Come see some fresh faces with me

August 29th, 2006 by Teresa

On Saturday, September 16th, you’ll find me and my posse of fabulous Divas at the Fresh Faces Fashion Show in San Francisco. Here is the details, if you can to join us.

The Regency Center
1300 Van Ness @ Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA

7:00 - 8:00pm: VIP Reception
8:30 - 9:30pm: Fashion Show
9:30pm - Midnight: Post Party & Accessories Reception

Doors open for:
VIP @ 7:00pm
General Admission @ 7:45pm

*On the Decks: DJ Fouzia (VIP Reception), Dirty Hertz (Post Party)

Gen Art San Francisco invites you to our 3rd annual Fresh Faces in Fashion Show in the Grand Ballroom of the Regency Center. The show reflects the state of the emerging designer world, providing 6 cutting-edge designers the opportunity to show their looks on a 60 foot runway for an audience of 1,000. A Post-Party will take place in the Sutter Room of the Regency Center directly following the show, showcasing installations by 3 accessories designers.

The VIP Reception for Fresh Faces in Fashion will take place during the hour prior to the runway show and is open to Associate Producer members, members of the press and fashion industry members.

Participating Designers:

Womenswear / Menswear:
Bacca da Silva
Black Horn
gr.dano
The 615 Project
Verriéres & Sako

Accessories:
Rebecca Ciccio (handbags)
tessapoppy design (jewelry)
Tracy Matthews Designs (jewelry)

** Don’t Miss the Return of San Francisco’s Hottest & Biggest Fall Fashion Event!

** To see photos from last year’s event, click here.

Beverages provided by: Johnnie Walker, Ciroc Vodka, Beck’s Premier Light, BAWLS Guaranexx and POP Champagne

What the hell??

August 22nd, 2006 by Teresa

I just watched Spike Lee’s special “When the Levees Broke.” Do I live in America – the most powerful country in the world - or a freaking third-world armpit of a place?!?! I am so embarrassed by the way our government has handled this tragic event that happened almost a YEAR AGO! People have been dying from health-related issues in greater numbers because they don’t have any healthcare, now that the hospitals are gone and so are all their records. They are still finding bodies and insurance agencies are refusing to pay out on policies that have been active for years and years. One 80-year-old man has been paying All-State for 50 years and he got a check for just over $600. He lost EVERYTHING. I had no idea it was so bad. I have been so focused on the Middle East bullshit that I took my eyes and heart off New Orleans.

Basically, FEMA is a 4-letter F word and the president has been rowing up the river “de Nile” for the past 12 months. What the hell! I just read an AP report today that says, and I quote verbatim:

“Wednesday, August 23, 2006 (Washington):

The Marine Corps will soon begin ordering thousands of its troops back to active duty to fill a shortage of volunteers for Iraq and Afghanistan. Up to 2,500 Marines will be brought back at a time, and there is no cap on the total number who may be forced back into service as the military helps fight the war on terror. The number of troops in Iraq has climbed back to 138,000, the prevailing number for much of last year. Escalating violence in Baghdad has led military leaders to increase the US presence there. The Army, meanwhile, has issued orders recalling about 10,000 soldiers so far, but many of those may be granted exemptions. (AP)”

DO WE NEED TO BREAK OUT IN A CIVIL WAR IN NEW ORLEANS TO GET THE PRESIDENT’S ATTENTION? SUICIDE BOMBERS? EXPLOSIVES? WHAT WILL IT TAKE??

WAIT! Those troops could be in New Orleans helping our civilians, our people, our family members, our friends, our Americans. I am not ever going to tell you how I feel about the war in Iraq, or the money we have wasted there (when we could be fixing Louisiana and educating our children) I am so disgusted by the whole mess. I am embarrassed to be an American right now. So, I challenge all of us to do something. Register to vote, read the news, find out how your congressmen and Senators stand on important issues and make sure you know where you stand in all this. Remember Divas, knowledge is power!

If you know of reputable service providers that are assisting Katrina victims, please post here.

Eat, Pray, Love

August 17th, 2006 by Teresa

Reading books is so much easier than writing them. And, I am an insatiable reader. When I was young, my parents had a stack of Reader’s Digest hard cover books, you know, the ones with different vintage covers on each volume. When I was not using them for Barbie’s bed, I was looking up new words. My aunt Rosie jokes about how when I was 3 years old I came up to her and told her, “I am going back to my territory now.” In other words, I was going home.

