Savvy Magazine - January 2013

Where women shop, talk, learn and laugh.

JANUARY 2013

Your Money Makeover

Experts offer tips for a fresh financial start

A Total Transformation

Post-Holiday Detox

Excelsior woman makes major life changes to recover from divorce, depression

Kickstart your diet in the New Year

Stepping Sanja Strlek of Chaska leaves her comfort zone for makeover contest

contents JJanuary 2013

Local Finds Give your winter wardrobe a boost

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4 5-6

L Letter ffrom the Editor Shopper Cozy up in chic outer layers; Henri Bendel’s detailed accessories can transform any look; and DIY done right.

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Local Finds A special advertising section featuring clothes, jewelry, décor and more.

From left: Jodi Mayers of Corset Styling & Fashion Boutique, Chris McDuffie of Chris McDuffie Photography, makeover contest winner Sanja Strlek, Jack Hysell of Salon Intrigue, and Savvy.mn Magazine Editor in Chief Britt Johnsen.

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Health Recover from holiday indulgences by forming healthy habits.

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Budget Ready to makeover your financial life? A blogger and a financial planner offer their suggestions.

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Me Bobbi Brown’s book, Pretty Powerful, can help inspire your confidence and ignite a new look in the New Year.

Publisher | Jennifer Sorenson

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Editor in Chief | Britt Johnsen

Savvy.mn Magazine Makeover Contest Contest winner Sanja Strlek of Chaska steps out of her comfort zone during styling sessions with Jodi Mayers of Corset Styling & Fashion Boutique and Jack Hysell of Salon Intrigue.

Assistant Editor | Kristin Holtz Graphic Designers | Jennifer Baker, Renee Fette Circulation Manager | Ruby Winings Lead Writer | Sara Glassman Contributing Writers | Mollee Francisco, Amy Stubblefield Cover Photography | Chris McDuffie/Chris McDuffie Photography Contributing Photographers | Keighla Schmidt/Keighla’s Fresh Face Photography; Brian Sorenson Web | Steve Delmont

Savvy.mn Magazine is published monthly by Southwest Newspapers. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of Southwest Newspapers, 952-445-3333, P.O. Box 8, Shakopee, Minn. 55379.

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Excelsior woman speaks about making major life shifts after divorce and depression.

CONTACTS: Content: Britt Johnsen, 952-345-6387 or editor@savvy.mn Advertising: 952-345-6477 or advertising@savvy.mn

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22-23 For details, call 952-345-6682 or visit Savvy.mn and click on subscribe.

Fun From “Cabaret” to Rock on Ice to the St. Paul Winter Carnival, there are plenty of Twin Cities events and attractions to choose from.

Subscription and address change: Ruby Winings, 952-345-6682 or circulation@swpub.com

Subscribe to Savvy.mn Magazine

A Total Transformation

Savvy Scene Photos from the Savvy Soiree at Iris Valley Boutique & Gifts in Jordan.

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Savvy

adj., Being well-informed, astute, knowing, keen, smart, clever, intelligent, discriminating, discerning, canny, perceptive, sharp, far-sighted and artful.

T

he New Year is a powerful time to let go of the old and welcome in the new. And for us Minnesotans, we have plenty of time indoors to reflect on the year behind us and the year ahead.

This year, Savvy.mn is presenting a year of themed issues. Each month we will cover stories related to a different theme. This month is the Makeover Issue – the perfect topic at a time when many are planning to tackle new goals come Jan. 1.

But we know that women who read Savvy.mn are real.

In the quest for balancing work, home, relationships, eating right and exercising, plus squeezing in a little time for yourself, it can be tough to do it all and still look your best. So we’re giving you tons of ideas for looking good this edition, from Sara Glassman’s fashion picks on pages 5 and 6, to my review of Bobbi Brown’s inspiring makeup guidebook, Pretty Powerful, on page 11.

Speaking of powerful, meet Sanja Strlek on page 12. She’s the winner of the Savvy.mn Makeover Contest. She’s in the midst of a big transition; in the last two years, she experienced the death of her father, uncle, and brother, the foreclosure of her home, and a move from Chicago to Chaska. During her makeover, she got a chance to meet and learn from style and beauty gurus Jodi Mayers and

Jack Hysell. Needless to say, Strlek got a beauty boost that also gave her a jolt of inspiration right when she needed it. I hope you find her story, and lessons learned, inspiring as well.

This issue isn’t all about outer transformation, though. It’s also about inner transformation. Excelsior mom and businesswoman Amy Thill tells writer Kristin Holtz about how she overcame crippling anxiety and depression, and shed more than 40 pounds. Thill shares her incredible journey, and her advice to other women, on page 16.

Letter

from the

Editor Britt Johnsen Editor in Chief

I hope you learn a lot from the amazing women and experts we’ve featured this month. I certainly did. I love that the resources and support for change (whether inner change or outer change) are all around us – whether in a salon, a boutique or a book.

So here’s a cheers to your New Year, and to whatever change might be in store for you. I hope that it is positively powerful.

Fan of the Week

D

o you “like” Savvy.mn on Facebook? If you “like” us on our Facebook page, you’ll be entered in our Facebook Fan of the Week contest. Every Friday, Savvy.mn chooses one winner at random to be featured on the website. Here are some of our recent Facebook Fans of the Week – maybe you’ll be featured next!

Angela Bremer

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savvy.mn | January 2013

Darcy Musack

Lanae Paaverud

Kelly Chesney

Beauty The

Zone

Photo by Chris McDuffie

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avvy.mn Magazine Makeover Contest winner Sanja Strlek of Chaska steps out of her comfort zone during styling sessions with Jodi Mayers of Corset Styling & Fashion Boutique in Edina and Jack Hysell of Salon Intrigue in Minneapolis

By Britt Johnsen In the past two years, Sanja Strlek’s world did a complete 180.

Photo by Chris McDuffie

Her home went into foreclosure. Her father and uncle died, and then eight months later in May 2012, her brother passed away.

She had been a single mom living in Chicago, working four part-time jobs to feed her five children. She really wanted a fresh start – someplace to go where she could shed the weight of her recent past.

So she chose Prior Lake, where some friends of hers encouraged her to move and start anew.

So Strlek, 38, took a leap of faith and left her home city. In November 2011, she could call the

After

Getting to Know Sanja Name: Sanja Strlek Age: 38 Children: Five – Christina, 20; Joshua, 18; Joseph, 15; Alexander, 10; Stefan, 8 Where she lives: Chaska

Makeover Wisdom: Sanja’s beauty and style routine had consisted of a quick shower, basic makeup, and throwing on yoga pants and a sweater. After her sessions with Jodi and Jack, she realized it takes minimal time to look her best. “It doesn’t take much longer to add appeal to yourself,” she says.

Photo by Britt Johnsen

Where’s she’s from: Chicago

Before

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southwest Twin Cities metro area her new home. “My whole life has changed,” she says, reflecting on how everything feels so new and different, even a year into the move.

Stepping Out Strlek now lives in Chaska with her significant other and her children.

She’s looking for work, and wanted a new look to match her new life.

When Savvy.mn Magazine announced it was giving away a full makeover provided by local style and beauty experts Jack Hysell and Jodi Mayers, she applied – and won.

About the Savvy.mn Magazine Makeover Contest Just before the holiday season hit, Savvy.mn Magazine partnered with Corset Styling & Fashion Boutique and stylist Jack Hysell to offer a full makeover and photo shoot to one lucky reader, who received a full hair cut, color and styling, as well as a fashion styling session. Now that’s a way to start off the New Year.

Mayers, owner of Corset Styling & Fashion Boutique in Edina, invited Strlek to her shop one chilly Sunday morning when the store wasn’t open to customers. Between trying on outfits, Mayers told Strlek that makeovers should ultimately help someone step outside their comfort zone.

That’s the place where a person can learn and grow.

She reluctantly tried on a dress featuring pink and purple that hugs and complements her curves. Mayers had Strlek try on different necklaces and shoes to change the look and feel from professional to fun, and to play with different colors and textures. Secretly, Strlek was hoping she would be wearing a different outfit for the photo shoot, she said later.

But after putting on boots underneath the dress and pairing the look with a bold necklace, Strlek successfully stepped outside her comfort zone. She said she hadn’t thought of putting the different pieces together, and would have never tried on the dress in the first place.

Later that morning, Strlek was more than ready to let Jack Hysell of Salon Intrigue freshen her hair.

He stripped her highlights and gave her a burgundy ombre style. He also trimmed her length, gave her hair a protein treatment, and waxed and tinted her brows, as well.

Strlek, who told Hysell she was looking for more exciting hair, loved the switch.

The next day, Hysell gave her some new makeup hints, such as using eye shadow primer, which makes the color of eye shadow pop brightly.

