Style Magazine - February 2023
In any romantic relationship, the first “I love you” is always a momentous milestone. When my now-husband first professed those three words, we were listening to sappy songs while watching the sunset and enjoying vanilla cones from the Golden Arches. Of course, I echoed his sentiments, and the rest is history. I’ll forever associate Mickey D’s soft serve with our love story’s butterfly-filled beginnings. But just as our partnership has evolved over the years, so have our palates, particularly when it comes to cones. Speaking of the V-shaped vessels, you won’t want to miss contributor Caitlin McCulloch’s piece in The Hot List (page 88), highlighting six undeniably cool cones, including a hand-held, house-made waffle cone filled with candied brown sugar bacon, fried chicken tenders, avocado, lettuce, and cool ranch from Cluck N Cone; and an activated charcoal Oreo cookie cone swirled with black sesame and Hokkaido milk ice cream from Tokyo Cream. Though I’ll never say no to a classic cake cone with machine-made froyo, the more upscale offerings featured here are undoubtedly a yes. Invite your nearest and dearest and go on a “cone crawl” to try them all! In Get to Know, “Two’s Company,” Nelly Kislyanka interviews three local couples whose journeys to the altar prove that real romance can happen at any age and at any time. Read each duo’s sweet stories and secrets to success (“communicate about everything, even the difficult and sensitive topics”; “work as a team and put pride away”) starting on page 20. Another (not-so) secret to relationship success? Going on date nights, especially those that involve red meat and red wine. Wondering where to go? In our feature, “Sizzling Steaks” (page 72), Sharon Penny writes about 13 restaurants that take the art of steak (and all the requisite sides) seriously. From tenderloins and tomahawks, to old-school steakhouses experimenting with new-school preparations, there’s something for almost everyone (apologies in advance, vegans!). On the “rare” (pun intended) occasion that my husband and I make it out, without our tots in tow, I’m adding all the spots, and steaks, to our list. Enjoy the issue! Here’s wishing you a month full of love—and maybe (if you’re lucky!) a filet mignon. Cheers!
In any romantic relationship, the first “I love you” is always a momentous milestone. When my now-husband first professed those three words, we were listening to sappy songs while watching the sunset and enjoying vanilla cones from the Golden Arches. Of course, I echoed his sentiments, and the rest is history. I’ll forever associate Mickey D’s soft serve with our love story’s butterfly-filled beginnings. But just as our partnership has evolved over the years, so have our palates, particularly when it comes to cones.
Speaking of the V-shaped vessels, you won’t want to miss contributor Caitlin McCulloch’s piece in The Hot List (page 88), highlighting six undeniably cool cones, including a hand-held, house-made waffle cone filled with candied brown sugar bacon, fried chicken tenders, avocado, lettuce, and cool ranch from Cluck N Cone; and an activated charcoal Oreo cookie cone swirled with black sesame and Hokkaido milk ice cream from Tokyo Cream. Though I’ll never say no to a classic cake cone with machine-made froyo, the more upscale offerings featured here are undoubtedly a yes. Invite your nearest and dearest and go on a “cone crawl” to try them all!
In Get to Know, “Two’s Company,” Nelly Kislyanka interviews three local couples whose journeys to the altar prove that real romance can happen at any age and at any time. Read each duo’s sweet stories and secrets to success (“communicate about everything, even the difficult and sensitive topics”; “work as a team and put pride away”) starting on page 20.
Another (not-so) secret to relationship success? Going on date nights, especially those that involve red meat and red wine. Wondering where to go? In our feature, “Sizzling Steaks” (page 72), Sharon Penny writes about 13 restaurants that take the art of steak (and all the requisite sides) seriously. From tenderloins and tomahawks, to old-school steakhouses experimenting with new-school preparations, there’s something for almost everyone (apologies in advance, vegans!). On the “rare” (pun intended) occasion that my husband and I make it out, without our tots in tow, I’m adding all the spots, and steaks, to our list.
Enjoy the issue! Here’s wishing you a month full of love—and maybe (if you’re lucky!) a filet mignon. Cheers!
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
get to know<br />
Two’s<br />
Company<br />
Local Love<br />
Stories<br />
by NELLY KISLYANKA<br />
'Tis the season for romance! We're ushering in<br />
Valentine's Day with three love stories that'll warm<br />
your heart despite the <strong>February</strong> chill.<br />
laughing, and having fun together. The<br />
evening ended with a first kiss under the<br />
stars. Rico asked Shannon to marry him<br />
in 2020, and they tied the knot in 2021.<br />
“Rodeo magic is a real thing!”<br />
Favorite date spot: Thursday is our<br />
weekly date night. We typically stay in<br />
Folsom and rotate between Land Ocean<br />
and Scott’s Seafood Roundhouse.<br />
Secrets to success: Since we both<br />
come from failed marriages, we<br />
feel strongly that it starts with good<br />
communication. In our relationship,<br />
we talk about everything—even when<br />
it’s a difficult or sensitive topic. During<br />
premarital counseling, our pastor<br />
recommended we hold business<br />
meetings to address business issues<br />
such as finances, parenting, and home<br />
responsibilities. This keeps the business<br />
side of us separate from our dating/<br />
fun side. We also love to travel and<br />
make quarterly trips a priority. We think<br />
it’s important to show our children that<br />
relationships take quality time, nurturing,<br />
Shannon Robb<br />
& Rico Bundalian<br />
Some love stories begin in the<br />
unlikeliest of places. In 2014, Shannon<br />
and Rico met at a divorce care group<br />
through Hills Church. Both were<br />
navigating their newly single lives and<br />
not considering a relationship. So, they<br />
became friends—working out and<br />
traveling together, running into each<br />
other at community events, and even<br />
playing on the same softball team. “Still,<br />
it never crossed either of our minds to<br />
date one another,” says Shannon. Until<br />
the 2019 Folsom Pro Rodeo, that is. After<br />
inviting Rico to help at the event, where<br />
Shannon was working, they spent a<br />
magical evening dancing in the saloon,<br />
and hard work.<br />
What's your favorite thing about your<br />
partner?<br />
Shannon: Rico is kind, thoughtful, loving,<br />
and an amazing listener. He’s always fun,<br />
and I still get butterflies when he walks<br />
into the room. He’s also an amazing<br />
stepdad to my three kids.<br />
Rico: Shannon is always positive and<br />
makes me smile. She’s beautiful inside<br />
and out.<br />
Photo courtesy of Shannon & Rico Bundalian.<br />
20 stylemg.com | FEBRUARY <strong>2023</strong> | /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemags
Change language