august
Greenville, SC
free!
skirt!is
www.skirt.com
Don’t just sit there! Throw down the gauntlet, call someone’s
bluff, tempt an angel or dance with the devil.
We dare you to scare yourself. Steal a base.
Cheat at Candy Land. Go to a batting cage and pretend the ball is
your boss. Play cutthroat Scrabble for high
stakes. Wear your body with pride, bare it
without shame—find a nude beach next time
you travel. Dress to kill. Become a miniature-
golf champion or a trapeze artist. Start a
weekly poker game instead of a book club.
Jump Out of a P lane if you’re afraid of heights. Host an annual
Hendrick’s Gin croquet game. Handle a snake
or ride a bull (mechanical will do). Pursue
something that seems hopeless to everyone
else. Throw your whole self out into the world.
Game on!
Cover copy by Nikki Hardin, Art by Bonnie Dain
“It’s the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you.” from Million Dollar Baby
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©2011 Charter Communications. Residential customers only. Installation, taxes, fees, and surcharges are extra. Certain equipment may be required at installation, and charges may apply. Internet speeds may vary. Activation requires a valid service address and may be subject to credit approval, prepayment, or major credit card. Standard rates apply for Charter Cloud Drive after day 90. Charter does not warrant that Cloud Drive will be provided error-free, uninterrupted, or virus-free. All services provided are subject to the subscriber agreement, which is subject to change. Services not available in all areas. Restrictions may apply. AIM78764
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Publisher
Nikki Hardin editor@skirt.com National Art Director
Caitilin McPhillips caitilin.mcphillips@skirt.com National Editor
Margaret Pilarski margaret.pilarski@skirt.com Greenville Editor
Sheril Bennett Turner sheril.turner@skirt.com Sales Executives
Denise Nelson 864.551.7295 denise.nelson@independentmail.com Sarah Page 864.356.2903 sarah.page@independentmail.com Graphic Designers
Shelli H. Rutland Shearer Wludyka Photographers
John Fowler 864.380.9332 promoimaging.com Sheril Bennett Turner
Sales: 864.551.7295 FAX: 864.260.1350
skirt! is all about women... their work, play, families, creativity, style, health and wealth, bodies and souls. skirt! is an attitude...spirited, independent, outspoken, serious, playful and irreverent, sometimes controversial, always passionate. Calendar Submissions Send information or mail to sheril.turner@skirt.com, or mail to skirt! Greenville, 1708-C Augusta St. #335 Greenville, SC 29605.
Essays
Spatial Relations
Stacy Appel ................................................................................. 10
Letters to the Editor All letters must include the writer’s name and city/state.
Writers & Artists Our guidelines are available online at skirt.com. Submit artwork or essays via e-mail to submissions@skirt.com.
skirt! is published monthly and distributed free throughout the greater Greenville area. skirt! reserves the right to refuse to sell space for any advertisement the staff deems inappropriate for the publication. Unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Letters to the editor are welcome, but may be edited due to space limitations. Press releases must be received by the 1st of the month for the following month’s issue. All content of this magazine, including without limitation the design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content, as well as the selection, coordination and arrangement thereof, is Copyright © 2011, Morris Publishing Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this magazine may be copied or reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher. SKIRT!® is a registered trademark of Morris Publishing Group, LLC.
In My Own Words
Abigail Green................................................................................. 13 Profile: Jelena Popovic
Jump Starter................................................................................... 16 Profile: Jen Grier
Women Women make make more more than than 80% 85% of all purchasing of all purchasing decisions. decisions.
Gaming Gamine........................................................................... 18 Profile: Ruta Fox and Libby McMillan
Mural Mural On the Wall....................................................... 20 Text For Your Life
Women spend Women almost 2 ofspend every 3 almost 2 ofdollars. every 3 healthcare healthcare dollars.
Amy Vansant ................................................................................ 28 Open the Gate
Adrianne Fincham-Quiros ................................................... 30 Women control 2/3 of the nation’s disposable income.
Features
From the Publisher and Editor............................................... 6 Calendar.............................................................................................. 7 Don’t Miss.......................................................................................... 8
Women Women influence influence 80% 80% of of all all car car sales. sales.
Skirt of the Month........................................................................ 9 Skirting Around Town............................................................... 14 He’s So Original with Dr. Joseph Parisi
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August Survival Guide............................................................. 23 skirt! loves..................................................................................... 26 skirt! Saw You.............................................................................. 27 It’s A Party....................................................................................... 31 Meet…Marietta Louk.............................................................. 32 Browse............................................................................................... 33 Planet Nikki..................................................................................... 34 skirt! Finder.................................................................................. 35
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h
a
nge Iss e ll u
e
The
C
Au g u s t 2 0 1 1
Speak up,
bust out, tilt at windmills. Challenge your status quo, challenge being so-so, challenge yourself to grow.
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The United Skirts of America
The United Skirts of America was founded on the blood, sweat and estrogen of our foremothers, who won us the freedom to choose...to break The Rules, to wear combat boots or high heels, to run for office
Cover Artist Bonnie Dain
or run a marathon,
Where do you live? Rome, Italy. What medium do you use? Pen and ink and acrylics. How do you stay inspired? Art galleries, magazines, nature and sometimes just walking around and people watching. Do you work traditionally or digitally? Usually half by hand and half digitally. If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you be? Maybe a dentist. What’s the strangest work experience you’ve ever had? Probably being assigned to illustrate a synapse. What’s your middle name? Dorthea. How do you stay in shape? Yoga and the gym. How don’t you stay in shape? Cheese and gelato. Where would you like to travel to next? Tokyo, Japan. What is your current favorite font? Helvetica. Bonnie is represented by Lilla Rogers Studio (lillarogers.com).
to form our own rock groups instead of being groupies, to shatter Glass Ceilings and Glass Slippers, to shoot hoops instead of settling for hoop skirts. The ones who came before us made it possible for our daughters to dream bigger, to have the chance to grow up to
theChallenge issue “More and more, it feels like I’m doing a really bad impersonation of myself.” ~Chuck Palaniuk
When you become skilled at a job, you can often put yourself on auto pilot to get the work done. I’ve been turning out copy for skirt! for 17 years and every month it’s a challenge to know if I’m writing from my heart or if I’m just phoning it in. Too often, I have to stop in the middle of a piece and ask myself if what I’ve written is the truth or if it’s close enough to the truth to get by or if I’ve simply written the requisite number of words to mark it off my To Do list. It doesn’t help that, thanks to my blog and my job, I’ve become adept at writing sound bites and paragraphs. I like to fool myself into thinking I’m doing the spare, pared-down prose of Hemingway, but the truth is that I avoid stretching myself by writing an essay, learning to create digital stories or publishing an e-book. It’s too easy to think I’ll do it tomorrow, too easy to stick to what I know instead of the unknown. This failure to compete affects every aspect of my life, making me too cautious, less creative, more indolent. It’s safer to stay in my tight little boring orbit than to take a chance on venturing into a larger, more dangerous one. What if I got hit by a meteor instead of taking off like a comet? Seems the chances are 50/50, so why do I dwell on potential disaster instead of a possible payoff? Are there ways you avoid challenging yourself, settling for a bad impersonation of what you could be? This month, I’m committed to finding one project, one passion, one endeavor that will force me to exercise some neglected and atrophied creative and intellectual muscles.
be President and turn
Nikki
the Oval Office into
the United Skirts of
From the Editor
America, every day is
It often seems to me, that everyone around me is a lot more organized than I am. In fact, I like to joke that I function best in creative chaos, which I suppose is an asset when you have a creative job. It really takes both organizers and brainstormers to pull off anything of great merit, though, as you’ll see from our civic-minded profiles featured in this issue. A couple of months ago, we challenged local
IT
S!
women to submit Big Ideas on how to make our community a better place to live. We then chose three that really inspired us; those that not only were a great idea, but ones that are being, or could
U
easily be, acted upon. Sometimes it just takes a challenge to get the brainstormers thinking and the organizers doing.
Sheril I Dare You
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publisher@skirt.com
the Ovary Office. In
Independence Day!
S VI
From the Publisher
skirt.com
sheril.turner@skirt.com
5
As a fun farewell to summer, Backyard Bash is a casual gathering where friends of the museum come together to enjoy each other’s company while raising money for The Children’s Museum before the kids head back to school. tcmgreenvillesc.org
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The GET MOTIVATED Seminar is an action-packed, fun-filled, explosive, exciting, inspiring, skill-building business event that is world famous for its mega-watt superstar speakers and spectacular stage production. bilocenter.com
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The SC Botanical Garden presents Art in the Garden, a Parisian Street Fair featuring incredible art, music, and performances that will thrill you as you stroll along the enchanting garden trails. clemson.edu/public/scbg
Yee Haw 4-27. Expect to hear first-rate musicians and vocals when Centre Stage presents The Kings of Country and Their Queens, a brand new concert event. centrestage.org
Bring the Gang! 23-28. From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story soars as the greatest love story of all time. peacecenter.org
Run! 6. The Julie Valentine Center works to stop sexual violence and child abuse. Join Run2Overcome, a 5K run to gain awareness of the services provided by GRCCAC. grccac.org
Go Greek 25-Sept10. Ovid’s Metamorphoses chronicles myths of the Ancient Greeks. This stage adaptation, written in 2002, brings these immortal stories to a contemporary audience. warehousetheatre.com
Strike 13. Grab your bowling shoes and join Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate as they present Bowl for Kids’ Sake. bbbsupstate.com
Heat Relief 26. It’s time to chill out with Beat the Heat Family Night at UHM as they explore keeping cool during the dog days of summer with crafts, special guests, and more. upcountryhistory.org
Go Kids 13. Tri to Cure is a youth triathlon for ages 6-15 held in Greenville, SC, on the beautiful campus of Furman University. All profits go to the chosen charity. tritocure.com
Cause-Worthy 27. The Greenville 5K Rally Run raises funds and awareness for childhood cancer research. active.com/donate/ greenvillerallyrun
Get Together 13-14. Invite your whole family out for the biggest family picnic in the South, the 8th Annual 107-3 JAMZ/ BI-LO Upstate Family Reunion. 1073jamz.com
Funny Bone Treat! Join Bubba, Norma Jean, Dot McJunkin and a whole cast of characters at Café and Then Some for dinner and a comedy show. cafeats.com
New 21. In support of their upcoming album, The Harrow & The Harvest, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings are bringing their new southern sound to the Peace Center stage. peacecenter.org
Saturday Art Every Saturday through October 29, enjoy SLAM!, an open-air art market located in the heart of Greenville’s West End featuring more than 20 local artists. slamart.com
Panini Month • National Goat Cheese Month • Audio Appreciation Month • Happiness Happens Month • What Will Be Your Legacy Month • Peach Month
Romance Awareness Month • National Catfish Month • National Admit You’re Happy Month • National Golf Month • National Eye Exam Month skirt.com
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“Join the skirt! team as we get pampered, sample delicious treats and shop ‘til we drop...
August 26-28
Stop by the skirt! booth at the 4th Annual Upstate Women’s Show! Join the skirt! team as we get pampered, sample delicious treats and shop ‘til we drop at the 4th Annual Upstate Women’s Show on August 26-28 at the Carolina First Center in Greenville. Presented by BI-LO, the Show is again shaping up to be an entertaining and educational three days of fun for women of the Upstate featuring fashion, accessorizing, cooking, health and wellness, decorating and special guest—HGTV Design Star, Vern Yip. Receive $2 off general admission price when you bring five canned goods for Harvest Hope Food Bank. For more information, go to upstatewomensshow.com.
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Traci Daberko is an illustrator and graphic designer in Seattle, WA. See her work at daberkodesign.com.
Chiffon Full Tier Mini Skirt by Costa Blanca Petals Boutique 627 Augusta St. Greenville petalsonaugusta.com
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What had I gotten myself into? And with whom?
