Five Signs That It`s Time to Forgive and Move On

Transcription

ValleyLife
WEST VALLEY MAGAZINE
ISSUE NO. 9 MARCH / APRIL 2008
Ernie
Hudson’s
UPWARD FLOW
home
Green Your Backyard
YOur money
How to Start a Business
LOCAL PEOPLE
Sacha Sacket
Hayley Marie Norman
food
getting fresh in the kitchen
shopping
Sherman Oaks for
Chic
Folks
(No Hoax!)
When Quality Counts
And Money Matters
J&J CabinetS & Design Center
KITCHEN I BATHROOM I entertainment center/library
J&J Cabinets and Design Center is a factory dealer that promises better service and
lower prices than Lowe’s and Home Depot.
We will make your home remodeling project simple and turn your dream kitchen or
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Chatsworth showroom: 9180 Kelvin Ave, Chatsworth, CA 91311
Mon. – Thurs. 9:00-6:00pm • Fri. 9:00-5:00pm • Sat. 10:00-4:00pm • Closed Sunday
818.701.5500 I www.remodelingbest.com
Member of the Building Trades Association,
National Kitchen & Bath Association
Wholesale
Cabinet to
Contractor
Affordable Excellence without cutting corners
march/april ‘08
contents
8HOME
Creating a Truly Green Backyard
12YOUR MONEY
So You Want to Start a BUSINESS
14Shopping
Sherman Oaks for Chic Folks
16local Businesses
good humor
A modern-day philosopher
20FOOD
getting fresh in the kitchen
MARCH / APRIL 2008 I ISSUE NO. 9
33COMMUNITY
Reaching Across the Religious Divide
The Battle with One’s Own Cells
Northridge’s Whole Children,
Whole Planet Expo
36horoscope
what the stars hold for you
37entertainment
what’s new in tv and film
38calendar
What to do This Spring
24
23relationshipS
Five Signs that it’s Time
to Forgive
24LOCAL PEOPLE
ERNIE Hudson
Sacha Sacket
Hayley Marie Norman
20
30
14
4
VALLEYLIFE I march / april 2008
26
A HIDDEN TREASURE
23130 Sherman Way, West Hills, CA 91307
818.610.3228 • [email protected]
www.hiddenchateau.com
Garden Weddings
and Receptions
REAL ESTATE HOME STAGING
Home and Garden Decor
ANTIQUES & GIFTS
Handmade jewelry
and more
editor’snote
Dear ValleyLife readers,
W
hat is it about
spring that
makes us want
to start fresh? As the
natural world renews
itself and undergoes a
rebirth, so do we. Suddenly, we feel
the urge to get our affairs in order,
straighten up our homes and prepare
to face the world anew. We become
motivated to start on the pursuits that
will ultimately push us forward.
In fact, the unofficial theme of this
issue is starting fresh. Want to learn
how to start a business (did you know
that 72% of Americans dream of
doing so?), how to tackle spring
cleaning, how to cook fresh for spring
or how to move on in life when you
need to? Then keep reading.
Within these pages, you’ll also meet
inspiring local people who, at some
point, took the leap into starting
something new and became – or are
becoming – very successful at what
they do.
Take the opportunity to refresh, or
even reinvent, yourself this season. The
beautiful thing about life situations is
that they’re usually fluid and there’s
always the ability to improve. So shake
off those winter doldrums, breathe in
that fresh spring air, and pay attention
to all the flowers that are opening
around you. Because there’s nothing
like a new beginning.
With hope for the future,
Avital Binshtock, Editor
[email protected]
For advertising information,
please email us at:
[email protected]
Subscribe to ValleyLife
for only $24 a year
(including S&H)
[email protected]
www.valleylifemagazine.com
6 VALLEYLIFE I march / april 2008
page 6
>> SHANE SETS OFF MORE SPARKS
>> Thank you!
I had to let you know
that advertising in ValleyLife
has been good for my businesses, Godiva’s Secret and
Godiva’s After Dark. Your
glossy look is professional
and slick, and when I ask
clients how they found us,
many confuse your magazine with other, more
expensive magazines. I sit
and read your magazine as
soon as I get it. It’s interesting and beautiful. Thank you!
Rochelle Scott, Owner
Godiva’s Secret Wigs/Godiva’s After Dark,
Woodland Hills and Thousand Oaks
ValleyLife is a wonderful addition to life in the
Valley. We just started our
business and this was our
first stop for advertising.
The response has been
amazing. Your readers are
the perfect target audience for something sophisticated, entertaining and beautiful,
just like our new business!
Tim Skogstrom, Owner
Cornell Winery & Tasting Room, Agoura Hills
Thanks for the article about
Nona in your Jan/Feb issue.
We’ve had a great response from
it: At least four of our tables last
night were filled by readers of
your magazine.
Rodrigo Sucasas,
General Manager,
Nona Restaurant & Cafe, Tarzana
Shane Sparks, the So You Think You Can
Dance choreographer we featured in
our Sept/Oct issue, has a phat new gig:
He’s on the judging panel for MTV’s new
competitive dance series, America’s Best
Dance Crew. The show, which is executive produced by American Idol’s Randy
Jackson, has top street and studio dance
crews competing for cash and a touring
contract. The show’s other judges are ‘NSync’s JC Chasez and
hip-hop artist Lil Mama. Mario Lopez hosts.
>> GET COOKING
The Handstand Kids Cookbook Co. (featured in our Nov/Dec
issue) is looking forward to the Cinco de Mayo (May 5) release of
their second children’s cookbook. The Handstand Kids Mexican
Cookbook will feature lots of youngster-friendly south-of-theborder recipes and be written in a way that will teach your budding chef some key Spanish words. To encourage volunteerism,
it’ll depict the Handstand Kids characters participating in a bake
sale fundraiser for Common Threads, a nonprofit that teaches
inner-city children the importance of nutrition. Check out the
series locally at M. Fredric and The Little Red Barn.
>> BRINGING LIGHT TO THE HOMELESS
Lamp Community helps homeless people in Southern California
move from streets to homes, getting them mental and physical
healthcare, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, job training and
more. One of its beneficiaries, a man named Clayton who was
homeless for six years, said, “With medication and support from
Lamp, I am soon going to be self-sufficient. And for once in my
life, I am confident I will never, ever live on the streets again.” To
find out how to donate your time or money, call (213) 488-9559,
ext. 13, or go to www.lampcommunity.org.
>> STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The magazine looks great! The design and layout on the
Tahoe article are especially great!
Sahra Susman, Editor
Drizen-Dohs Corporate Communications, Chatsworth
In late January, the Woodland Hills-Tarzana Chamber of Commerce (www.woodlandhillscc.net) joined with 43 other L.A.
County chambers, trade groups and business organizations to
launch the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed), a
grassroots alliance to organize and mobilize L.A.-area business
groups. This pro-business association, whose 44 initial organizations represent more than 70,000 businesses employing
upwards of 1.2 million people, has as its mission to create a better business environment. Thus, it will lobby for such L.A.-relevant
issues as reducing traffic congestion, curbing gang violence and
improving education. To learn more, go to www.bizfed.org.
ValleyLife
Boaz Gabbai Publisher / creative director
AVITAL BINSHTOCK Editor
letters to the EDITOR: [email protected]
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Sandi Berg, Agnes Birnbaum, Kelly Bonanno, Jane Louise Boursaw, Kevin Collier,
Vivien Cunha, Dr. Matthew B. James, Tracy Lorenz, Mona Loring, Erin Magner,
Debra Mandel, Ph.D., Shannon McDonald, Valerie Pugliese, Sepideh Saremi,
LaTanya Spann, S. Hanala Stadner, Constance Stellas
ValleyLife magazine is published bimonthly. Reproduction in whole
or part without written permission is prohibited. All articles, photographs and artwork printed in ValleyLife magazine are the sole
property of ValleyLife and may not be duplicated or reprinted without
written permission. All ads designed by ValleyLife are the property
of ValleyLife and cannot be duplicated or reprinted without written
permission. ValleyLife assumes no responsibility for care or return of
unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All correspondence must
include an address and a daytime telephone number. The views presented in the editorials are those of the writers. They do not necessarily reflect the views held by ValleyLife or its staff.
ValleyLife 6411 Antigua Place, West Hills, CA 91307
T: 818.340.3362 • F: 818.340.9099
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Printed in the U.S.A.
springscene
photo: Boaz Gabbai
valleylife
home
Creating a Truly Green Backyard
As homeowners become more aware of their impact on the planet
than ever before, our resident interior designer looks outward to
determine how she can reduce her impact.
By Valerie Pugliese
s an eco-conscious interior designer, I tend to focus on all matters
inside the home. But with spring just around the corner, and my
own backyard needing work, I realized that another living space
that I could make beautiful and eco-aligned wasn’t inside at all.
To start on my backyard, I went to the local nursery to ask for
plants that don’t use a lot of water. I got succulent cacti, the side
benefits of which include not having to water every day (they
can go weeks without) and a lower monthly bill. How’s that
for low-maintenance?
Further along in my research about how to make my garden greener, I found out about the Scrap Eater Solar Composter. These are beautiful old Bordeaux wine barrels made from
solid oak; inside them is a composting container in a sealed
compartment, plus space for flowers around the circumference. Just throw in your table scraps and, voilà, not only do you
make nutrients to feed the flowers, but you also get mineralrich soil which you can feed to the rest of your garden. Chemical fertilizer? Never again.
Next, when looking to
replace the fencing around my
home, I found a product called
PrairiePicket, which is made
from a blend of recycled plastic
and wheat straw. It really looks
like wood but is much more
durable and sustainable.
As a designer, I was most
excited about all the options
for eco-friendly outdoor furniture. Ecoplastics, a company
that makes furniture out of 100% recycled plastic, offers picnic and patio tables, as
well as benches. Their products won’t weather and don’t need to be put away during
winter. Best of all, by buying products made of recycled materials, you’ll be diverting
all that plastic that would have gone into landfills.
Let us not forget lighting; low-voltage landscape lighting is always improving, and
LED bulbs deliver high-quality light with four times the energy efficiency of incandescent ones. Place them properly, and you can reduce waste while spending more time
enjoying life outside.
These are just a few ideas that this interior designer found to change my exterior space for the better. Now I can feel good knowing that my yard is beautiful
and environmentally sustainable. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, these ideas, in addition to your own, can help save the outdoors – your
own and beyond. u
Award-winning interior designer Valerie Pugliese owns Designs by Valerie in Simi
Valley. For more from her, go to www.designsbyvalerie.net or call (805) 582-2657.
8
valleylife
SELF-CARE
Season of Change
Dr. Debra prescribes spring cleaning from the inside out.
S
Debra Mandel, Ph.D.,
known to her many
devotees as “Dr.
Debra,” is a renowned
psychologist and
relationship expert.
She is the author of
Dump That Chump:
From Doormat to Diva
in Only Nine Steps – A
Guide to Getting Over
Mr. Wrong and two
other self-help books.
She has been featured
on hundreds of TV
and radio shows,
including The Tyra
Banks Show, CNN
Headline News, The
O’Reilly Factor and
The Larry Elder Show.
She maintains a
private practice in
Thousand Oaks and
Encino. For more
advice from her, go to
www.drdebraonline.
com.
pring is in the air and it’s time for transformation and growth. We clean out our closets and garages, we start thinking about
ways to actually implement those New
Year’s resolutions we made back in January,
we make summer vacation plans and we delight in
the fair weather and our favorite outdoor activities.
But spring doesn’t conjure up these images for
everyone. Rather, many people dread the season of
blossoms because they suffer from emotional ailments. For them, springtime is but another reminder
of how sad or isolated they feel. Sad but true for the
millions who don’t realize that the power to make
themselves feel better is right at their fingertips.
If this sounds like you, know that it is possible to
clean out your emotional closet and make room for
joy in your life. While I can’t promise instant nirvana,
you should feel better right away if you take to heart
the following five tips:
1. Change your attitude. Yes, this is easier said
than done. But if you have a pessimistic outlook, you
can’t possibly feel alive and hopeful. So start making
positive statements about yourself and your future.
2. Find the silver lining in your experiences . I’m
not prescribing adopting a Pollyanna existence or recommending the defense mechanism of denial. I’m
encouraging you to turn adversity into strength. Otherwise, you’ll stay stuck in a woe-is-me attitude.
3. Make a vow to improve your relationships.
Having healthy ones based on mutual respect, compassion and kindness (with good boundaries) helps us
thrive. If we stay in relationships that don’t serve us
well or help us feel good about ourselves, we can’t
possibly move forward. This applies to all relationships, including those with family, friends, lovers,
bosses, co-workers and so on. Sometimes we have to
let go of toxic people to make room for those who’ll
treat us the way we deserve to be treated. Don’t hang
onto people who bring you down!
4. Focus on positive self-care. If you’re not treating your body well, you can’t have a healthy brain.
Proper nutrition, exercise and sleep help your mind to
function optimally. So find out what you need to do
keep your body healthy and fit.
5. Get help if you need it. Sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself will create a vicious cycle of
despair. You’ll miss out on all the beauty around you.
If something bad is going on in your life or if you have
trouble motivating yourself to get on a positive track,
enlist every resource you can, be it a psychologist, a
support group or self-help books. Don’t wait for time
to heal all; time doesn’t heal anything if we’re not
working on time’s behalf. Stop waiting for change to
magically appear and make it happen.
These tips should help get your engine started.
Now go accelerate toward your goals and dreams. u
Everybody
Can Learn
to Dance!
Learn to dance from Arthur Murray’s professional dance
teachers with personal one-on-one dance lessons or join
us for our group lessons and practice parties. It’s a fun
workout and a great way to get in shape.
Couples and singles invited.
VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION
6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd, #2210A , Woodland Hills, CA 91367
(In the Promenade Mall next to the AMC theater)
818.225.8000
january / february 2008 I VALLEYLIFE 9
www.arthurmurraydanceschools.com
valleylife
humor
A Spring
Cleaning
Fairy Tale
Birds chirping, flowers blossoming…
fair maidens setting the domestic world aglitter? Not so much.
By S. Hanala Stadner
nce upon a time, before TV came in color – or in
reality – there was a commercial for a cleaning
product wherein a white knight galloped in on
his white horse and zapped a very dirty house.
Instantly, the house transformed into a clean,
gleamy showcase. Presto! TV’s first extreme makeover. It should be so easy.
This weapon of mess destruction inspired such guilt in women
that they were brought to their knees, sponges in hand. Was “Whiter than
white” yet another form of discrimination (this time aimed at women)? Was
“All men shall remain free” amended by, “All woman shall remain in the
kitchen?” It was as though a new commandment was decreed: “Thou shalt
not embarrass thine family with yellow, waxy buildup.”
[Chapter 1]
Damsel in Dis Mess
S. Hanala Stadner is a comedienne extraordinaire, a
substance-abuse counselor, a
life coach, a fitness instructor
and the author of My Parents
Went Through the Holocaust
and All I Got was This Lousy
T-Shirt. For more from her, go
to www.traumedycentral.com.
10
I
awaited my Mr. Clean to rescue
me from my drudgery. Little did I
know that he would be a her, and
her name would be Marta. In my 27
years of living in SoCal, I’ve had a few
Martas. Some were named Maria.
How important is clean to me?
Very. I exfoliate daily. And yet, as I
type, I’m reminded of all the snacks
eaten above my keyboard. There’s a
piece of (I think) cheese Danish nestled between the “B” and the “N.”
A mysterious flattened crumb seems
determined to remain under the
“M.” Oh, and the “HHHH” sometimes sticks. But I like to look at the
positive side. Because of the sunflower seed shell tucked behind the
Caps Lock key, I’m not accidentally
typing in UPPERCASE ANYMORE.
I’m just happy the keyboard isn’t in
the same state as the TiVo remote.
You push “7” down, it stays down.
It takes fingernails to pry it back up
where it belongs.
I hate my piles. And I have good
intentions, I really do. I want to keep
a clean house – but my ADD just
says “No.” On my way to putting an
object back where it belongs, I get
reminded of something else I need
to go do. The said object then gets
put down somewhere. Sometimes
never to be seen again. It’s with the
other sock.
[Chapter 2]
There’s No Place Like
Home. (Thank God.)
M
y aversion to housework
began when I young. I
remember my mother, a
Holocaust survivor, barging into my
room, looking around and saying,
“Hitler killed my whole family, but I
should have a daughter like you, you
can’t make da bed?!”
Ma was seldom without her
shmate, engaging in high-impact
spritzing. Combining vinegar with
water was the secret potion. “Vindex, shmindex,” she would mutter.
I grew up in the shtetl of Montreal, Canada. Our house was done
in Early-Jewish Baroque. It was a single-story, three-bedroom bungalow
attached to another bungalow, its
exact double. Except its twin wasn’t
decorated like a wannabe Versailles.
A twinkly chandelier hung in our
foyer. Because of the ever-so-tastefully mirrored wall, we got two chandeliers for the price of one: a Martha
Stewart moment for Ma. The living
room, a no-sit zone, was furnished
with white and gold Louis XIV repro-
“Since I wasn’t contributing to the 401(k), he
believed I should at least be picking up the 409.”
“I awaited my Mr.
Clean to rescue me
from my drudgery.
Little did I know
that he would be a
her, and her name
would be Marta.”
ductions. Ma covered everything in
the house with plastic – the chairs,
the lampshades, my father.
Ma was proud to use modern technology to preserve our fancy belongings. “Because of dat plastic, in tventy
years dat couch vill look like new!”
(She was optimistic, assuming we’d
be alive in 20 years.) I believe shrinkwrapping furniture is fundamentally
wrong. But I have to admit, while the
floor of our 12-year-old Valiant rotted from the salt-filled winter roads,
the seats of the car, protected by
Ma’s fantastic plastic, looked brandnew. But was the larger picture lost?
If we couldn’t afford a new couch in
20 years, we had bigger problems
than worn cushions.
Anyhow, the plastic covers were
cold and hard and would crackle in
winter; in summer, if you sat on the
sofa, you’d get up minus skin. This
rarely happened, though, because
no one attempted to live in the living
room. We knew our boundaries.
Plastic runners connected all the
rooms. Everything was covered with,
encased in or fashioned from plastic.
Ma filled crystal bowls with plastic
fruit. I don’t know how they got plastic to feel fuzzy. It was disturbing.
[Chapter 3]
The Magical
Metamorphosis
B
efore I got clean 25 years ago,
I was a pig. I’m a recovering
pig. When I take one day at
a time, as I do now, I can (miracle
of miracles!) find the bottom of my
kitchen sink.
When I was still using drugs and
drinking every day, I lived with, as
we say in recovery, “a lower companion.” We were two pigs in a pod.
Because he worked every day while I
worked on my tan, I didn’t feel entitled to ask for a cleaning person. So
the house was a disaster. And since I
wasn’t contributing to the 401(k), he
believed I should at least be picking
up the 409. But, paralyzed with fear,
I did nothing but watch soap operas
interspersed with commercials featuring enchanted bald men.
Our laundry sat in borrowed shopping carts. I’d wash the sheets every
three months. As the dirt accumulated, so did my lower companion’s
hostility. High grime and meaner
misters… Oh, the guilt! I was a
homeless person who happened to
have an apartment.
Once I cleared out my head, my
environment became tidier too. How
did I do it? Oh, 12-step programs and
psychoanalysis. If you live near Encino,
I have three little words: Klaire Firestone, therapist. (310) 413-0470. Tell
her I told you to call.
Normally, a messy head equals a
messy house. But a messed-up mind
can go the other way too. You can
become Ms. Compulsive Cleaner.
Your Post-Its line up perfectly, your
clothes and hangers are fastidiously
color-coded. You can’t control your
kids, your husband, your obnoxious
neighbors (mother, partner, boss…),
but you will line up the folds in your
curtains to hang in a precisely unified
fashion. I wouldn’t dare budging one
of your coasters.
Me, now? Seeing as most of dust
is skin, most of the planet is dirty and
life is a precious gift not to frittered
away fighting nature, I choose my
battles. I buy tan furniture and dirtcolored carpets.
Still, I try to look busy while Marta’s here. I get out of bed. I do not
play my iPod while she vacuums (just
to show that I care). I never idly watch
TV or kick back in Marta’s presence.
I try to look waaaay too busy to be
cleaning my own house. And I stand
with her. Solidarity. We are one. She’s
just shorter.
Because I believe that every magazine article should proffer at least
one tip, here’s mine for straightening
out your clutter: Most of the messes
we find ourselves in happen because
our focus falters. Our brains get too
busy replaying past scenes or predicting future gloom and/or glee. In
short, we lose sight of the now. So
if you’re prone to time travel, slow
down, focus on your present task
– and be conscious of, at one with,
where on God’s Earth you put your
damn phone. And you’ll live happily
ever after.
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[The End]
march / april 2008 I VALLEYLIFE
11
valleylife
your money
So You Want to Start a
Business
By Shannon McDonald
The San Fernando Valley
truly is the land of opportunity.
No wonder, then, that many of its
residents nurture dreams of
starting their own venture. If
you’re one of them, read on for
inspiration and practical advice.
T
hinking about starting your
own business? It’s an idea that
has, at some point, crossed the
mind of almost every worker.
Who wouldn’t want to be their
own boss, create their own
schedule and leave the typical
9-to-5 behind?
While running your own business may
sound like – and often is – a dream come true,
successfully getting a business off the ground
is no easy task. It requires an exceptional
amount of dedication, often leaving the
founder with much less personal time than if
working for someone else. The most important question to ask yourself should be: Will
running your own business work for you?
12
photo: Boaz Gabbai
S
o you’ve decided to
take the leap. What
next? Begin with
plenty of research and
develop a plan. You’ll
need to know everything you can about
your potential business, including
who your customers will be, what
competition you’ll face and how
your business will be funded. Be prepared, as Sigrid Jensen, founder of
Topanga-based skincare line Nilaa
Silk said, to become a jack of all
trades: “You have to be able to learn
and research every aspect of your
business and become an expert at it.
Whether you’re figuring out how to
design a website, print a label, formulate an effective product or fill a
sample, you need to be able to do
everything.”
Freada Kapor Klein, a business
consultant and author, said, “Nothing is as wonderful as creating a
product, a service, a program and
having it be recognized in the world.”
Then again, she added, “Nothing
feels as awful as worrying that you’re
going to lose everything you own
because your venture isn’t working.”
Klein, who grew up in the Valley
and graduated from Van Nuys Senior
High School, believes that the most
important piece of advice for wouldbe entrepreneurs is: “Be clear about
why you want to do this. If it’s your
passion and you’ve done your homework, take a deep breath and jump.
However, if you simply can’t stand
the thought of working for your
company or boss or commuting three
hours a day any longer, look for a
new job – don’t start a business.”
Above all, as
Erik Hovanec,
CEO of Pasadenabased LeisureLink
(which provides
online marketing
services for hotels)
said, “Be realistic.
Balance your passion and energy that is required to
make your business run while taking
a cold, hard look at your business
plan.” Ask yourself the hard questions, Hovanec advised. “Is your idea
honestly realistic? Do you have
enough cash to get it going? Your
business and its success are based on
certain assumptions. What if one of
these assumptions is wrong? Can you
still make it? Those who can balance
these difficult things stand a better
chance to succeed.”
If you’re unsure of how to write a
business plan, or need assistance
doing so, take a trip to your local
library or bookstore, surf the internet or call a business consultant. A
plan is your map for turning your
idea into a running business, so it’s
imperative to take the time to create
a plan that you’re comfortable and
happy with.
For some, this might need to be a
thorough, detailed report, complete with everything from a mission statement to goals for 10 years
from launch.
Others, such as
Sarah Robarts,
founder of Ballantines PR, a Venicebased
publicity
firm, can do with
something
less
formal. Robarts
If you can’t stop dreaming of taking the
leap, go ahead. And enjoy the ride.
— Freada Kapor Klein, business consultant
began not with a business plan, but
with an idea and a client, and let her
business grow organically from
there. However you choose to do it,
Robarts said, make sure your plan
“works for you.”
Developing your business in a way
that incorporates your daily life into
your work is another ingredient for
success. Robarts began her company
as the mother of two small children;
she brings them into her office for a
few hours every afternoon. Creating
a business that worked with her lifestyle was one way she knew she
could be in it for the long run.
If you want your business to succeed, you also need to properly plan
funding sources. Cash is not only
important to getting your business
running, but also to sustain it until
you’re able to turn a profit. To protect yourself from falling short, start
with very little overhead and stick to
a budget. Robarts started her company from her home and didn’t move
into an office until she had established herself and was confident that
she could afford the rent. Even then,
she said, “Taking on overhead was
nerve-wracking.”
