i am a diva

Pixie Power...

There's been a lot of hype built up around this Princess thing. All the Princess movies, Disney Princesses, crowns, costumes, at infinitum. And sure, every little girl grows up wanting to be Cinderella or Aurora or Jasmine. I get that - my personal fave as 'little Debby' was Cinderella because she had strawberry blonde hair like me. This would be the same reason my youngest child loved all things Ariel – she was a redhead.

But if I had to choose one Disney heroine to emulate NOW, as a grown woman, there is no contest. Tinkerbell. Oh yes, Miss Bell gets my unequivocal vote…

I mean, this girl is one of a kind. There are many Princesses in Disney lore, but only ONE Pixie. She's the shizzle. The go-to-girl. The ultimate Disney DIVA, if you will! She's cute, athletic, has a darling wardrobe, and a hairstyle that flatters her and never goes out of style. And those eyelashes…
She's sassy and saucy, and yet no one calls her trampy.
She has her own theme song and music that follows her everywhere. As do flattering twinkly lights.
She speaks her own language, and yet everyone understands her. Her moodiness is not only tolerated, it's celebrated. That Tinkerbell Pout is legendary. People love it!
Her bad moods, jealousy, playfulness, and ability to cheer up anyone who's in the dumps is just part of her charm.
She's no shrinking violet or scaredy-cat – Miss T goes after what she wants. God help anyone who gets in her way!

Her job? To flit down a highwire and signal the start of the fireworks each night in the Magic Kingdom. This daring performance is met with cheers, applause, and adoration every single time. Everyone appreciates her, and shows it.

And have you seen her HOUSE? Good heavens. This chick is one of my peeps!
She salvages, scavenges, and redesigns other people's cast-offs into FABulous finery for her little bitty domicile. It twinkles, sparkles, and surrounds her with luxury. And it's all just for HER. No men (or little boys who never grow up) will ever soil the perfection of her penthouse suite at the top of that clock.

OK, I will allow that Miss Tink has one fault: that crush on Peter Pan, the boy who will never grow up and has no idea how she feels about him. Sigh. We've all been there, Tink. Wendy can HAVE him.

Maybe I've always had an eye on this one because my uncle bought me a glow-in-the-dark Tinkerbell wand when I was two, and I was enchanted by it all my life. (Still looking for a replacement…) Or maybe it's because when my mom was in high school, and she met boys at the park, she'd fib and tell them SHE was Tinkerbell who slid down the zipline every night. She was petite and cute, and they believed her. It's family lore now!

Or maybe it's just Tink's fierce independence, spunkiness, and ability to bring a bit of magic to any situation that connects with me. My grandma and my mom and I are all like that in a way. So, Yeah, you can keep the crown and the flowing gown… This Diva will take a chartreuse mini-dress (in a size just slightly larger than Miss Bell's) and a wand to sprinkle magic and pixie-dust all over a world that needs a whole lot more of it. I believe! I believe!

Debi Ward Kennedy
decodivadebi.blogspot.com

Unveiling the new Jo Mora Gallery...

Anyone who's read my blog knows how much I love Jo Mora's artwork. I recommend to my friends and colleagues that it's ideal to be versatile in your professional life with a variety of revenue streams...for strange economic times like now.

Joseph Jacinto Mora (1876-1947) was a versatile man who enjoyed an adventurous life. He was a sculptor, painter, author, illustrator, cartoonist, muralist and diorama-maker, as well as an artillery major and Indian language interpreter for the U.S. Army, honorary member of the Hopi and Navajo tribes, cowhand, and photographer. (http://jomoratrust.com).

The Monterey History and Art Association, in association with Peter Hiller, the Jo Mora Trust Collection Curator, has recently established the Jo Mora Gallery at the Monterey Maritime and History Museum located at 5 Custom House Plaza in Monterey (831) 372-2608. On Sunday, April 20th at1:00 PM, Peter Hiller will give a presentation about the Mora Collection and the relocation of Jo Mora's Sutter's Fort Diorama to the Maritime Museum.

