GO LOCAL MAY 2022

May 2022 Volume 8 . Issue 6 golocalmagazines.com

Roaring acres alpacas Mnich Family Farm in Suffield, CT

Beer & Coffee Lovers Rejoice Ct Valley Brewing Co. & Birdhouse Coffee

In Full Bloom

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2 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

new this month MAY 2022 . VOLUME 8 . ISSUE 6

ROARING ACRES ALPACAS

13

At Roaring Acres Alpacas, the public can get an up close look at the more than 130 alpacas at the Suffield farm. Home to huacaya and suri alpacas, the Mnich family farm also has painted desert sheep, mini horses, goats, mini donkeys, pigs, and a variety of ducks, chickens, and geese, including rare and heritage breeds.

6

A NOTE

13

ROARING ACRES ALPACAS

19

BEER & COFFEE LOVERS REJOICE

From The Editor Mnich Family Farm in Suffield, CT CT Valley Brewing Co. & Birdhouse Coffee

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MAY 2022 . VOLUME 8 . ISSUE 6

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a note

FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR . G. MICHAEL DOBBS So, spring has returned, and this geezer’s thoughts turn to… wait for it… flea markets.

That’s right, it’s the time of year that outdoor flea markets return. And as we note in this issue of the Go Local, the Godzilla of all flea markets returns in May, The Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show.

I don’t hunt animals, but I am a hunter at a flea market. I know what I want and have mastered the art of looking and walking at the same time, without tripping on something.

My favorite flea market is one on Route 47 in Hadley, MA. It’s a pleasant drive from my home in Springfield to a part of Hadley that I’ve known since attending fourth and fifth grades in the town a million years ago.

Located on an open field, the Route 47 market changes a fair amount. Yes, you’ll see some dealers over and over, but you also get people who are cleaning out a relative’s house and are there for just that day.

I’ve found the key to success to this one and other markets is to get there early before the day grows too warm and before dealers start to leave. Have plenty of cash in small bills if possible. Slip a reusable bag in a pocket in anticipation of finding great things. Wear comfortable shoes as you will be walking a bit. The field can get hot so a hat and some sunscreen are suggested.

Generally, I’m looking for items related to movies, so a big box of DVDs always catches my eyes as is any box or pile of old paper items.

One of my best finds was an early 1930s full color promotional booklet from Monogram Pictures. The booklet, which is actually quite large, was sent out to theater owners to promote the movies the studio would be making and releasing in the up-coming year.

The booklet was on a table where the young man explained he was getting rid of some stuff from a relative’s house, someone who was probably in the theater business. There was a pile of newsletters sent to theater owners by MGM and because it was MGM those were pricey.

The Monogram item was too obscure to be seen as having much value and I got it for a song.

Bargaining is of course acceptable but having been raised by uptight Protestants who didn’t talk about money, I hesitate to haggle although I’ve done it several times out of sheer determination to obtain something.

I’ve been to the Brimfield show several times in the past and I will readily admit the size of the show is overwhelming. I can understand why people plan multiple trips just to be able to walk through the entire event.

I have a friend who had a custom t-shirt made just for Brimfield that indicated he collected movie posters. It saved him some time as he went from dealer to dealer.

One of my prized objects was found by another buddy of mine at Brimfield. It is a vintage drive-in movie speaker. It’s the cast aluminum speaker that hooked onto your window and was the standard for drive-ins from the 1950s and 60s. My friend found a box of them and grabbed one for him and me. It still has its wiring and I’ve wondered if I could ever fix it so I could listen to a DVD through, preferably some drive-in movie from the period.

It’s astonishing what you can find at Brimfield and part of the joy is simply seeing things that may be one-of-a-kind. I know a guy who found a complete vintage oak phone booth, like the kind that was in restaurants and train stations for decades.

Enjoy the hunt this spring and you may find that object you didn’t realize you couldn’t live without!

- G. Michael Dobbs, Managing Editor

Cover photo credit: Brittany Graf Photography • brittanygrafphotography.com 6 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

MANAGING EDITOR G. Michael Dobbs

CREATIVE

Beth Thurber, Manager . Leigh Catchepaugh Elizabeth O’Donoghue . Susan Bartlett

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Get to Know

Oldies from The Estate 26 years ago my husband Bill decided he wanted to open an antique shop because of his love for old things. So, he walked away from his very prosperous transmission business and opened Oldies From the Estate.

We started out renting a small shop in Indian Orchard; a few years later we purchased our current building just one block from where we were renting. Over the years we have grown and adjusted to meet our customers wants and needs and keep up with the changes in the antiques and collectibles market. Today we buy and sell not only antique, vintage and collectibles but newer items as well.

We try to fill our shop with eclectic and interesting items that our customers will fall in love with for decorating their inside and outside home spaces or to find the perfect unique gift.

We also do home and estate clean outs. If a loved one has passed or you are just looking to downsize your own home, please call us.

Whatever your goal is we will do our best to accommodate you and alleviate the stress and overwhelming feeling of facing such a daunting task.

We love our business! Over the years we have met so many wonderful clients and customers that have become friends. Please stop by or call, we would love to meet you too. We know you will become a regular stopping in often to check out what's new!

We are open Tuesday-Friday 10:00am to 4:30pm and Saturday 10:00am-2:30pm, closed Sunday and Monday.

WE BUY & SELL ALL TYPES OF STUFF FROM A TO Z. BUYING COLLECTIONS: COINS, POCKET & MECHANICAL WATCHES, TOYS, ETC. Call Bill or Beth 543-6065

email: oldiesfrom@aol.com 45 Parker Street • Indian Orchard, MA Tues.-Fri. 10-4:30, Sat. 10-2:30, Closed Sun. & Mon. 12 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

! HOPE TREMBLAY  NATE BLAIS

Alpacas Roaring Acres

A

t Roaring Acres Alpacas, the public can get an up close look at the more than 130 alpacas at the Suffield farm.

Home to huacaya and suri alpacas, the Mnich family farm also has painted desert sheep, mini horses, goats, mini donkeys, pigs, and a variety of ducks, chickens, and geese, including rare and heritage breeds.

The farm is also home to Jake’s Bees, an onsite apiary that offers honey for sale in the farm boutique.

Owner Alison Mnich grew up in Connecticut and always loved animals, but wasn’t much of a farmer until she couldn’t resist the alpacas.

“My daughter went to Peru and came back and told me all about alpacas,” Mnich recalled. “She said I would love them, and I did.”

That was 2013 and Mnich started with just

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 13

three alpacas as farm pets. “They’re so cute!” she said, “I couldn’t resist.”

“I did research and learned you should have a few so we got three,” Mnich said. “But we kept adding and the farm kept growing.” Today, there are more than 130 alpacas at Roaring Acres. Some are short-term visitors, but most belong to Mnich.

Before the alpacas arrived, Mnich and her husband John were very part-time farmers. “We had gardens and a few chickens,” she said. Now, orchards and other farm animals, as well as their son Jake’s beehives, helped turn the farm into a career.

“My husband takes care of the orchards and I take care of the animals and our children help,” said Mnich.

Their three adult children all specialize in certain aspects of the farm. Jake is the bee expert while Alanna handles planning and their youngest daughter, Lexi, who is graduating from college this year, helps with events and marketing.

“Jake and I started the bees as something we could do together and it was me helping him, but now it’s him helping me,” Mnich said.

The alpaca wool is sold and some returns to the farm shop in the form of hats and other items created locally.

Mnich said she also sells items imported from Peru.

The farm really took off once COVID hit and people were searching for a way to get outside but stay socially distanced.

“We have college and high school students who work here and I asked what they thought about opening up to the public,” Mnich said. “We had welcomed visitors to the farm before, but with COVID, people were really looking for something to do so we opened the farm to people to come visit within their COVID bubbles,” she added. “Then when Halloween was cancelled, we had people come and trick or treat and we did the same with Santa at Christmas.”

This past Easter they hosted an egg hunt on the farm.

Mnich said their events are free, but they do request donations to help keep the farm running.

When the world began opening up a bit more and restrictions loosened, Roaring Acres Alpacas remained a hot spot for families and remains open to the public today, but on a more limited basis because of staffing.

“Not everyone wants to work on a farm and we need 4-5 staff every time we open,” Mnich said. “To operate safely, we need one person in our shop, one checking people in, one gatekeeper and at least one with each group of guests to make sure both the guests and animals are safe.”

Roaring ACRES Alpacas Farm 685 Hale St., Suffield, Conn., is open Sat. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. currently and will increase its hours over the summer.

For more information, call 860-578-5150 or visit roaringacresalpacas.com.

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ROARING ACRES ALPACAS VISIT OUR BOUTIQUE!

OPEN 9:30 - 6:00 Daily

We carry a variety of warm, soft and beautiful Alpaca products such as Hats, Gloves, Blankets, Nesting Balls, Sportman Socks and NEW THIS YEAR: Soaps and Dryer Balls made right here at the farm!

Bring your family and hand-feed the Alpacas! Admission is FREE!

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Beerlovers and coffee rejoice Y

ou can now get your favorite pint of beer and morning cup of joe in one place at Connecticut Valley Brewing Company and its Birdhouse Coffee Bar & Kitchen in South Windsor, CT. “We are a family business. My father, Steve, who is now 51, had begun brewing beer in my grandma’s basement in college and shared his brews with family and friends over the years,” said Will Palauskas who is Marketing Manager at Connecticut Valley Brewing Company.

But in the mid-2010s, what was a longtime hobby for his dad began to take on a career path. ”My dad and mom, Lori, were so passionate about craft beer and finally looked at one another one day saying it was ‘now or never’ to take the next big step and open their own brewery. They had visited many breweries over the years, where they not only enjoyed a good pint or two, but experienced what I refer to as ‘a special feeling of community.’ It is that same feeling of community that they wanted to create here in South Windsor,” Palauskas said.

Their dream became a reality in 2018 when they opened their taproom and brewing facility, followed the next year by Birdhouse Coffee, a café and roastery that as their website proclaims, “celebrates

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 19

another love of ours” - ethically-sourced and produced coffee. Then in 2021, they expanded again with their own in-house kitchen providing a variety of appetizers, entrees, breads, pastries and more luscious treats.

Their website - www.ctvalleybrewing.com - also proclaims: “Everything we do pays homage to the story of Connecticut pioneers who helped blaze the trail we stand on today.”

“It was my mom’s idea for the brewery to somehow tie things back to the rich history of Connecticut and its many innovations that people don’t realize contributed to the history of our country,” Palauskas said.

Lori’s efforts to give Connecticut the recognition she believes it deserves began with their name Connecticut Valley Brewing Company - and continued with the company’s logo which incorporates the F4U Corsair into its design. Over 12,000 of the aircraft, designated as the Connecticut State Airplane in 2005, were built from 1938 to 1945 in Connecticut. It is also no coincidence that so many airplanes feature prominently in their logo and cans.

“My mom and dad were pilots and are still inspired by the spirit of aviation,” Palauskas said.

Even the names of their earliest beers and subsequent can designs - Trailblazer, A Fantastic Voyage, The New Frontier, and Into the Woods celebrate the places, people, and stories that have helped shape Connecticut into the innovative hub it is today.

Trailblazer, their signature New England Style India Pale Ale, features Colonel Albert Pope adorning the can racing on his signature Pope Cycle. By 1900, Col. Pope’s Hartford factory produced more motor vehicles than any other factory in the world.

A Fantastic Voyage, another New England Style IPA, features a yellow submarine on the can - but it has nothing to do with the famous Beatles’ song.

Instead, it is a representation of the first submarine 20 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

invented in Connecticut in 1775.

It is not just Connecticut that is paid tribute to on their cans.

Red Tails, a red ale, depicts a red-tailed P-51 Mustang flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Home Front pilsner, with yet another plane on the can, pays tribute to the 1942 song “Rosie the Riveter,” which became synonymous with the six million women who worked in the factories, shipyards, or volunteered during WWII on “the home front.”

And those are only a few of the stories to be told.

Their Trailblazer story has more to it than just Col. Pope and his Pope Cycle. Trailblazer is Connecticut Valley Brewing Company’s signature hazy, fruity and juicy New England Style India Pale Ale (NEIPA). John Kimmich is believed to have brewed the first NEIPA, called Heady Topper, around 2004 at his Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury, Vermont.

Brewed with tons and tons of hops and known for their fruity aromas, it wouldn’t be for another 10 years until NEIPAs would take the craft beer industry by storm.

Beer lovers, however, “do not live by hazy NEIPAs alone.”

“While New England Style India Pale Ales are as popular as ever, you really can’t just brew IPAs only these days. Not everyone has the same palate, you have to think outside the box and create some other great brews,” Palauskas said.

Putting to work that innovative spirit that defines the South Windsor company, head brewer Jason Desroches has crafted an array of different tastes for adventurous beer drinkers that include stouts to sours to seltzers to their ingenious Spiked Smoothies.

“At any one time we have 12 beers on tap on a rotating basis as well as a cooler filled with nearly all of

our other brews, each with their own colorful designs to match their inventive names,” Palauskas said.

There is a Camper’s S’more Stout with people sitting around a camp fire, a Plum Crazy Ale Sour with its purplish-colored can featuring a ripe plum, Northstar Seltzers each adorned with the fruit found inside the can such as their Blueberry Acai, and the extremely colorful designs for their Spiked Smoothie fruity brews which stand out in both taste and design.

“We even have something for non-beer drinkers, people who don’t drink alcoholic beverages. Our Valley Sparkling Water, which is available in many fruity flavors, is infused with 25mg of CBD,” Palauskas said.

In addition to the many brews to choose from, cocktail lovers can enjoy signature, seasonally-inspired craft cocktails on the menu served on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Past seasonal favorites have included several sweet concoctions like the Kentucky Kiss with cherry GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 21

specials. For the spring months, there is a Honey Blueberry Latte and a Lavender White Mocha. Looseleaf teas, lemonades and more are also offered. Everything pairs perfectly with scratch made pastries and breads made by Birdhouse’s baking team, led by Amanda Winograd, bakery manager.

Birdhouse breakfasts include their Brekkie Sandwich and a Brewer’s Plate offering two eggs your way, home fries, and two strips of bacon, as well as a breakfast burrito or avocado toast.

While enjoying a cool brew, you can head into Birdhouse Coffee and order something to bring back to the Taproom to chow down on. A seasonal menu created by kitchen manager Alicia Kirschner, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America, includes a signature fry flight with three different fries and sauces, fried pickles, giant pretzel, soups and grilled cheese, loaded tots, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

Also, check out the Events page on their website which features a long list of live music, car shows, cornhole tournaments, trivia and karaoke nights, comedy nights, and a host of other good times in the taproom and outside on two spacious patios.

bitters, chocolate bitters, Bulleit bourbon and a filthy cherry, and Be Mine Mojito with white rum, strawberry compote, lime juice, mint, and club soda.

And let’s not forget the coffee.

“What beer is to my parents, coffee is to me,” Palauskas said.

“I remember when Jack, my older brother, and I would go to different coffee shops around the state. Jack was fascinated by the roasting process and helped launch the coffee shop. Our mom, Lori, named it Birdhouse Coffee where where we blend and roast our ethically-sourced green coffee beans and people could 22 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

gather together in a community space just like in our taproom,” he added.

Palauskas noted they are surprising people with “the way coffee can taste.”

“Coffee drinkers are used to a dark roast found at many coffee chains.

But we roast towards a lighter roast for a fresh flavor profile, not burnt,” he said.

The coffee shop offers traditional staples like hot coffee, iced coffee, and cold brew as well as Italian espresso staples like cappuccinos, cortados, and lattes. Classic flavor shots like vanilla, caramel, and mocha are available as well as rotating seasonal

Located at 765 Sullivan Ave., the brewery taproom is open Monday and Tuesday from 4-8 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 2-9 p.m., Saturday from noon- 9.pm., and Sunday from noon-5 p.m.

For more information, visit www. ctvalleybrewing.com or call 860-6442707.

Birdhouse Coffee’s hours are Monday and Tuesday from 7 a.m.- 4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday from 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m.-9 pm. and Sunday from 8 a.m.5 p.m. For more information, visit www. birdhousecoffee.com or call 860-474-3737.

artist corner

PETER KNAPP - SUNDERLAND, MA

Artist Corner PETER KNAPP - SUNDERLAND, MA

MIXED MEDIA/PAINTING, PRINT MAKING AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Tell us a little about yourself: I’m 71 - returning to my art passion in 2018 after retiring as owner of Danco Modern Furniture in West Hatfield. In 2012, I suffered cardiac arrest. It was a momentous event and doctors told me I died and was brought back through the miracle of modern healthcare. A few years later, a bout with ulcerative colitis required hospitalization. The heart issue and colitis necessitated numerous medications. I became severely depressed and gripped with crippling anxiety. I sought and found help. Therapists keyed in on my death as a major culprit for what had become a mental illness. They prescribed, in addition to medication, that I pursue art as a method to heal. It took a while, but I complied. My passion for art is fully revived and grown leaps and bounds. My health has returned, most medications are over and done with.

What town is your studio based out of?

Sunderland, MA

What media do you work in?

