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ICONIC CHICA STORIES: LESLIE & JENNA

7/20/2017

IN A WORLD WHERE THERE IS HATE, THERE IS ALSO LOVE. SO LOVE. LOVE MORE.

Image by: Abimael Linares

Jenna was excited to see her friend Leslie. It had been a few days of busy work, but their schedules finally synced. They went out to eat at a super chic restaurant they'd been wanting to try. After catching up on Leslie's life, it was Jenna's turn. Jenna wasn't much about bragging or yelling out her achievements, but this was Leslie, and she knew friends love to hear good news. At least, that's how Jenna feels about her friends and the people she loves dearly.
Jenna sums it up and tells Leslie about this new opportunity that was completely unexpected. Leslie reacts with little to no excitement. "Aw, that's great." Jenna doesn't realize the indifference in Leslie's voice. She's oblivious to her reaction.

Weeks later, Jenna has some girlfriends over for a fun night of baking and movies. Leslie is invited of course. One of the girls, who Leslie has gotten to know through these meet ups with Jenna, shares some really great news about her company. Jenna is thrilled along with the others and opens up a bottle of champagne. "Congrats! Another reason to celebrate you!" The girls agree and join in the excitement and celebrate. Leslie is thrilled with excitement and pride. She tells Jenna's friend, "I'm so proud of you. You work hard. You deserve this." It was at this moment that Jenna saw Leslie in a different way. The real way.

The next few days, she replayed moments between the two (Jenna and Leslie) where the focus was never on Jenna, but always on Leslie. The dates with friends seemed more convenient and self-serving to Leslie. Though, she never really paid attention. She overlooked all the signs. She saw the Leslie she wanted to see instead of the woman she really was.

Jenna said nothing. She simply detached herself from Leslie and her world. She let her have what she had already taken. Jenna's world was now Leslie-less. But, Jenna took something very valuable with her thanks to Leslie. And that is the ability to see people for who they are when they tell you the first time, and the second time, and the third.

Most of us are familiar with the famous quote by Maya Angelou, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." Jenna knew this quote to be true, by experience.

Today Jenna has some really great friends who love her dearly and don't take her for granted.

Here's to living in a world where women support one another.
Let us leave envy and jealousy behind!
It does not serve anyone, but rather
detaches us from goodness and a world of positivity and possibility.
Let us love more!

Share if you believe. Thank you for your support. We wish you kindness, love, and joy.
#IconicChicaMag

by Liz Diaz

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Everything You Need for A Fun Girls Night Out

7/18/2017

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Sometimes we need a break from the constant noise of being a person - so we seek more noise from other places instead. To be relaxed, happy and moderately successful, is all about finding the right balance between work and play, and who better to find this balance with than your best gal pals?

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Mix it up a bit and do something else this weekend than hitting the usual bar; here is a handful of fun ideas to give you energy for the week ahead.

Find Fun Free Events
When you’d like to be out and about, but your wallet says no, search the web for everything free that you can do together. That’s the great thing about finding stuff to do in the city with your friends - you’ll have fun no matter what you do. Make a list of everything free you’d like to do and give everyone a chance to pick something. Most likely, you won’t have time to do everything, so select a few main options and some alternative ones.

Some cities offer tourist attractions free of charge once a year to the residents of the city, and this is too good an offer to not take advantage of. Gather your group and make it a girls-day-out when your man opts out of visiting reptile parks or those dusty museums only you and your best friends still find interesting. Roam the city in peace and round it all off by cooking dinner together in the evening; it’s so cheap and a lot of fun.

When you have a bit of extra money to treat yourself but would like to have a bit left at the end of the night, try to mix up the cost-effective options with more expensive alternatives. Enjoy a dinner at home for free and look at a limo service here to arrive in style like never before.

Wine or Beer Tasting
The best of friends know how to save money together. If you all like to have a drink or two but prefer to keep it classy, say no to the expensive wine tasting tours and host one at home instead. Tell each one to bring a bottle with or hit the shop and pick up a few cheap-ish ones. The point is to get through the tasting and give each type of wine a set of stars or a review, trying to stay as critical with the last bottle as you were with the first.

You can adjust this idea to suit any taste; my girlfriends are into beer and use Untappd to rate different types for fun. Just remember to adjust the amount of tasting to what types of beverage you’re rating; while we drink a bottle of beer before rating it, it won’t quite work as well if you’d like to host a whiskey tasting party. Have a look at these glasses, by the way, to add to your collection before the girls night out.

You’ll have a great time when you do something together that you all enjoy - and what’s better than spending time with your best friends? What you enjoy doing varies from group to group and there’s certain things you just have a lot more fun doing with your girlfriends than anyone else.

by Iconic Chica Contributors

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REMEMBERING A GREAT ICON, FRANCINE YORK

7/13/2017

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At a time when superheroes are finding a balance in the Fe-Male scale, we can't help but look back, specifically at a woman who was part of 1966's Batman. Described by her friend, Erin Gavin, as immaculate and glamorous, Francine York was a woman ahead of her time.

Smart, funny, beautiful, and talented, Francine York was a woman who didn't allow pain or sickness to get in the way of her funny and extraordinary self.

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If you don't have a good sense of self-esteem and self-image, and you don't know who you really are, and you don't trust yourself and don't like yourself ... It can be a serious problem.
-FRANCINE YORK

A FRIEND OF YORK SHARES INSIGHT...

Photo by ASH GUPTA

Erin Gavin (image, left), a friend of Francine, tells us about the beautiful soul that was York. While the two did not get to work on a film together, Gavin tells us, "She mentored me." Undoubtedly the two have more than friendship in common; they are both bold, strong females whose talent transcends the screen. The two brought Marilyn Monroe back to life in their films Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars (1992, Francine York) and most recently, Marylin: The Last Investigation (2016, Erin Gavin). York "was able to help me with the voice and some of her mannerisms off screen."

Erin spoke to Iconic Chica mag and remembers Francine as the true force that she was.

Q&A:

What are some characteristics you remember dearly of her?
Always immaculate and very glamorous!

What was your friendship like?
Lovely. She mentored me. Giving me guidance with the do's and don'ts of Hollywood.

What did she pass on to you as an actress?
She gave me lots of tips. Not so much a teaching method, but tips about Marilyn. She did meet her [Marilyn] and was able to help me with the voice and some of her mannerisms off screen.

What about her did you find most appealing?
I loved her drive to the very end! She was the ultimate Hollywood glam! She was also very funny and that never changed, even when she was sick.

Any stories you hold of the two of you?
We were at our mutual friend Pepper Jay's birthday and sang happy birthday to her together as Marilyn.

Would you agree she enjoyed playing the villain, given that many memorable roles she plays the villainess?
Oh yes, she loved that role! Fun! She didn't say too much about it, but I know she loved it.

If you could describe her in one word, what would you say?
Glamorous. A wonderful Hollywood actress and a dear friend to many.

Photo by Justin Kahn

Francine York worked with many talents, including Elvis Presley (Tickle Me, 1965), Marlon Brando (Bedtime Story, 1964), and Nicholas Cage (The Family Man, 2000). A woman in a male dominated world, she thrived making way for actresses that followed.

Film wasn't her only success. She was Lydia Limpet in TV’s Batman of 1966. She also worked in Bewitched (1964), Mission: Impossible (1966), and The King of Queens (1998). York also took her culinary skills and nutrition expertise to health magazines. Rumor has it, she was one of Hollywood’s leading hostesses, cooking for celebrities like Clint Eastwood and Glenn Ford.

Francine York closed the curtains on January of 2017. Her films, work, and glamour will be remembered.

by Jessica Gonzalez Ferrer

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