advicesisters late summer Blog Edition #3
*if you can't see the photo, it's the advice sisters logo. See it at: http://www.advicesisters.net/sitelogo.gifAdvice Sisters® ENews ISSUE #3, Late Summer, 2005 (written by Alison Blackman Dunham aka. "Advice Sister Alison") -blog edition
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1. What's New From Advice Sisters?
2. Events Around New York
3. Get the Look "Fall Flower Power" Tips, Trends & Ideas from the Discovery
Channel's "Surprise by Design" host, Rebecca Cole
4. Travel Tips - Have More Fun On The Road
5. The Advice Sisters Book Club - - Perfect Marriage by Peter Friedman
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1. WHAT'S NEW FROM THE ADVICE SISTERS?
"WHAT WORKS" FALL 2005 COSMETICS, BEAUTY & FASHION REVIEW: The "What Works" column has changed it's name to "Cosmetics, Beauty & Fashion" to reflect a wider range of health, beauty and lifestyle interests. The newest review, for Fall, will be available to readers right after Labor Day on September 7th. PAGE ONE: http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html features clever beauty finds, lip, eye and nail products, body bling, home enhancers, and gift suggestions. PAGE TWO http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworksfall05pg2.html has hair helpers, fragrance, foundation and blush, bath & body, kits, skin care, gift suggestions, products just for men, and our extensive buying & information guide. Look for trends, tips and "sneak peek" reviews, too.
BLOG NEWS: My blog allows me to share a more personal view of my own life's happenings, along with issues that are of general interest to adults around the world. Please come and take a look: http://www.advicesisters.net/advicesistersblog. and leave your comments or just say "hi!." *obviously if you are reading this on my blog, you're already here, but do sign up for your own copy by email at http://www.advicesisters.net/thankyou.htm complete with graphics and color! Please feel out the short form completely or your request will not be processed. For The Advice Sisters privacy policy, go to the bottom of this Ezine.
NEW- ADVICE SISTERS FORUMS! The Advice Sisters now has it's own FORUMS area: http://advicesisters.net/phpbb2/index.php There are six different forums to choose from (feel free to send me your suggestions for additional topics). As an Advice Sisters ENews subscriber, you are among the first to know about it! Forums are only as good as those who stop by and participate, so please do! Check out the: "Ask Alison" Problem Page (If you've got a problem, hopefully, here is where you'll find a cure); Singles Central (dedicated to everyone who is "single & looking!" ); Couples Central (a forum focused on issues faced by couples); Career Central (the place to post if you are concerned about your job or career); Not About Relationships (Do you have something you want to say that is NOT about relationships? Say it here); and the Love Stories forum where you can share your stories if you've been lucky in love. Post a tribute to that special someone whether that is a special love, a best friend, or even a beloved pet -- love comes in all forms.The Forum News gives you posting information and advisories about the forums.
ADVICE SISTERS COLUMN CLASSICS: How do you handle a situation when father and son are owner/managers and fighting with you in the middle? Read this classic: Ask Alison - Managing Your Life & Career column http://www.advicesisters.net/askarctwobosses.html and get a view on how to handle this situation .
This single, 50-something's relationship with her friend "Anna" used to be a source of comfort, until Anna turned nasty! How can she put the brakes on Anna's "Jekyll & Hyde" act without ditching the friendship? Get the scoop with this Advice Sisters Double-Take Q&A Classic http://www.advicesisters.net/gifs%20and%20jpegs/Doubletake/dt_filthymcnastyhtml.html
The Advice Sisters Enews: This bi-monthly, Advice Sisters Enews is now going to over 1,000 subscribers in media, fashion, business and to savvy adults around the world. Our next issue will be an in-depth coverage of Olympus Fashion Week, on the runways, behind the scenes, and events.
