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Bella Figura, The Tradition of Living Beautifully

Bella Figura, The Tradition of Living Beautifully

By Dolores Alfieri Taranto

This show explores heritage as a source of power and inspiration. Through interviews with guests from various ethnic backgrounds, including healers, award-winning authors, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs and more, as well as through choice topics on solo episodes, discussions will focus on what I call The Holy, a culture's spiritual style; The Majesty, lineage and family stories; and The Elemental, a culture's principal values, all in a straight talk manner with minimal woo. Join me in spiritual conversations for the rest of us. Your heritage is your superpower. Learn how to wield it...
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The Double Edge: Christopher Castellani on the Dark and Light of Love and Family.

Bella Figura, The Tradition of Living BeautifullyMay 19, 2020

00:00
01:10:44
When in Doubt Go Backwards: Annabell Alsup on Transforming Our Homes Into Ancestral Spaces
Feb 10, 202201:10:49
Wendell Berry's "Family Work": Saving the Endangered Life of Home
Jan 26, 202239:14
Design Traditions: Ros Byam Shaw on Antiques and Old World Country Decor
Jan 18, 202201:15:46
Starting Over: Angela Ferraro-Fanning on Reinventing Work and Building a Homestead

Starting Over: Angela Ferraro-Fanning on Reinventing Work and Building a Homestead

Angela Ferraro-Fanning is an author and the founder of Axe & Root Homestead, a six-acre farm in central New Jersey. A self-described "plant-based permaculture homesteader" (she breaks that down in the episode!), she began homesteading in 2012 after suffering postpartum depression with her first child. Unhappy in the graphic design business she’d worked in for over a decade, she longed to be outdoors, aligning her lifestyle with the seasons and with nature.

She started growing and preserving as much of her own homegrown produce as possible, and the homestead quickly grew from a home garden to a farm bustling with Clydesdales, geese and ducks for eggs, an apiary with ten beehives, sheep and a small orchard. She taps her own trees for maple syrup, creates her own soap and has even recently added a hobby vineyard for homemade wine.

She is the co-author of “The Harvest Table: A Collection of Seasonal Plant-Based Recipes Inspired by the Home Garden,” as well as author of The Little Homesteader Series. She is co-host of “The Definitely Not Simple Life Podcast."


[Photo Courtesy of Angela Ferraro-Fanning]


Things discussed in this episode:

Following your dreams

Changing career paths

Raising ducks, horses

Preserving food

Homegrown food

Learning as you go

Home gardens

Being a mother


Resources:

Dry Farm Wines: Use link dryfarmwines.com/bellafigura to receive a bottle for just a penny in your first order!

Shop: Bella Figura Shoppe 


Guest:

Axe and Root Homestead

Angela's Cookbook

The Little Homesteader Series

Angela on Instagram


Dolores:

Bella Figura Shoppe on Etsy

Bella Figura website

Dolores on Instagram

Bella Figura YouTube

Bella Figura Pinterest 

Jan 10, 202201:16:35
A Handmade Christmas
Dec 18, 202128:29
Cooking is the Answer: Shaye Elliott on Defying Convenience Culture and Living a Beautiful Life
Dec 15, 202101:11:50
Old World Kitchen: Sara Dahmen on the Art of Forging Historical, Ancestral Cookware

Old World Kitchen: Sara Dahmen on the Art of Forging Historical, Ancestral Cookware

Dec 09, 202151:37
The Forces that Drive Us: A deep dive into Alice Waters' "We Are What We Eat"
Dec 01, 202136:29
Inspired and Free: Kay Foye & the Beauty of Hands-On Work in a Mind-Dominated Time
Nov 23, 202159:60
Plan for Your Descendants: Angela Reed on Farming, Old World Decor, and Self Sufficiency

Plan for Your Descendants: Angela Reed on Farming, Old World Decor, and Self Sufficiency

Angela Reed, also known as Parisienne Farmgirl via her online presence, is an author, farmer, wife, mother of six, and a successful entrepreneur. Angela lives on a 27-acre farm tucked deep in the woods of Door County, Wisconsin with her husband and six children. Moments from the sapphire waters of Lake Michigan, she spends her days tending to her potager and cottage gardens and caring for her family and farm animals.

In 2005, Angela created the website “Parisienne Farmgirl” and since then has been passionate about developing “joie de vivre”, a joy in life, and sharing that journey with other women as they cultivate memories of domesticity, motherhood and creativity. She is the co-host of the popular podcast, Homemaker Chic, and author of “From France to the Farm: Blending Generational Favorites with French Flair.” She is also the publisher and founder of Old World Design Society, a publication and private society for individuals who cherish the design and lifestyle elements of a bygone era and who believe in lived-in spaces, heirloom pieces, and that ‘new is not always better.’


Discussed in this episode:

Learning how to farm.

Being self reliant.

Adding beauty to your home and work.

Trusting your decor style.

Old World decor.

Antiques as decor.

Country life.

Homesteading.

Raising farm animals.

Preserving foods as our ancestors did.

Learning lost traditions that our ancestors knew. 

Rethinking motherhood.

Homemaking and motherhood as artform.


Resources:

Dry Farm Wines: Use link dryfarmwines.com/bellafigura to receive a bottle for just a penny in your first order!

Angela's Website

Old World Design Society

Angela on Instagram

Angela on YouTube

Homemaker Chic Podcast 

Bella Figura website

Dolores on Instagram

Bella Figura YouTube

Bella Figura Pinterest 

Nov 16, 202101:10:30
The Bold Heart: Lisa DiCicco Cahue on Motherhood, Fashion, and Beauty

The Bold Heart: Lisa DiCicco Cahue on Motherhood, Fashion, and Beauty

My guest for Episode 13, the last of this season's conversations recorded in 2020, features model and fashion blogger Lisa DiCicco Cahue. Originally from Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, Lisa, of Italian descent, moved to NYC and attended Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) where she graduated top of her class and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising. She worked in numerous areas of the fashion industry, specifically in the fashion closet at Harper’s Bazaar, as well as being an assistant buyer.
She has since been signed with Wilhelmina, Ford, and is currently represented by Elite Model Management. She has worked for designers such as ATM, Cynthia Rowley, Thom Browne, Ramy Brook, Rebecca Minkoff and Protagonist.
Maintaining the perfect minimalist street style and “model off-duty” looks, Lisa hosts her own blog, and in 2018 she became pregnant and now dedicates herself to her own business and raising her son, Sebastian. She has collaborated with some of the best designers in fashion both as a model and an influencer. She had a successful capsule collection with Amazon, selling out many pieces in under 30 hours and hopes to one day have her own label.

Things discussed:

Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones
Jealousy verse aspiration
Motherhood
The struggles of the postpartum experience
Learning to accept our postpartum bodies
Inspiring women to be bold
Fashion as bella figura
Raising children to have a sense of their roots
Embracing our cultural values and discarding those that limit us
Fashion tips to feel your most confident
How to look great in photos

Resources:
Lisa's website
Lisa on Instagram
Bella Figura website
Dolores on Instagram
The Italian American Podcast
Jan 11, 202101:41:11
Tell Your Story: Sandra Chuma on Storytelling, Leaving Home, and Following Your Purpose

Tell Your Story: Sandra Chuma on Storytelling, Leaving Home, and Following Your Purpose

Dec 27, 202001:12:35
The World is Beautiful: Stephanie Flor on travel and the spiritual roots of beauty

The World is Beautiful: Stephanie Flor on travel and the spiritual roots of beauty

Stephanie Flor, of South American ancestry, is a NYC­ based celebrity makeup artist who works regularly with industry leaders ranging from musicians to television personalities. Her clients include Mariah Carey, Eve, Sting, Kathy Griffin, and politicians Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and the Israel President Shimon Peres, among others. She is most currently the Global Colour Pro artist for Clinique U.S and Hispanic market.

Flor has been featured on Glam Belleza Magazine “Weekend Section,” Latina magazine's “Young & Inspiring: Ones to Watch” list, “ Beauty Vanguard in April 2015”and landed herself on the Cosmo for Latinas blog spotlight for Around the World Beauty.

She is a go-to beauty expert for her tips in both beauty and travel for Teen Vogue, Allure.com, Glamour, InStyle, Essence.com, and Vogue.com.

Editorially, Flor has worked on photo shoots and video productions for Cosmopolitan, Glamour, L’Oreal, People, Martha Stewart, The New Yorker,  Time, OWN­ Oprah, Victoria’s Secret, and Women's Wear.

Flor expertise in multicultural beauty has made her a go-to ambassador for leading cosmetic and hair care brands, such as Head and Shoulders, Makeup Forever, L’Oreal Paris, La Bella, Thicker Fuller Hair, and Maybelline.

Discussed in this episode:

  • Entrepreneurship
  • Beauty as a spiritual practice
  • Connecting to ancestors through beauty
  • Traveling the world
  • Connecting to ancestral culture through beauty practices
  • Beauty approaches from around the globe

Resources:

Around the World Beauty

Stephanie's Makeup Artist page

The Italian American Podcast

Bella Figura website

Dolores on Instagram

Dec 22, 202001:15:34
The Roots of Our Work: Shelly Marshall on Connecting What We Do to Where We Come From
Oct 01, 202001:13:39
The Extraordinary: Jaquira Diaz on Identity, Forgiveness & Mining Gold from Troubled Stories
Sep 16, 202051:28
The Whole Woman: Aimee Raupp on holistic health, fertility myths, and healing traditions

The Whole Woman: Aimee Raupp on holistic health, fertility myths, and healing traditions

Aug 26, 202058:12
Channeling the Spirit: Chloe Garcia Ponce on Traditional Medicine and Healing
Jul 02, 202001:40:09
Structure and Spirit: Alicia Jo Rabins on Art, Heritage, and Ancestral Religion
Jun 17, 202001:18:15
The Force is Within: Jill Willard on Intuition as a Tool of Strength and Protection
Jun 09, 202001:03:08
The Gift They Gave You: Mallorie Vaudoise on Honoring Your Ancestors

The Gift They Gave You: Mallorie Vaudoise on Honoring Your Ancestors

May 26, 202001:03:10
The Double Edge: Christopher Castellani on the Dark and Light of Love and Family.

The Double Edge: Christopher Castellani on the Dark and Light of Love and Family.

Christopher Castellani, of Southern Italian ancestry, recently published his fourth novel, Leading Men, for which he received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the MacDowell Colony, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, was published by Viking in 2019.  The novel explores the complex relationship between Frank Merlo, a Jersey-born Italian American, and Tennessee Williams. Castellani is also the author of the novels All This Talk of Love, The Saint of Lost Things, and A Kiss from Maddalena, a trilogy inspired by the lives of his Italian immigrant parents. His collection of essays on point of view in fiction, The Art of Perspective, was published by Graywolf Press in 2016. He is currently on the faculty of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. He lives in Boston, where he is artistic director of GrubStreet, the country's largest and leading independent writing center.


Things discussed:

The parts of our heritage we need to leave behind.

Internalizing our family stories.

Research shows that family stories give us strength and build the foundation of our lives.

Loosening the ties to our family stories in order to incorporate some of our own.

How our respective cultures can be comforting and also suffocating.

The beginning of our lives start with our ancestors’ stories.

Writing our family stories as a way to redeem the loss of assimilation.

Leaving behind the parts of our heritage that don't support us.

The same Elemental of our culture can heal as well as wound.

Tips on how to gather and write your family stories.

Resources:

Guest:

Christopher's website

Christopher's books

Christopher on Instagram

Grubstreet

Mentions:

Guggenheim Fellowship

Italian American Podcast Gay Talese Episode 1

Italian American Podcast Gay Talese Episode 2

"Where are the Italian American novelists?" - Gay Talese essay

Bella Figura:

Bella Figura website

Dolores on Instagram

May 19, 202001:10:44
We Are Responsible: Marine Selenee on Being a Good Ancestor and Taking Charge of Your Life
May 12, 202001:07:15
Ancestor's Dream: MaryBeth Bonfiglio on reclaiming her culture, The Holy, and "really ancient sh*t"

Ancestor's Dream: MaryBeth Bonfiglio on reclaiming her culture, The Holy, and "really ancient sh*t"

In this first episode, I take the plunge with the incomparable MaryBeth Bonfiglio, of Sicilian ancestry, whose dynamic and varied work is not simple to summarize. She is a writer, writing instructor and guide, an intuitive, a midwife, and a folk/root worker dedicated to exploring the ancient wisdom of her Sicilian heritage. Her Radici Siciliane gatherings, which attendees have described as “not a vacation, [but] a pilgrimage and a rite of passage and a week-long ritual,” take people to remote and traditional areas of Sicily to explore ancient folkway practices—such as tarot cards, ancient recipes, traditional dance and storytelling, cheesemaking, basket-weaving as well as creating a space for attendees to explore their own ancestral healing.  

She's originally from Upstate New York, but lives in Portland, Oregon with her three daughters and longtime husband.

Things discussed in this episode: 

How assimilation changes traditions and family life.

Wanting to deny your heritage to fit in.

Reclaiming your heritage and its traditions.

Ancient customs can be reminders on how to live well and according to what matters most.

Our ancestors' poverty forced them to focus on living well, on living in community, and enjoying the good moments of life, which is something we should remember.

How having children brings out our need to return to our ancestral traditions. 

Rewriting stereotypes heaped upon cultures.

Reading tarot cards as an ancestral connection.

Doing work in our ancestral lands.

Ancestral worship traditions as powerful tools.

In modern pop culture, Buddha is cool, Jesus is not cool.; Yoga is cool, rosary is not cool, and how this can drive us away from our own culture's spiritual practices. 

The study of Epigenetics.

Ways to reconnect with your culture and its traditions, even if you're generations removed from the first immigrant's source.

Resources:

Guest:

marybethbonfiglio.com

radicisiciliane.com

Instagram: @marybethbonfiglio and @radicisiciliane


The Italian American Podcast


Bella Figura Podcast:

bellafigurapodcast.com

Email: Dolores@bellafigurapodcast.com

Instagram: dolores_alfieri_taranto

May 03, 202001:04:15
Welcome to "Bella Figura—The Tradition of Living Beautifully"

Welcome to "Bella Figura—The Tradition of Living Beautifully"

I'm your host, Dolores Alfieri Taranto, and in this brief Welcome Episode, I give listeners an overview of what to expect from this new podcast.  I break down the major themes that will be covered through interviews with guests from various ethnic backgrounds, including healers, award-winning authors, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs and more, as well as through choice topics on solo episodes.  

This show explores heritage as a source of power and inspiration.  Discussions will focus on what I call The Holy, a culture's spiritual style; The Majesty, lineage and family stories; and The Elemental, a culture's principal values, all in a straight talk manner with minimal woo.  Join me in spiritual conversations for the rest of us.  Your heritage is your superpower.  Learn how to wield it... 

Apr 29, 202016:00