Pure, Unadulterated Joy

Thoughts on fame & Onyx and Breezy Foundation "Save a Tail" Fundraiser Part II

By Joy A. Kennelly

One of the many reasons I moved back from Georgia after living there a year is I really missed my daily, almost hourly infusion of celebrities we are fed through the news, internet and simply by virtue of living in CA. Shallow, I know, but there's something special about being around people who have achieved something many others in the world only dream about.

That said, now that I'm attending more A-list events, it's something I'm adjusting to because it's been a little while.:) Living in Georgia, I was out of the loop in that regard because no one knew me back there in the same way my fellow publicists and friends do out here.

There was also more of a, how do you say, "distinction" because for some reason back there, every high-end event also had a high price tag which made it prohibitive to attend regularly and it was hard to find out about events because I wasn't as tapped in as I am here.

It was a weird feeling to start over in Georgia professionally when I'm used to the perks and ease that comes along with years-old business relationships built on trust, mutual respect and professional standing. Plus, having a blog that people in the industry read makes a difference too.

However, I'm glad I took the break because it has helped me appreciate what I do have in my life professionally and personally that much more. Like being invited to special events!:)

I do find though, that certain people who only saw me in a certain way in GA, have more difficulty accepting the fact that I do attend celebrity events and enjoy this lifestyle very much. There's jealousy and weirdness that comes with those friendships and as a result, sometimes I find it's difficult to share because I don't want to offend or make someone jealous.

But now that some time has passed, I don't care as much.:) Plus, my CA friends see so many celebrities too that it's not a big deal to them which levels the playing field.

That's why I want to share with you who else was in attendance at the recent cool Onyx and Breezy Foundation Fundraiser and the rest of the evening now. Even I was impressed to be included in such cool company and I'm not easily impressed too often.

Here's some highlights of people you may recognize:  

Emmy Rossum and guest

Peter Facinelli of Twilight renown

 

 

 Katherine Ross (The Graduate, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid) Diane Warren (Honoree of the evening and music icon), Sam Elliott (Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Tombstone & many more)

There were other red carpet appearances which you can peek at here.

 We all enjoyed performances by American Idol, Lee Dewyze and Dominic Scott Kay and listened to a funny announcer who auctioned off an amazing picture of Marilyn Monroe created by one of the youngest artists to ever be accepted into the Louvre and then listened to Ken Howard introduce Diane Warren and Christopher Ameruoso as the esteemed honorees of the night, and James Costa introduce Foundation Founder, Wanda Shefts.

Here's the sweet note I received from them after I shared Part I: "Joy, thank you so much for the beautiful write up. We're glad you enjoyed yourself. It was a big night for us and we had a great response to our formal introduction of the O&B to L.A.

The need is so great in L.A. and we've spent so much money in grants saving animals in L.A. it just made sense to finally have a fundraiser there. We've saved over 1600 animals from the euthanasia list in L.A. alone in the last couple of years. That's not counting the funds spent on spay/neuters or medical emergencies. Thank you again for your lovely description of the party. We hope to do something even larger next year and if so, we hope you'll be there to join us."

Here's some pictures I snapped when my camera died. Please make sure to watch the highlight video because it really gives you a broad overview of what they do! 
 

         
 
 So! If you care to support this cause and save some animals, please go here to learn more and donate! https://www.facebook.com/onyxandbreezy

Watch @liverealchange TV Special w/@VWOfficial @PitBull @justinbieber @ladyantebellum & more tonight! #AdoptaSchool @PencilsOfPromis

Award-winning singer and actress Vanessa Williams will host the Real Change—Artists for Education telecast airing nationally tonight, April 23. (Check your local TV listings for channel and time.*)

“Education has always played an important role throughout my life,” said Williams. “It’s important that young students are inspired to chase their dreams and feel that they can make a difference in the world.”

This one-hour program, in partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org and presenting sponsor Office Depot, combines celebrities with philanthropy, plus exclusive musical performances, touching one-on-one interviews and more. Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Pitbull and many more will celebrate educators in association with AdoptAClassroom.org and Office Depot to raise awareness for the need of education, school supplies and hope.

 “Vanessa is the perfect host for the Real Change telecast, and we are honored to have her on board,” said Liam Murphy, Founder & CEO of REAL Change Productions. “As the daughter of two teachers, Vanessa shares our desire to help educators and students by bringing necessary school supplies into the classroom.”

Watch the trailer to see all the amazing musicians who are donating their time and energy to this wonderful project. 

 

Real Change convenes a class of international music superstars including Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Pitbull, Lady Antebellum, Redfoo, Jason Mraz, Quincy Jones and Glee star, Matthew Morrison. Some visit schools in their hometowns while others discuss the teachers that inspired them and surprise deserving students and organizations along the way.

Real Change will also feature other noteworthy groups: Adam Braun’s Pencils of Promise Organization, and Quincy Jones’ Musiq Consortium, 

all organizations that improve the availability and quality of education for children.

Those wishing to donate to Real Change can log onto LiveRealChange.com. For more information and to see the trailer, visit LiveRealChange.com.

*Real Change will premiere nationally on Tuesday, April 23 (two weeks before National Teacher Appreciation Week). Check local TV listings or watch online at LiveRealChange.com.

Onyx & Breezy Foundation in the Hollywood Hills along w/@Diane_Warren @Chrisaphoto @emmyrossum @greglouganis & more! Part I

By Joy A. Kennelly

There are cat lovers in the world and there are dog lovers in the world.

I'm in the dog lover camp and so were many at the recent Onyx and Breezy Foundation's "Saving Tails" Fundraiser held at James Costa's private home high in the Hollywood Hills.

These are always the best parties because it's always a select group of people, a one-of-a-kind experience and for a good cause. This was no exception.

I knew it would be good when I saw that not only was the prolific, amazing award-winning songwriter, Diane Warren being honored, and a cool photographer I had never heard of, seen here, but knew I'd like because I love all photographers, Christopher Ameruoso, many talented musicians like American Idol winner Lee DeWyze would be entertaining us throughout the night too.

Remember this sweet Golden Globes moment with Diane Warren?

 

Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor, and current SAG/AFTRA co-President Ken Howard and his wife Linda, along with Foundation Trustees Wanda & Mark Shefts, and co-chair Cindy Kay were also participating which made me even more interested in attending. (Here's Ken, Linda and Diane.)

I wasn't the only one intrigued by the mission and description of the Onyx and Breezy Foundation as stated here: "The Onyx and Breezy Foundation for the Welfare of Animals is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that provides financial support to credible organizations and individuals that benefit the welfare of animals. 100% of donations to the Foundation go directly to animals in need.

The Foundation provides assistance in a variety of ways: funding of equipment for medical facilities, spay and neuter programs, disaster relief, puppy mill rescues, food, medicine and supplies, funding of shelters, rescues, foster groups and sanctuaries. The Foundation also provides funds for the pets of individuals where hardship is present."

As I walked up to where the shuttle bus would take us to the home, Sam Elliott, Katherine Ross and others were graciously signing autographs on pictures collectors were holding. I didn't recognize Sam at first, but knew he looked familiar because his iconic moustache is rather memorable.