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2. EVENTS AROUND NEW YORK (Summer in the City):
It's been a long, hot summer, everywhere, but the Summer in New York City feels even hotter than it really is This is partly because there is so much asphalt, concrete and metal --and these materials really hold the heat. In fact, the temperatures in the City can vary as much as 10 degrees (upwards) from the surrounding areas. Like many of those without limos at their constant disposal, I spent a lot of the summer trying to stay home, and stay cool. However, two events did get me out and about:
Samantha's Table: As a divorce lawyer, Samantha Daniels helped couples to separate. She decided that she would rather bring them together, and re-fashioned a career for herself as a matchmaker for wealthy and successful clients. She also runs events through her service, Samantha's table, http://www.samanthastable.com where busy professionals can meet and mingle with like-minded others. In mid July, I attended one of Samantha's singles events at the ultra chic, W Hotel in Times Square. It was a screening of the adorable "feel good" movie 'Hitch" (starring Will Smith). Beautiful and glamorous Samantha greeted guests and signed copies of her book, Matchbook. Chilled, pink martinis ("flirtinis") featuring Bacardi Limon were very welcome on this steamy evening as we chatted prior to the screening. At movie time, guests sat on plump, round cushions on the floor or on high-backed banquettes, munching on gourmet popcorn and other, more traditional movie treats such as Sugar Babies and Tootsie Rolls. Everyone (single and looking or not) had a great time! I reviewed Samantha's riviting book Matchbook, Simon & Schuster in our Spring, 2005 Advice Sisters Enews. If you still haven't read this amazing journey as Samantha creates her matchmaking business and guides some of her private clients to love, get it now! Single? Visit Samanthas Table- 212.717.6033 LA- 310.276.9373
SECRET Floral Scent Launch: On yet another, steamy, summer evening, I attended an event for the launch of the Floral Scent (deodorant, anti-perspirant and body spray) collection by Secret at beautiful Blanchett Flowers in the ultra-trendy, Meatpacking District of Manhattan. After enjoying elegant refreshments served by a group of truly hunky guys, we turned our attention to the real reason we were gathered together --a preview of the various products in the Secret Floral Scent Collection of body sprays, deodorants, and anti-perspirants (gel and roll-on). The highlights of the evening were an explanation by Rebecca Cole, designer and host of the Discovery Channel's Surprise by Design about the meanings of the four flowers Secret choose for their new products, along with the opportunity for guests to make floral selections of their own and (with Rebecca's assistance) create floral arrangements to take home. The Secret Floral Scent line features body sprays, gel and roll-on formula products in Lavender, Passion Flower, Jasmine, and Gardenia *read more about the products in the upcoming What Works Fall 2005 Beauty & Fashion Revie w. Rebecca explained that lavender is soothing, calming and tends to attract men (that's why savvy Victorians used it to scent love letters). Passion Flower is a delicate vine that reduces anxiety and stress, inspires and encourages friendship and creativity. No wonder it also attracts passionate men! Gardenia is a beautiful flower with a strong, sexy scent. It also promotes spirituality, repels strife, and provides a protective aura. The last scent in the Secret Floral Scent line is Jasmine, a flower that opens in the evenings. It brings good fortune and helps to rekindle old love, Apparently the Jasmine scent helps men understand women (maybe we all need to use this one)! For more advice and tips from Rebecca Cole, read on! *read reviews of the new, SECRET Floral Scent products in the upcoming Fall 2005 What Works Beauty & Fashion Review. Would you like The Advice Sisters to Cover your events, launches and products? Put me on your press & invitation lists: advicesisters@advicesisters.net
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3. Get the Look "Fall Flower Power" Tips from the Discovery Channel's "Surprise by Design" host, Rebecca Cole
Rebecca Cole has been the co-host of the Discovery Channels' hot, hip show: "Surprise By Design" since the show began in 2002. She has also been a contributor on the Today show for six years, and has appeared in prime time television and radio shows including, Oprah, The View, CNN and BBC World News. Her home, business and career have been profiled in over 200 national and international publications. Rebecca's business, Rebecca Cole Creates http://www.colecreates.com is a full service home, garden and interiors company. She has served clients from Senators to super models, to CEO's. Rebecca is also the author of several books including When she is not designing terraces or giving rooms a make-over for lucky and grateful clients, Rebecca enjoys writing and sharing her ideas and designer's secrets. She has several books in print including the latest: Flower Power (Clarkson Potter, 2003) with photographs by Helen Norman, and two other books (Paradise Found and Potted Gardens) about living with flowers and about how to arrange them. Rebecca was kind enough to chat with me, and share her some thoughts and tips about using flowers this Fall with Advice Sisters readers:
Question: What Flowers and Scents are Hot, this Fall?
Rebecca Cole: The best way to choose flowers for your home is to generally select colors that go with your home and make your decor pop. Fall is the harvest time, a renewal of life. Use the colors of the seasons, such as orange and bold, jewel tones, perhaps mixed with fruits and vegetables (they look so great together)! Your senses are sharper now than they were in the Summer and Winter. Citrus scents, for example, blend well with sweet, florals and make them less overwhelming. Flowers such as tulips are also a great choice for Fall. We tend to think of them as flowers that bloom in the Spring, but in Australia, for example, they're coming up right now (and being imported, here). I also like anenomes and big, colorful leaves. If you are using flowers in your home, try mixing them with other things such as leaves and fruits. They help you save money on your arrangements, too. If you put an apple or leaves into a bowl as part of an arrangement, you need less flowers! You can use essential oils in your home to create atmosphere and you can wear actual flowers, as well. If you wear flowers you are making a confident, bold statement. You want to attract something (or someone). After all, you don't normally wear flowers just to get your groceries! I like strong scents such as gardenia (gardenias help women attract love, by the way).As a designer, I have also used jasmine for wedding veils because it has such a curvy, tendrical flow to the vine. Curly hair is all the rage, but even if yours is straight, adding a piece of jasmine vine will create a romantic touch. Choose something that not only makes you happy because you are smelling that amazing scent, but remember that having someone get close enough to sniff you is also very sexy! (*Editors' Note: scented bath & body products are a subtle, substitutes for perfume and they don't have to be just florals. A recent study has found that people wearing the aroma of grapefruits were perceived as five to six years younger than they really were. For fun, try a citrus-scented hair enhancer such as the Citrus Lift line of shampoos, conditioners and styling products by Herbal Essences, reviewed in the Advice Sisters Fall "What Works" Cosmetics, Beauty & Fashion Review column-coming September 7th at http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html Watch for it!)
Question: What Flowers are Good Choices for Men, and if you Have Children or Pets?
Rebecca Cole: It's nice to choose flowers with specific meanings. In Victorian times, sending flowers like this allowed people to (subtly) express their feelings. IA recent study shows that receiving flowers makes people happy, and men like receiving them just as much as women. If you are sending flowers to a man, do send a note, and keep the arrangement, small. Men like bold, rich, colors and scent. Lavender, for example, has a compelling scent and a deep purple color. If you are leaving flowers in the home around little hands or big paws (pets and children) be careful not to select anything poisonous, or more commonly, with poisonous leaves. Lilies or anything with a strong, pungent scent would not be the best choice around small children as they may be more sensitive to strong scents or susceptible to asthma (*editors note - I would think this would be a good rule to follow when bringing flowers to someone who is ill, as well). Better choices are orchids, and herbal flowers.
Question: What Are Your Top Three Tips for Arranging Flowers?
Rebecca Cole: #1-keep a tight color palette. Choose no more than three colors. You wouldn't overload your clothes with too many colors, and it's the same with floral arrangements! Consider that nature keeps a tight color palette too. Most fields of wild flowers, for example, consist of only one or two colors in harmony with each other. #2-When in doubt, keep your arrangement, low. You want to look down on the heads of the flowers, as they're the prettiest part. #3-Repeat , Repeat, Repeat! Don't just use one purple flower or one tulip, use multiples --five purple flowers, five tulips, etc.