Business consultant Carrie Beam,
who founded Carrie Beam Consulting
(www.carriebeamconsulting.com),
recommends being “heinously overfunded in the beginning and to have
at least two years of living expenses
(continued on page 32)
Steps to Getting Your Business off the Ground
Once you’ve decided it’s time to start your own business, use these 10 tips to get going:
1 Planning. Spend a significant amount of time researching your business and developing a business plan.
2Location. Determine where to headquarter your business, remembering to take into account all pros and cons.
3 Funding. Decide where you will obtain funding and how you will sustain yourself as your business grows.
4 Permits. Secure the proper permits needed to operate your business. Visit www.calgold.ca.gov to find out
which ones you’ll need.
5Incorporation. Research the benefits and drawbacks of incorporating versus proceeding as a sole
proprietorship to determine what’s best for you.
6 Professionals. Consult with an attorney and an accountant to make sure your business is structured
according to governmental regulations.
7 Website. Register your domain name and hire a web designer to create a homepage for your business.
8Employees. Hire employees or contractors and delegate smaller tasks. This will give you more time to
develop the larger aspects of your business.
9Advertising. Build your reputation by making your brand recognizable – and by providing excellent customer
service so that positive word of mouth spreads.
10Reinvesting. Reinvest profits into your business so that it can continue to expand.
—S.M.
13
valleylife
shopping
Sherman Oaks for
Chic
Folks
(No Hoax!)
By Erin Magner
Does it seem to you that
more fashionistas are
strutting down Ventura
than usual? It’s not your
imagination.
14
here’s a quiet style revolution happening on the Sherman Oaks stretch of Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. Once
dominated by sleepy barber shops, gas stations and dry cleaners, the street’s blocks,
especially the addreses in the upper 13000
range, are beginning to look like they’ve had
a shot of retail Botox in
the form of decadent
cupcake bakeries, sleek
day spas and, most notably, a set of fashion-forward boutiques that would
be equally at home in West
Hollywood.
This sudden yet extreme
makeover was bound to happen sometime. After all, nearby
Studio City is now filled to capacity with glossy shopping destinations, so retail moguls had nowhere to go
but west. But there’s another, less obvious explanation for the new fashion colony flying
its flag on Ventura – the fact that the
Galleria-goers of the ‘80s have grown
up, started families and returned to the suburb of their youth. And though
they may have ditched the Valley-girl lingo and traded arcade games for
wine bars, they’ve maintained their eye for style and appetite for trends.
“A lot of young parents are moving in who are still kids at heart – 30
is the new 20,” said Ronit Binshtock, the owner of a brand-new boutique
called Roni B. “Even though they have kids and responsibilities, they still
want to have fun, whether it’s eating at a great restaurant, getting pampered with a massage or shopping at a hip boutique. The regeneration of
this area is really reflecting that.”
The one thing all the new arrivals have in common is their quest to fill the
Sherman Oaks style gap. There’s never been a shortage of affluent shoppers in the area, yet for years, locals cited the dearth of unique, high-quality fashion as their reason for driving to other areas to get their shopping
fix. Today, the offerings are so rich that this once humble strip is becoming
a destination unto itself, regularly drawing customers from Calabasas and
Beverly Hills.
We’ve put together a brief guide to the new generation of Sherman
Oaks style-setters who are working together to bring their corner of the
Valley back into the limelight – but this time, as a haven for the fashionforward, rather than the fashion victim. u
diaper bags, a bevy of brightly colored tutus and the sounds of the
Sex Pistols and Stevie Wonder on
the stereo. Komsky cites the area’s
strong sense of community as the
key reason for setting up shop in
Sherman Oaks: “I think people here
are really supportive of local merchants because everyone wins. As
older stores move, new businesses
are refurbishing them and making
the whole neighborhood more
beautiful.”
13638 Ventura Blvd., (818) 990-0972,
www.shoptoughcookies.com.
Revival
Vintage
Vanity
A
s one of the first boutiques
to take up residence on this
stretch of Ventura, Vanity’s
co-owners, Jessica Lee and Janey
Strouse, took a chance by situating
their shop where they did – but they
had a feeling it would pay off in the
end. “We’d built up a customer base
in Sherman Oaks from our previous
boutique jobs, and knew there
wasn’t a lot of shopping locally,” Lee
said. “When we first moved in, there
wasn’t really anything between Laurel Canyon and the mall.” They’ve
been successfully filling the gap for
two years now with their casual-chic
aesthetic, which is punctuated by
comfy wardrobe staples from Velvet, Ella Moss and Splendid.
13549 Ventura Blvd., (818) 905-8277,
www.shopvanity.net.
Tough Cookies
T
ired of trekking over the hill to
shop for the little ones in her
life, former ad exec Shannon
Komsky decided to take action. She
gave birth to Tough Cookies last
June, dedicating it to trendy attire
for the hippest of Valley tots. Visitors to the shop will find pint-sized
vintage concert tees, metal-studded
U
Roni B.
Belle Gray
W
hen actress Lisa Rinna
opened Belle Gray in 2003,
her goal was to provide
customers with the same ‘secret
weapons’ she stashed in her own
closet – and judging by the shop’s
huge selection of party dresses, premium denim and luxe loungewear,
she’s succeeded. Unlike many other
shops with Hollywood connections,
Belle Gray reflects the Valley’s
friendly, inviting vibe, with big jars
of candy, fluffy white couches and
stacks of glossy magazines. The
shop’s evolution over the past five
years reflects Sherman Oaks’ own
style renaissance. “When we first
opened, we focused mostly on jeans
and T-shirts,” said Heather Martin,
the store’s manager and buyer.
“Now we’re selling a lot of dresses
and special pieces that you can dress
up or down. We still have all our
loyal local customers, but we’re also
attracting lots of new ones from all
over the city.”
13812 Ventura Blvd., (818) 789-4021,
www.bellegray.com.
R
onit Binshtock has lived
in the Valley
for most of her life,
all the while knowing there was something
important
missing from the
area’s retail offerings. “There’s really been nowhere
but the mall to shop for well-made
clothing at a decent price,” she said.
“I know from experience that you
don’t have to spend a million dollars to look great and I want to help
others discover that.” Her solution: a
funky, boudoir-style space filled with
gorgeous bags under $70, glamorous jewelry under $100 and racks
stylishly lined with lovely fare from
up-and-coming labels such as Scrapbook and Level 99. Even though her
shop has only been open since January, Binshtock, a veteran of the Beverly Hills outpost of Barneys New
York, has big plans for the future,
including a shoe department, charity
involvement and a separate store for
men. Watch this space.
pscale vintage stores
are a rarity
in the Valley, a
fact that Revival
Vintage’s owner
Nicole
Swasey
encounters on a
near-daily basis. “About half of the
customers who come in don’t realize
we’re a vintage store,” she said. “We
get a lot of people asking for dresses
in different sizes or colors, and we
have to explain that each one is
unique.” It’s for this reason that
Swasey chose to base her painstakingly edited boutique in Sherman
Oaks. Since opening a year ago, she’s
transmitted her infectious enthusiasm to local customers. “I’m addicted
to the hunt for great vintage,” she
said. “There’s nothing like coming
across an amazing piece where you’d
never expect it, like when I found an
original Cartier Love bracelet from
the ‘70s in a stack of flea market
bangles.”
13940 Ventura Blvd., (818) 783-8400,
www.revivalvintagela.com.
Erin Magner is an L.A.-based freelance writer who has covered the
fashion industry for the Los Angeles
Times, Ocean and Gen Art Pulse. For
more from her, go to
www.erinmagner.com.
13626 Ventura Blvd., (818)501.5115,
www.ronib.com.
15
valleylife
LoCAL BUSINESS
Malachi Pearson
Hector Salas
Gabe Connor
Jason Hallock
Classic start-up tales happen in the Valley
every day, but it’s not often that you hear
of one as storybook as this.
By LaTanya Spann
If it can’t make someone laugh, what’s the
point?” asks Gabe Connor, founder of Goodie Two Sleeves,
the cheeky T-shirt company that
started five years ago in a 77-squarefoot office in San Luis Obispo. For
the past year, it has operated out of
Chatsworth.
The sign on the door says “Whatever! Co.” and the dream is simple: to
create a lighthearted, positive apparel
line for the whole family. “Since the
very beginning, we wanted to do
something clever and fun,” Connor
said. “A lot of what was out there
was really crass and low-brow. You
won’t find any racy, Andrew Dice
Clay-type material here.”
“More Bob Saget from Full
House,” laughs Malachi Pearson,
the company’s co-owner, as the guys
relax at the four-chair table in an
office strewn with infant tees and
hoodie designs.
Despite this being a very successful company, its offices in the Val-
16
ley’s industrial zone are modest.
Two desks fit in the front room, two
in the next room and then a warehouse packed with custom-made cotton tees and accessories. The television is connected to a game console
– Wii fanatics they are – and errant
movie posters adorn the walls. The
cozy atmosphere lends to their smallbusiness feel with roots solid in the
“shower stall” of an office in which
they began.
“It happened too fast,” Pearson
said a bit wistfully. “I still feel like it’s
the first year of the company. I think
we all do. It just seems like everything snowballed.”
One day, Connor appeared in
front of Pearson’s just-opened clothing store in Arroyo Grande (population 20,000), selling shirts from the
trunk of his car. With a well-placed
phone call, Pearson jump-started the
company with a sale of 50,000 shirts
to retail giant Hot Topic. Immediately thereafter, Urban Outfitters
took to the brand followed by Journeys and then Delia’s, the online
favorite. “Basically, the company
went from zero to hero in a month,”
Pearson said.
What set them apart from the
competition, and intrigued such highprofile clients, was the 100% original artwork. “A lot of the big boys
in the industry are tapping into companies like Junk Food which license
cereal brands, old cartoons and the
Little Miss line. We don’t do that. All
of the artwork is completely original.
It’s weird that we’re in a position to
compete with these huge companies
and we’re just creating everything all
on our own,” said Connor, who has
designed more than 580 graphics for
his company.
Within three years, Goodie Two
Sleeves had made $2 million. However, neither Connor nor Pearson
had a real grasp on the company’s
business end. Their youth, 19 and 22
at the company’s outset, and inexperience would begin to show. Pearson, a child actor since age 4, never
attended a formal school. Connor
graduated high school but “nerded
out” and taught himself Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Illustrator. Neither really understood pricegouging, of which they became
victims, and slowly began to lose
sight of the company’s future.
“We had to learn the hard way.
We had people working for us that
stole from the company. People
charged us too much because they
saw us coming from a mile away. All
that money went out the door. We
were just going to cut our losses, split
the money, pay off our debts and call
it quits,” recalled Connor.
It was at this point that Jason Hall-
ock and Hector Salas of Whatever! Co.
got involved. They had worked with
Goodie Two Sleeves putting together
their catalogs. When Connor contacted the two to see if they knew of
anyone who would be interested in
buying out Goodie Two Sleeves, they
got more than a surprise.
Hallock asked, “What if you stayed
on and we became business partners
with you? Because what’s a company
without the artist?” Less than two
days later, Goodie Two Sleeves and
Whatever Co. joined forces.
It was fortuitous matchmaking.
According to Connor, “Jason is the
brain who handles all the business
and management. Malachi is the
mouth, our account manager who
heads up sales and interacts with our
clients. I’m the hands, the designer
who does all the artwork. Hector is
the feet because he’s just a genius at
production and gets it done.”
Goodie Two Sleeves officially relocated to the Valley last January. Pearson, who hails from Redondo Beach,
agrees with the move: “It’s just been
a blessing all around.”
Connor agrees: “We’re all stoked.
This is totally a dream come true. We
started as a T-shirt company and now
we’re developing ourselves into a
clothing brand. It’s so much different
than what it used to be.”
The emphasis is on fun. Eat Your
Vegetable onesies will soon be on
shelves, alongside Ninja hoodies. Free
time is spent indulging in Mario Galaxy on the Wii, Adult Swim on Cartoon Network or yukking it up over
sushi at Kyoto in Northridge.
Goodie Two Sleeves is well, a bit of
a goody two-shoes. Good-natured,
full of life and with a singular focus
on making each other laugh, it’s
impossible to find anything not to
love about this company. Except
maybe their lack of publicity. Their
few ads are amusing and the diversions on their website practically
require a secret codebook to get
through. They’re still surprised when
they see a stranger wearing one of
their shirts and have to resist the urge
to take a picture.
