August 2009: One fine day

Worth the wait Kisha Young sits outside Bluegrass Grill & Bakery, your pick for Best Place for Brunch. She wears a Michael Kors top ($89.50) and sterling ring ($98) from Posh; Elizabeth & James black pants ($264) from Eloise, your pick for Best Boutique; Paige tall riding boots by Frye ($348) from Bittersweet; and Brooksilver […]

August 2009: What's New

Aprons are meant to be functional, sure, but picture one tied across your waist atop an A-line skirt with a pair of flats. Form, function, perfection. (From top) Polka dot retro apron with pom-poms (price upon request) from Les Fabriques, 1940s pink polished cotton apron with Rickrack trim ($20) from June & Ruby, “To Heck […]

August 2009: Comfort To Go

Tavia Brown Age: 33 Occupation: Owner, designer and creator of taviametal Even though Tavia Brown only has two children, she often jokes that she has four. “My husband owns a business too, so with the kids and the two businesses, it’s like having four kids,” she says. Accordingly, Tavia has honed a very simple, family-oriented […]

August 2009: One Last Look

Closet organizer With her business, Simply Organized, professional organizer Peggy Woodall will help you unpack after a move, manage your closet or even create a home filing system. For her own closet, she used the existing space and created compartment-like sections for clothes, shoes, and jewelry. Whatever the task, Woodall offers this advice: “Live within […]

Best Marmaduke

Daniel Strickland hears you talking about him—“You could put a saddle on him,” “He’s as big as a horse,” “You could ride him!”—and, quite frankly, he’s tired of the dog jokes. “My friends say it’s like being a celebrity bodyguard,” says Strickland of owning Tyrone, his 2-year-old Great Dane. Tyrone gets the attention and Strickland, […]

Best mammal

On December 10, four days before the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was scheduled to arrive at the John Paul Jones Arena, a lone tiger stood, confidently, at Central Place on the Downtown Mall. Slowly, she tread toward the pen. The moist air hugged her spotted coat. She took a few more steps […]

Six exclusive Best of 2009 videos

Dan Epstein, whose restaurant, Eppie’s, has been runner-up for "Best meal under $10" for the past three years, wants you to vote for the Downtown Mall restaurant next year. Here, his PSA.                 Pen Park is a perennial winner in the "Best park for kids" category. So we […]

July 2009: Instant Decorator

Shape shade Remember when you were little and you’d make shadow puppets on the wall with your hands?…This project isn’t really like that. But, we’re betting that if the light were bright enough, the silhouettes you create would be like a new piece of art every time you turned on the light. In that way, […]

June 2009: Instant Decorator

  Your name here This clay pot project might look simple (and it is!), but it’s so much more than that. Think kitschy organizational tool (Crayons? Fruit? Pens?). Think thoughtful gift made more special with a personalized note written directly on it. In fact, think about it a little longer, and you can probably come […]