Finance + Legal Services

Law & Dedication

how Carly Whiteside pursued her passions and dreams to become a standout in the legal field. Article by Ashleigh Underwood | Photography by Sonja Stafford Arizona native Carly Whiteside has always wanted to be a lawyer. Her passion for law never changed, even when life had different plans. When she found out she was pregnant with her daughter, Carly finished out the year of college she was in and then pursued her paralegal degree once her daughter started kindergarten. After finishing the...

Arts + Culture

Gather the Girls!

Article by Ashleigh Underwood Between hectic schedules and to-do lists a mile long, it can be hard to find some time to hang out with the girls. Here are some simple ways to get the girls together for some quality time—easy planning and easy scheduling.   Mini Book Club Sort of like a regular book club but without the continued commitment level. Find a book you would all enjoy, read it, and plan a coffee date to get together to talk about it. Don’t worry about finding discussion questions...

Arts + Culture

Hope Filled Florals

A local artist shares hope, truth, and beauty Article by Ashleigh Underwood | Photography by Ellen Gonzales Ellen Gonzales has always loved art. While she used to play with watercolors, her mom would paint her entire house in florals. As she shares the stories about the intricate floral patterns and creations her mom used to make, she laughs because she hated it as a child. She wasn’t a girl really into flowers or florals, and her mom was adding florals to almost any surface she could get her...

Finance + Legal Services

Tackling Financial Investments

Invest in how you view investments and financial planning Article by Ashleigh Underwood | Photography by Sonja Stafford Finances can be one of those topics that nobody wants to talk about. You can be working with something as simple as budgets or something as complex as investments and end up with a lot of conflicting information. It’s difficult to know what the right steps to take are.   To help with financial confusion, meet Brett McAvoy. His family would describe him as generous, helpful...

Life + Culture

Community Investment Community Dividends

How the Mesa HoHoKams have invested in our community for 75 years Article by Ashleigh Underwood | Photography by VGroup Photography If you’ve gone to a Spring Training game, you have encountered the fantastic Mesa HoHoKams. They are the wonderful volunteer organization that is dedicated to making every Spring Training season a wonderful experience for all the fans. It’s their members and volunteers that are running the gate, handling parking, selling programs, ushering the stands, running the...

Home + Design

Furniture Glow Up

Invest in the pieces you already own by giving them a little TLC Article by Ashleigh Underwood Do you have a piece of furniture that you’re thinking of getting rid of? Do you like the piece but it isn’t working with a new design aesthetic or newer pieces? Is it hard to find a replacement for it? Perhaps, instead of getting trashing the furniture and buying new, you can give your furniture a second life. How to Give Furniture a Second Life 1. D ecide the project. Figure out what you need...

Food + Beverage

The Food Investment

Article by Ashleigh Underwood | Photography by Provided Nando’s of Mesa has spent the past twenty-three years striving to be the community’s go-to spot for a family night out. Whether you’re celebrating your birthday, an anniversary, or memorable team wins, Nando’s has been—and will continue to be—a backdrop for celebrations. Nando’s has stood out as an easy, welcoming restaurant where you can gather with your friends and family for a delicious meal.   From the moment you walk through the...

Health + Wellness

Where the Magic Happens

This investment is more than a facial Article by Ashleigh Underwood What if getting a facial was not only self-care and some time for yourself but relaxing, more like going to see a friend? Deedee Green has accomplished exactly that. Getting a treatment from Deedee at the Skin Rendezvous is relaxing, self-care, and like catching up with an old friend. At Skin Rendezvous, DeeDee believes in handling facials and skin care differently. Her services aren’t simply facial transactions where you...

Home + Design

Reimagining the Home Remodel

How a local contractor, and his family, is changing the way we view home renovations Article by Ashleigh Underwood | Photography by Sonja Stafford & Provided When it comes to home remodeling, there are countless stories that would lead most to hesitate to consider a remodel or any sort of addition to their homes. Most of us have seen HGTV shows, while each episode includes happy endings, the process to the final beautiful reveal usually involves a huge budget hit, unexpected costs, and delays...

Arts + Culture

Inspired by Mesa

How a local artist finds inspiration in his new hometown Article by Ashleigh Underwood | Photography by Provided Local artist, Matthew Pinkus, is inspired by the desert that surrounds us. As a California transplant, the desert landscapes we take for granted are something of beauty to Pinkus, allowing him to take inspiration photos on his bike rides as he travels around the valley and turning the photos into beautiful paintings. It reminds even the most seasoned desert native that the plants...