If you haven’t heard of Thought Catalog, then you’ve been missing out on the true meaning (and future) of online journalism at its best. Thought Catalog is a collection of the most clever, well-written, witty, thoughtful, poignant, positive, and fun prose — especially relevant to those of us in our twenties and thirties.

I had the pleasure of chatting with my new friend Chelsea Fagan, who is my favorite author on the site. This 23-year-old has more wisdom in her fingertips than most people her age. I’m so grateful for our conversation.

I’ll be honest: I would have written a full profile piece about Ms. Fagan, but I think our interview in its raw form is much more charming! Here’s our fabulous Q&A (via Facebook). I hope you find it as inspiring and beautiful as I did!

Holly Pinafore (HP): So, you must be so stoked. You’ve got thousandsssss of people reading your stuff. And a lot of fans.

Chelsea Fagan (CF): It’s wonderful, though still pretty strange. I don’t think I consider my readers as ‘fans,’ it seems too pretentious.

HP: You’re so down-to-earth. Usually the best ones are. So, when did you know you were a writer? Some people discover their talents at a super young age. Did you?

CF: I mean, I always loved writing. I kept a blog in high school that made me pretty infamous among the student body, and I used to write a fake soap opera about my social group that I would email once weekly to all of my friends. So I knew it was something I enjoyed, but I didn’t think it was possible to make a career from until I actually started doing it professionally.

HP: OMG – fake soap opera? Like, you created characters? LOL

CF: Yeah, it was called “As Time Fades Away” and it starred a melodramatic version of all of my friends. I think my friends all have a copy or two printed out somewhere. But it was never online — I sent it out in private emails.

HP: So, I take it you get a lot of writing ideas from real life. And the topics you blog about are super relevant to my life and the lives of Holly Pinafore readers, since we’re all in the same age group (give or take a few years). Where do you draw most of your inspiration from?

CF: As lame as it sounds, I just talk about daily life. Life provides pretty much limitless writing topics, and I have no limits as far as subject matter. I try to never let myself get “writer’s block,” because there is always something to think about.

HP: Do you ever feel the need to restrict yourself, or do you think you pretty much let it all out without regret?

CF: I feel that it’s important to respect not so much my own privacy, but the privacy of people in my life who trust me. I think there’s a big premium put on “full disclosure” in writing right now, and I think that can be very unhealthy in a lot of ways. I think it should be about respect, above all, because these are real human beings, and not just fodder for pageviews.

HP. Beautifully put. And by the way, when writing about less serious topics, where in hell do you get your fabulous witticisms and sense of humor from?

CF: Heh. Thank you. My dad is a political cartoonist and my mother was a theater director for many years, and they’re both hilarious. If I’m ever witty, you can credit them.

HP: There. You. Go! What sorts of advice have your parents given you throughout the years? How have they inspired you creatively?

CF: My parents mostly instilled in me the idea that I would have to work very hard if I wanted a job I love, as they have. Watching my father create a business and reputation as an illustrator when he had to start by bringing a portfolio door-to-door in the summer heat is pretty inspiring. I feel really lucky to have such easy access to communication, and I don’t want to take it for granted. A huge part of “creativity” is being creative in the business sense, being adaptable — and I think they really drove that home.

HP: And on your way to having the job you love, have you had to do any other jobs on the side? I find that so many writers are complaining that they can’t make a living out of the job they love – they have to wait tables on the side and do things they’re not so happy doing. But you’ve risen above that challenge. I would love for you to give some advice to our readers in this area.

CF: Well, when I started writing, it was just for fun. I didn’t anticipate that it would be something that could actually support me, I was still a student and I was working as an au pair here in Paris. But I eventually started making more and more money doing it, so I stopped school and quit my job as an au pair. It’s really thrilling to be able to do what you love for a living, but it’s definitely still a job. I know that it can be frustrating to have to work another job while writing — I did it for some time — but becoming a full-time writer is often something that happens piece-by-piece today. You have to slowly build your name, your client list, your byline. It’s something that demands patience, but each milestone is very much worth it, if writing is what you want to do with your life.

HP: What do you like to do when you’re not working so hard? What relaxes you and keeps you in your “zone”?

