The Parties! The Outfits! The Holidays!
by Jordon Knicley photos submitted by Sagittarius Salon and Spa It’s holiday time, and many women are planning what they will wear to all of the festive parties this season. Take this time to dress up and slip into something fabulous that you wouldn’t normally wear on a typical night out. Each holiday party this season has a different trend and image for you to adorn. For the classic work party – traditional and professional It is not appropriate to show skin but you can still sass up your everyday work attire. Metallic cropped pants with a high heel and a cute cashmere peplum top is ideal for this occasion. Peplums add something special to a basic dress or top, and also hide that extra cookie or two you had at the party! For going out with the girls – dress it up This is the night to get decked out in your sassiest holiday look! Sequins and glitteradorned dresses are perfect for this occasion and will have you sparkling all night! For the family get-together – traditional and classic An ivory lace dress or top are tasteful ways of having little bit of class and, of course, sass! Chunky knits and rich textures like velvet are perfect for the winter months, too. Not only will they keep you warm, but you will look fantastic this holiday. For the New Year’s Eve soiree – sparkle and shine You need the perfect piece of fabulous to celebrate a brand new you this year! You can’t go wrong with the perfect little black or white dress. It’s a classic, and so easy to accessorize with a statement necklace or chandelier earrings. Baby it’s cold outside, so you need to stay warm but don’t cover up that amazing outfit. Capes, wraps and ponchos are so trendy this winter and will only enhance your New Year’s look. Dry, dry, dry – your hair, your face and your skin You’re bundled from head to toe, taking hot showers and breathing in that indoor heat. Moisturize your hair with an intensive treatment such as Oribe Gold Lust Transformative Masque. Hydrate your body with LaLicous Brown Vanilla Sugar Scrub and Body Butter — so rich and refreshing. The secret to a gorgeous face isn’t in the makeup. It’s actually an exfoliated, hydrated, moisturized face. Exfoliation allows your moisturizer and makeup to go on so much easier and you won’t need to apply it as heavily. The best time to receive advanced skincare is in the winter. To get that skin glowing, book an exfoliation peel. It will shed all of your dead skin cells, and help...
Oh, Christmas Tree
by Mary Stickley-Godinez What would Christmas be without the tree? When I was young, my mom, sisters and I spent a day or two decorating the house. But the tree always waited until my father was off work and we gathered as a family to turn an ordinary white pine into a magical, glittery confection. Then for the rest of the holiday season, our family spent all our spare moments in the formal living room, enjoying that magnificent tree by the fireplace. Packages appeared at the base and slowly piled higher. We lay under the tree reading or playing games. Our cats climbed the branches and were subsequently banished from the room. Evenings passed with us turning out the room lights to sing Christmas carols or to just talk while bathed in the glow of the colored tree lights and the scents of pine, candle wax, and burning logs. Those days were magical to me. But they were not always the custom of an American Christmas. Before Christianity, evergreen boughs were a sacred symbol for most early civilizations. The winter solstice, December 21-22 was the shortest day of the year and thus the longest night. And it was thought to be a dangerous night — a night filled with ghosts, evil spirits and illness. But these could be warded off by draping evergreen leaves and branches above your doors, windows or fireplace — anywhere the house could be entered. Then towns began to celebrate a community tree around which the people gathered and sang and presented gifts to the sun god. They then burned the tree in a communal fire. Martin Luther is credited with bringing the first tree inside and fixing it with lit candles as a way to explain the Christmas story to his children. Later, for Christians, the tree came to symbolize the future cross on which the Christ Child would be crucified. Evergreen trees were also decorated with fruit and called a Paradise Tree to celebrate Adam and Eve. But the Christmas tree remained mainly a German custom until Queen Victoria of Great Britain asked her husband, Prince Philip, to decorate a tree as was done in his home when he was a child. He produced a tabletop tree decorated with candles, fruit, nuts and sugared candies. The royal family was pictured around this tree in a popular magazine in 1848, and all who saw it wanted to copy them. And so the Christmas tree entered British and American societal traditions. There are a number of varieties of evergreens that make suitable trees. I grew up with white pines and am always partial to those....
