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Remembering Radnor’s Heidi Diskin: a life of caring, cut short by depression. Plus, Paoli’s billboard battle, Target fever, Kindred Collective Bryn Mawr, Ardmore murder news, Retail roundup, Etcetera & more

October 11, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

On Sept. 7, three days after her sons started the new school year at Radnor Elementary, Heidi Diskin ended her life.

She was 44.

We share this with you because Heidi would want us to.

“One hundred percent, she would want her story told,” said her husband, J.D., in a phone interview. “My hope is that what happened to Heidi can be a teachable moment. As terrible as this situation is, it’s an even worse tragedy if it doesn’t help others.”

To family and close friends, Heidi’s suicide was a sucker punch – a heart-wrenching coda to 20 years of pain.

To those less close, it seemed, well, inexplicable.

Because Heidi had made mental health advocacy and suicide prevention her life’s work. She’d started a brain health foundation, she’d spoken to countless groups, she’d even hosted a cable TV show about mental health. How could Heidi Diskin – of all people – have succumbed herself?

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Filed Under: BUZZ, EAT, PLAY, SHOP, STYLE, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anthropologie, Ardmore murder, Bill Claypool, bipolar, Blue Gene Gala, Blue Octagon, Blue Octagon Too, Brigid Stasen, Bryn Mawr, Campli PHotography, Carla Zambelli, Catalyst Outdoor Advertising, CCC Sale, Center for Social Impact, Christina Carlin-Kraft, Circe, Clockworks, Community Clothes Charity, Dan Maxwell, depression, Devon Target, Devon Yard, digital billboards, DMAX Foundation, Eaves, Eaves Townhouse, Etcetera, Finneran Pavilion, flower walls, Haverford College polling place, Heidi Diskin, J.D. Diskin, Jordan PIncus, Kindred Collective, King of Prussia mall, Krissa Wichsser, Louella Boutique, Madeline Miller, Malvern Prep, Minding Your Mind, model murder, Nicol Floral Design, Nicol Segel, North Italia, Paoli billboard, Parlour, Parlour Ice Cream Ardmore, Pattye Benson, Radnor Fireworks, Radnor suicide, Revivalist Gin, Robin Halpern, Skinny Pizza Paoli, spotted lanternfly, suicide, surrey services, Target, Tredyffrin billboard, Tredyffrin Township, True Food Kitchen, Ventnor movie theater, Villanova, Wayne Target, William claypool

Dishing on new Devon Yard, Big break in brutal Main Line murder; Great Flood of ’18; Dining & retail roundup; Saturday Club 2.0 & much more

August 30, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

The Main Line seems smitten with its new baby, the upscale lifestyle center Devon Yard.

And why not?

She’s six acres of delightful: verdant and lush, our new bundle of joy.

And a surprisingly small bundle she turns out to be.

After that that four-year township tug-of-war, Devon’s new “town center” consists of two stores (albeit grand ones), two restaurants and an event space. Period.

Still, every detail disarms: the breathtaking courtyard, the vintage flourishes, the unexpected touches of whimsy.

Here’s what you need to know before you go:

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, Uncategorized Tagged With: Ardmore murder, At Thge Table Wayne BYOB, Berwyn Fire Company, Christina Carlin-Kraft, Clothier estate, Cornerstone Bistro, DuckDuckGo, Eddie V's, Emergency Management, Flooding, Gateway Shopping Center, healthy breakfasts, Jim Klinges, King of Prussia mall, Lower Merion School District, Main Line Hair Design, model murder, North Italia, Orange Theory, Radnor Fire Company, Saturday Club, Sheri DeMaris, Stoneleigh Garden, Tiramisu, Trader Joe's, Tredyffrin, water rescues, YMCA

Transgender in Tredyffrin – C. McMillan’s story; Semi-Super Wawa to Wayne?; LM school search update; J. Alexander’s KOP & Alomore in Gateway & much more

August 7, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Don’t bother searching for Cal Stone McMillan in Conestoga’s 2103 yearbook. The only McMillan listed is brainy trumpeter Caroline, and well, she’s long gone.

Because Caroline, in trans parlance, is Cal’s “dead name.”

In print and in person, Caroline has been largely erased – birth certificate, passport and driver’s license all say “Calvin” now. Calling Cal “Caroline” would be “deadnaming,” disrespectful because it signals non-acceptance.

Along with the masculine name, there’s a manly physique, a strong handshake, a deeper voice, a beard.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, Uncategorized Tagged With: Aberdeen Sunoco, Alomore, Alpha Brava Canine, Ardmore, Barbara Bigford, Beach Pockets, beach umbrella anchors, Ben Thomas, Broadway, Cal McMillan, Caroline McMillan, Cerise BYOB, Cerise Craft Steakhouse, clairemont, Dine out for the Dogs, Easttown Library, fashion boutiques, Gateway Shopping Center, gender dysmorphia, Gerry Lenfest, J. Alexander's, Jeremy Nowak, Jersey Boys, Karakelian, Kathy Rumer, Keystone Shops, King of Prussia mall, Lower Merion School District, Medical Marijuana, Mike Badey, Morris Cloethier Mansion, Nahjee Grant, Nathan Twedt, passports, Radnor Poice, Sara Schmidt, Sara Schmidt Studio, Snapchat, Songs for Seeds, St. Katharine of Siena, Stacy Stone, Stoneleigh, Transgender, Tredyffrin, Van Gogh Pop-up, vincent van gogh, Wawa, White Dog Cafe

FURY over Element Kitchen’s disappearing act; Felony Lane Gang hits Paoli (Women beware); Art for all; Cancer Support; Martha Stewart & much more

April 12, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Dream kitchens up in flames.

New bathrooms down the drain.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars, given in good faith, gone.

Employees summarily fired, their paychecks bounced. A lease broken, rent skipped.

The flood of fuming allegations against Element Kitchen & Bath in Paoli (and formerly Devon) beggars belief.

Did this really happen? Here?

No bargain basement remodeler, Element – until it up and vanished – operated out of a splashy showroom in the heart of Paoli at the beautifully renovated KingsHaven Design complex.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Acme, Ardmore Music Hall, Ashley Lunkenheimer, autism, Autism Awareness Luncheon, Bernice Paul, Beth Buccini, brain injury, Cancer Support Community of Greater Philadelphia, Community Arts Norristown, Conestoga High School, Corsica, Daylesford Crossing, Element Kitchen & Bath, Episcopal Academy, Felony Lane Gang, FLITE, Friends Central School, Gabrielle Arts Foundation, Giada de Laurentiis, Harlem Wizards, In the Pocket, Jahnavi Rao, Jay Wright, King of Prussia mall, KingsHaven Design, Kinney Center, Lisa Scottoline, Liseter, Main Line Art Center, Martha Stewart, Mary Gay Scanlon, michael sheehan, Mike Sheehan, Molly Shepard, Natanya Sortland, navy yard, Nicole Schaeffer, Paoli, Paoli Library, Pearl Kim, Philadelphia Antiques & Art Show, Philadelphia Antiques Show, Race to Recovery, School of Rock, social justice, T, Tommy Conwell, Tredyffrin Police, Valley Forge Flowers, Valley Forge Park, Wendy Coleman, West Chester homicide, Wheels of Wayne, Williams Sonoma

Boss Ladies! AR Workshop Malvern & Wayne mom’s Yogi invention; Plus, KOP Mall facelift, Nova News, Politics, Platoon Fitness & more

March 29, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Callin’ all wine-lovin’ ladies and DIYers: the coolest spot this side of The Buttery just opened in Malvern.

AR Workshop is a custom art studio where you make wood signs, photo frames, canvas pillows, tote bags and more.

Sipping all the way.

(Giving “craft cocktails” a whole new meaning, right?)

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, PLAY, SHOP, SOUL, STYLE, Uncategorized Tagged With: AR Workshop, Bikram, Boston College, Campli PHotography, Courtney Mullen, crafts, DIY projects, Eastside Flats, Final Four, Focus Fitness, Fourth Congressional District primary, girls night out, Jay Leno in West Chester, Jo Ruse, Joe Hoeffel, Kasie Hunt, King of Prussia mall, King Street, Lauren Hart, Louella, Main Line personal training, Malvern, march for our lives, March for Our Lives Philadelphia, Mojo Fitness, MOMS Demand Action, PA primary elections, Platoon Fitness, Pope Francis, Ryan Costello, Safe School Symposium, Sixth Congressional District, Stoneleigh bunnies, Todd Carmichael, trampoline park, Urban Air, Villanova, Villanova acceptance rate, Villanova admissions, Villanova baseketball, Villanova campus construction, women's nights, yoga, YOGI Fitness mats

New Year, New Hotspots ahead: Marbles 2.0, Imbibe. Plus, KOP Mall’s radical plan; Singing star nails it in Ardmore; Stoga grad grabs national headlines & more

January 11, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Well, whaddayaknow? Marbles is rolling back to Bryn Mawr.

Fifteen years after the Main Line mainstay near the movie theater went dark, it’s being resurrected – same spot, same owners, same tin ceiling.

The building’s been owned all along by local restaurateurs, George, Michel, Joseph Wakim and their sister, Fadia Wakim Abi-Khattar, who also own Aldar Bistro and Murray’s in Bala and Evviva in Narberth.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Antoinette's, Benj Pasek, Bryn Mawr, bus, Emily's Entourage, Fusion GPS, Glenn Simpson, Imbibe, King of Prussia mall, LaBelle Nail Bar, Le Saigon, Lisa borowski, Main Line restaurants, Marbles, OurBus, Paoli Shopping Center, Patti LaBelle, Radnor Board of Commissioners, Radnor rail bridge accidents, Restore Cryosauna, Sean Weinberg, Steele Dossier, Stella Blu, Studio H Color and Design Group, Wakim

Democrats win big in T/E & beyond; Longtime Main Line ob-gyn arrested; Stoga, Devon Yard, Ardmore Target & Aronimink updates; Dine local; Shop w/ purpose & more

November 15, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Local Democrats are still pinching themselves – perhaps nowhere more so than in Tredyffrin, where the party’s candidates went 12 for 12 last Tuesday.

A sweep.

Three Democrats ran for township supervisor seats: incumbent Murph Wysocki plus Matt Holt and Kevin O’Nell. ­

All three won.

Four Democrats ran for T/E school board: incumbent Scott Dorsey plus Kyle Boyer, Tina Whitlow and Heather Ward.

All four won. (Whitlow and Ward ousted current board president Doug Carlson and Virginia Lastner.)

So, for the first time in township history, three of seven supes and seven of nine school board directors will be Democrats.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, PLAY, SHOP, Uncategorized Tagged With: Ardmore, Ardmore Target, Aronimink, Chris Hurst, Conestoga High School, Democrats, Devon Yard, Heather Ward, Joseph Russino, King of Prussia mall, King of Prussia Town Center, Kyle Boyer, Lisa borowski, Medical Marijuana, Murph Wysocki, Paoli ob--gyn associates, Paula Hian, PGA tour, Philip Ahr, St. David's Episcopal Church, Target, The Gift Shop at St. David's, Tredyffrin, Tredyffrin Township Democrats, Tredyffrin-Easttown School Board, Wyebrook Farm

KOP Mall shooting; Shopping & school news; A celebrity house call; ‘What to Eat Now!’ takeaways and more

October 31, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Just in time for Halloween: scary times at the King of Prussia Mall.

Last Saturday afternoon, a woman returning to her car in the garage between Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor was held up at gunpoint. Police say an armed man hopped in her backseat as she opened her car and pointed a gun at her head, demanding her purse.

He then sped off in the SUV he had allegedly just hijacked from an 87-year-old man in Delaware.

So, yeah, an armed robbery at 3:30 p.m. on a weekend afternoon at one of the busiest malls in the country.

But wait; it gets worse.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, Uncategorized Tagged With: Andrew Weil, Arthur Wolk, Barnes Foundation, Body X, cBOP, children's boutiques, crime, fashion boutiques, Gingy's, Haverford, Healthy eating, King of Prussia, King of Prussia mall, Lower Merion School District, Malvern, men's underwear, nutrition, preschool, S, SAVVY Gathering, St. David's Episcopal Church, St. David's Episcopal Day School, St. David's Nursery School, Suburban Square, Tommy John, True Food Kitchen, West Elm

Movie theatre to Tredyffrin (?!); Devon pot dispensary’s surprising CEO; New frat suit; True Food Kitchen & new Wayne BYOB; Pun’s to Ardmore; Devon Yard & more

July 21, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Dim the lights and pass the popcorn: The Main Line might get its first luxury movie house.

The owner of the Swedesford Plaza Shopping Center in Tredyffrin is in serious talks with an upscale theater company to turn the dowdy old Pathmark into a state-of-the-art cinema experience.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, PLAY, Uncategorized Tagged With: Ardmore, Chamounix Ventures, Delice et Chocolat, Devon Yard, Drexel fraternity lawsuit, Duck Donuts, Easttown, ECHO Realty, French pastry shop, Gateway Shopping Center, George Badey, Haverford Duck Pond, Healthy eating, Ian McGibbon, Keith Morgan, Keystone Dispensaries, King of Prussia mall, La Jolie, Marijuana dispensary, Medical Marijuana, Michael Badey, Movie Tavern, Movie theaters, Paoli train station, Pathmark, Pun's Toys, Shipley School, Station Square, Swedesford Plaza, Terrain, Tredyffrin, True Food Kitche, Wayne, Wayne BYOB, zoning

New Mistral, a bold move at KOP Mall; $$ for Stoga’s accused; Gravity Vault rocks Radnor; Queen of Soaps’ new memoir; Retail ups & downs & more

March 28, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

You’ll never guess what just blew in to the King of Prussia Mall.

Legitimately hip dining.

We kid you not.

Twice we visited the new Mistral – named for the stiff “mistral’ winds that clobber the coast of south France.

Twice, we were, well, blown away.

While the usual suspects – Cheesecake Factory, Grand Lux Café, California Pizza Kitchen – are corporate, aka manufactured for the masses, Mistral is:

  1. privately owned
  2. relatively intimate
  3. chef driven. (A fancy way of saying that an onsite chef creates and executes the menu. No corporate recipes.)
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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, PLAY, SHOP, STYLE Tagged With: Agnes Nixon, and the Great Comet of 1812, ballet, Broadway, Bryn Mawr, Comet, Conestoga 3 Gofundme, Conestoga Football, Conestoga hazing, dining, Eagle Village Shops, Gravity Vault, hardware stores, indoor rock gyms, Josh Groban, King of Prussia mall, locker room hazing, Main Line restaurants, Mistral, My Life to Live, Natasha, Pierre, Queen of soap operas, Radnor, Radnor High School, rock climbing, Rosemont, Saffron Indian Kitchen, Shoba Narayanan, Suburban Hardware, the Nutcracker, Vivi G. Shoes, Wayne shoestores

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