Editor’s Note: Sprinkling Small-Town Holiday Magic

The holiday season kicks off with the much-anticipated Midnight Madness on Main Street festivities in Ann Arbor, Mich. Even rickshaw riders get into the act. Credit: Melanie Maxwell/annarbor.com

In my next life, I’m going to live in Ann Arbor, Mich. I’m going to come back as a potter, play with mud, move into a cozy little cottage and spend hours curled up in front of a blazing hearth reading books. I’m going to spend quality time at Zingerman’s Deli, take courses at the University of Michigan and no longer worry about trying to keep my naturally curly hair straight.

In the meantime, however, I’m going to revisit Ann Arbor just as soon as I can. Having spent only a few short days there last December checking out galleries and artists’ studios for our winter Arts Walk feature, I came away aching for more. The pace seems slower, the people friendlier, and the downtown shopping streets still very much in the hands of independent retailers who work hard to connect one-on-one with shoppers. Another plus: storefront holiday window displays—shiny and enticing, especially at night. Turn to page 37 to read more, but be sure to also check out exclusive bonus material on Motawi Tileworks, neighboring Chelsea, Mich., and Ann Arbor’s special holiday events at americanstyle.com.

This issue also contains AmericanStyle’s fifth annual Emerging Artists package, a showcase for young artists working in a variety of craft mediums. Senior editor Sara Baker compiles this section every year and, as she says, it’s been her ongoing passion to seek out and write about a select few whose creativity is stellar but who’ve yet to make names for themselves on a national stage. It’s also a fitting send-off for Sara, who started working at AmericanStyle magazine in 2002 as a college intern and grew to become an invaluable member of our editorial team. As she starts her new job, she goes with our very best wishes for success in the next phase of her career.

Finally, we extend special thanks to all of you who took time to respond to AmericanStyle’s website redesign survey. The response was enormous, and highly gratifying. A large majority told us they found the site visually appealing, easy to navigate and worth a return visit. “Clean and classy,” wrote one. “Just like the magazine, everything looks so enticing that I don’t know which article I want to read first,” said another. “I love all the extras you can’t fit into the magazine,” replied a third. And this, phrased in multiple ways by a great number of you: “I like the website, but love your magazine. Don’t stop the print version.” And we won’t.