May 2013
The spring/summer issue of Carmel Magazine includes my features on the newly renovated Quail Lodge, several century-old Carmel businesses and recent facility upgrades at the SPCA for Monterey County.
April 2013
This month, a grant application I wrote for the all-volunteer fire department in Ossian, Iowa, earned $4,500 for the construction of a new station. My April highlights also included trips to Thailand and Virginia, and I wrapped up a number of summer magazine features and copywriting projects.
March 2013
My feature on the couple behind McCollum Orchards, and their role in the Niagara region’s rich food scene, ran in American’s in-flight magazine this month. American Way also published my stories on the networking group YoPro Global and Salon97, a San Francisco nonprofit that shows how cool classical music can be. I profiled Frontier Natural Products Co-op for the spring issue of Edible Iowa River Valley and completed projects for several travel and hospitality clients, as well. And, this month I spent a few days in Monterey after a great spring training baseball trip to Scottsdale.
February 2013I interviewed comedian Martin Short for the latest Carmel Magazine, and penned pieces on the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District's 40th anniversary, a Pacific Grove wildflower show preparing for its 52nd presentation and other area news. The February 15 issue of American Way includes my stories on new portion control plates by Slim and Sage and caviar vending machines making their way to Los Angeles-area shopping centers.
January 2013
After returning from Iowa and then spending some time in Monterey and Big Sur, it was back to San Francisco to work on copywriting projects for clients in the U.S. and Germany. I also wrapped up several magazine articles scheduled to run this spring.
December 2012
This month, American Way ran my roundup of four of the country’s coolest fashion trucks, along with articles on Timbuk2’s new Power Series bags and lightweight Skora running shoes. I featured Cedar Rapids’ NewBo City Market for Edible Iowa River Valley, and I’ve also signed to do some restaurant writing as a local editor for Zagat.com.
November 2012
Happy to share three new American Way clips this month – check out my stories about the Iowa Opera House Project, Uniqlo's American expansion and the reissue of a Maurice Sendak-illustrated version of Nutcracker. For Carmel Magazine, I profiled a Monterey-area nonprofit that rebuilds computers for low-income families and also covered several other local businesses and events.
October 2012
For the two October issues of American Way, I covered the new Basecamp Hotel, a cool, creative inn on Lake Tahoe, and the 20th annual Partners Card, a discount card that benefits domestic violence prevention programs. On the copywriting side, I’ve been working on a few end-of-year reports and getting started on several projects due out in 2013. And, while October was a great time to be in San Francisco (a Giants World Series sweep!!), I was also lucky enough to enjoy a week on Kauai and a quick trip to Dallas.
September 2012
This month, American Way published five of my stories – including a full-page feature on Martha's Vineyard and a spotlight of Urban Darling's virtual styling services, plus articles on the Le Mieux skincare line, CanaryHop's tour database and One Million Lights, a nonprofit that distributes handheld solar lamps to families in need. I was also a proud contributor to the 25th issue of Edible Iowa River Valley, with a piece on the Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation funds this innovative program in nine regions nationwide (Iowa's is the only initiative in a rural area), aiming to develop local food systems and create new options for physical activity.
The past month has been a busy one for travel, too. At the end of August, I checked out Little Man Ice Cream, Dry Dock Brewing and Dad & Dudes Breweria in Denver. September opened with a first-time trip to Japan; the architecture, parks, shrines and markets made Tokyo a fascinating city to explore. Later in the month, I attended the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference in Monterey. Representatives from more than 30 countries introduced their tours and destinations, and shared tips for building sustainable tourism businesses.
August 2012
Happy August, and thanks for stopping by! This summer, I've been busy writing, traveling through Iowa and, most importantly, making changes to this website. My new monthly updates will include links to my latest articles, along with briefs on notable projects, interviews, adventures and other writing-related items of interest.
Back in May, I talked with fashion great Donna Karan when she previewed her fall 2012 collection here in San Francisco. My resulting story on the Urban Zen Foundation, Karan's impressive nonprofit, ran in American Way's August 1 issue. The in-flight magazine also published my pieces on the G-Pod garden lounger, the Ciel Spa in Beverly Hills and the social media-friendly Cookoo Watch. This month, I debuted in East Bay Bridal (and its Peninsula and South Bay editions) with an article on non-traditional bridal registries. And, the latest Carmel Magazine includes several of my stories – including a look at the 10th year of The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, a profile of Peter B's brewer Kevin Clark and a preview of the International Guild of Realism's upcoming Carmel exhibition.
I've also been working on some fun consumer health articles, a few newsletter projects and a press kit for a travel company celebrating 40 years of service. Check back next month, too – I'll be sharing several new food and travel features due out in the coming weeks!
July 2012
The July 15 American Way includes Renee's spotlight of the Slow Food Cycle in Pemberton, British Columbia, and a piece on GoVoluntouring.com, a website that matches travelers with volunteer opportunities worldwide. She also covered recent Architecture for Humanity and Special Olympics Northern California fundraising events for HauteLiving.com.
June 2012
For the June 1 issue of American Way, Renee targeted athletes with a roundup of new lightweight running shoes and an introduction to the Vapur Element water bottle. She also talked to Ember Schrag about the Hotel Winneshiek's new cocktail program for Edible Iowa River Valley, and covered this year's Local Heroes winners for Edible Monterey Bay.
May 2012
Renee's latest for American Way is a brief on Calgary's Hotel Arts. For the May issue of Carmel Magazine, her stories include a feature on the volunteer program at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and a profile of auto event organizer Gordon McCall.
April 2012
Renee wrote about a new Anthony Bourdain travel app based on his hit show, "The Layover," for the April 15 issue of American Way. She also previewed a Veronica Beard fall collection event and covered judging changes at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for HauteLiving.com.
March 2012
The spring 2012 Edible Iowa River Valley includes Renee's feature on Annie's Gardens & Greens, a pioneering CSA and greenhouse business in northeast Iowa. She also wrote about places to visit in Pella, Iowa, for the spring issue of Inspire(d) Magazine, and previewed a Tory Burch event and the Soolip Wedding bridal fair for HauteLiving.com. In addition, Renee covered several San Francisco Beer Week events for TheBeerGeek.com.
Februrary 2012
Renee interviewed performer Rita Rudner for the winter 2012 issue of Carmel Magazine. She also wrote about new health programs offered through Monterey's Prima Heart and profiled artists working in Arts Habitat's new studio collectives.
December 2011
Renee's feature on new central California coast breweries ran in the winter 2011 issue of Edible Monterey Bay. For Edible Iowa River Valley, she talked with Fred Scott, founder of Locally Grown Clothing Company, and covered efforts to connect consumers with local foods through the Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan.