Shoestring Sally

I just wrapped up a lot of writing projects, including a recent in-depth music review for Shoestring News, so this weekend needed to reconnect with my artistic side. I'm making cards to send to my friends and family because snail mail is good for the soul in this hectic email & text-driven world and I'm using art supplies I have on hand. Such spluge purchases easily gather dust so gotta use'em up! For this project I'm using water color paper, water color pencils and q-tips/cotton balls to help smudge & spread the pigment:



Whether large or small, art feeds the soul so look around your house and see what you can make today! And even if your aren't inclined to make a card, send one! People love to get "fun mail" and it happens so rarely these days. And you don't need to break the bank on expensive cards either. There are lots of darling options for under a dollar at major retailers. Or better yet buy a pack of cards and save. Happy creating and c…

Well, it has been awhile since I reviewed some tunes, Shoestringers, but recently serendipity introduced me to the music of Ashville, NC-based alt-pop rocker Michael McFarland and who am I to ignore serendipity? This May marks the release of McFarland's 5-song EP A Sarcastic Tango, available on Vinyl (yeah baby!), CD and digital download. A Sarcastic Tango is an impressive showcase of McFarland's dexterity as a lyricist and musician that leaves me wanting to see what else this guy can do.




McFarland describes himself as "Writer, Rocker, Biker, Geek" and his sound likewise has a lot going on. He provides all the EP's vocals and instrumentals and so harmonious is the end result that it's a little hard to believe at first that you are listening to just one person; on the technical end of things major props go to his co-producer/engineer Jason Rubal at Seventh Wave Studio in Harrisburg, PA. But do not misunderstand: McFarland is not a studio-only act. The lyrics …

After a brief hiatus we're back with more beauty wisdom from Hollywood legend Sophia Loren. Today I will share with you one of my favorite passages from Loren's still very relevant 1980s guidebook Women & Beauty. The topic du jour? Skincare! Partcularly I wish to focus on her observations about aging, because we all do it! Also, her take on the issue exemplifies the running thread of her book: the internal state impacts the external. While Loren is clearly genetically blessed, she has also taken care good of her skin over the years as one can see from the below comparison of her in her twenties with a more recent shot of her well past middle age:


And for those of you who say the second picture is all lighting and retouching, here's a more candid shot of her --taken in her 70s!


Any nips & tucks she might have had aside, Loren has always made exfoliation and facial treatments a regular part of her routine but something she has a lot to talk about is how your attitude…