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THE HIGH PRICE OF CHEAP The Lessons of Tragedy
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Is your home summer ready? Find out how on page 42
Masthead
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Publisher Perspectives
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The Magazine For The Woman You Are Now
Contributors
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Right Up Front: Lesson’s From An Absent Father
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CONTENTS June June 2013 | Volume 4 | No. 6
Inspire A Life – The Gift of Fatherhood
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Inspire A Life - A Father’s Legacy
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Our Last Word… Our Best Word
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Article proposals and unsolicited articles may be sent to the editors at eloneditoral@gmail.com. E’LON© magazine cannot process unsolicited manuscripts or art material, and we assume no responsibility for their return. ©2013 E’LON LLC. All rights reserved. “E’LON”, “The Brands of E’LON”, “E’LON Magazine”, “IMAGES By E’LON” and “E’LON Cosmetics” are all trademarks of E’LON LLC, registered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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CONTENTS
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Better Living Get Your Home Summer Ready
42 Money, The Myth, The Mystery, The Power
46 Lives Living an uncluttered life: Control your finances
86 Get Away From It All Vacation at home this summer
88 What We’re Reading:
90 Film, TV, Video
91 On My IPad
92 An author goes In search of the myth, mystery and power of money. P. 46 On Our Cover Every Father’s Day we try to find a dad who is making it work. This year Shannon Maggitt is that dad. He’s a husband, dad, musician and model. Making it work requires attention to detail, creating a plan and then learning to enjoy the fruits of your labor with your family. In our tribute to dad’s this year we wondered what James Bond would look like as a dad and we think we found him in Shannon. Read more on this Role Model on p. 96
Photo: Yolanda Webb, Makeup Yolanda Webb, Styling Dwayne Johnson
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BEAUTY / FASHION Beauty Trends 5 Summer Essentials You Don’t Want To Miss
Shannon Maggitt, Husband, Dad, Role Model P. 96
48 Weekend Manicures Tips to get a great manicure at home
49 Photo: Folio Loni
Khosi Nkosi Attention to Detail
50 Summer Trends
Color Block 56 Chanel Resort 2014
60 9 to 5 Dressing From the Desk to Dinner
68 Style Playbook David Tlale FW 13
74 Hat Hair Summer Hats We Love
82 The High Cost of Cheap Learning our lessons through tragedy
94 Model Call Shannon Maggitt
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E’LON MAGAZINE The Money Issue Vol. 4.6 June 2013
E’LON LLC Publisher
Yolanda Webb
Editor in Chief / Editorial /Creative Director Sascha Butler Fashion / Beauty Editor Libby Moore, Accessories Writer Patel Bushar, Contributing Writer Fashion / Beauty
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Tanya Simpson, Contributing Features Editor Becca Moore, Contributing Writer Simone Haygood, Contributing Writer Allison Penny, Contributing Writer Odessa Rauls, Contributing Writer James Ray Photography Director James Morgan, Contributing Photographer Ricardo Mosquedo, Contributing Photographer Michael Smith, Contributing Photographer
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©2013 E’LON LLC ______________________________ E’LON Magazine’s April Issue is published annually by E’LON LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission of the publisher. E’LON Magazine will not be responsible for unsolicited materials. Photographers or IMAGES By E’LON own the rights to all photos used in this publication. Printed in the USA and the Netherlands. E’LON Magazine (ISSN 2156-4957 Print) (ISSN 2156-4965 Online) is published monthly by E’LON LLC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to E’LON Magazine Subscriber Services c/o elonmagazine@gmail.com Subscriptions: U.S.A., Digital $2.99; Print $5.99; Annual $29.99 (Print) Online Subscriber services available online at www.elonbrands.com; or by email at elonmagazine@gmail.com
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From The Publishers Desk
It rarely surprises me anymore to hear the stories of tragedy when factories in third world countries are rocked by fires, or faulty equipment. What does surprise me is that American businesses continue to do business with and in countries that care very little for their workers in order to make consumer goods for a public that cares very little about the welfare of the workers in those factories. Last month’s devastation at a factory in Bangladesh, which produced cheap, knock off designer originals sold to a hungry consuming, materialist public has generated a new and much needed dialogue. Yet, part of that dialogue has to include the consumer who is asking for cheap products like clothes so they can dress like or be like their favorite celebrity. In this month’s issue I wanted to explore the price we pay for cheap, as we put other people’s lives at risk for our insatiable desire to be like the ‘in crowd’. In The High Cost of Cheap on p. 94, I am exploring why we only learn our lessons through tragedy. Father’s Day is this month and for those dad’s that know what it means to be a father, their lives can take on a number of different roles. We imagined a dad that had the suave of James Bond, the looks of Shemar Moore, the personality of the every man (handy around the house and creative), and the caring and compassion of Mr. Roger’s. And we found him in model Shannon Maggitt. At over 6’9 Shannon commands a room the way he did our cover photo shoot. Find out why we think Shannon is making all the right moves, making a plan and ready to take on the world. Find his story in our Model Call on p. 96. And this month we’re exploring the power of money and the many myths associated with it. Perhaps its time to replace your myths with a big dose of reality. On p. 46 writer Ayana Sloan explores the many myths that keep us stuck in our lives and going around the same mountains forever trapped by the power of money. While we were at it we found ways to help you
Shannon Maggitt has big dreams, big plans and a big support system p. 100
take your work wardrobe from the desk to dinner with a few simple, chic and inexpensive pieces that you can mix and match with accessories. Read our story Desk to Dinner Beauty That Works on p. 68. Perhaps our own publication can be a bit hypocritical as we bring you all the fashions from our favorite designers. We hope to set a standard and only carry designers who understand that it is never okay to put profits before people. So look for many of our favorites who are always doing the socially responsible thing and run their own businesses from the perspective of creating beauty not at the expense of people’s lives.
