Many times when you hear the word fundraiser or charity event, you can drum up a pretty boring image, but recently I went to an event that was the furthest thing from that! I attended the Rock For Locks Of Love benefit Saturday September 18^th, at the Kantor Gallery located in a hip, trendy area on Melrose in Los Angeles.

Luxury branding company FRIEDE + Co. was on hand to curate the show with a certain penash. Held at the Kantor Gallery, originally founded in the 1940’s, which has a history of fostering and showcasing new up and coming artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol housed the event. Models were walking around the party with creative and original hair designs styled by a Paul Mitchell team. There were also a variety of artistic exhibitions displayed on the walls, and special musical performances throughout the night for a great organization called Locks of Love.

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to children under the age of 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from cancer to alopecia. All you have to do is donate at least 10 inches of healthy hair (usually chopped in a pony tail) to Locks of Love in order to create something that will not only give a strong sense of self-esteem back, but also a beautiful head of hair. If you do not have hair to spare, then donations are the way to go, and having an event like Rock for Locks of Love is a great way to further the cause.

People were encouraged to make donations, and proceeds from the bar were going to this inspirational cause. Vitamin Water was on hand, and in everyone’s hands as they perused the gallery and listened to live music. Food was ever abundant with plenty to nibble on as women dressed in sleek black dresses served you on trays. Sweet desserts and cupcakes with unique names like “Red Velvet Underground” and “Sweet Child o’ Lime” were eaten with delight.

Photographer and artists Catherine Asanov was there with her “Action in Stillness” installation, and the artwork of Elijah Blue Allman’s, son to Cher and Greg Allman, was also displayed on the walls. There was such an up close and personal feel with the artists, especially when the bands were playing within feet of you! The music pumped through your veins and excited the crowd. In between the musical performances, DJ Kim Ahn mixed it up for the group.

Rock for Locks of Love drew a really knowledgeable and hip crowd who were out to help make a difference.  You could really feel a positive vibe. Plus, who doesn’t like a party! Especially one for a cause, that makes it so much better.

~by Ariel Paredes 

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The kitchen—it’s that place in your home where, if you have the time, you make delicious meals and all your friends gather there when you have amazing parties.

Or maybe it’s a space you barely use.

Whether you’re thinking of redesigning your current kitchen, or frankly don’t even want to set foot in the space again because you and cooking just aren’t compatible, the Museum of Modern Art’s Counter Space exhibit will get your brain turning.

The selection shows how the kitchen has changed through the 20^th century and includes the “Frankfurt Kitchen,” which was designed in 1926-1927 by architect Grete Schütte-Lihotzky.

“In the aftermath of World War I, thousands of these kitchens were manufactured for public-housing estates being built around the city of Frankfurt-am-Main in Germany. Schütte-Lihotzky’s compact and ergonomic design, with its integrated approach to storage, appliances, and work surfaces, reflected a commitment to transforming the lives of ordinary people on an ambitious scale,” the MoMA’s description said.

There is also a strong connection to women in the exhibit.

Schütte-Lihotzky is a female architect.

“Prominence is given to the contribution of women throughout the exhibition, not only as the primary consumers and users of the domestic kitchen, but also as reformers, architects, designers, and as artists who have critically addressed kitchen culture and myths,” the exhibit details on the MoMa Web site said.

 The month of October features gallery talks about Counter Space. Visit the MoMA’s Web site to see a full listing of the dates and times. There is even a special dinner on October 28, which features a dessert contest, where the winner will get to prepare his or her dessert for everyone with the chef on the night of the event.

 ~by Kelly McLendon

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Hollywood’s Colony Nightclub was musty with an intoxicating air while Solange streamed an entrancing mix of tunes as the DJ for the launch of the new Guess fragrance, Seductive. The days of Solange being stuck in Beyonce’s shadow are a thing of the past as the younger Ms. Knowles comes into her own as the sexy and seductive DJ Solange.

