Nobody loves fashion more than I. I grew up with a Fashion Diva mother who drove to San Jose from Santa Cruz just to find a decent department store. Growing up in a hippie community didn’t exactly lend itself to fashion, so we bombed out of town to do the real down and dirty at Valley Fair Mall.

Be prepared when you meet Creative Marketing Arts (CMA) owner and resident guru Kim Kelley-Austin. A force of nature, Kelley-Austin is a bundle of infectious, out-of-the-box, streaming positive energy. She navigates her way through life and her homegrown business of 25-plus years with equal amounts of enthusiasm, heart and street smarts all built on the foundation of a Santa Cruz yogi. “Trust your instincts” is one of Kelley-Austin’s favorite sayings.

Distance Shopping is Not Fun—Returns are Stressful

You know how you appreciate something once you can’t have it? I want to say—loudly—that I appreciate my local retailers right now!

How many times have people said I miss that store next door? I certainly know I have said that repeatedly during the last 31 days of sheltering- in-place. Before COVID, many of us were spoiled and unappreciative of our neighborhood retailers. Gone are the days when we stroll freely in their stores without a mask and gloves and the scent of alcohol on our hands-- no fear, no shame in our game for having less than six feet of social distancing between us

After COVID-19 evaporates and is a thing of the past, how will we navigate the new normal? Many may feel less is more. Americans lived large before COVID-19, spending beyond their means, dining out, purchasing new cars and soft goods and spending on fuel, travel, and luxury brands.