We would like to wish you a very happy & healthy Thanksgiving!  We have a lot to be thankful for at OpenSky, especially the 100+ dynamic and influential Shopkeepers.  Before you go and enjoy time with your family, be sure to check out the newest members of ours.

Please welcome…

Clara (Knitter’s Review)
Clara was Editor-at-Large of Intelligent Enterprise magazine, produced a major comparison-shopping Web site, and received a Society of American Travel Writers award for her profiles of San Francisco restaurants—all the while her true passion was knitting for the love of yarn. Her first book, The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, was named one of the Best Books of 2007 by the Library Journal. Her sequel, The Knitter’s Book of Wool, was released in October 2009 and has already been named the fourth best home and garden book of the year by the editors at Amazon.com.

Knitter’s Review is a weekly online magazine for fiber enthusiasts, established in September 2000.  Their mission is to provide quality product information to help knitters make informed purchasing decisions and, ultimately, have a more fulfilling lifelong knitting experience. Geared toward the serious fiber enthusiast, regardless of skill or experience level, Knitter’s Review features intelligent and in-depth yarn reviews, tips and how-tos, book reviews, tool profiles, event information, forums, and interactive polls.

Rachel (A Photography Blog)
Rachel came to New York in 2000 and found a job in production at Condé Nast. Although the pointy shoes and glamorous cafeteria were alluring, she decided to apply to graduate school. She received her MA in studio art two years later and spent several years helping to run the full-time programs at the International Center of Photography. She then moved into photo editing, working at Nerve.com, and Rolling Stone Online, among others.

Recently, Rachel has been writing about photography; she started off at Photoshelter’s Shoot! The Blog. She is also a photo columnist for The Daily Beast and The Faster Times, and writes a blog for Induro Tripods. Rachel has been making her own work slowly but surely throughout the years. It has been shown at Jen Bekman Gallery, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Wallspace Gallery and The New York Photo Festival, where she co-curated a show in May 2009.

Lynn & Corey (Celebrate Green & Green Halloween)
They’re a mother-daughter team whose passion is to help people green up their celebrations.  Through creativity, laughter and collaboration, they’re here to show that learning to be green during holidays and celebrations can be easy, affordable and fun for the whole family.  They created a national movement to make Halloween healthier and safer for children and for the environment.  In addition, they co-authored the book Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family.reating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family. If you’re seeking a fun-filled romp jammed with practical, inexpensive, joyful ways to celebrate in eco-friendly fashion, you’re in business with Celebrate Green!

Mel (Bouchon for Two)
Melody Fury is from Vancouver B.C, she is a certified teacher and a young entrepreneur. She is the creator of Bouchon for 2  where she enjoys sharing her everyday culinary misadventures and revelations. As a freelance food writer and photographer, Melody has been featured in foodbuzz, Serious Eats, and on the Food Network. When Melody isn’t busy blogging about food, she enjoys salsa dancing, drums and glassblowing.

Rachel (Fit Mom’s Blog)
Rachel is completely devoted to her family and staying fit.  Her motto is “Do what you can to stay fit, healthy, and sane.”  Her passions includes, yoga, trail running, cycling, cooking, and reading. Her site contains fun and healthy activities for mom’s and families.

Mary (Zuburbia)
Zuburbia is a state of vintage consciousness where looking good and doing good for our planet coexist peacefully. Mary Kincaid started Zuburbia because she believes that it’s not easy being green, but that it’s worth the effort. She is committed to doing all that she can to reduce, reuse and recycle while helping others to participate in the greening of Mother Earth. Mary is committed to spreading the word, that you don’t have to sacrifice one ounce of style to be a good green citizen.

Jeffrey (Jeffrey Morgenthaler)
Jeffrey has been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. Mixing drinks is his passion and he strives to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary. The writing he does in his blog is intended as a work in progress. His recipes are like his opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as he works them through my mind and my fingers.  He has been featured in The N.Y Times, Esquire, Playboy, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and Food & Wine.