Henry Ward Beecher said, “A person without a sense of humor is like
a wagon without springs. It’s jolted
by every pebble on the road.” No
wonder, then, that for these guys, it’s
been a smooth, smooth ride. u
To learn more about Goodie Two
Sleeves and shop their offerings, go
to www.goodietwosleeves.com.
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valleylife
LoCAL BUSINESS
A Modern-Day Philosopher
Topanga-based entrepreneur, thinker and
seeker Brian Johnson has created
two web-based havens for kindred spirits.
By Shannon McDonald
I
f you haven’t heard of Brian
Johnson by now, it’s time.
Founder and former CEO of
the socially conscious network
Zaadz, the 33-year-old’s joie
de vivre has been spreading
through Southern California and
beyond since he launched Zaadz
in 2004.
Bringing a fresh twist to the online
social scene, Zaadz offers its members
a targeted experience that promotes
a common purpose. More than just
a way to connect, Zaadz advocates
enlightenment and empowerment,
encouraging its members, known
as Zaadzsters, to unite in Zaadz’s
mission to change the world. While
Johnson is best known for creating Zaadz (he often describes it as
“MySpace for people who want to
change the world”), his accomplishments do not start – or end – there.
He is, according to his own description, a “philosopher and professional student of life,” accomplished
in business endeavors and continually striving to make his world, and
yours, a better place.
After earning UCLA degrees in
psychology and business, Johnson
honed his entrepreneurial skills
with the development and success of his first venture, Eteamz, a
company dedicated to providing a
platform for sports teams looking
to design and maintain their own
websites. In 2000, once Eteamz was
well on its way (it now serves more
than 3 million teams worldwide),
he sold the company and spent
the next few years delving into the
world of philosophy.
By 2004, aiming to, as he put it,
“integrate my philosophical and
entrepreneurial selves” into his next
successful venture, he had dreamed
up the idea of a profitable social
networking site to “connect, inspire
and empower people committed
to transforming their lives and our
planet.” With this, Zaadz was born.
Based in woodsy Topanga, Zaadz
gets its name from zaad, the Dutch
word for seed. Like the potential found within a seed, Johnson
believes in “the amazing potential
within each of us,” and hopes that
Zaadz will empower members to
find fulfillment.
To that end, Zaadz centers on
the idea of “conscious capitalism,”
something Johnson described as
“putting more than the bottom line
up front.” It’s an idea that inspires
people to find out what they are
here to do, what their greatest
strengths are, where their passions
lie, and to use this knowledge to
provide a service to the world and
get paid for it. As Johnson said,
“As spiritual individuals, we have
a moral obligation to figure out
how to get paid to give our greatest strengths in the greatest service
to the world.”
Zaadz encourages all its members to fulfill their potential. One
look at Zaadz.com shows that: It’s
a community of members inspiring
one another, discussing thoughtprovoking questions and working
to support and better each other.
One way in which Zaadz promotes “conscious capitalism” is with
the ads on its site. Instead of regular Google Ads, Zaadz only accepts
ads from companies which share its
same ideals, thus not only promoting Zaadz’s purpose and providing
members with companies targeted
to their likes, but earning money
without allowing advertising in
something they don’t believe in. A
way to turn a profit, promote your
ideas and encourage happiness in
those around you? He was onto
something.
By last March, Zaadz had taken
off and grown exponentially –
the number of Zaadsters had just
exceeded 50,000 and the company
began to receive more attention
and funding. John Mackey, the CEO
of Whole Foods, and a believer in
conscious capitalism, was impressed
by Zaadz’s mission, and made a personal investment in the company.
This garnered publicity, which continued to drive growth.
In summer, Johnson decided it
was time to return to his study
of philosophy and proceed to his
next venture. He sold Zaadz to
Gaiam, a lifestyle company sharing many of Zaadz’s ideals, and
a perfect home for its continued
growth. Today, that growth continues, with the number of Zaadsters now topping 125,000.
Johnson still stays extremely active
in the Zaadz community, interacting with members and updating his
blog with new thoughts, ideas and
plans. His current venture began
in November with the relaunch of
his website ThinkArete.com, which
derives its name from the word
areté, one of the highest ideals in
ancient Greek culture – it refers to
the process of striving to reach your
highest potential, something he’d
previously incorporated as part of
Zaadz’s mission.
This time, his goal is to use
ThinkArete as a forum in which philosophers’ universal truths are simplified and discussed, making them
accessible to all interested – and, as
he said, “to help us define our own
philosophy that works for our 21stcentury lives.”
With Zaadz and ThinkArete,
Johnson has worked to make
the world a better place, and has
encouraged others to join in. What
is so intriguing about him is not
only his success, but also his devotion to helping those around him
find what he has: success doing
what he loves.
Recently engaged, Johnson will
be traveling with his new fiancée
throughout Southeast Asia for the
next few months, continuing to
post on Zaadz and update ThinkArete. No doubt when he returns,
he’ll be up to something great, with
more wisdom to share with all. u
For more about Brian Johnson, Zaadz
and ThinkArete, visit www.zaadz.
com and www.thinkarete.com.
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march / april 2008 I VALLEYLIFE 19
valleylife
food
By Vivien Cunha
Spring has sprung, and so
have all the vibrant, edible
plants that inspire this hot
chef to get cooking.
T
he arrival of spring is
always a pleasure in
Southern California,
where we are fortunate to have access
to such wonderful
produce.
Spring is a time of renewal and
rebirth, which makes me look forward to enjoying the season’s abundant yield. I get excited to see my
chives coming out of the ground and
I relish shopping at farmer’s markets
for asparagus, artichokes, blood
oranges, peaches and plums.
Eating light becomes easier as
the weather turns warmer and people get happier and more inspired
to take on projects like clearing the
garage or reorganizing the kitchen.
So why not overhaul our dietary
20
routine too and rejuvenate our
bodies by eating lots of fruits and
vegetables?
Whether I’m cooking for a client
or teaching my classes at Chefmakers (a culinary school in Pacific Palisades and Manhattan Beach), I have
two cardinal rules that are especially
enforceable in spring: First, always
use seasonal produce, and second,
find the freshest ingredients available. Often, I will create a whole
menu based on a single trip to the
farmer’s market.
Garlic and onions are the stars of
the season (they’re harvested in early
April) and few springtime recipes can
survive without them – they add the
zest, the “it” factor, to culinary creations. Try grilling whole onions,
then cutting them in half and brush-
ing them with olive oil. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper and you’ve got a fantastic side dish.
Other springtime ideas include
roasting garlic cloves by first coating them with a bit of olive oil and
salt and pepper, then covering them
in foil and putting them on the grill;
they get soft, sweet and delicious,
and you can substitute them for butter as a spread on a hearty slice of
toasted bread.
Perhaps my favorite spring vegetable is asparagus, which I use in soups
or grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cucumbers are also wonderful;
I use them in gazpacho, tabouli or
tzatziki (recipes for these are easily
Googleable).
I also anticipate the harvest of
blood oranges. Though you can find
them all year long, they’re sweetest now. In general, spring fruits –
including peaches, cantaloupes and
plums – are great additions to savory
salads, adding color and texture
whether you choose to throw them
in raw or grilled.
Pies and tarts make for lovely
springtime desserts, since they incorporate spring’s sweet and delicious
fruits and don’t need too much sugar.
To make one of my favorite treats,
just cut a variety of spring fruits
(think apricots, cherries, peaches,
plums and cantaloupes), mix with a
bit of brown sugar and pour in a couple shots of fruit liqueur such as Cointreau or Chambord. Top with vanilla
ice cream and fresh mint ganache
and, voilà, you have a perfect ending
for a divine spring meal.
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Bring Music
Into Your Life
Vivien Cunha was born
in Brazil and has been cooking
since she was a child. Before
she became an L.A.-based professional chef (with a degree
from Westlake Culinary Institute), she was an international fashion model. Traveling worldwide influenced
her cooking style, which she
calls “ethnic with a Brazilian twist.” Last year, she was
a finalist on The Next Food
Network Star, a cooking reality
show. She is currently writing
her first cookbook. For Vivien’s
weekly recipe, go to
www.viviencunha.com.
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21
food
valleylife
Recipes
Vivien’s Spring Salad with Blood
Oranges and Sesame Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium red onion (marinated,
if desired)
2 pounds chicken breast
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon whole peppercorn
¼ cup grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bunch asparagus
4 blood oranges
6 tablespoons slivered almonds, plus 3
additional tablespoons to decorate
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 head iceberg lettuce
¼ cup thinly sliced chives, plus 3
additional tablespoons to decorate
¼ cup rice vinegar
Peel and cut the red onion in half. Cut one
half into large slices, putting the other
aside. Remove fat from the chicken breast
and place in a large sauté pan. Add 3
inches of water, red onion, garlic, salt and
peppercorn and bring to a boil. Let simmer 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until
cooked, then remove chicken from pan
and let it cool. Once cooled, shred the
chicken into pieces. Thinly slice the other
onion half and mix it with the grapeseed
oil, maple syrup, sesame oil and soy
Place the cream and mint leaves in a
small saucepan and bring to a boil, then
simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat,
remove mint leaves and add the chocolate. Mix with a whisk until completely
22
What’s fresh on bookshelves this spring? Take
your pick from these, the cream of the crop.
Pierre Gagnaire: Reinventing French
Cusine (Stewart, Tabori, & Chang; $60) is
the legendary chef’s story of his 40-year journey to culinary stardom. It includes 40 of his
greatest recipes, each one accompanied by
stunning photography.
sauce. Boil a pot of water. Cut 3 inches off
the bottoms of the asparagus. Fill a bowl
with ice water. Place the asparagus in the
boiling water for 30 seconds, then strain
and place them in the bowl with the ice
water (this process is called blanching
and allows the asparagus to stay crunchy).
When the asparagus are cooled, strain the
water and cut each stalk into 3 pieces.
Peel the blood oranges and cut them into
slices without the pulp. Then heat a sauté
pan and place the almonds in it. Roast the
almonds for 3 minutes (to release the
oils), then roast the sesame seeds for 1
minute. Combine all prepared ingredients,
including chicken, oranges, asparagus,
chives, almonds and rice vinegar. With
care, remove the leaves from the iceberg
lettuce. Serve the mixed ingredients in
lettuce cups. Decorate with chives and
toasted almonds.
Serves 4.
Vivien’s Spring Fruit Dream with
Vanilla Ice Cream and Mint Ganache
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
¾ cup bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
2 blood oranges
4 apricots
3 plums
2 peaches
1 cup cherries
1 cup cantaloupe (diagonally sliced)
2 tablespoons Chambord (raspberry
liqueur)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Spring’s Best Cookbooks
Morimoto: The New
Art of Japanese
Cooking (DK Publishing; $40) is the first cookbook from Masaharu Morimoto, the star of Food Network’s Iron
Chef. His 125 modern Japanese recipes include
sushi, soups, noodles, tofu and sauces. The
book’s design and photography are as delicious
as its culinary concoctions.
Ruth Haag’s four-volume Useable Cookbook
Series (Haag Press; $22 each) is designed to help
non-cooking family members become culinary
people. The books provide easy-to-understand
recipes and helpful definitions of cooking terms.
Suvir Saran’s American Masala: 125 New
Classics from My Home Kitchen (Clarkson
Potter; $35) defies convention. Whether you
want to label its genre American-inspired Indian
food or Indian-inspired American food, you’ll have to call it delectable
after trying any of the inspired recipes from the chef and co-owner of
New York’s Dévi restaurant. Sixty color photos enliven the already
vibrant content.
The Best of the Best from California Cookbook
(Quail Ridge Press; $17) is a collection of winning recipes from the golden state. This 382-page compendium lists the 500 top recipes from 122 of California’s
best-loved cookbooks.
blended, then set aside. Peel oranges
and cut into quarters. Cut all fruits into
bite-sized slices, leaving the skin. Mix
the Chambord with the brown sugar until
the sugar is dissolved. Add this mixture
to the fruit and toss well. Serve in martini
glasses with a scoop of vanilla ice cream,
chocolate ganache and a mint leaf.
Serves 4. Can be refrigerated up to 3
hours before serving.
The Taste of Home Baking Book (Taste of Home
Books; $30) brings together recipes from all
over America. Home cooks who submitted
their yummy secrets to Taste of Home magazine provided the content for this inviting
book, which includes more than 725 recipes
and nearly 700 color photos.
—Avital Binshtock
valleylife
relationships
FIVE
Signs
that it’s Time
to Forgive
and Move On
By Dr. Matthew B. James
S
pring is the time for renewal and rebirth
– and that includes dropping baggage and moving forward in
relationships. Unfortunately for some, the season may feel
unfulfilling because there’s a need for ironing out issues with
certain people.
I know for me, being around loved ones can bring joy as well as recognition that some things need to be made right, especially within myself.
In huna, the ancient Hawaiian science of consciousness and energy healing, the concept of making things right is called pono. Though that word
that doesn’t have a direct English translation, the closest we can get is
“right.” But not as in, “You are right and I am wrong.” Rather, it’s that sense
that everything feels right – that our relationship with a person or situation
is so peaceful that nothing needs to be said.
While many signs exist to tell you when, or whether, you need to become
pono with someone, there are five main things to look for:
1
Specific negative feelings. If negative emotions arise
when you think of a person or while being around someone, this
is a sign that there is a need for reconciliation. These negative
emotions may include anger, sadness, fear, hurt or guilt.
Lack of balance. Another sign that it’s time to forgive is
the sense of being out of balance, as when you always seem to say
the wrong thing or act out of character with a particular person.
For example, you might find yourself picking a political fight with an uncle
or getting tongue-tied or defensive around a sister-in-law. This happens
when unrecognized negative emotions are first released; before you experience and identify them fully, you may feel yourself to be somehow off.
2
3
The need for closure. This happens when an event or
4
A feeling that you want to say something but
can’t. You hesitate to tell your significant other what you’d
interaction with someone feels unfinished. You might feel as if
you’ve been misunderstood – or that you need to understand the
other’s position.
really like, or you don’t correct your mother when she feeds your
kids too many sweets. Typically, this hesitation comes from fear – fear that
you’ll hurt the other person, that they’ll think less of you or that you’ll
damage the relationship. But shutting down is just another sign that some
aspect of your relationship needs to be healed. Often, clearing the air and
saying what you are holding back can be a refreshing release. But it is especially effective if you engage in dialogue that is calm, directed and open.
Thoughts of getting even. Most of us understand that
revenge, as delicious as it may feel, is not the answer. But wanting it is a sign of the need to forgive the other and maybe yourself as well.
5
The Hawaiians knew that holding onto negativity causes harm to the one
who won’t forgive. My grandfather used to say, “When you point a finger at someone to blame them, there are always three fingers pointing
back at you.” In other words, you may have more to do with the problem than you realize.
One truth I learned from huna is that there is only one person that you
hurt by holding onto feelings of not wanting to forgive – and that is you.
So know the signs, and give yourself the gift of forgiving and reconciliation
this spring. u
Dr. Matthew B. James is president of Honolulu’s American Pacific University
and the Empowerment Partnership. He is dedicated to creating personal
transformation by teaching huna, the ancient Hawaiian science of consciousness and energy healing. Learn more at www.huna.com.
23
valleylife
people
Hudson’s
Upward Flow
From a childhood of poverty to a successful acting career and a
home in Hidden Hills, the eminently likeable Ernie Hudson has
seen life’s full spectrum. But he never forgets where he came from.
I
By Jane Louise Boursaw
n many ways, Ernie Hudson’s
childhood reads like a Hollywood script. His mother died
of tuberculosis when he was
three months old and he
never knew his father. His
grandmother raised him in
Benton Harbor, Michigan,
struggling to support the family on
what little income welfare provided. The only difference between Hudson’s life and a Hollywood script? He
refuses to play the victim. He’s upbeat
and down-to-earth, and credits that
attitude to his upbringing.
“My grandmother was very involved in the church, but I always saw
her as more spiritual than religious,”
he said. “She believed that you don’t
need anyone to make you whole. You
don’t need anyone to complete you.
You already are complete.”
He recalls one time when they ran
out of money and went without food
for four days. “We had some Lipton tea and some crackers from the
kitchen at the church. She felt really
bad about it, but I kept saying, ‘No,
Mama, I’m fine. I’m really fine.’ I was
reassuring her that we were going to
be OK. Then we settled in and a sort
of peace came over us.”
And they were fine. Hudson says
he learned a lot about himself during
that time and regards it as a blessing
rather than a hardship. “She always
said that the circumstances are not
who you are. Circumstances will come
and go, but you are constant, and
that’s what you have to hold onto.”
He’s come a long way since those
days, with a list of acting credits that
extends back through the ‘70s; it
includes Ghostbusters, St. Elsewhere,
Desperate Housewives, Oz, Las Vegas
24
and at least 100 other TV shows. Next
up: The Man in the Silo, Lonely Street,
Balancing the Books, and Dragonball.
He’s also ventured into webisodes,
playing Justine Bateman’s boyfriend
in a John August project.
But he’s never forgotten his humble beginnings and makes sure to
donate his time, energy and name to
such causes as the Salvation Army and
the Union Rescue Mission. He’s quick
to point out that there are many ways
to be charitable.
“A lot of people will look at a problem and say, ‘You know, somebody
ought to do something.’ But people
are doing something and even if you
can’t be hands-on, you can certainly
make a contribution and show your
support any way you can.”
A project close to his heart is the
Hidden Hills Community Theater.
“We built a new community center
about five years ago, and built this
great theater where the kids do a lot
of shows.”
And sometimes the adults, too.
ray [his co-star in Ghostbusters], and
I do think of him as a friend, but he’s
never been to my house.”
Hudson and his wife, Linda, have
lived in Hidden Hills for about 13
years, and he loves that they have
access to a little bit of everything.
“You’ve got the mountains, but
you’ve also got the ocean and coast
right over the hills. And where we
live, I think the minimum is an acre
of land, so you have some distance
between you and the next guy.”
As for favorite haunts, Hudson
loves Mickey’s, the AMF Woodlake
Lanes bowling alley, and Coco’s,
where he enjoys getting together
with friends. But mainly, he just likes
coming home. “I travel a lot, so for
me, it’s just great to be home.”
And he’s happy with his life. Not
only that, he feels blessed to be
doing what he loves. “I’m an actor
and I love working, so I kind of take
what’s there. I know that sounds a
little off, but every time I start trying
to control it… you know, play the
He recalls one time when they ran out of money
and went without food for four days.
Hudson recently flew home from
an acting job in Mexico to honor
his commitment to host a Valentine’s Day charity event and sing
“Greased Lightning.”
“When I talk to kids in school,
I always say the only real love I’ve
found in entertainment is in the theater. By the time you rehearse a play
and live with it and do eight shows
a week, you really connect on a personal level. In movies, you come in,
meet the actors, do your scenes and
then you never see them again. People will say, ‘Oh, you know Bill Mur-
game, change my look, cut my hair,
buy a new wardrobe because that’s
what they’re wearing, it never works
out.” In Hudson’s world, it’s all about
making choices and staying true to
yourself. “I’ve turned down a few
things that have turned out to be
pretty big for someone else. At the
end of the day, I’m glad it worked
for them, but it wouldn’t have been
right for me.” u
Jane Louise Boursaw is an entertainment writer specializing in celebrities,
film and television. For more from her,
go to www.reellifewithjane.com.
I’ve turned
down a few things
that have turned out
to be pretty big for
someone else.
25
valleylife
people
MusicMan
by Tracy Lorenz
I
f you know Sacha Sacket, you’re either
a fan of the type of music about which
you can one day brag, “I listened to him
before he got huge,” or you went to
Calabasas High School in the late ‘90s.
Sacket, 29, has certainly changed from
his days as a theater kid at CHS. The
Iranian-born singer-songwriter, a self-trained
classical pianist, then saw himself as an outcast on the fringes of the privileged cool kids,
who happened to include future members of
Linkin Park, Hoobastank – and Incubus.
Today, he’s a popular indie artist with a
large, loyal following of fans who eagerly
awaited his third album, Lovers & Leaders
(Golden Sphinx Records), which is packed with
passionate lyrics and compelling melodies
that combine desire, solace and triumph.
During his interview with ValleyLife, Sacket
recalled high school, discussed
what inspires him (Steinbeck
always gets us too, Sacha) and
pondered his bright future.
valleylife
people
ValleyLife: What was your experience growing up in Calabasas?
Sacha Sacket: Well, I guess you could
say I didn’t have the traditional Calabasas experience. My dad is from
Iran and my mom is from England,
so I didn’t really have the cultural
knowledge that the other kids did. I
was sort of an outcast and the piano
was the one place I could go to really
express myself. In ways though,
I know I wouldn’t be an artist if I
hadn’t had that outlet. I wouldn’t
have been who I am today.
VL: How did you get started as a
musician?
SS: I started playing piano at about
age 5, but after a few years I stopped
playing, like most kids do. My mother
played around the house though,
and since I knew how to read music, I
eventually started teaching myself. It
was all trial and error; I didn’t really
go by the rules and just played what
I thought sounded good. So that’s
how I started with piano. I started
singing during musicals I did in high
school. During college [USC for film],
I decided that maybe music really
was my thing.
VL: How would you characterize
your music?
SS: In the genre it’s rock, but I would
say it’s probably best defined as
adult contemporary, or singer-songwriter with its own flair. In combination with the vocals, piano is really
central.
VL: You have all female bandmates.
How did you meet them?
SS: All randomly – I cast a net all over
L.A. and just auditioned a lot of people. I wanted three girls with a male
singer because I had never seen that
before and I thought that would be
powerful. It came down to these girls
being really strong musicians.
VL: You said you got your start singing in high school musicals. Is there
anyone at Calabasas High who influenced your career path?
SS: Mr. Gilchrist, my theater teacher,
was a real inspiration. He was all
about being a creative and there
was really little criticism. I think
that’s important because there was
no judgment. I feel he was aware of
the safe haven he created, and it was
a space to foster creativity. He was
very patient, and I had never had
that before.
28
VL: You also went to high school
with artists who are now in very
popular bands, such as Brandon
Boyd, the lead singer of Incubus.
You wrote a song named after him;
why did you write it?
SS: It was a hard song to write and a
harder song to title. It was originally
called “Brandon.” And then I decided
to include the last name, which was
a powerful choice. I didn’t know
him that well and knew his younger
brother better. The song isn’t about
dissing Brandon Boyd, but it’s about
the person that nobody could be in
high school, the untouchable popular kid. At the time, he was a golden
god and more popular than you
could imagine. The song is really
about no one getting out of high
school alive and that experience. The
goal of writing the song was about
the animalistic nature of survival of
the fittest. I felt that name kind of
haunted that high school. I didn’t
want to get too many people angry,
but I was trying to be true and honest to my own point of view.
VL: Do you worry what Brandon will
think when he hears it?
SS: I don’t really worry, even though
it’s been a controversial song. I’ve
gotten quite a bit of response. This
is from my perspective and I felt like
we were polar opposites. I think it’s
really about being truthful to the
way I felt.
VL: What inspires you to write
music?
SS: Books are what get me going
for whatever reason. When I read
a compelling book, I want to write
music. For this album [Lovers and
Losers], John Steinbeck’s East of
Eden was that book. Books mirror
so much of my life and really get me
thinking. As for other bands, Radiohead is for sure an inspiration. Also
Tori Amos, Bjork and Beck. All are
really great artists.
VL: So does reading a book spur you
to write a specific song? What is the
songwriting process like?
SS: Well, I almost always am started
on melody, and sometimes lyrics
force me to write a song, though
that’s very rare. I take some time
just to write songs, as many as I can.
99% of them are not worth it but
then you get that one song that’s
the gem. It’s the process of just being
creative without being critical and
Books are
what get me
going for
whatever reason.
When I read a compelling book, I want to
write music. For this
album, John Steinbeck’s East
of Eden was
that book.
then being able to go back and be
critical. Criticism can be limiting in
the beginning, so it’s important just
to be creative first.
VL: Do you dabble in other genres
of art?
SS: Actually, I just starred in an independent horror film called November Sun. It was a great experience. I
definitely love acting and film and I
look at that as being on my horizon.
VL: The music business has been in
a turmoil of sorts. Is there anything
about the industry that you wish
you could change?
SS: Everyone is jumping ship right
now because you’re in this machine
and everyone is looking for how to
make the most money. It’s really the
time to be independent. I think the
next five years will be interesting and
cutting-edge.
VL: Do you have an opinion about
downloading and online music?
SS: I think downloading is great!
I’m kind of bored with the CD format and there are a million things
you can think of to do. It’s time to
move on from CDs and paper inserts,
and there’s much more that can be
done to get people to buy music and
understand an artist better. The people that are fans and are interested
in what I do will still follow.
VL: What are your plans for the near
future?
