Fitness

Reaching Her Peak

Women discover strength, confidence and belonging at Peak Physique Article by Susan Thwing | Photography by Simran Bajwa After surviving thyroid cancer, Lissa Pietrykowski built a women-only training space in Troy where “showing up” is the victory and confidence is the result. Lissa wasn’t trying to create the next trendy fitness concept. She was solving a problem she kept seeing: women wanted to feel stronger, but couldn’t get themselves through the front door of a gym. “Exercise is so...

Beauty

Beauty and Balance, the Art of Intention

This year's Women of Troy spotlights three Leading Ladies shaping the local health and beauty landscape Article by Margaret Meyer Haight | Photography by Simran Bajwa Harnisha Shah Restoring Balance, Redefining Care For Harnisha Shah, physical therapy is for more than recovery — it’s about restoring confidence in the body. But it's her personal experience that gives her work deeper meaning. During her postpartum journey, Harnisha developed a personal understanding of the physical and...

Entertainment

Where Music Lives

Audrey Ray writes in the language of feeling – soft, sincere and impossible to ignore Article by Todd Haight | Photography by Simran Bajwa Some songs don’t start with melody. They begin with a feeling you can’t quite name. For Audrey Ray, music often arrives that way, from memories that refuse to dissolve. “I always go to music at defining moments of my life,” she says. “After a sad experience or heartbreak, I write it down. I know I can translate it into a song.” That instinct makes sense...

Entertainment

The People's Orchestra

The Troy Metro Symphony Orchestra celebrates 20 years of building unity, community and glorious music. Article by Susan Thwing Yes, Virginia — Troy really does have its very own symphony orchestra. For the Troy Metro Symphony Orchestra (troymetro.org), classical music has never been about tuxedos, ticket prices or hushed halls. For 20 years, it has been about people, musicians and audiences alike, coming together around music as a shared, communal experience. “This orchestra really started...

Style + Beauty

Invest in STYLE

Four timeless fashion investments that will make a statement, from the personal stylists at the Somerset Collection. Article by Lynne Konstantin Kelley Muzingo @adornedbykelley THE PERFECT BAG “This spring, I’m investing in a medium-sized tan suede everyday handbag. It’s the one color I’m missing, and I think it will be the perfect addition to my lighter color palette.”   Merna Makdisi @ablondestyling MIDWEST MUST-HAVE “Whether going out casually or running errands, a...

Real Estate

Sun, Sand & Smart Money

The Caribbean real-estate play is a luxury vacation that pays for itself. Article by Todd Haight There’s a particular moment in every Michigan winter when the fantasy becomes practical. It’s not just I want sun. It’s I want a place. A place to return to each year, to share with family, to grow as a real asset. Something that can work for you even while you’re not there. For Troy-area buyers who have looked at Florida or Arizona and recoiled at the new reality — climate, insurance, HOA...

Home Services

Built to Serve

How one couple is changing lives, one kitchen at a time. Article by Todd Haight The first time Ashley Dill truly understood how fragile independence can be, she was standing in someone else’s kitchen. A woman in her seventies had her pots and pans neatly lined along the counter, because she could no longer bend down to reach the cabinets. Embarrassed, she told Ashley her son would be coming later to put them away for her. “I don’t like needing help,” the woman said. Dill never forgot that...

Health + Wellness

A Place To Breathe

Local nonprofit Yoga Moves MS celebrates 20 years — and MS Awareness Month. Article by Susan Thwing | Photography by Elayne Gross March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, a time to spotlight the people and programs helping patients live with greater strength, connection and hope. In Southeast Michigan, one nonprofit has been quietly changing lives for more than two decades — one carefully supported pose, stretch and breath at a time. Yoga Moves MS (yogamovesms.org) recently celebrated its...

Home + Design

Modern Love

At Italcasa, high design meets human connection. Article by Susan Thwing Walk into Italcasa Design and you’ll notice two things pretty quickly: the boldness of contemporary European furniture and the ease of the conversation happening around it.  There’s no hard sell, no pressure to “know” design before you arrive. Instead, owner Bill Bahoora starts the same way he always does: with questions, stories and, depending on the time of day, espresso, water — or maybe a glass of Prosecco. For...

Home + Design

Whimsical, Wonderful

Designer Carrie Long’s own home is a functional, friendly and polished sanctuary. Article by Lynne Konstantin | Photography by Diana Paulson Carrie Long has an uncanny ability to see beauty in bones. For example, when the founder and principal designer of Royal Oak’s Carrie Long Interiors set eyes on the circa-1936 Colonial in West Bloomfield Twp., she saw beyond the long-neglected foreclosure. What she envisioned was a light-filled, welcoming and livable home for her own family — her...