Today’s news about additional safety concerns regarding pet food makes me just want to run home and give my pups, Dakota and Lilly, a hug. (Pictured here is Lilly, dressed as a pirate for Halloween.)
Looking for something to do with your four-legged friend on this rainy weekend? Consider Yappy Days, which features pet psychics, grooming seminars, obedience demonstrations and vendors.
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt
When I was in college, my friends were all 20-something college students like me. We came from different backgrounds and were going different places, but we were all in the same place in life.
Now, my circle of friends looks so much more diverse. I would count a few retired 60-something women among my friends. We share the same hobby (let’s call it textile art), and they’re often teaching me what they know. Other friends are middle-age parents with kids. And others are still 20-something college students. But if we share the same taste in or love of music, food, wine, dogs, KU basketball, etc., it’s a great foundation for a friendship.
Today’s WichiTalk features a story about local women of various ages who are friends regardless. What do you and your closest friends have in common? A hobby, job, home address?
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt
About 15 years ago, my two little boy cousins were completely addicted to all things "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." I’m sorry to say that I can still sing the theme song to the cartoon that was on in the early ’90s ("Heroes in a half shell, turtle power!") So, now that those boys are grown men thinking about careers and life after high school, is anyone else as perplexed as I am that The Turtles have had a resurgence?
The movie "TMNT" was the top flick this past weekend, raking in more than $25 million in ticket sales. Huh?! Meanwhile, Jon and Danny’s old sheet sets, toys and stuffed turtles surely are sitting on a Goodwill shelf somewhere …
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt
I tend not to spontaneously splurge when I’m shopping. Typically, I have a game plan and a budget in mind before I leave the house. Often I’ve done my homework, too. Researched sales? Check. Window shopped online? Check. Made sure those cute black flats are available in my size? Check.
What’s the most you’ve paid for a single item of clothing? Did you blow a paycheck — or several — on a special-occasion dress or have to replace your interview suit at an overpriced store at a moment’s notice?
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt
Earlier this year in WichiTalk, we introduced readers to a couple of local brides planning to tie the knot on 7/7/07 — thought by some to be a lucky day and expected by many to be a very busy wedding day.
The Star Tribune recently reported that nationally, wedding planners are spinning, too, especially in that mecca of marriages: Las Vegas. The story included this quote: “This will probably be the busiest day in the Las Vegas wedding industry,†said Greg Smith, owner of the historic Little Church of the West, the oldest building on the Strip.
Are you saying “I do†that day or know someone who is? Are you headed to the strip? My younger sister was going to have a wedding reception that day but had to move it to the following week because of scheduling issues.
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt
Pam Kelly’s kindergarten class at
Wichita’s Chisholm Trail Elementary School are 1-4 so far on their NCAA men’s basketball Elite Eight predictions, but fortunately for them, the team they correctly chose is the same one they have picked to be National Champions: KU.
The group had guessed that in addition to KU, Duke, Xavier and Texas A&M would be headed to another round of play. As for the Midwest and East regionals, the kids chose UNLV, Florida, North Carolina and Georgetown to make it past the Sweet 16. Time will tell on those games.
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt
Spring is a time when all things look new. And today’s Spring
Fashion section has some of the most innovative, creative visual work
we’ve done at The Eagle for many a season.
Rod Pocowatchit, senior journalist and features page designer, was
the artistic force behind the eye-catching design and look of the
section.
Along with fashion writer Bonnie Bing and photographer Mike
Hutmacher, he worked many long hours to create a stunning visual
presentation — not only in today’s paper, but also on Kansas.com, where you can see his video of how the section came together.
Rod, by the way, is an award-winning filmmaker, when he’s not designing great pages for The Eagle.
How did he pull off today’s feat?
Here’s what he said:
"Bonnie showed me a designer’s press booklet that took a similar
approach. and asked me if I’d be interested in doing something like it,
and I said yes. Then we never did.
"Months later, when it got time to starting thinking about
approaches for the spring fashion section (we also do one in the fall),
she asked me about the illustration idea again, and we decided to try
it.
"We sat down and looked at the clothes she was going to feature and
came up with ideas for what the models would be doing, and an overall
concept. We wanted the tone to be playful, and we didn’t want the
models to ‘model,’ per se, like in a catalogue. The models almost had
to act, in a way.
"We sat down with photographer Mike Hutmacher and explained the
concept. Then in the photo studio, we worked with the models to explain
what they would be doing, and tried to give them a vague idea of what
the final shot would look like (because, really, we weren’t entirely
sure yet). It was a fantastic collaboration all the way around on every
level.
"After the photos were taken, I added illustrations digitally on the
computer, which took a lot more time than I thought it would, but it
was fun, nonetheless.
"During the photo shoot, I also shot video and edited that together
to give people an idea of how the whole thing came about, showing
footage of the models while the picture was being shot, and afterward
with the final illustrations.
"It was all an attempt to approach a project in a new, imaginative, creative way."
And it was a great success.
Thanks to Rod’s artistic talent, today’s fashion section shows how spring really can make everything new.
Arlice Davenport, Senior Editor for Visuals
Wichita Eagle reporter Molly McMillin just spotted actor Harrison Ford coming in for a table at lunch at Willie C’s Cafe at West and Kellogg.
He was dressed casually and agreed to talk with three young local elementary school boys who wanted to meet him.
Were you there?
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt
Nick Lachey, on the silliest injury he’s ever had, in People magazine, courtesy of our friends at McClatchy-Tribune:
"I threw my neck out while towel-drying my hair. I
woke up and couldn’t move - my entire neck was inflamed. I’d say,
`Please don’t tell anybody,’ but clearly you’re going to."
Yikes. That he admitted that, I mean. Remember when Nick came to Wichita last year and headlined the Wichita River Fest? The West Bank Stage he performed on has been torn down. Were you at that concert? If not, what’s your favorite West Bank Stage moment?
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt
Today is the first day of spring. My co-worker Carolyn wore a top with bright green to celebrate. Lori, another co-worker (and my boss), has cheerful yellow daffodils on her desk. I’m hoping to get home from work in time to take my dogs for an early evening walk. How will you mark the new season?
Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt