Start with soft, hydrated and glowing skin. The best way to accomplish this is with a sugar scrub.  Phoenix Rising, All Natural Skin Care, has a healing sugar scrub that is marinated in luxurious natural oils that leave your skin, oh, so touchable. www.phoenixrisingskincare.com

Jersey Girl’s love to be TAN! It doesn’t matter if it’s August or December, they want to be tan, and the darker the better. Maybe being tan in the middle of a blizzard is a good way to find them if their car slides into a snowbank? Girls want 2-3 layers of a spray tan and flourescent white teeth. Scott Barnes, the make-up artist for JLO, developed Body Bling, the world famous instant tan and shimmer in one.  This cream looks beautiful on every skin type and can even be used as a blush.  It’s also incredible at fixing and blending self-tanning mistakes.  The best part is that it washes right off when you have to go back to reality. www.scottbarnes.com

Whether you hail from Jersey, San Francisco or San Paulo, glowing white teeth are on everyone’s list.  Whiter Image’s Chic-Flic, is a rhinestone studded, teeth whitening pen and lip plumping gloss in a convenient dual-ended brush that fits perfectly into any clutch.  www.makeupwithme.com

Everyone loves the look of tousled, day at the Jersey shore hair, so Jersey’s own, celebrity hairstylist, Eric Alt, developed Bayside Ocean Spray, to give you Jersey shore hair without having to hit the beach.  The fresh ocean scent makes me feel like I really spent the day at the Jersey shore! www.ericaltsalon.com

Nothing gets your hair pumping like Big Sexy Hair’s, Root Pump Mousse.  If you plan a long night of fist pumping at the club, you can remain perfectly coiffed with a shot of Root Pump directly on the roots of wet hair before styling. www.sexyhair.com

If you really want to complete the Jersey look for the holiday, get some false lashes or lash extensions for a longer lasting effect.  Lora “The Lash Dr.,” is the preeminent Lash Extension specialist in the New York area, and her clients love giving the gift of Luscious Lashes to their nearest and dearest. www.thelashdr.com

Of course, the most important part of the Jersey look is confidence, so rock your glitter, shimmer and glow right through the middle of the holiday party. Fist-pumping optional… but a whole lot of fun!

Lora Condon
“The Beauty Buster” and “The Lash Dr.”
4 Time National SPA WEEK Award Winner
Author of SPA WARS: The Ugly Truth About The Beauty Industry
www.makeupwithme.com

Exciting news!!! Our favorite makeup artist, esthetician and hilariously truth-telling New Jersey author and spa owner Lora Condon has won for the 4th time in a row in the National SPA WEEK awards! This is her 3rd year winning best facial, and her 4th year winning Best Treatment. I wanted to know, what makes the best facial in the nation?!?

What Constitutes “The Best” Facial?

Two times a year Spa Week runs a national program where spas around the country offer customers spa treatments for only $50.  Customers then vote for their favorite spa in different categories and Lora Condon’s, Magic Hands Skin & Body Spa recently won for the 4th time and 3rd time in the category for Best Facial. Lora, The Beauty Buster, now shares her secrets on how to give the best facial and what customers should look for and expect while visiting the spa.  Lora will also reveal the number one mistake estheticians make during a facial.

1. Choose An Esthetician with Advanced Knowledge – The more knowledge the esthetician has at her fingertips, the better result you’ll get from your facial.  Just like a college graduate won’t have the experience and knowledge of a CEO, the same goes for your facialist.  A quality esthetician will take a few classes every year to learn new techniques and stay on trend.
2. Use Your Senses – A quality esthetician will use all five senses to send you to heaven and back in an hour. She should have a firm but gentle touch with massage as well as extractions. The products should smell good with essential oils as the natural fragrance not artificial perfume. One of the most important senses is actually hearing and listening to what the client asks for and give it to them if possible. If they have acne and want deep cleaning, focus on cleaning not massage. Talking during a facial is a “touchy” subject.  The client should determine how much talking goes on during a facial.  Conversation should be about the client’s skin, beauty needs and beauty goals.
3. Educate the client – An educated client is the best client and many times it is the esthetician’s job to dispel beauty magazine or internet myths.  A great esthetician helps with homecare in a non-pushy way and show them the benefits of using professional products.
4. Passion For The Job – You’re in luck if your esthetician actually owns the spa or has an incredible reputation aside from the spa.  Big name spas tend to hire people right out of school with no experience; basically because they’re cheap labor and they make their money on volume not returning clients.  If the esthetician is the owner or highly regarded, you’re more likely to be in good hands.
   

