2015 Pride Savoir Flair Magazine

savoirflair Complimentary Copy

Vol. 7

New England’s lgbt Magazine

No. 1

KP MEDIA Publication

Faces of

Pride

Around the World L G BT

Marriage

Questions Before Marriage

21st

Century Home

Interior Ideas

Our Cars, Ourselves What Our Cars Reveal

New Book Review

Frank by Barney Frank VIDEO

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Wedding

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Fashion

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home

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Marketplace savoirflairmagazine 1

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Contents of Pride Around The World | Photos + 6 ByFaces Louis Chavez

16 Jewelry | Vintage or Contemporary

By N. McCarty

20 Geraldine + Jessica | weDding Story

By Geraldine & Jessica | Photos By Mara Brod

Before Marriage | LGBT Couples 26 Questions

By Joe Laporte Your House A Home | Living together 29 Keepin’

by Ed English

40 21st Century Home | Design | Automation

Sharon Levine interviews Shawn Armstrong

Boston Provincetown Northampton Providence Massachusetts Connecticut Maine Vermont New Hampshire Rhode Island 4 savoirflairmagazine

Cars,Our Selves | car Color & US 48 Our

By J.D. Capra

every issue 10 Book Review Frank By Barney Frank 12 FILM /TV What’s On and Off 33, 39 Home Improvement Top 10 Home Wish List + Organic Gardens are Awesome 60 MarketPlace SERVICE DIRECTORY Community Owned and Friendly Services

Publisher Mary Kennedy EDITOR Sharon Levine Editorial Consultant Nicholas McCarty Writers Wendy Mimran | Mark Adams | Flavia Francesquini | Louis Chavez Christopher Adams | Terri Schlichenmeyer | Ed English | Ben arkan Sales Rena Berman, Sales Director Wendy Mimran, Sales Development Manager Sharon Levine | Nicholas McCarty | Mark Davis Production Jenna Simon | Orella DeVille, Intern Cleo Marie | Kwame Byrd | Pixie Chavez; Proof Reader Photography Mara Brod | Vladislav Kochelaevskiy | Aleksey Kashin Distribution Eagle Distribution | Crevier Distribution | Hannon Distribution Advertising Information All inquires may be addressed to KP Media, 333 Washington St. #714 Boston, MA 02108 (617) 423-1515, Fax: (617) 423-7147 e-mail: kpmedia@aol.com Š2015 All Rights Reserved. M. Kennedy Publishing, Inc. Savoir Flair may not be reproduced in part or whole without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising content is the sole responsibility of individual advertisers.

Advertisers participating in this guide are not necessarily gay / lesbian, but Openly welcome the community.

Printed in Canada with Green Technology

savoirflairmagazine 5

Faces of Pride Around The World

Compiled by Louis Chavez

Israel Tel Aviv Pride is an annual, week-long series of events that celebrate Israel’s LGBT community, scheduled during the second week of June, as part of the international observance of Gay Pride Month. The most-attended event is the Pride Parade. The parade is the largest one in Israel.

The Tel Aviv Pride Parade, originally known as the Tel Aviv Love Parade, started in 1997; it assembles and begins at Meir Park, then travels along Bugrashov Street, Ben Yehuda Street and Ben Gurion Boulevard, and culminates in a beach party on the sea front. The parade is part of the biggest pride celebration in continental Asia, drawing more than 100,000 people in 2011 alone, approximately 5,000 of them tourists. Tel Aviv was the first location in Israel where “gay� events were organized and also the first city in Israel to host a gay pride parade.

This year the main Pride event at Cape Town Pride is the Parade, which took place on the final Saturday of the festival (February 28, 2015).

Cape Town also celebrated one of the biggest and most exciting gay pride event; 10 day celebration in the Southern Hemisphere which took place in late February early March.

The first South African pride parade was held towards the end of the apartheid era in Johannesburg on October 13th 1990, the first such event on the African continent.

Few countries in the world have experienced a greater turnaround when it comes to attitudes toward and rights granted to gays and lesbians, which has shifted from institutional homophobia to remarkably tolerant and progressive over the past two decades. The country became the first in Africa to legalize gay marriage a decade ago.

6 savoirflairmagazine

South Africa

Photo by Samantha Marx from Johannesburg, South Africa

Japan “Unlike the U.S. and other countries, there is no religion-based discrimination or hatred of sexual minorities in Japan.

However, there is insufficient knowledge and awareness,” said Patrick Linehan, U.S. Consul General in Osaka.

The sponsor of the first parade, Teishiro Minami, remembers that he had received several late-night phone calls before the event in 1994. “There were fewer than 50 of us in the beginning, but by the finishing point, there were more than 300 people who had joined us.

While the community has certainly come a long way, obstacles remain.

In 2014 First Lady Akie Abe showed up on a float, waving to the crowds. “I want to build a society where everyone can live a happy, enriched life without discrimination,” Abe wrote on her Facebook page shortly after the parade. “I enjoyed spending the time filled with smiles.

Twenty years after the first “Tokyo Lesbian Gay Parade,” the event now attracts positive attention and has a more cheerful vibe.

Iceland The 2014 Reykjavík Pride Parade took place August 9th. Almost 30% of the Icelandic population was expected to have participated in the festivities - 90 thousand people.

Reykjavik was full of excitement when the 2014 Gay Pride Parade was celebrated in the city.

The Pride Parade has grown to be one of the most popular events in Iceland, even bigger than The National Day, the Independence day of Iceland, which is celebrated on June 17th.

The parade started at 2 PM and took about two hours to finish, followed by a series of concerts by some of Iceland’s most famous musicians.

continues on next page

savoirflairmagazine 7

Faces of Pride Around The World

Mexico In 1979, the country’s first LGBT Pride Parade, also known as LGBT Pride March, was held and attended by over one thousand people in Mexico City. Today, Mexico City’s Gay Pride Parade is 100,000 strong with the largest, Gay Pride celebration in Latin America. The events draw millions to the streets of the capital to celebrate the pride and diversity of the large gay community. Every year the Gay Pride Parade takes place on a Saturday in late June. Called the ‘South Of The Border Rainbow Brigade’ it consists of a colorful parade of floats and marching units that winds down the elegant, tree-lined Paseo de la Reforma and ends at the massive Zocalo Main Square with a Rally and all-night party on Zócalo Plaza, the city’s largest square.

