Where Beauty is in Season
Mike Collins’ lush backyard garden in West Madison is part English garden, with its lilies and daisies, and part prairie garden, bursting with asters and coneflowers. And, there’s another whole section Collins calls a mosaic garden.
An Urban Oasis for The Community
On a quiet side street just a stone’s throw from the raucous Stoughton Road/ Highway 151 interchange is an oasis for thousands of people who live in a wide swath of East Side neighborhoods. Mostly kids come to the East Madison Community Center, but adults and seniors do, too.
Thousands of Hours and Limitless Impact
For 52 years, The East Madison Community Center has provided its East Side neighbors with extensive programming and food support—for children, youth, adults, seniors and new moms.
Sweet Freedom
In the spirit of Juneteenth day, Curtis and Cake is sharing their crowd-pleasing red velvet cake recipe with BRAVA.
Five FIT Destinations
Is your fitness motivation in need of a refresh? There’s more than one way to put a body in motion and a fit vacation is an adventurous remedy to achieving wellness goals.
Creating A Buzz
When Heather Swan’s dad took her to a beekeeper friend’s honey harvest she knew she wanted to take part in beekeeping. Now Swan hopes to inspire that sense of wonder and affection for the honeybee in readers of her book, “Where Honeybees Thrive: Stories from the Field.”
Fill’er Up
A stop at Trixie’s Growlers to go-go on East Washington should be on the radar of any craft beer enthusiast. A liquor store since 1968, Colleen and Chris Welch opened Trixie’s about seven years ago, and the tavern room more recently.
Be Who You Are
Jimmy Brandmeier’s forthcoming book, “Be Who You Are: A Song for My Children,” offers fatherly guidance and advice, as well as broader insights on the purpose of life. Musing on topics from work, to love, to finding your passion, Brandmeier returns to the refrains of authenticity and happiness.
That Sentimental Feeling
There are some homes you walk into and you can immediately sense the emotion and heart behind every design choice. Heirloom objects hang in places of honor, and practical, everyday items somehow find their way into the décor, too. Every piece has a story to tell, a nostalgic tie to the family who lives there.
Rebecca Brown at Work and Play
Rebecca Brown, whose novel “Flying at Night” was published in April, finds untold inspiration in everyday life. She lives with her husband, three boys (ages 16, 12 and 10), and two rescue dogs in her renovated 100-year-old home on Monroe Street.
Throwback Escape in Three Lakes
The first time I walked into the lake cottage we bought in 2014 just north of Three Lakes, it looked just as it must have in 1950. The former owner hadn’t been in it in years, and he’d left it a time capsule of mid-century clothing and furnishings.
Canine Couture
When it comes to accessories, why should humans have all the fun? Dogs now have backpacks to call their own thanks to Pups Who Pack by Maggie Modena.
A Spicy Fix
First launched as Ethnic Spicery in 2012, husband and wife duo Sara Parthasarathy and Partha Sabniviss rebranded their Indian meal kits Flavor Temptations in 2014.
Madison Kids Expo 2018
Over 8000 visitors joined us for the 2018 Madison Kids Expo—an action-packed weekend where numerous families enjoyed live dance performances, craft bar projects and laser tag in addition to meeting NASCAR race drivers and local firefighters.
Tall Rocks, Still Waters
The Dells’ character may seem type A—the biggest, fastest rides, and most shocking, stimulating entertainment jockey for your attention from screaming billboards. But what first drew people to the Dells decades ago was the natural beauty of the Wisconsin River and the lakes that feed in to it, along with the dramatic Cambrian sandstone formations towering above.
Bold Strokes
Using her hands to create was originally a passion rather than a profession for artist Stephenie Purl Hamen. After working in the craft world, then in education and marketing sectors for numerous years, she resigned from her most recent stint at Aldo Leopold Nature Center in 2016 to be a full-time artist.
Shiny Happy Places: Forging A New Design
A small powder room got a bright update when interior designer Rochelle Lee and her client went with a mixed metal-inspired design. The pieces, including bronze sconce lighting and a bright gold sunburst mirror, added ample texture.
