FEBRUARY 2011 GIRL ON TOP OF THE MONTH FEATURING STELLE TONON

The month of February is traditionally known as the month of LOVE. Because of this, Girl On Top has chosen to feature STELLE TONON, the author of the book NO FENCES (a book about unconditional love), as our February 2011 Girl On Top of the Month. STELLE, the pen name of Theresa Giannetti, was raised by a traditional Italian-American family in the suburbs of Detroit. She was the fifth born of six children. As a teen she felt trapped and confined in an environment characterized by strict rules and relentless discipline. She felt she had no hope of being understood and no clear understanding of what life had to offer. We are sure that many people reading this have experienced similar feelings and that is why we decided to introduce to you the concepts from Stelles’s book, NO FENCES. Stelle took what could have been a self destructive road to nowhere and turned her frustrating situation into something positive. Stelle accredits the inspiration behind NO FENCES to her middle-school principal, Teri Giannetti, who gained custody of Stelle aka Theresa at the age of fifteen. It was through the unconditional love that Teri and her husband Ron showed Stelle that enlightened her and gave her the courage to share with the world what love can be like with NO FENCES. This is a fine example of paying it forward. Girl On Top would like to share the topics covered in NO FENCES so that your relationships with others can become more fulfilling.

Fence #1) Being demanding

Solution to Fence #1-Being flexible vs being demanding

Fence #2) Guilt tripping

Solution to Fence #2- Being assertive vs guilt tripping

Fence #3) Manipulating

Solution to Fence #3-Trusting vs manipulating

Fence #4) Being deceitful

Solution to Fence #4-Being honest vs being deceitful

Fence #5) Talking down

Solution to Fence #5-Speaking respectfully vs talking down

Fence #6) Using force

Solution to Fence #6-Practicing self control vs using force

Fence #7) Taking over

Solution to Fence #7-Letting go vs taking over

Fence #8) Losing composure

Solution to Fence #8-Managing emotions vs losing composure

Fence #9) Punishing

Solution to Fence #9-Expressing hurt assertively vs punishing

Fence #10) Holding expectations

Solution to Fence #10-Accepting vs holding expectations

Fence #11) Being possessive or jealous

Solution to Fence #10-Giving the benefit of the doubt vs being possessive or jealous

***FOLLOW GIRL ON TOP ON FACEBOOK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONCEPTS FROM NO FENCES: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Girl-On-Top-Clothing/12956334579

I am sure we are all guilty of one, if not all, of these topics sometimes. The book, NO FENCES, gives simple, yet powerful examples about each topic suggesting solutions to behaviors that are destructive to relationships. NO FENCES is a humanistic discipline and concept that you can integrate into your life and work on over time. Stelle created a pocket size version for you to carry on you at all times as a reminder of how to handle yourself during difficult situations before acting regretfully. You can purchase a copy of NO FENCES on the website:

www.nofencesthebook.com

Also available at The Annex Boutique in Royal Oak, MI and Crazy Wisdom in Ann Arbor, MI.

Girl On Top hopes this February and beyond that you will all try practicing unconditional love with those who matter most to you. We cannot thank STELLE TONON enough for writing such an inspiring book and for being Girl On Top’s February 2011 Girl On Top of the Month.