M
Stacy Appel
y widowed friend Olivia often talked about her son, a talented Portland musician ten years older than me. He made the trip back to see his mother more frequently than most married sons, with his flutes, violin, and sax stowed in the trunk of his red Prelude. Over the course of a week or so back home in Oakland he’d play Bach duets with her, fix the basement plumbing, help her lug potting soil or fruit trees home from the nearby nursery to add to what was already a lush backyard garden. I was intrigued hearing the details of his continually solid performance career, but Adam’s turbulent marriage was a saga almost impossible to follow, so I didn’t try hard to track what his mother told me over the months or years. “What a challenge for them!” Olivia proclaimed cheerfully, as Adam and his wife underwent yet another round of counseling with a new therapist. Her clipped British accent, fully intact despite her living in the Bay Area most of her adult life, made almost any incident she described sound a little like a scene from a Mary Poppins movie. “What a challenge for him!” she said on another occasion, after Adam called to report that his wife had thrown their expensive wedding plates one by one at the wall behind him before fleeing to a hotel. What a challenge, I thought privately, to be raised by a mother who describes everything you’re going through as a challenge. If my entire family and the cat perished in a tsunami I feared Olivia might respond in a similar way. After a few more “challenges,” the perpetually beleaguered Adam landed at her house for an entire month one summer, a divorce underway, his music gigs on temporary hold. “Do come join us for dinner!” Olivia said brightly on the phone one evening just after he arrived. “Adam’s down in the dumps, and he doesn’t believe I have any friends his age. You’ll like him, I think.” Though Olivia’s motives are often known only to her, this particular invitation didn’t really sound like a fix-up, just a mercy mission of sorts. And my friend is a quietly spectacular cook. So off I went on a humid August night, irises and a bottle of white wine beside me on the car seat, looking forward to what I knew would be a delicious supper on Olivia’s patio. Later Adam would describe the evening as Love at First Bite. I have no memory of what was served, or anything much his mother said after she introduced us. I remember feeling suddenly shy around both of them as we bustled around in the kitchen; her handsome, quirky, auburn-haired son, whose grin flashed every few minutes or so in a way that dazzled me, was enjoying teasing Olivia and kept prompting me to join him in poking fun at her. We helped her bring platters out
to the patio, and as I stole covert glances at him, I could feel him watching me as well. Olivia talked a great deal during the meal, but fortunately made a great show of needing to go back in to do the washing up by herself, while we finished the wine and got to know each other. I felt I hadn’t met anyone so intelligent and intriguing in a very long time. He called after breakfast the very next day to find out if I was ready to see him again. Within the week, Adam had more or less moved into my house, flutes and all, for the duration of his summer visit. I loved the way he got to know my cats, my back yard, my friends, my likes and dislikes. He wrote songs for me and left goofy little notes under my pillow and in the kitchen cabinets for me to find. We drove to the beach and hiked through the fog or stopped to walk through a redwood forest, and at least every other night, made our way over to his childhood home for yet another sumptuous dinner with Olivia. She was always gracious, and yet those evenings felt extremely awkward. I couldn’t quite fathom how to relate to her within the new parameters. We had shared so much over the years— books, hospice work, family tales and traumas—but now there was just no getting around the fact that I was going to sleep that night in her son’s arms. At the end of August, Adam had to return to Portland for work. He called every day, which delighted and distracted me, and drove back down a couple of weeks later for another long visit. A pattern was established: He came every few weeks, and when he wasn’t with me, he sent letters and cards, and made his mother and sister buy me presents, which I was to go pick up at Olivia’s house. She beamed and handed over gifts she or Lily had chosen, which gave me the distinctly odd feeling I was being wooed by the whole family. Was I in love? I wasn’t sure. The attention from everyone was gratifying but almost overwhelming. After almost a year I finally drove to Portland to visit him, and there I saw another side of Adam. His apartment was dismaying in a way that couldn’t simply be ascribed to bachelor living: it was an unholy mess. On his turf, I got a glimpse of Adam the hypochondriac, the medicine cabinet overflowing with remedies and potions and vitamins and pills, all of which he took obsessively, worrying about this symptom or that which had cropped up overnight. He called his mother every day of my week-long visit. I asked to meet his friends, but he said he didn’t want to share me. The only social distraction provided was the morning he invited his ex-wife over for coffee and lay on the couch with an ice-pack on his head while we chatted about his mother. What had I gotten myself into? And with whom? One more difficult, revealing year of back-and-forth visits elapsed, Olivia coaching us futilely from the sidelines up until the day I reluctantly cancelled my subscription to the whole family. By that time I cared deeply for Adam and knew he was chronically depressed. The problem with long-distance relationships has little to do with geography and everything to do with what is masked by the thrill and tension of constant comings and goings. Adam could live next-door to me, or on the other side of the world, and I’d still know him as I do today—a cynical, brilliant, good man who needs to break up with his mother. What a challenge for him, I can almost hear her say, cheerfully oblivious to the pain they’re in, which feels to her exactly like love.
Stacy Appel is an award-winning writer in California whose work has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and other publications. She has also written for National Public Radio. She is a contributor to the book You Know You’re a Writer When… by Adair Lara. Contact Stacy at WordWork101@aol.com. 10
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The Challenge Issue
Challenge yourself
to go back to school, learn a language, enroll in a cooking class, take piano lessons. Don’t let your brain spend all day in recess.
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The Challenge Issue
Challenge yourself
to run another mile, walk a little faster, hike one more hill.
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IN
...my journal is proof that I wasn’t always so timid.
I
Abigail Green
f the words weren’t in my own handwriting, I’d swear they were written by someone else. Of course I remembered the semester I spent abroad in college, even before I rediscovered the travel journal I had kept during my time in France. Even 17 years later, I can vividly recall the intense homesickness I felt at first. I can still feel the throbbing headaches from straining to understand a language I’d studied for years, but had never been immersed in daily. I can even remember the smell of the lavender shampoo I used. But paging through my journal all these years later, it’s not the descriptions of the glittering Mediterranean or the salade Niçoise that catch my attention. It’s not even the then-shocking scandals involving my classmates. (My Dutch roommate was having an affair with her professor! The married couple from Canada wasn’t really married! I used a lot of exclamation points back then.) Rather, what strikes me is how brave I was. How I forged ahead even though just doing my laundry seemed like an insurmountable challenge at first. Let me back up. I was a sophomore in college, doing everything my parents and teachers expected me to. And I was miserable. I had spent my entire life to date, it seemed, learning about things rather than actually doing anything. I was bored, unhappy, restless. When my friend Sandra suggested studying abroad, I said, “Yes! Let’s do it!” Our hip, young French teacher was always regaling us with stories of his cosmopolitan life beyond America. We wanted a taste for ourselves. Sandra and I decided that we didn’t want to be surrounded by other Americans. Where was the fun in that? We didn’t want to go to Paris, either. Too cliché. The more exotic, real-life experiences we had, the better—on a student budget, of course. Soon, I was enrolled in an exchange program to La Rochelle, a historic port city on the west coast of France. I’d live with a French family and study at a local language school for a few months before moving on to the South of France. Then Sandra dropped out. Her parents weren’t interested in funding a trip abroad when there was a degree to earn and bills to pay. That could have been the end of it for me, too. I had my parents’ blessing, but at 19, I was shy and introverted. No one would peg me as the type to travel solo to a foreign country. I was too insecure even to go to a movie alone. I certainly never thought I’d do anything so out of character. And yet, I did. In the winter of 1994, I packed up the brand-new luggage I’d gotten for my high school graduation and set off for France. My earliest journal entries describe my strange new surroundings: “My room is very nice. It is all pink, with a desk, two chairs, a wardrobe, and a soft, squishy bed. The bathroom has no shower, just a tub with a hand-held sprayer. There is also a bidet and a toilet, which you pull a chain to flush.” But after just a couple of days in France—which included a hair-raising bike ride on narrow streets—I wrote, “I don’t know if I’m going to want to stay for five whole months. It seems like forever.” Before long, though, I changed my tune. I made friends—lots of them. There was Elycia from Canada, Ana from Brazil, Reto from Switzerland, Jaime from
Ecuador, and Martina from Germany. When I got sick of sitting at home alone, I forced myself to venture out. I played tennis with a classmate, went to dance clubs and dinner, and took weekend road trips, packed into a rented Renault with four other women. And I learned to watch out for myself. In one passage I describe being followed home from a bar by a persistent Frenchman: “He followed me for a block calling out, ‘Excuse me, excuse me!’ but I just ignored him. I was really scared, though.” My journal reminds me that I haggled for a discount on a new coat (in French!), learned to tell dirty jokes (again, in French), and went to restaurants by myself. The pages are still filled with self-critical observations about my weight and naiveté compared to my mostly older, more worldly classmates. But there’s evidence of change, as well. I befriended my Dutch roommate, who had seemed aloof at first. A pretty, delicate young woman who attracted men everywhere she went, Daphne revealed that she struggled with an eating disorder. I’d never met anyone who admitted to being anorexic before, and it changed my view of my own healthy, athletic body. I was proud that Daphne felt comfortable enough with me to share meals together, since she normally didn’t eat in public. It was during one of these dinners that she confessed she had been having an affair with her engaged French professor. He would whisper sweet nothings into her headphones in the language lab, and they’d meet for clandestine dates late at night. I was so shocked I nearly choked on my pates aux fruits de mer. I’d never felt so naïve, or so American. When it was time for me to leave France, Daphne cried and gave me a bottle of locally-made lavender and honey shampoo. I rationed it out as long as I could. The subtle, sweet scent was my last link to my most profound, life-changing experience to date. Besides my journal, that is. I found the small, lined notebook a while back when I was clearing out the closet in my four-year-old son’s room. It’s fun to read about my youthful adventures, but it’s also eye-opening. While I am more outgoing, confident, and—I hope—much wiser than my teenage self, I am also less adventurous at 36. Becoming a mother is largely to blame. I’m wary of strangers, fearful of car accidents, and deterred by bad weather. Taking two small children to the pool by myself is a risky and terrifying undertaking. Some days I can’t even brave the supermarket with both kids in tow. And yet, my journal is proof that I wasn’t always so timid. I wasn’t always just somebody’s mom. I had rich, colorful experiences halfway around the globe. I navigated a foreign language, an unfamiliar culture, and countless other challenges all by myself. I know that young adventurer is somewhere inside me still, ready to be dusted off and brought out again like my luggage when the time is right. Until then, I’m taking a page from my own journal. The next time I face a challenge—whether it’s inviting a new acquaintance out for coffee, firing a babysitter, or taking a spinning class—I will square my shoulders, take a deep breath, and tell myself, “At least I speak the language.”
Abigail Green is a freelance writer in Baltimore. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including American Baby and Health magazines. A mother of two young boys, she blogs about parenting, publishing and more at abbyofftherecord.com skirt.com
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Skirting
Around Town “Close your eyes and tap your heels three times. And think to yourself, there’s no place like home.” -The Wizard Of Oz
BRIGHT IDEAS The Gallery of Lighting 533 N. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville 864.370.4451
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PICTURE PERFECT Art & Light Gallery 1211 Pendleton St., Greenville 864. 363.8172
BUNDLE UP WITH CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS! 1.888.438.2427
NEW SHOWROOM NOW OPEN! Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery 575 Woodruff Rd, Greenville 864.288.0281
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Skirt! Alert
The Challenge Issue
Challenge yourself
to pet more dogs, hug more often, love beyond your limits.
