Category Archives: Life & Style

The Polo industry get behind SANDS & bereaved parents {Charity}

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The polo industry get behind SANDS and bereaved parents to help raise money for Sydney

Female polo players take to the field as male players take to shaving their heads for a good cause

On the 31st July and 1st of August over 20 all women polo teams will be taking to the field to play for the prestigious Women’s Nationals Polo Tournament, held at Ascot Park Polo Club in Surrey. To make this year’s event even more special, professional polo players Oliver Hipwood, Gaston Devrient, Richard Blake-Thomas, Charlie Wooldridge and Josh Nimmo will be attending the event to support raising money for SANDS a national charity, established by bereaved parents in 1981 to support anyone affected by the death of a baby; to improve the quality of care and services and to promote research and changes in that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.

The professional polo players have committed to raising £1000 pound each and to shave their heads in the name of a good cause, while the event will be used to raise awareness of SANDS and help fundraise on behalf of Sydney. Organised by Janet and Pete who are local to Ascot Park Polo Club and avid polo fans, they are encouraging the polo industry to get behind the cause by getting everyone to get their favourite player to lose his precious locks by donating at www.justgiving.com/sydney-abigail-augusta-mcivor. Janet Jokat commented:

‘After 4 years of IVF Pete and I fell pregnant in May last year. Our hopes and dreams were shattered when our little girl Sydney was born still born at week 38. Rather than feeling the elation of holding a newborn we were planning a funeral for our daughter. Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity have been supporting us ever since the most tragic day of our lives, and continue to be an enormous support as we deal with the loss of our beautiful daughter Sydney.’

There will also be a silent auction taking place over the weekend; once in a lifetime experiences include £500 worth of polo lessons from Glen Gilmore (Australian Polo Captain) and a champagne helicopter tour over London donated by E.B.G Helicopters. Girls must-haves will also be included with a beautiful Links of London silver charm bracelet and charms, a fashionable handbag from Hide and an equine fashion shoot and makeover from Centaur Photographic.

A fashionable way to show your support is to purchase Sydney’s Fund Bracelet. Hand Made and blessed by Monks in Thailand this multi coloured cord bracelet will keep you safe, whilst making you look good and showing that you care. To purchase one of these please go to www.sydneysfund.co.uk

To find out more about Sydney’s story and the sands project please go to www.sydneysfund.co.uk

Blatantly Blazers {Style}

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It is very rare that a garment is guaranteed to complement the wearer but whether it’s an elderly gentleman or a teenage fashionista, the classic tailored blazer is always a timeless piece which works in tandem with most wardrobes. The piece is versatile and timeless.

It is perfect for this time of year as it becomes too warm to wear that winter coat however still not warm enough not to wear any kind of jacket. Be it drinks with the boys or a romantic dinner by candle light, whenever there is the possibility of a slight chill your blazer is a sure fire hit.

The options available are so varied there is a version of the blazer for every taste and style, they range from the very classic tailored men’s suit jacket in plain wool such as Armani’s extensive range www.emporioarmani.com through to the fitted women’s brightly coloured ones.

Some designers stick to simple and classic styles where as others like to push the boundaries and create something spectacular. If you want something with a traditional tailored fit but an unusual fabric choice Paul Smith does a nice range www.paulsmith.co.uk .

For something still very accessible but a bit more interesting, Pauls Boutique have a couple of interesting ones www.pauls-boutique.com

Whether you are wearing rolled up suit trousers with a simple t-shirt or your comfy jeans, your favourite summer day dress or your specially selected wedding guest outfit, or even your festival chic styles, the blazer will complement your style. The modern one or two button emphasise your slim waist, the open v-neck style emphasing you guys wide shoulders.

Depending on how courageous you are feeling you can either stick with the ever flattering and versatile black blazer or you can jump out for the shadows and select something much more out going and obvious. You can either treat yourself to a trip to Savile Row www.savilerowtailor.com for a tailor made blazer or perhaps select something off the shelf; Jack Wills has some interesting ones for men and for women if you fancy something a little more modern. www.jackwills.com .

Tools for actors: Performer Track review {Careers}

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An actor’s life is often stressful. With so many auditions, agents, jobs and people in your life. Trying to keep track seems impossible.

This is why I am glad to have come across an amazing organisational tool for actors: Performer Track. With different sections, you can keep track of all of your auditions, contacts, agents and bookings. Although US based, Performer Track works just as well for actors all over the world.

One of my favourite features is income and expenses. It can seem impossible as an actor to keep track of your income as it comes from so many different expenses. Keeping track of tax deductible expenses is just as hard. With Performer track you can put in all of your expenses occurred for every job. You can also find out what agents are good and which ones are not working by keeping track of all the jobs they get you. It is important as an actor to realise that your agents, managers and publicity people work for you. Performers track let’s you know who is propelling your career and who is not working for their percentage.

It let’s you keep track of what you were wearing to each audition, who was in the room and what they said. It let’s you map things to find out where you are going. It takes a chaotic, paper heavy career and makes it simple and easy.

It allows you to be the best CEO you can be of your acting brand. The mistake actors make is that they see themselves just as artists. Researching casting directors, directors and the projects you are working on will give you the edge you need in an overcrowded market with ever-dwindling jobs. Try it. You won’t be disappointed.

Get yourself to Britain's First Ever 'Sleep Concert' {Lifestyle}

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To celebrate 25 years, Travelodge, is hosting Britain’s fist ever ‘Sleep Concert’.

The free-of-charge ‘Sleep Concert’, which aims to leave Britons snoring for more, will take place on Tuesday 20th July 2010 at 12.30pm at London City Road Travelodge.

Guests will be supplied with pillows, duvets and eye masks in order to ensure the optimum slumber environment. (If the trial is successful it may be rolled out nationally).

Sleep deprived Britons can register for a place at the exclusive Travelodge ‘Sleep Concert’ by registering their interest at: sleepconcert@travelodge.co.uk

Sleep concerts have apparently been popular in Japan, where sleep deprived workers will happily pay £50.00 for the privilege of nodding off to a live music performance.

Ewan Crawford, Sleep Expert at Edinburgh Sleep Centre, said: “It’s warm, dark and you don’t have any distractions such as your mobile phone. What’s more, it removes any embarrassment of sleeping in public – you can totally relax and be safe in the knowledge that even snoring is socially acceptable.”

(Places for the Travelodge ‘Sleep Concert’ are available on a first come basis)

Top Five Summer Sunglasses {Style}

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In the summer, sunglasses are the accessories you just can’t neglect, so pick them carefully. The shades below are my favourites for this summer.

For a charming aviator style, pick the Ray Ban aviator Sunglasses.A bunch of different designs of aviator glasses have been created over the past fewyears. So you will easily find the shades that will fit you best.

For a chic seventies look, pick the Yves Saint Laurent tortoise sunglasses and you’ll get the Catherine Deneuve attitude.

For an intellectual style, choose the Persol round sunglasses. They will match your Jean-Paul Sartre books !

For a rock star look, pick the Diesel oversized sunglasses. They are perfect to hide from the paparazzi.

For a sophisticated style, pick the white sunglasses from Emmanuelle Khanh and act like Audrey Hepburn.

by Fanny Gazil

Do you want to Interview David Beckham? Here is your chance

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The World Interviews David Beckham Live Only on Yahoo!

Yahoo! calls upon its 600 million users around the world to ask the global sporting icon their ultimate question in an exclusive interview

If you could ask David Beckham one question, what would you ask him and why?

Yahoo! is today asking Beckham fans this very question as it prepares to host a unique global interview. The interview will take place in London at 2.30pm BST on July 14th and connect fans simultaneously by video from 20 other countries around the world. Over 90 minutes, David will then take quickfire questions from around the globe.

Yahoo! is calling upon its nearly 600 million global users to submit a question on Yahoo! Answers . David will then answer, live, the winning questions from each of the 20 participating countries.

The interview will be streamed live worldwide on Yahoo!, and viewers will have the opportunity to submit their own questions live during the event through Yahoo! Mail, Beckham’s Facebook page, the Yahoo! World Football Facebook page and Twitter.

David Beckham said: “It’s always great interacting with fans, but I’ve never been part of an interview quite like this – being able to take questions direct from people in 20 different countries across five continents. It’s definitely a first for me.”

The global interview will involve fans from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, India and Dubai. Fans from each country will interact with David Beckham through video utilising Cisco’s TelePresence high definition video suites.

Earlier this month, David Beckham signed a global sponsorship deal to serve as Yahoo!’s Global Sports Ambassador. The partnership brings together the world’s largest online media company and the world’s most iconic sports star to offer exclusive content only found on Yahoo! for Yahoo!’s coverage of the World Cup and the 2010/11 football season.

“At Yahoo!, our vision is to be the centre of people’s online lives, and we do this through delivering unique, personally relevant content found nowhere else,” said Andrew Cocker head of Yahoo marketing in Britain. “David Beckham is one of those iconic personalities that captivates people – whether you are a football fan or not. He is the perfect partner for us because he is relevant to our users globally, and this is their chance to get up close to him like never before.”

Submit a question for David Beckham on Yahoo! Answers

Non-Gender Bending Fashion {Style}

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Androgyny has always been a popular and recurring trend seen throughout designers work but a trend which is still seemingly slightly taboo, or at the very least not mainstream is cross dressing. When the term cross dressing comes up, immediately thoughts of Eddie Izzard and Boy George somehow appear in our minds. However, a new take on cross dressing is developing and has been doing so for a while but it is not something which is hugely recognised as yet, but it is a useful revolution which is growing throughout men and women alike.

