Belle Magazine December 2012

DECEmbEr 2012/january 2013 FrEE

belleSeaSon'S SparklerSArtful Fashion to Be Seen In

Women You Should knoW:Holy Yang, Joan Davis, Treesa Gold and more

Breaking Bad BoYS What's the Attraction?

acupuncture for healthA Closer Look at Therapy

WaY to go in rVaInsider Tips for Winter Fun

Towne Center West, Just west of Short Pump Town Center in front of Hilton Hotel, 804.360.0205

short pumpChesterfield Towne Center, Southside of Richmond, 804.794.2004

chesterfield

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FIND US

1 Mountain Hardwear Men’s Ghost Whisperer Jacket $285.99; 2 The North Face Spectre Plaid Shirt $69.99; 3 Smartwool PhD Outdoor Medium Crew $23.95; 4 Mountain Hardwear Men’s Mesa Convertible Hiking Pant $79.99; 5 Oboz Sawtooth Low B-Dry $124.99; 6 Keen Sterling Mary Jane $89.99; 7 GSI Outdoors Java Press 30 oz. $32.99; 8 Pistil Designs Women’s Piazza Beanie Hat $29.99; 9 Horny Toad Women’s Heartfelt Long Sweater $167.99; 10 Power Monkey Explorer Solar Charger $99.99; 11 Patagonia Women’s Better Sweater $139

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Spend $50 and get a free gift. Choose between a Blue Ridge 40th Anniversary pint glass or bandana or a CD of live tunes from the Festy Experience!

FROM US TO YOU

Good Help to Those in Need®

Santa’s not the only one who delivers gifts.

BON SECOURS FOR WOMENBon Secours Richmond Health System

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As colder weather moves in, CinéBistro at Stony Point Fashion Park is providing more ways to stay

entertained indoors this winter. In addition to the great holiday block-buster films coming out this season, the popular Metropolitan Opera series contin-ues its successful run with five additional live performances running through the win-ter. Encores of each performance are also offered for those who are unable to make the live broadcast. Richmond football fans have discovered the thrill of viewing games on the big screen as attendance to the Monday Night broadcasts has continued to grow through-out the season. Upcoming match ups include Giants vs Redskins which is sure to be popular with the Richmond audience. In addition to the free broadcast, guests are able to enjoy continuous service throughout

the game as well as food and drink spe-cials. Complimentary seat reservations are available at the theatre Concierge Desk 1.5 hours before kickoff. The popular weekly wine event “Tuesday Tastings” reached the one-year anniversary mark in mid November and has contin-ued to be a popular weekday draw. For $15, guests can enjoy chef-prepared hors d’oveurs, learn about wines from an expert vintner, and participate in wine trivia for a chance at free movie passes. CinéBistro will be celebrating the New Year by hosting Countdown to 2013: A 1920’s Gala! The party is open to the public and guests are encouraged to dress in their 1920’s best. Party perks include a complimentary midnight champagne toast, a balloon pop for great prizes, a costume contest and live feed of the NYC Times Square ball drop.

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S E M E N T

CinéBistro at Stony Point Gives You More Reasons to Stay In & Stay Warm this Winter

STONY POINT FASHION PARK 9200 Stony Point Pkwy, Richmond, VA 23235 | 804.864.0460 www.CobbCineBistro.com | 21 and over. Proper ID required.

For Information Regarding Private Events: [email protected] FOR A VIDEO TOUR

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GIFT CARD

THE PERFECT GIFT!Gift Cards Available for Purchase at

Concierge or CobbCinebistro.com

December

1 The Met Opera Presents: La Clemenza di Tito 12:55p3 Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker 7:30p Giants vs Redskins 8:30p8 The Met Opera Presents: Un Ballo in Maschera 12:55p10 Texans vs Patriots 8:30p13 Midnight Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey15 The Met Opera Presents: Aida 12:55p17 Jets vs Titans 8:30p19 La Clemenza di Tito (Encore) 6:30p21 Premiere of This is 40 Premiere of Jack Reacher23 Chargers vs Jets 8:30p25 Premiere of Django Unchained Premiere of Les Miserables 31 New Years Eve 1920’s Gala

For Ticket Purchases, Please Visit CobbCinebistro.com. Follow us on Facebook

& Twitter for Regular Updates.

Official Drop Site! Donate Unwrapped Toys 11/19 - 12/17 Gifts Valued at $15*+ Earn You a FREE

Appetizer Card & Entry to Win

*Must Present Receipt. See Website for Details

Free Movies for a Year & a $250 Food Voucher!

belle DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | 5 |

Style & SubStance 7Tree of retro delight. ... Joan Davis crusades for artists. ... Where to give or get a letter. ... Season the holiday well with spices. ... Go on an eco-safari. ... Meet a local e-tailer. ... Treesa Gold takes the Belle pop quiz. by Karen Newtonway to go: Looking for something fun to do in RVA this season? Try these options on for size. by Karen Newton 13

FaShion cueS 14Feature: Enter the party like a work of art in these seasonal sparklers. by the Belle fashion team

perSonalitieS 20proFile: Holy Yang grows businesses with determination. by Christine Stoddard

body & Soul 24FitneSS: Acupuncture may solve unexpected issues. by Julie Geen 24private partS: Why are some attracted to bad boys? by Julie Geen 27

