Rafael Navarro Mixed media artist blends mediums and symbolism to create enchanting artwork.   By Nicole Royse Images courtesy of Rafael Navarro and Nicole Royse Local artist Rafael Navarro possesses the ability to skillfully handle a variety of mediums, which results in pieces that combine imagery and symbolism for spectacular visual impact. Originally from Mexico, Navarro began creating art at a youn ...

Branding Why pay extra for a brand name gem? By Scott Bohall If you go car shopping and head to a dealership, you won’t find a Mercedes without its signature star logo. If you shop for shoes, you won’t find Nikes without their familiar swoosh trademark. But, unlike cars and shoes, there is no reason to pay extra for a branded diamond, which increases the price. It’s possible to find a diamond in one store f ...

Beyond the Pavement Duo takes camping to the next level. By Sondra Barr Photos by CMQ Photos LLC Where the road ends is where the adventure begins for Rick Russek and Ron Bernaud, the owners and co-founders of North Valley-based Bivouac Camping Trailers. The duo started Bivouac Camping Trailers (BCT) to not only provide high quality, unique, expedition trailers/toy haulers for the outdoor enthusiast, but as ...

Nip/Tuck/Love  For couples looking to achieve a trimmer, more contoured physique why not consider these ways to blast the fat forever. By Jennifer Geoghegan, M.D. Kybella Kybella is a FDA-approved treatment that uses deoxycholic acid to break down fat under the chin. These injections cause the release of lipids from the fat cells, which are then absorbed and discarded by the body. Good candidates for this t ...

Fit Together How to keep kids––and the entire family––active all year long. By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty Photo by 7713 Photography   When you instill active behavior from a young age children grow up with a natural inclination to move their body. With the increase of accessible technology kids are easily able to become sedentary, which overtime poses risks to their health and well-being. Keep ki ...

Sweet Sights  February and March serve up some planetary treats. By Steve Kates Spring is just around the corner and promises to offer up some amazing sights in the sky. February skies begin with a reminder to look for the brightest object in the night sky, other than the sun and moon. This would be the planet Venus; it reaches its greatest brilliancy on Feb. 17. Venus will appear in the southwestern sky an ...

Home Sweet Home                   Keystone Homes introduces Eastwood, a new luxury development in Carefree. By Michelle Talsma Everson There’s a certain type of pride in his voice when Rich Eneim, Jr. talks about his family business. As the vice president and principal of Keystone Homes, he has a lot to be proud of as the family owned and operated homebuilder has been continuously developing communities in ...

Crazy for Cookies  The Fourth Annual Girl Scout Cookie Challenge. By Alison Bailin Batz Everyone has a special place in their hearts for Girl Scout cookies. Not only because they’re spectacularly delicious, but because the Girl Scout Cookie Program helps girls fulfill their dreams, follow their passions, and change the world. “Girl Scout cookies not only help our local Girl Scouts earn money for fun, educat ...

Irish Cultural Center Explore Irish history, music, art, literature, and language. By Julie Carlson   Do you enjoy researching your genealogy or celebrating St. Patrick's Day? Do you know that Arizona has a long and storied Irish history? At the last census there were over 500,000 people in Arizona with some Irish ancestry. An Irishman named Hugo O’Conor founded Tucson. Nicknamed Captain Red, he was as ...

Passion & Pedigree  The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show celebrates 62 years in the Valley. Before heading out to compete at this year’s 62nd Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show in February, it’s a good bet 12-year-old Quinn Eisenfeld has gone up to a week without washing her hair. “Your hair actually has to be a little dirty to get the best bun,” says Eisenfeld, a student at Cicero Preparatory Academy in ...

Flexible Dieting Stop yo-yo dieting. Instead, take the 80/20 approach for sustainable weight loss.     By Stephanie and Zachary Dorworth Yo-yo dieting and weight fluctuations are becoming far too common. Many times the seasons of New Year's resolutions, summer swimsuits, and holidays are contributors to these common fluctuations. Many people force themselves to go cold turkey on the things they en ...

OdySea Aquarium The largest aquarium in the Southwest offers a rare peek at ocean life. By Julie Carlson   After a much anticipated wait, OdySea Aquarium is now open. Holding more than two million gallons of water and fascinating marine life from around the globe, this two-story facility offers visitors an intimate and rare peek inside our planet’s oceans. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian ...

  Fresh Reads By Julie Carlson   RUINS OF WAR By John A. Connell Nominated for the 2016 Barry Award for Best First Mystery, Connell's story is set after World War II in American-occupied Germany in 1945. Protagonist Mason Collins is an intelligent, sharp, and charismatic detective. Having survived the war, the former Chicago cop enters the Criminal Investigation Department of the military to solve ...

Off-Center Golf pro Scott Sackett talks straight shots. With the help of Trackman, we’re going to examine how much an off-center hit affects the curvature on a golf shot. In the picture below, one of my students hit a shot that, if hit in the center of the face, should have gone relatively straight. This is because where the golf club was traveling through impact (club path) is close to 0 and where the face ...

Scottsdale You may have noticed the city’s Welcome to Scottsdale signs and wondered, “Why the name Scottsdale? Is it named after a Scott or a Dale?” U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott was the area’s first land developer. In 1888, he purchased 640 acres in what’s now downtown Scottsdale for the bargain price of $3.50 an acre. Along with his wife and his brother, the trio settled in to what was then called Ora ...