It wasn’t long ago when vacationers snapped and clicked with fingers crossed, hoping to have a few good pictures when they returned home. In the age of digital photography, things should be easier. But regardless of the equipment upgrade, vacation photos often look dull, amateurish and indistinguishable. Our in-house expert, LN photographer Sarah Crowder, weighs in on what travelers should do to capture the moments they’ll want to remember.

Two of our favorite things in the restaurant world are fine cuts of meat and a comfortable, low-key atmosphere to enjoy them in. Citizen Kane's Steak House has plenty of both, as we were reminded on our most recent visit.

When St. Charles resident Justine Riggs rescued two sister Weimaraners four years ago, she wasn’t thinking of becoming an author. But necessity is the mother of invention, after all, and a family Thanksgiving trip showed her how difficult it can be to find hotels and restaurants that accommodate dogs. In fact, at one restaurant where the family went inside, leaving the dogs (still within eyeshot) in the car, she says, “I could see (one dog) turning around in the seat. What I didn’t realize was that she was ripping a hole in it! She really did not like that we were inside and she was out there.”

St. Louis designer on-the-rise Jessie Miller made her debut June 9 on HGTV Star, which offers opportunities for undiscovered home renovation virtuosos to win life-changing prizes.

St. Louis restaurants were well represented on the Opinionated About Dining's Top 25 Midwest Restaurants list that was recently released. Niche took the No. 2 slot; Sidney Street Cafe was No. 8; Stone Soup Cottage was No. 11; Brasserie by Niche came in at No. 12; Farmhaus garnered No. 13; and Tony's landed at No. 20; and Harvest rounded out the list at 22. Well done!

You wouldn’t trust a stranger with your money, but how much do you know about the person helping you make the biggest purchase of your life? LN asked six area real estate agents about local favorites and the like so you can see what makes these professionals tick. (Hint: The Cardinals might have been mentioned once or twice…)

Maybe you've tried every recipe plan, diet book and exercise video out there in an effort to finally reach your ultimate weight-loss goal, yet you keep coming up short. But your past doesn’t have to be your future, according to Charles D’Angelo. The weight loss coach, who has come full-circle himself—losing 160 pounds more than a decade ago—is in the business of motivating people to change the script in their heads to achieve healthy lifestyle goals. “The key is to drop the excuses and tap into that God-given spark that everyone has to fulfill their dreams,” D’Angelo says.

Story: Fledgling Wall Street stockbroker Billy Crocker is entrusted by his boss, Yale man Elisha Whitney, to sell Whitney’s vast number of shares in a company he’s been tipped is going to tank. When Whitney boards the S.S. American for a luxury cruise to London, Billy decides to stow away aboard the vessel in order to be near the woman he loves, Hope Harcourt, even though Hope is engaged to be married to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh.

EdLetter / EL Summer 2013

For many people, the end of May means one thing and one thing only: If you have a child or grandchild, or a friend moving on to a new phase in their academic career, the month of May means far more than flowers or Mother’s Day or spring-cleaning; It means graduation.

Whether you are looking to relieve aching muscles or simply relax, a massage can provide a sweet escape from the daily grind. Let these tips for what to do before and after a session help you achieve the stress-free experience that will make the most of your massage.

Big congrats go out to MATT SEITER, bar manager at Sanctuaria Wild Tapas in The Grove. His book, The Dive Bar of Cocktail Bars, is one of 10 semi-finalists for Best New Book at the Spirited Awards at the 2013 Tales of The Cocktail, which will be held in July in New Orleans. The list of finalists for the category will be released next month. Good luck!

“Pink? I don’t drink pink.” Sound familiar?

Last month, we started discussing nuggets to lessen the fear of public speaking. These are proven practices I use with coaching clients and talk about in my presentation seminars.

Lots of events on the books now that the weather has (hopefully) come around:

This summer, think of your backyard as the next decorating frontier. Use designer-quality furniture, rugs, lighting and charming decorative accents for stunning results.

Creating good by giving back is a gift to yourself, local financial advisers say. But before making a major donation to support your favorite cause, heed the following pieces of advice to avoid scams, maximize that gift and leave a lasting legacy of philanthropy. 

Communication is one of the very first skills we learn in order to navigate the world. As infants, we are quick to begin communicating our needs and respond to those around us. However, babies who are born with hearing disorders and children who lose their sense of hearing face a very different communication landscape—one that now involves technology and strategies to help them to communicate with the wider world.

Known by some as the St. Louis spring event, Friends of St. Louis Children’s Hospital recently held its 10th annual Table Tops event at The Ritz-Carlton. 

With hit TV show, The Biggest Loser, bestselling books and 1.6 million people visiting her weight loss website each month, Jillian Michaels has become one of the nation’s most popular experts on healthy eating, exercise and leading an exceptional life. Now, she is sharing her success secrets with audiences across the country through her Maximize Your Life tour, a live show coming May 11 to the Fox Theatre. LN recently spoke with Michaels about her personal health journey and her upcoming show, which aims to help people kickstart their life and fitness goals and achieve health and happiness.

The next time you think you’re too smart to be scammed out of money, consider the Ladue businessman who recently lost $3 million in a Jamaican lottery scam.

Let's face it. Nobody really knows which investments are going to be sure-fire winners. Even the savviest financial gurus tell horror stories about seemingly reasonable ventures that inexplicably went south.