Lydia Troncale spotlight

Lydia Troncale is living an adventure, one filled with both passion and dedication.

A former New Holland resident who graduated from Lancaster Mennonite School, she now lives in Russia and works for Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy as development director. The organization runs 12 social-service programs across Moscow, including two soup kitchens and several initiatives to help the large African and Afghani refugee communities.

Troncale’s primary job is to raise funds and expand MPC’s social programs. Her first connection to Russia was through mission trips as a teenager, working in orphanages in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

On her first trip, in 1998, she met a 4-year-old girl in an orphanage whom Troncale’s parents later adopted. Since then, Troncale has maintained a strong connection to Russia through a study-abroad program and more than a dozen visits. She plans to stay overseas and continue working for social justice.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Troncale said.
Age: 24.
Family: Parents Joseph and Lisa; sisters Maria, Anna, Masha and Anya; and younger brother Joseph.
Education: Graduated from Millersville University with a bachelor’s degree in social work; Master of Arts in international development from Eastern University.

My day: Every day is different. I work with many different people on lots of tasks. I take the metro to the city and try to work at our soup kitchens, as the interaction with our clients makes my work extremely worthwhile. I also study Russian 15 hours a week at a language institute. My newest project is starting a “Meals on Wheels” program, which I hope to begin this spring.

Why I do what I do: I have a passion for people and social justice. As a Christian, I believe in living a life that emulates Jesus’ commands to help the poor.
Professional challenges: You have to find healthy ways to cope with the deep sadness of what you see every day on the job. The refugees are men, women and children of all ages. They are the lowest members of society, with few possessions and not much hope for the future.
Biggest cultural difference between Lancaster and Moscow: While Moscow is becoming much more westernized, the biggest social difference is that no one in Russia smiles! I miss happy faces.

Favorite thing about Russia: The architecture is magnificent because everything is so old. I also love the strong traditions in Russia. For example, you just know going into a Russian home that you will take your shoes off, put slippers on, and be invited to sit and have tea.

Favorite Russian food: Blini are little pancakes like crepes that are filled with cheese or jam. They are a common Russian street food.
If I could have dinner with anyone (living or dead): Anna Politkovskaya, the late Russian journalist.
Favorite book: “City of Thieves” by David Benioff. I also enjoyed “Sammy’s Hill” by Kristin Gore, which I read on the metro, riding to work.

For fun in Russia: I enjoy going to the theater and ballet and relaxing in coffee shops with friends. My roommate and I throw a weekly wine-and-cheese party and we play Nintendo Wii with several of our friends.

Who/what inspires me in life: People pioneering modern-day human-rights issues, like Gary Haugen, who started the International Justice Mission.
Future goals: I would like to go back to graduate school and become more educated on the topic of refugees and forced migration issues. I would like to become fluent in Russian and continue to stay oversees.

Words that describe me: Passionate, advocate and adventuresome.

Quote to live by: “If adventures do not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad,” —Jane Austen.

Alice Eby spotlight

Alice Eby believes in hard work. So much, in fact, that she often forgets to eat.

Born in Taiwan, she has been in the area since 1982, when she married her late husband, John Eby, and moved to America.

“Working hard means you feel proud of yourself,” the Gap resident said.

When she first came to America, she helped her husband, a Lancaster County native, salt hides. Today Alice still works 18-hour days, but she’s branched into other ventures.

Alice owns two businesses in Intercourse: Eby’s House and Nancy’s Corner, where she sells quilts, pillows, wall hangings and other novelty items for tourists.

She said the road of life can have bumps, but they are what helps someone grow up. With age comes experience, she said. “If you do something you like, life will not be a bumpy road.”

What are some of the biggest cultural differences between America and Taiwan? I enjoy the four seasons. Over there it is only humid. Here it is also nice and quiet. In the city, I had no lawn to mow.

Family: My mother is in California. I have one brother and two sisters in America as well.

What was your life like when you first came to America? Johnny and I worked hard. We would work all day and forget to eat. We were hungry but happy.

The biggest challenges in a new country were: The hardest part was the language. I learned English in middle school but slang here is very hard to understand!

How do you know what tourists will want to buy? I know what the trends are and try to have options for both Americans and foreigners. People come from all over the U.S. and as far as Germany and Australia to buy quilts.

Here, people like flowers. Europeans like solid colors. Right now the big colors are browns and golds, colors popular in the ’70s.

My business advice: You have to try several things before you know what you’ll want to do. If you have a goal, you’ll make it. Johnny said you either float or you sink. I wanted to float.

The difficult part of running business today is: It is sometimes hard to find dependable help. You must always trust people, but they must prove themselves.

America today is different, in that: People used to save their pennies. People used to patch their clothes. Look around today: no patches.

My advice for today’s young people: It’s nothing fancy. You have to save, not use credit cards, and work hard. Learn everything you can and the money will come. Don’t forget that money isn’t everything. The question is: Are you happy?

The recession will pass: If everybody works together and works harder, our country will be like before. We must look up and look at the brighter side.

