Category: Spring 2009

Spring Fashion on a Budget Featuring Lindy Flowers

I’m Lindy Flowers and I’m going to show you how to stretch your dollar and still keep up with the current spring trends by taking something you already have in your closet, a simple tank top and a pair of jeans, and show you how to wear them three different ways.

My first look is a hip—trendy—casual look. I’m wearing a pair of flat sandals along with a vest, which is a huge trend for the spring season. Around my neck I have a Doll House necklace and I’m carrying a Charlie Lapson crocodile handbag, and to top it off, I put on a pair off inexpensive sunglasses from Forever 21.

For my second look I’m headed out to lunch with the girls. On my feet I have a pair of neutral colored low-healed patent-leather pumps by Stuart Weitzman paired back with another huge trend for the spring season, a lightweight trench coat. This one by Michael Kors. On my eyes, a pair of Chanel sunglasses, I’m carrying a Nordstrom handbag, and to pull together my whole look, this beautiful Shankari necklace.

And for my third look, I’m heading out for a night on the town. On my feet I’m wearing a pair of metallic strappy stilettos, and I’ve layered my jewelry, including this beautiful bangle from LENA made from recycled coins. To complete my look, I’m carrying a purse just big enough to hold a cell phone and a tube of lipstick for those touchups. Now I’ve shown you three completely different looks using just a pair of jeans and a simple camisole, this one by Itty Bitty Bra found in the Intimate Apparel Department.

Next, take a little black dress out of your closet, and I’ll show you how to use this spring’s accessories. I took a pair ofcomfortable flat sandals, a few pieces of simple jewelry, a bracelet and necklace from Jules Smith, and a statement ring from Vintage Glo. As my handbag, I’m carrying an inexpensive multi-colored tote just large enough to fit a towel, magazine, and sunscreen. And Finally to complete my look, I’ve added a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses, and I’m off to the pool!

For my second look I’m headed off to the office. I replaced my flat sandals with a classic pump, put on a chic cashmere cardigan, and a simple pair of drop-earrings. For a splash of color, I added a red handbag by HOBO. Off to the office I go!

For my third look I’m headed off to an upscale (evening) event. I put on some sexy, strappy sandals, added some couture jewelry—some vintage—some new, and a stylish clutch. So don’t be afraid to be creative when you’re out there shopping.

Lindy Flowers

Health 101 In-Depth Look at Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is a wonderful thing, wouldn’t you agree? Your body is a big fan of rest for a variety of very good reasons. We ask everything of our bodies as they endure our life’s daily beatings, and still we ask for more hours in the day as we cheat sleep. The best caffeine will allow us to. We de-prioritize the most important time of our day, the rest and repair phase that allows us to get up and come back for more. In this issue of “Fitness Couture” we took a look at the weight gain repercussions of sleep deprivation, but there are so many other consequences that you might not even be aware of.

·      Adverse Effects of Sleep Deprivation

o      Mood Swings

o      Chronic Fatigue: Repairs occur in the REM or Delta phase of sleep, deepest levels of sleep. If these levels are not reached, your body cannot properly refresh you, leaving you to feel exhausted after a long night. 

o      Accelerated Aging: During the deep stages of REM sleep, the body repairs and regenerates tissues, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens the immune system. As you get older, you sleep more lightly and get less deep sleep. The less sleep you incorporate the less time your body has to keep you young, thus prematurely aging you.

o      Clouded Mind, Foggy Thoughts

o      Hindered Work Performance

o      Affected Mental Health: Sleep deprivation has mental as well as physical complications. While those with depression are more likely to suffer from insomnia, insomniacs or those suffering from other sleep disorders are also more likely to develop depression, impaired memory and thought processes.

o      Decreased Immune Response: As part of the immune system, cytokines play a key role in fighting disease and infection. As the body’s levels of cytokines drop, you become more susceptible to illness and infection.

o      Increased Alcohol Sensitivity: Sleep deprivation also magnifies alcohol’s effects on the body, so a fatigued person who drinks will become much more impaired than someone who is well-rested.

o      Increased Pain Perception

o      Increased Cortisol Levels: Cortisol levels are increased in your body during stressful times, promoting fat storage as a form of self preservation.

o      Unbalanced Hunger: An imbalance in the hormones Ghrelin increasing (Hunger Hormone) and Leptin decreasing (Satiety Hormone) causing the body to crave carbohydrates and sugar.

o      Slower Reaction Time: After 24 hours of no sleep, you are as impaired as if you had enough alcohol to be legally drunk in most states.

o      Restricted Nutrient Absorption: Sleep deprivation interferes with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates and causes high blood levels of glucose, which leads to higher insulin levels and greater body fat storage.

o      Reduced Levels of Growth Hormone: GH is a protein that helps regulate the body’s proportions of fat and muscle. You will be more likely to store fat and use lean muscle tissue for energy.

o      Insulin Resistance (possible): Since hormone levels are not allotted proper time to regulate themselves, an imbalance can contribute to increased risk of diabetes as the body is less receptive to insulin.

o      Increased Blood Pressure (possible): When the body is not allotted the proper time to recuperate it is forced to work harder under these stressful circumstances. The hours you don’t sleep add up in debt that your system adapts to by pushing harder.

o      Increased Risk of Heart Disease: Due to body systems working overtime with a non recuperated body and reduced immune system, heart disease is more likely.  

Sleep Deprivation as Bad as Being Intoxicated

Working yourself to the edge of your limits on no sleep is no better than working intoxicated. After staying awake for 24 hours straight, a person will be as impaired as if he/she had had enough alcohol to be legally drunk in most states.

In one Australian study, researchers created a blood alcohol equivalent test with 40 volunteers for different levels of impairment from sleeplessness. Group one stayed awake for 28 hours while group two drank alcohol every half hour until reaching a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 percent, the drunken-driving standard in most American states. Every half hour the subjects took a computerized test of hand-eye coordination. “Results showed that after 24 hours of sleeplessness, participants were about as impaired as they were at the 0.10 percent level of blood alcohol. After 17 hours, they were about as impaired as they were with an alcohol level of 0.05 percent, which many Western countries define as legally drunk, the researchers said.” – National Sleep Foundation,

Weight Gain from No Sleep

Stanford University held a study in which 1000 volunteers were surveyed on their sleeping habits and then had their ghrelin (hunger hormone) and leptin (satiety hormone) levels measured. “After eight hours of no sleep all volunteers showed increased levels of ghrelin (weight gain hormone) and decresed levels of leptin (weight control hormone). Results conclusively proved that those who slept the fewest hours per night also weight the most, holding larger amounts of body fat.” The body is simply adapting to a stressful environment, it is doing what it knows best. This is one reason you are more likely to eat more when you are not feeling at your best. “One thing I have seen is that once a person is not as tired, they don’t need to rely on sweet foods and high carbohydrate snacks to keep them awake — and that automatically translates into eating fewer calories,” says Dr Micheal Breus of the Atlantic School of Sleep Medicine.

Solutions

Whether your sleep issues exist due to your work life, family life, medical reasons, or simply lifestyle in general, you must tend to this in order to keep yourself healthy. Treatment options depend on your particular circumstances, but here are some suggestions to help you begin your rejuvenation. The key is to create new habits and improved consistent sleep patterns. Normalize your amounts of sleep. Infants usually require about 16-18 hours of sleep per day, while teenagers need about 9 hours per day on average. Optimal sleep for health improvements are between seven and nine hours of sleep a night.

Ways to improve sleep include

  • Exercising regularly earlier in the day to help regulate energy levels
  • Consuming low levels of liquids before bed
  • Finding a non-habit forming sleep aid, for example, melatonin
  • Relaxing with a hot bath before bed
  • Avoiding alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine before bed
  • Avoiding treating heartburn at night
  • Creating an ideal sleep environment by removing media distractions and making the bedroom as dark as possible to fall asleep faster and remain asleep.

Find whatever works for you, and above all, make it consistent for your health’s sake. You will feel and look like a million bucks. Good night, Agenda readers. (Sources)

Written by Anthony Heredia

Fitness Book Review 101 Fat-Burning Workouts & Diet Strategies for Men and Women By Muscle Editors of Muscle & Fitness His & Hers

Workouts & Diet Strategies for Men and Women
By Muscle Editors of Muscle & Fitness His & Hers

Muscle & Fitness Magazine has been the leader in health and fitness for nearly 70 years and counting now; so when they speak, we should listen. They have proudly presented two very thorough one-stop-shop-kick-butt fitness books I highly recommend. We are taking a look at 101 Fat-Burning Workouts & Diet Strategies for Women by editors of Muscles & Fitness Hers magazine.

Burn fat and add sexy curves with this progressive eight-week body blast.

-Hers

We are also delving into its male counterpart, 101 Fat-Burning Workouts & Diet Strategies for Men by personal trainer Michael Berg and the editors of Muscle & Fitness magazine.

Ready for a nine-week program that will help you burn off that unwanted flab and get fitter, leaner and stronger than ever before?

-His

I am usually pensive about one-stop-shop books due to the all too often fact that they lean on a gimmick to grab your attention, such as “Hollywood Cookie Diet Plan.” But this is not the case here. First of all, these books are teaming with vivid motivational instructionalphotos of exactly what they are asking of you. Gorgeous fit bodies are cascaded amidst the pages to keep you motivated. Along with eye candy, you will find the vital mind candy that will make you eye candy: great realistic and truthful content. The best of information falls on deaf ears if the readers find themselves lost in translation. Clarity is critical to a good workout book. The contents of both publications are organized very effectively, each catering to the needs of its male or female audience. Our guides both include sections dedicated to proper resistance training, nutrition, fitness calendar, cardio, recipes, and very useful tips and tricks. The “Hers” edition is more focused on various cardio, leaning out techniques, and recipes, while the “His” edition is heavier on muscle gaining, performance techniques, and muscle maintenance.

Burn 300 calories in 20 minutes . . .

-Hers

These Muscle & Fitness strategy books have cutting-edge techniques for getting lean fast with real science. They are designed appropriately for those serious about reaching their goals, providing industrial-strength training and professional nutrition advice. “The 101 workouts and diet strategies include expert training advice, cardio programs that incinerate body fat, meal plans to help you look and feel your best, recipes that make eating healthy taste great, and so much more!” I recommend these two programs because of their effective, thorough content, clarity, beautiful layout, and all around intense approach to fitness. You have reading to do. Now get to work. (Sources)

Written By Anthony Heredia

Losing Weight Through Better Sleep

Welcome, Agenda readers, to another exciting look into your health and fitness goals. We are venturing into an absolutely critical aspect of your health this issue, your beauty sleep. Did you know that beauty sleep really does keep you thin, radiant, productive, youthful, and cheerful? Next time someone interrupts your beauty sleep, make sure to make it crystal clear that next time they wake you they will not be around for a second chance. Successful weight loss consists of exercise, nutrition, and self-maintenance. Along with hard hours exercising and proper nutrition, you need to heal and rest your body so that it can make the changes you are asking it to make. Sleep deprivation has been proven to significantly accelerate the aging process, increase fat storage, along with a plethora of other adverse effects. For this article we will focus on weight gain and how to reverse this tragedy.  Visit my “Health 101” article for the full story on sleep deprivation and its other vast negative effects on our bodies. Simply to name a few, sleep deprivation results in

o      Mood swings

o      Accelerated inner and outer aging

o      Hindered work performance

o      Depression

o      Impaired memory

o      Magnified alcohol effects on the body

o      Inaccurate hunger signals

o      Interference with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates

o      Increased craving of carbohydrates and sugar

o      Body’s reduced ability to balance fat and muscle

o      Possible increased blood pressure

o      Increased fat storage

o      More in “Health 101” article . . .

Help me!  What is going on inside me?

Deep sleep is repair time.  Your body needs to catch up from the day’s toils. Should you deprive it, it has no choice but to defend itself, resulting in a destructive attack on your health and beauty. This is not personal, ladies; it is survival. Yes, I know that in today’s fast paced busy world sleep can be a very inefficient part of your schedule, but consider the price you are paying. “Sleeping is so overrated” seems to be the LA mantra. Sleep deprivation interferes with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates and causes high blood levels of glucose (sugar), which leads to higher insulin levels and greater body fat storage. The hormonal imbalance between leptin and ghrelin is actually the largest internal battle, transforming you into a carbohydrate/sugar craving, fat storing machine. You also begin to produce reduced amounts of growth hormone, which is what helps regulate the body’s proportions of fat to muscle. This is reducing the muscle that helps you burn that evil fat in the first place.

What is all this hormone imbalance talk about?

Leptin and ghrelin are our focus.  They work in a kind of “yin and yang” system to balance the feelings of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and stimulates appetite, while its counterpart leptin is produced in fat cells and sends the signal to our brain that we are full and have no need to store fat. Leptin and this full feeling are triggered exclusively by good fats (Omega-3s, fish, nuts, oils, etc) and fiber. This all ties together as we introduce low amounts of sleep. Sleep deprivation drives leptin levels down, resulting in its taking longer to feel satisfied while eating, driving you to overeat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise as a self defense mechanism, increasing your appetite for high-fat foods to hit that satiety sweet spot. I am sure I do not need to clarify how stressful it can be not to be able to get much needed sleep. Stress itself increases your cortisol levels, a stress hormone that also puts our bodies in self defense mode by turning the fat storage dial up a few notches in bad times. I hope by now I have convinced you that sleep is not a luxury, it’s a necessity, ladies and gentlemen.

You win, I am listening. How do I fix this?

Sleep! More specifically you need deep recuperative sleep, also known as Delta sleep or NREM sleep. This is the stage in sleep where you dream.  This is also the time all repairs take place. Deep sleep is your goal to reverse this process. “Infants can spend up to 50% of their sleep in the REM stage of sleep, whereas adults spend only about 20% in REM,” states the National Sleep Foundation. Please take the time at night to make an event of sleep. Turn off all ambient light and rude distractions in the room (including those you share your bed with) so that your body can reach this delta stage of sleep. If you need white noise (TV or sound) in the room to fall asleep, you will be fine as long as you set a timer for your appliances. You will need to consistently achieve a full night’s sleep for at least one solid week for your body to begin to regulate itself once more. When your body receives consistent rest, it will do the work for you. Combine good rest, proper nutrition, and some regular fun exercise, and I guarantee you a summer body to die for. Look forward to a future article on tips and tricks to getting in a full night’s sleep without sleeping the whole night.

So how much sleep do I need?

According to the National Institute of Health, infants usually require about 16-18 hours of sleep per day, while teenagers need about 9 hours per day on average. Most adults need about 7-8 hours of sleep per day.  According to Dr Colette Bouchez of WebMD, “A presentation at the 2006 American Thoracic Society International Conference showed that women who slept 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the 16-year study, compared to those who slept 7 hours a night.” Reaching your 6-8 hours of sleep a night I know is easier said than done, but as you can see, it is critical to your health, beauty, and in this case, your waistline.

If you enjoyed the information here, make sure to take the in-depth tour in “Health 101” for more reasons to treat yourself to a good night’s sleep.

Sweet dreams, Agenda readers. (Sources)

Written by Anthony Heredia

An Interview with Toni Lee – A Fitness Model with a Healthy Affirming Message!

Toni Lee is a stunning result of good old hard work, sweat, knowledge, and determination. Today we delve into the world of our multifaceted in-demand fitness model Toni Lee. You can find this talented hard body in numerous spotlight articles and photo spreads for popular magazines, such as Muscle and Fitness, and LA Sports and Fitness, among many others. Do not be fooled by the pretty face and vicious set of six-pack abs, as she doesn’t stop there. Toni is also a passionate TV/film producer, a hilarious comedian, and an accomplished musician, mastering the piano, harp, and flute. You would never know how talented this rock-hard beauty is by simply looking at her—looks can be so deceiving. This wonder woman has taken her healthy affirming messages into television appearances on UPN Channel 13 News and KTLA’S morning shows. Toni Lee lives by the philosophy that success is created by action. She is the perfect example of her own positive thinking as a successful businesswoman who shows that working on yourself each day results in a healthier lifestyle.

So, Toni, we have learned that you are a global woman. What common health concerns have you found in your travels?

I began to see the world when I worked as flight attendant some years back. It let me see the world through new eyes. I grew greatly as a person, being able to appreciate the things in my life after seeing so much of the world. I sawcommunities that have very little and those that had a lot and realized how lucky I am. No matter where I was I loved experiencing and appreciating every culture I came across.

At what age did you first begin to take interest in the health world and why?

I have always been athletic; it goes back to my track days in high school. I focused on taking my fitness levels to new heights around 17 years old to gain more confidence. At age 20 I decided to break boundaries with my body by pushing the sculpting of my body. I am very competitive, and my brother was a big weight lifter. We would work out together and I would find myself competing with him. He motivated me to achieve bigger and bigger gains in sculpting my body.

How did you first begin to learn about fitness? Was it a book, a fitness magazine, another fitness buff you know . . . ?

My brother started the ball rolling, but like anyone else I picked up the “Muscle & Fitness” magazines and started reading. I started meeting more and more body builders being so fitness-conscious, and they became a huge expert source of information. I just started to ask a lot of questions from body builder friends who knew what they were doing.

What period in your life would you say has been the most difficult in obtaining your fitness goals?

Right about now actually, its getting hard. I am “plateauing” now because it is hard to keep up an aggressive workout plan when you have so many projects on your plate. I still keep up my fitness, but it’s not the same right now because I am so busy right now. To compensate I make sure to eat extra healthy, though.

High performance fitness takes so much inner and outer strength. Is there anyone that you look up to for strength, encouragement, or advice when you are in need?

My parents are great for encouragement when I am down. My boyfriend (Jace Hall) is a huge support system. He really motivates me. Jace is very fitness and health conscious, so it makes life so much easier being on the same page inthat aspect. We have a much healthier relationship, I think, because we both love to be healthy and fit. We cook 90 percent of the time to stay at our healthiest. I do the cooking, though. I just love to cook.

What advice do you have for the average fitness enthusiast who really wants to get a long, lean body like you but has no idea how?

Go to the source. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Make your way to the bookstore, grab a fitness magazine, or ask someone who already knows. Find professional advice from someone who has been there and done that to save yourself time and frustration. Personal trainers that know their stuff are a huge asset in achieving fitness goals. They save so much time. They are worth the money—they are saving you a lot of time and keeping you safe.

As a fitness model you are exposed to your share of ups and downs in the industry, I am sure. Do you have any advice for other aspiring fitness models?

Staying fit and beautiful is the basics. You need more. The key to achieving your goals in fitness modeling is in your personality. You need to radiate positive energy. If you don’t feel positive, it shows up on the film, and you lose work. People with great energy can pick up those that have bad energy real quick. (Smile.)

What is a typical day in the nutrition and fitness life of Toni Lee? I read that you enjoy jujitsu.

I eat very healthy. I am always cooking so I can control what goes into my body. I stay as organic as possible with a good balance of carbs, protein, and good fats. I don’t do the starvation methods. I believe in balance. I eat evenly throughout the day to keep my metabolism running, and [I] drink tons of water. Some consider me boring because I don’t drink alcohol—and I don’t smoke—but I call that being healthy and smart. I work out at least five times a week, mixing up my cardio and resistance training throughout the week. Yes, I do practice martial arts. I am disciplined in Japanese jujitsu and tae kwon do, so watch out.

The world’s health needs so much attention. In your opinion what would you say is hurting us in the U.S. as the world’s worst?

Fast food by far is a big problem; bad food choices. People need to educate themselves better on what goes into their bodies. We really need to learn how to eat to better our lives. You need to love yourself first.

So what is in store for Toni Lee? What projects are you working on currently?

Well, I have several Hollywood production projects right now. I first focused on creating and producing a screenplay based on a very unique yet true family. It is a hilarious comedy. I love comedy. Life is about being able to be happy and learning to laugh, not taking yourself too serious. You can find a lot of projects at www.myspace.com/tonitv. Take a look.

I am also taking my gaming to the next level. I am a huge video game fanatic, Street Fighter IV being my favorite game. I am working on becoming a “professional Gamer.” There is a lot more to that, but you will need to stay tuned for more juicy details. Keep track of my adventures at www.twitter.com/tonitv. It will be well worth your time.

Visit www.myspace.com/tonitv for more on Toni Lee.

Interviewed by Anthony Heredia

Written by Anthony Heredia

Book Review – A Mercy – Tony Morrison

Set in America in the mid to late 1600s in the early days of slavery,A Mercy is Toni Morrison’s latest novel. It begins in medias res, a literary and artistic technique where the narrative starts in the middle of the story instead of from its beginning. The characters, setting, and conflict are introduced through a series of flashbacks or through characters. And so it is with A Mercy. It is 1690 when the story opens. The narrator, Florens, sixteen years old, is traveling to find the blacksmith, a free black man who has never known slavery, to bring him back to cure her mistress of smallpox, believing him to be a savior because he cured Sorrow, another servant, of her “boils.” Thus, it is quite sometime into the narrative before the reader feels confident that she or he understands what is going on. Of course, this adds to the suspense that is so like Toni Morrison. In addition, it is rife with superstition and multiple meanings (symbols), reminiscent of her Nobel Prize winner, Beloved.

Florens at six years old was given up by her mother to Sir, Jacob Vaark, in an act of mercy. Her mother had been taken from her country, Africa, by Portuguese slavers and brought to America, where she remained in slavery. At the “mercy” of the men on the plantation, she had two children, one a little boy, still a baby in her arms, and Florens, now six years old. Sir, orphaned himself at an early age, was a farmer from the north, having inherited property from a relative. He prospers, tires of farming, and becomes a trader and moneylender, finding enjoyment in the traveling his newfound interest requires. We meet him as he travels from his home in the north to Maryland to collect a debt. Expecting to be repaid in money, he ends up accepting Florens, not as a slave but as a second helper for his wife and Lina, an American Indian servant he had purchased to take care of his home and to help him on the farm. When he traveled, he preferred to leave his home and property in the care of women instead of men. Though he hired men, none except the blacksmith, whom he befriended and trusted, ever spent the night on the property.

When it is clear that he is not going to get his money from De Ortega, the plantation owner, he asks for Florens’s mother and her little girl, having no use for the baby boy she holds in her arms. Florens’s mother, having “read” something in Sir and surmised that her daughter would be better off away from the plantation, where the only future she has is the repeat of her own fate, has deliberately placed herself in such a way so as to attract his attention. The owner says no to Jacob’s request, as she knew he would, so she offers Florens instead.

Florens’s future does look bright for ten years as she joins Lina, Mistress, and now Sorrow, another female taken in by Sir as an act of kindness to help his wife take care of the farm in his absence as he travels. Then Sir dies; and the women are left unprotected, with an unpredictable future ahead of them.

Other characters include two indentured servants, Willard and Scully, and of course the blacksmith, who is better off than any of the other characters. Florens has fallen in love with him and believes he will protect her. She willingly travels to find him to bring him back to save Mistress from death, as he was too late to save Sir. Mistress herself had traveled from England to marry Sir, having been sold to him by her father.

When Florens returns to the farm alone?the blacksmith having preceded her alone to arrive at the farm more quickly?things have drastically changed. Mistress, previously kind, has turned to religion and has become quite harsh in her treatment of the servants, who before were treated not as servants but as equals and friends. (What is Morrison saying about religion and its influences in a person’s life?) But the blacksmith has turned against Florens; and she returns to the farm only because she has no place else to go. It is in the last chapter, narrated by her mother in a flashback, that we understand the “acts of mercy” most of the characters have undergone, only to be left awash in the end.

Each of the characters in one way or another has been the receiver (victim?) of some sort of mercy gone awry. Lina, “Messalina,” the American Indian, was rescued by the Presbyterians when her family died and her village burned. At fourteen, she was bought by Sir from the Presbyterians to tend his home and help him with the farm.

Rebekka, later called Mistress, without much of a future in her own country, came over from England on the Angelus at the age of sixteen. She had been sold to Jacob in the New World. She travels by ship across the water, is married, and becomes the mistress of Jacob’s home.

When she becomes ill and delirious, she imagines she is visited by the seven women who came over with her: Anne, sent away in disgrace by her family; Judith and Lydia, prostitutes ordered to choose between prison or exile?Lydia was accompanied by her daughter, Patty, a ten-year-old thief; Elizabeth, who said she was the daughter of an important Company agent; Abigail, who was quickly transferred to the captain’s cabin; and one other, Dorothea, a cutpurse whose sentence was the same as that of the prostitutes. Rebekka alone, her passage prepaid, was to be married. The rest were being met by relatives or craftsmen who would pay their passge.

Born to Rebekka and Jacob was first a daughter, Patrician, who lived to five years old while three brothers after her died from one or another illness. Patrician died as the result of being kicked in the head by a horse, and something inside Rebekka began to die. She never recuperated. Then Jacob died, and the three servants were left to fend for themselves.

Sorrow, born and raised on Captain’s ship, not as a daughter but as perhaps a future crewman-to-be, was saved from drowning when the ship foundered and everyone else on board was either killed or drowned. She was difficult to train and was thought to be cursed, always seeming somewhat unbalanced. Dressed always in boys’ clothes, she was fit for little else than sewing. Until the accident, she had never set foot on land. At eleven years old, she was accepted by Sir and taken to his home to assist with the farm and to help his wife when her saviors wanted to be rid of her.

“Such were the ravages of Vaark’s death. And the consequences of women in thrall to men or pointedly without them” (155).

Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples

Twitter, Subscriptions, and In-Store Appearances for Amazing Sales

Spring is here and I am gradually stocking up on oversized, costume jewelry, eclectic printed blouses, 80s-inspired skinny jeans, billowy cropped pants, and bright-colored clutches. Yes, my list of must-haves is lengthy. And nope – I don’t pay ridiculous prices. I am not an A-lister, so I don’t have the luxury of scoring hot-off-the-runway pieces at little to no cost. So, I do what all smart shopaholics must do to update their wardrobes: I shop sales.

As a personal shopper and wardrobe consultant, I believe that the biggest way to find exactly what you are looking for is being proactive and actively seeking out the best deals. I spend massive amounts of time social networking with e-commerce businesses, boutique owners, and fashion designers. I also subscribe to the mailing lists of my favorite stores so that I am updated on sales, events, and giveaways. And most importantly, I check in at my local retail stores to see which big-ticketed items have been marked down.

The biggest key to finding the best deals is to create your own strategies. These are mine:

I “Tweet” like crazy: Twitter has become the most powerful and trendiest social networking site to date, simply due to its ease of use and the ability to track what others are doing in real time. This place is perfect to meet people around the world who share your same passion for fashion. I research those that “follow” me, and depending on their niche, ask that they keep me updated on deals, sales, and new merchandise. Not only do I benefit from getting immediate news; I relay the information to my Good Girl Gone Shopping readers, friends, and family. I used to type in such terms as “handbag sales” in Google(TM) to find this, until I realized that I am still stuck at the beginning in finding exactly what I want. Now with Twitter, I receive direct messages regarding this very request. (Facebook and MySpace are other social networking sites that provide bulletins and updates to take notice of if you want to save money and meet stylista shoppers and industry folk that promote savings.)

I receive online mailers from various online and local retail stores. My favorite is from H&M and Urban Outfitters. This is because I love their merchandise and appreciate that the frequency of their messages is bearable. So make sure your subscriptions are to outlets that you TRULY love! Some of the other mailers (which I won’t be crude enough to mention) inundate my inbox. There is such a thing as getting too many, so watch out for that. As much I love getting news regarding sales, deals, and shopping events, I feel bombarded when I get up to three a day. We live in a recession right now, people; and although the deliverance of helpful updates is a positive thing, do businesses think that we all have the tons of money needed to purchase the items promoted in each mailer? Don’t get me wrong, I highly encourage you to subscribe to these. Just be sure to alleviate the pressure that you don’t need!

I show my face often in such retail stores as Macy’s. This is the ultimate shopping spot for shoe sales. I used to believe that I had psychic abilities when it comes to shoes being marked down, until I realized that I have been following a science I created for myself. In order to make sure that you don’t miss the markdown of Betsey Johnson heels (my fave), here are some tips: Ask a salesperson when the shoes went on display and were received; request a call when they get marked down; try them on so you know they fit; and then jot down the date of this visit. These days, customer service is not always that, so don’t 100 percent depend on the salespeople calling you to give you the heads up. (If they do, then treasure that and make nice with them as you continue to shop there.) I usually predict that in about three to four weeks, these shoes will go on sale if they haven’t sold out, and then another week for the additional 40 percent or half off. THAT is when I hit the racks like crazy. Had I never asked questions, consciously considered seasonal styles and merchandise shipments, I would have missed out on many a deal. Another factor to keep in mind: If you purchase shoes for regular price the day before they go on sale, bring your receipt in as soon as possible and ask for the difference. Most places do this, while others provide a fuss. It doesn’t hurt to try, however. It will only improve your attentive shopping skills.

Budgeting should never be an embarrassing thing to do. It is the smartest thing to do! Even if you have a huge amount to spend with no care in the world, why not take on new practices to save a little? For $200, you can buy a big designer or, for the same amount, you can buy three outfits and two pairs of shoes to match.

Now you tell me: Which one is worth tweeting about?

By Elana Pruitt, ‘Good Girl Gone Shopping’http://www.diaryofapersonalshopper.blogspot.com

Elmer Ave – Just Four Skateboarding Graffiti Artists Making Clothes for the Edgier, Artistic Dresser!

Elmer Ave is a design team consisting of four members:  Sean Murphy, Jonny Day, Collin Pulsipher, and Ward Robinson.  All four work and live in the compound located on Elmer Avenue in North Hollywood.  When I was getting directions to interview them, I was surprised to learn that’s where the name came from.  I had met the angst-like-rocker-formal-wearing designers a couple of years prior to our actual interview when I attended an event put on by Pure Consulting PR firm, where I met these very talented guys.  I spotted a distinctively edgy sports coat and proceeded to meet its owner(s)—the Elmer Ave design team.

Since that initial meeting, Elmer Ave has shown twice at Smashbox Studios during Fashion Week in LA.  They have sold their jackets to Marilyn Manson for the Marilyn Manson Dressing 2007 Tour, Tommy Lee, Dave Navarro, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, Goo Goo Dolls, and Def Leppard.  They were featured on “America’s Next Top Model.”  You’d think after all this success there’d be a few inflated egos.  Well, you’d be wrong.  Sean, Jonny, Collin, and Ward are probably the most down to earth designers I have ever had the pleasure to interview.  They’re just four “regular guys” who ride skateboards, play punk rock music, and oh yeah, make clothes, too.

Customized and painted by the Afroman Design Team (back at the compound), these couture garments are characterized by a variety of existing elements, ultimatelytransforming the garments into rare vintage rock n’ roll wearable art.

I met you guys a couple of years ago.  It was the first time I heard about you guys.  How did Elmer Ave come about?

Afroman was a skateboard company that started making apparel.  As they were creating clothes to wear on stage, it evolved and became a high-end fashion line called Elmer Ave.

Did any of you attend fashion school?

We all separately attended the school of hard knocks, never attending fashion school.

It’s such a niche of a design.  It reminds me of what rockers would wear.  But it’s really defined.  How did you come up with this particular style?

I think the whole Elmer Ave style was created out of our own lifestyle.  A lot of the stuff we made from day one to now was stuff we just couldn’t find.  For example, how do we come up with five striped jackets for five dudes? How do you make that happen with no money?  You just kind of make it on your own.  All of us coming from skateboarding, graffiti art, and creative backgrounds, and just being interested in clothes in general—having a hard time finding exactly what we felt like we were looking for—that really brought about a whole look, and it continues to.  It’s very genuine.  We all play music and it started on stage. That’s how it maintains the edge that it does.  It’s really an extension of what we do every day.

Tell me about your music.

All of us at one time or another played in a band called Numchuck, which is straight ahead old school punk rock.  We did that for a long time.  It was a lot of fun and currently a band called Royal Heist [with only two Elmer Ave members involved].  It’s also straight ahead rock music.

You guys are gigging now?  Where can people find you? And do you have a CDout?

Visit www.myspace.com/royalheist.   You can find us around LA, playing Hollywood.We have a CD out, the Compound Collective CD, which is put on by Elmer Ave and is a combination of people that have worn Elmer Ave or those who have lived at the compound (the place where we all live and work).  We do this whole collective thing in music, fashion, and art.  We always collaborate with the music.  We don’t try to push it in your face—it’s just what we do.  It just so happens that people like it.

What are the price points?

We have a custom line that we generally reserve for our private clients:  Def Leppard, Tommy Lee, Marilyn Manson.  We do one-of-a-kind custom that’s reworked vintage.  We gear that toward our private clients.  We do a production line that obviously is for boutiques and retail accounts.  Elmer Ave retails for about $500 and our custom line is around $200 more, depending on what it is.

Would you call it couture?

Here’s the problem (everybody laughs), the problem with us as opposed to Fashion Week, words like couture, Smashbox, fashion school . . . we don’t fit inside the typical fashion industry box at all. We started a totally different way from music and skateboarding.  We started doing it on our own without any knowledge of knowing what we were getting ourselves into.  We started doing our own fashion shows, bootlegging it with different kinds of styles and dramatics within theshow that people had never seen before.  It’s not that we were trying to go against anything.  It’s just that we were doing it our way.  And it didn’t necessarily fit the categories that people often want us to be fitting into.  The stuff is exclusive and it’s not cheap.  So I guess it is couture.

There are very few men’s lines that have actually shown at Smashbox during Fashion Week.

Smashbox was a big deal for us.  Men’s fashion has gained a lot of speed.  Men’s lines have always continued to grow.  We want to be the ones who are known for that.

I think the industry does need more designers that design for men’s lines.  And especially the ones like yours.  It’s very niche-specific.  I have a rock producer for a husband, and I know for a fact if he saw your line, he would like everything in it.

We make clothes that we want to wear.

I think that’s how you will continue to keep moving ahead, because you’re doing what you like.  You guys are obviously on the trend.

Well, we’re not trying to be trend-setters.  We’re just doing our thing.  If we’re driving the trend, then cool.  On one hand, we might be setting the trend and it can be really cool and romantic and flattering as far as press and media—only a certain kind of person is going to wear it – rock n’ roll or somebody who has an edgier opinion of fashion.  A lot of people are going to look at it and say, “That may be a cool art piece, but I’m not going to buy it and wear it.”

What fabrics do you use?

Mostly wool.  Our whole line is basically a suit and the components thereof.  We also dovelvet and leather in the custom line.  There are some cotton blends.  The shirts are permatex, which is a mixture of spandex, polyester, and cotton.

Were there any struggles in putting this line together?

(Everybody is laughing hysterically.)  No, it’s been easy.  We’re being sarcastic.  Elmer Ave is not easy.  It’s a struggle.  But we keep doing it because we believe in it and we enjoy it, not because it’s a cash cow.

What were your biggest hurdles when producing your line?

Money is the biggest hurdle.  We’ve always been a self-funded company.  The whole thing about fashion is money.  If you want to be what’s big, you go for what’s trendy and mainstream, not for what’s setting the trend.  But we don’t have a choice because none of us are about that.  So we do what we do.

Highest High

There are three big standout moments:  (1) being accepted to do a show at Smashbox; (2) the first fashion show ever that we produced at the compound.  It was amazing to be able to pull off a fashion show; and (3) the first time we got back our first cut and sew sample of aproduction jacket. We were able to look at it and [know that it was] completely from scratch [and it was] something we made.  We’d been doing one-of-a-kind stuff, reconstruction and deconstruction.  Just having something that came from our heads that actually became material was fulfilling.

Lowest Low

The last six months.  Ask anybody that owns a business.  We’re the four people that own this business and the economy is really bad.  There has been a trickle down effect from the housing market to oil prices all the way down to four idiots that make clothes.  This is a difficult time.  I’d say we’re probably at one of our hardest times. We’re really blessed.  We’re a group of retards that make really cool sh_t!  We have so much to be thankful for.  People have been really nice to us and people seem to like what we do.  Even though we’re not thriving right now—and who really is at the moment—we’re going to grow.  We all want to be rolling and living large and feeling good.  But that’s really not what we’re doing this for.  We’re four friends, and we are really enjoying what we’re doing.  The highs and the lows change every five minutes.

What advice would you give to someone who’s trying to start their own clothing line?

Don’t do it the way we have.  Work at 7-11.  You have to decide from the start if it’s a dream of yours and you are going to see it all the way through.  Or if it’s, “I’m going to give it a shot and if it doesn’t work, bow out of it.”  We’ve had a few options to bow out, but we believe in our product and want to keep doing it.  One day you can be at Smashbox and everybody’s patting you on the back, and the next day they want to turn your power off.  Decide if the dream’s worth following.

Any last words?

Be looking out for the upcoming seasons of Elmer Ave for Men’s Rock n’ roll awesomeness!  Visit us at www.Elmerave.com.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples