nom nom: Pizzeria Lola

Business:  Pizzeria Lola
Location:  Southwest Minneapolis
Did they earn a wink? NO

The Occasion:  An early start to the weekend (Thursday is the new Saturday)

The Food:  {pizza}  Sweet Italian (server's favorite) and The Forager.  I felt the pizza's tasted pretty good and were well priced for being a "fancy" pizza joint.  I would take this over Dominos ANY DAY.

via

The Service and What Went Wrong:  First off, Pizzeria Lola does not take reservations or accept call ahead seating.  I see the reasoning behind this policy (how long does it take to finish a pizza?), but I have come to the realization that where liquor is served, dinner will likely be prolonged by at least 20 minutes.  Obviously this is an important factor when quoting wait times for diners in a restaurant.  My friend wasn't meeting me until 7:30 and I arrived around 7:10 to claim a spot on the wait list.  The hostess quoted me a 30 minute wait time and wrote my name down on the list.  I decided to grab a glass of wine at the bar. 45-50 minutes later, my date arrived and all the other parties who had been waiting were seated...except for us.

Pizzeria Lola's Le Panyol wood-fired oven
Photo by Pete Sieger

I walked back to the host stand and looked at the list.  There were three other parties of 2 written down below me that were now crossed off.  Either these parties came and decided to leave OR they were seated before us.  I addressed my concern with the hostess in which she replied that there were now 2 other parties who were still ahead of us also waiting to be seated.  I looked around, and didn't see any other parties who had arrived before/after me.  She could tell we were upset and asked if we would like a drink for the inconvenience.  Instead of offering us a complimentary drink like we thought her direction was, she pointed us to the bar and said we could get one for ourselves if we wanted, i.e. NOT complimentary. Really?!

photo booth wall of fame.  see anyone you know?

In the midst of all the waiting, I had been tweeting about my experience and shortly after my tweet's, we were seated.  Service during dinner went well and I was satisfied with the servers' attentiveness.  Although the wait time was frustrating, Pizzeria Lola has many attractive qualities that have made it a popular restaurant destination.  The charming decor, the photo booth and the imported Le Panyol wood-fired oven (a rare thing to find in the states) are all attractions to be seen at this pizzeria.  Would I admit that I was unsatisfied with my experience on this night?  Yes.  Would I dismiss the restaurant entirely?  Absolutely not.  Here's to hoping my next experience is a bit more pleasant.

{winkMSP}

at your service: First Blush Bride

Business:  First Blush Bride
Contact:  firstblushbride@gmail.com
Did they earn a wink?  YES

What is First Blush Bride?  Stephanie Morrison Gandy is the brains, stylist and artist behind First Blush Bride.  As a life stylist, her passion lies in fashion, weddings, photography and interior design.  Not only is she a great planner and stylist, but she has a knack for simply making things gorgeous.

concept shoot styled by First Blush Bride
photo by Melissa Oholendt

artwork by First Blush Bride
photo by Melissa Oholendt

My experience with First Blush Bride:  I was co-maid-of-honor in my besties wedding of which Stephanie was the day-of planner.  Her organization skills and ability to get things done were key in making the day run smoothly and take pressure off of the bride and the bridal party so that we were able to just enjoy the loving occasion.  The only duty I was given by the bride for that day was to remember to bring the groom's wedding band with me from the hotel to the ceremony location.  While we were en-route to the ceremony location, what did I forget?  The wedding band!  Frantically, I called Stephanie (who was already at the ceremony location prepping for the reception) and she graciously returned to the hotel to retrieve the ring for me.

On top of helping plan for day-of styling for the wedding, Stephanie also played artist in creating an adorable canvas "guest book" for the wedding guests to sign loving messages for the newly married couple...

canvas art created by First Blush Bride
photos by Erin Johnson Photography

My boudoir experience with First Blush Bride:  If you saw my post on CGP, then you are aware that I participated in a boudoir shoot earlier this year.  Stephanie was the stylist on hand and helped the girls with posing and wardrobe styling to help us obtain the look that flattered us most.  Since none of us were Victoria's Secret Angels, we all needed a little help in the "looking sexy" arena.  Having Stephanie as another pair of eyes to make sure we looked the best we could helped us all feel at ease with the slightly out of nature event.  First Blush Bride played a key role in the boudoir shoot and the results were lovely...