Here he is during the party chatting with Greg Louganis and a friend.  Now do you recognize him?:)

Can you imagine the conversations all these folks were having throughout the night? I was kinda shy when I arrived because I get like that when I don't know anybody, but I did see my buddy, Photographer Michael Bezjian, who always covers the best high-end parties so I knew I was in for a treat because he only does cool events.

Here's some of his work: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After shadowing him for a bit to understand who was who, I began relaxing a little more. Kinda easy to do when there's an open bar too.:) 

But they weren't the only sponsors. Ryan Kavanaugh’s newly acquired FreeHand dog food company was a presenting sponsor along with Les Compagnons Wines, Patrón Liquor and Omega Infusion Water. 

 

I enjoyed chatting with the sponsors and learned Lend A Free Hand Dog Food will donate a bag of food to rescue organizations for every bag of food you buy.What's cool is they've won awards as one of the top dog foods too. Good for your dog and good for other dogs too!

Here's the website: www.lendafreehand.com

Now the handsome gentleman holding his bottle of French wine, Arnaud, told me they made this CA wine to honor Americans especially for the fundraiser and were donating 10% of every bottle purchased to Onyx and Breezy Foundation. He also said each label featured a different dog breed too. Rottweilers for Cabernet, Pinot Noir was a Dachshund, Golden Chardonnay's were of course, Golden Retrievers, and Pinot Grigio's were Beagles. Their tagline is "Savor a Sip...Save a Life." 

But of course!:) Here's his cute dog, Beull, Arnaud was only too happy to share with me. I should have asked more guests for their pix because this one is so adorable! 

Milana of Nuthin' Under A Million performed a beautiful song as we arrived. I'm even more impressed with her voice after checking out their fan page and seeing they're primarily a dance band. This girl could sing!

What was also fun, and something I forgot reading, was everyone was required to remove their shoes upon arrival. If you forgot, like me, and didn't want to go barefoot, you could wear footies graciously provided by the host. 

Here's someone who didn't forget and had fun with the idea. Here's another fun picture of some of the guests in the bathroom enjoying the luxurious fur rug as we waited our turn.

Recognize anyone?:) 

James Costas' home was stunningly appointed. I love fine art and his collection was exactly my taste. So nice to see him again after meeting him during the Farm Sanctuary event. Such a wonderful philanthropist for animals!

We all enjoyed shopping at the Silent Auction table which boasted Mary Frances purses and many more designer's wares as well.

 

Here's Arnaud again with the Foundation Trustee, Wanda Shefts, the woman who created the entire foundation along with her husband, when their two favorite Labs, Onyx and Breezy, died. It was really moving to hear how many people's lives have been blessed by their generosity. I say generosity because 100% of the funds raised go to help animals and during the actual presentation of the night, the video shared the story of a young woman who had been fighting cancer when her dog became ill. 

She wasn't able to afford to pay for her dog's treatment which is when Wanda and her team stepped in. They were able to provide pro bono treatment for her dog and she was able to have the comfort and love only an animal can provide as she lived her final two years. I was tearing up after hearing that one.

Ken Howard has been involved with this charity for many, many years as their National Spokesperson and was so kind as he circled the party. 

Here's a few pictures of the party before the presentation honoring Diane Warren and Christopher began.

 

           This is Emmy Rossum on the red carpet prior to the party wearing Ban.do I'll include more red carpet pictures and the presentation highlights in Part II. Thanks for reading Part I!

More to come... 

Quick update on Onyx & Breezy Foundation review

In light of what happened in Boston and the fact one of my previous posts on Tailored Republic hadn't received much time to breathe, I decided to postpone posting my coverage of the wonderful fundraiser I attended. Plus, it always takes a little bit to get all my pictures ready for publication.

However, never fear, I haven't forgotten and do plan to post it before the end of the week.

Thank you for your patience. I hope you're enjoying some of my previous blogs while you wait.

@GWRnews Guinness World Record-Holding Cheese Carver, Sarah the Cheese Lady, more popular than @theJennGarner's @ButterMovie

Received a pitch for a cheese carver which was so cute I had to post it because it instantly reminded me of Jennifer Garner's film, Butter, which apparently didn't do so well. I don't know why...

Maybe because the plot was so unbelievable?

As one commenter posted, "Why would anyone want to cheat on Jennifer Garner?" Or maybe, butter carvers take themselves very seriously and didn't like being made fun of?

Remember this film? I want to rent it now!

 

Well in case you didn't know, food carving is alive and well in Middle America folks. And here to tell us all about it is Cheese Carver, Sarah Kaufman, affectionately known as The Cheese Lady. She is so accomplished at this she set a a Guinness World Record for making art out of cheese. 

In 2011, Sarah Kaufmann earned a Guinness World Record for creating the world’s largest cheese carving. Her 925-pound cheese roller coaster was created on site at the Wisconsin State Fair.

Sarah Kaufmann’s cheese-carving achievements continue to mount and make history—literally.  During the 2013 President’s Day weekend, she recreated historic Mount Rushmore out of 160 pounds of cheddar cheese at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, in New York City.    

Sarah Kaufmann’s sculptures promote cheese at public events around the country. After 17 years of creating  deliciously artistic cheese carvings at venues such as supermarkets, state fairs, sporting events and food shows, fans of The Cheese Lady not only appreciate her art, but also her medium—Wisconsin and American-produced cheeses.

Her work is carved live on location, displayed, and then most often, it is eaten. The Cheese Lady wouldn’t have it any other way. "My audiences can have their art and eat it, too!" laughs Kaufmann. (Kinda gross to me, but I'm not a Cheese Head, so what do I know?:)

The Wisconsin native is serious about her work and brings a unique set of credentials to her carvings.  A former creative director at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board with a degree in commercial art, she now works as a freelance artist devoted to spreading the word about quality American cheesemaking.

As she creates whimsical cheese carvings using her ceramic wire loop tools at public events, she also educates and informs her audience about the art and traditions of cheesemaking. When not cheese-carving live at events, she creates commissioned cheese sculptures for weddings, birthdays, tailgate parties and celebrations of all kinds at her studio and ships them across the US.

In addition to her record-earning 925-pound roller coaster and the recent Mount Rushmore sculpture created from 160 pounds of cheddar, Sarah Kaufmann’s "cheese gallery" of carvings numbers well over one thousand including: a 40-pound high-heeled shoe, a 300-pound Green Bay Packer, a 600-pound aircraft carrier, a 1,900-pound astronaut, a 2,400-pound dairy cow and hundreds more.   

Calendar of Appearances:

May 17,18 - Madison WI - HyVee Grand Opening

June 19 - Park City, Utah - Smith's Supermarket

June 26 - 29 - Easley, South Carolina - Sam's Club Grand Opening

For more information about Sarah Kaufmann, The Cheese Lady, and to view hundreds of sculptures visit her website at www.sarahcheeselady.com  

Thoughts and prayers go out to the victims in the Boston Marathon

I was writing all morning and didn't realize what had happened until I had posted my last blog post. How horrific and sad. My prayers and thoughts go out to all involved.