DEcEMbER2012/JAnuARY2013

14

belle

Belle is published monthly and is free. One copy per person. Belle may be distributed by authorized distributors only. Style Weekly subscriptions are avail-able for $49 (third class mail) and $99 (first class mail). Style Weekly, 1313 E. Main St., Suite 103, Richmond, Va. 23219, 804-358-0825; General fax 804-358-1079; News fax 804-358-9089; Classified phone 804-358-2100; Classified fax 804-358-2163.

www.styleweekly.com E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright © by Style Weekly Inc. TM 2012 All rights reserved.

publiSher: Lori collier Waran [email protected]

editor in chieF: Jason Roop [email protected]

editor: Deveron Timberlake

art director: Joel Smith

photography editor: Scott Elmquist

FaShion editor: Lauren Healy

contributing writerS: Julie Geen

Valley Haggard

Elizabeth Jewett

Hilary Langford

Karen newton

christine Stoddard

copy editor: G.W. Poindexter

deputy Managing editor: Ed Harrington

SaleS Manager: Hannah Huber [email protected]

publiShing and new Media developMent Manager:

Dana Elmquist [email protected]

Marketing, SponSorShipS & eventS: Tonie Stevens

[email protected]

Senior account eXecutive:

Toni Mccracken

account eXecutive:

Jamie Haboush

SaleS aSSiStant:

Kimberly Hall

advertiSing graphic artiStS:

Kira Jenkins, chris Mason

adMiniStration/buSineSS Manager:

chris Kwiatkowski

buSineSS aSSiStant:

Jennifer Waldbauer

On the cOver:Vintage sequin snakeskin dress ($75) fur hat ($40) and black silk blouse as collar ($30), all at Mc-Cue Vintage; gunmetal ring ($68), at Pink.Photo by Scott Elmquist at Page Bond Gallery.

27

31artS and entertainMent 30agenda: books to curl up with, music to dance to, and some top picks for a winter’s evening. by Julie Geen, Elizabeth Jewett and Hilary Langford.

FirSt perSon 34Forget minimalism and load me up with more, or less. by Valley Haggard

It ’s ChicAgain!

Get what you really want this season..

Sycamore Sq Shopping Ctr | 1225 Sycamore Square | Midlothian VA, 23113 | 804-897-CHIC (2442) | Mon–Fri 10–7 • Sat 10-6 • Sun 1–5

ItsChicAgain.com | Find Us On Facebook

Upscale Consignment | New fun fashions arriving daily…Where Thrifty is the New Envy.©

holiday sparkle for less new arrivals daily


StylE&SubStancEO

, Tan

nenb

aum

photo by scott Elmquist

Hot products, new ventures and local discoveries. by karen newton

let’s face it, not everyone

wants the trouble or expense

of a live tree. it’s still nice to

have a little holiday motif,

and you can do it ’60s style

with this miniature takeoff

on the classic aluminum

christmas tree ($44.95)

from old world accents,

3419 w. cary st. its selection

of ornaments is varied, but

these chinese-made ones

come with a sense of humor

and maybe even a little

irreverence. and after the

season, you can just bend

the branches up

and store till next

year, when you’ll

find it ready to

dazzle again.

| 8 | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 belle

st yle & substance

West Indian nutmeg

photos by scott Elmquist

Seasoning’s Greetingseven if you don’t bake all year long, you may get a hankering to apron up and make some

christmas cookies this time of year. For inspiration and supplies, walk the aisles of penzeys spic-es at 3400 w. cary st. in carytown to open jars and sniff your way into a festive mood. everything comes in multiple sizes so you can buy just enough to try it in a recipe or stockpile a favorite. pure vanilla extract comes in single- and double-strength for classics such as butter or sugar cookies. natural high-fat cocoa powder is just the thing for making fudgy brownies, or the best hot cocoa. and if it all seems like too much work, how about a whole west indian nutmeg, ideal for grating over eggnog? no apron required.

product oF cHange

It was an idea born of divorce. Cheryl Shana-

han had worked all aspects of retail, exhibited

her photographs locally and was looking for a

new creative outlet after her marriage ended.

She decided to use her photographs as the

basis for cards, calendars and journals, and

sell them online at her e-store, Lucky Ginger.

“It was a creative foil to the demands of my

full-time job in commercial construction,” she

says. “With this I can let my creativity ooze out.”

Using her photographs as a starting point, her

e-store offers note cards, gift tags, paperweights

and just about anything she can put her photos

on. But her point of pride is that everything is

made in the United States. “If I source every-

thing here,” she says, “everything I do is helping

another company here.” shopluckyginger.com.


st yle & substance

Violinist Treesa Gold has played with the Richmond

Symphony, is a member of local bands Goldrush and Long Arms, and has been overscheduled since she was 2 years old. She says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

1. What’s your job? Violin teacher and wanna-be rock star.

2. What do you do in your free time? I assume that’s a joke.

3. Biggest accomplishment in life? I was the keynote speaker at a cancer conven-

tion and preparing for it, I re-alized what a big deal it was that I hadn’t died. I had a 20 percent chance of living, so my accomplishment is living every day to the fullest.

