Our luxury furniture showrooms are open to the public on select days each month. With highquality, unique, and on-trend furniture that is available to take home same-day or schedule to have delivered and a team of expert designers ready to help, you are sure to find what you’ve been searching for at one of our exciting shopping events!
SCAN THE QR TO CHECK OUT UPCOMING EVENTS IN YOUR AREA!
Multiple locations in:
GEORGIA | DALLAS | FLORIDA
For over a decade, our team of expert designers have furnished thousands of homes, TURNKEY, all over the United States. We have cornered the market with superior products, lightning-fast lead times and unparalleled customer service and expertise! Reach out and let’s discuss what we can do for YOU!
We look forward to seeing you, Kristy & JJ Ortega
Hello friends,
There are creatives all around us in Johns Creek. Artists, entrepreneurs, musicians, wordsmiths, dancers, educators, and chefs. Digging deep to find meaning, translating emotions and hopes into beauty and progress.
My brother was a professional dancer, a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company for years, later chairing the dance department at the University of Michigan. Now retired, he is a prolific painter, film producer, and poet. His penchant for color, movement and motion fill over-sized canvases, expressions of his desire (need?) to create. This drive runs deep. I admire his talent, yes. But also his level of productivity while he also perfects the art of napping. I urge him to work on the latter more often in his retirement. I adore him.
This issue features artists and makers among us who are rejoicing and reclaiming. Sharing their raw emotions, perhaps hoping we feel what they feel.
Enjoy this issue and keep your eyes open. Wide.
All my best,
SUE G. COLLINS, EDITOR @JOHNSCREEKCITYLIFESTYLE/
February 2025
PUBLISHER
Jim Newman | jnewman@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Sue G. Collins | scollins@citylifestyle.com
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
Karyn Slovin | karyn.slovin@citylifestyle.com
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Karla Wilkinson | Karla.Wilkinson@citylifestyle.com
COPY EDITOR
Summer J. Robinson | summerjrobinson2@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Laura J. McDonald
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT Erika Smiley
AD DESIGNER Zach Miller
LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Brandy Thomas Learn
Proverbs 3:5-6
city scene
1: Johanna of Amico Cafe, prepares a special dessert hot cocoa for a guest. 2: Mimi Aylai shows off some of their new displays at the beautiful Atlanta Flooring Studio. 3: Mary Estep, of The Regan Maki Team, with the kids at their annual Cookies with Santa.
business monthly
A ROUNDUP OF NEWS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES
Arts Honored
The Arts Center – Johns Creek, was one of the recipients of the 2024 Governor's Awards for the Arts and Humanities. This award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the arts and humanities across the state. The Governor's Awards is a program of Georgia Humanities and Georgia Council for the Arts in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Office of the Governor.
TVFest is Here
For more than a decade, SCAD TVfest has spotlighted the latest in design, creativity, and innovation on television, streaming, and digital media. International audiences enjoy inside looks at the best content airing today and explore the latest trends in broadcast, streaming, cable, web, social media, and advertising. 2024 honorees included: Kelsey Grammer, George Lopez, Matt Bomer, Sonequa Martin-Green, Charlotte Stoudt, Ken Watanabe, and many more.
Women in Charge
For our May issue, we're featuring women in Johns Creek who are working OT to make the community stronger. If you know a woman business owner, volunteer, scout leader, teacher or coach who we should honor, send the editor a note at SCollins@CityLifestyle.com by February 20. Tell us the woman's name, role in your life, and how she is making a difference. Please include a contact number or email for your nominee so we can reach out.
PERFECTLY PLEASING PETALS
Blossom and Vine offers Valentine's inspo
ARTICLE BY SUE G. COLLINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA J. MCDONALD
Shopping at Blossom and Vine is like visiting a special friend. The bright boutique is welcoming, warm, and inspiring. The exposed brick, sparkling chandeliers, and curvy wood cabinets provide a lovely stage for the home goods, live plants, and fresh flowers, all carefully curated by owner Amy Rider and her team.
Amy has always loved flowers and enjoyed arranging them to share with friends. She wanted to open a flower shop that would feel like a small get-a-way each time you enter the store. “A place to relax and enjoy the moment…a place to learn and spark creativity,” she says. We caught up with Amy as she was catching her breath after a busy holiday and New Year’s season.
