KELLY MERRITT

For some people, just walking into a gym is stressful, a deterrent that keeps them from taking that first crucial step to get in shape. Intimidating machines, intrusive employees and fear of not measuring up to the size-two model or ...

Chef Brian Morris of Relish magazine didn’t have a lot of time to chat while he was in Naples earlier this week. But with the Relish Magazine Cooking Show quickly approaching on Sept. 29-30 at Germain Arena, what the chef ...

When Heidi Green’s min­iature horse viewership reached half a million, she knew she had a phenomenon on her hands. But that was no surprise to the owner of seven minis who are all named after foods or Christ­mas on her ...

People who love French food have their own reasons as to why they enjoy it, and the reasons vary from flavor to cooking style, wine pairings to seasonal ingredients. But those who love all things French say it’s much more ...

Anthony Chinaglia and Milos Simovic have already experienced a lifetime of gourmet cuisine. In addition to spending their lives in family-restaurant businesses — Chinaglia previously owned Mr. Five Restaurant in East Naples — both have traveled the world extensively.

It’s been nearly 30 years since futurist Faith Popcorn predicted cocooning would become a major part of our world. Defined as “the need to protect oneself from the harsh, unpredictable realities of the outside world,” cocooning includes working from home.

In Naples, there are several places to find Middle Eastern dishes, but the newest — and possibly the best — kid on the block is Fabulous Pita in the Promenade Plaza on Naples Boulevard at Airport-Pulling Road. The restaurant is ...

There’s a reason Greek restaurants tend to stay in business much longer than restaurants serving other cuisines. Greece’s healthful Mediterranean cuisine has a loyal following. In Naples and the surrounding areas, there are a number of choices for foodies, including ...

When El Morro reopened in May at Golden Gate Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard after an extensive remodel, regulars have returned expecting the recipes they came to love before El Morro temporarily closed a year ago. Owner Jorge Chavez in ...

Hand-coloring, or hand-painting, is what gives photographs that other-worldly “Somewhere in Time” effect popular in the 1800s, before the advent of color film. The delicate tints require an artist to apply oil color to a black-and-white photograph by hand.

Kelly Bohannon is known for her green mango pie, a sweet treat she willingly shares along with the mangoes that go into it.

Peruvian cuisine is ground zero for spices, exotic flavors and fruits you probably won’t find at any neighborhood grocer. That’s part of what makes dining at Peruvian restaurants so much fun — rarely would you make that cuisine at home. ...

Forget hurricanes. In Southwest Florida, when you’ve got your jammies and a big batch of Spam, you’ve got no problems. At least that’s what the owners of Little Bar Restaurant say with their annual Spammy Jammy event in Goodland.

Blackmail. Bullying. Cheating. Intimidation. Falsifying identities. Disparaging someone’s reputation. They read like a laundry list of activities you’d expect to find in a mob enforcer’s day planner. But they actually happen every day in our elementary, middle and high schools, ...

For some fathers and daughters, that special bond is defined by more than love between family members. For daughters who have followed their dads into business, that bond can also be measured in bricks and mortar and business sense. Naples ...

Without his cape and costume Batman is just Bruce Wayne. Picture Indiana Jones in your mind, and there’s probably a fedora on his head. Costumes play a central role in sci-fi and action-adventure television and film; they’re almost as important ...

Steamy summer days and nights are the perfect time to relax at the movies. And while everybody knows that studios crank out a stream of blockbusters every summer, you might not know that many local organizations from shopping centers to ...

For men, it’s love handles and beer bellies. For women, it’s the “muffin top” and droopy buttocks. It attaches itself to all of the places on your body you wish it wouldn’t and none of the places you wish it ...

CrossFit is a unique strength and conditioning program used by many police academies, military special operations units, elite martial artists and professional athletes. The program has found its way into gyms in virtually every major city in the world and, ...

Citrus is composed of what Paula and Jay Powell came to love about Florida since they honeymooned here 37 years ago. Paula’s father was a fisherman and the couple wanted a restaurant that embodied what they kept coming back to ...

Julie Andrews dreamed of cream-colored ponies and warm woolen mittens. Major Nelson dreamed of Jeanie. Fantine, and later Susan Boyle, dreamed a dream. Designers, especially those who specialize in the heart of the home, dream of big, fabulous kitchens.

At first glance the beach along South Marco Island appeared in perfect condition. Yet it took less than 30 minutes for four people collecting trash on Sunday to fill each of their bags halfway. Students of the Environmental Studies Department ...

When you look at community playgrounds, the last thing you’d assume those playgrounds are built from is flip flops. But Old Navy and TerraCycle are partnering together in a program that makes that happen.

When Hope Daley and Matt Dykes opened the Bible one day, Deuteronomy 2:31 resounded in their hearts: “I have begun to deliver … Now begin to conquer and possess.” Those few words spoke to the young married couple, who were ...

Paige Miles has come a long way, and now she’s returning to perform on the stage where it all began. The Naples native first stepped into a musical theater role as the lead in “Starmites” at Community School of Naples. ...

Whether you love classic cars or are just looking for a fun way to spend a few hours, Saturday’s Naples Car Cruise-In will take you beyond the typical. It showcases the classic cars, hotrods, custom automobiles, muscle cars, exotic cars, ...

Neapolitans don’t usually need an excuse to eat, drink and shop, but just in case, the city is throwing a two-week long party. Naples’ CityFest offers something for everyone, from canoe races and boat shows to gallery openings and shopping ...

The dictionary defines a wunderkind as “one who achieves great success or acclaim at an early age,” a term with which Joshua Jay should be very familiar by now. Jay, 29, is a magician, performer, lecturer, author and photographer. He ...

From haute ornamental style to easy at-home designs, the art of creating Easter eggs can be as simple or fancy as your imagina­tion will stretch. Decorating Eas­ter eggs provides ample room for artistic expression. With a little help from the ...

When H. Edward Hanway speaks about insurance, he has a pretty good idea of what he’s talking about.

It wasn’t a rock concert or celebrity book signing. The paparazzi weren’t there to snap shots of the Jonas Brothers or Taylor Swift. But the line outside of Chipotle Mexican Grill on Monday night mimicked the crowds at those events.

When authors Chris Wadsworth and Matt Johnson began their journey to write “Buckingham Army Air Field,” they would set off on an exploration that would take them back in time. But they didn’t have to travel to Europe or the ...

Dennis P. “Duke” Vasey and Jennifer Hecker politely went head to head over new Environmental Protection Agency regulations that have residents confused and divided at Tuesday night’s water quality forum sponsored by the Greater Naples Better Government Committee, the League ...

A lifetime of hard work was recognized this week when the approachable power couple of Dolph and Sharon von Arx were awarded the Hodges University and Robert W. Baird & Co. 2011 Humanitarian Award.

Charlie Cummins has just a few days to prepare for this weekend’s “Cure PSP Awareness & Memorial Walk.” It’s an event that will be bittersweet for the Marco Island resident.

Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower design, but enthusiasts are quick to say it’s more than that. The Japanese place their works on a high pedestal, lifting them upward from decoration to the same level as paintings and other ...

The Forum Club of Southwest Florida hosted one of the food industry’s heaviest hitters on Friday when they welcomed one of Campbell Soup company’s top leaders to its podium.

Music for Minors buys instruments — new, when possible; generally used, when necessary — for students who demonstrate the ability and dedication to own them. It has scrounged up money for a cello and found violins, flutes, clarinets and more ...

Picture yourself at a microphone. Hundreds of people are waiting for you to speak. You have the words in your head. Your message is meaningful, powerful, moving. You stare out into the masses, open your mouth, and nothing comes out. ...

Audrey’s Attic owner Sonja Tilley, along with her granddaughter, opens a classic tea room next door.

It’s a blessing and a curse to be ubiquitous. For Michael Bolton, being a household name has meant a great deal of success — 53 million albums sold, two Grammys, six American Music Awards, a star on Hollywood Walk of ...

Each year Naples welcomes many of Broadway’s brightest talent to the Philharmonic Center for the Arts’ intimate Daniels Pavilion, where you can get up close and personal with the stars. The Phil has seven cabaret peformances scheduled with some of ...

Southwest Florida may not have snow. But it does have flurries right now: There are flurries of activity in offices, churches, schools and neighborhoods where people are organizing charitable benefits, one of the staples of the Naples season. Hundreds of ...

Starting Tuesday Takei will narrate a musical event at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts featuring the music from sci-fi composer extraodinaire John Williams and a special presentation of “Star Trek through the Years.” Part of the Phil’s pops series, ...

Shirley Street in Naples, a half-mile street lined with commercial box buildings and parking lots, is becoming a lot brighter these days. The industrial neighborhood has become home to a enclave of artists who have claimed a small section of ...

Bill Gaither put the band back together. After decades of touring with various singers as the Gaither Vocal Band, the legendary gospel songwriter has put together an “all-star” lineup of singers from the vocal group’s previous incarnations.

Online mental health forums are full of posts from worried parents whose children, often teens, who lash out in abrupt and sometimes violent outbursts. It’s called intermittent explosive disorder, or IED. Parents can’t help but wonder. Is IED a diagnosed ...

Chase Padgett, a Naples native, has already traveled internationally with his one-man show, “6 Guitars.” He’s about to set out on a tour across the U.S. and Canada, but first he’ll make a stop in his hometown of Naples. Padgett ...

Harps ‘n Sync! was founded in 1994 and has a collective membership of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Harp Society, Inc. The group performs an average of three concerts per year and is dedicated to developing community awareness ...

Ray Livosi is scheduled to perform several dates in the Naples area over the next two months. Despite only a handful of solo performances spanning seven years in the area, he has amassed a following of Sinatra fans that run ...