Sarah (Org Junkie)
Sarah is exactly what the OpenSky office needs, she is a self-proclaimed “organizing junkie.” What she loves most about organizing is the “high” she gets from it so she is always looking for next “fix”. This blog is dedicated to her love of all things to do with organizing especially containers! Join Sarah as she chronicles the life of an organizing junkie and attempt to get others “hooked.” She is especially addicted to containers of any shape or size.

It’s a very special OpenSky Welcome Wednesday today as we have officially broken the century mark, 100 Shopkeepers and counting!

I want to take a second to reflect on how truly amazing of a milestone this is.  Seven months ago when John, Alan and I sat around the dining room table in my apartment dreaming up OpenSky, we could never have imagined quite how impressive, passionate and intelligent of a Shopkeeper community would ultimately come together. But come together they have, 100 strong!

We are quickly becoming a vibrant community of industry leaders among their trade (such as Michael Laiskonis, the executive pastry chef at famed restaurant Le Bernardin), television personalities (such as Vickie Howell, host of HGTV’s Knitty Gritty), well-known authors (such as Michael Ruhlman, author of The Elements of Cooking) and top online personalities (such as Kath Younger, creator of the hugely popular healthy living site KathEats.com).

So what is OpenSky today?

A collection of experts full of passion and knowledge.  A community coming together to change the way people shop, for the better.  People who care about those who trust them. THIS is OpenSky.

On to Welcome Wednesdays at OpenSky!

Please welcome…

Cathie (Cathie Filian)
D.I.Y. Guru, Cathie Filian, brings a fresh approach to creative living with her “outside the box ideas” for crafts, recipes and home décor. She is a little bit country, a little bit Rock-n-Roll and all Original.

Cathie created, produces and co-hosts the popular lifestyle shows Creative Juice and Witch Crafts on HGTV and DIY Network. She was Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Host for her work on Creative Juice and she was Nominated for her Second Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Program for her work on Witch Crafts.

Cathie’s first book, Creative Juice – 45 Re-Crafting Projects, is filled with fun and funky recycling craft ideas that can be made for pennies. Her second book, Bow Wow WOW! – fetching costumes for your fabulous dog, is filled with patterns and ideas for creating pet fashions. Her latest book, 101 Snappy Fashions features ideas for altering baby onesies.

Cathie writes Home Hobbies, a syndicated newspaper column for United Features and a Lifestyle Blog. She also contributes to national shelter publications such as Life Magazine, Real Simple, Redbook and many others.

Melissa (Melissa Schweiger)
Melissa began her writing career in the first grade, when her story about a princess and her pet skunk got rave reviews from her mother. She decided to parlay her skills into a career after graduating from New York University with a B.A. in journalism. Her first professional editorial gig was as an Associate Editor at Hamptons magazine, where she wrote about style, food, and the lifestyles of the famous and infamous for the pages of the weekly glossy.

After Hamptons, Melissa entered into the world of women’s magazines and joined Cosmopolitan as a freelance Beauty Editor. She was then swept into dotcom mania and became a Beauty Editor at Eve.com. Later she joined Seventeen magazine as their Fashion Writer. Her first book, Sephora: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup, Skin, and Hair from the Beauty Authority, was published in April 2008 by HarperCollins.

Jessica (Jessica Harlow)
Jessica Harlow is a self-proclaimed glamour addict best known for her beauty tutorials, or as she likes to call them, “Glamour Presentations”, on YouTube. Not your typical YouTube guru, Miss Harlow aims to not only to share tips and tricks on how to apply makeup but also on how to help you feel your best.

Jim (Jim’s Chocolate Mission)
Jim is a chocolate lover from the South East of England. Unfortunately eating chocolate and writing about it isn’t his day job (OpenSky hopes to change that) – he has recently started working for one of the top global FMCG companies in marketing and works with prestigious brands both in the UK and worldwide. When it comes to his favorite chocolate, he likes to keep an open mind; but he admits that he has a soft spot for peanuts and caramel.

Lauren (Pure Style Home)
With an eye for color and texture, Lauren began decorating homes for friends and family members as a hobby.  As her hobby grew, Lauren realized that it was something more, enrolled in & graduated from the Sheffield School of Interior Design, and opened Pure Style LLC in 2007.

Lauren’s reputation for being a young, fresh, and intuitive designer has grown quickly.  She writes the blog,  Pure Style Home, which has been featured several times in the Washington Post and is an inspiration & ideas blog for design-lovers.

Stacy (Barefoot and Pregnant)
From maternity spas to an online community, Barefoot & Pregnant has one priority — to give expecting parents a place to go that’s dedicated specifically to their needs. Connecting, nurturing, informing and entertaining, Barefoot & Pregnant is the preeminent maternity community and resource.

Barefoot & Pregnant is the only social community designed specifically for those who are trying to conceive or expecting. They feature columns from our experts but our real voice is yours. They feature articles, essays and musings from members who are experiencing the many stages of conception, pregnancy, adoption and parenting, and can offer first-hand advice and knowledge.

Linda (Restyled Home)
Linda’s style philosophy is to have fun with decorating your home – not take it all too seriously – and to inject your own personal style into your home.  She believes: If you are unsure of colors, look to your wardrobe; chances are, if you enjoy wearing a particular color, you will also enjoy it in your home. If you feel your home is beginning to look like everyone else’s, or like you copied the look exactly from a magazine, throw something unexpected into the mix. Showcase your collections in a way that honors them, and use a favorite piece as a jump-off point for the space. She started Restyled Home, in May 2006 and is beginning to live her creative dream.

Brittany (Clumps of Mascara)
At Clumps of Mascara, they love to celebrate mistakes. While some may equate beauty with sheer perfection and fool-proof images, they have another definition. Their motto “Because everybody ain’t there yet” reminds them that it is okay to not be knowledgeable in all areas of beauty. To prove this,  they feature articles and pictures that display less than perfect images. They talk about easy applications, indulge in cheaper brand items (but don’t mind a splurge every now and then) and enjoy learning the simple techniques.  She loves to not only bash stereotypes but also to learn along with her readers in hopes of educating those that “just didn’t know” when it comes to beauty.

Lindsay (Living With Lindsay)
Lindsay is a full-time wife, mother, and crafty-gal-turned-home-décor-obsessed blogger. Living With Lindsay chronicles her adventures in decorating our home. With her trusty glue gun at her side, she guides you through the pleasures and pitfalls of turning your home into a space you’ll love without breaking the bank.

Lisa (Restaurant Widow)
Lisa is a veteran restaurant worker, a baker, and a general bon vivant. She’s been a food enthusiast her entire life and lives in Columbus, Ohio with her wine enthusaist husband and their many cats.  Be sure to check out her shop for incredibly unique and interesting home cooking supplies.

Candace Stupek is all about commitment. She is a mother, trainer, and blogger. Her typical workday begins at 7:30 am when she takes her three kids to school; she has two boys and a girl ages 8-13. After dropping them off she starts her workout, “I truly believe that I cannot be a good mother and trainer without training myself first” she says. Directly after her workout she begins training her clients and continues until she picks up her kids from school. “Then I help them with homework and take them to practice; I sometimes see other clients in the evenings,” Candace says.

Candace was not always interested in fitness and personal health. Her passion was ignited after the birth of her third child. She saw a picture of herself from Thanksgiving; “I was in disbelief when I saw myself, because I didn’t feel fat inside.” Candace immediately joined a gym and “felt empowered and strong. The weights made me feel stronger,” she states. Candace said that it was more about how she felt than what she saw in the mirror. She got a personal trainer and learned how to eat properly and things evolved, “I was amazed at how I could change my body.”

Despite the instant connection she had with fitness, Candace admits that it is not easy for her, “I have to make a daily commitment; I want people to know that I have to work really hard.” Similar to her children, whom love competition and sports, Candace is also a natural competitor. “That is why I do what I do, because I am committed and I want to be an example,” she says.

Candace got into blogging because she wanted a tool to communicate with her clients. She says that she wants her readers to know that she is “an open book. I know what has worked for me and I want to reach out to as many people as I can.” Candace says her OpenSky shop will help her with reaching out to people. “So many of my clients are mothers like me and these products can help them achieve a healthy lifestyle without breaking the bank,” she argues.

When Candace isn’t training herself and others, she is spending time with her family in her childhood home, where she grew up with three older sisters, outside of Atlanta. “I’ve had the same phone number my whole life. It’s just perfect.” Candace also frequents Destin, Florida, where her Dad lives, because she is “a sun and water girl. My perfect day is watching my kids play frisbee while reading a book under and umbrella.” Right now, though, Candace says “my life consists of nights at the ballpark watching my kids play; it is who I am and I love it.”

Candace wants her OpenSky shop to be about evolving. “Just when I think I have figured something out about a fitness technique, something comes along and shows me that I haven’t. It’s what I love about fitness…I want it to be a one-stop-shop,” says Candace. “I will only put products in my OpenSky shop that I swear by. There are so many fitness items out there and because of that it is hard to know what ones work and what ones don’t. I will only provide the ones that work and I know they do.”

Candace currently offers a wide array of fitness and health products that she swears by in her OpenSky shop; visit her at The Candace Stupek Shop.

It’s my favorite time of the week: WELCOME WEDNESDAYS!!!

We have 9 amazing people joining the OpenSky community this week, and we couldn’t be more excited.  Covering a broad range of passion and expertise, these new Shopkeepers include the leaders in all things geek, beauty, green living, dinner parties, parenting, sex and, of course, soap.

Please welcome…

Reis (Geek Orthodox)
Reis is a graphic designer, illustrator and Action Figure Collecting Guide for About.com that possesses an insatiable lust for all things geeky. From D&D, to Star Wars, to comics to action figures. He designed the blog so he can rant about whatever geeky thing is on his brain at the moment. His current favorite personal collection is his vast display of Batman figures through the ages.

Lexy (Alexandra Zissu)
Lexy is an established and leading writer, editor, speaker, and greenproofer.  She’s the co-author of The Complete Organic Pregnancy (Collins, 2006), a contributing writer at New York Magazine, and has worked for The New York Times Style Magazine, Lifetime and Details magazines, The New York Observer and Women’s Wear Daily. Her focus is environmental health, which she covers in “Ask An Organic Mom” on TheDailyGreen.com, as The Green Guide’s parenting columnist, and as a “Green Mum” for Cookiemag.com. She speaks often about eco-friendly living at private firms, mothers’ groups, and industry expos. Her next book, a complete guide to green and sustainable kitchens, is due out from Clarkson Potter in spring 2010. She also greenproofs (in-home one-on-one eco-consulting). Her articles have appeared in many publications over the past decade-plus, including Plenty, Health, Organic Style, The New York Times, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Bon Appetit, Child, Cookie, Allure, The Huffington Post, Self, Time Out New York, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Mariela (Green Design Girl)
In 2002 Mariela took the plunge from working as a Disc Jockey + Music Publicist into the world of interior design. Seeking a truly creative career, she moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. Her keen interest is in green and sustainable design.  Her design work has appeared on HGTV Canada and The Learning Channel [Canada/U.S.]. Recently, Mariela was thrilled to make the final cut of 10 finalists, chosen from hundreds of applicants, as a contestant in HGTV Canada’s Designer Superstar Challenge.

Tamara (Glamamara)
As a make-up artist, Tamara Delbridge, infuses individuality and style when creating unforgettable looks on some of today’s cutting edge celebrities including Angie Stone, R&B singer Sharissa, radio personality Wendy Williams, television personality Melyssa Ford and many others. In 2006 Tamara was appointed beauty editor of JEWEL magazine. She is now focusing on beauty blogging. Her projection is to produce a lifestyle show for women of color, and expanding her client roster.  Until then, she plans to keep it real by to approaching every situation with morality and professionalism. Add her talent to the mix and you have a combination that can’t lose!

Lena (The Chicktionary) & (Sex and The Ivy)
Lena is a Boston-based freelance writer. Currently completing a sociology degree at Harvard University, she writes about sex, dating, lifestyle, and food for a variety of online and print publications, including The Boston Globe Magazine, Hustler, Beauty Launchpad, CollegeHumor, and luxury e-zine Juli B. Lena has been featured in local and national media outlets, includingThe New York Times, Newsweek, and Salon.  This fall, she pens a regular column in Fifteen Minutes, The Harvard Crimson’s weekend magazine, blogs for Sex Really, a project of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy, and co-authors an educational series about sex products in The Harvard Voice with MIT sex columnist Christine Yu.

Joanna & Bradford (The Soap Bar)
Joanna and Bradford are the first to be OpenSky shopkeepers AND suppliers.  Their blog focuses on the wide world of soap & bath products.  Joanna has drawn in a loyal audience within the soap community for her unique and fresh perspective.  They also manufacture their own line of soap products which are 100% All-Natural and handmade.  Look for their products to be featured in their shop as well as other OpenSky shopkeepers shops.

Erin (Erin Vey)
Erin is a dog lover first, and a photographer second. She admits that by some random chance of fate, that she was able to combine the two loves into the coolest job ever, a dog photographer. After a short stint doing portrait work, Erin realized her true calling is capturing the essence and personality of dogs. Erin and her husband are owned by the fabulous Miss Gracie, a 5 year old Great Dane, and a complete Diva, who brings energy and life into their house.

Sarah (Sj Gourmet)
Sarah moved from Seattle to a smaller town in Iowa 9 years ago. Knowing no one and having small children at the time she decided to make friends by knocking on doors inviting neighbors to holiday parties.  The parties grew larger and more frequent… She started Sj Gourmet as way to share and educate others on throwing dinner parties for friends and family.

Sondra (Happy Healthy Hip Parenting)
Sondra founded Happy Healthy Hip Parenting in 2007. Ms. LaBrie is a Certified Parent Educator through the International Network for Children and Families as well as a Life Coach through the Y.O.U. Consulting Group. 
 
Within the Practical Parenting Program, Ms. LaBrie’s focus is on co-parenting relationships and single parenting. She works one-on-one with parents, teaches one-hour parenting workshops, as well as the 5-week course on Redirecting Children’s Behavior. Sondra resides in San Diego with her 5-year-old son, writes on-line as The San Diego Parenting Examiner and blogs at Happy Healthy Hip Parenting, and she was included in the 2009 Nielsen’s list of the Top 50 Power Moms.

Written by Andy Fisher and Anna-Fiona Cooke.

Michael Ruhlman loves his family.  It’s evident in everything he does, everything he says and everything he cooks.   While he’s traveled the world, written numerous books and rubbed elbows with the world’s culinary leaders, Michael is most comfortable alongside his family in his  own kitchen.  “Life is richer when you live in your home,” Ruhlman says.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Ruhlman attended an all-boys school and developed a strong connection to his hometown Cleveland Browns.  The son of an advertising executive and a retailer, he spent much of his youth home alone.  In the winter of 1972, Ruhlman remembers watching Julia Child prepare an apple pie one afternoon on her PBS television show.   He remembers thinking “she made you feel like you could do anything.”

Ruhlman’s first cut into the world of culinary creation was not his finest, but it ignited a love affair that still exists today.  “I found a pan of pears and syrup and made a pear pie,” he recalls.  “It was terrible, but I realized I loved cooking.”

Michael describes his life’s work as getting carried away, “best things in life happen when you get carried away. I went into a cooking school to write about what it means to be a chef, and instead I became a cook, got a job line cooking, lucked into one of the great restaurants of the world to work with the chef on his book, and I kept on writing about food. I got carried away, and it’s made all the difference.”

One man’s love for family and cooking has become an authentic voice and brand.  Through his published books, appearances on cooking themed television programs and most recently an ever-expanding blog, Ruhlman is taking the knowledge of the professional kitchen to the home kitchen, translating the chef’s craft to the everyday individual.

A typical workday for Ruhlman starts and ends with family.  Up at 6:30 AM to prepare breakfast for his ten-year-old son and fourteen-year-old daughter, this father cherishes time with his children.  A day full of writing is usually capped by another home cooked meal and quality time with his wife Donna.  “It’s a wonderfully boring, but heavenly schedule,” Ruhlman says.

When it comes to the current state of shopping and society, OpenSky and Michael Ruhlman share similar sentiment.  “We’ve lost a sense of community in the way we shop for goods,” Ruhlman says.  “We’ve gained a great deal of efficiency, but we’ve lost that ability to get what’s right for us.”

While OpenSky aims to provide individuals like Michael Ruhlman with a new platform for offering quality consumer goods, it is up to each and every Shopkeeper to determine how and when to sell.  “I would never recommend something I don’t actually have in my own kitchen,” Ruhlman says.

A master of many styles of cuisine and a true expert in the kitchen, Ruhlman does have an all time favorite food.   “There’s nothing that doesn’t taste a little better when you add bacon to it,” Ruhlman asserts.

Michael Ruhlman currently offers an array of quality cooking products for making not only great bacon, but living a happy and healthy life with family.  Visit The Michael Ruhlman OpenSky Shop.

We always feel fortunate when we have a visit to HQ from one of our amazing Shopkeepers. CarrotsNCake stopped by last week, Jean Ann was in a few weeks before that, Marta comes by nearly every week, and we had a host of Shopkeepers hang out last month. Not only is it exciting for the whole team to meet them in person, but it’s always great to have meaningful, in-person discussions with Shopkeepers, the real people behind this movement called OpenSky.

Occasionally, I get the honor of visiting a Shopkeeper in their world…their garden, their kitchen, their home. It’s amazing because it offers an even closer look into their lives and their passions.

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit Dave (from Growing Wisdom) up in Boston.  He invited me to his house so we could talk OpenSky and so that I could learn a bit about shooting video. I’ve gotten to know Dave pretty over the last several months, and it’s always a pleasure hanging out with him.  However, this was the first time I got to see his actual garden.  Not only are both his garden and home beautiful, but I was lucky enough to visit on a gorgeous Fall day.

Over the past several years, Dave has built an amazing brand and a large, loyal audience through his dynamic video content.  But Dave is not only an expert and passionate gardener, he is also at the center of a few interesting points of OpenSky history:

1. Dave was the very first OpenSky Shopkeeper.
2. The Mason Bee Box was the very first purchase made at OpenSky.

My visit reinforced how excited, fortunate and proud OpenSky is to have been built from the ground up by amazing and passionate people like Dave.

-kevin

It’s been another amazing week here at OpenSky.

Our community of Shopkeepers is growing and there are some really neat products for sale in every OpenSky Shop.

Check out a few of our newest Shops!

Melisa Fluhr & Pam Ginocchio (Project Nursery)

Talk about the coolest stuff for kids…Melisa and Pam know how to make any child’s room fantastic.

Check out these cool Zid Zid Round Mini Poofs…They come in Monkey and Bird!

Greg Henry (Sippity Sup!)

Greg aka “Sup!” is passionate about Food and Fun.

He knows just how to cook up a great meal without all the stress.

Imagine what delicious snacks you could create in style with this DeLonghi Retro Panini Press!

Kelly Lyden (The Party Dress)

Kelly is your go-to girl when it comes to party-planning ideas!

She offers some fabulous products that can definitely be the topic of any party conversation.

Sneak a peak at this beautiful set of White Enamel Cake Stands!

Candance Stupek (Candace Stupek)

Candace is a Personal Trainer/Figure Competitor and mother of three children.

She empowers individuals to embark on a healthy lifestyle change while maintaining a home, career and family.

Want to start getting healthy today? Get a great EatSmart Nutrition Scale from Candace. (Pineapple not included!)

Have a great weekend and enjoy a new way to shop @ OpenSky!

-The OpenSky Team

I always have a bit of a hop in my step mid-week, because I absolutely love Welcome Wednesdays.

It’s an opportunity to share with the world all of the exciting personalities that are joining the OpenSky community.  Each week brings new and diverse Shopkeepers, continually making the shopping experience at OpenSky a more thrilling and dynamic one.

Today we get to welcome 10 new Shopkeepers across cooking, health, beauty, parenting and event planning.

Please welcome…

Maria (Maria Liberati)
As a former international supermodel, Maria never dreamed that she would go from being a fashion diva to a domestic diva. Ironically, while jet setting off to modeling assignments around the world, Maria became closer to the simplicity of life and food in the country setting of her family’s vineyard in the mountains of central Italy.   The rest as they say, is history. She is a Best-selling author of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking cookbook series, author of a hugely successful blog that shares the same name and a celebrity chef.

David and Talli (Being Healthy)
BeingHealthy.TV teaches you ways to achieve better health despite your busy schedule. Talli, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, offers simple solutions that you can incorporate into your daily routine in order to improve your overall well being and happiness. She will teach you how to consider your health in all your choices and give you insights into how to achieve your goals.

Elizabeth and Emuna (Gourmet Kosher Cooking)
Something exciting is happening in the gourmet Kosher Dining section of the web… GourmetKosherCooking.com features outstanding Shabbos and Yom Tov menus and recipes along with weekday menus and recipe suggestions and helpful tips. Elizabeth and Emuna also offer an exclusive kosher travel section, a comprehensive wine section, a cooking with kids area, suggested great new products for today’s kosher cook, tabletop ideas and recommended cookbooks and cooking memoirs.

Trish (Scent Hive)
Scent Hive is an on-line community dedicated primarily to natural and organic perfumes, make-up, skin care, and body products. Trish’s goal is to provide you information on the best of what is out there in the world of green fragrance and beauty.

Anne and Hope (The Jet Set Girls)
The Jet Set Girls features everything you need to know about planning a fabulous girls’ getaway, be it a birthday trip, bachelorette party or simply a quick escape from work and home. While they focus on girls’ getaways, they also cover fashion and beauty daily.

Amie (The Healthy Apple)
Amie created The Healthy Apple as a platform to reach others wanting to learn more about nutritious ingredients and clean eating. The Healthy Apple grew out of her work and passion for eating as close to the source as possible. As a culinary nutritionist, educator and motivational speaker, she is devoted to teaching people how to make smart, healthy choices.

Samantha (Mama Notes)
Mama Notes is a parenting resource for moms as well as a journal of Samantha’s thoughts and experiences during motherhood. You will find topics relating to pregnancy and childbirth, fitness and health, parenting issues, babies and toddlers, and occasional reviews and giveaways. Mama Notes is also home of the Body After Baby challenge, created in June 2009. The purpose of Body After Baby is to provide an encouraging and supportive place for women so they can work together to get healthy and fit again after having children.

Sarah aka BeautyBanter (Beauty Banter)
Sarah’s motto is “all beauty, all the time”.  She is the go-to person for all things beauty and skin care related. Her site gives tips, personal recommendations and celebrity secrets on everything from winter hair styles to must have eyeliners and mascaras.

Africa (The Hairnista Chronicles)
The Hairnista Chronicles: where all that is hair is the topic at hand.  As your resident Hairnista, Africa will be your guide to all things fabulous hair.  Whether you’re natural, permed, weavetastic, or wigging it up this is the place for you.   She believes life is best lived with a fabulous head of hair.

Amy and Angie (I Heart Faces)
I Heart Faces was founded by two women, Angie & Amy, who met through blogging. As moms, their photography usually centers around their children… and the wonderful emotions that their faces convey. They realized there wasn’t a photography sharing site for people’s beautiful and unique faces. That’s when the idea for I Heart Faces was born. Their hope and desire is that you fully participate in the fun of I Heart Faces each week and that it will become a source of inspiration for you.

In a fast-food dominated, artificially flavored and down right unhealthy eating economy, Kath Younger is letting the world know that dinner does not have to be served through a drive-through window.  This online influencer offers something different, a fresh perspective.  Describing herself as “enthusiastic, creative and optimistic,” Kath’s authentic voice reaches readers daily through the text and photos of her popular blog: Kath Eats Real Food.

A North Carolina native, Kath grew up outside Durham in a historic house built during Andrew Jackson’s first term as president.  While she graduated from Davidson College just north of Charlotte, Kath’s family cheers for the Duke Blue Devils, their hometown team.  The daughter of a writer and an electrical engineer, Kath’s self-proclaimed shyness is masked by a loyal following of avid blog readers, who she claims, “Know more about me than I know about myself.”

Kath’s leap into the blogosphere came from a desire to share her successful weight loss story.  Shedding thirty pounds over the course of 18 months through good nutrition and healthy meals, Kath wanted others to benefit from her improved healthy lifestyle.

“I wanted to share my meals with the rest of the world…I just started typing away,” Kath said.  Her readership and popularity did not form overnight however.  “It’s been the most gradual increase that you could ever imagine, never a light bulb moment.”  Katheats.com had over 580,000 page views in October.

When asked to break down a typical day in her life Kath sighed, “…Geeze. Well, eat breakfast, blog, eat lunch, blog, eat dinner, blog.  Add workout and go to school in there too.”  Time is not a luxury for this full-time blogger, student and wife, but she still finds a moment to try and answer every reader email that lands in her inbox.

Kath’s OpenSky shop was established in October 2009, offering a variety of modern and efficient products that help her live a healthy, productive lifestyle.  Kath believes the best way to market OpenSky to readers is by making sure that products fit one’s already successful blogging context.  “Use what is already working for you.  Make the product fit your content.”

KathEats.com continues to offer real, authentic content everyday.   The blog was recently nominated in multiple categories for the 2009 Food Buzz Blog Awards.   Kath’s perspective on healthy eating is simple: “We should all be focused on what we should be eating instead of what we shouldn’t be eating.”

-The OpenSky Team

(Check back soon to meet more OpenSky Shopkeepers!)

It’s been another amazing week here at OpenSky.

Today were highlighting a few of our newest OpenSky Shops:

Michael Laiskonis (Notes from The Kitchen)

Michael is the pastry chef at New York City’s legendary Le Bernardin.

As pastry chef at this New York dining landmark, he sure knows his Cannoli!

Check out this Stainless Steel Cannoli Mold and the amazing desserts you can whip up:

Genevieve Schmidt (North Coast Gardening)

Genevieve is a pro-landscaper from the Redwoods of Northern California.

Watch this great video to see why Genevieve recommends two amazing gardening tools:

The Hori-Hori Japanese Soil Knife and the Fiskars Soil Knife!

Megan Spohn (Megan’s Munchies)

Megan is a Texan girl who loves to get creative in the kitchen.

She makes cooking fun and enjoyable for everyone!

Take a look at this fun-to-use Wilton Decorator Pattern Press Set:

Linda Grasso (She Sez)

Linda runs an awesome online lifestyles magazine for women.

She loves products that are functional and good for the environment.

Check out this awesome eco-chic & eco-friendly Rebagz Messenger Bag!

Justin Sandercoe (Justin Guitar)

Justin is a guitar virtuoso who helps millions of guitar players learn to shred!

No musician should be without a quality metronome and Justin knows just the one to get.

Don’t miss this out on this great Korg Digital Metronome!

Check back in soon to see New Shops @ OpenSky!

Have a great weekend!