My interview with #Fashion #Startup @T_Republic - Be the Best Dressed Man in the Room

By Joy A. Kennelly

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting two very handsome men, Brian Luscombe and Jeff Settle of Tailored Republic, as I'm wont to do at all the various functions I attend. However, this time our meeting revolved around fashion.

Men's fashion that is.

I was thrilled to see this company representing at Cross Campus and others focused on men's fashion too because for the past seven years of covering LA Fashion Week, it was rare to find any menswear at all! As a result, I decided to interview them to learn more about this new LA Fashion Startup.  

Brian Luscombe (L) and Jeff Settle (R), co-founders of Tailored Republic showcasing their company during the Digital LA/Cross Campus Fashion Show.

What are your backgrounds and how did you two find each other?

Jeff: I met Brian when I was in fourth grade.  I had just moved from LA to Portland, Oregon and we went to the same elementary school together.  It was there that we started wreaking havoc on the playground and forming our friendship.  In sixth grade, I moved back down to LA.

We continued to keep in touch, especially throughout college, where I would make trips to Brian's Alma Mater, USC, and he would make trips to mine, ASU.  I got my degree in Finance with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and started building business plans and businesses.  

Brian: Our friendship really forged over youth sports. I remember Jeff’s basketball team struggling with our much more dominant on-court presence.

Growing up as a young boy in Portland, I always knew that I wanted to go to college in California to study engineering (when I was really young I would say I wanted to be “an inventor”) and that is exactly what I eventually did. 

I know from hearing your story Jeff, you were traveling when you had the brainstorm. How did you afford to travel, what were you doing before traveling, and how long were you gone before you had the brainstorm/idea/concept?

Jeff: I sold my stake in a startup business I had been working on and that afforded me the ability to travel. A lot of people have the misconception that traveling is expensive. Going on a vacation is expensive, but long term traveling, especially in cheap places like SE Asia, is actually cheaper than paying for rent stateside. 

Nha Trang, a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam

Little boy happy to see himself in the picture Brian took while traveling in Sapa, Vietnam. Brian and Jeff traveled together and separately throughout SE Asia at the same time.

I had been travelling through SE Asia for 2.5 months and had been doing a lot of eye-opening activities before the idea for Tailored Republic came to me.  

I had traveled islands in Thailand with Brian and another friend and had just completed a 10-day meditation retreat in Cambodia.

After the retreat, I journeyed up the coast of Vietnam on a $150 dirt bike and arrived in Hoi An, where the countless number of custom tailors inspired the idea to bring the experience stateside and Tailored Republic was born. 

I'm not seeing where either you or Jeff have experience in tailoring. Are you shipping this business overseas to tailors? Or doing it yourselves? If so, how did you learn how to do this type work? 

Brian: We are outsourcing the tailor work overseas. We use some of the same top notch factories for the production of our fabrics and suits/shirts as companies such as Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss. 

Jeff: As far as the measurements and style consultations go, I learned how to fit clients by sitting down with many different people, ranging from master tailors to fashion designers/stylists, and then picking their brain about style, fit, and suits in general. I have found that people are always eager to help someone who is trying to build a company/brand that is new and exciting. 

How long has Tailored Republic been in business?

Jeff: We incorporated the business March 31 of 2012 and we started selling suits to clients in October of 2012. We decided to establish a “ground game” selling suits to customers in person for months before we launched the full online experience. This allowed us to get a better idea of what customers wanted and how we could deliver an excellent experience to them, from the initial interactions to the final, delivered product. 

What size is a typical Tailored Republic client? 

Jeff: All Sizes!  We offer suits that fit, meaning we suit short, tall, normal, and abnormal.  That's the beauty of our business; we can make a suit that fits anyone.

Brian: Yeah, a lot of people say to us “I want to lose some weight before I buy a made-to-measure suit.” But what they don’t realize is that we build the suits to make you look as flattering as possible. Everybody looks excellent if the suit fits.  

Why do people choose to work with Tailored Republic?

Brian: We make them happy and we make them look good.  When our clients work with us, we give them an experience that is much more suited to the modern man than being dragged unwillingly around a department store.  A lot of modern men love the convenience of being able to get an amazing wardrobe with a few simple clicks.  

We give them a suit that brings out their confidence.  When you're wearing a custom tailored suit, it’s the difference between opening the door as you walk into a restaurant and having the door opened up for you.  The way you feel and the way people look at you is completely changed.  And our clients love that feeling. 

What are the benefits and features Tailored Republic offers?

Brian: Our service provides savings in terms of cost and time.  By eliminating a lot of the wasteful overhead costs associated with having a brick and mortar store, we deliver a better suit for money spent and we provide a convenient way for customers to build their wardrobe.  

We also provide options.  Our customers are shocked at the level of customizability that we can offer them and deliver upon. If you have any additional requests that you don’t see on the website just shoot us an email or give us a call. Full canvas? We can do it. Double-breasted?  Sure. Magicians have even reached out to us about suits with special built-in pockets. Yeah, we can do that too. That is the beauty of full customization. 

Do you have any investors and what was the process like to find them? What stage are you currently?

Jeff: Our Seed investor was StartEngine.  Finding them was not too difficult.  They were doing a pretty good job of generating press and we checked them out.  We applied and they brought us in for an initial interview.  From there, we got funded and the business was set into motion. After the initial seed funding, a couple of close friends of mine have leant a helping hand, both financially and from a mentor perspective, so I certainly want to give a big thanks to Chris Kennedy and Tim Cheney.

We're currently generating traction and building ways to connect with even more of our customers.

Brian: To add on to what Jeff was saying, we would really like to build as much of this business the “old-fashioned way” as possible; sell some suits, make a profit, and then invest this profit back into the business. Doing this allows control of the company to stay in our hands and also allows us to immediately focus on expanding our customer base as opposed to spending all of our time trying to raise capital.

What are your long-term goals for Tailored Republic?

Brian: I would love to see Tailored Republic become the go-to brand for trendy men across the nation. Personally, I would love to go on a nationwide tour to help spread the brand to every man. Tailored suits are no longer solely for the yacht and caviar crowd.

Jeff: I want to build Tailored Republic into a brand that clothes the modern gentleman.  It signifies class, cool, and fun.  

Do you anticipate expanding Tailored Republic to include women's fashion?

Brian: We actually have our first Woman’s blazer sample in production as we speak. So many women have approached us asking if we do made-to-measure women’s blazers that we realized it would be foolish not to explore the opportunity.

Jeff: Maybe we should make you a blazer and find out, Joy!

Yes, Jeff, maybe you should!:)

And this concludes my interview with two amazing entreprenuers set on changing the way men present themselves. I personally wish them much success because nothing beats a well-dressed man in a suit.

Don't you agree ladies?:)

For more information, or to order your own custom suit: https://www.tailoredrepublic.com/

@OnyxandBreezy Fdn Fundraiser Wrap-up next. @T_Republic interview first. #Mensfashion #Doglovers

By Joy A. Kennelly

I so enjoyed meeting all the dog lovers over the weekend at the Onyx and Breezy Foundation Fundraiser held at a private home in the Hollywood Hills. It was fun to see people I had met at the Farm Sanctuary fundraiser at this event too.