Solange put on a hypnotic show, her DJ skills weren’t the only part of her radiating seductive sophistication. She flaunted her provocative good looks and smashing hot bod with her hair wrapped in a chic black and white turban, and a leopard print bra under a barely there white tank. Vanessa Hudgens added to the seductive air with her trademark smudgy black eye make-up and billowing layers of tangled, ravenous tresses. Hudgens herself nestled into a secluded booth near the DJ perch to lap up Solange’s sultry spinning. The guest list was overflowing with sex appeal and young Hollywood celebs. The likes of Mark Sailing, Brittany Snow, Samaira Armstrong, Roxy Olin, Jayson Blair, and Carlos Lopez bumped to Solange’s musical selection, albeit fusion of classic and contemporary pulsed through their veins.

Vials of Seductive were within arm’s reach of every banquette and bar in the club, filing the air with the woodsy ‘floriental’ scent. Every woman in the room had the space to channel their inner-bombshells, while Alyssa Miller, the face of the new fragrance oozed the allure of the scent from head to toe.

Photos courtesy Friede + Co

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If the dog days of summer have kept you in the house or office, hiding out with the air conditioning and not moving around outside or getting the exercise you used to when it was cooler, then the following 5 days to get a better body program might appeal to you. Get ready to kick start your fitness goals again and follow along with a simple plan.

Just keep in mind that the goal of getting a better body in five days is not rapid weight loss. It’s just about building body confidence, toning up your muscles a smidge and trying something you’ve never done before, like a yoga or cycling class. See days one through five below, to get started.

Day One: Define your goals and plan ahead

Start by thinking about what you want out of a 5 day better body plan. Do you want to try to eat healthier or do you want to try to work out more? It’s up to you to decide. Maybe your goal is both and this less than a week journey will set you on a path for future body balance. Whatever your goal is, write it down in a noticeable place. Try putting a sticky note with your goal on it on your computer. Each time you feel unmotivated throughout the five days, you can just take a quick look at it and remember why you started in the first place.

Day Two: Amp up the cardio

Not only will cardio exercises tone up your abs, they will also help keep your heart healthy. For “heart-pumping” cardio workouts, check out Prevention Magazine’s Web site. You can even search for exercises and cardio programs designed to work a specific part of your body.

While running is one of the best forms of cardiovascular activity, using an elliptical machine is a trade-off if running just isn’t your cup of tea.

Day Three: Chug water

Drinking water can raise the rate at which fat is burned, according to WebMD.

A study from Berlin’s Franz-Volhard Clinical Research tracked how much weight loss would occur over a year if a person just drank more water.

“The researchers estimate that over the course of a year, a person who increases his water consumption by 1.5 liters a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories, for a weight loss of approximately five pounds,” the WebMD Health News update said.

But even over the course of five days of extra water intake, the body will benefit. Drinking more water can also help reduce bloating.

Day Four: Embrace your inner yogi

If you are not already a fan of yoga, your five day journey to a better body includes it. Although relaxation is a main benefit from this ancient art, you can also detoxify your body in the process.

Bikram Yoga of Winston-Salem states that during a typical Hot Yoga class, where the room is heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 550-1000 calories may be burned. Follow Day Three’s advice by drinking lots of water, and then sweat it out during a yoga class. The toasty temperatures can also help clear your pores.

Day Five: Love yourself

Start by focusing on what you love about your body and realizing that you are a unique and beautiful individual. Loving yourself and the body you have, even if you want to make changes, is one of the main steps to being able to keep up with a better body program. When you love how you look and want to feel a certain way, you’ll be much more motivated to stay on track.

But keep in mind that there’s no set of guidelines for how you need to look.

“Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes! Changing your body image means changing the way you think about your body. At the same time, healthy lifestyle choices are also key to improving body image,” WomensHealth.gov Body Image guidelines said.

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Sometimes the best ideas strike when you least expect it. That was the case for Heather English, owner and designer of English Retreads, an eco-chic handbag and accessories company based in Boulder, Colorado.

“The inspiration for English Retreads came when Heather had a predicament; she was searching for a new vegan handbag that was stylish and eco-friendly—a lofty request at the time,” said Kate Salomon, English Retreads’ business manager. “While some people get their best ideas in the shower, Heather got hers while floating down Boulder Creek on an inner tube,” she said.

But English didn’t want to make just any kind of bag—she wanted to make one that used recycled materials.

“It occurred to me that this inner tube could be made into the handbag I’d been dreaming of,” English said.

That was eight years ago. Today, the company makes a plethora of bags, clutches, key rings, and wallets.

Since the bags are vegan, the company also follows an environmental stewardship practice.

“It is important for us to commit fully to being a socially and environmentally responsible company because we simply feel there is no other way to do it,” Salomon said. “We want to make sure we are providing a completely beneficial product so consumers can feel good about their purchases,” she said.

The production process of the bags sets the company apart from other handbag manufacturers.

“Because our material is repurposed, our production process is a bit different,” Salomon said. “We have to procure the used inner tubes from truck stops, clean it, and then cut it before making our handbags and accessories.”

English Retreads gets the inner tubes from local truck and bike shops.

“All of them are happy to save material for us to pick up and reuse. They often indicate that they feel proud of ‘helping out’ and ensuring that less waste is making it into our local landfills. Of course, a few homemade brownies or cookies can sweeten the deal too.” Salomon said.

The bags can be purchased in colors like Apple, Jet, Pumpkin, Quarry, and Scarlet.

One customer, Shannon, wrote on the company Web site that the Model T Luxe small bag was “one of the smartest handbags ever!” and added five reasons why she loved it, including it’s easy ability to be cleaned.

“I can toss it in the washing machine when it gets dirty or when other women drool on it because it is so awesome. I usually wash [it] alone on the gentle cycle so I don’t snag any clothes or towels with the zipper,” she wrote.

The fashion following that English Retreads has experienced proves that one simple idea and the need for a chic, yet eco-conscious handbag can evolve into something bigger that bridges the gap between style and the environment.

Since English designed her first bag, Salomon said, “her designs have been classic enough so they never go out of style, yet funky enough to be eye catching,” showing that the company is saving the world of vegan bags, one recycled inner tube at a time.

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Hooray! Summer isn’t officially over yet, thank goodness. But as the season begins to draw to a close, that means the end of summer parties and activities are heating up in cities across the country. Take a look below to see some of the final events going on in a city near you.

1. Austin, Texas: Austin Ice Cream Festival

What it’s all about: While the name says it all, the Austin Ice Cream Festival is good for more than just the cold confections being served. Live entertainment, as well as games, is at the center of this event in Waterloo Park in downtown Austin. To make matters even more fun, participate in an Ice Cream Eating Contest or Popsicle Stick Sculpture Contest. If you would rather duel against other ice cream chefs and you think you are up for the challenge of making it yourself, consider a spot in the Homemade Ice Cream Making Contest as well.

Date: August 14

Who should go: If you love ice cream, this one is a winner!

How much it costs: Admission is $5 for adults, and free for kids 12 and under, with the purchase of an adult ticket.

For more information: http://austineventsandfestivals.com/

2. New Orleans, Louisiana: Red Dress Run

What it’s all about: The Red Dress Run is a road race with a distance of about three or four miles where all of the participants are wearing red dresses.  With an event slogan that says “you never know who you’ll meet at the New Orleans Red Dress Run,” you are certainly guaranteed pictures with some interesting folks.

Date: August 14: Beer will be served starting at 9:00 a.m., with the race starting at 12:30 p.m.

Who should go: The event is for 21+, but other that, if you like to run, or even if you just want to drink the day away, this event might be just the ticket.

How much it costs: $60.00 entry fee through August 8

For more information: http://nolareddress.tumblr.com/

3. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota: Fringe Festival of Performing Arts

What it’s all about: The Fringe Festival means ten days of clowning, comedy, dance, improv, musical theater, and spoken word performances.

Date: The festival runs August 5-15.

Who should go: If you want to see rare mime performances, this one is for you. But if you are afraid of clowns, it’s probably best to avoid the clown shows.

How much it costs: $4 for admission button (required for entrance) and single tickets range from $5-$12.

