Lush has a delightful selection of festive seasonal spring treats for all the ladies in your life. Gift your mother, friend, or even a lover who likes to soak with a Fluffy Egg bath bomb shaped like a pretty pink egg and adorned with a candy flower. No one is too old for a Hippy Chick bath bomb. It is a citrus burst for the bathtub that is shaped like a little chick with the scent of grapefruit, bergamot, and frankincense. Or sink into a tub of sweet orange and bergamot with a Honey Bun bath bomb. What a delish calorie-free way to fill an Easter basket or just say happy spring! $3.95 to 6.95 www.lush.com.
Do you wonder if your behavior might be a bit gauche or unpolished at times? Well darlings, good for you. It is better to wonder and correct than to blunder through life, especially in today’s competitive environment.
Business Etiquette: 101 Ways to Conduct Business with Charm and Savvy by Anne Marie Sabath is a clear concise guide to contemporary business behavior. This slim volume will guide through writing email, letters, dining, introductions and many common situations. It also has sections on foreign interaction and sticky situations. The beauty of this book is that the advice is simple and up-to-date. It may not give you the polish and charm of an international sophisticate, but it will help you make a good impression in the workplace.
Making your own lunch can save you time, money, calories and even help keep you younger too. Yes, it’s true! Herbs and spices are all rich in anti-oxidants that help to slow the aging process. They are also tasty. When you make your own lunch, you can add them even to a temping and crisp Panini. This one is filled with fragrant basil. The cherry tomatoes have tons of healthful lycopene. The lunch does have chips, but it is a100 calorie portion of baked chips and is for a person who is not dieting. The vegetables are fresh and meats are lean and full of iron-rich protein. If you like, add a salad berry salad with kiwi and you have ‘youth salad’. My lunch is usually soup or salad. I like packaged miso when I feel lazy or want something really light. Look for the low-sodium type, only 60 calories.
Indulge in fabulous lunches with friends. Skip soul- and body-destroying junk. Eat your packed lunch and go for walk instead of wasting time in crowded food courts.
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Darlings, it concerns me how many people seem to hold vows and values so cheaply. Too many cheat in business and relationships, and the consequences are often slight. Recently a study from the University of Montreal showed up in my inbox, courtesy of www.divorce360.com. According to the study 40-70 percent of people cheat on their partners. And according to the author of the study, cheating is not more prevalent with men.
No one is perfect; I know I’m not. Everyone makes mistakes. But there are mistakes and then there things you just don’t do. Decent people used to know the difference. That’s why it was called common decency, and it is a shame that decency isn’t all that common anymore.
Until next week, please sign-up if you haven’t already - DolceDolce is free. And please forward us to all your friends. And please give us your comments by clicking the “comment” link at the end of each item. We want to know what you think. Let’s start the conversation!
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Gracey Hitchcock
Editor
Photo by: www.yanka.ca
© DolceDolce® 2010
All DolceDolce content is copyright
All DolceDolce content is copyright
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I am bored to tears by the Tiger Woods “sex scandal”. I am long past being horrified or relishing the prurient details. I don’t see that the personal lives of individuals impede their ability to perform their professional or public duties. Unless they are using public funds or behaving in a demented manner, who cares what consenting adults do on their own time? I couldn’t care less about most people’s philandering, unless they philander into my life.
But, I am fascinated by this new type of fallen women who feels scorned by her lover when he returns to his wife. Gone for good are the cowering little back street mistresses who hide their faces from the paparazzi and slink away in shame.
No, these new school home-wreckers are brazen, unrepentant, and they even have lawyers. They are oblivious to the saying ‘what goes around comes around’. Their behavior is shameless and without any respect for marriage, family, or other women. I was amused to hear several of the mistresses were dismayed and shocked to hear Tiger was “cheating” on them. Hadn’t they heard a Tiger never changes his stripes?
As the story of Tiger Woods’ marital problems, sex addiction, and betrayal of his wife and children has unfolded, many of his mistresses have felt compelled to come and tell their side. What “side” do these women have to tell? To call Tiger Woods well-known is an understatement. Even I who have little interest in sports or golf know his life story, including his marriage to a very nice, well-educated woman who is the mother of his two children. These are well publicized facts. It boggles my mind to think these women perceive themselves to be injured parties. Co-conspirators perhaps, but injured parties? I think not.
I was further flummoxed when Gloria Allred, a high-profile lawyer for women’s causes, appeared with one of Tiger’s mistresses shortly after the golfer’s statement apologizing for his behavior. Allred claimed that her client, porn star Joslyn James, was owed an apology too, and Tiger Wood’s apology was just a stunt. "I just watched Tiger Woods’ apology on television,” Allred said, “and he said that many people believed in him. He also said he wanted to make amends. He did not apologize by name to my client … and I ask, why no apology?"
