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.

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Founder: Lorissa

A South African web designer, designing websites for authors and publishers, and a 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 Debra Smouse. For more: LorissaShepstone.com

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Managing Editor: Roxanne

Roxanne is a freelance journalist and novelist living in North Carolina who blogs about the art and craft of storytelling.

She’s an avid reader with a to-be-read stack that resembles a small skyscraper; a music junkie with a serious thing for singer/songwriters; and a storytelling enthusiast with a love of intriguing films, compelling television, and addictively funny webisodes.

Roxanne’s alter ego pens steamy, contemporary romance and romantic women’s fiction featuring deliciously-flawed, multicultural characters. Her debut novel will be published July 2013.

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Senior Editor: Elizabeth

An eternal optimist, Elizabeth attempts to face the uncertainty of each day with humor and a hot cup of coffee.  A wife, mother, small business owner, and storyteller, she does not mind talking honestly about her domestic train wrecks and awkward child-rearing adventures.

Elizabeth anticipates sprinkling your life with a little laughter and encouragement to take on the day!

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Editor at Large: 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.

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Writings Editor: Penny

Penny is the Writings Editor here at ATG and enjoys reading all the submissions. Her first love is her family, but writing is a major part of her life. She is a member of Winsford Writers and has completed a number of Open University writing courses.  She is currently working on several projects: A fourth book of short stories, a poetry book, two novels and a children’s book. Penny also enjoys meeting up with friends,
painting, making jewellery, camping, walking and exploring and taking photos. You can follow her writing at www.pennyluker.wordpress.com

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Arts Editor: Alli

Alli Woods Frederick is an artist, photographer, writer, reiki master, intuitive & zombie slayer extraordinaire. Her feline companion, Mischa the Wonder Cat, is currently being considered for sainthood. She has a deep and abiding love of fancy dress, Bruce Campbell, Bob Hope, Adam Ant, the 1930′s & tea parties. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with ghosts, shoes, zombies, the deep south, England and glitter, though not necessarily in that order. She is a tattooed driver of a Mini Cooper named Alice Tinker and her sunglasses are usually absurdly large. Her photography has been featured in F-Stop Magazine and All Things Girl and her writing has been featured on HelloGiggles.com and in The Radical Uprise Issue #021: Grow/Create.  You can view hery work at AlliWoodsFrederick.com or follow her artistic exploits, (mis)adventures and inspirational endeavors at KissesandChaos.com.
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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.

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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

Columnists

Deb

Deb Graham often finds herself living on the ragged edge of her comfort zone.  As an entrepreneur, organizational behavior enthusiast, world traveler and avid learner, she applies her curiosity and passion for personal growth to the work environment.  In today’s rapidly changing world businesses are challenged to evolve just to stay alive. Because all organizational change is really people change, Deb enjoys helping leaders to create dynamic leadership skills and strong businesses where employees can thrive.

Delia

C. Delia Mulrooney is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher. Her poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, and reviews have appeared in a variety of online and print publications.  She has been teaching writing at the college level since 2000, and has facilitated creative writing workshops in elementary schools, high schools, prisons, and private organizations.  Most recently, she has been offering two popular workshops for women: Writing the Body and Writing the Body Beyond, Personal Sessions, which she designed to connect women to their stories, their histories, and their bodies.

In 2008, C. Delia Mulrooney won a state grant as an Emerging Artist in Fiction and is now pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Goddard College.  She is finishing a novel manuscript while also working her personal writings and innovative prompts from her teaching into a book version of her Writing the Body course.  A creative-wanderer, unusual-mama, friendly-introvert, book-enthusiast, loyal-friend, curious-adventurer, and fiery-romantic, she is eager to share stories of connection and body/life experience with you here at All Things Girl and on her website: www.cdeliamulrooney.com.

Elia

Elia Sheldon is an aspiring novelist who recently left her job managing large scale programs for a Fortune 25 corporation so she could spend more time with her family and her writing. 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. She enjoys raising her two daughters, long talks with her husband, working on her novel, hiking, and yoga. 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.

