BRIDESMAIDS

Mitzi Baker Bags. Want to really spoil your bridesmaids? Consider the Danica (red) and Maude (blue) handbags by Mitzi Baker. With soft exterior leather and suede lining, they are both classic and stylish. $530 and $450 respectively at carrythisonline.com.

Metallic Silver-Bead Choker and Silver Crown Necklace. Fun and fresh in style, these necklaces can carry your bridesmaids through their casual days and snazzy evenings. $44 and $72 respectively. Available at rynebonz.com or at local retailers—Dollyrockers in Anthem (623) 879-6969; and Ramon Bacaui in Scottsdale (480) 946-2015.

Tiffany & Co. Share Certificate. Something original for your bridesmaids: a share in a company that happens to be one of women’s best friends! $74–$113 at giveashare.com.

Personalized Jewelry Box. With black and white dots and stripes and your bridesmaids’ own initials, it’s a cute treasure box for their jewelry. $25–$35 at dandydelights.com.

GROOMSMEN

Visol Engravable Leather Golf Gift Set. With an engraving plate for personalization, this suave golf case is conveniently compact, yet includes three golf balls, six tees, and a golf tool. $39.95, including engraving. etchedimpressions.net.

Men’s Monogrammed Sterling-Silver Cuff Links. These simple but stylish cuff links will help your groomsmen look their best on their own special occasions. $139.99 at jcpenny.com.

Jack Daniel’s Poker Set. Perfect for your game- (and gambling-) loving groomsmen. Each set includes 300 foil-printed Old No. 7 poker chips, a dealer button, and two decks of premium Jack Daniel’s playing cards enclosed in an embossed leatherette carrying case. $79.95 at motorcyclecollectibles.com.

Cigar Lover’s Humidor Kit. A great way for your cigar aficionados to keep their cigars. Visit kreativekontainers.com for more information.

There’s No Place like Home—Especially if You Design It Yourself

By Cassaundra Brooks

Perhaps you marvel at their structures, but never know their names. Or maybe you admire their works with some understanding of their individual styles. Regardless, we sometimes take the arts of architecture and design for granted, not considering the work that goes into that nicely decorated office building or that striking-looking theater, museum, library, or gym. Balancing durability with style, modern motifs with practicality, and individuality with complementary aestheticism is no easy job.

If individual style and creativity distinguish one architect from another, how does the average person extract these marks of personality from each architect’s work? One way would be to view the collections of two particular architects and note the contrasts in design and style. To help you start, we have taken the liberty of going straight to the source. What better way to get to know an architect’s style than to look at his or her own home?

Gnosis, Ltd., a nonprofit organization, annually grants the public viewing access to a number of architects’ and designers’ homes each fall through their Architects and Designers’ Own Homes Tours. Suzanne D. Johnson, executive director of Gnosis, Ltd., says that the tours are intended to illustrate the fact that good design is both attainable and affordable. The featured homes fall under the term modern. Everyone has undoubtedly heard that word before, but what does it mean with regard to architecture?

Johnson quotes Mark Wigley on Le Corbusier’s Toward an Architecture: “The goal is momentum. Modern architecture is simply that: architecture, which allows itself to be carried forward. More precisely, architecture is the movement forward. It is not a matter of replacing an older architecture with a newer one…Only by moving forward can architecture be seen or produced.”

With delightful deviations on traditional structure and design—disappearing walls, shocking uses of metal, unexpected finishes, and creative use of light—these homes are pieces of art. Yet they are not treated like “look but don’t touch” museums. They are functional, practical, kid- and pet-tested, and thoroughly enjoyed. Introduced on these pages are four of the designers featured in last fall’s special tour.

BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP

JOHN KANE

Name: John Kane AIA, LEED AP (architect principal)

Company: Architekton

Typical Style: Contemporary; functional; warm; indoor, outdoor, climate, and context-responsive

Inspiration for Home: Derived from functional and site responsiveness.

