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The perfect sidekick for any superhero ?the iron
2006-10-22 16:42:00
By Theresa ShadrixThe Anniston Star10-22-2006 Superman has Lois Lane, Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has her invisible jet and I have my iron. The perfect sidekick, my iron has pressed its way through my life.Perched proudly on its throne, it is a loyal companion. When I am in despair of the perfect outfit for the day's mission and when I don't want my children to go out in the world looking like heathens, my iron comes to my rescue.My daily ritual begins with my iron. As I rid my two young boy's clothes of wrinkles, I feel they are prepared for anything. As I glide my strong sidekick over my clothes, I am confident in my goals for the day.I am aware that not everyone has bonded with their iron like me. Some have an attachment to wrinkle sprays, others shake out their clothes fresh out of the dryer, and there are those that simply could care less.There are also the extremists who participate in ?Extreme Iron ing.? According to the Extreme Ironing Bureau, extreme ironing is ?the l...
More About: Superhero , Perfect , Sidekick , Kick

Hail to the blue jean queens
2006-10-15 16:42:00
By Theresa ShadrixThe Anniston Star10-15-2006 It seems like everyone is talking about finding the right pair of blue jeans lately.I am a blue-jean queen and, honestly, all of this talk about something that is meant to be comfort wear is exhausting.Every pair of blue jeans that I own is a different size and style. My body changes on a daily basis and I can barely keep up, much less expect my jeans to adjust. Some days I wear low-rise jeans, while others are more appropriate for phat jeans.So my formula for finding the perfect blue jean is not according to my body type but instead the old fashioned ?try 'em on? approach.BuyingIn buying blue jeans, the first thing is to budget for the purchase. Prices range from $30 to more than $100. (Remember to first check out the sales racks.)Next, allot time to shop. Personally, I don't have time to waste, so I purchase blue jeans in local stores such as Martins, American Eagle, the Gap, Old Navy, Goody's and Kellwood Outlet.StyleIf you are no...
More About: Blue , Queens , Jean

Socially conscious Barbie raises money for cancer
2006-10-08 16:42:00
By Theresa ShadrixThe Anniston Star10-08-2006 My childhood best friend was a disco queen.It was 1980 and she was beautiful and dynamic, with curly black hair and big brown eyes. She looked great in a two-piece red dress with shimmering gold sparkles. And I was so envious of her red earrings because I was not allowed to have my ears pierced.Her name was Black Barbie but I called her Monique. (I thought it sounded very glamorous.)Even though disco was officially dead by the time Monique came into my life, I still imagined her under a glittering ball impressing a crowd of dancing wannabe's on the floor of a disco club.Monique and I had other friends in our clique ? Barbie, Skipper and Ken. I spent many hours creating outfits for my pals, trying my best to sew shirts, skirts and pants by hand from my old clothes. I still have a few of the outfits stashed away and they are proof of why I should have learned to sew before I picked up a needle and thread.I didn't think much of the world...
More About: Money , Cancer , Charity , Cons

Bad Bra Syndrome
2006-10-03 22:44:00
All the Rage BlogBy Theresa ShadrixApparently a bra company, the Barely There brand, has diagnosed women with bad bras and bad moods with ?Bad Bra Syndrome ?. I am not sure if it is listed in the DSM V but I can only imagine what a session with a therapist would be like for little Miss Bad Bra.Miss Bad Bra: ?I have been having terrible thoughts lately?Therapist: ?Tell me how the terrible thoughts make you feel.?Miss Bad Bra: ?Well, it is kinda of difficult to describe. I wake up and I am in the best mood. Then I get dressed, have my morning coffee and I can?t contain myself as my mood begins to go from chill to ill.?Therapist: ?And how does that make you feel??Miss Bad Bra: ?Well, I try to think good thoughts but then my back starts to inch. As I try to scratch it, I can?t reach the itch and I realize it is my bra hook digging into my back. So, I get out a brush and it isn?t long enough, so I rub up against the wall but the itching won?t stop. Then I realize that I am late for work. ...

Florence fashion designer closes doors
2006-10-03 22:44:00
By Theresa ShadrixThe Anniston Star10-01-2006 Natalie Chanin has been on a six-year journey that has inspired her beyond measure. So on Friday, when she and partner Enrico Marone-Cinzano closed the doors of Project Alabama, it was not easy.?It was a financial decision,? says Chanin, who was born in Flor ence . ?I am extremely proud of the work that we have accomplished over the last six years.?Chanin and Marone-Cinzano started Project Alabama, a fashion design company, in 2000 and based it in Florence. But Project Alabama was more than a fashion design company. As its name signifies, the founders wanted to involve the local community while also making clothes.At one time, it employed 150 local seamstresses who sewed one-of-a-kind garments made by hand. A week before the closing, it was down to 15.Chanin did more than provide a job to locals in the rural town of 36,000 and create buzz in the trendy fashion metropolis. She taught the seamstresses how to take a piece of material and cre...
More About: Fashion , Designer , Door

How to take a good school picture
2006-09-25 17:19:00
By Theresa ShadrixThe Anniston Star09-24-2006 Forever memorialized in school pictures, crooked teeth and cowlicks never looked better.School pictures are a rite of passage into adulthood. Twelve glorious years in the education system is marked by them. They decorate grandma's wall and sometimes are the only photos to fill Dad's wallet.From the moment the calendar is marked, moms and dads prepare for haircuts and cheesy smiles. It is not difficult to spot picture day on any school campus. The little girls' hair seems larger and skirts flow, while boys wear crisp shirts and awkward pleats. As they emerge into the school halls, the children do not think of anything but getting it over with so they can get dirty in P.E.The children have no idea of the power behind the lens and are simply obeying orders to not mess up the locks until AFTER the picture. They have no thoughts of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, a Frenchmen credited as taking the first photograph around 1827. Before Niépce, ima...
More About: Picture , Good

Tough guys do wear pink
2006-09-18 17:19:00
By Theresa ShadrixThe Anniston Star09-17-2006 No longer the exclusive property of Barbie and make-up queens, tough guys are claiming pink. It's becoming their signature color.Actor Anthony-Michael Hall was perhaps the most stylish geek in 1984 as ?Farmer Ted? in the classic movie Sixteen Candles. I am convinced it was not his braces that won the hearts of preppy wannabes as much as his awkward confidence in wearing a pink shirt.Hall's character was my inspiration for convincing my older brother to wear pink in the 1980s if he wanted to attract girls. He fell for it, and I think a few girls fell for him. Now a police investigator, I am not sure he would admit to wearing pink.But some guys do.?I like the brightness of [pink],? says David White, who has a pink shirt (his second) hanging in his closet. Tall and rugged, the Anniston homebuilder seems as comfortable in his pink polo as he would a flannel shirt.?I couldn't believe he picked it out!? laughs his wife, Teresa White. She sa...
More About: Pink , Guys , Wear , Tough

The look for less?
2006-09-11 17:19:00
By Theresa ShadrixThe Anniston Star09-10-2006 It is one thing to buy cheap clothes, and quite another to buy clothes cheap.A recent conversation with two co-workers revolved around a local fashion show in which models will wear outfits costing no more than $15. Not knowing my passion for clearance racks, one co-worker declared there was no way I could find an outfit for $15. What she didn't know is that I have been shopping thrift stores and strategizing sales for many years. In middle school, I was an Army brat living on a base in Germany. Saving my babysitting money, I closely watched the dollar/mark exchange rate and calculated trips downtown to shop the sale racks. For me, it was an economical adventure, but the cobblestone streets became my training ground for getting the latest look for less.Asked to serve as the emcee for the fashion show -- called the $15 Fashion Show and set for Saturday at Greenbrier Road Baptist Church in Anniston -- I am joining the models by wearing a...
More About: Look , The Look

Botox or Restylane? Don?t get worry lines choosing between them
2006-09-09 01:23:00
by Theresa ShadrixLong Leaf StyleSeptember 2006If crow?s feet and laugh lines are mocking you in the mirror, it might be time to consider the secret weapons of the cosmetic elite ? Botox and Restylane.Not new to controversy, Botox has been a hot topic among spa gossipers since its debut 15 years ago because its active ingredient is the toxic food bacterium that causes botulism. But the chatter erupted in July when The Islamist National Fatwa Council advised the Malaysian government to ban Botox for cosmetic use because it contains prohibited substances from pigs, which Islam considers unclean.Cathy DiRamio, public relations manager for Botox manufacturer Allergan Inc., dismissed the concern, saying the final Botox product does not contain any porcine elements. The manufacturing process uses an enzyme derived from pig?s milk to grow the Clostridium botulinum bacteria which give Botox its activity, but the enzyme is removed during the purification process.Botox has been approved in mor...
More About: Skin , Worry , Line , Lines