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Faces of Pride Around The World

Czech

Republic Among nations in Central and Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic stands out as being arguably the most gayfriendly. Prague, its endearing, pedestrian-friendly, and beautifully preserved capital city, is the largest city of the Czech Republic, just a 3.5 hour drive south of Berlin and the same distance north of Vienna. With a visible and well-connected gay scene, the city is the site of the Prague Gay Pride Festival, which takes place in mid-August. Based on last year’s event, the dates for 2015 will likely be the week of August 10-16 .

Prague Pride hasn’t been around for too many years, Prague Gay Pride was first held in 2011, but organizers have quickly developed it into a comprehensive, event-filled week of fun and festivity.

With tensions rising in Russia and other eastern European countries – it’s great to see gay pride flourishing in Central Europe

savoirflairmagazine 9

Book Review

Book Review

“Frank” by Barney Frank c.2015, Farrar, Straus and Giroux $28.00 / $32.50 Canada, 387 pages

by Terri Schlichenmeyer According to what you read in the check-out line at the grocery store this week, another celebrity has released a tell-all.

The thing is, you’re sure nothing in it will be surprising, nor are you scandalized. Really, is anything private anymore? Can anyone keep a secret for long? Read “Frank” by author and former Congressman Barney Frank and decide…

From the time he was ten years old, Barney Frank was fascinated by politics. By age fourteen, he understood two things: “I was attracted to the idea of serving in government and I was attracted to… other guys.” He also thought that he had to keep the latter quiet “forever.”

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Growing up in a liberal Jewish household in New Jersey, Frank’s political beliefs were formed early. He volunteered to work on Adlai Stevenson’s second presidential run, went to Harvard as a liberal with the occasional conservative viewpoint, and worked for voting rights during Freedom Summer. His volunteerism taught him a lot, which qualified him to work for the Mayor of Boston in 1967, where he honed his political talents, opinions, and negotiation skills. By 1972, he told himself that “an all-out war on homophobia” would be part of his activism henceforth.

Throughout his early political life, however, he was surprised nobody asked him “the question.” He says, “…there did not appear to be any public comment on the fact that an unmarried thirty-two-year-old man was the state’s most ardent advocate of gay rights.” When he was finally asked, despite his promise to himself, he denied his sexuality; shortly thereafter, he launched a run for Congress that he didn’t think was winnable as a gay man.

After the election, he “decided to adopt a hybrid status” to be out privately but not publicly. That changed by late 1989, when he faced action from his Congressional colleagues over his long-time relationship with a male prostitute.

Undaunted, Frank continued to work on behalf of LGBT rights and consumer issues. His career always came first but by mid-2005, he says he “wanted to enjoy a personal life,” having once claimed that he hoped to retire at age seventy-five, in 2015.

“This,” he says, “was one of my better attempts at a personal prediction: I was only two years off.”

Reading “Frank” is something like taking a tour in a working artists’ studio: it’s a mess, but there are colorful and interesting things to see here and there.

On the latter, there are enough asides and tidbits to keep readers going and, though they’re woefully underrepresented, we’re treated to some personal, nonpolitical anecdotes. Understandably, however, most of what author Barney Frank offers is of a political slant: mostly-linear details of his accomplishments, opinions on what happened, and occurrences that are matters of public record - a little braggadocio, a little observational, and a lot of ho-hum.

Fans of politics, I think, will be far happier with this book than will others, since that’s largely the focus inside. If you’d rather have a more personal memoir, though, know that “Frank” is merely a tell-some.

They could hardly have been less alike. David is striking, charismatic, blond with an ice melting smile, and possesses an unmistakable gift as a fiction writer, even at twenty-one. Wyatt looks as plain as paper, short by comparison, white as a ghost, graceless, a celebrated oil painter. He is single and he is out. David, raised a strict evangelical fundamentalist, is embarrassed by his own virginity. Both men are sent to Puffin Island and, within days of their arrival a young woman washes ashore, frozen and unresponsive after her kayak crashes against the rocks. David and Wyatt save her life. Days later, Wyatt is charged with rape. While the authorities investigate, the woman’s nineteen year old identical twin brothers paddle their way to Puffin to teach Wyatt a lesson. Their goal, to avenge their sister.

David’s heart struggles with his imbedded childhood dogma and lethally homophobic parents, propelling him to establish an unthinkable bond of love with Wyatt, and, when the unthinkable happens, Wyatt is once more left alone and he moves forward because there is a lot at stake. He turns to the most unlikeliest of characters to fill the void, a person who will teach him an important lesson; that love is all about choice and on making a decision, he must sacrifice a need that had been created by his past with David.

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savoirflairmagazine 11

What’s off and on

LGBT TV

by Mark Adams

Summer is, in addition to annual Gay Pride celebration time across the country, the end of what used to be the network TV season. I say "used to be," because now, it seems, there is no "season" as we experienced in years past.

Network shows, for the most part, no longer begin just as you stop wearing white after Labor Day, and end just before you pass out at the annual Chandler Street Block Party. Shows no longer are what used to be the customary 22 episodes or, in the even earlier days, a staggering 39. Still, summer is when cancellations run rampant, usually for the shows you watch the most. Like, for example, "Looking," THE gay show of the past couple of years. This was one of those love/hate programs; you know, like you really, really should love it, but you probably don't, yet you watch it anyway. Somehow hoping that by watching, it will somehow be noticed by the network, in this case, HBO, and they'll keep it going for another year with better writing, because it is, after all, a positive look at gay life for the thirties generation and how they live it in San Francisco.

Wow, that was one long sentence, perhaps another sip of sherry will slow me down. But I digress. Yes, "Looking" was cancelled after 2 snooze-inducing

seasons,

and

hopefully, leading-men Jonathan Groff and Russell Tovey will soon find something else that more displays their...er, talents. There is talk of a two-hour movie to tie up the loose ends, assuming they could find some.