Intention for Design:
Photos Kane Residence 2 and Kane Residence Interior
Great room able to open completely on two sides, actually connecting to the outdoors. Large screen panels transform the room into a traditional “Arizona room.”

Previous Projects: Include Tempe Center for the Arts, Phoenix/Tempe/Mesa light-rail stations, Chandler/Gilbert Community College Student Center, Scottsdale Community College Fitness Center, Jewelry by Gautier, Farmer Studios, and Tempe Police Substation.

Photo1
Simple courtyard concept with garage/kitchen and master bedroom “bar” sliding through house and cantilevering toward the adjacent lake.

Photo 2
Great room designed to open completely on two sides, actually connecting to the outdoors. Large screen panels transform the room into a traditional “Arizona room.”

464 S Farmer Ave, Suite 101, Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 894-4637
jfkane@architekton.com
architekton.com

MATTHEW TRZEBIATOWSKI

Name: Matthew G Trzebiatowski, AIA (principal and design architect)

Name of Company: blank studio, inc. (please mind the lower case letters in the name)

Typical Style: In a word: contemporary. But it’s so much more. blank studio was created to challenge, inspire and elevate design awareness in an environment that is directed toward increasingly simplistic and synthetic solutions. The design process centers upon investigation and synthesis, the experiential use of space, and engagement of the senses.

Inspiration for Home: As a reminder that all design solutions should be in a direct response to the environment in which the project exists, Trzebiatowski calls the home Xeros, a description in Greek of the condition of land in relation to nearby water. The building includes an opaque face situated toward the intense western afternoon sun, with the other faces exposed to the south and east, shielded by an external layer of woven metal shade mesh. Its unique shape, along with its height, allows the maximum amount of site to be retained for low-water-use vegetation. The site itself was “recycled,” in that new life was injected into a neglected plot in an equally neglected 1950s-era Phoenix neighborhood.

Intention for Design:

The building includes a two-story lower-level design studio that descends into the earth, accessible from the courtyard by a tall, steel-framed glass door. To access the residence, one must ascend an exterior steel staircase to an upper-level balcony before entering the common room (sitting, dining, and kitchen). A central gallery leads to the cantilevered master suite/media room. This space is completely glazed on the north façade for enjoyment of the mountain-preserve views. To complete the cycle of movement, a cantilevered yellow glass-framed “Romeo and Juliet balcony” allows views of the city and across the long axis of the building. A stainless-steel water feature leads you down the steps and terminates at a reflecting pool.

The primary building material is exposed steel that is allowed to weather naturally and meld with the color of the surrounding hills.

History: Matthew G Trzebiatowski, AIA (Wisconsin, 1972) earned a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning (SARUP) in 1997. Trzebiatowski is a registered architect in Arizona and Wisconsin, and is currently a faculty member at Collins College of Design and Technology. Trzebiatowski established blank studio in 2001 with his wife, Lisa, while working with an internationally recognized architectural studio in Phoenix. As an emerging concern in our natural and constructed environments, explorations into sustainable technology and practices inform much of the current work of blank studio. Besides its educational component, the studio participates in various local and international design competitions.

1441 E. Sunnyside Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85020
(602) 331-3310
blankspaces.net

ALTERING EXISTING HOMES

BRIAN & MELISSA FARLING

Names: Brian and Melissa Farling

Company: Home Company: Studio Twenty46 Inc.
Full time employer: Jones Studio, Inc.

Typical Style: We practice architecture of this time—call it modern.

Inspiration for Home: We are transforming a 1950s modest ranch into our long-term, permanent home. Our focus is capturing blue sky and green landscape to make modest-size spaces feel larger, comfortable, and uplifting.

History and Previous Projects: Melissa has most recently joined Jones Studio, but before that, she worked on the Maricopa County Downtown Court Tower while at Gould Evans. She is also studying the effects of views of nature on stress as a Research Associate for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture and the Academy of Architecture for Justice. Brian has worked with Jones Studio, Inc. for the past nine years, most recently leading the design and construction team for the new expansion to the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Photo 1
Butt glazing and pocket doors help create an almost seamless connection from the master bedroom out into the west garden.

Photo 2
Looking east from the ramada-covered west garden patio into the master bedroom. Salvaged, translucent polycarbonate panels clad the lower-level exterior walls and sliding doors. This wall system produces a glowing interior wall surface during the day and a soft glow outside at night.

Photo 3
Interior view of remodeled 1959 ranch. Original restored concrete floors, naturally finished materials and furnishings, and a thin sliver of Arizona sun help create a warm, comfortable living area.

2046 S. College Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85282
studio2046@earthlink.net
Melissa@jonesstudioinc.com
brian@jonesstudioinc.com
Jones Studio: (602) 264-2941

MCCOY & SIMON

Architects & Owners
McCoy and Simon Architects: Ron McCoy, FAIA and Janet Simon (602) 808-9899

Landscape Architect
Ten Eyck Landscape Architects: Christine Ten Eyck (602) 468-0505

Cabinetry
Kenyon Studios: Krista Kenyon (623) 936-8077

General Contractor
Studio: Stonecreek Building Company (480) 832-0905

Kitchen and Residence
RJ Bromley Construction (480) 557-9217

Typical Style: McCoy and Simon’s work is contemporary, in the tradition of modern architecture and with an emphasis on craft and the intimacy of materials and details. This is a version of modern architecture that emphasizes space and carefully considered response to program, context, and landscape.

Inspiration for Home: This home is a careful integration of the life and work of the family. The design is inspired by the site that is dominated by a spectacular setting in the shadow of Camelback Mountain and by the native landscape that surrounds the home. The specific qualities of light from all directions are used to shape the design.

History and Previous Projects: Janet Simon graduated from Sci Arc and worked with architects Richard Meier and Barton Meyers. Ron McCoy graduated from Princeton and worked under Michael Graves and Robert Venturi. Their office works on all scales of design, from hardware to urban. They have designed numerous homes, schools, and commercial projects in Phoenix and Los Angeles, and have completed several projects for institutions such as the Getty Museum. Ron McCoy is a professor at ASU and serves as the University Architect.

Photo 1
The Eastern exposure is a wall of glass that opens up to a deep-covered entry porch. The deep overhang to the south protects the interior from the sun in the summer, but allows the sun to enter the building in the winter months. There are dramatic views to the south of Camelback Mountain, which can be seen from almost anywhere inside the studio.

Photo 2
While the studio workroom is open, airy, and inviting, the conference room is a quieter, more inward-looking space with low ceilings and an intimate walled garden. The ceiling and some walls are lined with sanded Homasote—acoustic paneling made of recycled paper—which serves the dual purpose of being used as a pinup surface for presentations and to help keep the space quiet by absorbing sound.

Visit gnosisltd.org for information on Gnosis, Ltd. and its annual tours.

PHOENIX ADVOCATE EMPOWERS WOMEN TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR THEIR HEALTH

By Leona Christensen
In all her years of community volunteer work, motherhood and marriage, Phoenix resident Michelle Robson never dreamed that she would become a women’s health care advocate. Having battled her own health ordeal, she knew that someone had to stand up for women’s health care and speak up for women who are too besieged by the fog of illness and confusion to speak for themselves. So she asked herself, “Why not me?”

Three years ago, Robson underwent a complete hysterectomy, which culminated in a devastating health experience. For the first time in her life, the vibrant, active woman struggled to get out of bed in the morning. She sought out the top physicians in the country and explored the Internet for science-based information that would explain her illness or offer solutions. There was nothing to be found anywhere.

“It was a matter of survival,” says Robson. “Everywhere I looked, I couldn’t find answers to my health questions. It seemed there was no one who could help me. I had to educate myself about health and act as my own advocate. Out of necessity, I became a health care advocate so that no other woman would suffer like me.”

Robson cites a glaring lack of clinical trials for women, making it nearly impossible to find gender-specific health information and leading to distress and anxiety among women. This month, Robson is test-launching EmpowHer.com, a social media networking Web site for women’s health. EmpowHer.com provides the best in health information and resources and gives women a place to share their personal health ordeals. The new site, she says, is a place where women can find the answers that elude them, and connect with other women who understand what they are going through.

“It’s truth-to-truth discussions about issues [that] women just don’t know where to turn to talk about,” Robson says. “It’s like MySpace for women’s health care.”

Presently, the site focuses on what Robson calls the “big six.” These topics are the initial six areas that Robson wants to drill down on and provide as much information about and resources for as possible. These health concerns include menopause, osteoporosis, heart disease, postpartum depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and thyroid disorders. The Web site content will continue to add topics, with the goal of addressing every topic relating specifically to women’s health.

“It’s time for women take responsibility for their health,” Robson says. “We have been passive for far too long and allowed others to think for us and to make decisions about our health. Before, women did not have the information they needed. Now, we do.”

Think of it as Women’s Health Care 101. EmpowHer.com provides objective information and shares facts that women can share with their physicians. Additionally, EmpowHer.com arms women with the tools they need to act as advocates for their own and their loved ones’ health.

“EmpowHer.com takes a girlfriend-to-girlfriend approach to health care,” says Robson, who personally answers each e-mail and correspondence. “You may think you are alone and no one understands your suffering. All you need to do is log on to EmpowHer.com to find that, yes, there are answers to your questions and [there is] someone who understands your plight because she is going through it, too.”

For more information, visit EmpowHer.com.

The oft-forgotten root vegetable gets a New Year’s makeover.

By Alison Malone

Winter holidays go hand in hand with rich cheese platters, sweet-tooth–satisfying dessert trays, calorie-filled cocktails, and heavy meals centered on that ubiquitous bird. Now that the baking ingredients are stored away, the tree is taken down, and the in-laws are safely at home, there’s no better time to follow those New Year’s resolutions and introduce yourself to beets, a root vegetable that is rich with detoxifying properties.

The rich red and golden varieties meld beautifully with crunchy walnuts, fresh orange juice, spicy arugula, and tangy goat cheese, creating a flavor-packed winter salad that will ease the transition between your last guilt-laden holiday meal and your next trip to the gym.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Recipe developed by Hilary Malone

Ingredients:

2 red and 2 golden beets, roots and stems removed
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 ounces soft crumbled goat cheese
5 ounces arugula or mixed greens
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap red and golden beets in foil. Roast for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until soft and easily pierced with a knife. Cool beets slightly and remove from foil. Peel and cut into wedges. In a small bowl, mix shallot, vinegar, oil, orange juice, salt, and pepper; toss with beets. Combine salad greens and walnuts in a bowl, toss with beets and dressing. Top with goat cheese, and serve.

Makes 4 servings

By Nicole Powell

Designing and decorating your home is like building the perfect nest. Choosing colors, fabrics, and decor is only the beginning. Your home is a reflection of who you are, and is also a combination of life experiences, travels, and personality. Whether you are building your first dwelling, revamping your current home, or looking to expand, let these few “nesting” tips inspire you to gear up for spring!

Where do I begin? I always try to tell clients to consider the things they love in their daily lives and to go from there. Think about where you or your family spends the most time, be it the kitchen, family room, or outdoors. Focus on this area first. It’s important to build your nest starting with the things you love—I guarantee these will find their way into your decor.

No two nests are alike. I say this in every issue of North Valley Magazine, but color is the easiest and most cost-effective way to update your space in a matter of hours. My personal favorite: blue. Any shade of blue can work in any decor scheme, from Tuscan to transitional. It is the perfect backdrop for practically any color scheme, and can also be used as an accent color in any space.