For more information: http://www.fringefestival.org/2010/

4. Salt Lake City, Utah: Salt Lake City Film Festival

What it’s all about: Movies, movies, movies. The three day festival has films about goats and killer tractors—that’s how extreme it gets.

Date: August 12-15

Who should go: If you like endless movie marathons on Saturday nights, head to Salt Lake City to fulfill your movie madness dreams. To see a list of the movies playing, head to: http://www.saltlakecityfilmfestival.com/films.php.

How much it costs: Varies, but is usually around $10 per film.

For more information: http://www.saltlakecityfilmfestival.com/

5. Newton, Massachusetts: New England Dance Festival

What it’s all about: Once again, the name says it all. A few days of dancing, workshops, and even a special early Dance Party on the first night! So put on your dancing shoes, a sassy dress and get out on the floor with your girlfriends.

Date: August 12-15

Who should go: Do you like Dancing with the Stars? If so, this festival is your chance to see what it would be like for real!

How much it costs: Cost depends on what events and dances you’ll be attending.

See http://www.nedancefestival.com/registration.html for a price break down.

For more information: http://www.nedancefestival.com/

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The sun is shining and the beach is calling your name! You have big plans to make sure you capitalize on the sacred two to three weeks of vacation time your company has granted you because you deserve it. You have worked hard through out the year- gaining the respect of your peers and executive team, excelling with every project that is given to you- and realize you have used many of your allotted days and need to be rewarded.

Once you have come to the conclusion that you are going to need more time for the Bali trip you have planned, you will need to approach your manager to negotiate more time.

• Choose an appropriate time to ask for more vacation. The best time is usually during a performance review in which you received a great review, during the end of a profitable fiscal year, after a successful presentation, or when you find your manager in a good mood.

• Your additional vacation may mean you having to sacrifice something. This may mean sacrificing a percentage of a raise, deduction form payroll, or working an extra half-hour each day

• Point out any benefits your employer will realize from this arrangement, such as work-life balance, increasing employee job satisfaction.

• Be able to give your manager solid reasons as to why you need more vacation time. Go over your recent performance reviews and prepare a list of reasons why you feel you deserve to be rewarded this way.

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When 7.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the first High School Musical on the Disney Channel in 2006, the station probably underestimated the likeability of the series. Now four years later, after High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year, a fourth installment is on the way. The popularity of musical television shows has made similar shows just as popular.

Take another musical comedy-drama, Fox’s Glee. Opening night ratings for the show, which debuted in 2009, amounted to 7.5 million viewers. Although that number is less than those who watched HSM, Glee hit another category of viewers. The show ranked high in the 18-34 age demographic, especially with women, according to Zap2It.

So while HSM might have been the go-to television film for preteens, Glee most definitely hit the categories of college students and working adults alike. But the success of both shows has launched somewhat of a fad across the world with musical dramas.

BBC has “The Choir,” where an instructor teaches people who have never sung before to be singers. A popular tagline for the show by other news sources seems to be, “The choir turns reporters into singers.” The show does not have as much drama and sexual tension as the other programs, however.

But the success of HSM is clear, after seeing all of the products that have been produced because of it. There are prom dresses, cheerleader costumes, and even baseball dress-up outfits for boys, all with the HSM logo. As if that wasn’t enough, wigs of the most popular show characters were also made, allowing preteens to dress up as their favorite character for Halloween, or even just for fun. Also, there are t-shirts with the character Troy, played by Zac Efron, on the market for adoring fans who choose to wear his face on their chests.

Television musicals aren’t the only ones seeing the light of day, though. Live musicals are seeing a jump in popularity as well. Broadway ticket sales this season are up 5.3 percent from last season, TicketNews says. With shows like Wicked, The Lion King, The Addams Family, Billy Elliot, and Mary Poppins running, there seems to be a show for every demographic out there. The show, Hair, even had a “15 percent boost in audience share” and “the highest dollar increase from one week to the next of any production,” TicketNews released.

All in all, for some, the musical comedy-drama offers the best of many worlds: laughter, excitement, and of course, thrilling theatrics.

