Hopelessly Romantic - Italia' by The Victoria Napolitano Group LLC.

Miss Italia of California 2010

~ Jennifer E. Consalvi

Jennifer E. Consalvi Q & A. 1. Where were you born? I was born in Orange Ca. 2. What is your profession (job)? I am an independent consultant, and I currently work full-time with the San Francisco Ronald McDonald House. My responsibilities include marketing, coordinating volunteers and planning major fundraising events. 3. What does romance mean to you? I think romance is the action of being selfless. There is nothing more romantic than thinking of your loved one before yourself, or when the special person in your life thinks of you first. 4. What is your most treasured or memorable experience? My most treasured experience was not necessarily the happiest memory I have. I went to Kenya to do Mission work in 2005. While there, I dedicated a water well, volunteered in a hospital, and spoke to children in various schools. At one of the schools there was a group of individuals that the Kenyans referred to as youth; however, they ranged in age from 18-30. A 23 year old woman raised her hand and asked me, “Is it hard to survive in America?”. My mind was going a million miles a minute as I was fighting within myself on how to answer such a heart wrenching question. I thought, “I can answer with truth, only increasing this girl’s longing to come to America, or I could give some less-thantruthful answer to ease her envy”. I am a proponent for “knowledge is power”, so I told her the truth. I said, “When you walk into a room in the U.S. you can flip a switch and a light goes on. There are knobs there that you turn and you can choose if you want hot or cold water”. I then explained briefly to her the theory behind Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs and how most people’s basic needs are satisfied in the U.S., allowing them to pursue higher endeavors instead of just trying to survive. (This was of course while thinking to myself how unfair the world really is that this completely innocent woman does not have the same “luxuries” that convicted felons in the U.S. have). I told her that survival in the U.S. was much more from a political or maybe even psychological perspective. This is not to negate the fact that many people do go hungry in the U.S., but more to understand that the U.S. has resources for those who need help. It is simply not that way in Kenya. That moment changed my life. It changed my perspective and my understanding of how the countries of the world work together, or don’t. It is, to this day, my most treasured moment as it shaped my perspective on many issues. 5. As an Italian woman, what is so romantic about Italians? Simply, their servitude. Italians will do anything they can to make you comfortable in their home, in their care, or in their arms. It is something within the culture that is so entrenched that many tourists feel it the moment they step off the plane. Not to mention how incredibly romantic the language is to both hear and speak.

6. What so your favorite Italian dish? …your favorite dessert? Risotto giallo. This is a risotto dish with saffron, white onion, white wine, parmigiana, and a lot of stirring. My fiancé taught me how to make this dish, so it is my favorite for both incredible taste and sweet memories. My family is very close-knit and quite large. Every Christmas Eve we get together and have the same meal made by the same people- the men. This tradition is from my Great Grandfather and has not skipped a beat even with his great great grand children. My Grandmother Consalvi took on the role of making the Cannoli filling and my cousins (Erin and Lindsey) and I were the Cannoli stuffers. We would spend an hour spooning filling into the Cannoli while my grandfather and uncles would keep telling us to make sure that they were filled all the way through. We stuffed with spoons until about 7 years back when my Aunt Gina came by with a pastry bag, which cut the stuffing time by at least 45 minutes. I secretly missed the time with my cousins; however, it was nice not having to stuff the Cannoli with a spoon. The filling is made of ricotta cheese, sugar, cinnamon oil, cherries, and love. They are my favorite Italian dessert because they come with a story, my story. 7. With the world changing so rapidly, what traditions would you like to see stay? I would like to see a parent staying at home to raise their children. Being a child development major and working in many nurseries and preschools, I have decided that I will be a stay-athome mom until at least my youngest turns 5. I feel that it is exceedingly important that there is a mother or father that stays at home with the child. I know this may not be the most popular of viewpoints, but I believe in it with my whole heart. I was with those kids for 8 hours a day; while they took their first step, spoke their first word, or when they called ME mommy. I will be thankful one day when I become a mom, and will want to make sure my family and children are my first priority. I feel that this idea has left most of our homes and I find it to be quite sad. 8. Given the chance to travel anywhere in the world. Where would you go and why? I would spin a globe and wherever my finger landed I’d go (as long as I haven’t been there before). I love adventure, I love people, and I love crazy and uncomfortable situations. Moments of comfort are wonderful for your heart, but don’t do much for growth. 9. Tell our audience something about you they may not know. My great great great uncle was Cardinale Consalvi. He worked with Napoleon and revised the administration of Rome. There are statues of him all over Rome.

10. What charities and non-profits do you support? Why? I work for the San Francisco Ronald McDonald House, so I have seen the very real need it serves. I support The House because have met families that have slept in their cars to be close to their child, lived in dirty clothes for a week, and driven through the night back and forth from work to be a support for their child. Many people have heard of the organization but don’t know what it does. In short, we house the families of critically-ill children that are receiving treatment in a San Francisco hospital so they can be rested and healthy to better support their child. Project Prevention is a non-profit organization that has just recently caught my eye. I have always been supportive of contraceptives, the prevention of child abuse, and the prevention of pre-natal abuse. This organization feels the same way. However, they have taken it a step further and are trying to prevent the births of drug addicted babies through the voluntary and paid sterilization of addicted women. It’s an interesting, effective, and potentially frightening concept if not addressed correctly, while staying attentive to people’s freedoms. The foster care world is a world that many of us hope to never see, but unfortunately thousands of children know that world all too well due to the poor judgment of irresponsible adults. This organization’s mission is very controversial and I plan on doing more research before I hop on board.

