Holiday Traditions North Valley readers share what makes this time of year so special to their families. By Kristin Caliendo I never realized how important holiday traditions were until I had a family of my own. I was inspired looking back over my childhood, while tracing my family traditions for this column. This journey made me appreciate all the effort my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles put in to ...

Yoga & Poetry  Scottsdale’s Samantha Lang combines her passions in a unique book designed to soothe the soul. By Jennifer Wolff As residents of the North Valley, most of us are busy people. Between working hard, taking care of families, countless social activities, dining out, events, outdoor adventures, and nightlife, we are an intensely vigorous group. Ask anyone these days how they are doing and the ...

Gold, Silver, & Diamonds This is the time of year that silver and gold are not only in jewelry but the colors of many holiday packaging and displays. Customers often ask, “What is a good investment?” To me, investment has many meanings. Do you want to buy it in order to sell it? Gold and silver coins and bars are popular. If so, the price of them is easy to find on a daily basis. Gold coins usually have ...

CONCERTS/MOVIES/TELEVISION    CONCERTS/  Dec. 6 Trans-Siberian Orchestra 2015 Gila River Arena This unique rock band brings holiday cheer to attendees. With a sound described as Pink Floyd meets Yes and The Who, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will perform a rock opera. Their unique sound will bring a twist to the typical holiday feel.   Jan. 9 Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Comerica Theatre Since the debut of ...

CAR GUY Barrett-Jackson Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson opens up about his car collection, his Scottsdale memories, and what the 45th Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction has in store for 2016.   By Sondra Barr Most boys love fast cars, but it’s a rare few indeed who get to grow up surrounded by exotic and high-performance automobiles. For Barrett-Jackson Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson, his Scottsdale childhood ...

FELINE FIXATIONS Let your style go wild with animal print and soft-to-the-touch fabrics. Photos: Brad Olson, bradolsonphotography.com Wardrobe and styling: Shannon Campbell, shannoncampbellstylist.com Model: Sabine Turner––FORD/Robert Black Agency, fordrba.com Makeup and hair: Patrycja Korzeniak, patrycjakorzeniak.com Location and cat: Lynn Spanganberg–Northern Exotics Clothing: Dillard’s Fashion Square, di ...

DIY Magnet Wall This easy-to-do decorating project makes learning fun. By Kristin Caliendo Photos by Kristin Caliendo   When my son came home from preschool one day, waving a piece of construction paper with his name spelled out LEIF, I was so excited that I wanted to find a way to help him continue learning the alphabet. I searched the Internet for inspiration, but fell short of anything more exciting ...

Improve Your Drives  Golf pro Scott Sackett explains how to greatly impact your total distance and spin by changing your contact point. Launch angle, total distance, spin, and contact point: What do these four elements have in common? Well, three are a result of the other. In this case, contact point heavily influences launch angle, spin, and total distance with a driver. Why is that? The driver is a curved ...

A Royal Room for Baby  All babies should live like royalty. Behold, here are some fabulous finds and essentials for your little prince or princess. By Nadine Bubeck By Marisa Belle Photography   Complementary Separates Romina cribs are stunning, sturdy, safely crafted, and available in many finishes and designs. Pictured: The Classic Crib Nerva in natural. rominafurniture.com Elegance meets affordabili ...

Pecan and Cherry Irish Soda Bread  Mama G. (aka Leann Grunwald) on the sweet history of a delicious family staple.   Irish soda bread is a prized recipe that’s usually passed down from generation to generation. A quick bread made with baking soda as a leavening agent instead of the more common yeast breads, traditional Irish soda bread recipes started showing up around the 1840s. From the earliest time ...

Getaway on the Getaway   Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship redefines the concept of cruising. By Alison Bailin Batz When a ship hires iconic Miami artist David Le Batard––commissioned in recent years by Adidas, Calvin Klein, Macy’s, the Miami Heat, and Gibson Guitars, just to name a few––as its “painter,” it is pretty clear that said ship is out to make a statement. But Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) new G ...

Books to read   By Julie Carlson   WOLF BY WOLF By Ryan Graudin   Known for creating fantastical worlds, Ryan Graudin offers an alternative version of World War II in Wolf by Wolf, the first in a new series of books. Wolf by Wolf takes place in Europe in 1956 when the Axis powers of Germany and Japan have won the war, not the Allies. At the heart of this story is Yael, a child of the Holocaus ...

Ask Dirk  A guy’s perspective on matters of the heart and home.   Hi Dirk, I see your advice column and wonder each issue if it’s going to be ridiculous satire or something poignant and worth taking into consideration. I’m a 17-year-old high school cheerleader; some might say I am the top of the heap when it comes to popularity, but the top is where it’s windiest. I see people all the time in not only ...

Soulful Stylings  The blues-infused rock n’ roll tunes of singer-songwriter-guitarist Lee Perreira intrigues writer Lynette Carrington. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Lee Perreira has been a fixture on the local music scene for many years. Perreira has performed supporting Train, The Fray, “American Idol” winner Lee DeWyze, Matt Nathanson, Jimmy Gnecco, INXS, Scott Stapp of the band Creed, Keaton Simons, and m ...

Gem Trends  The rarest colored jewels are always sought after. Jewelry expert Scott Bohall explains why.     Each year, the latest fashion trends and hot colors show up in Paris and Italy. Sometimes those trends carry over into the gem world, and sometimes they don’t impact the jewelry industry. But, the place that really determines what is hot or not in the gemstone market is Bangkok, Thailand. I ...