The biggest mistake that estheticians make is over-steaming the skin.  Some estheticians say the reason for steaming the skin is to open the pores. This is false.  Pores do not open or close like gills on our face.  This is a lie that salespeople made up to sell products like toners.  Steam or warm, moist heat is used to soften the dead skin cells and should not be used for more than three minutes far away from the skin in order to make the skin pliable enough for extractions.  After three minutes, the skin starts to become irritated, red, more sensitive, flushed and dehydrated.  This is the reason that people are often red and blotchy after a facial.  Warm, moist towels are the perfect way to achieve the same result without irritating the skin.  Clients might miss the steam, but they sure won’t miss the blotchy, red patches.

For more on Lora Condon, her beauty and esthetic services and her spa Magic Hands Skin & Body call visit www.makeupwithme.com

Tel. 973-467-0992 Salon Hours

Tel. 973-715-3826 After Hours

Also, check out her amazing SPA WEEK specials starting October 10th:

Spa Week Specials Starting October 10, 2011

Check out these incredible $50 spa treatments for only $50 each

1) Semi-permantent mascara called Lash Dip with FREE gift – 55 min.

2) Partial eyelash extensions with FREE gift

3) Organic medical ultrasound facial with FREE gift – 55 min.

ASTONISH MAGAZINE & ASTONISHWORLD LAUNCH EVENT
Guests Previewed The First Print Edition of ASTONISH Magazine and New Ready-to-Wear and Couture Collections by Designer Phuong My

Featured Guests & Host Committee:
ASTONISH Publisher Ryan Chua, ASTONISH VP of Operations Brandon Leong, EngieStyle Founder Engie Hassan, Jewelry Designer J. Rudy Lewis, Financier & MyModel.com Founder David Cote, Publicist & Women’s Mafia Founder Marcy Clark, Philanthropist & Seven Bar Foundation Chairwoman Renata M. Black, Seven Bar Foundation President Kim Hoedeman, Designer Sabina Les, Yellow Sky Agency Founder Alejandro Beitler, Music Producer & Airgo Music Founder Jimmy Greco, Rock Artist Ming Vaadka, Producer Patrick Terry, R&B Artist AC Lincoln, Gossip Queen & Radio Host Flo Anthony, and Lita Asscher of Royal Asscher Diamonds, Grammy Nominated Artist Emily King, DJ Poet of The Black Eyes Peas, Jazz Legend Kim Kalesti, GenArt Founder Ian Gerard

Event Partners:
Sakiri Vodka Founder Sath Nop, Biso Wines Founder Mike Bazzini, John Sweiss of Bite Size New York, Lisa Mecray Rogers of Luxx Chocolat, DJ Jay McElfresh, DJ Von Kiss, Eric Alt Salon, Makeup Artist Valerie Vonprisk, Kett Cosmetics, Yaby Cosmetics, Pamela Quinzi Shoes, Kitty Andrews Millinery and The Gansevoort Park Avenue

New York, NY. September 2011. On September 7th, the eve of New York Fashion Week, 300 guests received a coveted invitation to the launch party for ASTONISH Magazine and ASTONISHWorld at the elegant Gansevoort Park Avenue Hotel. Press, Fashion Glitterati, the Bloggerati and celebrities of music and film were treated to a raging event and an unforgettable Fashion Show by fast-rising designer Phuong My. Guests were greeted with advanced copies of the premier issue of ASTONISH Magazine, a game-changing new high end fashion publication that features emerging photographers, stylists, designers and models. Once inside the Penthouse, fashion insiders, models, artists, press and VIP guests enjoyed hip cocktails by Sakiri Vodka, fruity Lunae Moscato by Biso Winery, Mediterranean delectable’s by Bite Size New York and gourmet confections by Luxx Chocolat, all whilst dancing to the tunes of DJ Jay McElfresh.

Backstage, Engie Hassan and the team at EngieStyle worked with designer Phuong My and her atelier to fit and finalize garments on models. Eric Altimore and the pitch-perfect team from Eric Alt Salon managed hair while key makeup artist Valerie Vonprisk worked with teams from Kett Cosmetics and Yaby Cosmetics to create a signature fresh, high-fashion face. Phuong My’s looks were finished with shoes by Pamela Quinzi and custom hats by milliner Kitty Andrews. EngieStyle provided jewelry by the Royal Asscher Diamond Company and Jewelry Sponsor J. Rudy Lewis for featured looks and VIP guests.

