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14February   {Giveaway} Officina Bernardi Bangle From Raymond Lee Jewelers






Dana Josephson is giving away this exquisite Officina Bernardi sterling silver and platinum bracelet (retail value: $695) from her Florida-based jewelry store, Raymond Lee Jewelers.  Enter to win by answering this question in the comments below: What outfit would you wear this bracelet with?

FOF Dana Josephson owned several retail stores with her ex-husband in Scotland during the 1970s. "We found that people were always drawn to the jewelry cases," Dana says. When Dana and her former husband decided to move to sunny South Florida for better weather in 1983, the two agreed to use their retail experience and love of jewelry to start a new business.

The couple opened Raymond Lee Jewelers (named after Dana's son) that same year. The store started out as a small operation, with Dana, her former husband, their daughter and son all working together. "We learned our customers’ personal styles,” says Dana. “When we'd get something in that we thought they would really like, we'd give them a call, and they'd come in to see it."

After noticing her competitors starting to sell jewelry online, Dana opened up shop online too, in the early 2000s, with the website, RaymondLeeJewelers.net. The e-commerce site features a unique diamond search section, where customers can search Dana's inventory by price, carat weight, color, and clarity. They ship all over the world, and have loyal customers everywhere from Asia to Australia.

In addition to carrying newer designer pieces, Raymond Lee Jewelers is also a jewelry estate buyer--they purchase unique, one-of-kind, pre-owned precious pieces from around the world and carry them in the store and online. "We carry secondhand, upscale pieces that you don't see everywhere, and aren't mass produced. You can buy a lot of pieces and spend a lot less money. We have five times more inventory than most other jewelry stores."

Enter to win this Officina Bernardi sterling silver and platinum bracelet by answering this question in the comments below: what outfit would you wear this bracelet with?


One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes February 21st, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.
470 comments   
16August   {Career} 9 Incredibly Unconventional Jobs Held by Real FOFs
Designing the perfect car cupholder, creating a new cut of meat, telepathically speaking to animals, working with celebrities--all in a days work for these extraordinary FOFs! Read on to find out some of the wackiest careers we've come across, and find out what a day in the life is like for these women who strayed from the typical 9-5.

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Kari Underly - Illinois
Butcher

Kari Underly comes from a bloodline of...meat. Both her grandparents, as well as her father, were butchers. In fact, it was Kari’s dad who first exposed her to the business. "My first paid job was one my dad told me about at the meat department of the local grocery store,” says Kari. “I was really excited, until I showed up and found out my job was cleaning up after the meat production was done for the day. I worked hard and moved up the ranks to the corporate level.”

Kari applied to Martin’s Super Markets meat cutting apprenticeship program. After being denied three times, Kari was finally accepted and trained for three years. She eventually became the meat and seafood merchandiser at Martin’s."I’ve always worked mostly with men," says Kari, "and at every level there was a bit of having to prove myself."

Kari earned her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 1992. She worked pricing, buying and marketing meat for various companies. In 2002, she founded Range Inc.--a company dedicated to research and education of meat cutting and merchandising. The company partners and works with farmers, commodity boards, grocery stores executives, chefs, butchers, and consumers on a variety of projects. Through Range Inc., Kari has even worked to develop new cuts of meat. "Many consumers are familiar with the Flat Iron steak, Denver Cut, Ribeye Cap, and Ribeye Filet,” says Kari. “Range actually helped to develop and market these cuts...by teaching consumers how to cut and best prepare them at home."

Kari published her first book, "The Art of Beef Cutting," in August of 2011, which was nominated for the prestigious James Beard Award. "People kept asking me if I had a book or manual. I began documenting, hired a photographer and started cutting. It's a great tool, especially for the person who has mastered the grill and wants to experiment with at-home meat cutting."

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Dr. Emily Blake - New York
Mohel

Dr. Emily Blake was working as an OB/GYN when she began to feel she wasn't being given enough time to perform one of her very important job responsibilities. "I was doing a number of circumcisions, and there was a lot of pressure to see patients quickly. It was very frustrating to me as a physician," says Emily. "At the same time, my Judaism was becoming more and more important to me."

Emily became a certified Mohel in 1990 --someone of the Jewish faith who is trained in the practice of the Jewish ceremony of brit milah or the "covenant of circumcision." Since making the transition from part-time to full-time mohel in 2000, Emily's days consist of speaking with potential clients who are expecting babies, designing a brit milah ceremony that best suits the family, and even helping choose a Hebrew name for the baby.