Living large in a small space. The trick to any small space is to use that space wisely. Using a few large pieces instead of several smaller pieces will give the illusion of a bigger space! Good news: It doesn’t cost money to resolve scale issues. Work with items you already have and move them around. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how, in a few short hours, you can have a fresh new look!

Clearing the nest: less is more. I try to stick to this rule: If I haven’t used it, worn it, or seen it in a year, I give it away. By doing this, I create a place to make and display new memories. For quite some time, I have been rotating my son’s artworks in and out of 11 x 14 frames in our hallway. It allows the whole family and our visitors to share in his masterpieces and prevents them from piling up in the drawer, never to be seen and appreciated. Every item should have a place. If it doesn’t, it’s sure to get lost or become unnecessary clutter.

By Cassaundra Brooks
Photography by Erin Gilmore

Whether you intend your wedding to be your city’s event of the year or a simple, quiet affair with your immediate family and friends, it should be a special occasion. It’s a day to celebrate the past, present, and future with your treasured companion for life. In other words, you should be happy! But, regardless of the size of your wedding, there are so many details to consider that the impending day can become a burden. When do you send out invitations? What should you ask prospective DJs? Hair up or down? What’s this about a groom’s cake? Don’t resort to researching Vegas wedding chapels just yet. Put your mother’s and best friend’s flow of advice on pause for a brief moment. We’ve gone to some of Phoenix’s respected wedding professionals with these questions and more, and their answers should make planning your day go a little smoother and, it is hoped, save you some time so you can spend it wisely—relaxing!

INVITATIONS

Budget-Saving Tip: Always, always count the addresses or households you have rather than the number of people you are inviting.

When does a couple need to order invitations, and how early should they send them out?
To allot yourself enough time and to save your wallet from paying any additional rush fees, plan to start your invitation process at least four to five months before your wedding date, especially if you are opting for a custom design suite. Typically, you want to send your invitations out six to eight weeks before your wedding date. However, if you have a large amount of out-of-town guests, you may want to push it back to eight to ten weeks before the date.

Answered by Rikki Hernanskey of The Invitation Lady

MUSIC

What should every bride ask entertainment companies before hiring them?
Making sure you know what you are getting and what’s out there can make all the difference on your special day. Some companies outsource DJs, and others have part-time employees with little to no experience. Price is also a big issue in our industry—you can have pricing from $400 up to $4,000, and it’s all based from experience, attention to detail and, of course, demand.

Some questions to ask are: Who will be my DJ? How much experience does he or she have? Do you have insurance, backup equipment, a written contract? Do you have references that I can call? How much music do you have? And is it radio-edited? What do you wear? What time do you arrive to set up? Are there any additional fees?

Answered by Mike Euper of Creative Touch Entertainment

DÉCOR

Current Trends:
“Green” weddings: You’ll be seeing brides choosing recycled paper products, gowns made of natural fabrics like silk, fair-trade jewelry, and gemstones, and caterers that use organic and locally grown produce.

Black and White, and Bold: In 2008 we’ll be seeing a surge in black and white palettes that have a punch of a single bold color to accent it.

Paper and Packaging: Popularity is on the rise for high-end invitation ensembles, cleverly wrapped favors, and custom wedding logos.

Wardrobe Changes: In 2008, we’ll see more brides making wardrobe changes throughout her wedding day.

Classy and Simple: I am really looking forward to some of my 2008 weddings that are small, intimate affairs with a few high-impact details. There is no limit to the romance and personal experience that you can create for twenty and thirty of your nearest and dearest.

Small plates and heavy hors d’oeuvres: For years, we’ve been seeing high-end events serve heavy hors d’oeuvres and small plates at strategically placed stations. It encourages mingling, conversation, and a great celebratory energy.

Budget-Saving Tip: Watch out for the most costly components. Food and beverage, and the related taxes and fees, should total no more than 40 to 45 percent of your overall budget. Skip the favors. Do it right or not at all. Favors are not required by etiquette and can actually cheapen the experience of your guests if not well chosen and packaged nicely.

What are the two most important things to consider when deciding on décor?
Linens and lighting are the two most crucial areas to consider when designing your atmosphere. With linens, there are hundreds of textures and colors that can customize the look of a space. Lighting, both high-tech and low-tech, can do wonders for décor. Candlelight is always flattering, and today’s technology can infuse tons of atmosphere by pin-spotting centerpieces, color-washing walls, and creating swanky lounge and dance floor areas.

Answered by Aleasha Shelton of A Day to Cherish, LLC.

HAIR AND MAKEUP

HAIR

Current trend: Short, trendy bobs such as those that Katie Holmes and Victoria Beckham have.

Budget-Saving tip: Use a color-support shampoo recommended by your stylist to keep the color fresh and longer lasting.

What should a bride consider when deciding between an updo and having her hair down?
She should consider how formal the wedding is, and the design of her dress. The more formal would usually call for an updo. She would also need to consider how comfortable she would feel in an updo.

MAKEUP

What is a common mistake brides make when it comes to wedding day makeup?
Too often, they have a too-dramatic look. They should keep their makeup soft and pretty.

What are three must-haves to keep handy throughout the wedding day for touch-ups?
Lipstick, powder, and mascara.

Answered by Donna Parr and the design staff at Par Exsalonce.

LOCATION

What are the advantages of having the wedding and the reception at the same place versus having each at a different place?

I think that having the wedding ceremony and reception at the same location starts you in the right direction of having a low-stress day. Your wedding day is a busy day, so having the elements for your celebration at your fingertips is key. No worries about transportation to and from each location—let’s not forget the extra cost for that. It also gives the resort or venue the chance to plan all aspects of the wedding for you, and easy for your guests to arrive for the ceremony and know that they are in one location for all your blessed events.

Answered by KT Thompson of the FireSky Resort & Spa, A Kimpton Hotel, in Scottsdale.

CAKE

Current Trend: I’m starting to see the trend turn back to simplicity. Simple and elegant but stylish cakes are making a real comeback. A few years ago, it wouldn’t have been uncommon to see vibrant colors and edgy designs. Many couples are bringing it back to basics with their own personal styles.

Budget-Saving Tip: Not into the tradition of having a wedding cake? Try cupcakes with your favorite assorted flavors. Who could say no to warm chocolate chip cookies and milk? These ideas are fun, and could be the hit of the celebration and save you some dough in the long run!

What are the benefits of having both a wedding cake and groom’s cake?
Groom cakes are just fun! These cakes give the groom a chance to show his personal side to those attending the couple’s celebration. Whether it’s a passion for golf, music, or travel, a groom’s cake can identify the things that are important to the man of the hour.

Answered by KT Thompson of the FireSky Resort & Spa, A Kimpton Hotel, in Scottsdale.

FLOWERS

Current Trend: Curly willow arches with floral enhancements; draping crystals from raised, tall centerpieces; and hanging floral chandeliers made entirely from florals.

Budget-Saving Tip: Incorporate ceremony designs at reception. Use the bridal party bouquets for the head table’s centerpieces. Add ambience to reception with candles. Rose petals bring in color, and can be filtered throughout the reception.

What should a bride bring for her first floral consultation, and how should she prepare for it?
Bring all the pictures you’ve clipped from the magazines: flowers, bouquets, and centerpieces. Especially, bring along your dreams of what you wish you could have, even though your budget doesn’t go there. Color samples of the bridal party and linens from the reception are extremely helpful in selecting the right flower to use in designs. Don’t worry about how to make it all work out. A professional florist will help you to maximize your budget ,and give you options to choose from.

How do you keep the wedding florals fresh all day?
There is considerable time spent behind the scenes preparing your flowers to ensure that they look beautiful all day. The hydration process is critical in the Southwest, and helps to maintain the freshness. An experienced professional will bring extra blooms just in case any become damaged along the way.

Answered by Dianne Bing of Bing’s Floral.

DRESS

Current Trend: Asymmetrical dropped waistline made famous by Miliani Trump. Form-fitted mermaid-style dresses. Lace is back for that romantic look. Color is also back this year for the bride who wants to put her personality into her weddings, and is also popular for destination and second weddings.

What are the top three things that a bride should consider when purchasing her gown?
The time of day her wedding will take place, the location where the wedding will be held, and her personal style.

How long before the wedding should the gown be purchased and altered?
The wedding gown should be purchased a year before the wedding date. A wedding gown can take up to eight months to arrive after it has been ordered. Alterations should be started about eight weeks before the wedding.

What’s the best way to store my wedding dress before and after the wedding?
The best way to store the gown before the wedding is in a muslin garment bag, which allows the fabric to breathe. After the wedding, the gown should be professionally cleaned and heirloomed so the fabric won’t age.

Answered by Eunice of Brides by Demetrios.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Budget-Saving Tip: Plan your wedding for the summer or the winter on a weekday. Many photographers will be available for discounted rates on off-season or nonpeak days in the year.

Should I pick a traditional or photojournalistic photographer?
Traditional wedding photographers are mostly known for staging moments during the wedding day and focusing most of their attention on the family portraits. Photojournalists by contrast spend the bulk of their time capturing documentary images from the wedding day that tell your story. While still taking time for family pictures, these wedding photographers work to capture candid emotion, from the ceremony to the reception.

Should I receive the film or the digital negatives from my wedding?
Selecting to purchase the digital negatives can be an excellent choice and a worthwhile investment. Having your own copy to post on your wedding Web site or on your desktop can be cool; however, nothing beats a professional print from a pro lab!

Should we do our wedding pictures before the ceremony?
This is an option that everyone should consider. Many brides and grooms are choosing to see each other before the wedding, for several reasons. First, this allows for a smooth and efficient photography session with all the family and attendants. Rounding up family for pictures before the sun sets is a challenge that should be avoided. Second, many couples decide they would rather spend time enjoying their guests during the cocktail hour directly following the ceremony.

Answered by Stuart Thurlkill of Eyes 2 See photography.

By Matt Sheker

I have a simple New Year’s resolution for all wine enthusiasts around the globe: try different varietals of wine from unfamiliar growing climates. Given the fact that there are over 5,000 different varietals of grapes around the world, with over 70 countries producing wine, the pursuit of different wines is endless.

New Zealand is known for its sauvignon blancs; however, try one from California instead and notice the distinct difference in the two styles. Most people are familiar with the Rieslings from Germany, but what about a Riesling from Alsace in France? Australia transplanted the syrah vines from France and renamed them Shiraz, yet produce the wine in a new-world style using American oak, which completely changes the same grape.

Try wines that do not have well-known labels. Everyone is familiar with Gallo, Beringer, Sutter Home, Mondavi, Kendall-Jackson, BV, Silver Oak, and Dom Perignon; but what about Schug, Galante, Midnight Cellars, Bernard & Griffin, or Duval Leroy? Some smaller individually owned and operated vineyards could open your eyes to quality wines that are available to the consumer, but may be limited in availability because they are produced in smaller quantities.

Set aside a couple of bottles. You can purchase some wines now at a lower price and then store them for a couple years—they are designed to get better with age. Today, a 1997 cabernet from Napa Valley might be a little pricey; however, if you purchased the wine back in 1997 when it was first released and laid it aside until now, you made out like a bandit.

Experiment with wines at restaurants. Restaurants are known for carrying only name-brand wines because consumers recognize the labels. Try ordering a wine you have not yet heard of, and make sure to ask your server if this wine will complement the food you have ordered. Always try to pair your wine with food. This seems like a daunting task, but it is really quite easy. Some wine stores even have food-pairing charts that can assist you.