I can think of many reasons why this woman had no reason to expect an apology on national TV from her married lover. What did she expect, getting involved with a promiscuous, famous married man such as Tiger Woods? A “Pretty Woman” happy ending? At least the man in that Hollywood fantasy was single.
It seems unlikely that she expected a proposal given the rather raw, violent nature of the texts she recently made public and claims are from Tiger. None of these messages paint the picture of anything, but a sexual relationship.
Rachel Uchitel, the Manhattan nightclub hostess also known as the “original mistress”, was reportedly not too happy when she first heard about the other women the golf great may have been seeing.
According to People.com a friend reported, "Rachel was mad at Tiger when she found out about the other girls and did not speak to him for three days.” Angry or not, Uchitel was far from naïve as a nightclub hostess who has been involved with celebrities.
Many of Tiger’s mistresses have come forward with salacious details of their so-called relationships. It is clear he left a flotilla of discarded, angry, scorned women in his wake. It is equally clear he never expected his affairs to infringe on his real life. And now, as he is trying to rescue his badly-damaged marriage and tarnished public image, he is also dealing with a pack of scorned women.
Too bad he wasn’t better schooled in literature or he may have remembered the famous Congreve quote: "Heaven has no rage like love to neither hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned…” As for the women, they have had their 15 minutes of infamy. The smart ones will clean up their act and realize the are not playing a winning game in life or love.
Nightclub hostess, porn stars, and racy ladies who dally with married men are not the new great courtesans in the mold of Madame Du Barry. They are disposable entertainment for rich men. They are deluded if they think they are involved in a love match that will end happily ever after. I think many of them live in a fantasy world. Surrounded by rich men who spend freely, these women do not realize they are just another consumable.
The smart ones write a book and move on.
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Motown, like all great industries, has its legacies and legends. L’Stubbs is a talented vocal quintet descended from Motown’s royalty. The cross-generational all-female group features Thelma Stubbs-Mitchell, the sister of Levi Stubbs of the legendary Four Tops, and four of his nieces, Pamela Fuller, Shelia Stubbs-Taylor, Ronda Pierce, and Robin Pierce. L’Stubbs have performed with the iconic Four Tops and the Temptations. They are making name for themselves with their sultry R&B harmonies and Diva-style.
To find out what it is like to grow up under the auspices of Motown greats, don’t miss a word of this exclusive interview.
DD: You have an impressive legacy, as the sister and nieces of Levi Stubbs of the legendary Four Tops. How has this influenced your music?
L’ Stubbs: Watching the Four Tops all of our lives brought us great inspiration, work ethic, and a true love for the business of entertaining. We also have a great love for all the Motown groups, especially the Jackson Five. One of our other favorite family groups is the Osmond Brothers.
When we were young girls, in our grandmother Daisy Stubbs’s bathroom we would make drums out of the walls around us and conduct are own Motown show. We would add our own twist to the dance moves that we saw performed by The Four Tops many times. We never imagined as little girls, we would now be performing in front of thousands of people and have a new CD titled "Here We Are".
DD: Did any of you ever perform with the Four Tops or your brother Levi Stubbs?
L’ Stubbs: Yes, L’Stubbs has opened up for the Four Tops and the Temptations on several occasions. These performances gave us phenomenal concert and tour experience. There is nothing like performing live in front of thousands of people, and receiving rave reviews. For the city of Detroit, Sheila recorded a song entitled "The Detroit Song" with her uncle Levi. It was all a blast, and the song and time spent with uncle Levi will be treasured forever.
DD: How long have you been performing together?
L’Stubbs: We have been performing collectively together, for five years. However, before forming the group L’Stubbs, we formed separate groups such as: Guest Stars, Phase III, and Starfire. Each group would consist of at least three members of L’Stubbs; this would allow us to interchange our members for different performances. After years of working separately, one of our family members, Barbara, told us that she thought we would have a great future if we worked together. So, we formed our group L’Stubbs, and this union has been the perfect fit.
DD: You are a family group from Detroit which is yet another type of musical legacy; did you think about this when you were forming the group? Did it influence you?
L’Stubbs: Yes, because Detroit has so many musical legends and with Motown being a historical fixture, we have a huge responsibility with representing our city, along with preserving our family legacy. We feel that the group of ladies we have formed together are pretty dynamic. Often, we have been told that while performing, if our audience were to close their eyes, they would think that Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, or Louis Armstrong were on stage. This is a huge compliment and we are humbled and honored by the comparisons.
And yes, we are greatly influenced by the many legends here in Detroit and we will continue trying to keep Motown "alive".
DD: What are the advantages and disadvantages to working with family?
L’Stubbs: A great advantage we have is that as family members we share the same timbre (vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner) in our voices. This works magic with our harmonies. Having a close family, we all live in the same city of Detroit which makes it very convenient for our weekly rehearsals.
