CLEVELAND LIVING & LIFESTYLES NEWS

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Chris Stephens/The Plain Dealer

Laura Templin sits in comfort in a La-Z-Boy recliner, thanks to sister Deborah Weaver submitting her room for the "Home for the Holidays" makeover.

She loved home improvement. Knock down a wall? What fun! Plumbing or electrical work? No problem! She enjoyed making her West Side home a place where family and friends could gather.

Then she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, and every disc in her back is herniated or degenerated. Constant pain forced her to get a morphine pump. Due to the pain, surgeries, helping to care for 5-year-old grandson Daemian while daughter Jennifer is at work, and husband Brian's pay cut, Templin's beloved home improvement and decorating projects fell by the wayside.

She watched the carpeting turn dingy and stained and the living room furniture become faded and ratty. Once a proud hostess, she cringed when people came into her home. She watched HGTV almost exclusively, wishing she could turn some of the ideas she saw into reality in her own home.

Unbeknown to her, a solution was coming. Best friend Darlene Mollard saw an article in The Plain Dealer about the "Home for the Holidays" makeover contest, sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries of Northeast Ohio.

UPON THIS CORNER: THE BLACK CHURCH IN THE CITY

Tracy Boulian/The Plain DealerFrom left, Gertrude Taylor, David Buttram and Imelda Ellison hold hands and pray in a circle during Sunday school at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Ellison says she has a "burning" call from God to be a minister, but she recognizes it is difficult to break the tradition of all-male clergy in churches such as Emmanuel. "I see myself as a pioneer," Ellison says. "I just have to stand on what the Lord has shown me and told me."

Imelda Ellison sits quietly in her pew as, one by one, dressed all in white, the members of the Emmanuel Women of Worship come down the center aisle.

Their heads held high, some 15 women step and sway, clapping and singing. For a few mesmerizing moments, the women's choir is the center of Sunday worship.

Then its members take their seats near the pulpit. This is when Ellison, a religious educator with a "burning" call to the ministry, envisions herself up front leading the flock in prayer.

But it is the male ministers on either side of the Rev. David Cobb Jr., Emmanuel's pastor, who take over the service.

HOLIDAY FASHION 2008

• Simply stand out: Cocktail parties

• At the office: Be festive, but don't look too fabulous

• Sprucing up for casual holiday gatherings

• Bundle up in something you love

• Hair and makeup tips

• Holiday menswear calls for creativity, sophistication

If there's anything that's guaranteed to send the women of Northeast Ohio into a tizzy, it's the arrival of a party invitation. Our pleasure at being included in the fun is almost always overshadowed by worries.

"What am I going to wear?"

That's where The PD Style Team comes in.

In this special Holiday Fashion blog, we share ideas on how to approach the social circuit in style, from evening gala to cocktail party to work soiree to neighborhood potluck.

We even throw in a few thoughts on outerwear -- because in Cleveland, a stylish coat is almost as important as the outfit it covers up.

As we narrowed down our choices, it became obvious quickly that local retailers have been quite artful in their buys for the holiday season, choosing only the most interesting, luxurious apparel for their customers. So where to photograph such elegance?

The Cleveland Museum of Art, of course. After all, the museum is currently hosting the most elegant of exhibits "Artistic Luxury: Faberge, Tiffany, Lalique."

Lisa DeJong/The Plain DealerRitz-Carlton chef Roger Smith pipes his meringue-shaped mushrooms for a Buche de Noel at the Fabulous Food Show at Cleveland's International Exposition Center last week.

Related stories:

Local chefs celebrate in and away from the kitchen

New takes on side dishes, meal freshen Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving tips from those who know -- the chefs of Northeast Ohio

Want to know the right way to carve a turkey? Download a pdf.

Thanksgiving recipes:

Rolled and Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan is perfect for the holiday -- Italian style

A side dish to remember: Sweet Carrot Puree

A twist on Thanksgiving dessert: Pumpkin Pie Soup

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad With Tangerine Dressing

How about a Turducken this year instead?

Time for a Thanksgiving dinner tuneup?

No, you don't have to abandon Grandma's recipes for turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes or even glorious pumpkin pie. Goodness knows, there's probably an army at the table expecting things a certain way, or else.

But the adventurous cook, and adventurous eaters, might want something more contemporary. And that's exactly what noted local chefs suggested at last weekend's Fabulous Food Show at Cleveland's International Exposition Center.

Tweaking the menu doesn't mean subtracting from the lineup. You could add a side dish or an appetizer. You could buy fresher, more local ingredients. You could sharpen your skills, plan better.

Plain Dealer Illustration/Photo by Lynn IschayThis graphic snowflake was created with skis, poles, goggles and gloves on loan from Geiger's Clothing and Sports in Lakewood. For information: 216-521-1771.

CLICK HERE for a list of what's new at dozens of ski resorts within a few hours' drive of Cleveland.

This winter's weather is predicted to be extra cold and snowy -- excellent news for the thousands of Ohioans who can't wait to snap on their skis and snowboards and hit the slopes. Leaders at area ski resorts are cautiously optimistic that the region's economic troubles won't keep their thrill-seeking customers on the couch.

In fact, close-to-home resorts may benefit from the nation's economic anxiety, as skiers and snowboarders choose to schuss on slopes that are a short drive, rather than a plane ride, away.

Resort owners are banking on it. They've invested millions of dollars during the off-season, adding new lodges and chairlifts, slopes and terrain park features, grooming equipment and snowmaking guns.

The investment is strongest in southwestern Pennsylvania, where the neighboring resorts of Seven Springs and Hidden Valley are both spending heavily on improvements, from a new spa and renovated hotel rooms at Seven Springs to a new chairlift and rental equipment at Hidden Valley.

RELATED STORIES:
Travel writer Susan Glaser explains why she now wears a helmet when skiing

Resorts offering trip deals to keep business from going downhill