I’m thrilled to be here at OpenSky!  As many of you know already, I’m a literary agent and publishing person turned OpenSky evangelist and VP of Development, meaning bringing in authors and brands, and brand-building with our Shopkeepers.  I’m here because I caught the vision in a huge way as I was exploring options for my own clients in the changing publishing environment.  I’m hugely passionate about choices, independence, and enterprise-building for authors and other talented people–and OpenSky is the place to find and build those things.

I wanted to share with you all a post I wrote for my personal blog explaining my OpenSky story.  Yes, I received one of those emails many early Shopkeepers also received (for one of my clients), and look how it changed my life…

So in the coming days, I can’t wait to meet as many of you as possible and create the future together.  Here’s that original post.  Let me know what you think:

Introducing OpenSky: A New Author Economy Opportunity

A few months ago, a client and I received an email from someone named John Caplan about a new company called OpenSky:

I’m the founder of OpenSky.  I was most recently CEO of Ford Models and President of the About.com network.

OpenSky is a new company that empowers personalities, authors, and media brands to build their brands and make money by leveraging their influence with e-commerce.  OpenSky is connecting consumers to influencers and the products they love and use.  These experts in turn provide consumers the most exceptional products, brilliant storytelling, and a lifetime of fun, informed and fulfilling shopping experiences.  OpenSky handles sourcing, fulfillment, customer service and marketing.

Take a look here: http://theopenskyproject.com

<http://theopenskyproject.com>

Let’s meet one another and I can share more specifics about OpenSky.

I was intrigued but skeptical.  After all, being an agent, I’m often on the receiving end of some pretty crazy pitches.  But I liked what the note said about the opportunity for authors, and I had been saying for months that new models for authors were right around the corner.  I Googled John, and what I read about his time at Ford Models was encouraging:  as the head of an agency, he was able to create platforms for his clients via the tools of the internet so that the models became brands instead of just runway-walkers.  Of course, publishing is a very different world than modeling, but one important thing is the same:  talent needs access to ways to build platforms and make a living—that’s the way to freedom.

I set up a meeting with John but before we met I studied the site.  It was fascinating.  Clearly it was early days for this company, but I could see that it had momentum, and I instantly saw that if it was successful, the opportunities for authors were significant.

At its heart, OpenSky is new e-commerce site but with an important difference.  On OpenSky, you buy things based on recommendations from people whose voices you already know and trust—what they call “relationship commerce.”  Who are these people?  That’s right—they are the authors, the experts, the amazing voices you are already reading every day.  Right now, the company is still building out the site, so it takes a little imagination to see the full picture of what it can be, but the key concept is in place:  this is about real people recommending products that they know and love—in other words, the recommendations are the result of personal passion for a subject or area.  I can see so many applications for this which I’ll discuss another day.  For now, the main insight for me was the fact that right now, in the environment of declining book advances and technological challenge, here was something that was set up to give authors and experts tools, support, and community in monetizing their influence and outreach.

The meeting with John Caplan was fun, leading to many philosophical and practical discussions about opportunities for my and my colleagues’ clients, and ultimately led to a special project for me:  to introduce OpenSky to the publishing community.  And so I am.  Consider the door open to talk about what this means for you, whether you are an author, an agent, or a publisher.

Here’s what excites me about OpenSky in a nutshell:

• This is a direct-to-fan tool all the way for authors and experts. Used in the best way, this model can be an important spoke in the author hub, enabling authors to earn money doing what communication-inclined authors and experts do best:  communicating.
• It’s personal and authentic: the OpenSky ethos is one of honesty.  Even in its contract, the authors and experts pledge to only recommend products they know and love.  The OpenSky founders recognize that this authenticity is of paramount importance to its business model.
• It’s Main Street in an era of the big box. Buying from an author or expert you already love is like supporting your local independent bookstore.  It feels right.
• The possibilities are open-ended. There are a lot of levels to OpenSky that aren’t built yet, but are going to be exciting for authors and experts.  I can’t wait.

There are already a few authors on OpenSky.  One of them is the wonderful food writer Michael Ruhlman, and back in November he wrote a post with his thoughts about OpenSky.  It is worth reading both to get more details about how the process works, but also to see how an author can have an OpenSky shop in a way that is completely authentic to who he is and what he communicates to the world.  The post is here: http://blog.ruhlman.com/2009/11/open-sky-a-new-ecommerce-idea-and-company.html.  Another great post is by Michael Laiskonis, the incredible pastry chef and blogger at Le Bernardin: http://michaellaiskonis.typepad.com/.  And of course, please check out:  www.theopenskyproject.com.

What do you think?

We’re excited to add another member to the OpenSky team – Steve Francia recently joined us as VP, Engineering. Steve will be running technology, focusing his primary attention on our development team’s work on the user experience, OSSM extranet, and related technologies.

Steve brings over 15 years of Internet technology experience to the OpenSky, including a healthy mix of both technology implementation and leadership. Steve’s history of success with a range of web technologies – including search, content, social media, and ecommerce – will help us expand the OpenSky platform’s features and functionality and create the user experiences make up relationship commerce.

Previous to joining us, Steve served as the CIO of Portero Luxury, where he was responsible for operations and technology for all web, technology, and infrastructure development. Prior to working at Portero, Steve built sports social network Takkle and ran a consulting firm, Supernerd, where his clients included Priceline.com and Stanford University. He is also the creator of the Zoop Framework, the first object oriented PHP framework.

OpenSky has big ambitions for 2010 and Steve will be a critical component in making our dreams a reality.

Want to learn more about the man behind the legend? Check out his personal blog, spf13.com where he dishes on topics ranging from software development and IT to social media and leadership. And if you’re in New York, swing by our office to meet Steve in person and welcome him to the team!

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.

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.

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.

It’s another incredible Welcome Wednesday!

Things are really cooking here at OpenSky.  Today we welcome 14 new Shopkeepers into the community. The amazing personalities and sites joining OpenSky again span a wide range of topics, including healthy living, parenting, entertaining/event planning, beauty and food. Read about each of the new Shopkeepers below, be sure to check out their wonderful sites and be on the lookout for their soon-to-launch OpenSky shops.

Please welcome…

Amanda, Jillian and Kristina (100 Layer Cake)
100 Layer Cake is a unique wedding planning resource for and by thoughtful, crafty, modern women. Amanda, Jillian and Kristina thoroughly research and hand-pick vendors, projects and venues to provide the best of the best to their readers.  Launched in February 2009, the site has quickly grown to over 145,000 visits per month, and is read by industry members, magazine editors, soon-to-be brides and people interested in its unique mix of inspirational ideas.

Jennifer (Hostess With The Mostess)
Hostess with the Mostess (HWTM) is an innovative online resource for hip, modern, and unique entertaining ideas.  They provide party themes that are clever, contemporary and out of the ordinary – then help you recreate them yourself with detailed how-to’s, where-to-buy’s, tips, and advice.  At HWTM, their overall goal is to motivate friends and family to take time to celebrate and enjoy each other¹s company more often whether it be for a major life event or a casual everyday get-together.

Sahar (Fat Fighter TV)
Sahar is a veteran TV Health Reporter and Journalist who has a passion for health and fitness. Fat Fighter TV is a place for her community to find entertaining videos, interviews with top health professionals, and informative written content. Fat Fighter TV has been featured in the Chicago Sun Times, USA Today, Fox News, Livestrong and other news outlets.

Issa (Your Single Parenting)
Issa is a single mother balance raising her toddler, a career as a freelance writer, and being fabulous, all at the same time. Your Single Parenting is an online presence offering information, resources and support to the single parent community.

Risi-Leanne (Palacinka Beauty)
Risi-Leanne is known for her thoughtful, insightful and detailed product reviews, interviews with top beauty industry experts and unique beauty how-to guides. Since launching almost 4 years ago, she has grown Palacinka Beauty into one of the top beauty blog destinations for beauty lovers everywhere. Risi-Leanne and her blog have been quoted and/or featured in a wide variety of print and online publications on various beauty, cosmetic and trend stories such as: Forbes, Glamour Magazine, More Magazine, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Essence Magazine, Heart & Soul Magazine, About.com, Thisnext.com & Women on the Web.

Maureen (The Alternative Consumer)
The Alternative Consumer provides a unique, upbeat perspective — eco news, green product reviews and useful info for busy folks looking to cultivate a greener, healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.  We bring a little more green into the world every day, inspire others to do the same, and have some fun doing it.  As founder/publisher of The Alternative Consumer, Maureen endeavors to seek out eco-friendly lifestyle choices — from the practical to the sublime — and spread the green word.

Bailey (Makeover Momma)
Bailey has been a fitness writer for Squeeze Fitness,  an active health writer for Livestrong.com (sponsored by Lance Armstrong Foundation) and as a health, beauty and fashion voice for ehow.com. She has also written a Baby Shower blog and Friendship blog for the American Greetings company, was a weekly contributor for cancer advocate website Cinco Vidas, and continues to speak as a motherhood and health voice for Bookieboo. In addition, she is a monthly featured columnist for nationwide magazine publications The Link and RAW.  Her site gives great insight about fashion, nutrition, beauty, and fashion.

Carleen (Girl Gloss, Beauty and Fashion Tech)
Carleen writes and runs the popular beauty sites Girl Gloss and Beauty and Fashion Tech.  Providing a special service for the lip product addicted, Girl Gloss is all things in lipstick, gloss, and balm. Beauty and Fashion Tech provides news and reviews of cosmetics, skin care, and beauty products, along with information about fashion accessories.

Tammy (A Mom In Red High Heels)
As a busy mother of two, Tammy understands the fashion and beauty challenges moms face. She works to address these issues on A Mom in Red High Heels: lack of time, lack of sleep and lack of budget for herself. She believes all moms should keep themselves on their own priority list!

Heidi (The Everyday Athlete)
Everyday Athlete is a labor of love produced by Heidi Swift, a freelance writer and photographer (and sometimes bike racer) with a penchant for adventure. A reluctant cyclist at first, she was lured into the painful sport by the siren song of cyclocross. The content is sometimes informational, sometimes inspirational, but always, always straight from the gut.

Shane (Environmental Booty)
Shane believes that synergy needs to exist between consumer choices, health and a healthy world. She challenges people to begin or continue their green lifestyle journey with her environmental news and health info about: organics, yoga, natural products, environmental toxins, green jobs, carbon offsetting and ways to live chemical free.

Greg and Grant (Sippity Sup)
Greg and Grant are two food and wine connoisseurs.  Grant works as a wine consultant for wine & spirit stores. As an expert in photography, Greg is a former celebrity photographer. Check out their site for the best in wine and recipes.

Stephen (Stephen Cooks)
Stephen has been passionate about cooking since he was a kid. He has a wide range in food interests, from family recipes to the cuisines of Italy, France, Japan, China and India.  As someone who has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Stephen will show you how to cook great food while remaining health conscious.

Kelly (Kelly Tirman)
Kelly is a chic, urban, gadget obsessed, food lovin’ shopaholic momma.  She is a 34 year-old city living mom of 1 who holds a full position as Senior Manager of Creative Operations at walmart.com.  Her site follows her everyday exploits and passions through life.

Over the last few months we’ve been meeting with and talking to many dynamic personalities and influencers across a wide range of topics.  The feedback on what we’re building continues to be extremely positive, which is always great when coming from inspiring, talented, passionate and smart indie-preneurs.

Some of these conversations really stuck out in our minds and formed the beginnings of, what we believe to be, long and fruitful relationships.  This week we extended invitations to 7 of those amazing people to join OpenSky. We are fortunate and excited to welcome them all to the Shopkeeper community.

Please welcome…

Michael (Michael Laiskonis)
Michael is the Executive Pastry Chef at famed NYC restaurant Le Bernardin. Since he joined in 2004, Le Bernardin has been one of only four restaurants in New York awarded the Michelin Guide’s coveted 3-stars, given New York Times’ highest rating of 4-stars, awarded Zagat’s Top Pick for 2007 and voted 15th best in the world (4th best in the U.S.) in the Restaurant magazine Top 50 for 2009.  Bon Appetit named Michael its Pastry Chef of the Year in 2004, and in 2007 he was tapped as Outstanding Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation.

Candace (Candace Stupek)
From long and lanky to a bodybuilding and fitness expert, Candace Stupek made this drastic change through finding her inner athlete that her heart and soul had always told her was there. After having her three children, she focused on proper nutrition and fitness training.  She is a certified trainer and has trained and seen success in various triathalons and figure competitions. Candace has been featured in Fit Parent Magazine, was named Athlete of the Week by BodyBuilding.com and was named Oxygen Magazine’s Future of Fitness in 2008.

Jan (Pond Lady)
From 1987 until her retirement in 2006, Jan Goldfield has had a career designing, installing and maintaining aquatic gardens. Goldfield was the premier water gardener in the southern region of the United States and the only one in New Orleans for many years. When creating a garden — whether it’s English, Italian, Oriental, herbal or some other variety — Goldfield says her goal was to design a space that is an extension of both the owner’s home and lifestyle. She’s also done work for a variety of commercial and public spaces, including Bienville House Hotel, The French Quarter Inn, St. Louis Cathedral, City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Sarah (MindfulMama)
Mindful Mama is a cutting-edge social media platform for natural parenting, connecting mom, baby and the planet. Sarah integrates the depth and inspiration of a favorite magazine into a collaborative and nurturing online space, connecting parents with birth and health care practitioners who share the common goal of building healthy and happy families.

Kelly (The Party Dress)
Simply stated, Kelly is a girl that loves to throw a party! She writes about things that get her creative juices flowing, in hopes that it will inspire you to create special celebrations in your own life.  She is your one-stop-shop for everything needed to throw a great party.

Karissa (Prissy Green)
Karissa is addicted to beauty products and living a green and clean life. She likes to dispel the myths of the beauty industry and see through their marketing.  Check out her site and store for interesting and unique products that are as good for you as the environment.

Megan (Megan’s Munchies)
Megan is a Texan girl that loves to get creative in the kitchen. Although new to blogging Megan’s great recipes and knowledge around the kitchen have gained her popularity and respect in the online food community.

What an incredible few weeks here at OpenSky!  The Shopkeeper community has welcomed 18 new Shopkeepers–each a passionate expert with a loyal following combined with a natural storytelling gift–in topics ranging from crafting to bouldering, parenting to living the bachelor life.  We are fortunate and excited to have this amazing group of talented authors, bloggers/site-owners and television personalities.

Everyone please welcome…

Vickie (Craft.Rock.Love)
Vickie is a crafting visionary and can be seen on the HGTV (DIY Do-it-Yourself Network) as the host of the successful knitting series, Knitty Gritty. A celebrity in crafting, Vickie has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Today Show, and her projects have been featured in many leading newspapers, books and magazines. A well known author herself, Vickie has written four books, with two more on the way, and has been nominated for a Craft Trends Magazine Award of Excellence.

Jane and Tarzan (His Boys Can Swim)
His Boys Can Swim is a great place to document their thoughts, feelings, and journey to parenthood and beyond, in hopes that other soon-to-be parents will learn a few things from their journey.  Clearly other parents are listening with over 25,000 twitter followers!

Camilla (Camilla Cooks)
Camilla is a freelance food writer, recipe developer, and cooking instructor.  She is currently run Camilla Cooks, is the  author of Enlightened Cooking as well as ten cookbooks, and the brand ambassador for Pepperidge Farm. Camilla has made multiple appearances on the Food Network, has been featured in the New York Times, made appearances on Today and QVC, and is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Her work has appeared in such magazines as Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Light, Woman’s Day, Cosmo Girl, Quick & Simple, Country Woman, Sunset, Cook’s Country, and Vegetarian Times.

Eric (The Bachelor Guy)
An immensely popular site, The Bachelor Guy provides entertaining and fresh information on food, drink, style, entertainment, and lifestyle.  They define a bachelor guy as “not necessarily single, they are the men who know how to take care of themselves – and the women in their lives.”

Jay & Irwin (Design2Share)
D2S, a hot online home interior design site and community, offers decorating and style tips and resources, including Q&A design videos, luxury home tours, design diaries, ideas to help homeowners tackle their next project, and much more. Founded in 2006 by noted New York interior designer Irwin Weiner (“one of Gotham Magazine’s top 100 designers”) and publishing executive Jay Johnson, D2S offers expert advice and an industry showcase for high-end designers and residential resources.

Dana & Sarah (BabyLuxe)
BabyLuxe {daily} is the top resource to help new parents, parents-to-be, and gift-givers alike, discover the greatness beyond mainstream baby retailers that seemed to be popping up from coast to coast. They have found it incredibly essential to have a little fun with the amazing selection of private label luxuries, and that is what they are here for; to bring you only the very best from that category.

Justin (Justin Guitar)
Justin is a London based guitarist, songwriter, performer, producer and educator who runs the vastly popular JustinGuitar.com and the Justin Sandercoe Youtube page (with over 35 million views!).  In addition, Justin has just finished recording his first album, Small Town Eyes, which will be officially released January 11, 2010.

Lisa (Behind The Knife)
The purpose of BehindTheKnife.com is twofold: First, to reveal the tools in a chef’s arsenal, sometimes common, sometimes not. The toolbox itself can be a standard-issue carpenter-style toolbox, a simple knife roll, or a Snap-on-Tools Hummer on wheels with a Kryptonite lock and remote alarm system. The second part is figuring out what a toolbox and its contents — as well as the stories behind particular tools — can reveal about the chef behind them.

Shannon & Toni (Happy Hour Mom)
Happy Hour Mom is a one-stop-shop of resources to provide insight to the latest products and tips for all things mom. Whether it be the hottest new trends for maternity, mom and baby, the best new toys and books on the market, going green with the hottest new products, or tips on ways to save, they have it all.  Check out their weekly tv show live, every Friday at 11 am PST on http://www.centralvalleytalk.com.

Chef John (Food Wishes)
A culinary teacher first, you will find Chef John’s videos entertaining, humorous and instructional. In fact, just yesterday Chef John’s site was nominated for “Best Video Blog” by the 2009 Foodbuzz Blog Awards (you can vote here). Be sure be one of over 25,000 people to subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Tina (Carrots N Cake)
Carrots N Cake is a very well known healthy living blog in which Tina posts about how she lives her life one healthy meal at a time.  Her motto is that even “bad” foods can be a good part of a healthy diet if taken in moderation. Tina is so popular that her site recently joined another OpenSky Shopkeeper, Kath of Kath Eats, as a nominee for top Healthy Living Blogs by Food Buzz (vote here!).

Nicki (FutureDerm)
Nicki at FutureDerm helps consumers know exactly what is in all those skin creams you use and, more importantly, which ones really help. FutureDerm was selected as a top beauty blog by Health magazine and was a finalist for the Redken Fashion Week Blogging Contest.

Cyndi (Grill Girl)
Cyndi writes Yes! You Can Grill and Barbeque Master, is a featured BBQ and Southern Cuisine writer for Suite 101, and wrote the “Best Grills 2009” edition for Consumers Digest Magazine. Look for her to feature amazing and unique grills, accessories, sauces, and of course BBQ tips and recipes.

Jamie (B3 Bouldering)
Jamie has dedicated much of his life to the pursuit of climbing.  He shares his impressive passion, enthusiasm, and expertise through his site B3 Bouldering.  He has traveled the world searching for and climbing the unthinkable.  Check out some of his amazing videos to really get a sense of what it is to boulder.

Prescott & Jessica (Imperfect Parent)
Jessica and Prescott, devoted parents and admitted internet junkies, realized after spending countless hours going from parenting site to parenting site that they all seemed to be derivative of one another. Same after same dry articles, community forums with “unobjectionable” topics, some with moderators so heavy-handed and politically correct that it made active debate fruitless. There needed to be a place where parents could exercise their minds, and get together to discuss and debate the topics that affect our lives. Hence, the Imperfect Parent was born.

Melisa & Pam (Project Nursery)
Project Nursery is a children’s interior design blog showcasing baby’s first room and beyond. Featuring inspirational photo galleries submitted by our readers, convenient shopping links, “Real Rooms and Real Parties” segments, hip finds for the family home, DIY design tips, inspirational design boards and fabulous weekly giveaways!

Stephen (Balanced Existence)
Stephen runs Balanced Existence and is dedicated to the fundamentals of well-being. Stephen writes about problematic societal norms and how to overcome them through physical, mental and emotional fitness. From motivation, meditation, fitness and personal development Stephen is the expert on all areas of wellness.

Linda (SheSez)
SheSez is an on-line women’s magazine dedicated to sharing the unique, interesting and cutting edge things California women are doing. It’s mission is to inform, inspire and entertain. Women all over the world look to America’s west coast for ideas and inspiration from beauty to health to style.

- kevin

OpenSky is proud to welcome one of the most respected, popular, and studied guitar teachers in the world.

Justin is a London based guitarist, songwriter, performer, producer and educator who runs the vastly popular justinguitar.com and the Justin Sandercoe Youtube page (with over 35 million views).

In addition, Justin has just finished recording his first album, Small Town Eyes, which will be officially released January 11, 2010.

Welcome Justin!