CITY LIFESTYLE: WE LOVE RED ROSES FOR VALENTINE’S DAY, BUT LOVE THIS ARRANGEMENT EVEN MORE, WITH THE ANEMONES AND VARIETY OF GREENS. FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT SOMETHING OTHER THAN TRADITIONAL ROSES, WHAT FLOWERS ARE FRESH AND WONDERFUL ALTERNATIVES?
Amy Rider: We specialize in an airy, garden-style floristry. While we are happy to arrange a dozen or more roses, we enjoy mixing various blooms that feel like they have been gathered from a summer garden. Lisianthus, stock, anemone, ranunculus, tulips, Queen Anne’s lace, and astrantia are some of our favorites. Drawing from a variety of blossoms in a red and pink palette can create a beautiful Valentine’s bouquet.
2.
1.
3.
CL: TELL US ABOUT YOUR TEAM OF MAGIC-MAKERS AT BLOSSOM AND VINE.
AR: Drew Anthony is our assistant manager and also a very talented floral designer. Kelly Wright is a floral designer with 30 years of experience who has been an invaluable resource as we prepared to open Blossom & Vine. Kathy Schieltz, Jana Mock, and Elena Liutikova are a part of our floral design team. Our team is rounded out with Tara Thompson, who helps us with inventory management and Laura McDonald, our photographer.
CL: FLOWERS AREN’T JUST FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. WHAT BUDS, GREENS, AND BLOOMS ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR 2025’S MOST GLORIOUS ARRANGEMENTS?
AR: I’m excited about the variety of blooms that we will be able to utilize over the course of the next year. While we will continue to incorporate many of our favorites (spray roses, Queen Anne’s lace, larkspur, Bells of Ireland, etc.) we look forward to working with some of our Georgia growers to feature flowers grown right here in our state such as dahlias, poppies, hellebores, and zinnias.
Look for classes at Blossom and Vine, from basic to advanced floral arrangements, seasonal wreath making, pressed flower art, terrarium building, and botanical drawing and painting.
BlossomAndVineJC.com 770.694.2206
5950 State Bridge Rd Suite 100 Johns Creek
1. -This $60 arrangement features white spray roses, a red rose, dark pink veronica, pepper grass, pink Astrantia, red hypericum berries, white stock, and a variety of greens in a simple glass vase.
2. This $150 arrangement is composed in a large pale pink fluted vase and features red and pink roses, pink anemone, silver dollar and seeded eucalyptus, pale pink Queen Anne’s lace, pink Astrantia, white veronica, and striking bells of Ireland.
3 This $125 arrangement features a dozen red roses, silver dollar and seeded eucalyptus, and pepper grass arranged in a stunning cut glass vase.
NEW YEAR, NEW GOALS
Start
Restorative
Dental
ClearCorrect
Sedation
Emergency Dentistry
Joan's World
ARTICLE BY SUE G. COLLINS
When Joan Zell retired from her career in the medical field, she found herself ready to flex her creative muscle. She and her husband moved to Johns Creek to be closer to family and she is now a fixture at the The Art Center of Johns Creek where she teaches Fundamentals of Painting to beginners and intermediate students.
“The Art Center has been a cornerstone for me, as I immediately joined and started taking art classes after moving to Johns Creek. I branched out and found an art mentor who I have been studying with for five years. I have learned so much that I have been able to return to The Art Center of Johns Creek and teach,” says Joan. “I love what I do and now I can share that knowledge and excitement with others.”
Joan is primarily an oil painter who loves impressionistic, abstract, and representational styles of painting.
In 2015, she suffered an eye condition that was fortunately treated quickly, but resulted in mild optic nerve damage in one eye. “I started to paint mainly as a form of therapy, to stimulate my visual senses by putting a greater demand on my brain, so that I can preserve or hopefully improve the vision I had,” she notes. “What I realized was that I was not only helping my vision but also I was developing a passion that would be life long, and thus began the educational adventure of discovering what painting was all about.”
You can see one of her pieces, Daffodil Daze, hanging in Johns Creek City Hall.
JoanZell.com ItsTheArtCenter.org
“ I have learned so much that I have been able to return to The Art Center of Johns Creek and teach.”
SOULFUL AND SOPHISTICATED
ARTICLE BY SUE G. COLLINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY FIRELITE STUDIOS
CREATION SOCIAL HOUSE LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT WITH MUSIC, FOOD, AND BEAUTIFUL DRINKS.
