A Fashionable Life Radio

Sports, travel, adventure, therapy.  That is what Erin Leider-Pariser set out to provide to all the women who enlisted to join her masterful and unparallelled trips. Erin has stayed true to her mission statement and gone far beyond.  A recent aliance wih GO PHILANTHROPIC has taken STAT to another place…WHERE, you ask??  Laos and Cambodia where thirteen women from all points of the USA shared in one unified goal:  to visit the well that they gave to a village desperate for clean drinking water provided through the efforts of  individual donors and the organization Journeys From Within. In the process of traveling to the well located in a village in Cambodia, they visited an orphanage where the children who fill their days by picking through the dump to find plastics for export to Vietnam, find refuge and hope in classrooms learning English and life skills. In between giving and getting hugs from the children, witnessing the fruits of their labor as they saw the faces of the villagers who have the benefit of the filtration systems also provided through Journeys Within (in conjunction with Go phlanthropic), The STAT women shopped in the night market in Luang Probang, Laos, bought  saffron and curries at The Russian Market in Phnom Phen, hiked the jungle and kayaked through the currents of The Mekong River. The women of Laos employ generations of weaving experience and pride which we got to witness as we toured the looms, baskets of dyes and silk yarns that are the ingredients for gorgeous and one of a kind silk scarves and pillow covers. So…..all I’m saying is that this A Fashionable Life Co-Host and twelve fabulous women did what I could have only dreamed of doing along side such inspirational women before this extraordinary journey:  learned the lesson that will last a lot longer than any quick fix: The gift is in the giving. I have never felt the weight of Thanksgiving as I did this year thanks to a healthy and hefty dose of perspective.. www.stattrip.com. www.gophilanthropic.com. www.journeyswithin.com

After my travels the past few weeks through Laos and Cambodia, I ended my excellent adventure wih a weekend in my favorite city (other than NYC) Hong Kong. Sonjia Norman is the designer, owner and creative genius behind this gem of a shop in the heart of Wachai in HK.  Sonjia is a couturier, creating one of a kind, timeless pieces that speak to the beauty and timeless quality of style. She doesn’t have to follow trends: she sets them. I walked away from this chic corner shop defined by concrete walls and an abundance of clothes, accessories and jewelry, with a new favorite glamorous dress and handmade shoes that I will treasure. A MUST visit if you find yourself in HK. Otherwise, the beautiful Sonjia does trunk shows in NYC and is planning to be in soon…contact us if you want to be alerted upon her arrival. www.sonjiaonline.com

Indian-American designer, Naeem Khan created the perfection which was Michelle Obama’s dress. The strapless silver with gold  ground, sleeveless gown was set off by a pair of fleur de lis drop earrings with purple stones. Simply gorgeous. Naeem Khan’s father and Great-grandfather have designed for indian royalty. Clearly, his genes did not betray!

What defines a trip most?  Finding those shops, restaurants and hotels that make your experience both memorable and rich. The Luxe Guides are your BIBLE for all that you need to know in any foreign land that you may be visiting. Snarky, honest and right on, these beautiful stock and colorful paper guides will lead you to where you want to be (and where you will want to avoid going).  A great gift for anyone who loves to travel. www.luxeguides.com

Before I left Cambodia for some final fashionable days in Hong Kong where I am staying at Hong Kong’s newest and positively grooviest hotels The Upper House, I was blessed by a Buddhist monk who showered me with scened water, flower petals and prayers before tying on a red string bracelet for lasting health and good luck. Laos and Cambodia are filled with hope and history. Hopefully, tourism and economic progress and development will not obscure the beauty and unique experience that hese countries hold for all of us to see.

More Magazine, November 2009Who wouldn’t want to get shrunk weekly by Dr. Betsy Schur Levy above. This dynamic New Yorker runs a private practice in New York City for adults, adolescents and children. As she shared her tips for dealing with stress during the holidays today on A Fashionable Life Radio, she suggests that we find our ” emotional resources” to cope. An extra workout at the gym or a shopping excursion, for example, might help you rely on your own strength and keep you on a “positive path” rather than thinking about the past, what could have been and your house full of guests!  For this fashionista, I need both so I am so grateful to Dr Levy for sharing all her sound advice with us today. If you would like to make an appointment with Dr. Levy, call 212-744-8596 and tune into our podcasts later this week if you missed the show!

This beautiful picture of Dakota Fanning at the NEW MOON premiere is a sheer pleasure to stumble upon! This is what the young faces of Hollywood should look like. Calm, composed, elegant and natural. I trust she will make the transition from child actor to successful adult actress, especially with poise like this! NEW MOON opens every where this Friday.

Our good friend, Jonathan from Lolipop designs has THE most prolific glass blowing business I have ever seen. He churns out the most beautifully designed jewelry and accessories in rainbow color glass. Each and every item is breath-taking and I am in awe of him mastering this unusual craft. As the holidays approach, please log to his web site and purchase for anyone. His jewelry is so spectacular and special. www.lolipop.ca.

What is less fashionble than a pair of black Tevas?? Black tevas with with socks? Well, yours truly wore her newly purchased Tevas wih deep regrets that she hadn’t invested in a pair of keenes the  ’a little more acceptable kayaking/boating shoe”.  My dear friend happened to be going to Paragon (THE best sporting goods store in NYC) .  I enlisted her to buy me a pair of shoes that would withstand a hardy hiking trek that had water, deep forest and kayaking. Tevas seemed to be the shoe for such an excursion….PS:  one LARGE blister  and two leaches later, a vow NEVER to commit such a fashion-less act coincided with possibly one of the most awesome and humbling days of my life. Thirteen women trekked through the forest to the Pak Ou Cave where THOUSANDS of gilded and wooden Buddhas are housed inside a cave on a towering limestone cliff  over hanging the Mekong River. Laos is truly heaven on earth. I am inspired to create an alter upon my return where I can put life aside and focus on he peace that comes from dedicating time to ourselves a little time every day. This dedication to a peaceful and fullfilling existence seems to be working for the people of  the village of Ban Xang Hai where for hundreds of years they have been making ‘moonshine” rice whiskey. Many the residents of this Mekong River town dedicate their efforts toward making this 55% alchohol, Grappa-like drink which when swallowed, leaves behind the unmistakable burning sensation of something highly medicinal and potent. Some of the bottles are filled with scorpians and others with a snake to promote fertility. Not that we will be branding A fashionable Life with rice whiskey anytime soon, after a long days trek and a zen state of mind…who knows?  Maybe his homemade metal vat will be anoher source of revenue for A FashionablelLife

After a night in Bangkok it was on to Laos. Luang Prabang is filled with people who reflect the Buddhist culture that defines this country. Dignity, pride and family are at the core of this quaint and bustling city. Tourism has only been part of the equation since 1999. This is still unspoiled territory. UNESCO has had a huge hand in helping to preserve the Laos culture while allowing commerce and tourism to positively infiltrate. These are people who do not cry at funerals so as not to allow their own pain to bring others down. Every purchase is met with a prayer hand gesture and a gracious thank you. Food is prepared with love. The food is rich in texture and flavors that favor tamarind, curries and chili as with most tropical environments. Buddhas in reclining poses and those with large and full bellies lie inside each jewel of a temple that we have discovered. A fierce game of Baci ball is being played by young men across the street as I blog in the only wireless spot in our hotel (Satri House). There is a calm here that all to casually skips over the story known all to well. This country in all its beauty, innocence and peaceful offerings was the target of relentless bombings during the Vietnam war. More tomorrow as I need desperately to catch up on my sleep.