Jewelry by the pool and beach? Most definitely! Delicate pieces are the perfect way to add a little glamour to your pool and beach attire. Dainty gold and silver bracelets and necklaces add a chic touch to your swimsuit and cover-up, but a new favorite for this summer is the Chan Luu wrap bracelet. With the ability to wind them as many times as you’d like (keeping tan lines away), stunning beaded detail and varied color selection, they are a fab mix-and-match addition to your swim wardrobe. These bracelets are also lightweight, making them an easy accessory when lugging around your sunscreen and beach bag. You can find Chan Luu bracelets at Aversa, Bayshore Town Center, Glendale.

As we get ready for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, it’s time to consider the true meaning of the day. The federal holiday was established to honor all the men and women who have died in all wars while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Sometimes that meaning gets lost, just like the veterans who return home after serving our country.

But not everyone has forgotten. Dryhootch of America is a nonprofit organization started in 2008 that dedicates itself to helping veterans and their families who survived the war, survive peace.

Milwaukee is fortunate to have two Dryhootch locations, with the second location opening last week directly across from the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center at 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee. The other Milwaukee location is at 1030 E. Brady St., Milwaukee. Efforts are underway to open a third Dryhootch in Waukesha.

Dryhootch  provides such services as peer-to-peer counseling to help with issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, drug and alcohol addition, family reintegration and women veterans’ issues.

The facilities also have a coffeehouse where veterans can gather with family and friends in an alcohol and drug-free environment.

A coalition of community partners has committed to working with Dryhootch to aid in addressing the many legal challenges for returning veterans.
It’s nice to see our community is taking an active role in helping those who have put their lives on the line for our country. Maybe it’s time for all of us say “thank you” by helping those in need.

For more information on Dryhootch of America, go to www.dryhootch.org.

The Raise a Glass to Hope Fundraiser, a preview of the 2012 Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse, will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. June 1 and features tours of the house, hors d’oeuvres, food stations for alfresco dining, complimentary wine and beer, a live auction, raffle and diamond pull, and music by the Andrew Gelles Band.

This year’s showhouse is the Vogel Mansion in the North Point Historic District, owned by businessman Andy Nunemaker. The home features formal gardens and a pool, a 20-room interior that is exquisitely enhanced by carved woodwork and decorative ironwork, and features a formal dining room, gourmet kitchen, butler’s pantry and the impressive private art collection of the homeowner.  

The house is located at 2221 N. Terrace Ave. Tickets are $100, $150 for patron sponsors, or $1,500 for Pink Ribbon Table Sponsors for a table of 10. To purchase tickets, go to www.raiseaglasstohope.com.

Sponsors are the Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin and the Brewers Community Foundation/Doug and Ellen Melvin. Proceeds from this event and the showhouse tour, which runs June 2-17, are used for breast and prostate cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

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Kohler Kudos
The Julilly Kohler residence featured in M’s May issue is among 17 projects nationwide to receive an EcoHome Design Award. Kohler worked with architect Russell LaFrombois III for the design of her eco-friendly home in Milwaukee’s Kane Commons subdivision she developed. The judges recognized the project for “achieving the rare balance between architectural design and sustainable performance.”

 

 

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Designs in 3-D
If you’ve ever looked at an architect’s blueprint or a landscaping project on paper, you know how hard it can be to visualize the finished product. But Rodger Northouse of Northouse Landscape Co., Milwaukee, helps clients see his vision in 3-D. He brings his designs to life via virtual tours on YouTube, complete with birds flying through the sky and fire blazing in the fire pit. “Only 5 percent of the population can visualize,” Northouse says. “We can really create a strong visual sense of a project.” He says he recently presented a virtual tour to a client who said, “‘We wish we would have had this when we were designing our home.’” To take a virtual tour of Northouse projects on YouTube, go to www.northouse.com.

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New work by Dwayne Sperber as seen at the furniture exhibit Urban(wood)Encounter 2012. Made of walnut, ash and pear from Milwaukee area urban forests.

Urban(wood) Winners
Here are the winners in the Urban(wood)Encounter, part of the Spring 2012 Gallery Night at Design Within Reach. It’s an exhibition designed to challenge furniture makers and designers to create inspiring and thoughtful furniture from a regionally abundant and underutilized natural resource: urban wood. First place: Joseph Murphy (www.josephmurphy.net), walnut bench; second place: Michael Doerr (www.michaeldoerr.com), walnut chair; third place: Anthony Kajfez (www.akartistry.com), bedside table; honorable mention: MIAD student Aaron Malinowski. 

URBAN(wood)ENCOUNTER was sponsored by Woodcraft and Town & Country Resource Conservation & Development Inc. Dwayne Sperber, furniture maker and owner of Wudeward Urban Forest Products LLC, coordinated the event. The panel of judges included Juli Kaufmann of Fix Development, interior designer Nancy Miller of Form & Function Inc., Tom Kubala of The Kubala Washatko Architects Inc., and Monique Charlier of Rivet LLC.

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Lon Michels is larger than life. At 6-feet 6-inches tall and 260 pounds, he is hard to miss. Always dressed to the nines, with a penchant for furs and big jewelry, you become aware of his presence when he enters a room. It’s not just his size, but the positive energy he exudes.

At age 50, Michels celebrates a lifelong career of painting with a gallery exhibition in Milwaukee. His show, “Life Lived Large,” includes paintings, sculpture and painted furs.  Michels enjoys national recognition for his unique style of painting, using bold colors with repeating intricate patterns. Michels paints from life and captures the essence of each subject. Every inch of canvas comes alive with his joy.  

Born in Marquette, Michels’ mother was an artist and his father a fifth-generation stone mason. As a young child, his mother encouraged him to paint by throwing flowers on the floor and having him paint them. His favorite activity was filling up coloring books. Fascinated with the black line, Michels knew at an early age that it was OK to color outside it.

After completing his bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Ripon College, Michels moved to New York City in the 1980s, where he modeled for Calvin Klein — an experience that still dictates his extravagant fashion sense. He was also the studio assistant to the international sculptor, Louise Nevelson, and the grid structure of her work can be seen in Michels’ large-scale paintings.

Seeking warmer weather, Michels moved to Key West in the 1990s, where he developed his own style of painting and became a local TV host. After suffering an infection in his optic nerve, Michels was blinded for nearly two years, but continued to paint with the help of an assistant. Through specialized treatment, Michels regained his sight and continued his artistic pursuits by returning to school and receiving a master of fine arts degree from UW-Madison.

Michels now makes his home and studio in Lodi. His studio overlooks the magnificent Baraboo mountain range close to Lake Wisconsin, where he draws constant inspiration.  

For several years, Michels has been working on his monumental masterpiece, “The Last Supper,” an 8-foot-by-12-foot contemporary interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. Michels traveled to Jerusalem to research religion and spirituality for this ambitious work. The painting’s process and Michels’ life is the subject of the film, “The Last Supper,” created by Todd Olson, which premiers at the Next Act Theatre on June 2.

“If you are given a gift, it’s your responsibility to share it with the world,” Michels says. Finding beauty everywhere, whether painting a portrait, landscape or still life, his intense research, dedication and unique vision make for exceptional art. Michels paints to live and lives to paint, with a gratitude that overflows.

“Life Lived Large,” the painting and sculpture of Lon Michels, will be on exhibit at the Tory Folliard Gallery June 2-30. From July 6-Aug. 19, Michels’ paintings will be on view at the James Watrous Gallery at Madison’s Overture Center. A portion of the artwork sales will be donated to the Aids Resource Center and After Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

The season is here — swimsuit, sun and a lawn chair. There are still some of us that worship the sun — myself included — even though we have heard countless times how prolonged, unprotected sun exposure can lead to skin cancer. It’s finally sinking in.
I think seeing the New Jersey woman on TV last week accused of exposing her young daughter to the harmful rays of a tanning bed really hit home. She looked completely unnatural to me.
I heard the term Tanorexia for the first time when the media was discussing the incident and I wondered what that meant.
According to Wikipedia, the slang term Tanorexia is an addiction similar to smoking or alcohol — a little is never enough. People perceive themselves as unacceptably pale and therefore lay out in the sun or in a tanning bed frequently to have a darker complexion.
To verify that information, I spoke with Dr. John Ratz, a dermatologist with Great Lakes Dermatology, who has had sun worshipers among his patients. “There are people out there who can’t get enough tanning,” says Ratz. “All you can do is let them know the truth, but you may not change their minds.”
He hadn’t heard the term Tanorexia himself until last week, but did agree these people are addicted to getting a tan.
Don’t get me wrong, nobody likes to look like a shiny white beacon when they’re wearing shorts and a sleeveless top, but there are other ways to get tan. Check on your store shelf for self-tanning lotions.
Ratz notes to remember the sun screen; reapplying the lotion or spray every couple of hours is essential. He says statistics state that one in 75 people will get melanoma.
The natural sun-kissed glow is not worth it in the long run. Use those hours spent tanning in a more productive manner. Your skin will thank you for it.

Looking for picture-perfect hair that can only be achieved by the perfect blow-out? Your search is over.

Leroy Buth and partner, Diane, owners of Halo salon on Brady Street, recently opened Pin-Up, a salon that specializes in blow-outs and styling.

“Pin-Up is a more spontaneous, fun and less-expensive version of your typical salon,” says Diane, who describes Pin-Up as a “blow dry bar,” which has been all the rage in L.A. and New York City in recent years. In other words: You won’t find colors, cuts or washes here. And all styles are just $30. “We want customers to have an exact idea of how much their style will cost, without any surprises,” adds Diane.

Pin-Up works on a walk-in and appointment basis, and will create any style you are looking for — whether it’s an updo for a wedding or loose waves for a fun night out. Pin-Up will even host styling sessions for a bachelorette or wedding party.  

Customers may also treat themselves to an OPI or Essie manicure, shellac or pedicure, or a makeup application (also $30), performed by expert stylists. Plus, Pin-Up has a selection of glam strip lashes that can be applied for $15.

Pin-Up sells and uses the coveted Jane Iredale makeup line, and S Factor hair products. “They are natural and cruelty-free; even the brushes used to apply the makeup are cruelty-free,” says Buth. “We are huge advocates for animals, so we always try to use natural and cruelty-free products at both of our salons. And these product lines give us the best results.”

Pin-Up is located at 1224 E Brady St., Milwaukee. Check out www.pinupgirlsmke.com for more information.

There aren’t many moments in life that are more terrifying than receiving word that you or a loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosis often means endless radiation, chemotherapy, surgeries, significant lows — and the fear of what’s to come.

About a decade ago, Peg O’Malley, owner of Allure Intimate Apparel in Mequon and Brookfield, learned breast cancer survivors who had undergone a variety of breast surgeries — from lumpectomies to full mastectomies — were sent to medical supply businesses and pharmacies to purchase bras for their condition.

This encouraged O’Malley to research other options for women; options that would make breast cancer survivors feel special and cared for, rather than buying undergarments like medical supplies.

Today, the boutique, which specializes in bra fittings and high-quality foundation undergarments, is providing services and fittings for breast cancer survivors so they have the luxury of receiving outstanding and compassionate woman-to-woman service in a warm environment.

“We fit women in beautiful bras that make them feel pretty and complete,” says O’Malley.

We women wouldn’t have it any other way.