Historic homes in San Antonio tend to go one of two ways: Their interiors either remain true to their original designs, or they are renovated beyond recognition. Fortunately, Ed and Priscilla Kohutek are preservationists who respect the history of old homes and do...
Once in a while artist Constance “Connie” Lowe takes a break from her own work to assume the curatorial role. Such was the case recently when she agreed to serve as curator for Magnetic Fields, a show opening March 10 as the Southwest School of Art’s contribution to...
It pays to shake things up. The usual MO for reviews is to take along people familiar with the cuisine in question; that way we can all bring varying degrees of perspective and expertise to the table. Literally. But occasionally it’s instructive (and fun, too, we...
You may not have the willpower to exercise daily or quit smoking, but one thing is for sure — you will eat today. That said, why not better your odds of living a (hopefully) long, disease-free life and make the hundreds of thousands of snacks and meals you’ll consume...
Face it, moms, raising kids just isn’t easy. And bringing up an honest kid can feel like a heck of a challenge at times … and that’s no lie! But of all the character traits I strive to instill in my children — compassion, generosity, kindness, forgiveness — honesty...
When Suzanne Wade visits an H-E-B store, she’s apt to be greeted several times a visit – even when the store is a hundred or more miles from home. As president of H-E-B’s San Antonio Food and Drug Division, she’s in charge of all retail sales for the company except...
“Necessity is the mother of invention”— a cliché that explains how things come to be created or invented and introduced to the world. But here in San Antonio, it’s often mothers, housewives and businesswomen who are the actual “mothers of invention”— real-life women...
Many people spend a lifetime in unfulfilling jobs, too reluctant to change the status quo. If you are one of them, perhaps you’ll find inspiration in the stories of three San Antonio women who were brave enough to break with the old and move in a different direction....
There’s a tiny little cul-de-sac in Oakwell Farms, barely an elbow in the road, where several garden homes sit beneath a multitude of large, shady oaks. It’s obvious that DeeAnn and Skinner Simpson’s home belongs to a gardener because huge baskets of ferns hang from...
At the recent fundraiser for the San Antonio Opera (SAO), a good part of the entertainment was provided by five young women who collectively call themselves Stiletto. They have high voices and high heels, and together they make beautiful sounds. For the occasion, they...
Street food vendors are a tradition the world over. Sometimes operating with little more than a pot over a pile of rocks, these seat-of-the-pants salesmen not only provide cheap meals on the run, but they also serve as a cultural touchstone, a kind of resistance...
Not many firefighters can say they found their way to their career through a trip to the mall, but that’s how it happened for San Antonio Fire Department Lt. Valerie Frausto, 37, now a company officer at the Gembler Road fire station. As a child, Frausto had looked up...
It’s early in 2011! That means it’s time for dropping the pounds we put on during the holidays. But instead of diet and exercise plans, here’s a look at the lifestyles and customs of people in other countries where the majority of people are slimmer and more fit than...
Janet Holliday says her career began with a turkey — literally. “My grandmother was an awesome cook,” she says, “and one year, we were all gathered around the table at her house for Thanksgiving when the lady who worked for her came out with this big, beautiful turkey...
THE NEEDS OF THE ARMY COMES FIRST Tracy Dufresne’s peaceful neighborhood in north central San Antonio is worlds away from Iraq’s ravaged cityscapes, but Tracy and her 13-year-old son, Alex, have a strong emotional connection to Iraq right now. That’s because Tracy’s...
It’s the little things that make the overall design scheme of a home work, bringing together elements to create a polished look and making the space more fun and functional. And what could be better than a woman’s touch when designing and dealing with the details?...
The facts of Veronica Esparza’s early life didn’t seem to point toward a successful business career. She grew up in Potrero, Mexico, population 400 or so, 60 miles from Monterrey, the nearest city, and had to drop out of school at age 15 “because my mother couldn’t...
How many designers do you know who are handed a house to totally renovate and redecorate? Aguie Medrano of the Home Accessory Company was given that opportunity in 2009 by a family that frequently travels abroad. The four-bedroom house they bought in Deerfield had...
