FEATURES
ARCHITECTURAL HARMONY
BY IVETTE FIGUEROA
Humble and understated, renowned Miami architect Ramon Pacheco has designed residences for Gloria Estefan, Michael Kane and Univision star, Don Francisco. He has designed well over 40 homes in Pinecrest and over 200 homes in the Coral Gables area alone. Ramon grew up in a small town in Cuba where he completed his high school education and dreamed of studying Architecture. He moved to the United States at the age of 17 and began attending the University of Florida where he pursued his dream career of becoming an architect. “Since I arrived from Cuba, I have been living in Miami with my family,” says Ramon. “I enjoy the subtropical climate and the cosmopolitan environment that is Miami today.” Over the last 40 years of being in practice, Ramon has seen the evolution of architecture in South Florida…
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FEATURES
GREEN LIVING
BY IVETTE FIGUEROA
A vocal advocate of sustainability, Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner is a pioneer in adopting green practices, including implementing alternative energy in her own home, opting to install a full array of electricity-generating solar panels on her roof. Now, others are “walking the talk,” including Pinecrest residents David and Jennifer Harper, who recently took a bold step in energy efficiency when designing their own home. David, principal and director of the architectural firm HKS, has been a trailblazing architect since his college days at the University of Miami. His innovative techniques garnered him recognition in the design community, and now his dedication to sustainable building has left a lasting impression in the Pinecrest community…
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FEATURES
PET PARENTING
BY IVETTE FIGUEROA
Tufts of rich brown locks billow towards the ground as she works her magic. She doesn’t have to click any red heels together to get him to stay – he sits with poise as groomer Lauren Jackson gives him a Toto makeover. The star pooch has already made his debut as the lovable character in a “Wizard of Oz” production, and with Jackson’s personal touch, he looks perfect for the part. Jackson opened Bow Wow pet grooming in Coral Springs 18 years ago, and has since developed a reputation for her scissor work. “My whole goal is to have your dogs looking like a show dog, but I don’t do show dogs specifically,” says Jackson. “I believe the quality of the work comes through. I specialize in long coats, full coats, brush outs, and scissor work. I also do regular pets shaves, etc., but I really enjoy the fancy work…
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FEATURES
CELLULITE WARS
BY IVETTE FIGUEROA
The hard facts: Eighty percent of U.S. women have cellulite—young, old, fat, thin, it doesn’t matter. The sad truth is that being a woman is all it takes, since the underlying causes are hormones, fat and heredity. And while we all recognize our dimpled derrieres to be the outcome of dear-old-mom’s gene pool, the problem is a lot deeper than that. “Cellulite is a description of the type of subcutaneous fat women have that is genetically and hormonally controlled. [But the key] is the difference in the anatomy of fat between men and women,” says Dr. Laura Skellchock, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in Boca Raton, FL. In other words, we’re just built differently…
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FEATURES
SCIENCE OF BEAUTY: LIP SERVICE
BY IVETTE FIGUEROA
You just can’t seem to pick up a supermarket tabloid without seeing “the horrors of plastic surgery”—especially bad lip jobs. Believe it or not, good lip augmentations are actually the norm, but you wouldn’t think so paging through one of these magazines. Yes, we all know bad news sells, but that doesn’t answer the question: Why the botched lips? What are they doing wrong? In order to clear up the mystery behind lip augmentation, we interviewed Dr. Robert Gordon, D.D.S., a Tampa-based cosmetic dentist and oral/facial specialist known as Dr. Lips, along with other cosmetic surgeons who practice his techniques…
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FEATURES
QUEST FOR THE PERFECT LIPS
BY IVETTE FIGUEROA
The quest for perfect lips is as old as civilization, and as new as the latest starlet on the block. Ever since the ancient queens of Egypt applied lip liner, luscious lips have been sought-after and prized. And for today’s movie stars, from Scarlett Johansson to Angelina Jolie, full, succulent, luxurious lips are a must. When a star doesn’t have them, she gets them. In modern times, and especially during the past decade, the popularity of lip augmentation has significantly grown, as new advances beget new demand. Whether using skin-friendly liners to accentuate lip size or more permanent methods of enhancement, a prominent pout is now more accessible than ever…
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FEATURES
FAT TO FIT: ONE MAN’S JOURNEY
BY IVETTE FIGUEROA
There comes a time where every life experiences a crisis. It’s in these moments that a person truly reflects on the choices that led them astray, but more importantly, they find whether or not they have the strength to set things right. For Peter Ajello, 37, that moment came after a near-fatal diabetic stroke. At 407 pounds, Pete was part of an ever-growing group of Americans referred to as “morbidly obese.” His blood sugar levels teetered dangerously high, his diabetes was out of control, he had high blood pressure, gout and was constantly plagued with bouts of sleep apnea…
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FEATURES
DO WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RADIATION?
BY IVETTE FIGUEROA
One of the more disturbing images from 20th Century literature comes from “On The Beach.” The book (and the movie) is set in Australia after a great nuclear war destroys the Northern Hemisphere. The citizens of Australia are waiting for the nuclear cloud to arrive and wipe them out. No explosions, no noise, just a deadly cloud heading their way. Radiation is the ultimate silent assassin. You can’t see it, smell it or touch it, and it doesn’t take much exposure to dramatically increase your risk of cancer. The fear of this quiet killer has only escalated in the U.S. with the implosion of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant…
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