Super Model Lorianna Izrailova in Phuong My Couture, Runway Photos by Jodi Jones

After Yellow Sky Agency PR seated the VIP guests, DJ Von Kiss played music as Phuong My thrilled the crowd with 25 elegant, structural and inimitable ready-to-wear women’s looks and then 10 couture looks that showed off her mastery of manipulating shapes. An ovation of applause greeted designer Phuong My and ASTONISH Publisher Ryan Chua alike. Designer Phuong My embodies the magazine’s essential mission of showcasing the best emerging Fashion Artists of today.

The highly anticipated first print edition of ASTONISH Magazine hits major US newsstands on September 27, 2011. It is the answer to an industry starved for smart, unique and visually stimulating Fashion & Art content. Its goal is to inspire, reinvent and revolutionize the fading publication industry with stunning imagery, insightful social commentary and interviews with emerging artists and industry professionals. ASTONISHWorld offers a unique experience for fashion students, photographers, designers, stylists, models, makeup artists, hairstylists and bloggers to participate in the magazine and connect them with fashion industry leaders in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Russia, Japan, China, and Korea. Become a part of the movement at www.astonishmagazine.com.

#  #  #

Guest, ASTONISH Publisher Ryan Chua, Publicist Marcy Clark, Jeweler J. Rudy Lewis, VP of Operations Brandon Leong and Model Lorianna Izrailova

ASTONISH Publisher Ryan Chua, Magic Johnson's son EJ Johnson, Doug Melville of Red Carpet Runway and VP of Operations Brandon Leong

Models with Milliner Kitty Andrews

Team ASTONISH

ASTONISH Men's Editor Kristen Irby with Designer Ninh Nguyen

Model Lorianna Izrailova, Gen Art founder Ian Gerard, Astonish Publicist Marcy Clark and Model Ash Mirza

Engie Hassan and the EngieStyle team

Grammy Nominated Singer Emily King, Trum Thuy, Event Producer Marcy Clark, R&B Artist AC Lincoln, Jeweler J. Rudy Lewis & Jazz Legend Kim Kalesti

Author and Beauty Expert Lora Condon with Montana USA, Men's Wear Designer Alexander Tedford and stylist Jaymz Crow

Event Sponsor J. Rudy Lewis and his associates at the J. Rudy Lewis Jewelry Design Atelier

Guests from Women's Wear Daily

Douglas Melville of Red Carpet Runway & VIP Guests

Gossip Queen & Radio Host Flo Anthony, with Philanthropist and Film Producer Dhonna Goodale and The Salon Guy

ASTONISH VP Ryan Colby with his model clients

The Salon Guy Stephen Marinaro Interviewing Engie Hassan

J. Rudy Lewis being interviewed by The Salon Guy

Luxx Chocolat founder Lisa Mecray Rogers with guest and Tatyana Titkova

Members of the NYC Fashion Bloggers with J. Rudy Lewis and guest

Financier and MyModel.com Founder David Cote, Philanthropist Lisa Goldman, guest Jeff Zee

Socialite Guests of Engie Hassan

Ashley Crossman, Alejandro Beitler, Mike Bazzini

Event Produced by Marcy Clark of the Women’s Mafia and Yellow Sky Agency PR. More photos and Video Links:

August Young – Photographs
http://augustyoungphotography.zenfolio.com/p874270276

The Salon Guy – pictures and video
http://www.thesalonguy.com/media/astonish-magazine-launch-party-with-designer-phuong-my-for-ny-fashion-week

Sunny Norton -  Photographs
http://sunnynorton.smugmug.com/Events/ASTONISH-MAGAZINE-Launch-Party

More coming soon at www.ASTONISHMagazine.com. Say you are with the Women’s Mafia to secure your coveted subscription to ASTONISHWorld and join the movement!

Media Contact: Marcy Clark
Yellow Sky Agency
212.729.9619
Marcy@yellowskyagency.com

Graphic Design by Dustin Drankoski

From garage-punk like The White Stripes and The Sex Pistols to the musical theater and burlesque of Kurt Weill, Kander & Ebb and Django Reinhardt. Sound like a tall order? It is. But Minq somehow manages, like a mad perfumer, to combine notes of each into an originally explosive fragrance. Last year, he crashed onto the NYC circuit with his debut album The Plastic Masquerade, and was greeting with a glowing review from The Original Hipster, a sold-out debut at Joe’s Pub, gigs at Galapagos Art Space, CSV and 3LD and a nomination (as Adam Cochran) for a Drama Desk Award for his junk-folk score to the world premiere of NAATCO and Theater Mitu’s A Play On War. On March 24, 2011 came his second release: a half-hour-long EP called Minq Vaadka Will Take Your Elektro-Küsse in Queens, Please, including six new orignal songs and a cover of a favorite Tom Waits tune. Opening on August 26th, he will unleash a brand new cabaret theater piece with all-new, original music called Minq Vaadka’s Narcischism: Un Cabaret d’Adieu, directed by Chantel Pascente and produced by Patrick Terry and Te Ilum Theatre & Arts at the Robert Moss Theatre. Click here to buy tickets now (Women’s Mafia members can enter code MINQ10 for special $10 tickets, which includes beer!) and look out for the accompanying album of the same name to be released sometime during the 2011 holiday season!

