Women by the Water Local Business Owners

from Lancaster by the Bay – 2021 Visitors & Business Guide

by Lancaster By the Bay Chamber of Commerce

Coping with COVID-19

by Megan Wilson

Lee Taylor, owner of Sewlovelee

The waters and roads of Lancaster call to a diverse array of families, entrepreneurs, adventure seekers, art lovers, foodies, and more. All in one day, you can break a sweat, pick up a whole new wardrobe, learn how to sail, and learn about the latest wellness trends. Many of these experiences are possible because of the area’s women-owned businesses. Each one offers a unique twist as they showcase the best of the region’s character, resources, and humans. We talked with some of our leading local ladies about their businesses. They shared their plans for the years ahead and reflected on a challenging year behind them.

Magic in the Making: Sewlovelee Fuels Creators Near and Far

There’s magic in the fibers of quilts, says Lee Taylor.

“The stories that can be created by cutting it up, combining different fabrics with a pattern are amazing,” explains Taylor, owner of Sewlovelee in Irvington. “Quilters take bits and pieces of fabric, sometimes with a plan and sometimes without, and they magically put the pieces together in a new way. Individuals use their creative juices to transform fabrics into a new and different thing.”

Since she opened the shop in 2014, she’s also seen the magic bring people together in the Lancaster community. Taylor first opened the destination quilting and crafting shop in White Stone. In 2018, she moved the store to Irvington, which has a large back yard where the store can host quilt shows and other events right on the main street of Irvington.

“I love Lancaster County,” says Taylor. “Everything I want and need is here: inspiration everywhere, a pace I adore, and the best customers!”

Her customers are embarking on their own quilt-making and fashion design projects. At Sewlovelee, they can buy fabric, batting, patterns, needles and thread. She also carries ready-made items, such as quilts, tote bags, and decorative items. During the past year, she says her loyal customers are making even more.

“I’ve been totally surprised at how many customers have doubled down on quilting,” she says. “True, they can’t travel or get together, but they have really been making a lot. We’ve sold a lot of fabric, more than I thought.”

Taylor also said some of her older customers have been teaching their grandchildren to quilt via video chat apps. It’s indicative of the generational knowledge that keeps the quilting craft alive. Taylor says she and the Sewlovelee team are “truly interested

in helping.” They make sure to stay flexible and ready to work with customers in a variety of ways.

“We are all about constantly learning, sharing, and creating the space for people at all skill levels to be comfortable,” she says. “Customers are free to engage us in any way that helps them. For some, that means helping select fabrics. For others, it means trying a new type of pattern…”

Taylor is full of gratitude from the support of her customers who chose to support small businesses like hers. In order to give back herself, Taylor and her team joined together for the Beyond Ourselves Quilts for Kids project. Taylor donated longarm quilting for 10 quilters to make quilts for one or more local organizations this November. Participants received a free bag of scraps to get started.

Sewlovelee’s 7th anniversary celebration will be held October 12-16, 2021. The event will feature an outdoor customer quilt show and live music. Last year, Taylor displayed 42 original quilts created by Sewlovelee customers, which she says she’ll work to do again this year.

Visit Sewlovelee at 4504 Irvington Road Irvington, VA 22480 or online at www.sewlovelee.com.

Grow with Me

Melissa Burke’s great grandmother always had her in the garden, planting flowers, and anywhere else her hands could touch the soil.

“She taught me about living off the land,” says Burke, owner of Grow NNK in Kilmarnock.

Her love for plants and family is woven into every aspect of her “house of zen” on Main Street. She sells a variety of CBD products created with hemp grown by her brother and cousins in Beaverdam, where she grew up.

“I wanted to offer something positive for everybody,” she says.

The Grow NNK plant bar welcomes children and adults alike to creation their own terrarium or zen garden. Guests start by choosing an orb or glass vase, then an air plant or waterbased algae ball. They can customize the terrarium with healing crystals, figurines, and more. The big kids can enjoy wine or beer while they create, too.