4. Best part of being a musician? Playing the best music with the best people you’ve ever met.

5. Fill in the blank: I am happiest when: I’m playing music.

6. Play or movie? Play. but I usually don’t get to do either.

7. Cat or dog? Dogs! I have two and they’re awesome.

8. Beer or wine? Oh, wine, any day.

9. Dress or pants? a dress for me lately.

10. Favorite band? the beatles. they’re too good not to say.

11. Best thing about Rich-mond? I love that you see people you know every-where. I love that in the same city, you have trees and a legitimate city. I love that I can walk everywhere.

12. Guilty pleasure? none. Every pleasure I have is out in the open.

pop Quiz with treesa gold

LetteR Perfect

a gift for yourself or maybe a hint for the appropriate person: choose your initial or pick the first letter of the word that best describes you. perhaps a w for winsome or an M for magical. $40 at Quirk gallery, 311 w. broad st.

The Cure for New Year’s Eve

sure, sure, everyone knows the best way to prevent a hangover is to avoid overindulging in the first place. but come december when the holiday parties are endless and capped by new year’s eve blowouts, it’s difficult to be good all the time. if you have one too many, it’s best to start hydrating as quickly as possible. and if you need even more of a cure, consider some advice from the experts:

star-lite bartender ashley Hawkins may have had a hangover or two, but when she does, she knows what to do: “Four ibuprofen with a huge glass of water, eat way too much at lunch with my girlfriends, an unhealthy dose of caffeine, and possibly a mimosa.” Possibly?

secco owner Julia battaglini rec-ommends letting your body make the call. “gatorade till i don’t want to die, then chicken pho until i want to drink again. usually five and three hours re-spectively.” No need to rush things.

kali strain, bartender at amuse, knows what to do when morning comes. “a hot meal and a cold beer, bitters and soda and jumping in the ocean or a cold shower.” Bartenders are brave.

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st yle & substance

YoU GoTTA HAVe FAITH

if one of your new year’s resolutions is to get back in touch with your faith, a wide-ranging website will set you on the right path. FaithinRichmond.com bills itself as, “all faith, all news, all the time” and offers much more than a way to find a place to worship in your neighborhood (although its listing of those is extensive). you’ll find places to shop for the holidays to benefit local groups, faith-based book clubs, information on fam-ily events, announcements of music and food festivals and volunteer opportunities.

LEgaLizE aRTJoan davis has found a way to combine her legal

talents with a love of art. she has an entertainment law practice in which she advises clients on aspects of intellectual property protection, such as copy-right and trademark law. she works with “starving artists,” as she calls them, meaning visual artists, au-thors, musicians, photographers, dancers, models, tattooists and fashion designers.

davis developed a “coffee with an art lawyer” program four years ago, which grew out of a desire to give back to the artistic community. “these are people who may not have money to give to a lawyer but still need their rights protected,” she says. the works varies: she’s assisted with forming business-es, filing trademarks, filing copyrights, reviewing and drafting contracts.

artists can make an appointment for coffee on the third Monday of every month by emailing [email protected].

Hunting for glass HornsThink of it as a marriage between art, culture and design. eco-Safari, an exhibition on display through

mid-January at Micheal Sparks Design at 205 Hull St., shows off the creative handiwork of Virginia Com-monwealth University graduate Grant Garmezy, photographer Jennifer Sisk and artist Mike Garaffa.

Garmezy, an expert Richmond glass blower, has crafted an artistic alternative to natural animal horns and tusks, which are complemented by the paint graphics of Mike Garaffa. To this, Sisk adds large-format photographs capturing the tribesmen of Africa taken during her trips there. The dramatic display high-lights the relationship among photography, glass, graphics and nature. “It gives the illusion and beauty of having something real without really having it,” Sparks says. “Plus it’s animal-friendly.”


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Michael Sparks


BLACK, WHITE&

BlingCelebrating our 5th Year Anniversary

Please join Dr. Zinsser and Zinsser Plastic Surgery for our annual holiday event. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, door prizes and

great specials all evening long!

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TUESDAYDecember 4, 2012 • 5pm - 8pm

RSVP at 804.474.9805

December SpecialPurchase a skin care gift card for a friend of $100 or more and receive $50 to spend on yourself - good

through the month of December.

January Special50% off an IPL treatment, great for treating sun spots.

1501 Maple Ave 101B, Richmond, Va 23226zinsserplasticsurgery.com

John W. Zinsser,M.D., F.A.C.S

Blanche Luck,Master Aesthetician

Clothing & Accessories for men, women & childrenAccepting consignments Mon thru Fri 10-4.

Please call ahead to see if we are accepting clothes. Shopping Mon thru Sat 10-5.

“Voted as one of the best bargains on Runway Fashion”by Richmond Magazine

804-358-9985 • thehalltreerichmond.com Located in Richmond’s Carytown at Thompson & Cary

The Element of Surprise...Every Day

Richmond, VA’s Consignment Institution for Men, Women, and Children.

The Hall Tree

Accepting consignments Monday thru

Friday 10-4 PM. Shopping

Monday thru Saturday, 10-5 PM.

North• I-95 S to RIC• Take exit 79 to I-195 S• Merge left via exit 186 to I-195 S/Powhite Pkwy• Go 2.2 mi to Cary/Grove exit• Left at light onto W Cary St.• Left at next light onto S Thompson St.• Left into shopping center

South• I-95 N to RIC• Take exit 74A to Downtown Expwy• Go 3.3 miles thru toll• Merge onto I-195 N• Take Cary/Floyd exit• Right at light onto N Thompson St• Right at next light into shopping center

East• I-64 W to RIC• Take left exit 190/I-195 S• Go 1.4 mi to exit 74A Downtown Expwy• Go 3.3 miles thru toll• Merge onto I-195 N• Take Cary/Floyd exit• Right at light onto N Thompson St• Right at next light into shopping center

West• I-64 E to RIC• Take exit 186/I-195S Powhite Pkwy• Go 2.2 mi to Cary/Grove exit• Left at light onto W Cary St.• Left at next light onto S Thompson St.• Left into shopping center

12 S. Thompson St.Richmond, VA 23221

(p) 804-358-9985web: www.thehalltreerichmond.com

We do our very best to offer a broad range of clothing and accessories for men, women, children and infants. Contemporary in every way, The Hall Tree provides the most fashion and variety for the least price - Truly a shoppers delight.

Some say the best fashion designers have their reunions at The Hall Tree. The labels prove them right.

Joan Williams, Owner

Located in Richmond’s Carytown at Thompson and Cary Street.

Yves S

aint L

aurent

Coc

o C

hane

l Lou

is Vu

it on

Dior Oscar de la Renta Calvin K

lein Ralp

h L

aurenG

UC

CI

D&GFENDIDKNY

Welcome to The Hall Tree!

CoachK a t e

SpaDE

Celebrating our 40th Anniversa

ry

Just one visit and you’ll BE

hooked.

Hall Tree anniversary FL.indd 1 7/12/2012 9:37:37 aM

Now acceptiNg

wiNter clothiNg &

accessories


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Gift Cards are available for purchase online or at the theatre.

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Where to go: The Camel on Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. for a triple bill that’ll knock your socks off. Oakland, Calif., band Electrician does electro-folk songs about social war and relationships; Cardinal Compass and rising local star Dave Watkins open — and you’ll have a hard time believing so much sound can come from one man.

What to eat: 821 Cafe (825 W. Cary St.) has simple and satisfying favorites, like my beloved black bean nachos. Feeling adventurous? Try the peanut butter, bacon and banana sandwich for a one-of-a-kind taste, or go large with the Brent burger, a one-pound burger between two grilled cheeses.

Where to go: University of Richmond’s Modlin Center on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. for “From the Big Easy to the Big Apple: a Celebration of the Mambo.” This multime-dia journey highlights the collision of Latin rhythms with American jazz and features the university’s jazz ensemble, musical guests and a dance contest. Remem-ber, the secret is to chill on the first beat.

What to eat: The Blue Goat (5710 Grove Ave.) is on the way to the University of Richmond and the place to enjoy rabbit pâté, braised goat and pork cheeks that should delight the mambo-going crowd.

Where to go: The Virginia Center for Architecture on Dec. 9 at 2:30 p.m. for “Talk and Tour: the House that Pope Built.” That distinctive house at Monument and Da-vis was built by the wealthy Branch family. Now it’s used by the center, but this is your chance to see rooms rarely opened to the public. See where Branch hid his hooch during Prohibition. Look for the resident ghost.

What to eat: Catch brunch beforehand at Lunch (1213 Summit Ave.) where pig is king. Its house-made sausage is stellar and the biscuits would make Aunt Bea proud. If you don’t want an omelet, try the enormous sandwich-es, such as the locomotive 231, a meatloaf lover’s dream.

Where to go: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Jan. 4 from 6-8 p.m. for music at First Fridays with Capitol Opera Richmond. Richmond’s the fifth and latest city to be added to the Capitol Opera group, with the first being Sacramento, Calif., 20 years ago. Cel-ebrate with Famous Arias and Duets by six or more company singers. With drink in hand, it’s an easy way to experience opera.

What to eat: Acacia (2601 W. Cary) is only a few blocks away. When it comes to reliably creative and well-executed food, few places top this Richmond main-stay. And the bar is always a lively place to spend a Friday evening.

Way to GoFour winter outings taste good and feed the brain. By KAREN NEWTON

Photo by SCott ELMQUISt Photo by SCott ELMQUIStPhoto by SCott ELMQUISt

sound decision

a cuban spectacular

peek behind the doors

bring me a tenor

the plan: Groove to

psychedelic folk.

the plan: Feel the

Latin rhythms.

the plan: Imagine life in the

Branch House.

the plan: Short-form

opera.


Fashion cues f e a t u r e

Eclectic, festive and dramatic

statements for the season’s glitzy

gatherings.