And now, enjoy an exclusive Q&A with Minq Vaadka himself and Director Chantel Pascente!

WM: Who is Minq Vaadka? Can you describe the genesis of the act and how did this collaboration with Patrick Terry and Te Ilum came about?

Photos by Bridget "B." Waterhouse

Minq: Even though he’s a very theatrical presence and might even say or portray things that are not always actually true, I’m very careful to refer to him as a persona, not a character. That’s because Minq Vaadka is actually, well… me! My alter-ego. Minq started as an identity I developed for a cabaret course at NYU (taught by Salty Brine of Pepper & Sam fame) and, after the first set of performances, I realized that not only did I enjoy letting my impulsive, manic, unfiltered side loose in front of people but it could also be a useful tool for publicly exorcising some of my personal demons. And this sort of Weimar Germany-inspired palette seemed to create a perfect aural and visual landscape for a lot of the themes I wanted to deal with: bipolarity, bisexuality, theater, glam rock, humor, anger, mimesis, honesty, trickery. So it’s been fascinating learning how to navigate those waters and really make the iconography my own. How can I nod to my inspirations but sound contemporary? How can I use some of these visual idioms but not be misinterpreted as a Cirque du Soleil clown or a screamo act (God help me)? How can the music push compositional boundaries but remain accessible to a mainstream ear?

As for Patrick Terry and Te Ilum, I actually brought them together. Patrick introduced himself to me after he saw me perform at the new Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO. PT invited me to drinks at some schwanky bar on 59th St., got me soused, did a few card tricks (he’s actually a very talented magician) and before I knew it, we realized we had to make something happen together this year. Meanwhile, I’ve been with Te Ilum from its beginning. I met Chantel Pascente (Te Ilum’s Artistic Director) at NYU and we have since collaborated on a number of projects, so once we decided to undertake a Minq Vaadka theater piece, it seemed natural that I should hook her and PT up.

WM: What makes a Minq Vaadka concert experience unique?

Minq: Theatricality and honest passion. Minq Vaadka’s Narcischism is in fact a theater piece but even when I’m playing a regular gig at a music venue, the show is still highly theatrical. You’re NOT paying to see a bunch of scruffy bros in jeans and plaid shirts lean on their amps while they make their best “I’m Kurt Cobain and I don’t care” faces. You’re going to see me working my ass off to imbue the performance with showmanship and a sense of the delightfully weird. You see, I’m not at all into creating a “scene.” I don’t care how you’re dressed when you watch my show. I don’t care if you dance or mosh or stand there with a drink. But what I do care about is that you’re engaging this room with me — I want to see your eyes lighting up. I want to see the cogs turning in your head. I want you to judge me or love me or be confused by me, whatever. I just want you to chemically react somehow with the event I’m creating in the room. First time listeners to my music will notice that there are a lot of lyrics, lots of odd chord progressions, lots of sections and lots of tempo changes. It’s not music to sit back and zone out to. It’s music to reckon with, to engage with and to actively think about. Which turns some people off. But that’s what literally turns me on. And that’s why sexuality finds its way into a lot of it. I want to light up your sexual side via your brain. If that happens, then I’ve done my job for the night. And I think the stage show reflects that.

WM: Growing up on the west coast, how do you find living and working in New York? As a writer/performer where do you get your inspiration these days?

Photos by Bridget "B." Waterhouse

Minq: I knew from an early age, somehow, that I was destined to come live in New York. It’s always called to me (even before I knew that I wanted to be in music and theater) and it’s made me feel like it would be an ideal place to flourish as an artist and as a human being. And now that I’ve been here for about seven years or so, I would say that I was absolutely correct in that assumption. New York, as this sort of benevolent-but-fearsome beast in my life, has most definitely made me who I am today. I thrive on it’s nonstop hustle and bustle. The architecture feels severe and important. The changing of the seasons provides for starkly dramatic backdrops in art and emotion and memory. And most importantly, the circle of people I work and play with here fill me with life because they challenge me as much as they support me. That being said, the city often stresses me out and causes sometimes unbearable anxiety, so I find that I really need to go somewhere warm and easy (like back to my folks’ place in Los Angeles) for a little respite and some mental health days.