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The Italian Lifestyle

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HopelesslyRomanticMagazine.com Featuring: Jennifer E. Consalvi, Miss Italia of California 2010

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Italian White Wines Italian white wines are very delicate in nature but still possess a distinct character and poise. Many Italian white wines come from Italy’s Tri Veneto. The Tri Veneto consists of diverse wine producing areas including Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and the Veneto. These different environments help produce a wide variety of Italian white wine styles. Italian white wines have both romance and intensity within a light body. Silvio Jermann’s “Dreams” from Friuli is like a touch of romance itself. It is a very smooth wine with good balance and a bouquet of honey and wild flowers. Jermann’s Vinnae is yet one more provocative blend. This white wine has the scent of oranges and flowers and reminds one of a fine Viognier. It is created from three varieties of local Italian white grapes. Jermann’s “Pinot Grigio” is the royalty of Italian Italian white wines are very delicate in anature stillofpossess a distinct character and white wines. Only limited but quantity “Pinot Grigio” is poise. Many Italian white wines on come from Italy’s TriofVeneto. produced a yearly basis. A wine such regalThe stat-Tri Veneto consists ure requires much tenderTrentino loving care to develop of diverse wine producing areas including Alto Adige,into Friuli Venezia Giulia, such a superb pinot.

IItalian White Wines

and the Veneto. These different environments help produce a wide variety of Italian white wine styles. Italian white wines have a light and fresh appeal. They are dry and crisp yet have an unmistakable elegance. have texture and harmony. Italian white a wines Italian white wines haveThey both romance and intensity within light body. Silvio Jerhave lots of finesse and very expressive notes. Wine mann’s “Dreams” from Friuli is like a touch of romance itself. It is a very smooth wine lovers everywhere should take note of these brilliant with good balance andItalian a bouquet of honey and wild flowers. Jermann’s Vinnae is white wines!

yet one more provocative blend. This white wine has the scent of oranges and flowers and reminds one of a fine Viognier. It is created from three varieties of local Italian white grapes. Jermann’s “Pinot Grigio” is the royalty of Italian white wines. Only a limited quantity of “Pinot Grigio” is produced on a yearly basis. A wine of such regal stature requires much tender loving care to develop into such a superb pinot.

The Shocking Story of Italian Designer

Elsa Schiaparelli

Italian born fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli loved to shock and surprise, but perhaps it was in the blood. Her great-Uncle, the astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, shocked the world in 1877 by announcing he had discovered `canals’ on Mars. Born in Rome in 1890, the young Elsa grew up dancing to her own drummer, and ignoring convention. Her interest in exploring the unusual in fashion surfaced early and caused quite a stir. As a young woman, attending a ball in Paris, she created a dress by winding a strip of fabric around her body. Had it not unraveled, she might have started her first popular trend. Her early marriage at 18 to theosophist William de Wendt de Kerlor came to a shocking end with the birth of a daughter – her husband abandoned her, and Elsa found herself alone in Paris with a child to support. This was shocking enough to polite society in the 1920s, but Elsa didn’t sit around feeling sorry for herself. She designed a black knitted sweater with a bow tie embellishment, and was soon selling them as fast as her troupe of Armenian knitters could produce them. Her next shock was for the world of sport, when she opened her first salon in 1927. Called Stupidir de Sport she gave the ten-

nis world a stunning serve with her divided skirt, worn in 1931 by tennis star Lili de Alvarez. As if that didn’t shock the conservative ranks of women’s’ tennis enough, she later introduced shorts to Wimbledon. But if that wasn’t enough, Elsa turned her attention to high fashion and designed clothes in a new hot pink, which she naturally called `shocking’ pink. Her love of color became a signature, and she called on surrealist artist Salvador Dali to design new fabrics and even hats – imagine wearing a giant shoe on your head, or even a lamb chop – as a team, Elsa and Dali brought fun to high fashion. But Elsa’s less outrageous designs became classics of fashion. She was the first to create a dramatic outline for women’s bodies using shoulder pads, the first to give zippered clothes a more elegant finish by dyeing the zippers the same colour as the fabric, and the first to use animal print fabrics. Her style and panache may have been shocking, but it was also irresistible. Like shorts for tennis players, her `outrageous’ ideas were warmly embraced by women. Her wide range of interests and love of design soon saw her branching out into jewelry. She loved to experiment with new materials, and by the 30s, she had become one of the fashion world’s great icons.

She introduced cute buttons, with shapes as diverse as bunnies and bullets, and the Egyptian Look, with huge sleeves that owed more to the Orient than Egypt. But Elsa didn’t care and neither did her public – her eclectic designs delighted her clients, who were drawn from among the very famous and wealthy of the time. They included movie stars like Marlene Dietrich and Mae West, and socialites like Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. One of her most amazing creations was the famous `lobster dress’ of Salvador Dali. It looked like an elegant white organize evening gown – except for the vibrant red lobster that Dali painted down the front of the skirt. She continued to shock and delight with a dress that looked as if it had been repeatedly ripped – far in advance of today’s `distressed’ styles – a back-to-front suit and coat printed with profiles by artist Jean Cocteau. When she decided to create perfumes in the 30s, it was almost inevitable that she would create one called Shocking – it became her most famous perfume, and her signature. So legendary is this fragrance that Schiaparelli France recently recreated it in the original shapely bottle modeled on Mae West.

But the inescapable intervention of World War II proved more shocking than anything Elsa could have devised â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she was forced to close down her salon for the duration, and when it reopened in 1945, it seemed that the fire and passion had gone, swallowed the horror of six years of war. By the 50s, she was no longer designing clothes, but she took the time to write her autobiography My Shocking Life. Elsa Schiaparelli died in 1973, and true to her great spirit, she was buried in her favorite outfit, a shocking pink Chinese robe. She was 83, and still fashionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grand dame. But her salon languished for a few years until it was reopened to keep her designs and perfumes available to the legions of women that had grown to love them. Gail Kavanagh 2006

Intensely Flavorful, Secretly Harvested Truffles TRUFFLES Intensely Flavorful, Secretly Harvested Truffles Truffles are sought out and revered as an ingredient in many foods because of their intense flavor. Truffles transform simple fare such as pasta, eggs or bread to gourmet delights. As with so many ingredients, fresh is always best. Choose truffles that are firm to the touch. Black truffles should be black inside and out. When buying fresh, it also helps to know a little about the grades and classification of truffles. Grades and Classification of TrufflesGenerally, there are three grades of truffles. Super Extra, as the name implies, is the largest and most expensive and found only on the most exclusive tables. Extra Grade, the next level, comes from the top ten percent of the total crop, while First Choice is the most common grade. Classification is another way of judging truffles. They are known simply as winter and summer truffles. Those harvested in December and January are the most desirable because the aroma and flavor are strongest during the coldest months. Next are other winter-harvested truffles. Summer harvested truffles are seen as slightly inferior because the flavor is less intense but some chefs find this quite suitable for light summer meals. Because summer-harvested truffles are less expensive, some chefs also see this as an opportunity to introduce new dishes. 36

Varieties: There are many varieties of truffles. France and Italy have long been regarded as the very best countries for truffle production and French black and Italian white are the premier choices. But as demand grows, Oregon and Australia are proving to be very capable producers as well. James Beard has given his stamp of approval to the Oregon truffle. Producers in Australia are adapting production for that country and shipping fresh truffles packed in glass containers that are surrounded by ice crystal packs to preserve freshness. Two of the best-known Asian truffles are Chinese Black and Terfez. Terfez is highly perfumed and has been prized for thousands of years. It is known as the desert truffle and only appears in semi-arid regions after heavy rains.Truffle production is possible in many areas where the right soil and tree combination come together. However, establishing a commercial crop takes a decade or longer. In Recipes and As Garnish Truffles are so highly prized because the rich flavor works well with so many other foods. They can be used as a garnish for pasta, eggs, vegetables and soups. A few thin sprinkles impart an incomparable flavor. Many popular recipes such as salmon with black truffles or Foie Gras with Truffles call for modest amounts of truffles when preparing. One dish, maccheroncini alla boscaiuol, calls up a romantic picture as the name translates to “pasta in the style of the wood-cutter’s wife” (mssf. org). Even when fresh truffles are not available, cooks still have options. Truffle oil is a good way to add the flavor of truffles at a fraction of the cost. Truffle honey can be drizzled over bread or meat for a true Tuscan delight or used in basting meats. Truffle butter is another way to add flavor to ordinary foods, such as bread or baked potatoes. You can make your own truffle butter or buy already prepared. Preserved or frozen truffles are another option. The finest truffles are wild grown and harvested. Those who know the best places use pigs or dogs to sniff out the underground fungus. Trifolau (truffle hunters) go to great lengths to keep secret the location of their traditional sites. Truffles are harvested by gently removing the soil then selecting only those deemed mature enough.

Abruzzo – Italy’s Best Kept Secret By Jennifer Joyce A devastating earthquake in 2009 thrust the Abruzzo region in Central Italy into the international spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Much of the medieval Italian town of L'Aquila was destroyed by the force of the earthquake. As national and international media charted the aftermath, many around the world learned for the first time of this extraordinarily unspoilt region of Italy which has so much to offer as a vacation destination. Abruzzo lies in the center of Italy and the region’s capital, Pescara, is an important commercial hub. For holidaymakers though, Pescara is mostly about beach: miles and miles of umbrella covered sand running along the Adriatic coast. In summer, thousands of work-weary Italians descend on Pescara, prostrating their already brown bodies on sun-loungers to become even browner. Restaurants serving pasta, pizza and seafood, along with beer and ice-cream, line the seafront, offering sun-worshipers good food as well as a respite from the often scorching summer temperatures, when the sand becomes too hot to walk on. If you prefer a quieter, inland base, the picturepostcard town of Sulmona in southern Abruzzo is a delight to visit at any time of year. At Easter time, you will be captivated by the spectacular Easter ceremonies, such as the somber torch-lit procession on Good Friday and the joyous ‘Running Madonna’ ceremony that takes place in the main piazza on Easter Sunday morning. Sulmona sustained little or no damage in the earthquake and its great buildings like the medieval aqueduct at the top of the Piazza Garibaldi, the Porta Napoli, and the 12th Century Santa Maria Della Tomba church all survived unscathed. Stay in Sulmona and you will discover that there is nothing quite like sitting in warm Easter sunshine, eating ice-cream, or perhaps some Italian “Colomba”, a sweet dove-shaped cake traditionally eaten in Italy at Easter time, while looking at the snow on the mountains. In the evening time, small children play ball or cycle around the fountain in the Piazza Garibaldi, as adults sip coffee and beers in the pavement bars. is peppered with bursts of bright flowers in purples, As a holiday destination, Abruzzo has something for everyone. Looking for big city bustle?

Then catch a bus or train to Rome. Need some retail therapy? Abruzzo has that too, from small local boutiques to the bigger shopping malls such as the giant Megalo in Chieti-Scalo. True, as with anywhere slightly off the beaten track, there will be small obstacles to be overcome. Unless you speak Italian, there will be the usual grappling with a foreign language. There will be missed trains and misunderstandings. There will be days when you discover that you have somehow managed to order cabbage pizza. And it will be impossible to find a plate of pancakes and maple syrup anywhere. What you will find though is a region comfortable in its own skin, whose people are always ready to help the hapless tourists who wander into their midst. Ask for directions in Abruzzo and they may just bundle you into their car and drive you there themselves. This is a region that has survived a colorful history of struggle and conflicts down through the ages. As the international spotlight begins to fade, Abruzzo, one of Italy’s best kept secrets, moves on with its life. Happy are those who are fortunate enough to share in a piece of it!

Olive Oil Biscotti Recipe It’s a shame what happened to biscotti once it got into American hands. The light, crunchy cookie meant to be dunked into wine has become a coffee shop staple of monstrous proportions. Not only has the size increased, but the biscotti are frequently double-dipped in white and dark chocolate. It wouldn’t be surprising to find one of these sugar missiles with a thick layer of rainbow sprinkles on it. The ancient Romans wouldn’t even recognize one if they wandered into a Starbucks. Not that we really want to exactly emulate the ancient biscotti, though. Because it was a mainstay of the diet of the Roman legions due to its long storage life, Pliny once bragged that biscotti would be edible for hundreds of years. Some of the coffee shop versions are hard as a rock, too. They may have been from Pliny’s batch.

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar and vanilla, and stir until blended. Beat the eggs into the mixture. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Slowly stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until well combined. Divide the dough into two rectangular “logs,” about 2” across, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, and reduce heat to 275. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Slice the biscotti on the diagonal with a non-serrated knife into 3/4” slices. Place the slices on their sides on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thoroughly dry. Makes 3 dozen biscotti. Variations:

This recipe is a return to what’s best about Italy’s biscotti. It’s light. It’s crunchy. And, perhaps best of all, olive oil biscotti is tasty without being sinfully indulgent. Each piece of biscotti is only about 60 calories, depending on your choice of mix-ins, as it doesn’t rely on butter like other bakery goodies.

You can add any of your favorite ingredients in proportions no greater than two cups total. Just resist the temptation to use sprinkles and chocolate. The light taste of olive oil biscotti is best with fresh, natural ingredients. Try any combination of the following:

While this recipe is for the basic biscotti with cranberry and pistachio, use it as a template for any variety you can conceive. Just keep the mix-ins to 2 cups or less (or you may find the biscotti too chunky to slice.)

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Hazelnuts

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Shredded Coconut

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Dried Dates

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Dried Cherries

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Crushed Banana Chips

Olive Oil Biscotti Recipe (Basic Recipe)

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Slivered Almonds

1/4 cup olive oil

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Macadamia Nuts

3/4 cup sugar

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Raisins

2 tsp. vanilla extract

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Black Walnuts

2 eggs

You may also add a teaspoon of almond or other extract, grated lemon or orange zest, or a tablespoon or two of a savory ingredient. Dried lavender, rosemary or anise taste lovely with the basic recipe.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti Recipe Add: 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 1/2 cup pistachios

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The future of video marketing The last decade has seen a constant increase in the number of Internet users all over the world. In North America alone, there were more than 300 million going online as of 2008, a 132.5% increase from year 2000 according to a world Internet usage survey by the Internet World Stats. This translates to over 70% penetration for consumer opportunities. Over the past years, more and more companies have started incorporating online promotions into their business marketing plans with more than half of marketing budgets spent for the Internet. Increasing prevalence of online video ads. It’’s only understandable that Internet marketing would grow beyond the use of mere images and text content. These days, the use of videos to promote products and services is fast gaining popularity. Marketers are starting to tap into the potential of online video ads as effective promotional vehicles. Video marketing is a new strategy but it is showing a lot of promise. Learn more: HopelesslyRomanticVideos.com

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“I hear companies having budget fights about whether they should have a video sales tool or not. It is like saying “Let’s buy that big boat over there - but, AH, let’s not get the engine it cost too much.” “If a video is not in your budget, gag “or fire” the bean counters, cut your own pay, or go into debt for it. It’s that valuable.”

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Stefan Pinto 10 tips to manifest change in our lives Written on the notice board of my gym

was this simple, but provocative adage, “if you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always gotten.” By nature change requires action. Without action, nothing grows, nothing progresses, nothing moves. Nothing changes. Part of my training as an actor has taught me to “forget myself.” Forget “Stefan Pinto” the “son,” the “friend,” the “brother,” the “boyfriend.” Forget the person I am accustomed seeing in the mirror and become this new person; a person so diligently created by someone other than myself. Someone outside of myself.

on the shoulder, sometimes slap you on the face, with all of the reasons (you presume are sound) for not taking the leap. Don’t give in to your unfounded fears, because tomorrow, the desire will still be there -- winking. Here’s an uplifting tip, the best way to handle the pain --the fear-- is to run/walk/crawl with all of your might.

4. Write to rationalize your thoughts. If you need to end a relationship, write down the reasons why. Ask, “are you satisfied with the way things are going?” It will start the process. 5. Read. Biographies about people you admire. Fictional accounts of events and scenarios you would like to be in. Let your imagination soar. Then do #1. 6. Smile and say “hello” to a stranger. I know this sounds cliche, but like that Starbucks cup professes, one of two things can happen, “they can ignore you or you can end up marrying them.”

7. Have goals. It gives you direction. It Occupy your mind with reaching your guides you. Without them, you are like goal instead of running from it because a ship, sailing on a sea to nowhere, inin 20 years, you will forget why you said evitably derelict on an unsung shore. “no” and regret that you didn’t say “yes.” 8. Write down what you want from life. Seriously. If you don’t know, then who in the world is going to know? 9. Reward yourself. If you did a good job, made progress, effected change, then go ahead and pat yourself on the back, tell yourself you did a good job. Buy something. 10. “Never, never, never give up.” -- Winston Churchill

Human beings tend to become personas of ourselves that serve to carry us through our daily lives. We might be “the boss,” “the dad,” “the teacher” or “the father.” But are these personas our own creation or are they the accidental manifestations of circumstances -- not beyond our control, but instead beyond our ABILITY to control?

Upon facing a difficult decision, my dad gave me this simple piece of advice, “be sure that when you shave in the morning, you can look at that person in the mirror.” Make a reflection in the mirror that will smile at you every morning. Find out more about Stefan Pinto:

For change to take place, we must go through a process. As the author wrote in “The Invitation,” “there is no way out but through. You cannot go from START to FINISH.” Beware that this “immediate gratification” is like a cancer that can permeate every aspect of our life. You must first run/ walk/crawl the course. And, you must prepare yourself for pain -- if that scares you, fear is part of being alive. Accept that fear will never leave us. Every, single time you attempt to follow your dreams, your passions, your deepest desires, the fear will tap you

Here are 10 tips that has helped me to manifest change : 1. Wake up earlier every morning and write. If you don’t know where or how to start, read The Artist’s Way. Do the exercises. If you already find yourself saying, “I don’t have time,” then you are not ready. 2. Just start. You want to lose weight, start a diet. If you fail, start again (fall down seven times, get up eight). If you want to write a book or a blog, start. Just do it. 3. Exercise. You must exercise. This can be any physical activity that will get your blood flowing and your heart pumping. This burns fat, by the way. If you already find yourself saying, “I don’t have time,” read #1

Fitness model, Stefan Pinto was was once over 50lbs overweight. His motivation to lose weight manifested by doing something different and persevering through informed dieting and exercise. Stefan Pinto advocates weight loss with a combination of proper nutrition and effective, daily exercise. He can be reached at Pintofactory.com.

The Gracious Guest I love hosting events and parties and I also love receiving invitations to attend someone else’s party.

It is a lovely gesture to ask the host if there is anything you can do to assist her or if you can bring something such as a dessert.

When you are invited to someone’s home for the weekend or for a party, Upon receiving the invitation for a please do bring a gift. Wine, chocoparty, weekend getaway or other social activity, you will respond by saying lates, scented candles or flowers are all appropriate. Flowers are best sent you would be delighted to attend or decline if you have already made other the morning of the event so the host has time to arrange and place them in plans for that date. a lovely vase. In addition to planning what you will wear based on the activities that are planned, you will want to honor your obligations as a guest. There are responsibilities for both the host and the guest. Being a great guest ensures futures invitations. A few suggestions: Respond promptly. The earlier you reply, the easier it is for the host to finalize her plans. If you have any dietary restrictions, please do inform the host immediately. It is unacceptable to bring others to the party or event if they were not invited. Do not bring your children or your pets unless the invitation to do so has been extended. 54

If you break something at the event, please do speak t o the host and replace the item within a few days. Arrive at the appointed time. If you are going to be more than ten minutes late, call the host. Meet and mingle. Parties are great places to expand your circle of friends. Exchange cards so you may contact someone later. Don’t be a drama queen. It is time for the host to shine. Be respectful of the host’s home and furnishings. Use coasters and keep your feet off the furniture. Tidy up the basin and straighten the towels after using the bathroom.

When leaving the party, always take the time to speak to the host and thank them for the invitation and a lovely time. A hand written note is appropriate and should be sent within three days of the party. Smile, have a good time and be a wonderful guest. Being Your Personal and Professional Best Mentoring Opportunity with Gloria Starr, international business coach and advisor. www.gloriastarr.com/mentoring.htm Gloria Starr, Leadership/Communication Coach Established 1983 http://www.gloriastarr.com expert@gloriastarr.com Phone: 704-596-9866

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The acclaimed artists/owners have opened a jewel box to show case photography, contemporary paintings, sculpture, glass and antiques. Inside, rich chocolate-stained concrete floors resemble tooled leather, and three floating walls hold art, illuminated by lighting tailored to each piece.” – Elizabeth Varnell, Paper City Magazine Established in 1998, the Geras–Tousignant Gallery is known for exhibiting outstanding artists. The Gallery’s representation of art encircles classic, traditional, and contemporary design. The International and American artists we represent are on the cutting edge of their craft, whether it be through paintings, photography, sculpture, fine glass, antique rugs, limited edition art books, 18th – 20th century antiques & art objects. We also offer expert art consultation services for private and corporate clientele, as well as commissioned works. For the most part Geras-Tousignant Gallery has featured the work of photographer James Scott Geras, painter Daniel Tousignant. Geras is a world renowned photographer who has shown in galleries internationally, provided images for countless commercial applications, won many awards and has had a series of books published. Daniel Tousignant, a fine art painter, has recently enjoyed enormous growing popularity for his painting. In addition to the revolving show of the contemporary works, we feature one artist [or group] approximately every six weeks.

Photo by: Christopher Irion

“Looking at the work of San Francisco artist and gallery owner Daniel Tousignant is like staring at a freeze frame of the best dream you’ve ever had, and the effect is a sudden wash of chest-clutching happiness. The beauty evoked by his landscape is so intense that it elevates them into the realm of abstraction, even though on the surface they’re utterly representative. There is some living depth, all the more fascination for its hiddenness, breathing behind every leafy branch. The artist says that trees reflect the beauty and vulnerability of all living things. Maybe this vulnerability is what we see just under the surface of his canvasses, and what elicits such a visceral reaction to his work.” Metropolitan Magazine, Barcelona Spain

DANIEL TOUSIGNANT “I love recalling collective memories of peaceful horizons, creating environments with open, expansive, clear horizons – an old tree, a vista of pastureland, and the distant billowing clouds of my lazy youth.” Trees order the life on Earth, Daniel Tousignant compellingly declares that leaf-heavy branches in summer reflect the beauty and vulnerability of all living things. From an orderly thicket of green symmetry, one sees balance and proportion not yielding to nature’s randomness. Next and contrarily, one observes boughs refusing to hide a sunset, while persuading the viewer to reach back for a concealed memory from a simple and effortless time. His paintings are layered; a kind of soft flowing across every inch of the surface. Tousignant captures a particular subject and moment in each piece. What becomes intriguing is how Mr. Tousignant approaches the point where abstraction and representation meet and converge. Discovering Daniels’ clouds is like discovering the sky itself - that pleasant sensation when you look to the sky and see the cloudscape open up before you. Each of us views the sky in both unique and universal ways. All of us can look at the same sky, but each person’s preference affects his or her Appreciation of that sky, with his broadly painted sweeps of blues, ranging from cobalt, aqua marine, teal, cerulean, amber, eggshell and cream, the artists Scenes of Clouds offers an honest, straightforward sense of place. Raised on a dairy farm in Minnesota, Daniel started painting at the age of five. The unique spirit and energy of every scene he paints captures the subtleties of color and light. Daniel never ceases to bring delight and wonder to his body of work. His Botanicals refract light so beautifully that they become a natural medium for the luminous way that he sees and portrays his subjects. The pure, pigmented colors are layered and blended on custom-made black lacquered wood panels. Mr. Tousignant has attended the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Chicago Art Institute, Central School of Art in London, and the highly respected Royal Academy in London, England.