"I get most of my calls from families who are Jewish," says Emily, "but occasionally I'll get phone calls from families who are not Jewish but are either delivering with a midwife who is unable to do circumcisions, or they feel like they would like to have a little more gentleness for their son when he's circumcised, so they decide to have it at home. Sometimes I'm called by families who have a baby girl and we'll do a naming ceremony [without the surgical aspect.]"

Since she first started practicing as a mohel, Emily estimates that she's performed over a thousand circumcisions. "Over 90 percent of the babies [I circumcise] literally sleep through it.” says Emily. "I feel it’s part of my calling to do this work. I love that I can do it in a way that makes the family comfortable and send the message that we welcome our children with gentleness and love."

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Carol Queen, PhD - California
Sexologist

Carol's interest in human sexuality started in college. "In the 80s, when the HIV epidemic began to really get critical, I realized that there was actually a professional life to be built within sex education and sexuality-related teaching," says Carol. While Carol was pursuing her degree, she took a job as a salesperson at a store that specializes in sex toys called Good Vibrations. "It always had a really substantial focus on information and education, more than any other store," says Carol, who loved working there so much that she stayed even after earning her doctorate in Sexology in the mid-90s. At that point, she took on the responsibility of handling media relations for Good Vibrations.

Carol has since taken on many other responsibilities including curator of the Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum.  "We have at least one or two hard crank vibrators that go back to before the turn of the century," says Carol. "We also have a cluster of very early century vibrators from 1903 to the 1920s."

"A normal day might consist of responding to any reporters that have reached out to me, attending marketing meetings that involve representing the company to the press, and writing answers to customers who have sex questions," says Carol. "My colleague and I post the answers on the [Good Vibrations] blog so that other people can learn.”

For any FOFs who are in the market for a new toy, Carol has some advice. "Ask questions about how strong it is, and the best way to use it. Spend a little time alone or with your partner exploring how it feels if you haven't used one before. Give yourself a learning curve and experiment with various positions, because not all women are the same in their sexuality. Explore yourself."

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Shannon Seyler - Florida
Obituary Writer and Founder of ObitCity.com

Shannon Seyler was always interested in obituaries. "When I was a kid, it was the first section of the paper I’d read," says Shannon. "I was just fascinated by life stories. I would read about all these people and feel as if I knew them."

Shannon pursued a degree in English, and worked as an English tutor and a freshman composition instructor, in addition to being a journalist, but she never lost her love of obits. "I've collected them most of my life," says Shannon, "and I thought, maybe I'll just put them online and see if anybody is interested. I [did and] got overwhelming amounts of emails from people."

Shannon’s website, ObitCity.com started with just the Arkansas obituaries from her collection, and has since grown to include all 50 states. Shannon travels all over the U.S. to add to her collection, and has a number of volunteers who send them in. "I go to public libraries and pull them from there. Some are sent in. Other people tell me oral history and I write obituaries off of that."

What makes ObitCity.com different than most genealogy sites is that it’s free to the public. "So many sites charge people to see obituaries and newspapers cost money, but I'm not charging anybody,”  says Shannon. “We make money off ad revenue.” The site is also interactive. “People can submit obituaries if they like,” says Shannon. “I've had people send me huge numbers of obituaries.  Anyone who wants to give their input or send us obits can do so."

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Nancy Demarco - New Hampshire
Equine Massage Therapist

Before she became a licensed massage therapist, Nancy Demarco was a horse owner with a problem. "Something was wrong with my horse, and even the vets couldn't figure it out," says Nancy. Finally, the vet suggested Nancy “call Jack Meagher." Jack was the equine massage therapist for the Olympic team at the time. He's also the founder of the logic and technique of sports massage for humans and horses. Jack came up the next morning to take a look at Nancy's injured horse. "Within ten minutes, he had fixed it,” says Nancy. “My horse had an old injury in one of his pectoral muscles that was very deep. Jack put his hand behind the horse’s shoulder blade--his hand was buried up to his wrist [in the horse] when he said, 'Oh there it is!' I thought ‘Wow, I have got to learn to do that.’"

Before Jack would teach Nancy his technique, he insisted that she attend massage school for humans. "His reasoning was that horses cannot vocalize their pain," explains Nancy.

So, Nancy went to massage school, worked for a year as a massage therapist for humans, and finally, Jack agreed to teach her his method, which is now taught at the Jack Meagher Institute of Sports Therapy.

Fifteen years later, Nancy works as a freelance massage and equine massage therapist, making calls to horses and humans up to 50 miles away from her home. "They find me," says Nancy. "I went to do one horse today, and there were about three people there asking, 'Oh do you have time for another one?'"

