Life + Culture

More Than a Haircut:

How Two Walnut Creek Stylists Help Clients Embrace Change Article by Ryan Phillips | Photography by Simone Rotman and Stock Photos Every few months, a young artist walks into Salon Hanover in Walnut Creek and asks stylist Christine Chou for something completely different. Something brand new. A new shape, a new length, a new energy. She wears sharply masculine cuts that somehow look striking against her delicate features. She doesn't stick with one thing. She doesn't want to.  "For me, that's...

Life + Culture

Q&A With Patricia Mousa Jordan

Author shares her story of family, identity in debut memoir My Palestinian American Life Article by Walnut Creek Citylifestyle | Photography by Patricia Mousa Jordan What began as a personal keepsake for her children and grandchildren has become a published memoir for author Patricia Mousa Jordan. In her debut memoir My Palestinian American Life , Jordan reflects on growing up in a close-knit immigrant family, preserving cherished memories, and navigating life between two cultures. Q...

Home + Design

At Home with Rebeca Saint

Meet the Founder of Velvet Home Staging Article by Debbie Cohen | Photography by Rebeca Saint It's after hours, and Rebeca Saint is relaxing at home. She’s tending to some houseplants, her smiling five-year-old daughter by her side. At the end of a long but exciting workday, there's nowhere Saint, the owner of Velvet Home Staging, would rather be.  Speaking from her Alamo residence, she shared her belief that “every home has a personality.” Her job is to work with it. Whether preparing a...

Style + Beauty

Skip the Trend Lists:

Build the Perfect, Stylist Approved Wardrobe Staples for Your Lifestyle Article by Alena Le Blanc | Photography by Stock Photos As a personal stylist, I love helping clients discover their own unique style. One thing I notice is that so many "wardrobe staples" lists tell everyone to buy the exact same pieces, like a white button-down, black blazer, and dark denim. But personal style isn't one-size-fits-all. Instead of focusing on specific items, think in categories. The goal isn't to own...

Life + Culture

Meet Walnut Creek's Superstars!

Article by Walnut Creek City Lifestyle | Photography by Submitted By Readers From cuddly companions to camera-ready characters, we received an incredible collection of furry friends and heartwarming stories. Meet some of our featured superstars. Pip: The force is always with Pip, a 5-year-old Labradoodle.  She loves to steal socks, shoes, baseballs, and napkins, and her family gets their daily exercise chasing her around the house to retrieve them. At 50 pounds, Pip thinks she’s a cuddly lap...

Life + Culture

More Than Just a Pet

How Furry Friends Helped Build a Community Article by Walnut Creek City Lifestyle | Photography by Studio 96' Productions When Navya G. moved to Walnut Creek with her husband Sid, they knew almost no one. As they adjusted to life in a new town with Pluto, their Maltese poodle, they visited a local park. The daily visits quickly turned into something more meaningful. Those casual conversations between dog owners have grown into lasting friendships. "We met some friends at the dog park, and...

Local Services

The Mental Load of Parenting

Why So Many Parents Feel Overwhelmed Article by Teresa M. Christian, Psy.D. | Photography by Megan Gery Photography It's 8:00 a.m., and you've already wrestled everyone into their clothes, changed a diaper or two, packed lunches, signed a permission slip, filled and refilled water bottles, made breakfast, emptied the dishwasher, scheduled a doctor’s appointment, remembered that your child needs a poster board for tomorrow's project, and mentally reviewed what's for dinner. Oh wait, it’s also...

Education

Navigating College Admissions in 2026:

What Has Changed and What Matters Most Article by Sunny Grewal | Photography by Marissa Rocke I'll skip "start early" and "stay organized" — you already know that. Here's what's actually changed in the past 18 months that most families in our area haven't caught up to. The SAT is back. Pretending it isn't will cost your kid. When the UCs went test-blind in 2020, the country followed. That era is ending. Yale, Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Caltech...

Health + Wellness

Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body

Why Oral Hygiene Matters More Than You Think Article by Dr. Tiziana Procopio Towle | Photography by Stock Photos When people think about staying healthy, they often focus on exercise, nutrition, and sleep. However, one of the most important—and often overlooked—factors in overall health is oral hygiene. Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is primarily caused by plaque buildup that allows harmful bacteria to thrive. When these bacteria infect the gums, the body's immune system responds by...

Education

The Walnut Creek Education Foundation:

Helping Local Students Thrive Article by Debbie Cohen | Photography by Provided By Students and Teachers Before enrolling in Las Lomas High School's Biomedical Science Pathway program, 17-year-old Kamila Sanchez never expected to become passionate about healthcare or to pursue a career in science or medicine. “A friend encouraged me to join, and it helped me discover a career path,” said the rising senior . The Biomedical Science Pathway is one of many programs supported by the Walnut Creek...