Question: How Can You Keep Flowers Fresher, Longer?
Rebecca Cole: The flower freshener packets you get from the florist are really good. If you get one, use it. They keep the bacteria out of the water. You can do this on your own by putting fresh water in a floral arrangement when you get it *you don't know how long the flowers have been sitting in it) and changing the water, daily. If you can, take the flowers out of the arrangement and cut the bottoms every two days How long an arrangement will last really depends upon a lot of factors. Some flowers will only last a few days, others a week to three weeks but try to keep them cool and out of the sun. Alas, the more expensive a flower is, the less likely it is to last a long time. The mass-marketed flowers have been cultivated for hardiness, but they lack the type of scent you'll find from garden flowers, for example. Out of sun, cool, maybe a week
Question: What Flower Is Your Personal Favorite?
Rebecca Cole: Lavender is not the most beautiful flower, but it is my personal favorite to work with, and scent-wise. It reminds me of France. It's calming and good for attracting good things into your life. I have burned lavender in my home to bring good things and inspire creativity. I always have it in my office and apartment. I like to mix it with other things. I like gardenias, too, but it's more like rich chocolate to me -- something you indulge in once or twice a month, but not every day.
Question: Rebecca, Any Additional Thoughts to share with Advice Sisters readers About Flowers?
Rebecca Cole: I'm just starting to design things (not just floral items) to sell. I started as a fashion designer so everything comes from that. Not everyone has a garden (my current apartment actually doesn't have one) but you can make your home look like you live in a garden, without actually having real flowers in the room. Start by using garden statues as accents. Scent your environment with scented candles and essential oils and spray your fabrics and linens with scent. Scent yourself with floral fragrances, perhaps one of Secret's new body sprays *Editors Note- get reviews of new home and personal-scent products in the upcoming Fall 2005 What Works Beauty & Fashion Review). Add large pictures of flowers to your walls, and flower pillows. No need to get frou frou ones if that's not your style. There are tons of hip, cool and mod florals as well. All this gives the illusion of a garden, without a single, true flower in sight. A great example of this is the garden at Versailles in France, filled with statues, fountains, trees, and topiaries, but no flowers. Yet, it's one of the most famous gardens in the world! It's easy to fill your home with flowers, without actually having to water them! To order flowers, purchase books and gift items from Rebecca Cole, or inquire about Rebecca's garden and design services: REBECCA COLE (p) 212 255 4797 (f) 212 243 2849 email: info@colecreates.com. Visit Rebecca Cole Creates: http://www.colecreates.com
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4. Travel Tips: Have More Fun on the Road (by Alison Blackman Dunham aka. "Advice Sister Alison"):
Travel is more stressful than it's ever been, airport delays, enhanced security checks, and fewer luxurious en route for the average traveler, Here a are a few, easy tips to make life more fun, "on the road":
Little Things Mean a Lot: Most savvy travelers have something special that they swear by when they travel. The top three? Masking tape, a travel alarm, and plastic "zip-top" bags in assorted sizes. Masking tape is a multi-purpose wonder to fix sagging hems, holding broken luggage together, shipping a box, even removing lint. Alarm clocks you know and can work beat the often confusing or complicated ones that you sometimes find in hotel rooms (and never seem to work right), and plastic bags great for everything from carrying potentially leaky tubes and bottles, to toting home a wet bikini after that last-minute swim. If you like to tote food items home (eg. spices), plastic bags are a must if you don't want your luggage smelling like a spice bazaar or a rum factory. If strange noises are keeping you awake bring a portable CD/mp3 player (don't count on your room always having one) and make sure you add relaxation music. I personally like sounds of the ocean-- it's the next best thing to a beach house or a balcony room overlooking the water.''
Don't Save The New Stuff: It is never clever to buy brand new clothes and gadgets specifically for a trip and "save" them until you are at your destination. You really don't want to use a new product (e.g. new suntan lotion or moisturizer) that you've never tried before, only to find that it makes you break out in hives, do you? Test everything at home before you pack it, unless you really are up for unpleasant surprises on the road! This is particularly true of new clothes. Clip the tags and try them on again. If you don't, you may find that the shirt or dress that fit you perfectly in the store is the wrong size or has a damage--but now you wonder what else you can wear since you didn't pack a spare! When it comes to shoes, be extra careful/ Murphy's law dictates that the first time you stand in new shoes you'll end up with aching feet or blisters, (and they're the only dress shoes you have that are appropriate, all week, of course).
A Touch Of Home: Aromatherapy products and scents of home bring luxury and relaxation to even the most road-weary traveler. Try to use scents that are designed to relax and calm you. Spray your sheets with a fabric scent, light a fragranced travel candle, or dab a bit of essential oil on your pulse points before sleep. *Editors Note-The upcoming Fall 2005 What Works Beauty & Fashion Review has reviews of little helpers for home & body.
Car Considerations - You can't wait to jump into your rented jag convertible with the top down and feel the wind in your hair--not so fast! Consider your car choice based not just on sex appeal but on the type of trip you're going on and the amount of luggage you will be carrying. If not, you may end up like the two couples who rented a racy sports car for a car trip to a remote area. They couldn't fit all their bags in the trunk so they had to leave them exposed in the back seat day and night. Worse, after driving away from the rental lot they discovered the owners manual was missing and they couldn't get the air conditioning to work. The rental company never answered the phone and they spent two hot, sticky days driving to the nearest location to exchange the car. Not fun, at all! For Alison's private, personal, online advice by email, chat room or phone, visit: http://www.advicesisters.net/getpersonaladvice3.html
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5. THE ADVICE SISTERS BOOK CLUB:
If you are looking to curl up with an easy read, "feel-good book for those shorter days and longer nights, I suggest Ideal Marriage by Peter Friedman (The Permanent Press, 2004). Get more information at: http://www.readidealmarriage.com It is a charming novel -- a little bit of "Sex and the City" with a distinctly male view, harkening back to the nifty fifties, when the term: "booty call" didnt' exist, the love scene on the beach in "From Here to Eternity" was considered racy, and sex was (mostly) reserved for marriage. The lack of overt sexual content is, in part, what makes this book is so enjoyable and refreshing. Set in New York City in 1957, the book follows the sexual education of 16-year old Andre Schulman as he learns about love, sex and marriage through the pages of a marriage manual he has secreted away from his parents' library. The marriage manual referenced is a genuine one written by a Dutch Gynecologist in the 1920's: Ideal Marriage: Its Physiology and Technique byTheodoor Hendrik Van de Velde. The main character, Andre, is naturally curious about sex (after all, he's 16!) and he's not completely virtuous in his pursuit of his own needs. Still, he maintains the romantic conviction that his sexual prowess should be honed not for lots of girls, but more importantly, to passionately please the woman he will eventually love and marry. The dialogue in the book, with others and as his personal thoughts, is nicely executed by Mr. Friedman. The story is touching. It feels real, and even if you were born into the world of rock videos, you'll still find a lot to relate to. Mr. Friedman writes with authority and elegance. You might just begin to believe again that love really does exist in more pure and expressive forms than the overt sexuality pushed so aggressively these days. I really enjoyed this fun, romantic tale that seems more grounded in reality than in reality TV, even though it is fiction. I give it four stars! *Join the Advicesisters Book Club - -it's free! You will get invitations to join special online chat events, add your comments to the Enews,help to select future book club selections, and meet like-minded others. To join, just Email: advicesisters@advicesisters.net and add BOOK CLUB in the subject line.
