I love nothing more than seeing some of our own hometown fashion bloggers in advertisements, magazine spreads, and websites. While we may not compete in the winter – we shine like the sun when it comes to warm weather styles.  Our Prince of Peace highlights four young Floridians this summer.

Visit Daniela Ramirez at her blog: NanysKlozet where she shows you how to get or create the look for a lot less.

Steffyprosandcons is Steffy Kuncman’s fashion blog. You’ll find plenty of color mixed with vintage chic.

For the full Our Prince of Peace collection featuring even MORE Miami bloggers – check out their 2012 Summer Lookbook.

As the excitement over the opening of BRAVE ramps up, I wanted to step back to last month when I had the good fortune of being able to learn more about this incredible animated Pixar feature from the people who made it come to life. Katherine Sarafian has the inside scoop into just about everything BRAVE – she is the producer.  I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down with her as part of a group of bloggers invited to Pixar.

Since this was our first meeting with her, we had some background questions.  It turns out that she’s quite the veteran when it comes to Pixar.

“Well it has been a long road, but,  I think that Pixar is one of those places where you can work on lots of different films and have a different career on each film, so I try, on each film I grew into a new role.  I started sort of, entry level, at the bottom, and moved up.  By the time I was on A Bug’s Life I was a first-time manager, and once I learned that I could manage people and really enjoyed doing that, then there was a progression into marketing for a while.

Once I was doing that I found out that I could round out my skills and how the more outward facing parts of the movie, and I parlayed that into something on Monsters, Incorporated where I was at a more senior level.  So really just building up and being mentored by great bosses, Starla Anderson and other producers who I’ve worked with, and the directors I’ve worked with that really, were really supportive of me and, and, uh, even I made the mistakes, said like okay, well, you know, Pixar is very much about how you recover from your errors.  ‘Cause I, you know, we learned on the job, a lot of us did here.”

Curious as to how this film’s story came to be we asked if BRAVE was loosely based on a fairy tale.

“No, it is not based on an existing fairytale.  It’s an original story, and it’s conceived by Brenda Chapman and based on the relationship of butting heads with her own daughter, actually.  I’d say we’ve — we’re all big fans of traditional and classic and dark old fairy tales, um, but there’s not one that it’s based on at all.  No, it’s an original Pixar creation.”

BRAVE is the first Pixar film to have a strong female lead. Of course we had to know who, how and why the story was pitched to the powers that be. We had already heard earlier that day that pitching at Pixar is something that people at all levels can do.

“Well I think it t wasn’t a complete coincidence so much as a great convergence of the timing and the story and the talent.  I mean, as a filmmaker-driven studio, our directors and our filmmakers are pitching the ideas from the beginning and, and when it’s their turn to pitch an idea they could pitch one but they write what they know, and at this particular time when Brenda Chapman pitched this idea, it was very dear to her heart, having a six-year-old daughter at the time and they were really, really butting heads and she said, what will this kid be like as a teenager?

From that initial pitch, John Lassiter was hooked, like yes, we want to develop this story.  So it wasn’t so much about it being okay, it’s time for the girl movie.  It was Brenda’s pitch in that moment for her slated development.  And then she went into development.  You know, we don’t rush the development process, so that took some time, and that’s why these films take so long.  I think in a way that that’s  evidence that we don’t say like, oh now it’s time for this.  We let it be what it needed to be.”

Working on ONE movie for all of these years, I assume that you become like family. Still, you’ve been in very different roles on various movies, what was it like to learn that you’d be producing this one?

“It was — it felt initially scary, like oh dear, what did I just agree to, you know, because these things are  a marathon, not a sprint and you always believe that your next job is gonna finish up and you’re like, oh, I’ll do this and I’ll take the next project.  Here at Pixar we do lots and lots of things.  We put lots of movies out.  You think you’re gonna be on one.  We put out one a year.  That doesn’t mean that I get to work on one every, a different one every year.

I’m working on one for a long time and I see other movies coming out.  It’s like oh, there’s another one, there’s another one and I’m still here.  So it was scary to think like I’m about to go into one of these marathons ‘cause I had just come off The Incredibles which was, three years there.  That’s a long time, and Monsters, Inc., three years, four years there.  So each one of these takes a long time and it’s like I’m about to sign on for a long haul because I’d really be on from the beginning. It was worth it every single day, you know, ‘cause that also means you’ve got a filmmaking community every day, like a team and I love working with this team, you know?

