Off Switch Magazine

interviews

photography

nutrition art inspiration essays

volume one

I

2011

I

$15.00

Š 2011 Off Switch Magazine All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the editor. Inquiries can be sent to the editor at: info@offswitchmagazine.com offswitchmagazine.com Printed in the USA by MagCloud.com Cover Photos: Andrea Jenkins

volume one

welcome Off Switch Magazine was born out of a desire to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to get up and act upon their dreams. Whether that dream is taking a pottery class, learning to sew, starting a band, or becoming a self-employed artist, Off Switch is here to inpsire and remind readers that all things are possible.

Full of beautiful images and words with the intention of sparking ideas and motivating mindfullness of self and surroundings, Off Switch Magazine is first and foremost a reminder to live life fully...without an off switch.

While this first volume may be small, it is packed with the words and images of over a dozen talented people from across the United States. Inside you will find a winter-themed short fiction story, a young woman’s humorous look back at her foreign exchange experience, and a collection of portrait images taken by five different photographers.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Off Switch Magazine from the beginning. This publication is itself a testament to the message it brings: all things are possible if we simply try.

1

stay connected: website FACEBOOK EMAIL

2

volume one interviews

3

photography

nutrition art inspiration essays

welcome

1

stay connected

2

table of contents

3

contributors

4

5

through my lens

13

just keep going

17

untold stories

24

collector

featuring: cynthia henebry

27

hue and hum

29

bringing brooches back

38

spicing up date night

41

43

when in rome

49

talking nutrition

55

TASTY AND HEALTHY!

57

a new kind of cookie monster

60

behind the name

contributors Katie Michels

amanda Johnson

Executive Editor Designer PHotography

contributing writer photography

Anna Klenke

Kate Bernhard

copyEditor contributing writer

Illustration

Rachel Blakley Ball

Stephanie Binot Illustration

contributing writer

Heather Zweig

Mandy m. Voisin

PHotography

contributing writer

Ruth Yaroslaski

Dina Weiss

PHotography

contributing writer

Nate Yaroslaski

Angela Spiteri

PHotography

PHotography

photography: Cynthia Henebry bree walk Jamie Klimes Simon Lee Andrea Jenkins Jed Wells Carol Call PHotography Jordan Huntington

4

{theme}

www.citrushearts.blogspot.com

each issue a theme is chosen, photographers are gathered, and images are submitted...all for the love of photography.

Cynthia Henebry (below)

www.cynthiahenebryfilmphotography.com

These two cousins had been wrestling wildly on the couch but found a quiet moment together under the blanket, and I grabbed the camera quickly. Even though they rarely see each other, there is a quick and easy intimacy between the boys that I hope the photograph conveys.

turn to page 27 to see more of cynthia’s photography!

Bree walk (opposite) This portrait is of my good friend and Polaroid mentor, Ann McGarry.

It was taken with my favorite new Polaroid camera, the Spectra. I used soft tone film from the Impossible Project.

6

Simon Lee “Fleeting Glimpse”

7

Simon Lee

“Me, Myself, and I”

8

www.flickr.com/photos/michellesimon

www.flickr.com/photos/jamieklimes

9

Jamie klimes (left) I shot this one fall afternoon when my daughter Renna peered up at me with her crystal blue eyes and sweet freckles. The natural, diffused light coming in from her left side was lovely for portraits.

Jamie klimes (below) I photographed Renna playing with her hair in the evening light. She has twirled her hair from infancy, just like I have. When I look at her expression, her hands, her posture, I cannot help but see a bit of myself. And yet, this photograph conveys her individuality completely.

10

www.hulaseventy.blogspot.com Andrea jenkins Moments before we entered the Chinese Gardens for a Chinese New Year celebration, I took this photograph of my daughter in her favorite red satin dress. She’s long since outgrown it, but the dress (and the memory of the day) live on in this Polaroid.

11

Andrea jenkins The hands of my friend Myriam after painting all afternoon. Windows wide open, sounds of the ocean in the background.

When I look at this Polaroid, I am instantly transported back to that time.

12

an interview with intention text: katie michels photos: Angela Spiteri & katie michels

We all want to find success in our lives, and we all have people we look to for inspiration. Typically these are people who have experienced what we are about to and come out the other side with grace and poise.

One of the many women I look to for that source of motivation is Jess Constable, the woman behind the jewelry and lifestyle goods company Jess LC, as well as the popular intention-filled blog, Make Under My Life. This November I was pleased to interview Jess at her home studio in Chicago, IL and learn what really drives her success and inspires her to get up each morning.

It’s easy to say, “I’m starting a business” – but saying and doing are two completely different things. Jess began selling her jewelry at the ripe old age of fifteen and continued throughout college, at which point she developed a clear and purposeful vision for her life. While attending the University of Michigan, Jess realized that more than creating and selling jewelry she wanted to help others design a “life with intention.” What exactly does designing a life with intention mean? To quote Jess’s own words, “Living a life with intention is about taking the time to reflect on the things that are most important to you.

To figure out what you want to devote your time to, what habits you want to cultivate, and what people, and yes, even things, you’d like to have in your life.”

“Once the things that are most important to you surface,” Jess says, “it’s then about figuring out how to incorporate them into your daily life.” She calls this, “designing a life with those intentions” because it has to be a purposeful choice. “Perhaps that means you need to rearrange your time, home, or relationships to make room for those intentions to flourish.”

Unsure of the best way to pursue this goal, Jess made the move to Chicago to run her business full time after graduating in 2007. What began as her side business selling jewelry turned into a way for her to be more in control of her work hours, thus allowing Jess the opportunity to discern the best

avenue for distributing her message of living life with intention.

Would it be a book? A TV show? Looking to her female role models, those were the only options that appeared to be available for getting the word out. In 2009, after a couple years of struggling to get Jess LC off the ground, Jess started the blog Make Under My Life as a way to start the book proposal process.

“I felt like a hypocrite, because everyone said I was

living a life with intention is about taking the time to reflect on the things that are

most important doing my dream job, that’s so great.” But as Jess told me, that wasn’t why she was here. “If I let myself settle with [Jess LC] being the only thing I do, I could theoretically end up with a million dollar jewelry business, when that wasn’t my purpose.”

The idea of knowing one’s purpose is a very important concept to Jess. When I asked her what was next for her business and blog, she immediately replied that she had no master plan for it all. “I know I’m on the path; I know I’m doing what I’m supposed

14

to be doing…if it becomes a book, that is fantastic.”

The point being that somewhere along the line Jess realized she couldn’t control every aspect of her life.

These days she is trying to focus on her unique and personal contribution to the world beyond her business. “I don’t know about the future of Jess LC ten,

She may not be able to control when a shipment will arrive or when an order will be placed, but what Jess can control is how she responds to those unknowns.

“I’m still here, I’m still going,” she says. “You kind of ride the waves of that and then as you keep going you get more used to the waves. It doesn’t

i’d say yes to everything as long as i’m helping people design a life with intention fifteen years from now; no idea what it will look like at that point. But I know that I want to have more time and energy devoted to helping people. Whether it’s consulting, or events…there’s a million ways. I’d say yes to everything as long as I’m helping people design a life with intention, but at this point I have no set-in-stone [plan].”

What advice would Jess give to others considering an entrepreneurial path? “There’s no way to go around it. It’s not easy starting something from scratch,” she said. In the beginning, Jess – like most other entrepreneurs – had to be patient for her peers and clients to understand that Jess LC and Make Under My Life were in fact her full-time job. “I remember I was at a store and [this customer] was buying jewelry from me the first year and she asked me what I did as a job…while I was selling her [jewelry].

That was, at the time, a struggle.” Over the years, as Jess has grown more confident in her path and intentions, comments like those barely faze her.

Despite her modesty on the subject, I felt two of the most impressive qualities Jess inhabited were a positive attitude and a sense of self-awareness. “I think people with businesses think it’s going to be easier than it is, for different reasons. And if they don’t just keep going…you have to just keep going.”

While all people cope with stress and the ever-present unknown that comes with running a business in their own way, Jess has found that “the thing that gives me the most peace is actually realizing how much is out of my control and to have faith that it will work out.”

15

make them necessarily easier because each wave is usually bigger than the last because you keep growing and evolving and trying new things.” But the point being that you have to keep moving forward, otherwise you’re guaranteed to go nowhere.

On a number of occasions during our two-hour interview, Jess used the word “intention” where others may have used the word “goal.” As I thought about that observation while driving home, I realized that it made complete sense for Jess to coin her own term. In order to truly find success and achieve intentions, one has to devote him or herself to that vision with full force. Throw caution to the wind and move forward. One way Jess does that is by embodying her philosophy through speech, as well as action.

I had gone in expecting to discuss Jess’s experiences running her small business, but as I listened to the audio recording from our sit-down, I discovered the crux of the interview was a discussion of the message Jess is so adamant about sharing with people. I consider this a true testament to the passion she has for her purpose of helping people design a life with intention. Whether you are like me and read Make Under My Life each day, or are being introduced to Jess in this article, I think it’s safe to say we can all learn a thing or two from her about forging ahead despite the obstacles that stand in our way.

stay in touch with jess! blog: www.makeundermylife.com shop: www.jesslc.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1) Supplies for creating the jewelry sold by Jess LC. 2) Jess Constable, the owner of Jess LC and creator of Make Under My Life blog.

3) A chicago themed pillow on Jess’ couch.

4) A pair of earrings from the Diversey collection, worn by Jess.

5) Resident jewelry maker, Susie, wearing a Jess LC necklace.

16

untold stories text: Mandy m. voison photos: yaro photography

It started with a pencil, which was quickly replaced by a pen because of the pencil smudges that left tracks across my snowy white pages. Before long a keyboard replaced the pen and became a more convenient way to capture these stories that started with something small – a lost library book, the neighbor’s wilting rose bush, a ray of sun hitting the hardwood and causing fairy dust to glitter the air and enter my body.

I once told a professor that I wanted to write and he said very solemnly, “The calling of a writer is one I would not wish on anyone.” I know what he meant now, because I felt that I should write my whole life and the feeling wasn’t going anywhere.

Of course this feeling is not singular to writing, but to any calling that one feels whether it is art

19

or opera singing or rugby. It is a different kind of yearning from, say, heartbreak or failure. It is multitudes, it is heaps of anvils and rocks and buildings that all rest on you, pressuring you to begin. Still there is that whisper that you might not be good at it, or at least not as good as you hoped, and that “might” is the word that pains those of us with this feeling.

I stopped writing for a long time because of that pressure. The stories I wanted to tell never came out the way I meant them to, and reading – which I was told would make the writing better, seemed to make it worse. Reading made me a coward. I read Toni Morrison’s Beloved for the first time at 17, and was fitful because I knew nothing I could write in my lifetime would be as good. How could another word ever be penned? Yet every time I

21

reading made me a coward... because i knew nothing i could write in my lifetime would be as good

22

COURAGE IS ALL IT TOOK TO START WRITING AGAIN

finished another book, no matter if it was Konigsburg or Creech or Frazier or Zusak I felt the same pain of hunger. The same whisper that I could never create that – it had already been said. It was already made a part of this world and it wasn’t because of my efforts. I believe that every person experiences this same pain, if they are quiet enough to feel it.

But then my husband studied nine months straight for the MCAT, and I watched him wake up before the sun day after day and open his books. I asked him how he managed to sit at his desk for hours without a stretch, consuming facts and equations so ravenously. He looked at me square in the eyes without flinching and said, “Because I want to be a doctor,” before turning back to his studies. Right then I knew that he felt the same about medicine that I did about writing, but he was willingly walking into the fire, while I was cowering on its outskirts, ashes falling around me – sparks

23

kicking at my heels.

Courage is all it took to start writing again, and I suppose we all have to decide to walk into the fire or inevitably it will circle and consume us. It may have been written before – or sung, or baked or invented, but I have found that the heaviness gets lighter with each step we take. It might seem strange that something so glorious is also so heavy but when you think about it – how could it be any other way? We try and fail and continue on because we are brave enough to believe that there are untold stories and earnest enough to hope that we are the ones who will tell them.

see more of yaro photo’s work at www.yarophoto.com read more of mandy’s writing at www.mandymadson.blogspot.com

collector a short story text: Rachel Blakley Ball illustration: stephanie binot

Every year, when winter came, my grandfather added to his snowflake collection. He had been collecting them since he was little – ever since he was as young as me, he said – and now the shelves in his study were packed wallto-wall with Mason jars, each labeled with a narrow piece of masking tape and the date of obtainment.

From across the room, the jars appeared to be empty. You had to get up close to realize that there was, in fact, a little something floating in each one. But to see the snowflakes, to really see them, required a thick magnifying glass that my grandfather kept hanging on a twisted brass hook. He said there were only a few magnifying glasses that would work. “If this one ever breaks,” he told me, the first time

he put it into my pale hands, “I’ll have to travel halfway across the world to buy a replacement, so be careful now, Callie. Be gentle with it.”

single snowflake.

Snowflake acquisition only happened once a year, but my grandfather enjoyed the collection year-round, especially during the summer, when winter was the furthest thing from everyone else’s minds. “It’s too stuffy,” he’d complain, when the thermometer passed seventy degrees. “How can you stand it?”

“Uh huh,” I said in response, “That’s cool, Grandpa.” The two of us were standing in his study, and it was one of the hottest days of the summer.

I’d volunteered to help him set up the two new fans he’d just purchased from a garage sale, but secretly, I was only there to escape the heat. When my grandfather wasn’t looking, I closed my eyes and put my face right in front of one of his fans, breathing in the cool air.

Each year, toward the end of June, he brought out a multitude of portable fans from the storage closet to keep the Mason jars cool. In all the years he’d been collecting, he boasted, he hadn’t lost a

The collection was up to seventy-two snowflakes when the phone call came. It was late November.

My mother picked up on our end; the news came swiftly from the other.

“Put your shoes on,” she told me, after hanging up. “We have to go see your grandfather.”

At the hospital, they spoke about things I didn’t understand, and then the doctor said, “It’s probably not serious, but he needs to stay here another day or two,” and then they let us into his room, which was big and white and quiet, except for the

above, the sky was pure white. I felt a chill like the one he had described. When the first flakes fell, I unscrewed the lid of the jar, still holding it close to my body. When the moment seemed right, I held it out.

“Only catch one,” my grandfather had said to me in the hospital. “One is all you need.”

and there it was: one tiny, fragile snowflake,

falling to the bottom of the jar hum of a machine next to his bed. He was awake but looking in the other direction, toward the window that overlooked the parking lot.

My mother let me flip through the TV channels while she and my grandfather talked. A nurse came in after a while, adjusting the dials on the machine, and then left. I continued to flip through the channels.

“Callie,” said my grandfather, softly. “Check the weather station, will you?”

“I just went past it,” I said. “It said it might snow tonight.”

“Oh?” he asked, his voice briefly stronger.

When my mother stepped out to find a restroom, he called me over to the chair by the side of his bed.

“Can you do something for me?” he asked.

“Like what?” I asked, but I already knew.

Just as he had described, the box of empty Mason jars was in the back of the storage closet at his house. I pulled one out and tucked it under my sweatshirt, then went out into the backyard. Up

And there it was: one tiny, fragile snowflake, falling to the bottom of the jar. I quickly put the lid back on and retreated to the house. In his study, I found the masking tape and a pen. I wrote the date and pressed the strip of tape onto the jar, running my thumb over the rippled ends.

After he died, we packed up my grandfather’s jars and drove them to our house. My mother had wanted to throw them out, but I’d protested. “Just let me keep them,” I kept begging, until she gave in. “I’ll put them all in my bedroom. Please? You won’t even see them.”

“I don’t know why you want a bunch of empty mason jars,” my mother said.

“They aren’t–” I started to correct her, but caught myself. “I just like them, that’s all.”

“Your grandfather kept the oddest things,” she said, sighing.

“I know,” I said. “The weirdest.”

read more of rachel’s writing at www.elephantine.typepad.com see more of stephanie’s artwork at dreamssicle.deviantart.com 26

featuring:

cynthia

henebry Nearly everywhere Cynthia Henebry goes, she has a camera in hand.

Whether it is her son’s dentist appointment, a yoga class, or adventures in the woods...Cynthia is there to capture the little moments in the lives of those around her.

www.cynthiahenebryfilmphotography.com

hue&hum getting to know caitlin and robbie interview: katie michels

PHoto: jed wells

Life for Caitlin and Robbie Connolly is nothing short of atypical. This artistic duo brings color, good tunes, wild hair, and an easy-going spirit to the first issue of Off Switch Magazine. After meeting in middle school and becoming friends in high school, the couple married in 2006. Now, five years later, they have an adorable dog named Albus, Caitlin paints and creates one-ofa-kind embroidered t-shirts, and Robbie is a guitarist for the band Fictionist - which was recently signed by Atlantic Records! They say opposites attract, but Caitlin and Robbie are proving that their mutual passion for art and humor are two attributes that bring them even closer. I had the opportunity to get to know the couple a bit better over the past few months:

Let’s set the scene – how and when did you two meet?

CC: We went to middle school together. Robbie was a year ahead of me. He says he remembers who I was, and I sort of believe him. I definitely remember who he was because he was a “cute, nice older boy.” I guess we really met in high school when I was fifteen and he was sixteen and my older brother, Stuart, invited Robbie to play in his band. Robbie started showing up at our house for band practice, and I coincidentally decided to join the band at the same time. We first hung out in my kitchen after practice, we started talking and we couldn’t stop talking all night. And, you know… the rest is history.

What has it been like to marry someone who has known you from such a young age?

CC: It’s nice to have so much in common. We have lots of mutual friends, share similar stories, went to high school proms together. You’d think we’d be sick of each other by now, right? I think it strengthens our relationship. We know each other really well.

What do you both do for a living? Who or what encouraged you to make the decision NOT to work a strict 9-5 job?

CC: What we do for a “living” is kind of a lengthy answer. Guitar lessons, sell paintings, do commission pieces, sell prints, blog, play fun rock shows, play bad rock shows, play at weddings, sell CDs… I guess the more correct question is, “What don’t we do for a living?” I think most people trying to make a career in an artistic pursuit feel this way. We do what we can to pay the bills, eat food, and then spend the rest of our money on more art supplies and music equipment.

As independent artists what is a typical day like for both of you?

CC: We both have to try really hard to create somewhat of a consistent work schedule, otherwise we start to feel frustrated if we’re not accomplishing enough. We both teach guitar lessons in the afternoon and we use our mornings to create. It was a challenge to understand and feel comfortable with

30

our own creative schedule. When we’re down, we’re down. When we’re up, we’re up… literally. If we’re on fire with a project we’ll stay up all night working on it and we have to be patient with each other in that regard. Sometimes we sleep in, sometimes we stay up late. It feels nice and stressful all at the same time.

Is it stressful not having that certainty, or do you both feel like you have hit a groove with your careers?

RC: I feel stressed occasionally, but the majority of my time I feel positive it will all work out. I was actually the tenth of thirteen kids, believe it or not, and growing up my parents had a motto: “It will all work out.” Maybe that motto was instilled in me, but I do feel like it will all work out. We both feel like we’re investing in ourselves right now, which takes time and money, but we hope to see a pay-off in the not too distant future.

How important do you feel it is to be with a person who understands your “right-brained” mentality?...to have that support system?

CC: I don’t think it’s necessary for everyone, but I do feel like it’s been necessary for me. We’re really similar which is good and bad. For example, it’s bad that the dishes never get done. But it’s nice that when I say, “Sorry honey… didn’t do the dishes today, or yesterday, or the day before…” he says, “It’s okay, I didn’t do them either!” I think we have a mutual understanding and respect for each other and our spacey right-brained-ness.

Is it that ability to relate to each other’s artistic passion what you would attribute to the success you’ve found as a couple?

CC: Absolutely. When I’m painting or when Robbie’s working on a song, we always turn to each other first for honest feedback and critique. Even if we aren’t experts in the each other’s field, we know each other well enough so we know what we are striving for and when we’re falling short of our potential. I would credit nearly all my success to Robbie. He was the first person to encourage me to study art in the first

31

place, spend (too much) money on art supplies only to create paintings that were less than mediocre, and still encourage me to keep going. I might have given up art long ago, or not even started, if it weren’t for Robbie.

Caitlin, you pen the blog Hue and Hum, where you share tidbits from your and Robbie’s life together making art and music. Where did the names Hue and Hum come from? What made you decide to start the blog?

CC: Isn’t that a clever name? I have a lot of people compliment me on that name, and I hardly feel like I can take credit. I’m not usually that clever! Long ago, before Fictionist was Fictionist, they were called Good Morning Maxfield… thank goodness for the name change right? Well, we were on a band trip brainstorming lots of different band names. I think the list reached 2,000 or something. Every name we thought of had either already been taken by some weird band on Myspace with 5 fans or someone in the band didn’t like it. I came up with the name Lady Hue and I was determined they should use it. I thought it was rad, awesome, groovy, and everything a band name should be. They, obviously, didn’t feel the same way. A year or two later Robbie and I built a little pretend studio into our garage. As we were building it, I thought, “This studio is cool enough that it should have a name.” We thought about Mr. Mustard Studios, but then I remembered the name Lady Hue that I loved so much. I realized that I could be Lady Hue, but I wanted a name for Robbie too. I started playing around with alliterations and came up with Hue & Hum. It rolled off the tongue like a sweet poem and I knew I was in love.

It was actually after naming the studio that I realized I could start a fun blog to document our artistic adventures and help with some income.

About those nicknames — where did they come from? Do you actually refer to each other that way?

CC: We came up with the studio name while sharing a Café Rio salad. Good ideas are probably always inspired by good food. That’s why we eat out

i might have given up art long ago...

PHoto: Jordan Huntington

if it weren’t for robbie

32

PHoto: katie & sue michels

so much… right? We don’t actually ever call each other Hue or Hum at home, it’s just an online thing, but it’s special to me.

What are some important qualities to have when turning your dreams into reality?

Caitlin, you wrote on Hue and Hum about the importance of having a positive attitude for success. Could you elaborate on that?

CC: Find something you love and are decent at.

Then add positive attitude + hard work. People with a positive attitude that are willing to work hard, even if for free, will be rewarded with more opportunities than other people. You never know who you will meet that will help further your career, or how success will unfold, so you just have to be optimistic and keep on keeping on. I remember when I first started pursuing art and people would say, “And what do you do?” and I would say, “I’m an artist.

I’m an artist!” It was scary and empowering. The

more you say that, the more you believe it, and the more it comes true. There is a certain point along the path of following your dreams where people begin to see that you are really going to do it, no matter what, and they will support and admire you for your passion.

Does having a good sense of humor help as well?

CC: Yes. Laugh, cry, fail, try again. Laughter helps keep things lighter and makes the inevitable failure a little easier to swallow.

Robbie, tell us a bit about Fictionist’s style:

RC: Within the band we’ve joked about how in a way we’re culmination rock. We have a wide variety of influences ranging from blues, jazz, indie, and stadium rock like U2 or Coldplay. Somehow with all those influences we feel like we have a modern sound and we’re excited to share it with everyone.

Congratulations on the band being signed to Atlantic Records! What’s the latest news on that front?

RC: Thanks! We’ve been doing less touring lately because we’re focusing so much energy into our song writing. We’ve released two albums and an EP in the past, and they were a little experimental, but still good. This upcoming album will be our first full length to be released on Atlantic Records, and that’s a big deal for us. We’re compiling a huge library of songs right now so when we decide which songs to record we know we’re picking the best of the best.

We don’t have a date set to record yet, but it’ll be sometime next year.

self indulgent in content. I enjoy it because it is a growing process through colors, shapes, ideas, and concepts. I am continually feeling inspired and humbled by other paintings I see. I hope to get a masters degree in the future to help me develop my process.

You offer a “pay what you want” feature on your blog for print versions of a number of your canvas paintings…what inspired you to start doing that?

CC: I actually felt inspired by Fictionist. They sold CD’s at their shows for a “pay what you want” price with the motto, “We love our music, we’re proud of

you just have to be optimistic and

keep on keeping on How close is the Fictionist family? You all seem to be very good friends…can you tell us more about the group dynamics?

RC: We’re really close. The band sees each other two to five times a week for rehearsals or shows, and we’ve lived together on the road sleeping in an old bus. You could say we’ve bonded. All of the band members are either married or engaged and they are all really close friends. Caitlin likes to call them the “fictionistas.” They go out to dinner when we’re setting up for shows, and hang out on the weekends.

We all spend birthdays and holidays together. We’re really close. Not to mention Stuart, the lead singer, is Caitlin’s brother. So when we say the band is like family, that is literally very true.

Caitlin, please describe your unique painting style. Is there a particular process you use?

CC: I can honestly say, “I love my paintings,” because I’m painting in my own style with no agenda other than to explore myself and my process. The process is a little expressionistic, abstract, and

the songs, and we want to share it with everybody.”

From an artist’s standpoint, I just wanted anybody to be able to enjoy my art at any cost. From a marketing standpoint, beggars can’t be choosers, and I think we’re still in the beggar category… maybe one millimeter above, but not far! I’m trying to do anything I can to share my art with others. I don’t think most people actively pursue art, so I try really hard to bring it to them.

And those t-shirts! You started designing creative T’s for Robbie to wear while playing with Fictionist…whose idea was that? Has the rest of the band asked for any?

CC: Thanks! I used to always hunt department and thrift stores to find fun things for Robbie to wear on stage. I finally just gave up knowing that what I was looking for didn’t exist. I started buying shirts and jackets, tearing things apart, adding colors, buttons, and whatever I pleased. Someday I’d love to make a series of Sgt. Pepper-esque jackets for all the Fictionist men. They are a handsome bunch.

34

PHoto: carol call photography

What does the future hold…any dreams you’d like to share? A Fictionist inspired T-shirt line, perhaps? Playing at the Grammys?

CC: Grammys!? Yes please! I think we usually have more dreams than we might be able to tackle in one lifetime. If we could do it all, I would sell paintings, have a Lady Hue t-shirt shop, and sing in some side projects with Robbie. Robbie would play with Fictionist, have a Robert Loud Blues group, be an accomplished song writer, and hopefully make it the Grammys. And we’d like to do all that and have a few little kids along the way. Doable? Hmmm.

Who are some artists and musicians you both look up to? Anyone we should be watching?

CC: We both admire lots of legendary artists who have paved the way. Mark Rothko, Gustav Klimt, Modigliani, and Byzantine art are some of my favorites. Joni Mitchell, Peter Green, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, U2, and so many more. We’ve been excited about St. Vincent, Janelle Monae, and the Swell Season. Some local bands that are up and coming around here are Desert Noises, Sadie Price, and Book on Tapeworm.

Ken Robinson wrote in his book, The Element, that when asked if they thought they were creative a class of first graders would all raise their hands. However if a class of college students were asked, only a few would.

What are your thoughts on creativity, specifically as we age? Would you both consider yourselves creative? Who or what would you credit with instilling that in you?

CC: That is such a great question. I would say “YES! I am creative,” but that is not easy to say. I’ve been reading Outliers by Malcom Gladwell to understand this concept more fully. A lot of creative/successful people are put in the spotlight for being “extraordinary,” but I think the only thing that makes them extraordinary is that they decided to get off the couch and do something. I also attribute much of our success to our ancestry. I had a grandmother and a great-grandmother that loved to paint. They didn’t teach me or tutor me, but I believe something

37

was instilled in me. I attribute so much success to my dad. He is an amazing man, he is an entrepreneur, and he started his own business at the age of twenty-four. Whenever you talk to him, conversation is always laced with tips on marketing and self-promotion. He loves new ideas and taking risks.

I attribute success to my mom who taught flute lessons growing up and helped us understand music. I have wonderful grandparents who are so

the only thing that makes [people] extrodinary is that they decided to get off the couch and

do something incredibly supportive and come to every rock show Fictionist plays. I attribute success to Robbie’s dad, who played in bands growing up, and he taught Robbie how to play the ukulele and the guitar. When Robbie wanted to buy his first guitar his dad said, “Get a job and whatever you earn to go towards the guitar, I’ll match it.” I attribute success to Robbie’s parents who devote a large amount of their time working with a marriage counseling organization. They have been married over forty years, they had thirteen kids, and they are still truly in love. They have taught us to support each other and put our relationship first before anything else.

Anyone who has any amount of success has so many people to thank. Their own “genius” is probably the smallest piece of the puzzle.

stay in touch with robbie and caitlin! blog: hueandhum.com Band: facebook.com/fictionist shop: etsy.com/ladyhue

bringing

brooches

back an old favorite makes a big comeback Text & styling: Katie Michels Line drawings: kate bernhard

When you think of your favorite accessory, what comes to mind?

Is it that gorgeous necklace your boyfriend gave you?

Those earrings you bought yourself last Christmas? Or maybe the accessory you most love to wear is that vibrant colored scarf you found on mega sale. But what about something that adds style, whimsy, personality, and nostalgia? That’s right, we’re talking brooches. Gone is the stigma that brooches are your grandmother’s accessory of choice. Brooches are both versatile and easy to wear because they are securely attached to your ensemble. Maybe we can inspire you to dig through the jewelry box and uncover those hidden gems. If Justin Timberlake can bring sexy back with one hit song, surely we can bring brooches back with one classy article. Take these examples of nine different ways to wear a brooch...

(previous page) On a big, chunky winter scarf

1

attach to a fitted blazer 39

3

dress up a buttoned-down shirt

on the collar of a winter coat

2

4

create a fitted sweater

5

pin to a structured vest

embellish a purse or handbag

8

6

cluster on suspenders

7

enhance a head scarf

9

follow kate’s artistic projects at: www.katiebernhard.blogspot.com 40

SPICING UP DATE NIGHT

with classic movies

TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY: amanda JOHNSON While staying at home with my husband enjoying a cheap pizza and the latest blockbuster might seem terribly romantic to some, sometimes it just gets a little old. When the budget doesn’t allow us to trade in the pizza for a fancy candlelight dinner, we spice things up with a candlelit viewing of one of our favorite classic movies. It really turns up the romance, I promise! Don’t think you’re cut out for enjoying a good black and white or Technicolor flick? My husband used to think so, but now he’s the first one to insist that there’s something to love in every classic movie genre – You’ve just got to try dipping your toes in the water.

For the hopeless romantic:

I

I

An Affair to Remember 1957 starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr Two cynical adults fall unexpectedly in love during a cruise ship voyage to reunite with their partners. Agreeing to give up their current lives for the sake of love, the two decide to meet in six months at the Empire State Building, until fate intervenes.

This movie might as well be the blueprint for contemorary romance movies. If this plot sounds familiar, that’s because it’s referenced so often in modern films, such as Sleepless in Seattle.

For the savvy suspense lover:

I

I

Rear Window 1954 starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly A wheelchair-bound man passes the time of day by watching his neighbors. But nobody believes him when he begins to suspect a neighbor of murder. The thrill of this movie is due in part to the constriction of the audience to only one movie set, with a limited view of the neighbors. Alfred Hitchcock really knew how to draw in the audience!

41

For the sports fanatic:

I

I

The Pride of the Yankees 1942 starring Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright It’s far too easy to be a sucker for the old Americana feeling evoked by the days of baseball when men wore suits and women wore fancy hats to watch the sport. The innocence of hard work, self-made manhood, and the old-fashioned American try are on display for a healthy dose of nostalgia in this movie. Also a biographical film, it’s an emotional look at the life of American baseball icon Lou Gehrig.

For the cynical hipster:

I

I

Harold & Maude 1971 starring Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort Talk about ironic. A young man obsessed with death begins an unlikely romance with a lively old woman. If you enjoy Wes Anderson movies, then you might like seeing a film that obviously heavily inspired the modern movie master himself.

Emotional drama lovers:

I

I

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman Based on the play by Tennessee Williams, this southern family drama perfectly draws you into the lives of its characters while expertly fleshing out the loveable and despicable characteristics of each player. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof demands the emotional involvement of the viewer. If you like a little soap opera drama with witty dialogue and smart characters, you’ll love this movie!

If your favorite movie genre isn’t mentioned here, be sure to check out the Movie Monday feature on my blog (www.candimandi.typepad.com) for more detailed recommendations. Just don’t blame me if you suddenly become a movie snob.

42

when in a former exchange student looks back text: Anna Klenke photos: Angela Spiteri & katie michels

Being an exchange student definitely has a little bit of glamour attached to it. You jet off to a foreign country for a year, learn to speak an exotic language, and make friends with people who will let you crash on their couch the next time you visit. With a new pair of sunglasses, a silk scarf, and a brand new journal in my carry-on, I felt pretty glamorous as I flew over to Italy for my nine months as an exchange student. What could be more exciting than spending nearly a year living in Rome, the greatest city on earth? I was convinced that I would return home more attractive and sophisticated than I had left. Those illusions were shattered a few days later when I found myself stretched out on a gym floor with a sixty-year old man sitting on my back yelling, “Forza! Forza! Your spine is like a piece of wood!”

There are a lot of things about Italy that are different from America. Bidets in every bathroom, the absence of clothes dryers, and stores that close in the middle of the day for siesta were just a few that threw me for a loop in my first week. At the high school (liceo), things were even weirder. The students

stayed in the same classroom all day while the teachers rotated rooms. We had school six days a week. But, more than any other single thing in Rome, Italian gym class was honestly the strangest thing I had ever experienced.

You wouldn’t think that gym would be that different from country to country. I mean, humans’ physical structure is pretty much the same no matter where you go. But our gym teacher, Professore Silvestri, wasn’t exactly your normal PE teacher. He had never had any formal physical education training, he liked to do the same activity for the entire two-hour class period, and he had a strange fondness for Paris Hilton’s CD and the song “The Age of Aquarius.” Our class of sixteen students spent an entire month in a ballet studio practicing dances that Silvestri had choreographed to that awful music. He apparently didn’t have any ideas about what we should do with our feet, so the dancing consisted mostly of vigorous arm-waving and head bobbing. Sometimes we had to sit on the floor and wave our legs in the air.

The floor-to-ceiling mirror in the studio drove home the point that we couldn’t dance, and that we were

absolutely miserable. The boys made faces at each other, while the girls tried to avoid eye contact. The social awkwardness was excruciating. Meanwhile, Silvestri stood in the corner talking on his phone and swaying from side to side.

Things improved slightly when we moved on to the gymnastics unit. Silvestri dragged an ancient mat out of a closet, hacked off the head of a broom to use the broomstick as a bar, and recruited Elisabetta, the least athletic girl in the class, to hold one end while

he held the other. The rest of us took turns running down the length of the studio, launching ourselves into the air, and doing a flip over the broomstick, hoping to land on the gymnastics mat and not the hard wooden floor. Silvestri raised his end of the broomstick higher and higher, so by the end of the class we had to risk jumping on top of Elisabetta in hopes of clearing the bar. I was dizzy and sore by the end of the day, but Silvestri informed me, with a jarring shake of my shoulder, that although my back was stiff, I was very good at doing flips.

italian gym class was honestly the strangest thing

i had ever experienced

see more of angela’s photography at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20959337@N03/

44

Over the course of nine months we did handstands and somersaults. We built human pyramids and practiced cheerleading with someone (me) getting tossed in the air. We ran hundreds of laps around a tiny indoor courtyard. Sometimes we even got to do normal things like play volleyball or soccer. And on very rare occasions, when he was tired or not feeling well, Silvestri would take us out and let us sit in a café and drink cappuccinos for two hours.

While gym class definitely didn’t help me keep off the ten pounds I gained in Italy due to pasta, pizza, and gelato, it did unite me and my classmates in a kind of humiliated resignation. I was American and they were Italian, but we all hated Paris Hilton and we all looked ridiculous doing handstands. Some of the best conversations I had with the girls in my class happened while we whipped our gym clothes on and off in a freezing basement locker room with

47

anarchist graffiti covering the walls. The camaraderie felt familiar, even if the setting was foreign.

It has been over four years since I returned from my exchange year in Rome, and a lot of the details have faded from my mind and exist only in the journal I kept and the photographs I took. But I will never forget the heavy feeling of Silvestri sitting on my back to force me to stretch, or the glee on Elisabetta’s face when she realized that she didn’t have to do flips. I wouldn’t say that my original hopes for becoming sophisticated or glamorous in Rome came true—in fact, gym class was a pretty humbling experience. But I do have a special fondness for “The Age of Aquarius” now… and yes, I remember all the dance moves.

stay in touch with Anna! www.twitter.com/AnnaKlenke.com

the camaraderie felt familiar, even if the setting was

foreign

talking nutrition with

DINA R. WEISS, NC photos: heather zweig

There’s something funny

about style, creativity, food, and the enjoyment of all the finer things in life…you have to be alive and healthy to actually enjoy them. As a certified holistic nutritional consultant, I have done extensive research on what makes the human body tick and, more importantly, what makes it skip a tick to the extent that things start to go awry. My theories are borne out of a culmination of years of book-learning as well as practical human application, having worked with more than 250 clients over the last two years alone. What I have come to understand over that time is that most people seem to have some key things in common, particularly when it comes to food:

1) Once they love something, people are hardpressed to give it up, despite how it may adversely affect their overall health and quality of life.

2) Folks are not inclined to make changes – large or small – until something goes drastically wrong.

3) Will-power and compliance are four-letter words.

With all that being said, there is nothing I will suggest in this article that I have not already done myself. I have been there, and done that, giving up many of my favorite foods and beverages, in the interest of becoming well and healthy and therefore

50

more able to enjoy my life. Too often we view what we put in our mouths as some form of entertainment rather than as fuel to propel our amazing bodies through days, months, and years. This is where I put it to you to consider what it is that you want in life.

If you look to enjoy all those things you hope to achieve in life, you may want to consider making small changes towards becoming more nutritious in

nerves and your adrenal glands, I want to talk about how it dries out your skin, necessitating the use of all manner of rehydrating, firming, toning and agedefying creams, lotions, wraps, masks, peels and so on. Simply put: caffeine is a diuretic and it will stop at nothing to remove all the “juice” from your body.

It will start with your insides, and then work its way out, and that, combined with living in a world of homes and offices and cars that all offer forced-air heat, and eventually you wind up with lifeless, saggy,

too often we view what we put in our moutHs as some form of entertainment rather than as fuel your approach to eating and to living an active and healthy life. While I typically suggest making broad brush-stroke changes, I understand that this approach tends to fail with most people. As such, I am going to start our “relationship” with a few suggestions that might be more palatable (pun intended).

Since “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” became a virtual household phrase, I am going to build off that concept and call this the Reduce, Replace and, Eliminate section of the article.

1. Reduce Your Caffeine Intake Often when I am lecturing to a crowd, this suggestion garners the most groaning and whispering among attendees. I have overheard comments like “I knew she’d make us give up Starbucks” and “I already have to drag my butt out of bed in the morning, and now I have to do it without caffeine?” at least a dozen times each. At some point, I will write an article solely on the benefits of caffeine reduction and ultimate elimination, but for now, let’s just stick with the fact that the less caffeine you ingest, the healthier, and prettier, you become. Yes, prettier.

While health “experts” go both ways with coffee – some suggesting that a cup or two a day is excellent for you, and some saying that it should be completely eliminated from your diet – I am going to stick to the vanity aspect of it. Never mind what it does to your

51

and definitely not juicy skin. There is so much more to the caffeine equation. So regardless of whether you drink eight ounces of caffeine per day (coffee, soda, green tea, and yes, even decaf), or forty, try to cut it in half over the next month. At that time, perhaps you will find yourself willing and able to cut it in half again!

2. Replace a Pasta Dish I know what you are thinking here…what do I have to replace it with, right? Well before I answer that question, let me say this. I have known many a vegetarian over the years, and have loved them dearly, often helping them devise more nutritional approaches to eating the way they enjoy. I say this because many first-time vegetarians and vegans go the route of what I like to call “pastaterians” wherein they remove meat and poultry and fish and often dairy from their diets and then they replace those foods with pasta. Meal after meal of pasta. Now, again, I do not intend to go into detail right now as to why no one should be attempting to live on pasta every day of their lives, despite numerous starving artists, college students and even just lovers of all things frugal and thrifty doing it seemingly effectively. But suffice it to say that there are more nutritious options out there, and exploring one or two of those a week might be just the thing to get you thinking

hopefully these suggestions will prove to be simple steps you feel able to take in the

direction of better health

outside the box. The box specifically being that box of pasta…

Perhaps you would enjoy this recipe, which was sent to me by a client. If you are keeping it vegan, you could simply substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth and replace the butter with more olive oil (I have not tested this to be certain that it would translate, however).

winter squash soup with sage 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 2 cups chopped onions 2 tbsp chopped parsley 2 tsp fresh sage, chopped 4 cups peeled and cubed winter squash 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 clove garlic, minced chicken broth Melt butter with oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add onion, parsley and sage. Sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add squash and salt. Sauté until squash is softened and onions are golden, about six minutes. Add garlic, stir 1 minute. Add 5 cups stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very soft, about 25 minutes.

Cool slightly. Put batches in blender for smoothness, if you like.

Now remember not to serve this with a side of pasta!

3. Eliminate Articficial Sweeteners This is another of those topics that generates mumblings and cursing of my existence from beneath the breath, and I am just going to go ahead and put

it out there on the table: yes, I am suggesting that you permanently give up your Diet Coke. I am suggesting the same for the little blue packets, the little pink packets and even the little yellow packets – or any little packet of anything that contains saccharin; acesulfame potassium, or aspartame; or sucralose, also known as Splenda. This additionally rules out many instant tea packets and mixes (but you were going to cut your caffeine intake in half anyway), as well as Crystal Light and other water-flavoring mixes. None of these is natural and therefore none of them belong in your body. End of story. Stevia is natural. Sugar is natural. And either of these is considerably better for you than anything artificial that taxes organs like your liver with breaking down complex chemical structures, when it would prefer to focus on converting cholesterol to useful bodily hormones. If you are in desperate need of a soda, perhaps you should try one by Zevia. They are sweetened with Stevia and are quite tasty!

Hopefully these suggestions will prove to be simple steps you feel able to take in the direction of better health. I hope to offer additional thoughts and suggestions as time marches on. At some point down the road, when it makes sense, I will share my own journey to excellent health, which is one I still make today.

Now fill up your bucket list with amazing challenges for your body, mind, and soul!

see more of heather’s photography at wethreezweigs.blogspot.com interested in working with dina in a nutritional capacity? email us! www.info@offswitchmagazine.com 54

tasty & healthy!

recipes adapted by: ginger michels

TWO RECIPES WORTH TRYING

Photos: Yaro Photography

lentil chili

thyme roasted beets

8 cups vegetable broth 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 large red bell pepper, chopped 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 tsp chili powder 1 (16 oz) package brown lentils 2 (5 oz) cans diced tomatoes ¼ cup chopped cilantro

12 beets (about 2 bunches) 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried thyme ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary or parsley

Bring ¾ cup broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook about 8 minutes or until onion is translucent and pepper is tender. Stir in chili powder and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Peel and dice the beets, then place in crock pot. Add garlic, ¼ cups water, oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir all ingredients until well combined. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low until tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Add lentils, tomatoes, and remaining 7 and ¼ cups broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until lentils are almost tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and serve.

56

A VEGAN chocolate chip COOKIE that packs a lot of punch!

recipe adapted from www.wholefamilyfare.com

Flourless chocolate chip cookies

Photos: katie michels

2 cups ground almonds ½ cup ground pecans ¼ cup ground flaxseeds ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp non-aluminum baking powder ½ cup honey ¼ cup safflower oil 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract ¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Shape dough into balls about an inch in diameter. Bake for 10 minutes, checking frequently (they should be lightly golden brown). Store cookies in refrigerator for best taste.

Yieldsd approximately 2 dozen.

58

59

behind the name When I was young I was a chatterbox, always talking and singing and making noise. While I don’t remember much about my younger years because, well I was young, I do remember that my parents would say I wasn’t born with an off switch. They just couldn’t find one to turn me off...or even down a notch.

Fast forward to 2009 when I was trying to decide what to name both my online shop and blog. I felt at a loss racking my brain for cute and clever names. Trust me, the list of ideas was pretty bad. But the one that stuck out like a sore thumb was off switch.

And if I had to guess why, I would say because it had a story behind it. Albeit a short story that takes about two seconds to tell, but a story none-the-less. I am a big believer that things happen in my life at the exact time they are meant to. I try to appreciate the timing of life’s events and be aware of things that seem to “click” into place. Naming my blog and shop Off Switch was one of those things, and as soon as I realized it I created the accounts and starting typing away.

In 2010 I was in a personal branding course at my college and we were all assigned to create a slogan to describe both our brands and ourselves. Again I came up with quotes and phrases that I liked, but they just didn’t jive well. After some negative feedback from the instructor I decided on, “living life without an off switch.” And I heard that “click” again...

And now I’ve given this little magazine the same name. Confusing? Maybe to some, but to me it just means I feel that strongly about the name and believe in what it has come to represent to me (and hopefully to you as well). What was once a line to describe my constant chatter as a kid has since evolved into a phrase that means living life positively and fully. Off Switch simply means to live life turned on.

follow katie at: www.offswitchblog.com

60

offswitchmagazine.com