CF: Well, I really enjoy dancing. I’ve been dancing swing for some years, and actually used to teach it back in the states for a while. I have been getting into salsa as well lately. I have a pretty stationary job (where I work alone), so it’s nice to do something that gets me out and social and moving. I, of course, enjoy great food and wine and being with friends. Perhaps my biggest “in the zone” moment each day is cooking dinner. If I weren’t a writer, I’d probably want to be a chef of some kind.

HP: Do you ever stress out? How do you deal with the stress of being a writer? Maybe you could give ME a few pointers! 

CF: I guess I stress sometimes like everyone does, but I write upwards of 2,000 words a day, so I don’t really give myself time to think about it, I just keep moving. This week is actually my first full week of vacation this year, and I’m looking forward to being outside and offline as much as possible — that always puts things in perspective.

HP: Excellent. Ok. Final questions: 1) favorite authors? 2) favorite films? 3) favorite quote?

CF: Favorite author would be Bill Bryson, Norton Juster, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, of course. Films would be Moonstruck, A Fish Called Wanda, The Social Network, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Welcome To The Dollhouse, and Defending Your Life. Then quote would probably be a french one, don’t know the author, credited to anonymous as far as I can find:

“Offrir l’amitié a qui veut l’amour, c’est donner du pain a qui meurt de soif.” Which means, offering friendship to someone who wants love is giving bread to someone dying of thirst.

HP: Beeeeautiful!

CF:

Chelsea Fagan currently lives in Paris, France. She’ll be moving to New York in early 2013, as the TC headquarters are based in Brooklyn. Yahoo! Check out her page on Thought Catalog, and follow her on Twitter!

Correction made on 9/17/12: We originally said that the TC headquarters will soon be based in Brooklyn, but they’ve actually been there for some time. Whoops! Sorry about that error

Photo credit: Chelsea Fagan

Trix are not just for kids. Sweet n’ cute grocery mascots aren’t as innocent as they look. Here’s what happens when the lights go out at the supermarket…

You might remember him as the frat boy who sang the mega-hit song “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” back in 2000. In case you didn’t know, his name is John Hampson, and he’s the former frontman of the band Nine Days. Twelve years later, he’s still as adorable as he was in his MTV music videos. But Hampson is more than just a dude who happened to get lucky with a hit about his then-girlfriend, now-wife, Teresa. He’s a husband, father of twin boys, social activist, and (drum roll, please) high school English teacher who hosts two songwriting workshops a year at Columbia University.

I had the pleasure of hanging with Hampson at a café in the East Village, where I bought him an old-fashioned orange soda and dished with him about his career. We talked about everything from his passion for music to his social outreach to his wife’s delicious Italian cooking. This Calverton, Long Island native is indeed a bit of a goofball who admits that he wants to do a spoof about reality TV competitions like “The Next Food Network Star.” He says, “I’d like to get someone on the show who has absolutely no palate whatsoever and make fun of all the foods.”

Hampson can also be a bit of a softie. He jokes that he cried during the very end of Titanic where Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) were reunited. “I gotta admit, that part of the movie brought a few tears to my eye,” he says with a laugh.

He’s a somewhat hopeless romantic (even if he doesn’t want to admit it) who has had a love affair with music since age nine.

“I was connected to music in a way that was different than my friends were, literally as far back as I remember,” he says. He explained that in 1979, at age eight, he traded two new Star Wars toys for second-hand KISS albums. If you know anything about the 70s, you’ll understand that Star Wars had more of a cult following than Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. But Hampson’s heart was elsewhere.

“Music was so much cooler to me,” he says.

Obviously, Hampson didn’t pick up a guitar and magically know how to play. “From the moment I got a guitar at age 11, it was 100 percent about ‘now I have an instrument’ and ‘now I need to make music.’  [the guitar playing] was terrible of course, but I wrangled anyone I could to play music with me,” he says. But with a little bit of love, practice and patience, Hampson eventually became a pro. By age 15, he was already playing gigs at bars, clubs and cafés.

“If you love something and you’re dedicated to it, AND you’re kind of good at it, you’re gonna find a way to do it. For me, I had some kind of, I dont know, natural gift for music. I was so fixated and dedicated to music…and people responded positively,” says Hampson.

People continue to respond positively to his music because it speaks to them. He not only sings about love and experience, but he also uses his music as a socioeconomic commentary to help wake people up — to help them realize that it’s time to change their ways for the better. His newly released single, “My Fat Wallet” (available on iTunes), is an alternative, guitar-heavy lament that reflects upon the recession — and how the incessant rise in national debt has literally brought us down. “I don’t have any of the answers at all – the song is just a commentary on what is going on,” he says, adding that he empathizes with the average citizen.

“I’m a husband, a father, a mortgage holder, a participator, benefactor and sufferer of the American dream,” says Hampson, who takes musical inspiration from Wilco, Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam, and fuses it beautifully into his song.

Although Hampson and I talked a lot about the meaning of “My Fat Wallet,” writer James McQuiston posted a press release that quotes Hampson perfectly: “I find it ironic that we carry around these big, fat wallets, but usually without any cash in them. They are full of maxed out credit cards, useless ATM cards, but also keepsakes like pictures, concert tickets, etc. That whole idea kind of mirrors a darker current that is threading through our lives – the need to cast off the useless ‘stuff’ but hold onto the important things.”

“My Fat Wallet” is a sincere cry for help that offers help to others. That’s because Hampson is offering 50 percent of his net proceeds of “My Fat Wallet” to Create Jobs for USA, a program that helps generate employment for the jobless throughout the United States. Public Relations guru Rick Eberle, a great friend of John’s and a pal of Holly Pinafore Magazine, helped suggest the idea.

Hampson explains, ”This is not about making money. If I’m running a business off my music, it’s a terrible business model. It loses money. If I can do something positive with a little song and actually, literally, give back, then that’s a good thing.”

And speaking of giving back to the community, Hampson has also decided to share his passion for writing with his students (who may or may not find it weird that their teacher was king of MTV back in 2000). I certainly learned a lot from him myself.

Thanks for making us swoon when we were teens, inspiring us to live our dreams, and helping (even if it’s ever so slightly) to get our country back on its feet through your generous actions. Although the name of your new album is “No Fairy Tales,” we do believe that some Prince Charmings exist in this world. You are one of them. And we absolutely love ‘ya!

Photo credit: JohnHampson.com

It’s one minute to ten on a Saturday night. While many people are winding down or going out for the evening, one woman gets ready to start her job. She sits in the anchor seat, adjusts her clip-on microphone and re-applies her lipstick. She looks around the room and smiles at Miguel, her producer and Sid, the weatherman. “Have a good show back there,” she shouts. She plucks a few strands of collie fur off her dress and flips through the stack of papers on her desk. The cameras roll in 5, 4, 3…

We all want to look great in a swimsuit top or bra. Fortunately there are some great basic exercises you can do without a gym and without a personal trainer. All you need is your body, a set of dumbbells and an inflatable exercise ball. These are very budget-friendly fitness essentials that will keep you in great shape (as long as you use them properly)!

Pushups

The Pushup.

So many women hate pushups, but when they practice doing them daily and increasing the amount of reps as they progress, they usually appreciate the effort they’ve made.

Start on a flat surface with your hands shoulder width apart. Squeeze the tummy and butt, and do not arch your back. Make sure your body is aligned in a straight line.

Press down, pushing your shoulder blades together and leading your chin toward the ground. Your elbows should be parallel to the ground when you push down. Push back up, and repeat. Inhale as you come up, and exhale as you press your body toward the ground.

Start out with 3 sets of 12 repetitions, then increase as you feel ready! Push yourself to do this one. It really helps increase upper body strength and lifts your chest area. It also helps give excellent cleavage!

The Chest Flye.

This is one of the best exercises you can do for the shoulders and chest. It truly defines that sexy cleavage you’re looking for in a bra or swimsuit..or simply, naked. It’s also wonderful because you’ll be able to lift heavier objects throughout your day. So, it’s a functional activity as well.

Chest Flyes, Step 1

Lie on your exercise ball, making sure your upper back is pressed against it and you’re squeezing the legs, abs and glutes as you balance the rest of your body off the ball as pictured. Don’t arch and don’t slump. Make sure your butt is in line with your knees and that your knees are parallel to the floor. Start out with one 5-8 pound dumbbell in each hand. Push hands together with the pinkies facing inward.

Chest Flyes, Step 2

Slowly pull your arms down and back with a slight bend at the elbow. Aim to push your shoulder blades together as you exhale 1, 2, 3, 4. Then, push back up as you count 1, 2, 3, 4. Do not bring your arms or fists completely together. Leave about three inches of space between the fists as you lift your arms back to the starting position pictured above.

Try 3 sets of 12 repetitions to start, then increase the number of repetitions. Remember, don’t use heavy weights. Light weight, about 5 pounds to 8 pounds in each hand, is perfect in the beginning. As you progress and feel as though you’re getting used to the weight, you’ll want to gradually increase the load as well as number of reps.

The Chest Press.

This is a variation on the chest flye. Use the same dumbbells you used in the first exercise. Start by lying on your exercise ball with the middle and top parts of your back pressed against the ball.

Clenching your weights, make sure your thumbnails are touching and your pinkies are out on the ends. Fronts of the wrists should be facing you.

Push your arms down to a 90-degree angle. This time, exhale slowly as you count 1, 2, 3, 4 and pull the dumbbells toward your chest. Your wrists should be facing forward and the goal should be for your shoulder blades to be touching by the end of the exertion.

Push back up, inhaling as you count 1, 2, 3, 4.

Again, start with 3 sets of 12 reps and increase as you become familiar with the exercise.

As always, if you’re not sure, check with your healthcare provider before performing any physical activity!

HollyPinafore.org takes no responsibility for injury or illness due to our suggested exercises.

Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you to hug a tree. But I am here to prove that it’s okay to break the norm and wear a green heart on your sleeve instead of a red one.

And no, you don’t have to dance barefoot the woods to become “one” with the earth.

Say “hey” to your house plants. Water those potted plants you’ve forgotten about…you know, the one hanging from your living room ceiling that Mom gave you. Paying more attention to the earth’s little beauties can help you take your mind off things (and people!) that aggravate you during the day. If you practice taking better care of plants just by watering them, there’s a good chance you’ll start taking better care of yourself, too. Think: symbolism. We all need affection, water and sunlight for growth and survival.

Go for a run or walk outside instead of hitting the treadmill at the gym. If unpleasant weather keeps you from going outside, do some kind of exercise that doesn’t involve machines that use a lot of electricity. There’s nothing wrong with going crazy dancing around the room with your iPod!

Make an eco-friendly cleaning solution. Mix two parts hydrogen peroxide (a natural, safe antibacterial agent) and one part water with a few drops lavender and/or peppermint oi (any essential oil will work). Pour into a spray bottle and use as a cleaner for kitchen and bathroom. Also, try replacing a harsh cleanser powder with baking soda. You’ll get a fresh, clean scent instead of a bleachy odor.

Turn off the faucet. We’ve all been guilty of letting the water run at some point. Most of the time, we do it unconsciously. Sometimes, we do it just because we can. But to help save money and the planet, try brushing your teeth with a designated amount of water in a glass or canteen. You’ll be surprised to see how little water you’ll need.

Visit a recycled book store. While e-books prevent the waste of paper and ink, many people just don’t want to stop relishing the smell of paperbacks and hard covers. Once in a while, check out a used book store for a noseful of nostalgia. It’s a great way to save paper and cash.

These are just a handful of things you can do to show love and gratitude for Mother Earth, who shares her amazing creatures with us!

Remember the “Tiger Beat” magazine you begged your mother to pay for whenever she dragged you to the supermarket? How about the New Kids on the Block bed sheets and t-shirts you demanded for your birthday? Or the Backstreet Boys CDs that now skip due to serious overplay?

Boy bands come and go like FroYo flavors of the week. Thankfully, however, Tommy Mac of the former band No Authority, has found a way to keep things hot and tasty. We bring him to HollyPinafore.org just for you. Why? Well, because not only was he a heartthrob back in the day, but he’s pretty darn inspiring and has great respect for the ladies. This guy is one fun entrepreneur who everyone can take a few tips from. This dude REALLY knows how to live the delicious life. Here’s the story about his fun, fabulous food web show, “SnackyShack.” Take it away, Tommy Boy:

Hi there, my name is Tommy McCarthy. I used to be in a boy band. I have to admit, it was a heck of a lot of fun. I saw the country, experienced things that I sometimes can’t even believe when I recollect the stories, ate delicious food from pretty much every city in the U.S., and did it all on Michael Jackson’s and Madonna’s collective dime. Well, sort of. We had a shit deal, financially, but the perks were pretty awesome. Between dining at the finest restaurants, we’d have to make do with “gas station cuisine,” as my brothers call it. As you can imagine, once you’re a seasoned veteran of the road, you become accustomed to the lifestyle and your palate takes a turn for the, well, I’d like to say for the BEST, but then again, you may say “potato” while I say “bacon,” so it’s subjective, I suppose. I digress…

This isn’t a piece about riding horses at Neverland Ranch or giving Britney Spears a Chris Rock book (if that isn’t funny to you, do some research) while we were on tour with her, or about how I danced with MC Hammer a short 5 years after I was quoted in the Sumter Daily Item (my hometown paper) as a 13-year-old pre-pubescent kid in South Carolina dreaming of dancing with his idol that “Yeah, I think I could do that.” It isn’t about playing in front of crowds of 80,000 people, pouring champagne on the Vice President of Reebok’s head in our limo, or standing up to a 7’7” bouncer at a club in New York because I was under-age and he wouldn’t let me in to take a leak (even though Eric got in with a fake I.D. and I was older than him… I was really irked by that!). In fact, it’s not even about the Gold record on my wall or the fact that one of the vocal groups that I idolized in high school (All-4-One) actually asked ME to help them write on their last album, though it DID become their first single off of that record, and “Theo” from The Cosby Show played the Dad in the video! The truth is, this article is all about how my crazy life has led me to the point to where my love of food and all things “snacky” has somehow led me to create, produce and host a comedy cooking show.

If we’re being honest, I suppose the show is really more about our guests and their projects than it is the food, but, what better way to make someone feel at home than to actually HAVE them at your home and plow them with delicious food and adult beverages? Wait a minute, that sounds way more sinister than it really is. You see, when we were on the Nickelodeon All That Music and More Tour back in 2001, our bus took a detour into the woods. Sounds like the beginning of a creepy horror film, right? Well, it’s not, but it WAS where that little memory became lodged in my brain that popped up when the synapses started firing in my brain last year after we had our first guests on SnackyShack. To be honest, Joe (our director) invited them over to shoot. When I came up with “SnackyShack”, I was simply endeavoring for it to be a blog. I moved in with Joe, he had a camera, he wanted to shoot, we started shooting (the early videos are EXTREMELY cheesy, literally AND figuratively), and then the first guests came. That changed everything.

So, here we are in the woods, in a tour bus, driving God knows where. Finally, we pull up to a beautiful, yet modest house, surrounded by a gorgeous woodland property. It actually reminded me of my McCarthy Grandparents’ place up in Massachusetts! The only difference being, my grandparents had an old water tower that I would sneak through the gate to climb and THIS place had a private airplane runway. We’d arrived at the home of John Garabedian. If you don’t know who that is, he hosted the nationally-syndicated “Open House Party” from 1987 until 2007, if Wikipedia is accurate. Thanks, also, to Wikipedia, I just realized that John lives in Massachusetts (on tour, you never REALLY know what city you are in, you just pretend), which MAY explain the earlier reference to the McCarthy house. Anyway, John welcomed us into his home, and led us down to the basement, where we proceeded to tape for his radio show. I remember feeling so relaxed, so comfortable. We were under-age, so, of course he didn’t plow us with adult beverages (we had our own on the tour bus, anyway), but he did offer us all of the soda and chocolate milk that we could drink! The interview was one of the best we’d ever done, or, at least on par with the Rick Dees and Ellen K bit we did in L.A., or that one time that we were the FIRST-EVER guests with an in-studio audience with JoJo on the Radio at KIIS (now a staple on his show).

Alas, it was all coming together, all making sense… I would invite old friends of mine from “the business”, discuss their old, current and upcoming projects, and cook some fun recipes with them! We’ve made everything from “Flintstone Ribs” to “B.L.T.A. Tacos” to “Sexi-Mexi Wraps”. That last one was gross (sorry, Nicole Macias, but you know it was!), but we’ve learned a lot along the way, and one of the most important things, food-wise, is that we ALWAYS have final approval on ANY recipes!

The first season was great, and the second season is shaping up to be even more awesome. Now if only I could get my old roommate, Josh Henderson, to come be a guest… But, he’s playing John Ross Jr. on the new “Dallas” now, so, my efforts may be futile. However, I DID help him move to L.A., let him live with me until he got on his feet, and hooked him up with Ashlee Simpson, so that MAY be worth SOMETHING.

Tommy “Tommy Mac” McCarthy

http://www.twitter.com/tommymac79

https://www.facebook.com/TommyMacSongs

https://plus.google.com/u/0/108821772975670182328

www.snackyshack.com

http://twitter.com/snackyshack

http://facebook.com/snackyshack

http://snackyshack.tumblr.com/

Photo credit: Tommy McCarthy

Sometimes, you’ve just got to stop what you’re doing on a Monday afternoon to share a basket of fries with your favorite author.

That’s exactly what I did.

I hopped a train to the Upper West Side of Manhattan to chat with Jonathan Tropper, bestselling author of “The Book of Joe” and “This Is Where I Leave You,” which will become a feature film sometime in the near-future. His other novels are: “Everything Changes,” “How to Talk to a Widower” and “Plan B.”

I’m a longtime fan of Tropper’s funny, irreverent and soul-scratchingly beautiful novels filled with real, flawed, and as he says, “over the top” characters. He’s a fabulously witty writer who’s hypersensitive to detail; he can see right through fake people. This guy’s the real deal.

As opposed to (dare I say it) crap fiction cluttered with clichés and flat, one-sided characters, Tropper’s novels brim with multi-dimensional, realistic beings. Most of Tropper’s characters make bad life decisions and speak before they think. Like most of us. Because we’re all painfully, beautifully human.

In his own way, Tropper teaches us ladies that there’s more to men than boxers and a you-know-what. Particularly, the guys in Tropper’s novels are emotionally screwed, self-deprecating dudes who eventually redeem themselves. Through Tropper’s truthful portrayal of men as flawed but sensitive human beings, we realize that even when they stumble, they’re worthy of a second (or third…or fourth) chance. Just as with a boyfriend or a husband, or even a brother, sometimes you want to slap them. Other times, you want to hug and squeeze them and tell them how much you love them. Why? Because as imperfect and f-ed up they are, the uber-talented Tropper inconspicuously peels away the layers of their sarcasm, bitterness, crudeness and whatnot, eventually revealing to us that these sometimes-thoughtless schmucks are actually lovable.

ON WRITING

When I asked Tropper why he became a writer (other than the obvious amazing talent), he said, “I wasn’t good at anything else. Math wasn’t going to do it for me. My mother always thought I’d be a psychiatrist because I was good at analyzing people.”

But Tropper, a longtime piano player, admitted that his initial dream was to become a rock star. Unfortunately Tropper never found his permanent place in the spotlight. “I was always the guy who couldn’t join the band because they never had a damn piano,” he said.

Tropper, who still plays every day, began to occupy most of his time with another kind of keyboard. This time, instead of ticklin’ the ivories, he’d be ticklin’ his typewriter (a.k.a. ticklin’ our souls with his writing).

“[Writing] was the only thing that was left in me,” he said. “I just didn’t imagine that I’d get paid to do it.”

What made Tropper so successful? Well, he says it best: “I kind of write the way I speak. I’m trying to write [fiction] truthfully in the way that people know exactly what I’m talking about.”

He doesn’t ramble with stuffy diction. He comes right out and says what he wants to say. It’s therapeutic, probably for him, but most of all, for his readers.

Another factor contributing to his success is his good ear for conversation and love of social interactions. “I’m fascinated by people,” he said. “I think I would have been a good shrink. I just couldn’t have gone to medical school.”

Tropper added, “I’m very interested at the way people are talking to each other or aren’t talking to each other, or find ways to front or find socially acceptable ways to brag…or you know, flirt, or any of that…I just love watching the behavior of people.”

But he thinks his keen awareness of society is sort of a curse: “I watch people’s behaviors and get irritated easily by people’s inability to tell the truth or see the truth. Makes me sort of a misanthrope. You know, you’re over people. And at the same time it makes me conscious of my own behavior. Sometimes I feel like such a f—ing hypocrite.”

Ah. Don’t we all?

Through his (sometimes brutal) honesty, he gives readers a juicy slice of life. He explains, “If you do it well, you’re giving people, like, touchstones that they relate to. I was watching a Simpsons episode where somebody said something to Homer. Homer laughs and says, ‘It’s funny because it’s true.’ ”

Jonathan Tropper is no Nathaniel Hawthorne. He’s certainly not F. Scott Fitzgerald. We don’t expect him to be. We’d cringe if he were. It’s Tropper’s character empathy and profound sense of humanity that makes his work so great. So great, indeed, that it gnaws at your soul while simultaneously nourishing it. But Tropper doesn’t even see it that way.

“I don’t think I’m terribly effusive or turn a mean phrase,” he said. “I think it’s more about that I just know how to write about people.”

Right he is. And write he does.

To purchase his books, visit the Jonathan Tropper section of Amazon.com by clicking here.

Photo credit: Elizabeth Parker Tropper

She’s been dubbed “The Oprah Winfrey of the Internet.” I can’t think of a more perfect title.

The “she” I’m referring to is Lilou Mace, who is perhaps one of the most genuine, adorable, sweet, inspiring human beings I’ve ever had the privilege to meet. She drives across the country in a bus marked “The Juicy Living Tour,” stopping in various places to interview famous motivational speakers such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, among others. Click below to watch my interview with her:

As magnificent and charismatic as she is, Lilou never calls herself an inspirational guru. She’s a humble leader and role model; she follows her heart, and ultimately, always triumphs by climbing out of life’s valleys to reach its peaks. Lilou’s second published book, “I Had No Money and I Liked It: The Abundant Journey of an Open Heart” is an honest, emotional account of her journey to happiness and soulfulness in an economically distraught society. She writes in diary / stream-of-consciousness form, explaining how she experienced doubt and sadness before finding great joy in trusting the Universe and opening herself up to abundance. Lilou expresses her own thoughts about money (especially in the aftermath of losing her high-paid job, which she chronicled in her previous book “I Lost My Job and I Liked It”) as well as the advice of others who’ve brought her comfort during her times of distress. Lilou delves into many areas, including “setting an intention,” “stepping outside your comfort zone,” “surrendering to what is,” “trusting the Universe,” and turning to good friends for genuine words of wisdom. She speaks candidly about her own inner voices of low self-worth and faltering self-esteem, and how she managed to pull herself out of temporary periods of depression. She’s never preachy or aloof; she’s just one of us–struggling with us, understanding us, inspiring us, and rising with us.

On HollyPinafore.org we teach people how to live a delicious life. Lilou Mace teaches others to live a “Juicy” life. I love this philosophy, because it’s similar to ours, yet it adds a different flavor that’s equally delightful. Please pick up a copy of her book by visiting Amazon or Lilou’s website. This is an absolute gem of a read that you need to get through today’s tough economic times. It’s also a wonderful story of self-realization that we all can use to carry us through the uncertain times in life, even those unrelated to finances.

We love you, Lilou!

Photo credit: Lilou Mace

Anyone who knows us cartoon character gals knows we are really much more than ink on paper. We jump off that paper, full of life, intellect, and emotion. And so does Stacey Tucker, a.k.a. the adorable blonde, curly-haired caricature StaceyLu. Behind the irresistibly cute cartoon, though, the 38-year-old is a real woman–a hard-working author with flair and hip mother of one who’s gorgeous enough to make practically anyone go gaga. Her latest book, “Eat, Drink and ReMarry: StaceyLu’s Guide to Planning the Second Time Around” is a candid, funny, advice-filled manual to help take the stress out of getting hitched again. Because let’s face it, whether you’re in your late 20s, 30s, 40s or older, getting married a second time can be just as time-consuming and stressful as the first. StaceyLu’s book is packed with information on how to deal with everything from the guilt of wearing a white wedding dress to the gilt in the ceremony. In her matter-of-fact, witty tone, StaceyLu provides answers to popular questions about re-marriage after a nasty divorce and other questions such as how to hire a planner, pick the location, who to invite, and how to deal with the hullabaloo all over again without feeling too overwhelmed.

We all know someone who’s been through a divorce. StaceyLu is here to make weddings and marriages a whole ‘lot easier the second time around.

Here’s the 411 on StaceyLu:

Real Name: Stacey Tucker

Occupation: Headmistress of upstate NY boarding school for girls…no, wait a minute, that’s not right, I am confusing myself with Edna Garrett.

Hobbies:  Yoga, dancing, determined to become a better cook.

Special skills: I can wield a mean pastry bag

Education: Taught by monks in Poughkeepsie, NY. This one is true, my friends, aka the Marist Brothers at Marist College

Favorite Drink: Never met a cocktail I didn’t like

Why you’re an IT-Girl: Not to sound too Whitney Houston, better to sound too Chaka Khan, I am every woman. Being an It Girl means I can relate to you, and you, and you. I am the shy girl who didn’t have the dates in high school, so I sought out all the wrong male attention I could find. I am the girl who got married way too young and divorced a few years later only to be wrought with guilt and shame, judging myself for bad choices. I am the girl who found her dream man and has the dream life but knows there is something inside waiting to spill out and I can not rest until it does. I am the girl who takes care of everyone else first and says “it’s ok” when time runs out for the things I want to do. I am the wife, mother, daughter, friend, singer, dancer, writer, aerialist and goddess divine that every women standing and those currently on their knees praying is right now. We are all It Girls; we just need to know it.

What you love most about yourself: Recognizing that the story is always in the details of the scene.

What you love most about your career: It is mine to design, for good or bad. If it succeeds, it is because of me. If it fails, it is because of me.

Your favorite way to motivate people, particularly other women: To let them see my faults, my mistakes, my vulnerabilities. We are all so afraid to look foolish in front of others, especially other women. We think everyone else is perfect so we pretend we are, too. Once they see all my mistakes and see I can laugh about it all, they feel better about their lives as well, and can find the humor in the ugly stuff.

How you make a difference in your community: I am a member of the Weston Women’s League. We do a lot for the community in Weston, Connecticut. One of my favorites is Senior Lunch, which I have run for two years but recently passed the torch but still go and serve. We serve hot food to the seniors a few times a year. I get to wear an apron and get a steam facial from the crazy cafeteria dishwasher and smile at the seniors who don’t see enough smiles during their day. This year I am VP of membership, but that’s just a title.

Specific turning points in your life: Every time I snap out of my pseudo-depression because I feel I am not moving fast enough in my career. When I can acknowledge just how far I have come, that’s a turning point.

Something about you that most people don’t know: I love Kirtan music. Chanting, mantras…it really is transformative. Those that love me would say I have a big heart. Also, I published the essay “I Got A Boy” in Chicken Soup for the Soul New Moms edition in March of 2011.

Photo credit: Stacey Tucker

Ah, StaceyLu. Thank you for chatting with us at Holly Pinafore! We love the work you’re doing for women and can’t wait to see more.

Miss Stacey Tucker, a.k.a. StaceyLu, can be reached via Stacey@StaceyLu.com and via her website, www.staceylu.com.

All featured photos in this article © Stacey Tucker, 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Okay, fine. I’ll admit it. I watch the TV show New Girl for more reasons than the offbeat, screwball humor and blossoming chemistry between characters Nick and Jess. I watch the show more so to see what Zooey Deschanel is wearing. How can I—or anyone else—not crave her adorable geeky-chic look?

With her Roy Orbison-inspired eyeglasses and June Carter-style dresses, Zooey puts a dazzling, blue-eyed spin on the fab fashions of the 50s. And let’s just put it this way: after all my hard work scouring the Web for her clothes and accessories, I’m really wishing Santa could tap into my Google search history. It would make his life a lot easier this Christmas. Hint, Hint!

Zooey’s signature style includes timeless yet-trendy outfits. My picks include Zooey-inspired deep-v halter dresses, frilly vintage dresses, high-waisted trousers and vintage plaid top and accessories such as Zooey’s quirky eyeglasses by Oliver Peoples. Don’t forget the cloche hat& vintage-style jewelry.

Find these and many of my personal ZD faves at stores like Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Modcloth. Ready, set, shop. Aaaand go!

Photo Credit: IdolImage.org