Party Artof the

Girl

Silver silk dress by Graham & Spencer ($403) at Pink; cluster necklace by Kay Adams ($595) and pearl necklaces ($30 each) at Anthill Antiques.



FAShion editor Lauren Healy

PhotoGrAPher Scott Elmquist

Art director Joel Smith

Model Kristina Welch, Model Mayhem

hAir Crissi York, master stylist,

Salon Del Sol and Spa

MAKeuP Jonye Cordova, JonyegirlFaces

FAShion ASSiStAnt Ashley Carruthers

locAtion Page Bond Gallery,

1625 W. Main St., pagebondgallery.com; 3North Architects, Sanford Bond, AIA,

lead architect.

Victorian black lace dress by dolce Vita ($250) and white crystal hand necklace by Serpent & the Swan ($165) at need Supply co.; pearl necklaces as bracelets ($30 each) at Anthill Antiques; gunmetal beaded headband ($12) at ur-ban outfitters; blue roses headband by leslie tuite ($25) at B-Sides thrift Boutique; black open toe platform by charles by charles davis ($138) at champagne and Shoes.

Susan Jamison painted “So caught up” in 2012.




Black cutout dress by reverse ($79) at urban outfitters; gold moon-rock bracelet ($38) and gold beaded bracelet ($75), both at Pink; gold chain cross-body purse by Whiting and davis ($24) at the hall tree; gold skull earrings ($58) at champagne and Shoes; sterling costume ring ($65) at Anthill An-tiques; gold tip suede heel by dol-ce Vita ($185) at need Supply co.




1950s handmade wallpaper print dress ($68) blue topaz and 10-karat gold ring ($142), both at halcyon Vintage; watch guts necklaces by Kay Adams ($155-$195) and vintage sterling men’s lion head ring ($50) at Anthill Antiques.

Fashion cues f e a t u r eFashion cues f e a t u r e



Burnout velvet long sleeve dress by dolce Vita ($52) at the hall tree; black mohair shrug handmade by Phyllis ($42) at hal-cyon Vintage; vintage fishing-lure necklace by Janelle Pietrzak ($26) at All roads Market; cross ring ($75) and party bracelet ($42) at Anthill Antiques; black lace headband ($12) at urban outfitters.




find it HErEAnthill Antiques3439 W. Cary St.254-2000anthillantiques.com

All roads Marketetsy.com/shop/AllroadsMarket

B-Sides thrift Boutique2925 W. Cary St.355-3131bsidesrva.tumblr.com

champagne and Shoes3004-B W. Cary St.261-0951champagneandshoesva.com

halcyon Vintage117 N. Robinson St.358-1311halcyonvintage.com

the hall tree12 S. Thompson St.358-9985thehalltreerichmond.com

lex’s of carytown3020 W. Cary St.355-5425lexsofcarytown.com

Mccue Vintageetsy.com/shop/McCuevintage

need Supply co.3100 W. Cary St.355-5880needsupply.com

Pink3158 W. Cary St.358-0884pinkstore.com

SaxonShort Pump Town Center11800 W. Broad St.285-3473saxonshoes.com

urban outfittersShort Pump Town Center11805 W. Broad St.364-5216urbanoutfitters.com



Susan Jamison painted “Prick” in 2012.


personalities p r o f i l e

photo by scott elmquist

The ambitious Holy Yang wasted no time in launching a Richmond business empire.by Christine stoddard

Imagine starting three booming businesses, marrying a male model and giving birth to a baby boy — all by the time you’re 23. that’s the life of the young and accomplished thai-american holy Yang (pronounced holly.)

“instead of switching majors, i switch business ventures,” Yang jokes.

two years ago, Yang opened Made in asia, an upscale thai and pan-asian restaurant in Ches-terfield that brings urban cool to suburbia. the business holds benefit nights and concerts and has sponsored a Mrs. Virginia contestant. in 2011, richmond Magazine named Made in asia the ar-ea’s best new restaurant. at that point, the place

had been open to the public for only a few months, but Yang didn’t miss a beat.

Following Made in asia’s success, Yang found-ed a marketing company, Yang Business services, which designs branding and promotional strate-gies. Many of her clients are restaurants, espe-cially ones that are recently established — such as Bobalicious, a Virginia chain specializing in fro-zen yogurt and bubble tea.

Yang has another big idea: a bright, trendy res-taurant downtown that delivers fast but healthy Japanese cuisine using environmentally friendly practices. “think just one step up from Panera and Chipotle,” Yang says of the business concept. “Fast but not too fast, casual but not too casual.”

this restaurant, a2, will offer gourmet asian fusion food — including dishes that are meaty, vegan and gluten-free — in a relaxed and futuris-tic setting. a2 is under construction in the former hunan Café at 1112 e. Main st. a wireless order-ing system, sustainable menus, motion-sensor lights and a recycling program will promote a2’s

“positive impact on the city,” Yang says. she likens the stylish, green-minded concept to something you would see in new York City or even tokyo. “it will give [richmonders] the experience they seek in other cities,” Yang says, “but it’s still tailored to the needs of richmond.” a2 is scheduled to open in early 2013.

Yang isn’t the wait-and-see type. she quit col-lege at age 19 to start putting her business smarts into practice. the detroit native moved to rich-mond four years ago to help her sister-in-law, the owner of asiana Bistro in Powhatan. after two months, Yang and her husband, Kevin Guo, fell in love with richmond’s small-town-in-a-big-city feel. at that point, they decided to stay in rich-mond and began planning their restaurant and business future.

“You can’t teach how to become an entrepre-neur,” Yang says. “You need the drive and passion for business and you just have to do it. i’ve been there painting my own walls and doing the elbow grease work.”

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Belle’s Holiday Gift Guide

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5. Stainless steel VCU timepiece from the “Tango” Collection by Raymond Weil. Available exclusively at Schwarzschild. Sterling and 18K Naga Dragon bracelet by John Hardy. Schwarschild www.schwarzschild.com | Short Pump 967.0800 Alverser 344.0150 | Carytown 355.2136

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body & soul f i t n e s s

I am a jagged stress ball when I come to licensed acu-puncturist Diane Lowry. Snarled up in a loop of not sleeping, and struggling with an unusually busy schedule including a plane trip, a wedding, a welcome influx of work and a horrible virus, I am unable to rid

myself of a lingering cough, exhaustion and sinus trou-ble. I could take a round of antibiotics and press on, but what I really want is to heal, unwind and find my balance again. I need my chi tweaked.

Lowry, 38, began studying Chinese medicine and acu-puncture in 2005. She started her own practice in 2009. A lifelong sufferer from migraines and fatigue, she began looking for the answers traditional medicine never gave her and studying natural healing on her own. After a car accident left her in pain, she tried acupuncture. “Noth-ing seemed to help,” she says. “I was miserable, laying on the couch every night after work. Acupuncture got me back on my feet again.” She left her career in advertising and delved into the world of chi, meridians and needles.

Once I sit down with Lowry, we go through a thorough intake that gives her a picture of my overall health. She examines my tongue and feels the pulse in my wrist. “There are channels or meridians in the body,” she says. “You can think of them as little highways that carry the energy through the body. A lot of what we’re doing is try-ing to unblock any areas that have gotten stuck. We try to figure out where in the body things are out of balance and select points on that channel or meridian that can correct it.”

Lying on the massage table, I relax as Lowry places needles in the back of my neck, down my spine, and on my legs and feet. I feel no pain, only a growing wave of com-plete, narcotic relaxation. My busy squirrel mind tries to go over its little lists and fuss with tasks undone, but

it falls into an abyss. A really lovely abyss. The needles trigger the body to release serotonin and endorphins.

“A lot of times people ask if I am injecting something,” Lowry says. “People ask if there is something in the nee-dle or on it. It’s hard to imagine that a tiny needle, the size of a human hair, can elicit that kind of feeling in your body naturally.”

After she takes the needles out, Lowry does tui na, or Chinese bodywork, on my back, massaging me with a blend of eucalyptus essential oils to further help my si-nus problem. I begin to feel like I might be a human be-ing instead of a malfunctioning robot.

My lungs no longer feel stuck together, and my sinuses begin draining a few hours after I leave the office. Best of all, I sleep deeply that night.

Most of Lowry’s clients come for headaches and back pain. Stress and depression rank second, followed by fertility issues, colds and flu. She encourages people to come in at the onset of a virus, making her one of the only people around who would be glad to see you at this time. “You can use acupuncture as a preventative,” she says. “You can use it to shorten the duration of a cold and less-en the symptoms. And then if we add an herbal formula, even better. You might really start to feel some changes that day.”

This month, Lowry travels to Canada to train in second chance facial rejuvenation. The technique uses the me-ridian systems of Chinese medicine with a microcurrent machine to firm the face and increase collagen produc-tion. “You might be coming in to get rid of a furrow,” she says, “ but you end up helping your stress and digestion, too.”

For information about acupuncture and Diane Lowry, visit HealthFocusAcupuncture.com or call 467-1355.

by JuLIe GeeNAcupuncture gets the juices flowing.

DianE Lowry’s Tips for CoLD anD fLu sEasonBunDLe up

In traditional Chinese medicine, the lung is considered the most exterior organ and our first line of defense against pathogens. When the weather turns cold and windy, acupuncture points on the neck and upper back become especially vulnerable. Wearing a scarf protects these points and the health of your lungs.

aCupressure on Lung sevenOne of the most influential points

for strengthening the lung organ is called lung seven. It promotes the descending function of the lung, making it a great choice for cough and nasal congestion. It also alleviates the headache and stiff neck commonly associated with colds and flus.

To locate lung seven, begin by making a thumbs-up sign. From the depression at the base of your thumb (referred to as the anatomical snuffbox), slide your index finger up your arm approximately two finger-widths. Lung seven is where your finger falls into the depression between the two tendons. Apply firm, steady pressure for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat on both arms several times.

fooD as MeDiCine At the first sign of a cold, drink

hot ginger tea. Boil 8 to 12 ounces of water. Add a 1-inch piece of peeled and grated ginger root. Simmer for 5 minutes. Strain, cool, and drink. If you can jump in the bed and cover up with blankets to induce a sweat, even better.

If these tips came a little late and you are already suffering from a dry, nagging cough, you can still turn to your kitchen for relief. Try eating a steamed Asian pear with cinnamon and honey. The pear is cooling, benefits the lungs and throat, stops coughing and generates fluids.

Keep Things Moving Traditional Chinese medicine says

the lung’s paired organ is the large intestine. In much the same way that our lungs inhale what we need (oxygen) and exhale what we don’t (carbon dioxide), our digestive system should be on a regular schedule of receiving and letting go. That means eating nutritious foods every day and going to the bathroom every day. Seriously. Every single day. Proper digestion is vital to our immune system, and constipation is a sign that your body is holding onto toxins. Drink plenty of water. Eat foods that encourage healthy digestion – plenty of vegetables (roasted beets are great) and fermented foods such as vinegar, sauerkraut, kombucha and Greek yogurt.

And don’t forget, move your body. Walk, dance, play – whatever gets you on your feet.

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The first bad boy I love is Jeff, a fellow kin-dergartner who skids across the linoleum floor on his knees. His pants are always torn. I talk about him to my mother all the

time. She marvels at how impressed I am by the skidding.

The first time I feel a full body bolt of longing, mysterious to me at the time, is when my second-grade gym teacher lifts me up so I can grab the monkey bars. He later goes to prison for murder.

My first kiss happens shortly before I turn 14, delivered by a boy on crutches after a drunken car wreck that killed two of his friends. He wrangles my skittish self expertly despite it all, irresistible with his punk hair and hard, amused eyes.

“It’s like a plague I have lived with all my life,” my friend Vicki says of her love of bad boys. It’s not entirely uncommon; most women have at least one experience with a man she knows she should re-sist and does not. But for some of us, the attraction seems to be hard-wired.

The boy I love in high school is so bad I recycle him years later when he gets out of prison for steal-ing a Corvette from a used car lot. He also unsuc-cessfully robbed a doughnut shop. “The gun wasn’t

loaded,” he says. “And besides, I just drove the car.” His own mother wails when I tell her we’re dating again. “He’s no good,” she says. “He’s a sweet boy, but he’s no good.”

I have to drag him past my police captain father’s big white car parked in the driveway when we go over to have dinner with my family. A true bad boy is brave. He steels himself and goes inside. We make it through dinner, my father employing the same cold courtesy he uses when he loads hand-cuffed people into the police car.

I love going to work with my father. When I come home from college on weekends, he and I blaze through alleys at impossible speeds. I watch him arrest drug dealers and even a murder suspect. I stand rapt, knees shaking, against the wall of a building as my father draws his gun. Maybe the imprint of my sire, who comes home from work with finger-shaped bruises on his throat, conditions me to men who love risk. Only I choose the wrong side of the coin.

My father starts running my boyfriends through the police computer. “Did you find him?” I ask. The answer is always yes. He says very little about what he finds, sometimes just one word. “Pot,” he snarls.

“Did you know he used to wear stupid little black-framed glasses?” he asks once. But his standards are very low. He just makes sure they aren’t mur-derers.

I believe his approach of standing by without much commentary while his daughter makes a series of dreadful but somewhat supervised mis-takes pays off. The man I marry only looks like a bad boy when I meet him. For 15 years, every night after work he comes home and helps the children with homework and reaches for my hand at night. I was duped, thank God. If I need a fix, I can always watch an episode of “Lockup: Louisiana.”

For a short time after college, I work at a thor-oughbred farm. One day, a stallion comes to the fence, jet black, blowing air at me through distend-ed nostrils. He allows no one to stroke his thick neck or rub his muzzle, and he has no use for me. For a split second he looks at me with his cold, wild eyes before he whirls and tears off across the field. His gaze sears me, that brief attention from a dan-gerous creature. If he had allowed me to untangle his forelock, if he had eaten from my hand, I would be the chosen one, the special girl who rode when others walked — the one who could have it all.

His and HurtsWhy do I always fall for the bad boy? by JuLIe Geen

body & soul p r i v a t e p a r t s

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Party PurchaseIf you like art, shopping and historical renovations, there’s no better place than Artisan Café’s winter edition and one-year anniversary party at Dovetail Construction’s Emerald Barn, a renovated electric trolley shed at 1620 Brook Road. Enjoy the ambiance and browse local creations such as jewelry and art objects in this curated, multiart-form show Dec. 8 from 6-10 p.m. artisancafeva.com. — E.J.

sugar theraPyPerhaps the answer to your soul sickness is in the pages of “Tiny Beau-tiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar” (Vintage, $14.95). Author and advice colum-nist Cheryl Strayed writes with poetic, gritty fierce-ness, showing that the way out often is more complex, loving and mysterious than the boxes in which we put ourselves. — J.G.

sPeaking of LincoLn At this point a Spielberg appearance in Richmond is almost routine. But the director, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and “Lin-coln” screenwriter Tony Kushner will be back, dis-cussing the art of bring-ing history to life on the big screen. If you’re lucky you’ll find a ticket to the Richmond Forum, set for Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. at the Land-mark Theater, 6 N. Laurel St. Call 330-3993 or visit landmarktheater.net. — E.J.

