By Hayley Botha, Founder & CEO

Emerge StrongTM Divorce Coaching Services

Across the world, couples facing a separation or divorce were faced with a challenge like no other.  That is, isolating with your soon-to-be ex-spouse! Tensions have been rising amid quarantine in the happiest of homes, however, with couples already facing a divorce, things have become unbearable for many. 

It’s hard enough going through the challenges that divorce brings, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, couples now found themselves unable to have their cases brought before the courts, attend meetings with their attorneys and many now had to work from home under the same roof as their spouse.  The most apparent impact is that most, if not all, courthouses have been closed except for emergencies.  This now caused not only a delay in divorces but also applications for support and custody.  When lockdown measures were announced, couples that were making plans to divorce were now faced with being in limbo and unable to move forward. 

Lockdown can be extremely challenging for couples even when their marriages are in a good place, however, now we have couples unable to leave for work each day and remain in a tension-filled home all day long makes life especially difficult. Silly things can become points of tension very easily. Spouses have found themselves taking refuge in designated rooms in the house just to cope under one roof. 

By Jeff Boyd, Boyd Jewelers - Wesley Chapel, FL

If you’re selling gold or silver, you want to get the best price available. Perhaps you’ve been buying gold & silver for many years and now you think it’s time to offload some of your collection. Or maybe you’ve inherited some gold & silver from a family member or are cleaning out your broken or damaged jewelry. Whatever your case may be, we look at all the most important things you should consider before you sell your gold or silver, including:

• Getting a fair price
• Selling different forms of gold and silver (coins, bars, jewelry, scrap metal)
• Where to sell your gold and silver

Whenever you decide the time is right for selling gold and silver, the three primary factors to consider are price, convenience and safety.

What’s a Fair Price for Your Gold & Silver? The question everyone asks when selling precious metals is what price they’ll get. So, how do you know how much your gold & silver is worth? Here are some of the factors that determine how much you could potentially receive when you sell your gold or silver.

Selling Gold & Silver Jewelry - It’s difficult to get the same resale value when selling your gold and silver jewelry than other bullion products. This is because most jewelry today includes an alloy along with other decorative pieces. Since it is not pure gold or silver, its value is more subjective. A refiner has to melt it down and refine it before making a bar, coin, round or even more jewelry. This additional labor means most jewelry today will fetch a lower resale price than what was paid for it.

By Tara Richter

The floor is covered with crayons, construction paper and ribbons. Her hands are sticky with rubber paste as she stacks the thick papers together. She punches holes in the left-hand side, then threads the ribbon through all the pages and ties a knot to secure them together. A big grin creeps across her face as she flips through the pages admiring the drawings and reading the story. It’s 1982 and Tara just created her first book at 5 years old. 

Writing and storytelling has always been her passion. She went on to take as many English classes as she could. She wrote endless stories throughout high school and college, while fostering passions for both computers and the arts. Ms. Richter received a degree in Electronic Imaging and Graphic Design in 1998. 

Challenges of Going Remote with Your Business

The internet has made it possible for businesses in
various industries to go remote, but such a
transition does have some unique challenges.

The number of professionals working remotely has risen dramatically over the last decade-plus. According to an analysis from Flexjobs and Global Workplace Analytics, there was a 159 percent increase in remote between 2005 and 2017.

That shift toward remote work might have been silent and gradual for much of the 21st century, but the volume was ramped up during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the United States in March 2020. In an effort to slow the spread of the potentially dangerous virus, government officials urged businesses to allow their employees to work remotely, and just like that the number of remote workers skyrocketed.

 Would YOU Spray Disinfectant Then EAT A Meal Off The Dish?

By Philip Metzler

Would you spray disinfectant onto a dirty dish and then eat a meal off of it? 