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Yolanda Webb elonyolanda@gmail.com
THIS MONTH FROM
Contributors Follow us on Facebook to find STORIES OF Inspiring Women who change lives including their own.
They’ll reveal what they’ve learned along the journey to create the life they have always dreamed of.
Ayana Sloan has been an attorney for many years. From corporate businesses to non-profits she has seen what the myth, mystery and power that money can have on individuals and lives. In her article on p. 46 she explores Money: The Mythy, Mystery and Power.
Every season we can get bombarded by the latest in beauty that you should try. But Liz O’Donnell found six trends this summer that she says are absolute must have’s. Read her article on p. 48
When we asked Herman Knox to write another fascinating article for us we thought it would be something as compelling as his coverage on the Boston Bombing. But, he said he wanted to write something to help his daughter who was graduating from college and couldn’t find a job. He had been helping her do research. His research became the 20 Best Jobs for women Right Now on pg. 97 E’LON Magazine/31
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RIGHT UPFRONT… Did You Know? Lessons From An Absent Father
Boston University student Olivia Culpo, Miss USA, was crowned Miss Universe Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
“As Father’s Day approaches I look forward to it no longer with dread. When you’re the kid in class whose dad can’t come to dad’s day at school you learn to hate Father’s Day. My children have taught me to embrace what being a dad really means.” Contributed by Alex Harper
I use to hate Father’s Day. That day when many dads receive presents and cards simply for being dad. A day many dads receive tiny handprints from school or horrid neckties that are never worn for simply being one thing…dad. What I learned as a kid was that my dad didn’t have to be absent from the house to be an absent dad. My dad was fully present and took up a lot of presence in our house. Every day he went to work for a non-profit that asked nothing of him except to watch the patients so they didn’t leave the floor. Each evening he came home from that job and sat in front of the television. If we interrupted his TV viewing he’d wave his hand and ask couldn’t we see that he was watching TV? My mom the breadwinner in our home worked two jobs. She had graduated from college and was a nurse by day and she taught at a community college at night. Because of this we spent more time with dad than mom. But, as I said I learned a lot from my dad who although fully present in our house was far less active in our lives. Every function at school that required a parent to attend he would be fully parked in front of the television and say, “Nah I’m not going to that.” Even if mom asked him he refused to attend any school function. While close friends knew I had a dad
many wondered if I did. Dad didn’t go with us to church on Sunday, nor did he attend family functions outside our home. My sister and I became somewhat use to the fact that our dad had no idea of how to function as a dad in our lives. It was because his own dad had been MIA for so many years in his own life and, secondly because while the idea of marriage had appealed to him, having children wasn’t. Our mom more than made up for our dad’s lack of attention. She lavished love and more on us. And she encouraged us to have a relationship with our dad anyway. Each Father’s day she would buy gifts for us to give to dad. That is until I turned fourteen and refused to give him a gift. What I learned about being a dad…I actually learned from my father. I am an active participant in my daughter’s lives. I attend every extracurricular activity I can and I make sure that they understand that I want to be there. My wife and I take turns volunteering at sporting events they are involved in and we have a sit down dad and kids time at least once a week. I want them to know what being a dad and a man really means. I don’t want you to think I hate my dad…I don’t. He had no role models. He comes by almost every week now to spend time with our girls because he says I’ve taught him how to be a really good granddad. For that I’m grateful. - AH E’LON Magazine/33
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Inspire A Life Gift of Fatherhood Early Sunday Morning The floor boards would creak as he walked by Carrying the weight of his long, lanky frame On his way under a clear early morning sky His paper thrown from the boy with great aim.
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Paper, paper the boy would yell As I pulled the covers over my head Wanting to sleep just a bit more pray tell And dad would holler get up from that bed. Sunday morning rituals were always the same Rise before dawn in the still of the hour
On your desktop, on your phone, on your Ipad, in your home.
The Sunday paper funnies he’d say calling my name Early Sunday mornings filled with prayer and power. Stillness came that Sunday morning The floor boards they creaked no more A quiet echo of a bike riding slowly in mourning Paper, paper whispered the boy riding by our door.
www.elonbrands.com E’LON Magazine “The magazine for the woman you are now”
I miss early Sunday mornings with my dad As I walk by my son’s door And shout to the paperboy no longer sad Paper, paper as he lobs it across the door. Yolanda Webb ©2013
Inspire A Life
My Father’s Legacy
I was all of twenty when my wife and I announced to our families that we were having a baby. We had been married just under ten months so in doing the math we got pregnant on our honeymoon. We were both attending community college, held full time jobs and had just moved into our very first apartment. With very little savings, to say that we were not prepared to become parents this soon would be an understatement. When we talked about it my wife would cry. We had both made plans for what we wanted and having a child really hadn’t been factored into that in the current timetable. My wife wanted to become a Social Worker and I saw myself finishing up and opening my own graphic design business. All we could see now was putting our dreams on hold as we would be faced with a
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By Mike R. Stone
child to raise. Our parents were supportive and helpful. But, none so much as my dad. As a kid growing up my dad and I would take the boat out and fish for hours but we would rarely talk on these outings. Oh we would talk about the fish, the lake, how I was doing in school. But we didn’t really talk. I loved my dad but he wasn’t much of a conversationalist and he never talked about feelings or emotions. He had married my mom while he was on leave one year from the military. They had dated off and on in high school and had gone their separate ways after high school graduation. Or so I had always been led to believe. “Let’s take the boat out,” he announced to me a few days after my wife and I had told our
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families about the pregnancy. So early one Saturday morning he and I loaded up the truck and hitched the boat to the back and headed for the lake. In a way I was looking forward to the quiet so I could think about what to do about school, the baby and a bigger apartment. As my dad and I pushed out from the dock and the boats motor the only sound we could hear on the lake in the pitch dark of the early morning sky, I watched the sun far off in the East slowly begin to rise.