The Monterey History and Art's permanent collection of Jo Mora's work is newly located in The Monterey Maritime and History Museum. The collection reflects a perfect cross section of Mora's numerous artistic achievements. On display are original pen and ink drawings, a rare oil painting entitled The Moccasin Maker which was painted in Mountain View when Jo returned from living on the Hopi reservation, a marble bust of a Navajo girl which was purchased in 1971 by the association as a memorial to it's former president A. Boyd Mewborn, a set of Mora's Katchina watercolor prints, the bronze plaque that was saved from the Toro Creek Bridge on Highway 68 in Salinas, examples of Jo's cartes and many additional pieces.

Joseph Jacinto Mora (1876-1947) was a versatile man who enjoyed an adventurous life. He was a sculptor, painter, author, illustrator, cartoonist, muralist and diorama-maker, as well as an artillery major and Indian language interpreter for the U.S. Army, honorary member of the Hopi and Navajo tribes, cowhand, and photographer. He moved to Carmel in 1920, and established a studio at the Carmel Mission. There, he began one of his most handsome pieces, the monumental cenotaph of bronze and travertine representing Father Junipero Serra and his assistants. After completing this work, the Mora's acquired a new home in Pebble Beach.Outside of Carmel, Jo Mora created San Francisco's Cervantes Sculpture in Golden Gate Park and the Bret Hart Memorial on the wall of the Bohemian Club, as well as dioramas for the Will Rogers Memorial in Oklahoma. He designed fountains, such as the one at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, and did wall murals for Julia Morgan's Los Angeles Examiner building. U. C. Berkeley has a marble bench made by Jo Mora and Mora also designed the commemorative half dollar for the 75th anniversary of California statehood. Towards the end of his career, he wrote and illustrated two books, Trail Dust & Saddle Leather and Californios.

Peter Hiller has recently become the Jo Mora Trust Collection Curator (www.jomoratrust.com). He is also the 1st through 8th grade art teacher at All Saints' Episcopal Day School in Carmel Valley, CA, a position he has joyously held for 28 years. He received his B.A. in Fine Arts and Literature from Johnston College, at which time he also taught photography classes at the University of Redlands, and he later earned a teaching credential in Art from U.C.L.A. As his first teaching job, he became head of the Art Department at a special education school, Clearview, in Los Angeles. Locally, Peter has shown his artwork at the old Bruised Reed Gallery in Monterey, and in juried shows at the Monterey Museum of Art. He was a founding board member of the Monterey County Youth Museum. He also serves as a contributing editor for Arts and Activities Magazine. Peter also curated the exhibit Jo Mora Artist and Writer at the Monterey Museum of Art in 1998, and other recent exhibits at the Carmel Mission. He has given numerous lectures and written many articles about Jo Mora.

The Monterey History and Art Association, which operates the Monterey Maritime and History Museum, Mayo Hayes O'Donnell Library, Casa Serrano, Doud House, and the Perry Downer Historic Costume Gallery, is the oldest cultural institution on the Monterey Peninsula. It began its work 72 years ago and is still going strong today as a leader in the historic preservation of Monterey's artifacts, historic properties, and the precious art created by many of our most famous residents. Admission is free and the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

For more information, please contact Tim Thomas at (831) 372-2608 extension 17 . JPEG photos are available upon request. To arrange an interview with Peter Hiller, please contact Wendy Brickman at (831) 633-4444 or Brickman@brickmanmarketing.com.

Wendy Brickman
www.brickmanblog.typepad.com

Get Married Honeymoon Dream Video Contest

Harmony Walton

www.bridalbarblog.typepad.com

Win a Once-In-A-Lifetime Honeymoon
Get the Royal Treatment with Get Married!

Get Married is giving one lucky couple a honeymoon fit for a princess and her prince charming – in a place that even royalty money can't buy –Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World.

For decades, Walt Disney World guests have dreamed of spending the night in the Cinderella Castle -- a night when, as the clock strikes midnight, the magic doesn't end. Get Married is making the dream come true for one lucky honeymoon couple with its "Get Married Honeymoon Dream Video Contest".

The winning couple will enjoy a 6 Night stay at the Walt Disney World® Resort including: round trip airfare for two, roundtrip limousine transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport, two-7 day Magic Your Way Park Hopper tickets, and 6 nights at a Disney Resort Hotel which includes one special night at Cinderella Castle Suite.

To enter, contestants register on GetMarried.com and submit a: 30 to 2:00 telling why they are the prince and princess deserving of the special honeymoon prize. Videos will be available for viewing throughout the contest period which runs from April 18, 2008 to May 26, 2008.

The three videos judged to be the most creative and persuasive will be posted for final selection by registered members on the Get Married website from 6/2/2008 to 6/9/2008.

Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to begin your "Happily Ever After" with a Dream Fairy Tale Honeymoon at the Cinderella Castle Suite!

Go to GetMarried.com

Harmony Walton
www.bridalbarblog.typepad.com

Paulette Macaron

Holly Dye

www.hollydye.typepad.com

Hello there!
I wanted to share my favorite Macaron place with you today....Paulette Macaron in Beverly Hills to be exact!

.

Paulette's unique macarons are made daily in their Beverly Hills bakery. The luminous contemporary atmosphere of the shop designed by Viennese architect Andrea Lenardin Madden sets the stage for enjoying a kaleidoscope of vivid colors and delectable tastes.

Award-winning French chef Christophe Michalak takes the savoir faire of the French original to a new level, bringing authentic haute patisserie française to classic flavors from the American palate. Each of their macarons has its own personality – and all of them are made to savour for their delicacy and unique character.
Individual macarons $1.50
Gift boxes of 12 macarons $18 | 24 macarons $35

Mon - Sat | 10am - 6pm
9466 Charleville Boulevard at Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Check it out!

Holly Dye
www.hollydye.typepad.com

Paulette Macaron...

Hello there!
I wanted to share my favorite Macaron place with you today....Paulette Macaron in Beverly Hills to be exact!

Paulette's unique macarons are made daily in their Beverly Hills bakery. The luminous contemporary atmosphere of the shop designed by Viennese architect Andrea Lenardin Madden sets the stage for enjoying a kaleidoscope of vivid colors and delectable tastes.

Award-winning French chef Christophe Michalak takes the savoir faire of the French original to a new level, bringing authentic haute patisserie française to classic flavors from the American palate. Each of their macarons has its own personality – and all of them are made to savour for their delicacy and unique character.
Individual macarons $1.50
Gift boxes of 12 macarons $18 | 24 macarons $35

Mon - Sat | 10am - 6pm
9466 Charleville Boulevard at Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Check it out!

from Diva Holly Dye

http://www.hollydye.typepad.com

Rosie features Linda Wood's Book on her site!!!

While checking out some of my favorite blogs this morning, I was gleefully found an excellent (and validating) link to diva Linda Woods (http://www.visualchronicles.typepad.com) essential book, Journal Revolution: Rise Up and Create, on Rosie O'Donnell's site (http://www.rosie.com) Rosie also happens to be one of the featured artists in the book (as well as diva Holly Dye and yours truly among others...) and has been a big fan of Linda Woods ever since she received a copy of Visual Chronicles, which led to an appearance by Linda and her co-author, sister Karen Dinino, on The View! You can personally meet both of the seesters at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books next weekend, April 26th-27th at UCLA, but if you don't want to wait that long, Linda will be signing up in Northern California: Stamp Bug April 19, 2008 11:00am-1:00pm 1006 North Davis Road Salinas, CA 93907

Marshmallow Animal Favors...

How cute are these marshmallow animal favors?! I saw them over at Kitchen Retro, who noted that they're from a book called McCall's Family Style Cookbook which was published in 1965. I couldn't find the book on Amazon, but am hoping it might pop up on ebay. Either way, the images look pretty self explanatory if you want to try recreating these little toothpick & marshmallow creatures yourself! See more characters at Kitchen Retro.

Jenn Sbranti
www.hostessblog.com

The "Frogman" is coming to Carmel...

35 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE OF TIM COTTERILL, "THE FROGMAN" TO BE HELD AT COAST GALLERY IN CARMEL FEATURING 35 HISTORIC SCULPTURES, THE ARTIST'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND ENGRAVINGS - EXCLUSIVE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA APPEARANCE

Tim Cotterill, aka "The Frogman", a well known sculptor of whimsical bronze frogs, will be honored at a special 35-year retrospective exhibition reception at Coast Gallery Carmel (www.coastgalleries.com) located on Ocean Avenue at San Carlos in Carmel-by-the-Sea, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Saturday, May 10, 2008.

To celebrate the artist's illustrious career, 35 historic sculptures will be exhibited for the first time in public, including early bird sculptures, rare and sold out frog sculptures, and the artist's personal history albums.

During the reception Cotterill will engrave"Enjoy---35 Years" on every frog collected during the retrospective exhibit.

To celebrate this retrospective, Tim has created a special show frog titled "Blossom", released in a commemorative, collector's edition of 100 copies. Cotterill is well-known for his amusing frog sculpture names, such as "Hung Over," "Snack Attack," "Leap Frog," "Cliff Hanger," "Willie Jump" and "Let's do Lunch," to name a few. The distinctive and humorous collectable bronze frogs range in price from $100 up to a few thousand dollars. This special exhibit will continue through July, 2008.

Coast Gallery owners, Gary and Emma Koeppel, who are the hosts of the event, explained, "We want to share Tim's remarkable career and unique humor with everyone who can attend. We encourage collectors to bring in their own pieces so that Tim can engrave them with the words "Enjoy! 35 years!" to make them even more valuable."

Tim Cotterill's bronze frog sculptures capture the whimsical character, the jewel-like quality and the pure JOY of these beautiful little creatures. Tim Cotterill explains, "Through the centuries and throughout the world, frogs have symbolized many things - Good Luck, Royalty, Fertility, Magic Potions, Energy, Charm. In today's fast world, life sometimes becomes complicated and stressful. As you can see, my art is not. It's Elegant, Stylish, Whimsical, Unique and pure FUN! As children we were excited to see our first frogs. They made us laugh when they jumped our way! We were curious about the strange way they felt; the odd way they moved and their simple contented look. I used to watch frogs at my pond in England, noting how each one had its own color markings, character and even personality."

Tim Cotterill, also known as Frogman, was born in Leicester, England, in 1950. He left school at the age of fifteen to complete a six year engineering apprenticeship. Intrigued with metalworking, Tim created radical wheeled vehicles and metal sculptures of animals and birds during the '70s and '80s. His original steel, bronze and gold bird and animal sculptures are in art collections throughout the world. Tim emigrated to California in 1990 where he has since devoted himself solely to the creation of his unique bronze sculptures, and now lives in Venice, California.

For more information, to receive high resolution jpeg photos, or to schedule an interview with Tim Cotterill, please contact Wendy Brickman at (831) 594-1500 or email brickman@brickmanmarketing.com.

Wendy Brickman
www.brickmanblog.typepad.com

Improve your finances while you wait...

In an instant gratification culture, waiting for anything is viewed more of a nuisance that an opportunity. But standing in line or sitting in a waiting room for an appointment provide the perfect opportunity to take a moment to make some money savvy moves. Here are a few suggestions for making the most of your wait.

Find useful articles on the web about money saving ideas or finances in general and print out those articles for later when you inevitably find yourself in a waiting situation. Check out stretcher.com or bankrate.com for articles. Keep a few articles in your purse handy so you can skip the outdated magazines in the waiting rooms of you dentist's office the next time you visit. If you have a bunch of receipts floating around in your purse, gather them together and organize them by type, gas for example, or retailer, Walmart for example. Now organize them by date. When you get home put the receipts in a coupon organizer or separate envelopes. If you need to return something it will now be easier to match the receipt to the item.

At the beginning of a movie on DVD, do the previews for other movies take as long as the movie itself or does it just seem that way? Commercial breaks on TV are almost as bad. If you are watching TV alone and it's not a social occasion, break out those unpaid bills and start writing checks during commercials. By the time the movie starts or TV commercial breaks finish, you should be caught up on your bills. If you have any kind of wireless device with an internet connection, like a laptop, go online to do a little comparison shopping for rates on credit cards, checking or savings accounts. Or check your own credit rating online.

While waiting in line at the grocery store see how many coupons in your purse match the items in your shopping cart. Check and see that the coupons aren't expired. You might find out a coupon is expired and decide against the item after all. This also saves you the hassle of digging through a bunch of coupons when you are ready to pay and possibly missing one that you could have used. When waiting in line to check out, pick a register that has a magazine rack next to it. Skim the magazines while waiting to see if they have any article of interest. If they do, write down the name and month of that issue so you can later look up the article online without having to buy the magazine. Not all magazines have both print and online articles, but it's worth checking out online to save a few bucks. A lot of magazines will pay for tips readers send in or recipes. While you're skimming magazines, look for ones that pay for good ideas and make a note of the their web site if you would rather get the information off of the web than pay for a magazine. The next time you find yourself in a waiting you can write down all those great tips you have so you can send them into the magazines for money.

Money is valuable, but not nearly as valuable as your time. The next time you find yourself in a waiting situation, ask yourself, "How can I use this wait time to my advantage?"

Stephanie Ann
thecheapdiva.com

Relationship Challenges

As a Life Strategies Coach, I guide my Baby Boomer clients to discover and develop their personal resources, both internal and external, so that whether life hands them lemons or lemonade, they will be able to remain emotionally and spiritually confident in their ability to cope with life’s sudden turns. Let me tell you a story:

My client Gillian (a pseudonym) had developed a close emotional bond with her father after her mother’s early death when Gillian was a young adult. When her father remarried, however, his new wife took an instant disliking to both Gillian and her brother, both of whom were adults living in distant cities.

For years, Gillian and her Dad saw each other only infrequently, but they were able to maintain a close telephone relationship. Dad’s seventy-fifth birthday was coming up, and Gillian was torn over whether or not to risk a family “scene” by attempting to visit him for the milestone event. After several weeks of coaching around the various challenges that Gillian felt she would have to cope with if she visited her Dad, she decided that her relationship with him was important enough to her to take the trip.

When Gillian traveled across several states to see her Dad, the two shared what would turn out to be their final meal together on his birthday. Two weeks after she returned home, Gillian received a phone call from her brother who broke the news to her that their Dad had died unexpectedly in his sleep that morning. Gillian felt saddened by her Dad’s death, but she also felt peace.

Gillian and I had rehearsed and worked out the challenges of her visit ahead of time in our coaching sessions, and she had discovered her own ability and devised strategies to handle the difficult relationships in her family. From this coaching exploration and practice she was able to give both her father and herself a priceless gift.

We never know what life will send our way. All we can do is to prepare ourselves to be confident and resourceful and to learn how to bring forth our strengths in what may seem like moments of weakness. From that position of inner power, we can often turn the worst of times into the best of life’s treasures.

For more information: innerjourneyscoaching.com
My goal is to provide you with the support and guidance that you desire to maintain your own physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing in order to be available to your parents in their time of need.

Jane Drucker
innerjourneyscoaching.com

CHUMS!

"CHUMS," A NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY BY PLAYWRIGHT/DIRECTOR TOM PARKS, OPENING AT THE CARL CHERRY CENTER FOR THE ARTS FROM MAY 3RD – MAY 25TH

April 2008, Carmel, CA. What happens when friends become lovers…and lovers become friends? Find out by coming to see a delightful new romantic comedy, "CHUMS, written and directed by Tom Parks. "CHUMS," at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts (a 501(c)3 non-profit organization), located at 4th and Guadalupe, in Carmel by the Sea. "CHUMS" will be performed from Saturday, May 3rd, through Sunday, May 25th, including 7:00 pm performances on Fridays and Saturdays, and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Advance tickets ($30 each) can be purchased online at www.ticketguys.com or by calling (831) 601-5816. Group discounts are also available.

"CHUMS" is the first non-musical play written and directed by Tom Parks who has created an entertaining story for all ages. In "CHUMS," it has been at least forty years since Broadway actress, Ruth Reddington, and screenwriter, John Alton, have met. They were lovers long ago, but each has set off on a different path, having affairs and marriages and lives quite separate from one another. Now, both are older and free, they meet in a New York hotel for an evening of catching up, reminiscing, and…well, anything can happen!

Tom Parks comes from an impressive show business background of many years. He has produced four highly successful shows in Carmel in as many years, including "Something for the Boys," a USO pastiche; "Marlene- From Berlin to Hollywood to Berlin, 1930-1945," an homage to one of the great legends of film and theatre; "Say It With Music," an evening of songs from the Golden Age of Broadway, and "Give My Regards to Broadway, George M. Cohan Tonight," an evening featuring Parks telling the life story and singing the songs of the great George M.Cohan.

Before moving to Carmel, Tom Parks was a behind-the-camera man in Hollywood. His job as an in-demand dialogue coach was to make sure the actors were familiar with their lines, and that they were aware of the many changes that often occur on the set. For more than 25 years, Tom worked for most of the celebrated stars of movies and television. He traveled extensively with Bob Hope; he was part of the creation of the fabulously successful TV revue, "Laugh In," where stars would beg to make appearances. The thinking at the time was, if you hadn't been insulted on "Laugh In," you just weren't marquee value any longer. The popular Carol Burnett had a run of ten years and Parks was with it until the show closed. Spending a season with Julie Andrews wasn't a bad gig, nor being the guest of Jack Benny in his dressing room between shots. Add to these credits great moments with Milton Berle, Phyllis Diller, John Wayne, and even diva, Bette Davis, who asked him out for an after rehearsal drink—Parks delightedly picked up the check. Now based in Carmel since 1987, Tom has been the Past President and is a Board Member of Alliance on Aging. He is also a Board Member of the Carmel Public Library Foundation, and coordinates and moderates its "Author! Author!" programs. Tom currently lives in Carmel with his pal, Mr. Toby.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Tom Parks, please contact Wendy Brickman at (831) 633-4444 or brickman@brickmanmarketing.com, or contact Tom Parks at (831) 625-9094.

Velvet-y Goodness...

You can imagine my joy when the buzzer sounded this morning; a heavy box was in the arms of Mr. FedEx (our new guy, who is loads cuter than the transferred guy!) What was in the box, you might ask? All of the velvet-y goodness that is Maya Road Velvet Ric Rac Ribbon! www.iamadiva.com/store/home.php?cat=339 In colors to coordinate with our favorite pleated blossoms, these 25-yard rolls arrived just in time to leap into the waiting arms of the three lovely ladies who were in the showroom gathering their own artistic bundles of goodies to take home with them. Not to worry though; we got plenty in stock now (though the black & brown are still on back order!)

Also, tucked into the bottom corner of the shipment, were the very last three tins of chipboard crowns http://www.iamadiva.com/store/home.php?cat=325 that Maya Road had in their inventory. Yes, that's right, the supplier sold out! We are comforted with the knowledge that our name is "top of the list" for replenishment when their next crate arrives from overseas in a few months (gasp!)

April is turning out to be the Maya Road month!

from diva Suzi Finer

http://www.suzifiner.tyepapad.com