Why I Love Kelly Cutrone

I first saw Kelly Cutrone on The Hills. Yes, I admit to watching occasional drivel, maybe quite a bit of drivel these days. But the show became interesting to me when Whitney Port went to work at People's Revolution, and for founder Kelly Cutrone. After four seasons of The Hills, Whitney left the show to star in The City that featured Whitney's career at People's Revolution.

I found Whitney's boss, Kelly Cutrone to be a great role model for Whitney and for the other young people that she mentors. Her demanding presence seems to intimidate her staff; she has high expectations of everyone around her. But I notice that she's a real softie once she sees someone making an effort to learn their job. Cutrone gets angry when a staff member does something foolish, but her bark is often worse than her bite--often, but not always.

People's Revolution is a branding public relations firm that produces fashion shows all over the world and gets press for their clients. They take the clothes out of the show room and get them onto the pages of magazines and onto the backs of clients. People's Revolution represents 46 clients; they have produced fashion shows for: Nicky Hilton, Vivienne Westwood, Marisa Ribisi, and many others. People's Revolution produced 10 different shows during the last Fashion week at Bryant Park. Kelli Cutrone and Jeremy Kost below:

A Return to Healing

A few years ago, at the conclusion of an office visit with Dr. Saputo, he mentioned that he was writing a book about health care reform. At that time, I was making a 45-minute drive to see Dr. Saputo because I couldn't get the medical help that I needed closer to home.

Dr. Saputo embodies the ideal medical practitioner of the 21st century. He uses cutting-edge laboratory tests to diagnose illness. He combines conventional medicine with adjunct alternative or integrative therapies. He goes to the source of many illnesses by looking at the patient's digestive system. Conventional doctors rarely consider nutrition and digestion to be a part of good health.

Dr. Saputo makes himself accessible to his patients. He prefers that they call him "Len." He encourages patients to email him with questions--between office visits--and he responds right away, as long as the question requires a straightforward answer.

I read extensively about medical issues. I typically arm myself with a list of concerns to show my doctors. My aim to be a part of my own care puts off some doctors. Dr. Saputo welcomes questions, and he takes them seriously. He is open-minded enough to consider my thoughts. Yet, he is a strong sounding board who doesn't let me hijack my treatment with my own fears or misinformation.

This review is not of Dr. Len Saputo's medical practice, but of his book: A Return to Healing: Radical Health Care Reform and the Future of Medicine. When he mentioned he was writing this book on medical reform, I thought to myself, Good luck with that. Only an optimistic, energetic person would tackle this subject. When he said that his goal was to provide a solution to the medical care crisis, I asked what his bottom line solution would ultimately be. He said something like, "People must take it upon themselves to demand change."

I Put Childish Ways Behind Me in the New Year

What do we do with the anniversaries of traumatic events? or the anniversaries of big losses? As much as I try to get through the month of January without feeling sad or depressed, my heart has always felt heavy.

Thirty-one years ago TODAY, my mother died. She'd been in a coma for five days before she finally slipped away. My own son was just a baby when she died. As a result, I never had a mom to call on the phone when my son fell off his bike or or when he started kindergarten. I've missed having someone to honor on Mother's day. Yet, when I haven't thought about her for awhile, I fear that I've forgotten her completely.

On January 19, 1988, I got hit by a bus while I was crossing the street. I am a positive person who's grateful for many things, but no great attitude can change the reality of what happened. Or can it?

The Prodigal Blogger Returns

I had diligently worked at this blog when I first began. Blogger was my very first blog host. Then I started shopping around, comparing. And I decided to try blogging at other places.

I enjoy some aspects of Live Journal. For instance, at LJ you can easily post large photos. If you want delicate, detailed features to show up, you might prefer LJ. I think that many people who consider themselves serious writers prefer LJ because there's no marketing of any kind, and you cannot make money there by placing ads on the page. LJ is a great place to network, too, because you can easily find like-minded bloggers and develop friendships.

I don't like what is referred to as the LJ Cut. It's a cut you must make so that a long blog won't appear on the page. A reader must click on the LJ Cut link to read everything underneath. This system is handy for readers, but a blogger is not allowed to post several photographs that show above the LJ cut without being seriously booed and reprimanded. Other than selecting a pre-made format at LJ, there is no individuality of pages there. No standing graphics, links, or widgets are allowed. In my opinion, LJ is primarily for writing only.

A Man Called Paladin

I've been loving "Have Gun Will Travel" that now airs on the Encore Western channel. Here are some facts about Paladin, my favorite gun for hire from 1957 to 1963:

Paladin made his home at the Hotel Carlton in San Francisco sometime after his education at West Point. He dressed like a gentlemen, dining on fine food and wines. He combed through the daily paper, looking for potential clients who might need his services, and of course, he used his calling card that said, "Have gun....Will travel." He charged $1,000--but only those who could pay. Paladin was a man of refinement, a "James Bond" of the old West, who carried a few expensive cigars in his boot when out on an adventure.

A Good Anniversary

Last year I stuck to my beliefs, and as the Bible would say, I "persevered under trial (James 1:12)". That end quote sounds utterly dramatic. All it means is that I am as consistent and honest as I can be, when others around me manipulate and lie to get what they want. God knows my heart.

There is no doubt that I am reaping the benefits of being true to myself. What's more important, I follow God's word as well as I can, beginning with my return to church. I can't emphasize how much I love Heart of the Bay. In fact, when I weigh pros and cons about staying here or moving away, Heart of the Bay carries a lot of weight. So far, I haven't found another church that compares to this one, so I can't be sure what will happen. I'm very new in my evolution as a Christian. In the past, I let the stereotypical image of a uber conservative Christian influence me in a negative way. Now, I am working on my personal relationship with God.

Disappointed in Dr. Drew

By now Dr. Drew Pinsky is considered to be very knowledgeable about drugs. There's no doubt that he cares about what he does. He tackles some severe cases of addiction and substance abuse.

I was curious to see how he'd handle Mindy McCready's seizure on this week's episode of Celebrity Rehab, this same seizure that was aired at least five times in the previews before it occurred on the show.

I was hoping that Dr. Drew would know something about benzodiazapines (aka "benzos"). The problem with stopping benzos is that a patient cannot detox from them safely without the risk of seizures. And because benzos change the actual chemistry and structure of the brain, the seizures and other symptoms must be managed with other drugs if a person goes cold turkey. Even Hoffman-La Roche, the manufacturer of both Valium and Klonopin recommends a taper schedule for getting off benzos. One must reduce the amount of the drug very slowly.

Welcome 2009

I'm not into New Year's resolutions. Writing and posting my goals are helping me to organize my daily focus. I want to be accountable to more than a private journal or to a list on a piece of paper that gets shoved into a stack somewhere.

At the beginning of 2010--which will be here fast enough--I will check myself. Hopefully, I will have accomplished all of these things, some of these things, or I have put a definite dent in these goals.

These are in no particular order. They are all important to me:

1. Make a Dream Board--as suggested in The Secret--of my aspirations, desires, loves, and dreams. I'm going to use my scrapbook supplies and make it like a collage.

2. Enter the Pillsbury Bakeoff.

3. Walk my dog (Xena) daily--except for Sundays. I live 1.2 miles up a rather steep hill. I want to easily walk down and up by the end of 2009, and I can increase the walk by going up the hill--from my house--as well.

My Favorite Tom and Jerry Cartoon

Tom the Cat is often the fool. Whether he makes plans to sunbathe or fish, he is foiled by a mouse named Jerry.

In Tom and Jerry cartoons, the most intelligent character is Jerry the Mouse. For some reason, he is the strongest, at least pound per pound. He can lift and throw objects that are several times his size.

Tom is an intelligent cat. He taught himself to play classical piano in one afternoon, and he designed a superior mousetrap that may have brought him fame and fortune, but a certain mouse altered the drawings as Tom lay sleeping.

In addition to a few female kitties who are love interests for Tom, the third character that often appears is Spike the Dog, also known as "Killer" in some cartoons. He is a large likable bulldog, especially when he spends time with his son, but he's not very bright. Jerry often solicits Spike as an accomplice to make Tom's life miserable.

My favorite T & J cartoon is called "Solid Serenade." Some of the smallest details of the cartoon bring me delight.

