Sparkle & shine
By CAROLINE DOHACK of the Tribune’s staff
A diamond is a big purchase. Use this guide to help find the perfect stone for you.

EXCLAMATION POINTS
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
By CAROLINE DOHACK
While my childhood friends dreamed of gauzy weddings with multi-tiered cakes and weeping audiences, I dreamed of something else. I wasn’t going to be a blushing bride standing beside some cake-topper groom. I was going to be a chain-smoking, spike-heel-wearing maneater in a sleek sports car.

Wedding year
By CAROLINE DOHACK of the Tribune’s staff
Planning for your big day? Here’s a schedule of tips to help make it all come together and maybe even reduce some stress along the way.

Wedding styles are a sign of the times
The Associated Press
In 75 years of Brides magazine, just about everything about the weddings and the way they’ve been covered has evolved.

Denim style
By CAROLINE DOHACK of the Tribune’s staff
Even though it’s January, it’s time to start thinking about spring styles. As we once again set off on our quest for the perfect jeans, we can take comfort in the fact that a variety of popular styles means there’s a flattering option for everyone.

LOVE IT OR HATE IT?

STYLE WATCH: FIRST LADY FASHION

WHITE STRIPES

Q&A: MATCHING SHIRTS AND TIES

Shape up like the stars
McClatchy Newspapers
Admit it. You sneak a peek at the latest rags in the checkout lane. That’s OK - there’s little else to do unless you want to memorize the ingredients of Orbit gum.

Vet offers hope for joint-pain sufferers
McClatchy Newspapers
Eight years ago, Scott Pierce, a horse doctor, began experimenting with hyaluronic acid as an oral supplement for horses. Veterinarians have traditionally injected the acid into horse joints to treat pain and swelling.

DID YOU KNOW: BREAST CANCER

NUTRITION IQ: STEVIA

FERTILE MIND
It’s time to plan for the 2009 garden
By JAN WIESE-FALES
I’m not so set in my ways that I grow the same flowers and vegetables every year, but I’ve experimented enough to know that when you find something that works, there’s no reason to stray to some shiny new horticultural introduction.

Bonsai: Beauty in miniature
The Associated Press
A bonsai planting portrays, in miniature, a natural theme such as the rugged beauty of a gnarled pine on a windswept slope, the tranquility of a grove of larches or the joyousness of spring in the cascading branches of an old fruit tree bursting into bloom.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Gardens set in stone
McClatchy Newspapers
Martin Smith earns his living quietly, stone by stone. He builds and restores freestanding dry walls, retaining walls, terraces and patios, ponds, waterfalls and rock gardens in and around Chestnut Hill, Pa., and occasionally in Lancaster County, Pa., New York, Vermont, Oregon or New Jersey.

HOW TO: CUT BACK ON PLASTICS IN YOUR HOME

BEAT THE SLUSH

HOW TO: RENT OUT YOUR HOME

Q&A: ENERGY

SNAPSHOTS
By IRENE HASKINS
A lot of little piggies went to market to make the second annual “Taste of Elegance” event sponsored by the Missouri Pork Association such a success.

Knipp-Railton
A July 11, 2009, wedding at Stephens College Firestone Baars Chapel is planned by Rebecca Railton and Jason Knipp.

McCallister-Hildreth
Katie McCallister and Harold Hildreth were married Dec. 27, 2008, at Harrisburg Baptist Church. The Rev. Robert Korff performed the double-ring ceremony for the daughter of Alan and Sharon McCallister of Harrisburg and the son of Jay and Beckie Hildreth of Versailles.

Burr-Boesen
Stephanie Burr and Joshua Boesen were married Oct. 25, 2008, in Dyersville, Iowa. A double-ring ceremony was performed for the daughter of Steve and Linda Burr of Manchester, Iowa, and the son of Kay Boesen of Waterloo, Iowa.

VENTURE BOUND
Exploring India’s ‘caves’
By WAYNE ANDERSON
In my mid-50s, I spent six weeks riding the trains with a British travel group in India and seeing most of the major sights, among them the ancient Caves of Ellora and Ajanta. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, worth your attention if you find yourself between Bombay and Agra.

Time to relax: Honeymoon ideas
By CAROLINE DOHACK of the Tribune’s staff
A honeymoon is more than just a trip. It’s a chance to relax together after many stressful months of planning the wedding, and for some it’s the first opportunity to travel together.

At home on vacation
The Associated Press
As spring break approaches, vacation homes can be a great alternative to large, impersonal resorts, especially for big groups or those who prefer a home-away-from-home setting.

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