Vincensia DiIorio remembers the great Maria Callas

“Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore.” These are the first two phrases that Tosca sings in her famous Act 2 aria, “Vissi d’arte.” The English translation means, “I lived for art, I lived for love.” Puccini’s Tosca was one of Maria Callas’ most infamous operatic roles and the prime example of life imitating art. Callas’ life ended on September 16, 1977 in a Paris apartment. It is said that she died of a broken heart as did opera singer Floria Tosca at the end of the opera. Callas had an extra special gift which was reflected in the art form of opera. Transforming passion through music for the world to hear was what she sacrificed her life for.

The Sound and Fury of Nastasya Khroustcheva

By Maria Danova, translator & musicologist, contributor to project AWE "The Secret of the Magic Flute: Western Music & Esotericism"  ...in my pieces the musicians usually...

Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos embraces timeless history but fuels creative cullinary change

By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World Emily and Robbie Wilson pay homage to the...

To Own a Piece of History: The Old St. Angela Bed & Breakfast Monterey...

By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World You don't want to miss the breakfast or the bed...

Katherine Heigl Gives $1 Million to Help Save Pets

By Sahar Ghaffari, LuxEco Living Editorial Assistant Dog lover and “Life As We Know It” star Katherine Heigl has pledged to donate $1 million to help the over growing pet population through her Jason Debus Heigl Foundation. The foundation which is named after her brother, who died tragically in a car accident in 1986, just launched a new initiative called The Compassion Revolution.

Olivia Newton-John Walks Heart to Heart for Health and Wellness

By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World Melbourne Australia We may not be winning the war...

WATCH: Breast Cancer: The Path of Wellness and Healing

By: Nina Montée Karp, Executive Producer & Director, The Path of Wellness & Healing and LuxEco Advocate The reality is harsh: 1 in 8 of our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends will hear the words “You have breast cancer” at some time in their lives. In fact, every 3 minutes in the US, a new woman is given this frightening diagnosis and as many as 25% of these women will ultimately die of that disease. The figures are startling, but here is, perhaps, the most surprising number of all: Only 10% of women with breast cancer have a family predisposition to get it. In other words, 90% of all breast cancers are provoked not by inherited genes, but by environmental triggers. This is critically important because it means that in up to 90% of cases, breast cancer may be preventable!

LuxEco Living Founders, James and Nancy Chuda, To Be Featured On CNN’s “Toxic America”

By: Bethany Colson, Managing Editor of LuxEco Living. Walking around plush suburban America in Hazmat suits because the environment is saturated with toxic chemicals? Well,...

A Review: The Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara is in a class all...

By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World To B or not to B at the Four Seasons...

How Ingenious

By Florence “Flip” Ross, LuxEco Advocate We are all familiar with the saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” but when I travel through Israel I can’t help but think “When in Israel, do as the Israelis do.” How remarkable they are at accomplishing the impossible. When they tried to build a harbor in Ashdod, they called in all the experts they could think of to help them do it. The experts from Holland (whom for sure they thought could accomplish this, since their country too was below sea level) told them it was impossible. Imagine their disappointment, but not to be deterred they said: “Okay, we’ll do it ourselves,” and do it themselves they did.

PART 1: Laura Turner Seydel Visits the Green Home Under the H

Nancy Chuda, co-founder of LuxEcoLiving.com and Healthy Child Healthy World, proudly introduces LuxEco Living TV! Our first guest is Laura Turner Seydel, a wonderful mother, eco-advocate and the daughter of CNN's Ted Turner. Check out the interview to hear Laura share her insight and passion for an eco-conscious world, free from chemicals and toxins.

The Compassionate Life- Is Empathy the Answer?

Empathy and Compassion in the Wake of Japan's Tsunami Crisis By: Marc Ian Barasch, author of The Compassionate Life and Founder/Director, Green World Campaign The aerial shots...

Greening Your Wedding: Location, Location, Location

Admittedly, I am not very traditional. The concept of the "bride's day" makes me cringe and a large wedding honestly frightens me on many levels, particularly because of the excess and waste. What is particularly difficult is finding a location for an eco-friendly wedding, particularly if you have a large family.

Start Something That Matters Most: Ben and Blake Two Good Soles

By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World "Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books,...

Restaurant Review: Get Your Locally Grown Kicks at Root 246

By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEco Living and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World Having just returned from Burgundy, France as...

Does EPA Mean Business As Usual? Is It Really Safe To Go Back In...

By Nancy Chuda, Founder of LuxEco Living and Healthy Child Healthy World Yesterday, when BP CEO Tony Hayward testified before Congress, many expected to hear him apologize for...

Africa’s Development: How We Can Help

By Galen Crawley's, author of A Path To Survival Against All Odds and LuxEco Advocate In 1979, the British colonization of Zimbabwe came to an end under Ian Smith. After sustained social unrest, the ZANU party, led by Robert Mugabe, came to power. Initially, there was a pervading sense of optimism as this charismatic, highly intelligent individual began to educate the country. In the 1980’s, the economy was growing and Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of Africa. Unfortunately, what began as a democracy became a dictatorship. During the 90’s the Zimbabwe spiraled into decline. At the beginning of the millennium, the Land Reform Programme was initiated. The white farmers, who fueled the economy with their tobacco and food production, were brutally kicked out. It was the beginning of mass starvation, hyper-inflation, and when the diamond fields were found, murder and torture.

Interview With LuxEco Advocate Couple Olivia Newton-John and John Easterling

By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant Olivia Newton-John and John Easterling, both ardent environmentalists, were married in July of 2008. They have since used the power of their union, their individual celebrity, and their heartfelt enthusiasm for wellness to bring healing to the world. Each has suffered bouts with illness and discovered the earth’s natural medicinal bounty on the road to recovery, awakening them to not only the importance of environmentalism but also of conservation. The LuxEco advocate couple, always on the go—from performing at the Pink Ribbon Gala in Vienna to harvesting anti-oxidant fruits in the Peruvian rain forest—spent some time on the phone with me, discussing their passion.

Travels with Journey: Hotel Cheval in Paso Robles is a Derby Winner

By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World Hotel Cheval celebrates the bold beauty and history of legendary 17th...

Eco Interiors “Designs With Conscience”

By: Leslie Harris, Interior Designer, Leslie Harris Interior Design and LuxEco Advocate. I know there is a lot of talk about the value of buying goods that are grown or made locally but for me there are reasons that far outweigh the use of fuels that travel such long distances to get to our shores and that is helping out our fellow human. Artecnica, a Los Angeles based design and manufacturing company, is committed to considering issues of environmental sustainability and responsible manufacturing. Design w/Conscience is a program, begun in 2002, that works with artisan communities in developing countries to produce unique handcrafted objects that reflect indigenous skills to be in accordance with humanitarian and environmentally sensitive principles.

A Cancer Victim Finds A Canine Cure

Cancer Patient’s Best Friend By SULEIKA JAOUAD reposted from The New York Times Blog  Suleika Jaouad writes about her experiences as a young adult with cancer. When...

Brown Butter Cookie Company is as good as it gets

By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World When you walk in the doors of the Brown Butter...

Receipts May Be Source of Toxic BPA; Six Ways to Reduce Your Exposure

By Lorri Laird, Editorial Assistant Every day in the United States, millions of store transactions take place, and cashiers and clerks hand over receipts to their customers. What these clerks and cashiers may not know is that they may be exposing themselves and their customers to the dangerous toxin BPA (Bisphenol A) which has been linked to reproductive and behavioral abnormalities as well as certain cancers. While many consumers have become enlightened to the dangers of BPA in certain types of plastics, many may not be aware that some cash register receipts are coated with the substance.

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