SS: The album is out and we’re going
to be touring and active through L.A.
and the West Coast, just getting it
out there. It’s an exciting time. u
To find out more about Sacha Sacket
and listen to or buy his music, go to
www.sachasacket.com.
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29
valleylife
people
A Starlet
is Rising
by MONA LORING
This homegrown beauty charts her steady ascent.
Hayley Marie Norman has spent much of her life in the spot-
light. At 23, she’s beautiful, intelligent and skilled at her chosen craft – entertainment. Born and
raised in Thousand Oaks, she grew up in a world that emphasizes the ethics of honesty and
determination. And those values have paid off: She’s gaining valuable recognition in an industry
in which it’s notoriously difficult to get noticed.
From a young age, Norman knew she wanted to work in Hollywood, so much so that she never
considered a backup plan. She started by modeling, then moved toward acting. At 7, she joined
the Screen Actors Guild, landing commercial after commercial and becoming one of the most recognizable faces in Mattel’s Barbie campaigns.
More recently, she’s been on shows like The Young and the Restless, Shark and Sons & Daughters.
But the project that paved her path to becoming a household name was Deal or No Deal; Norman
became, per audience feedback, one of the show’s most recognizable and beloved ladies.
Since she was cast on DOND, her career has lit up even brighter. This summer, she’ll be seen,
alongside Will Smith and Charlize Theron, in a film called Hancock. Later this year, she’ll star in
another one called Fired Up. For an upcoming horror film called Trailer Park of Terror, based on the popular Imperium Comics
series, she endured some scary nights. Norman plays Amber, a queen-bee type who’s quick to
establish her territory.
ValleyLife asked Hayley Marie Norman about her Valley beginnings and her recent projects.
30
VL: Do you still visit the Valley?
HMN: I always come up to the Valley. Growing up
there and having family there, I know I definitely
will always have my Valley roots.
VL: Where do you like to go when you visit?
HMN: My mom’s house! I also love eating at the
Melting Pot and at Suki 7 in Westlake Village.
VL: And what do you like least about the Valley?
HMN: Just the fact that it’s so far from where I
need to be to work.
VL: What fits you best? City life or Valley life?
HMN: That’s a tough question because there are
really two sides to me. I am really down to earth
so I love the Valley, how relaxing it is. But I’m also
in love with the fast-paced entertainment industry so I need to be in the city to get my fix.
VL: How was it to be in Trailer Park of Terror?
HMN: I have to say that as fun as this film was to
shoot, it was equally as freaky sometimes. The
nights were cold and creepy and some of my
screams were actually real.
VL: Tell us about your new movie, Fired Up.
HMN: I can’t say much yet since it’s all just beginning, but I’m really excited. I’m one of the leads
and it’s from the producers of one of my favorite
movies, Across the Universe. It’s a really smart,
really funny movie with a great cast and I’m
blessed to be a part of it. u
31
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32
(continued from page 13)
in the bank or otherwise coming in,
such as by virtue of an understanding spouse.” Properly planning your
budget, she said, and knowing what
you can and can’t afford, will let you
concentrate on growing your business without constantly worrying
about how to pay the bills.
Once you have a plan and have
decided how you’ll support yourself while beginning your venture,
you’ll need to decide where to be
based. Location is an important
consideration if you are opening a
storefront and looking to attract
business, or if you’re offering a service that depends on your potential
clients’ demographic. Location also
matters for issues such as regulations and tax structures.
According to a Muholland Institute report entitled Prosperity
Tomorrow: San Fernando Valley,
our region offers much to new businesses but also has a few downsides
to consider. “The primary strengths
of the Valley economy lie with its
people,” it said, pointing out this
region’s large, diverse population
and many middle-income families
with children. However, it goes on
to report that some local business
own ers believe that over-regulation
and an anti-business legal environment hampers Valley entrepreneurs.
Overall, though, the institute concludes that the Valley is “very much
a region of opportunity.”
After settling on your location,
you’ll need to nail down the proper
permits and licenses. The state government developed a website called
CalGold, www.calgold.ca.gov to
help new businesses find the necessary information and links. This is
also a good time to consult a lawyer
and an accountant who can secure
needed permits, set up a tax ID and
help you decide whether you want
your business to be a sole proprietorship or a corporation. While a sole
proprietorship is the least expensive
way to begin a business, you’ll be
held personally liable for debts your
business may incur. Incorporating
is more expensive, but you greatly
reduce your liability. Each business
type has different tax regulations
that you’ll need to follow.
Once your business structure is
set up, you’ll need to flesh out your
company and really begin. Launching a website is an important step
at this point so that clients can easily
find you and pass your information
onto others; hire a web designer to
help get it up and running.
This may also be a good time,
depending on your resources, to hire
employees to complete those tasks
that you don’t love doing. Jensen
recalls that when getting her skincare
line going, doing sales was always
difficult for her. Hiring others to do it
freed her to concentrate on running
other aspects of the business.
It’s also important to start focusing on advertising, as well as
building your reputation via word
of mouth. Jill
Brook, founder
of La Cañadabased Diet for
Health, insists that nothing is as
important as giving the first few
clients “an experience so good
that they’ll rave to their friends
about it.” And if potential clients
recognize your logo from seeing it
elsewhere, they’re more likely to
trust your services once they come
to you.
Great customer service and
choosing good advertising venues
may be the best way to get positive
publicity, but building your reputation doesn’t stop there. As Klein
said, “If you treat your employees
fairly, they’ll be your best asset”
and the face of your company.
Ensuring that you have employees
you can count on will give you the
peace of mind of knowing that
your reputation will be upheld by
those around you.
Once your business is up and
running, you’re on your way. But
to continue growth, Beam recommends “reinvesting all profits in
growing the business.” This will
allow you to expand, which in turn,
should bring in larger profits.
Whatever you do, understand
that fear and nervousness are part
of the game. Be patient. Things
will take time. Your business will
grow, but success doesn’t happen
overnight. Jensen’s best advice?
“Not to give up. When you are
overwhelmed and feel like you’re
doing 5 million things at once, just
take a deep breath and focus on
one thing at a time.” u
valleylife
community
Reaching Across the
Divide
We have the great fortune of living in one of the most
ethnically diverse places on Earth; L.A.’s San Fernando Valley is a veritable melting pot of nearly all the
world’s cultures and faiths. And while this is indeed a
blessing, it also means that local religious leaders must
keep a vigilant watch to ensure that interfaith relations
don’t dissolve into misunderstanding – or hate. So
what are local clergy doing to keep the peace? Read on.
By Kevin Collier
Rabbi Mark Diamond has an unusual
summer vacation planned.
“We’re taking 26 Christian, Jewish
and Muslim leaders, many from the
San Fernando Valley, to the Vatican
and Israel. We’re planning to visit
Ramallah, Palestine, as well.” said
Diamond, who left his position as
the rabbi of Oakland’s Temple Beth
Abraham to become the executive
vice president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California. “And,” he
added casually, “We have a scheduled audience with the pope.”
Diamond is no
stranger to Catholics.
Two years ago, Diamond took a group
from the Jewish Federation of Greater
L.A., along with Catholics from the local archdiocese, to
Louisiana to help Hurricane Katrina
victims. “We met up with 41 members of the African-American Episcopal church there, and that was a
very positive experience,” he said.
“We prayed together. We learned
together.” And in five days, they
rebuilt six roofs.
He also stood alongside Catholics
in 2003 when arsonists set fire to
many houses of worship in the Valley, including Valley Beth Shalom,
the Baha’i Faith Community Center
and the First Presbyterian Church
of Encino. “We had a very moving
multi-faith worship service at an
Encino cathedral [St. Cyril’s Catholic Church].”
“When I was growing up, interfaith work was ‘in,’” Diamond said.
“Then we saw Jews, Christians and
Muslims not taking it as seriously;
it fell into some period of malaise.
Then it picked up again after 9/11.”
“I don’t think we always dig deep
enough in our inter-religious work,”
he continued. “We come together
well in happy times and in times of
crises. What we don’t do as well with
is maintaining those day-to-day relations. And that’s so critical.”
Richard Mouw, president of the
Fuller Theological Seminary, an evangelical Christian institution, agreed:
“Post-9/11, the public’s level of interest in Islam peaked. People were trying to understand what this religion is, why some
of its members were attacking us.”
— Murtaza Sanwari, vice president of the Muslim American Society’s San Fernando
Valley branch
“At Fuller, we’ve been looking, especially after 9/11, at local communities
where there’s often tension between
Christians and Muslims. There were
areas where Muslim kids might get
beat up on the way home from
school. We asked ourselves, ‘How
can Christians and Muslims work
together to reduce these kinds of
tensions?’”
Six months after the attacks,
Mouw hosted some 15 Muslim leaders from about as many countries for
a weeklong dialogue about the role
of religion in public life. That started
a series of additional public dialogues sponsored by Fuller, the sort
which seems to be every religious
leader’s preferred method by which
to improve interfaith relations.
“Evangelicalism has often been
seen as a barrier to dialogue,” Mouw
said. “People think that we just try
to convert people. We’ve often told
people what to believe before asking them what they believe. But a
very important part of relating to
people from other religions is understanding them correctly and trying
to work together to do some good
things in the world, though in none
of that do we compromise our evangelical convictions.”
Murtaza Sanwari, vice president
of the Muslim American Society’s
San Fernando Valley branch, has also
strived to represent his faith with
public discourse.
“I think post-9/11, the public’s
level of interest in Islam peaked,” he
said. “People were trying to understand what this religion is, why some
of its members were attacking us.
Meanwhile, Muslims were recognizing that there needs to be significant
education and open dialogue so that
people know who Muslims are. The
goal of the Muslim American Society is to bridge that gap, especially
after the media showed 1% of our
religion incorrectly characterizing all
of Islam.”
The Muslim American Society
(MAS) focuses on making young
Muslims visible in the community in
a positive way. In conjunction with
the San Fernando Valley Youth Interfaith Council, high school and college
students who are members of MAS
meet with similarly aged people of
all faiths to discuss beliefs and build
relationships.
Muslims have an annual holiday,
Eid al-Adha, to celebrate the pilgrim-
“A very
important part
of relating to
people from
other religions
is understanding them
correctly and trying to work
together to do some good
things in the world.”
— Richard Mouw, president of the
Fuller Theological Seminary
age to Mecca. “As part of that holiday, we have a cow or goat or sheep
slaughtered,” Sanwari said. “Usually
people send money overseas to have
that done in Muslim countries.”
MAS, on the other hand, keeps
it local by partnering with the L.A.
office of Islamic Relief USA, an organization that provides humanitarian
aid for a variety of causes. “They’re
in touch with various food banks in
the San Fernando Valley,” Sanwari
said, and MAS worked with them
to donate 1,500 pounds of meat to
local shelters. Young Muslims, also
San Fernando Valley residents, were
responsible for serving the food after
it was prepared.
“That’s progress,” Sanwari said.
“But there’s still work to be done,
in my opinion. Not that it’s stalled or
anything. It just takes effort.”
Rabbi Diamond echoed that sentiment: “We live in an extraordinarily
rich and diverse community. I’m in
my fifties now, and from what I’ve
seen – though there’s a lot of work
to be done – I think that by and
large, we make things work.” u
Looking to get involved with
local organizations that do
interfaith work? Here’s where to
find them online:
San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council:
www.vic-la.org
Jewish Federation of Greater L.A.:
www.jewishla.org
Fuller Theological Seminary:
www.fuller.edu
Muslim American Society (MAS):
www.masnet.org
Islamic Relief USA:
www.irw.org
33
valleylife
community
The Battle with One’s Own Cells
Local health workers
have been hard at
work caring for – and
trying to cure – people
with the debilitating
illness known as
sickle cell disease.
tant that patients be
monitored for these
long-term
complications, as they can
lead to early death.
The median survival
age is 42 for men and
48 for women.
The Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of
California (www.scdby kelly bonannoness
fc.org) is a nonprofit
educational and social
ost of us don’t think
agency that helps pamuch about our
tients through transired blood cells. We
tions such as pediatric
Atreyu Stuart,
expect that they are
to adult care and superborn with sickle
busy doing their job
vised to independent
cell anemia, is
carrying oxygen to our tissues. But
living. Peter Grams,
living proof that
for individuals affected with sickle
the foundation’s case
Children Hospital manager, said that becell disease, it’s a different story. They
Los Angeles is
know that at any given moment they
cause screening newmaking a world of born for sickle cell discould find themselves in the middle
difference.
of a pain crisis or worse.
ease is now the norm
More than 72,000 Americans have
in most states, there
sickle cell disease, a genetic disorder hemoglobin, the protein that carhave been fewer infant deaths. that predominantly affects those of ries oxygen inside the red blood
The foundation’s Baby Steps proAfrican descent; one in 400 African- cells. It makes the cells rigid and
gram educates parents and helps
Americans have it. Hispanics are the sickle-shaped so that they don’t pass
them understand what’s needed
second most affected group. through blood vessels easily. This
for their child’s care. “What some of
Eric and Kimberly Stuart’s 6-year- blocks normal blood flow, causing
these children go through is heartold son, Atreyu, was diagnosed with severe pain and damage to organs
breaking,” Grams said. “One of our
sickle cell disease at birth. “We were and tissues.
clients had twin girls, both born with
in a bad place when we first found
The Children’s Hospital of Los
sickle cell. One died seven years ago
out,” Eric said. When Atreyu was Angeles (CHLA) has one of Southand the other died two weeks ago at
about a year and half, he came down ern California’s most comprehenage 14. Those of us who have healthy
with pneumonia and acute chest sive sickle cell disease programs.
children are truly blessed.”
syndrome. “I’m sure you can imagine They serve about 400 kids who
The need for blood transfusions
how seeing your child like that is so have the illness. Said Deborah Haris high among sickle cell patients, so
difficult. He’s laying there in the hos- ris, a nurse practitioner for the proCHLA constantly seeks blood donapital and there is nothing I can do for gram, “It affects all aspects of the
tions. Harris said, “It’s a big area we
him,” Eric remembered.
patient’s life, medically and psyare working on. Persons of the same
Atreyu required an exchange chosocially, so it’s nice to have supethnicity are usually a better match.
transfusion, which is an entire-body port for families coping.”
We especially need more black and
blood exchange. Essentially, mediThose suffering from sickle cell
Hispanic people to donate.” Grams
cal professionals removed all of his disease also battle a variety of
brought up another point when he
blood and replaced it. “After the potential complications such as
said, “The sickle cell community is
exchange, he started feeling better pneumonia, stroke, chronic anemia,
very supportive of stem cell research
immediately,” Eric said.
major organ failure and acute chest
because it could potentially help
Sickle cell disease primarily affects syndrome. Harris says that it’s imporfind a cure.”
The only cure at this time is a
bone marrow transplant. Thomas D.
Coates, the head of CHLA’s Hematology Children’s Center for Cancer and
Blood Diseases, said, “Only 16% of
kids have a suitable donor. There is
a 5% mortality rate associated with
the procedure and there is only an
—Eric Stuart
80-85% success rate.”
Eric and Kimberly Stuart with their son, Atreyu, and daughter, Shiyanne.
He points says that the possibility of gene therapy is promising,
M
“Seeing your child like that is
so difficult. He’s laying there in
the hospital and there is nothing I can do for him.”
34
“Only 16% of kids
have a suitable [bone
marrow] donor. ”
—Thomas D. Coates,
head of CHLA’s Hematology Children’s
Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases
but adds that we may be at least
15 years away from that technology. Until there’s a cure that will
work for everyone, Coates believes,
the most important factor is making
sure patients attend to symptoms
and seek proper treatment. His goal
is to set up clinics with internists educated specifically to treat sickle cell
disease: “We need these organized
programs so we can provide expertise. There is no way to do this without funding.”
There are very few doctors that
specialize in treating sickle cell disease. The need to train doctors, nurses and social workers to properly care
for adults living with the affliction is
vital. Said Coates, “Most ER doctors
don’t have enough experience with
the disease and don’t understand
the nuances. There are people out
there with chronic pain and progressive dementia who are being treated by doctors who don’t know what
they are doing and think these patients are just seeking drugs.”
Indeed, drugs can significantly
help sickle cell patients. Atreyu has
had experienced positive results
with Hydroxyurea, a medication that
decreases the amount of painful episodes by half, lowers incidence of
acute chest syndrome and improves
mortality rates.
“He’s been in the hospital less
and less,” Eric, Atreyu’s father, said.
“There are people who have much
harder circumstances then we do
but, as good as it’s going, I’ve got to
tell you, every time I get a call from
my wife saying she thinks we have to
take him to the hospital, I’m on pins
and needles.” Fortunately, Atreyu’s
2-year-old sister, Shiyanne, did not
inherit the disease. u
If you would like to make a financial
contribution, or donate blood or time to
the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, go
to www.childrenshospitalla.org or call
(323) 660-2450.
Northridge to Host a
Healthy, Earthy Affair
This year, the Whole Children, Whole
Planet Expo moves to the Valley.
by Sepideh Saremi ness
F
or Kathy Arnos, the link
between health and environmental activism has
personal roots. “When my
daughter was born, she
was sick all the time,” Arnos said.
“Western medicine wasn’t helping
and I had to start exploring alternative methods for healing.”
Two decades later, Arnos is gearing up for the second Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo. Billed as
the “premier natural parenting and
family expo,” the event will happen
at Northridge’s Highland Hall Waldorf School on May 17 and 18, with
the goal of bringing information to
Kids get moving with music and simple
yoga poses.
families about how environmental
problems can impact health.
Arnos began working on the
concept four years ago, when she
attended a baby expo to promote
her second book about children’s
health and realized
what a dearth there
was of good information about the topic.
“I was shocked and
appalled by what was
being presented to
families,” Arnos said.
Kathy Arnos
“I realized our society
had become such a synthetic environment and someone really needed
to bring the natural and healthy concept back in to support building
healthier children.”
So instead of the baby formula
and diaper contests Arnos observed
at that event, WCWP attendees will
learn about companies and services
that provide solutions for healthful, sustainable living. Scheduled
activities for kids and adults include
yoga, theater and music performances, cooking demonstrations
and readings and talks by experts
and educators.
The first such expo, in 2006, drew
more than 7,000 people to the L.A.
Convention Center. In 2007, the
expo was canceled because Arnos
lost the venue. 2008’s event almost
didn’t come together either, as
Arnos couldn’t find a venue large
enough to house the more than
200 exhibitors.
“Setting the expo in the Valley just
worked,” she said. “I looked at every
other venue option from here to the
Fairplex. A lot of celebrities said, ‘Oh,
ValleyLife
you need to bring this to the Westside.’ But there wasn’t a place large
enough. Rather than scale it down,
I kept looking and then I gave up.
I was calling around to tell people
we’d lost the venue, and when I
called Highland Hall Waldorf School,
I jokingly said we couldn’t do it unless
they wanted to do it on their property. And they agreed.”
Locals are beyond excited that
the event is being held in the Valley.
“People are saying, ‘What a concept,
not having to go downtown,’” Arnos
said. “We’ve had enormous support from publications on the other
side of the hill, helping us to promote.” That support exists thanks to
Arnos’ extensive Rolodex of media
and entertainment contacts, which
helped her secure appearances by
celebrities such as Jamie Lee Curtis for the 2006 expo. Kim Basinger
and Amy Brenneman will attend this
year, as will Stephen Stills and Sandra
Tsing Loh. WCWP’s board isn’t short
on star power, either: Ed Begley, Jr.
is a member, and his environmentfriendly household cleaner, Begley’s
Best, will be featured at the event.
WCWP is also committed to pay-
Jamie Lee Curtis spends time with young fans.
ing it forward. All proceeds from raffles at the event will go to charities,
among them the Stephen Stills Children’s Music Project and the Love
Planet Foundation, which produces
media that educates about environmental issues.
Arnos, who hopes the expo will
become an annual event, said, “My
entire life has been pieces of the puzzle that have been brought together
in creating this expo.” u
For more information about the
Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo,
go to www.wcwpexpo.com.
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West Valley MAGAZINE
The Best Place To Be!
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35
YourHoroscope
Dear ValleyLife Readers,
A lovely spring to you all.
Wondering what’s coming over
these next two months? Well, in
March and April, the sun is in
Pisces (until March 20) and
Aries (until April 20).
Pisces, as the last zodiacal sign,
marks the end of winter, while
Aries kicks off the zodiac
calendar with the vernal
equinox. That’s why Pisces
always looks at what is passing
away in a person’s life, while
Aries focuses on what is
beginning.
This planetary ebb and flow
helps tune us to the rhythm of
life. So as winter ends and
spring begins, here’s what’s in
store for all 12 signs.
Celestially yours,
Constance Stellas
Constance Stellas has 20 years of
experience as an astrologer. She is
the author of four books, including
Advanced Astrology for Life:
Balance Your Life with Planetary
Power. and has been featured on
the Fox Business Network. Learn
more about her at
www.constancestellas.com, or
contact her directly at
[email protected].
36
PISCES (February 19-March 20)
Dreamy Pisces is moving out of the shadows and into the light
of day. For you, winter is time for hibernation, but as spring
comes around, you’ll feel energized and eager to receive cash
for your efforts. Finance and investments look good and you
have more tolerance for risk than usual. Relationships are
still teeter-tottering between independence and coupledom. If
you’re married, try a marriage renegotiation to allow freedom
for both of you. If that doesn’t work, a flirty romance might
change things.
VIRGO (August 23-September 22)
Creativity is strong for Virgo during this time; you’ll be
delighted with the results of any craft projects you’ve been
meaning to start. This will get your mind off relationship
bumps and possible missed communications with your nearest and dearest. The beginning of spring is an excellent time
for a body cleanse or tonic. Whether with a long-term partner
or a short-term lover, your libido kicks in after the equinox.
Virgo has a refined sense of touch, which you may find ample
opportunity to explore now.
ARIES (March 20-April 19)
Winter has brought Aries significant career expansion and
perhaps honors. You’ve been hard at work and will continue to be. As spring approaches, pay attention to personal
pleasures. Invest in some new colors; reds are always strong
for you. After April 3, be mindful of a tendency to be too
brusque when communicating. Aries is never mean-spirited,
just sometimes too busy for tact. Health matters, especially
chronic conditions, need attention. Food allergies or a haphazard diet won’t help Aries get their usual springtime boost.
LIBRA (September 23-October 22)
Toward spring, your career energy will be high; this may take
you away from home and create varied opportunities for shortterm work projects. Mind your health and get enough rest.
Libra functions best when there are pockets of rest and social
opportunities to refresh work. Partnerships are highlighted
after the equinox and you may find that marriage works best
when you have some distance between you. Aries is your
opposite sign and makes the Libran balancing act more difficult. It’s a good time to take up painting or drawing.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
After a flurry of activity and exertion, Taurus is chilling. And
though the sun is moving toward spring, your season, you feel
like retreating a bit. You may experience breaks in long-standing friendships; this will bring thoughts of new goals and a
desire to be with different groups of people. Your conservative financial disposition holds you in good stead while you
regroup during these two months. You may find that your
nighttime dreams give you intuitive ideas for your day-to-day
life. If one of those ideas is a long trip, try to make it happen.
SCORPIO (October 23-November 21)
Scorpio feels easy when the sun is in Pisces, since all the
water signs (Scorpio, Pisces and Cancer) speak the same language. If babies are on your mind, it’s an excellent time to put
thought into action. You may conceive easily. Other areas of
life such as work, travel and your immediate neighborhood
are also flowing well and offering opportunities. As the sun
moves into Aries, there will be too much Mars energy in your
chart. Begin a workout schedule at the gym or take up a new
sport. Without a physical focus, Scorpio in spring can be irascible and irritated.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21)
Winter is a good time for Gemini to focus on career matters
and long-term goals. Then, as spring begins, you’ll be ready to
implement what you’ve been planning. You may be receiving
money from an unexpected source and will have the finances
to try new things. Mars has been moving backward in your
sign since Jan. 1, making you feel very testy. This transit is
finished and you can relax now. Put your attention toward
romance. If there’s a Sagittarius looking your way (or vice
versa), be bold and seize the opportunity.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Toward the end of winter, Cancer feels an easy flow between
activity and rest. You may want to take a short cruise or spend
time at the beach. Be as languid as you like because when the
equinox occurs, you’ll spring into action. There is the possibility of media attention in your career, plus new self-confidence in partnerships. Marriage is going well; if you’ve been
the more silent partner in the relationship, you’ll make your
feelings known. Extended family may not be helpful or supportive during this time, so keep your own counsel.
LEO (July 22-August 23)
Leo can feel irritated toward the end of winter, since the sun
isn’t shining as brightly as you’d like. This time of year is
always good for a quick beach or mountain break. Work opportunities abound and as spring approaches, you may be traveling for business. Be patient with the fact that you may not be
receiving the money you deserve right now; this will change.
