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August 2009
Mo’Nique getting Oscar buzz
Actress and comedian Mo’Nique is getting Oscar buzz for her portrayal of an abusive mother in ‘Precious’ due out this November.
Mo’Nique, who is known for loving to dress up and be glamorous while embracing her full figure, tells Entertainment Weekly she was excited, not intimidated to ‘transform’ into the character of Mary.
In addition to being an abusive mother, Mary doesn’t dress well, has armpit hair and wears no makeup.
The Oscars always love it when someone beautiful turns ugly. It worked for Charlize Theron and many others.
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TweetBudding chef only 9 years old
It makes sense that LaRashia Edwards would have an affinity for food.
Her mother, Culpatrice Foster was raised in a Dayton household where her mother and father used gardening to keep the family of three children strong and connected.
Foster said having her mother introduce her to such things helped her, so she’s passing that on to LaRashia in a slightly different way.
At age 9, LaRashia is a budding chef.
When she was 3, LaRashia used to help her mom crack eggs, put bacon on the platter, mix ingredients and pour drinks.
“She liked to help me in the kitchen,” she said. “She took a liking to it.”
So she went on to teach her a bit more over the years. And a chef was born.
“I’m just thankful God gave me a mother,” LaRashia said simply.
LaRashia has been a contestant in a national youth cooking contest, has given a cooking demonstration to kids at Second Street Public Market and hopes to design her own aprons and have a cable access cooking show.
LaRashia entered The Next Great Chef Contest baking a brownie recipe she created from scratch. It went through five different lists of ingredients and adjustments before it was just perfect.
“I just make my own,” she said. “I don’t get there with a recipe.”
Another hallmark of LaRashia’s cooking is health. She uses Florida crystals instead of refined white sugar, organic brown eggs and unsalted butter.
“I want my food to be healthy,” LaRashia said. “I don’t want them to say there is too much fat or too much carbs.”
She’s serious and careful. While making pizza, she put on gloves.
“If you don’t cook with gloves on, you’re touching someone else’s food,” she said.
She spooned tomato sauce onto dough, asked her guest if a pepperoni or plain pizza was requested. She also offered extra pepperoni.
She went back and forth, checking on her dish. And because she’s only 9, mom still helps her with the stove.
After a delicious pizza is eaten, “Then you clean up your mess,” she said.
LaRashia watches all the cooking shows from Rachel Ray to Ming Tsai. She doesn’t get so much from the celebrity cooks as far as technique, but she likes learning about new ingredients. Recently, she learned about cognac and fennel.
Cognac and fennel will have to wait. She plans to get some simpler ingredients soon when she plants a garden, just like her mother did when she was a child.
“I think that the gardens are fun,” she said.
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TweetOmarosa classmate: She’s as ‘sincere’ as any of us
Like any new student, Omarosa Manigault Stallworth was nervous.
She slept little the week leading up to her entry Monday into the doctorate of ministry program at United Theological Seminary. She posted the message, “First day of school jitters” on her Twitter page.
> Photos of Omarosa on enrollment day and more
UTS President Wendy J. Deichmann had the cure. She gave Omarosa a tiny mustard seed, representing the Bible passage where Jesus told followers that faith, even the size of a tiny mustard seed means “nothing will be impossible to you.”
“Very few people have faith in my transformation, so this is a wonderful gift,” she said.
Many celebrity gossip sites have mocked the star of reality television shows like “The Apprentice,” “Celebrity Apprentice” and “The Surreal Life” after learning she intended to pursue a doctorate of ministry.
“Don’t let that hold you back,” Deichmann told her on Monday.
Her celebrity was evident throughout the morning. While other students registered for an intensive weeklong session of study on campus, Omarosa first did interviews with “Inside Edition.”
Omarosa will take the classes Old Testament, New Testament and History of Christianity. She also has master’s equivalency coursework to do including 40 hours ministering to the sick and dying at hospitals.
Classmate F. Willis Johnson Jr. bonded with Omarosa at a meeting at UTS earlier this summer. In between teasing her about her nice bag and fancy clothes, telling her she needs to get “humble” at the seminary, he backed her commitment to studying at UTS.
“People need to know that she is as sincere and as authentic as anyone I’ve known who’s taken this journey,” said Johnson, who is assistant pastor at First Baptist North in Indianapolis.
Omarosa said she wants to continue missionary work in Haiti. She already has worked on getting school supplies for Haitian girls and helping women turn their artwork skills into jobs. She plans to return in October and hopes she won’t be alone.
“I’m going to be recruiting my classmates,” she said.
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TweetLocal dieter to be on ‘Today’ on Monday
Jennifer Powell, the Lebanon woman who has lost 142 pounds, will appear on The Today Show’ on Monday, Aug. 17.
Powell, 36, will be inducted into the NBC morning program’s Joy Fit Club, which honors those who have lost weight through good old-fashioned diet and exercise. Her segment will air during the 8 a.m. hour.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I’m just in awe and counting my blessings.”
She also was recently featured in Women’s Health magazine in the “Success Story” feature.
In 2005, at 312 pounds, Powell decided she had to change her ways. First, she walked and simply cut back on food. After a month, she lost 15 pounds, but knew she needed more support, so she joined TOPS Inc. TOPS stands for Taking Off Pounds Sensibly.’
In the middle of her progress, she had a huge setback, suffering cardiac arrest.
But she persevered and has lost a total of 142 and continues 5 a.m. workouts.
She points out she was not dieting but making a change.
“It was more like an adventure,” she said.
“If you’re heart is not in it, you’re not going to do it.”
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TweetOmarosa talks about entering seminary
Omarosa Manigault Stallworth is a person who knows herself and knows how the public perceives her.
She is completely comfortable calling herself one of the most successful reality television personalities ever, after appearance on “The Apprentice,” “Celebrity Apprentice” and “The Surreal Life.”
The public calls her a villainess, an in-your-face, nasty celebrity and terms much worse than that. She knows it, embraces it and has attained success because of it.
How can that same person enter the ministry here at United Theological Seminary in Dayton on Monday?
“I’ve been feeling as though I’ve been going through a transformation over the past couple of years,” she said in a telephone interview on Friday. “You can lose yourself in this business. You lose yourself in Hollywood, lose yourself in fame. If you’re as fortunate as I am, you have people in your life who will work to ground you.”
After many meetings, praying and counseling with her pastor in Washington, D.C., Stallworth, 35, decided to enter the seminary.
She is not, as many blaring Internet headlines say, going to be a preacher or a chaplain. That is undecided.
“My goal is really to be obedient,” she said. “I’m going to seminary to find out what my role will be in the church.”
Being in the seminary and living in Dayton will not preclude her from continued entertainment work. Just this Thursday, she met with reality TV producers about a project. She won’t change who she is in entertainment due to the seminary, but she admits there might be “modifications.”
“The direction that reality (TV) is going will push the envelopes of anything you have ever seen,” she said. “A couple of the offers made me blush and that is hard to do”
For now, she is a student nervous about her first day of class, deciding between a briefcase or a backpack. The Youngstown native, who also received her undergraduate degree from Central State University, is looking forward to Ohio, too.
“I cannot wait to watch the leaves change and see the snow fall again,” she said.
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TweetLadyfest highlights women’s artwork, dance, music
Ladyfest Dayton will begin tonight, highlighted by three days of music, dance, and many other forms of art.
There will be music and performers, visual artists and sales of art and workshops for topics of interest to women.
It’s the second year a Ladyfest event has been held in Dayton.
“Our purpose is to showcase the talent in the area that a lot of the females have and aren’t normally showcased,” said Mary Kathryn Burnside, one of the organizers of the event.
Ladyfest will include dancers ranging from hip hop to breakdancing. There will be bands featuring high school students to bands led by women in their 40s.