Planning on retiring? No, I like working! I enjoy it very much. I feel proud when I look at what I have created, and at my business. I like to keep learning.

Any hobbies? No. I work and eat. Work first. Eat second. I very much enjoy my life. Life isn’t about dressing up and being fancy. It’s about working hard.

A final piece of advice: In the end, you have to help yourself. You can have everything you want, but you have to like what you do.

"Wintergirls" book review

Books about eating disorders must straddle a very fine line, exposing the diseases as real and being as truthful as possible without making them look the least bit enticing.
In her new novel for young adults, “Wintergirls,” Laurie Halse Anderson uses her gift for becoming the character so well that it seems like a journal of a real-life girl — a girl who is killing herself slowly for the sake of being thin.
“I would never be popular. I didn’t want to be; I liked being shy. I’d never be the smartest or the hottest or the happiest. By eighth grade, you start to figure out your limits. But there was one thing I was really good at … I [would be] the skinniest girl in school.”
With that, best friends Lia and Cassie prick their fingers under the moonlight to seal their oath in blood, and their journey toward death begins.
Just as in Anderson’s best-selling young-adult novel “Speak,” painful life events lead to self-destructive behavior that seems out of the characters’ power to control.
Lia’s dysfunctional family and the death of her bulimic best friend cause her to gravitate to the only thing she feels she can control in life: her weight.
The reader may want to scream at Lia and shake her, but may also feel the demons and visions she sees are the same ones the reader sometimes sees.
Lia knows she is dying and dreams about it. She doesn’t want to die, but she can’t stop it. All she can do is calculate calories of the food she does eat. Self-condemnation is all she knows.
“I know exactly what’s wrong. I am a gluttonous, gorging failure. A waste.”
This is not a happy book. It is dark, from the cold winter setting to the demons that Lia sees every day. Lia struggles with the ghost of Cassie, who she believes wants her dead. Cassie’s ghost tells her she is trapped between the living and the dead, and she wants Lia on her team.
“The dead do walk and haunt and crawl into your bed at night. Ghosts sneak into your head when you’re not looking ... poison berries make girls stronger, but sometimes kill them. If you howl at the moon and swear on your blood, anything you desire will be yours. Be careful what you wish for. There’s always a catch.”
At the end of “Speak” the silenced rape victim compares herself to a tree. When she speaks, she can finally grow. “I feel the frozen stillness melt down through the inside of me, dripping shards of ice that vanish in a puddle of sunlight on the stained floor. Words float up.”
In the same way, “Wintergirls” does not have a happy ending but ends with the promise of a new beginning.
“Somehow, I dragged myself out of the dark and asked for help … there is no magic cure, no making it all go away forever. There are only small steps upward; an easier day, an unexpected laugh, a mirror that doesn’t matter anymore. I am thawing.”
Anderson will again capture, move and, more importantly, cause her teen audience to stop and think. Only books written with her clarity and honesty can shoulder the weight of stirring a life — and perhaps even saving one.

Shop Your Closet

“Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.”
— Edna Woolman Chase


No money to buy the latest fashions? Trying to look trendy but can’t afford to? Just look in your closet — the style you want you might already possess.
With the economy forcing us to decide between needs and wants, now is the perfect time to get creative and organized by “shopping your own closet.”
There could be a great floral skirt lurking in there, waiting to be paired with a gray camisole and black cardigan that you never thought to put together, or a pair of wide-leg pants that would look fabulous with those leopard-print ballet flats you thought didn’t match anything.
According to http://style.com, the online home of Vogue magazine, shopping your closet means “diving deep into your closet, storage space or perhaps parent’s basement to uncover your own fabulous clothing from seasons past — so long past, in fact, that they somehow feel new.”
To Emily Bruce, of Coatesville, shopping her closet, she said, “means taking a new look at articles of clothing I already own and trying to find new ways to combine them into different outfits I didn’t think of before.”
Bruce said she owns a lot of bohemian/hippie-style tops that have stayed in style throughout the years.
In her book, “The Little Black Book of Style,” Nina Garcia, fashion director for Marie Claire magazine, says the key to updating what you own is adding jewelry. Unique costume jewelry can take simple, everyday clothes and elevate them to a fashionable level.
Wear a stack of gold bangles, or a long necklace for an updated ’70s-style image with your peasant tops and blouses.
Erica Eisenbise, of Narvon, agrees. “If you feel the need to buy something new but can’t really afford it, go and buy a few accessories that will accent a piece of clothing you already own,” she said. You will feel great knowing you didn’t spend a lot of money but are still “sporting a new look,” she added.

Eisenbise, 20, attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania for fashion merchandising. She likes to be creative with what she has. “Mix and match bright colors,” she said, noting that neon colors of the ’80s are, and will continue to be, a big trend. “You can also layer two shirts to create a whole different look.”
“There are many ways in which you can update an old look,” said Jackie Merrin, an Art Institute of Philadelphia fashion marketing graduate who currently lives in Drexel Hill.
“For example, I was going on a job interview while living in L.A. and I took an old cotton dress that I wore on the beach with flip-flops, and turned it into the amazing dress that landed me the position. The plain white cotton dress, that at one point just looked average, now looked unique.” How? Merrin added a rhinestone belt and wore silver heels; it changed the outfit’s entire vibe.
“Looking through old clothes can make you realize how creative you really are!” Merrin said.
Editing your closet is a good way to start rediscovering what you have. If you eliminate pieces that you never wear, it becomes easier to recognize the potential of items that remain.
Be honest and ruthless. Only keep things that fit, and that you wear. Put the clothes that are in good condition back in the closet; donate items you will never wear again; put pieces that need simple alterations in another pile. Allow yourself only one week to get them altered; if you don’t do it after that deadline, toss them.
Bruce said it’s a good idea to clean out your closet at the beginning of each season.
“Get rid of clothes that you don’t regularly wear. You can always sell them on eBay or at a consignment shop and use that money towards new purchases.” She has been shopping a lot less lately, because money is tighter, and said most of her clothes come from consignment shops.
“I think as long as you buy clothing that looks good on you and fits your body type instead of just buying stuff because it’s trendy, then you will be able to shop your closet for years,” Bruce added.
Back in a pre-recession world, shopping for something new was thought to be less of an effort than opening the closet and digging out something already there.
Now it seems wise to take the time to sort through overstuffed closets, before heading out shopping for even more.
“I think the economy has a lot to do with the way we shop now,” Merrin said. She finds herself buying more practical pieces like a “good pair of jeans or shoes,” that she can wear repeatedly. “I have definitely learned it’s about quality not quantity.”
Designer Michael Kors says on style.com that our fashion spending should now be limited to items that are “seasonless.” That could mean long cardigans, which can work from fall through spring, and denim jackets, which are always in style.
Throw one over a T-shirt and with jeans or leggings you already own, and you will look current no matter the season.
Shopping your closet will give you many new outfit options and “open up the door” to new style.
“It’s using what you already have to create a new look that fits today’s trends,” said Eisenbise, smiling in her neon sundress.n
So, are you ready to start?
Tips from Emily Bruce:
•Add jewelry, such as long necklaces, to your bohemian-style tops and blouses.
•Get rid of old clothes and make a few dollars by selling them through eBay or consignment shops.
•Buy clothing that fits your body, not just what’s trendy.

Tips from Erica Eisenbise:
•Mix and match different colors.
•Layer two shirts, one long and one short.



Tips from Jackie Merrin:
•Add a belt to an old dress.
•Wear different shoes with an outfit you already have.
•Buy practical pieces: Think quality not quantity!

Back to the '80s and '40s

Time to put away the shorts and tank tops — fall is here to stay and, with it, the fun of fashion!
This season, fashion is taking a turn to the past; the most dominant trend is the return of the ’80s.
That means big shoulders, neon colors and body-conscious fits are in style once again.
Marti Corle, owner of Marti on West King Street, said she is seeing a return of the decade’s “severe structuring.”

“One of my most popular fall pants is going to be a skinny-knit pant that stops at the ankle,” which, she said, references leggings.
Big shoulders will also be a popular look according to Candy Pratts Price, executive fashion director at
Style.com. Styles now are less bulky and more tailored, which creates a flattering silhouette.
Corle said jackets with strong shoulders look good with straight-leg pants “to balance the volume on top.”
Vivid colors like pink, blue and yellow are reminiscent of the ’80s, but now come in new shapes that look modern, not over-the-top retro.
The fall fashion issue of Marie Claire says the key to wearing saturated colors is to “mix solid separates in unexpected pigments.”
Debbie Serdy, of My Aunt Debbie boutique, located inside Mommalicious & Smilin’ Gal, on North Queen Street, said women are embracing vintage fashion from the ’40s this fall. This includes fur coats and stoles, tie-neck blouses and hats.
“What is trendy is mixing vintage and new,” Serdy said. “Pairing a sheer ’40s blouse with jeans is a great look. When you do this it doesn’t look costumey.”
Other popular looks from this era tap menswear, which includes variations from pinstripe pencil skirts to androgynous pantsuits and fedoras.
Alicia Byler, owner of Mommalicious, said, “large, chunky necklaces” will be very fashionable this fall.
They look best with simple clothing, so it’s an easy way to update what you own. Pair an outrageous necklace with a T-shirt and jeans, and you will look stylish and modern.
Whether you choose to embrace these trends full-on, or pick just a few to discreetly transition into fall, remember to have fun and be yourself! (Maybe an ’80s version of yourself, but yourself nonetheless).

