VIP Memphis Magazine December 2010: Letter from the Editor

From November to December we tend to shift our thinking from a list of what we are thankful for having to a list of what we are wishing for. For most, it is a time of celebration and family time. This year, I will be celebrating with my family and my husbands family and wishing for safe travels for all.

I’m looking forward to all the celebration dinners that I will get to indulge in as well. Each year, in addition to my parents’ house, we travel to Atlanta and Chattanooga for extra family time and holiday dinners, which include traditional favorites such as turkey and dressing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, Greenwood’s chocolate and pumpkin pie and homemade peppermint brittle. And speaking of peppermints, we have some great recipes from local chefs of Napa Cafe, Flight, Grill 83 and The Grove Grill.

Take a look inside to get some fashionable holiday gift ideas, tips on keeping your rugs clean throughout the years, recipes for your own festive holiday meal and enjoy Santo Claus and Friends shots of the VIP staff and our VIPets.

Merry Christmas!

Kristen

VIP Memphis Magazine November 2010: Letter from the Editor

This past month we were fortunate to be involved in many exciting events around town such as the 17th Annual Blues Ball that celebrated the lives of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis as well as Dress For Success Memphis’ 1st Annual Little Black Dress Preview Event to their Upscale Garage Sale, the Laurelwood Appreciation Party, several anniversaries and business openings, Halloween Parties and fall festivities. I had the chance to meet Stormy and Speedy, two incredible greyhounds who reside at the Memphis Jewish Home and Rehabilitation Center. Finally, I spoke with a local investor with Memphis Invest, a family-owned real estate investment firm in town whose mission is building wealth through real estate investing, about why Memphis is a strong market to invest and real estate is a viable solution to long term wealth. It made me realize that we really do live in a city of opportunities and possibilities.

November is the month of Thanksgiving, a month in which we all stop to reflect who or what we have in our lives that we are thankful for. Among so many things, I am thankful for my health, my family and friends, for the magazine’s leadership, advertisers and contributors and I am grateful for all of the possibilities that I am faced with each day.

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. ~ Oprah Winfrey

Best,

Kristen

VIP Memphis Magazine October 2010: Letter from the Editor

My husband Blake and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary in September, which has officially become my favorite month of the year. We had a fun filled month including the Women + Running Graduation 5K - congratulations ladies, Art on Tap, Panera Bread and Wing’s Foundation Bet Against Breast Cancer event, which will be featured in the November issue and many others.

There are many upcoming events to mention including Little Black Dress at Lexus of Memphis on October 21st to benefit Dress For Success Memphis, Memphis Area Legal Services 40th Anniversary Celebration, Zoo Boo and Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure.

October is historically the most beautiful time of year to live, work and play in Memphis and this year should be no different. I expected the Autumnal Equinox to bring a wave of cooler weather with it, and it has taken some time, but it is finally here. It’s difficult to know what to wear when calendars show that fall has begun, fashion etiquette tells you not to wear white after Labor Day and public pools have closed, the temperature outside tells you to wear additional outer coverage and you have not pulled your winter clothes out of the attic.

Besides the weather, some of my favorite things about October (in no particular order) are SEC football, outdoor walks with my husband and my black lab Hunter, leaves changing colors, jackets, apple pie and Halloween - for the candy, decorations and trick-or-treaters at my door.

This month, in addition to our fashion and culinary features, we have added an addition to the magazine, VIP Pets. We have met some great new friends including Jasmine from Delphinium and Hugo Boss from Muse. We also had the pleasure of getting to know Chip Brown and Red from Brown Dog Lodge. We hope that you all will enjoy our new feature and this month’s issue as much as we are!

Kristen

VIP Memphis Magazine September 2010: Letter from the Editor

With the start of school, the calming of the weather and the arrival of football, one thing is for certain. A change is among us. On the evening of September 22nd, we will enter the fall equinox, the official beginning of fall. With the changing of the seasons, our mindsets change as well. Many of us begin to think about a wardrobe change, travel or holidays just around the corner. After all, Halloween costumes are already on display and shelves are being cleared of candy sales.

The end of summer has brought about a welcomed change for VIP Memphis Magazine, our new fall intern Brittly Butler, a Senior Marketing major at Christian Brothers University. Brittly and I have already attended several events including Vernon’s House Party 2010, an unofficial Elvis Week event with Hard Rock Cafe’s ETA winner Cody Slaughter, pictured with us above. You will read more about our Elvis Week encounters in Brittly’s feature inside.

There are many things to look forward to in September including Panera Bread and Wings Foundation’s Bet Against Breast Cancer. Don’t forget to purchase your tickets early as they will sell out quickly. Also, my Women + Running group will be coming to an end with a Graduation 5K fast approaching. In this issue you will find quick and easy deserts as made by your favorite local chefs, a fall fashion preview and a planning guide for fall landscaping.

I am so grateful to our readers for your feedback on our features and photos. Each month, I grow more excited about the direction of the magazine through Kat’s vision and will continue to keep a watchful eye on the trends and happenings in Memphis to keep you all abreast. Also, to our advertisers, contributing writers and those of you who are submitting your upcoming events, please keep them coming. We could not survive without you and appreciate your continued support.

Best,

Kristen

VIP Memphis Magazine August 2010: Letter from the Editor

With average temperatures in the upper 90s, its been difficult to enjoy the outdoors in Memphis without serious hydration and the right clothing. And with August here, we will take any help that we can get. Thanks to Breakaway Running and River Workout instructor Stacy Chick, I have been able to stay cool during this season’s Women + Running program in all the right gear. Stacy and I are pictured above.

Also, thanks to several of our local chefs for their favorite gourmet sandwich recipes that will allow us to take our picnics, lunches and special event brown bags to the next level with gourmet to go.

Several dates stand out in my head from last month. I had a chance to catch up with Rhea Crenshaw and view her new Blue Moon Bedding product line. Check out our Spaces + to see the customized design options that Blue Moon Bedding has to fit all your needs. The Redbirds game was a blast thanks to Mona Sappenfield, for allowing me to enjoy the game with some of my favorite girls in the comfort of an airconditioned suite. My friends and I made our own picnic for Robert Randolph and the Family Band and the infamous Al Green at Live at the Garden Series. Also, ArtsMemphis BRAVO kickoff was a chance to preview this year’s arts season.

This month we celebrate back to school, Elvis Week (7-14th) and personally, my birthday. Also, I am a board member of Volunteer MidSouth, which will be hosting its annual fundraiser - Summer in the City Fiesta. We’d love to hear from you about any local organizations or events that you support. Reach out and also learn other VIP Memphis staff picks for organizations and upcoming events online at Facebook.com and Twitter.com!

Stay cool,

Kristen

VIP Memphis Magazine July 2010: Letter from the Editor

This month in honor of Independence Day and the summer heat, six local bartenders have shared their chilled red, white and blue drink recipes for you to serve during your own events and festivities. We’ve named these sweet refreshing drinks “Essence of Summer”.

And speaking of summer, I visited Vignettes new showroom and found several summer color choices that I would like to include into my own home design. You can read more about Vignettes’ color recommendations in our Spaces +.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Chef Ben Vaughn of Au Fond Farmtable and learn a bit of history about his culinary experiences and how they led him to open a French market and bistro in midtown Memphis. I can’t wait to begin attending his weekly cheese classes, and I recommend you do the same.

June has been a whirlwind of many firsts for me, including a road trip down the west coast with my husband, a family wedding at the Malibu Family Winery and of course, the editorial responsibility for VIP Memphis magazine. I am so excited about the upcoming opportunities and I have had a blast this past month attending and sponsoring some of the greatest events of the season. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation celebrated Memphis’ Finest Young Professionals which we were honored to be presenting sponsors. I had the chance to get to know Nancy Nichols, organizer for Women ‘n’ Wine this month. Also, I will be joining the Women + Running group this season and will be writing about my progress in upcoming months.

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July and enjoy the issue!

Kristen

Women + Running Week One

Week one turned out to be a lot of fun. I heard that out of 1,500 registrations approximately 600 of them joined the Beginning Runners group...I'm impressed Memphis! Pictured below is me and River Workout instructor, and my personal trainer, Stacy Chick. Thanks again to Stacy and Breakaway Running for providing me all the swag to keep me cool and dry this running season.



I ran three days of week one at the pace of 1 minute run, 2 minute walk. Week two steps up a notch to a pace of 2 minutes run, 3 minutes walk. I tried that yesterday on a treadmill and it actually wasn't so bad, except for the minor shin splints I got last week. Let's just see if I can add heat and humidity and keep up the pace this evening. Hope the rain holds off until after the run.

Wish me luck!

Jerry's Sno Cones

Three words. Jerry's Sno Cones.

If you have not yet tried Jerry's Sno Cones, may I recommend the White Wedding Supreme? Or the Raspberry Supreme? Or the Tangerine Supreme? Do you see a pattern here? Supreme equals "add layers of vanilla soft serve to my sno cone". Oh my gosh, where has Jerry's been all my life? How am I just now figuring out that it exists? And only 5 minutes from my house? Blake, Cami and I went for the first time on Saturday and tried the sno cones. I'm already craving another three days later - although from previous reviews, the burgers look great too! I may have to stop by for lunch sometime.

For those of you who have never been to Jerry's, it is located at 1657 Wells Station Road - take Summer Avenue to Waring and go north. Jerry's is cash only and you should expect a line of at least 15-20 minutes. Menu and photos below:






Let me know what your favorite flavor is..

Women + Running Registration

Today is day one of MRTC's Women + Running program at Shelby Farms. My mom and I have registered for the program - me for Beginning Runners and her for Power Walkers (because she broke her shoulder 4 weeks ago and has not been approved to run yet by her physical therapist). Here we are at registration last week:



Teams are organized into Power Walkers, Beginning Runners, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2 and Advanced Levels. Registration is going on so there is still time to sign up at womenrunwalkmemphis.com.

My goal is to build up to running the graduation 5K after 9 weeks of training with local running coaches. My coach will actually be my River Workout trainer Stacy Chick - how lucky am I? She actually helped me pick out shirts, socks and a new pair of kicks from Breakaway Running.

Today, we will run 1 minute then walk 2 minutes for a total of 20 minutes. This shouldn't be too hard.

Check back next week for my progress report!

Jaime Camil

I had the pleasure of meeting actor and emerging Latin superstar, Jaime Camil, at a meet and greet last month at Art Under a Hot Tin Roof. The event was a benefit for Rally For Kids. Below is a photo of my publisher Kat, Jaime and me. Jaime will be a new guest star on this season of Desperate Housewives. Look for Jaime this fall or go to his website jaimecamil.com.

Memphis Invest

I wanted to take a minute and tell you about my friends Chris, Brett and Kent Clothier Sr, at Memphis Invest.

Memphis Invest is a Memphis-based, family owned firm that works with investors to build long term wealth through real estate. The MemphisInvest.com team provides investors with strategically-located residential real estate properties that provide positive cash flow, tax benefits and peace of mind investing as an alternative wealth management. By concentrating on the fundamentals of real estate investing and great customer service, these guys offer the only true turn- key option for real estate investing in Memphis.

Memphis is the perfect city to invest for many reasons. Due to its low cost of living, affordable housing and surprisingly stable rental market, Memphis offers advantages that few cities in America can boast. A few other statistics: Memphis was 21% undervalue entering 2010. Over 48% of Memphis residents rent their housing. Memphis is home to four Fortune 500 company headquarters.

Than Merrill and JD Esajian, stars of A&E’s Flip This House, and FortuneBuilders.com have teamed up with Memphis Invest to host the Ultimate Cash Flow Buying Tour, a two day buying conference and tour to be held in Memphis on July 9 - 10, 2010. Guests will have a chance to learn about investing in Memphis from the experts and an opportunity to network with the MemphisInvest.com and Fortune Builder teams and will also be available to meet one on one to discuss the buying and investing process including property locators, closing attorneys, insurance agents, rehab specialists and property managers. Guests will also have the opportunity to tour available homes in the stages before, during and after the rehab process.

If you are interested in earning cash flow each month and building long term wealth through real estate, visit http://bit.ly/al07Jd to join the bandwagon and learn what these guys have known for years. There is no secret, and they want to share their knowledge with you.

Hunter's Revenge

Blake and I have black lab, Hunter, that turned 6 years old this month. After thoroughly cleaning under cabinets, drawers and beds to get rid of any lingering dog hair that Hunter left behind this winter simply to mess with our allergies this spring, we decided to put Hunter's dog bed in the attic for the summer. Its been SCORCHING hot outside already this year, which makes me really nervous that its just mid-June. Although we've attempted to keep Hunter comfortable outside with extra servings of cold water, shade and a daily bath, digging holes in our yard seems to be the best cooling method for him.

Today, Blake noticed a damp water spot in the back bedroom ceiling and after checking in the attic, he determined that the water was coming from the air conditioner. He called a local A/C company and requested an emergency visit. The receptionist suggested that we turn the air conditioner off until the tech could take a look, in case we were freezing the unit. It is now 85 degrees and rising inside our house. Apparently, we are freezing out our air conditioner trying to over compensate for the outside heat.

We have decided that this mildly uncomfortable afternoon was just a nudge to remind us of Hunter's misery. Now with the house beginning to cool back down, we are ready to pull Hunter's dog bed back down. We give in...karma you win!

California Vacay

My husband Blake and I had a family wedding to attend last weekend in Malibu, so we decided to make it a vacation opportunity. Since neither of us has ever been to California, we flew to San Francisco for a long Memorial Day weekend, rented a car and drove down Hwy 1 then made our way up Sunset Boulevard through Malibu, Bel Air, Beverly Hills and through Hollywood before spending the wedding weekend in Malibu. Wow, what a week! California truly is one of the most beautiful sites and a must see if you have never been. My only regret is not making it North to wine country or south to San Diego, but those are trips for a later date. Here are some pictures of our incredible week on the East Coast: Enjoy!

Pictures:
San Francisco Cable Car to Fisherman's Wharf
Giants v. Rockies game on Memorial Day. Both teams played their #1s. Great game!
Scenic Highway 1 Southbound
Josh Fritts and Anya Monzikova wedding ceremony at Malibu Family Winery
Anya Monzikova, the newest member of the Waddell family!!

On the Move

Today, I am honored to announce that I have accepted the Editor position at VIP Memphis Magazine effective June 1, 2010. VIP Memphis Magazine distributes a free social and entertainment magazine throughout the Greater Memphis area, focusing on Culture + Fashion + Culinary + Society + Entertainment.

Preceding me in the position is Ann Cunningham O'Neill. Ann has taken the magazine to new levels over her tenure and is moving on to other opportunities. I have extremely big shoes to fill and I am excited about each moment. I will be joining a team of incredible dreamers and doers:

Kat Semrau, Publisher
Lorne Semrau, Administrator
Mark Ramirez, Senior Account Executive/Photographer
Joey Miller, Photographer
Andrea Zucker, Photographer
Christina Trask, Photographer
Jay Adkins, Photographer
Ben Williams, Graphic Design

I'm looking forward to working with each and every one of you. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, inquiries or concerns.

Kristen Myers Waddell
VIP Memphis Magazine
4711 poplar avenue, suite 215
memphis, tn 38117
O/ 901.766.2999
F/ 901.766.2977
C/ 901.212.8884
kristen@vipmag.com
www.vipmag.com
Facebook.com/vipmemphis
Twitter.com/vipmemphis

Memphis Happenings

I'm really excited about a few upcoming Memphis events that I would like to share.

L'ECOLE Culinaire Memphis is hosting their Spring Scholarship Dinner in their new on-site restaurant (open to the public Tues/Thur) this Sunday night, May 23, 2010 at 6PM. Tickets are $75. Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund for incoming students. Ticket prices will include passed Hors D'oeuvres and a five course dinner and there will be silent and live auctions. Call 901.754.7115 for more information.

Skirt! Memphis magazine is hosting Juleps in June: A Garden Party at the Germantown Charity Horse Show arena on Saturday, June 12, 2010 from 5-9PM. Tickets are $20. Proceeds benefit the Exchange Club Family Center. Ticket prices will include wine, beer, mint juleps, hors d' oeuvres and live music. There will be a Kentucky Derby style hat contest, door prizes and a viewing party during the $25,000 Grand Prix event. Email kristenmwaddell@gmail.com for more information or check out Juleps in June on Facebook.

Save The Date: Volunteer MidSouth is hosting its annual fundraiser Summer in the City: Fiesta on Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 7PM at Chickasaw Oaks Mall. Tickets are $40. Visit volunteermidsouth.org for more information.

If you know of any upcoming events that you would like to share, please let me know!

Change is the Only Constant

As a newlywed and first time business owner, I now truly understand the meaning of the phrase "change is the only constant". In the past year, my life has been turned upside down. Everything that I knew to be true has changed - my name, status, position and most of all, my priorities. Its not all about number one, I have others' interests to place ahead of my own. I have to "communicate" differently.

Communication will always be key to building relationships and sharing information, but online tools are changing the way that we interact with one another. With the adoption of social media, a message can be disseminated to a larger audience than before, and for a nominal cost. People are using social media for business and personal, although many are skeptical of the cross-over between the two. In my business, I believe you can't have one without the other.

Of these tools - websites, blogging, social networking (Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn) and social bookmarking are among the most popular. Some statistics that I find interesting about social media (source: thefuturebuzz.com):

1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) - approximate number of unique URLs in Google’s index
2,000,000,000 (two billion) – very rough number of Google searches daily
77% - percentage of active Internet users who read blogs
200,000,000 – number of active users on Facebook
14,077,868,226 - number of tweets to date

With all the activity online each day and the tools now available, consumers have become publishers of their own content, thus changing marketing as we know it. I'm working daily with clients to analyze their message, audience and select the appropriate outlet(s) for them to use in collaboration with their existing efforts to promote their brand.

I'm excited about where technology is taking us and having a blast learning to manage these tools as I go.

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