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Think spring, new beginnings — and weddings
We had a wonderful opportunity last fall to attend our first destination wedding. Better yet, it was at one of our favorite places — Disney World!
The bride was Mateja Kalajian-Murphy, a 2011 Grosse Pointe South High graduate and daughter of Drema Kalajian, a lifelong Grosse Pointer. We got to know the Kalajian family when we bought our Grosse Pointe Woods house across the street from Mateja’s grandmother and Drema’s mother, Rosetta.
When we first moved into the neighborhood, Rosetta brought over her famous homemade chocolate cake and became a good neighbor and friend. I helped Rosetta take out the trash and fix things around the house. Unfortunately, Rosetta and her husband, Palmer, have both passed away, but we have enjoyed keeping a friendship with Drema and her daughters.
Mateja is an accomplished violinist. She is a graduate of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in violin performance. She also earned a master’s degree in violin performance from Florida International University. She frequently performs with orchestras such as Orchestra Delray, Symphony of the Americas and the South Florida Symphony and has performed in two concerts with The Who. Mateja is also an actress, having been in many films and TV shows, including HBO’s Ballers, The Last Thing He Wanted, a featured extra for Waves, The Baker and the Beauty, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Right Stuff, as a college student in Diego Balasquide’s film Murder U, and the lead role as Claire Banks in Courtney Lynn Wakefield’s film, Opia.
Mateja describes herself as a “type A.” She no doubt takes after her mother, Drema, probably one of the strongest and most independent women I’ve ever met. She retired as a corporate attorney and now shares her time between Grosse Pointe and southern Florida near the newlyweds, Ryan and Mateja.
Thank you, Mateja, Ryan and Drema for letting us share in a truly magical destination wedding!
As always, we ask Pointers to patronize the many Grosse Pointe businesses, advertisers and institutions that make Pointe Magazine possible and living, working and recreating here so lovely.
John Minnis
Publisher
Spring is a fitting time to start something new. That is probably why the March-April focus on weddings and creativity feels timely. This issue also sees the introduction of two new writers, a new column and a new perspective on longtime column.
First, I want to welcome Nicole Dula and Kristy Sharrow to Pointe Magazine.
Nicole lives in Grosse Pointe Park with her husband and two daughters and was a popular food blogger before retiring the blog. In fact, she was invited to cook and dine with Wolfgang Puck. When I asked her to write for us, she came prepared with several ideas. The one that stuck and that kicks off her column is ‘On the Beaten Path,’ a love letter to Grosse Pointe’s culinary favorites — perhaps not the newest and most shared on Instagram, but the ones that have become woven into the fabric of the area. Little Tony’s, Wan Kow, SideStreet Diner, Bogart’z, you know what I’m talking about. I trust you’ll enjoy Nicole’s voice and perspective as much as I do. To better introduce her, I asked Nicole to be our Pointe Person this issue. Read more about her on page 10 and enjoy her first column on page 38.
Kristy Sharrow has an impressive history in journalism, including bylines in TIME, People and Fortune. For a decade she worked as a marketing executive before starting her own marketing business this year. Today, she lives in Grosse Pointe Woods with her husband and two sons, loves creative projects and reading nonfiction books. We look forward to publishing more of Kristy’s features like the one on page 60.
Ted Everingham’s Great Lakes Log sees a perspective shift in this issue. After writing about similar subjects for years, Ted approached me about refreshing his column. Though speaking about himself doesn’t come naturally, he has accepted the challenge to spend this year writing personal sailing stories, a true captain’s log. His first, on page 80, is about his wife, Marcia, a sailing titan in her own right. I so look forward to his stories to come.
We are also making a concerted effort to regularly feature artists like Katie Ninivaggi on page 70. ‘The Artist’s Life’ is the series and the list is already a mile long of deserving artists in the Pointes.
I am endlessly grateful to our contributors, advertisers and readers. Here is to a season of creating together.
Lauren McGregor
Editor
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