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MEDIA/PRESS/PUBLISHERS/AUTHORS: To interview, quote or arrange an appearance with Alison Blackman Dunham (aka. "Advice Sister Alison") or to have The Advice Sisters cover your events, products and services, or if you are an author or a publisher who would like to have your book considered for the Advice Sisters Book club in future issues of the ENEWS, simply contact us advicesisters@advicesisters.net . If you would like Alison to provide content for your publication or company, visit: advicesisters@advicesisters.net.
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© Copyright 2005 all rights reserved by Alison Blackman Dunham, The Advice Sisters. The Advice Sisters is a registered United States trademark. Taking photos or text without permission, attribution and compensation is stealing. If you want to use something in this blog or from my web site, please contact me first and get my written permission advicesisters@advicesisters.net
Rebecca Cole: The best way to choose flowers for your home is to generally select colors that go with your home and make your decor pop. Fall is the harvest time, a renewal of life. Use the colors of the seasons, such as orange and bold, jewel tones, perhaps mixed with fruits and vegetables (they look so great together)! Your senses are sharper now than they were in the Summer and Winter. Citrus scents, for example, blend well with sweet, florals and make them less overwhelming. Flowers such as tulips are also a great choice for Fall. We tend to think of them as flowers that bloom in the Spring, but in Australia, for example, they're coming up right now (and being imported, here). I also like anenomes and big, colorful leaves. If you are using flowers in your home, try mixing them with other things such as leaves and fruits. They help you save money on your arrangements, too. If you put an apple or leaves into a bowl as part of an arrangement, you need less flowers! You can use essential oils in your home to create atmosphere and you can wear actual flowers, as well. If you wear flowers you are making a confident, bold statement. You want to attract something (or someone). After all, you don't normally wear flowers just to get your groceries! I like strong scents such as gardenia (gardenias help women attract love, by the way).As a designer, I have also used jasmine for wedding veils because it has such a curvy, tendrical flow to the vine. Curly hair is all the rage, but even if yours is straight, adding a piece of jasmine vine will create a romantic touch. Choose something that not only makes you happy because you are smelling that amazing scent, but remember that having someone get close enough to sniff you is also very sexy! (*Editors' Note: scented bath & body products are a subtle, substitutes for perfume and they don't have to be just florals. A recent study has found that people wearing the aroma of grapefruits were perceived as five to six years younger than they really were. For fun, try a citrus-scented hair enhancer such as the Citrus Lift line of shampoos, conditioners and styling products by Herbal Essences, reviewed in the Advice Sisters Fall "What Works" Cosmetics, Beauty & Fashion Review column-coming September 7th at http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html Watch for it!)
Question: What Flowers are Good Choices for Men, and if you Have Children or Pets?
Rebecca Cole: It's nice to choose flowers with specific meanings. In Victorian times, sending flowers like this allowed people to (subtly) express their feelings. IA recent study shows that receiving flowers makes people happy, and men like receiving them just as much as women. If you are sending flowers to a man, do send a note, and keep the arrangement, small. Men like bold, rich, colors and scent. Lavender, for example, has a compelling scent and a deep purple color. If you are leaving flowers in the home around little hands or big paws (pets and children) be careful not to select anything poisonous, or more commonly, with poisonous leaves. Lilies or anything with a strong, pungent scent would not be the best choice around small children as they may be more sensitive to strong scents or susceptible to asthma (*editors note - I would think this would be a good rule to follow when bringing flowers to someone who is ill, as well). Better choices are orchids, and herbal flowers.
Question: What Are Your Top Three Tips for Arranging Flowers?
Rebecca Cole: #1-keep a tight color palette. Choose no more than three colors. You wouldn't overload your clothes with too many colors, and it's the same with floral arrangements! Consider that nature keeps a tight color palette too. Most fields of wild flowers, for example, consist of only one or two colors in harmony with each other. #2-When in doubt, keep your arrangement, low. You want to look down on the heads of the flowers, as they're the prettiest part. #3-Repeat , Repeat, Repeat! Don't just use one purple flower or one tulip, use multiples --five purple flowers, five tulips, etc.
Question: How Can You Keep Flowers Fresher, Longer?
Rebecca Cole: The flower freshener packets you get from the florist are really good. If you get one, use it. They keep the bacteria out of the water. You can do this on your own by putting fresh water in a floral arrangement when you get it *you don't know how long the flowers have been sitting in it) and changing the water, daily. If you can, take the flowers out of the arrangement and cut the bottoms every two days How long an arrangement will last really depends upon a lot of factors. Some flowers will only last a few days, others a week to three weeks but try to keep them cool and out of the sun. Alas, the more expensive a flower is, the less likely it is to last a long time. The mass-marketed flowers have been cultivated for hardiness, but they lack the type of scent you'll find from garden flowers, for example. Out of sun, cool, maybe a week
Question: What Flower Is Your Personal Favorite?
Rebecca Cole: Lavender is not the most beautiful flower, but it is my personal favorite to work with, and scent-wise. It reminds me of France. It's calming and good for attracting good things into your life. I have burned lavender in my home to bring good things and inspire creativity. I always have it in my office and apartment. I like to mix it with other things. I like gardenias, too, but it's more like rich chocolate to me -- something you indulge in once or twice a month, but not every day.
Question: Rebecca, Any Additional Thoughts to share with Advice Sisters readers About Flowers?
Rebecca Cole: I'm just starting to design things (not just floral items) to sell. I started as a fashion designer so everything comes from that. Not everyone has a garden (my current apartment actually doesn't have one) but you can make your home look like you live in a garden, without actually having real flowers in the room. Start by using garden statues as accents. Scent your environment with scented candles and essential oils and spray your fabrics and linens with scent. Scent yourself with floral fragrances, perhaps one of Secret's new body sprays *Editors Note- get reviews of new home and personal-scent products in the upcoming Fall 2005 What Works Beauty & Fashion Review). Add large pictures of flowers to your walls, and flower pillows. No need to get frou frou ones if that's not your style. There are tons of hip, cool and mod florals as well. All this gives the illusion of a garden, without a single, true flower in sight. A great example of this is the garden at Versailles in France, filled with statues, fountains, trees, and topiaries, but no flowers. Yet, it's one of the most famous gardens in the world! It's easy to fill your home with flowers, without actually having to water them! To order flowers, purchase books and gift items from Rebecca Cole, or inquire about Rebecca's garden and design services: REBECCA COLE (p) 212 255 4797 (f) 212 243 2849 email: info@colecreates.com. Visit Rebecca Cole Creates: http://www.colecreates.com
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4. Travel Tips: Have More Fun on the Road (by Alison Blackman Dunham aka. "Advice Sister Alison"):
Travel is more stressful than it's ever been, airport delays, enhanced security checks, and fewer luxurious en route for the average traveler, Here a are a few, easy tips to make life more fun, "on the road":
Little Things Mean a Lot: Most savvy travelers have something special that they swear by when they travel. The top three? Masking tape, a travel alarm, and plastic "zip-top" bags in assorted sizes. Masking tape is a multi-purpose wonder to fix sagging hems, holding broken luggage together, shipping a box, even removing lint. Alarm clocks you know and can work beat the often confusing or complicated ones that you sometimes find in hotel rooms (and never seem to work right), and plastic bags great for everything from carrying potentially leaky tubes and bottles, to toting home a wet bikini after that last-minute swim. If you like to tote food items home (eg. spices), plastic bags are a must if you don't want your luggage smelling like a spice bazaar or a rum factory. If strange noises are keeping you awake bring a portable CD/mp3 player (don't count on your room always having one) and make sure you add relaxation music. I personally like sounds of the ocean-- it's the next best thing to a beach house or a balcony room overlooking the water.''
Don't Save The New Stuff: It is never clever to buy brand new clothes and gadgets specifically for a trip and "save" them until you are at your destination. You really don't want to use a new product (e.g. new suntan lotion or moisturizer) that you've never tried before, only to find that it makes you break out in hives, do you? Test everything at home before you pack it, unless you really are up for unpleasant surprises on the road! This is particularly true of new clothes. Clip the tags and try them on again. If you don't, you may find that the shirt or dress that fit you perfectly in the store is the wrong size or has a damage--but now you wonder what else you can wear since you didn't pack a spare! When it comes to shoes, be extra careful/ Murphy's law dictates that the first time you stand in new shoes you'll end up with aching feet or blisters, (and they're the only dress shoes you have that are appropriate, all week, of course).
A Touch Of Home: Aromatherapy products and scents of home bring luxury and relaxation to even the most road-weary traveler. Try to use scents that are designed to relax and calm you. Spray your sheets with a fabric scent, light a fragranced travel candle, or dab a bit of essential oil on your pulse points before sleep. *Editors Note-The upcoming Fall 2005 What Works Beauty & Fashion Review has reviews of little helpers for home & body.
Car Considerations - You can't wait to jump into your rented jag convertible with the top down and feel the wind in your hair--not so fast! Consider your car choice based not just on sex appeal but on the type of trip you're going on and the amount of luggage you will be carrying. If not, you may end up like the two couples who rented a racy sports car for a car trip to a remote area. They couldn't fit all their bags in the trunk so they had to leave them exposed in the back seat day and night. Worse, after driving away from the rental lot they discovered the owners manual was missing and they couldn't get the air conditioning to work. The rental company never answered the phone and they spent two hot, sticky days driving to the nearest location to exchange the car. Not fun, at all! For Alison's private, personal, online advice by email, chat room or phone, visit: http://www.advicesisters.net/getpersonaladvice3.html
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5. THE ADVICE SISTERS BOOK CLUB:
If you are looking to curl up with an easy read, "feel-good book for those shorter days and longer nights, I suggest Ideal Marriage by Peter Friedman (The Permanent Press, 2004). Get more information at: http://www.readidealmarriage.com It is a charming novel -- a little bit of "Sex and the City" with a distinctly male view, harkening back to the nifty fifties, when the term: "booty call" didnt' exist, the love scene on the beach in "From Here to Eternity" was considered racy, and sex was (mostly) reserved for marriage. The lack of overt sexual content is, in part, what makes this book is so enjoyable and refreshing. Set in New York City in 1957, the book follows the sexual education of 16-year old Andre Schulman as he learns about love, sex and marriage through the pages of a marriage manual he has secreted away from his parents' library. The marriage manual referenced is a genuine one written by a Dutch Gynecologist in the 1920's: Ideal Marriage: Its Physiology and Technique byTheodoor Hendrik Van de Velde. The main character, Andre, is naturally curious about sex (after all, he's 16!) and he's not completely virtuous in his pursuit of his own needs. Still, he maintains the romantic conviction that his sexual prowess should be honed not for lots of girls, but more importantly, to passionately please the woman he will eventually love and marry. The dialogue in the book, with others and as his personal thoughts, is nicely executed by Mr. Friedman. The story is touching. It feels real, and even if you were born into the world of rock videos, you'll still find a lot to relate to. Mr. Friedman writes with authority and elegance. You might just begin to believe again that love really does exist in more pure and expressive forms than the overt sexuality pushed so aggressively these days. I really enjoyed this fun, romantic tale that seems more grounded in reality than in reality TV, even though it is fiction. I give it four stars! *Join the Advicesisters Book Club - -it's free! You will get invitations to join special online chat events, add your comments to the Enews,help to select future book club selections, and meet like-minded others. To join, just Email: advicesisters@advicesisters.net and add BOOK CLUB in the subject line.
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