Color as Therapy
by Cathy Embrey LMT, LMEi Color has many uses and its therapeutic function is expanding. We are used to seeing color used as warning devices such as stop signs and red lights. Businesses and organizations use color such as red to stimulate the appetite: green in hospitals for healing and relaxation, and pink in jail holding cells. Some therapists use static color found in flowers, wall color, blankets and artwork to stimulate the eye, mind or sense of balance. Color also has a vibration, like a wave frequency. The sun, reflective prisms, even light bulbs vibrate colors of the rainbow. Color became part of the healing process for many alternative therapists going back to the early 1980s. How can this be? Sometimes to open the mind to understanding new concepts, we have to briefly look at the use of the concept in our daily lives. We know that light penetrates flesh; we also know that without light there would be no color, color would cease to exist. Ultraviolet color waves are used to disinfect pools and kill bacteria on the skin. Deep, penetrating infrared lamps are used to warm muscle tissue. We describe feelings with color. We may hear, “He’s green with envy; They’re feeling blue; She’s in the pink; or I am so mad I’m seeing red.” We describe people as having a dark cloud over them, or she is absolutely glowing, usually referring to the color of white or gold. White and gold usually refer to a period of great joy, such as the birth of a child, or to someone traveling a path of enlightenment. Color is documented in history as a rainbow, the covenant symbol, from God made to Noah and his descendents to never destroy the earth again by water. The same color spectrum is found in body energy work most often described in the folklore rituals of Hinduism as Chakras. Note how the rainbow is color seen by anyone, the chakra colors are said to be seen by a few and invisible to most. But how do the colors affect the healing journey and is there a way we can incorporate them in to our daily lives? How is color reflecting your life? Red. We are in a physical body, the blood runs red, and discussions of color often begin here. It is known as the root, the base of sexuality, passion, action, ambition, also of anger. Red can boost your energy level, increase the heart rate, and release adrenaline. It promotes action and movement. It reflects living with passion. Red is stimulating of both positive and negative passions (love and hate). It...
Through The Chapel Door
by Lisa Bartell of Wisteria Manor Not your Momma’s traditional June bride anymore! September, October and November are the New “Spring Weddings.” Yes, Autumn seems to be the new choice of seasons for couples to tie the knot. Why fall? The hot and humid days that lead to sticky and buggy situations are past, and new cool refreshing days mean comfortable weather for wearing formal attire for you and your guests, which will keep them smiling. The vibrant fall leaves make for a spectacular backdrop for wedding photos. The bountiful harvest of autumn’s fruits and vegetables act as a natural option for wedding decor and a pleasing menu for the palate. How could you go wrong? Not to mention for those diehard DIY’ers who want to plan and decorate their own weddings — the fall season makes it so easy with all it has to offer. And sticking to a tight budget is a lot easier, due to the fact that Mother Nature has already supplied half the decorations with her natural beauty. The wedding party Whether you are getting married in a small country church or a cathedral — or even a mountain or meadow — you can’t go wrong with the following attire. The bride and groom are naturally in your traditional white gown and black tuxedo as are the groomsmen. But the bridesmaids are decked out in one of many vibrant colors of fall such as persimmon, copper, eggplant, gold or chocolate. The groomsmen and groom can coordinate ties to match the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses. Bouquets can be flowers that are in season or flowers that are in the color palette of autumn. Even fall leaves look beautiful in a bouquet or on a lapel this time of year. The venue Venues can range from ballrooms, restaurants, museums, art galleries and even barns. I particularly think a barn venue is exceptionally nice for fall. Not so stuffy as some of the other venues, barns can still be played up to look quite elegant if so desired. Plus you will have easy access to the out of doors to view the fall splendor. The best of both worlds. For a simple country wedding reception you can use a rustic table and chairs, perhaps with a burlap or natural cotton tablecloth. Place cards can be made out of fresh mini pumpkins, apples or pears with a slit carved out the top to hold the name card. Centerpieces could be as simple as a basket of apples or gourds, or a fresh bouquet of seasonal flowers and leaves in a mason jar or hollowed-out pumpkin. Candy apples...
The Fine Arts Company
by Tricia Lynn Strader photos by Monika Wertman The Fine Arts Company in Hagerstown offers beautiful and functional pieces for the home or office. These pieces of true art aren’t anything like what you’ll find in chain stores. What’s unique about The Fine Arts Company and the art sold there is that it’s made in the USA by talented artists. It’s not from a cookie cutter mold. And this is the only store in the country that features these artists’ work all in one place. The Fine Arts Company opened in November 2013. U.S. military reservists Melissa Kaiser and David Nathans came up with the idea after visiting art fairs and local galleries in various parts of the country. In their travels with the Army and Air Force domestically and abroad, they discovered many incredibly talented artists who love to create art and have a passion to create one-of-akind pieces. But, Kaiser says, the artists didn’t know how to market their products to a broader audience. They believed the artists needed a way of showcasing their talents to the larger public. They came up with the idea of a store while Kaiser was living in Rochester, New York. However, with job transfers for both of them taking them nearer to D.C., they decided to look around the Frederick or Winchester areas to place a store, and expand the inventory to include area artists. They settled on Hagerstown, Kaiser says, because there wasn’t any store like theirs envisioned in Hagerstown. They found the location and The Fine Arts Company was born. “Everything is made in the USA and the majority costs under $100,” says Kaiser of the store’s inventory. We actively look for artists, and we look for quality pieces with a zinger— something unique like pottery, but pottery with crackled glass infused in it. That’s something you won’t find at a Wal-Mart or Target.” Nathans says, “The original collection of art purchased for the store started in Rochester, but quickly expanded to include artists from all over the country including Alaska. The store focuses in a few main areas, and the store seeks artists in those areas.” Those focus areas are gifts and collectibles ranging from pottery to glass-blown products, metal art, wall art, jewelry, wood products and home accents. Some are functional. Others are simply for the enjoyment of the art. But the stock doesn’t stop there. There are unusual gifts, natural health and body products. Work for sale is handmade by artists from California, Alaska, Oregon and Delaware to name a few states represented. There are items from local artists just down the way from Hagerstown, such...
Women of Distinction
The Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital (Eastern Panhandle area) is hosting the 10th annual Women of Distinction luncheon to honor three women from Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties in West Virginia. The 2014 Women of Distinction include Cindy Hovermale from Berkeley Springs, Tina Combs from Bunker Hill, and Tina Burns from Kearneysville. These women were selected by their peers for outstanding work in the community, contribution to their professions, and serving as outstanding role models for young women. Cindy Hovermale is the Operations Manager for Roy’s Service Center and Betty Lou’s Ol’ Garage Café. She is known in the community for her generosity and passion for taking care of anyone who needs help. Hovermale was recently honored with the Patriot Award as an “unsung hero” by the Morgan County Commission. Tina Combs has been the decisive leader of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce since 2004. Known as the “Heart and Soul of the Chamber,” Combs has increased Chamber membership along with community recognition of the organization. In 2013, Combs was appointed by Governor Tomblin to the West Virginia Board of Education where she represents interests of the Eastern Panhandle. Tina Burns is a clinical recruitment director at Shenandoah Valley Medical System (SVMS). She has worked at Shenandoah since 1983, helping to shape the system from a migrant, low-income health clinic in the 1980s to the large multidisciplinary group medical practice that it is today. Burns has served in various capacities at SVMS, helping to develop new programs for women’s health, behavior health, dental health services and a migrant health program that extends into Virginia. The keynote speaker for the 2014 Women of Distinction is Faye Fields, President-elect of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital. Fields is the founder and currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Integrated Resource Technologies, a leading provider of management support services and information management services to government agencies. Fields is a founding partner in the Washington Nationals Baseball Club and received the Emerging Business of the Year Award from Black Enterprise Magazine. Proceeds from the 2014 Women of Distinction event support Girl Scout programs throughout the Eastern Panhandle and include outreach programs for girls in underserved communities, outreach troops for at-risk girls, and financial assistance to girls and their families so that all girls can participate in Girl Scouts. Businesses or individuals interested in supporting the Women of Distinction events can choose to be one of our Character, Confidence, Courage, Honor or Leader Sponsors. In addition, Tribute Ads to recognize our honorees are also available. Reserved seating for the luncheon is available for $40 per person. Additionally, a beautiful...
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