The directors and the story team is really a great community.  So I’m gonna miss them, actually.  I’ve been very weepy, lately.  Like oh, the gang’s breaking up, you know?  We’re finishing.  I know, yeah.  It’s like, it’s like the cast party after your high school musical or whatever.  Like everyone’s like, oh I’ll see you next time.  I don’t want to go.”

I can’t wait to see BRAVE in it’s entirety (we only got to see a half hour of it at our Pixar screening).

BRAVE opens June 22, 2012.

While I was a guest of Disney/Pixar on a junket, all opinions are strictly  my own.

Why is it that I ALWAYS feel like I’m running out of the things that I need? There’s nothing worse than going to the cupboard to grab some Cheerios, or into the freezer for a quick dinner of Totino’s Party Pizza, only to realize the only thing in there is a jar of Salsa with no chips. This week, I headed to Publix® during the Running Out? Run In. in-store event to purchase the everyday products that I need to keep stocked.

You can even receive rewards for stocking up on some of your favorite General Mills and P&G products at Publix this May (hurry, this sale runs through  May 23, 2012). With brands like General Mills and Procter & Gamble, including Cheerios, Totino’s, Charmin, and Crest taking part, I figured I’d better get there BEFORE this sale ends, because a lot of the products in this sale seem to be on my list every week.

When I arrived – LOOK at what I found ~ a HUGE display of coupons for the items that are also on sale. SCORE! As most of you know I WANT to use coupons, but always forget to find them, clip them, bring them. I love the fact that Publix had them waiting for me in the store.

On top of all of the other savings – you’ll receive a $5 Publix® gift card to use on your next shopping trip when you purchase $30 or more in participating items during the event (5/17 – 5/23); simply mail in the rebate form found in-store or online at runningoutrunin.com along with your original receipt(s).

 The Publix gift card, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

I have a serious love/hate relationship with summer. While I love the weather, the waves crashing at the beach and the smell of suntan lotion – it’s the trying on of new bathing suits under florescent lights that turns my joy for the season into misery. Last year I participated in Lands End National Swimsuit Confidence week. The baring of myself in my new Lands’ End suit last year led me to wanting to do it again this year. I guess there’s strength in numbers and knowing that I don’t stand alone.

last year swimsuit"

This year 100 Lands’ End bloggers join the editors of Self Magazine, writers from the Curvy Girl Guide, and a group of breast cancer survivors from Beyond the Boobie Trap in this amazing movement. I’m proud to celebrate women of all shapes and sizes while inspiring US to have fun this summer and get off the beach chair with confidence!

So, I reveal to you my Swimsuit Confidence in my 2012 Lands’ End Squareneck Slender Suit Swimdress (along with Clem in his beach attire) ~

If I’m going to TRULY enjoy the beach and pool this summer, I have to get over the ugh’s and get to the point where I’m comfortable in my own skin swimsuit. If I can do it here on Champagne Living – I can do it anywhere and SO CAN YOU!

I know it’s not just me who feels this way about being in a swimsuit, and I’d LOVE nothing more than to see my readers participate in National Swimsuit Confidence Week as well. Beginning today you can also join Lands’ End and SELF Magazine each day May 21 – 25, 2012 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. CDST and participate in a series of National Swimsuit Confidence Week events on Twitter.   This week long movement was created to celebrate women of all shapes and sizes as well as educate and inspire them to embrace their swimsuit beauty and have fun this summer. So, what are you waiting for?

Each day Lands’ End will give away 6 – $50 Lands’ End gift cards each day!

Date:                          Each Day – May 21 – 25, 2012

Time:                          12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDST

Location:                  #confidence

Follow:                       @LandsEndPR, @SELFMagazine, @LEprMichele, @LEprMariella, @LEprMolly

I have Swimsuit Confidence! – Get the Badge – Go to http://on.fb.me/MhaQwh and display the “I have swimsuit confidence!”  Badge on your Twitter profile photo.  Send a tweet to @LandsEndPR proclaiming “I have swimsuit confidence!” #confidence for a chance to be entered to win a $500 Lands’ End gift card.  Send now through May 25 – winner announced at 5:00 p.m. CDST May 25, 2012.