styling by First Blush Bride
photo by Canary Grey Photography

{blushing}

winkMSP

at your service: Canary Grey Photography

Business:  Canary Grey Photography
Contact:  wing@canarygrey.com / 612.568.5118
Did they earn a wink?  YES

What is Canary Grey Photography?  Wing Ta, the talented photographer behind Canary Grey Photography, is hitting the Minneapolis photography industry full steam ahead and it really is no surprise when you take a look at her impressive portfolio.  She describes herself as a lifestyle photographer and is available for engagements, weddings, lifestyle photography, love sessions, editorial work, etc.  Visit the CGP blog to view her work.

Newlywed session by Canary Grey Photography:  Ingrid + Bobby

What makes Canary Grey Photography different?  Let's face it, real people don't get their pictures taken often.  When we do, it's usually for a special occasion i.e. engagement, wedding, family photos, etc., and for those of us non-models, posing for a camera isn't natural.  The photographer-client relationship is important in making not only the client comfortable, but in ensuring the photos reflect the clients personality and emotions.  Wing has the sweetest personality and genuinely loves her clients and their stories.  When I look at the images in her blog posts, I see a story and not just people posing in front of a camera.

Lifestyle session by Canary Grey Photography:  Loanie

My experience:  I have worked with CGP on a couple occasions and most recently participated in the boudoir marathon.  This was Wing's first experience with a boudoir shoot but she handled the entire day with courtesy and professionalism.  For most of us, this was our first time in a shoot like this and Wing was very encouraging, making sure we were comfortable, having a good time and enjoying the moment.  It is no easy task to help women feel comfortable in their own skin (let alone in their skin with very little clothes on), and everyone left the shoot with a lot more confidence in themselves.  Not only was our self-esteem boosted, but we all got a little something for ourselves or to share with loved ones on Valentines Day...

Photo by Canary Grey Photography:  Boudoir Soiree

{smitten}

winkMSP

Happy Valentines Day!

Like this?  Buy it here

{xoxo}

winkMSP

TGIF

On Monday I told you all about my plans to take a cupcake class at Sweets Bakeshop on Wednesday night.  For my final installment, you can all see the fruits of my labor!

Ly Lo, co-owner of Sweets Bakeshop, was the instructor for the evening.  Her background in furniture design from the The Savannah College of Art and Design was what threw her into the decorating world of sweets.  She claims she's not that great of a baker (I don't believe her) and that her main passion is the decorating which is very obvious in the beautiful cakes and cupakes she turns out daily.  Ly was the perfect instructor for the class.  She had great patience (especially since many of us were beginners), was very encouraging and provided us with a lot of tools and advice on how to improve on our fondant skills.  Sweets Bakeshop offers classes frequently so check their website for future courses.  I'm petitioning for a baking class.  We'll see what happens.

First round of fondant covers the top of the cupcake.  We used pizza cutters to create scores of "fur" for the doggie.  Underneath all that fondant is their Chocolate Raspberry cupcake.

Progress on the puppies..... Pinched the end for a tail.  Rolled a ball up and placed it under the top layer of fondant for the head

All 4 cupcakes, finished.  Very amateur but so much fun!

{gotcupcakes?}

winkMSP

at your service: LoveLee Looks

Business:  LoveLee Looks (by Amber Heckert)
Contact:  loveleelooks@gmail.com
Did she earn a wink?  YES


What is LoveLee Looks?  Amber Heckert is the brains and talent behind LoveLeeLooks. She is a free-lance makeup artist and hair stylist and has experience with photo shoots, weddings, film, boudoir, special events, fashion, runway and more.  I first heard of LoveLee Looks through Wing of Canary Grey Photography, a local photographer.

Amber at work on location.
Photo by Canary Grey Photography
For more on this shoot, click here

Make me feel pretty:  I think that every girl secretly wants to do a boudoir shoot at least once in her life, but only few of us actually get the guts to put ourselves through the process.  I participated in a Canary Grey Photography boudoir marathon with a number of close girlfriends and Amber was the amazing makeup artist on hand to transform all our looks.

Photo by Canary Grey Photography

Above and beyond:  A week before the shoot, Amber asked each of us to describe who and what our style and makeup inspirations were.  With the feedback, she created look book pages to give us the looks we desired.  I don't know about you, but I love having my makeup and hair done and there was something so soothing about Amber that calmed my nerves down while waiting for my turn in front of the camera.  It also helped that I was the last person on the schedule and I watched as Amber kept turning out gorgeous girl after gorgeous girl.  I trusted that I was in good hands.

Results:  I was completely thrilled and floored after peeking at myself before the posing and shooting began.  My inspiration was Mila Kunis and I was so happy with my look that I almost slept with my makeup on so that I could enjoy the look the next day.  Amber was so knowledgeable, friendly, outgoing and patient with all of us girls.  You could tell that she was truly enjoying the time she was spending with each girl and we all were appreciative of her contribution to a very special day. Thanks to LoveLee Looks, the vision each girl had for herself was achieved and the results were stunning...

Photo by Canary Grey Photography
Hair and makeup by LoveLee Looks
For more from this shoot, click here

{lovelee-fied}

winkMSP

at your service: Sweets Bakeshop decorating class

On the agenda for this week:

Sweets Bakeshop

I will be taking a Valentine cupcake class at the Sweets Bakeshop St. Paul location THIS WEDNESDAY, Feb. 9th from 6-8pm.  Learn how to make some of their infamous and yummy cupcakes with me.  Call 651-340-7138 to register.

{soon to be baking}

winkMSP

nom nom: Edina Grill

Business:  Edina Grill
Location:  50th & France
Did they earn a wink?  YES

The Occasion:  Lunch break during a shopping excursion.  Even though it was a busy Saturday, we were able to get a table for two in about 10 minutes.

The Food:  Fish tacos and their Turkey Burger which was voted "Best Turkey Burger in the Twin Cities"by Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine in 2003.  I wonder if you can still lay claim to that if the title was rewarded 8 years ago?!

Image via We Got Served

The Service:  One thing I love about resto's like Edina Grill is that there will always be "safe" menu options to order.  Edina Grill features sandwiches, burgers and salads, all of the American variety ... and there isn't much you can do to screw up a classic hamburger right?  One thing I have been in search for is the perfect Fish & Chips or Fish Taco.  For opinions on popular menu items, I always ask the server on their thoughts of the dishes or what people have given positive feedback on.  The Turkey Burger was at the top of her list so my dining mate ordered that (good play on her part, the Turkey Burger was excellent) and I decided to choose the Fish & Chips.  I think I finished about 1/4 of the meal before I decided I didn't care for it.

Besides the fact that I didn't particularly like my food, the service we received was pretty excellent.  The host was a young friendly high-school aged lad and did a good job at squeezing our small party in among all the other larger families that were waiting for bigger tables to open.  Our server was friendly, honest with her recommendations and was quite complimentary.  We ordered mid-afternoon drinks which required her to ask for our identification.  She must have had to think about the years we were born and came back and was astounded that we were the age our licenses said.  Music to every woman's ears! 

At the end of our meal, she offered to box the food and me being the pleasing kind, I didn't want her to think that I didn't care for the food so I accepted the offer knowing full well that I didn't want the food.  I decided that I was going to "forget" my box at the table and sneak out after paying.  It was so busy in there that by the time she got back to our table, we'd be long gone.  Or so I thought.  We paid and left and 5 steps out the door, our server came running out after us with my leftover Fish & Chips. 

That's pretty excellent ... next time I'll just refuse the doggy bag.

{winkMSP}

sneak peek: boudoir week...

Next week on the blog:

- A talented stylist, wedding planner and overall awesome woman.  Truly, she can do it all.
- An up and coming photographer.  If you haven't heard of her yet, where have you been???
- A lovelee makeup artist who is as talented as she is sweet. 

Are you excited?  I am!

its me, winkMSP
Photo by:  Canary Grey Photography

I was very honored to be a part of a special event a few weeks ago.  This experience is what connected me to all the fabulous women who will be featured on the blog this upcoming week.  This image is just a tiny snippet from all the activity from this great adventure.  Check back next week for some exciting posts!

{girlpower}

winkMSP