-
Apr 1, 2025 | 
lakeminnetonkamag.com | Madeline Kopiecki |Renee Stewart-Hester |RenÉe Stewart-Hester
Restaurants around town are celebrating moms through a variety of brunch options. This has to rank right up there on the special occasion stress meter: It’s the eve or day of Mother’s Day. Frantic dialing or online booking attempts ensue, but, alas, there’s not a dining reservation to be had. Now what? Prepare a special meal at home?
-
Feb 1, 2025 | 
plymouthmag.com | Madeline Kopiecki |Renee Stewart-Hester |RenÉe Stewart-Hester
Wedding planning entails its fair share of contingency plans for all the “What ifs?” Will the weather impact an outdoor ceremony? If a vendor fails to show up, what’s next? And on the list goes on. Factor in a destination wedding, and you might consider packing up another set of backup plans. However, if a couple has a wedding planner who is masterful at thinking one, two or even three steps ahead, then the couple has little need to push the worry button.
-
Dec 1, 2024 | 
plymouthmag.com | Madeline Kopiecki
A fresh perspective on the Hilde Performance Center. “The overnight snow made the outdoors look amazing!” Scott Anderson says. “I was just running errands and decided to stop at Hilde to see what it looked like, and it did not disappoint.
-
Dec 1, 2024 | 
plymouthmag.com | Madeline Kopiecki
If there’s one word to describe my family’s Christmas cookie traditions, it’s “putzy.” The chocolate coated haystacks of chow mein noodles? Putzy. The cornflake wreaths with green marshmallow fluff and cinnamon candy ornaments? Putzy. The disks of dough that chill in my grandma’s fridge overnight? A way to make things less putzy. The Spritz cookies that break the press annually? My grandpa actually had a few different choice words for that one. And what is all this putziness for?
-
Dec 1, 2024 | 
plymouthmag.com | Madeline Kopiecki
Romeo and Juliet is on the docket for the winter season. When the house lights dim and the curtain rises at Wayzata High School’s (WHS) Black Box stage on January 16, it will be a moment that has been months in the making. WHS’ theater department has been hard at work since November preparing for its winter season.
-
Dec 1, 2024 | 
plymouthmag.com | Madeline Kopiecki
A local event planner shares her tips for creating a festive tablescape. Callie Cecka doesn’t do things halfway. When she was put in charge of her best friend’s baby shower, she invested thousands of dollars on the décor. When she got the idea to repurpose that décor for a luxury picnic business in 2020, she built out a corresponding website and Instagram account. When the COVID-19 fervor behind picnic rentals cooled down, Cecka ramped up to bigger events.
-
Nov 1, 2024 | 
lakeminnetonkamag.com | Madeline Kopiecki
The high point of many HGTV home shows is the grand reveal. The mess and stress of remodeling are resolved, the music swells and homeowners are welcomed back to a new, well-appointed space, bringing design dreams to life. “I tell clients, ‘Delivery day from Crown is the only day that is anything like HGTV,’” says Brandi Hagen, owner and principal designer of Eminent Interior Design. “Delivery day is super important to us, and that’s what Crown does.
-
Oct 20, 2024 | 
edinamag.com | Madeline Kopiecki
Looking at Edina through your lens. This summer, we asked local residents to scroll down their digital files or flip through their film—whatever it took to find their favorite shots of the Edina community. From scenic landscapes to candid portraits, artistic abstractions to vibrant close-ups, Edina Magazine readers delivered their favorite scenes from the past year.
-
Oct 9, 2024 | 
lakeminnetonkamag.com | Madeline Kopiecki
Wayzata entrepreneur shares her expertise in new book. Maha Abouelenein has been busy since we last spoke with her for our March 2022 issue. The strategic communications CEO says she always wanted to write a book informed by her 30-year career. When she had an opportunity to take a pause, she asked herself, “What is the one thing that I think would be valuable for other people to learn from my career and my experiences?” Her answer was self-reliance.
-
Oct 1, 2024 | 
plymouthmag.com | Madeline Kopiecki
There’s more that goes into a turnkey experience than meets the eye. The high point of most HGTV home shows is in the last few minutes. The mess and stress of remodeling is resolved, the music swells and the homeowners are welcomed back to a new, sparkling space that turns their design dreams into reality. “I tell clients, ‘Delivery day from Crown is the only day that is anything like HGTV,’” says Brandi Hagen, owner and principal designer of Plymouth’s Eminent Interior Design.
