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Luxury Hotels & Destinations
Visiting London in Royal Style
London is a city known for royalty. Even here in the U.S. we are fascinated with the kings and queens and princes and princesses of Britain's royal Family. You may not be royalty, but you can create a dream vacation in London that is fit for a queen or a king.
Anguilla: Hidden Luxury Tucked Away in Paradise
When you arrive in Anguilla, surrounded by the most exquisite turquoise water and powdery white sand anywhere, you'll know you've found a heavenly tropical paradise.
The European Fine Arts Fair: Furnishing Your Home with Arts & Antiques
Art and antiques help define a home. Finding the right items to complete a space is the most difficult task in creating a treasure-filled room. The European Fine Arts Fair (TEFAF) is internationally recognized as the premier source for the highest quality arts and antiques. The fair, held each spring in Maastricht, The Netherlands, celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. It brings together more than 200 of the world's leading dealers exhibiting paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, classical antiquities, illuminated manuscripts, textiles, porcelain, glass, silver, jewelry and other works of art totaling more than $1 billion. Exploring TEFAF is one of those events of a lifetime.
Antibes Juan-les-Pins: Jewel of Provence
My first time in the South of France was magical. I landed at the airport in Nice on a gorgeous sunny day—one of the more than 300 you'll find on the Cote d'Azur each year. As I made my way from the airport to my destination of Antibes Juan-les-Pins, the words Victory Hugo wrote about the small town seemed accurate. "Everything here is radiant, everything is in bloom, everything sings," he wrote. "The sun, women, love are all at home here. My eyes and my soul are still dazzled."
When people think of Amsterdam, they usually think of water. And there is plenty of it in the city. Amsterdam is world-renowned for its maze of canals built in a crescent surrounding the city's center. Today, Amsterdam is one of the most popular European tourist destinations with over four million visitors each year. It's time to explore the magic of this modern metropolis still alive with Old World Charm.
Telluride, Colorado: All the Blue Sky, Crisp Air & Champagne Powder You Want
Telluride, Colorado is a town unlike any other. The remote haven is nestled in a box canyon surrounded by the spectacular 14,000-foot peaks of the San Juan Mountains. Today the town, recognized as a National Historic Landmark, is alive with ski enthusiasts in the winter months and a bevy of festivals throughout the glorious summer days.
Most of us know what we want when decorating our home. We have an idea of what we need to make our house a home. But what about when you travel? How do design and decor figure into your vacations? Today's options let you choose from a variety of bed and breakfast inns that can give you the feel of home—or let you break away to a style as unique as your travels.
World renowned for its exquisite Native American rugs and pottery, handcrafted jewelry, art, sculpture and unique Southwestern cuisine, Santa Fe is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. This city of 65,000 people, founded in 1610, was voted #2 by the readers of Conde Nast's Traveler. Yet there is a Santa Fe waiting just beyond the tourist attractions—a Santa Fe that offers something unique with a flavor all its own. Finding the hidden Santa Fe is finding a gem in the shadows of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Close your eyes and hear the waves gently lapping at the shore. Smell the fresh salt air on the breeze. Imagine strolling along endless stretches of white sand, gazing out across the water. Imagine sunsets that take your breath away. A beachfront home lets you open your eyes and take in the beauty of your dreams-turned-reality.
There's a way the wind blows across the Mediterranean, bringing with it the essence of clean air, open water, fresh fruits and vegetables, vineyards, flowers, and the ever-present olive. Provence is much more than a place. It's a way of life. Nowhere reflects that way of life better than Saint-Tropez.
Effortless Luxury: Seven Canyons Sedona
I stood in the shadows of the towering red rocks, a gentle breeze blowing across my face with a deep blue sky overhead. I completely understood why Sedona is considered the most beautiful place to live in America.
Get Away With the Girls: Grab Your Friends for an All-Girl Weekend
Sex in the City videos. Ice cream pedicures. Martini parties. Psychic readings. Bobbi Brown makeovers. Local hot spots. Saks Fifth Avenue. Green Tea Mud masques. Learning to spa at home. These are all just a few of the fun things offered as part of local "getaway" packages perfect for an all girl's weekend.
Guests at Inn of the Anasazi can experience an elegant microcosm of Southwestern style that whispers of "The Ancient Ones" and historic Pueblo living...a perfect balance of old and new, ancient and modern, tradition and originality.
Hotels and Destinations: Marquis Los Cabos, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Dramatic contemporary Mexican architecture in the school of Barragan and Legorreta combines with Santa Fe style, creating an elegant design all its own, seen in the open-air lobby. Executive Chef Theirry Dufour skillfully combines French, Mexican and Caribbean cuisines to give visitors the ultimate experience.
Hotels and Destinations: Inn of the Anasazi: A Link to the Past
Anasazi is the Navajo word for "The Ancient Ones" and it is that perfect balance of old and new, ancient and modern, tradition and innovation that makes the Inn of the Anasazi such a special place.
Hotels and Destinations: A Place for Sinners & Saints: The Aleph, Rome, Italy
The Boscolo brothers believe that a hotel is an island far from everyday life. It is part of a journey; a non-place, a component of a city, but separate. The Aleph is all this: the red heart of Rome, an exclusive world where guests integrate, where devils become angels and where everything is damnably chic, provocative and ironic.
Hotels and Destinations: Hotel La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
Almost 300 years ago, the Marrakech ruler, Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abedellah, gifted his son, Prince Moulay Mamoun, with an extraordinary garden. The site of the Prince's sumptuous 18th century receptions in the shadows of the Atlas Mountains is now 20 acres of idyllic and lush park surrounding the exquisite Hotel La Mamounia in the heart of Marrakech.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado: Where Old West Meets New
Nestled in the sweeping Yampa Valley high in the Rocky Mountains, Steamboat Springs is an unusual mix of old and new. It is home to rodeo champions, the rich and famous, nearly 40 Olympic skiers and a whole lot of good ol’ cowboys.
Stone Rose: A Contemporary Bar and Lounge
Eric Clapton could be hanging out at the bar. Cindy Crawford might be relaxing on one of the chocolate-colored couches scattered around the room. You never know who you might find at the new Stone Rose at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Nightlife entrepreneurs Rande and Scott Gerber's newest project is a contemporary bar and lounge. The cutting-edge design fuses the feel of the 1950s beach home—complete with sunken living room—with modern nightclub.
Arizona's hot in the summer, but the hottest place in Scottsdale this summer is the newly launched Barcelona—The Steakhouse. Barcelona is definitely a fixture on the Scottsdale nightclub scene, but a new renowned chef will help make the restaurant just as popular.
Canal at SouthBridge: Haute cuisine meets haute couture
Scottsdale's new SouthBridge development boasts an upscale collection of small boutiques and individually owned restaurants. One of the first eateries to open, Canal takes its name from the ancient waterway that still runs through downtown Scottsdale.
The Valley's Best Sunday Brunches
What's better than a lazy Sunday morning spent reading the newspaper, sipping a cup of coffee and smelling bacon sizzling in the kitchen? Going out for one of the Valley's incredible brunches, sipping a cup of coffee, smelling bacon sizzling in someone else's kitchen and feasting on bounty fit for a king or queen.
jade bar at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain
jade bar is that rare place where all of your senses come alive. A space so tranquil and serene that it feels almost elusive. Sitting alongside elements restaurant at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, however, jade bar is anything but elusive. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, the food is world-class, the outdoor patios and valley vistas are unparalleled and you can find pure martini bliss all just minutes off Scottsdale Road in Paradise Valley.
