Modern Girl Style

Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano

What Modern Girl can refuse a book written on being Gorgeous & Green? Zilch! Julia Roberts wrote the forward for this simply amazing book and she put it point blank:

"I love to shop, I love to cook, I love to feel that I have done one thing a day to educate myself and my child in making the world a better, stronger place to live in." -Julia Roberts

Going Green is that simple; Daily actions that individuals take in order to help our environment. Gorgeously  Green, written by eco-guru Sophie Uliano, approaches the Green lifestyle with style & sex appeal.  Going Green, doesn't mean that you have to compromise your life! Sophie packs 300 pages of the finest, sexiest, and most beneficial eco-information into her book. She's gone beyond the typical sort of Green information to also include a guide to keeping the body fit without having to go to the gym! She also has loads of tips on how to buy organic, non-sweat shop, clothes to Green beauty products.

This is not only a perfect book for women starting out, but it's loaded with tons of fresh information for women that have been Green since the very first Earth Day!

THE INTERVIEW

Sophie Uliano is a passionate environmentalist who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don't want to compromise their glamour or style. She lives in Hollywood, California, with her husband and daughter. Modern Girl Style managed to chit-chat with the eco-guru herself!

 1.    As a wife, mother, and author, what got you inspired to go Green? Was it an easy transition for you?

When I had a baby, it occurred to me that it’s our birthright to have clean air, food and water and yet we don’t! It’s insane that we have messed things up to the extent that we need water filters, air filters or we may get sick; and magnifying glasses to check the ingredients in our foods aren’t too toxic! I felt compelled to try to do something about it. Being a mom is a great catalyst for change: we all want there to be a habitable planet for our children’s children. I started with small steps: buying organic milk and air-drying my laundry. These simple changes empowered me and made me realize that I had a choice. The transition to green living was easy because I only did what worked for my budget, my family and my lifestyle. I took it one day at a time.

 2.    Your book covers everything to make women Gorgeously Green. What are your three favorite tips for someone just starting out?

For someone starting out, I would encourage baby steps. Don’t get put off by thinking that you’re going to have to give up all your creature comforts.

Tip One: Buy some reusable totes.

Watch Sophie Work it!

I like the ones that fold into a tiny pouch and live in my purse – that way I never forget them (You get a fabulous free one with every purchase of my book!).

Tip Two: Buy a reusable water bottle.

Sophie Uliano video on making the Green switch to metal water bottles:

Aluminum is the best choice and use filtered water – if you don’t have a water filter system, you can buy an inexpensive Brita Water filter jug from Target.

Tip Three: Buy non-toxic nail polish

Buy from www.nomiss.com and take with you when you next go to the nail salon. Sophie is awesome at finding eco-makeup:

 3.    How can we develop eco-friendly core values & still look sexy, beautiful, and hot?

Easy – that’s what I’m all about! Luckily green is hot and I think it’s here to stay. There are hundreds of awesome eco-friendly fashion designers coming onto the scene – even shoes, and purses (check out www.greenloop.com or www.gorgeouslygreen.com. Know that by switching to non-toxic skincare products, you are going to maintain a more youthful and glowing skin and just think how hot your body is going to look when you replace at least one of your short car trips a day with a bicycle ride!

 4.    In your book, you’ve written an awesome chapter dedicated to the “Greening” of the body in terms of exercise.  You’ve even provided a brilliant detailed workout guide to get women to stop driving to gyms. As a recent convert to working out at home, I totally loved this chapter! What are some additional ways that women can build an eco-friendly home gym and what are some of your favorite work-out songs

I suggest getting the simple yoga poses that I’ve listed in my book down.

I promise that you will feel so great if you learn the routine, you will be able to easily fit it in before breakfast. Make sure you have a set of small free-weights, as it’s really easy to work out your arms- even while watching TV!

In my experience, the best ever buttock toning exercises are lunges (as shown in book). If you do 3 sets of 10, 3 times a week – your bottom will change shape – I promise!

I know you’ve heard it before, but walk, walk, walk. It’s the best exercise as it doesn’t hurt your joints and if you walk briskly for a good half-hour you will improve your overall health hugely. I listen to such a variety of music when I hike – everything from REM to Rickie Lee Jones. I love to listen to Mozart when I’m practicing my yoga poses.

5.    What do you hope the future will look like in ten years?

I hope that in ten years time we will think it was insane that we actually purchased water out of plastic bottles – it’ll be one of those “can you believe that we actually paid upwards of two dollars for a bottle of water in plastic!!”  Also “paper or plastic” will no longer be an option at the market – almost everyone will carry their own reusable tote, much like when I was a kid we never wore seat belts and now you never get in the car without using one.

I hope women will have become much more demanding about what they expect from industry and our representatives. It’s our birthright to have clean air, food and water and right now we don’t have it. As women, we have a powerful voice: we vote with our dollars.

• Eating organically grown food will be commonplace.
• Most big cosmetic companies will have phased out all toxic chemicals.
• My then-sixteen year old daughter will be happily munching away on an organic apple and enjoying the beauty of this gorgeous planet.

BONUS QUESTION!!!
 What women have Gorgeously Green style and why?

Oprah Winfrey, as she is always supporting anything and everything green.

Simran Sethi – She is a green journalist and host of The Green on Sundance Channel.

Sandra Bullock!

{Modern Girl Style has to add that Sandra & her husband, Jesse James, started an eco-friendly restaurant way back in 2006. It's called The Cisco Burger. Autoblog Green gives  you a reason to want to rev up your Prius to have a burger!}

Gorgeously Green Book Synopsis

Are you confused by all the advice you hear and see daily on how to "go green"? Do you want to incorporate earth-friendly practices into your life, but you don't know where to start? Don't stress! Green guru Sophie Uliano has sorted through all the eco-info out there and put everything you need to know about living a green lifestyle right at your fingertips.

In Gorgeously Green, Sophie offers a simple eight-step program that is an easy and fun way to begin living an earth-friendly life. Each chapter covers topics from beauty to fitness, shopping to your kitchen—even your transportation. Whether it's finding the right lipstick, making dinner, buying gifts, or picking out a hot new outfit, finally, there is a book that tackles your daily eco-challenges with a take-charge plan. Just consider Sophie your go-to girl with all the eco-solutions. Find out how to:

• Green your entire beauty regime
• Detoxify your home
• Indulge in guilt-free shopping
• Adopt a home fitness routine
• Prepare eco-licious treats
• Give your kitchen a green makeover
• Become more aware of your impact on the earth

The book's dozens and dozens of eco-friendly tips, products, and practices combine to form a treasure trove of practical advice for every possible way to become stylishly green. Your questions about dressing, makeup, eating, shopping, cleaning, travel, and more are all answered right here.

Adopting a green lifestyle is among the most positive, forward-thinking, and personally fulfilling choices that anyone can make—and Gorgeously Green shows that it doesn't have to be tedious,time-consuming, or glamourless!

Download Gorgeously-Green-Amazon-excerpt.pdf!

THE SKY ISN'T VISIBLE FROM HERE by Felicia Sullivan

THE BOOK

Felicia Sullivan's volatile, beautiful, deceitful, drug-addicted mother disappeared on the night Sullivan graduated from college, and has not been seen or heard from in the ten years since. Sullivan, who grew up on the tough streets of Brooklyn in the 1980s, now looks back on her childhood—lived among drug dealers, users, and substitute fathers. Sullivan became her mother's keeper, taking her to the hospital when she overdosed, withstanding her narcissistic rages, succumbing to the abuse or indifference of so-called stepfathers, and always wondering why her mother would never reveal the truth about the father she'd never met.

Ashamed of her past, Sullivan invented a persona to show the world. Yet despite her Ivy League education and numerous accomplishments, she, like her mother, eventually succumbed to alcohol and drug abuse. She wrote The Sky Isn't Visible from Here, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, when she realized it was time to kill her own creation.

Felicia Sullivan will be in the New York Post Page Six Magazine! 

MODERN GIRL STYLE BOOK REVIEW

How well do you know yourself? I know it's odd to start a review with a question, but go ahead and take a moment to consider. Have you ever lied at a party about your background? Have you ever polished up your childhood memories in conversations with friends, lovers, co-workers, or even your own family? Well, if  you answered no, never, I've never done that, then take a hike because it's safe to say that almost everyone has at one point in their life. But, what about people that lie because their past is filled with shame & abuse? How can anyone ever politely explain at cocktail party that their mother disappeared one night after years of alcohol & drug abuse? Or, like Felicia Sullivan, author of THE SKY ISN'T VISIBLE FROM HERE, how do you find the right words to tell any person, a lover or a best friend, that you were raised among drug dealers or that you helped save your mother from a drug overdose? It's hard to image.

As you may have rightly guessed, it took a warrior-like journey for Felicia Sullivan to truly know herself, which also involved her own fall into alcohol & substance abuse. This memoir is about the words of truth. Every page is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit. Not only that the book is beautifully crafted, but the insight into Felicia's soul also gives insight to every soul.  This is a Modern Girl Style must-read, because truth be told-none of us have perfect lives! Don't believe that cocktail party banter!

Felicia also has an awesome blog where you can stay updated: Check it out here!

MEET FELICIA SULLIVAN

Felicia C. Sullivan is a graduate of the Columbia University MFA program. She is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and a Best American Essays notable. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, Swink, Post Road, Mississippi Review, and Pindeldyboz and in the anthologies Homewrecker: An Atlas of Illicit Loves and Money Changes Everything, among others. Sullivan was the recipient of the 2005 Tin House memoir fellowship, and in 2001, she founded the critically acclaimed literary journal Small Spiral Notebook. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

THE INTERVIEW

Felicia Sullivan has a knack for words & interviews, too.

1. First off, I loved the style and prose of your book. What writers influenced your writing and what books inspired you to write a memoir?

Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words!!! There are so many great writers I turned to before, during and after I finished this book. Writers who turned their life stories into works of art rather than sensationalistic, narcissitic rants. I devoured Nick Flynn’s Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, W.G. Sebald’s Austerlitz, Virginia Woolf’s Moments of Being, Paula Fox’s Borrowed Finery, Vivian Gornick’s Fierce Attachments, Nora Eisenberg’s The War at Home, Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, Lorna Sage’s Bad Blood, Maggie Nelson’s The Red Parts, and the list can very well go on! I needed guidance on how to weave my life into a tapestry of words – words that attempt to give you a sense of the life I lived, but words that conveyed all of what I experienced as a child and adult – issues with identity, shame, pain, heartbreak, trauma, disorientation, sorrow, fear and alienation. 

2. How did you arrive at the episodic structure of your memoir? Do you think the structure of your book is telling about how people retain memories?

This is a terrific question – one I get quite often because my book doesn’t follow a traditional linear (Chapter 1 is day one, Chapter 10 is the present) structure and it disorients people at first. From the onset, I knew I could never write this book and the events that happened in my life in chronological order. The past is very much the present for me and vice versa. I keep recalling Virgina Woolf in Moments of Being when she says, “If life then is a ‘bowl which one fills and fills and fills’, each new experience added to the existing ones displaces them ever so slightly and alters their previous meaning by forcing them into new combinations. The present moment is enriched by the past but the past is also enriched by the present,” realizing the impact her words had on me as I embarked writing this book.

My mother is still very much a presence in my life, and sometimes I shiver when I look in the mirror because I resemble her more with each day’s passing. I’ll remember a certain word she always used—brazen, a certain tick of hers—smoothing flyaways—while I’m at dinner or on the subway coming home from work.

Additionally, the structure speaks to memory fracture, disorientation, and the constant feeling of unrest—all the things I’ve felt for the great period of my life and feel sometimes still. Since a book is a conversation between author and reader, the author delivering a story, I wanted the reader to feel my confusion, disorientation – all of these frightening things, firsthand. Also, on a pratical level, shifting through time gives the book some breathing room. If you read chapter after chapter of my childhood abuse, you might very well pass out.

The story of my life is a great puzzle and this book was about trying to assemble the pieces in a way that makes sense to me.

3. How did you conquer the emotional challenge of writing this book and did the stories you tell help to heal your old wounds?

I don’t necessarily feel that writing this book was cathartic in the way we think of therapy and catharsis – which should best be left for the proverbial couch (I’m in therapy for life, I always joke) and private journals (which were helpful in recreating certain scenes). I confronted the emotional terrain – the kind of life I had lived with my mother, her drug abuse and neglect, and I needed to sympathize with her in order to create a balanced character in the book and show the audience how my loss of her was that devastating. While my mother was a difficult woman, she wasn’t a monster, and I needed the emotional clarity and distance in order to bring her back to life on the page.

In some way or another, I’ve always written about my mother. When I was eight I published a haiku that likened my mother’s voice to thunder. She’s always been my subject – I can’t really recall a time in which my work hasn’t revolved around her – the one person I couldn’t, but desperately wanted to, understand. For years I was working on a novel of lifeless, unlikable characters that did mildly interesting things. I was writing a safe book because I was afraid to commit my memories, this horrific life lived, this very unsafe book, to paper. I was ashamed of my past, of living in poverty, of a mother who loved and terrorized me. I had lived a life of my own invention for so long, I couldn’t imagine otherwise.

At one point the weight of these two lives – the accomplished, in-control professional and the frightened child who never really mourned the loss of her mother – were becoming difficult to bear. Something had to give. One afternoon a friend of mine and I were trading stories about our mothers and we realized that we had both been shamed into secrecy. We were made to feel shame by our mothers, our impoverished upbringing, and a culture where not loving your mother is unthinkable.

In short, I wrote this book as a testament to my strength, as a celebration of my survival and recovery, to demonstrate that alternative families are possible, and that love – the most sacred of emotions – is not unconditional. I also wrote it as a final conversation with my mother – to tell her all the things I had been too frightened to tell her: what kind of parent she was and how her parenting affected me as an adult woman. The action of writing, committing something to paper and sharing it with others is a form of healing, I believe.

4. After the experiences of your impoverished childhood & the difficult adult years that followed, do you believe that love is unconditional?

Yes and no. I do believe love is unconditional, but once someone takes advantage of that love, doesn’t work to sustain and grow that love, abuses that love, then the love becomes conditional. Family doesn’t give you trespass to emotional terrorism. We shouldn’t be consistently cruel and abusive to our loved ones simply because we take comfort that they are our family, our partners, our closest friends and enduring one’s abuse is part of that relationship. 

5. What have you learned about the nature of truth and do you believe the truth can be written?

Writing this book was at times frustrating. Because I was trying to render the most accurate portrayal of my life with my mother, I was consistently confused – caught between the memories my mother created and the events that actually happened – and found myself second-guessing events that had happened. In the cases where memory wasn’t reliable, I chose to keep those chapters out of the book. In other cases, such as in the chapter “The Burning I Don’t Remember”, I make a point to highlight how powerless I was against the history my mother invented for me. I have scars on my legs but I don’t remember how they got there. Do I believe my mother’s story that they were burned in a bathtub and a hospital trip that I don’t recall? Do I have any other option?

Regrettably, my mother excised all members of my family so accessing them was difficult because, embarrassingly enough, I don’t remember many of their last names or have any idea where they might live or whether they’re even alive.  I did rely heavily on Gus – the man to whom my mother was engaged but never married, the man who I would come to call my father – to fill in the gaps. He was in our lives since I was twelve and he was privy to my mother’s confidence, which lent a great deal of perspective and sympathy to how I rendered her in the book.

Essentially, I wrote this book as honestly as I could, given the limitations. I wrote truth as I knew and remembered it. My mother tended to overuse certain phrases and I was in keeping to how she, and other characters, spoke and what they would say. But memory is a tricky thing, it’s infallible, and in the end, I wrote the book and the events in my life as I remembered them. 

BONUS QUESTION: What’s your favorite weekend activity?

BAKING!!! My Kitchen Aid changed my life. I can’t go a weekend without whipping up a batch of chocolate chip pumpkin muffins or coconut macaroons.

Does that wet your appetite for baking?! Modern Girl Style tracked down some similar recipes so that you can read her book & bake!!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins: Click here for recipe!

Coconut Macaroons German Style: Click here for recipe!

One more thing! Watch this Video!

This is an amazing reading & interview put together by Jason Boog with Felicia Sullivan at Barnes & Nobles. This is must watch video! Felicia also has a wonderful reading voice that you won't want to miss!

At the City's Edge by Marcus Sakey

The Book

Summary: Jason Palmer loved being a soldier. But after returning home from Iraq with an "other than honorable" discharge, he's finding rebuilding his life the toughest battle yet.

Elena Cruz is a talented cop, the first woman to make Chicago's prestigious Gang Intelligence Unit. She's ready for anything the job can throw at her.

Until Jason's brother, a prominent community activist, is murdered in front of his own son.

Now, stalked by brutal men with a shadowy agenda, Jason and Elena must unravel a conspiracy stretching from the darkest alleys of the ghetto to the manicured lawns of the city's power brokers. In a world where corruption and violence are simply the cost of doing business, two damaged people are all that stand between an innocent child--and the killers who will stop at nothing to find him.

Review: This book is yet another wonderful page-turner by the brilliant newbie, Marcus Sakey. I totally love that he manages to tell a thrilling story & have it impact the way that you view the world.  His book hits clear on this  point:  There is a war going on in our country and its being led by gangsters. Okay, you might be thinking, yeah, hit me with something new. But, Sakey takes this old adage and throws it into poetic, thrilling spin. Add this book to your list of must-reads! You won't be disappointed!

The Interview

Who can resist brilliance? Modern Girl Style caught up with Marcus Sakey to learn more about his thrilling style!

1. Your second novel, AT THE CITY’S EDGE, had a tough  act to follow due to your wildly successful debut novel THE BLADE ITSELF.  What challenges did you face in writing your second novel and was it hard to  start? 

First off, thanks. 

The second novel syndrome is definitely tough.  You're trying to do something you've only done once before, and now you have a deadline.  Not only that, but if you have any balls, you're trying to do something a little bit different.  Which means you always worry that everything people liked about the first book is exactly what you're not doing with the second.

Eventually though, you just have to try to put that aside and write it anyway.  It's stressful, but that's probably good, because it forces you not to get lazy.

2. Jason Palmer, the protagonist in the AT THE CITY’S  EDGE, is an Iraq war veteran who returns home and discovers life isn’t that  different from war. In fact, gang-culture has adopted the tactics and  language of war (i.e.: The term soldier translates to the lowest  ranking member in a gang).  What kind of experience gave you the  ability to write this novel? What sort of research did you conduct to add  credibility to the situations found in your novel? 

Research is one of the best parts about writing thrillers.  I get to do and see things I'd never otherwise have been exposed to.  It's exhilarating, and fascinating, and plenty thought-provoking.

For this novel, I interviewed cops in four cities, read studies and memoirs about soldiers, cops, and gangbangers.  I spent a lot of time wandering the real neighborhood I based my fictional neighborhood on.  I even put on a bulletproof vest and rode with Chicago PD's Gang Intelligence Unit.  It was during that time I learned the saddest thing I've ever known.  The cop I was with was explaining how they gauged the power of gangs.  Since they won't exactly stand still for a census, the cops rely on secondary indicators--tattoos, known associates, etc.  But, he said, the best way to measure their power was simple:

You just count the number of schools on their turf.

3. In  your own personal history, I’ve read that you and your wife on a whim  decided to move to Chicago from Atlanta. In your second novel, which tackles  the impoverished social conditions, corruption, and violence found in the  inner city, I felt like I was reading a modern-hip version of Upton  Sinclair’s, THE JUNGLE. Strangely enough, Sinclair was another writer that  moved to Chicago to specifically write a socio-political novel. So, I’m  thinking there has to be something in the water in Chicago that inspires  writers to tackle such tough socio-political landscapes. Why did you choose  to include the social-political conditions of Chicago instead of writing a strict thriller? 

I think you're right, there is something in the water here.  It has to do with the fact that this is a city of dualities--rich/poor, north/south, Cubs/Sox.  It's built for stories, and it's a good stand-in for America proper.

As for why I chose to write about that stuff, it's just more interesting to me if there are other issues besides the "how will they survive" thriller aspects.  As novelists, we have the opportunity to point out things in the world that are fucked up, and while I never want to write polemics, I would find it simplistic and a little cowardly not to take advantage of that opportunity.

4. In  your acknowledgements, you thank plenty of talented individuals that include  members of the Chicago PD, LAPD, and a NYC Medical Examiner. How did you  gain access to these resources, how much time did you spend with them, and  what will you remember most about the experience?

 

You ask them.  I'm not being glib--it's really that simple.  I was stunned to discover that.  When I called the CPD the first time, I ended up spending forty minutes on the phone with a guy, asking what would happen if I dumped a body in the river.  And I kept waiting for him to ask for some real credentials, you know, to ask if maybe I actually had a body in my living room.

What it comes down to is that everybody likes to talk about what they do.  And especially people in these kinds of jobs, because they are often represented so poorly.  Cops hate CSI. 

As for what I remember, man, it's been incredible.  A former Special Forces soldier took me shooting one time, blasting away with submachine guns.  A medical examiner walked me through the morgue, explained how an autopsy was done, showed me a room full of jarred organs.  And I'll never forget the moment I first managed to pick the lock on my front door.

5. The  word is out that you’ve finished your third book. Can you briefly tell us  what we might expect and when is it set to publish?

The rumors are true.  It’s another crime thriller, a little more intimate this time, slated for release this August. Here's the catalog copy:

All Tom and Anna Reed ever wanted was a family and the security to enjoy it.  But years of infertility treatments, including four failed attempts at in-vitro fertilization, have left them with neither.  The costs, both emotional and financial, are straining their relationship and endangering their dreams.    So when their downstairs tenant—a recluse whose cashier’s checks were barely keeping them afloat—dies in his sleep, the $400,000 they find stashed in his kitchen seems like fate. More than fate: A chance for the fairy tale ending they’ve always dreamed of.

But Tom and Anna soon realize that fairy tales don’t come cheap.  Because their tenant wasn’t a hermit who squirreled away his pennies. He was a criminal who double-crossed some of the most dangerous men  in Chicago. Men who won’t stop until they get revenge—no matter where they find it.

BONUS QUESTION!! What is the key to surviving winter in Chicago?

Bourbon and a fireplace.

And I have to add a good book!! Thanks Marcus for hanging out at Modern Girl Style!

Painting the World with Lindsay Brackeen

Sometimes there are people that just inspire & Lindsay Brackeen is one of them! This gal not only juggles the responsibility of being a stay at home mom for a 2 and 4 year-old, she also manages to create art while they nap. Sounds like an impossible feat, right?

Lindsay makes the impossible happen and she's managed to create a completely successful online art business as a result.  With art starting as low as $20, there is no reason not to buy. She's got something for everyone! Visit her Etsy store!

Now if you're lucky you can immediately click to her website & enter an art giveaway that she's hosting at:  Painting My World. If you missed the contest, no problem! Her blog is a delightful daily read!

The Interview

Modern Girl Style caught up with this busy mother of two to find out how she does it all! After reading this interview, I think there's no reason a woman can't do it all!

1. What inspires your sensibility as an artist?   

Much of my inspiration comes from my daughters.  It really opens ones eyes to watch children discovering the world around them for the first time.  In my latest series of paintings, I explored relationships between humans and animals.  Sometimes it seems that animals live a bit more gracefully on this planet than we do. Perhaps we could learn alot from them.

2. How long have you’ve been creating art? Did you receive formal training or are you self-taught? What was one important lesson that you’ve learned on your path to being a successful artist?

I began creating art as a child in grade school.  If you had asked me at 7 what I wanted to do, I would've told you I'd like to draw for Disney.  I started painting almost 4 years ago.  I'm completely self-taught, though I would love to take some courses in the future.  I guess the most important thing I've learned is to create what YOU like.  If you occupy yourself trying to please everybody, it'll never work.

3. How long does it take for you to complete a work of art? Do you get ideas like a light bulb flash or is your mind constantly working on new concepts?

I love to finish a piece in one sitting, which takes several hours.  I tend to stay more focused that way.  I find that if I get up, my mood may change and somehow it shows up in the painting. I would say my mind is always working on new ideas.

I find color, pattern, and nature most often spark ideas.

4. When I look at your work, I feel that there is a narrative within the painting. Is that intentional? Are these painting based on fairy tales or legends? How did you discover this body of work?

I guess I've always included a sense of whimsy into my art.  It's just more fun that way. I enjoy manipulating reality every now and then.

5. You’ve sold over 300 original paintings which is incredible! What impact has the internet had on how you sell art? What advice do you have for the new artist that wants to start selling her artwork?

Without the internet I would not have been able to come this far.   As a stay-at-home mom of a 2 and 4 yr. old, I am extremely busy.  I reserve their naptimes for creating, and then I tend to the business side of art after they go to bed.  Utilizing the internet allows my hours to be very flexible. 

Advice for the new artist:  Have confidence in yourself.  No one will believe in you until you believe in yourself.  Start an art blog, it will help you network with other artists.  Spend time marketing yourself, this is one thing I'm just now getting around to.  I doesn't matter how nice your work is, if no one sees it!

BONUS QUESTION!!!If you could spend an hour talking with any person, living or dead, who would it be & what would you like to talk about?

I had to think about this one for a while.  I'm answering honestly, and maybe it's a bit heavy for this interview.  I think I'd like to talk to my Papa, as we called him.  He passed away 2 years ago.  He served in 2 wars and I moved away before we ever had the chance to have such a grown-up type conversation regarding the matter.  He was very much into politics and I'd like to hear what he has to say about the current state of the world. He was wise in his own right and I'm sure I could've learned alot from him.

Merry Christmas, America! By Bruce Littlefield

Bruce is Back!

There are some things in life that just make you smile, know what I mean? And, for some reason, Bruce Littlefield, author of Garage Sale America and Airstream Living, is just the guy who is constantly making me smile! His latest installment is Merry Christmas, America! A book dedicated to the thousands of zany Americans that build, every year, megawatt displays in their front yard dedicated to, you guessed it, Christmas. This book is pure joy to read! It's packed with tons of information on the history of holiday decorations, a list of the top decoration destinations across the US of A, and the book documents some of the personal stories behind decoration styles. Okay, need some help getting understanding megawatt displays..Here's a scene from National Lampoon's  Christmas Vacation - now remember these displays aren't easy to build!!

Now it's to time to meet the Mavis Family who were just so excited by their holiday light display that they made a music video out of it. They make it look it easy!!

Watch America! You might read this book and end up with an addiction to holiday lights!! Here is the official synposis behind the Merry Christmas, America!

Every town has that house that outdoes itself at Christmas. Legendary for miles around, it is the place to see dazzling holiday decorating of the eye-popping, traffic-stopping sort. This flickering showcase bedecked with tens of thousands of lights is hard to resist—and ignore—as often every square inch is caked in Christmas, from snowmen to elves, carousels to candy canes. But who lives in that house—and houses like it around the country? And what compels this Christmas-decorating fervor?

Author Bruce Littlefield finds the answers on his quest to locate the most spectacular Christmas displays across America. His adventures take him to the front lawns and doors of people in cities and towns from coast to coast who have a flair and fanaticism for doing Christmas right—whose goal is giving the world an illuminated, inflated, decorated gift. Littlefield shares his firsthand encounters with people for whom Christmas is a year-round labor of love—the people who spend mind-boggling amounts of time and money transforming their houses and yards, and even those of the neighbors, into unique Christmas fantasylands that are spectacles of individual expression and must-see destinations for the rest of us.

These portraits of Christmas range from tacky to refined, outlandish to poignant—and the reasons they are created vary, too—but all are dazzling in their own ways, and the passionate people who dream them up have entertaining stories and anecdotes to tell that will make this Christmas the brightest, merriest, happiest Christmas ever. Just follow the lights.

Okay! Let's get excited with Bruce Littlefield as he talks with the Today Show about Decking the Halls!

The Interview

Bruce Littlefield is ready to talk about Christmas spirit, holiday neighborhoods, and Christmas trees!

1. What does Christmas spirit mean to you after writing a book on the finest holiday displays in America?

Christmas is kind.  It's joyful.  It's stepping outside yourself and thinking about others--wanting them to have a good time,... perhaps even with you.   Christmas is a time of togetherness and fun.  Most of all, at Christmas, we can all be kids again--throw a little twinkle around whether it's our typical nature or not.

2. What's the average time most people in your book spent working on their holiday decorating? Who might have spent the most time on their display?

They "think" Christmas all year long, but several of the families confessed to "taking three months off." Al Thompson, who is on Richmond Virginia's Tacky Light Tour, put it to me this way: "There are 150 homemade items, all handpainted.  It takes 400 hours to put it up, 150 hours to take it down.  There are more than 425 extension cords that connect to 80 plugs, running to 40 breakers in 3 breaker boxes, juiced by a 400 amp service."

3. I love how you documented some of the most amazing holiday neighborhoods in America, like 34th Street in Baltimore to Candy Cane Lane in California. Was it easy for you to walk into these tight knit communities and start asking questions about their traditions?

 
People want to talk about what they love to do, especially if you love it too.   Sometimes--if i was flying out to Seattle-- I'd call ahead.  Other times, I'd just be like any other onlooker and see what happened when I knocked on someone's door.  I should also mention that Cal Crary, my photographer, is not only an incredible shot, he's also nicely affable.

4. What about holiday disasters? Did you hear any sad stories about lighting failures or fizzle from megawatt display owners?

Disasters?  Like...blisters on thumbs from twisting in cup hooks?  A few chiropractic visits from sitting 270 hours on the floor stringing affixing 27,000 lights to lawn reindeer?  And no vacuuming during the holidays?  Yes, I heard all those stories.  Fortunately, besides blown fuse boxes and some singed lawn, none of the people in the book had cataclysmic drama.  We can all handle everything else.  Incidentally, several people told me they started decorating to take them out of their depression or get over a loss. 

5. How can I get my house noticed this holiday season?

Notice it yourself!  Let it make you happy.  Love butterflies?  Cover the yard in them.   Like snow but live in Florida?  Get some soapflake snowmaking snowmen.   Want more than one tree?  Have several.  Give the kids each their own and let them decorate.  Have a tree for the doghouse, a little scratching post one for the cat.  But for Christmas sake!, don't be scared to try something.  One disclaimer: I'm the kid who didn't win the neighborhood decorating contest, but got his picture in the paper as "the kid who tried to wrap his house."

BONUS QUESTION!!
Modern Girl Style needs some help picking out a tree this season, what tree do you think has the most appeal? Okay, these are off the beaten path, be warned!

Any tree is a good tree is long as it is enjoyed... but i'll comment individually. 

A. The Ladder Tree
Decorating a x-mas tree never seemed so easy!


The time saver.  These are like my upside down tomato cage trees... You can make it in a minute, enjoy it all season. Simple, gorgeous, and, besides its footprint, sort of understated.


B. The Mountain Dew X-mas Tree
Wow! That's like a ton of Dew! I can't imagine the sugar rush!! What do you think, Bruce?

Recycling gets religious.  Or more likely, it's the tree of a very hyperactive OCD'er ... (by the by, a guy in my book made a tree out of hubcaps!)

C. The Upside Down Tree
Leave your guests wondering what the heck just happened in here!

The world is upside down enough!  The upside down tree however showcases the most bulbs at eye level and takes up the least floorspace.  That's why department stores love 'em!

Want more? Bruce is at Gather.com so click here & read some of his recent articles on holiday style!

 

Downsizing Your Home with Style by Lauri Ward

The Manual of Small Style that Rocks

When I got this book, I couldn't have been more delighted to have what is essentially the cliff notes on interior design. Every page is packed with tons of information on how to take what you already own & make it fabulous! Now, this book is geared for people who are downsizing to smaller homes, but this book is essential reading for any person that is living in a cluttered, boring, and awkward space. Grab a copy of this book, roll up your sleeves, and make your home fabulous for the holiday season & beyond!

Book Synopsis

No matter your reason for downsizing--whether you are moving from the suburbs to the city, or you are trading the larger family home for a smaller, more manageable one, or perhaps you are just looking to simplify life--the transition can be a challenge. When you're moving a lifetime's accumulation of belongings from a larger home into a jewel box, the task can seem overwhelming--and so can your emotions. How do you decide what to pack and what to part with? Where will you put the contents of your attic, basement, and/or garage? What if the ceilings are lower, the windows are smaller, or your living room rug would fill the entire space? How can you use the stuff you've got so that it functions well and looks right?

Downsizing Your Home with Style answers all of these questions and more. A professional decorator in New York City for over thirty years, Lauri Ward is an expert in making small spaces both elegant and functional. From the initial evaluation of your new home to one year after you have settled in, she takes you through every step with detailed tips, lists of good buys, tricks of the trade, photographs, and anecdotal examples, so that achieving spectacular results is simple and affordable.

Learn How To:

• Create more storage
• Make your stuff look smaller and your space look bigger
• Update and modernize your favorite old pieces
• Multipurpose your rooms and furniture
• Find a new home for the stuff you no longer need

Having less room doesn't mean that your home can't be even more stylish. Downsizing Your Home with Style shows you how to reduce what you have to the best and most loved, so that your new space can be even more special. After all, downsizing isn't about restrictions and sacrifice. It's about living more simply and calmly; it's about leading a richer life by having less.

Meet Lauri Ward



Use-What-You-Have Interiors^® (UWYH) president and founder, Lauri Ward™, revolutionized the interior design business in 1981 with a simple idea - using what people already have in their home as the foundation to create a fresher, updated, more elegant look, without spending a lot of money.

Today, Ms. Ward is universally recognized as the pioneer of the groundbreaking redesign approach to affordable interior decorating. She has appeared frequently on many national television shows including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Today," "CBS This Morning," as well as HGTV, Discovery, Fox and QVC.

She and her instant redecorating transformations have been featured in newspapers and national magazines including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Dallas Morning News, the Boston Globe, McCall's, Ladies' Home Journal, New York magazine, House Beautiful magazine, and Metropolitan Home, to name a few.

As a way to bring her unique Use-What-You-Have philosophy to people across the country and around the world she, and her husband Joe Ward, founded the Interior Refiners Network^®, a professional organization comprised of Interior Refiners™ who have successfully completed a course of study and have been certified in the Use-What-You-Have  principles and methods.

THE INTERVIEW

Who isn't excited about creating a fabulous home with the space you've got! Modern Girl Style manages to catch up with the decorating-guru, Lauri Ward!

1.    What moment in your life made you want to be an interior designer and how did that impact your decision to start your company, Use What You Have, Inc?

When I was a little girl I constantly rearranged my parents' living room furniture and accessories. And whenever I went on play-dates I was always interested in seeing how my friends' homes were decorated.
As I got older, I became aware that I liked decorating with the things I had on-hand because it allowed me to transform rooms, instantly.

When I graduated from design school I became a conventional interior designer (read: sales-oriented and expensive) because that was the only option at the time. I wasn't happy with the set-up: selling clients furniture for high commissions always made me feel uncomfortable because many people had perfectly good pieces; they just didn't know how to arrange them properly, and they didn’t really need to buy a lot of new things.

So, one night in 1981, I came home from work and said to my husband, "I've decided to start a new company that uses what people already have to redecorate their homes. It will be a service, not sales-oriented firm, and I'll show every client how to make their home look good and feel more comfortable, quickly, without spending money. I'm going to call it 'Use What You Have Interiors' and it will offer on-the-spot, flat rate decorating help." He believed in me and me unusual idea - great chap - but my interior design colleagues thought I had lost my mind!

2.    What is your design philosophy and how did you discover it?

The Use What You Have design philosophy is "everybody deserves to have a beautiful, comfortable home that reflects their style and not the decorator's." Since we work with hundreds of clients each year, and there are so many different style preferences, we don't dictate or advocate one particular "look," the client does. We are simply the facilitators. This philosophy was the basis for Use What You Have's original mission statement.

3.    Lofts have been chic since the 1970s, condominiums and co-ops have been rocking since the 1980s, and then in the 1990s, architects and real estate agents got smart. They started to create and sell Loftiminiums, a combination of lofts and condos. It appears that smaller residential spaces have been in trend for quite a few years. What attracted you to write a book about downsizing now?

Sheer demand. In the last two or three years, I've noticed that the number of people who have called Use What You Have for help with downsizing has quadrupled. At their consultations, many of these clients said that they wished I'd written a book that could guide them through the process.

With 78 million baby boomers starting to retire, and lots of younger people asking for advice about what to do when they move to a smaller space - for whatever the reason - I decided it was time to write a book about the subject to help people expedite and simplify the process, to help them avoid expensive mistakes and to show readers how to pare down and de-clutter without going into procrastination mode.

4.    How can women take their design inspirations and translate it into smaller homes?

A smaller home can be just as beautiful as a larger place, and reflect a woman's design inspiration equally well, if the 10 Most Common Decorating Mistakes are not present. This is the first and most important consideration that must be addressed and that Downsizing Your Home With Style outlines and explains. As the old saying goes, "Bigger is not (necessarily) better," which is especially true today, in the 21st century.

{Check out more images of the 2007 Domino Magazine Decorating Contest!}

5.    At the core of your book is the concept that anyone can live well by using the methods of organization, design, and editing.  Why do people, myself included, have such a hard time getting rid of the clutter, organizing the pantry, and designing great rooms? Is there one tip you could offer in how to achieve a blissful, no-matter-what-size, home?

Kamela, you and many other people may be suffering from a syndrome that I call "just-in-case-itis." This occurs when you save things for years because you think "I'd better keep this just in case.” That is why you feel overwhelmed at the thought of de-cluttering, reorganizing or redesigning a room. The only cure is the good ole’ 'one year rule:’ if you haven't used something in 365 days, it’s time to get rid of it because you are not going to start using it on day 366. Honest.

So, on a continual basis, donate unused things to a charity or give them to a friend or relative. You’ll never miss them and your home will feel more open and airy.

One more tip: remove everything from the floor that isn’t furniture, in every room. You won’t believe what a difference it makes!

BONUS QUESTION!!!
How would you design your ultimate dream home and where would it be located?

The outside of my dream home would be surrounded by lots of mature trees, beautiful gardens and it would overlook water and mountains, yet it would be in or very close to a major city. The exterior and interior would be constructed of glass and stone, to bring the outdoors in, and the rooms would be designed very efficiently, with lots of hidden storage and built-in cutting-edge electronics. It would also have lots of extremely comfortable places to curl up and read, or to sit and have a chat. I wouldn’t want a big house that required a lot of care, only one that would feel open, bright, casually elegant and tranquil. And, interestingly, as I write this I realize that my present home, which I love and feel so grateful for, has everything I’ve just described except the mountain-view!

Liked a few of these images? Want some more inspiration? Head over to Ellen Silverman's website. She's quite a stylish photographer!

 

The Blade Itself: A Novel by Marcus Sakey

 

The Hype Really is All That

I caught the Marcus Sakey hype when I was clicking through Sarah Weinman's Blog, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind, and I was really intrigued with all the buzz. Basically, a debut author from the streets of Chicago had penned a book that landed him a two-book contract at St. Martin's Minotaur, a four-book contract with Dutton, and a movie deal with Ben Affleck & Matt Damon. Not a bad start from the gate! Well...what about the writing? I ordered my copy & had it shipped. I took a weekend to read it. My verdict? Raw, brilliant, and suspenseful! Sakey has written a book that will make your skin prick with tension and anticipation to the very last page. So when you read amazing blurbs about this book by top-tier crime writers like T. Jefferson Parker, George Pelecanos, and Lee Child, it makes sense. But, it's still amazing to watch such a stellar take-off to stardom! It's the kinda of stuff American dreams are made it.

Book Summary

After a job goes horribly wrong--a shop owner is shot--small-time burglar Danny Carter leaves the crime business behind for good. He is now a well-paid, respected construction manager in Chicago with a great girlfriend and a comfortable life. Then his former partner in crime, Evan McGann, is released from prison with plans to resume their alliance. Danny isn't interested, but Evan threatens to expose Danny's past, including his presence when the shop owner was shot; worse, he accosts Danny's girlfriend, Karen. Trapped, Danny agrees to Evan's plan: kidnap the son of Danny's boss. Danny hopes that he will be able to keep anyone from getting hurt, but it quickly becomes apparent that Evan can't be controlled. Fast pacing, full-bodied if flawed characters, effective use of the Chicago landscape, surprising plot twists, and some thought-provoking musings on the changing nature of longtime friendships give this debut caper novel both substance and suspense. Sakey is a writer to watch. Connie Fletcher From Booklist {Yes! That's the fabulous Connie Flecther that Modern Girl Style interviewed in November! It seems that she has got some great taste in books!}

The Author

As Marcus Sakey will admit to anyone:

"Ten years in advertising and marketing gave me the perfect experience to write about thieves and killers."

The Interview

Modern Girl Style had to get a glimpse at how Marcus Sakey does what he does so well...   

1. I’m  sure you’ve already heard this, but THE BLADE ITSELF was a brilliant novel.  It was also your first novel. Was it hard to convince your family and  friends that you had left your day job to write a novel?

First off, thank  you.  I appreciate it. As for leaving the day  job, funny story.  I worked in a small ad agency that was driving me up  the wall.  I'd come home and gripe to my wife night after night.   Then one evening, she pointed out something I should have thought of--I could  quit.   
   
So we spent the evening  talking about it, about how I'd always wanted to write a novel and how maybe  this was the right time.  And I decided to quit the next  morning.

Except when I came in  to the office, I was promptly fired.

Honestly.   Layoffs.  So  it kind of felt like the universe was giving me a  push.

2. What inspired you to write this novel? How did you  discover the characters, the structure, and the story? 

Before I started, I  spent a couple of months writing short stories and trying to figure out what I  wanted to commit to.  Then one evening I was walking home, down the nice  block to my nice apartment where my nice wife waited, and it hit me--all of  that could be taken away.  In other words, the things we love are the  things that make us vulnerable.

It was an electric  moment, and I seized it.  By the time I'd made it to my door, I'd come up  with the most elemental part of the conflict: a man who had changed his life  for the better, and another one who was willing to exploit everything my  protagonist loved in order to get what he wanted.

After that, it was a  couple of months of work to figure out the details, to explore the characters,  and to tie a structure to the thing.  But it really began in that  moment.

3. What is a typical work day like for you? Are there  certain things that you have to have, like a cup of coffee, to get things  rolling? How many hours do you tend to put in? 

When I started doing  this, I would spend the morning pacing around, trying to put words together,  and failing miserably.  By lunchtime, I had convinced myself I had no  talent, that this was a waste of time, that there was no way I was going to  make even my daily quota, much less a completed  book.

Then, after lunch, I'd  sit down and type my damn words.

After about a year, it  hit me that maybe the afternoon was the best time for me to write.  So I  started doing email and promotional stuff in the morning, and not trying to  write until after lunch.  Which seems to work well, and certainly  involves less self-loathing.

As for the hours, I try  to work a day-job schedule.  But I don't like to quit without getting at  least 1,000 words that I intend to keep.  And if I'm on a roll, I go with  it.  You never know when that energy will strike  again.

4. Who  doesn’t love a page-turner! How did you craft the psychological tension and  suspense in your novel?

It's mostly a matter of  really believing in your characters.  If you get to know them, to  understand what matters to them and to put yourself in their head, then the  tension comes naturally. 

Also, you always try to  think of how you could make it worse.  With every decision, every action,  every page.  The old adage for suspense is drive your characters up a  tree, and then throw rocks at them.  Thrillers basically tap  into the same part of people that gets a sick pleasure out of pulling the  wings off flies. 

Only, you know, without the evil.

  5. As they say,  writing is rewriting. Once you had the first draft complete of THE BLADE  ITSELF, how much work did you have to put into bringing it to completion?  What did you learn from the process and what advice can you offer to other  writers?

I tend to rewrite as I go,  so once I finish a draft, it's fairly coherent, and parts of it I've gone  over a dozen times.  After that, I like to put it away for as close  to a month as my deadline allows.  When I come back to it, I read the  whole thing in a day, marker the hell out of it, and go to  work.

The trickiest part is not letting  yourself get tied into the decisions you make.  As much as possible, you  need to stay fluid, to remember that anything, even major plot points, can  change if it will make for a better book.  That's a really,  really tough skill to master, and I'm nowhere close yet.  It's  just something I'm working towards.

BONUS  QUESTION!!
Well...Modern Girls love to gossip! Is it true that THE BLADE  ITSELF is being turned into a major motion picture with Ben Affleck & Matt  Damon? If so, what can you tell us about the project?

It is true.  Or more  precisely, it's true that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's production company  bought the rights to make it into a film for Miramax.   As for whether either of them will star, who knows?  I'd  certainly be thrilled, but it's out of my  hands.

What I can say is that it  looks like the same team who just did Gone Baby Gone will likely be  working on my novel.  That's got me giddy, because the film, which was  adapted from a Dennis Lehane novel, is flat-out terrific.  It's got tension and atmosphere and theme by the handful, and at the same time is just  a hell of a ride.

Want to learn more? Head over to Poe's Deadly Daughters for a first-rate interview with Marcus Sakey!
 

Pink Laundry Boutique

Pink Laundry isn't just for ladies in the OC. I found this place after a late brunch & fell in love with it! I had to find out more. I sent a few emails, & got in touch with the ladies who set up shop for a quick interview. This hip boutique has got style fit for every stylish lifestyle. So, here's the lowdown from Bethany on what's hot, what to gift, & what to love!

The Pink Ladies @ Pink Laundry
Sue & Bethany
{left to right}

The Interview

1. Tell us a little bit about how Pink Laundry came into existence. What is it like owning your own business & can you give any words of advice to women who want to launch?

I started Pink Laundry with my mother-in-law Sue about three years ago. I previously had a small clothing line and I took a few years off to have my first child. I was longing to get back in the business and wanted to try the retail side of the industry. I knew that finding a good location was key so when an opening came available in our local center we jumped on it. Owning Pink Laundry has been a great experience for us. It's definitely a lot of hard work but it's very rewarding to see your vision come to fruition. My advice for others would be to really study and learn the business before jumping in. I've seen lots of boutiques come and go because the owner had great style but had no idea how to run a business. Apprenticeships are a great way to learn in a hands on atmosphere.   
 
2. Pink Laundry is a fabulous name for a shop. How did you decide on it?

Sue came up with the name and I thought it was perfect since Pink Laundry is usually what happens if I wash the clothes.   

3. What are 3 essential wardrobe items that any shopper can find at Pink Laundry?

This season 3 key pieces would be: a great fitting trouser, a cozy cashmere sweater, and anything detailed in sequins or patent leather. {Pink Laundry also has a fabulous jean bar! I mean you can get lost in all the wonderful styles that they've got! Cheers to that!}

   

4. What celebrities, socialites, designers, and etc inspire you?

I really love anyone who has there own sense of style and doesn't necessarily go with the trends. I think Sienna Miller is always cutting edge but not overly trendy.

I also love designer Diane Von Furstenberg because she always has classic pieces with a modern twist.

 

5. What do you suggest that Santa delivers to Mrs. Claus this holiday season?

Santa needs to deliver an Allison Burns patent leather handbag. Her handbags always look hot and are easy to carry.

{Haven't heard of Allison? She's another bright modern girl who is a successful makeup artist to the stars, Allison Burns, has created the latest it handbag line. Any celebrity who's anybody wants one of these unique bags. Stars such as Cameron Diaz, Eva Longoria, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore and more have been seen carrying around an Allison Burns handbag.}

BONUS QUESTION!!! What are some of your favorite Pink Laundry holiday gift items?

Wow...so hard to decide.... there are so many great things in the store! We have lots of beautiful jewelry pieces that are fun to wear and make a great gift for any girl. Brokedown hats are another great idea; they fit amazing and who doesn't love a good hat?!

For all those holiday parties you can always find a great sexy dress that suits the occasion at Pink Laundry!