The Reinvention Issue I Heart Change:
TV Host Joanne Colan talks change and the merits of adaptability.
Back to Basics:
Food Writer Michelle Mckenna heads to Canyon Ranch to learn that being healthy is really about simplicity.
Tips from the Pros:
Over 30 pages of insider tips and links for clothing, beauty, home decor, cooking, fitness, books, the arts and more!
Fall Fashion Special:
Learn how you can easily combine pieces you already own with some of the runway’s hotest trends to create fresh new looks.
50+ pages of inspiring fashion... Fall 2010
Fall 2010
contents
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10 8 9
Contributors
10 18 20 22 24 26 28
Essentials Fall’s essentials by blogger Cassandra LaValle.
Letter from the Editor
In Every Issue
accessories Handbag picks by Denver dilletant May Wilson.
Vanities Makeup artist, Ann Marie Laurendeau, selects the latest products to look your best this fall.
Vanities Hair stylist and salon owner, Patrice Vinci, tell us how to repair fried summer hair for a polished fall look.
Vanities Beauty Expert, Andrea Ducharme’s tips on how to achieve a fresh fall face.
Furnishings The latest trends in home decor by shop owner and blogger Annie Crowninshield.
Eats Real estate broker and part-time foodie, Michelle Mckenna, gets back to basics at Canyon Ranch, Lenox, MA.
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Part mind. Part body. All women. 7 DAY PASS >
First time visitors only. Pass expires 11/30/10.
Back Bay 617.859.7700
Cambridge 617.497.4454
Salem 978.745.7390
Brookline 617.731.3030
Chestnut Hill 617.383.6100
www.healthworksfitness.com www.healthworksfoundation.org
Fall 2010
contents In Every Issue 88 90 92 94 112
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READS Book Reviewer, publicist and journalist, Jocelyn Kelley, recommends what’s new in print.
Rants Amber West tells it like it is.
SWEATS Mariel MacNaughton reports on what’s hot in fitness. This issue: get the ultimate booty.
Health Functional Health Coach, Luis Hernandez, reports on the latest news in whole body wellness.
LUSTs Publisher, Dana Córdova’s lusts of the season. Because, well, we all want things...
Features 12
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**Special fall fashion guide** Stylist Maria Vasilevsky shows how to combine what you already own with a few key trends to update your ward- robe for the new season! I heart Change TV Host Joanne Colan talks change and the merits of adaptability.
Publisher / Editor Dana Córdova Design / Photo Editor Dana Córdova Assistant Editor Colleen Reilly Marketing Rachel Texeira Technical Advisor Luke Peters Special Thanks / Unofficial Advisory Board: Raul Córdova, Casey Hatchett, Vanessa Peck, Ben Tregoe, Adam Wynne Advertising Sales: advertising@sloanemag.com Interested in Getting Involved? Please send your idea pitch to editorial@sloanemag.com with the subject line: Ideas for the urbane. Join the Mailing List! mail@sloanemag.com © 2010 sloane Usage, mention or reproduction of any content within this publication MUST link back to: www.sloanemag.com (basically, this means: we’d love for you to talk about sloane, but just be courtious, give us credit and a link.)
Usage License: Attribution-NoncommercialNo Derivative Works 3.0 United States, Creative Commons. To Share: to copy, distribute and transmit the work under the following conditions: Attribution: You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Noncommercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes. No Derivative Works: You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
contents
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Fashion
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Remembrance of some lost bliss Classic styling with a modern take offers an updated look reminiscent of 40s.
tough love Proper chic girl meets bold downtown cool.
Afternoon delight Simple pieces for crisp, lazy afternoons with a touch of unexpected glamour.
secret trees Be an urban hunter in these earthy ensembles.
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Arts, Interviews, Essays
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Arts Behind the scenes with New York arts writer, Jennifer Guinn. Dead or Alive at the Museum of Arts and Design + Matisse: Radical Invention: 1913–1917 at MoMA
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Reflections Imense heartbreak, childish comforts and the power to go on. By Ginna Christensen.
Reflections Marique Newell takes the difficult choice for the sweetest of rewards.
Motherhood Two women: two very different choices.
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contributors
TV Host Joanne Colan’s focus over the past couple of years has been new media, science, health, and sustainability. Her latest project pairs her with renowned American inventor Dean Kamen as they investigate some of today’s greatest scientific and technological breakthroughs in the brand new TV show Dean of Invention, airing on Planet Green this Fall.
Born and raised in Berkeley, CA. Chloe got her MFA in Film Production from USC, where she discovered still photography in her offtime. For Remembrance of Some Lost Bliss Chloe went on location to San Francisco to infuse her story with a timeless, moody quality. www.chloeaftel.com.
Aaron Feaver is a photographer living and working in Los Angeles, California. When he’s not taking pictures he enjoys skee-ball, pizza and animatronic singing animals…pretty much anything and Chuck E. Cheese. www.feaverishphotography.com
Felicity Byrne is a freelance photographer and photo editor living in Los Angeles. She has a degree in photography from Art Center College of Design. Her work has appeared in Dazed and Confused, Vibe, and Flaunt Magazine. For Afternoon Delight Felicity created beautiful photgraphs using her signature handling of natural light and a simple home setting that feels real and relatable. www.felicitybyrne.com
Corrado Dalcò was born in Parma and studied Graphic Design in Italy while working in advertising. He has since worked in Milan, Berlin, Bacelona and Parma assisting fashion and advertising photographers. He is currently based in London. For Secret Trees he offers an unexpected and fine art approach to fashion editorial. www.urto.com
Maria Vasilevsky is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Stilista, LLC, senior fashion stylist and group style educator. She has 10 years experience working with individuals’ wardrobe goals. For this issue, sloane asked Maria to put together a realistic set of outfits that would incorporate pieces most of us already own, and pair them with the season’s key trends for a fresh update that doesn’t have to break the bank.
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letter from the editor
Dana Córdova Editor/Publisher
I felt a great deal of pressure with this issue. The fall issue is traditionally the big one for fashion magazines, so I felt an immense responsibility to both the tradition and our readers. I have always loved fall. Whether it be a reminiscent back-to-school feeling, the crispness of the air, or, (let’s be honest here) the prospect of going shopping for a whole new, fresh look. But, most of all, I love its prospect of change. Indecision, wondering—they frighten me—actionable change never has. Moving, a new health kick, cutting my hair, self-discovery, ect., change has always been a good thing in my mind and thus, the idea for The Reinvention Issue, was born.
to have some truly great talents in the photographic, fashion, styling and makeup industries to bring such fresh and creative images to the pages of sloane. We always strive to offer editorials that are different, artistic and relatable and I think this issue’s four photographers achieve this and more. As always, we also have pages of great shopping, home decor and beauty product picks brought to you by some of the best in their fields. As well as, great book recommendations, art reviews and personal essays.
So, on it goes, issue #3: I bring you another cultural feast to help inspire In this issue Joanne Colan’s feature, you this fall season. I Heart Change, perfectly explains the main theme I hoped to commu- Regards, nicate: adaptability can be a wonderful solution to most all of life’s Dana Córdova challenges. We could all (myself in- Editor/Publisher cluded) use a lesson in getting out of our own way to embrace this concept. Stop agonizing, stop questioning yourself, stop questioning your friends, just jump into whatever it may be and seize the opportunity for growth and maybe even some fun. This concept is continued throughout the issue with our appearance as well—not necessarily just the superficial idea—but, I truly believe a new outfit, daring new lipstick, haircut, ect., can help aid in the shift in our minds too. (There, isn’t that a good excuse to buy a new pair of boots?) In our Special Fall Fashion Guide, stylist Maria Vasilevsky shows how you can easily combine what you probably already own with a few key items to feel up-to-date and on-trend this season. Plus, there is even more fashion editorial than ever, and I couldn’t be more pleased
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essentials
Blogger, Cassandra LaValle, picks the season’s top essentials. Fall crept into my conscious early this year with its vintage styling and soft palette of caramel, creams and olives contrasted by aged metallic finishes. What’s influencing my picks most this season are subtle details and rich materials, all of which are reflected in these pieces.
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1. Michael Kors Hobo $895 An investment piece for the ages, this bag from Michael Kors perfectly contrasts rich, worn leather with eye-catching hardware, giving a super chic twist to a classic hobo. 2. Charles David Boots $190 The vintage styling of lace-up boots are back this season, but this olive green leather with a peep toe takes this look to a whole other level of sophistication. 3. Celestial Coasters $32 A little bit retro with a touch of shimmer, these coasters are irresistible additions to your fall entertaining repertoire. Stack them up on the coffee table or bar in every color!
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4. Madewell Sequin Trim Vest $39.99 Whether it’s tailored wool or a slouchy cardigan style, the vest is a definite must-have for fall this year! The sequin detail on this one makes it the perfect choice for day-to-night wear. 5. Feather Mirror $240 Mirrors are a great way to add reflective light into your rooms during fall’s cloudy days. The delicate layers of feathers add an unexpected softness to this large metallic piece.
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6. T-Bags Blouse $180 Don’t call it a comeback! As sassy as it seems, leopard print is a total classic, and this blouse gives the pattern perfect bohemian twist with its voluminous cut. 7. Urban Outfitters Zig Zag Pillow $32 Nothing beats velvet for its rich look and feel, but if you’re not quite ready to incorporate this fabric into your wardrobe, this zig zag pillow is the perfect way to compromise while adding an injection of fall color to your home. 8. Chain Mail Earrings $3.80 Slinky chain mail jewelry is going to be everywhere this season, so snatch up a pair of earrings like these to rock well into winter.
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Cassandra Lavalle began her career in event planning in 2002, moving into interior design in 2007 when she began her then blog (now business) coco+kelley. Exploring trends in fashion, decor, and entertaining, coco+kelley has received praise and recognition from publications like Martha Stewart, Lucky Magazine, and the New York Times. Cassandra lives in Seattle, WA where she also works as a Home Merchandiser for Anthropologie.
coverings
Special Fall Fashion Guide >>
stylist and Stilista cofounder, Maria Vasilevsky’s makes creating great fall outfits easy.
While we New Englanders are still enjoying
our much-too-short summer by living in our Nautical-inspired swimwear, espadrilles and flowing maxi dresses, the one thought we can’t escape, no matter how many mojitos we sip, is what fall fashion will bring and what new items we can obtain to put together a fantastic fall wardrobe. Yes, fall fashion is a beautiful thing: a return to buttery leather boots, soft cashmere tights, silhouette-hugging jeans, and then there’s… outerwear! Fall shopping is the ultimate consolation prize to the end of summer, and below we highlight our favorite fall trends, and how to wear them with some staple pieces that may already be occupying your closet.
The Trend: One Shoulder Dress Perfect for: Charity gala, Date night, Fall wedding Designers know the power of flaunting a single shoulder or collarbone. Whether you choose a soft flowing or body-conscious dress, this is one trend worth trying this season. You’ll be surprised how flattering it can be. BUY: Navy silk pleated dress (Theory, $585, saks.com) and a large pair of earrings (Max&Chloe, $105, maxandchloe.com): long and dangly, or robust round hoops, or detailed chandelier design to help elongate your neck. Don’t forget to put your hair up in a chic yet simple updo! WEAR WITH: Top off the look with your staple trench coat (Burberry $995, net-a-porter.com) for those fall showers, a good one will nip at the waist and hit right above or at your knee. Add a pair of chic ankle booties (DVF, $340, Bloomingdales.com) for a balanced, contemporary look!