Mixed Media/Painting, Printmaking and Photography. My latest compositions utilize acrylics: paint, ink, gouache, mediums (including iridescent, gels, pastes), and resin fixative; a variety of brushes and pens; graphite and colored pencils; on acrylic gesso primed panels; and recently assemblage and collage, utilizing consumer products and recyclable byproducts. I am also continuing with woodcut printmaking and photography.

When/how did you get interested in art?

It began before becoming 12, involving drawing, painting, photography and relief printing - linocuts and woodcuts. My interest continued throughout childhood, and through high school. I began as a business major in college, but succumbed to art’s intense allure. I graduated from UMass in 1972.

My early adult work consisted of woodcuts, drawings and painting. Soon enchanted with computers as an expressive tool, this led to photography with graphic software. My work now involves mixed media/painting, printmaking, drawing and continued interest in photography and the computer.

How would you describe your design aesthetic to someone who has never seen your work?

My art is entwined with experimentation, invention, trying something new, taking a risk and discovering solutions to these challenges. Inspired by artists who successfully developed styles and methods uniquely individual and innovative, I am committed to leaving my mark extending the boundaries of creative process.

What are your inspirations?

Nature is my foremost source of inspiration, then family, life experiences and fellow artists. A healing nurturing journey previously highlighted my focus awakening to include issues that face community and humanity. My art has culminated in a three-part resolution to complete and continue previous woodcut compositions, produce an overall balanced innovative collection in a variety of media, and journey forward developing, defining and portraying my aesthetic philosophy, principles and spiritual beliefs. Peterfreund, and Peter Dellert, The list will continue to grow, as I am blessed to live in such a creative community.

Where can people see/buy your art?

Check out my website www.peterknappart.com for a look at my art and any upcoming exhibitions that I will be participating in.

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 23

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go local picks

COOL STUFF JUST OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR AND ONLINE!

FAMILY FUN DAY AT THE DEPOT ICE CREAM SUNDAY MAY 15TH FROM NOON - 3 PM THE DEPOT ICE CREAM 64 MAPLE STREET. EAST LONGMEADOW, MA The new hit book Havoc in the Hammock will be read and signed by Springfield-born author Kelly Russell Jaques! Books will be available for purchase and signing. Family Fun Day at the Depot on May 15 is a celebration of all local artist and entertainers… Live music is being provided by a local acoustic duo called ‘date night’, the Longmeadow and East Longmeadow library's are teaming up to do a craft, a local face painter, and the inventor of ‘Palmball’, Steve Creelman who grew up, and lives in Longmeadow demonstrating his new game. … and of course Ice cream, and coffee, breakfast & lunch options from the newest addition to the Depot ‘Kool Beanz’.

Meet at The Depot Ice Cream for an afternoon of fun!

SUFFIELD GARDEN CLUB’S MAY MARKET

BY PHELPS HATHEWAY HOUSE AND GARDEN SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022 AT 9 AM – 3 PM 55 S MAIN ST, SUFFIELD, CT Goodbye winter, hello spring! Now in its 44th year, the Suffield Garden Club’s May Market officially marks the beginning of the planting season. This favorite community event and fundraiser promises a variety of annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, home décor and local crafts – sure to chase away the winter blues.

The market will be held rain or shine. This event coincides with Phelps-Hatheway’s Second Saturdays Series (1-3pm). Tours of the museum will be offered during the program and from 3-4pm with regular admission fee.

26 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

BRIMFIELD OUTDOOR ANTIQUES SHOW MAY 10-15 FROM DAWN TO DUSK BRIMFIELD, MA Brimfield is considered the largest outdoor antique show in the country.

Up to 5,000 dealers and over 100,000 visitors throughout the week.

The crowds can be large, but not uncomfortably so – remember, the Show takes place over almost 1/3 mile of Rt 20, easily going back 500' on each side of the road. The Brimfield shows operate three times a year during May, July and September and is open for a six day period beginning on a Tuesday and ending on a Sunday, Dawn to dusk, rain or shine! Food is available for sale in every field. The larger fields will have parking available for $5 - $10 depending on the day and location.

Some of the shows charge admission. The fees are typically $5.00.

Quick Directions to Brimfield, MA: GPS Coordinates to Brimfield Show: 42° 7' 22" N, 72° 12' 5" W

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! KEITH O'CONNOR  NATE BLAIS

In full bloom

R

emember when your mother would tell you to “Eat your vegetables, they’re healthy for you.”

Or when your doctor recommended more fiber in your diet and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Springtime is here and Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow might be just what the doctor ordered, at least when it gets to June.

Now open for the season, Meadowbrook Farm is in bloom with a wide variety of bedding plants, hanging plants and flowers ranging from impatiens to petunias to begonias.

“May is our busiest month for plant sales. We finish with our early spring sales in April with Easter flowers and pansies. People come in May for their hanging baskets, flowering annuals, and vegetable plants through Memorial Day into early June,” Burney said.

But you will have to wait until June comes around for the arrival of fresh, sweet strawberries and early vegetables, including cabbage, squash and cucumbers which continue into July along with newly harvested tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and another popular vegetable - sweet corn.

“People love our corn which is some of the sweetest you will ever find. All of our corn is picked fresh daily,” Burney said.

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 29

August features the same items as July, while September and October welcome mums, pumpkins, and fall decorating items such as straw, cornstalks, gourds, and bales of straw.

“I purchased a blueberry farm about one-quarter-ofa-mile down the road, and last year we offered blueberry picking during July and August and will be bringing the fun family activity back again this year,” Burney said.

Burney currently raises 400 acres of fruits and vegetables on a combination of owned and rented land which yield crops for both his retail and wholesale operations. In addition to their roadside stand, Meadowbrook’s large wholesale business sells to local grocery stores and wholesale distributors in the Boston area where at the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, buyers can purchase his fresh produce alongside many other vendors there.

“I started farming on a part-time basis after college with three-quarters-of-an-acre of strawberries selling pick-your-own and wholesale to local Big Y stores. As I expanded into other crops, Big Y was there to support us by purchasing our produce to supply their more than 70 stores,” Burney said.

While CISA’s (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture) “Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown” campaign has helped to support local food and local farms, Burney noted there are a number of reasons to buy locally.

“I think there is a true perception today that buying from a local farm is fresher and healthier for you than something you don’t know the origins of. And I think people genuinely like to support local businesses and enjoy the one-on-one with local growers at their roadside stands,” Burney said.

And that is where Burney’s right-hand employee Veronica Jandrue comes in.

“Veronica has been instrumental in building our retail business. People know her by name and come to see her to purchase their plants and vegetables,” he said, noting she is much more than the face of the business.

“She does the majority of the planting in our greenhouses and is also instrumental in the overall planning of the business,” he added.

“It’s great to see people coming back after the long winter. I’ve always loved being around plants and wanted to be a farmer since I was a little kid. Honestly, I’ve grown up here and our customers are like friends and family and the people I work with are amazing,” Jandrue said.

Jandrue, who received an associate degree in Horticulture from Springfield Technical Community College, noted she approached Meadowbrook Farm with “the intention of a part-time summer job and never left.”

As for Burney, he never lived on a farm, but developed 30 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

an interest in farming as a young child. He worked on several farms while growing up including Bluebird Acres and Pleasant View Farm, before eventually heading off to Cornell University where he graduated in 1981 from their College of Agriculture.

After graduating from Cornell, Burney worked for Farm Credit Bank as an agricultural loan officer and later was named office manager. While working at the bank, he started a part-time venture working with a retired dairy farmer, who was raising vegetables on a small scale at his farm. Burney didn’t get paid for his work, but the elderly farmer offered him the use of three-quarters-of-an-acre to farm on as well as the use of his equipment. Burney increased the scope of his farming and planting every year until leaving the bank in 1989 to begin farming full-time.

In 1994, he purchased the farm where he first began his farming activities, and since that time Burney has purchased several other farms in the area.

Like many businesses, the Covid-19 pandemic affected sales at Meadowbrook Farm.

“The pandemic had a positive effect on the retail end and a negative effect on our wholesale business. People living and working from home as the crisis began were soon looking for something to do and get out of the house. The pandemic made it difficult at the beginning to shop at big box stores, and they felt comfortable coming to our large outdoor facility. While here they would purchase plants to spruce up their homes and yards during these dark times, as well as to buy fresh produce,” Burney said.

“On the wholesale side, restaurants cut way back on what they normally ordered and some local colleges shut down their dining rooms which had negative effect on our wholesale business,” he added.

It seems far off from now, but before you know it the holidays have a way of creeping up on everyone. Closed for the first three weeks of November, Meadowbrook Farm opens the Friday after Thanksgiving with Christmas trees, wreaths and kissing balls.

