Kristie Smeltzer

The art store tucked down a less-traveled corridor in my hometown mall was one of my favorite places to frequent as a girl. Walking between aisles full of paint brushes in every size and shape, and along rows with different types and colors of paint, made it seem like anything I could imagine was possible, […]

When summer heat intensifies, many of us are drawn to the water, especially the James River. While hundreds of years ago the James served as a busy shipping route, these days it can be a place of leisure and adventure. What:  James River Batteau Co.’s Farm to Batteau dinner. Why:  A chef-prepared meal on the […]

The Downtown Mall turns 50 this year. As a transplant to Charlottesville, the Mall has felt so intimately woven into the fabric of this beloved town that it’s hard to imagine a time before its existence. The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society’s exhibition “Then & Now: Charlottesville in the 1970s” allows visitors to time travel back […]

One of the easiest and most delicious ways to learn about other cultures is to sample its cuisine. Across the globe, food brings people together in times of joy and sadness. And with gas prices what they are right now, getting a taste of international travel without having to sell a kidney to afford the […]

What Getting an intuitive dry haircut. Why To have a ’do I love that grows out even better. How it went It’s been sunroof season ever since I got the cut—weather be damned! I arrived at an unassuming row of businesses and found master stylist Lune Wynyard’s workspace nestled in a therapist’s office. The cheery, […]