No? Well, why not? The disinfectant states it removes 99.9% of germs, so the plate is clean right? If it disturbs you to even think about eating off of a dirty plate that’s covered with disinfectant; then let’s think about how often we use hand sanitizer or Lysol spray thinking that this product makes our hands or surroundings “clean.” There is a great misconception in our society on what “clean” truly means. You cannot just spray something on top of dirt and grime and expect it to be clean. Germs and filth are not the same thing. What should you do if a child sneezes into their hand? Of course, you can lather their hands with hand sanitizer and those germs won’t be alive to spread; however, the boogers will still be on their hands just waiting to be smeared somewhere. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to touch a booger whether it has active germs or not. 

There is no substitute to taking the time to properly wash something that is dirty. You have to wash a dish before you can use it again; just like you have to properly wash your hands in order for them to be clean again. There is no replacement to soap and water and a good old-fashioned wipe down. 

CORONAVIRUS Sparks Worldwide Concern

The dawn of 2020 ushered in many newsworthy headlines, but few have turned the heads of the masses as sharply as the arrival of a novel coronavirus that was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. In late 2019, Chinese authorities identified the new virus, which has resulted in scores of confirmed cases in China, and additional cases identified in a growing number of international locations.

Both the World Health Organization and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have closely monitored the coronavirus, which was named COVID-19 in mid-February 2020. The public is understandably concerned, but educating oneself about COVID-19 and coronaviruses in general can assuage some fears.

WHAT IS A CORONAVIRUS?

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the 1862 defeat of the French by the Mexican army at the Battle of Puebla. That battle occurred during the Franco-Mexican War, which was an invasion of Mexico launched by the French in 1861. 

The French invaded Mexico as a result of newly elected Mexican President Benito Juarez's decision to suspend interest payments on loans the country took out from foreign countries. France was one such creditor, but the French were not the only country to send troops to Mexico in response to Juarez's decision. 

Spain and Great Britain also sent troops to Veracruz, but both countries entered negotiations with Mexico and ultimately withdrew their forces. However, France, under the leadership of Napoleon III, wanted to ensure access to Latin American markets. 

The French naval fleet's arrival in Veracruz forced President Juarez and his government to retreat. Months later, Juarez's force of 2,000 squared off against 6,000 French troops at the Battle of Puebla. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Mexican forces claimed victory, losing fewer than 100 men while French casualties numbered nearly 500. While the victory itself did not prove a major win in the war against the French, it symbolized the strength of the Mexican people and served to strengthen the resistance movement. 

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AUTOMOTIVE

Caring for the Family Car

By Jet Hall

When I met with Marty LaBarbera, owner of Christian Brothers Automotive, I was a little apprehensive talking to an auto repair shop. Based on my own experience, as of many others I’m sure, I have always felt intimidated about repairs on my vehicle. Mostly because all I know is how to put the key in the ignition and turn and start the car. Other than paying attention to the red maintenance light that pops on and gives me “stress” that the car is ready to die, that’s about it. No, I don’t know how to change the oil, change a tire, etc. I always felt that it was the “man’s” job to take care of the car. Well, things have changed. The stone-age is gone, independence has taken over. Although I do know how to check my oil and fluids, my knowledge of cars stops there.

How Earth Day and Environmental Conciousness have Evolved

Reduce, reuse, recycle is a mantra for many people. It's difficult to imagine that just 50 years ago awareness of the state of the environment was not part of the collective consciousness.

An emerging public consciousness about the planet began amid environmental issues like increased air pollution and massive consumption of fossil fuels in the 1960s. The bestselling book "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson also raised public concern for living organisms and the links between pollution and public health. The push for environmental reform gained even more momentum on April 22, 1970, when the first Earth Day was celebrated. Then-Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin put Earth Day on the national stage following a large oil spill that struck off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. Before this disaster, recycling was not a word in the popular lexicon. But when the disaster struck, people began to reason that changes would have to be made to save the planet.

Since the first Earth Day 50 years ago, many strides have been made in the environmental movement. This grassroots initiative gave rise to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Environmental awareness has become much more mainstream and is a less polarizing issue than it was in the 1970s, although there are still debates about the reality of climate change and other risk factors. Public demand for environmental safeguards grew in the second half of the twentieth century, and those demands have grown stronger in recent years. Legislation is continually evolving to protect the air, land and water. Sustainability has joined the buzzwords of the movement, and most industries now have a vested interest in changes that can minimize risk to human health and the environment.

