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Joanna Mastroianni’s Fall 2008 – Morocco-Inspired Designs
Can you go into more explanation about what inspired your Fall 2008 collection? The collection was inspired from Morocco. How much fun! To put on these beautiful garments, but yet they’re modern, they’re couture, but again, always young in feeling. You had a piece that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. That really was inspired by the true architecture of that part of the world. It was very geometric; yet at the same time, there was an interest to it. Morocco. As she turned around, you saw something that could have been inspired from a detail of one of the top of the buildings. It was soft, feminine, flattering to the body. It was made up of metal in the back. It was metal and ribbon, and these beautiful stones. Actually I started out with the embroidery first, with the colors that created the embroidery, and that sort of set the mood for that.
What is your background? My whole life has been about fashion. I feel like I’ve been designing forever. It’s something I always loved to do. It’s a way of life. I was making Barbie doll dresses when I was 9 years old and never stopped. The difference is I’m designing for taller dolls. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had an architecture background. If I wasn’t designing garments, I’d be designing buildings and decorating. But it’s all related. Everything comes into play. I can look at an arm on a chair and you never know what it’s going to inspire in a garment. I ‘m always inspired by architecture, by nature, things that are anything but garments, and then I translate it into garments. What enables you to be able to reinvent yourself every season so exquisitely?
Joanna Mastroianni has outfitted celebrities at the Tony and Grammy Awards, and celebrity clients include Jane Seymour, Angela Bassett, Sharon Stone, Melanie Griffith, Susan Lucci, Sela Ward, Tara Reid, and Sean Young. She has been featured in Lucire, Surface, WWD, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, People, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, just to name a few. Visit www.joannamastroianni.comfor more information. By Kaylene Peoples |
Category: Spring 2008
Vlademar Iódice Fall 2008 – “Graffiti – Street Art”
Vlademar Iódice Fall 2008 – “Graffiti – Street Art”
Brazilian designer Vlademar Iódice’s love for design came from watching his mother hand sew their family’s clothes. Following in his family’s footsteps, he learned the technical aspects of creating and producing clothes. He launched his label in 1987 and created a trademark with his last name. Vlademar is personally involved in every step while creating his designs. He explains that his creativity and inspiration is nurtured by whatever surrounds him. The Iódice woman is described as strong, loving of self─and aware she is loved─extremely feminine and confident, and well-traveled. However, she doesn’t forget her roots. Vlademar has a unique way of interpreting femininity through his designs, and his inspiration comes from his Brazilian way of life. Celebrities like Linsday Lohan, Mischa Barton, and Victoria Beckham have been spotted wearing his designs.
Iódice’s fall 2008 collection, titled “Graffiti – Street Art” is glamorous and sexy. The clothes are perfect for the sophisticated lady with a hot body and are tailor-made for clubbing. What better place to show off this style than on the New York runway!
His sizzling collection includes an array of black leather and black patent leather jackets, and trench coats topping micro-mini skirts. His signature molded sleeves and draping off-the-shoulder style define who can actually pull off the Iódice style—somewhat reminiscent of the iconic 80s pop stars.
Other notable pieces were minidresses swirled with black short pleated dresses with wide black belts at the waist, and necklines embellished with zippers and wide lapels, all styled with black leather gloves and platform heels. Though the running color scheme was black, mustard and pink shone through as accents throughout the collection. The mustard fleece
vest was a unique accessory to an all black jumpsuit, and sleeveless and off-shoulder shimmering dresses in silver and pink helped to reinforce that 80s feel. As a fan of rich colors, I appreciated the navy, caped, zipped up dress. Black dresses with accents of color were another favorite.
To learn more about Iódice, visit www.iodice.com.br.
By Kaylene Peoples
Jayson Brundson Fall 2008 – Creating Clothes for the Playful Side of a Woman
Jayson Brunsdon Fall 2008 – Creating Clothes for the Playful Side of a Woman
Jayson Brunsdon has been involved in the fashion industry for 20 years. He was first an illustrator and stylist and the creative director for an Australian fashion brand, Morrisey. Jayson’s client list includes HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Watts. His designs have been featured inUK Vogue, Marie Claire Australia, and Harper’s Bazaar Australia.
The collection is filled with a variety of all black looks with the occasional splashes of crimson red, teal, and florals, accessorized with leather finger gloves and styled with leather calf boots, and the occasional pom-poms.. Unexpectedly, red silk capes topped with the prevalent black round-top (derby) hat, turtle necks under fitted, playful bodices, courtesan gowns, poodle dresses all styled with a hint of French renaissance flair. A black feather cape is the surprise ending to Jayson’s show.
Tell us about your collection.
The collection is about love. So it’s about fun and coquettish girls, mischievous and flirtatious girls. I think it’s fine that women experience the empowerment of being feminine through something that’s kind of flirtatious and charming and mischievous. This is a very “after dark” kind of girl, too.
What do you mean by that?
The collection is all about being after dark. She’s been out too long. She’s had a good night out. There are a lot of very playful pieces, a lot of tool and a lot of pom-poms. I went to Paris in September and was really inspired by a girl in the street I saw. She had a bow and a hat on, a very cute dress, and black boots and tights. I just started thinking about Parisian
style. As an outsider looking at Paris, you sort of think about poodles and pom-poms and stuff like that. So I started thinking about pom-poms a lot. I noticed in this season there have been a lot of similarities in colors in the collections, like deep purples and banana yellow, really intense browns. There are some teal greens and teal blues. I did some purples and greens, but they haven’t hit the runway. But there’s quite a bit of black, and black and ivory as well mixed in with it.
What inspires you?
I get inspired by society and art, film, women, biographies. I always get inspired when I travel. The ideas from one collection to the next often happen the minute one collection finishes. One collection starts immediately following that. The collection is about having fun. It’s about being a naughty girl. Jayson Brunsdon’s label is available in 18 countries and more than 20 US states. For more information, visit www.jaysonBrunsdon.com.
By Kaylene Peoples
Vintage Glo – One-of-a-Kind Jewelry from Treasures Around the World
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Vintage Glo – One-of-a-Kind Jewelry from Treasures Around the World
My best friend lived in a 3000 square foot Victorian House with a wraparound porch and fine antique furnishings inside. I loved that house as a child and cherished the memory. From then on, I have carried the love for old, worn, and unique things, anywhere from furnishings to trinkets. —Gloria Bass—
Bass combs antique swap meets, boutiques, estate sales, and warehouses; and each hand-selected antique is given new life as Gloria works her magic to design her one-of-a-kind jewelry from her ‘found’ treasures spanning the globe. She’s even been known to purchase an entire chandelier in search of that one perfect piece. You will find anything from key chains and antique ornaments to typewriter keys as main components to her vintage-inspired wearable art. In a recent interview with the creator of Vintage Glo, I asked Gloria to shed some light on her designs and how she got started. Hi Gloria, I’d love to hear a little about you and how you started Vintage Glo. I am married to a fireman for 18 years and [I have] a fifteen-year-old daughter. I have been a stay-at-home mom the whole time, dabbling in different crafts and never dreamed I would be messing with jewelry. I volunteer in the community and home school my daughter.
How did you get started doing jewelry? I started making prayer books, like scrap books, and I embellished them with jewelry So it’s been pretty easy for you, then? It’s been really easy. In more detail, tell me about your jewelry and what’s involved in the construction. I have made some pretty bizarre stuff, but people love it because it’s out of the box. I made a bracelet out of a door hinge. . .painted, rusted door hinge. And in the holes of Were there any obstacles you encountered when starting your business? I think basically getting the confidence from being out of the box so much. People are so used to the norm. Going out of the norm was pretty scary because I didn’t know if people were as strange (or out of the box) as I was. I love to be different. That’s why my house is full of one-of-a-kind knickknacks. . .furniture. . .I wasn’t sure how people would respond to that. When did you actually start selling?
May 2005 Would you say most of your success is through word-of-mouth and your website? Yes, mostly through word-of-mouth and seeing it on other people. What are your price points? They range for the necklaces from $60-$120 retail.
