until after their deaths. Capone kept that promise and the book wasn’t published until 2010. Deirdre is the last living family member born with the Capone name, her book is titled; Uncle Al Capone: The Untold Story from Inside His Family.

The challenges in Capone’s childhood were tough in a myriad of ways. After her grand uncle’s death, she suffered abuse and neglect and her father committed suicide. But Capone will tell you she came from great stock, she survived her childhood, the disastrous first marriage and breast cancer. Grateful for her survival, she joined the cancer support group, Bosom Buddies and organized a golf tournament raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the organization.

Asked how she dealt with the setbacks in her life, Capone replied: “I spread my wings. I’ve got strong wings.” Her journey to emotional health started in the sixties when she began to study brain function and the mind-body connection. Today, Deirdre Capone is a grandmother and has been married to a wonderful guy for over forty years.

You can visit Capone’s website, buy the book and find out about her upcoming book signings at www.unclealcapone. com/events.htm

Jonas Elrod was leading an ordinary life until he woke up one day to a totally new reality. He suddenly could see and hear angels, demons, auras and ghosts. The documentary WAKE UP follows this fascinating story of an average guy who inexplicably developed the ability to access other dimensions. With his loving but skeptical girlfriend by his side, Jonas crisscrosses the country as he searches for answers and delves deeper into this thrilling world of the phenomenal and spiritual. WAKE UP is a call to consciousness to everyone who sees it; an invitation to accept that there is more to this life than meets the eye.

A Distinctive style . com

87

A fascinating glimpse inside the mind of an ultramarathon runner and the inspirational saga of his phenomenal journey running across America.

T

he ultimate endurance athlete, Marshall Ulrich has run more than 100 foot races averaging over 100 miles each, completed 12 expeditionlength adventure races, and ascended the Seven Summits - including Mount Everest - all on his first attempt. Yet his run from California to New York—the equivalent of running two marathons and a 10K every day for nearly two months straight — proved to be his most challenging effort yet.

Featured in the recent documentary film, Running America, Ulrich clocked the 3rd fastest transcontinental crossing to date and set new records in multiple divisions. In Running on Empty, he shares the gritty backstory, including brushes with death, run-ins with the police, and the excruciating punishments he endured at the mercy of his maxedout body. Ulrich also reached back nearly 30 years to when the death of the woman he loved drove him to begin running— and his dawning realization that he felt truly alive only when pushed to the limits.

Filled with mind-blowing stories from the road and his sensational career, Ulrich's memoir imbues an incredible read with a universal message for athletes and non-athletes alike: face the toughest challenges, overcome debilitating setbacks, and find deep fulfillment in something greater than achievement.

Marshall Ulrich climbed the highest mountains, set records in the toughest and longest footraces, and then clocked the third-fastest time ever recorded when he ran across America. He credits his wife, Heather Ulrich, with the inspiration and support he needed to finish this unprecedented crossing at age 57.

Ulrich chronicled all of this in his book, Running on Empty.

CliCK HErE For a CHanCE To Win

a CoPY oF THE BooK “rUnninG on EMPTY”

88

A Distinctive style . com

Nationally renowned nature photographer, activist, ecologist, educator, adventurer and one of Colorado’s greatest living treasures...

By Matt Kramer

I

f there were such a thing as a typical wilderness photographer, John Fielder would defy the description. Synonymous with the title of photographer, it is necessary to add, at the very least, activist, ecologist, educator, adventurer and one of Colorado’s greatest living treasures.

Whether he’s facing big money interests and defending natural and open spaces, or driving 3,000 miles across a Roadless Zambian desert, Fielder does what it takes to get the picture without damaging the environment. Extreme backpackers who travel twenty-five miles a day are amazed when they hear about the remote places he has been.

In conversation, it doesn’t take long before you realize his relationship with nature is not one way – his thoughts and efforts are as much about honoring and protecting the land as they are about coming away with the best possible image. When asked what drives him, Fielder said, “What I stand for: I love cameras and making a living. I’m more a naturalist than I am a photographer. Being an environmentalist, I focus on being an advocate preserving and protecting biodiversity.”

John Fielder During 30 years of photographing Colorado’s open spaces, Fielder became aware of the legacy of the state’s family ranches that were threatened by numerous economic interests.

He learned that, unlike the big agribusiness farms, many of the ranchers use sustainable practices that help preserve their local ecosystems. Economically they were constantly struggling to meet costs and improve the marketability of their ranch products. For some, that work is starting to pay off; much of the organic beef we buy comes from these ranches.

For those who don’t feel a connection between ranchers and the food they put on their table, Fielder brings the message home: “Our ranchers are conscious of holistic ways to bring beef to market. When I was photographing the plains of southeastern Colorado, I went to a meeting at Fox Ranch where ranchers were learning ways to raise and prepare beef organically, at the ranch, at the feedlot, and in the slaughterhouse.

Thanks to the influence and standards of Whole Foods, ranchers can combine sustainable practices and make more money at the same time.”

Continued Next Page A Distinctive style . com

89

w

John Fielder Continued Since leaving a corporate career to become a full time photographer, Fielder has published 39 books of his natureand wilderness photos. In 1992, he became a founding member of Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (GOCO) -(www.goco.org) a non-profit organization that uses state lottery funds to preserve and manage Colorado wildlife and open space heritage. His ability to capture and share the stunning majesty of Colorado’s beauty helped GOCO in its mission to motivate Coloradans to get involved in protecting the open wilderness—one of the state’s greatest assets.

According to Fielder, Colorado is the only state in the union to assign 100% of its lottery funds to protect its natural heritage. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the founding of GOCO, two new Fielder books will be published in 2012: John Fielder’s Guide to Colorado’s Great Outdoors: Lottery-Funded Parks, Trails & Open Spaces and a picture book, Colorado’s Great Outdoors, The Best of Our Lottery Lands.

As Fielder travels around Colorado and the nation, promoting wilderness and open space conservation, he sometimes shares the stage with another Colorado treasure, “Zen cowboy” performer and writer, Chuck Pyle. While Fielder’s photos are displayed in a slide show, Pyle sings songs that reflect the message and feelings of those photos. Asked

90

A Distinctive style . com

about working with Fielder in performance, Pyle replied, “John is so eloquent, one of the most eloquent speakers I’ve ever heard about conservation. Although his content is serious, he is gracious and has a good sense of humor . . . well, he likes my sense of humor.”

Fielder is happy to share his photography secrets; on his website you can choose from a number of workshops that will take you into the outdoors where his tutelage may help you shoot the best photos of your life. In the process, you will learn how to better understand your equipment, and how to use Photoshop not to artificially enhance your photos but to bring out the reality of the scenes captured within your camera.

Any decent photographer will tell you that a great photo requires an understanding of the nature of light. There probably isn’t a square inch of the Colorado wilderness that has not been photographed by Fielder, not just once but in all the seasons, and through the changing light of those thirty years of days. If you can’t make it to one of Fielder’s workshops, his generosity extends to his website, where he shares more than a thousand of his photos. Begin your journey there – follow the light; it will take you to places you never dreamed you would see.

w w w. j o h n f i e l d e r. c o m

A Distinctive style . com

91

CHUCK PYLE The Journey of a Zen Cowboy

92

A Distinctive style . com

“Every once in a while one encounters an artist whose very nature seems to capture a portion of the glorious and heartbreaking complexities of the human predicament and who also possesses the gift to express that portion in a unique and compelling way. Chuck Pyle is one of those rare artists.” ~ CHARLES YOUNG Nashville Songwriters Association Santa Fe, New Mexico

By Matt Kramer

C

huck Pyle sings with a smile that brightens up the room, delivering songs and stories cradled in wisdom so deep it could have been forged in the molten granite that gave birth to the Rockies a million centuries ago. Pyle’s guitar playing is equally solid, a rich, rhythmic, rolling finger picking style that has some people looking around for another guitarist – but it’s all Chuck Pyle, seamlessly blending lyric and melody with signature warmth and humor.

The uninitiated may think they’re listening to a cowboy, and they are. But somewhere in the concert, your sense of being shifts; you’re not just drinking in music and lyrics; a new element is blossoming within, unnamed, undefined but you feel a dimension opening and you’re seeing life with new eyes and ancient sagacity. Maybe that’s what inspired a reviewer, a long time ago, to adhere the title, Zen Cowboy, to Pyle’s legacy.

Pyle will not take all the credit for this magic. “My audience inspires me; it’s time to quit if they don’t.”

While he spoke about being a “word guy”, he does not make the mistake that dogs many writers who sacrifice the song for the sake of the message. Lush music and seasoned lyrics inform each other, like a marriage mingling love and respect, they entwine perfectly, enticing you into their journey.

Occasionally Colorado photographer John Fielder will join Pyle in performance; the two will share the stage with Pyle’s songs adding dimension to Fielder’s loving

homages to the beauty of Colorado’s natural treasures.

These traveling performances awaken those who may be taking their paradise for granted unaware of what they are losing to unsustainable development.

Some who hear Pyle for the first time wonder why they haven’t heard of him; why doesn’t he get airplay?

The answer is fairly simple; his songs are not shallow enough for the commercial record and radio industry.

To Pyle, commercial music generally isn’t very interesting; it tries to deliver an instant sell that seldom stands up to the test of time. Pyle’s music does play well the first time but some songs require a few listens before they begin to unfold, revealing layers of depth, perception and nuance. He has many evergreens, such as his signature song, Colorado that never wears out.

A highlight of Pyle’s live performance is his song, “Keeping Time by the River” that delivers an ever changing stream-of-consciousness commentary on observations of life gleaned from bumper stickers, quotes and slogans he’s run into his travels around the country. On a recent night, the audience chuckled, roared and groaned to such sayings as, “remember a conclusion might just be where you got tired of thinking”, and “always ride the horse in the direction it is going.” Wise words from a Zen cowboy who knows how to ride that horse.