Story telling through photography: the driving force behind James Scott Geras’ passion. Author Michael James Grant Landscape photography is an art form which can transcend time and space. What can transform one person to a place they have previously visited, can just as easily transform another to a location they only dream of reaching. What stands out most in Geras’ landscape art form is that it captures your attention; the play of light and shadows pulling you from one end of the picture to the other. The preceding interpretations are not an attempt to make Geras into something more than he is, but simply to point out that similar, more metaphorical values, can be found alongside the visually descriptive function of the photographs. The landscape photographs themselves are striking in the way the balance of hues mirror through the play of angles, gently enhancing the elements of the scene. Landscape By Richard Pitnick for Black And White Magazine Landscape photography is an art form that transcends time and space, “says James Scott Geras, whose moody and evocative nature scenes truly incorporate the notion of time and space as the representational foundation of reality. Working with a unique combination of artistic vision and refinement of photographic technique, all of Geras’s photographs are taken with a long exposures commencing just at the break of sunrise, He often spends weeks scouting locations and potential camera placements prior to execution of the definitive exposure. “I set up my camera in the darkness, just before sunrise, and the long exposure creates an effect of the image emerging from afar.” Where most landscape photographer’s revel in a pastoral modulation of light and texture, Geras purposely seeks out a starker and bolder expressionism of the arboreal scenery. “ I photograph winter landscapes because I like to see the ‘bones’ of nature – the skeleton of a tree, for instance, looks very much like the x-ray of the landscape,” explains Geras. All of Geras’s work is printed on Bergger paper, a European manufactured product that has the highest silver content of any comically available paper. Geras works closely with San Francisco master printer Leslie Kossoff in producing final prints, with particular attention to the selenium toaning. “Each print receives a different toning treatment, a degree determined by the image LANDSCAPE By Laura Richard Janku - editor in chief of Artweek Photography is as much about what is just beyond the picture frame as what is in its focus. When landscape unfolds itself in the camera lens, we find ourselves ushered to distant quiet places. But for all its nature, the true, invisible subject of pastoral imagery is time. James Scott Geras records the intersection between wilderness and humanity to reveal the coincidence between a specific moment and timelessness.

JAMES

SCOTT

GERAS

Photo by: Christopher Irion

JAMES

SCOTT

GERAS

DANIEL TOUSIGNANT Title: Sepia Landscape, 2010 oil on canvas 24" x 48"

Daniel has Painted two of the beautiful Hearts for Heroes and Hearts foundation a fundraiser for San Francisco General Hospital. His hearts donations raised $75,000. for the Hospital.

DANIEL TOUSIGNANT Title: Tree of Life, American Landscape, 2010 oil on Panel 48" x 60"

Title: White Birch, 2010 oil on panel 30" x 60"

TheRomantiqueSociety.com

Passion By Design Passion and desire can attract everything you want in life! The Passion by Design System™ Passion by Design is a system that guides the readers through the process of igniting their love relationship by cultivating and incorporating the senses in developing their own personal fantasies while designing a drop-dead gorgeous bedroom.

Does the reader crave the elegance and old-world charm of a Parisian apartment, the breezy pleasures of a tropical getaway, the sultry, exotic lair of a Moroccan escape? From simple to sumptuous…this is a fun, playful, and exciting system for creating a more romantic, beautiful life and surroundings.

The Romantic Fantasies

The Evaluation Process

Through sight, sound, smell, touch and taste, all the senses are brought into play. Passion by Design offers the sixth sense: the heart, the soul, and the mind – detailing tips for enhancing communication, spontaneity, romance, and harmony.

Enlightening and fun techniques, tools, and series of exercises lay the groundwork for lighting a flame in the relationship and evaluation of the stage (the bedroom) as it currently exists.

Included are sensually written “romance novel” style fantasies. Sexy, stimulating, and exciting, they light a fire in the reader to begin the process of designing their own fantasy and stage. The process through the senses:

PassionbyDesign.com

Joy of Romance Passionate Picnics

ity time, physical touch and gifts. No matter what your partner’s love language, you can accentuate it during a picnic. Making the food, getting all of the components together and finding a unique location display your love through acts of service. Bringing a book of love poems by Pablo Neruda, writing a heartfelt card or verbally expressing the love and appreciation you have for your partner expresses your love through words of affirmation. No doubt that a picnic is time spent one-onone fully engaged in the moment and basking in your love for each other, which cultivates your love through quality time. The physical touch of holding hands, sitting side-by-side, light kisses grazing your lips and passionate embraces can all be incorporated into your romantic picnic. A special bottle of champagne, a book of poetry wrapped with a bow, a special surprise packaged in a small box encapsulates the language of gifts. Knowing your partner’s love language is critical for maintaining the longevity of your love and making sure your love is being received as you intend for it to be received. Life is too short to have your love-filled efforts go unappreciated, so learn your partner’s love language and become effective and efficient with how you show your love.

