Steve and Melanie Woods of Rougemont are running a 50-percent off deal at their Beyond Color Photography, Inc., a photo-taking, -restoration, -sales, -reprint and -enhancing business for, as their announcement says, "preserving life's special moments."

"We've been working on getting it started," Steve Woods said. "Just trying to get it out there."

Centerpiece of their business is taking personal snapshots and putting them on DVD with corrected or enhanced color, music, captions and personalized introduction and conclusion. They also photograph weddings, reunions and other special events and sell prints of their own photos.

"What we're doing is all digital, on computers," Woods said. "It's a lot more involved than PowerPoint shows and a lot nicer product."

See www.beyondcolorphotography.com.

Celebrities coming

Babies "R" Us, a tot-scale spinoff of Toys "R" Us, has opened at 7001 Fayetteville Road. The 11-year-old chain has about 250 stores, carrying cribs and furniture, car seats, strollers, formula, diapers, bedding, clothing and -- naturally -- toys for new people.

The Durham store is holding a grand opening Feb. 9-11, with special events including appearances by Clifford the dog, Miss Spider and Mayor Bill Bell.

Back to the '70s

Right down the street at 7011 Fayetteville Road, the Melting Pot is opening Wednesday. The restaurant, part of a 100-link chain that started in Maitland, Fla., in 1975, serves three- and four-course fondue dinners with a choice of cooking media (canola oil, seasoned bouillions, au vin) and such entrees as lobster tails, sirloin beef, shrimp and assorted vegetables.

With room for 180 patrons, the restaurant is taking advance reservations at 544-6358 (-MELT). Hours are going to be 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, to 11 Friday, 4-11 Saturday and 4-10 Sunday.

Sunday opening

Office Depot is grandly opening its new Northgate store with Feb. 11 (yes, a Sunday) product demonstrations and customer discounts. The store took over the former Office Max space, near the former Harris Teeter space, in the mall's strip center across the parking lot from Sears.

This Office Depot is Durham's second. The store is laid out in the chain's "Millennium2" ("M2") format, with basic supplies surrounding merchandise "pods." The design is supposed to make shopping easier.