"Classy" book review

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” Coco Chanel

There are two kinds of girls: classy and trashy. Derek Blasberg, author of “Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady,” starts with this simple premise.
But don’t worry. You might not have been born a lady, but there is no reason you can’t learn to be one.
This book couldn’t have come at a better time, just when it seems the worst-behaved celebrities get all the attention, your Facebook friend with the trashiest photos gets the most “likes,” and the loudest girl at the party is having the most fun.
Blasberg says it’s time for a change.
Blasberg is from Missouri and rose to fashion-world popularity after coming to New York City, attending New York University and writing for magazines like Vogue, W, Harper’s Bazaar and Interview
It is his Midwestern background and good-natured humor that make his writing very likable. You can see yourself hanging out with him, maybe becoming best friends.
He lives in the vain, shallow world of celebrities and socialites but knows and wants to pass on the idea that filling your mind with worthless activities like reading the tabloids and engaging in gossip will get you nowhere.
Blasberg covers many aspects of life, from throwing a dinner party to cleaning up a filthy mouth. The book is overflowing with advice, quotes from famous designers past and present, photos of do’s and don’ts, and lists of books, movies, plays and artists.
The best way to approach this book is to take it little by little or pick it up when you have a question about something — such as what to pack when traveling abroad.
The first tips are for outward appearances, such as choosing three accessories that are simple and go with anything: big sunglasses, cocktail rings and brooches.
Clothing tells the world a lot about who you are and is always sending a message. Short and tight says tramp. Classy is never both of those.
Blasberg then covers social situations with tips that range from how to perfect a flattering photograph pose to when to put a cell phone down: at the dinner table, on a date, and in a meeting.
Other tips include how to have good guest etiquette, how to decode a party dress code, how to introduce people, and even how to sit properly in a skirt.
At the end of each chapter, Blasberg has a little quiz you can take to check your ranking on questions such as “Do you know how to throw down?” (plan a party); “Are you a social dead weight?” (concerning charm); and “What’s your travel style?” (some people really do best staying home).
There are also “Recessionista” pages for ideas on dressing stylishly on a tight budget and throwing a successful party with cheap champagne and Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets.
Blasberg covers more than just the fluff of life by devoting a chapter to learning, saying a lady should always expand her horizons, help others, and know what’s going on in the world.
I especially enjoyed his section on hard work. In today’s entitlement society — and in the world Blasberg inhabits — it is easy to see Generation Y as lazy, self-obsessed and narcissistic.
He ends with a section on paying your dues, saying the chance to intern or work at an entry-level job is your time to make a good impression by working hard. After all, Blasberg quotes, “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
Today’s young lady who is looking for advice on how to be a sophisticated modern woman only needs the motivation to do so and Blasberg’s Tiffany-blue “Classy” tucked fashionably under her arm.

"Bambo People" book review

"Writing to ‘shape the human heart"

Growing up, Mitali Perkins considered books her lifeline.
They were her rock and sometimes her only friends as her family moved around the world.
Today the Newton, Mass., resident writes her own books, hoping her words can influence and help teenagers who were just like her.
“I know firsthand how stories shape the human heart during childhood and adolescence, so it was a bit of a no-brainer for me,” Perkins said.
“Who wouldn’t want one of the most powerful vocations on the planet?”
Her new novel, “Bamboo People,” is about the modern-day war in Myanmar (Burma), told through the eyes of two teenage boys whose lives are changed when their paths collide.
“This book is not traditional,” Perkins said, “but kids will like it because it’s an adventure.”
Publishers Weekly gave “Bamboo People” a starred review, calling it “a graceful exploration of the redemptive power of love, family, and friendship under untenable circumstances.”
This is her first book written from a boy’s perspective.
“I have twin sons in high school, so I know boys, but I myself am a girly-girl,” Perkins said. She added that it was fun looking at life through the eyes of a teen boy, but she is happy to keep writing as a girl in the future.
Her previous books include “Monsoon Summer,” “The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen” and “First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover.”
Perkins’ experiences living in different cultures and traveling the planet inspire her to write books that aren’t typical of the children’s and young-adult genres.
By age 11, this Calcutta native had lived in London, New York, Mexico and Thailand before her family settled in the San Francisco Bay area.
She studied political science at Stanford University and public policy at University of California, Berkeley, and said she survived academia thanks to a steady diet of children’s books.
Perkins went on to teach middle school, high school and college students, but writing books remained her passion.
It was her political science background that led her to write “Bamboo People.” She knew about the struggles of child soldiers but said there are “no children’s books on the market that deal with this serious stuff.”
The author said she is counting on librarians and independent booksellers like Aaron’s Books to introduce her new book to teens, because it might not be a choice they would find on their own.
“I’m hoping when teens read this they will care about the characters and think about how small choices matter,” Perkins said.
“Because when the time comes for bigger choices, then you will make the right one.”

Story Archives

Visit http://tinyurl.com/4kdlebt for archive of my Lancaster Sunday News articles.

Susquehanna Style wedding trends article

http://www.susquehannastyle.com/ezine
Check out wedding trends on pages 95-100!

"Matterhorn" book review

Every war is different. And yet every war is completely the same.