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Of course there are things that I love and gravitate towards: Tom Waits and Robert Wilson collaborations, Sxip Shirey’s happenings, Trash and Vaudeville and St. Marks Place, Kander & Ebb movies, Marilyn Minter’s photography, the latest Iggy Pop album, McQueen at the Met, Jack White etc. But I think an artist isn’t really doing his job if he’s not completely open to all sources of inspiration. I’ve been drawing a lot of it from my neighborhood in Queens lately: the trifecta of the Noguchi Museum, the Museum of the Moving Image and Socrates Sculpture Park, the rambling collection of graffiti out by Ditmars, the bridge to Roosevelt Island, the Bangladeshi quarter immediately surrounding my apartment and/or Alex, the dude with no fingernails who runs the hardware store on 31st St. and 36th Ave. who sold me a bottle of industrial-strength Drano by telling me it would “melt flesh and bone.”

WM: Whats the rehearsal process been like? Is it difficult to separate yourself from the material, especially when working on something that has such autobiographical connections?

Photos by Bridget "B." Waterhouse

Minq: Absolutely, it’s difficult. Because I am the material. Events have taken place in real life since we’ve been in rehearsal that have found their way into the piece already. And, as someone with Bipolar Disorder, we’re trying to dramatize these crazy mood swings that happen to me on a daily basis. We’ve actually run into places where I’ve taken a crack at writing us some dialogue and failed miserably because, when I show it to the team they go, “uh, that’s not what it’s like at all.” And I’m like, “yes, it definitely is!” And then Carly McCollow, our dramaturg, clears her throat and says, “well maybe it’s like that for you when it’s happening to you, but to everybody on the outside it looks a little more like this other thing.” So, there are parts of the show that I’ve handed completely over to Barrie McLain (my girlfriend; she plays Horseradish) so that she can write the scene from the perspective of someone who’s not inside my head in these situations.

WM: Chantel, as a director, what are you hoping audiences take away from this production? And how is MINQ VAADKA’s Narcischism – Un Cabaret D’Adieu different from some of your companies previous work?

Chante Pascentel: I think this piece can give the audience an experience that is unique in that they are watching something that completely blurs the line between reality and theatricality. Who is Minq Vaadka? Who is he to these characters we are watching, and who is he to himself? Maybe most importantly, who is he to the performers and how does the reality of their relationships and conflicts play into the piece? I hope the audience is able to immerse themselves in this challenge with us and walk away thinking about the relationship between an artist and its art. This piece is incredibly personal to all of the performers and myself. We have allowed ourselves to work in a new way, a way that for me was risky and revealing and I believe has led to results we can be proud of. Yes this piece is incredibly autobiographical for Adam, but it for me has become a universal story not just of artist and art, but of a person who’s world looks one way through his eyes and the people who adapt to that, who find their own ways of living in his universe. How would the world look if you were to see through anyone’s lens? Minq’s may be an extreme, but I hope that by us inviting the audience to look through his lens, they are able to walk away thinking about the implications in their worlds.

Te Ilum is committed to producing new and innovative theatre that is created in non-traditional ways. We focus on creating work that uses alternate artistic frameworks, and experiential theatre that engages the senses and arrests the audience, forcing you to be present with us in the room. This piece is our first to be co-created by the performers, and my first piece with no text or album as a jumping off point for the creation. Our previous works include a radical re-imagining of Cocteau’s “The Infernal Machine” where we used dance and the music of Electric Light Orchestra in conversation with the surrealist version of the story of Oedipus, combining these elements with the physical structure of Greek Tragedy. We then embarked on a movement piece “at Sixes & Sevens,” created by choreographer/performer Chloe Kernaghan, examining the struggles of a person abandoned or left behind through the lens of the 1950s housewife. “at Sixes & Sevens” became a part of a collaboration with James Franco in his piece “Collage” at Stella Adler earlier this summer, and is now being featured in an REM music video directed by Franco. These works have all been steps for us to find our voice as a group and as individual artists working with the support of a company behind them. We are currently in development for an installation movement piece directed by Teff Nichols, “Night-Song”, based on the short stories and poetry of Melanie Jane Parker.

WM: As young artists, how do you deal with today’s media landscape? New technology makes it easier to produce and distribute music, but how can bands (and similarly, theater companies) hope to maintain a following in such a competitive and disposable market place?