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BUY
BUY
The Trend: Wedge Boots Perfect for: An Afternoon of Shopping, Weekend Lunch What we love about the wedge boot is that it offers height and comfort, and a look that can be dressed up or down. The fall wedge boot can be to the knee, mid-calf or as low as an ankle boot. It has a wedge heel and round toe. A lace-up or suede pair can take on a bohemian vibe, while a patent leather pair needs to be balanced with a modest outfit to balance out the boot. BUY: This ruched wedge boot (Ash, $345, saks.com) has it all —an edgy, rock and roll look, knee-high shaft to wear with pants or skirts and interesting details in the ruching and extended zipper. The seafoam fitted button down (Elizabeth and James, $157, Shopbop.com) balances out the look with a feminine fit and soft ocean shade that pairs beautifully with black. WEAR WITH: Pair wedge boots with a skinny jean (7 For all Mankind-Roxanne mid-rise $155, net-a-porter.com), and a structure d bag (Alexander McQueen-DeManta Tote $995.00 farfetch.com). Add a pop of color with a tee or button-down and you are done!
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Special Fall Fashion Guide >>
BUY
The Trend: Arresting Prints Perfect for: Birthday party, Weeknight dinner out, Casual Friday at work The runways showed screen prints that captured color, photographic images, and juxtaposing patterns. There is a lot to choose from, and we recommend looking for patterns that involve your favorite colors, and aesthetics, such as bold geometric shapes for modern aesthetics, and earthy paisley prints for a more bohemian vibe. BUY: Silk screen print mini dress (Beyond the Valley, $185, asos.com) WEAR WITH: Wear neutral color cardigan open over the dress to show off the print, (Marc by Marc Jacobs cashmere and cotton cardigan, $255, farfetch.com), add soft leggings for a more daytime look (Haute Hippie shirred leggings, $63, shopbop.com).
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The Trend: Feminine, Minimalist Suits Perfect for: Work, Conference, Upscale casual This fall, the suit makes a come back! We recommend you ignore exaggerated lapels and double-breasted styles – they will go out of style before people realize they were ever in style! Instead, opt for classic tailoring, feminine details and impeccable fit. Don’t forget that the right suit can easily be split into separates and dressed down; blazer with dark wash jeans or skirt with a delicate v-neck sweater and boots. BUY: This light gray suit (Akris Punto, inside-out Silk Jacket $1,390.00, Stretch Wool Pencil Skirt $460.00) works beautifully for office, or as separates for both casual and dressier occasions. Add a silk print blouse and stilettos (and lose the jacket) for an after-work client dinner, or pair the jacket with jeans and riding boots for a casual look. WEAR WITH: The chiffon blouse (DVF, $285, net-a-porter.com) pairs beautifully with just the skirt, or under the jacket. Add sexy pumps (Christian Louboutin, $685, net-a-porter.com)
WEAR With
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BUY
Special Fall Fashion Guide >> The Trend: Military Inspired Fashion Perfect for: Work Outfit with an Edge, Fall Lunch Date For Fall 2010, designers have been enamored with military details on clothing and footwear, and shades of khaki and green, while still maintaining femininity in the tailoring and fit. This is a versatile trend for fall that can be dressed up or down and provide beautiful layering. BUY: Whether you prefer the beige lightweight topcoat (Mike&Chris, $575, Nordstrom.com) or a tailored wool blazer (Smythe, $595, Nordstrom.com), both options are great outerwear pieces around which you can build a chic fall outfit. WEAR WITH: This beautifully feminine dress (Rebecca Minkoff, $345, shopbop.com) is the perfect juxtaposition to a military style jacket, as it will balance out the look. While also great for the warmer Indian summer days, we suggest dark opaque tights to warm up the look for colder weather. A slightly chunky leather boot with stacked heel (Jeffrey Campbell, $198, shopbop.com) and belt-and-buckle details finishes off the look, and allows you to stay warm and comfortable.
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BUY BUY
Stilista’s Fall Closet Cleanout Guide KEEP n’ WEAR Skinny Jeans Cashmere v-necks Riding pants Wellington boots Boat neck tops Parkas with faux fur collars Ankle booties
Consignment Bound Boyfriend Jeans leeveless turtlenecks Harem pants Shearling slipper boots Plunging necklines Puffer down coats Clogs
Stilista|Boston is a full-service style agency made up of a dynamic team of talented fashion stylists. Launched in 2007, and designed to be different than the old-school personal shopper, Stilista’s services include men’s, women’s and group services and cleverly combined service packages for different needs, preferences and life situations. In addition to individual stylist services, Stilista also consults and trains companies of all sizes on the topic of style, works through dress code development and implementation, and provides insight about corporate and brand image through employee style. Stilista’s services also include commercial visual merchandising and stylist services. Maria Vasilevsky is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Stilista, LLC, senior fashion stylist and group style educator. She has 10 years experience working with individuals’ wardrobe goals and leading workshops and training sessions of 10 – 350 attendees. Along with Stilista management, Maria has developed a unique process for addressing wardrobe challenges that works for clients of varied lifestyles, sizes and budgets. Maria frequently attends fashion and style events and reads related publications in order to expand her knowledge to better serve her clients. Maria graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northeastern University with a BS in Business, and has worked in Fashion, Healthcare, Public Service and Pharmaceutical industries.
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accessories
Denver dilettante May Wilson’s top handbag picks for fall.
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1. Beirn, Jenna Tote $595 This is the first year I have seen this line and I am loving the hobo bag style. It also comes in a ridiculous amount of color options. This shape really suits a night and day look with the ability to carry everything under the sun. I am also shocked to see skins at this price - move over Nancy Gonzales, there is some young talent in town. 2. Gucci, Heritage Tote $1750 I have never been a fan of Gucci’s embossed bags, but I love when they take on solid colors with their signature red and green canvas applique. Sitting large at 22 weeks pregnant I am beginning to think about the non-diaper bag/diaper bag. I love the idea of this carry all for diapers, bottles and a big ‘ol bottle of wine when the day is over! 3. Juliette Jake, Wrap Around Clutch $575 Clutch: to grasp or hold with or as if with the hand or claws usually strongly, tightly. They also forgot to add the best accessory for the little black dress. This line by Ju liette is sexy! It comes in a plethora of colors, but I love the idea of the shocking turquoise with a sleek simple dress. If star power wins you over this little number has been seen in the claws of Kim Kardashian and Kristen Cavallari (gotta love to hate our ladies of reality).
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4. Prada, Large Cervo Shine Tote $2300 Prada bags are truly one of my most coveted items. When money use to grow on trees, I purchased one and it sits like a museum piece in my closet. The sleek lines and workmanship of this years collection makes a must for the top 10. I promise it is an investment that will last forever. 5. ClareVivier, La Tropezienne $320 Clare and I are connected by six degrees of separation—She is linked to many close friends of mine in the blog world and I have really enjoyed reading about her success. I love the simplicity of her designs and this bag really reminds of something Ali McGraw would have worn in Love Story—time less with a bohe- mian preppy twist.
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6. JCrew, Exhibitor Tote $325 I rarely say this...I am at a loss for words. Someone spiked the punch at Jcrew and their handbag design team drank it! This one in particular is my favorite. The nude with gold accents is so chic. Also, don’t tell anyone, but it pretty much is a very affordable version of this season Balenciaga collection and as my husband reminds me on a daily basis, ladies we are STILL in a recession.
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7. Marc Jacobs, Natasha Leather Bag $330 These slouchy cross body bags are in this season and are a practical purchase for any urban commuter...”Look no hands!” I also am very partial to this putty color—it goes with everything and does not show every mark and stain. Also, for a designer bag you can not beat the price. 8. Stella McCartney for Adidas, SMALL Sport Bag $140 I thought the partnership between Stella and Adidas was brilliant! With the gym being one of the new hotbeds for casual (or not so casual) encounters there is no excuse not to pull off a little sporty spice when heading to your sweat session. This is also a bag that is very passable for work or weekend travel. It also comes in black for those seeking a more practical purchase, but I love this blue/purple.
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May Gardner Wilson currently resides in Denver, CO working on decorating projects ranging from pillow fluffing to home re-models. She also is involved with a variety of local and international charities. Prior to Denver, May worked as a designer with Charlotte Moss in New York City. Her pride and joy is her pug Lola who patiently observes her constant desire to look her best!
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vanities
Makeup Artist, Ann Marie Laurendeau, selects the latest products to look your best.
Welcome the fall season—
with makeup hues that reflect a vintage elegance that seems effortless, yet looks GORGEOUS. To get the look, Apply face makeup products that give your complexion a slightly lighter and matte finish. Keep eye shadow minimal and wear classic shades of ivory, navy, and grey. Curl lashes and apply an extra coat of black mascara. A darker lip color in burgundy or red adds the perfect finishing touch, reminiscence of 1940’s old Hollywood vintage glamour. To achieve a porcelain smooth face, switch your foundation to a sheer, lighter formula or wear a tinted makeup primer. Then apply a layer of matte powder, wear two layers if you feel you need more coverage. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Photo, Donis Perkins / Styling, Ann Marie Laurendeau
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FACE PRODUCTS Laura Mercier, Hydrating Foundation Primer $30 Avon, MagiX Tinted Face Perfector $10 Anemone, Flawless Complexion Gel $18 CHANEL, Double Perfection Compact Natural Matte Powder SPF 10 $50 Jane Iredale, Beyond Matte Powder $32
EYE PRODUCTS 6. Make Up For Ever, Eyeshadow in Eggshell (matte ivory) $19 7. Urban Decay, Matte Eyeshadow Intense Shadow in Revolver (stone grey) $17 8. Mineral Makeup Eye Shadow in Midnight Blue Matte $6 LIP PRODUCTS 9. Stila Cosmetics, Long Wear Lip Color in Daring Vamp Burgundy $20 10. Revlon, Matte Lipstick in Really Red $5.99
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Ann Marie Laurendeau is a makeup artist, hair stylist, educator, and writer with more than 20 years experience. In 1995 she founded Anemone Makeup and in 2006 launched her own line of allnatural, mineral-based cosmetics which includes makeup and skin care products. Throughout her career, Ann Marie has provided makeup and hairstyling for many well-known corporate clients, celebrities, and public figures. Based in Boston, she frequently travels throughout New England, New York and beyond for media, destination weddings, and events.
vanities
Photo: hairstylescut.net
Hair stylist and salon owner, Patrice Vinci’s tips to repair dry locks and refresh your look for fall.
After long days at the beach—
our beautiful locks baking—now it’s repair time. How do we recover the luscious color and silky texture of our tresses? Clients returning from summer fun are asking to even out sun discoloration. I recommend nourishing products infused with natural oils to refresh and rehydrate thirsty summer hair. A welcome addition in our fall arsenal of must-have products, the Moroccan Oil line with argan oil gives us condition and shine, just short of a miracle. One of the most sought after and rarest of oils, argan oil is recognized for its moisturizing antioxidant properties. The result is remarkable shine for dull hair and the added advantage of year-round protection from the elements—use it for sunny winter getaways to summer ’11 fun in the sun. As we all know, hydration is an on-going need—whether for our bodies or our hair, so my fall recommendations include moisturizing shampoo. A top pick is Rene Furterer’s Karite Shampoo, an intensely nourishing shampoo which regenerates the driest of hair with karate (shea butter) and copra oil for silky, luminous locks. I have to thank Oribe—known for taming tresses in the heat and humidity of Miami—for bringing us Oribe’s Shampoo for Beautiful Color, created by designer Tom Ford and featuring the scent of Cuban lilac. A fancy shampoo—luxurious, moisturizing and paraben free—for special occasions or every day!