I will be covering this event in my next blog post which I'm still formulating.:) Coming soon though, I promise!

In the meantime, please enjoy my interview with the latest customized suit sensations, Tailored Republic, which is next since they've been patiently waiting since last week.

Fun Weekend Ideas - @Disconnect_Film and @Coachella fashions & @GQ's music recommendations

By Joy A. Kennelly

I covered Designer Marc Jacobs' appearance in the new film, Disconnect, a bit ago and it opens tonight! Always fun to see people play roles that are outside their real life profession. Here's the blurb from the official site: 

"Disconnect explores the consequences of modern technology and how it affects and defines our daily relationships. Shot with eavesdropped naturalism, it marks the first fiction feature from Henry-Alex Rubin, director of the Oscar-nominatedMurderball. Disconnect is produced by Mickey Liddell and Jennifer Monroe of LD Entertainment and William Horberg of Wonderful Films from an original screenplay by Andrew Stern.

The ensemble cast includes Jason Bateman (Identity Thief, The Change-Up, Up in the Air), Hope Davis (Real Steel, Mildred Pierce), Frank Grillo (Gangster Squad, The Grey), Paula Patton (Precious,Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol), Michael Nyqvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion, Brighton Rock, W. E.), Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood, Melancholia) and Max Thieriot (Jumper), as well as Jonah Bobo (Crazy, Stupid, Love), Colin Ford (We Bought A Zoo) and Haley Ramm (X-Men).

Can't wait to see this because it's getting rave reviews as evidenced here:

As someone deeply enmeshed in this realm, have to admit, a little nervous to see it too because apparently it's your worst internet nightmare come to life.

Here's the trailer in case you haven't heard the buzz.

 

The stories of strangers, neighbors & colleagues collide in a dramatic thriller about ordinary people struggling to connect in today's wired world. Now Playing! disconnectthemovie.com  (As taken from their Twitter page.:)

Looking forward to seeing Justin Bateman too. He's always great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found this on GQ and thought you might like it too: "In fashionable enclaves of Los Angeles, an exodus is underway, as throngs of music junkies and waifish indie princesses embark on their yearly pilgrimage to Indio for three days of pool parties, look-at-me fashion, and stargazing.

This year's festival lineup features over a hundred acts on six stages, ranging from Blur and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to Jessie Ware and Pusha T. To help us navigate the party, we reached out to some of the most trusted tastemakers in LA's music scene to find out what acts you can't miss, the best new artists to catch, and three cardinals rules of Coachella.

 

Read More http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2013/04/coachella-festival-best-bands-concerts.html#ixzz2QGzyYoYS

Then come back here to see what to wear.:) Here's some ideas for men and women to beat the heat, stay warm at night and look fashionable during the day.

 

 

I forgot to list where you can buy these cute fashions so here, in no particular order are the brands and websites if you click the link ok? Enjoy!

• Arthur and Livingston necklaces which are both $48.00 (CUTE!) www.arthurandlivingston.com

• Levi's authentic trucker jacket $98.00  http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=17086036&&cp=3146849.3146909.3146912

• Levi's 511 Slim Fit Commuter Oil Blue Shorts $64.00 (CUTE!:) http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=16898416&&cp=3146842.4305630.18627286.19992096

• Tees by Tina Printed Bandeau $30 www.teesbytina.com
• Level 99 Casey Tomboy Shorts in Douglas, $105 www.level99jeans.com
• Ban.do Glitterati Twist Scarf, $20 www.shopbando.com
• Milk the Goat Laguna Bikini, $79 www.milkthegoat.net
• Converse Drifted Beanie, $25 www.Converse.com
• Junk Food Grateful Dead Vintage Tribeland Tank, $32 www.JunkFoodClothing.com
• Bed Stu Point Dune in Black slipons, $49 www.bedstu.com
• Converse Poly Back to it Backpack, $45 www.Zapos.com
• Peggy Printed Maxi Dress, $13.99 (click the name to get to the website)

And if you find you really like Palm Springs heat, sign up to win a weekend getaway here: http://visit.palmspringsoasis.com/?utm_source=article&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=coachellafashion

And that's all she wrote. Enjoy your weekend!

@TechnoriLA 's amazing pitch night w/@NoahKagan @CodewarsDojo @artkiveapp @adoptt & more. My #startup review.

By Joy Kennelly

I've recently had to accept the fact I am a perfectionist in certain things and as such, hold others to the same high standards I hold for myself. This isn't always the best for relationships, but now that I'm more aware of it I can work on it. 

I also realized my German heritage has a tendency to make me see things very much in black and white when sometimes they're grey. My Irish heritage balances that out because I always find the humor too though.

All this to say, when I like something, I really, really like it and when I don't, I really, really don't.:) And I'm not shy about voicing my opinion either. I will always be honest about something and you may not like what you hear, but at least you know I'm honest about it.

And maybe even laugh because you know I'm right.:)

Honesty. A rare commodity in Los Angeles...

That's why I really enjoyed listening to Noah Kagan, founder of www.appsumo.com, speak last night at Technori over at Cross Campus because he encouraged us all to stop trying to be perfect. Just do it!

My friend, Nanxi Liu of www.enplug.com, had recommended I attend and since I respect her judgment, went even though I wasn't sure about it having never heard of Technori before. Seems like a really great group and site!

Now, I had no idea when I saw Noah listed as a speaker, that above and beyond his cool site, AppSumo.com, he was also Facebook's third employee, Mint.com's fourth employee and has also had a lot of failures in his life. 

Or that he was single either. LOL

I thought it was cute when the announcer mentioned that in his introduction because he said Noah wanted people to know.

Ladies, he's single and ready to mingle!:) Maybe he should take a spin on Millionaire Matchmaker like some of my friends have done!:)

It's really hard to date sometimes when you're married to your work, or all over the internet.

I've been a workaholic and visible online my entire professional life. I know.

In any case, when Noah took the stage he was a lot of fun to listen to. I mention the failures because I really like seeing entreprenuers being honest about their hard-won success. It's not all hunky dory, happening automatically, or piece of cake proposition.

There's blood, sweat and tears involved. 

(Picture stolen from http://epiclaunch.com/noah-kagan-interview/ hope you don't mind Ben Lang.:)

I was expecting more swear words and crassness, but apparently Noah contained himself for the mixed company. As I glanced around the room I was very pleased to see a nice mix of men and women attending. Perhaps positive balanced change is coming to the LA Silicon Beach scene after all?:)

What I really enjoyed hearing Noah say is your business is not all about a fancy website, business cards, etc.

It's whether or not there's a demand for what you're offering, and are you providing a solution? Will people pay for what you're offering? You won't know until you validate your business. Get out there and do it!

Check out: www.appsumo.com/tacos for more information. Oh, and by the way, I chose tacos in case you're wondering.:)

Back to last night. (Photo credit Mark Lindsey of Miller PR - taken from his twitter account: @MarkSLindsey - great PR company fyi...)

So, Noah had a select amount of time to address the packed house and chose to throw up on the screen a couple of popular, successful, well-known businesses and then asked us all how would we have validated the need and made them work. 

I left my good camera in the car so bear with me on these pix, but I wanted to give you a taste...

