Sarah Cioni can track trends through her floral arrangements. Based on floral orders, the Boulder florist can tell you what month most Boulder County residents die (January, which matches National Center for Health Statistics).

Photo by Kasia Broussalian In photo: Sarah Cioni

She can tell you when surges of local babies are born (right now — and mostly boys) and when most couples get engaged (Christmas and Valentine’s Day). As soon as the engagement rings pop out, the brides-to-be begin placing orders for weddings.

“When I actually stop and sit and think about it, people wouldn’t believe it, but a florist shop reflects the pulse of the city,” says Cioni, from her Boulder-based shop, the Painted Primrose.

Increasingly more brides are ordering loose flowers to make their own centerpieces, and overall people want less expensive flowers.

Last year, Cioni says she saw a surge in floral arrangements delivered from spouses working out of state or in Australia or Holland — the only places they could get hired. But lately, Cioni says she has seen increasingly more deliveries celebrating, “Congrats on your new job.”

Over the years, Cioni says, she has designed flowers for proud new parents, eager brides, tearful widows and even the Dali Lama.

“I have found that being a florist is not just about arranging pretty flowers in a vase,” she says. “It’s about the circle of life.”

— By Aimee Heckel

Dennis Mead-Shikaly

On the other hand, women, who are more often employed in fields that slipped under the layoff cutting block — such as health care and education — have seen few changes in their careers.

Some experts say these forced changes in the workforce could have serious, potentially lasting, effects on American society: on family structure, on gender roles and on how men and women see themselves.

Gender roles: a changing landscape
Whether or not you agree with it, the “working man” concept is so deeply entrenched in the definition of masculinity that, in Audrey Nelson’s words, “Men suffer more psychologically than women do.” Nelson is a Boulder-based gender expert and trainer and author of multiple books on gender communication in the workforce.

She cites research from the Journal of Health Economics, among other sources, that shows after a man loses his job or even retires, if he does not find replacement work within five years — sometimes as early as three — men often suffer a major physical or medical ailment, like a heart attack. Cancer is significantly increased for male retirees in the United Kingdom.

Women can also get confidence from work, but they also tend to tap more into relationships, garnering self-worth from their families and children. Often, women brag about their children with the same fervor that a man might gloat over a pay raise, Nelson says.

Furthermore, a poll by the Rockefeller Foundation found that women now earn 57 percent of the college degrees nationwide, and make 75 percent of the buying decisions in the home.

The current shift could help better balance out the workforce for women, some say. And despite the blow for laid-off men, some women seem pleased with their new position of power, according to Dennis Mead-Shikaly, of Boulder, a men’s coach and counselor who has been doing gender work for 25 years.

This isn’t the first time gender demographics in the workforce have changed. Except with the Women’s Movement, it was a choice. Same with the increasing number of men who choose to be stay-at-home fathers. But today’s sense of powerlessness — where men are forced out of the workforce and can’t find an entrance back in — can be dangerous.

This can lead to resentment on both sides of the gender coin, Nelson says.

“I believe even though women say, ‘I’m all for equality,’ they still have the expectation that their husbands should be out there making a dime. Even if he’s been laid off and is looking for jobs, she might be passive-aggressive,” Nelson says. “When we talk about these traditional sex roles, it’s not just men who buy into them. Women buy into them, too.”

What to do
Be aware of gender boundaries — and how they are increasingly more outdated, but nonetheless difficult to penetrate.

Realize what is happening, and that you are not alone. Push past that resistance, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If a man in your life has been laid off, offer help. The worst thing is to be dismissive, with statements like, “Get over it.”

“Be aware that this man is going through a very deep and painful change. Like any sensitive, loving person, give them space to have their feelings without taking it personally,” Mead-Shikaly says.

Draw emotions out of him and encourage him to find someone to talk to, such as an issue-specific men’s group, coach or counselor. Talking in a non-hierarchical circle can be healing.

“Women don’t realize how much pain men carry in their bodies,” Mead-Shikaly says. “I’ve worked with thousands of men. The grief that lives in men’s bodies is like a river. I’ve had so many men say to me, ‘I’m afraid if I start to cry, I may never stop.’ When we isolate and internalize, all we do is add torrent to that river.”

— By Aimee Heckel

By the numbers

10.1 million — Firms nationwide that are 50 percent or more owned by women.
13 million — People are employed by these businesses.
$1.9 trillion — Sales generated by these businesses as of 2008.
One in five — Businesses with revenues of $1 million or more are owned by a woman.
Nearly half — Of the American workforce is women.
76 percent — Of Americans say it’s positive for society that women are half of the workers.