I read at night while soaking in the tub and right before surrendering to sleep. Some nights I can’t sleep because I’m reading. For example, two nights ago I stayed up until 2 am, just so I could finish “The Great Gatsby.” Oh, that F. Scott Fitzgerald has a poetic way with words. The latest book I’ve read is one of the best ever. It’s “Eat, Pray, Love.” By Elizabeth Gilbert. The book was a gift from my publisher. They (the ubiquitous Penguin Books and their darling imprints) also published Elizabeth’s book. So, when I was in New York last time, my editor gave me a stack of books and said, “Fair thee well!”

The only thing is, I’m not a big fan of female narratives. So, I did not plan on reading it. They kinda drive me crazy. I don’t like being in the mind of a woman with issues. God knows I’ve got enough of my own, so why would I want to dive into someone else’s? I hate watching the evening news too – it creates that same type of angst in me. For example, I read that book, “Fat Girl” because I really wanted to understand how someone could get obese. I’m too vain to get fat. But, by the time I finished “Fat Girl” I wanted a cream puff, a plate of pasta and a knife to stab myself with. Oh, the author just died.

Back to my all-time favorite book right now. So, I was flying to the Dominican Republic and I needed something to read, so I took her book with me. What a great companion! “Eat, Pray, Love” is a fabulous narrative about a woman who decides to divorce her husband and take a year off to travel the world. Sounds trite, doesn’t it? Well, let me tell you, it is filled with glorious tales of her travels, wonderful characters she meets on her way, and the lessons she learns when she seeks to find her truth. Brilliant!! She should be the Tango Diva poster child!

So, if you are in an emotional rough patch, or trying to figure out if you should dump the dead weight (husband or beau), or if you want a great read – pick up her book! And if you buy it from amazon.com, buy a new copy please! Us authors don’t get paid for used copies. Thanks!

Regrets?

August 15th, 2006 by Teresa

I sent in my FINAL manuscript yesterday. That was it – all changes, all writing, all information is now locked and load – and unchangeable. The next time I see my words, they will be nicely wrapped in a gorgeous 4-color paperback book cover. The permanence of my words began to scare me. On the way to the post office, the uncertainty devils chased my car as I headed down the road. A mile from the “manuscript drop off point” the demon chatter started. Thoughts with talons ripped through my mind: “Did I include the best information possible? Did I write as well as I could? Will anyone buy my book?” I could not stop them, not evening playing Duran Duran scared them off.

Then I got to thinking about the last time I felt this way, it was the day I got married for the second time. I guess it’s that feeling of finality mixed with doubt. A very dangerous cocktail, my friend. That, “This is it girl!” feeling. The day of my wedding, the demons chanted rhetoric like: “Did you kiss all the boys you really wanted to kiss? Did you do all those crazy things you dreamt of doing as a sexy single? Because if you haven’t sister–it’s over.”

Oh those doubt devils, they can tear up one’s soul. If I was not fortified with some self-esteem and passion, I’d never get anything done. Doubt is big, fear is disabling, but we have the power to tell those demons to shut the hell up. I realized that perfection is not required. My book does not need to be a literary masterpiece – it’s just my personal views on travel (I do hope you buy a copy). And my marriage, just like all marriages, it’s tough, but I’ll keep on trying (and giving him kisses).

So, girl, if you have a dreams, make your dreams bigger than your doubts.

As for me, I have no regrets.

Unwritten

August 13th, 2006 by Teresa

Natasha Bedingfield’s song has moved me in the past few days. This is a pivotal week and I can feel the change. My FINAL manuscript is due on Tuesday. The next time I see the words that have spilled forth from my heart, they will be in the form of a real book. Also, my researcher Sarah leaves for Italy this week to start her new life. Her life is unwritten, and my book is written. My words are down, unchangeable now; her life is a blank page opening up like French doors onto the Mediterranean. Sometimes I long to be there. Young, free, and unwritten. I guess everyday is unwritten and I have to enjoy the lines I scribble on the pages of my personal history.