Ceren and Nesibe serve these pretty drinks, among many others
Creation Social House is a family-owned and operated bar and restaurant serving new Mediterranean cuisines with special deals on food and drinks on weekdays, as well as live entertainment. This Mediterranean restaurant with a Turkish twist is full of soul.
The general manager, Vikram Arroju, shares his team’s favorite dishes like the Lamb/Chicken Adana Kebabs, Chef 01 Steak Kebab, Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza), Beef liver fry, Grilled Wings, Lamb Chops, and Falafel.
They also offer entertainment and private events and parties. Thursday nights are karaoke with Michelle from Band X (Atlanta’s favorite party band). Weekends (Friday and Saturday) feature DJ disco nights with DJ Larryon, and be on the lookout for international nights (Latino, Bulgarian, Balkan, Turkish and more).
-
“One of our house DJ’s - VJ and DJ Jim Edwards - to our best knowledge is the only one of his kind in town to do both VJ and DJ,” says Vikram. “We also offer concerts, bands, and international pop stars to keep the energy high.”
CreationSocialhouse.com 11500 Webb Bridge Way suite A7, Alpharetta
From left are Ceren (bartender and server), Firat Ozay (Head Chef), Iulianna (server), Yesseniya (bartender and server), Illarion (Dj Larryon
our house DJ), Mujdat (Sous Chef), Nesibe (server), Vikram Arroju (GM) Not pictured is Tejaswi Indroj, manager of IT/Technology/Social Media.
We asked the bartenders at Creation Social House to share their prettiest drinks for Valentine's Day.
SMALL CHANGES BIG RESULTS
Our foods are freshly made using thoughtfully sourced ingredients of the highest quality, packed with vitamins and easily digestible proteins. Pet Wants formulas are designed for all stages of life from puppy to adult. All of our products, especially our formulas, are geared toward healing your dogs and cats from within, so they can lead healthier, happier lives.
Located in Camden Village 3719 Old Alabama Road
PET WANTS JOHNS CREEK
All-Inclusive: Mountain Style
ARTICLE BY SUE G. COLLINS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUE G. COLLINS & KEEN EYE
SNOWBIRD MOUNTAIN LODGE
On a small wood plaque across from a shelf of hiking books near the lobby, you’ll find a list of the types of wood used for the wall paneling and furniture for each of Snowbird Mountain Lodge’s 22 original rooms. Room One has wormy chestnut wall paneling and wild cherry furniture. In Room Three, it’s basswood and birch. Room 19 is a classic, with maple walls and furniture, while down the hall in Room 16, the paneling is silverbell, a flowering tree native to North Carolina whose soft and closegrained wood makes lovely cabinets and paneling.
Most of the rich wood used for the lodge’s interiors was harvested on the property before its original construction. Designed by the Asheville architect Ronald Greene, the Snowbird Mountain Lodge was originally constructed in 1941 for brothers.
Now, the all-inclusive retreat on 100 acres in Robbinsville includes charming rooms in the Main Lodge, Chestnut Lodge, and Wolfe Cottage. Hot breakfasts and gourmet dinners in the dining room are prepared and served by personable staff and lunches are packed in backpacks or brown bags for guests to grab for a hike, paddle, or porch.
During our stay, dinners were a four-course affair, starring local produce and proteins thoughtfully prepared, often surprising us with finesse and depth of flavor. Delightful!
Lake Santeetlah is a short drive away and Snowbird offers canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards for guests. There are trails galore on the land that surrounds Snowbird Mountain Lodge. As one of the last areas in the east to be settled, its rich biodiversity is evident in the species that flourish within it—among them over 1,400 flowering plants, 20 snakes, 52 mammals, and more than 200 birds.
Curious about that Wood Thrush you spied from the sprawling porch or the difference between azaleas, mountain laurels, and rhododendrons you admired on your hike? The living room of the historic lodge is lined with bookshelves, a tidy library of reference books, fiction, photography, history, and biographies. Deep leather sofas and comfortable armchairs are thoughtfully lit to encourage reading and conversation. Telescopes and rocking chairs stand at the ready for investigation and relaxation.
SnowbirdLodge.com
828.479.3433
Scott Dean leads hikes, recounting the history and natural features of the land.
HEARTS AND HARMONY
ARTICLE BY JOHNS CREEK CITY LIFESTYLE STAFF
To commemorate a remarkable season fueled by their vibrant regional community, the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra will host its fourth annual Hearts and Harmony Gala on February 21 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek.
In one elegant evening, the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra will celebrate its 18th concert season with music, cocktails, dinner, dancing, raffles, and a benefit auction. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra -- helping to fund future concerts, educational performances, and more.
“We were thrilled how the community continues to come together to enable the orchestra to expand our educational outreach, work with more nationally recognized artists, and deliver the best concert experience to Atlanta’s northeastern metro,” says Marilyn Margolis, former CEO of Emory Johns Creek Hospital and Chair of the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra Board’s Fundraising Committee. “The Hearts and Harmony Gala is a spectacular event in Johns Creek where you can have an elegant evening out while doing good for the community.”
ABOUT JOHNS CREEK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, founded by Director J. Wayne Baughman, provides world-class musical enrichment for the community of Johns Creek through concert series performances, as well as additional educational programs and special events each year.
JohnsCreekSymphony.org
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY 1ST
Lunar New Year
Atlanta Athletic Club fields | 4:00 PM
Celebrate Lunar New Year with Taste of Asia and cultural performances. The City of Johns Creek’s Lunar New Year celebration is a family-friendly event that embraces cultural diversity in our community. Commonly known as the Spring Festival in East Asia, Lunar New Year commemorates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.
FEBRUARY 1ST
Puzzle Race and Swap
Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library | 11:00 AM
Celebrate Valentine's Day early with our puzzle race and swap. Register your team today for a 500-piece puzzle race! Only one team member needs to register. Please do not register if you cannot attend on Sat., February 1, 2025. We will also have a puzzle swap. Bring some puzzles and take that number or fewer home with you.
FEBRUARY 13TH
Live2Lead
Yifan Restaurant & Event Center | 6:00 PM
Find help growing your potential and elevating your leadership. Learn from five world-class speakers, network with like-minded individuals, and explore innovative ways to elevate your leadership skills to the next level. This video replay event provides 2.5 hours of inspiration, motivation, and encouragement. Live2Lead is celebrating 11 years of enlightening and uplifting individuals and teams. JohnsCreekChamber.com
As a board-certified and fellowship-trained oculoplastic surgeon, Dr. Julia Kang is highly specialized in plastic surgery of the eyelids. As a true eyelid specialist, Dr. Kang is an expert in her field regarding any type of eyelid concern, both cosmetic and medical. Dr. Kang is also an expert injector in Botox and fillers and aims for only the most natural appearing results, believing in a ‘less is more” approach.
CONTINUED
FEBRUARY 21ST
2025 Hearts and Harmony Gala
Atlanta Athletic Club | 7:00 PM
Celebrating the 18th Anniversary Season milestone, this spectacular evening will feature music by JCSO musicians, fine food and champagne, raffles, and a benefit auction led by auctioneer Dean Crownover. All proceeds will benefit Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra. 100% of the money raised goes directly to Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra to support concerts, educational programs, and more.
FEBRUARY 22ND
Edible Plant Hike
Smithgall Woods State Park - Helen | 10:00 AM
Take a hike! Join Tom Hennigan, retired professor from Truett McConnell University, on an educational hike of all things edible plants. See what can be found, even in February, how to identify it, and how it can be used. Hike on Martins Mine Trail, a moderate .9 mile trail. $5 parking. 706.878.3087
FEBRUARY 27TH
Women's Networking Connection
Clean Eatz Johns Creek | 9:00 AM
The Women's Networking Connection is a great platform for women in business to come together to build strong connections with other business women. Whether you own, run, or have a women targeted business, you'll enjoy great networking, great referrals, and great conversations!
Illuminated Shades
H i g h - q u a l i t y c a r e
w i t h h o m e t o w n h e a r t
Emory Johns Creek Hospital is committed to our community.
We’ve added two floors to the hospital, three floors to the Physicians Plaza and a parking deck, all to better serve you and your family. The new areas provide physicians, nurses and our care teams an interdisciplinary space to focus on family-centered care and ongoing wellness, supporting you with the unparalleled service and knowledgeable professionals you’ve come to expect.
No matter your health needs – from routine to advanced – we’re here to help you make your health a priority.
