Home + Design

A Season to Sparkle

English Gardens shows us how they do the holidays. Article by Susan Thwing | Photography by Darrel Ellis For many of us, one of our favorite parts of the holiday season is gazing at holiday decorations — whether a towering tree in our own living room, driving through the neighborhood on a snowy evening or shopping malls and city centers illuminated with twinkling lights. When it comes to creating our own vignettes, not everyone is blessed with the golden touch. This is when local services...

Local Services

Holiday Giving Guide

Our roundup of actions to make local spirits bright. Article by Susan Thwing The holidays are a season of warmth, gratitude and giving — but also a reminder that many neighbors need a helping hand. Across Oakland County and surrounding communities, nonprofits are working year-round to provide food, housing, care and compassion. Whether you give your time, donate funds or contribute much-needed supplies, these organizations make it easy to share the true spirit of the season. I Support the...

Food + Beverage

All That Glitters

Bringing the opulent confections of Gilded Age Christmas home. Article by Lynne Konstantin | Photography by Heather Raub Ever wondered what those sugar plums in A Visit from St. Nicholas (aka “The Night Before Christmas”) actually taste like? Spoiler alert: They’re not plums at all. These jewel-like Victorian confections, along with dozens of other forgotten holiday treasures, have been meticulously revived in The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook: Cookies and Treats from America's Golden Era ...

Shopping

Give GREAT Gifts

Shop local for everyone on your holiday list. Article by Lynne Konstantin FOR HER Dress her up in your love with Gogo Sweaters’ hand-knit 100-percent wool Heart Icon Sweater Raspberry/Snow. Anthropologie, Twelve Oaks Mall, Novi; anthropologie.com. Sleek and cozy, Apparis’ faux-leather Noa Zipper Gloves are lined with recycled Pluche faux fur — a zip closer frees your fingers while out and about. Guys N Gals, West Bloomfield. Shopguysngals.com. When Maria Bland noticed her three...

Life + Culture

Preserving the Past, Enriching the Future

The Chaldean Community Foundation West Opens in West Bloomfield. Article by Susan Thwing | Photography by Nico Salgado Step inside West Bloomfield’s newest gathering place and you’ll find the aromas of fresh-baked bread drifting from a demonstration kitchen, children laughing as they explore cultural exhibits and seniors gathered around card tables swapping stories. The recently opened Chaldean Community Foundation West (CCF West; chaldeanfoundation.org/ccf-west) isn’t just a building, it’s a...

Home + Design

Thanksgiving Refresh

OUR FRESH TAKE ON TRADITIONAL PIECES WILL HAVE YOU GIVING THANKS. Article by Lynne Konstantin Hearty and textural yet sleek, Fortessa’s Ashton Flatware in stainless steel will stun with any style of decor. Pottery Barn, Twelve Oaks Mall, Novi. POTTERYBARN.COM The peachy tone of Anthropologie's Savannah Wine Glasses — crafted of soda glass with a vintage-inspired floral diamond motif and pedestal stem — add a kiss of the harvest season to the holiday table. Anthropologie, Twelve Oaks...

Health + Wellness

From Heartburn to Healing

Modern surgery offers relief from chronic acid reflux. Article by Susan Thwing | Photography by Aly Darin For many people, heartburn is an occasional annoyance. But for those living with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the condition can become a daily struggle. GERD occurs when stomach acid repeatedly flows back into the esophagus, leading to chronic discomfort, difficulty sleeping, and in some cases, long-term damage. While medications can provide relief, they don’t always address the...

Health + Wellness

A Heart That Never Stops Giving

One woman’s generosity is honored through our annual City Lifestyle Giving Campaign. Article by Todd Haight | Photography by Amy Gillespie Kayla has always been the kind of person who puts others first. Over the years, she has opened her local home to friends, relatives and others with nowhere else to go — cooking meals, driving them to doctor appointments, even providing end-of-life care for her grandfather when no one else could. Today, she continues to care daily for her aunt in her home. ...

Health + Wellness

Sisters IN SYNC

BeBalanced owners focus on hormones — and gratitude — for weight loss. Article by Susan Thwing | Photography by Wayne Norman Sisters Roslyn Reeves and Stephanie Kennedy-Kinney have spent their careers serving people. Before opening their BeBalanced Natural Hormone Weight Loss center (bebalancedcenters.com/location/west-bloomfield), they worked in family-run organizations supporting adults with developmental disabilities.  “We grew up in that environment of serving people,” Kennedy-Kinney...

Food + Beverage

Golden Harvest

Busch’s Fresh Food Market celebrates 50 years of flavor, family and community — plus, a fall recipe courtesy of the market’s chefs.. Article by Susan Thwing Step inside a Busch’s Fresh Food Market this fall and you’ll immediately notice the aroma of scratch-made bread drifting from the bakery, the colorful displays of Michigan-grown produce, and the hum of shoppers who’ve made the store part of their family routine for decades. It’s a fitting snapshot of a grocer that has grown with — and...