Bodyography: Heart Health

This February Bodyography has released its new hybrid lip gloss/stain Electric Lip Slide in “I heart you” shade. This beautiful red color is being released in support of The American Heart Association “Go red for women month.”

Get It: $9-10

Joico: Breast Cancer

Joico has always been a leader in sales but now is also one of this causes leaders in giving with its contributions to “City of Hope”, a pioneering national patient care and cancer research center, from sales of: K-PAK Reconstruct Vapor Iron for a Cure, JoiMist  Firm Sprays, K-PAK Reconstruct for a Cure packs (K-PAK Reconstructor and K-PAK Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil).

Kiehl’s: Aids/HIV

In support of World Aids Day, Kiehl’s has promised to donate its net profits from Kiehl’s Hand Care For A Cure to amfAR. The 2.5 fl. oz. limited-edition bottle holds Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve.

Get It: $12.50

MAC: Aids/HIV

When you think of makeup most people think of MAC cosmetics. MAC is donating funds to AIDS charities from sales of its Viva Glam lipsticks and lip glasses. While proceeds of Viva Glam lip products are donated to the MAC AIDS Fund year-round, recently the company matched the donations, dollar for dollar, at select locations, including its store at the Shops at Mission Viejo. The products normally go for about $14 each and come in the normal vast variety of shades MAC is famous for.

Lancome: Autism

Lancome has created a smash partnership with starlet Kate Winslet to benefit the Golden Hat Foundation, a charity dedicated to help improve the lives of those living with Autism.

Lancome has created the “the golden hat foundation collection” which reinterprets the mythical L’Absolu Rouge lipstick, and includes several nail polishes in all-new shades, as well as a new multi-compact powder all embossed with the foundations logo and Kate’s signature.

There are many, many causes and even more companies stepping up to help bring awareness and/or raise funds to support them. If a cause is important to you, simply get online and find out what companies, businesses, or products help support them and spread the word!

xoxo,

And as always, stay beautiful loves!

Rich, sweet, plump, juicy and only lightly acidic, San Marzano tomatoes are known the world around as the go-to tomato to hit just the right spot with your sauce for everything from pizzas to spaghetti sauce to tacos and everything (and I mean everything) in between.

 Margherita Pizza Recipe: Tyler Florence

Spaghetti With Meatballs Recipe: Rocco DiSpirito

Mexican Pot Roast Tacos: Tyler Florence

You can find these wonderful tomatoes canned at your local grocery store and they are worth the higher price you pay. Yes, you read that right, I said canned, not fresh. They are very hard to find fresh, but the canned variety seals in the wondrous taste that they imbue in your dish, and trust me, San Marzano tomatoes will make all the delicious difference.

Enjoy!

adw

The biggest loser: Poor Kevin O’Connell. The sound re-recording mixer holds the record for most Academy Award nominations without a win. He’s currently 0-20. He set the record back in 2006 with his 18th nomination and subsequent loss, making him the “unluckiest nominee in the history of the Academy Awards”.

Shut up already: Greer Garson took around six minutes (give or take) to accept her award for Best Actress in 1942′s Mrs. Miniver. She not only wins the windbag award – she gets the prize for longest acceptance speech in Oscar history.

Hold, please: The Oscars have been postponed thrice! Once in 1938 because of flooding in Los Angeles. It happened again in 1968, after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and later in 1981, after an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan.

The Back Of The Bus: When Hattie McDaniel won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gone With the Wind, she was the first African American to win an Oscar. Not only that, she was the first African American ever to be nominated and the first African American even to be admitted to the ceremony who wasn’t a servant. When she won, McDaniel had a long walk from a segregated table near the back of the Coconut Grove to graciously accept her award.

Plaster Disaster: From 1942 until the end of World War II, Oscars were made out of plaster. When metal was no longer scarce, the winners received “real” replacement statues.

Packed like sardines: The actual Oscar red carpet at the Kodak Theater is only 500 feet long. Over 100 photographers plus nearly 300 TV press members, including camera operators, audio technicians and other crew members are crammed in that area.

Biggest non-hit hit: The Hurt Locker scored six Oscars despite only earning $21 million at the box office. To put that in perspective … that’s 2% of what Avatar made.

