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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Italy at Home | October 16, 2009

The only bad thing about jetsetting is the sad feeling I get when a trip is about to end. Luckily, I have found a great way to keep the excitement of a recent adventure going long after I return home – recreating meals that I’ve had while I was away! That way, I can bring the city or country I just visited to my own home.

On a recent trip to Italy, my husband and I had an AMAZING steak salad at a restaurant in Rome. It was so delicious and so easy to make, that we’ve had it many times … Read More »


 

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Jayne Costello Goode
 
 
 
 

BETSEY JOHNSON’S BOSTON FASHION WEEK 2009 FASHION SHOW | October 16, 2009

(Cue music from “My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music)

Red Lycra® hoses and boas and zippers

Strappy high heels, chunky red slippers

Bright colored headbands and red ragdoll wigs -

Turned up in Betsey’s showcase of things

Blue and black dresses with sequins and satin

Faux fur for warmth on the streets of Manhattan

Short, black knit jumper that beautifully clings

Turned up in Betsey’s showcase of things

Dresses with full silhouettes were well laced

Polkadots, … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

Home-based Business: Scheduling Time | October 16, 2009

IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES when my last two children were small, I started a sewing business from my home. I specialized in clothing, bed coverings, and miscellaneous accessories created out of colorful, machine-washable patchwork I had designed and constructed, working primarily from the bedroom I shared with my husband.

I chose this work to provide supplemental income for the family in a way that would enable me to remain close to the children and their needs as well as to satisfy my own creative urges. In those beginning days my entire schedule of “work” revolved around my husband’s job, the older … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

The Here-and-Now Mother | October 15, 2009

Everything was glistening in the sun as I left my apartment on the west side of Ames. A thunderstorm had just passed, leaving the air hot and muggy, so typical of a hot July day in my youth. The grass outside the window seemed appreciative of the long hard drink it had gotten.

As I headed east I could see that the billowy clouds up above the buildings were still dark. When I got to Campustown the rain was pelting down, much as it had at my apartment.

I circled back, finding myself once again bathed in sunlight. There’s got to be … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Dawn Del Russo
 
 
 
 

Unleashing the Human Spirit with Rich Largman | October 15, 2009

I had the opportunity about a year ago to work with a fabulous business coach. Rich Largman immediately had me focusing on my thoughts and bringing my dreams into reality. As important as it is to have an accountant and an administrative assistant,  a business coach, in my opinion, is just as important.  The guidance is so essential to an entrepreneur when our hands are dabbling in all parts of the business process.  Like the old saying goes “we wear many hats”, and sometimes we need to remove those hats to get back to the essence of our business and … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Austin Anderson
 
 
 
 

SNL is Back | October 15, 2009

As I watched Saturday Night Live at a buddy’s house last weekend, I couldn’t help but think one thing: SNL is back! This year SNL celebrates its 35th anniversary and in my opinion, this year’s cast is in the prime to take their place alongside SNL legends.  Generations have grown up with different “All Star” casts.  There were the original years with John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase who were among the cast that literally started it all.  Then there was that great cast of the mid 80’s to early 90’s with Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Chris Farley … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

NYC Food & Wine Festival Celebrity Review | October 15, 2009

Anyone who knows me knows I owe my newly acquired cooking skills to celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis from Food Network…and that I am a HUGE FAN! And anyone who knows Rich, my husband, knows he’s been the biggest fan of celebrity chef Bobby Flay from well before Bobby was as famous as he is today. (Seriously, Food Network was the only channel that would come in on Rich’s t.v. when he was a student…and to this day we still don’t know how he got the channel without having cable!)

Well now to the real “meat” of this story…no pun intended, … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Stacey Vernon
 
 
 
 

White Lightening | October 15, 2009

The other day I was watching some re-runs of, “So You Think You Can Dance”. There was a dancer, Kayla Radomski, who is better known on the show as ‘White Lightening’. Every time that I see her on the show and hear the host call her ‘White Lightening’ something inside me gets inspired. Strange I know – but it’s because behind all of my fake tans and strange orange smears on my body…I’m ‘White Lightening’ too. I find it so thrilling to finally hear such mainstream media deliver a positive emphasis on the beauty of a fair complexion. Obviously I … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Christopher Drummond
 
 
 
 

SPF in Cosmetics: Enough is Not Enough | October 14, 2009

I am constantly asked if our Christopher Drummond Beauty products have SPF. To this, I proudly answer, “We have 4 – which is a minimal number”. Why do I readily admit this? Because we believe in being above board with our customers. The truth is, even if we had SPF of 15 or even 20, it simply is not enough to provide adequate protection. I tell people that you must use a high SPF under ANY makeup that you use. Even doing that may not be enough.

Most cosmetic companies do not tell their consumers this. They lead us to believe … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

She Speaks To Inspire | October 13, 2009

She Speaks To Inspire

By Rita Schiano

When dire circumstances touch our lives the effects can be pervasive, can test areas of our lives we never quite imagined could be shaken. When Laurie Zieber’s husband was forced to close down his construction business, reducing his workforce from fourteen full-time employees plus subcontractors to just himself, neither she nor Dan, nor their children were prepared for the struggles that lie ahead.

“On the day that we let our workforce go we had fourteen jobs that were incomplete. Our boys put their lives on hold, came home and helped Dan finish every single job.”  For … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Christie Ressel
 
 
 
 

Email Etiquette | October 13, 2009

E-mails, one of the many ways we now communicate to one another. They are sent worldwide to everyone we know all just with the simple click of a button. We send letters, notes, contracts, attachments, updates, jokes, and chain mails. It’s become more popular than the telephone in many ways. With tonality being taken out of the equation and being left with merely the words we type; it’s crucial to ensure you come across with warmth, etiquette and class. Do you know how you are perceived in your e-mails?

Like many business professionals, I receive an unlimited amount of e-mails every … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

Breathing | October 13, 2009

Breath is the master key to health and wellness,

a function we can learn to regulate and develop

to improve our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Andrew Weil MD

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, starting at perhaps nine or ten, I was subjected to a basal metabolic rate test (BMR) on a regular basis. The BMR test was a crude attempt by the medical establishment of the 1940’s and 50’s to determine the need for thyroid medication by measuring the amount of oxygen used over a specific period of time, usually an hour or two. No one explained … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Curtis Ludlow
 
 
 
 

4 Rules for Choosing a Gym | October 13, 2009

With today’s busy, fast-paced lifestyles, we often have less time to devote to our health than we may otherwise wish. While adopting a workout program at home may seem desirable, unless you’re using specialized equipment or the advice of a trainer, you’re likely not making the most efficient use of your limited time.

Getting a gym membership is a great way to help, but as with any choice you face, choosing unwisely can be worse than not choosing at all. If you’d like to select a great gym but aren’t quite sure how, here are a few key points on how … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Beth Anderson
 
 
 
 

Sometimes Comments Should Not Be Allowed | October 13, 2009

Last week a family friend lost her 17 year old son in a tragic accident.  While the local newspaper covered basic facts without revealing details, it did allow reader comments on the article via their website.  I’m a journalist and love when people leave comments on articles here on this magazine website.  The fact that newspapers are allowing comments on articles, I take issue with this.  As I read through the brief synopsis of this incredibly sad incident, I was surprised by what I found at the end of the article:

The following comments are provided by readers and are the … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Jet Stay Stockholm | October 13, 2009

From the absolutely bizarre, but I am still intrigued department comes…Jumbo Hostel! Located in Stockholm, Sweden, it’s an airport hotel in the fact that it’s parked at the main airport, but it’s different because it literally is a Boeing 747 that has been converted into a hostel!

Now let’s be honest, after an 8 hour flight from New York, the last thing I’d want to do is get off one plane to get on another. But for rooms starting at about 350 Swedish Krona (About $50 U.S.D)…it’s definitely a steal! It could be fun if you’re traveling with kids, or just … Read More »