Category Archives: Style

Aunt-Niece Sleepover Prep

28 Saturday Jan 2017

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Silvia Leonor Murciano Suco - 1947

Slumber parties are a must for fun nieces.

Last night on a last minute excursion to a collegiate gymnastics meet, my sister and I had a great idea to treat my 4 year-old niece Rosie with a surprise sleepover at Aunt Steph’s apartment.  I live just around the block from where we were, and Rosie was super disappointed about her Tinkerbell brush disappearing somewhere under the stands. Our sleepover offer was just the ticket to cheer her up. Overall, the event was a success, but I realized that preparation could have helped smooth over the edges of my hosting needs.  Here are some of my recommendations for a fun night that leaves room for lots of love and fun. Continue reading →

Spunky Podcast of Female History

19 Thursday Jan 2017

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the-history-chicks-logo-200In the middle of the night in a sleep deprived stupor, I stumbled upon a gem of a podcast called the History Chicks.  The hosts Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider release podcasts twice a month featuring a woman in history and all the facts, rumors, and context of her life.  They thoroughly present information in episodes that last about 40 minutes to an hour.  Just like the history we all learned in primary school, we learn about time periods, significant events, and intriguing stories, but now, women are not only present in the conversation, they are in the spotlight.  Craziness! Continue reading →

Let’s Talk Turkey

12 Thursday Jan 2017

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The San Francisco Conference

Civil discourse is hard to come by these days, and it is never easy to make an unpopular topic seem friendly.  There are many social and political stances that nearly everyone has made their mind up on, and approaching them with some sense of charm could be really important to getting your words heard. Here are some fun little idioms we can work into business talk that can help some audiences relate to you. Continue reading →

Soul Friendly Hair Care

11 Wednesday Jan 2017

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Lydia Menjoulet, femme de Georges Menjoulet, 1960

Dream combo: care for animals and care for hair

Choosing hair products can cater to both your desire to live by your principles and your desire for soft, shiny, pretty hair. While many popular hair care brands either use animal testing or actually use animals in their products.  Mink oil, cow horns and hoofs, beetles, fish scales, and chicken feet, combs, and bone are all fairly common ingredients in hair products (and lotions for that matter).

If you would like to get away from those products and support a marketplace that values ethical treatment of animals, here are two great options that I tried out. Continue reading →

Things You Use & Things You Use Up

02 Monday Jan 2017

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Section of the main showroom inside F. W. Nissen jewellery store in Brisbane, Queensland, ca. 1950

The American shopping tradition circa 1950. It’s legacy lives on today in the most extravagant forms.

“Goods fall into two classes: those that we use, such as motor cars or safety razors, and those that we use up, such as toothpaste or soda biscuits. Consumer engineering must see to it that we use up the kind of goods we now merely use.”

-Earnest Elmo Calkins, author of Modern Marketing

In June Cleaver’s era, Americans shifted from scraping and saving everything they could during depression and war times to consuming as much as possible. Government saw consumerism as a need to build the economy, and Calkins’ call for convenience and consumption reigned high. Marketers worked to send the message that the way to solve problems in life was to consume. June and other television housewives worked as models in what were effectively half hour long infomercials to display the new role of the woman and all the things she needed to do and have to fulfill that persona. Today, America’s consumer culture continues, building and refining Calkins’ message. Continue reading →

Back Massage Tips From a Pro

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Massage is a great way to bond, relax, and soothe.  Evidence supports that it’s an effective way to release oxytocin, the “love drug” in both the massage giver and receiver.  Emotionally this leads to greater feelings of reconciliation, cooperation, and acceptance.  If you get the chance to give a massage to a loved one, take advantage because many of the physiological benefits will come to both of you.

Professional massage therapist Sharrel Paul gave us some tips on how to make a back massage effective and enjoyable. Continue reading →

Know How to Order Your Drink: Tea Edition

16 Saturday Feb 2013

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Clubs for service people

Time for tea! Let’s be a part of the elegant, time-old ritual of drinking hot tea.

Care for a spot of tea?  Second only to water in worldwide volume consumed each year and dating back to 1500 BC, drinking tea is a timeless tradition that’s worth participating in.  There’s more to this soothing beverage than tea parties and fancy cups, and being aware of what you’re ordering, what its effects will be, and what taste you’re in for can considerably raise the enjoyment you get while sipping it.  We’ll take a crash course through some tea history and characteristics and then get down to the business of knowing how to pronounce and order different varieties like an old pro. Continue reading →

Snaps, An Insider Game

01 Friday Feb 2013

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Eleanor Roosevelt with student service group, Seattle, May 5, 1941

Everyone wants to play Eleanor’s game. This group of students were probably trying to figure out the first lady’s snaps.

Since we know how fun innocently tormenting others can be, let’s play a game that will drive everyone nuts.  The key is that at least one person other than yourself has to know how the game works and one person has to be clueless to it all.  Then hype up how fun it is so that everyone who doesn’t know the trick wants to play. Continue reading →

Would You Rather…

13 Thursday Sep 2012

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UB020132

Would you rather… spend all day everyday knitting or have all your clothes made all from yarn?

So what that “Would You Rather” was all the rage in 5th grade when Delia*s catalog highlighted it?  The game still holds up!  If you want a fun car game, group ice-breaker, or pool side conversation,  break out the old tried and true.  Would You Rather simply asks its participants to choose between 2 equally awful or awesome choices and then justify their reasons.  For instance, would you rather stand on the edge of the Empire State building on a windy day or the middle of the desert in the middle of a heat wave? Continue reading →

Ambiance For a Pleasant Ride

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

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When commuting is a large portion of your life, keeping a clean car can be difficult, but it is also important.  Documents, mail, make up, change of clothes, anything and everything seem to end up cluttering my floorboards.  I like to be well equipped for any travelling situation, but I also would like a tidy looking car.  Cars are our home on the road, a little reflection of ourselves we show to everyone we meet up with.  Here are some tools to help your vehicle be a calming haven in a traffic jammed world. Pictures are at bottom of page. Continue reading →