As the sun sets, the landscape turns into a magnificent watercolor of pink, orange and violet perfecting the ambiance for your romantic picnic for two. With summer upon us, the warm weather lingers long into the evening hours. Picnics can become a time to celebrate the day and your love for one another. Recent research proves when couples take time to celebrate their joys they will have a healthier relationship for the long run. A romantic picnic can become a love ritual shared between two individuals who have just begun dating or who have been together for years. Deliberately incorporating your five senses into this memory etches it in your mind as an unforgettable time spent together. Sight—the love in one another’s eyes, the beautiful sunset and a scrumptious feast before you. Smell—depends on your picnic’s setting; the salt air at a beach, the fresh cut grass from a park, the refreshing breeze off a lake, the aroma of the wine you are enjoying and the food you are feeding one another. Taste—the sweet watermelon exploding in your mouth, a savory bite of roast beef, the sip of a fruit forward wine and the creamy tang of a goat cheese. Sound—hearing the waves crashing on the shore, the birds chirping in the distance and the words of love from the lips of your beloved. Touch—soft, sexy kisses melting into your lips, nibbling on your neck or feeling the grass on your back as you relax and search together for images in the clouds. Picnics are also special because they can incorporate all five love languages—acts of service, words of affirmation, qual72

When you first fall in love, you naturally give love with all the love languages. You are chemically addicted to the object of your desire. Your levels of endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine and phenylethylamine increase as your serotonin levels decrease. This creates a state of aroused senses, the ability to be hyper-focused and remember the little details, plus it gives you expanded energy and endurance. It is during this time that love is effortless but your body isn’t meant to run on full speed ahead with an increase in adrenaline for long. Eventually you will move from the attraction phase of love into the attachment or comfort zone of love. It is at this time that you will revert to the primary and secondary ways you received love when you were a child. There is no right or wrong way to be filled by love; it is simply a reward pattern we learned at a very early age. Thus you see the importance of giving love in your partner’s love language if you want to be as effective in conveying the love you feel for them. In the comfort zone of love, you will need to think outside the box to bring back spurts of those yummy love drugs that were around when you first fell in love. It is this chemical cocktail that enables you to remember and treasure the magical moments you create together. …back to our picnic. If you base your food and beverage choices around aphrodisiacs you will be bringing out the internal body chemistry found in the first stages of love. An aphrodisiac is an agent that intensifies sexual desire and increases behaviors that make sex attainable and pleasurable. These agents assist you in entering the right frame of mind to feel and act sexy.

You might be asking why the chemical equation is so critical to achieve the maximum effect from your aphrodisiacs? It is crucial to get the structure of the meal correct from the very first bite because you want energy, endurance, focus, good blood circulation and oxygen to your entire body, and you want all of your senses fully engaged. Additionally, you want to do everything possible to minimize the effects of stress on your body and ease your mind of any worries. Structure your aphrodisiac picnic to commence with a boost of endorphins. These love drugs are elevated with the anticipation of what is to come and the ambience you create that is designed to light your partner’s passions. The first thing to hit your lips, if you drink alcohol, should be a libation which will give you an immediate hit of dopamine and, for the ladies, a dose of testosterone. Dopamine will work in tandem with the endorphins in your system to so- Joy Nordenstrom lidify in your brain the meaning and pleasure you are Joy Nordenstrom is the founder of Joy of Romance, Inc., a relationship deriving from this magical moment. The testosterone consultant, an aphrodisiac expert and a romantic event planner. Joy will encourage her sexy side to come out and play. emphasizes making relationship maintenance fun, sexy and intelligent Proceed with as much protein as possible till the dessert course comes. Protein allows tyrosine to enter our system and take over the blood-brain barrier so that dopamine can travel that highway, instead of the sleep-inducing tryptophan. A high-protein, low-carbohydrate meal helps to raise your levels of dopamine. Bottom line: do not eat carbohydrates before protein. Throw in something spicy to increase your endorphins and you will be well on the way to new heights of bliss. Prepare to get all revved up!

– especially for gentlemen. She improves your love quotient through an intelligent and fun peek into what makes you the best lover, the best partner, or the best spouse you can be. On matters of love and romance, Joy educates individuals on a practical, scientific and passionate-based approach to maintaining their romantic relationships. Watch Intelligent Love: 411 for Men on iTunes, become a member of the Joy Nordenstrom’s Joy of Romance FaceBook page and follow Joy on Twitter (twitter.com/joyofromance). Contact website and email: www.joyofromance.com and joy@joyofromance.com.

You can write the perfect love letter

Research what you want to write in advance. Search online for inspiration. Search on the words “romantic love letters” and you’ll find some of the most famous love letters of all time. Use them for inspiration and convert them into words that convey your own feelings. Write the words down in advance. Rewrite them until they sing. You don’t need a lot — just a few heartfelt lines. The only real requirement is that the words be really personal and really true. The opening and closing have to be carefully matched to the nature of your relationship, the personalities of both people and the state or stage of development of the relationship, Napolitano advises.

Victoria Napolitano

What’s the best way to sweep your lover off his or her feet? Try writing a love letter. What’s the best way to sweep your lover off his or her feet? Try writing a love letter. Victoria Napolitano, a retired police officer , now CEO of Hopelessly Romantic Productions, has set up a business in writing love letters for the romantically impaired, says a well-written love letter can make or break a relationship. “Love letters are often saved and savored for more years than the actual relationship,” she says. “They are an expression of feelings in words that capture innermost desires and hopes ... like nothing else will ever do.” Napolitano says a handwritten love letter is likely to get men the prize of affection. “Don’t wimp out. This is no time for yellow stickies. This is not a business memo either,” she advises. “The writers of poems and letters in the 18th and 19th centuries really understood the power of personal letter writing,” Napolitano says. “The impact cannot be compared.” Napolitano suggests you take some of

“You don’t want to be too forward if it’s too early,” she says, “yet you don’t want her to think you want to be friends if you are actually thinking about marrying her.” The closing of the letter should summarize your feelings.

the Romantics’ lessons and modernize them with technology to make your Valentine’s a special experience this year. A personal, handwritten love letter is probably the easiest and one of the least expensive ways to tell your honey how much you love her or him. Napolitano offers some advice to those who want to take a crack at it. Here’s what she suggests: Plan ahead and start early. Buy some really fancy parchment or paper with a matching envelope. Buy some wax for a nice envelope seal. Get a classy ribbon to wrap the package. Use a fancy pen or a calligraphy pen. “The love-letter-writing masters knew that presentation and mystery are all part of the excitement and enticement,” she says. Use a special picture or photograph. Set aside writing time.