A disadvantage as family members is that if we wanted to fire another member, we would still have to socialize with that person. Instead we take the word ‘family’ to heart, and even if we disagree, we have learned how to compromise. Our motto is "we cannot fire each other from our family; which means we must work things out within our group". Can you imagine five strong-willed females!!! (smile)
DD: What inspires the group musically and stylistically?
L’Stubbs: When we are performing, we are thrilled seeing our audience enjoy themselves. This is an inspiration to us. We love interacting with them, and making them a part of our act. This really puts an extra spark in our step. When we create our songs, our fans and life experiences inspire us. We all are true believers in love and romance.
Many legendary artists inspire our sense of style. Tina Turner to name just one, has a strong, courageous, bold style that we feel is classic.
Today, we are inspired by many fashion-forward entertainers. We take the old and new school combinations of style and ideas to create a foundation which we enhance and cultivate into our own unique and individual style.
DD: Where do you see L’Stubbs in 5 years?
L’Stubbs: We would love to tour overseas and we plan to take a trip there soon. We are currently on a multi-city tour promoting our CD "Here We Are". Our first single "All Is Well" will be released to radio nationally. We also see ourselves still making people smile and bringing people together from all walks of life. Perhaps in the future, L’Stubbs will produce music for other artists, and write movie scores. We will definitely continue grooming the next generations. We are committed to today’s youth. Our goal is to let the legacy live on. There’s no stopping us now! because "HERE WE ARE"!
For more about L’Stubbs, or to hear selections from their new CD, Here We Are go to http://www.stubbsgirls.com/
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Gonails Growth Treatment promises to do for nails what Latisse has done for lashes. After years of being disappointed by over-priced nail growers, I am excited. Gonails has an ingredient,arginine aminobenzoate a patented DNA that is showing up in many new and effective cosmetics. It is a patented DNA stimululator and one of the reasons Gonails is not just another glorified nail lacquer or oil. Another new ingredient in Gonails is Lipoplastadine, a rich source of biotin derived from egg yolks that improves thin brittle nails. Thymulen4 stimulates the growth of new keratin to improve the nail’s strength and integrity.
There is also jojoba and Vitamin E for healthy cuticles. The formula also contains collagen, an excellent moisturizer to make nails more elastic and less brittle.
If you have despaired of ever having a “flawless ten”, try Gonails and flaunt your fingers. It takes about two weeks before you will see results.
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I can’t stand anything in my hair — not oil, frizz or odor. I am obsessed with clean, shiny hair; I wash and style mine almost daily and have since I was 13. But I also cook a lot, and that can be a disaster for my fresh clean hair. A few minutes over a hot frying pan of savory ingredients can leave my locks smelling like dinner — and that is not appetizing. Also equally disastrous can be a visit to open-kitchen dining spots. A recent visit to wine bar left my clothes and hair smelling like their lamb sliders. That’s when I reach for the dry shampoo until I have time to wash and style my hair.
Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo leaves hair feeling clean and refreshed without powdery residue. It goes on clean and clear. The new invisible formula quickly absorbs the oily buildup on your scalp and neutralizes any odors. It’s really quick to do — perfect when you only have minutes for a touch-up and a quick change.
Dry shampoos are also a boon for women with dry curly hair or thin hair who want to avoid over-washing and -styling their tresses. If this is your issue, try Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo, as it is super light and will brush perfectly.
Grafix Dry Spray Shampoo retails for $7.99 and is available at Target, Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart, CVS and other select retailers in the U.S.
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The All Nighter All Over Shimmer Powder is a cinnamon scented shimmer for face, body, and even hair. This all natural powder is formulated with rice, silk, and minerals. It has a subtle sparkle in a bronzy base that is best for medium to darker skin tones. A little goes a long way, so tilt a small amount into the cap and then use a brush or puff to apply.
Add Shiva Rea: Yogini – Vinyasa Flow Yoga for Women to your shopping list this Apriland discover why Shiva Rhea is consistently rated the top female yoga teacher. This new DVD is set in beautiful Hawaii under a breathtaking waterfall.
According to yoga’s teachings, women are blessed with innate creative energy. This energy, called shakti, lies at the heart of life. Yet it’s easy to become disconnected from it. Shiva Rea offers five fluid practices to make you feel energized, powerful, vibrant, and healthy.
Shiva Rea: Yogini – Vinyasa Flow Yoga for Women is a fabulous addition to any type of existing practice or a great introduction to yoga. Flow yoga helps to release both mental and physical tension while bringing the body and mind into harmony.
The customizable Yoga Matrix allows you to you arrange your practice according to your time and energy level.
Hailed by Vanity Fair as “one of the world’s greatest yoga masters,” Shiva has taught yoga to a diverse range of creative movers and shakers. They include actors Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Pierce Brosnan, John Cusack, and Jeremy Piven, cutting-edge artists Bjork, Michael Franti, acclaimed director Mira Nair, and members of the Kennedy family.