Model: Jeremy Davis

 ”Bare Essentialist”

Photographed by Chris Jones, CJID Photographer

Web: www.myspace.com/cjid 

Styled by GerMichael

Web:

www.germichaelthestylist.wordpress.com

www.myspace.com/germichaelmontia

www.modelmayhem.com/gmcouture

www.facebook.com/germichaelmontia

www.twitter.com/gmichaelmontia

Email:

GerMichaelMontiA@gmail.com

Model: Ian Ramon

 ”On The Purple Strip”

Photographed by Jeffrey Cross, J.Cross Photography - Detroit,MI

Web:

www.modelmayhem.com/jcrossphotography

www.myspace.com/jeffreycross

 Styled by GerMichael

Web:

www.germichaelthestylist.wordpress.com

www.facebook.com/germichaelmontia

www.myspace.com/germichaelmontia

www.modelmayhem.com/gmcouture

www.twitter.com/gmichaelmontia

Email:

GerMichaelMontiA@gmail.com

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to photograph the Go Red for Women luncheon held by the American Heart Association. The event, themed Kiss Heart Disease Goodbye, was at the QC Waterfront Center in Bettendorf and full of incredible goodies and info materials provided in Macy’s bags, information from Trinity hospital, and presentations about the importance of why women should be concerned about heart disease and what they can do before it’s too late. I was grateful to be included as one of the sponsors for the event, along with Palmer College of Chiropractic and numerous others.

Silent auction items and vendors ranged from jewelry to chiropractic care to children’s books to healthcare products to makeup to candles to bags and everything in between. 

I had a glimpse of the tables set up before the luncheon. Edible Arrangements had chocolate- and vanilla-covered strawberries as table centerpieces. A select number of women had framed quotes poignant to their lives and Mary Kay provided lipstick samples. 

I had a chance to attend the breakout sessions and was most impressed by Dr. Rafat Padaria (front-center), a local cardiologist who talked about the myths of heart disease. She underscored that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women – not breast cancer (which she said ranks #7). Her lecture was eye-opening as she talked about how symptoms are often different for women than men. Padaria said she’s seen women come into the ER with heart problems even though they ate healthy foods and exercised regularly, and that it’s important to get thorough physicals from primary-car doctors that include blood pressure and cholesterol checks.

After the break-out sessions it was time for lunch and the presentations.

One of the highlights on stage was the hot, intense dance performance from cardiologist Dr. Paul and Bettinna Bolger. They danced as if there was no one watching and it sparked cheers and laughter from the crowd.

Kirby Winn (left) of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center served as Master of Ceremonies, and introduced a host of speakers ranging from a nurse who suffered from heart disease herself, to a woman who talked about how heart disease has killed generations of her family, to a healthy, active woman (speaking via a recording) who told the audience she received the same diagnosis about her heart from Mayo doctors as she did from local ones. Heart surgeon Dr. Alyas Chaudhry (center) gave a rather graphic, gross but informative talk showing how consistent fast-food consumption and regular smoking affects the organ. And finally, Group Services (right) presented a $2,500 check to the American Heart Association as a matching challenge.

For more information on heart disease including realizing your risk factors, Trinity’s materials included this online assessment from which you can learn more.

I love to wear stylish jackets and as a tall woman, sometimes my options are limited. This fall there are plenty of women’s trendy tall jackets and tall blazers. Here are a few of the current trends in tall jackets and tall blazers I have found by shopping online.

1. Long length tall jackets look terrific on tall women and there are plenty of options this fall. The long length jacket is similar to a duster length. They give you a tall, slimming effect that is not only beautiful but exudes confidence when worn with a classy pair of tall jeans or trousers.

2. Another option for trendy tall jackets and tall blazers for fall are glamorous fabrics such as leather and suede. Tall leather jackets and blazers give the tall woman an edgy and stylish appearance. Today’s tall leather jackets are available in many colors from classic browns to rich purples.

3. Tall corduroy blazers are a definite must have item for fall. Available in solid colors, prints and quilted patterns, corduroy tall blazers are durable and will stand the test of time.

4. Tweed tall jackets and tall blazers are very trendy for fall. You can find them in varying length and colors. Tall tweed jackets have been in style for a few years and we expect this classic style to continue for many more. Tweed tall jackets are a great way to add some texture and fun to your tall wardrobe.

As you can see tall women have some great options in trendy tall jackets and tall blazers for fall. We are not stuck with having to buy the same old navy blue tall blazer, but can experiment with some texture and different lengths of tall jackets and tall blazers.

I hope all of my fellow Americans enjoyed your Thanksgivings!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  You just can’t beat enjoying a huge homemade meal with tons of family gathered around the table without the stress and obligation of gift giving.

Now the gift giving season is upon us.  I find this time of year to be both fun and stressful.

BF has needed a laptop for his business for over a year, but we just haven’t had the money to buy him one.  So, he and I stood in line at Wal-Mart (I know, I know) for 5 hours on Black Friday, 3 of which it rained, for the crazy deals.  It payed off though because we got him a laptop, not a netbook, a real laptop for under $200!  That’s a steal.  We also picked up a TomTom because our last one committed suicide 2 years ago on a trip to North Carolina for $60 and a few pairs of my dad’s favorite jeans with free t-shirts for $9 each.  It was crazy and something I’ve never done before and may not ever do again but, we got what we needed and saved a boat load of money doing it.  Can’t say that’s a bad thing.

After our crazy Black Friday shopping we took a nap then headed up to see BF’s dad in New Hampshire.  We spent the weekend there amongst the white-capped mountains.  We had a great break and now it’s back to work.  I have a bunch of orders in the pipeline, which I’m thankful for.  I will be working like crazy to get them all out by the end of this week.

I am also having a sale in both of my shops today!!  20% off all ready to ship items with free domestic shipping or 1/2 price international shipping.  Check them out: Etsy & Artfire

The photos are just a few of the items included in the sale.

I hope everyone is adding a little handmade to their holiday!  Happy Shopping!!

The BeaValdes for CoutureLab Gray Gio Evening Bag is another stunning and unusual design from BeaValdes, whose futuristic, spaceship-reminiscent shapes have us enthralled.

The BeaValdes for CoutureLab Gray Gio Evening Bag is available from CoutureLab for approximately $2,534.00.
(Via: Luxist.com)

Good morning! In case you were travelling over the weekend, there was a new recipe dreamed up on Black Friday, a review of Clif bars, a day that had me blushing beet red, and a 2nd, meatless Thanksgiving.

After that awesome lunch, I needed time to digest on the couch with Montana, and then got to work on my next project.

Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree. After chopping it down yesterday and leaving it in the cold overnight, we finally brought it in. Traditionally, I do the lights and the cranberries while my mom does the ornaments afterwards; since I was moving back to my dorm I needed to do this snappily. I was happy at the end I love the lights on a Christmas tree. I think the ornaments are always nice and personal but it’s just not a tree to me if it doesn’t light up.

Afterwards we got to packing up. I dreaded this. It always feels like I have more going back than coming home, and this time I knew I did because of all the leftovers and extra clothes. Ugh. Thankfully with enough helping hands in the house this wasn’t too bad and shaped up pretty quick.

Packed Bags

I think it was a backpack, 3 bags of food, 2 of laundry, 2 of random machinery, and a stevia plant. Because, really, how could I live without all of that? We swung by my grandmother’s apartment to pick her up because she likes to come “just for the ride”. Wouldn’t it be nice to have time to go for a ride just because you have nothing else to do? 60 more years and I’ll be there.

Double Chocolate Pillow

Of course before hitting the highway we wento McDonald’s for some decaf and I broke out one of these cookies. I think it’s always the case that things grow on me after a few days, because 4 days later and I’m now becoming obsessed with them. Seriously, just smelling the cocoa–bliss. On the way down we stopped at Target looking for a movie. Alas, no luck But underwear was on sale and that’s close enough to grab, right?

Moving back in was actually quite quick and painless with enough helping hands(again). The rug looks awesome since my mom brought down her vacuum to clean it up(thanks!). I definitely lost track of time in all of this and realized I was hungry. A little cookie is not a substantial afternoon snack, but you know what is?

Laloo's Strawberry Darling Goat's Milk Ice Cream

Ice cream. I’m surprised this has survived the common freezer for so long, but yesterday I decided it was time to polish it off(only about 1 serving left anyway). I love the tang of the balsamic vinegar in this. Something tells me adding balsamic vinegar, even an organic one, to strawberry chobani wouldn’t work the same. When all the groceries were away I enjoyed staring at a full fridge.

Full Fridge

Really? Is there anything more blissful? I’m surprised I managed to cram it all in there; it looked like it might not make it and I’m glad I left some tofu at home for another weekend. I also found this which I snuck into my bag:

The Killer Angels

I don’t really “pleasure read”, and if I had time to, I’d probably choose a book I haven’t read, so I’m not sure why I brought this. But I do love and recommend this book for anyone wanting to read a psuedo-historic novel. I did a huge paper on it and the battle of Gettysburg in 11th grade. As you might know, I’m a Classics major, but besides that American history 1640-1865 is my other area of interest. There’s a movie, Gettysburg, based on this book I have yet to see but I can’t wait to find it some day.

Dinner started off a little disgusting; I went to get one of my sweet potatoes and found it covered in mold–yuck! That’s actually never happened with the food I keep under my bed but I guess there’s a first for everything. Instead, I had to improvise.

Broccoli, Turkey Breast, Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin With Lightlife Breakfast Sausages And Maple Syrup

You know how sometimes your eyes are bigger than your stomach? Yeah, story of my life day. First there was being stuffed from a stuffed tofurkey and acorn squash, and then there was this. The turkey wasn’t anything special, I just wanted to eat it up before it got moldy like a sweet potato. The english muffin with sausage was the real money maker here. Does anybody else remember McGriddles from McDonalds? That’s EXACTLY What this was like, except with infinitesimally less trans fat. Oh my God, so good. Rest assured it will be made again. Unfortunately, there was one casualty during dinner.

Broken Amazing Grass Bottle

My Amazing Grass bottle I dropped it on the floor while it was full and water went pretty much everywhere–fun. After cleaning it up I went to the bathroom and tried refilling it, wondering why it kept being empty. Smart one, Evan. I think they carry these at Whole Foods? That’s what I’m hoping at least. After getting ahead(ahead! not catching up!) on work I made a snack and settled in for A Dog Named Christmas.

Peanut Butter Soy Yogurt With Fig Jam And Peanut Butter Chips

I don’t expect much from cheesy, holiday, made-for-TV movies, but this one was even below expectations. I expect them to suck, but to also be cutesy, and the child acting in this was not cutesy. This snack also did not disappoint even though I was iffy on the flavor combo. I think I forgot to sweeten the base but thankfully I bought a Vanilla flavor. I completely forgot I even had fig preserves but they were still just as good. And the pb cheeps were nice and sweet, nothing at all like real peanut butter and yet just as magical

After I’d put up with bad child acting for an hour, it was time for a new Brothers & Sisters. Last weeks episode was not on because Adam Lambert needed to whore it up at the AMA’s, but this week there were supposed to be great plot twists and secret revealings–it did not disappoint. Midway, I snacked on this:

English Muffin With Pumpkin Cream Cheese And Honey Maple Peanut Butter Topped With Me And Goji Granola

2 english muffins in one day? I was on a roll. I liked the crunch from the granola. And the gojis I’m sure were some decent brain food. I also love “rediscovering” peanut butters I forget about. Brothers & Sisters I thought was awesome–can’t wait until the wedding(or will there even be one?) next week.

I was exhausted so I knew I wanted shut eye but for some reason, as tired as I was, I wasn’t getting to sleep. I don’t know how much I slept overall or how many times I woke up/had weird dreams. This was one harsh “welcome back” to the swing of things. When I woke up, though, I was ready to meet my old friend–the gym. I made a quickie snack.

Kashi Strawberry Flax Waffle With Banana Peanut Butter

Normally I like bars that I can take on the treadmill but for some reason this was what appealed to me best. When I got there, it was packed for 6:50am(read: 3 other people). But then it quited down and the regulars started showing up. I didn’t concern myself too much with pace or anything; I was plenty happy to be back and watching the Today Show(does anybody care about Tiger Woods’ car crash at this point? really?). In the end I did 12 miles in 1:38:59. That’s almost exactly like yesterday, which is good because I tend to be slower inside than out. When I got back, I relearned how to make a dormroom breakfast.

Pumpkin Oatmeal With Pepita Butter And Maple Frosting, Eggnog Yogurt

This microwave just ain’t the same as the one back home. For the oats I used Caitlin’s pancake frosting recipe with a little vanilla stevia. I think my cooking skills were on vacation and are just getting back, too, because everything was underseasoned/sweetened. Afterwards, I added more stevia and cinnamon to the yogurt and some vanilla sugar and salt atop the oats and that perked things up.

And so, clearly I’m relearning dorm life after a week of bliss. I suppose with finals and papers coming up I won’t even notice the time between now and Christmas vacation, right? Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s cyber Monday, and as dirty as that sounds I have some deals to catch.

I am so very stoked about this jacket.  I’m not usually a fan of Kenneth Cole and the Reaction line because I’ve never seen anything with it that I remotely liked.  Then I saw this:

This was on the cheap at a local Macy’s a few weeks back and my Missus picked it up for me.  WOW.  This is a good one.

This is a quilted jacket (and kind of reminds me of what Barbour has done with the quilted jacket), with great features like zip pockets, pockets inside, and corduroy lining on the cuffs and collar!

Nice.

Surprise find from a line I never thought of! 

View here

• Skin: (Vive9) Grace v2 [mocha] Sick 2 – 50 L$ Friday
• Hair: **DP**YumYum Barberyumyum 18 – Black
• Jacket: Gabriel Down Jacket – Beige (+ Fur option)
• Shirt: Luxurious World Subtil Tunic Sheer – Black
• Pants: :SK Designs: Leggings – Brown
• Shoes: *Kookie* Pomski Boots white fur
• Hat: Ookami Ningen One day Time in Moscow
• Nails: *Pixel Mode* Sculpted Nails – French Manicure

Have a good shopping !

A nice concept for the holidays. Stay tuned for more info.

via Hypebeast