"The truth is inside." So reads the sign over the nondescript wooden door at the entrance to Kazimierz World Wine Bar in Old Town Scottsdale. Step out of the heat and bright Arizona sun and back to the age of the speakeasy when you enter and you'll quickly see that Kazimierz definitely offers a respite from the crazy world outside. Sipping a glass of out-of-this-world wine from one of the bar's 3,000 bottles, you will definitely feel as if you've found the ultimate truth.
Taggia
If you're looking for marinara sauce, tiramisu and a swinging nightclub, you don't want to go to Taggia. If you're looking for great coastal Italian cuisine, casual dining and top-shelf cocktails in a setting that takes you to Italy's Mediterranean coast, then you'll love Taggia.
You're tired. You have the middle-of-the-week doldrums. You want a spot to sit back, relax, enjoy the patio, and just chat with a few friends. No music. No crushing dance floor. Just pure relaxation. The Mid-Week Wine Refresher at LON's at The Hermosa Inn is just the right "hotspot" at which to chill.
Taste Ultra Lounge: Redefining Scottsdale's Nightlife
Taste Ultra Lounge in Scottsdale is trying to redefine Scottsdale's nightlife. With its blend of Asian influence inspired by TAO nighclub at The Venetian in Las Vegas and its boudoir feel derived from the red crystal chandeliers and satin-covered beds lining the dance floor, the nightclub may do just that.
Christopher's Fermier Brasserie and Paola's Wine Bar
You walk in the front door of Christopher's Fermier Brasserie and Paola's Wine Bar and it feels like you've stepped into a neighborhood bar. The bartender serves up glasses of wine from the wine bar's massive wine list. If you prefer, you can enjoy the full selection of top shelf liquors and specialty drinks. The sound of top 40 hits over the stereo provides a perfect after-work hang out. Sit back, relax on the second-floor patio and soak up the atmosphere at the trendy Biltmore Fashion Park.
Asia de Cuba: Great Food, Great Atmosphere
When you step past the gauzy white curtains of the front walk and into the luxurious white surroundings of the Mondrian Hotel Scottsdale, the serenity embraces you. As you make your way through the hotel's foyer, past the blood red cave of the Red Bar, and descend downstairs to the shimmering white Asia de Cuba restaurant, you might think you've entered heaven. The atmosphere in Asia de Cuba, the new restaurant that just opened at the Mondrian, is heavenly, but the decadence of the specialty rum drinks and the elaborate desserts feels just a little sinful.
Jackrabbit Supper Club—New, Hip, Hot
Earth. Air. Fire. Water. Four distinct elements define Sapporo, an Asian restaurant in North Scottsdale. Earth is the wood beam ceiling, granite tables, massive sandstone walls and entire structures of black river rock. Air is the cool blue lights that beckon you inside, the open patios, and expanses of glass. Fire is the torches lining the front, steam rising from the Teppan tables, and blown glass in fiery oranges and reds. Water flows softly out of sandstone walls, down granite slabs, and bubbles inside the strategically placed enormous aquariums.
Crown Room: Old Town Scottsdale's Gem
Crown Room in Old Town Scottsdale is a unique combination of upscale martini bar and neighborhood hangout. Crown Room caters to an upscale, young professional crowd, and service starts the minute you walk in the door, where you'll be greeted personally.
The bar is an interesting split between bustle and subtle elegance, with fire reds, deep earth tones and subdued lighting glowing from custom-blown glass fixtures overhead. The bar area buzzes with activity and is flanked by two flat-panel TVs and a selection of fine vodkas backlit in deep reds.
Earth. Air. Fire. Water. Four distinct elements define Sapporo, an Asian restaurant in North Scottsdale. Earth is the wood beam ceiling, granite tables, massive sandstone walls and entire structures of black river rock. Air is the cool blue lights that beckon you inside, the open patios, and expanses of glass. Fire is the torches lining the front, steam rising from the Teppan tables, and blown glass in fiery oranges and reds. Water flows softly out of sandstone walls, down granite slabs, and bubbles inside the strategically placed enormous aquariums.
Start the evening with a glass of wine or a cocktail and share intimate conversation. As the night goes along, you'll pick up the tempo as the music gets louder and the lights dim. Armitage Wine Lounge & Café on Market Street at DC Ranch offers all that and more. Armitage has the Old World ambiance that fits in on Market Place. Stroll under strings of shimmering white lights and find yourself on the Armitage patio. Inside is the perfect mix of neighborhood gathering spot and energized nightspot.
All That Jazz: Lobby Bar at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch
The smooth sounds flow through the night as you walk up to the softly-lit entrance of the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch. The volume amps up as you step into the main reception lobby. Stretching out below you is the Lobby Bar and Lounge, and a stage alive with some of the best jazz in the Valley.
jalapeños: Desert Tradition Gets SO Hot!
Jalapeño's Mexican Café, sitting at the corner of Scottsdale Road and Pinnacle Peak, has long been a North Scottsdale tradition. Now, Jalapeño's is kicking up the heat with the Jalapeño's Cantina.
From the moment you walk under the giant arch and enter La Rouge Lounge, you notice that it's alive with vibrant hues of red, silk throw pillows in gold and purple, and accented with a wall of vodkas backlit with changing hues of subtle colors. Even the blood-red gladiolas in giant urns add to the sexy, yet elegant, atmosphere.
Homes & Design
Home Electronics: Defining High Definition
Imagine falling asleep in front of your television set in 1987 and waking up in 2007. The difference in technology in the past two decades has been astounding. Today you'll find an incredible array of technologies, including high definition, or HD. Just what is high definition and how does it change your entertainment? You'll find HD television (HDTV), HD DVDs, even HD radio. Is all of the hype really worth it? It's important to examine your own needs to find the answer.
Resort Homes: Living the Resort Life
Most people love vacationing at a beautiful resort and enjoy golf, swimming, fine dining, strolling along the beach, hitting slopes or perhaps luxuriating at the spa. Then it's time to come home—back to reality. Today's resort homes make it possible for you to live that resort lifestyle year round—or as often as you prefer.
Mountain Homes: Living the High Life
Snow falls softly outside the window, mountain peaks glisten in the distance. You wrap your hands around the steaming mug of chocolate, snuggle deeper into the chenille blanket and watch the crackling fire in the massive rock fireplace...the shadows dancing off the aged log walls. You're in the mountain home you'ved dreamed of since you were a child. But dream homes rarely happen by chance.
I Love the New Fall Fashions, But Where Do I Put Them?
You love that new jacket. It's going to be great with the fabulous outfit you found last weekend. You rush home with it, open the closet door, and everything explodes. You barely find a spot to hang up the jacket—and you may never see it again. Help!
Scents and Sensibilities: Decorating with Smell
Scent is power. Of all the five senses, the sense of smell usually evokes the strongest response in humans—memories, moods, appetites, even sensuality. Most women are especially sensitive to smells. Creating home ambience through scent is one of the best ways to put the finishing touches on any space.
By Invitation Only: Home Security
We American love gadgets. We have gadgets to entertain us. Gadgets to help us work. Gadgets to help us find our way when we're lost. Now there are some great gadgets to protect us. Those must-have home security gadgets are smaller and more high-tech than ever.
Today's newest home decorating trends reflect the traditions and heritage of the Old West. Anything cowboy is hot, not only in conventional western homes, but in urban areas across the country. Today's western style is different from the dude ranches of the 1920s and 1930s that featured heavy furniture, Texas longhorns, and wagon wheels. In 2006, personality is everything and eclectic seems to be the key.
Grand Entrance: First Impressions are Made at First Glance
Your entryway—the foyer—is the first impression visitors have of your home. Whether you're building a new home, remodeling an existing one, or redecorating, there are some great ways to design a grand entrance. The entryway, both just outside the door and just inside in the foyer, should bring a feeling of anticipation. "The entryway should be like a movie trailer, giving you a preview of what's to come in the rest of the house," says Anita Lang Mueller, owner of Interior Motives in Fountain Hills.