To style her for the photo shoot, he used makeup right from Strlek’s collection, as well as eye shadow, lip liner and lipstick from Target’s No7 line.

Lifted Spirits Strlek says that in recent months she had started to feel as though she was losing herself. The transition was a positive one, but many people who have gone through a transition can attest to the emotions it calls up. And for Strlek, it has taken time to find work and to build a community of friends. She’s been interviewing for jobs, and has been slowly meeting and getting to know people.

But somewhere between trying on new tops and getting her brows tinted, she found a new sense of empowerment, she says. She’s now feeling more inspired and determined to keep improving her life, and the lives of her children, in their new home.

Sometimes, lifting your look can lift your spirits.

“Feeling good on the inside, and looking good on the outside, helps you clear the overcast cloud in your head,” she says.

“We tend to stay on the safe side,” Strlek says.

Photos by Britt Johnsen

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More from fashion and style expert Jodi Mayers Business: Corset Styling & Fashion Boutique, Edina Website: corsetstyling.com Favorite Style Tip or Trick: “No one person can dress in every trend,” Mayers says. “Dressing well doesn’t mean following the pack – it means knowing what does and doesn’t work for YOU. Accept what is yours, enhance that, and then get out of your own way!”

More from hair and makeup guru Jack Hysell Business: Jack Hysell, exclusively at Salon Intrigue, Minneapolis Website: facebook.com/ jackahairartist and salonintrigue.com Favorite Beauty Tip or Trick: “A lot of guests want to amp up their look but don’t want something that is going to add any more maintenance,” Hysell says. “My favorite solution to this is the ‘express color.’ This service is extremely customizable and affordable. It adds only a few extra minutes to the normal appointment time and can create just the right change. It could be a few face framing pieces that compliment skin and eye tone to really pull a look together or a color gloss to add shine and depth to your natural color that will fade seamlessly.”

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A

year ago, Amy Thill was in a dark place.

Overweight, anxious and depressed, the Excelsior mother of two was shocked when her husband of 14 years asked for a divorce.

Looking back, though, it all makes sense, she says. “I was unconscious for the last 10 years of my life. It took something that dramatic for me to say ‘Wake up,’” Thill says.

Coming out of her stupor wasn’t easy. She hurt. She cried. She felt overwhelmed.

But she also became stronger and more present.

“She’s just a million times healthier and happier,” says

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Excelsior mom, businesswoman speaks out about shedding her weight and making major life shifts after divorce, depression

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Thill’s unhappiness dates back to her childhood. The shy, youngest child of divorced parents, Thill dealt with depression for many years. It escalated, however, when Thill’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, and lung cancer four years later. She died in 2006. A year later, one of Thill’s brothers contracted hepatitis C and died after two failed liver transplants.

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Through it all, Thill struggled with her own health issues while raising two young kids and running her own business. Her anxiety was crippling, and she admits she had little time for her husband.

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“I didn’t like myself. I didn’t feel good. I couldn’t put anything into my relationship because I had nothing to give,” the 44-year-old says.

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Then came her husband’s leveling announcement late in 2011. He moved out a few months later and Thill was left to pick up the pieces.

She began seeing a counselor and started reading spiritual books, such as Gabrielle Bernstein’s Spirit Junkie. She also

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decided it was time to ask for medical help with her depression and anxiety.

“She faced her challenges. It took a lot of courage and a lot of help and support,” says Hedren, an esthetician from Deephaven, “but she got through it and made positives out of everything.”

Thill’s transformation has been both spiritual and physical. Last fall, she began taking team weight-loss classes at Lifetime Fitness in Chanhassen. She cut out carbs, gluten and dairy.

Working out five to six days a week, Thill lost 27 pounds by February. Two months later, she was down 44 pounds. To accommodate her new body, Thill took advantage of Macy’s free shopping service. Her personal shopper, Tris Nelson, pulled clothes that fits Thill’s colors, style and new body shape.

Thill’s Advice for Other Women Ask for help. This is something women struggle with, Thill says, but it’s important to remember you’re not expected to do it all.

Build a community. We all need a support system of other people to listen to us and hold us accountable.

Let go of control. It takes awareness and practice but releases a lot of pressure.

Set aside down time. Thill tries to set away 10 minutes first thing in the morning for daily readings.

Daily down time is a great way to recharge.

Put yourself first. Women might think it’s selfish, but the old adage is true: By taking care of yourself first, you’re better able to care for others and be productive.

“I feel like I’m showing everyone how I feel on the inside by how I look on the outside,” she says.

