Elkhorn, NE February 2025 by City Lifestyle

ARTS + CULTURE

NEBRASKA BESTSELLING AUTHOR TOSCA LEE

FOOD + BEVERAGE

CANDY SCIENTIST TESSA

PORTER'S SWEET DREAM

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

BRANDING YOURSELF WITH PHOTOGRAPHER

CARA BRESETTE-YATES

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For The Love of All Things Local

This month, we celebrate all the things we love... Our family, friends, our community, kids, pets and neighbors. But... the season of romance doesn't have to only be about that. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, we hope the pages of this month’s magazine help you do just that as we highlight what’s to love in your local community.

February is our "Love Local" issue, and we're highlighting some of the unique and amazing businesses and people changing the face of our community through their inspiring work. We bring you the sweet story of local candy lab, Sprinkk, and share the delicious things they're doing in the community. Read about local brand photographer Cara Bresette-Yates and her approach to helping brands build their unique identity. And finally, Nebraska native and New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee on her most recent novel, "The Long March Home" — the recent selection winner of Nebraska Center for the Book's 2025 One Book One Nebraska!

While we teeter between the chill of January winter and the excitement of spring, we hope you’ll be inspired to take a moment to come together with the people in your life. The ones in your home and on your street. In your neighborhood and your community.

We’ve always believed what we can do together is so much more than what we can do apart. And we continue to see that demonstrated through the many stories told in these pages month after month.

Thanks for letting us be a part of the life you’re building, whatever that may look like. Our hope is that we inspire you to love it just a bit more than you did before.

Happy February!

STEPHANIE LEWIS, PUBLISHER @ELKHORNCITYLIFESTYLE

February 2025

PUBLISHER

Stephanie Lewis stephanie.m.lewis@citylifestyle.com

PUBLICATION DIRECTOR

Chelsey Juarez

chelsey.juarez@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Melissa Minassian melissa.minassian@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Nichole Peringer nichole.peringer@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Melissa Minassian, Stephanie Lewis, Katy Spratte-Joyce, Anna Barnes

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ana Iwanski, Anna Barnes, Cara Bresette-Yates, Hooton Images, Jennifer Studanski, Kirstie Veatch

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 Mary Albers

LAYOUT DESIGNER Lillian Gibbs

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler

Tosca Lee

Nebraska

Meet Cara Bresette-Yates

Brand

1: Balloons rain on event goers at The Durham Museum's annual "Noon Years Eve" community celebration. 2: Skaters of all ages enjoy complimentary outdoor ice skating, part of Heartwood Preserve's "Winterland" festivities. 3: Heartwood Preserve beautifully lit for their "Winterland" celebration, featuring fun holiday events November to January.

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Rocky’s Stone & Design Relocates to West Omaha

Rocky’s Stone & Design, a leading landscaping supply store specializing in natural stone for hardscape projects, has relocated from their original stone yard along West Maple Road to a new location at 5240 South 192nd Street in Omaha. The new yard is open to the public as well as to contractors.

LOCAL LIMELIGHT: Tosca Lee

NEBRASKA BESTSELLING AUTHOR'S NOVEL, "THE LONG MARCH HOME," SELECTED AS 2025 ONE BOOK ONE NEBRASKA

ARTICLE BY MELISSA MINASSIAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER STUDANSKI

Lauded a master storyteller, “the queen of psychological twists,” and “one of the most gifted novelists writing today,” bestselling author Tosca Lee has enjoyed a storied career.

Celebrated for her immersive world building and realistic character creation, she’s tackled many a historical figure, expertly bringing each to life in her signature addictive fashion. The Creation story through the eyes of the first woman with “Havah: The Story of Eve.” Judas’ perspective of the life and times of Jesus through “Iscariot.” And “The Legend of Sheba,” chronicling the Queen of Sheba’s rise to power and explosive encounter with King Solomon.

Lee is known for her dedication to meticulous research (often spanning years), and is admittedly obsessive about getting the details just right. Her fans seem to approve as her 12 novels have merited multiple awards, rave reviews, and placements on reputable bestseller lists for The New York Times , Publishers Weekly, Library Journal , and Goodreads.

Her more recent works, “The Progeny” and sequel “Firstborn,” a grand, globetrotting adventure based on legends of Elizabeth Báthory, “the most notorious female serial killer of all time,” and apocalyptic, dystopian thrillers “The Line Between” and sequel “A Single Light,” garnered Hollywood attention, landing her development deals for television — most notably, one with American actor and filmmaker Ed Burns’ Marlboro Road Gang Productions.

Given the themes and characters she’s chosen to write about, Lee is no stranger to a challenge, nor tackling hard topics. Though it didn’t make the five years spent researching and writing her most recent novel, a riveting World War II account of three prisoners of war titled “The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific,” any easier.