“We’ve been specializing in Fraser Firs for the past 20 years. We bring them in from Canada and sell a couple thousand trees each year,” Burney said.

But there is no rest for the weary, and after Christmas, “it’s back to work.”

“January and February are pretty much office months when we start to order seeds, plants and supplies for the upcoming season. There is also equipment and building maintenance to be done. We start planting in our greenhouse during the last week of February and then it is ‘off to the races,’” Burney said.

Located on 185 Meadowbrook Road in East Longmeadow, Meadowbrook Farms is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

For more information, call 413-525-8588 or visit meadowbrookfarmma.com.

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 31

STAY CALM AND LET US PACK & SHIP

Celebrating 73 Years of Our Family Farm!

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go eat

! RECIPE SUBMITTED BY NATHAN BLAIS

Crispy Smashed Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower 1/2 cup water 2 Tbsp butter 1 garlic clove, smashed 1 tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp za’atar S+P

Cut up your cauliflower and wash it good. Toss into a pot with half a cup of water on high heat, let cauliflower cook for 7-8 minutes and drain. Pat dry and place into a mixing bowl, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 450F and place your cauliflower onto a baking sheet, using the bottom of a cup smoosh your cauliflower. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes. Melt down butter and add one Tbsp za’atar and a smashed garlic clove, remove cauliflower from the oven and brush or spoon your butter onto the cauliflower. Place back in the oven for a couple of minutes. Squeeze lemon over and serve as a side dish! Enjoy!

NATHAN BLAIS I’m a photographer from Springfield. I combined my love for cooking and photography and turned it into a career. Check out my instagram @nateblais!

34 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

! HOPE TREMBLAY  NATE BLAIS & FACEBOOK

Good Morning!

G

ood Mornings Restaurant has been serving up, well, good mornings, for two decades.

Located at 44A Bridge St. in East Windsor, Good Mornings is a breakfast and lunch joint – the kind that welcomes regulars and first-timers alike. Owner Bonnie Emmons recently expanded the dining room to offer more space where she and her staff serve-up traditional fare and a few twists.

Emmons has always loved eating and cooking.

“When I was much younger I wanted to own a bed and breakfast,” Emmons said. “I had a fulltime job, so I started doing small catering jobs on the side. ‘Dinner For Two’ was my specialty. I had always enjoyed cooking. I always enjoyed eating out at fancy restaurants and when my meal would come I’d think to myself, I could make that! So I started experimenting at home, kind of self-taught.”

She began looking for a brick-and-mortar space 20 years ago.

“Our current location was for sale and I purchased it thinking I would expand my

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 35

catering business,” she said. “However, I quickly discover that there was enough people in the area interested in it opening back up as a cafe. We decided we could do both. After a couple years we phased out the catering part to concentrate solely on the restaurant aspect.”

Emmons is still a bit in shock that she opened her doors two decades ago.

“It’s really exciting to think that we have made it 20 years,” she said. “Over the last 20 years there have been a lot of businesses around me that have come and gone, but somehow we’ve made it through. Being a restaurant owner certainly is not easy. It’s not for the faint of heart. The first five years I worked seven days a week, 10 -12 hours a day. I knew I would have to work hard to beat the statistics, which is that 60 percent of new restaurants fail within the first year. And nearly 80 percent shutter before their fifth anniversary.”

Surviving and thriving in the business can be nearly impossible, but Emmons knows the recipe for success: customer satisfaction.

“Knowing your customers and what they really want is a must,” Emmons said. “We have a ‘cheers’ kind of atmosphere. I know most of my customers by name and can almost always predict what they will order.”

Those customers have become like family and are what have helped Good Mornings outlive so many businesses over the past 20 years.

“I have a very loyal following and I credit those customers for getting us to the 20-year mark,” said Emmons. “But, I have always said I could not do it without my family. My son Daniel works every day with me. My daughter Alicia, my sisters Wendy and Laurie and my brother Terry have all been there to lend a helping hand when we were short staffed or when something is broken and needs repairing. I could have never done this without them. We are just a small place with a total of 12 employees.

“I also want to thank those that have my back every day -- Nancy, Judy, Jennifer, Ceferino, Faith, Erin, Olivia, Sarah and Pat who retired but has always been willing to come back for a day or two to help out!

“I have truly been blessed when it comes to staff. I did not lose anybody during Covid.”

While Good Mornings’ menu strays just a tad from the traditional, Emmons said she does 36 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

have her personal favorite dishes.

“I don’t think I have a favorite food to eat!

I just like food in general,” she said. “I’m always willing to try something new at least once. But I’m also very adamant about the couple of things that I really don’t care for when it comes to food. At the restaurant I’d prefer to cook breakfast as opposed to lunch.

“At the restaurant I like making myself a pancake with crumbled bacon, roasted corn and cheddar cheese. Outside of the restaurant I like a good chocolate espresso martini with a good rare steak!”

Good Mornings’ breakfast offerings include stacks of pancakes and French toast with toppings including blueberries, chocolate chips, cranberries, nuts, coconut and raisins. There are many egg options, from fried and scrambled to omelets and sandwiches. Breakfast specials include steak and eggs and the somewhat unconventional grilled pork chop and eggs.

Sides of fresh fruit, muffins, bagels and toast, various meats, hash and home fries – with or without cheese sauce – complete the breakfast menu.

As the menu states, “Good Afternoons Start With A Great Lunch,” and the lunch menu doesn’t disappoint. There’s the soup of the day as well as a quiche of the day. For those seeking something on the lighter side, Good Mornings has salad options including a grilled chicken Caesar salad, a grilled chicken Mandarin orange salad and a grilled chicken Mahoney salad, which features fresh romaine lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, feta and grilled balsamic chicken.

Wraps, grilled sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers round out the menu along with sides grandma would love – potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad, fresh fruit, applesauce, four-bean salad and pickled beets.

Good Mornings Restaurant is open Monday – Friday, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 37

local einstein

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE - NO GOOGLING!

WHERE DOES THE PREAKNESS STAKES (2ND LEG OF HORSE RACING’S TRIPLE CROWN) TAKE PLACE?

WHAT FLOWER IS TRADITIONALLY WORN AS A REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED IN WAR?

[A] Saratoga Springs, NY [B] Del Mar, CA [C] Baltimore, MD [D] Elmont, NY

[A] Poppy [B] Daisy [C] Rose [D] Magnolia WHAT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS THE PALME D’OR EVERY MAY?

WHAT FAMOUS MONUMENT WAS DEDICATED ON MEMORIAL DAY? [A] Mount Rushmore [B] Lincoln Memorial [C] Washington Monument [D] Vietnam Veterans Memorial

[A] Sundance Festival [B] Montreal International Film Festival [C] Cannes Film Festival [D] Toronto International Film Festival

WHAT IS THE FASTEST DOG BREED IN THE WORLD (AS FAST AS 45 MPH)?

CARRIE UNDERWOOD GOT HER START ON WHICH REALITY TV SHOW? [A] The Voice [B] America’s Got Talent [C] X-Factor [D] American Idol

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WHO PROVIDED THE WHISTLING OF THE ANIMATRONIC ROBIN DURING THE SONG “A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR” IN “MARY POPPINS?”

WHAT IS EARTH’S LARGEST CONTINENT? [A] Africa [B] Asia [C] Antarctica [D] Australia

[A] Walt Disney [B] Dick Van Dyke [C] Julie Andrews [D] Fred Astaire # CORRECT

IQ

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8-9 5-7 2-4 0-1

160 110 50 3

Prodigy Egghead Meh Simpleton

[A] Maine [B] Florida [C] North Carolina [D] Massachusetts

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1)C 2)A 3)B 4)C 5)D 6)D 7)B 8)C 9)A

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GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 39

42 TABLE OF

CONTENTS Spring & Summer 2022

42

48

48 53

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Weddings MAY 2022

55

55 67

Pentimento Designs French-inspired Artistic Style Florals

With This Ring An Interview With Michael Szwed Jewelers

Finding Your Dream Dress Pearl Bridal Boutique's Ryan Mainville Talks Current Bridal Trends

Wooded Blooms A Unique and Eco-Friendly Option To Live Flowers on Your Big Day

Local Couples.

Real Weddings.

Local Couples featuring all the details of their special day.

Say “I Do” by The Lake

Four Seasons by the Lake is a rustic, romantic venue nestled in the beautiful town of Stafford, CT. We are a full-service event facility accommodating all budgets. Four Seasons offers a variety of menus with flavorful dishes fashioned to delight all palates. We offer services for both on and off site events.

