Find Your Fall Fashion Style!

Classic Tips from Belinda Barnard

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Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

autumn-leaves-fashionWith autumn leaves on the ground and the smell of pumpkin spice latte in the air, it’s time to think of fall fashions. Even in laid-back SoCal – where no one dresses formally or needs winter coats – it’s still nice to pull off a little style.

So, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel went to a fashion expert to get some style tips – our friend Belinda Barnard, a former high-fashion model with photo credits in Glamour and other top fashion magazines.

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Barnard, a competitive swimmer who grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and studied and worked in Seattle, started modeling at thirteen and was represented by the prestigious Wilhelmina talent agency.dsc06737

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She worked with some of the world’s leading photographers, including the highly respected Jim Hadley and internationally-known Billy Pegram.

She also did something almost unheard of in the youth-obsessed fashion industry – maintain a successful modeling career for 30 years.

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The secret to Barnard’s success is something we all can do – developing her own look. Rather than trying to copy others or going with the “flavor of the month” styles, she was herself, unique and one-of-a-kind. That made photographers and designers want to work with her.

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“I always tried to add my own twist to a look,” Barnard told SurfWriter Girls. “A ‘Belinda twist’ that made the fashions stand out. It could be a hat, a flower in my hair or an accessory. A look or stance that caught people’s eyes.”

What’s your style? Beachy? Casual? Button-downed? Punk? Glam?

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Harper’s Bazaar agrees that it’s up to you, whether it’s retro chic or heavy metal. Style is personal. It’s nice to have so many choices.

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Whatever yours is, with California’s sun, surf and salty breezes taking a toll on everyone’s skin, SurfWriter Girls know skin care is critical. Talking to Barnard about this, we were surprised to learn what her favorite skin care product is. Nothing upscale or fancy, it’s Oil of Olay. “The glycerin in the cream keeps the moisture in your skin,” Barnard explained.

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“And always keep it simple,” Barnard advises. “Think of Grace Kelly. She was always elegant without appearing to try. One time she went to the Oscars with just one simple necklace as her accessory, while most of the other actresses were covered in jewels.”

Throughout Barnard’s modeling days she was always open to new opportunities. This includes representing Neiman Marcus as its Essence of Giving Model. Barnard also helped other models build their careers, giving them tips and advice. And, when she wasn’t modeling, she explored other creative careers. As a theatrical makeup artist for the Long Beach Civic Light Opera Youth Conservatory and the Courts Manager for the John Wayne Tennis Club in Newport Beach.

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Helping others has been a common thread throughout her life, dating back to her college days when she majored in pre-med. Now, after many detours along the way, Barnard has come full circle and returned to the medical field as a physician’s assistant, helping patients prepare for and recover from surgery.

Belinda Barnard is living proof that true beauty is internal more than external. And, when you have your own style, fashion is ageless…especially when you add a “twist of Belinda.”

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Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

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New Sea Creatures in CA and Hawaii

Denizens of the Deep Surprise and Delight Scientists

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Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Photographs from the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway in California.

This summer a googly-eyed, bright purple squid that looks like a child’s lost toy was found off California’s coast, 3,000 feet under the sea.

Scientists on board the Exploration Vessel Nautilus research ship, funded by the nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust, could hardly contain their glee when they viewed the remote video feed of the adorable creature.

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The unexpected find was ultimately determined to be a stubby squid (Rossia pacifica). Its large eyes enable it to see better in the ocean’s depths by gathering as much light as possible.

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Meanwhile, across the Pacific Ocean other discoveries were being made just months earlier. A never-before-seen ghost octopus… and a giant, minivan-sized sea sponge.

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Researchers aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ship Okeanos Explorer announced sightings of new sea life found in the deep sea waters of Hawaii.

They were found in Hawaii’s 582,578 square mile Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

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Using a remotely-operated vehicle to navigate the protected waters of this oceanic World Heritage site, the Okeanos Explorer crew recorded video of a pale, ghost-like octopus more than 40,000 meters under the sea. That’s more than 2.5 miles down and, according to NOAA, is the “deepest observation of this type of cephalopod (octopus).”

casper-the-ghost-octopusGelatinous in appearance with few muscles and no  pigmentation, NOAA says the octopus “may not belong to any described genus.” Its similarity to a well-known ghost has earned it the nickname “Casper.”

The little ghost octopus even made an appearance in Alex Hallatt’s popular cartoon strip Arctic Circle.

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The Okeanos Explorer‘s other new discovery, a giant sponge, is the size of a mini-van. It was spotted at a depth of 7,000-feet and and is so large that the crew had to keep panning the video camera to take it all in and figure out what they were looking at.

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“With a mass more than 3.5 meters long, 2 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, this creature may be centuries old,” says NOAA scientist Daniel Wagner, who made the discovery with biologist Christopher Kelley.

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The sponge may have grown so large due to the region of the ocean where it lives, Wagner suggests.

“We expect this environment to be very stable, one of the most pristine places on Earth — giving it a chance to flourish.”

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel learned that making discoveries like this is what the E/V Nautilus and Okeanos Explorer were both designed to do.

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The 211-ft. E/V Nautilus, operated under the direction of Dr. Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreck of the Titanic and the sunken German battleship Bismarck, is committed to exploring the uncharted parts of the ocean and making new discoveries.

NOAA’s 224-ft Okeanos Explorer has a similar mission: “to systematically explore our largely unknown ocean for the purpose of discovery and the advancement of knowledge.” The former Navy ship has traveled the world – from the Indonesian Coral Triangle to the Marianas Trench, the Galapagos Islands and Mid-Cayman Rise, studying geological formations, marine life, and more.

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And now, because of these ships’ continuing journeys beyond the boundaries of civilization, a lovable squid and two new life forms have been found just beyond the camera’s lens…

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hidden in the ocean’s depths.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Please post your comment below. Comments will appear the next day.

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.