As in many of these cartoons, a happy Tom begins his evening with a plan to woo his gal. He's going to serenade his love interest, an attractive and very female white cat. We see her silhouette through the upper stair bedroom shade; she primps and powders herself.

The Sex Change Didn't Take

What is fascinating about the woman on the Barbara Walters special who gave birth to a baby after she became a man? Oh, wait a minute. She had her exterior sex organs surgically altered. But for some reason, she kept her uterus, tubes and ovaries.

Why do we refer to a transsexual man as a "man" if he still has a uterus? I find the whole topic on "sex change" very confusing because the whole world is going mad in order to accommodate a few. We call this acceptance. I call this craziness.

Back to Barbara Walters and her selection of the 10 most fascinating people of 2008. Supposedly, a man gave birth to a baby, not just once, but he/she is pregnant again. Barbara is fascinated that a man can have a baby. One need not be a rocket scientist to see that the doctors who did the sex reassignment surgery did not reassign everything. They left the female reproductive organs.

Pamela Anderson's Reality Show

Somehow, Pamela Anderson comes across as the down-to-earth girl next door, no matter how she handles her private or public life. Last night I tuned into Pam: Girl on the Loose, the new reality show that features Pam and everybody in her life except her kids.

Note: I don't know why Denise Richards received all the flack for featuring her daughters in her reality show when their air time is probably less than 30 seconds per episode. I guess I do know why. The media does not like Denise. But the media sure likes Pam, and I'm trying to figure out why. She could appear in a skin flick--whoops! She has--and still be treated like the consummate mom and animal lover.

Girl on the Loose is filmed with a grainy low-quality texture that is meant to look campy, but I find it hard on the eyes. Episode One was also difficult to watch because the show caters to a short attention span. The camera jumps around. The interviews and moving shots are constantly interspersed with naked shots of Pam, who gives some of her "confessional" talks from the bath tub.

Scrapbooking

rowsing through scrapbooking stores has become my favorite activity away from home. This may sound sad, unless you are a purveyor of beautiful paper. And then you will understand that I can become amazed, even moved, by a 60-cent piece of 12 x 12 paper. Perhaps my newly-found hobby is related to all my younger years in the fabric store when sewing my own clothes was profitable. Instead of selecting fabric, I ooh and ah over paper.

If you are artistic, please take a look at this hobby that lends itself to many types of media in order to enhance and present photographs. Here are some of my completed pages:



My grandson is trying on my glasses in these photos. This page features ribbon and a needlework border.



My grandson wears his baby sister's pink hat. The top butterfly is stamped and heat embossed. The bottom butterfly is stamped on felt and cut out.



My grandson helps me make popcorn. I used a beautiful punch to border this page on all sides.



This monochromatic page is mostly decorated with punched out shapes.



My granddaughter will wear almost anything on her head. The tulips are stamped and then colored with pencil. The border is stitched, and the polka dot letters are outlined in dark pen.



I bought two sheets of the same flowered paper, and I cut flowers out of one to scatter on the page. These are topped with rhinestones.

There is no limit to what you can use to enhance a scrapbook page. I always begin with a favorite photo and pay attention to the colors. I embellish the theme and colors with whatever sparks my imagination. I use clear and rubber stamps, dry and heated embossing, stencils, embroidery, gel pens, decorative punches, and more.

Sarah Jessica's Mole

A feature on the removal SJP's mole on E! News prompted me to verify the story on the world wide web, and what I have read boggles my mind. "Sarah Jessica had her beauty mark removed." "Sarah Jessica had her trademark mole removed."

Good grief! When did a cancer growth become a thing of beauty? Who wants a big old wart for a trademark?



I once had a mole sort of like Cindy Crawford's, and I had it removed when I was in my twenties because I thought it was hideous. Sarah Jessica's looked even worse, like one big zit.

2008 Full of Promise

I apologize to the throngs of loyal readers who can't get enough of my blog. I promised at the end of 2007 that I was making a big comeback. My comeback got delayed, but I'm back for the remaining one loyal throng.

I'm changing my habits...well, a couple of them. Not because it's a new year, but because this year is almost one-sixth over. Can you believe that?

I think that time zooms by quickly for us boomers. If I'm going to finish my second book this year, I'd better use some discipline. My commitment to myself is to have the basic text down by my June birthday. I will find an agent before the book is finished.

Name a Perfume after Me

I could almost buy into the idea that Elizabeth Taylor had a perfume created on her behalf, White Diamonds. Even though the ad probably shows Elizabeth some 20 years ago, she is a dame, and she was once a bigger than life movie star. Since I finally got over her breaking up somebody else's marriage, I can appreciate the work she did to raise money for AIDS--before this cause was generally accepted.

Elizabeth's ad is pure class. She says, "These have always brought me luck." She does not have to try too hard to be appealing.

Would I buy her perfume? No. Why would I want to smell like Elizabeth, when I'm my own person?

Psychiatric Drugs and Mass Shootings

How many more innocent people will be shot and killed by someone gone mad on psychiatric drugs? When hearing that a shooter--like the 19-year-old male who murdered eight people in a Nebraska Mall--has been under psychiatric care, please read between the lines.

Anyone on psych drugs--anti-depressants, tranquilizers, anti-psychotics, or anti-seizure drugs--must be consistently monitored. The effectiveness of these drugs is always hit and miss. And stopping any of these drugs abruptly can create the worst possible scenario.

Dancing with the Stars: Who Should Win?

Maks should win. Well, I mean....Mel B. (AKA Scary Spice) and her professional partner Maksim Chmerskovkiy should win. I had a crush on Maks until I realized he is younger than my own son. Still, he is fun to watch, whether he shaves his chest or not. And I'm happy to see that he got paired with a celebrity who can dance, and can dance very well.

I've had fun watching Mel B., who is spirited and confident. Yet, she is modest and grateful--or would seem so. And, wow, has she lost some weight or what? She had a baby not long ago.

I was a bit disappointed in Mel and Maks last night. I voted for them because they still dominate the competition. There is something about both of their routines that did not flow smoothly. Does anyone know who selects the music? One of the professional dancers implied that they do not get to choose, and sometimes I wonder how anybody would want to dance to some of these music selections. For instance, last week Mel and Maks did the Pasa Doble--a Latin dance--to the song "Satisfaction."

Feeling Very Thankful

I am thankful for the handful of readers who visit my blog. I took a short writing hiatus, and I'm ready to use this blog again as an opportunity to play with words and to express my thoughts.

I am thankful for my improving health; I once again see the world through clear eyes, and I can live in the NOW, appreciating many things, great and small.

I am thankful that my son used cancer as a gift, a wake up call to shed his boyhood and stand as a man. I recognize him as his mother's son (the son who learned the values I taught him), but SO MUCH MORE. He is strong, determined, and he has reached a place in his life where he admits his mistakes. He stands undefended. How many people can do this?

Sensuality of Food

I've been cooking more and writing less. This blog is a show-and-tell about my life. I share opinions and stories with photos whenever I can. I'm working on my picture-taking as well.

I made these Lamb Kabobs last night. Lord have mercy. These are so delicious. I can hardly maintain myself. My Greek family is big on lamb. My brother and my son have mastered the art of barbecuing. Here is my contribution to the barbecue experience.



To accompany the lamb, I steamed brown rice with onions and put zucchini and tomatoes in the top tier of the steamer for the last 10 minutes. The meat is also great served in a flour tortilla.

My Favorite Reality Shows

A reality show no longer needs to be a guilty pleasure. After all, there must be hundreds of them on the air by now. Each show is on a spectrum of "reality." The editing often determines the likability of each participant. And often, the situation is structured to create tension and even hostility between contestants. Some "reality" shows, like The Hills, for instance, are obviously scripted.

However, here are some shows that I highly recommend, beginning with my favorite: Dancing with the Stars (ABC) is beginning its fifth season on Monday, September 24, 2007. Past competitors have shown determination and great skill in learning difficult postures and moves. These moves require flexibility, especially on the part of the women, and the younger contestants have an obvious advantage here.

In this show, a professional ballroom dancer is paired with a famous person who may know how to dance, but is no expert in ballroom dancing. Past winners include actress Kelly Monaco from General Hospital, Drew Lachey from boy band 98 Degrees, football great Emmit Smith, and skater Apolo Anton Ono.