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Photo: hairstyle-blog.com
Fall’s heavy equipment includes blow dryers, big barrel curling irons and flat irons. I love Hair Avi curling iron. It is the must-have fall hair tool. Avi’s genius is also evident in his titanium flat iron which heats to over 400 degrees and features aeration to allow steam to escape rather than damage the hair shaft. After ironing out your individual style—from wavy to smooth, I return to Oribe for his signature Soft Lacquer Hair Spray. This product is used before and after styling for a high gloss impact whether you gently muss wavy hair or seal in straight shimmer for sleeker looks. I’m always thinking green, so I’m thrilled to offer permanent hair color—free of ammonia, resourcinol and parabens. Clients can now happily wave good bye to those pesky gray hairs the ecological way! This fall take back great color, condition and style. No matter where you live, look for healthy ingredients, products, new technologies and green offerings that will have your hair and style falling into place as naturally as the season!
Photo: www.hair.becomegorgeous.com
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Patrice Vinci Since opening her eponymous salon in November 2008, Patrice Vinci has attracted a team of top hair stylists recognized by local and national press as the best in their field. She styles Hollywood stars in Los Angeles and New York or when they come to town: Ellen Pompeo, Jay Leno, Kate Burton, as well as many film and stage actors who pass through Boston while doing theatre or shooting a film here. Today, Vinci is well known as the “go-to” colorist for blondes, having received for 2010 Best of Boston - Blonde from Boston Magazine along with Best of Boston for general excellence for Patrice Vinci Salon.. She brings her expertise of working on the red carpet in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto toall her clients.
vanities
Beauty expert, Andrea Ducharme on how to wear the season’s hottest trends.
Fall 2010 Makeup Trends
Ask any makeup artist what their favorite season is and they will say Fall. It is a renewed attention to detail, no more flip flops and sheer lip gloss. Eyes are defined in shades of Khaki, gold and even violet hues paired with yellow. The skin is once again evened out after a summer of too much sun and not enough sunscreen. Lips are once again penciled and colored in a variety of textures and shades. I have noticed this season is really all over the place when it comes to looks which is great, just find the ones you like and go for it. However, as always translating runway to reality can be a bit tricky. So here are my favorite tips to head to the office or out on the town looking fabulous and not freaky. The Beautiful A softer smokey eye in gold and khaki was seen on many runways for Fall 2010, and it is easy to do and so flattering. Start by applying a black or chocolate brown eye pencil to the upper and lower lash line. then smudge. Next blend a neutral shimmery beige shadow all over lid and up to the brow, apply a olive or khaki green in the crease and the outer half of the lower lash line, dab some soft gold on the inner corners and prepare to receive lots of admiring looks! The Bold The lips of the season are precisely painted in matte orange reds, cherry velvets and deep aubergines. The key to this look is keeping everything else simple, soft eye makeup with defined lashes and flawless skin. Keep hair smooth, maybe in a low chignon, put on a LBD and hit the town. The DON’T Try This At Home As always there were some looks on the runways that were artistically beautiful and completely unwearable in the real world. However, I like the idea of the heavily lined eye, maybe just skip the bottom and focus on the upper lash line with a much softer hand. Looks like these are meant to inspire and push the envelope, so feel free to play, just have your eye makeup remover handy...
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Fall 2010 Shopping List: • Chanel: Fall 2010 Collection • MAC: Fabulous Felines Collection • NARS: Fall 2010 • Clinique: Fall 2010
In Andrea Ducharme’s 18+ year career in the makeup industry, she has had the pleasure and honor to represent Clinique, Estee Lauder, Trish McEvoy, MAC and Rouge Cosmetics. She has received many awards and acknowledgments, including being named one of Boston’s five top makeup artists by Fashion Boston Magazine. Andrea works several celebrities to ensure they look their best at their personal appearances and on television. She is also the co-founder of The Makeup Artists: www.themakeupartists.com
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furnishings
Shop owner and blogger, Annie Crowninshield, suggests the latest trends in home decor. With the shift in seasons come’s the need
for more light. This curated collection of table lamps, comprised of humble materials, would compliment any decor. Laced together by clean lines, texture, and a neutral palette the effect they have is soothing in a sometimes chaotic world.
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1. Dressmakers Lamp by Barbara Barry for Baker (contact dealer) I first discovered this lamp in a room designed by Massucco Warner Miller and fell head over heels for it’s silhouette. 2. Gianni Vallino (starting at) $1175 Made from “rejected, discarded, and excluded objects” Gianni was a pioneer of today’s green movement. Assembled by hand in his Santa Barbara workshop, machine parts and found objects are recycled to make up these detailed and refined conversation pieces. I describe them to clients as functional sculptures and am not surprised they are sought after by collectors around the globe. 3. Vaso Quadro Crystal Lamp by Empiric (starting at) $425 This versatile lamp wears many hats! It’s Italian crystal and solid steel base can be instantly transformed with the simple switch of a shade.
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4. Jana Desk Lamp by Arteriors $575 What do you get when you combine heavy marble with arched brass? A sexy reinterpretation of European Modernism sophisticated enough for office or home.
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5. Leather Barrel Lamp by Jamie Young $495 Verging on Steam Punk, vintage leather and brass studs make up this substantial table lamp.
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6. Thornton Table Lamp by Visual Comfort $460 All the style of Gerald Thurston without the auction price tag. 7. Brass Ball Lamp by Arteriors $425 Iconic design in the black and brass finish favored amongst early twentieth century designers such as Jacques Adnet. 8. Laboratory Lamp by Empiric (starting at) $225 A deconstructed lamp with no decorative frills! This simple fixture can articulate into an infinite number of positions.
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Annie CROWNINSHIELD is a Boston native who was born into a family of pioneering modernists. Trained as an artist in France and Mexico, she eventually entered the world of interior design. After starting her own online sofa company in 2005, she became partner of Empiric Inc. in Los Angeles, CA where she dedicates her time contributing to their growing line of new and vintage home furnishings. She also writes the lifestyle blog relishsmallpleasures.blogspot.com
eats
Real estate broker and part-time foodie, Michelle Mckenna, talks portion control and whole foods.
Back to Basics: Canyon Ranch, Lenox, MA
It can seem like a rarity these busy days to find—or, rather, make—the time to do something solely for ourselves. Amidst the commotion of hub-life and packed schedules, a short stroll through the public park can feel like a luxury. Thus, when I was given the opportunity to visit Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts, I jumped at the chance, knowing that the pristine beauty of the Berkshires would be the perfect place to relax, rejuvenate, and focus on life’s essentials: eat good food, exercise and sleep well. Since opening its first location in Tucson in 1979, Canyon Ranch has devel-
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oped a reputation for creating some of the best spa food in the country. Chef Scott Uehlein, the brains and belly behind their inventive menus, had a hearty list of accolades when he was named executive chef in 1999. It was while studying under famed chef Madeleine Kamman that he learned to balance flavors and pair food with wine. Today, these basic lessons are the underlying principles he uses to create meals that are flavorful and healthy. When we spoke, he explained how he realized early on that it was easiest for him to build healthy and delicious dishes from the bottom up—meaning, not re-creating a healthy version
of a classic dish—but, starting a new dish from scratch. This allowed him the freedom to build flavor at every step. Chef Uehlein’s most basic tip for starting on the path to a healthier lifestyle? Eat less and exercise more. Uehlein imparts that there are no magic food combinations and no secret diet plans, and urges us to eat fresh, eat local when you can, and eliminate (at best, avoid) processed foods. And, I could taste these elements in the menu! The mansion’s patio grill (overlooking a gorgeous mountain view) offered an array. My favorite choice: grilled salmon and vegetables, chilled
As we look to strengthen our bodies and our lives, it’s crucial that we question the process by which our food arrives to our tables. green bean salad, coleslaw and a cup of chilled gazpacho. My plate offered an abundance of color, freshness and flavor. I’m not a vegetarian by any means, but after eating a few meals at Canyon Ranch I realized most of my favorite things were the wide variety of vegetables. I also enjoyed the homemade trail bars, flax seed crackers, yellow split pea soup, chicken sausage, and the chocolate sorbet. The desserts were especially impressive, and I was delighted to learn that for all their decadence, that they were surprizingly low in calories and only
used naturally derived sweeteners such as evaporated cane sugar and fruit juice. Additionally, I learned about quantity. At Canyon Ranch, the portion size was much smaller than the portion sizes that are commonly offered. I quickly realized that I had not known (or learned) what a proper portion size entails; the dishes served in most restaurants (and in our homes) are often double and triple what we truly need to feel full and satisfied.
Cod with Olive Salsa and Artichoke Fritters
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These days, ideas communicated about what is “healthy” are constantly changing, which makes it difficult to learn and establish consistent and truly healthy guidelines. Chrissy Wellington, one of the on-site nutritionists, enlightened my understanding of the Canyon Ranch philosophy with food: a very simple diet will fulfill your body’s basic needs for protein, carbohydrates and fat. In essence, the Canyon Ranch diet is largely based on the Paleolithic diet, or (more popularly referred to as) the “caveman/huntergatherer diet.”
natural foods—even those containing fat—that offer us true nourishment; our bodies respond well to REAL ingredients, and our bodies respond poorly when we confuse them with chemicals and toxins.
Yellow Gazpacho Canyon Ranch hopes to minimize the misconceptions that are streaming through mass media, which say that carbohydrates are fattening, and red meat is bad for you. Carbohydrates, in actuality, are healthy, as are certain fats, and all types of proteins, as long as they are consumed in the appropriate proportions. Excellent sources of protein? Fish, boneless, skinless poultry, and specific forms of red meat. Apt portion sizes are essential. If we pay close attention to our body and the feeling of fullness, we can find satisfaction from much smaller amounts. Wellington suggests a few simple tips: protein should be the size of your palm, and choosing vegetables with the brightest colors ensures that we receive a wide variety of nutrients and
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antioxidants. “Superfoods” to incorporate into your regular diet include omega-3-rich salmon and walnuts, and quinoa (a grain that contains all nine essential amino acids). According to Wellington, another common misconception is that foods labeled “fat-free” or “100-calorie” are healthy. In actuality, within these edibles, real sugar is replaced with sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners— these “diet foods” are highly unhealthy, leading to GI problems, inflammation, and even auto-immune disorders. A few commonly consumed foods that contain hidden additives are lowfat/fat-free yogurt, sugar free gum, diet soda, crystal light, sports drinks, protein bars, baby food, sausages, and frozen veggie burgers. It’s WHOLE,
Recently, the disturbing effects of BPA on the human body has been exposed. BPA (Bisphenol A) has been linked to cancer, birth defects, miscarriages, obesity and insulin resistance, which can lead to type II diabetes. Many people know of BPA use in plastic bottles, but it’s less-known that the majority of canned foods are also effected due to the plastic lining on the inside of most cans. Consumers are urged to further educate themselves on such toxins. Furthermore, Wellington mentioned another widely used toxin: MSG. It’s commonly known as the familiar ingredient in our Chinese takeout, but currently MSG hides behind 25+ names such as, ‘natural flavoring’, red dye, yellow dye, or “added coloring”. MSG is being added to commercially-processed foods: canned soups, sauces, lunch meats, salad dressings and many more. MSG can be linked to migraines, upset stomach, adrenal fatigue and an array of undesirable and detrimental reactions. Wellington also expressed concern about the amount of pesticides used in mass harvested produce. We use 2 billion pounds of pesticide a year and every person consumes about 10 pounds per year. Even rigorous efforts to eat organically cannot entirely protect you; pesticides are found in the water we drink, the air we breathe, and—even found in breast milk. Amidst our dialogue, we discussed the disturbing truth behind engineered foods that have quietly filled US grocery markets. According to the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT), which developed the ShopNoGMO application for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, 9 out of 10 Americans would like products with GMOs in them labeled, while 53% say they
would avoid buying GMO products if they were labeled as such. Wellington recommends the popular documentaries such as Food, Inc. and the Future of Food to familiarize one’s self with the operations of our food supply. As we look to strengthen our bodies and our lives, it’s crucial that we question the process by which our food arrives to our tables. It’s essential to inquire: Why are seemingly healthy people suffering from so many environmental and stress induced “modern ailments”? Why are autoimmune disorders, mood imbalances, adrenal fatigue, and IBS so prevalent? More specifically (and disturbingly), why do these ailments affect women 75% more of the time than men? There’s much to explore of the evidence against our modern lifestyle. And the exploration is vital. We can empower ourselves by slowing down, heeding our body’s messages, and learning about the ingredients that make up our menus and our lives. s To learn more about Canyon Ranch please visit: www.canyonranch.com Raspberry Chocolate Angel Food Cake
Michelle’s Favorite Canyon Ranch Recipes • Yellow Gazpacho • Fatoosh Salad • Cod with Olive Salsa and Artichoke Fritters • Chicken Sausage Breakfast Burritos • Fruit and Nut Snack Bar • Raspberry Chocolate Angel Food Cake Fatoosh Salad
i heart change. I By Joanne Colan
n life it seems there’s change we like and change we don’t. When we make changes we like, we feel in control, we feel we made the right decision and we know it’s for the better. Easy. But all too often change in life emerges painfully after a peri-
is change. What prompted this precocious life lesson I can’t remember, perhaps a pet had died or I’d just discovered a favorite dress no longer fit. However I do recall an unsettling disquiet as I began to understand what was meant by it. Could it be true, was the one sure thing nothing is sure? Surely not! Was I to be cheated of all things familiar by their very impermanence? How unfair! This was a lofty concept for
Interestingly, our culture here in the West doesn’t readily embrace change. In the East, impermanence is a central doctrine in Buddhism and central to existence, along with nonselfhood and unsatisfactoriness. It is understood that if you suffer, it is not because things are impermanent but because you believe things are permanent. Here in our culture we are told and sold the happily ever after version of the story—lacking is the
“In the East, impermanence is a central doctrine in Buddhism and central to existence, along with non-selfhood and unsatisfactoriness.” od of worry, deliberation and uncertainty. This type of change causes untold stress and occupies way too much of our mental and emotional space. The same can be said of the changes we feel we really ought to make but can’t quite commit to. Just think about how much time you spent today thinking about the same things you already thought about yesterday! We creatures of habit put off making life changing decisions, big or small, for as long as possible, a lot of the time. Rather than shake things up we opt to endure the ‘stuck in the mud’ consequences. And because any repetitive behavior is habit forming, we grow accustomed to our indecisiveness and are ever increasingly daunted by change. When I was 8 my 15 year old brother told me that the one constant in life
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an 8 year old but in my child brain, I somehow grasped it or at least recognized its significance. And as fate would have it, my life was about to be marked by drastic change. Now my childhood was not exceptional, we each have had our fair share of change be it divorced parents, death in the family, moving houses, switching cities, changing schools and so on. You’d think that by the time we reach adulthood most of us would have become adept at dealing with change and be experts in inconsistency. And yet we strive to create permanent immovable markers in our lives such as dependable friends, solid as a rock family, fixed rate mortgages and a career ladder to climb. These become the foundation with which we identify. Understandably we are truly broken when any of them fall apart.
art of non-attachment when possessions and status define who we are. No matter whether you find yourself confronted by change you didn’t plan for but must deal with, or, seeking new and different circumstances through changes you choose to make, accepting that change is just part of life can be quite a relief. Like good suspension, well engineered flexibility and multiple degrees of movement better disperse and absorb impact and shock. So what then of those changes we feel we really ought to make but can’t seem to go through with? These make up all the areas needing improvement in our lives such as getting out of a bad job, relationship, financial situation, or unhealthy lifestyle habit. We might find ourselves
“If the one constant in life is change it is true too that you are the one constantly in your life who is going to have to adapt.” habitually delaying change and instead, focusing on the story we create about the very act of holding off making a decision or acting upon it. We wrap ourselves around the internal dialogue about the job or man we should quit and instead of actually doing it, we put all our energy into the drama over not quitting. Ironic isn’t it? We tell ourselves (and anyone who’ll listen) that we are kicking our coffee and sugar habit and that we’re trying so hard and that we were really good for a few days and now we’re just overworked and underslept and pre-menstrual and what’s a coffee and cupcake anyway in the grand scheme of things and on and on and on. Bear in mind that saying “I’m trying to” very often means “I know I should but honestly I’m not truly committed yet”. If the one constant in life is change it is true too that you are the one constantly in your life who is going to have to adapt. In that same conversation when my brother revealed to me this life in flux, he also had the good sense to let me know humans are fortunately very adaptable creatures. Today, older and wiser than my 8 year old self, there is still change I like and change I don’t. Not to mention change I desire but can’t quite manifest. Over time however, I have learned that impermanence means an open invitation. It is an invaluable instrument in getting unstuck. And in those moments when changing circumstances overwhelm me or fill me with fear and worry, I steady myself in the constant of now. s
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To mark a restful pause in the day, sit under your very own bodhi tree and try saying this: What I can’t change I can adapt to. This present moment is where I truly am. This will come and go while I remain peaceful, loving and wise.
remembrance of some lost bliss. Photographs by Chloe Aftel Styling by Sharon Maloney / Hair & Makeup by Sherrie Long Models: Jen and Mark from Ford Models, San Francisco
Her: Wool plaid coat with suede elbow patches, $169, Zara, www. zara.com. Cashmere shell, $88, Cashmere by Bloomingdale’s, www.bloomingdales.com. Wool cashmere knit legging, $395, Donna Karan, and taupe wool gloves, $35, echodesign, both at Nordstrom, www.nordstrom.com. Salvatore Ferragamo grey leather shoes, Bloomingdale’s, www. bloomingdales.com. Him: Gray wool sport jacket, $265, and St. James Meridan tee, $85, J.Crew, www.jcrew. com. Vintage wool military pants. Black leather boots, $298, John Varvatos, Bloomingdale’s, www. bloomingdales.com.
Her: Plaid wool dress, $592, Erica Tanov, www.ericatanov. com. Wool, wrap cardigan, $79.90, Zara, www.zara.com. Brown wool tights, $14.50, H&M, www.hm.com. Chloe boot, $845, Saks Fifth Avenue, www. saksfifthavenue.com. Him: Alexander McQueen wool sweater, $825, and Grown&Sewn twill pant, $175, both available at Barney’s NY, www.barneys.com. Black leather boots, $298, John Varvatos, Bloomingdale’s,www. bloomingdales.com.
Details, see previous page.
Her: Wool double breasted jacket, $158, cashmere cardigan, $158, wool pencil skirt, $118, and tights, $22, J.Crew, www.jcrew.com. Cashmere shell, $88, Cashmere by Bloomingdale’s, Michael Kors metallic oxfords, and Ralph Lauren cashmere and mohair hat $275, all available www. bloomingdales.com. Him: Alexander McQueen wool sweater, $825, Barney’s NY, www.barneys.com. Vintage wool military pants.
Her: Lambskin vest, $189, Zara, www.zara.com. Brown leather belt, $69.50, Banana Republic,www.bananarepublic. com. Ivory cashmere V-neck sweater, $145, J.Crew, www. jcrew.com. Wool plaid skirt, 384, and silk, lace camisole, $192, both Erica Tanov, www.ericatanov.com. Him: Gray wool sport jacket, $265, J.Crew, www.jcrew.com. Cotton sweater, $145, Polo Ralph Lauren, Macy’s, www.macys.com. Grown&Sewn twill pant, $175, Barney’s NY, www.barneys.com.
Details, see previous page.
Her: Ralph Lauren herringbone cashmere and wool jacket, $1298, cashmere wool pencil skirt $598, cashmere mohair scarf $555, and metallic lace up oxfords, Michael Kors, Bloomingdale’s,www. bloomingdales.com. Wool sleeveless turtleneck, 128, Lafayette148, Nordstrom,www. nordstrom.com. Black leather belt, $52, J.Crew, www.jcrew.com. Him: St. James Meridan tee, $85, J.Crew, www.jcrew.com. V:Room, knit grey cardigan, 450, and Grown&Sewn twill pant, $175, Barney’s NY, www.barneys.com. Black leather boots, $298, John Varvatos, Bloomingdale’s, www. bloomingdales.com.
Details, see previous page.
Tough love Photographs by Aaron Feaver Styling by Betania Kelly / Hair & Makeup by Kristina Brown Photography Assistant Alicia Beck Model: Katherine from Model Mayhem
Vintage mink hat and purse, stylist’s own. Bold shoulder black dress by BB Dakota www. dakotacollective.com, shoes by búl Melbourne.
Layered silk dress by Trovata www.trovata.com, gold chain vintage belt, stylist’s own.
Zig Zag bodysuit by French Connection UK www.usa.frenchconnection. com, black leather heels by búl Melbourne, cream wool jacket by Whitney Eve www.whitneyeve.com, shiny leggings by French Connection UK.
Cropped suede jacket by búl Melbourne www.bul.com. au, vintage bow necklace, black velvet skirt by Whitney Eve www. whitneyeve.com.
Tutu skirt by Whitney Eve www. whitneyeve.com, dress by BB Dakota www.dakotacollective.com.
Dress by Whitney Eve www. whitneyeve.com, twill blazer by BB Dakota www.dakotacollective. com, model’s own shoes. Right: Fringed white dress by French Connection UK www.usa. frenchconnection.com, skirt by Whitney Eve www.whitneyeve. com, black leather ankle boots by búl Melbourne
Velvet backless vintage dress, stylist’s own.Â
Layered silk dress by Trovata www.trovata.com, model’s own shoes.
afternoon delight Photographs by Felicity Byrne Hair by Jenny Kim / Makeup by Jhizet Panosian Model: Hailey from Photogenics
Striped Shirt by Agnes B. www.usa. agnesb.com, Vintage Levi’s
Navy Sweater by Joie available at www.shopbop.com, plaid Shirt by Vince www.vince.com.
Striped Oxford Shirt by Elizabeth and James www. elizabethandjames.us, Navy Blazer by McGegor, shoes by Converse.
Navy Sweater by Joie available at www.shopbop.com, plaid Shirt by Vince www.vince.com.
Blazer by Elizabeth and James www.elizabethandjames.us, Vintage Sequin Dress, belt Marc by Marc Jacobs www. marcjacobs.com
Black Leather and Silk Dress by ReCollection, vintage T-shirt.
secret trees Photographs by Corrado Dalcò
Top, Hugo boss www.hugoboss. com; poncho, Dolce & Gabbana www.dolcegabbana.com; skirt, Etro www.etro.it; tights, Fogal; boots, Karen Walker www. karenwalker.com.
Top, Vivienne Westwood www. viviennewestwood.com; cardigan, AF Vandevorst www. afvandevorst.be
Sweater, Iceberg Jeans www. iceberg.com; jacket, Roberto Cavalli www.robertocavalli.com; scarf; trousers, both Dolce & Gabbana www.dolcegabbana.com.
Slip, Gallery of Antique costume & Texitles; jacket, Strenesse www. strenesse.com; skirt, Chanel www.chanel.com; scarf, Jo Gordon www.jogordon.com; navy cap, Prada www.prada.com; socks, Holland & Holland www. hollandandholland.com.
Slip, Gallery of Antique Costume & Textiles; shawl, D&G www. dolcegabbana.com.
Sweater, Piombo at www. shopstyle.com; shirt, Blaak www.blaakhomme.com; jacket, Costume National www. costumenational.com; jeans, Energie www.energie.it; boots, Sonia Rykiel www.soniarykiel.com.
reads
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen Nine years after his phenomenal success with The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen is back with the epic family saga, Freedom. Franzen excels in his ability to explore the nuanced layers of the modern American family while delving into major social, political and economic themes. What is most enjoyable about Franzen’s writing is his pitch-perfect prose, each sentence is compelling, dynamic and eye-opening. He places a magnifying glass on society and allows the reader to become fully immersed in a world we can all recognize and appreciate. Franzen is one of the most astute and magical writers living today and his latest work was well worth the nine year wait. Told with humor, honesty and a literary panache, Franzen reminds readers why we love to read; to see our flaws, discover ourselves, and understand a culture that can leave us bewildered and amazed, confused and inspired. Franzen exposes all on the page and solidifies his role as one of our greatest literary stars. Juliet by Anne Fortier Debut novelist Anne Fortier has written one of the most perfect examples of historical fiction. 14th century Giulietta Tomei and her star-crossed lover Romeo inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Now, centuries later, Julie Jacobs has to explore these family feuds and deep scars while searching for her own personal
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Book reviewer, publicist and journalist, Jocelyn Kelley, recommends what’s new in print.
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truth. After a terrible loss, Julie travels to Sienna, Italy in search of a key to her family’s history. Throughout this heroic journey she must seek the truth and expose the lies at every turn. Blending the tragedy surrounding Shakespearean prose with a modern day romance novel, Fortier brings readers a compelling mystery and beautiful love story. The writing is exemplary and Fortier proves herself as a truly gifted storyteller.
status come obstacles and doubts that challenge their relationship and threaten everything they have built together. This is a real and honest story with authentic themes and an entertaining celebrity circus that keeps the pages turning faster than you can say Louboutin.
Let’s Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell Writers Gail Caldwell and Caroline Knapp became best friends later in life. They supported each other through their own personal demons with alcohol and shared gritty stories of the writer’s life. They discovered an unbreakable bond over long walks with their four-legged friends. When Caroline Knapp died of Last Night at Chateau Marmont lung cancer in by Lauren Weisberger 2002, she left Lauren Weisberger received critical a void in the acclaim and tremendous public noheart of her toriety when she penned The Devil best friend and Wears Prada. The success of that ended a connovel, and ultimately the movie verversation that sion starring Meryl Streep, left Weiswas nowhere berger with some pretty big (and near complefashionable) shoes to fill. She is back tion. Caldwell with Last Night at Chateau Marmont bravely explores a loss through a and in her latest release proves that very personal, very touching and very she can more inspiring memoir, Let’s Take the Long than succeed in Way Home. This is the story of an living up to her intense bond and the healing power own hype. This of friendship. It is also about life and book is a more loss, love and death. If not placed in personal, emo- the right literary hands, this could tionally layered have been a deeply depressing tale story about a of a life cut short, but told through woman whose Gail Caldwell’s beautiful prose, it belife is thrown comes one of the most inspiring and in a completely touching memoirs. Let’s Take the unexpected di- Long Way Home will leave readers rection when her husband achieves with a sudden clarity and appreciasudden fame and success. With the tion for the power of friendship. perks of their new found celebrity
rants
Amber West tells it like it is.
“Money and fame are now the rewards for sharing your faults with the world. ” home, let alone have the details blasted on a news crawl, it appears that this gold mine isn’t for me. Despite the fact that I can’t seem to profit from this trend, I am guilty of supporting it. I’m sure you are too. (Yes, I’m talking to you, holding the US Weekly there. And don’t give me that “I’m in the doctor’s office and that’s all they had to read!” You totally bypassed that pristine looking National Geographic for your gossip rag. Admit it.) While I lament the society in which I could make money if only I could do away with the part of my brain that processes embarrassment, I apparently am part of the problem. Like bad fast food, I wolf it down, complain a bit, then head back to satisfy my craving for that greasy goodness the next day. The downturn in the economy has me contemplating alternate means of income lately. I think I may have tapped into a gold mine, but it would seem that I have a major flaw blocking my way to riches. I possess the ability to feel embarrassment. It seems that for those that put it all out there, in some cases quite literally, talk shows and book deals await. Money and fame are now the rewards for sharing your faults with the world. In a day and age where the 6 o’ clock news sounds more and more like an episode of TMZ, you can’t help but
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hear about everyone’s dirty laundry. There was a time when, while there were philanderers, they showed some discretion in their affairs, and we only jokingly referred to the other woman as “Bombshell McGee”. A time when one would quietly steal away to a rehab center, when women who dared to wear a short skirt had the courtesy to wear undergarments, or at least keep their legs shut. But now, the more outrageous your lifestyle and the more willing you are to share it with others, the more likely you are to get your own TV show. As someone who doesn’t even like to use the bathroom in someone else’s
So I find myself ranting rather hypocritically. I’m upset that this fame and wealth is beyond my reach, yet I am part of the reason that it is so readily available to others. In an effort to avoid being a hypocrite as well as broke, I challenge myself to rid my month of the voyeuristic pleasure of gossip magazines and shows. And if that doesn’t work, I guess I better get to work on my unseemly Youtube debut. s
15 Charles Street Beacon Hill Massachusetts www.therubydoor.com 617.720.2001
sweats
Mariel MacNaughton reports on what’s hot in fitness. “to the gratitude of millions of big-booty’d girls and bemoans of skinny ladies the world over, butts are in.” Feature: No Butts About It. little soreness means you’ll see results—and we assure you your J Brands will start hugging you in a whole new way. THE TABLE KICK Grab a mat, and get on all fours. Fold a towel in half horizontally and roll a 5 or 8 lbs weight up inside it (á la a cannoli). Tuck the weight behind your knee and raise your foot so the weight is
Photo: Prevention.com
When Jennifer Lopez came on the scene circa 1997, along with her plunging Versace dress, a wonderful trend was born that has been building steam around the world. She has since passed the torch to the likes of the Kardashian sisters—and to the gratitude of millions of big-booty’d girls and bemoans of skinny ladies the world over, butts are in. They make everything from hip-hugging lululemon pants to Herve Leger
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bandage dresses just look better. We no longer crave the shapelessness of 90s runway models, rather we want our butts big, we want them round, and we want them firm. To complement your regular workout —be it cardio, yoga, or strength training—here are some great derriere exercises to work into your repertoire a few times a week. If these exercises become a ‘pain in the butt’ so to speak, that’s a good thing. A
clenched between your calf and thigh. Now lift your leg up so your thigh is a little past parallel to the floor. Raise and lower 50 times slowly. Then, pulsate 50 times at a faster rate. Try two or three sets on each leg, gradually increasing the weight over the weeks as it becomes easier. You’ll feel the burn (and see the results) with this one if you’re doing it right and working your muscles. Though you’ll look like you’re preparing for the next Eric Prydz video, remind yourself they’re not judging you; they’re admiring your fantastic rear. CHAIRS AND DOGS If the serenity and balance of yoga is your typical work-out, some moves to focus on to attain that perfect behind include the chair pose and downward dog. What you’re really doing is working on shaping your entire leg and getting both the gluteus maximus, as well as the upper thigh muscles, toned so that you achieve the desired effect of a round rump atop a toned leg. Chair pose is like a slow, steady squat that you hold extra-long (we promise those 30 seconds will feel like an eternity). Keep your feet fairly close together, really sit back
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on your heels, and raise your arms above your head to increase the challenge. With downward dog, assume position on your hands and knees again. Straighten your legs, pushing your behind up in the air and make a triangle shape with your body. Not only will this strengthen your butt, you’ll also work your core, arms, and legs – and get a great stretch. These exercises are hidden within common yoga poses so you can focus on breathing, stretching and proper form as you do them. DEAD LIFT Stand with feet slightly apart and grab a 5 to 10 pound weight in one hand. You’re going to bend only at the hips. Keeping both legs straight (though not locked), let one leg come up off the ground while you lower the weight to the floor with the same hand as the moving leg. The leg that is traveling back should be almost parallel with the ground. As you pull the back leg towards the ground and straighten your body, focus on tightening your rear (because really, that’s the whole point, isn’t it?). s
health
Luis Hernandez, Functional Health Coach, reports on the latest news in whole body wellness.
Using your screen time to get healthier neutral posture, the body is able to function in its strongest, most balanced position. Stress to the joints, muscles, vertebrae and tissue is minimized when an individual maintains good posture. Many people are surprised when I tell them the more integrity you have with your posture the healthier you are.
Photo: Real Simple
Working for hours on end with a computer is now a fact of life. One of the most recent forecasts of computer adoption estimates that there were more than a billion computers in use at the end of 2008. This report also forecasts a 12.3% compound annual growth rate between
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2003 and 2015. Whether it’s an aspect of your work or whether you use computers just for fun, there are certain risks associated with prolonged computer use and the way it changes your posture. Good posture optimizes breathing and effects the circulation of the bodily fluids. In
Some effects of bad posture With a depressed diaphragm, forward shoulders and forward head do you think you are taking in less oxygen? Hunch over and take a deep breath, then sit up straight and take another deep breath. Were you able to get more oxygen sitting up straight? When you take in less oxygen, your body ends up accumulating carbon dioxide, bringing your Ph levels down and creating an acidic environment which may cause free radicals which damage cells. Additionally, a build of lactic acid over time causes inflammation. Some researchers now believe that lowgrade inflammation is associated with everything from heart disease and diabetes to Alzheimer’s and arthritis, and may even be the cause of most chronic diseases. This is not an entirely new theory. Inflammation was implicated in the growth of cancer many years ago. Test your posture Find a flat wall, place your heel, buttocks, and head against the wall. Then try to pass your hand behind your lower back. The thickest part
“...there are certain risks associated with prolonged computer use and the way it changes your posture.�
of your hand should not be able to pass through. For a more accurate posture screening you can contact a Z-health practitioner at www.zhealth. net or a practitioner from the Chek Institute www.chekinstitute.com. How to use your screen time to improve your overall health keep your computer monitor in a healthy position.
in one position for about 20 minutes before it starts to feel uncomfortable. Every 15 minutes, stand, stretch, walk around or change your position for at least 30 seconds. Try buying a yoga flash card deck and hold a specific pose for 30 seconds. Create the skill of abdominal breathing while holding good postural alignment.
Your screen should be positioned directly in front of you at least 20 inches away. The top of the screen should be at or below your eye level, and it should be perpendicular to the screen.
Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Ideal motion is to see the abdominal wall move forward during inhalation, with a slight outward movement in the upper hand toward the end of the inhalation. s
Move around often. Your body can only tolerate being
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Luis Hernandez is a Functional Health Coach who has helped hundreds of clients increase athletic performance, improve overall movement and manage pain and physical ailments. He is also a consultant for JILLIES.
arts Museum of Arts and Design: Dead or Alive at The Museum of Arts & Design by Jennifer Guinn The Museum of Arts and Design continues to distinguish itself from other New York City cultural institutions with its current exhibition, “Dead or Alive,” running through October 2010. Fashioned according to the concept of the Wunderkammer— ”wonder room,” or “cabinet of curiosities” popularized in Renaissance times—the exhibition spreads across the museum’s floors, amassing extremely varied and imaginative works of over 30 international artists, many of whom will be unfamiliar even to relatively frequent art-goers (Damien Hirst is likely the most well-known name of the chosen artists). The exhibition plays off our preconceived notions of the macabre and sublime, entertains and surprises with its reconfiguration of familiar objects, simultaneously warns us of the ephemerality of ourselves and the natural world around us while transcending it, and reveals the fragility and decay inherent in all organic life while celebrating the beautiful particularity in the matter that forms us. By taking organic materials and reconceptualizing and reconstructing them, the artists give new life to and change the meaning of their original form and use, which follows on the similar concept of the museum’s prior exhibition, “Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary.” Additionally, the innovative exhibition opens the dialogue up between artist and audience through its weeklong, early opening, which allowed museum-goers to come in and watch as some of the artists created site-specific installations in the galleries.