That?s right ? wear white now
2006-09-04 17:19:00
Various shades of white ? combined with splashes of gold and camel ? combine for a fashionable ensemble fit for wearing into fall and winter. Photo Illustration By Trent Penny and Theresa Shadrix By Theresa ShadrixThe Anniston Star09-03-2006Ask any good Southern girl why she packs away her white wardrobe, including shoes, purses and pants, on Labor Day and it usually has something to do with her mother.Labor Day celebrates the American worker and marks the beginning of the unofficial ?no white? period for Southern women.Boxes are packed, closets are cleaned and everything white is stored away during the winter months.Ending on Memorial Day or Easter, the No White Period is a seven-month hiatus of all things white ? or is it??For me Labor Day is the end of summer, and when summer ends, the sandal-wearing ends also,? says Delana Gilmore, publications secretary for The Calhoun Baptist Association.One of the many Southern women who learned the No-White rule from her mother, Gilmore cont...
More About: Wear

Summer skin...If you value yours, resist the temptation to soak up the sun.
2006-06-09 01:23:00
by Theresa ShadrixLong Leaf StyleJune 2006 The influence of the sun is legendary, mythical and powerful. For thousands of years the sun has been the object of worship, whether by agrarians praying for perfect light or by the faithful seeking favor from their supreme deity. The Greeks built the sixth wonder of the world, the Colossus of Rhodes, in honor of Helios, mythological god of the sun, and held Olympic Games in Rhodes to pay homage to him. In ancient Egypt, Ra, the sun-god, was considered the first king, and his son, pharaoh, was the god?s representative on earth.Chae Mi Madden knows the signs of the modern-day sun worshipper, but not by cipher of a spiritual message or dedication to doctrine. She believes the face tells no lies, and with one look she can identify a follower who seeks not gold-lined streets but a golden skin.?I just don?t understand it,? says Madden, a master cosmetologist for six years and owner of Monet Day Spa in Anniston. ?I have seen many women come in for...
More About: Skin , Summer , Value , Temptation

Leaders: Girls must be taught modesty can be fashionable
1994-11-05 01:04:00
Posted on Nov 24, 2004 | by Theresa ShadrixANNISTON, Ala. (BP)--On the heels of ABC's decision not to renew its annual television contract with the Miss America pageant, the issue of modesty has emerged as a center-stage issue with Christians. This year, contestants were featured in revealing swimsuits in the on-stage competition, and were placed in hot tubs during their pre-recorded introductions.The reduction in modesty did not yield the pageant the extra exposure it had hoped to achieve. Instead, Miss America received its lowest television ratings in its 50-year history.Only 10 girls opted for the more modest optional swimsuit, while Miss America, Deidre Downs, donned the two-piece string bikini for the judges and the audience. Downs viewed the swimsuit competition as a reflection of physical fitness and told Baptist Press she tried not to think about what she was wearing before the airing of the competition. "I just thought about what I would wear to the beach," Downs said.The ...
More About: Girls , Modesty , Leaders , Must , Fashionable

Vietnam POW continues to speak of freedom & faith
1994-11-04 01:06:00
ANNISTON, Ala. (BP)--In 1967, U.S. Army Colonel Benjamin Purcell traded his job as professor of military science at Kemper Military School and College in Boonville, Mo., to go to Vietnam as deputy commander of the Da Nang Sub-Area and executive officer of the 80th General Support Group. That career decision would end up putting his life in peril and his faith to the test. In Vietnam, Purcell was quite comfortable in the bachelor officer's barracks, considering the turmoil of war surrounding him, and he communicated with his family through daily letters, weekly audiotapes and monthly telephone calls. But a routine midnight helicopter ride on Jan. 30, 1968, changed everything when the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and Purcell along with Warrant Officer Joe Rose, Warrant Officer Dick Ziefler, SP/4 Robert Chenoworth, SP/4 Mike Lenker and Private First Class James George were captured by the North Vietnamese army. Imprisonment was an issue Purcell and wife, Anne, had never really...
More About: Freedom , Faith , Speak , Peak