Whether you’re moving into a new home or creating a 2015 update of your current one, the window fashion experts at Grand Windows & Interiors can translate your personal style and transform your space bland to grand through window treatments, custom drapery, color consultation, cabinetry, upholstery, granite, tile, and more!

Studies estimate that 40 million Americans—both men and women—have varicose veins. What causes an ordinary vein to become a swollen, painful varicose vein? We asked local Vascular Surgeon, Ulises Baltazar, for the answer. He says, “While elements of your lifestyle—sitting or standing for long periods, weight gain or pregnancy, trauma to the leg, and normal aging may all increase your risk of developing varicose veins, the most common cause is heredity. If you have one family member with a history of varicose veins, your risk of developing them can be 25 to 30 percent...and if two family members had them, your risk rises!”

John Painter travels the world hunting and fishing...so when a car accident left him stooped over and in pain, he felt like a entirely different person. He says, “I met Steve, aka Dr. Harris, through Rotary almost fifteen years ago (we have both been District Governors). After I got to know him, I came to him at the Sugar Land Health Center for an occasional adjustment. In fact, he fixed my shoulder from an old baseball pitching injury. Then in 2010 I was in a serious auto accident.”

When Susan Martinez, a local attorney at Hrbacek Martinez & Nestor, first met Dr. Shannon Orsak founder of St. Michael’s Emergency Rooms through the Fort Bend Leadership Program, she never imagined how important he would be to her family. She says, “One night my dad started to sweat profusely. He told me, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine. I’ll just take a couple aspirin,’ but the sweating didn’t stop. I said, ‘Dad, I think you’re having a heart attack...you need to go to the ER.’ He was a typical man...it took me almost an hour to convince him! My four-year-old daughter and I were actually sitting in the car with the engine running and I said, “We’re going to St. Michael’s Emergency Room and it will be weird if we pull up saying that you’re having a heart attack, but you aren’t with us.’ That worked!”

Are you made self-conscious or uncomfortable by the appearance of your scars? Are you looking forward to sleeveless tops and shorter hemlines this summer, or are you already worried about exposing your scars? Dr. Lance Campbell, Pharm.D., R.Ph. at Campbell’s Compounding Pharmacy in Sugar Land says, “We believe deeply in solving problems for our patients whether we’re compounding an anti-nausea cream, filling a prescription for blood pressure medication, or offering an over-the-counter product designed to address scarring like Advanced Praxi-Gel.”

From 8mm cameras to smartphones, from Atari Pong to Xbox One, the future of electronics moves almost at the speed of light. “Even though we don’t know exactly what’s coming next,” say Scott Crain and Richard Machemehl of Home Theater Evolutions, “we know how to help you ‘future-proof’ your home. Visit our new website to see the range of handpicked products we consider great choices for the present...and come by our showroom to talk about the home electronics of the future. Some of the most amazing innovations are already available!”

Are you ready for summer? Now is the time to deal with all those little issues that keep you from feeling your best in a swimsuit. “We have a full range of solutions from injectables to facial rejuvenation, breast augmentation, and body contouring,” says Marty Knesek, R.N, Lead Injectionist at Sugar Land Face & Body. “If you want a sleeker, tighter physique, Dr. Humble offers a variety of surgical solutions including Liposuction and Tummy tucks. We also have non-invasive options and technology you may not have seen elsewhere, like BodyFx and Forma.”

With an artist’s palette of vivid purples, greens, fuschia and black, Soto’s Kitchen draws on the heritage and flavors of Old Mexico with a personal twist. Amador says, “Our family comes from Central Mexico, a region that lies between the lush rainforests and the arid deserts. My brothers and I grew up in the kitchen, learning the food my mother and my mother’s mother cooked. At Soto’s Kitchen, we share a cuisine you could call ‘Mexican Fusion,’ drawing from ancient culinary traditions from different regions in Mexico and adding our own modern flair!”

Imagine what your day would be like without easy access to safe and clean water. Most of us take mundane things like showering, brushing our teeth, using the toilet, doing the dishes and washing our laundry for granted. It’s no accident that most of the time the water in our home works so well we don’t have to think about it...it’s a testament to America’s hardworking, highly skilled plumbers, like our local experts at Alan’s Plumbing.

We were making do with a space heater in the master bathroom...but the technician wasn’t in a big rush. He offered to order a part and maybe see about coming out on Monday. I was so frustrated by all the calls and all the effort it took to get help that I went on the computer and searched for Bryan Bellamy’s company, All Out A/C.