Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Launch Party and Trunk Show!

November 2, 2011

Wow!  It’s really happening!  Eclipse Couture’s Launch Party and Trunk Show, our first appearance to the world, takes place on Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.!  We’ll take lots of photos to upload.  The event promises to be an exciting time – there will be food galore in a beautiful environment, with fashion in every corner.

There’s lots of preparation, so I’d better get to work!

Monday, October 24, 2011

We're On The Web!

    
October 24, 2011

After a long absence, I’m pleased to be back on the BLOG!  We have lots of news to share about Eclipse Couture.  Our improved web site launched softly last Thursday, October 20th!  After emailing the address to a few friends, (www.eclipsecouture.com) and showing off some of our pieces at an alumni reunion this weekend, I’m happy to report that we received enthusiastic comments about both.

Our new cotton fabric used in Eclipse Couture’s Fall Collection is super soft with a flattering drape.  The fabric weight keeps you cozy during cooler temps and still protects your skin from harmful rays. The National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization have identified broad spectrum UV as a human carcinogen. UVB rays, strongest in summer months, damage the surface of the skin, while UVA rays, present during all daytime hours throughout the year, penetrate the skin’s deeper layers. A recent Australian-US study shows that UVA causes more genetic damage than UVB. UVA radiation also passes through glass and clouds, exposing the skin to damage indoors and on cloudy days.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, ultraviolet rays from the sun, like UVA and UVB, can penetrate fabrics.  A typical white summer cotton T-shirt offers a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) of 5 to 9, but its UPF decreases to only 3 to 4 when the fabric gets wet.  A piece of pale yellow cotton fabric typically has a UPF of 5 to 9.  Darker colors and heavier fabrics, such as denim, absorb more UV light.
Let Eclipse Couture’s fall collection help protect your skin from pre-mature aging, wrinkles and sun damage. Our signature UPF 50+ cotton keeps you cute and covered.  Check us out on the web:  www.eclipsecouture.com

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Keep Advancing the Ball

Here's a little story I wrote that was recently published on NDY's website. NDY - Not Done Yet, is an inspired concept that puts age in perspective. Carol April's vision recognizes that riding off into the sunset can be done on a Harley on the way to Vegas. Age need not be the sole criteria that defines the end of one's participation in, or contribution to, life. NDY Not Done Yet can be found at http://www.ndynotdoneyet.com/index.asp



Keep Advancing the Ball
By Jana Eshaghian

I was raised in a family of golfers.  My dad, a “scratch golfer,” kept score at the prestigious Master’s Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA for twenty-five years.  Mom taught golf to a half dozen women every Thursday for as long as I can remember.  Mike, my older brother, took up golf when he was strong enough to carry a bag of clubs.  Our vacations revolved around the locations of the Junior PGA Tournaments in which Mike participated as a teenager.  Charlie, my oldest brother, made enough money to buy his first motorcycle by caddying at our local golf course.  For easy access, our family home was on the 18th tee of that same course. 

At the age of seven, I began tagging along on the family golf outings, and I began playing as soon as I could manage the adult clubs.  At the practice tee, four sets of eyes focused on my every move.  It was impossible for me to concentrate while being pelted with instructions.  “Keep your head down.”  “Keep your left arm straight.”  “Bend your knees.”  “Keep your eye on the ball.”  If I was lucky, my club actually connected with the ball, but more often than not, it just whiffed through the air.

By age nine, I was occasionally allowed to join the family foursome and play the course, usually with Dad, Mom and Mike, while Charlie worked at the clubhouse.  There was no way that I could keep up with the lofty shots that belonged to Mom, Dad and Mike.  They sailed straight down the middle of the fairway.  To keep our game moving, sometimes Dad mercifully let me throw my ball off the tee, or carry it and put it down next to his perfectly placed lie.  Most often, however, Dad encouraged me to keep swinging, even when I could hear Mike’s impatient sighs.  On the seldom occasions when I felt the impact of the ball with my club, I would jump for joy.  Mike would roll his eyes at the pathetic distance of my shots, but Mom shared my small victories by cheering, and Dad always had an “Atta’ girl!” ready to shout.

My most vivid recollections from this era are the times when I was frustrated and ready to quit.  I would fall into the trap of my own negative feedback, and Mike’s brotherly teases didn’t help.  “That’s a real worm burner!” he would howl when my ball rolled into the fairway a few yards.  “If ya wanna play in the sand, why don’t you go to the beach!” he would chide when I was stuck in a sand trap. 

Throwing in the towel was not an option when I played with Dad.  “Sugar,” he would say, “the most important thing is that you keep advancing the ball.  Now, try again.”  He would wink his sky blue eye and give me a quick nod.  Sometimes his words would just frustrate me more because I wanted to quit.  I wanted to scream or throw my club.  Instead, I breathed a simple prayer, and tried again and again.  Slowly – and sometimes near dark, we always made it back to the clubhouse. 

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with lupus, a debilitating autoimmune disease.  My life went from a full swing to a full stop.  Learning to manage my disease has been a completely frustrating experience, but I don’t chose throwing in the towel as an option.  Just like on the golf course with my dad, I’ve wanted to scream and throw things, and frankly, I have.  Just like golf, life is not easy and it takes perseverance.  Dad’s words have found a place in the forefront of my mind, “Just keep advancing the ball.”

On a “good day,” the pain I feel is manageable and my body moves well.  Making it through the day feels as comfortable as staying in the middle of the fairway.  I feel productive and useful.  Other days, when my joints are so swollen that it’s difficult to walk or use my hands, I feel like I’m in the weeds or stuck in the sand trap.  Small tasks are difficult and it makes me mad because I can’t function as I would like. 

Even on a “good day,” I’m unable to do many of the simple things that used to be so easy, like opening a water bottle or going for a long walk.  Instead of focusing on the obvious negatives, I try to zero in on Dad’s advice.  In my memory, I hear his words’ and see his wink and nod.  I whisper a prayer of gratitude for the things I can do, and I try to advance my life - whether it’s starting up a business that meshes with my new lifestyle, or studying Hebrew for my Adult B’nai Mitzvah class.   Many days, I’m just thankful that I can get dinner on the table – largely due to the support of our loving family.  Slowly, just like making it back to the clubhouse, I make it through every day.  I know, on that great golf course in the sky, Mom must be giving me a victory cheer.

Having lupus has caused me to re-structure every aspect of my life.  In the process, I continue to find new meaning by harkening back to old lessons I’ve learned in the past, and by looking and listening for new insights.  What remains clear is that perseverance is paramount.  Although many days are frustrating, I’ll keep trying to advance the ball, because, obviously, “I’m Not Done, Yet!”

*A “scratch golfer” is a golfer with a zero handicap. (That means they’re really good.) 

Monday, November 29, 2010

Happy Holiday Season!

We at Eclipse Couture hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Now that the shopping season has officially begun, we hope Eclipse Couture is at the top of your shopping list!  Eclipse Couture photographer, Hannah Eshaghian and stylist, Sarah Eshaghian, have been busy taking photographs of our beautiful and gracious models, Wendy and Andrea Iloulian.  It’s hard to choose which photos to post because all of them are so good!  We had a lot of fun shooting - after all, our slogan is, “We make it fun to be in the sun!”  Even the pictures with Andrea bent over double laughing are post-worthy, although we chose some alternative photos for our blog.  Hope you enjoy.

Oh, and, by the way, even though we have plenty of fun where Eclipse Couture is concerned, protecting your skin is no joking matter.  In addition to skin cancer, the sun causes pre-mature aging, wrinkles, brown spots and can act as a catalyst in some diseases, like lupus.  Sunscreens are full of chemicals and I like to avoid them.  Eclipse Couture is a great solution!  Try out the large size scarf.  It's the perfect sunblock for the car.


Sunday, October 24, 2010

Made in the USA

Recently, I was discussing the possibility of going through an entire day without using or buying one product that was made in China.  Quickly, I realized how difficult that might be.

I’m not an expert in American history, but it seems to me that we used to make a lot more of our own things – fabric, for example.  In 2009 we were the leading exporter of cotton, yet most of my cotton clothing tags don’t say, “Made in the USA.”  Manufacturing may be less costly in another country, but given the state of our own country, I think more jobs should be given to Americans – even if it means that a company’s bottom line is not as fat.

At Eclipse Couture, we are doing our best to “buy local.”   We may not be able to develop our products with 100% American made materials, but we sure will try.  And, you can bet that our garments will carry a tag that proudly says, “Made in the USA!”

  

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Did you know...

...that it's suggested that all lupus patients should wear sunscreen and limit sun exposure?  The sun, for me, can cause a lupus flare, meaning joint aches and inflammation in various parts of my body.  Even so, for a trip to the grocery store or bank, sometimes I don't feel like rubbing on sunscreen, smelling like sunscreen or absorbing whatever is in sunscreen.  Eclipse Couture jackets, tops and scarves are perfect for these occasions.  It's easy to toss on a garment for skin protection where parking lot sun always feels stronger.

Event Photo

Hope you enjoy these photos snapped by Hannah Eshaghian at the Walk for Lupus, Now!