51 Old Springfield Road • Stafford Springs, CT • 860-851-9445 fourseasonsstafford.com GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 41

Pentimento

PHOTOS BY NATE BLAIS

DESIGN

42 GO LOCAL

Weddings MAY 2022

By Payton North

SPECIAL TO WEDDINGS

Nestled in Suffield, CT sits Pentimento Design – what was once a local grocery and butcher shop in the early 1920’s was transformed many years later into a boutique floral shop. After several years of success under former owners and sisters Paula Gallo and Tamara Pezzente, current owner Sarah Parlos purchased Pentimento Design in 2019, hoping to find a “side-hustle” to keep busy during the “slow season” for her wedding and event coordination business, One Fine Day. What Parlos didn’t realize, however, was that her side-hustle would soon turn into her “life’s purpose.”

When Parlos was 22, she began working for a nonprofit as a planner.

While she loved the job, she wasn’t making enough money to make ends meet, so she started to work part-time for a woman who was doing floral design out of her home in Connecticut.

She began with the basics – cleaning buckets, sweeping – and eventually, the owner took Parlos under her wing and sent her to floral school to teach her the basics of floral design.

Fast forward several years to 2014, with the skillset she gained from her nonprofit planning job, she opened her wedding and event planning business One Fine Day. “I was trying to figure out how I could survive owning a business during the slow off-season, which is about 90 days in the industry,” Parlos explained of the wedding off season, which she said is from midDecember through mid-March. To gain experience, she began to offer to create bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages for her clients.

For the next few years, Parlos would call floral designers and offer free labor during busy seasons. She explained, “I’d call and say, ‘You don’t have to pay me – but I’m letting you know I own this company One Fine Day, and I’m looking to learn more.’” Of all the companies she called – former owner of Pentimento, Paula Gallo, was the only one who said no. “She floored me – she said, ‘We don’t allow just anyone to work here, but especially people who want to come for free because we think that they’re trying to steal the trade secrets that make Pentimento GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 43

who it is.’” In that same conversation, however, Gallo did soften – coming across with a big question. Parlos recalled Gallo said, “But, we’re selling Pentimento and we’re looking for a buyer, are you interested?”

“No – I just told you I own a company, I’m absolutely not interested!” Parlos replied.

Their phone call ended, but a month later Gallo reached out to Parlos again. “Have you considered our conversation?” Gallo asked. Parlos said Gallo explained further, stating she and co-owner Pezzente did their research on Parlos, and that they believed she was the person for Pentimento.

“This woman can sell a bucket of dirt to anyone for $1,000,” Parlos said of Gallo.

As the story goes, Parlos met with Gallo after some convincing, despite having no intentions of purchasing another company. Ten months after their meeting, Parlos had the papers to the business signed over and the keys in her hand.

“This is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Parlos said of creating her event company and purchasing Pentimento. “If you can use the skillset that you love and turn it into profit and a job, it makes life much happier.”

Pentimento design is known for their French-inspired and artistic style of floral arrangements, using only the highest quality blooms. We asked the florist about the top trends for this upcoming season, and ways readers can incorporate these trends into their upcoming big day.

What are the most popular spring and summer blooms? “Every, single year, hands down the most requested flower for spring and early summer is the peony – of course. People love it for its fragrance, for its fluffy large head and there’s something so romantic about it.”

Insofar as table arrangements, what is a style that you’re seeing lately? “This year, I’m seeing a continuation of a lot of light, almost like a blue jay blue, with a cream ivory base and touches of green.

That is a color pallet that I’m seeing come across. It really is magical. A flower we’re incorporating a lot of this year is called a blue delphinium. There’s something spectacular about it. It’s a line flower, it’s anywhere from 18 to 24 inches tall, and you can use it anywhere from bouquets to centerpieces to big alter arrangements, to arbors, and it’s just the perfect shade of this soft baby blue.”

Tablescapes seem to be quite in right now in place of a traditional arrangement. What’s the top tablescape design that you’re seeing?

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“A simple, basic green garland down farm tables that are connected, let’s say a 30- or 40-foot length laid down the center. The greenery vibe and trend that we certainly have seen in all wedding magazines, as well as just all over the world really, that I’m seeing a continuation of. It’s budget friendly, and honestly, it really is beautiful. There really is beauty in simplicity.”

“I tend to use a product called smilax. That’s the product I use the most [for tablescape greenery.] Smilax is a product – in my experience – that lasts five to seven days easily. It does not quickly dehydrate or brown. I have it flown in from Texas, they bring it right over here to Bradley [International Airport]. It’s an incredible product, it is vine-like, and it has so much texture and substance to it, and it’s not something that you can just go and find at your local florist.”

What about floral installations? Lately, a popular wedding feature seems to be a floral installation at a ceremony, or as a backdrop for photographs. “I’m seeing a continuation of fresh flowers being used to frame the couple, but the shape of the structure is changing. For many, many years the only type of arbors you saw was a perfect square or a small arch that looked like a little garden archway that you would see at your grandma’s house. Now we’re seeing those geometric gold circles, we’re seeing triangles, we’re seeing what I consider, two pillars that don’t quite touch above the couple’s head – they essentially look like they are growing out of the ground – I call them floral pillars.”

How about bridal bouquets and boutonnieres? What’s the latest when it comes to these pieces? “It really has everything to do with the bride and grooms individual outfits for the day. If a groom walks into a meeting and let’s say that he’s dressed head-to-toe in J Crew, I’m going to know that he’s going to want a simple boutonniere – ranunculus with a fresh touch of greenery and a black or white ribbon on it, nothing else. If the groom walks in and he’s a city guy and has a little bit of a pep to his step – he’s probably going to say, ‘I want something a little different.’

So we’re going to offer to essentially do two or three types of blooms in his boutonniere, as well as matching the ribbon to maybe his undervest or his bow tie. It really is such an individual style, because it is something that is adding to your outfit, it’s seen in every photo.”

“We still, beyond a shadow of a doubt, receive so many requests for what I consider classic, structured bouquets.

I tend to explain them as – they are not trendy, they are timeless. But, I do personally feel that the more popular request is for texture, dimension, free flowing and I think people come to Pentimento for that. We’re known for our French, garden-chic style, and so a lot of people that come are like ‘I love this style that you do, this is what I want.’”

PENTIMENTO DESIGN IS LOCATED AT 175 S. MAIN ST. IN SUFFIELD, CT. THEY CAN BE REACHED AT 860-836-9503 OR AT PENTIMENTOFLOWERS.COM

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GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 47

PHOTOS BY NATE BLAIS

Ring

WITH THIS

By Payton North

SPECIAL TO WEDDINGS

Becoming a jeweler was truly in Michael Szwed's blood.

“My grandfather got out of the service in the ‘40s and he and my grandmother were starting a family.

And his skillset, growing up he would tinker with watches. Back then you didn’t have a battery thrown into a watch if it wasn’t running – it had to be serviced or cleaned. He started a little watchmaker shop,” Szwed explained.

He noted his father was the oldest son of eight, and when all the other kids would go to bed, his father and grandfather's work on watch repair would begin. This is how his family's jewelry shop started, and over 75 years later, Swede’s Jewelers remains in Connecticut.

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Growing up in Windsor Locks, CT, Szwed explained he never ventured to a big city or on faraway vacations.

He shared that his father worked “extremely hard” to help to build the family’s jewelry store. When Szwed was around 12 years old, his father took he and his siblings to the Javits Center.

This was Szwed's first trip to New York City, and to a jewelry show. What really caught him, Szwed said, was the relationships between his father and vendors.

“We sat down with different vendors that my grandfather started with 20-plus years before. To see those relationships and really looking at my father in a different light and seeing how skilled and bright he was, really,

that for me was really what brought me into the interest of [becoming a jeweler,]” Szwed explained.

Szwed purchased Master Jewelers in Longmeadow, MA in 2012, renamed the business Michael Szwed Jewelers and has been serving the community since. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, and a staff of professionals including Store Manager Jennifer Blais, Szwed works not only to sell jewelry to people, but to also build a relationship with them.

“Educate and empower,” Szwed said of how he and his associates assist those who come into his store to purchase engagement rings. First, he explained they will discuss the person the buyer is getting a ring for. Does the buyer have photos, or know the style their loved one likes? Are they hoping for a natural diamond, or an alternative? What about budget? From there, Szwed explained they will work out specifics, call in stones from their suppliers and then show the customer.

“We’ll present them to [the customer], educate them and empower them to make the right decision for what they want to present,” Szwed said. “I think doing it that way really helps the customer and makes it a little bit more special because they’re really involved in that process.”

In an incredibly unique experience, Szwed and Blais will travel twice a year to Antwerp, Belgium to hand-pick diamonds themselves for customers who have more specific desires.