"Matterhorn," by decorated Marine Corps Vietnam veteran Karl Marlantes, is about Vietnam, yes, but the war images he describes with full intensity, anguish and emotion could be about any war at any time in history.
Reading "Matterhorn" is like being right there in the dark-green wet jungle with the young Marines, fighting an officer's battle.
The leeches are attaching themselves, the jungle rot is eating away at feet, the thirst is palpable and the exhaustion is as heavy and thick as the air on Matterhorn.
"It was all absurd, without reason or meaning," Marlantes writes.
"People who didn't even know each other were going to kill each other over a hill none of them cared about."
Matterhorn is a hilltop in South Vietnam near the Demilitarized Zone, where Marine Corps Bravo Company is based throughout the 600-page novel.
Most of the story is seen through the eyes of 2nd Lt. Mellas, an Ivy League-educated 21-year-old with a cynical yet brave outlook on life in the jungle.
Mellas' weariness reaches a point at which the war all becomes clear:
"Mellas now knew, with utter certainty, that the North Vietnamese would never quit. They would continue the war until they were annihilated. ... He stood there, looking at the waste."
But more than a mountain, more than a battle, this book is about the boys who fight it.
And they are boys, in their teens and 20s and already aging like old men.
They "cry openly like small children who needed to be fed and tucked into bed."
The "smears of purple and orange Kool-Aid on their lips combined with the fear in their eyes to make them look like children returning from a birthday party at which the hostess had shown horror films."
Marlantes writes descriptively and with language that doesn't hold back or apologize for its rudeness, coarseness or rawness.
He knows what to write because he was there. Marlantes graduated from Yale University and served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded numerous medals, including two Purple Hearts.
"Matterhorn" was written over the course of 30 years. It is not a political book. It is just an honest one.
The imagery is intense: The pus runs, the blood oozes and the thirst of the men makes a glass of water seem like a luxury.
The loneliness, sadness and confusion of the soldiers is revealing; it shows a world we think we know, but it's a world where only those who were there truly know.
The men often have a sick feeling that comes with doing the job but not knowing what the job really is.
A 24th Regiment commander observes the viciousness around him:
"The Marines seemed to be killing people with no objective beyond the killing itself. ... He [Col. Mulvaney] tried to ignore it by doing his job, which was killing people."
Mellas is Marlantes' voice. He is one soldier, but he is also every soldier.
"He [Mellas] ran as he'd never run before, with neither hope nor despair. He ran because the world was divided into opposites and his side had already been chosen for him, his only choice being whether or not to play his part with heart and courage. He ran because fate had placed him in a position of responsibility and he had accepted the burden. He ran because his self-respect required it. He ran because he loved his friends and this was the only thing he could do to end the madness that was killing and maiming them."
Gen. William C. Westmoreland, who commanded American military operations in Vietnam from 1964-1968, said, "War is fear cloaked in courage."
In "Matterhorn," as in other war novels, we see fear.
But more than anything, we see courage.


Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/290225#ixzz1CBHQrxL6

Alicia Byler spotlight

From the fashions she wears to the products she sells, vintage is what Alicia Byler knows best.
While she may appear straight out of the past, Byler is a thoroughly modern-day businesswoman, wife, mother and artist.
She owns and manages the vintage retail store Mommalicious on North Queen Street, where she sells home furnishings and fashion, as well as all sorts of "quirky stuff."
"It's who I am as a person, and I love what I do," said Byler, who has dressed in retro fashions all of her life.
Never far from her work, she lives in an apartment above the shop with her husband and son.
Family is near to her heart. Byler's inspiration for her own artwork — mixed media and collage pieces — always comes from her younger sister, who died 18 years ago in a car accident.
"It's always about love and death," Byler said. "It's the yin and yang of life."

Age: 41
Family: Husband, Dennis, and son, Lucas, 10.
Education: Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, diploma of fine arts; Millersville University, B.F.A., painting.
Something people don't know about me: I have been a painter/ collage artist since the late '80s and still consider myself first and foremost an artist.
Favorite things to do with my family: I love eating breakfast out with my husband, son and my mom, Eileen. Dennis, Lucas and I are voracious movie watchers.
Biggest joy in being a small business owner: The delight my customers feel when they see something from their childhood. I get to hear great stories and their pleasure is contagious.
My industry icons are: Small business owners dedicated to finding new homes for lovely old things.
Hardest part of starting my own business: Working through moments of self-doubt.
Hobbies: Painting, reading, movies, flea markets, eating great local food.
Inspiration: Cy Twombly has been my painting guru for many years.
Favorite fashion decade: I mix and match from the 1940s to the 1970s.
Favorite magazine: British Country Living.
Favorite Book: Anything by Thomas Hardy or A.S. Byatt. This is a tough one because I love to read.
Favorite website: I'd rather read a book.
Favorite food: I love Thai food. But I also love special birthday celebrations at Gibraltar (you know it, Kabi!) and romantic dinners at Effie Ophelia.
If I could go anywhere in the world: New Zealand. But I would love to visit London, too. Or Paris. Italy sounds nice. Or maybe Brazil ...
If I could have anyone over for dinner: The artist and musician Bjork.
Best fashion advice: Go against the rules.
Most influential person in your life: My sister, Janelle, who died 18 years ago. She influences all of my work as an artist.
The perfect day would include: Breakfast out. An hour or two to read. Afternoon tea with a special friend. A few hours in the studio. Family movie night with Dennis and Lucas. Then lovely sleep.
Looking forward to: My husband and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary in Oaxaca, Mexico, this November during the Day of the Dead.
When I was little, I wanted to be: A veterinarian.
Best advice I ever received: Do what you love.
I believe in: Honesty.
If I could meet my teenage self, I would tell her: Follow your bliss.
Guilty pleasure: I like candy and chips and ice cream and ...
Snack of choice: My husband.
My idea of happiness: A balance of special times with my family and friends, fulfilling work, and creative solitude.
Favorite quote: Be the change you want to see.