12 savoirflairmagazine

HBO’s ‘Looking’ is no longer

In the meantime, things being what they are, there is a plethora of gayness to be found on both network TV and cable, the newest being something hidden away on the LOGO channel that you might have missed, Immediately following "Ru Paul's Drag Race" on Monday nights (at least at this writing) are a pair of British imports from the pen (or fingers) of Russell T. Davies, who, in addition to his work on sci-fi shows like "Dr. Who," was, as I know you remember, the creator of the ground breaking "Queer As Folk," which had successful runs in both its original British series and its American remake. "Cucumber," a 60-minute dramedy (well, more like 45 minutes, if you take away the commercials) and "Banana," a 30-minute gay anthology series with some continuing plot lines, run back-to-back. "Cucumber" tells the mostly depressing story of Henry and Lance, a middle-age couple

‘Fakin It’ on MTV

living in Manchester (England, not New Hampshire), who have been together for nine years of not-quite bliss. There's the usual sleaze and gay drama, to say nothing of a plethora of gay sex and bum-shots. Unlike "Looking," you're not inclined to doze off. So... you would ask, "Is it any good?" A friend, a tired old queen (a term of endearment) who lives down the street, lasted through part of the first episode of "Cucumber," declaring that there were "no attractive men" (he was wrong…) and that Logo was guilty of 'false advertising," because the single "brief nudity" was digitized. Oh, and he had trouble with the British accents. It can be dark and depressing, and, as Peggy Lee once said, "Is That All There Is." The Brits have the right idea about their series. They do a halfdozen or so episodes (this one has 8), and thus can leave you wanting for more. In spite of its lack of... well, "love,: such is the case with "Cucumber." It has been renewed for a second series, which I'm sure will

be picked up by LOGO. Just as a comparison, my husband is now watching, again, "Brideshead Revisited." "Cucumber" is, alas, nothing like that.

On a lighter note, I feel compelled to mention another series you probably missed called "Fakin' It." After all, it's on MTV and, dear lord, does anyone watch MTV any more? Well, maybe to see the twinks in "Teen Wolf," but even that gets tired ("What? I could NEVER get tired of Colton Haynes with his shirt off!"). Following the equally teenage-themed "Awkward!," another hoot, "Fakin' It" is about a couple of straight high school girl friends who, in desperation to gain popularity, decide to become a very open lesbian couple. And, by golly, it works, so the ladies decide to continue the ruse and ploy. One of them even begins to question whether she is really straight.

Duh. Sure, it's silly fluff, but these girls are just so much continued on page 58

savoirwmagazine 13

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Vintage orContemporaryJewelry

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The band of this one of a kind ring glitters with channel set baguette diamonds accenting the leaves.

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Vintage orContemporaryJewelry Palladium and Sterling Silver Mokume Band

by George Sawyer | Silverscape Designs These beautiful bands are handmade by George Sawyer. They are made with palladium and sterling silver. This appearance is the essence of wabi sabi, the Japanese art of finding beauty in the imperfection and profundity in nature. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather and loving use leave behind. continues on next page

savoirflairmagazine 17

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Buyers, Sellers and Appraisers of Estate Jewelry savoirflairmagazine 19

Geraldine & Jessica Wed

By Geraldine & Jessica | Photos By Mara Brod Géraldine Van DerAuwera is a transplanted Brussel sprout. After completing her PhD in Biological Engineering in Belgium, she wrangled her way into a US scholar visa and spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston. As a Bioinformatics Scientist at the Broad Institute, she helps develop software used in biological science, specifically genomics.

Jessica Rose is a country girl at heart due to her Midwestern roots, specifically Nebraskan (Go Big Red!), upbringing. She works as a civilian contractor at Hanscom Air Force Base. One weekend a month and a few weeks each year, Jessica becomes Major Rose, Operations Officer at Westover Air Reserve Base. If there is a surge in military operations or a natural disaster, she’ll be on the first plane out to set up a mobile command post.

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How we met We met through a dating site called Chemistry.com. Our first date was over sushi and sake, and we didn’t want it to end! Less than a year later, Jessica invited GÊraldine to move in with her, and within eight months, GÊraldine had proposed to Jessica on Cannon Mountain (with the help of several friends who went up by tram on one side of the mountain to set up a romantic picnic setting while Geraldine and Jessica hiked up the other side).

Wedding Ceremonies We first exchanged rings in August, during our very intimate wedding in Belgium. (European governments are far more accepting of foreigners who marry Europeans than the US Federal government is of accepting foreigners who marry Americans.) But we wanted to celebrate with more of our friends and family together, so we chose Friendly Crossways Retreat Center in Harvard, Massachusetts as our destination October weekend wedding venue. It was really wonderful to have people stay over with us because it gave us the opportunity to spend some quality time with people before the madness of the wedding itself. It was a very affordable way to provide accommodation for our guests from out of town, and it was awesome to have the place essentially to ourselves for the entire weekend. That was a big factor in our choice of Friendly Crossways. Plus, the place has a rustic vibe that fits us well, and we loved that it was a little out of the way, continues on next page savoirflairmagazine 21

Geraldine & Jessica Wed

continued form previous page surrounded by greenery, yet easily reachable from the Boston area. It was also nice that Mary Helan Turner, the owner with her husband Keith, could do all the catering in-place, using fruits and vegetables from her own organic garden. We really enjoyed the initial tasting dinner that she invited us to in the early planning stages. Several other engaged couples were there too, and it was fun/interesting to share stories, worries and tips with people in the same situation.

The ceremony itself took place in the early afternoon in a grove, where there’s a granite outcropping surrounded by trees. Apparently we were the first to get married on top of the outcropping. We loved that setting and built and decorated an arbor that used our colors and also fit in with the fall foliage. Our celebrant, Amanda Brown, was absolutely wonderful and really captured our essence. We didn’t want any religious aspects at all to our ceremony, and she did a great job of putting together a ceremony that was inspiring and touching at a human level.

A really great memory is at the end of the ceremony, our friend Mike who is also in the Air Force with Jess, and other groomsmen performed a traditional Air Force wedding honor guard ceremony for us. They lined up two by two and formed a tunnel by raising their swords, for us to walk through. As we walked up to each pair, they brought down the swords to block our path, and we had to smooch before they’d raise the swords again to let us through.

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The Reception After the ceremony Mara Brod did a beautiful job taking newlywed photos while our guests mingled, and our hosts brought out appetizers. Mary Helan is a very caring and thoughtful person—during the photos and reception, she made sure one of the servers brought us plates of food to make sure we didn’t keel over. We had the bartender serve a signature kir-style cocktail of prosecco and blackcurrant liqueur, which was a huge hit with our guests. Beer and wine were also available but the kir won everyone’s vote.

Mary Helan is a catering genius -- one item she added to the menu the night of our wedding was roasted Brussels sprouts (in honor of the Belgians) from her garden. We had never seen them in their natural habitat; they were in one massive stalk. Dinner is a bit of a blur -- lots of talking and not much eating, for us, but our guests reportedly wolfed down the delicious meal. Really, we can’t say enough good things about the Turners, who did such a good job of helping us plan ahead and kept things rolling smoothly the day-of. And when Mary Helan heard that we hadn’t actually eaten all that much at the reception, she invited us for a meal at Friendly Crossways approximately one year continued on next page

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Geraldine & Jessica Wed continued form previous page later where many of our menu items were served and we finally got to enjoy them.

The cake was a lot of fun too. We had it made by Babycakes in nearby Stow, MA, and that was a story in itself. We wanted a rainbow cake, but the baker was hesitant to do it because she’s not big on using a lot of food coloring. But we talked her into it (with the help of her husband who was totally on our side) and it came out absolutely gorgeous. On the outside it was a classic three-tiered wedding cake wrapped in white fondant, with a tasteful autumnleaves decoration motif. Then when we cut it, and boom, rainbow explosion! The colors were right too, exactly the right in-

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Geraldine & Jessica Wedw tensity and shades. It was delicious, too!

After dinner, Jess and I opened the dancing with a foxtrot we had prepared in advance.

We had been taking ballroom lessons at Arthur Murray Studio in Burlington, so we had some decent moves to show off. The best bit was the grand finish, in which I dipped Jess for a kiss. It was pretty theatrical and wowed people. DJ Mocha then got everybody dancing for a couple of hours (and the cold weather helped motivate people to move). Best idea of the night: Jess for bringing glowsticks, which sounded a little silly at first but everyone loved them.

The next day was pretty relaxing since all we had to do was pack up and leave. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to the folks who had flown in from far away of course.

Catering To You Elegant, personal, full service wedding catering ‘Beautiful and affordable, have the wedding you envision”

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9

Questions to consider before You Marry

1. Prenup or not to prenup?

2.

Monogamy or not. Many male couples

and some female have very different views than their heterosexual counterparts on monogamy.

Clearly defining, if agreed upon, liaisons outside of the marriage is essential.

3. Are there components besides love in your relationship such as trust, honesty, respect and forgiveness? Life’s hardships visit us all, but if you have all four of the above, you can not only survive those things, but thrive in them.

4.

The question of children is really important. Many LGBT couples with children mar-

ry to obtain legal protection for their families. Many marry because they want children.

Questions about education and religion and basic child-rearing philosophies should be discussed. Are you thinking private, public or home schooling? What about discipline? How do you feel about time outs, spankings and grounding?”

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6. Are you just getting caught up in the excitement of LG marriage recognition laws sweeping the country?

Take your time to decide if marriage is right for you because divorce is harder than calling off an engagement.

7. Satisfied with your sex lives?

Is there anything either party wants but isn’t getting?

8. Be prepared with these important questions; 1. Fired/laid off from job, what do we do?

2. Financial crunch (car problems, medical bills, leaking water pipes, etc.), what do we do?

3. Our parents are getting old, what do we do?”

9. Define your LGBT` marriage; what exactly are you committing to?”

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Keepin’ Your House A Home Whether You’re Marrying and Moving In or Just Moving In, Here’s How Not To Be A Homewrecker When You’re Making A Home Together

BY ED ENGLISH | Courtesy of www.pridesource.com Two worlds are about to collide! Moving in together can be a lot like sex - if done right, it feels and looks awesome; if done wrong, someone silently suffers.

Assuming your partner didn’t mean you’d be together forever in “gay years,” you are about to embark on a long journey through adulthood’s oldest rites of passage - living with a stranger. Because do you ever really know someone until you live with them?

Well, you’re about to find out.

But if you don’t want to be moving out as fast as you moved in, here are seven tips on how to build a home as a couple and not be a homewrecker. continues on next page savoirflairmagazine 29

Keepin’ Your House A Home continued from previous page

1. Move your stuff in, but NOT all of it Are you wondering where to put that beat-up La-ZBoy you’ve had since college? The answer is back at college. Moving in with your partner is the opportunity to assess which of you has the better furnishings, says Sanchez.

“Chances are, they have a lot of duplicates,” he says. “You glean the best of both households, then you try to make a story using those pieces.” If you’re both bringing La-Z-Boys, get out while you still can.

2. Create a home, NOT a homage The fastest way to date your living space and relationship is to give it a theme. Don’t turn your home into one big tribute to Broadway’s bests or the great outdoors.

“The key is to give themes a light touch,” says Sanchez. “You can have an essence of a theme, but don’t go crazy. If your place all of a sudden looks like Outback Steak house, then you’ve gone too far.”

If someone is moving in with you, you don’t have to completely remodel your home, but you should start a project together, says Lenhardt.

“Just start a project so you’re sharing in this home together,” he says. “Pick out wall colors together. The feeling of collaboration is important.”

3. What’s theirs is NOT yours Now that you’re all moved in, don’t assume everything is up for grabs. “The whole point about being a gay couple is that hopefully you’re the same size,” says Sanchez. “But some people have that one sweater they don’t want their partner to stretch out or spill something on.” Take caution when helping yourself to your partner’s wardrobe and personal belongings, he explains. “Just be respectful of the person’s personal space and the things they are bringing.”

If it feels wrong when you are rummaging through that secret box your partner keeps in the back of the closet, chances are, it is!

Advertise in style with SavoirFlair Magazine 617-423-1515 30 savoirflairmagazine

Keepin’ Your House A Home 4. Bathrooms are for your business, NOT ours When you live together, eventually you will find yourselves moving throughout each room of the house as a couple. He’s reading on the couch, so you answer emails on your laptop next to him. She’s doing work in the office, so you sit and flip through magazines. This game of cat and mouse should stop at the bathroom.

“It’s important when you are moving in to use the bathroom by yourself,” says Lenhardt. “Because if you have your own stuff to do in the morning, you should have your own time to do it and not have your partner in the way.”

If possible, have two countertops, says Sanchez. If not two bathrooms, separate the items you use each day. “We share the counter but have two separate drawers because everybody has their products,” he says.

5. Separate time, NOT space There should be three spaces in your home: “You should have yours, theirs and ours,” says Sanchez, explaining, if you are separate in everything, there’s no point in moving in together. “You each need a space to learn how to be a couple.”

But space doesn’t always mean physical space.

“Not necessarily having your own space but your own time,” adds Lenhardt. It’s important for even the most in-love couple to have alone time, because you can’t lovingly miss someone who is never gone.

6. Live in the now, NOT the past Photos in your home help you remember the good times when you are going through a rough patch with your partner. Photos of your ex help your partner remember the good times you had when you’re going through a rough patch.

“No!” says Lenhardt about past relationship photos. “You put your memories in a drawer and start your new life and a new montage on the wall.”

7. Do NOT get too comfortable Try to always be organized when you are sharing a home with your partner, because if not, it’s only going to make things that much more difficult when you move out. Just kidding! But not really.

at framers’ workshop you can do your own framing or have us do it for you

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savoirflairmagazine 31

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Home Wish List Bathroom Replace those tired old faucets with a contemporary, classic or artsy look. Add a spa showerhead, a sleek designer sink and voila - a bathroom transformed.

continues on next page savoirflairmagazine 33

continued from previous page

Top 10 Home Wish List

Infinity Pool Float your way to happiness in a vanishing edge pool whose “invisible� edge can give the impression of merging with the sky or a nearby body of water.

Hot Tub What better way to let your troubles melt away than sitting in the ultimate relaxation machine - a hot tub equipped with a towel warmer, refrigerator, DVD player and integrated stereo system.

Home Theater Dust off the red carpet, here comes home entertainment at its best - state of the art audio, video, lighting communication and control equipment built into either new or existing construction.

34 savoirflairmagazine

Top 10 Home Wish List

Flooring Consider bamboo, an eco-friendly and highly renewable grass that rivals many hardwoods for beauty and durability. Or select natural stone tiles with colors and patterns that bring a natural glow to your living space.

For a simple but attractive solution, refinish those old hardwood floors.

Home Gym You and your partner placed a compact home gym complete with folding treadmill in the empty corner in the living room.

Now all you need is a personal trainer at home to keep you motivated to use the equipment.

continued on page 37

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Free Estimates Licensed and Insured

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781-862-1097•781-272-2670 | www.kirklandandshaw.com savoirflairmagazine 35

PAUL CHAISSON INTERIOR DESIGN Personalized Design Consultations

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Custom cabinetry and exterior mill work 617-548-0986 | abbaswoodworking.com 36 savoirflairmagazine

Top 10 Home Wish List continued from page 35

Landscaping

Deck A romantic dinner for two or a crowd around the grill- a deck can increase your outdoor living area over that steep ground that once seemed useless.

Create an urban oasis on your condo balcony or spruce up your suburban back yard with carefully designed plantings and tree prunings for beauty and comfort.

Sunroom Dream Kitchen Build cabinets with shelves you can reach, install built- in refrigeration and wine storage, place a cooktop on your island and you’re set to try out the gourmet cookbook that has been sitting on the shelf.

Let the sun shine in while summer’s humidity and winter’s chill stay out. A versatile addition to any home, a sunroom keeps your indoor garden growing year round and offers the benefit of exposure to the sun. And if you’re looking to raise the resale value of your property, a sunroom is one of the most sought-after amenities. savoirflairmagazine 37

Professional Tree & Landscape Construction Inc. Make your yard an extension of your home • Landscaping Services & Maintenance • Custom Stone Work • Storm Damage Clean up And rebuilding

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Organic Gardening Is Awesome!

Eric and Jordan of Arlington, MA are avid organic gardeners Photo: Ben Barkan

By Ben Barkan of HomeHarvest.biz Our community loves our gardens whether it be flowers or vegetables, gardens are special to us and gardening is fun! It’s so much fun to get dirty, grow your own organic food, and it’s amazing how much food can be grown in a small space. Your own fresh and nutrient-dense produce can be grown almost anywhere. You can grow food in the sun, in mild shade, in alleyways, on rooftops, on top of concrete, inside buildings etc.

Growing your own food is a hot topic right now. People are waking up to the idea of sustainability and self-sufficiency. Most people used to know how to grow their own and an exciting re-emergence of homesteading is now taking place. Reconnecting with nature and our food source is needed right now, during a time when we spend more time on computers than we do in a natural environment. Gardening can also be therapeutic and a great way to unwind after a long day.

So much environmental degradation occurs because of largescale monoculture farming and every time you harvest something from your garden, you’re replacing a system that destroys our environment. Let’s reverse this trend, help our environment and also harvest healthier and tastier produce than you can buy in the supermarket.

Our landscapes have the potential to change our mind set and lessons learned from gardening can have a profound impact on how we view the world around us. After you’ve composted all your leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps on site and used the compost on your garden, it’s common to start seeing everything in this holistic way. Everything can be recycled. If you have chickens, the insects and weeds that once caused problems now feed your birds and turn into fresh eggs. When you make your own compost, all your leaves that you used to bag

up for town pick up now become sought after ingredients for your garden fertility. This kind of ‘cradle to cradle’ and sustainable thinking is needed right now.

Have you ever tasted a freshly picked heirloom tomato, a plump strawberry right off the plant, or some baby greens that you just harvested for your salad? The difference between storebought and freshly grown produce is apparent in the taste as well as the nutritional quality. Our gardens should reflect the uniqueness of us while harmonizing with the surrounding environment. Beauty and function are both really important.

Some of the best gardens involve beautiful curving lines, an abundance of colorful flowers, secluded outdoor living rooms, a combination of flowers and edibles, water features, or custom garden art. You can look to nature for inspiration and design your garden to offer year round beauty and large yields of nutrient-dense produce.

“The unexpected benefit of an organic vegetable garden and edible landscaping in our front yard has been the connection to our neighborhood. You can find while tending your garden that people you’ve never met stop to admire the garden and ask questions while out on a walk with their families or pets.

It’s a great way to share your passion for local, organic food and form deeper connections with the community.” – Eric and Jordan (photo above left).