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“You know I don’t think as a man you are ever ready to have a baby,” my father announced out of nowhere. I turned to look at him because I was use to facing away from him as we fished in the quiet. In the next two hours I would grow to know more about my Father than I had in the twenty years I had been living. My own birth as he announced had not been planned. My mom was pregnant which is why he went into the military. He came home shortly after enlisting to get married, but they had always told people they had been married a year before they actually had been in order to hide the out of wedlock stigma. I learned that day about my dad’s dreams of one day becoming a great writer. Something he had put off when he had gone into the army to work in Army communications instead. He had become a career military man providing the kind of life’s security that is often afforded to military families when there are no combat zones to worry about. My father, this great man was also a great thinker. He had written books he told me that day, that he had never had published, opting for the security of the military life instead. He wanted me to take a different path and meet my dreams and my challenges head on he told me that day. Two days after my fishing trip with my father he had a stroke and lived for another week. He would never get to see his grandson. But the lessons and legacy he passed along that day I will pass along to my son. Today I wrote a letter to my son to be opened the day he graduates from college even if I am still around. I wanted to pass along the legacy of his grandfather this great man whose manuscripts I am still pouring over in the hopes to have them published if for no one else other than my son and perhaps one day his own son. My dad taught me on the
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lake that morning in the still of the hour these things:
The Power of A Woman
1. Don't let having a child stop your momentum...finish what you started, as long as it doesn't interfere with your ability to be a good dad. Your child is going to need your time and attention and should be your first priority but education has come a long way and now there are entire degrees that you can get on the internet or through local campuses. Your child will need to see you go after your dreams in order for him to go after his own.
“What is justice? I don’t know if I can answer that. Let me say this …an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
2. Understand that you are not giving up your life. You are exchanging it for a different kind of life. You can still hang out with friends…just try to find friends that will now have things in common with you and your child like playing ball or going fishing. 3. Play with your kids. Play not only allows them to bond with you, but serves as a vehicle for teaching both physical and social skills as well. Play socializes, exercises and satisfies kids. They will get to know you not just as dad through play but also as a lifelong friend as well. 4. Instructing your children does not require you to yell at them. It requires teaching them the principles of right and wrong and standing up for your principles but never forcing those principles on another person. 5. Allow your children to make mistakes and explore their creativity. If they want to play ball great. If they don’t great. 6. Life will present a lot of stress to you as a young dad. Don’t take that stress out on your kids. They are the ones that can give you joy even in the sad times. I miss my father but his legacy will live on in me and now in my son. I wish my dad and I had more opportunities to talk like we did that last time out fishing. But, that one day made up for a lifetime of quiet times on the lake. My father shared with me what was in his heart and I have learned to share what is in my heart with my son.
Michael R. Stone, freelance writer, author, graphic artist and all around geek guy living in Minneapolis, MN.
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BETTER LIVING
Is Your Home Summer Ready Contributed by Becca Moore Edited by Tanya Simpson
You’ve been ready for summer since January, but what about your house? While many of us do the appropriate spring cleaning by moving sweaters and bulky coats to the attic or storage we rarely think about getting our homes ready for summer. How you might ask do we actually get our homes ready for summer. Here are a few reminders from to help you get your home prepped and ready for the season—inside and out.
3. Lighten up your linen and use bright color linens now. Swap warm flannel sheets and heavy duvet covers for lighter linens with a high threadcount. Choose solid, light colors to give the whole room a breezy feel (our favorites are yellow, light blue and even green). A simple, thin coverlet should be enough to keep you warm during the summer months.
1. Let fresh air fill your home by opening your windows, and place a houseplant next to your bathroom sink to help filter the air. Some of the best air-cleaning houseplants are snake plants, spider plants, English ivy, and small-leafed rubber plants.
4. Clean your fridge in preparation for fresh fruits and veggies. Your fridge holds onto lots of smells. The last thing you want is to have your fresh strawberries smelling and tasting like old celery as odors and taste can transfer to fresh fruits and veggies and odors in the fridge linger. Give your fridge a good cleaning… A summer without cold drinks on hand is no summer at all. Do a thorough cleaning on your fridge inside and out (consult your owner’s manual to learn how to clean the fridge’s coils).
2. So if you didn’t Spring Clean that closet you might just want to do it now. You’ve waited all winter-long to ditch your heavy coat and boots. Don’t let these items take up precious bathing suit, sundress, and flip flop space in your closet.
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5. Many people will be entertaining out-of-town friends this summer, and if your guest room hasn’t been touched since Christmas, you may want to spruce it up a bit. Open windows and closet doors for a few hours to air out the room. Fluff pillows and duvets by placing them in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet on air dry (no heat). 6. Clean your patio furniture - Rinse off your patio furniture, and top lounge chairs and porch swings with colorful, stylish, and durable outdoor fabrics. New outdoor upholstery complements your yard while creating inviting spaces to sit and relax. You can also use outdoor fabrics to create romantic curtains around a patio or other outdoor space.
9. Install Ceiling Fans…if you have them clean them. You may not be able to get through the month of May without running your air conditioner—let alone June, July, and August—but don’t discount the value of a ceiling fan. Set fan blades to revolve counterclockwise, which forces the hotter air near the ceiling to mix with the lower, cooler air, leveling out the room temperature. 7. Make outdoor furniture relaxing for entertaining Reinvent your deck by finding a great table and set of chairs for dining alfresco. Make your outdoor meal even more special by using real plates and silverware, and decorating with candles. 8. Get the pool ready now - As much fun as having a pool is, maintaining one is no picnic. However, if you want to enjoy your backyard swimming hole all summer long, it is essential to monitor pH and chlorine levels. Failure to do so can result in bacteria growth, faded bathing suits, and irritated eyes.
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10. Clean your garage. Did you know junk in the garage can cause the garage to maintain heat in the hot months and this heats up your home more in the summer each time you go in and out of the garage from inside the house?
Becca Moore is a freelance writer living in Santa Fe, New Mexico
BETTER LIVING Money: The Myth, The Mystery, The Power Ayana Sloan, Esq
Here we go again! Talking about that illusive concept called money. Thousands of articles, self-help books and get rich quick schemes have been written about money and how to get more of it. People are obsessed with money. It has been called everything from the root of all evil to the answer to all things. Money represents many things to many people. It represents power, prestige, security, wealth and even love. Songs have been written about it, and wars have been fought to get more of it. Yet, no matter how much of it or how little of it people have, money still seems to be this illusive thing that drives the rich to construct elaborate mechanisms to protect it while the poor risk their lives to get it. Day after day, we are bombarded with concerns about money. It is on the lips of everyone from the White House to the poor house. As the lyrics in a popular song recorded by the O'Jays in the 70's, entitled "For the Love of Money� explains, money is a small piece of paper that carries a lot of weight. The haunting lyrics in the classic anthem about money warns us that some people are so convinced they "got to have it" they will even steal from their own mother and rob their brother to get it. No one seems to be immune to the allure of money. It has
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this mystical power to rule over and ruin the lives of almost anyone regardless of race, social class or education. Even though money actually has no real intrinsic value, many people are willing to rob, steal, kill and virtually destroy their own lives to have it. In order to fully explore the myth, mystery and power behind the concept of money, I need to define what I mean when I use the term money. Money is actually nothing more than a medium of exchange for obtaining goods and services. Because most of us don't grow our own food, make our own clothes, manufacture our own cars or build our own houses, we need a standard way to purchase the goods and services we need. To facilitate the free trade of domestic goods and services, the United States has established a system of what is known as legal tender, which is nothing more than some form of paper currency with a pre-set value. In America, the value of our legal tender used to be based on a gold standard, which we have not been on since around 1971. Once the United States abandoned the gold standard, the value of our paper currency became basically worthless except for the value it gets from the demand for the goods and services in our economy. At this point, one might ask, If the legal tender we rely so heavily on is basically worthless, why does money have so much power over the lives of so many people?
Clearly, the real power of money is not in the currency itself but in what it represents. Money has taken on a life and identity of its own. It has become synonymous with all of the dreams, desires and wishes that people have for their lives. Money is no longer simply a medium of exchange. Money is now imbued with the ability to heal us, set us free, mend our broken hearts and give us the illusion of immortality or perpetual youthfulness. Because we live in a consumer society, we are constantly bombarded with messages telling us the kind of life we could have if we only had the right house, the right car, the right make-up, the right man or woman, and on and on ad infinitum. We are told we could have the happiness, the peace, the joy and the "success" we desire if we would just purchase the "shinny", allpowerful product in front of us. We are hypnotized into believing that everything we are seeking in life can be obtained by making the right purchase or spending the requisite amount of money, so money and/or the ability to make purchases has become synonymous with our happiness, our peace and our success. Consequently, money has morphed from a simple means of purchasing the goods and services we need into this all-powerful, all-healing, life-giving force that will bring us everything we need or desire. If that job description sounds a little familiar to anyone, it is probably because, in many ways, people have begun to look at and think about money the way people used to think about God or an all-powerful deity. In some very subtle ways, money now posses many of the same attributes people used to attribute to a deity. People used to turn to a deity for healing, security, blessings and certainty in life. Now, they turn to money. Having said that, I am not here to criticize or judge anyone, but it is worth thinking about. Have we unconsciously empowered money as the "answer to all things"? Do we actually believe that, if we only had enough money, all of our problems would be solved? There is possibly no simple answer to either of those questions because how most of us think about or see money is primarily based on how our families dealt with or used money.
In fact, although we were not aware of it, all of us received some very strong messages early in life about money and the role it could or should play in our lives. For instance, If our family believed that money represents power and prestige, we will tend to want money, so we can feel valued and important. If our families used money as a way to show love, we will tend to want money, so we can buy love. If our families believed there was never enough money, we will tend to believe money is scarce regardless of how much money we have. For instance, If our family believed that money represents power and prestige, we will tend to want money, so we can feel valued and important. If our families used money as a way to show love, we will tend to want money, so we can buy love. If our families believed there was never enough money, we will tend to believe money is scarce regardless of how much money we have. In my own family, I received mixed messages about money. My father's parents were well established business owners who invested in real estate and lived very well. Continued on p. 103 E’LON Magazine/47
BEAUTY / FASHION
Summer Trends By Liz O’Donnell
5 Trends You Don’t Want to Miss
The look of the Great Gatsby The Roaring ‘20s Return Prepare for the comeback of twenties-inspired bobs and Marcel waves, all lit up on the big screen in the much-anticipated release of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (finally!).
Off To See The Wizard Pantone announced emerald as the color of the year for 2013 and teamed up with Sephora once again to release limited-edition makeup and accessories in the christened hue. And lest you have any hesitation about using it as an eyeliner, it’s perfectly on trend with the colorful eye looks seen on the spring runways. E’LON Gel Eye Paint in Lucky Anti-aging hair – of course For hair that’s youthful as a teenager, companies like Pantene and Nexxus are rolling out antiaging shampoos, conditioners and treatment sprays with ingredients normally found in age-reversing skin creams, such as Argan oil, vitamin E and panthenol. Rinse, wash and repeat for younger, lusher strands.
Beauty enhancing jeans It might sound like a stretch, but Wrangler is reportedly infusing cosmetic benefits into the fabric of their new Denim Spa Therapy for Legs collection—think aloe vera and olive extracts to soothe the skin and anti-cellulite technology to boost circulation. Yes, really.
