[true]woman blog

Our third issue – decide to shine! - rolled off the presses Thursday, June 12, 2008. THANKS to everyone who helped to make it possible – from the advertising partners  and subscribers who help pay for it; to Wendy Hall and others who are out spreading the word to more; the fascinating women on and behind our pages;  and everyone who supports us in celebrating the real ~ authentic ~ genuine women around us.

I am so fortunate to be who(m) and where I am today. I hope you can say the same. What a fabulous time and place we live in, where a mother of four can spend her days doing exactly what she enjoys most, and have the ability to share it with so many others. My mornings are precious time spent at the kitchen table with my laptop, coffee, and preferably a light breeze and a few songbirds for inspiration. These first few minutes of the morning spent alone with my thoughts, favorite family photos, and yes – coffee – are truly a gift. This is the time when my fingers gravitate to the keyboard to share stories with the readers who bless me every time they thank me for doing so. My days and evenings are filled with a creative balance of time with my family and that at meetings and events to build our ever-growing business network. How incredible that you can do what you love and have others thank you for it! If you don’t feel that way at least a good part of the time, I urge you to think about why not, and see what you can do to change it. Life is too short not to enjoy just about every moment. 

Pegge Suhm and I spend countless hours exploring ideas for stories, subjects, and events which will inspire and enhance the lives of our clientele. In every discussion we ask ourselves whether the subject or event is ‘real ~ authentic ~ genuine’ and whether it provides inspiration or tools to help enhance your personal and/or professional lives. We hope you find [true]woman magazine & events provides keys to help you open doors.

Issue #2 carried the theme – reset for success. We encouraged readers to take a break to breathe and evaluate their lives. Issue #3’s theme is – decide to shine! Once you’ve allowed yourself to reset your thought patterns, you can make a conscious choice to allow yourself to pursue your dreams. When you do, you will surely shine. We all deserve a summer filled with sunshine, after which issue #4 will unveil with the next step in our journeys – sharpen your pencil when “back to school” time comes and be ready for us!

HEAVENLY visit to Heaven City Restaurant in Mukwonago last Friday. Kathleen Kostuck and I returned to the scene of our original cosmo experience and enjoyed another while reminiscing with lovely bartender Jane, who likely served us that first one circa 1998… Enjoyed a wonderful visit with owner Jimmy Wade after arranging our upcoming Culinary Connections series over the phone with his delightful partner Julie Beronja. (OK I admit - I thought we’d better check it out and make sure our favorite little piece of Heaven was still the delicious escape we had somehow come to miss…)  Rest assured, Jimmy and his staff far exceeded our expectations!

We sampled amazing appetizers featuring such delicacies as wild mushrooms and gourmet cheese in delicate puff pastry and grilled jumbo sea scallops with tropical mango salsa. DELICIOUS! Erik and Jo not only treated us like royalty, but made perfect suggestions for wine, sides, and were a refreshing reminder that quality customer service does still exist.

Jimmy and Chef Adam continued to impress when they presented an amazing combination of the coriander-dusted salmon over wild mushroom risotto and the scallop and shrimp au gratin over penne pasta. The melt-in-your-mouth spinach crisps were yet another unbelievable surprise. The only question on our minds while we thoroughly enjoyed this delicious adventure was “why on earth have we not been here in so long?” We reminisced about special occasions shared among friends over superb meals in years past. A few of the faces at Heaven City have changed over the years, but the dedication to delicious food, outstanding service, and a heartwarming loyalty to honoring the past remain consistent.

It seems we don’t often take the time to reward ourselves with an experience like Heaven City. That’s a shame. Whether you are in the Milwaukee, Lake Geneva, Janesville, or even Chicagoland areas - it is WORTH THE DRIVE. From my house near I-43 in Elkhorn it is only about a 20-minute drive. On Highway ES between Hwys. 83 and 164, it’s convenient and easy to find. (www.heavencity.com)

Please join us for our upcoming series of Culinary Connections ~ you deserve it!

The 3rd Wednesday evenings of: May, June, July, August, September and October ~

Enjoy delicious cuisine in a classic historic setting with amazing ambiance while expanding your professional network.  Don’t miss this unparalleled opportunity to combine business with pleasure…

May 21 - Mini Mushroom Madness

June 17 - Adam’s Grilling Fish on the Fox

July 16 -  Crisp Salads and Cool Soups

Aug. 20 - Smokin’ Jim’s Backyard Barbeque

Sept. 17 - Fall Harvest Fondues

Oct. 15 - Meet the Cocoa Bean

6:00 Cocktails/Connections ~ 7:00 Tasting Experience
Just $30* per person includes interactive tasting experience, tax and gratuity.
Wine flights available at additional cost ~ Cash bar.

 *Reservations required with prepayment to:  [true]woman Magazine & Events www.truewomanonline.com

Wow!  What a kickoff The Reset Issue experienced at the Golden Oaks Mansion in Lake Geneva on Saturday, February 16 (2008.)  Approximately 70 people gathered at the 1856 historic inn to celebrate the unveiling of [true]woman magazine’s second issue amidst romantic decor, first-class service, gourmet delicacies and a live musical performance by the talented team of Mark & Gretch Hladish.  Exit surveys indicated these people and more will be lining up for the next VIP Reception scheduled for Saturday, May 17 at the Lodge at Geneva Ridge!

With the Janesville area as a natural course for growth of our audience, [true]woman magazine unveiled at the South Central WI Builders Association Home Show the same weekend.  Special thanks to Judy Gamble of Invisible Fence of Southern WI for distributing the issues at her booth.

Delivery to the first Milwaukee area outlet was a delicious experience when we had dinner with Tracy Colakoglu at Tulip - Milwaukee’s premier Mediterranean restaurant.  Located in the newly revived Historic Third Ward, this culinary and cultural experience is well worth the drive from the Lake Geneva area - or from anywhere for that matter!

I was honored to be invited to share the new issue with the Walworth-Fontana Rotary on Thursday, February 21 and particularly want to thank Becky Merwin, of The Rauland Agency for her support.

Off the presses just 6 days and The Reset Issue is being enjoyed by hundreds of readers.  Thank you all for your support!

Denise

Greetings and welcome to the [true]woman blog.  We won’t make promises we may not be able to keep about how often posts will be updated - but if you keep coming back to look - we’ll keep having something to say! ;^)

Our theme for early 2008 is “RESET”… & you’ll see lots of tips and relevant stories in our upcoming issue #2 - being unveiled at public events near Valentine’s Day.  (A VIP reception at Golden Oaks Mansion in Lake Geneva on Saturday, Feb. 16 with live entertainment by Mark & Gretch Hladish; and the SCWBA Home Show in Janesville Feb. 15-17.)

We have some great events planned for 2008 and beyond, so stay tuned for more details - and watch newsstands at our marketing partners or your own mailbox for gift and subscription copies of Issue #2 soon!

[true]thanks,
Denise Schultz
Founder & Publisher