June 7, 2012

Luxury Home Tour Spotlight: John Kraemer & Sons and Divine Custom Homes

Special features in these Luxury Homes include four-season porches with towering ceilings, a play area with a secret crawl-through space, an elevator, a theater room, and an outdoor mudroom. Read more »

Posted on Thursday, June 7, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 1, 2012

Luxury Home Tour Spotlight: Pillar Homes and Highmark Builders

Ever wonder what it's like to live in luxury? Find out on the self-guided 12th Annual Midwest Home Luxury Home Tour June 8-10, 15-17, and 22-24. Each week preceding the start of the Tour, we'll preview two homes on this blog (check back every Thursday). There is a total of 10 stunning million-dollar homes on this year's tour, in cities as far west as Minnetrista and far east as Afton, defining the true essence of "living in luxury." Read more »

Posted on Friday, June 1, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 24, 2012

Luxury Home Tour Spotlight: Stonewood and Denali Custom Homes

Ever wonder what it's like to live in luxury? Find out on the self-guided 12th Annual Midwest Home Luxury Home Tour June 8-10, 15-17, and 22-24. Each week preceding the start of the Tour, we'll preview two homes on this blog (check back every Thursday). There is a total of 10 stunning million-dollar homes on this year's tour, in cities as far west as Minnetrista and far east as Afton, defining the true essence of "living in luxury." Read more »

Posted on Thursday, May 24, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 21, 2012

Kohler Signature Store Opens: One-stop Kitchen and Bath Shopping Experience

Prince, the Mayo Clinic, rollerblades, Bob Dylan … plenty of famous people and inventions have come out of Minnesota.

As of last week, we can now add to that impressive list the Kohler Signature Store, at 7101 France Ave. S., Edina—a kitchen and bath showroom solely owned and operated by plumbing distributor First Supply. 

On Thursday, May 17, guests were invited to check out the new showroom to see what the buzz is all about. A... Read more »

Posted on Monday, May 21, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 18, 2012

Help the Northside "Treecover" This Weekend

“Once there was a tree ... and she loved a little boy.” Quick! Name the book! Give up? It’s one of my favorite children’s books, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein—a story about greed and guilt, and eventually forgiveness, generosity, and acceptance—all from a tree’s point of view. (I know there are critics out there who think the book is patriarchal or offensive, “What?! The little boy takes and takes and the tree has no self-respect and she just gives and gives until the boy is an old, hunched-over man and the tree is nothing but a stump, how is that ok!?,” but I don’t view it like that. To me, the story has always been more about how our actions have consequences, we should be appreciative of the gifts we receive, and we have to protect our environment and use its resources judiciously, or there will be nothing left.) Read more »

Posted on Friday, May 18, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 17, 2012

Luxury Home Tour Spotlight: Schrader & Co. and Charles Cudd De Novo

Homes 3 and 4 on the tour feature everything from a 7,000-square-foot masterpiece on 3 acres in Medina, complete with a Romeo and Juliet balcony, impressive music room, and spacious sport court to a 9,400-square-foot beauty in Orono, with a state-of-the-art automated home theater, 2,500 bottle wine cellar, and expansive outdoor entertaining area. Read more »

Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 15, 2012

Traditions Turns 25!

Traditions home furnishings store has quite the history in Minnesota. Twenty-five years ago, Mike and Suzanne Schumann started the flagship shop on Selby Avenue in St. Paul. Later it moved to Grand Ave., they opened a second shop in Stillwater (which ultimately moved to Naples, Florida, serving snowbirds!), and a third opened near Lake Calhoun (which later expanded in St. Louis Park). This year, 2012, marks twenty-five years of operation. And you're invited to celebrate!

Both the Minneapolis and St. Paul stores will be serving cake and champagne this Saturday, May 19, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. No need to... Read more »

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 11, 2012

Friends School Plant Sale

If you needed prompting to tackle your yard or garden, there's a massive Mother's Day plant sale this weekend. Read more »

Posted on Friday, May 11, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 10, 2012

Luxury Home Tour Spotlight: Creek Hill and Wooddale Builders

Ever wonder what it's like to live in luxury? Find out on the self-guided 12th Annual Midwest Home Luxury Home Tour June 8-10, 15-17, and 22-24. Each week preceding the start of the Tour, we'll preview two homes on this blog (check back every Thursday). There is a total of 10 stunning million-dollar homes on this year's tour, in cities as far west as Minnetrista and far east as Afton, defining the true essence of "living in luxury." Read more »

Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 8, 2012

Buy a Tablescape, Support the Minnesota Orchestra at Settings of Note

Creating a beautiful tablescape is a work of art, something I have yet to (or maybe ever will?) perfect. The “fanciest” I get when setting the table is putting an ivory tablecloth over the dining room table and buying an assortment of wildflowers from the Farmers’ Market.

Maybe because I am so inept at it, I really appreciate a beautifully-set table—it’s always one of the first things I notice when entering a luncheon, gala, or wedding reception. My train of thought goes like this, “What a cool concept. I... Read more »

Posted on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 in Home Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)