| Art Deco tours show the various architectural styles of the era
Modern day South Beach is still a vibrant monument to the Art Deco designs of the late 1920s and '30s. The narrow streets are lined with hotels and buildings designed with curved edges, porthole windows and pastel-colored facades, all touchstones of the style. The Miami Design Preservation League is offering tours of the Art Deco district - guided, recorded and one that can even be done listening on a cell phone. On a recent sun-drenched morning, guide Erika Brigham, who has lived in the area since 1988, kicked off the tour with a lively talk about the architectural history of the neighborhood. She wore palm tree-shaped earrings, a gold-and-black speckled visor and a T-shirt promoting the annual weekend event celebrating Art Deco, which was scheduled this year for Jan.
'Big day' focus of annual fashion show
Sue Thompson, Mercersburg, is getting married on June 28 and said she fell in love with a navy blue dress from J&B Bridals and Tuxedos that was modeled in the fashion show. Thompson and her friend Karen Blair were very impressed with the exhibitors, saying that they provided essential information, giving good input without being pushy. The ladies enjoyed many aspects of the bridal show, including the atmosphere, models and music. "It really brightens your spirits and makes you want to have a wedding all over again," Blair said. Thompson said she has a church and reception hall booked for her wedding, on a $4,000 budget. She and Blair have been friends for over 30 years. They said that the wedding, though priced low, will still be very nice with help from friends and family, who make the day special.
Green fashions finding a following among designers
At the "aWear: An Eco Fashion Event," an all-day teach-in and celebration of sustainable style held recently at Green City Gallery in Berkeley, designer Kirsten Beneke showed off her dresses made from recycled fabric scraps. To conserve electricity, Beneke didn't use a sewing machine, instead making an elegant pink evening gown by simply cutting the fabric and securing it with a purple sash. Other attendees showed their support for ecological fashion by participating in a clothing swap that featured fuzzy scarves and lots of fluorescent caftans (it was in Berkeley, after all). "I made sure everything I was wearing tonight was sustainable" - as in purchased at thrift stores, said Abraham Kneisley, the gallery's spokesman. Even though "aWear," an event put together by Beneke, was sparsely attended, it points to a growing area of fashion interest among those who aren't just obsessed with having the latest looks from the hottest designers on the pages of glossy magazines.
BEST Robotics Competition to be Held Saturday at MSCC
Seven area schools will participate Saturday in the Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology robotics competition at Mid-South Community College. Opening ceremonies will begin at 9 a.m. at the college's Workforce Technology Center on the North Campus. “The BEST robotics competition combines the best aspects of a sporting event, a chess game, and a science fair," says Dianne Langford, director of the Arkansas Delta Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Project at MSCC. “The competition allows our students - our future technology specialists - to participate in a fun event that we hope will motivate them to become catalysts for significant inventions of the 21st century." Schools registered to compete include West Memphis East Junior High School, West Memphis West Junior High School, West Memphis High School, West Memphis Christian, Benton High School, Marvell Middle School, and the Home School Association.
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