There are many more interesting facts and figures that make up Oscar’s history. What records may be broken this year? You’d better stay tuned! Just Sayin’.

Jack Nicholson in 'Something's Gotta Give'

SkeeBall Game

Skee-Ball is celebrating 100 years of fun with this Centennial Alley Skee-Ball designer home edition. Featuring finished oak exterior, Skee-Ball takes this generational favorite and infuses modern scoring technology with the retro flip-style scoring display. This game is one of my favorites!

Price: $5,795

Company: Skee-Ball

Get It: Game Tables 4 Less

Melted Deco Cuff

Art Deco is absolutely fabulous, as is this melted deco cuff! I have so much love for this cuff, it’s possibly one of my favorite pieces of jewelry I’ve featured for you ladies. The cuff is just melting away and everyone will be asking you about it. Melinda Maria’s jewelry is very ahead of the times, with some of the greatest pieces I’ve seen. Be sure to check them out, you won’t be disappointed!

Price: $198

Company: Melinda Maria

Get It:  Melinda Maria

Karen began her career in the executive training program at Macy’s but soon joined QVC where, among duties as director of event marketing, she was also director of accessories, footwear and intimate apparel, senior buyer of accessories, footwear and intimate apparel and a buyer and assistant buyer in beauty and fashion – establishing her as an accessory Jill-of-all-trade. Over the past 25-years her passion and knowledge have grown with her contacts and experiences growing exponentially. She currently consults and is in the process of launching Hunter & Moss – a line of eco-friendly handbags. As if that weren’t enough on her plate, she also actively works on charitable endeavors including the Bag Ladies Lunch to benefit Lupus research, The Foundation Fighting Blindness and Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl.

Her involvement with the Accessories Council began with its founding. “I saw a small article in WWD that talked about the formation of the Council and I contacted one of the Founders, Joel Pinsky, at that time, the owner of Omega Belts, and I have been a part of the board since.” Having held various roles she rose to become president of the council in 2006.

A dedicated team of interns and a sole key staff member, Casey Sharbaugh – work with Karen to support over 150 members. “The greatest challenge in promoting accessories is to have people view them as a necessity, not a luxury,” explains Casey. Though she further goes on to say that the reason she’s so passionate about accessories is that there’s something for everyone. She loves the fact that accessories are a great way for daily self-expression and “they work for anyone, no matter what their shape or size.” And Karen concurs, “Accessories are a great and a cost-effective way to add trend pieces to your wardrobe.” There is a price point for everyone.

This week the New York Times points out that men are back shopping and they’re buying up accessories in such great amounts that they’re set to hit a retail 20-year high. Though “murses” and bracelets are off the list and “holdall” (bags) and wrist-wear are now the latest buzzwords of choice. By creating more masculine accessories with more masculine names, a trend that designers are starting to promote heavily, accessory brands are poised to dominate the fashion market. Spending on accessories is driving the men’s category: those sales grew 14 percent in the last half of 2011, to about $6 billion, according to the market research firm NPD Group, reports the Times.

With the consumer shopping again, it’s Karen’s job to help the industry take advantage. “I think it’s really important to have a clear sense of who the customer is for your product–making sure that your brand, logo, packaging all speak to (him or) her.” Karen continues, “Also, to understand your unique position in the market–how is your product different than other things that are already out there?” Karen advises emerging brands to identify their target retailers and be aggressive in keeping product visible to the influencers that can help spread the word. Trade shows, media events and industry networking events are key though Karen warns, “Trade shows can be a wonderful opportunity for a brand assuming that you are in the right place for your class of trade and you are sure to make appointments in advance–if brands just expect to thrive on walk by traffic, they will be disappointed most of the time.”

The most important event in Karen’s accessory world is the annual ACE AWARDS held every year since 1996. Here the industry celebrates key brands that have made a difference and advanced the industry through “positive impact on accessory consumption during the prior year”. And of course the celebrities come out! Seen at the ACE AWARDS include: Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Heidi Klum, Nicole Richie, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs and many others. This years ACE Awards will take place on November 15th at Cipriani 42nd Street in NYC.

But self-congratulations aren’t all that the Accessories Council offers. It’s easy to join the council to take advantage of membership benefits with emerging brands paying as little as $500 per year. By being a member brands are offered discounts to industry events, invitations to round-table discussions and mixers. “There is a launch this fall with Roman Sunstone jewelry + Karla’s Closet that we are very excited about” she says pointing out “We have seen a number of licenses happen from our introductions.” The most recent event brands participated in at a deeply discounted price includes The Accessory Lounge at Style360 during New York Fashion Week. Here lux and pop fashion brands showcased to over 4000 fashion influencers. Even Snookie stopped by the lounge to check out Sabina Les Scarves – and walked out wearing one! Real Housewives of Orange County Gretchen Rossi who has her own handbag line also stopped by.

Karen’s goal is to continue to promote and support brands and is excited about their Twitter voice @AccessoryNews now reaching thousands of accessory lovers. She and Casey are working to continue to grow these numbers. The Council’s next networking event is on 3/6 at Lord & Taylor, NYC. Tickets are available by calling the AC office 212-947-1135.

So get involved. If you dream of being an accessory designer or already have started a line – start your networking by meeting Karen. She’ll introduce you to the world.

-Jono

If you’re a smart woman with a smart idea, reach out to info@moxieQ.com and follow me @ProductNPress.

Triple Arrowhead Ring

I have a great love for arrowheads. They are so natural and can bring any look together in a great way! House of Harlow 1960 has amazing jewelry, I definitely think you should take a look. One of my favorites is this triple arrowhead ring. Big cocktail rings make you look so chic and fashionable, so you may as well have a cocktail ring that will draw the most attention!

Price: $105

Company: House of Harlow 1960

Get It: Glam House

Leslie Jordan as Beverley Leslie, Will & Grace

When Murphy was originally handpicked by producer Brett Ratner (who was later canned for unnecessary, offensive gay slurs), the 2012 award show was looking better than it had in years. Murphy is, at his core, a comedian’s comedian … irreverent, offensive and mischievous. He’s also his own worst enemy – and without his partner-in-crime Ratner, there was nowhere to go but down.

So Murphy bolted with a mere four months to find a new host. (Cue the “please-hire-me” Crystal.) But Eddie has had more than his share of Hollywood screw-ups – so it’s no big surprise he shot himself in the foot … again.

Even though Ratner was out of the picture, the gays were still out for blood. Incensed by Ratner’s comments, they then directed their anger towards Murphy – who hasn’t exactly been complimentary of homosexuals in the past. His 1983 stand-up movie Delirious is now a handbook on how not to slur the gays.

Not to mention, Murphy was likely still smarting that he didn’t win a Best Supporting Actor statuette in 2007 for Dreamgirls. He was favored to win until Academy voters caught wind of Murphy’s god-awful movie Norbit which was released about the same time. Murphy + fat suit + drag = Alan Arkin winning the award that year for Little Miss Sunshine.  Sounds like a grudge match to me.

And while we’re on the subject, he didn’t win any fans when he struck up a romance with Spice Girl Melanie Brown during that time, got her preggers and then denied paternity. The kid turned out to be Murphy’s … with whom he refuses to have any sort of contact.

But the real reason that Murphy bid a hasty adieu to his hosting duties is because he can. From his dalliances with transvestite hookers to his slew of box office bombs, Murphy apologizes for nothing. He’s like a petulant child who gets away with anything and everything. Makes you wonder if he’ll be watching the Academy Award Show on Sunday night with his arms folded, pouting. Just Sayin’.

Foosball Table

Spanish designer Rafael Rodriguez takes your favorite frat house basement game and bumps it up a bit with this handcrafted foosball table. It’s available in four colors: red, white, black, and silver and team jerseys can be customized to match any team color combination for no additional cost.

Price: $4,750

Company: Rafael Rodriquez

Get It: ConranUSA

While classic galvanized tins are readily available at garden suppliers like Jamali Garden and McCann Baskets, the ultimate containers for flowers are vintage sap buckets.

Sap Buckets are traditionally used in Canada and Vermont for collecting syrup from tapped maple trees. Most farmers paint their buckets in bright colors to distinguish theirs’ from neighboring farmers. Websites like Great Stuff by Paul stock a plethora of vintage buckets for only $10.00 each.

First used in 1930-1950’s, these durable rustic antiques have found a following with artisans, craftspeople, and Shabby-Chic enthusiasts. With the exposure to the outdoor elements, over time these buckets take on a wonderful, distressed, patina finish. Tip: When using these vintage vessels, you should add a plastic liner. Often the tins are rusted inside, therefore tainting the water. This shortens the life span of the fresh flowers and foliage.

Sap buckets are wonderfully versatile, living comfortably indoors or out. Use them in your garden, front porch, even your mailbox post. Their easy, simple shape is available in various heights and widths-perfect for most any variety of flowers or plants. Each bucket even has a pierced hole from which it hung on the tree. Use this hole to hang the bucket on a wall to decorate your favorite niche. When not holding flowers, use them in a kid’s room to house crayons and markers or in a bathroom for toiletries.

Sap buckets are not limited to home décor. Use them to decorate an event. These charming, colorful buckets are perfect for an outdoor wedding. Hang them on a tree filled with romantic bouquets or use them to line the aisle. Simply loop a ribbon through its hole and hang them unto pews or chairs.

Remember, a stunning floral arrangement is the sum of its parts. For charming containers look no further than a simple bucket. Keep some colorful vintage ones on hand and you can cross this task off your list.

-Grayson

She represented to many the embodiment of the hometown girl who had done good. And that is what is being celebrated of Houston as she settles into her final resting place. Her beginnings have always been recorded as humble. Her mother, a back-up performer herself for some of music’s greatest legends, Cissy Houston wasn’t entirely thrilled when her daughter Whitney began to follow in her footsteps. Whitney’s destiny was clear.

After hearing Whitney Houston perform, her music industry mentor Clive Davis couldn’t deny the world the talent that would become something of legend. Whitney Houston was a star before she had ever uttered her first note. Alicia Keys who sang at the service credited Houston with being her inspiration. The legendary Stevie Wonder sang of Whitney’s unmatched musicality and her incomparable talent.

Talent that was evident to Kevin Costner, her co-star from the film that made Houston a movie star. In The Bodyguard she played an artist not-unlike herself. Little did we all know then how much protection the then rising star would need. Costner evoked stories of their time on set. How insecure Houston was at approaching her first film role, and how he had to gingerly hold her hand along the way. She would emerge a bigger star for it and would give the world the performance that would solidify her stardom.

“I Will Always Love You” was the song that followed her casket out of the church on the burdened shoulder of her pallbearers. Whitney’s mother, her body supported by two family members followed closely behind, reportedly saying…”My baby. There goes my baby.” The tragedy compounded as the procession moved to the cemetery, a place waiting for Whitney next to her father.

Her ex hip-hop/r&b bad boy Bobby Brown reportedly was ejected from the service, after complaining about the seat in the back he had been relegated to. Brown was not expected to have been invited to the service, but at the last minute there was an apparent change of heart – which unfortunately he took advantage of and purposely procreated his own agenda. Brown after all is blamed for Houston’s spiral in drugs. It would be inappropriate to lay all the blame on one man – regardless of the circumstances, there is always a choice.

And what of Bobbi Kristina, Whitney’s only daughter with Bobby Brown? Her father was not allowed to sit next to her in the church and supposedly she went missing after the end of the funeral. That is perhaps too dramatic in its telling– certainly it is only natural that she now seek a solace of her own, hopefully with her family and grandmother. Bobbi Kristina had demonstrated at her mother’s side a solid foundation and shoulder to lean on in. She had at times been the voice of reason of which Whitney had grown to depend upon.

Fans were relegated to barriers at least 2-blocks away from the church and gathered along the route prepared for the cars to move freely from station to station. This would be the only way that the artist who had been entertaining us since the 80’s be remembered by her admirers. Whitney Houston had after all belonged to the world, and at times we may not have always been all that kind.

Perhaps now that the greatest love of all has moved on…we can grant Whitney Houston that one moment in time she has so greatly earned. There are no more words…only song filled with emotion.

Price: $1,999

Company: Killerspin Revolution

Get It: American Supersports

Eva Longoria-Parker as Gaby, 'Desperate Housewives'

White Chandelier Earrings

What piece do you think makes a dining room?! I’d say the chandelier. Chandeliers are so important because they act as a focal point to draw a room together. With fashion, chandelier earrings do exactly the same thing. When wearing an ensemble that is fairly average and plain, chandelier earrings will spice it up and draw the focus from your “plain” outfit to your stellar earrings.

Price: $45

Company: Banana Republic

Get It: Banana Republic

Let’s take a look at some of the most God-awful Oscar acceptance speeches over the past few decades:

The You’re So Vain Speech:

Best Director James Cameron declared “I’m the king of the world!” at the 1998 Oscars. I don’t care if it was a Titanic quote – critics call it the most arrogant Oscar speech of all time.

The Obvious Schmobvious Speech:

The always-cantankerous Tommy Lee Jones had recently shaved his head for a roll when he accepted his Best Actor Oscar in the mid-90’s. When he hit the stage, he uttered: “All a man can say at a time like this is ‘I am not really bald.’”

The On His Behalf Speech:

Marlon Brando won Best Actor in 1973 for his epic portrayal of Don Corleone in The Godfather. Brando boycotted the award ceremony. When he won, he sent American Indian Rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather, to accept on his behalf to protest the treatment of Native American Indians. Who knew?

The Humble Pie Speech:

Bless Sally Field’s heart! When she deservedly won Best Actress in 1985 for Places in the Heart – she gushed and gushed and gushed. Her “You like me!” speech has gone down in Oscar speech history and haunts her to this day. 

The Incest Is Best Speech:

Before Angelina Jolie became a polished humanitarian … she stunned viewers by infamously claiming “I’m so in love with my brother right now” when she accepted the Best Supporting Actress award for Girl Interrupted in 2000. Her speech was probably to detract attention from her Morticia Adams ensemble.

The “Blech” Speech:

Best Actor Adrian Brody mauled and mashed a stunned Halle Berry when he won for The Pianist in 2003. At least he looked relatively clean cut at the time. To me he always looks like he needs a bath and bowl of soup.

Who will blunder their way through this year’s speeches? Stay tuned. My money is on Meryl Streep. My money is ALWAYS on Meryl Streep. Just Sayin’.

RuPaul

First a little background and then I’ll break down those components even more specifically.

Growth Hormone is described by many as the KEY to slowing down the aging process. The fountain of YOUTH! Produced by the pituitary gland which is located at the base of the brain — growth hormone fuels childhood growth and helps maintain tissues and organs throughout life. Beginning in middle age, however, the pituitary gland slowly reduces the amount of growth hormone it produces. This natural slowdown has prompted an interest in the use of synthetic human growth hormone (HGH) to stave off the realities of old age.

However, through exercise, sleep and proper nutrition your body can continue to produce growth hormone NATURALLY well into older age.

NUTRITION: Protein is a positive!

Protein contains amino acids which help the body build and maintain muscle tissue. HGH is a tissue-building hormone which causes growth, repairs tissue and mobilizes fat stores and shifts in the metabolism. This is why protein is such an important part of building lean body mass. A combination of both animal and plant protein sources is suggested for optimal health.

Good examples of animal proteins include chicken, fish, lean beef and eggs. Good sources of plant proteins are beans and nuts.

SLEEP: Lack of it makes us FAT!

So many of our gains occur from rest. Without rest, our workouts really fail to take us where we want to go. The body not only needs to have time to repair itself but a hormone called cortisol is released when we deprive ourselves of sleep, which in turn stimulates appetite and slows down the metabolism.

The body has a way of protecting itself when you don’t take the proper steps to do it yourself. Studies show that HGH is secreted in Stage 3 and 4 sleep which is during the first couple hours of reaching deep sleep. If we never reach that stage we are compromising the body’s ability to do its natural job which is repair and renew.

EXERCISE: Lifting Weights!

This is where I start to go off. This is where I’ve heard it all and I just get so frustrated with the endless excuses that boil down to two things: Laziness and Myth.

Exercise is an anti-aging tool. However, not all exercise is created equal. I’d like to turn off the music one day at Equinox in the cardio room and get on the loud speaker and say, “DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT MOST OF YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME?!”

I would rather watch hours of Jersey Shore Reruns than get on the elliptical for 45 minutes. It brings me to tears it’s so boring. It’s a great way to catch up on the news though. Great way to read the condensed version of the NY TIMES that is so conveniently provided at many gyms, but the WORST way to lose weight and get lean.