The world needs more: Love, baby, love.


Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/279405#ixzz1CBG4dhxU

"Take Ivy" book review

With fall's arrival and classes in full swing, prep-school fashion is everywhere once again. Students and graduates alike are donning varsity gear and school colors, with Ralph Lauren and J. Crew offering a full assortment of this WASP-y American style that is as current as it is vintage.
Books capitalizing on the return of the preppy look include "True Prep," by Lisa Birnbach, author of "The Official Preppy Handbook" and now "Take Ivy," a slender volume of photographs and Ivy League school history that has been re-released.
The latter was originally commissioned by Kensuke Ishizu, the founder of an Ivy League-inspired clothing line called Van Jacket, and first published in Japan in 1965. Japanese photographer Teruyoshi Hayashida and three writers — Shosuke Ishizu, Toshiyuki Kurosu and Hajime (Paul) Hasegawa — did the original research, visiting American Ivy League colleges to "learn everything about their campuses and the lives of students."
The book is a must for anyone interested in men's fashion or Ivy League life, past and present. It offers the interesting and unusual perspective of Japanese men of 45 years ago, who probably never imagined the cult status their book would achieve.
Rare original copies of the book have been sought for decades and sold for hundreds of dollars online. The reissue has been published in English by powerHouse Books at $24.95.
Chapters in the 142-page hardcover include "College Life," "College Fashion," "Elements of "Ivy" and "Take Ivy," which includes information about the eight Ivy League universities: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown and Cornell.
Along with campus photos are photos of New York City streets and shop windows. The book notes, "There are striking similarities between these boutiques and Ivy League campuses in the sense that they are both peaceful, yet full of life. That is exactly what the Ivy League is all about."
There is a directory that lists items in "the basic wardrobe of Ivy Leaguers," should the reader want to make sure he has everything necessary for the complete look.
The largest section is "College Life," with beautiful pictures of the campuses and of students studying, walking to class, biking, reading and relaxing.
As nothing is new in fashion, only repackaged, many of the items photographed in "Take Ivy" are trendy once again this fall/ winter fashion season.
Take for example the varsity jacket. Always a campus staple, the jacket is currently shown in many fall fashion magazines as a piece that can be worn whether or not the owner has ever set foot on a field or court.
Or look at the recent popularity of boat shoes — epitomized by the styles worn by students on the Ivy campuses -— now worn by both men and women of all ages and occupations.
"Take Ivy" is a snapshot of a unique and privileged life and a perfect look-book for those today who want to emulate that way of life, if only in the shoes they wear.

Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/298555#ixzz1CBF0gvxu

Keely Childers Heany spotlight

Keely Childers Heany lives a stylish life. From the vintage clothes she wears to the delectable dinner dishes she creates, Heany is a Lancaster city resident with one rule: Keep it all local.
"Supporting local businesses and organizations is my passion," Heany said.
This includes serving on the steering committee of the Lancaster Buy Fresh, Buy Local program and on the Jazz Fest committee for Clare House, as well as making dinner from fresh ingredients she buys at Eastern and Central Markets.
"My favorite thing to do in Lancaster is go to market, shop and dine downtown," Heany said.
Whether profiling local business women in the regional lifestyle magazine Susquehanna Style — where she is the managing editor and marketing director — or finding and wearing vintage treasures from local shops, Heany is an inspiration and a breath of fresh air.
Fresh local air, of course.
Age: 28.
Education: B.A., English, with minors in international business and Spanish, Fairmont State University, West Virginia.
Family: Husband, Don Heany.
Favorite book: I have most recently read "The Glass Castle," by Jeannette Walls.
Favorite magazine: Besides Susquehanna Style? Saveur.
Favorite thing to do with my husband: We enjoy biking, hiking, camping.
Hobbies: Yoga, running, reading, writing, cooking and traveling.
I am inspired by: My mom and grandmother, foremost. And my first professional mentors would be Mary Anne (Piccirillo) Pirro and Sherry Qualls.
Favorite part of my job: Definitely the food writing and styling. And my co-workers, including the man behind the magazine, Donovan Roberts Witmer. We work so well together, I couldn't ask for a better boss.
On a typical day: I could be doing anything from planning content to attending a fashion show, doing a fashion shoot, a food shoot, business events or writing from home. It's really always different every day which I love!
When I was little I wanted to be: A writer. I wrote little stories and books all the time.
Favorite place in the world: Portugal.
If money was no issue, I would: Make sure all of our family was comfortable, and then Don and I would travel the world.
Someday in the future I would like to: Teach at a college level.
Community activities: I am chair of the marketing committee for the Business Women's Forum, and through my job I'm involved with the YWCA of Harrisburg, Milton Hershey Medical Center, Association of Faculty and Friends of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine Fashion Show and Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, along with many other local organizations.
Best advice I ever received: My dad always said, "If you can't be honest, you can't be anything." I just try to be real and authentic with people.
Favorite fashion decade: Definitely the timeless grace and elegance of the '40s and '50s.
Favorite foods: Love making lobster macaroni and cheese with truffle oil, and going out for the Belvedere Inn's grilled Caesar and mussels and Fenz's pickle fries.
Favorite food to make: I'm usually inspired by what's in season and what's at market.
Happiness to me is: Knowing that everyone in my family is happy and OK and that I am blessed to be doing a job I love so much.
The perfect day: Getting up, paging through magazines over coffee, getting inspiration for décor, crafts, making my market list for meals for the week and cooking all day.
Some of the things I love the most: The feeling after a really long run, the smell of baking in my kitchen and going home to my husband's smile at the end of the day.
Snack of choice: Utz Natural Gourmet Medley potato chips and pickles.
Favorite website: Epicurious.com.
If I could go anywhere in the world: I want to go to Calabria, Italy, to see where my family is from.
Guilty pleasures: I love a lot of local microbrews, like Springhouse Brewery, Troegs and Iron Hill.
Thanksgiving plans: Cooking, eating and spending time with my family.
I believe that: All experiences in life make us who we are — the good, the bad, the ugly — it's all part of the fabric of our being as individuals and what we have to offer one another.
Favorite quote: From the late fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar and editor-in-chief of Vogue, Diana Vreeland: "One is born with good taste. It's very hard to acquire. You can acquire the patina of taste. ... No taste is what I'm against."

Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/315334#ixzz1CBCo6uY6

Christmas Day Meal

Christmas is about giving. Presents, cards, hugs and cookies.
For many people, serving meals Christmas Day has become the gift their families give.
Saturday, at St. Anne Catholic Church, Duke and Liberty streets, volunteers gathered for the 20th time to host a Christmas dinner.
Because so many churches serve Thanksgiving meals, St. Anne's members noticed a need for a dinner Dec. 25.
I was assigned by the Sunday News to be a waitress at the dinner, and to share my thoughts in an article.
Families who were there Saturday received a hot meal and a gift card to a local grocery store. Many took home loaves of bread, bags of fruit and takeout meals.
I was told by several volunteers that the thought is to feed the people for more than just one day.
Thursday evening, tables were set up with salt-and-pepper shakers, bowls of sugar packets, poinsettias and table numbers. The St. Anne School gym was large and empty and quiet.
The preparation

Friday morning in the school kitchen, a crew hand-mixed the stuffing. Four cups of celery, four cups of onion, one bag of seasoning and a 70-pound bag of bread cubes were tossed together in a roasting pan, then separated into smaller aluminum baking pans that held 5 pounds each.
Ray Hottenstein, owner of Olde Greenfield Inn, prepared the turkey in his restaurant's ovens. Slices were reheated Saturday morning.
Dave Stoltzfus was in charge of the "special mixture" of butter, salt and seasoning that was poured over the bread mixture to give it that "stuffing flavor."
He has helped prepare the dinner for five years.
"It's just a great humbling experience," Stoltzfus said.
MaryRose Sweitzer has been a volunteer in the kitchen with her mom and dad as far back as she can remember.
Sweitzer measured the onions and celery, smiling as she worked. This is the Christmas she has always known.
"It's just something we always did," Sweitzer said. "We do it as a family."
Families come to serve together because it is tradition.
"This works because we wake up early to give gifts," said Ann McIlroy, of Lititz.
"Christmas wouldn't be the same if we didn't [volunteer]," she added
She was ready to serve with daughter Jess and sons Pat and Nick. Her husband, Dan, was ready to go with a blinking Santa hat and apron.
After I arrived Saturday morning, Jess McIlroy filled me in on how to take drink orders, serve meals and reset the table after diners finished their meals.
McIlroy and her two older brothers have been serving with their parents for five year
"It's something you do because you think of all the people that don't have a meal," McIlroy said, noting that many families are repeat volunteers.
'Well-oiled machine'
Early Saturday morning, a line had already formed outside the gym door, people waiting in the crisp, winter air.
Meanwhile, cooks prepped the food line and volunteers finished setting the tables.
As a server, I tied on my apron and adjusted my hat.
Christmas music piped through the loudspeakers, and the air smelled of coffee, stuffing and pie.
At 11 a.m. the doors opened and the 19 tables with 182 seats started to fill. After taking drink orders, Jess and I joined the food line to get the meals.
Turkey, corn, peas, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy were plated by an assembly line that a volunteer says runs like a "well-oiled machine."
There were 30 pans of stuffing, 600 pounds of turkey and 25 gallons of gravy. A table filled with hundreds of dessert servings stretched almost the entire length of the gym.
People came as pairs, some as families with children, others alone. As I handed out the meals, everyone was thankful.
Lots of people complimented the food.
"You did a very good job on this," one older man said as I cleared his plate, making me wish I had actually cooked some of the food, not just served it.
Another man promised a good tip. We laughed because we both knew I was not working for tips. And the experience taught me that serving on Christmas has much more than tip value.
I was saddened that so many people had nowhere else to go for a holiday meal. By 1 p.m., almost all the food, except for a small amount of stuffing and peas, was gone.
By meal's end, more than 500 people had been served at the church, 100 meals were delivered and 200 carryout dinners were prepared.
Of the event, dinner facilitator Ted Dzubinski said, "I enjoy it. It's a lot of fun.
He paced the gym Saturday and kept the show organized, with kitchen, server, cleanup and other behind-the-scenes volunteers reporting to him.
"It takes a lot of work to get this together," Dzubinski said. "It's all worth it." Money is donated by Catholic churches, and individual contributions are given throughout the year.
Hundreds came Saturday to eat.
Hundreds more set tables, donated money, bought food, cooked the meal, waited on the guests and cleane
Midway through the dinner, I looked at all the bustle around me.
Drinks were refilled. Trays carried. Leftovers boxed. Trash emptied. And there was still a long line of people waiting to eat.
And then, at my foot, I noticed one of the pamphlets distributed to people as they left St. Anne's.
It showed a picture of the baby Jesus with the words "Christ Our Savior is born."
That's why this is done, I thought.
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
"We do this to give back," said volunteer Denise Fessler, looking around at all the people eating. "It's the simple reason for the season."

Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/328973#ixzz1CB9GF2hn

Nina Moragne spotlight

Nina Moragne likes to travel the globe, yet her passion lies in helping make the small world around her a better place.
Moragne is associate executive director at Lancaster Day Care Center, where she tends to 103 children whose low-income working families need quality child care at an affordable price.
Her work is more than just a job. It's about "helping the children and families of Lancaster defeat the cycle of poverty," Moragne said.
When she's not working, she loves spending time with her daughters.
She promised each of them that between their 14th and 15th birthdays she would take them anywhere they want to go. This spring, she will travel to Italy with her oldest daughter.
And Moragne dreams of paying for her family and friends to go on an international vacation together. Based on her determined and motivated spirit, they should all get their passports ready.
Age: You have to guess.
Family: Husband Preston, and three beautiful daughters: Lauren, 14, Kassidy 12, and Rocka, 7 (whose real name is Synclaire, but she will not respond to it).
Residence: East Hempfield Township.
Education: Bachelor's degree in economics and in May I earned my MBA, both from Millersville University.
Favorite place I've visited: Canary Islands.
Favorite thing to do in Lancaster: Go to Central Market and walk downtown, especially around the holidays.
Favorite people: My Grandma Hyson and my sister, Natalie. They always showed me unconditional love and most of all, made sure I was taken care of.
I love: The feeling and rush of good memories that I get when I go to my hometown of Columbia. It was a wonderful place to grow up (despite what others might think). It truly made me a well-rounded person.
Biggest influence in life: My boss, mentor and friend, Nancy Jordan [who is executive director of Lancaster Day Care Center]. Through the years, Nancy has always encouraged me to be the best I can be. She has proven to be a strong foundation that I can depend on no matter how big or small the issue. We have the same birthday, exactly 25 years apart (so it may have something to do with the kindred spirit).
In the future: I will pass the legacy to my daughters with confidence, knowing that they will be intelligent, beautiful women ready to continue to make the world a better place.
A goal for the new year: To accessorize more, to go outside of my comfort zone. I like very classic looks but I am going to try to be more contemporary.
Favorite part of my job: All of the wonderful people I work with and for. I am so fortunate to work with an awesome staff and an amazing board of directors.
Favorite thing to do with my family: Play Taboo. I also enjoy visiting with my mom; my girls love hearing the stories she tells them about when I was a little girl.
A book I enjoy: "Think and Grow Rich," by Napoleon Hill, and I also enjoy listening to the audio book "The Secret," by Rhonda Byrne.
Favorite movie: "Rocky II." I get a huge adrenaline rush every time I watch it.
Magazines I like: Budget Travel and Money.
If I could have anyone over for dinner: [Someone with] a personal "rags-to-riches" story to share. I admire perseverance.
Hobbies: Watching my daughters play basketball; there is nothing like being their biggest cheerleader. I also enjoy traveling around the world.
My idea of happiness: Being waist-deep in ocean water, jumping the waves with my family and friends
When I was little I wanted to be: A famous singer.
Snack of choice: Strawberry licorice.
You can always find this in my refrigerator: A secret stash of chocolate.
The world needs more: Positive energy.
I believe: That people can change. A person who was very important to me was an alcoholic when I was a child and remained so until 17 years ago. He has been sober [ever since].
Favorite quote: Rocky Balboa said, "It ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/331211#ixzz1CB7tpTCb