Co-authored with New York Times bestselling author Marcus Brotherton, “The Long March Home,” tells the coming-of-age tale of three friends as they journey to the Philippines as young American soldiers, experience war, and fight to survive the largest surrender of American troops in history, consequently stranding them as prisoners of war and forcing them to endure the Bataan Death March — now understood to be one of the worst atrocities known in modern warfare.

Said Lee, “I read every single survivor account I could get my hands on. Of course, I read books and watched documentaries, but the survivor accounts were the most harrowing and inspiring. The most surprising thing from my research is that anybody could survive any of this stuff. Those who survived the war were cut to half rations and then quarter rations. They had malaria and dysentery. And then to survive the surrender, which was the largest American surrender in history, and the 60-mile Bataan Death March in six days where you’re not allowed to stop for food or water, to use the bathroom or relieve yourself, to help anybody, or else there would be deadly consequences. And then, if you survive that, it’s just the beginning of almost four years of POW life. The fact that anybody survived is a testament to the power of faith, the power of brotherhood, the power of hope, and the power of friendship, because those who survived often did so with the help of friends. For many people, that made the difference whether they made it or not.”

“The Long March Home” was awarded an International Book Award for Historical Fiction, was a finalist for a Hemingway Award, and most recently, was selected as the winning title for 2025 One Book One Nebraska. The accolade felt especially significant to Lee as she is not only a bestselling, world-crafting phenom, but also a Nebraska native, penning much of her work from a Fremont farm where she happily resides with her husband, aptly known to fans as “Farmer Bryan,” her children, and sweet 160-pound pooch, Timber (now officially Insta-famous after her many social media posts with him).

“I’m really proud to be a Nebraska author. I have very deep Nebraska ties. My mother’s a native Nebraskan. My great-greatgreat grandma came to Nebraska as a woman homesteader — a widow with four children! My dad taught at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln for 40 years, and I grew up in Lincoln and married a Nebraska farmer,” explained Lee. “Nebraska has such a rich literary tradition — a fact many people don’t know. Our state capital has busts of well-known writers. It’s a big part of our history and our heritage.”

In honor of her home state, Lee often includes Nebraskathemed Easter eggs in her novels. In “The Long March Home,” the main characters happen across a Nebraska soldier named Buggy — an ode to the University of Nebraska’s original team name, the Bugeaters, before being renamed the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the early 1900s.

Sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission, One Book One Nebraska is a reading program missioned with encouraging Nebraskans to read and discuss literature. Books written by Nebraska authors or having a Nebraska theme or setting are nominated, one book is selected, and libraries across Nebraska then plan events, discussions, and activities around it. Lee was excited to hear the “The Long March Home” was selected as it’s so rich with stories and themes worth sharing, considering, and discussing.

“My co-author Marcus and I are really grateful to have this book chosen as the 2025 One Book One Nebraska because our goal all along has been to tell this part of World War II history that is so often underrepresented. We hear so much about what happened in the European theater, but often not a lot about what happened in the Pacific. So our goal has been to shine a light on the heroes of the Pacific,” said Lee. “Every single thing that happened to the three main characters in this book happened to somebody. So these characters are fictional, but it’s all inspired by true stories and everything that happens to them is real.”

Released May 2023, the novel has deeply resonated with readers. As many World War II veterans refused or simply couldn’t speak of their traumas from war, many children and grandchildren have praised the novel for helping them better understand what their family member went through, while others have shared newfound gratitude for their freedom after reading about the sacrifices made by World War II soldiers.

“I’m really proud to be a Nebraska author. Nebraska has such a rich literary tradition. It’s a big part of our history and our heritage.”

“I feel like my most important job as a novelist is to transport people and help them escape, even if they’re escaping into a situation where there’s tough stuff going on. People need escapes. Whether they’re going through something tough or just need the mental break, people need to leave this world sometimes,” shared Lee. “The job of a writer is to observe and translate things in ways that help people experience it and then make sense of experiences of their own. So, it was really important for Marcus and I to bring this history alive in an immersive, real way. This book seats readers right in the main characters’ shoes — in the forefront of their experiences — so history becomes more real.”

For information on Lee’s novels, appearances, or events, visit toscalee.com . Readers can also find fun extras on her website, like discussion guides and the cut epilogue for “The Long March Home.”

MARCUS BROTHERTON

“The Long March Home” co-author Marcus Brotherton is a New York Times bestselling author and co-author dedicated to writing books that inspire heroics, promote empathy, and encourage noble living. His most recent nonfiction book, “A Bright and Blinding Sun,” detailed World War II in the Pacific and was acclaimed as “storytelling at its best” by Heather Morris, internationally bestselling author of “The Tattooist of Auschwitz.” For more on Brotherton, visit marcusbrotherton.com .

CASH FOR FASHION

Meet Cara

ARTICLE

STEPHANIE LEWIS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRSTIE VEATCH, ANA IWANSKI AND CARA BRESETTE-YATES

Brand Photographer and AllAround Business Cheerleader

Bresette-Yates

Behind the lens of many of Elkhorn City Lifestyle photo shoots sits Cara BresetteYates: Wife, mom, photographer, and all-around cheerleader for brands looking to grow and develop their identity and own the space they’re in. We sat down with Bresette-Yates to discuss her love for photography and learn what drives her thriving business.

Settled into our interview with a chai tea and her camera in tow, it’s easy to see the passion she has for the brands she works with. Her interest in photography

started young, as she found herself behind the camera photographing for her 4-H club in elementary school. Her eye for design eventually led her to pursue a graphic design degree before stepping into the corporate world for a time.

“I was working in corporate America and unfortunately, I could tell the company I was working for was preparing to close its doors. My husband had gotten me a DSLR camera. I started dabbling in family photography and then weddings, and it snowballed for me,” said Bresette-Yates. There was a span of time where she certainly felt like she was trying to do it all. On top of parenting her young children, she was working at her job in corporate America, while also trying to start a freelance graphic design business, and working to get a photography portfolio built.

Bresette-Yates credits her amazing work ethic to her late father. As the owner of a construction company, he often worked multiple side projects with various deadlines and commitments. It was he who instilled in Bresette-Yates, at a young age, the idea that she could have whatever she wanted. She just had to be willing to work for it.

“He taught us, my brother and me, to keep our word when making commitments. I credit my work ethic to him and often hear his voice in my ear when I stay up late editing to deliver to a client on time,” Bresette-Yates said.

But her father also knew balance was important. And he knew family was important. BresetteYates recalls Sundays spent with her father, as that was always a sacred day, set aside for family — a practice she now tries to implement with her own family.

While she still “does it all,” she has scaled back her family and wedding work as her love for brands has truly been what catapulted her business forward. Bresette-Yates has built a system within CB Yates Photo for helping brands, both small and large, figure out who they want to be, and the story they want to tell.

“I WANT TO MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO CONFIDENTLY SHOW UP IN THEIR BUSINESS AND GIVE THEM IMAGES THEY ARE EXCITED TO SHARE. THE BEST THING IS WHEN PEOPLE REACH OUT AFTER A SHOOT AND TELL ME I’VE HELPED THEM ELEVATE THEIR BRAND.”

CB Yates Photo brand client Brittney Heyden of Renovare Heath

“I do it all because I love it all. But the brand side of photography has become what I’m most passionate about,” she explained. “Often times brands come to me, especially women-owned brands, and they don’t want to feel like they’re making it all about them. I help them overcome the mentality of a brand session being ‘self-absorbed.’ I help tell their story in a unique way that helps them stand out.”

A brand session with CB Yates Photo looks different depending on a brand’s individualized needs.

Said Bresette-Yates, “So you’re a Realtor… Everyone knows what a Realtor does, but let’s tell the story of how you’re different. People won’t know if you don’t tell them, and that’s what we need to illustrate in your brand photography. That’s how we connect you to your ideal client.”

A typical session starts with a brand questionnaire, allowing Bresette-Yates to understand your business and what you want to communicate. Then comes a scheduled call with her to talk through ideas, goals, style and location. Yates then creates a brand guide for her partners clearly listing the

goals and objectives of their shoot. From there, a shot list, as well as an image bank, to give her partners a visual. All this is sent in advance for the client to review so there are no surprises. The brand knows what the shoot will look like, what props they may want to bring, and how to style themselves for the day.

While these elements may seem daunting, when you work with CB Yates Photo, it’s a breeze. Having built a network of trusted partners, Bresette-Yates is well connected and can suggest studio spaces, stylists, makeup artists, you name it. Everyone goes in prepared.

“We know what we want and how to get there,” Bresette-Yates affirmed. “I want to make it easy for people to confidently show up in their business and give them images they are excited to share. The best thing for me is when people reach out after a shoot and tell me I’ve helped them elevate their brand, and it’s getting them in front of the right people.”

To learn more about CB Yates Photo, visit cbyatesphoto.com .

A CB Yates Photo brand image for The Flour Shoppe Cookie Co.

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SWEET DREAMS

Candy Scientist Tessa Porter Innovates with Sprinkk

ARTICLE BY KATY SPRATTE-JOYCE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOOTON IMAGES

Create new things.

There’s a neon sign with that motivational phrase on a grassy green wall in the lobby of Tessa Porter’s candy lab. It’s become a personal and business motto for the founder.

“There's no real purpose for sprinkles other than to add joy to food. Life should be full of joy!”

A self-proclaimed science nerd through and through, Porter runs Sprinkk, a candy product development and manufacturing company. With a factory in Albion and a candy lab in Omaha, the Nebraska roots run deep for this Cornhusker State native.

The road to Sprinkk was a sweet one. Winding from the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Food Science Department to an internship at Hershey, to a master’s program in Madison, WI, to a legacy candy company in Chicago, Porter has dug in and learned from the best. Ultimately, she felt called to move back to Nebraska to start something locally.

“I wanted to fill the gap between the idea and manufacturing,” she shared. In candy manufacturing, the production scale is massive, with minimum order quantities of 20,000 pounds. That’s a huge amount to test since “there’s really no place to do

things on a smaller scale, which was limiting innovation,” Porter said.

Porter explained that with traditional candy creation, “it can be tough to invent something truly and authentically new. I wanted to create a playground for candy innovation, with smaller equipment and a flexible process design. [That way] we can build unique processes with our equipment as everything is set up to be mobile.”

So, in 2019, she made it happen by opening Sprinkk and a product development lab in Omaha.

Porter said, “Every project starts in the lab, testing out recipe and formula design and initial sampling. It moves to the factory facility once it’s ready to go into production.”

The candy scientist turned founder’s goal was innovation in the form of new textures, new flavors,

Top: Founder Tessa Porter thinks candy, and life, should be full of joy.

Bottom: Sprinkk's motto welcomes you as you enter the lobby: Create New Things

and new overall types of candy that no one has seen before. That’s where Sprinkk was born — the name inspired by a childhood favorite: sprinkles, which bring joy.

“There’s no real purpose for sprinkles other than to add joy to food, and I’ve always been obsessed with sprinkles. Life should be full of joy!” Porter said. Her joyfully creative company has been well-received in the niche candy industry, in Nebraska and beyond. “There’s a need for a place where new things can be born.”

Porter has enjoyed bringing these sweet ideas to life. Her clients include new petite candy brands, legacy brands looking to innovate, and even herself. During the pandemic, Porter developed a hyper-local fruit snack with her paternal grandmother, Norma. Aptly named for that grandma, the brand Norma’s embraces its regional identity and uses transparent local ingredients like Fat Head Honey from Nebraska’s Colfax County.

The fruit snack is based on Norma’s elderberry syrup with honey, ginger, and elderberry. “There’s a strawberry rhubarb flavor, too, ‘cause I love strawberry rhubarb pie in the Midwest,” Porter added. She went through the Sprinkk development process with Norma’s, “so we always have this brand that we can test things on and try things on.”

Create new things, indeed.

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT WITH A STRATEGY

realty report

FEBRUARY 2025

A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS

JANUARY 31ST - FEBRUARY 2ND

27th Annual Omaha Lawn, Flower, & Patio Show

CHI Health Center

Enjoy Omaha’s largest — and most colorful — showcase of landscape gardens. With blooming flowers, water features, and unique design ideas, don’t miss more than 100,000-square-feet of the latest products and services for your home, garden, and outdoor living spaces. CHI Health Center, 455 North 10th Street, Omaha

FEBRUARY 11TH

Galentine’s Book Swap at Clothes Mentor Omaha

Clothes Mentor | 4:00 PM

Gather your gal pals and head to Clothes Mentor’s Galentine’s Book Swap! Cost of entry: A book for the book swap. In exchange, enjoy discounted shopping, champagne, chocolate, and a free build-your-own bouquet table. Leave with a sensational new book and a sensational new look! Clothes Mentor, 14937 Evans Plaza, Omaha

FEBRUARY 20TH - 23RD

Omaha International Boat

Sports & Travel Show

CHI Health Center

If you love to fish, hunt, boat, camp, or travel, make plans to attend this show — packed with sights, sounds, and activities for the whole family! Walk around, view some eye candy, and even take a seat on your next toy with top industry experts on hand to help. CHI Health Center, 455 North 10th Street, Omaha

LOVE POTION #9

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY ANNA BARNES

A PINK COCKTAIL PERFECT FOR CELEBRATING VALENTINE’S DAY

WHO NEEDS FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE FLOWERS AND COCKTAILS?

This Valentine's Day, whether you plan to treat a loved one, treat your girlfriends, or treat yourself, I can promise you'll want to serve up this perfectly pink cocktail; one I like to call Love Potion #9. It looks as fabulous as it tastes. You can't beat the bright, fresh grapefruit juice and the bubbles add a lively kiss on top. Each sip is dreamier than the next. Cheers, here's to love!