BB Creams - We know you're probably sick of hearing about these bad boys, but the fact of the matter is BB creams are here to stay. As evidenced by a slew of new launches in the mass and prestige markets, expect to see variations on BB's for different types of skin, as well as new textures like gels and solid compacts, plus the addition (finally!) of shades that actually work Marc Jacobs for women of color. Our favorite in the category is E’LON’s BB Versace (Beauty Balance Crème) of course
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BEAUTY / FASHION
Baggage Claim Hands Down Get A Great Home Manicure There is an art to doing your nails at home. Just ask anyone who has ever done it right…and you’ll know what we mean. A great home manicure is more than simply choosing the right color for your nails. It’s about how to get a great manicure that last longer, isn’t all over your nail bed and doesn’t leave your nails looking like you filed them with a saw. So we went to Manicurist Eileen Shields to ask for advice. As my kids would say, “Who knew” all the little wonderful tips I received to make my nails look great at a great price.
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Make sure they are completely dry (filing wet nails can cause splitting). File your nails in one direction starting at the edges and moving toward the top. Rounded nails (mirroring the shape of your cuticle) is the look of today and actually make your hands look more elegant.
Wipe nails with a damp cloth to remove excess oils.
2 Apply a rich hand cream or oil (we like Jojoba oil). Then, soak your nails in warm, soapy water for five minutes to soften the cuticles. (I learned that Baby Bath makes a great soapy soak for cuticles).
3 Dot a cuticle cream on the cuticles and rub in. Push back your cuticles with a wet nail stone or orange wood cuticle stick (available at drug stores). Be sure not to clip cuticles (they protect nails from infection).
4 Massage hands with a hand lotion for extra moisture
6 Apply a base coat. Let dry for one minute. It helps the color go on smoothly and last longer.
7 Apply two thin coats of a color that compliments your skin tone (color on nails is just like eye or lip color against the skin) and wait a couple of minutes after each hand. Use three strokes on each nail—on either side of the nail, then a swipe of color across the tip to prevent chips.
8 Apply a Top Coat and clean up any smudges with an orange stick and polish remover.
(Tip: Polish your dominant hand first.)
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Heard It Through The Grapevine
Attention to Detail KHOSI NKOSI Inspired dressing by what the brands essence stands for: Strong, African, Modern, Nubile women that loves and respects herself and pays attention to detail.
Photos: SDR Photo
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BEAUTY / FASHION
BEAUTY / FASHION Color Block
Summer is all about color and the more color the better. So there is no need this summer to stop at one color add pops of color to your summer dress wardrobe. We like the dresses our models CC and Melissa wore at the Levitt Shell in Memphis, Tennessee where outdoor summer concerts are held. Go from playful to elegant with a strappy heel and nice throw to watch a concert in the cool evening air.
Photo Credit: Folio Loni
Photo Credit: Folio Loni
Photo Credit: Michael Smith, Monday Monday Photography
Photo Credit: Michael Smith, Monday Monday Photography
BEAUTY/FASHION
Chanel Resort 2014
E’LON Cosmetics For The Many Shades of Beauty We Are. www.elonbrands.com
NEW E’LON MINERAL FOUNDATION THE POWER OF LASTING BEAUTY Begins and ends with great skin. And great skin requires great makeup. Our new mineral formula foundations are all natural and free of ingredients that can irritate your skin. These exceptional powders are lightweight and provide long lasting coverage to give a luminous glow, reduce the appearance of fine lines and create a natural finish.
Available in 6 true to you shades.
E’LON Cosmetics is a registered trademark of the E’LON© Company. www.elonbrands.com
DESK TO DINNER You’ve got a full work day ahead and dinner plans for the evening. Do you know what to wear to the office that can take you from the desk to dinner without looking under or over dressed for either? We sent our stylist team in search of the best desk to dinner styles for you this season. Story Jessica Taylor Photography James Ray
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As a wife, mother and career woman I often find myself racing against the clock. Typically with my job there are dinner meetings which leave me with barely enough time to get home help with homework and tuck the kids into bed. I never seem to have enough time and the last thing I find myself thinking about is my wardrobe on any given morning and what to wear for a planned dinner meeting with clients later. Well, I’ve come up with a few simple solutions that take me from my desk to drinks or dinner with clients. Here’s one look we too from desk to dinner with a few easy pieces. 1. Keep wardrobe essentials on hand. This means a nice pair of black pants (I have three pair) in your closet. They are easy to mix and match. For the office add a blazer and nice silk shirt tucked in at the waist. For dinner ditch the jacket, untuck the shirt and add a waist belt to make the look ever so chic. 2. Also this season’s cardigan sweaters come in some of my favorite colors. Opt for the seasons bold new colors and spice up your look with a yellow or orange cardigan. For dinner keep the cardigan and add in jewelry like a twisted pearl necklace and matching bracelet. 3. While classic pumps for the office go well with black pants and a blazer for after work dinners take your look to another level. Stash a pair of sleek Charles David’s in your bag and pair with a clutch purse and your look says powerful and stylish.
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requires you to look at a computer screen all day. Having glue on and around your eyes for that length of time causes dryness. Leave the lashes for going out for the evening. Add a touch of highlighter or a light eye shadow on the brow bones and the inner corners of your eyes to brighten up your face after a long day. Add a fresh coat of mascara and if you need to add a bit of camouflage cream around tired and puffy eyes. 3. Sweep your cheek, chin and forehead (and cleavage) with a bit of bronzer. The trick is not to look like you just stepped in out of the sun but to add a pop of color that catches in the light at most restaurant dinner tables. Speaking of restaurants did you know most of the lighting is strategic. So play up your eyes. If you wear barely there color to work on your eyes try a smoky eye by dabbing a bit of dark shadow in the outer corners of each eye (I like dark greens and dark blue and grey for a great smoky eye look). 4. Nothing takes a look from desk to dinner like a bold lip. Avoid the maintenance factor of lip gloss, and opt for the easy application and staying power of matte lipstick. Choose bold reds (a power color), matte pinks or one of the season’s orange hues.
And finally before you shut down that computer and head out the door hop over into the bathroom and create a dramatic and flattering eye, lip and hair look that says you are ready for a great dinner meeting. 1. Refresh your face. Being stuck inside an office all day can leave your skin feeling dry and looking a little lackluster. Bring life back to your skin with a facial mist. 2. Add in lashes. If you tell me you wear lashes to work that’s a no no especially if your work
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5. The air in most office environments is often dry. This causes your hair to go limp and flat. Pump up the volume on your hair. Whether straight or natural, curly or braided give your hair a good tussle, spray your favorite root lifter (I like Sachajuan Volume Powder) and brush or comb through your hair. Now you’re ready to go from desk to dinner with the right wardrobe and makeup to fit into your busy schedule. Jessica Taylor is a freelance writer and wardrobe stylist living and working in Miami Fla. She writes frequently on fashion and beauty.
Fashion / Beauty
David Tlale F/W 13
STYLE PLAYBOOK
Photo Credit: SDR Photo
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ACCESSORIZE
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We went in search of the best summer hats we love and need to protect us from the sun’s harsh rays. From top left: 1. Alexandra Sky Floppy Beach Hat 2. Old Navy Western Hat; 3. Wide Brim available at Nordstrom; 4. ASOS White Fedora; 5. Straw Hat available at Macy’s; 6. Straw Fedora; 7. ASOS Wide Brim Floppy Hat.
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LIVES
U
nclutter Your Life
What You Need To Know To Control Your Financial Destiny
If you’re not in control of your money and living in debt, then someone else is. That someone is usually your creditors. Each month they control your every decision from what you can buy to how much you can spend of the money you have worked hard for each and every day. While they don’t get up and go to work for you they reap your benefits and rewards. And if you're not in control of your money, you can't be in control of your life. This month we sought out a few experts to ask what you can do right now to regain the power to control your financial destiny. 1. Change your attitude towards money. Most women are either afraid of money or have a prince charming/sugar daddy relationship with money. Money allows you to make choices pure and simple. No matter how much or how little you have of it. But, starting today you must be convinced that you can and you will learn how to make your money work for you and not against you. Put a plan together. Quite honestly you don’t need a financial planner. You need you. Learning about money is just like learning about anything else. Stop telling yourself, “I’m not really good with money,” and get good with money.
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2. You are a leader on so many levels. You’re active in the church or your social organization and others tend to come to you for advice. So turn the tables and be your own advice giver. Trust yourself when making important money decisions. Don’t make them without taking a step back and asking, ‘do you need it and why.’ Or ask yourself will the purchase improve your life and can you do without it. Don’t operate your life on what your friends are doing. A big part of trusting yourself is your ability to say no when it is in your best interest. 3. Teach yourself the basics of money management. Go online and look up free programs like SmartMoney. 4. Starting today learn to pay yourself first. This does not mean you treat yourself to a manicure or a new weave. No this means that you set aside at least a good five or ten percent of your paycheck as an emergency fund. And that means a real emergency fund. Like getting sick or losing a job that you might have to prepare for.
5. Learn to understand that your most powerful wealth-building tool is your income. Until you get control and full use of your income you will continue to live paycheck to paycheck. In order to unclutter your life you will have to regain control of your income. When we fail to plan, we plan to fail. And living paycheck to paycheck is a sure way to fail.
LIVES
Summer Vacation At Home Making Your Home the Destination Vacation
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It’s your turn to host the family for summer vacation. You’ve cleaned out the pool and been to the grocery to stock the fridge and freezer. Yet, making your guest feel like they are on a true summer vacation takes a bit more work to make your guest comfortable. Here are a few tips to make certain this becomes so much more of a great vacation for your guest.
player/clock radio is nice. Tune it to a public channel or whatever station plays your guest's favorites. Just be sure all alarms are off. Purchase a few night-lights that automatically come on in a dark room. Place them in baths, halls, and the kitchen in case someone gets the midnight
Provide a good mattress. This will be the one
munchies.
place your guests spend hours, and a comfortable bed keeps them refreshed and happy. Top a firm
Make space. Keep the closet empty or at least tidy
mattress with an eggcrate pad or, for more luxury, a
with a few feet available for hanging clothes. Include
down feather bed.
hangers with clips for skirts or pants. If the closet is seldom used, add cedar blocks or dehumidifying
Outfit the bed with fine linens. Not only do sheets
crystals to avoid musty odors. The closet is a good
with a thread count of 250 or higher feel better, but
place to store a spare ironing board and small steam
also they'll wear longer with repeated washings. Buy
iron. After guests leave, empty the iron of any water.
100 percent cotton for more comfort--it breathes and won't pill (which feels like sand or cracker crumbs).
Provide a clean, unisex bathrobe for guests who
Don't forget an extra blanket for chilly nights.
want to avoid the pajama-party look in the kitchen at breakfast.
Consider who usually comes to visit: If it's mostly couples, one large bed would make sense. If it's
Stock the bath with a basket of new toiletries that
singles or kids, twin beds offer more flexibility.
guests might have forgotten to pack--toothbrush and toothpaste, razor and shaving cream, shampoo,
Freshen the room by opening windows and closets
lotion, sunscreen, pain relievers.
for a few hours. Fluff pillows and duvets by placing them in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet on air
Don't forget the little ones. Have colorful towels
dry (no heat).
and beach blankets on hand to protect carpets from spills. Purchase age-appropriate books to help kids
Bedside tables should hold reading lamps and
wind down from an exciting day.
current magazines, but leave space for whatever the guest wants to keep there. As another thoughtful
Pack a visitor's bag in case your guests spend time
gesture, include a few local postcards (with proper
sightseeing on their own. Include a local map (with
postage affixed) and a good pen.
great restaurants and interstate exits highlighted), car snacks, and a disposable camera.
Add something personal. On a dresser or bedside table, include such memorable touches as flowers
Set up a TV and VCR. Keep a variety of movies
and photos of you and your guest.
nearby for rainy days or quiet time.