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Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2006, cotton, twigs, synthetic pussywillows, 78 x 62 x 48 inches Private collection, courtesy of the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY Photo: James Prinz
Memento Mori—Bones, skulls and hybrid-form skeletons are featured in many of the works. Jan Fabre’s Skull is made of beetle scarabs and feathers, a bird caught twisting in its frozen mouth, while Billie Grace Lynn’s Mad
Cow Motorcycle takes cow bones and turns them into a humorously ghoulish vehicle. Christy Rupp has a few featured works, all shaping discarded chicken bones from fast food restaurants into the form of life-size, skeletal
Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, Fragile Future.3, 2009, Phosphorus bronze, dandelion puffs, dimensions variable Photo: Courtesy of DRIFT, Amsterdam; Jesse Howard
reconstructions of extinct birds such as the dodo and great auk, a study on the hastening and casual nature of disposability in American culture. Chinese artist, Shen Shaomin, marries natural science with mythology in his large sculpture, Sagittarius, a skeletal beast comprised of a human torso with arms and skull attached to a bestial lower half. Alastair Mackie’s pile of mouse skeletons atop a loom whitewashed with concrete transforms the tiny bones into something resembling a pile of dust or ash, ethereal and mute. Helen Altman’s wall of skulls is one of the most intricate and varied works included: nearly fifty, arranged in rows and made out of different materials that both reimagine and play up the shape of the human skull. Rendered out of everything from pods, seeds, dried flowers, Spice Skulls takes this symbol of death and reconfigures it into a tactile and fragrant tableau, emphasizing the
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variegation in color, texture and smell of each natural material. Costumes—The instances of these are some of my favorite works in the whole of the exhibition, as much for their elaborate craftsmanship as for their symbolism. Nick Cave’s Soundsuit I first encountered earlier at this spring’s NYC Armory Show, and was instantly hooked by the bizarre constructions, which the artist originally conceived as life-size sculptures made of found objects like twigs, that he realized were “soundsuits” the first time he put one on and the rustling and rubbing together of the materials animated them and changed the nature of the form into a third thing. Sanford Biggers, Ghettobird Tunic, is a massive puffer coat made entirely of exotic feathers, looking like some kind of tongue-in-cheek ceremonial coat, and the pinnacle of this group are the two works by the Columbian
artist, Maria Fernanda Cardoso. Her Emu Flag + Cloak (Fluro Orange) and Ruana with hat, undergarment and socks, are intricate creations of feathers, mesh, fabric, fiberglass and nylon netting that refigure the feathers of the ubiquitous bird of her residence Sydney, Australia, into a haunting and delicate shroud which obscures the wearer so highly that the dead cloaks become a life-form in themselves, reducing the human wearer to the inanimate, hidden form. These avant-garde, monochrome pieces are a wry commentary on beauty, mutability, armor and an inversion of the exploitation of animal life for unnecessary human purposes such as fashion. Insectum—Damien Hirst’s mandala of butterflies in Prophecy transforms the jewel-toned creatures into a circle of stained glass, the most genteel and safe work of his I’ve seen, which
Jennifer Angus, Victorian Fancy, 2010, Hand-printed wallpaper, various insects, pins, wood, Plexiglas, dollhouse, beeswax, 8 x 4 ft, courtesy of the artist, Photo: Ed Watkins
is nearby reconceived in the less luminous but more interesting work by Tracy Heneberger, Moon,—a circle of shellacked and epoxied anchovies arranged in a circle of concentric rings, shiny, golden and hard, like a metal shield. Claire Morgan’s On Top of the World is a geometric cube formed from suspended bluebottle flies, spider and nylon, patterned and orderly, immobilized in mid-air, which highlights the different approach of the Cuban artist, Fabian Pena’s The Impossibility of Storage for the Soul, a warmly glowing skull built inside a lightbox out of cockroach wings. Jennifer Angus’ amazing Victorian Fancy, is an installation of wallpapered screens, decorated with thousands of insects both painted on the wallpaper and traversing the exterior, while one finds inside the structure a home of interacting and animated insects by peering through the glass views
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inserted at different heights on the outside. In speaking about the work, Angus discusses how she wanted to recreate that sense of childlike magic and curiosity, unclouded by adult mores and ideas of the beautiful versus ugliness. Flora + Fauna—Finally, plant life is transfigured from the organic world into sculptures that both underscore and downplay the wildness of natural growth. Julia Lohmann’s Kelp Constructs repurposes seaweed by soaking, wrapping and reshaping it into a tendril-tiered translucent lamp. The youngest represented, Dutch performance artist Levi van Veluw, uses himself as a human landscape, looking something like a human chia pet, molding and layering mini plots of grass and trees directly onto his head, neck and face. One of the easiest to pass over but most visually ar-
resting is the circuit board of bronze and reformed dandelion heads with tiny lightbulbs inside, entitled Fragile Future 3. Created by Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, the piece is built out of interconnecting lengths of phosphorous bronze, a pathwork both interrupted and illuminated by the glowing dandelion orbs, an imaginative and fragile microcosm juxtaposing the scientific/geometric form with the electrified and ephemeral organic material of the dandelion. The interplay of the patterning and wonder here presented is at the heart of many of the works in the exhibition, which revive the tired theme of modern man facing his his mortality into a spirited pictorialization that one approaches with humor and a sense of the supernatural or fantastical, rather than the distant and adversarial engagement people find with much contemporary art objects. s
arts Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917 at MoMA by Jennifer Guinn “I, who because of my age and the major’s decisions, have remained with my brushes, I am often sickened by all of the upheaval to which I am not contributing—and it seems to me that my place is not here. I work as much as I can...I can’t say that it is not a struggle—but it is not the real one.” -Henri Matisse, June 1, 1916 Dry, resilient, clear-sighted, resolved to his work. The psychological subtext and artistic approach which characterizes MoMA’s current exhibition —”Matisse: Radical Invention 19131917”—is not the familiar Matisse, the paintings full of color, mythical in narrative, bold in their expressiveness and palette. Organized as a partnership between MoMA in New York City and the Art Institute of Chicago and co-curated by John Elderfield (MoMA) and Stephanie D’Alessandro (AIC), the show is the product of a “five-year collaboration and joint effort by the two institutions, utilizing new scientific and technical methods combined with art historical research” to evolve a deeper understanding of the artist’s oeuvre as well as discover previously unrealized physical markings which link the works. Running through October 11, 2010, the exhibition is garnering “must-see” reviews from many lauded art-world critics but I wonder how much this analytical presentation, devoid of the artist’s joyous tableaux of bright hues and playful, decorative forms, will reward the expectations of those with affinity with the other Matisse. The show moves chronologically through the years, charting the developments in Matisse’s techniques from 1912-13’s travels to Spain and
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Henri Matisse, The Piano Lesson, 1916, oil on canvas. 96.5 x 83.75 inches The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund © 2010 Succession H. Matisse/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Morocco until 1917, when he left Paris for Nice. The thematic structure, however, is similar to one of the artist’s favored motifs: a circle. The opening gallery contains one of his “Back” sculptures from 1908 as an exemplification of his new reductivism, coupled with his additive technique—carving away, only to build back up, further abstracting the human form while still holding the central s-shape intact. His Bathers with
a Turtle from the same timeframe recalls his prior emphasis on color (blue!), flat space and harmonious composition, while moving forward into new territory: naturalism made subversive by taking it out of context. Feminine, yet awkward and flat, with a nonsensical narrative—what are they doing and why do they seem to have just been dropped into their setting? The scene is vulnerable but clunky. Matisse is reworking his fa-
color, allowing for error and review, altering the original “esquisse” as the final “tableau” is revealed. This idea of “becoming” and metamorphosis is very indicative of modernism at this time, as is the exploitation of Eastern exoticism, or “Orientalism” as it was known. But while the earlier influence of Spain and Africa was felt in the lush and vivid tones and patterns in Matisse’s paintings, here, the portraits are an exercise for the artist to trace and scrape, develop a new form of brushwork while synthesizing it with the Moorish influence and flatness, as in his Fatma and Portrait of Olga Merson. This is not a linear evolution but rather “finding different ways to get to the same destination”, as Matisse clarified, and we see this in the selection of Jeanette and Back sculptures. In both series we see the same central form and gestural construction, but the features slide, are eroded, resurface, are malleable; nothing is permanent. He is showing us how art and the act of creating it is temporal, forever incomplete, always in flux despite the toil, rationalism and planning.
Henri Matisse, Portrait of Yvonne Landsberg, 1914, oil on canvas, 58 x 38 3/8 inches, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection, 1950. © 2010 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
miliar themes and pieces—the elegiac, “Arcadian” dancers/bathers of the woods—to very different results. This work, like many in the exhibition, looks unfinished; Details are omitted, lines show through, use of color is less dramatic. It is a deliberate and careful balancing act: refinement and
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exposure, like fine garments turned inside out so that the seams are revealed and the colors muted. One also finds the influence of other artists, like Delacroix, on Matisse; his works are drawn first on the canvas and then the space is filled in with
Matisse’s resolute adherence to formalism resulted in his unfair characterization as a conservative, but works like his Portrait of Yvonne Landsberg from 1914, make a strong argument against that, showing the artist making a dramatic and successful appropriation of Cubism’s language. Spared serving due to his age and influenza, the artist remained working when many of his peers were enlisted for duty in the war. This painting heralds further significant breaks and experiments in his style—the black, banded “construction” lines used to develop space lend new force and seriousness to the work. There is a parallel here with Picasso’s gridwork and geometric bastardization of naturalism, a new hardness highlighting Matisse’s continued use of flowing
forms, and an abandonment of myth for a focus on the mundane. This is most distilled in his monotypes lining one of the gallery’s walls: his gestural sketches are reversed, creating small black prints defined scantly by white lines to show the image, negatives taken to the extreme, yet preserving their fragile refinement. At St. Michel between 1914-1917, Matisse had a hand etching press installed and created in those few years 8 lithographs, 66 drypoints and 69 monotypes, the only instance of the latter in his entire career. The paintings included in the last galleries show a radical simplification of form, the artist using black “as a color of light instead of darkness,” additional implementation of scraping lines, and layered pigment in light areas used to contrast the thinness of paint in the shadows. He is experimenting with form and compositional unity to very different effect. We find ourselves thematically looped back in the last rooms: The Moroccans, Bathers by a River, Back from 1917, and The Piano Lesson. In the paintings and the sculpture black divides them, color is an accent, bodies are mostly faceless, geometric abstraction and formal stylization are paramount. In The Moroccans, a male figure sits off to the side, the geometric melons on the left have swollen to monumental size, contrasting the architecture in the background—like an off-balance still-life. This gigantism is echoed in his Bathers by a River, in which the bodies are implied more than realized, the definition from the black band which breaks up and unifies the work not detailed human form or color variegation. One feels little of the earlier flowing motion and playfulness but rather the artist’s maturity and stoicism of these later years in the stiff, simplified shapes, but the trademark unification of the composition is further championed.
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To be certain, the works here presented are important, experimental and diverse, both in content and form and despite spanning only a few years. But these hard and brilliant canvases, sculptures and prints come at first as such a shock, that without really spending some time walking back through the galleries, reading the text, and getting close to examine them, regrettably, I think it likely that people will overlook what is most impressive and revelatory about the exhibition: an artist in the middle of his life, laborious in his craft, reworking his own pieces by new methods to create different results, refusing to be prodded and provoked into making reactionary pieces, revealing a successful synthesis of formalism and experimentalism through various techniques. Lacking the ego and flamboyance of Picasso, who was rumored to call Matisse a “maker of bright ties” and whose Les Demoiselles d’Avignon turned everything on its head only six years earlier, Matisse chose another route altogether: he worked. Instead of stylish upheaval on display, we have here a study of a man’s passion, harnessed and concentrated. Matisse, the Fauve (“wild beast”), may have born his fury somberly but it drove him ceaselessly onward nevertheless, caused him to challenge himself repeatedly, carried and inspired him throughout his career despite the sufferings and interruptions of the war. s —Jennifer Guinn studied German and Austrian fin de siecle art and culture at the University of Texas at Austin. She lived in Germany for a few years after her studies and is now back in the US, living in Brooklyn. She may be online anytime via her blog, The Vagabond and is currently at work on her first book of essays.
www.cherylrichards.com
reflections TADA! by Ginna Christensen
Today I feel as if I am mourning a death. Is this the same man who believed in me enough to encourage me to quit my job and start my own business? Opened his home to me, my little dog Winnie, and even collaborated with me on my writing? Is this his evil twin? Confused, I am beginning to wonder if the man I loved ever really existed. I feel I don’t know my right from left, and I find myself turning to things that I loved as a child. At IKEA last week I bought myself a stuffed animal. I claimed I was buying it for my dog, but really it’s for me. A bunny: light grey and white and softer then silk. I sometimes cuddle with it at night before going to bed. There is something about it that reminds me of the tooth pillow I used to drag around when I was two. I imagined that it had super powers and would protect me from monsters that lingered under the bed. Now I hope this bunny can protect me from the ones living in my head. I have noticed that singing has the same comforting effect. My love for singing and dancing began when I was about three. That is when I started putting on shows for whoever would watch and listen. I created a stage for myself on the landing of stairs that overlooked our living room. I had costume changes, dance steps which I rehearsed, and a wind up ukulele. Every number ended with the same grand “TADA,” signifying it was time for applause. My grandmother thought I was a genius, “She is so talented,” I often heard her say. Singing made me feel more alive, so much so that my mu-
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sical performances were not limited to the stage in my home. The day my grandmother took me to see my first movie, Snow White, at Radio City Music Hall, I found it impossible to stay seated. I had to dance up and down the aisles of the theater singing along with seven dwarfs: “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work we go.” Now, at 37, I am singing again only this time I am singing “Don’t Stop Believin’” along with the cast from GLEE. In the midst of these cravings to reclaim my childhood pleasures, I wonder what it is about them that I find so comforting. I must miss the days I could run crying into my mother’s arms and believe her with complete certainly when she said, “Everything is going to be alright.” I wonder if this is an effort to do the same for myself. I do long for the day when I can ride the ups and downs of my life with as much fearlessness and excitement as I do riding the Coney Island Cyclone. I want to be able to stare down the monsters that scream in my head, No one will ever love you!” and shout back, “Oh yeah. Well I am still here. TADA!” s —Ginna Christensen is an organic foods aficionado, avid cook, blogger, and the founder of 27ground.com, a custom rug manufacturer based in Los Angeles, CA.
reflections
Press the “Work Harder” Button, Please by Marique Newell
voted Bikram yogi, but, like with any physical activity, incorporating other forms of exercise always feels good. As we settled into our class and into our bodies, the sweat rolling, the sun beaming through the windows, the teacher reminded us that we are in charge of the change we want to see, within ourselves and in our lives. “You work hard in yoga not to master the pose but to master yourself,” she said, as we sighed and sunk deeper and listened to the sound of our hearts pounding and our lungs pushing open. “You work hard because you know that although complacency is easier, gentler, more comfortable, it won’t take you any farther than you already are.”
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what we’ve done to make everything around us easier. Consider: from having automated car windows to keyless car entry, from escalators to those moving walking strips in the airport, to electronics that do six million different things, to conference calls, to remote controls, to remote access to your office desktop and internal servers. You can even turn someone down on a dating Web site with the simple click of a “No, thanks” button rather than take the time to write a simple but personal response. (I know this because it happened to me. Awesome, right?) We don’t even get out of the car to pick up coffee or dry cleaning anymore. We can have groceries delivered to our front door. Taxis, buses, or some other form of public transportation takes us where we need to go. A swipe of a credit card has
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made counting out cash a rarity. Recently, I was told I was “old-school” for still going to the Laundromat on Sundays rather than dropping my loads of dirty clothes off for someone else to wash and fold for me. Even when it comes to our bodies— doctors prescribe us pills to pop, because downing a bit of medication takes all of three seconds versus 30 minutes spent on the treadmill every day in an effort to lower cholesterol. Sometimes, I wonder if we forget how good it feels to experience the fruits of genuine effort. It’s kind of funny that, these days, we actually have to work that much harder to do, well, real work. Recently, I took a new friend to a Baptiste yoga class. I hadn’t been to that studio, or to a Baptiste class, in months, and I was positively giddy for the change of scene. I am a de-
I loved this. —Marique Newell is a writer, blogger, and yogi based in Boston. An avid fan of live music, literature, local designers and artists, and the hot yoga studio. Read more on her blog: hannahjustbreathe.wordpress.com.
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motherhood How I make it work. by Melisa Russo I’ve had my share of 60-hour-perweek, grueling jobs. But, becoming a mother made every one of those occupations seem like $3 Margarita Night at La Cantina. It wasn’t so much the act of being a mom that I found difficult, but rather the balancing of work and motherhood and personal life. Just four weeks before giving birth to my daughter, I launched an iPhone app called Feather Report, which tells women what to wear based on the weather, their body type, and lifestyle. Needless to say, the timing was ridiculous. But, I pushed through and have managed to carve out some semblance of a routine. And so, here are my tips to making it all—family and career and friendships and sanity—work. Be present. When you’re working, work. But, when you’re not, focus on enjoying your surroundings and self. If I’m spending time away from my daughter, it better be worth my while. Prioritize. Figure out what three things have to get done each day. Anything else you accomplish is bonus. Get help. When Feather Report first launched, I did everything on my own, from styling the outfits to marketing and finances. I had nobody to watch my daughter, so I’d start working when my husband came home and power through until 2am. It was exhausting and inefficient. Finally, I realized I couldn’t do everything alone. I hired a couple of interns and my world changed completely.
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Focus on projects that are profitable and/or personally fulfilling. I have a babysitter two days a week and need to accomplish a week’s worth of work in that time. Therefore, focusing on miniscule tasks is not an option. With everything I do, I now ask myself, “Is this project worthwhile? Can I benefit from it in a substantial way? Is something else a greater priority?” These three questions ultimately save a ton of time and keep me focused on the big picture. Relinquish the guilt. Like many women, mine is a two-income family. Still, I wasn’t prepared for how conflicted I’d feel about working once my daughter was born. Ultimately, I’m doing something that I love, and that’s a lesson I want to pass on to my child. When you really want something—in my case, to give my family the best life possible—you’ll figure out how to get it. And when I get off track? I just repeat steps 1 through 4. —Melisa Russo is the author of The Lil Bee www.thelilbee.com, a daily lifestyle blog, and Feather Report, an iPhone app and fashion blog www.featherreport.blogspot.com. She lives outside of New York City with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
“Nope Just Fat” Choosing Not to Have Children in the Childbearing Mecca by Emily Fuller “So I have to ask you something?” she whispers to me. She and another older co-worker, both of whom I do not know well, have pulled me aside at work. I smile politely, as cornered animals are prone to do. “Are you pregnant?” she whispers. Shocked that two women I do not know would join forces to publicly humiliate me I simply stutter, “No, just fat I suppose.”
less woman. I live in the midst of the state with the highest fertility rate in the nation and of those fertile 2.8 million people, 58 per cent are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) or “the Mormons”. This is a mostly conservative Christian religious group begun in the United States in the 1800s based out of Salt Lake City. A large covenant of the LDS belief is that reproduction is the single most important part of life.
replenish the soul in such a way that I’m unsure I could ever unplug myself from this place; even its winters of dumped snow that piles up on the driveway like garbage in the heap has sunk it’s teeth into a place in my heart. Sure there is a tradeoff in that one must live and work around the social morays of the LDS church even if one isn’t a member, but I’ve always been okay with that. I don’t know anything else. I like being considered an edgy outsider while
“Others’ need for me to be pregnant is so palpable I find myself purposely dressing on certain occasions to make it clear...” Even as the words fall out of my mouth, I know that I haven’t gained more than a gradual five pounds since my wedding a year before.
They believe it is one’s earthly duty to bring souls down from heaven to be part of God’s Army. Thus, most LDS couples marry young and begin having children shortly after marryMore than 4 million babies are born ing. Living nestled in the gorgeous each year in the United States. Wasatch Mountain range my entire Of those 4 million approximately life, the LDS church to me is simply 50,000 of those babies are born in a political/religious by-product of Utah alone, a state with a popula- choosing to live here. Sure, it was tion of only 2.8 million. 50,000 ba- rough being the only non-LDS/nonbies a year. Guess how many babies republican kid in school at times, this Salt Lake City, Utah native has? but it wasn’t bad enough to keep me Zero. Guess how many people I live from living in such a beautiful and and work with who think my choice safe place. Many of my non-LDS to remain childless is horrendous? classmates from high school immeProbably 90 percent. diately left town after graduation but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. My Now, I can’t go much deeper into family is here and while I’ve traveled my own story without giving read- extensively, NOTHING beats a Utah ers background on why it is that summer night, literally, nothing on I am considered a heathen child- earth. The smells and the soft wind
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wearing a pink cardigan and a pencil skirt. It suits me. Still, my continued childlessness 2 years into marriage has begun to offend a certain population of my coworkers and extended family members. They keep seeing baby bumps on me where there are just bumps none. Utah’s p e a k childbearing age is 24, meaning woman have already had 2 to 3 children at that age. At 24 I was unmarried. In 2009, the average age at which women get married in the U.S. is 26, while Utah’s has recently risen to 24 from 21 in 2005. Also only 26 percent of Utah
motherhood women attain a bachelor’s degree compared to 32% of men. I have a bachelor’s degree, and I was married on the cusp of 26. So this section of my co-workers and extended family members are completely unsure what to do with such an anomaly. It is as if I am some sort of rare lizard showcased at a zoo; they poke at me, but until I become something they can safely categorize, like “mother”, I am best kept behind glass. Even my grandmother came up to me at my brother’s wedding to pat my belly (quite publicly while taking photos) and said “Oh, you’re preg-
barren.” Or, “I was born a hermaphrodite, so it’s really not a possibility. But I’m glad you brought it up.”