Then put it all together. Place the words on the page and place the picture on the stationery in a tactful and balanced way. There had better be no typos or misspellings. Scent the package lightly and seal the envelope with the wax. This way the recipient experiences the letter with all the senses. Napolitano suggests you place it in a special envelope, and deliver it with candies or flowers. Slip it in your loved one’s brief- case or lunch box, or ask a waiter to give it to her as she is having lunch. Whatever you do, just make sure you add a tiny little bit of extra flair and make sure that it gets delivered in time and not too late. Learn more: www.TheRomantiqueSociety.com

The cameo love story combines the sensual; pleasures of the body and the senses, with the sensuous; aesthetic appreciation of the beauty of nature, the arts, the objects and experiences of everyday life and the beloved. This short story gives you the opportunity to send both your imagination and your characters through a world alive with invitations for sensory delights and for the renewal and transformation that they bring. Place your lovers in their (or your!) favorite places. Give your characters the gift of a perfect day (and night!) filled to bursting with delights for the senses and the wonder of beauty. In the ReEnchantment of Everyday Life the writer Thomas Moore writes that “The soul has an absolute, unforgiving need for regular excursions into enchantment”. You can write experiences as gossamer as pearl trimmed silk or as rich as velvet or a medieval tapestry. Our “Cameo” love story is very short and moves quickly with a “plot” that is fully realized in a brief narrative space. It is built on the fine bones and graceful trellis of a tale told in a few carefully chosen words. Like all relationships, a love story is a gift. The love story can be a gift from an author to an unknown reader or it can be a more intimate gift from a writer to the beloved. Creating the story can be rewarding and renewing for the novice writer as well as the experienced author. Writing a “cameo” love story that focuses on the sensual and sensuous gives you an opportunity to add the beauty and grace of a deeply lived experience of daily life to the story of relationship. Where do your characters live? What sights, sounds and scents are available to them every day? Are they city dwellers, or

The Sensual and the

Sensuous Writing the Cameo Love Story do they live by a desert, in the mountains or by the ocean? Are their days filled with the scents of magnolias or pines? Will they visit a museum or go to church on their perfect day. Perhaps they go to a concert or sing along with friends in a pub. Perhaps they will spend the whole day in bed. Let your imagination create a day filled to the brim with beauty and pleasures of the senses. Tale and narrative: Our “cameo” love story is short. The “cameo” love story tells about and shows, deep positive and satisfying relationships. We watch the ways in which relationships Writing Writing real people. The characters in our love story must be defined in only a few words and still be believable. The way they move, small acts, a smile, a reflection in a mirror or in the eyes of those who love them can reveal the character to the reader. The way the couple touches, their use of words and what they speak and care deeply about can be used to share your vision of the relationship of the people who inhabit your story with your readers. Trajectory: moment versus climax. All stories have a trajectory. Things begin, there is a middle of the story, a climax and the movement toward the ending that may or may not be a conclusion as well. In our love story, because it is so compact, it is the “moment” that is the jewel of

the story rather than the traditional “climax”. What is the most intense moment that your characters experience in their inner lives and in the movement of the experience that is told in the story? Is it the discovery of the depths of the love they have for one another or is it the surprise and adventure of new love? Is it the moment of a brief accidental touch or the life changing, soul-searing kiss? What could happen between them and to them that could only happen on this day as they experience the delights of their day? How will you send the arrow of meaning and significance quickly through such a brief story? Giving the reader pleasure. Our love story is written to be a gift and to give pleasure to the reader. In our culture pleasure is linked almost inevitably to sexual pleasure. For that reason pleasure is somewhat suspect and viewed with wariness. We have been sold only one brand of pleasure. It is true that sexual pleasure can be a foundation of love. However, true pleasure is much wider and richer than just sexual pleasure. Pleasure contains an element of what Alan P. Tory calls the ‘Ah’ of things”. I believe that deep pleasure, not pleasure induced by chemicals or merchandising, is what triggers our soul to say “yes” to life. Show the reader how your characters affirm their love while they explore beaches, climb mountains or stroll through colorful gardens, streets and shops. Show, rather than telling, how they say “yes” to life while they say “yes” to one another. When you write, you explore your own pleasures and the pleasures of the lovers in your story while at the same time giving your readers the pleasure of participation.

As writers, our pleasures, the pleasures of our characters, and the pleasures of our readers point to the ways that pleasure itself moves us beyond ourselves, teaching us about compassion, spirit, wonder, sharing, and love. Something that begins in the local self can bring us to what David Abram calls “the more-than-human mystery”. Our love story is small, but like a finely wrought miniature tapestry it shimmers with color, depth and detail to warm the eye, stimulate the inner ear, satisfy the senses and educate the heart as the reader is carried along with the characters. And, like a fine old tapestry, your love story will be a gift fit for kings, queens and lovers. To review, here are the building blocks of our “cameo” short love story: 1. Our story is built on the foundation and idea of gift. 2. Tale and narrative: Our love story is short, moves quickly with a “plot” that is fully realized in a brief narrative space. 3. Emphasis on a rich sensory sensuous atmosphere and experience for the characters and the reader. 4. Trajectory: moment versus climax. It is the “moment” that is the jewel of the story rather than the traditional “climax”.sure. As the author, be sure to write to give yourself pleasure as well. 5. The story is written to give the reader, as well as the characters pleasure. As the author, be sure to write to give yourself pleasure as well. 6. Point the ways in which pleasures can bring us, both readers and writers, beyond ourselves. We write to move toward compassion, spirit, wonder, sharing, and love. Stories move us toward “the more-than-human mystery”. 7. Think of our love story as a colorful miniature tapestry or as a finely carved antique cameo. If your story is to be a personal gift choose a beautiful piece of paper and a new calligraphy or fountain pen write the story by hand to create a sense of intimacy between you and your reader that a computer generated page, no matter what creative font is used, will never achieve. Writing is a grand voyage of renewal and transformation. You will imagine things you never expected. You will experience pleasure and wonder. Remember to write often, especially to yourself and your beloved.

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