Mitigating or avoiding environmental effects, proper waste disposal, reduction in water discharge, and emphasis on reducing, reusing and recycling have become important components of environmental wellness. And people are being educated at earlier stages on the importance of environmental mindfulness. For example, core subjects of the environmental movement are increasingly covered in elementary schools.

DIVORCE?

How Men and Women Are Not the Same as They Go Through a Divorce

By Hayley Botha, Emerge StrongTM Divorce Coaching Services

10 Questions with Shirley Ann Lamb

  1. Do you listen to music while you create, if so, what is your favorite? Sometimes I listen to an assortment of classic rock and country music when I'm creating. Mostly I sit quietly in my studio. 

  2. When did you first start painting? I completed my first oil painting in early 1986. That's when I first realized that I wanted to be an artist. After I retired from my work career I decided to give art my full attention. Best decision I have ever made. 

  3. Who or what influences your work the most? My favorite artist is Christian Lassen. I love his bold colors and attention to details. His dramatic seascapes appeal to my creative senses. Coastal and inland Florida scenery influenced me the most. It's so diverse. 

  4. Do you have a goal with the pieces that you create? Initially, I have an idea in mind, but each piece takes its own path. To make a joyous connection with the person looking at it is my ultimate goal.

Coronavirus and Your Pet (COVID-19)

By Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT

Senior Consulting Veterinarian, Clinical Toxicology

Coronavirus is a type of virus consisting of numerous strains that have been seen in animals including dogs, cats, cattle and chickens.  These strains can cause gastrointestinal or respiratory illness, including Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in cats.  Vaccinations have been used to prevent the common companion animal strains for decades.

Women’s History Month

By AJ Willingham, CNN

March is National Women's History Month, but since women are pretty historic year-round, it begs the question: Why March? Is this month significant to women's history, or is it just an arbitrary month on the calendar?

The answer involves a little bit of history and a little bit of coincidence.

Women's History Month, which is observed in the US, UK and Australia in March, and in October in Canada, began with a single day. International Women's Day is March 8, and it has been observed in some shape or form since 1911. It was officially commemorated by the United Nations in 1975 and was officially recognized by the UN two years later.

What's in YOUR mouthwash?

By Heather the Hygienist

simplysilvermouthwash.com

Hi!  I’m Heather the Hygienist and I’ve been a dental hygienist for over 20 years.  When patients would ask me what mouthwash I recommended, I was never able to suggest any of the commercial products on the market today because of all the harmful and toxic ingredients in them (that’s why I created my own). 

Most people do not realize the link between your mouth and your overall health.  Underneath your tongue is the most vascular area of your whole body.  That’s why if you put a Nitro Glycerin tablet under your tongue it bypasses your GI tract and goes right into your cardiovascular system.   So, if you are using commercial products (even some so-called natural ones), then think about what you’re putting into your body sometimes two and three times a day.

Lisa Langford discovered her passion by way of an accidental shattering of glass. Teaching in the nursing field for years, she found herself disabled after a surgery and a stay at home mom with 2 boys. So how did shattered glass launch her new career? While remodeling a bathroom, she was reaching for a drill and accidentally shattered some glass shelves that landed onto an old antique window frame. The frame was intact, and the broken glass looked pretty laying on it. Being creative, she placed her mermaid plaque from her bathroom onto frame among the glass pieces and was surprised as to how attractive it looked. Lisa began her research on how to work with resin art and various techniques and came with up something quite unique and beautiful. Friends and family began to ask her to make something for their homes, gifts, etc., and the seed was planted. Could she turn this talent into a full fledge business and open a store? With her new passion brewing, she bought more windows from a salvager and began to make more decorative frames using sand, glue, glass and a variety of trinkets and sea shells. During the 2018 Chasco Fiesta, she sold 54 pieces at her friends business downtown in “just two weekends,” she states. Obviously, the next step was to open a shop. Her husband, Paul saw a “For Rent” sign in the old Boulevard Building, next to the Gateway Gallery and Emporium. They signed the lease and “that was it.” There was no turning back now. As renovations were underway, people were stopping by. Word on the street spread of the opening and some local artists began to show interest in what she was planning. “We wanted to give local artists an avenue to get exposure and sell their art,” and had no problem finding artists to sign up to be vendors inside her store. To make her story even more interesting or serendipitous, Lisa and her husband were on their way to an estate sale in search of display furniture. Along the road they saw 2 women selling artwork and repurposed furniture in their driveway. They bought all the furniture for the store. The two artists were curious and excited about her reason for the purchase and became vendors that day, and remain vendors to date! The story continues! They opened during the 2019 Chasco Fiesta parade, and made over $1000 on opening day! 3 months later, she had more vendors and found she needed more space! When it became available, she expanded, going from 800 sq. ft. to 1600 sq. ft., then, 3 months later the upstairs became available, (2700 sq ft). She decided to take advantage of the ballroom space to use for workshops, events, teaching classes and more. Her store now has 45 vendors. The wide variety of inventory ranges from paintings, soaps, hand and body creams, jewelry, funky sunglasses, shabby chic furniture, greeting cards, hand-made children’s clothing and more. An eclectic collection from like-minded artists! Lisa says “It was very serendipitous,” for all things to happen and to end up where she is now. One thing after another just seemed to fall into place. And staying true to her gratefulness for success and giving back to others, she gives away monthly donations of window hangings to various organizations. So it has all come together for Lisa and her husband Paul. A second chapter in her life and a new found passion. You can find Lis’s Pieces Artisan Boutique at 6214 Grand Blvd, Port Richey, FL 34652. 727.364.0841. www.lisspieces.com.

Dedicated to Judge Mike AndrewsBy Simon E. Bois, Florida Night TrainScreams of fear from my mom and brutal glass shattering noise was what woke me in the middle of a cold night. Walking half asleep into the kitchen, walls covered with my mom’s blood, I saw my mother crouched in a corner. Dad hovering over her tiny frame was about to strike again. That is when I launched my little 7-year-old body with all my might in her defense screaming at my dad challenging him to stop. His then ice-cold gaze in my direction seized me with absolute terror. In the end, I went to bed pretty bruised-up that night, but mom was left alone. On another occasion, I was reading quietly in the back seat of the family car one Sunday afternoon on our weekly family drive. The noise from their constant arguing kept escalating in volume but that did not bother me. It was pretty common for them to get loud. That is until blood suddenly splattered in my face and all over my comic book from a single blow to my mom courtesy of a man who I was supposed to call dad. She was bleeding profusely with a broken nose.As a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem, I can tell you these two incidents while difficult to relive are a glimpse into some of the things that happen day in and day out in the communities we serve. About five years ago sitting quietly with guests at my house around the fire pit while my three children slept, these memories were triggered again with screams of terror from a nearby neighbor. That is when I decided following a previous discussion with a dear friend that I would never sit idle again not doing my part to help. Just like I did for my mom back then.In Florida, there are more than 19,000 children in out-of-home placements as of Jan. 15, 2020. Such numbers make finding good homes for at-risk children a challenge. That's part of why we at the Guardian ad Litem Program – who advocate in court for abused, abandoned, and neglected children – need your support.It’s in every citizen's interest to step up, and here’s why: There are more than 400,000 American children in foster care. Their average length of stay is 25.3 months, according to the Ackerman Institute for the Family – and they have rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) similar to veterans of war. What's more, children who age out of foster care without a family are four times likelier to enter the criminal justice system as adults and 17 times likelier to be homeless by the age of 21. One way to help is volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem. Children with an advocate are twice as likely to be adopted as those without – and they stay in foster care for shorter periods of time.You can also donate to non-profits that support children in foster care with everything from school supplies to scholarships. We have non-profit partners in each judicial circuit, helping local children served by the Guardian ad Litem Program. •To learn more about Guardian ad Litem or to volunteer, visit www.GuardianadLitem.org or call 1-866-341-1GAL.•Explore adoption: A joint effort by the Governor’s Office of Adoption and Child Welfare and the Florida Department of Children and Families at www.adoptflorida.org.•For adoption support within the state of Florida, contact the Florida Foster and Adoptive Parent Association at www.FloridaFAPA.org. •The North American Council on Adoptable Children at www.nacac.org offers a free webinar on adoption benefits assistance. But while not everyone can take in a child – or be a Guardian ad Litem representing one in court – everyone can help reduce the number of underserved and often neglected children without families. •Thanks to social media, groups all over Florida support foster parents. The statewide Foster Florida is at www.fosterflorida.org, and they post families' specific needs.•Make dinner for a foster family, buy them a gift card, or baby-sit to give caregiver(s) a break.•Bikers Against Child Abuse, Florida Chapter, at https://florida.bacaworld.org.Here are some of Guardian ad Litem Program's Major Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2018- 2019:• 38,997 total children represented • 10,000+ citizens who volunteered as GALs • 508 pro bono attorneys donated legal services • GAL’s “Defending Best Interests Project” collected more than 4,600 hours of donated legal services to defend the best interests of children -- $1.3 million worth. • A partnership with the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, “FAWL in Love with GAL,” connects teenage girls with lawyers who mentor them and provide positive role models. Our new “Total Engagement” program establishes a one-stop shop for law firms and attorneys to find pro bono projects to support the children and families we represent.• The Program has public-private partnerships donating critical resources to the children we represent, including the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association, Sunshine Health and the Akerman Law Firm.• In addition to consistent assistance from county governments, the Program is supported by 20 not-for-profits, one in each judicial circuit. They provide resources from meeting the needs of individual children (e.g., school clothes, MRIs, camps), to funding positions, organizing GAL volunteer recognition events and helping recruit foster parents. GAL works to improve the quality of representation for children, including: • Creating a certification program for our Child Advocate Managers in collaboration with the Florida Certification Board to enhance representation with professional credentialing. • Facilitating Board Certification with The Florida Bar for our attorneys, who represent over 10% of all Florida attorneys who are Board Certified in Juvenile Law.• Our training curriculum, the “I am for the Child Academy,” is web-based and publicized to everyone in the dependency community at no cost. The Academy has thousands of registered users and offers not only basic dependency training, but webinars on more complex child welfare issues and free CLE trainings for lawyers. • At the direction of Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, GAL Executive Director Alan Abramowitz is chairing a subcommittee of the Children and Youth Cabinet aimed at reducing youth suicide, with a focus on mentoring as a key strategy.• Since volunteers are such a critical part of our advocacy, we also are partnering with Volunteer Florida to reach more people who want to help abused and neglected children.Mariela Ollsen who like us all is an avid motorcycle enthusiast has been the Circuit Director for the Sixth Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program for three years. Previously, she worked for the program as a Child's Best Interest Attorney.Mariela says the issues faced by children and youth are very close to her heart. "These kids are going to be the future, but kids in the child welfare system often lose hope. But I think the consistency and encouragement provided by our volunteers can restore that hope." As the Circuit Director, Mariela oversees four Guardian ad Litem offices in Pasco and Pinellas counties, with more than 900 certified volunteers. The Sixth Circuit GAL program faces many challenges, with 3,344 children in the dependency system as of November 2019; of these, our volunteers were appointed to represent roughly 1,848 children. We love our volunteers and need more. That said I must say after years volunteering as a Guardian, it has not been easy but the rewards of knowing I am helping to make a child and possibly a parent safer by far surpass anything I can think of. I believe the sentiment is true and one we should all stand by and that is simply to leave no child behind. Please consider this my invitation to join me to protect children.Isaiah 1:17 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.ABOUT “NIGHT TRAIN”Night Train has been published since year 2000 in both Canada as well as USA featuring columns about lifestyles and celebrities such as Ted Nugent, Bill Davidson Jr. (Harley Davidson), Danica Patrick, Jesse James (West Coast Choppers), Paul Teutul Sr. (Orange County Choppers), Billy Lane (Choppers Inc.), Paul Cox (Indian Larry), Mondo (Denvers Choppers) etc… HOG Magazine, Born to Ride Magazine and Full Throttle Magazine, NSAEN.com and now Florida Women Magazine are a few of the publications Night Train was published in.Night Train invites you to connect on www.facebook.com/FloridaNightTrain. Night Train also reproduces and creates fine art using metals www.facebook.com/tattooedsteelllc. Night Train is also proud father of three children; Trinity, Jade and Eric.

Foster Care is a temporary living situation for children whose parents are unable, unwilling, or unfit to care for them and whose need for care has come to the attention of child welfare agency staff. It is meant to be a temporary out-of-home care, though the length of time children spend in care can vary drastically and children can suffer serious harm as a result. Some will be separated from their siblings. Others will be bounced from one foster care placement to another, never knowing when their lives will be uprooted next. Too many will be further abused in systems that are supposed to protect them. And instead of being safely reunified with their families — or moved quickly into adoptive homes — many will languish for years in foster homes or institutions.Adoption is not the plan for every child in foster care. A network of professionals—which includes social workers, therapists, judges, guardians ad litem, and more—will work together with a child and his or her family to determine an appropriate case plan goal. For 58% of the children in care, that case plan goal is to reunify them with their biological parents or place them in the care of a relative. But for 26% of cases, parental rights have been terminated for one reason or another and the end goal is for the child to be adopted by a new family.Florida welfare officials and child advocates expect a surge of children to flood the already strained state system. Neglect and child drug abuse cases have both grown by 3% in the past year. Many state officials say the surge of children entering foster care is a direct result of the ever-increasing drug epidemic.Children being removed for parental drug use were more likely to be 5 years old or younger than children removed for other reasons. And the proportion of drug-directed cases involving white, Midwestern and non-urban children increased.While the surge of drug-related foster care entries has coincided with the rise of the opioid epidemic, increased opioid use is only one possible explanation for the trend. Other potential explanations include changes in policies that increase child removal. Following more than a decade of mostly decline, U.S. foster care cases started increasing again in 2012. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of children entering foster care increased by 8% overall.April Dirks, an associate professor of social work at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, says she has seen the recent increase firsthand. Opioid and methamphetamine use have damaged communities. A former child welfare worker herself, she now instructs her students on how to manage and help families with parents suffering from drug addiction.Dirks believes the best way to address the potential increase of parents who use drugs is to combine foster care with family drug courts, specialized programs that provide supervised treatment instead of incarceration for people with substance use or mental health issues. These courts can provide parents with the support they need to recover from their addiction and regain custody of their children. "If they're going to remove the children, the best thing [to do] would be immediately treating the parent," she says.There are approximately 443,000 foster youths nationwide. With more children entering the welfare system, more foster parents are needed to love these children as their own, then let them go. The Florida Department of Children and Families has shied away from removing children from their homes, acting under the philosophy of family preservation. Protecting families has led to the death of 477 children in six years, investigations show. Those deaths have provoked change — recent legislation directs DCF to shift its priority to acting in the best interest of the child.As fearful as child protective investigators were to remove children from their homes, now they’re scared to let them stay. Child welfare workers sense a surge of children coming, but the increase of children that will enter the system remains unknown.But there is good news, too. Despite several discouraging trends, there is hope. 3,652 more children were adopted out of foster care than the previous year. Adoptions have grown by 13% in just two years. For the many children whose parental rights have been terminated and are waiting for a family, that is great news! Most of that increase is attributed to the 52% of adoptions that were by foster parents.FOSTER CARE FACTS • On any given day, there are nearly 443,000 children in foster care in the United States. • More than 690,000 children spent time in U.S. foster care. Nearly 110,000 are waiting to be adopted, waiting year after year for their forever home. • On average, children remain in state care for nearly two years and six percent of children in foster care have languished there for five or more years. • Despite the common perception that the majority of children in foster care are very young, the average age of kids entering care is 8. • While most children in foster care live in family settings, a substantial minority — 11 percent — live in institutions or group homes. • The government invests less than 50% of what it actually costs to raise a child. Close to 30,000 will age out of foster care every year and have to be self-sufficient at age 18, 19, 20 or 21. • It is not surprising then that within four years of aging out 70% will be on government assistance; 50% will be unemployed; 50% will experience homelessness; 25% will not have completed high school; Less than 12% will earn their college degree. Resulting in $1 Million economic burden to society for each young person we fail.

1. Do you listen to music while you create, and if so, what is your favorite?

Yes, of course! To connect to my heritage (Cuban and African-American), I listen to Salsa music a lot – El Gran Combo, Celia Cruz – and Classic Soul music, as well as 40’s music like Duke Ellington and Count Basie.  Also, to change the mood, I love some classical as well, especially Vivaldi and Yo-Yo Ma.  All of these genres transport me to a tranquil, creative space and for me the music still lingers in most of my finished work.

2. When did you first start making art?

Benefits of Salt Room Therapy

Dry salt therapy, or halotherapy, is a holistic, drug free, natural therapy using micro particles of salt to promote better breathing, healthier skin, sounder sleep, improved physical fitness and endurance and overall wellness. Dry salt therapy also helps to alleviate symptoms of many respiratory and skin conditions.

Our Halogenerator grinds and crushes 99.99% Pure Grade Sodium Chloride (salt) into micronized particles and then dispersed into the salt room via a dry salt aerosol. While relaxing in one of our salt rooms, customers inhale the dry, salt-enriched air deep down into the lungs, where the healing benefits do their greatest healing. The salt widens the airways and loosens the mucus, which begins to clear quickly, and inflammation is reduced, which makes more room in the airways for you to breathe. The non-inhaled particles landing on the skin help to balance pH and induce the reparative and regenerative processes in the skin, increasing rigidity and stimulating cell growth and microcirculation.

There are 3 fundamental benefits of Dry Salt Therapy:

1) Super Absorbent: the dry salt acts like a sponge attracting foreign substances within the respiratory tract. Acting like a toothbrush, it helps clear out the build-up of foreign elements that cause a variety of respiratory ailments and conditions.

Resale shopping attracts consumers from all economic levels. There is no typical resale shopper, just as there is no typical resale shop. No one is immune to the excitement of finding a treasure and saving money. According to America’s Research Group, a consumer research firm, about 18% of Americans will shop at a thrift store during a given year. For consignment/resale shops, it’s about 15%.

The resale market is blossoming thanks to value and sustainable conscious consumers. As concerns over the environmental impact of fast fashion increase, consumers recognize the inherent sustainability factor of shopping resale. We are progressing from a disposable society to a recycling society—a change that has enormous market potential for the resale industry as a whole. After all, "Resale is the ultimate in Recycling!"

Vintage, it seems, is increasingly in vogue across the board. A study shows that last year, 64% of women were willing to buy pre-owned pieces compared with 45% the year before – and it is thought that by 2028, 13% of the clothes in women’s wardrobes are likely to be secondhand. And it’s not just clothing, “vintage” includes jewelry and accessories!

Aside from an increased awareness of sustainability, Vintage fashion fits neatly into the wider mood of the Instagram age, where authenticity and originality – not being seen in the same outfit as anyone else – are highly prized. What better way to stand out than to wear clothes few others are likely to own? Vintage naysayers who may have been put off in the past have begun to think differently.

But there can be blurred lines between secondhand and Vintage. Some say Vintage means any era up to the early 80s, while others see it as clothing that is more than 20 years old. It’s not cut in stone. It all comes down to the buyer and what they are looking for. The most important thing is that it’s recycled – it encourages people not to go out and buy more. It adds to the  sustainability factor that is so prevalent today and pushes us away from being tagged as a “throw away” society.