“It’s like art therapy,” she says. “You get to be creative, choose how you want to decorate the vase.”

Along the way, Burke educates guests about plant care and more. When it comes to CBD, Burke also educates her customers thoroughly. The top three reasons people seek out CBD products are for pain relief (often related to arthritis), as a sleep aid, and stress reduction.

“Some people are first time users, some people have tried it and are looking for a really good quality product,” she says. “CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory and can relieve muscle and joint pain naturally. A lot of people struggle with sleep problems so the CBD really helps. Stress and anxiety relief are probably the most popular problems CBD is used to help.”

Her offering of salves is especially helpful for pain relief, she says. Her collection of salves and tinctures will soon grow. She’s ready to welcome an expanding line of CBD products that will include serums, lotions, cleansers and more. Some will be infused with CBD and others will not. Her store is located On South Main Street, so she says she’s excited to fill a void with more skincare and beauty offerings for the community and travelers alike. Some made by her cousin Bonnie Flagg will incorporate CBD, some of them won’t.

Her newly launched website features all of these products and she has customers around the country. Grow NNK brings a bit of Lancaster all around the country.

Burke will celebrate her one-year business anniversary June 18. The community of Lancaster has supported her vision and her family along the way.

“I love the laid back slow pace,” she says. “It’s a great place to raise children, stay safe, and feel connected with the water around me...it’s up and coming and more young people and families are sticking around.”

Beyond her plants and wellness collection, Grow NNK is a one-stop gift shop for anyone on your list. Burke carries salt lamps, jewelry, hand blown jellyfish, local copper art, watercolor paintings, and macrame plant hangers that all bring an artistic feel to the shop.

Visit Grow NNK at 82 South Main Street, Kilmarnock 22482 or online at www.grownnk.com.

Melissa Burke, owner of Grow NNK

Wind and Ropes: Arabella’s Journey to Lancaster

When you first meet Arabella Denvir, you’ll notice her calm demeanor. Like the waters that surround the region, she has a way of quieting the mind and focusing your attention. She welcomes locals and travelers on board her more than 20 sailboats. They’re hoping to learn something from the sailing veteran and the instructors she’s taught.

“I grew up sailing and cruising on big boats,” explains the Ireland native. “In college, I sailed all four years for Trinity College in Dublin and after that, I always raced.”

Sailing is in her blood. Her great grandfather designed boats and every generation since sailed the seas around England and Ireland. She fell in love with a sailor, too. She and her husband Philip moved to Malta in the Mediterranean Sea and opened The Malta Sailing School and the Malta Young Sailors Club. After Greece decided against joining the European Union, they looked for another region to call home and a community where they could introduce their passion to new people. Her friends and contacts led them to Lancaster in 1998.

“It’s a really fabulous community,” she says. “People are just nice to each other and they are very welcoming. I really mean everybody — the people who have lived here for multi generations and the people who have just moved here. It’s a cooperative, friendly, and encouraging environment. Everybody encourages everybody.”

Her husband Philip passed away in 2011. Denvir continues the legacy they began here together and her passion for sailing stays strong.

Premier Sailing school is located at The Tides Inn, which features safe beaches and coves on one side for small boat sailing and the wide-open waters of the Rappahannock River on the other for larger boats. Devnir and her team of instructors offer high quality personalized instruction for children, adults, and families, and even corporate groups.

“There’s a lot of communication and teamwork that goes on when you’re sailing,” she says. “We keep it fun and relaxed, though.”

During your instruction, Denvir and her instructors will show you not only how to move the jib and the main sails, but to look at the color of the water to anticipate a gust of wind.

She says she selects her instructors as much for their personality as for their qualifications. Premier Sailing students often go on to become instructors and to race themselves. Others pick up and maintain the hobby or even apply it to a career in the Navy, she says.

Visit Premier Sailing School at The Tides Inn at 480 King Carter Dr, Irvington, VA 22480 and www.premiersailing.com.

Fashion with a Mission: The Women Behind the Kilmarnock Fashion Hub

A nephrologist and a psychotherapist walk into a boutique … They decide to start one of their own.