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Silvana Clark - All over the U.S.!
Mobile Marketing Tour Manager

When Silvana Clarke's daughter, who was 12 years old at the time, returned from a trip to Africa, she started speaking at local churches about her experiences. She received great response in getting churchgoers to donate to the support efforts she had worked on. "We decided to take a year and travel around the United States," says Silvana. "She could speak at a different church every Sunday." Lucky enough, the Chevy's corporate headquarters gave Silvana a truck and an RV at no cost in order to fuel their mission, and in 2002, they toured all over the U.S. for the year speaking at churches.

Silvana and her husband enjoyed being on the road so much, that when their daughter went to college in 2007, they signed on for a 19-month tour with a shoe charity, distributing shoes to those in need in 42 states. "We just loved it," Silvana says. "So, we made up some cute little postcards--the heading said, 'We don't look like your typical young tour managers, but we're professional to work with!' A company called us and said it was the best piece of marketing material they had seen, and signed us on for a six-month tour with Avon.'"

"We visited the 23 cities that had been hit by tornadoes in 2011 in Mississippi and Georgia," says Silvana. "Every day we gave out a thousand bags of [necessities like] deodorant, bug spray, and body wash. These people literally had nothing."

Last month, Silvana and her husband started another tour with Avon, this time, one that provides outreach in hispanic communities. “My husband and I both have sprinter vans and we're staying in hotels," says Silvana. "We rented out our house to this nice family. We have this job until December, and then basically we're homeless, so in December we'll be ready for another tour!"

Is mobile touring for every FOF? The perks: “We get paid for this and have no expenses other than our cell phones. We get paid for gas and [are given] a stipend for food,” says Silvana. "But, It takes a special couple. My husband and I are together 24 hours a day; we work together, live together, sleep together.  Every day is different, you never know where you are, you don't know shortcuts, you can get lost, but we like it. We could do this for quite a few more years.”

Follow Silvana's journey at www.silvanaclark.com.

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Bev Feldman - California
Owner and Operator, StarPrompt.TV Teleprompting Service

"It was 1982 and I needed a job," says Bev, "You know how that is?" Bev graduated from Immaculate Heart College with a degree in Art, and had become tired of life as an artist. She took a job with a teleprompting company that had invented a state-of-the-art, computerized teleprompter. "I was calling producers and getting people to try to use this, and ended up running the company because the three male owners were going to war against each other, while in the meantime I had booked us jobs. I had to go out there with an operator and the equipment and follow through. It was an accidental thing that I fell into but it worked for me."

Bev got married and had a daughter. When she started working part-time a year later, she got an offer that she couldn't refuse. "I was at NBC, and they said 'We really love you, but we don't like the company you work for, can we get you and not them?'  I said okay, and started my own business and bought my own equipment."

Today, Bev owns her own company, Starprompt.tv. Her daughter, Silver, and husband Tom work with her part-time. "My job is to get there and affix the teleprompting equipment to the teleprompter," explains Bev. "We go what's called 'through the lens,' so the talent is looking straight down the barrel into the lens and they look like they're looking into your living room. We get the script ahead of time, and put it into the software and format it for readability. Once I get there and the talent rehearses, I see their particular way of reading, so I finesse that as well."

In her 23 years on the job, Bev has worked with celebrities, hosts, anchors, and yes, even one porn star...accidentally. "The [call sheet] said Cinderella Productions," says Bev," so I thought, 'Oh, it's a kid's show!'

Whose Bev's favorite celeb to work with? "Tom Hanks,” she says. “When you're in a room with him he sees you, you're not invisible. I had a great conversation with him. He is a delight."

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Terri Jay - Nevada
Pet Psychic

Terri was using horseback therapy with special needs children in 1990 when she first discovered that she had a gift. "I carried on a delightful conversation with a little boy, and one of the volunteers said to me, 'Well, you are sure talking great." The volunteer was making a joke--the boy that Terri had been talking with hadn't said a word, because he couldn't. Terri went back in the classroom and saw the boy had typed out on his communication device, "horse lady can hear me."

"I was in shock," says Terri, "I was not into any of this, none of it. I was the biggest skeptic in the world." When Terri told the volunteer what she had read on the boy's communication device, he asked her, "Why don't you learn to communicate with the horses then? It's the same thing."

Terri was married to a horse trainer at the time, so she had plenty of potential clients to practice on. "I started working on the animals we had coming in," says Terri, "and then people started calling me and would ask about their horses. I could tell them over the phone what was wrong."

