Vacation, all I ever wanted…amirite? Today I embark on another great adventure: Inspired Retreat by Amber Housley. Three nights and four days of refreshed growth. It is going to be amazing. I have some big plans in the works–including a product and design shop dropping in less than two weeks and an educational e-book that […]

533 days. Bridesmaid Gabby had done the math. 533 days from April 25, 2020, to October 9, 2021. The former date was the day she was supposed to giving this speech. That was the day we were all going to congregate in Bemidji at First Presbyterian Church to watch Kate and Jarad become husband and […]

Think about some of your best of friends. Think about what you would do for them. Loan them a little money? Babysit their kids? Watch their house when they’re out of town? Take a 20-day road trip from Mexico to northern Minnesota to watch them get married? That’s what a few of Joey’s did, just […]

As John Lennon says, “Life is what happens while you are making other plans.” This is the truth of Noah Penn. Like a lot of students, he found himself enrolled in an undergraduate program, not certain as to what he wanted to be when he grew up. As he studied Communications at the University of […]

Where are my fall lovers at? Can we raise our pumpkin spice lattes or spiced (or spiked) apple ciders and “Cheers!” to our favorite season?  Outside of June, fall is the most magical time for weddings. The weather is a little cooler, the days are a little more golden outside the golden hour…it’s a gorgeous […]

COFFEE DRINKERS, RAISE YOUR MUGS! This past Wednesday was National Coffee Day, but to me, that’s everyday. How do I like to celebrate this auspicious holiday? Five different ways… WITH CREAM AND VANILLA FLAVORING SYRUP I used to be absolutely addicted to flavored creamer; I had a whole shelf in my fridge dedicated to it. […]

Friedell Middle School sits right in downtown Rochester, not too far from the things that make this southern Minnesota city famous and loved. Designed to be a smaller setting for those wild, crazy, mixed-up junior high years, the goal is to inspire, challenge, and empower. A noble quest, for sure. For Jordan and Austin, who […]

On your wedding day, “suiting up” might actually mean what How I Met Your Mother’s Barney Stintson always hoped it would mean: That you are putting on a suit. If you are styling and profiling a suit or tux, awesome. It is going to look so great. I do have a few tips and tricks, […]

Happy Sew Be It Day! September 10, 2021, is the 165th anniversary of Elias Howe receiving his patent for the lockstitch loop method of mechanical stitching (AKA the sewing machine as we know it today). Howe knew there had to be a better way to make clothes than by hand; he found it, and has […]

When it comes to running a wedding venue, there are two trains of thought: One is to do it for the dollars, the second is to do for the love of the event and the life it can provide. The latter is the heart of Lindsey Quast and her husband’s mission as they renovate a […]