Friend since childhood, Jenn Holm, says Thill “really seems to have blossomed” in the past year. The quiet, shy kid is now a strong, secure and more vocal woman.

“Even though the changes have been very difficult and not necessarily good things that have gone on, I think they have been good over all,” says Holm, a Minnetrista resident. “It’s been very exciting to watch the transformation and her general belief in everything she’s doing.

“She realizes her worth and it’s wonderful to watch someone come into their own like that.”

Thill has cut back on her workout regimen, though she

Books About Transformation and Change Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein A Deep Breath of Life by Alan Cohen The Language of Letting Go

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still participates in Lifetime’s team fitness class. She took up golf last summer and longs for warm days so she can test her new-found love of paddle boarding on Lake Minnetonka.

She’s also refocused her business priorities. Thill, who started Vast Business Solutions in 2000, contracts as an administrative assistant for small businesses. In 2009, she added productivity and consulting services.

In August, Thill began working with life coach Michelle Stimpson to clarify her business goals. She revamped her website, took new headshots and narrowed down her ideal client profile. By setting deadlines and creating fewer goals, Thill was able to make change manageable.

Today Thill focuses on five areas of her life: self care, finances, her kids, 9-year-old Mya and 4-year-old Max, her support community of friends and family, and, hopefully one day, a co-committed relationship. While she’s not ready for that quite yet, she believes the steps she’s taking now will make her a better partner down the road.

And now, through the eyes of one who has rediscovered herself, Thill is thankful for her husband’s decision. “I feel like he saved my life. I truly do,” she says.

“It’s a journey and I think it’s always going to be a struggle, but to be conscious, to be present, that’s what’s important.”

what to

‘As You Like It’

Things to Do This Month Ice Castles Mall of America is featuring a one-of-akind experience this winter with its visiting exhibit, the Ice Castle. Made of icicles fused together, the castle joins 50 large ice towers together to create a series of shimmering archways, tunnels, walls and caverns. Brrr.

Bundle up. (Late December-Feb. 20, Mall of America North Parking Lot, Bloomington, mallofamerica.com)

When Rosalind and Orlando fall in love and flee for their lives into the Forest of Arden, they find themselves entangled in a beguiling game of love, lust and mistaken identity in one of Shakespeare’s great comedies.

Will the forest heal the family feud? (Jan. 12-Feb. 3, Dowling Studio, Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, guthrietheater.org)

The Wedding Fair

Find everything to plan a wedding, pre-nuptial events and honeymoon. See what’s hot, trendy, new and exciting while gaining advice from nearly 200 of the Twin Cities’ leading wedding experts. (Jan. 13, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, twincitybridal.com)

‘Pinocchio’ From the moment Geppetto creates him from a stick of wood, Pinocchio dreams of being a real boy. But, will the all-too-tempting delights of puppet shows and Playland

be too much for Pinocchio? (Jan. 15-Feb. 24, Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis, childrenstheatre.org)

‘Cabaret’ Cabaret singer Sally Bowles, a writer from America and the citizens of Berlin are all caught up in the swirling maelstrom of a changing society as the Nazi party begins its rise to power in the 1930s. (Jan. 18-Feb. 17, Bloomington Civic Theatre, Bloomington, bloomingtoncivictheatre.org)

Savvy.mn Magazine

Wants YOU! S

avvy.mn seeks five intelligent, outspoken and collaborative women to join its editorial board. Editorial board members help influence the direction of the magazine, give candid feedback on each edition, and provide story ideas and individual expertise. Ideal candidates are Twin Cities area women who read Savvy.mn Magazine, are not afraid to express their opinions, and work well in a group setting. The editorial board will meet once per month over a two-hour lunch.

To apply, contact Savvy.mn Magazine Editor in Chief Britt Johnsen at 952-345-6387 or editor@savvy.mn. Application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28. We look forward to seeing your application!

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Experience

Ice Castle

Rock on Ice Annual evening event at Round Lake Park ice skating rink in Eden Prairie. Includes rock ‘n’ roll music, bonfire and refreshments.

(Jan. 20, Round Lake Park, Eden Prairie, edenprairie.org)

Minnesota Opera: ‘Doubt’ Suspicion ignites a battle of wills at a Catholic school in the Bronx in 1964. Sister Aloysius embarks on a personal crusade to ruin Father Flynn, whom she accuses of abusing the school’s only black student. (Jan. 26-Feb. 3, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, St. Paul, mnopera.org)

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