While there is the opportunity to purchase an engagement ring in a day, Szwed and Blais both recommend against this, as they rather focus on a personalized experience. Typically, they prefer a four-to-five-week window for the ring purchasing process.

changed” the old rule of thumb. The average ring budget for their store ranges between $6,000-$10,000, however the pair noted that is not to say that they don’t sell rings for much less, or rings for much more.

When it comes to budget, the antiquated rule of thumb was to spend two months’ salary on the ring. Blais said this no longer remains the case. “I think that is an older way of thinking, and I think that scares a lot of people too,” Blais said. Szwed added that today, with the rewards on credit card points or the financing that can be offered, those opportunities “totally

Regarding stones, customers don’t have to pick a naturally occurring diamond. What’s become more popular in recent years, are lab grown diamonds. According to Blais, the only physical difference between a natural diamond and a lab grown diamond is how they are grown. “The chemical, physical and optical properties are exactly the same,” Blais said. The GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 49

gold and solitaires are popular, and Blais explained she’s seeing a lot of shapes return. “Round is queen,” she said, however in second are ovals.

“Most of the shapes are trending,” Blais said.

difference between the two is found in how they hold their value over time.

Szwed explained, “Simple laws of supply and demand, the more that hit the market and are available, the more the price will drop over time.”

For those who might be looking for a stone other than a natural or lab diamond, Blais said they only recommend sapphires, which come in 50 GO LOCAL

Weddings MAY 2022

every color imaginable. It’s the hardest of the colored stones and holds up well over time. That said, if worn daily, it can still be ruined. Other stones, she noted, are too fragile for everyday ware.

Current trends for engagement rings that Szwed and Blais are seeing range more than one might think. Yellow

Blais explained she feels the style of rings right now are simplifying. Szwed interjected that right after their 10-year mark in the business, “everything was halos,” which is a ring that features a diamond with a “halo” of smaller diamonds surrounding it. “We’re seeing those halos go away [now], people are moving to a bigger center stone, and delicate sides,” Szwed said.

He added that while some promote using platinum as the metal for the ring, it’s also most expensive and heavy. “We don’t push platinum as the best metal, we’ve got to find what’s best suited for the project and the scope of what the customer needs,” Szwed said.

MICHAEL SZWED JEWELERS IS LOCATED AT 807 WILLIAMS ST. IN LONGMEADOW, AND CAN BE REACHED AT 413-567-7977 OR MICHAELSZWEDJEWELERS.COM

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PHOTOS BY NATE BLAIS

Dress

FINDING YOUR DREAM

By Payton North

SPECIAL TO WEDDINGS

When Ryan Mainville was in college about 20 years ago, she worked for a bridal boutique. At the time, the owner of the shop would joke about selling her shop to Mainville one day.

After graduating from Bay Path University with a business degree and a major in interior design, she went on to use her degrees in another field. Years later when she was getting married, however, she was having a difficult time finding unique wedding designers in the area.

“Everybody seemed to be carrying the same handfuls of designers around here…I thought that if I was having that problem, then other brides must be as well,” she explained.

Mainville knew she always wanted to have her own business, and utilizing her degree, she said, “why not?” and dove into owning Holyoke’s Pearl Bridal Boutique for the past 14 years.

Pearl Bridal Boutique offers shopping

strictly by appointment, allowing brides an hour and a half of dedicated time to work one-on-one with a consultant. Mainville explained that first, the consultant will discuss the bride’s vision regarding what styles she likes and what she is hoping for out of a dress. She noted that if the bride has not tried on a wedding dress before, they will pull a variety of styles.

While a bride may have a specific idea as to what style she would like to wear on her big day, Mainville said pulling multiple styles will either confirm the brides original thought – or surprise her.

Timelines are something brides must be cognizant of, Mainville said, encouraging brides to go wedding dress shopping no less than nine months prior to the wedding, but ideally one year before the big day. She explained that prior to the coronavirus pandemic, dresses would still take six to nine months to come in if a bride was not purchasing it off the rack. Now, with supply chain concerns, dresses are taking even longer, and

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 53

extend to wedding gowns. Mainville shared dresses brides are gravitating toward lately are lighter and have a flirtier feel. She has watched brides purchase cleaner, more sophisticated and classic gowns – and has noticed ballgowns are less in demand.

Even designers have noticed this shift in brides’ mindsets. Many gown designers have adjusted their fabrics to be more comfortable and to have less styles with boning or restrictive corsets.

While bright, colorful gowns tend to pop up more in big cities – Mainville describes the New England bride as “a bit more traditional,” however about 80 percent of brides at Pearl purchase gowns that have contrast color.

“Most of the wedding gowns out there – if it’s not a solid, clean dress – most of them have a lace layer, and typically most brides will do a lining, the base layer of the dress will be a different color like champagne or nude. Then the lace itself will be ivory, so you really get to see the gorgeousness of the laces that are coming out now – typically they’re really intricate and beautiful,” she explained.

time for alterations must be worked into schedules.

Though there is no set average – and Mainville has “seen it all,” – she said brides try on anywhere from one to 100 dresses to find their dream gown. All told, the average amount of dresses a bride will try on is around 10.

“Anything over [10] it starts to get repetitive, or you start to get confused and overwhelmed. If someone still feels like they need to see other things, we’ll say go to two to three bridal shops,” she said.

In Pearl Bridal, the average cost of a gown is $1,800, though again, this can vary.

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The coronavirus pandemic has changed much of the way people live their daily lives, and these changes

Brides at Pearl Bridal Boutique tend to look for the traditional, Mainville said, sharing that most opt for a one-piece gown with a train. She noted there was a push for jumpsuits a few years ago, but this is less mainstream. She said at a same-sex wedding one of the brides may want a jumpsuit, but her shop does not get as many requests for them.

As for veils, Mainville explained brides that are choosing to opt for something more unique might select hair jewelry or a comb to accent their hairstyles.

She said at Pearl, they have about 50 percent of brides choosing to use a veil, and 50 percent using accessories.

When it comes to her personal favorite gown style of the moment, though, Mainville said she is loving a “soft A-line” dress with “viney, ditzy lace” that is feminine.

PEARL BRIDAL BOUTIQUE IS LOCATED AT 1 OPEN SQUARE WAY IN HOLYOKE AND CAN BE REACHED AT (413) 315-6102.

PHOTO BY WANDERFUL EXPOSURE

Blooms WOODED

By Payton North

SPECIAL TO WEDDINGS

While many couples opt to purchase live florals for their wedding, this can at times cause a series of moral or physical dilemmas.

For many ecofriendly couples, ones who are concerned with allergies or those who may simply want a unique wedding bouquet or centerpiece that they can repurpose and use again and again, purchasing a live bouquet can be unrealistic. Wood & Word Blooms of Tolland, CT will fit the bill – providing a stunning wood floral arrangement that rivals any live flowers.

Jennifer Angle, owner of Wood & Word Blooms, fell into creating

wooden flower arrangements in 2018 while working on the details of her own wedding. She explained that she went down a “Pinterest rabbit hole,” and subsequently looked at purchasing wooden flower bouquets on Etsy.

“I looked at the wood flower bouquets and was like oh – I want those, those are beautiful. Then I went to Etsy and I realized that the price of something that I liked…I said ‘wait a minute, I’m not paying that, I can do this myself,’” Angle said, noting she has always been someone who does well with crafting projects.

Sola wood flowers, also known as aeschynomene aspera, is a species of aquatic plant that is considered

a weed found in rice paddies, woodandwordblooms.com explains.

Angle shared that manufacturers sell rolls of the sola wood and she also works with a few women-owned businesses in the United States as well as Thailand to source her flowers.

She “mixes the world of artist and florist,” by taking the rolls of sola wood and subsequently cutting it, painting individual petals, and stemming them to look like near-replicas of countless styles of blooms.

On a whim, after encouragement from a friend who works in the industry as a wedding photographer, Angle attended a bridal show at Mohegan Sun as a vendor with examples of her arrangements and bouquets. To her GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 55

PHOTO BY TASMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY WILD ARROW PHOTOGRAPHY

classes. She noted that in the past, she has hosted classes at breweries, for private parties and even offers do-it-yourself wedding parties where brides and bridesmaids get involved in working with Angle to create wedding arrangements or bouquets.

PHOTO BY WANDERFUL EXPOSURE

There are numerous benefits to using sola wood flowers instead of live flowers, Angle shared. Aside from the obvious appeal for those who may be allergic to real flowers, she explained that the sola blooms offer “complete creative control” to a bride who may be interested in a specific flower that might not naturally come in a color they are looking for. The flowers can also incorporate unique textures such as lace, painted designs on petals and more.

“Another great benefit is – I always call them stress-free. They aren’t going to wilt on a hot summer day. You get your flowers in advance. You don’t get your flowers on the day of your wedding and say, ‘that’s not what I wanted,’ in tears…you have the benefit of being able to see your flowers in advance and if you want to tweak something or move a flower around, we can do those things,” she said.

Some couples, Angle said, will opt to create arrangements for their bridal showers or jack and jills which they can then save and reuse on their wedding day.

surprise, she booked several weddings at her first bridal show.

“I always call it an accidental business because I wasn’t looking to start a business. What I thought would be a little side hustle, a little hobby, very quickly within two years became a full-blown business. It’s taken off,” she said.

Though she did not have any formal experience being a florist and has spent much of her adult life as an educator, Angle said there is an “insane” amount of support for those delving into the wooden flower 56 GO LOCAL

Weddings MAY 2022

field, between YouTube, Facebook groups and more – she had support from others in the sola wood flower community.

A mother of two children and full-time teacher on top of her venture of Wood & Word Blooms, Angle quickly learned how to manager her time, and her business. In a bittersweet moment, Angle shared that this is her final year teaching so she can focus her energy on Wood & Word Blooms.

Not only does she offer floral arrangements for special events and weddings, but Angle hopes to expand offerings with more community

There is also the option to take the flowers and turn them into something else. Angle explained one bride had a flower crown at her wedding, and then when the bride was pregnant, she used the crown as a prop on her belly for photos, and later was able to photograph her newborn with the crown. She has had clients create flower covered letters for future children’s bedrooms as home décor, and couples that have found other ways to preserve their blooms for a lifetime.

“I don’t like when people say that [wood flowers] are a budget thing – to me it’s economical. You might spend as much on wood flowers as you do on real flowers,” Angle said. “There’s

PHOTO BY WILD ARROW PHOTOGRAPHY

a good chance you’re going to spend less because you can reuse something, but even if you spend the same, your money is going a lot further.”

Most of Angle’s customers reach out to her via her website, woodandwordblooms.com, and share a Pinterest link with inspiration photos for what they are looking for with their florals. When she looks at these photos, Angle shared she looks for the “red thread” or common theme that ties the arrangements together. Perhaps there is a specific bloom that is used in numerous bouquets, or a certain color palette that the couple seems to like.

She then can customize what the future newlyweds are looking for.

“On Etsy, you’re going to find predesigned [sola] bouquets, and anyone can order that bouquet…I do pride myself that right now I do designs where everything you’re getting is customized to you,” she shared.

For the most part, Angle explained, “anything” can be done with sola wood flowers. That said, she does not go to the wedding venue on the day of like many traditional florists do, as couples will have access to their florals in advance.

What Angle may love most about her job, though, aside from being creative,

is that she is able to truly get to know couples and their stories and feel confident making florals that they will love, not only for their wedding, but for years to come.

WOOD & WORD BLOOMS IS LOCATED IN TOLLAND, CT AND CAN BE REACHED THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE, WOODANDWORDBLOOMS.COM OR

BY EMAIL WOODANDWORDBLOOMS@ GMAIL.COM

PHOTO BY TASMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Currently, Angle is seeing her couples’ trend toward bright and bold florals.

Texture is “in,” and many of her upcoming weddings feature a mixture of wood flowers and faux greenery.

One special do-it-yourself bride and her husband have a marijuana blog and will be having a dance floor installation where the bride is creating marijuana shaped leaves that will be mixed in with wood flowers and suspended above the dance floor.

PHOTO BY TASMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Those who may be interested in Wood & Word Blooms’ florals do need to allot for – ideally – a year to a year-and-a-half in advance for their big day. From start to finish, working from conversations with the couple, potential supply chain issues, the process of painting and stemming each individual flower, prepping greenery – to say creating sola wood arrangements is time consuming is an understatement.

GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 57

St. Anne County Club

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413.786.2088

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IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS SEPTEMBER, 2020 ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE SLEDZ WEDDING BY STACEY COLTON PHOTOGRAPHY

NAMES: Allison and Tim Sledz AGES: Allison 29 Tim 31 OCCUPATIONS: Director of Marketing/ Finance Supplier Relations CEREMONY: Our Lady of Sorrows, Essex, CT RECEPTION: Waters Edge Resort and Spa, Westbrook, CT INVITATIONS: Shutterfly FLOWERS: Cityline Florist, Trumbull, CT BRIDE’S DRESS: David’s Bridal BRIDE’S SHOES: Badgley Mischka CATERER: Waters Edge MUSIC: BAND: Around Town Entertainment WEDDING PLANNER: Waters Edge CAKE: Waters Edge BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Bella Bridesmaids RINGS: Eternity by Yoni HAIR: Pink Soda MAKEUP: Prepped and Primed FIRST DANCE SONG: Speechless by Dan & Shay THEME: Beach BEST WEDDING ADVICE: Things will go wrong, but don’t let that ruin your day.

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Kelly & l e a h c i M

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IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS AUGUST 29, 2021 ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE TODD WEDDING BY J. HUMPHRIES PHOTOGRAPHY

NAMES: Kelly and Michael Todd AGES: Kelly, 27 and Michael, 36

OCCUPATIONS: Kelly: pricing analyst, and Michael: security analyst CEREMONY: The Wedding Garden at The Starting Gate at GreatHorse, Hampden, MA RECEPTION: The Starting Gate at GreatHorse, Hampden, MA INVITATIONS: Minted

FLOWERS: FlowerWorks

BRIDE'S DRESS: Michele – a – Bridal Boutique, dress made by Enzoani BRIDE'S SHOES: Badgley Mischka and Converse CATERER: The Starting Gate at GreatHorse, Hampden, MA MUSIC: CNT Entertainment

VIDEOGRAPHER: DMO Films

WEDDING PLANNER: Carisa with Pink Olive Events GROOM'S SUIT: Modern Formals

CAKE: Pete’s Sweets, East Longmeadow, MA BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Afarose.com

RINGS: Pellegrini Jewelers, Norwalk, CT HAIR/MAKEUP: KiSSandMaKeUp CT

FIRST DANCE SONG: “Never Stop (Wedding Version)” by SafetySuit MEMORABLE MOMENT: “We both felt the most memorable moment of the day for both of us was the moment we first saw each other as Kelly walked down the aisle. Since we did not do a first look, this was the first time that Michael saw Kelly’s dress and that Kelly saw Michael all dressed up in his suit. It truly was a magical and special moment.”

THEME: We didn’t have a theme, more just a color scheme of burgundy and gold with white and green accents OFFICIANT: Kezia Bacon

NOTES: “We also have a three-year-old son together named Lucas and made sure to incorporate him in our special day by having him walk down the aisle as the ring bearer, had his own reception walk in song, and made sure to include him in the details of the day, such as our cake topper.”

BEST WEDDING ADVICE: “Our best advice, as overstated as it may sound, is to enjoy the day, as it goes by so quickly and make sure to take a moment just the two of you to soak it all in.”

HONEYMOON: Turks and Caicos

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Creating flowers that are just perfect for your special day in every way.

Family Owned Since 1918 Engagement Rings, Lab-Grown & Natural-Mined Diamonds Repairs on Site

We don’t sell diamonds.

We help you buy them.

284 North Maple Street Suite 11 • Enfield, CT

735 Sumner Avenue Springfield, MA

Mon., Tue., Wed. & Fri. 9:30-5:30, Sat. 9:30-3:00, Sun. & Thu. Closed

Tue., Wed., Thu. & Fri. 9:30-5:30, Sat. 9:30-3:00, Sun. & Mon. Closed

860-763-4653

413-736-3262

smithandsonjewelers.com

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Memories Restored Pictured: Restored Wedding Dress from 1955

262 Allen St. Springfield | 413-736-5476 | Hrs: Mon-Fri 7-6 • Sat 8-2 | ParkCleaners413.com 464 Main St. Wilbraham | 413-279-3222 | Hrs: Mon-Fri. 8-4 • Sat 9-1

Thanks for another great year!

I want to thank all of my clients for continuing to use Luminous Glow for your Airbrush Tan. I truly appreciate your loyalty.

I am celebrating my 10th year thanks to all of you!

Enjoy $5.00 OFF A Full Body Airbrush Tan

Be sure to mention ANNIVERSARY when booking your appointment.

Please call 413 525-7500.

Expires 5/31/22

LUMINOUS GLOW THE ULTIMATE ORG ANIC TANNING SALON

143E Shaker Rd, East Longmeadow, MA | luminousglow.net

We Bake with Love

SERVING YOU SINCE 2010

Unique. Elegant. Time-honored. Affordable.

2 Banquet Halls with Full Service Event Catering.

Executive Chef and Owner Sasha Skerla 4 Alden Avenue, Enfield, CT • 860-745-5390 OldCountryBanquets.com 64 GO LOCAL MAY 2022

HOURS: MON-WED 10–6 THU-SAT 9–7 SUN 9–3

95 HIGH STREET ENFIELD, CT

860-741-2253 CARMENSBAKERYENFIELD.COM

y e s d n i L & Seth

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IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS APRIL 23, 2021 ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE OSBORNE & HOLMES WEDDING BY ATLAS & STONE PHOTOGRAPHY

NAMES: Lindsey Osborne and Seth Holmes AGES: 29 and 31 (respectively)

OCCUPATIONS: Hairstylist (Lindsey) and Tattoo Artist (Seth) CEREMONY: Boylston Rooms East

RECEPTION: Boylston Rooms West

INVITATIONS: Etsy, Papel Custom Design FLOWERS: Etsy, Songs from the Garden BRIDE’S DRESS: The Exquisite Bride, Gibsonia, PA BRIDE’S SHOES: Dillard’s

CATERER: Myers Catering, Easthampton, MA MUSIC: Excalibur DJ

WEDDING PLANNER: Erin Whitmer (coordinator at the Boylston Rooms) GROOM’S SUIT: Men’s Wearhouse

CAKE: We did assorted desserts family style, provided by Myers Catering. Our original plan was to do a Pittsburgh cookie table, but to avoid a communal “buffet” type area during COVID, we opted for family style instead.

BRIDESMAID DRESSES: various - they all picked their own! Lulus, ASOS, Macy’s, Pink Blush.

RINGS: Hannoush Jewelers

HAIR: Adina Pignatare (Bride, mother of bride and some of the bridesmaids) and Ashley Augustus (mother of groom and other bridesmaids) MAKEUP: Evonne Tapases

FIRST DANCE SONG: “You Are The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne MEMORABLE MOMENT: Reading the letters that we wrote to each other the night before the wedding. We read them separately right before our first look.

THEME: Industrial, black and gold, romantic with an edgy vibe OTHER/NOTES: Every single vendor we hired was incredible! We are still getting compliments on every aspect of the event, and everyone had a blast.

BEST WEDDING ADVICE: Just roll with it and focus on having fun! After postponing multiple times due to COVID, by the time we actually got to celebrate, we were just so excited that it was finally happening that we didn’t stress over any little details.

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Taylor & Erik

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IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS OCTOBER 3, 2020 ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE MEADORS WEDDING BY STACEY COLTON PHOTOGRAPHY

NAMES: Taylor and Erik Meadors AGES: 33/34 OCCUPATIONS: AMS Claims Specialist/ Correctional Officer CEREMONY: Backyard Wedding RECEPTION: Backyard Wedding INVITATIONS: Shutterfly FLOWERS: Ordered from Costco and assembled personally. Some were from parents’ yard BRIDE’S DRESS: David’s Bridal BRIDE’S SHOES: Steve Madden - Nordstrom CATERER: Red Fox, Middletown CT MUSIC: DJ WEDDING PLANNER: N/A CAKE: Mother of the Bride made Carrot Cake Cupcakes BRIDESMAID DRESSES: David’s Bridal RINGS: Malloves, Middletown CT HAIR: Transcendent Makeup, Farmington, CT MAKEUP: Transcendent Makeup, Farmington, CT FIRST DANCE SONG: I’ll Be, Edwin McCain MEMORABLE MOMENT: Doing our first look and taking pictures on the bridge that we drive by frequently in the summer on our boat and that we got engaged in front of.

THEME: Rustic BEST WEDDING ADVICE: Remember that you are on the same team and always communicate.

HONEYMOON: We didn’t go on a honeymoon due to COVID at the time. We ended up just doing boat trips to the beach.

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a ss i r a M l e i n a D &

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IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS OCTOBER 30, 2021 ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE MCDONALD WEDDING BY STACEY COLTON PHOTOGRAPHY

NAMES: Marissa and Daniel McDonald AGES: 27, 28 OCCUPATIONS: Marissa: Human Resources Daniel: Marketing Research CEREMONY: Ocean Cliff, Newport, RI RECEPTION: Ocean Cliff, Newport RI INVITATIONS: Admire Design, Adrienne Craig FLOWERS: Sayles BRIDE’S DRESS: Kleinfelds, and designer is Martina Liana BRIDE’S SHOES: Vera Wang CATERER: Venue MUSIC: Luke Renchan Entertainment WEDDING PLANNER: My mom CAKE: Sugar Bake Shoppe BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Flair and designer was Jenny Yoo RINGS: Marissa’s wedding band is from Kays, Marissa’s engagement ring and Daniel’s wedding ring is a family heirloom HAIR: Christina McDonald and Bella Beauty MAKEUP: Bella Beauty FIRST DANCE SONG: I am Yours by Andy Grammer MEMORABLE MOMENT: Our first look! The sun came out just for a few minutes so that we could get our first look/pictures on the water and it was just beautiful!

BEST WEDDING ADVICE: Try to stay in the moment and take it all in, it goes by fast and really is the best day of your life!

HONEYMOON: Los Angeles, CA (Disney and Universal) and then Hawaii we went to Maui and Kauai

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The Final Countdown

7 new skills to give a try!

When it comes to ways to spending what little free time we have, the possibilities are endless. You probably have a few go-to activities that you love but if you’re looking to add a little adventure to your life or learn a new skill, here’s a short list of ideas you may not have tried.

STAINED GLASS

DRAGONFLY STAINED GLASS – 116 PLEASANT ST, (EASTWORKS) SUITE 032, EASTHAMPTON, MA 01027 413- 559-1010 DRAGONFLYSTAINEDGLASSSTUDIO.COM

Stained glass artist, Heather McLean welcomes students of all skill levels to her glass studio. She teaches workshops where you can make your own suncatcher or you can take advantage of open studio times to complete your own stained glass project and get expert advice. The studio also offers stained glass repairs.

ROCK CLIMBING

CENTRAL ROCK GYM 165 RUSSELL STREET, HADLEY, MA 01035 413-584-7625 CENTRALROCKGYM.COM

If your choice of hobby bends more toward physical activity give rock climbing at Central Rock Gym a try. They offer youth programs, member events, meetups, competitions and fundraising events in an inclusive environment that welcomes all levels of skill and ability.

COOKING CLASS

THE BAKER’S PIN 34 BRIDGE ST NORTHAMPTON, MA 01060 413-586-7978 • THEBAKERSPIN.COM

Both a kitchen store and cooking school, stock your kitchen with the tools you’ll need to become a gourmet cook and learn how to use them, all in one place.

Choose from a variety of hands-on classes and demonstrations either in-person or virtually. Brush up on your knife skills, learn to cook regional favorites or explore international dishes.

BARRE

PURE BARRE 432 N MAIN ST, EAST LONGMEADOW, MA 413-224-1834 • PUREBARRE.COM

If you haven’t yet found an exercise program that doesn’t feel like a slog, try a barre workout. PureBarre hosts group classes that focus on low-impact, highintensity, musically-driven movements to strengthen and tone your body.

Small class sizes catering to all skill levels will allow you to find the right fit and ensure you’ll have the attention of one of PureBarre’s knowledgeable instructors.

WOOD CARVING

MUSIC LESSONS

COOKIE/CAKE DECORATING

Wood carving is an art that is all but overlooked these days. Keep this skill alive (and learn to create one-of-a-kind pieces for your home) at the direction of classical European woodcarving master, Demitrios Klitsas. Classes are scheduled around your availability and all students work at their own pace and are given individual attention as needed.

It’s never too late to pick up an instrument. Westfield School of Music offered privates lessons in Piano, Voice, Classical Guitar, Pop/Rock Guitar, Bass guitar ukulele, mandolin, Violin, viola, cello, fiddle, flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, trumpet, Drum, tin whistle and more to students of all ages.

Channel your favorite celebrity baker and learn the art of buttercream. Bake Craft and Create hosts team-building, showers, girl’s night out events. Schedule a birthday party, sign your favorite young pastry chef up for their summer camp, participate in one of their Vino and Cake decorating events, or cake or cookie decorating classes.

Feed your sweet tooth and your creativity!

DIMITRIOS KLITSAS 378 NORTH ROAD, HAMPDEN, MA 01036 413-566-5301 • KLITSAS.COM

WESTFIELD SCHOOL OF MUSIC 347 ELM STREET, WESTFIELD, MA 01085 413-568-5383 WESTFIELDSCHOOLOFMUSIC.COM

BAKE CRAFT AND CREATE 142 N RD, EAST WINDSOR, CT 06088 860-386-6945 • BAKECRAFTANDCREATE.COM

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