China in a Bull Market: Western tableware sets new standards, new opportunities
If your exposure to western-themed dinnerware was limited to the Roy Rogers lunchbox you took to school, wait till you feast your eyes on western tableware and savor the possibilities it can bring to your store.
Unique Living: Eclectic to Old World
Furniture boutiques offer an eclectic and personal alternative to large furniture showrooms. The word boutique comes from the French word for shop and excludes large department stores and even high-end chains. That clearly defines Scottsdale's furniture boutiques.
Line + Space: Integrating Art and Architecture
Quiet integration of structure and landscape, plus an architectural image born of the soul—these are elements that set Line and Space apart from other architectural firms.
Estates for Sale: Design & Architecture, February 2004
This contemporary villa, situated on the 4th Fairway of the Championship Tournament Players Club (TPC) Golf Course in the Las Vegas community of Summerlin, overlooks the mountains and the Las Vegas skyline.
Estates for Sale: Design & Architecture, November/December 2003
Originally constructed in 1297 as a ramparted fortress, Castle Sighartstein was transformed into a Baroque country castle in the 18th century, with period additions including a drawbridge.
Whispers of Egypt
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Peter Magee told his wife, Marti, when they saw Desert Mountain in 1991. When the couple began planning their home that same year, they wanted to bring the beautiful desert inside. They also wanted vast, open interior spaces that would serve as a setting for their Southwest art collection. Today, they’ve achieved those objectives in a 4,850-square-foot home that sits majestically in the desert north of Scottsdale.
Lifestyles
You stretch out on a chaise tucked in a quiet corner, snuggle into your soft oversized robe and sip a cup of green tea. Your mind begins to drift and your eyes feel heavy. You're at the spa taking the stress out of your over-stressed life.
Let the Sun Shine In: Open-air shoes are hot summer styles
Nothing says summer better than a great pair of flip-flops or sandals. The western market has long offered women a variety of sandal styles, but that market is now bigger and better than ever. Several major players in the shoe industry, and some newcomers, are heating things up with creative designs in sandals, flip-flops and mules for summer.
Cruising: Today's Floating Resorts
Last year, more than 7 million people boarded one of the 150 cruise ships that sail to more than 1800 ports around the world. These floating resorts are increasingly popular and the ships continue to get bigger and more elaborate. For someone looking for an all-inclusive vacation—meals, snacks, stateroom, activities, parties, entertainment and more—a cruise is the perfect solution.
Boat Racing: Not for the Faint of Heart
Got a need for speed? Want competition? Are you an adrenaline junky who wants to fly at warp speed over the water just for the thrill of it? If so, you won't find a better sport than boat racing.
Horses: The Bluegrass Way of Life
Every little girl dreams of horses. She wants a pony before she wants a bike. She reads stories about legendary stallions and loving mares. She spends lazy summer days dreaming of the wind in her hair as she goes flying across an open pasture on the back of a magnificent animal. But horses are more than a young girl's dreams. They are a lifestyle unto themselves where a single horse might be worth millions and legends are created in moments. Nowhere is that more evident than in the Horse Capital of the World—Lexington, Kentucky.
Take to the Water: Boating for Pleasure
The minute the boat moves away from shore and the wind blows the hair away from your face, you'll feel the stress and pressures of everyday life slipping away like the land disappearing behind you.
Detoxing the Body: The Need to Clean
Today's world is full of toxins: environmental toxins such as pollution; chemicals in our food and water; excess sugar and refined products; nutritional deficiencies in our bodies. All of this can overwhelm our natural detoxification systems. We forget that we need to cleanse our bodies much like we do our teeth, hair, and skin. If detox is a route you want to try, knowing how to do it and choosing the best method for your system is crucial for success.
Arizona Golf the Tom Weiskopf Way
Arizona is one of the most popular golf destinations in the country and champion golfer turned golf course architect Tom Weiskopf has had an incredible impact on the golf culture in Arizona.
Corral Necklace Customers (and add to the bottom line)
Unique western neckwear can lure discerning customers into your specialty store. Here's what's new in this upscale category.
Slip a necklace around a woman's neck, and watch her beam. Necklaces have an uncanny ability to make a woman feel special, romantic and beautiful. And the fashion industry has noticed western-style jewelry in particular, which imparts a romantic, exotic feel.
Barbwire: The West is Wild Again
Rock 'n' roll meets cowboy soul. Cowgirl meets glamour girl. Urban cowboy meets urban chic. Scottsdale, Arizona has a unique Southwestern heritage and quirky shopping culture. From one-of-a-kind Native American objects to kitschy western wear to the latest trends by big name designers, this once sleepy town with horses, cowboys and dirt roads through the desert now appeals to affluent vacationers with its posh resort, world-renowned golf courses and showcase homes. Shopping here is both art and commerce.
What better place, then, to find Barbwire. Located in North Scottsdale, Barbwire reflects Scottsdale's western heritage—old time fixtures and flavor—artfully mixed with New West hip.
Cool Straws Are Hot
Today...women's hats, especially those with a western flair, are hot. First, there was Urban Cowboy in the 1980s, then along came Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride in the late 1990s, and Madonna donned a cowboy hat on a recent album cover and on tour. Suddenly, women's hats were everywhere.
Today's summer styles scream for bare legs—and more bare leg than ever before. But if you're like most women, your legs have imperfections that make you uncomfortable. With blemishes that make you feel self-conscious, how can you even dream of wearing those great shorts or baring your legs under those cute summer skirts?
Footloose & Fancy: Today's Alternative Women's Western Footwear
Dorothy clicked the heels of her ruby slippers three times and found herself back in Kansas. These days, you're likely to find more than ruby slippers in Kansas. The women's western shoe market is all about rubies—and shiny studs, Austrian crystals and color. Plenty of color. In fact, color is driving the western shoe market today.
Bill Mackin: His Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
In silence of this moment, a visitor can almost hear the echoes of the Old West … the spurs dragging across the dry dusty ground … the thud of the horses’ hooves on the packed earth … the yelp of the cowboy as he herds the cattle together. One can almost imagine the smell of the horses and old leather.
Rare Reading: Secondhand books speak volumes about the past
Walking into the building is like stepping back in time. The old wooden floor creaks and the air is thick with the history and scents of many lifetimes. And the books! The books are the crowning glory—walls of books, stacks of books, books in every corner. Colorado’s antiquarian bookstores are a book buyer’s fantasy-come-true.
Business & Profiles
Blossoms/BBZ—For women who love to shop!
Ten years go, Suzanne Stopp took all of her knowledge as a clothing and cosmetics buyer and decided top open a shop that catered to fashion-conscious girls and preteens. Since she'd spent those years of her own life right here in Scottsdale, she knew it was the perfect place to build her dream. Ten years later, she has a loyal following of clients she has outfitted for a decade.
Since its first franchise in 1901, the Coca-Cola Company has grown into a $19 billion international corporation. Coca-Cola is a brand recognized the world over. Yet the company, with a new vision, new Operating Framework, and a clear set of goals and objectives, hopes to become the "best selling distribution company in North America."
Most Arizonans are familiar with the Arizona Lottery–whether it's the scratchers or the on-air drawings. The positive impact on local retailers and Arizona's economy is something the Arizona Lottery celebrates during its 25th year.
The Arizona WIC Program is a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Through 20 local agencies in 15 counties, including community health centers, county health departments, and an American Indian Tribe, WIC provides services to over 156,000 women, infants and children who receive nutrition and breastfeeding education, referral to health and social services and supplemental foods.
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