I didn't realize airbnb was a billion dollar company now!  I met the co-founders when I used their services to attend Obama's first inauguration in 2008 and they were so down-to-earth and nice at a welcome party they threw for all of us.

Hope they've stayed that way after all their success.

In any case, Noah had us brainstorm how we would have validated this and made it successful. People participated and it was interesting to hear what they recommended and Noah's feedback. Sorry, didn't take notes and next time you'll just have to attend.:)

Then, what I thought was the best part of the night, after doing this brainstorm analysis with a couple of popular, well-known businesses, he asked engineers to raise their hands and chose two to disect their business proposition with them right there on the spot, live.

Now, if you've been around computer heads for any length of time, you know they are very cerebral, live in their heads (hence my nickname), and often aren't living in reality with whatever they're working on because it's so abstract, doesn't reflect what society needs, and is more for their intellectual pleasure than real life.

It became very clear, very quickly that this was the case with these two earnest young men. I loved how blunt Noah was because I can be just as blunt sometimes and it helps cut through the crap. Doesn't always win you friends, but does clarify things immediately.:)

After disecting their concept, Noah invited them to the front to collect email addresses from potential interested folks who had all come to the conclusion they would probably pay money to have help finding parking in Santa Monica, but had no clue whatsoever to what problem these guys would be solving.

Again, excuse the poor quality, but here's the guys in action with Noah in the background. He has a very charming, disarming way of attacking people I thought was funny and relatable. 

Feel free to disagree.:)

Noah gave a lot of words of wisdom and I tried to tweet a bunch at www.twitter.com/thejoywriterx2 if you care to follow along there. 

I also believe if you look up the hashtag #Technorila you'll find more comments from the rest of the crowd. Well worth the effort.

Oh, and if you're looking to claim www.tendollarparking.com? Looks like Robert Fauver has already saved it according to his Twitter feed @robfauver LOL

Once Noah was done, which seemed much too quickly, then the host announced each startup presenter. Having seen other presentations at Cross Campus, I was dreading it to be honest, but these were fantastic!

I always enjoy seeing mature businesses that have been around for longer than six months because then I can actually learn something vs. wonder why I was there. I've been running businesses since college and have a lot of seasoned CEO's I consider good friends, even though I may not see or talk to them all the time. I've also taken a lot of business programs and understand various aspects quite well.

I'm going to run through the startups who presented fairly quickly since I don't have a lot of time, but wanted you to be aware of them. 

First up was Cap That http://www.mgkcapthat.com/

As a photographer, I really liked what they had to offer. It allows you to "cap"ture pix and images from videos and apply to products.

The presenter showed us live how to do it in addition to sharing about the company. I was extremely impressed with the image he presented as a piece of art which you can see below.

Next up was CodeWarsDojo which is a cool place for accomplished developers to go and practice higher level coding. If you click the link I've attached a Pando Daily article on them which will  tell you more.

I am not a coder, but know many who are and this business model was very impressive. The founders got their start at a hackathon, presented it and were funded that night becoming successful almost immediately.

Write nathan@codewars.com to receive an invite to their beta site. Just know they're selective and only accept the best of the best according to the Pando Daily article.

I think you'll be happy you did get in if you're a developer based on the positive response of some of my F/B friends to my post on this.

Next up was a cute idea called Bloom Nation. The guy's names are hard to spell, but I'm sure you'll find them if you look on their site. 

They spent a lot of time explaining why they started the business with personal stories, but not as much time on the success of the business which I would have liked to hear more about.

They have 2,000 florists currently involved and when I Googled them just now, found they've been interviewed on TV as well. I think there's room for competition in this realm and think they will do well. CBS News described them as the "etsy for flowers." Gotta love men who are passionate about giving flowers to people, right ladies?:)

Now the next presenter I wasn't too excited about because I don't have kids at home and now that my neices are teenagers, we're not seeing as much hand drawn art as playing around with pix and video on F/B.

However, that said, he got my attention when he mentioned the 150,000 users and millions of pieces of art currently "artkived" on his app: http://www.artkiveapp.com/ I think men sometimes discount the power of mom money and the huge marketplace that exists within this realm. 

 I would highly recommend checking this out if you're a parent, an investor, press or whatever because I see this going far. Very cool concept and obviously doing well. Why didn't I think of this?:)

My absolute favorite was the last presenter. His name sounded familiar and he looked familiar, but I couldn't place him until I met him personally afterward. Hank Fortner was the cool guy who hosted the Skirball Center fashion show which featured dancers on the runway and numerous charities showcased throughout. Very cool fashion show concept and I wish more would emulate their style.

Hank Fortner's wonderful pursuit this time is something near and dear to my heart because I'm a birthmother. For those uneducated on the term, it simply means I placed my son in an open adoption at birth. That's why www.adopttogether.org touched my heart and as evidenced by the many people asking if he had considered presenting this as a TED talk, many others as well.

Did you know 19 million children are without families throughout the world? Did you also know only about 9,500 children were adopted last year? 

Know why? Because it costs $30,000 to $40,000 a year to do so and that has created a huge barrier for many families who would love to adopt, but simply can't afford to.

This is where www.adopttogether.org comes in. Here's a video from their website which explains it better than I can:

  Crowdfunding for adoption! Isn't that the coolest thing you've ever heard? Can you imagine a world where there's no more orphans? Imagine how much this would ease so many of the issues of homelessness, poverty, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, crime and more this would help prevent for children who age out of foster care and never have a family unit to support them throughout their life.

Hank said in the 45 days Adopttogether been live, they've raised over $800k and are estimated to raise ONE MILLION DOLLARS by June 2013. That's amazing to me, but I also feel like this is filling a need that has been there since I was a birthmother over 13 years ago.

I know my church, King's Harbor Church in Torrance, will be happy to hear about this because one of their missions this year is to aid in more adoptions.  Could you imagine if everyone got on board and began sharing this wonderful cause in support? Or even donating to help people adopt?

Here's Hank's story on how it came to be. Can you imagine having helped foster 36 kids and adopting 7 children? What an amazing life story and family. Brings tears to my eyes just writing this and listening. I hope you take the time to watch both videos. Amazing.

 I love how multicultural they are too. Very cool. What great parental role-models.

So, as you can see, a phenomenal night filled with really cool companies and speakers. I hope you'll consider joining me at the next one to be inspired, encouraged, challenged and motivated too.

God bless. Have a great day! I know I am.:)

@EvaLongoria's @ReadyforLove is on tonight w/@matthewhussey! Try @LAYS #SaveGarlicBread #SaveSriracha or #SaveChickenWaffles as snacks!:)

By Joy A. Kennelly

Just to get you in the mood, here's Eva Langoria promoting the Lay Potato Chip Finalists wearing (as the jewelry publicist put it) " TACORI earrings in her new Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" Chip Finalists commercial with celebrity chef, Michael Symon. The actress glowed in TACORI  18K Yellow Gold Madeira Citrine round stud earrings (#SE105Y09, $470; www.tacori.com)."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eva is also glowing because she is the Executive Producer of the new dating reality show, Ready for Love, premiering tonight on NBC at 9/8c. Here's the trailer in case you were unaware or curious:

I've been following one of the dating coaches, Matthew Hussey, who wrote the book, Get the Guy, which you can purchase on Amazon here: Get the Guy: Learn Secrets of the Male Mind to Find the Man You Want and the Love You Deserve [Hardcover]

 And here's a video you can watch to hear him before tonight's show: The show looks fun and informative. While you all enjoy this I'll be attending a very informative tech event with a hilarious founder. More on that later.:)

Now for a commercial break, Lay's! Don't forget to vote for your favorite!:)

 

 

More of the #ACM's fashions, but this time for men: @ladyantebellum and @LukeBryanOnline looking sexy...