You can learn more about Chuck Pyle (and his tour schedule) at www.chuckpyle.com

A Distinctive style . com

93

sUrFridinG, TEXas sTYlE

By Marlene Caroselli

M

artin Luther King, Jr. once observed that everybody can be great, because anybody can serve." Ellis Pickett, founder of the first “Texas Surfrider Foundation” chapter, has a coastal corollary. "Anyone can make something happen," he asserts, "even surfers." Dubbed the "Chapter Godfather of Texas," this surfer and coastal conservationist admit he didn't expect much success when he started the Galveston chapter. But, he's been very happy with the results. "People may not like what I have to say," he admits, "but they know ours is a reasonable position."

That reasonable position is the one adopted ever since three California surfers learned their favorite wave was on its way to extinction. They worked with Malibu authorities to preserve the wave. That was 27 years, 15 countries, and almost 100 chapters ago. The Surfrider Foundation is committed, as it was from the very start, to the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves, and beaches. They protect and enjoy via an extensive network of activists who educate their communities about the condition our water is in and the things that can be done to improve those conditions.

Their Galveston activist traveled to California in 1988 to learn how to start a chapter in Texas. He was worried about coastal erosion caused by tropical storms and concerned about the houses located on public beach easements. His long-standing efforts have paid off: There are now five Texas chapters.

94

A Distinctive style . com

Pickett recalls, "We realized early on that the Texas Open Beaches Act was critical. We also realized we needed to go to Houston to influence legislation to ensure the preservation of the Act. New bills pop up all the time, from developers and others, to restrict public access to the beaches. Our job is to influence local elections. We surfers are stoked with what we have accomplished; we're proud of the legislative credibility we have achieved," he notes, the pride in his voice quite evident.

It's been said the future belong to those who prepare for it. And Pickett's Surfriding group is preparing by working with the younger generation. They provide workbooks and syllabi and teacher guides. They also have a video showing the water cycle and the damage caused by littering. Their speakers talk to students in elementary schools, all the way through the graduate school level.

"We want to ensure that public access is increased with every new generation of property owners," Pickett affirms.

With 64% of the Texas coast impacted by erosion, this coastal champion knows the truth to be found in a 19th century preacher's words: Charles Spurgeon maintained that every generation needs regeneration. Ellis Pickett is working tirelessly to help future generations discover and enjoy the regenerative power of the Texas coast. www.xuppercoast.surfrider.org

S

PrING IS MY SECOND FAVOrITE TIME OF YEAr. Fall is my first, because who can resist the smell of a fireplace on a crisp day. Spring is a very close second, not because it means that summer will be right around the corner, but because I get to organize. Or should I say reorganize, everything that according to those close to me is already organized. I know I am not alone in my ever moving quest to organize every square inch of my life. Even though I am realistic in the fact that I cannot control all in life, I can control what my space looks like, and you can too.

The first thing you need to do is clear the surfaces, and make sure they stay clear. That means being ruthless in what you allow in the open. If it’s decorative like candles or art then go bold with one great show stopper instead of six smaller items. If it’s something like books or magazines, only keep out what your reading now and shelf the rest. Go through your mail as soon as it enters the house and recycle the junk mail. Better yet, go on www.directmail.com to get rid of it all together. For the rest of your mail like bills and letters, keep a three layer horizontal tray stand by your desk or in the kitchen so you can quickly open each envelope and separate what is what. It will take you all of two minutes and turn your mountain into a mole hill.

Now let’s talk storage. The cliff notes version of creating order out of disorder is to color block. If it’s a bunch of binders on a shelf, make sure they are all white or go crazy and make them all blue..have fun! If you’re overloaded with storage boxes then make sure they are all in one unified color. You get the idea. I happen to like white but it’s just as effective in a stripe pattern.

BY BlanCHE GarCia |CErTiFiEd inTErior dEsiGnEr, lEEd aP, asid

livinG ClUTTEr FrEE

Another faux pas often made is storing your items only to forget where you stored them when you do go in search of them. So I strongly recommend buying a label maker and buying clear containers. This is the best solution for shoes, socks, lingerie, candles, ect. And if you always buy the same type of containers you won’t find yourself with a stray lid without a bottom.

Now I would not say that I have wandered into the Martha Stewart category as of yet, but I have gleaned a few pearls of wisdom as well as come across a few enlightening gadgets. The first solved a problem that women across America will agree with me on; the storing of bed sheets. I used to always misplace the matching pillow cases to the sheets, and the linen closet was always one bedspread away from toppling on top of me. The solution I found was placing each set in a small stackable bin. An obviously easy solution but still creates an “AH HA” moment to all I bring into contact with it.

Now I would be remise if I didn’t mention the missed opportunities found in your home every day that is often tossed out. A great way to not only organize your home as well as help the environment is to reuse old containers for new storage purposes. Coffee can store nails in a tool shed or make up brushes under the vanity. Egg cartons can store earrings and rings and old candle vessels can now hold flowers.

A well lived in home feels warm and inviting, not cluttered and overwhelming. It’s up to you to make the changes!

A Distinctive style . com

95