May you find time to write your story in big, beautiful colors - and no need to stay within the lines darling.

Here’s Natasha’s powerful words……

I am unwritten, can’t read my mind, I’m undefined
I’m just beginning, the pen’s in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with eyes wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can’t live that way

¿Se Habla Español?

August 9th, 2006 by Teresa

I don’t speak Spanish that well. As a matter of fact, one could say that I don’t speak it at all. So, when I wan sent a set of Michel Thomas’s Speak Spanish instantly CDs I was not expecting anything amazing to happen. I have taken Spanish at Stanford, gone to Cancun and took classes there, hell, my dad is Mexican. You would this I could speak Spanish. I always thought that I could not learn it because my brain is not wired for learning a language. Lame excuse, I know.

Oh, the main reason I started to use them was because my husband was snoring and listening to Michel Thomas seemed less painful than listening to the snuffleupagus next to me.

But something happened when I listened to these CDs. I started to get it. The guy on the CD explained that basically, we only use 600 active words in any language, of those active words, many sound like English words that we already know. If you learn the Spanish equivalent to the English words, you have a ton of active vocabulary down. Simple, right?

Gosh, by the time I got to Dominican Republic, I had an arsenal of Spanish words ready to go! I don’t think his CD is out yet, I got a preview set to check out (lucky me!)

When they come out, I’ll let you know.

Let’s Go My Ego!

August 8th, 2006 by Teresa

I’m not 20 anymore. Guys do not gratuitously flirt with me now that I am married and in my late thirties. I don’t remember the last time a guy looked at me with boundless passion and undressed me with his eye. Oh, yes, I remember! It was just a few days ago when I was in the Dominican Republic! I went there to check out some of the new resorts they are building and meet with a few important members of their government.

The men on this small, Caribbean island are beautiful. They have skin the color of café au late and eyes as deep as the sea. Their smiles are intoxicating and the first question they ask you is, “When can we dance?” or “How can I bring you joy?” Really.

The national language is Spanish, and it rolls off their tongues like sweet honey. It is not Spanish spoken in Spain or Mexico. it is the kind of Spanish you would whisper to your lover after a night of passionate lovemaking. It is soft, filled with enough “rrrrrrrr’s” to start a motor, and exceptionally mysterious.

If you just left a bad relationship, or only getting a measly serving of attention in your current relationship - go to the Dominican Republic. Let the men caress you with their gentle words, and if you are not married, let them caress you with more than words. I think us women forget what it is like to be admired and enjoyed as passionate beings. We get so caught up in our lives that we ignore our own desires and secret wishes for intimacy. Even if my time in the Dominican Republic was short, and I am a married woman pushing my way to 40, it was divine to have gorgeous men make me feel wonderful and sexy for a few days.

Cockroaches with wet nail polish

It took lots of courage to open the 8-pound FedEx package that was looming in my entryway. It was my edited manuscript and I knew that I had to start working on it ASAP. It is due back to Penguin in 15 days. But, the package was heavy and so were my thoughts about all the work that I still needed to do on my baby.

When I opened it, and started flipping through the pages, I thought that I was going to puke. It looked like cockroaches with wet, red nail polish burrowed through every single page, leaving a sticky, sickly film of red everywhere.

Copy editing at its finest.

If you ever want to feel like you can’t write, give your masterpiece to a profession copy editor. Or if you want to lose all your self-esteem, give your writing to a copy editor. Hell, if you want to feel like you just showed up for finals without studying, and only wearing a slip – give your work to a copy editor. I don’t even know what half the marks are on my 680-page manuscript mean! I am a lover and writer, not an editor!

I spent most of yesterday hyperventilating and contemplating poking my eyes out. I had no idea where to begin. So, I called my publisher and left a desperate message that went something like this: “Meg, it’s Teresa, I think I am about to poke my eyes out. I don’t know where to begin. I feel like a red tornado just hit my manuscript. Please call me when you get back into the office.”

I did not touch it. I left it alone in the corner of my desk, like a wet cat with sharp claws. So, this morning I spoke with my publisher. Great news! I don’t need to know what all those hieroglyphic-like marks mean!! I am once again a writer!! It is the typesetters job to fix them all. Can someone please pass me a glass of champagne, this girl needs a drink!