Below: Jessie of Arlington, MA works for HomeHarvest as an installation specialist. Photo: Ben Barkan of HomeHarvest

savoirflairmagazine 39

Home Decorating for the 21st Century Photo: Vladislav Kochelaevskiy

By David LaPierre Decorating is an art that many people find fascinating, but they may have certain ideas that don’t necessarily suit their decor. Home improvement products constantly flood the marketplace, giving consumers almost too many choices for their residence’s theme. Several common decorating mistakes are easily corrected with some research and personal touches to make the space your own. Â

40 savoirflairmagazine

Lighting Faux Pas You may have thought those ceiling lights were per-

consistent light pouring into the space for the minia-

fect additions to the living room, but they often cast

ture tree to live and produce fruit. Avoid adding a des-

unsightly shadows across faces. This lighting mistake

ert cactus by a sofa where anyone might poke them-

makes people look drawn as shadows cascade down

selves. In general, look for large-leaf plant species

their faces. If you’ve already invested in these lights,

designated as indoor or low-light types to decorate

consider adding a dimming switch to the mechanism.

correctly. Cast iron and Chinese evergreen plants add

Softer lighting reduces the glare on visitors and fur-

a touch of green with little care necessary.

niture. You can even add side lamps to create more

flattering light while using the ceiling fixtures at a low

Hang at Eye Level

dim.

Don’t be too adventurous with your hanging art. Plac-

ing a painting near the ceiling’s edge may look bold,

Improper Plant Accents

but it’s nearly impossible to look at the detail without

The plant world is full of exotic looks to match any

a ladder. Always hang art or photographs at eye level.

decor, but not all species can thrive in an indoor en-

Even favorite sculptures placed on pedestals should

vironment. For example, those dwarf fruit trees may

be around eye level or slightly below. You want visitors

look like a fun accent to a living room. However, you

to gaze at the treasures rather than fight to see them.

need to make sure that you have four to six hours of

continued on page 57 Photo: Aleksey Kashin

savoirflairmagazine 41

21st Century Home Automation app remotely from any location in the world by phone or internet.

SL: What are people asking for most? SA: Lighting control is very popular as well as multi room audio.

SL: What do you think people will be asking for in the future? SA: More and more lighting control, thermostat control and motorized window treatments.

Livingroom with a flat screen tv that rolls up to display artwork.

Photo courtesy of Kreative Audio Video

Sharon Levine interviews Shawn Armstrong Home Automation Expert “Smart Home� is the term commonly used to define a residence that has lighting, heating, air conditioning, TVs, entertainment audio & video systems, security, and camera systems that are capable of communicating with one another and can be controlled by one Beautiful Home retrofited with up to date smart home intregration.

Photo courtesy of Kreative Audio Video

Jack Welch

Plumbing and Heating Residential And Commercial Over 30 years of experience Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling | Water Heaters | Gas Pipe Systems | High Efficiency Oil & Gas Boilers Gas Fire Places | Gas, Oil and Electric | Furnaces | Heat Pumps | Forced Hot Water / Radiant Heating New Construction | Service & Repair | Drain Cleaning | Installations & Replacements

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617-913-0896 | jackwelchplumbing.com | Licensed & Insured 42 savoirflairmagazine

SL: What are some of the recent changes in home AV? SA: Going from a audio system with wall plates to a complete system, all controlled from a ipad.

SL: How do you make changes in existing homes? SA: The Control4 System we use are very easy to integrate into older homes. It uses existing wiring.

SL: What are the advantages of installing in a new home? SA: The best advantage of wiring in new

Game Room with view. Photo courtesy of Kreative Audio Video

construction is that we can pre wire the whole house for anything they would like in the future. If they wanted to add speakers to a room and it was pre wired we would just have to cut the speakers out and install them and if it was not pre wired we would have to run wires from the equipment location which sometimes would involve some cutting and wall repair and a long install time to run the wires.

Control it all from anywhere with just a smart phone, ipad or computer.

Photo courtesy of Kreative Audio Video

continued on page 59

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www.KreativeAV.com savoirflairmagazine 43

Select Home Services

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savoirflairmagazine 45

Select Home Services Servicing Boston and the surrounding suburbs, Hingham to the South and Framingham to the West and North to Cambridge

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46 savoirflairmagazine

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617-364-4287 savoirflairmagazine 47

OUR cars, OurSelves A not too serious look at car color and our community

By J.D. Capra The LGBT Community has always been fascinated by car color selection and color of everything else for that matter. Artsy you know. Before you start writing letters about us stereotyping ourselves in the LBGT community, we emphasize that this is our tongue and cheek, unscientific analysis of car color selection and LGBT ‘types’. So we hope you get a chuckle.

What do you think your car color may say about you? Is it as simple as saying red is a drag queen’s car color choice, or a white colored car is a clean obsessed gay man’s auto? You might expect the personality of a person who chooses a white car to be quite different from one who purchases a fire engine red shade of automobile. continued on page 50

48 savoirflairmagazine

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savoirflairmagazine 49

OUR CARS, OURSELVES continued from page 48

1. White: White used to be the most popular car color. It is said that people who drive white cars are methodical and fussy as well as OCD clean.

A gay man who owns a white car is meticulous and usually asks guests to take their shoes off before entering their homes. And never, ever pulls up to a take out window and eats in his car.

A lesbian who owns a white car is usually a femme identified lesbian who thinks camping is a hotel without room service. An interesting fact about white cars is that people who like to spend large amounts of time cleaning buy them.

However, in reality white does not show the dirt as much as a car with a darker color. A white car is also most visible at night, so safer to drive in all weather conditions except snow.

2. Silver: Silver has become the most popular car color and like white it tends to look cleaner than the darker color choices. If you drive a silver car, you are probably a happily married LGBT person with a second home in Provincetown. Perhaps a lesbian lawyer working for GLAD. You also may be

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50 savoirflairmagazine

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OUR CARS, OURSELVES a little geeky; silver being the color of technology. Definitely a good choice for a modern day Alan Turing (i.e. gay man who invented the computer during WW2).

3. Red: Red is said to be the choice for dynamic and energetic actors, entertainers or drag queens. Who does not think of red as loud? Loud and proud no less. Maybe it is no coincidence that some of the most famous and successful entertainers drive red cars; i.e. Elton

John and RuPaul. Red is also a very lucky car in some Asian cultures. Good luck with a car can never be taken lightly.

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4. Gold: Gold, sometimes referred to as champagne, is usually driven by a mature couple on their way to Fort Lauderdale for the Winter. continued on page 54

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283 Western Ave., Boston MA 02134 savoirflairmagazine 53

OUR CARS, OURSELVES 7. Black: Owners of black cars are thought to be classic, and powerful; such as a gay or lesbian realtor or limo driver. Also kinky perhaps, you can’t discount the SM appeal of a sleek black car. In addition, whenever a manufacturer introduces a new car model, it usually comes out in sexy black first. continued on page 51

5. Blue: Different shades of blue can symbolize different things. A dark blue car owner is supposed to be a confident and dependable lesbian, while a woman that drives a lighter shade of blue is thought of as quiet and calm such as a vegan, lesbian librarian.

6. Green: These drivers are thought of as trustworthy and traditional

such as a funeral director or an antique collector/dealer.

However, it is said that the darker the green the more pronounced the character traits are. Unfortunately, statistics also cite green cars as more accident prone, along with brown and black cars which is why the funeral business might come in handy.

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8. Tan and brown, cream: All of these choices speak of friendly and well-adjusted Bears (big guys with lots of hair). Besides our beloved Bears, these colors are good for interior decorators or French teachers who usually choose cream colored cars.

If you get a cream colored auto, remember never get a

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54 savoirflairmagazine

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OUR CAR OURSELVES cream colored interior to match or as one gaywheels.com author writes” you’ll look like your swimming in a sea of tapioca.”

Cream cars are shown to be the one of the safest. Brown not so safe like any dark car. So watch for those Bear crossing signs.

9. Purple Is one of those individualistic colors that screams I’m an artist.

Purple is a good starting point for your very own art car.

Also popular with florists.

10. Yellow Not so mellow yellow, may be a bad luck color for a car. If you select yellow you like attention but want the world to know you’re a real individual that bucks convention. An LGBT activists car for sure.

11. Orange Another loud drag choice for Halloween lovers. If you choose this color you dress in elaborate drag on your favorite holiday.

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12. Maroon A popular color with LGBT entrepreneurs who like to remain behind the scenes. Low profile, Club owners like this color. After all it’s red without the noise.

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savoirflairmagazine 55

Living the Dream Auto Care We don’t just say we’re different from other shops — we prove it with every repair we do. We provide you the very best of all worlds: auto service that’s as expert as you’ll find with any dealer, but with more reasonable prices and a personal touch.

Too often, needing auto repair causes anxiety: Will I be told the truth?

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Will it cost far more than I’d been told?

We do things differently: We explain what needs to be done in simple, easy-to-understand terms.

We stand behind our work with the best guarantees in the auto care industry.

363 Neponset Street Canton, MA 02021 56 savoirflairmagazine

(339) 237-4711 | www.LTDAC.com

Home Decorating for the 21st Century continued from page 41 Pull Furniture Out Break the habit of locating furniture against the walls. Add a large rug to

Furniture Refinishing Service Celebrating Over 30 Years Of Quality Service

the center of the room and place the furniture within its edges. You’ll actually seem to add space to the room while encouraging conversation. A huge space in the middle of the room stifles conversation and makes the area look smaller in comparison to a centered furniture decor.

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a bright green to orange, bold colors need to be reserved for one wall only.

Select a neutral color for the remaining walls, such as beige or cream. If you must create a bold color in any room, select a small guest bathroom.

This space can take the bold color without affecting the rest of the home.

Whether you were too adventurous with a painted wall or just selected the wrong indoor plant, your decorating ideas just need to be converted into more functional applications.

Take that plant outdoors and find one meant for indoor light. Purchase another paint color and redo the bold wall. No poor decorating idea cannot be fixed without a little effort.

Advertise in SavoirFlair Magazine 617-423-1515 savoirflairmagazine 57

continued from page 13

LGBT TV

fun to watch, and, not being a lesbian myself for years, the boys who are after these ladies are just so cute. How the producers get these obviously 30-ish

Bringing a Taste of the City to the South Shore!

200 Quincy Ave., Braintree, MA(781) 849-1577 www.spaziodining.com

guys to play teenagers is just amazing.

The remainder of the second series of "Fakin' It" will air on MTV late this summer.

For those of you who might have "cut the cable," here are a couple you can and

Law Office of

Manning & Zimmerman

fighting for the rights of our clients PLLC

should check out, I'm sure you are aware of the award-winning series "Transparent" currently running on Amazon Prime.

Jeffrey Tambor's stunning performance is reason enough to spend the money for a subscription to this 10-part series that you'll want to binge watch. There will be a second series of "Transparent" early next year. Amazon Prime not only offers this and other worthwhile LGBT

Personal Injury • Medical Malpractice • Workers’ Compensation Disability • Same-Sex Divorce & Family Law

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features, but you also get free shipping from Amazon. Such a deal.

Also, check out the Emmy-nominated documentary "Daddy & Papa," from PBS, that explores gay fatherhood in four multi-racial families. You can watch it on

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natalie waggener • katherine wardrop • emily neenan hours: mon to fri 9aM -7pM, sat 9aM-4pM • New puppy or kitten visits and vaccines • Sick pet exams and therapies • Healthy pet check ups • Senior pet exams • Spay and neuter

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IM So Anim uth Bosto al Ho n spita l!

the film's website daddyandpapa,com.

Let me know if you've discovered any other hidden gems in your searches for films and series of interest to our community.

We are a full service general practice in the heart of South Boston

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• Radiographs • Fluids therapies • Flea and tick products • Heartworm testing & preventatives • Dental cleanings/polish/fluoride treatments

659 East Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127 www.SouthBostonAnimalHospital.com Tel: 617 269 0610 • Fax: 617 269 0016

58 savoirflairmagazine

Mark Adams has been a popular contributor to Boston’s LGBT Media for many years, writing extensively on film and video of interest to the community.

21st Century Home Automation continued from page 43 SL: What are you most excited about ? SA: The Control4 System is a great system and integrated with sonos and all of the Control4 lighting and thermostats it is a great system to work with.