Minq: I would say that that’s the biggest struggle we face as artists today. The great hope of the Internet, as it was fighting its way out of Al Gore’s birth canal, was that it would give everybody an equal chance for recognition and distribution. Kind of like an inverted version of “trickle down” economics, right? Trickle up! We now have access to everything and everybody, so the best of it should rise to the top of the heap, right? But the reality is a little different. What’s actually happened is that we’re oversaturated. Go ahead, stick your music on Reverb Nation or YouTube. See how many hits you get. Post it on Facebook or Reddit. See what kind of following you develop. And when was the last time you heard of the Internet launching any act or an album on a huge scale (without them having big record label bucks behind them, thus disqualifying OK Go, Radiohead’s In Rainbows and Justin Bieber)? The trouble is that very few people have the patience to wade through entire oceans of junk in the hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. And even when they do manage to find something worth consuming, they just pirate it. So the answer I keep coming back to is that artists these days have to find ways to fuse different disciplines together to create something that is unique, fashion forward (to co opt a scion Tim Gunn-speak) and un-pirate-able. Yes, I release music and videos but now they tie in with a piece of theater. So, even if you’ve downloaded it for free, if you really want the whole context, you’ve got to come buy a ticket, sit in my audience and let me entertain you personally, baby. That’s what makes theater more important today than it arguably ever was. You can pirate a movie. You can pirate a song. But you can’t steal an experience.

WM: What can The Women’s Mafia make happen for you?

Photo by Christopher Shea

Minq: Hopefully, to remind a cross section of smart and stylish women of the idea that your daily dose of art (and fun) does not have to come from Lady Gaga on the radio or RuPaul’s Drag Race on your TV. You can actually head out into New York City (or wherever you live) and have an incredible (not to mention original) visceral experience delivered to you by a living, breathing human being standing six feet away. Also, to remind them that skinny, bisexual boys in white face and a corset are the new George Clooney. Just saying.

The Katswalk is High Fashion|Music|Film|Love. The first of its kind, we spotlight new artists, bringing originality back to entertainment.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011
The Hudson Terrace
621 West 46th st
between 11th and 12th ave.

Cocktail Reception 8:00pm
Live Fashion Presentation 8:30pm
Runway Show featuring designer Beata B 9:30pm
After Party 10:00pm

Free admission with an RSVP. Please arrive early as space
is limited. Press ONLY RSVP to press@boutiqueartists.com.
Guests please RSVP to katrynym@gmail.com.

Will we see you there?

By Marcy Clark, with additional reporting by Lauren Garroni

Can you think of the last time you did something romantic for the one you loved? That long huh? In the age of Facebook, Skype, texting, and Match.com it has never been easier to have a relationship, but with all these digital interventions something has been lost in translation. A virtual teddy bear gifted via Facebook doesn’t hold the same romantic weight as its analogue counterpart. Scott Gralnick, author of How to Get a Girl in a 1995 Corolla, has taken note of culture’s shifting romantic priorities. When Gralnick wrote the book How to Get a Girl…, a reference to his ability to pick up women despite his lackluster vehicle, two years ago he was single and on the prowl. He parlayed his talent with the fairer sex into a guidebook that taught men how to meet women in a tactful yet creative way. But today Gralnick is a changed man, he’s found what we’re all searching for – Love. There is one caveat, because of his charm book past she isn’t sure if she should date him…that and she lives across the country. What is a determined boy in love to do? Walk across the country to prove his love – of course. This is Dating Outside The Box.

Women’s Mafia: What qualities does this woman have that she has bewitched you soo that you are going to walk across the country to win her?
Scott Gralnick: Her compassion for the human race and wanting to help others. The love for her family. She has taken a step back from life and has learned a lot and keeps learning. She has a smile that can bring peace to anyone. Truth is her ally. She drives me to be a better person. I can get lost in her eyes. After I talk to her I have a feeling of fullness, but the fullness I feel is the essence she is. (I could go on for ever)

WM: Where did you get the idea for your trans-continental marathon stroll? Do you know of anyone who has attempted this mission and lived to tell the tale?

SG: My idea lies deep within my soul. I may not be the wealthiest man, but I am the most resourceful you’ll meet! If I cant fly there, id drive, if I cant drive Id bus, but i think most or any man can take those transportation to one they dream of. I want to show that We can over come anything, I am willing to put my soul and mind and all I am to get to her. The idea came to me with conviction and I knew I had to do it, wether or not I win her over I have to get the “WHAT IF” out of my head.. SEIZE THE DAY, well, this is my day and soon ours, I hope!  At the same time I want to show everyone who will joint DOTB.tv that some times no matter what you have to take that leep and not fear.. Dating outside the box, Living outside the box and most of all live with passion outside the box!

I don’t know anyone who has done what I am going to do. But I look forward to bring out the hopeless romantics in the world and showing them not to be afraid.

WM: “Dating Outside the Box” is a mission, a slogan and a way of life for you, are you hoping to inspire others with your quest to go all out for love?