Today, Teri offers her services as a pet psychic, medium, energy healer, life coach, and grief counselor by appointment through her website, TerriJay.com.  You can view the teaser for her upcoming TV show, Cowgirl Shaman, by clicking here.

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Chris Shinouskis - Michigan
Engineering Specialist for Storage at General Motors
a.k.a., "The Cupholder Lady"

Chris initially pursued her degree in chemistry. "I figured I would be doing something in a lab, some sort of research," she says. "Once in college, I changed my study to Chemical Engineering, because it broadened my future opportunities."

Upon graduation, Chris started working with General Motors. In her 30 years with the company, she's held a number of different titles, and worked on many assignments including analyst in a waste-water laboratory, environmental engineer in a manufacturing facility, production supervisor in the plant, materials engineer specializing in plastics, textiles and paints and a manager over material engineering and recyclability.

"I have a passion for in-vehicle storage," she says. "It's important to my family, since we spend so much time in vehicles, and I knew it was important to others too. So I worked with one of my managers to develop this function into a separate job." That separate job title became affectionately referred to by her co-workers as "the cupholder lady." Chris has many cups covering her desk in all shapes and sizes, as she works to make sure the storage spaces in GM vehicles accommodate a variety of people’s needs.

Being "the cupholder lady" involves a lot of research. "I do research to understand exactly how storage is important to the customer," says Chris, "to find out what storage areas they like or dislike in their current vehicles and why, what items they're bringing into their vehicles, how they use those items while they are in the vehicle, and what the sizes [of those items] are."

So, what's Chris's favorite part of being "the cupholder lady?" "I like working on a specific part design to optimize the storage performance," says Chris. "Making changes of just a few millimeters can significantly change how satisfied the customer will be."
2 comments   
02April   {Giveaway} Foxgloves garden gloves


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FOF Harriet Zbikowski is giving away 4 pairs of bestselling “Elle Grip” garden gloves from her company, Foxgloves. Choose from 7 spring colors: Crow black, fuchsia, iris, periwinkle, sahara, spring green or tulip. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Which color gloves would you choose?

Most  FOFs have worn many hats in their lives. FOF Harriet Zbikowski, a gardener and professional landscape architect in Hudson Valley, NY, has worn many garden gloves. Yet, in her 20 years in business, she couldn’t find a pair that were just right--the ones sturdy enough for gardening were bulky and unstylish. Harriet preferred the slim, chic fit of vintage fashion gloves, but they weren’t water resistant nor durable. So, fifteen years ago, she set out to create her own line of gloves that would be both elegant and practical.

“I started at the Dupont Fabric Library in New York City,” says Harriet. “There, I got fabric samples and did stress tests, selecting a particular blend that performed the best.” This special blend includes Invista SUPPLEX® nylon for durability and Invista LYCRA® spandex for four-way stretch. The design was based off of a fashion glove from the 50s that Harriet found at a thrift store. “I found the last glove maker left in New York City to make my gloves,” she says. Harriet went into production in 1999. Thirteen years later, 1200 stores nationwide carry Harriet’s gloves which go by the name “Foxgloves,” (also a common flower species). They've been featured in dozens of garden and shelter publications including House & Garden, Real Simple and Town and Country.

People also use Harriet's bestselling “Elle Grip” for driving, bird watching, dog walking, or for a better grip if they have arthritis or other joint problems. Others simply wear them as a fashion accessory. “A few years ago, these shop owners came up to me and said ‘We have to tell you, we’re from Tennessee and girls have been coming in and buying your gloves to go with their prom gowns!’  Another time, a woman came up to me and said, ‘I needed gloves for Easter Sunday, so I wore your gardening gloves to church and they went so perfectly with my Vivienne Westwood!”

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Enter to win bestselling “Elle Grip” garden gloves from Foxgloves. Choose from 7 spring colors: Crow black, fuchsia, iris, periwinkle, sahara, spring green or tulip. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Which color would you choose?

Four FOFs will win. See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes April 11, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.
214 comments   
29March   {Home Tour} An FOF fabric designer works a lifetime of mementos into a sleek, modern space.
When decorating your FOF home, there are often two polar instincts:
(1) Surround yourself with the heartwarming photos, knickknacks, books, art, etc., that you’ve accumulated over 50+ years.
(2) Pare down, and create a calm, clutter-free oasis straight from the pages of Dwell magazine.


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Meet Lee Olson, who brilliantly managed to do both. FOF Lee is a textile designer and the owner of Yoma, a New York firm that creates fabrics for commercial and residential use. Her vivid designs all begin with her own hand-drawings and are inspired by her travels around the world, to India, Thailand, China and South America.

Her travels have also inspired a lifetime of . . . .shopping. Lee and her husband, Chandler Pierce, a leading architect and furniture designer, have collected a (small) museum’s worth of cultural artifacts and art, including books, brooms, buddhas and baskets.


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Twelve years ago, the couple purchased a building on a one-block lane straddling SoHo and Little Italy, just behind the former New York police headquarters. They renovated the attic into a 1500-square-foot residence for themselves. The space took six months to renovate so that it was “livable,” but the couple has continued to work on it over the years.

According to Lee, both the biggest asset and challenge of decorating their home was marrying her and her husband’s tastes. “We have different aesthetics. Design-wise he’s a little cleaner, slicker...I’m always interested in bringing in more texture, color, curvilinear shapes.”

The key, says Lee, was in the curation. She and Chandler carefully chose what to display and what to pack away in their large storage closet. “He edits me,” Lee says of Chandler, “I choose to display things that I’m really passionate about, and then he goes in and arranges them--almost like a set.”

The end result: “When people come there, they often say: ‘Wow it looks so clean and sleek, but when you start to look around there’s a lot of detail--a lot of warmth.’”



Left: Lee’s building used to be a gun factory, part of New York’s fabled gun district. Right Top: Lee in the Yoma office, wearing a coat by Juli Raja. Right Bottom: Each of Lee’s textile designs begins with her own hand-drawings.



The main living area is a mix of sleek, architectural pieces and quirky ethnic finds, like the tiny wooden chair from Guatemala and a collection of hand-woven purses from the Philippines. Couch: Ligne Roset, purchased on Craigslist. Coffee table: Broome, Chandler’s furniture design company. Rug: Warp and Weft.



A modern table is offset by rich, textural details, including a New Mexico-inspired painting by artist Lou Hicks and hand-painted Italian plates from Ceramica Direct.





At first glance, these “Afghan War Rugs” appear to be typical antique oriental designs, however if you look closely, you can see machine guns, missiles and war planes woven into the fabric. “It’s an amazing example of people incorporating what’s going on in their lives into their art,” says Lee, who inherited two of the rugs and bought a third from Warrug.com.



A tranquil bed from De La Espada seats beneath an original aquatint by artist Katja Oxman, who uses layers of fabric patterns in her work--much like Lee’s own designs.



Lee and Chandler began collecting handmade brooms ten years ago. “They’re mostly street brooms,” explains Lee, “handwoven by people in China and India who use them in the morning to clean. I’m interested in things that carry the spirit of the person who made them.” Red chair: Ochre.



Personal artifacts are carefully arranged in themed groups. Art (with crosses): Lou Hicks. Skull: Matter. Buddha: Vietnam.


Lee’s tranquil terrace overlooks the former New York City police headquarters.


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photographer: Katherine Miles Jones
gun shop & terrace photos courtesy of: ChandlerPierce.com
13 comments   
14March   {Giveaway} Yala Designs Sophie Wrap

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FOF Nancy Morgan is giving away the bestselling "Sophie Wrap," from her clothing line, Yala. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Do you wear clothing that shows your upper arms?


Can’t wait to find out if you won? Now, you can buy the Sophie Wrap in the FOF shop.

In 1997, FOF Nancy Morgan and her husband, Larry, were teaching English and traveling in Asia, all while raising their six-year-old daughter Chelsea. The trio would sleep on beds without sheets or even the ground as they trekked. One night, they thought to stitch together two sheets, creating a sort of sack to sleep in. Their first product, the “Dreamsack” was born. They built an entire brand around the beloved “Dreamsack” and over the years have expanded to sheets, pajamas, wraps and more. Here, we chat with Nancy about her line of super-soft, easy-wearing, clothing and linens.

Where is your business based?
Ashland, Oregon. But we go to China, where our manufacturers are, at least twice a year. We believe in not only fair trade, but exceptional trade. We work with smaller co-op factories--we've visited them all and know the people there.

You started with the "Dreamsack"--how did you transition to clothing?
Our customers loved it and asked 'What else do you make like this?' They requested pajamas and bathrobes, so in 1999 we started to expand the line.

What does "Yala" mean?
We wanted a name that has a global feel. We found that the word can be found on almost every continent--its a river in Africa, a region in Thailand, and in Hebrew and Arabic it means 'Let's go.'

What materials do you use?
We started with silk and added bamboo fabric. The bamboo fabric feels really cool against your skin. We are also adding organic cotton to our line.

Who is the designer?
In the beginning, I was the designer, but in the last couple of years my daughter has joined the business and really likes the designing part.

Working with a family business--best thing ever or biggest challenge ever?
It's wonderful, and it's a challenge. Ashland is a really small town, so my daughter moved to Portland. It works well, because she can be in the community she chooses and we are still in close contact electronically.

Why will FOFs love your line?
As women over fifty, we want to be comfortable and to feel good too. We also like caring about our environment.

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Enter to win a bestselling "Sophie Wrap," from Yala by answering in the comments below: Do you wear clothing that show your upper arms?


Can’t wait to find out if you won? Now, you can buy the Sophie Wrap in the FOF shop.

One FOF will win. See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 22, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.
277 comments   
06March   {Giveaway} Glogover Convertible Tights

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Bonnie Glogover of Glogover Hosiery is giving away a pair of her Convertibles--tights that can be worn three ways: closed toe, open toe, or at ankle-high length. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Would you wear tights with open-toe shoes?

Can’t wait to find out if you won? Now, you can buy Convertibles tights in the FOF shop.

Bonnie Glogover thought up these clever tights while getting a pedicure. Watching women at the nail salon cut their hose in order to expose their toes, she thought “there must be a better way.” Bonnie and her dad, Stanley Glogover, inventor of nursing and maternity bras, whipped up a prototype for tights with a convertible toe flap. Two years later the product was granted a patent. Investing $100,000 of her own money in the idea, Bonnie took her first batch of manufactured tights to bank cafeterias in New York City, Connecticut and New Jersey to see if they would sell. When she sold out of all 30,000 pairs, she knew she had a winning product on her hands...and feet!

Your have inventor genes! Your dad was a successful inventor--what about your mom?
My mother was the hostess of Romper Room, a television show where she taught kids manners and their ABCs. She was a very proper woman and always dressed me in pantyhose from the day I was born.

Wow--so pantyhose never bothered you?
I wear them every day, even under jeans. However, the seam at the toe was always bothersome to me. I always thought it would be great if it could be eliminated. That was one of the inspirations for Convertibles, which feature an ‘invisible’ seam.

Tights with seamless toes that can be worn for pedicures--genius! What other uses do they have?
When they are converted open, they can be worn with sandals, open-toe or peep-toe shoes. You can wear them barefoot when you go dancing or if you are going to the foot doctor.


That’s great--but did you have to sacrifice anything when you added all the ‘extras’?
Not at all--I shopped my prototype around and settled on a manufacturer in North Carolina because of their excellent quality control. They are made from 20 denier nylon--this premium quality would normally cost double in the department store...without all the bells and whistles.

Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Would you wear tights with open-toe shoes?

Can’t wait to find out if you won? Now, you can buy Convertibles tights in the FOF shop.

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One FOF will win. See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 15, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.
165 comments   
15February   {Giveaway} Pure Inventions Trio


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FOFs Lynne Gerhards and Lori Mulligan are giving away three bottles (approx. 180 servings) of Pure Inventions, their flavored water enhancer. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Next to water, what do you drink most?



Anyone who has been on a diet--whether to lose weight or get healthy--knows what the beverage options are: water, water and more water. So healthy! So boring! That’s why FOFs Lynne Gerhards and Lori Mulligan, two nutritionists and friends, created Pure Inventions liquid water enhancer, a calorie-free, chemical-free, sodium-free, nutritious water enhancer. The drops--which are portable and can be added to any flat or carbonated water--range in flavor from vanilla creme and pineapple coconut to peach and chocolate cocoa. And they actually taste delicious...we tried them. “If you replace one 20-ounce sugary beverage a day, you’ll cut 9,000 calories of sugar per month,” says Lynne. We’ll drink to that! Here we chat with Lori and Lynne about Pure Inventions and staying healthy after fifty.

What did you two do before you created Pure Inventions?
Lynne: Lori was raising a family and I was running a country club. We got our certified clinical nutrition degrees and opened up a practice in September 2001.

Lori: We wanted to create something that would get our clients to drink more water.
We worked with scientists--giving them the concept that we wanted--and they figured out how to fit it all in that little bottle. In addition to flavor, the drops also provide antioxidants, fruit extracts, green tea extracts and other nutritional benefits.

Do Pure Inventions extracts contain sweetener?
Lori: Yes. Many of our clients wanted to go off diet soda, but were still looking for something sweet tasting. We use extract from the Lo-han fruit. It’s nicknamed the ‘longevity fruit,’ because it grows in countries that have an unusually high number of residents who live past 100. It’s also low glycemic, has zero calories and is one hundred times sweeter then sugar. It’s used in Chinese medicine for digestion, respiratory problems and regulating blood sugar. The other sweetener we use is Stevia. It’s from the Stevia plant, has no chemicals, and there’s no processing. It’s also great for digestion and blood sugar.

Why is Pure Inventions important for FOFs?
Lori: With menopause, your metabolism slows down, and you gain weight. You can age quicker if you’re not eating well and exercising. This can at least solve the drink issue--to get you off soda, diet soda and sugary drinks.

Do you have a favorite flavor?
Lori and Lynne: The vanilla creme. When you add it to sparkling water, it tastes like cream soda! We also like using our fruit extracts over plain yogurt or oatmeal or as a cocktail mixer.

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Enter to win three bottles of Pure Inventions (approx. 180 servings), flavored liquid water enhancer by answering in the comments below: Next to water, what do you drink most?



One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes February 23, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Can’t wait to find out if you won? FOFs receive 35% off all Pure Inventions products when you enter code PUREFAB50 at checkout. Valid from February 16, 2012 to February 23, 2012.

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.
322 comments   
06February   {My Story} “I’m recording my first solo album…at 53.”
As a teen, FOF Sheri Nadelman wished she could become a rock star. Most people would say, “dream on.” She did, and, in her 50s, turned that dream into a rockin’ reality.



[Editor's note: The essay below, by FOF Sheri Nadelman, is part of a series of personal blogs from our readers. Have your own story to tell? Email your idea to geri@faboverfifty.com.]

Before the days of American Idol and YouTube, there was little hope that I, a chubby-but-nice-Jewish-girl-from-Brooklyn, would make it as a singer. My dad wanted me to go to college, and my mom wanted me to marry a doctor. My dream was to become a rock star.

When I was 12, my dad got me a guitar, which I learned to play by ear. I sang for anyone who would listen. For the longest time I thought my middle name was “shut up.” No one ever took me seriously, but the truth is that I had a good voice.

At age 19, I mustered up the courage to sing for renowned vocal coach Marty Lawrence, a close family friend. “You’ve definitely got something,” he said--in true Simon Cowell fashion. I started lessons, which eventually lead to a recording contract. The financing fell through, and the album never came to fruition. I was devastated.

I was faced with the choice of pursuing my music career or marrying my boyfriend. I could not do both because his med school training would require us to move frequently--not an ideal situation for a musician trying to make it big.

We married and moved to Hawaii and started a family. When I was three months pregnant, my mom died of a stroke--she was only 46. My daughter was born six months later.



Years later, we settled in Florida and tragedy struck once again, I lost both my dad and my brother. My dad lost a bitter battle to emphysema. My brother died at the age of 40 after complications from gastric bypass surgery. Adding to my grief was the demise of my marriage. It was such an emotional roller coaster, I couldn’t bring myself to pick up the guitar for years.

At 45, I got divorced--I felt unhappy and unfulfilled. My daughter was getting ready to leave for college, and I worried I’d miss her terribly. A girlfriend and my daughter encouraged me to do an open mic night. I got involved in the local music scene and began performing solo at first and then with other musicians in an acoustic band. I never thought I’d marry again, but later that same year, I was swept away by a businessman with an extensive background in music.  He believed in me like no one had before.

At 53 years old, when most women my age are winding down, I am just beginning! I am in the midst of recording my long overdue solo album. I sing lead and play guitar in a popular Tampa Bay area cover band called soulRcoaster. Not only do I get to live my dream--singing everything from Etta James to Lady GaGa--I get to share it with my husband, who is now our soundman! "You can hear Sheri's passion captured in every single note she sings," Bud Snyder, a sound engineer for the Allman Brothers, once told me.  I guess I’m just a late bloomer.
.

.
--
For the record (pun intended) I just wrapped up my album “Fate Steps In,” which will be be available on iTunes soon. You can visit her website for more information.
21 comments   
01February   {Giveaway} Fancy Magnifying Glass by Twig Terrariums
Katy and Michelle of Twig Terrariums are giving away this fancy magnifying glass. They use it to create their own miniature moss worlds, but you can keep it in your purse and use it on that oh-so-pesky, tiny type. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Do you ever use a magnifying glass when you read?


Cool company alert! Terrariums are making a comeback, but we're not talking those dreadful aquarium-style science projects. Instead, two Brooklyn, N.Y. FUFs have built their business building miniature worlds inside vintage apothecary jars. Here we chat with Katy and Michelle of Twig Terrariums. Plus, their terrariums are now for sale in the FOF Shop!


Is this a full-time gig for you guys?
Oh yes, for both of us.

What are your backgrounds?
Katy: We both were Brooklyn College students; Michelle was there for design and photography and I was there for creative writing.

How did you two meet?
Michelle: We've known each other since I was 15 and Katy was 12. We lost touch in our teen years when Katy moved away. We met up at my 31st birthday party. A friend brought her as a surprise guest. The friendship was rekindled, and we liked to get crafty together ever since.

When did you start getting interested in terrariums?
Michelle: I spoke with my college chemistry/biology teacher on how to make a terrarium, and we started experimenting with different vintage jars. They looked like little gardens, and we added people to them. Before we knew it they were all over our apartments. So we had a choice: Sell them or give them to our friends for Christmas.

So you started selling them! Fabulous. When was this?
Michelle: About 3 years ago.

Do you teach others how to make terrariums?
Katy: We have regular workshops all the time at our studio in Brooklyn and around town. We also do private workshops with people who want to work one-on-one with us.

How do you take care of a terrarium?
Katy: They're moss terrariums so it's very simple. You mist them with water every 2-4 weeks and keep them out of direct sunlight.

Very low maintenance!
Katy: That's our goal. We are busy urban dwellers without access to acreage, so our terrariums are our backyards.

What's your favorite scene you've seen someone make or made yourself?
Katy: In a workshop one woman did a medieval scene--with a knight slaying a dragon. That was cool. We have so much fun making custom pieces, like a skydiving couple we did recently. We also did wedding centerpieces and each terrarium represented a different memory in the couple's life--from one with them having dinner by a lake, to one with them riding on mopeds.

Your business was recently featured by the New York Times. Why the sudden interest in terrariums again?
Katy: They're so low maintenance, and we're all so busy. You don't have to hoe and rake and prune, and you have a petite little garden that you can potentially put your family in. Or enjoy your grandchildren in your little green world. There is a very peaceful aspect to them--yet they add a nice bit of life to any home.

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Enter to win a fancy magnifying glass by Twig Terrariums by answering in the comments below: Do you ever use a magnifying glass when you read?

One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes February 9, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.
235 comments   
25January   {Giveaway} Win tights with underwear woven in


FOF Hallie Peterson of Leg Luxury is giving away two pairs of her one-of-a-kind tights. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Do you always wear nude stockings with skirts--even in the summer?

Most mornings, FOF Hallie Peterson partakes in a ritual she calls "dressing from the bottom up."

"When I get dressed, I start with my tights. I decide which ones to wear [based on] my attitude," says Hallie. "If I'm feeling sassy, for instance, then I put on something like my 'Wild and Fun' tights or my 'Feathery Lace' ones." If she's feeling more conservative, Hallie opts for her 'Little Dots' or 'Elegant Scrolls.'

Hallie has the luxury of choosing from dozens of styles, because as owner of Leg Luxury, Hallie takes multiple trips to Asia each year to find the most unique tights."I've had women literally chase me across parking lots to ask me where I got my tights." She doesn't sell basics opaques or sheers because, well... "you can get those in Target," says Hallie. On her buying trips, if she doesn't see quite what she's looking for, she works with her manufacturers to come up with something truly one-of-a kind.

"A client came to me and said 'look, I'm 42 years old, I hate panty lines, I'm single and I take my clothes off in front of men.' So I worked with my vendors and we created tights with these lacy French cut panties sewed in," says Hallie. "It gives a sexy, elegant feel and it removes the question of whether to wear panties or not."

Prior to launching her tights business, Hallie, a San Diego-based FOF, worked in marketing for Radisson Hotels and Northwest airlines while launching multiple side endeavors, including selling popcorn in Russia. "When I write my biography, it's going to be called 'From Popcorn to Pantyhouse--Living the Frivolous Life,' she jokes. But, all jokes aside, Hallie describes herself as an "entrepreneur with great purpose, background and foundation." "I've reinvented myself a number of times but I think I've found what I'm sticking with," says Hallie.
Hallie sells her tights online and to boutiques across the United States and Canada. They range in price from $20-$26.

"We don't have the legs we had when we were 20," says Hallie. "We may have vericose veins, sun spots or cellulite, and when you cover your legs it looks a lot better than leave them bare."

Enter to win a pair of Leg Luxury tights by answering in the comments below: Do you always wear nude stockings with skirts--even in the summer?



Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.



Two FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes February 2, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Can't wait to find out if you won? Now, you can buy Leg Luxury tights in the FOF shop.
228 comments   

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