There is good communication both verbally and between the
sheets for blossoming romances and long-term partnerships.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21)
Your home front is unsettled at the moment. You may be planning a move or having plenty of discussion about changing
your living space. Finances look comfortable enough to manage this, but the underlying reason for agitation may be emotional rather than practical. Consider waiting until after the
equinox; you’ll find more creative solutions to problems and
will feel your natural good humor influencing all decisions.
CAPRICORN (December 21-January 20)
Your focus now should be to expand all avenues of selfexpression. This is a time to clarify finances, ameliorate situations with extended family and work on feeling settled in your
home. You need a stable platform for the changes that Pluto
brings – these will last a long time and open up many new
opportunities. Your intuition is increasing and you may have
visions about people and yourself that will help guide your
life. Pay attention to these celestial messages.
AQUARIUS (January 20-February 19)
Your conservative side is present now as you carefully
weigh financial considerations and try to get some sense
of order in money matters. This is a time to clear out any
emotional debris that prevents you from moving forward;
focus on small, clear goals. Lest this sound boring, there’s a
good chance of participating in interesting creative activities
and romance with someone new or increased communication with someone old. You’re working hard and when the
sun moves into Aries, the fire will stimulate your mind and
unique personality.
valleylife
entertainment
Spring Flings
WISEGAL Lifetime Original Movie
T
he true story of Patty Montanari (portrayed
by Alyssa Milano in a standout performance)
inspired this gripping drama. Montanari, a widow
with two children, is trying to support her family when
she becomes romantically involved with Frank Russo
(Jason Gedrick of Desperate Housewives). He belongs
to a Brooklyn crime family, and with his father (James
Caan of Las Vegas), convinces her to work as a courier
carrying millions of dollars from Canada into the U.S.
She is jeopardizing her and her children’s lives when
she realizes that her lover is a calculating killer and that
she may be his next victim. Adding authenticity to the
story is executive producer Joe Pistone, who infiltrated
the mob himself when he was an FBI agent; his true
story became the 1997 film Donnie Brasco. u
As winter turns into spring, a flurry of new entertainment options rolls in.
by Sandi Berg
NEW AMSTERDAM FOX Series
J
ohn Amsterdam (played adeptly by newcomer Nikolaj
Coster-Waldau) has a profound secret – he is immortal.
We’re introduced to him as a Dutch soldier in what was
once called New Amsterdam. There, a Native American
woman casts a spell to keep him immortal until he finds his
true love. Centuries later, he’s a New York detective chasing a
suspect when he suffers what seems to be a heart attack, but is
really the effect of being in proximity to his one and only… if
only he can find her again. A cop show with a twist, this highly
Alyssa Milano and Jason Gedrick
original series blends history, mystery and romance. u
photo: Ben Mark Holzberg/Lifetime Networks March 15, 9 p.m.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
photo: Julie Dennis-Brothers/FOX
Premieres March 4, 9 p.m.
AUTISM: THE MUSICAL HBO Documentary
A
n uplifting and inspirational documentary,
this film follows the lives of five children
with autism who are producing a live
musical show. While highlighting the dramatic
rise of autism in America, the filmmakers bring
attention to the challenges and triumphs these
children face every day, at the same time
celebrating their unique creativeness. u
photo: Cindy Gold/HBO
March 25, 9 p.m.
The
Best
Place
To
Be!
JOHN ADAMS HBO Miniseries
T
his outstanding seven-part miniseries
is based on the award-winning
biography by David McCullough.
The all-star cast includes Paul Giamatti as
John Adams and Laura Linney as his wife
Abigail. The story isn’t just a biography of
our second president, but also a historical
look at our nation’s beginnings and how this
founding father helped shape it. u
Premieres March 16, 8 p.m.
Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney
photo: Kent Eanes/HBO
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37
when&where
MARCH – APRIL 2008
calendar
valleylife
Spring has
sprung, and it’s
time to get out
and enjoy all
that our lively
community has
to offer.
THE PASADENA SYMPHONY AT CSUN
March 16, 2 p.m.
Take the rare chance to see the distinguished Pasadena Symphony play
in the Valley. Celebrating its 80th season, the orchestra’s special trip to
Northridge is in tribute to local classical music fans. Tickets ($42) available at www.artsnorthridge.csun.
com or by calling (818) 677-2488.
SOLAR IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: WHAT’S THE REAL DEAL?
March 18, 7 p.m.
Bob Ellis, president of North Hollywood-based Environmental Solar
Design, will talk about the differences between current solar energy
and solar thermal applications, and teach about their key components,
functions and benefits. Find out about governmental and utility programs and how you can benefit. Reseda Park Recreation Hall, 18411
Victory Blvd.
EGG-STRAVAGANZA
March 22, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
This Easter celebration will feature a free egg hunt and petting zoo, $1
crafts, $2 photos with the Easter Bunny and refreshments for sale.
Grape Arbor Park (at the corner of Canwood St. and Parkville Rd. at the
Lost Hills exit). (818) 880-6461.
“EVITA”
March 25 – 30
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
Broadway classic tells the rags-toriches tale of Eva Peron, Argentina’s former first lady. Thousand Oaks Civic Arts
Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Tickets ($35-$49) available at the Civic
Arts Plaza box office, or through Ticketmaster. www.ticketmaster.com.
METHOD FEST INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
March 27 – April 3
Calabasas is home to the film festival that
focuses on acting and character-driven
films. Named after the Method acting
technique, Method Fest showcases American and international films within a week
of premieres, parties, workshops and
award ceremonies. (818) 535-9230 or
www.methodfest.com for schedule and
event locations.
HIKE FROM NICHOLAS FLAT TO MALIBU NATURE PRESERVE
April 1
The local Sierra Club chapter leads an all-day, moderately easy 4-to-6-mile hike
from Nicholas Flat in Leo
Carillo State Park down
through a private nature
preserve in Nicholas Canyon. You’ll enjoy stunning
ocean views, an explanation of how this land came to be protected
and lunch in the Sycamore Grove picnic grounds. Meet at 8:30 a.m.
at Malibu State Preserve. Bring water, lunch and lugsoles. Rain cancels. For more information, contact Pixie Klemic, (818) 787-5420.
38
Jean Smart
“BOATS ON A RIVER”
April 9 – 13
Michael Bigelow Dixon directs this unflinching look at the world of sex trafficking in
Southeast Asia. Gregory Itzin and Jean Smart
star as the workers who tirelessly rehabilitate
Cambodian children from the nightmare of
prostitution. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N.
Sepulveda Blvd. Tickets ($20-$47) available
from the L.A. Theatre Works Box Office, (310)
827-0889 or www.latw.org.
ROTARY STREET FESTIVAL & RUN
April 13, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Rotary Club of Westlake Village invites you to their 14th annual
street festival and the 5K/10K and Kids Run. Arts and crafts, musical
entertainment and food booths will be among the draws. Proceeds benefit local charities and organizations. Lakeview Canyon between Agoura
Road and Watergate. www.rotarywlv.org.
jnf’s 5th annual walk for water
April 13, 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Support the Jewish National
Fund’s important environmental work and its efforts to offset
carbon emissions by planting
trees in Israel. The fundraising
event, sponsored in part by
Lucky Jeans and the Rotary
Club of Studio City, will include 3K/5K walks, live music performances,
children’s activities, a Model T exhibit, a picnic on the lawn (kosher food
will be available for purchase) and a U.S. Forest Service hands-on
museum. $18; under age 18 free. Paramount Ranch, Agoura Hills. For
more information, contact Donna Daniel at [email protected] or (818)
704-5454, ext. 201. www.walkforwater.org.
HIKE FROM DE ANZA PARK TO LIBERTY CANYON
April 29
The local Sierra Club chapter leads an all-day, moderately easy 6-mile
hike following Las Virgenes Creek down Liberty Canyon to see an old
adobe in Malibu Creek State Park. You’ll see lots of trees, wildflowers and
lovely views of the mountains. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at De Anza Park in Calabasas. Bring water, lunch, lugsoles, a hat and sunscreen. Rain cancels.
For more information, contact Pixie Klemic, (818) 787-5420.
CALABASAS FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
May 3 – 4, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Calabasas Arts Council’s 11th annual
Calabasas Fine Arts Festival will draw more
than 200 experienced artists, who will display their works, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry and crafts of all kinds, for purchase. There will also be food
stands and live music. Admission is free. 23975 Park Sorrento (near the
Calabasas Library). (818) 878-4225, ext. 270.
FARMWALK
May 4, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Pierce College’s agriculture department presents its annual open house,
including hands-on activities like sheep-shearing, wool-spinning, cowmilking, CowChip Bingo and exotic animal shows. There will also be live
music, firefighters with their fire engines (go ahead, climb in!) and a petting zoo. Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave. $5 donation requested per
adult. www.piercecollege.edu.
SPECIAL Advertising section
Everybody Can Learn
to Dance!
T
he local branch of Arthur Murray, the dance-instruction company, relocated in December
from its Ventura Blvd. studio to
Topanga Blvd. in the Westfield Promenade mall. Now it boasts one of Southern California’s largest dance floors,
plus 11 full-time teachers who’ve gone
through Arthur Murray’s rigorous threeto-six-month training program.
And it’s the students who benefit: When they come in to learn to dance, says
Robert Melgoza, the location’s owner, “they say it’s the most fun they’ve
had in their life. People always say that it’s something they wish they would
have done as a kid.” He adds that learning to dance is much easier, much
more comfortable, than most participants thought it would be. “People
develop a passion for it pretty quickly. They think it’s exciting.”
“We know how to
teach people to
dance... People
develop a passion
for it pretty quickly.”
“Everyone can come in and partake,” Robert
said. “We want to give everyone in the area
the opportunity to take dance lessons for the
first time. Our goal is getting as many people
to dance as humanly possible.”
If so, they’re with the right company. Arthur Murray, which maintains more
than 220 studios spread throughout 18 countries, is the world’s largest
dance company. For 95 years, people have trusted them for customized
instruction. “We know how to teach people to dance,” Robert said.
Thinking of getting started yourself? Expect to begin with an introductory
session (which involves being familiarized with three to four dancing
styles). The expert Arthur Murray staffers will watch you dance to see what
you’ve got. You’ll likely learn to salsa, swing and tango, depending on your
preferences, but you’ll also be exposed to broader horizons, like the rumba,
cha-cha, swing and foxtrot. As for price, it varies. A regular series of dance
lessons can go for as low as $200.
To learn more about Arthur Murray Woodland Hills, go to
www.arthurmurraydanceschools.com or call (818) 225-8000.
Considering New
Upholstery?
(From DOTI, of Course!)
N
ot all upholstery is
created equally, so
when you’re considering new pieces
for your home, think about
more than just how it looks
and the price. A huge part
of the price of a sofa or chair
is determined by what you
don’t see – what’s inside,
under the fabric.
Some factors to consider are:
How long do you want the
piece to last? Kiln-dried hardwood
frames with glued, doweled joints
will keep your piece stable and provide a solid foundation that will not
lose its shape. Without these features, your sofa or chair will only last
a couple of years. Do you really want
disposable furniture?
Do you want maximum comfort
when you sit? Continuous wire
springs and webbing, as well as seats
constructed of eight-way, hand-tied
coiled springs will create comfortable
and consistent support. Back pillows
and seat cushions come in a large
array of custom upholstery options.
You choose which is right for you!
Leather? Fabric? Do you know
the benefits of each? Do you need
family- or pet-friendly upholstery?
Or would you like to have pure luxury? You get to have it all with custom upholstery – the right look, quality level, price, and color. You can be
sure that it will coordinate with and
complement your other furnishings
and window treatments. You don’t
have to settle for just what’s sitting
on a showroom floor.
Your Designs of the Interior (DOTI)
store is where all the great looks
start. The experts there can guide
you to make sure you make choices
that are right for you. Stop in or call
for your free consultation. u
DOTI, 21723 Vanowen St. (across
from Macy’s at the Westfield
Topanga mall). (818) 346-3684.
www.dotiwoodlandhills.com.
If You would like to be ValleyLife’s Special Advertising Section, please contact: [email protected]
march / april 2008 I VALLEYLIFE 39
ValleyLife
For advertising information,
please contact us at 818.340.3362
or email us at: [email protected]
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Los Angeles, CA

Five Signs That It`s Time to Forgive and Move On

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