Wave ridersSchool of Seven Bells (Vanguard Records) has lightened up a bit. Benjamin Curtis and Alejandra Deheza admit they had fun making their latest EP, “Put Your Sad Down.” Short and sweet, these five songs ooze with sticky bass lines and ethereal vocals without being entirely trip-hop or dated. Songs merge and offer the opportunity to get lost in a web of synth-laden, new wave and the occasional psychedelic trip. Trading heavy-handed, industrial chops for mysteri-ous, sensual sounds proves a wise move. — H.L.

signs of LifeA play that features more than a dozen diverse char-acters isn’t so unusual. A play in which one actress plays them all? That’s something. Henley Street Theatre’s take on the play originally made famous by Lily Tomlin, “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” runs at Richmond CenterStage, 600 E. Grace St., Dec. 6-31. henleystreettheatre.org. — E.J.

AGEndA C o m P I L E D B Y JULIE GEEN, ELIzABETH JEwETT AND

HILARY LANGFoRD

in the hiPsColombia’s Bomba Esté-reo specializes in hip-stir-ring grooves that draw on cumbia beats and sultry chill-wave sounds. Unlike the band’s previous album of club bangers, “Blow Up,” “Elegancia Tropical” (Polen Records) settles down a bit and finds vocal-ist Li Saumet showing off diverse stylings. one mo-ment she plays the dreamy chanteuse, the next an emboldened scat spitter. while it often undulates like the stuff of hip, dimly lighted bars, this collection of songs shows tremendous growth and promise for a bright, fusion band. — H.L.

Just Lookingwhen author Eliezer Sobel noticed his Alzheimer’s disease-afflicted mother still enjoyed looking at pictures in magazines and reading phrases, he wrote “Blue Sky, white Clouds: a Book for memory-Challenged Adults” (Rainbow Ridge Books, $19.95). Beautifully photographed, everyday ob-jects are accompanied by simple captions in large print, each a story in itself, no memory required. — J.G.

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Be sure to check my website for my show schedule.


first person

What’s in your sleigh this year? by Valley Haggard

a Case of gimmies

As we approach the time of year when my per-sonality feels most divided, I’m half-inclined to shave my head, give away all my posses-sions and head for the hills, while half of me

yearns to hand-paint candy canes and beg Mr. Claus to take me as his mistress. I don’t consider myself a material girl, but who am I kidding? “gimme gimme gimme! gimme some more,” is my heart’s true song.

but it isn’t the stuff I crave so much as the frenzy. In my mind’s eye, december is a month of bingeing and gorging, stuffing it in and packing it on. In Janu-ary comes atonement, fasting, pumping iron and making resolutions to need less of the stuff I spent the last month hoarding. How much can I do before I feel like I’m finally done? The answer — if I’m honest — is never, ever enough.

So this year I hope to approach things a bit differ-ently. I’ve abolished credit cards and booked writing retreats for two weekends leading up to the big bang instead of camping out at the mall trying to deter-mine if this mug full of bath beads will really prove to my mother, step-mother or mother-in-law how much I love her. I’d like to wrap my mind around this bizarre concept of keeping it simple.

despite an emphasis on quality time over quality stuff, most of my holiday memories from childhood blend into a montage of What I got: the longed-for rubik’s Cube, the surprising mix of a Ken doll, walkie-talkies and “born in the USa,” the real gin-gerbread house under the tree that I loved too much to eat and let the cats pee on instead. Still, the year that stands out most vividly did not center on what I got or gave but where I was and who I was with.

My traveling companion and I were, as usual, nearly broke and, as usual, had no idea where we’d spend the night. It seemed that all of the shops in europe were closed for Christmas eve, and by the time we found an open hostel we’d finished most of the crust of bread squirreled away at the bottom of our packs. The hostel concierge took pity on us, giv-ing us directions to a soup kitchen free for travelers and the homeless. at the moment we were both. I expected the basement of a grungy yMCa, not the medieval banquet hall we stumbled into an hour later.

Torches lined the walls; vats of potatoes, plat-ters of meat and carafes of wine adorned the ta-bles. Vaudeville singers danced on the stage and

other homeless travelers danced all around. Un-beknownst to us, we’d discovered Christiania, a hippie squatter commune in central Copenhagen fashioned around an abandoned military bar-racks. actual heaven couldn’t have been better. We danced and ate and sang and made merry, feel-ing the holiday spirit — and many other kinds of spirits too. The next day, with snow falling softly all around, we made a pilgrimage to see the little Mermaid, beautiful and perfectly contained on her rock in Copenhagen Harbor.

I wish our Christmas story ended there and not with getting kicked out of our hostel later that night or ending up on a subway with the Hungarian mafia on New year’s eve — but that’s another essay. I’m sure gifts were exchanged at some point, but I don’t recall a single one of them.

Now, for better or worse, unlike the little Mer-maid, I don’t live on an island. I live with people who I want to cram full of as much happiness and stuff and cheer as possible — even if it means driving us all mad in the process. This year I’m hoping that giving myself the gifts of sanity and simplicity will be the gifts that keep on giving.

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Belle Magazine December 2012