Offer an easy-to-operate clock. A combination CD
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What We’re Reading It’s 1943. As air-raid sirens blare in Japanese-occupied Taiwan, eight-year-old Saburo walks through the peach forests of Taoyuan. The least favored son of a Taiwanese politician. The Third Son tells the story of lives governed by the inheritance of family and the legacy of culture, and of a young man determined to free himself from both.
For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return. This landmark book opens up an approach to success that has the power to transform not just individuals and groups, but entire organizations and communities
On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war. Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she? Darkly comic, startlingly poignant, and utterly original -- this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best.
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FILM, TV, VIDEO
On DVD/Netflix The Hunger Games – Based on the best-selling book, 16year-old Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games.Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson
On Television The Killing – Season three of The Killing will focus on a new case which will be resolved over the course of 12 episodes. The season begins one year after the close of the Rosie Larsen case (the focus of The Killing's first two seasons), with Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) no longer working as a Seattle homicide detective. But when her ex-partner Stephen Holder's (Joel Kinnaman) search for a runaway girl leads him to discover a gruesome string of murders that may connect to a previous murder investigated by Linden, she is drawn back into the life she thought she'd left
behind.
At The Movies Star Trek: Into The Darkness - After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.
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Alpha Riff, From Beta to Alpha Riff
Darius Rucker, True Believer
On My iPad
Phyllis Hyman, Somewhere in my lifetime
Blake Shelton, Base On A True Story
SMART TALK
The High Cost of Cheap
Story by Yolanda Webb Editor-in-Chief
Some Western businesses are evaluating where their products are made after more than 500 people died in the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Bangladesh. Thousands more were rescued from the debris of the crumbled building. Workers are still sorting through the wreckage and uncovering more deceased workers with each layer of concrete in the nine-story building. The failure to enforce the “labor standards” provisions of the various free-trade agreements that the United States has entered into over decades of trade has allowed the proliferation of substandard, poorly monitored factories such as Rana Plaza, where cracks were ignored and fire-safety doors were locked. And while jobs created by these free-trade agreements have allowed workers in Bangladesh (and, by inference, elsewhere in the region) to enjoy raised living standards and provide them with much-needed “access to jobs, I think as Americans we must ask ourselves if $37 per month is a satisfactory moral balance sheet in order to justify our bargain-driven desire for cheap goods regardless of the ethical price paid. These underpaid and unprotected workers are doing jobs that used to be done in the United States at better pay and with better benefits. Unions were a significant force here in ensuring that safety standards were met and that fair pay was received. This important role is one that multinationals want to avoid by moving jobs elsewhere.
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As soon as news broke last month about the factory collapse in Bangladesh, where at least 500 garment workers died, government and industry officials vowed not to allow that kind of tragedy to ever happen again. But think back to last year—when the same kind of tragedy happened in the same country: a fire in a factory with no fire exits and faulty safety equipment killed 112 people. At the time, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solís compared it to the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in the United States in 1911, a tragedy that killed 146 mostly young, female garment workers and prompted sweeping changes in U.S. factories. But in Bangladesh, sweeping changes did not happen. After the 2012 fire, most Western companies, even while pledging to improve working conditions in the Bangladeshi factories where their products are made, rejected the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement, a union-sponsored proposal to improve safety throughout Bangladesh’s $19 billion garment industry. Instead, they have stuck to a piecemeal approach of ineffectual private audits and inspections by a government aligned with Bangladeshi industrialists, the very people for whom the safety of workers making $38 a month is less a matter of morality than production. American retailers for the most part are still weighing whether
to sign on to a factory-safety pact endorsed by major European retailers. Workers rights groups are pressing retailers to sign a five-year factory safety contract. The Italian retailer Benetton, recently announced that it had signed the accord. PVH, which makes the Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Izod brands, signed the pact last year, the only American company to sign on so far. The agreement requires companies to allow tough inspections of factories they use and to contribute to a fund to improve factory safety. Other major American retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Gap, have held off on signing the pact thus far. The Swedish retailer H&M and Spanish retailer Inditex, owner of the Zara chain, both of which have U.S. stores, have signed the agreement, along with some half-dozen other European retailers. We get what we pay for, as they say—but with a twist. When we buy cheap, we may save a few dollars, but the cost goes elsewhere, and eventually cheapness comes back to haunt us. Which is why we might just want to stay abreast of international human rights, because even if we avoid it, someone somewhere is paying the price. - YW
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Model Call 18
Shannon Husband, Father, Musician, Model
Shannon Maggitt (pronounced magic) is the hardest working model I’ve met. His dedication on set come through in his willingness to talk through each shot. On set this day as we attempted to capture the essence of this ‘James Bond’ like six feet eight man with a plan I got to know him a bit better. This thirty-six year old father of two amazing children has been married to his beautiful wife for 11 years. I had the chance to ask him about what he’d like to get out of his modeling career. Shannon: I recently decided to pick back up on modeling, a passion I have always had but pushed to the side during my college years, then having kids and taking care of my family became my first priority. Now that I am more stable I am giving it another shot. The main thing I want is my kids to see is that it’s never too late or you never get to old to dream. I want them to know that if they are passionate about something to never give up on it. People tend to put a time or age limit on a career or goal in life. Hopefully I can inspire them in a way that shows them even if they don’t accomplish something in the time they wanted or planned on that doesn’t mean they have failed. I often think back to my high school years and the fact that I never ran track. I thought about it every season until finally I graduated, it was too late. I think losing every race would have been better that regretting not even trying. I want my children to know that as long as they always put fourth their best effort they will always be winners and daddy is always here for them no matter what they decide to do in life. Story By: Yolanda Webb Photo Credits: Folio Loni and James Maddog Morgan
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Photo Credit: James Maddog Morgan
Continued from page 47
From that side of my family, l received the message that, if I worked hard, I could have my own business and live a good life. Unfortunately, I received a very different message from my mother. My mother worked very hard, but never had anything because she gave it all away. My mother would give away her last penny even if it meant she didn't have enough left for herself. Some might say my mother was very generous, but, looking back on her life, I actually think she didn't believe she deserved to have anything. Thus, I ended up with two irreconcilable concepts about money. I started my own law firm and worked hard just like my paternal grandparents, but I often did too much for people in order to avoid feeling selfish and greedy. On the one hand, money was my key to freedom and a good life, but it was also the albatross around my neck keeping me from enjoying the fruits of my labor. Until I realized the hidden messages I had received about money, I didn't know how it had influenced so many of the decisions in my life. I wanted to have money, so I could live like my grandparents lived. I wanted to live in a certain neighborhood, to drive a certain kind of car and to be accepted by a certain social group. In order to do those things, I had to have money, and I was willing to work hard to get it. I never asked myself whether or not those things would make me happy, I just assumed they would because I was trying to duplicate the life my grandparents had, which I unconsciously equated with happiness. Unfortunately, none of those things made me happy. I hated the work I was doing, and the life I was living. Many of the people in my profession and social class are disconnected and spend their entire lives chasing the dollar. They use money, power, prestige and the trinkets they buy as a substitute for love, real self worth and a genuinely meaningful life. Ironically, when I finally found peace and began to live a truly meaningful life, I was as far away from the legal profession and the life I used to live as one could get. With a University of Michigan law school degree and 20 years of legal experience, I was working part-time for my brother in a daycare center when I finally broke free from all of my mixed messages about money. . I was making $20.00 an hour compared to the $250.00 an hour I made as an attorney. During that time, I discovered some wonderful things about myself and life.