Highest High When I spoke to Anastasia, Gloria Loring, and Leeza Gibbons, and they loved the pieces. Lowest Low Sometimes when I am out there and I see people trying to create what I have already created, it bums me out. But I realize that we have our own spin and nobody can get into my head and do what I do. And that’s been discouraging at some point. [My lowest low] is when I see people trying to copy. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I can’t imagine not creating my jewelry. I hope that I am more successful and more well-known than I am now. But I am proud of what I’m doing. Any advice you’d like to give to someone trying to start their own jewelry Stick with what you love. People are always going to try to get you to [do what they think is cool]. Do what is in your creative heart. Are you interested in mass producing? I’ve been in eight boutiques. I just decided to pull out of them. It wasn’t productive. And I had to reproduce things. . .collecting checks. . .etc. So, no. I only kept one boutique, “Pink Laundry.” I don’t look at magazines because I don’t want to get off focus of what’s in my own creativity. Yet at the boutiques, they see my jewlery and comment on how my designs are what’s totally in right now. I will get up at 1:00 a.m. and I will run down to my studio if I have something in my head. To learn more about Vintage Glo, visit www.vintageglo.com. By Kaylene Peoples |
Esther Nash – Socialite, Fashion and Jewelry Designer – Continues to Climb New Heights
Esther Nash – Socialite, Fashion and Jewelry Designer − Continues to Climb New Heights
Socialite, fashion designer Esther Nash is what most people would call a self-made woman. She’s a graduate of FIT, and has attended and received several scholarships to the top schools of design in New York, including Cooper Union, Art and Design High School, National Academy of Design, and she even took art classes for ten years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My head was spinning when she listed her credentials. I found it even more intriguing when she told me that she used to model, but they thought she was too short (except for print), was a gymnast, but they told her she was too tall, and was also a ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet for 5 years. She has appeared in several television shows, movies, and commercials including Law & Orderand Lift. Her designs have been featured on Sex in the City.
I had seen Esther around fashion events in both L.A. and New York for over 4 years.We’d exchanged friendly hellos and had even engaged in a conversation or two at an after party. But I never really had the chance to sit down with the emerging designer until we kept bumping into each other at New York Fashion Week last February. She had interesting styling advice, was very
candid about the collections that showed, and ever so often she would find herself being photographed and interviewed by local TV and paparazzi. To the outside public, it had appeared that Esther Nash had finally arrived.
On Nash’s website esternash.com, I saw a collection of club wear and vintage clothing modeled mostly by Esther, who considers herself an atelier. Her creations are one-of-a-kind. You’ll find magazine articles featuring the young designer, and a running theme in those articles is her sheer determination to succeed in a cut throat, competitive business. Esther has had press coverage in Teen People, New York,Cosmo Girl, Teen Style Monthly, and Gotham, just to name a few. She encourages girls to stay chaste the way she did for so long, and not to be afraid to go for their dreams. You tell me, what’s not to like about Esther Nash! But, in a sea of blogs on the Internet and skeptical naysayers, sometimes the feedback isn’t always so favorable. In spite of the fickle press, Esther continues to forge ahead.
How did you start your line?
I graduated from FIT, I studied tailoring and sportswear. I was given scholarships for Art and Design High School on the East Side in New York for very gifted students in the arts. I studied fashion design there, took 10 years of art classes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I received 
scholarships every year for ten years, including 2-year scholarships for the Arts Students League, the National Academy of Design, and Cooper Union. I also studied painting, illustration, sculpting, and photography. I was accepted to all the top notch schools. It’s been a long road.
I figure-skated for seven years, ballet danced for 5 at the Joffrey Ballet, and took gymnastics at the Nova Gymnastic School for 10 years. I was too tall for gymnastics, too short for modeling. My clothes made it onSex in the City. My designs are being shown at Patricia Fields in Soho, and they were selected for the show. Anna Wintour came to my last fashion show, and my [Baby Doll] line is selling [in a boutique called Booty] in Japan.
Tell me about your clothes.
My motto is, “Be seen and be remembered. Sparkle and shine like the superstar that you are.” The clothing is very young, fun, trendy, feminine, and glamorous—pretty much everything combined. It’s pretty much making an impression for a lifetime the first time, because you only have that one time to make a good impression. You have only that one chance, and if you blow it,
that’s pretty much how they will remember you. So you have to accessorize well, and I always try to incorporate my designs with other designers. It could be vintage, high end, low end. You have to work with your budget, and not everyone has the same budget.
So that means you’re an atelier. You don’t mass produce, but you design for individuals.
I do one-of-a-kind originals for now. I sew. I drape. I do everything. I have a jewelry line. It’s Finnish glass, Austrian crystals, precious stones, sterling 
silver, and stainless steel. It’s bulky jewelry. Because if your jewelry doesn’t work with the outfit, you always need a little something besides just the clothing.
I just signed with Ikon models (www.ikonmodels.com) in their celebrity division, and they’re revamping my whole image. We just had some new photos taken. It’s more grown up. I’m on a new television show coming up. Kelis is the host. It’s called “Style Warriors” on VH1. The show is about 5 designers that are competing to win as the best designer.
Now, are you the designer on the show competing?
I’m competing. I actually won the competition. It’s supposed to air, and if it does well, it will go to a full TV series.
Congratulations. Before, I said I saw your stuff about 3-4 seasons ago. Would you describe it as club wear?
Club wear, swimwear, knitwear, eveningwear, jewelry, rock star glam. The men’s wear is Sugar Daddy. You have to just be out there. You can’t give up, because when you do, that’s where they eat you alive.
Speaking of eating alive, tell me about some of these blog sites you’re on.
There are a few haters out there. I am not loved by everyone. You have to pick and choose, but all publicity is good publicity, I hope. I was just in theNew York Times on Sunday, and I had some haters. It’s unfortunate, but it’s okay. I’m on some blog websites. The nice ones are The Quest for “it, Alison Blackman, Advice Sisters, Girlfriends, and Cognac Corner. I have all these people that are jealous, angry, frustrated, bored….
Let’s talk about your process for designing. If a client comes to you and requests a certain type of outfit, how do you go about creating it?
[I ask them] where are they going? What is the design for? What kind of weather, occasion, weight? A lot of designers forget that real people gain and lose weight. Everyone’s not perfect looking, a stick figure. It’s upsetting because people think that you stay forever 21, and it’s not true. You have to move with the times. Otherwise you’ll be left behind if you don’t know how to change. I design for my mother. I make jewelry for her. When you’re designing for different ages, you have long skirts, short skirts, etc. You have to ask what people feel comfortable wearing. Otherwise they won’t be good advertisement for you.
What’s your highest high as a designer─the most amazing moment in your life?
Anna Wintour [Editor in Chief of AmericanVogue] attended my fashion show. A filmmaker made a film about it called “Runway Job,” which was in a few festivals.
Lowest Low
When I met a few young men that proposed and they wanted me to give up my career. So I had to
break off three engagements. It’s okay. Single is fine until you meet the right person and they don’t ask you to choose.
I did read some information on you, and I do know that you have this philosophy about virginity.
I do think it’s important to wait. I waited a very long time.
Did you stop waiting?
Yes, I gave up my virginity to my ex-fiance. I just couldn’t wait anymore.
How do you feel that philosophy worked with what you were trying to do?
I think it was great because I wasn’t ready. I waited a long time, but I was not physically or mentally ready to “de-virginize” myself. Each person is different, and I think it’s important that you know who you are before you give up yourself to your mate. It was a 14-month relationship.
Were there any obstacles in your pursuit of designing?
Of course. I did it the old-fashioned way. No connections, scholarships, working very hard. A lot of people have investors, backers, family members…everything is set. But I have talent and I think in the end it will happen for me.
What advice would you give to a young designer trying to come up in this industry?
They should not give up. They should follow their dreams, take another job if they have to. Continue with school and their education. Then they will at least at a later time [pursue their dream] and they’re not out of the loop. So as a hobby they work on their dream and they have their profession and career on the side. That way they’re not angry people who had to give up their dreams because they had to pay their bills. At some point you feel you have to marry, have children, and that you have to give up something. I don’t feel that’s true. I don’t believe that you have to ever give up your dreams for anyone else. And that’s why I continued working. And I am not about to give up now!
To learn more about Esther Nash, visit her websitewww.esthernash.com.
By Kaylene Peoples
Candice Held – Turning Scarves into Feminine Creations
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Candice Held – Turning Scarves into Feminine Creations
This is the first time I’ve actually seen your collection on the runway. I’ve seen pictures, but there’s nothing like seeing it in person. This is really very ingenious what you’re doing. Looks like scarves and bandanas? Thank you, and yes. What happened was I originally started the line exclusively with vintage scarves, and I just got so inspired from working with all the different prints and the silhouette that I put together with the scarves I really liked, and it really worked for a lot of different bodies. But I found it was really difficult to keep finding scarves in good condition because everything is vintage. It’s been through the rag houses. I like how you did that. Your designs are also figure-flattering for women who aren’t a size 2 or 4. How did you achieve that? You know, I have to say it just kind of happened organically. I was a professional dancer, so I just loved the female body; but there are also women in my family that are not a size 2 or 4, so I do also think about that. But for some reason, just sculpting the pieces on the dress form when it got transferred onto real bodies, I found that it just happened to fit the curves where it should and cover up other areas by draping off of the hips so that it [masks the flaws], but then it shows a nice little slice of your lower back. Most people have a beautiful lower back, a beautiful collarbone, and beautiful shoulders. So it just seems to work out. And then we have another style that’s a tunic wrap that many women can wear in many different ways, and it’s just the most versatile simple thing. I think I really lucked out on this little idea that I had. I wasn’t sure of the fabric, but it looked like it was cotton. I also have cotton sundresses in the line, which are great. Actually, the one that’s longer and that has a print on it was inspired after dishtowels. So just like I work with scarves, the first one of those dresses was made when I was going on a trip to Mexico, and I just wanted something that would absorb and be breathable in the heat and be really cool and comfortable. And I made the first one out of dishtowels. We How long have you been designing? I’ve kind of always been a clothes maker, and I used to design for my choreography when I was in college when I was a dancer. But this time, about three and a half years . Do you have any formal training as a designer, or is this something that you just innately have? I took one costume class in college, but my grandmother and my great-grandmother are from Paris. My grandmother learned to hand-sew at the house of Dior, and my family [attended] fashion shows in Paris. So they both sewed my whole life and made outfits for me and my sister. They taught me a lot of the basics. And [through] trial and error, and taking night classes after I finished college, as well as learning pattern-making, draping, illustration, and business (just kind of a crash course), [those] evening classes filled in a lot of the gaps and gave me some technical training. So I didn’t go to FIDM or anything, but I have been studying. You obviously lived with it as a family, too.
Candice Held has been featured in several magazines, including Apparel News , Weddings & Honeymoons , and Hollywood Hills Magazine. Candice Held designs have been featured on the Tyra Banks show, and Paris Hilton is a fan of her designs. To learn more about Candice Held, visit her website www.candiceheld.com. By Kaylene Peoples |
Sympathy for the Kettle – Not your Typical Tea Retailer
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Sympathy for the Kettle – Not your Typical Tea Retailer
We believe in tea. As an elixir, a life force, for the social quirks it ignites, but especially for the families, friends, and communities it unifies. -Jodi Holiday Hello Jodi. Why don’t you tell me a little about your tea house. My tea house is very unique. I have over 200 different blends, herbs, specializing in Chinese, African, and Indian teas. How did you get started in this? When I moved to New York six or seven years ago, I worked at various office jobs. I decided I couldn’t do that anymore, so I put my work to the side and started working on a business plan, and opened up a tea room in 2003. I was introduced to teas living in Europe in the mid 90s. Living in Germany and traveling through France,
That’s an interesting thing to pick up. Tea is very much an elixir. You’re grounded with tea. When you live in New York City, you need roots. A lot of people here are from all over the world, and we moved here for our ambition. It’s the hub of very ambitious people.And also in a city where there’s so much indulgence and it’s bad for you, you’re able to indulge in a swanky pot of tea that makes you feel good, and doesn’t give you a hangover the next day. It’s kind of perfect for New Yorkers that are stressed out The East Village is known for its bars, so instead of going to a bar, you can go to a tea room and feel good after your pot or two of tea. My employees laugh. If you have a big pot of Jasmine, you have a healthy buzz. On Friday and Saturday nights I call it a disco. Customers are talking to each other. Everybody’s But there are certain teas that do that. You have to know the specific teas, correct? All tea. Most of the teas that you find are all coming from the same plant. They’re just being oxidized to a different extent, or dried or mixed or spiced in a different way. A real tea is all from the same plant. The secret is to find quality tea. If it’s quality tea, you don’t have to put milk, sugar, or anything in it. The simplicity of tea is you’re drinking a steeped tea leaf. In a chaotic, busy world, there’s something very refreshing about drinking the simplicity of a tea leaf. Tell me about your involvement with fashion designer Vivienne Tam? Her people called me a few months ago. She wanted to get into the tea business. She imported a 150-year-old wooden hand-carved tea room from China and transported it in the middle of [her boutique], the Mercer SoHo shop. She is going to So you’re like a consultant in a way. Yes. But I will be selling her the various blends and training her employees on how to serve tea. For people trying to lose weight, which is the best tea? White tea Oolong. Tea and herbs are better than drinking water all day. Water just provides hydration, where tea provides nutrients. You need the antioxidants to kill the free radicals that destroy skin. Free radicals destroy cells, and essentially your skin. We’re all exposed to bus exhaust, fumes, and the food we eat, too. Tea has antioxidants that you don’t find in any other plants. We believe in tea, as an elixir, a To learn more about Sympathy for the Kettle, visit their websitewww.sympathyforthekettle.com. By Kaylene Peoples
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Health 101 – Weight Loss
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Health 101 – Weight Loss
Well, aren’t you curious! Fantastic questions! Well, before I get into that, please let me make it crystal clear that there are many reasons why we gain weight and why we can’t lose it, so please don’t let me over simplify anything. I have specialized in weight loss for years, and there are a multitude of reasons. I will make sure to address anything Agenda‘s readers (but only Agenda readers, no one else, of course) might want to know about in this new phenomenal health addition to Agenda. So with that said, I will give some specifics as to how much someone should eat to lose weight with average circumstances given for now. The trick to weight loss is simply to use up more energy than you take in (food and stored fat are energy). Now, you first have to make sure you don’t eat less than your body’s safety point, called your BMR. This is basically how many calories you would burn if you were to just sit for a 24-hour period. If you are not active at all, eating your BMR (basal metabolic rate) calories only is a good start until you get moving more. To find your BMR, simply multiply your body weight times 10, and that will give you a great estimate. If you are fairly active (1-3 workouts a week), add 2-300 calories on top of your BMR to keep everything working properly. If you are very active (4-5 workouts a week) add 4-500 calories so that your body can take the beating. Please note that when you’re very high in activity, your body needs a lot more. If you give it less than what it needs, it will simply rebel by slowing you down to conserve energy. So work with it and not against it. I would recommend getting some professional help to modify some things for you so that you get the best out of your workouts if things get hard. If you just want something to calculate your calories for you, go towww.caloriecontrol.org/calcalcs.html, and the work is done for you. Remember to spread those calories you are supposed to have evenly throughout the day over at least 6 meals so that your body feels safe and gives you the best results. I must urge you all not to cut meals as it will make it longer and harder to lose weight. If you want more results just work out more often or harder, and your body will love you for it, rewarding your efforts with that engaging silhouette you are seeking. Your body doesn’t know you’re working out to look better or feel better, it simply reacts. If you go hard and don’t give your body enough fuel, it will simply rebel and slow your metabolic process to conserve precious energy. A car without enough gas will just stop, but your body will make you tired sooner, sleepier more often, and drain your good moods. This all can be avoided by giving it the right fuel. Hard work and eating frequently are weight-loss’s greatest weapons. If you eat once, twice, maybe three times on a good day, then food is typically scarce in the world of your body; so it holds onto the weight a lot more aggressively for self preservation. You see, one reason your body holds onto the body fat is because it thinks it needs it, like a camel storing water for hard times. No hard times means no aggressive storage, means no muffin top. So eat, for goodness sake! Now that we’ve got you eating, let us address activity a bit more and how hard you should push. This is where many go wrong and have no clue what they are doing wrong. The human body responds best when it is pushed. It’s marvelous! You see, your body is great at doing as little as possible (go figure). Its primary purpose is to be as efficient as possible. Why use 300 calories for that run if we can get it down to 100 calories? That’s what your body was designed to do, so the best way to approach activity is to challenge your body with one notch past comfortable. Problem is that in general we have a tendency not to push ourselves hard enough. You know that’s true, so don’t even start with me. We push as much as we can, and when we get to that comfort border, we stop and take a break until we get back down to the lower end of the comfort gauge. Problem here is that the best and quickest results are past that sweaty border. The best way to overcome this is to take a class at your gym, any class that you want, but stay for the whole class no matter how tired or out of place you feel. This isn’t about being perfect; it’s about progress. The idea is to get an idea of what that border is and learning to push past it, even if it takes getting yelled at for an hour to do it. This is almost always the best way to start. If that isn’t enough, take a boot camp course or get a trainer (article on picking the right trainer to come). Now let’s get more specific on intensity. In general if you are in good health (please consult your physician before beginning a hard regimen), you should be getting your heart rate up between 70-80% of your heart rate for cardio workouts and try to keep it there for as long as you can for now. To find that out simply subtract your age from 220, and that will give you your 100%. Multiply that by 0.7 and 0.8 to give you that range (i.e. 220 – 35yrs = 185 max heart rate, then 185 x 0.7 and 0.8 = a target heart range of 130-148 for a kick-butt fat-shredding workout). Buy yourself a heart monitor if you don’t want to be held to a machine, or you can always use the one built into the machines if that is where you plan to be. Weight training in itself is a whole other article that we will approach later, but for now, find a great class, boot camp, or trainer that will do the trick. Well, that’s it for now ladies. That is how to shred the body fat off your bodies in a nutshell. Fuel your bodies and push them hard, and they will reward you with heavenly curves to die for. Days of starvation and silly diets are numbered if I have anything to do about it (and I do). There is always more depth to all these subjects, so stay tuned and make sure to voice your opinions and questions in Agenda’s health blog. I promise to help as much as I can as our new health relationship develops. Until we meet again, I bid you all adieu, fair ladies. * All Information from this article is taken from Fitness: The Complete Guide, Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD – Edition 8.6.6, 735pgs, International Sports Science Association. By Anthony Heredia |
How to Drop a Dress Size in a Month the Right Way
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How to Drop a Dress Size in a Month the Right Way
I would love to focus on empowering readers of all levels of health awareness, so I have decided to give you a nice, simple general overview of how to drop a dress size in about a month (and keep the weight off). But for those nutrition buffs, I will be adding more technical info in our “Health 101” section, which will include more technical specifics for everything. That way you have a choice on how deep you would like to go into our subject.
So now back to that pesky weight we want to just fall off. The easiest way to get your bodies to lose those bothersome pounds is to make your body feel safe.
So what do you mean by safe? Why doesn’t my body feel safe?
Good questions, and now here are some good answers. Well, you see, your body holds onto body fat for what it believes to be good reasons and not just to give you a hard time, as you might think. Remember, your body doesn’t care what you look like. It doesn’t care what car you drive, what job you have, what designer name you’re wearing; who you know, what style is in fashion, what color hair you have, or even who you married. Your body has better things to worry about like, hmmm, survival. So you have to work with your body to get it to do what you want. Your body doesn’t like change, such as weight loss if it is forced. It hates unnecessary change because your body sees it as stress. This is why, when you find a quick way to drop some weight, it comes back with a vengeance, because your body is basically rebelling. The question then is, So how do I get my bratty body to do what I want without putting it in self-defense mode? You give it what it needs. Yup, that’s it! The big secret is out now. Cars need gas, oil, coolant, steering fluid, etc.; and your body is a bit more complicated, so it needs a few things, too. Why our bodies hold onto weight is an article in itself, so you can look forward to that in a future article. So get to it, you say. How do I make it feel safe to get what I want!? Well, aren’t you the eager one! That is a fantastic question, and here is the fantastic answer: eat! I know you have heard it before, but it’s true, and here is how. Why will be in Health 101. First thing you should do is start by eating every 2-3 hours. Start with breakfast within 30-60 minutes of getting up in the morning to kick start your metabolism. What this will do is train your body not to hold onto the weight and basically tell your body that we don’t need the extra weight, so it is safe to let go now. If you eat a little something every 2-3 hours, then there is a steady stream of nourishment coming into your body so it has no strong reason to hold onto its storage, your body fat. You can find out how much you should eat at www.caloriecontrol.org/calcalcs.html. Eating every 2-3 hours is easy, so no excuses. It’s as easy as: cereal with milk and a 2-3 egg white omelet for breakfast; fruit and 7 almonds as a next snack; a sandwich or hearty salad with meat midday; fresh baby carrots and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, or tons of others, as a next snack; a nice 3-part dinner with half the plate being a favorite veggie, one part 3-4 oz. of lean meat, a cup of rice, beans, pasta, or any other starch of your choice; and finally, some cottage cheese with a little fruit as a night snack, and you’ve got a full on-track day. More ideas for menus to come! It can be easy, ladies. You can take control of your bodies if you want to. The basic idea is to eat a little bit at least 6 times a day every 2-3 hours, and your body will feel safe to let that weight go, even without calorie counting (specific calories in Health 101), and watch how your body responds. Don’t just take my word for it. How you feel and the shape of your body will tell all. Step two is exercise, which can be so much fun if you let it be. It’s easier than you think. Exercise doesn’t have to be a dreadful thing. Make it fun or a personal challenge. You don’t have to be stuck in a gym staring at the wall and being gawked at to get a good workout, ladies. Think outside the box and expand your horizons. You can swim, bike, jog; take a hike, take a boot camp; power walk with a friend, fly (well maybe not); roller blade, take up a martial arts, play with your kids, play a sport; or my favorite, dance the night away with a feverish step and a twinkle in your eye and your girls or lucky man by your side . . . Heck! Dance at home for goodness sake! The idea is move! The best way to exercise is to do it in a way that gets you to do it again. So eating sensibly every 2-3 hours is the body’s gas, and the magic comes from your finding a way to get that gorgeous figure of yours moving and sweating (I mean glowing because ladies don’t sweat of course, they glow). These two steps will shed a dress size off you in about a month for sure. Now for the impatient ladies who want more sooner, details can be found in Health 101, but the basic idea will be to push harder. So how do I drop that dress size? Well, O. K., I’ll recap it all for you this once, but only once, so pay attention. Step one is eat, please. Aim for every 2-3 hours, and if you’re afraid of heavy calories, then eat 3 square meals a day and graze on fresh veggies all day long, and that will get your body feeling safe with a steady source of food so that it will release that weight. Step two is to work out at least 3 times a week in one way or another, as long as you get moving and sweating (excuse me, I mean glowing) and go back for more. Remember to push hard enough to feel challenged, or else you won’t get enough bang for your sweaty buck. Be kind to yourself. Your body and life will be so much better, ladies, so have fun moving that body; and stay close for more updates on shaping the new empowered you. Also, remember that if this didn’t satisfy your thirst, make sure to delve into Health 101 for the nitty gritty of it all. Until we meet again. * All Information from this article is taken from Fitness: The Complete Guide, Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD – Edition 8.6.6, 735pgs, International Sports Science Association. Written by Anthony Heredia |