But still …
77 cents — Is the amount women earn to every dollar men earn.
15 companies — On the Fortune 500 list were run by women executives in 2008.
86 percent — Of women say they do the majority of the housework and childcare.
67 percent — Of working women sacrifice lunch to squeeze in other activities.

Sources: Center for Women’s Business Research, The Shriver Report, Working Mother magazine.

Etsy clothes by local designer Blue Jean Pink. Courtesy photo.

Dana Paulson, 50, of Broomfield, loves kitschy vintage fashion. She also loves tattered jeans, cowboy boots and wearing her heart on her pasties.

That’s why she created Blue Jean Pink designs, our latest favorite local Etsy shop, in honor of our love issue.

Blue Jean Pink styles are made out of recycled jeans, velvet, ballerina tulle, ribbons and retro/burlesque influences — oh, and hearts. Lots of pink and red hearts. We especially love the denim corsets. So sexy and unique.

Paulson’s styles have stolen our hearts — and for only $20 to $44 each. Check them out at www.bluejeanpink.com and www.bluejeanpink.etsy.com.

— By Aimee Heckel

Jennifer Byrd and Adrian Davis received Rotary International scholarships for postgraduate education.

Byrd, of the Vocal Music Department at the University of Colorado’s College of Music, studied at the Conservatory in Hamburg, Germany. She joined the company of a regional opera house in Bavaria, and she is now a recognized soloist.

Davis, the major gifts development officer for the Denver Rescue Mission, served as a Rotary International Peace Fellow, which paid for two years of study in five countries to promote world peace.

Applications for next year’s grants are due April 15 for the Peace Fellowship and May 3 for the Ambassadorial Scholarship. For more info, visit www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms/Pages/ridefault.aspx.

— By Aimee Heckel
Share your good news about local women at speakup@womensmag.com.

Ah, balance.  

We launched this issue — our first of 2010 — with some exciting changes. We welcome several new voices: Stylist Marian Rothschild will share her insider fashion tips in a column, Mile High Style, and Boulderite Cheri Felix will dig deep as she tries to live 2010 as if it were her last.  

Once again, it’s all about balance.   

You’ll notice our stories are shorter (we know how busy you are, ack!), but we’re still rocking your favorite columnists, like Kate “Eco Diva” Nelson and Boulder’s organization goddess Liz Canavan.

Look for us now bimonthly inside your local newspaper, on stands throughout Boulder County or order your free subscription at www.womensmag.com. And if you’re a techy geek, don’t miss our Facebook fan page or our Twitter updates (@womensmag).

We continue to joyfully evolve to meet your needs and ideas. After all, this is the only magazine created right here in Boulder, by Boulder County women for Boulder County women. Our office is your playground.    
— Aimee  
aimee@womensmag.com

“Sometimes the design hits immediately,” says the Boulder County sculptor, nationally known for making furniture and doors. “Other times, I sit with the wood for a while, then suddenly visualize the piece.”

Shutan originally studied creative writing. (She even had a teacher tell her to “forget art.”) But she wanted to work with her hands and ended up learning from a traditional Dutch woodworking master. That’s where she crafted her first door.

Her teacher died a few weeks later — after telling her, “You don’t need me anymore. Look at you.”

Twenty-eight years later, Shutan boasts custom doors around the country, including many throughout Boulder County. She etches movement and curves into her one-of-a-kind mostly mahogany doors; she wants to call out the “sensuous” nature of wood. She rides the band saw like a pencil across the rugged material.

Each door takes two to four months. Her only limitation is that it must fit in the door jam, she says.

“But within that boundary, I can go quite wild,” she says. “It’s like life.”

Her doors are functional, but with abstract qualities, she says. And as with her abstract sculptures, the results always surprise her, she says.

In fact, she adds, often “the accidents are more interesting than the original idea.”

Perhaps the accidents are the secret hidden inside the wood.

Check out Shutan’s work on display at the Osmosis Gallery, 290 Second Ave., Niwot, and online at www.ashutan.com.

— By Aimee Heckel

Dot’s Diner Aprons — www.dotsdineraprons.com

Broomfield resident Dana Paulson makes these retro aprons cute enough to wear beyond the kitchen. Her prints span peacocks, cupcakes, cherries and hearts. And her prices won’t have you eating Ramon for a month. These handmade gems start at $24.

Paulson is inspired by ‘50s diners, pinup gals and bold graphic designs. She inspires us to want to spend more time in the kitchen cooking. Or at least eating.

– By Aimee Heckel

She grabs you by the straps of your sports bra and says: What are you going to give me this year? How are you going to make this year better than the last?

