Kristi Kurjan

Features Kristi Kurjan

As the weather warms, add a burst of personality to your closet with brilliant prints, vivid jeans, and bold color-blocked dresses.

Here are just a few ways to have fun with this season’s most wearable fashions:

Bring a burst of energy to a wardrobe with solid staples. It’s called Color-Blocking and is one of the season’s hottest trends. It is loud, bold, intense, and screams spring fashion. Color-blocking consists of mixing solid color combinations, wearing more than one color at once...

Features Kristi Kurjan When someone donates to a charitable organization, that money is appreciated and put to work.

Now, imagine what would happen if that money was double, tripled, quadrupled.

Or multiplied by 100. That’s the rationale behind “100 Women Who Care,” a group of women who meet four times a year, and in less than an hour raise over $10,000 for a local cause.

Features Kristi Kurjan From polo shirts to riding boots, equestrian fashion is not just for the stables anymore. The sport of horse riding is becoming more fashion conscious. While the English inspired garb is still very traditional, what has evolved in recent years is the selection, technology and availability of stylish riding gear.
We all admire the stately equestrian look, but what exactly goes into a well-dressed rider?

Equestrian Elements
There are a hand full of universal elements that create the “equestrian look” including; pants, boots, and fitted jacket. While in the saddle, a rider needs a good pair of breeches (pants), because if a rider’s pants don’t fit, they are not comfortable. Riding pants are slim in nature but not so tight that they limit a rider’s mobility on the horse.
“They need to be clean, well fitted, nothing flapping. Clothes that are very loose may get in the way, or get stuck in the stirrups,” said Jess Collins, owner of Red Hare Tack & Togs, an equestrian boutique located on Front Street in downtown Traverse City. “If you are competing in a horse show, clothes that are much too loose or way too tight will also be unsightly to the judge. Bottom line, you can really see a difference.”

Features Kristi Kurjan Her closet is filled with cherry-themed attire. She prefers a natural wave to the traditional “elbow-elbow-wrist-wrist-wrist.” And, according to her, there is nothing better in the world than cherry pie. She is Maria LaCross, the 2010-2011 National Cherry Queen, who wraps up her year in the limelight this July as a new queen is ushered in.
Winning the title of National Cherry Queen last year was a dream come true for LaCross, as both the cherry industry and National Cherry Festival are close to her heart. She was born and raised on a cherry farm in Cedar. This down-to-earth gal has not only represented our regional fruit over the past year, but also enjoys eating them every day.
As a cherry advocate, one of her main goals is to show people how easy it is to incorporate cherries into their lifestyle. “I am truly crazy about them,” she said. “I eat dried cherries on salads, add them to oatmeal, and put cherry concentrate into my drinks. I have started to play around with them even more in the kitchen, such as using them in quesadillas and with chicken or pork dishes.”

Features Kristi Kurjan Sun Smarts:Wearing sunscreen for healthy skin
By Kristy Kurjan
After a long winter, many of us are craving a dose of sun and sand. But
before anyone hits the beach, don’t forget to pack sunscreen! We sat down
with one of Northern Michigan’s top dermatologists, Dr. Mark Pomaranski
M.D., to discuss why he is so passionate about sunscreen usage and what we
can do to protect our skin.