Lady Antebellum's  Dave Haywood rocked bed|stu boots at the ACM Awards last night.  The stylish guitarist performed  "Downtown," alongside band mates, Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley, in his Post boots from bed|stu's Stand Up 2 Cancer line($235; www.bedstu.com). 

 

Don't you love their music? I know I do! They're going to be my go-to Karaoke choice since they sing in my range.:) Just in case you missed their music, here it is again. Sorry it's not from the show, but it's still fun:

 

Here's why I'm willing to showcase this boot above and beyond the reason that I love Lady Antebellum...

 

SU2C is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). A 501(c) (3) charitable organization that funds groundbreaking cancer research.  

 

For every pair of shoes purchased from the bed|stu SU2C line, bed|stu will donate $5 towards initiatives created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get therapies to patients quickly and save lives (www.standup2cancer.org). Isn't that cool?

 

Now I don't find those boots particularly attractive, but on attractive men it fits... like all these guys.  

   
Band mate Charles Kelley is also a fan of bed|stu. He wore his bed|stu boots at the American Country Awards in December.

After this year's ACM's at the pool it kinda looks like the guys were only wearing towels!:) Recognize Luke Bryan?:) I stole this from Charles' Instagram site. Don't hate me Charles cuz I edited it down.:) They were just cold and wearing their suits. I promise...:)

  

I love the fact this shoe company donates to a cancer charity when you buy a pair, so buy a pair!:)

Here's my #ACMs Winners and Fashion Mavens coverage: @mirandalambert, @kramergirl, @taylorswift13, @thompsonsquare and @jeweljk

By Joy A. Kennelly

If you're like me, then you love country music and enjoyed last night's ACM's very much. I was surprised not to see the Zac Brown Band mentioned, but maybe I just missed something. In any case, I thought Luke and Blake did a great job hosting.

I was shocked to see Luke Bryan win (although no doubt he deserved it and I really like him!) But I think at one point Blake was holding him up to prevent him from passing out from shock himself! Did you notice that too?:)

What I like about the ACM's and country scene in general is, from the outside at least, it looks like they are all really supportive of each other and want everyone to do well. I was moved right along with Miranda Lambert when she shared how she cried all night after the thrill of singing with her musical idols, Faith Hill, Reba and Shania Twain. I would have to! Here's her acceptance speech again in case you missed it:

 

Notice Blake having to catch his breath a little after too? That's why I love him. He just wears his emotions on his sleeve. Miranda surprised me by being so emotional and to see her melt like that was very touching. That's why I like her too. Tough on the outside, softy on the inside.

Here's some pix from her appearance last night:

Singer Miranda Lambert is stunning in Ocnarf Sairutsa and ELAHN Jewels at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7th, 2013 in Las Vegas, NV. Miranda wore Ocnarf Sairutsa's Alas Ring in Sterling Silver, Black Rhodium, and Diamond. She also wore the Square Diamond Floral Ring by ELAHN Jewels while performing on stage with the Pistol Annies and Blake Shelton. 

(Here is Miranda with Blake and Luke Bryan's wife, Caroline Boyer. You know why I like country music so much too from a fashion standpoint? Real women with real curves. Never see that in rock-n-roll, although I do consider Miranda a little bit of a rocker hence her taste in this jewelry which is rock inspired...:)

 

  Ocnarf Sairutsa is the Los Angeles based line found in 2011 by Priscilla Franco-Asturias and Andrea Franco -Asturias. Each piece is hand-made with natural elements and offers a unique vintage rock edge.

Ocnarf Sairutsa has already attracted the attention of celebrities such as Katy Perry, Halle Berry, and Anne Hathaway and is available for purchase at www.ocnarfsairutsa.com

    

ELAHN Jewelry is the collaborative line by Leora Talmor and her mother Elahn. The line  has a modern edge while adding Gothic, Victorian, and ancient eastern elements and making the pieces timeless and classic.

 

The collection includes a mixture of rustic mined and sliced diamonds combined with classically cut diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, rutilated quartz, and moonstones set in antiqued silver and gold. ELAHN Jewelry is available for purchase at www.elahnjewels.com.

Arent' they just the cutest couple? I want one just like him.:)

   

Here's a close-up of the jewelry and more details in case you want to give someone a nice gift, or buy one for yourself:

Ocnarf Sairutsa Alas Ring in Sterling Silver, Black Rhodium, and 1.17 CT Diamonds. $1,700.00

 

 
ELAHN Jewels Square Diamond Floral Ring in 18K Gold, Rutilated Quartz and Diamonds. Price Upon Request.

Now it's not always about borrowed jewels...

Here's an up-and-coming performer, Jana Kramer, who was nominated for New Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. She performed her single "Whiskey" and showed off her engagement ring from fellow New Artist of the Year nominee, Brantley Gilbert. Someone's happy and excited!:)

 

Now if you're a fan of Taylor Swift you'll know she was just listed in InStyle as one of the best dressed for wearing another gold dress too.

Both ladies wowed photographers on the red carpet with similar gold gowns and up-do’s.
 
Jana was looking golden in head-to-toe Badgley Mischka with Norman Silverman earrings while Taylor sparkled in a Dolce & Gabbana dress, Jimmy Choo shoes, Norman Silverman earrings, and a Le Vian ring.

 

Didn't you just love Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban performing Tim's new song, Highway Don't Care? I do. I can totally relate because driving is my way of dealing with stress that is too big to handle in person sometimes.

 

Driving is also where I feel safe crying, singing and talking to God to get it all out. Doesn't happen very often just to clarify, but do love ridding myself of all those toxins!:) Love this song!

 

Plus, it reminds me of driving to a casino in the desert to hear Keith Urban perform years ago and meeting him backstage at a fan meet and greet with a friend who was in love with him. Yes, I am that good of a friend. LOL

 

Gold wasn't the only popular color of the night. Check out Shawna Thompson with her husband, Miami of Thompson Square fame backstage after winning Duo of the Year. Another happy couple!

Don't you love her earrings? Here's the details per the publicist... Singer Shawna Thompson is stunning in ELAHN Jewels at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7th, 2013 in Las Vegas, NV. Shawna wore the Full Finger Victorian Ring in Black Diamonds and the Double Emerald and Diamond Earrings from ELAHN Jewels to the awards.

ELAHN Jewels Double Emerald and Diamond Earrings in 18K Yellow Gold, Emerald and Diamonds. Price Upon Request.

Now if you're also like me and couldn't remember their music, here's a little music video to remind you:

 

As soon as I heard this song, I knew their music. Didn't you?:)

 

And to close, here is Jewel who gave me chills listening to her perform Only Kindness Matters.  So, that's my ACM coverage. Hope you enjoyed it. Pretty soon I will be shooting my own video of these kinds of events and can't wait! More to be revealed down the road...:)

 

Have a great day!

 

 

Twitter Basics 101 or what I like to call, How to Join the Cocktail Party in the Air

By Joy A. Kennelly

Invariably, I am asked by a friend or colleague who just doesn't get Twitter - how do you do it? They normally don't understand how it works, have an intern who may also not know what they're doing running their account, and/or simply feel too overwhelmed to take on another social media platform.

I totally understand and also feel men use social media platforms differently than women which is another reason I thought I would share how I manage my three accounts based on personal experience, professional recommendations by experts I follow and read, and things I've observed by others I respect.

So, here goes. If I leave anything out, please excuse the error, leave a comment and I'll try to answer you when I have a moment.

Choosing a Twitter Handle and Bio

What I like to tell people is keep your Twitter handle short and pertinent to your brand, company or self because if you do something like @pureunadulteratedjoy and you only have 140 spaces to type something, you're limiting what you share immediately.

There are all kinds of tutorials on the actual Twitter site for setting up your account and I encourage you to use them because they will explain things in greater detail than I will here. I leave certain things to professionals.:)

Now, what I have found after researching thousands of Twitter handles and bios for clients, is you don't have to stick to your tried and true bio on Twitter. You can have a little fun with describing yourself because it's more about telling people what you're interested in, than touting your professional accomplishments.

The people I have been most intrigued by have been major players, yet choose to describe their love of labradors, chocolate, kids, their love of running, silly quotes, whatever the most because it gives you an insight to them as a person vs. a corporate entity.

Try scanning some of the celebrities, politicians, or professionals you like in real life and see how they describe themselves to help you decide how to describe yourself. Now to help you do this, there's a cool directory called Twellow where you can search for whoever your little heart desires.

Here's the link: http://www.twellow.com/

Now let's say you're a musician and you want to learn how the top musicians represent themselves and how they communicate with fans. This is where you can look that up. Or say you're a dating site and you want to follow other dating gurus. You can do that too. This directory will list anyone and everyone you can think of to search I believe. And it's free. Free to look and free to add yourself to allow others to find you too!

What to Tweet

Now this is the 2nd most common question I receive all the time. Now, this is where I feel men and women differ for the most part. I find men are generally more linear unless they're in entertainment and post articles, information, non-personal tweets and you rarely see their personality or personal side.

Some women are like this too, but I've noticed women are much more socialable and share much more personal information.Check out any popular mommy blogger to see what they have to say and you'll get what I'm talking about.

Here's where the cocktail party aspect comes into play.

Imagine you're at a cocktail party and you see a CEO, Celebrity, Politician, or even simply a cute whomever you'd like to meet, influence, strike up a conversation with, or get noticed by for whatever reason.

The beauty of Twitter is you are able to follow whomever you're interested in to learn more about them. What I often recommend people do is tweet to the person they're trying to communicate with because when you do, it shows up in their stream and there's a way for you to see who is communicating with you.

If you look at the tool bar across Twitter it says Home @Connect #discover Me. The @Connect section is where you can see who is tweeting to you, about you etc.

The #Discover button allows you to see highlights of others and you can also search for certain topics of interest. When you attend certain conferences, savvy organizers will ask people to use a certain # (Hashtag) because then all the communication during the event is tracked using that hashtag and people can look up what was being said.

The Me button is your profile. It allows you to see how you're looking to the world and what you've been tweeting.I check it periodically because sometimes not all my tweets are reflected on my droid and I want to make sure what I want to be out there is visible, or if I'm embarrassed, is buried.:)

Now you can also find people using your email accounts and I did that when I first got on which was quite eye-opening. I love seeing the names some of my friends have come up with because I would never have imagined they viewed themselves that way.

The other thing that's cool about using your email accounts is many people you may only communicate professionally, but when you do this trick, you will find them on Twitter and can follow them as well. I have found many media contacts this way because as a former publicist, my database was full of relevant media I didn't want to lose touch with now that I'm not publicizing any clients.

How to Tweet

Here's another PR tip for using Twitter. Many journalists use Twitter to source stories, experts, influencers and if you share relevant information they will follow you back. One way I have found to get their attention and interest is also to RT (Retweet) their tweets.

Some people like RTing, others hate it. I'm in the liking it camp because sometimes it's too much work to have to search out new content to share and RTing is an easy way to share a cool article, quote, or bit of information someone else has found that I like.

Just don't do all RT's because having an original voice is very important in any social media platform. Back to the cocktail party analogy. How long would you hang out with someone who only repeated what other people said, even if it was interesting content? Not very long.

You also don't want to use all caps when typing because that signifies shouting in the netosphere. Don't be lazy.:)

Oh, here's another pet peeve and something I think newbies do innocently, not realizing what a waste of time this is for their brand, company etc simply because it is a key to getting unfollowed, blocked and ignored.

Pretend you're at a cocktail party and the person you were speaking to only repeated the same thing over and over and over and over again. How long would you stand there before moving on? Not very long at all, yet I see this happen all the time with social media newbies who really want to get their content noticed.

How many of you have seen a company tweet - Buy my widget! It's the best widget in the world and here's my website. And then you see the same announcement over and over again if you look up their profile. Pretty boring, right?

Don't be that cocktail party bore.

Remember, you're at a party, but it's in the air, it's your job to be interesting! Be creative, be funny if you're funny, be serious if you're serious, but mix up what you share. Remember this simple fact and it should help you find something pertinent. Your goal sometimes is have someone take notice of you and respond.

But even if they don't, just know you're being observed. When you're doing a good job of tweeting you'll find out because people will "favorite" which means they save your tweet to their profile which gives you greater visibility to their audience. You may also find your tweets RTed which you'll discover by checking under the @connect button.

Now there's mixed reactions on this next little thing I'm going to share so do your own thing because there's no definitive right or wrong on this in my humble opinion.

Twitter Etiquette

When someone has RTed you often, it can be polite to say a public thank you for the RT. I try to lump them all together at once so as not to bore my followers, create the most bang for my buck, and kill two birds with one stone so to speak.

When you do this, there's more opportunity for all the people you're thanking to check out who else you're following, this will hit all their streams, and it's a great way to be efficient on Twitter.

You can also do this by wrapping up people who have been generous with sharing your information on a Friday through the #FF (Follow Friday) "hashtag." This is also a way to build up your followers because normally when someone is included in a group tweet, they will be so pleased they will RT this out to their followers allowing new people to find you.

It's a fun way to say thank you for following me, expand your reach and build your influence. It's time consuming, but very worth it if building a quality Twitter platform is important to you, your brand or your company.

Who and When to Unfollow

Last thing for tonight because I'm leaving in a few minutes, but this is important. Every so often I will lose followers because of something I've tweeted, or not tweeted, and you want to leave room to follow new people if you've hit your 2000 limit which Twitter has set for some reason.

