How the Sausage is Made with Lottie's Meats

As the old adage implies, you often do *not* want to know how the sausage is made. And while the process of creating sausages for Lottie’s Meats is complex, it’s because they’re prioritizing taste, transparency, and responsible sourcing for their high-quality ingredients.  

“I can rattle off every single ingredient in every single sausage,” says Chelsey Maschhoff, Co-Founder of Lottie’s Meats.

For those unfamiliar with her work, Chelsey Maschhoff is the former sous chef of the acclaimed Annette, and she trained at the Culinary Institute of America. How it's made isn’t just a point of pride in her work—it’s actually a nod to her roots growing up on a family pork farm in rural Illinois. 

Along with her sister and Co-Founder, Cassie Maschhoff, whom she refers to as the “brains and logistics,” Chelsey Maschhoff began the business in 2024. This was not their first sister-led venture, though. From classic childhood lemonade stands to a bakery for the farm employees, the Maschhoff sisters have been entrepreneurial from an early age and credit a lot of their work ethic to their upbringing. 

They didn’t plan to get into the family business, and their parents encouraged them to explore other options outside of agriculture. After finding success in the culinary and tech worlds, Chelsey and Cassie Maschhoff felt it was time to come together for their next chapter and to reintroduce pork to America in a fun, new way. 

“It felt like a now-or-never thing for us to do this together,” says Cassie Maschhoff. “We told ourselves we can always go back to our former careers, but it will only get harder for us to try.”

In her time at Annette, Chelsey Maschhoff began using the family’s pork to create sausage with whole muscle cuts, like loin and shoulder. Today, these same high-quality cuts create a lean, nutrient-dense, and delicious product that even her two-year-old son eats almost daily. 

“It’s been heart-mending for me,” says Chelsey Maschhoff. “Our grandparents got to see us build something before they passed on—and our parents are finally proud of us.”

The last part is clearly a joke, but thanks to Lottie’s Meats, they get to continue working with and sourcing from the family farm. The Maschhoff sisters love that by doing so, they’re able to bring their consumers 100% traceable products that are sustainable, responsible, and meaningful.  

The agriculture industry as a whole finds itself in the middle of the climate conversation, and they welcome that open dialogue and opportunity to learn. Part of the reason they’re so passionate about pork is that it puts off significantly fewer emissions than beef or lamb. Nearly every part is utilized, and there are opportunities for circular use. Here in the US, it’s behind chicken and beef, but globally, it’s the most consumed animal protein in the world.  

In bringing Lottie’s Meats to market, it was important to them to speak to female consumers directly. In researching the category, Cassie Maschhoff found that three-quarters of women identify as the primary household shopper, but you wouldn’t guess that looking at the meat aisle currently. Naming their company after their spunky, free-spirited great aunt, who stars in the family lore, felt like a meaningful way to accomplish their goal and keep their family and their farm in the conversation. 

They’re a proud member of 1% For The Planet, which means 1% of their sales go to environmental organizations of their choosing, like The Conservation Alliance and World Central Kitchen. These partners help further their efforts to offset their environmental footprint and improve the economics of rural and female-run farms, kitchens, and ecosystems. 

Today, Lottie’s Meats is at restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores around the Denver metro, as well as on shelves in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Louis. Each of their expansions has been intentional, dropping into communities they already know and ensuring they can continue to deliver a consistent product, whether you’re ordering a sausage breakfast sandwich at Get Right’s or picking up a pack of Lottie’s Bratwurst from Marczyk’s. 

Head to LottiesMeats.com to see their full selection and to see where you can find them in stores near you!

Bell to Bell, Aprés, or Halfdays?

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, Kiley McKinnon competed in what she would call “unisex” fits—heavy on the air quotes. In reality, the ski apparel was designed for male competitors and then adapted for her, and McKinnon, a professional Freestyle Aerial skier, didn’t feel like she had a voice with the uniform sponsor. That’s when she decided to create the skiwear she actually wanted to use, which we now know as Halfdays. 

At the time, McKinnon and one of her co-founders, Ariana Ferwerda, didn’t have design or product development experience. They figured it out as they went, finding vendors at outdoor expos, reaching out to people on LinkedIn for advice, and outsourcing designers to help bring their vision to life. Because it was all happening during COVID, nearly every one of these conversations took place over Zoom or via email. 

“Looking back, we’re still amazed that we not only got our first collection across the finish line, but that the product turned out to be something we were truly proud of,” says McKinnon. 

McKinnon knew they were on to something special from the moment they got the first samples. They were far from perfect, but McKinnon and Ferwerda trusted themselves and their vision, which made all the difference.  

Before joining Halfdays, Ferwerda worked closely with Fortune 100 retailers, helping them leverage data to make strategic decisions. In her current role, it’s clear she continues to apply this experience to grow the brand. 

“Most women aren’t shopping by sport unless highly specialized gear is required,” says Ferwerda. “Instead, they shop based on how they want to feel, and no one wants to swap identities just to go outside.” 

For brands clinging to rigid product categories, this shift is a threat, but the Halfdays team sees it as an opportunity. They’ve always been clear in their goal to create a welcoming brand that inspires more women to get outdoors, and they continue to stay focused on that vision with each launch and each season. 

Part of what makes their mission a success is the community they’ve cultivated and continue to bring together. They host monthly community meetups around the country, ranging from city walk clubs and ski days to camping trips and happy hours, and have all the event info at halfdays.com/pages/events. 

The other part is that they design each piece for women, drawing inspiration for the styles and colors from their favorite non-activewear pieces. 

“In the beginning, Ariana and I built our palettes straight from what we actually wore in our own closets, because we wanted Halfdays to feel like an extension of everyday style,” says McKinnon. 

She’s of course referring to the bold color palettes that the brand has been known for since day one. Their most recent launch is a new fall color, Glazed Cherry, that they’ll be carrying into their ski collection. Ferwerda hates to play favorites, but she’s excited to hit the slopes in the Hedy Belted Puffer with the matching Emma Pant in the new Glazed Cherry color way this year. 

As we count down the days to the 2025-2025 ski season, McKinnon and Ferwerda hope to get more women on the mountain as they push to make the outdoors more accessible, inclusive, and stylish for women. 

McKinnon is the biggest cheerleader for new skiers and says there’s no “right” or “wrong” time to learn, whether you’re three or fifty. We all have to start somewhere, and even if you’re learning later in life, it doesn’t mean you don’t belong on the mountain like everyone else.

“The truth is, no one’s really paying attention to what others are doing—they’re focused on their own runs,” says McKinnon. “So if you’re on the bunny slope and start to feel embarrassed, remember: the only one thinking about you is you.” 

For McKinnon, confidence is everything. The more you trust yourself and your ability, the better your body and mind will perform.

The Halfdays ski collection officially launches October 16. In addition to Glazed Cherry, they’re also launching Amethyst and brand-new fabric, nylon ripstop, to elevate both performance and durability. 

The collection will be available online, at their Denver flagship store in RiNo, and through select retailers, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, and Nordstrom. They’ll also be dropping a few collaborations throughout the season, so definitely follow @halfdays to be the first to know! 

Back to OV & Boulder with Ty Haney

Back in July, Ty Haney officially announced her plan to return to Outdoor Voices, the brand she created in 2013 and led until 2020. With her return comes the new OV Hike Collection, including The Boulder Dress, named for her hometown and the place she once again calls home base.

Haney grew up just a few blocks from Chautauqua Park. She attended Flatirons Elementary, Southern Hills, and Boulder High School, where she ran track and cross-country. She says her mom’s identical twin, Auntie Em, taught her how to hurdle over a broomstick in the backyard, and she eventually went on to hold school records for a time.

“Growing up in Boulder is a dream,” says Haney. “The nature, activities, neighbors, animals, recreation, etc.—we are just so lucky.”

She moved to New York for college and lived in the city for 11 years, but she was always so proud to say she grew up in Boulder. She loves being able to once again head to Enchanted Mesa trail for a hike, Eben G Fine Park for a quick dip, and Mustard’s Last Stand for a quick bite. She thinks it’s the best place in the world to raise a family and is a mom to a five-year-old daughter, Sunny, and a three-year-old son, Champie.

Growing up, her parents were entrepreneurs, and she says she’s also been blessed (or cursed) with the bug. Her mom and aunt had a sportswear brand, Fresh Produce, and she’d create designs for her dad’s screen-printing and embroidery company. This gave her an acute awareness of how challenging the apparel business can be with inventory, sizing, etc., and she was initially averse to creating an apparel company. 

“The opportunity to... inspire people to move their bodies for the fun of it, with friends, every day through a motto we call ‘Doing Things’ felt too good to pass up,” says Haney. “And I happened to be quite good at making technical products people love.”

Haney is someone who has always required daily activity to show up as her best self. When she moved to NYC and began studying at Parsons, she noticed just how important it was when she no longer had mountains, teammates, games, and coaches to keep her active. She thinks of running as kinetic meditation and always thinks the most clearly during and after aerobic exercise.

She’s recently also gotten into show jumping horses and says it’s the most exhilarating minute or so, flying over fences as fast as you can. Horses have become a very important aspect of her life and routine, as the presence required to not fall off is the exact medicine she needs as she tackles life and not one but three businesses. 

Reflecting back on her first time at OV, she says that 90% of that first chapter—building from zero to $100M—was amazing. The remaining 10% was brutal but a masterclass. It was very difficult to leave the company she founded, but it was the right choice at the time and has since led to TYB and now Joggy.  

Returning to OV, she’s excited to continue to have fun with seasonality and dresses. The Exercise Dress was a style made famous in her first chapter—and The Boulder Dress is the perfect example of where they’re headed. 

Decorating Her Own Way

Back in 2020, a lot of people found new hobbies, but Allie Sutterer found a whole new career. What began as reselling secondhand furniture on Instagram has since turned into a dual role as a content creator and interior decorator. 

As part of her strategy to sell on Instagram, Sutterer would curate a full collection of pieces and then she’d stage it all together, initially just creating content to market it. Then, she jumped on Reels when it hit the platform, and one viral video led to another, which began to give her a following. “I wouldn’t have a penny to my name if it weren’t for the internet,” says Sutterer. 

A modern Renaissance woman, she began making videos around different design styles. That’s when she really started to take off—creating a voice, perspective, and style all her own. Some of her recent, popular videos in this series explain Medieval Modern and Refined Rusticism for her audience, tapping into existing styles and giving them her unique twist. 

Through a combination of the furniture posts and these new style videos, Sutterer says that people found her, liked her style, and just started asking if she’d redesign their spaces to match her aesthetic. 

Sutterer’s design sense doesn’t just tap into one style or trend. In fact, she’s especially adept at bringing two competing ideas together and having them flow seamlessly, as shown with Medieval Modern. She describes her style as tailored, chic, and eclectic. 

“Art deco is a big inspiration for me,” says Sutterer. “But I love a crisp white slip cover, a skirted furniture piece, and a clean modern line.”

Because of the nature of social media, Sutterer’s followers are all over the country, not just in Colorado. As such, she had to develop her own process and does digital consultations that follow a slightly different format than your typical interior design project. 

Instead of buying all the products and materials for her clients and doing a big install day and reveal, she truly brings them into the process. Sutterer and her clients begin by taking inventory of what the client has and how they want or need the space to function. They’ll use inspiration to establish an overarching style and vision for the space, but that’s where the paths truly diverge. 

Rather than holding onto the reins, Sutterer packages up that overarching vision, complete with visuals and links, and then encourages clients to execute the plan on their own. She believes that in order for homes to feel personal and collected, they should evolve with us. Her clients receive sourcing for those larger elements like paint colors, sofas, lighting, etc. Then, she will give size and placement suggestions on art and accessories, but encourages them to collect those small, unique pieces that speak to them personally over time. 

Because of her expertise in Facebook Marketplace and other vintage sites, plenty of the furniture and pieces are second-hand, which helps keep the service affordable and ensures unique pieces for her clients. She loves the thrill of the hunt from back in her furniture resale days and finds that it can be a really impactful way to source pieces she and her clients will cherish. 

If you’re interested in her services, Sutterer offers both a Mini Decorating Package and a Full Sourcing Package. The former is a one-hour conversation, like an office hour, and is perfect for talking through a specific space and asking questions. Clients get a mood board and links to help bring their vision to life. 

The Full Sourcing Package involves more in-depth calls, and the client will walk away with a style guide that includes in-depth moodboards, install instructions, a budget tracking spreadsheet, to-scale floor plans, and 3D photo mockups to help them envision the final product. It can be multiple rooms or one, and Sutterer spends more time on the back end with budget tracking, product links, and delivery estimates. 

In addition to her virtual business, Sutterer is also exploring more in-person options. To get inspired or get on her calendar, head to SilleStudio.comor @sillestudiohome on Instagram or TikTok. 

Inside the Johnson Revival

When Charles Haertling first designed the Johnson House in 1976, the world was in the throes of an energy crisis, marked by significant oil shortages and price spikes. Ever the innovator, Haertling designed the home to incorporate the first wave of solar energy design, in the form of passive solar windows and an active solar thermal system. 

Today, Haertling is remembered as an experimental architect, constantly pushing clients, banks, and even city code to design spaces focused around the experience—both in terms of the feeling of being within them and the power of gathering together. 

His projects put most of the money into what he’d call the “public spaces.” He thought people should live primarily in their living rooms and saw bedrooms as secondary, especially by current standards. 

“We’ve done a number of Haertling houses, and they’re always the same,” says Harvey Hine, Director of Architecture at HMH Architecture + Interiors. “Bedrooms are basement level with minimal windows, low ceilings, and usually a pretty small staircase.” 

When approaching the Johnson Home renovation, HMH’s goal was clear: turn it into a family home more in line with modern standards, while maintaining the architectural integrity set forth by someone Hine saw as a friend and mentor. 

To do this, the team expanded the basement, which they did not see as architectural to begin with, to improve the bedroom size and light.

Upstairs, they had to be much more careful. The original structure had two towers, one to house the stairwell and one for a significant fireplace. They added a third tower to create a distinct space for a powder bathroom off the entry.

They also opened up the loft for a home office and extended the circle of the home to create a dining space off the back of the kitchen. 

To further bring it up to modern standards, they replaced all the windows and doors to be more energy efficient and switched out the wood paneling with a replica of the original after fixing significant leaks. 

Bringing the interior spaces into better alignment with how families live today was the work of Leah Civiok, HMH’s Director of Interior Design. She reimagined the interior layout to improve flow, functionality, and livability—all while working within Haertling’s original vision.

“The owners loved the intention of the house and didn’t want to change it but make it better,” says Leah Civiok, Director of Interior Design. “Everybody on the team respected the existing architecture.” 

As with any project of this scope, there were surprises along the way, and it required a team effort to problem-solve and ultimately create a better product. One of those partners was Isaac Savitz at Silver Lining Construction, whose first and likely biggest issue was the house’s lack of foundation. 

“When you’re working on a remodel like this, you discover things, like no foundation, that you have to deal with,” says Hine. “There’s always surprises, and a lot of contractors prefer remodeling because of the extra detective work.” 

When the homeowners encountered selection fatigue, they brought in designer Susan Hall for guidance. If you haven’t undergone a major build or renovation, it’s like curating an entirely new wardrobe—complete with all of the accessories, including jewelry—that you’re trying to keep within a finite budget. 

Working with HMH and the owners to create a unique, original house of their very own within such a significant building was a dream project. She saw it as their duty to let the house be itself, but even better. 

“It really is like a sculpture,” says Hall. “And good sculpture is worth preserving.” 

This is the ultimate home for hosting, and the team made sure the new floors are dance party ready, ensuring people can gather around the hearth for generations to come. 

Meet the Dad Behind Youth Crews

When your child is born with a disability, you have to think ahead to the next thing your child will need, whether it’s therapy, a doctor, or specialized equipment. If you wait until you need it, it might be nine months before you can actually get the wheelchair or appointment, for example. So when Brady Crandall’s oldest daughter was unexpectedly born with a brain injury, he and his wife, Stephanie, quickly got into the habit of looking ahead and trying to anticipate her needs. 

As she got a little older, Crandall realized that there were no diapers for kids. At the time, size 7 was the biggest baby diaper, but even then, stores don’t often carry them. If they do, it’s in a limited quantity and is clearly targeting babies, not big kids. 

He started asking around in his community and was shocked to find that other parents had been making due with different solutions with varying effectiveness, whether it was adult diapers with inserts or double diapering. 

When he conducted a survey, it was clear that this was a top-five daily problem for them, sometimes even number one. For such an essential life function, it seemed the disability community was once again being overlooked, especially as kids get older and are going to school. 

“Every parent worries about their kids,” says Crandall, “But when you have a kid with disabilities, those worries are so much more tangible, real, and likely to happen.” 

For Crandall, this isn’t just about his daughter being able to go to school without an accident; it’s about respect. He sees this as an opportunity for a brand to come in and speak clearly and directly to parents of disabled kids, further normalizing their everyday experience, instead of pitying them. 

Crandall applied years of learning from start-ups and in marketing departments of major brands, and founded Youth Crews to create diapers specifically for kids. To do this, he had to find a manufacturer who would interrupt their 800-diapers-per-minute schedule to create a size and a machine that did not previously exist. He also had to get startup funding, proving the business case for a product that big brands had previously overlooked. 

It was never a goal of Crandall’s to start a business, but ultimately, it felt like he was the person who had to solve this problem to make his daughter’s life better. Crandall is hesitant to call this a calling, but I will. Plenty of people are faced with this issue, but Crandall was the first to work towards a solution, and continue to build a company that’s actively changing and evolving to help this community. He’s also the first to say he isn’t doing this alone. 

In addition to partners and investors, he also lovingly calls his wife the breadwinner. Because of his daughter’s disability, he taps into in-home support service caregivers (IHSS) as her paid caregiver. They’re also supported by Rocky Mountain Human Services and have had their home adapted with ramps and door widening, thanks in part to Homebuilders Foundation and Gravinas Windows & Siding. 

Disability can be very alienating, but he says medical parents are very resilient and are proud to be part of this community. He’s active in Hope for HIE and did a walk with them in the spring. 

“No one understands what you’re going through better than people who’ve already gone through it,” says Crandall. 

To learn more about their journey and to stay up to date on their latest products, head to @youthcrews on Instagram or YouthCrews.com. 

Turning Algae Into Living Ink

For some, inspiration comes on a long walk or in the shower. For Scott Fulbright, Ph.D, it was while in the greeting card aisle at the Ft. Collins Safeway when he was shopping for his grandmother’s birthday. 

For years, Fulbright and his business partner, Stevan Albers, Ph.D, had been searching for a consumer good that could compete with petroleum-based products in the marketplace. On that shopping trip, Fulbright realized that all the cards were coated in petroleum-based inks and colors, which is not a unique situation. In fact, over 60 products come from one barrel of heavy oil. 

Fulbright and Albers met on their very first day of a Ph.D program at CSU back in 2009 and quickly realized that they shared a vision and a focus. Both wanted to use algae in a cutting-edge, carbon-negative way, rather than becoming professors or joining an existing biofuel company. Between Fulbright’s previous experience in biofuels and his research into algae in open ponds and Albers’ research into genetically manipulating algae to create new colors, they were in a unique position to actually make that happen. 

After at least one Kickstarter campaign and several competitions, grants, and iterations later, Living Ink is doing just that with their ALGAE INK™ and ALGAE BLACK™ pigment. This Berthoud-based company partners with absolute behemoths in consumer goods, like New Balance and Patagonia, and other Colorado-based favorites, like Crocs and EcoEnclose, to create hangtags, apparel, packaging, and more that use an algae-based ink, instead of their petroleum-based competitor. 

They’ve even created a Nike sneaker in a collaboration with Billie Eilish, which is far beyond what Fulbright and Albers could have imagined doing with their advanced degrees in Cell and Molecular Biology. They’re hopeful products like this can soon scale up to a typical 30 million-unit order, versus a limited-edition project that produced 400,000 units. 

Their biggest hurdle in getting there is not their own production, but is, in fact, price parity. The brands they currently work with are willing to pay a little bit more for something that’s good. In Living Ink’s process, they’re able to create a 200% carbon footprint reduction with a shelf-stable, scalable product. It really is a climate tech industry unicorn, because it’s both easy to understand and has the potential to eventually compete on price. For context, petroleum-based carbon black currently sits at about $2/kilogram, thanks in part to subsidies.

In their effort to reach price parity, they’re planning to bring a production facility to Berthoud and then additional ones closer to the biomass facilities, actually growing the algae. Colorado is a huge part of their business story, in addition to being where they met and where they’re based. Early on in the business, Living Ink had a grant from the National Science Foundation, but could not use the money for equipment. A grant from the state was instrumental in turning all their ideas and potential into actual prototypes. 

“Looking back, it was that grant that got us going,” says Fulbright. “I feel like the ROI has been pretty high.”

Both Fulbright and Albers speak highly of the community in Berthoud and beyond as they continue to strive to solve very complex problems. Since Covid completely upended the supply chain and current tariff speculation continues to seed uncertainty, its partners in the manufacturing space and beyond that allow Living Ink to continue to disrupt and push for new solutions. 

“It’s been great to be around that kind of community when trying to address these grand challenges with so many components,” says Albers. “You just cant do it by yourself.”

To learn more about Living Ink, head to LivingInk.co.

Meet Berger & Föhr

Lucian Föhr got his first introduction to graphic design at New Vista High School, but it was a chance encounter with Todd Berger outside his dad’s house that led him to pursue his Wednesday internship at Berger’s design studio. 

Now 22 years and hundreds of projects later, this self-taught duo operates under their namesake studio out of North Boulder, Berger & Föhr, known for both world-class design and fine art. Their partnership has always had a collaborative art practice, but this is the first time that both fully operate in the same space, with their design setup in the front and their drawing machines in the back. 

They’ve deliberately kept this studio small and focused, prioritizing the work itself over management structures or scale. With each client and project, they focus on clarity and intention, refining every element with what they call “quiet rigor.”

They acknowledge that design work—in particular brand identity—is inherently ephemeral. Companies evolve, rebrand, merge, or vanish, and the visual systems they’ve so carefully built often disappear with them. Their art practice provides the perfect foil to this reality, offering an outlet for creating work that endures. 

“Art is legacy,” says Berger. “If you make art with intent and people collect it, they tend to steward it into the future, and it lasts.” 

In their art practice, they’re drawn to revealing the hand of the artist, thereby embracing imperfection as a way to signal human presence. This subtle evidence of touch creates the opportunity for connection between viewer and maker. 

"Beautiful things happen when you let go of a bit of control,” says Berger. “But it’s hard.” 

Their latest study, “Graphite Gradients,” is all about evoking a sense of the human experience through pressure, time, and decay. Each piece is the result of a graphite pencil dulling over time, and Berger and Föhr create inputs for a machine that will then draw the designs over weeks or even months, depending on the scale of the piece. They have to manually reload and resharpen the pencils several times throughout the day, often doing two to four passes of each design. 

Because of this process, there’s a lot of room for error. In 10+ years of working with the drawing machines, Berger and Föhr regularly discover new variables—whether it’s increased humidity in the studio impacting the paper or a speck of dust hiding on the surface, even after thorough cleaning. They cannot simply set it and forget it, but instead have to carefully plan their days and their designs around being able to go back and forth between the two spaces.

“People assume it’s not very hands-on because of the machine, but every day we discover another variable,” says Föhr. “We set up the process, and whatever plays out is the art.” 

Something that unifies both the art and design practices is a shared systems-based approach. Each begins with a self-imposed framework—structured sets of rules or constraints—within which they explore variation, iteration, and nuance. Their work is deeply process-driven, guided by a consistent hierarchy of priorities: concept, context, process, materiality, and technology.

Berger and Föhr draw from a lineage of artists and designers who explored the interplay of systems, perception, and reduction. They’ve been inspired by Jenny Holzer, Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, James Turrell, and Wim Crouwel, to name a few. Together, these figures and more inform a practice centered on structure, process, and the power of restraint.

With the introduction of a new large-format drawing machine, the duo is embracing fresh challenges at scale. On a larger canvas, the machine exhausts the graphite more quickly, requiring new strategies and deeper coordination. Each piece is becoming a negotiation of time, pressure, and material that they execute in tandem and sign via shared authorship.

Explore more at their newly designed BergerFohr.com.

A New Place to Gather in Old Town Lafayette

Old Town Lafayette is seeing a resurgence, thanks in part to Neige LaRue of Punch Buggy Shave Ice and Jordan Lewis of Vintrey Honest Goods. Last month, Vintrey Honest Goods opened their back doors for the first time, officially welcoming the community to experience Foxglove Bar and The Yard, a flexible event space, featuring Punch Buggy Shave Ice.

For years, Jordan Lewis of Vintrey Honest Goods has been trying to figure out what to do with the lot next to his store. He began the company with his sister and wife back in 2013 and purchased their store in 2021. He’s always had a great relationship with the owner of the land and would use the lot to host Old Town dinner parties as an annual fundraiser. 

Since the beginning, his company has been rooted in giving back to the global community, funding anti-trafficking work in India with their proceeds. Around a third of the jewelry, leather, textiles, etc. in the store are created by Indian artisans, and it’s important for him that the goods he sources and co-creates come with a purpose.  

“Everything needs to have a story,” says Lewis. “To give back.” 

With this new venture, his goal is to give back to the local community that has supported him and his store since the very beginning. He sees this as a privately owned public space, and in addition to continuing their dinner parties, they’ll fill it with programming and events, ranging from live music to yoga to library readings. The goal is to provide that elusive third space, beyond home and work, and each space can be rented out separately to be an affordable event venue for birthdays, weddings, graduations, and anything else the Lafayette community needs. 

When Lewis reached out about a year ago about this idea, LaRue was immediately in. This is her seventh summer bringing the shave ice from her childhood on the Kona side of the Big Island to the people of Colorado. 

Growing up, it was her favorite part of a hot summer day, and she loved reliving that when she’d bring her kids to Hawaii to visit. She saw a need in the Boulder area for a treat that’s naturally gluten and dairy free and created a company that’s both respectful of its Hawaiian and Japanese roots and uses clean ingredients that Colorado people expect. She says her shave ice has gotten two thumbs up from visiting relatives and has become a mainstay in the Louisville community and beyond. 

“Serving smiling kids' faces all day long,” says LaRue. “It’s a fun job to have.” 

Because of the nature of her business, LaRue employs teens and young adults from all over Boulder County and is proud to have many of them come back summer after summer. Her own kids work alongside them, and she’s proud of the team she’s cultivated and the mutual respect they share. 

This clear focus on how she treats her employees is part of the common bond between LaRue and Lewis, who readily admits that he does not come from a bartending background and is putting all his trust and faith in his staff to craft the menu for Foxglove. 

In fact, one of his first hires is a Punch Buggy alum who’s partially responsible for crafting their 21-drink menu, one-third of which is N/A. When asked about that choice, Lewis emphasized his goal to make this a cozy gathering space for everyone, one that’s affordable and approachable. There’s a whimsy to the space, less English garden and more mad hatter.

“When designing this space, I wanted to make it in a way that no one is uncomfortable,” says Lewis. “I want people to feel delighted when they’re leaving.”

Together, Lewis and LaRue are excited to be a part of so many life events here in Lafayette, whether you’re stopping by after the farmers market to enjoy your spoils on The Yard or sipping a botanically-inspired cocktail in the Foxglove garden.

For more information, head to FoxgloveBar.com, PunchBuggyShaveIce.com, or Vintrey.com—or swing by the garden at 107 S Public Rd Lafayette, CO! 

Designing for an Evolving Landscape

Growing up in the lush landscapes of Minnesota, Ashley Ingraham, Principal and Owner at Evoke, first learned gardening from her mother. Ingraham says she didn’t just plant flowers—her mother meticulously maintained habitats for butterflies, bees, and countless other creatures. 

Ingraham drew inspiration from this upbringing, studying art and art history at CU Boulder. This understanding of color, light, and composition still plays a large role in her designs, as does the ways that form and texture evoke emotion. Both experiences eventually prepared her for the challenge that is designing and cultivating life in Colorado’s front range, which is not known for its hospitable conditions. 

“The rugged mountains, sheer cliffs, and expansive high desert have shaped not only the way I see the land but the way I work with it,” says Ashley Ingraham. “The brilliant intensity of high-altitude sunlight, the constraints of an arid climate, and the changing planet all demand a thoughtful response.”

Ingraham is not alone in this pursuit. Now in her 15th year in the business, she runs the team at Evoke, which has grown and changed with the business.

Lukas Coker, who joined Evoke in 2020, is a key part of that vision. Known for his precision and creative eye, Lukas brought advanced digital tools to the studio, like Lumion, which allows clients to step inside hyper-realistic renderings before a shovel hits the ground.

The newest team member, Andrew Castanheira, brings an unexpected background in finance—and a deep passion for design. After a career pivot and a stint at a high-end Atlanta firm, he relocated west, bringing his love of music and travel into the design process.

Together, they craft solutions for each home and each season, along with a team of installers, carpenters, masons, architects, engineers, etc., who are also incredible at their craft. By finding these partners in Denver and Boulder, Ingraham and her team are able to fully focus on the design. 

For a recent project in Boulder, Evoke teamed up with Surround Architecture and Buildwell Builders to transform an unusable slope into a series of outdoor rooms, complete with a lower patio with a reflecting pool. Stone pavers help the design to seamlessly blend into the natural beauty of Boulder’s landscape, creating a sophisticated, luxurious outdoor living experience. 

“It’s about creating spaces that feel both elevated and deeply rooted in place,” says Ingraham.

When reflecting on these massive installs, Ingraham loves that each season and each year is a bit different. Year three is typically when the smaller plants really start to bloom and flourish. Evoke also has to plan for seasons, especially as they become more unpredictable, using plants that are hearty and can tolerate drought, hail, and warm weather in winter. Some of her tried and trues from ten years ago—like Redbuds—no longer work as well today. 

If you’re moving into a new home this summer, Evoke's advice is not to rush it. Ingraham recommends living in your space for a year to see what areas you’re drawn to and how you use them. Go for walks around the neighborhood for inspiration and be open to your vision changing, which seems like good advice for life, as well. 

To see more of their recent designs and to get inspired, go to EvokeLifeOutside.com. 

Woof: Inventing for Man's Best Friend

It’s not often that co-founders are cross-species, but in the case of Daniel Haarburger and his beloved dog, Milo, it took both man and man’s best friend to create what has since become the fastest-growing pet brand in the US. 

Before Haarburger adopted Milo, he spent years inventing and licensing products for other companies. He first began doing so while pursuing his computer science degree and was successful enough to pay his way through college as a student. 

As much as he loved receiving the royalty checks, Haarburger realized he didn’t like handing over all of his good ideas and wanted to fully manufacture and market one for himself. 

Soon after Haarburger adopted Milo, his beloved puppy needed knee surgery and wasn’t able to walk for several months. As a half-husky, half-cattle dog mix, he also very much needed to be entertained, and Haarburger didn’t want to give him a calorically dense bone or a jar of peanut butter. 

He started tinkering in his garage and eventually invented what his company, Woof, now calls The Pupsicle. This treat-dispensing toy can be refilled with homemade recipes, giving even the pickiest pup exactly what they like. Haarburger started using the vessel multiple times a day and realized this was the scalable product he’d been looking for. 

The Pupsicle was not Haarburger’s first attempt at creating pet products. He’d been attempting to manufacture and sell leashes, collars, and harnesses, and his plan was to capitalize on baggie refills for repeat purchases. He kept running into production issues, as well as bottom-line issues, and it was becoming apparent that this idea wasn’t going to be profitable enough to work long-term. Even amidst all the issues, he knew he was on to something by focusing on solutions for his beloved Milo. 

“There are few relationships as pure as the one with your dog,” says Haarburger. “You love me? I love you too!” 

He knew he wasn’t alone in feeling this way about his buddy, especially here in Colorado. When he was at a trade show, he found the right partner to manufacture his product, and together they were able to make revisions and samples until the product was to both Haarburger and Milo’s liking. 

It’s easy now, for the success of The Pupsicle and the company seems obvious, but there was a moment right as Haarburger was producing that first batch where it seemingly could’ve gone either way. 

“If this works, great! I’ll keep on going, says Haarburger. “If it doesn’t, I probably won’t have a company in two months.”

They sold out of the first order in two weeks, and for several cycles, Haarburger dumped all the profits back into inventory until he was able to hire more people, including a partner with pet industry experience who has been able to turbocharge what they’re working on. 

Today, Woof is over 50 people and is expanding into wellness products, specifically dental hygiene, for pets. According to Inc., it’s the fastest growing company in the Rocky Mountain Region and one of the fastest growing CPG companies in the country. 

After years of tinkering alone, Haarburger relishes in being able to collaborate with his team and with other interesting people and brands. He still speaks very fondly of the days when he’d prove out ideas by gluing foam core together and wants every person interested in invention to know they don’t need a university research facility or all the right tools to get started. Most of his best work came from a sketchpad and the drive to solve real problems. 

“Building a business is about solving a problem and problem and problem and problem…day in and day out," says Haarburger. “The upside? You make something really beautiful.” 

To learn more about Woof and to pitch a collaboration with Haarburger and Milo, head to MyWoof.com. 

Little Horse Vintage Brings Listening Parties to Downtown Louisville

Just steps off Louisville’s Main Street, Little Horse Vintage is an invite to another time—one filled with sleek mid-century furniture, film cameras, and, of course, vinyl records. But twice a month, often on the first and third Friday, walking down the steps is a whole new experience as the space transforms into the Electric Room, complete with moody lighting, drinks, and either listening parties or live music. 

Mike Price, a poet and longtime bookseller, opened this location in 2011, and he also has stores in Boulder and Fort Collins. Since opening, he saw potential in the guitar and amp repair shop downstairs and wanted to create a space for audiophiles of all levels. 

Price was inspired by jazz kissa (ジャズ喫茶) or jazz cafés that were incredibly popular in post-WWII Japan. Because imported American jazz records were too expensive for individuals to buy, these subterranean spaces became dedicated listening rooms known for their high-quality stereo equipment, dim lighting, and extensive music collections. They also served coffee and alcoholic drinks for people to enjoy while they sat and listened. 

Thanks in part to the new retail establishment liquor permit, Price is able to put on these jazz kissa-inspired events twice a month. Unlike a typical event permit or a full-blown liquor license, this allows him to do 24 events per year for one small fee. 

At the heart of the events is the music, so Price’s standards for the equipment are very high. He has JBL 4355s, a massive pair of speakers built in the 1970s that were popularized by The Who. They weigh 265 pounds each and are quite a presence in the space. 

He also uses McIntosh amps and preamps, which he says last longer, are of superior quality, and are more reparable than their more modern counterparts. They also look as good as they sound—with big dials, meters that bounce around, and lights—which is important when you’re trying to create an inviting atmosphere for people who have never listened to music this way before. 

“You’re stepping into a room that sounds like a live performance,” says Price. “The sound is so rich and warm that it blows a lot of people away.” 

Price loves to see the impact of the space and sound as people descend the stairs. He also loves introducing people to a potentially new HiFi hobby and helping bring a new energy to downtown. 

Louisville is Price’s hometown, and he hopes these events can help with the vacancies on Main Street. He sees the Electric Room as an opportunity to bring more of that city experience to the small town while still getting everyone home at a reasonable hour.

This month, they'll have Mister Niño and Soul Beat Girl on May 2nd and Madrone & DJ ROOTZ on May 23rd, each going from 7-11 PM. For tickets and more information, head to @littlehorsevintage on Instagram and check out their link in bio. 

Making Home After The Marshall Fire

On December 30, 2021, a brush fire broke out at the intersection of Colorado 93 and Marshall Road. It went on to destroy 990+ structures and evacuate 37,000+ people, becoming the most destructive fire in Colorado history. 

This spring, Boulder Country residents displaced by the Marshall Fire are finally moving back into their new homes, but it was a long journey to get here. Rebuilding after a disaster takes a great toll, as homeowners have to work through code, permitting, and insurance claims. They need to rebuild differently to help mitigate future risk. And once they finally do build, they have to face the place they once had to flee from, trying to make it feel like home once again. 

To do this takes a cast of characters and expert craftsmen, so we’re going to take you room by room and trade by trade for one of the newest homes on Panorama Drive. 

Nick Fiore, Flower Architecture 

In his experience in construction and design, Nicholas Fiore knows how cathartic it can be to make something from scratch—especially when you’re trying to rebuild something you’ve lost. He was prepared for this to be a delicate process and was immediately struck by the owners’ resilience, ready to jump right into the design and the details. 

“They were ready, willing, and able to dive into the design process,” says Fiore. “They knew the feel they wanted and all the good things about their previous house that they wanted to bring into the new home.” 

While not 100% “form follows function,” Fiore carefully designed the home for a big family who needs a mudroom, a rec room, and spaces to make noise and messes. 

Kate Manz, Designer

Known for her chic designs at Sweep Salons, this project was Kate Manz’s first new construction home. She treated each space and room as its own story and concept, imbuing warmth and love into every corner of the home. 

“In a new build, it can sometimes take years to feel lived in, especially having to buy everything new post-fire,” says Kate Manz. “The goal was to help give the house a heartbeat and soul through each space.” 

Ryan Wither, Buildwell 

Raised in Steamboat Springs, Ryan got his logical side from his accountant mother and his irreverent side from his artistic father. He taps into both as he combines craftsmanship, engineering, and a precise eye for detail to bring together the whole team to create a project like this, combining custom features and beautiful style with important fire mitigation features. 

Chino, Concrete 

In addition to creating the new fortress around the home, Chino also brought homemade tamales to the job site, feeding the family and team as they rebuilt. 

North Table Woodworks, Mill Work

One of the only objects to survive the fire was a double heart made of bike chain, and the owners knew they wanted to create a prominent place to display it. They worked with North Table Woodworks to create a custom niche wall. 

“The layered niche wall was one way we added interest and texture to the vast room, as well as giving a home for unique objects and new family heirlooms to reside,” says Manz. 

Additional Partners:

Vonmod, Kitchen & Built-ins

Evoke Outside, Landscape Architect

Decorative Materials, Tile

Forma Furniture, Furniture

WD Flooring & McDonald Carpet, Flooring

Artisan Rug Shop, Rugs

Harrison Home Systems & Window VanGo, Window Treatment

Moros Fabrication, Fabrication

Slade Glass 

Galleria of Stone 

Manz spoke highly of the team and the opportunity to collaborate with all the different disciplines throughout the project as they created something new from the ground up. 

“I truly loved working with every person on this project,” says Manz. "The team was A++, and it shows and is felt in every little detail.” 

Craft Your Way to Community with Woolberry

A self-proclaimed lifelong crafter and Coloradan, Bethany Evans-Brown first started knitting when she was just 11 years old. She first learned at a summer library program, but it was a stint in her husband’s native New Zealand that led to a deeper knowledge of and appreciation for the yarn-making process that eventually led her to create Woolberry Fiber Co in 2016. 

Her mother in law has been knitting and spinning since Bethany’s husband, Rhys, was little, thanks in part to the abundance of sheep, and therefore wool, in New Zealand. She gave Bethany a spinning wheel and a massive weaving loom, and that was how Bethany discovered that she really enjoyed the process of creating yarn. 

Once they were back in the US, Bethany set up shop in her parent’s basement and began dying yarn. Her father was her first customer, as he loves to remind her. One day, he came down with a wad of cash and asked to buy yarn for her sister, and from there, the business truly began. 

Now, they have a warehouse in Erie and a team of people to help them with the seasonal, hand-dyed color palettes, as well as the other projects that Bethany has used to cultivate community within her customer base. 

“Knitting can be a very lonely craft if you don’t have community,” says Bethany.

In addition to yarn boxes and make-alongs, there are themed book boxes, complete with a surprise book, matching yarn for a project, and two or three items that also tie into the reading. There’s also a Discord channel, so knitters can swap tips and even leftover yarn. There are even in-person groups that have formed in other parts of the country, like a group in Michigan that met through Woolberry and realized they all lived within 20 minutes of each other. 

Woolberry is part of a massive tide of people choosing to support small businesses. Their fans know exactly where the materials are coming from and where the profits are going. 

In this case, all their wool is sourced from South America, and their suppliers work closely with farms and mills to ensure that both the workers and animals are treated respectfully. They’ve made a conscious choice not to use natural dyes and instead use nontoxic acid dyes that deplete less resources and don’t pollute the water supply. Their EcoEnclose packaging is recyclable and reusable, and they recycle water in their dying process to help reduce waste. 

The profits give the Evans-Brown family flexibility to raise their family and take vacations without asking for PTO—and 5% of all purchases placed on their website go to Charity: Water and Handspun Home. In addition to these global charities, she and her family also give back to There With Care, a group that supports families and children during the critical phase of a medical crisis.

“I love to create, and I love community,” says Bethany, “But volunteering is our purpose.” 

She recognizes the power of knitting and color to help people through difficult times. In addition to the meditative power of working with your hands, there’s a lot of comfort in creating a piece in memory of someone who has passed or for a friend, family member, or perfect stranger going through a hard time. 

This month, Woolberry has a heritage collection with untouched wool from Rambouillet, Llama, and Yak. There’s also a mauve sweater club for those interested in knitting along with a group. 

To learn more, visit WoolberryFiber.com

Finding Positivity in Extreme Prematurity with 4Those

In 2019, Stephanie Hauser gave birth to her third son, Zev, at just 23 weeks and 1 lb, 4 oz. At the time, this was under the age of viability, and he was given less than a 1% chance of surviving through birth.

At 23 weeks, babies do not have fully developed lungs, but Zev stunned everyone in the delivery room by crying. In that moment, they collectively realized this little baby who could fit in the palm of their hands was stronger than anyone previously thought. 

This began a seemingly impossible journey as Zev fought for his life in UCHealth’s NICU. Every day for five months, or 147 days, there was devastating news, like when two severe brain bleeds wiped out whole parts of Zev’s brain. And every time, Hauser got in the habit of asking the doctor or nurse to flip the narrative and tell them something possible or positive. 

“Tell me what’s good,” says Hauser. “It really right-sized the moments and gave us a fuller picture.” 

In the case of the brain bleeds Zev was so young that the neural pathways may not have even formed yet. 

At two weeks, Zev was declining in health. The Hausers were given the impossible choice of taking him off the machines and having him pass in their arms or trying on last hail Mary—a steroid called Dexamethasone that came with a 95% chance he’d never walk, talk, eat, or breathe on his own. 

Again, they looked at the positive. That remaining 5% meant that someone somewhere did, and that could be their kid. The Hausers listened to their intuition and decided that no matter what, he’d have a beautiful life full of love. A life that wouldn’t be less, even if he never did any of those things. 

Today, Zev doesn’t just walk and talk. He rock climbs and skis and has meltdowns, just like many other six-year-olds. And Hauser, seemingly wired for positivity, has taken Tell Me What’s Good beyond the NICU. 

Stephanie and Ben Hauser run a nonprofit called 4those, which aims to build community for premature babies and their families. They host an annual NICU Family Day Out with a petting zoo and train. They also put on Parent Care Workshops, where a licensed family and trauma therapist helps parents and caregivers find emotional healing. Their long-term goal is to create a permanent place for all of these “impossible kids” and their families, creating a facility with programming for kids born prematurely with disabilities. 

To raise funds, Hauser does something every year to mark those 147 days in the NICU. She ran 147 miles over 48 hours, raising $50,000 and creating 147, a Documentary that’s been in several film festivals. To her, nothing feels impossible anymore, and she’s set an even bigger, more ambitious goal for 2026: 1,470 miles and $500,000. 

In addition to planning the route for that run, 4those is also working on this year’s Family Day Out on Saturday, June 14, from 9-11 am at Ascent Community Church in Louisville. They’re also bringing 147 to the Durango Independent Film Festival and have an upcoming screening at the Patagonia on Pearl Street on Thursday, March 13th, at 7 pm. 

To learn more about upcoming events and how to get involved, visit 4those.org. 

The Bias Inside Us Smithsonian Exhibit

The Boulder Jewish Community Center isn’t one thing or even one building. Built in 2016, the Boulder JCC, or the J as it’s affectionately called, is home to a 2-acre farm that donates 5,000 pounds of food annually and a cafe that partners with Boulder Bridge House/Community Table Kitchen. There are pickleball courts, a forest school, and a preschool that began 40 years ago with just five kids. There’s also extensive, low- and no-cost programming, including adult art classes and workshops, built to foster community and embody the spirit of what Jewish life can be, not what it is or was.

“We’re not a religious center,” says Jonathan Lev, executive director of the Boulder JCC. “We are a cultural and educational center, and we provide space for the community at large.”

On the front door of the 52,000-square-foot campus, there’s a sign that says, “You Are Welcome Here.” They show that commitment to the Boulder community by opening their doors to all kinds of nonprofits, government agencies, local businesses, and charitable organizations, playing host to board meetings, galas, fundraisers, conferences, ceremonies, and events for local families. They also partner with Minister Glenda Robinson and the NAACP to host an annual MLK Day Celebration.

“Around 40,000 people come into our building a year,” says Lev. “Over $5 Million was raised [here] last year. Not for the JCC, but for other nonprofit organizations who had events here.”

This year, the Boulder JCC will also be the first and only Jewish Community Center in the country to host The Smithsonian’s The Bias Inside Us. This groundbreaking traveling exhibition and community-engagement project is grounded in scientific research and teaches viewers that bias is inside everyone. It sets aside shame and shows that bias is an inherent part of being human, encouraging viewers to be more aware.

Joy Alice Eisenhauer, director of arts, culture & education at the Boulder JCC, spearheaded bringing the exhibit to Boulder and sees it as an extension of their commitment to lifelong learning and fostering a truly inclusive environment. Over 20 community partners are also helping to bring the exhibit to life, including the Rotary Club and other volunteers acting as “Docents.”

The exhibit will be on view at the JCC from February 22, 2025 - March 23, 2025, and will be completely free and open to the public whenever the JCC is open. There will be sign-ups on their website, and Eisenhauer encourages school groups, community organizations, businesses, book clubs, friends, and families to come explore and reflect. It’s appropriate for those middle school-aged and up (though all are welcome), and Lev thinks everyone who comes will find a way to relate to it.

“It connects to who we are as humans,” said Lev. “It’s impactful, striking, and informative, and it provides a new way to understand bias.”

One of the goals as the project travels the country is to support communities in having meaningful dialogue to create positive change and increase empathy and inclusivity, and there will be several events running alongside the exhibit to encourage these connections and conversations.

There will be an opening reception on February 22nd from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., and Laura Zelle, the guest project manager for The Bias Inside Us, will be there to further contextualize the exhibit.

On March 3rd, there will be a screening and panel discussion around For the Living, a film that centers on the explicit biases that have led to genocides around the world, like the Holocaust.

On March 6th, there will be a Cultural Arts Summit with the Boulder City Office of Arts and Culture, featuring a panel discussing how to bring more awareness to internal and implicit bias. There will also be a new gallery show called The Triumphant Spirit kicking off with an interview with the Director of the Golda Meir House Museum.

On March 9th, Jewish Disability Advocates will host a panel discussion on bias and ableism.

The exhibit is a solo experience, but ultimately the team at the JCC is excited for what it can mean for the collective community. They hope people walk out of the building with curiosity—and maybe a new friend.

To learn move, visit BoulderJCC.org/Bias-Inside-Us/

How BHGR Helped Protect Jasper Reservoir

High in the Indian Peaks Wilderness above Nederland and Eldora, there’s a body of water called the Jasper Reservoir. Built in 1896, it is a popular camping and fishing destination that directly feeds into the Boulder Creek watershed. During the later summer and early fall, when water levels are at their lowest, the Jasper Reservoir can release additional water to prop the stream flows back up in 37 miles of Boulder Creek—but that’s only if the reservoir’s owner agrees to operate it that way. 

Enter Megan Christensen, Peter Schaub, and the rest of the Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti team who partnered with the Colorado Water Trust and 37-Mile LLC to help broker a real estate transaction with some major restrictive covenants to ensure that the reservoir continues to benefit the environment and community for years to come.

If you’re unfamiliar with water and real estate law, covenants are a legal agreement that defines how a property can be used. It’s often said they “run with the land” because they’re tied to real property, even after it changes hands. In this case, Christensen was concerned with ensuring that the covenants run with the reservoir. 

“Here in Colorado, water rights are real property,” said Christensen, “So you can put covenants and easements on it like you would with land.”

Unlike with land, the chain of title for water can get a bit muddy, so Christensen and the rest of the team had to do some due diligence on the title, reviewing past decrees and ensuring a smooth transfer of ownership. Then, they worked with the Colorado Water Trust to put deal points and restrictions into the covenant that got recorded with the sale of the reservoir. 

This transaction all began when an anonymous donor offered to gift the Jasper Reservoir to the Colorado Water Trust. From there, Kate Ryan and her team at the Colorado Water Trust had to find a buyer willing to take on the responsibility of the reservoir. This means permanently agreeing to protect public access to the reservoir and optimizing water flow in those warmer months. 

Doug Tiefel and his aptly named 37-Mile LLC were the perfect partners. The Tiefel family are long time stewards of the land here in Colorado and can actually use the water downstream. This fall, they began releasing water from Jasper Reservoir into the Boulder Creek system as they will continue to do in perpetuity. 

CELEBRATING CHINESE NEW YEAR

WITH CREATURE COMFORTS CAFE & RISING TIGER

Jess Liu is no stranger to hosting Chinese New Year celebrations. Before opening Creature Comforts Cafe in 2023, she’d put on festive gatherings at her home in Boulder and before that at her favorite Chinese restaurants in New York. She sees food and gathering as a central element of her family, both while she was growing up and now as she raises her two boys. 

“Chinese New Year was such a special celebration for me growing up,” says Liu. “Lion dances, red packets—they were all just happy memories.”

But it wasn’t just the joy of the lion dance performances and getting red packets from elders that Liu remembers so affectionately. It was also the chance to cook all her favorite Chinese foods, like Lion’s Head meatballs (狮子头) and Mapo tofu or dofu (麻婆豆腐). 

Every year, the Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, kicking off a two-week celebration. For 2025, the emblem is the Snake, which embodies astuteness, subtlety, and metamorphosis. 

This year, Liu will host her second dinner in her cafe in partnership with Rising Tiger’s Devin Keopraphay, who is of Tai-Lao descent and runs what he calls an Asian-ish diner in Longmont, Colorado, known, in part, for their scallion pancake egg sandos. 

On Saturday, February 1st, Liu and Keopraphay will do a ticketed, multi-course feast. The tasting menu event will include foods that are typical for celebrating the new year, like noodles for longevity and fish for prosperity, and will feature unique specialty items outside of Rising Tiger’s typical fare that customers and fans can’t get anywhere else. Keopraphay will do a riff on classic flavors, bringing some favorites to life and inviting guests to explore a new take on dishes they love.

For regulars of Creature Comforts Cafe, the event will feel like a transformation of the beloved space on Pearl Street. What’s typically a brightly lit cafe, full of plants, pops of green, and Salted Honey Lattes, will make room for dining tables, candles, and plenty of ambiance—leaning more into Liu’s fine dining background. 

Creating space, especially one that can transform in this way, is very important to Liu, who’s dreamed of having her own since she was a little girl. Growing up, her family would go to a Chinese restaurant in Houston every Sunday for family dinner and also for special celebrations. It had a giant Lazy Susan for easy sharing and was foundational to her ideas around food and hospitality. 

Liu majored in East Asian Studies in college and then spent her twenties in Japan and New York. She went to patisserie school, worked in fine dining restaurants, and eventually joined a restaurant group. She moved to Boulder in 2018 and sees Creature Comforts Cafe as a full-circle moment, which is why she’s poured so much of herself into the design, menu, events, and team. 

Despite securing the lease for the space in the fall of 2021, it took Liu 408 days to get through permitting. Reflecting back on that time, she says it was a hard and painful road to opening, but the community was and continues to be incredibly supportive of her vision and business.

“I’m proud that people have found community and comfort here,” says Liu. “There’s so many places they can be, so it’s truly a gift that people decide to spend their time with us.” 

Today, Creature Comforts Cafe serves as a gathering place for friends and family, coworkers and business partners, knitting and journaling groups, and, of course, people looking to celebrate Chinese New Year.

For tickets, visit CreatureComforts.Cafe

THE DRAGONTREE SPA

CREATING COMMUNITY IN THE MODERN ERA

For Briana and Peter Borten, The Dragontree Spa isn’t just a business—it’s a living expression of their dedication to creating a community that thrives through connection and the empowerment of each person’s highest self. With their new space on Broadway, their ultimate goal was to foster an environment where people can come together in collective healing.

This journey began in an unexpected way when Briana Borten—18 years old and on her way to art school—survived a life-altering car accident that left her with a broken neck. The experience was both painful and transformative, pulling her into the present moment and revealing the fragility of life. Her stepmom arranged for her to see a massage therapist, who managed to ease her pain through energy work alone, something Borten found incredibly inspiring. That moment sparked a new vision for her life and set her on a path to help others find relief and healing as well.

Driven by this purpose, Briana studied massage and later Ayurvedic medicine, determined to provide people with holistic care. She began her career in a spa and, in a twist of fate, was told by her then-boss, “If you think you can run a spa better, go do it.” 

The words were an unintentional blessing, pushing Borten to create her own healing space. Alongside her husband and business partner, Dr. Peter Borten, Briana Borten took a leap and opened the first Dragontree Spa in Portland just two weeks after her 23rd birthday. With limited resources they began modestly, even closing doors to undecorated rooms to create a sense of fullness. Through dedication, trust, and a clear vision, their effort blossomed into a thriving wellness sanctuary. 

For the Bortens, collaboration has been the key to their success. Working side by side for over 22 years, they’ve found that clear communication and mutual appreciation of each other’s strengths keep their vision alive and evolving. In fact, they've found that their differences in approach and perspective have actually strengthened their ability to bring their shared purpose to life.

In their most recent venture, the Dragontree Sanctuary in Boulder, the Bortens brought their vision full circle. Inspired by the ancient ruins of a communal spa they visited in Spain, they designed the Dragontree Sanctuary to be a place where people can gather, reflect, and connect—not only with themselves but with each other.

Dragontree Sanctuary offers a range of holistic experiences, like massage, Shirodhara, and Ayurvedic therapies. It also has a communal steam room, dry sauna, cedar hot tub, salt room, and cold plunge. The space isn’t just about the services. It’s about the power of connection and an invitation to share space and slow down together. Briana Borten has been delighted to watch visitors forge friendships as they intuitively move through the healing options, sharing laughter and quiet moments alike.

"When we slow down, we see we have so much in common," she reflects. 

With plans to host gatherings, talks, and structured journaling events, Briana and Peter Borten envision Dragontree as more than a wellness center. They hope it becomes a beloved gathering place for Boulderites to ground themselves, connect with their true purpose, and engage in shared healing.

To learn more or book a treatment, visit TheDragontree.com

RUDI'S BAKERY

Sometimes, the answer really is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—at least, that's what Jane Miller and Justin Gold decided when Miller took back the helm of Rudi's Bakery as CEO for the second time and brought Gold on as Chief Innovation Officer. 

After his namesake company, Justin's, was acquired by Hormel in 2016, Gold stayed on for five years to ensure a smooth transition (pun very much intended). When he headed to New Zealand for a sabbatical with his family, he could not get a new take on a familiar product out of his head. 

Like many Boulderites, Gold loves to mountain bike and is always looking for a good snack for the trails. He was facing some serious energy bar fatigue and wanted to recreate a portable peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a similar nutritional envelope to those bars. 

Gold knew he'd stumbled on a solid solution to a very real problem, and ever an innovator, he got to tinkering. He quickly realized that the hard part in that equation is the bread, which is exactly what Miller and her company, Rudi's, do best. 

Back in 2014, when Miller was CEO of Rudi's for the first time, the brand was #1 in the organic category and #2 in gluten-free. When she took over once again in 2022, Miller quickly realized she was going to need a new strategy to beat out the big, new brands that had come into the marketplace. 

"What became very clear to me was the playbook I had ten years ago was not the same playbook (for today)," says Miller. 

She knew it was time to reinvigorate the almost 50-year-old brand, using its iconic bread recipes to fill white spaces in the market. She enlisted Gold's help to take the lead on the pocket sandwich concept. 

The pair met back in the early 2000s when Justin's was still in its early phases. While at Rudi's, Miller created a culture around mentorship and sharing ideas, which was not limited to within her company's walls. Miller helped Gold to scale Justin's and even partnered with them on grocery store end caps, coupons, and lunch boxes. She eventually came on as a board advisor. 

"The pupil outperformed the master," says Miller. "That's what you want….to have an influence on somebody and have them be more successful than your wildest dreams." 

The mutual respect between the two is palpable as each encourages the other to tell different parts of their now very intertwined story. According to Miller, the last few years have been the most exciting, challenging, and intellectually stimulating of her career, and Gold is finding that he's really enjoying rejoining the team and not having his name on the door and the product. Together, it feels like they're rebuilding something really special in what has always been the epicenter of the natural food industry, Boulder, CO. 

Phase one of their partnership is already out in the marketplace, and it's focused on places and products where bread really should be the hero but is sometimes the worst part. In addition to the peanut butter and fruit spread sandwiches called Sandos, they've also created a line of Rudi's Breakfast Sandwiches and Texas Toast. 

In addition to being natural and organic, many of the products have a gluten-free option, and the Sandos have a peanut-free option, making them great for school lunches. With each creation, their goal is to introduce a new generation to Rudi's and help more people eat more natural food products.

"If we're not making high quality, great products that are better for you, someone else will," says Gold.

Currently, sourdough is still their best seller, followed by Texas Toast, Sandos, and Breakfast Sandwiches, but as their footprint expands, Miller and Gold could easily see that equation flipping. As for what's next for Rudi's, they're keeping tight-lipped, but it sounds like they're going to be taking the innovation beyond the white spaces and into totally new territories.