 Schedule: 

Date                Topic                                                                                       Participants

• 5/21                SwimMates                                                                           @LandsEndPR, @nycpretty
• 5/22               Mastectomy                                                                        @LandsEndPR, @GenaeGirard
• 5/23               Swimsuit Trends for Real Women                              @LandsEndPR, @CurvyGirlTweets
• 5/24              Sizing Up Swimwear                                                        @LandsEndPR, @AllThingsChic
• 5/25               Bring Your Confidence to the Beach/Sweepstakes           @LandsEndPR, @classymommy

I received product to facilitate this post. All opinions are strictly my own.

I’m sharing a piece by one of my favorite spoken word poets Sarah Kay. She’s performed “B” many times, under many names – but this performance at the Bowery Poetry Club is my favorite.

Inspirations like this help light the spark that ignite our lives, add bubbles to our champagne, and remind us that life is not just about going to work, coming home to make dinner and falling asleep in front of the TV at night.

The weather is improving today and I’ve begun to think about moving the parties onto the lanai and outdoors this time of year. The evenings have been cooler than the days, as a result I prefer these evening get-togethers over mid-day BBQ’s. Perhaps this summer I’ll get back up to New England and celebrate with the family at my sister-in-law’s summer home on Martha’s Vineyard – which really lends itself to outdoor summer living, but here in South Florida I’ll keep to the evening schedule.

Whether you have a fabulous outdoor kitchen or just some folding chairs, a card table and a hibachi grill, you can still impress your guests with these ideas ~

Come One, Come All: Can’t find a babysitter in time for your event? Have your guests bring their children. Set up a kids’ table with coloring books, puzzles, and of course Bounty to take care of any unexpected spills. This way you can tend to your guests, and keep the kids entertained too.

Set the Mood: Table settings are a great way to give your gathering a personality. Your table décor can be as simple as flowers, candles or a table runner. It will add some drama to your meal, while doubling as a conversation piece. And don’t forget the Bounty Quilted Napkins with new print designs that are dressed to impress at any social gathering

Just a Taste: Keep your appetizers and finger foods to a one bite minimum. This allows your guests to mingle freely, without worrying about talking with their mouths full of food or receiving a crumb-filled handshake.

Give Aways: Don’t know what to do with all those leftovers? Everybody loves doggy bags! Send your guests home with one so they can enjoy your meal the next day, and save them some time in the kitchen. And you won’t have to worry about throwing away food or crowding your fridge.

Don’t forget to keep some Bounty Paper Towel with Trap & Lock™ technology on hand for easy clean-ups.  Through a more open and reinforced fiber network that also features a new emboss design, Bounty locks in mess with just one sheet – making you and your paper towels the life of the party!

Each July my brother and I prepare a July 4th party that starts in his home and works it’s way out onto the beach for dessert, fireworks and fun. Because he lives on an upper floor, we decided a long time ago that an elegant dinner looking over the city was the easiest way to go. A simple menu of salmon, lots of veggies picked up FRESH at a local farm stand and champagne drinks work for us. We pack up the pick-up desserts into sand pails (brownies, cookies, etc.) and take them down to the beach armed with plenty of sparklers to watch the neighbors shoot off fireworks over the ocean. An easy loading of the dishwasher and wipe down of the table and kitchen with Bounty before I go downstairs and Voila – cleanup is a breeze.

Want to win some help with your party?

Now through June 2012, P&G products will be featured in a monthly Good Housekeeping sweepstakes.  Through the Good Housekeeping Seal Deal Giveaway you have the opportunity to win one of 50 P&G product baskets filled with the trusted brands you know and love.  Visit www.goodhousekeeping.com each month for the opportunity to win great P&G prizes from Good Housekeeping.  And, keep in mind that just by entering the sweeps each month you may receive a free P&G product sample or a high-value coupon…enter today!

Of course, Champagne Living wants one of our readers to be prepared for party season with a roll of Bounty Trap & Lock™ technology for themselves.

GIVEAWAY

Extra Entries

• Follow me on twitter @zipporahs and tweet about this giveaway
• Comment below with your tweet
• Subscribe to Champagne Living,  follow me on facebook or twitter – all found on the sidebar (each counts for 1 extra entry)
• Tell your peeps on your blog, facebook page or twitter about this or any post (each counts for 1 extra entry) and link to us.
• Share this giveaway on any contest/sweepstakes/giveaway site for 5 extra entries..
• This giveaway is open to US residents, 18 and over and ends on June 4, 2012
• No purchase is necessary.
• Odds of winning are dependent upon the number of entries received.
• Void where prohibited by law

I received product to facilitate this review, all opinions are strictly my own.

