Book Review: Kelly Cutrone "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside"

Photo: courtesy of the LA Times.

"If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You" (HarperCollins, 197 pages, $22.99.), by Kelly Cutrone, with Meredith Bryan:

Kelly Cutrone is honest and as real as it gets. She opens herself up and provides an intriguing read into her life story in her first book "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You." As I got further into the book, I realized that Ms. Cutrone is doing MUCH more than simply telling her story. She is a teacher, mentor and spiritual guide. The interesting thing about Kelly Cutrone is that no matter how much she is portrayed as a hardcore brutal boss; you come to understand that she is truly a very caring person. She is brutally honest and if that comes to telling someone on her staff or her interns that they suck, then she is doing them a favor. She states that to find out WHO you ARE, you must learn WHO YOU ARE NOT. She is extremely spiritual, which you learn is one of the things that guides her business and life decisions and keeps her sane in the superficial world of fashion, runway models and dramatic designers.

Kelly seeped into public consciousness by appearing on MTV reality shows such as "The Hills" and "The City" where she was portrayed as an uber-b***h boss, ordering pretty interns to work harder,faster, longer and fire fellow colleagues who weren't going to cut the mustard in the world of PR. She also has her own show now on the Bravo network; "Kell on Earth". It was through this show that I was introduced to the world of Kelly Cutrone and the Public Relations company that she founded; "People's Revolution".

I found Kelly's no nonsense management style to be breath of fresh air. Her no frills office space is clean, modern and edgy. She works daily with world's top designers in the fashion industry and is the real deal. She IS her own brand and markets herself well. She tells her readers that there is a reason she dresses in all black. Its her uniform. She likens her staff and her extended family an army; one that is fighting the good fight; that of honesty, integrity and damn good straight-up business sense.

Kelly's story is a compelling one, and extremely relatable. She encourages ALL women, no matter what industry they may be in or are pursing, to find their true voice, to listen to their instincts no matter how wacky they may seem, and make career choices for the right reasons; not by guided by voices from your parents, your friends, Hollywood or society in general. Kelly's book is an inspiration and should be read by all women who are interested in bettering themselves in their career and life in general.

The simple beauty of black, white and bright green

When decorating a bathroom, consider colors and patterns that you wouldn't normally use for any other room in the house. I recently took a trip to the home improvement store dead set on painting one of our bathrooms my signature choice; yellow. I still believe that yellow is one of the most cheerful colors you can paint a room, simply because it is the color of the sun.

Not this time though, because for some reason at the last minute I decided to go with bright green. I have NEVER painted any room this color. I went with my instinct and bought a gallon of the bright green paint, not sure of how it was going to come out...the result? I love it! The key is to add black and white accent such as the bathroom pictured above. The wallpaper in the bathroom above is Kate Spade and has a wonderful zebra pattern and is paired beautifully with the white shower curtain and black accents.

Book Review: The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx

Photo by Richard Chavez.

I have just finished reading the Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx. Wow; what a mind blowing book. When I mentioned to friends that I was reading a book written by a member of the infamous bad boys of hair metal 80's rock and debauchery, people sort of gave me a puzzled look, such as (why? what could he possibly have to say?)if they even knew of Nikki Sixx or Motley Crue at all. I can promise you all this; Sixx has A LOT to say. And what he says and how he portrays it through a collection of notes and a dairy where he meticulously noted his life and how he felt during Christmas of 1986 to Christmas of 1987 are the core of what makes this book great and not just another rockstar ex-junky telling his story.

The layout of the book itself sets it apart from others; its written on 411 pages of glossy paper complete with artwork and "doodles" from Sixx himself which adds impact to the words on the page and further brings you into his state of mind. The gaps and notes are filled in as diary progresses by the people who were involved at the time, their recollections of the situation and Sixx's state of mind and behavior; band mates, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil and Mick Mars, managers and music producers, ex-girlfriends (Vanity of 80's fame Vanity 6 and ex love of Prince was heavily involved with Sixx and his addictions that year), and importantly, his grandfather, mother and sister. He documents the pain and misery that he inflicted upon those that loved him a cared about him the most at a time where he didn't care if he lived or died. He wanted to experience life to the fullest by pushing himself to the limit until there was no going back. Sixx was legally dead in December of 1987 after an overdose (notably his 2nd one) and was brought back to life through an adrenaline shot to the heart.

Sixx admits today that he is not the same man that he was in 1987. He says that the Nikki Sixx of 1987 would HATE the Nikki Sixx of 2009. And that is a good thing. Today he is more passionate than ever about his band(s), the Crue; which he pulled back together after many years of estrangement and he admits wasn't at all easy, Sixx AM (an new band with James Micheal and the impressive guitar playing master DJ Ashba), a clothing line, and President of music label Eleven Seven. Above all he is committed to helping others fight addiction. He has stated that if he can save one life from addiction through his work and his book than it is all worth the effort. A portion of the proceeds from the soundtrack related to the book are donated to a Charity called "Running Wild in the Night" founded by Nikki for Covenant House to help troubled and homeless kids get off the streets.

Table Makeover: Amazing what you can find on Craigslist

I can't believe I've been living with this table in my house and I forgot to post it on my blog. Back in August, we were in need of a dining/kitchen table because my dear sweet husband dropped my most favorite farm table off the back of the pick up truck when were moving out of our house in MA. To say I was devastated by the loss goes without saying, however, I have since found love again with my new $35 Craiglist find. Remember, anything that looks ugly because you don't like the color, can always be repainted. White or black paint are usually good bets to make any piece of wood furniture look better depending on what type of look you are going for. White for a shabby chic look or black for a more sophisticated look. My find was ugly brown veneer before I painted it white.

Daily Candy: Crest Tooth Whitening Product Test

I am excited to write that I have been chosen to test a line of spankin' new not out on the shelf oral tooth whitening products by Crest. It is a new whitening enamel toothpaste, whitening oral rinse and strips. I tried the products today for the first time and mouth has never felt cleaner and I think my teeth are whiter just from today's application. I know there are a lot of whitening products on the market these days, so I am somewhat sceptical of "new and improved" varieties, but so far these new formulas seem to be working VERY well. I will post some pictures in a the coming days.

Tracy's Livingroom...example of mixing patterns and textures for real life

Tracy Porter always does a wonderful job of seamlessly mixing different colors, textures and styles to make a room look deliciously lived in. Don't be restrained by convention. Take a chance a go with your instincts and savor the results!

Who is hearing the people?

Today's unemployment numbers are out and they are crazy shockingly high. I personally know more people that are out of work than are actually working. The US is falling off a cliff and yet the fight continues on in congress with the health care debacle. The President is focusing too much energy on Health Care than coming up with solutions to help companies and businesses create jobs.

The era of political entitlement has got to come to end. We elect senators and congresspeople to represent our interests, yet they sit up on the hill year after year seeming to be looking out for their own best interests; and hope to keep the people sedated enough to pass though their own agendas while no one is looking. We have got to hold our congresspeople and senators accountable for their actions. Are people actually surprised about what has happened in Massachusetts? Come on people, enough is enough. It's high time the lemmings are wake up. Some of my dearest friends and older relatives believe wholeheartedly (albeit stubbornly) that the Democratic party is the best representation for their beliefs and that anything the Republicans do is greedy, elitist and evil. The Republicans have embodied some of these traits, however the left is just as guilty of greed power and control.

There is an undercurrent emerging in our culture that cannot be ignored. That is of the Independent thinker. Please look at all sides of a political agenda before casting your vote for EITHER party. Do not jump on a train because everyone else seems to. That train may just take right of a very high cliff. Vote with your gut and your feet; fire all the people that are in power that are trying to pass laws (or not) that risk your safety and your livelihood. Remember, those people WORK FOR YOU; not the other way around.