Visual artists, including painter, sculptors, photographers and more will be as young as 7.
It will take place over three afternoons and evenings at c}space, 20 N. Jefferson St.
Ladyfest events have taken place across the world since the first in Olympia, Wash. in 2000. Since then, they have taken place in locations as wide-ranging as Seville, Spain and Tokyo to Orlando and Columbus.
Proceeds from Ladyfest events are usually given to nonprofit group. The Dayton event will benefit The Artemis Center and Planned Parenthood’s PUSH.
Burnside said at last year’s event a lot of women learned from each other and continue to do so.
“Last year there were so many friendships made,” she said. “Some people just met while they were setting up and now are collaborating on things together.”
How to go
Ladyfest Dayton
Friday, Aug. 21 to Sunday, Aug. 23
Hours Friday are 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.; Saturday 2 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
c}space, 20 N. Jefferson St.
For more information, go to LadyFestDayton.com
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TweetOmarosa to enter seminary in Dayton
Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, one of the most notorious villains in reality TV history is entering United Theological Seminary in Dayton on Monday, Aug. 17.
Stallworth will pursue a doctor of ministry, which will take about two years to complete, said Ivan Hicks, UTC associate dean for African-American studies.
“She has expressed a calling in her life and it is our opportunity to provide leadership and guidance as she makes a transformation,” Hicks said. “We’re excited about her coming to school at UTS.”
Stallworth is known for in-your-face roles on “The Apprentice,” “The Celebrity Apprentice” and “The Surreal Life.”
But Hicks knows her from his home church, The Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. He said she has worked on issues involving the homeless and the poor in Haiti.
“She certainly has a heart for ministry,” Hicks said.
Stallworth received her undergraduate degree from Central State University.
Hicks said the fact that Stallworth’s had her ups and downs will help make her a good minister.
“Some of the good things and bad things we’ve done in our lives help us to actually relate and to be more widely accepted as a minister,” he said.
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Tweet‘Burquini’ too much for Paris pools
Paris is in an uproar right now because a Muslim woman was banned from a public pool because her swimsuit had too much material.
Oh, if we could have that problem here!
But I digress.
The woman, who the Associated Press was able to identify only as 35-year-old Carole, complained of religious discrimination after she tried to go swimming in the head-to-toe bathing suit called a ‘burquini.’
French health guidelines ban swimmers from ‘wearing any street-compatible or baggy clothing, such as Bermuda shorts, in favor of figure-hugging suits,’ the AP says. The idea is too much dirty stuff could attach to too much fabric.
The issue is not an isolated one. The clothing of Muslim women is a huge topic.
French lawmakers recently proposed a ban on the burqa and other voluminous Muslim attire. President Nicolas Sarkozy backs the move, saying such clothing makes women prisoners, the AP reported.
Banning women from wearing whatever they choose seems to be pretty prisoner-like too.
But Sarkozy’s wife, former fashion model Carla Bruni, probably makes all the fashion decision in Sarkozy’s house anyways.
The Burqini style bathing suit is a widely-available option. Go to Ahilda.com to see more styles or purchase one.
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TweetWomen’s fantasies might surprise you
Twenty percent of women fantasize about romance with a high-powered businessman, according to the 2009 Harlequin Romance Report.
Following the businessman is a cowboy at 17 percent; a rock star at 16 percent; an athlete at 12 percent; and a firefighter or police officer at 12 percent.
Surprising? Maybe we’re just letting sense invade our fantasies.
A high-powered businessman would give us financial security. We are very unlikely to meet a cowboy or athlete. Firefighters and policemen are losing their jobs to government cuts left and right.
And let’s not even talk about rock stars. Bret Michaels’ alleged search for love on his reality show has indeed given love a bad name.
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TweetDid ‘Self’ photoshop the crap out of Kelly Clarkson?
Self magazine is coming under criticism for retouching a cover photo of singer Kelly Clarkson.
A few months ago, Jenny McCarthy, she of the rock hard abs, said her cover photo was retouched to make her look more muscular. But after Self ran the original and retouched photo side-by-side and they showed little difference McCarthy backed down.
Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of the women’s health magazine, said on the magazine’s website that the “retouching” of the 27-year-old Clarkson is to make her “look her personal best.”
Readers on the Jezebel.com website disagreed.
“Hey, hi, Self ladies: None this changes or explains the fact that YOU ALTERED THE BONE STRUCTURE OF HER FACE,” wrote one.
Interestingly, in the article, Clarkson is above it all: “When people talk about my weight, I’m like, ‘You seem to have a problem with it; I don’t. I’m fine!,’
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TweetWant a good marriage? This meeting could be a start
Want a happy marriage? Attending a meeting by a nationally-known relationship expert could be a start.
Dr. Scott Haltzman is the author of The Secrets of Happily Married Men, The Secrets of Happily Married Women and The Secrets of Happy Famlies.
Marriage Works! Ohio is bringing him to Dayton on Saturday, Sept. 12 for the discussion, “Happily Married, Fact or Fiction.” The event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Shauntay Alexander, event planner for Marriage! Works, said Haltzman will talk about helping couples cope with the reality of marriage instead of dwelling on the expectations.
“A lot of times reality doesn’t meet what those expectations were and he’ll talk about how to move past that and learn to be happy and to have a healthy relationship,” Alexander said.
The discussion will also aim to dispel stereotypes that women look for a husband who will do everything for them and husbands just look for sex.
The meeting is for married couples of all ages at any point in their marriage. And it’s for people who aren’t yet married.
“When you are dating you do have those preconceived ideas,” she said. “It’s perfect or even more beneficial for them to come.”
Tickets are $15 and include a a copy of “The Secrets of Happily Married Men” and a dessert buffet, in case you’re having trouble getting your partner to attend.
Scott is a contributor to Redbook magazine and also has a website DrScott.com which offers relationship advice.
Marriage Works! Ohio is a Dayton-based organization that works to help build healthy families. It is funded through federal agencies.
How to go
Dr. Scott Haltzman discusses happy marriage
Saturday, Sept. 12, 7-9 p.m.
Top of the Market Banquet Center, 32 Webster St., Dayton
Tickets are $15
For more information: Call 1-866-LIVEAS1 or go to TrustMarriage.com
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TweetBreast feeding a ‘vital emergency response’?
State and local public health officials are encouraging women to be aware of the importance of breastfeeding for more reasons than the usual ones we think of.
August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month in Ohio and the theme is “Breastfeeding - a vital emergency response. Are you ready?”
Most people know the health benefits to a baby a mother chooses to and is able to breast feed, but public health is encouraging people to be prepared to breast feed during disasters.
A news release from Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County says, “There have been many reported instances of children being kept alive during disasters by breastfeeding.”
While that might sound a bit alarming, one thing can’t be argued: Breast feeding is cheaper than formula, and families are dealing with a tough state economy.
“(Breast feeding) is especially important in the economic downturn where bread-winners are losing their jobs, and sometimes families are losing their homes,” Public health said.
Ohio is not doing well in breastfeeding. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Ohio ranks 44th in the nation in mothers who breast feed their babies.
For more, call Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) breastfeeding office at 225-5509.
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TweetTractor Supply a great store for women (really!)
A company that started as a mail-order tractor business in 1938 has turned its focus strongly to women customers.
Don’t worry, Tractor Supply Co. will still be supplying tractors to the farmers who operate them.
But in the past few years, the company has branched out with housewares, clothing and pet items, intentionally seeking the female buyer who already was in the store seeking out traditional Tractor Supply wares.
“I think it’s something we’ve come to realize more and more over the years,” said Andrew Heltsley, marketing manager for Tractor Supply. “One of the things we’ve found is that a lot of time, the lady of the house is the one who takes care of the animals, especially on a hobby farm or household farm.”
The company, founded in 1938 by Charles E. Schmidt Sr. started as a mail-order tractor parts business. It now operates 800 stores in 40 states. The stores are usually located in small, rural communities.
Right now, the stores are preparing to offer one of their biggest initiatives for women with the C.E. Schmidt Fit for Her Collection of clothing and outerwear. The stores already carry C.E. Schmidt clothing for men, but this will include workwear such as coveralls and other items in women’s sizes, as well as more casual pieces.
“You’ve got women out there working just as hard and in just as harsh an environment, and they were wearing smaller sizes of the men’s clothing,” Heltsley said.
The new line, which is shipping to stores right now for the fall market, will also have a larger variety of colors and styles than the men’s line.
The new items will complement the lineup already available for women shoppers. Bit & Bridle clothing for women has been available for years, with emphasis on horses and tractor, but on pastel backgrounds.
Tractor Supply has long been a supplier of products for large animals, but it also has branched out its supply of items for dogs or cats, he said. The stores carry more than 100 brands of items from dog food to toys to invisible fences. In any store, one might find ear tags for cattle in one row and catnip toys in the next.
While this is appealing to women as they often tend to be the caretakers for the animals, Heltsley said, it really benefits everybody — as Tractor Supply stores tend to be in small communities that often don’t have a pet superstore.
Other items long included at the stores are calendars, cookbooks and home decor focusing on a farming lifestyle, such as a lamp with a barbed-wire theme.
Heltsley laughs and admits each year’s Christmas offerings tend to have a horse theme.
“We used to call that our Equine Christmas,” he said.
The store’s also a huge seller of toys one might not find at other places. There are die-cast toys and play farm sets and animal figurines, for example.
“You can get a teddy bear anywhere, but where else are you gonna get a stuffed goat or a big pony that you can actually ride?” Heltsley asked.
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TweetNow there’s a Snuggie for dogs
Really, there’s very little to say here other than the facts.
The people who brought you the Snuggie has branched out from the baby Snuggie, the designer Snuggie and the original Snuggie and now is offering….
The dog Snuggie!
Go to SnuggieforDogs.com to see a two-for-one deal and more.
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TweetEvent aimed at helping you sell your house
A local home staging company is planning a seminar to help homesellers move their properties off the market quickly.
Debra’s Designs of Dayton is offering the seminar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Sinclair Community College. The cost of the seminar is $75.
The session will educate homesellers on today’s market expectations and how to meet them; deal breakers in home sales and the importance of “market ready” homes.
Today’s homebuyers want a house in move-in condition, said Debra Ghysels, president of Debra’s Designs.
They are not like buyers in the past who had the skill and the funds to update a house themselves, she said.
“Buyers want to move in on Friday, unpack on Saturday, go to work Monday, and not miss a beat,” Ghysels said.
The most important things in staging a house are walls, floors and fixtures. But none of those updates needs to be expensive. It might mean some paint on a wall. And not always white or beige paint. It might mean updating fixtures with minimal expense. At worst, it could mean a $2,000 investment in moderate flooring.
Also, a property should not be put on the market without furniture. The absence of furniture allows buyers to talk themselves out of being able to fit furniture in by imagining the room as too small.
“If it is truly ‘move-in ready,’ sellers are going to be able to sell that house faster and for more money,” she said.
Those attending the seminar will learn the definition and importance of terms like “dead wall” and “defining space.” They will learn what curb appeal means and how to make the best use of color.
Then, participants will do an interactive exercise where they virtually stage a home.
A panel including a mortgage broker, appraiser, title company representative, inspector, realtor and stager will be onhand to provide information in their areas of expertise.
How to go
What: Making Your Home a Buyer’s Desire!
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19
Where: David H. Ponitz Center, Sinclair Community College, 444 W. Third St., Dayton
Cost: $75
More information: buyers desireseminar.com
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