SL: Can you tell us about one of your recent projects? SA: We did a hidden TV behind the art work in the great room

413-527-2693

231 Main Street Easthampton, MA www.fleurylumber.com

at framers’ workshop you can do your own framing or have us do it for you

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where the art work rolls up and shows the TV. In the master bath there is a TV in the mirror so when the TV is off it is just a mirror but when you turn it on the TV appears. This customer can control his whole house from anywhere in the world. We created pre-programmed lighting scenes that turn on numerous lights with the push of a button or just everything off in the whole house with a simple push. Customers are really getting involved with the smart home integration with Control 4 not only is it really cool but it saves you money on your energy bills.

Mark’s

Master Service Hardwood Floor Sanding, Refinishing & Installation, Non-Wood Floor Resurfacing

800-479-0367 www.marksmasterservice.com savoirflairmagazine 59

Service Directory

Apothecary

AWARDS•trophiesEastern MA

ApothecaryEastern MA

Junk Removal

ExcavationEastern MA

Skenderian Apothecary phone: 617-354-5600 fax: 617-492-8135 1613 Cambridge St Cambridge, MA 02138

www.skenderianapothecary.com

AntiquesEastern M

•

617.262.0780

10 St. James Ave, Boston, MA

www.marcozantiques.com

APPRAISERSEastern MA Accredited

Appraisers A rt & Antiques 17 - 1/2 State Street Marblehead, MA 01945

781.631.5956

27 Years Experience

PETER SORLIEN

Accredited Senior Appraiser

Auto DealersEastern MA 181 Somerville Ave Somerville, MA 02143 (617) 512-5511, www.johnsautosales.com We buy cars. We pay the most! John’s Auto Sales has been selling and servicing used automobiles in the Somerville and Boston Metropolitan areas for over 40 years. We pride ourselves in having the perfect car for everyone in the family. Whether it may be a luxury sedan or an SUV for mom and dad, a pick-up truck for grandpa, or a safe first car for the kids, it is our goal to provide everyone in the family with a reliable and affordable vehicle of their liking.

60 savoirflairmagazine

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ClocksEastern MA American English

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Foundation • Water Sewer Driveways Retaining Walls Snow Plowing

www.aldengalleries.com

Antiques

John’s Auto Sales

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387 Washington St, Suite 801 Boston

Antiques

•

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617-426-8222

Steve’s

381 Elliot St. #155 Newton, MA 617.969.2403

Sean

617 472 2020 617 293 7660 53 Gilbert St • Quincy, MA 02169

French German

All brands serviced Howard Miller Sligh Colonial Seth Thomas

www.seanfarrellexcavationma.com

FenceEastern MA

Crosby Fence Co. • privacy fence • picket fence • pergolas • arbors • trellises • any custom design

617.739.3993

233 Aspinwall Ave. Brookline, MA

baystateclockservice.com

(508) 255-6662

Dry CleanersEastern MA

15 Industry Way, P.O. Box 799 Orleans, MA 02653

Sturgis Dry Cleaners & Tailors All Work

Done • Tailoring On Premises • Shirts • Same Day Service • Suede/Leather • Curtains • Wedding Gowns Cleaned & Preserved • Smoke & Water Damage Restoration For Clothing

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Junk removal Eastern MA

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135 W. Broadway St., South Boston, MA 02127 hours 6am-6pm mon-sat

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Professional Demolition Contractor

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Selective Demolition Whole or Partial Cleanouts Trash Pick Ups Dumpster Rentals

22 YRS

experience

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Service Directory

Locksmith

LOCKSMITHEastern MA

PavingEastern MA

Real Estate

PlumbingEastern MA

P&M

Locksmith Ser vice, Inc. dependable | cost-effective residential • commercial • automotive

781-935-6850 • PMLockInc.com

Prime

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Locksmith

Mobile Service

24/7 Mobile emergency Lockouts for home and car Repair and Installation (508) 645-6257 primelocksmithMA.com

MoversEastern MA

paving & excavation driveways • parking lot road building septic installation / repair drainage installation land clearing • grading

(508) 240-5541 www.dirtworkscapecod.com

Complete Plumbing and Heating System Service and Installation SaMe Day Water Heater Replacement Free Estimates Licensed and Insured

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BEACON HILL PLUMBING & & HEATING INC. Sink, Faucet &Toilet Repairs, Water Heaters, Gas Repairs, ’S Steam, Hot Water TON BOS & Boiler Repairs, Radiant Heating, Backflow Devices, Sprinklers, Drain Cleaning Five Years in a Row!

PIANOEastern MA

24 Hour Service

Chris Pleim

(617) 723-3296 Lic. # M9304

Piano Services

Pianos Tuned, Repaired, Appraised and Sold

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Two Locations: Allston and Hyde Park

Soundboard Replacement • Refinishing SINCE 1920

617-783-1030 www.chrispleimpiano.com Registered Piano Technician

PlumbingEastern MA Need packing, moving, storage or disposal services?.

NOTHING BUT SERVICE. We’re not done until you’re completely satisfied.

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Your #1 Boston Plumber

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water heaters drains • sewers • leaks

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Karen and Barry Hickman William Raveis Real Estate

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Century 21 Hometown Associates, 1198 Dwight St., Holyoke MA. 01040, 413-575-8077, Rich.Vaden@Century21.com. www.RichVaden.com. Proudly offering realty services in Western Mass, I guarantee every client honest and trustworthy representation, strong negotiation skills, prompt and efficient communication, and special attention to their needs and goals. Since I became a Realtor® in June 2013, I have had the pleasure of working with buyers and sellers in the diverse markets in and around the Pioneer Valley. I earned the At Home With Diversity® certification from the National Association of Realtors® for specialized training in issues of diversity, fair housing, and cultural differences.

savoirflairmagazine 61

Independent • Family Owned In the Tradition of our Great-Great Grandfather Jacob H. Levine (1858-1944) 617-969-0800 800-554-2199 David Brezniak

George Rodman

Brian Falvey

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Proudly serving Boston’s LGBT communities of all faiths

Offering Burial and Cremation Services

www.brezniakrodman.com

62 savoirflairmagazine

Boston Glass Group

For all your residential and commercial glass needs!

Shower & tub enclosures

Plate glass

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Thermal pane replacement

Mirror installation

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Emergency boarding

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Replacement windows

Screen repair & fabrications

617-505-6091 | 815 Boylston St., Brookline, MA

www.bostonglassgroup.com savoirflairmagazine 63

Voted “Best Tuxes”- Boston Magazine

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