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Jody

Jody Keisner is a writing instructor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She is also a creative nonfiction enthusiast, weight-lifter, Pinot Grigio drinker, and Real Housewives junkie. (The latter is for academic reasons, of course). Currently residing in Nebraska with her husband and daughter, she hopes someday to relocate to Arizona for the hiking and sultry weather. Although she dreads things that go bump in the night, she relishes the mystery of haunted houses and loves best the month of October. Jody has published in various literary and academic journals, magazines, and ezines, including The Fertile Source, Women’s Studies, SNReview, NEBRASKAland, and Studies in the Humanities.

Laura

Laura Johnson Dahlke, MFA, studied creative writing at Antioch University Los Angeles and also has an MA in English from The University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is interested in writing researched-based articles as well as creative nonfiction and poetry. Along with writing, she has special interest in yoga, photography, childbirth, spiritual texts, baking, and drinking coffee.  She is married with three children and splits time between Providence, Rhode Island, and Omaha, Nebraska. Laura has published work in several academic and online journals and her latest article, “‘Every Father Feels Himself a Joseph’: Men Writing Their Childbirth Experiences,” is forthcoming in Women’s Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

Shanna

Shanna writes, among other things, from her home base in San Diego, CA. She works with entrepreneurs, writers, businesses, and individuals to help them find their voice and tell their stories through coaching, branding, and writing. She is passionate about sustainability, tiny houses), travel, dark chocolate, and long rides on her Vespa. Shanna aims to be semi location-independent, traveling and working wherever she can find a good wifi connection. She brings compassion, humor, and energy to everything she does.

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Susana

Susana Quinteros is the Director of Operations and Educator for Teen Pulse, a growing youth performing arts group committed to teaching social responsibility across the nation through the arts.  She works with teens who are challenged by the state of their “world” around them who wish to positively transform it and themselves.  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, researching random facts, whether it be about music, gay rights, or cats, and watching movies.  She lives in Southern California with her partner and is a mom to their four cats, Asche, Tanja, Rainbow, and Noodle.

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Regular Contributors

Brandi

Brandi Lee is a former high school English teacher turned wife, mother, professional photographer, and probably a few other titles yet to be discovered and determined. She is a recovering perfectionist in search of balance, who loves a clean house, organized routines, and healthy eating, with scheduled doses of fun, spontaneity, and down right chaos. She loves books and travel, and looks forward to a time when she might visit with them in more than just theory. Find more from Brandi at her professional site, baleeimages.com
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Danielle

Paint brush in hand and coffee in the other Danielle Driscoll will conquer the world one project at a time! She loves salvaging treasures from the side of the road, yard sales and the beach and repurposing them for her own home. From the moment she could walk her mom was taking her along to search for treasures at local antique stores and yard sales. She enjoys breathing new life into old, unappreciated furniture, making pillows, finding new inspiration from Pinterest and throwing parties in her home.

A lover of her family (three boys and a rescue dog), the beach, books and all things shabby chic. Danielle can be found blogging on Finding Silver Pennies about her latest projects, sharing love on Facebook, pinning away on pinterest and tweeting.
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Jess

A dedicated do-it-yourselfer, Jess Bedsole loves to create, refinish and rejuvenate anything from dressers to dining room chairs. Believing design should never break the bank, Jess creates by balancing price and style; every item is a blank canvas, and every sale is an opportunity to discover hidden treasures. With her fresh, fun attitude on life, Jess’s purpose is to inspire others.

Formally trained as a graphic designer, Jess understands the importance of color, form, function and technique. She believes incorporating heirlooms and items that hold nostalgia take spaces from “house” to “home”.

Jess can be found blogging about newlywed life, home ownership and crafty projects at sparklesandcrafts.com, while she tweets about everyday life @jessbedsole.

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Melissa R.

Even though her plate is filled to the brim with a full-time job, raising a 2nd grader, and maintaining a happy marriage to her husband of 8 years, Melissa Riani will always find time to have a good meal. The most memorable was on her 8th birthday when Melissa’s mother introduced her to steamed mussels. From that moment on, Melissa’s palette changed. She has since resolved to try all types of foods and savor each bite.

To Melissa, a good meal doesn’t have to consist of 10 courses from some über upscale restaurant. Melissa believes good food comes from the company you keep and quality ingredients. On a side note: She often endorses bacon being its own food group since bacon makes everything better.

Melissa can be found writing at Outside the Box and tweeting @CBGeneva

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 and empower educators to reach children with authenticity, joy, and success. Educators enjoy working 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.

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