| Pampering that spares no expense
Massage therapist Erin Salisch has spent six years taking mental notes on what type of spa she would like to create for herself and her clients. Now she's put her ideas into practice with the opening of Estancia Day Spa & Salon in the Montecito Plaza at Willow and Nees avenues in Fresno. Along with her husband, Ryan, the Salisches have transformed 3,200 square feet of commercial space into the region's latest full-service spa and salon.While the couple are well aware they join an increasing number of competitors, including established operator Zena's Island Day Spa and nearby newcomer Escape Day Spa owned by Amber Frey, they believe they've created a business with enough personal touches to build a loyal following. "I know there are spas popping up everywhere," Erin Salisch said. "But we have created something that people will really appreciate."The Salisches have seemingly spared no expense and attention to detail including, thick, hand-crafted alderwood doors with metal and glass detailing, walnut-brown stained textured concrete floors, plastered walls and an indoor water fountain.
A Cosmetic Cocktail Designed To Meet Men's Anti-Aging Needs
According to the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, baby boomers account for 65 percent of all cosmetic procedures performed. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that 1.1 million men had cosmetic procedures in 2006. Many opted for cosmetic cocktails and quick fixes. .
New practice offers spa treatments, medicine
When Dr. Brad Sakaguchi's patients show up for a Pap smear or prenatal exam, they often stay for a facial, laser, Botox or other treatments. "I had one patient who was here four hours this week for a doctor's appointment, massage and facial," he said, noting this allowed him to spend more time with her between appointments. This is the kind of "revolutionary" doctoring Sakaguchi envisioned when he and his wife, Dr. Lori Kelsey, opened ZenSpa & Medical Offices in Restaurant Row last month. Peaceful colors, soft music, trickling water and the fragrance of aromatherapy greet patients when they enter Suite 230 in 7 Waterfront Plaza. Construction began in March, and the couple did much of the work themselves to create a resort spa feeling. They followed a feng shui design as closely as possible to relieve stress, Sakaguchi said.
Meet the man who turns meals into memorable moments
Jacques Sender said one thing all diners can appreciate is the little "surprise" that comes with every memorable meal.
"It's something unexpected that happens during a real meal - that is what we say we live for," he said.
Sender, 74, prepared for his final shift as maitre d' at Duke's Steakhouse in the Casino Fandango like he's prepared for mealtime for the last six decades.
Born on the Swiss border of France in a town called Belfort and raised in Paris - Sender graduated from hotel school at Thonon Les Bains in his early 20s, and "never thought of another career."
"Restaurants, dining, service. Boom, that is what I do," he said in a French accent that has, over the years, "caused some women to hug and kiss me while their husbands stand there.
Through the pinot noir glass
Oregon's annual ode to pinot noir, the International Pinot Noir Celebration, was exceptional in almost every way this year. It was the 21st, and the group's president, Alex Sokol-Blosser, welcomed attendees by exclaiming, "We're 21 — we can drink now!" The 2007 IPNC, held last month on the campus of McMinnville's Linfield College, brought together winemakers from Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Burgundy. The featured seminar, dubbed "The Secret Life of Pinot Noir," focused on champagne and sparkling wines made from the versatile grape, while the bus tours took small groups to visit wineries for a closer look at appellations in Oregon and elsewhere. Keynote speaker Georg Riedel, the 10th generation to take the helm of his family's crystal-stemware company, came to introduce a new Oregon pinot noir glass.
ONE TOUGH ACT
Two years ago, Thomas Turgoose was a troubled 13-year-old hanging out on street corners and yelling four-letter words at passers-by in his hometown of Grimsby in Yorkshire, England. It's hard to reconcile this self-described bad boy with the polite, soft-spoken young man who called to talk about his budding acting career. He was all excited about a forthcoming audition for a major role in "The Talisman," a TV miniseries based on the Stephen King-Peter Straub horror novel to be produced by Steven Spielberg. Turgoose, whose nickname is Tommo, has been working with a dialect coach on nailing an American accent for the part. "It's pretty amazing, all the stuff that's been happening to me," he says. "Sometimes I can't believe it." His life was turned around by being in the right place at the right time - if you can call a center for disadvantaged kids who've been kicked out of school "the right place." Casting director Des Hamilton had been dispatched to Grimsby to look for an unknown to play the lead in "This Is England" - a boy who's looked after by skinheads in the early 1980s in a way similar to that of the Mafia adopting Ray Liotta's character in "GoodFellas." Turgoose's single previous attempt to act had been aborted when he was fired from a school play before opening night.
Dolls cross cultural boundaries
Toy store aisles are getting a multicultural makeover. Bolstered by the success of Nickelodeon's popular bilingual children's character Dora the Explorer and the spending power of the nation's growing minority population, toy retailers across the country are filling their shelves with dolls whose skin colors and facial features reflect the girls and boys who play with them. Although black and Hispanic dolls have been around for decades, the newer incarnations try harder at authenticity, rather than simply tinting the hair and skin from "white" doll molds. Now, discount retailer Kmart hopes to cash in on a growing appetite for ethnic toys among minority consumers, and their rising spending power. It's launching its own initiative this month, putting dozens of multicultural dolls on shelves in each of its 1,400 stores.
Rants, raves and random thoughts 081307
Greetings, one and all, and welcome! Thanks much for joining me. There's plenty of mail to ponder. Without further ado let's check the mailbag. It's time to hear from The Roiling Hundreds! Rants, raves and random thoughts 081307 Kevin L. Green Managing Editor Greetings, one and all, and welcome! Thanks much for joining me. There's plenty of mail to ponder. Without further ado let's check the mailbag. It's time to hear from The Roiling Hundreds! .
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