Water for Elephants – Sam Gruen
Water for Elephants
Sara Gruen
A 90-year-old man─or is he 93?─narrates the story of his one summer as a veterinarian with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth during the summer of 1931 in depression-era America. Jacob Jankowski resides in an assisted living home with other elderly people, many of whom require more medical attention than he. He is quite mentally astute for his age, yet because of his age, most of the people in charge of the facility treat him as mentally incompetent, all but Rosemary, a forty-seven-year-old nurse, who treats him and the rest of the patients/residents with the loving care, dignity, and respect they deserve as human beings. But she is moving away and will be quitting the facility, which in the end leads to Jacob’s decision to continue his life─what little he may have left─in dignity.
There is a circus that has come to town. It is so close to the facility that the big tent and other goings on can be observed from the window. All of the old people reminisce about their experiences in their youth going to the circus. One old man and a newcomer to the home, Mr. Joseph McGuinty, who is considerably younger than Jacob, brags about having worked in a circus, carrying “water for elephants.” Jacob becomes upset because he knows Mr. McGuinty is lying to attract the attention of the other residents; and the memories of the truth of his past life are triggered.
Flashback to young Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student at Cornell University in his last year! Just before he is scheduled to take his final exams, after which he will graduate and receive his degree, both his parents are killed in an automobile accident. After their burial and after learning the truth of his financial situation, Jacob is unable to focus. He leaves the exam room and leaves Cornell. Distraught, he leaves with only the clothes on his back and no money in his pocket.
Because of the Depression, people were unable to pay for his father’s services; and his father, also a veterinarian, worked for people even though they could not pay him, taking whatever they could give him─eggs, chickens, whatever they had. Therefore, his parents had nothing to leave their son but debts. To pay his tuition, the house had been mortgaged.
So not being able to focus, he leaves without ever putting pen to paper. Without aim or destination, he walks and soon finds himself beside the railroad tracks, when along comes a train. Like a hobo, he hops the train with no idea where he is going. He soon learns this is a circus train and is not tossed off it because the Benzini Brothers, whose circus it is, discover he is a veterinarian; and his services are badly needed.
Working as a veterinarian that summer leads to all kinds of experiences, tantamount among them which are falling in love, getting married, and eventually working with the circus’s one elephant.
After his summer with the Benzini Brothers, he is hired by Ringling Brothers. He, along with his wife, and his growing family, spends seven years as a circus veterinarian. He then becomes the veterinarian for the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. His seven years experience with exotic animals and his degree, in addition to bringing an elephant with him, insures him the job when the former vet suddenly dies.
Jacob, ninety years old─or is he 93? he asks himself, recognizing that his old age has caused some memory loss─struggles to hold onto his humanity and his dignity as long as he can. It is he who in his reminiscences about his circus life, his friendships, and his deep love for his wife narrates the story. The reader falls in love with Jacob and develops an even greater love and respect for “old folks.” Sara Gruen’s novel awakens the reader to the often mistreatment of and disrespect for the elderly, evoking empathy in their cause. Especially hurtful is seeing how their own families, their own children, mistreat them, or forget about them. Old people are still human beings. In many cases, their bodies may be broken, their hands and fingers gnarled, but in all cases, there is a brain inside their heads as Jacob proves. In having Jacob tell his story inWater for Elephants, the author informs us of this and reminds us of the fact that we will grow old someday. At the same time Sara Gruen affords us a moving and delightful read─so do not be misled by the title.
Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples
