Fashion week may be over in Paris, but one of its highlights carries on through January 26, 2014. The Palais Galliera—a.k.a. the Museum of Fashion—re-opened its doors last Tuesday, after four years of dusty renovation. In between shows, crowds have been rushing to admire its successful facelift and the city’s first retrospective of the legendary couturier Azzedine Alaïa.
Azzedine Alaïa’s body-con designs defined the aesthetic of Paris in the 80’s
Olivier Saillard, the museum’s director and curator of the exhibit describes Alaïa as one of the last living designers who actually knows how to draw, sew, and model. He is a true artisan of over 30 years. The famous Azzedine technique, which is to sculpt the dresses directly on the models, aims to celebrate women’s bodies, accentuating their assets and hiding their flaws.
photo – Garance Doré
Alaïa, Palais Galliéra, 10 Avenue Pierre ler de Serbie, 75116, September 28, 2013 – January 26, 2014
“Forgive your enemies, just don’t forget their names” –John F. Kennedy
from pulp fiction
“What’s your name,’ Coraline asked the cat. ‘Look, I’m Coraline. Okay?”Cats don’t have names,’ it said.’No?’ said Coraline.’No,’ said the cat. ‘Now you people have names. That’s because you don’t know who you are. We know who we are, so we don’t need names.” ― Neil Gaiman, Coraline
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. – William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Tigers die and leave their skins; people die and leave their names – Japanese proverb.
Unprocessed and uncooked organic produce has earned status as the gold standard in health food, but when it comes to vegetables, less (cooking time) isn’t always more. In fact, several varieties actually pack a bigger nutritional punch once they’ve been heated up above 115 degrees.
Taken from an article written by Jessica Chia
Compared to their raw counterparts, cooked tomatoes deliver more lycopene, an antioxidant that can lower the risk of prostate cancer, heart disease, and lung cancer. Likewise, heated carrots deliver a bigger dose of beta-carotene, a source of vitamin A. Spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, and cabbage also supply maximum antioxidants and nutrients when cooked, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, author of *Read It Before You Eat It(this nationally recognized nutrition expert from New York tells shoppers exactly what should be going into their carts.)To lock in peak nutritional value, Taub-Dix recommends steaming vegetables to avoid overcooking, and adding flavor with fresh herbs and spices, rather than drowning them in rich sauces or fat-loaded batters. That means tempura is out and your easy, cheesy broccoli recipe was overdue for retirement, anyway.
Veggies that fare better fresh: beets’ brain-boosting folate, broccoli’s cancer-combating myrosinase, and red peppers’ immunity-improving vitamin C are all at their highest levels in their natural state. Other raw standouts include coconut, cacao, lettuce, cucumbers, nuts, and seeds.
Eating slices of plain beets or a handful of unsalted nuts not your style? Taub-Dix suggests tossing vegetables, fruit, nut milk, and nut butter in a blender for a nutritious, protein-rich, and surprisingly satisfying smoothie. Drizzling raw veggies with a little oil-based dressing is another way to add flavor without defeating your clean-eating efforts.
Here, Taub-Dix shares her favorite smoothie recipe, a trio of refreshing fruit, cholesterol-lowering kale, and heart-healthy chia seeds.
Fruit, Kale, and Chia Smoothie
½ banana
½ apple
½ mango
Handful of kale leaves
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup water
2 ice cubes
About the book:
There is a wealth of information on labels, but most people have no idea that products labeled “trans-fat free” can contain trans-fats or that “all natural” is a meaningless phrase. Readers can bring this handy guide to the supermarket to help them interpret labels like a pro. How much sodium is too much? Are all carbs the kiss of death? And what does “organic” really mean? Taub-Dix clears up the confusion by showing readers how to make sense of the labels and sidestep tricky marketing ploys. She walks them through a typical grocery store and points out the best food choices to make in every aisle.
Also, **Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most evocative and informative up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health professionals – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America.
The question is: What is the meaning of a name and how does a name influence a person’s character?HAVE YOU EVER stopped to wonder why you have the name you have? Why did your parents choose your name and if you were to change it and pick one for yourself, what would it be?
Because aside from having a different surname through something like marriage, many people have decided to change their first names too.
I’ve thought about if from time to time knowing that I came thisclose to having a totally different first name – something slightly more glamorous sounding. Something I might have preferred if I was given the choice. So If that was the case, would my personality be totally different?
For instance, how often have you been given the name of someone you haven’t yet met and assumed a personality type to fit the specific name? For instance, a girl named ‘Paris’ sounds worldly & sophisticated while someone named ‘Tiffany’ appears to be spoiled. Just saying..
So just for fun I located a website that gives you your ‘apparent’ personality type when you type in your first name. Give it a try yourself and see if the truth comes out.
The Energy In Your Name and What it Means
The power of a name and its value has long been immortalized in prose, poetry, and religious ceremony. Everyone recognizes himself or herself by name.
Below is a brief analysis of my first name only:
– The name Debbie creates a dual nature in that you can be very generous and understanding, but you can also be so candid in your expression that you create misunderstanding.
– You struggle with the requirement to soften your expression with tact and diplomacy and to consider the feelings of others.
No sir, I did NOT feed that ground squirrel!
– Difficulty in accepting or admitting that you may have made a mistake causes you to appear to be stubborn and set in your ways.
– Thus, you have too often created the wrong impression, and friendships have suffered.
– This name does offer creative talent where there is the opportunity for ingenuity and originality.
– You have a tendency, at times, to have too many ideas on the go, and thus your efforts are scattered and many things do not reach completion.
– You are included to do to excess the things you like to do.
– You have very intense feelings and find it difficult to maintain stability and happiness.
– If you allowed it, temper and self-pity could be problems.
Before you go criticizing my good/bad points, go ahead and try it yourself with the link below:
GLAM up & Away at airports – with the benefit Pink Bus kiosk. If you can buy cupcakes and tacos on the go, why not satisfy your hunger for makeup!? That’s exactly what the company thought.
Have you ever been to the tiny Benefit flagship store in Mill Valley, California? It’s so cute, mostly pink, very inviting & attention grabbing (as most of their product line is) at the same time – I dare you to walk by without stopping in. Then you’ll come out with at least two products in your bag that you can’t wait to try on. They’re one of the most fun cosmetic lines out there with many excellent products. Let’s narrow a few down because Winter is almost upon us and our skin tends to get dull and dry. We need a pick me up in the complexion department. Granted, these 3 products do “almost” the same thing with a slight twist so you really don’t need all three – maybe just one or two. Okay all three!
Highlighting the “HALL OF FAME” Highlighters
watt’s up!
soft focus highlighter for face – Why we love it!
The soft focus highlighter turns “watt” ya got with a delicate champagne glow that’s gorgeous. With a cream-to-powder finish…it’s a switch on “wow” for all complexions. You’ll adore the smooth applicator & luminous sheen.
Who else loves it!
2011 Real Beauty Gold Star Award, Best Makeup Products from 2011
How to apply
Glide on cheek & brow bones…then sculpt with its soft glow blender for YOUR perfect gleam. Can be applied solo or over existing makeup.
high brow
a brow lifting pencil – Why we love it!
This soft brow highlighting pencil is your instant brow lift! Perfect for all skin tones, the linen-pink highlight hue adds a lifted look to the entire eye area. It’s never been easier to raise a brow…or two!
How to apply
Apply pencil under your brow following the arch. Lightly blend.
high beam
luminescent complexion enhancer – Why we love it!
This satiny pink liquid highlighter accents cheek & brow bones for a dewy, radiant glow. Use as a spot highlighter over makeup or wear under complexion products for subtle luminescence. It’s the “supermodel in a bottle!”
Who else loves it!
2012 TotalBeauty.com Awards, readers’ choice for best highlighter
How to apply
Dot and blend over makeup on to cheek and brow bones, or anywhere you want a glance to linger.
Available at Sephora & most major department stores.
*NEW – Glam Up & Away: with vintage pink bus beauty kiosks coming to airports across the U.S.
Whoever said you can’t get your Benefit faves on the go clearly had never met a woman in 2013! Taken from their blog:
Think back to your last 4-hour flight… you arrived at your destination wearing workout pants, hair in a messy bun, and skin feeling dry & lifeless. Let’s face it, you were more Page Six tragic than celebrity jet-setting status.
I’ve been feeling kind of blue lately – Cobalt to be specific. The shade creeps up from time to time and last year we started seeing more of this bright color.
Crazy for Cobalt: his season the intense blue made a statement on everything from cozy sweaters to swingy dresses. It seems to have edged out olive and rust as this fall’s most prominent hue.
How many shades of blue are there exactly? I don’t know but some editors seem to have a handle on it:
Meryl Streep to Anne Hathaway in “The Devil WearsPrada” – “You go to your closet and you select that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis. It’s actually cerulean. And you’re also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent wasn’t it, who showed cerulean military jackets? And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers.” …………………on and on she goes
With its cool undertones, cobalt complements everycomplexion from porcelain to dark chocolate.
Derek Lam
Best colors to pair cobalt with: neutrals like grey, black, white or a combo of either.
Always braise on low temperatures. The low temperature & slower cooking time helps to break down the tissues in the meat & makes tougher (and cheaper) cuts of meat turn out nice & tender.
after
The amount of ribs will depend on the number of people – figure ½ lb. per person.
before
Preheat your oven to 300°F.
·Pat the meat dry with paper towels. This will help you get a nice brown crust on the meat in the next step. Sprinkle with garlic salt, onion salt + pepper.
·Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy-bottomed oven-proof braising pan or Dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the meat. Brown the meat for a minute or two on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside.
·Lower the heat to medium and add aromatic vegetables like chopped onions, leeks, carrots and celery. You could also add a few cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed. Sauté for a few minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
·Deglaze the pan with a flavorful liquid, such as stock, broth or wine (you can even use beer). I used beef stock. Scrape off any roasty bits (called fond) from the bottom of the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer. This liquid will add flavor to the braise. *The long, slow, moist heat of braising is the best way to soften tough cuts of meat.
·Check the level of the braising liquid. The liquid should just barely cover the meat. You can now add other flavorings and seasonings, like whole peppercorns or bay leaves.
· Bring the braising liquid back to a simmer, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and transfer it to the 300°F oven.
·Braise for 1 to 5 hours, depending on the amount of ribs used. Figure about an hour per pound but check to make sure they’re tender.
· Remove the pan from the oven. Pour cooking liquid through a fine sieve set over a saucepan, discarding solids, and skim fat. If necessary, boil liquid to thicken it slightly, and spoon sauce over ribs. Or; to make a sauce or gravy from the braising liquid, first make a roux, then whisk some of the braising liquid (strain it first) into the roux until it thickens. Cook on low heat for a few minutes, then season.
Any remaining sauce would be great served over egg noodles.
Stock vs Broth – is there a difference?
Turns out that there is a slight but significant difference.
Stocks and broths both start off the same way: various kitchen scraps of vegetable, meat, and bone are slowly simmered to extract as much flavor as possible. For stock, it stops there — this is an unseasoned liquid that doesn’t taste all too great on its own, but makes a fantastic neutral base for soups, sauces, and other kitchen creations.
Broths, on the other hand, get some seasoning. We add salt, some other spices like black pepper, perhaps a splash of wine — all for the purpose of making this neutral stock taste delicious on its own. A more technical definition for broth would actually be “seasoned stock.” Now that the salt and other seasonings are added in, broth is tasty and satisfying.
There have been murals on walls throughout the world for as long as there have been people on Earth. People scratched them, carved them, etched them and painted them.
Infant in the Bulb of a Plant (Detroit Industry east wall), 1932, by Diego Rivera
The history of murals and mural painting is rich and varied, from the prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux, France, to the celebratory and ceremonial murals of ancient Egypt, Rome, Mesopotamia, Greece and India. They are presumed to be the oldest human art form, as cave paintings at numerous ancient human settlements suggest, and can be found all over the world. A wide variety of artistic styles are used in mural painting, and some incorporate the use of techniques which create a sense of dramatic scale and amazing depth.
Diego Rivera (the Mexican painter who was married to Frida Kahlo) is a perfect example. One of his most significant murals, his 1933 Detroit Industry (see below) is brimming with assembly line workers, blast-furnace scenes, fertility figures, and even a portrait of Edsel Ford, who commissioned it. Come September 6 through January 4, 2014 it’s the subject of an exhibition at the neighboring Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Curated by Jens Hoffman.
“The Past is Present” will showcase murals by 14 artists invited to respond to events that have shaped Detroit in the 80 years since Rivera completed his masterpiece. The far-ranging themes include the 1937 Ford Motor Company strike, the history of Motor City music, and Detroit’s urban farmingrevolution. “My idea is that you wander from one mural to another, so it’s almost like walking through the city, if you could travel in time,” says Hoffman.
Vaccination (Detroit Industry north wall), (1932) by Diego Rivera
There can be few works of art so closely associated with America’s great industrial age than Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry murals. These large-scale frescos that adorn the city’s Institute of Arts were created in 1932 and 1933 by the left-wing Mexican artist, and focus on the workers at the city’s Ford car plant. Yet their subject and scope is actually far wider, taking in medical production, race, weaponry, faith, and the predominant managerial structure of the day. Upon their unveiling, the works were thought of in some quarters as anti-American; today they’re regarded as one of the masterpieces of 20th Century public art.
Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry (partial view) 1933
THE DOG NEXT DOOR……what can I say – I was drawn to this book
In the perfect follow-up to A Prince among Dogs, Callie Smith Grant compiles a delightful collection of true stories that celebrate the dogs in our lives. These stories will touch our hearts, renew our spirits, and show us how God made these wonderful creatures for unique purposes.
Readers will love these uplifting glimpses into the lives of ordinary and extraordinary dogs and the people who love them. The stories are warm, captivating, and ideal for a good curl-up-and-read or a perfect gift for any dog lover.
Little healthful tidbits that go a long way – what to do when it comes to your pup’s extra poundage & what you need to know to help Rover get back in shape.
From time to time I will include a health section for pet owners – because a fluffy little friend who is also healthy will make you feel good too – and we all know that feeling good is a healthy thing for us humans too.
I would love to receive a basket like this
When that wagging tail greets us at the front door after a long day, stress fades away in a slobbery instant. And all the love we get from our loyal companions makes us want to reciprocate – often with food. But showing affection with bones or biscuits can lead to extra weight gain – and extra pounds pose weighty issues. “Dogs may suffer many of the same diseases as humans as a result of too much weight,” says Ernie Ward, a veterinarian and senior veterinary editor of the Pet Health Network (pethealthnetwork.com) – think arthritis, joint damage, blown knee ligaments, high blood pressure, breathing problems, and, in some cases, type 2 diabetes. The following is a road map for keeping your dog at a healthy weight.
Weigh In – Getting an accurate scale reading requires a trip to the vet, but there are indicators that you can check for at home. “You should be able to feel but not see your dog’s ribs; if you can’t, it’s likely over-weight,” says Louise Murray, a veterinary internal-medicine specialist and vice president of the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, in New York City. Chubby dogs may also have a saggy belly, visible from the side. If your dog shows any of these warning signs, schedule an appointment with the vet.
Treat Lightly – People tend to blame canine weight gain on lack of exercise, but over-feeding, particularly of treats, is usually the culprit. “Treats are silent saboteurs of good health, and account for a tremendous amount of calories, salt and fat,” says Ward. He recommends nutrient-rich alternatives like small pieces of veggies (broccoli, green beans, carrots) or lean cooked meat, which taste better than processed treats. Single-ingredient store-bought treats, like salmon flakes or freeze-dried fruits and meats, are also good options. Treat within reason. If you notice weight gain, scale back.
Chat about Chow – how much to feed at mealtime depends on the type of food, the dog’s metabolism, and other variables like activity level, age and gender. (Note: spaying and neutering can slow metabolism). Portion guidelines on dog-food labels may be unreliable – they’re calculated to meet the most demanding canine lifestyles of active unspayed or un-neutered dogs. As a result, people are over feeding their dogs by 25 to 50 percent each day. Check with your vet to see what kind of food your specific dog needs and how much.
Get Moving – Dogs, like humans, may benefit from daily aerobic exercise. Half an hour each day is recommended.
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