Sisters Kamilah and Kiana share a hug with Tuck, a cuddly teddy bear who helped launch the #sharethebear campaign. | Photo: Reba Saldanha

As the holiday season approaches, a special energy fills the air with people looking forward to sharing holiday joy with family and friends. Images of excited children being tucked in bed, tossing and turning with anticipation, make us smile as we imagine their sugar plum-filled dreams. Yet, for the one in seven children living in poverty in Massachusetts, dreams are not always filled with sugar plums.

Beccia’s illustrations of Josephine Baker and Madonna (along with a fashion sketch) appear in her most recent book, “Fashion Rebels.”

Lynnfield storyteller has a way with words — and art.
By Stacey Marcus

Lynnfield author and illustrator Carlyn Beccia.

Award-winning author and illustrator Carlyn Beccia reflects on her younger years growing up in Lynnfield with a little laugh.

“I was a child that ran away a lot,” she says, noting that she never got very far, but her parents treasure the photo they shot of her donning a Hollie Hobbie nightgown and slippers, suitcase in tow, attempting to escape in the snow. “I was a very rebellious child always horrifying my mother with stuff I wore and trying to push her buttons.”

The wild child earned a full four-year scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and graduated in 1995. Her first foray into the work world was with Kronos selling time and attendance systems.

“I would advise everyone to go into sales because it’s an aspect of everything you do in business,” she says.

She then spent the next decade-and-a-half working in graphic design and art direction at advertising agencies.

Diane Pence and Al Button attend a Yes show at the Lynn Auditorium, which has become a go-to spot on the North Shore for concerts. | Photo: Spenser Hasak

By Cyrus Moulton

Lynn’s downtown has long been known for its restaurant scene—offering delectable food from a $27 steak at The Blue Ox to a $1.75 steak taco at Tacos Lupita. Adding Rossetti Restaurant, R.F. O’Sullivan’s and White Rose in more recent years to these pioneers, in addition to stalwarts such as Brothers Deli and the Capitol Diner, has made downtown Lynn a foodie destination for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Lynnfield resident Susan Parziale started her own consulting business for home and office organization.

By Stacey Marcus

When Susan Parziale was a little girl, she loved to organize her stuffed animals from biggest to smallest. During her teen years, her robust collection of hair products and makeup were next in line to get systematized.

Hand-painted one-of-a-kind pieces can be found at Dare to Be Vintage. | Photos: Reba Saldanha

By Meaghan Casey

The saying “everything old is new again” rings true at the Mills at Pulaski, the North Shore’s largest indoor marketplace for antique and vintage items.

The “no white after Labor Day” rule may be well-known, but it’s also, well… very outdated. Trade cottons for cashmere and wool in shades such as ivory, ecru and cream to carry the hue into colder months. And who needs snow? Create your own winter wonderland with these seasonally-appropriate whites we spied at shops around One’s cities and towns.

One of the season’s biggest trends in women’s fashion is simple to spot: Leopard. Whether it’s sprinkled in as a subtle trim or a purr-fectly bold statement piece, leopard print is a sassy classic that makes a comeback every couple of years (just beware of going full-on jungle cat or it can get tacky). Take a walk on the wild side with these leopard picks we spotted.

By Tracy Miller Geary

We checked in with Tracy Miller Geary, Academic Principal of Enrollment Edge International, to ask her advice on crafting effective and compelling college essays. Tracy guides high school seniors from around the country through the college application essay process and offers the following tips on how to write an essay that will help you stand out from the crowded college application pool.

By Leah Dearborn

At 11:45 a.m. on a Friday, the food court at the Square One Mall in Saugus was quiet. Approximately two dozen tables sat unoccupied, and only the occasional passerby frequented the aisles between stores.

By Leah Dearborn

“Put 14 beekeepers in a room and they’ll tell you 14 different reasons why bees are dying,” says Jay Falcone, who maintains 10 beehives in the Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary at Wheelabrator Saugus.