While I’ll be showing off MY new swim dress on Monday, for those who are ready to don their bikini’s we have a few pieces to show you from Aquaclara‘s new 2012 summer collection. This Peruvian swim brand features tribal influences, exotic prints, vibrant colors and native handiwork.

Bathing suits by Aquaclara are available directly from the brand – ONLINE and are reasonably priced between $100 – $200.

I very rarely post infographics, but this one has me scratching my head and wondering if getting plastic surgery and a diet clinic can be written off against future business. Just sayin….if we’re gorgeous and thin, we’ll make more money, and so will the taxman.

Infographic created by: Online MBA Programs

In the early Nineteenth Century the Industrial Revolution was really important for so many different types of manufacturing but it was especially significant for the world of fashion with the invention of spinning and weaving machines, and how they revolutionized how clothes were made.

This pinnacle point in fashion history meant that all the latest styles were soon readily available for every member of society, as apposed to being restrained only to the social elite.

In the Twentieth Century the post war boom of the fifties saw the same effect. As cultural alienation from anything handmade grew, so did the biggest rise of consumer mass made products, the extent to which the Western World had never seen.

The down side to mass production, of course, is the fact that everything seems to be very similar and high street shopping can be tricky when you’re looking for something a little more unique.

The best place to look for something a little more independent is online. There are many online stores that not only sell one off pieces but actively seek out and support independent designers of handmade jewelry such as Bottica.com.

It seems now, that our culture has gone full circle and we are starting to appreciate the artisan skills of the past, this means that many handmade fashion pieces are a lot more expensive than their machine made counterparts.

Fashion is starting to realise that perhaps mass mechanism took away from what was real within an item. Italian handbag designer Lanfranco works for fashion house Monaco Metropolitano and is a perfect example of the importance we now place on rarity of the skilled worker.

If you are a skilled crafts person in any area of fashion, whether it be millinery, jewelry design, accessories or whatever else, never underestimate the power of the designer who can make their work come to life using only rudimentary tools and their own hands. Obviously quality materials are also essential for the production of a timeless fashion item but if you make it well, there will always be a buyer who is interested in quality over quantity.

This is a featured post, all opinions are my own

Before last month, the closest I came to Scotland was listening to The Proclaimers, and after visiting Pixar Studios last month I would TOTALLY walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more – to get to Scotland.  I still haven’t actually BEEN to the highlands, but thanks to a bit of Pixar magic I got to experience just what goes in to creating the Scottish experience on screen by some of the innovators of the movie BRAVE.

Fashion - Isn’t this where it always begins with me? I’m like an open book, whether it’s a neighbor on the street or a character in a film, the first thing I notice is…what they are wearing. So…between the massive 8 layers of fabric that goes into Fergus’ kilt and the 22 fabulous costume changes by the fiery haired Merida I was intrigued. It may take me an hour to get ready to go out, and I have short hair, can you imagine getting  ready with Merida’s curly mane?  My hairdresser would have a FIT having to deal hair that is four feet long if straightened, and Queen Elinor’s 6’6″ of hair would have her ready for a career change, but for simulation supervisor Claudia Chung it was all in a day’s work as she groomed and costumed the animated the lords and ladies of Scotland.

The Setting – Scotland, the home of the most beautiful and romantic cliffs, heather filled fields, and beautiful seascapes. I’m certain that photos don’t do the magnificent countryside justice, but through Steve Pilcher’s eyes Scotland becomes majestically animated.  After visiting Scotland, Pilcher and shading artist Tia Kratter returned to recreate the lush countryside via models and paintings, capturing not only the look but also the tone of what would become the movie. With hundreds of beautiful watercolor paintings and black & white drawings they captured the rocks, peat, and movement of the grasses as this beautiful artwork was transformed into digital animation. Having only seen a ½ hour of this movie I CAN tell you that I truly had the feeling of being there.

The Story – As a writer I fully understand story progression, but when the story is taken from a simple outline through the finished animated feature, there’s so much  more to the process. The struggle between a mother and her tenacious daughter is taken from that simple relationship to story via beat boards, script and eventually story board scenes by story artist Louis Gonzales. Set in a chaotic kingdom filled with “royal” characters we learn about what real bravery is.

The Cliff-hanger - Unfortunately, I can’t tell you much past the first half hour of this film, other than the fact that they left us hanging after the first act. I’ll be seeing the full movie when you do…on opening day June 22nd.

While I was a guest of Disney/Pixar on a junket, all opinions are strictly  my own.