At one time or another we’ve all found ourselves in this situation. You look at your calendar and suddenly realize you’ve forgotten someone’s birthday. You know you’ll have to pick up something on your limited lunch hour, so there’s no time to visit a big box retail store and a QT gas card just won’t do, especially since Grandma no longer drives. What you need is a fun little gift shop. If you live or work on the west side of Wichita, I have a few …

As I look through my closet preparing for Spring 2010, I find myself carefully evaluating my clothes from previous summers with almost complete regret. Aside from my Lacoste polos, which are timeless, I find summer clothing so casual it’s sad – a collection of overly pocketed shorts from mall stores like American something and that place next to Aber-whatever. Mall stores are apparently all buying from the same manufacturer in China, and everything looks falsely worn out and utterly temporary. Maybe it’s my age, but I’m wondering …

Guest post by Marco Benitez
Nestled in the rolling hills of the fertile Smoky Valley, Swedish heritage is alive and well. Välkommen till Lindsborg!
Lindsborg was settled in 1869 by a group of Swedish immigrants from the Varmland province of Sweden who envisioned a community rich in culture, learning, religion, business and farming.
These values remain strong as indicated by a city rich in the performing and visual arts. It is also home to the Smoky Valley School District and Bethany College, and multiple churches thrive there. Lindsborg is a place where businesses …

Few things can bring equal parts happiness and satisfaction. College Hill does it for me. There’s just something about the tall trees, hilly streets, and well-kept houses that is completely refreshing. Something special lives here. Maybe it’s history, a loving neighborhood culture, or the houses themselves, but this is the only place you can find it.
College Hill received its name as it went up alongside Fairmount College, the beginnings of Wichita State University. Ever since, the neighborhood has been an important part of the community, housing many influential Wichitans and …

It’s no secret that I bemoan the men’s shopping options in Wichita and the general lack of fashion that it creates, but I do occassionally find a hidden gem from time to time.  Here are the places I check regularly to update my style:

Von Maur Shoes – Each season, Von Maur finds something unexpected and I try to take advantage. Sometimes I’m even lucky enough to catch that item on the sales rack. My favorite pair of saddle brown Allen Edmunds were a Von Maur sale item.
Dillard’s Shoes – You …