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Brainstormers
Jelena Popovic | Jump Starter An immigrant herself—Jelena moved from Serbia to the USA at age 18 when her family won a green card on a lottery— this Greenville County school psychologist has a passion for helping children cross the language barrier. “Our community desperately needs a summer ‘jump start’ academic program for kids who are English Language Learners (ELLs). A large number of these ELL students come from first generation immigrants who themselves are limited English proficient and have limited financial resources. My idea is to involve our diverse community in organizing a three-week summer program focusing on reading, science, and math.” And, by using local universities and future English as a Second Language teachers, Jen suggests a low-cost way to pay for the service as part of an internship program. “It is my belief, that by providing this educational service to our ELL children, we can help these children excel academically which will enrich our community.” Photo by John Fowler with Jelena and sons Filip and Stefan
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Brainstormers
Jen Grier | Gaming Gamine As a freelance game and sound designer for interactive media—specifically video games— it’s not surprising that Jen is often asked by students interested in the game industry to shadow her. “Although the game industry is spread across the world, Greenville isn’t a hotbed of activity. I think an after-school program/design space focused on game design education would be a great outlet for older kids and young adults to get together, create, and learn applicable skills for the industry.” This RSS feed junky (Geeks are Sexy is a fave) also proposes allowing advanced projects to be applied toward in-house competitions for experience and scholarships. “It would be great to get funding for creative and industrious kids to use for future education.” Photo by John Fowler
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Consignment Chic Smart fashionistas know how to save money and still look fabulous!
KIDS &MORE
Augusta Road's Newest Home Consignment Store presents... Two New Products/Services • Custom Built Harvest Tables • Custom Finishes - Let Us Repurpose Your Special Piece
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• Men’s, Women’s & Children’s Clothing • Furniture/Home Decor and much more!
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your purchase of $25.00 or more
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Great Selection on the Labels You Love Sizes 0-22+
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Check out our golf, tennis, and maternity wear!
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New Furniture Markdowns!
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GO GREEN! Reuse, Recycle, Refurnish.
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Consignments Welcome
Proceeds go to help Shalom House Ministries Dealer Space & Showcases Available. 10-6 everyday except Wednesday & Sunday
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Upscale Consignment Furniture Mon., Fri. & Sat. 10-4 • Tues. 11-6 Wed. & Thurs. 10-5:30
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A New Concept of Consignment Store We Accept Antiques 700 Garlington Road • Greenville • 329-1101 1 (Behind CVS on Roper Mtn.)
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Interested in advertising your Consignment/Resale Business on this page? Call Sarah Page at 864.356.2903 or email Sarah.Page@independentmail.com
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Brainstormers
Ruta and Libby | Mural Mural On the Wall Art-loving friends Ruta Fox and Libby McMillan have already begun promoting an idea for Greenville’s Pendleton Arts District. “Our idea would enhance the landscape, foster community pride, attract developers and other businesses, and focus positive attention on Greenville as an arts-involved community,” says Ruta, an entrepreneur who hails from New York City. “It’s a large mural project on several of the buildings within the district, with each mural done by a local artist and featuring Greenville’s history and culture. It’s a head-turning, hands-on, low-budget way to perk up a part of Greenville that’s run-down but in transition and could use some sprucing up!” Libby, an avid art collector, agrees. “We plan to shine a spotlight on this exciting part of Greenville, and encourage more people to come explore it. And, once the mural project gets going, the creation of the murals will be performance art.” Read more at greenville.skirt.com Photo by John Fowler
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Collection
Back to School “LockerLookz” Takes Lockers from Blah to
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27 S. Pleasantburg Drive Suite 150 Greenville, SC 29607
RICK TURNER CONSTRUCTION
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He’s So Original
Dr. Joseph Parisi is a Visionary. Because of his father’s example, Dr. Parisi knew it was his destiny to become a doctor one day. “My father was a heart surgeon who raised four young children after my mother died,” Dr. Parisi explains. “I loved and admired him.” Today, as an eye surgeon at Clemson Eye & Spectrum Lasik, Dr. Parisi is loved and admired by his many patients. “As a doctor, improving vision with LASIK, cataract, and refractive surgery so that a person may live more fully is the goal that I strive for every day. People place their trust in me and they deserve nothing less,” says the dedicated doc. What do you love about skirt!? “I love that skirt! supports female creativity. Where would men be otherwise?” How do you feel wearing a skirt? “Glaswegian! I attended a university with Gaelic origin and always wanted to wear a kilt and speak in a Scottish brogue, ‘a nod’s as guid as a wink tae a blind horse.’” Photo by John Fowler
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Paletas image by Ed Anderson.
August survival guide Perseid meteor shower Paletas for dessert The Help stevie Nicks in Atlanta Beach volleyball Back-to-school supplies Rave On Buddy Holly
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coming in
september a special editorial and advertising section about physical, emotional and spiritual well-being
Call today to reserve your ad space:
864.551.7295 Gastroenterology
Dermatology
exPerTiSe yOu Can TruST
PrOviding a PerSOnal TOuCh
Todd e. Schlesinger, Md, faad rebecca “Becky” repaire, Pa-C lori j. Wrightington Dermatology & Laser Center of Charleston
Marguerite Germain, MD, Germain Dermatology
largeST gaSTrOenTerOlOgy PraCTiCe in The lOWCOunTry
Our COMMuniTy iS geTTing healThier
Wanda Mason, CeO, Charleston gi
My Philosophy: At Germain Dermatology, I excel in cosmetic, medical & surgical dermatology. From basic skin care to surgery, lasers & botox, I can customize treatments just for you. My goal is to ensure that you feel at ease & respected at every visit. I believe that skin care is not about looking as young as possible; it’s about looking as good as you feel.
Our Philosophy: Be passionate about everything you do. Wanda’s 20 years of dedication to Charleston GI is proof positive of this. She’s been instrumental in developing the first & the largest outpatient GI Endoscopy Center in the Lowcountry, while maintaining quality & the highest standard of patient care as her ultimate goal.
rya Kaplan, Md, Coastal Carolina Gastroenterology & Hepatology
612 Seacoast Pkwy. Mount Pleasant • 843.881.4440 www.germaindermatology.com
Mon.-fri. by appt. 1962 Charlie Hall Blvd., West Ashley 180 Wingo Way, Ste. 305, Mount Pleasant 149 St. James Ave., Goose Creek 843.722.8000 • www.charlestongi.com
Our Philosophy: A new physician is joining our community specializing in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Concerned with digestive diseases, colon cancer, hepatitis and cirrhosis, Dr. Kaplan has an undergraduate degree from Duke University and received her medical degree from MUSC. She completed a residency in internal medicine and fellowship in gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Kaplan has also received advanced training in endoscopic ultrasound.
Hair Removal
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My Philosophy: When deciding on Electrolysis, chose a Board-Certified Professional Electrolygist, CPE. Electrolysis can be performed on any skin and hair type regardless of age or gender, especially for those who cannot risk skin pigmentation. Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal approved by the FDA. For more information visit our website, online scheduling available. Mon.-Sat. by appt. 946 Orleans rd., inside Cirque Salon West Ashley • 843.513.6323 www.pure-electrolysis.com
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9221 University Blvd., Ste. 102 Charleston • 843.576.0700
Our Philosophy: Water may be the single most important element for achieving and maintaining optimal health. In Japanese, Kangen means “return to the origin.” Kangen Water™ has the ability to hydrate at the cellular level, balance the body’s pH, increase blood oxygenation and provide protection against free radicals by being a source of powerful antioxidants. This may be achieved with our handmade technology right in your own home! Mon.-Sat., 10am-9pm 26 Eton Rd. Charleston • 843.729.7837 www.TopShelfWater.com www.TopShelfWater.net
rejuvenaTe and live yOunger
dr. Patrick lovegrove, lovegrove health Solutions My Philosophy: I believe in the body’s ability to heal itself and rejuvenate from the inside out with the aid of nutritional supplements & Bioidentical Hormones. I provide a serene, stress-free environment where I use my unique Medical Doctor training to customize a holistic regimen using the most advanced lab testing to slow the aging process, prevent disease, increase sex drive, improve physical/mental performance and weight loss. By appt. Mount Pleasant • 843.469.1001 www.LovegroveHealthSolutions.com
PerfOrManCe-iMPrOving MaSSage
Kerry Sizemore, Charleston Sports Massage My Philosophy: My passion lies in helping improve performance in athletes by addressing muscle abnormalities and chronic pain that results from overuse and inflexibilty. I accomplish this through deep tissue therapy followed up by isolated stretching. This allows the body to return to its original muscle length and tone. My goal is to help everyone from “weekend warriors” to the professional athlete enjoy their sport without pain. 843.425.8392 www.CharlestonSportsMassage.com
Take Care of Your
MIND, BODY, & SOUL
From aromatherapy to facials, pilates to yoga, do something special just for you! AIM78811
skin spa & salon
Fi rs t S e s s i o n i s Fre e ! O v e r c o m e s t r e s s , a n x i e t y,
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If you would like to advertise on this page or are interested in more information contact
Denise Nelson 551-7295 Denise.Nelson@independentmail.com AIM78813
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Limited Edition “Tribute” Vespa • Digital Veneer
digitalveneer.com
WeLove!
Leica M9-P
Cappelli Straw Hat
Leica Find local retailers at leica-camera.com
Boutique at the Ridge 1125 Woodruff Rd. Greenville 864.234.7273
Caitilin
Denise
NAOT Flirt
Sales Executive
Emily’s Ladies Apparel 263 Market St. Seneca 864.882.0500
Sarah Sales Executive
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skirt! Art Director
Saw You
Be a skirt! Insider! greenville.skirt.com facebook.com/SkirtMagazineGreenville twitter.com/skirtgreenville
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Typing with my thumbs is just not natural, not even for a girl who spent a large portion of her childhood with an Atari joystick fused to her left hand, rapid firing at 2D asteroids.
Amy Vansant
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Text for Your Life
My husband and I are trying to improve our texting skills. We know in a few years, the English language will be nothing more than a cage-match free-for-all of phonetic grunts and pound signs, and we need to prepare. We don’t want to end up in some dystopian Logan’s Run type future where everyone who can’t type “Where are you?” with 4 letters or less is considered obsolete and expendable. I grew up cursing spelling and grammar, but the stuff is hard to unlearn. I keep stubbornly tapping out “Y-O-U-(where’s the damn apostrophe??! oh, right, shift...got it...) -R-E” while the world taps UR and dashes by, LTAO at me. And not only is my brain rebelling against this verbal shorthand; my stubby little paws have turned traitorous as well. Typing with my thumbs is just not natural, not even for a girl who spent a large portion of her childhood with an Atari joystick fused to her left hand, rapid firing at 2D asteroids. There are unknown dangers in Older Person Texting (OPT, not to be confused with OPP, with which you may be down). To put it simply, we can get ourselves in a lot of trouble trying to be hipper than we actually are. Just ask my husband, Mike, who nearly got us both arrested using only his thumbs. It started innocently enough. While watching a baseball game on television, Mike remembered that our 12-year-old niece had tickets for that day’s game. She sat with her father, somewhere behind home plate. Mike scanned the crowds, pausing on every good camera angle, until finally he spotted her. Having recently purchased an iPhone, Mike announced “I’ll text her!” imagining with glee all the “cool uncle” points he would score. I nodded, thinking nothing of it. Like a woman investigating a weird noise in a dark basement during a mysterious power outage, I was oblivious to the danger. Mike found his phone and started tapping away. He used only his thumbs, and grinned smugly in my direction. He knows that I, like some prehistoric animal, still use my index finger to type. A moment later, Diddle-BOOP! Incoming message. Our niece texted back “hi,” along with some other gibberish I currently have Indian Wind Talkers decoding, and then sent a photo of the baseball field from her point of view. Mike and I dropped everything and dreamily discussed all the times that sort of amazing technology could have been used during our long-ago young lives, for better or for worse. Then Mike typed back his exciting news: “Im watching u, I can see where u r sitting” He used partial Textese, demonstrating his evolving skillz. He could hear the Cool Uncle Points (CUP) racking, like a pinball machine chiming a high score. We marveled at the adorable little iPhone text message bubbles, giggling. Texting was like talking. Only infinitely cooler. Diddle-BOOP! “Wot?” said a new message. “I can C U,” responded Mike, assuming the parts he’d originally typed in correct English were not recognized by Alex’s much cooler phone. Diddle-BOOP! Mike received a new text, but this one came from someone he didn’t recognize. “WHO IS THIS?” said the message. We barely had a moment to ponder to whom this angry new text bubble might belong, before a deluge of bubbles popped and dinged across the screen. Diddle-boop! Diddle-BOOP!!! DIDDLE-BOOP!!! The blood drained from Mike’s face. We were receiving emails from many new people. They all wanted Mike to identify himself. Specifically, they wanted him to tell them why he was talking to their daughters. When our niece sent the picture of the baseball field, she sent it not only to her Cool Uncle Mikey, but also to a handful of her friends. Mike had then replied to ALL. Mike had typed “Im watching u, I can see where u r sitting” to a gaggle of 12 year-old girls. Mike’s phone rang. We froze. Text threats were cartoonish. Phone ringing brought the outpouring of righteous parental anger into a world we understood. Mike answered, and talked down a very angry gentleman intent on finding him for the purposes of face smashing. Over the course of the next 15 minutes, we fielded a few more angry parent calls and texts. We assured everyone that there had been a horrible mistake. Convincing them all that we were just a couple of idiots was disturbingly easy. We need to rise to this texting challenge if we’re going to survive in this brave new, if practically illiterate, world. I read they are remaking Logan’s Run. Producer Joel Silver (Age: 52. Traitor.) thinks a movie about everyone over 21 being executed seems like a good idea again. Coincidence? Maybe. But I’d start stretching those thumbs if I were you. Amy Vansant is a writer, blogger (kidfreeliving.com), professional nerd, and shameless Labradoodle mommy. skirt.com
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Why did I want to ride bulls? Because I doubted I could.
B
Adrianne Fincham-Quiros
ull riding had never been on my wish list of things to try. I’d always assumed you were born a bull rider like you were born a musician or an artist or an athlete. You don’t become one. And I was a woman. Then I heard of Gary Leffew’s Bull Riding School in California, and so startled by the thought I could learn to ride a bull, I enrolled. Two hours north of Malibu I veered off Hwy 101 for a road that corkscrewed up a canyon. Ahead of my car was a pickup truck, following another pickup truck traveling with purpose on what soon became a dirt road. I decided to follow their dust instead of the map. The road dipped in and out of a creek bed like it was looking for a taste of water and abruptly ended in a dirt parking lot. The surrounding hills were dotted with grazing bulls bigger than my Toyota hatchback and my stomach tightened. I wanted to drive away. I climbed out of my car, walked past a stout arena towards cowboys clustered by a building. There, beneath the “Check In” sign sat Brett Leffew, Gary’s son, registering riders and examining the equipment they’d brought: bull ropes, spurs, Kevlar vests, gloves, medical coverage. I folded into the end of the line, ignored the stares and waited my turn. Brett took my name, my money and proof of insurance. I’d bought catastrophic coverage for the occasion. “You ridden before?” “No.” “By the end of the day you will have.” Brett acted like it was perfectly natural that a woman, 37 years old, would be in line with 27 cowboys. “I don’t have a rope, or spurs.” “Gloves?” He asked. I showed my gloves to him, bought, like the catastrophe insurance, for these five days. “No worries, we have the rest.” He put my paper in the smaller of two stacks. “Beginners start here, classroom work first.” I smiled like I couldn’t wait, stepped out of line and heard a voice behind me. “That’s awesome! I was betting you were someone’s girlfriend keeping their spot while they went to the john.” The man had the pressed look of a fresh cadet. Even his straw cowboy hat was crisp. He reached his hand out, “Name’s Bill.” He was a beginner too. There were 11 of us. When Bill and I heard we’d be on the bulls after lunch, it seemed a reprieve. Listening to the noise from the arena— the thud of hooves, the crack of horns and the buzzer marking eight seconds—it felt more like a stay of execution. When lunch was over, Gary Leffew gathered the beginners and preached the Gospel of Bull Riding. A 1970 PRCA World Champion Bull Rider, Gary was compact and athletic. “Bull riding has changed. It’s not about the rodeo ride in front of the crowd; it’s about preparation. You have to train your body and your mind. Your at-
titude creates success or failure.” Then he quoted Shakespeare, “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might gain by fearing to attempt.” Then he grinned and said, “Let’s ride.” These were the beginners’ bulls? Why did they have such horns: long sweeping horns that curved delicately upward to pierce the sky, short ones that curved inward as if for better aim, polled horns capped like Ahab’s wooden leg. One bull had horns so long he was forced to turn his head sideways to negotiate the alley way. Another bull had no horns but a mean Brahma hump and a lot of slobber slinging through the air. The first of our group to ride was a 16-year-old. The next was Bill. Their rides seemed fast, too fast, because I was next. The bull up was the longhorn. I climbed down onto his back. The bull heaved and settled. I took a wrap of the rope in my left hand, yanked my cowboy hat down so hard my ears folded out and fought the urge to pat the bull on the neck like I would with a new horse. The world telescoped to his dusty back, the rails of the chute and the fear ricocheting through me. “Outside,” I whispered. The gate swung open. Immediately I forgot the two lessons learned in class. First, rise with his jump. The up-thrust of the bull slid me behind the rope. His head went down and his hindquarters lifted, catapulting me into the air. And I forgot the second most important thing. Look where you’re going, and with luck you’ll land on your feet, or your hands and knees. I landed hard and flat on my back. It was awesome. I was a bull rider. The rest of the beginners took their falls. Euphoria at having ridden, and lived, lifted us into friendship. We were generous with our praise and encouragement. It didn’t matter that none of us had made it to eight seconds. Big deal. Eight seconds, how hard can that be? The next day we learned how hard eight seconds can be—a challenge of focus, not strength. In the first second my focus was strong. I was out of the gate and still on. Seven seconds to go. Second second, I checked my right arm position—raised and slightly forward of my head—perfect. Third second, I heard the cowboys cheering, saw the fence come close and spin away, and I was still on. Fourth second, my focus disappeared, evaporated, gone, as John Hiatt sings, “like my last paycheck, gone, gone away.” And I was flat on the ground. The bull trotted off. Those last three seconds might as well have been 300. At the end of five days there were seven of the 11 beginners still riding. The insides of my legs were bruised from knee to crotch; I had a black eye and a broken nose, but I’d made it to eight seconds—and more than once. Why did I want to ride bulls? Because I doubted I could. I’d assumed, and not for the last time, that you had to be born a bull rider, or an artist, or a musician or...the list of doubts was long. Gary taught us that becoming a bull rider isn’t about being born a natural; it’s about doing the work, and doing it with a positive attitude and an eternity of focus. A lot like life. So, whatever form your bull riding takes, just remember: Rise with the jump, look where you’re going, and carry catastrophic insurance. Now open the gate.