Let's say you have followed 2000 Twitter handles and you have lost 4 people, but then gained 10. It's common courtesy to return the favor of following whoever is following you, but for obvious reasons, I don't follow back porn bots, people who are into things I'm not interested in, MLM people, or anyone I don't want to learn more about because if you do follow them, it will show up in your news stream.

I personally don't like to see the f-word or sexual stuff floating by and will block those people to make sure I never see it again. Blocking is a Twitter person's best friend. It's a great way to get rid of porn, stop weird people from knowing about you, or hide from someone you don't like.:)

Where was I? Oh yeah, following and unfollowing.lol

Now if you go to Google and search for Unfollow on Twitter there's a couple of sites you can use. Some only allow you to clean out so many dead accounts, whereas others are unlimited. I often have used www.justunfollow.com, but there's others too. I switch it up because I like to try new programs to compare and find one I like the best.

The reason you want to clean out those who have either stopped following you, or never started following you, is you want to connect with those who do want to follow you and interact. When you remove 10 people who aren't following you any more, you're leaving space for the ten new followers which you can then follow back.

I know this is a lot to take in. Don't worry if you don't catch it all at once. This blog post isn't going any where. Save it. Reread it. Share it around. It will be here.

The other thing I always recommend is to follow @hubspot and catch their free marketing information. You'll learn a lot from them too. One of the many reasons I support them is I won a free iPad from them years ago at a tech conference and I've had a soft spot for their company ever since.

Plus, they give great free information!

So, with that, I wish you all a great weekend! Let me know what questions you have in the comments section ok? Happy to help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

@FarmSanctuary Fundraiser review featuring @kevin_nealon @colbiecaillat @jencoolidge and more

By Joy A. Kennelly 

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the Farm Sanctuary's Fundraiser featuring Colbie Caillat and Kevin Nealon among others at the Peterson Auto Musuem. If you've never been to the musuem, here's a taste of what to expect when you first arrive.

Now to be honest, as soon as I read this event featured a special acoustic performance by Grammy award winner COLBIE CAILLAT, I decided I'd like to attend.

Plus, I've always appreciated Kevin Nealon's humor and since he was host, I was sure it would be a fun time. Who could resist an invitation with their cute faces? Or these farm animals as seen above?

Once I arrived however, I was drawn into the cause, Farm Sanctuary, America’s largest and most effective farm animal rescue and protection organization. A friend had always recommended I see the documentary, Forks over Knives, which features Farm Sanctuary and I was curious as a result.

Everyone I met that night was so passionate about protecting farm animals and many were vegans, something I've never considered, but found very fascinating due to their passion. Plus, everyone looked so fit and thin the lifestyle kinda spoke for itself. 

As my friend Patti said, "It doesn't matter what people are passionate about, as long as they have a passion for something." Which I had to agree with because even though all the charities I will support financially have always involved children, I'm always open to learning about new charities and supporting causes by writing about them because I feel it's nice to raise awareness.

Apparently, so did these celebrities since so many turned out in support. Recognize anyone?:)

Jennifer Coolidge, one of my favorite comedic idols, whom you may recognize her from American Pie and Legally Blonde, but I will always remember her from Best in Show.

Brilliant comedic timing and a very nice person to boot. She was cracking us up on the red carpet. Who hasn't worn a coat to an event to hide bra straps?:)

She wasn't the only female actress to show up though, you may recognize these women too.

Kelly Thiebaud of General Hospital fame was there.

Here's Gene Baur (whom I accidentally called Jack:), president of Farm Sanctuary, with Sarah Dawson of Survivor Philippines fame, and Ady Gil. Sarah shared she was a fifth generation vegan and attributed part of her success on Survivor to this fact. Who knew?:)

What I found interesting was many of the men in attendance dressed for the farm aspect of the event while the ladies read cocktail and wore evening wear. Don't you wish Michael Vartan was back on TV? 

And you may recognize Mackenzie Astin from his days on "Facts of Life" or maybe even the fact he's the son of Patty Duke or Sean Astin's younger brother, but regardless,  isn't he dapper? Lovin' the bow tie.

And the woman of the hour, Colbie Caillat, who is very tall.    Just because I know I have a lot of male readers, here's another pic of her just for you guys.:) 

Here was the schedule for the evening. We munched on delicious Veggie Grill fare for dinner and at first it took me a minute to recognize everything was vegetarian until I saw the "chicken wings" because they didn't look like any  chicken wing I had ever seen. This one was my favorite, All Hail The Kale salad.

Yummy, eh? Very flavorful and nothing like I had tasted before. A self-proclaimed "Vegan Boss" told me his favorite site for vegan recipes is called, what else? www.allveganrecipes.com

When I asked him to choose his favorite veggie to descrbe himself, he said, Kale because it's green, leafy and awesome! Everyone was real kick back and fun. People were dancing, playing poker, eating, buying raffle tickets and more the entire night.

If you look closely you will see Reid Ewing (Modern Family) who became a fan of Farm Sanctuary after rescuing a homeless chicken; Torrance Coombs (The Tudors/Heartland/Just cast in “Kill For Me”) and Alyssa Campanella (Miss USA 2011) posing; Edwin Hodge (Cougar Town, NCIS) Ciddy Fonteboa (Horror Haiku) who told me she had been involved in a very abusive marriage and once she got out of it, she became a vegan because anything that overpowers should never ever happen. She made it so vivid, it brought tears to my eyes.

                
     
  
     
 






Pretty soon it was time for the main event, Colbie performing.

Now if you're like me, you love Spotify and the ability to create a "radio" station that tailors to the kinds of music you like. I'm such a fan of Colbie's music, I have a Colbie Caillat station since it's the best music to write to.

If you're not familiar with her music, here's a new song she just created along with Gavin DeGraw for the film, Safe Haven:

 She's on tour, but her website/fan page hasn't listed dates and/or cities otherwise I'd tell you where. In any case, it was really fun to have this private, intimate party with a few hundred cool people who really love this cause and her music.

Farm Sanctuary President, Gene Baur said a few words, Kevin Nealon entertained us encouraging us all to give the gift of a cow, and then Colbie came on to perform.

 
 

  

 
Now, if you're like me and city born and bred, there's still hope for us. Farm Sanctuary's 26-acre Southern California Shelter is located on a beautiful hacienda ranch in Acton, just 45 minutes from Hollywood.

In addition to providing shelter for more than 100 animals, Farm Sanctuary’s Animal Acres offers one-hour guided tours on Sundays and group tours are available by appointment. 

Their sanctuary gift shop is open before and after tours. Visitors will find educational materials, as well as a variety of items available for purchase including apparel, books, and souvenirs.

For Visitor Center hours and tour times, please click here.

Doesn't this sound fun? Who doesn't want to see Charlotte in her own habitat? In any case, the evening was a great eye opener and has made me realize areas of my life where I can adjust my diet too.

My next step is to watch Forks Over Knives. Here's the trailer in case you're not familiar with it:

 

Eat healthy! Save an animal! Buy a Cow! Or a Pig! Or even a Chicken! Better than a dog and you don't even have to care for it, Farm Sanctuary does it for you.

So with that, I wish you all a vegetarian good night!:)