SG: Outside The Box is a world of its own, and yes, if this action brings about a whirl of love and thought of loving actions for good, then Dating Outside The Box has done good. I am merely a man, a man who is filled with much compassion, which I need to let out. And for the first time someone has hit a deep inner core with me and in that moment I knew I had to walk and share with the world, DATING OUTSIDE THE BOX and what we stand for.

WM: How can adventurous people, without your impressive stamina and free schedule, break out of normal, boring dating box? Will your new business plan help them in a meaningful way? What’s different about DOTB.TV?

SG: DOTB.TV will bring about world peace one date at a time. People who hate the initial time if investment into online dating will love our site and mobile app. We bring online dating offline for real human interaction. I don’t want to get into all the boring tech talk but through us you’ll get a date quick and have tons of fun doing it.

WM: How can the Women’s Mafia help you on your mission? How can we find hopeful romantics like you?!!

SG: First I have to say I think there are a lot more hopeful romantics all around we just hide because we think of the realist side and have a fear to break out and take that chance. Women’s Mafia can help by letting men and women know its ok to be romantic if it works or not. Better to try and fail then never try!

WM: You mentioned you were trained by the Israeli Military, and that you know how to take care of yourself on the road, but still, aren’t you a LITTLE scared?!? How will you stay safe and healthy on your journey?

SG: So to clarify this, I trained in America in hand to hand combat, Krav Maga and Hagana before I went to Israel to join the military. I ended up studying in Israel and traveling instead of joining the military. (I did not want to harm anyone against my will, I believe we are all humans and I don’t want to cause pain to anyone!) I had foolish goals as a young man in fighting, but I learned that to fight in other ways.. (LOVE, COMPASSION, KINDNESS!) is much more powerful. I am to positive to fear the journey, for fearing is not knowing, I know only good can come. What will be, will be! Healthy, well that’s another situation… I hope I can get a health drink sponsor and vitamins sponsor so I can stay healthy. Without my health, how can I enjoy the compassion and love of others?

WM: What sponsorships, partnerships and help do you need to make your journey happen and leave this month (August!)?

SG: Well I hope to leave ASAP but, sponsors that would make it doable are in no particular order …some type of SOLAR power to charge my computer and phone… Hotel chains or groups, like Hilton, Motel 6, DoubleTree, Best Western, so that I can rest up properly a few nights a week and stay strong on the road. AT&T to get me internet access while I will be in the middle of no where. VIBRAM for walking shoes, I love FIVE FINGERS, I would not walk in anything else. Some type of sporting good store, like REI, Paragon or Eastern Mountain Sports for a tent, shoes, a sleeping bag and the right weather gear. HBO, YES HBO because I’ll be on the “GO” and they have HBO GO… I’ll still need some type of movies to watch and Curb Your Enthusiasm during my down time… It’s a long trek! :)  I would love a health food sponsor so I can stay strong in mind body and spirit.  If any of those brands I mentioned, or another company that likes my story, would like to be my monetary sponsor then I will be able to give them credit on DOTB.TV podcasts during the whole trip. I think that covers the bases to go right now…

WM: Do you think that you plan will work? Will you win her hand?
SG: If that chance was not there I would not be doing… (Well, I still might because you never know?) A man can only hope… Hope can keep you alive and strong… So I’ll be eating, drinking, sleeping and thinking on HOPE the whole walk. There is no reason why I cant win her over, there is nothing I would not do for her…. The future seems bright…  :)

AsHLey Cervantes has always been driven by fashion and style. AsH has a natural talent for design, a love for the beach and creativity. So what’s a talented gal that has always lived surrounded by beautiful beaches to do? Start a swimwear line, duh!

AsHLey studied fashion design at Lisa Thon School of Design in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since bathing suits have always been among her favorite items and she (like every other woman in the world!) has sometimes struggled to find that perfect-fitting bathing suit, she launched AsH Swimwear this summer.

This line contains glamour, originality and simplicity  in every design. AsHLey’s inspiration for this awesome collection was the sun, sand, beach and, of course, the summer and all the tropical colors of the Caribbean. These amazing bathing suits are perfectly fitted to the figure of our Latina women.

AsH Swimwear are totally unique pieces designed with creativity, quality and, above all, an essence of distinction. AsH has sensual pieces that are made exclusively for each woman of good taste that lives intensely every sunny day.

These bathing suits are literally flying off the shelves, so don’t spend another beautiful day wearing a dull bathing suit! AsH Swimwear is based in Puerto Rico and ships to the U.S. To purchase pieces from this collection, or any other inquiries, visit www.ashswimwear.com.

Like AsH Swimwear on Facebook!