You must participate in exercise that is sustained and strenuous enough to create muscle exhaustion. What you really need is a consistent program of resistance training using weights and interval training.

This kind of exercise increases our metabolism and keeps it elevated up to 48 hours after exercise. I will go into further detail about what these programs should entail in another blog. Instead, I want to address just a few of the things I hear about lifting weights:

MYTH:  I don’t want to lift weights because it’s going to bulk me up.

• NO IT’S NOT.

Those 3 glasses of wine and the cheese you are having are going to bulk you up. Those closet eating sessions when the kids go to bed are going to bulk you up. The female body typically does not produce enough testosterone for you to bulk up even if you tried.

EXCUSE: I don’t have time to weight train.

• REALLY?  I’m not talking about HOURS in the gym. Give me 4 twenty-minute intense sessions per week in lieu of that power walk or elliptical session you are doing and I’ll GUARANTEE changes in your body.

EXCUSE: Intense weight training is HARD, I don’t want to be so sore I can’t walk.

• Of course it’s hard. BECAUSE IT WORKS. You are sore because you are doing something that your body is not used to doing. If you repeatedly do the same thing, your body is not going to change. If you maintain a consistent program you are not going to be soooo sore you can’t walk.

We have succeeded at making life so hard for ourselves. I saw a great Chipotle commercial during the Grammy’s set to Coldplay’s “The Scientist”. It shows in animation a farmer who used to own just a few pigs on a simple farm and then it all changed. The farm became a mass producing, hormone injecting Meat Mill. It showed the trickle-down affects of everyone getting fat and lazy and the farmer’s life turning upside down. The refrain then plays “I’m going back to the start”.

We all need to go back to the start. We need to remember that our bodies are an amazing machine built to last if we would stop abusing it and being lazy. SLEEP.  EXERCISE. EAT RIGHT.

Make the CHOICE. We are nothing without our health at the end of the day.

-Holly

A 24-year old Russian tattoo artist has enraged animal lovers everywhere by giving his cat a tattoo. The artist, named Timur, even went so far as to post a video online showing him inking the poor feline.

The tat is similar to the one Timur has on his chest. Guess he wanted them to be twinsies! Coco had to be sedated for the experience – which got him in to even more hot water with animal activists. Luckily the ink didn’t seep in to the cat’s blood and kill him, huh?

This also left a lot of tattoo artists shaking their respective heads. Many who saw the video put in their two-cents worth via social media outlets. Some flat-out lambasted Timur for giving tattoo artists a bad name. “YOU ARE SICK!” wrote one enraged YouTuber. But, mostly, his ink brethren were quick to point out that the tattoo will soon fade on the feline. (Not sure why, though. Maybe shedding? Or natural exfoliation.)

Even weirder? If you watch the video (and/or see the pic) you’ll notice how Timur misspelled “Carpe Diem” as “Carpe Deem”. Not only is the cat marked for life (or a few months), he’s going to be the laughing stock of all his feline friends. Just Sayin’.

Megan Mullaly as Karen, 'Will & Grace'

You may file this one under “WTF” or “Ewwwww”. Chef’s choice … or, should I say, butcher’s choice.

The leggings give the illusion that your skin has been violently ripped off of your person — revealing the sinewy muscle underneath. Is there anything less appealing? Well, probably. Anything over a size 14 is probably asking for trouble.

A random poll while I was at the airport yesterday garnered these responses: “vile”, “cool” and, my personal favorite, “I’d have to see these in person … and only if the chick was hot.” One persnickety woman actually told me to turn my computer away from her as I was typing this blog.

While I guarantee these would be a big hit in a high school biology class or “Bodies Alive” exhibit, I’m fairly certain their popularity would wane anywhere else. Wait – I take that back … you could incite a riot at a PETA gathering. That might be fun, knowwhatimean?

Working For The Weekend Blazer

Bring out the working girl in you and your wardrobe! This spring, you’ll be seeing lots of takes on menswear for women, like this blazer at LuLu’s. Although it’s a “weekend” blazer, you can wear it anytime, whether at work, at dinner, or just relaxing with the girls!

Price: $44

Company: Lulu’s

Get It: Lulu’s