qualms about feeling to be an “unnatural” decision, while despite circumstances or proof to the contrary, a pregnancy/baby is always a blessMy decisions for not having children ing. According to the Guttmacher Inare deeply personal, and I rarely stitute, who assists Planned Parentshare them with anyone outside hood with their statistical data, more my close social circle even though than half of all pregnancies in the at this point it might seem I am just United States, somewhere around throwing up my middle finger at the 3 million are unintended. Needless system. Personally, I do not feel chil- to say, Utah is not one of the states dren are a fit in my life, they have that have recently allowed for more never been something I have desired Medicaid eligibility for family planor craved as a part of my life plan. ning, despite the nation at large hav(This did cost me many a boyfriend.) ing more than 38 million women in I feel children should be desperately need of publicly funded contracepwanted, not something you create tive care. According to the Federal simply because you’re at “that point Interagency Forum on Child and
“Living in the epicenter of a culture based heavily on the creation of more and more humans, makes it difficult to argue my decision.” nant!” Once again, I was still the same size 10 I’d been the year before, so I simply smiled politely and said “Nope, just fat.” Others’ need for me to be pregnant is so palpable I find myself purposely dressing on certain occasions to make it clear there isn’t a growing baby lurking. Empire waists are out of the question. I find the presumption more offensive than the sentiment. I understand the sentiment that people find babies to be wonderful blessings and am flattered they feel I am a qualified parental candidate, but there is no need to publicly discuss it with me, especially if you don’t know me. When discussing this story with friends, it seems nowhere else in the nation would a complete stranger to a woman’s reproduction situation find it appropriate to ask such a question. I’ve decided to begin answering solely to make them uncomfortable: “Actually I’m
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in life” or it is the “next step”. I also can’t say the thought of my having babies has ever put a big smile on my face. This confession once caused a person to call me “selfish”. The obvious retort to which is that having children is essentially the ultimate selfish act any person can take; the creation of another person whom you feel you have the stable mental and emotional capabilities to shape and mold takes a lot of gall. I simply don’t have that in me. So I only said, “Okay, I must be selfish then, I’m okay with that.” When in actuality I was so offended I could barely breathe. Mothers in Utah are not made to defend their decision to have children, and yet I am made to defend my decision not to have children. I suppose that is what offends me the most, that I am obliged to defend myself against what people make no
Family Statistics in 2008, 19 percent of children in the United States currently live below the poverty line, and 24.5 percent of children in the United States require some sort of special educational service for what is termed a “severe difficulties” with an emotional/behavioral problem and 7.1 percent need assistance due to “minor” emotional/behavioral difficulties. Only 63 percent of children are covered under private healthcare with 33 percent requiring some sort of public healthcare. This is the “natural” decision? One might assume I don’t like children. But I do! In fact, I am about to be a very happy Godmother. So the fact that my beloved home city is heaving with children, schools (badly funded ones), parks and swimming pools is fine by me. But even in a group of friends and family I am constantly bombarded with people trying to jus-
tify, rather than accept, my childlessness. “Maybe it just isn’t the ri e” or “Perhaps your maternal instincts just haven’t kicked in yet” and “Just wait until you turn 40, you’ll wish you had” and my personal favorite… “But who will care for you when you’re older?” Wait, what? And I’m the selfish one, you say? Living in the epicenter of a culture based heavily on the creation of more and more humans, makes it difficult to argue my decision. Their belief that I am not whole without children, is just that, a belief. One can only argue facts, not deep seeded religious belief, nor would I offend them by trying. That said, I cannot seem, without a baby bump, to convince them I am a good and whole person. This is a social road block, a river I will never cross. I will be the childless woman first, a person second. Most of the time when the “so-when-do-you-two-plan-to-starta-family?” elevator talk is begun, I simply smile, nod and walk away to allow for the least embarrassment for us both. Strangely enough, while I’m met with the continuous distain or belief that I don’t yet know myself, according to the US Census Bureau in 2008 18 percent of American women of childbearing age do not have children. In fact, childlessness is most common among highly educated women. In 2008, 24 percent of women with bachelor’s degrees and beyond ended their childbearing years without children compared to just 15 percent of those with only a high school diploma. I think it has been fairly proven one need not be a genius to procreate, but such numbers beg the question: In today’s disheveled world does it take a genius not to? s
—Emily June Mangelson currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the mother of two silly, little dogs and works in the legal field. She keeps a personal and hilarious blog of life stories and essays at www.emilythemug.blogspot.com
travel
Paris, France.
Eat, shop and get lost. by Liz Rees
I was in a high-end watch store in Les Halles with nutella on my face. The fairly neat line of delicious hazelnut chocolate was painted from the corner of my mouth across my cheek like a stroke of blush. To my horror, this was the reflection I caught in the store mirror as I was leaving. My first trip to Paris had many embarrassing moments but this one lingers vividly in my mind. Lost, looking for the Louvre (which, by the way, is enormous and was only a block away), map in hand, I decided to give up my daylong search and ask a Parisian store clerk for help. I assumed her smirks and giggles were due to my poor attempts at speaking French, but
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never would I have guessed that my purchase and inhalation of a banana nutella crepe was the cause. Bienvenue a Paris! My first trip to Paris was frustrating and not what I was expecting. I continually got lost, spoke no French, ordered the wrong food, and seemingly annoyed the locals at every turn. It took a long time for me to warm up to Paris but once I did, there was no turning back. It’s been 10 years and more crepes than I care to count, but Paris and I are in love. Okay, I’m in love with Paris and I don’t know how Paris feels about me, but I would like to think that the feeling is mutual.
I am lucky that I am able to visit Paris a few times a year. I work for ACIS, an educational travel company, that sends high school teachers and their students all over the world. My trips to Paris entail doing quality control visits with traveling school groups and working with our local office to ensure happy travelers. And if you are starting to doubt the “work” part of these trips, I also get to check out new restaurants, hotels, and museum exhibits. Sounds glamorous, and it often is, but at the end of the day, my feet are often blistered and my head is spinning from running around the city all day, being the smiling representative of my company.
My frequent trips to the city of light have resulted in the following list of my favorite Parisian experiences and I always add a few new things to try while I’m there. Here is my list, if and when you go to Paris, this is a great starting point but there is so much to do and depending on what time of year you are there, there is always something cool going on in the city, such as Paris Plage, when the road along the Seine becomes a city beach. You read that right, they pour sand along the road, set up chaise lounges and misters so Parisians can don their skimpy bikinis and hit the city beach! Almost anything you could want to know about Paris, you can find in books or online. Researching a trip before you go is a great way to get excited about the trip. Since you are you, and I am me, I’m not going to tell you where to stay in Paris. There are zillion hotels to suite your taste and budget. I’ll leave that to you. Before you go, buy the Knopf Map Guide Book. This small book costs roughly $9 and is my go-to guidebook for all major cities. The book is broken out into neighborhood sections with corresponding fold-out maps. Listed below each map are suggested museums, restaurants and shopping. After countless trips to Paris, I still carry it with me every day I am there. Eiffel Tower—If you have never been to Paris, you should go to the Eiffel Tower and go to the top to see the view of the city. Get your picture taken, be a tourist!! Go at night and see it sparkle. It really is a magical experience. Less than magical are the crowds, especially at night, but you no longer have to wait in line! The Eiffel Tower now accepts online reservations for individuals. Take advantage of this and book ahead so that you don’t waste any valuable shopping time in line!!
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A little money saving tip someone turned me onto, is podcasts. You can avoid buying audio guides in museums and avoid paying for city tours by going online and downloading a few podcasts. ITunes offers podcasts for everything from shopping routes to pubcrawls. For Paris, Rick Steves has a few free ones, including the Musee d’Orsay and Versailles. I would also suggest Cityzeum for a wide range of audio guides. What you save on guided museum visits you can spend on countless indulgences, like macaroons. Macaroons are on my permanent to-do list. I search for them. I recently found them at a little French bakery in Miami. Their popularity is on the rise in the US and I’m sure they will be the next cupcake. To say I love them would be an understatement. The meltiness of the meringue and smooth white chocolate middle, make them hard to resist. In Paris, they are better than good. Here are the two best places to fill up! If there is a line out the door and down the street, you are in the right
spot. Pierre Herme macaroons are thought to be the best macaroons in Paris. I have done some quality research and I have to agree. The sleek, black store front of the boutique at 72, rue Bonaparte, make you stop and wonder what everyone is lined up for. It’s alluring and inside, the store is beautiful. Pierre Herme is know for having innovative flavors like passion fruit and chocolate or key lime pie. I always go the morning I fly home and bring a few home for my mother. More macarons? Yes please! Laduree has been around since 1862 and they have beautifully maintained tea salons in Paris. It’s a real treat to go here for tea, brunch, or ice cream with macaroons on top! It is a great break from a long day of shopping, sightseeing and the perfect spot to sit and plan your next meal! I spend almost every morning of my work trips at Notre Dame meeting groups so I spend a lot of time at Cafe Panis. It’s on the corner of Blvd St. Michel and from the outside (??)
The Montparnasse area is a great spot for eating and shopping. Rue de Rennes has every major store, like Zara and Mango and all the side streets are full of Parisian boutiques. Check out Rue du Four for a start. Tara Jarmon has a store on Rue du Four. She recently did a line for Target, her clothes are elegant, classy and modern. Manoush is another little store that has a few locations throughout Paris. I like the eclectic line of clothes, shoes and bags. Anthropologie occasionally carries their line.
but I assure you, the food is excellent and a good value. Additionally, the waitstaff all speak English and are helpful. Well, helpful for Parisian waiters. I love the Chevre salad. The French know how to do salads; they always have fried potatoes, cheese and meat on them! Go here after you visit Notre Dame and San Chapelle. Chez Janou makes me happy. Located just off the Place du Vosges in the Marais, this neighborhood spot is sure to please. A reservation is a must, as is the chocolate mouse for dessert. I usually go on a Sunday night after a day of shopping in the Marais.
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Le Plomb du Cantal is an alsaciene restaurant in Montparnasse. Located at 3 rue de la Gaîté, which is a great street full of theaters and bars. There are also a few seedy peep shows but the former make up for it. I go here EVERY time I’m in Paris and I go for the truffade. If you don’t know what one is, you need to find out, your tastebuds will thank you. To give you the gist of it, it’s potatoes, cheese (tons of cheese), oil, and roasted garlic, need I say more? It’s amazingly delicious and so unexpected. You can order truffade and steak or truffade and salad, which is what I usually get because it’s more food than you need to eat in a day.
Are you noticing a theme here? Shopping and eating then more shopping and eating. It’s Paris, this is what you do! Onto that, visiting a grocery store when traveling is fun. You see the locals, what they eat or cook. There really isn’t any comparison for La Grande Epicerie. It is, by far, the most wonderful grocery store in the world. I got locked into this store during the November 2008 student demonstrations. It was like I had died and gone to food heaven. I watched as they pushed the shopping carts across the doors and thought, is there a better place to be trapped? You will be astonished by the beautiful food and get ready to be sad to leave, it’s just that kind of place. I pick up salad dressings, chocolates and other typically french treats like fleur de sel in here and bring them home for friends and family. Attached to this wonder of a store is Le Bon Marche. This little department store and I say little because there are some big ones like Printemps and Gallerie Lafayette in Paris but this gem, on the Rive Gauche, is the real deal. They carry all the high-end lines and have a beautifully tempting shoe section. I have called my grandmother from here asking for help. She is a big shopper
too and knows the woes of “need” verse “want” verse “can’t leave Paris without”. After all of your sightseeing, shopping and eating, you might need to indulge in a little R&R. Though La Mosquee Hammam is not for the faint of heart, I highly recommend it for anyone looking to relax and experience something new and… very different. The Mosque offers a restaurant serving delicious tea and a hammam where you can be soaked, scrubbed and rubbed for less than $50. The hammam is popular so you will need at least an afternoon to truly enjoy this experience. They have separate days for men and women but be prepared as this is a very open, very naked experience! Paris is everything wonderful about travel...the culture, the architecture,
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the art, the shopping, even the occasional nasty waiter or store clerk. They are so… Parisian! I have found that no matter how many times I go back, I still want more. I hope that you too, can fall in love with Paris and make room for macaroons in your life. There is always room for macaroons! s —Liz Rees lives in Boston’s North End with her husband Martin and one year-old daughther, Carys. She has worked in educational travel for the last 10 years exploring the world and expanding the horizons of students and adults alike. Be it travel, or motherhood, Liz has a lighthearted approach to life. Liz is a lover of adventure and is always looking for her next great experience.
lusts
Publisher, Dana Córdova’s lusts of the season...
Joes Jeans Wedge Boot $250
Elizabeth & James Dress $425
Parker Elastic Waist Blouse $242
Carrera Daytona Sunglasses $145
Fossil Sasha Crossbody Bag $108 Rag & Bone Straight Jean $188
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