AC Lincoln

Your Local Gentleman

Live At Canal Room Thursday August 18th at 8pm
Debut of new songs from the Upcoming Album “Mr. International” including: “Senorita,” “Turned On,” “Machine” and “Mr. International”

“Multi-talented” – New York Times

“Explosive… crooning… furious bursts of tap dancing” – Notes from the Underground, T Magazine

Born on the Island of St. Croix, in the middle of his parents’ tour of the US Virgin Islands, this multi dimensional R&B singer, Composer, Producer and Tap Dancer began his career at an early age. Known for sultry and smooth vocals, groove-driven rhythms and an electric, dynamic stage presence, AC Lincoln has been traveling and performing with his family of acclaimed Jazz and R&B singers his whole life. Now, prior to launching his East Coast Tour, AC Lincoln is previewing songs from his EP “Mr. International,” at Canal Room on August 18th at 8pm.

Raised in New York City, Alex or “AC” discovered at the age of 5 an affinity for moving his feet to the beat of a drum. After receiving a special gift of tap shoes from his family, this young impresario quickly became popular on the NYC tap scene sharing the stage with the original “hoofers” of the time and Tap legends such as Peg Leg Bates, Jimmy Slide, Savion Glover, Buster Brown and Henry Latang. With his definitive style and refined stage presence, AC was soon traveling the world playing festivals and concert halls all throughout his youth. He has headlined a Gala for the NAACP, the Caramoor Jazz Festival and top NY Venues such as The Jazz Standard, Smalls, The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall & The Cotton Club.

Currently you can find AC Lincoln captivating audiences with concerts produced by his own Entertainment label, Jive Life Ent., and collaborating with top talents of this era such as Mercedes Ellington, Marion Cowings, Emily King and Kim Kalesti. With his rich vocals and undeniably catchy energetic originals songs, it is impossible to deny this force of creativity and natural innovation. With much in store for this year, including a full length EP “Mr. International” and an East & West Coast Tour, there is much to look forward to from this multi talented entertainer and producer.

Our good friend and fellow Public Relations pro Karen Amster-Young has teamed up with educator Pam Godwin on an exciting journey leaving their comfort zones and exploring new things, facing fears and trying to get unstuck. They are also exploring new sides of the city they have known and lived in for so long.

Their fun experiences are recounted on their blog, The 52 Weeks. Keeping their audience entertained with witty, amusing and sometimes just genuine stories, the concept behind the blog is the importance of switching things up and putting yourself in new situations as a way of growth and learning, or simply to keep that “spark” alive in your life, the type of rush you get by trying interesting, recreational and sometimes ridiculous activities. Sometimes they just face fears or try to take even a baby step toward a bigger goal. They do this by setting weekly goals for themselves for one year; the goals being things they have never tried before or that are unusual, and they range from test driving sports cars to simply nurturing their relationships by taking a carriage ride in Central Park, for example.

WM: What’s the story behind the concept of the site?

KAY: Pam and I were out having drinks one night and talking about feeling a bit “stuck”.  We wanted to shake things up a bit and do new things, rediscover childhood passions or face fears.  So the52weeks.com was conceived that night. In fact, our tag line is three drinks, two friends, one year!
WM: What has been the most challenging experience so far in the list of The 52 Weeks activities?

KAY: It is not so much what we are doing but rather sticking to our promise to ourselves and each other to take even a little step each week towards one of our goals or things on our respective lists.   I have done everything from trying boxing, cleaning up my local park, taking a nude drawing class and committing to eating blueberries more often!  
WM: What plans do you have for the future of The 52 Weeks as a growing project?

KAY: The feedback from our readers and even the media has been encouraging and it seems like we are resonating with a lot of people — particularly women. Everyone has a “list” of things they want to do or change and we are inspiring and motivating people to get moving again and hopefully helping them to get a bit “unstuck”.   There is a book in progress, speaking engagements and hopefully a lot of inspiration to help others face their fears, learn new things and just get going again.

WM: Can your readers make suggestions of things to try out?
KAY: Absolutely!  They can e-mail us via the blog.

WM: Any exclusive sneak peek about future adventures for Women’s Mafia readers?

KAY: We knew this was going to be challenging but we had no idea how challenging!  Life gets in the way sometimes of our weekly plans but we are forging ahead and are about half-way through our journey.  I think the most exciting thing for Women’s Mafia readers are our dreams about the possibilities including currently developing the concept for a 52weeks app for iPhones so that users can find local deals and ideas to try new things in their own city.  In terms of our own adventures? Who knows what to tell you! It’s just really about always trying and keeping our promise to ourselves and each other!