With most retail outlets now stocking both men’s and women’s wear, perhaps it’s time that we took the hint that both genders are equally important not just in general day to day actions but also in our personal wardrobes.

Guys, next time you go into a shop, don’t rush straight through the womenswear sections, slow down and take a look around. There’s certain items you should probably stay well away from… mini skirts and lace blouses are a no go but have a look in the knit wear section or even the denim department. Have you ever tried on a cardigan and thought it didn’t really fit properly or didn’t really do you any favours? Well here’s a possible solution, try on a women’s one, DKNY do some great ones. They are closer fitted and still go to a size which will not leave you feeling like a starched ear wig. The same goes for jeans, granted plenty of them won’t fit nicely, for obvious reasons, but browse the ‘boyfriend fit’ or ‘worker’ jeans sections and you’ll be sure to find something with enough space, Pepe Jeans have an couple of interesting pairs. Shoes prove more of an issue but depending on the shape of your feet, some women’s pumps might even be more comfortable.

Girls, you have the major advantage in this trend. You are pretty much at a no holds barred situation, there’s not many menswear pieces that are out of limits for you, the shoes again are a little more uncomfortable than casual, but everything else is a ‘game on’ situation. It’s extremely easy to work menswear into your daily wardrobe, for starters most garments are now fairly fitted so flatter the female figure as well as the male. And even if you find a t-shirt you love but isn’t fitting you too well, you can always do some simple customising. The simplest is to tie a knot at the waist to squeeze in your waist, mix with rolled up sleeves and you have a good luck, alternatively you could cut the neck open wider and cut a slit in the centre back and tie up so you have a back feature and a nicely fitting top, one of my favourite t-shirt designers is Vivienne Westwood . Jeans are always a good bet, forget boyfriend fit and just steal your  boyfriends, so long as you have an interesting belt to avoid a knickers-on-show situation your always onto a winner.

So the idea is, if you see something you like, try it for size, it might work even if it was not specifically designed for your gender. But, guys and girls the only rule is don’t do head-to-toe opposite sex otherwise you run the risk of looking like a drag queen or drag king, never a good unintentional look.

Acting Advice. { The Film Set | Catherine Balavage }

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I started my acting career when I was 14, doing a play with the youth theater. I have since gone on to work with Martin Scorsese, Madonna, Stephen Poliakoff and Gurinda Chadra. After the 2000th person -or so it feels- asked me for acting advice I thought I should write this article and then I decided to write a book. The book on how to be a successful actor, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, is out now.

Well, that and the dawning realisation that I have been doing this for years. Here it is. Hope it helps you along in an incredibly difficult career.

1) A good headshot. I recommend Diego Indraccolo. He is amazing and does mine. Find him here: http://www.diego.indraccolo.com/

2) A Spotlight entry. Essential. You are invisible without it.

3) A good response to the question ‘What have you been doing lately?’ Not ‘temping’ or ‘watching TV’ something interesting that makes your life sound exciting. Even if the only thing you have been doing is watching daytime TV.

4a) Joining acting sites like Casting Call Pro, Mandy.com, Shooting People and Castweb. http://www.uk.castingcallpro.com/view.php?uid=44261

I am on all of them and not only do I get jobs but I can also ask for advice and it gives me a sense of community. Essential for an actor as our job can be very isolating.

4b) A good clear, concise covering letter that is not generic.

5) A good CV. Leave out damaging information like your age and put playing range instead. DO NOT LIE. The industry is tiny.

6) Being Pro-active. Do your own work. Write. Get seen.

7) Networking. Do this as much as possible. Not just to get jobs but so you know people in the same business.

8 ) An Agent. Not easy but they can get you castings you will not be able to. It is possible to have a career without one but you will need one eventually. I love mine.

9) Be well groomed at all times. You are a business. No one wants to work with an actor who smells or who can not look after themselves. Also: be nice or you will probably never work again.

10) Only do it if you can not do anything else. It is the hardest, most competitive industry you can go into. Your chances of success are tiny. If that has not deterred you then go for it!

11) Equity membership. It validates you. You will get insurance and discounts. If someone does not pay you – which keeps happening to me! – they will sue them for you. http://www.equity.org.uk/

12) Don’t be an a**hole. Nobody wants to work with an a**hole.

13) Turn up, be on time, be professional. Know your lines. All of this matters. Work begets work. I always see someone I have previously worked with on jobs now.

14) Keep training. Learn different accents. Read plays. Do pilates. You have to keep yourself in tip-top condition.

To read more on my adventures go to http://balavage.wordpress.com/

Break a leg!