One of the main things I discovered is that I really like myself. I don't like myself because I am "successful" or live in the right neighborhood or belong to the right social group. I like myself because I am an amazing human being. I admire and respect my character, my infectious sense of humor and ability to truly connect with other human beings. Naturally, because I no longer had the income I used to have, I had to make some adjustments in my lifestyle. Among other things, I learned to shop at Nordstrom's Rack instead of Nordstrom's Department Store. I learned how to pack a nutritious lunch instead of spending $20.00 or $30.00 dollars on fine cuisine. I also learned to appreciate driving my 12 year old BMW even though it has a few scratches on the driver’s side where someone hit my car and kept going because it is fully paid for. Now, I am not saying that anyone needs to walk away from his o her prestigious job or go broke in order to learn what I have learned I have my own journey to travel, and there are reasons why I have had to travel on this path. However, I am encouraging each of you to take some time to really understand how you feel about money and see how it is operating in your own lives. If you are using money for anything other than a tool to meet your needs and/or desires, than you are buying into a potentially dangerous and destructive myth. Money is nothing more than a worthless piece of paper with a pre-fixed value. It should never be used as a substitute for the truly meaningful things in life. Our security, our happiness, our peace and our personal value should never be tied to money. Money might determine our net worth, but it does not determine our self-worth. Too often, we confuse the two. The myth about money is that it has some inherent power. The mystery is that so many people buy into the myth, and the only power it really has is the power we give it. - AS
Ayanna L. Sloan, is a writer, attorney and lover of life living and working in Cincinnati, Ohio.
On Twitter https://twitter.com/loniwebb
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MEDIA/ADVERTISING SUMMARY In 2011 we took a long look at our mission and vision and asked women from around the country who were surveyed both qualitatively and quantitatively to identify behaviors and media consumption patterns that would help build a global brand designed for a little served target group. Qualitative research was conducted in the form of focus groups in the following metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Washington DC. And in addition women from other cities participated in an online survey. Our research found that women twenty-five and over: Have over $400 billion in buying power Purchase products to enhance their beauty twice as much as women in the general market Rely on suggestions from sources they trust when making product purchasing decisions Use health and beauty products to express their individuality Are influenced by emerging trends and first to try to new products. Like to update their appearance more frequently Are willing to pay for higher quality products and recognizable brands Read more magazines, watch more television, and listen to more radio than the general market. Spend more hours on the internet than women in the general market. Read the entire report in our media kit. For More Information Or to Advertise Contact Our Advertising Account Managers At:
347-903-3566 www.elonbrands.com
OUR LAST WORD…. OUR BEST WORD “My dad was my biggest fan. He never tired of the million things I had to say. He never tired of the many questions I had to ask. I miss his strength because it was my strength.”
I
thought about my dad today. As Father’s Day approaches I
sat down and thought about what he would think of the many choices I have made in my life…the good and the bad ones. I recently visited my childhood home and the plan was for us to visit my dad’s grave. Funny thing is that I hadn’t been there in the more than five years since my father had passed away. And I guess it wasn’t meant for me to see it on that visit either. It rained (rather it was a torrential downpour) on the day we had scheduled to go to the gravesite. It was almost as if my dad was saying, ‘hey no don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” Something he said to us quite often when he was alive. He never let us see him cry or hurting. Although, I did see him cry one day about love…his own father’s love. My grandfather wasn’t one to show affection and my dad was as human as the
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rest of us and he simply wanted to hear his own dad say those words, “I love you.” I learned a great lesson from my dad that day. Never let the people you love guess whether or not you love them. When I was little I went to the park with my dad, mom and siblings. In this photo my dad with camera in hand is taking my picture. I remember this day quite well. As a kid I was somewhat introverted, bookish and never really thought of myself as pretty at all. And dad kept telling me to turn around so he could take my picture. I often wondered what my dad thought or even felt that day when the picture developed from that old Polaroid. He said to me as the pictured developed and we saw his shadow that he would always be there (just like that shadow). Today, I cried as I looked at his shadow watching over me. I’m sure he’s taking more photos of me from heaven for his scrapbook. I feel his presence assuring me that I’m still beautiful, smart and talented and that he’s still proud of me and will always be here with me…to lead me, guide me and protect me.
Yolanda
“The Power of Lasting Beauty”®
©2013 E’LON LLC
©2013 E’LON LLC, IMAGES by E’LON and E’LON Magazine