by Renée Stewart-Hester | Nov 1, 2025 | Entertain, Interior Design, Shops
From holiday celebrations to weekday dining, tableware brings timeless elegance. Preparing a dining table or buffet for life’s special occasions, including Thanksgiving, requires a creative balance that begins with a foundation—setting a lovely and inviting table that...
by Renée Stewart-Hester | Nov 1, 2025 | Photo Contest
Gundula Behbahani captured the striking saffron and blue-gray sky over Lake Minnetonka during a spontaneous moment on her way home from work when she decided to stop and enjoy the sunset. “Afterglow captures the beautiful sunsets we experience on Lake Minnetonka—the...
by Emily Gedde and Renée Stewart-Hester | Nov 1, 2025 | Entertain, Restaurants
Invite delicious take-out options from local markets and restaurants to Thanksgiving dinner. As long as the regulars or interesting fresh takes make the menu list, does it matter where the turkey was basted and roasted or where the potatoes were mashed and cooked? We...
by Feroza Mehta | Nov 1, 2025 | Entertain, Recipes
My son has celiac disease, and it’s been a culinary adventure to find gluten-free recipes that taste like their wheat-filled counterparts. After trial and error, this is his favorite meatball recipe. If you can find certified gluten-free barbecue sauce, feel free to...
by Diane Meyer | Nov 1, 2025 | Entertain, Outdoors
Light Up the Lake, Wayzata’s annual holiday spectacular, welcomes the community. Connect with neighbors and celebrate the beginning of the holiday season as lights shine and sleigh bells ring once again on Lake Street. The City of Wayzata will host its annual Light Up...
by Spencer Olson | Nov 1, 2025 | Noteworthy, Recipes
With such focus on holiday main menus, don’t forget about breakfast, and these homemade English muffins might become a year-round staple. Whether coated with butter, jam or jelly, a warm English muffin is a great addition to any breakfast. After making this recipe, be...
by Renée Stewart-Hester | Nov 1, 2025 | Giving Back
Part 5 in our series: Rotary—Service Above Self Every Rotarian has a story to share about what led them to become a member. For Jim Backlund, his begins after a 32 year career in computer engineering and a move with his wife, Theresa Backlund, to the Lake Minnetonka...
by Lisa Stevens | Nov 1, 2025 | History, Noteworthy
Today, you might think that the flocks of turkeys roaming your neighborhood or the frozen beauties in the local market harken back to the first Lake Minnetonka Thanksgiving. Think again. That first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1853—five years before Minnesota became...
by Hollie Blanchard | Nov 1, 2025 | Arts, Noteworthy
It’s November, and family/friends are eagerly awaiting to gather around our tables. Original artwork within our abodes add curiosity, and as we break bread together, conversations can be had regarding what is seen or felt through art. In this case, the artist starts...
by Renée Stewart-Hester | Oct 1, 2025 | Uncategorized
When beauty and fashion come together, as they do in this issue, creative self-expression can take center stage. Readers, how do you blend the two elements in your lives? When it comes to personal fashion, it’s an evolving notion for me. I recall, not so many years...
by Alison Feik | Oct 1, 2025 | Landscape, Noteworthy
To create an authentic, late fall backdrop (including Halloween), refrain from cutting back flowering plants. The seedpods turn shades of black, brown and cream after a hard frost and remain in the landscape as a dynamic silhouette. Imagine the tall Joe Pye weed...
by Renée Stewart-Hester | Oct 1, 2025 | Gift Guides, Noteworthy, Shops, Style
Sometimes, what’s old is … never really gone. From 2000–2011, Excelsior business owner Kelly Harrington ran Edina’s Serifina, which featured upscale monogramming services. This summer, Harrington rebranded her 366 Water St. business from Clubhouse 366 to Serifina2,...
by Ellie Heyerdahl | Oct 1, 2025 | Entertain, Outdoors
Wayzata’s Boo Bash offers family-friendly competitions, community events and scary-good food. The Wayzata Boo Bash Dash returns on October 25 in downtown Wayzata. The fun-filled event kicks off with a 10K at 9 a.m., followed by a 5K at 9:15 a.m., the Competitive Lake...
by Jessica Hilde | Oct 1, 2025 | Noteworthy, Style
Fall is my favorite time of year when it comes to fashion. It can also be a time when we ask ourselves, “What do I wear this season, and what do I need to buy?” If you’re not in the fashion world, keeping up with trends can feel daunting. After attending New York...
by Madeline Kopiecki | Oct 1, 2025 | Book Club, Local Makers
After a Crohn’s disease diagnosis and years of unsuccessful treatments, Emily Maxson landed upon a solution that brought her back to the kitchen: the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. The Medina cookbook author developed recipes in keeping with the grain-free, low-lactose...
