About All Things Girl

How it All Started

All Things Girl started as a personal project sometime in 2001, whereby girls from every creative facet could showcase their talents online. The first edition of ATG consisted of only 5 submissions and was the beginning of something quite wonderful. ATG has since grown to a community of editors and frequent contributors. We have grown dramatically, and we plan to continue to grow in the coming months and years. Who knows, perhaps one day there will be an All Things Girl magazine or book sitting on your coffee table!

Our mission at All Things Girl is to allow women a place to showcase their stuff – their artwork, photography, poetry, prose, articles on health, reviews, thoughts on business, creative endeavours and so much more. Our goal is to create a high quality, fun and diverse ezine.

Staff

Editor in Chief: Debra

I’m Debra Smouse.   I’m a  Life Coach, writer, and expert de-tangler.  I joined All Things Girl staff in 2002 and have been Editor in Chief since June 2005. The growth in All Things Girl is incredibly exciting to me and I love the amazing women who make everything within the pages of All Things Girl possible.

Women improve with each decade and I discovered that being in my 40′s is exciting.  I embrace the joy to be found in every aspect of life.  Finding the courage to “step outside my box” simply means the lines drawn around my life are only looser.   I am passionate about many things: books, traveling, good food and better company.  I’m a Native Texan who recently packed my books and golf clubs and moved to Ohio where I reside with the man of my dreams.

Founder: Lorissa

A South African web designer, specialising in the publishing arena, and photographer, Lorissa currently lives in the Carolinas with her husband and their two furry children. Her work has been featured in various publications and books, including PC Magazine, Digital Camera Shopper, Small Spiral Notebook, 28mm, U&I Magazine, unbound press, Kudos Magazine, The Crest Magazine, Create Your Own Photoblog and Sexy Web Design.

Lorissa founded All Things Girl back in 2001 with no concept of what it would be other than a place for creative women to show off their stuff. With little-to-no understanding of what it takes to make a successful ezine, she is proud of how All Things Girl has evolved and of the staff that makes it all come together. At the end of 2006, Lorissa handed over the reins of Editor in Chief to Deb Smouse. For more: LorissaShepstone.com

Managing Editor: Melissa

Melissa A. Bartell fell in love with words before she could even walk, and the affair has continued to this day. By day, she works as a freelance writer providing web content for various marketing firms. By night, she’s an improvisational comedian, most recently with the Dallas, TX branch of ComedySportz. She’s a voracious reader, coffee addict and blogger, and can be found on her official site MelissaBartell.com or at her blog MissMeliss: Escribition. She lives in Grand Prairie, TX, with three computers, two dogs, one husband, and more books than she cares to count. She’s currently working on a collection of short stories about love, music, and coffee.

Senior Editor: Roxanne

Roxanne Ravenel is a freelance writer and girlfriends getaway organizer. A native of Cleveland, OH, Roxanne now lives in beautiful North Carolina where she enjoys the bountiful sunshine and tries to avoid the ubiquitous bad drivers.

Roxanne loves a good story – from contemporary literature to classic black and white flicks or the simple stories that make up our everyday lives. She is especially fond of stories of women on a journey of self-discovery. This theme is often featured in her fiction and non-fiction work. Roxanne is currently working on her second novel.

Writings Editor: Penny

Penny writes poems and short stories and is in the middle of producing her first novel. She has been the press officer for her local branch of the Soroptimists for two years and had some educational material published by Cheshire Education Services. Penny has been a teacher and head teacher in Cheshire and is now enjoying lecturing for the Open University.

Arts Editor: Alli

I’m 2 parts gypsy, 1 part soothsayer and 3 parts historian of pasts that never were… a singer of songs, a teller of tales, a keeper of myths and creator of things slightly skewed. I am a freelance photographer, writer, artist and blogger extraordinaire. I love glitter and big boots. I am a knitter, painter, lover & fighter who is constantly on a quest to learn, discover and create. My alter-ego is a loving wife, massage therapist, reiki master and mild mannered adorer of cats. You can find my work at AlliWoodsFrederick.com or follow my artistic exploits, (mis)adventures and inspirational endeavors at KissesandChaos.com.

Contributing Editors

Becca

Becca Rowan is a medical technical writer by day, but her creative side thrives on the internet where she can be found blogging at Becca’s Byline, Bookstack, and Write On Wednesday. If she’s not reading, writing, or playing the piano, you’ll probably find her out walking with her two Shih Tzu’s, Magic and Molly Mei.

Bev

Bev Hamel is a recovered corporate executive and now owns and operates an antique shop in the tiny Historic and National Landmark town of Bethania, North Carolina. She lives above the shop with her husband, two girls, three cats, a Scottish Terrier, and Yorkie Puppy in training. The shop is actually a front for her writing and teaching endeavors. She is a freelance writer and has published short stories, creative nonfiction, essays, poetry, local newspaper articles and was editor for an area women’s magazine. Bev has just completed her MFA at Goddard College and her first fiction novel Daughter of the Seven Fires and is busily working on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th

Elia

Elia Sheldon is a working mom who manages large scale programs for a Fortune 50 corporation. A recovering perfectionist, she reminds herself on a daily basis that the world will not end if there are dirty dishes in the sink or unread texts on her iPhone. Outside of the office, she enjoys raising her two daughters, long talks with her husband, working on her novel, and even manages to squeeze in a few hot yoga classes each week. She believes that the key to happiness is finding balance. The occasional glass (or two) of red wine doesn’t hurt either. Please feel free to visit her at eliasheldon.com.

Elizabeth

Hi! I’m Elizabeth Rago. An eternal optimist, I try to face the uncertainty of each day with humor and a hot cup of coffee. I have invested time in the corporate world, higher education, tackled the retail beast and embraced the wellness community to mold my personal and professional character. Four years ago, I took a leap at creating the life I intended on living by launching my own small business and began to write my first novel.

I am a wife, mother, small business owner, and writer who makes mistakes but lives to talk (and usually laugh) about them. I have an amazing knack for innocently embarrassing myself in public and find my sense of humor a valuable defense mechanism. I love being distracted by my family and am working on slowing down to appreciate every moment with my children before they grow up and no longer want to snuggle with me.

I anticipate sprinkling your life with a little encouragement to take on the day! Feel free to get social with me on Twitter @bethrago or visit me at elizabethrago.com

Susana

Susana Quinteros is the Director of Operations for Teen Pulse, a growing youth performing arts group committed to teaching social responsibility across the nation through the arts.  She is a recent college graduate and is currently completing her teaching credential.  As a teacher by day, she is reminded daily to view the world through her students’s eyes and lives her life on purpose.  During the precious hours where she is not creating lesson plans, she enjoys reading, finding random facts  on the internet, and watching movies.  She lives in Southern California with her partner and is a mom to their four cats, Asche, Tanja, Rainbow, and Noodle.

Victoria

Victoria Miller is a Chilean living in Ecuador, where she enjoys eternal summer and hammock abundance, but loses her fight against mosquitoes on a regular basis. She is an audiovisual communicator, educator and writer. She has been lucky to travel around the world quite a bit, and to work in mayhems of things. She is also a beginner Buddhist, mom to a super active four year old, (hopefully) an interesting wife, and the guardian of two rogue dogs, a crazy cat and a demanding guinea pig.

She writes children’s tales, Messy the web comic, and is deeply immersed into the pages of her first novel. From time to time, she attempts writing a couple of interesting/humorous articles. You are super welcome to check them out and leave your comments at her site http://www.victoriamiller.cl/en

Columnists

Christina

Christina Borns is the owner of Your Spirit Inspired, Metaphysical Teacher and Alchemy Coach.  Currently living in Abingdon, MD, she enjoys meditating, reading, exercise, nature, and any creative outlet she can get her hands on.  Her column focuses on identifying your power as a woman, clearing out learned thought patterns, and seeing yourself through new eyes in order to transform your life.  Contact her by sending a message: Christina@YourSpiritInspired.com

Shanna

Shanna is a writer who is based from San Diego, CA. She was put on this planet to inspire and to make things happen. She works with entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and individuals to help them find their voice and tell their stories. Has laptop, will travel.

She is passionate about sustainability, living small (hooray tiny houses), travel, animals, dark chocolate, and her Vespa! Her passion is poetry, but realized at an early age that regardless of how skilled at the art she became poetry would not pay the bills. This makes her sad.

Shanna brings compassion, humor, and energy to everything she does. She is available to add flavor and sparkle to your latest project. Check her out here: www.shannatrenholm.com.

Jenny

A transplanted Southern California native currently living in Washington DC, Jenny is a former book editor, writer, content manager, and nonprofit veteran. Her work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, the U.K’s Boardroom Magazine, and on the back of 8 million Cheerios cereal boxes. When she isn’t puttering around her garden on Capitol Hill with her cat Ellie, she can be found checking out the latest releases at Kramer Books in Dupont Circle or browsing the stalls of locally-grown produce over at Eastern Market. Jenny is also the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Young Playwrights’ Theater, a DC-based arts organization that teaches students to express themselves clearly and creatively through the art of play writing. Descended from a long line of book lovers and collectors, Jenny is excited to be joining the All Things Girl team as a regular columnist focusing on books, with an emphasis on children’s literature and authors. (Special thanks to Christie Germans over at C Germans Photography for the photo.)

Regular Contributors

Nicola-Jane Ford

Nicola-Jane Ford lives in Cape Town, South Africa where she pays most of the bills by working as a copy editor at a women’s magazine. She is of the firm belief that Cape Town is one of the best cities in the world, and is an ‘avid supporter’ of the local wine industry for which the Cape is renowned. Nicola-Jane’s other interests include books, music, most animals, hot firemen, current affairs, M∙A∙C makeup, anything with Tina Fey in it, cupcakes, politics and dark chocolate. She hates litter bugs, coriander and writing about herself in the third person. One day when she’s big, Nicola-Jane plans to win the lottery, and marry Ian Somerhalder. In the meantime, it’s only her irrational fear of clowns that stops her from running away to join a circus.

Wynn

I’m Wynn Godbold. Finally, I’m not the “baby” anymore. Well, to my Dad, I’ll always be his “little daughter” even when I do have a good idea or a bit of advice that “surprises everyone.” Yes, I am the last of 5 children born to a Southern Momma and a Northern Father. I’ve always been seen as the baby- even in my awesome 40’s. My background plays into who I am, but I define myself daily by who I am consciously becoming. I choose to be a wife. I choose to be a mom. I choose to be a speaker, an education consultant, a coach for school administrators, and a mentor to teachers.

My mission in life is to inspire educators to reach children with authenticity, joy, and success. Educators like to work with me at retreats in Myrtle Beach, SC, in their schools, in their classrooms, on the phone, and on the web. Through my presentations, packages, and programs lives are changed, students succeed, and educators thrive.  Interested in learning more? Join me here: www.beesharp.us.