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You’ve spent the past four years doing everything together: sharing a dorm room or apartment, sharing snacks and talks during late-night study sessions, and you even bonded over a mutual hatred of that one history professor who gave you both C’s, even though you both knew you deserved A’s.

Then graduation hits and while you are excited to be leaving, you know you are going to miss the constant involvement in each other’s lives. To avoid a case of post-grad depression from not having your girls around as much as they once were, here are a few things you can do.

Plan to visit. This is especially important if you live out of town. Taking travel trips to visit your girlfriends, or making plans to meet up when you know you are going to be in town is important towards ensuring you maintain those relationships you worked so hard to cultivate during your time at college. While it may not seem like much, meeting up, even if it is only for an hour or two, will do your friendship much more good than if you didn’t bother to go out of your way at all.

Schedule regular coffee dates. Now that you are all out of school, it’s going to be even more difficult to find time to meet up for lunch, or even just a shorter coffee session. But if you write them into your schedules and work hard not to break them, you will have a better time setting up a regular coffee date time. Making a monthly date may work better with busier schedules.

Use Skype. Your best friend might be in Shanghai, while you’re stuck living back at home with your parents in Minnesota for the summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t both keep in contact, regardless of the geographic distance. Invest in a webcam and a microphone if your computer doesn’t already have one, and you are well on your way to chatting with your favorite people via www.skype.com.

Plan reunions. Planning a trip you can go on together will not only be fun and exciting, it will also celebrate your achievements getting done with school. If you’ve done the work and now you all have degrees to show for it, there’s no reason not to go out and party.

Some travel locales offer discounts for groups, so checking into those deals may help you out financially. Many girlfriend groups go on cruises as a way to have fun and honor their achievements. You might have had many travel adventures in college together, but that doesn’t mean you should stop just because you’ve moved out of the dorms.

Share an interest. Whether sharing an interest means joining a book club together or meeting up on Thursday nights to play co-ed volleyball at the local YMCA, getting involved in a mutual activity will ensure you see each other often. Talk about an activity you might be interested in doing together and then make plans to sign-up.

Written by Kelly McLendon

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The first dance between a newly married couple is a pretty big deal. Take the couple who choreographed their first dance to MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This.” They surprised and amazed guests by getting out on the dance floor and shaking their stuff. Or there was the couple who really amazed guests by jamming out to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” If you want to see some of these crazy dances, in preparation for your own first dance, you only need to go as far as YouTube to find them.

But what was the key to the laughing success of these couples? Preparation, says Ashani Mfuko, who is CEO/President of Kiner Interprises Inc., a dance instruction staffing company.

“If you have taken dance lessons, or have a choreographed dance for your wedding, I would say, practice, practice, practice,” she said. “That’s the only way to become completely comfortable with your first dance, and be prepared to do it in front of an audience of your family and friends. I would also say that it’s great to do a rehearsal at your reception venue, with the music, so that you can get a feel for the space, and hopefully avoid any technical issues.”

Choosing music for the first dance is another part to consider.

“The best type of music for this first dance is something that is really meaningful to the couple. Whether it’s the first song that they ever danced to as a couple when they were dating, or simply a song that they both love, I think they should choose something that they will remember, and want to listen to again and again in the future,” Mfuko said.

She suggested that the chosen song be kept between 1 minute and 1 minute and 30 seconds to ensure that guests don’t lose interest. Also, couples do not have to limit the first dance choice to only slow songs. She said a mid-tempo song can be just as nice.

Mfuko offered six essential tips for making sure the first dance goes smoothly:

1. Relax.

2. Breathe.

3. Let your husband lead.

4. Look into each other’s eyes.

5. Enjoy it and have fun.

6. Repeat.

In the end, she says it isn’t worth it to worry too much about messing up the dance.

“It’s pretty hard to mess up a wedding dance, and the unexpected is sometimes what makes it special and memorable. At the end of the day, it’s about you and your new husband, and just enjoying that moment together to reflect on the wedding and focus on each other,” Mfuko said.

“When in doubt, a basic two step, while you hold each other close, always works.” she said.

Written by Kelly McLendon.

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