Well, give us a break, January. We’re already on it.

We recrafted Womens Magazine in 2008, with a mission to connect with Boulder County women on several levels: We wanted to share your stories, offer you tips to simplify your busy lives and tell you stories to inspire and entertain you.

It’s been a tough task in a tougher economy. But it also has been the most enjoyable of adventures.

So many of you have contacted us over the months with your amazing stories: Stories about survival and of extraordinary transformations. We’ve heard from our neighbors, who are successful businesswomen, philanthropic powerhouses and kick-butt athletes. This is the kind of dialogue we’ve been seeking, people coming together to uplift one another in our journeys together as women, and as wives, friends, daughters and mothers.

So, here’s to 2010! We don’t need January’s ice-cold stern lecturing to get us motivated for a great year. We are already on our way.

Aimee Heckel, Editor
Erika Stutzman, Managing Editor

Oster, 52, turned a domestic-violence experience into something positive by creating a nonprofit called Courage is Change. The goal: Help end the cycle of violence by opening up communication and creating stronger communities.

Since we last talked to Oster, Courage is Change has launched after-school “Red Tent” gatherings for girls at four local high schools. The meetings feature classes on all kinds of topics — from self-defense to meditation to interviewing skills — to help empower girls to make healthy choices.

Oster hopes to soon have Red Tent clubs at all Boulder Valley high schools and launch a middle school program. She also dreams of starting a Red Tent center for women of all ages and backgrounds, where women can find various offerings, such as coaching, yoga and dance classes, cooking classes and massage. To learn more, visit www.courgeischange.org.

“Women don’t have that sense of community in our lives anymore,” Oster says. “We need each other for survival.”

We asked Oster a few more questions, to get a glimpse inside her busy brain:

What is the best advice you can offer other female activists right now?
Follow your passion. I’ve had many challenges, but I look at them as something I need to learn from and move forward.

What is your life’s motto?
It’s all good. My girlfriends and I will complain to each other for hours, be in tears and end it all with, “But it’s all good.”

What inspires you?
I don’t listen to negativity. If anybody says I can’t do it, I say, “Yes, I can.” And I’ve proven that. I know I’m going to pull this off, and I know it’s going to be incredible.

— By Aimee Heckel

Today, at age 38, he doesn’t need a drum set.

Megibow’s mouth is the snare, the bass and the cymbal, as well as the rumbling bassline and the singer. One mouth. At least five different instruments. And then there are a few sounds that he can spit — literally, spit — that sound like instruments not yet invented.

When the Boulder man is on stage, rocking with the local vocal band Face, eyeballs in the audience pop and jaws drop. Does he have five different voice boxes? Is it prerecorded? Is it a trick? Is he even human?

Face’s popularity continues to grow, having recently recorded in KBCO’s Studio C. The band has been named “best local band” by multiple media, and recently released its third CD, “Momentum.”

We had to know the mystery behind this human drum machine. So we cornered Megibow — in between his rehearsals, three-plus shows a week, teaching beat-boxing to youth and managing the band.

Here’s how it went down.

Beyond the band, what’s new with your life?
My family has recently been a part of one of the biggest blessings we’re ever likely to experience. Sara, my wife, carried a child for our close friends, Forest and Mindy. (Forest Kelly is the bass in Face.) Mindy was left unable to carry children after battling — and winning — breast cancer. Her fertilized embryo was ultimately transferred into my wife’s body and carried to term.
Trey Forest Kelly was born Nov. 1, a perfectly healthy and happy baby. Sara and I are now godparents to Trey, and our 4-year-old son, Elan, calls Trey his “godbrother.”

Tell us more about the work you do with youth.
I have been working with teens on leadership, relationships and life skills for 12 years. The kids like to say I relate well to them because I never really matured past a teenage mentality. I argue this point, because I’m not sure I really made it past second grade. Be that as it may, I love the teenager’s passion for life. If I can help give them an ounce more direction, self-esteem or happiness, it’s been a good day.

What is your motto?
My favorite is a quote by Habib Bourguiba: “Happy is the person who can laugh at himself. He will never cease to be amused.” Two of my son’s first words were “Try again,” which I take to heart.

What was your resolution for 2009?
I resolve to be thankful every day for the life that I have. I have the most amazing wife and son; my parents and grandfather live here in Boulder with me and are a big part of my life; and I get to perform far and wide with Face, which is made up of five of my best friends and their awesome families.

What is your favorite holiday memory?
I already know that this coming December will be the most memorable of all.

— By Aimee Heckel