Adrianne Fincham-Quiros has been published in The Minnetonka Review and The Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine, and has had her award-winning scripts optioned by Universal Studios and Farrell/Minoff Productions. She is working on her first novel, The Summer of My Italian Suicide. 30
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LNO Margaritas • lnoritas.com
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Fluffy Decorations
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Meet Favorite Flower: Daisy
Marietta Louk, who in 2009 said the heck with working for other people and opened her own fabulous go-to place for all things sewing related, Marietta’s Quilt & Sew in Simpsonville.
My Handbag: Student Made
Favorite TV Show: America’s Got Talent
Red, White or Beer: Mainly Tea
My Gadget: A Baby Lock
Where I Shop Locally: A Little Place Called Marietta’s Quilt & Sew My Guilty Pleasure: Beautiful Fabrics Where You’ll Find Me On Friday Nights: Curled Up On the Couch Watching TV One Item Always In My Purse: Migraine Medication Three People I Want At My
Photo by John Fowler
Dream Dinner: My Husband, John, and My Children, Christy, Scott, and Pamela (I Know, That’s Four!) What We’d Eat: Anything, I Love It All!
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August
Consult Thinking about buying a new computer or bigger flatscreen? Check out Decide for yes/no verdicts on whether new models are due to come out soon or if the price on your item is exceptionally low. Data mine your way to buying with confidence. decide.com
Surf Find featured raves, rants, image galleries and how-tos for every woman’s entertainment at Hello Giggles, the everythingand-anything pop culture website created by Zooey Deschanel,
Bookswe enjoy
Sophia Rossi and Molly McAleer. hellogiggles.com
Give Make the act of giving a habit through Philanthroper,
Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World Lisa Bloom Nikki Hardin, Publisher, skirt!
a nonprofit medium for benefitting other nonprofits. Log in to learn about the daily featured cause and decide if today is the day to donate $1. philanthroper.com
Read Hotel Haiku brings poetry to obscure hotels in exotic locations. Click to visualize how art transforms “away from home” into “home” with corresponding haikus. hotelhaiku.com Moonwalking with Einstein Joshua Foer Sheril Bennett Turner Editor
Absorb Wondering what your best friend isn’t saying to you? Get sisterly advice from Dear Wendy and learn ways
Movies that move us
to approach your romantic relationships and how much to become involved (or uninvolved) in those of your friends and family. dearwendy.com
Blogfiles
Restrepo Sebastion Junger
Zebrasounds.net
Ordinarycourage.com
Thehairpin.com
“I don’t know what
“What has a decade of
“Perhaps the saddest thing
you’re going through.
research on authenticity,
about drinking is when
Think about that. Feel the
shame, vulnerability and
you order another glass
power of it. It’s calming,
courage taught me about
at the exact moment you
isn’t it? It allows you to
‘being cool?’ 1. The need
reach that dangerous point
let go of your anger (or
to ‘be cool’ is an emotional
between pleasantly drunk
hurt or confusion) with a
straightjacket. It keeps
and texting all the exes.
certain amount of compas-
us from moving,
You are forced to choose
sion. It acknowledges the
growing, stretching and
between abandoning a
complexity of our lives, the
feeling free. 2. ‘Cool’
perfectly good glass of wine
big, wild, precious mess of
and authentic are often
or powering through and
them, instantly, in the span
mutually exclusive...”
waking up the next morn-
of seven short words.”
ing with a cheeseburger in your purse.” Diana Vilibert
Badlands Martin Sheen & Sissy Spacek
Music we love Tell Me Jessica Lea Mayfield skirt.com
Augustw2011greenville
33
planetnikki [ a visual journal ]
I always have my iPhone camera with me but rarely remember to be on the qui vive for tiny scenes and quiet landmarks of beauty. Maybe it’s
because I’m narcisstically
focused on self, self, self and have my lens turned inward
instead of outward.
Maybe it’s a result of dealing with words,
getting lost in a book
or mentally writing an article all the time. Or maybe it’s just failing to notice what I’m used to seeing, skimming over the familiar and
seeing only
what I expect to see.
Whatever the cause, I wish to be more visual, to cultivate a painterly eye or at the very least to be alert for lurking beauty. How much do I miss
every day?
My weakness is not just shoes, but expensive shoes. I resisted going in the Christian Louboutin shop in NYC and took a photo instead.
I want to be more alive and aware creatively, and I’m hoping The Art of iPhoneography might inspire me to shoot more, shoot better.
Diptyque Feu de Bois is my all-time favorite candle, but Vetyver may give it a run for the money.
Lately I’m desperate to escape via books and movies to other eras and ignore my own complicated, messy reality. The Duellists, an old movie I missed when it was new, will be my next great escape.
Nikki Hardin is the founder and publisher of skirt! magazine. She blogs at fridaville.com. 34
Augustw2011greenville
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