Lastly, allow your wine to open up and breathe. Use a decanter on your wine, and allow it to mix with oxygen and expose the nuances that make this wine unique. Taste a big, heavy red like a cabernet, or try a Bordeaux blend right after it is opened. Then decant the rest of the wine and try it again in thirty minutes, sixty minutes, two hours. Note how the fruit of the wine begins to mellow and the finish becomes more dominant. The true essence of the wine reveals itself.

For your New Year’s resolution, expand your palate and your wine knowledge—try an unfamiliar grape from an unknown region. Whether you’re purchasing from a wine shop or selecting from the wine menu at your favorite restaurant, I guarantee you will find a new favorite for your wine cellar.

By: Keith Harmeyer

Some use it to create business empires, others use it to lead nations, and still others inspire entire civilizations to greatness. I believe, in fact, that this single skill is so critical that it is virtually impossible to succeed at anything without it—at least not in any meaningful way.

I’m not talking about positive thinking, assertiveness, negotiating skills, an improved vocabulary, appearance, education, or “the secret law of attraction.” All these things are great and might even contribute to success, but they’re of little value without the skill to which I’m referring.

So just what is this superpower, used every day by the world’s most successful people to achieve greatness? Simply, it is the ability to put yourself in the place of another.

Can it really be that easy? Just a mile’s walk in someone else’s shoes? Well, there’s a bit more to it than that. But if you can truly understand and appreciate a given situation from the other person’s point of view, there’s little that you can’t accomplish. In order to achieve almost any type of success—that is, to get something you want that you don’t have now—you must enlist the involvement of others. For example, if you’re in sales and want to achieve greater selling success, it is necessary for customers or clients to buy more from you. If you are interested in fast tracking your career, you’ll need the acknowledgment and recognition of the person or people to whom you report.

Corporate leaders take their businesses to new heights by understanding the needs of their customers, employees, and shareholders, and providing the value these groups demand. Politicians must speak to the desires and hopes of voters in order to get elected. Spiritual leaders touch the hearts of entire populations, inspiring great acts of sacrifice, responsibility, and charity.

Why not give it a try, and see what kinds of results you achieve?

By Ben Miles

Reading former vice president Al Gore’s latest book, The Assault on Reason, is very much like scanning a textbook written by an affable and impressively informed university professor. The initial impression is a workbook with emphasis more on the work to be done than on the book to be read. But as one negotiates the 273 pages that comprise nine chapters, an introduction and conclusion, an index, and twenty-nine pages of chapter-by-chapter notes, the read becomes an absorbing one. It’s not that Reason doesn’t require discipline from its audience; the sheer vastness of topics seems, in fact, at times to defy comprehensibility.

We begin at Johannes Gutenberg’s press, which, according to Gore, facilitated the fifteenth-century Renaissance period while laying the foundation for The Enlightenment. A quantum leap takes us into Marshall McLuhan’s ideas of “hot” and “cool” media and through the psychological notions behind attachment theory. There are side trips to the Geneva Conventions, Barry Glassner’s Culture of Fear concept, and the mechanics of mass persuasion. In whittling the complex treatise to a pointed and singular focus, Gore throughout his book allows the reader to see the light at the end of this polemic tunnel.

Beside his terms as vice president, Gore is known as an author of books on ecology: Earth in the Balance (1992) and An Inconvenient Truth (2006). In Reason, Gore is concerned with our political environment. As he’s done in the past with the rain forest and the ozone layer, Gore lists and laments the dangers threatening to destroy our democracy. Among these carcinogens that attack freedom are the systematic utilization of fear and misuse of religious faith; the distracting culture of entertainment; and the concentration of power that exists within the national media and executive branch of the federal government.

In the concluding portion of Reason, Gore refers to Fredrick Douglass and reiterates what the great abolitionist “suddenly understood: the essential connection between literacy and liberty, ignorance and ‘fitness’ to be a slave.”

Some pundits have made favorable comparisons to Gore’s Reason and Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” pamphlet. Gore’s accomplishment is not only replete with common sense; it is also an admirable scholarly accomplishment.