That’s not the full story, but it’s a good start for When Ordinary Won’t Do boutique managing partners and fashionistas Diana Jamison and Vicki Kinsel. The duo first stepped into the fashion world at Pearl Boutique in Kilmarnock.

“We rented a little piece of the store as we began buying clothing and learning the business,” says managing partner Kinsel.

When the pandemic took hold in 2020, Jamison says it was good timing as they had already begun talking about creating their own space. While they looked for the right home for their fashion concept, they began developing an online store, learning photography and graphic design, and diving into

Arabella Denvir

everything else that a modern business needs to be successful.

“It was frustrating at first, but we learned it all now and love it,” says Kinsel.

The name “When Ordinary Won’t Do” says a lot about what customers can expect to find at this Kilmarnock shop.

“We won’t buy something unless we really like it and it has to be a little different,” Kinsel says.

Beyond curating a collection of fashion finds unique to the area, they actively seek out and carry brands that support sustainable production practices, are fair trade, and are run by women and minorities.

“We are opposed to fast fashion,” explains Jamison. “We actively look for products made of recycled materials, cotton, and plant-based fibers... We want to leave a light footprint and help others do the same.”

This approach to fashion is progressive and insightful. Kinsel and Jamison are part of a growing movement around the world. The global ethical fashion market grew nearly 9% between 2015 and 2019 and is expected to grow another 7% by 2023, according to The Business Research Company.

“There is a movement in the country and the world to develop fabrics that can be used again and to develop dyes that are not toxic to the environment or not toxic to the people,” says Jamison.

Originally in White Stone, the new Kilmarnock location opened February 2021. Features of the new space include a protective plexiglass at the counter and they are adding new hours and days to the schedule every week to accommodate the growing demand and foot traffic in the area.

Visit When Ordinary Won’t Do at 12 South Main Street, Kilmarnock and whenordinarywontdo.com.

BodyFit - White Stone

Lifelong fitness professional Ramona Darden prefers the warmer temperatures of Virginia over her home state of Maine.

“I love being on the water — we go out every weekend if we aren’t playing golf,” says Darden.

She first left Maine for college at San Diego State University. She earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences with an emphasis in Athletic Training. Her career led to work in roles as athletic trainer, physical therapist, wellness director, exercise physiologist, and beyond.

In 2004, Darden moved to Williamsburg to connect with family. Here, she started to work for BodyFit, whose 24/7 fitness concept continued to grow a following. She made the business hers in 2009 and brought the concept to White Stone. Today, the newest location is 7,600 square feet and features a wide variety of classes and equipment. She’s been able to keep her doors open and help the Lancaster community stay healthy during the global pandemic.

“We’re so glad that we were able to open our big garage doors for outdoor fitness classes when the pandemic came along,” Darden says. “We’re happy when we’re helping people be healthy.”

Bootcamps, strength and yoga for seniors, paddleboard fitness, spin classes, fusion Pilates and yoga, high intensity circuit classes, dance, and more line the diverse list of options on the BodyFit group class schedule. Class sizes stay small so instructors can offer personal attention to participants and help them focus on their form, she says. BodyFit’s instructors are highly qualified and certified like Darden with professional dancers offering classes such as TransZendance, a fusion of world dance, Vinyasa Yoga, breath work, and Energy balancing. Darden says she plans to add barre to the group class schedule this year, as well.

Beyond its yoga and training rooms, BodyFit’s expansive building also features a 3,500 indoor walking track, locker rooms, and an infrared sauna, which speeds healing, helps with pain, and improves cardiovascular health. She plans to add a spa area with an esthetician and even outdoor pickleball courts.

BodyFit has several membership levels including part-time rates for members with second homes or drop-in and weekly rates for visitors. To access the 24/7 resources, guests receive a key fob, which is monitored by cameras and tracking codes.

She loves bringing the community together through BodyFit, too. She’s excited to get back to working on community events like her annual fun run along Beach Road during Oktoberfest around Halloween.