Life + Culture

Life Minded

When Cupid Misses Article by Jen Fortner Valentine’s Day is a much-maligned holiday these days. It’s criticized for being too commercial, too manufactured, too consumer-focused, too much. I always loved the childhood Valentine swaps, and I like red- and pink-themed clothing and can even choke down some chalky conversation hearts. There are the charming chocolates in faux velvet heart-shaped boxes. The bouquets of expensive roses in the dead of winter. The cards. Again, the chocolate. Plus...

Style + Beauty

Beauty That is More Than Skin Deep

How Vi Beauty delivers connection and love for everyone who walks through the door Article by Sara Schlueter Hoeman | Photography by Annie Schaber Photography Opened in March 2020, right before a global pandemic, Vi Beauty Lab in Wayzata has been serving the community with open arms and hearts. “When we started, I had heard this idea that we are sent to love each other and love the human in front of you. I thought my purpose was to change the world, but I thought, ‘How can I do this?’ In that...

Food + Beverage

Nothing but Nothing Bundt Cakes

How a non-baker became a sweet sensation Article by Graham Johnson Kim Cassens, owner of the Nothing Bundt Cakes in Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Eagan, and the Mall of America, admits she is no baker. Her background is in business and marketing, and before coming to Nothing Bundt Cakes, she worked as a project manager at a software development company. After leaving her position, Kim stopped in the Eden Prairie local to pick up a bundt cake. After that one cake, she decided it was a business she...

Arts + Culture

Sculpting a Lifestyle You Love

How artist Craig Snyder has left his mark on our city Article and Photography by Rebecca A. Hahn Someday, if there is a competition to enter for those of us who enjoy painting with watercolors in coloring books, please let me know. While I wouldn’t expect to win a grand prize for the many pages I have painted to date, I can’t deny its therapeutic benefits. When I carve out that precious hour or so from an already too-hectic schedule, my blood pressure subsides immediately. A tranquility fills...